Borrowed Space, Borrowed Time

What is your favorite part of the beginning of the school year? Is it taking the time to paint your classroom in the color scheme of your choice? Or is it planning for the first few days of setting the tone and building classroom community? Is it creating new bulletin boards that indicate your theme for the year? Or is it labelling your organizational system so that students can easily find materials? Take a moment and think of your favorite task. Now ask yourself why it is your favorite task?

So?

Is it your favorite because you are making the space your own? Personalizing it if you will. Is it your favorite because you get to let your personality shine? That sense of complete ownership and accomplishment is fulfilling in and of itself. Now you feel ready to welcome in the kids! You probably enjoy walking into the space you have created for yourself and your students everyday.

Now take a moment to imagine how you would feel walking into the unknown? You are a middle school student who needs to learn new routines, expectations and locations of your classes for 8 different periods a day. You may have changed classrooms some in elementary school, but you never had to travel by yourself to the opposite end of a building! Now you need to keep track of 8 different notebooks and folders and make sure that you have a pen or pencil for every period. “What about my calculator? Do I need that today?” You worry about getting the different teacher’s rules mixed up. Worry about losing your pencil and being scolded for not having it. Worry about disappointing your teacher because you are not prepared. That sounds stressful! My heart is racing just typing this scenario and to be honest, I would still have challenges, as an adult!

So, why do we do this to ourselves? To our kids? How is this system like any other that they will experience outside of their time in public education? How is this preparing our charges for the challenges that they will face in life. Regardless of the fact that the United States public education system is the single slowest system in our country to change, we can do better.

We can support our learners as they adjust to the transitions that they need to make during their educational careers. We can be kind. We can be empathetic. We can ask the kids how we can make this experience better for them. We can reach out to parents for insight about their child. We can provide the same environment we hope is provided everyday for our own children. We can bring the joy to learning and let go of the details that get in our way.

It must be hard to feel like you are just passing through. It must be hard to feel like you are just borrowing a chair, desk or table space. I must be hard to view school as time you are borrowing.

So, let’s change that perception. Let’s be the kind, empathetic, and supportive educators we see ourselves to be. Let’s bring the joy, everyday to every child we encounter. Let’s create opportunities for students to have ownership over their space and time. It will be time well spent.

 

Change is Hard

This year we, our building, has taken on a lot of change. We implemented a longer advisory period which will include some flexible group for support and enrichment. A mental health grant was awarded to us for the next three years. The year was kicked off  with a laser-like focus on relationships and community building in the classroom. We continue to build our skills of teaching all content areas through a literacy lens. Our team even tweaked our building-wide behavioral support program, adding in an additional problem solving layer with a qualified staff member, instead of jumping right to an office referral. Whew! That is a lot of change!

As I reread the list above, I am proud of my staff taking on these much needed changes. I am proud of their vision and collaboration to prepare for these changes over the summer. As I look at all we are doing I see that they are all well intended changes and all changes that our kids deserve.

Then why are we feeling stress at the end of September?

Because change is hard. Change takes dedication and hard work to accomplish. The change that we are going through is deep. We are not adding to the plate, we are changing the plate. This is a culture of learners who are innovating to meet the needs of all of our learners everyday. Change takes GRIT and resilience. We have to struggle through it for it to have any chance of lasting. There will be bumps in the road and growing pains. It is part of the process.

I am learning to embrace the bumps in the road knowing full well that I learn more the bumpier the road is. I am learning to remain positive, which can be a challenge in and of itself. I am also learning that the majority of others are embracing these changes too. Sometimes the naysayers seem loud and many when really they are loud because there are few. I am learning to stay the course. These are noble changes that may be challenging for staff, but will be worth it for our kiddos. As I ponder this journey I always come back to one question: What is the purpose of education?

We, in the United States, have an educational system in place that was established over 100 years ago. At it’s inception, the purpose of education was to prepare students to work in factories and on farms. It was important that those entering the workforce have a good grasp on the English language as well as basic reading and writing skills. Students needed to be able to take direction and carry out those directions to the liking of the their supervisor.

Dare I say a lot has changed?

One of my favorite quotations comes from a superintendent who I had the privilege to work for at the beginning of my educational career. He currently consults with school districts who are working to embrace personalized learning and in my opinion is quite wise. Jim Rickabaugh, @drrickabaugh, says

“We have a systems problem… the need for initiatives and programs such as RtI and differentiation are needed to overcome our design problem. the purpose of education has changed. It is time to lay the current design (established in the late 1800’s) to rest.”

Unfortunately, few are ready for this kind of system change, yet there are some who are paving the way. It is time for us to pay our respects to this archaic system. It has served us well, BUT. It is not serving us well anymore. We need to embrace these changes. We need to always ask ourselves, is this what is best for kids? Because if it is best for kids, it certainly will be best for adults, they just don’t know it yet.

You Can’t Lead From Behind a Desk

I was walking in the hall one day and a student, who is new to our building this year, stopped me and said “Aren’t you the Principal?” I smiled, half laughing and said “why yes I am!”He looked at me quizzically and emphatically stated “You can’t leave your office!” To which I laughed and said “Of course I can!”

As I continued through the hallways, assisting students in reading their schedules and finding their classrooms, I laughed off our encounter. I went about my day, tackling the various important tasks that needed to be accomplished, giving little thought to my morning interaction. Until… it STRUCK ME.

Had he gone through his entire preK-6 experience without having a principal who was visible in the building?

Does he have yet to develop any kind of relationship with an administrator?

Did he truly believe that a principal should stay in her office, waiting to yell at kids who were naughty or issue consequences for poor choices?

As I thought about these questions more and more, I wanted to be sure that I was seeing the issue as it truly was. I needed to believe that the administrators in question were doing the best that they know; leading their buildings with positive intent and constantly striving to do what is best for kids. What if it was all they had known? Could these people have never had a visible principal as a model? Is it possible that they weren’t connected to innovative leaders who were pushing them to be their best each and every day?

At this point I thanked my lucky stars for the incredible educators who make up my Professional Learning Community. I could have been that principal!

All I know is that I am not that principal. I lead the only way that I know how, by example. If I expect my staff to be positive, I better be smiling all day long. If I expect my staff to build meaningful relationships with their students, I had best be connecting with as many staff members and kiddos as I possibly can. If I expect my staff to focus on literacy, I need to be reading to and with our kids. How else will I be able to contribute to a conversation?

How can I model what I expect if I am sitting at a desk?

I navigate through each day participating in classroom activities, supervising lunch and recess, addressing the various fires that need to but put out, observing teaching practices, filling staff members’ buckets, learning about each of our unique students and talking to parents. Everyday the ratio looks different, ever changing, always unpredictable. And I love it!

Paperwork can wait. Relationships can not.

If you see the value to leading from behind a desk, by all means please shed some light on the topic. OR, get out there. Don’t just tell your teachers and students you care about them. SHOW THEM!

Choose Messy

Students joined staff this week to kick off the 2016-2017 school year. The energy in the building was palpable! Teachers shared a little bit about who they are as a person and a learner with their classes. Students worked through ice breakers and team-building activities, setting each group on its unique journey to becoming a team. Students high-fived me in the hallways. Smiles were infectious. Positivity strummed through the building.

I know the beginning of the year is shiny and new, but I started wondering how we can we ride this momentum into the best year yet? What was it that made these first few days special?

Was it the focus on relationships first, knowing the rest will come?

Was it the staff community joining forces to share a unified message?

Was it the fact that everyone stepped out of their comfort zones to do what’s best for kids?

Whatever it was I was loving it! As I moved about the building taking it all in, I started noticing something. I had a blast joining in the I like People Who and The Big Question activities, learning commonalities that I shared with students. Both ice breakers being interactive and energetic. The kids were smiling and their was 100% engagement, a win-win! So what made these first few days special? I think that if we remember that these four choices are choices we make, directly or indirectly, when planning each of our lessons, we can ride this momentum throughout this school year.

If you have to choose between silence and discussion

CHOOSE DISCUSSION

If you have to choose between seated and standing

CHOOSE STANDING

If you have to choose between messy and neat

CHOOSE MESSY

If you have to choose between quiet and noisy

CHOOSE NOISY

Life is messy, loud and in constant motion

Let’s make sure our schools mimic real life.

Isn’t that what we are preparing them for?

A few drops

 

When I embarked on my daily run, I was pleasantly surprised to see dry streets and feel a strong breeze. I began with no music or podcast to listen to and rather allowed my mind to wander. I processed the events of yesterday, thinking of how those experiences will tie into what today brings. I even zoned out for a bit when I hit my stride!

I had just completed my 2nd mile at a respectable pace, when I felt a drop of rain. Keeping my head held high, feeling confident that this too shall pass, I continued strongly on knowing that I had 2 miles yet to go with no shortcut home. As I ran on I felt another drop, and yet another. I began thinking of how the drops were cooling me and I welcomed them, knowing that I had run through a lawn sprinkler about a mile ago! The soft rain, became a bit harder and I dug in.

As I approached mile 3 I noticed a dry spot under a large tree and took cover for a few seconds. At this point I had to make some decisions. The rain was now a full on downpour, interfering with my vision. If you are also a runner you may appreciate that breathing can become an issue in heavy rain, as it feels like you are running underwater. My shoes were getting soaked and I also knew that painted lines must be avoided at all costs as those surfaces will be extremely slick. As I psyched myself up for the remainder of this run, which I had to finish because I did not have my phone on me, thank goodness for that, I set off with grim determination.

After turning down a wrong street, due to the torrents of water flowing into my eyes, I dug deeper yet and plowed on through the rain, holding onto a glimmer of hope that this might be an isolated rain shower.

It didn’t pass. The steady rainfall continued until my watch beeped that I had conquered my fourth mile of the day, yet I was still over half a mile from home! That turn down the wrong street forced me to continue another half of a mile in these conditions. Finally, I walked to cool off. Only then was I able to truly be in the moment. I looked at my wet skin in appreciation of the effort I just exerted. I thanked God for this cooling rain and breathed deeply, taking in every sensation. I felt thankful I had completed what I set out to do. I also felt hopeful that if I face a challenge like this in the future, I will be better prepared to meet the task with vigor and perseverance. As I walked on through the rain, my thoughts turned to my teaching staff.

I started wondering if this continuum of emotions was felt by staff members during our first three days of professional development.

• Did they start each day with the same excitement and anticipation that I came into my run with? Or was there  trepidation before it even began?
• Did they feel a few drops at first? Or was it a steady rain? Did the drops turn into a downpour by the end of the three days?
• Do staff members feel overwhelmed by their own insecurities and desire to make these worthwhile changes?
• Did we do a good enough job scaffolding the most important work so that they are confident to make changes that they feel are most important?
• Did they take the time to “feel the rain” and be in the moment? After time to process and reflect, did individuals get excited about new possibilities for the year to come?

Through these questions I strive to learn the answers together, so that we all can grow as educators.