Run, Carver, Run

I've never been a reader. Yes, I know, I know.  How is that possible? I'm a teacher and a principal. I do take the latest Nicholas Sparks books on vacation so there's that, but to call myself a reader would be stretching it. Here's the best excuse I can come up with. There was no A.R. in Sparta, Mo in the 70's or 80's and I would have rather been watching TV at night than reading a book. I do remember crying and crying to convince my mom to order the Dr. Seuss set with the plastic book holder from Scholastic. Yes, we had Scholastic book orders even back then. She gave in and she NEVER gave in on book orders so the tears must have helped. I still have those books so there must have been a part of me that always wanted to be a reader. Fast forward to 2017. Our superintendent, Mr. Decker, has us reading books each year. When he first told the administrative team he wanted us to do a book study I thought...well, let's just say I was not excited to say the least.  Some have been better than others, and I've learned something about myself from each one of them. Each topic got me interested in reading more on my own. I now find myself on Twitter searching to see what the educators I follow are reading. I'm also having more conversations with colleagues about what they suggest. One of our teachers, Mrs. Barratt, and I were talking about Ron Clark recently and she told me I should read Move Your Bus. She had a copy, so I borrowed it. What a great read. Quick, entertaining and to the point. He talks about Runners, Joggers, Walkers and Riders. The kind in the educational world, not on the track. You get the idea. Obviously not everyone is a Runner, but everyone can be. That begs the question. Why would we all NOT want to be a Runner?
    Runners work hard, never complain, have a positive spirit, and a strong work ethic.  They are the driving force behind the success at school and they never make excuses.  Why would we all not want to put in the effort it takes to be known as a runner?  Running can be hard work, but so worth the end result. I wouldn't say I have always been a runner, nor would all of our teachers say that about themselves either, but I can say without a doubt I feel like not only myself, but our building is running and running fast. This school year has brought a renewed drive and attitude with the faculty like I have never seen in all the years Carver has been open. I used to think about an idea, present it slowly, try to coerce many to do it and hope they would all eventually come around, but not anymore. Just last week, I sent an email early one morning telling the team I would love to try an idea called Trading Places.  The teachers were going to switch jobs with another teacher in the building for the day.  I hit send and within a few minutes I had a list of teachers saying they loved the idea.  By mid morning, I sent out another email updating everyone with the names of those willing to Trade Places. By the end of the day, the date to have the Teacher Reveal Party (where we would all find out where we were going for the day) was set and the day to change positions was on the calendar.  We weren't waiting weeks to trade. No. It would happen in less than a week. That is our state of mind now. Present an idea and the team will find a way to make it happen and happen quickly. We are Moving Our Bus and running, running, running. Walkers would have questioned it. Not one person in the building did. Walkers would have found something wrong with the idea. Not one person in the building did. Walkers would have spread negativity about the idea. Not one person in the building did.
    I challenge everyone to ask yourself if you're a runner and if you're not ask yourself why you aren't. What is keeping you from being one?  I think if the team were honest, they would tell you some of them have been Walkers working on jogging and Joggers working on running, but the point is we are all getting there and the change in the building is palpable.  There is no time for negativity. There is no time for excuses.  We are changing the feel in the building and it is AMAZING! It's now an atmosphere of what are we doing next week instead of next month or next quarter. Next week alone, we have the Teacher Reveal Party after school on Monday, the Student Led Edcamp on Tuesday and Trading Places on Wednesday. We are MOVING OUR BUS. Now, I think I'll go read There's a Wocket in my Pocket for old times sake. See Mom. I told you I'd read them. ❤️