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Simple Connections
Sometimes the simple connections we have can be some of the most affirming moments in our lives. It is important to recognize them, let them fill your heart, mind and soul when they happen, and then let them lead you to your future actions.
Each day this past week I have had several of these moments and while each one of the connections with other people might have lasted for only a few minutes of the 10,080 minutes of time we each receive in a week, they have affirmed me like no others.
These moments were not found in sacred places, were not based in deep leaning environments or work environments, and otherwise could have been simply overlooked and chronicled as just another brief episode of my life, but there was something a little more that connected these moments for me in such a powerful way.
Each of these moments were with people that I had previously worked with, supported in their careers, and built authentic relationships with, that I can now surely confirm have endured over time.
This week, I ran into two individuals who I had not seen or communicated with in close to five years, yet, when they saw me, I saw their eyes light up, their spirits rise, and hope fill their hearts. We spoke for several minutes and shared a few catch up stories and then they said the following in back-to-back respective statements, “You really made an impact on our lives”, and “I’d work for you in a heartbeat.” As I walked away from these two individuals, I felt tremendously affirmed. I thought to myself, “The work that we did with each other together was authentic, meaningful, lasting, and made a positive impact on others.” I thought about this all day!
A second moment occurred not in person, but through text messaging. One of my most loyal and dedicated colleagues who I have known in some capacity for over twenty years, but had not spoken to for over a year, simply texted me to connect. During that brief text exchange we talked about his retirement, my work, and what might lie ahead for me. His positive words of encouragement, belief in my skills and attributes, and hopes for my future success were also some of the most affirming statements that I have received about my nuanced skills working with people. Again, I thought to myself, “The work we did with each other together was authentic, meaningful, and made a positive impact on others.”
Each of you might have similar simple moments that pass us by like cars passing our houses at night, but sometimes, when you pay attention, you can hear and feel the life affirming messages that are embedded in these simple moments. Maybe the moment will come in a brief conversation with others, maybe through a text, or maybe you will be the one to provide the affirming message to others, which would be amazing! My point is, pay attention to these simple moments as they could be some of the most life affirming moments for you or others.
Dr. Rob Martinez is “Resiliency Guy”. His new book, “Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators” is published by the Dave Burgess Consulting Inc. and is available on @Amazon. Dr. Martinez is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Antioch Unified School District in Northern California. He is available for professional development, keynoting, and is always happy to connect to discuss resilience development in education settings. You can find him on social media @ResiliencyGuy #RecipesForResilience
A Retirement Love Letter
In August of 2019 I left the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District after thirty-two years of service. In my time in FSUSD I provided service as a School Psychologist, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Human Resources, and I was in my sixth successful year of service as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources when I left the District.
I then became the Superintendent of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District during a difficult budget year when the pandemic literally forced us to close schools to 30,000 students in a day’s turnaround. I then served as both the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services and Human Resources for the Washington Unified School District, prior to being named as Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer for the Griffin Technology Academies in Vallejo for the 2021-2022 school year.
After a challenging year at GTA, in June of 2022, I actually submitted my formal retirement paperwork with the California State Teachers Retirement System. As I contemplated retirement, I decided to apply for one more position as I was intrigued about the District and the services they were aspiring to provide to students. When the position was offered, I recalled my STRS documents, and I accepted the assignment to become the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Antioch Unified School District. While retirement was enticing, I decided that I wanted to continue my career of service and I opined, “What better place to continue my service than Antioch?”
Over the last three years, I have strived to be the best school administrator that I could and tried to model exemplary service and leadership to all. I hope that I have provided the service, support, skills and guidance that was needed by employees to serve all of our students in this capacity. I worked to foster better communication with the employee representative groups, individual employees, and worked to elevate the administrative team at every turn.
I can truly say that on the whole the employees in the Antioch Unified School District are some of the most dedicated people that I have ever worked with in my thirty-eight years of service. It has been challenging to say the least, however, I feel fortunate to have been able to return to a TK-12 -Adult School District and connect with so many caring educators. I feel strongly that I am leaving behind a positive legacy of service that I am extremely proud of.
In April of 2024, when the Governing Board asked me to step up to serve the District as Superintendent, in addition to carrying my Human Resources responsibilities, I said, “Yes” and took on the responsibilities of both of these high-level positions. School leadership is never for the faint of heart, and yes, this last year provided some of the most challenging meetings, conversations with Board members, and struggles along the way, and yet, I was able to meet and fulfill the rigorous commitments of both positions to keep learning moving in the classrooms.
As the year progressed I felt the heavy responsibility to bring about equitable, high level, and compassionate care and education to the almost 16,000 students of the District, and I’m grateful that I was not alone in this endeavor. My Human Resources Team is simply incredible. My Administrative Assistant is tops bar none. My second in command who took on a substantial level of responsibility during these months, extraordinary! My Cabinet Members were all on-point, focused on what mattered, and were each outstanding in their commitment to students.
We finished the 2023-2024 school year strong. One of the highlights for me was being able to accept thousands of new graduates during the commencement ceremonies. We also worked to prepare for the 2024-2025 school year, and sought to promote the District in every way possible to be able to tell the positive stories and activities that were bringing about needed change for students and the community.
Our beginning of the year staff development for everyone was inclusive, specifically focused on equitable and ethical practices, and focused on building authentic relationships that could endure the challenges ahead. Our employee representative groups were willing to work together to bring about a more swift conclusion to negotiations so as not to distract from the real work of creating equitable opportunities for students, and I believe that I was even able to begin the alignment of the Board as they transitioned to new leadership. Knowing that I would be leaving at the year’s end I was able to guide them to initiate the initial steps towards finding a new Superintendent.
While the work of both positions was extremely rewarding, and the team of administrators with whom I worked with is extraordinary, in January of 2025, I did make the decision to pull back my services from the Superintendency to facilitate a better transition to new leadership for the District. Over the last three months I have concentrated my responsibilities on ensuring that there was a succession plan in place for both of the positions that I was filling. I am now focusing on my next and important promotion to retirement.
I have heard it said that sometimes the transition to retirement can be a challenge for Superintendents and high level administrators, and I can now understand that a bit more. The jobs of top-level education administrators can be unnerving, making you lose sleep with worry as if all the children of the District are your own who are not home before their curfew. I anticipate that there will be a dearth of emails, phone calls, text messages, which might ring loud with their silence, but I think I am more prepared than most. I know that this silence will be filled with new songs, new refrains, and new experiences.
Some have asked me, “What will you do when you retire?” and if you know me, you know that I have a long list of things planned and will be willing to add more every day. I know that I will write more, speak more, publish new products, and somehow be on stage. I will determine if I will choose to provide coaching, consultation, or create my own side hustle. I will rest, then go, then rest some more, then go farther. We will travel, breathe, and work to enjoy each and every moment of living. I will walk, hike, exercise, sing, dance, and branch out to new activities with the glee of a child.
My last official day in the office is Friday, May 2, and then I will officially be on vacation through the last day of the school year, June 10, 2025. This will mark 38 years of service to public education. With some simple math, I believe that includes service to well over 200,000 students in some way that I have worked for during that time.
To the literally thousands of people I have worked with in this amazing endeavor, I sincerely want to share my thanks for what each of you have done in support of children as well.
In closing, I’d like to share two quotes with you that I have worked to keep in mind as I tried to be the best educator that I could be.
The first is from Ralph Waldo Emerson.
“Successful is the person who has lived well, laughed often and loved much, who has gained the respect of children, who leaves the world better than they found it, who has never lacked appreciation for the earth’s beauty, who never fails to look for the best in others or give the best of themselves.”
The second is one of mine, Dr. Rob Martinez
“Let the lives we help others live be the measure of our success.”
I like to think that I’ve tried to do just that throughout my career and life, but don’t worry, I’m not done yet! There will be more to come!
Again, my sincere appreciation and with thoughtful consideration,
Dr. Rob Martinez, AKA “Resiliency Guy,” AKA “Papa Rob” You can reach out to me by email, ResiliencyGuy@gmail.com and find a number of my writings at https://resiliencyguy.com/
Interested in Dr. Rob’s latest book? You can find it here: “Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators.” http://amazon.com/dp/1956306439
I See You My Educator Colleagues and Friends
As we enter the year 2025, I just wanted to take a moment to let all of my educator friends know that I see you.
I see the Superintendents who have tirelessly worked to maintain their integrity in one of the grittiest times in educating the almost 6 million public education students in California, and the untold millions across our nation and world. I see the dedication you have displayed, the determination you have used and the sheer desire you have focused on to keep education moving forward. I see the challenges you have accepted the criticism you have endured, and the politics you have fought through, all for the benefit of the children who fall under your daily care. I see the strategic planning, the work you have accomplished with colleagues to keep your District on the positive side of the ledger, while working to provide the best quality of services you can provide to ensure a well-educated citizenry will continue.
I see the Principals, who start each day by welcoming the staff and students of your schools onto campus with joy and hope for their daily success. I see you working with your staffs and support personnel to ensure that each moment spent with children under your watch is a positive one of growth and respect which can lead to future successes. I see the work that you do to keep everyone on your campuses moving forward together in peace and harmony so that the students are able to grow in peace and excitement for each day of learning.
I see the teachers, who spend their days working to advance their children’s skills, achievements, and overall positive mental health. I see the hard work, the dedication to your craft, the countless hours you spend worrying and planning your daily activities to make that positive difference for your students. I see the worry that is in your faces when you wonder if the children you work with every day are going to have a safe, warm place to perform a little bit of follow-up in the evening with a carrying individual. I see the professionalism that you perform throughout the day to keep it all together, though it is exhausting on some days.
I see the Support Staff, who have hearts as big as stars, who work to connect, engage, and support the entire system of education. Whether they are the first ones to see children in the morning as they climb aboard the bus, of meeting them as they arrive to school, or spend time with them during the day in or around campus. Whether they are the ones who are preparing the meals, cleaning up after the children, or planning the extended day activities for those that must stay at school a bit longer. I see each of you as you interact with children, provide guidance, care, and thoughtfulness in your actions.
Yes, I see it all, and yet, as most busy educators, sometimes I forget to tell those that are doing the amazing work that they are truly appreciated, that what they are doing on the daily matters, and that we all are important in the lives of the collective children who we are attempting to guide into the future. It takes each part of the system following their best selves when at work, in our communities, and engaging with each other as we continue this work.
If you read this, know that I see you!
Dr. Robert A. Martinez, is currently the Acting Superintendent of the Antioch Unified School District and has been in this role for eight months. He is also the Chief Human Resources Officer for the District. His latest book, “Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators” is available on Amazon, and was published by the Dave Burgess Consulting Inc.
The Power of 12: Nurturing Positivity and Resilience in Students and Educators
From his recently published book, “Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators”, Dr. Rob Martinez shares the concept of “The Power of 12”.
How do we make sure that we capture the essence of each positive thought, action, and feeling so that they trigger more positive results, creating a snowball of success? Well, we take action to initiate positivity; we watch for it, we share it, we promote it, we use it to build ideas in the community we live in, and we spread it on everything!
Each and every positive experience we encounter is part of our story, but far too often we allow those who languish in negativity to influence us. Negativity can be found on the local news, in our offices, and even in our personal thoughts, so we must consciously work to listen and be prepared to contradict inaccuracies when we meet them. We must seek and share the positive comments, acknowledgments, successes, and steps taken toward healthy growth, and use this information in our own stories. We must share this information with our neighbors and colleagues, and even, for that matter, on the local news!
If we want the world to know about the great things that are happening in our environments, we must shout it from the mountain, whisper it to each other, share it on every screen, and print it on every piece of paper that exists! Here are a few ways:
• Build a class story. Each day, or at least once a week, give your class some time to acknowledge and show their successes, growth, and development. Write it down, capture it in pictures, or heck, even go live on social media. Create a library of experiences that tell the story of this group of amazing people.
• Use a class, school, or district website to tell the incredible stories of advancement, success, and good things that are happening in your environment. You don’t have to do it alone. Let your students take charge! Include them and put their ingenuity to work.
• Get out there and talk yourself up. Whether you speak up in staff meetings, parent-teacher organizations, local community groups, or even at board meetings for your organization, tell the story of success that you see.
The Power of 12!
I’ve said it a few times in this book, and it bears repeating: we must consider the hearts, minds, souls, and actions of all individuals as we strive to build and enhance our own resilience and that of our community. We can do this through a purposeful approach that seeks to acknowledge positivity when it presents itself to us. The Power of 12 is one such way. You must take on this challenge yourself, and to truly create an upswell of positivity, you should also enlist every adult in your organization to take part in these simple steps:
Step 1. Each week, tell at least one student and one colleague that you saw their heart. What does it mean to say that you saw someone’s heart? You will know it when you see it. You will see it in the way people care for each other, the way they take a second to think of someone else, the way they make life just a little easier for others or lighten the load for another person.
Step 2. Each week, tell at least two students and two colleagues that you appreciate their mind and the way they share their perspective with you or others. In our world, we are often connected by being disconnected. Many people would rather get a text message than a phone call, would rather read a Facebook post than have a conversation. Self-expression is becoming a lost art. Even at our dinner tables, we far too often look up and see those in the room watching their phones rather than really engaging. We communicate verbally and in person less than ever before. We must remember that we shine our brightest when we are actually locked in true discourse and connected by being with each other.
When someone actually takes time to share their thoughts and perspective, we should stop, focus, and listen. We should strive to really understand their intent and then seek clarification so that we understand them. In many circumstances, when we misunderstand someone’s words and ideas, it isn’t because they didn’t communicate clearly; it’s because we didn’t listen appropriately. Telling someone you appreciate their mind lets them know that they are meaningful to you, that they hold innate value as a person, and that you’re interested in what they have to share. So many of us feel devalued in our society, and I often wonder if some of those feelings come from not being listened to and appreciated for our thoughts and words.
Step 3. Each week, tell at least three students and three colleagues that you saw them help someone’s spirit soar. Did they offer a kind word, give encouragement to a friend, offer compassion and caring to another? Did they give a blessing to someone in need or support someone having a tough day? Did they give an unsolicited cup of coffee, snacks, or written words of love to someone? The examples can fill a book. Our acts help others’ spirits soar just a little higher all the time, but we are often not looking for these moments.
Okay, did you add them up? Step 1 calls for you to tell two people that you saw their heart. Step 2 calls for you to tell four people that you appreciate their minds. And Step 3 calls for you to tell six people that you saw them help someone’s spirit soar. So, each week, you would personally be connecting with twelve people, hence, the Power of 12.
If you want to start out in your classroom and keep it simple, start by saying to your students: “We are going to have a challenge over the next week. We’re going to focus on being kind, smart, and helping others, and we’re going to try and catch everyone doing it. So, during this next week I challenge each of you to tell at least four different classmates that you saw them do something kind, do something smart, or help someone. Then, at the end of the week, during our reflection time, we’ll hear about the amazing things our class has accomplished to make life better for everyone here.”
If you happen to have a teaching staff of twenty people and you enlisted each of these teachers into this simple activity, you all can connect with 252 students each week with a personal communication that is meaningful and provides feedback about their heart, mind, or ability to help someone’s spirit soar. Think about it: in just two and a half weeks, each child at this school would have been personally acknowledged by a member of the teaching staff!
What if you added your classified staff—everyone at the school site who doesn’t have a teaching credential yet cares about these children? Let’s add another twenty, even though some of them work part-time. That’s right, include your yard supervisors, custodians, parent volunteers, and anyone who is on your campus. With 41 adults participating in your school environment, collectively you can connect with 492 students each week!
Okay, now, just for kicks, imagine what happens if all 650 students were supported and empowered to exercise the Power of 12 each week of the school year. So, now there is you, the teaching staff, your classified staff, all adults on campus, and all the children participating. What you have is an explosion of positivity! If all 691 people participated in the simple practice of the Power of 12, each week there would be at least 8,292 positive affirmations occurring.
Over the course of a thirty-six-week school year, this would bring 298,512 positive interactions into existence that would lift up the entire school population. Talk about the Power of 12! This would garner some positive attention across your school community for sure!
This idea can be implemented in any environment, with any number of people. It’s another way to take back control of the narrative and the environment for everyone in the community. Will it stop all negativity from occurring? Perhaps not. But when each of us is engaged in planting the seeds of a positive environment, we’re taking fertile ground away from negativity, and we’re choosing what will be cultivated in our island paradise.
Our children are kind and good natured, and when we give opportunities for them to show these traits, they’ll be eager to please. In several schools where I presented this idea, the idea grew into an explosion of kindness. We had teachers creating social media posts with positive actions from their students. We received reports of kindness and care being extended to siblings and parents at home.
In parent-teacher-organization meetings, adults took it on and were really seeing each other differently—to the benefit of the children. I have even seen several of my more experienced teachers who have discounted many positive-behavior intervention strategies use this approach, and when they do, they get a renewed perspective on the power of children to make the world a better place.
If you would like to read more about my thoughts about nurturing perseverance in students and educators please go get a copy of my new book, “Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators.” http://amazon.com/dp/1956306439 And, better yet, get your entire staff a copy as well.
Dr. Rob Martinez, “Resiliency Guy” is a lifelong educator and now serves as the Chief Human Resource Officer in the Antioch Unified School District. You can find him on all the social medias as @ResiliencyGuy
Don’t Dwell in Doubt When Your Tide is Out
Don’t dwell in doubt when your tide is out.
From time to time you might feel that your passion is depleted, your work is overlooked, or that you are not making a difference in the world of those you care for. Well, I’d like you to think of it this way. It might be that for the moment, your tide is out. It might be that when you took that moment to measure your success, your ability to make that difference, or to try and see the impacts of your work, you took at look at the shore deplete with water.
This is the time that you simply cannot dwell on the low tide. You must work to understand that this perspective is not the real result of your actions. This view is not the final judgement on your person, passion, or persistence. This view, albeit, real at the moment, is only part true. It probably true that you feel down, may be discouraged, and may be feeling yourself with doubt, but this is not all that the world has for you.
If you give yourself some time to actually take a measurement of your success, I hope you truly reflect on the impact you have made over time. I hope you can see that you didn’t learn everything you needed to know in one moment. I hope you understand that each and every day is part of your journey, part of your growth, part of your failures, and then your abilities to overcome and persevere. Your actual success, much like the tide, will ebb and flow. Will it sometimes look and fill low? Of course. Will the water return so that a real measurement of the bounty of water available over time? Yes.
It is true that for you and your success, you must seek to understand that your tide will rise. You must remember that as you take the time to expand your personal perspective, if you give yourself enough grace to see your worth and understand your growth, you will build on more information, and realize that you rise as well. You ebb and flow, as we all do, which is actually really cool when you think about it.
So, don’t dwell in doubt when your tide is out. Rather, give yourself time. Work to understand the ebb and flow of life. Remember to see your successes when the tide returns, when the water is fresher, and always, always remember that the tide will return.
Dr. Rob Martinez is “Resiliency Guy.” He focuses on empowering students with resilience, working with educators to find results for students through opportunities and access via resilience. He is completing his book, “Lead With Resilience” where he shares his #RecipeForResilience. He is an international speaker, author, and consultant. You can find him @ResiliencyGuy on @Facebook, @Twitter, @Instagram, and on @LinkedIn
Sometimes, Revisited for 2021!
Sometimes, it’s about being present in your world, and offering support to those that need it without hesitation!
Sometimes, it’s taking a moment to see the love that is in your world and making a decision to give love back to the world!
Sometimes, it’s facing a small issue that has held you back, and making a determination to persevere, that leads to massive growth!
Sometimes it’s about appreciating the life before you, recognizing that each challenge of the past led you here, and moving ahead!
Sometimes, it is about hope, belief, mindset, that help build your goals and passions. Don’t underestimate your human potential!
Sometimes, it’s not just about checking off boxes in your plan, it’s about taking a step, re-evaluating, and then stepping again!
Sometimes, it’s about taking off the limits of the world, and recognizing that every successful person is a human being like you!
Sometimes, it’s about giving trust to those in your world, so that you free yourself to grow and expand your perspective!
Sometimes, it’s about persistence, seeing the future you, and knowing that you have the power to become who you want to be!
Sometimes, it’s about igniting a passion deep within yourself, or others, so that their light within becomes a palpable guide!
Sometimes, it’s about providing others with the skills, tools, insight, to empower them to face their challenges with gusto!
Sometimes, it’s taking on a huge challenge, one step at a time, with dedication and focus, to conquer the world.
Sometimes, it’s about letting your passion soar, unleashing the burst of ideas within your head, and about hoping to connect with another person.
Sometimes, it’s about listening to your heart, mind, and soul, and you simply have to know that you made the right choice.
Sometimes, you simply need to breathe, be #mindful, and be you.
Sometimes, you might need to give yourself a good swift kick in the behind!
Sometimes, you need to #TakeAction right now, and do not wait for the perfect time, because the perfect time may never come.
Sometimes, thinking that reviewing your work might be a good strategy is a great strategy.
I originally wrote this piece in 2017, reviewed it recently, and thought, this is even more relevant today.
So, give yourself what you need to be able to breathe.
Give yourself what you need to comfort your heart, mind, soul, so that you can take the action you need to take for you and others that are in your world.
You and they are that important!
Dr. Rob Martinez, AKA “Resiliency Guy” is a well-respected long-time California educator, author, leader, speaker, and builder of leaders. He seeks to empower others to lead lives with resilience so that they may in turn serve communities of learners. Follow Dr. Rob on all the social medias, and he is excited that his latest manuscript is in the hand of his publishers.
Recipes For Resilience 