Educational Discourse

Once again, I’ve had the pleasure of exchanging barbs with Dan Meyers over at Doug Belshaw’s blog, I ran into Dan spreading joy and love again on the subject of the Edublog Awards. [My thoughts will follow in a future post]

Dan commented that

Kelly wishes his blog had a larger readership but doesn’t want to deal with Miguel’s criticism that his posts (which comprise long typo-ridden paragraphs) are difficult to read so he says, aw, screw blogs, blogs are out, Ning’s the place to be.

You wouldn’t mind an award for your efforts but won’t admit that your lousy ‘netiquette the last few weeks makes any nomination a tough sell so you say, aw, screw awards, awards are for celebrity cultists. [Note - I have no idea what he's talking about except the exchange that took place regarding tv which was months ago!]

I get too much of this from my students to invite it into my feedreader.

Now the entry that Dan refers to is one I did during the summer after having taken some time off from blogging and other web2.0 projects. I usually stick to discussing how technology affects my teaching and administrating in this blog but, just to clear things up a bit and maybe put some perspective on things, I’ll do some elaboration of my comments from this earlier blog.

You see, besides being the principal at the school, I do a vast number of other things. It was from this perspective that I commented

Of course, I wanted to be one of those who was at the forefront but, somewhere along the line, it didn’t happen. I didn’t become one of those “name droppers” that were mentioned and joined. In hindsight, that’s probably good.

Now, Dan must of missed the rest or didn’t read carefully. So, ….

This summer I was helping the local lumberyard owner begin his Ready to Move housing business. Now, I’m a journeyman painter so although I helped with building, my role in recent months has changed as I begin to paint the houses that are going to be moved. There are approximately 15 houses will need to be done so I’ll be busy at various times during the winter. I am also a referee for football, volleyball and basketball which means that I am busy many times during the week. I’m not sure how many games I did this year but it sure seemed like a lot. I also coach and have my  level 1 & 2 coaches in volleyball and basketball. I will be working on getting more training in different track and field sports in the upcoming year. This year I am coaching our Sr. Boys v’ball team and will be coaching the Sr. Boys b’ball team when it begins in the next few weeks. Now volleyball isn’t as intense as basketball. During the b’ball season I can expect to be away 5 to 8 weekends plus games during the week. I also do my own workout 6 days a week although I don’t do as much cardio during the basketball season.

My own educational pursuits have continued since my Master’s degree a few years back. I am a certified online coach for Harvard Education and continue to take classes. I also read as much as possible – some of you will remember my attempt at starting an online book club:( I edit several wikis – one for administrators and 3 that are school/class related and one that is used by the staff to organize various events for the school.) I continue to explore a variety of different web tools to see what might be useful for my teaching/administrating.

Professionally I am involved in different committees at the school, division and provincial level. This past year I served on three of our divisions reading initiative committees. I am also an administrator rep for the division technology committee. Up until a few months ago, I was vice-president of the Teacher’s Association but had to resign because of a change in my wife’s work – she obtained a job at the Regional College and has to drive 35 minutes a few days a week which means that I needto be home more in the evening. I administer a Ning group for the 40 odd administrators in the division plus belong to several other groups to which I occasionally add comments and discussions. I also write a monthly blog article for Leadertalk -  dedicated to educational administrators. My association with Scott McLeod has given me the opportunity to work with individuals from around the world and, on November 17, I will be part of a panel discussion organized by Scott.  I am the AP coordinator for our school and sit on the division committee that reviews AP courses for schools and I have had the pleasure of being an adviser to the Horizon Project.

As an administrator, I also have the responsibility of working with 200 odd students plus the 24 staff at our school. To this end, we have been consistently reviewing our vision, mission and goals and refining what we do as a school. This past year, our school division went through a massive restructuring where 6 small divisions were amalgamated into 1. One of the major changes was a restructuring of our local school board into a School Community Council. These SCCs have required some learning on everyone’s part and one of my roles was to help facilitate this change. During this transition we have put in $20,000 worth of playground equipment and playground upgrades to become completely wheelchair accessible. The SCC is also worked on various other projects that will aide students at the school. One program the group is exploring is a morning snack program for all students. As a K – 12 school, we have noticed that our high school students are hungry at about 10:00 and we are working at devising a program to fill this need. The group has also been working to reseed and upgrade our football field. I have been working with several different individuals through this process and, as of this weekend, we have had the field seeded and harrowed. All that remains is the installation of watering stations and then watering. Finally, over the past summer, we had many upgrades done to our school facility. Part of my responsibilities has been to make sure that various things are finished and completed as specified in the work orders.

The staff at the school is also being asked to implement new programs, especially focused at reading. With this focus, teachers are being asked to develop Professional Learning Teams which will address needs they identify. This has meant a great deal of study on my part. I also  help teachers meet in their PLT’s, usually by covering a number of classes at the same time. (Definitely has tested my teaching !) With the introduction of PLT’s at the school level, the administrative group has also been working with them to focus administrator growth. The PLT which I was part of last year was focused on teacher supervision and growth. One of the main tools we, as administrators, are using is the 3-Minute Walk-Through. In order to help facilitate discussion, I began an administrator’s wiki where I gather information about various types of supervision. This wiki has visits from all over the world besides a few from the administrators in the division.

As a member of the community, I hold 2 civic positions. The first is as a member of the Economic Development Council. Our role is to access information regarding economic development, focus or target particular areas where we believe there is a need and then try to fill that need through soliciting companies or individuals who might be interested. Thus far we have bee able to draw a fair number of people to the community which can be seen in a rise of 21 new students in our school this year. I am also the secretary of our local Care Team. This team was set up 2 years ago after the suicide of one of the students in the school. By working with the mayor, the two of us were able to draw together members of various organizations within the community and the surrounding health district. We began looking at a number of issues besides mental health and suicide with our focus on youth. Last year we successfully organized a day of speakers and local business people who talked to our youth about life after highschool. This year we are focusing our energy on coordinating a youth night with the idea that this will eventually lead to a youth program and center in our community.

Finally, I have seven children between the ages of 2 and 15. I try to spend as much time as possible with them, playing games, going to events or just hanging out and reading the paper.

So, when I said earlier that not being a big name was a blessing in disguise, I meant it. I have enough to do here with my family,  school and community without any additional distractions. As for the rest of what is said, I believe that Dan is confusing his months and weeks since I haven’t had time to do too much commenting or discussing since the summer.

If you read through the rest of the comments from that summer post, you will notice that they are not negative and Miguel’s suggestion, that my posts be shorter or I blog for myself, was taken to heart. I blog mostly as a reflection, looking at my role as an educational leader within the school and division.
I’m more concerned about the one-to-one discussions I have with the few who visit my blog. I try to read the people in my RSS two or three times a week. It depends on what is going on! As I state at the end

After nearly 2 weeks of no technology, I’ve realized that, like tv, which I don’t watch, I can still do my job and completely function without being locked into the various “tools” that are being used. I’ve been able to spend time doing other things, knowing that life is full of choices and it’s not the talents or gifts we are given but the choices we make in using them.

My reason for doing this? For one, I’m tired of Dan and his moral smugness, sarcasm and lack of tact. Secondly, he just grinds me the wrong way.

Dan, your tone and comments are similar to what I get in my office when I deal with a sarcastic know-it-all teenager. You’re right about not needing it in my RSS – that’s why I don’t read you. Unfortunately, in my administrative career, I’ve had to save the ass of  a few teachers like you but you won’t understand that since you don’t seem to get what this is all about.

It’s mindboggling the number of things that a person can suddenly find themselves involved with all of a sudden. Over the past few weeks I’ve been looking at the “art” of supervision and how to help the teachers in our school become better. This is not an easy task because each person has a unique personality that has to be taken into account during the process. In order to best help the teachers, I’ve been reading about different supervision ideas, like the 3-Minute Walk-Through, with the hope that I can better assist people in growing and changing. This can be a somewhat stressful thing, especially when there are changes that need to take place. In my role of administrator, I know that part of what I need to do is lessen this “stress” for the others in the school.

As the educational leader in the school, I also realize that part of my job is to set an example. However, when life gets busy, I’ve noticed that some of the things that I thought were a habit suddenly become foreign and I find myself wondering/wandering around trying to pull it together. The following is a list of things that I’ve noticed have “popped” up that just add to the “stress” of “administrating.”

1. My top goes missing. Jumpdrive top that is. This past week I cannot count the number of times that I’ve lost this pesky little thing. Now, I usually have a spot where I put it. This week I’ve found it in the following unlikely places: bathroom counter, shirt pocket, library desk and secretary’s desk. Each time I’ve wandered around trying to find the darn thing losing all kinds of precious moments. My first thought was “What was I doing in the bathroom with it?”

2. Papers get misplaced. This week I’ve had trouble keeping papers with which I’m working. I don’t know why but I’ve left them: in the staffroom on the lunch table, on my secretary’s desk, in a classroom and, yes, in the bathroom. I take them with me to go see someone and, oops, can’t find them. Again, the bathroom? (They’re not casual reading material!)

3. Misplace my laptop. Yes. It happened. I was going to do some observations and was interrupted on route by my janitor. We went to look at some things and when I finally was ready to go back to my observations, no laptop. Thank goodness, it wasn’t in the bathroom but I did find it in one of the storage rooms. I had to retrace my whole adventure with the janitor.

4. My clothes. Yes, you are  reading this right. On Wednesday, we had our Halloween costume parade. Of course I had to dress up – a chicken including orange tights! Thanks goodness, no pictures of that! When I returned to the bathroom to get dressed, my clothes were gone. Now, I could have sworn I got dressed there. Where did I find them? In the office. Seems I must have forgotten that I got dressed there. I thought the secretary was snickering a bit too much that afternoon. (I spent most of the afternoon walking the halls and teaching dressed as a chicken.)

5. My class. Friday I had a double period of my CPT20 class. Lost them. I went to the lab and not one was there. Where did I leave them? They were there before lunch. Seems they had a rather long math test and the teacher had taken them from my class to write the test. He did tell me but, when I showed up after lunch and there were no students I immediately went to check my schedule. I’m sure I had a class. I actually spent about 30 seconds wondering what was going on. Then I remembered where they were. Phew. That would have been a hard one to explain.

6. My mind. This has been the hardest thing to find lately. I seem to be going in one too many directions and then, poof, I’ve lost my mind. Friday I asked my secretary if she had seen it because I’d misplaced it. I thought maybe it would be like my clothes. No luck. I’m actually still looking for it.

I don’t know if anyone else has such things happen but during time of excess business, things I thought were habit, like putting my jumpdrive lid in my desk drawer, I find aren’t actually habits. Please excuse me as I have to go look for my mind. Maybe I’ll check the bathroom!

Not the last book I read but the last book that I read.

A few years back, I received a gift certificate from Coles book store from a friend of the family. I intended on using it during a visit to the city but when I went there was nothing that really caught my eye. Time passed and I either forgot it at home or, when I went, there was nothing that grabbed me. So, a few weeks ago while at meetings, I went book shopping taking the tattered certificate with me.

I had a pretty good list of books that I was interested in buying, gathered from the many blogs I’ve read and the various conversations I’ve overheard on Twitter. So, can you guess what I might have purchased? What might have been discussed that would get me to part with this certificate?

I bet none of you guessed The Secret edited by Rhonda Byrne . That’s right. Now, I heard about it from Alec Couros on Twitter and he mentioned a url that I checked out. It was definitely a well done website but it didn’t catch me. In fact, I think Alec referred to it as being rather cultish in nature and I kind of thought so myself. So, as I strolling through Coles’, I came across it on one of the shelves. Now, I did resist looking at it for a few passes. Finally, however, I gave in and began to puruse the book. Now to say it’s deeply intellectual would be a stretch. In fact, it’s very easy to read which is a great thing after going through some of the other books on my summer reading list. The message was simple and, really, it seemed to simple at first.

Now, I’m not sure that I’m suppose to give away the secret but it isn’t beyond the reach of every single person. I think that it is incredibly easy to do and, in a way, makes sense if you think about it. Do I believe it? Kinda. Am I joining the group? No. Am I dismissing it? Not really.  I think that it will help you improve yourself in some ways because it does make you look at things in a different light and reevaluate how you approach your life. I haven’t seen enough evidence to suggest that it is truly “The Secret” but it sure has affected how I look at things around me.

School started yesterday and from the start I knew it was going to be an awesome day. The day was like this – teachers did not get any of their photocopying done because the copier has been down for 2 weeks with no tech person showing up. Our computer system was down. We just gained access to the lab that afternoon. Our gym floor, that was replaced and was suppose to be finished last month is still not finished. Our new handicap access doors don’t work right because the motorized mechanism was too much for our old frame and the door is now a bit off center so it needs help opening and closing and it won’t be fixed for a few weeks. We have been invaded by crickets. Jimmy is driving all of crazy. But, despite all these things, it was a great day and I was eager to get back today. Not because I ignored the problems or because I was medicated but because I looked for solutions and then accepted what needed to be accepted. Nothing magical and nothing truly outlandish. Sometimes we need to be reminded that being positive is a state of being. It isn’t that you see the world through coloured glasses or ignore things. Instead, it’s an attitude that allows you to face challenges in a positive mindset which has proven to be very helpful these last few days.

If you want to know what “The Secret” really is, then you will have to buy the book or at least go to a store and read until you find it. It isn’t amazing or even “wow”ing. It’s rather a let down to think that it could really be that easy. For many of us in academia, we will be skeptical because it can really be done by anyone. And maybe that’s the point. Much of what is truly wonderful in life is accessible by anyone and the “other things” with which we surround ourselves just distract us from those things that are great. Looking at things from a different vantage point is refreshing and, I’m finding, reinvigorating. As I left school today, I thought “It’s been a great two days!” And it has, even my older daughters have mentioned it. There is something different and it’s good.

The old man beckoned for me to sit down. I slowly approached unsure of what was going to happen.

“I really did expect you to get here a bit sooner. Nothing can be done about that now but we’ll have to use your time wisely. I hope that, having waited so long, you’ve already learned some things.”

“What are talking about?”

“Yes. I’m sure you don’t know. You see, I tend the stream of emotion for you. As your emotions flow through you, I help to keep things smooth so that you remain as calm as possible during events. That is why, during some things, you are able to react without becoming emotional. I have been able to have the waters flowing smoothly for you at that time.”

“And when I react less than calmly?”

“Well, then my brother, Mr. Happy, has been able to create rapids and whirlpools that cause you to react in ways you normally wouldn’t if the waters were smooth.”

“So that was the other old man I saw. Mr. Happy?”

“Actually, neither of us has names but I call him Mr. Happy because he looks so happy all the time. I mean, he really enjoys making you upset.”

“And the pebbles he was tossing in the river that caused them to bubble?”

“Those come from the plane you walked across to get here. Each of those spots that looked burnt provide him with pebbles that he then tosses in the river. Each of those spots is created by an interaction between someone that didn’t go well and caused you to feel pain, sorrow, anger or something bad. Some of them still bother you today and that is why they are still smoldering. Don’t worry, everyone has them. Some just more than others.”

“So why did you expect me?”

“Well, you’ve been walking towards discovery of who you are for quite some time and I just figured you’d reach this point sooner. You see, the only way you can get rid of the emotional roller-coaster ride you seem to take is if you can build up you awareness of who you are and what is truly important in your life. Until that time arrives, you will continue to strive but continue to run into disappointment and resentment that lead you to the times of conflict. Lately, it has become apparent that you have reached that but you still didn’t want to acknowledge it. That isn’t unusual. In fact, some people reach the stage but never take this trip. They don’t get to see how time has affected them and how their emotions have become muddied and unclear because of all the pebbles being tossed in. The more pebbles available, the more I have to work and the longer it takes me to smooth out a section of the river. Lately, you’ve been making it easier for me to smooth out the river which in turn has helped you be more positive and given you strength in your relationships.

“So exactly what are you saying?”

“Well, I guess you’ve come to accept who you are, what you are doing and know want to determine how to be positive and move forward in one direction.”

“So I like myself and am a really happy guy?”

“Ha. Well not exactly. You are more aware of your strengths and weaknesses and, instead of being overbearing with your strengths, you are looking for ways that your weaknesses allow you to connect with other people and you are using your strengths to build up what is around you, finding positives in what is happening. Why do you think the whole problems at school aren’t causing you trouble? You’ve learned to accept things and look for positive solutions while not being drawn into negative battles with others. If you hadn’t learned all this, there would be no way I’d be able to sit down and talk with you like this. We’d be standing on the riverbank and I’d be sifting out pebbles as fast as I could. Now, you’ve let me catch up and given my brother less and less with which to work.”

“So now what? What does all this mean?”

“Mean? I don’t know. I’m just telling you that you are moving forward. How you use this information is like all things, up to you.”

“So ….?”

“So ….. keep on learning. Keep on trying. Don’t give in to letting others affect how you see things. And if you fall do, learn to see it and seek out ways to counter these moments. I’ve heard yoga, meditation, exercise and, well, bonding with other humans are great ways to do this.

I looked into my hands. Had I really come this far? Looking up, I was going to ask another question but the old man had moved to the edge of the river. He turned back, waved and then wasn’t there. I sat, quiet, wondering what to do next. Slowly I got up and turned around, expecting to see the plain stretch in front of me. Instead, I saw this cabin. The fire was out and the candles burned low but I wasn’t cold or anything. I got up and wandered over to the window. Looking outside, it was dark with a few stars in the skies. I caught my reflection and saw that I had a smile on my face. I was content. It felt good and that’s why I invited you over. I hope that, someday, you’ll get to make the same journey I did. Life really is a series of choices and you’re the one making the decisions.

So what have I learned? Well, I’m not really sure. I use to be worried about the image I saw in the mirror. To me, the guy looking back was getting old and wasn’t where he wanted to be. During this summer, I realized that I was exactly where I wanted to be. That there was a need for me to be in the community in which I live. There was a place for me in the school and the school division and I didn’t need to be pushing the edge all the time. Ultimately, it allowed me to leave school at school this summer. I didn’t stop learning. In fact, I learned a whole lot this summer but it wasn’t the usual learning I do. It helped me appreciate the abilities of others and the need for everyone to accept where they are and use their strengths in order for synergy to really take hold.

I also learned that, for most people, technology means something else and the internet and world-wide communication isn’t even on the radar. In fact, I am farther ahead than most people and I’ll have to really work with them to coax them along. The key will be to “work with them” and not tell them. I’ll have to be a teacher at a different level as I work with staff and parents to get them to understand the complexity of the world in which many of our youth live and the growing complexity that will be our future. I look forward to the challenge.

Through it all, I’ve learned that I am responsible for me. Something I’ve said many times but finally come to understand more fully.

Why this story?

Well, I’ve spent the summer making up stories for my boys about animals, numbers, the alphabet and such. I’m not very good but it keeps them quiet and allows them to help as they give me the ideas for the stories. I thought it might be a different way to say my peace and just might entertain someone. Finally, life is a story not a script. Nothings happens like it is portrayed on tv and the world isn’t even close to flat but is really a series of spikes with areas of planes all over. I’ve also learned that I have to be happy with who I am and what I do. And it is a choice.

So, my school year began on a great note despite several things that could have given me reason to be grumpy. Instead, I’m looking for positives and finding ways to get solutions for the problems instead of complaining about them.  To all who read this, have a great school year. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Ahhh! This looks like a familiar place. It seems I’ve been here before although it has been a long time and I do feel somewhat of a stranger to this place. I know that, like riding a unicycle, it will take some time to regain my balance and sense of place but once I do, I’ll be able to get back to my usual writing.  Oh, welcome visitor. You are a very persistent one aren’t you. I wasn’t sure that anyone would be able to find the place with all this dust and spider webs, concealed here in a corner of blogosphere.

Welcome.

Come. Sit. I’ll try not to bore you with meaningless tales of what I’ve been doing with my time or such things (although I have been doing some amazing things, completely changing the environment in which I live!) That’s for another time. Why I’ve returned to this special space is to recount a discovery I’ve made that I think might be somewhat helpful for some others. Before I start, are you comfortable? Need a drink or a small snack? Ah, well. Probably better, I’m not sure that you’d want to eat or drink any of what I’ve left here anyway. (Although that wine and ale might have aged just nicely. Again, for another time!)

You see, I’ve made an interesting discovery about myself and, maybe, just maybe,  some of you might just be able to take something away from this.

You see, as I was crossing the plains of my mind, just examining the various experiences and interesting implications of these, I began to notice a very noticeable pattern of battle scars that pocked the surface. Around these battle areas, each one with a black flag that showed the person(s) with whom I was battling, were dead grass areas probably a result of the awful toxins that resulted from these battles. Now, some of them seemed to still be raw and sore, like there were still festering even though the person(s) were no longer in my life. I was confused because, unlike other events or emotions that had left their marks on the plain, many of these were evenly spaced, with a similar  growth pattern between them.

The growth between them was amazing, consisting of wonderful memory flowers of great colours and variety. The flowers increase in intensity until about halfway between the two was an incredibly brilliant growth. As I approached, I could feel the joy and calmness radiating from them, like an oasis in the dessert. Each one also had a flag that identified the event and the people involved. As I wandered from one to the other, I noticed that those which involved my wife and children were of the greatest intensity, followed by those with my family and friends.

As I scanned the landscape, I began to see the pattern emerge.

What? You need to go. Okay.

I’ll finish at another time – but please come back to visit. I enjoy your company. And, if I’m out, leave me a message to let me know you were here. Since returning, I realize I have neglected visiting many of my dear friends around the blogosphere and I plan to do some of that in the near future. I ‘ll check in daily and reply to your messages.

I know not when I’ll be able to finish the tale and divulge to the world my discovery that, I believe, is going to assist me to become a much better person and, hopefully, a much better teacher and leader.

No, sorry, no time for the ale or wine. But come back and we’ll share one on your next visit and I’ll let you know what I’ve discovered.