This time of the year, I think about things I am thankful for. As a principal, my list is a bit different than as a teacher. I am thankful for our custodial staff; who keep the building and grounds clean
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Small Answers to Big Questions
In the coming months, I will be writing on the topics below and explaining why some must be non-negotiable for sustainable improvement. If at least a few of them do not raise your blood pressure in protest, I likely have not advanced the conversation because we’ve all got it wrong. And right. The answers aren’t nestled in a list of ideas that are designed to please or appease any one ideology.
Read MoreHide-n-Seek
As I enter my rookie year as an elementary principal, I find myself going back to the song “For You.” by the Barenaked Ladies. The line that stands out, “If I hide myself wherever I go, I am ever really
Read MoreIf We are Interchangeable, are We Invisible?
I share the exciting drama of leaving lesson plans with a substitute. What will await the absent teacher upon her return? All will be reavealed…
Read MoreAll that is Unsolved in our Hearts
At the end of the day, I could produce the spreadsheets, and get the thumbs up (and the bonuses) from my evaluators, but I knew that I hadn’t grown professionally at all. Not one inch.
Read MoreInvisible Data
I indulge my yearning to simply immerse myself in teaching and with my students without having to collect easily-reportable data for folks not involved in my classroom. One solution is to provide funding or change the school day to allow teachers more time to gather data for public consumption and for use in the classroom.
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Out of My Mind?
Sometimes as teachers, factors in our lives converge to provide a valuable epiphany about what we really need.
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Tripping Over the Bar
For all of our conversation about critical thinking and higher level skills, we certainly spend much of our time preparing students for lower level skill assessments. If this is the case, just how low is the bar for those top performers?
Read MoreA Hijacked Hashtag and Student Voice
On an edgy Friday night, as I prepared to plan lessons and update my data, I created an e-card stating, "I became a teacher so that kids can pass standardized tests," said no teacher ever. I tweeted it out with
Read MoreThe Weight
The reality of day ten leaves a heavy weight. A feeling I have not felt before. To help you better understand let me take you back to that day. Driving home from work, I received a phone call from the
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