Thursday, December 31, 2015

It can’t just be new…it has to be significantly better.

I have done presentations for years, and the ONLY software that I have used to design them is Keynote.  Google Presentations and PowerPoint both are used by many, but in my mind, they have some serious flaws in the design.  No matter how they are updated, I will not use them.

Yet, I do not use the latest version of Keynote. I use version 5.3, which is last dated to 2012.  Although I am sure the newest version of Keynote has some great aspects, I weigh the time I need to spend learning a new interface, versus what I will get in return.  No one has been able to show me why it is so much better.

The same thing with my iPhone.  I need someone to show why I need to go through the hassle of updating my latest iOs when I am pretty happy with what I have right now.  As someone who advocates for change, there are many ways that I am reluctant to it in my own life.

What I do understand is that change for the sake of change is not good enough.  There has to be proof on why it is better.  There has to be something that compels me to see that the change I am partaking in creates something that I could not do before without it.

All change takes time, and since time is the most valuable asset in the world, we need to prove that change will be an investment, not an expenditure.

This is why it is important to focus on why we do something, not just jump right in.  I am always reluctant to just show people stuff, unless I can make a compelling case on why their investment of their time is crucial.  If we can’t explain that, then why are we doing it in the first place?



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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

My Top Five Favorite Reads of 2015 Are....

It's here!  The top five.  As I said in my previous post, I can't wait to dig into my stacks of 2016 reads.  And yes, I said stacks.  I will do my best to lower those stacks.  Without further ado...

5.  The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber


First in a series about a young widow who finds herself struggling to move past the suspicions of her fellow house guests when a woman is found murdered on the property. Loved the atmosphere, the story, and the building romance between Lady Darby and Sebastian Gage. 










4.  The Silver Witch  by Paula Brackston

 A  mystical tale set in Wales about a modern day potter who keeps getting glimpses of a wise woman who lived in the area in 918 AD and was at the center of a devastating piece of Welsh history.  Pack your bags cause you'll want to travel to Wales.  











3.  The Martian by Andy Weir

This novel had me anxiously reading about astronaut Mark Watney and his struggle to survive after being left alone on Mars. What?  Yep.  It was made into a movie starring Matt Damon, but please read the book first!  It really is a great blend of science, humor, action, and an amazing adventure tale.  So good. 










2.  The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck

I didn't get to read too many non-fiction titles this year, but when I did, I read an excellent one by Rinker Buck.  I even had the pleasure of meeting him when he came to my Barnes & Noble for a reading and signing in July.  This tale of Rinker and his brother, who drive a wagon complete with mules along the Oregon Trail over the course of a summer, will make you laugh out loud and appreciate the gumption that made this country what it is today.







And my top read of 2015 is......

1.  The Great Christmas Knit-off by Alexandra Brown

  I know.  Crazy.  But sometimes a girl needs to read something fun, sweet, and utterly British.  I loved this tale of second chances, knitting, and a winter wonderland all tucked into the English countryside.  It came to me at the perfect time, and helped me relax during a particularly stressful Christmas time.  I can't wait to read more in this series.  You rock Alexandra Brown! 

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Purpose & Positivity, part 1 #thefirstyear

breaks-over-time-to-remember-what-day-it-is-and-wear-real-pants-61f1dI can’t believe my first semester as principal is over. This being the only post I’ve made in December shows just how fast it has flown by. I think I’ve started 5 different blogs this month and got carried away each time. I’ll just delete those and combine here, :)

I need time to both slow down and hurry up. My superintendent says it best, “The years are fast, but the days are long.” I want time to move quicker so that I can get through all the firsts. Everything on our calendar, through each day, is another “first” for me as principal. Each experience sets the new normal. I am defining how things will look moving forward, advertently and inadvertently. I want to get through all these and feel more secure in what my world looks like. At the same time, I want to savor each opportunity. I want to appreciate that I ‘ll never have this “first” experience in this role again. I can’t believe I am already half-way through this year!

Things I’ll continue:

  • Daily positivity quotes: I started posting a daily reaffirming quote on FB each day several years ago when dealing with a particularly ugly professional situation. I literally post something every day that speaks to MY heart but get so many people that say it speaks to them as well. Though that time thankfully has long past, I still enjoy posting.
  • Owning my calendar: I use an Erin Condren planner and have gotten into the habit of writing it ALL there. From walk-through plans to my beat’s basketball games, it serves as a guide, as a compass, and an easy way to journal what each season of my world looks like. I’ve written about it before here, and you can get $10 off of your very own here, :)
  • Keeping up: I take this notebook to every single meeting I go too. I tab the tops with the date and meeting title, and it has been SO MUCH EASIER having all of my notes in one place. I know it is contradictory for me to be so “techie”, and still depend on my planner and notebook, :) but it is what it is! You can get $10 off on for you here. (And yes, I could have bought a regular ol’notebook at the store, but this one is so much more sturdy, and taking it with me everywhere, I needed it to be dependable.

Things I won’t continue:

  • Not owning my calendar. When I hit pause on writing it all down, I inevitably get behind. I even plan in when I am going to plan. I have a poster in my office where my AP and I wrote down ALL the big picture items to focus on this year, and if it isn’t on that poster, then it can’t take up my time. Sometimes saying no is harder than saying yes!
  • Feeling guilty about all the no’s. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by the awesomeness of some pretty great principals. I have got to stop thinking I can keep up with them all. Every day I see something that makes me go “Oh! I want to…” and I have to come back, look at my big picture poster, and self-monitor myself. I have time to do all the things…it doesn’t have to happen this year, or at the same time!
  • Hitting compacity. Angela Watson is a pretty great friend of mine, and she asked me a pretty direct question recently. Am I moving at a pace that I am going to maintain each year? I have spent more of my $$$ than my husband can ever know about (gulp.), spent more late nights at school, created “more” than I ever have…and at some point, I need to realize that I have to set parameters on what I am giving. I wrote about checking your scales here, and in 2016 I am going to be a better balance’r. Another smart friend told me think of it this way, 

    ” No matter how fast or new a computer is, it will always hit compacity.
    Click To Tweet


That being said, I will be better about posting this semester, :) Thank you to those who have emailed asking where I’ve been. I am back on the bandwagon, and will write more regularly. I also have some fabulous new “Fab Friday’s in February” I’ll share soon!

Hope you and yours have had a great holiday and a happy new year!

teamann

Amber



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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Date Cake

Date Cake is simple and delicious. It's flecked with chocolate chips and walnuts and topped with sparkling sugar.

Date Cake is simple and delicious. It’s flecked with chocolate chips and walnuts and topped with sparkling sugar.

This post is sponsored on behalf of Fisher Nuts. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make My Baking Addiction possible.

This recipe for date cake has been in Eric’s family for years and it’s one of his absolute favorite desserts because it reminds him of his grandma. In the very early stages of our relationship, Eric sent me a photo of this cake and asked me to go on a date with him. Looking back, I think his little pun and love for cake might be what sealed our fate.

(more…)

The post Date Cake appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

        


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Trust, Collaboration, and Support: Must-Haves in Our Learning Environments

These past two weeks have reminded me of something I have always known to be true in my gut and in my heart. Growth and success in schools is built upon a solid foundation of trust and an intrinsic culture of collaboration and mutual support.

Recently, our district hosted two visits to our school and district from educators and policy makers from across the country, I listened to our teachers reiterate to our guests that it is imperative to be engaged in work in a place where you feel safe to take chances and know you will be supported. It seems so simple, yet we all know it is not something that just happens. It takes a lot of time, effort, and patience. It has traditionally been easier for people to work in isolation, rather than put themselves out there with a team and be mutually accountable for the success of ALL students.

Our school and district (Memorial School and the Sanborn Regional School District), along with the Rochester School District, the Epping School District, and Souhegan High School, have been engaged in PACE (Performance Assessment for Competency Education) for over a year. PACE is a first-of-its-kind accountability waiver through ESEA, and was not approved by the federal government until March 5, 2015. The work leading up to this approval has been going on far longer.

Our work in competency education evolved from a simple vision of trying to allow each student to reach his/her full potential in a supportive environment of “Learning for All” seven years ago. We made a commitment to each other that each child in our school was “our student”, not yours or mine. We made a commitment to focus on student issues, not adult issues (this was a big one!) The learning we all have experienced over these seven years has far exceeded what I could have ever imagined. First and foremost, our school continues to be a place in which students come first. I have always believed that happy, engaged students will be more successful students. But each of us has grown professionally in a way that is difficult to quantify.

Our teachers’ depth of knowledge and understanding related to instruction and especially assessment has grown exponentially in the past few years. Many of our visitors see a somewhat traditional school at first glance. Upon looking a little closer, the true depth of our teachers’ work becomes more apparent. Through speaking with our students, who are able to articulate their learning trajectory in a thoughtful manner, or our teachers, who are able to articulate their practice and understanding of the learning progressions for their students to a very high degree, visitors begin to develop a picture of how the work that we have been engaged in for many years is having a transformative impact on practice.

I was reflecting on a story told by Craig Kielburger during the iNACOL conference in November. Mr. Kielburger was sharing a story related to leadership, and referencing the job of a sheep herder. He shared an example of how leaders aren’t out in front, but rather are in the back, ensuring that everyone is moving forward together, similar to how a sheep herder must be amongst the sheep encouraging them to all move forward. This struck me, because it is a perfect example of the responsibility each of us has for all students in our schools.

We are all leaders in our schools. Therefore, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that we are providing support for those within our schools to continue to move forward. As building or district leaders, we can affect these types of changes within our schools and districts, but it is, and always will be, teachers who have the greatest impact in the classroom when provided the support and trust to do what they do best.

This article was originally posted on CompetencyWorks.org.

Jonathan Vander Els is the principal of Memorial School in Newton, NH. Jonathan has presented at multiple local, state and national conferences on topics related to competency-based education, enhancing teacher leaders in schools, maximizing collaboration of staff through highly functioning Professional Learning Communities, and providing tiered instruction for learners of varying abilities. Jonathan may be followed on Twitter: @jvanderels or visit his blog at jonvanderels.wordpress.com.



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