The Rock Assignment

I just took this picture of my communication notebooks for the upcoming school year. I use a notebook for each month and take it everywhere, you never know when you might get a phone call, text message, or find a post-it left for you somewhere. I use the re-positional glue (recommended by my colleague Heidi Nelson--Principal at Silver Creek Elementary) to glue those post-its, smaller notes, or even notes I may have taken on other pieces of paper into my monthly notebook. I find it is the only way to keep a log of those countless strands of communication each day. I try to date and time stamp each page in order to have a consistent log of information.

In the picture I noticed my rock! This was my rock from an activity I did with my staff and each time I look at it I am reminded of what that rock means. This assignment could apply to any organization!

Here is The Rock Assignment:

What you will need:

-Rocks! You can collect them or go buy them at Hobby Lobby, Dollar Tree, Home Depot. They can range in size, texture, or shape.

The night before the assignment email your staff and inform them they have a special assignment the next day. Each staff member will need to come by and see me to get the assignment in the hall before they start their day.

I let them choose a rock, then I informed them they will have to teach with, eat lunch with, go to recess with, go to planning with, even go to the restroom with their ROCK! They CANNOT let if off of their body!

Check on people throughout the day and see if they are carrying their rocks.

Here is copy of the email I sent to my staff members at the end of the day:

Subject Line: THE ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you make it through the day with your rock?

Was it annoying at times?

Did you want to give up?

Did you think about it even though you had a job to do?

Did you think, "If I didn't have to carry this rock around I could get so much more done?"

Did you think, "It's this silly rock that's keeping me from my best?"

Did you want to throw the rock?
To leave it somewhere? To "accidentally" lose it?

The ROCK is a metaphor for the "ROCKS" we all carry to work and more specifically the "ROCKS" our students bring to school.

You can't see them but they are there:

Smaller to larger--

I went to bed late because I was at the hospital with a sick sibling.

Mom and dad may have had a huge fight this morning before school.

Dad left mom last night.

I'm sleeping on the couch at my mom's friends house because we couldn't pay rent.

I haven't eaten a meal since school on Friday.

Mom was taken to jail last night.

I haven't seen my parents in 6 months.

They are there for us too:

Our own children may be sick or in emotional pain.

We may have had a fight with a family member.

Financial issues.

Health issues.

Family issues.

We ALL carry "rocks" with us every single day. It's good to remember that some of our rocks are easier to carry and we can still go about our day and get some things done.

Others rocks are bigger...much bigger. Some of our students and co-workers may need help carrying the rock or simply understanding that it will take a little longer to get to the goal.

The Wizard of Ed

So just yesterday my three girls asked to watch the Wizard of Oz. Of course I said yes in excitement that I would finally get a break from the typical, Sofia the First, Jessie, and Bubble Guppies, and finally get to watch a classic!

A few minutes in, I started getting this crazy correlation that life, business, and education is a whole heck of a lot like the Wizard of Oz.

Quickly we realize that we aren't in Kansas anymore and today's learner is not the learner from Kansas, but rather, the learner of today. A child who has grown up on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and countless other social medias...in an amazingly busy world of color, video, and media. They haven't known life without it.

So why are we teaching and learning like we are still in Kansas? In the black and white, pen to paper, homework everyday, Friday spelling, grades every week, monotonous, routine,----black and white.

First, we have to make a "Glenda Decision"

She asks Dorothy, "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"
Dorothy replies, "I am not a witch at all."
Glenda still pushes the issue, "The munchkins want to know are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

This makes me think of our students and parents on the first day of class...Is she a good witch (teacher)? or a bad witch (teacher)? Interesting, are we good-witch leaders? or bad-witch leaders?

I think Glenda is on to something...we have to decide what team we are on in our schools, businesses, and organizations. What's best for our kids, or what's best for adults?

The answer should be easy.

Then we have to decide the role we play.



A Cowardly Lion might say:

"I'm afraid to try to new things? I am so scared I will fail? Oh, but we can't change it? I'm stressed that this will upset my team? What if I stand out and people get mad at me? Will my mistakes reflect poorly on me? Will my principal, boss, superintendent be mad at me? I'm afraid I should just retire"

A Tin Man might say:

"This will never work. Oh ya, you're just the latest buzz word...I've been here through 5 principals, leaders, bosses, managers...we will see if this lasts. I've been doing this for 25 years and it's worked. In years past we've always done it this way. If they keep making all these changes I will just retire"

A Scarecrow might say:

"Why do I need to go to this professional development training? I went to college for 5 years. I don't know how to do all that technology stuff, I'm just not techy. Oh, we have to do something creative, I'm just not creative, can (Insert name here) do all that cutesy, artsy, creative stuff for us? Does anyone know who I contact to check and see how many more years until I retire?"

Or are you a Dorothy? A Dorothy might say:

"Let's do this together guys. Look I will show you the way. I know it's gonna be tough and we might have bumps along the yellow brick road, but we will get there. We can do this!"

The beauty in the Wizard of Oz is that all of the characters are hoping the Wizard will grant them their needs. A heart, bravery, brains, and a home.



Notice, how Dorothy says, if the "Wizard is a wizard who will serve."

As leaders of anything it is our job to serve. We can't sit back and call all the shots from behind the smoke screen. We have to serve, learn, help, and guide our lions, scarecrows, tin mans, and Dorothy's.

So my final question...As "Somewhere over the Rainbow" plays in the background.

Will you be able to find your way home? Will you decide you aren't going to teach in Kansas anymore? Will you find your inner Dorothy and get your team moving towards the Emerald City? Leaders, will you be like the Wizard and decide to serve?