The Art of Staying Me

So first week down and I am now on blog number 2. Some much for consistency! Well it has been both an uplifting and depressing week. I have really enjoyed meeting with most grade levels. The discussions that have come out of these meetings have given me hope that the journey I am about to embark on may not end in the carnage of what little self esteem I still cling to. I love talking about the art of teaching. I love discussions that lead to questions that lead to solutions which end up posing even greater questions. It is this never ending curiosity we as teachers share in trying to truly understand our craft and our students that keeps me excited about education.

That being said I often think people don't know what to make of me. Deep down inside I think every teacher wants to believe in these ideals but find them a little naive. I can see them smiling as if to say "Thats cute Mike let us know when your ready to sit at the grown up table!" I see their disbelief in the core values I come to hold so dear and I begin questioning myself. Maybe I should just invest in a commercial reading program. Maybe I should just tell teachers how to teach. Maybe I should just get out of the way and let teachers do what teachers do. Maybe I am a sell out who has no understanding of what it really means to be a Hawaiian.

At the end of the day what is important is that I go home to my beautiful family with a clean conscious. Clean because though I may not have all the answers to all of the Maybes I do know that I am doing the best that I know how. That is the Art of Staying Me!

Day 1 (Today I was voted Head Coconut!)

So here is yet another attempt to document my travels to greatness (and consequently my fall from it.) I was a little nervous today but I continue to remind myself that God promotes leaders so if I fail it's really his fault. I find peace in my inability to take ownership.

Pulled 6th and 4th together today to give them the run down and to my surprise a very good discussion developed. MT really opened up and I hope came to the realization that Collaboration is really really important. I see a spark of hope and I need to be sure that I fan it instead of extinguish it.

One thing I can not understand is this whole cultural battle I continue to be waging with certain Kumu. I wish they could see that what they want is what I am setting us up for but they continue to live in their fantasy world. I will not waiver from my position as head coconut though as I know where this road is leading even if they have yet to see it. It is actually kind of funny to me the way they present their side because it is as if they believe that by simply teaching culture everything else will magically take care of itself. Balance, balance, balance! My hope is that maybe by blog 100 I will have made some headway in this battle. Until then this coconut is gonna keep his hard shell on!