Reflections

Holidays are hard—for so many people and for so many reasons. To me, the illusion of a picture-perfect holiday is unyielding. It's elusive and can't be captured, yet year after year, we repeat our efforts to pursue it. We stress over presents, trying to find the perfect things for everyone on our list. We fill our backgrounds with the music of the season and hope for a wonderful holiday. Except, it doesn't always work like that. Family members disappoint each other. Plans get canceled. Things get said, and the words sting. A gift we've given seems to fall short, and we are left feeling insufficient. Still, it's never really about the gifts. It's about the emotions the season brings to the surface. There are no Christmas cards that describe the difficult parts of the season. Even at my age, I still grapple with this at times. I use that struggle to remind myself that the holidays are hard for everyone. It's not just me.  Some of our students, some of our frie...

I have spent a large part of the last 34 years trying to do right by students, staff, and families. Sometimes, I’ve been highly successful at that, and other times, I’ve fallen short of goals that deserved to be met. Falling short is never a good feeling and can be one we rarely have forgiven ourselves for no matter the time passed. I continue to learn more about the impact of trauma on students (and adults) and how trauma responses like freeze, flight, and even fawn persist in a person, no matter their age. Until very recently, I kept what I knew professionally separate from what I knew personally— or so I thought . After years of research and advocating for others, something finally clicked in my brain regarding this work. How we, as EDUCATORS, choose to respond to threats or perceived trauma is not always within our control—even when we’ve read about and studied trauma. For one reason or another, a phrase, a word, a condition, an event, or even a smell can trigger our body’s respons...

In our attempt to adopt new philosophies and practices, certain terms can see their definitions become muddled. The term restorative is one such word. Sometimes, people will reference “ restorative practices ” but not in the context in which they are intended to be used. I've seen where suspension has been called restorative and I've also seen where a one-sided conversation has been called a restorative conference. Neither of them is restorative. Exclusion is punitive. A one-sided conversation is just a chance for you to say what you want and for me to accept it -- maybe. When we repeatedly overus e the word “ restorative ” in the wrong way, it dilutes the meaning of the work which erodes any foundation that has been built . NYSED has named Restorative Practices (RP) a high priority for schools and districts to adopt. When done correctly, RP fits perfectly within a social-emotional curriculum. It can even find a home within a traditional code of conduct expanded to inc...

Since my mid-forties, I’ve done a pretty good job of keeping up with medical appointments people “my age” are supposed to have. At my annual physical this past Fall, I was handed the usual clipboard of papers. It included the checklist of statements where I had to rate how I was feeling. This screening is known as the GAF. According to Wikipedia, "The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) is a numeric scale used by mental health clinicians and physicians to rate subjectively the social, occupational, and psychological functioning of an individual, e.g., how well one is meeting various problems in living. Scores range from 100 (extremely high functioning) to 1 (severely impaired).” The doctor knocked on the door, entered and began reviewing the paperwork I had completed. She looked up at me and back down at the paper at least two times. She remarked what a stark difference in responses I had given compared to a year ago. She was impressed and genuinely interested in what had happe...

     Graduation is about celebrating the end of something incredible and the beginning of the even more incredible next chapter of your lives. Graduation is about the Seniors and the work it took them to get here. Different paths were taken to get here today and each path was illuminated in a different way. Some of these seniors lit their torches at MJT and continued at GES. Others came from towns near and far to have the last of their journey culminate here. Some paths led to CTE certifications in heavy equipment, culinary arts, and criminal justice. Other paths will lead to institutions of higher learning. Whatever the path and destination, there were no doubt a number of twists and turns along the way. The light that has guided the way came from many of you here today and it is our hope that as soon-to-be graduates of Granville Central School you will shine bright and share your light with each other and those you encounter on your path that may need a little light of ...

I am connected to so many amazing, supportive people. One of the best is Peter DeWitt. He has always been just a message away for help, assistance, and reflection. He is the writer for EdWeek’s “Finding Common Ground” column and often features guest posts. This year, he published two of my posts. They can be found below.  https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-what-can-schools-do-as-trauma-continues-to-rear-its-ugly-head/2022/03 https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-principals-assessment-were-not-ok/2022/01

Earlier this morning, I watched an episode from the SOLO series on Amazon Prime. In the episode, the main character is Leah and she is working so hard to make travel to the future happen. The viewer learns that the real reason she wants to travel to the future is to find a cure for the ALS her mother is suffering from in the present so that she can avoid having to lose her. Part of the episode has her arguing between her past, present and future selves. In the end, she directs her past self in what has to be done for a do-over of sorts. In that decision, the present self and future self fade away allowing her to go back in time and hopefully, do some things better.  If there was ever a year I might like to be given a second chance, it would be this year.  I’d like to rewind some decisions, conversations, and missed opportunities to connect.  I’d like to have found better ways to communicate and to have been more organized. I’d like to have met some of the goals I had fo...