[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
Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. - Goethe While I often refer to this quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as one of my favorites, it is also personally convicting. For me, the struggle doesn't necessarily lie in doing things that matter, but in determining … Continue reading The Long Road to What Matters Most
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?
It would be a gross understatement to say that the last month has been a challenging time in our country and our world. We can be grateful if the only impact the virus has had on us is a disruption to our daily routines. So many people have suffered through illness, job loss, and the … Continue reading We Belong to Each Other
The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sails. - William Arthur Ward Yesterday afternoon, I went for a walk. On most weekends, I try to get out to someplace scenic, go for a hike and take a few pictures. I love the adventure in hiking and … Continue reading Adjust Your Sails
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
Years ago I ran across this political cartoon by David Fitzsimmons, published in the Arizona Daily Star. At the time, I remember thinking "This guy gets it." The "it" being public education. I wrote him a quick note and asked for permission to use his work in a blog post. He gave me his blessing … Continue reading The Seating Chart that Shouldn’t Be
This past week I stopped to visit with a colleague who has been absent from work due to a health issue. Our conversation began with college football but eventually drifted to work. "I'm just trying to get caught up," he lamented (as he stared at his computer screen and what I imagined was an overflowing … Continue reading My Plan to Deal With Overwhelm
This week I took a break. I packed up some of my gear and headed into the mountains near Payson, Arizona for a two-night camping trip. October in the mountains in Arizona is true fall weather -- something I don't often experience in Phoenix. It was beautiful, with highs in the low seventies and lows … Continue reading Go Ahead and Take a Break
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.
