Egg flew young

My family and I arrived home from a great two days away as I attended a day working with our Teachers’ Association President and then we decided that it would be nice to just spend another day away. We arrived home tired but happy from two days of just being away. This morning we were up and off to church then home for brunch. Things were going really well and then I did a stroll out back.

Some time during the night our deck and house was egged with about a dozen eggs. I’ve become kind of accustom to this happening as this summer saw my truck receive a little extra polishing a few times and there have been other small such things go on. I treat these as minor blips done by children who don’t know how to deal with things in any other fashion. For the most part, a little warm water and soap cleans things up. This time was as usual, they fired quite a number of missiles, most missing the house but a few hit their mark. What really gets me this time is they hit my outside stereo! I haven’t checked if it works but this faithful stereo has been with me for over 15 years and has survived all kinds of moves, drops and outside elements. I really hope it wasn’t affected. It provides me with outside music to cook by and allows me to listen to different CBC specials during the summer evening hours. I listen to ball games while playing with the kids and relaxing music as my wife and I sit by our outside firepit. It probably gets used more during the summer than any other stereo equipment during the summer.

As for the egging, it is nothing new. It is a tradition that goes back through the centuries. I find it quite amusing since I’ve found that, for the most part, people’s aims are pretty off when hurling the missiles. In fact, in this last round, approximately 12 eggs were fired and 3 hit their mark with most landing on the roof and a few not even hitting the house. I could be upset and go about trying to “punish” those responsible or, like I’ve learned to do,  let it go as youthful misconduct and not let it upset what I do at the school. As an administrator, I’m more worried about the big problems that are facing our youth, like the use of alcohol and drugs, than a few eggs.

I wish more people were concerned with such issues! It seems that I spend more time dealing with small, non-educational issues like hats in the hall and student parking, which create all kinds of problems, instead of working with parents and other groups to develop community programs that will help students deal with the pressures around them. I have people so concerned that I might have a run-in with their child that I end up spending more time than needed on such things instead of coordinating and helping teachers with our division SMART goal and working with community members on developing programs that will help our students. Regardless of what happens outside of school, my role in the school is to make sure that all students get the best education that they can and, despite what people assume, each new day brings about the opportunity for a student to try again. Sigh!

I’ve discussed often the many things that I am doing to develop myself in the role of administrator. My reflective journal has been very good for me, especially when I use it regularly. What I’ve noticed is that when I can reflect on what might be going on or contemplate some ideas for solutions, I have a better chance of success. I find this true about my blog writing as well. My absence is more a case that I don’t know what direction to go so I’m not writing.

As an administrator, I work very hard to develop myself, learning from my mistakes. Although I wish others would do the same, I have to remind myself that I control no one but me and I must learn to work with all types in all situations in order to be effective. I just wish learning wasn’t always so messy ;)

2 Comments

  1. Reply

    You have a terrific attitude about this incident. I do think it comes with the job, and we all need to develop thick skin, like you have. I remember a few years ago when I was waiting at a stop light next to one of our buses. One of the older kids who was an alumnus of my school “flipped me the bird” if you know what I mean. For a while, I was upset about it, but then I realized that it was really not personal. I should he honored to receive that famous hand gesture due to my position in the community!
    Maybe some omelets for dinner?

  2. Reply

    The old bird. Ahh. A sign of acknowledgment. I’m learning that it isn’t so much thick skin but realizing that there are so many things that are more important. Yeah, it’s a sign of disrespect but how many of us have used such devices in our youth? I’d rather have that than someone who keeps all the anger bottle up inside. Besides, the whites do a great job of getting windows clean!

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