My father-in-law, an educational icon in Houston, was honored for the umpteenth time at a gala event where Soledad O'Brian was the keynote speaker. She was exceptional in her delivery as her speech was peppered with wonderfully interesting stories. One of the stories she told was about asking the question, "What do you see?" which in it's truest sense means looking beyond the visible to see what can not yet be seen. It was profound because my father-in-law was honored for doing just that. He spent 36 years imagining how life could better for children if love for learning became a rule and not an exception. And so today his doctor, attorney, dentist, and accountant are all former students-all individuals he believed in. He challenged each one with "What do you see?" and each of their visions with his support became a reality.
It made me question my contributions--what have I done? Who have I influenced in a postive way? Have I encouraged and supported so that dreams are being realized? Only the fruit can answer my questions.
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i'm not sure if you are limiting your questions to purely students, but i can say with certainty you've influenced your team. in the short time i have been with pds you have challenged me to become a better team member is many ways. however, if you're looking for a possible future attorney/doctor/dentist/accountant, i'm not going to be able to help you out there!
ReplyDeletea comment on your poll question - "using your cell phone" is a bit of an ambiguous term. in the standard sense it would mean calling someone, thus being a distracted driver. often, i use the radio feed on my phone and plug it in to the AUX in my car so that i can listen to internet radio stations from other markets, like a sports radio station i enjoy in dallas. on other occasions i use the mapping function on my phone to check a map. while i consider this using my cell phone, i'm not sure if that is what you are looking for.
I met your father-in-law a year ago at the PDS black history celebration. His name had preceded this face-to-face meeting, as I knew that Cook ES had been named after him. As I listened to the stories he (and others) shared that day, the thing that struck me most was multitude of lives he had touched both in the district and in the communities in which he worked and lived. What a legacy. A year ago, I was reminded that I, too, have a responsibility to help those in my circle of influence. Today, I have been reminded to open my eyes, and to proceed with passion.
ReplyDeleteRegarding influence, I'm grateful to my team who always make me feel that I spur them all to be better. They definitely encourage me to keep striving to be a better manager. Most days I feel we all are doing really good work. I also know that we may never see all of the fruit of our labor. I am grateful that we don't keep score--we just keep striving everyday to be better both individually and collectively.
ReplyDeleteThe poll was for all types of phone usage while driving.
ReplyDeleteYour father-in-law sounds like a wonderful man and it is evident that his inspirational leadership has personified in you!
ReplyDelete