Category Archives: Actions

National School Counseling Week…

11 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in Actions, Amazing, Appreciation, Attention, Authentic, Counseling, Effective, Encouragement, Intentional, Kindness, Promotion, Purpose, Servant, Sincerity, Value

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This week, February 7-11, is National School Counseling Week. According to the American School Counselors Association, the emphasis is to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. Well, I just happen to know a school counselor who fits that emphasis quite well.

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Let me introduce you to a school counselor I know. She is a school counselor with 21 years of experience. What she does day in and day out amazes me. Of all the things she does, the one that amazes me the most is that she takes an intentional interest in every student in the school building. Along with that, there are individual and small groups, peer leadership, helping with after-school clubs, scheduling, new student meetings, parent meetings, student plans, encouragement, etc… you get the idea…

I don’t really remember school counselors growing up. I do not remember one in elementary or middle school. If we had one, I did not know. We had one in high school, but all I thought he did was make out our student schedules. His name was Mr. Leonard. He and I talked about baseball cards a lot, and my senior year, he was our assistant baseball coach.

Anyway, as I think about what this school counselor does and her role as a school counselor, I can see her passion for promoting it. She works after hours at home and during the summers. So many things are behind the scenes. She is a staunch advocate for what the definition of a school counselor should be. Most importantly, she is for all students and their success.

I’m not sure about all the counselors out there, but I do know a good many. Those who are successful have a servant’s heart and a genuine concern for students’ social and emotional needs. And I think to myself, isn’t that what educators and all of education should also do?

Over time, I have seen many counselors who impact not only at the school but also in the community. In many ways, they are the unsung heroes of schools. Since this is National High School Counselors Week, tell your counselors thank you. I’m pretty sure they will appreciate it.

And by the way, for those who do not know the school counselor I talking about, it’s Heather, and I’m married to her, and she’s the counselor at Sumner Hill Junior High School in the Clinton Public School District. For those who know us, many say she is a great counselor because she lives a daily practicum of counseling me… and they are probably right. But, nonetheless… she’s a great school counselor.

Happy National High School Counselors Week to the school counselors who make a difference. The value you bring makes changes in many lives.

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

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“Rut roh” – Don’t get in a teaching rut…

21 Friday Jan 2022

Posted by in Actions, Choice, Compassion, COVID-19, Decisions, Encouragement, Kindness, Leader, Leadership, Students, Teachers, Understanding

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One of the slogan statements of a recent popular TV show stated that “Winter is coming.” Nope, the dull of winter is here. That stretch after Christmas and before spring break. The long haul, per se. Some days are cold and dreary outside, even in Mississippi. Today’s high is suppose to be around 35 degrees with a real feel of 26. As we were out at parking lot duty this morning, the temperature was a brisk 27 degrees. We were taking it on the chin, literally. That cold hard slap of the wind in our face.

Talk about depressing? The happiness of Christmas feelings is gone for teachers and students. Throw COVID into the mix, and we have many schools that now look like skeletons. Contact tracing, make-up work, substitute shortage… As Billy Joel said, “I can’t take it anymore.”

But…

I believe this… teaching is as much about psychology today as it is about knowing how to teach your subject. You have been hired, so that is a given. Teachers like students, and students like teachers seem to get into a proverbial rut this time of year. The drag… spinning, wanting to go forward but unwilling to lock it into four-wheel drive.

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Back to the psychology… I’m pretty sure many teachers’ lessons are planned and ready to go. Let’s hope so anyway. But, what about you as a teacher, are you ready to go? How are your students seeing you? What are you bringing to your classes? I’m all for facilitating a lesson. I’m all for teaching, but I refuse to be in a rut. As the teacher, you have to be the “ray of light” not only for your students but for other teachers as well. Trust me, some teachers need it more than students.

Now, more than ever, your teacher’s creativity needs to be seen. Use your Jedi mind tricks. Now is the time to let your students see you smile; it is after Christmas, after all… Sing a little song, dance a little dance, help your students, give a little bit more encouragement, maybe even understand that life gets in the way. Go buy some contagious enthusiasm. Not sure how much it costs, but effective it will be.

It’s a choice, and we all make the decision every day. The bad and the good of it is everyone takes notice. What will they see? Be the “spring,” pun intended, that gets others out of the rut. Spring is coming.

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

Mississippi Legislators have listened… Now what?

14 Friday Jan 2022

Posted by in Actions, Choice, Deciding, Decisions, Education, Effective, Leadership, Legislators, Momentum, Teacher Appreciation, Teachers, Value

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“I’m just a bill…” No, this time, you are not…

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HB530 has made it through committee to the House floor and passed 114-6, bipartisan at that. That is great news for Mississippi’s educators. But… what will happen next? The Senate Education proposal has not, as of today’s writing (Thursday, January 13), been introduced. It has until Monday, January 17, to do so. With that being said, if the Senate Education Bill for teacher raises makes it out of committee and passes on the floor of the Senate, what will happen when the House and Senate bills meet?

Now, for a long time coming, teachers have a pep in their step. Many educators are actually following this session of the legislature. If that’s what we want to call it, teacher morale is higher than it has been in a long time… Why? It seems that legislatures have actually listened. We can see that in the two bill proposals and the overwhelming support of how the voting went in the House. We often hear what others are saying, but listening often does not occur. It seems the legislators have listened. Now, teachers across the state are somewhat breathing a sigh of relief in hopes of a salary increase.

Being an election year, I knew that teacher salary would be more discussed. Every session, it is brought up, but now… I would have never thought the House and Senate’s numbers made public would be what they are. One thing for sure, while the bidding war is on, let’s just make sure it is the teachers who win.

So, what happens now… will the Senate approve the House bill? Will the House look at what the Senate proposes? Will it even be taken up in the other House’s committee? Will the topic be tabled? This is the period of uncertainty. No one likes that in their lives. We want to know what is going on and what the results will be. I’m sure negotiations will be made and a compromise offered, but to what cost to the teachers? To add the finality of questions, what will the Governor do?

While we wait, I believe we cannot just sit and hope. We must continue to contact our legislators. We must remain proactive and let our voices be listened to. We must continue to advocate. Legislators have now acknowledged that a salary increase is way past due. Now is the time for them to make good on what they have made public.

I remain hopeful, and I hope other teachers also do. The teacher shortage, teacher retention, teacher “morale,” teachers staying idealists instead of disheartened can take a turn for the better. Now is the time. Too much has been said to backpedal and give reasons why not. Legislators should not use teacher salaries as a “tack on” to another bill to pass a political agenda.

It is time to set aside political differences. It is time for that bipartisan legislation we saw in the House vote and time for the Senate to uphold the value public educators bring every day to their schools. Everyone says they want to invest in the future. What better way to help our future than to ensure that our students have the best and most qualified teachers to educate them. Value does have a price tag.

Legislators, thank you. Now, make good on your promise. This is much more than a bill.

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

24/7, 365 – Christmas All The Time… Why Not?

13 Monday Dec 2021

Posted by in Actions, Christmas, Consistency, Emotion, Engagement, Essence, Family, Friendship, Gift, Giving, Grace, Gratitude, Intentional, Kindness, Relationships, Servant, Sincerity

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Here’s the “thing” I have noticed about me… The older I get, the more I pay attention to the lyrics of songs. Don’t read this and ask yourself, “Seriously?” Anyway… yes. I don’t know why, but I do. So, the other night, driving home, Christmas Time by Bryan Adams came on the radio, and for some reason, the words took on a different meaning… Look at the lyrics throughout the song…

We waited all through the year
For the day to appear
When we could be together in harmony

You know the time will come
Peace on earth for everyone
And we can live forver in a world where we are free
Let it shine for you and me

There’s something about Christmas time
Something about Christmas time
Makes you wish it was Christmas every day
To see the joy in the children’s eyes
The way that the old folks smile
Says that Christmas will never go away

We’re all as one tonight
Makes no difference if you’re black or white
‘Cause we can sing together in harmony
I know it’s not too late
The world would be a better place
If we could keep the spirit more than one day in the year
Send a message loud and clear

It’s the time of year everyone’s together
And celebrate here on Christmas day
When the ones you love are there
You can feel the magic in the air, you know it’s everywhere

There’s something about Christmas time
Please tell me Christmas will never go away

The month of November, with Thanksgiving, and the month of December, with Christmas, has a way of stirring emotions that just maybe, are not.. let’s say “used” during the other months. Why?

Take one more example… below is a speech in The Honeymooners by Ralph Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason, speaking to his wife Alice, played by Audrey Meadows, (Yes, we watch The Honeymooners at our house.) To watch, click here: Ralph Kramden’s Christmas Speech

“You know something, sweetheart? Christmas is… well, it’s about the best time of the whole year. When you walk down the streets, even for weeks before Christmas comes, and there’s lights hanging up, green ones and red ones, sometimes there’s snow and everyone’s hustling someplace. But they don’t hustle around Christmas time like they usually do. You know, they’re a little more friendlier… they bump into you, they laugh, and they say, “Pardon me. Merry Christmas,”… especially when it gets real close to Christmas night. Everybody’s walking home; you can hardly hear a sound. Bells are ringin’, kids are singing, the snow is coming down. And boy, what a pleasure it is to think that you’ve got someplace to go to. And that the place that you’re going to, there’s somebody in it that you really love. Someone, you’re nuts about. Merry Christmas.”

I get it; Christmas is one day out of the year. But, what if… we made our hearts live as if it were Christmas all the other days? I get it; feelings (those that are positive and good) are different at Christmas. But what if… our hearts wrapped up those feelings and carried them January – November? I get it; … you can fill in the rest with your own thoughts.

As we move into the middle of December and closer to Christmas day, the more thoughts, feelings, emotions are stirred because it is Christmas time; it might be just because I am getting older. Nonetheless, we would all be better if we celebrated Christmas joy all through the year. In the end, I guess it can boil down to what I have always said, “Just do right by people.”

Live life as if it were Christmas everyday, why not? Merry Christmas everyone. This coming Friday will be the last blog of 2021 and it will be my 2021 Christmas Thoughts Poem…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2021 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or following the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…