The past 6 weeks have been a blur to say the least!
Four weeks overseas was such a memorable time, and now the challenge is to start implementing some of these ideas into my work.
It goes without saying that I just can't say "We should be doing this, or doing that", because my colleagues did not have the benefit of being exposed to what I was so fortunate to have experienced.
There were so many things that I saw and learnt about, it will just take time to find the right times to suggest and try many of these practices. I am lucky that I work with people who are keen to try new things, but in order for these ideas to be imbedded the right context and environment needs to be established first.
A 'band aid' approach is the thing that I want to avoid the most, because people must believe in the need to try something new rather than just giving it a try and then forgetting it.
For more than a year now I have been inspired by the work of Dave Burgess, who has written, among other things, the book 'Teach Like a Pirate'
Dave is someone who has an approach that really resonates with me, and while many might see his ways as 'different', to me they are the ideas that engage children and encourage teachers to bring more passion into their teaching.
Recently I was asked to contribute to a newsletter that goes out each week to more than 50 schools in my part of the State of Victoria where I work. My Australian readers might be wondering why I'm clarifying that so much, but as my readers from the USA has spiked dramatically this week, I do need to be specific.
The newsletter is titled 'Communication Matters' and is very detailed and informative, leaving schools with no reason to say that they have been left out of the communication loop.
One section is titled 'What I am Reading', and each week school leaders are asked to contribute a summary about something that they are reading, or have recently read.
Here is what I contributed...
I can't recommend this text highly enough, and the website is just as good.
As my regular readers would know, I had surgery this week on a shoulder that I hurt early last year.
Due to lots of circumstances, I chose to have some knee surgery first as that was what was causing me the most grief. The shoulder was due to be done soon after, but an unexpected dvt in my leg put paid to those plans!!
Anyway, after waiting until I got back from overseas I finally got it done this week.
As I've had many operations on my legs I am accustomed to the rehab required, but as this was the first above my hips I have had to learn quickly about the way that things that can change!
Among these...
- Brushing my teeth left handed is hard!!
- Sleeping in the one position is rugged, as I have stitches on my chest and back, and can't find a suitable position. I catch up on the couch during the day!
- Driving the car. Fine. Shutting the door, not so good as I have to use my left arm to do this, and just can't reach.
- Shaving. Now that took some time!! Still some stubble left here and there! And some shaving cuts.
- Opening jars ( vegemite, jam, honey etc) I can't do it right handed for a few weeks!
- Opening a beer! It just doesn't feel right doing it the opposite way, but I got there.
- Now the BIG ONE... Scratching myself! Because I can't use my right arm at all, I find myself scratching up against the mud brick walls of our house, much to my wife's amusement. Now I know what a cat feels like!!!!!
- Making, and carrying a coffee. As for stirring it...try stirring with your opposite hand!
- You never really know how much you rely on one arm until the use of it is taken away from you.
- Putting on/taking off a t -shirt. I am now relying on zip up tops.
- Putting socks on...this is a killer.
I could go on and on as I discover even more hassles, but what I am experiencing is an ant compared to the elephants that so many others have to deal with in their lives.
If anything, I am so lucky to be able to get things fixed so quickly when so many people just have to carry on with these things in their everyday lives.
Not for a moment can I feel sorry for myself when I see so much hardship not just in the wider world, but in my local community.
I am just so lucky.
Finally, another big change in our lives recently has been that our house is just so empty!
It has just been Jen and I since I got home two weeks ago.
Our eldest boy Sam is in London, and our youngest, Lachie has started Uni in Melbourne. I haven't seen him for 6 weeks.
Our middle son, Will is at Uni here in Bendigo, but with his Uni commitments and camps (as part of his Outdoor Rec course) his work, sport and his very social life, we hardly see him at all either.
He turns 21 tomorrow so I hope we cross paths for this big occasion!
Our most recent photo at Christmas when Sam was home.
The times to get photos like this will become even more precious as time goes on.
My football team (Richmond) lost last night to a team that everyone dislikes by JUST 1 POINT!!
Today I have done my best to get over it, I think I am there. Thank goodness for blogging as a way to clear the mind!
Until my next post...
Cheers!
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