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Pray for the Schools?
As we enter the month of May, we see posts and hear comments about the need to pray for our teachers. I agree with this but only if prayer leads to action. What actions?
1 For starters, we might avoid belittling educators on social media. Sometimes saying nothing at all is a prayerful act. Sometimes waiting until we can share a concern with the person needing to know rather than the public is a prayerful act.
2 We might consider making a little donation to our child’s classroom if we’re able. As an adult, I learned that my mother had made donations to my teachers over the years. I imagine my teachers found it encouraging to get a small donation from a lady who was known as an excellent teacher.
3 We might write a note (or an email) of encouragement to our child’s teacher to express thanks for the work and preparation involved in teaching. Emails are nice but a physical note could find its way to a teacher’s desk where they draw encouragement from it repeatedly.
I used to have a file called “special.” In it, I placed notes from parents, students, and peers. When I needed a lift, I’d open that drawer and get a little encouragement by reading a note or looking at a drawing from a student.
4 Students taught me the importance of this next action and I use it often. When we meet a teacher, custodian, secretary, bus driver….try saying, “I’m glad you’re here.” Knowing that your presence is recognized and appreciated is a strong motivator. It took me years to learn this but when a kid came in late and frazzled, I learned to say, “I’m glad you’re here. Have you had breakfast?” I could see them relax and I hoped I helped them have a better day. As a plus, a better day for the kid meant a better day for that classroom and teacher.
And so, say a prayer for the schools, staff, and the kids. Then take some type of positive action. Imagine the impact on our schools if hundreds of us did a few small acts of kindness and encouragement this month.
Letter to Educators in April of 2024
This is a portion of a letter I wrote to the staff where I used to be principal before I retired in 2020.
When I retired, I resolved to give some space between the school and me, not from lack of interest, but to give staff and administrators space to work, especially with the challenges COVID brought. From a distance I watched improvements and good work being done despite challenges.
It was gratifying to know that Alma Intermediate School was in good hands, led by a principal and assistant principal committed to the school, the staff, the students, and to learning. They also demonstrated good character qualities, work-ethic, and solid core beliefs about education.
When I received a message inviting me to mentor a student, I jumped at the chance. It’s been a privilege to come on campus each Monday morning and spend a little time with two students. Recently, we were reading a book together. When I asked if they’d like to check on progress in the garden, one of them said, “Can we keep reading while we walk?” And so, the three of us read our way down the hall and as we went, I listened to the boys and the sounds of learning through the doors of classrooms as we passed by. I’ve visited many schools with AdvancEd, many good and a few not-so-good, but the environment and tone you set with students at AIS is among the best I’ve witnessed.
What teachers do is difficult! The mental work and preparation are understood by very few. Sometimes, people who make decisions that impact the school don’t comprehend the complexities of what you do. The longer I was in education, the more vocal l became about telling political influencers what schools need.
You’re a smart staff and I’d encourage you to use your individual and collective voices to express what is needed. This even extends to state legislators. When they hear from actual teachers, many of them will listen.
Leadership sometimes involves conflict and being the recipient of unwarranted criticism or anger. Leadership can also be rewarding when you see students and teachers learning and growing. Based on what I’ve seen, AIS students and teachers are learning and growing! Are there challenges? You bet. Especially after COVID, and when you’re implementing new curriculum and probably dealing with yet another round of new assessments.
A great educator recently reminded me of “implementation dip.” That’s something we all experience when learning something new. I even experience it when learning something on drums or guitar. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s where learning happens.
Educators now face greater challenges from legislation and community expectations than I’ve ever known. To complicate things, social media provides a platform for everyone to pontificate and spread half-truths or lies within seconds.
On social media posts and in some public meetings, we get rumors and half-truths. Accurate information rarely comes in the form of a rumor or a keyboard click. It requires gathering pieces of accurate information so that decisions affecting students and staff are made carefully.
I’m thankful for those who are willing to work in our schools. They should have our support, adequate funding, and professional respect.
The Worst School Year Ever!
The worst school year ever! That’s how I remember my last year in elementary school. I spent a large amount of time digging ruts in the pencil holder of my desk. I learned that by sharpening my pencil and applying just the right amount of pressure, I could make a rut deeper without breaking the point. I was experiencing a caustic classroom environment and a burned out teacher. I’ll call her Ms. S.
I stayed out of Ms. S’s line of sight as much as possible but a classmate named Ricky didn’t have that luxury. He was a tall, lanky, good-looking kid. He was outgoing, verbally clever, and an artist. None of these qualities were valued in this classroom and he quickly became the teacher’s “whipping boy.” If a rule was violated or there was a disruption, it was assumed that Ricky had a part in it.
There is one person I have no memory of from that year…the principal. I never saw the principal in our classroom. I can’t remember who the principal was or what she looked like. I wonder if she had any idea of how we were suffering. If so, was she afraid to confront bad practices or overwhelmed with other duties? Did she hope to address instructional issues when she found the time?
How might Ricky’s life have been different if his artistic abilities had been valued and his verbal cleverness developed? He might have been the team member everyone wanted as we did collaborative projects but he had little value when it came to completing mind-numbing worksheets. In his early 30s, Ricky died of a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol. I’m not saying that his year with Ms. S was the reason for this but I do know that caring teachers can change the trajectory of a child’s life.
If she were still alive, Ms. S might be surprised to hear that I learned several lessons from her that impact my professional practice today. I learned that teachers have the most powerful influence (positive or negative) on student learning. I learned how important it is to visit classrooms and assess the culture and quality of interactions between teachers and students. I learned that it’s crucial to let students, teachers, and parents know my beliefs about teaching and learning. I also learned to watch for students like Ricky to see if their talents are valued and allowed to flourish.
A few months ago I was going through some old photographs at my parents’ home and came across the class photo from that year. I was shocked at the appearance of Ms. S. I remembered her as being ugly but she was actually very attractive. We were all sitting at our desks with artificial smiles pasted across our faces. I wondered how our lives might have been improved if the principal had been in the classroom often? How might Ms. S’s life improved if she had been challenged to do better and involved in professional learning with other teachers? It was a sad year in terms of learning and building relationships. More tragic is the collective impact of the many years that these bad practices were allowed to continue?
Thankfully teachers like Ms. S are uncommon. The majority of our teachers want to do the best they can for kids. Our responsibility as school leaders is to see to it that teachers have the resources needed and the professional knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in their work. When teachers are doing their best work, classrooms become joyful places where the paths of children’s lives are changed in profound and positive ways, impacting families, communities, and our nation for years to come.
Written for the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators Newsletter for August, 2013
Collaborative Learning is Essential to Common Core State Standards
“Students will engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.” From K-5 Common Core State Standards for Literacy
I recently read this while involved in an early morning grade-level meeting. Afterwards I was observing in several of our classrooms and began to think back to when I was in school.
Schooling has changed greatly…for the better! Most of my schooling was spent at a desk in a row (toward the back of my class since we often sat in alphabetical order). The teacher stood or sat in the front of the room at all times and we sat in our desks at all times.
I learned to line myself up carefully with the student in front of me to essentially disappear when teachers asked questions. Makeup work was easy to get because all you needed was the textbook and stack of worksheets missed. I have no memory of discussing content or learning with other students. I have few memories of doing this with teachers. I have no memory of a teacher writing and sharing his/her learning.
All of the above things about school have (or should have) changed. Much of the work we do in today’s world requires communication and teaming with others to accomplish a task. In my work I rarely sit at a desk for extended periods of time. I rarely work alone but work with others to get things done. I rarely have a “worksheet” or form to fill out but often use writing to clarify my thinking or communicate with others. I rarely refer to a “textbook” but often refer to professional journals, websites, blogs and e-books to gather information. I often use technology to collaborate with educators, community members, and policy makers.
Facilitating collaborative learning is challenging, but our teachers are making great efforts to do this. It requires deep planning and thought. It’s much easier to just dispense information but young people (and older people, too) have little patience for constant lecture.
We are about to step into 2013 and a world filled with change and challenge. If we focus on instruction that helps our children work together, they will have the tools to improve our world. If we retreat from the requirements of Common Core State Standards and their emphasis on teaching collaboratively, we will leave our children a legacy of decline.
Principal Notes 