Reflections

I have a lot of flaws. I mess up dates in the calendar. I worry about silly things and I stink at saying good bye. I've known for over three months that I will have to say good bye today to an amazing member of my school team but I've postponed it (in my mind). In a few short hours, we will gather for a goodbye breakfast to tell Jane Pingelski thank you. She is retiring from our district after --- years (see, the date and time thing again). I'll just say many. Jane is our Library Media Specialist and one of the classiest people I have ever met. She is a quiet warrior for literacy. She can connect her specialty to other subjects in a blink. Due to budget cuts, she has had to coordinate the needs of three libraries in our district and has done so with grace and a positive attitude. She has officially mentored some of our most at-risk students and secretly takes many others under her wing. She can pick them out -- those kids that need her. As a mom, I've been fortunat...

A collaborative post by Lisa Meade and Tony Sinanis Back at the beginning of January, we wrote a piece with Jon Harper about always remembering to say thank you. Through conversations and tweets, it occurred to us that we weren’t doing a great job at accepting positive feedback and praise. Through our collaboration we learned we needed to do a more deliberate job at listening and receiving the positive feedback offered to us from the many people in our communities. Shortly after the post, we realized there was room for a follow up post… a reflection on a phrase that is equally as challenging for us to utter. Three words that we must access more regularly if we are going to have sustainable careers as educators and specifically as educational leaders. While part of leading with the heart required us to lead with arms and ears wide open, we felt we still had to be clear about when there may be times where thank you won’t cut it. Where “Yes!” or “No problem!” could have more neg...

Change is rarely easy. We get comfortable with what we know and what we are doing. When you're younger and planning a career, you imagine embarking on the path you've outlined in your mind.  My entire professional career to date has been connected to special education. I began as a special education teacher, moved to a special education coordinator position and then to a district level position supervising special education (and many other areas). For the last three years, I have been the Special Education Director and Middle School Principal. However, this will change for me this week.      http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/07/70/1077046_d3f400d2.jpg It has been incredibly difficult to wear two hats at the same time. I know many (especially in small schools) can relate. Our amazing school district  recently created a separate Director of Special Education position and she begins tomorrow. We are so fortunate to have someone of her expertise a...

Earlier this week, I participated in a Principal's Academy discussion about APPR and  teacher-administrator conversations surrounding it. One of the scenarios we debated was how to respond as a leader when a teacher is feeling like he/she might not be able to reach a particular student. The theme of our discussion was perseverance. In our building, my team knows our direction. I am nearly 100% positive that they know it is expected we will work very hard to reach EVERY student. They talk weekly at grade level meetings about students. We've been at the IST (Instructional Support Team) meetings asking some tough questions when needed. We've brainstormed interventions and creative solutions. Each student may not achieve at the level that we hope (or need them to ---yet) but we celebrate small improvements and keep pushing along. Yet, it's not just students we have to reach. It's our parents and families too. I'm a huge fan of using social media in our school. H...

Sometimes we expect too much of ourselves. Sometimes we expect more out of others than we do of ourselves. Sometimes, as educators, we expect more out of students than is expected of us. During a recent after school meeting centered on the topic of PBIS and the research behind it, there were some key pieces that resonated with me as presented by our speaker. Don't rely on punishment to change behavior. Don't think any reinforcer will work for every student.  Don't think taking away something will change the behavior. And...likely the best piece for me to remember: When it's really important, we remind.  Don't worry if we have to remind students what is needed. As adults, we get reminders all the time. I don't know what I would do without all the reminders I use each day. Providing students with reminders will not enable them or make them any less independent.  When we stop to really think about what we do, out of habit or tradition (or b...

Recently, I shared a post about needing to focus on courage in the new year. In just a matter of days, it has become my second most popular post since beginning a blog. Writing a blog isn't about the number of reads, necessarily. However, there is something affirming and even comforting at times in knowing that others have read a piece you have written and have connected with it on some level. Even if they disagree, there's been a connection of sorts. Over this last year, I realize that blogging has given me more courage to find and share my voice than I had before. Sure, I've never really been the shy, quiet type in person. But, I don't believe I've really ever been as confident in my decisions or ideas than I am now. That doesn't mean all of them are right. It just means I've chosen to believe in them...hook, line, sink or swim. There are lessons to be learned in all of the decisions we make -- good or bad.  I believe my wings were borne from my c...

A collaborative post by Jon Harper , Tony Sinanis , and Lisa Meade We are intelligent. We are courageous. We are funny. We are caring. We are compassionate human beings. We are also humble. Is there such a thing as being too humble? Or have we confused humility with pride? A true leader ought to be able to think positively without feeling boastful or arrogant. When people go out of their way and take the time to recognize positive qualities in any of us we need to start by fully listening to the comment. Just accept it. Follow the acceptance by saying thank you. That’s right… thank you . Two tiny words that go a long way but are often so hard for people to say when on the receiving end of a compliment. Saying thank you is probably easier and faster than trying to deflect the compliment or counter with some self-deprecating comment. It’s not as if we are looking for compliments and it’s not as if we expect them. But, we will get them. Sometimes, they are few and far between. B...