Educational Bucket List

Educational Bucket List

So in August 2018, my parents retired. In that time, they have criss-crossed the country, visiting friends and family, and hitting up some major touristy spots. My dad kept referring them as bucket list stops—Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, a corner in Winslow, AZ, and even our house to name a few. But they were all significant stops—the sites and the people—for them in their new post-employment life.

In 2017-2018, I was able to hear essentially the Mt. Rushmore of educational speakers. Adam Welcome, Andy Jacks, Dave Burgess, John Hattie, Peter DeWitt, George Curos, Hamish Brewer, Michael Boner & Kim Bearden. It was awesome! To be able to hear the voices from the books that helped to shape me as an administrator was powerful. It was important to hear these folks speak, to ensure that what I had heard and processed in my head and heart, actually matched up with their personalities and personas—a reaffirmation of sorts. I was very fortunate to hear these folks talk, and have continued to follow them as I have moved on from that point in my career, to my current.

Yes, hearing and meeting all of the above was freakin awesome, but it was not the end. It was part of a list, my “educational bucket list”. I know we all have these lists, on paper, on a board, in our heads or just in our hearts, but we’ve got them.

I began my journey into teaching in 1998 at Mayville State, and my list was born. Now, we can’t get confused or muddle up bucket lists with accomplishments. Becoming a principal—accomplishment, driving 3 hours one way to hear Adam Welcome speak—bucket list. Some items on list, we don’t even know that they are there until they happen—in 2015 I attended VAESP and met Jacks & Brewer. (At the time, Brewer whom you all know as the “Tattooed, Skateboarding Principal” was better known as the “Whip and Nae Nae Principal”. )

We all have  choices that we get to make on when and where we go (sometimes) for our experiences. Keep the power in your hands, make the decisions that will impact your list. Because the more that we expose ourselves to the positive influences in the world, the more likely we are to turn around and make awesome things happen for others. It’s a fantastic cycle. 

Go out and choose to be a positive force in this world! You’re doing it for far more than just your own list. You never know, you just may be on someone else’s list.

Down the Rabbit Hole

Down the Rabbit Hole

Over the past few years, we have heard about schools transforming the educational experience from straight-lined, mundane, outcome (summative test) driven to the free-flowing, choice and real-world skill driven classrooms. Yes, there has been a movement, and we’ve made strides as an educational unit, but we’re not even close yet!

Yes, we want to make schools more remarkable for our kids AND staff alike, but what does that look like/feel/sound/smell like? I believe that this is where the genuine and unintentional disconnect in thinking that we are transforming our schools and classrooms, and what is truly taking place. 

What may be an amazing and mind blowing conversation for one teacher, most of the class is sitting there being lectured to, while the teacher converses, with one kid. How can we ensure that students are able to express their comprehension and passion for a topic without having a drawn out 12 point conversation? How about a pic collage that has the twelve points covered with a caption? Or an essay that takes her stance in the class discussion of Romeo & Juliet? What about a set of Q & A on Twitter or Flipgrid (And maybe just maybe, not all of the questions come from the teacher!)? 

All of these are ways that we can reach the kids where they are at, and all it takes a little trust. Trust that the students are going to do what they choose to the best of their ability, but more so as administrators, the trust in the teacher to carry out their well laid plans.

So imagine you took the leap down the rabbit hole, and as you fall further and further from what you know and are familiar with—do you panic and reach out to grab at roots and rocks to try and hold on or just let go and see what comes next? If we continue to grab at the lines that lead back to our safe places, we will never allow ourselves to discover a new level or depth to our abilities.

This is where we are in our teaching and learning and really leading—do we continue to hold on to the things that we are familiar with? Or do we just let go and really see what comes next? Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just close your eyes and hope for the best, its having an understanding of what is best, and where we should go—just maybe we don’t know the exact path to get there, or how long it’s going to take to get close to where we want to be.

With some of the leaders we have around education, the ones that are truly letting go of what “we have always done”, there are some awesome things in store for all of our kids.  

Where will you choose to be in this paradigm shift?

Message in a Bottle

 

Message in a Bottle

We’ve all seen the person stranded on a desert island, writing a message in a bottle. They set it out to sea, just hoping that someone will find it, and in turn find him.

I often wonder if we are in some ways trying to do the same with our teaching and leading—are we hoping that someday, someone will find the wisdom in our experiences and failures and they are turned in the right direction.

I think back to the reasons why I got into teaching and who pushed me there. I know there were many that guided me during my educational journey, but one stood apart from the others.

Jim Myrold.

Mr. Myrold’s in-laws lived a few doors down from where I grew up. His sons were a few years older than I was and I would go shoot basketball with them at their grandma’s house. Jim was a history teacher, and he taught the summer program for elementary students. I loved the class. We went on field trips, learned local history and had great discussions. As I moved through the grades, I think I took that same summer course 3 times. It never got old. As I moved into high school, Mr. Myrold was one of the history teachers, I got him for 10^th grade geography. He told us about his life travels. More so about the stupid decisions he made, and that he had spilt enough booze to float a boat. It was hearing his life stories that made more of an impact than anything for me. Hearing how someone could fail and fail and fail and still continue to move forward, and make the impacts on the lives of others that he did—that’s what he did.

So I guess the reason I gravitated to education; teaching and coaching can be linked directly to Mr. Myrold’s sharing of experiences with me. I liked history, was a pretty good story teller, and enjoyed sports. 

Sooooo, I took a crooked path, and ended up with a teaching job in Virginia, began my teaching career, fell in love, and got married. And I was excited about all of this, because I was able to demonstrate to my students all of my bad decisions, and impress upon them my experiences and how my failures could make them more successful. I didn’t at the time, and don’t now claim to be any kind of expert. But I knew that I had a variety of life experiences that would make a difference in the life of one kid.

I one kid that sticks out for me, B.C., he was a smart kid, very intellectual, and analytical. He was in my sociology class during his senior year, and was trying to figure out his next move. Well, B.C. had the grades and had applied to a variety of schools, one of which being The College of William & Mary. We were just having an informal discussion in class, and this came up that he wasn’t sure if he wanted the challenge of W&M or if he should just take on one of the other local colleges. Please note that he would receive complete scholarships from both universities. I told him that if he had the opportunity to attend a college as esteemed, storied, historical (I’m pretty sure I threw in there that Jefferson went there.) and challenging  as William & Mary, that I would track him down and beat him up.

He went to William & Mary.

After he graduated from W&M, he served as our 5^th grade celebration speaker and mentioned my challenge to him years earlier. In that moment, I realized that I must have been doing something right.

We all have the choice if we want to use our experiences to build ourselves or to build others. 

One thing I have told kids I’ve coached over the years has been, “Good players learn from the mistakes they make. Great players learn from the mistakes of others.” Make the choice to use your downfalls and failures to better your students, better your teachers and better your divisions. Don’t ever forget the power we all have in our choices.