Inspiration to Read

I wasn’t always a reader. In fact, I wasn’t a reader until I became an elementary principal and a special person entered my life. Growing up, I hated reading. In 7th grade, I remember my parents meeting with my teacher to figure out why I couldn’t remember anything I was reading. From what I can remember, no solution was found and I continued to struggle into my high school years.

I became a teacher and then Reading Intervention Coordinator, which one would think means that I was a reader. I was able to motivate kids to read and to learn, no matter what they entry point happened to be. But did I model what I was saying to kids by reading and having titles to recommend? Nope, not the case.

Enter Mrs. Vuckovich. In my first few days as a principal at an urban elementary school just south of Chicago, I realized that Mrs. Vuckovich was wise beyond her years. A veteran teacher that was highly respected in a large elementary school and very large district, Mrs. Vuckovich was the reading teacher every administrator dreamed of having.

I am not sure if she liked me from day one, but she certainly respected me. Mrs. Vuckovich would often drop by the office with a book in her hand and tell me about the newest titles her class of fifth graders was reading. She got me excited about the books as well. I adopted her class and read one of her recommendations simultaneously with some kids so that we could talk about the book as we were reading it. While the kids seemed to enjoy reading alongside their principal, I think I learned much more than they did about reading and myself along the process.

For special events like holidays and my birthday, Mrs. Vuckovich’s class gave me a new book that they all had signed. I read more YA and children’s literature in this single year than I had in the previous 10 years of my life. Mrs. Vuckovich sparked an interest inside of me that I didn’t think would ever be there.

Since this life changing year, I learned more from her and how to love literacy in the years to come. I now find myself not only recommending great kid titles to teachers and students, but I am reading professional books like crazy, sharing them on social media and with my staff. The books that I read help shape the attitude, climate, culture, and instruction that I believe in.

One year, that is all it took to make me a reader. No one forced me. No one pressured me. Someone inspired me.

You're the Director!

Our end goal is to teach kids how to succeed in the real world. We start with five year olds and begin to shape their thinking for 180 days each school year. While academics are important, and the focus of many of our days, the character traits of honesty, kindness, compassion, perseverance and leadership are most important in molding the next generation.

As a school principal, I love interacting with kids in positive ways. I am rarely in my office during the school day, something that annoys my office staff, but I love. I am able to be around kids to see how they interact with each other and their teachers. I learn about them by observing them in class and talking to them while they learn. I build relationships with kids in the classrooms, in the halls, on the playground, in the cafeteria, at arrival and dismissal on a daily basis. The best parts of my days are when I am with kids. Just because I am an administrator, doesn’t mean I can’t still be a teacher.

One way in which I connect with kids and teach is by sponsoring our News Crew. We get together three times a week to record the school’s daily announcements. Twice a week we broadcast announcements over the intercom, and the other three days we broadcast recorded announcements on our Youtube channel. Our news crew is made up of eight, fourth grade students. Early in the year, the students learn how to write the script, interview staff members, record, anchor and edit in the filming process. The experience is something that most kids do not have the opportunity to experience at this young age. It is a learning process for our students, who quickly see the demands of a fast paced, high expectation environment.

On each recording day, we rotate jobs so that all kids have opportunities to anchor and film. Quickly, I have been able to observe the news crew to see who is more comfortable with each job and who needs coaching or additional support for certain aspects of the news. As I often do in everyday life, I look for students to emerge as leaders in the work they are doing at school. Sometimes the leaders step up when you least expect it.

During a recent filming session, the students were assembling in the studio. I was busy in the hallway talking with two different teachers. Student J popped out of the room and asked if they could start, saying everyone was ready. Surprised, I told him go ahead. When I finished my conversations with the teachers, I refrained from entering the studio, and decided to just watch through the window. What I saw blew me away. Student J was being me. He had completely replaced me as the director. He was moving the show along quickly, keeping the set quiet, giving all kids opportunities and nervously swaying back and forth anticipating the next segment. MAGIC. That is all. I hadn’t yet met with kids to explain how to run the show. He watched me do it and was ready to step in. I am so proud of student J for taking a risk and stepping up to be a leader. Luckily, I was able to snap a picture of him in action. After the show, I pulled him to the side. I told him everything he did right. I told him how proud I was. I called his mom and gave him a #GoodNewsCalloftheDay. Then I informed him that he was now the director of the news. He rocked my world, and reminded me why I love teaching.

Patience is...

A dad told me this week that he admires that work we do at school, for he doesn’t have the patience that he sees our staff exhibit.

It is now September and we are three weeks into a new school year. The beginning of the year always brings excitement and energy to a school. A new year also means that new relationships have to be built between students and adults that are not yet familiar with each other. Routines and procedures have to be established to create an environment that will foster success for the duration of the school year.

Teachers start day one of the year by teaching their new students how school works in this new grade level. Time is dedicated early and often to practicing routines that will now fill each school day as students work through each subject area and learn how to collaborate with others. Teachers know that pouring time and effort into building routines will help them in the long run as they raise learning and social expectations for their students throughout the year.

The beginning of the school year can be the most difficult time of year for teachers. I am reminded of the amazing individuals we have working in our schools during this stressful time of getting to know our new students and their individual needs. Patience is underestimated in schools, EVERYDAY. Our teachers and school staff pour themselves into finding out what makes our kids tick and what most helps them be successful. They take time to be patient when things are hard and when students need more support.

Schools should be filled with positivity, and one way we show this is by having patience with every situation that comes our way. I am proud that I work with individuals that exhibit patience with their students through the hardest situations, and at the beginning of the school year. Educators are patient beyond words, and when someone from outside the school recognizes this, it is a much appreciated compliment.

Ride the Train

In Boston, its' the T, but its still a train. I was in town for the National Principal's Conference sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and staying outside the city. Traffic is crazy, like in most cities and riding the T to and from the conference was the best choice. Enter FEAR, HESITATION and WORRY. Never before have I ridden a train solo without a helpful friend or family member that knows the "ropes." And to be honest, I've probably only ever ridden a train 5 times in my life.

After working myself up for multiple days, it was time to be a big boy, get dropped at the station and navigate the unknown, party of one. I followed my very specific instructions from my brother, a frequent T rider, often referring to the handwritten notes/directions I was given. I followed the crowd of people and managed to get onto the correct train with no hiccups. My next two days of travel on the T followed the same pattern, no issues. I quickly realized that something I had worried myself about and lost sleep over, wasn't that bad.

After I conquered the T ride into the city, one more thing was weighing on my mind. I was fortunate enough to be attending a National Conference with thousands of fellow administrators from around the country, but I was also scheduled to present a session on Day 2. Presenting at any conference or in front of any group of people can be nerve-racking, but this would be my first time presenting solo on a National platform. Much like the anticipation of the train ride, I worried, lost sleep, and worked myself up, all the way until it was "go" time. When my fellow administrators entered the room and I greeted them at the door with a hello and a smile, the worry began to melt away.

These two events that weighed heavily on my mind this week remind me of our upcoming new school year. As teachers, administrators and school staff members, we are often excited for the first day of school. It brings our school family together again, it is the start of new beginnings and most of the time, we are refreshed. But my mind goes immediately to our students. Do we really know how they feel before the first day of school? How many of them are anxious, scared, and having a hard time sleeping as the day gets closer?

The start of the school year rocks the world of every child. Gone are the less structured days of summer and a flexible sleeping schedule. Kids like routine and getting back into a routine is hard. It is especially hard if you have a new teacher, new kids in your class, new wing of the school, new bus route or driver and maybe even a new school. This question needs to be discussed: How do we help our students transition back to school and how do we help ease their fears while we transition? This is a loaded question and its not as easy as just Riding the Train, but in order for us to expect the best from our kids, we HAVE to set them up for success. This begins before the first day of school, and before our kids enter our buildings.

What's Your Passion?

Do you ever get lost in the day to day happenings at work and forget to pursue what you are passionate about? Many individuals in Education promote Passion Projects and Genius Hour, time dedicated to pursuing topics that the learner (student or adult) is passionate about. Did you know that Google has their company set up so that employees at headquarters are encouraged to pursue their passion for 20% of their work week? I wonder how this could enhance learning in schools.

Buddy Berry is a Superintendent of Schools in Kentucky, and his district has embraced the passions of teachers and students and embedded it into their learning. They focus on what motivates kids and spend time reflecting on how these passion projects can be incorporated into the school day. Along with this, their district has looked into the community for problems to solve and challenged students to create solutions for the problems around them. When kids have a say in what they do, they build ownership and often exceed adult expectations.

I love tech. I love giving kids a platform with tech to share their story and their learning. We work to empower kids using technology as a tool, whether it been through book trailers, a green screen and video or robotics. Kids step up when they see that an adult believes in them and is willing to give them chances. Is it perfect? No, but we learn from our mistakes and become stronger as we move forward.

Let's start with teacher passion. What are you passionate about? How can you bring that into your classroom and spark some interest in learning more? When kids see that you are a real person, with a life outside of school, you are building relationships that mean more than learning any one piece of content. I'd bet that at least one child in your class has the same passion as you, or knows someone close to them that has the same passion. Give it a try, share your love of something with your students, and they'll share their hearts and minds.

It's About the Experience

There are several reasons we work in schools and kids come to schools on a daily basis. The most important factor that many lose sight of, is the experience. I pride myself in learning to build a positive experience for not only our students, but also for the adults in our building that work and visit. As we aim to prepare students for life after K-12 education, we must focus on the experiences they have while they are with us in school.

I am lucky to be able to attend one of the best summer conferences close to my home in Indiana. The Southshore eLearning conference has been an annual conference for the last 4 years as part of the Indiana Department of Education's Summer of eLearning initiative. The School City of Hammond, along with a few other districts, hosts the event, which this year brought 1,000 attendees. One of the speakers was Ken Shelton. Ken focused on the student experience as part of his keynote. He challenged the audience to ask students, "what experience do you want to have in school." Actively engaging students in the planning of their instruction will not only inform the teacher, but it will help build the relationship between the students and the teacher.

When thinking back of our days as students in the K-12 classroom, we remember fun teachers, trips, things we did with our friends. We don't often remember a specific lesson that taught us a specific concept. So how do we focus on building the experience? First we must decide to talk about it. We have to focus on building positive relationships and a positive culture that fosters collaboration. We have to be willing to say, this is a priority.

An experience is memorable when the participants buy in because they are interested, excited, curious and willing. We create experiences everyday at #myjblions. Kids remember fun, they remember gross, they remember love. School isn't only about teaching requirements, it is also about building experiences that last a lifetime. Thanks for the reminder Ken Shelton!