Man in the Arena

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

                                                                                                        --Theodore Roosevelt

How fitting this quote appears to be from every level of education.  As an administrator I continue to strive for action, improvement, and a better overall school environment.  I ask teachers to continue to excel at what they do everyday.  Most importantly we all ask students to make an attempt at new knowledge, experiences, and becoming a better version of themselves.  To accomplish this, we must always remember to enter "the arena" we call school with a clear goal, strong character, and unwillingness to quit in the face of defeat.  While we can not all be guaranteed victory at every attempt, we can grow stronger with every experience.  I never want to be one of those individuals Roosevelt refers to as, "cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."