"Hope" dealers

We are all “hope dealers”.  This comment came from a discussion I had on voxer with my #ptcamp group.  Jeffrey See (@JeffreyASee), a new administrator in Wisconsin, attended a conference and the keynote speaker, Roberto Rivera, spoke about how he used to be a dope dealer and now he's a "hope dealer". Jeffrey jokingly said he could see me with a tilted hat as a representation of a "hope dealer" so I gave it a try with this picture.

Think about it.  Every day we have the opportunity to either expand and foster a student’s hopes or crush them.  Do we always have this in mind when we have a chance to speak with individual students?  Do we ask them what they hope to do with their life and explain how what we are doing in class is assisting them in this endeavor?  My guess is that the answer is mixed- sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t.  Think of the power of our conversations, no matter how long or short, and how they can provide the opportunity and support for reaching these hopes.  We all had hopes in 5th through 8th grade.  Mine was to become a professional basketball player.  My coaches spoke to me about becoming the best I could be and obviously I didn’t have the skills or height or speed to make this happen.  But my coaches continued to support this hope.  Their support may not have helped me reach my hopes, but I have the same types of conversations with students as often as I can.  Now I know what you’re saying- Jay, how can we have these conversations with our students every day?  Here’s what I would say- How can we not have these conversations?  It doesn’t take long.  I’ve seen you all have these conversations with students, and the students respond to them.  Show them you care.  Give them a little of your time.  You are all “hope dealers” and I’m proud of you for that.

Only the best...

Through my journey with #ptcamp and our study of Beyond the Bake Sale this summer, and the conversations that continue, I have realized one important thing.  Everyone gives us only their best.  Families send us their best children.  Families do their best for their children.  Our school staff gives their best for the students and for each other.  I believe this to be true.  Call me naive.  Call me an eternal optimist.  Call me someone with pie in the sky dreams.  Call me whatever you would like.  But I believe this to be true- everyone gives us only their best.

Over the first month of school, I have had a nearly uncountable number of phone calls, emails, and meetings.  Some of these have been with students.  Some have been with families.  Some have been with school staff.  All of them have been about our students- their success in class, their behavior, their friendships.  The important thing about each of these meetings has been my desire to make sure that all involved are giving their best, and that includes me.

We have a motto in Merton.  Well, it's really an acronym.  We want to be the BEST.

Believe in each other

Encourage each other

Share with each other
Trust each other

This has been something we've discussed as a staff, but now I think it's really important to include this in all aspects of our school.  We need to have this in mind with our conversations with students and their families, too.  Imagine the power of everyone having the mindset that the person they are teaming with is doing their best.  Now that would be awesome!

As the school year continues, my goal is to keep this mindset.  I know that it will be difficult at times, but I also have to do my best to keep that mindset.  I hope others notice that I'm doing my best as well.  After all, that's really all we can ask of anyone.

My incredible educator journey

In learning with my #ptcamp PLN this summer, we occasionally posed a question that left us pause to reflect.  Our most recent question is about our journey as an educator and how we arrived at our current position.  While thinking about this, I began to remember those who have been most instrumental in my journey so I decided to share a little bit about these great mentors.  This list is far from all inclusive, but today these are the ones that are in my thoughts and reflections.  There are 15 of them, and they all deserve more than just a paragraph, so this might be the start of a book.  But more on that later.

Bill Swartz (coach)
Coach had a huge impact on me as a competitor, as a leader, and as a coach.  A coach, after all, is an educator first.  His attention to detail and relationships are what I admire most about him.  Thanks to Coach, I was able to attain a high school head coaching position at 25 years of age.

Peter Rempe (former teacher)
This man could flat out teach.  I really think he was the original Dave Burgess of "Teach Like a Pirate" fame.  You wanted to come to his class because you really didn't know what he was going to do in class to engage you in learning.  I don't like to pick favorites, but he is my favorite teacher ever.

Pastor James Wilch
I can't say enough about this man's impact on my life.  He treats everyone as his equal.  He is a leader beyond compare and those who know him would follow, and support, him anywhere.  He saw enough in me to guide me as a leader and a follower.

Joe Vitale (former principal)
The first principal that I ever worked for was Mr. Vitale.  I was right out of college and he visited my classroom often, not in a formal sense, but he still provided me with invaluable feedback.  He is the reason that I am in classrooms every day as a principal.  He built positive relationships with students, families, and staff and I hope that I can continue to do the same due to his modeling.

Dick Luther (coach)
Coach has the unbelievable knack of finding the best in each of his players.  Hustle and defense are just as important to him as being the leading scorer.  His constant flow of positive comments is something that I emulate to this day.

Bob Tolbert (coach)
Coach is the best motivator that I have ever been around.  He seems to always know what to say to cause you to give nothing less than your best effort.  He also motivated you to be a team player, a cog in a wheel of success.  His guidance and leadership is the main reason our team won a state championship in volleyball in 1981.

Deb Gerner (teacher)
Ms. Gerner was my middle school math teacher and, early in my teaching career, a colleague as a middle school teacher.  She taught me the importance of working with individual students and guiding us toward success through persevering even with the most difficult concepts.  She is why I find time to meet with students one on one whenever I can.

Joe Schroeder (former colleague)
Joe is an education leader in Wisconsin and I know that I can contact him at any time and he will be there for me.  We worked together in the same district when I first became an administrator.  He is a leader who develops leaders beyond even where they think they can go.

Mark Flynn (former colleague)
Mark is a true relationship builder.  He makes you want to work for and with him and no task seemed too big when he was on your side, which was nearly all of the time.  In every student, staff, or family conversation, I have him in mind as I try to further foster relationships.

Mike Budisch (current colleague)
The man just exudes education.  Even when we aren't talking about school, we're talking about school.  He has knowledge of Primary School students that he shares willingly and without reservation.  He knows the names of every student in his school, something I strive for every year and then fall short of accomplishing.  Above all, he is my closest educational friend and I rely on him for more than even he can comprehend.

First Voxer PLN
I won't mention all of these people but they know who they are.  This group talks about #eduwins and #edustruggles every day.  They are my go to people on my best days and my worst days.  I cannot thank them enough for their friendship and wisdom.

#ptcamp Voxer PLN
This group of educators and parents are an incredible resource.  They share willingly and often and we have become close friends even though many of us have never met face to face.  I look forward to meeting as many of them as I can in June of 2015 at the National Family Engagement conference (Conference will be posted at iel.org).

Joe and Liz Posick (my parents)
My mom and dad have truly been the greatest influences in my life when it comes to doing things for others.  It's a rare occasion when they aren't doing something for someone else.  They are active with friends and their church and are willing to chip in to help out anyone at just about any time.  I am continuously striving to be as giving as they are of their time and talents.

Lauren Posick (my daughter)
When you have your own child or children, I really think you become a different educator.  You begin to more clearly understand how a child "works" as you see your own child grow and learn and thrive.  Lauren and I spent the last five years being not only father and daughter but principal and student.  Both points of view are important and I often wore two hats- father and principal, sometimes at the same time and sometimes once at a time.  She has grounded me in both of my roles and I cannot thank her enough for that.

Jenifer Posick (my wife)
Jen has been my guiding force for as long as I have known her.  She is extremely supportive of me, is a sounding board, shares her ideas and suggestions, and, most importantly, reminds me when it's time for our family and to forget about school.  Above all else, she is my greatest cheerleader and wants me to continue to strive for professional success each and every day.  Without her, I would not be the principal, parent, or husband that I am today.

These 15 people have molded me into the educator that I am today.  Aside from the last three, who are the most important to me, the other 12 could be in any order.  There are many more who I have not mentioned, not because they weren't influential in my life but because these are the ones I'm thinking about today.  If you remember the last line of the first paragraph about writing a book, Jen is the one who continues to remind me that I should write a book.  I'm sure that I will, someday.  Maybe this blog is the first step in the process.

*If you decide to leave a comment, please make sure that you mention one or more people who have influenced your journey as an educator.  Each of those that I have mentioned will receive a copy of this blog so that they know how much they have meant to me.

Tubing on the lake, and how it mirrors teachers

Last weekend, I noticed a big change in my daughter and her attitude toward tubing.  My daughter is 14 and has always enjoyed the lake home my brother-in-law owns.  There is a pool which she enjoys with her friends and family and of course there is the lake.  We have gone on many boat rides and some of them have involved tubing behind the boat.  Her confidence in tubing has progressed throughout the years and this progression made me think about how tubing is like teaching.

The early years
My daughter's first tubing experience was with me.  She and I sat in the tube together when she was very little and I remember her falling asleep in my arms.  She was obviously very comfortable with her daddy right there with her but it wasn't a very risky ride.  She was relaxed to the point of sleeping.

This comfortable state is one we find ourselves in from time to time.  It's easy to do those things we know are safe, but sometimes this can put our students, and us, to sleep.  The students are in need of engaging teachers and the lessons they provide.  But that can be difficult because it's risky and unknown.

She's growing up
As my daughter has grown up, she no longer needed me in the tube with her and I became her driver.  She didn't tube alone yet.  She would tube with her cousins and friends but she didn't like going outside of the wake.  She smiled and laughed and seemed to be enjoying herself, but the risk involved in going outside of the wake was something she wasn't ready for just yet.

This testing of the waters (no pun intended) is the beginning of taking risks with our lessons and our students.  It can be scary, but it is exciting at the same time.  We notice our students becoming more engaged in our lessons and have an extra sense of pride in our new ideas.

Last weekend
My daughter and her cousin enjoyed the tube rides they had last weekend.  They are just like sisters and enjoy each others company.  And when her cousin suggested going tubing, my daughter was "all in".  The tube ride lasted for nearly a half an hour, and most of the time was spent outside of the wake!  That was a huge step for my daughter and, aside from being a bit sore, she had a fantastic time.  She took a risk with someone she trusts and I'm sure that it will lead to her taking more risks on her own.  I was still her driver, but the tow rope seemed longer and she was more willing to step out of her comfort zone.

This risk taking, with someone she trusts, is something we can all do as educators.  Trying something new with a colleague and actually sharing the risks involved can make the risk taking not seem so scary.  And the risk doesn't need to be that big to change the engagement level of our students.

Next steps
As the summer winds down, I'm sure that my daughter will be more confident in her tubing opportunities.  She might try tubing on her own, or try it with her friends, or maybe she won't.  Whatever the outcome, she feels more comfortable taking a risk that she wasn't comfortable with even just two months ago.  But she tried something new and she enjoyed it.

These next steps are the same for educators.  Maybe we'll try something new on our own or maybe we'll try something with a colleague or maybe we won't.  The progression and comfort with taking risks and trying something new is different for all of us.  If we don't feel comfortable taking risks alone, grab a colleague and try something new together.  It just might be the spark you need to get your school year off to a great start!

So what are you going to do to get your students, and yourself, outside the wake?

The Best School Year Ever

A welcome back letter to staff 2014

Well, the 2014-2015 school year is quickly approaching.  I would like to share three things with you all as you begin to mentally, and physically, prepare for the school year to come.  You and I will need to focus on three things that I promise will make this your best school year ever.

Relationships

If we want our students to be successful, we must begin to build relationships from the first time that we meet them.  For some it will be at Open House and for others it will be the first day they are with us in school.  It is important that the first time our students and families meet us that we smile, welcome them into our school, and make them feel comfortable coming to us with concerns or compliments.  These relationships must be fostered over the course of the school year and cannot happen only at Open House, conferences, or meetings.  Greet the students in the halls, in the cafeteria, and as they enter your room.  Relationships must include an occasional email or phone call so that the students and families can really see that we care.  Imagine the power of a phone call or email when you have “caught” a student doing something amazing.  It will be time well spent as the school year progresses.  I challenge you to find the time in your week to reach out to five families.  6th, 7th, and 8th grade staff may need to divide the wealth involved in these contacts, but it surely can be done.  I plan on contacting at least five families a week as well.  If we all call five families a week, we will be able to reach out to all of our families once a month.  Wouldn’t that be awesome?!

PBIS

Our PBIS team has been working feverishly to have a plan for a roll out to students and staff.  Videos have been created, a kick off will occur during the first week of school, and students and staff will know what expectations we all hold as critical for each other.  Some decisions that have been made were done with input from staff (passes, Skyward forms, volume levels, dress code) others have been decided by me (no hats, no gum).  The most important part of having a PBIS plan is that we need to hold the students accountable and each other accountable.  The PBIS team will be sharing our plan with all of you when we meet on Tuesday, August 26th, and will provide ample time to discuss the implementation process.  The purpose of PBIS is not to tell you what to do in your classrooms to engage our students.  The purpose is to provide common expectations, rewards, and consequences.  You will still be able to set up your own classroom rules and procedures. The true power of PBIS is our ability to communicate with one another regarding those students who struggle with expectations and those who succeed our expectations.  I will be sending out information in advance so that you are all aware of the plan.

Family engagement

I have spent the better part of the summer learning with educators from around the US and Australia about family engagement.  The learning was called PTCamp (Parent/Teacher Camp).  We have used the book Beyond the Bake Sale to guide our learning and the conversations on Voxer and Twitter have been rich, eye opening, and validating.  Family engagement looks different for every family.  Some families are able to attend every conference or email or call you often.  Other families may be engaged in more subtle ways.  Either way, families are doing their best every day to be engaged in their child’s school life and as such need to be validated.  Families also send us their best children and finding ways to interact with them that includes more two way than one way communication is vital.  If you have an interest in seeing some of our learning, you can check out the #ptcamp hashtag for more information.  Thanks to those of you who have volunteered to be on the family engagement committee and if you’d still like to join us, please let me know. Once we have a common vision, we will be inviting families to join our committee to get their input.  Then we will move forward with some exciting ideas to get more families involved in our school.

Enjoy your last days of summer.  Find the time to spend with family and friends.  Reach out to a colleague you haven’t spoken to since school ended in June.  Get fired up for our return on August 18th as we learn together about Educator Effectiveness and the opportunity to become better at our craft.  And when Summer Academy has ended on August 20th, find time to contemplate the school year ahead.  What will you do differently this year?  (I will be contacting families starting on the first day to share the great things their children are doing.)  What will you do the same this year?  (I will visit classrooms regularly.)  What will you not do the same this year?  (I will not stop in a classroom without providing feedback to a student or staff member about the learning and relationship building that I see.)  I know these are deep question but they will help set the tone for the school year.

When the you and the students arrive, there will be a banner that reads “Let’s make this the best school year ever!”  What are you going to do to make this happen for our students?  What will the students do to make this happen?

Looking forward to a great 2014-2015 school year!

Jay

First and Lasting Impressions #ptchat

As our journey together on #ptcamp comes to an end, and our "cabin" groups are finishing a week together, one common theme keeps coming to my mind, first and lasting impressions.  Let me explain why this seems to be the foremost take away from my experiences over the last five weeks.  But first, a brief story about our latest 8th grade graduation and the short speech I shared with our 8th graders, their families and friends, the staff members in attendance, and all others who attended the ceremony.

My message was about first and last impressions.  The last impressions were about how the 8th graders grew as learners and became better and more mature people during their time in Merton.  I will remember seeing their growth and will do my best to keep those positive images close.  The first impressions were about the 8th graders move to the high school, whichever one they will be attending, and how those first impressions really say a lot about someone.

If I could share my message again, I would change it to "First and Lasting Impressions."  I realize now that our first impressions must be followed up by lasting impressions.  Many of my new Voxer friends not only "talk the talk" but they "walk the walk".  In an effort not to forget anyone or their impactful stories, I won't mention any names, but their stories will stay with me for a long time to come.  These impressive educators have developed an atmosphere in their schools where everyone is respected, opinions are shared, and students are kept in the forefront of all that they do.

It is now my passion and focus to open up our school to better and deeper family engagement.  I know that I will "steal" some ideas from the group and I hope that a few of my thoughts and ideas have resonated with those whom I have learned from all summer.  Here are my first steps to improve the engagement of all of our families.

• Develop a family engagement committee (staff and families) that will work together to improve the culture and atmosphere of our school to make it more welcoming.
• Provide opportunities for families to share their time and talents with our students.
• Be intentional about having conversations with families when they visit school for conferences, concerts, sporting events, or dropping off or picking up their children during the school day.

The first step is something new for our school.  The second two steps are things that I need to improve upon.  We have had families share their time and talents in the past, but there is so much more that I am sure they would be willing to do for our school.  Honestly, some of my conversations are shallow "How are you doing?" types of conversations.  When families come into our school, I need to be intentional, asking for feedback even and especially when it might be difficult to hear, to make our school better.

So now I need to begin, before the school year even starts.  I will develop a family smore for each grade level, sharing information about each grade level and the staff who will be working with their children, to be sent out next Friday.  I will also be interacting with as many families as I can during our Open House and working on finding ways to support them during the school year.  I will also ask them how they might be able to support our school as well.  My hope is that these efforts, in concert with families and staff, will help our school become a partnership school.  With the staff and families in our school, I'm sure that we will get there.

What would I do without my PLN?

This is, by no means, a rhetorical question.  I must admit that I rely on my PLN (Personal/Professional Learning Network) nearly every day.  Sometimes it's for a serious question- How would you handle this situation?  Sometimes it's for a laugh- Anyone know someone who has hilarious "auto corrects"?

But seriously, my PLN is my source for so many answers, thought provoking questions, sharing, and fun.  I love to learn but sitting in a classroom, listening to a professor lecture, reading "last year's thoughts", having shallow discussions with classmates, and writing papers that seemed more like regurgitated information really weren't getting it done for me.  Then, thanks to @chris_reuter and his introduction to Twitter, my world of learning opened up in a big way.  It started small, with following a few educators and following a Twitter chat or two, and now it's a big deal for me.

My social media PLN, people I have connected with on both Twitter and Voxer, has opened my eyes to new ways of thinking, stretched my thoughts and beliefs on education, and provided suggestions for improving my educational practices and the educational practices of those with whom I work.  Because of Twitter, our school has done a book chat for Teach Like a Pirate written by Dave Burgess, celebrated #eduwins, and developed an #edcamp style professional development afternoon for staff.  My PLN helps me to become a better principal and lead learner each and every day.

My PLN validates me, challenges me, makes me laugh, makes me cry, and ultimately makes me a better person.  Before connecting on social media and developing a PLN with so many great educators and leaders, I was a loner, afloat in an ocean with little direction except for that provided by the waves that moved me in a variety of directions.  With my PLN, I have a rudder, paddles, and a direction.

What would I do without my PLN?  I'd still be drifting aimlessly, searching for a direction.  Thanks to those of you in my PLN for accepting me for who I am, for molding me each and every day, and for sharing your wonderful thoughts and ideas.

Blogs from my PLN about this topic.
Amber Teamann
Tony Sinanis