Blog Posts

YOU'VE BUILT SHARED LEADERSHIP! NOW WHAT?

3/26/2019

"The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves." --Steven Spielberg

Recent research continues to point out the importance of the principal and his or her impact on the achievement of students. It is the principal, more than anyone else, who is in a position to ensure that excellent teaching and learning are part of every classroom. In fact, leadership is second only to teaching among school-related factors as an influence on learning (Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom, and Anderson, 2010) To date we have not found a single case of a school improving its student achievement record in the absence of talented leadership. (University of Minnesota and Toronto(2010)

Further, researchers have determined how difficult the work of a building principal is and the lack of preparation regarding all of the facets of the job. Developing leadership capacity to improve school conditions is difficult work - few educators have the background and experience to do this important work (Fullan, 2001, 2005; Wayman, Midgley & Stringfield, 2006)

When you first got your position as a principal, it didn’t take you long to realize that you needed to build shared leadership with your school family members to create a collaborative culture, ensure that the mission and vision were moving forward to the aspirations you created, and just plain have some help to manage the day to day management grind of the 4 B’s- buildings, buses, boilers, and books! You have worked hard on building shared leadership, now what?

Think back and reflect for a minute, who was it that saw leadership in you? Who was it that said, “I think you should be a principal!” For me, it was my very first principal Elzie LZ Evans who I worked for in Los Angeles Public Schools at Main St. School. He saw leadership in me and how I was able to learn quickly and motivate and influence others. I remember when he called me into his office and shared with me that he wondered if I was considering going back to school to get administrative certification. He thought I would make a great principal! Joy! Rapture! He planted a seed that remained with me until I realized the dream of becoming a building principal! Who have you invited to explore if the greatest job on earth was right for them?

Robert Marzano cited three elements present in a satisfying career:

The work is challenging and it takes hard work to get better at it.
The work affects others in a positive way.
The workplace gives individuals a degree of autonomy to express their creativity.

I think Marzano describes beautifully the work of a principal! But, how can you help teacher-leaders or potential aspiring principals know if this satisfying career is right for them? Guess what? MEMSPA can help! Barb Elson, former Farmington principal and I are facilitating an Aspiring Principals Workshop on Saturday, April 13 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at the MEMSPA office in Mason!

Have your aspiring principal learners join us for an interactive day-long learning session to develop and inform their thinking and reflect on the influence and impact of the principalship to determine if the journey of becoming a Leading Learner is right for them!

Session outcomes include:

Exploring exemplary research-based leadership practices.
Identifying personal core leadership values, beliefs, and assumptions.
Developing a personal vision of leading and learning.

We hold the workshop on a Saturday so that teachers do not need guest teachers and keep the cost low at $99. Those who attend, besides getting a great day of learning, receive 6 hours of SCHECH’s, some MEMSPA swag, AND membership as an Aspiring Principal of MEMSPA which allows them to get connected and receive the weekly MEMSPA NEWS! This is our first opportunity to help educators explore if the path of the principalship is right for them. We support them during the interview process, assist with their questions regarding their reflection, and assist them in their next steps. You’ve built shared leadership! Now what? Who will you invite to explore the principalship? Who will you give the opportunity to create themselves?

0 Comments

A PRINCIPAL'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE LITERACY ESSENTIALS

3/2/2019

0 Comments

“Learning, without any opportunities to share what we've learned, is a little like cooking for ourselves; we do it, but we probably won't do it as well.” -Mike Schmoker

Mike Schmoker in his book FOCUS(2011 ASCD) clearly outlines three essentials that would radically improve student learning; 1. What We Teach(coherent curriculum) 2. How We Teach(sound lessons) and 3. Authentic Literacy(purposeful reading and writing). He postures that if we focused on these three essential elements with clarity, purpose and simplicity,” then our schools will achieve what previous generations never thought possible.”

The High Impact Leadership(HIL) project that I am involved with has at its core a focus on literacy and the implementation of the Essential Practices in Early and Elementary Literacy or Essential Instructional Practices. The theory of action as part of the GELN collaboration that ensures the minimum standard of care that “Every child develops strong early literacy knowledge, skill, and dispositions” means that teachers have to implement quality practices in every classroom every day and that their instructional skills have to be developed. The Literacy Essential modules found at www.literacyessentials.org provide research supported instructional practices that should be a focus of professional development and learning..

How does a practicing principal use the Literacy Essential modules to his/her advantage to ensure that teachers receive the knowledge, strategies, and skills they need to implement best practice researched literacy strategies in the classroom? As I was reviewing the modules myself and learning about best practice literacy strategies a couple of ideas came to mind:

Be a learner yourself In a recent executive summary prepared by three MSU doctoral students after interviewing elementary principals across our state, 84% of respondents stated that they had NO formal training in literacy and 44% had no elementary teaching experience. If we expect our teachers to learn the modules and implement best practice researched strategies then we have to be learners ourselves. How can we provide feedback about learning we have observed if we don’t know what we are looking for?
Focus on priority growth edges Although some teachers will be completing the modules on their own to receive the SCHECH’s and want to learn, it would be best to determine what the school’s top priority area is and focus on that particular module. Just like in the classroom we don’t want teachers covering material, but ensuring that kids are learning by checking for understanding. Nell Duke at one of the GELN training sessions said it will take 2-3 years of sustained learning, practice, and reflective work to fully implement just one of the literacy essential standards.
Create Professional Learning Networks Learning is a social opportunity and teachers need thinking partners. Pairing teachers as learning partners and/or in small instructional groups is a much better way to ensure that they are understanding the content, reflecting fully on their own practice and supporting each other through their learning.
Create a “learning zone” environment Teachers need to feel “safe” to try new strategies and skills they have learned, take risks and learn from each other without fear of being evaluated or rebuked for their efforts. The goal is progress, not perfection.
Provide opportunities for practice If a skill or strategy is to be learned, then it needs to be replicated and practiced many times. Besides providing opportunities for teachers to visit each other in their classrooms, or have lessons modeled by literacy coaches, professional learning could be focused on lessons that have been videotaped and/or have teachers present learning episodes at staff meetings with other teachers as the students.
Celebrate small wins Focus on changing behaviors instead of mindsets, shift the conversations away from what went wrong to what went right. In any effort to implement new learning, it is imperative that the principal is providing lots of affirmation, recognition, and appreciation. Kouze and Posner call this “encouraging the heart.”

Keith Ferrazzi reminds us that, “You can’t force people to change-you can only help them want to.” As principals, we have to create the readiness for people to change their behaviors. It is our job to motivate and influence our teachers and stakeholders to replace old habits with new ones that will eventually lead to creating a culture focused on high integrity fidelity implementation of literacy at our schools for our children.

0 Comments

ARE YOU LISTENING TO YOUR TEACHERS?

1/25/2019

0 Comments

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”--Stephen Covey

Many research studies tout the importance of teachers being involved in and influencing decisions that are impacting the classroom. A recently published RAND Corporation study on How Much Influence Do Teachers Have in Their Schools? provided some interesting insights and stark differences in the perception of principals versus teachers.

According to nationwide data from the American Educator Panel as part of a RAND Corporation study:

Ninety-six percent of principals surveyed feel that teachers are involved in making important school decisions, while only 58 percent of teachers do.
Almost all principals (98 percent) feel that teachers have a lot of informal opportunity to influence what happens at school — a much higher rate than for teachers (62 percent).
Ninety-seven percent of principals thought their teachers were comfortable voicing concerns, but 31 percent of teachers reported that they are not comfortable voicing concerns in their schools.

Hmmm. What’s going on here? How could our perceptions as principals be so vastly different than our teachers? It may behoove us to look at who we are involving in decisions that are being made, the level of trust we have built to allow teachers to feel “psychologically safe” to provide input, and how intentional we are regarding providing leadership opportunities for teachers. Here are some ideas to consider that may help alleviate the perceptive differences described in the Rand study:

Build relational trust- In order to build a culture where feedback is freely given and accepted and teachers feel safe to voice concerns, principals have to continually build relational trust. This happens on a daily basis when we act in congruence with our values and beliefs and walk the walk and talk the talk. It happens when we are respectful in our attitudes and responses 100% of the time. Principals can model the acceptance of feedback which helps teachers see that it is welcome. A good mid-year check right now is to ask: What does Principal X need to keep doing? What does Principal X need to stop doing? What does Principal X need to start doing? Remember that if you collect feedback, then you have to share with the group what you are going to do about it. Celebrate your keep doings! What will you do about the stop doings? What start doings can be implemented?
Provide opportunities for teachers to voice concerns- Be intentional about providing opportunities for teachers to voice concerns. Ask for feedback and model graciousness in acceptance of it. Follow-up with those voicing concerns by thanking them for their input and asking them to provide potential solutions to their concern.
Be an active listener- Clear your mind when meeting with or talking with your teachers. Do the 4P’s! 1. Presume positive intentions 2. Pause 3. Paraphrase 4. Probe Listen more and ask more clarifying questions. Give the gift of active listening by paraphrasing what the teacher has said to show that you ARE listening and hearing his or her concern or thoughts to share. Review Garmston’s Seven Norms of Collaboration!
Create or clarify collective commitments- Have you intentionally created collective commitments that speak to decision making, voicing concerns, expressing ideas during the meeting and not in the parking lot? Being proactive and agreeing on commitments to the way the adults will act and treat each other are essential. Here are some ideas that you could harvest! Collective Commitments in a Healthy School Culture Where Students Can Learn and Teachers Can Teach
Check on who is making the decisions- Be intentional about the types of decisions you are making and having teachers participate in. Are they all command decisions and you are the only one making them? Are you seeking input from others before making decisions? Who are you seeking input from? Is it a diverse mix or are you going to the same go to people all the time? Do you ask input from all your teachers time to time about decisions that directly affect them so they feel like they are being heard and their point of view is valued? Remember if you delegate a decision to a group- don’t overrule their decision! That would be a huge hit to the trust bank! Here is A Simple Model for Decision Making
Encourage the heart- Instead of looking for fresh trouble on your building check-ins in the morning, make it a gratitude walk! Look for who needs some affirmation and appreciation and share a word of encouragement, a handwritten thank you note, positive voicemail, or post-it in the mailbox! Keep track of who has received encouraging feedback, recognition, affirmation, and appreciation to ensure that you are showing love to each person with equity in the building. Remember, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!

At the December MEMSPA conference, Jimmy Casas reminded us that we have to keep our September energy going all year long. Now is the time to check in with ourselves about how well we have been living out our values, beliefs, expectations, and assumptions and make adjustments to ensure that our own self-assessments match our teachers perceptions!

0 Comments

LEADERSHIP MATTERS: P90X FOR LEADERS!

12/18/2018

0 Comments

At the 93rd MEMSPA Annual Conference, our closing speaker was Jimmy Casas. One of the things he repeatedly said to everyone in the room was that not a principal learned much(my word, not his) at Principal School! I thought to myself that we hear this same mantra from participants who choose to join Leadership Matters, MEMSPA’s premiere Specialty Endorsement Program. What they also say is that Leadership Matters is the best professional learning that they have participated in, ever! Leadership Matters is the program and content that teaches you and supports you in the implementation of the skills, strategies and most important aspects of the principalship that you didn’t learn in Principal School!
Learners join principals from across the State on a learning journey of leadership for eight sessions. The focus is on the themes of intentionality, collaboration, courage and integrity, and coaching. Participants develop a vision for leading and learning, clearly outline their values and beliefs, learn how to give effective feedback and hold difficult conversations, develop a collaborative culture, focus on their own self-care and wellness, just to name a few topics. After each session, learners have a one on one coaching call to support their learning and to assist in solving problems specifically related to the leadership of a school.
Besides earning 90 SCHECH’s for participation and completion of the Leadership Matters course, participants could also apply for the Administrative Specialty Endorsement from MDE. It requires more extensive writing and development of each theme, but many participants have found it to be highly valuable and proudly share their endorsement on their vitae or resume’. No matter, ask anyone who has completed Leadership Matters and they will share one thing- it is a game changer!
If you exercise regularly, you know the importance of consistency, starting where you are, providing knowledge of skills and correct form, ensuring that you follow a program that doesn’t exhaust you, providing nutritious menus to fuel the body, and ensuring that a rest day is a part of your regimen. As leaders, we need to learn the best practice skills and strategies that will help us succeed! We need support, coaching, a clearly outlined program that will ensure our success! You have an opportunity to join a cohort of 24 principals who will be part of Leadership Matters Cohort X! Debbie McFalone and I as your co-facilitators hope you will Bring It! and join Leadership Matters Cohort X! What I am calling P90X for leaders!

0 Comments

PERFECTING A PROMISING PRACTICE @SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION 2.0

11/27/2018

0 Comments

“Information is abundant: It’s common. What’s uncommon, and desperately needed in today’s education systems, is the innovator’s mindset.” -George Couros

My appreciative inquiry hat and focus on the positive has changed my vocabulary terminology from “problem of practice” to a “promising practice!” For the principal, one of the sacred times no matter how much time he or she is given, is the opportunity for professional learning at faculty/staff meetings. The opportunity to perfect the promising practice of ensuring our meetings are motivating, engaging, purposeful, relevant, and inspiring is the focus of this year’s Spotlight on Innovation 2.0 at the 93rd annual MEMSPA conference in December!

Attendees at our December conference can perfect a promising practice at the Spotlight on Innovation 2.0 event held on Thursday, December 6 from 12-3pm in the Exhibit Hall entryway area. The idea is for principals to have an opportunity to learn with and from each other. In one area, scheduled learning opportunities are presented with time set aside to play with the technology and get support from others in how to use it and implement it. In a separate area we will have a STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) lab setup. Jason Gribble will be using Touch Cast and Green Screen technology to demonstrate how to make interesting and engaging video casts either for morning announcements or for a flipped meeting where staff can watch at home!
Two teacher-leaders, one elementary and the other middle school, who use innovative teaching materials directly with students will be on hand to allow principals to check out different innovative learning tools like 3d printers, OSO bot coding, Co-spaces VR Creation platforms, Makey Makey, Strawbees connectors and more! They will be available to answer questions and detail how they use these innovative tools with students in the classroom.
We have gathered some #innovativemindset principals like Jason Gribble, Mike Domagalski, Ben Gilpin, Allyson Apsey, Jon Wennstrom, Andy Fuehr, and Jeremy Zonts as presenters for our sessions. Here is the schedule:
12:00 PM-3 PM   Green Screens and Touch Cast-Jason Gribble
Jason will teach you how easy it is to create your own morning announcements or flipped meeting video casts using a green screen and cool Touchcast technology!
STEAM Makerspace-Nick Travis and Amy Farkas
Come play and learn about cool and innovative technology tools that focus on STEM and STEAM technology! Find out what Ozobots, Strawbees, Makey Makey, Bloxels builders are and how they can stretch your kids inner innovative and creative mindsets!

12:30 PM-1:15 PM   Low Tech Innovation-Ben Gilpin
Sharing strategies to increase participation during meetings (Fishbowl, Speed-Dating,Field Trip Meeting, Rising Tide, Huddles)
Twitter Challenge-Mike Domagalski
Intro and Pointers, then Twitter Challenge to use for Staff Meetings - Innovative Interactions in Collaboration

1:15 PM-2:00 PM   Flipgrid-Andy Fuehr
Flipgrid is a free tool that can help educators share knowledge, curate information, and amplify student voice.   Attendees will learn the basics and feel confident to begin their Flipgrid journey.
Goosechase-Jeremy Zonts
Scavenger hunts for the masses. Bold, crazy and highly addictive. Incredibly easy to use with all the power you could ever want!

2:00 PM-2:45 PM   Inspiring and Motivating Tips!-Allyson Appsey and Jonathon Wennstrom
Sharing ways to help inspire and motivate students and staff! They will discuss fun activities that leaders can implement in their schools and reignite the love of learning for kids and adults!

You will also get a ticket just for attending and a chance to win some cool prizes. Fill out your ticket, take it to the MEMSPA booth in the Exhibit Hall and enter your chance to win! Winners will need to be present in the Exhibit Hall to win. Drawing usually occurs around the 3pm time!

The most effective way that principals can promote an innovative mindset is to develop professional learning networks and be knowledgeable and effective users of technology both high tech and low tech. Spotlight on Innovation 2.0, taking place on Thursday, December 6 from 12-3PM at the entry to the Exhibit Hall, is the place for principals to develop their own learning networks, and develop a promising practice.

0 Comments

LEADERSHIP MATTERS IS A GAME CHANGER!

10/30/2018

0 Comments

“Leadership Matters is the most meaningful professional development I have experienced in 21 years of education. I am walking away with a toolkit full of strategies, a new sense of confidence in my leadership and connections that I know will be with me throughout my leadership journey.” -LM Cohort 9 participant

YOU are the CLO-Chief Learning Officer of your school, but you also must be the LL: the Lead Learner! With a growth mindset, the principal as learner and collaborator ensures robust and continuous learning for all. Rick Dufour has said, “Schools need leadership from principals who focus on advancing student and staff learning.” A 2009 study from the Wellington Ministry of Education titled School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why concluded that the leadership activity that has the greatest impact on student learning is the promotion and participation in teacher learning. In fact, the effect size was .84, nearly double the .42 effect size of teacher evaluation and goal setting!

You get it! You ensure that you participate in teacher learning and find the resources to ensure that your teachers have relevant professional learning that match school goals for ensuring student achievement. Have you thought much about your own learning? Truth nine from Kouze and Posner’s book The Truth About Leadership is that “The Best Leaders are the Best Learners!”   Why not consider joining Cohort Ten of Leadership Matters? Here are five reasons why!

1.        Learning!   The days of the principalship focused on being just a manager are long gone. No longer is the work just about the 4 B’s-buildings, boilers,
books, and buses, but about building the learning and leading capacity, the motivation and influence of others as leading learners. The themes of Leadership Matters focus on courage and integrity, building a collaborative culture, intentionality, and reflection.   Learn the essential skills and strategies that a leading learner needs, to provide the right amount of accountability and support.
2.        Networking!   As a cohort group, you will learn with and from each other. A group of elementary, middle level, and high school administrators, teacher leaders, and aspiring administrators who hail from rural, suburban, and urban districts. This diversity allows for a cross-culture of different perspectives, ideas, and support that is varied and enhances the learning experience.
3.        Coaching! I call this a monthly gift! The job of a principal is lonely and there
is not always someone available who you trust to provide perspective, support and assist you in thinking through problems and brainstorming solutions. The program provides a one-hour coaching call each month with one of the learning facilitators.
4.        Resources! The books and articles used in the program are relevant to the
work! Learn essential protocols that you can apply to your work immediately. The facilitation methods during the learning episodes are engaging and can be used back at your school with your own staff.
5.        Caring! You are the number one cheerleader for your school and your
teachers and staff. It is time to do something for you! As a leader, it is imperative that you model the importance of learning and staying current! Registration for Leadership Matters includes attendance at MEMSPA’s Summer Leadership Institute next August on Mackinac Island at the Mission Point Resort!

Here are a few quotes of affirmation from your colleagues who participated in Leadership Matters, Cohort 9!

“In my 21 years of education and 13 years of administration, Leadership Matters has been the most useful professional development.”

“The Leadership Matters experience allowed me to add to my educator toolbox in a meaningful way. Guaranteed you’ll be a better administrator for those you serve through learning at Leadership Matters.”

“If you are a school administrator and you want to learn new ways to make an impact on your students and staff then you need to attend Leadership Matters. This experience is life changing! You will learn and share new ideas with colleagues from around Michigan. You will receive resources and ideas that you can implement on Monday after a weekend session!”

“This was amazing learning especially for a principal that was experiencing first-year leadership at the elementary level. The learning network that has been developed is priceless.”

"Learning from Derek and Debbie is always an experience and an honor. I firmly believe there is no better professional development opportunity that exists for educational leaders than Leadership Matters!"

Won’t you consider joining Debbie McFalone and me and become a member of cohort ten of Leadership Matters? Registration costs can be paid for with Title 2 Professional Learning dollars; school district funds and a reasonable monthly payment plan can be accessed as well. Principal’s need support! The work is more difficult than ever! Supporting learning is essential! Why not join the over 200 principals who have changed their game as Leadership Matters alumni? Become a part of Leadership Matters Cohort Ten! Click the link to register! Leadership Matters Registration

0 Comments

CAUTION: CHILDREN AT PLAY!

10/1/2018

0 Comments

“It is a happy talent to know how to play” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This September after Labor Day while you all were teaching procedures, practicing them with your kids, and doing the exhausting work of starting a school year right, I admit that I was on the first “fall-cation” I have ever had in my lifetime. My wife Dawn who is an educator decided to “rewire” last Spring, so we planned an RV “glamping” adventure hitting as many of the Michigan State Parks traveling the perimeter of our Great Lake State!

We had beautiful weather and had an incredible time of course, but I am writing to you about what I observed as I watched children and their parents at campgrounds. Was I impressed! Kids were playing! Not just biking and hiking, but creatively playing games they made up together, investigating nature and getting up close and personal to the best Mother Nature has to offer. The best thing was, I never saw a kid with a technology device!

I also observed involved, attentive parents and I had my eyes and ears open and on dads. I saw so many dads spending quality time with their little ones. Taking them down to the water, checking out the stars at night, just walking and talking hand and hand. Okay, I admit, I just walked my daughter down the aisle a year ago and I probably was a little nostalgic. But, I did go up to one dad that I observed and complimented him on the time he was spending with his daughter talking to her, observing things and just listening. I told him to stay present and enjoy every second as the time goes by so fast, as you all know!

A recent Los Angeles Times article by Melissa Healy captured the dilemma we face for not carving out time for kids to play. Most recent statistics show that children are spending over 2 ½ hours each day on a technology type device. Increased academic pressures have left over 30% of kindergartens without any recess. In 2013, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement on the “crucial role of recess in schools.” A consortium of educators, health professionals and early childhood advocates in a report titled “Crisis in the Kindergarten” called the loss of play for young ones, “a tragedy, both for the children themselves and for our nation and world.” A 2009 report from the Alliance for Childhood said, “Young kids in play-based kindergartens end up equally good or better at reading and other intellectual skills, and they are more likely to become well-adjusted healthy people.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics report declares that play is critical to children’s health and mental development. Harvard Medical School pediatrician, Dr. Michael Yogman states, “Whether it’s rough and tumble physical play, outdoor play or social or pretend play, kids derive important lessons from the chance to make things up as they go.” The pediatric report states that, “Play is not frivolous, it nurtures children’s ingenuity, cooperation and problem solving skills. Collaboration, negotiation, conflict resolution, self-advocacy, decision-making, a sense of agency, creativity, leadership, and increased physical activity are just some of the skills and benefits children gain through play.” Aren’t these the character traits and skills we are trying to nurture in our children for the future as they become career and college ready in the 21st century?

The academy goes on to say that when parents engage in play with their children, it deepens relationships and builds a bulwark against the toxic effects of all kinds of stress, including poverty. The decline of play is a special hazard for the roughly 1 in 5 children in the United States who live in poverty. These 14 million children need to develop the resilience that is nurtured with play. Instead, Harvard pediatrician, Yogman said, “they are disproportionately affected by some of the trends that are making play scarce, academic pressures at schools that need to improve test scores, outside play areas that are limited or unsafe, and parents who lack the time or energy to share in playtime.”

In large cities across the country, a program called Learning Landscapes has helped transform urban areas into active playscapes for children at places they frequent. At a bus stop in Philadelphia, on sidewalks in San Francisco, and in neighborhoods of Chicago, the initiative led by Temple University psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek has installed giant movable blocks, lifesize human board games, and lights that invite a spontaneous game of hopscotch.

Need some more evidence about the importance of recess and play? Here are some bullet points gleaned from a Washington Post source that list some benefits children can gain from spending playtime outdoors:

Better school performance. Time spent in nature and increased fitness improve cognitive function.
More creativity. Outdoor play uses and nurtures the imagination.
Much higher levels of fitness. Kids are more active when they are outdoors.
More friends. Children who organize their own games and participate in unstructured group activities are less solitary and learn to interact with their peers.
Less depression and hyperactivity. Time in nature is soothing, improves mood and reduces stress. It can also increase kids’ attention span, because things move at a slower pace than they do on the screen.
Stronger bones. Exposure to natural light helps prevent vitamin D deficiency, making outdoorsy children less vulnerable to bone problems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other health issues.
Improved eyesight. Time spent outdoors can help combat increasing diagnoses of nearsightedness.
Better sleep. Exposure to natural light, and lots of physical activity, help reset a child’s natural sleep rhythms.
A longer life span and healthier adult life. Active kids are more likely to grow into active adults.

This summer at the NAESP National Principals Conference, Daniel Pink shared from his book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing information about how we underestimate the power of breaks.   We as humans perform better after taking a break. One research study found that judges are more lenient on sentencing after taking a break. He told the principals in the room about the importance of recess and especially about taking breaks before any kind of test-taking activity! Here are his five tips about breaks:

1.    Something beats nothing.
2.    Moving beats stationary.
3.    Social beats solo.
4.   Outside beats inside.
5.   Fully detached beats semi-detached.

We are advocates for the children in our care. How are you ensuring that the children in your care are creatively nurturing their ability to grow and learn through play?

0 Comments

Duck, Duck, GooseChase!

8/30/2018

0 Comments

“Go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” --Jimmy Carter

Cool title, eh? I harvested it from my principal friends Scott Panozzo and Jeremy Zonts who rocked the house at the MEMSPA Summer Institute’s Spotlight on Innovation 1.5! Their session on sharing the GooseChase Scavenger Hunt app had principals singing, dancing, leapfrogging, and collaboratively having some fun together as they fulfilled missions for points! I imagine there will be many school faculty and staff groups that will be trying out a GooseChase for the first time this fall!

If you haven’t participated in a GooseChase, the concept is simple. You create missions or use the mission bank to put teams to work fulfilling them for points. They can include photo/video, text, or GPS locational items. Teams can be formed in advance or chosen randomly and are sent out for a specified period of time to fulfill as many missions that they can accomplish. Each video capture is about 30 seconds and participants access the game via the GooseChase app in order to submit responses. Meanwhile, the facilitator can view and organize all submissions on the GooseChase web version on their laptop. Sharing the submissions and watching people laughing and having fun while learning is half the fun! These can be downloaded and shared by the way if you choose!

At Jeremy and Scott’s session I was not on a team participating, but was one of the “missions” to be accomplished! Dancing with Derek! As I watched principals work and learn together having fun, I soon realized the power of this tool and the innovative way it could transform learning in an engaging and collaborative fashion. I thought to myself how I might use it in my own work.

So I took a risk! Went out on a limb and created a GooseChase for the Greenville Public Schools administrative team that I work with! Their session was focused on district culture, so as a grand finale I had them write an acrostic poem describing the district culture, create a cheer about their culture, draw an emoji that described their culture, use their body in someway to spell culture, sing a song that depicts their culture, and see who could read the mission and vision of their district the fastest!
I learned a few things. First, it is easy to create your own missions, add images, create team names, etc. With a little bit of messing around, you can figure out on your own how to create missions and teams, set passwords, and start a game. I do suggest that you test out a game all the way to the end to see what the user sees if you have not ever participated. Be explicit in your teaching on how participants need to use the GooseChase app to download their photos, videos and text missions and access to passwords, and finding your game. You can access a description of how to play a GooseChase game here: Goosechase Onboarding

Some people may say that using innovative apps such as GooseChase are a passing fad. That may be, but I like to think of it as an opportunity to embed learning in a fun and engaging way while capturing information about the way people work and learn together. It is not the innovative app per se, but how you use it, deploy it, and what your purpose is. As a facilitator of learning, our modeling of taking a risk, trying out something new, and failing forward sets the stage for our learners(our teachers and students) that it is okay to as Jimmy Carter says, “Go out on a limb, because that is where the fruit is!”

0 Comments

YES, THERE REALLY IS A KALAMAZOO!

6/19/2018

1 Comment

The MEMSPA Summer Leadership Institute, “Literacy Integration: ‘Setting Our Compass for Success” is coming to my hometown of Kalamazoo this summer! You need to come for the learning and to come and find out that Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo! This Summer Leadership Institute has sessions that offer content matched to the needs of our MEMSPA leaders and teams! The Institute is an in-depth and practical learning opportunity for practicing and aspiring principals as well as teacher leaders. School leaders will leave with the knowledge and confidence to implement key concepts and new skills.

The MEMSPA Summer Institute is a dynamic opportunity to jumpstart your learning, networking, and planning for the new school year. Yes, I know, the last thing you want to think about right now, eh? But, you’re a planner, so get the dates on your calendar and get registered! Tuesday, July 31-Wednesday, August 1 at the Kalamazoo Radisson. Register here if you haven’t done so already! MEMSPA Summer Leadership Institute

Do you know an early career principal? Someone on the job for 1-3 years, or perhaps a brand new principal just hired? Then, send them on Monday, July 30 from 12-8pm for the Early Career Principal’s Workshop that Debbie McFalone and I facilitate. Our goal is to provide information to help new and beginning principals start strong and set the stage for a positive and productive year of leadership. Set Up For Success Pre Conference for Early Career Leaders

If you are bringing your family, there is a lot to do in Kalamazoo! We have many free opportunities for families and great eats! Save this Google Doc I created that lists great places to eat and fun family activities to participate in while you attend the MEMSPA Summer Institute at the Kalamazoo Radisson! YES! There Really Is A Kalamazoo!

1 Comment

What about the father?

4/24/2018

1 Comment

“Nobody appreciates daddy . . . Nobody ever says, “Hey, Daddy, thanks for knocking out this rent!” “Hey, Daddy, I sure love this hot water!” “Hey, Daddy, it’s easy to read with all this light!” Chris Rock, comedian

When my sister’s son was born, before I had kids of my own, I couldn’t contain my excitement and enthusiasm for visiting her and holding this precious bundle that I got to call nephew! My self-centered, egocentric brother-in-law was a bit miffed and couldn’t stand that everyone in the family was putting all the attention on the mom and the baby and loudly proclaimed: “What about the FATHER?”

At the time of course, we could have cared less about him, but despite his egotism, I have to admit that he was definitely right about something. A boy needs his father!

Whenever I had a long-term emotionally challenged situation with a young boy at school as a principal, 9 times out of 10 the father was absent or not involved. More and more it is becoming crystal clear, that boys not just in the United States, but in all countries are struggling with identity, a sense of purpose, and the skills to succeed in school and in life.

Warren Farrell, PhD, author of the book The Boy Crisis, Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It shares a blueprint for parents, teachers, and policymakers for what we can do to help our boys become happier, healthier men and fathers and leaders worthy of respect.

What Is The Boy Crisis?

It’s an education crisis. Worldwide, boys are 50 percent less likely than girls to meet basic proficiency in reading, math, and science.
It’s a mental health crisis. ADHD is on the rise. And as boys become young men, their suicide rates go from equal to girls to six times that of young women.
It’s a fathering crisis. Boys are growing up with less-involved fathers and are more likely to drop out of school, drink, do drugs, become delinquent, and end up in prison.
It’s a purpose crisis. Boys’ old sense of purpose--being a warrior, a leader, or a sole breadwinner--is fading. Many bright boys are experiencing a “purpose void, feeling alienated, withdrawn, and addicted to immediate gratification.

Farrell and his co-author John Gray lay out clear researched information about why our boy’s are in crisis and what we need to do about it. Consider that dad’s to be are twice as likely to prefer a daughter to a son. Today, young men between twenty-five and thirty-one are 66 percent more likely than their female counterparts to be living at home with their parents. In one generation, young men have gone from 61 percent of college degree recipients to a projected 39 percent; young women, from 39 percent to a projected 61 percent. This boy crisis affects our girls as well, as Farrell points out whenever only one sex wins, both sexes lose.

Farrell describes how less educated boys in the unemployment line creates the drop-out, left-out cycle.

The Drop-Out, Left-Out Cycle

In neighborhoods where marriage is scarce, fathers are scarce, and more than half of boys don’t finish high school. The boy drops out.
The less education a young man has, the more likely he is to be unemployed or underemployed. He’s left out of the workplace.
Women who desire children think of an uneducated young man as undesirable, and an unemployed man as “another child”--hardly marriage material. He’s left out of marriage and fathering.
Some of the women with whom he nonetheless has sex with become pregnant and raise children without him thus, we’re back to step one, the left-out dad and the drop-out son.

As our economy and jobs flips from muscle to mental, jobs require knowledge of the “internet of things.” Knowledge of coding, programming, physics and chemistry will be essential knowledge in the robotic and artificial intelligence job world. Boys need to have their mind developed in boy-friendly ways. The education boy crisis is real. Consider these facts:

Nationwide, girls make up 70 percent of valedictorians, while boys get 70 percent of D’s and F’s.
Boy’s IQ’s have dropped about 15 points since the 1980’s.

In the United States, by eighth grade, 41 percent of girls are at least “proficient” in writing, while only 20 percent of boys are.
Boys scored lower than girls in the sixty-three largest developed nations in which the PISA, a set of international standardized tests, was given.
Worldwide, boys are 50 percent more likely than girls to fail to meet basic proficiency in any of the three core subjects of reading, math, and science.

How Can Schools Help?

Create purpose and a concrete goal for a non academically inclined boy to use his mind. With a concrete goal to become a welder, comes motivation to study the necessary physics and chemistry necessary to become the well paid worker.
Increase vocational education.
Teach emphatic skills- communication skills and empathy training are essential to help boys make the transition from hero intelligence of the past to the emotional intelligence needed for our boys future.
Take notice that the boy crisis is real and is happening not only in the United States, but worldwide. Implement action plans to address it.

What about the father? For too long, we have ignored clear signs of distress with changes in our culture and the impact on the lives, health and happiness of our boys. We must take action to rectify the situation. Our future depends on it.

1 Comment

<<Previous

Forward>>

YOU'VE BUILT SHARED LEADERSHIP! NOW WHAT?

A PRINCIPAL'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE LITERACY ESSENTIALS

ARE YOU LISTENING TO YOUR TEACHERS?

LEADERSHIP MATTERS: P90X FOR LEADERS!

PERFECTING A PROMISING PRACTICE @SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION 2.0

LEADERSHIP MATTERS IS A GAME CHANGER!

CAUTION: CHILDREN AT PLAY!

Duck, Duck, GooseChase!

YES, THERE REALLY IS A KALAMAZOO!

What about the father?

Archives

Categories