Reflections

There's about a week left before school starts and that very real panic, that I have felt every summer's end of the last 25 years, is settling in. I fret about getting things done on my list and ready for the people that need it to be done. I have some big, important deadlines I need to meet this week.  I'm growing anxious about some loose ends and hoping it all wraps up the way it needs to. I'm not alone in this worry. We each carry around our to do list for ending the summer.  Some of us are reorganizing classroom libraries so that our readers have the best books available. Some of us are redesigning learning spaces so that flexible seating can be utilized. Many of us are writing welcome back letters to staff and students making sure they know we are excited to see them very soon. Quite a few of us have attended summer professional development to improve our skills in a myriad of areas.  And still,  a few of us are working on paperwork and plans that are re...

Summer is often a time of reflection, organization and professional development. Hopefully, and rightfully so, it also includes some periods of down time to just be. Today wasn't one of those days. I spent the better part of 8 hours with an incredible administrative team today. We were assisted by our wonderful Instructional Coaches. In our own version of an Admin Camp, we tackled multiple topics including supporting Reader's and Writers' Workshop and Reading in the Content Area. We began conversations around guiding principles for elementary instruction and secondary instruction. We practiced our skills around look fors within a workshop model. We stepped out of our own zones to share with the group about what we were most proud of instructionally from the past year and where we thought we needed to improve individually and within our buildings. We linked those improvements to domains from the Multidimensional Principal Performance Rubric and gathered ideas from each o...

Sometimes, I know better than I act. It was a particularly busy day. I was juggling multiple plates in the air. The phone was ringing and I rushed to answer the call. I barely mumbled out a hello and there was a short silence on the other end. I knew in that second I had messed up but the brave caller politely confronted me on it. He let me know I should have sounded more enthused and he was right! He deserved better. If I really wanted to be that leader I've written about before ( AND have even been on some days! ), I need to walk that walk consistently. I know how to do it and know leadership isn't about 80% some days and 100% on the easier days. It's about 100% to the best of my ability every day. And, every day, I can meet each colleague with enthusiasm and an open heart. It's the least they deserve from me. https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7652/16883234185_fc398beeed_z.jpg Each of those interactions become deposits into the memory banks of colleagues. An...

As this year wraps up, I've been thinking about the impact of words on each other, as educators. I wonder if the phrases of gratitude I've tried to share felt genuine. I hope, in some way, as the team I've worked with looks back on this year, they are able to remember more positive than negative. It was a steep learning curve for me to learn so much about a new district and department with little start time to a new year. I've appreciated so very much what I've learned from the staff I work for and with. Their words have helped me throughout the year. I wonder if speakers of criticism (including those directed at me) can still even recall the words all these days later. It's funny how words can stick more with one person than they do the other. We say so many words a day, give them away sometimes without even thinking. Criticism on its own isn't usually all that helpful. Feedback, on the other hand, that's where understanding can be possible. But, so...

We ended the department meeting with one of my favorite " Remembering Your Why " activities. Each person is given a post it note and asked to write the first name only of a student whom they feel they had the biggest impact on this year. Teacher after teacher took turns standing and sharing a brief story about the student. Many of the teachers cried with appreciation and we clapped for each other upon sharing our stories. The post it notes were collected onto one big poster sized post it note and will become a laminated reminder of our taking this time to reflect. I Stand For I was touched by each and every story. When some of the teachers began to include phrases like " it just clicked " or " I don't know what happened, but he just began to show such progress .", I felt the need to stop the activity. I asked them to think about these phrases including " It just clicked ". I tried to push their thinking by calling that phrase ou...

We finished dinner two hours ago but I had not one ounce of motivation to clear the table completely and wash the dishes. I could see them right there... RIGHT THERE. Yet, I couldn't bear to jump in and do what needed to be done. Reluctantly, I get up, clear the table and wash the dishes exactly like I've done so many times before. I realize, in completing the task, it wasn't nearly as big of a chore as it felt like this evening. I'm spending some time trying to catch up on emails and also completing some paperwork that is due. I check my to do list while I work and realize there is more to add for each cross off I am able to perform. A quick glance, and it looks insurmountable. I push my chair back from my desk and think about the last email I've read from an amazing teacher. She's concerned about a recent decision. Between the lines, I sense she is upset. I worry she feels unsupported or worse yet, that the new task coming her way is insurmountable. I t...

When I was a young teacher, I can recall struggling in a particular parent-teacher conference. The parent was pleading with me to understand her point and I feigned giving incredible advice. At the time, I was certain it was good.  After all, I was the teacher and was basing the advice on what I learned throughout my short experience that far. It wasn't until many years later, I could fully understand the depth of her concern and the lesson I could learn from her. When I became a mother, what I knew about teaching and learning gained color. I can remember being home alone from the hospital with my newborn and ab-so-lute-ly scared to death of being alone with him. What if something went wrong? Not doing the right thing at the right time became all that more real to me.  When my son faced obstacles, I learned more about how to help more in different areas. I leaned on professionals for advice but still listened to what "my mom's voice" told me as well. I made some v...