Saw a Tweet today that said "Would you rather be liked or effective?"
This Tweet really aggravated me!
Well, why can't you be both???
Shouldn't you be both?
Why do I have to choose
Perhaps the most important piece of being an effective long term leader is to develop trust. If you haven't invested the time in developing relationships, people are mush more likely to revert back to their previous behaviors.
Today I was fortunate enough to attend VASCD in Williamsburg Virginia, and hear Andy Hargreaves speak. One piece that struck a chord with me was when he discussed teachers that are later along in their career and have become less motivated, less engaged in the their profession. He spoke elegantly about reengaging these teachers that have the experience and the knowledge but have become jaded and less committed to their profession
Do you really think you can motivate, encourage, and nudge these jaded teachers back onto the right path if they don't like you? You must build that social capital before you can raise and improve your human capital.
I take pride in my ability to develop social capital in my building and between my staff and myself. I like and trust them, and I believe they feel the same way about me. I use the social capital I develop every day as I provide feedback, critique, correct, and cajole staff members. This way I can develop my human capital (staff) and make sure that we are providing students with the best possible education.
Liked or effective?
In my opinion, you can't be one without the other.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Book Bowl: Encouragement or Discouragement?
First, a little gloating about my daughter. Today her Book Bowl team competed in our county's Book Bowl competition. They finished third out of thirty-two teams and my daughter performed expertly!
For her, competing in the Book Bowl competition was an outstanding experience, something she worked hard for and excelled in, as she is smart, finds reading easy, and thrives on competition.
But, what about the other students that didn't compete?
Today about 200 fifth grade students from 32 elementary schools competed. These schools have over 3,200 fifth graders. Less than 7% of the available fifth graders competed today.
What about the other 93%?
Did we encourage them to read?
In my mind (fingers crossed) this competition was most likely started to encourage students to read. However, over the last 20+ years it has evolved into a pure competition. Students have to read 30 books and "try out" to be part of these teams. Besides a select few, who does this motivate?
An aside: All the questions are of course low level recall questions.
In my humble opinion, the schools could do more to encourage all readers. The question is how? If they want to keep the Book Bowl format, should they set up school Book Bowls where taking part in the competition is an expectation? Do we set up a day of just reading in a relaxed environment, where reading is the expectation?
What should we do to encourage the reluctant readers and the below grade level readers?
If the goal is to encourage reading, the Book Bowl is an utter failure, except for those exceptional few. If the goal is to show that my school is better than your school, complete success!
A little harsh? perhaps?
Cynical? A little?
Did my daughter have a good time? Yes, she loved every minute of the Book Bowl competition!
Her smile said it all!
For her, competing in the Book Bowl competition was an outstanding experience, something she worked hard for and excelled in, as she is smart, finds reading easy, and thrives on competition.
But, what about the other students that didn't compete?
Today about 200 fifth grade students from 32 elementary schools competed. These schools have over 3,200 fifth graders. Less than 7% of the available fifth graders competed today.
What about the other 93%?
Did we encourage them to read?
In my mind (fingers crossed) this competition was most likely started to encourage students to read. However, over the last 20+ years it has evolved into a pure competition. Students have to read 30 books and "try out" to be part of these teams. Besides a select few, who does this motivate?
An aside: All the questions are of course low level recall questions.
In my humble opinion, the schools could do more to encourage all readers. The question is how? If they want to keep the Book Bowl format, should they set up school Book Bowls where taking part in the competition is an expectation? Do we set up a day of just reading in a relaxed environment, where reading is the expectation?
What should we do to encourage the reluctant readers and the below grade level readers?
If the goal is to encourage reading, the Book Bowl is an utter failure, except for those exceptional few. If the goal is to show that my school is better than your school, complete success!
A little harsh? perhaps?
Cynical? A little?
Did my daughter have a good time? Yes, she loved every minute of the Book Bowl competition!
Her smile said it all!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Videotaped Evaluations: The Future is Now!
Earlier tonight during #21stedchat and during tomorrow's #vachat (Shameless plug, Mondays at 8:00 pm EST!) the topic of teacher evaluations arose. I mentioned that part of our professional development plan included a piece where teachers would videotape a lesson. We would then use this videotaped lesson to have them self-
evaluate and to provide them with feedback.
I am providing you with the information that I gave teachers during our opening week. You'll notice that I ask for a self-reflection piece, but I don't tell them what it should look like. This was on purpose, I want them to develop something that is effective and meaningful to themselves, not me. (Yup, differentiation for teachers!)
You'll also notice that I let them know of my future plans for this videos. I want my early adopters to take this and run with it! For everyone else, I want to plant seeds that will grow over the year and sprout when we return next year and expand the use of videotaped lessons.
I completely admit to borrowing this videotape idea and adapting it to fit my needs from the National Board Certified Teacher program!
You may make as many videos as you like, but I only want you to turn in one video and the your self-reflection page. If you choose to turn in more videos, I will be glad to view them! Be prepared, next year, you will be expected to complete two videotaped lessons.
Some possible reflection questions are attached. Feel free to use some of these, all of these, or some of your own.
evaluate and to provide them with feedback.
I am providing you with the information that I gave teachers during our opening week. You'll notice that I ask for a self-reflection piece, but I don't tell them what it should look like. This was on purpose, I want them to develop something that is effective and meaningful to themselves, not me. (Yup, differentiation for teachers!)
You'll also notice that I let them know of my future plans for this videos. I want my early adopters to take this and run with it! For everyone else, I want to plant seeds that will grow over the year and sprout when we return next year and expand the use of videotaped lessons.
I completely admit to borrowing this videotape idea and adapting it to fit my needs from the National Board Certified Teacher program!
Teachers: Videotaping a Lesson
Why?
“Knowledge is power, but knowledge about oneself is the greatest power of all”
Who?
All teachers!
Who is going to see my video?
Don’t worry, only YOU and either Nancy or Phil will be viewing the video. (For now?) In the future we imagine a video library of highly effective teaching/lessons that Norge teachers could call upon at a moments notice. (If you are feeling bold, these videos would be great to show and discuss during team meetings.)
Don’t we need parent permission? What about students that can’t be photographed/videotaped?
No, an employee of a school district is not required to obtain the consent from a child's parent to make a videotape of a child IF that purpose is related to regular classroom instruction, and if only school personnel with a legitimate educational interest will view the videotape.
How many videos?
What will it look like?
A. Videotape the lesson using a camcorder/flip camera of your choice. (make sure to wear your microphone) Next, Watch the video straight through without stopping. Keep the following in mind!
“During these first viewings, be prepared for a dose of "video-induced despair" (Krupnick, 1987), a common ailment brought about by the visual distortions of the medium. Most people tend to notice their voice, appearance, gestures, and mannerisms --Do I really sound like that? Is my hair always this disheveled? Why didn't I notice that my shirt was untucked? It is important to realize that these details are exaggerated on tape and are far less noticeable and distracting in real life. In any case, a wrinkled blouse or a crooked tie has nothing to do with effective teaching. (Source: Krupnick, 1987)”
B. The second and/or third time through, watch the video stopping frequently to jot down, notes, thoughts, and ideas for future lessons.
C. Provide a copy of your video and a reflection of your lesson to Nancy or Phil.
D. Either Nancy or Phil will watch the video and will set up a time to watch highlights of the video together and to compare notes
E. Remember we are in this together! The videotape will not be used as part of the official evaluation process, but as a method to provide individualized feedback that is meaningful to YOU!
- What are the specific things I did well?
- What are the specific things I could have done better?
- What form did my questions take?
- Did you allow sufficient time between questions for students to respond?
- Who is doing the work in your classroom?
- What do you notice about your direction-giving strategies and management techniques?
- What were your goals for this lesson? Did you achieve them? Why or why not? What did you particularly like about the lesson? What would you change?
- What do you think about your students’ involvement in this lesson? Were you interested as well as interesting? If yes, how did you demonstrate your interest?
- In what ways did you try to make learning relevant to the students- connecting learning to their lives?
- If asked by a student "Why are we doing this?" How would you answer?
- What did you notice about your transitions, how did you move from one activity to another or move students from one place to another?
- If you were a student in this class would you have been interested? Why or why not?
- What other ways might you have presented the same material? What other ways might you have engaged students in activities?
- Did you use technology successfully?
- How did you differentiate the activity for your students
- If I could do this session over again, what three things would I change?
This list is not all-inclusive!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
work/life dilemma
Over the next few weeks, remember to take time for your family!
For the last several months I had been looking forward to attending edcampNJ. I've had the opportunity to attend two other edcamps, but NJ was to be the culminating activity for the year. I had it mapped out to the minute. Leave at 3:00am drive the 6 hours to the edcampNJ site, attend the day, grow my PLN/have a great time, turn around and be back in my house between 10/11:00pm. Piece of cake!
Except, that I saw a commercial today...
This commercial wasn't for a thing, no Black Friday shopping for me! The commercial was for the Richmond Christmas Parade.... which is held on December 1st.... The same day as edcampNJ.
I know, so what?
Right? It's just a parade. There is always another one next year.
Except, that attending the Parade is a tradition! for the last 12 years I have attended the parade with my girls. Rebekah, my oldest, attended her first one at 5 months old and we haven't missed one since. This tradition is a extra special for me. My wife, not a fan of the cold, has let this become a Daddy/Daughter tradition.
How many parades do I have left???
No, I'm not sick, and I'm blessed with three healthy girls. What I mean is how much longer will I be able to drag all three of my girls to the parade? 3 years? 5 Years? I just don't know!
If you could have heard the excitement in my Kaitlyn's voice when she saw the commercial this morning. She actually squealed and bounced. With big eyes she turned to me and gushed "Daddy, I can't wait to see the parade and Santa!" She immediately started making plans and discussing with her sisters what they needed to bring.
How many years left of that love, that belief, and that excitement do I have?
After about a quarter of a second (Years in Daddy terms) I responded "I can't wait to go either, Love!"
I wish that I could be there my /PLN but tradition and family wins out here. Alas no, I won't be tweeting along with you either, this is Daddy/Daughter time.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
How I Successfully Used the Flipped PD model
Over the summer I read several articles about flipping classrooms. While I liked the idea, I had some reservations about using a flipped model, especially in an elementary school. Telling an elementary school student to rewind and rewatch a video is like speaking louder and slower to an ESL student. Both type of students will still find themselves confused and frustrated in the end.
But this flipped idea kept percolating around in my brain...
While shooting hoops in the gym one day this summer I had this crazy idea...
Flipped STAFF DEVELOPMENT!
I have to give my boss, Nancy credit. I came into her office and start talking 90 miles an hour about this flipped stuff and how I think we could use it for staff development. She could have easily taken one look at me and said, NO. She didn't she took a chance and it, in my opinion, paid off!
We were introducing ESD/PBiS (Effective Schoolwide Discipline) to our school this year on top of a new evaluation system and changing curriculum. Time was at a premium, stress was high, and as everyone knows, all an elementary school teacher wants to do is get their room ready for their students. I wanted to respect my teachers' time and thought the flipped Professional Development model would be most effectively used for the ESD introduction.
About a week before the scheduled meeting time I sent out an email to all attendees describing the Flipped Professiona Development idea. I did receive some push back. There was some grumbling about having to do work outside the "PD time." It was a new idea and this was expected. Anyone that had a question or concern ended up having me in their classroom within the hour. I explained why I was doing this and how I thought it could benefit them and actually provide them with MORE time. An aside: I went to their classroom on purpose! I wanted to speak to them where they were most comfortable.
The next day I sent out 4 pieces of information that I wanted them to review. I sent out two articles (one fairly lengthy), a video, and my PowerPoint presentation. Yes, my presentation! I wanted them to have all the reasons and data that I could provide before we met.
What did this accomplish? Quite a bit.
First, it gave each staff member an understanding of what the program was. This helped with the "Why are we doing this?" question.. Next it gave staff members a common vocabulary to use during our Professional Development time. It also gave teachers think time. They were able develop and ask questions that arose from reading and watching the material I had sent out. It had teachers talking! Professional conversations were held in the hallway, staff lounge, and classrooms. Consensus and excitement were building, days before the presentation. Teachers that hadn't watched the videos and read the articles were encouraged to read by their teammates and because they wanted to participate in the conversations. Another aside: I am under no illusion that every staff member watched and read the information I sent out, but many staff members don't get the information when they are sitting right there in the PD!
The day before the meeting I sent out an email with key points and key questions I would be discussing during the Professional Development.
We began the session with a quick recap of what ESD was, Why we were doing it, and the expected outcomes. This overview took FIVE MINUTES MAX! There was no wasted time. We didn't do a jigsaw read, watch an extended video, or sit there and listen to me drone on as I covered the PowerPoint. It was fantastic. Staff members immediately broke into groups and completed a gallery walk answering key questions and checking for understanding. After that we completed two other activities, dealt with logistics/questions about how ESD would look in our school, and we finished by summarizing our learning for the previous hour. We did all of this in ONE HOUR!
Teachers walked out of this Professional Development talking in excited conversations that I now associate with edcamps. Many staff members sought me out that day to tell me how great the Professional Development was, and more importantly how excited they were to begin the ESD program. Teacher were so excited that when I asked who wanted to be part of the ESD committee, I received 15 positive responses. I was truly hoping to get 6 or 7 volunteers.
This Professional Development has been followed up with additional readings and videos sent out via email, keeping with the flipped Professioanl Development model.
I do plan to use the flipped Professional Development model again in our building as it was highly engaging and extremely effective!
Last aside: As we continue to do more with less, this model could be used between schools or even school districts. I can see it used as a blended/flipped learning model. You could find an expert in a neighboring school, have the expert send out all of the information ahead of time, and then the expert would come to your building and present during the assigned time. We have staff members with incredible knowledge in our district and we must learn to use them in an effective manner.
Questions, thoughts, ideas, or did I leave something out... Leave a comment or contact me on Twitter @philgriffins
But this flipped idea kept percolating around in my brain...
While shooting hoops in the gym one day this summer I had this crazy idea...
Flipped STAFF DEVELOPMENT!
I have to give my boss, Nancy credit. I came into her office and start talking 90 miles an hour about this flipped stuff and how I think we could use it for staff development. She could have easily taken one look at me and said, NO. She didn't she took a chance and it, in my opinion, paid off!
We were introducing ESD/PBiS (Effective Schoolwide Discipline) to our school this year on top of a new evaluation system and changing curriculum. Time was at a premium, stress was high, and as everyone knows, all an elementary school teacher wants to do is get their room ready for their students. I wanted to respect my teachers' time and thought the flipped Professional Development model would be most effectively used for the ESD introduction.
About a week before the scheduled meeting time I sent out an email to all attendees describing the Flipped Professiona Development idea. I did receive some push back. There was some grumbling about having to do work outside the "PD time." It was a new idea and this was expected. Anyone that had a question or concern ended up having me in their classroom within the hour. I explained why I was doing this and how I thought it could benefit them and actually provide them with MORE time. An aside: I went to their classroom on purpose! I wanted to speak to them where they were most comfortable.
The next day I sent out 4 pieces of information that I wanted them to review. I sent out two articles (one fairly lengthy), a video, and my PowerPoint presentation. Yes, my presentation! I wanted them to have all the reasons and data that I could provide before we met.
What did this accomplish? Quite a bit.
First, it gave each staff member an understanding of what the program was. This helped with the "Why are we doing this?" question.. Next it gave staff members a common vocabulary to use during our Professional Development time. It also gave teachers think time. They were able develop and ask questions that arose from reading and watching the material I had sent out. It had teachers talking! Professional conversations were held in the hallway, staff lounge, and classrooms. Consensus and excitement were building, days before the presentation. Teachers that hadn't watched the videos and read the articles were encouraged to read by their teammates and because they wanted to participate in the conversations. Another aside: I am under no illusion that every staff member watched and read the information I sent out, but many staff members don't get the information when they are sitting right there in the PD!
The day before the meeting I sent out an email with key points and key questions I would be discussing during the Professional Development.
We began the session with a quick recap of what ESD was, Why we were doing it, and the expected outcomes. This overview took FIVE MINUTES MAX! There was no wasted time. We didn't do a jigsaw read, watch an extended video, or sit there and listen to me drone on as I covered the PowerPoint. It was fantastic. Staff members immediately broke into groups and completed a gallery walk answering key questions and checking for understanding. After that we completed two other activities, dealt with logistics/questions about how ESD would look in our school, and we finished by summarizing our learning for the previous hour. We did all of this in ONE HOUR!
Teachers walked out of this Professional Development talking in excited conversations that I now associate with edcamps. Many staff members sought me out that day to tell me how great the Professional Development was, and more importantly how excited they were to begin the ESD program. Teacher were so excited that when I asked who wanted to be part of the ESD committee, I received 15 positive responses. I was truly hoping to get 6 or 7 volunteers.
This Professional Development has been followed up with additional readings and videos sent out via email, keeping with the flipped Professioanl Development model.
I do plan to use the flipped Professional Development model again in our building as it was highly engaging and extremely effective!
Last aside: As we continue to do more with less, this model could be used between schools or even school districts. I can see it used as a blended/flipped learning model. You could find an expert in a neighboring school, have the expert send out all of the information ahead of time, and then the expert would come to your building and present during the assigned time. We have staff members with incredible knowledge in our district and we must learn to use them in an effective manner.
Questions, thoughts, ideas, or did I leave something out... Leave a comment or contact me on Twitter @philgriffins
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Not your usual, how I became a teacher story.
During #patue chat today I was reminded how I came into the field of education.
Now most of the teachers I know have some wonderful story about how they were motivated and encouraged by a WONDERFUL teacher that saw potential in them, and told them to reach for the stars!
Not me.
I didn't like school and it wasn't really very fond of me either. When teachers come to me and say "Can you believe so and so did this!" I'm usually thinking, "Yup, and I did it better and more often then they have."
I was in the Principal's office so many times I asked the Principal if I could call him Mike. There were 25 ceiling tiles in the waiting area outside his office. My mom was the bus driver, and Mr. Daniels used to meet her in the bus loop holding onto my coat collar. I used to look out the big windows eager to escape. Once a teacher yelled me at me to pay attention and I repeated what she had said for the previous 5 minutes. My first job interview was with a principal that had suspended me twice for fighting! When I told my former teachers that I was an educator the response was laughter. One told me that it was my penance!
So how did I get here?
My darn little brother!
My little brother Jim, is 13 years younger then I am. He is the reason I am here. Well, him and a certain first grade teacher. I was in my second year of college when Jim went into first grade. I was studying political science, business, marine biology. OK, I wasn't quite sure what I was doing, but I was having a great time doing it!
I came home after my first week at school and my very eager brother told me that he had the same first grade teacher that I had, and she remembered me. (I must apologize to my brother Mike who is only 3 years younger than me. Teachers were a little afraid to have a Griffin after me.) He excitedly showed me the assignments he had done during his first week of school. Looking at the worksheets they seemed familiar and I passed it off as deja vu, I mean all worksheets look similar. Later that weekend, feeling nostalgic, I went up to the attic and looked for some of my old school papers. I came across a large manila envelope labeled first grade. Upon opening it I grew angry. I took the papers downstairs and showed them to my parents. As we looked at them we saw that the worksheets I had done and the worksheets my brother had done 13 years later... were identical. The funniest/scariest part is that my worksheets were done on a mimeograph and my brother's worksheets, well... they were photocopies of the mimeograph original.
Yes, seriously.
She was a teacher that taught 1 year, 30 times.
When I went to visit his classroom I looked at her "lesson" book. The pages were yellow with age.
I went back to college that next week and changed my major to Elementary Education. I knew that I could do a better job than her. I knew that my brother was not receiving the education he deserved. I was determined that I would take her job and provide the students of my town a better education then they had been receiving.
Ever since then, I have tried to live up to the promise I made to myself that day. I've succeeded most days, weeks, months, and even years. However, I keep growing and learning, I want to have a 35 year career, not 1 year 35 times.
Now most of the teachers I know have some wonderful story about how they were motivated and encouraged by a WONDERFUL teacher that saw potential in them, and told them to reach for the stars!
Not me.
I didn't like school and it wasn't really very fond of me either. When teachers come to me and say "Can you believe so and so did this!" I'm usually thinking, "Yup, and I did it better and more often then they have."
I was in the Principal's office so many times I asked the Principal if I could call him Mike. There were 25 ceiling tiles in the waiting area outside his office. My mom was the bus driver, and Mr. Daniels used to meet her in the bus loop holding onto my coat collar. I used to look out the big windows eager to escape. Once a teacher yelled me at me to pay attention and I repeated what she had said for the previous 5 minutes. My first job interview was with a principal that had suspended me twice for fighting! When I told my former teachers that I was an educator the response was laughter. One told me that it was my penance!
So how did I get here?
My darn little brother!
My little brother Jim, is 13 years younger then I am. He is the reason I am here. Well, him and a certain first grade teacher. I was in my second year of college when Jim went into first grade. I was studying political science, business, marine biology. OK, I wasn't quite sure what I was doing, but I was having a great time doing it!
I came home after my first week at school and my very eager brother told me that he had the same first grade teacher that I had, and she remembered me. (I must apologize to my brother Mike who is only 3 years younger than me. Teachers were a little afraid to have a Griffin after me.) He excitedly showed me the assignments he had done during his first week of school. Looking at the worksheets they seemed familiar and I passed it off as deja vu, I mean all worksheets look similar. Later that weekend, feeling nostalgic, I went up to the attic and looked for some of my old school papers. I came across a large manila envelope labeled first grade. Upon opening it I grew angry. I took the papers downstairs and showed them to my parents. As we looked at them we saw that the worksheets I had done and the worksheets my brother had done 13 years later... were identical. The funniest/scariest part is that my worksheets were done on a mimeograph and my brother's worksheets, well... they were photocopies of the mimeograph original.
Yes, seriously.
She was a teacher that taught 1 year, 30 times.
When I went to visit his classroom I looked at her "lesson" book. The pages were yellow with age.
I went back to college that next week and changed my major to Elementary Education. I knew that I could do a better job than her. I knew that my brother was not receiving the education he deserved. I was determined that I would take her job and provide the students of my town a better education then they had been receiving.
Ever since then, I have tried to live up to the promise I made to myself that day. I've succeeded most days, weeks, months, and even years. However, I keep growing and learning, I want to have a 35 year career, not 1 year 35 times.
A footnote!
I have to tell you about the first cooperating teacher I had during my student teaching. She had started teaching in 1953 (43 years) and she didn't believe men should be elementary school teachers. One of her first questions was to ask me if I was a "fruit" and yes she used the word "fruit." I did not remain long in that class!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Out of School, but Not Out of Touch!
I spent a miserable day at home today.
My family decided to share the cold the they had been passing around all week. I thought I had avoided it and was feeling rather smug, when Bang... I knew I wasn't making it into school today.
A few years back this would have been a large problem, but not today. Today I was able to interact with teachers and other administrators, including those in central office. I was able to respond to a parent concern. Perhaps most importantly, some wonderful staff members answered my email and took my morning and afternoon bus duty. Thanks Ladies!
If I was able to do all of this from home, what can we do for students that miss school? When students are absent it can be incredibly disruptive to the classroom. Teachers find themselves trying to catch students up. If too many students are absent they often feel that they have to tread water until more students return.
Technology is the key to improving student learning when students are absent. Video lessons, Skype, class websites, skill tutorials, twitter, etc. I imagine there are many more! Absences can impede learning, let's find a way help overcome these!
My family decided to share the cold the they had been passing around all week. I thought I had avoided it and was feeling rather smug, when Bang... I knew I wasn't making it into school today.
A few years back this would have been a large problem, but not today. Today I was able to interact with teachers and other administrators, including those in central office. I was able to respond to a parent concern. Perhaps most importantly, some wonderful staff members answered my email and took my morning and afternoon bus duty. Thanks Ladies!
If I was able to do all of this from home, what can we do for students that miss school? When students are absent it can be incredibly disruptive to the classroom. Teachers find themselves trying to catch students up. If too many students are absent they often feel that they have to tread water until more students return.
Technology is the key to improving student learning when students are absent. Video lessons, Skype, class websites, skill tutorials, twitter, etc. I imagine there are many more! Absences can impede learning, let's find a way help overcome these!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
What I Learned from A Drill Sergeant
A little over 20 years ago I joined the Army and went to boot camp. I was 17 at the time and I was terrified. Talk about the ultimate unknown! I was leaving my little home town where we had more cows than people and heading off to a completely different environment. Of course to help calm my Mother's nerves, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and the United States had launched a counter attack against Iraq.
Against this backdrop I ended up in Fort Dix, NJ having my head shaved, putting on army fatigues, being fitted with the world's ugliest pair of glasses (nicknamed birth control glasses), and having some raving lunatics scream at me! Talk about wondering what I had gotten myself into!
Now education in the Army is its own future blog post. Today I'm going to speak about two drill sergeants that led our group through its paces from start to finish.
Martinez and Jones were the two drill sergeants that greeted the raw recruits, myself included. Both Sergeants had the same goal, take boys and turn them into soldiers. How they chose to accomplish goal was similar, with one key difference.
Sergeant Martinez focused on the material, while Sergeant Jones focused on his men. Did we learn from both of these men? Absolutely. I will never forget the gas mask drills that Sergeant Martinez led. Of course, this information was especially relevant due to the aforementioned Saddam Hussein.
Sergeant Jones though, reached us on and at a different level. Ever watch a group of high school students behave perfectly in one room, walk into another room and act like idiots? It can happen anywhere. Why did we respond this way? He had reached out to us as men. He knew that we would respond better to him if he formed a relationship with his soldiers. The rigor and relevance of the material being taught was the same no matter who taught it. What was different was the relationship Sergeant Jones had with us.
The differences started at 5:00 am when we had morning PT. (physical training) We not only ran faster and called cadence louder for sergeant Jones, we had entirely different demeanor. I will never forget how that ticked Sergeant Martinez off. Very much like a class that knows they have gotten under the teacher's skin and just keeps pushing.
It continued in the way we worked during trainings, not all classrooms are indoors. Soldiers in boot camp spend a LOT of time training, heck the whole thing is training! We worked harder, faster, and longer for Sergeant Jones. We did it because we knew he wanted us to succeed, whereas Sergeant Martinez seemed to find pleasure in our failures.
The day ended with us being respectful to Sergeant Jones and if at all possible ignoring Sergeant Martinez. We used to just smirk when he would finally lose his temper and punish soldiers for imaginary infractions.
I know some of you recognize these behaviors and attitudes in your teachers and students. I saw this quote the other day. “Students don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”
Keeping relationships in the forefront of teachers and administrators’ minds is especially important during these times when rigor is being so drastically and dramatically pushed. If you want your students to learn, relationships are not kumbaya crap, they are an absolute necessity. Your students and in my case my teachers work just a little harder because they know I care about them.
Against this backdrop I ended up in Fort Dix, NJ having my head shaved, putting on army fatigues, being fitted with the world's ugliest pair of glasses (nicknamed birth control glasses), and having some raving lunatics scream at me! Talk about wondering what I had gotten myself into!
Now education in the Army is its own future blog post. Today I'm going to speak about two drill sergeants that led our group through its paces from start to finish.
Martinez and Jones were the two drill sergeants that greeted the raw recruits, myself included. Both Sergeants had the same goal, take boys and turn them into soldiers. How they chose to accomplish goal was similar, with one key difference.
Sergeant Martinez focused on the material, while Sergeant Jones focused on his men. Did we learn from both of these men? Absolutely. I will never forget the gas mask drills that Sergeant Martinez led. Of course, this information was especially relevant due to the aforementioned Saddam Hussein.
Sergeant Jones though, reached us on and at a different level. Ever watch a group of high school students behave perfectly in one room, walk into another room and act like idiots? It can happen anywhere. Why did we respond this way? He had reached out to us as men. He knew that we would respond better to him if he formed a relationship with his soldiers. The rigor and relevance of the material being taught was the same no matter who taught it. What was different was the relationship Sergeant Jones had with us.
The differences started at 5:00 am when we had morning PT. (physical training) We not only ran faster and called cadence louder for sergeant Jones, we had entirely different demeanor. I will never forget how that ticked Sergeant Martinez off. Very much like a class that knows they have gotten under the teacher's skin and just keeps pushing.
It continued in the way we worked during trainings, not all classrooms are indoors. Soldiers in boot camp spend a LOT of time training, heck the whole thing is training! We worked harder, faster, and longer for Sergeant Jones. We did it because we knew he wanted us to succeed, whereas Sergeant Martinez seemed to find pleasure in our failures.
The day ended with us being respectful to Sergeant Jones and if at all possible ignoring Sergeant Martinez. We used to just smirk when he would finally lose his temper and punish soldiers for imaginary infractions.
I know some of you recognize these behaviors and attitudes in your teachers and students. I saw this quote the other day. “Students don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”
Keeping relationships in the forefront of teachers and administrators’ minds is especially important during these times when rigor is being so drastically and dramatically pushed. If you want your students to learn, relationships are not kumbaya crap, they are an absolute necessity. Your students and in my case my teachers work just a little harder because they know I care about them.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Dr. Phil?
As an insatiable learner, and a leader that wants to model what I preach. I have decided that it is time to go back to school and get my Ed.D. Yes, I do want to be called Dr. Phil!
My wife will be happy with this decision as it keeps my feet firmly planted on the ground. We were recently driving by a local airport when I looked at her and said "I think I want to learn how to fly and get my pilot's license." To her credit she didn't just respond with a "Hell No!" She actually told me that maybe it was time to go back to school.
There are two colleges in my area (William and Mary & VCU) that have this program and the decision may come down to cost. I'm sure both programs will be excellent, I just happen to know and respect more people with a Doctorate from Williams and Mary. I attended Worcester State College for my undergraduate degree, a fine school, but not an upper echelon school. I was fortunate enough to earn my Masters Degree from UVA. Now, I would love to tack William and Mary onto my resume. However, is a name alone a reason to pick a school? At 40K, the program is by far the more expensive choice, but the school I would most like to attend. VCU is the other local college that I could attend to receive my doctorate. The cost of the program is a much more acceptable 17K. Still expensive, but a little easier to digest.
On Tuesday I am visiting with the folks at VCU to get an idea of the program. Between finances and family I can't believe I am even considering this. Why then now? If I can't show that I am willing to grow and learn during an inconvenient time in my life, then how can I convince others to do the same?
... That and I can't let my brother Mike be the only doctor in the family!
My wife will be happy with this decision as it keeps my feet firmly planted on the ground. We were recently driving by a local airport when I looked at her and said "I think I want to learn how to fly and get my pilot's license." To her credit she didn't just respond with a "Hell No!" She actually told me that maybe it was time to go back to school.
There are two colleges in my area (William and Mary & VCU) that have this program and the decision may come down to cost. I'm sure both programs will be excellent, I just happen to know and respect more people with a Doctorate from Williams and Mary. I attended Worcester State College for my undergraduate degree, a fine school, but not an upper echelon school. I was fortunate enough to earn my Masters Degree from UVA. Now, I would love to tack William and Mary onto my resume. However, is a name alone a reason to pick a school? At 40K, the program is by far the more expensive choice, but the school I would most like to attend. VCU is the other local college that I could attend to receive my doctorate. The cost of the program is a much more acceptable 17K. Still expensive, but a little easier to digest.
On Tuesday I am visiting with the folks at VCU to get an idea of the program. Between finances and family I can't believe I am even considering this. Why then now? If I can't show that I am willing to grow and learn during an inconvenient time in my life, then how can I convince others to do the same?
... That and I can't let my brother Mike be the only doctor in the family!
A Month of Thanks in a Single Post!
Several people on my Facebook and Twitter Feeds are participating in a Month of Thanks. I decided to combine their idea with my blogathon. Here you are, a month of Thanks in a single blog post. Do keep in mind these are in no particular order.
I am thankful for...
Thank You!
I am thankful for...
- My teachers, having 3 nights of conferences until 7:00pm, because Parents want and needed it
- My wife, without whom I do not know where I would be today
- My three girls, Being a Dad is my most important job
- My boss Nancy, She has made me a better administrator
- My Mom, I can always count on her for suppport
- Brothers, I am going to miss seeing them on Thanksgiving. Next year!
- An evening of snuggling with my family
- For my Dad, I always keep his saying "That's what Dads do." in my mind
- Books on CD. They make my commute feel much shorter.
- the folks on #educoach, without whom I wouldn't have started blogging
- Beers I can cut with a fork
- A daughter old enough to babysit
- Hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows and whip cream
- People willing to take risks
- Lunch duty, where I get to hear the dreams of my students
- Bus duty, where I get and give more hugs in a single day than most people do in a year
- Failing and finding out it isn't the worst thing in the world
- My dogs, unconditional love
- Boston Teams
- Health, it's underrated
- Good shoes/sneakers
- A clear night when I can see the stars shining bright. I always feel home when I can find Orion's Belt
- That the election is over
- The people that read and comment on my blog, great insight and motivation to keep going
- My desire to learn, unquenchable
- Technology that keeps me in contact with my family scattered across the country
- Quiet
- My local library, which just reopened
- People that come to my office with a problem and a solution
- A Thanksgiving meal with my in-laws who treat me like their own son
Thank You!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Self-Evaluation, My Own Toughest Critic.
I spent several hours today working on evaluations. I didn't observe anyone, I thought that might be cruel on the same day as parent-teacher conferences. However, I did have to finish pages of documents that go along with our new evaluation system.
It was while working through the evaluations that I did some self-evaluation, some reflection if you will. I decided to share my reflection, the self-evaluation of myself. I thought this to be only fair as I have spent the day telling you what you do well and what you need to improve upon.
I guess it's my turn!
Easy stuff first, what I don't do well:
I hate paperwork, I really do. If I can put it off I will. Now, I'm better than I was in college so I don't wait until the last minute, but if I could, I would.
I don't provide feedback in as timely manner as I should. This is my biggest challenge, sharing with you so that your feedback is still relevant to what you did today. This I promise you is what I will work on for the remainder of the year. This is my SMART goal.
Long term planning: On the plus side, this is an area where I am greatly improved! Experience is the greatest asset here, the more you you see the less likely you are to get lost along the way. Sometimes though it is difficult to see the forest through the trees.
Paperwork, did I say how much I hate paperwork?
Health, I need to get in better shape. This job takes tons of energy and sometimes on Thursday or Friday afternoon, I am really dragging. I cover this up with massive amounts of caffeine, but I know.
It's harder to know what I do well. I think I know what I do well, but my staff's opinion may vary.
I am filled with ideas and I love to learn. I enjoy every minute that we sit and talk about students, programs, staff development, and the future of our building/education.
Professional Development is a passion of mine. Presenting and introducing topics to you is not only something I enjoy, but something I am good at also. If necessary, I will drag you into the future kicking and screaming! Come on join Twitter already!
(I still hate paperwork)
My ability to listen is another strength. (Even though my wife may disagree!)
Risk taker, I am willing and eager to try new ideas. I encourage you to try new things. If you and I don't arrive at our expected outcome, (I hate the term fail) it's okay. Try, take a chance!
I'm sure that my staff has their own thoughts and opinions about my strengths and "areas of improvement" and I know this observation is not complete, but as I tell my teachers I don't get to see everything you do in a single lesson!
(Anyone want to do my paperwork for me?)
It was while working through the evaluations that I did some self-evaluation, some reflection if you will. I decided to share my reflection, the self-evaluation of myself. I thought this to be only fair as I have spent the day telling you what you do well and what you need to improve upon.
I guess it's my turn!
Easy stuff first, what I don't do well:
I hate paperwork, I really do. If I can put it off I will. Now, I'm better than I was in college so I don't wait until the last minute, but if I could, I would.
I don't provide feedback in as timely manner as I should. This is my biggest challenge, sharing with you so that your feedback is still relevant to what you did today. This I promise you is what I will work on for the remainder of the year. This is my SMART goal.
Long term planning: On the plus side, this is an area where I am greatly improved! Experience is the greatest asset here, the more you you see the less likely you are to get lost along the way. Sometimes though it is difficult to see the forest through the trees.
Paperwork, did I say how much I hate paperwork?
Health, I need to get in better shape. This job takes tons of energy and sometimes on Thursday or Friday afternoon, I am really dragging. I cover this up with massive amounts of caffeine, but I know.
It's harder to know what I do well. I think I know what I do well, but my staff's opinion may vary.
I am filled with ideas and I love to learn. I enjoy every minute that we sit and talk about students, programs, staff development, and the future of our building/education.
Professional Development is a passion of mine. Presenting and introducing topics to you is not only something I enjoy, but something I am good at also. If necessary, I will drag you into the future kicking and screaming! Come on join Twitter already!
(I still hate paperwork)
My ability to listen is another strength. (Even though my wife may disagree!)
Risk taker, I am willing and eager to try new ideas. I encourage you to try new things. If you and I don't arrive at our expected outcome, (I hate the term fail) it's okay. Try, take a chance!
I'm sure that my staff has their own thoughts and opinions about my strengths and "areas of improvement" and I know this observation is not complete, but as I tell my teachers I don't get to see everything you do in a single lesson!
(Anyone want to do my paperwork for me?)
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Blogging Forever, Blogathon Never... Again!
As we approach the middle of the month, I’ve begun to assess my blog and the Blogathon that kicked it off. I have to admit the Blogathon idea is and was a great way to jump start my blog. I can’t believe that I’ve hit 1000+ page views. In the beginning I would have been happy with 8, yes 8. I wasn’t writing for anyone else except me, and I have enjoyed my opportunity to write.
I am not sure of my blog “voice”, but I have grown. I feel that I am beginning to understand my own thoughts and rationale better than ever before. I am a better administrator today than yesterday due to blogging. However, I won’t do a blogathon ever again.
Why?... Time and thoroughness!
Life isn’t always willing to allow you time to write, sometimes emergencies arise, conversations need to be held, and work needs to be completed. My biggest complaint about the Blogathon is that it takes away from my ability to be detailed and express deep convictions.
I have several blog topics that I have begun and stopped due to my desire to expand my thoughts and reasoning. I don’t want to write a term paper, but I want my posts to have some meat to them. To rationally explain why I believe something and how I can see these thoughts improving the educational system to which I proudly belong.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am really proud of some of my posts. The ode to my Dad on Veterans Day made my brother cry, and I know that I touched him in his heart. My Twitterpated post is another favorite. I think I showed the excitement and possibilities that can be found in the Twitterverse.
I'll finish this month, but never again!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Is it to early for my Christmas/winter ties?
I love my ties!
I really do love my ties, I have about 200 ties in my closet. Many of them are of the Holiday theme variety. The only kind of tie I don't have is one that lights up. I really want a Christmas tie with real lights! Come on google don't fail me now!
After hearing that a local radio station started playing Christmas Music today, I want to break out all of my winter/christmas theme ties! Is it to early? Let me know, vote!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Tweet Chats Rock, I'm Twitterpated!
Yeah, we were the top trend on Twitter tonight!
Wow, just wrapped up #vachat and my head is just spinning! I've decided to completely revamp my blog post tonight and focus on the power of Twitter chats instead of the surprisingly highly controversial topic of our chat, homework. (link to the #vachat Homework Archive: http://t.co/OkFx5tHQ) Now, after all the homework I did on homework, you better believe I'm going back to that topic before the month is over with.
My wife officially believe me to be crazy. Yes, this is a weekly occurrence, but for the first time in our 13 years of marriage, this was because of Twitter.
What would you think if you heard the following mutterings?
Holy crap, I'm using my ipad and laptop and I can't keep up.
We are international, yeah baby!
I can't believe the conversations going on here!
Wait what, scroll down, scroll down.
Hoote suite crashed again
I'm moderating a tweet chat....
That last comment was the straw that broke the camels back. My wife got up, walked out of the room mumbling about how I'm Twitterpated...
That's when I decided this post had to be about the power of the tweet chat. For those of you not on Twitter an explanation is needed. A tweet chat is when a bunch of people get together, on Twitter, at a predetermined time, using a predetermined #hashtag, and discuss a topic. These chats happen everyday, and they can be incredibly informative, useful, and powerful.
I'm so overwhelmed, I don't even know where to start. To move myself along I'm going to go with some Stats.
60 minutes
7 questions
95 different people
600+ tweets and retweets
4 countries
15+ states
2 hours after the chat ended people are still commenting
Keep in mind numbers don't matter, a chat is only as good as its participants!
Tonight's participants were spectacular!
The tweet chat's power lies in its ability to pull together knowledgable people from all walks of life and discuss a topic. Tonight we had teachers, parents, building administrators, students, superintendents, and educational experts contribute their knowledge, thoughts, and opinions to a topic many of them are extremely passionate about. PASSIONATE & KNOWLEDGABLE, I must have starred 30 posts that I want to return to so that I can read the articles and blog posts they suggested.
The perspectives that our participants brought to the chat was as varied as their zipcodes. I'm amazed at the amount of energy and time they have placed thinking about homework. In my 16 years of education, I can't really remember many academic conversations about homework. The prevaling thought is, "I am a teacher, I am expected to give homework." little thought beyond this usually occurs.
A tweet chat is everything you wish and hope your faculty lounge/Masters courses could be. A virtual room of motivated and excited educators who are willing and able to share their knowledge with you.
I kept thinking during the chat that it would take tens of thousands of dollars to get these people in an actual room together, and we did it for free!
The tweet chat has the ability to expand your thinking and maybe even change your mind. These posts from Courtney and Reed explain it best!
Courtney L. Dieter
Reed Gillespie
As for my feelings, thoughts, and opinions about homework, have they been changed? I'll save those answers for my homework post. However, I am sure of one thing. After this chat I am a better educatorand administrator because I participated in a tweet chat tonight.
Did you miss our chat today? Join us at #VACHAT Monday's at 8pm EST.
A special thank you to Travis Burns (@travisburnspage)! This couldn't have happened without you!
You can follow me on Twitter @philgriffins
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Thank you@edcampbmore!
You can follow me on Twitter @philgriffins
I must thank the @edcampbmore team for putting together an outstanding edcamp. The hard work and motivation was evident throughout the entire day. Energy was high from the moment I walked through the door until the last raffle prize was given away.
It was great to finally meet some of the people I have been following for months on Twitter. They were often similar to their writing style. It is amazing how much information and personality a person can pack into 140 characters.
The conversations were rapid and robust. They continued from the classrooms, through the hallways, in the cafeteria, and for me all the way home to Richmond, thanks to Paula Huffman(@pmhuffman), another great WJCC administrator.We hope to collaborate and bring the edcamp model to our schools and perhaps the entire WJCC district.
At this edcamp I met people from NH,(yes New Hampshire!) NJ, VA, MD, and D.C.. To these new PLN members that I met and talked with, I can't wait to learn with you. The passion and expertise you demonstrated throughout the day is inspiring. The teachers that showed up today represent what we want and need to see in all of our outstanding educators throughout our society.
If all goes well, I expect to see many of you next year again in Baltimore . For some of you, If I feel completely nuts you may see me in NJ and @edcampnj on Dec. 1!
I feel motivated, refreshed and ready to attack this upcoming school week. Thank you @edcampbmore Planning Committee, job well done!
An early morning walk before Edcampbmore!
I must thank the @edcampbmore team for putting together an outstanding edcamp. The hard work and motivation was evident throughout the entire day. Energy was high from the moment I walked through the door until the last raffle prize was given away.
It was great to finally meet some of the people I have been following for months on Twitter. They were often similar to their writing style. It is amazing how much information and personality a person can pack into 140 characters.
The conversations were rapid and robust. They continued from the classrooms, through the hallways, in the cafeteria, and for me all the way home to Richmond, thanks to Paula Huffman(@pmhuffman), another great WJCC administrator.We hope to collaborate and bring the edcamp model to our schools and perhaps the entire WJCC district.
At this edcamp I met people from NH,(yes New Hampshire!) NJ, VA, MD, and D.C.. To these new PLN members that I met and talked with, I can't wait to learn with you. The passion and expertise you demonstrated throughout the day is inspiring. The teachers that showed up today represent what we want and need to see in all of our outstanding educators throughout our society.
If all goes well, I expect to see many of you next year again in Baltimore . For some of you, If I feel completely nuts you may see me in NJ and @edcampnj on Dec. 1!
I feel motivated, refreshed and ready to attack this upcoming school week. Thank you @edcampbmore Planning Committee, job well done!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Veterans Day
This thought is in Honor of my Father.
On Monday my school, along with the country, will Celebrate Veterans Day. It is a day to treasure and honor the people of the armed forces that have given so much to and for their country.
My Dad was a Veteran, but he seldom spoke about being a Marine.
Ovay, this topic is harder than I thought it was going be...
My Dad fought in Vietnam, and we weren't allowed to have guns, not even toy ones.
My Dad had what he called an extra belly button and a Purple Heart to show for it. (2 actually)
My Dad had a chestful of medals and the first time I saw them on him is when I graduated from boot camp.
My Dad feared snakes, one had crawled down around him as a patrol walked by his hidden position.
My Dad laughed about some of his memories from Vietnam but suffered from nightmares.
My Dad talked about his great buddies he had there and we traced their names on the Vietnam Memorial
... as he wept.
My Dad spoke of the destruction Agent Orange caused and it likely contributed to the Pancreatic Cancer.
My Dad died almost 13 years ago and the playing of Taps and a folded flag still makes my eyes well up
Thank a Veteran not because you have to, but because you are lucky enough to be able to do so.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Report Cards, What do They Represent?
As I review about 250 report cards tonight, I can't but help wonder do they represent what they should? To be quite frank, I'm not feeling very good about this.
When we give grades, what are we trying to say? That this grade represents their subject knowledge and understanding. Or does this grade represent a topic that a student struggled with for weeks but now understands thoroughly, but can't overcome a 30 and a 40 from earlier tests?
When I started teaching I admit to being a hard ass. A student earned what they earned and that was final! My God what an idiot I was...
I used to give zeros....
What did that prove? Who was I helping? (Or was I just being lazy!)
My 8th grade daughter currently has a B in one subject instead of an A. Why? because she is missing some homework assignments.
Wait, what? She has an A for tests, quizzes, and classwork, so she has shown that she knows and understands the content. The missing homework, does this take away from her knowledge, her understanding?
I was in a Tweet Chat a few weeks and someone proposed eliminating grades entirely. I had never given it much thought before, but the comment was made by a person I respect. I have given it some thought and I concur. A key question for me is if you get you license on the first time or the tenth time, does it look any different? Are your tests averaged together? No, each road test (opportunity) gives you a chance to demonstrate your knowledge and show that you have mastery of the subject matter.
Let's measure end knowledge and understanding, not the process of learning.
How could we replace grades? what should we use to measure knowledge and understanding? Would colleges accept such radical changes?
Thoughts, suggestions, ideas?
When we give grades, what are we trying to say? That this grade represents their subject knowledge and understanding. Or does this grade represent a topic that a student struggled with for weeks but now understands thoroughly, but can't overcome a 30 and a 40 from earlier tests?
When I started teaching I admit to being a hard ass. A student earned what they earned and that was final! My God what an idiot I was...
I used to give zeros....
What did that prove? Who was I helping? (Or was I just being lazy!)
My 8th grade daughter currently has a B in one subject instead of an A. Why? because she is missing some homework assignments.
Wait, what? She has an A for tests, quizzes, and classwork, so she has shown that she knows and understands the content. The missing homework, does this take away from her knowledge, her understanding?
I was in a Tweet Chat a few weeks and someone proposed eliminating grades entirely. I had never given it much thought before, but the comment was made by a person I respect. I have given it some thought and I concur. A key question for me is if you get you license on the first time or the tenth time, does it look any different? Are your tests averaged together? No, each road test (opportunity) gives you a chance to demonstrate your knowledge and show that you have mastery of the subject matter.
Let's measure end knowledge and understanding, not the process of learning.
How could we replace grades? what should we use to measure knowledge and understanding? Would colleges accept such radical changes?
Thoughts, suggestions, ideas?
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
A conversation with my Daughter: 5th grade point of view
Chatting with my beautiful 5th grade daughter tonight was the catalyst for today's post.
Wow, if you really want to know about what is going on in your school, ask the students.
My fifth grade daughter gave me quite an earful about how her year is going and it concerns me that too many classrooms are like this. I'm not going to lie, very soon, I am going to pop into her classroom, sit down for a few hours and evaluate her teacher. If I have concerns after that, you better believe I'll be waiting to talk to her and the principal after school. Great reminder of how I need to focus when evaluating. Don't let the distractions interrupt the important job I am doing. I am responsible that every student received the education I want my daughters to receive.
The following is a rough transcript of the conversation I had with her about her day. Seriously, just talking about about her day, gives me a perspective I couldn't have without her.
Hey Love, what was the best thing about your day?
Lunch, recess, and art.
Dirty look!
I know, academically speaking. (We've had this conversation before as you can tell.)
My friends and I made up a math game during IE time. blah, blah, blah (rules, questions, how her friend likes Tommy and Tommy was part of the group!)
Why did you make up that game?
We were bored.
What were you supposed to be doing?
We can either do type to learn, go to the library, have free time, or sit in the hall and just talk, because we never get a chance to just talk.
(warning ding!)
What was your teacher doing?
Looking at us and making sure we weren't getting all crazy.
(sirens begin to blare)
Well doesn't she usually work with a small group?
Sometimes she works with the green group for math, the gifted group.
(fireworks)
Does she ever pull your group for anything or groups that are struggling?
Thoughtful look.... No Never.
(head starting to throb)
Ok, change of subject. What was the worst thing about today?
The worst thing was lunch. Really bad food! The chicken had gross little white thingies in it and the bread tasted weird. My friend said the pizza doesn't even taste like pizza.
(Dirty Look)
I Know, I know ( big smile and a snuggle)
It's that our teacher has stopped doing a book read aloud. We started a pretty good book a while back, but she hasn't read it to us in over two weeks. I have almost forgotten what happened.
Why didn't you read it today?
Another teacher stopped by and they spent about 10 minutes talking in the hallway.
(FIFTH GRADE, LOVES READ ALOUD!!!)
I also don't like how fast we are going and my friend Sylvia (name change) REALLY struggles with the way she teaches us.
OK, explanation needed.
Most of the time they go way to fast, she isn't not specific enough, and then tells us to hurry up and we aren't ready. Sylvia wishes she would slow down and ask questions.
This began my next set of explicit questions.
What did you do in math today?
Reviewing decimals.
How did you review the decimals
We wrote questions down from the board and solved them. Then she called on people to come up to the board and solve them while we sat there and waited.
Rigor, relevance, engagement???
What about reading?
Look of confusion and a shrug. (Never a good answer)
I wish we were reading real books again.
What are you reading?
The short stories in the big book. (textbook)
Did you do that today?
Yeah, we read the story and then answered the questions.
Questions, did your teacher give them to you?
No they were already at the end of the story.
(Facepalm) My oldest corrected this slang. I originally had Palmsmack!
Did you get anything accomplished that you are proud of today?
We had a writing prompt that was pretty boring. I got creative though and turned into a whole broadcast news thing. I thought it was funny. Too bad we only had an hour, I think I could have made it really good.
did you get anything else accomplished?
Not much reading, doing science at reading. (couldn't get this clarified)
Anything else you would change from today?
She calls mainly on 4-7 people, we feel left out. I wish she would change the way she calls on people. Half the class just sits there and daydreams because you know she isn't going to call on you. I got mad today because I had a great answer I wanted to share and she wouldn't call on me.
The worst thing is how she doesn't really pay attention when you talk to her.
This bothers you?
Yeah, Ms. Fish (old teacher) listened to kids, had fun with lessons and made us concentrate. I miss her even though she made us work harder. (Relationships!!!)
I have about a dozen key concerns that need to be addressed, but I'll stick to just a couple.
Does this teacher realize how much time is being wasted everyday?
Why does reading seem to be an afterthought?
This is a compliant classroom filled with good kids. How "effective" would she be in a more challenging school? (Completely ineffective) They would eat her alive.
I keep hearing how they lose time for fun stuff because they are talking to much. Are you kidding me the foundation to a well run classroom starts with engaging effective lessons.
There most definitely will be a follow up to this post!
After I speak to and observe her teacher!
Wow, if you really want to know about what is going on in your school, ask the students.
My fifth grade daughter gave me quite an earful about how her year is going and it concerns me that too many classrooms are like this. I'm not going to lie, very soon, I am going to pop into her classroom, sit down for a few hours and evaluate her teacher. If I have concerns after that, you better believe I'll be waiting to talk to her and the principal after school. Great reminder of how I need to focus when evaluating. Don't let the distractions interrupt the important job I am doing. I am responsible that every student received the education I want my daughters to receive.
The following is a rough transcript of the conversation I had with her about her day. Seriously, just talking about about her day, gives me a perspective I couldn't have without her.
Hey Love, what was the best thing about your day?
Lunch, recess, and art.
Dirty look!
I know, academically speaking. (We've had this conversation before as you can tell.)
My friends and I made up a math game during IE time. blah, blah, blah (rules, questions, how her friend likes Tommy and Tommy was part of the group!)
Why did you make up that game?
We were bored.
What were you supposed to be doing?
We can either do type to learn, go to the library, have free time, or sit in the hall and just talk, because we never get a chance to just talk.
(warning ding!)
What was your teacher doing?
Looking at us and making sure we weren't getting all crazy.
(sirens begin to blare)
Well doesn't she usually work with a small group?
Sometimes she works with the green group for math, the gifted group.
(fireworks)
Does she ever pull your group for anything or groups that are struggling?
Thoughtful look.... No Never.
(head starting to throb)
Ok, change of subject. What was the worst thing about today?
The worst thing was lunch. Really bad food! The chicken had gross little white thingies in it and the bread tasted weird. My friend said the pizza doesn't even taste like pizza.
(Dirty Look)
I Know, I know ( big smile and a snuggle)
It's that our teacher has stopped doing a book read aloud. We started a pretty good book a while back, but she hasn't read it to us in over two weeks. I have almost forgotten what happened.
Why didn't you read it today?
Another teacher stopped by and they spent about 10 minutes talking in the hallway.
(FIFTH GRADE, LOVES READ ALOUD!!!)
I also don't like how fast we are going and my friend Sylvia (name change) REALLY struggles with the way she teaches us.
OK, explanation needed.
Most of the time they go way to fast, she isn't not specific enough, and then tells us to hurry up and we aren't ready. Sylvia wishes she would slow down and ask questions.
This began my next set of explicit questions.
What did you do in math today?
Reviewing decimals.
How did you review the decimals
We wrote questions down from the board and solved them. Then she called on people to come up to the board and solve them while we sat there and waited.
Rigor, relevance, engagement???
What about reading?
Look of confusion and a shrug. (Never a good answer)
I wish we were reading real books again.
What are you reading?
The short stories in the big book. (textbook)
Did you do that today?
Yeah, we read the story and then answered the questions.
Questions, did your teacher give them to you?
No they were already at the end of the story.
(Facepalm) My oldest corrected this slang. I originally had Palmsmack!
Did you get anything accomplished that you are proud of today?
We had a writing prompt that was pretty boring. I got creative though and turned into a whole broadcast news thing. I thought it was funny. Too bad we only had an hour, I think I could have made it really good.
did you get anything else accomplished?
Not much reading, doing science at reading. (couldn't get this clarified)
Anything else you would change from today?
She calls mainly on 4-7 people, we feel left out. I wish she would change the way she calls on people. Half the class just sits there and daydreams because you know she isn't going to call on you. I got mad today because I had a great answer I wanted to share and she wouldn't call on me.
The worst thing is how she doesn't really pay attention when you talk to her.
This bothers you?
Yeah, Ms. Fish (old teacher) listened to kids, had fun with lessons and made us concentrate. I miss her even though she made us work harder. (Relationships!!!)
I have about a dozen key concerns that need to be addressed, but I'll stick to just a couple.
Does this teacher realize how much time is being wasted everyday?
Why does reading seem to be an afterthought?
This is a compliant classroom filled with good kids. How "effective" would she be in a more challenging school? (Completely ineffective) They would eat her alive.
I keep hearing how they lose time for fun stuff because they are talking to much. Are you kidding me the foundation to a well run classroom starts with engaging effective lessons.
There most definitely will be a follow up to this post!
After I speak to and observe her teacher!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Working with and For Great People
With all of the stresss and anxiety that people are feeling tonight. I've decided that my post is going to have nothing to do with politics. Even though the bing noise on NBC that signifies new information is completely distracting! (That and my wife yelling at the TV!)
Instead, I am going to discuss two of the positive leaders I have worked for. Even though I have worked for some real schlubs, it is the outstanding leaders that have made the true impact on my life and career. The first person I want to discuss is the former Superintendent of Hanover, Dr. Roberson. I freely admit that one of my main themes is directly lifted from him. "Keep the main thing the main thing." was a constant statement out of his mouth. Get off track, or make suggestions that were not in the best interest of the student, and you knew what was coming out of his mouth. Matter of fact, we often said it, and meant it when he wasn't around. What in my mind made him truly exceptional though was how he lead through a culture of respect instead of a culture of fear. You know what? I worked a hell of a lot harder for him due to this fact. The best thing he did for Hanover, in my opinion, was help grow their own leaders. He took time out of his schedule to teach a group of teacher leaders. He was an instructor for my Masters cohort, and he impacted dozens of people in a positive manner. He showed through his actions what a great leader looked like. You trusted his judgement and knew that decisions were based upon fact and the needs of the students.
The other person I want to mention is my current boss, Nancy. Nancy is the type of person who is perfect for me to learn from. I can be a little impulsive and like to jump into action! Some times without enough planning and fore thought. She keeps up-to-date, is a voracious reader, not afraid of new ideas or technology, and she trusts her people. A great example is an incident that just happened today. She knows that I love to plan professional development and I am pretty good at planning activities and presentations. Nancy came into my office said "Here are the times, let's discuss this later this afternoon." Later, I brought a plan to her which is different (Thanks Twitter!) then she has ever used before. She looked at it, made some great suggestions, and told me to run with the plan. Many established principals would have resisted the changes, Nancy on the other had was excited. She believes, as do I, that the providing appropriate PD helps teachers grow into better and more effective educators!
I have a feeling that I will come back to this post at some point to expand upon my thoughts and ideas. These two leaders deserve a more in depth blog post.
Mr. President, congratulations on your reelection. You could learn from these two leaders.
Instead, I am going to discuss two of the positive leaders I have worked for. Even though I have worked for some real schlubs, it is the outstanding leaders that have made the true impact on my life and career. The first person I want to discuss is the former Superintendent of Hanover, Dr. Roberson. I freely admit that one of my main themes is directly lifted from him. "Keep the main thing the main thing." was a constant statement out of his mouth. Get off track, or make suggestions that were not in the best interest of the student, and you knew what was coming out of his mouth. Matter of fact, we often said it, and meant it when he wasn't around. What in my mind made him truly exceptional though was how he lead through a culture of respect instead of a culture of fear. You know what? I worked a hell of a lot harder for him due to this fact. The best thing he did for Hanover, in my opinion, was help grow their own leaders. He took time out of his schedule to teach a group of teacher leaders. He was an instructor for my Masters cohort, and he impacted dozens of people in a positive manner. He showed through his actions what a great leader looked like. You trusted his judgement and knew that decisions were based upon fact and the needs of the students.
The other person I want to mention is my current boss, Nancy. Nancy is the type of person who is perfect for me to learn from. I can be a little impulsive and like to jump into action! Some times without enough planning and fore thought. She keeps up-to-date, is a voracious reader, not afraid of new ideas or technology, and she trusts her people. A great example is an incident that just happened today. She knows that I love to plan professional development and I am pretty good at planning activities and presentations. Nancy came into my office said "Here are the times, let's discuss this later this afternoon." Later, I brought a plan to her which is different (Thanks Twitter!) then she has ever used before. She looked at it, made some great suggestions, and told me to run with the plan. Many established principals would have resisted the changes, Nancy on the other had was excited. She believes, as do I, that the providing appropriate PD helps teachers grow into better and more effective educators!
I have a feeling that I will come back to this post at some point to expand upon my thoughts and ideas. These two leaders deserve a more in depth blog post.
Mr. President, congratulations on your reelection. You could learn from these two leaders.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Edcamp: see you in Baltimore!
This weekend I will attend Edcamp Baltimore. (@edcampbmore) To be honest, I should be dreading it. To make it on time from my Richmond, Virginia home, I will have to pull out of my driveway no later than 4:45 am. I am then going to drive three hours there and three hours back. And what will I do when I get to Baltimore? Sit through hours of Professional Development! Ugh!
Then, why am I this excited? How excited am I? Ridiculously excited!
The term Professional Development has fallen into ill repute as of late. Staff members cower in fear when Staff Development days are announced. This is an unfortunate turn of events. Professional Development, should be exciting and eagerly anticipated. What could be better then learning something new? Taking that new knowledge and improving your building or classroom! Watching students grow because you took time to grow. Wow, the opportunities and possibilities are endless!
Why then, can I anticipate a flurry of sick calls on these wondrous days?
Shhhhhhhhh, because a LOT of staff development sucks.
Why?
Simple, we aren't following our own classroom expectations. Have a teacher with 26 years of experience sit and learn the same stuff as a teacher with 3 months of experience. Hmmm... Rigor/Differentiation? Having the music teacher, math specialist, and reading recovery teacher sitting in the PD for science. Hmmm... Relevance? "Experts", that are brought in, paid big $$$, and then leave never to return. Hmmm... Relationships?
Edcamp is nothing like this. You arrive with your strengths and weaknesses out front, find people to help you with your weaknesses, and then you could be the expert in the next session. Being and interacting with positive people who share your desire to learn and willingly share their knowledge creates an environment of trust. Where trust grows, learning flourishes. You won't find anyone grading papers or ignoring the presenter. You may find some people on their cell phones, but that is only because they are using back channels of communication and including others by using your hashtag. (At least that's what I tell myself.) Once I leave, the learning doesn't stop. Matter of fact the learning only improves! You have strengthened your PLN, found experts to help you, and deepened your knowledge.
Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships.... Good teaching expectations, good Professional Development!
Take advantage of an edcamp in your area; grow, learn, and share. To my colleagues attending Edcamp Baltimore, I look forward to seeing you bright and early Saturday morning. All energy drinks (my weakness, as I don't drink coffee) will be welcomed and drunk with relish.
Then, why am I this excited? How excited am I? Ridiculously excited!
The term Professional Development has fallen into ill repute as of late. Staff members cower in fear when Staff Development days are announced. This is an unfortunate turn of events. Professional Development, should be exciting and eagerly anticipated. What could be better then learning something new? Taking that new knowledge and improving your building or classroom! Watching students grow because you took time to grow. Wow, the opportunities and possibilities are endless!
Why then, can I anticipate a flurry of sick calls on these wondrous days?
Shhhhhhhhh, because a LOT of staff development sucks.
Why?
Simple, we aren't following our own classroom expectations. Have a teacher with 26 years of experience sit and learn the same stuff as a teacher with 3 months of experience. Hmmm... Rigor/Differentiation? Having the music teacher, math specialist, and reading recovery teacher sitting in the PD for science. Hmmm... Relevance? "Experts", that are brought in, paid big $$$, and then leave never to return. Hmmm... Relationships?
Edcamp is nothing like this. You arrive with your strengths and weaknesses out front, find people to help you with your weaknesses, and then you could be the expert in the next session. Being and interacting with positive people who share your desire to learn and willingly share their knowledge creates an environment of trust. Where trust grows, learning flourishes. You won't find anyone grading papers or ignoring the presenter. You may find some people on their cell phones, but that is only because they are using back channels of communication and including others by using your hashtag. (At least that's what I tell myself.) Once I leave, the learning doesn't stop. Matter of fact the learning only improves! You have strengthened your PLN, found experts to help you, and deepened your knowledge.
Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships.... Good teaching expectations, good Professional Development!
Take advantage of an edcamp in your area; grow, learn, and share. To my colleagues attending Edcamp Baltimore, I look forward to seeing you bright and early Saturday morning. All energy drinks (my weakness, as I don't drink coffee) will be welcomed and drunk with relish.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Feeling like the Ramones: 24 hours to go (subtitle: The Election)
Follow me on Twitter! @philgriffins
I LOVE politics! I do! I love the conversation, the varied opinions, the arguments, the quiet strained dinners with my in-laws, and even the ended friendships. Maybe not the last one, but you get my point.
However, there is one thing I don't love.... The political ads!
I am one of the unfortunate souls that live in a swing state. Even worse I live in a swing district! When you look at where TV money has been spent, I am in one of the top 5 areas in the entire country!(shudder) I have seen more political ads during this election then during all the previous elections together. Phil is a funny guy, right? No! Several times over the last few weeks, I have seen back-to-back ads. "Phil, That's not bad, get over it." I'm sorry, I misspoke. They weren't back-to-back ads. They were back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back ads. That's right six political ads in a row. No, I can't just change the channel, they were on every channel I turned.(Plus, I can't find my remote!)
The worst part about these ads you ask? Besides trying to explain to my children why we should elect anyone? (because everyone is made out to sound horrible) It is the inaccuracies, no strike that, the lies that fill these ads. You want to put an ad on TV and tell me what you are going to do for us? Great, go for it! Sadly, that is not what happens. My (least) favorite ad today was one where two "teachers" are talking about how horrible this one guy running for office is. How he cut all of this money to public education... tsk tsk, STRING HIM UP! Um, but the entire ad is a lie. One of the "teachers" is to young to have had a job during the time they are speaking about. The other is NOT a public school teacher. She doesn't even have a teaching license in the state of Virginia! The cuts they are talking about? I won't bore you with more of the ad, but the cuts they discuss, not true either. So now not only do I have to watch an ad with a false premise, but not even the people in the ad are not who they say they are!
I am just plain sick and tired of watching ads that have no basis in reality. And yes, your political party is responsible for some of these attack ads. No, it doesn't matter that you think the other guy made more ads that lie. In this case, Everyone is wrong!
I really am blessed to live in a country where I will get up Tuesday morning, go to my voting place, and it relative security and safety...vote. Do I care who you will vote for? Yes! However, that is a blog post for another day.
On a final note, I hope that my friends, family, and colleagues that live in and around New York and New Jersey are able to vote. Hurricane Sandy knocked out power to millions, people are struggling to find gas, and many communities had their polling places completely destroyed. My prayers are with you and I hope you are able to conduct your civic responsibilities safely and without waiting for hours. May your vote count!
On the plus side, if you haven't had power over the last week... you haven't had to watch these political attack ads!
I LOVE politics! I do! I love the conversation, the varied opinions, the arguments, the quiet strained dinners with my in-laws, and even the ended friendships. Maybe not the last one, but you get my point.
However, there is one thing I don't love.... The political ads!
I am one of the unfortunate souls that live in a swing state. Even worse I live in a swing district! When you look at where TV money has been spent, I am in one of the top 5 areas in the entire country!(shudder) I have seen more political ads during this election then during all the previous elections together. Phil is a funny guy, right? No! Several times over the last few weeks, I have seen back-to-back ads. "Phil, That's not bad, get over it." I'm sorry, I misspoke. They weren't back-to-back ads. They were back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back ads. That's right six political ads in a row. No, I can't just change the channel, they were on every channel I turned.(Plus, I can't find my remote!)
The worst part about these ads you ask? Besides trying to explain to my children why we should elect anyone? (because everyone is made out to sound horrible) It is the inaccuracies, no strike that, the lies that fill these ads. You want to put an ad on TV and tell me what you are going to do for us? Great, go for it! Sadly, that is not what happens. My (least) favorite ad today was one where two "teachers" are talking about how horrible this one guy running for office is. How he cut all of this money to public education... tsk tsk, STRING HIM UP! Um, but the entire ad is a lie. One of the "teachers" is to young to have had a job during the time they are speaking about. The other is NOT a public school teacher. She doesn't even have a teaching license in the state of Virginia! The cuts they are talking about? I won't bore you with more of the ad, but the cuts they discuss, not true either. So now not only do I have to watch an ad with a false premise, but not even the people in the ad are not who they say they are!
I am just plain sick and tired of watching ads that have no basis in reality. And yes, your political party is responsible for some of these attack ads. No, it doesn't matter that you think the other guy made more ads that lie. In this case, Everyone is wrong!
I really am blessed to live in a country where I will get up Tuesday morning, go to my voting place, and it relative security and safety...vote. Do I care who you will vote for? Yes! However, that is a blog post for another day.
On a final note, I hope that my friends, family, and colleagues that live in and around New York and New Jersey are able to vote. Hurricane Sandy knocked out power to millions, people are struggling to find gas, and many communities had their polling places completely destroyed. My prayers are with you and I hope you are able to conduct your civic responsibilities safely and without waiting for hours. May your vote count!
On the plus side, if you haven't had power over the last week... you haven't had to watch these political attack ads!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Being OK With Being the Bad Guy
Follow me on Twitter @philgriffins
Never, Never, Never stop by Petsmart on a Saturday, unless you are OK with being the bad guy! All I needed to do was pick up the flea medicine for our cats Bob & Marley. Boy did I make a mistake, and now I am the bad guy in my house!
Never, Never, Never stop by Petsmart on a Saturday, unless you are OK with being the bad guy! All I needed to do was pick up the flea medicine for our cats Bob & Marley. Boy did I make a mistake, and now I am the bad guy in my house!
This reminded me that I had recently been the bad guy in my school...
Let me back up a step. I was a classroom teacher for 10 years before moving over to administration. I can’t think of a single teacher, to my knowledge that I upset. I was the guy that helped arrange Happy Hours, first one there last to leave. I’m quick with a joke, have the ability to tell a reasonably funny story, and I have a loud laugh that usually causes others to join in. Rarely was anyone mad at me!
Lately though, I’ve had some teachers mad at me for a variety of reasons. At first I found it very unsettling to have people angry with me. I’m a friendly guy!
Why you ask are these staff members miffed at me? Well, I’m still relatively new to the building and the previous person was in my position for almost 14 years. People were used to her way of doing things and things had been stable for a long time. I’m full of ideas and I want to change things and shake them up! Now I’m not changing things for the sake of change. I’m changing things because these changes will increase the effectiveness of the teachers, thus increasing student success.
Not everyone is happy with me and I have to be OK with this!
As long as I am keeping the main thing, the main thing (and students are our main thing) then I will own the frustration my staff feels. Now I will coach and support my staff. I will provide them with the resources they need to implement the changes with success and I will be Ok with being the bad guy.
To finish my Petsmart story…
I forgot that on Saturday, all of the adoption groups are there trying to find homes for the most adorable cats and dogs. Of course we (and by we, I mean my three girls) see a dog that all of my girls just LOVE! To top it off, it is the exact breed of dog that my wife has always wanted. I had to say no. It wasn’t the right time to bring another dog into our house. I am currently the bad guy, surrounded by four women giving me dirty looks, sighing loudly, occasionally stomping out of the room. Me? Well, I am owning the bad guy persona, and I am OK with it.
My girls begging for the dog!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Biting the Bullet: Day 2 of the challenge
I've hemmed and hawed wondering if I should try this blogging challenge that people have proposed. The challenge is to blog everyday during the month. I have tried to find a compromise with myself, tried to strike a deal that I can live with.
That is not who I am or who I want to be!
I have decided that I will attempt this challenge because I want to be a better writer and blogger. I have created a list of ideas and topics that I want to speak about and discuss. Please challenge me, challenge my ideas. Give me feedback that I can use to improve. Leave a comment or engage me on twitter. There is no doubt that professional conversations can only improve the quality of the education we are trying to provide around the country. Blog and learn with me! After so many months of this tag line, I now use it myself: I am @philgriffins and I approve this message!
That is not who I am or who I want to be!
I have decided that I will attempt this challenge because I want to be a better writer and blogger. I have created a list of ideas and topics that I want to speak about and discuss. Please challenge me, challenge my ideas. Give me feedback that I can use to improve. Leave a comment or engage me on twitter. There is no doubt that professional conversations can only improve the quality of the education we are trying to provide around the country. Blog and learn with me! After so many months of this tag line, I now use it myself: I am @philgriffins and I approve this message!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Can We Tweet Our Way to a Better World?
Check out this website where educators are helping educators recover from Hurricane Sandy! teachercast.net/hurricanesandy/
Take a moment and donate if you can!
I care about people I have been fortunate enough to meet, but this week I realized that I care about people I have never met. Surprisingly, I have a hurricane and an earthquake to thank for this! Earlier this week, I awoke to hear of an earthquake on the western coast of Canada. My first thought, "I have friends there!" (Let me be honest, I now know TONS more about the location of Canadian cites.) Using a map and my twitter feed I checked to see if any of my Canadian PLN members lived near where the earthquake hit. Now, I have never met these friends and we have never even spoken. But yet, they are friends/acquaintances/part if my PLN. People that I discuss (mostly) important educational topics with. Sometimes we just chuckle and laugh, sometimes we discuss fears and how the isolation of out job can leave us craving conversation with people that understand what we do.
Hurricane Sandy was my second wake up call. I watched in horror as Sandy slammed into NY and NJ and devastated the area like I have never seen before. Now, for some reason NJ is a hotbed of tweeting educators and I have dozens of them on my Twitter feed. I was relieved to see post from them like this: "I'm okay, is everyone else okay? Wife says I can't use the phone for Twitter, stay safe!" #holycrapbigstorm Alright, I made that one up, but most of the tweets I read had a similar tone and feel: Are my friends safe? Are you Okay? Can I help? Many with power offered a warm dry place to stay. Others let their friends know where there was gas, food, water, ice, and any other essentials. (Yes, I do consider an open Starbucks or ABC store an essential!)
I mulled these occurrences over in my mind, and wondered why did we react in this manner? We worried about people we had never met and several of the wonderful souls on my Twitter feed offered their homes and opened their lives to people that they had only exchanged messages of 140 characters.
More question sprang to mind: How can we use this? How can we hate or ignore the plight of people that we know and respect? Could this be used worldwide?
Well, could we?
After reviewing the folks I know (followers/following) on Twitter I realized that I have people from 35 different states and 8 different countries. (4 continents) If something happens in their part of the country or world, I would be concerned for them and eager to help. I have decided and if you decide to take this opportunity with me, we can make a difference! Reach out to other educators scattered around the world and connect with them. We each offer a unique perspective and knowledge base that if shared and integrated with each other could become a dynamic learning force. A force not only in education but in society!
What comes after connecting with educators world wide? Meeting them face to face! Get to know them on a personal level. I started this goal by attending an edcamp in VA. The folks at edcampisva were and are fantastic people that I learned a lot from. This edcamp's focus was independent schools, um I'm a public school guy, would they accept me. This group was fantastic, open, and welcoming. Fear is fine, but don't let it control you. I continue my growth in 8 days when I attend edcampbmore. I look forward to meeting many people for the first time and growing our PLN into a stronger unit.
Maybe a tweet can't change the whole world, but maybe, just maybe it can change our piece of the world.
An aside: One of my fellow bloggers posted a link about how a blog was better if you added a picture. I'm not going to add a picture now. I'll add one when I take a picture of members of my PLN in Baltimore and add it to this post next week. Stay safe!
follow me @philgriffins on twitter
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