Aug

30

Blogging Blocked

August 30, 2007 | 6 Comments

Blogging has been a professional practice for me for over a year now. As I’ve been transitioning into a new position this summer, somehow I’ve lost that practice. I’m not really sure why, if it’s that I just haven’t gotten into the groove of the new job or if superintendents (and assistants, in my case) [...]

Aug

20

Working Together

August 20, 2007 | 4 Comments

Maybe it’s my personal staff development in Thoughtful Classroom training with Harvey Silver this summer. Maybe it’s my own style of management that includes processing ideas in discussions with others and sharing decision making. Maybe it’s all of the reading I’m doing on-line and in educational journals this summer.
I’m more convinced every day that our [...]

Aug

10

Difficult Parents

August 10, 2007 | 5 Comments

It occurs to me that sometimes we (those of us in public schools) avoid difficult parents. This is absolutely the wrong approach. Difficult parents are tough for lots of reasons, but usually, the primary reason is a frustration with our school through a lack of understanding, their own bad memories from a personal experience, or [...]

Aug

9

The Book I’m Reading Now

August 9, 2007 | 4 Comments

I’ve written here about how much I read, especially during the summer. I’m not sure I’ve ever posted about a book before, but I’ve got to say how much I’m enjoying Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.  It’s the kind of book I want to read slowly, underlining and making notations. I’m looking [...]

Aug

6

My Eight Random Facts

August 6, 2007 | 7 Comments

Chris Lehmann , Christian Long and Lisa Rosendahl tagged me and since I’m bored stiff by the movie 300 that my son and dad are watching, I’m glad to play along with this meme.
First, the Rules:

Post these rules before you give your facts
List 8 random facts about yourself
At the end of your post, choose (tag) [...]

Aug

5

The Good Old Days

August 5, 2007 | 4 Comments

1980, Boy meets girl, talks to girl, asks for phone number. Boy calls girl on her home phone, they talk until someone else in the house demands use of phone. No call waiting, no cell phones, no caller id. Boy asks girl out on date, girl says yes. Couple talks non-stop in the car, on the date, [...]

Aug

3

Let Me Ask “Why?”

August 3, 2007 | 2 Comments

I want to share an absolutely fascinating thing that just happened with Harvey and Susan at Thoughtful Classroom. As adult learners, we took the learning styles test last evening and we haven’t looked at it yet today. After lunch, Harvey and Susan ask us to look at Guernica, by Pablo Picasso and then jot down [...]

Aug

3

Blogging Shows Me Again That I’m Not Alone

August 3, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Just want to say a big AMEN to Chris Lehmann’s latest post–I love it when I read someone like Chris who makes me say “YES!” here’s someone thinking and writing the same thing I’ve been thinking so much about lately.  
We need school and district administrators to create a culture of innovation where teachers and [...]

Aug

3

The Thoughtful Classroom

August 3, 2007 | 2 Comments

I’m at Thoughtful Classroom in Salamanca, learning with David Smith, our Middle School Principal, and three terrific teachers, Lois Piscitelli, Andrea Geist, and Kris Ruzycki. We are learning from Harvey Silver and Susan Morris and it is an incredible learning opportunity for me, providing a framework about many of the things I’ve known for seventeen years [...]

Aug

1

Please Give Me Something To Learn About

August 1, 2007 | 7 Comments

Cross posted at LeaderTalk
When we ask the interview question of “what are your thoughts on the uses of technology in education?”, I have a preconceived notion of what I want to hear that is never met. I’m happy if the candidate even talks about it from a general point of view on the uses in [...]

keep looking »