A Reminder.

I ran across this quote from a colleague and it made me giggle and first, but then I thought about it again a few days later.

This is so true. We are so very lucky to have the jobs we have. We get to hang out with silly, smart and energetic kids EVERY DAY. Sometimes, I find that I get into this mode where I take everything so seriously.

But, why should we be so serious every day? Our kids are FUN...and funny! Our 3rd grade friend, Luis, tracks me down every morning during morning walk to tell me a joke. Seriously. Every morning. This is one of my favorite things about morning walk. That and dancing and singing to music. Music, being with kids and being silly first thing in the morning helps me get into a positive frame of mind. I find on days when I miss music and Luis on morning walk, my day is not near as positive and easy as when I get out and have fun with our kids.

How about you? Do you intentionally seek out time to laugh with your kids and find ways to show them how much you love being around them?

I have this quote printed in my office now as a reminder to stop taking everything so seriously all the time. I chose to go into education because I love kids and being around them so much. I feel blessed that I get to do what I love when I'm around kids.

Also...Why do penguins love to make pancakes?...Because they have flippers!

(Ayyy-ohhhhh. Thanks, Luis!)

Reunited.

What an amazing Thanksgiving break...a chance to recharge. There is something about stepping away from school and spending a chunk of time with family and friends that recharges me, reminds me why I love my job so much.

We are so lucky to get to work with kids. My kids (and staff) are so smart, talented and fun to be around. When I think about seeing everyone on Monday, I am just so excited!

How do you think our kids are feeling about coming back? Some are just as excited, but some may be feeling anxious or nervous.

As teachers and staff, we have the power to set the tone in our rooms/areas EVERY day. Would your kids rather come back to school with a grouchy, tired teacher or one who greets them with a smile and high five/hug/fist bump?

How will your greeting on Monday engage your students and send the message you are excited to have them back?

Leadership Framework: Geese

It's definitely that time of the year when the weather cools, leaves change and birds migrate to warmer climates (take me with you, birds)!  While on my way home last week, I couldn't take my eyes off a beautiful flock of geese, flying seamlessly in a V shape, the lead bird dropping to the back at times for another goose to take over.

Flock of geese or a functioning school staff?

While I consider myself a HUGE anti-bird enthusiast, I can't help by be amazed at the organization and communication it must take for geese to know when to lead and when to drop back and follow. I know this is a natural occurrence in flocks of geese, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized these V shaped flocks are a lot like leadership.

Geese fly in V formations as a way to conserve energy. Geese flying behind the leader can fly for extended periods of time due to some sciencey-air-dynamic-energy reason. Geese who fly in V formations can travel much further distances because of this.

Geese can have a clear view of where they are headed when flying in a V formation. Not just great for safety's sake, but a great way to keep geese focused with a clear focus on an end point. Also, personal body space.

In thinking about the "leader" of a formation, when the lead bird gets tired, it drops back in formation and another goose moves to the front.

Is this what effective school leadership looks like? Perhaps we can take a few notes from our air-borne friends on leadership. If we, as school leaders, "fly" in a V shape formation along with teachers and staff, are we working with a common vision, with our eyes on the same destination? If we work together to land at our destination, could the work load be easier for all of us?

I love this idea of the leader dropping back for a break. I certainly find times when a fellow "goose" is much more experienced or has expertise in an area I gam not strong in. As the "lead goose," I've come to realize that dropping back and letting another goose lead the way allows for that goose to build confidence and share their expertise for all the other geese.

So, no. I will never be a huge bird fan, but there is something to geese as models for leadership.

Source: http://www.tweentribune.com/article/tween56/why-do-geese-fly-v-formation/
Image source: https://aileenshu.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/272068_l_srgb_s_gl.jpg

Don't ever give up. Ever. Ever.

Every class has one and every school has quite a few. That one kid who screams at you, his face turning red in his fit of rage. Really, it's hard to say what sets kids like this off, but when it happens, it's hard to come back from the point of no return.

Like every year as a teacher, I have that ONE this year.  Well...actually, I have about 6 this year. But one of my "loose cannon" kids comes to mind when I think of kids who rage and scream, going from 0 to 60 within 5 seconds, taking an hour to calm back down.

My friend, my sweet, angry friend...he gets so so angry. I'm talking screaming at me across the cafeteria, "I know you hate me!  And I will sue you! Sue you and this school. I hate you!"  Back in the day, this type of outburst rubbed me the wrong way as a classroom teacher and I took it as a sign of ultimate disrespect. My explosions would quickly match my students'.

Awwwkwaaaaard.

Everyone knows this kid.

But, like most things in life that mellow over time, I have come to realize that these outbursts aren't personal.  If they were in this case, this little guy could sue me. (Perhaps as a coping mechanism, I picture my friend in court behind the plantiff's podium a la People's Court from the 80s, wearing his little suit and suing for...not letting him have an extra milk? Having him to go to the back of line? Judge Wapner handing down the sentence. A fine in the amount of $1,544.)

The Man. The Myth. The Legendary Judge Wapner.

I digress.

This guy. I want to hug him. Hard. I want to squeeze his tiny little body and say, "It's OK, buddy. I know you're angry. I get angry, too. But screaming won't help you."  Honestly, even in my few months working with this guy, I still don't know exactly what triggers him, nor do I have the magic pill to help him work through things.

But he's mad. A lot. And it breaks my heart.

But I don't give up. I was dropping off my son at before school care this morning when I noticed a few kids playing Blokus with the teacher. I sat down to play for a bit and invited my angry friend to be my partner, telling him that we were going be the yellow team and beat the pants off everyone else. I swear this kid grunted at me and sat down on the chair with me with such force I didn't know what to do.

He mumbled a few times when it was our turn and after some time, I had to get going back to my office. I asked my friend to make sure the yellow team won and was met with what I'm pretty sure was a snort along with zero eye contact.

I have no idea how that game ended, but I will say that my angry, grunting, shoving and snorting friend came to me at the end of the day, giving me the biggest hug out of the blue. Honestly, I was so shocked and didn't really have words. The words, "have a great night" fell out of my mouth. Off he ran.

I'm sure tomorrow he will snort again. Grunt. Scream. Threaten to sue. But we can't give up.

We can never ever ever give up. Ever.

We may never know what triggers our kids or exactly what they need to pull it together, but finding these small moments to connect, to see kids for who they are...well, we can only hope these are tiny seeds planted which may one day bloom into beautiful flowers.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.

http://congruence-inc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Transition.jpg

change (CHanj/)

verb. 1. Make or become different. Alter in terms of. 

tran.si.tion (tran'ziSH(e)n/)

verb 1. Undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of transition.

This summer finds me in a state of change?...transition?  I go between the terms because I feel like it's both. Moving school sites and moving from  an assistant principal role to a principal role in another district is certainly a change. And transition.

Once the board minutes and Facebook postings had been all been read, it was a shower of congratulations messages, texts, hugs and a few "huhs?" Family members reaching out to say they are so proud. Friends asking me...well, what's next then?  A constant stream of questions and comments around my new position.

Over the past few weeks, I have been lucky enough to meet my new teachers and staff before they head out for summer break. They are absolutely wonderful and have kids' best interest in mind. Like all motivated teachers, they have questions. And requests. And ideas on what direction we should go. 

Now that the noise has died down, I find myself both excited and completely freaked out. This last year was a series of, "well, that would be a question for the principal," "I'm not sure which way our principal wants to go with that" and, "That's a good idea, but you'll want to check in with the principal." It hit me when I was recently meeting with my new PTA and they turned and asked, "How do you feel about fund-raisers?" Out of instinct, I turned and looked at the current principal sitting to my right. With a blank look on her face, she then smiled and said, "They are talking to you."

O.M.G.  What have I done?  

In a quiet moment this morning, I finally had a chance to read chapter 1 in William Bridges' "Managing Transitions: Making the Most out of Change." In this chapter, "It isn't the changes that do you in," Bridges explains that changes and transitions are two very different things. Change is something like moving across the country into a new house.  Transitions are the feelings you go through of "where is the nearest Starbucks? Target?" Well...those would be my thoughts anyway. But I get it. My change is moving to a new school, district and position. My transitional thoughts include a million questions (What does student engagement look like? How are we differentiating for all kids? Can we start a STEAM club or Makerspace? Where is the nearest Starbucks? Target? (some things cannot be compartmentalized.) I am in that neutral space between the old and the new. And I have to sit in that space of not knowing. Until I know.  

The "new-principal-freaking-out" Whisperer, William Bridges.

Bridges also states that this neutral zone is the "gap between the old and new [and] is the time when innovation is most possible and when revitalization begins."

And this is what excites me. Being happy in that gap, working to get all my questions answered while having fresh ideas and a vision.  It also makes me excited for next summer at this time, when I'll be on the new beginning side of things. 

Power of athletics.

This year, my district, Natomas Unified, rolled out a district wide athletic program for all 4th and 5th grade boys and girls.  To assist in the roll out of this program on my site, I have added "athletic director" to my list of skills. I am now skilled in recruiting players and coaches, and putting together schedules for multiple teams. Not to mention, I now know how to run a scoreboard and game clock. Sort of.

Any time there is a new initiative rolled out in any district, there is a huge learning curve and a great deal of flexibility and communication required to pull it off. Changes in transportation times, meals provided and parents not knowing where to be can provide...a fun time all around.

Have there been moments of tension between myself and a parent who didn't know a game had been cancelled?  Yes.  Have there been times kids are running around the bus area waiting to be picked up without any supervision until I show up?  Yes.  And have I snapped at the kids for being so crazy and unsafe (cringe.)? Yes and Yes.

But the amazing part about it all - the part that makes it all worth it for me - is seeing the kids on the field and court during practices and games. Through flag football, volleyball, basketball and soccer, I have seen thousands of smiles and I have heard hours worth of laughter.

4th grade basketball team practice with their coach and 2 parent volunteers

It's not just about the smiles and laughter, though.  Stopping to really take a look at the faces where the smiles and laughter comes from makes it so much more meaningful.  A number of our student athletes, when visiting them in their classroom, are checked out.  Some of them are often sent to the office for not completing work, being disrespectful or not following directions.  Without getting into more specifics, these kids are disengaged in school.

When we think about the impact disengagement has on our intermediate students as they head into middle school, we realize how important it is to keep our kids coming to school. And that's why I love our athletic program.  It gives our otherwise "challenging" students an outlet to take pride and represent their school.  I love that these kids walk around school wearing their jerseys, connecting with other kids about their upcoming game. I swear, one of our teams had quite the losing streak and season record, but every time I saw the kids leaving their games, there were smiles everywhere and so much excitement in replaying different plays of the game.

4th and 5th grade volleyball players

Ok. I'll admit...I may or may not take advantage of this as an administrator who deals with much of the discipline at my site. When I know there is a game coming up and I see one of my players acting crazy town, I stop and ask them, "Wait. Don't you have a game today/tomorrow? Did you want to have full playtime during the game?" Yes. I know this is a low ball move, but somedays...well, it just works. (What will I do when the season is over?!?)

4th and 5th grade flag football team ready to load the bus.

After crazy days full of students, teachers, parents, IEPs, yard duty, and the occasional dead bird clean up in the breezeway, stopping in and watching my student athletes in the gym or on the field is the best way to end my day.  Seeing these "challenging" kids totally engaged, smiling and working with a team and listening to their coach is a true reward for all the hard work that goes into organizing an athletic program. It brings tears to my eyes that perhaps, we have re-engaged some our students before they go off to middle school.