I was thinking of one of my favorite quotes on the way from home from school this week.
"Its not about the product, its about the process."
-Inky Johnson
Inky has several inspiring videos that can be found on YouTube. I'll give them a listen every once in a while, especially when I need some motivation. I have even shared the video with a 5th grade student of mine. The young man is definitely a work in progress but when we cross paths at school, I will say to him, "Its not about the product...." and he will respond with "its about the process." I am proud of teaching him this quote and hope the wisdom sticks and helps him in the future.
This week on the way home I was reflecting about past and present goals. I was thinking how in the past I have lost focus on the process and focused instead on the product. The product being a promotion. I was focusing too much on being named principal of a school because "I was ready". I felt that I already deserved to be the principal of a school. My thinking was all wrong, I was focusing on the product and not the process. I still dream of being a principal one day. It will happen, eventually. My job now is to be the best AP that I can be and continue to learn and grow to prepare for the future and whatever it brings. I should only focus on getting better.
Luckily, I had my epiphany within the last year and came to the correct conclusion that it is about the process and becoming better for kids. We must focus on our daily performance, growing ourselves, and continuing to learn. Regardless of what happens, I will focus on my growth. I will focus on getting better. I will continue to own my professional development. I will reflect. I will challenge myself. I will pursue excellence. My ultimate destination in life is not the most important thing, what I learn on my journey is. I will not be satisfied with the husband, parent, or educator that I am today. I will continue to evolve because it is all about the process!
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Be You
This week's big event for me was an interview for a principal position. My school district holds an event titled Aspiring Leaders. The event combines activities such as an interview, several role playing activities, and situational problem solving scenarios. This was my second year participating in the event. It is not a professional development opportunity, it is a competitive process the district uses to gather information regarding filing principal vacancies.
This year's event provided me with an important lesson. The lesson is to be yourself. I mentioned that I participated in the event last year. Last year, during the interview process I could have performed better. While answering questions, rather than speaking from the heart, instead I searched for the "perfect" answer. I was nervous, too. Rather than just speaking my mind, I attempted to answer the question almost from a textbook standpoint. The result was likely stiff and impersonal. I was afraid to make a mistake. This year my strategy was to be myself and to trust my instincts. I listened to the question and did my best to respond with what I thought or how I would handle the situation. I did not search for a correct answer, I shared my answer. In a few weeks, I will receive feedback on my performance, so then I will know how I did. However, with the honest approach I am more confident with my interview.
I share this experience because I think it is valuable and translates to life and school. We cannot always worry about finding the textbook answer. We cannot approach challenges in a rigid manner. Be comfortable. Be yourself. Trust your instincts. Find your right answer. Believe in what you have learned from your experiences. You cannot be someone else. You can only focus on being the best version of yourself and for that to happen you need authenticity. You have to put your voice out there. Put your personal touch on your work. This lesson is very transferable to the educational world. Your classroom cannot be generic or cookie-cutter. It needs your spin on it. Your lessons must include your interests, in addition to the interests of your students. Your classroom needs pictures of you outside of school. Your office needs pictures of your family. Students and teammates must know who you are. If you go about your job without inserting your personality, your performance will only be a fraction of what it could be. Whatever you do, make it yours.
This year's event provided me with an important lesson. The lesson is to be yourself. I mentioned that I participated in the event last year. Last year, during the interview process I could have performed better. While answering questions, rather than speaking from the heart, instead I searched for the "perfect" answer. I was nervous, too. Rather than just speaking my mind, I attempted to answer the question almost from a textbook standpoint. The result was likely stiff and impersonal. I was afraid to make a mistake. This year my strategy was to be myself and to trust my instincts. I listened to the question and did my best to respond with what I thought or how I would handle the situation. I did not search for a correct answer, I shared my answer. In a few weeks, I will receive feedback on my performance, so then I will know how I did. However, with the honest approach I am more confident with my interview.
I share this experience because I think it is valuable and translates to life and school. We cannot always worry about finding the textbook answer. We cannot approach challenges in a rigid manner. Be comfortable. Be yourself. Trust your instincts. Find your right answer. Believe in what you have learned from your experiences. You cannot be someone else. You can only focus on being the best version of yourself and for that to happen you need authenticity. You have to put your voice out there. Put your personal touch on your work. This lesson is very transferable to the educational world. Your classroom cannot be generic or cookie-cutter. It needs your spin on it. Your lessons must include your interests, in addition to the interests of your students. Your classroom needs pictures of you outside of school. Your office needs pictures of your family. Students and teammates must know who you are. If you go about your job without inserting your personality, your performance will only be a fraction of what it could be. Whatever you do, make it yours.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Intentionally being more intentional
Life in a school is often unpredictable. Much of what happens is unplanned and spontaneous. There is a great need for educators to be proactive, we all know so much of what we do is reactive. Many times I have sat at my desk checking email or working on a project, and I receive a phone call where I am forced to react to several "fires" that arose one after the other. I truly believe that if you can get out and about in your school, you can get ahead of these "fires". If you are out observing and interacting in the building you can actually prevent problems from occurring. I also believe that the most important work of school leaders happen outside of the principal's office.
I am making a goal to be more intentional in my daily actions. To accomplish this, I think it will take discipline and planning. One of my mentors often says "Plan the work and work the plan". I am pretty sure that he stole that saying from one of his mentor but there is great wisdom in this borrowed statement.
Some of the things that I want to do more of are: informal classroom visits, positive communication with staff (written and verbal), positive phone calls to parents, and working with students directly in their classrooms. These actions will allow me to take a more active role in contributing to the culture and direction of my school. In the grand scheme of things these activities represent the "real" job of school leaders.
In order to make this happen I have found I must build them into my schedule. I am a huge advocate for my Google calendar and I have found it helpful to schedule my goals into a daily schedule. It doesn't have to be Google or a digital platform. If you use a paper calendar by all means put it to use! I may not always be able to make all of the appointments that I plan for myself, but if I do not insert these activities into my daily schedule the chance that they will happen will decrease significantly. Make a list of the things that you really want to accomplish during your day and plug them into your calendar. Keep what is most important at the top of your agenda each day.
If you have an idea, or best practice you use for making your days intentional, I would love other educators to add their proactive tips or calendar items in the comments section of this blog!
I am making a goal to be more intentional in my daily actions. To accomplish this, I think it will take discipline and planning. One of my mentors often says "Plan the work and work the plan". I am pretty sure that he stole that saying from one of his mentor but there is great wisdom in this borrowed statement.
Some of the things that I want to do more of are: informal classroom visits, positive communication with staff (written and verbal), positive phone calls to parents, and working with students directly in their classrooms. These actions will allow me to take a more active role in contributing to the culture and direction of my school. In the grand scheme of things these activities represent the "real" job of school leaders.
In order to make this happen I have found I must build them into my schedule. I am a huge advocate for my Google calendar and I have found it helpful to schedule my goals into a daily schedule. It doesn't have to be Google or a digital platform. If you use a paper calendar by all means put it to use! I may not always be able to make all of the appointments that I plan for myself, but if I do not insert these activities into my daily schedule the chance that they will happen will decrease significantly. Make a list of the things that you really want to accomplish during your day and plug them into your calendar. Keep what is most important at the top of your agenda each day.
If you have an idea, or best practice you use for making your days intentional, I would love other educators to add their proactive tips or calendar items in the comments section of this blog!
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Everyone's Favorite Teacher Podcast
Around New Year's Resolution time, George Couros challenged fellow educators to share in video, a goal for 2017. Here is mine. My goal was to host my own podcast to showcase champion teachers who put their heart and soul into the profession. I am happy to say that this goal has been realized! In the past two weeks, I have recorded the first two episodes of Everyone's Favorite Teacher Podcast (available on iTunes). This could not have been achieved without the support of my wife, Meagan. Follow her on twitter @MeaganhParrish and check out her blog. She is a phenomenal teacher who integrates technology consistently into her 4th grade language arts classroom. She takes risks and pushes her students every day. She will be presenting at the NCTIES Conference this year. Meagan and Danielle Simerman (@dksimerman) will be leading a session on using Google Apps for Education (GAFE) as a platform for digital portfolios. Meagan serves as executive producer and lead consultant for the podcast. She handles everything on the technical end and without her the podcast would not happen. Recording the podcast has been very exciting and I look forward to refining the process and improving upon the finished product.
I am also extremely thankful for the two teachers who agreed to be my first two guests of the show. Jenny Hudson and Derrick Pate. Jenny (@petiteflower975) and Derrick (@FourOaksPate) were both brave enough to take a chance on my passion project. I believe in these first two episodes I was able to capture their love for students and teaching. I couldn't have found two better educators to have as guests! Thanks Jenny and Derrick! Here is a link to Derrick demonstrating his rap skills.
My goal now will to be to continue to push myself. I need to learn more about the profession I love. I need to continue to evolve as a learner and a leader. I want to connect with more awesome educators and share their stories. If you would like to talk with me or if you know a champion teacher who would be a perfect guest on the podcast please send me an email to FavoriteTeacherPodcast@gmail.com. Lets grow and learn together! BTW, my next guest is going to be awesome!
I am also extremely thankful for the two teachers who agreed to be my first two guests of the show. Jenny Hudson and Derrick Pate. Jenny (@petiteflower975) and Derrick (@FourOaksPate) were both brave enough to take a chance on my passion project. I believe in these first two episodes I was able to capture their love for students and teaching. I couldn't have found two better educators to have as guests! Thanks Jenny and Derrick! Here is a link to Derrick demonstrating his rap skills.
My goal now will to be to continue to push myself. I need to learn more about the profession I love. I need to continue to evolve as a learner and a leader. I want to connect with more awesome educators and share their stories. If you would like to talk with me or if you know a champion teacher who would be a perfect guest on the podcast please send me an email to FavoriteTeacherPodcast@gmail.com. Lets grow and learn together! BTW, my next guest is going to be awesome!
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Get Fired Up!
There has been much (needed) discussion in education these days regarding compliance, engagement, and empowerment. Clearly we want to move away from classrooms that breed compliance. Students do not need to be completing an endless list of mundane tasks. Students need to be challenged and involved in their learning. In an engaged classroom, students enjoy what they are doing and would likely continue doing it even if they did not have to. Engaged students are active participants in their own learning. They are motivated because they are involved in tasks that are of high interest to them. Empowered students have freedom, voice, and choice regarding their own learning. Empowered students have design responsibilities. They choose pathways. Empowered students become responsible for their own learning.
The time has come to expand the compliance, engagement, and empowerment conversation. The message that I want to really drive home this week is not about student engagement, it is about educator engagement. All school administrators, teachers, and leaders need to challenge themselves to move beyond compliance. Students need educators who are engaged and not simply going through the motions. Running a smooth school or classroom is not enough. Students need educators to follow their hearts, take risks, and be ultra intentional. How can we expect our students to be engaged or empowered if we are not putting our hearts into what we are doing? Are we giving kids our best or are we giving them our average? Are you on cruise control? It's time to take ownership of our own learning. Start a reflective blog. Listen to a podcast on the way to work. Here is a link to a podcast I've began hosting. Participate in a Twitter chat so you can be exposed to new ideas. Arrange a Voxer Chat with you and a group of your like minded peers so you can share and learn. Sign up for an EdCamp. Check out new titles on Amazon and order a new book. Make a goal to read more and stick to it! No matter what, do not allow your passion for education to dwindle. Fuel your passion so others can feel your flame!
The time has come to expand the compliance, engagement, and empowerment conversation. The message that I want to really drive home this week is not about student engagement, it is about educator engagement. All school administrators, teachers, and leaders need to challenge themselves to move beyond compliance. Students need educators who are engaged and not simply going through the motions. Running a smooth school or classroom is not enough. Students need educators to follow their hearts, take risks, and be ultra intentional. How can we expect our students to be engaged or empowered if we are not putting our hearts into what we are doing? Are we giving kids our best or are we giving them our average? Are you on cruise control? It's time to take ownership of our own learning. Start a reflective blog. Listen to a podcast on the way to work. Here is a link to a podcast I've began hosting. Participate in a Twitter chat so you can be exposed to new ideas. Arrange a Voxer Chat with you and a group of your like minded peers so you can share and learn. Sign up for an EdCamp. Check out new titles on Amazon and order a new book. Make a goal to read more and stick to it! No matter what, do not allow your passion for education to dwindle. Fuel your passion so others can feel your flame!
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