Craig Verley

Phew! You made it! For some, your high school commencement ceremonies are done. For others, they will be happening within the next few days.

At my district, we had three high schools with all three ceremonies scheduled for one day. It made for a long and tiring day that I dreaded and enjoyed at the same time. Commencement ceremony day was a day with high work expectations and a high stress level, as everyone wanted each ceremony to go smoothly. Once a ceremony began, I would focus on the job at hand, trying to capture the various emotions and moments of students, families, and campus staff. In each graduation ceremony, there were always multiple moments that would make me smile. They would also serve as a reminder of why we do what we do. I would even stop and just watch periodically, to take it all in.

The end of this particular school year also happens to coincide with the ending days of the Texas Legislative Session. A number of items that have been passed by our legislature in Austin, along with changes in education policy from Washington, DC, may have you feeling less than energized.

There is a lesson to be learned from the experience of covering commencement ceremonies. Now, may be a good time to pause and refocus on what really matters and why we do what we do in our school districts. THE STUDENTS. Does all the political noise from Austin and DC impact us in our jobs? Certainly. The key is to put on your political noise-cancelling earbuds and try to let the positivity that comes from focusing on the students and their growth and achievements drown out the noise. Let that positivity provide a little recharging of the professional batteries as you head into these last few weeks before your summer break.

Okay…so we can’t necessarily just ignore the politics and changes in law that will be impacting schools because those impact our jobs as well. However, don’t let the noise drown out the good that comes from the stories you are telling, and take some pride in the achievements of the students each year. You helped make that happen! You can, and should, be allowing yourself to feed some positive energy into yourself from those student-focused moments.