There's a reason that the word people comes first in the CCISD guiding principles. And, our people are really the purpose behind our podcast series titled CCISD to the Fullest. Join Dava West, Director of Counseling and Student Services, and Lindsey Hunt, Communications Specialist, as they embark on a journey throughout the school year to tell our stories, make connections and share advice on how to live, or strive to live, CCISD to the fullest. Here's the first episode about what CCISD to the Fullest means to employees.
00;00;00;17 - 00;00;30;02
Speaker 1
There’s a reason that the word people comes first. In our CCISD guiding principles and our people are really the purpose behind our podcast series titled CCISD to the Fullest. Hello and welcome to the first episode of CCISD To the Fullest. I’m Lindsey Hunt, communications specialist for CCISD and I’m joined by Dava West, director of Counseling and Student Services for Clear Creek ISD.
00;00;30;08 - 00;00;55;07
Speaker 2
Hello, everyone. Lindsey and I have the privilege of being your host and together, along with our listeners, we’re embarking on a journey throughout the school year to tell our stories, make connections, and share advice on how to live our stride, to live CCISD to the fullest, All right, let’s jump right in. CCISD to the fullest. What does it mean and where did the term come from?
00;00;55;14 - 00;01;17;06
Speaker 2
I’m going to start with where the term came from, because that’s the easy part. The term came from our purpose. The reason that we are all here. That’s our students. So in short, living, living CCISD to the fullest came from you, our people, and the fulfillment you find living out our purpose. And now, for the hard part. What does it mean?
00;01;17;22 - 00;01;23;04
Speaker 2
Now, honestly, I have no idea. So, Lindsay, I'll let you answer this one. Geez.
00;01;23;04 - 00;01;45;23
Speaker 1
Thanks, Dava But in reality, you're right. Defining what living CCISD to the fullest means is really hard. And when we were envisioning this podcast, we knew that we couldn't define it in isolation. So we didn't want to get to the bottom of what living CCISD To the fullest means. We went straight to the source and spent some time talking to some of our colleagues from various roles across the district.
00;01;46;05 - 00;02;05;23
Speaker 1
We had the opportunity to connect with them. We were blown away by their impactful mentions to our prompt. What does living CCSID to the fullest mean to you? Here's Bill Kronovich, stadium manager for Challenger, Columbia Stadium, sharing what living CCISD to the fullest means to him. Let's take a listen.
00;02;06;00 - 00;02;30;07
Speaker 3
I would say it's it's passion and commitment to the to the job you do. And if you don't have that and you don't see that, you have to. I would. Do you have to change it. Embrace change as your friend. And don't be afraid of it. I mean, do something that you like to do and that you that you can have that passion and you can have that commitment and have fun and enjoy it.
00;02;30;20 - 00;02;49;11
Speaker 3
And again, if it means change, don't be afraid of change. I mean, if you have to take a few steps back, take a few steps back, because you take a few steps back and you enjoy what you're doing. It will show and the next. Before you know it, you're five steps ahead.
00;02;49;22 - 00;03;02;17
Speaker 1
So Bill touched on passion and commitment for the job. Others have mentioned core values and modeling the behaviors we ask of our students. And then there's Greg Cruthirds, director of Purchasing. Here's what he had to share.
00;03;03;00 - 00;03;23;13
Speaker 4
I'm very fulfilled by being helpful to other folks. And so having having the opportunity to solve problems, to save money for the school district, to to bring my talents and purchasing is fulfilling in its own way. I think having a bigger purpose than your own self is is fulfilling in its own way. And it helps it helps you to bring your best every day.
00;03;23;24 - 00;03;42;26
Speaker 1
So Dava and I have come to believe that what ceases to be to the fullest really means is actually quite simple. It's finding your passion, committing to your purpose, and being fulfilled in your role within CCISD We know the road to fulfillment is different for everyone. You might have a straight shot. You might be on a winding road where you quite literally are on the edge of a cliff.
00;03;43;11 - 00;03;52;29
Speaker 1
So we're going to circle back to our colleagues to share some of their rules of the road to living or striving to live. CCISD To the fullest.
00;03;55;25 - 00;04;19;14
Speaker 2
So I am loving the advice our colleagues had to share with us about their rules of the road. Let's start with Cathy Donahoe. She's an aerospace engineer by trade and now proudly serves as the administrative assistant to Principal Ashley Orr at Clear Creek High School. In her time here, Cathy has worked with quite a few principals. Let's take a listen to some advice Cathy had to share with our principals.
00;04;20;00 - 00;04;44;27
Speaker 5
So one thing that that is always important, I feel for principals and and I try tried to do this every day. Allow them to rely on their assistants. You know, a lot of times principals and I completely understand and I try to make sure that I don't just say something, because that's what we've been doing all along.
00;04;47;11 - 00;05;06;27
Speaker 5
Make sure you have good communication. A good example was when Jamie took over because he took over in the middle of this. He took over in the spring. And Mr. Bockart had been principal at first and we had been a team for four years, I think. And so when he came in, I said, I'm going to try not.
00;05;07;18 - 00;05;30;10
Speaker 5
I'm going to try not to just tell people the answer. I'm going to try to to make sure that your answer is the same as Mr. Bockart’s answer. But so a line of communication is always important, and it's always good to rely on your assistant, because if they've been there a while, they can help you with things. So that would be one.
00;05;31;01 - 00;06;00;20
Speaker 5
I'll always be honest. It's always important to me. And the third would be try to leave by three on Fridays. You know, that's good advice. It's good to have a really good game. You're going to have a baseball game. You're going to have a something. And and you've I mean, you've got a long night ahead. So hopefully they can lead by three on Fridays.
00;06;00;28 - 00;06;01;26
Speaker 5
That's always our goal.
00;06;02;15 - 00;06;29;28
Speaker 1
Dava, I love Cathy's last piece of advice. It's pretty great. We all know it's not always possible, but it's a great goal and a good rule. The road to living, CCISD to the fullest. So now let's meet Jordan Pavalek. Jordan is a second year, third grade math, science and social studies teacher at Parr Elementary. She opened up about her unlikely path to becoming a teacher, what her first year was like, and some of the strategies she adopted to overcome some of her first year obstacles.
00;06;30;09 - 00;06;37;13
Speaker 1
And we're pretty honored that she did. Here's Jordan sharing some advice on how she prevents burnout and how she works to fill her star bars.
00;06;37;20 - 00;07;00;20
Speaker 5
To prevent burnout. So last year, like I will say, I was extremely burned out because first year teacher. I would love to have count the overtime hours I spent at that school. The Saturday is the Sundays I spent, and as awful as it sounds, it was worth it. It paid off. And I think that that's one thing I would always tell myself is you are grinding now.
00;07;01;01 - 00;07;31;25
Speaker 5
So next year it's not as hard. And I am so thankful I did that because now I can actually walk out at 345 some days I don't have to sit and prep self because I did it all last year. So as hard as it is that first year to want to stay to do all this, it makes your life so much better in the next years knowing that, Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I made all those stations for math class because now I can just say, Oh, I had those already done, I'm done.
00;07;31;26 - 00;07;51;11
Speaker 5
And then finding stuff that makes you forget about work, like you have to have an out. What do to express? What do you like so high? First, I'm a gym girl, so I do it too. But also like my weekends are my weekends and I am seldom li in my house on my weekends because that's why I like to call it like filling my stars.
00;07;51;11 - 00;08;07;14
Speaker 5
Like you have five stars that you need to fill every day. And so my weekends. So even if I would say, well, I'm filling your buckets, but like I like fill my stars every day. So some weeks, you know, you're not going to get your five stars. And I'm like, weekends are my time. I'm going to fill up my star bar.
00;08;08;00 - 00;08;10;18
Speaker 5
So I am going to go, I know.
00;08;10;21 - 00;08;12;01
Speaker 2
And I can just like see.
00;08;12;09 - 00;08;13;06
Speaker 5
My five.
00;08;13;06 - 00;08;22;12
Speaker 2
Stars and they're like kind of like the whatever Amazon rating, like a five star rating or whatever. So that is really I am saving so much.
00;08;22;21 - 00;08;38;27
Speaker 5
More so in the might just be mean. One of my friends we might just go sit out like I love going to restaurants where you can just like sit outside and just like it's like the nature and you just with good company like that is like I can sit there for 30 minutes and I'm like, Oof, this made my whole week worth it.
00;08;39;06 - 00;08;46;24
Speaker 5
So it is, it's finding those moments and being able to like, decide this is that moment that makes me happy. So I need to make more of it.
00;08;47;02 - 00;09;08;04
Speaker 2
I am totally adopting Jordan's practice of filling her star bars. She's touched on a few points that I know are teachers are struggling with burnout, finding the time and the moments that make you happy. I think we all wish we had a magic wand and go, poof, do this and you will avoid burnout or stress. But I'm not found that magic wand yet.
00;09;08;27 - 00;09;30;24
Speaker 2
What I can affirm is things can get challenging hard, and it's okay to acknowledge that we're not perfect. Asking for help is okay. And during those most challenging times, if we can take a step back and remember our personal why? It can remind us to recognize those smile file moments during the day, which help us during the hard moments.
00;09;31;08 - 00;09;52;20
Speaker 2
But what is that saying? Talk is cheap. So I want to give our listeners a few actual steps they can take to help them remember their why and hopefully help during those challenging times. First, whether it's a folder in your email inbox or an actual folder, you keep on your desk, create a smile file. I know, I know.
00;09;52;24 - 00;10;21;05
Speaker 2
This sounds silly, but hear me out in that smile file, place positive emails, notes are pictures you get from a student, a parent or boss. And when you need what is it Jordan said to fill your star bars? Look back at those items and this will help you remember your why. I would also like to share another tangible thing that you can do at the end of each day to help with reminding you of the good moments during your day and letting go of some of those difficult moments.
00;10;21;21 - 00;10;45;29
Speaker 2
I'm going to share a checklist that my counseling partner, Kristina Ford, assistant director of counseling and Student Services, created. And I have this taped to my wall and review it at the end of every day. Take a moment to think about your day. Acknowledge one thing that was difficult and purposely let it go. And I will tell you, this is a challenging one for me, but you can do it and it truly helps to be proud of the work that you did today.
00;10;46;03 - 00;11;16;20
Speaker 2
Acknowledge it. You deserve that. Pat on the back. Consider three things that went well and acknowledge those things. Then take a moment and realize, Are you okay? And if you're not, it's okay. And reach out. Who can you reach out to? Have an end of the day action like shutting down your computer, putting your badge away. And this gives your brain a signal that the workday is over and it can shift to a different place and then switch that attention to your home.
00;11;16;20 - 00;11;42;25
Speaker 2
And this is the best part. That's when you rest and recharge. And in case you need a few more tips, here's Greg Cruthirds again. Greg's an avid saltwater fisherman and has been his whole life. His love of the water stems from quality time with his grandfather every summer while growing up. Although he may not share all of his fishing secrets, Greg has learned some important lessons on the water that translate to his time in CCISD.
00;11;43;00 - 00;11;44;00
Speaker 2
Let's take a listen.
00;11;44;25 - 00;12;06;19
Speaker 4
But I think one of the first lessons that fishing teaches you is patience, because as you mentioned earlier, that the fish are on their own schedule, the tides are on their own schedule. The weather does what the weather is going to do. And so that makes you kind of step back and realize that you're a part of a bigger picture as opposed to having control of everything in your life.
00;12;06;20 - 00;12;31;05
Speaker 4
You have to let go of some of that control. Just let things come to you sometimes. And so that gives me a sense of balance in that way. Another thing I would say is that I've taken more joy as time has gone on and being a teaching my fishing skills to my children and my friends. And so I think any time you can you can teach them that you have a level of expertize in and you kind of give that back.
00;12;31;05 - 00;12;50;10
Speaker 4
Then it comes back to you in more ways and more. Yeah. And maybe tenfold with what you. So I've as I've kind of indicated I've caught all the fish that I've ever really targeted in my life at this point. And so now it's more fulfilling to me to see through my kids eyes or through my friends. I haven't done that here.
00;12;51;21 - 00;13;00;21
Speaker 4
I would say that you need to really enjoy what you're doing and have that sense of being helpful and bringing your best every day and.
00;13;04;19 - 00;13;25;06
Speaker 1
Okay, so Greg's lessons from the water highlight a really important component of living, CCISD to the fullest. We talked earlier about passion, commitment and being fulfilled in your role and Christy. But none of that is really possible without being fulfilled in your life outside of work. Life outside of work is so important. And that affects your life at work in more ways than you may realize.
00;13;25;17 - 00;13;36;24
Speaker 1
A fulfilled life outside of work may even help you in your work life. So Dava as the director of Counseling and Student Services for CCISD, what advice do you have to share with our listeners?
00;13;37;16 - 00;13;45;22
Speaker 2
While Lindsay I think the very best advice I can give anyone is that if you don't take care of yourself, you will not be able to take care of others.
00;13;45;23 - 00;13;54;13
Speaker 1
And we heard just that from Ashley Berger's and adapted teacher, coach and lead of the Special Olympics program in CCISD Let's listen.
00;13;55;05 - 00;14;17;15
Speaker 5
I think the number one recharge would be doing nothing or you know, I'm not really good at that. So just doing kind of whatever I would like to do. I really enjoy, of course, hanging out, being with my family and my friends. I'm very close to my family and so a day with them or some time with them is always a good recharge for me for sure.
00;14;17;23 - 00;14;19;03
Speaker 2
And doing nothing is okay.
00;14;19;08 - 00;14;20;16
Speaker 5
Yeah, yeah.
00;14;20;16 - 00;14;25;09
Speaker 2
But I hear that's one of the main things that you should do to recharge. And it's okay to give yourself a break.
00;14;25;11 - 00;14;27;07
Speaker 5
Exactly. Just to rest.
00;14;27;18 - 00;14;29;23
Speaker 2
Plans. Yeah. It's not plan.
00;14;29;23 - 00;14;36;10
Speaker 5
No plan. And I always say you can't take care of somebody else if you can't take if you're not taking care of.
00;14;36;22 - 00;14;38;07
Speaker 2
That is very good advice.
00;14;38;08 - 00;14;56;22
Speaker 5
Always keep that in mind that if I want to take care of these kids, take care of these families and be continue to be a positive influence, then I have to take care of myself also. And a big part of that is, of course, rest you know, and doing what I need to take care of myself in order to be able to be on my A-game for everybody else.
00;14;57;09 - 00;15;19;01
Speaker 2
She makes it sound simple right? Let's think of it this way. When building a house, a homeowner wants a strong foundation, so the rest of the house will stand on that strong foundation. If the foundation is not strong, cracks will start to happen, which will then lead to bigger and bigger issues for people. That strong foundation starts with caring for yourself so that you can take care of others.
00;15;19;26 - 00;15;40;04
Speaker 2
To me, everyone in CCISD is taking care of others. Teachers are taking care of students. Administrators are taking care of teachers. Child nutrition workers are taking care of teachers and students. And our maintenance team is taking care of all of us. So if we don't care for ourselves, we don't have a solid foundation to take care of others.
00;15;40;13 - 00;16;08;14
Speaker 2
So here are some tips for building that solid foundation outside of work. First, unplug. Turn off technology. Trust me, you can live without it for a little while. Then divide and conquer work to share those household tasks with others, whatever that may look like in your home. Don't overcommit. It is a hard one to say no. I know that's a struggle for a lot of us, but that is something that you can do.
00;16;08;14 - 00;16;36;03
Speaker 2
It's okay to say no. Stay active. The outdoors, the sunshine, exercise. All of these things have medical evidence that they are good for you. Treat your body right. Your body is your engine. So put the good gas in it. Splurged. Put the good stuff, find time for yourself. And I know this one is a challenging thing to do, even if it's just 5 minutes and know it is okay.
00;16;36;04 - 00;17;03;12
Speaker 2
If that 5 minutes means you're doing nothing, do nothing, do nothing. And I was so excited to hear that some of our colleagues have implemented some of these practices, like Matthew Fuller, a newer member of the CCISD family. And what brought him to CCI might surprise you. Let's take a listen to what life looked like before Matt joined CCISD and what simple thing he gets to enjoy now that he is here.
00;17;03;25 - 00;17;16;23
Speaker 3
The big thing is burnout from the job. It's working every single weekend. It's working every single holiday, not getting to see my wife, not getting the dinner with my wife or see my family. Parents, you got a lot.
00;17;16;23 - 00;17;28;11
Speaker 1
Of people that may or may not understand, but the restaurant world never stops. It's 365. Yup. And so it is definitely a world where burnout can occur.
00;17;28;23 - 00;17;29;16
Speaker 3
Yeah, it's very demanding.
00;17;29;16 - 00;17;30;06
Speaker 1
High demands.
00;17;30;15 - 00;17;35;01
Speaker 3
I think unless I requested a weekend off, I wouldn't have a weekend off forever. You got.
00;17;35;02 - 00;17;35;24
Speaker 1
Holidays?
00;17;35;24 - 00;17;38;09
Speaker 3
Yeah, holidays. You're working six, seven days that week.
00;17;38;25 - 00;17;41;06
Speaker 2
Guaranteed long hours too, I'm guessing.
00;17;41;06 - 00;17;52;13
Speaker 3
Yeah, I'm. Yeah, no matter what. And they're not good hours. It's not like here where I can come in at seven and be gone by three when my wife's off. It's come in at two or 3:00 and get off at midnight.
00;17;53;02 - 00;18;07;27
Speaker 1
So we're going to just jump right into that burnout thing because I think that is something that we want to talk to you about with our CCISD group. But so I'm sure it was hard to prevent burnout in your previous career, but.
00;18;07;27 - 00;18;24;02
Speaker 3
Correct. There's really no outlet for solving it. It's just, hey, you're going to work because we got to work and we got more food going out. So there wasn't really any options for that. There's no real time off in the restaurant world either, so you don't really get an opportunity to like relax or so.
00;18;24;03 - 00;18;33;24
Speaker 1
Knowing some of those obstacles and some of those challenges that you've had to overcome, how do you kind of put that into your current life.
00;18;34;07 - 00;18;35;16
Speaker 5
To to avoid it.
00;18;35;17 - 00;18;36;26
Speaker 1
From happening again?
00;18;37;11 - 00;18;52;17
Speaker 3
Well, the most basic thing is now I get to eat dinner every day with my wife. I get to cook and eat and see each other, which we were going some days I could go home, we could meet, maybe see each other when she was going to bed or when I was going to work. And now we see each other everyday.
00;18;53;06 - 00;19;17;17
Speaker 3
So first and foremost, that and then also now because I'm off on the weekends, which I was never off on the weekends, I get to play cards with my parents every week, no matter what I am. Oh, well, we play hearts and we play there's another game. We play it like 70%, but and I'm very bad at them, but it's time that I get to go spend with my, my aunt and aunts and uncles, my mom and dad, my cousins, people that I have.
00;19;17;17 - 00;19;30;04
Speaker 3
And, you know, I get to see on holidays for an hour when I was off work and that's about it. So I have all these outlets for things that I actually enjoy now versus just work, sleep, work, sleep, work.
00;19;31;23 - 00;20;02;25
Speaker 2
So let's get real for a moment CCISD. I can pretty much guarantee that we have listeners thinking, Yeah, that's great, but it doesn't help me. To those of you thinking it, listen up, we hear you. We know where you're coming from and we are here to help. We may not always have the opportunity for balance in your work and home life, but sometimes there is a misperception of what work and life balance truly means.
00;20;03;09 - 00;20;14;25
Speaker 2
It doesn't mean perfection. It doesn't always mean balance. Sometimes the perceived balance is simply finding something that is working well in your life and doing more of it. And like we're.
00;20;14;25 - 00;20;25;05
Speaker 1
All going to have bad days. The difference is in how you handle them. Here's some advice. Dr. Sharon Lopez, principal of Clear Brook High School, had to share with you about how to live CCISD to the fullest.
00;20;25;27 - 00;20;27;24
Speaker 2
I think is staying positive.
00;20;27;25 - 00;20;30;18
Speaker 5
You're going to have ups and downs. You're going to.
00;20;30;18 - 00;20;55;26
Speaker 2
Have days that you're like, Whoa, what am I doing? And and one foot in front of the other. If you have a bad day, go find somebody that is you that's always positive and can help you get out of that and put one step in front of the other. We all have a checklist that's a mile long and I think just taking those baby steps to keep moving forward and ask for help.
00;20;55;26 - 00;21;17;10
Speaker 2
When you need help, ask for help. We're all one big team and we will, you know, we're going to put in the work that to help you get through that if you're going through a hard time and so living. CCISD is all about being collaborative and working together to be the best we can be. And so I truly believe that.
00;21;17;10 - 00;21;36;17
Speaker 2
And I truly believe that we're here for the kids and we're here to help each other get through whatever we need to get through. And hopefully you have better, more good days then than bad. But every once in a while you may stumble, but get your head back up and keep taking one step forward.
00;21;36;27 - 00;21;59;04
Speaker 1
Another theme we're going to explore in later episodes is connections. There are meaningful and impactful connections that happen daily in our classrooms, in our offices, on our fields and our courts, and even outside of our defined spaces. Some of them come naturally through established relationships, and some of them happen when you put yourself out there to build new relationships.
00;21;59;14 - 00;22;29;22
Speaker 2
For those who may be struggling to live, CCISD to the fullest. Lean in on existing and new relationships to get you through the difficult times. Contact a counselor or get in touch with our human resource department. Also know that our district has an employee assistance program. We call it EAP for all employees and their household. As a part of our EAP program, employees and their families can participate in multiple sessions with specialized staff to help them work through personal issues.
00;22;30;00 - 00;22;54;28
Speaker 2
Planning for life events are simply managing daily life. If you need more information about our district's ERP program, you can talk with a campus counselor or our human resource department. It's okay to ask for help. You're not alone. There are a lot of people in our district that care about you and want to help you be successful and live to the fullest.
00;22;56;23 - 00;23;22;27
Speaker 1
And as we near the end of this episode, I hope you've enjoyed hearing from a few of your colleagues, and I'm excited to say there's more to come. Today, we're going to leave you with a thought. We all touch so many lives and our roles. And CCISD and you may not know the impact you've had on someone. Our wish is that even on the most challenging days, you're reminded of the impact you make in someone's life.
00;23;23;12 - 00;23;27;28
Speaker 1
Here's a raw and real moment from our time with Jordan Pavalek when.
00;23;28;06 - 00;23;28;13
Speaker 2
You.
00;23;28;13 - 00;23;33;12
Speaker 1
Quite literally can hear the depth of gratitude she has for a colleague in her voice.
00;23;33;26 - 00;23;49;09
Speaker 5
So I struggled a lot with some behavior management in our classrooms, and I feel like that is something that every teacher struggles about. It's not a lot of times you go say, Oh, that that one lesson didn't go to hell. Most of the times I go to my teammate, it's about how are we going to handle this behavior?
00;23;49;10 - 00;24;14;18
Speaker 5
How are we going to correct this behavior? And last year, her and I had some hard behaviors to handle. And so I think learning curriculum and then those tough behaviors was a lot. So that was a lot for us to handle. And I think having the strong teammates that I do like, I mean, if I would have had her to go and talk with every day, like we would sit in there for 30 minutes every day to just decompress our day.
00;24;14;19 - 00;24;37;01
Speaker 5
Like I give so much of my credit to her because she keeps me sane. Well, give her a shout out. What's her name? Thank you. Dina. Scott. She is my person, but she helped me a lot last year. Sorry. Just breathe, you’re fine.
00;24;37;11 - 00;24;39;05
Speaker 2
She seems like she's a very important person.
00;24;39;06 - 00;24;44;24
Speaker 5
Yeah, she was. And I guess it didn't hit me till now. So I hope you appreciate my shout out.
00;24;47;00 - 00;25;08;12
Speaker 5
Yeah, she's an amazing person, and I know that. That's why I'm lucky to get to teach with her and just get to experience her love, too, because it's not every day that you get to see such people who love their kids as much to like, you know, we do. But her and I care a lot about our kids and you can see that with how I hope you can see that with how I teach and with how she teaches.
00;25;08;12 - 00;25;21;08
Speaker 5
Suze, we let the kids be themselves as well. So I think that's why also behavior management is a big thing for us because we want them to follow our expectations but also be themselves.
00;25;23;06 - 00;25;38;02
Speaker 1
Next time on CCISD to the fullest gratitude what it means, where to find it, and how it affects our lives and unlikely ways. Thanks for listening and we'll talk again soon.
00;25;38;02 - 00;25;38;09
Speaker 6
.