Category Archives: Servant

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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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.

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“A Great Teacher” is what I want to be…

14 Friday May 2021

Posted by in Actions, Authentic, Character, Culture, Education, Educational Leadership, Effective, Encouragement, Engagement, Heart, Inspiration, Leader, Leadership, Legacy, Memories, Passion, Purpose, Reality, Reflection, Servant, Sincerity, Teacher Appreciation, Teachers, Value

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Do you ever wonder if you make a connection with your students? What will they remember about you? With teaching being as much about classroom psychology as it is knowing your subject matter, how students remember us lasts forever in their minds. In a previous blog Memories so thick…, I mentioned the idea of how educators/leaders can create an atmosphere where students make memories, but today, I wanted to take a different look at the same idea.

One of many joys I have as an educator is being able to adjunct teach at the college level. One of my running statements is that I try to “positively corrupt” future educators on how the educational world actually is. It’s harder than you think, by the way. And then there are those current teachers who are working on an advanced degree in education… more than anything else, I try to convey to them the much-needed characteristic of being a servant-leader.

With saying all of that, I have to be minded of the educator I am as well. In my own mind, I think I know what type of educator I am. However, the students throughout my career are the ones who can testify as to what type of educator I actually was.

I love how movie snippets that can say exactly what you are wanting to say, and I have one for us. I highly encourage you to watch the Emperor’s Club with Kevin Kline, if you have never seen it. I believe it should be required of all educators. There is one scene near the end of the movie that sends a message for the type of educator I hope I am and the type of educator I want to be. The message sent is what I wish all teachers/leaders in education would strive to become and be. Not only for themselves but for their students as well. I believe this one clip to be so powerful; I show it at the end of each semester to the class of future educators in hopes they will understand the passion I have for teaching and educational leadership.

Please take 2 minutes and 4 seconds to watch what I am talking about… Maybe get a tissue ready?

Emperors Club – “A Great Teacher” Clip

Here it is in print…

“A great teacher has little external history to record. His life goes over into other lives. These men are pillars in the intimate structure of our schools. They are more essential than its stones or beams, and they will continue to be a kindling force and a revealing power in our lives.” 

This is about as good as it gets for me. This is the type of teacher I hope I am. This is the type of teacher I want to be. I have been very fortunate to have some teachers and mentors like this and they have had an ever lasting influence in one way or another on my life. This is the type of teacher education needs, now more than ever. As we begin to wrap of this school year, make an effort to be this type of teacher. 

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

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Expiration Dates and Fresh Leadership…

23 Friday Oct 2020

Posted by in Decisions, Effective, Expiration dates, Leader, Leadership, Listening, Servant

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The other night I was getting a glass of milk before I went to bed and finished the container; there was not much left. I went to get another container out of the other fridge, and as I bent over to get it, there it was… the expiration date, staring me in the face. Somehow the lettering seemed much larger and more significant than it had in the past. I said to myself, “October 23, wow… I can literally live my days marked out on time based on milk carton expiration dates.”

Others in my household will look at the expiration date, on any item, on the day of and immediately say, “I’m throwing this out. It has expired.” I look at the date and say, “Let me see,” taste it and say, “It’s still good.” The way I look at it is expiration dates just mean hurry up.

Smart shoppers check expiration dates at the grocery store. Why would you not? We really do want fresh items. You know what? We really want everything fresh, even leadership. However, it is too bad that leadership does not have a stamp on it, letting others know that the particular leadership style is about to be or already is… growing stale, stale, about to expire or even has.

So, how do we know if leadership is expired or growing stale? To answer that question, we must look at the leader themselves and the trend they promote. Strong leadership with a growth mindset that does not keep repeatedly doing the same old thing over and over is what people want. Remember, the worst words in leadership are, “We have always done it this way.” Now, that does not mean we change ideas and concepts that are working and for the good of others, but…

Leadership that has worked in the past often does not work now. Leadership that works now does not mean it will work in the future.

Fresh leadership finds a way of keeping good ideas previously used on the cutting edge, changing and tweaking it here and there as needed. While at the same time, leaders who involve others in “talks” and actually listen will find support to continually move forward with new ideas and help foster current and future success. And please, acknowledge good ideas from others and give them credit. It will do wonders for your credibility.

As we all live our lives, we “clock” it by some time factor. And then I began to think more (this is where many of my problems occur)… How much time after the expiration date is the milk still good. Well, that answer depends on how much you like soured milk. I guess at some point, it will become undrinkable, but who knows. And just like milk, leadership will eventually sour as well. Don’t let your leadership expire…

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

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2020 J Clay Norton

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