Business in the Front, Party in the Back

Who doesn’t love Shari Murphy? Am I right? Am I right? Lemme get a mullet woosh for this gal: *clap* *clap* *clap* Business in the front, party in the back, where is my Camaro at? WOOSH!

But seriously, I had the pleasure of spending my day today with one of my most favorite people. I never imagined meeting someone so powerfully inspirational, real and encouraging as Shari. She puts her subjects in silly, awkward situations that feel totally uncomfortable and a little like Fifth Grade Camp. She makes us wake up, like REALLY wake up, way before it’s socially appropriate. She has the wait time of a ninja and will make your skin crawl and crickets come out of hibernating before jumping in to move it along. Shari makes driving an hour and a half through morning rush hour, haphazardly applying your make up and constructing a sideways ponytail worth it.

Upon meeting Shari a little over a year ago I immediately felt like I had known her for years. She is a consultant for our district and she also puts on workshops for Quantum Learning. Look it up – it’ll be a game changer! Shari is a classroom management guru. She has been able to help me tweak things in my room for optimal learning and optimal fun! She has so much knowledge about the brain and how it processes new information and how learning works. She could show up to these conferences ready to impart all of her wisdom on people, ready to flex her muscle on how awesome she is (because she is) – but she doesn’t. This incredible model SHOWS teachers how to reach new levels by DOING all of the things that help the brain learn.

Shari is infuses this all day workshop with a continuous stream of humor, laughing, celebrations, movement and music. All of these things are my favorite things so she is thereby my favorite. Like I said, I feel like we could totally be besties. I feel like this because she shares who she is outside of these 4 walls, she asks about my life, she focuses on what I’m saying, she remembers things I told her the last time we were together. We share a lot of common interests, experiences and personality traits. She makes me feel valued and she understands how important that is to me (and to most people, I’m assuming). She hugs me… *shudder*… and I like it! Most of the time people touching me is a little like going to a fancy steakhouse with a 3 year old – I would just prefer to save the happy feelings for other occasions.

In all seriousness, I end up taking away so much more from my encounters with Shari than just new management techniques, brain based learning strategies, and fun ways to affirm students effort. I leave with a renewed jive for my job, a huge smile, energy to last that long ass drive home and a really great feeling on who I am and why I rock. Thank you Shari for reminding me to do what I do with passion and purpose!