Still Needed

I feel horrible that I haven't blogged in so very long!  I don't even want to look at the last date I posted.  It's kind of like that friend you haven't contacted for so long.  The longer you wait, the worse it gets.  Some day, you just have to break the chain of "it's been so long's" and just DO it.  So, here I am.

It's been a dry spell for a number of reasons.  Like everyone else, the holiday season knocks me off my schedule in all sorts of ways.  Plus, book marketing is turning out to be a very tricky thing for me.  The great thing, when you don't have an agent, is that you can do whatever you want to do. The sky's the limit!  However, that's also one of the worst things.  Discipline is a tool that is crucial to the success of any item you're trying to market.  My other big hangup is my complete lack of desire to self-promote.  I've never liked asking for money, sponsors, or donors.  Similarly, I really don't like asking people to buy and read my book.  That's where my thinking has been skewed.

In the middle of a luncheon with a dear teacher friend this past week, it hit me that it is SO not about me.  I began this whole process to be a voice for TEACHERS.  That, my reader friend, is STILL NEEDED, thus the title for this belated blog.  It was like looking in a mirror, at myself, three short years ago.  My dear teacher friend is frantic, losing sleep over the amount of testing she is forced to administer.  Her team is dysfunctional, and the curriculum dry and bland.  Her marriage is floundering due to the overabundance of hours grading those tests and preparing lengthy lesson plans that do not make her one bit more of a better teacher.  Her children are having a rough year, largely due to the fallout of having both parents as educators and all the stress that entails.  She is sick of being sick, going to doctor after doctor on her "vacation" days.  The threat of a true nervous breakdown looms over her like a big black cloud.  Her hair is falling out.  Her life is falling apart.  She is trying to figure out how to make it through to the end of her contract.  She declares there is one thing she does know in all of this chaos.  She looked me straight in the eye and said, "I will NOT be signing another teaching contract!"

My heart is broken.  This is not just any teacher, my friends.  This is someone you would trust with your kids and grand-kids.  This is a solid, Christian, God-fearing woman.  This is a professional who has not only taken hundreds of hours of professional development, she has also taught many as well.  She has been a crucial part in the success of many students over her many years of teaching.  These students love her and stay in touch with her long after the summer vacations begin.  She is an integral part of her school community.  Any school would be very lucky to have her on their staff.  

Like I said in my book, my story is not the only one.  This sad story is being played out all over our nation.  It's going on in rural and urban schools; on the west and the east coast; in Title 1 schools and in wealthy ones alike; in A++ schools and in failing ones; in ones with healthy, thriving PTA's and in ones without any parent involvement.  It is sickening.  How many lives will have to be ruined (both teachers and students alike) for people to take notice?

Though completely saddened to hear her pour her heart out, I walked out of the restaurant feeling bound and determined to continue to spread the message.  The message is that the system is breaking our teachers --- good-willed, excellent, veteran, well-loved, professional educators.  This is not good.  This is not right.

So, what advice did I give her?  Unfortunately, there are no easy answers.  I did encourage her to take care of herself, because if her health fails any more, she will not be able to give anything to anybody else.  I suggested that she do the things asked of her to the best of her ability to maintain her integrity.  Although she's been given advice to just "screw it", she feels so uncomfortable with that, and so would I.  I assured her that there is light at the end of the tunnel, just four months away.  I told her I hoped she could take a few months off in between jumping from teaching to whatever company will be blessed to have her next.  I'm so hoping she can regroup, gather her sense, and regain her health and sense of well-being.  Both being women of faith, we agreed that the most powerful thing she could do was pray for strength, wisdom, and peace.  If you believe in the power of prayer, we would both appreciate it if you would keep her in yours this week.  Thank you.

Thankful - oh so thankful!

Well ... it's that time of year again.  The time when we all gather together with family and friends, celebrating all that those things for which we are thankful.  So, although the actual day is still "4 sleeps" away, I'd like to use this blog to express my gratitude about all things surrounding I Will Not Resign.

I am thankful for ...

• finishing my book
• getting my book published
• a publisher who is very helpful and true to their word
• being able to learn new marketing strategies
• the energy to do the promoting 
• every article and program I've been a part of
• social media - don't know what I'd do without it
• every single one of my 456 "likes" on my Facebook page
• all my friends who ask, "How's the book going?"
• each reader who has purchased the book
• all the support and encouragement that has come my way
• principals who have taken things OFF their teachers' plates
• teachers who tell me the book HAS made a difference
• the opportunity to work with a state legislator on pro-student legislation
• affordable promotion materials
• the many many opportunities that are ahead of me!

Last, but not least, I am thankful for you, blog reader!  We live in a world of blogging and putting it all out there, but I still struggle with that sometimes.  I admit I haven't been nearly as regular as I'd like to be on here.  I'll strive to do better, but every day, I am thankful to God for this journey he has chosen for me.

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Staff Meeting

Well, this afternoon, I'm going to my second staff meeting ... not as a teacher but as a speaker.  This is new for me.  I can't even count how many endless school staff meetings I attended.  The words themselves conjure up feelings of boredom, images of administrators going on and on, thoughts of all the other things I should be doing.  No more of that for me, thank goodness!

Today is different.  Today I've been invited to my second local school to talk about my book.  It's really a struggle to prepare.  What's a good balance ... between the good, the bad, and the ugly?  How much harsh truth?  How much validation?  How much encouragement?  How much promotion?  Although they're fresh off a nice week off for fall break, it's still the end of the day ... it's still hump day ... they still have a full staff meeting in front of them ... and lesson plans to tackle ... and papers to grade ... and traffic to fight ... and families to take care of ... well, you know - the TO DO list if never-ending.

I pray my preparation and words will be a blessings, not a burden.  I am thankful for this opportunity that I've been given to speak in front of my peers ... the ones I have such a heart for ... the teachers ... giving them a VOICE one book at a time, one speech at a time, one day at a time.

PS ... All speakers get nervous - no matter how long they've been doing it....no matter how calm they seem on the outside ... no matter how polished the material.

Want to find out more?  How you can support those teachers in your life, in your sphere of influence?
Go to ...
www.IWillNotResign.tateauthor.com

Barnes and Noble

On September 14th, I had my first book signing at a corporate book store, Barnes and Noble.  Getting in with bookstores is supposed to be strictly between my publisher and their corporation, but it seemed that once the initial contact was made, it was all up to me.  It took several emails and phone calls to get it nailed down, but I finally did it!  And it was so worth it!  It was extra fun that it was the one right in my very own neighborhood of Goodyear!

When the West Valley View published an article about me in August, they had mistakenly said my book signing would be that next Saturday.  So, I guess quite a few people came in, expecting to see me and buy my book.  Although it caused a bit of inconvenience for these customers, it let the management staff know that there was more interest in this book than what they had expected.  So, instead of ordering only one box of books, they ordered another to make sure they had plenty of stock on hand. Although there were a few left over, it gave me a chance to have my books displayed right in the middle at the customer service desk!

Barnes and Noble put up a sign about my book signing quite a few days before the event, which I found out about from, of course, a friend on Facebook!  When I came in on that Saturday to set up, the staff was very welcoming.  They let me have a choice of where to set up, how many tables to have, and they even brought me an ice water from their cafe.  As always, people started coming in and engaging in conversation before I even had everything out of my bag ... well, actually, anything, to be honest.

It was so exciting, speaking to people who came in ... for the whole three hours.  I barely had a chance to sit down, which was just fine with me.  I got to talk to local teachers, retired teachers, happy teachers, frustrated teachers, retired librarians, previous bookstore owners, curious parents, and even a former student of mine!  Although I am grateful for each one of them, I was especially thrilled to have a district administrator as well as a school board member come in.  The district administrator was quite humble, in his casual weekend clothes, but I later found out (thank you, Google!) that he actually has his doctorate in education!  He has since contacted me and invited me to join in on some ongoing conversations about drafting educational legislation.  I'm anxious to see how that goes, of course!  The board member was very interested in the topic and after reading the book insisted that every member on her board should have a copy as well!

The thrilling part is that people are starting to listen ... different people groups and also the very ones I so desired to reach.  Some days, it seems like this process is taking forever, just baby steps one shaky step at a time.  Other days, I look back over the process and am pleased as can be at far it has come.  All in all, at the end of each day, I know God is in control of this.  It is all in his hands, in his timing.  For all of it, I am grateful.

Please find out more about the mission at www.IWillNotResign.tateauthor.com

Movies and Real Life

I don't know what it is about movies and their impact on this whole process, but obviously, it's been pretty big.  First of all, like I said in a previous blog, The Help (2011) was a huge catalyst in getting me to start writing the book.  Standing up for what's right, regardless of the backlash, was the take-away I got from watching that movie.  Although the players are different, I see teachers as being oppressed and not being able to have a voice, very similar to what the maids were going through in the movie.  I also draw several parallels between myself and Ms. Skeeter, getting the truth out, no matter how ugly it might be.

So - my new movie inspiration is The Butler (Lee Daniels).  If you haven't seen it, it's still in theaters, so try to go this weekend.  It's well worth your time.  My husband and I were both very impressed with the acting, but more importantly, the message behind the whole movie.  The thread that ran through several characters and events was that change IS possible!  The main character was so persistent throughout all his years of service in the White House, bringing to light the fact that the black staff was never paid as much as the white staff.  Year after year, he would approach his boss with this disparity, but change never happened.  At the end, knowing this would probably happen again, the butler first went to the president about it ... which surely prompted change!  The message has to get to the right person ... how true that is.

The groups of people standing up for what was right - through so many different avenues - protests, sit-ins, freedom rides, speeches, meetings, organizing - was so incredibly moving.  The civil rights movement is filled with ordinary people who chose to do extraordinary things.  I know God has called me to be that person in this  fight of our lifetime ... to give TEACHERS A VOICE!  Please join me in this fight.  It is worth the effort.  Our kids are depending on us!  Our future will be different because of it.  Thank you for reading!

Get my book here at ... www.IWillNOTResign.tateauthor.com

See my Fox 10 interview on Newsmaker Sunday at ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igQLqkFRUvw

Seeing is Believing!

Well ... it was kind of surreal ... seeing myself on TV this morning!  It was my first time.  Less than a week ago, John Hook, a news anchor from our local Fox channel, contacted me about coming in to tape for his Newsmaker Sunday show.  I went in on Thursday for the interview.  Although I was super nervous, he put me at ease quite quickly when he came out to greet me in the lobby.  I found him to be very personable and genuinely interested in my message and what we teachers are going through.  I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be on this program.

As soon as I knew it would be broadcast this Sunday, I contacted friends, family, senators, my congressional rep, our city council, our school board and anybody else I could think of!  I figure if they don't get the message through the book ... maybe TV will be the ticket!  Afterall, sometimes, SEEING is believing, right?!

(I am hoping to find a link for the program soon.  I'll post it when I find it.)  Thanks for reading!

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Busier than ever!

You know - it's kind of crazy.  I am beginning my third year of not working full time, and I am BUSIER THAN EVER!  More days than not, I am asking myself, "How did I ever have time to work a full time job?"  I mean - today, I almost did not have time for a nap!  I know, you might be laughing - but for me, it's got to be scheduled in.  With my rheumatoid arthritis, it is crucial for me to get the rest my body needs in order to be as healthy as possible.  Along with that is my gym time which usually consists of a yoga class.  What else?  Well .. .marketing, networking, selling, planning for my book.  And ... clipping coupons, ad matching, marriage mentoring, PTA volunteering, substitute teaching, shopping, cleaning, paying bills, and taking care of my amazing family.  Whew!  See - busier than ever!  BUT ... I wouldn't trade it for the world.  I am so grateful to have the freedom to have a schedule that allows me to take care of myself and my loved ones.  This new chapter in my life has been a blessing.

So - whatever your daily schedule is ... busy, slow; full time, part time; mom or not ... find the joy in whatever that day holds.  You know the cliche ... today is a gift - that's why it's called the present.

Blessings friends!

Until next time ~

Lori

If you haven't had the chance to get my book (I Will NOT Resign!) yet ...

get your copy today.  Teachers deserve a voice!

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