Rise and Shine! As the sun rises on a new school year, there
are so many possibilities for kids, for the educators who teach them, and the
communities that nurture them. Every
sunrise represents hope for the future as we turn the page on a new school year
or a new day. Every sunrise gives us a
reason to be inspired to learn, grow, and excel. The very words of Rise and Shine energize us to get moving and be at our best!
But to give life and value to these hopes and
possibilities, we must take action. Our
inspiration must involve more than talking.
It must involve doing. So we
plan, learn and grow, but then we must act.
What are you doing with this school year’s sunrise? How are you creating a better future for you
as a teacher by growing your craft? In
what ways are you seeking to cultivate relationships with students, colleagues,
or parents; improve your instruction; and ultimately facilitate student
success? What inspires you? Who will you inspire? How will you shine a light on possibilities
and turn problems into meaningful challenges?
The answers to these questions involve action, and as a rooster crowing
suggests (or when my mom used to whisper this bit of encouragement in my sleeping
ear), it is time to Rise and Shine!
A school year is filled with many sunrises for you and
your students. These are opportunities
to reflect on previous practice, learn from our mistakes, and make each
endeavor better than our last attempt.
Each day is an opportunity to create the best learning experiences for
our students, taking our own knowledge and skills and implementing them in
meaningful ways. In order to do that, we
must continue to be learners, refining our practice while expanding our understanding
of best practices, as we prepare students for an ever changing world. What new learning will you pursue? What feedback will you seek? How will you get
out of your own comfort zone to embody a growth
mindset and practice and model the Habits
of Mind on a daily basis?
The sunrise for Kansas schools is also one of hope and
promise. The new accreditation system is
focused on looking forward, improvement, and most of all student success. The inspiration that comes from working
within a culture of growth and a system of 21st Century learning will
lead Kansas educators to attain even more successes than we have experienced in
the past. Good is the enemy of great and it is imperative that we continue to
take advantage of the opportunities that exist with every sunrise to make our
classroom, building, and district better than it was the day before.
“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we
have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally
because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally
because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part
because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.”
-
Jim Collins, Good to Great (2001)
We at LFKS hope that each sunrise inspires you to learn and
grow to become great. How can we support your
professional learning journey? We have resources and learning opportunities
available for your use and participation.
We are excited to walk this journey with you and connect you with others
who share your passion, common characteristics, or goals. There are many examples of greatness
happening in classrooms and buildings across our state as we work to improve
results through effective professional learning. We have included some of these examples in the
first two videos in our series “Inspired
to Learn: Kansas Stories,” and
are continuing this mission with the next videos that will address HOW
effective professional learning is accomplished. Look for our third video later this fall.
Great educators aren’t born, they are created, supported, and
continue to evolve. Education is indeed
a journey not a destination, and it begins anew each school year and each day with a sunrise that shines a light on the possibilities that exist. We owe that to ourselves and to our students. Let’s Rise
and Shine together so we can be great Every. Single. Day.
