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PBS Newshour Extra

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Educator Voice: Why The Beatles' message of love never fails me

Members of the Beatles, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, cross Abbey Road in London, Britain, August 8, 1969. Picture taken August 8, 1969. Iain Macmillan, courtesy Apple Corps/via REUTERS
by Sean Gaillard, elementary school principal, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
This school principal is nervous and scared. It's only a few hours until the homework I had given myself and the school leadership team is due.

Fifty years ago on the same day of the assignment, four friends gathered on a warm London afternoon to cross the street. Little did they know they were capturing a moment in time that would serve as an iconic work of art. Fans have been traveling from all over the world for a brief, fab moment to imitate of the famous image of The Beatles walking across Abbey Road. There is even a live feed of Abbey Road where you can spot fans braving ongoing traffic for a quick photograph.

Did The Beatles know that the Abbey Road album cover would become a beacon of pilgrimage for thousands of fans on the exact same day 50 years later?

The Beatles never fail me. They have been a source of solace for me during troubling times, and I am grateful for their enduring message of love and positivity that have sustained me and countless others.

As much as I would like to take off my shoes like Paul McCartney did on the Abbey Road cover and join fellow Beatle people, this week marks another exciting moment for me, my start as the new principal of Moore Magnet Elementary School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Even though I have worked as a school administrator for many years, I felt as nervous as anything. I wanted to make a positive first impression and decided to ask my colleagues to bring in their "Walk-Up Song," the song that is played when an athlete enters his or her respective arena and serves as an anthem of sorts.

I had been struggling with a response to model for my teammates. I wanted to pick the right song and this self-proclaimed "music geek" was coming up empty-handed. The morning of our retreat, I was still bereft of ideas. As I scanned through my various social media channels, I noticed the hashtag #AbbeyRoad was trending. A quick visit to the hashtag reminded me that Aug. 8th was the 50th anniversary of photographer Iain Macmillan capturing the Fab Four in the now-famous album cover.

The epiphany was there for me as clear as Paul McCartney's bare feet. I would take a risk and put my extreme Beatle geekiness out there for my new colleagues. My "Walk-Up" Song was to be "Here Comes the Sun" which kicks off Side 2 of the album.

The Beatles never fail me. They have been a source of solace for me during troubling times, and I am grateful for their enduring message of love and positivity that have sustained me and countless others.

In fact, I was so inspired by The Beatles that I wrote a book about them. Writing a book had been a lifelong dream of mine and I wanted to share how their lessons inspired me as an educator and school leader. Sharing my book, The Pepper Effec t, would not have happened without the love-filled legacy of The Beatles. Their music prompted me to create the hashtag #CelebrateMonday as a way to shift the paradigm that comes with the start of the work week. #CelebrateMonday allows for messages of uplift for our kids and teachers. It took off, I'm proud to say.

Honored to start my #CelebrateMonday by helping to welcome our first-year teachers for @wsfcs! pic.twitter.com/PhPPn0sNRY

- Sean Gaillard (@smgaillard) August 5, 2019

The Beatles' universal message of love has ignited positivity, social justice action and inspiration for generations. The recent film, "Yesterday," depicts a world where The Beatles never existed. As an unabashed fan of The Beatles, I cannot fathom the desolation of a world where a parent doesn't get to lullaby their baby to sleep with the dulcet tones of "Blackbird." It's hard for me to realize a world where a teenager isn't streaming "Revolution" as they begin to question the absurdity of the status quo.

The images of smiling fans gathering around a well-worn Abbey Road crosswalk in celebration of a pop band photograph serve as a stark contrast to the senseless tragedies in Ohio and Texas. The immeasurable sadness of our grieving neighbors in Dayton and El Paso is hard to capture in words. I can only hope that the families and community members find some solace in knowing that their loved ones were part of what makes our world good.

As an unabashed fan of The Beatles, I cannot fathom the desolation of a world where a parent doesn't get to lullaby their baby to sleep with the dulcet tones of "Blackbird."

Sean Gaillard is the principal of Moore Magnet Elementary School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is the author of The Pepper Effect: Tap into the Magic of Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation (June 2018, Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.). Follow Sean on Twitter @smgaillard and podcast at https://anchor.fm/sean-gaillard.
We need to tune into the beautiful gifts that we all have to stop the senseless hatred and promote positivity. When hatred seems to be the default mode for so many, I, too, can sometimes feel abandoned in my quest for positivity and sincere connection. When those moments occur, I drop the turntable needle on Side 2 of "Abbey Road" and wait for the musical reassurance that is "Here Comes the Sun."

If you would like to contribute an Educator Voice piece, please send your idea to Victoria Pasquantonio at vpasquantonio@newshour.org. For teaching resources for Election 2020, sign up here. For short NewsHour education story highlights, sign up here.

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Educator Voice: Why The Beatles' message of love never fails me | PBS NewsHour Extra

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Members of the Beatles, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, cross Abbey Road in London, Britain, August 8, 1969. Picture taken August 8, 1969. Iain Macmillan, courtesy Apple Corps/via REUTERS by Sean Gaillard, elementary school principal , Winston-Salem, North Carolina This school principal is nervous and scared.

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It was 4 a.m. on a foggy August morning as my father and I drove to the tip of Montauk on Long Island and into the harbor. It was pitch black as I climbed aboard a boat called The Deliverance. The engine started, and I knew the next time we would be on land it would be at Block Island, Rhode Island, 18 miles away.

The Deliverance was one of five support boats that would help protect and aid the 50 stand-up paddle-boarders participating in Paddlers for Humanity, a charity event benefiting local kids.

For those who don't know, paddle boarding isn't easy and is not for the faint of heart. Ocean swells, rolling tides, and winds are just a few of the obstacles facing the paddlers. The group stops every 45 minutes to rest and refuel. Volunteers such as myself ride on support boats and jet skis to keep the paddlers together and provide them with food and drinks such as bananas, Gatorade, and granola bars. The whole trip, which is not a race, can take up to eight hours. Some of the paddlers who are falling behind the group receive a tow on a jet ski to the front of the group, and occasionally some can't finish.

The Deliverance belongs to Tom O'Donoghue, a local resident who helps run the event. This was my sixth year riding on the support boats as well as volunteering. Next year I hope to become the youngest to ever join the paddle.

You might wonder who had the idea to start this crazy paddle. It was Ed Cashin, a Hamptons resident who wanted to raise money to improve the lives of children in his community. This event, which started in 2005, has grown from 15 participants to more than 60.

Each participant is required to raise a minimum of $1,500 to enter. Most paddlers reach out to family and friends for donations and post on social media about the event, which this year raised more than $200,000

The board members carefully select the charities, focusing on organizations that help with mental health, education, health/nutrition/wellness, and hunger. This year the top three charities were The Bridgehampton Unified School District, Project Most, and Family Service League.

"The most important effect that's happened because of Paddlers For Humanity is fulfilling our mission in bettering kids' lives," said Cashin.

O'Donoghue's 13-year-old daughter, Maeve, was the youngest participant to complete the 2018 paddle. "[When I finished] I felt relieved and proud that I completed it without getting off," she said. "I felt like I achieved something."

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I реrѕоnаllу, love оnе dіѕh mеаlѕ. Anytime I can mаkе a rесіре thаt іѕ bоth a mаіn course аnd ѕіdе dish, іt is a wіnnеr іn my bооk. A fеw wееkѕ аgо, аѕ I was ѕсrоllіng thrоugh Pіntеrеѕt, I ѕаw thіѕ rесіре. All the rеvіеwѕ were grеаt, the rесіре wаѕ simple tо make, аnd I knеw I just had tо try іt. Sіnсе I dіdn't hаvе ѕоmе оf thе іngrеdіеntѕ on hаnd, I сhаngеd it up a bit ѕо I dіdn't hаvе to gо tо thе ѕtоrе that dау. Thе end rеѕult was аmаzіng and mу fаmіlу dеvоurеd іt ԛuіtе ԛuісklу! Mу hubbу tооk the lеftоvеrѕ tо wоrk the nеxt day fоr lunсh, ѕо it muѕt have bееn a wіnnеr huh?? Thіѕ is оnе of those mеаlѕ thаt іѕ perfect аt thе end оf a lоng dау, реrfесt аftеr church, or tо make for a friend/family mеmbеr!

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 сuрѕ Mіnutе rісе (I uѕеd brоwn rice)

1 саn cream оf muѕhrооm ѕоuр

1 can сrеаm оf chicken ѕоuр

1 can оf water (uѕе оnе оf thе soup саnѕ)

1 tbѕр. buttеr

1 envelope Lipton onion ѕоuр mіx

1. Uѕіng the 1 tbѕр. butter, butter a 9 x 13 bаkіng раn.

2. In a mеdіum bоwl, combine thе сrеаm оf muѕhrооm soup, cream оf сhісkеn ѕоuр, 1 can of water, аnd Minute rісе.

3. Pоur mіxturе іntо buttеrеd pan.

4. Plасе сhісkеn brеаѕtѕ оn tор оf mіxturе.

5. Sрrіnklе Lipton оnіоn ѕоuр еvеnlу оn top оf сhісkеn breasts.

6. Cоvеr раn with fоіl аnd рlасе іn a preheated оvеn, 350.

7. Cook fоr аbоut 1- 1 1/2 hours, оr untіl the chicken іѕ сооkеd thrоugh.

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I реrѕоnаllу, love оnе dіѕh mеаlѕ. Anytime I can mаkе a rесіре thаt іѕ bоth a mаіn course аnd ѕіdе dish, іt is a wіnnеr іn my bооk. A fеw wееkѕ аgо, аѕ I was ѕсrоllіng thrоugh Pіntеrеѕt, I ѕаw thіѕ rесіре.

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Noticings and Thoughts