Why not?

 Many days I get to ask the question why not?  When we come up against brick walls or challenges or barriers many times we just crumble and decide that we cannot make it over the wall, and cannot get through the tough times- I almost always ask the question- WHY NOT? 

Life if hard.  The last couple of years have been really hard.   In our own lives we need to take more looks in the mirror and ask the question why not?

Why can we not change?  When you hear- I can't do that, or that can't be done- Ask the question why not?  How many times did the Wright brothers ask that question, How many times did Michael Jordan come up against a challenge and asked why not?  Tom Brady(who I don't like) continues to be told he's told old and can't do it- He asks why not every day!  Do you think Albert Einstein ever asked that question?

As I work in the education field every day there seems to be more and more barriers to kids learning and teachers teaching.  Change is hard. When things are not going right we fall back on- well that's the way we have always done it or we can't do that, it won't work, or that's too hard, we don't have the right people to get it done, or no one will go for that- I ask- WHY NOT???  Why can't we do that? Why can't it work?  

Every day as you get out of bed ask yourself the question- Why Not- See how it applies to your own life, to your motivation every day. 

A wise man(my old football coach) once told me that if you are not getting better you are getting worse.  Always ask the question- Why not and see where that takes you!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving- I'm thankful for all of you! 

Thankful for my crew- that I continue to ask- Why not!

Jarred

When was the last time...

 When was the last time you told someone thank you?  When I say told someone, I mean really told someone Thank you!  

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?  When was the last time you told someone you cared?  Did you do it by phone? Text? Handwritten note? Or did you do it in person? 

It's been a while since the last time I was on this blog. I've missed it. I've missed sharing my words with others.  I'm excited to share my thoughts with each of you over the next year.  I'm looking forward to allowing you to think and hopefully improve yourself through these little notes. 

So I ask you again- When was the last time you listened?  When was the last time you just closed your mouth and listened to someone talk about what they need?  How often do we do that?

When was the last time you looked your significant other in the eye and just told them you cared about them?  Have you told your kid that?  Have you really told them you care about them or is your face buried in your phone?  

I know the last couple of years have been tough- I myself have personally dealt with difficult things. Why can't we still look people in the eye, why can't we still tell our kids that we love them, why can't we be there for each other to listen. 

I challenge you this week- Tell someone thank you- Be specific. Tell them why you are thankful for them. Just see how it makes you feel. Tell someone face to face how much you love them. Look at your kids, tell them how important they are to you and how much they mean to you. 

**I am so thankful to be back blogging.  I look forward to feedback and also look forward to sharing my thoughts with you! 

J

#OneWord2017 BE

We as human beings are busy. We are always running around because we are so busy. We have schedules and things that we always have to do. 

What if we didn't have schedules? What if we took time to just BE or to just sit and reflect? How would our kids react? What if we stopped worrying about what the next thing was we had to do and just worried about the present?

In my job, there are times where I am going from place to place. There are days when I get pulled in many different directions and talking to many different people. I go home and still struggle with staying away, keeping up and making sure that everything is done for the next day.

I as a father, Christian, husband, educator, among other things, I have to take time To Be. Just BE. Stop what I am doing and Be. Be the leader, the father, the husband I need to be. Take time to just sit and BE. Relax and refocus, refresh. Be the role model, Be the one person that listens, that when a student needs help or someone to listen to I can Be that person. 

I plan to use my one word to BE in 2017.  

I hope each of you have a fruitful and blessed 2017.  

Jarred

@BLHS_Principal

It will all work out...

Last week we welcomed BLHS students into the hallways at the high school for the year 2016-2017.  The year is finally underway and there is much learning to do.  As we approached the first days I thought about what could be a good way for kids to voice their goals for the year.  After talking with one of my teachers we came up with this idea!  What is your HOPE?  

So I ask this question- What is your HOPE for the school year?

My three HOPES for the year:

1. That everyone Encourages each other.

2. We all come with a positive attitude every day.

3. We are all committed to doing our job

The HOPE runs wild at the beginning of the year of many school districts.  Kids are excited to be back, teachers have lesson plans ready and shiny new toys.  Everyone is hopeful for a new year. Sometimes that hope goes away. It loses its shine. Hope fades in and out. What can we do to help our students and ourselves from losing the HOPE.  

One of my favorite lines is, "It will all work out."  If we can keep the HOPE, encourage each other and commit to helping each other.  It will. So I Encourage you today to KEEP YOUR HOPE.  Keep it for the year, Because it will all work out!

Jarred

- @BLHS_Principal

Encourage, Attitude, Commitment

As I start my new journey as the lead servant of Basehor Linwood High School in August I have started to think about what I can do to help teachers, students and community members come together to help each and every one of our kids be successful.  Success can be measured in many different ways and each student can take many different paths in order to get there.

To help myself focus I always try to think of words or phrases that help simplify things.  After speaking to a few of my building leaders three words kept coming up: Encourage, Attitude and Commitment.  

Encourage

Doesn't the below statement say it all.  As staff members we can encourage daily.  Build kids up don't tear them down.  No matter what is happening we can encourage them to do better.  As students we can help each other become better by being a positive encouragement for that kid that is having a bad day.  We can be that one person that made them smile for the day.  As parents we can make the most impact. Tell your child to keep up the good work, tell them to keep working hard. Tell them good job!  Encourage them.  As teachers and adults we must look at the good things and don't always focus on the negative!

Attitude

There is a saying out there that says, Misery loves company.  It is so true!  We have to come to work, school and home each day with a positive attitude.  Is everything going to always go your way?  NO!  Will things change if you sit around and pout or complain or think the world is against you? No, many times they will get worse and you will accomplish nothing.  Let's face it, not everything is going to go your way. Trials are daily in your life.  There are always hardships that do not seem fair, sicknesses that don't heal, or people that are just plain mean to you. You have the choice to think positive or not.  How you decide will effect others around you look on life also!

Commitment

In or out.  You're either with us or against us.  Commit to doing the right thing.  What is the right thing for your child?  What is the right thing for the student?  Can you commit to doing what is right even when it is the harder thing to do?  There are rules and regulations that we all need to follow, but we can together if we commit to doing the right thing.

Encourage, Attitude, Commitment.  Together we can do what is necessary to help all of our students. And each other!

Jarred 

@jfuhrman3932

Have a blessed day!

Our Next Journey...

Last week I was named the principal for Basehor Linwood High School for the 2016-2017 school year.  I am so humbled and blessed to be a part of such a great group of people.  Students, staff, the community have been so kind and supportive over the last 9 years.  There has been ups and some downs, but it is a great place to be.  

We talk in life about journey's.  What is our next Journey?  Last blog I wrote about the storm and facing storms in our life.  How we get through them determines what kind of person we are and the character we develop.  I have had many journey's in my life-high school, college, my first teaching job, marriage, kids, my first admin job, moving numerous times, deaths, friends, faith, among many others.  We all have many of them we go through in our lives.

The neat thing about my journey is that I have and will never look at it like it is my journey.  Nothing that I do is for me. I have done nothing by myself.  It is funny how people take credit for things they have done, when we look at the world we see so much of, "Look at me", or "Be yourself", "Look at my accomplishments"!  

Here's a small piece of information that you might not know:

It's not about ME.  It's about us.  It's about the school that I work at.  It's OUR journey.  Together we will make it a better school. Together We will take on challenges.  Together WE can make it to the top of the mountain.  

Our journey includes my support system below- My wife, my daughter and my son.  We do life together.  Our journey includes my boys that sit around the fire with me on Monday's and talk about life.  Our journey includes the teachers and administrators that I work work every day.  Our journey includes all my PLN who have continued to support and encourage me each and every day.  Our journey includes coaches and friends in the past that have helped me along the way.  Our journey includes my parents who taught me valuable lessons about life.  There are so many others to count!

So as I move forward I look in anticipation to the challenge of leading the best high school in Kansas to continued success.  But along the way I will always remember that it's not about me and it's not my journey, but our journey and this is just our next one that He is calling us to follow.


Go Bobcats!

-Jarred
@jfuhrman3932

Through the storm

The Storm.  My pastor at church has said numerous times that in our lives we are either...Getting ready to go into a storm, going through a storm or getting out of one.  That is how life goes.  As educators, parents and students we go through those times each and every day.  Some days are great, some days are rough.  It's just the storm.  Somedays it may just be the wind, blowing us away.  Other days it's a little thunder that startles us and keeps us awake.  There are times in our lives however when a catastrophic storm comes that destroys everything.  Through all these times however we must fight through-

Must continue to climb that mountain...

Fight through the clutter....

To reach the other side of the storm.  Rely on others. Take time to breath. Don't give up. There is sunlight on the other side of the storm.
As educators and parents- We must for the sake of our kids, for the sake of our future.

So think about today where you are in life:

Are you being prepared for a storm, going through one or getting out of one?

Always look for the light-  It's funny-sometimes you don't have to look as hard as you think you do.






-Jarred

@jfuhrman3932