After four and a half years of grueling studies and research, I was able to achieve a major milestone…obtaining my PhD.  Woohooo!

Why Community

As I was hooded and even prayed for by the dean, instant flashbacks flooded my mind.  One thing was certain, I didn’t do it alone!  It took many people to make it all possible.

As I leaned on my family, friends and even my cohort members, I garnered the psychological and spiritual strength I needed.  But I also received the expertise I required.  This was achievable because of a sense of cohesiveness and even a sense of family that was fostered among my peers.

You see, no one person knows it all or is good at EVERYTHING.  And if anyone holds such a belief, they are delusional!  As the saying goes, “No man is an island.”  And this idea was certainly reinforced during my doctoral journey.  This was the time when I had to acknowledge what I knew I didn’t know.

Defining Community

The flashbacks got me wondering about how this concept of “community” impacts our school environment.  Reflecting on my experience, I realize that having a sense of community in the workplace is more than just being a member of a group.  So we first have to know what it entails.

McMillan and Chavis define it as “a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together”.  There you have it: mutual commitment that allows needs to be met.  Voila!

But being a group member or being employed by an organization doesn’t equate to a sense of community.  (We could only wish it was that simple!)

Community is a process that nurtures a sense of collaboration and collaborative skills.  It involves pulling together the talents, experiences and insights of a diverse group of people who are committed to a common purpose.  Such a community features authentic communication that is respectful of differences and embraces conflict.

Benefits of Developing Community at Work

One thing is certain, developing a sense of community within the workplace yields great dividends.  Here are just a few benefits of taking the time to engage in the process of community in our schools:

1. A community provides support to avoid FRUSTRATION. When we isolate ourselves we are susceptible to loneliness and depression, and we risk the breakdown that can occur in communities.  Knowing that we have a group of people we can rely on is comforting.

We realize that we’re not in it alone and we don’t have to go through it alone either.  This reduces the tension that sometimes builds up.  In fact, people who feel a sense of belonging live happier and healthier lives.

2. A community brings about effective COLLABORATION. Having a supportive community means you have other minds at your disposal.  It creates interdependency between everyone’s collective efforts.  Skills can be pooled in order to make projects more successful.  I once had a slogan up in my classroom that read, “None of us is as good as ALL of us.”  This means that when we team up, we produce far greater results.
3. A community fosters creativity and INNOVATION. There is something dynamic about a community that gives birth to novel ideas.  Have you ever noticed that inventive programs tend to be produced by schools with a strong sense of community?   When frustrations are reduced and collaboration is encouraged, creativity and innovation are inevitable!

Even in our school environments, having a sense of community is crucial!  It might appear to be one of those intangible things that you can’t readily put your finger on, but you know it when you see it.

Yes, a strong community is beneficial not only to individuals, but also to the community itself and to society at large.  For the good of everyone, no one should ever…. EVER, try to do work or life alone!  One thing is certain, we need each other!

Leave a comment:  How has being a part of a community helped you to achieve a goal?  How can YOU help to build a better sense of community in your school?

Image courtesy of Kiran Valipa @ unsplash.com

I’m sure we’ll always have those cynics who believe that teachers have the best hours ever since they work until 3 p.m. and get weekends off along with holidays.  But nothing can be further from the truth.  Anyone who works in the field of education knows that your work always extends beyond the walls of the school, and far beyond the time of school hours.

With this reality in mind, educators must remember to take work-free vacations as well as frequent breaks to help them stay on the top of their game.  Here are five reasons why you should enjoy taking time to rest:

1. Intervention for Physical Health – Constant exposure to stress can manifest itself on the body in so many negative ways. Therefore, time off to relax can act like medicine.  In fact, a yearly holiday can reduce the risk of heart attack in men by 30% and by 50% in women.
2. Improved Creativity – Working ardently to meet report deadlines, assess student projects and update classroom bulletin boards are not the ideal times for creative ideas. However, when you’re relaxed and in a free thinking state, some of your best ideas can emerge.  Perhaps this is because at work we tend to use the left side of our brain, which is the linear, logical side.  However, when we’re away from work, our right brain, the creative and intuitive side, is more at work.
3. Insights from Re-evaluating – When you take time to relax and rest, you are better able to review your performance to see how well things are progressing.  You get to see what is out of balance and requires adjustments.  When you are relaxed, you can easily see how to refocus your efforts for more productivity.
4. Increased Rejuvenation – It’s amazing what a little rest and relaxation can do to the mind and body. It can help to re-ignite the passion and enthusiasm that got you going back in August.  A study by Fritz and Sonnentag revealed that vacations boost energy reserves so that once back to work, you’ll need less effort to complete tasks.  So, taking a break from the routine of work to relax is truly worth it.
5. Impulse to Achieve – Clinical psychologists say that after a vacation, most people have a better perspective and are more motivated to pursue their goals. This is probably because a break allows you time to rejoice over what you’ve already accomplished.  Celebrating your successes should be a daily practice but be sure to indulge a bit more when you finally take a break.

Come on teachers, principals, and superintendents; do you need another reason to persuade you to enjoy your holidays and your vacations?  I hope not!  Just remember to DISCONNECT completely when you do take a break.  Turn off those electronic gadgets and unwind.  Invest in YOU and get a return on your health and happiness that money can’t buy.

Leave a comment:  How important is it for you to disconnect and take a break from the work you do?

Well, I’ll be the first to say that on my pursuit towards my fitness goal I have already detoured quite a bit.  I won’t talk about my goal to read through the bible in a year.  Oh boy!

The truth is, at the beginning of the New Year, we are bursting with excitement and new ideas until reality hits.  The grading starts piling up, bulletin boards require changing, and students aren’t as cooperative as we would hope.  At this point, the goals we had set are but a distant memory.

Research shows that out of the people that make resolutions, 54 percent give up on their goals within six months.  According to a research conducted by the University of Scranton, only 8% of people actually follow through to achieve their New Year’s goals.  Pitiful, isn’t it?

If we have set those “pie in the sky” goals with no practical plan or strategy to make them happen, we are doomed for failure.  Worse still are those goals that get squeezed in with a laundry list of other commitments.  Our eyes are sometimes bigger than our level of self-control and commitment, so we bite off more than we can chew.

But if we have set a sensible list of doable goals, it IS possible to gain the traction we need to see them through to fruition.  Here are just three ways to gain momentum that will help you to follow through and achieve your goals this year:

1. Take ONE BITE at a time. When my own children get frustrated over all the school assignments they have to do, I like to ask them, “How do you eat an elephant?”  Of course, they roll their eyes because they know just where I’m going with this question.

I must say though, that I’ve been guilty of getting frustrated and consequently becoming stagnant just from trying to tackle too many big goals all at once.  This lunacy certainly will not lead to productivity.  Focusing on one goal and even breaking it down into increments will generate success that will act as the catalyst to help us take on other goals.

2. Convert your goal into DOABLE BEHAVIORS.  Just saying that we want to have a more organized classroom, a leaner body or even that we want to spend more time with our family, doesn’t quite cut it.  We’ve got to decide on the measurable actions that must get done in order to actualize these goals.  Whatever the target might be, figuring out what practical things can be done in pursuit of it is a vital step.
3. Do something EVERY DAY no matter how small.  Big goals still require small steps.  If we commit to doing something every day, we’ll be surprised at what we will have accomplished at the end of a week, a month and even a year.

So, what do you need to do TODAY?  Read a page of that book?  Clear out a messy draw?  Write a journal page?  Eat a salad?  Create a new classroom management plan?  Whatever it might be, the important thing is to TAKE ACTION and be consistent with it EVERY DAY.  Oh sure, you might fall off the bandwagon every now and then, but don’t let the downward pull of gravity keep you there.

This could very well be your best year ever.  You just need to decide that it will be.  Get into action, and then let the momentum help you follow through to the finish line.  You can do it; YES YOU CAN!!!

Leave a comment:   What do you do to help yourself gain momentum towards achieving a goal?

The third Monday of every January is observed as a US federal holiday commemorating the birth of MLK.  Although many may take this day to relax, the opening quote advocates the need to keep moving.    Yes, rest is important, but here, King is admonishing everyone to be purposeful about making progress no matter what.

Many times, we get stuck in the rut of self-pity and complaining.  “If I had fewer students in my class I could do so much more.  If I had gotten more computers this year, my job would have been easier.  If the teachers on my staff would only submit those reports early, for a change, I could get a head start with planning for next term.”

Trust me, if we look for an excuse, we are sure to find one.  They are a dime a dozen.

The truth however, is that no matter the circumstance we find ourselves in, we can always do something to make our situation better.  Whiners will complain but winners will always find a way to make things happen.

Perhaps like me, you’ve set some big goals for this year.  Well, the best way to see these goals come into fruition is to begin taking action, and I mean consistent action too.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote is a simple but loaded statement that underscores the importance of work and enterprise.  No wonder God’s ratio of work to rest was 6 to 1.  It’s in our DNA to work so that we may be fruitful, productive and progressive.

Here are several other favorite quotes and sayings about taking action that might just give you the fuel you need to make 2015 your best year ever:

• “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” _Lao Tzu
• “Don’t wait until you are ready to take action.  Instead, take action to be ready.” _Jensen Siaw
• “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”  _Abraham Lincoln
• “Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” _Napoleon Bonaparte
• “If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you.  Whatever good things we build end up building us.”  _Jim Rohn

May we always remember that the distance between our dreams and reality is that expanse called ACTION!  Action always improves our satisfaction!

Leave a comment: What quote or saying motivates you to keep moving toward your desired goals?

The answers are too numerous to mention but I think I have distilled them down to a few:

1. Perfectionism – This is the yearning to get all the “i”s dotted and all the “t”s crossed. Perfectionists are stuck on start because they over-analyze things.  They experience what some may call a “paralysis of analysis”.  Now, I know we don’t live in a perfect world so why was I trying to ensure that the post was perfect?  This brought me to the next possible answer…
2. Panic – This is so paralyzing until it’s not even funny. Many of us have panic or fear in bucket loads to share.  (Oh my, I’m rhyming too!)  We might fear rejection, failure, or even fear what people might say.  Would you believe that some people even procrastinate because they subconsciously fear success?  It’s true!
3. Pyrrhonism – Don’t be scared by this term. This is just a fancy way of referring to self-doubt, skepticism and uncertainty.  Thinking that you’re not good enough is a crippling reality for many.  It contributes greatly to lack of motivation, anxiety and even depression.  I struggle with this from time to time and often have to talk to myself to shake it off and move on.

These were just some of the barriers I had to overcome to confront the thief that everyone knows: procrastination.  Yes, it steals our time, our satisfaction and or peace of mind. 

Here are a few practical things you can employ if you find yourself in the same boat:

• Accept your imperfections. You are not perfect and you won’t please everybody.  This is a liberating thought!  Biblical history is bursting with countless examples of imperfect people who acted in the midst of their imperfections and went on to accomplish great feats.  When we embrace the reality that it is impossible to please everybody, we can begin to accept our shortcomings and take action.
• Do it scared. Be willing to do it afraid and perhaps even wrong.  It’s not the end of the road if you make a mistake.  Just do it!  When you care enough about what it is that you want to accomplish, your care will override your fear.  So be sure that what you have been putting off is something that is important to you.  If it is important, then you won’t mind doing a few simple but effective ways to overcome the fear that renders you inactive.
• Break it down. How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!  Think of your task in smaller, bite-size chunks and do a little piece every day.  The small successes will soon turn into the big reward of reaching your ultimate goal.
• Focus on the results. Stop analyzing the task and focus rather on what you will gain once the task is completed.    If you keep the intended results or rewards in mind, it will help to keep you motivated to take action.  This may even help you to reverse the procrastination and do the difficult things first.
• Change your self-talk. There is a nonstop conversation going on in our minds.  The question to ask is “What are you saying to yourself?”  Negative self-talk causes low self-esteem, self-doubt and unhealthy behaviors.  To overcome procrastination we have to make positive affirmations about our abilities and ourselves.  Sometimes, we might need to say things aloud to counteract the negativity in our minds.  Don’t worry; your friends won’t think you’re losing it. (Hopefully!)

It’s time to stop staring at those goals as though they are mysterious and unobtainable.  If you have dreamed it, you can certainly do it.  All it takes is a little discipline.  Decide to confront that thief of time and progress.  Do it now. …..do it today!

Question:  How do you overcome procrastination and finally do what you have wanted to do all along?