See the possibilities

This week, I discovered a fascinating video showing Anne Sullivan and her student, Helen Keller in which she explains how she taught Helen to speak.

Aren't you thankful that neither Helen Keller nor Anne Sullivan had fixed mindsets? That Helen did not see herself as indefinitely deaf and dumb? That Anne Sullivan was not bound to limited methods of instruction? Both were committed to doing whatever they needed to succeed. Each had a growth mindset.

In our inservice sessions at my school, we have talked a great deal about having a growth mindset. I have found myself asking the following questions:

• What if this year I choose to view my students through the lens of possibility rather than limit?
• What if I give my students permission to safely struggle and fail?
• What if the only label I give to my students is that of learner?

And the final two...

• What if I do these things with my teachers?
• What if I do it with myself?

I am looking forward to navigating this year with my mind set on growth.  

Quotes from Helen Keller:

"All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming."

"It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision."

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

My journey back from burnout...

CONFESSION: This past school year in November, I was burned out. I felt desperate, overwhelmed, ineffective, and ill-equipped to be an administrator. I still came to school, put on my game face, and did all I could to pour positivity in the lives of my teachers and students, but more and more, the thought of giving up was crossing my mind, and I started planning an exit strategy.

Then I received a flier in the mail about a one-day conference for administrators that was coming to Nashville ---"What Great Principals Do Differently" with Todd Whitaker. It was a lifeline, and I grabbed it. I had been a principal for three years, but this was the first conference I had attended specifically for principals. Going to that conference was my first step back from burnout because:

• It provided validation. I learned that while I had made many mistakes in my first three years, my overall instincts and core values were sound. I just needed to work on execution.
• It provided connection. I sat in a room full of principals and learned that I was part of a network. I was introduced to Twitter and the PLN that was waiting for me there. I realized that being an administrator is, at times, a lonely profession, but in reality I am never alone. There are others traveling before, beside, and behind me if I will reach out to them. 
• It provided solutions. I learned not only about problems, but concrete ways to confront them. I purchased Shifting the Monkey and read it immediately.  A few weeks later, I set up my Twitter account and became acquainted with innovative, positive educators from around the world. 

By the end of February, I had gone from asking "How can I leave" to "What do I need to do to stay?". Now in July, as I am attending the NAESP conference, I am asking "How can I ever give this up?".  I don't think I would have made it without embracing a lifestyle of professional development and vulnerable, authentic connection with other educators. It's so easy to occupy ourselves with the busyness of the job---that day to day firefighting. It's convenient to live in the bubble of our own situations, but I encourage you to make the extra effort to stretch out ---whether it's attending a conference (or unconference), reflecting and sharing through a blog, lurking or conversing in a Twitter chat, you (and I) need one another to kindle the fire within.  Make time for your own professional growth and grow in connection with others. Don't let yourself burn out when all you need for fuel is within your reach.

Technology integration...The Brave New World....thoughts from iSummit 2014

I am currently at the iSummit conference hosted by the Coalition of Lighthouse Schools. This conference is all about technology integration, digital literacy, and brave new worlds. The sessions have been good, but the networking has been great. Seeing such a varied demographic of educators, all ages, from public, private, and charter schools, all willingly embracing, and plowing through this educational frontier of technology has been encouraging. It excites me to hear leaders speak about risk-taking, trying new things, failing, and letting students drive learning.

I have come away with two challenges for myself:

•  I need to see digital literacy as an imperative, non-negotiable component of the educational experience.  Technology is not something that is an afterthought, a time filler, or an add on with which we can engage students.  It is an essential skill, as important as reading and writing. To see it as optional is to cripple my students. Sessions with Angela Maier on being brave and digital literacy have inspired me to do better in this area.
• When I told my thirteen-year-old, that I was leaving for a couple of days to go to a conference to learn ideas about how to better use technology, he told me, "You know, mom, you could just ask me and save yourself the trip". In the digital literacy session, three essential skills cited were curiosity, adaptability, and perseverance. According to the research presented, these skills are at their optimum level among Kindergarten students. The greatest resources for facing this new fronteir of technology are the children around me. They will teach me, push me, and challenge me if I am willing to let them lead. My challenge is to ask more from the students around me especially in areas of technology. I need them as much as they need me.   

It's also been invigorating to take part in conversations between sessions with other educators from my school. We are dreaming big about flipped classrooms, digital portfolios, and Genius Hour. I am looking forward to more inspiration at tomorrow's sessions.
 Click here for more information about the iSummit conference.

Voice, Vision, and Values

For about a month, I have been meeting weekly with my school's vision team ---a group of teachers who are working with me on strategic planning for our school. We have only had a few meetings, but already the passion and ideas shared have energized me in a time of year that is typically draining. The first thing we chose to do as a team was to identify our core values, those principles that would govern any decision or plan we make.

At the foundation is our school's mission --- "To demonstrate the love of Christ". After that, we identified four key questions we would continually ask ourselves:

• Is this in the best interest of my students?
• Does this make us distinctive?
• Is this progressive, current, and relevant?
• Is this sustainable?

Establishing these core values is such a vital step in implementing change. They provide clarity, unity, direction and establish culture. Each classroom in our school may look different, but all will embody these themes.

Question #3: Am I worth it?

For the past month, I have been reflecting on the concept that every student comes into the classroom asking three questions: Do you like me?, Am I going to make it?, and Am I worth it?.

I have been challenging myself to think about the way I interact with not only my students, but my co-workers, parents, and family. Do my interactions communicate that I believe the answer is an unequivocal "yes" to each of these questions? If not, what do I need to change to make it better?

As educators, I believe letting a child know we believe they are worth it is a matter of intentional planning, preparedness, and engagement.

Intentional Planning - Students know we believe they are worth it, when we have well-planned, thoughtful lessons that

•  start with the question "Who am I teaching?" rather than "What am I teaching?"
•  are unswervingly committed to doing what is in the best interest of the students, not what is more convenient for the teacher.
• are differentiated so that each student's experiences aligns with his/her needs

Intentional Preparedness - Students know they are worth it when we are intentionally prepared to give the lessons. They walk in the door and see materials in place  and technology up and running. As students arrive, the teacher's only focus is connecting with them, greeting and asking questions, not grading papers, not writing on the board, not setting up for activities. To improve preparedness, consider the following strategies:

• At the end of the day, set up for the next day before you leave. 
• Recruit students to help with writing information on the board, setting up technology, moving desks. The most important thing you do is greet your students. Delegate the other tasks. 
• Intentionally schedule times in your day to check email, texts, grade papers that are not during transitions.
• Put your phone away unless using it to interact with your students. Students know when you are distracted by your phone AND they tell their parents.
• When writing lesson plans, on a separate sheet of paper, write a supply list in columns divided by days of the week.Before leaving on Monday night, check the supply list for Tuesday and set it up (or have a "prep team" of students do it.)

Intentional Engagement - If I want to plan a birthday party for one of my children, I am not going to shape it around my personality, preferences, or pre-conceived notions of what has worked with my other children. When planning, I would consult with him and do my best to make what he wants happen within the limitations that I set (time, budget, etc.).  The same is true with teaching. I can't engage someone if I don't connect with them personally. I need to know my students before I can teach them. There are ways to insure you are teaching in a way that engages your students:

• Ask - Ask your students what they like, how they learn,  what they know, how they would like to learn about a topic. Ask and then use what you learn to craft lessons. Be bold and allow students to give ideas about how to learn. What if a regular Friday practice involved students' brainstorming ideas on how to learn about next week's standards? When you incorporate some of those ideas in your lessons, your students will know you value them.
• Observe and reflect - Don't just assume that your methods are the best. Videotape your lessons watching the student's body language and interest levels. Be able to admit to yourself when a lesson is ineffective and make the changes needed. Observe other teachers in and outside your school.
•  Compare - Our initial reaction as educators is to not compare ourselves to others. We teach the way that works best for us, but the only way to learn and grow is to study what those in and outside of my school are doing. We have to dare to compare and be willing to admit that our way may not be the best way. 
• Connect - There is no excuse for stagnant classrooms. With Pinterest, Twitter, edCamps, blogs ,edWeb,  professional collaboration and growth is at your fingertips.
• Try before you speak - As teachers, we have to refuse to say the words "That won't work" or "They can't do that".  The truth is we have no idea what will and won't work until we try it, and if the objective is student engagement, and what we are doing is not effective, we have to be willing to do whatever it takes. The only thing we can't do is refuse to try. 

It may seem easy as an administrator to rattle off all these thoughts about what teachers should be doing but keep in mind, if this is what I require of my teachers, then I have to require the same of myself.  The best way to promote these intentional practices is to provide those experiences for my teachers. Intentional planning and preparedness have to be evident in my communications, meetings, and interactions. I have to put my phone away. I have to take time to step away from my desk and greet my teachers. And the one I need to do the most is not only ask my teachers what they like, how they learn, how they would like to learn, but also incorporate that information into what I do, so they know I value them.I have not done very well in my first few years as an administrator in answering these three questions for my teachers. It wasn't intentional. I have told my teachers on many occasions that I like them,. I believe they are capable of amazing things, they are all precious to me, but going forward, I want to show them.

Question #2: Am I going to make it?

The 2nd question every student asks upon entering the classroom is "Will I make it?" (For question number 1, click here.)  In other words, "Am I capable?" or "Can I be successful?". There are three buzzwords floating around the eduverse today that may appear to be passing trends, but in actuality are foundational principles that in practice will let students know you believe they are successful. 

• Rigor is the belief that students can go beyond rote memorization because they are not only receptacles for information but also gatherers, processors, and communicators. It is not increasing the volume of work, but rather the value of work. Rigor also believes that each student is expected to learn at high levels.  Shifting to a rigorous environment in the classroom can be difficult at first. Both students and parents may complain and resist. A teacher has to be willing to witness these struggles and provide support while remaining resolute. Additionally, we as educators have to be willing to embrace rigorous practices by thinking critically about how and what we teach.  Barbara Blackburn has written an excellent article defining rigor: The Seven Myths of Instructional Rigor.
• Resilience or Grit is simply the ability to keep going despite mistakes and challenges. Teaching students about and requiring them to be resilient lets them know you believe they have what it takes to succeed. Grit and resilience should be words students hear, see, and celebrate at their schools. In the article, "Teach Kids to use the Four-Letter Word", Joe Hirsch suggests ways to promote grit in the classroom. 
• Failure or empowering students to fail is another way students can know you believe they are capable of success. Our students must know that failure is a stop on a journey, not a permanent destination. Just this week, I had someone express to me fear about trying something new. "What if I end up with egg on my face?" I answered, "You just wipe it off." For some reason, failure has become an enemy to not only students, but also parents. It's something we protect students from or teach them to fear or avoid. We must model for students that failure is nothing more than a stepping stone, a building tool, a detail to be woven into a narrative about success. This article discusses the Benefits of Failure. Cybraryman provides an extensive list of links, quotes, and ideas about failure. 

How do you help students know you believe in their ability to succeed?


 

Edcamp TN

Since entering the Twitterverse back in January, I have noticed a lot of buzz about edcamps. A complete description of an edcamp and the rationale behind the concept can be read at these links:

• What is edcamp?
• The evolution of edcamps

The more I learned about edcamps, the more I wanted to try one and thankfully, Samantha Bates (@sjsbates on Twitter) and  Crystal Pinson (@krctl on Twitter) hosted an edcampTN at Lakewood School this past Saturday. 

EdcampTN was exciting to me for several reasons:

• It provided an opportunity to gather with a diverse pool of educators. In one room, there were administrators, regular and special education teachers, and IT support people ---- educators from Henry County, Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and St. Louis ----representatives from private schools, rural public schools, and urban public schools. 
• The sessions were learner-driven. When I arrived, the session board was blank. Gradually, it filled with topics suggested by those in the room. An expectation was given that all were participants and all were presenters, so each session was full of rich conversation. We were told from the beginning that the day was totally planned by us. It was also established that if a session was not what you needed, then you had the freedom to get up and move to another one.  It's amazing how you feel when you are told you have a voice and you have a choice in the way you learn. 
• I learned! Not only from the sessions but from the people I connected with between the sessions. In three short hours, I learned about effective inclusion, using Vine, Instagram, and several other apps in the classroom, how to use Tweetdeck and Goggle Docks, ideas for parent engagement,  strategies for incorporating outlets for movement and creativity in the classroom. 
• I expanded my PLN! I left there with more connections ----educators to whom I can reach out to for advice and support. 

The most important insight I gained from edcampTN was the opportunity to experience learning in the way I have been asking my teachers to facilitate for our students. Edcamps embrace the concept of student-driven learning, collaboration, and technology integration. The environment is messy and organic and for me, inspiring. It answers the question, "If there is no designated teacher, if all participants are both teacher and student, will learning occur?" The answer is a resounding "YES!". Once you experience it, you'll see why our students need it, why moving in this direction despite the resistance and roadblocks is indeed non-negotiable AND in the best interest of our students. 
 
For my next edcamp, there are a few changes I will make:

• Come digitally prepared - I left the house with just my iphone and no paper or pencil. Next time, I will bring a laptop or Ipad, so I can visit the various links given out, and participate in the conversations going on Twitter during the conference. If you are not on Twitter, set up your account prior to coming to edcamp.
• Come together - I will invite someone to ride with me. I think being able to discuss the experience over lunch and during the ride home would have enhanced it. 
• Come to present - This time, I held back. Thankfully, the sessions offered addressed the needs I had, but next time, I want to jump in with a session idea. I was intimidated by the thought of "presenting", but at an edcamp, you should not be daunted by the use of the word "present". While at a conference, it might mean writing a paper to present or preparing a power point presentation, at edcamp, "present" means "preside". Start the conversation, share what you know, then listen while others share. 

 
At the end of our morning, it was announced that there are plans for edcamp Knoxville, edcamp Chattanooga, and edcamp Memphis in the coming year. You can also find information about other edcamps at the edcamp Foundation website .

Finally, here are other accounts from educators about edcamps:

• The Case for Edcamp
• Why Edcamp? 
• My first Edcamp experience  
• An edcamp experience in New York

Question #1: "Where Everybody Knows your Name"...

In the previous post, I wrote about Dr. Neale Pryor's statement that every student comes into a classroom asking three questions: 

• Do you like me?
• Will I make it?
•  Am I worth it?

The question "Do you like me?" addresses the need to not only be seen or acknowledged, but also to be accepted. There are many ways educators can answer this question with a resounding "yes":

The T.V. show "Cheers" had it right when they opened each episode with the words, "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came". That's exactly how I want my school to be for my students, parents, and teachers. For an administrator, it's important to be not only present, but to also intentionally extend hospitality. There are basic ways to promote a welcoming culture (Greet each student by name when you pass him in the hallway, check in with every teacher in the morning prior to school, walking around in the cafeteria at lunch talking with students, be visible at dismissal, etc.). Here are a few other ideas to make sure students know they are special and liked:

• Names not numbers - It's important for students to hear me call them by name, but also to see their names listed as a valued part of our community.  For example, a few months ago, we had an Amazing Race type activity for each class.  At every stop, after completing the challenge, I gave the class a puzzle piece. When they returned to the classroom, they glued the pieces together to find a Wordle with everyone's name included in it. These puzzles have hung on the doors of each classroom all year to remind us that we are all an important part of the school.  
• "Blessing Prayer" -Whenever I have the opportunity, I will pray for students by name. It's a very simple "Thank you for _______" or "Please bless _______". Even with 30 students, it doesn't take that long.  I love the way a student's face will light up when her name is spoken. Eventually, I change it to everyone in the class prays for the person to their right.  I had a student named Cody who would ask me to pray this way almost every day. Without fail, when I would get through saying everyone's name, Cody would lean over and say, "And you, Mrs. Suzie, don't forget you.". It warmed my heart to know Cody remembered me. 
• Morning Meetings - Many schools have adopted the practices detailed in The Morning Meeting Book by Roxanne Kriete. Many elements of the morning meeting convey to the students that they are accepted. In this video clip, you can see a 5th grade morning meeting.
• Pictures - My teachers post student pictures on their walls alongside the students' work. When parents come to my office, they see pictures of all my children, my own and the ones with whom I have been entrusted.                                                         

How do you let students know you like them at your school?

3 Questions every Student asks

This week I had the opportunity to attend the National Christian Schools Association national conference in Nashville, TN. At one session, the speaker, Dr. Bruce McLarty, president of Harding University, quoted one of his most inspiring teachers, Dr. Neale Pryor. Dr. Pryor taught him that every student who comes into your classroom is asking three questions:

• Do you like me?
• Am I going to make it?
• Am I worth it? 

Dr. Pryor observed that when the student knows the answers to these questions, then great learning begins. 

I believe these questions...

•  reflect our inherent need to feel acceptable (Do you like me?), capable (Am I going to make it?), and valuable (Am I worth it?).
• are asked not only by the students in my school, but also teachers, staff, and parents.
• are answered more by my actions and attitude than my words. 
• have the same answer ("Yes!!) regardless of who is asking them, so my response to an individual or my lack of response speaks more about my character than the person to whom I am responding. 

I'd like to spend a few blog entries reflecting on the answers to each of these questions and some concrete ways I can promote a culture that communicates the correct answers.  It doesn't matter if I use the most innovative teaching methods, integrate technology, implement CCSS, or raise test scores. If I don't answer these three questions correctly in my community, then my students are not getting what they deserve---- to thrive in a culture radiant with the message that you are unconditionally accepted, you have limitless potential, and you are inherently valuable.   

Another Lesson in Education from Dr. Seuss: Horton Hears A Who

"A person's a person no matter how small" is the theme of Horton Hears a Who. I love the image of this huge elephant with a small weed in his trunk listening to the sound of the Whos. As educators, there are many connections we can make with this story. Here are a few of the ones I saw:

• Be Horton. I have a 76 year old aunt that to this day insists she is a horrible speller. Why? Because her elementary teacher once told her she would never learn to spell. My husband never learned to write in cursive because his 4th grade teacher gave him an F in handwriting and told him he was a failure. Those singular moments had a lasting effect on those two elementary students. It doesn't matter how much knowledge I have about best educational practices if I do not impart it in a way that resounds with the message: "You have value".  Our students need to know we believe in them.  Be Horton. Have eyes that see and ears that hear. See value and potential in every student you serve and then be willing to do whatever it takes to protect and nurture that potential.  
• Be the mayor of Whoville. The mayor of Whoville took it upon himself to motivate every one of his constituents to make their voices heard. No one was allowed to be a shirker. When he found Jo-Jo shirking his duties, he didn't cast him aside as a no good, lazy who. Instead he told Jo-Jo, "Your voice counts" . As educators, we must strive to inspire the shirkers, and join  them as they climb toward success. 
• Never underestimate the power of one small, extra Yopp! "Their world was saved by the Smallest of All!" At my school, I often pray for my students to grow to be "mighty men and women of God who make the world a better place". I believe they will all contribute mightily to this world regardless of their reading level, standardized test scores, or report card grade. Those are indicators of mastery of grade level content. They are not predictors of effectiveness. In fact, every person in my school is impactful. Whether they are a giant elephant or a tiny who, no one escapes the destiny of leaving a mark on this world. 

 Those were a few of my thoughts. What lessons for educators do you see in "Horton Hears a Who"?

Even More Lessons in Education from Dr. Seuss: The Lorax

"The Lorax" is Dr. Seuss's tale of the entrepreneurial Once-ler who upon arriving to the forest outside of town immediately envisions a money-making opportunity ----making Thneeds out of Truffula Trees. When he begins his enterprise, his efforts are interrupted by the Lorax who repeatedly appeals to the Onceler to be mindful of his decisions and how they are impacting not just the trees but all the other inhabitants of the forest. The Onceler is so pre-occupied with "biggering" his business that he ignores the pleas of the Lorax. Eventually the Lorax and the other inhabitants leave and the Once-ler's business fails.

 When I accepted my job as an elementary principal, I was the 4th administrator in the last ten years. Like so many new principals, I came in with lots of plans and ideas for "biggering" our school. If I wasn't careful, I would get so busy "biggering" that I wouldn't think about "bettering". That's where the Lorax comes in. Every administrator needs a Lorax ---that voice of reason, the one who enables me to see not just the trees in the forest, but also the Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming Fish ---the one whose experience and perspective can help me make sure that what I plan connects not only with the school's past, but also its future. The Lorax might be a teacher, a predecessor,  a parent, a student, or a community member, but before I embark on any "biggering" I must take the time to listen and learn from the Lorax, or else I will find myself alone.

More Lessons in Education from Dr. Seuss: The Zax

 "All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental."

 When I read "The Zax" by Dr. Seuss, I think of the disclaimer written above. Oh, how this story needs it because we all at some point in our lives have known a Zax or have been a Zax. 

The story is simple. A North-going Zax and a South-going Zax run into each other. Each refuse to move out of the other's way. They won't step aside and they certainly won't change direction. While they stand there face to face, arms defiantly crossed, a city springs up around them and an interstate going in all sorts of directions is built above, behind, and beside them, yet they stand there eternally deadlocked. 

So, how can this apply to educators?

If you are the Zax, uncross those arms and open your eyes and your mind. Tunnel vision traps you in a tunnel. You can not stay in the tunnel of past teaching traditions. That is not healthy for you or your students. Uncross your arms and start engaging students with hands-on, interactive learning experiences. Step off to the side, and let your students choose the direction of learning. Model for them an openness to growth and guide them as they navigate through multi-directional learning paths. The world of education is organic, constantly growing and changing, and if we stay immovable, we will be left behind. 

If the Zax works with you and sometimes blocks your path, please keep building. Keep on being innovative and daring, taking risks and sharing those risks. Don't let the resistance to change change you. If you find yourself in a Zax school culture, seek support from like-minded educators outside of your school. You are not alone and you are growing in the right direction. Stay strong and know that while the Zaxes are left behind, you are moving forward.

If the Zax works for you, and is standing there with arms crossed in defiance, oblivious to the colleagues who are constructing new cities and building bridges and interstates around them, then it may be time to move the Zax. In the story, a Zax By-pass is built, but that is not always an option. Sometimes the Zax must be relocated. While that may be an uncomfortable and sometimes excruciating decision to make, if it is what's best for the students, then it must be done.

The most important thing is to keep the Zax in perspective, whether it's a person blocking your path, or the voice in your head that holds you back from trying something new. Zax moments are human and natural and common for us all, but they are to be only moments ----hurdles to jump over, not walls built to keep in or keep out or keep still. If anything, the Zaxes in our lives can be what propels us to do and be more. 

Lessons in Education from Dr. Seuss: McElligot's Pool

Schools across the nation will be celebrating the life and literature of Dr. Seuss this week. My 1st grader, Johnny,  is working on a presentation about his favorite Dr. Seuss book. We have been reading several, so he can make an informed choice (Pictured: One of the Dr. Seuss books from my childhood...definitely an antique!). I've discovered that the stories of Dr. Seuss can serve as a tutorial in education for a novice administrator like me. 

  McElligot's Pool

The story starts with a young boy named Marco fishing in McElligot's pool. An old farmer comes along and says, "Young man, you're sort of a fool! You'll never catch fish in McElligot's Pool. The pool is too small. And, you might as well know it, when people have junk, here's the place that they throw it.....If you sat fifty years with your worms and your wishes, you'd grow a long beard long before you'd catch fishes." 
I have met that farmer many times over the years.

•  My first teaching job was in an inner-city middle school with over 90% of its students living in poverty. I was told by an administrator, "We don't assign textbooks because they just lose them.... Don't bother giving homework, they won't do it.... Just try to keep the class under control and busy. If they finish one assignment, give another one."  It seemed the philosophy was containment rather than engagement. 
• Then there are those parents who have told me, "My child can't learn. He's lazy. He doesn't care." 
• That student who says, "I can't do this. I'm in the low math group."
• And those people who say "That won't work here. Teachers won't do that. That will never fly." 

The farmers will come, and they will most definitely opine, but they don't define your vision and they don't chart your course. Listen respectfully. Discern any pragmatic value their objections have, and then keep on fishing.

Be like Marco and see past the pool. He replied to the farmer, "It may be you're right, I've been there three hours without one single bite. There might be no fish...But again, Well, there might! Cause you never can tell what goes on down below! This pool might be bigger than you or I know!...If I wait long enough, if I'm patient and cool, Who knows what I'll catch in McElligot's Pool!"

Making peace with Mary Poppins

For a while, Mary Poppins and I were "on the outs".

My husband, David, planned an amazing family vacation to Disneyworld and as part of the experience, he made sure we had breakfast with Mary Poppins. I was extremely excited to meet my favorite nanny. After all, I can say and sing all of her lines from the movie. Imagine how devastated I was when Mary's first words to me were "Those are an awful lot of pastries on your plate. I hope that is because you are on holiday." Definitely not the "spoonful of sugar" moment I had envisioned. I remember feeling momentarily defeated consoling myself by enjoying the aforementioned pastries. A few months later I saw "Saving Mr. Banks",  and realized that even practically perfect people have baggage. In this case,  that baggage belonged to Mary's creator, PL Travers. As I left the theater, I thought to myself, what if Walt Disney had let her baggage stop him ---no spoonful of sugar, no jumping into sidewalks, no dancing on the rooftops, or laughing on the ceiling. How tragic that would have been!

As an administrator, there are moments that deflate you ---- a critical email from a parent, a complaint from a teacher, a student who tests your patience. Most of the time those behaviors are due to baggage. It's so easy to freeze that parent, teacher, or student in that moment. To let that moment be the lens through which you view them, but I urge all of us to push past the baggage. Let it be one stop on an ongoing journey of understanding those you serve. That critical parent can also be a faithful volunteer. That complaining teacher might be your strongest innovator. That rascally student might be your greatest teacher.  There are treasures beyond the baggage.

Springboard Moments

With temperatures this morning in the single digits (and to this Southern girl that is cold!!!), today I am reflecting on one of my favorite things to do...jump off a diving board into a cool, clear swimming pool. There's nothing like that moment when your feet leave the board and you are flying in the air and anything is possible. Then you land in the water and the "work" begins. You have to swim....or sink. And sometimes the water is too cold and shocks you, or it's lukewarm and you are disappointed, but you start swimming or floating and after awhile, you get used to it. Before too long, you find yourself saying to others, "Come on in! The water's fine!"

Today I had three precious Springboard moments, those conversations where you are in dream mode, floating in the air and anything is possible. One was with a teacher who came in with an idea about using Bubble Gum Day in February as a service opportunity for her students. Before she left the idea had transformed into a dream of fourth graders running their own store where the proceeds go to charity. Then an elementary student dreamed with me about starting a school newspaper.  Later a parent, my boss, and I tossed around ideas about funny promos for our school encouraging sportsmanship among our fans. I happily bounced through my day from one Springboard moment to the next . It was invigorating conversation, and on a cold winter Friday, who couldn't use a little invigoration?

As an administrator, if I am not careful, I can unintentionally stifle creativity in my school. I want people to feel like they can bring ideas to me and dream with me by being the "springboard" not the "brick wall". I should routinely participate in and provide springboard moments for my students, my parents, my teachers, and myself. Everyone needs opportunities to dream and soar and splash---a break from the necessary swimming that we all must do.

"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality."  John Lennon

Where it all begins...

In the early 80's, I was the proverbial "latch-key kid". I walked home from school with my key jangling around my neck to an empty house, a kitchen full of snacks, and sole control of the T.V.'s channel changing knob. I had the power to choose from one of five channels. Every afternoon at 3:00 PM, I flipped past  "Donahue", "Sha-Na-Na", "Sesame Street", and "Good Times", to get to "Little House on the Prairie". For this little girl whose dad left when I was six and whose mom worked all the time, I longed to be a part of the Walnut Grove community--- a place where people worked through conflict, faced trials, and celebrated achievement together.

Fast forward a few decades, and I find myself trying to be a mom, wife, and principal of a small, private Christian elementary school. While I own all 9 seasons of my favorite show, they sit untouched in my cabinet. I rarely have time to watch them. I have grown older and unfortunately wiser to the harsh realities that conflicts aren't always resolved, trials last longer than an hour (generally without commercial interruption), and sometimes life is too busy to even recognize, let alone celebrate achievement.  Yet in my heart, I still believe that my imaginary childhood hometown was and is inspired by actual events, actual people, and places. So as I gingerly step into this world of blogging and reflection, I should probably write that the basis for my leadership paradigm is found in the teachings of renowned thinkers and innovative educators, but that wouldn't be accurate. It really began with a little girl longing to be a part of something and to belong somewhere more authentic than an empty house and a TV show. First and foremost what drives me as an administrator is to have a school that radiates this message to all that are there : "You are safe and you are valuable". Every lesson, schedule, activity, decision, and detail must be enveloped in these life-giving words.