Cheerleader Tryouts...

I was a little stunned when one of my friends at work asked me to judge cheerleader tryouts.  I know very little about cheerleading and the little I know came from watching Bring It On with my college roommate.  The girls were absolutely precious!  They were so excited and nervous at the same time.  I made sure to make eye contact and smile at each one individually.  I can remember standing before a judge at many events (never in court) and I would have loved for someone to ease my nervousness a little.

As many things do, it makes me think of teaching.  Students are successful in positive learning environments where they feel safe to ask questions and share thoughts.  I think adults need that safety too.  I was at a district meeting yesterday related our TEA and OCR audit next week and the board room was noticeably tense.  The tension has been building since the being of school all over the district.  I've been nervous at times but overall I've been able to control my emotions and maintain my sanity.  I've spent a great deal of time this year focused on helping prepare the people at my school for this audit.  Now that it is so close I realize more than ever how important it is to be positive and build their confidence.  Next week is going to be tough but I'm looking forward to getting through it and being finished with the process.