I was a shy child. Stop laughing. I really was. My siblings and I were raised to be seen and not heard. I only saw my mom mad one time my entire life. One of our cars had been in the shop for a month and when we got it back, I drove it to MSU the very next day. It died at the intersection of Sunshine and National. If you don't know where that is, it's right in front of Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri and this was long before there were cell phones. After my brother drove from Ozark to take me to college,(I remember that collect phone call very well) and the tow truck took the Cutlass Supreme to the shop, my mom found out. Right then and there, I finally saw Wannis Applegate mad. My point is, we just didn't grow up being encouraged to say much, even if we disagreed. So when I met Robert and we started dating, a few things about him shocked me. I've gotten used to the way he thinks, and actually embraced it, and it's made me a better educator.
* First of all, Robert stands up for himself. If you are going to be critical of him, you better be prepared to have a comeback because he isn't going to sit by and say nothing. You are going to hear his opinion. If you agree fine, and if you don't fine, but either way you are going to hear it. We as educators must stand up for ourselves, our district, our teachers and our kids. That is what we are here for. We know better than others why we do what we are doing. We know where our teachers' hearts are and, without a doubt, our kids deserve it.
* Second, Robert isn't afraid to question someone's opinions if he disagrees. Undoubtedly this produces a dialogue which helps both parties understand each other a little better. I'm quite certain, he would have excelled in David Watkins' debate class if he'd been in there. You see, Robert is knowledgeable about topics he's passionate about and if you try to debate him, you better be on your A game. I would hope, we as educators do not want to surround ourselves every single day with "Yes Men" who don't challenge us to be better or see something differently. I don't want my teachers to just go along with my ideas. If they have better ones or have more knowledge about a topic than I do, by all means I want them to share. Question me. Make me a critical thinker. Help me see the other side. What is wrong with that? Nothing. We sure don't want to work with people who are just like us. I just recently heard a presenter say we should be looking to work with people WE want to be like, not who want to be like us.
*Finally, one of my favorite traits of Robert's is that he isn't afraid to send cold french fries back. Whenever I've been given cold ones, my first thought is to just go ahead and eat them instead of sending them back. I don't want to risk making someone mad, but that isn't the case with Robert. No way. He ordered hot fries and that's the way they better be served. It took me a number of years to get used to this, but I realized Robert is right. Those who don't truly know Robert think he's opinionated. He is. He is willing to speak up. It just happens to be a little louder than some would like. Because I was shy, I usually sent him to do the "dirty work" of taking something back or telling someone something I didn't want to, causing him to usually mutter under his breath, "Sure, you want to complain about HOW I say something, but you still want ME to do it." One day it finally hit me. Most of us don't want to be the Robert's in the world, but we sure want to HAVE a Robert in our corner. We as educators need to be willing to speak up if something is wrong or fight for what is right. This is a serious profession and we need to treat it that way. How many of us just "take it" when we should speak up? How many of us choose to bad mouth others just because they disagree with us instead of confronting them to resolve the issue? How many of us are jealous of others, but don't want to admit it and talk behind their backs? How many of us don't want to engage in dialogue with others because we are afraid they'll just get mad? After all, why would we engage in a respectful conversation and try to become more knowledgeable when it's so much easier to get mad and go talk about someone? That's sarcasm by the way. We could learn so much more, if instead of talking ABOUT people, we engage in meaningful dialogue. We should all be able to speak our mind and give our opinions and be listened to. They may change or they may not, but at least the dialogue and knowledge of where others are coming from will help everyone understand.
As I was typing this blog, a favorite phrase came to mind. LISTEN WITH THE INTENT TO UNDERSTAND, NOT REPLY. I recently went to the METC17 conference in St. Charles with a group of educators. It was an amazing conference with worthwhile activities I have already brought back to the Carver team. The trip allowed me to visit in a different setting with those who went from Neosho. Curt White, our instructional technology specialist went and we had the opportunity to eat lunch together the first day. We had a conversation about education. The topic doesn't matter. What matters is that Curt and I didn't agree on the topic, but we both talked respectfully to each other and we listened with the intent to understand, not reply. I admit, it's hard for me to do this, but I did. I listened to his side and he listened to mine. I didn't go back to the room and talk about Curt and his opinion or get on the phone and tell somebody how wrong Curt was and I'm sure he didn't do that to me either. I have, however, thought about what he said and can see his point and I believe he would tell you the same about mine. I respect Curt and appreciate the opportunity to hear an opposing viewpoint and look forward to visiting with him about several more subjects. I would challenge you all to listen with the intent to understand, not reply, stand up for your beliefs, question people's opinions, engage in respectful dialogue, and by all means, send the cold french fries back.
So Here's Dear Old Sparta To You, May We Ever And Always Be True, Proudly Our Praises We Sing Through All Ages, May They Ring...Those are the first lines to the Sparta School Fight Song. I've had it memorized for over 30 years. I've not had a reason to sing it since my dad moved us to neighboring Ozark in 1984. Leaving Sparta was one of the saddest days of my 14 years of life. I couldn't believe we had to move. Although I eventually loved Ozark, it was hard leaving the only home, school, and town I had ever known. Just this week on the news, I saw Sparta crowned their 2017 Homecoming King, who happened to be a young man with Downs Syndrome. The dad talked about how blessed they were to be a part of the community. That story had me reminiscing about my own upbringing in Sparta and the sweet memories I have.
Memory #1-Sparta Dry Goods-I loved going into Sparta's version of a department store and heading right to the Shoe Department. That smell. Oh how I loved it. I never wanted any shoes. Just the smell drew me in. There was also a mechanical horse you could ride for a dime, or maybe a quarter. I remember the Sparta Trojan shirts were available there to purchase since we had no sporting goods store around. It was also where my mom bought one of my favorite all time Christmas presents ...a tape recorder. Lorene and Zac St. John (the owners) were always so inviting. We hear a lot about customer service these days and those two individuals set the bar high. They were always welcoming and friendly. I don't remember ever wanting to run into a Walmart or Target the way I wanted to run into Sparta Dry Goods. It's just not the same.
Memory #2-Riding bikes and walking all over town-The road behind our house went on for miles. I remember riding my ten speed bike (with no hands) for what seemed like hours. I would ride to Kevin Short's house and back. I was never worried about strange cars or scary people passing me. What a nice, forgotten feeling. We would often walk to the ice cream parlor or People's Market. A fudgsicle was my favorite. I also remember watching the town barber,Virgil Osburn. Occasionally, on my bike ride, I would watch him walking to work with his signature brown hat. His strong work ethic kept him in his shop into his 90's. Impressive. Again, he's another one we could all learn a lot from. I can't remember the last time I went for a walk or a bike ride and I have never walked to work. We all need to take the time to do those things and take in what we see.
Memory #3-The school and teachers-The hardwood floors and staircase had a charm I never appreciated until years after I had left. I loved walking from the "elementary" into the "high school". Getting a glimpse of the older kids in the gym or classrooms as we went to lunch was a treat for us "littles". Those were the days you put your head down on your desk when you were in trouble and the best piece of playground equipment a kid could ask for was a HUGE log that rocked. It was amazing! As I looked through the Miracle Playground Book a couple years ago to purchase new pieces of equipment for the playground, I thought about the log,the merry-go-round, and the wooden "fort" we had and just smiled. We could all learn a thing or two about enjoying the simpler things in life.
Memory #4-Saturday morning cartoons and Grandma's phone call. Although my brother was the one up at the crack of dawn EVERY Saturday, I still love that memory. He was watching cartoons all morning, while my sister and I slept in. Although, sleeping in back then was only until about 8:00 a.m. I was sure to be up to watch the Land of The Lost. I couldn't wait to see what adventures Will and Holly would be a part of each week. We also knew to expect Grandma Applegate's phone call every Saturday morning as well. I can still hear her voice on the other line. The Land of the Lost has been replaced with Fox News and Grandma's phone calls have been replaced with emails and text messages from others. All in all, it was a great childhood. I know others preferred growing up in the big cities with all they had to offer. Me? I preferred the view Sparta provided. After all, it was the town that built me.
And All Through The Years We'll Recall, The School Loved By Us Best Of All, So Here's Dear Old Sparta To You, And May Her Colors Always True Will be Forever.
