What is your next step?

As I began thinking about this week's nuts and bolts, this one question kept popping in to my head- "What is my next step?"  It's actually been in my head for quite some time.  What's my next step to being a better husband and father?  What's my next step for Educator Effectiveness?  What's my next step for being a better friend?  What's my next step for Google certification?  What's my next step to be in classrooms instead of my office?  What's my next step to get back into real running shape?  And the list goes on.  So I decided to make a list because there's nothing like crossing something off of a list, right?  But I also went back to my #oneword, TOGETHER.  None of the the next steps can occur without the assistance of someone else.  My next step for being in classrooms is to take NO OFFICE DAYS.  I know that I have to be in my office for some things, but today, Friday, January 15th, is definitely a NO OFFICE DAY.  And so is Saturday, January 16th!

Calendar
Monday, January 18th                BLT  4:15PM
Tuesday, January 19th               Beyond the Bake Sale  7:00PM
Wednesday, January 20th          A-Team meeting 1:30PM
                                                     Culver's Night 4-8PM
Thursday, January 21st              Half day, PM schedule (No 5th hour classes)
                                                     PD starts at 12:45PM in the Little Theater
Friday, January 22nd                  Teacher work day (Use this form to let me know where you'll be!)

Tweets, quotes, and blogs
"Start with big dreams and make life worth living."- Stephen Richards, writer
"Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and the thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see the greatness within you, even when you don't see it yourself."- Edmund Lee
"The problem is not the problem.  The problem is your attitude about the problem.  Do you understand?"- Captain Jack Sparrow
"Don't worry about the failures.  Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try."- Jack Canfield
Ideas to give students constructive movement breaks (from MiddleWebSmartBrief)
"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."- Roger Banister, athlete and physician
5-Minute Film Festival: Freedom to Fail Forward (from Edutopia)
What Students Remember Most About Teachers (from Edutopia)
@mertonint on Twitter
#mertonint on Twitter
Merton Intermediate School Facebook page
Family smore for 1.15.16

(from tweet by @justin_heid)

This quote by Vincent Van Gogh really hit home with me today.  I have worked with many of you this week to come together to try to solve struggles- picture day, student issues, staffing, class coverage, heating system.  Not one of these struggles was solved by one person.  Many people worked together for a solution.  Not every solution may have been perfect for everyone, but I believe the solutions we came to had or will have a positive impact on our students.  That's why we're here.  As the school year moves forward, let's continue to work together, supporting one another, and, more importantly, supporting our students.  TOGETHER we can continue to move forward to make Merton the best school for our students.

Have a great weekend!  Enjoy some time away from school work with your family and friends.

Jay