Coming Back from Spring Break................

Do you not just love spring break? I mean really...it is almost like Christmas morning. It is a well-deserved break and rest before the last 7 weeks of school. I often think that we are the busiest school in America, because I all the time try to find a “not busy time” and cannot find such a time in our calendar. I also think that the beginning of school and the end of school are the hardest. Labor Day is the reward for making it the first few weeks of school, spring break is preparation for the hardest weeks, and summer is the reward.  I had many plans for spring break this year. As I was stuck in traffic Friday travelling home (my usual 8 hour trip took 12), I was thinking about how I didn’t want spring break to end all the while being super excited about coming back to school today.  Strange? Maybe, but I love being in this building with our students and our amazing teachers.

Because I live with all boys, many of my family’s activities revolve around sports. Last week was spent watching the National Championship basketball games.  One of the reasons I like championship games is the pregame stories. I love hearing the backgrounds of players and coaches. In fact, I believe that coaching is much like teaching, and I study coaches and their approaches with their teams. I think we can learn a lot about our teaching and leadership through watching and learning from good coaches. In most of the final 4 games-both men and women- the games were very intense and very close. I was intrigued by what is a ritual these days of holding up 4 fingers as the fourth quarter begins....I think that this is something that started in football. Again, the intensity of these games and the importance of winning were shown on the faces of the players, the gestures of the coaches, and the craziness of the fans. That 4th quarter acknowledgement is important. The players, the coaches, and the fans hold up those 4 fingers in an almost contract like manner as if stating that they are pledging their honor to give it their all in the last quarter of the game. It is not the time when they start trying hard-they’ve done that the last 3 quarters, but it is a symbolism of leaving it all of the court (or the field-for whichever sport). The players know the W or the L will more than likely be determined by how you finish.  It is exciting to watch. Because I am older and maybe because I have children who play sports, the saddest thing in the world to me is when a game is over and the camera pans to the losing team. I hate watching the players upset. I hate seeing coaches distressed because they must go and shake hands and congratulate the other team all the while wondering what they are going to say to their devastated players when they get into the locker room. But I can’t shake the feeling of the solidarity of the hand raising at the last quarter of the game.

Church ran over yesterday. I cannot tell you how many folks I saw looking at their watches. Yet, last night, my husband and I couldn’t go out to eat until the Master’s golf tournament was over. I got to thinking about school. I got to wondering about our last “quarter” of school. These last 7 weeks are difficult. These last 7 weeks is why we have summer vacation. There is so much to do. There is so much intensity between end of year testing, programs, continually teaching and moving your students forward until the very last day, class placement cards for next year, and end of the year business. But would it not be so much better and so much easier if we acted like those sports teams who raise their hand holding up 4 fingers?

Instead of complaining about all that must happen in the 7 weeks between now and summer vacation, what if we pledge to work together to make it the best ending of school ever? When this happens, we communicate more, we work together more, and we work towards one goal. This makes it easier for all of us. It also makes it right for our students. When we enter the school in the mornings, knowing that there is a lot of work to be done, but knowing that you have a team to help you get it accomplished and knowing that you play an important part in that team, helps our students. It also helps you plan well thought out, meaningful learning engagements for our students in the last few weeks-even with the disruptions of testing, field trips, and programs. Our students, and quite frankly our colleagues, deserve to have the dedication of ALL faculty and staff to finish strong. I hope you will seriously consider changing your lens to one of (metaphorically-I can see so many of you now walking by my office holding up 4 fingers) entering the 4th quarter knowing that you are going to give it all you have. You, our profession, and most importantly, our students deserve it.