Don't get on the bus -or the boat get on the RAFT!

It's that time of the year - !!!
We are gearing up for back to school. My principal colleagues (district colleagues) and friends are prepping their back to school nights. Schools are getting cleaned from rafters to baseboards. Even I have been 'evicted' from my office work space within one of the elementary buildings, that now needs the space for other things.  (SO grateful for the years they have accommodated me!)

Then at our leadership retreat, I heard three distinct messages.

From our internal Happiness Advantage guru's

From our newly appointed Deputy Superintendent

From a national leader in brain neuro-plasticity and daily gratitude modeler!

and one outcome that I just can't shake - so I need to blog about it, is this:

                                       Don't get on the bus - or on the boat - get on the RAFT!

1. In today's educational climate, I'm pretty sure college kids are not picking education for the money. I mean let's get real. Most educators I know have side jobs (myself included). We're in it because we are passionate about kids - and more importantly having kids succeed in life. So I'm pretty sure we're already ON the bus. We've drunk the cool aid!

2. The boat: so the problem with this analogy was an image that due to copyright infringement on behalf of The Happiness Advantage and the Orange Frog training - I cannot share...... instead visualize:

a canoe with 3 passengers in front - pointing and eagerly paddling to their destination
3 more passengers in the middle of the canoe - paddling - but not so happily - their eyes toward the ground
3 more passengers at the back of the canoe - actively trying to "sink the ship"

My AHA moment was about the proximity to the vision.

My dad is a bus driver for our school system. He just started this position this past school year - and let me tell you - it's all about the relationships for him. He knows the back of the bus allows for unfavorable behavior - so he has weekly competitions that intentionally changes up seats on the bus. He seeks out the troubled kid in the back beating up his neighbor - and has him sit upfront in the "hot seat". They talk - and by the end of the week, the "punishment" is more about refocusing the student, than having him suffer.

It's that refocusing that I'm getting to!

3. The raft - initially I thought of a round boat- but stay with me.
What's better than a raft?
Everyone has equal access to the vision (the destination)
PLUS
Rafts - are never complete.
They are constantly evolving - in material - in design  - in function.
They use what is available and improve on old designs.
Isn't that what we do -???

and most importantly - everyone can see the shoreline!
It's not SO big-that people in the back get lost.

If you're not into "innovation" and "maker-spaces" and "recycling" or the 'unfinished product' then this image probably horrifies you.

You want this instead:

The known - the predictable - the recognizable ..... 

Well guess what folks - ???!!!

that limits YOU and it limits those around you.

This statement by one of the voices at leadership was this:

"You don't know what you can achieve or what other's can't achieve!"

STOP setting boundaries - 

but do - give everyone equal access to the vision - 

so get on the raft - and I'd love to see pictures of your raft versions 1 and 2.... and 29!