As a leader, you can’t build a team, a band or a company that is a whole lot different from who you are. An inventor can’t take himself out of the invention, even if he wants to. This idea begs the question, Who are you? What are your principles and values, and what is your purpose? “Purpose” can’t be defined as what you do; it is who and what you are. So what are you? Without self-discovery and self-knowledge, you don’t know…and until you do, it is difficult to lead others.

In recent conversations with two young teachers, it has become obvious to me that this is an area they need to explore. It is vitally important that they determine who they are and the principles for which they stand. Until they are able to answer these questions, their purpose will remain unclear both to them, and their students. As a mentor, I can share my ideas, but there is no guarantee they will work for them. They have to create their own model based on their own purpose. Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi wrote, “In all my years of coaching, I have never been successful using somebody else’s plays.” It is incumbent upon each of my two young friends to figure out their own “plays.”

Today, no every day, I encourage you to ask yourself the question, Who am I? What are my principles and values? What is my purpose? Whether you look at the group you lead and see a focused, disciplined organization or one that is undisciplined and lacks direction, remember you cannot build a team that is a whole different from who you are!

So….who are you?

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook @ Today No Every Day

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Have you ever had the experience where you just don’t feel like working out and then when you force yourself to begin, you have one of your best workouts of recent note? Or perhaps, you are in the midst of a work out and you decide you are too tired, too sore, or you create some other excuse, and all of a sudden, the work out is over. There is a Buddhist phrase that reads; “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth – not starting and not going all the way.”

I like this phrase a great deal. It reminds me that even though I may not get optimal gain out of a particular session, the most critical stages of my work outs are the beginning and the completion. (Notice I did not say the end) In the space between the beginning and conclusion lies many opportunities for growth; opportunities I would miss if I didn’t start or go all the way through the work out. It is a challenge to work out every day and too often, it is easy to give myself an excuse for not working out. But I understand that hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard. So, I have developed the following philosophy; I will only work out on the days I eat! I wish my students would adopt this philosophy with regard to their practice habits.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to consider the path you are taking on the road to truth. I understand that we often face significant challenges along the way; challenges that would make it easy to not start or to give up without completing our journey. Yet, in order to become all we can be, we must be willing to sacrifice time and effort to overcome these challenges. Remember, you can’t become a butterfly unless you give up being a caterpillar!

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook @ Today No Every Day

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Great music teachers are master storytellers. They awaken the mind by connecting musical thoughts and ideas to things in everyday life; they paint vivid, imaginative, mental images to which students can immediately relate. They know that minds working in concert, or performing together by thinking together, is fundamental to truly superior performances.

As a music educator, I believe we should be more musically inclined than mechanically inclined. Ours is a process of creation, not mindless repetition. It is not about notes and rhythms (facts and figures), but about shape, color, phrasing and nuance (practical application). H. Robert Reynolds supports this view with a unique analogy: “Too many teachers are teaching young students to follow the marks…Following the marks is like painting by the numbers, and one is not having any artistic experience through that kind of painting.”

Today, no every day, I encourage you to consider whether your learning is based on information overload, often filled with so much irrelevant information you are unable to have any “artistic experience.” As a young boy, I remember painting by the numbers and at the conclusion of the experience, I was left with a lifeless picture, divorced of the shadings and nuances that bring interest to it…and to me. Since that time, I have found it difficult to paint by the numbers. Heck, I can’t even color inside the lines!

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook @ Today No Every Day

****************************************************************************************** Disclaimer: Pursuant to Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) policy and administrative procedures, this e-mail system is to be used for official WCPS business only. All users are cautioned that messages sent and received through this system are subject to the Freedom of Information Act, and Maryland public disclosure laws, and may be reviewed at any time by WCPS. There should be no expectation of privacy.

Author Jon Gordon was speaking at a hospital and was told they were doing patient satisfaction surveys as a way to improve nurse performance. “What about nurse satisfaction surveys,” he asked. “No, we are not doing that,” they replied. Jon immediately saw the problem. Measuring patient satisfaction will not make nurses more energized, positive and attentive. Patient satisfaction will go up when nurse satisfaction goes up. Gordon went on to explain that it works the same in education. The best schools have the best culture where teachers are valued, listened to and cared for and in turn, these teachers value, care for and serve their students. Great teaching begins with a positive culture where teachers are engaged and energized at work and enjoy sharing positive, contagious energy with their students.

Jon Gordon’s message is part of a document entitled Positive School Manifesto and can be found at www.PositiveSchool.com. Much of the document is centered on the idea of school culture. I have long believed the key to the success of my program is based on the culture I expect; one of respect, self-discipline and hard work. I believe in the value of relationships. I not only know what my students do in the rehearsal hall, I know if they won their wrestling match last night, how they did in the recent track meet and when they are crushed by the cruel words of people they thought were their friends. I care deeply about my students…and they know it. Just like the best schools have the best culture, the best programs within the school do as well.

Today, no every day, I encourage you consider the way you measure satisfaction and the impact it has on the culture in which you work. I also encourage you to visit www.PositiveSchool.com and to read the Manifesto. It just might make you reconsider the manner in which you treat others.

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook @ Today No Every Day

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A teacher’s attitude has a profound effect on student behavior and performance. It can be said with great certainty that you will get what you expect out of them. If you anticipate that some will do very well, that most will fall somewhere in the middle and that a few will undoubtedly fail, this is likely to happen. On the other hand, if you expect all of your students to be motivated and hard working, then this is likely to happen as well.

Tomorrow will begin a new semester, a new beginning for many of our students. There will be many things they should expect from us. We will need to begin on their level and then bring them to ours. If something doesn’t go right, they should expect us to try something different. They should expect us to be persistent in our quest for excellence and tenacious in our efforts to connect with them. The one thing they should never expect is that we will give up on them. This is not a characteristic of effective teaching. We must remember that they will all learn at different speeds and it is our job to tend to their needs until that time comes.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to consider the role your attitude plays when working with others. Do you maintain high expectations and then offer the necessary support to help them be successful? Maybe you give up when things aren’t going as well as you had hoped. Perhaps you become frustrated when they don’t learn at the same rate. It is important that you remember that your role is to nurture them until growth occurs. After all, tulips bloom in the spring and mums bloom in the fall, yet they are both beautiful flowers.

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook @ Today No Every Day

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If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, chances are it’s a duck. If it hovers like an eagle, looks like an eagle and flies like an eagle, chances are it’s an eagle. Your life, too, is governed by habit patterns. Layer by layer, you establish your identity by what you observe, imitate and learn. Seemingly insignificant repetitions, innocent moments of watching and believing, turn into patterns, then unbreakable cables that will shackle or strengthen your life.

As I reflect upon these words from Denis Waitley in Empires of the Mind, I am reminded of the importance of positive role models. Young people learn by observation and imitation. If the significant adults in their lives are modeling positive work ethics, respect for others and a desire to achieve, they will begin to imitate these behaviors. On the other hand, if they observe lazy, uninspired efforts, a lack of respect for others and little desire to achieve, they will take on these characteristics as well. The good news is that we have the ability to choose our mentors and role models. And even if you are a product of a negative environment, you have the opportunity and ability to change.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to find the best role models you can. You deserve as much happiness and success as anyone. You are worth the price; which is effort, training, practice and courage. Remembering that practice makes permanent, the behaviors you choose to imitate will soon become habits that can either shackle or strengthen your life. It is true of ducks, eagles….and you!

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook @ Today No Every Day

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At the end of his career, an athlete can sometimes fall into a type of depression; a result of no longer needing to do the things he has been doing during his many years of training and games. It is not unlike the depression which a woman experiences following the nine months of anticipation of the birth of her child. Suddenly, life as one knows it, changes. Notice that we call it the “end” of the athlete’s career or the woman’s pregnancy.

Accomplishing a goal is not an end; it is a beginning. It involves the freedom to set off in search of new, perhaps even more challenging goals. The conclusion of the athlete’s career is simply the beginning of his life as a former athlete, while the end of pregnancy is the beginning of motherhood. Too often, I see students who see their accomplishments as an end, demonstrating little understanding that there are numerous opportunities yet to be explored. As a lifelong learner, I am aware that each lesson learned creates the opportunity to move forward. I am also, sometimes painfully, aware that each failure also creates new opportunities.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to consider that there are no real conclusions in life; only new opportunities. Sadly, if you are a person who is comfortable with the status quo, this is a concept you may find difficult to grasp. For some, it might seem like you are running on a path with no end in sight. For me, I choose to see it not as a path to accomplishment, but to endless opportunities. So when you arrive at that place in your life called accomplishment, look for the new path. I assure you it is there….waiting for you.

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook @ Today No Every Day

****************************************************************************************** Disclaimer: Pursuant to Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) policy and administrative procedures, this e-mail system is to be used for official WCPS business only. All users are cautioned that messages sent and received through this system are subject to the Freedom of Information Act, and Maryland public disclosure laws, and may be reviewed at any time by WCPS. There should be no expectation of privacy.

Being inspirational is never a given. Just because the game is big doesn’t deliver it, and just because the game isn’t big doesn’t mean it can’t be delivered. Motivation is not a skill; it is an art form. It is about pushing buttons. It is interplay between the coach and players and its power is related to a personal connection. It can lift a team, but not as significantly as your year-round fitness program or commitment to developing fundamentals. It is a tiny percentage of the game, yet sometimes the margin of victory can be unbelievably narrow.

While I believe language and stories have the power to inspire passion, true motivation must come from within. I also believe it is not the motivation to win a specific game that makes the difference, but the desire to be your best every day you walk onto the practice field! I like this poem by Kevin Markle, former student manager of the UNC girl’s soccer team.

There are times in our lives that the world lets us show

The things of ourselves that now only we know.

Of course people say, “They’re so fast!” “They’re so strong!”

But in thinking that’s us, they’re totally wrong.

Sure, the skill and the strength are key to our fate,

But they’re not the main things that make this team great.

No, those on the outside can’t see why we win

Because they cannot see what we all have within.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to find the passion within you. There will be people along your journey who will encourage and inspire you, yet it is the quiet confidence one builds through daily preparation that allows you to become truly motivated and inspired! It begins with a single decision, but that decision must be made every day.

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook @ Today No Every Day

****************************************************************************************** Disclaimer: Pursuant to Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) policy and administrative procedures, this e-mail system is to be used for official WCPS business only. All users are cautioned that messages sent and received through this system are subject to the Freedom of Information Act, and Maryland public disclosure laws, and may be reviewed at any time by WCPS. There should be no expectation of privacy.

The training process for running a marathon takes 3 – 4 months. It includes running anywhere from 40 – 80 miles a week, interval training, hill training and pace runs. Sometimes you have to run in stifling heat, while at other times you are faced with frigid temperatures. I have run at 4:30 AM and 11:30 PM because within the training process, you must get the run in. When race day finally arrives, it is almost anticlimactic. After months of preparation, it turns out that training was the event. The race was little more than validation of the work put in.

In a recent conversation with a young baseball coach, I suggested that we sometimes get so caught up in the idea of the Championship that we lose sight of the fact that the true event is the preparation we do on a daily basis. Seemingly, we have a similar approach to education in which we are so concerned about “the test” that we forget the true event takes place every day in the classroom. Are the race, the Championship and the test important validations of our efforts? I believe they are, yet they cannot be the only measure of success. In the end, not everyone will win the race. This cannot negate the value of the work done in preparation. Even in defeat, growth has occurred. Perhaps that is what we should be celebrating!

Today, no every day, I encourage you to consider how you approach the “events” of your life. Do you see victory as the goal? Or is it simply a validation of the work put in? As I watched the interviews of the NFL players following their playoff games, it is apparent that at this moment, they have little appreciation for the work they have done to date. I wonder if the real winners will ultimately be the ones who recognize that the true event began in training camp and culminated on the last day of practice. Everything else is simply validation.

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook @ Today No Every Day

****************************************************************************************** Disclaimer: Pursuant to Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) policy and administrative procedures, this e-mail system is to be used for official WCPS business only. All users are cautioned that messages sent and received through this system are subject to the Freedom of Information Act, and Maryland public disclosure laws, and may be reviewed at any time by WCPS. There should be no expectation of privacy.

When people are critical, he lets it roll off his back like water off a freshly waxed car. Interestingly, when they throw accolades his way, he responds in much the same manner. Many have been critical of his deep faith and his inability to throw the football accurately while others think he is the second coming of John Elway. He is humble in victory and gracious in defeat. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle of it all. Love him or hate him, you have to admire the guy.

There is much we could learn from Tim Tebow. We could learn to be introspective when others are critical, giving consideration to the idea that their concerns are valid. We could learn to be humble when others shower us with gratitude. For those of us who are very competitive, we could learn to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Maybe most importantly, we could learn that despite our shortcomings, we CAN be successful, even in the face of enormous criticism. Okay, maybe we can’t learn much about passing a football, but in the big picture of things, I am not sure that is such an important lesson to learn.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to consider how you handle your own life. When faced with significant challenges and an army of critics, would you have the strength to, not only endure, but overcome it all? I don’t know if Tim Tebow will have a sustained career in the NFL, but I am pretty sure he will always be a person of great faith, character and integrity. I hope I am able to say the same about my own life.

Have a great day!

Mr R

www.todaynoeveryday.com or on Facebook on Today No Every Day

****************************************************************************************** Disclaimer: Pursuant to Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) policy and administrative procedures, this e-mail system is to be used for official WCPS business only. All users are cautioned that messages sent and received through this system are subject to the Freedom of Information Act, and Maryland public disclosure laws, and may be reviewed at any time by WCPS. There should be no expectation of privacy.