Leadership Blog - October 2020
10 Things I Learned So Far This School Year
By Kyle Arlington, Superintendent of Schools
At 2½, my son Sawyer already has a fully developed “fear of missing out.” I think he gets it from me.
I recently read Principal Davies’ list of lessons learned from September. His list both inspired me and triggered my fear of missing out -- so I created my own September list, from a district perspective.
Creating the list allowed me to look at the opening of our school year with “an admiring lens.” While we have glitches to overcome and protocols to tweak, what we’ve accomplished together is a reminder that with hard work and collaboration, all things are possible.
I know weekend homework is unpopular, but this is my suggested weekend assignment for you: Work with your child to create your own list of September Lessons Learned. While you don’t have to memorialize it in writing, the topic might make for a useful conversation starter while you drive to dance practice or a game.
Try asking kids if the anxieties they had before school started have stuck around or faded, and what they consider the best part of school so far. Their answers might be surprising.
I hope you look across the collection of our lists, and your own, to reflect and celebrate.
10 Things I’ve Learned So Far This Year…
While it’s hard to see students’ faces under their masks, it’s easy to see when they're smiling. I’ve seen a lot of smiling eyes.
Music helps elevate the mood. Brearley’s new practice of playing music over the loudspeaker while students switch classes is a reminder that music and happiness are linked. Schools need upbeat energy.
Brearley the Bear not only boosts school spirit, he also helps our Buildings & Grounds Department spot areas that need some painting work. We’re on it, Brearley!
Behind the scenes, our Buildings & Grounds Department is making school possible. The crew is actively involved in sanitizing, HVAC maintenance, and grounds work. (Some might even argue they affect academics. The School Environment Impact Research Study concludes that clean and well-maintained learning environments lead to higher levels of student achievement.)
When Zoom gives me trouble, these tips sometimes address the issue.
Close all unnecessary Chrome tabs.
Close all unnecessary apps.
Set Zoom to ”Speaker View.”
“Gallery View” lets you see everyone but uses more resources.
Reboot once in a while and shut down at night.
Teachers understand the importance of Social Emotional Learning. More than 20 teachers were instructed on psychological first aid and other Social Emotional Learning professional development. It’s already being applied in our schools. In my September visits to classrooms, I saw teachers actively building community by sharing family photos, and talking about what excites them and what they’re anxious about this school year.
Our schools’ medical team is working vigorously to keep us healthy & well. Getting to know this team better through the opening of this school year reminds me that students learn best when they are healthy, safe and feel connected to their school. Thank you to Nurse Condo, Nurse Bishop, Nurse Bottino and Athletic Trainer Jayne for looking out for all of us!
Returning to school has been one big design challenge. I’ve spent a lot of time working with teachers to incorporate design challenges into their instruction. (We could just require students to take notes on the six kinds of simple machines, but what if we gave them raw materials, directions and constraints, and told them to build a pinball machine?) Creating and implementing plans for our return to school has been the ultimate design challenge!
With “traditional” lessons upended, our teachers are making the most of the opportunity. None of this has been easy or comfortable, but teachers are boldly taking risks as they deliver instruction differently. Their innovation is a powerful lesson in itself.
Our students have been the X factor in making this school year click. Even with extensive planning, no one could predict how it would feel inside the buildings. But our students are setting a positive tone by following the rules, staying brave in the face of new and uncertain times, and showing their genuine excitement to be back in school.