"OS!M. You just had an Oh Shit! Moment and it's the natural, built-in human indicator that you are doing, or about to do, something truly significant and you are, rightfully, scared out of your gourd."
As I learned about OS!M in the book, 2 words came to my mind: risk-taking. These OS!M moments can result in something amazing and unexpected even if we are scared in the process. I have mentioned before that risk taking is the best thing we can do for our students and our growth as educators. This school year strive to try things that are out of your comfort zone.
"There are three parts: Do what you love. Make sure that your heart's in your work, and that you're bringing yourself fully and gratefully into everything you do. If you're not connected to your own work, you can't expect to inspire others in theirs. In the service of people will keep you true, honest, and ethical, at the very least. If you're doing what you love, you'll make yourself happy. But Extreme Leadership is not only about you; it's about your impact on others. Who love what you do doesn't mean that you just find the people that love you and then serve them; it means it's your responsibility to give everyone you serve something to love about you and what you're doing."
"Do what you love in the service of people who love what you do." This paragraph was one of my favorites in the book. Each part of this quote drives me as a teacher.
I love teaching and can't imagine myself doing anything else. Young children are so enthusiastic and curious. Especially during arrival, students love to share stories with me. I cherish this time because I get to hear about my students' lives such as sporting events or family memories. I always give teaching my all for the students, parents, and staff. One way I impact others is my positive, driven attitude. I never give up and try to look at things on the bright side. I am also a team player who enjoys sharing my ideas and thoughts with other teachers. I get so excited when I discover or create a new resource/lesson. As a classroom teacher, I am eager to try new things in order to meet my student's needs.
"But I didn't believe I had to understand something in order to be optimistic about its future. Sometimes intuition was enough."
Although last school year (and maybe this school year) certainly were not what I expected, I am grateful for each opportunity, experience, milestone, and challenge. Most importantly, thank you to each person who supports me.
A few questions to guide your thinking into a new school year:
What are you going to change?
What are you going to experiment with?
What commitments will you make to yourself and to the people around you?
Who do you need help from?
*The end of the book has a section to guide your actions and thinking.
I highly recommend reading this book. I started and finished it today. You know you read a great book when you are still reflecting on it hours later. This book left me in an inspired state of mind and stretched my thinking on leadership.
Thanks for sharing, Allie! I've sent a sample to my Kindle to start reading. It sounds like something that would be especially helpful this time of year.
ReplyDeleteDawn @ Revenge of the Thirds