Over the next few weeks, families will gather around the dining room table to celebrate a delicious Thanksgiving meal. We will enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese with family and friends and laugh about the Dallas Cowboys' current struggle. I hope we avoid politics.

Knowing this, I share this scenario with my faculty around the holidays and encourage leaders to do the same. Here is what we talk about.

We are connected more than ever. Text messaging, FaceTime, and social media all allow us to connect. But are we truly connected?

I was on a slow run recently and looking for inspiration for my next blog post. I was bumping into writer’s block, and my pace on the trail wouldn’t win any medals. But I trucked along the path and thought about my next reflection.

My friend Darrin Peppard gave his weekly pep talk about rooting for your colleagues. You should follow him on social media @darrinmpeppard if you have yet to see it. It reminded me of a picture that I share around this time each year. The image shows a basketball player celebrating in front of the bench. Take a moment to look at the photo.

I was sitting in Central Park listening to a mix of music that included the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Paul Simon’s live concert from Central Park, and Willie Nelson. Yes, Willie is the only non-Texan, but his music is iconic and fits the vibe and mood for the park in March.

This week, we interviewed for a scholarship awarded to a student wanting to enter the field of education. It is always a highlight of my year when we have the opportunity to talk with students who want to become teachers. It is a bucket filler kind of day.

“Appreciate you coming out to support us today, Mr. Bloomer.”

A senior on my campus said to me as I was leaving the regional wrestling tournament this weekend. This young man had just won two matches to earn a spot at the state tournament. This was a fantastic accomplishment, and as I shook his hand, I congratulated him. He was proud of his accomplishment, and I could tell it meant something to him that I was excited for him. I can’t wait to see him this week in the hallways and again next weekend in Houston, Texas, at the state tournament.

There is one kid in your school this week who needs you. He or she is going to sleep this evening and hoping you notice. He or she might not tell you what is required, but he or she needs you. He or she needs you more than ever before.

A student withdrew this week, which broke my heart. We were all saddened by this, as he was our guy. We loved being around him. He has the charisma and personality to do whatever he wants to do. He knew it would be impossible to graduate and decided to seek his degree elsewhere. At least, I hope he does.

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but by all means, keep moving.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Recently, I watched the documentary Willie and Family on Paramount. The four part series was an excellent walk down a musical memory lane. I caught myself singing along during the documentary. You don’t have to have been a fan to enjoy the documentary and I highly recommend it.

Recently, I traveled from San Antonio, Texas to Fort Worth, Texas to support our cheerleaders as they competed in their state competition. Round trip, it was about ten hours on the road. The girls and the coaches are really outstanding representatives of our school community and I enjoyed my time with them.

Noted author and speaker Jimmy Casas routinely discusses setting up time for one-on-one conferences with teachers. He firmly believes that these short, focused meetings help support staff members and help build the culture your campus is working toward.

“I’m so sorry to bother you; I know you are busy.” How many of us have heard this uttered recently by a staff member to us? After that statement, almost apologetically, the staff member shares their question, issue, or concern with us. This statement has been rattling around in my mind lately.

Recently, I came across a post by author Ryan Holiday that I can’t stop thinking about lately. Essentially, he said that not everything said or posted deserves a response.

“Can I give you a hug?”

Was it just me or was last week a long month? Ha! Shock-October had lived up to its name.

On Saturday, I drove to Austin, Texas to support my marching band in their area contest. Each year, I gravitate to a different group on my campus and really enjoy being with them. Last year it was the theater department and this year it is the marching band. I love the show and love the kids. They also seem to really enjoy me being with them.

I ended our faculty meeting on Wednesday with an exit ticket. I asked my staff to put their thoughts on engaging classrooms on sticky notes under the headings -- Always, Sometimes, and Never. (Thanks, Alex!)

I have thought a lot about this quote over the past few weeks. The Champ, Muhammad Ali, summed up my feelings of being in education with this quote. He is saying that we often get distracted, sidetracked, or detoured from our goals because of small “pebbles” that get in our way.

This week, a marketing director for Chick-fil-A came by the school to meet with me. We had spoken on the phone, and this was the first time we met face to face. He was dropping off some coupons and wanted to share others with our groups and organizations.

Everything we do, creates an experience for someone. It is either a memorable one, an enjoyable one, or a disappointing one. Oftentimes, we are able to control how the experience plays out, but there are times when we have to react to the emotions of an individual’s experience.