Have a Good Life

There were a lot of really great things that happened at work today. I love days like this. The amazing thing is that these triumphs were born out of adversity and struggle. There is no happy beginning to any of these stories. But the character of the people at my school shows that I work with some of the best people on earth.

First, yesterday some kids ruined a fort that our Playworks coach was building with about 30 kids. She was really sad about the hard work that the kids lost because of some insensitive people. Well, this morning, one boy who did it came and apologized to her. She has done such a good job of building a great relationship with all our students that the boy felt genuinely sad. That is great. He apologized and Coach Vee was on cloud nine. She completely and totally forgave him. She is the exemplification of why we do PBIS.

Next, a student was crying in the hallway. Balling her eyes out and she could be heard from quite a ways away. I was called to help her and I went to see what I could do. I asked her if she needed to calm down and take a break. She said she did. I told her we needed her teacher's permission. We went to ask him if she could come with me. He asked her where she was supposed to be and reminded her she was supposed to be in REACH, with the teacher next door. So we went in there. The class was already at work on a project, and I commented that it looked like fun. That teacher said simply, "Are you ready to join us?" The girl apparently decided that this was better than a break, so she said yes. The teacher was completely accepting and welcomed her into the classroom. She asked just the right question that invited the student perfectly. It inspired me to watch.

Finally, a teacher had a student that was especially difficult and mean today. The teacher needed to intervene in his behavior, and that made him more mean. He started to cry, then she started to cry from the continual problems she has had with this little boy that she loves so much. She obviously needed a break, and one our behavior specialist swooped in to help her. She came out of the room just as another teacher was walking down the hall. The teacher in the hall saw the upset teacher and grabbed her in a warm embrace. There was no judgment, just the recognition that someone was hurting and there should be love and concern for that person. I was down the hall and headed that way to see what was the matter and uncoils almost feel the love and concern the teacher had for the one who was hurting.

When you work in a school where this level of support exists, it is easy to come to work and face the difficult challenges that inevitably exist. I am so fortunate to work here.