As I write this, I am completing summer school as a high school principal, and I am wrapping up my 20th year in public education. To be honest, I am ready for a little time off during the summer. I need to sleep, rest, and rejuvenate. I feel a little lethargic, and that fatigue is translating into complacency. I think that is a natural cycle for us in education—feeling a bit of a crash over the summer followed by a renewed passion and gearing up for another year ahead. I have

“I have no idea what I’m doing.” This was the thought that dominated my consciousness as I walked into my new classroom for the first time. The empty walls and empty desks were a fitting metaphor for my empty brain. I was a brand-new teacher entering the profession mid-year in an academically deficient school that was very culturally different from anywhere I had lived or worked before. There would be students walking through the door in mere moments, and I had nothing for

Educators have a front-row seat to the impact a father can have on the lives of children. Unfortunately, we have all seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. We also have our own experiences with our earthly fathers. All fathers fall short of perfection, some more than others. If we aren’t careful, our experiences with earthly fathers can skew our view of the perfect Father. Having an accurate understanding of God—our perfect Father—will not only change our own lives but also s

How many of you have already created your “list” for the summer? Be honest! Is the word “pause” on your checklist? You are probably thinking, of course not! There is too much to do! Yes, there is work to be done and fun to be had, but I am going to encourage you to give yourself some breathing space along the way and explore the habit of pausing. If we aren’t careful, we might find ourselves exchanging one form of busyness for another. Every educator I know is depleted by

We are in the final stretch! There is nothing like the feeling of a school year complete and the anticipation of time to breathe again. However, it can be an emotional time for educators. It’s not easy saying goodbye to students and colleagues we have come to cherish throughout the year. In addition, sometimes the end brings regrets for choices that were made during the year. No matter what the issues are, I find grounding myself in prayer brings peace over anxiety. It reall

May is the month for Teacher Appreciation Week and rightfully so! By now the school year is coming to a close, and a little appreciation goes a long way. Teacher Appreciation Week used to conjure up mixed emotions for me. As a teacher, I was grateful for the accolades, but deep down I wondered why appreciation was saved for one week of the year. There were plenty of times during the school year when a simple “thank you” would have helped. I felt ashamed for going there in my

While most of the world is relishing the newness of spring, many educators succumb to bouts of anxiety and uncertainty during this time of year. We don’t do it on purpose. With spring comes evaluations, testing, leadership changes, and job transitions. An influx of emotions is inevitable. After all, most of the time we are in control of our classrooms. Some unexpected challenges may surface during the school year, but for the most part, we are the captains of our ships. Unti

I consider myself a lifelong learner. As an educator, I’m sure you do, too. I have purposefully taken some additional time this past week to reflect on the meaning of Easter. Having grown up in the church, Easter holds many fond memories for me—a new dress, new shoes, family gatherings, Easter egg hunts, yummy food, special church services singing songs like Up from the Grave He Arose , and, of course, the celebration of a resurrected Christ. These are all sweet memories fo

I saw this past week that it has been three years since our world went on lockdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Three years! Can you believe it? I can still hear all the advice we were given. “ Stay at home!” “Avoid contact!” “Shelter in place!” “ Wear a mask and gloves!” “Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize!” Life as we knew it was forever altered. Emotions ran high as we scrambled to figure out what it all meant. To be honest, I would rather not think about it much. The pa

One wall of my high school Spanish classroom is covered in student work. It is currently entitled, “El Amor y El Miedo," which translates to “ Love and Fear .” Most of my walls have helpful vocabulary, cultural decorations, or school news, information that is there for the students but not new to me. This wall, however, keeps grabbing my attention. I stand in front of it as if I’m in a museum, soaking it in. To me, it’s an emotional tug to my person but also a nudge to my aca

I know, I know. Our last blog focused on protecting your heart, and now I’m telling you to open your heart. I promise I haven’t lost it! I figured since we were still in February, we should keep this heart theme going a little longer. After all, the Bible says everything flows from our hearts ( Proverbs 4:23 ), so it is probably worth a deeper dive. The previous blog addressed three ways to protect our hearts: (1) be intentional about what we meditate on; (2) control and

How is your heart doing these days? Do you even think about it? Do you realize your heart needs to be protected and guarded? I recognize these questions are direct and not easy to answer. I’ve been asking them of myself, too. I was ready to write a blog this week about something “lovey” since it is February! In schools, we are inundated with candy hearts, chocolate kisses, and Valentine’s Day cards. Love is in the air much to the chagrin of educators who have to navigate all

A couple of weeks ago the weather here in Texas was unseasonably warm. The wind was mild, and the sun was shining. It was perfect conditions for some afternoon tennis! Our favorite courts happen to be right next to an elementary school. Since we play in the latter part of the day, we never see students. However, this day was different. For some reason, a group of about ten students was hanging out on one of the courts. They were just messing around being kids. Boys and gi

Does God ever “Wow!” you? Does He ever send you a message that makes you pause and say, “OK. I’m listening, God!” I was reading in Judges this past week, and I stumbled upon these verses. See if you can identify the words or phrases that stopped me in my tracks. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said , “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Judges 6:12 Then the Lord turned to him and said , “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am se

The past few months have been pretty special for me. My oldest daughter and her family have been within 30 minutes of us as they prepare to transition to a new season in their lives. I have thoroughly cherished every moment with my two granddaughters reading books, constructing puzzles, riding scooters, going on walks, and having deep conversations (as deep as you can with a four and seven-year-old). I was recently reminded of one particular conversation I had with our oldes

Christmas 2022 is in the books. All the hype is over, and as much as we want to embrace the spirit of the season, many educators are already thinking about 2023 and their return to school. Before you allow yourself to delve back into a work mindset, I want to encourage you to take some time to internalize Christmas. In doing so, our hearts will be strengthened and our minds will be ready to take on a new year! I’m taking my inspiration from Mary. We all know the story. Gabri

I hope the title of this blog got your attention! You might be wondering what in the world I am talking about since we all know Jesus is the reason for the season! Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth, but I would contend it is also a time to celebrate the impact His birth has had on the lives of those who believe in Him. In other words, Christmas is a time to celebrate the people we are becoming because of Jesus. Whether we recognize it or not, all of us are chan

I love Christmas time! I have such fond memories of singing Christmas carols, reuniting with family, opening gifts, and eating (or should I say “overeating”) crazy delicious foods. When I became an educator, December was a month full of Christmas themes, activities, and parties. Celebration was in the air! On the last day before Christmas break, it was not uncommon for students to bring presents. I taught both elementary and secondary students. It didn’t seem to matter. I ca

When it comes to teaching, discipline is not one of my favorite topics. I really do think I was traumatized during my administrative practicum. I was placed in an elementary school with a veteran principal. She was one of the few female administrators in the district, and I felt fortunate to train under her. I learned a great deal about leadership from her, and for that I am grateful. However, I was caught off guard one day when she asked me to participate in a disciplin

When it comes to most things in life, we all want to get better and be better. That certainly holds true in the field of education. Improvement is embedded in the culture of schools. We want our students to show academic growth throughout the year. We want our building and district assessment scores to reach levels of excellence. We want to grow professionally as educators. Better. Better. Better. Deep down everyone wants to be better. What if I told you that you could have a