It’s fairly common at the start of a new school year for teachers to greet their new students with brief introductions and “getting to know you” games, and to ask the question, “Does anyone have anything they’d like to share about their summer?” With that in mind I’d like to share a few things that stand out about my summer and more importantly, the learning I’ll bring with me into the 2021-2022 school year.
Mau
It started rough, and that’s putting it mildly. The very first morning of my summer vacation I received a text from the General Director calling for an emergency meeting of our Senior Leadership Team. It was 6:00 am and I was in a hotel room in Los Angeles having arrived about four and a half hours earlier on a flight from Costa Rica to attend a training. Obviously, it wasn’t going to be good news, and when we got on the call it turned out to be worse than I expected. Mauricio, a beloved member of our school community, had passed away that morning while walking to campus.
Mauricio was a security guard at Lincoln School, but that doesn’t nearly do justice to his place in our community. Most days, Mauricio’s smile was the first face you saw coming on to campus and the last you saw when exiting to your car. Mauricio walked through campus to the absolute delight of our faculty and students and was a friend to all. This year our graduating students recognized Mauricio at their end-of-year awards ceremony and last year the seniors dedicated their yearbook to him. Mauricio’s soccer skills were the stuff of legend, and he never missed an opportunity to lend a hand when our students or faculty were helping others by collecting donations or hosting events. His loss touched every member of our community. Even now (some weeks later) it’s not easy to write about his passing, but I want to say that in reflecting on my time with Mauricio several lessons are clear: never underestimate the importance of a smile, the power of a helping hand, and the impact that one good man can have on thousands of others.
Cognitive Coaching
As I said, I was in Los Angeles the first week of our summer break to attend a training. This was for the first half of the Cognitive Coaching program, a workshop focused on developing skills in “mediating thinking.” It was fantastic! The trainers were incredible and the participants (all of whom seemed to know one another except for me) were kind and inclusive. The training itself was excellent, focusing each day on a different aspect of coaching and in actively listening to others with the purpose of helping them to better understand their own needs and potential. We role-played, laughed, and definitely learned. I can’t wait to finish the program when we host the second-half of the training later this year, but I’ve already learned important skills in listening and serving others that I can’t wait to use when the year begins. Among the most important of the take-aways for me so far was the importance of really listening to others, without looking for opportunities to interject or offer advice. So often, we find ourselves waiting for our turn to talk, but when we can turn that off and just be present for others, we can truly help them to help themselves.
Kristen
My week in LA flew by, and before I knew it I was back at LAX getting ready to fly home. Moments after clearing TSA though, I received a call from my sister (which I missed going through the security line) and a text from my wife (which I received moments after) with terrible news. My life-long friend…let me pause here to say those words do not accurately describe our bond; I have known Kristen literally since the day she was born…suffered a stroke and was in the hospital. This was actually her second in the past month, but she seemed well on her way to recovering from the first when she had another. We had very little information at this point other than the fact that it had happened and seemed worse than the first. I boarded the flight to Costa Rica knowing little more, and the six hours on the plane without wifi taught me a very important lesson about life and friendship. Long story short, Kristen is a strong, positive person who has worked hard and is well on her way to recovery. She “graduated” from rehab earlier this week and is well enough to go home. That being the case, in the hours and days immediately following that call one lesson was clear: never leave one’s feelings for another unsaid. As John Mayer put it, “Say what you need to say.”
Nosara
After almost two years of being apart that included missed births, birthdays, and other important life-events, 16 members of our family gathered for a week in one house in Nosara, Costa Rica to celebrate 50 years of marriage for my wife’s parents. It was an incredible week. We laughed, told stories, played in the ocean, played in the pool, and played in the sun. Some of us went zip-lining, some of us ATVing, and all of us went to sunsets and dinner on the beach. We wrapped up with a trip to see turtles nesting before saying goodbye and heading back to reality. I hope we have many more chances to gather as an entire family, but this trip after being apart for so long reminded me that these moments are not to be taken for granted. There’s a saying about life being short and eating the cake (they said it better than I can)…it’s true! If you have a chance to spend time with the people you love, take it, always.
Yoga
This morning I completed the last of my requirements for my 300-hour yoga teacher training almost a year to the day after I started my 200-hour training last summer. At the time we were approaching six months of quarantine in the pandemic, and with driving restrictions (we live on top of a mountain and have to get in the car if we’re going to leave the house) it was sometimes hard to keep up with my usual running routine. I spent the twelve months since taking different mindfulness and yoga classes, including both the aforementioned yoga teacher trainings. It’s not my goal to become a yoga teacher, but I do believe I’ll use some of what I’ve learned to help students learn to deal with anxiety and stress. More importantly, I’ve learned how to better handle uncertainty and stress at what was certainly a stressful and uncertain time. Yoga has given me better mental clarity and more patience, and I don’t regret a moment or dollar I’ve spent this year in taking these trainings. It’s a good workout too, and I’ve definitely noticed a difference physically as well as mentally. If I’ve learned anything though, it’s that you can never go wrong with a little self-care.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow, for me, the 2021 school year officially begins when I help to welcome new hires to the Lincoln family. We are returning to campus, all of us at once, for the first time in over a year and a half. I can’t wait! I’m genuinely excited to see every member of our community: the teachers, staff, students, and their parents. We have no way of knowing what tomorrow will bring, what turns the virus will take, or whether we’re truly approaching the end of the pandemic or something else. I’ve learned though, not to take people’s presence for granted. I’ve learned to let them know how much I appreciate them and better ways to show it. I’ve learned how to take care of myself so that I can be there for others. I’m ready for whatever comes next.
Wherever you are, I wish you a healthy, happy, amazing school year!
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