I've been asked, along with a group of other educational leaders, to contribute to a blog for educational leaders being organized by Scott McLeod of Dangerously Irrevelant fame. Today was my first post. Now, I discussed how it is that I have come to be the administrator that I am. Like all other people, there are good days when I remember all those bits of widom that I have picked up and then there are days when, well, I'm still not sure about something so I need to relearn it, making a mistake despite having already made it before. My most recent area of learning is with a group of students in our upper highschool. This group has been very difficult and has demonstrated some unique characteristics that I just haven't been able to really understand until I recently when I read an articles in Maclean's which was an interview with Michael Ungar, who is a social worker, family therapist and associate professor at the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University, is the author of a new book, Too Safe for Their Own Good. In this article, he defines this idea of a bubble-wrapped kid.   

 Bingo. Now, most of these kids in my school are male but not all of them. It has now got to the point where I cannot talk to 6 of them withoug having their parents present. There is limited dealings with  the parents because of the way that things have been turned against teachers in the past. In fact, from what I've heard, the most incredible stories go home regarding school. 

These parents want to be in on the discussion so that their child's rights are intact and that things are done properly. They do not trust that things will be done fairly and want to mak sure that this is so. They have a right to hear what is happening. My one experience with this did not work. It ended up being an I said/they said which ended up getting us no where. The final outcome was unsatisfactory, from my point and just seemed to reinforce the whole absurdity of the situation.

What is interesting is that it is isolated to a single group of students. Now I may find that there will be more but right now, it is one group. What is even more insteresting is that this group is the most vocal about their rights but they seem to understand very little the responsibilities that accompany those rights.

I worry about this group much more than other students. Many of them are talented and bright but they lack the "common sense" and "respect" toward others that make interactions appropriate. They are much more immature in how they handle situations and their parents protect them, even argue for them, despite what is going on. Right now, I'm dealing with a situation that is really small but has been turned into a major letter and a meeting with my supervisor. The next year and a half may be one of my most learning filled years to date

There is a disturbance in the force and thousands of young voices cry out in pain .... and continue to cry 

Basketball season ended for my Sr. Lady Mustangs this weekend as we lost at Regional Playoffs. The girls played well enough to win but, like all other sports, there must be a team that loses. The shots just wouldn’t drop. We played in two entertaining games and really did show that we were a good team. If things had gone right, the ball had dropped, we could have easily been the team going to provincials. The great thing was that the girls played very well, didn’t give up and didn’t get nasty. The were champions even though they lost.

For 7 of the team, this was their last year. They were a bit upset with losing, shed some tears but we ended up having fun. We spent a great evening at a B&B with only us there. The house is gorgeous, three floors of beautiful wood. We played cards, watched some videos, talked and just had a very good evening together. The way it should be after spending so much time together. I know that for the next 3 years, we will be in the rebuilding mode with just enough girls to keep the program alive. If we were going to make a run for it, this was the year.

The great thing is that I’ve watched these girls grow over the last 3 years, maturing into a team that worked together and learned that it wasn’t all about winning. We could have fun and lose. In fact, that whole idea drove a few teams crazy as we would have fun, laugh and joke even when we weren’t winning. We learned how to enjoy the entire game, not just the score.

For me, these girls have been my conduit into the school. I’ve learned so much about the students, their likes and dislikes and what they want. They would tell me about so many things - with idea that what went on the road, stayed on the road. It was a great way for them to express their thoughts and feelings about school in a non-threatening environment. As I became accustom to listening to them talk about the various “happenings” I realized that school needed to be much more like this and not a place where two sides squared off each day, one handing out knowledge the other hopefully catching some of it. We needed to have a school where the interaction between the people created a relationship of learners.

As my last post indicates, we ‘ve run into a bit of a snag with a group of students who still remain within the us/them mentality with parents who support the same idea. We are not working together to build a community of learners but instead trying to get students “through” school so that they can begin their journey into the “real” world. This is completely frustrating since I’m beginning to realize that school can be more real world than ever before if we can but move away to a synergetic relationship instead of one-way relationship.

As I final have time to look at prioritizing my To Do list, which is no longer a list but a novellette, I realize that it is up to me to place the seeds that will grow the relationships. As leader of the school, it will be my reactions and interactions that will guide the staff and students as we try to remold our school community. I know that it will not be easy but, like the group of girls that grew into a team, I know that to be successful, there will need to be some movement by all involved and, for my part, I will be able to show them some skills and techniques but it will be up to the people involved, parents/students/staff, to make the necessary changes to go from a group to a team. And it must include the students. They will be the most important part of the mix and they must have real power within the mix otherwise it will not work.

My first step will be my presentation to the students during a “Get A Life” Day which will focus on transitioning from highschool to the job market or secondary edcuation. We are bringing in different people to address the needs that were identified by the students as being concerns for them. I’ll let you know how it goes!

As we continue to explore how technology will/can play a greater role in what we do, one of the things that needs to be addressed is the how we make people, students and adults, responsible for what they are saying.  As an administrator, I’ve learned that people will say things about you or comment on what you do and some of it won’t be done in a very nice way. Today, on my school blog, I received my first comment. Very first. I only publicize it in our newsletter and have homework on it.  Now, from my reaction, you can guess that it wasn’t necessarily positive and it used a bit of profanity. However, like I posted in my post on LeaderTalk, I know that even these comments have nuggets that I need to mine and use to become a better leader and person.

This doesn’t make it easy sometimes. All the positive talk and self-assurance sometimes doesn’t negate that fact that there are times that one just becomes tired of the negativity, especially when someone doesn’t even have the courage to sign their name. That, I think, is what bothers me the most. As the web2.0 tools become more and more accessible, we’re seeing the idea of personal integrity becoming weaker and weaker. Before, a person  had to at least carve it in a stall wall or find a black permanent marker and do some planning so not to be caught. Now, they can do this from the comfort of their rooms, listening to their favourite music and having a snack. Trash talk on websites has become more acceptable.

I mean, technorati uses a common acronym (WTF) for a link!

CoolCatTeacher was included in a conversation about educators who blogged anonymously in a newspaper article. In that same article, an anonymous educator even argued in favour of such behaviour as a supposed way to expose the problems in the system without reprisal. Why would you not want to stand by what you say. I’ve never understood that whole line, unless, of course, you’re testifying against the mob!  If, however, you are just sounding off about your own agenda and rants, then, yes, you might end up in a bit of trouble, which you should. It all comes down to accountability. The less we want to be accountable, the more we can rationalize being anonymous or using an alias.

Back to the comment. Maybe not all administrators will react the same way. I would rather deal with the issue than get mad. I’d rather try to find a solution than know that there is someone running around, really unhappy, probably saying things that are negative about the school and me, and not being able to do a thing about it. I might not be able to find a solution or solve the problem but, this way, I can’t do anything. Yes, I understand that the person is fearing a reprimand or reprisal for what they say but they need to understand that this type of rant doesn’t help the situation, but makes it more difficult and creates an even greater barrier to hurdle. Anonymous rants or letters to the editor get the same treatment - no air time.

Web2.0 has given us the power of voice like we’ve never had before! Without integrity, however,  being heard will be about the same as shouting over the crashing of waves on breakers. Or, as my grandfather use to say, everyone has an opinion but to be noticed you have to do more than be a gong making noise. Given that the noise from the web is growing, people, especially students, will need to develop a voice that isn’t just more noise among the cacophony. There will be no room for those who won’t stand behind what they say. There’s no time.

The way I figure it, if at least there is a name, I have an idea who is upset and mad and maybe, in a bit of time, I might be able to approach the person and we can begin to bring things to a positive conclusion, heal the breach and build a positive.

Sigh - it’s been one of those weeks!

My reader’s overloaded, I just don’t know where to start.

Explode stats are sinking, goin’ through the floor.
My Technorati’s baslined, my clustrmap gone flat
Oh, I don’t know what to do  ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’  through the bloggin’ blues.
Miguel’s at four a day, Stephen at 6 or more.
Scott’s new blog’s a hit and Kimberly is shinning bright.
Jan’s a selected principal and Darren’s hit the news.
But me, no where, not close, ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’ through the bloggin’ blues.
I’ve eight blogs in limbo, can’t find the words that fit

I’ve got a parent clamped on like a pit.

My Super’s doin’ surveys, oh I don’t want to know.
Some days this seems so senseless ’cause

I’ve been strugglin’ with the bloggin’ blues.
Report cards are comin’,

can almost see their whites!

I know I’ll spend this week

with mostly sleepless nights.

Meetings, presentations;  all this week do fall,

Sure don’t want to hit another wall ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’ with the bloggin’ blues.
My nano’s runnin’ low,

Friedmann’s look flat,

Pink’s New Mind is started,

But I’ve double read the intro!

Nothin’s goin’ right, all seems to be in knots ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’ with the bloggin’ blues.
Saw the green-eyed monster

rear it’s ugly head

as I watched each new blog

knowing that they will be read
but mine just won’t appear ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’ with the bloggin’ blues.

As a writer, I’ve usually been able to work through those times when things weren’t flowing. However, this past week, I’ve hit a new wall and I didn’t know what to do. For those of you who’ve been reading, you’ll have noticed that my blog production has dropped to almost non-existent and my topics seem to be all over the place. Well, they are because I’m going through a mid-principal crisis and I haven’t been able to put my thoughts in order. My “want to do” is really interfering with my “have to do” making it very difficult to get anything done. As a closet poet who should probably stay in the closet, I find that many times when I have an overload of things that are on my mind, I need to make my list, which you read above. Now, I’m also trying the “To Do” list thing but I still haven’t mastered it so I’m putting to paper what I’ve been wrestling with over the past two weeks or so.

Thinking about being a Principal?

What follows are some things that I’ve come to realize are what’s causing me so much angst. I start off with the “You too can work on this committee” problem and then provide a few advice points. Nothing magic - more a reflection for me.
For those who are just looking at moving into a principal position or who are just starting, a word of advice. Watch what you saddle yourself with because what might appear to be a simple committee may turn into something with a life of its own that uses your energy as its source of existence. You can identify such things by:

No apparent idea of the length that it will last.

No concrete mandate or guidelines.

It is the passion of someone else.
There are no specific outcomes identified at the outset.

For me, I decided that this was the year I take on two such projects. So, as this week begins, I see myself completely overwhelmed by what I need to do and perpare for the next four days. I have three presentations that are all bouncing around inside my head but have yet to see the dawn of the digital-day. I’m working on becoming a professional meeting person this week. I think this is my practicuum week! And…  to add just a little more excitement, I’ve a parent who has begun to make me their pet improvement project. If only I could change a few of the ways I do things would be okay. Right now I have personal issues?!
Second point of advice. Be sure you select carefully those hills you will fight and die on. Not all of the things that come your way are worth the war. It took me a while to figure this one out. But after a while I began to see that if I fought for everything I thought was right, I wouldn’t have the energy or the suppport to do those things that were “essential” for students. Now, I’m much more selective. However, that doesn’t mean that I always choose correctly. In this case, I chose wrong and stood when I probably should have gone immediately into negotiations for an agreement that would have satisfied both parties. Now, the war has started. The parent, for all you who are new to this, will, and can, use any means necessary to obtain their goal. You, as administrator, will need to dig deep into your personal integrity bag to withstand the desire to also do whatever you feel is necessary. This is not about you winning anymore. You will need to decide what is best for the school and the students. My experience is that you need to demonstrate that whatever anyone says, you are a person who “walks the talk” and who has in mind the best interests of all students. Refuse to discuss the subject with anyone, except those in higher positions. Take care in what youd do and, after your initial reaction, which you alone will know, turn to getting on with the business of school. I’ve learned that to dwell on the negative really eats up so much energy that could be used for other things.
Third point of advice. Seek out the wisdom of others. Talk to other administrators or people that you trust. Much of what we do is personal relations. For me, that has not always been easy. I have a rare disease that sometimes inflicts me at the most inopportune moments. This disease, called FEETINMOUTH dementia is caused when I stick both my feet in my mouth and then, with not a leg to stand on, fall on my head causing the dementia which makes me keep opening my mouth and shoving more of my feet in. As time has passed, I’ve learned to stop before being struck with a bout of the disease which usually leads to months of rehab. Instead, I listen, nod and ask a question or two. I then explain that before I answer or say too much I’d like time to do some thinking. This allows me to seek the wisdom of others, work through things and formulate a response that will still have me standing at the end.
The last point. Learn to leave the work at work. I don’t know how many email stories I’ve read about this type of thing but it is an absolute requirement. To be your best, you cannot be obsessed.  Things are important and sometimes you will need to work late nights and long hours. But not all the time and when you leave, let the problems remain in the halls. They will be there when you return. Again, it has taken me some time to do this, medication and therapy have helped too! It is something that I’ve worked on being a somewhat obsessive person. I’ve discovered that by leaving things at work, I can return to them with a fresh perspective and, most times, see a way to bring about the beginnings of a solution. With this is the understood idea that you can’t own all the problems of the school nor can you fix all them. You must work on what you can, influence what you can and point out what you can. However, there are things that were there before you began. In order for these to be corrected, the person involved needs to see there is a problem. That is part of what you do, helping others see where they can improve and providing the resources for them to do that. But, you cannot make them, just as I cannot get my son to eat green peas without threats of some sort. I’ll leave this one because dealing with a teacher who doesn’t want to change has caused many a tree to die and this post wasn’t to be this long anyway.
I am beginning my week with the realization that I have two very important meetings in two places at the same time. Why do I do this to myself??!! Like I said at the start - a mid-principal crisis!

Today was our admin meeting day. On this day, I travel about an hour to meet with the rest of the administrators in our school division. At this time we are focusing on PLC's, SMART goals and, finally, a bit of technology. Another key component is our grade-alike groups in which we discuss different issues that are affecting our schools and brainstorm ideas that might assist us in finding solutions to these issues. 

Now, I'm in a particularly unique situation as a school administrator. In the present school division, I am the largest K - 12 school by approximately 70 students. This means that I have more staff and more admin time than other schools. I also do not have the problems of offering senior options and finding ways to combine classes like my counterparts. Interestingly, I am one of the few k - 12 schools that does not have a vice-principal, meaning that schools with much smaller populations than ours have an adminstration team that works together within the building. I may have more administration time but I spend that time alone. This is the result of the almalgamation of six school divisions and the legacy division I was in did not have vice-principals. All this puts me in a very unique situation in that I have to use a variety of different leadership skills in order to be an effective leader. However, today I made, or realized, an amazing thing. 

Remember this, it will come back into play later.

Yesterday, our school hosted a GAL day (Get A Life) for our grade 11 and 12's. The day was organized around ideas and themes that students gave to us. We dealth with self concept, relationships, stress, living on your own safety tips, responsibilities of being on your own, resumes, interviews and optional educational opportunities for students. The day was successful. We had good participation and we have learned much that we will apply to our organization for next year. My role was as host, organizer and presenter. Oh, and tear-down manager.

My first presentation was called - Flat is Where It's At. I took information from the book The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman and mixed it with information from the book A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. I then used the TED presentation by Jeff Hann and the movie mix of Did You Know? by Scott McLeod which is a remix of Karl Fisch's original. This is the first time I have done anything like this. Now, the first presentation of this to the students went okay. They were interested by the facts from Did You Know? and we were able to dialogue about some of the implications for them as people in Canada. After seeing the Jeff Hann presentation, we then discussed how something like this might impact them in their future careers. What was great was after seeing the presentation, they began to see how that type of technology could impact everything from engineers to dress designers to medicine to video game makers. The more they talked, the more they were willing to explore the possibilities. Some of them asked for the TED url, which I gave them, so they could see other things that were going on there. With this in mind, they moved off to other presentations.

Later in the day, I did a presentation of alternative educational opportunities. Part of the presentation dealt with apprenticeship opportunities and careers in these areas. The students, referring to what we saw earlier in the day, began to ask about the viability of such careers. We then had a good discussion on their need to continue learning after highschool and they came to the conclusion that, for them, learning was going to be a continuous thing that would be part of their entire life. What a lightbulb moment that was!! I then added some information on Second Life and distance education, giving them some idea of what some universities and tech-schools are doing with on-line learning. This really sparked the conversation, which is what I wanted it to do. They began to wonder about the viability of studying in various universities all from one location by being able to tap into the opportunities offered in  a place like Second Life and how this might impact their ability to determine which was a better method and, wait, how they would know if the person who was instructing was in fact a certified professor or credible in that particular area. Unfortunately, our time was over and the students had to disperse.

My day was not over. At 7:00 pm the people who presented during the day offered a parent evening and gave an overview of what they had done during the day. My presentation was very similar to the morning although I did add some other information from Daniel Pink's book that I thought they might find interesting. What caught me off guard was their reaction to the two movies. Instead of being scared and concerned by the numbers and information presented, they were intrigued. They did admit to being overwhelmed by some of it but they had many more questions than the students. In fact, I had a number of requests for copies of both so that they could share the information with some other people. These parents were very interested in SL.  In fact, the reaction was so positive because the group was able to discuss the information and take some time to put into context what was given to them. One of the presenters wants my blog url for him and his wife, who's a school administrator, as he felt it would be good to see how this works.

Today, when we came  to technology, I was still kind of "high" from my experience the previous evening. Well, imagine the crash that happened when it became apparent that many of this group were not really interested in any of the new information I was wanting to share from what had taken place but, as one person stated "Technology really uses alot of time. Why do we spend so much time on it" HUH??? As I began to explain the implications of what was happening with the technological innovations and how we are just a bit behind, I was reminded that this was off topic and we had better get back to discussing the task at hand, what were the plus and minuses of the software we currently had. Smack! The crash.

Tonight, as a sort of therapy,  I've spent the last bit just reading about what is going on in other schools. Now, not all the posts are about technology. In fact, most of them aren't. But, what I realized tonight was that I just don't have one vice-principal to share with and discuss things with, I have a whole RSS feeder full of people who share common interests, have a common passion and will be there to tell me that I'll be okay. I'm not limited to those I can see f2f. I have a support network that is, really, unlimited. Now, in reality, I'm not that popular and I can only read so many posts. But, new people are always leaving comments and I'm always reading new blogs. 

I have also realized that my staff is much farther ahead than most of the other staffs. I usually find that I am frustrated by the slowness at which we are moving but, today, I realized that my staff is very much moving ahead and willing to try new things. Hey, we have a staff pbwiki calendar that almost all the staff is now visiting and adding events. We are using email regularly. We are trying different things with the technology. We are starting to have conversations about literacy outside of text and wondering about how students will develop digital literacies.

Today, driving home, I felt very much distant from the other administrators. I don't worry about cellphones or ipods or coffee cups in the hall. I encourage students to use alternate methods of presentation in my classes, although my CPT class is a whole other story, er, post!

Then, I realized that I'm not doing this job for other administrators, I'm doing it for the students that were in the school yesterday and my immediate focus needs to be on the school in which I work and the teachers and students whom I serve with your help. Yes. You are the administrators and leaders whom I look to for inspiration and support. You are the administrators and leaders that provide me with the insights and ideas that I then take and use with the staff and students in our school.

Last night, one of the presenters asked me why I blog. I explained that it is because of the knowledge that I gain from the vast wealth that is available to me. I realize, however, that it's more than that. I blog because I want to share with those with whom I have connected. I blog because I realize that the synergy created within the blogosphere is so tremendous that it has the ability to transform education. Maybe only one teacher and school at a time. It is changing education. Differentiated leadership - matching the leadership to what is needed by the people/person. For me, it is happening because I have the opportunity to be connected to a larger group of people who are leaders.

Today was a very good day. 

For those who think I've started back to my workout program, you will be very disappointed, just like my wife! This is really about that euphoric state that teachers briefly enter when their marks are done and in.
I'm finished. It's late, or early, depending on how you look at it. I've finally finished my marks and sent them in. As a teacher I was always burning the midnight oil the week before report cards trying to get as much done as I could. I always flop between planning and putting together new ideas, assignments and assessment and actually going through the assessment, especially of projects. The day-to-day things I'm not bad at but the projects tend to sit a bit.

Now, I haven't really had time to reflect on this process but I do know that it was easier to go through their blogs/journals and provide feedback and a mark than a notebook or anything else I've used. Maybe because I am comfortable with a computer but I did this at various times during the day, three or four at a time, getting them done, with feedback in a day or two after each entry without really any trouble. I've been able to check their wiki work just as easily and, seeing what is happening, been able to pinpoint a few pairs who are having difficulty and a few that are having management problems and one that just is too busy with the dirtbike game. It's the projects where I faulter. I'm still using all paper for these as they include maps, drawings, reports, scrapbooks, photoshoots and other such work. The oral reports are done because I have to do them right away.

Now, I don't mind reading and marking. Once I get started, I enjoy reading what the students have written, looking at their drawings or pictures or comics or whatever they have decided to use and providing comments. However, I find that I'm always lugging around these papers and disks which sometimes end up being left at home on my desk or left at school on my desk. With the electronic media, I can read, comment and return them without worrying about them getting too beat up or worse (coffee stains are hard to explain!) I've been looking at YouRock to use instead of the posters and presentations and I'm definitely going to use podcasts for students to do oral presentations. I'm exploring a few video options so that students can use that format if they wish. These are much easier to handle plus students really do prepare much better for these than for our "Oral Reports" although when we do the "Daily News Cast" with _____________ the students seem to really get into it. Maybe it's the cool coat and the funky glasses!
Because I am an administrator and I don't have a regular classroom and I do like working from the lab, we have almost adopted it as our room. I am working on having our SmartBoard reconfigured so that I can begin using it again - we've had cord issues.
Yes, I'm rambling. I'm experiencing that euphoric feeling of completing my marking, finishing my marks and comments and for a short period of time, at least being nearly caught up with my classes. Of course, I'm a good two weeks behind on filing and other admin processes having had to arrange my To Do's by: I'll lose my job, Will be in trouble but employed, Will be in trouble if I ask when, Won't be noticed unless I ask, Won't be noticed and, my favourite, Someone actually has a job for this! I've done all the first category. I'll get to work on the second and thrid this weekend.
Book Club Brief

I'm really looking forward to beginning my section of the book club page. I think that things should really get going now. I will be able to prod a bit more and, hopefully, get things moving a bit more.If you are interested, leave me a note on my comment page. You can visit the site at here We're just beginning with Dave being one of the people who's actually done some work. Way to go Dave!! We are reading A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink.

I'm also looking forward to getting back into a few of my routines, like running and exercise, reading and exploring some of the 12 ideas that I've stored as drafts.

This could be like a movie, when the dark clouds begin to part and rays of sunlight begin to stream onto the earth. All is good again and our hero has overcome the darkness. Oh what a feeling!

As the week came to an end, I had a meeting with my area suprintendent regarding a recent administration survey that my staff had completed and sent in. Now, like almost everyone that I know, I was a bit nervous but I knew that no matter what the outcome, I was ready to get on with the recommendations that came out of it and go through the renewal process.

The surveys were positive but there were some areas that definitely came through as areas that I need to improve. The first thing that I have learned about such surveys is that I must, without exception, get past the personal feelings that I have and not worry about any comments that are personal in nature or deal with any “gossip”. That is difficult but necessary for growth to begin.

The first thing that came through loud and clear was I have “too many irons in the fire.” to borrow a cliche. As I reflected on the comments that were linked to this one, I realized that they were all true. So, my superintendent and I decided that I really needed to decide which ones were top priorities and which ones were at the point that they needed to be handed off to someone else. This has always been a weak-point for me, taking on too much. The result is that, in trying to get all things done, I stop taking care of myself, which, in the end, leads to an eventual “blunder” . You’d think I’d have learned by now!! So as I drove home, I began to list my involvements and their “me” importance.

1. Self and family - this is usually on a declining slope so, again, it needs to be returned to the top.

2. Students, staff and parents - here is one where I really need to delegate more often. So there are a few things that I will be asking about and finding out their importance in relation to student and staff. I will need to list the main objectives for the school and then decide where I am needed and where others can lead.

3. School division - this is where I sometimes get caught in offering to do too much. I’ve a few commitments but I know that I can hand off a few things as my time is up.

4. Teacher’s Association - Here is where I’ve added a few too many things and need to back off. I’d love to continue in my role but I need to let others have their turn.

5. Community Invovlement - I have a few things going here and need to decide which 1 I will be willing to put my time into. The others will have to go on without me - if that is possible

My superintendent has suggested that for some of the areas that deal directly with relations, I keep a daily journal to reflect on what happens each day. I thought this was a great idea but am trying to decide if I go electronic or hard copy. I’m still not sure. I have also decided that in order to demonstrate to the staff that I appreciate their constructive criticism, I am going to thank them, via email, for their comments, insights and concern that came through in the survey. I think they need to know that I see this as a positive activity and will continue to ask for thier insights in order to become a better administrator just as I will continue to give them my insights in the hope they will improve themselves.

I’ve made a few observations since doing the survey. There are those who don’t trust that what they say will not be used against them. The survey is anonymous but there was a concern that handwriting would be recognized so the surveys went directly to the superintendent. This way, people say whatever they wanted without fear of reprizal. According to the superintendent, there was one person who took this too heart - but the rest really did work on providing constructive criticism which, as leaders, we need to have to be as effective as we can.

Today, as I have spent the first weekend in months with my kids and family, I realize that I really do need to slow down. The information from the evaluation has pointed out that it is obvious to some that I’ve overloaded. As much as I’d like to believe that I’m bigger than human, that only happens in the movies and comics. So, being reminded that I don’t own a cape and can’t fly is good. I am appreciative for people being honest and critical.

During this weekend, I’ll take time to decide where my energy will be best dispersed, after my family and self. So, as I hear my lettle boy begin to stir, I will close off. I’ve an appointment to go outside in order to do some water moving. Should be messy and fun. Just what I need after the past two weeks - time with the important people in my life  :)

This is a fairly lengthy post dealing with reflection and how it can alter how you see things and the changes that may result. Buckle up and stay tuned.

After my last post, I’ve had a few inquiries about the place of blogging. Dave Sherman asked

I noticed that you do not mention blogging in your list above. Will you continue to keep blogging at the same rate?

I’ve really been doing some serious thinking about how my time is being used.  As a father, husband, principal, coach and community member,I have many roles to juggle which are no different from everyone else.

One of the things that I try to do in my blog is give people a real-life reflection of how being an administrator impacts your life and the various things that I go through as they happen. I’ve discussed how I’ve had deal with my own depression and the affects it had on me, my family and my professional life. I have always tried to write how learning has happened with me, discussing the classes I take and the books I am reading or the ideas I get from others from what they are trying or what they are reading. I continue to try to explore my passions and how they impact my leadership and my own learning.

Will I continue to blog? You bet I will. This is one area that I believe has made me a better administrator and a better leader. I look to other’s like Dave Sherman, Jan, Kimberly, mscofino,Dean, Scott, Chris, Miguel, Missprofe, Dave Truss and host of other bloggers who are dealing with a variety of things and relating their stories, thoughts and insights in a way that touches the reader. I look for different perspectives and have found people like Catherine, Brian and Patrickwho have a wealth of insight and knowledge and are willing to share. And that’s what this is all about, isn’t it? The idea that together, we provide each other with so much which, a few short months ago, wasn’t available. There is a sense of togetherness, different from our buildings and our admin groups, but something that grows over time as people come together with under a common purpose. We all want our interactions with

students to be positive and see that learning is changing and, therefore, there needs to be some changes in other areas.

When I began ….

My first ventures into this blogosphere world were on the site of Will Richardson and I was a skeptic. I knew that the tools were there but couldn’t see how we were going to make the jump from where we were to where Will was wanting us to go. Today, for some reason, I rarely read Will. It’s not that I don’t find his work interesting but I’ve found that with the likes of Scott, Miguel, Bud and a host of others who are working in the trenches, there is more there to which I can relate. I see these bloggers and the others that I add to my RSS as providing me with more than enough ideas and food for thought. Sometimes I still drop by Weblogged and 2centsworth but not as often as I did. I could be that I’ve outgrown the need for what they provide. I’ve become part of a more personal group, a part of the blogosphere that isn’t just “out there” but that has real people with real problems with real students.Jan’s story about her girl just about broke my heart thinking of my own girls suffering and Miguel’s adventure with his Macbook was interesting to follow as I had just purchased one myself. Scott’s manyadventures and incredible drive have been an inspiration as I try to get administrators in my area involved in these types of ventures. Dave Sherman’s adventures with his “March Madness” and Chris’s choice to get back to students came just when I needed them. Why? Because we are all part of a similar world where there are different faces and names but similar waves and ebbs.

And where will I go …..

As I ponder Dave’s question, I realize that my professional growth has been fueled by many of the things that people suggest. I am waiting for our new division to finish with negotiations so that I can find out what is available for PD so I might be able to attend a national conference focusing on IT. Who knows, I just may end up presenting on something!

By no way have I come up with the definitive answer for where my life is going. However, I have seen that I really must heed the voices that are calling to me. I haven’t always done that, stubbornness being a character trait that has done me well and has allowed me to achieve many things that have been positive in my life. Now, however, I realize that this might not be the best trait to build

at the school level. You see, it was through the comments of the staff and my superintendent’s request to reflect on what I have done and want to do that I realized that I have begun to self-sabotage myself. When I realized that things began to come clearer. The more I reflected (why is it that we say it is such a good thing but don’t do it until we are forced?) on what was happening, the more I was able to see a pattern to what was happening.

I realized that my main purpose when I have been hired was to stir things up, create some discomfort for people, move people out of their comfort zones and then move on. Thus, my family has been in 5 communities in 10 years. Well, this time, my family doesn’t want to move. They want to stay and put down roots and I was somewhat sick of moving. What I didn’t do was change my pattern as an administrator so as the year progressed, I continued to follow the path that I had before. This past weekend, I realize that this will not bring about the changes that are needed. So, a mild discomfort has been created. Now, my role is to help provide the necessary support so that people can explore and incorporate changes. Instead of getting people to just see that there needs to be some changes, I now must provide the culture for those

changes to take place. Not what I use to doing, I’m afraid but something that I must learn to do if I want to remain where I am for any length of time.

I Hate the Mirror

The mirror has never been my favourite thing. Lately it shows more lines than I’d like and, for some reason, there seems to be hints of grey in my hair that it didn’t show before. The professional reflection mirror sometimes is the same, showing us things we really don’t want to see. We often want to ignore these things or we buy something to cover them up. However, if we really want to change and really want to be better, we have accept that we can’t alter some parts but we can bring about real change that won’t fade over time or won’t wash away under a heavy downpour. As administrators, we need to be honest about who we are, where our passions lay and what we want. Sometimes that may mean that, after doing some deep reflection, we recognize that our present situation can only change if we, as leaders, identify our own weaknesses and set out on a new path.

My new path

Today is Monday. I’ve decided that today I will start out anew. This doesn’t mean that my weekend of reflection has totally changed my life. It has, however, allowed me to realize that if I keep doing the same old things, I’ll get the same results. Therefore

one thing I have begun to do is change my work habits. My old tendency was to stay at school late at night. Now, I’m getting up early in order to get to school to do my work then. (The weekend was great as I was up early and was able to accomplish quite a lot. However, I’m not sure where I’ll fit the

hour nap I had with my 4 year old during each school day!) I have decided to change a few other things, like my approach to f2f interactions and the whole listening concept. I’ve also decided to start keeping a reflective journal

that I will write in every day - it’s called a blog!!! No, but it could be!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Can we fix it? Yes we can!

Today, as I was sifting through a landslide of RSS feeds, I was inspired/amazed by the number of enteries that were referring the the Kathy Sierra case and the stop cyberbullying day. What has struck me about this really is that for the first time, we’re seeing a mass movement that is saying that this type of behaviour isn’t right, shoud not be tolerated and those who are doing it should be held accountable. I agree on all parts. But what will be done in this regard.
Some have suggested greater security of the internet while others have suggested that this may cause government legislation. The debate over free speech will continue as it always does as people continue to try to hide behind that idea in order to justify saying whatever they want.
However, for me, this is much larger. As this plays out in the public eye, the children are watching how the adults of the society are reacting to what is happening. For many adults, this is a non-issue since they have no idea what a blog is or what it can do. However, for the youth, they will follow what is happening because it is not by what we say but by what
we do that we pass on our values and understandings to the youth. They model what they see.
As educators, we know all too well that many of us began teaching, not as individuals with our own unique styles but as a teacher who had been molded by the impressions made upon us as we worked our way through school.
In almost a month, we will experience the one year mark of a student who committed suicide. I’m worried. The reactioins of the adults hasn’t shown them how to deal with such grief.
People want to tell them, but the examples just aren’t there.
Since then, we have organized a Community Care Council that is working with people trying to inform, educate and discuss how we can help to avoid such another tragedy after having 4in the last 9 years.
The students on our council have said loud and clear that they need the adults to lead
the way. If we want to really get to the root of some of our problems, then the adults have to be the ones that begin to solve their problems. If we want to erradicate bullying, then how parents act at sporting events
and with each other has to change. If we want to reduce the use of alcohol and drugs, well the adults have to lead, not just saying it’s not okay but showing that it’s not okay. If we want violence against women and childrent to end, then we have to do more than just speak against it. If we say that cyberbullying is bad, then there needs to be something to deter people. What? I have not clue but what boggles my mind is that adults can’t figure out why kids do things to other kids yet don’t see that many of them are doing exactly the same thing. So, if there is a drug or alcohol problem, the kids are telling us that the adults need to clean things up to be the examples for the kids.

As we draw closer to the day, I worry that the kids are going to follow the examples of the adults, which has to everything but look at themselves. Now, as an adult, I’ve talked with some of the kids and told them that I do accept a smal part of responsibility because I didn’t notice the signs and didn’t grab hold of the hints that were thrown my way. But, since then, I’ve done something about it in an effort to better prepare myself to help someone else. Many others have said that they don’t want such a tragedy to happen again, that this needs to stop. Yet, when we’ve had workshops or other things, our turnout has been poor. “It’s the schools job” is what I’ve heard. Well, my message is that it isn’t the school job. We have a responsibility but it is the job of the community to protect the children. People say they agree but…..
For the last year, I’ve been organizer of the council. This year I step aside. I believe in the idea but I’m realizing we can do a million things. Until the adults realize that it is their actions and not their words that the children are following, we’re skating uphill!

So, the stop cyberbullying day is great. It’s a step when adults begin to say that this is not allowed. But, the actions will speak in greater volumes than anything written. Will people begin to change how they treat one another online and off line? Will we see an increase in what is not allowed? Will free speech be matched with all the responsibilities that go with it? Will the cry of the people be for fairness? Will the children on the net see a change in the way that adults act and portray themselves.

Or, will this be another “Do as we say, not as we do” event. If so, then be prepared for such actions, not only to increase but to intensify. We’ve brought the problem into the light. How we handle it will, I believe, set the stage for future net interactions. Joining the cyberbullying group is great. But, in real terms, what will we do? What will you do?

Me, I’m inviting a speaker in to talk to the parents. The kids will do fine if we but show them the way. They want to see us “Walk the Talk”. How will you measure up?