I apologize for the delay between posts. I am still getting used to being a "blogger." Here is a quick update on my progress on the 90 day plan.
I have had a chance now to meet with representatives from our Diversity Committee, the School Improvement Plan subcommittee, GISE/GEMS, I am a representative on the Talent Development subcommittee. In addition, I have attended the PTA meeting and the Site Council meetings. I have met with the Student Council parent representative, but I haven't met with the actual members yet because they haven't been assembled. Through these meetings I am learning more and more about the school and am excited by all of the great programs that we have going. As I mentioned in my 90 day plan, at this point my goal is to gather information and ideas from stakeholders. I am exploring how to use SurveryMonkey to extend my information gathering to the entire Lake Harriet community. More on that as I figure out if that will work.
I also met with my Principal Mentor last week, and yesterday we started our "learning walks" through the building. A learning walk is when you randomly stop in classrooms and observe for five to ten minutes. The goal yesterday was to compare our thoughts after watching teachers in different classrooms to make sure we understood each other's philosophy toward coaching. It was a very productive couple of hours because she provided me with new ways to talk about teaching and learning.
In case you aren't aware of our district's initiative around teacher improvement, each teacher receives several observations per year. After each observation there is an opportunity to talk about what went well and generate ideas about how teaching could improve. Sometimes the conversations are very specific, but other times they range toward global ideas and philosophies. Either way, it can be a very effective way to improve teaching and learning. Because every individual is unique, the challenge is to have many strategies and ways of communicating to ensure that the conversation remains positive and focused on improvement. I appreciate that I have an experienced coach to help me with this. Next week we are going to include Assistant Principal Merry Tilleson and our Instructional Specialist Joe Groves on our learning walks.
As always, feel free to call or stop in if you have any questions, concerns or ideas for improvements. Can you believe one month has passed already? Conferences are just around the corner. See you then.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Summer Reading
Happy Monday.
It was nice to see all the children walking in this morning. Some of them had the tired teenager look, but there were plenty of smiles too. This summer I found myself reading about children and their character, attitudes, pre-dispositions and outlook. Specifically, I read How Children Succeed by Paul Tough and Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merriman. Both books are combining modern brain research with studies in education to provide new insights into the best ways to help children become happy, high-functioning adults.
The challenge as educators is how to take these ideas and bring them into the school day at our site. Many of the ideas are already being used in our curriculum and policies (for instance, the school board's policy against using food as a reward ties in with the best research on creating intrinsic motivation), but there are many ways we can improve. At the same time, these changes can be difficult because so many of us were either trained or grew up in a time that encouraged us to constantly praise and reward children. New research says it is better to provide honest feedback, which of course can be positive when students do well, but is best when the feedback is focused on effort shown and specific details, as opposed to a blanket "you are awesome" statement. But because of our different backgrounds, when a discussion about developing character arises there are always lots of differing opinions. Coming to consensus is part of the work we will be taking on as a staff.
As I outlined in my 90 day plan, the goal for our school is to collaboratively identify our strengths and challenges and collaboratively implement new strategies that will improve on both. Therefore, I am not here to report a long list of new initiatives that I am bringing to the school. I can tell you, however, that last week, and continuing into this week, the fourth grade team, the fifth grade team and the middle school team will be working on identifying areas in which students performed well and areas where they didn't on the MCA tests (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments). Using that information they will start identifying strategies that will help all learners.
Last week the Advanced Learners sub-committee of the Site Council (of which I am a new member) also met. This is a group of parents, teachers and administrators that is trying to identify ways that we are already helping our advanced learners; and how we can do more in the future. All of this is a long way of saying that our school is working hard to constantly adapt to our students and find the ways we can help all of them improve their character and academics. Look back to this blog and in the newsletter in the future because I will continue to report on what we are trying and how it is working.
Have a great week.
It was nice to see all the children walking in this morning. Some of them had the tired teenager look, but there were plenty of smiles too. This summer I found myself reading about children and their character, attitudes, pre-dispositions and outlook. Specifically, I read How Children Succeed by Paul Tough and Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merriman. Both books are combining modern brain research with studies in education to provide new insights into the best ways to help children become happy, high-functioning adults.
The challenge as educators is how to take these ideas and bring them into the school day at our site. Many of the ideas are already being used in our curriculum and policies (for instance, the school board's policy against using food as a reward ties in with the best research on creating intrinsic motivation), but there are many ways we can improve. At the same time, these changes can be difficult because so many of us were either trained or grew up in a time that encouraged us to constantly praise and reward children. New research says it is better to provide honest feedback, which of course can be positive when students do well, but is best when the feedback is focused on effort shown and specific details, as opposed to a blanket "you are awesome" statement. But because of our different backgrounds, when a discussion about developing character arises there are always lots of differing opinions. Coming to consensus is part of the work we will be taking on as a staff.
As I outlined in my 90 day plan, the goal for our school is to collaboratively identify our strengths and challenges and collaboratively implement new strategies that will improve on both. Therefore, I am not here to report a long list of new initiatives that I am bringing to the school. I can tell you, however, that last week, and continuing into this week, the fourth grade team, the fifth grade team and the middle school team will be working on identifying areas in which students performed well and areas where they didn't on the MCA tests (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments). Using that information they will start identifying strategies that will help all learners.
Last week the Advanced Learners sub-committee of the Site Council (of which I am a new member) also met. This is a group of parents, teachers and administrators that is trying to identify ways that we are already helping our advanced learners; and how we can do more in the future. All of this is a long way of saying that our school is working hard to constantly adapt to our students and find the ways we can help all of them improve their character and academics. Look back to this blog and in the newsletter in the future because I will continue to report on what we are trying and how it is working.
Have a great week.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Long Silence
Hello Lake Harriet community. I apologize for the long silence on this blog. The past six weeks have been filled with so many activities that I haven't found a time for posting. I hope to add something every week for the rest of the year.
During our teacher planning week I had a chance to meet with the teachers and support staff. Like my meetings with parents and students, I was very impressed by their talent, dedication and thoughtfulness. Our professional development was designed to be responsive to teacher needs (they had choice in their selection of sessions), foster teacher leadership (teachers led several of the sessions), and address areas identified as needs by the School of Excellence process. Examples of our work include strategies to use technology more effectively, strategies to foster student self-assessment, strategies to share and celebrate student work, and strategies to increase vocabulary skills. We ended the week tired, but excited for students to arrive on Monday.
I was also at three different open house/curriculum nights. First was the grades 4/5 night. I want to thank both teams for their enlightening presentations and for covering a few team members who couldn't be there for personal reasons. The opening of the lower school addition was next. Although it isn't completely finished, the opportunities provided by the extra space are very exciting. And coming from a school that piloted the salad bar last year, nutrionally the new lunchroom space is a welcome addition. Finally we had the middle school open house. Parents followed their student's schedule to get a glimpse of what the student day is like.
The first week of school was off to a great start with the exception of the heat. Despite the hardship of learning and teaching in a classroom that was 98 degrees, the students and teachers had a very positive attitude. To help keep students safe we distributed water to every classroom on Tuesday and Wednesday (on Monday it was available when asked for) and created a rotating schedule to the air-conditioned media center and computer labs for brief cool down periods.
We had several visits from district leaders to assess the conditions in the building. They brought us fans, water, ice, and gatorade, but it was clear that the heat was taking its toll on both teachers and students. As you now know, they made the decision to cancel school for safety concerns.
This coming week looks like it will be much more amenable to teaching and learning. On Thursday our new School Resource Officer will be in the building to meet the middle schoolers and assist me while I help them understand the importance of cyber safety. Many of our students have access to the internet and need continual reminders to use it safely and respectfully. Most of the parents I have spoken to already have delivered this message, but with impulsive minds and instant access a few extra doses of caution never hurt. Officer Edwards is also excited to meet students now to begin to develop relationships so that if we ever have an emergency students won't wonder who he is.
Thanks to everyone for a great first month. Please call or stop in if you ever have any questions or concerns.
update: Officer Edwards had to cancel for family reasons. He will be here on Tuesday the 10th of September.
During our teacher planning week I had a chance to meet with the teachers and support staff. Like my meetings with parents and students, I was very impressed by their talent, dedication and thoughtfulness. Our professional development was designed to be responsive to teacher needs (they had choice in their selection of sessions), foster teacher leadership (teachers led several of the sessions), and address areas identified as needs by the School of Excellence process. Examples of our work include strategies to use technology more effectively, strategies to foster student self-assessment, strategies to share and celebrate student work, and strategies to increase vocabulary skills. We ended the week tired, but excited for students to arrive on Monday.
I was also at three different open house/curriculum nights. First was the grades 4/5 night. I want to thank both teams for their enlightening presentations and for covering a few team members who couldn't be there for personal reasons. The opening of the lower school addition was next. Although it isn't completely finished, the opportunities provided by the extra space are very exciting. And coming from a school that piloted the salad bar last year, nutrionally the new lunchroom space is a welcome addition. Finally we had the middle school open house. Parents followed their student's schedule to get a glimpse of what the student day is like.
The first week of school was off to a great start with the exception of the heat. Despite the hardship of learning and teaching in a classroom that was 98 degrees, the students and teachers had a very positive attitude. To help keep students safe we distributed water to every classroom on Tuesday and Wednesday (on Monday it was available when asked for) and created a rotating schedule to the air-conditioned media center and computer labs for brief cool down periods.
We had several visits from district leaders to assess the conditions in the building. They brought us fans, water, ice, and gatorade, but it was clear that the heat was taking its toll on both teachers and students. As you now know, they made the decision to cancel school for safety concerns.
This coming week looks like it will be much more amenable to teaching and learning. On Thursday our new School Resource Officer will be in the building to meet the middle schoolers and assist me while I help them understand the importance of cyber safety. Many of our students have access to the internet and need continual reminders to use it safely and respectfully. Most of the parents I have spoken to already have delivered this message, but with impulsive minds and instant access a few extra doses of caution never hurt. Officer Edwards is also excited to meet students now to begin to develop relationships so that if we ever have an emergency students won't wonder who he is.
Thanks to everyone for a great first month. Please call or stop in if you ever have any questions or concerns.
update: Officer Edwards had to cancel for family reasons. He will be here on Tuesday the 10th of September.
Monday, July 22, 2013
A Few Questions and Answers
On Saturday I met with about 10 families at Dunn Brothers. The conversation was wide-ranging and very enjoyable. I am continually impressed by how knowledgeable and thoughtful the people I have met so far have been. As an educator, it is very invigorating to spend a few hours talking about schools and how to improve them, so thanks to everyone who stopped by.
I thought I would take a moment to summarize a few of the conversations for those who couldn't attend. One general question was, "what is your student engagement style/philosophy"? The answer is that I have worked with middle-years students for my entire career and have learned that this is an exciting age. These young people are old enough to develop deep thoughts and ask complex questions. My hope is to spend as much time as possible talking with your students, participating in classes with them, and challenging them to think deeply about the world. In practice, this means greeting students at the door in the morning, walking the halls during passing times, sitting in on classes, playing music or games with students, and during these interactions bringing big topics to their attention. Whenever I ask questions about social justice, the environment, animal rights, or education, students of this age have strong opinions, challenging questions, and interesting ideas. I try to leverage their interest to increase motivation and the "love of learning."
Another question that came up was, "how can we do more to make the middle school students feel like they are having a middle school experience." While I don't have specific answers to this question yet because I haven't been in the school or talked to students or teachers, some of my inquiries will be around the schedule, the classes being offered, the links to Southwest, the executive functioning skills being taught, the level of rigor and competition, and the social skills curriculum. I have worked in both a junior high setting and a K-8 setting, so hopefully I will have some creative ideas in this area as I learn more about the school.
We also talked about the arts and one parent was asking about "STEAM," which is adding arts to the focus on science, technology, engineering and math. From what I have learned, the arts programs at Lake Harriet are strong, the real question is what can be done to expand the offerings and enable more students to take part. Again, there is much I don't know yet, but this will certainly be on my radar during my first year.
If you have any questions, as usual, feel free to contact me. My hope is to set up another time for a meet and greet in early August. I will be talking with my family to find the right date and time, but my hope is to be at Sebastian Joe's in the evening this time. Thanks again to everyone I have met. Everyone has been very welcoming and engaging.
I thought I would take a moment to summarize a few of the conversations for those who couldn't attend. One general question was, "what is your student engagement style/philosophy"? The answer is that I have worked with middle-years students for my entire career and have learned that this is an exciting age. These young people are old enough to develop deep thoughts and ask complex questions. My hope is to spend as much time as possible talking with your students, participating in classes with them, and challenging them to think deeply about the world. In practice, this means greeting students at the door in the morning, walking the halls during passing times, sitting in on classes, playing music or games with students, and during these interactions bringing big topics to their attention. Whenever I ask questions about social justice, the environment, animal rights, or education, students of this age have strong opinions, challenging questions, and interesting ideas. I try to leverage their interest to increase motivation and the "love of learning."
Another question that came up was, "how can we do more to make the middle school students feel like they are having a middle school experience." While I don't have specific answers to this question yet because I haven't been in the school or talked to students or teachers, some of my inquiries will be around the schedule, the classes being offered, the links to Southwest, the executive functioning skills being taught, the level of rigor and competition, and the social skills curriculum. I have worked in both a junior high setting and a K-8 setting, so hopefully I will have some creative ideas in this area as I learn more about the school.
We also talked about the arts and one parent was asking about "STEAM," which is adding arts to the focus on science, technology, engineering and math. From what I have learned, the arts programs at Lake Harriet are strong, the real question is what can be done to expand the offerings and enable more students to take part. Again, there is much I don't know yet, but this will certainly be on my radar during my first year.
If you have any questions, as usual, feel free to contact me. My hope is to set up another time for a meet and greet in early August. I will be talking with my family to find the right date and time, but my hope is to be at Sebastian Joe's in the evening this time. Thanks again to everyone I have met. Everyone has been very welcoming and engaging.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Coffee reminder
Good morning. Just a reminder that I will be at the Linden Hills Dunn Brothers (the one on 43rd) from 9:00 - 11:00 on Saturday, July 20. I have reserved the table at the back. Please feel free to drop in and join whatever conversation is happening at the moment. If you can't make it, no worries, I look forward to meeting all of you in the weeks ahead and will announce more opportunities for coffee in August.
This morning I met with the interim Associate Superintendent for our area, Bob Mccauley. We talked about the progress I was making so far and I updated him on who I had met with and the issues that were being raised by stakeholders. I have also heard from several staff and parents, as well as continuing planning with Principal Parrish and Assistant Principal Tilleson. I appreciate the dedication of the community and the support I am receiving from everyone I have talked to. I am trying to focus on my family and friends (and cleaning the garage) during this vacation, but my mind keeps slipping back to all of the exciting opportunities that await us when we return to school. Thanks to everyone who has reached out to me so far.
This morning I met with the interim Associate Superintendent for our area, Bob Mccauley. We talked about the progress I was making so far and I updated him on who I had met with and the issues that were being raised by stakeholders. I have also heard from several staff and parents, as well as continuing planning with Principal Parrish and Assistant Principal Tilleson. I appreciate the dedication of the community and the support I am receiving from everyone I have talked to. I am trying to focus on my family and friends (and cleaning the garage) during this vacation, but my mind keeps slipping back to all of the exciting opportunities that await us when we return to school. Thanks to everyone who has reached out to me so far.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
90 Day Plan
Good Morning,
I wanted to let people know that July is the month Minneapolis Administrators take vacation. I will be checking my email when I can, however, there will be several periods during the month when I will be out of town and without internet access. I will respond to e-mails as often as I am able.
For now, I want to share the 90 day plan I presented to the interview committee back in May. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to attach files within the blog. Please click here to see the plan.
I hope everyone is having a great summer.
I wanted to let people know that July is the month Minneapolis Administrators take vacation. I will be checking my email when I can, however, there will be several periods during the month when I will be out of town and without internet access. I will respond to e-mails as often as I am able.
For now, I want to share the 90 day plan I presented to the interview committee back in May. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to attach files within the blog. Please click here to see the plan.
I hope everyone is having a great summer.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Hello Lake Harriet Community School,
As part of my 90 day plan I promised to create a blog to keep families and staff informed about what I am learning and who I have met with. First of all, let me say how excited I am to be the new Principal of Lake Harriet Upper school. Many years ago, as I was working on my teaching license, I was listening to MPR as they announced that the Teacher of the Year award was being presented to a teacher at Lake Harriet. Throughout our community people know that Lake Harriet offers an outstanding education.
On Tuesday night I met with Ann Smith and Karen Knapp from the PTA for an hour and a half. They helped me understand the various roles the PTA plays in the school's success. We went over the different fundraisers and grants the PTA facilitates. It was truly impressive to see the level of parent knowledge and involvement - not to mention generosity. I want to extend my thanks to both Ann and Karen for meeting with me.
After meeting with the PTA we had an informal meeting with the Site Council. Again, I was impressed with the knowledge they have of the school, the curriculum, and the needs of students. We talked about the new STEM position and how that will support the needs of students across the disciplines; we talked about Focused Instruction, an initiative to provide teachers with a structure to identify student needs, deliver the right instruction to support those needs, and finally assess if the student has achieved the standards; we talked about creating opportunities for Lake Harriet students to engage with the city as a whole; and much more. It was an engaging conversation that confirmed for me how many great opportunities there are going to be for us to deliver a rich education to our students.
Because of the late notice of my appointment, I wasn't able to meet with the entire school community. I am going to set up a few times to meet students, staff and families before school begins in August. I will plan on being at Dunn Brothers on 43rd from 9:00 - 11:00 am on Saturday, July 20 if anyone would like to stop by. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at work this week, 612-668-4556 (until June 28) or on my cell phone 612-310-9831 in July.
As part of my 90 day plan I promised to create a blog to keep families and staff informed about what I am learning and who I have met with. First of all, let me say how excited I am to be the new Principal of Lake Harriet Upper school. Many years ago, as I was working on my teaching license, I was listening to MPR as they announced that the Teacher of the Year award was being presented to a teacher at Lake Harriet. Throughout our community people know that Lake Harriet offers an outstanding education.
On Tuesday night I met with Ann Smith and Karen Knapp from the PTA for an hour and a half. They helped me understand the various roles the PTA plays in the school's success. We went over the different fundraisers and grants the PTA facilitates. It was truly impressive to see the level of parent knowledge and involvement - not to mention generosity. I want to extend my thanks to both Ann and Karen for meeting with me.
After meeting with the PTA we had an informal meeting with the Site Council. Again, I was impressed with the knowledge they have of the school, the curriculum, and the needs of students. We talked about the new STEM position and how that will support the needs of students across the disciplines; we talked about Focused Instruction, an initiative to provide teachers with a structure to identify student needs, deliver the right instruction to support those needs, and finally assess if the student has achieved the standards; we talked about creating opportunities for Lake Harriet students to engage with the city as a whole; and much more. It was an engaging conversation that confirmed for me how many great opportunities there are going to be for us to deliver a rich education to our students.
Because of the late notice of my appointment, I wasn't able to meet with the entire school community. I am going to set up a few times to meet students, staff and families before school begins in August. I will plan on being at Dunn Brothers on 43rd from 9:00 - 11:00 am on Saturday, July 20 if anyone would like to stop by. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at work this week, 612-668-4556 (until June 28) or on my cell phone 612-310-9831 in July.
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