Tuesday, July 14, 2015

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.

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