Aren't you wondering what in the world is going on? If it's not war in Iran, destruction of communities in Pakistan, threats of war by N. Korea or bombings and evacuations in Syria,
it's social unrest in Furguson or allegations of date-rape for B. Cosby. I mean when does it stop?
It stops when we turn it off. Turn off the television. Read a book; go to yoga class; learn to play the piano or learn to speak another language. Use the space in your brain and charge yourself emotionally with what you choose to put there. And while you're at it, simply send a vibration of peace and love to all. That's what I've decided to do. Do I have any joiners?
Monday, December 1, 2014
Saturday, November 24, 2012
"Lincoln" is a historical movie with lots of details. It is entertaining in spots, but that is not the intention. It's intention is to teach--to educate. It sheds insight into the man who served as President during the civil war; and it highlighted the strategies that took place to ensure that the 13th Amendment passed the house. It is ultimately a story about effective leadership, something that we so desperately need, not only in the political realm, but everywhere--school districts, corporations, hospitals--everywhere!
There are some things that are said tongue in cheek; and others that are blatantly expressed. This is a movie where you have to pay attention to each word or you'll miss it. When I walked out of the theatre, which by the way had an audience that felt compelled to applaud at the end, I appreciated the man and understood the war much more intimately. I appreciate the position of the President of the United States even more. Further, I have more resolve to do whatever I can to make my corner of the world, no matter where I am better than how I find it. So, I guess you might say that I liked this movie very much.
There are some things that are said tongue in cheek; and others that are blatantly expressed. This is a movie where you have to pay attention to each word or you'll miss it. When I walked out of the theatre, which by the way had an audience that felt compelled to applaud at the end, I appreciated the man and understood the war much more intimately. I appreciate the position of the President of the United States even more. Further, I have more resolve to do whatever I can to make my corner of the world, no matter where I am better than how I find it. So, I guess you might say that I liked this movie very much.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Movies, really good ones, have messages that just keep on giving. The Sessions is one that I just had to write about. After talking with my colleague about it with my husband for two days and a colleague for more than an hour, I decided that I needed to put some thoughts to paper.
At the end of the movie I sat with this sense of total silence that I don't recall ever experiencing after watching a movie. It was as if everything that needed to be said was said, with and without words. The movie was framed around a man who wanted to experience this thing called life--fully, without restriction, without limitation, which is ironic when one considers his physicality. But, what was taught very well is that it is not physical limitations of any sort that stops anyone from living an authentic life. It is our thoughts about who we think we are or the guilt of something we think we did or some level of unforgiveness. And that those things, once they are lifted, by one's decision to live and experience this thing called life as a feeling, loving, human being can find the freedom that was there all along. The man knew what he was looking for and the therapist was there to help him find it; but the same thing that he needed, she also needed--to be authentically themselves. He achieved it; she didn't. It is about how one thinks and what one thinks s/he has to do eventhough there is no authenticity to it that creates disease, depression and an unfulfilled life.
The power of public opinion and the dogmatic teachings of the Church that are antithetical to human experience and denies what human beings are at their core--seekers of love and bliss are challenged in this film respectfully, but directly. There are many lessons in this film, too many to enumerate but one that is loud and clear. The only limits that we have are the ones that we impose on ourselves. But, you first must know who you are and love that person.
I read last night in The Irrational Man, a book on Existentialism, that many will live their whole lives not knowing who they are until they wake up dead. Now, that is a tragic life! I asked my husband of 30 years today--Who are You? His answer: I don't know, I'm going to have to think about it...
At the end of the movie I sat with this sense of total silence that I don't recall ever experiencing after watching a movie. It was as if everything that needed to be said was said, with and without words. The movie was framed around a man who wanted to experience this thing called life--fully, without restriction, without limitation, which is ironic when one considers his physicality. But, what was taught very well is that it is not physical limitations of any sort that stops anyone from living an authentic life. It is our thoughts about who we think we are or the guilt of something we think we did or some level of unforgiveness. And that those things, once they are lifted, by one's decision to live and experience this thing called life as a feeling, loving, human being can find the freedom that was there all along. The man knew what he was looking for and the therapist was there to help him find it; but the same thing that he needed, she also needed--to be authentically themselves. He achieved it; she didn't. It is about how one thinks and what one thinks s/he has to do eventhough there is no authenticity to it that creates disease, depression and an unfulfilled life.
The power of public opinion and the dogmatic teachings of the Church that are antithetical to human experience and denies what human beings are at their core--seekers of love and bliss are challenged in this film respectfully, but directly. There are many lessons in this film, too many to enumerate but one that is loud and clear. The only limits that we have are the ones that we impose on ourselves. But, you first must know who you are and love that person.
I read last night in The Irrational Man, a book on Existentialism, that many will live their whole lives not knowing who they are until they wake up dead. Now, that is a tragic life! I asked my husband of 30 years today--Who are You? His answer: I don't know, I'm going to have to think about it...
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Living "as if"
Yesterday, I attended the #spark and hustle extravaganza and I've spent this morning and much of the afternoon watching #oprahtv Soul Sunday. Both of them were powerful encounters and while I am not going to rehash what I experienced, I'm going to share what it led me to do today and hopefully, much longer. However, what I've learned is that it's not what I "decide" to do that creates action, it is what I "actually; do that changes life.
Okay, today is my "as if day." I will act today as if everything that I have ever wanted, I now have. I will respond as if what is said to me is "I love you with all of my heart." I will look at my checkbook as if there are infinite funds. I am going to look at the book that I'm writing as if it is already finished and I'm just tweaking. I will approach my manuscript as if I have all of the words, concepts, humor and instructive tips that will help others to appreciate and learn what the intended lessons are. Further, the only thoughts that I will allow to remain in my mind are those that help to elevate me emotionally, spiritually, financially and globally. Today, I will act as if I have control over my thoughts and that those thoughts are actually creating my life experiences because they do. And so it is!
Okay, today is my "as if day." I will act today as if everything that I have ever wanted, I now have. I will respond as if what is said to me is "I love you with all of my heart." I will look at my checkbook as if there are infinite funds. I am going to look at the book that I'm writing as if it is already finished and I'm just tweaking. I will approach my manuscript as if I have all of the words, concepts, humor and instructive tips that will help others to appreciate and learn what the intended lessons are. Further, the only thoughts that I will allow to remain in my mind are those that help to elevate me emotionally, spiritually, financially and globally. Today, I will act as if I have control over my thoughts and that those thoughts are actually creating my life experiences because they do. And so it is!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The ART of Management
The "ART" of Management: Attitude, Resources and Team
The 21st century is the era when we all should understand that you have only one time to get it right; and that is the first time. The old adage that says that you only have one time to be make a good impression, applies to more than just personal encounters; it applies to everything in the business and education world (which by the way is a business).
While it is hard to remember the time when we did not have the ubiquitous internet and You Tube, as leaders and managers we had better not forget that they exist and people use them to expose organizational weaknesses. Long lines are no longer tolerated. Just ask the university who did not have its ducks in order and ended up having 7,000 students standing in line for days trying to register. Someone who was hot, tired, thirsty and hungry sent the picture of the mayhem to the local news. The press arrived promptly and reported what they saw to thousands more.
But long lines is not just the measurement of good customer service. People who don't know how to treat people well, or choose not to, are finding themselves on the other side of the employment line because someone sent a negative image through the airwaves to expose the poor treatment. Technology, as we all know, has given people a voice like we've never had before.
What then do we need to do? It is imperative that we understand and ensure that we have the "ART" extant. It may mean that people need to be moved to behind the scenes positions. It may mean that resources need to be reallocated in order to ensure that what matters most receives the financial support that it needs; and it may definitely mean that an attitude adjustment is made by all one or all members of the team.
The Attitude questions are 2 simple ones: Do the people who engage with the public, create policy or implement policy understand and embrace the best practices of customer service, the golden rule or the value of genuine courtesy? And if they don't, what are you going to do about it? Ignoring them is not an option.
TheResource questions are more complex: Are you willing to invest in what needs more attention in order to better ensure that the interactions that your customers have are positive? If funds are limited and they generally are, how will you redirect funding? Are you willing to make decisions about what can go away or be reduced without crippling another side of the organization or business? But keep in mind, without customers, you do not have a business.
The "T" in team stands for together, which is not an original thought, but is darn hard to find. In teams that are left on their own without being held accountable for how they act as a team, are often times bogged down by somebody's unchecked ego.
Do you have the right team with the right attitude who knows how to effectively and efficiently utilize the human and financial resources that they have available to them? Has the team received the time and attention it needs to work optimally? Do you have the right members on the team? If the answer is "no" to one or all of the above, what are you willing to do about it?
Today, requires a kind of hands-on leadership that the guru Oprah, and I'm sure, others attribute to their success. Micromanagement? Maybe it is. But the end goal is clear: Have positive press everyday. Imposssible you say, then you're not whom I'm looking for to serve on my team. Think ART- Attitude, Resources and Team. That's Cecilia's Way
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Urban Education: A Trillion Dollar Business
I read Diane Ravitch's most recent book last weekend in one sitting; it was just that compelling. As I read it, I could not help but think of the many teachers and administrators with whom I have spoken over the past 8 years who have just been lamenting about the damage done to our kids. They were not complaining because they were simply resisting the NCLB reform agenda. Their concerns were bonafide. They and I see NCLB as a dumbing down of students who attend public schools in this country. Others who are more in tune with history and politics see it as a strategy to end public schools in this country.
Diane Ravitch is a scholar, which is why I don't understand why it took her so long to get it. And, yet I do understand. You see, the students who were the victims of this so-called accountability system were not her children and grandchildren. They don't attend the schools where children don't have access to the best in curriculum and instruction. She and her children would not allow it. However, when you make decisions for "other people's children" you don't see through the same lens nor do you share the same level of urgency as the others do. In a recent leadership role I had to explain to those who were making decisions about empowerment for others that they could not establish a different standard for empowerment for other people. What is empowerment for them, the leaders, had to be the same for the program participants.
The real travesty in all of this is that the African American scholars voices were silent or silenced in the national dialogue about NCLB. Rod Paige, unfortunately, is not the person who could have brought the kind of leadership that was needed while Secretary of Education. His experiences in the Texas School System simply did not prepare him for the depth and breadth of understanding of curriculum and instruction that was needed. The wake-up call is that those of us who may not be considered as scholars must still take on those who are. Clearly, when they are wrong, there errors are deadly.
The NCLB legislation requires the annual assessment of all students on standardized tests. Because the stakes are so high, when they're not being tested, teachers are preparing them for the test. The test is primarily fill in the blank. They are not similar to the New York State Regents exams that were based on the curriculum that was to be taught at particular grade levels for specific subjects. These tests are low level and the teaching that leads up to them is low level as well. Students are rebelling in various ways because they intuitively understand that what they are being "trained" to do is not education at all; and it is preparing them for a life of burgers and low-paid service job.
If you wonder why African American, Latino and poor white students are unable to write and read well. Well, wonder no more. They are not required to produce essays and research papers to demonstrate how well they have learned required information, unless they are in accelerated programs.
The insidious tracking of students continues. We know that it is not good education. We know that the effects have a long-term impact on students' lives and yet school systems continue to engage in a practice that we know not only leaves children behind, it pushes them behind.
I do not understand how this country can permit the misuse of billions of taxpayers dollars with the substandard education that millions of children are receiving. We are losing our students because of this NCLB era. This is occurring about a decade after the failure of the whole language movement, which resulted in a generation of students who have no word analysis skills and very poor writing skills. The experimentation with our students must stop. It is criminal. We know how to teach all students; we simply do not have the will to do it. We know how to hold teachers accountable; we just do not hold principals accountable for doing their jobs: professional development, coaching and evaluations.
Asa Hilliard's and Barbara Sizemore's voices are no longer audible because they have passed on. I refuse to allow their legacy to die with them. I have been quiet too long. It is time for my voice to be heard. I am an educator who has served at every level; and I have shared successes with great teachers, administrators and parents for our students.
I am committed to doing all that I can to save public schools because our children need them. I am searching for others who will challenge the powers that be to turn this ship around. Urban schools must be improved by those that understand and live urban education. They cannot be improved by those who simply read about them. Doctors donot learn how to perform heart surgery by simply reading a manual. Politicians cannot fix the heart of urban education that way either.
Diane Ravitch is a scholar, which is why I don't understand why it took her so long to get it. And, yet I do understand. You see, the students who were the victims of this so-called accountability system were not her children and grandchildren. They don't attend the schools where children don't have access to the best in curriculum and instruction. She and her children would not allow it. However, when you make decisions for "other people's children" you don't see through the same lens nor do you share the same level of urgency as the others do. In a recent leadership role I had to explain to those who were making decisions about empowerment for others that they could not establish a different standard for empowerment for other people. What is empowerment for them, the leaders, had to be the same for the program participants.
The real travesty in all of this is that the African American scholars voices were silent or silenced in the national dialogue about NCLB. Rod Paige, unfortunately, is not the person who could have brought the kind of leadership that was needed while Secretary of Education. His experiences in the Texas School System simply did not prepare him for the depth and breadth of understanding of curriculum and instruction that was needed. The wake-up call is that those of us who may not be considered as scholars must still take on those who are. Clearly, when they are wrong, there errors are deadly.
The NCLB legislation requires the annual assessment of all students on standardized tests. Because the stakes are so high, when they're not being tested, teachers are preparing them for the test. The test is primarily fill in the blank. They are not similar to the New York State Regents exams that were based on the curriculum that was to be taught at particular grade levels for specific subjects. These tests are low level and the teaching that leads up to them is low level as well. Students are rebelling in various ways because they intuitively understand that what they are being "trained" to do is not education at all; and it is preparing them for a life of burgers and low-paid service job.
If you wonder why African American, Latino and poor white students are unable to write and read well. Well, wonder no more. They are not required to produce essays and research papers to demonstrate how well they have learned required information, unless they are in accelerated programs.
The insidious tracking of students continues. We know that it is not good education. We know that the effects have a long-term impact on students' lives and yet school systems continue to engage in a practice that we know not only leaves children behind, it pushes them behind.
I do not understand how this country can permit the misuse of billions of taxpayers dollars with the substandard education that millions of children are receiving. We are losing our students because of this NCLB era. This is occurring about a decade after the failure of the whole language movement, which resulted in a generation of students who have no word analysis skills and very poor writing skills. The experimentation with our students must stop. It is criminal. We know how to teach all students; we simply do not have the will to do it. We know how to hold teachers accountable; we just do not hold principals accountable for doing their jobs: professional development, coaching and evaluations.
Asa Hilliard's and Barbara Sizemore's voices are no longer audible because they have passed on. I refuse to allow their legacy to die with them. I have been quiet too long. It is time for my voice to be heard. I am an educator who has served at every level; and I have shared successes with great teachers, administrators and parents for our students.
I am committed to doing all that I can to save public schools because our children need them. I am searching for others who will challenge the powers that be to turn this ship around. Urban schools must be improved by those that understand and live urban education. They cannot be improved by those who simply read about them. Doctors donot learn how to perform heart surgery by simply reading a manual. Politicians cannot fix the heart of urban education that way either.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Why Aren't Women Sleeping
Talk to any women and you'll find that they're not sleeping very much these days. Age may have something to do with it; but I'm not so certain that it does. What I do know is that there are millions of working women, in particular, who are not sleeping the recommended 7-8 hours a night. Other than that they're healthy, energetic and bright. So, what's going on here. Well, if you mention it to a doctor, they want to prescribe something because it's something that has to be cured right? In some cases it may, especially if alertness is a critical part of your job such as surgery or driving a truck.
But, hey we still don't know why we're not sleeping. I have a couple of theories. I believe that there is a level of energy that we are not expending that is craving to be released. Perhaps it's a book that needs to be written or a song that needs to be sung. It may be a soliloquy that has yet to be recited.
That's it-- unexpended, bottled up energy. Or it may be an unfulfilled dream that won't let you rest until it has expression in your life--a business that you've always wanted to have, the trip around the world or the missionary work in your own neighborhood or in Africa. It may be as simple or as difficult as the conversation you have been trying to have with your significant other for over ten years. Wake him up and make him hear it; and don't let him interrupt you. Stop being so darned submissive...is that it? Or is passive a better word?
Paul Lawrence Dunbar wrote about the dream deferred, but I believe there are more women that live that poem than men, regardless of race! We're so busy trying to make a smooth path for our children and not bruise the male ego that women are too often putting themselves last. It's noble, but it is absolutely unhealthy. Look at the obituaries. They say that women outlive men, but boy are they going through hell just to stay on earth. Too many young women are being treated for stress related disease (of course the majority of diseases are stress-related). But that is for another blog.
Women, before you start taking sleep inducing medicines, spend some time listening to that inner voice that won't let you sleep. And then try to give it what it wants and needs. If your doctor doesn't ask you that question before prescribing something for you, then politely accept the prescription and tuck it away, until you find one who does.
But, hey we still don't know why we're not sleeping. I have a couple of theories. I believe that there is a level of energy that we are not expending that is craving to be released. Perhaps it's a book that needs to be written or a song that needs to be sung. It may be a soliloquy that has yet to be recited.
That's it-- unexpended, bottled up energy. Or it may be an unfulfilled dream that won't let you rest until it has expression in your life--a business that you've always wanted to have, the trip around the world or the missionary work in your own neighborhood or in Africa. It may be as simple or as difficult as the conversation you have been trying to have with your significant other for over ten years. Wake him up and make him hear it; and don't let him interrupt you. Stop being so darned submissive...is that it? Or is passive a better word?
Paul Lawrence Dunbar wrote about the dream deferred, but I believe there are more women that live that poem than men, regardless of race! We're so busy trying to make a smooth path for our children and not bruise the male ego that women are too often putting themselves last. It's noble, but it is absolutely unhealthy. Look at the obituaries. They say that women outlive men, but boy are they going through hell just to stay on earth. Too many young women are being treated for stress related disease (of course the majority of diseases are stress-related). But that is for another blog.
Women, before you start taking sleep inducing medicines, spend some time listening to that inner voice that won't let you sleep. And then try to give it what it wants and needs. If your doctor doesn't ask you that question before prescribing something for you, then politely accept the prescription and tuck it away, until you find one who does.
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