The Gift of Time

One of my favorite things to do as an educational leader is to give people the gift of time. A tenet that I believe with all my heart is that if you show those who work for you that you value their personal time, they will show you how much they value their professional time. It's fun for me to walk through my office on a random Friday and tell people they can go home a little bit early. There is no particular reason, just giving people a chance to spend a few more minutes with their family or those important to them. 

I learned this lesson from my very first principal, Bridgid Miller. I was a baby teacher on the Near Westside of Chicago, teaching in a building full of families, nearly all of whom were eligible for free or reduced lunch. I was a volunteer, living in a community with other volunteer teachers. We all showed up early and stayed late. It was just what we did. 

And I was a little full of myself. I mentioned how one of the other teachers (a veteran of many years, many more than me) would leave with their students almost every day. Clearly, it was an unnecessary comment, and Ms. Miller pointed that out to me. After I apologized to her, she told me that schools needed to be filled with employees in all different stages of their lives. 

As a recent college graduate, early in my career, the school community was my entire life. Others were contemplating retirement. Others had a family to go home to. Still, others were caring for aging parents, in addition to their teaching duties. I had no idea the story of anyone else's world but my own. Ms. Miller taught me a valuable lesson that day. 

The last part of the lesson is what I still carry with me: everyone deserves the gift of time. She was the principal that would kick us out of our classrooms on a Friday afternoon. She might even stick a $20 in our volunteer pockets and have us buy a beverage or two of our choice on her. "Everyone deserves the gift of time, now and then," she would tell us. So I pay that forward. 

We are almost upon the Winter Holiday Break. At times, it has seemed interminable for a year that started with so much hope and anticipation. And yet, we are teaching, our students are learning. They are making progress, and we are staying open. We offered a vaccine clinic for our five to eleven-year-olds. We have Test to Stay and surveillance testing. We have parent volunteers and employees demonstrating more flexibility than gymnasts. Thanks to our testing protocols, more than 530 times, an asymptomatic student, who is also a close contact, could come to school and stay with us to learn rather than be at home.

And with the onset of this break, I want all of our school community to enjoy the gift of time. No expectations. No work, at least until the new year. Spend time with those who are important to you. Spend time with your family. Spend time by yourselves. 

I'm also mindful that this is not an easy time of year for everyone. Not all families resemble Norman Rockwell. This time of year reminds us of those who have passed away. It can be incredibly challenging, painful, and downright sad. I can't begin to know everyone's story, but I do want everyone to find some peace during this time away from our work. I want everyone to have the gift of time. 

Ms. Miller and I wish for that for everyone this Winter Holiday Break.