Final Day & Review of NASSP Conference

As I flew out of Washington DC on Sunday morning I felt a since of affirmation for many of the things we are trying to do at LCC, but also left with a list of other areas we can continually improve on.  I spent my last day of the conference attending sessions on how to make high school curriculum more meaningful and rigorous.  I know one of the challenges we face at a rural public school like LCC is making the senior year meaningful.  I left with many great ideas and I am excited to start talking to students and staff about how we can possibly use some of these ideas as launching pads for improving our student's educational experiences. 

As some of you know, I have been an avid Twitter user for the past year, and feel that it is the most powerful professional learning and growth tool I have ever seen.  It is also the most powerful networking opportunity I have ever had.  I have learned more applicable information in one year on Twitter, than I have in 8 years of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral studies in education.  Real practitioners in our field, providing real world answers to real problems.  I had the opportunity to meet, and have dinner with past and current National Principals of the year because of the connections I have made with them on Twitter.  It was great to meet the ladies and gentlemen I have been conferring with throughout the past year in a face-to-face setting.

For lunch we went to Pastimes the official sports grill of the Washington Nationals, which was right in the conference center.  I got to eat with two past and a current National Principal of the Year.  The Caesar Salad with crab was delicious. 

For dinner that last night I went to Pier House, which is overlooking the Harbor, with some of the most tech savvy administrators I have ever met.  I appear to be from the stone ages compared to what some of these guys are doing with technology.  I had the best blackened salmon I have ever had.  Maybe it was the ability to look out over the Harbor while eating that made it taste so good. 

I left with four areas of improvement for our school. 
1.  Need to implement some type of monthly or bi-monthly advisory program to develop high          school goals, college/ career plans, and develop connections with an adult mentor. 
2.  Need to find ways to make the senior year relevant and meaningful to seniors.
3.  Need to find a ways to personalize professional development for each individual teacher.
4.  Give students more voice in the planning and development of their school.

These will be the priorities I will look at in the coming months, trying to bring all stakeholders together to improve our school.  I came back to school Monday feeling reinvigorated and recommitted to making this school the best it can possibly be.  I am excited to see what dedicated students, staff, and community members can do working together to achieve these lofty, but achievable ideals.