Letter to the Editor

It has been quite a while since I have posted a blog.  Shame on me, and slap my hand.  I wish it was different, but some scary events in Connecticut caused me to sit down and write again.  The below was also submitted to the local paper who graciously printed it, so I held off on putting it here on Bronco Bits until that paper was released.  Although this post is about a week after I wrote it, the value remains, if for nothing more than my opportunity to write it.

We live in an incomprehensible world.  That fact is not hard to support following the truly horrific events of this past Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.  The loss of 26 lives – most of them young, innocent children – is something that we must now confront.  Although it is not sensible or logical to us, it is an inexplicable reality of our existence that these atrocities are possible.  At the Belmond-Klemme Community School District, it is imperative that we are not only aware that these potential threats exist but also that we maintain a preventative attitude and are prepared to move to action when necessary.  The remarkable educators in our buildings – including our teaching and associate staff, our custodial and food service department, and our transportation and leadership teams – all are part of keeping our students safe.  The simple phrase, “Plan for the worst, but hope for the best,” is a quick demonstration of our approach.  Our school has teamed with law enforcement, assessed our buildings and grounds, collaborated with our community, organized emergency provisions, and prepared a Crisis Plan that we want never to enact.  Today our school setting, both locally and nationally, looks much different than it did before the school attack at Columbine High School in April of 1999.  It is frequently less convenient and less accessible.  There are more routines and checks.  Additional procedures and practices are in place.  It is my belief that our community has come to understand these inconveniences and our individuals have adapted to these challenges.  Although we expect that our precautionary measures minimize the risk of many potential threats, we also continue to routinely plan, practice, and evaluate our processes in the event of an emergency.  Much like those individuals at Sandy Hook, our most effective response lies in those individuals within our buildings that care greatly for those around them.  As I feel sadness, horror, and empathy for the families and residents of Newtown, there is also a sense of pride for the educators that provided safety for their students.  Taking care of each other is both preventative and reactionary, and our Belmond-Klemme staff and students understand this and take it to heart.  On behalf of the outstanding educators of our district, I want to thank our community for your continued partnership in providing a quality education in a setting of safety and security for the students we serve.

Marshall Lewis, Superintendent

Belmond-Klemme CSD

Read more »

NEW!

New, new new!!  We all like the new stuff.  Cutting edge tends to catch our attention. 

So as we start a NEW school year with NEW educators and NEW students, it should be an exhilarating experience.  So far it has been just that.  On top of that, let's add:  NEW approaches to curriculum (Core), NEW technology, NEW initiatives, NEW reporting (C-Plan, anyone?) and NEW fill in the blank for you.

Someone stop me before I start selling a NEW mixer or NEW athletic shoes.  The one thing that still concerns me is that while we have all of these NEW things on which to focus, we tend to do so with the same approach with which we have become comfortable.  You do know that "we" tend to teach the way "we" were taught, which tends to be a little bit of a impediment to true progress.

Yes, a short post (some of you are amazed).  That doesn't mean it has to be a short conversation.

Read more »

How Do YOU Define Success?

Listening to several people talk recently about the successes and failures that they had been experiencing caused me to stop and assess the concept for a moment.  In these conversations, the concept of success was relatively definable based on some objective form.  The concept of money, wins, happiness, possessions, and/or fame are all somewhat tangible concepts that people often use to measure success.  Typically it comes in a comparison with someone else such as "more money" or "more famous" than another person.  What eluded all of these people in the conversations was the fact that each one had their own "bar" set for what is success.  The possessions of one person may seem like a failure, while the next may feel exceedingly successful in amassing the same or similar assets.  That in itself may be the reason that so many of us never seem to "achieve" or reach any level of satisfaction.  When we reach one plateau and feel rewarded or content, we either focus on another area or increase the level of our success in the same area.  For example, one that wants to become a millionaire will find a new status symbol (such as owning a business, finding a spouse, or helping disadvantaged kids) or will increase the definition of success in amassing wealth (such as having 10 Million Dollars). 

It is good to have goals, and I'm not saying we shouldn't, but since our goals don't really satisfy our desire for "more" of everything, maybe it is the path or the methodology that is actually the reward we seek.  Maybe, the meeting of the goal has less significance to our life than the effort, dedication, ethics, and passion put into reaching that goal.  The amassing of money, things, power, etc. may be a way to keep score in our lives, as many do, but is the real victory in the game of life the game itself.  OK, for those that are struggling with my concept here, let me elaborate with an example.

If you know me, you know one of my loves in life is, and always has been, basketball.  I enjoy the game - the strategy, the skill, the finesse, the contact, the force, the speed and power combined, and all that goes with this amazing game that began with a peach basket on a wall.  Another thing that you may know about me is that I'm very competitive - I don't like to lose, I don't like to make mistakes, I don't like to look bad to others or even more to myself.  I like to be "successful" every step of the way, and I'll work hard to make that happen.  So in this basketball analogy - missing a shot, being out of position, or letting someone drive by me to the basket simply frustrates me.  Each of those is a "loss" or a "failure" to me.  As I get older and slower, have less stamina, and can jump only inches for a rebound or to challenge a shot, these "failures" become more frequent.  I have to adjust my play to cover for my lack of athleticism (my mind sees what I should/could do, but my body isn't able to make it happen).  Now all of these are the realities of who I currently am, but none of them are an excuse or reason for not doing my best - sometimes by accommodating in less athletic manner, such as reading a rebound better than I did 15 years ago.  Learning about myself from each play is part of the joy of the game (I see another post coming on a spin-off of the topic here).

Although my prime for playing the game has long since departed, I still very much enjoy getting out on the court.  Not many years ago, I played among a combination of young high school athletes, a few college guys, and some of us that still thought we had "it" for some reason.  Almost everyone who played had greater skill than me, and some were quite passionate, so it was a very competitive venue for me to challenge myself.  I loved it!  Sometimes the four on the court with me won, and sometimes we lost the game to 15.  As we shot freethrows for teams, there were times, I didn't get a chance to fill the team because I missed.  The hardest part of missing that freethrow or losing the previous game was not the fact that I had failed (but I obviously did - the goal was to make the shot or win the game).  The most depressing part was that I didn't have the opportunity to play.  The ultimate goal was to keep ME on the court to enjoy playing the game.  The win was a step in that direction.  Making the freethrow to become a part of the next team was a piece of that puzzle.  Doing things right on the court contributed to the likeliness of keeping me on the court. 

With that analogy, it is easier to see (at least for me) that the ultimate goal of my few hours of open gym basketball wasn't to make a freethrow, win the game, block a shot, make 3 good passes, or any other tangible goal that we would typically set for ourselves.  The goal was to be a part of as much basketball as I could.  In doing so, I also unlocked another key piece of understanding for myself.  I could better appreciate the good play of others and recognize that they too were doing what it took to keep their playing time alive.  Although competitive, it was in a different way.  If I left it all on the court and my team lost, I could live with that much easier than I could deal with losing my opportunity to play because I fell short of doing the things that could help our team.  In other words, the means were more important than the end.

When we define success, maybe it is in those terms that we all have a little bit more to learn.  It's not the money, wins, things, fame, etc. that are the successes in life (or the failures).  True success comes from playing the game and being a contributing player in the life we lead.  Our goals in the process may change by those objective measures, but our approach to meeting those goals can be consistent.  Then, win or lose, we can determine our satisfaction with ourselves based on our own effort.

Read more »

Does This Matter?

This morning I just did a little review of my blogging stats.  The final conclusion is this:  It really doesn't matter what I do.

I'm serious about that.  It appears that occasionally people happen across my blog and take a peek.  The statistics say that happens about 10 times a day or so.  The reason I believe this to be the phenomenon is that I haven't blogged since January 24th, and the numbers aren't really changing.  At one point I thought maybe a few people were interested in some of the topics and conversations that were being held here.  Some of that may be true, but it doesn't seem like that is the overwhelming majority.

Now, that being said, I did have almost 800 hits in one month (compared to the 300 or so recently), so there may still be some interest in at least something.  There were a few good articles and events happening that were the reference, so my interest has again been stimulated.  I'm wondering if this month (April) will show any more activity if I post a couple of items.  We'll give it a shot and find out.

With about 50 posts so far on this site, some have received a few comments and some none.  Hopefully a few people have even gotten an insight, been informed on a topic, or caught a phrase that made them think about something for a moment.  That is what I hope.  I have generally tried to post things that were somewhat thought provoking and had some level of importance.  Not always, but generally.  It is my intent to keep with that concept, but I also believe it may just be flat out fun to toss in some other items along the way.

So with no guarantees, no expectations, and at least some level of genuine determination...let's see what April brings.

Read more »

Welcome to 2012

So the ball has dropped, the midnight kisses taken, the champagne toast given, and 2012 has begun.  To my east I saw a beautiful sunrise and the snow has stayed away from our Northern Iowa residence.  We have had time with family and friends, some time at the office allowed me to catch up on some (not all) outstanding items, and the Holiday Season, full of hustle, bustle, and stress has faded into the past.

All in all, a wonderful and productive few days.  Life is beautiful and things are going well...

So what?  (Insert sounds of screeching tires and crashing garbage cans here).  What can I possibly mean by, "So what?"

Seriously?!?  How in the world can I say such a thing after the near miracle of a Holiday Break filled with all of the above?  How can I think such a thing?

OK, this is what I'm thinking...satisfaction is something to be appreciated.  The good things of life should be recognized and enjoyed.  We absolutely need to do this.  Then we need to take the next step.  We are blessed, rewarded, and amazed with life on a daily basis.  In order to continue that enjoyment of life, we need to do our part as well.

Whether it is finding a better way to do something at work or making life a little better for someone else, it is our responsibility to move forward.  Kicking back and enjoying what live has given us is a temporary state of life that we get to enjoy.  Making that opportunity available to others is a constant state that enhances our own appreciation of life.

So what?  So, let's go make it happen.  Happy 2012!

Read more »