Choices and Redemption

The broad themes of chapters 28-31 in The Energy Bus are reflection, renewal, redemption, perseverance, and appreciating the moment. Each of these themes is undoubtedly comprehensive and critical enough that you could easily have a lengthy discussion or fill a lengthy book about each of those concepts. In these chapters, we learn that George offers a second chance to Michael, a former energy vampire on his team, who goes on to become a significant and vital contributor, as he seeks redemption for his prior shortcomings. We also learn of George’s renewed commitment to “drive with a purpose” and to “enjoy the ride” as he loves and leads his team to ultimate success. George learns to so by allowing his team members the freedom and flexibility to spread their wings and blossom their ideas into feasible realities. George is also reminded to see and to promote the greater good in each of the independent and interconnected tasks they engage in. And all of these are presented in chapters 28-31 with the backdrop of learning to live in the moment and learn from your prior mistakes in order to better yourself, your impact on others, and your future success.

In reflecting on these themes in my own life, and in my own experiences, I was drawn to a prior era in my adolescence, when I was afforded an opportunity for redemption that eventually allowed me to become the person and the professional that I am today. Undoubtedly, we can all think of times when we were younger when we made extremely poor choices that we are grateful we recovered from! I am no different. However we know as educators there are unfortunately enough sad stories of people who never learned from their youthful indiscretions and ended up on the path to destruction.  The refreshing reminders of redemption through reflection and growth in chapters 28-31 of The Energy Bus resonated with me.

I can vividly recall when I was in 8^th grade. In the middle of my 8^th grade school year my father took a new position in Shanghai, China. This was after he lived abroad for work from the time I was 9 months old until I was 7 years old. Then, just before I turned 14, he again had to move away for professional obligations. My mother did the best she could as a single mother, raising 3 rambunctious and mischievous latch-key kids in Southern California in the 1980s and 90s, before the dawn of cell phones, internet, and instant access to communication and information. You can imagine these circumstances afforded my sisters and I infinite opportunities for life-altering poor choices. In all candor, all 3 of us took advantage of those opportunities for misbehavior. And for me, being younger than both of my sisters by 6 years and 9 years, I had an inordinate amount of time to make poor choices while my mother was working 12 hour shifts with 1.5 hour commutes to and from work. In middle and high school, some of my poor choices came with increasingly long term implications and consequences.

There were 2 such choices in particular that I made between 8^th grade and 9th that could have seriously derailed my life and jeopardized my future. And in today’s era of “zero tolerance policies” and “stiffer penalties” they assuredly would have. I was fortunate to have had 2 different principals that saw some value in me and my potential contributions, I suppose, that I was offered opportunities for redemption. In 8^th grade my mother was literally on her knees in the principal’s office, Mrs. H, pleading for her not to expel me for one particular poor choice. She didn’t expel me, thankfully. But I did have to research and write a lengthy report while I was out of school about the implications of the choice that led to my suspension. Then in 9^th grade, I remember my mother convincing the principal, Mr. P, not only to suspend me from school for a different poor choice, but also demanding that he not allow me to call my grandmother to come pick me up at my high school some 30 miles from our house. Instead, she made sure to tell him that I was to take the city bus home (3 busses by the way, with all the transfers!) on the day I was issued an extended suspension from high school.

These opportunities for redemption did not come without consequences, of course, and rightfully so. I recall my mother called our priest when I was given that 7 day suspension in 9^th grade. He told her to send me to the church every day from 7:00am to 4:00pm while I was out of school. My mother’s infinite wisdom taught her to do whatever she could to provide me with some semblance of structure, even given our circumstances. For her, this meant relying on the lessons and resources from our faith community. And Father John made sure I scrubbed the church pews, weeded the church lawn, and swept the church parking lot every single day I was suspended from school. These physical exertions were accompanied by deeply reflective conversations with him about choices, consequences, second chances, and the road to redemption. I still reflect on those conversations and experiences, and the lessons they provided me. I was fortunate that I learned then the importance of relishing second chances, remaining on the road to redemption, and righting the wrongs we commit however and whenever we can. Doing so not only strengthens our character but also allows us to grow and advance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have my mother, Father John, and Principals Mrs. H and Mr. P to thank for continuing to believe in me while teaching me these important themes back in 8^th and 9^th grade. It’s because of their choices then, to hold me accountable and teach me to learn from mine, that I was ultimately able to serve all of you as principal today. I will always appreciate them for that, so I didn’t miss out on the opportunity to support our students and staff to achieve success and reach their dreams here at Barnwell. The most recent chapters of The Energy Bus reminded me of those times, and that I was able to dust myself off and continue my growth.

-Norman

The Love Magnet

As we returned to school this month from a well-deserved winter holiday, I am continuously reminded of the many reasons why our school is such a special place: BECAUSE OF ALL OF YOU! It is because of Barnwell’s exceptional staff, who lead with love for children, and whose engines are driven by that love, that our school is such a unique and rewarding place. It is also that same love that is on display every day in your classrooms, and that I was so keenly reminded of while reading chapters 23 through 27 in The Energy Bus.

In chapters 23-27, Joy the Bus Driver continues to nourish George’s mind and soul with important life lessons for successful outcomes and enriching relationships. Joy allows other pupils on the bus, mainly Jack and Danny, to share their experience and eventual positive outcomes as a result of Joy’s teachings. The lessons that George learns through Joy, Jack, and Danny in chapters 23-27 resonated with me. It was these lessons in particular that allowed me to harken back to my days as an aspiring educational leader as fulltime doctoral student while still serving as a fulltime teacher. I recall then wondering where in the world to find the keys to unlock the secrets of success. (My search will never conclude…)

Within these chapters, Joy and her loyal pupils teach George that E-Motion is your energy in motion, and the energy flowing within you determines your emotional state. They remind him that when you are feeling good, and exuding positive energy, everyone around you feels good. This idea lends itself to the notion that the gifts we give the world are not on our resume, rather they are the joy, happiness, enthusiasm, gratitude, passion, and excitement within us. They teach George that it is time for him to become a changed leader by leading with his heart. They continue that George needs to transform his approach by opening his heart and by leading with contagious enthusiasm. They remind George that each person’s heart is their power-center, which broadcasts their emotions and energy every moment of every day.

George learns the importance of becoming his team’s Chief Energy Officer. That means for him to become the power-source for his team to share positive powerful contagious energy and heartfelt communication. They teach George about Emotional Intelligence, and that heartfelt leadership means tapping the power of your heart when leading and communicating. George learns that research supports emotional intelligence is responsible for as much as 80% of adult success.

Finally, Joy, Jack, and Danny teach George the next phase in his leadership is for him to become The Love Magnet for his team. Joy informs George that love is the answer for team success. Enthusiasm is important but love is the answer to tap the power of your heart, and to lead with contagious positive energy. In order to do this, Joy explains, George must first love his passengers. By loving his team and becoming his team’s love magnet, George will find his team’s productivity, success, and loyalty to each other rise dramatically. Joy states the more love you put forth the more comes back to you. The best way to become The Love Magnet is to help your passengers tap into their best attributes and flourish, and to discover their inner gold beneath the dust on the surface. As Joy teaches, letting people share their gifts and strengths is real love, which in turn brings out the best in you.

 

                Joy concludes her lesson as George steps off the bus with the 3 keys to being the Chief Energy Officer: Enthusiasm, Love, and Gold.

In reflecting on these essential lessons George begins to process in chapters 23-27 of The Energy Bus, I was reminded of my own Chief Energy Officer and Love Magnet as I began my journey in educational leadership. Her love, positive energy, enthusiasm, and her inner gold still glimmer in my life even as we concluded our regular work together 6 years ago. Her name is Dr. R. I had the privilege of taking my two favorite doctoral courses at USC under her tutelage. Dr. R is a retired high school principal, area superintendent, and interim school board member with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

In her retirement from these important posts, she became a professor teaching aspiring educational leaders the power of love and enthusiasm. In reflecting on her approach, I am convinced she must have taken Joy’s bus to work every day! Dr. R’s message as a teacher and as a leader always revolved around love and enthusiasm. All of the educational minutia, complex policies, and procedural logistics we were learning in her courses were secondary. Her primary edict was love. She often reminded us of the power of love, and that without genuine love for our students, staffs, communities, and for their infinite potentials, the minutia was irrelevant. Of course she also taught us about those vital intellectual and logistical frameworks necessary to successfully navigate the minutia. But she modeled for us weekly that by starting with love and enthusiasm, the other components would eventually fall into place as they were supposed to. This approach started midway through my first course with her. Her husband of 40+ years became terminally ill. We all encouraged her to take time away from teaching, give herself the space she needed to focus on his care. She wouldn’t hear any of it! She insisted on seeing the journey through with us, her passengers. She insisted that was what was best for her and her family.  This was her formula which allowed her to become one of the most successful urban educational leaders of her era, during some of the most challenging times in education, and onto a prestigious professorship in her retirement. But knowing her, I’ll bet her proudest titles are Chief Energy Officer and The Love Magnet...

 

-Norman