With Gratitude - 4 Ways to Give to Others

Walk the halls of your school and listen to the exchanges between students and adults. Engage in a conversation with a teacher that you work alongside of on a daily basis. Hear how students talk about their hopes, dreams and even their struggles throughout the building.

What you are hearing is people giving of themselves in one form or another. Students give of themselves to their friends and teachers in how they listen, how they support and how they spend their time with each other. Teachers offer support and encouragement to their colleagues in their professional and personal lives. And, our cafeterias and hallways are filled with people both young and old that are constantly giving with their ears and eyes and hearts wide open.

As one holiday passes and another is just weeks away, we find ourselves in a state of constantly giving. Regardless of our individual obstacles and the curveballs that life continues to throw us, we are resilient in our desire to be their for others. We give.

Additionally, showing our gratitude does not need to be measured by dollars. And there is no way to determine who intends to give more than the next person. What we do know is that we are each able to be there for each other regardless of the time of day, the time of year or the money in our pockets.

As you think about how you give of yourself, consider these four ways to give to others:

1. Actively Listen. Do not just listen but listen with purpose. In other words - instead of hearing what someone else is saying and thinking of a response before they finish speaking, just hear them until the end. Pause. Think for a moment about what was shared and then respond. The person who is sharing will notice this subtle yet purposeful act in how you listen.

2. The Gift of Time. This is the one gift we have each asked for in a variety of situations many times over. In the spirit of giving, find a creative way to offer a colleague this very gift. Covering a class for part of the day is a great way to do this. Find a day that works and take over a lesson during your planning period. Or, if you are an administrator, build this into your week and encourage your colleague to use the time however they would like.

3. Use Your Muscle. The heavy work takes up much of our energy. If you are looking for a way to give to others, offer yourself, and your muscle, to pick up, clean up and even repurpose your teaching space. With flexible seating and a shift toward focusing on design, give of your muscle to make this happen. The transformation will be more than just furniture being moved.

4. Give Thanks. Especially this time of year, simply give thanks to those around you. Regardless of how well we know someone, seek out those you share your day with and simply let them know you are grateful for who they are and what they do for the organization. While using your words is the most meaningful, send a note. Write to someone and share your gratitude. You will be grateful of the feeling you will have for doing so.

The season in which we are in continues to be the one that many of us invest the most of ourselves when it comes to giving and showing gratitude. With that in mind, be creative in how you give. While financial support for those that are in need goes a long way, I would also share that time, muscle, how we listen and words of thanks are equally as powerful.

You've Got This Coach

I enjoy writing. To me it is a tool used to improve my craft. It is reflective and transformational. Knowing that others read, share and grow through what I write has its reward as well. So many of those that I connect with globally use it for the same purposes and in turn yield the same results. Whether sharing with the Compelled Tribe, colleagues within my school or members of my Professional Learning Community, writing results in growth in leadership, in teaching and in learning.

What we write about often ebbs and flows with where we are in our days work. Typically it is something we have observed or been blessed to experience or even at times, accidentally stumble upon.

Recently, I was incredibly blessed to be a part of an amazingly powerful organized moment with those that I work closest with. The students and staff at Weaver Middle School, in Hilliard, OH have been supporting and encouraging a teacher and colleague that was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in August of 2015.

"Coach Jones" as many refer to her by, has spent this fall undergoing chemotherapy treatments each Thursday morning. As soon as the nurses complete the required poking, injecting and prodding, she heads straight into school with an undeniable amount of energy. She is at school every single day of every single week. She doesn't miss a beat, she is there for her students and her colleagues. She is resilient.

In January she courageously enters the next phase of battling this vicious disease. Surgery and ongoing treatments will consume her Winter and face her head on into the Spring. Her energy, her will and her desire to conquer this disease will be her motivator throughout. She is determined.

This past Friday, the day leading into our Winter Break, Jeannette Muzzalupo, the Weaver Middle School Choir Director, along with the support of her colleagues, pulled off a moving performance in Coach Jones honor. This was yet another gesture of compassion to compliment our #JonesStrong bracelets, our Thursday "Pink Outs" and our daily fist-pumps of encouragement. She is passionate.

Listen to the words, hear the voices and embrace the moment.

Throughout the year we try to teach students concepts like selfless giving, generosity and kindness through fundraisers, charitable drives and behavior systems and incentives. However in this case, their lesson came through an opportunity to learn some lyrics, take a few moments away from day-to-day instruction and follow the lead of teacher who was simply doing what any of us would dream of doing. This was a lesson that none of us will forget and one that we are all blessed to be a part. Be strong Coach, you've got this!

As always, please consider donating this holiday season to a cancer society of your choosing. Families for a Cure, an organization that is located in Hilliard, OH, would graciously accept your donation to support children and families in our community and beyond.