Be Extraordinary

Some of my favorite episodes from Grey's Anatomy were those in which Ellis Grey, in real life Sybil Burton, appeared.  The bristly nature of that character often led viewers to think Ellis Grey, who on the surface seemed hard and unfeeling toward her daughter, Meredith, was without maternal instincts.However, in one of her final appearances, Ellis's true feelings for her daughter become apparent as she charged her with the words: be extraordinary.As the mother - or is it the queen? - of Room 206, I find myself cajoling students to take risks and chances in learning situations. And, unfortunately, I sometimes end up accepting mediocrity.Time, outside forces beyond my control, arbitrary rules and regulations, can impede the vision of what I want for "my" kids. I know that given the same opportunities that students from more comfortable, language rich environments, my students can fly, they can be successful at whatever their heart desires. They can be extraordinary.And for that to occur, I need to be extraordinary too.