This week has been hard. I am saying goodbye to a school and a team that I have been a part of for the past 15 years to begin a journey in a new district. Making this transition has caused me to reflect on the impact we have on students, teachers, and others as an administrator. It is a bit overwhelming to consider the number of human lives that have been touched by my influence - both positively and unfortunately negatively - over the past 15 years. To be quite honest, it is those influences and people that make it so hard to walk away.
As I get to the end of this chapter in my career and life, it is my sincere hope that Monett High School is in some way better than it was 15 years ago and is primed for even greater success in the next 15 years. As a team, we have undertaken many initiatives, had great discussions, laughed, cried, agreed, disagreed, and pondered. I hope that through each of these individual moments we have made MHS a better place for kids and have continually improved in preparing students for their future.
I want to say thank you to all the people that have and still currently work with the kids in this building and district. You are the reason this place is special, not just to me, but to this community and to the kids that are served here. The passion you display for serving kids on a daily basis is inspiring. The openness you have to try new things is energizing. The patience you have, both with students and your leader, is appreciated. The creativity you display in solving problems and developing learning experiences is fascinating. In short, each of you, whether a teacher, secretary, counselor, custodian, cook, etc., make up the heartbeat of this awesome school. Thank you for making it a living, thriving organism.
I cannot express enough the gratitude my family and I have for the way in which you, as individuals, a school, district, and community, have supported us through many difficult personal times. God placed us here for a reason and I believe that a large part of that reason was that he knew what trials we would face and that we needed a supportive community for those trials. He sure has provided that support - and for that we are eternally grateful.
While leaving is difficult, I know that the kids at MHS are in good hands. I have no doubt that for years to come MHS will continue to be a leader among schools because of the people that are here. I wish you success, peace, prosperity, and happiness. You deserve it!
It has been a great journey, one that my family and I will cherish for the rest of our lives.
Thank you faculty, staff, students, and patrons of Monett High School. Deep in my heart, I will always be at least part Cub!
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Are We Confined?
"I understand preparing students for high school or whatever may be next for them, but again we can’t allow that to confine what we do. . . and we can’t allow a test to confine or paralyze us and what we do or don’t do." - Bill Powers (@MrPowersCMS) on his blog cmslearning1.wordpress.com
As I read a recent blog post by Bill Powers, this statement he made struck me and really caused me to think. Are we confined by other's expectations? Do we limit ourselves to the minimum acceptable standard in educating our kids? If so, are we doing our kids a disservice? What impact do these 'confinements' have on student motivation? How can we break through the 'minimum' ceiling and expose our kids to the exciting world around them?
I think that the answers to these questions must revolve around tapping into each student's passion and giving him/her ownership of their learning. Only then can we truly customize and personalize learning in a way that makes it relevant to each student. And if we don't do this, we most certainly are doing a disservice to our kids. If we are only concerned about test scores and confine our students' opportunities to these areas, then we are definitely limited by others' views of education and what's important.
Look at the tweet below from Dr. Robert Dillon (@ideaguy42) to Eric Sheninger (@e_sheninger).
Are we using the confinement of standardized tests as an excuse? If we break outside of the barriers that these tests create will our kids suffer or blossom?
I believe that it is through overcoming this confinement that we truly begin to serve students and provide them with quality preparation for their lives. I would guess that if we focused more on student passion and the development of the 6 Cs - Collaboration, Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, Connection, and Culture - that the standardized tests would take care of themselves. And if they don't, what have we really lost?
How will you break through the barriers that confine you today?
As I read a recent blog post by Bill Powers, this statement he made struck me and really caused me to think. Are we confined by other's expectations? Do we limit ourselves to the minimum acceptable standard in educating our kids? If so, are we doing our kids a disservice? What impact do these 'confinements' have on student motivation? How can we break through the 'minimum' ceiling and expose our kids to the exciting world around them?
I think that the answers to these questions must revolve around tapping into each student's passion and giving him/her ownership of their learning. Only then can we truly customize and personalize learning in a way that makes it relevant to each student. And if we don't do this, we most certainly are doing a disservice to our kids. If we are only concerned about test scores and confine our students' opportunities to these areas, then we are definitely limited by others' views of education and what's important.
Look at the tweet below from Dr. Robert Dillon (@ideaguy42) to Eric Sheninger (@e_sheninger).
Are we using the confinement of standardized tests as an excuse? If we break outside of the barriers that these tests create will our kids suffer or blossom?
I believe that it is through overcoming this confinement that we truly begin to serve students and provide them with quality preparation for their lives. I would guess that if we focused more on student passion and the development of the 6 Cs - Collaboration, Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, Connection, and Culture - that the standardized tests would take care of themselves. And if they don't, what have we really lost?
How will you break through the barriers that confine you today?
Friday, January 9, 2015
The Speed of Innovation
Recently, I was fortunate to engage in a chat on Twitter that accompanied a local district beginning to discuss innovation and change for their kids. The chat was extremely interesting (check out #ImagineSPS to see the discussion) and got me reflecting on change, innovation, and specifically the speed at which each can occur.
I'm fortunate to be part of a district that encourages innovation for the purpose of preparing students for their future. My high school has undergone two major innovations in the past 5 years and I have learned a significant amount about the change process through those experiences. We have implemented a 1:1 laptop program for grades 9-12 (almost 4 years ago) and transitioned from a traditional schedule (8 period day) to a flexible modular schedule (see more about it here). I was very surprised at how quickly we were able to implement each innovation and I believe the items below were key in the quick pace of our change.
1. The innovation/change must have a specific purpose and address a specific need. We put technology into each student's hands not for technology's sake, but to give each student equal access to a global community in preparation for the jobs/careers they will have in the future. Our schedule change was to address the need to provide additional support to students during the school day and to help students develop 'soft skills' such as time management, prioritization, and self-advocacy.
2. Stakeholders must be informed and have the opportunity to share their thoughts. In each of the above innovations, focus groups and/or a task force was involved early in the process to gather input from varying perspectives. It is critical to include parents and students in these discussions early. These conversations shaped the unique design of each initiative and made it 'ours' instead of a packaged product.
3. The leader must be the champion of the project. Leading with passion and purpose is necessary when asking people to think beyond their own experiences and to look at what the future holds for students. The leader must be responsive to the thoughts and opinions of others, but must keep the focus on the needs to be addressed through the innovation.
4. Learning from others that are already doing it is crucial. In each case, we took multiple site visits and engaged with other schools that had undertaken similar initiatives. This allowed our staff to see the change in action, alleviated fears, and built momentum. This is one of the most critical components for success!
5. Acknowledge hopes and fears. With any change, no matter how much we understand the benefits of implementing it, there will be associated hopes and fears. It is vital that these be discussed openly and honestly - especially for innovation to occur quickly. Doing so will not make them go away, but it is reassuring to teachers when they are able to express their doubts and know that they are being heard.
6. Once the decision is made and the plan developed, get to work quickly. Momentum will fade if these discussions and plans happen then action is delayed. In each case, the time from the first focus group meeting to implementation was less than 12 months. Capitalize on the excitement!
7. Remember that the implementation will have speed bumps. No matter how much thought, planning, and analyzing occurs prior to implementation there will be things that don't go as planned. Innovation and change are messy. Being flexible and ready to adjust is key to success. The final product (if there is such a thing) will look somewhat different than the initial plan. Be mindful of this.
8. Keep the impact on kids at the forefront. We are in the education business to prepare kids for their future, not to make things convenient for adults. Innovation and change will upset traditional constructs and routines. Continually remind yourself and others that what is occurring is about kids and their education.
9. Don't wait until there is 100% agreement - because that will never happen. Many times in education we wait until everyone is on board before we try something. Quality leaders know how and when to 'pull the trigger' to begin the innovation process. Innovation cannot occur without significant buy in, but waiting until everyone is on board means never changing anything.
These items are not intended to be all inclusive, but are important if you want the change/innovation process to occur quickly. Our current education structure has been in place for more than 150 years with relatively little substantive change. We need educators and education entities to be willing to look at what is best for today's kids and make strategic, systemic changes in a timely fashion. The world is changing more rapidly each day. Education must change and innovate in order to avoid becoming irrelevant.
Be sure that you also celebrate successes and share your story. If we want to change the narrative that surrounds public education, we must be willing to publicly share and recognize the successes we have achieved. Other schools need to know that change and innovation will work and that it's ok to try new things.
It takes a large, committed team to make any innovative efforts successful. I am blessed to be working with a group of educators that are committed to kids and their future success. None of the innovations we have undertaken could have been accomplished without the work of our Board of Education, Central Office administration and staff, counselors, and teachers. Surround yourself with good people and trust them!
What other components would you mention? I'd love to hear your feedback in the comment section below.
I'm fortunate to be part of a district that encourages innovation for the purpose of preparing students for their future. My high school has undergone two major innovations in the past 5 years and I have learned a significant amount about the change process through those experiences. We have implemented a 1:1 laptop program for grades 9-12 (almost 4 years ago) and transitioned from a traditional schedule (8 period day) to a flexible modular schedule (see more about it here). I was very surprised at how quickly we were able to implement each innovation and I believe the items below were key in the quick pace of our change.
1. The innovation/change must have a specific purpose and address a specific need. We put technology into each student's hands not for technology's sake, but to give each student equal access to a global community in preparation for the jobs/careers they will have in the future. Our schedule change was to address the need to provide additional support to students during the school day and to help students develop 'soft skills' such as time management, prioritization, and self-advocacy.
2. Stakeholders must be informed and have the opportunity to share their thoughts. In each of the above innovations, focus groups and/or a task force was involved early in the process to gather input from varying perspectives. It is critical to include parents and students in these discussions early. These conversations shaped the unique design of each initiative and made it 'ours' instead of a packaged product.
3. The leader must be the champion of the project. Leading with passion and purpose is necessary when asking people to think beyond their own experiences and to look at what the future holds for students. The leader must be responsive to the thoughts and opinions of others, but must keep the focus on the needs to be addressed through the innovation.
4. Learning from others that are already doing it is crucial. In each case, we took multiple site visits and engaged with other schools that had undertaken similar initiatives. This allowed our staff to see the change in action, alleviated fears, and built momentum. This is one of the most critical components for success!
5. Acknowledge hopes and fears. With any change, no matter how much we understand the benefits of implementing it, there will be associated hopes and fears. It is vital that these be discussed openly and honestly - especially for innovation to occur quickly. Doing so will not make them go away, but it is reassuring to teachers when they are able to express their doubts and know that they are being heard.
6. Once the decision is made and the plan developed, get to work quickly. Momentum will fade if these discussions and plans happen then action is delayed. In each case, the time from the first focus group meeting to implementation was less than 12 months. Capitalize on the excitement!
7. Remember that the implementation will have speed bumps. No matter how much thought, planning, and analyzing occurs prior to implementation there will be things that don't go as planned. Innovation and change are messy. Being flexible and ready to adjust is key to success. The final product (if there is such a thing) will look somewhat different than the initial plan. Be mindful of this.
8. Keep the impact on kids at the forefront. We are in the education business to prepare kids for their future, not to make things convenient for adults. Innovation and change will upset traditional constructs and routines. Continually remind yourself and others that what is occurring is about kids and their education.
9. Don't wait until there is 100% agreement - because that will never happen. Many times in education we wait until everyone is on board before we try something. Quality leaders know how and when to 'pull the trigger' to begin the innovation process. Innovation cannot occur without significant buy in, but waiting until everyone is on board means never changing anything.
These items are not intended to be all inclusive, but are important if you want the change/innovation process to occur quickly. Our current education structure has been in place for more than 150 years with relatively little substantive change. We need educators and education entities to be willing to look at what is best for today's kids and make strategic, systemic changes in a timely fashion. The world is changing more rapidly each day. Education must change and innovate in order to avoid becoming irrelevant.
Be sure that you also celebrate successes and share your story. If we want to change the narrative that surrounds public education, we must be willing to publicly share and recognize the successes we have achieved. Other schools need to know that change and innovation will work and that it's ok to try new things.
It takes a large, committed team to make any innovative efforts successful. I am blessed to be working with a group of educators that are committed to kids and their future success. None of the innovations we have undertaken could have been accomplished without the work of our Board of Education, Central Office administration and staff, counselors, and teachers. Surround yourself with good people and trust them!
What other components would you mention? I'd love to hear your feedback in the comment section below.
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