Educational Discourse

Today, as I was sifting through a landslide of RSS feeds, I was inspired/amazed by the number of enteries that were referring the the Kathy Sierra case and the stop  cyberbullying day. What has struck me about this really is that for the first time, we’re seeing a mass movement that is saying that this type of behaviour isn’t right, shoud not be tolerated and those who are doing it should be held accountable. I agree on all parts. But what will be done in this regard.
Some have suggested greater security of the internet while others have suggested that this may cause government legislation. The debate over free speech will continue as it always does as people continue to try to hide behind that idea in order to justify saying whatever they want.
However, for me, this is much larger. As this plays out in the public eye, the children are watching how the adults of the society are reacting to what is happening. For many adults, this is a non-issue since they have no idea what a blog is or what it can do. However, for the youth, they will follow what is happening because it is not by what we say but by what
we do that we pass on our values and understandings to the youth. They model what they see.
As educators, we know all too well that many of us began teaching, not as individuals with our own unique styles but as a teacher who had been molded by the impressions made upon us as we worked our way through school.
In almost a month, we will experience the one year mark of a student who committed suicide. I’m worried. The reactioins of the adults hasn’t shown them how to deal with such grief.
People want to tell them, but the examples just aren’t there.
Since then, we have organized a Community Care Council that is working with people trying to inform, educate and discuss how we can help to avoid such another tragedy after having 4in the last 9 years.
The students on our council have said loud and clear that they need the adults to lead
the way. If we want to really get to the root of some of our problems, then the adults have to be the ones that begin to solve their problems. If we want to erradicate bullying, then how parents act at sporting events
and with each other has to change. If we want to reduce the use of alcohol and drugs, well the adults have to lead, not just saying it’s not okay but showing that it’s not okay. If we want violence against women and childrent to end, then we have to do more than just speak against it. If we say that cyberbullying is bad, then there needs to be something to deter people. What? I have not clue but what boggles my mind is that adults can’t figure out why kids do things to other kids yet don’t see that many of them are doing exactly the same thing. So, if there is a drug or alcohol problem, the kids are telling us that the adults need to clean things up to be the examples for the kids.

As we draw closer to the day, I worry that the kids are going to follow the examples of the adults, which has to everything but look at themselves. Now, as an adult, I’ve talked with some of the kids and told them that I do accept a smal part of responsibility because I didn’t notice the signs and didn’t grab hold of the hints that were thrown my way. But, since then, I’ve done something about it in an effort to better prepare myself to help someone else. Many others have said that they don’t want such a tragedy to happen again, that this needs to stop. Yet, when we’ve had workshops or other things, our turnout has been poor. “It’s the schools job” is what I’ve heard. Well, my message is that it isn’t the school job. We have a responsibility but it is the job of the community to protect the children. People say they agree but…..
For the last year, I’ve been organizer of the council. This year I step aside. I believe in the idea but I’m realizing we can do a million things. Until the adults realize that it is their actions and not their words that the children are following, we’re skating uphill!

So, the stop cyberbullying day is great. It’s a step when adults begin to say that this is not allowed. But, the actions will speak in greater volumes than anything written. Will people begin to change how they treat one another online and off line? Will we see an increase in what is not allowed? Will free speech be matched with all the responsibilities that go with it? Will the cry of the people be for fairness? Will the children on the net see a change in the way that adults act and portray themselves.

Or, will this be another “Do as we say, not as we do” event. If so, then be prepared for such actions, not only to increase but to intensify. We’ve brought the problem into the light. How we handle it will, I believe, set the stage for future net interactions. Joining the cyberbullying group is great. But, in real terms, what will we do? What will you do?

Me, I’m inviting a speaker in to talk to the parents. The kids will do fine if we but show them the way. They want to see us “Walk the Talk”. How will you measure up?

Tomorrow is parent, student, teacher conference day. It is, bar none, one my most favourite days of the year. But more on that later. In my 16 years of teaching, I’ve seemed to have gone backwards in how these are done. When I first started, they were the typical parent and teacher talking about the student. Things were discussed and then the parent went home and who really knew what was said. Now, this was no different than when I was going to school. You just hoped that it was all good!!

In the second school I was in, we began to move away from this model. We started out with the whole idea of a conference with all the parties involved. We then moved this to an evening and morning session and finally to two evening sessions twice a year. We eventually began to introduce portfolios and moved to celebrations of learning, which just freaked out some parents. They wanted to have a “meeting” later to discuss any “situations” that might be occurring. They didn’t get that, if there were any problems, we were to have contacted them well before that date. They were there to see what their child was doing in school and how their child was progressing. While we were doing this, I thought the world of education was following suit. I was wrong.

In the last 5 schools that I have been a member of the staff, I have introduced the whole idea of “parent/student/teacher” conferences and moved from a full day of interviews to at least one evening and one morning. In one school I had                                                                                                                     to force the issue and needed to actually
discuss what was best for the students and their parents because the teachers didn’t want to give up an evening. It has been absolutely amazing at how hard it has been to convince people, school boards in particular, to
change this little thing. I’ve had to do a graphic analysis of the “improvement” in attendance to show that it was worth the change. At a close look, it is very scary how schools have had almost no change in this area since Moses. (Well, he interviewed with God but he was home schooled!) We “talk” about how we need to include students in so many things but when it comes to the real meaningful areas, talking about their schooling, what they are doing, what we/they might try to change, they stay home and sleep in, watch tv or message one another. Makes me want to scream!!!!

With that said, the whole idea of portfolios is still a foreign concept in many schools. Oh, they talk about a portfolio but these are not examples of all the student’s work. Instead, they are usually showcase portfolios that show the students best work. The school that I’m in had started on portfolios but we’re still all over the map and need to do some clarifying of what type of portfolio we want to create. Now, because we are a K - 12 school, we have the unique challenge of
having parents in the middle years and senior classes attend these conferences but usually by themselves. Our portfolio work is even weaker at this level. The teachers are
more comfortable with the classic interview style and really don’t want to venture from this path. This being said, with some discussion and the
retirement of a staff member or two, the chances of us moving to the portfolio style interview becomes much greater. The teachers remaining, I believe, can see the benefits of students accumulating a portfolio that they can use to demonstrate their proficiencies and the areas they need work. In the elementary end, we need to move away from the whole showcase thing. The Celebration of Learning is such a great way to have parents actually participate in what is going on at school. That is where I pin my vision.

So tomorrow, I go to school and spend the day visiting and talking to parents. This is one of my favourite days. I take teachers coffee, juice and snacks. Colour with the siblings in the hall. Read stories on one of our reading couches and then wander to the gym to see how the senior “conferences” are going. I spend time there talking with parents and trying to get a sense of how they see things going at the school. My goal this year is to try to get a positive point from each parent that I can put up in the staffroom as examples of the fine job the staff does. I enjoy the interaction and the time with the parents. I find it relaxing and hope that this comes across and helps the parents to relax about what we are doing. In a perfect world, the parents would see their child’s portfolio regularly, comment on the work and we’d have regular bi-monthly evenings where parents would stop by and go through what was happening in the classes and what was going to be coming up. I’d also like to see our older students creating eportfolios but we’ll have to wait until our IT department figures out if technology is going to be driven by education or if education will be driven by technology. Right now, we’re not sure. I have so many ideas for getting past all this “secrecy” of schooling and avoid the “tension” of what is happening in the rooms and halls. My problem is that I don’t have the time to get all these things going.

That reminds me, Dave Truss pointed out that

I noticed in an earlier post that exercise was something you wanted to prioritize… and I wonder if you are going to follow through on it? This is where I struggle most in my personal life as it relates to family, work and interests that take so much of my time. Why does personal fitness always get pushed to the side?

To answer the first part of this, yes I am going to follow through on this. I have picked up where I left off in my gym routine and I am now playing sports twice a week in the school gym. On Mondays we play adult badminton and Thursdays we are playing floorhockey. There are a group of us who are trying to get ready for the “summer” meaning we want to try to at least fit into our swimming suits from last year without embarassing ourselves. How do I fit this in? Well, as you may have noted earlier, I’m really trying to do early mornings. So far it has been, well, miserable. My snooze button is almost worn out. But, little victories, I am getting up earlier and earlier each day and going to bed earlier and earlier. I’m leaving work at work by trying to reschedule my time to be more productive. I’m doing my class related work in the morning. I do my calls and other such “connecting” at about 10:00. I paper shuffle right after lunch. Now, my class visits range all through the day as I’m really working on the 3 Minute Walk-Through. In reality, my walk throughs are about 5 - 7 minutes and my notes take about 10. I try to do at least 2 classes a day. Now, this gets messed up when I have to do administration things like catch the mystery pee-er in our elementary end or have those “parental” talks with one of my 18 year olds who has no adults in his life to help him.
So, my workouts are now right after school at about 4:30pm. I find that this is a really slow time of day and my own kids are usually out doing something at this time. It doesn’t always work but at leastI have a plan!!!

My seventh new voice is: Janet Clarey. Author/co-author of several learning industry research publications at Brandon Hall Research.  Experienced in LMS, LCMS, Virtual Classroom, Performance and Talent Management systems selection and implementation. E-learning course creation, curriculum development. Trainer/Facilitator.

I came in contact with Janet through Explode. Because her perspective is more from a research point of view and she uses her knowledge with some great realworld illustrations (just have to read on hockey. It’s great especially for someone who had his own mom do this. I remember the whole scene!) Her blog Janet Clarey has many interesting topics  that range from research to real life, all with a web2.0 flavour. Check it out!

Can you Youtube?

Since you asked…. does size matter?  (this got my attention!!)

Is your LMS keeping you from “doing” blended learning right?

Enjoy the reading! Now, in the past few weeks I’ve run across some more “new” bloggers so I’m going to continue with this feature hoping it will help to build and strength the networks.

Previously - Susan Funk , missprofe, Steven Michaluk, Jeff Boulton, Kimberly Moritz, Carolyn Foote

This is a fairly lengthy post dealing with reflection and how it can alter how you see things and the changes that may result. Buckle up and stay tuned.

After my last post, I’ve had a few inquiries about the place of blogging. Dave Sherman asked

I noticed that you do not mention blogging in your list above. Will you continue to keep blogging at the same rate?

I’ve really been doing some serious thinking about how my time is being used. As a father, husband, principal, coach and community member,I have many roles to juggle which are no different from everyone else.
One of the things that I try to do in my blog is give people a real-life reflection of how being an administrator impacts your life and the various things that I go through as they happen. I’ve discussed how I’ve had deal with my own depression and the affects it had on me, my family and my professional life. I have always tried to write how learning has happened with me, discussing the classes I take and the books I am reading or the ideas I get from others from what they are trying or what they are reading. I continue to try to explore my passions and how they impact my leadership and my own learning.

Will I continue to blog? You bet I will. This is one area that I believe has made me a better administrator and a better leader. I look to other’s like Dave Sherman, Jan, Kimberly, mscofino, Dean, Scott, Chris, Miguel, Missprofe, Dave Truss and host of other bloggers who are dealing with a variety of things and relating their stories, thoughts and insights in a way that touches the reader. I look for different perspectives and have found people like Catherine, Brian and Patrick who have a wealth of insight and knowledge and are willing to share. And that’s what this is all about, isn’t it? The idea that together, we provide each other with so much which, a few short months ago, wasn’t available. There is a sense of togetherness, different from our buildings and our admin groups, but something that grows over time as people come together with under a common purpose. We all want our interactions with
students to be positive and see that learning is changing and, therefore, there needs to be some changes in other areas.
When I began ….

My first ventures into this blogosphere world were on the site of Will Richardson and I was a skeptic. I knew that the tools were there but couldn’t see how we were going to make the jump from where we were to where Will was wanting us to go. Today, for some reason, I rarely read Will. It’s not that I don’t find his work interesting but I’ve found that with the likes of Scott, Miguel, Bud and a host of others who are working in the trenches, there is more there to which I can relate. I see these bloggers and the others that I add to my RSS as providing me with more than enough ideas and food for thought. Sometimes I still drop by Weblogged and 2centsworth but not as often as I did. I could be that I’ve outgrown the need for what they provide. I’ve become part of a more personal group, a part of the blogosphere that isn’t just “out there” but that has real people with real problems with real students. Jan’s story about her girl just about broke my heart thinking of my own girls suffering and Miguel’s adventure with his Macbook was interesting to follow as I had just purchased one myself. Scott’s many adventures and incredible drive have been an inspiration as I try to get administrators in my area involved in these types of ventures. Dave Sherman’s adventures with his “March Madness” and Chris’s choice to get back to students came just when I needed them. Why? Because we are all part of a similar world where there are different faces and names but similar waves and ebbs.

And where will I go …..

As I ponder Dave’s question, I realize that my professional growth has been fueled by many of the things that people suggest. I am waiting for our new division to finish with negotiations so that I can find out what is available for PD so I might be able to attend a national conference focusing on IT. Who knows, I just may end up presenting on something!

By no way have I come up with the definitive answer for where my life is going. However, I have seen that I really must heed the voices that are calling to me. I haven’t always done that, stubbornness being a character trait that has done me well and has allowed me to achieve many things that have been positive in my life. Now, however, I realize that this might not be the best trait to build
at the school level. You see, it was through the comments of the staff and my superintendent’s request to reflect on what I have done and want to do that I realized that I have begun to self-sabotage myself. When I realized that things began to come clearer. The more I reflected (why is it that we say it is such a good thing but don’t do it until we are forced?) on what was happening, the more I was able to see a pattern to what was happening.
I realized that my main purpose when I have been hired was to stir things up, create some discomfort for people, move people out of their comfort zones and then move on. Thus, my family has been in 5 communities in 10 years. Well, this time, my family doesn’t want to move. They want to stay and put down roots and I was somewhat sick of moving. What I didn’t do was change my pattern as an administrator so as the year progressed, I continued to follow the path that I had before. This past weekend, I realize that this will not bring about the changes that are needed. So, a mild discomfort has been created. Now, my role is to help provide the necessary support so that people can explore and incorporate changes. Instead of getting people to just see that there needs to be some changes, I now must provide the culture for those
changes to take place. Not what I use to doing, I’m afraid but something that I must learn to do if I want to remain where I am for any length of time.

I Hate the Mirror

The mirror has never been my favourite thing. Lately it shows more lines than I’d like and, for some reason, there seems to be hints of grey in my hair that it didn’t show before. The professional reflection mirror sometimes is the same, showing us things we really don’t want to see. We often want to ignore these things or we buy something to cover them up. However, if we really want to change and really want to be better, we have accept that we can’t alter some parts but we can bring about real change that won’t fade over time or won’t wash away under a heavy downpour. As administrators, we need to be honest about who we are, where our passions lay and what we want. Sometimes that may mean that, after doing some deep reflection, we recognize that our present situation can only change if we, as leaders, identify our own weaknesses and set out on a new path.

My new path

Today is Monday. I’ve decided that today I will start out anew. This doesn’t mean that my weekend of reflection has totally changed my life. It has, however, allowed me to realize that if I keep doing the same old things, I’ll get the same results. Therefore
one thing I have begun to do is change my work habits. My old tendency was to stay at school late at night. Now, I’m getting up early in order to get to school to do my work then. (The weekend was great as I was up early and was able to accomplish quite a lot. However, I’m not sure where I’ll fit the
hour nap I had with my 4 year old during each school day!) I have decided to change a few other things, like my approach to f2f interactions and the whole listening concept. I’ve also decided to start keeping a reflective journal
that I will write in every day - it’s called a blog!!! No, but it could be!
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Can we fix it? Yes we can!

As the week came to an end, I had a meeting with my area suprintendent regarding a recent administration survey that my staff had completed and sent in. Now, like almost everyone that I know, I was a bit nervous but I knew that no matter what the outcome, I was ready to get on with the recommendations that came out of it and go through the renewal process.

The surveys were positive but there were some areas that definitely came through as areas that I need to improve. The first thing that I have learned about such surveys is that I must, without exception, get past the personal feelings that I have and not worry about any comments that are personal in nature or deal with any “gossip”. That is difficult but necessary for growth to begin.

The first thing that came through loud and clear was I have “too many irons in the fire.” to borrow a cliche. As I reflected on the comments that were linked to this one, I realized that they were all true. So, my superintendent and I decided that I really needed to decide which ones were top priorities and which ones were at the point that they needed to be handed off to someone else. This has always been a weak-point for me, taking on too much. The result is that, in trying to get all things done, I stop taking care of myself, which, in the end, leads to an eventual “blunder” . You’d think I’d have learned by now!! So as I drove home, I began to list my involvements and their “me” importance.

1. Self and family - this is usually on a declining slope so, again, it needs to be returned to the top.

2. Students, staff and parents - here is one where I really need to delegate more often. So there are a few things that I will be asking about and finding out their importance in relation to student and staff. I will need to list the main objectives for the school and then decide where I am needed and where others can lead.

3. School division - this is where I sometimes get caught in offering to do too much. I’ve a few commitments but I know that I can hand off a few things as my time is up.

4. Teacher’s Association - Here is where I’ve added a few too many things and need to back off. I’d love to continue in my role but I need to let others have their turn.

5. Community Invovlement - I have a few things going here and need to decide which 1 I will be willing to put my time into. The others will have to go on without me - if that is possible

My superintendent has suggested that for some of the areas that deal directly with relations, I keep a daily journal to reflect on what happens each day. I thought this was a great idea but am trying to decide if I go electronic or hard copy. I’m still not sure. I have also decided that in order to demonstrate to the staff that I appreciate their constructive criticism, I am going to thank them, via email, for their comments, insights and concern that came through in the survey. I think they need to know that I see this as a positive activity and will continue to ask for thier insights in order to become a better administrator just as I will continue to give them my insights in the hope they will improve themselves.

I’ve made a few observations since doing the survey. There are those who don’t trust that what they say will not be used against them. The survey is anonymous but there was a concern that handwriting would be recognized so the surveys went directly to the superintendent. This way, people say whatever they wanted without fear of reprizal. According to the superintendent, there was one person who took this too heart - but the rest really did work on providing constructive criticism which, as leaders, we need to have to be as effective as we can.

Today, as I have spent the first weekend in months with my kids and family, I realize that I really do need to slow down. The information from the evaluation has pointed out that it is obvious to some that I’ve overloaded. As much as I’d like to believe that I’m bigger than human, that only happens in the movies and comics. So, being reminded that I don’t own a cape and can’t fly is good. I am appreciative for people being honest and critical.

During this weekend, I’ll take time to decide where my energy will be best dispersed, after my family and self. So, as I hear my lettle boy begin to stir, I will close off. I’ve an appointment to go outside in order to do some water moving. Should be messy and fun. Just what I need after the past two weeks - time with the important people in my life.