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!