Find Your Marigold

As we were sitting on the cabin deck this weekend, my niece (an elementary speech pathologist) told me about an article she had seen for first year teachers.  I found it and read it - and realized that it was helpful not only to new teachers, but to any teacher - especially these first few weeks of school.

Advice is available everywhere you look, and some of it is very good. Still, with everything you have to do right now, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. And the fact is, a lot of those tips won’t work very well if you fail to follow this one essential rule: Surround yourself with good people. By finding the positive, supportive, energetic teachers in your school and sticking close to them, you can improve your job satisfaction more than with any other strategy. And your chances of excelling in this field will skyrocket. Just like a young seedling growing in a garden, thriving in your first year depends largely on who you plant yourself next to.

The Marigold Effect

Many experienced gardeners follow a concept called companion planting: placing certain vegetables and plants near each other to improve growth for one or both plants. Among companion plants, the marigold is one of the best: It protects a wide variety of plants from pests and harmful weeds. If you plant a marigold beside most any garden vegetable, that vegetable will grow big and strong and healthy, protected and encouraged by its marigold.

Marigolds exist in our schools as well – encouraging, supporting and nurturing. If you can find at least one marigold in your school and stay close to them, you will grow. Find more than one and you will positively thrive. If you feel good around this person, chances are they have some marigold qualities.  Once you’ve identified your marigolds, make an effort to spend time with them. Having a hard day? Go to your marigolds. Not understanding how to do something? Go to your marigolds. Confused by something the principal said at the faculty meeting? Marigolds. Make the effort. Find your marigolds and stick close to them. Grow big and strong.

These first few weeks are hard.  We often forget the hard work that goes into building relationships, establishing routines, and beginning to build opportunities for student success.   Whether you search out the marigold… or you are the marigold… may we find Houlton to be an environment that is 

encouraging, supporting, and nurturing.