Meeting agenda item: Pull!
As a middle-school student, my favorite family vacation was a trip with our friends to Ohiopyle State Park for a whitewater rafting trip down the Lower Yough River. We’d pack up our 1977 Chevy Beauville van with coolers, clothes, and kids, hitting the road with a sense of excitement that was hard to contain.
After arriving, we’d set up camp and shuffle off to bed to suffer through a fitful night waiting for sunrise. At dawn, we’d dress in our river clothes, eat and clean up so quickly that even mom would be proud. We’d head over to the rafting company, arriving hours before they opened. Eventually, our guides would show up and we’d hit the river!
Almost instantly, waves would crash over the sides of our boat, covering us with frigid water. Hidden rocks would jump out of nowhere, bouncing us in new directions and holding us in places that we didn’t want to stay. Each of us would have to paddle in a coordinated way to move forward, so sitting still was rarely allowed. “Lazy rafters are dead rafters,” our guide would shout, “PULL!”
It took incredible balance to stay in the boat and inevitably someone would take an unexpected “detour” over the side — only to be pulled back on board by the rest of us. Mentally, we’d tire, drained by the constant attention required to avoid river traps. Physically, we were exhausted, having worked harder than normal for 12-year olds. There were times during our journey that it seemed the river would never end — and yet we always groaned in disappointment as soon as it did!
Despite the effort that our trip required, there was no greater feeling than accomplishing something together. Facing challenges, working through difficult circumstances, being creative and inventive to get around barriers, and learning to rely on one another made us stronger and brought energy to our relationships that has lasted for years.
The work of my professional learning team is often just like whitewater rafting. Hidden challenges rush at us from every direction — struggling students, poor test scores, new curricular requirements — threatening to throw us overboard. Those challenges sometimes hold us up until we think inventively, identify routes around each obstacle, and begin pulling in the same direction.
Our meetings are also demanding, full of important decisions: How do we best deliver content? Which material is essential? How do we know what our students have mastered? Pressure is great because our decisions influence children and often require a delicate professional balance. Members of our team sometimes tire — both mentally and physically — of our work, resting and gaining strength while others lighten their load.
But our work is easily as exciting as any adventure on the Lower Yough. We grow stronger each time we navigate through rough waters — gaining confidence in our abilities as a group to handle any rapids that lie ahead. This trip we’re on may be exhausting, but it is one we just don’t want to end.
As a middle-school student, my favorite family vacation was a trip with our friends to Ohiopyle State Park for a whitewater rafting trip down the Lower Yough River. We’d pack up our 1977 Chevy Beauville van with coolers, clothes, and kids, hitting the road with a sense of excitement that was hard to contain.
After arriving, we’d set up camp and shuffle off to bed to suffer through a fitful night waiting for sunrise. At dawn, we’d dress in our river clothes, eat and clean up so quickly that even mom would be proud. We’d head over to the rafting company, arriving hours before they opened. Eventually, our guides would show up and we’d hit the river!
Almost instantly, waves would crash over the sides of our boat, covering us with frigid water. Hidden rocks would jump out of nowhere, bouncing us in new directions and holding us in places that we didn’t want to stay. Each of us would have to paddle in a coordinated way to move forward, so sitting still was rarely allowed. “Lazy rafters are dead rafters,” our guide would shout, “PULL!”
It took incredible balance to stay in the boat and inevitably someone would take an unexpected “detour” over the side — only to be pulled back on board by the rest of us. Mentally, we’d tire, drained by the constant attention required to avoid river traps. Physically, we were exhausted, having worked harder than normal for 12-year olds. There were times during our journey that it seemed the river would never end — and yet we always groaned in disappointment as soon as it did!
Despite the effort that our trip required, there was no greater feeling than accomplishing something together. Facing challenges, working through difficult circumstances, being creative and inventive to get around barriers, and learning to rely on one another made us stronger and brought energy to our relationships that has lasted for years.
The work of my professional learning team is often just like whitewater rafting. Hidden challenges rush at us from every direction — struggling students, poor test scores, new curricular requirements — threatening to throw us overboard. Those challenges sometimes hold us up until we think inventively, identify routes around each obstacle, and begin pulling in the same direction.
Our meetings are also demanding, full of important decisions: How do we best deliver content? Which material is essential? How do we know what our students have mastered? Pressure is great because our decisions influence children and often require a delicate professional balance. Members of our team sometimes tire — both mentally and physically — of our work, resting and gaining strength while others lighten their load.
But our work is easily as exciting as any adventure on the Lower Yough. We grow stronger each time we navigate through rough waters — gaining confidence in our abilities as a group to handle any rapids that lie ahead. This trip we’re on may be exhausting, but it is one we just don’t want to end.
