Tag Archives: Blogging

So what can I tell you, I like change. I’ve been resisting the urge to change my blog presentation, figuring readers were used to the daisy look. But, hey, I’m a girl who changes the furniture at least once per week at home and a couple of times per year in my office at school. This is a way to change without using any muscle. What do you think? I’m at a conference all day tomorrow, following up on “High School’s New Face” from last July where I learned about all of this blog business from Will, I’ll have to ask there if it’s proper blog etiquette to mix it up from time to time.

I think this blogging gig is actually leading to meaningful conversations about education. Face to face conversations. I’m running into teachers and students in the hallway who have read a blog post and then want to talk about it. This is much different than the casual, “how’s it going?” conversations that normally take place. They are a meaningful dialogue where both professionals and students are reading, reflecting, and responding.

Blogging may just lead to a professional learning community where we talk more about our ideas on education than the lack of toner in the printers. Even on a bad day at work, when I’m inundated with tasks that seem mundane or meaningless, I feel energized by what I read. I’m reminded, every day, of what’s important in education. 

I’m encouraged and uplifted by the meaningful conversations taking place in the hallways, on-line on blogs, through email, and in my community. I truly hope that this continues to grow, that we’ll really think about what’s important in G-town and more important, that we’ll talk about it. All the petty little things that people find to complain about may actually give way to a much higher ground. I’m seeing it and I’m believing it. I’m also energized by it and will be a better principal because of everything that my readers and other bloggers teach me. Yeah, I’m totally hooked.

When I originally set up this blog in July, it was without a whole lot of planning for the future. I was interested in finding a way to connect with my students, faculty, staff, and parents. I thought it would be a way to get my ideas out there about relatively mundane activities at G-Town.

Then, without any forethought, it went in this other direction where I was writing for a different audience, an audience of fellow educators. I remember asking Will Richardson what he thought about where G-Town talks was going and where I had intended it to go. That was in August and Will thought I was probably looking at two different blogs. I never thought for a second I could manage both and now I find some readers in G-Town. Some students have chimed in, a couple of regular readers in my teachers and staff, a parent or two. The two different audiences are beginning to converge.

Up until this point, I haven’t done much to put this out there in G-Town as a public relations tool, or even as a communications tool. I’m wondering if I should. In little ways, I’ve made it public. I’ve listed this blog address at the bottom of my email signature and our tech guy linked to it from our school website. Should I put an article in the newsletter? Should I talk to my teachers about it? Does that just become self- promotion? A reader recently commented on the creative writing nature of my blog and it made me wonder if readers will figure I should have better things to do with my time. And yes, Courtney and Mrs. Furman, I read your wonderful comments in response to him–thank you. But it does make me wonder if that will be echoed in our community.

Maybe I should just quietly continue on, writing as I am now. Sharing with those who I know are interested, those who are also blogging. Problem is, that doesn’t feel like I’m exactly leading then, does it?

I just read two insightful, well written and thoughtful comments from Lisa and Amy, two contributors who have previously submitted to my posts. I’m left thinking, learning, and reflecting. Again, I’m considering the power of this medium.

So my challenge to Lisa and Amy is to get off the bench and blog. Thank you for your contribution to G-Town talks, but you’re always left just responding to what I initiate. It seems to me that each of you, and most other readers, have so much more to offer. Plus, I spend an enourmous amount of time looking for new blogs to read that connect with what I need to learn most. We need more players in the game, my bench warming friends. Join me.

Think about this post from Theresa G. on Grand Rounds. Theresa is a staff development specialist working with area schools. She has created this blog as “A space for educators and professional developers to share research in education, discuss what they are reading and doing in school districts, and enhance their knowledge.” 

In the post Theresa quotes Jenny D., in comparing the teaching profession to the medical field. Jenny D. says something that’s really sticking with me.  

“For example, physicians worry about process first. The correct process leads to the best outcome, so process is first.” 

This really reminds me that our forced obsession with results and scores and rankings should never over shadow the process or in our case, the teaching strategies/methods/pedagogy. Further think about this point made by Jenny D., 

“Doctors who work with the sickest patients are often the most skilled doctors, and their outcomes are probably not as good as doctors who work with less sick patients. So measuring a doctor’s skill might not be best done using outcomes.” 

I’m not sure we do this adequately either. How often is the rookie teacher given the toughest classes because the more experienced teachers have “paid their dues”? Like the best doctors working with the sickest patients, we need the best teachers working with the neediest kids. 

Theresa G. also goes on to reflect on her professional development practices with teachers and principals. 

“but working in professional development – we try to integrate these “process” pieces into everything we do. In fact, at our regional curriculum meetings, we have begun to use a tuning protocol to guide our discussions of district and regional issues. Our hope is that something like “pay it forward” will happen – folks who work with and learn the protocol will then use it back in the district as part of their process, who will then use it in their buildings, where it might eventually translate into the classroom.” 

I say, yes!, that’s exactly what Theresa G. should be doing. I was at the regional curriculum meeting where we used the tuning protocol. I’m looking forward to practicing it again, until I own it. Then I can return to my building, model it in staff meetings and hope the same thing: that it translates into the classroom. We must be instructional leaders in our buildings and it has to be something we continually focus on. It becomes too easy to just end up managing the building, the 100+ little jobs every day that come over the desk. It’s a constant effort to stay focused on the instruction, the curriculum, and the students. It’s also the most important thing we do, the reason we’re here, the process. I’m going to remember that the next time I find myself immersed in data for too long. I’m going to go sit in a classroom instead.