Dear Together Friends, Fans, and Family,
I cannot remember where I read this quote nor can I find an attribution, but I heard this phrase recently, “Hope must be loud.” As a naturally buoyant person, the experience of being a human right now is hard. The Together Group is here to say. . . Whether you are on the front lines protecting children, or setting policy that impacts the rights of ALL people, or working behind the scenes to ensure access to resources, we see you. My personal in-real-life efforts remain channeled toward youth organizations, such as Girls on the Run and Girl Scouts, and my own family’s financial contributions to Planned Parenthood and National Public Radio.
Awkward segue. But since our mission is to support results for kids and rest for adults, a reminder that. . .
Our popular semesterly Together Teacher Evening Edition is in a few weeks. Come join this productive two hours together!
TTG Team Member Cornelius and I had a great time in Buffalo with Persistence Prep and the Buffalo Academy of Science!
There is a lot of New-Year-New-You energy floating around this time of year for those of us that function on more of an academic calendar than a traditional calendar. And that energy usually comes with a tiny bit of pressure to meal plan for months, organize and label every nook and cranny, make sure every To-Do list is up to date, and generally be in a state of TOTAL TOGETHERNESS. (Sorry if I made your heart rate increase with that.) I know, because I can certainly feel that pressure too. That aspirational cry of. . . THIS IS THE WEEK I WILL GET IT ALL TOGETHER.
But here’s the thing: You won’t.
Not because you are not amazing, mission-driven, hard-working people, but as a principal in Philly once said to me, Togetherness is a journey – not a destination. And as someone who is leaning into claiming her experience and wisdom these days, I am here to tell you that you have to decide what is Together ENOUGH. Because, as The Together Team always says in our hopping Slack channel, there is no such thing as a “regular week.” And just when you think there is, a tiny pipe that controls the windshield wiper fluid in your decade-plus old Honda Pilot decides to snap just as you are ready to use said vehicle to drop the eldest child at college in New England and because it is such an oddity, the Honda dealer has to order the part and it will take over a week and the windshield wiper fluid is leaking onto the engine and you have to rent a car. . . but, I digress. The point is, regular weeks do not exist.
Now that I have maybe burst the Together Bubble a bit, here is how we think about Together Enough here at HQ. I polled our internal team as well as some of my favorite Together-ish humans out there (thanks Luke, Kate, Shawn, Aisha, Ben, Celeste, Chrystie, and Ana!) and I heard quotes such as:
I loved the variety of both personal and professional, physical and digital space, and some hobbies and fun thrown in there too.
So, what makes you feel Together ENOUGH? Tell us over here. . .
#togetherforever #clipboardsandclogs
Maia
PS Is anyone else excited about the next Great British Bake Off season? I’m pretty sure Dr. Together and I will dress as Paul and Prue for Halloween this year?! Now you cannot unsee it.
- How do you To-Do? Need a digital To-Do list to hold your Later List and Weekly Worksheet? If you’re a teacher looking for a To-Do app, one of these options might be the right fit for you! And not mentioned, but other favorites of ours include Google Tasks, Google Keep, and MS To-Do.
- Are you or your students looking for a new paper planner? Two new (to us) paper planners are on the market. While these resources cater to users with ADHD or other neurodivergent needs (PS did you read our body doubling post?) they could be useful to anyone who needs a paper Together Tool. You can check out some other paper planner suggestions here, here, and here.
- Do you need a house bag (or – hear me out – work bag)? If you’ve ever moved from one room to another, only to realize that you’ve left your phone / computer / water / pen behind, this TikTok hack might solve your problem. I have started using my trusty Boat and Tote (L.L. Bean forevah, baby) to keep my laptop, phone, Kindle, iPad and weekly paper planner as I sometimes settle into different workspaces in my home.
