The Journal presents my weekly reflections on being a private, Catholic school principal during what promises to be a year filled with energy, excitement, challenges and possibilities…
The end of the year is weeks away. That will truly be time to slow down. Of all the messages I wanted to embrace from the playlist this year, I ignored this one far too frequently.
If you have been a reader of this blog all year, you might remember that, years ago, my good friend and educational leader Sean Gaillard (author of The Pepper Effect – great reading for any and all Beatles fans and educators!) introduced me to the idea of #OneSong which developed into the idea of a mixtape which morphed into the concept of a playlist. For the last few years, I have put together a playlist to lead me with energy, optimism and enthusiasm into the upcoming school year.
As we have reached the penultimate edition of Teach & Serve for this year, I thought it might be fun to revisit the music I had planned to listen to over the course of these past nine months and to reflect on my reasoning.
If you want to listen as you read, HERE is my playlist!
- Treat People with Kindness – Harry Styles
Fall of 2021: What other message could we need for our world right now? I can’t think of another.
Spring of 2021: I will make this song my anthem over the next two weeks. I promise.
- Higher Ground – Stevie Wonder
Fall of 2020: We all need to reach for higher ground. We all need to be aspirational. We all need to inspire… This Stevie Wonder song can make us feel like we can make it happen. Spoiler alert: we can.
Spring of 2021: I could have done a better job of reaching the higher ground. It’s perfectly fine at the end of the year to realize we didn’t reach every aspiration, and to reach out again.
- Side Pony – Lake Street Dive
Fall of 2020: Over the course of the quarantine, I listened (with my daughter) to Lake Street Dive for the first time and while this song is, perhaps, not my favorite of theirs (I really like the cover of Hall and Oates’ Rich Girl), this song really fits this time period. And my pony tail.
Spring of 2021: My ponytail is gone. The silly joy of this song is not…
- Steady As She Goes – The Raconteurs
Fall of 2020: As we proceed through this year, the manta “steady as she goes” will be critical.
Spring of 2021: In retrospect, keeping things steady was the most important task of this past year. While I failed at it often, I think I succeeded overall. Lost some battles, won the war.
- Vienna – Billy Joel
Fall of 2020: “Slow down you crazy child…” is the command that begins this underrated song by Billy Joel and that idea of taking a breath is powerful, right here and right now in our world. Each decision we make this year as educators is going to come at us very, very fast. We have to and would be well served to slow it all down.
Spring of 2021: The end of the year is weeks away. That will truly be time to slow down. Of all the messages I wanted to embrace from the playlist this year, I ignored this one far too frequently. It was far too difficult to slow down this year. Look for Vienna on my playlist next fall… I will continue to search for it.
- It Don’t Come Easy – Ringo Starr
Fall of 2020: They say nothing worth having comes easily. I have a feeling this year, no matter how we as educators and administrators try to negotiate these days and weeks, none of it will come easy. I don’t know about my colleagues, but I feel like I’ve already paid enough dues…
Spring of 2021: Not one damn thing feels like it came easy this year and it seems we all continue to pay our dues. Reminding myself, even at the end of this year, that nothing comes easy makes me feel better. A little.
- My Shot – Lin-Manuel Miranda
Fall of 2020: Just as I was last year, I am all but overwhelmed by My Shot. This powerful anthem continues to speak powerfully to the idea that we must seize the moments that can change our lives. This is a good mantra for us and for our students. Rise up, indeed. Especially now.
Spring of 2021: Rise up. Rise up. Rise up. I’ll be back next fall and take my shot again.
- One Last Time – Lin-Manuel Miranda
Fall of 2020: Another Hamilton song that features the important message that each moment, each step, each time could be our last. Sometimes we have to let go, say goodbye and know that we are doing things one last time. Such a critical message. None of us is bigger than the work. None. This song is a holdover. We’ll see if it makes it 3 years in a row next year…
Spring of 2021: None of us is bigger than the work. None. Personnel are departing the school as is the case each fall, some will be more readily replaced than others. Some need to look around and give themselves One Last Time. I will try to help them do so.
- Get It Right Next Time – Gerry Rafferty
Fall of 2020: We will make 1000 decisions as administrators and teachers this year and many of us (myself included) will push each and every one of those to be perfect decisions. We will want to only make decisions with which everyone agrees and behind which everyone can stand. It won’t happen. When we make decisions, we also can make mistakes. That is okay provided we give ourselves the chance to get it right next time.
Spring of 2021: I think I made over 1000 decisions this year. I hope to be in a position to make fewer next year. Regardless of the amount of choices I make, I remain committed to giving myself the chance to get it right… next time.
It was a shockingly quiet week on the quarantine front. Shockingly. I won’t jinx things with more words than I’ve arleady used…