Tag Archives: Professional growth

Creating a Culture of Literacy

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Today was a superintendent’s conference day and our entire faculty focused on literacy. It was our privilege to welcome Melvina Phillips, who authored the book, Creating a Culture of Literacy, for the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) , as our teacher today.

We talked about literacy across the content areas and focused on literacy strategies that content area teachers can employ immediately. Melvina taught the strategies to us through modeling and practice. I walked away with several strategies I know will help our students in the classroom.

I gave every teacher an exit ticket out the door on which they could reflect on something they learned, something they needed to successfully implement, something that worries them or affects them from today’s learning, and anything else they needed us to know.

It was interesting how many of our teachers expressed concern about two major points. One, they worry that our administration won’t see it through and two, that their colleagues won’t participate.

I learned clearly today that it’s my role as the principal to help teach strategies by providing peer coaching time and staff development, to allow opportunities to practice, and then to encourage (read: require) all teachers to help our students by applying these literacy strategies in the classroom. Regularly. Melvina said that all students need the opportunity to read, listen, write, discuss, and investigate in every lesson. It’s my job to help teachers learn and practice, then expect it to be done, regularly and well.

The fact that so many teachers were worried about their colleagues didn’t really surprise me. But if I don’t move forward and set high expectations for all faculty because of those teachers who don’t want to learn, to change, to make things better for our students, then I’m just leading to the least common denominator. Just like teachers who expect little of themselves and their students because of those kids who aren’t motivated and won’t work.

I’m a better leader than that, I refuse to allow those teachers firmly entrenched in status quo to dictate what happens for our kids. I expect our teachers to do better than that and I expect more from myself. For all of the wonderful teachers in our building who were willing to LEARN what Melvina taught today, I won’t let you down.

Physical Education Teachers Get Wiki

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Our physical education teachers worked with a staff development specialist from BOCES, Theresa Grey, on wikis, blogs, and YouTube today. They were excited about learning, engaged, and working together to figure out ways to use the technology. They developed a wiki together and overcame any technology snafus that came their way. I can imagine them using this for their own learning, to improve lesson planning, and with our students.

I’m most proud of their department leader, Amy Cassidy, for being the kind of leader who pushed me to teach them something new. It’s already a cracker jack department with fantastic participation rates and wonderful instruction. Encore subjects too often get left out in staff development and I’m delighted that Theresa offered them meaningful instruction that was all about their own learning, in their content. I’m hoping Theresa links in a comment to this post so that we can see what our physical education teachers created today (hint, hint). Thanks for being great learners.

Agenda Item #4

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At this month’s faculty meeting, I finally explained to my teachers what I’m doing with blogging. I talked about my own professional learning through reading, reflecting, and writing. I did my best to explain succinctly how it’s influencing me professionally and what I think it can do for teachers. I talked briefly about a couple of teachers in our school who’ve been using it. I told my faculty that I believe our best teachers are those who are curious and who never stop wanting to learn.

I offered to hold a session after school for teachers who are interested in learning how to give it a try and asked that anyone who’s interested just email me to let me know. That was Wednesday. Today, I have seven teachers who have volunteered to stay after school to learn more about how to learn more.

Seven plus the three in the building already blogging. I’ll take it.

What I’ve Learned On-Line

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What’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from starting my bloglines account, reading others, entering the on-line world of professional discussion on education, and writing here at G-Town talks? It’s all about coming to school, no, to life,  willing to learn.

By participating.  As adults. With a hunger to learn, a curiosity, asking the big questions, acknowledging that I don’t have all of the answers, willing and eager to look for them. This is the future of education.

Knowing how to think, to research, to read and reflect and respond. Knowing how to find the information I need, when I need it, and to evaluate it so that I can use it productively.

For everyone who doesn’t have the time or the inclination to learn, do you really think you already have all of the information you need to: A. be the best educator you can be  and  B. to lead the best life you can lead? Do we really have educators who think they learned everything they need to know to do their job effectively in college? Five, or ten, or twenty, or thirty years ago. That’s mind-boggling to me. I don’t even remember what I learned then. It’s what I’m learning every day, RIGHT NOW, that changes the way I see the world and do business. How can anyone just stay inside their own head, spinning around in what they think is the source of all knowledge? The teacher? Or the textbook?

I simply don’t get that.

Dear Diary: This is not what blogging is about.

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I was reading a post on Theresa’s blog, Grand Rounds, and after reflecting on her topic, I would like to respond in writing here.  I’m detailing the process because I’m reminded in her post that often times teachers, parents, and students don’t understand blogging and we’re not doing a good enough job of explaining it’s uses.

Theresa writes about her experience as a staff development specialist and the reluctance she encounters from her participants about the uses of blogs,

So why aren’t more teachers using them? Why aren’t they a part of each and every classroom across this globe?

Lots of reasons, or at least I am told. Here are some I have heard:
1. They are not safe – don’t you watch Dateline?
2. My school blocks all social networking sites.
3. Real life requires pen and pencil, not just a computer. Sure they can type – but they can’t type their state assessment.
4. I don’t have the time to have kids blog when I have content to cover.
5. I don’t have time to learn how to blog so I can teach my students.
6. I don’t blog because I don’t have anything to say – why should I have my kids blog? (Followed by – It’s just an on-line journal!)
7. Blogging doesn’t create real relationships – I want my students to discuss things in class.
8. Blogs are another fad in education– don’t you remember whole language and the damage THAT did?

So often when someone hears about blogging, they quickly categorize it as an on-line journal, or another MySpace, or a different way to IM. I guess it can be those things, but that’s not at all how I’m using it.  

I continue to spend about 85% of my on-line time READING what others have to say about education. I don’t walk around thinking about what I want to write about. It’s not the same as when I think about something that’s happened in our lives and then want to remember to tell my husband or my mom about it later.

It’s professional reading, reflecting, and responding. It’s thinking about my audience and what I want to say that potentially can influence thinking or serve a purpose to another educator, student, or parent. It’s about learning. My time spent “blogging”, and by “blogging” I mean reading on-line sources including blogs, writing, and reading comments left on my posts, is all about my own learning. It’s free, it’s accessible 24/7, and it’s what I choose.

That’s what we need to plug into with our students. Not the same old assignments posted on a blog.  We can add it to enhance learning or we can just keep doing the same old, same old. The reason I don’t worry about the educators who believe they are the source of all knowledge in the classroom is that our students already have it figured out. Any teacher, or principal for that matter, who thinks she knows everything  students need to know, is kidding herself. And no one else. I’m just hoping a few teachers will help guide our students to meaningful learning. When they leave G-Town, students are going to learn about what they choose, not what NYS tells them they have to learn. I hope we do an adequate job of showing them how to learn whatever it is they need to know, not how to receive information and then spit it back out. Who wants an employee who can only do that?

Come Together

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At G-Town, we have a high school Literacy Leadership Team. We’re a group of teachers who meet once per month to LEARN what we can about reading and comprehension. In turn, we hope to help our students to read and understand in the content.

The unique thing about this group of 11 or 12 teachers who stay with me for about an hour after school, once or twice per month,  is that it really is about learning. We formed last year as a result of some item analysis on the Regents exams that led us to really look at literacy issues for our students. Every teacher in G-Town is invited to participate and no one has to come. I admire this group of educators because they’re staying on their own time to advance their own learning.

Hopefully, it will remain a learning group. I don’t want it to ever become a group who feels as if they’re just meeting to follow my agenda. For the next meeting on November 27, each member of the group will return with one source we’ve found that speaks to our topic in a meaningful way. We’ll share what we’ve learned individually, reflect on each other’s input, and determine our next steps together.

This is the shape professional growth and learning should take, one that’s meaningful for the participants because they get to decide everything from the content to the format to the follow through. Teachers are in charge of their own learning rather than having a “canned” program delivered to them in a one size fits all pattern.

I’m energized by this group and think we should consider the format for additional learning groups in G-Town. I wonder what our topics could be?

After the interview

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I went to a 50th birthday party last night for a terrific woman who works in our tech department. It was a local party, I work in the district in which I live.

I’ve lived in G-Town for 22 years and I’ve worked in four different school districts in my 18 years in education. I mention this because I have to admit that there are times when I see someone whom I can’t place. This happened last night at the party. Eventually, I realized why I knew this young woman, even though I couldn’t remember her name.

I interviewed her for a position at our school. And she didn’t get the job. And here we were at a party together. Awkward. I felt bad because I’m sure she knew who I was long before I realized. It’s too bad there isn’t a way that we can help candidates understand what they need to do differently. Or that we can’t say, “look, the candidate we hired just had much more experience.” Or some words of encouragement. Maybe it’s the teacher in me fighting with the administrator who understands hiring practices and liabilities. But who’s going to tell these kids what they need to do to get hired?

So tell me who are you?

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When you meet someone new, do you take the time to get to know them? I’m thinking of the way a conversation goes, where each person takes turns asking and answering questions, sort of an even exchange of information or ideas.

In many ways, blogging isn’t like that at all. I realized this at a meeting of about 30 area educators on Thursday morning. An area staff developer, Theresa Grey, formerly known to me only through email, mentioned that she reads my blog regularly. I have to tell you that this felt really strange. Here’s someone new about whom I know nothing  and she has real insight into my thinking (if I’m doing a good job at all) through my blog posts.

It made me wonder if she has preconceived notions of me through my writing. And what are they? And what does she think about similar issues?  It made me think again about audience. It reminded me of the risk I take sharing my ideas with others in such an honest, open way. It also reminded me that there are others who would never consider doing just that, revealing themselves in a public way and probably think I’ve got no business keeping this blog. I thought of a conversation I had with Will Richardson when I started this blogging gig where we talked of an audience that I didn’t expect. And what will future BOE members think should they read “me” someday when I apply for superintendent positions?

Clearly, writing honestly in a public manner takes some guts. But hey, that’s what the rest of this job takes too, so let’s get on with it. What do you think?

Blogging as I present it to teachers

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I read a great article in the September 2006 issue of Classroom Connect’s Newsletter by Bud Hunt entitled “Blogging for Professional Development”. I’ve been thinking about my opening day meeting with teachers and wondering how I can succinctly describe blogging to a varied audience.  A very few of my teachers are still struggling with email. So I’m excited to find Bud’s excellent article which is in a more traditional format that everyone can understand. Thanks Bud!