Unannounced Observations

A strange phenomenon is occurring in my school at the moment surrounding unannounced observations. This year, the NJDOE has instituted a new teacher evaluation system for all teachers. One component requires at least one unannounced observation of the three required for tenured staff. This is a departure from past practice in our district. We have generally scheduled our visits. There was never a real sense of urgency to do unannounced observations because administrators work to be in classrooms for walkthroughs anyway, so "unannounced" informal observations were happening fairly regularly.

Our first round of observations completed before the New Year were all announced, but our second round of tenured observations have all been unannounced. This has created a different vibe in the building than I have been used to for the last 11 years. I remember back when I started teaching 20 years ago in a different district where all observations were unannounced; the principal would walk out of his office with his leather portfolio and news would spread like wildfire through the building that he was on the move. It was crazy because usually when he came to your room, you were already teaching and never got the message in time anyway, so you just did your thing and got observed.

Now, I am the principal and over the past several weeks every time I leave my office, I notice people looking to see if I have my iPad in my hands. It has actually become somewhat of a joke where I either hold up my hands to show that I am not "carrying" or I politely remind the teacher looking at my hands that, "my eyes are up here:-)"

Here is the crazy part, I am seeing some great lessons!! I am beginning to think that when teachers have advanced notice of observations they tend to over-think it. I have a wonderful staff who are dedicated to student learning and success every day. Conducting unannounced formal observations has only served to reinforce my belief that our staff "gets it" and that our children are being served well through their efforts. Can all of us improve in some areas? Yes, and that goes for me, the teachers, and anyone reading this post; however, I think that the shift to including an unannounced component to our observation system has been a positive one. I realize this may not be a revelation for those who have always conducted unannounced observations, but it was a wonderful reminder for me!

What do you think? Are your observations announced or unannounced? Which do you prefer? Why?

Inspiration from a Child

Earlier this month Bear Tavern Elementary School held its annual Winter Concert in our district's performing arts center. It is always a wonderful evening of music! The children practice from September to December to showcase their hard work and musical talent. I always enjoy the event because the children are so proud of themselves and what they have accomplished. This year there was a non-musical incident that made the concert very special for me.

As the band finished playing its numbers, the Early Morning Ensemble Choral group gathered in the hallway to enter the stage door and go on next. This year the group is fairly large and they decided to get t-shirts with their name, The Treble Makers, printed on them. Here is where the magic happens...

When the students came out into the hall, all of the children had their shirts on except one young lady. At that moment she realized that she had forgotten the shirt. Clearly the young lady was getting upset because she was going to go out on stage and be the only one without her choral shirt. I watched as the music teacher's wheels were turning and knew she was about to tell the group that they needed to support their friend by taking off all of their shirts and singing in the very nice dress clothes that they had on underneath. However, just as she was about to speak, John, one of our 5th grade boys, spoke up and said, "she can have mine." The entire group looked at him, including the teacher and me. Without a thought he took off the shirt and gave it to the young lady and said, "I'll be fine, you wear it."

This may not seem like a big deal, but for me it was a reminder that our parents and our teachers are doing something right. Hey, anyone of us could have forgotten our shirt, but it took a big heart and caring soul to be willing to sacrifice to help out a friend. This little incident truly made my night. At the end of the evening, I shook John's hand and told him that he was a rock-star tonight and I didn't just mean because of his singing. He smiled.

The news often points out the less than kind things that students do in schools; however, it is little stories of kindness, courage, and compassion that truly make up what happens in schools. This young man's actions were inspiring to me and I hope that they bring a little joy to your holiday season. Sometimes we need children to remind us of what is really important in life.

HATS, Goals, and Me

HUH?!?

Let me explain.

What is HATS?
At our school this year the theme is "HATS off to Learning!" HATS is an acronym for Habits, Attitudes, Talents and Skills.  More specifically:

       strong Habits

     positive Attitudes
celebrating Talents
developing Skills

We have been exploring these concepts during our Morning Meetings, at our Whole School Meetings, and throughout our classroom discussions this year. We even have a bulletin board in the hallway where students and teachers can post pictures that they would like to share of examples of their habits, attitudes, talents, and skills. So, how does this apply to me? As lead learner, it is important that I model what I am asking of the students. I don’t know that I consciously did it, but when I look back on things now, the last 5 months have been a reflection of our school theme for me (actually it is more like 8 months). Once again, let me explain.

New Habits
On Super Bowl Sunday 2013 I made the decision to start eating healthier. I was probably the heaviest that
I have ever been in my life and completely out of shape. I let myself get comfortable in the mindset that I was too busy to worry about my health. So, I decided that night that I was going to eat healthier. I’ve made the mistake of jumping in to this type of thing too quickly in the past and I didn't want to fail, so I figured I would just give the eating thing a try. It worked. I lost some weight and was starting to feel a bit better about things. This was the first STRONG HABIT that I cultivated. I continued this until the school year came to an end and then it was time to really make a decision on how to move forward.

Several months before, I downloaded C25K onto my iPhone; that is a “Couch to 5K” app. It sat on my phone and I opened it from time to time when I was bored; however, I did not really have any intention of using it. However, my PLN (Professional Learning Network) changed that. I went to #edcampphilly in April and met up with a number of people from my twitterverse.  After the event, we went out to celebrate and @sirotiak5, @wkrakower, @misscas22, and @thomascmurray were talking about doing a 5k in the summer (If I missed anyone, my apologies). There was no way that I was in any shape to run a 5k by then, no matter how many times they said I should. BUT, that was the spark that I needed.  I still didn't start running right away, but the seed had been planted!

On July 1st, I decided that I was going to give it a try. I have always hated running and it was definitely something I had never tried before to get in shape. Enter STRONG HABIT number 2. The app says that you will be ready for a 5k in 8 weeks. I say, “Ha Ha Ha!” If I tried that I would have certainly quit early. Fortunately, one of the many runners with whom I work (its like an epidemic at Bear Tavern) said that if I did not feel ready to move on to the next week’s running schedule I should just do the week over again; and again if necessary. That was great advice. By the end of the summer, I would get upset if I missed my running workout at the gym.

Positive Attitude

Somewhere during those two months in the summer, I decided that I needed a goal to attain. Since I had the app and was using it, I guess it was natural to decide on running a 5k. Thanksgiving seemed like a reasonable time-frame and my town has a Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving. So, in August when the registration became available online, I registered. At this point it became real. I told everyone that I knew about it so that I couldn't back out. I genuinely believed that I was going to run a 5k on Thanksgiving. I think it is safe to call that POSITIVE ATTITUDE. Even when I injured my hip and basically could not run for much of October and November (except on the stationary bike or elliptical), I knew that I was going to reach the goal!

Celebrating Talents and Developing Skills
Since my running mantra had always been "I'm not running unless someone is chasing me," it was awkward for me to start celebrating accomplishments in something that I have generally disliked my entire life. However, I found that for some reason my dislike of running actually seemed to make the accomplishments more meaningful. I began to realize that I probably disliked it because I never felt that I was any good at it. The first time I ran for 20 minutes straight I texted my wife with, "I DID IT!" Similar texts ensued as I reached other goals. I don't really know if running is a talent, but I know that I sure began to CELEBRATE it! Additionally, by reaching these goals and increasing my stamina, I was DEVELOPING the SKILL.

The Point(s)
We all need goals, and I found one that helped to spur me on to a healthier lifestyle. I received texts the morning of Thanksgiving from numerous friends and colleagues offering support. Here are a couple texts that I received from teachers at Bear Tavern:

"It is a great morning to run. Enjoy the moment and celebrate the accomplishment. You may not know this, but you've inspired a lot of your teachers - including me. Have fun."

"Happy Thanksgiving. Happy run! Disregard the other runners and have fun - even in the cold - this is what you've trained for. I look forward to hearing about it all." 

I can't convey how amazing it was to receive those messages that morning. I truly work with amazing people who are always there for one another. That morning as the nerves built up and I started to wonder if I was crazy for doing this, these thoughtful notes meant a lot.

I know that running a 5k is not a big deal in the scheme of things, but for me it means a great deal. I proved to myself that I can do it. I truly feel that I acted as an example for my own children and those at Bear Tavern in getting healthier, setting a goal, and working to achieve it. It reminded me of the amazing and supportive people with whom I work everyday. It showed me that my PLN is more powerful than I thought and can foster all kinds of learning. If all of that is not enough, it also showed me that adhering to the ideals in our school theme can help us reach our goals.

So, what should be my next goal....?

Twitter Saves a Life! (Sort of)

A short post tonight...
Although it is fiction, I think that this 5.5 minute clip from Grey's Anatomy provides a real example of the power of Twitter as a teaching and learning tool.  Check it out!



Thanks to Tom Whitby (@tomwhitby) for posting this on the Educator's PLN website. As a school principal, I am always thinking about the ways that social media can enhance communication. The first step is being open minded and this video shows the progression of a twitter skeptic to a twitter supporter. While it may not save a life every day, the connecting power of Twitter provides us all with support from around the world in our chosen fields.

If you haven't already, give it a chance and get connected. What is the worst that can happen?

Related articles

• Connected Educators (clairek44.wordpress.com)
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• Ten types of edTweeps you meet on Twitter #PLN (clouducation.wordpress.com)

#NJED - A Great PLN!

Many of you know that I am a co-moderator of #njed chat on Twitter which takes place every Tuesday evening from 8:30-9:30pm during the school year. I encourage anyone who enjoys interacting with other educators to punch the hash tag into twitter and follow along on any given Tuesday.  It may be for you or it may not, but one thing is for sure, you will see passionate educators from all over New Jersey, and around the world, discussing topics relevant to educational practitioners of every kind.

Last week we kicked off our year with a discussion of all things related to getting back to school for the fall. (for those in other areas of the country, NJ starts school after Labor Day) It is reaffirming to see how we all have common hopes and dreams for our school years and that we all struggle with the same issues. #njed chat is an avenue for opening up the school walls and finding a connection with others who are eager to improve their craft (teachers, supervisors, student teachers, coordinators, principals, superintendents, etc.).  We are all on equal footing in this arena. There is no hierarchical chart on Twitter. Everyone's contribution to the discussion is valued.  We may not always agree with one another, but that often makes the discussion more rich.

Another amazing thing that has sprung from #njed is #edcampNJ. Last year was the first one and it was an amazing success.  If you'd like to learn more about last year's event, please read my post about it in my year end post from 2012 entitled,2012 - #edcampNJ and so much more! This year's #edcampNJ will take place on November 23rd and it is being held at Linwood Middle School once again.  If you would like to register to attend, just go to the #edcampNJ site and it will only take you a few seconds.

If you have been looking for professional connections and want a great place to start, check out #njed chat on Tuesday evenings.  You won't be disappointed.  Here are some of the amazing  New Jersey educators that you can find regularly on #njed chat:

@wkrakower
@sirotiak02
@TeacherCast
@AngelinaShy
@iSuperEit
@MissCass22
@WHS_Principal
@kcalderw
@bcurrie5
@spaul6414
@mrfigurelli
@SOMSlibrary

This is just a few. Please add anyone who I have omitted in the comments.  There are so many!

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• How To Manage Your PLN Using Twitter Lists - Edudemic (kwhobbes.wordpress.com)
• How To Get More Out Of Your PLN Using Twitter - Edudemic - Edudemic (edudemic.com)
• A Principal's Reflections: A PLN Quick Start Guide (ecolemctavishedtech.wordpress.com)

Five Guys, A Piano, and an Elementary School

If you have not seen this video on YouTube, you have to take 3 and a half minutes now and watch it.





I saw this video a while ago and just thought it was pretty cool. In August, as I was thinking about the start of a new school year and reflecting upon what direction I wanted our school to move, I happened to watch this video again and it was like a light bulb went off in my head (at least 100 watts!). The accomplishment of the musicians in that video exemplifies my vision for our staff and our school.

Yesterday we had our opening faculty meeting and I had my first opportunity to work with the teaching staff. After processing our progress and accomplishments from a very successful 2012-2013, I asked the staff to watch the video and reflect on what they saw.  After watching the video, here are some of the things we discussed.

1. Teamwork. The most obvious thing that people saw was five guys working together to accomplish a task. As a school we need to work together to accomplish everything. Our school theme last year was "Better Together" and our school theme this year is "Better Together: HATS off to learning!" (HATS stands for Habits, Attitudes, Talents, Skills). We proved last year that we are a better staff when we work together. When we plan together, teach together, watch each other teach and talk about student achievement, we are better. Our children learn more when they work together. Whether they are working on a service learning project, creating artwork for the school, developing their mathematics skills through cooperative learning, or mastering literacy skills in a small group, the process is stronger when it is collaborative. Our families are more connected to the children's education when we encourage them to be a part of our mission. The volunteerism and passion that families bring to our community is heartening and provides fuel for all that we do.  As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to be on the team and work Better Together.
2. Trust. Closely related to Teamwork is trust. The five guys clearly trust one another and this is why they are able to collaborate. The most concrete evidence of this in the video is when one of the guys is
   
   slamming the cover for the keys to create a beat while the other two guys are playing the keys. THAT is trust! I know that I had some friends as  kid that I might not have trusted with that lid over my fingers:-) As a school community, we need to have that trust in one another. As a staff we need to know that we are all here for children and working for their growth. We need to be willing to let others in our classroom to see what we are doing well and to help us with what we struggle; knowing that we won't get the lid slammed on our fingers if we do.  Similarly, children in our classrooms need to be members of a caring school community that works to build one another up and not tear one another down. Our relationship with our families needs to be one of reciprocal trust. As in any relationship, we will agree, disagree, and everything in between, but we must trust that we are working on that same team for the same goals. As lead learner of the school, I want all members of our community to trust that everyone has the right intentions when it comes to educating our children.
3. Flexibility. Again, related to both teamwork and trust is flexibility. About two thirds of the way through the video, the five guys all run around the piano, switch places, and play in different ways. They are all willing to do their part to make the music beautiful. As they work together, they realize that their talents can be utilized in a variety of ways to achieve their goal. Our students need to take on different roles as learners and teachers. Sometimes they may be the presenter, sometimes the researcher, sometimes the glue that holds the group together, sometimes the leader, and sometimes the supportive team player. Our staff members need to know that they are valuable teachers to all of the children in our classrooms, not just their own class. They are responsible for all of the children (the whole piano). They also need to know that they can take on different roles in the education of the children, they can work next to one another, combine classes, co-teach, share children, and generally look at their roles through various lenses. Our families need to know that school in 2013 may look and feel different than when they went to school. This idea of giving the unfamiliar a chance is expanded upon in the next item in the list. As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to embrace change and know that resilience is an important life skill that we teach here and it begins with being flexible.
4. Innovation and Tradition. The five guys did not just play the piano in a traditional fashion. They played the piano in ways that most of us had not thought of before. Many were struck by the use of the bow strings (very cool). This is important because we need to ensure that we are continually looking at the ways in which we perform our craft.  Teaching is an evolving art and science. The ideas, shared resources, and collaboration of the educational community on #twitter is a testament to the
   
   innovation that is possible in our field. If others are innovating and succeeding, we need to as well. However, we all noticed that throughout the video, their was always at least one of the five guys playing the piano in the traditional fashion. Let's face it, traditional piano playing is foundational and successful; there is no reason to get rid of it, but look how great the music sounded when the traditional was played alongside the innovative! As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to know that we value our traditions and traditional methods of learning as we seek to continually innovate, but this can be uncomfortable.
5. Risk Taking. Can you imagine sitting in a meeting where five guys sit down and say, "So, we're going to open up a piano and start strumming, banging, plucking, and playing a piano in ways it was meant to be played!"? I would think that there are some who would balk at the thought of it. However, these guys took a risk and it paid off. I like the original song by One Direction. It's catchy and you can dance to it, but the version in the video above is amazing (I believe better than the original - personal opinion). It is not easy to go out on a limb and take a chance. Our school should be a place where students, staff members, and families can do that. We need to build up our children so that they are creative thinkers who are willing to take those risks. We need to empower our teachers to try things that may fail and we need to encourage our families to step out of their comfort zone and get involved in ways they never have before. As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to know that risk taking is okay and if we fail it is simply our First Attempt In Learning.
6. Hard Work. That video is amazing; however, it didn't happen without hard work. There had to be many attempts at it and likely many failures. Making beautiful music takes commitment, practice, teaching and learning, self-reflection, correction, and all of the above enumerated concepts. The results of that hard work can be great. Our students need to know that success isn't and probably

   

   
   

   shouldn't be easy. The knowledge that success is earned and not simply bestowed is important in life. Staff members know that the teamwork, trust, flexibility, innovation, and risk-taking are easy to talk about and great to see in a three and a half minute video, but achieving those things is the result of hard work. Our families need to be partners in developing that work ethic and help our children understand the value of hard work; whether it is in the classroom, in the orchestra, on the soccer field, or in the back yard. As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to be committed to instilling a strong work ethic in our children. This begins through modeling it ourselves.
7. Have Fun. It was clear that these five guys were having fun doing what they love. The looks on their faces and the choruses of "na na na na" are clear evidence of that. Having fun is such an important part of the learning process. Who wants to do something in which they find no joy? Our children need to have opportunities to find their passions and have fun in school. I am not naive and I know that we
   
   can't always have fun and that there are things that sometimes we just have to do; however, we need to be sure that is balanced with fun. I would also argue that there are ways to make just about anything fun. As a staff we need to remember why we work with children. Every person that I interview to work at our school expresses a passion and love for working with children and the joy that they find from supporting children in reaching their potential. We need to always remember that passion and let it fuel us daily. Working with children is truly joyful work and teachers are some of the most amazing people I know. While our days are often difficult, they should also be filled with moments of fun, laughter, and joy. Our families should have fun parenting and working with us. Parenting is the most difficult job in the world. It can be stressful and regardless of how many books are written, there is no handbook. Take a step back and remember when you were a kid and you found joy in stomping through puddles, when you could make up games with your friends with ease and no supplies, and think about how amazingly fun it is to watch your children grow as human beings. Sometimes we need to let children be children and remember they are not adults yet (and they are not supposed to be). Working together to educate children is just plain cool!  As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to see how amazing it is to be a part of something so special and have fun together as we educate our children.

Needless to say, I found that video very powerful and I hope that you do, as well. I think it was a great way to kick off the year with an amazing group of educators who work everyday to embody the ideas above. At the beginning of this post I mentioned that I was reflecting upon what direction I wanted our school to move and I am pleased that I was able to find some help from a song by One Direction (bad pun intended). But hey, that's what makes it beautiful (okay, I'll stop now). 

I know this is going to be a great year and that we are going to do wonderful things. I'm sure that there are other things in the video that I haven't mentioned above. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the video or anything in this post.

Have a great school year!

Don't Jump in Front of Trains, Mermaids, and Children!!

Let me preface this post by saying that I do not generally play the lottery.  I have always been of the opinion that every day that I don't play, I win a dollar. Don't get me wrong, if the Powerball gets real high and the entire school staff is going in on a pool of tickets, I'm in. I don't want to be the only one at work the next day. But in general, I am not pleased with the odds when it comes to such things.


Last Wednesday, my wife and I took our daughters to a concert at the Camden Waterfront.  We saw Train, The Script, and Gavin DeGraw. The concert was fantastic and all three bands put on great shows. Two days before the concert my wife and daughters found out that there was a radio contest. Apparently, if you show up at the concert dressed like a mermaid, you can have a chance to go onstage with Train (Train's latest album is Mermaids of Alcatraz). My 14 year old and my 7 year old were both set on making mermaid costumes and getting up on stage.

My first instinct was to tell them that the likelihood of getting up on stage with Train at the Susquehanna Bank Center was slim. That was my adult brain working there. I didn't do that. I'm not sure when it occurs that you start realizing the odds of things, but it sure isn't when you are 14 or 7. My daughters knew that they were going to get up on stage. As an educator, I always have to remember that sometimes the worst thing that we can do for children is to limit them by our expectations. I realize that the context of this is slightly different than reading or math achievement, but the principle still applies.

So, we went to the show and my daughters got their tickets for the drawing to go on stage since they were

picture from www.savemesanfrancisco.com

dressed appropriately and had their picture taken. We had lawn seats to the show and enjoyed the first two acts on a beautiful evening. Now, I should also mention that Train is my 14 year old's favorite band and this was my 7 year old's first experience ever at a concert. When it came time for them to go up to the front to see if they were chosen, my wife went with them and I remained with our things on the lawn.

As the 50 or so Mermaids began to come onto the stage I searched for my daughters' purple tank tops and mermaid bottoms on the stage and on the big screen. Lo and behold, there they were. They actually got up on stage in front of 20,000 people or so. I must admit, I started to scream my fool head off. Anyway, they were awesome up there (Here is a video from YouTube of the number).  One of my daughters got to sing into the mic and held the lead singer's (Pat Monahan) hand when they took a bow and the other one high-fived him and was having a great time singing and dancing. When they came back to the lawn my 7 year old jumped into my arms to show me the Train towel they gave her and shout how she got on stage. My 14 year old was basically shaking and stuttering in excitement and disbelief. My wife had a smile from ear to ear.

Now, why do I write this post? Remember what I could have said when they told me about the contest? I could have thrown their dream in front of the train instead of letting them be mermaids and have fun on stage with Train. I think that it is important to remember that the wonder and belief of children is something we should all respect; when it comes to crazy radio contests or when it comes to any dreams they may have.

You might be saying, "Yes, BUT what if they had not gotten on stage?" I say, "so what?" They had fun and that would have led to a great discussion on handling disappointment. Really, there is no downside to supporting them.

What do you think?

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• Train: Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour Review (freshbeatsandgoodvibes.wordpress.com)