The Old Man...
As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door open.
The The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car and continued to watch the old gentleman from about 25 feet away.
I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm, walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too, and took a few steps towards him. I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something.
The young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old man and I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying, 'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age..' And then with a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking lot.
I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he went back to his car and again looked at the engine. He then went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man..... He saw me coming and stood straight and as I got near him I said, 'Looks like you're having a problem.'
He smiled sheepishly and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood myself and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me.. Looking around I saw a gas station up the road and told the old man that I would be right back. I drove to the station and went inside and saw three attendants working on cars. I approached one of them and related the problem the old man had with his car and offered to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.
The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw us, he straightened up and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine) I spoke with the old gentleman.
When I shook hands with him earlier, he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question, 'What outfit did you serve with?'
He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal. He had hit all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was over. As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics lower the hood.. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped by me and I told him I would just put the bill on my AAA card.
He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed had his name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket. We all shook hands all around again and I said my goodbye's to his wife. I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the station. Once at the station I told them that they had interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for the help, but they refused to charge me.
One of them pulled out a card from his pocket looking exactly like the card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had given to me. I said I would and drove off.
For some reason I had gone about two blocks when I pulled over and took the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his name....... 'Congressional Medal of Honor Society..'
I sat there motionless looking at the card and reading it over and over.
I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that on this day, four Marines had all come together, because one of us needed help. He was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage and an honor to have been in his presence.
Remember, OLD men like him gave you FREEDOM for America . Thanks to those who served....& those who supported them.
America is not at war.
The U.S. Military is at war.
America is at the Mall.
Remember, Freedom isn't "Free" -- thousands have paid the price so you can enjoy what you have today!
LET'S DO THIS -- JUST 19 WORDS
GOD OUR FATHER,
WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE
AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY WORRIES AND ILLNESSES;
AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY FAMILY AND OUR FRIENDS AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE FOUGHT AND ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM
IN JESUS ' NAME. AMEN
This prayer is so powerful. It was shared with me by the family of a local serviceman who has done tours in both Iraq and Afganistan. Pass this prayer to people you know.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Loss of Trust Part 3 - What Makes a Great President?
After a long hiatus due to some illness, I want to finish what I started about the Presidency. I think that is is crucial that we as Americans get the kind of leaders we desperately need to bridge the partisan divide to solve problems for the country. What attributes make for a good or great president and how can we recognize them when they are running for office?
My recent reading list has included three stimulating books about the presidency. The first was Presidential Courage by Michael Beschloss. In this book, the author describes in detail how eight presidents displayed courage in the face of opposition, often within their own parties, to accomplish something important for the country to thrive. I believe that courage is the single most important attribute for presidential greatness. Whether you are George Washington negotiating the Jay treaty to keep us out of war with England, or John Kennedy standing up to the Russians during the Cuban Missile Crisis, presidents are often confronted with agonising choices among competing legitimate interests, while having incomplete information. For the life of me, I don't understand why anyone would want that kind of responsibility, but I'm glad some do (and wish some didn't). The courage to do what's right in the face of opposition is critical to a successful presidency.
Next on my reading list was The Leaders We Deserved and a few we didn't), by Alvin Stephen Feltzenberg. In this book, the author talks about the rating of presidents and how it is subject to change over time. Sometimes presidents turn out to be right about things most people were sure they were wrong. Ronald Reagan comes to mind with his belief that new arms buildups would cripple the USSR economically and bring about its collapse. Felzenberg suggests judging presidential candidates on the following; 1. Look for a sense of purpose; 2. Examine their response to adversity; 3. Look for broad life experiences; 4. Indicates a natural curiosity; 5. Shows integrity; 6. Exhibits humility and confidence. Want to better understand whom to avoid? 1. Watch out for cynicism and complacency; 2. Say no to whiners; 3. Keep away from know-it-alls; 5. Avoid those prone to power abuse. He rated each president (not including Bush 43 and Obama) on a scale of 1-5 in each category to some up with an overall ranking of the 39 presidents ranked. In order his top 11 are Lincoln, Washington, T. Roosevelt, Reagan, Eisenhower, F. Roosevelt, Taylor, Grant, McKinley, Truman, and Kennedy. My own top 10 would include, in order; Washington, Lincoln, F. Roosevelt, T. Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Reagan, Eisenhower, Jefferson, Taylor. I omitted Bush 43 and Obama because the jury is still out on both of them.
My last book in this series is Baptism By Fire, by Mark Updegrove, about eight presidents who took office in the midst of crisis or with a crisis looming. Both Bush 43 and Obama fall into this category but are not addressed in the book. The author examines Washington,Jefferson, Tyler, Lincoln, FDR, Truman, Kennedy, and Ford for their response to crisis. To me, this is very instructive, because every president who ever serves will encounter multiple, intractable crises when in office. The effective management of crises, or lack thereof, determines the quality of the presidency and the progress of the nation in response. The people must have the belief that the president and his team know what to do and how to effectively do it.
The job of President of the United States has to be one of the most difficult on the planet. The stamina and the pure intellectual firepower required to do the job well make it so. Starting from now and going forward, I pray that each person who seeks or holds the office can perform up to the level that we as a nation deserve and need to progress as a nation. If not, chaos and gridlock will continue to prevail, and the democracy will suffer.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Loss of Trust Part 2
My loss of trust began with the assassination of JFK In Dallas. The theologian Marcus Borg would say that I was in a state of pre-critical naivete until then. I was raised as a patriot and believed that America was great and good (still do), and the people were too (still do). My significant adults has told me so and I believed it with my whole heart. Before JFK was elected, many voices were raised against him for a variety of reasons including that he was Catholic. But as President, he won me over on civil rights (however reluctantly he supported it), the Cuban Missile Crisis and his contagious optimism about my country, the USA. His murder shook my belief in this country to its foundation. How could anyone take it upon themselves to just shoot the President because they disagreed with him?
All the talk about this or that conspiracy just made it worse. The worst part was how some folks thought that was right. One kid told me that afternoon, "It's good that he was shot. He was an N... lover anyway." Another said, "He got what was coming to him." I never forgot those kids or their words. Some even called it a national loss of trust and innocence. The great historian Arthur Schlesinger asks how a nation built by running native peoples from their homes and enslaving others can be innocent. I don't know about a national loss of trust or innocence. What I experienced was intensely personal.
Next we endured Johnson administration and the RFK and MLK assassinations. I have to concede that it took a rascal like LBJ to pass Civil rights legislation and that is to his credit. His downfall was Viet Nam. When he came into office, there were something like 25,000 US troops in Viet Nam. At the end there were 500,000. When he decided not to run, I said "good", but I was soon to regret that sentiment.
Then came Richard Nixon. There was something about him that I didn't like from the start. As it turned out, he was about as twisted as any man who ever held the office of president. He came in at a time when confidence could have been restored, but he was not up to the task. Watergate was just the culmination of his secretive and paranoid leadership in the White House. It's bad enough that they broke the law, but they did it in an election that was not close at any time. Worst of all, they tried to cover it up and lie out of it. His resignation and all the revelations about his role in Watergate really took a toll on public trust in Presidency.
Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were both good men and tried hard. President Ford came into a crisis and tried to heal the wounds of the nation, but they were just too deep. Many faulted him for pardoning Nixon, including myself, but I now believe it was the right thing to do. President Carter may be the finest human being ever to occupy the Oval Office. I thought we could get a good Christian man in there and everything would improve. Alas, he was in over his head, proving that being a good Christian does not necessarily make one a good president.
We got a good dose of confidence and trust with Ronald Reagan. He helped the nation believe in the greatness of the USA and he had the foresight to initiate events which eventually brought down the USSR. For that I give him credit. Iran Contra scandal hurt his reputation some, but he left office in good shape. Bush 41 tried to follow in Reagan's steps, but his "read my lips" broken promise did him in. He gets credit for properly executing the first Gulf War, although many blame him for not finishing the job and increasing the probability of having to return.
Bill Clinton squandered a great opportunity to forge a new path with his manifold personal problems. For that indiscretion, he was impeached. He gets credit for a good economy but could not overcome the loss of confidence brought on by his personal failures. He left office with high approval ratings and still enjoys them today, but he disappointed many, including me, who believe his selfishness kept him from a good, if not great, Presidency.
Bush 43 struggled after the disputed election in 2000. That election disabused us of the notion that our votes don't count. Right now, his administration looks incompetent to me, but well leave that to history to judge. Like Reagan, he might turn out to be right about some things we now think he was wrong about. He gets credit for his response immediately after 9/11. Let's just say he didn't increase my trust and confidence in the Presidency after that.
Now we have President Obama. It's too early to know how this one will work out, but there is no disputing that he does not have the trust and confidence of at least some of the citizens of this great country. What he does from now will either change that perception or not. As with all of them, there are some minds who are so fixed on the negative, that they will never accept him as President. But we must, because he is in office and will be there for four years. Furthermore, we need him to succeed because we need the country to succeed, more now that in my memory.
I just don't get this pulling for the elected President to fail. How does that help us or our standing in the world?
I freely admit that I have deep reservations about the deficits we've been running now for nine years and will for years to come. At some point those bills have to come due. I am not convinced that now is the right time for big health care reform, but I know and love people who can't get coverage from their employer, or afford it for themselves. Are those people less deserving of health care than rich and poor Americans? I don't think so. I'm not saying anyone should capitulate and keep silent about reservations and concerns they have. I am saying that we need leaders who will tone down the rhetoric and get to work solving these difficult and complex problems for the American people.
That brings me to my point. All of the above men were elected President by the people of the country according to the Constitution. They were all legitimately elected, although you can still get into an argument about 2000. When I grew up I was taught in school about the concept of loyal opposition. When your guy loses, you move on and get ready for the next election. You keep speaking your truth but you do not make personal attacks in public on Presidents, especially on foreign soil. I didn't like it when the Dixie Chicks did it, and I didn't like it when Sarah Palin did it recently in Japan. When that happens both he and the nation are undermined both here and abroad. That my friends makes a dangerous world even more dangerous. Does the first amendment protect that speech? Absolutely! It just is not helpful. Lord knows I love political debate and satire from both sides more than most people, but the heat and viciousness of some of the current rhetoric from both ends of the spectrum are profoundly disturbing.
Is the job of the President too big? Are the divisions within the country so great that they cannot be bridged with thoughtful compromise? Are international problems so complex that they cannot be solved? Can anyone restore confidence in the Presidency? I sure hope so, because as Lincoln once said, "a house divided against itself cannot stand."
All the talk about this or that conspiracy just made it worse. The worst part was how some folks thought that was right. One kid told me that afternoon, "It's good that he was shot. He was an N... lover anyway." Another said, "He got what was coming to him." I never forgot those kids or their words. Some even called it a national loss of trust and innocence. The great historian Arthur Schlesinger asks how a nation built by running native peoples from their homes and enslaving others can be innocent. I don't know about a national loss of trust or innocence. What I experienced was intensely personal.
Next we endured Johnson administration and the RFK and MLK assassinations. I have to concede that it took a rascal like LBJ to pass Civil rights legislation and that is to his credit. His downfall was Viet Nam. When he came into office, there were something like 25,000 US troops in Viet Nam. At the end there were 500,000. When he decided not to run, I said "good", but I was soon to regret that sentiment.
Then came Richard Nixon. There was something about him that I didn't like from the start. As it turned out, he was about as twisted as any man who ever held the office of president. He came in at a time when confidence could have been restored, but he was not up to the task. Watergate was just the culmination of his secretive and paranoid leadership in the White House. It's bad enough that they broke the law, but they did it in an election that was not close at any time. Worst of all, they tried to cover it up and lie out of it. His resignation and all the revelations about his role in Watergate really took a toll on public trust in Presidency.
Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were both good men and tried hard. President Ford came into a crisis and tried to heal the wounds of the nation, but they were just too deep. Many faulted him for pardoning Nixon, including myself, but I now believe it was the right thing to do. President Carter may be the finest human being ever to occupy the Oval Office. I thought we could get a good Christian man in there and everything would improve. Alas, he was in over his head, proving that being a good Christian does not necessarily make one a good president.
We got a good dose of confidence and trust with Ronald Reagan. He helped the nation believe in the greatness of the USA and he had the foresight to initiate events which eventually brought down the USSR. For that I give him credit. Iran Contra scandal hurt his reputation some, but he left office in good shape. Bush 41 tried to follow in Reagan's steps, but his "read my lips" broken promise did him in. He gets credit for properly executing the first Gulf War, although many blame him for not finishing the job and increasing the probability of having to return.
Bill Clinton squandered a great opportunity to forge a new path with his manifold personal problems. For that indiscretion, he was impeached. He gets credit for a good economy but could not overcome the loss of confidence brought on by his personal failures. He left office with high approval ratings and still enjoys them today, but he disappointed many, including me, who believe his selfishness kept him from a good, if not great, Presidency.
Bush 43 struggled after the disputed election in 2000. That election disabused us of the notion that our votes don't count. Right now, his administration looks incompetent to me, but well leave that to history to judge. Like Reagan, he might turn out to be right about some things we now think he was wrong about. He gets credit for his response immediately after 9/11. Let's just say he didn't increase my trust and confidence in the Presidency after that.
Now we have President Obama. It's too early to know how this one will work out, but there is no disputing that he does not have the trust and confidence of at least some of the citizens of this great country. What he does from now will either change that perception or not. As with all of them, there are some minds who are so fixed on the negative, that they will never accept him as President. But we must, because he is in office and will be there for four years. Furthermore, we need him to succeed because we need the country to succeed, more now that in my memory.
I just don't get this pulling for the elected President to fail. How does that help us or our standing in the world?
I freely admit that I have deep reservations about the deficits we've been running now for nine years and will for years to come. At some point those bills have to come due. I am not convinced that now is the right time for big health care reform, but I know and love people who can't get coverage from their employer, or afford it for themselves. Are those people less deserving of health care than rich and poor Americans? I don't think so. I'm not saying anyone should capitulate and keep silent about reservations and concerns they have. I am saying that we need leaders who will tone down the rhetoric and get to work solving these difficult and complex problems for the American people.
That brings me to my point. All of the above men were elected President by the people of the country according to the Constitution. They were all legitimately elected, although you can still get into an argument about 2000. When I grew up I was taught in school about the concept of loyal opposition. When your guy loses, you move on and get ready for the next election. You keep speaking your truth but you do not make personal attacks in public on Presidents, especially on foreign soil. I didn't like it when the Dixie Chicks did it, and I didn't like it when Sarah Palin did it recently in Japan. When that happens both he and the nation are undermined both here and abroad. That my friends makes a dangerous world even more dangerous. Does the first amendment protect that speech? Absolutely! It just is not helpful. Lord knows I love political debate and satire from both sides more than most people, but the heat and viciousness of some of the current rhetoric from both ends of the spectrum are profoundly disturbing.
Is the job of the President too big? Are the divisions within the country so great that they cannot be bridged with thoughtful compromise? Are international problems so complex that they cannot be solved? Can anyone restore confidence in the Presidency? I sure hope so, because as Lincoln once said, "a house divided against itself cannot stand."
Monday, September 14, 2009
A Long Time Coming
A movie that means something. Not too long ago, I told Carolyn that I wanted a movie that means something. I don't know whether we were leaving Inglourious Basterds, District 9, or Extract.
To recap, Inglourious Basterds as about bashing Nazis, literally. Brad Pitt leads a group of Jewish soldiers in WW II that went around capturing and killing Nazis, sometimes by beating them with a Louisville Slugger. It could have had a deeper meaning but it didn't. District 9 was sci-fi and was about, I kid you not, shrimp. An alien spacecraft lands in South Africa and gets stranded. The aliens are put into a ghetto and ten years pass. They looked like shrimp and were called, "Prawns." Sci-fi is not my cup of tea, but this movie ruined me for seafood for a while. Extract was about, well, extract; you know,vanilla, almond, strawberry extract. In it, the character played by Justin Bateman, owns an extract factory and pays a pool boy to sleep with his wife so he can get with an employee without guilt. Again, about as stupid as you can get. Don't get me wrong, I love dumb, clever movies like Dumb and Dumber. These were just plain dumb.
This weekend my wish came true when we went to see Tyler Perry's I Can Be Bad All By Myself. First of all, it is hysterically funny. Madea is her usual self and her mutilation of the language and comical threats cause many LOL moments. This movie contains absolutely wonderful and transcendent musical moments. The story takes place in a church and a blues club in a downtown neighborhood. Performing in the movie are Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige, and a gospel choir led by Clarence Wynans. You even get a brief sermon in the movie, and if you are not careful, you will leave the theater feeling a little Pentecostal. I'm just sayin'. The best aspect of the movie is the story itself. Of course, Tyler Perry plays Madea when three children break into her house and she catches them. Taraji P. Henson plays Aunt April, who is thrust into taking care of three children when the grandmother dies. Her life is a mess, but a good man and the Good Lord bring her around. I promise you that you'll have several good belly laughs, and that you will cry at some points in this terrific movie. I guess that's why it's classified as a comedy/drama. If you haven't yet, go see this one.
To recap, Inglourious Basterds as about bashing Nazis, literally. Brad Pitt leads a group of Jewish soldiers in WW II that went around capturing and killing Nazis, sometimes by beating them with a Louisville Slugger. It could have had a deeper meaning but it didn't. District 9 was sci-fi and was about, I kid you not, shrimp. An alien spacecraft lands in South Africa and gets stranded. The aliens are put into a ghetto and ten years pass. They looked like shrimp and were called, "Prawns." Sci-fi is not my cup of tea, but this movie ruined me for seafood for a while. Extract was about, well, extract; you know,vanilla, almond, strawberry extract. In it, the character played by Justin Bateman, owns an extract factory and pays a pool boy to sleep with his wife so he can get with an employee without guilt. Again, about as stupid as you can get. Don't get me wrong, I love dumb, clever movies like Dumb and Dumber. These were just plain dumb.
This weekend my wish came true when we went to see Tyler Perry's I Can Be Bad All By Myself. First of all, it is hysterically funny. Madea is her usual self and her mutilation of the language and comical threats cause many LOL moments. This movie contains absolutely wonderful and transcendent musical moments. The story takes place in a church and a blues club in a downtown neighborhood. Performing in the movie are Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige, and a gospel choir led by Clarence Wynans. You even get a brief sermon in the movie, and if you are not careful, you will leave the theater feeling a little Pentecostal. I'm just sayin'. The best aspect of the movie is the story itself. Of course, Tyler Perry plays Madea when three children break into her house and she catches them. Taraji P. Henson plays Aunt April, who is thrust into taking care of three children when the grandmother dies. Her life is a mess, but a good man and the Good Lord bring her around. I promise you that you'll have several good belly laughs, and that you will cry at some points in this terrific movie. I guess that's why it's classified as a comedy/drama. If you haven't yet, go see this one.
The Loss of Trust
When I was a kid I paid no attention to politics in general and presidents in particular. I was too busy digging in dirt and climbing trees. My family was very vocal about presidential politics, so I learned about FDR, Harry Truman, and Ike from my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.
In Pop Hayes' house a picture of FDR hung in the bedroom. He lived through the Great Depression and World War II with FDR and idolized him, not unlike many of your family members. He was a yellow dog Democrat in the truest sense of the term. The story is told that stayed up all night agonizing about voting for Kennedy because he was Catholic and was convinced, like most of the adults in my life, that JFK would run the country as directed by the Pope. On the other hand, voting Republican would mean disrespecting the legacy of FDR. That was the irrational fear of the time, but it was palpable in my world. I still don't know what he decided to do, but I suspect he swallowed hard and voted for Kennedy. Near the end of his life, while visiting him in the hospital, he told me, "Never vote Republican. Lincoln was he last good one and it's been downhill ever since." Opinions vary as to whether it was dementia or a moment of clarity. He'd be disappointed to know that I have ignored his advice on numerous occasions, but affirmed that I have regretted it at least some of the time.
They all loved Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Truman was honest as the day is long, and he brought a swift and decisive conclusion to World War II. They knew then what we know now - without Truman's use of the A Bomb, countless more American lives would be lost invading Japan. They didn't like that he dismissed General McArthur when he got too big for his britches, and they disapproved of his cussing. At the end of the day, they trusted his judgement and his motives.
The same for Eisenhower. Being a war hero didn't hurt, and he brought a sense of stability to a nation weary of war. He was the perfect man for the Cold War at that time. He built roads and kept us out of war with Russia. Like many of his WWII counterparts, he simply came home, built a life, and built a nation. It's been said that Ike would have made a great Democrat and that Kennedy would have made a great Republican. I think our current loss of trust and confidence in the Presidency began to some degree after Eisenhower, came to full bloom with Nixon, and has evolved to the point that we don't trust anyone. More about that in the next blog.
In Pop Hayes' house a picture of FDR hung in the bedroom. He lived through the Great Depression and World War II with FDR and idolized him, not unlike many of your family members. He was a yellow dog Democrat in the truest sense of the term. The story is told that stayed up all night agonizing about voting for Kennedy because he was Catholic and was convinced, like most of the adults in my life, that JFK would run the country as directed by the Pope. On the other hand, voting Republican would mean disrespecting the legacy of FDR. That was the irrational fear of the time, but it was palpable in my world. I still don't know what he decided to do, but I suspect he swallowed hard and voted for Kennedy. Near the end of his life, while visiting him in the hospital, he told me, "Never vote Republican. Lincoln was he last good one and it's been downhill ever since." Opinions vary as to whether it was dementia or a moment of clarity. He'd be disappointed to know that I have ignored his advice on numerous occasions, but affirmed that I have regretted it at least some of the time.
They all loved Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Truman was honest as the day is long, and he brought a swift and decisive conclusion to World War II. They knew then what we know now - without Truman's use of the A Bomb, countless more American lives would be lost invading Japan. They didn't like that he dismissed General McArthur when he got too big for his britches, and they disapproved of his cussing. At the end of the day, they trusted his judgement and his motives.
The same for Eisenhower. Being a war hero didn't hurt, and he brought a sense of stability to a nation weary of war. He was the perfect man for the Cold War at that time. He built roads and kept us out of war with Russia. Like many of his WWII counterparts, he simply came home, built a life, and built a nation. It's been said that Ike would have made a great Democrat and that Kennedy would have made a great Republican. I think our current loss of trust and confidence in the Presidency began to some degree after Eisenhower, came to full bloom with Nixon, and has evolved to the point that we don't trust anyone. More about that in the next blog.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
One More Thing..
to say about Senator Ted Kennedy. I've never been a big fan of Ted Kennedy. His brothers John and Robert, absolutely. Next to them, he always looked like a lightweight in every respect, but the real reason is that the incident at Chappaquiddick left a bad taste that never went away. I concede that part of that may be the way he has been demonized for decades by political opponents. It's been said that Ted Kennedy raised more money that any senate candidate in history, about half for himself and about half for Republicans.
Nevertheless, the coverage of his death last week reinforced something I already knew to an extent, but had minimized. Senator Kennedy was eulogized by political opponents who were his friends. Senators McCain and Hatch spoke glowingly of their late friend in very personal terms. In this age of daily harangues about this or that political figure on some issue, the late senator had made friends across the aisle with people with whom he differed on almost all issues. As far as I could tell, he did it in three ways. First, he befriended everyone in the Senate where he worked for all those years. Story after story was told of personal involvement by Senator Kennedy in the lives of other Senators when they needed him. Too few people in any profession make the effort to be friendly and supportive of those with whom they work. Here lately, it seems that almost no one in public life makes the effort. Second, he worked with many political opponents such as President Bush on NCLB, McCain, and Hatch on the Children's Health Program. In other words, he was willing to compromise to get legislation passed to benefit the country. I wish more leaders were willing to be like Ted Kennedy in that respect. Third, he did the work necessary to get his personal life straightened out, mainly by marrying a good woman to get him on track, not unlike many of the rest of us.
If we can have one legacy from Ted Kennedy, let it be that we can disagree with respect, then befriend and work with those with whom we differ.
Nevertheless, the coverage of his death last week reinforced something I already knew to an extent, but had minimized. Senator Kennedy was eulogized by political opponents who were his friends. Senators McCain and Hatch spoke glowingly of their late friend in very personal terms. In this age of daily harangues about this or that political figure on some issue, the late senator had made friends across the aisle with people with whom he differed on almost all issues. As far as I could tell, he did it in three ways. First, he befriended everyone in the Senate where he worked for all those years. Story after story was told of personal involvement by Senator Kennedy in the lives of other Senators when they needed him. Too few people in any profession make the effort to be friendly and supportive of those with whom they work. Here lately, it seems that almost no one in public life makes the effort. Second, he worked with many political opponents such as President Bush on NCLB, McCain, and Hatch on the Children's Health Program. In other words, he was willing to compromise to get legislation passed to benefit the country. I wish more leaders were willing to be like Ted Kennedy in that respect. Third, he did the work necessary to get his personal life straightened out, mainly by marrying a good woman to get him on track, not unlike many of the rest of us.
If we can have one legacy from Ted Kennedy, let it be that we can disagree with respect, then befriend and work with those with whom we differ.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Usain Bolt! WOW!
First view the videos of Usain Bolt at the World Games in Berlin this week. The first one is in German, but the audio of the race is not important. If you listen to anything, listen to the reaction of the crowds. As Jerry Lee Lewis once said, "Sometimes it's just God-given ability."
http://www.casttv.com/video/6gyxmd1/100m-lauf-mnner-2009-berlin-video
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/20082009/58/lightning-bolt-takes-gold-berlin.html
What a performance in Berlin this week by Usain Bolt! The Jamaican sprinter torched the best sprinters in the world and broke two world records in the process in the Olympic Stadium where Jesse Owens humiliated Adolph Hitler in the 1936 Olympic games. How dominant is Usain Bolt? Well, the second place sprinter in the 100 meter race, the USA's Tyson Gay, broke the US record, running the fastest time EVER, other than those run by Usain Bolt. The third place sprinter was only .01 seconds behind him and is a former world record holder. Like his performances in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he seemed to coast at the end of world record performances. Sprints are events that have separations between competitors of hundredths of seconds. They are over in a flash. Watching these videos, especially in the 200 Meter, no one is in the picture with Bolt. He crosses the finish line with ease, usually looking at the clock. How does he do it? Good question. Surely, there is a rigorous training regimen for an athlete like this. I don't know what his is, but an athlete does not do the things he does without some good, old fashioned hard work. Id like to believe that, but maybe it's jsut like Jerry Lee said, "God-given ability."
Looking at him, you can see that he is taller than his competitors by a significant margin. My friend and colleague Greg Bibb would call him an anomaly. Sprinters are short and compact and generate an enormous amount of power in their lower bodies. Bolt is 6'5" and looks more like a college basketball small forward than a sprinter. He generates plenty of power in his lower body all right, but it is effortless and graceful compared to the other sprinters. His long stride uses that power to eat up yardage much faster than his shorter, more compact competition. Is he unbeatable? Right now, I have to say yes. He may break his own records for a while.
But his records are meant to be broken like most are. Athletes of all kinds are bigger, stronger, faster than ever, and I do not believe that trend will end soon. The next phenom will emerge. Prenatal and neo-natal care are improving by leaps and bounds. Nutrition and training, not mention quality coaching at an early age all make the breaking of these records inevitable - someday.
If you want to talk dominance in sports, you have Tiger, Lance Armstrong before the cancer, Roger Federer, and others, but no one dominates their sport like Usain Bolt. Now view the videos again and marvel at the power and grace of this extraordinary athlete.
http://www.casttv.com/video/6gyxmd1/100m-lauf-mnner-2009-berlin-video
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/20082009/58/lightning-bolt-takes-gold-berlin.html
What a performance in Berlin this week by Usain Bolt! The Jamaican sprinter torched the best sprinters in the world and broke two world records in the process in the Olympic Stadium where Jesse Owens humiliated Adolph Hitler in the 1936 Olympic games. How dominant is Usain Bolt? Well, the second place sprinter in the 100 meter race, the USA's Tyson Gay, broke the US record, running the fastest time EVER, other than those run by Usain Bolt. The third place sprinter was only .01 seconds behind him and is a former world record holder. Like his performances in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he seemed to coast at the end of world record performances. Sprints are events that have separations between competitors of hundredths of seconds. They are over in a flash. Watching these videos, especially in the 200 Meter, no one is in the picture with Bolt. He crosses the finish line with ease, usually looking at the clock. How does he do it? Good question. Surely, there is a rigorous training regimen for an athlete like this. I don't know what his is, but an athlete does not do the things he does without some good, old fashioned hard work. Id like to believe that, but maybe it's jsut like Jerry Lee said, "God-given ability."
Looking at him, you can see that he is taller than his competitors by a significant margin. My friend and colleague Greg Bibb would call him an anomaly. Sprinters are short and compact and generate an enormous amount of power in their lower bodies. Bolt is 6'5" and looks more like a college basketball small forward than a sprinter. He generates plenty of power in his lower body all right, but it is effortless and graceful compared to the other sprinters. His long stride uses that power to eat up yardage much faster than his shorter, more compact competition. Is he unbeatable? Right now, I have to say yes. He may break his own records for a while.
But his records are meant to be broken like most are. Athletes of all kinds are bigger, stronger, faster than ever, and I do not believe that trend will end soon. The next phenom will emerge. Prenatal and neo-natal care are improving by leaps and bounds. Nutrition and training, not mention quality coaching at an early age all make the breaking of these records inevitable - someday.
If you want to talk dominance in sports, you have Tiger, Lance Armstrong before the cancer, Roger Federer, and others, but no one dominates their sport like Usain Bolt. Now view the videos again and marvel at the power and grace of this extraordinary athlete.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Peace, Love, and Rock & Roll
Settling in to my reality as daytime house husband and nighttime childcare provider has left me with a little time for more trivial pursuits. Lately, one of the chief trivial pursuits is taking in all the stuff about the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. To be clear, I was not at Woodstock, nor would I have been had I had the opportunity. First, it was in Upstate New York, but it might as well have been in Tibet. My little world in August of 1969 consisted of Pickens and Oconee Counties in South Carolina, and was soon to include Tampa, Fl. I knew about civil rights, the assassinations of King and Kennedy the year before, and Viet Nam through television. I had an acute sense of the turbulence of the times, but I had not yet begun to travel. Besides, Upstate New York is off the beaten path even today. Ever been to Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame? Cooperstown is "far out" there and you drive by the Woodstock site on the way. By the way, we didn't even stop. Cooperstown was my destination that day. Secondly, while I had my rebellious side, I was never a hippie. I knew hippies, but I wasn't one. Finally, convincing my parents that it was a good idea for me to go to Woodstock, had I even known about it in advance, would have been akin to convincing my grandfather Pop Hayes later that men had actually walked on the moon. He firmly believed that the "walk" had taken place in Arizona or New Mexico. As far as I know he believed that until the day he died.
My viewing has included a Dateline Special on NBC, a documentary on the History Channel, and a concert film in the Palladia TV network in glorious 1080p HD and Surround Sound. I have to say that was my favorite so far. More about that later. I plan to see the movie about Woodstock with Eugene Levy. First, think about it - A Dateline special and a History Channel documentary. For all of the mythology and hype about Woodstock and its effect on the youth of the nation, the idealized notion that everything was peace, love and rock & roll is ludicrous. Sure, the music was great, but the logistical mess was difficult to miss. Food, facilities, medical care, shelter were all in short supply. Drugs of all kinds were not. No doubt that many lives were changed for the worse at Woodstock. It was a financial disaster until now. It was, however, a unique event in American history, and it did have a fromative effect on youth in the midst of the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements. It is also true that some were changed for the better. Two of the stories from Dateline and the History Channel involved couples who met and fell in love at Woodstock. Then they were married and remain married to this day. The social impact was a mixed bag; some profound, some mundane, some good, some bad. Most attendees went on to lead normal lives, while others did not. But it was not the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. Some stayed there figuratively, and at least two literally stayed there and live there today. Don't ask me why. There are a lot of things I don't know, and I don't understand all I know. For me, the musical legacy of Woodstock interests me far more than in the social legacy.
If you love rock & roll, you gotta love the music from Woodstock. The established groups of the 60's were all there and performed (minus the Beatles). John Sebastian, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, the Who, Jimi Hendrix and Janice Joplin were the headliners. Hendrix was as awesome a talent as rock has ever seen, and his rendition of the national anthem is legendary - whether you love it or hate it. Arlo Guthrie (who sang "Amazing Grace"), Richie Havens, and the crystal clear voice of Joan Baez performed from the folk and protest music genre. And think about the breakout performances that happened there. Crosby, Stills, and Nash (no Young yet) performed for the second time ever at Woodstock. Graham Nash once quipped that the Earth would have tilted on its axis if everyone who says they were at Woodstock had actually been there. Sha Na Na, Sly and the Family Stone, the Allman Brothers all electrified the audience and went on to long careers. Far and away, my favorite breakout performance was Santana and "Soul Survivor." That performance lit the festival-goers on fire and left them burning. As great as the music was, its legacy is mixed as well. Many of the artists died young from drug overdose and other risky behaviors, never reaching their full potential. Indeed, both Hendrix and Joplin were dead within a year. Many more battled, and some defeated, addiction as well.
For all of the attention to the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, it remains like other events in American history, subject to interpretation. Some believe it was the height of the protest movement, full of peace, love and beauty. There's an element of thuth to that view. Others believe it was the height of debauchery, ruining lives with drugs and promiscuity. That's true, too. Probably, the reality is somewhere in between.
My viewing has included a Dateline Special on NBC, a documentary on the History Channel, and a concert film in the Palladia TV network in glorious 1080p HD and Surround Sound. I have to say that was my favorite so far. More about that later. I plan to see the movie about Woodstock with Eugene Levy. First, think about it - A Dateline special and a History Channel documentary. For all of the mythology and hype about Woodstock and its effect on the youth of the nation, the idealized notion that everything was peace, love and rock & roll is ludicrous. Sure, the music was great, but the logistical mess was difficult to miss. Food, facilities, medical care, shelter were all in short supply. Drugs of all kinds were not. No doubt that many lives were changed for the worse at Woodstock. It was a financial disaster until now. It was, however, a unique event in American history, and it did have a fromative effect on youth in the midst of the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements. It is also true that some were changed for the better. Two of the stories from Dateline and the History Channel involved couples who met and fell in love at Woodstock. Then they were married and remain married to this day. The social impact was a mixed bag; some profound, some mundane, some good, some bad. Most attendees went on to lead normal lives, while others did not. But it was not the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. Some stayed there figuratively, and at least two literally stayed there and live there today. Don't ask me why. There are a lot of things I don't know, and I don't understand all I know. For me, the musical legacy of Woodstock interests me far more than in the social legacy.
If you love rock & roll, you gotta love the music from Woodstock. The established groups of the 60's were all there and performed (minus the Beatles). John Sebastian, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, the Who, Jimi Hendrix and Janice Joplin were the headliners. Hendrix was as awesome a talent as rock has ever seen, and his rendition of the national anthem is legendary - whether you love it or hate it. Arlo Guthrie (who sang "Amazing Grace"), Richie Havens, and the crystal clear voice of Joan Baez performed from the folk and protest music genre. And think about the breakout performances that happened there. Crosby, Stills, and Nash (no Young yet) performed for the second time ever at Woodstock. Graham Nash once quipped that the Earth would have tilted on its axis if everyone who says they were at Woodstock had actually been there. Sha Na Na, Sly and the Family Stone, the Allman Brothers all electrified the audience and went on to long careers. Far and away, my favorite breakout performance was Santana and "Soul Survivor." That performance lit the festival-goers on fire and left them burning. As great as the music was, its legacy is mixed as well. Many of the artists died young from drug overdose and other risky behaviors, never reaching their full potential. Indeed, both Hendrix and Joplin were dead within a year. Many more battled, and some defeated, addiction as well.
For all of the attention to the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, it remains like other events in American history, subject to interpretation. Some believe it was the height of the protest movement, full of peace, love and beauty. There's an element of thuth to that view. Others believe it was the height of debauchery, ruining lives with drugs and promiscuity. That's true, too. Probably, the reality is somewhere in between.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Just Back From Charleston
As many of you know, Charleston, SC is one of the best cities to visit anywhere. Full of history and charm, it bustles like a larger city and feels like a smaller one because it is so compact. We did no buggy ride, no harbor cruise, and no plantation visits. We did visit the market and we did eat. One of the best things about Charleston is the cuisine. You cannot throw a rock in Charleston without hitting a great restaurant. The Blossom, the Magnolia, Hyman's Seafood, the Wreck, Poogan's Porch, and Sullivan's all come to mind. On our laid-back weekend there, I rediscovered an old favorite and enjoyed a Charleston landmark restaurant for the first time.
The old favorite is the Sweetwater Cafe on Market Street, a half block west of the Meeting Street. Despite its location in the heart of tourist Charleston, Sweetwater is a favorite of local people for breakfast and lunch. I found out about it several years back while on a business trip. It is always full but the waiting is limited most of the time. I've never been for lunch, but I have enjoyed breakfast there on many occasions. The breakfast menu is varied and reasonably priced. While a traditional menu, it offers such delicacies as a shrimp omelet and that Low Country classic shrimp and grits. The shrimp and grits are the finest anywhere, perfectly spiced with a great pepper gravy and succulent shrimp.
The new found landmark would be Jestine's Kitchen on Meeting Street. I have driven or walked by this restaurant probably two dozen times when in Charleston and always said I'd try it sometime. It never worked out because I'm always looking for seafood when there. Jestine's Kitchen is all about Low Country Southern home cooking. If you want something fried, Jestine's is the place to go. It will make you think of you grandma's house, because the food is wonderful and the portions are generous. Carolyn had fried chicken, which she shared, and I had fried shrimp. Both were outstanding, and vegetables menu (including mac and cheese) was excellent too. All of us Oconee folks know the finest fried chicken anywhere can be found at the Walhalla Steakhouse. But let me tell you, Jestine's is not far behind, tender and juicy and full of flavor. When it came time for dessert, the choices were varied and the food was killer good. I recommend the lemon custard pie or the coconut cream pie.
Needless to say, don't think you are going to Jestine's and cut back on calories. It ain't happening. Be prepared to stand in line about anytime you go. It's small, and recent exposure in Southern Living and on Rachel Ray's 40 Dollars a Day television show have raised the national profile of an establishment familiar to native Charlestonians for years. Next time you have the good fortune to visit this jewel of a city, try these two fine culinary establishments. I am confident that you will not be disappointed.
The old favorite is the Sweetwater Cafe on Market Street, a half block west of the Meeting Street. Despite its location in the heart of tourist Charleston, Sweetwater is a favorite of local people for breakfast and lunch. I found out about it several years back while on a business trip. It is always full but the waiting is limited most of the time. I've never been for lunch, but I have enjoyed breakfast there on many occasions. The breakfast menu is varied and reasonably priced. While a traditional menu, it offers such delicacies as a shrimp omelet and that Low Country classic shrimp and grits. The shrimp and grits are the finest anywhere, perfectly spiced with a great pepper gravy and succulent shrimp.
The new found landmark would be Jestine's Kitchen on Meeting Street. I have driven or walked by this restaurant probably two dozen times when in Charleston and always said I'd try it sometime. It never worked out because I'm always looking for seafood when there. Jestine's Kitchen is all about Low Country Southern home cooking. If you want something fried, Jestine's is the place to go. It will make you think of you grandma's house, because the food is wonderful and the portions are generous. Carolyn had fried chicken, which she shared, and I had fried shrimp. Both were outstanding, and vegetables menu (including mac and cheese) was excellent too. All of us Oconee folks know the finest fried chicken anywhere can be found at the Walhalla Steakhouse. But let me tell you, Jestine's is not far behind, tender and juicy and full of flavor. When it came time for dessert, the choices were varied and the food was killer good. I recommend the lemon custard pie or the coconut cream pie.
Needless to say, don't think you are going to Jestine's and cut back on calories. It ain't happening. Be prepared to stand in line about anytime you go. It's small, and recent exposure in Southern Living and on Rachel Ray's 40 Dollars a Day television show have raised the national profile of an establishment familiar to native Charlestonians for years. Next time you have the good fortune to visit this jewel of a city, try these two fine culinary establishments. I am confident that you will not be disappointed.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Rays Closing Fast Enough?
I have been a Tampa Bay Rays fan since they started playing baseball in The Trop. At first they were the Devil Rays, but some people thought that was too dark and sinister. Living here in SC, I have still attended probably 25 games at the Trop. We watched them and followed them when a Libertarian had a better chance of being elected president than they did of posting a winning record.
We kept reading about all the young talent in the farm system, but it stayed there. Names like Josh Hamilton, Delmon Young, Elijah Dukes come immediately to mind. When they did make it up to The Show, they all screwed up big time. Now they are somewhere else and a new crop of talent has come up. Last year they made it to the World Series! This year, despite a slow start, the rays are on the move. At this writing, they are 3.5 games behind the Rangers and the Red Sox in the wild card race. They should be able to overtake both and make the playoffs. Let it be known to all concerned that I, Dick Ellenburg, will attend at least one playoff game if they do. Further, be advised that should the Rays make the World Series again, I will be there as well.
Carolyn and I have many memories at the Trop, including but not limited to watching the good teams, the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves; or Carolyn catching a foul ball with her knees holding a double handful of stadium food. I have a vivid memory of seeing another fan eyeing that baseball, then starting to reach for it. By that time it had rolled from her knees toward her crotch. My quick grocery store hands allowed me to get there first, keeping the ball and his hands off her. You can figure out for yourself what my highest motivation was. Both Carolyn and the baseball are safe at home here.
Another great memory involves Carolyn's late mom, Maude. My mother-in-law was a hardcore Rays fan. She watched them on TV every night, but she really loved going to the Trop to watch them in person. She went with us a lot. Whenever the Rays fell behind, as inevitably they would, she would say "It's over now." Whether the deficit was one run or ten, it was always the same. Then she pulled harder for them than I could believe. She lived and died with every pitch. Toward the end of her life, Carolyn's brother Gordon and I had the high honor and distinct privilege of accompanying this remarkable lady to the Trop for her final game. She loved being with us at the games. I think of her whenever I think of the Rays.
So there you have. I am a Rays fan, for better or worse. Last year proved that better is better than worse.
We kept reading about all the young talent in the farm system, but it stayed there. Names like Josh Hamilton, Delmon Young, Elijah Dukes come immediately to mind. When they did make it up to The Show, they all screwed up big time. Now they are somewhere else and a new crop of talent has come up. Last year they made it to the World Series! This year, despite a slow start, the rays are on the move. At this writing, they are 3.5 games behind the Rangers and the Red Sox in the wild card race. They should be able to overtake both and make the playoffs. Let it be known to all concerned that I, Dick Ellenburg, will attend at least one playoff game if they do. Further, be advised that should the Rays make the World Series again, I will be there as well.
Carolyn and I have many memories at the Trop, including but not limited to watching the good teams, the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves; or Carolyn catching a foul ball with her knees holding a double handful of stadium food. I have a vivid memory of seeing another fan eyeing that baseball, then starting to reach for it. By that time it had rolled from her knees toward her crotch. My quick grocery store hands allowed me to get there first, keeping the ball and his hands off her. You can figure out for yourself what my highest motivation was. Both Carolyn and the baseball are safe at home here.
Another great memory involves Carolyn's late mom, Maude. My mother-in-law was a hardcore Rays fan. She watched them on TV every night, but she really loved going to the Trop to watch them in person. She went with us a lot. Whenever the Rays fell behind, as inevitably they would, she would say "It's over now." Whether the deficit was one run or ten, it was always the same. Then she pulled harder for them than I could believe. She lived and died with every pitch. Toward the end of her life, Carolyn's brother Gordon and I had the high honor and distinct privilege of accompanying this remarkable lady to the Trop for her final game. She loved being with us at the games. I think of her whenever I think of the Rays.
So there you have. I am a Rays fan, for better or worse. Last year proved that better is better than worse.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
So Shut Up Already - Mark Sanford Edition
Just when you thought the SC Supreme Court stimulus slapdown might cause Governor Sanford to retreat for a while, along comes the saga of the AWOL Governor and his hot Latina lover, er "soul mate". First he was missing. No one, not even his staff or wife knew where he was. When you are Governor, you don't get to just shuck it all and disappear. It might not be illegal, but it is malfeasance in office. Heck, I didn't leave the school campus without several folks knowing where I was, in case I was needed. We are all paid to be on the job and so is Mark Sanford.
I was shocked to hear the next day the claim that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. The shock came from believing that political figures would be better liars that that, given the amount of practice they get. In fact, most fifth graders can come up with a better story that that one. On vacation in Florida, I turned to Carolyn and told her flatly that was a lie. But it was to get so much better.
Next we learn that he had been in Argentina with his lover. All that crying and carrying on! Please. Governor Sanford admitted to an affair, er "love story" with the Argentine woman. He described the whole "sparking thing." He told us he went to break up. I call BS on that statement because it doesn't take 5 days to break up, unless you have at least one last "dance" to remember each other by. All this on Father's Day weekend.
I thought that Michael Jackson's unfortunate demise might take the Governor off the front page, but nooooo. I'm sitting in a bar in Nokomis, Florida eating oysters and drinking tequila, waiting for Carolyn to get a haircut. I'm talking to a guy two stools over about how tired we are of Michael Jackson coverage, when CNN puts up a split screen with Jackson on the right and Sanford on the left. The caption reads something like this - "Why do famous people engage in risky behavior?" If the Governors shuts up now, the coverage shifts entirely to the Jackson death.
But Nooo. He had to tell us the whole sordid tale. He talked about his feelings, his "soul mate", and "trying to fall back in love with my wife." I don't know about you guys, but I might have been "Bobbitted" if I had said that. Next he repaid 3 grand to the state despite statements that he had not spent state money on his falling in love with his soul mate adventure. Last we learned that he had illegally used state money for first class air fare to the tune of 38 grand. Alas, we know now that there is no accountability when any party has all the power. Had Sanford been a Democrat, he would have been either forced out of office or impeached. The political calculation has been done and Sanford will skate - only because the Republican Party dreads Andre Bauer in office more than they despise Mark Sanford in office. It's as simple as that.
Addendum: Governor Sanford has been on vacation with his family. Good for him. Maybe when he comes back he can focus on the business of the state for a change.
I was shocked to hear the next day the claim that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. The shock came from believing that political figures would be better liars that that, given the amount of practice they get. In fact, most fifth graders can come up with a better story that that one. On vacation in Florida, I turned to Carolyn and told her flatly that was a lie. But it was to get so much better.
Next we learn that he had been in Argentina with his lover. All that crying and carrying on! Please. Governor Sanford admitted to an affair, er "love story" with the Argentine woman. He described the whole "sparking thing." He told us he went to break up. I call BS on that statement because it doesn't take 5 days to break up, unless you have at least one last "dance" to remember each other by. All this on Father's Day weekend.
I thought that Michael Jackson's unfortunate demise might take the Governor off the front page, but nooooo. I'm sitting in a bar in Nokomis, Florida eating oysters and drinking tequila, waiting for Carolyn to get a haircut. I'm talking to a guy two stools over about how tired we are of Michael Jackson coverage, when CNN puts up a split screen with Jackson on the right and Sanford on the left. The caption reads something like this - "Why do famous people engage in risky behavior?" If the Governors shuts up now, the coverage shifts entirely to the Jackson death.
But Nooo. He had to tell us the whole sordid tale. He talked about his feelings, his "soul mate", and "trying to fall back in love with my wife." I don't know about you guys, but I might have been "Bobbitted" if I had said that. Next he repaid 3 grand to the state despite statements that he had not spent state money on his falling in love with his soul mate adventure. Last we learned that he had illegally used state money for first class air fare to the tune of 38 grand. Alas, we know now that there is no accountability when any party has all the power. Had Sanford been a Democrat, he would have been either forced out of office or impeached. The political calculation has been done and Sanford will skate - only because the Republican Party dreads Andre Bauer in office more than they despise Mark Sanford in office. It's as simple as that.
Addendum: Governor Sanford has been on vacation with his family. Good for him. Maybe when he comes back he can focus on the business of the state for a change.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
What Now?
I'm about to take my second bite out of the retirement apple soon. Despite the fact that I loved retirement the first time around, I have really enjoyed my gig as interim principal at JN Kellett Elementary this year. Being in a school and in daily contact with students was truly a breath of fresh air. Renewing acquaintances with teachers and administrators was wonderful as well. I am grateful to the Board of Trustees and to Dr. Lucas for the opportunity. By the way fellas, I am not expecting a gold watch or anything.
Here's the thing. Since I started blogging as Interim Principal, I have discovered that it is a good thing for me to blog. While there is not a long line of readers holding their breath, just waiting for the next witty, inspirational, or clever thing I might say, blogging is good therapy for me. It keeps my mind active and keeps me off the streets. Mine will not be an educational blog. I hope to write about sports, politics, education, life in general, or anything I dang well please. You are welcome to visit regularly if you want and tell me I'm full of it if you need to. Please excuse me, I have an appointment in the far reaches of the blogosphere. Hasta la vista.
Here's the thing. Since I started blogging as Interim Principal, I have discovered that it is a good thing for me to blog. While there is not a long line of readers holding their breath, just waiting for the next witty, inspirational, or clever thing I might say, blogging is good therapy for me. It keeps my mind active and keeps me off the streets. Mine will not be an educational blog. I hope to write about sports, politics, education, life in general, or anything I dang well please. You are welcome to visit regularly if you want and tell me I'm full of it if you need to. Please excuse me, I have an appointment in the far reaches of the blogosphere. Hasta la vista.
Thank You for a Tremendous Year
Last June, I was honored to be selected as your Interim Principal for J.N. Kellett Elementary School for the 2008-09 school year. During the ensuing year, the spirit of the children, families, and staff of Kellett Elementary has amazed me. No matter what the need, someone always steps up to say, “I can take care of that.” Whether the task needed students (Safety Patrol and Flag Patrol), parents (PTC, SIC, and fundraisers), or staff (re-organizing fourth grade, picking up in the absence of another teacher, going the extra mile) someone always comes forward to make a difference in the lives of these children. Together, we have had a tremendous school year. Teachers and students have really focused on teaching and learning, and the result has been a significant growth in our MAP scores, our level of independent reading in 100 Book Challenge, and attendance. I appreciate all the efforts expended to make this Kellett’s best year ever. After 54 years, we will close this building next week, honoring the past with a Kellett Celebration from 5-8 on May 29. The celebration will include displays from the various decades of operation at Kellett, a ceremony to celebrate Kellett history, and a cookout. J.N. Kellett Elementary will be long remembered by the people who worked and studied here.
This summer or early next fall the move into a Blue Ridge Elementary and, for some, Northside Elementary will be complete, and a new chapter will begin. Whether in our school work, our behavior, our attendance, let’s all commit to take that Kellett spirit wherever we may go. Make each day special at your new schools and give your best effort. There will inevitably be anxiety as we make our transitions. As with any transition, there will be adjustments to be made. For now, enjoy your summer, and come back refreshed and ready make 2009-10 your best year ever.
This summer or early next fall the move into a Blue Ridge Elementary and, for some, Northside Elementary will be complete, and a new chapter will begin. Whether in our school work, our behavior, our attendance, let’s all commit to take that Kellett spirit wherever we may go. Make each day special at your new schools and give your best effort. There will inevitably be anxiety as we make our transitions. As with any transition, there will be adjustments to be made. For now, enjoy your summer, and come back refreshed and ready make 2009-10 your best year ever.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tenacious
Guest Blogger Marian Stillwell
Never, never, never quit!
On my daily inspirational calendar the other day, was this timely saying: “The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.” In John Maxwell’s final chapter of the 17 essential qualities of a team player, he tells the story of several couples in London. The only thing Dan feels he must do is to have his picture taken on Abbey Road, in the same spot where the Beatles’ famous album cover was shot. The story of how these couples overcame all the obstacles to doing that reveals lessons for us all.
• They asked for what they wanted
• They were good-natured, and understanding of the situation
They didn’t give up right away—they hung around.
Eventually Dan did get his picture, and it turned out to be a great experience for everyone.
Another story I heard recently on an NPR broadcast was about the Chicago Cubs’ rookie infielder, Bobby Scales. Bobby was finally called up this year, after spending twelve years in the minor leagues—enduring cheap hotels and long bus rides. Guess what he did during the off-season? He was a substitute teacher! Now, this 31-year-old is living his dream and batting over 400. That’s what I call tenacious! He said, “I watched the guys who were called up, year after year, and I knew I was as good as they were. So I just kept on playing.”
Which leads us to the salient points in this chapter:
If you are doing your best and don’t give up, you have a chance for success
Tenacious people keep on working, even during the hard times
Tenacious people keep working until the job is done
It’s not a stretch to apply this in your teaching. We serve in a challenging profession in the best of times. This is easily the most challenging time for teachers that I have witnessed since the days of desegregation in the early 1970’s. We are expected to do our jobs under intense scrutiny, with decreasing resources, and with an abundance of uncertainty. All of us, whether we are going to Blue Ridge or elsewhere, will be packing up and moving. We will be tired, and we will certainly be challenged by the logistics and the unexpected glitches. We must be tenacious enough to keep working until the job is done, and done right. Our students are depending on us to be steady and dependable. Our colleagues are depending on us to shoulder more than the usual workload. But the reward will truly be great, and those of us going to Blue Ridge will be proud to say that we helped launch the premier elementary school in Oconee County! What an honor!
Never, never, never quit!
On my daily inspirational calendar the other day, was this timely saying: “The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.” In John Maxwell’s final chapter of the 17 essential qualities of a team player, he tells the story of several couples in London. The only thing Dan feels he must do is to have his picture taken on Abbey Road, in the same spot where the Beatles’ famous album cover was shot. The story of how these couples overcame all the obstacles to doing that reveals lessons for us all.
• They asked for what they wanted
• They were good-natured, and understanding of the situation
They didn’t give up right away—they hung around.
Eventually Dan did get his picture, and it turned out to be a great experience for everyone.
Another story I heard recently on an NPR broadcast was about the Chicago Cubs’ rookie infielder, Bobby Scales. Bobby was finally called up this year, after spending twelve years in the minor leagues—enduring cheap hotels and long bus rides. Guess what he did during the off-season? He was a substitute teacher! Now, this 31-year-old is living his dream and batting over 400. That’s what I call tenacious! He said, “I watched the guys who were called up, year after year, and I knew I was as good as they were. So I just kept on playing.”
Which leads us to the salient points in this chapter:
If you are doing your best and don’t give up, you have a chance for success
Tenacious people keep on working, even during the hard times
Tenacious people keep working until the job is done
It’s not a stretch to apply this in your teaching. We serve in a challenging profession in the best of times. This is easily the most challenging time for teachers that I have witnessed since the days of desegregation in the early 1970’s. We are expected to do our jobs under intense scrutiny, with decreasing resources, and with an abundance of uncertainty. All of us, whether we are going to Blue Ridge or elsewhere, will be packing up and moving. We will be tired, and we will certainly be challenged by the logistics and the unexpected glitches. We must be tenacious enough to keep working until the job is done, and done right. Our students are depending on us to be steady and dependable. Our colleagues are depending on us to shoulder more than the usual workload. But the reward will truly be great, and those of us going to Blue Ridge will be proud to say that we helped launch the premier elementary school in Oconee County! What an honor!
Quality 16
Guest Blog by Tracey Long
SOLUTION ORIENTED
Make A Resolution To Find The Solution
Favorite Quote: “Don’t find fault; find a remedy.” Henry Ford
I think back into the not so distant past and remember a voice that said “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” Yes, that is the undeniable voice of Mr. Ellenburg in regards to the PACT scores that arrived in the fall. The scores were very low and lagged behind those of similar schools in the area. As we all know, Mr. Ellenburg came out of retirement to be the interim principal of a school which was closing. He could have simply taken the easy way out and just gone with the flow. However, Mr. Ellenburg stepped up to the challenge and came to Kellett with a vision and a plan. He took ownership, created a data team to analyze scores, brainstormed strategies, and involved the entire faculty with his leadership. The voice came again, “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” The spring MAP scores showed tremendous gains and Kellett leapfrogged over the similar schools that we had lagged behind. Mr. Ellenburg is a solution oriented team leader and Kellett is very fortunate that he chose us for his team.
Maxwell’s believes that your personality type, upbringing, and personal history may affect how solution oriented you are naturally. However, anyone can become solution oriented. Consider these truths that all solution-seeking people recognize:
Problems Are a Matter of Perspective
All Problems Are Solvable
Problems Either Stop Us or Stretch Us
Maxwell tells us that we only have four choices to approaching problems:
Flee them
Fight them
Forget them
Face them
What do you usually do?
To make yourself a more solution-oriented team player…
Refuse to give up
Refocus your thinking
Rethink your strategy
Repeat the process
SOLUTION ORIENTED
Make A Resolution To Find The Solution
Favorite Quote: “Don’t find fault; find a remedy.” Henry Ford
I think back into the not so distant past and remember a voice that said “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” Yes, that is the undeniable voice of Mr. Ellenburg in regards to the PACT scores that arrived in the fall. The scores were very low and lagged behind those of similar schools in the area. As we all know, Mr. Ellenburg came out of retirement to be the interim principal of a school which was closing. He could have simply taken the easy way out and just gone with the flow. However, Mr. Ellenburg stepped up to the challenge and came to Kellett with a vision and a plan. He took ownership, created a data team to analyze scores, brainstormed strategies, and involved the entire faculty with his leadership. The voice came again, “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” The spring MAP scores showed tremendous gains and Kellett leapfrogged over the similar schools that we had lagged behind. Mr. Ellenburg is a solution oriented team leader and Kellett is very fortunate that he chose us for his team.
Maxwell’s believes that your personality type, upbringing, and personal history may affect how solution oriented you are naturally. However, anyone can become solution oriented. Consider these truths that all solution-seeking people recognize:
Problems Are a Matter of Perspective
All Problems Are Solvable
Problems Either Stop Us or Stretch Us
Maxwell tells us that we only have four choices to approaching problems:
Flee them
Fight them
Forget them
Face them
What do you usually do?
To make yourself a more solution-oriented team player…
Refuse to give up
Refocus your thinking
Rethink your strategy
Repeat the process
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Personal Note
Yesterday, my parents celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary. That alone is a monumental accomplishment. Both are in their eighties and are still "doing pretty well for old people." We are blessed to still have them with us. Both are children of the Great Depression. Mom was a country girl from Pickens and Dad was a linthead from Easley, growing up on Arial Mill. They met in the mill, and she worked at various ones until the 1970's. They were married just after World War 2 and Dad served in Germany in 1946. It took Mom a while to take a shine to Dad, but he knew immediately that they would get married and raise a family. Mom still doesn't buy anything that's not on sale, but Dad enjoys the freedom of being "heavy on the hip." Together they had four children; Linda, myself, my brother Tom, and my deceased baby sister Gena.
While we were little, Dad went back to school for a Bachelor's (Furman) and Master's degrees (Erskine), after getting his GED before we were born. What a powerful example that set for us as little kids. He had gotten the call to preach, and wanted to be the best preacher he could be. And preach - he did. For forty plus years, he has preached the Gospel to thousands, while Mom filled the role of preacher's wife to perfection. As preacher's kids, we were always at church and always under scrutiny. After all, we were being raised by someone who spoke for God three times a week. By the way, most of what your hear about PK's is true, but much is not. Just FYI.
Mom had a dream for Tom and me. She wanted us to go to college. To be clear, it was her dream way before it was ours. She didn't want us to have to work as hard as they did. She said later that all she accomplished was getting us in high stress jobs that threatened our health. But she worked and saved, while Dad got us up at 4:00 AM to deliver papers starting at about age 8 or 9. There was no question that we were going, and there was no question where we were going. We were going Clemson. We were raised hearing that and when the time came, we applied and thank goodness we got in. After some struggles we both graduated and went on to advanced degrees.
Tom is the city attorney for Myrtle Beach. He has two children (a College of Charleston grad) and two grandchildren. My sister Linda never got to go to college, but she is one of the smartest and best people I know. She has a heart of gold and is full of spit and vinegar. She has two children (one college grad) and five grandchildren. Gena attended Anderson College, but was killed in an auto accident. Her daughter Lani is a Virginia Commonwealth grad. One of the great blessings, among many, of being born into this family is that we learned early on about the value of faith, family, hard work, and good education. Those experiences made us what we are today.
What's does this mean to us? It means we have the same opportunities to model these attributes for our own children and grandchildren, but that's not all. We have the responsibility to model them for the children in our care here at JN Kellett. We need to give them a glimpse of what life can be like when goodness and faith and perseverance are applied to our dreams. Thanks, Mom and Dad for giving us the tools to dream big and do important work.
While we were little, Dad went back to school for a Bachelor's (Furman) and Master's degrees (Erskine), after getting his GED before we were born. What a powerful example that set for us as little kids. He had gotten the call to preach, and wanted to be the best preacher he could be. And preach - he did. For forty plus years, he has preached the Gospel to thousands, while Mom filled the role of preacher's wife to perfection. As preacher's kids, we were always at church and always under scrutiny. After all, we were being raised by someone who spoke for God three times a week. By the way, most of what your hear about PK's is true, but much is not. Just FYI.
Mom had a dream for Tom and me. She wanted us to go to college. To be clear, it was her dream way before it was ours. She didn't want us to have to work as hard as they did. She said later that all she accomplished was getting us in high stress jobs that threatened our health. But she worked and saved, while Dad got us up at 4:00 AM to deliver papers starting at about age 8 or 9. There was no question that we were going, and there was no question where we were going. We were going Clemson. We were raised hearing that and when the time came, we applied and thank goodness we got in. After some struggles we both graduated and went on to advanced degrees.
Tom is the city attorney for Myrtle Beach. He has two children (a College of Charleston grad) and two grandchildren. My sister Linda never got to go to college, but she is one of the smartest and best people I know. She has a heart of gold and is full of spit and vinegar. She has two children (one college grad) and five grandchildren. Gena attended Anderson College, but was killed in an auto accident. Her daughter Lani is a Virginia Commonwealth grad. One of the great blessings, among many, of being born into this family is that we learned early on about the value of faith, family, hard work, and good education. Those experiences made us what we are today.
What's does this mean to us? It means we have the same opportunities to model these attributes for our own children and grandchildren, but that's not all. We have the responsibility to model them for the children in our care here at JN Kellett. We need to give them a glimpse of what life can be like when goodness and faith and perseverance are applied to our dreams. Thanks, Mom and Dad for giving us the tools to dream big and do important work.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Quality 15: Selfless
Guest Blogger: Lora Roth
Favorite Quote: “We’re here on earth to do good for others. What the others are here for, I don’t know.” Poet W.H. Auden
There is no I in Team
By our nature, most educators are not self-aggrandizing horn blowers. We are genuinely in this profession to help others and can thrive on little recognition. However, in any team setting there is often an underlying current of competitiveness that interferes with attaining true selflessness.
Maxwell uses the story of World War II POW officer Philip Toosey to bring to light the power that one person’s choices can have on the welfare of the group. Toosey persistently advocated for his troops even when his efforts regularly brought about increased personal suffering. His whatever-it-takes attitude ensured the survival of numerous Allied prisoners.
While it is admirable to be humble, selflessness only benefits the group when you can reach beyond and promote others with no regard for your own status. “No team succeeds unless its players put others on the team ahead of themselves. Being selfless isn’t easy, but it is necessary.”
To “cultivate” your selflessness:
1. Be Generous- success can easily be achieved if all members give generously with their time and gifts.
2. Avoid Internal Politics- value relationships within the team with no regard for personal gain.
3. Display Loyalty- not only when things are going well, but especially when times look bleak. “Loyalty fosters unity, and unity breeds team success.”
4. Value Interdependence over Independence- remember Menlo Park? Two heads usually are better than one.
To be more selfless today…
· Promote someone other than yourself- actively seek opportunities to give genuine accolades about another team member to supervisors or family members.
· Take a subordinate role- try for a day to consciously serve others and let them go first
· Give secretly- donate something anonymously without seeking any acknowledgement
Favorite Quote: “We’re here on earth to do good for others. What the others are here for, I don’t know.” Poet W.H. Auden
There is no I in Team
By our nature, most educators are not self-aggrandizing horn blowers. We are genuinely in this profession to help others and can thrive on little recognition. However, in any team setting there is often an underlying current of competitiveness that interferes with attaining true selflessness.
Maxwell uses the story of World War II POW officer Philip Toosey to bring to light the power that one person’s choices can have on the welfare of the group. Toosey persistently advocated for his troops even when his efforts regularly brought about increased personal suffering. His whatever-it-takes attitude ensured the survival of numerous Allied prisoners.
While it is admirable to be humble, selflessness only benefits the group when you can reach beyond and promote others with no regard for your own status. “No team succeeds unless its players put others on the team ahead of themselves. Being selfless isn’t easy, but it is necessary.”
To “cultivate” your selflessness:
1. Be Generous- success can easily be achieved if all members give generously with their time and gifts.
2. Avoid Internal Politics- value relationships within the team with no regard for personal gain.
3. Display Loyalty- not only when things are going well, but especially when times look bleak. “Loyalty fosters unity, and unity breeds team success.”
4. Value Interdependence over Independence- remember Menlo Park? Two heads usually are better than one.
To be more selfless today…
· Promote someone other than yourself- actively seek opportunities to give genuine accolades about another team member to supervisors or family members.
· Take a subordinate role- try for a day to consciously serve others and let them go first
· Give secretly- donate something anonymously without seeking any acknowledgement
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Quality #14 SELF-IMPROVING
Guest Blogger: Nadia Smith
Favorite Quote: “Let instruction and knowledge mean more to you than silver or the finest gold. Wisdom is worth much more than precious jewels or anything else you desire”. – King Solomon
Encouraging my students to improve educationally is the obvious part of my job everyday. However, it became evident to me that showing them how to improve personally was just as important. Improving yourself gives you a goal to work toward and be proud of, raises self-esteem, and allows you to put that weary and hesitant foot forward to step into new territory. When a student consistently shows responsibility with their homework and behavior, I can picture this individual as a responsible adult and tell them so. On the other hand, I think it is appropriate to discuss with a student who comes in without their homework several times a week what kind of a worker they plan to be when they are older. Often times, children just see themselves in the “now” and not as adults. Often they are not old enough or developed enough emotionally or cognitively to develop a self improvement plan on their own. They giggle when I have them picture themselves as drivers and members of the work force. Why not step in and help them with that?
The goal of this chapter is to show us how to improve ourselves as individuals to the betterment of the TEAM. According to Maxwell, you should commit to learn something new everyday. This involves a conscious effort to slow yourself down, take time alone and assess your successes as well as failures. Then apply the results of that thinking and changing to benefit the TEAM.
Upon reflection on this chapter, I can see where this concept of SELF-IMPROVING to benefit the team can apply to different aspects of my life. I have many “teams” in my life. They include my family, classroom students, my church and friends.
According to Maxwell, we must:
*become highly teachable
He recommends we, “Adopt the attitude of a learner, not an expert.”
*plan your progress
Decide what you need to do (buying books, attending seminars, etc…) and do it every single day, “…so that not a day passes without your experiencing improvement of some kind”.
* value self-improvement above self-promotion
Make career choices based on opportunities to improve self as opposed to improving financially.
Will you take Maxwell’s challenge to self improve? As teachers, at this time of year we are looking forward to a relaxing summer away from planning lessons and managing children. We can choose JUST one tiny area to improve ourselves and see how to affects the “TEAM”. I look forward to planning my personal goal for this summer. I am curious to see how and if it will benefit my family. I look forward to hearing about yours.
Favorite Quote: “Let instruction and knowledge mean more to you than silver or the finest gold. Wisdom is worth much more than precious jewels or anything else you desire”. – King Solomon
Encouraging my students to improve educationally is the obvious part of my job everyday. However, it became evident to me that showing them how to improve personally was just as important. Improving yourself gives you a goal to work toward and be proud of, raises self-esteem, and allows you to put that weary and hesitant foot forward to step into new territory. When a student consistently shows responsibility with their homework and behavior, I can picture this individual as a responsible adult and tell them so. On the other hand, I think it is appropriate to discuss with a student who comes in without their homework several times a week what kind of a worker they plan to be when they are older. Often times, children just see themselves in the “now” and not as adults. Often they are not old enough or developed enough emotionally or cognitively to develop a self improvement plan on their own. They giggle when I have them picture themselves as drivers and members of the work force. Why not step in and help them with that?
The goal of this chapter is to show us how to improve ourselves as individuals to the betterment of the TEAM. According to Maxwell, you should commit to learn something new everyday. This involves a conscious effort to slow yourself down, take time alone and assess your successes as well as failures. Then apply the results of that thinking and changing to benefit the TEAM.
Upon reflection on this chapter, I can see where this concept of SELF-IMPROVING to benefit the team can apply to different aspects of my life. I have many “teams” in my life. They include my family, classroom students, my church and friends.
According to Maxwell, we must:
*become highly teachable
He recommends we, “Adopt the attitude of a learner, not an expert.”
*plan your progress
Decide what you need to do (buying books, attending seminars, etc…) and do it every single day, “…so that not a day passes without your experiencing improvement of some kind”.
* value self-improvement above self-promotion
Make career choices based on opportunities to improve self as opposed to improving financially.
Will you take Maxwell’s challenge to self improve? As teachers, at this time of year we are looking forward to a relaxing summer away from planning lessons and managing children. We can choose JUST one tiny area to improve ourselves and see how to affects the “TEAM”. I look forward to planning my personal goal for this summer. I am curious to see how and if it will benefit my family. I look forward to hearing about yours.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Students Perform Well on MAP, Spring 09
Since it been my duty to report to you about poor performance last year on PACT and MAP, I am happy today to report outstanding progress on the MAP test just completed. Students at J.N. Kellett have made remarkable progress on their MAP test from the Fall of 08 to the Spring of 09. Last Spring, Kellett students made their growth targets in only 2 of the 12 tests administered (3 tests for each of 4 grades). Thanks to a simple plan developed by our Data Team and executed brilliantly by everyone and involving hard and consistent work by our teachers, support staff, parents, and especially children, this Spring, Kellett students met or exceeded their Mean Growth Targets in 10 of 12 tests administered. For further evidence of progress, let's look at the percentage of students who met the Mean Growth Target for their grade. See the table below for details.
Reading Met grade growth target Number meeting target % meeting target
Grade 2 No 29 50.9
Grade 3 Yes 31 54.4
Grade 4 Yes 32 62.7
Grade 5 Yes 26 63.4
Language Usage
Grade 2 No 27 47.4
Grade 3 Yes 25 43.9
Grade 4 Yes 43 84.3
Grade 5 Yes 26 63.4
Math
Grade 2 Yes 30 53.6
Grade 3 Yes 37 66.1
Grade 4 Yes 34 66.7
Grade 5 Yes 23 56.1
Overall Met 10 of 12
I am very proud of the efforts of our students and staff to make this kind of improvement a reality. While we are justifiably proud, we do know that our students can do even better. We have one more round of the new statewide test (PASS) next month and we expect that our students will do just as well or better then. If you want to discuss your child's individual results, contact your child's teacher and schedule an appointment. Many of these children have made unbelievable gains this year as measure by MAP.
Reading Met grade growth target Number meeting target % meeting target
Grade 2 No 29 50.9
Grade 3 Yes 31 54.4
Grade 4 Yes 32 62.7
Grade 5 Yes 26 63.4
Language Usage
Grade 2 No 27 47.4
Grade 3 Yes 25 43.9
Grade 4 Yes 43 84.3
Grade 5 Yes 26 63.4
Math
Grade 2 Yes 30 53.6
Grade 3 Yes 37 66.1
Grade 4 Yes 34 66.7
Grade 5 Yes 23 56.1
Overall Met 10 of 12
I am very proud of the efforts of our students and staff to make this kind of improvement a reality. While we are justifiably proud, we do know that our students can do even better. We have one more round of the new statewide test (PASS) next month and we expect that our students will do just as well or better then. If you want to discuss your child's individual results, contact your child's teacher and schedule an appointment. Many of these children have made unbelievable gains this year as measure by MAP.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Quality 13: Prepared
Prepared: Preparation Can Mean the Difference Between Winning and Losing
Guest Blogger: Courtney Montague
Favorite Quote: "Relationships help us to define who we are and what we can become. Most of us can trace our successes to pivotal relationships." - Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson
As I was sitting down reading this chapter before Spring Break I must admit it was bittersweet for me. The entire chapter was on building relationships and how important those relationships are to your own personal success and your success as a team. How sad it is going to be next year when we are all placed in different locations creating new shared experiences, developing trust in our new colleagues, and earning their respect. As a team we have experienced so much together from changes in administration to deaths in our families to the hilarious things our students do on a daily basis. All of these experiences have helped form a cohesive team that, judging by our most recent MAP scores, have increased student performance beyond what we even imagined.
Maxwell talks about 5 characteristics that should be present in a team and I am going to take a minute and reflect on the one that hit home the most with me. The 5th characteristic is Mutual Enjoyment. If you know me then you could probably guess that was my favorite. As a school employee we all experience hard days and I think the best way to overcome those days is through our mutual enjoyment of being together. In the last 28 days I believe this needs to be the focus of our Kellett team. We have put in the time to earn each others respect, and trust, we have shared many wonderful and trying experiences together and now it is time to enjoy the time we have left. There is nothing like a good laugh to get us through the final days of school. I wish everyone the best of luck as we are earning respect, trust and forming relationships with new colleagues in the future. This has been a great team to be a part of!
5 Characteristics of a good relational team member
1. Respect- Show it to others regardless of whether they have earned it but at the same time fight to earn others respect.
2. Shared Experiences- You can't be relational with someone you don't know.
3. Trust- It is the foundation of good leadership and is also the foundation of a good relationship.
4. Reciprocity- One-sided personal relationships don't last.
5. Mutual Enjoyment- When relationships grow and start to get solid, the people involved begin to enjoy each other.
Guest Blogger: Courtney Montague
Favorite Quote: "Relationships help us to define who we are and what we can become. Most of us can trace our successes to pivotal relationships." - Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson
As I was sitting down reading this chapter before Spring Break I must admit it was bittersweet for me. The entire chapter was on building relationships and how important those relationships are to your own personal success and your success as a team. How sad it is going to be next year when we are all placed in different locations creating new shared experiences, developing trust in our new colleagues, and earning their respect. As a team we have experienced so much together from changes in administration to deaths in our families to the hilarious things our students do on a daily basis. All of these experiences have helped form a cohesive team that, judging by our most recent MAP scores, have increased student performance beyond what we even imagined.
Maxwell talks about 5 characteristics that should be present in a team and I am going to take a minute and reflect on the one that hit home the most with me. The 5th characteristic is Mutual Enjoyment. If you know me then you could probably guess that was my favorite. As a school employee we all experience hard days and I think the best way to overcome those days is through our mutual enjoyment of being together. In the last 28 days I believe this needs to be the focus of our Kellett team. We have put in the time to earn each others respect, and trust, we have shared many wonderful and trying experiences together and now it is time to enjoy the time we have left. There is nothing like a good laugh to get us through the final days of school. I wish everyone the best of luck as we are earning respect, trust and forming relationships with new colleagues in the future. This has been a great team to be a part of!
5 Characteristics of a good relational team member
1. Respect- Show it to others regardless of whether they have earned it but at the same time fight to earn others respect.
2. Shared Experiences- You can't be relational with someone you don't know.
3. Trust- It is the foundation of good leadership and is also the foundation of a good relationship.
4. Reciprocity- One-sided personal relationships don't last.
5. Mutual Enjoyment- When relationships grow and start to get solid, the people involved begin to enjoy each other.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Quality 12 - Prepared
Guest Blog by Tracey Long
Prepared: Preparation can mean the difference between winning and losing
Favorite Quotes: “The man who is prepared has his battle half-fought.” Miguel De Cervantes
I am an avid sports fan. Usually, it matters not the sport, I just have an appreciation for exemplary performances. The NCAA basketball championships have recently concluded and no I am not going to going to talk about my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels. Instead, I will discuss another esteemed program and its amazing leader. John Wooden is the legendary coach of UCLA. His teams hold the unbelievable record of seven NCAA championships in seven consecutive years. Let me share a few quotes from this legendary coach:
“Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
“If you have thoroughly prepared and are ready to give it everything you’ve got there is no shame if you fail – nothing to fear in failure.”
“Tiger Woods? Peyton Manning? As important as their physical abilities is the way they work so hard to correct and improve their skills. They are legendary for their hard work. And so is anyone else you might care to mention who has achieved personal success and competitive greatness – Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Lance Armstrong and the list goes on.”
~ Who would you add to this list?
“When you have made the effort to prepare to the fullest extent of your ability – and do not underestimate the great challenge of proper and complete preparation – you will reap the crowning block of the Pyramid of Success; namely Competitive Greatness.”
Perhaps the previously listed quotes sum up Coach Woodens’ thoughts on preparation.
Now for some of Maxwell’s thoughts on preparation and someone that I chose to demonstrate the skill~
If you want to prepare yourself so that you can help your team as it faces the challenges ahead, then think about the following:
Assessment: Know where you are, where you are going and what it takes to get you there. Do you think Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion, assessed his situation daily?
Alignment: “Although you know where you want to go, you’ll never get to your desired destination if you’re not lined up right.” I bet Tiger Woods places great emphasis on his alignment for every shot!
Attitude: “If you believe in yourself and your teammates, then you set yourself up for success.” Just think of any championship team.
Action: “Courage has no greater ally than preparation, and fear has no greater enemy.” Alvin York’s cool headed action saved his squad and helped secure victory during the Battle of the Argonne.
To improve your preparedness…
Become a process thinker: before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.
Do more research: just about every professional utilizes some kind of research to improve themselves.
Learn from your mistakes: the greatest preparation tool can often be person’s own experience.
“You can claim to be surprised once; after that, you’re unprepared.”
Prepared: Preparation can mean the difference between winning and losing
Favorite Quotes: “The man who is prepared has his battle half-fought.” Miguel De Cervantes
I am an avid sports fan. Usually, it matters not the sport, I just have an appreciation for exemplary performances. The NCAA basketball championships have recently concluded and no I am not going to going to talk about my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels. Instead, I will discuss another esteemed program and its amazing leader. John Wooden is the legendary coach of UCLA. His teams hold the unbelievable record of seven NCAA championships in seven consecutive years. Let me share a few quotes from this legendary coach:
“Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
“If you have thoroughly prepared and are ready to give it everything you’ve got there is no shame if you fail – nothing to fear in failure.”
“Tiger Woods? Peyton Manning? As important as their physical abilities is the way they work so hard to correct and improve their skills. They are legendary for their hard work. And so is anyone else you might care to mention who has achieved personal success and competitive greatness – Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Lance Armstrong and the list goes on.”
~ Who would you add to this list?
“When you have made the effort to prepare to the fullest extent of your ability – and do not underestimate the great challenge of proper and complete preparation – you will reap the crowning block of the Pyramid of Success; namely Competitive Greatness.”
Perhaps the previously listed quotes sum up Coach Woodens’ thoughts on preparation.
Now for some of Maxwell’s thoughts on preparation and someone that I chose to demonstrate the skill~
If you want to prepare yourself so that you can help your team as it faces the challenges ahead, then think about the following:
Assessment: Know where you are, where you are going and what it takes to get you there. Do you think Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion, assessed his situation daily?
Alignment: “Although you know where you want to go, you’ll never get to your desired destination if you’re not lined up right.” I bet Tiger Woods places great emphasis on his alignment for every shot!
Attitude: “If you believe in yourself and your teammates, then you set yourself up for success.” Just think of any championship team.
Action: “Courage has no greater ally than preparation, and fear has no greater enemy.” Alvin York’s cool headed action saved his squad and helped secure victory during the Battle of the Argonne.
To improve your preparedness…
Become a process thinker: before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.
Do more research: just about every professional utilizes some kind of research to improve themselves.
Learn from your mistakes: the greatest preparation tool can often be person’s own experience.
“You can claim to be surprised once; after that, you’re unprepared.”
Monday, April 20, 2009
Quality 12 - Preparation
Quality 12 -- Preparation: Can Mean the Difference Between Winning and Losing
Guest Blogger: Jan WhitenerFavorite Quotes:
"It is better to prepare than repair.” – John Maxwell
"Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success." –
Henry Ford
“Spectacular achievement comes from unspectacular preparation.”
Roger Staubach
Again, Maxwell utilizes a war hero, this time from World War I to exemplify the next essential quality- preparation. Alvin York, a poor, uneducated mountain boy from rural Tennessee, earned the distinction of “the greatest soldier of World War I.” The third of eleven children, he had no aspirations of greatness other than his passion for hunting. He frequently hunted wild game in his native, rural, setting. As he faced life’s harsh realities, he experimented with a life consumed by drinking, gambling, and fighting for three years before turning his life around through his religious faith commitment. He even founded a church in his community.
The receipt of his draft notice in 1917 presented a dilemma of choosing between his faith and love of God and the family legacy of serving and honoring their love of country. He was prepared physically and mentally, but not spiritually. Although he was an excellent marksman in shooting wild game, his heart was not prepared to take the life of another human being. He followed orders and left for basic training classified as a conscientious objector. It was through the process of preparation that laid the foundation for his success as a soldier. He consulted with his pastor, his captain and his major and continuously sought spiritual guidance from his Bible. This preparation completed his commitment to serve by adding the spirituality component.
His leadership and marksmanship saved his squad and earned him the title of the “Greatest Soldier in World War I” with six of the highest medals offered by four countries. He personally felt the experience taught him the value of human lives and motivated him to educate the children of his community. He helped establish the York Agricultural Institute which still continues to educate.
As educators, we can also enhance our team’s initiatives through preparation using four guiding words.
Assessment: This crucial step in preparation begins with knowledge of where one is headed, possible obstacles, as well as strategies to direct and remain focused on the identified goal
Alignment: The golf analogy provided a vivid example of proper alignment to actions to achieve success. After spending more years than I want to admit chasing a small white ball, I have witnessed success and failure directly linked to the level of alignment. I understand the power of “right work” as essential to success in combination with hard work which alone, does not achieve success.
Attitude: I believe attitude is paramount to success in all one does, whether independently or collaboratively as a team. This encompasses attitudes about the goal, oneself, teammates and abilities of all involved.
Action:
Preparation or determining a plan for the course of action, while powerful, would be meaningless without the commitment to take the initiative to put it into action. Maxwell concludes this chapter by encouraging us to improve our preparedness by becoming process thinkers, using research, and learning from our mistakes. In reading classroom tips shared by Dr. Lucas, the word “plan” is often used. I view “plan” and “prepare” as synonymously interchangeable and believe many toolbox tips validate the importance of preparation.
Guest Blogger: Jan WhitenerFavorite Quotes:
"It is better to prepare than repair.” – John Maxwell
"Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success." –
Henry Ford
“Spectacular achievement comes from unspectacular preparation.”
Roger Staubach
Again, Maxwell utilizes a war hero, this time from World War I to exemplify the next essential quality- preparation. Alvin York, a poor, uneducated mountain boy from rural Tennessee, earned the distinction of “the greatest soldier of World War I.” The third of eleven children, he had no aspirations of greatness other than his passion for hunting. He frequently hunted wild game in his native, rural, setting. As he faced life’s harsh realities, he experimented with a life consumed by drinking, gambling, and fighting for three years before turning his life around through his religious faith commitment. He even founded a church in his community.
The receipt of his draft notice in 1917 presented a dilemma of choosing between his faith and love of God and the family legacy of serving and honoring their love of country. He was prepared physically and mentally, but not spiritually. Although he was an excellent marksman in shooting wild game, his heart was not prepared to take the life of another human being. He followed orders and left for basic training classified as a conscientious objector. It was through the process of preparation that laid the foundation for his success as a soldier. He consulted with his pastor, his captain and his major and continuously sought spiritual guidance from his Bible. This preparation completed his commitment to serve by adding the spirituality component.
His leadership and marksmanship saved his squad and earned him the title of the “Greatest Soldier in World War I” with six of the highest medals offered by four countries. He personally felt the experience taught him the value of human lives and motivated him to educate the children of his community. He helped establish the York Agricultural Institute which still continues to educate.
As educators, we can also enhance our team’s initiatives through preparation using four guiding words.
Assessment: This crucial step in preparation begins with knowledge of where one is headed, possible obstacles, as well as strategies to direct and remain focused on the identified goal
Alignment: The golf analogy provided a vivid example of proper alignment to actions to achieve success. After spending more years than I want to admit chasing a small white ball, I have witnessed success and failure directly linked to the level of alignment. I understand the power of “right work” as essential to success in combination with hard work which alone, does not achieve success.
Attitude: I believe attitude is paramount to success in all one does, whether independently or collaboratively as a team. This encompasses attitudes about the goal, oneself, teammates and abilities of all involved.
Action:
Preparation or determining a plan for the course of action, while powerful, would be meaningless without the commitment to take the initiative to put it into action. Maxwell concludes this chapter by encouraging us to improve our preparedness by becoming process thinkers, using research, and learning from our mistakes. In reading classroom tips shared by Dr. Lucas, the word “plan” is often used. I view “plan” and “prepare” as synonymously interchangeable and believe many toolbox tips validate the importance of preparation.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Quality 11 -- Mission Conscious: The (Big) Picture is Coming in Loud and Clear
Guest Blogger: Yolanda Carter
Favorite Quotes: "He who has a 'why' to live for can bear almost any 'how.' -- Friedrich Nietzsche
"When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it." -- W. Clement Stone
Maxwell begins this chapter with a story from the American Revolutionary War. The story took place June 28, 1778 near Monmouth Courthouse in the town of Freehold, New Jersey. General George Washington was planning a full attack on the British. General Washington was forced to take control of the troops from General Charles Lee who had taken a more tentative approach to his attack on the British. This was an exhausting fight and the soldiers were in much need of water. Mary Hays, the wife of artilleryman William Hays, went to the front lines and supplied the men with water so they could continue to fight. She was dedicated to the American's cause and was willing to do any task needed to help the soldiers. On one of her many trips to the front lines to bring water to the troops, she watched her husband be shot and killed from enemy fire. Instead of stopping to mourn the loss of her husband, she took his place as the cannon's gunner knowing that every gun was important for the success of this battle. The Americans won this battle because of their determination and commitment as a team. This battle boosted the troops morale and was a political triumph. General Washington named Mary Hays a noncommissioned officer because her efforts.
Mary Hays, also known as Molly Pitcher, is a wonderful representation of the attitude the people had while fighting in the Revolutionary war. They were mission conscious -- they had a united purpose and worked together to accomplish it. Each individuals actions were driven by the thoughts of what was best for their cause, fellow fighters, and their nation.
4 qualities of all mission-conscious players:
Favorite Quotes: "He who has a 'why' to live for can bear almost any 'how.' -- Friedrich Nietzsche
"When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it." -- W. Clement Stone
Maxwell begins this chapter with a story from the American Revolutionary War. The story took place June 28, 1778 near Monmouth Courthouse in the town of Freehold, New Jersey. General George Washington was planning a full attack on the British. General Washington was forced to take control of the troops from General Charles Lee who had taken a more tentative approach to his attack on the British. This was an exhausting fight and the soldiers were in much need of water. Mary Hays, the wife of artilleryman William Hays, went to the front lines and supplied the men with water so they could continue to fight. She was dedicated to the American's cause and was willing to do any task needed to help the soldiers. On one of her many trips to the front lines to bring water to the troops, she watched her husband be shot and killed from enemy fire. Instead of stopping to mourn the loss of her husband, she took his place as the cannon's gunner knowing that every gun was important for the success of this battle. The Americans won this battle because of their determination and commitment as a team. This battle boosted the troops morale and was a political triumph. General Washington named Mary Hays a noncommissioned officer because her efforts.
Mary Hays, also known as Molly Pitcher, is a wonderful representation of the attitude the people had while fighting in the Revolutionary war. They were mission conscious -- they had a united purpose and worked together to accomplish it. Each individuals actions were driven by the thoughts of what was best for their cause, fellow fighters, and their nation.
4 qualities of all mission-conscious players:
- They Know Where the Team is Going
- They Let the Leader of the Team Lead
- They Place Team Accomplishment Ahead of Their Own
- They Do Whatever Is Necessary to Achieve the Mission
Any member of a team can hinder the success of the whole team if they are too focused on their individual success or agenda. The team's mission should always be kept in each team member's mind at all times.
To improve your mission consciousness...
- Check to see if your team focuses on its mission: a team isn't really a team if it isn't going anywhere
- Find ways to keep the mission in mind: have a mission statement and remind yourself of that statement on a regular basis
- Contribute your best as a team member.
"Good team players see more than the details of the moment. They are always conscious of a team's mission and act to help achieve it."
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Quality 10 - Intentional
Favorite quote - "You've got to think about "big things" while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction." Alvin Toffler
What does it mean to be intentional? Intentionality comes from making every action count by knowing both what you are doing, and why you are doing it. Chapter 11 is about the big picture. This chapter is about the little actions that bring the big picture into focus. As in any endeavor, the highest level of quality comes from the small things we do to make the big things happen. It's about doing the right things day to day, even moment to moment, all on a consistent basis. What do intentional people have in common? Maxwell says that they;
What does it mean to be intentional? Intentionality comes from making every action count by knowing both what you are doing, and why you are doing it. Chapter 11 is about the big picture. This chapter is about the little actions that bring the big picture into focus. As in any endeavor, the highest level of quality comes from the small things we do to make the big things happen. It's about doing the right things day to day, even moment to moment, all on a consistent basis. What do intentional people have in common? Maxwell says that they;
- have a purpose worth living for. Without a sense of purpose, intentionality cannot develop.
- know their strengths and weaknesses. They do what you are good at, then do some of the other stuff too.
- prioritize their responsibilities. Because they know the why of their lives, the what and when come easier.
- learn to say no. No one can do everything.
- commit to long-term achievement. As my late, good friend Marvin Cely used to say, "Ain't nothing good ever easy." Marvin founded Marvin's Kids, a non-profit Christmas program that has served thousands of children and families over the years.
How do we become more intentional?
- Explore your strengths and weaknesses. Think about it. Ask around for candid feedback - more is better.
- Play to your strengths. Resolve to spend more of your time doing what you are good at.
- Plan your calendar with purpose. If you think daily, plan for a week.
We can't choose more time, but we can choose to use time more wisely.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Quality 9 - Enthusiastic
Favorite Quote - "I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about his work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve anything worthwhile." Walter Chrysler
Harley Davidson is the quintessential corporate American success story. From its beginnings in 1903, Harley Davidson built great motorcycles that were loved and depended upon all over the world, including the Allies in World War 2. In the early 1960's Harley Davidson owned an 85 % market share for large motorcycles in the US. After 60 years the company changed hands and the company moved. Workers were demoralized and quality declined. In 1980, the Harley Davidson market share for large motorcycle sales dropped to 30%. In 1981 13 executives and enthusiasts bought HD and the company began to turn around. What made the difference. New methods, new products, new owners all contributed to a new enthusiasm within the company and among customers. Today, Harley Davidson has total sales of 2.9 billion annually. Harley employees and owners are legendary for their enthusiasm about their motorcycles.
Reflecting on enthusiasm we see that enthusiastic people;
Harley Davidson is the quintessential corporate American success story. From its beginnings in 1903, Harley Davidson built great motorcycles that were loved and depended upon all over the world, including the Allies in World War 2. In the early 1960's Harley Davidson owned an 85 % market share for large motorcycles in the US. After 60 years the company changed hands and the company moved. Workers were demoralized and quality declined. In 1980, the Harley Davidson market share for large motorcycle sales dropped to 30%. In 1981 13 executives and enthusiasts bought HD and the company began to turn around. What made the difference. New methods, new products, new owners all contributed to a new enthusiasm within the company and among customers. Today, Harley Davidson has total sales of 2.9 billion annually. Harley employees and owners are legendary for their enthusiasm about their motorcycles.
Reflecting on enthusiasm we see that enthusiastic people;
- take responsibility fro their own enthusiasm. They recognize that a positive attitude is a choice.
- sometimes act their way into feeling that way. No one feels positive and enthusiastic all the time. Sometimes we just "fake it until we make it." Yesterday on the porch, Jane Stancil came out smiling to beat the band, and so was I. One of us asked the other, "What are you smiling about?" The response was, "I just am."
- believe in what they do.
- Spend time with other enthusiastic people. Have you ever noticed how a negative person brings everyone down and how a positive one lifts everyone's spirits? You are most like the ones you spend time with.
To improve enthusiasm;
- work with a sense of urgency. Set goals for yourself. Put a little quick in your step. Interact purposefully with colleagues.
- be willing to do more. When I was out last week, several things had to covered at the last minute. The team players took on those responsibilities willingly and cheerfully, asking "What can I do to help?" Do what's required and then some.
- strive for excellence. Nothing breeds enthusiasm like a job well done.
Only with enthusiasm can we continue to bring out the best in ourselves and in our students, or make the transition to whatever new beginnings lie ahead next year and into the future.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Quality 8 Enlarging
Guest Blogger: Barbara Cloyd, 4th Grade Teacher
Favorite Quote: "The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I'd made my teammates play." Bill Russell
When I embarked upon reading about Quality 8 Enlarging, I honestly had never heard the term used before. But although the term may seem somewhat creative, the essence of this quality is age-old. Enlarging is about individuals unselfishly using their gifts and talents to enrich the lives of those around them. Bill Russell speaks of this idea in terms of playing basketball, but enlarging is important on every team and in every organization. Whether you are the star center on the Boston Celtics, a teacher in a school, a student in a classroom, or a part of any type of group, one should evaluate "What do I bring to the table?" or "How can I make us better?" When group members share their own unique talents, they actually elevate the group to a new level. Group members admire and appreciate those who are willing to unselfishly make the group better, before thinking about themselves. When enlarging, one cannot think about how individual actions will help gain some sort of personal benefit. The enlarger must be a secure person that can look beyond possible opportunities for individual success, to see the larger benefit through helping the group. Henry Ward Beecher stated, "No man is more cheated than the selfish man." In other words, when you are willing to enlarge the group, you enlarge yourself!
Attributes of the enlarging team player:
If you want to enlarge the team, follow these simple ideas . . .
Favorite Quote: "The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I'd made my teammates play." Bill Russell
When I embarked upon reading about Quality 8 Enlarging, I honestly had never heard the term used before. But although the term may seem somewhat creative, the essence of this quality is age-old. Enlarging is about individuals unselfishly using their gifts and talents to enrich the lives of those around them. Bill Russell speaks of this idea in terms of playing basketball, but enlarging is important on every team and in every organization. Whether you are the star center on the Boston Celtics, a teacher in a school, a student in a classroom, or a part of any type of group, one should evaluate "What do I bring to the table?" or "How can I make us better?" When group members share their own unique talents, they actually elevate the group to a new level. Group members admire and appreciate those who are willing to unselfishly make the group better, before thinking about themselves. When enlarging, one cannot think about how individual actions will help gain some sort of personal benefit. The enlarger must be a secure person that can look beyond possible opportunities for individual success, to see the larger benefit through helping the group. Henry Ward Beecher stated, "No man is more cheated than the selfish man." In other words, when you are willing to enlarge the group, you enlarge yourself!
Attributes of the enlarging team player:
- Enlargers value their teammates. Recognize and appreciate the strengths that other players bring to the game and utilize those strengths.
- Enlargers value what their teammates value. Players who enlarge others try hard to understand the values of their teammates. They get to know their teammates in an effort to make a connection.
- Enlargers add value to their teammates. Adding value to the team is the whole purpose of this idea. Enlargers want to help teammates improve upon their abilities and attitudes.
- Enlargers make themselves more valuable. If you want your team to be more successful, then it is important to make yourself better. Being your best helps the team reach its potential.
If you want to enlarge the team, follow these simple ideas . . .
- Believe in others before they believe in you! Be the initiator in situations and problems. Lead by example and others will soon respect your efforts.
- Serve others before they serve you. Help others in your family and work reach their potential. Offering time and support for the enrichment of others is powerful.
- Add value to others before they add value to you. The book states that as humans we tend to gravitate towards those who enrich us and move away from those who devalue us. We can enlarge people by helping them zone in on their specific talents and help them to reach their potential with those talents. We should not try to force people to embark into areas in which they do not have the talent or skills in which to be successful.
Ask yourself, "If I am not helping the team, am I hurting it?" All teams need all players to be enlargers so that the team can reach its highest potential.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Quality 7 Disciplined
Favorite quote: "Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability."
No team succeeds without discipline. I am talking primarily about self-discipline. Indeed, it is the only discipline worth talking about. Michael Jordan was blessed by the Almighty with a ton of talent. He could jump, change directions, and shoot the basketball better than most any other player. His dunks were spectacular. As a player at UNC and with the Chicago Bulls, his accomplishments are legendary. He is recognized worldwide as a winner. But did you know that the most legendary aspect of Michael Jordan's character are his tremendous work ethic, self discipline, and intensity. Sure, he was born with tremendous physical gifts, but his intensity and self discipline made him great. Only by working hard to make himself a better player was he able to achieve greatness.
Disciplined team players possess;
- Disciplined thinking. Keeping your mind active, accepting mental challenges, and think about right things.
- Disciplined emotions. Make sure that the emotions of the moment don't prevent you from doing what you need to or allow you to do things you shouldn't.
- Disciplined actions. Everything you do counts. Make sure each action is well founded and in the right spirit.
To become a better team player;
- Strengthen work habits. Do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.
- Take on challenges. It will strengthen your mind and your resolve.
- Tame your tongue. Speak truth in kindness. I never regretted anything I DIDN'T say.
Great teams need disciplined team members.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Quality 6 Dependable
Favorite quote - "It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required." Winston Churchill
Just yesterday, I got an e-mail from my good friend Ann Miller, who coordinates programs for four year olds here in SDOC, among other things. She was lavish in her praise of one of our own, Lauren Gay. It seems as though Lauren was screening at Ravenel for next year's programs when Mrs. Miller found out they needed help with registration in Westminster. True to form, Lauren volunteered to go to Westminster and help them out while another teacher finished at the Ravenel. The other teacher left early, leaving screening still to be done back at Ravenel. Lauren volunteered to go back and finish what her replacement had left undone, after she had helped out at Westminster. This story provides a clear contrast between one set of actions that were team oriented and dependable and another set which were neither of those. What makes the difference?
According to Maxwell, the attributes of dependability are;
1. Pure motives
2. Responsibility
3. Sound thinking
Lauren did not act to make her colleague look bad. She acted because she had taken the responsibility for that screening and was determined to see it through. She knew that if she didn't somebody else would have to.
How to become more dependable
1. Check your motives
2. Discover the value of your word
3. Find an accountability partner
Every team improves when its members become more dependable.
Just yesterday, I got an e-mail from my good friend Ann Miller, who coordinates programs for four year olds here in SDOC, among other things. She was lavish in her praise of one of our own, Lauren Gay. It seems as though Lauren was screening at Ravenel for next year's programs when Mrs. Miller found out they needed help with registration in Westminster. True to form, Lauren volunteered to go to Westminster and help them out while another teacher finished at the Ravenel. The other teacher left early, leaving screening still to be done back at Ravenel. Lauren volunteered to go back and finish what her replacement had left undone, after she had helped out at Westminster. This story provides a clear contrast between one set of actions that were team oriented and dependable and another set which were neither of those. What makes the difference?
According to Maxwell, the attributes of dependability are;
1. Pure motives
2. Responsibility
3. Sound thinking
Lauren did not act to make her colleague look bad. She acted because she had taken the responsibility for that screening and was determined to see it through. She knew that if she didn't somebody else would have to.
How to become more dependable
1. Check your motives
2. Discover the value of your word
3. Find an accountability partner
Every team improves when its members become more dependable.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Competent
Favorite quote "People forget how fast you did a job - but they remember how well you did it."
Competence does not mean "minimally adequate" as believed by some. Competent describes someone who is "well qualified" for a job or task.
Competent people are;
Competence does not mean "minimally adequate" as believed by some. Competent describes someone who is "well qualified" for a job or task.
Competent people are;
- committed to excellence. They want every process, procedure, and outcome to be the very best it can be.
- never settle for average. For competent people, "good enough" is not good enough. They give it all they have to achieve highest quality, even on common tasks.
- pay attention to detail. It's been rightfully said, that the quality of any endeavor is in the details. Don't get me wrong. We need those people with the big ideas. They inspire us to attempt things that we wouldn't otherwise attempt. But the quality come from the details of the implementation of an idea. They do the little things well.
- perform consistently.
To improve competence;
- focus on your work. Make it the best it can be.
- sweat the small stuff. To paraphrase Maxwell, do the last 10 % of your projects as well or better than the first 90%.
- pay attention to implementation. How will we make this great idea work on the highest level for our students?
Utilizing these principles we can achieve the highest levels of quality in our work.
Friday, February 20, 2009
2008 School Report Card Reflections and What Now?
By now, you may already know that the 2008 School Report Cards were released early this morning. Although the release is very recent, the ratings on the report card are not a surprise to us. We knew when we saw last year's test scores that Kellett's report card rating would not be satisfactory to any of us. Based on last year's testing results, JN Kellett received an absolute rating from the state of "below average". That is based on a statistical analysis of our 2008 PACT scores. JN Kellett's improvement rating was 'at risk". The improvement rating means that our test scores declined rather than improved for the 2008 administration of PACT. We have long since come to terms with that performance last year and have been implementing specific plans to address those issues all year long.
Let me say now as I have before that we are proud of the efforts of our faculty and staff, and of the efforts of our students. Our faculty and staff have raised the bar of expectations and our students and families have answered the call. There is ample evidence that our testing results will improve in 2009. Our attendance is at an all time high. The winter administration of MAP yielded the results we envisioned when we drew up out MAP improvement plan. In Language Arts our students posted an average RIT score gain of 8.04. In Math they improved by an average RIT score gain of 8.58. In Reading, the average score improvement was 7.61. A 10 point gain is typical for a whole year of instruction. These results were accomplished in 13 weeks of instruction.
Please don't misunderstand me. While we are justifiably proud of this significant progress, but we know in our hearts and our heads that we can do better. Already, new plans are in effect to make sure that our students continue their growth so that they can close the gap between themselves and the national norms.
We have implemented plans to prepare for the new state-wide test, the PASS. Although little is known about PASS, we do know the criteria for scoring the writing sample to be done on March, so we are hard at work making sure that our students understand how their work will be judged and teaching them about the writing process. We remain convinced that, with continued focus on teaching and learning, our students will improve their performance on the state-wide test. This is not the time educators, students, or parents to rest on our laurels. Only by maintaining our effort and focusing on implementing our plans, will JN Kellett meet its goals for student achievement in 2009. All stakeholders are invited to join us in our quest for continuous improvement.
Let me say now as I have before that we are proud of the efforts of our faculty and staff, and of the efforts of our students. Our faculty and staff have raised the bar of expectations and our students and families have answered the call. There is ample evidence that our testing results will improve in 2009. Our attendance is at an all time high. The winter administration of MAP yielded the results we envisioned when we drew up out MAP improvement plan. In Language Arts our students posted an average RIT score gain of 8.04. In Math they improved by an average RIT score gain of 8.58. In Reading, the average score improvement was 7.61. A 10 point gain is typical for a whole year of instruction. These results were accomplished in 13 weeks of instruction.
Please don't misunderstand me. While we are justifiably proud of this significant progress, but we know in our hearts and our heads that we can do better. Already, new plans are in effect to make sure that our students continue their growth so that they can close the gap between themselves and the national norms.
We have implemented plans to prepare for the new state-wide test, the PASS. Although little is known about PASS, we do know the criteria for scoring the writing sample to be done on March, so we are hard at work making sure that our students understand how their work will be judged and teaching them about the writing process. We remain convinced that, with continued focus on teaching and learning, our students will improve their performance on the state-wide test. This is not the time educators, students, or parents to rest on our laurels. Only by maintaining our effort and focusing on implementing our plans, will JN Kellett meet its goals for student achievement in 2009. All stakeholders are invited to join us in our quest for continuous improvement.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Quality 4 Communicative
My favorite quote - Think like a wise man, but communicate in the language of the people. William Butler Yeats
What is more common than a smart person who cannot communicate with others. All of the intellect in the world is of little use without the ability to communicate knowledge and ideas to others. Recently, we celebrated the birthday of perhaps the greatest American President in history, Abraham Lincoln. When you read Lincoln's words, you readily see a man with lofty ideas and uncommon vision. The power of his words comes from his ability to communicate those lofty ideas and uncommon vision to common, ordinary citizens. Take the Gettysburg Address or the Second Inaugural Address for example. Nothing ever written exemplifies common language used to such great effect as Lincoln did on those two occasions. With his lofty ideas, uncommon vision, and common language, he wrote and spoke with a beauty and power that rallied a nation through it's darkest hour. His unusual communication skills served him, and the nation, well.
Characteristics of communicative people;
1. They do not separate themselves from others. The more we understand, the more we care.
2. They make it easy for teammates to communicate with them. Most communication issues can be solved by proximity.
3. They follow the 24 Hour Rule and address difficulty within 24 hours.
4. They pay attention to difficult relationships.
5. They follow up in writing, keeping it clear and simple.
Improve communication by;
1. Being candid. Speak truthfully and kindly.
2. Be quick to address problems.
3. Be inclusive. If you can include others - do.
Good communication is not easy, but it pays big dividends to ourselves and to our teammates.
Friday, February 6, 2009
The "AH HA" Moment
While discussing some things with a third grader recently, I had an "AH HA" moment. This third grader if G/T in math and has been reading since about 3 and 1/2 to 4 years old. She has owned oral language since very early in her life. Yet, this brilliant, gifted child began to tell me how she was not as good in math and reading as she used to be.
When I asked what made her think that was true, she began by describing how SuccessMaker has convinced her of this fact in math. She is working above grade level (not sure how far) and she shared that she only gets about 50% of her questions right in SuccessMaker. Then it dawned on me - she has lost confidence because she can't do math that we haven't taught her. When we assess her, she keeps getting items until she gets things that she can't do. Her vision of math after computer lab and after MAP testing is of math that she CAN'T DO, not on all the math she CAN DO.
When the conversation turned to reading, it was the same story. When I asked what she was reading, she told me it was the wonderful book Sounder. Although she likes the book, she struggles because she does not understand the book. She knows, or can figure out, all the words and knows the story. This slows her down and reduces her pleasure in reading. The pleasure is why she reads. She is struggling with understanding the meaning of the book. Does her reading ability allow her to read this book and comprehend the story? Absolutely, yes. Is she mature enough to fully understand and enjoy the book? Probably not. She is perceptive enough to know that she is struggling with the conceptual basis of this great book. Intrinsically, she does not want to read books that are below her ability, but the little girl in her wants to read books that other third grade girls read and enjoy. Somehow, she's gotten the message that reading an easy book that you like is a bad thing. Worse, when she's older and can fully enjoy the book, she probably won't read it again based on this experience.
By now, you might be asking , so what? As I reflected on her situation, I got to thinking, how many of our most able students here at Kellett are feeling this same way? Are our practices causing our best students to lose confidence in themselves as learners? Sadly, there is some evidence from Successmaker and from MAP to suggest that they are. Right now, I don't have answers, but I know for sure that we need to find them. We need our best students to perform at their peak levels if we are to reach our goals for Kellett this year. Let the conversation begin!
When I asked what made her think that was true, she began by describing how SuccessMaker has convinced her of this fact in math. She is working above grade level (not sure how far) and she shared that she only gets about 50% of her questions right in SuccessMaker. Then it dawned on me - she has lost confidence because she can't do math that we haven't taught her. When we assess her, she keeps getting items until she gets things that she can't do. Her vision of math after computer lab and after MAP testing is of math that she CAN'T DO, not on all the math she CAN DO.
When the conversation turned to reading, it was the same story. When I asked what she was reading, she told me it was the wonderful book Sounder. Although she likes the book, she struggles because she does not understand the book. She knows, or can figure out, all the words and knows the story. This slows her down and reduces her pleasure in reading. The pleasure is why she reads. She is struggling with understanding the meaning of the book. Does her reading ability allow her to read this book and comprehend the story? Absolutely, yes. Is she mature enough to fully understand and enjoy the book? Probably not. She is perceptive enough to know that she is struggling with the conceptual basis of this great book. Intrinsically, she does not want to read books that are below her ability, but the little girl in her wants to read books that other third grade girls read and enjoy. Somehow, she's gotten the message that reading an easy book that you like is a bad thing. Worse, when she's older and can fully enjoy the book, she probably won't read it again based on this experience.
By now, you might be asking , so what? As I reflected on her situation, I got to thinking, how many of our most able students here at Kellett are feeling this same way? Are our practices causing our best students to lose confidence in themselves as learners? Sadly, there is some evidence from Successmaker and from MAP to suggest that they are. Right now, I don't have answers, but I know for sure that we need to find them. We need our best students to perform at their peak levels if we are to reach our goals for Kellett this year. Let the conversation begin!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Quality 3
Quality 3 – Committed
My favorite quote, “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” George Halas
Dr. Jonas Salk completed medical school in 1939. Eight years later he was at the University of Pittsburgh, taking on polio, the scourge of that era. In 1952 he was ready to test his new polio vaccine, so he inoculated himself and his entire family. His commitment was for real and changed history, eliminating one of the most devastating illnesses of his time. Without his total commitment, who’s to say when, or if, the vaccine for polio would have been available for use?
What do teams have to understand about commitment?
1. Adversity fosters commitment.
2. Gifts and abilities are not determinants of commitment.
3. Commitment is a choice. It does not depend on conditions.
4. When commitment is based on values, it endures.
Becoming more committed
1. Connect your commitments to your values – Identify your commitment and determine your core values.
2. Risk – Being committed involves risk. You may fail, or the team may fail, but there is honor in giving your best, even if things don’t work out like you planned.
3. Evaluate the team’s commitment – “You cannot make a commitment to uncommitted people.”
Please share any observations you may have about the book. My hope is to initiate conversation about improving our team by improving ourselves as team members.
Next week, Quality 4 - Communicative
My favorite quote, “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” George Halas
Dr. Jonas Salk completed medical school in 1939. Eight years later he was at the University of Pittsburgh, taking on polio, the scourge of that era. In 1952 he was ready to test his new polio vaccine, so he inoculated himself and his entire family. His commitment was for real and changed history, eliminating one of the most devastating illnesses of his time. Without his total commitment, who’s to say when, or if, the vaccine for polio would have been available for use?
What do teams have to understand about commitment?
1. Adversity fosters commitment.
2. Gifts and abilities are not determinants of commitment.
3. Commitment is a choice. It does not depend on conditions.
4. When commitment is based on values, it endures.
Becoming more committed
1. Connect your commitments to your values – Identify your commitment and determine your core values.
2. Risk – Being committed involves risk. You may fail, or the team may fail, but there is honor in giving your best, even if things don’t work out like you planned.
3. Evaluate the team’s commitment – “You cannot make a commitment to uncommitted people.”
Please share any observations you may have about the book. My hope is to initiate conversation about improving our team by improving ourselves as team members.
Next week, Quality 4 - Communicative
Monday, February 2, 2009
Essential Qualities of Teamwork
Quality 2 – Collaborative
My favorite quote, “All of your strength is in union, all your danger is in discord.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III occurred during World War II on March 24, 1944. An elaborate plan of escape, involving hundreds of prisoners, logistical demands for everything from bed slats to electrical wire, pinpoint timing, and detailed planning was devised. They had hoped to get 250 prisoners out of the prison. Despite all of the planning only 3 prisoners escaped, but they proved that it was possible to escape German POW camps.
Collaboration requires change in focus in four areas.
1. Perception – Think completion, not competition. Competiveness must not be allowed to hurt the team.
2. Attitude – Support teammates. “Assume that the motives of teammates are good until proven otherwise.”
3. Focus – Put your focus on the team effort, rather than on yourself.
4. Results – Collaboration multiplies the results of the work of the group.
Becoming more collaborative
1. Think win-win-win – Figure out ways for you, your teammates, and the team to prosper.
2. Complement others – Use your strengths to complement the weaknesses of others and allow others to do the same for you.
3. Take your needs out of the picture – Always ask, “What is best for the team?”
Please share any observations you may have about the book. My hope is to initiate conversation about improving our team by improving ourselves a team members.
Later this week, Quality 3 - Committed
My favorite quote, “All of your strength is in union, all your danger is in discord.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III occurred during World War II on March 24, 1944. An elaborate plan of escape, involving hundreds of prisoners, logistical demands for everything from bed slats to electrical wire, pinpoint timing, and detailed planning was devised. They had hoped to get 250 prisoners out of the prison. Despite all of the planning only 3 prisoners escaped, but they proved that it was possible to escape German POW camps.
Collaboration requires change in focus in four areas.
1. Perception – Think completion, not competition. Competiveness must not be allowed to hurt the team.
2. Attitude – Support teammates. “Assume that the motives of teammates are good until proven otherwise.”
3. Focus – Put your focus on the team effort, rather than on yourself.
4. Results – Collaboration multiplies the results of the work of the group.
Becoming more collaborative
1. Think win-win-win – Figure out ways for you, your teammates, and the team to prosper.
2. Complement others – Use your strengths to complement the weaknesses of others and allow others to do the same for you.
3. Take your needs out of the picture – Always ask, “What is best for the team?”
Please share any observations you may have about the book. My hope is to initiate conversation about improving our team by improving ourselves a team members.
Later this week, Quality 3 - Committed
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