The Power of Yet

In 2003, I earned my first Department Head position. I was incredibly excited about this leadership opportunity. And if I'm being honest, I was way too impressed with my own title. 

On one of my first days in the building, I rode the elevator from the basement to my office on the third floor. On the first floor, it stopped, and an older gentleman got on. I introduced myself, was quick to share my title, and in response, he shared his name. But he didn't tell me what he did. So, of course, I asked. "A little of this, a little of that," he said. 

When pressed, he told me he was a teacher and mentioned how much he loved it. One of the reasons he loved it so much was that he had yet to figure it all out. Each day was different, he told me, and he looked forward to finding new ways to reach his students. "If I ever wake up and feel like I've figured it all out, I'm going to retire." To this day, I still remember this moment and how passionately Frank Raispis looked at me when he told me that. 

Mr. Frank Raispis was a legend at Saint Ignatius College Prep. He attended Ignatius as a student in 1941 and, after college, returned to his high school alma mater. When he humbly told me that he did "a little of this, a little of that," he was, of course, being humble. Mr. Raispis taught Latin, Greek, and History. He also served as a college counselor, language department chair, assistant principal, and principal. Perhaps most memorably, though, was how he would end pep rallies in the gymnasium by leading the entire school in song. 

A little of this, a little of that. 

All this makes me think about the power of the word "yet," and how none of us have reached the end of our journey of learning. Yes, there are milestones and touchpoints along the way, and still, none of us have it all figured out. I know I thought I did, in that elevator in 2003, and in the kindest and most compassionate way, Frank Raispis taught me that I was not quite there yet. 

I know as a student, I looked up to my teachers. I thought they had it all figured out. After all, there they were at the front of my classrooms, leading my learning. Now, I know better. 

This power of yet is something that we all need, some more explicitly than others. The metacognition that comes with it is a gift to our students. The notion that the path to success is a straight line, runs contrary to everything that we know. Most success comes from hard work, mistakes, dead ends, speed bumps, and moments in which we need to pause. 

Photo courtesy of jenniferabrans.com

As we strive for academic excellence in East Greenwich Public Schools, this must be a part of our message. We are all works in progress. None of us are finished learning. Consider this tweet from Andy Perrin, Social Studies Teacher at our high school: 

It's not about titles, roles, or positions. It's not about what we do, it's about how we do it. It's not the destination, it's the journey. If we are to achieve the vision of a graduate from our high school, one who is knowledgeable, connected, reflective, and skilled, we must admit all those values are limitless. 

A little of this, a little of that. 

Thank you, Mr. Raispis, for the life lesson. 

Who Has the Time?

It's the most precious commodity that I know of. It's finite and consistent. It's equal across all humans, across the continent, globe, and planet. We all get twenty-four hours in a day - no more and no less. What we do with our time is how we impact our own lives and the lives of others. One element is for sure, once time has slipped through our fingers, we simply cannot get it back. 

That was on my mind recently, as I needed to reach out to customer service to return two products we had purchased for our new home. In deference to the companies, I will not name names. However, I will share the screenshots that I sent to My Wife once the calls were completed. 

Two separate calls, both over an hour and a half in length. I will also point out that this was not the first phone call to either company and that a sizeable refund had not yet appeared on our credit card once the returns were received. In both cases, it took me asking to speak to a supervisor in order to get my refund completed. To date, one of the companies still has not made the appropriate refund to our card, even though I was assured it would be taken care of in the next seven to ten business days. 

As I reflected on the two hundred and one minutes I spent trying to track down my refund, I realized what a privilege it is that I was able to do that. I did not have two hundred and one minutes to spare, but I chose to take that time to work through the various voice prompts, two levels of customer service, and two different supervisors to ultimately be told I would finally be getting our refund. I had the time to take the time. I could make the choice to carve out that time. Even as the I watched the minutes tick away on each call, I was able to continue to hold, wait to be transferred, and listen to mediocre muzak. I was able to give up those minutes during my weekend. 

There are many people who do not have that kind of time. They cannot give two hundred and one minutes to customer service. Those minutes have already been spoken for by other priorities in their lives. 

I recognize my privilege. While I wish I did not have to sacrifice those minutes, I was able to do so. I also know there may still be more minutes in my future, to ensure that the refunds are issued. 

The song "Seasons of Love" from the musical Rent asks us how do you measure a year, after calculating that there are 525,600 minutes for each of us, from January 1 to December 31. We all have the same number of minutes, and for some, there is more choice than others in how we spend and use that time. I hope we are able to give our time to those who mean the most to us, and that they cherish that gift. 

Who has the time?

Photo courtesy of www.vocal.media/

Shipping Bolts Matter

The Ricca family has faced a few challenges, transitioning from our life in Vermont, particularly when it comes to our home. Our new home needed a good deal of work, and needless to say, it's not done yet. Fortunately, we live in it, have what we need, and take it one day at a time. 

One of the necessary items for a family of four, including two teenage boys, is a washing machine and a dryer. The former owners had these appliances in the master bathroom, so we also kept them there. Unfortunately, the master bathroom is under construction, so we prioritized the area for these critical appliances. The tile was down, the grout was in place, we waited patiently, and then with the help of a licensed plumber and electrician, the washer and dryer were installed! 

We started the first load of laundry in our new home with great anticipation. Laundry is one of those chores that happens in the background. You put the dirty wash in and go about doing something else until it's time to switch to the dryer. Then when the dryer is done, the real work of laundry begins: the folding! It's mindless enough to do while watching TV, but still, it's the most time-consuming part of the process. 

Fortunately, My Wife had the foresight to teach Our Boys how to do laundry when they both reached double digits, so we allowed our children to have the honor of the first "spin." As we did our work in the house, thunderous noises came from the master bath. Way louder than any washing machine I've ever heard. The machine also moved. A decent amount. However, the fact that it was working, that we had one, and we were doing laundry in our own home really overrode any concerns we might have had. 

Unfortunately, the same thing happened when our second son ran his laundry and when we ran ours. There was something wrong with the washing machine. We were crushed - and I'm not exaggerating. This was one thing we had going for us: laundry in our own home. 

So with great reluctance and steeling myself for more than an hour on hold, I dialed the 800 number on the manual to speak to someone from Samsung. When I finally reached a human being, I described what was happening. The noise, the banging, the movement. As you might surmise, the individual I spoke with did not have English as their first language, so it was sometimes difficult to understand them. 

The Samsung representative asked me to compare how the inside of the washer felt to the inside of the dryer. They were about the same - although the washer should have had some "give" with the drum. When I reported that I could not push the inside of the washer at all, the customer service rep sent me a link with permission to use the camera on my phone to see for themselves what was happening with our machine. I clicked on the link, and within a few seconds, the individual on the telephone had eyes on my washer. 

After some more questions and directions to me, I was asked to move the washer out to get a look at the back of the unit. Fortunately, one of the men working on our house was there and could help me. We pulled the machine out, and I showed the Samsung employee what the back of it looked like. When the individual on the phone first said "shipping bolts," I could not understand them. I asked them to repeat themselves, and I clearly heard those words this time. Directing me through the wonders of internet connectivity, this person asked me to point my phone in each of the four corners of the back of the unit. I found four large, black plastic covers that, after taking off the cover, and unscrewing the six-inch screws, allowed me to return to the front of the washer, push on the drum, and feel some give!

Shipping bolts are precautions that manufacturers put in place to ensure that the drum of the washing machine does not move at all during the shipping process. They are to be removed once the unit has been put in its final location and before any water lines or electricity is connected. Looking back on the manual, it did direct me to do that right there in Step 2. 

I'm a directions guy. I was that teacher. Early in my career, I gave the dreaded "Directions Test." You know, the one where I tell my students to read the directions carefully. The directions say something like, "Only answer Number 10!" That mistake was one of many that I made as a baby teacher...

There I stood, admiring a quiet, humming washing machine that didn't dance across my floor. It's the small things in life you have to take stock of and be grateful for. 

Like reading directions. And shipping bolts. Or the lack thereof. 

Photo courtesy of www.evolytics.com

 

On Being Curious

Our family has been a big fan of the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, and we are excitedly awaiting the third season. I highly recommend it based on the many positive themes around perseverance, teamwork, and relationships. It also has a theme that I hope will define my work in East Greenwich as I begin my tenure as Superintendent of Schools. 

"Be curious, not judgemental." (Walt Whitman)

The title character, Ted Lasso, is playing darts in a British pub with one of the least-liked characters in the show, and Lasso is down to his last turn. Facing almost certain defeat, he needs a nearly impossible score with each of his remaining darts. And during his final round, Ted shares this beautiful memory from his life: 

So what does Ted Lasso have to do with the beginning of my work in East Greenwich? As I learn and grow into this role, I commit to being curious, not judgmental. The only exception I would make is if there was a threat of harm to a student or employee. Other than that, I will approach this work with a humble curiosity, two listening ears, and a genuine desire to learn and grow with all of you. 

I ask the same of all of you. Please commit to learning with me this year, whether you are faculty or staff, parent or community member, School Committee, or Town Council. When students ask what a superintendent does, I tell them my job is to ensure that each of them feels safe, welcomed, and included when they come to school. My job for the employees is to ensure they have what they need to be their best professional selves. For the School Committee, my work is to further the Strategic Plan, live the mission, and help all students achieve the vision of a graduate. 

I hope you will all join me in this commitment as we learn about each other and grow in our service to the students, faculty, staff, and families of East Greenwich!

As seen in Hanaford School