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Looking for Lovely...

I had a conversation with my kids the other day. The conversation started in response to an argument they were having. I started thinking about how often I am mediating these arguments, not only in my home with my own children, but at school as well. I then began to think about the overall attitude I am witness to on a daily basis. I began to notice something... we all seem to have developed a "hall monitor" like perspective. You remember the hall monitor days where a person was appointed the job of monitoring the halls, looking for "offenders." The offenders were quickly addressed and given their subsequent consequence. Yes, that is definitely the perception we have developed today.

We stand at attention looking for what is not being done the right way. Looking for "offenders." Ready to pounce, admonish, and correct. We admonish the behavior through social media, in person, through our conversations, etc...  We have become the negative seekers. We are modeling this perception for our children, our students, our co-workers and our families. We are so consumed with reporting the negative, the offensive, that we have forgotten something. We have forgotten to look for the lovely.

Lovely things happen everyday. Lovely can be seen on our ride to work, our view from the car window, our interactions with our kids, our students, it can be seen in the small miracles of the day...if we look for it! We have been trained to look other places so we have to change our mindset now to find the lovely. It's there...waiting...hoping to be found.

We have a responsibility to look for the lovely in our students, in our school, and in our policies.  Public school is a beautiful place that serves wonderful people. It provides them opportunities to not only learn academics, but allows them grow into innovative, thoughtful, leaders who will make a difference in the world because we taught them to see the good... the lovely that the world has to offer. There is an opportunity to share the lovely things that are happening in our public schools. Share the amazing things that are happening in your school!The investments you're making in your students.

My daughter made a comment to me. She said, "Well, it was different when you were growing up, mom. You had hope and were excited about what you wanted to do. Now the world just seems like a scary place."

That broke my heart! Our focus has to change, our mindset has to shift! We have to lose the "hall monitor" perspective and start looking for the lovely in the world. Our kids deserve that!

Share out the lovely so our kids will start to look for it too!

~Liz

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