JUST RUN, JUST GO
A responsibility of being district teacher of the year is the opportunity to write and read a back to school speech for our district’s staff and teachers. Who could have anticipated what this year would hold? The words I read on August 6, 2019 seemed timely to look back on during this historical time of COVID-19. Together, we must finish the race and finish strong!
Just Run, Just Go by Melissa Spence
Read at the Conway Public Schools 2019-2020 Back to School Assembly
Here we are, assembled and ready for the race to begin. We are huddled in the runner’s corral. Each one of us coming from all walks of life, different vocations and experiences equipped with varying goals and strategies. We have our new outfits, we’ve laced up our shoes, our watches are set. We are at the starting line, ready to embark on our marathon: The 2019-2020 school year.
There was a time when I frequently ran in races. From 5Ks to the Little Rock marathon. I would worry over how many miles I logged each month, worry over my times. I was running so much that it had become a chore and I lost focus. Why was I doing it? Was I enjoying it?
Something was out of balance. I was logging a lot of miles but wasn’t moving forward.
Something had to change. I had to strip away all the things that caused me to lose sight of this thing I once loved. Let go of the arbitrary hurdles and just run, just go. For the first time in a long time, I began to enjoy the process and experiences that came with running. Running provides me clarity, grounds me, and gets me out into nature.
This new perspective on running allowed me to see and hear so many sights and sounds that were stolen by self-imposed blinders. From the cry of a pileated woodpecker to the summer buzz of cicadas, to squirrels peeking around the trees thinking I don’t see them...I see them.
I had been running past these things. With my shift in perspective came new meaning that I didn't expect. I decided to go because I wanted to go and was rewarded with the beauty I had hidden from myself.
It may not be running, but all of us have things that are important to us, that we enjoy and appreciate. How can we bring them into the classroom and make a meaningful impact for us and our students? How can we share that meaning this year?
Using small, teachable moments, we can broaden our students’ appreciation of the amazing world around us. It is so simple to collect things while out on a run or hike or from our yard to share with our students. I guarantee you that something weird will visit your porch light tonight. Share it with your students, talk about it and learn from each other.
Nature is inexpensive, so is running. All you need to go running are a pair of tennis shoes and a direction. So many times we think if we just have that treadmill, we will do it. If we just have that elliptical, we’ll have everything we need to begin. I’ve been there. Both of those things are in our spare bedroom! The treadmill, the elliptical or shiny new shoes won’t get us going.
The power to decide is what gets us going. It gets us moving. We have the power to decide what to do with our time. Wasted time goes by at the same rate as productive time. It’s all moving so fast!
If you’ve been in education for one year or 28 years, it’s no secret that there is never enough money or supplies or time. Instead of focusing on what we don't have let's go all in with what we do have. Just run, just go.
In this race, there are going to be times where we are forced off the path. Maybe there’s a tree on the road. Things didn’t go the way that you wished they would. There may have been potholes in the form of personal struggles. Maybe something that you were excited about trying, failed and failed badly.
See these "off-road" moments as unscheduled opportunities to view the road from a new angle. Things will fail and we will fall, but we decide whether we stay there, go home, or get back up and keep running.
A personal trainer acts as a guide to success. We are the guide to our student’s education. If our students fail, we want them to fail early and fast, and be right there to help them up and get them back on track. We want to teach them why they failed and what they could do differently next time. And impart the desire to get up and try again.
Along the route of any race, refreshment is provided to the walkers and runners. Think about a child’s educational marathon. Instead of just water, we hand out high fives, hugs, applause, encouragement, bandaids, and most of all, knowledge.
Every person here will have an influence on the students they encounter. We decide if that’s a positive influence. We ensure we are handing out cool water to our students and each other and never vinegar. We are all in this together and kindness can be crucial.
Like any endeavor, we can get discouraged, we can get defeated, we can feel burned out. See these as signs to slow things down, take a break, and reassess.
Use this chance to take in the electric blue butterfly you didn’t see before or rescue the nightcrawler stranded on the pavement. Switch the perspective and think about what you are trying to achieve. Step back, tilt your head, turn it upside down, and come at it from a different angle.
Use these breaks as opportunities, not setbacks. When we feel like we are weary, that’s when we brainstorm and collaborate to conjure a new idea, we lean on our team for support, we go to a student’s gymnastics meet or baseball game. We remind ourselves that races are run and running is tough. We are tough.
We have the skills to choose the route we take. We have the power to decide how we will approach every roadblock we encounter. We can see a rabbit trail as an opportunity, not a distraction.
There may not be an open acknowledgment of our efforts. We do it anyway. Our students’ path is clear. It leads straight to our future. It is led by the amazing guides and personal trainers sitting in this room.
We’ve trained, we’ve put in the work, we’ve rested, we’ve got plans in place. On August 13th, the starter pistol fires, the race will begin. We are on the right path. We are on it together. Have a great race. Just run. Just go!