See the Possibilites

We have a sign in our house that says simply,  "See the possibilities".  It's something that I have always tried to do:  tor example, being able to see the potential left in an old piece of furniture.  Or what could happen if we just tried doing something a little differently.  The potential of a child...  See the possibilities.

Today, I had that reaffirmed in a multitude of ways.  Our PBIS team met this afternoon to work on our rollout and fine tune all of the different pieces that go into such an endeavor.  I tell you, that team of educators was on fire!  The laughter, camaraderie,  ideas.... it was just happening in that room.  Some tasks we did as a group, others we broke down into smaller tasks that could be handled by two team members.  We were able to cross off so many items that were on that To Do list- in part because of their enthusiaam, but mostly because of the trust that they have built among themselves during this last year of learning and planning together.  That is huge.  And it was an honor to be a part of that experience today.  They are seeing the possibilities in teamwork and collaboration.

Tomorrow and Wednesday are our district's student registration days.  It's a lot of work for the district's secretaries and I appreciate all that they do to assist our families with this.  But tonight, I am feeling even more grateful, because this year, they are trying something new, something different.  Rather than hold registration in each of the buildings, as it has been done in the past, they are all coming together in one location. One stop registration, so to speak.  It would have been easier for them to stick with the old way, the safe and comfortable way- but because doing it in this one location could be more convenient for our famiiles, they are willing to try it.  They've been meeting and planning, getting everything in place to make the entire process better for everyone.  They are seeing the possibilites in a new approach.

Grade level teams have been having  Back to School shopping outings- taking their new team members off to go shopping, helping them determi ne exactly what they need to buy and avoid what might seem like a "Must Have" but will prove to have been a waste of precious funds.  In the process, I have heard of lunches out, lots of laughter, and new staff expressing how glad they are that they are joining the Winskill Team.  They are seeing the possibilities in one another.

I have been honored to listen as staff members have stopped in to share the learning that they have been involved with this summer and upcoming months.  Classes on English Language Learners, the Daily 5, Educator Effectiveness, math instruction, technology, autism,  Donalyn Miller's October workshop...  our staff seeing the possibilites in themselves.

We have more staff than ever before blogging. Thanks to the encouragement and modeling of one of our new staff members, Margaret Bussan,  two new blogs have been created and I have no doubt that more are to follow.  I would share that Margaret commented at her interview, "I checked out your blog, and you need to write more."  (very respectful tone, I might add)  And so here I am- writing again.  Youcan check out her blog, Running Through 4th Grade at  http://4bbussanruns.blogspot.com/   Jim Addison's new blog, Black and Green and Everything In Between can be found at www.mraddison4thgrade.blogspot.com  and finally, second grade teacher, Missy Sperle is jumping into blogging with Sights and Sounds from Second Grade at http://sperlecrew.blogspot.com .  We are all seeing the possibilities in the power of the written word and what we have to share with the world.

Change is inevitable, it is true, but the educators that I am honored to work with see those changes as possibilities.

There is an excitement and energy in our school right now. You cannot fake it, nor force it.  As the lead learnier, I can only support and and model and sometimes, just get out of their way!  Because I see the possibilities....

Principals Are People Too

I was recently challenged to participate in this Principals Are People Too blog topic- and I am thankful for that challenge.

I must have been a very frustrating child for my parents to raise.  (Thank goodness they never gave up on me!)  I have a tendency to be a bit contrary at times.  For example, growing up in Indiana, I was well aware of John Mellencamp (garage back days) earlier than many of my raised out-of-state college friends...so, naturally, when the whole John "Cougar" Mellencamp craze came about, I was done.  Everyone else loves a book- please don't tell  me that I have to read it....it makes me put it on hold.  And yes, I do realize how ridiculous this all is- I missed out on The Fault in Our Stars for six months because of this.  So, you can imagine my reaction when everyone in my PLN kept telling me that I need to blog.  Ummmm, "No thanks."  "I'm good." " I'm too busy." "No one wants to hear/read what I have to say."    Fear? Shyness?  Probably. But a large part of my resistance was me just being contrary.  Or maybe there are so many Must Do items in life that when there comes a time that I actually have a choice, I choose "No."  I wonder how many of our students do the same?  They feel a loss of control in other areas, so they seize the little they can control.

But here's the thing- once I try one of the things that I have been so resistent to, I tend to LOVE it!  Twitter, Voxer, EdCamps.... all examples of new things that came my way and that I have become a strong advocate of.  What I have learned (hey, I'm a slow learner) is that people are not encouraging me to try these new things because they want me to fail. Indeed, it is the exact opposite.  I am important enough that they want me to succeed!  This is certainly the case for my Voxer Family.   I cannot imagine life without their daily dose of humor, reality, advice, honesty...  So when the challenge was extended to write a blog post on the topic of Principals Are People Too, I just couldn't allow that contrary, Just Say No side of me come out to play.

Principals are people too.  Indeed we are. As much as I try to present the image of Calm and Collected, sometimes I lose that cool.  While I don't have a problem seeking help in learning new things, I sometimes struggle to share the load.  I need to be better at saying "Yes, thank you!" when someone offers a helping hand.  I need to do a better job of allowing myself to focus on things beyond my job.  When you are married to another educator, it is very easy to talk shop ALL the time.  I need to learn to shut that down.  I need to find more balance in my life.  This is a message that I have shared with staff, encouraging them to take the entire weekend and focus solely on themselves and family.  Yet I don't follow my own advice nearly as often as I should.   My Voxer Family has helped me with this realization.  They remind me that it will all be there tomorrow- but my children, my family, my friends may not be.

So, I am going to say good-bye for now.  I will be back- and it won't take 10 months for my post to appear.  But in the meantime, I have an evening planned with some very special people.

Why I Lead #SAVMP

As a participant in the School Admin Virtual Mentor Program, one of the challgenges given to me is to reflect on my practices as an adminstrator through my blog.  And as I notice that my first (and only) post was dated on July 6, it seems that it is a good challenge for me to have.

Why do I lead?  I have been pondering this question quite a bit this summer.  I have to admit- it was a rough first year as an administrator.  Lots of challenges, lots of situations that I could have never imagined having to face.  Yet, face them I did.  Some I met more effectively than others. Still, through the toughest times, I never considered NOT meeting the challenges head on.  Does that quality make me  a leader?  I would like to think that it does.  Does my willingness to look at a situation and reflect on what I could have done better make me a leader?  I hope so. I am a leader because someone else led me.  They believed in me, in the qualities that I showed in the classroom, in staff meetings, in the community- and then they gave me opportunities to further develop those qualities in a larger arena.  Colleen Pacatte was my key mentor during this process, though she certainly wasn't the only one who encouraged me to stretch my wings.  Colleen encouraged me to join a group of highly motivated, invested members of the school community to design and bring to life a very special school.  If you have ever been a part of building something from the ground up, you understand just how rare an opportunity this was.  Every single piece of how that school would run, from classroom design, to having a dining room versus a lunch room, the unique 8th grade Spotlight banquet we created to honor our graduating 8th graders, the monthly recognition ceremonies, held long before PBIS came to be...came from US- the staff members, parents and community members who invested countless hours to make sure everything was in place, who believed that we were creating something incredible.  I had ownership in that school, stock that paid in dividends that cannot be counted in terms of a bank account.  It was a heady experience- one that was almost impossible to walk away from.  And yet, when the time came, I was able to walk away, taking with me the knowledge and confidence I had gained from the experiences I had as a part of the staff at Gurnee Grade School.  I lead because I know how incredible it feels when someone believes in you, believes that you can make a difference.  I lead because, deep down, I believe that we all are capable of being leaders- in different ways, in different situations.  It is our responsibility to share that leadership with those around us, to foster the talents of our staff, to share the awesome feeling that comes from building something special.  This  is why I lead. 

First we get started...

This post has been a long time in coming to fruition- written in response to a friend who has been very patient in waiting for me to fulfill a promise that I made to him months ago.  Way back in March, I was fortunate to have met George Couros while at ASCD 2013, along with a plethora of educational leaders whose work I greatly admire.  To be honest, I was rather star struck.  As a first year administrator, it was rather surreal to find myself in the midst of such greats as George, Dave and Shelley Burgess, Jimmy Casas, Dr. Joe Clark, Tom Whitby, Joe Mazza and Eric Shenniger, just to name a few.  Because of Twitter, I was warmly welcomed into their conversations.  It didn't hurt that I was with Tom Whitford  (aka @twhitford)  who had been chatting with so many of these people much longer than I had.  I did what I usually do in a new situation- stand back and observe, just soaking it all in.  But George quickly put an end to that, pulling me into the center of things.  He encouraged me to share what I know, what I am thinking, and what I have been learning this year.  Over lunch, George, Tom and I chatted about ways to support staff in response to all of the new initiatives that are coming our way, as well as the goals that we each have set for ourselves.  George answered many questions, but asked just as many of us. If you have met him, you will understand what I am talking about.  George pushes your thinking, challenges your responses, makes you really consider what you believe.  I appreciate that about him, even as I occasionally shook my mental fist at him.

Still, having made a promise to him that I would start blogging that very weekend, I found myself stalled.  I blamed it on needing to reconnect with my children, with the intense workload waiting for me back in my office, on just about anything that let me off the hook for not following through.  But when I am being truly honest with myself, it was procrastination out of fear.  Fear that I would not be successful at this new skill, fear that I might be mocked, or challenged in my thinking, or that I might even misspeak and say something that I shouldn't.  I recently read Ben Gilpin's blog post  on The Fear of Sharing  (if you haven't read his work at colorfulprincipal.blogspot.com  , you should definitely do so)  I admire Ben's work a great deal and the idea that he has had the same fears that I have been facing is reassuring.  It was also motivating.

This is just the beginning- but it is a beginning.  Someone I greatly admire has often told me, "First you get started, then you get better."  I am finding that this philosophy helps me continue on when I stall, looking for the perfect moment, or the perfect decision.  There is no such perfection, but as Maya Angelou said, "When you know better, you do better."  What inspires you when you stall?  How do you battle self-doubt?  What are you beginning?

And, George, thanks for the push!