As I got out of my Lyft at the Orlando airport Friday, I realized I was saying goodbye to some great new connections I made. This year’s FETC made a considerable impact on me. My next challenge will be to take the connections and learning to enhance education in my district and grow as a leader. I sat at the airport a little numb. Maybe from all the walking (possibly from carrying around my books -I need a cart on wheels like I saw Jenallee have), a little sad about just meeting some new connections and now leaving, or just could be too many “complementary” refreshments. My guess is a combination of all. I did know two things Jen Womble is a true superstar to stay the course, create a safe learning environment, and built a kick-ass event! I wanted to write a blog to share and urge everyone to reflect and take what they learned and implement it. When I began to reflect on the flight home and thought to myself, “I often give advice, and I want to achieve so much after this event; but how. So here are some ways I thought to turn all your FETC ideas into action.

REFLECT: It’s important to take time to reflect before jumping into new ideas or strategies. Four days full of speakers and breakout learning at FETC gave everyone a lot to soak in. Even with a Google doc filled with every note your fingers could type, there’s no way to remember it all. So collect your notes, set aside time to revisit them, and identify some specific action items.

DRAFT A PLAN: Give yourself a week to draft out a plan to implement any new learning. As tempting as it might be to put things into practice right away, mapping out a plan is often the most effective strategy.

ASK YOURSELF, “IS THE IDEA REALISTIC?” Unrealistic ideas, goals, and strategies are almost worse than not having any at all. Just because you heard a great idea doesn’t mean you can implement the same idea when you don’t have the environment or tools to do that.

SET ASIDE TIME TO PLAY: The implementation of new ideas is only as good as your ability to understand what impact a change would make. Try out two new resources or tools a week that you didn’t know about before the conference. Make a list of all the tools you want to try and set aside a few minutes a week to play with the new technology.

MAKE THE IDEA YOURS: Tailor any new strategies to fit your style. The implementation will not be believable and sustainable if you repeat a speaker’s message, as valuable as it may have been, without making the idea your own. Take the idea and combine it with your teaching strengths and your students. Only then will it have an impact.

CONNECT YOUR LEARNING TO OTHERS: As you review your notes, you may discover tools that would benefit other colleagues. Please don’t keep them to yourself. Instead, share your notes and links with that educator. Although you may not be in a position to make this knowledge purposeful, someone else may be able to make the idea blossom.

TWITTER CHATS: Find chats with common interests and discuss these topics and trends from the conference. Allow the conference topics to be a starting point or stimulus for taking things further, rather than an ending point.

BOOK STUDY: Many speakers at conferences like FETC have either written books themselves or suggested books for further reading during their presentations. This is a wonderful opportunity to bounce your ideas off trusted colleagues. If you need ideas for a book – I know a few I like : )

REACH OUT TO SPEAKERS: The speakers and panelists at any conference are likely key experts in your field and also very open to sharing. Don’t be afraid to ask these presenters questions via email or social media. This platform we’re all developing here are K12Leaders, as well as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Voxer can be great avenues to connect with your favorite presenters and learn more.

I was so fortunate to have had this experience and honored to be mentioned in the same lens as educators I look up to on the administrative track. I also say a lot, “So what, NOW what.” How can we take all this learning and grow as a profession? It is OUR time, FETC, to take your new ideas and put them into action!

I, Matthew X. Joseph, have worked in public education since graduating from Springfield College in 1993. For the past 17 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be a school and building leader. One thing all schools have in common (besides the need to stay away from the break room around the holidays if you are on a diet) is how compassionate and devoted educators are to making a positive difference in children’s lives. Unfortunately, due to their compassion and drive, another common thread for all educators is burnout. My goal in writing this was to share with other educators the importance of being present and maximizing things we sometimes take for granted.  Two weeks ago I received my new book, Stronger Together , in the mail, I picked it up, looked at it, and thought, “Okay, what’s next?” I never even took a moment to celebrate the accomplishment. Being more present is something I’ve never been good at. Being present is now more important than ever; we can’t always count on the next event.

When I can be reflective, I learn best. That is why I write. And I am sharing these words to support other educators who may be experiencing the same, constant “What’s next?” feeling. Trying to be more present can be hard. For me, to be present, I like to collaborate. Collaboration allows me to focus because someone else is relying on me to be the best I can be. One of the individuals I like to collaborate with is mental health advocate Christine Ravesi-Weinstein, author of the book Fighting Your Inner Voice . Together, we want to share strategies you can use to be more present and give others the best version of yourself possible.

Too many educators are not as equipped for the social/emotional learning (SEL) demands of today’s classroom: high-stakes testing, m犀利士
ental illness, severe trauma, and a constant “Go! Go! Go!” mentality. With many high-stress days, educators can feel discouraged, burnt out, and ready to quit. During these uncertain times, it’s essential to find ways to manage fear and anxiety to alleviating day-to-day stressors. We’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with many higher education institutions on teacher preparation throughout our careers in education. Most teacher training programs focus primarily on content and pedagogy; they overlook the social, emotional, and cognitive demands of teaching. We need to draw awareness to educators’ social/emotional needs and promote calm, relaxed, and enlivened classroom environments.

Educators are always thinking about homework, assessments, projects, grades, lesson plans, conferences, etc. Now they’re also focused on Zoom, EdTech tools, and connecting and ensuring engagement from home. They’re understandably focused on and driven by the day-to-day parts of the classroom and don’t often take a step back and consider whether or not they’re teaching effectively. Present is a word that serves as a constant reminder for us to slow down and enjoy the moment. But today, our “present” looks significantly different than it did months ago. Worry and anxiety about all the possible “what ifs” right now aren’t helping us stay focused on the moments happening right before us. Since life today is filled with changes that can be unsettling, here are some suggestions for educators to help you maintain a sense of focus in the present.

Celebrate small wins.

It’s important to celebrate small achievements. We often celebrate holidays, birthdays, or advancements in a career, but what about the regular accomplishments? Finally, grading a stack of papers that have been sitting in your bag for a week, submitting your evaluation evidence after a year’s worth of collection, sending a parent email you’ve been dreading; all of these things are accomplishments and deserve to be celebrated too. Maybe you participated in virtual PD or created a Flipgrid for the first time. We are always working in overdrive and looking forward, we tend to ignore these small accomplishments. But when that happens, we miss out on a lot of happiness in our lives. Small wins are opportunities to reflect on how far we’ve come, which gives us the strength to stay inspired.

Identify the moment you are in.

Take a minute to reflect and identify the moment you’re currently in. Focus on your surroundings and your current state. Most of us are never fully present in our lives because we continually get distracted. Our focus may be on one thing for a few moments, but suddenly another idea, question, or task comes up, and we’re onto the next thing. Try thinking about what you physically see around you. Consider sounds you might not normally hear. Try focusing on something you can smell. What is it that you can physically feel? Identify the moment you are in, minimize distractions, and make a conscious effort to make the most of the PRESENT.

Listen without intending to respond.

When you’re engaged in conversation, do you listen, or are you more focused on what to say next? Usually, we’re only half-listening because we’re already thinking about our own stories and what we can add to the dialogue. Instead of thinking about what to say, be more PRESENT in your conversations and think about what you hear. By merely listening with curiosity, rather than anticipation, you will be inherently more present.

Be okay with not knowing all of the answers.

Part of the reason we get so caught up in the unknown is that we want all of the answers to our questions immediately. We feel inept for not knowing how to handle certain situations, which only leads to self-criticism and self-doubt. The less you try to attain the answers, the more likely they are to come to you. Sit in the moment and be okay with unanswered questions.

Listen to your body.

It’s easy to start thinking that you need to eat a certain way or exercise for a certain amount of time because you see other people doing it. One of the best ways that you can be PRESENT in your life is to listen to what your body is telling you. Are you craving a particular food? Eat it. Does a run sound fun? Go for one. Do you want nothing more than to sit on the couch and watch a movie? Do it. Your body will let you know when it wants to move and when it needs rest.

Get away from the digital world.

We have been fully engrossed online during remote learning. However, taking a break can be powerful. Spend time away from your phone and computer every day. Read, write, go for a walk, or eat your lunch without an electronic device nearby. Do something daily that doesn’t require a connection to the internet. Consider getting a watch to check the time so that when you go to do so on your phone, you’re not compelled to check your messages. Furthermore, consider shutting off all but the critical notifications on your device. The fear of missing out keeps us tied to our phones. The truth is that being attached to email means we’re missing out on something even more critical — ourselves and the moment right in front of us.

Declutter your desk/office/workspace

Messiness affects us because it reminds us of unfinished business. The stacks of folders, papers, books, random wires in the closet, and old mail affect us more than we think and prevent us from being PRESENT. Even when we shove the mess in a drawer, we know the stuff is there, waiting for us. It’s hard to be PRESENT in a cluttered space.

Being present is a wonderful thing. It relieves stress caused by focusing on failures of the past and worries of the future.

There are many different characteristics and traits of a good leader, including learning how to recognize missteps.

As I entered high school, I felt confident about the transition and fitting in with my classmates. After a successful three years in middle school, I fearlessly entered high school in 1984, making friends and becoming somewhat popular. PHS (Pittsfield High School), here comes X-Man. I felt I knew something about everything. That sounds about how most High School kids act, right? At least the boys who have this bravado for no reason whatsoever. I was cranking my Beastie Boys and NWA, thinking Pittsfield High School was lucky to have me. There is a difference between confidence and cockiness. By my sophomore year, I was a solid B student (doing jus威而鋼 t enough to get by), on the varsity basketball and football team, and believing things were going my way. This feeling is giving me a false sense of who I am and what I could accomplish. Sadly, there are many examples of how this belief got me into some sticky situations, but none more than me thinking I could ride my bike from Pittsfield to the Albany Mall. For those who don’t know Western MA and Albany area, it is a 49-mile drive on two highways and takes about 60 minutes in a car. My friend “Spaz” and I wanted to spend the day hanging at a “cool” mall since Pittsfield’s mall was only a few shops.

So here is how an overconfident high school sophomore thinks.

• I have been practicing football five days a week, so I am in shape.
• A car gets to the Albany Mall in an hour, driving 60 MPH, and at the gym, I can ride the bike 30 MPS. So with that math, it should take us two hours to ride 50 miles. We practiced for two hours in football so we thought we could do it.
• We don’t need a map (cell phones are about ten years away) because we will follow the signs we saw when my mom drove us before.
• Sleep the night before at my dad’s because he never checks or asks what I do. I might as well take advantage of this time he is out of jail. God knows when he will be back in, and my mom would never let us do this.

SO, Spaz and I sleep at my dad’s. We stay up watching movies all night. We figured if we left at 8:00 am, got there for 10 am – hang out for a few hours and ride home for 4:00 pm practice. Mom will never know. Perfect plan. 

Well, not so much. Here is what us dumbos didn’t think about for each of the points above.

• In shape to run and catch a football are very different from being able to ride 50 miles on the road.
• 30 MPS on a stationary bike riding for 30 minutes is WAY different than riding an old beat-up 10-speed for 50-miles. Oh, and NO HILLS on the gym bike. They do call the area I grew up in “The Berkshire Hills.”
• Bikes can’t go on high ways. Who knew. We didn’t. So no signs on back roads and WAY more than 50 miles.
• Dad had no clue where we were, in this case, NOT a good idea.

Our 120-minute ride turned into 4+ hours of getting lost, riding on a rim (tire blew and didn’t have a spare), and no money since we spent all we had on water and food on this crazy journey. So, I had to make a collect call to my dad. Yes, that is a real thing, By the way. I was crying, tired, broke, and asked him to pick us up. If he left right away, he might be able to get us and back for the start of practice. His answer, one I will never forget. 

“They must have a bike shop at the mall.”

His answer was essential to get my bike fixed and ride 5 hours home in the dark, not knowing how to get home. After more begging, he agreed to come. He gets there in time to get us back for the start of practice. YES! Ummmmm, wait a minute, what is happening? He parks and goes into the mall. Spaz and I look at each other confused. He went into Applebees and saddled up to the bar. He had dinner and a few drinks. After his dinner, he threw the bikes in the back of the truck, and Spaz and I had to ride in the back too. Good call dad, two teenagers riding an hour in the back of a truck.

So, needless to say, I didn’t make practice; my mom called the police since I was “missing” because the coach didn’t know where I was, and my dad showed his true colors. Great day. And boy, was I grounded after that road trip.

The relationships in my life who had my best interests were worried and trying to find me, and the selfish relationship had a burger and a beer.

Besides learning the difference between cocky and confident, I realized that not all relationships are created equal. We have all had a “bad match” at work with a colleague or boss. My story is a reminder that a “bad match” or a bad relationship at work does not define you. I went on to college and since become successful in the field. My dad did not define me. To this day he never went to any of my three graduations. However, my drive to success is not held back by bad relationships (and I have had others like poor superintendents or colleagues). They only fuel me. What drives me are the people in my life who lift me up, NOT bring me down. My story urges you to focus on those around you who lift you up AND be that person for someone. Oh, and don’t ride your bike to a mall 49 miles away.