We are to the "L" in BELIEVE. Love. Love like Higgins.
Just a reminder about who Higgins is...
Higgins seems like a bit player in the story of Ted Lasso. He is the guy who is awkward and often the butt of jokes. He is Rebecca's sidekick. The guys allow him to join "The Diamond Dogs" and it seems like he is placed there again only to be the butt of jokes. Through all of that, he is always there. Always willing to offer support. Always willing to help those around him.
If we dig deeper, we find that Higgins is there to teach us about love. When I look at his actions throughout the show, they were all about love. Sometimes love is standing by someone, even if you don't understand what they are going through. Sometimes love is telling someone that they are making a mistake. Sometimes love means walking away. Sometimes love means stepping through the crowd and doing the right thing when everyone else is doing the wrong thing. Something love means opening your door and your heart to those around you. Sometimes love is taking risks. Sometimes love is messy. Sometimes love is beautiful. But overall...love is good.
We are all currently at a breaking point. It is hard to find love right now, but I encourage you to look. I encourage you to look and that if you can't find love, plant some. It need not be anything huge, but just a small that will warm someone's heart.
We are to the first "E" in BELIEVE. Express yourself like Roy.
Let me back up.
Maybe not EXACTLY like Roy. As you can see in the previous clips I have shown, Roy often expresses himself with grunts...groans...growls...and his favorite word which begins with the letter F.
During season one and part of season two of "Ted Lasso", we see Roy grow from a foul-mouthed, hardcore soccer player to a foul-mouthed, hardcore coach. He begins to see the importance of the team when he is hurt. He begins to see the importance of the team when he feels that all he knows; being a soccer player is being stripped away. Seeing the positivity in the team and in Ted causes Roy to begin to see himself as more than a soccer player. He begins to see himself as a role model....as someone that people will talk about who made a difference in their lives. He lets people know he is there for them and believes in them by learning that it is okay to express your feelings...even the mushy ones.
Perhaps the hardest lesson he learns is that you bring more players to the field with honey rather than vinegar. He realized expressing your concerns in a calm manner to the people who can help you makes all the difference. Complaining in the locker room to your teammates about running one more lap or having a 6 a.m. practice didn't do any good. Picking apart a player's play and not addressing them in person, did not solve a problem or improve play. Asking why they were doing those things...there was then an understanding between players and coaches. That is a hard thing about being on a team. You may not always agree, but being on the team means you do things for the team...sometimes even if you don't want to. It is what makes a team great. In short...being such a grouchy, negative person did him no favors. It caused people to turn away from him and lose respect for him.
I know we all have bad days. I know we all (me included) are asked to do things we don't agree with. Things that may seem like busy work (Can we say another review with the Migrant program after we had it last year! YUCK! Why do we have to fill all the stuff out AGAIN?)...but there is a reason and a purpose behind it all. I can complain all I want...but I still have to do it. If all I do is express my negativity on the task, will I do it to the best of my ability? Will I help my team? Our kids? Our school? No. Do what you got to do and do it because it is for the good of the team.
Express yourself. Express positivity. Express your concerns to the right people. Express joy. Express love.
I shared Jon Gordon's Positivity Pledge for Teachers last week. Listen to his short clip. I believe in you. I believe you can make a difference.
There are lots of memorable best friends out there.
Thelma & Louise.
Buzz & Woody.
Harry, Ron & Hermione.
Sam & Frodo.
Hans & Chewy.
Sophia, Blanche, Dorothy, & Rose.
Captain Kirk & Spock.
The list goes on. Having companions in your life is good for you mentally and physically. You make memories together. You laugh together...and at times at each other. You help each other through rough times. Your friends are the people that are there for you through thick and thin. They are the people who are honest with you...they have seen you at your best and your worst.
Sometimes our circle of friends is large. Other times the circle can be small. It may be shared jobs or interests that bring us together. There are those people who have a great attitude and personality that draw us into the friend circle. The best group of friends is those that feel like family.
In "Ted Lasso", Ted approaches everyone in a friendly manner. He works hard to become a friend to those around him (cue "Biscuits With the Boss"). Even when he receives pushback (cue Roy Kent), he lends an ear and offers advice. He understands that often in a friendship our words should be short and our listening should be long. By doing so, he is able to create trust and create a culture where people want to be his friend (cue "The Diamond Dogs). They know that Ted will listen. Ted will offer advice. Ted will BELIEVE in them.
Look around this school. Find your buddy. Find that person who will be honest with you and who will support you. Find that person who NEEDS a buddy. Support them. Be honest with them.
Years ago, I came across an article about finding your marigold at school. It is still a good read.
Surround yourself with good people. Be a good person. Thank those around you for their support and guidance. Believe in those around you. Believe in the power of friendships.
We all prep for the upcoming school year in different ways. Some of us start planning before the previous year has even ended while others wait until the calendar says August. I find myself to be more of a "try to finish the current year and plan for the upcoming year" type of gal. I find it allows me the time to adjust and dig deep into what I am planning. It also gives me time just in case I may have a difficult time deciding on what to do.
This year caused me to do some planning much later than usual. I also for the first time as an administrator could not think of a good "theme" to center our year around. Every year, I try to start with a theme that relates to education...that inspires you...but this year...NOTHING. I kept going back to Ted Lasso and the word BELIEVE. I knew it was a word that was still heavy on my mind. It was a word I feel like I didn't fully embrace. Did I believe in myself? Was I at the point where I felt comfortable with the word? I struggled with how to do I get others to believe, especially when for many of you, this is your first chance to play the game at this level. How do I get our seasoned players and rookies to believe in each other...and in themselves?
I knew I needed to explore this word and concept further with you...for both you and me.
The first thing was to BELIEVE in my thought of not being a thief of time. I had to BELIEVE there was no reason to do a "dog and pony show" for you. I had to BELIEVE that if I put the information out to you, you will read it...and do it. And if you are unsure of what you need to do, I needed to BELIEVE you would ask me for clarification. I had to BELIEVE my idea was ok, even if it didn't match the thinking of others or what has happened in the past.
Moving forward, I want you to know what I BELIEVE;
I BELIEVE we have the best team out there. Build relationships with these people that go beyond the classroom. Listen to them when they give you guidance. Bring the best out in each other.
I BELIEVE that no one wants to be fine. We all want to do great things. Will great things happen every day? No. Will we make mistakes? Yes. By laying good groundwork, developing good plays, and practicing those plays, we can ensure success in all areas. Will it take work? Yes. Will it take time? Yes. Can you do it? Yes...I BELIEVE in you all.
I BELIEVE in listening. I BELIEVE in teamwork. I BELIEVE in working together to make this the best place for you and your students.
Wear the colors of our team proudly. Cheer for each other. Smile. Believe.
We have reached the end...of not only the school year, but also "Ted Lasso". The last episode aired today.
The end is a time to reflect. These reflections can bring memories of joy and memories of sorrow. I hope we look at these memories and reflect on exactly how far we have come. When we begin a year (or a show), we never know exactly where it is going to go. We may have an idea of how we would like the plot to go, but sometimes we are left with cliffhangers and plot holes. Sometimes the most unlikely person steps up and becomes our favorite character.
As we close up our rooms and this season, take the time to think about the relationships you built and your part on this team. Think about all the things you learned about yourself and others by being curious. Think about the tough calls you made and how that helped shape your year. Try to not take personally some of the criticism you received this year, but rather reflect on the good you did for students. Know that your smile, your zest for what you do, and your optimism is contagious. Think about the joy you have brought others by being you. Continue to be a goldfish. Learn from the bad times, but don't dwell on them. Most of all BELIEVE. Believe that just like this year, next year you will accomplish great things. Believe in yourself. Believe in believe.
April is here. It is a time of new growth and a time of reflection. It is a time of feeling like a thousand different things are being thrown at you...at the same time...and some of the things are on fire...and others are fine china. It is definitely a different "game" that is played these last two months of school.
In the world of sports, April brings one of the best traditions out there: the Masters. At our house, this is a sacred time. My husband gets up early to watch the first rounds and he really doesn't move too far from the screen during play. We did make a little trip in the car on Friday during play. Have you ever watched golf before? It isn't always the most exciting. Now imagine LISTENING to it on the radio for a two-hour road trip.
I have written about the Masters before in regard to Tiger's comeback. (You can click here to check that out.) This was prior to the 2021 car accident that drastically impacted his body and his game. He did make his 23rd Master cut, matching Fred Couples and Gary Player. Some really beautiful moments take place during Masters weekend.
The Masters is a time when you see some great golf on a beautiful course. Unlike most sporting events, you must wait over four days to see who the winner is. The lead can change many times throughout the day. The weather can change many times throughout the day. This year, the first round saw beautiful weather, only to be followed by days of storms and rain. Golfers were playing rounds on top of rounds in order to make it to Sunday.
Golf, like life, has moments that are beautiful. It also has moments that are ugly. It has times when everything goes right. It has times when nothing goes right. It has times when you are confident in your play, but then shank your next shot causing you to score two over par. It has time when your tee shot is perfect and down the middle of the fairway. There are other times when your ball is lost...whether in water or the weeds. Like life, it has highs and it has lows. Like life, you cannot pause play. You have to keep playing through the bad and through the good. You have to have confidence in your shot and in your ability to sink putts.
Imagine you are this year's winner Jon Rahm from Spain. Great golfer. How did he begin the first hole of his Masters weekend? With a four-putt. For Kelly Neill, a four putt on a hole is a reason to celebrate. For someone like Jon Rahm, that is a disaster. That could have set up a disastrous weekend for him. But he followed the advice of the great coach Ted Lasso. "Be a Goldfish". Learn from your mistake. Don't dwell on it and move to the next hole.
Just like golfers get a new chance at the end of every hole (and really every shot), we get those same chances. You can look at it being similar to the end of each day, each week or each month. We have the chance to learn and move on...hoping to make the next one a great one.
Things are crazy right now. It may feel like each day is a four putt hole. Be a goldfish. Have that 10 second memory. Do better the next minute...the next lesson...the next day. Be a goldfish and you too can win the Masters.
Check out this link of Jon talking about Ted Lasso:
The third season of "Ted Lasso" premieres tomorrow on AppleTV. There has been much talk about if this is the last season. The concept of Ted Lasso was presented as an arch of starting, struggling, and establishing. Many have seen this as a three-season show, yet those on the show are VERY tight-lipped on what to expect.
It seems like we are always waiting on a new season. It can be a new season of a show or a new season in which we watch the snow disappear. The wait seems long and then when it gets here, that season flies by. We are fortunate with streaming television that we can go back and relive these seasons. We can also cram these seasons into a single weekend if you have the time. And then before you know it...the show is over.
As we approach our next season, I encourage you to enjoy this season. Reflect on what went well. Reflect on what perhaps you need to put on your to-do list. Laugh and smile about things the good things that happened. Take a look at the work your students did. What a great season it was! Were there hiccups? Yes. Did we have to juggle schedules and stress about timelines? Yes. Did we have situations that caused us stress? Yes. BUT...did you laugh? Did you enjoy the company of others? Did you make gains? Did you learn something? Even the best shows have bad episodes during a season, just like you will have bad days during the year. Look for those things that stood out...even if it is just one character or episode.
A bad season doesn't last forever. Let go of things and approach the new season with hope and positivity...just like Ted approached coming to Richmond.
How do people know what you love? Do you wear your heart on your sleeve? Do you talk about the things you love excessively? Do you collect items that show your favorite things? Is there something that people see and automatically think of you? How does those love of "things" develop?
When we talk about passion, the first seeds of interest may be planted by those around us. Parents often plant those first seeds. These seeds can be related to our parents' passions. Parents may expose us to their interests and by "default" an interest and spark can begin in us. These interests can be athletics, books, and music...but they can also be work ethic, style of clothing, and grit.
We often see students taking on the passions that we share with them. Students are quick to learn those things that we love. They love knowing our favorite colors, sports teams, and food.. and we often see students following our lead. Just like our parents, this influence is unintentional. Students look to us as role models and naturally emulate those behaviors and likes they see within us.
Do you know the one thing that students can really tell if we love? It is teaching. They can tell if this is your passion. They can tell if you are excited by learning. They can tell if you do follow your own advice. They can tell which subject is your favorite. They know.
What we need to remember is that the little spark that we show can light a fire within our students. It can draw them to reading. It can open their eyes to a new hobby. The encouragement you give can help give a student the confidence to pursue these sparks. It can provide a connection with a student. It can help them think that one day they would like to do this job.
We began the year talking about Ted Lasso and the way he approaches life, coaching and the impact this can have on your classroom. Ted is positive. Ted knows what to say (even though sometimes it makes you scratch your head). Ted is optimistic. Ted is steadfast. Ted is a great leader.
This past weekend, the Jacks football team (I am sorry...I know...another post about sports...about the Jacks...) capped off an amazing season by winning the FCS National Championship. I can't write this and not mention that it was against NDSU, who had never lost in Frisco. This win was something die-hard Jacks fans had been waiting A LONG time for.
In talking about the success of the Jacks this season, you have to mention and mention often, the name John Stiegelmeier (Coach Stig), who is the head coach of the Jacks. Stig has been the head coach of the Jacks for 26 years. Prior to that, he was a grad assistant and an assistant coach. He has devoted much of his life to SDSU and to shaping young men not only into great football players but great humans.
There are many characteristics in how Ted Lasso leads that remind me of Coach Stig. He is big on relationship building. He understands that there is no one person bigger than the team. He makes tough calls. His passion for SDSU and football is contagious. He believes in the young men he has on the field.
As the days between the win on Sunday get larger and larger, the number of articles I see on the game, the players, and Coach Stig have decreased. But I came across a great tweet about the steadfastness of Coach Stig. This success did not come overnight. It did not come in a year. The Jacks have had really bad seasons and really great seasons where they were so close to this goal! It took a lot of time and a lot of effort to mark this goal off.
Nothing great happens overnight. You have to put in work to make great things happen. Instead of hoping to see a big change in a small window of time, we often need to look at the larger picture. What success can be found in one month instead of one week? What about one semester? One year?
Keep working hard. Keep setting goals. Keep believing in yourself and your students.
