On January 28, I was one of the thousands of Alabamians
stranded at school overnight with students, parents, faculty members, and general
citizens during the winter storm. While uncomfortable and inconvenient, I was
thankful that my family was never in any danger. My husband made it home safely
just as the roads were becoming impassable and my children were stuck with me
at school. After the ordeal, I mainly felt exhausted, but also humbled and
proud to be part of the noble education profession.
It has been
said, “Everyday starts with
expectation, but ends with experience. Learn whatever life teaches you.” I
definitely learned many things from the crazy “dusting” experience. Here
are the top ten.
1. Forgive.
No one can accurately predict Alabama weather, even James
Spann. Being angry with meteorologists, school administrators, or community leaders
does not improve the current situation. You can only do the best with the hand
that you are dealt. Live, learn, and move on.
2. Be prepared.
We should all adhere to the Boy Scout motto. Schools especially
need to be ready for emergency situations. Teachers and administrators are
seasoned writers of action plans, but we must have the supplies to follow
through with those procedures. This is also true for individuals. Do you have
an emergency kit in your car?
3. Every minute matters.
As Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you
don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” In the chaos of
dismissal, some students were able to make it home, while others that left a
few minutes later had to return to school due to impassable roads. Make the
most of each moment and take opportunities as they come.
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| Roger Day Skypes with students |
4. Music saves.
On the second day of our extended school stay, one of the
nation’s most recognized family entertainers, Roger Day, performed via Skype
for our students. It was great fun for the children, who sang and danced along
with his well-known songs, and a much-welcomed respite for the teachers, who
were wearied from a night of restless sleep. Music truly saved the day.
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| Faculty, staff, and friends scrape and sand the road |
Aesop wrote, “No act of kindness, however small, is ever
wasted.” In addition to the impromptu Skype concert with Roger Day, our school was
the recipient of many compassionate deeds. Nearby families brought blankets,
pillows, cold weather clothing, cookies, and coffee for warmth and comfort.
Strangers on ATVs and in 4WD vehicles transported many of our parents to school
and our students to their homes. Kind acts also came from colleagues in the
form of toothbrushes, Diet Mountain Dew, and phone chargers. Faculty and staff
went beyond their prescribed duties by scraping and sanding the road leading to
the school and doing whatever needed to be done. It’s the small things that
mean so much.
6. Meaningful conversations are essential.
I thought I knew my colleagues, but I surely had no idea
what actually drove their character. Spending nearly two days with the same people
requires you to delve into their likes and dislikes and what pushes them over
the edge. This experience bonded us together as a faculty, because we now
understand what makes us individuals. It is worth the time to really listen to
what people are saying.
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| A letter to our principal |
During the storm, our primary concern was taking care of our
students. We wanted them to be safe, comfortable, and loved. Those were the
least of the students’ worries. They were having too much fun on their
overnight adventure at school. As parents were arriving to retrieve their
children, many students were asking why they had to leave and if their parents
could come back later. In the words of Bob Basso, “If it’s not fun, you’re not
doing it right.” I hope that means that we were doing it right.
8. School can be scary.
Schools can be a little creepy during the day. At night,
they are even more so. As my eyes were opening and closing, I saw shadows
moving and heard claws scratching. The students’ sleeping habits added to the
mystery. We had sleepwalkers and throw up. Some of our bilingual students were
talking in their sleep in their native languages. The snorting, laughing, and sneezing added to
the menacing symphony of sounds. My imagination was running wild. I’m glad I
had lots of company!
9. Try new things.
I usually bring my lunch to school, so I’m not accustomed to
eating the typical school cafeteria food. On our overnight stay, our cafeteria
staff prepared Crispitos. Why have I not tried them before?!? The chicken and
chili filled tortillas were one of the highlights of the experience. I must
remember the words of Mark Twain, “Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the
fruit is.”
10. I really love my job.
Sometimes it takes a disaster to encourage gratitude.
Through this experience, I was thankful for the safety of my family and the
love that we share, but also for my school family and the opportunity to share
my passion for music with them. William Arthur Ward said, “Feeling gratitude
and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” My
gratefulness through this experience will inspire greatness in things to come.
I am sure.
