Today was my day!
And I guess I just want to write down the speech I gave so that I can read it again and be inspired later when things aren't going well.
Flashback to Monday, I come down the alley to find my principal walking out of my room before school starts, never a good thing :) Nowhere to hide, he leads me back into my room, "Well this is not good, if we can't talk in the alley!" He hems and haws around and asks me to be our school's United Way Coordinator . . . a hard, thankless job with huge stress. He goes about it in the right way, sheepishly, appealing to my competitive and relentless nature, my constant need for a challenge. Oh and by the way there's a meeting today 4pm, can you go? "Sure, I can do that." He leaves, and I think to myself, what is United Way????? Anytime someone at school asks me to support something, I just write a check or attend an event, but run the campaign? Uh-oh. I got online and researched everything I could find. Went to the meeting and knew as much as the presenters, feeling good! Listening to all the elmentary teachers talk about PTA and fundraising and blahblahblah, not so good! At the high school we don't have that level of involvement and yet my building has more employees and therefore will have a higher building goal. I need an idea.
Tuesday, I spend my planning period looking for quotes on donating, giving, growing, anything that will get my colleagues to part with their money. Because if someone has said it better, why not let them? Pictures, success stories, anything! Brief periods between classes, as 6th period is cleaning up, I've found it the perfect quote! What to do now? I have a theme . . . I need a visual aid and a hook! I've got an idea for a hook and I can make a couple of posters . . . . tonight, pick up supplies.
Wednesday, meet with my friend Becky in the morning, run my idea by her. I plan to use my planning period today to make posters and tonight to make my treats (hook). She says why not a power point, it will be so much simpler, I'm mad at first because I really want a poster and my skills in power point are mediocre at best. She offers to help put it together if I tell her what I want it to say and forward her the graphics. Score! Problem . . . . other friend Cassie, doesn't have a scanner that I thought she did and LeighAnn is out of the office until Monday. In to see John . . . the digital photography lab teacher, pictures scanned, excellent! Power point done, onto the treats. Night, 2 1/2 hours of treat making, 1 stop at the dollar store to pick up containers, success is mine!
Thursday, arrive at training early, implore the principal to only introduce me and not my topic. I told him I am going for the "shock and awe" effect. Finally my turn, friend help pass out the treats, several varieties of the chocolate no-bake drop cookies, peanut butter, pecan, marshmallow, oatmeal, rice crispies . . . Perfect, everyone is eating and then I drop the bomb.
"The administration approached me a few days ago and asked me to do this. And they asked in such a way that I had to say yes, even though inside I was screaming, no don't do it! And yet I heard myself say, sure I can do that. After they left, I wondered how I was going to do this . . . how in the world was I going to do this? I asked experts in my school, district, county and state, I went online and I researched everything I could find. And there were three common themes, give them food (waved my arm to show they had food), have a theme, and have fun." (opened power point to the first slide, pile of manure and the beginning of the quote said "Money is like manure") A few chuckles broke out as some got the joke . . . "In case you don't get the joke, you're eating it!" More laughter.
"Money is like manure (next slide), it's not worth anything unless you spread it around (slide showing happy dung beetles, next slide), encouraging young things to grow (out of the dirt pop up the cabbage patch lettuce heads one, 2, 5, 10 covering the lower half of the screen)"
"I am your United Way Coordinator" applause "So now comes the hard part. How do I get people to give more, when they are giving all they can? I know that I am giving all I have and you are too, but we've been asked to give more. I really struggled with this and so I asked my students. And out of the mouths of babes, they said, well Ms. B. you give anyways. I told them I knew that and I was that kind of person, I will write the check, slide the credit card and eat peanut butter and jellies for two weeks. But what if that is not an option, how do I convince the teachers to give? Tell them what they are investing in! You are investing in our local charities, our families, our community, our students, you can invest in a charity of your choice, any non-profit organization! But what if that isn't enough to convince them? And they said, hey Ms. B. didn't you get a raise this year? Before you start living large, donate, live large next month! And they're right, I'm not used to the money yet, why not donate the first month? But what if it's money I've already counted on? Then raise the money, they replied. But how? How can teachers raise money themselves? Cover more classes for other teachers, that gets you $32! When Michelle calls you in the main office, don't tell her no, say yes! That's your donation money, you don't have to worry about where it is coming from and how you're going to squeeze more out of your check. When she calls you to ask you to sub for another class, don't say, but it's on the 3rd floor, I don't want to go there. Go, get your $32, get your donation and give!"
Chuckles around the room, because they know exactly what I am talking about. Running from someone else's class to your own because no sub showed up that day. The raise we fought hard for with our bargaining team, how teachers never really live large.
"Thank you." applause
Afterwards several people came to thank me and tell me good job and I could hear the surprise in their voices. I was told I was motivational, though they usually give through their church they want to give through the school this year, they know why my students do everything I ask them to do, it was the best roll out of United Way in 16+ years! It was funny really, because I have always seen myself as a motivational speaker, it's what I do, in my classroom, at meetings, with my friends. However I guess the staff as a whole has never seen me in true action, it was a great feeling and sets me up for an excellent introduction for some other building changes I want to make :)
I could live on this high forever, but it's time to deflate my ego and return to the trenches, but I just had to get it all down. I will rule the world some day :)