Entry #4: 'Sharpening the saw' at Destin beach has its price
when you have to catch the merry-go-round again


Steven Covey says that one of the "seven habits of highly effective people" is to "sharpen the saw." This week, I did just that, on the white sands of Destin, Florida, with my two girls and husband for a week during fall break. We could more easily escape Barren County because our schools were closed. Covey says that we must take time to rest and reflect so that we can be sharper in the future.

I rested a lotreflected a little. Now, of course I took my trusty "school bag" with me, so I didn't feel guilty, but all week, the Blue Ribbon School Award nomination, the graduate school books, and teachers' lesson plans waited in that bag to be reviewed. They are all still waiting.

Instead, I watched the waves roll in, and I thought about a young man who we had to send back to his home district just before fall break. He lives with Mom half the time and his step-father half the time. He has lots of problems, according to Mom, such as drug abuse, running with the wrong crowd, etc. Depressed, his grades lacked luster, his attendance was low, and the office referrals increased. We still felt as if we were making a little progress. Our Vice Principal told the young man that he cared about him. The young man looked up, surprised, and said, "No teacher has ever told me that," and he seemed to warm up a bit.

But then we have the Out-of-District contract that says students from another district must meet certain attendance, grade and behavior requirements. When they don't, they return to their home district. We also had to consider that the young man could be a threat to our school, with his depression and the whole picture at hand. The nation expects that of us. So, he went back to the other district, and my heart hurt, and the Vice Principal didn't sleep that night. Some of his teachers were happy. Others cried when they found out. I wished the ones who were happy had to meet with him and his mother to give him the news. I wished they could really know the whole story. The fine line of all this is a hard one to walk.

I played in the sand with our girls, we all waded in the cool swimming pool, and I thought of the following week. In Florida, it all seemed so far awaythree observations per day on Tuesday and Thursday; a statewide middle level reform meeting on Wednesday; Kentucky Middle School Association Board visit on Wednesday; team meetings; content leader meetings; the PTSA officers gathering to prepare for the first meeting; school board meeting; and preparing for the upcoming School-to-Watch national visit. So, I went to eat raw oysters and broiled Amberjack, and I thought no more about it.

I even began Christmas shopping at the outlet mall! I found overalls at the Gap outlet for $6.99 each, and went crazy! We visited with old friends, one who had just had a new baby, and a couple who knew Ivan and me before we were married. We even went out to dinner with another local principal and his family. I felt like a "normal woman" who had time to do those things, not a middle school principal who visited only those I had to because of my position.

Until we drove home Saturday! Thoughts began to flood my mind. Why didn't I call Sandra from Florida? I had to have that school public relations video on Wednesday for the Kentucky Middle School Association Conference. Will she have it done now? I have got to get those graduate course projects done. They are staring me in the face! What about those lesson plans? Maybe Sunday afternoon. Oh, my gosh! I've got to call Kynda to see when she can keep the girls this week. Every night is full.

Sharpening the saw is wonderful. We had quality family time, and it was incredible watching the girls in the Floridian elements. The irony of it all is that the sharpening causes one to have to run hard on Monday to catch the merry-go-round that has never stopped moving. I hope I can run fast enough.


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