[Note: the thoughts and ideas in this blog post are my own and are not intended -- in any way -- to represent my employer. This post represents my thoughts as an individual and I do not have any personal insight into what July will bring -- yes, our students return to school in July] … Continue reading Thoughts on a New School Year, Part 2
[Note: the thoughts and ideas in this blog post are my own and are not intended -- in any way -- to be representative of my employer.] As an educator, the past few months have been challenging, but certainly manageable. The adjustment to distance learning has not been easy -- I miss being around the … Continue reading Moving Forward: Thoughts on a New School Year
This week I delivered a number of Chromebooks and WiFi hotspots to students in our school community. I was surprised by the mixed emotions I felt as I stopped at trailers, houses, and apartments to drop-off the devices. It was great to see my students and register their excitement at the prospect of being able … Continue reading What Will Next School Year Look Like?
I have student behavior on my mind. The search for solutions is keeping me up at night (or waking me early in the morning). I have this vision of what success should look like, but I am struggling to find the pathway to that vision. I have this notion that a school does not necessarily … Continue reading 5 Thoughts and 5 Questions: Behavior and Discipline
I am exhausted. I've spent the last week and a half trying to "catch-up" and put myself in a position where I feel like I am able to return to school after fall break and avoid feeling overwhelmed. I'm not caught up, but I'm not buried either. So how did I get myself into this … Continue reading Reading. Riting. Rithmetic.
A long time ago, I worked in the correspondence department of a mutual fund transfer company in Kansas City. It was a satisfying job. Each day I would boot up my computer and a list of projects (letters to write) would pop into my queue. One letter at a time, I would work my way … Continue reading You are More Than Your Profession
Whew. Today I can breathe. Fall break has arrived. I just finished the first quarter of my eleventh year at my current school and my ninth year as the principal. It doesn't seem possible. Truth be told, there always seem to be new challenges and in many ways, the job has become more difficult (maybe … Continue reading Tubas and Teaching
Over an education career that has spanned twenty years, I have had the good fortune to work, and learn, from many exceptional educators. Currently, I am blessed to be the principal at a school with amazing and dedicated teachers -- people who really care about our kids. There is no shortage of advice about skills … Continue reading 10 Things Great Teachers Do
Coming to school each day can become a hopeless task for some children unless they succeed at what they do. We teachers are the sentries against that hopelessness. — Robert DeBruyn As educators, we all bring our own memories and school experiences to our work and into our classrooms. Undoubtedly, those experiences are a wide variation of … Continue reading Sentries Against Hopelessness
One of the great things about working at a junior high school is that kids are generally pretty happy people -- and happiness is contagious. I find that when I am feeling stressed, or overwhelmed, a short walk across campus is often the cure. On these walks, I am typically greeted with a chorus of … Continue reading Kindness: We Can Do Better
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