Surround Yourself

 I was driving home late last Thursday night and was listening to The John Tesh Radio Show. During that broadcast, Tesh mentioned that your IQ is an average of your five closest friends. I thought that sounded interesting so I did a little investigation. It turns out that this is a controversial assertion, with articles supporting and debunking this claim. Whether or not it's true, it got me thinking about people I spend time with and how they enrich me in different ways.

Moses

On that specific evening, I had the great fortune to reconnect with a friend. We estimated that it had been about eight years since we had last been in touch. The conversation bubbled and percolated like a tasty, nourishing soup and we talked for hours. It's a shame we didn't take any photos together, but we were more focused on catching up and discussing some really meaty issues in education, rather than documenting with photos. He is, in my eyes, a brilliant pedagogue and every time we chat, I leave feeling smarter, with more insights and suggestions into improving my teaching practice.

James

My husband James is fantastic. I'm so lucky to be married to him. One of his many traits that I find so appealing is his keen mind. He is intellectually curious and reads voraciously. For today's blog post, I was trying to determine the narrative path it would take, and through our discussion, he helped me see how it would proceed without feeling forced. This is neither the first time, nor the last time that James will help me with my work. He's not a teacher, but he understands teaching, so it helps me get out of my echo chamber.

Me and my boys

Mary at the wheel

To be honest, my entire family helps me grow. I admire my daughter Mary for the way she has achieved such a healthy work-life balance; she is much more mature than I was at her age! (One of my former principals even said as much about us, and this was when Mary was a teenager!) Her cosplay outfits are so creative and she's introduced the family to new restaurants and foods. She's thoughtful and brave and tolerant. My son Peter continually impresses me; I consult him about all sorts of tech and pop culture issues (from memes to video creation [Peter edited our Family Feud audition tape last year]). He is turning lemons into lemonade - instead of despairing about how hard it is to find employment, he is using his time to grow his YouTube channel and it is paying off. (Please watch or subscribe to his channel if you are interested in gaming and modern media production in general.) 

My 2024 birthday dinner at The Prague

Renee

Do you have a "work wife"? According to a Newsweek article, a quote attributed to Marilyn Whitman and Ashley Manderville,

"Simply put, a work spouse is one's 'go-to' person, a confidant, one who knows you better than anyone else at work,"

Although the usual reference involves a member of the opposite sex, my "work bestie" is a woman. Renee Keberer and I have worked together on and off since 2004, when we joined my current school. We are physical opposites but collaborate extremely well together. If you search my blog with the keyword "Renee", you'll find pages and pages of mentions, often describing how our conversations lead to new perspectives and helpful rethinking. Her strengths are where I have room for improvement and together we are better. (For instance, I'm all about the big ideas and she has a firm grip on the "nitty gritty" aspects. She is great with numbers and I am good with words.) We are the team that designs the school yearbook each year and we are also running the Board Game Club together. This is her last year in the profession, as she is retiring in June. Many people have asked me how I will cope without my "other half". I reply that I've had a bit of practice; Renee  left in 2011 for a central position in our board. I cried torrents of tears in the car the first day we had a staff meeting and she wasn't there, but I know now that we don't have to be constantly together for our friendship to survive.

So what's the point? Even if this IQ idea isn't true, it's valuable for students, teachers, and people in general to surround themselves with others who will help them stay positive, encourage them, and provide intellectual stimulation that will let them consider different perspectives and allow them to think and grow. Good influences - that's what we need!