HalfTime

Each year our family competes in the Rose family Bowl Challenge. Prior to the first bowl game of the 2018-2019 football season, each of us pick who we believe will win each of the bowl games. We keep score and the family member who successfully predicts the most winners becomes the Rose family Bowl Challenge winner. The prize is usually the same. The winner is given the freedom to plan an entire day of our annual family summer vacation and each of us most participate in the activities- and most do so willingly and joyfully, but this year there was money on the line (nothing like teaching your children to bet at an early age). Because our entire family loves football, this makes it fun because we tend to watch many ballgames and many teams that we normally don’t watch. It gives you a purpose to watch the games because you have someone to pull for in each game. 

I started off very strong in the Rose family Bowl challenge this year. I started bowl season 11-0. This was remarkable and the rest of my family stood amazed at my prediction skills. Then the after-Christmas bowl games started and things started to go downhill. I was determined to win because I wanted that money. I was needing a win and I was so excited while watching the Utah-Northwestern game. I had picked Utah to win while the rest of the Rose fam had picked Northwestern and Utah had cruised into halftime with a 20-3 lead.  My winning streak was going to return and I could not be happier about it. But on the opening drive of the second half, Northwestern’s quarterback threw the ball about 60 yards and a great catch was made. In the next play, Northwestern scored on a 4-yard run into the end zone.  The momentum had swung in the direction of Northwestern and they capitalized on what seemed like 20 turnovers. Northwestern turned it around at halftime and ended up winning the game 31-20. After the rest of the Rose family stopped rubbing in the fact that I had lost yet another bowl game, Rosebro 2 reminded me that half-time matters. Half-time adjustments. 

I started thinking about his statement about halftime. In my world of football, halftime is time to watch the band, get more snacks, use the bathroom, get more snacks, and well, get more snacks.  I often forget what may be happening in the locker room during halftime.  I started this discussion with Rosebro2 and my hubby who have been in more halftime locker rooms than anyone cares to count. Rosebro 2 mentioned three things are discussed during half time while the players get their much-deserved rest: Start, Stop, Continue. 

The more Rosebro 2 talked about what happens at halftime, the more I realized that our Winter Holiday is our half-time.  Our Half-time is a time to rest. In fact, I slept past 6am several times during the holidays. I was able to go out to eat with some friends that I haven’t seen in a few weeks. I had game night with my boys a couple of times. I saw a couple of movies at the theater. I read the paper…in the morning! I read a book for pleasure. I cooked. I spent a few days in a cabin in Pigeon Forge. It was an awesome time. And then I started thinking about my half-time adjustments.

What should I start doing? What are some things that are not being done that need to be done? What are some things that are worth trying or experimenting with for better results? What are some things that I wanted to do but haven’t been able to do because other things got in the way? What should we start doing?

What should I stop doing? What are some things that are not working or not helping? What are some things that impede us moving forward? Are there some things we are doing that are not getting the desired results that were intended when we started? Are we doing some things that the staff, the kids, our community doesn’t like? What do we need to stop doing?

What should I continue? What are some things that are working well? What are some things that are worth continuing? What are some things that are liked and needed? What are we doing that we need to continue to do?

I would say that half-time is the most important part of the game. The most important time for making adjustments is halftime. What halftime adjustments will you be making in your class, with your team, for you, for your students, and for our school?  What are you going to start, stop or continue?