I am participating in the #30summerdays photo challenge. While I prefer to tell stories using words (lots and lots of words!), every once in awhile I enjoy the challenge of trying to tell a story using pictures. This particular journey came with very specific prompts, which makes it easy and fun. Here are some of my pictures from Week 2 and 3.
What gives me a case of the Mondays? June Gloom!
Treat yourself
Flag Day
Happy Father’s Day!
Monday motivation
I recently began to listen to an audiobook during my work commute- A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban. From the first chapter I was thinking about the writing as a possible mentor text (which was especially hard considering I was driving and unable to make notes for myself!). The author set up the first two chapters as polar opposites. The first chapter was about “What should be” and the second was about “What is” a reality for the character. She continues to tell the story by sharing descriptions of reality juxtaposed alongside what the main character wishes would happen in her life.
CCC licensed work by commons.wikimedia.org
I liked that dichotomy so much I decided to try it on for myself as a mentor text for realistic fiction.
What should be…
The mother daughter weekend tradition that began five years ago continues annually. Each year the pair selects a new-to-them city to visit, explore, and of course to shop their way through. The mother and daughter get closer with each trip, like two peas in a pod.
What is…
The mother and daughter started the tradition, which they borrowed from other family members, with a weekend in Santa Barbara and then a trip to Seattle. Before the third trip was planned, the cancer took over. The only trips possible were when the daughter traveled from California to New Jersey to visit her sick mother. Then those trips ended too.
Then as a mentor text for informational writing.
What should be…
There is no need for social justice leadership because all students, regardless of their race, language, economic status, parent education level, abilities, or anything else, are treated equitably and are able to learn and succeed. All the world respects educators and praises their hard work. The top of each graduating class fights for the rights to become teachers, and every teacher is also a lead learner. We are educating global citizens prepared to push our country to the top in every way possible
What is…
Everyone feels they are qualified to criticize education and educators because they have all had some experience as a student. Educators fight to recruit people to enter the profession and cling to them a few years later, begging them not to leave. Teachers are exhausted. Leaders are stressed out. Not all students are successful, for a variety of reasons. Social justice leaders fight to give students a voice, to matter, to provide equity.
I love writing these posts because they force me to stop and think about what is making me happy as a learner and a leader. Similar to the idea of a happy file, I find these lists remind me of the reasons I am in education and the purpose and importance of our work. This week seemed to lend itself to technology-related leading and learning tools.
See http://t.co/XUIvaJRx5O from @kathyschrock — Alec Couros (@courosa)
I like Canva — Barb Montfort (@barb_montfort)
Piktochart — Kim Bushman (@kim_bushman)
My Ss have used easel.ly and piktochart
— Gail Stevens (@jerseygirl_1021)
Piktochart
What are you loving today?
How does technology help you lead and learn?
Previous Things I’m Loving posts:
Volume 5, Firefighters, Twitter & Feedly
Volume 4, Connections & PLN (Stand up desk fun!)
Volume 3, Math, ASCD, Anticipation
Volume 2, Protocols, colleagues, reading to students, Slice of Life blogs
Volume 1, Elena Aguilar, PD, Outlook calendars, blogs
V: Voice
One of the best parts about blogging is that it provides me with a chance to find my voice as a writer. I’ve written before about how important I think it is for for learners (both children and adults!) to have a voice and choice in their learning paths.
Each time I sit down to draft a blog post (or read someone else’s post) I learn something.
CCC licensed work by flckr user Howard Lake
One aspect of finding your voice is recognizing your audience. Writers write for a variety of purposes and audiences. Well-known writers are recognized by their strong, authentic voice, the craft that makes them unique in a sea of books, articles, and blogs. Unknown writers use their craft to ensure that their voice matches their audience. This is not an easy task for a blogger who sends words out into the void, never sure who might be reading on the other end.
It’s not easy for young writers either, but author’s craft is important to honor in all writers. Voice and choice are important when teaching writing too!
Reflective questions to consider:
Abecedary of Reflection
I’ve been participating in the #30summerdays photo challenge, which I learned about from two of the healthy living bloggers I follow (Tina and Julie). I’ve been posting my pictures on my personal Instagram account, but wanted to do a round up of the first week here on the blog. Below are the prompts for the photo challenge, which was started by Staples for a new camera campaign (no affiliation here).
staples.com
June 1- What brings me luck? Red shoes!
June 2- Monday’s fuel
June 3- What made me smile? Hearing students reading and collaborating!
June 4: Look up!
June 5: TBT to last summer’s fun!
June 6- No donuts here!
June 7: How I spent my Saturday
How have you spent the first week of June? Are you participating in the #30summerdays? Is summer here yet?!
U: Unwritten & Unspoken
CCC licensed work commons.wikimedia.org
One of the ideas I have been reflecting on are the rules and norms in our communities that are unwritten or unspoken. Whenever you accept a new job, building relationships and learning the culture of your new community is an important first step. Some aspects you can learn by reading documents (district/ site plans, meeting minutes, agendas, etc.) and others you can learn by listening and observing in as many situations as possible.
Despite all of those options, there are still cultural aspects you cannot learn right away, at least not explicitly. The unwritten and unspoken norms. Sometimes these become the elephants in the room. That-which-we-shall-not-discuss.
To me, strong leaders address the unwritten norms that hurt a culture. True leaders recognize the unspoken agreements that hold back a school from moving forward for the benefit of all students.
While it may not be easy, it is important. When I think about the values I hold for social justice in our school system, I think about the unspoken norms I have seen in some communities- the unwritten belief that not all students can learn, or that not all students deserve a full, rich, engaging educational experience each and every day.
So now I think about how we, as leaders, can cultivate a growth mindset culture. How we can support systems that expect the best from everyone- students, staff, parents, and leaders. What can we do to address the unwritten or unspoken norms that are holding us back?
Reflective questions to consider:
Abecedary of Reflection
Do you have a happy file? What is in your happy file?
To me, a happy file is a collection of positive notes, emails, records, and pictures that celebrate the work I’ve done, the ways I’ve been appreciated or thanked by others, and the reasons that I am in the career I am in, with the passion that I have. Somewhere in the middle of my first year of teaching, when I was having a rough time with some student behavior, a colleague told me to start a happy file. There were times during my years of teaching that I would need to look through my happy file… just to get reconnected, reminded of my vision, and refocused on the positive despite some random negative of the day.
As a principal, my happy file grew quickly- an elementary principal is a rock star to young children, so I was never without cute thank you notes and pictures telling me how beautiful I am. 😉 There were some lonely, dark nights in my office when that happy file truly helped me be happy within the darkness.
After a recent stretch of some disheartening stress, I realized I hadn’t thought about my happy file in a LONG TIME. I love the work I do and have been blessed with an amazing experience over the last two and half years! There have literally been so many good moments and positive experiences that they have easily overshadowed a random bad meeting here and there. I work with a great team of hard-working, dedicated, smart leaders whom I admire greatly.
But every once in awhile, the negative can creep in slowly over time until it becomes a dark cloud over you that taints the overall picture you have every day. When I realize I have hit that point, I know it’s time to take out the happy file. Today, part of my happy file includes some outside leadership inspiration- quotes, articles, stories, blogs, books, pins- from other leaders who have overcome adversity or challenging times. It also includes pictures that just make me happy.
I will close with some of my happiness inspiration. I’d love to hear some from you too!
Confront Issues and Challenges – Not Each Other.
– Suzanne Mayo Frindt
Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. – George S. Patton
The difference between the impossible and possible lies in a person’s determination.
T: Think Time
Why pick one “t” word when you can pick two?!
CCC licensed work from Pixaby by geralt
As I move towards the end of this reflective journal, I am reminded of how fast time flies. There is never enough of it when you really need it. [Yet Mondays often seem to crawl, don’t they?!] I have written about time in relation to reflection before:
In S: “There is never enough time. We all have the same 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and 7 days in a week.” Then I reminded myself to SLOW DOWN!
In O: “Often when I hear people talk about the reasons [or excuses] they do not reflect much, time is mentioned.” I went on to share how I organize my calendar to provide time for reflection.
In M: “We can only truly think about our own thinking if we take the time.”
In L: I mention the need to take time to truly listen to others.
In C: I discussed the need to make time to reflect, especially during times of change, which are often stressful.
In A: “I think it is important to take the time to stop, be grateful for what you have, and appreciate the hard work YOU put into getting to this point.”
Clearly, I have been repetitive over the last five months! But I think it is important to note that when you are trying to focus on reflection, you must consider time. Making the time to reflect, finding the time to close the door and read/write/ view/ think in order to enhance your leadership and learning. Regardless of whether I am blogging, writing in my private journal, or reflecting with colleagues, I will continue to add “Think time” to my “To do list”.
Reflective questions to consider:
Abecedary of Reflection
I love reading. I started these updates at the beginning of my doctoral journey, mostly to ease my personal guilt about having no time to read fiction or read for fun. Now my typical reading has expanded in so many ways.
Here is a round up of what I’ve been reading lately:
What are you reading these days? Any recommendations?
This summer I am taking two non Curriculum and Instruction (C & I) courses in my doctoral program. We are studying Human Resources and School Law and Finance. When I took similar classes in my Master’s program, I had a focused interested: learn the basics of what a principal needs to know to run a school. Now that I’m in a different position in my career and my studies, with new aspirations for my future, I have a very different focus. I want to learn how to bring these worlds together.
Most districts are split up into some version of three areas: C & I, HR, and Business. Working at the district level, I now know how important it is to have your HR and your Business departments work in collaboration with your Curriculum department. Curriculum leaders often feel like the stars of the world- making key decisions about what and how student learning will occur, improve, and change. But if we do not have the support of our HR department, to ensure we have high quality teachers and leaders in our schools, we cannot be as successful. In addition, without the financial support from the Business department, curricular goals cannot be met.
I believe that a Superintendent plays a critical role in ensuring that her (or his) Cabinet members work together in conjunction, all in support of a common vision centered on equitable educational success for all students.
I’m looking forward to a summer of learning more about leadership in HR and Law/Finance.
Reflections on Leadership and Learning 