Sunrise, Sunset, and Mindset

Late-Lee my school visits have had me up and out the door before the light of day. One morning, as I drove to school before sunrise, I watched the sky stretch open with streaks of orange, pink, and gold. That sunrise, so full of promise, reminded me of how we begin each school year with a bright vision, big plans, and energy for what could be. I even pulled over and snapped a picture, so that I’d have a reminder of that kind of hope.

By the time September slips toward October, the mood often shifts. Sure, the halls are trimmed with fall pumpkins and paper leaves, but the sunrise in August can start to feel like sunset by mid-fall. The weight of compliance reports, stacks of discipline referrals, data deadlines, and meetings that steal planning time all pile on. As my mama used to say, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” And by October, many cups already feel bone dry.

I saw it recently. A principal stood in the hallway before the first bell. He wasn’t rushing to a meeting or scrolling his phone. He just stood there, shoulders heavy, eyes scanning the floor like he was carrying the whole building on his back. That look stayed with me. It was the look of someone whose sunrise was beginning to dim. I’ve seen that look before. I’ve lived it myself. I can remember finding a place in the halls where I could fall apart and get myself back together again without anyone seeing me. Those are the images most of the staff never sees, but they happen.

Here’s the truth: mindset matters. Our thinking shapes our capacity to lead, to teach, to keep showing up for students. In Train Your Mind, I wrote about the power of the questions we repeatedly ask ourselves. If we only ask, “What’s broken?” or “Why can’t this work?” the answers will drain the light right out of us. But if we shift the questions, even just slightly, to “Where is growth happening?” or “What small win can I celebrate today?” we start to notice the edges of dawn again.

My granddaddy used to say, “Don’t forget to dance with the one that brung you.” For us, that’s our students. They are the reason we began this work, the reason we press on through long days, and the reason every sunrise is worth holding onto. As leaders, we must work diligently to keep night from settling in. That’s where burnout lives! 

So how do we keep the sunrise alive when October feels like sunset and threatens to bring the darkness? 

For Teachers

• Ask better questions during reflection. Swap “What went wrong today?” for “Where did students show growth?” or “Who did I connect with today?” These small shifts change the story you tell yourself.
• Celebrate student wins out loud. When you see persistence, kindness, or progress, acknowledge it. Let students hear it and let yourself feel it. It builds resilience in both.

For Leaders

• Protect the focus on learning. Eliminate non-essential tasks or reframe them so that teachers can stay focused on instruction and relationships. The way you prioritize signals what matters most.
• Be visible with purpose. A few minutes in classrooms, listening, observing, and encouraging, can breathe light into weary teachers. Presence is a form of fuel.

And as folks around here like to remind me, “Every sunset is just making way for another sunrise.” The challenge (and the gift) is to train our minds to notice the promise of dawn, even when the sunsets are giving way to night.