Reflections

     Graduation is about celebrating the end of something incredible and the beginning of the even more incredible next chapter of your lives. Graduation is about the Seniors and the work it took them to get here. Different paths were taken to get here today and each path was illuminated in a different way. Some of these seniors lit their torches at MJT and continued at GES. Others came from towns near and far to have the last of their journey culminate here. Some paths led to CTE certifications in heavy equipment, culinary arts, and criminal justice. Other paths will lead to institutions of higher learning. Whatever the path and destination, there were no doubt a number of twists and turns along the way. The light that has guided the way came from many of you here today and it is our hope that as soon-to-be graduates of Granville Central School you will shine bright and share your light with each other and those you encounter on your path that may need a little light of ...

I am connected to so many amazing, supportive people. One of the best is Peter DeWitt. He has always been just a message away for help, assistance, and reflection. He is the writer for EdWeek’s “Finding Common Ground” column and often features guest posts. This year, he published two of my posts. They can be found below.  https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-what-can-schools-do-as-trauma-continues-to-rear-its-ugly-head/2022/03 https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-principals-assessment-were-not-ok/2022/01

Earlier this morning, I watched an episode from the SOLO series on Amazon Prime. In the episode, the main character is Leah and she is working so hard to make travel to the future happen. The viewer learns that the real reason she wants to travel to the future is to find a cure for the ALS her mother is suffering from in the present so that she can avoid having to lose her. Part of the episode has her arguing between her past, present and future selves. In the end, she directs her past self in what has to be done for a do-over of sorts. In that decision, the present self and future self fade away allowing her to go back in time and hopefully, do some things better.  If there was ever a year I might like to be given a second chance, it would be this year.  I’d like to rewind some decisions, conversations, and missed opportunities to connect.  I’d like to have found better ways to communicate and to have been more organized. I’d like to have met some of the goals I had fo...

What if we could retrain our brains to assume the positive before we assumed the negative?   Boy, I could have used that advice this weekend. After receiving the second covid vaccine shot, I was dealt some serious side effects. Some I am still dealing with but none of them I won't survive. Still, the entire time I was sick, I focused on the negative.  The body aches, the fever, the shooting pains. The nurse must have messed up the dosage. The headache must have been tied to a bad batch of the vaccine.  None of that was true, but that was my irrational response in my state of uncomfortableness. Someone messed up how I was feeling even though I signed up for the vaccine all by myself and drove myself to the appointment.  Not once over a period of 48 hours do I think I even tried to find the positive. But, I could have.  The side effects are explained to be evidence that my body was building up its immunity to the vaccine. That's an amazing THING! A gift, rea...

One of the emotions I still struggle with the most is feeling like I let someone down. My head is so good at reminding me why I might have made a decision the way that I did and all the logic that stands behind it but the sometimes impractical part of my brain sends rapid, piercing signals of remorse to my heart where I realize I haven’t met the mark. The confident part of my being knows and accepts why decisions were made (by me) as being understandable. The doubtful part of my being doesn’t accept any of this foolishness and wants to know why I didn’t see the situation differently at the onset. How could you have missed this, Lisa? What is about the intersection of a personal life with a work life that impacts a leader’s sense of self-belonging? Part of it might come down to the risk it takes to be vulnerable. That’s become a bit of an overused buzzword as of late but being vulnerable, at least to me, is part of taking chances even when they might not work out.  When they work o...

Nearly two months ago, I wrote about some of the struggle I was facing as a Principal trying to do the right work during this pandemic. It seems only fitting that I am trying to find time today to put into print a post with an opposite message. While so much of our work in school continues to be difficult, so much of it still finds a way to be right and good. About a year ago, our supportive Board of Education and Superintendent decided that we would use a part of our monthly meetings to spotlight a staff member and student from each building. Choices are left up to the Principal of each building and I've always thought deeply before bringing a name forward. It's a remarkable few minutes each month as it helps remind all of us to stay true to our purpose! For student recommendations, I often collect nominations from my teachers. But, for the month of November, I chose the student.  On our first day of school this year, when a particular student arrived to school to borrow a ho...

I haven’t ugly cried in a very long time. That is, until this past Friday afternoon. Please don’t tell me that leaders aren’t supposed to cry or worry. (It’s a bit too late for that.) Luckily, my tears were only with a trusted colleague. I am committing to print that leading during this pandemic is some of the toughest work I’ve ever had to do. It’s not just tough for me, it’s tough for everyone . Students, parents, teachers, my clerical team, other administrators, and more. The balancing of this new, constantly evolving, and at times suffocating, workload can make any of us feel inadequate or that we are not doing enough. The half-empty mentality takes over and soon we’re drowning in place. It’s like we are trapped in the shallow end of a pool and have forgotten how to stand up.  I think the only way through this is to lean on each other more than we have ever had to in previous school years. Yet, I know not everyone will be willing to do so as they may be protecting themselves b...