Friday Thought : What a Cheerleader Can Teach the World

I'm sure most of you have already seen this photo. It's been shared on Facebook dozens of times, viewed by over 95,000 people, and featured on ABC Fox Montana. And for good reason! It’s the type of story that people love and flock to.

However, the story ABC Fox chose to spotlight was not what I had hoped for when they reached out for comment.

ABC Fox chose to focus on Helena High and their "coming to the rescue" role in the story, and I don't blame them. It's a touching story, a challenging and encouraging story, and a reminder to us all of how we should act and live when we find ourselves in a similar situation. It's a true Humilitas story!

But it is not the best part of the story.

When I first read saw this post, when I looked at the picture and remembered seeing little Allie Wallace out there cheering all on her own, what I was most inspired by and what wanted the story to focus on was the courage and inspiration of our sole Longhorn. "When we battle through obstacles," I wrote to ABC Fox, "when we do our best, even when it's hard or scary or embarrassing", when we put ourselves on the line and in vulnerable situations, "and when we do it with pride, integrity, and passion, we inspire others to join us." We inspire change.

And that, to me, is the bigger story, the better story, and the more inspiring story because it is the harder story. It is the more convicting story.

I don't know about you but I often feel inadequate as a person. I am constantly scared to make a fool of myself, I'm extremely self conscious of my weaknesses and faults, and am terrified to be perceived as a fool. I hate failure. Yet, almost on a daily basis, be it as a father, husband, principal, friend, person - whatever - I am faced with a decision, a moment, or an opportunity like the above picture. And in those moments, in each and every one, I have a choice to make. Do I walk away, believing my attempts are and skills and efforts are insignificant and worthless? That the embarrassment is too great? That I truly can't make a difference? Or do I stand strong, do my best, and endure? Do I hold tight to the belief that doing the right thing, the hard thing, is indeed the right thing, even when it doesn't feel good? Even when no one seems to care?

When I see the picture of Allie, of a young, petite, and almost squeaky-voiced girl who is so easily lost in the crowd standing and cheering in a giant stadium all by herself (before they showed up) with confidence and pride and diligence, and when I see her standing in a small see of Helena High cheerleaders (after they showed up), I see her inspiring others. I see her inspiring me.

When we hold fast to our convictions, when we act out in faith and pride, and when we do it with integrity and grace, we become influencers. We become movers and shakers. And we inspire others - even the big and mighty - to join in. Just like Allie Wallace did.

That inspires, encourages, and challenges the hell out of me.

That is the story I wish they would have focused on.

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Friday Thought : They Make Us Better

Today, Thursday, was a bit rough.

With so many kids out for the Divisional Volleyball , I had great plans to get a LOT done. I even told myself on my walk to work, "It's going to be a quiet day!!!" Ten minutes after the morning bell, I had four kids in my office and I found myself barking at and getting extremely frustrated with the four often-times-offending culprits. What is so hard about following directions? I thought to myself, “How hard is it to be kind? Polite?” I said out loud and a bit louder than I intended.

Then, the volleyball team lost their third game to Augusta - a team they should have beaten handedly in three - and I was reminded of when I was a coach and how much I dreaded "easy" games because I knew, in many ways, those were the ones we could very easily lose because we just assumed we would win. I also dreaded those games because, as a team, we rarely got better. Often we got worse, and the ease with which we would score or steal the ball or rebound would enforce a false belief of how good we were. Difficult games, however, hard fought matches or underdog wins would do the complete opposite. They would force us to play harder, to fine-tune and fix the smallest of mistakes, to overcome our mental and physical exhaustion, and to work hard. Those games made us better. Better athletes, better coaches, and an overall better team.

I think the same could be said for teaching, principaling, and living in general.

Whenever something is easy (be it a class, a kid, or a goal), I can get lazy, complacent, or downright unmotivated because really all I have to do is show up and things will pretty much take care of themselves. (Maybe you can relate to this?) But when the obstacle or goal is tough, when the class is rowdy, the students are difficult, or the opponent extremely talented, I try my best. I get up earlier, plan for a few extra hours if not days in advance, and create a detailed plan of attack. In short, I rise to the occasion. I get better. (Maybe you can relate to this?)

You may have a particular grade or class that is hard, you probably have several students who grate on you and make each day difficult, and I can almost guarantee that with each looming break (Christmas and summer), kids get extra squirrelly, our patience a bit thin, and classes a bit more chaotic.

I also know it's all about perspective.

At the very least, these kids have the potential to make us better.They will require us to bring our best game, to consider new schemes and teaching practices, and they will force us to continually learn how to love and like people - to do what is best for people - even when we don't feel like it. In other words, they will make us better teachers, better leaders, and better people. Which, in turn, will allow us to teach and lead and inspire more people.

These are the victories that stay with use for years to come. Not the easy ones, the expected ones. It’s the hardest ones. Just like our volleyball girls who, yet again, took their rivals - the defending divisional and state champions to a five-game match and won!

These are the games that we remember. These are the games that make us better. Just like those difficult classes, those difficult students, and those difficult weeks. When we rise to the occasion, when we look on them as opportunities to improve and get better, we do! Then and only then, do we find ourselves at the end of the day, week, year holding on to memories that last a lifetime. Victories of changed and inspired lives. Victories that remind us of the very reason we became educators in the first place.

And that is an encouraging thought.

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