Graduation Speech - 2015 - Union Middle School by Todd Feinberg

Below is my graduation speech for the Union Middle School class of 2015. This speech was different from my previous two graduation speeches in that I struggled to find the right words that I wanted to say to this class. It was actually at their Promotion Party a week prior where I sequestered myself in my office for a total of 90 minutes and just started typing. By 11 pm, long after I'd sent home our 8th grade students with their parents after three hours of candy, dancing, and Foosball, the graduation speech was 99% complete. My wife, as a middle school counselor herself, provided a few key additional lines and it was done.

During the dozens of times I practiced this speech, I only once choked up. It was during the last segment of the speech during the story time. At the promotion ceremony, in front of a crowd of students, parents, staff, and community members, I felt my throat closing at multiple points. At the mention of our families fertility struggles. At the story of the student and his journey. And at the end. This has been such an interesting class of students. There is so much potential within them. I'm hopeful they continue to make us proud.


Thank you parents for your support over the past three years.

Thank you staff for your continued dedication to our students.

And thank you students for just being you.


Here is the graduation speech. Enjoy.
-Todd


------------------------------
Good evening everyone once more to our 8th grade promotion ceremony. My name is Todd Feinberg, and I have been privileged to have been the principal of Union Middle School for the past three years. And what a three years it has been.

Look at these 297 eighth graders bound for the foreign land we call high school. It is a talented, kind, considerate, and sometimes forgetful group of former mischievous little 6th graders that we as a community have molded into the young adults who sit before us all. It is a challenging group to speak to. They are diverse. They are unique. And they are quite special to all of us.

Students… I struggled in writing this speech. It’s true… I couldn’t find the words I wanted to share each of you during these last few moments. After all, in less than thirty three minutes, you will have officially promoted from Union Middle and be 9 short weeks from starting all over again, this time as freshmen in high school. We don’t have that much time together and there is a lot I want to say. And so I would like to share the words I wish my own middle school principal had said to me during my own middle school promotion ceremony when I was 14 and thought like many of you, that I already knew everything I needed to know.

I think my middle school principal would have encouraged me to try everything. Yes, I mean everything. Try everything in sports. Try everything in school. Try every educational, extracurricular, or athletic opportunity I could. We adults want you to be safe but we also want you to explore. We do. Sometimes, it just scares us what you will find, but that’s doesn’t mean we don’t want you to keep looking.

It is incredibly important to take risks in your life. It’s also quite smart to have a safety net of support just in case something goes wrong. If you try and fail, I’m proud of you. If you just fail without trying, you’ve wasted an opportunity to learn where the world is your classroom. As Dave Elkind, a professor at Tufts University, once said “We learn through experience and we learn through bad experiences. Through failure, we learn how to cope.”

And parents… yes, time to talk to the parents about your role here. You need to show your students that it is okay to take risks and it is okay to fail. It is not about perfection; if anything, we parents need to model our own imperfections so our students know that it is okay to try and not reach our goals on the first, second, third or even the millionth attempt. Try to discuss your own personal failures with your children. Let your children know that you have failed and that they too will fail. Let them know that this is okay.

On a personal note, my wife and I tried to have children for the last 8 years. That’s eight years of doctor visits, eight years of start-stops, and eight years of tons of talk about giving up. Ten days ago, she delivered twin boys. This moment doesn’t happen without the previous eight years of struggles and the previous eight years of failures.

I also hope my middle school principal would have shared how to be a successful person in life and how to find “The Happy.”

I believe they would have encouraged me, like I am advising each of you, to be nicer. To our teachers. To our parents. To everyone. And most importantly, to ourselves.

Students… you are good enough just how you are right now. None of you need to be taller, faster, skinnier, or bigger. You are all exactly how you should be. I cannot stress enough the importance of self acceptance and self compassion. We are not defined by our successes nor our failures. Nobody is perfect, so please don’t compare yourselves to others. From the outside, the student sitting across the room from you in Mrs. Jorgens’ 8th grade Language Arts classroom may look like everything is great but don’t be fooled. Everyone has their own personal struggles. Some just may hide their worries better than others. I would like to encourage all of you to be honest and to support one another. Remember: nobody is perfect.

My former principal would have shared with me that everything from here on out will be a blur but that doesn't mean you have to spend your time taking pictures of these moments on a cell phone. Sometimes, your memory of the event is significantly more precious than one of the Instagram pictures you post for your six thousand followers. Just enjoy these days. Be in the moment. Help others have their moment.

My former principal would have encouraged me to laugh often and surround myself with people who lift my spirits and make me feel good about who I am. While you can never have too many friends, please make sure you have the right ones walking alongside you during your challenging days. And don’t forget these words from Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

And I hope my former middle school principal would have shared a story. I do like stories.

And in this story I’m about to share, many of you may know the names of the key individuals. Please know that the names aren’t necessarily important and the message I hope you take away could involve any one of us.

About 16 months ago, an athletic 7th grader began to struggle. Things got worse…. things got very very scary for everyone… but eventually things got better. Along the troubling times, a Union Middle 7th grade science teacher went to the student’s house to work together on assigned classwork. Our school counselor met with the parents to help assist with their student’s transition back to Union Middle. His team of teachers made a commitment to give him whatever he and his family needed to be successful during his 8th grade school year. Our school community rallied around the family, providing support, a listening ear, and an occasional visit from Sharkie.

The story now fast forwards to a week prior to the annual spirit game. A UMS basketball coach meets with the student and convinces him to join the 8th grade conference champion UMS basketball team for the spirit game. The morning of the game, the student is vomiting, almost too weak to stand. The night of the game, with Union Middle leading Dartmouth late in the 4th quarter, two UMS coaches, with full support from the UMS athletic director, call a timeout and create a play to get this student the ball, knowing that he would be fouled. Play resumes, the ball is in-bounded, the student gets fouled and he goes to the line to shoot two free throws.

And the story could stop here. It doesn’t need to have a happy ending. Not every story does. Everything that has happened over the past fourteen months during this student’s journey is noteworthy and remarkable. The amount of support for this student from his classmates. The staff who reassured the family that they’d assist the student every step of the way. To the UMS boys basketball team who not only welcomed this student on to their team but were perhaps the most excited and loudest support group for him in the gym on this night. It’s already an amazing story.

But this story doesn’t stop here… because we still have two free throws.

In life, you will have free throws. You will be expected to perform and do something where you won’t have the strength to make it happen. You’ll try and you may fail. This was the first free throw on this night. It air-balled left. Everyone’s excitement for a special moment quickly turned to fear for what could have been a memory of embarrassment for this student.

And that’s when I looked out at the free throw line and saw the student. A student who like many of you had struggled at some point during your middle school years. I looked at this student and expected to see someone ready to crumble. I expected to see someone ready to quit. I didn’t see any of this. Instead, it’s about what I heard. I heard laughter.

This student, in front of hundreds of friends, students, parents, and community members, had the biggest smile on his face and just seemed content. The moment for him wasn’t necessarily about making the free throw; it seemed to be about everyone who managed to help him get to this moment. Every classmate. Every teacher. His parents. The community. Each and every one of you. He just laughed, happy to have the opportunity to shoot a free throw.

I hope all of you have the chance to take your free throws one day. Don’t shy away from these opportunities. And even if you miss your first free throw, you just never know what can happen on your second shot. As we’ve seen, the ball may just bounce your way when you try again.

So don’t give up. Don’t let each other give up. Just don’t ever give up.

2015 graduates. Thank you for being a part of my life over the past three years and thank you for being a part of each other’s journey. You have each brought something very unique and special to Union Middle School. You will be missed but we are quite excited to see where you lead us next. We’ll be watching, ready to support you along the way. Congratulations, Class of 2015.

Reflecting on my #PLN by Anne Schaefer-Salinas

People reflect and write a lot about how much they love their #PLN.   You can set up an IFTTT recipe to thank new followers on Twitter, the hashtag #FF is a popular tag on Fridays to recognize people you respect and want to acknowledge publicly for great contributions to your learning, and Twitter provides analytics that allow you to review and track reach and followers.  All of this is great.  And I know many people who are as data-driven in their personal lives as they are professionally.  In this day of social media, if you want to grow in any field, you have to put yourself "out there".  I understand that, and honestly, I work at it in spurts.  There are many a night when you can find me marveling at the Google analytics for my blog.  Hey, who doesn't like to see a new country pop up on your map of readership?

But reach and data are not what I want to write about.  For me, my #PLN has become something much more personal than Twitter feeds, G+ community members or LinkedIn connections.  Over the past 18 months, my #PLN has become my greatest team of advocates and supporters, the ones who push me the hardest, the ones who celebrate my successes with me,  the ones who point out my mistakes, the ones who collaborate with me.  Yes, there are folks at my school site who fill many of these roles too, no doubt.  But my core #PLN colleagues and friends have really ingrained themselves into my daily habits and endeared themselves to me as much more than Twitter handles and avatars-real or not. 

It was as I worked on my 1st year CPSEL summary for clearing my Tier II  this week that it truly hit me just how valuable this group has been in my formation and advancement.  In logging my progress, I reflected on how instrumental my #PLN had been in much of what I accomplished.  Here is just a partial list of what is in that summary:

• I not only attended conferences (11 this year--up from 6 last year), but I also presented at 8 of them 
• I helped to organize an Ed Camp 
• I have been inspired to push more of our faculty to think outside the box
• I was able to get an Innovation Lab approved and built in under a year
• I write this blog
• I actively solicit feedback on my performance from the teachers at my school site
• I am learning how to have difficult conversations
• I visited other schools to see what they are doing and get information and ideas to bring back
• I have encouraged our teachers to attend conferences and workshops (totaling over 1,000 hours this year of outside PD, not counting what they are doing this summer!) 
• I use Voxer and Twitter to get real feedback, engage in meaningful conversations, problem solve, dream, and find inspiration on a daily basis  

If it wasn't for my #PLN, I would be struggling as a second-year administrator to find support and solutions.  Essentially, I would not be effective. 

In the past year we have made a lot of meaningful change at our school.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• A parent commented to me that on a scale of 1-10, our school is definitely a 10 in the arena of innovation.  I was shocked by this feedback.  I would put us at a 7-8.  For her to say she views us as a "10" was amazing, inspiring, and gratifying!  
• I was able to introduce Design Thinking and Project Based Learning to our faculty (primarily through my Twitter connections)
• At some recent PD, our faculty led and shared for much of the time and I was so proud!  To see other teachers stand in front of their peers and share their enthusiasm for a process or an app or a site was amazing.  And many of these individuals wouldn't have dreamed of doing so just a year ago.  
• We have an amazing teacher on our staff who is one of the five finalists for the Comcast Bay Area All Star Teacher Award (we find out July 8 who won). Her ability to be selected is completely because she is a rock-star teacher.  But honestly, if it wasn't for my #PLN, I wouldn't have been able to write her nomination because I would have had no idea of just how amazing she really is in comparison to many teachers out there.

This summer will be spent planning for next year.  We have much to do and many new initiatives from this year need to continue, so support and follow-up need to be firmly put in place.  But I look forward to this planning work because in looking back on this year, I see so much growth at our school site.  It excites me to think of how much further we can go next year as we build on this year's successes and learn from this year's flops.  

And I know that my #PLN will be there every step of the way, questioning, sharing, guiding, pushing and cheering.  

I don't want you to see this post as "oh, look how great I am", because I have made LOTS of mistakes--this is a post from the fall that highlights a few of my mistakes, and believe me, I have made MANY more since then.  Rather, I hope that you will see the benefits of creating your own #PLN, the benefits of putting yourself out there just a little bit more--or perhaps this blog post can be used to encourage one of your colleagues to get a little more connected.  Regardless of your interpretation, I am proud of the fact that our school site is better because I--and many of our faculty--are connected.  And I am not only proud, but extremely confident in knowing that we (the faculty and our collective #PLNs) are working together to ensure our students can have the best possible learning experiences at our school.

Heart upon sleeve by Rebecca Davis

In a variety of conversations with my #leadwild friends, there has been an explosion of discussion about student behaviors. Perhaps, it's because it's the end of the year. Some educators shy away from the word discipline. I checked out the meaning of the word, discipline. Discipline comes from and Ancient Greek word, Paideia, meaning nurture and upbringing.

Discipline, or at least the word, brings up many childhood memories. Discipline means different things to different people. To me as a child, discipline was harsh, punitive. My teachers were losing their patience having to redirect an argumentative student over and over again. Getting sent to the office, was no more than a break for my teachers. I remember being an argumentative teen. My father and I were arguing over some arbitrary task or belief over dinner. My father warned me if I did not close my mouth, he would assign me standards to write, such as, I will learn to keep my mouth shut. It took a long time to learn that lesson, not standards, but to keep my mouth shut. Punitive. I ended up writing that standard for quite awhile. 5000 times.

I know this time of year, I am running day and night. I come home and I figuratively bring my teachers and students to my home reviewing the day to think about what could be done better. Did the time out in the office help Jeff re-group and get back to class successfully? Did Sally choose not to argue with her teacher when asked to finish math? I reflect on discipline as a way to nurture, to teach. How can I help my teachers and staff see discipline differently?

When I meet with students sent up to my office on a referral, it helps me to think of them as an individuals and find ways to nurture. I remember holding my son as a young parent. A nurse entered the room and told me that my boy was an individual, with his own personality and life. She reminded me that from now on I was wearing my heart on my sleeve. I reflect upon the idea of my son being an individual. As a school administrator, I'm encouraged to look at each child, the choices they make, their feelings, thoughts, and ideas and see a unique individual to nurture and guide. As my son who is 17 asserts his opinions, ideas and independence on me daily, I appreciate how students are growing and learning. It's part of the growth process. This week, I'm committed to finding ways to nurture and teach my students. The choices they make are their own, but I know I can influence and guide. I care enough to wear the hearts of many children upon my sleeve.

A lovely exercise #7wordstory by Catina Haugen

Voxer groups definitely get me thinking.  Something about the almost-face-to-face quality of conversation.  The almost-real-time of dialog.  It's an amazing format for growth, reflection and discussion.

One such interaction recently challenged our group to tell our #7wordstory.  David Culberhouse got us started, "In Jeremy Gutsche's Exploiting Chaos he shares that people are remarkable better at remembering messages conveyed in 7 words or less... so, what are your 7 words?  How do you convey your story in 7 words?"

Rebecca Davis was quick with her response, "I jumped in and kept on swimming."

And from there we got going.  I hope others share their #7wordstory here.

For me, I turn to the ocean.  Immediately.  For a myriad of reasons it is my place, my calm, my rejuvenation.  Probably true for many people, my heart calms, my mind clears and my smile always returns at the ocean.

So my #7wordstory followed...

It was a beautiful day with my two boys at Doran Beach near Bodega Bay.  The three of us often trek out to dig a hole, take a walk or picnic.  My husband hates the beach.  He can't stand wind (too many years in North Dakota) and just won't risk it.  Funny enough, we always score a beautiful day when we head out without him.  Hhmmmm.

So this photo was one such amazing beach day.  My more contemplative son, Josh, starring out at the surf, barely wetting his feet.  I love this picture of him.  And the clouds.... oh my... there just aren't words.

My work as a leader in education fits these three roles perfectly.  When we're knee-deep in SBAC testing and people just need to feel safe and secure as we enter the known, I am a lifeboat.  When students feel unsafe or shaky ground and I come alongside to reassure, problem solve and empower, I am a lifeboat.

Buoys... they chart a path, mark boundaries, alert us to shallow water or danger... I do that too.

And of course a sail.  A sail is about movement, steering a course forward, taking a whole boat and crew in a direction, together.  Who doesn't need a sturdy sail to keep the work positive, inspiring and motivating?  I do that too.

Is it always successful? No.  Is it always in the right direction?  No.  But these are the roles I aspire to fill.  I work hard every day to be better.

It feels good to capture my story in this succinct, visual manner.  Like a successful mission statement, it sticks.  I believe it.  I live it.

And if I'm going with an ocean theme, no one wants to work with cement shoes or a tsunami.  That would be a completely different blog post.  Yikes.

Where the Wild Things Are by Jennifer Kloczko

Wild first grade writing

Deep conversation. 
On a Sunday. Questions. 
This question.
Are we really leading
wildly
if we are talking about
something
we could have done
20 years ago?

Is it technology?
Is that what makes us
wild?

Is it just-right pedagogy?
The art and science of teaching and learning.
Is it creativity and collaboration?
Or inspiration?

What if the most powerful learning I see in a day
is written in pencil
in a notebook
on the floor and under a table by a 7 year-old?

Or on sentence strips
written in marker with the word
chameleon
spelled wrong
by a first grade zoologist.

Old school tools for future ready schools.

Whether learning or leading
where the wild things are really
found
are in the connections,
the ideas
that spread like wildfire
fueled by technology.

Technology that allows a Bee-bot dance 

coded by two fourth grade girls
in California

to be shared
anywhere
in the
world.

Live.

What was old is new
again
Kagan and Calkins and
brain-based strategies are now
remixed with rich academic language
and content
for a digital world.

New is the audience.
Sharing.
Shining a spotlight
on the work of kids and teachers.
Twitter and Voxer.
Storytellers of our time.

New are the leaders willing to connect with
a souped up walkie-talkie
to ask questions
to listen
to learn
to be inspired to try out an amazing idea the next
day.

New are the leaders who learn first
Fearless and thoughtful.
Reflecting in a public space
sharing struggles
and celebrations
in blog posts or a tweets or in stories of
only 7 

words.

Radical? In a way. 

Revolutionary? Maybe.
Relentless?
Yes. Leading wild means digging in and digging deep.
It means never giving up.
It means saying I don’t know
but I’ll try.

Learning has no destination.
We may never arrive, but we are on a journey.
Together.
Traveling a path where strangers are friends
and impossible is nothing.

Lead wild.

Cross posted on Lead. Learn. Sparkle.

This I believe: Life lessons and sports movies by Jennifer Kloczko

I believe in movies. Some people say that everything you need to know is learned in kindergarten, but I disagree. Life’s most important lessons are found in sports movies.

I have run a marathon, but I am not an athlete. I love sports, but I do not need to win. I can just see my daughter cringing when I say that. As the wife of a coach and the mom of a former collegiate softball player, sports have always been important to our family. And as an educator, I have often been struck by the parallels between teaching, learning, and coaching.

Do your best.

Practice.

Improve.

Be a team player.

Be passionate.

Believe.

Never, ever give up.

What’s my favorite sports movie of all time? Major League-- and it’s no award winner. But I remember so many quotes from that movie and I love rooting for the Indians to win it all. As movies go, it’s kind of silly, but I love,  love the scene where Charlie Sheen heads out to the mound. Watch the crowd. It gives me the chills. They are all in. Passionate. They believe.

My favorite quote and one I remember the most? Attitude reflects leadership. When I think about the attitude of my students about school and learning, I believe that they were a mirror for me. The days I didn’t bring my best, I didn’t get their best. Every day, as a leader, I want to model the attitude that I’m hoping for with my team, whether it’s students in a classroom or teachers in my school. I want our students and teachers to be curious, willing to try and fail, and to be inspired. That’s what I’m hoping to bring every day. Am I always successful? No. But every single day I have that goal. Remember the Titans.

Who do you play for?

I love learning. As often as I can, and as much as I can afford, I try to learn something new, whether it’s on Twitter, by reading a book, or attending a conference. In my first year as a principal, I sometimes get funny looks and even questions from teachers about this. “You’re here? You don’t have a classroom. Wow.” I get this a lot, or something like it. People are often surprised, but I need to be there. How can I lead learning in my school if I’m not a learner myself? I sometimes hear teachers say, “I can’t do that, I teach kindergarten” or something similar, but really, good teaching is good teaching. It’s our job as learners to make the connection to our life, to make the learning relevant. Today, I attended the Area 3 Writing Project Super Saturday session for 3rd-6th grade teachers about using conversation to improve student writing, and we started This I Believe writing. I’m already excited to see what our third grade team does with the idea, and we’re thinking of sharing this idea with our teachers next year. I couldn’t wait to get home and write this post! Who do I play for? I play for #teamlearning!

Never, ever give up.

Life is hard. There are mountains of obstacles blocking the path to success, but we can’t get discouraged. Every day, we may fail. We need to be willing to take risks, to have courage, to believe that the impossible can be achieved. This is the thing that gets me going every morning and keeps me awake at night, inspired by the possibilities if we just believe that anything is possible. We may fail, but we cannot lose.

I believe in movies. Some people say that everything you need to know is learned in kindergarten, but I disagree. Life’s most important lessons are found in sports movies. Wild thing, you make my heart sing!

Do you have a favorite quote or life lesson from a movie? I'd love to hear from you!

Say That Again... by Jason Markey

“I call everyone ’'Darling' because I can't remember their names.” – Zsa Zsa Gabor

This isn’t really the problem at East Leyden.  You see it’s not necessarily the remembering of names but rather pronouncing of names.  A little context: in a typical year we have over 32 languages that are spoken in our schools and in our students’ homes.  As you can imagine these span the globe.  Large groups of students who are 1st or 2nd generation from Mexico, Poland, Italy, Bulgaria, Ukraine, China, Syria, and many more.  With these students come rich cultural traditions and heritage often coupled with a desire to continue to assimilate into American culture.  Which brings us to names.  Names like Avani, Xitlalli, Rohany, Najera, and Tautvydas.  

Our staff is extremely caring and driven to create positive relationships with students.  Our students are respectful and kind.  Often, because our staff is trying so hard and our students are so nice neither one wants to offend the other and names can be lost in the shuffle.  I’ve been noticing this the past few years, specifically this time of year.  As every high school administrator knows, this is recognition season, whether it’s award ceremonies or graduation we are constantly announcing students, often in front of their parents and others.  In these situations we strive to make sure the student’s name is honored and we pronounce it correctly.  We will visit the students in class or call them down to our office and feverishly make phonetic notes.  This has always seemed backwards to me, to take so much care in a name at the end of their high school career.  The complexities of a large comprehensive high school don’t allow easy communication of things like the pronunciation of 1761 names across 125 teachers.  

Earlier this year, I came across a web-based application called Name Coach.  The whole idea behind the website was exactly what I was looking for, a solution aimed at precisely what I identified as an issue for us at East Leyden.  With this delightfully simple idea, students are sent a link to record their name; this recording then populates a spreadsheet which can be accessible by anyone who wants to pronounce the name as the student does.  I was excited at the idea and tested it immediately with a small group of students.  The interface on the student end was straightforward and allowed me on the back end to sort and share the list.  This was the start of what I was looking for.  The next step was going to take a willing tech department.  Thankfully, with Bryan Weinert, we are fortunate to have a tech director that understands the importance of leveraging technology to enhance our school community.  Bryan worked with another member of our tech team and East Leyden grad Gabe de Soto to work with the Name Coach team on not only using the application, but actually syncing this information with our student information system.  The end result will be next fall, teachers will be able to select their class roster and arrive at a list of names with pictures and links to the students themselves pronouncing their names.  We will be moving forward with using this solution for graduation this year, and then a full launch for all 1760 students in the fall.

This may sound like a small thing, but recently Avani, pronounced Uv-nee, shared with one of her teachers that no one has ever pronounced her name correctly....since preschool.  This came up during a discussion in class about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein about the importance of the creature never being named.  Avani didn’t want to trouble anyone by correcting them; she shouldn’t have to.  When we can leverage such a simple idea with technology all of our teachers and students can benefit.

Bursting. Overwhelmed. Full. by Amy Fadeji

BURSTING! 

That moment when you get in the car and are so excited to unbutton your jeans because you're just bursting at the seam. I mean, that's never happened to me before but I've heard that every now and then it's possible. I imagine that when my friend Curt Rees wears his jean shorts from the 80s, he feels that way frequently. Back to bursting - HOLY COW! Over the past week, my mind is absolutely bursting at the seam! Things are overflowing all over the place. Phone messages are stacking up, lists of student names to follow up with spill onto every surface of my office, kindergarten registration paperwork pours in by the dozen, a "to do" list that should be laminated, big dreams that need to be pursued. 

Everything just feels to be bursting right now. Bursting.

OVERWHELMED.

That moment when I say to myself, "I wish I had a secretary" and realize that, "Oh wait, I do!" but there is MORE work than even the two of us can do together. (Not to mention that she has been out for over a week with a minor medical issue and I realize how MUCH I need her!) Overwhelmed with big things. Our 1:1 deployment, new active learning environments and 21st century furniture, teachers changing grade levels, hiring, my desire to be everywhere for every one 24/7 and knowing that I can't. 

Honestly, that's a big one for me. I remember two weeks ago sitting on the swing talking with a 5th grader who needed a little extra TLC. I was trying to give her my full attention but the demands were pouring in on my phone which I totally ignored.

"So and so really needs to see you."

"A construction truck is blocking the parking entrance, can you go talk to them?"

"Bryan grabbed Hilary's hair...again."

"Mrs. Jameson wants you to swing by for a quick technology question. When should I tell her you'll be there?"

In those moments, I'm already hard enough on myself. Wondering how I can possibly do it all. Wanting SO badly to be there for everyone at the perfect moment. Taking a deep breath when I realize that I simply cannot meet all of the expectations, especially my own.  And then a hard conversation with a parent. "I haven't seen you much lately. What's your vision and mission for the school in the coming year?" I'm fairly certain that the sound of my breath leaving my body was audible. I can't imagine how I haven't been seen! Or perhaps it's because I'm quietly reading with a 4th grader outside on a bench, hiding in a supply closet to answer an important email, or hugging a teacher as she shares a personal challenge. 

Who knows. Overwhelmed.

FULL.

Despite the real struggles I share above, there's a feeling that overcomes both the "bursting" and the "overwhelmed." That feeling is "full." Full of admiration for the dedication our staff pours out on our students daily. Full of respect for parents who take the time to question things like mission and vision, and point out things that may be difficult to hear. Full of complete humility that I have the opportunity to hug and support so many people in my profession. Full of new ideas and intentional reflection thanks to the Lead 3 Conference I attended last week. Full of amazing things to look forward to in the coming days, weeks, and months. Full of laughter thanks to friends who keep me on my toes and check on me constantly. Full of a consuming love that is a result of the people I do this work alongside. A love that won't loosen its grip on me because when I'm bursting, when I'm overwhelmed, my guard comes down just a little more. I find myself full. And being full trumps bursting and overwhelmed any day. 

Full. I'll take it.   

High Schools Need True Community And Happy Students by Michael Niehoff

Lately I have been asking school leaders, staff members and education aficionados what I consider to be a universal question now for all high schools:

Since any or all high school students could choose to leave your school tomorrow for on-line or independent study programs, what are you doing to keep them coming to your school today?

 High school students have more choices than ever before and rightly so. They can choose charter programs, independent study, on-line schools, blended programs and more. So again, with all of these choices, are our schools thinking how to keep them coming to their schools today?

This is a somewhat new or even foreign idea to many educators. Historically, students, primarily from our neighborhoods or attendance boundaries, just showed up and made up the enrollment or student body. More recently, with more choice type situations being created, we might have seen situations where students are transferring from one school to another.

Either way, educators have not been in the mindset of competing for students. Indeed, most of us have not connected our positions or jobs with the numbers of students enrolling in our classes, programs or schools. If we taught electives, we might have experienced the practice of recruiting enough students in order to make a class actually exist or not. However, we have not approached students as customers, but rather as passive attendees.

First we need to accept that students now have choices with presumably more on the way. Comprehensive high schools have a strong foundation of tradition. But with each passing year, that will mean less and less to students who are struggling, disconnected, disengaged and dissatisfied. They will continue to gradually opt for other options and more will follow as more options are developed.
So, for those whose jobs are connected to any comprehensive public high school, they will have to consider a couple of things:

1) Our students have choices and we will want to make sure that they realize that their existing school, or school that they are expected to attend in the traditional sense, is a good one for them.
2) Our jobs depend on enrollment. If we lose students, for any of the above reasons, someone’s job is connected and will go away.
3) Since our students have options, they need to be valued as customers who have buying power and will desire a unique, powerful and positive educational experience from their high school program.

Once we make this leap in our thinking, then we can begin to examine our programs. This includes our school culture, unique programs and offerings, our instructional practices and more.
We need to develop and enhance any of the reasons or rationales here. We need to think of our schools as unique communities. It seems that it will be community that will keep students coming. And a lack thereof will send them away. 

In other words, what can your school community offer them that they will not be able to experience or replicate on their own on-line or independent study? Here are some ideas:

1) Students need to have access to professional gear, tools and resources. They have Internet access and other tech resources often at home or elsewhere. But they probably won’t have access to 3-D printers, recording studios, multiple types of media/music production and editing software/devices, commercial kitchens, fitness centers, performance spaces, hand tools, servers, recreational equipment, design centers, makers’ labs, robotics, studio space, ropes courses, gardens, greenhouses, solar farms, etc. You get the idea. Students need professional environments with the best technology and resources.

2) Positive School Culture and Powerful Peer Relationships. As everyone knows, we are social creatures. And high schoolers are social junkies. Sure they can find a social life on-line or in their community, but their most powerful and impactful one can still be at school. However, it needs to be supportive, friendly, safe and available to all. Schools will have to redesign or recreate their systems and practices in order to create school cultures where all students feel safe and part of the school. This means valuing their opinions and individual learning paths, but also focusing on an environment that is truly accepting, positive, friendly, participatory, collaborative and accessible for all. 

3) Powerful Support Systems. I don’t want to use the cliché about the village, but you know it’s true. Students can enjoy a high level or mastery and career readiness if they have access to and programs for mentoring, community partners, project leaders, advisors, coaches and more. Each student needs positive, long-term relationships with adult mentors on and off campus that are invested in their long-term success through project and performance advising.

4) Performance Opportunities. Every student needs a stage or multiple stages in order to share their talents, interests and work. Traditionally, things like athletics and performing arts have been afforded these opportunities. First, these programs need to keep evolving to create more choices and opportunities for all students. Can schools offer more ways for more students to be involved in athletics and performing arts beyond the traditional program? Additionally, and maybe even more importantly, schools need to create public venues – both FTF and digitally – for all students to show and share their individual passions and pursuits. These include, but are not limited to the following: media, art, makers’ programs, robotics, engineering, rock music, song recording/production, writing/publishing/blogging, presentations, entrepreneurship and more.

No offense regarding the common discourse at schools, but much of it is dominated by continuous work on better assessments, policies and the like. School leaders and staffs will have to re-examine what their focus is. It seems safe to say that new assessments and new policies, as a couple of examples, will not address the larger issue of whether students see their comprehensive high school as the best choice for them. 

Will our schools work to create more satisfied and successful customers or continue to chase them away? 

That is today’s big money question.

The Child Within by Rebecca Davis

I had the opportunity to get off site this past week and attended the Lead 3.0 Symposium in Redondo Beach and connect in real time with some "LeadWilders",  Anne, Jonathan, Jon, Amy, David and other AMAZING educators.  Conferences are a special time for me to reflect on the various roles in my life, such as parent, spouse, school administrator, educator,  friend and the child within. Stop! Say, What? Yes, the child within! 

Inner child, Spirit, Heart, Soul, Passion

What is my reason I do what I do each day? What motivates me to make a difference in the world in which I live? How do I welcome the day? 

When I was fourteen, an old eccentric parish priest gave me the following advice: if you cannot see an adult as a child, something is wrong. I was confused by the statement and I still am baffled at times. However, at that specific moment, I was concerned about forgetting what it would be like if I was old and forgot what it was like being a child. I never wanted to forget my childhood experiences because, if I did, something would be wrong with me. Therefore, I have many memories of my school, family and church childhood experiences. I wanted to make a commitment to advocate for children as an adult. I wanted to remain "child-like" to understand children and have an empathetic heart.

As a Vice Principal, I get the opportunity to "remember" my childhood and talk with students throughout the day. I am amazed at times how I can remember feeling bad when I was labeled or not recognized for making a good choice after twenty times making a bad one. I look at my students and I understand. I get it. I want to embrace the child within to guide them and help them make better choices.

Today, I make a choice. I will meet with the child for the twenty-first time they argued with their teacher, and smile. I will also look forward to the time, whether it's tomorrow or a month from now when the student makes a good choice and I have the opportunity to celebrate with them.  I will be ready to give a high five, both to my student and to the child within. 

Feedback. Don't freak out. by Jennifer Kloczko

I love this quote. Every day, I try to live this quote. I click buttons fearlessly. I try things I have no idea how to do. I will dance in front of strangers. I embrace the mess. But one thing was freaking me out a little. A lot. Feedback. Mostly receiving it. I feel a little like Scooby and Shaggy when it comes to asking for feedback as a school leader.

I recalled things that I had said before to others. "There's no such thing as bad data!" "We're just looking for strengths. Areas for growth." But still I struggled with asking for feedback about ME. What questions should I ask? What if they are HONEST? What if they don't like me?

And then I read this book. It's all about assessing your school and how feedback can help you transform your school culture, and includes tons of great questions for teachers, leaders, and more.

I kept thinking. Listening to colleagues like Jon Corippo and Eric Saibel helped me. I wanted a short survey. I wanted to start with ME. If I could be open and transparent and share the data about me, could that help to open conversations about other areas of our school?

Jon Corippo

Eric Saibel

But still I was a little scared. Then Eric posted this on Twitter. Feedback about him and his leadership team. Public. AWESOME.

Inspired by Eric, I created my survey that day. Seven questions. About me. Okay, six. (I accidentally asked the same question twice!)
I used a 1-10 scale and left space for comments after each question.
I sent it out before I could change my mind.
Thanks for the push, Eric.
The results from my survey are below. I love having the data.
All of it. I'm excited to talk about it. To ask more questions. To keep learning.
I'll be posting it on the wall of our staff lounge when we return from Spring break.

      

Looking at this data, what questions might you add? How can I improve? What does it tell you about our school? Our culture? I can tell you that I think I work with an amazing team of teachers who are passionate, creative, and kid-centered. I feel so fortunate to lead our school!

Feedback. It's a good thing. Ask questions. Put the data out there. You'll be glad you did.

(This post cross-posted at Lead. Learn. Sparkle.)

#leadwild not lead mild; How management almost overtook leadership this week. by Catina Haugen

Jon Corippo inspired the start: #leadwild not lead mild

Jason Markey cemented the rest with a single supportive Vox.

I have high expectations for myself.  I work hard.  Some days, I make my work look easy.  I am fallible, wrong at times, and have much to learn.  And I am good at what I do.  I bring value to students' experience every day, and I support teachers up to their potential and beyond.

This week, I allowed management missteps to cloud my leadership.  I wallowed in my own errors and failed to rise above and LEAD. Who is to blame?  At whom should we point a finger?

It doesn't matter.
Point at me.

What matters is how I (we) move forward.  What do I do when I get mired in management when my eye should be on the prize which is LEADERSHIP. I think it's a common pitfall for admin.  The management/leadership balance is always delicate.  Rather than try to maintain a balance, this week has taught me, it's more important to manage our reaction to management's pull rather than try to pit one against the other.

I did not manage management well this week.  I allowed myself to get sucked into petty decision-making, scheduling and communication errors when I should have looked to the vision.  What do students need?  How do I fit that need? Then I would have overcome management and remained fixed on leadership.

I lost my way. Who is our worst critic?  Yep, it's me.  It's you.

So management is a part of our job.
Got it.

When it threatens to degrade the REAL WORK of school, I need to get uber focused, laser like centered and do the work.  Then move on.

That's what management is. The what, why, who, how... but it can never overtake the WHY.
Why?
It's all about student SUCCESS.  It's all about students WANTING to be at school.  It's all about students feeling SUPPORTED by the adults around them.  It's all about LEARNING.

I'm on board for that.  I can give time to schedules, staffing, grounds and maintenance but MY REAL JOB is about students, their well being, their growth. 

It's #leadwild, not mild.  That's LEADERSHIP.


Cross posted from catinahaugen.wordpress.com

Why Voxer? It's more than just voicemail! by Jason Markey

The following post is from Jason Markey with audio for the #leadwild crew.

Several years ago I recall hearing about Twitter and thinking it was one of the silliest ideas I have ever heard and decided to wait until the initial buzz died down and it went away.  It didn’t.  I have tweeted over 30,000 times since.

About a year ago I remember hearing more and more people talk about Voxer and how they were using it all the time and had moved many of their conversations from Twitter to this space.  Again I didn’t get it.  Why would I want to listen to messages, often the convenience of Twitter and email is that I can read it and I don’t have to stop and listen.  That is a convenience but there is often a level of conversation that cannot be reached via the written/typed word.  In fact the many nuances in the spoken word are what you quickly see as an advantage of Voxer.  So thanks to a fantastic PLN, here are their words (spoken, not written) on why Voxer has been a powerful tool for them.

*Note - the following posts were recorded initially to use in a presentation.