I Don't Speak, Because I Don't Feel Safe

Do you remember a time that you have been in a meeting, classroom, or any group setting and you had a really awesome idea or opinion, but you didn't speak up? You leave that environment and wonder why you didn't have the courage to vocalize your idea? Why? Is it  your personality? Or is it something bigger than that? Could it be that you don't feel psychologically safe?

What does that even mean?

If we do not create an environment of safety and security, students will not feel safe enough to share their hopes, dreams, or cries for help. We MUST create a learning environment that students can share openly about their fears, concerns, goals, questions, or excitement. Think of the countless number of kids that don't share their truth with us because of fear, feeling unsafe, or being made fun of! WE MUST CHANGE...Psychologically safety must be ingrained into our culture in schools, homes, and life.

How do we create such an environment, some may ask? For some of us it is easy, for others in can be quite difficult. As adults and humans if we show our flaws and mistakes, kids are more acceptable to do the same. If we create a culture of risk-taking and not being afraid to fail, they will follow suit. It is my true belief that kids and students need to view their teacher, parents, or important adult figures as humans. As people that have made countless mistakes and are still successful today. Surround and expose our young people with adults that have recognized their mistakes, embraced them, and used them as a catapult for change.
Suggestions:

Don't be a DREAM squasher, be a DREAM builder
Embrace uniqueness
Encourage kids to share their past experiences
DON'T JUDGE
Relate to them
LISTEN (I mean REALLY listen)
Share your life with them
Prove to them that YOU CARE!
Treat them as if they were your own child
Provide positive feedback
LAUGH
LOVE THEIR FLAWS
Promote creativity
Build something
Cook something together
LOVE THEM!!!


We are not perfect. We fail, we struggle, we win, we lose, we love, we cry, we smile, we learn, we grow, we explore, we create, we encourage, we embrace, we try and be the best WE can be every day. Why aren't we sharing our stories with our young people? Taking time to remove our costumes and expose our wounds to help them understand it is going to be okay?

Are we so obsessed of what we look like on social media, that we have forgotten who we really are? We post these pictures of our vacations, flowers from loved ones, and all things that seem to be "perfect" in our lives. Our young people are forced to do the same. Pose a thousand times for one post on Instagram, with 13 different filters being applied??? Is that real life?

Long story short...We need to stop and listen to what our young people want and need. We need to allow them to take risks, fail, learn, and grow. We want to teach them perseverance, with a, "never give up" attitude. Our young people deserve to feel safe when talking to not only adults and teachers, but their peers. They need to speak their minds and work together to make this world a more safe and secure.

It is up to US, to help them on this journey, that we call life. Watch your words, they can hurt.

BE AWESOME
BE YOU
BE YOU
BE YOU
YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARY

xoxo,
LMR

In a Time of Tragedy...BE KIND

This is our #CTKindness Campaign at our school. We hope to make a difference in schools, the community, and the world.

We MUST MODEL Kindness and LOVE for our young people, if we want to change the world. We have to take a stand, have moral courage, and DO THE RIGHT THING.

Our world is in major need of love and kindness to overcome the current state of chaos and hate.

IT STARTS WITH YOU.
IT STARTS WITH US.

BE KIND in your words and actions.

We can post supportive pictures and posts, but it is our ACTIONS that make the difference.

Please challenge yourself, your family, your friends, your school, your church, your neighborhood, and even strangers to BE KIND!

#CTKindness

Big Love,

Leigh

NEVER. STOP. LEARNING

My Grandpa George S. Pallo

As most of you know, my Grandpa George S. Pallo was a High School Principal for 30 years in the consolidated town of Park Hills, formally known as Flat River. He was an advocate for ALL students and a true pioneer in education. He told me almost every time that I saw him that, "No one can take away your knowledge." He truly believed that statement, as he continued learning and growing until he left this earth.

He started his first book when he is was in his mid 70's. Not only did he tell us to never stop learning, he modeled it for us. Through his inspiration and dedication to knowledge and learning, I am able to write for each of you today. He taught me many valuable lessons in life, but most importantly, that I have a voice, and I should share it with the world. Also, that knowledge is what brings change into the world.

LEARNING?

Learning is such an enigma, isn't it? I mean, it goes from young people learning their A, B, C's, to sex education, foreign languages, to managing money, to life in general. The list is infinite for sure!

Does learning look different for kids and young people than it does adults? I don't really have the answer to this question. I think it depends on what you are trying to actually learn. If you are focused on answers, then it probably does look the same, but if you are striving to learn from mistakes and experiences, it may differ a little.

Do we really take time to LEARN from our mistakes? I mean, really dig deep and search within ourselves to identify our mistakes, weaknesses, and what changes we need to make so we learn from it? If we are not learning from our mistakes, what are we doing? Continuing to make the same mistakes over and over again, never learning and changing, but becoming stagnant, bitter, and resentful? It is easier to blame our mistakes and short comings on others, so we don't have to focus on them. By blaming others, are we ever addressing the situation at hand, growing from it, or not only taking ownership of our mistakes, but promising ourselves that we WILL LEARN from them the next time?

Take marriage for an example: Convo between wife and husband (a super simple fix)

Wife: You are on your phone too much and we never talk anymore.
Husband: What do you want to talk about?
Wife: I don't know, just get off your phone!
Husband: Okay, picks phone back up and scrolls through Facebook & Twitter
Wife: You never help out with anything around the house.
Husband: What would you like me to do?
Wife: It is all finished now, I did it all while you were playing on your damn phone
Husband: Repeat

What should the husband do? Probably put down his phone? Learn from his mistakes? Probably get bitched at less? I am not sure, but how many times have we had this conversation?

If something bothers someone that we love, we need to reflect, LEARN, and GROW from our mistakes, so it makes it easier on all of us!

My Grandpa George & Grandma Marie 

As I said earlier, LEARNING comes is so many shapes and sizes, but the good news is, it's not too late to LEARN.

LEARN from your relationships
LEARN from your experiences
LEARN from your heartbreaks
LEARN from you celebrations
LEARN from your past
LEARN from your parents
LEARN from your teachers
LEARN from your bad bosses
LEARN from the homeless person
LEARN a new language
LEARN how to play the guitar
LEARN how to be kind
LEARN how to be transparent
LEARN how to cook something new
LEARN what to do differently next time

Challenge yourself to LEARN something new every day.  Just remember, NEVER. STOP. LEARNING.

Get Your Learn On,

xoxo, LMR

If Your Life Ended at 17...

I have been doing some major soul searching over the past few weeks, after one of my students was shot and killed over something out of his control. He was 17. Yes, I said 17. A seventeen year old boy took his last breath two weeks ago.  A young man that hugged me every day off of the bus, that had the best manners I could imagine, and the kindest heart.

Is it fair? What purpose does it serve? Why him? These are all questions that I may never be able to answer, but I must find peace in my heart and soul for it to serve a purpose in this world, to honor him.

I started thinking about all of the things that we focus our energy on; making our house payment, who just bought a new vehicle, our jobs, things that we can't change, things that our out of our control, our jealousy for others, and the list could go on for days, then it occurred to me, NONE of it matters. None of it.

What if you died at 17? How would you have been remembered?

What matters in life? Why are we here? What is our purpose?

Most people say, family. That's a cool answer, but what about your family matters? For me it is having off the wall conversations with my Uncle Bear about Mediterranean diets, to his old worker named Corn Dog, or my nephew putting a worm in his sister's hair at her graduation party and laughing until he had tears in his eyes, or sitting with my mom and dad telling stories on the veranda about life and laughing and enjoying EVERY moment of it. Having a fish fry and me telling Boo and Ms. B. about my students and how they nicknamed me "The Sheriff."  Spending as much time with my girlfriends that I consider my family, eating, telling old stories, jumping off boats like we were in the junior high, still having bunking parties, and laughing until our stomach hurts in a crowded restaurant eating brunch.
I could go on and on, but the point is, enjoy it. Enjoy it in the moment. Stop and enjoy.

Life is short. Life is precious. Life is ugly. Life is beautiful. Life is what YOU make of it.

Life is short, so live it.

Life is precious, so embrace it.

Life is ugly, so learn from it.

Life is beautiful, so enjoy it.

Life is what you make of it, make it COUNT.

Change the world and fight hard to do it. Inspire and motivate others to do the same.

My challenge to you is this; reflect back on your 17 year old self. Have you changed? Have you grown? What advice would you have given yourself? I really want you to dig deep, it's not easy. I know what I see and I'm not proud, but I am just blessed that I have lived long enough to change my life, and Iv'e got a long way to go!

I hope you all have an awesome day and make a promise to yourself that you will, MAKE IT COUNT!

xoxo,

LMR