Rise and Shine! The Possibilities of Every Sunrise

By Vicki Bechard, Secretary LFKS

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 21^st 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.