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!
Monday, November 19, 2012
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!
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