Learning to Lead

My Journey in Educational Leadership

My Title and Tagline

In setting up this blog site, I needed to put a title and tagline in that represents what this site is and what I will be writing about. After thinking about why I wanted to blog, it was easy for me to come to the title of “Learning to Lead” because I see myself as a life-long learner. In my journey to be the best educator and school leader I can be, I need to rely on my research and what I learn from others to shape my thinking and philosophy.

In this blog, I will continually share my thoughts on a broad spectrum of topics that I am researching and learning about in my educational journey. For example, I am currently working on learning about alternative grading and assessment practices that schools are using to engage students in the learning process and to communicate that learning in a way that does not sabotage student mindset about what learning is and should be.

I look forward to being able to look back on my posts to see the growth that I have shown and the learning I have had the opportunity to experience.

PROCTOR PATHWAYS - Building and Sustaining a Culture

Since 2018, I have worked diligently to create a culture at Proctor high school where everyone is working together to make sure every student graduates with a plan instead of just planning to graduate. We do this in the following ways:

We are relentless in learning who our students are and what talents and interests they possess.
We EXPOSE our students to a variety of careers that match their talents and interests in many ways. For example, each and every staff member at our school has their "path" posted outside their room so students can see the journey they went on to get where they are today and so they can see that there are many different paths a person can take.
We give students opportunities to EXPLORE careers that they may find interesting so they can either add it to their list of possible areas for more investigation, or they can take it off their list and use that knowledge to narrow their focus. We do this through our many elective offerings we have that incorporate community and business partnerships that give our students industry-standard experiences and opportunities to job shadow. Also, we invite community partners and business in to our school to work directly with our students while also getting our students out of the school and to where these businesses are for a authentic learning opportunity.

All in all, our community, faculty, staff and administration have come to believe in the culture we have created and ultimately, we have seen an increase in student engagement and also our graduation rate. To learn more about our Pathways culture, please click here.

My Vision for Preparing Students for the 21st Century World

As I embark on this journey to become a superintendent, I have struggled with defining what my vision is for how I would want the school I became the leader of to function in order to serve our most precious commodity, the students. Since becoming an administrator eight years ago, I have been bombarded with this concept of making sure all students are college and career ready and that we are contributing to the world’s best workforce. What does this mean? How do we do this from pre-kindergarten all the way to the high school graduation while leaving no child behind and making sure every child succeeds?

To start developing my vision for how I feel we should prepare children to thrive in a 21st century society, I feel I should go back to my roots as an educator and approach this with a backward design process. Starting with the end in mind is important to keep things in perspective and to not get side-tracked by things that may not contribute to the desired outcome. So, what do I want each and every student who walks across the stage at commencement to possess in order to make sure the stage is set for their success in what comes next? The answer to this question becomes the blueprint to how our schools should function and operate.

GRADUATION

When students walk across the stage at commencement and are handed a diploma that signifies the end of their Pre-K through high school journey, I want each of them to have a tool box full of knowledge, experiences, and skills that they can tap into when they approach situations while in college, the military, or careers they are in. They should also possess the problem-solving skills necessary to be resilient in the face of challenges and an innovative mindset so they are not deterred by new and challenging situations. Finally, and most importantly, graduates should leave this stage of their lives just as curious and eager to learn as when they entered kindergarten.

HIGH SCHOOL

In order to accomplish the lofty goals identified above, the high school years need to include opportunities for students to learn about themselves with regards to their strengths, weaknesses, and interests as they relate to potential career paths. The programming in a high school should be set up where not only are students receiving the basic concepts that will enable them to solve complex problems, they should also be given opportunities to apply the knowledge they have been given in authentic situations that closely tie to the career pathway they have chosen. Through community partnerships with business, industry, and higher education, high schools should establish authentic learning experiences that call for innovative thinking, problem solving, and collaboration in order to successfully navigate the objectives. In utilizing this approach, all students will be engaged and the curiosity and eagerness to learn will be sustained.

On top of having a program that fosters authentic learning, a high school must also provide opportunities for students to develop a community awareness and an understanding of their place and impact they have on the community around them. A school is a small community in itself and students have a very large impact on the culture and climate of a school community. Being provided opportunities to lead and perform through extra-curricular activities is crucial in developing students who are ready to take on leadership roles in the larger community after they graduate. The life lessons and opportunities to learn grit and perseverance are prime examples why a quality high school needs to provide these programs as an extension of the classroom.

Finally, a high school, in order to prepare students fully for twenty-first century society, must develop digital citizens that can navigate and manipulate technology in a way that can assist them with making their ideas and dreams a reality and with solving the problems they are faced with. While the students of today are “digital natives,” there is still much to learn and many levels of responsibility that comes with having the levels of technology at their fingertips. Locking technology down in fear that students might go somewhere or do something that is not appropriate is the wrong approach to have. Instead, we need to teach students about the power of the technology we have and how to utilize this power to help them achieve their goals. The role of the teacher in today’s high schools is no longer as the “sage on the stage” where they are the smartest one in the room. Now, teachers must serve as a “guide on the side” where they are assisting students with finding and obtaining the information they need through the computers in their hands.

High school should be an extremely exciting time for students and their learning. From the freshman year where they are beginning to understand themselves and where they might want to go, to their senior year where they are partnering with community and business leaders to solve real problems, a student will be able to grow in their confidence and enthusiasm about what lies ahead.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

In order for students to be ready to take on the fast pace and excitement of high school, they need to be able to conquer the changes in themselves and be able to find their identity in their own body during the middle school years. It is unfortunate that, at least in this area, the middle school concept is dying and giving way to more “Junior High Schools”. Ask any parent or teacher of middle schoolers, and they will tell you that it is the most frustrating time because the little boy or girl they thought they knew in grade school no longer physically or emotionally resembles who they become.

With puberty and the social awkwardness that comes with middle school, there needs to be very developmentally appropriate programming in place to allow students to discover themselves while the continuation of learning basic skills happens. Increased counseling and mental health support needs to be in place to provide that support for students who may lose their self-esteem or who become withdrawn because of social conflict. If the basic needs of safety are not met, it becomes very difficult for students to be in a place where any learning will occur. Once the mental health and emotional support pieces are firmly in place, then the fun begins because middle school students are willing to accept the challenge put in front of them as long as they know they are in a safe environment.

In order to prepare middle school students for the high school experience, a middle school must develop opportunities for students to experience a variety of different things through elective courses and enrichment opportunities. While the basics of math and reading are always extremely important to develop further, this cannot be the only focus. Music, art, engineering, and other things that appeal to the senses and begin challenging critical thinking in students is key. It is in middle school where students begin finding that they have a voice and a free will with regards to how they spend their time. The soft skills necessary to be successful in any career begin to be developed and without elective or enrichment courses, students will become disengaged and that free will could cause a student to lose their desire to learn and grow. It is through these electives and enrichment courses where students begin applying the learning of the basic skills in math and reading to new situations and the relevancy begins to sink in.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

While I have spent all of my career in education at the middle and high school level, I do have some very strong feelings about what school should provide that will lead to success in middle school and beyond. In line with the state and federal government is my belief that all students should be able to read by third grade. Reading floats all boats and an elementary school should spare no expense in making sure there are supports to make sure all students can read. Just as important is basic math knowledge. Elementary math is truly the first place that students begin to learn how to solve complex problems. Without it, we are robbing our students an opportunity to learn valuable problem solving skills they will need throughout life.

Aside from the extremely important reading and math foundational skills students learn in elementary school, the next important skills that elementary schools can foster are that of PLAY and ADAPTABILITY. Too often, students are not given an opportunity to play alone or with one another without adults intervening and structuring what the play should look like. Kids, left on their own, will find ways to make relationships work and will work through problems in a way that benefits all. In addition, kids through play can learn to adapt to changing variables and different social situations. Sharing, cooperating, role playing, problem solving, and even arguing are all very important skills that should be cultivated in elementary school. How can schools build this in? Recess without adults trying to structure it. Scientific inquiry where students are given something and left to figure out how to manipulate it without adults saying it is right or wrong. There are many ways elementary schools can continue to foster the curiosity and eagerness to learn in students through play that will set them up for success in their future years of schooling.

CONCLUSION

In summary, my vision for preparing our children to thrive in the twenty first century is relatively simple. Get out of their way and find ways to challenge them to be innovators, problem-solvers, and curious learners from the time they enter kindergarten to the time they grab that diploma. If we can do that, we will be preparing the world’s best workforce and future leaders who will help our communities thrive. I am excited to be a part of developing these young men and women.

Distance Learning...What Did I Learn?

The Spring of 2020 will be one that no parent, educator, or human being will ever want to relive as our world came to a halt with the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to our society being shut down and people being asked to shelter in place to avoid the spread of this virus, schools were closed and ordered to provide instruction through distance learning. While at Proctor, we were somewhat prepared as we already had a learning management system in place that allowed for the delivery of instructional materials remotely and our students all were in possession of a school-issued device, we were not prepared for the challenges that came with distance learning. During the two-month distance learning period, I was amazed at the things that I learned about myself, my staff, my students, and my school. Here are some of those things:

School is an enormous part of society - One of the first things that was evident when schools closed was the amount of reliance our society has on what schools provide children and families. From meals to child care, our district scrambled to continue providing these services so that no child went hungry and no family of essential workers stressed about what their children would be doing while they were busy helping those who may have contracted COVID-19. Fortunately, when school does resume as normal, our communities reliance on schools to provide these services will not be taken for granted.
Students (and staff) need school for their mental health - While many will say that they don't like school or the dog days of winter seem to drive us crazy while we are in school, not having school to go to seems to be even worse. As is common, many students' home life is not the most stable and school is often a place they can go to be cared about and have positive interactions with adults. Without school, these students are stuck in unhealthy environments where learning is the furthest thing from their mind. For students with solid home environments, there is still a void when not able to attend school as the relationships and socialization that is developed within the school walls cannot be replicated over the internet.
Teachers must adapt their approach to teaching and their mindset on learning - Over the few months we were doing distance learning, I witnessed many teachers trying to take exactly what they did in the classroom and try to replicate it over distance learning. They did this quite unsuccessfully I might add. It is very necessary in a distance learning environment to change our mindset on not only what can be taught, but also how it should be taught with more ownership and empowerment of our students and less teacher-centered thinking. The most successful teachers with distance learning were the ones who presented students with a challenge and gave them the power and ability to find ways to solve the challenge with the assistance of the teacher. Students are creative and are very good at figuring things out when given the opportunity. While this might not be pretty, neat, or fit perfectly with what we had planned in our curriculum, it is valuable for students to learn how to do and helps students feel a connection to their learning.

Unified and Loving It!

Today, I had the opportunity to sit in on the Proctor High School Unified Physical Education class. This is the second year we have been fortunate enough to run this class and every time I witness its transformational power, I am blown away. Unified is a class that our general education juniors and seniors sign up for to serve not only as partners for our students with special needs as they get their DAPE instruction, but also peers, mentors, and friends. Once a week, our Unified teacher, Lisa Smith, meets with the Unified partners and plans out the week. She does not tell them what they will be doing, instead, they are challenged to design learning opportunities for the DAPE students that meet their needs and help them reach their recreation and leisure IEP goals. The other four days of the week are where the magic happens. The DAPE students are always so excited to come to Unified and arrive with smiles and anticipation of seeing their Unified partners again. The class begins with a short warm-up where they stroll or jog around the gym together and catch up on how things are going. Then, after a brief instructional discussion led by Lisa, they embark on a 40 minute challenge and work together to celebrate successes and push each other through challenges. Smiles, high-fives, and good-natured teasing with one another can be heard throughout the gym as they work to accomplish their goals for the day.

Today, the challenge was how to score in bowling. This lesson incorporated so much into it and because all students were having a great time, they did not realize the amount of learning that was occurring. Not only did they get to bowl using equipment we obtained through a partnership with a local bowling alley, they were doing math together to figure out their score.

At the end of the class period, the whole group celebrates their learning together and successes in pushing their best and personal growth. Before departing, every student high-fives and thanks them for their time together. Perhaps the most magical part of this whole experience is what happens outside of this class. When these students see each other in the halls throughout the day or even in public, they are genuinely excited to see one another and more high-fives are given and even hugs are exchanged. Many of the Unified partners who were in this class last year and this year have developed career goals as a result of their involvement in this class. Some have committed to becoming teachers or therapists working with people who have special needs.

As the Principal of this school, I cannot be happier with the results of adding Unified PE to our school. This class has not only made our school a more inclusive and accepting place for all, but it has also created a group of students ready to go out and be the best for our world and for those who need more support to accomplish their goals in life. Thank you Lisa Smith for your vision and courage in taking on this challenge.

Teacher vs. Learning Facilitator

In reading many books and articles about student learning, I am beginning to wonder what the word teacher means and what it implies. For decades, being a teacher has been a very noble and honorable profession. In fact, it was believed that a teacher was someone with an enormous amount of knowledge that would "teach" their students the things they knew so that the students could go on with that same knowledge. While this was how society and schools operated, it was perhaps a flawed belief because the students who were taught by this teacher were not allowed to be curious or have their own original thoughts. To "teach" implies that something is being done to students by the "teacher." The teacher in this system assumes they are the most important thing in the room and that all eyes and ears should be tuned in to them in order for students to learn. However, with the amount of resources available to students in the classrooms of today, the teacher is no longer the smartest in the room. In today's society, we cannot afford this way of doing things any longer. Instead of teaching, we need to be facilitators of learning.

While many may see this as mere semantics, I believe that shifting our mindset from "teaching" to "facilitating learning" will put the emphasis in the classroom on what the students are doing instead of what the teacher is doing. Our lens through which we see our students' strengths and weaknesses surrounding the topics they are studying will change and we will find ourselves adapting to their needs instead of trying to get them to understand how we think it should be understood. Student curiosity and creativity will be honored and alive while they seek to understand on their terms with our help.

A picture that comes to mind when I think of facilitators of learning is a child learning to ride a bike. As adults, we work with the child through the steps until they master the skill. From making sure they have all the protective equipment to making sure the bike is the right size for them, we put the foundations in place so their efforts are safe and set up for success. Then, we break down and allow the child to learn the basic skills needed to be successful like balance (training wheels), how to pedal, how to brake, etc. Then, when we see they are ready, we stand along side them and help them gain speed until we can let go and watch them do it themselves. Perhaps we see them fall, but we are there to help them get back up and learn from their mistakes until they can do it without falling.

One might argue that adults "teach" students to ride a bike. However, I disagree. I believe that students learn how to ride a bike with our guidance and support. This is how our classrooms should operate. Students should take the lead in their learning with our guidance and support as facilitators. Only then, will we be able to restore student curiosity in all grades and develop students who are ready to face the real world where the problems of tomorrow cannot even be imagined today.

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