I honestly believe that my relationship with teaching was the “love at first sight” kind of story.

From my first days of actual teaching back in October of 1992, when I took up residence in the Room 108 at Bishop McNamara High School, I have loved the profession.

This is not to say that I have found joy in every moment or that I have never been frustrated by the work or that I have always cherished every student I have taught.

No. There have been challenges. There have been struggles. There have been times I did not enjoy.

But the reality is that I loved being a teacher from Day One. I loved it so much that I continue to want (need?) to be in the classroom.

• I love being with students.
• I love that it keeps me feeling young.
• I love reading aloud to students.
• I love learning students’ names.
• I love a lesson that goes just right.
• I love the sense of teamwork.
• I love putting together my slideshows for class (I really do!).
• I love taking students somewhere they have never been.
• I love sharing my love of literature with students.
• I love pushing students to become better writers. 
• I love joking with students.
• I love when students joke back.
• I love it. I simply love it.

I have been blessed to be in a profession that I love for over three decades. 

I love teaching.

We interrupt this blog that typically addresses issues of educational leadership and high school teaching for this true and personal story:

Within months of the birth of my first child, the high school principal I was working for informed me that I needed to get started on my master’s degree pronto. I left that conversation with the distinct feeling that my future at the school would be in jeopardy if I did not  immediately act on this directive. Whether that was the message my principal intended to convey or not, that was the message I received. So, very grudgingly, given the sleepless nights that come with a newborn, I enrolled in a master’s program at Regis University in Denver.

With lemons into lemonade glasses firmly in place, I can now reframe this moment in my life as a blessing. I got my master’s at a time when it made a difference. I studied. I learned. I had some truly enriching classes. I even had the opportunity to partially design my own degree path. This not only increased my earning potential when I truly needed it, but it also enriched my professional life in ways I did not anticipate at the time. I have had my master’s for the better part of 25 years.

Looking back, I realize that challenging conversation was significant. While it remains an experience that informs me to handle such situations far differently as a high school principal myself, I have since become close to that principal and consider him something of a mentor.

Oh. I also used that degree to help me write a novel. 

The novel was my thesis project. It was, in fact, my third novel, but it was the first that I wrote knowing someone not related to me was going to read. It was the first upon which I received editorial feedback. It was the first of which I felt proud.

There is an educational point to this post, beyond the one I learned about ways in which to speak with those you supervise. It is that teachers and administrators need to engage themselves outside the work of the school. They need to have passions unrelated to their careers. They need to have balance. 

The hundreds of hours I have spent writing and editing and rewriting and dreaming never feel wasted, nor do they seem like time I should have spent in work pursuits. They feel important in making me who I am as a person and as an educator. They are hours I need to have in my life. 

I needed Three Corner Glen in ways I could not understand at the time. 

The completion of this novel gave me the energy and confidence to write more fiction, which I do to this day.  I submitted samples of Three Corner Glen to agents and publishers and continue to do so from time-to-time. To date, none seem particularly enamored of the work. 

A few years back, I self published the novel on Amazon. You can get a copy HERE if you like. Perhaps the jacket blurb will entice you in a way it has never enticed an editor:

“While Craig Bauman was not entirely sure he wanted to be a father when his wife Stacy broke the happy news of her pregnancy, he was certain he did not want to leave his dream job as a sports columnist in Los Angeles, was sure he did not want to move to a suburb of Denver, Colorado ridiculously named Three Corner Glen and was sure he did not want to join a group of young parents forming a babysitting cooperative.

Craig wanted to be a person of importance. Now he was going to be a dad in a babysitting club in a Denver suburb.

As he drove from LA to Denver, Craig could not anticipate that joining the Three Corner Glen Babysitting Cooperative would lead to him becoming a fixture in the burgeoning community, especially after he and some other members of the group during one of their early meetings rescued worshippers from a burning church. That event would bind him to this group of parents in an unbreakable manner and forever link their lives.

Spanning over a decade, Three Corner Glen weaves the stories of the many people in the babysitting cooperative around that of Craig Bauman in a third person omniscient narrative voice that is clever, knowing and amused by the characters and their choices. It illustrates the joys of friendship and the consequences of choices. It reminds us that we are all bound together and that our life is a shared one.”

I think you could do worse than spend a few hours yourself in Three Corner Glen. Feel free to join me there.

Schools are complex organizations in which the life experiences of hundreds of people are intertwined daily. Those experiences go far beyond what is happening on any field, stage, office, court, or classroom. Staff and students bring their lives into the school – what is going well, what is going poorly, what is making them happy, and what is making them sad. They bring the events of each night and each morning to the school. They bring hundreds of thousands of circumstances along with them.

In addition to the personal experiences and emotions everyone carries, schools are also influenced by a myriad of external factors. Weather can disrupt schedules, politics can shape the curriculum, and societal issues can permeate classroom discussions. These external forces, combined with the individual lives within the school, create a dynamic and often unpredictable environment.

In my time in schools, I have personally encountered circumstances as varied as the Olympic success of a student athlete, the 9-11 attacks, many state championships in sports, deaths of students, family members, staff, snow and cold and heat issues, physical plant difficulties, internet outages, power disruptions, COVID, floods, senior pranks, and so very much more. Each of these events were explosive to the normal functioning of the school. Each can be considered a “boom,” a moment when complexities and external pressures come to a head, creating a significant impact. It is essential for schools to be prepared for these booms, to get to the right of the boom and to be prepared for the aftermath of such events, ensuring that we are ready to respond and adapt effectively.

In order to do so, students and staff need to develop resilience. This means creating a school culture that encourages open communication, support networks, and mental health resources. Schools must have comprehensive plans in place for a range of scenarios, from severe weather to political upheavals. Importantly  and perhaps most challengingly, schools should develop flexibility in adapting to less predictable challenges. To support this, regular training and professional development for staff are crucial. Educators should be equipped with the skills to manage not just their classrooms, but also the broader social and emotional needs of their students. Building strong relationships with parents, local organizations, and community leaders can provide additional support and resources. Engaged communities are more likely to rally together in times of crisis and those crises will come. After any significant event, schools should take the time to debrief and assess what worked, what did not, and how to improve for the future.

We cannot always predict when or how the boom will come, but we can prepare ourselves to handle its impact with grace and effectiveness.

As educational leaders, our goal is to create an environment where every student and staff member feels supported, no matter what life throws at them. By being to the right of the boom, we ensure that we are not just reacting to crises, but actively preparing for and mitigating their effects. Knowing the boom is coming and preparing for it is part of serving our students well in an ever-changing world.

More times than I would like, I have been asked or coerced to share some manner of my philosophy of education. I blogged about my latest experience with this earlier in this volume of Teach and Serve when I was asked by the faculty of my new school what my goals were for the coming academic year. 

I do have answers. I think they are fairly good answers, well reasoned and based on more than a handful of years of experience in the field.

When I sift through all of the people and events that have influenced my philosophy, I center on one that I do not believe I have written of in the past. 

When I came to Regis Jesuit High School as a teacher in the fall of 1994, I was part of a very large group of new faculty. One of that cohort would become a fast friend. He and I were both English teachers and we were thrown together as co-moderators of the Student Council. John had his PhD (which he had achieved at a very young age), was a few years older than I, and already had a daughter. I was just beginning my family. My wife and his were pregnant at similar times, her with her second child and my wife with our first. They were born months apart. Both were boys. 

Sometime later, sitting around the Student Council office and dreaming as young fathers do about their sons’ futures, we discussed what were our hopes for them.

After what I am sure was some high-minded chatter, John said: “No matter what, I just want him to be a good man.” 

How could I do anything but agree that this is what I wanted for my son as well.

Because it was.

Because it is.

And this is truly what I want for all three of my now adult children. It is also what I want for the students in my charge, whether as a classroom teacher or a high school principal. 

I want our students to be good people. If they are also educated as the world understands the term, so much the better. 

There is a philosophy by which I can stand.

I am a jacket and tie guy almost every day. I believe that educational professionals should dress the part. And, while I jump at the chance to wear jeans and t-shirts, I understand the need for standards of dress for adults in schools. They are all the more important for students.

Dress codes are not just about giving students another set of arbitrary rules for them to follow; they play a crucial role in shaping the educational environment and fostering a sense of discipline and respect.

Dress codes help to create an atmosphere conducive to learning. When students are dressed in a uniform or adhere to a specific dress code, it minimizes distractions in the classroom. The focus shifts from what someone is wearing to the content of the lesson. This is particularly important in today’s world, where distractions are already abundant. By standardizing attire, we can help students concentrate on their studies rather than on fashion trends or peer pressure.

Dress codes done well instill a sense of discipline and respect. Wearing a uniform or adhering to a dress code is a small way for students to practice self-discipline. It can be a daily reminder that they are in a place of learning, where certain behaviors and standards are expected. This sense of discipline often extends beyond clothing, influencing students’ attitudes towards their studies and interactions with others.

Perhaps most importantly, there is a significant benefit in terms of equality. Dress codes level the playing field, reducing economic and social barriers. When everyone wears the same or similar attire, it diminishes the visible differences between students from various socioeconomic backgrounds. This can help reduce bullying and social exclusion, fostering a more inclusive and supportive school environment.

That being said, it is essential to approach dress codes with sensitivity and flexibility. They should be designed and enforced in a way that respects students’ individuality and cultural backgrounds. We must ensure that dress codes do not become a tool for discrimination or a source of unnecessary conflict. They must be reviewed and revised regularly.