 I. Worked. Out. I promise that it really happened. Jay Joiner Fitness offered a free workout week, and I can say that I survived one session. While it was a test, I was able to start and finish the workout. Was it easy? Not at all. As I pushed through the workout, I reflected on why I wanted to keep going. The coach, the leader, the personal trainer pushed me to finish. There were several "aha-ha" moments as I worked alongside die hard workout enthusiasts to complete my workout that lead me to compare and contrast my role as a math and science coach. I am planning to share the lessons learned to help my teachers simply "keep going" this year in order to do better, stay the course, and finish strong. Make Connections Jay knows that I am a teacher, so he made several references to school which included lesson plans and his former life as an elementary school teacher. It was nice to know that he was in tune with my passion, education. Each time he referenced what I love, I tuned in a little more, listened a little harder, and found a little more enjoyment in the session. This really made me think. Have I gone out of my way to make connections with each and every single teacher that I support? Do I have any idea of what drives them to be better daily? There is so much power in simply taking the time to truly get to know others. It served as fuel to help me through my workout. Surely, strong connections will help me to push teachers from August through June. Stay Positive I like to workout early in the morning. Well, I did today. That is generally my "time to shine" because I am a morning person. My session with Jay began at 5:30AM, so I arrived at about 5:20AM. As early as it was, when I arrived my trainer was there with open arms and a smile. For the remainder of the hour of healthy fun, his smile remained. No matter how wobbly we became, how tired our legs grew, or how many times I needed a break, the trainer remained positive. Just when I felt like giving up, I would hear, "Good job, Kniki!" or "You're doing so well, Kniki!" It gave me a little added push and made me feel as if I could make it to the end. I knew the coach believed in me. Although he couldn't do the job for me, it meant so much to know that he felt I could do it. The same holds true as a coach. While I am generally positive person, I am making a conscience effort to praise those that I support. I want them to know that I see them giving their all. I want my teachers to see me as their support. It's Okay to Upset the Crowd A few times during the workout, Jay would say, "Oh, she just rolled her eyes at me!" Each time, we would laugh, but inside, I truly wanted to punch him. During the workout, I became winded, grew tired, and simply wanted to run each time he would introduce a new exercise or say, "...just 1 more set!" Really?!?!?! However, regardless of the looks, eye rolls, really hard high fives, and whatever else thrown his way, he continued to give us things that we needed. Why? We all have goals, and it's his job to help us get there. It is so easy to take the easy road in order to keep everyone happy. We have to remain focused on our goal, student achievement. If there is anything that hinders student achievement, our goal is to guide teachers to make them better. Not everyone will like it, but our goal is to help students meet their goals. In the end, I liked it so much that I decided to go BOLD. I made a 6 month commitment because I appreciate good coaching. I know the power that comes from someone taking your "I can't" and turning into a "This is how I did it." I'm excited to work on myself and to use the tools gained to make myself a better teacher leader. 
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