Once a Bobcat, Always a Bobcat

Over the past couple of weeks I've been talking with a number of teachers, administrators, parents, and other members of the school community about what the best educators do differently than everyone else.  I know that there have been a number of books written on this topic including What Great Teachers do Differently by @ToddWhitaker.  This book has informed many of the thoughts within this post however; I will explain the six things that I feel the best educators do better than everyone else. The best educators invest more time into their work.   The best educators are not clock or contract watchers; they realize that their responsibility of educating students never stops, regardless of the time commitment.  The best educators are passionate about their students, the subject they teach, and most importantly in the connections that they make with their kids. The best have high expectations for students but even higher expectations for themselves. The best educ...

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Meriden Public Schools in Connecticut with four other administrators from my school district.  There is a lot of pride in this town and school community.  I don't know if I have ever felt more welcomed anywhere in my life.  Dr. Mark Benigni and his staff pulled out all the stops on this trip by providing us with welcoming gifts, fantastic, unbelievable meals, comprehensive plans for every minute of each day, excellent resources to take home, and even provided us with world famous "steamed cheeseburgers."  This trip was full of learning opportunities as we were able to see a successful school district that is intentional with every move.  The key learnings from my trip have been captured below. Expanded Learning Time Two of Meriden's elementary schools (Casimir Pulaski) and (John Barry) have implemented 100 minutes of additional learning time each day equaling over 40 additional school days per year.  This t...

I have been in education for eleven years, and have experienced a wide variety of changes.  Some have been enormous and had an impact on the entire system while others have been minuscule in the grand scheme of things.  Something that I have come to realize in my seven years as a classroom teacher and four as an administrator is that the one constant in education and life, for that matter, is change.  Whether it is a new curriculum, assessment system, alternative model of instruction, a new teaching opportunity, or move up the career ladder, change is happening all around us all of the time.  As I have worked through changes in my personal and professional life and reflected heavily on this topic, I continually come back to the question, "When are we ever ready for significant change?" As the principal of two elementary schools, I have the opportunity to work with thirty-five teachers and an additional forty staff members between Epworth @EpworthElem and Far...

I'm an avid Nike shopper, and have literally invested thousands of dollars in shoes, clothing, and accessories over the years.  Nike has created a brand that I feel is top quality, visually attractive, and trend-setting.  When I see the swoosh on apparel, billboards, and TV commercials, I know what to expect.  Amazon is another company that gets it done consistently; I am impressed each time that I order from them.  Amazon has developed a name for themselves by focusing on unbelievable, user-friendly tools and customer service that is second to none.  What's stopping schools from creating similar brands?     Over the past six months I have spent a great deal of time listening to experts, reading blogs, participating in Twitter chats, and having face to face conversations about creating a brand for our schools.  After listening to @NMHS_Principal , @Joe_Mazza , @TonySinanis , @Joesanfelippofc and @casas_jimmy , I came to realize what an...

This challenge was passed on to me by Matt Degner @mwdegner, a Junior High Principal whom I converse with on #IAedchat and have had the opportunity to meet face-to-face on a couple of occasions in the past year.  It was also passed along by Barry Saide @barrykid1 who is an elementary teacher in New Jersey and ASCD Edge blogger.  I have answered the questions of both of these men below.  Enjoy. Here are the Rules: Acknowledge the nomination blogger. Share 11 random facts about yourself. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you. List 11 bloggers.  They should be bloggers you believe deserve a little recognition. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated (you cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you). 11 Random Facts About Me: Eight years ago, I won a series of Rock, Paper, Scissors tournaments and was given an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas to compete in a nat...

Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday and begins a time of year where I continually stop and reflect about all of the things in my life for which I am grateful.  As an elementary school principal of two buildings (@EpworthElem) and (@FESBobcats), I have the opportunity to work with a variety of people who provide a tremendous deal of support and make my job very rewarding.  Within this post I will list some of the wonderful aspects of the elementary principalship at Epworth and Farley Elementary Schools for which I am grateful. Community Partnerships  I am so fortunate to be part of a community where education is valued, celebrated, and where stakeholders go out of their way to support our schools.  A prime example of this support became very clear a couple of weeks ago when @WesternDubuqueW participated in the Celebrate My Drive competition powered by State Farm Insurance.  This competition asked students and community members to take a daily pledge towa...

Over the past few months these three words have gained traction in discussions through Twitter, You Tube, TED Talks, Educational Leadership magazine, and other educational forums.  Angela Lee Duckworth delivered an excellent TED talk in April , 2013 describing the key to success in the classroom and life which she identifies as grit.  As I have read through articles, participated in Twitter chats, and watched a number of videos related to grit, I am constantly reminded of a young man that continues to inspire and touch my heart on a daily basis. Four years ago, a young man by the name of Matt in our school system had a terrible accident with a four-wheeler on his farm in Iowa.  Matt suffered a very bad break in his leg, and was required to have surgery to repair the damage.  As time passed, Matt experienced many complications with infection and was forced with an unbelievable decision that a person should never have to make, let alone a fourteen-year-old...