Reflections

When I first saw the conference flyer for a Digital Leadership conference for March 30th and 31st, my first thought was no way I can be out of district right before STATE TESTS . No way. I have to be in school. I have to "get through the next month".What would I possibly learn in a two day conference with 80% of the school year nearly over? The answer? Plenty... Here are some of my major takeaways: The story of my school is up to me. Tony Sinanis challenged us to think critically about our schools and what they are really saying. Is what you promise the community really happening? Do your messages reflect that? In the end, it's not about my position. It's about what I do in that position. What actions am I taking to best support my school and students for our "messy world" (as Tony puts it)?  I take a lot of flack from some other administrators about twitter and the power of it. PD is not something that happens TO you. It's something th...

I've written before about my PLN and how much they have changed my career. I won't rehash all of that but suffice it to say, they have (and continue) to have a profound impact on me. I've been doing my part to promote twitter as a collaboration and PD tool. I'm weathering the twitter jokes from some while helping to show those that are interested some of the possibilities. I'm also trying to keep up with blog reading and writing as I have found them both to be a method of reflection for me. So here I sit on a snowy Thursday, slowing down just a little due to the two hour delay we have. I've just finished reading Dr. Joe Clark's recent blog post . Yesterday was a tough day for some of the students in my school. Reading Dr. Clark's post reminded me of two things: 1) I'm not alone in this balance of leading with the heart in mind. Many of our students are dealing with so much. Saying "so much" doesn't even capture the depth of what the...

We have an amazing math team in our middle school. For the last two years, this team has worked at an incredible pace to implement new math skills and standards. Part of our work has had us collaborating with Betty Barrett, Math Consultant. She has been the "expert" in this initiative for us. With her help, we've been plugging along, reflecting, adjusting and hoping we are doing things "right". Today, in email, she sent along this reflection: It was so comfortable and encouraging to spend the morning with you folks on Thursday. I am realizing just how different we all are from two years ago. You all understand the math better yourselves; the examples you see in textbooks, the Modules, and on-line have taken your own thinking to higher levels. You are teaching your students their math through Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract development. In the end they probably will memorize the algorithm processes, but I believe that there is more und...

One of the things I have to get better at is organizing all the great clips that inspire me. I have begun to collect some of the clips (gathered mostly from my PLN) that have helped motivate me or inspire staff. Please check out the link and let me know of any others that you think might fit this channel. This is the song I play, over and over, when I am feeling crunched by outside influences or decisions that impact my work as an administrator or even a Mom. "Every time you get up And get back in the race One more small piece of you Starts to fall into place" -- STAND And one more song... What I hope every student (including my son Sam) will be able to do -- Dream Big. "When you laugh be sure to laugh out loud 'Cause it will carry all your cares away And when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself And it'll help you feel okay" - Dream Big

After multiple days of attending the Network Team Institute training offered by NYSED, I find myself decompressing from all of the information and ideas shared throughout the week. Here's what I know... I still have a ton of work to do in order to become more skilled in understanding the modules. I still can't see them being implemented as whole parts. I need to reserve judgment on them as an instructional tool until I can say I have dived into every one of them (at my level). I haven't, so I won't. My original thought on the standards (alone) has not changed much. The standards, on their own, and with time, may very well be reachable with support, resources, professional development and direction.   Here's what I want to know... Commissioner John King gave two amazing speeches on two of the days. They were incredible. I found myself really relating to the sentiment of the speeches. I want to know if he is aware how much of his message is lost in translat...

Facebook and Twitter have been a buzz this weekend with posts and images regarding Common Core Learning Standards and all things SED. One of my teachers had a positive post about CCLS and connecting with ISTE Standards . I posted a comment on it and then removed it. But, it occurred to me that wasn't what leaders are supposed to do. I'm supposed to have an opinion. And, I do. Here is what I posted: "I wish there was a way to better dissect the issues we are having with the CCLS rollout. CCLS on its own will be ok. Teachers have told us that themselves. Test scores, on their own, like the old days, wou ld have been ok. It's when we lump CCLS with state test scores and teacher/principal accountability that makes it unfair. We need to be deliberate in our discussion of the issues and not lump all of it (CCLS, testing, HEDI, opt out) into one. Most importantly, we have to be sure not to pass any of our own personal stress (due to rollout, pd needs, resource needs, a...

Being a school administrator is not always what I thought it would be. Somewhere a few weeks back, I noticed a tweet that said being a Principal was near the top of the most stressful jobs in the nation. I believe it! Back when I first thought of making the jump from teacher to lead learner, I had big ideas. I was going to help more kids and do great things. Naively, I thought it looked manageable, easy, and fun. It is certainly not always manageable. It is rarely easy. Yet, it can sometimes be fun -- as long we keep our focus clear. Like many other NY administrators this time of year, I am swamped by all the work I need to do. I worry about loose ends I could make tighter. I get frustrated about the current pace of some projects and my availability for others. If I am not careful, I might easily slide into a negative state mind. But I don't. I am really good at venting for a few minutes and getting over it. I can find humor in almost anything. I try to employ a growth min...