I have mentioned on this blog countless times how appreciative I am of Justin Tarte, an awesome educator from Missouri. He recently shared an image that struck a chord with me. Here is the image he tweeted:
source: www.planetminecraft.com
Although I am sure this can be debated, what video game were they playing prior to the early 1990’s?
source: inspirably.com
We are constantly adapting and adjusting to the changing nature of our world. We all know that 90% of the world’s information has been created in past two years. As a society, we are making a bee-line for the future. With that said, we need to maintain the message of what is important. What is your message?
Learning in schools is based on relationships within the community. It is the community (teachers, students, parents, administrators, and residents) that allows us to focus on the true nature of why we are here.
Technology is simply the tool, but the message is learning
source: www.propheciesofdaniel.com
Remember when you were a child, and you heard the story about the sky falling in Chicken Little. Henny Penny was always telling people the sky was falling, and eventually no one wanted to believe him.
What if we took it a step farther…. Think about this… What is the sky you always wanted to fall?
Do we want bad things to happen? Do we want to be the first person who predicts the next catastrophe?
What are your thoughts?
Source: www.runningrachel.com
Want to make the most out of 2014? Want to give it all you can? Think about this… there are still 105 days left in the year. One hundred and five days. You can do anything you set your mind to… and with the help of some friends and loved ones, you can achieve it all!!!!!
So, what are you going to do to finish 2014 strong?
source: www.glogster.com
A reporter asked Joe Dimaggio, who at the time was a guaranteed Hall of Fame Baseball Player, why he was playing so hard? Joe’s response was, “Because there might have been someone in the stands that night who never seen me play before, or who may never see me again.”
So the next time someone asks you why are you working so hard, why you are going above and beyond… You can simply reply, because there may be a student, community member, or a parent who has never met before, and may never see me again.
I want them to remember me as a hard working member of the community…
Think about the legacy you leave. What will people say about you?
source: hopelions.com
As I prepare for tomorrow’s Back to School Night, I have been looking at different ways to approach the “Principal’s Message.” I know that parents really don’t want to hear from the Principal as much as they do the teacher. I have approached the Back to School messages several different ways in the past 3 years. Some messages were off the cuff, and others planned out. I have tried data, and I have tried inspirational…. Tomorrow, I want to talk to the parents as the first teachers. As a partners in this thing we call education.
Kids want to be like their parents. The emulate what you say and do. No matter if you are a team (two parents), solo, an extended family or even if raising them for someone else …. you are their first teacher. In fact, they spend more time with you then they do us. This is why we need to work together. We need to be on the same page. We need to support you! As we prepare for another amazing year, we will always seek to build a bridge to help the children reach their goals.
These are just some thoughts… What do you think?
One of the hallmark benefits of social media, specifically twitter, is the establishment of the Personal Learning Network (PLN). With the click of a mouse you have instant access to educators throughout the world. I often say to people, “Oh, I have a friend in Colorado that opened a school, or I know a really good principal in Wisconsin (Actually I know several).”
I think some of my friends and family think it is strange that I “know” someone far across the country, but I do. More importantly, you can too.The PLN is an essential aspect to fostering a community of like-minded people around the globe. Another awesome benefit is that these good people inspire me! Whether they are posting a video, or participating in a twitter chat, or writing a blog post, I find myself a click away from being inspired.
Here are some of the people who inspire me to be better!
Peter DeWitt – If it wasn’t for Peter, I would not be where I am. He was a great principal, and is now a presenter, blogger, and consultant helping other educators be awesome
Eric Sheninger – Has blazed a trail for educators to connect and support each other. Taught us how to brand a school, and has inspired countless educators to become Digital Leaders
Kelly Tenkley – Kelly started her own school, blogs all the time, and is a wonderful resource
Thad Haines – Thad combines cross fit, mountain biking, and being a school leader like none other
Jeff Carpenter – Jeff is an awesome Professor in North Carolina. He is engaged in cutting edge research, connecting with other learners, and inspiring pre-service teachers
Daniel Krutka – Dan is awesome Professor in Texas. Dan coordinates twitter chats, tweet-ups and inspires higher ed and K-12 through his involvement with Edcamps
Jessica Johnson – Jessica is an elementary Principal in Wisconsin. She is the co-host of the PrincipalPLN podcast, and is a tremendous blogger
Theresa Stager – Theresa is a K-8 principal in Michigan. She is also a co-host on PrincipalPLN podcast, is a voxer queen, and an amazing connector
Amber Teamann – Despite being a Cowboys fan, Amber is an ultra positive Vice Principal in Texas. She is a sought after presenter
Melinda Miller – Melinda has an innovative approach to educational leadership as an Elementary Principal. She blogs, tweets and inspires her school in Missouri
Brad Gustafson – Brad is an elementary principal in Minnesota. He has a creative, unique and always positive approach to school leadership
Ben Gilpin – Ben is an elementary principal in Michigan. He is a great presenter, and inspires many through his school blog
Curt Rees – Curt is an elementary principal in Wisconsin. Besides being a recess kickball legend, Curt is a blogger, podcaster, and technology guru
Each one of these amazing educators assisted me, and inspired me to write my first book Connected Leadership: It’s a Click Away. They are all featured in the book and I could not have done it without them! Please be sure to connect with them and make them part of your PLN!
I have learned so much from them, and they are all valuable resources 🙂
source: www.puttingourkidsfirst.com.au
I truly believe that if you are going to be successful in education you have to start by putting kids first. It almost seems cliche, but it shouldn’t. We are in the business of teaching kids. Sure, there are plenty of plans, initiatives, and directives that are required, but they should be working to help us achieve our goal…. putting kids first!
The next time you wonder or ponder if you made the right decision, or you are unsure of a particular direction in the classroom, school or district, answer these few questions, and chances are you will be OK:
Listen at your next meeting or event… See who mentions the kids, and thank them.
source: caseygsteachers.edublogs.org
The modern day principal (insert: lead learner, instructional leader, etc, etc) wears a myriad of hats. One of the most important aspects to our job is monitoring and understanding the curriculum. The curriculum sets standards to which the students learn information and how the teachers teach that information. This leads me to a few questions for you to ponder (no matter your position):
One of the reasons I am blogging about this topic is because I feel I need to place a greater emphasis on it myself. This year I will be working on a system to help support teachers and students understand the connections between the curriculum and their lesson plans, formative and summative assessments, as well as innovations such as genius hour, climate and culture, staff meetings, PLCs, and technology. I want everyone (students included) to get caught in the spiderweb of connections and bring the curriculum alive. How will I do this? Well, first things first, I will take out the i and replace it with WE!
We started out the year planning the cycle of assessments, and benchmarks with the instructional coach, teachers, supervisors, and district administration. We looked at the school year month by month and analyzed staff meetings, grade level meetings as well as assessment cycles, and professional development. We then began to plug in various activities that would assist teachers in reflecting on this information along the way. Once everything is finalized, we will share the outline with the teachers, students and parents to begin the process of working collaboratively and taking it to the next level. It will be (and has to be) a team effort.
With the advent of technology, there are so many opportunities to enhance the knowledge of the curriculum. We plan to use tools to convey the message of curriculum to the stakeholders. For instance, our already established blog could be used to communicate important aspects of the curriculum. As students and teachers “unpack” standards they could easily make short videos to share with the school community. Perhaps we could make an app for each grade level curriculum. As an administrator, walkthroughs, lesson plan checks, and observations could be brought together under an umbrella using tools such as prezi, or mind mapping software. The possibilities are literally endless.
This approach to bringing the curriculum alive will have enormous benefits for the school community and will bring the curriculum (and learning) to forefront… What do you think?
source: atlasshruggedtoday.wordpress.com
I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was teaching at a school in Camden when I heard the news. We didn’t have any TV’s in the school and this was before people had smart phones. It felt a bit like War of the Worlds. I only had a radio to listen to, and my imagination. It was scary. Real scary.
We had an early dismissal that day, and I rushed home. Once I got home I could finally watch the images, and I tried to piece together the story. My brother-in-law was right there. He worked in World Trade Center 7. He had to evacuate and was one of those people you saw on the news with the dust all over them. I couldn’t watch it for a long time. I went for a run and contemplated life. I wondered if this was the beginning of the end. I felt hopeless. It was quite and sunny. Really sunny that day. This was way before my kids were born. Before I was a Dad. My wife and I talked about it. We talked with our friends. No planes in the sky.
It got easier. The US really came together, and on September 12 we began to feel united. That was a great feeling. We slowly began to have hope. A year later I was in a different school and we had a very touching ceremony in the football stadium. We dedicated a plaque to the school. Each year that passed it got easier and easier. But I have never forgotten. Never will.