Only Getting Started

As educators, we are always “Only getting started” … It doesn’t matter the grade, subject, or time of year - from kinder to twelfth the same rule always applies...we are only getting started.

There is often a thought in education that everything happens on a yearly cycle… In fact, the story problem looks something like this: Child X needs to learn amount Y by the end of the year. If Child X is able to learn Y before the state test than Child X was successful. Then, the next year, Child W needs to learn the same amount Y by the end of the year...and so on…sound familiar?

There is a fallacy in this thinking. Why? Because it implies the job is done once the test is over...but here is what I know, what all good teachers and school leaders know...we are never done teaching, never done moving forward, never done learning - because we are always only getting started.

Now don’t get me wrong (amazing grammatical line) - I am not saying that we are always starting over, always discounting the progress made, always having to hit the reset button - always getting started doesn’t mean from the beginning...but it does mean the journey is one where we are always looking ahead…

This theory works beautifully when we know all students learn differently. Pick a school, any school. Pick a class, any class, and I promise you this...not every child is or needs the same. The challenge of education is that every child needs to learn, yet no two students are the same.

The magic of always getting started goes something like this….Eric is a student in Mr. Pelosi’s class. Eric has struggled with division as long as he can remember. 32 divided by 8 equals...who cares? Eric would always shout out comments in class like, “When are we ever going to need this? Why does this even matter?” But like all great teachers do, Mr. Pelosi pressed on, never gave up...and then one day, something clicked, something happened, and Eric could divide.

What was Mr. Pelosi’s response? Was it...Way to go, you did it, you are all done? - Nope, it was simply this…”I knew you could, now get ready, because we are only getting started.”

For many, this is a mindset shift - after all, the idea of only getting started could be viewed negatively… One could read into a statement like that and assume I am discounting all the progress made, all the hard work from the past, all the effort put in...that of course couldn’t be further from the truth.

The journey of learning takes place on a long road, full of rocky moments, exciting stories and steep hills. Rarely is it perfect, rarely is it easy...but it is always worth it...and no matter how far you go or how much you learn, remember this...you are only getting started.

First Two Weeks

We are two weeks in - two weeks into the school year. Ten days of planning instruction, building relationships, implementing routines, and getting to know our students.

As the year begins, as I walk the hallways, peek into classrooms and sit in planning meetings...I can’t help but take note of how much I love my teachers and staff members. There is an excitement in the air, a hint of what’s to come, and a feeling that something amazing could happen at any moment.

It is clear we have a building filled with educators who love their children, are willing to work painfully hard preparing for each day, and all share a willingness to collaboratively reflect on the process of ensuring every child receives the best education possible.

I left the classroom four years ago, this will be my fifth year away - I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss it, because I do, almost every day. To me, there was nothing more exciting than the first two weeks… Meeting my students for the first time, creating a first impression that would last the entire year. As I walk the hallways I see teacher after teacher creating a memorable first impression, one built on love and respect.

For most administrators, most district leaders, and instructional specialists...leaving the classroom is about hoping to make a larger impact. I was no different, I wanted to be part of something larger than myself, work hard to help the greater good, support teachers, and ensure students were successful. I love being a principal, I love coming in each day hoping to make a difference, hoping to serve all those in need, and hoping to learn something new around every corner…

But...there is something about the first two weeks of school that always gets to me. I miss the overwhelming feeling of nervousness as I prepared for that first day. I miss looking over my lesson plans to ensure what my students experienced for the first time would be memorable. I miss trying to imprint each student's name into my brain before lunch. I miss planning with my team, welcoming new families, and trying to identify the need of each student who walked in the door.

There is nothing like being a teacher. It is hard, it takes time, it is exhausting, emotionally draining, and a daily challenge. Yet...I miss it.

The first two weeks are a wonderful time of year - So, to all teachers completing their first two weeks of the school year let me just share this: Enjoy these moments, cherish the excitement of the first few days, and embrace the difference you are making...because I promise, you will miss these days when you are no longer teaching.

The Challenge

Every educator, from classroom teacher to district administrator share the same challenge in education. A challenge that is daunting, a challenge that keeps educators up at night, a challenge that pushes educators to take risks, and a challenge that requires educators to never stop learning… Our challenge is this: We as educators need to ensure EVERY child reaches his or her greatest heights.

The challenge? We must push every child forward, ensure every child receives the very best education, and create a culture built on the belief that every child will succeed. Make no mistake, this is no easy task. Why? Simply put, because every child is different, every child needs something unique, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all program to accomplish this.

Imagine you work for an auto company as a vehicle designer. You are brilliant, and you pride yourself on the ability to get people from one location to another safely, quickly, and effectively. One day your boss comes into your office and asks you to custom design a vehicle that can get a person from one city to another. Seems simple, but then she lists a wide range of challenges that will require the vehicle to have specific additions to complete the trip safely - things like icy roads, steep angles, and rocky terrain. You smile as you are already imagining larger tires with heavy traction, four wheel drive, a high ground clearance, 300 horsepower, and the ability to turn on a dime...yet before you can finish putting the ideas together in your head your boss says - alright, that’s one. She then describes the need for another customized vehicle that must tackle all new challenges. Then another, and another, and another, and another...until in total you are required to create plans for 147 different vehicles. Oh, and you need to be able to complete this by next week. You may be brilliant, but you are only human,

Being an educator may not be like designing cars, but the challenge of customizing an education to the needs of 147 students on the secondary level is very real. Whether you teach on the elementary or secondary level, the challenge of ensuring each child receives the very best, and reaches his/her greatest heights, is not taken lightly.

Tomorrow morning we are going to welcome over 700 elementary students into our building for the first time this school-year. Together, we are going to do all we can to ensure that each and every child is successful, safe, and challenged. Why take on such a difficult challenge with open arms? Because we are committed to creating a culture where we collaboratively design a rigorous learning opportunity for every child. We believe our students deserve the best, and it's only together that this can happen.

You see, there is one major difference between the example of the auto designer and an educator - we are not alone.

So, how do you meet a challenge that can sometimes seem impossible? You tackle it as a team. So to all those gearing up for, or just beginning, this year’s challenge of ensuring the success of every child let me remind you - you are not alone, we are in this together, and you have those on your campus, and even within your #PLN, ready to help you tackle a challenge that will change the world one child at a time.

Before the Year Begins

Teachers,

Before this year begins I want to share something with you…

You are about to start a new year, see new faces, welcome new challenges, and start once again on a one-year journey of student success. You are about to meet a child who will challenge you, push you, and may even go against the grain. You are about to meet a child who needs you more than you will ever know. You are about to meet a child who has failed more times than succeeded. You are about to meet a child who doesn’t get breakfast at home, and dinner is often a hit or miss experience. You are about to meet a child who already knows over half of what you are supposed to teach, but desperately needs you to push him forward. You are about to meet a child who doesn't understand how to make friends, communicate effectively, or work within a group...but is so amazingly smart. You are about to meet an overbearing parent, a parent who doesn’t want to hear from you, and a parent who will do anything to support you.

Every child you meet in a few weeks will be different. Every child will have different needs, different goals, and different past experiences both good and bad. But here is the thing I need you to remember...every child you meet needs you, whether they realize it or not.

Teaching is such a challenging profession....it's not a job, it’s a calling, and one that is not answered easily.

Before this year begins I want to share something with you…

You matter, you make a difference, you have a purpose, and you can change the course of a child’s life. Think about that...how many professions afford the opportunity to change a life? But remember this...it can be for good or bad.

One year makes a difference...A child who fails over and over again is likely to stop trying. A child who fails to move forward for one year is likely never to fully catch up. A child who feels unloved, unwanted, or unnoticed for one year is likely going to struggle finding self-worth in the future. Understand the power you hold...it’s not just about teaching the subject...its about making a difference in a child’s life.

One year makes a difference...A child who feels loved every day for one year can build a sense of self-worth that will last a lifetime. A child who feels successful each day for one year can find self-efficacy that can sustain the trials ahead. A child who learns the value of working hard, persevering, and understands learning is about the process - not just the product, will build a foundation for a lifetime of success.

Before this year begins I want to share something with you…

I love and appreciate you. Teachers in all areas, paraprofessionals, custodians, food and nutrition services, coaches, and parent volunteers. I love that you chose to come to school and change lives, make a difference, and give children the chance to feel successful. I love that you work hard, tackle challenges, and refuse to give up when it would be easy to do so.

You are about to meet many new children, children who need you, children who will love you, and children who will know more tomorrow because you worked hard preparing something new and exciting today. Let’s change the world one child at a time...and let's do this together.

Why #EdSlowChat?

It’s hard for me to believe I have only been building my PLN for a year. One short year...yet in that time I have formed relationships, found guidance from brilliant people I never dreamed I would meet, and have learned more about education, dreams, and student success at a higher rate than ever before.

Twitter, Voxer, and Blogs… The big three, these three are the main sources for my PLN, three sources that never seem to stop giving me new ideas, encouragement to change, and support when mistakes are made.

Twitter was the beginning - I started by following any well-known educator I could find. From there I joined in on the #TxEduChat and #IAEdChat each week…then from there I found new EdChat after EdChat...to name a few: #LeadUpChat, #Sunchat, #Fledchat, #ChristianEducators, #EdChat, #SatChat, #PISDEdChat, and #PPAEdChat.

Yet for me, something wasn’t right...While I truly enjoyed the fast pace and people I met during the one-hour EdChats, I found I was only able to follow so many posts and read so many ideas shared. In one hour hundreds of ideas were shared, yet I was truly unable to capture it all. On top of that, I began to find it was becoming more and more challenging to make each EdChat, be a part of each discussion, and make the starting times each night...especially since they tended to occur around dinner or story time with my daughter...I didn’t have an answer, but I was beginning to feel anxious trying to balance it all.

Here is what I knew - I loved reading other’s ideas and thoughts in their blogs, had formed strong professional relationships on Voxer, and I was learning at the speed of light on Twitter...yet, I wasn’t able to balance it all. I was struggling to participate in everything I enjoyed being a part of...and I was trying to figure out how I could model digital leadership yet ballance my life at home.

It was around this time that I was invited to participate in a Voxer group of school leaders. Since I was struggling with balancing the time, I threw out the following question to the group - “How do you balance it all?”

It took about five minutes for me to realize that I clearly wasn’t alone in the struggles to balance my life and PLN - I was amazed to see not only was I not alone in this issue, but others were trying to find ways to schedule, prioritize, and figure out compromises in life to make both work. It was then the idea of a slowchat was offered as a - what if? What if there could be an educational chat that focused on one question per week? What if you could jump on when you wanted to? What if you could have time to read and reflect? Enter... #EdSlowChat

Each Sunday morning I ask a new question, one that allows for ideas and multiple answers…

In order to help explain the idea I worked with @artwithbailey, @NancyWTech, @techclara, @techknowleah, and @mike_svatek to make this video:

I also created the following Google Doc so others could share the questions they would love to see asked: Click Here

It has been amazing for me to see #EdSlowChat grow. While I still read as many blogs as I can, continue conversations on Voxer, and do the best I can to participate in as many EdChats as possible, one thing's for sure...

#EdSlowChat was created for someone like me...I want to learn, I want to share ideas, I want to get to know others in the educational community, I just need a little more time and flexibility to join, think, share, and reflect. It is my hope that you have been able to jump in as well -

A First Year Principal's Reflection

I can’t count the number of lessons I have learned this year - 2014/15 Marked the first year I was a school principal, and as this year comes to a close there is something that sticks out above all the rest...my desire to be and do everything fell short.

Here is what I know...I want more than anything to be everything for my teachers and students. I want to have all the answers, know how to jump every hurdle, take all the right risks, and avoid all the mistakes...I did my best, I fought the good fight, I ran a good race, but in the end I learned a valuable lesson - I am only human. As it turns out...there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

You see, luckily, being human doesn't mean I am a failure, it just means I am not perfect...of course, as I wrote in a previous post, perfection means the learning stops, so it’s not all bad -

The learning curve that exists for a new principal is like nothing I have experienced before. As a teacher I would carry the weight of my students’ success on my shoulders - in elementary it was all 26 or 27, in middle school that number jumped to over 100 students...but as a principal, well...I now carry the success of both the teachers and students, a combined 820 people - all of whom I give my all to every single day.

In a previous blog post I shared how each day I work with teachers, students, and parents. Three separate groups, all with different needs, ideas, questions, and time needed. While I truly love working with all three parties, it’s not uncommon in one day to think about: Student success, teacher success, campus progress, changes coming, ideas to move forward, parental support, strength of the PTA, district and state testing, teacher needs, classroom management, student management, instructional coaching, professional learning, school budget, campus needs, building facilities, and so much more. Learning how to serve all three groups as a first year principal was quite a challenge...an amazing experience, but a challenge.

This year I had the privilege to experience wonderful moments of celebration, I felt the pain of heartbreak when mistakes were made, and I tried to focus on the success stories both small and large...I did my best, I gave it all I had, and yet...I can’t help but wonder if I could have done better or completed even more...

The year ended with what-if questions like: What if I could have found a way to spend more time with the students? What if I modeled the use of technology for professional learning even more? What if I had more time set aside for meetings? What if I didn’t take that risk and tried something different instead?

Of course, playing the game of “What If” only leaves doubt and angst - The truth is, while I may be only human, and lack any sort of true perfection - I was able to learn a ton, love my teachers unconditionally, support each teacher in his/her strive to be better, and offered encouragement and excitement each day.

While I may not have reached every goal I set in one year, there is no doubt this year was a success - not only did I learn a ton, not only did each one of our students get an amazing year of learning under their belts, not only did I build relationships with the amazing teachers I work with each day, not only did I begin to form a bond with my wonderful community and parents...I was also blessed to see 820 amazing, wonderful, brilliant faces come to school and learn together.

In the end - I look at it like this: One great year of learning down...and here is to praying for many more to come!

What Learning Should Look Like

This past week Christie Elementary had our very first Engineer Expo -

Imagine this...Kindergarten all the way through fifth grade spent two weeks tackling interesting challenges all based on one state standard of the teacher’s choosing…The teacher chose the guiding instructional standard, the students created the driving question, and while in collaborative groups the students engineered and presented products that amazed us all. It was a much-needed reminder that authentic student-owned learning is NOT measured by circling the correct letter choice.

In kindergarten they knew their four steps...Together they created marble runs, designed multi-leveled boats to carry passengers across flooding waters, and created a safe place for Humpty Dumpty to land so he wouldn't crack.

First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth - Every grade level, filled with collaborative groups engineering all types of products: Dog Massager, Sink Mechanical Systems, Instruments, Cars and Ramps with Limited Friction, Freezers, and SO MUCH MORE -

One day...two weeks in the making - and it was one amazing learning moment after another. Student after student excitedly shared with community members, teachers, parents, district leaders, and other students the creative things they designed and built together….

Students were collaborators, readers, designers, engineers, re-designers, learners from failure, writers, researchers, innovators, partners, friends, and public speakers to name just a few...what they weren’t? Letter bubblers...Why? Because The Engineer Expo started with one goal in mind...for students to own their learning, and I have never seen more engagement! I can’t think of a single time as a teacher, or administrator, where students were handed a multiple choice test and they cheered excitedly, talked about it at home, spent every waking hour working on it because they just didn’t want to stop, or made mistakes along the way as authentic learning opportunities...but that is exactly what I saw during the engineering process from EVERY student.

At the end of the day the students and teachers were equally tired, yet smiles were everywhere. I couldn’t help but think one thing...Now that is what learning should look like.