Fired Up for 2015

In a few short – and probably sleepless – hours, we kick off the 2014-15 school year.  Teachers in MN don’t sleep much Labor Day weekend as they fret about the students walking into their classrooms on the first day of school.  I’ve certainly had my fair share of those dreams… students taking over the classroom… a serious wardrobe malfunction… What teachers should know is – we administrators have the same dreams with students – you – in bigger bodies.  Yup.  Ya’ll make us just as nervous and anxious as the students make you on the first day.

So what is the root of all this anxiety??  We, who sign up for the profession we call education, seek to change lives… make someone’s live better due to our actions.  Our decisions.  Our work and efforts.  Yup.  We choose to live with the daily responsibility of making the lives of others better.  How’s that for a high standard to meet?  In the days of public accountability, how many stock brokers can say they made a positive impact on someone’s life each and everyday?  While not compensated for the value of this work, we choose to get up at daybreak and work well beyond sunset to make sure the children in our classrooms have every opportunity to succeed.  And tomorrow morning we kickoff that effort for the 2014-15 school year.  

I’m fired up for the year ahead on Pequot Lakes, MN.  Our school board has declared that our mission is to “inspire a passion for learning” for each student that walks through our doors.  Could it get any better?  Isn’t that why we signed up for this gig?  I’m excited to further the great work of our staff who work tirelessly to make sure each student is on track for success in a career with post secondary training.  I’m excited to establish a 5 year district operational plan to implement our district strategic roadmap.   Indeed, today is a great day to be a Patriot – a great day to ignite passion in the eyes of the students I influence!!!   

What will you do this year, to inspire a passion for learning in the students you teach and work with?