Friday, April 24, 2015

Fun and Outrageous

She said what? “Fun and outrageous!” I am not sure either of those words would be used to describe who I am as a leader, a learner, a writer and especially not a parent. For those that know me, some would say I know how to “have fun” but I highly doubt many would consider me to be that “fun and outrageous” kind of guy.

But who knows. Maybe I am mistaken. Maybe it is my perspective. So I started to think of it in a different way.

I needed to reflect on not only who I am but just as importantly, what I do. As a Middle School Principal, maybe I wasn't giving myself enough credit. Maybe I am a bit more "fun" and can be a little bit "outrageous" at times.

This all came about when I was asked to be a part of a collaborative blog post. When I asked by my friend and colleague what direction we should, the response was “fun and outrageous”. After a quick head-nod, I shared that those would be the last two words I would have thought to describe not only me but also my writing style.

What I write is more of the straight-forward, get to-the-point with a twist of emotion now and again type of writing. Far from the “fun” and nowhere near the “outrageous” style I was now faced with considering.

But here we are. Thinking about a collaborative effort to see if I can collect evidence of my “fun and outrageous” side of who I am as a leader, a learner, a blogger and maybe even a parent. Not sure it can be done, but as we model to our colleagues, let’s give it a try.

So like any good teacher, I started the process through reflection. And as I reflected on this school year I generated a list that may in fact support my "fun" and "outrageous" side. 

Back-to-school Orientation and greeting over 850 students and parents.
Ice-breaker activities with students. 
Fundraiser kick-off and prizes.
8th Grade class trip to Washington DC.
Celebrating Winter Break with staff traditions.
Tubing at the local ski resort with our students.
Chaperoned our school socials, all four of them.
Student-Staff basketball game.
Attending countless sporting events, concerts and extra-curricular activities.
And the list goes on.

Do all of these fall under “fun and outrageous”? Not necessarily. However, I could go into depth on each one and find the laughs, smiles and even the craziness of a few. Each were amazing moments with teachers and students. Irreplaceable moments at that. 

So in the end my takeaway from this slice of events (like your own list of events) brings a sense of assurance. Or is it re-assurance? It is affirming to the time we spend, the lessons we teach and the relationships we have with those around us.We are provided the opportunities to have some pretty amazing moments with those we work and work for. And, some of them may even be considered“fun and outrageous”, with our students, staff and community.

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