A Slice of Motivation

Join the ladies at Two Writing Teachers for more slice of life fun today! 

 

 

I had a staff meeting before school today.  I don't really mind meeting mornings.  It's the one day of the month that I get to leave the house by myself, listen to whatever I want during my drive, and I get a few minutes of alone time.  My husband takes the kids to school and does the daycare drop-off on staff meeting days.  It's nice!

Today we were asked to bring something of sentimental value to our meeting.  This is an unusual request from our principal so my interest was heightened!  I was very curious about what was about to take place.

It was a really nice meeting.  He started by sharing an analogy between our Michigan State Spartans getting to the Rose Bowl and our classrooms and school.  The coach of the Spartans had an end goal in mind and made sure to plan and prepare and work hard toward that goal each and every day.  But in the end, it is more about the people than the win.  The same is true for our school.  Test scores are important, sure, but it's really all about the kids we touch each and every day.  It's about the families in our district.  It's about us, the staff, as people who lead lives outside of school each day as well.

After getting a few business items out of the way, we were asked to move our chairs into a large circle.  We each took a turn showing and talking about the sentimental item we brought.  There were many interesting things we learned about each other.  I learned that one co-worker used to paint rocks with her grandma and brought a special one to share.  I saw pictures of weddings, children and families.  I heard stories of a special hat, a letter from a mother to her children and a letter from a child to her parents, charm bracelets, hospital/birth mementos, special books, and much more. 

I shared a robin bird pendent that my dad bought for me on the day I was born.  When he went to pick out an outfit to bring me home from the hospital in, he also found the necklace.  (He also was the one who chose my name, so I think it's pretty neat that he happened to find a robin necklace...I mean, they aren't exactly common.)

It was a nice time together as a staff.  I learned some new things about my colleagues and shared a little too.  It was something new and outside of our usual box.  It was a staff meeting that left me feeling motivated, ready to take on the day, and ready to meet my students with a smile.