Day Before the First Day It was the day before school, and all through the town... Not a child was crying, nowhere was a frown. The excitement flowed rampant, what will my class be? Will my teacher be pretty or funny or mean? So now you know, poetry is not one of my artistic talents. However, there is something very special about the first day of school, and the excitement of starting new. There is the hope of better grades, friends, and lots of new experiences. At the Art Garage, we had been painting bookbags, and the kids stopped by to pick them up so they could use them for the first day. When they arrived, they wanted to play school. Just as an aside, right now I could go on and on about how we play in order to prepare ourselves for life, and how important play is, but that will be another blog post. Today I told them that we could play "college" since I teach college. They agreed and they all got started setting up the "classroom". I was amazed, as I had not given them one stitch of direction. I watched them prepare for class. Za'Kea gave everyone a tile and colored paint. Azaria got fresh water, and Davion passed out the paint brushes. Play is cool. Pretending to be at school really elevated their engagement. So I started the lesson with what I really do hope to ask the graduate students when I start with the new principal prep cohort next week? "Who are your favorite leaders?" The kids came up with a few notable names, Martin Luther King (my favorite too), and Lebron James. Then it was teachers, parents and my name even hit the list. We talked about the qualities they had that made them good leaders. Here are some of the things they said. Humor (someone who is funny and can make you laugh) Kind (caring, shows empathy* I did give them that word, but they agreed that was the right term) Team Player (working together, helping each other) Has Skills (this was mostly for Lebron, but it has a lot of merit) Respectful Responsible (takes responsibility) and my favorite LOVE. Yes love hit the list multiple times. We don't like to use that word in academia, but I think it is probably the best word on the list to describe a healthy work environment. When you show love to those who you serve, they trust you. Teachers know how powerful love can be in disolving issues. Most teacher will say that they do what they do because they love the students. So Love is the winning trait of the day for a good leader. Think about it.
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Abigail LarrisonEducator, Scientist and Art Maker. The purpose of all life is to spread joy. What brings more joy than making art? Archives
November 2023
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