Don't Count the Days, Make the Days Count

I've had the luxury of working for/with some pretty amazing administrators. These folks have done much to help develop me as an educator. As we enter the last month of school, everybody seems to be counting down to the last day. Each year when this epidemic starts, I am reminded of one of the school administrators I worked for in particular. In 1999, an elementary principal by the name of Joe Stokes brought me into his school, Sutton Elementary, as a third grade teacher. Joe was masterful at supporting new teachers, providing us with everything we needed to ensure we had a successful first year. From materials and direction, to strong veteran teacher mentors, Mr. Stokes was about maximizing everything; talent, resources, and most importantly, time.

As a teacher in Joe's school you learned to maximize your time right off the bat. You knew that whatever you were expected to be doing at a particular time, was to be your focus. If students were present, you were to be interacting with them, maximizing every teachable moment. If we were meeting as a staff, he engaged us. No one longed for the meeting to end. The time flew by. If you were meeting with parents, they received your full attention. And at the end of each and every Weekly Update email he wrote the statement, "Don't count the days, make the days count". Today, some 18 years later, I still find myself living by Joe Stokes' words of wisdom.

While there are only a few weeks left of this school year, I am focused on making the most of the time we have left. I'm focused on closing this year out with learning (student and teacher) happening up until the last minute. I'm focused on my own learning, in preparation for planning the upcoming school year. It's very tempting to start counting down to the end, but it's so important to take full advantage of the days we have left. 

I was fortunate enough to visit with Joe at this beginning of this school year. He reminded me of the teacher I was when I was first starting out. He commented on how much I'd grown professionally, and the turn my career has taken. I doubt he realizes how much of my growth is attributed to the lessons he taught me on maximization. So As we inch toward the end of the school year, I encourage us all to stop counting the days, and make each and every day we have left count. I won't let you down, Mr. Stokes.