Ok, this is my first attempt at a blog entry. I'm not very good at reflecting this way because I haven't reflected this way very often. I'm sure I'll ramble and ask lots of questions. Just try to remember that I'm asking these questions because I need to clarify my thoughts. Hopefully, they will provoke some 'out of the box' thoughts in those that read this too.
School is about relationships first - content second. If we are to truly improve our school and do what is best for kids (not what is convenient for adults), we must start with building relationships with them and among them. At William E. Hay HS in Alberta, Canada, the students and staff have designed a school setting where each student is purposely connected with an adult on campus. Additionally, they have reorganized their time around fostering these relationships. How did they get students, parents, and teachers on board? They let them design the entire system. The students had input into how often and how long classes should meet. How often should we have advisory? How often should we have 'Flex Time' to get extra help from teachers? By turning the design of these over to students, students feel valued. They feel trusted. They feel respected. How can we promote this at MHS? Better question - How can I promote this at MHS?
Guess what, at Pierce County HS in Georgia, it's about relationships too. At PCHS, the standard for all students is excellence. Let me say that again - the standard for ALL students is excellence. How can we demand excellence from students if we don't know them? In our test driven school culture (and I'm talking nationally), have we lost sight of getting to know our students? If we surveyed our students tomorrow, how many of them would indicate that they had a positive relationship with at least one adult? We have a good school, but is that what we want? Or do we want to be great? When starting a new semester or school year, how much time do we devote to building the relationships? Do we jump right into content because we have so much to cover? How do we demand excellence and foster relationships at the same time? What would happen if we asked each student to reflect on this question before submitting any work for grading: "Is this the best I can do?" At PCHS, this is on a poster in every room! How can we organize our support systems to make sure that students can be successful? If we have 'pep rallies' for athletic events, why don't we have 'prep rallies' before EOC, AP, and ACT testing?
Neither of the schools I heard present this morning discussed this next item, but I had an interesting conversation with a colleague about it. Why don't we celebrate student success more? I've always had the thought that performing at school is the student's 'job' - it's what they are supposed to do. Why would we celebrate somebody doing their job? My colleague challenged my thinking. He asked something like, "When the running back on your favorite NFL team scores a touchdown do you celebrate? He's just doing his job." Wow - that hit me upside the head. We celebrate what we are passionate about. If we really want to see our schools improve, we must become passionate about it and celebrate it when it happens. And to do it right - we should probably have students planning the celebrations!
