STOP: Turn Around

Maybe you have seen this picture that has been going around Social Media this late summer early fall. I don't know how many times it came across my feed. In this week's Elmore's Thursday Thoughts, you will be able to read his thoughts and how it can apply to your children and our students.

 http://growingleaders.com/blog/one-sign-every-school-needs-to-hang-up/

Tim finished the article with a list of Stop and Starts for us to follow.

It is worthy to note that this sign is posted on a Catholic High School that is for boys only.  I don't think it changes the concepts of Tim's thought, though.

When I taught third grade at our back to school night, I would always remind the parents that they will hear the "F" word.  "FORGOT."  Almost daily I would have one student tell me they forgot this or forgot that.  Parent's will come into my class saying, Johnny (made up name) forgot his homework, I will bring it up later.  I always told them, it is ok.  They can forget.  They can learn what it means to forget and not get saved.  It was tough, tougher on the parents than the kids, though.  As this article mentions they figure it out, they problem solved.  My third graders did too.  Sometimes they had to live the decision of not having what they needed, but they survived and were better for it.

The Forgot didn't just end at third grade when I was principal of a high school, we too had students forget things.  They learned to be responsible and to problem solved.

When I was reading Tim's logic behind good leadership, I was a little defensive.  I don't want to see my boys hurting or  failing.  I want to protect them all the time, maybe that is why I like being a principal, I can watch them throughout the day.  What I was really doing, though, was not thinking long term.  What will happen when I am no longer around, I can't give them a dollar for this or that at any second, or even run out to get them lunch.  There will be a day where they are no longer depending on me, and that is scary.  What is scarier is if when they do leave and they don't know how to handle it, because they are depending on my wife and me to solve their problems.  As much as I love them being around the house now, I don't think I want them to be around the house that much when they are 30,40,or even 50 (unless they are bringing grandkids over).

Let's work together Parent and School to help to give your children the resources they need so that they are prepared to take on anything, short term but also long term.  Equip them so they know they are capable of being the adult we want them to become.