An Encouraging Word Can Last a Lifetime

As a high school principal in a small town, even getting fast food can be a unique experience. Of course, many of our students are the ones working at these restaurants. Sometimes, when I place an order at the drive through, the voice on the other end will say, "Hello Dr. G!"

This past week a student asked if I'd been to Sonic a day earlier. I replied that I had, and the student said, "Yeah I thought I recognized your voice."

We all have a voice. Every educator speaks hundreds of words every day. Sometimes at school and sometimes outside of school. How we use our voice is so important. It's important to use it in ways that make an impact.

Your words matter and might make a lasting difference far beyond what you expect.

I remember two instances of encouragement I received as a student that had a profound impact on me. Both were during times of transition in my life. The words of support were significant. They were at the right time and in the right moment. And as a result, I have never forgotten those words.

The first instance was shortly after my family moved to a new town, and I was in a new school. Not only was I in a new school, I was also entering high school as a freshmen. I went out for the basketball team, wanting badly to make the team. But in pre-season conditioning I was far behind the other boys. They blew me away, and quite frankly I was embarrassed and wanted to quit. But the head varsity coach approached me and said these words, "Don't give up. You can do it. Just keep working at it each day. I want to see you make this team."

I have never forgotten those words. Later that school year my family moved again. A couple of years after that, I played in a game against my old school and scored 18 points in a varsity game against Coach Radford, the same coach who encouraged me as a struggling freshmen. He created a monster.

The second instance was as a freshmen in college. My first semester didn't go so well because I was not focused academically. I knew I let my parents down, and I wasn't happy with myself either. But in my second semester, I was fully committed to getting good grades. I was studying and staying on top of everything. Psychology was a fun class but the professor was known for really tough tests. I had made a huge stack of note cards to study. I remember I was sitting near the front, and he noticed my stack of note cards. He looked at them and said, "You're working really hard at this aren't you."

It almost seems silly to me now that I still remember that comment so vividly. But it made a big impression on me. I looked up to the professor, and I was proud he noticed my effort.

Both of these examples were not extraordinary circumstances. They were caring educators who probably made a habit of lifting up students and encouraging them to do their best. But for me, the words were extraordinary. Your efforts to encourage can last a lifetime. You never know how your words may create a lasting influence.

What will students remember when they think of your voice?

Can you think of a time you were encouraged by someone in your life? How can you bring that to your work as an educator now? Who will you lift up? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.

        

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On the “Real World”

From the book, “Rework“:

Scratch the surface and you’ll find these “real world” inhabitants are filled with pessimism and despair. They expect fresh concepts to fail. They assume society isn’t ready for or capable of change. Even worse, they want to drag others down into their tomb. If you’re hopeful and ambitious, they’ll try to convince you your ideas are impossible. They’ll say you’re wasting your time. Don’t believe them. That world may be real for them, but it doesn’t mean you have to live in it.

…The real world isn’t a place, it’s an excuse. It’s a justification for not trying. It has nothing to do with you.

The “real world” argument is one that I hear often.  When you advocate for meaningful change, I believe it is important that we try to identify what exists now and where we are going in the future. I do not believe in advocating for something that doesn’t or will never exist.  I don’t ever use the “we are preparing kids for jobs that don’t exist” argument.  But I do believe we have to prepare our students to deal with continuous change and adaptation

AJ Juliani puts it beautifully when he states the following in “Empower“:

This all being said, when the argument about the “real world” comes up in schools, I love these thoughts from Alice Keeler, that she shared in a 2015 blog post:

If we want to stand on the idea that “in the real world…. ” and use that as an excuse to break down relationships with students rather than build kids up, here are some real world truths.

In the real world, we look things up on Google.

In the real world, YouTube is one of the most popular tools for learning.

In the real world, collaborating is not cheating.

In the real world, finding information on the internet is a resource.

In the real world, my job does not ask me things I can Google. I need to use critical thinking.

In the real world, a lot of people show me a lot of mercy. I have forgotten my keys at home a million times and the secretary just let me in. I have forgotten to charge my laptop and my pay was not deducted. I have been late to school, and I did not get detention, the principal kindly covered my class. In the real world… there is a lot of MERCY!

In the real world, I use my phone for everything.

In the real world, I have choices.

In the real world, knowing spreadsheets is an important skill.

In the real world, I need to know how to clearly communicate ideas, not how to regurgitate information.

In the real world, I can use EasyBib for citations and Google Translate.

In the real world, not all adults do work work at home every night. In fact most adults I know, do not take their work home with them.

You can use the “real world” as an argument, but not as an excuse.  But we also have to acknowledge that the “real world” changes, and hopefully gets better over time. The hope is that we help our students not only fit into and excel in current realities, but create a better version of them.

• October 27, 2016 Developing Innovators and Entrepreneurs
• August 16, 2015 Maybe Not Tomorrow, but When?
• August 14, 2017 10 Reasons to Try Genius Hour This School Year
• March 27, 2017 10 Commandments of Innovative Teaching
• July 2, 2017 Preparing Learners For Anything #EmpowerBook

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On the “Real World”

From the book, “Rework“:

Scratch the surface and you’ll find these “real world” inhabitants are filled with pessimism and despair. They expect fresh concepts to fail. They assume society isn’t ready for or capable of change. Even worse, they want to drag others down into their tomb. If you’re hopeful and ambitious, they’ll try to convince you your ideas are impossible. They’ll say you’re wasting your time. Don’t believe them. That world may be real for them, but it doesn’t mean you have to live in it.

…The real world isn’t a place, it’s an excuse. It’s a justification for not trying. It has nothing to do with you.

The “real world” argument is one that I hear often.  When you advocate for meaningful change, I believe it is important that we try to identify what exists now and where we are going in the future. I do not believe in advocating for something that doesn’t or will never exist.  I don’t ever use the “we are preparing kids for jobs that don’t exist” argument.  But I do believe we have to prepare our students to deal with continuous change and adaptation

AJ Juliani puts it beautifully when he states the following in “Empower“:

This all being said, when the argument about the “real world” comes up in schools, I love these thoughts from Alice Keeler, that she shared in a 2015 blog post:

If we want to stand on the idea that “in the real world…. ” and use that as an excuse to break down relationships with students rather than build kids up, here are some real world truths.

In the real world, we look things up on Google.

In the real world, YouTube is one of the most popular tools for learning.

In the real world, collaborating is not cheating.

In the real world, finding information on the internet is a resource.

In the real world, my job does not ask me things I can Google. I need to use critical thinking.

In the real world, a lot of people show me a lot of mercy. I have forgotten my keys at home a million times and the secretary just let me in. I have forgotten to charge my laptop and my pay was not deducted. I have been late to school, and I did not get detention, the principal kindly covered my class. In the real world… there is a lot of MERCY!

In the real world, I use my phone for everything.

In the real world, I have choices.

In the real world, knowing spreadsheets is an important skill.

In the real world, I need to know how to clearly communicate ideas, not how to regurgitate information.

In the real world, I can use EasyBib for citations and Google Translate.

In the real world, not all adults do work work at home every night. In fact most adults I know, do not take their work home with them.

You can use the “real world” as an argument, but not as an excuse.  But we also have to acknowledge that the “real world” changes, and hopefully gets better over time. The hope is that we help our students not only fit into and excel in current realities, but create a better version of them.

• October 27, 2016 Developing Innovators and Entrepreneurs
• August 16, 2015 Maybe Not Tomorrow, but When?
• August 14, 2017 10 Reasons to Try Genius Hour This School Year
• March 27, 2017 10 Commandments of Innovative Teaching
• July 2, 2017 Preparing Learners For Anything #EmpowerBook

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PMP:079 Whose Permission Are You Waiting For?

Last week I heard a presentation by Will Richardson, educator and author, who shared stories about new ways students are interacting with learning today. Here are three examples he shared: He talked about Nate Butkus, a 7-year-old boy who has started his own science podcast. He shared the story of a young man in India, […]

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Focusing On Those You Serve

I shared this image the other evening:

I do not necessarily agree with each statement above, but I do think that it is a good conversation piece in the context of education.

In the last few months, I have been really challenging the idea of “data-driven”.  When you focus on the students in front of you, your chances of success grows.  What worked for other students in the past, may not work for the students you are working with today and in the future.  My friend Katie Martin shared the idea that although we need to look at the evidence of the past, we must also understand that if the context of the future changes, that those numbers could become irrelevant.  Think about it…Blockbuster obviously was a successful business model for years, and their numbers and research would show just that, but when they didn’t adapt to what was possible for serving their customers in the current context, and someone else came along and did, their business model became irrelevant.  Some people feel uncomfortable when you look at “businesses” and draw comparisons to education, but I feel much more uncomfortable ignoring what is happening in the world and not trying to better understand the implications for education.  We need to learn from both the failures and successes of others, to effectively move forward.

There is nothing wrong with looking at data and evidence of past learning; I encourage people to do so.  But to believe that keeping an eye on the past only as a way in serving the future is short-sighted and dangerous for any organization, including education as a whole.  My fear is that “schools” will be on the above image one day because we were focused more on “numbers and letters” than we were on students.  This is one of the reasons I wrote, “5 Questions to Ask Your Students To Start the School Year“. Many teachers have already used these questions, and/or adapted them, to better understand the students they serve, as well as their hopes and aspirations for the future. (On a side note, I am thinking about starting a hashtag for teachers using these five questions to hear about the process.)

This Seth Godin quote is a favourite:

Transformational leaders don’t start by denying the world around them. Instead, they describe a future they’d like to create instead.

Serving students first will always be the safest bet to continuously ensure the relevance of schools moving forward.  Learn from the past, but keep an eye on what is possible now and in the future.

• February 28, 2017 The Fear of Sharing #IMMOOC
• January 10, 2017 Smart Yet Relatable
• April 25, 2017 There is Not Only One Road to Success
• November 27, 2016 “Telling will never be as effective as experiencing.”
• June 18, 2017 What is the future you would like to create?

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Focusing On Those You Serve

I shared this image the other evening:

I do not necessarily agree with each statement above, but I do think that it is a good conversation piece in the context of education.

In the last few months, I have been really challenging the idea of “data-driven”.  When you focus on the students in front of you, your chances of success grows.  What worked for other students in the past, may not work for the students you are working with today and in the future.  My friend Katie Martin shared the idea that although we need to look at the evidence of the past, we must also understand that if the context of the future changes, that those numbers could become irrelevant.  Think about it…Blockbuster obviously was a successful business model for years, and their numbers and research would show just that, but when they didn’t adapt to what was possible for serving their customers in the current context, and someone else came along and did, their business model became irrelevant.  Some people feel uncomfortable when you look at “businesses” and draw comparisons to education, but I feel much more uncomfortable ignoring what is happening in the world and not trying to better understand the implications for education.  We need to learn from both the failures and successes of others, to effectively move forward.

There is nothing wrong with looking at data and evidence of past learning; I encourage people to do so.  But to believe that keeping an eye on the past only as a way in serving the future is short-sighted and dangerous for any organization, including education as a whole.  My fear is that “schools” will be on the above image one day because we were focused more on “numbers and letters” than we were on students.  This is one of the reasons I wrote, “5 Questions to Ask Your Students To Start the School Year“. Many teachers have already used these questions, and/or adapted them, to better understand the students they serve, as well as their hopes and aspirations for the future. (On a side note, I am thinking about starting a hashtag for teachers using these five questions to hear about the process.)

This Seth Godin quote is a favourite:

Transformational leaders don’t start by denying the world around them. Instead, they describe a future they’d like to create instead.

Serving students first will always be the safest bet to continuously ensure the relevance of schools moving forward.  Learn from the past, but keep an eye on what is possible now and in the future.

• February 28, 2017 The Fear of Sharing #IMMOOC
• January 10, 2017 Smart Yet Relatable
• April 25, 2017 There is Not Only One Road to Success
• November 27, 2016 “Telling will never be as effective as experiencing.”
• June 18, 2017 What is the future you would like to create?

from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2wgn7Od

Focusing On Those You Serve

I shared this image the other evening:

I do not necessarily agree with each statement above, but I do think that it is a good conversation piece in the context of education.

In the last few months, I have been really challenging the idea of “data-driven”.  When you focus on the students in front of you, your chances of success grows.  What worked for other students in the past, may not work for the students you are working with today and in the future.  My friend Katie Martin shared the idea that although we need to look at the evidence of the past, we must also understand that if the context of the future changes, that those numbers could become irrelevant.  Think about it…Blockbuster obviously was a successful business model for years, and their numbers and research would show just that, but when they didn’t adapt to what was possible for serving their customers in the current context, and someone else came along and did, their business model became irrelevant.  Some people feel uncomfortable when you look at “businesses” and draw comparisons to education, but I feel much more uncomfortable ignoring what is happening in the world and not trying to better understand the implications for education.  We need to learn from both the failures and successes of others, to effectively move forward.

There is nothing wrong with looking at data and evidence of past learning; I encourage people to do so.  But to believe that keeping an eye on the past only as a way in serving the future is short-sighted and dangerous for any organization, including education as a whole.  My fear is that “schools” will be on the above image one day because we were focused more on “numbers and letters” than we were on students.  This is one of the reasons I wrote, “5 Questions to Ask Your Students To Start the School Year“. Many teachers have already used these questions, and/or adapted them, to better understand the students they serve, as well as their hopes and aspirations for the future. (On a side note, I am thinking about starting a hashtag for teachers using these five questions to hear about the process.)

This Seth Godin quote is a favourite:

Transformational leaders don’t start by denying the world around them. Instead, they describe a future they’d like to create instead.

Serving students first will always be the safest bet to continuously ensure the relevance of schools moving forward.  Learn from the past, but keep an eye on what is possible now and in the future.

• February 28, 2017 The Fear of Sharing #IMMOOC
• January 10, 2017 Smart Yet Relatable
• April 25, 2017 There is Not Only One Road to Success
• November 27, 2016 “Telling will never be as effective as experiencing.”
• June 18, 2017 What is the future you would like to create?

Source: George Couros

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Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread is loaded with warm spices and full of delicious pumpkin flavor. This recipe will become one of your absolute favorites!.

Hello, there! It’s been a little while since I posted last here on My Baking Addiction and I totally miss you guys.

I wish my time away was due to some exotic vacation, but it was mainly because I was nursing a knee injury after falling off of my porch (I was totally sober btw) while trying to water a fern. And then I got hit with an epic sinus situation that lasted well over a week. Fun times over here.

And now here we are at the end of August.

(more…)

The post Pumpkin Bread appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

        

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• You're very welcome, Melissa. I'm glad everyone liked it. by Jamie
• This is the best pumpkin bread I have ever had! Made it 3 times ... by Melissa
• I love everything pumpkin! by Jamie
• I agree with you about the pumpkin I also just love it I buy as ... by sassy
• True, Hazel! I hope you liked the taste! by Jamie
• Plus 5 more...

 

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Future Driven: Looking Forward, Giving Back

I'm happy to announce the release of Future Driven: Will Your Students Thrive In An Unpredictable World! Back at the start of summer I made a public commitment that I would have this passion project finished before the start of the new school year (See: Do Something Today to Move In the Direction of Your Dreams).

Well, we've been in school for a couple of weeks now. So I didn't exactly meet my own deadline. But hey, there are still many schools who haven't returned from summer break yet, so technically maybe I did!

The book is now available on Amazon. And for a very limited time, the Kindle version of Future Driven will only be $2.99. I encourage you to download it now. 

Plus, through the end of September, I'm donating all of the proceeds from Future Driven to Care to Learn, an organization in our community that provides for the health, hunger, and hygiene needs of disadvantaged school-age children. It is important to me to give back to our students. It's always about students first. I want to be part of creating a better future through better schools. It starts with us.

Care to Learn was started in Springfield, MO by philanthropist Doug Pitt. You might have heard of his brother, Brad. Yes, the same Hollywood Brad Pitt you see regularly in the grocery checkout line. The organization now has many chapters in our area, including here in Bolivar. 



About half of our students are from low income households and qualify for free/reduced lunches. With Care to Learn, we are able to instantly meet the emergent health, hunger, and hygiene needs of our students. 

If a kid needs shoes, clothes, eyeglasses, groceries, etc., our counselors take him or her shopping and meet the need right away. We know it's impossible for students to learn their best if they have unmet needs. We are so thankful for Care to Learn.

I certainly hope you find Future Driven inspiring and helpful. Your work matters. You are needed as a change maker. Just know that if you get your copy now, you'll also be helping kids have what they need to learn. Your support of Care to Learn will make an impact too.

Let me know if you have any questions about Future Driven or my process of being an independent author. It has been an unbelievable adventure and so many have helped me along the way. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.

Be sure to the use the hashtag #FutureDriven as you share your passion for being a future-driven educator.

Future Driven: Will Your Students Thrive In An Unpredictable World?

In Future Driven, David Geurin describes how to conquer the status quo, create authentic learning, and help your students thrive in an unpredictable world. He shares how to simultaneously be more committed to your mission while being more flexible with your methods. You'll discover strategies to ...

        

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• Comments

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• Do Something Today to Move in the Direction of Your Dreams
• 11 Ways to Build Capacity and Never Stop Growing
• Don't Wait To Be Excellent...Start. Right. Now.

 

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Investing in the Future

In the last six weeks, I have had the privilege of speaking at 30 different events.  I have been humbled by a number of amazing educators I have had the opportunity to connect with and learn from over this time.  The amount of passion I have been exposed to in the last six weeks has been inspiring.  I made the following observation this week:

Been traveling to schools for awhile and the growth I’ve seen from educators has been huge. More change is happening than given credit.

— George Couros (@gcouros) August 23, 2017

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The amount of positive change that has happened in the last two years has been amazing when compared with the two years prior that I was speaking. This is not only with technology, but also with classroom design, assessments, rethinking leadership, and a distinct focus on serving each child in a way that works for them, not necessarily from the adult.

Although there are many factors that might be contributing to this, my belief is that the biggest shift is the sheer amount of individuals who have always been passionate about education, that now has access to learn from others. They are taking their own time to invest in themselves, and that investment is paying off for their students.  I do not believe that if you are not on Twitter that you are a bad teacher, but I do believe it is extremely rare that educators who are not passionate about education, spend their own time using social media to further their craft.

The idea of people making this investment in themselves, was something that I thought of when I read this article, “Want to Become the Best at What You Do? Read this.” The first point was, “Work on yourself, not on your job.”

Your work is a reflection of you. If you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, stop looking for better strategies.

Instead, look inside.

Are you currently the person who would attract the level of success you seek? Your outer conditions are a reflection of your inner reality. As James Allen has said, Your circumstances reveal you to yourself.

Where you are right now: that’s you.

If you want something different: improve you.

Most people focus on their craft or their “job.” That’s all well and good. However, you’ll get far more bang-for-your-buck by focusing on yourself.

20% of your energy should be devoted to your work.

80% of your energy should be devoted to rest and self-improvement. This is what fuels your work and makes it better than anyone else’s. Self-improvement is more than books and true rest is renewal.

While others are trying to improve their job, you’re continuously improving yourself, expanding your vision, skills, and abilities. This is akin to Stephen R. Covey’s 7th principle: Sharpen your saw. Most people are trying to chop down their tree–their “job”–with a dull saw.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”–Abraham Lincoln

Within a short period of time, you’ll have developed true mastery. Everyone else is trying to hone their “craft.” Don’t work on your job. Work on yourself.

As many educators are just starting their school year, or are about to start, just a thank you from myself for all that you do to invest in yourself to make amazing learning opportunities for our students. In education, when educators invest in themselves, they also invest in the future.  It is powerful to see how much is changing for the positive because of the passion of many amazing educators.

Thank you.

• January 23, 2017 5 Questions to Help People Embrace Meaningful Change
• August 27, 2016 10 Easy Ways To Create an Amazing #SchoolCulture as a Principal This Year
• June 19, 2016 Side-By-Side Learning
• April 30, 2011 The Power of Passion
• December 30, 2016 2017 Learning Resolutions #EDU2017

Source: George Couros

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Investing in the Future

In the last six weeks, I have had the privilege of speaking at 30 different events.  I have been humbled by a number of amazing educators I have had the opportunity to connect with and learn from over this time.  The amount of passion I have been exposed to in the last six weeks has been inspiring.  I made the following observation this week:

Been traveling to schools for awhile and the growth I’ve seen from educators has been huge. More change is happening than given credit.

— George Couros (@gcouros) August 23, 2017

The amount of positive change that has happened in the last two years has been amazing when compared with the two years prior that I was speaking. This is not only with technology, but also with classroom design, assessments, rethinking leadership, and a distinct focus on serving each child in a way that works for them, not necessarily from the adult.

Although there are many factors that might be contributing to this, my belief is that the biggest shift is the sheer amount of individuals who have always been passionate about education, that now has access to learn from others. They are taking their own time to invest in themselves, and that investment is paying off for their students.  I do not believe that if you are not on Twitter that you are a bad teacher, but I do believe it is extremely rare that educators who are not passionate about education, spend their own time using social media to further their craft.

The idea of people making this investment in themselves, was something that I thought of when I read this article, “Want to Become the Best at What You Do? Read this.” The first point was, “Work on yourself, not on your job.”

Your work is a reflection of you. If you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, stop looking for better strategies.

Instead, look inside.

Are you currently the person who would attract the level of success you seek? Your outer conditions are a reflection of your inner reality. As James Allen has said, Your circumstances reveal you to yourself.

Where you are right now: that’s you.

If you want something different: improve you.

Most people focus on their craft or their “job.” That’s all well and good. However, you’ll get far more bang-for-your-buck by focusing on yourself.

20% of your energy should be devoted to your work.

80% of your energy should be devoted to rest and self-improvement. This is what fuels your work and makes it better than anyone else’s. Self-improvement is more than books and true rest is renewal.

While others are trying to improve their job, you’re continuously improving yourself, expanding your vision, skills, and abilities. This is akin to Stephen R. Covey’s 7th principle: Sharpen your saw. Most people are trying to chop down their tree–their “job”–with a dull saw.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”–Abraham Lincoln

Within a short period of time, you’ll have developed true mastery. Everyone else is trying to hone their “craft.” Don’t work on your job. Work on yourself.

As many educators are just starting their school year, or are about to start, just a thank you from myself for all that you do to invest in yourself to make amazing learning opportunities for our students. In education, when educators invest in themselves, they also invest in the future.  It is powerful to see how much is changing for the positive because of the passion of many amazing educators.

Thank you.

• January 23, 2017 5 Questions to Help People Embrace Meaningful Change
• August 27, 2016 10 Easy Ways To Create an Amazing #SchoolCulture as a Principal This Year
• June 19, 2016 Side-By-Side Learning
• April 30, 2011 The Power of Passion
• December 30, 2016 2017 Learning Resolutions #EDU2017

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Everything to Win

So an educator friend of mine spent the better part of last year traveling around the world visiting schools, in the hopes of identifying the innovations, the pedagogical approaches, and the educational strategies that are truly engaging students and driving student learning forward in today’s ever changing world. As you can imagine, he was inspired by much of what he saw, and in many instances hopeful and optimistic about the future of education. He called it the best year of his professional life but interestingly enough, also the most depressing. You see, although he found many, many schools across the globe that are genuinely pushing innovation, and taking creative risks for their students, and empowering all kids to lead their own learning, he came back a little overwhelmed and saddened by the traditional and industrial models that still shape our global educational landscape. In a recent conversation with him earlier this month, he remarked that something drastic needs to happen in education because we have absolutely “nothing left to lose”…

 

I started thinking about that, and honestly, I’m not sure that I agree with him…I think we have plenty left to lose, particularly regarding the future of our young people, and I’d like to reframe that comment and suggest that it’s actually the opposite…we have “everything to win”. At the heart of his disappointment was not the lack of effort by schools to redesign their buildings and teaching spaces, there was plenty of that. Lots of open, futuristic, and collaborative building designs, new and inspiring maker spaces and purposeful incorporations to the natural world, and a tremendous amount of thought that went into shaking up the “look” of a traditional school. In that respect he was very, very encouraged. He came back discouraged however, because what he saw happening inside those school designs and spaces, in the classrooms, and at the heart of what matters in the day to day approaches to teaching and learning, was very much 1982.

 

Like Dylan Wiliam says, the hardest thing to do in education is to get teachers and leaders to change their day to day practice. We all know what the research says, and in most international schools we now have access to the resources and the spaces to engage and personalize for all of our kids, but often times when the door shuts and the day begins, it’s easy to revert back to what we’ve always done…what’s comfortable, and what we’ve gotten very good at. Schools and educators across the globe continue to do what they’ve always done because of habit, but it sure doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.

 

On the heels of a fantastic weekend with Carol Ann Tomlinson here at ASP, and with the new school year staring us down, I want to encourage all of us to look critically at how we’re engaging our students, and how much of our approach is the same as it was a few years ago. How much “innovation” is actually making its way into our lesson and unit planning? What opportunities are we giving to our students to really and truly own their learning and to lead their own educational journey? How are we setting up our classroom spaces, and what opportunities are we giving students to showcase their learning…is it a one-size fits all or have we looked at our curricular approach and assessment through the lens of meeting all students where they are, and moving them forward as individual and unique learners?

 

I want us all to feel empowered to shake it up this year and to take some risks…to try out some new strategies that will push us out of our comfort zones and will make us feel a little uneasy. We have an opportunity this year to move past the traditional…the comfortable…the easy, and to challenge ourselves and our colleagues to stretch the limits of what’s possible with our kids. Then when we do, we have the moral imperative to share and to model and to collaborate so that we all can learn and stretch together…no more siloed approaches to education, we’re past that. Anyway, I want to wish you all a tremendous 2017-18 school year, and I truly hope it’s the best year of your professional lives. I guarantee that if we take some risks, shake things up, and truly make an effort to change some habits, then it will be a year that will be worthy of our kids. Like I said, it’s not that we have nothing to lose…we very much have everything to win! Have a fantastic opening week everyone and remember to be great for our kids and good to each other.

 

Quote of the Week…

Curiosity is a delicate little plant that, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom

– Albert Einstein

 

Interesting and Useful Articles –

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Innovation in Schools –

http://ift.tt/2wzKh2U

http://ift.tt/2wfO5UG

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http://ift.tt/2iViaEK

TED Talks Worth Watching –

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Great Educational Podcasts –

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Carleton by Censorio – Burnaby Heights

Carleton by Censorio is the next new development to come to the popular Burnaby Heights neighbourhood.  With all the shops, services, easy access to downtown Vancouver, SFU and the North Shore, you can see why people choose to live in Burnaby Heights. Carleton is a small boutique building which will feature only  28 units comprised of 1 and 2 bedroom conods. These homes will range in size from 591 to 1119 square feet.

 

To be kept up to date on this development and many more like it, register with us today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is not an offering for sale. Such an offering can only be made after filing a disclosure statement. E.&O.E.  This information is for marketing purposes only and is subject to change.

The post Carleton by Censorio – Burnaby Heights appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White

I'm a HUGE fan of Karen White, so there wasn't much arm twisting to read her latest.  I am absolutely in love with the cover art.  

I bought this book, because I couldn't wait to read it...

And then proceeded to not get to it for almost FIVE MONTHS. When I finally did pick it up this week, I power read it in a few days, in between work and an out of town family visit. It was just the palate cleanser I needed.

The two main characters, Merilee Dunlap and Sugar Prescott meet when Merilee rents the cottage that sits behind Sugar's farmhouse outside the small town of Sweet Apple, Georgia.  Sugar is 93 years old, and still full of piss and vinegar.  She's a force to be reckoned with, and commands the respect of everyone in town.  Her family once owned most of the land around Sweet Apple, and she's resisting developers who want to buy the rest of her land to build more housing developments.

Merilee is freshly divorced; her two children are attending a new school, and she's dealing with the fall out of her husband's lover (a local elementary school math teacher) being pregnant.  Small town gossip is running at an all time high. Merilee is struggling to adjust to life as a single parent, and balance the demands of society expectations--school committees, sports, and making appearances at all the right places.  Sugar recognizes a kindred spirit, but her past sorrows and heartbreak have left Sugar reluctant to open her heart to anyone.  

Here's what I enjoyed about this novel:  as a reader, you see both Sugar and Merilee through each other's eyes, and through their own thoughts and memories.  Sugar begins to tell Merilee about her past in small stories; I found Sugar's life in the 30's and 40's to be one of the best parts of the novel.  Makes what we consider difficult today seem like child's play.  These stories are a bridge between Sugar and Marilee as they slowly (very slowly) become friends.  

Merilee, I have to say, was much more complicated than I expected. I was, however, highly annoyed at her absent-mindedness and inability to create a safe password for her phone.  It sounds like a silly thing to point out, but it was a major plot point, and you could see what was going to happen coming long before it did.  Merilee's friendship with Heather Blackford, the wealthy, beautiful, and powerful wife of a popular doctor is bad from the get go.  That plot, I thought, was pretty weak.  Anyone with some life experience knows that people don't befriend you and go out of their way to be overly generous with time, money, and resources unless they want something from you.  Or want to hurt you.  It's not hard to see what's going to happen in this case, but I did get wrapped up in the action steaming along to the big turning point.  

One part of the story I found unnecessary was the "blog" that was put out by an anonymous source in Sweet Apple.  Full of local gossip, it spotlighted the nasty rumors and the people spreading them.  It was basically a way to shame people into behaving instead of spreading malicious gossip and half-truths.  Wasn't hard to figure out who the author of the blog was, but it is finally revealed at the end.  

The big point of this novel is that we all put on public faces, but they are rarely our real faces.  We keep a lot of our lives hidden from everyone else. Past heartbreaks, tragedies, and bad behavior can keep us up at night; but come morning, we stride into our daily lives with none of it showing.  Sometimes the ugliest people hide behind pretty faces, and sometimes a bad person is just a bad person with no redeeming qualities.  

Even though there were parts of the novel I didn't care for, overall I did very much enjoy this book.  I found myself talking out loud when I figured something out before Merilee did; I found myself reading this in big gulps because it kept pulling me along (and I didn't resist that pull).  I spent a whole morning before work lying on my couch reading, and anxiously waiting until I could come home again to finish the last few pages.  

Rating:  4/6 for a novel that explores the choices women make in their youth that can haunt them; the good and bad of living in a small town, and strong friendships between women that become the backbone to overcoming the hard parts of life.  There's a bit of potential romance in here, too--but not so much that it gets in the way.  

Available in hardcover, e-book, large print paperback, and audio.

 

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Salisbury South – Port Coquitlam Townhomes

After quickly selling out Salisbury Walk and Salisbury Lane, Macleans Homes is ready to bring their newest  townhomes development to Port Coquitlam.  Salisbury South is a new townhouse development will be centrally located at 2145 Prairie Avenue, Port Coquitlam, This boutique collection of townhomes will feature the same quality, comfort and privacy as their first two Salisbury projects, all nestled in a quiet residential neighbourhood of west Port Coquitlam.

To be kept up to date with this development or others like it, Register now to be kept in the loop

 

 

This is not an offering for sale. Such an offering can only be made after filing a disclosure statement. E.&O.E.  This information is for marketing purposes only and is subject to change.

The post Salisbury South – Port Coquitlam Townhomes appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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What’s your compelling reason?

Although this commercial is a few years old, and it is a scotch commercial, it is a beautiful story. Seriously, take the time to watch it.

If you watched this, you might be crying. Over a scotch commercial.

When I show this to educators, I always remind them, that if you would cry over a scotch commercial, imagine what people would feel if we shared the stories that educators see daily in their schools.

Another takeaway from the video is quite powerful to me. The dad, learning to read, so he can read his son’s book, reminds me of my parents and their determination to grow throughout their lives. My mom’s first language is Greek, and she learned to read English later in her life, but I bet she has read my book more than anyone.

What this video reminds me of, is that when you have a compelling reason, you can learn anything.

When you find your own inspiration to learn, it is often that we help our students do the same.

• September 9, 2013 Honouring Change
• December 16, 2011 Emotion, Stories, and Visuals
• March 7, 2013 Learning to Care
• March 13, 2011 More Than A Game
• August 8, 2011 The “Why” of Writing

Source: George Couros

from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2vu6085

What’s your compelling reason?

Although this commercial is a few years old, and it is a scotch commercial, it is a beautiful story. Seriously, take the time to watch it.

If you watched this, you might be crying. Over a scotch commercial.

When I show this to educators, I always remind them, that if you would cry over a scotch commercial, imagine what people would feel if we shared the stories that educators see daily in their schools.

Another takeaway from the video is quite powerful to me. The dad, learning to read, so he can read his son’s book, reminds me of my parents and their determination to grow throughout their lives. My mom’s first language is Greek, and she learned to read English later in her life, but I bet she has read my book more than anyone.

What this video reminds me of, is that when you have a compelling reason, you can learn anything.

When you find your own inspiration to learn, it is often that we help our students do the same.

• September 9, 2013 Honouring Change
• December 16, 2011 Emotion, Stories, and Visuals
• March 7, 2013 Learning to Care
• March 13, 2011 More Than A Game
• August 8, 2011 The “Why” of Writing

from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2wK8naS

Always Reflect, Always Learn: Be Content, but Never Be Satisfied

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sub for one of our classrooms from start to finish. The regular teacher was called away with a sick child. It's not that unusual for me to cover a class temporarily but to teach the whole block doesn't happen that often.

Let me tell you it's tough to be a substitute teacher even when you are the principal in the building. You are coming into a classroom with an established routine and culture that you're not familiar with. You don't know all of the students and their needs. And the subject matter is brand new in that context even if you have some background in that area.

I had the advantage of the kids knowing me, and I knew most of them too. And the teacher left me incredibly detailed plans. He teaches dual credit biology so many of the students are getting high school credit and college credit for this class. They are a sharp group of kids.

I showed up with all the energy and enthusiasm I would want for my own kids. I let them know from the start I would need their help in making this successful. I told them my background is not in biology, but we will work through any challenges and make sure that we do everything possible to accomplish the goals for the day.

We had a successful 83 minutes together. There were some excellent conversations. We explored the questions and topics with active participation. I'm sure my insights and feedback were not to the level of the regular teacher, but we gave it our everything.

As the students were leaving, one of them commented, "Thank you. You did a good job." Of course, that made me feel like a million bucks.

But last night, I was reflecting on the class period and what I wish I would've done differently. I kept thinking of things that I would improve if given the chance.

1. I didn't learn every student's name. I called students' by name when I could. That's something we emphasize. And I think I learned a couple of more. But I missed a great opportunity to learn everyone's name.
2. Every student was supposed to share the Google doc for the activity with the regular teacher. I reminded them several times, but I did not go to each table and confirm that they did this. As I reflected, I was concerned that some may not have completed that step. I could've made sure that happened instead of just hoping it happened.
3. They had a jigsaw activity near the end of the class. I wish I would've gotten a better sense about how well they summarized their reading. I don't think I provided very good feedback on that part.

But overall, it was a successful class. We had some really good conversations and lots of participation. The teacher had established that type of learning culture already. That made it easy for me.

The opportunity to teach this class was a fantastic experience. I felt like I was seeing through the eyes of a teacher. I thought about how important reflection is. It's easy to get in the routine and always be thinking only of what's next, but we have to circle around and think about how we can improve. I think that's an essential for growth. It's important to always be thinking, "How could that have been better? What could I do next time to improve?"

We never want to be entirely satisfied with what we've accomplished. But we also don't want to be too hard on ourselves. We want to be content, but not satisfied. I've known teachers who sweated every detail and beat themselves up over every mistake. That's not being content. Do the best you can and be okay with it for today. But never be satisfied. Always try to be better tomorrow than you are today. The only way that will happen is when you honestly reflect and push yourself to improve.

The next time I get a chance to sub, I will try to be better than I was this time. It's important to always keep aiming for excellence.

Question: How do you make reflection part of your routine? Are you able to keep a healthy balance of not being satisfied, while remaining content? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.

        

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Scaling Out and Scaling Up Innovation

What do we, as leaders, need to do to scale innovation?

From the C21 Canada ~ Shifting Minds 3.0 document, ‘Redefining the Learning Landscape in Canada’:

As stated above, “The transformative view is that learning is a social process…” Later in the document,

“There is no doubt that innovation is disruptive. But the disruption can uncover the policy or practice that needs to change to enable an innovation to flourish. Social innovation concepts and complexity theories can help to frame the problems and point toward workable solutions. Frances Westley, a leading Canadian scholar, defines social innovation this way:

“Social innovation is an initiative, product, process or program that profoundly changes the basic routines, resource, and authority flows or beliefs of any social system. Successful social innovations have durability and broad impact.”

What are we doing to Scale Up and Scale Out? 

By nature of what needs to happen, we will need to embrace experimentation and embrace multiple iterations and an acceptance that some things we try will not work. Trying new ideas, embracing self, peer and outside feedback, and being flexible and responsive will be key to scaling out and scaling up. 

A model like this explicitly places expectations that leadership, and support by leaders, is key in developing sustainable transformation through innovative practices. Innovation can happen in pockets, but it won’t scale without a system level effort to support, and remove barriers from, innovative practices happening on a larger scale. 

Transformation is a social process and being innovative involves co-designing our new practices at all levels. More than ever, leaders at all levels need to be collaborative and create a climate of support that encourages an openness to challenging practices (and policies) that may not encourage iterations, and learning from mistakes. How do we spread innovation that is desirable? How do we encourage and support useful system-wide changes?

What are we doing to scale out and scale up? 

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