Friday Thought : Be a Greater Fool!

My family and I just finished watching season 1 of Newsroom. The last episode was entitled, "The Greater Fool" and centered around the main character, Will McAvoy (played by Jeff Daniels) who was suffering from depression because of an article that was published about him, calling him "The Greater Fool." In response, he self-medicates (which triggers a bleeding stomach ulcer) and doubts his abilities, and his worth. He expresses a desire to quit, largely because the article isn't wrong. "They're right!" he yells at his trusted coworker, "this piece was right about everything."

Although we - the audience - never fully know what the article is "right" about, we know a little, as Will McAvoy quotes it by heart, "Will wants to change the world and hates that the world has changed." And because of that, they think him arrogant and pompous. Which he is. Or was, anyway.

And that’s what made him great, what allowed him to inspire change and move hearts, and it’s exactly what his coworkers want him to be: the Greatest Fool.

This is why, as Will struggles to regain confidence and purpose, a coworker confronts him, "The Greater Fool is actually an economic term," she says, "For the rest of us to profit, we need the Greater Fool" because "the Greater Fools is someone with the perfect blend of self-delusion and ego, to think that he can succeed where others have failed. This whole country was made by Greater Fools." 

Near the end of the episode, Will asks a young intern why she wants to work for the Newsroom. "I watch the show and I read the article," she responds. "I know what a Greater Fool is, and I want to be one."

While watching, I couldn't help but think of educators around the world who show up each day believing THEY can make a difference, that they can help that child or connect with that kid, that they can improve a student’s learning or change their lives, even when nobody ever has. Educators believe we can succeed in changing the world! 

We too are arrogant, we too are confident and at times even pompous because our students need us to be! How else do you show up, day after day with hope and belief that we - our students, our staff, our school - are better today than yesterday? How else do you show up year after year planning for and believing we will impact hearts and change lives? There is no other way but to be a Greater Fool.

I know what a Greater Fool is, and I am proud to be one. More importantly, I know what a group of Greater Fools looks like, and I am thankful to work among them. 

Thank you for being a Greater Fool.

(Sidenote . . . we did a brief competition of what a group of Greater Fools would be called . . . are we a herd? A flock?)

Here are my two favorite suggestions:

• Pace pr Drove (which are both names for a group of donkeys, which is brilliant!)

• Fooliaminy

That’s what I’ve been thinking about this week.

#doGREATthings!

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Friday Thoughts : Blog

Friday Thought : The "Drive-Through School Days." A time to dig in and cover ground.

“This is my favorite time of year,” one of my teachers recently told me, “because it’s when you really begin to see the growth and development of students, and that is so rewarding!”

Typically, the days between January through mid March are considered the doldrums of education. There are very few major holidays to celebrate which in turn means very few days off, parties, and “things to look forward to.” There’s just time.

Which, if embraced, can make it the most productive and most memorable time of the year! But only if we are intentional, like a good road trip, and take advantage of those “drive-through states.”

My family loves road trips. And each summer, on our way to some far-off destination, we have a stretch of time where very little is accomplished but wracking up the miles. We start early and drive late, stop as little as possible, crank up the music, and talk. We spend time together. And after years of this routine, with a bucket full of memories and destinations reached, what we think about and miss the most on any given day is the time spent in the car.

Our schools and classrooms should be no different.

As our students look towards the next destination of spring, spring break, and the coming summer, take advantage of these “drive-through school days” by digging in and covering ground. Of your content for sure, but also of your students, your staff.

On Instruction:

When it comes to instruction, embrace the long road ahead. Consistency builds routines, and with it comes the opportunity to push a little harder and go a little further. Like those long stretches of road without stop lights, rest stops, or distractions, where we can set the cruise to 75, 80, and at times even 85 (because there is nothing to brake for), so too can our attention to instruction be.

Once we’ve reestablished the expectations of our classrooms, we can up our game a bit, push a little harder, and travel a little further. We can cover ground! And I don’t know about you, but when I arrive at my destination several minutes before the GPS’s “estimated time of arrival,” I feel like I’ve won the Daytona 500. My kids do too because arriving early means an opportunity to explore the campground or jump in the lake. It means time to play.

Cannot our schools and classrooms do the same? Can we not take advantage of routines, amp up our cruise control, and cover ground?

Then, when we arrive at our destination early, can we not provide opportunities for our students - and ourselves - to explore? To play?

On Relationships:

On our road trips, the “drive-through states” also provide us a unique opportunity to be with our kids. The seating arrangement becomes a musical chairs of sorts, allowing various combinations of conversations and activities. Sometimes, thought, we sit in silence. At other times we blare music, with each kiddo and parent taking their turn choosing a song. At all times, however, we are together. And often times, it is these days, with nothing going on and no adventure to explore that we love and miss the most.

For our schools, our classrooms, these days are no different.

There’s a podcast I listen to called, The Second Question and it’s host, Martin Silverman, is a principal in Texas. He ends each episode by asking his guest who their most inspirational teacher was. And almost systematically, the answer will sound something like this: “I don’t remember anything they taught me, but what I do remember . . .” And then they will speak - in detail - about a moment where the teacher invested in them, took notice of them, and spoke into their lives. These moments, as far as I can tell, never occur during a Christmas concert or holiday party. They occur during normal and unnoteworthy days, where “nothing is going on.” Nothing except teachers showing up, being intentional about their time, and investing in their students.

These coming “drive-through school days” are the days you will see your students and staff most consistently, with minimal interruptions. Are you taking advantage of it? Are you showing up with intentionality and purpose?

Because how we spend these days determines how we arrive at our final destination.

We take pictures of monumental occasions, post them on our Instagram, and hang them on our walls. But it the journey, the unique moments and unplanned events and conversations along the way that we end up talking about around campfires and remembering most in the years that follow. It is the routine of showing up and being present, day-after-day, that connects us with those around us, that inspires change, and impacts lives. It is the journey, not the destination, that matters most.

How are you spending your time with your drive-through days?

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