Chronicles of a fatally flawed human's efforts to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly in our world.
July 22, 2018 To the Exceptional Staff at Willis Junior High School, We are embarking on what I believe is the most important week of the school year. As I write this letter, our campus is quiet and empty, but on Monday morning it will be abuzz with activity as our students return for the … Continue reading A Letter to My Staff
I spent Saturday morning at school painting classrooms. Lately, I have been a bit discouraged about the physical appearance of our facilities and the unspoken message that dingy walls, stained carpet, institutional like classrooms, and dated buildings send to our students and parents. Over time, things wear out, students spill things, ink pens break, and … Continue reading Fresh Paint: A Resilience Metaphor
We have several dogs. One is a West Highland Terrier (a Westie) named Kosmo. Kosmo has a personality that matches his name -- he is mischievous, full of energy, quirky, and strong-willed. One of my favorite things to do is take Kosmo to the local dog park where he is free to run wild and … Continue reading Slow Down to be Fulfilled, Focused, and Purposeful
About a week ago, on a hot afternoon in Arizona, I stopped at a convenience store near work for a bottle of water and a soda. As I was walking in, I noticed a young lady leaning against one of the store's cinder block columns. There was something vaguely familiar about her. I searched my … Continue reading Eyes Wide Open
I used to have 20/20 vision. I could see perfectly, except for the fact that I have a bit of red-green color blindness which -- at worst -- led to me wearing blue instead of my preferred purple ties. But, time... And age... Now, I am unable to read anything without the aid of a … Continue reading Our Lenses Matter…
This post is Part III of The Redefined Principal Project. I am hoping this post will go viral. Not because it contains any great ideas, but because I need the input of a diverse group of educators -- teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff. Have you witnessed unique leadership ideas or actions that have been … Continue reading Unorthodox (but purposeful) Principal Strategies?
Disclaimer: as with all posts on my blog, the views expressed in this post represent my personal opinion and are not intended to be associated with my employer. This was posted with my daughter's permission. My daughter is an immigrant. Perhaps not in the "legal" sense, but by Google's definition she would qualify. She was born … Continue reading Have We Forgotten that We Belong to One Another?
