Wait, What!?

As many of you already know, the Daily CAFE website experienced a major crash a few weeks ago. And by major, we mean every single piece of content was gone, and we were not sure we were going to be able to get it back. To put that in perspective, that is 15 YEARS’ worth of work, including more than 4,000 videos and articles that were just . . . gone.

I will spare you the details but will share that this tragedy did have a happy ending. Our recovery effort was successful, and we even learned some major lessons in the process. We believe these lessons are universal.

1. Attitude is everything — In a time that could have turned ugly with anger, blame, frustration, and all the other possible negative emotions, we chose to pause and laugh. What happened to our website was out of our control. What was in our control was the way we handled it. So, we formed a plan, were patient with each other, and even found moments of laughter in the middle of it all. It is amazing what patience and a sense of humor will do for a stressful situation.
2. Organization is king — Having systems and procedures for keeping files, records, pictures, and videos made a complicated task manageable.
3. Many hands make light work — From the minute we were aware that the site was down, our small team came together ready to work. After a brief moment of silence to process our disbelief, each person took the lead in their area, and we went into action.
4. Keep the “why” in mind — Supporting teachers is our mission, and knowing that the website content is a big part of that, we felt the urgency of the moment. A clear focus on our purpose drove our energy to work.

The moral of the story: The last few weeks were hard and put us to a test we weren’t prepared to take. Or, maybe we were? As I reflect on it, I realize that work in education prepared us for moments like this. Teamwork, organization, attitude, and purpose are pillars of success in teaching. (And apparently in website restoration, too.)