The Cardinal Way
Sharing the Stories of Southport High School
Leading and Learning: DISTRACTIONS
One item that needs to be addressed further (or given some clarification) from last week’s post -- You have to know what you want out of these next few months before you can work towards it. We have to know what we are trying to accomplish before we can take action to get there.
When put in the context of E+R=O (Event + Response = Outcome) from Focus 3, we must be clear about the outcome(s) we are working towards and be realistic about the event(s) we are experiencing before we can choose how to respond. If you are not clear about the E and the O you have no business choosing the R. In other words, if you do not get really clear about the challenges and opportunities in our current circumstance; and are not crystal clear about what we are trying to accomplish, your work will never be at its best.
I know, our current school environment is very different then what we expect in our daily work; working from home is really hard; staying connected with 150+ students is challenging to say the least; supporting a wide variety of student needs and motivation levels is just exhausting. All of these things I am sure that you are finding to be true, but we cannot use them as excuses. We must be relentlessly optimistic about what we can accomplish while also keeping an unwavering realistic perception of our current circumstances. Anything other than this perspective is a distraction that will pull you away from what needs to be accomplished for those we serve.
We have to decide to do the work and continue to put our mission, as a school, into motion. Be relentless in the pursuit of this outcome, but also be unwaveringly realistic about the challenges we are all facing. Put all other distractions aside and give the best of you to those we serve!
Stay safe and take care!!
What it takes to #BeACardinal:
Grateful Friday Challenge
Week 31 Grateful Friday Challenge
Hey everybody! It’s Friday again. It seems to me that we have a lot more Fridays since this whole ordeal came to pass, but the more, the merrier. I hope that you had some time to get together in meetings with students this week and get to enjoy seeing them again. I know for some, myself included, this was the highlight of the week.
I keep trying to look for the bright side of things, we are still teaching kids, we are giving them something else to think about and do during all of this time away from “typical” school, and honestly, I feel pretty good about how things are going so far. I want to think we put some FlexTape on the year so we can salvage it and keep the great things going that we have worked on building all year. I am hoping we are all feeling this way.
There is one thing that still stings, and that is the Seniors are not going to get the sendoff that they have so rightfully earned. I witnessed a group of Seniors do a Birthday Parade in my neighborhood to celebrate the 18th of one of their friends; at the same time, one of the girls in the parade asked the birthday boy to Prom. Now, I am an optimist, but even I think that this is a crazy dream for our juniors and seniors to hold on to but… who knows? These seniors are showing their resiliency by making the best of each and every day. They are finding moments of joy in unusual ways, and that is truly a gift and a life lesson.
I came across a YouTube video where a principal made this remarkable tribute to his senior students who unknowingly walked the halls on their last day without knowing it was their last day of “normal” high school. And that got me to thinking, what kind of tribute could WE give our seniors.
Whether you have taught members of the class of 2020 as recently as this semester or maybe you had them when they were just wee freshmen. Your #SHSGFC is to share pictures, well wishes, or memories (of individuals or the class in general) in some way with our seniors today. Let’s flood social media with photos, email boxes with thoughts of appreciation, or mailboxes with a special letter (if you can find a stamp or two). Over the day, and even into the weekend, let’s begin to show them that they left a legacy.
Let’s use #alwaysaCARDINAL when you post on social media so everyone can check 2020 out.
With banners flying as we go! #FlyAsONE
Be a Cardinal; Change lives; Put a mission into motion!
180 Days of Learning -- #CardsLearn
Dave Copeland
Jody Egan and Keida Bechtel
Miriam Mawi
AP Teachers
Jessi Walpole
Educational Humor
Southport High School
Email: bknight@perryschools.org
Website: http://perryschools.org/sh/
Location: 971 E Banta Rd, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Phone: 317-789-4800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SHSCardinals/
Twitter: @SHS_Cardinals