Congrats, Rookie

"You give us cause to laugh and groan when we realize you are younger than the songs we listened to in high school."

This May the graduates of 2014 will rightfully be the center of a lot of attention; however, there's another group in the school community who deserve recognition as well: first year teachers.

When the final bell rings on the last day of school, and everyone exhales fully for the first time since August, take time to find the first year teachers in your building and give them a well deserved pat on the back as they reach the finish line for the first time.

Here are four bits of insight to share with those finishing the first year of this crazy, demanding, exhausting, frustrating, exhilarating, rewarding, and important job.

1.) If you had moments in the classroom this year that were less than perfect, you're not alone. Within the first ten minutes of the first class I taught, I spilled coffee on a student in the first row. I'd like to be able to say that from that moment I had no where to go but up, but that just wouldn't be true. Most honest teachers have similar stories to tell.

2.) There have been folks rooting for you along the way. Your victories have been celebrated, and your frustrations have been shared, by mentors struggling to ration out the proper amounts of support and space. Mentoring first year teachers is akin to teaching someone how to ride a bike. When the training wheels come off, there will be bumps and bruises, and increasing protection limits skill acquisition.

3.) You have inspired the other teachers in your building. You remind us why we started in this profession. You expose us to new ideas and challenge us to examine our own through a new perspective. You give us cause to laugh and groan when we realize you are younger than the songs we listened to in high school. Your presence is appreciated.

4.) A promise. Next year will not be easy, but it won't be nearly as difficult. Going into next year you will have much clearer expectations. You've made your first office referral (and maybe a couple others), your first parent phone call, and your first sub plans. You've probably had one hundred experiences that threatened your calm beforehand, but turned out to be much less dramatic that expected. You will be going into next year in a much better position. Your second year will not be easy. In fact, it will be hard. Every year you teach will be hard. This job is great because it is hard.....and important.

The good news is, you can handle it.

Vote For Left Fielders Not Lawyers

"Baseball is like church. Many attend. Few understand," Leo Durocher.

As a ball player who retired after the eighth grade, about the same time cuts were introduced, I am admittedly the type of fan Durocher described. When I watch our high school baseball team play, I know I don't appreciate fully the game's intricacies. I do, however, recognize one quality of the competition I appreciate a great deal: the opportunity it presents to develop leadership skills.

The character grown inside the chalk and in the dugout serve us well when we find them in our leaders. If given the option between a lawyer and a left fielder in the next election, I would choose the latter.

Responding to Forces Beyond Your Control
To borrow from Yogi Berra, leadership is about ninety percent being proactive, and the other half is reacting. The same is true of baseball. Baseball is a game of initiated strategy, but it is also a game of responses. Ballplayers are constantly required to control how they respond. JV hitters must respond to strike zones that grow as the umpires feel it getting late early (last Berraism...maybe). Fielders must respond to bad hops. Everyone must respond to the weather. Being a high school baseball fan in early spring requires the preparation skills of camping.

High school baseball players learn how to respond with efficiency and poise. If only our elected leaders could do the same.

Mentoring
True leaders know how to mentor. They aren't so afraid of losing their spot in the line up that they won't help a back up. True leaders also know how to allow themselves to be mentored. They're humble enough to learn. I see this in baseball.  This is particularly true for small school high school baseball where underclassmen fill starting varsity positions, and the amount of facial hair seems to have a correlative effect on position in the line up. Older players have no choice but to invest in younger players.  Their success depends on their success. Younger players have no choice but to accept the fact that pressure really is a privilege. This is how leaders are born.

I've watched a lot of baseball this spring. I don't know if I really know the game any better, but I think I understand the value of the game better for watching.

As a wise man once said "You can observe a lot by watching."

Honoring Art as MU's Program is Suspended

     The University of Missouri has suspended its art education program. With declining enrollment, Mizzou faced a tough decision.  The moment should make us question how we will fill art teaching positions in tomorrow's classrooms, as we honor those doing this important work today.

     In our building our art teacher receives compliments on a daily basis from visitors who are greeted by the work of her talented artists.  She brings out the best in the students who work every day under the mural she created of a Dostoevsky quote.

As an educator I admire teachers of the fine arts.  As a parent I appreciate them even more. Some of my proudest moments have been watching my children perform and create under the guidance of an art or music teacher.

    STEM education rightfully receives a great deal of attention, but we must be careful not to create false dichotomies. The examples of three astronauts serve as reminders: Chris Hadfield's musicianship, Alen Bean's art, and Sally Ride's poetic writing.  These talented scientists remind us of our deep need for the beauty of art. 

      I don't know that beauty alone will save the world, but I do know the world is a better place where talented art teachers are at work.
     Those teachers need a place to prepare.