Well Now What?

On July 31, 2019 I walked out the door of our district office after a thirty year career in education.  The decision to do so was an emotional one.  It was also one I am not sure I was ready to make.  So my first days of retirement have consisted of internal turmoil.  Should I get a job?  At 62, I am too young to retire and probably do not deserve to feel like every day is a Saturday.  Can I literally read a book for enjoyment without guilt?  Is playing pickleball daily what retirement should be?  Not sure of any of the above.  I guess time will tell.

The first thing I did after I walked out the door on the 31st was to go to the public library.  I checked out a book with the thought of reading one book a week for the next year.  I chose the book, Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog by Dave Barry.  I read Dave Barry's contributions in newspapers for years. I always loved his humor and light-heartedness.  I felt this would be the perfect start in my quest to become a recreational reader again.

Dave's humor did not lead to many laugh out loud moments, but it did elicit a few chuckles.  Surprisingly it led to a few tears in the final chapter as he described his daughter's unannounced battle with Transverse Myelitis which left her paralyzed.  It was a heartfelt reminder to be grateful for what you have (it's probably more than you think).

Dave also reminded us of six other ways of considering the life we live that he learned from the companionship of his dog Lucy.

Lessons shared by Dave include:

1.  Make New Friends (And Keep the Old Ones You have)

2.  Don't Stop Having Fun. (And if You Have Stopped.  Start Having Fun Again.

3.  Pay Attention to the People You Love.  (Not Later. Right Now.)

4.  Let Go of Your Anger, Unless It's About Something Really Important.  Which it Almost Never Is.

5.  Try Not to Judge People by Their Looks, and Don't Obsess Over Your Own

6.  Don't Let Your Happiness Depend on Things:  They Don't Make You Truly Happy, and You'll Never Have Enough Anyway.

Great reminders.  Easy to think about, perhaps harder to do.  It seems like a good list to follow in retirement.  Stay tuned and we will see how I fare with these principles.

What Future Teachers Should Know

This week I get an opportunity to share with Kappa Delta Phi members at Kansas State University my advice for what future teachers should know.  As a school principal I have many opportunities to see new teachers entering the profession and witness firsthand what some of their most common struggles can be.

But I also wanted to generate thoughts for them that might be a little different than the standard fare they would receive in coursework or from other sources.  I am sharing a list of twenty ideas to consider as these bright and ambitious teachers officially join the profession.

FUTURE TEACHERS—WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

1.       Your job interview starts today!  Your work is being observed by everyone.  What you wear, what you say, and what you do matters.

2.       When you interview, own what you say.  Too many potential teachers coming out of college will share at interviews, “Well, my cooperating teacher does this or uses that.”  I am interested in what you are planning to do.  Borrowing is part of the profession.  Own it like you were the originator!

3.       There are folks that want to help you.  Don’t be afraid to ask.  We have all been in your shoes.  It might not be your grade level partner, but every staff has kind-hearted souls who will help.  A common mistake is for a new teacher to suffer in silence without seeking help and support.  When they finally own up to the challenges it is often too late and overwhelming.

4.       Ask what your budget is.  Put together a list of your needs.  Always keep a wish list.  You never know when money might be available.  Those who are prepared often get the mostJ

5.       Your learning has just begun.  You will learn more in your first week than you could ever imagine.  Ask questions.  Administrators will often hold back information you might need in an attempt to protect you (information overload).  Another possibility is that you have been given the information, but simply forgot.  You will have so much to learn, forgetting is understandable.

6.       You will need pretzels and frosting to dip the pretzels in if you are going to survive!!  This advice was shared by my staff members as they were working together after school on their ELL endorsement when I wanted ideas.  They gave me help than they probably figured:)

7.       See the humor in each day.  Keep a gratitude journal.  It is so easy to see and dwell on what is not going well.

8.       Prepare, prepare, prepare.  You will know it immediately on the days where you elected to take a short cut in your planning.

9.       Protect your instructional time!  You will be invited to have every visitor, poster contest, or holiday celebrated by friends/relatives/colleagues, etc.  Keep your eyes on your instructional targets and protect them.

10.   Having said that—Enjoy the moment!  Sometimes learning takes a path that is not as you had prescribed.  Assess the learning opportunity and if you believe in the value of this opportunity.  Take it.

11.   You absolutely must be a team player.  We are making every effort to get the right people on the bus.  I had a very good teacher who believed strongly in her principles.  But she was unwilling to compromise.  She was unwilling to see the value of what her colleagues had created over the past several years.  Quickly there was friction—a bad match.  She currently works somewhere else.

12.   Communicate up!—Your principal likes to be informed about nearly everything.  Share success stories, let him/her know of potential problems, keep him/her informed on struggling students and attendance.  The extra effort you put into communicating up will be noticed and appreciated.

13.   You may not need a desk!  My principal used to tell us that she did not want to see us sitting at a desk.  Now I am not that extreme, but you really need to maximize the time you have getting inside the heads of your students.  For example, during SSR you should be conferencing or taking advantage of that time to find out more on how your kids learn.

14.   Build relationships—with parents.  The teachers I see who make it a point to build positive relationships with parents have far less messes to contend with during the year.

15.   Buck the system (lightly).  We should press for change and teachers can lead the necessary change.  Having said that, you must do it through a steady and constant pressure—but not in an obnoxious way.

16.   Use technology!  This is what the world is becoming.  This is what kids have access to everywhere except school. This does not make sense.

17.   Don’t get pulled back in to the muck.  Many teachers are resistant to making changes even when they know it is the right thing to do because it takes them out of their comfort zone.  Work outside of your comfort zone.  That’s how you grow!

18.   Don’t take misbehaviors personally.  Every child is different, but as a general rule, the more structure you have the better they will respond.  Be consistent.  Be compassionate and honest.  One of the mistakes I made as a teacher was to overpraise.  Praise is valuable.  Honest feedback is better.

19.   Don’t strive to be their friends.  Love them and respect them.  Those who are most successful have a thick layer of respect veneered over their classrooms.

20.   Appreciate what you do.  Be proud of what you do.  There is not a profession that is more important to our country, our world and our kids than what you do.  TEACHINGJ

 Thank you for what you have chosen to do.  Kids more than ever need loving, caring compassionate people to help them be the best they can be.  And when you start working with them each day, you will see they are capable of absolutely incredible accomplishments.

To my Twitter family, I would welcome ideas from your perspective.  Please share your thoughts on what else could be on the list or items you might feel do not belong.  Thanks.

We Both Won!

Every Monday morning during the school year I do a Monday morning message vodcast for our students.  I will highlight an area or topic that I think might be important for our 265 students, K-5 to think about or hear.  Many of my messages have an underlying values-driven lesson to them.  I am always pleased when a student makes a comment acknowledging they heard me and liked what they heard.

I also have made a personal pledge to try and give back to my PLN by offering some thoughts on a weekly blog.  I have learned so much from folks in my PLN, I feel a sense of  responsibility to give something back.  I don’t really have enough followers to making a large impact.  But if my thoughts can help others, or give reason to pause and think about an idea, I guess I will be making a small contribution.

This week, I am going to merge my Monday Morning message with my weekly blog post.  Thanks to all who share daily and make me a better educator and person.

Both Teams Won!

This year I have the great pleasure of coaching my grandson’s 1^st/2^nd Grade basketball team.  I love the sport and have thoroughly enjoyed teaching my grandson and his schoolmates some of the nuances and fundamentals of the game.  Each week we have two practices (some more productive than others) to learn to dribble, pass, and shoot.  Our work during the week helps us prepare for the games on Saturday.

We talk about working hard, having fun, and getting  better and we have indeed been doing that.  We also talk about our lifeskills.  This Saturday as I was teaching and coaching their game, they taught me a valuable lesson.  As the game ended, the score read 12-12.  Our kids raced back to me and exclaimed with enthusiasm, “Hey coach, both teams won!”  I wish I could take credit for this, but what a great attitude about competing!

Indeed, everyone is a winner when both teams work hard, have fun, and get better.  We should feel this way in our classrooms.  When one of our classmates has success or gets better, we should cheer and celebrate with enthusiasm.  When any one of us gets better, we all get better!

Out of the mouths of babes comes some of our greatest wisdom.  Their innocence can provide profound reason and perspective.  Coaching these kids has been a great experience.  Thank you, Spring Valley Tigers for helping me get better and wiser.  Continue to work hard, have fun, and help us all get better.

Teach to the Test--NOT!

Yesterday I particpated in Classroom 2.0’s (Steve Hargadon) weekly learning experience.  I have grown to look forward to this opportunity every Saturday morning.  Amazing professionals show up each weekend to share what is good about teaching  and learning and to inspire others in our quest to do what’s right for our kids.

Barbara Bray was the guest yesterday and she gave an excellent presentation!  One of her thought-provoking  concepts was about student engagement.  Bray reminded us, “There should be laughter and joy at school.”  We should strive for “flow” where students’ skill level and their challenge level are so well connected, students are energized in their learning and feel  success.

You talk with any educator and you would get little argument with this philosophy.  Teachers dream of achieving this state of connectedness and engagement with their students.  Despite knowing this and wanting this, too many teachers and administrators (guilty-here) take another approach.  Teach to the Test!

In our K-5 school, I beg teachers to take risks and make their students’ learning rich and inspiring.  We have many instances where incredible learning projects are taking place.  I encourage our staff to take the path of those we admire, the Debbie Millers,  Reading with Meaning or the Donalyn Millers, The   Book Whisperer.  Focus on students developing a passion for reading and learning and they will be very successful on testing.  We know that’s right and yet we are too fearful to trust we can have success without doing an hour or two of test prep weekly.

How do we break out of the Teaching to the Test prison in which we find ourselves?  I would like to suggest we develop a site where teachers can pool their accomplishments and examples of how they have bucked thetest prep trend.  Show us and tell us of examples where you have really minimized test prep, yet your kids have tested well.  This concept, backed by some of our most respected stakeholders (insert names hereJ) could push the pendulum back in the direction it belongs.

Can American Students Develop Sisu Like the Finns?

Do students in America have the sisu to rise up to a crisis?  Do they have the fortitude to compete internationally?  Do they even know they are in a fight for their lives as we know it?  I find myself losing sleep over questions like this as we trudge forward trying to gain an additional 4 points on our state tests to make AYP.

How long will we aim at a target that has very little to do with preparing our students for a 21st century world?  Who will be responsible for stepping up and changing the target?  Who will help our students understand The World is Flat and our eyes should be squarely placed on how we fit into this global community?  Isn't it time for another Sputnik movement?  Aren't we in the same spot as we were in the 1950s?

What will it take for us to turn in the proper direction?  Could a national curriculum be designed to open our eyes and stare at the global issues that should be a vital part of our students' education today?  Could we find a way to assess students that shows their abilities to think with rigor without it being a paper and pencil (now computerized) test?

My belief is that we can rise to the challenge.  We can get it right and change the targets.  We can redevelop sisu.  But we better do it soon.