I Was A Real Principal Today!

As ridiculous as it may sound, I was a real principal today - you know, the one I talked about being in my interview, the one I thought I was going to be every day. Yep, I actually sat with a teacher and talked about her future plans. I know. It sounds so ridiculous.

Of course, that's something I should do every day - mentor, lead, guide, share, encourage. But, over the past few years, I have been so focused on trying to make sure everyone was seamlessly integrating technology, following the district's strategic design, aligning 21st century skills, disaggregating data, attending the mandatory workshops, pulling apart the new state math standards, using balanced literacy, spending time in writer's workshops, meeting with design coaches to coordinate with the design team... Well, I guess you get my point.

Focus was lost of what my individual teachers want/need. I was too busy giving, well, shoving kinda - "building the plane while it's in the air."

Well, the partially-built plane has landed (safely I might add), and it's time to do some redesign. The new plane will be a hybrid fighter jet!

The new "plane" will still give professional learning opportunities and still align with state standards; however, this hybrid design will include a well-thought out plan that will allow for data collection and collaboration. It will allow for thoughtful planning AND risk-taking.

I am completely committed to 21st century learning. I am also committed to ensuring that all students master fundamental academic skills like reading and writing and number sense. Of course, that's an entirely different blog post. :)

So, today I talked to a teacher about her personal vision. As ridiculous as it sounds, I walked to my car today and smiled. I wasn't thinking about the benchmark scores or the kid who peed on the bathroom floor; I wasn't thinking about rescheduling Open House, updating the school's Facebook, Instagram, and website. I was thinking about the how excited I was to see a young teacher thinking about her future.

It was a good day. Now I just need to figure out who keeps peeing on the bathroom floor! ;)

photo rights to http://i.vimeocdn.com/video/351682061_640.jpg

Engagement.

No, not a wedding engagement. Highly engaged. Attentive. Excited. Enthralled. 

I work with amazing people, and I see great things in classes often. Yesterday, I walked through a 4th grade class reviewing poetry vocabulary. Hmmm. For most 9-10 year olds, poetry isn't much more than "I see London; I see France..." 

Not this time. There was yelling, high-fiving and smack talking - if you can smack talk poetry vocabulary. 

The class was using Kahoot (www.getkahoot.com). They competed against each other to recognize various poetry vocabulary like cinquin, free verse, and limerick. It was beyond the regurgitation level of understanding; it was actually the conversation and excitement that intrigued me. 

When students discuss - and even argue about meaning and use and provide examples, they are gaining an enormously deep connection and understanding of that concept. 

After they finished and the winner gloated in his glory momentarily, they asked to "play again." The teacher laughed and said there wasn't time and they'd already done it twice. 

Amidst the loud groaning and pleading, I heard a sweet girl in the back say, "we have 14 minutes." 

I laughed. Really? You're begging and whining to do poetry vocabulary?! Are you kidding? I laughed. Seriously. Who cares about iambic pentameter and AABBAA patterns? 

Apparently, when paired with a great 2.0 tool, 4th graders do. 

Now, if someone could find a tool to make paperwork more exciting....

Meanwhile, I think I'll just hangout in 4th grade and enjoy the excitement. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmXIAwEwRd4

Field Trips

Field trips. I love them. I know they are a complete pain to put together: getting parents on board, jumping through the hoops of getting a P.O. together, making sure we know who takes what mess, double-checking background checks on volunteers, remembering who is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, balloons, ants, soy, gluten oh, or the sun... Field trips are just daunting. 

However, once you're there, and students are making, building, experiencing life around them, the hours of preparation are forgotten. It's all about the eyes lighting up and the smiles filling the faces - and that's just on the adults! Watching the kids is way better! Their faces explode with excitement the gestures become huge and animated, and their voices boom with giddiness of their newfound knowledge! 

Our fifth graders recently spent the night at the Perot Museum in Dallas. Highly recommended. None of us will ever be able to walk the crowded halls of any museum and wait to see something or to try an interactive exhibit. We are spoiled. Each hour brought the moans of having to move to another floor. Museum officials swept behind the groups gathering the stragglers who needed "just one more minute" to complete their experience! 

That's highly engaged. 

After the last sweep was done, sleeping bags were rolled out & the lights were down, that's when real learning happened for me. Walking the floor, stepping over the little wild things, listening to them breathe quietly- still & silent for the first time, that was awesome.  Curled up in little balls in their sleeping bags, holding their favorite animal or hiding the blanket they didn't want their buddies to see, their innocence and potential revealed. 

They were little sponges - deserving the best, expecting to conquer the world, ready for the next big thing. 

How do we prepare them? What are we doing to build their confidence? How can we make sure we don't allow anything to stifle their creativity and enthusiasm? How do we protect them from drugs, alcohol and depression? 

Maybe just planning a field trip isn't so daunting. 

They were protected, at least for that one night, by the dinosaurs they could only envision from television, books, and their dreams. 

Emily Post's Netiquette - Who's the next Emily?

Last night at Chili's I watched the elementary student at the table next to me play on his iPad throughout dinner. He was perfectly quiet and completely engaged - but never interacted with his family. I was intrigued until I was  distracted by the older lady having a conversation on her cell phone with one of her grandbabies.  We'd call her a loud-talker! I couldn't see the faces of her table mates. They were mostly looking down, and I think one was actually crawling under the table!

In a great conversation this morning with other district administrators, the potential for declining social skills because of the intense technology focus arose. I've actually thought about this; I'm not completely afraid.

I have horrible phone etiquette. I know I do, but I daily continue to misbehave with my phone. No, I'm not sexting or bullying; I'm not visiting inappropriate sites or even texting and driving. Instead, I answer the phone in a public place, talk while I am checking out, text at the table, look at my phone at a red light, text my kids upstairs rather than go up there, check my twitter feed while I should be listening to a friend… you get the picture. Now, here's what is funny. I don't wear white after Labor Day or before Easter. I wait to eat until everyone is served. I put my napkin in my lap. I even use the correct fork and say "Yes, ma'am" and "No, ma'am.
So, why don't I have appropriate digital etiquette?
Well, the digital age is new to me. I am learning constantly. It's difficult to familiarize yourself with a device AND with the appropriate social expectations - especially when we don't know them! I believe that as our digital native children grow, they will develop and respect expectations. They will raise their children to monitor their time online, say "Yes, ma'am," put the phone away at times, open the door for others, never text and drive, check social media periodically… They will have seen the err of our ways, and they will raise socially appropriate natives.
We didn't because the rules are being developed around us - as we speak. How could I have taught my kids about twitter or Facebook when I was just figuring them out myself?!
My children will not be social sloths. They'll be fine.
Emily Post may not be around, but someone out there is taking her legacy into the 21st Century. Once netiquette is known and expected, like other adults, I'll get it too!
Until then, this guest speaker sounds like he's finishing up, and I need to check my email!

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Finding that OneWORD - BALANCE

Balance. That's hard for educators. Because we accept responsibilities that actually require 24/7/365 attention, balance is often unattainable. Juggling your own family and the responsibilities of parenting your own children can be overwhelming in itself. Now, add 22 smiling faces (or many, many more for some grades.) Add the baggage of those students, the personalities or their parents, the stress of state testing, the burden of differentiating curriculum for each child, the fact that many go home to empty homes, some come with empty stomachs, and don't forget the key to success is building relationships with each of these children. Oh, and remember, you need to become a 21st century teacher, grade papers for every child in every subject area in a timely manner, prepare for the next day's lesson, post grades and respond to every email within 24 hours. Meanwhile, you pull teeth, apply band-aids, wipe tears, find lost jackets, open milk cartons and check for lice. I could go on, but that isn't the point.
See, balance. I've already lost it.
Balance. It's hard for educators. As a principal, (who is kinda wound tightly and thrives on innovation and spontaneity) I see the most amazing staff taking risks and really integrating te
chnology seamlessly while embedding digital citizenship and encouraging creative, collaborative thinking. However, I haven't "mandated" anything new this year. We need to move forward with PLC's. We need to train in PBL.
But, they (my awesome staff) are so happy. They are thriving. They are getting out of their boxes and exploring. The kids are learning. They are happy.  They are engaged. They are learning.
This is the first point in my career as a principal where I have not been "pushing" something down on them. We've juggled balanced literacy, thinking maps, a plethora of math programs, all kinds of technology competencies, miscellaneous grants, a complete renovation, clubs for every student, a building-wide mentoring program, required community service for every child, data, a multitude of state standards changing, and a complete transformation in education - ouch, forgot that balance.
Bottom line, right now, I am just asking that they teach - and teach well. And, they are.
My struggle with balance though is making sure we are never stagnant, that we are moving forward and growing, but we also take time to actually teach, and teach well. We have to have time to look at what we are doing and reflect on how we can continue to improve. Sometimes, we just have to breathe.
Of course, it probably needs to be a short breath. We have a ton to do and an enormous task at hand to accomplish.
Hmmm, juggling while trying to balance, yep, that makes me a clown. I guess that's okay - as long as this clown makes everyone smile and doesn't drop anything. Of course, clowns have to breathe too.

Day 1 - My First Day at Central

I survived! I'm exhausted.
It was a wonderful day, but I'm tired. I think I found my way around the school pretty well. I didn't get too lost. It was funny though: the school is so huge, there were others that didn't know their way around too - and they work there!
Everyone made me feel super welcome. We started the morning greeting the kids. The counselors (and others) welcomed the kids in the main entrance with big smiles, hugs and a pleasant "buenos dias!"
I hadn't really thought about my expectations of the kids; I think I was more concerned with getting lost! I was so surprised to watch the boys and girls parade into the school decked to the nine in coats and gloves and scarves. They were precious. ( I say parade because literally, they are welcomed with such enthusiasm that it reminded me of a parade!)
I'm still trying to find the right words, but the children came in so incredibly respectful. Maybe that's the right word. They didn't seem frazzled or hurried. Their hair was perfectly braided, donned with bows, gelled into the most perfect faux hawk or maybe just combed meticulously. Regardless, these children could have been walking into church on Christmas and looked appropriate. I was so impressed. Breakfast was served by the kindest, sweetest ladies. They wheeled breakfast door to door, room to room and served the boys and girls with love and smiles. I was awed. I couldn't understand their exact words, but I could understand the love and affection clearly.
I found the intermediate cafeteria, along with half of the school, and enjoyed a program - Nana Puddin'. It was great, and the children loved it! They really would've laughed if they had seen me fall out of my chair! I did! I had the walkie talkie, my iPad, my phone, multiple copies of the map, and no telling what else in my arms and well, just missed the chair. Gosh, I was horrified.
I was fine. I tweeted it, and somehow, that made it all better.
Lunch was another funny time. I ate with two 1st grade classes, and they watched every bite I took. I enjoyed a corn dog, tater tots, green beans and a whole banana! Apparently, I didn't open my grape juice correctly, but they coached me up. The food is always a big topic of discussion during the Ambassador Exchange. I have to say, the food was very good. I'm curious about the cafeteria grant that Central was awarded a few years ago. I think I'll test the food again tomorrow!
The day was really great. Dismissal was exciting. They are incredibly organized and the Central staff and students are wonderful.
I'm excited to get into the classes more tomorrow and get to know more of the kids and staff. There's so much to process, so much disillusionment and so many similarities AND differences. What a day!