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. 

NASSP Day #3: Being the Best Leader I can Be!

The beautiful garden table where I wrote this post from.

This conference has had different themes being presented each day.  You can choose to go to a session here and a session there each day, or choose a common theme to focus on for the day.  I have always been a believer in focusing on a few skills and working to become really good at them, rather than be introduced to  a lot of skills but not be able to apply any of them.  On Thursday the theme I chose to focus on was harnessing stakeholder voice in educational decision making, mostly focused on student voice in education.  On Friday I focused my sessions on my ability to lead and the development of leadership skills.  On Saturday my focus will be on improving instruction and increasing rigor in the classroom. 

I had the opportunity to hear from three of the most highly recognized and progressive leadership consultants in the country, Dr. Mark Wilson, Dr. Timothy Healey, and Dr. Jeff McClausland.  Many of the things I heard during the days justified my thinking and current practices in leadership, and others acted as wake-up calls for me as an educational leader.  What an awesome opportunity I have as a young educational leader, but was also reminded of the challenges of leading multiple generations of people towards the same goal.  Baby Boomers, Generation X, & Millennials are three very distinct and different generations.  Each group has a unique set of experiences and skills.  The hardest thing about leadership is the ability to balance the needs of all three groups and lead them in the same direction.  Communication, understanding different perspective, and differentiating the common message to each group are going to be the skills needed for continued success as a leader.

I also learned about leading in 4 directions, which was a new concept for me.  Leading your boss, leading subordinates, leading peers, and leading yourself are the 4 directions in which a successful leader must lead.  Two of the directions that were new to me and areas I am looking to do further investigation are leading my boss and leading myself.  I can see the development of these two areas making me a much more progressive and successful leader.

Dr. Wilson finished the day as the keynote speaker for the evening discussing how to lead schools that are focused beyond high school.  He spent lots of time talking about the experiences that our schools provide.  "One never notices what one has done, only what is yet to be done." -Madame Currie was my favorite quote of the day.  We have done a lot of great work at LCC.  We need to embrace and honor the work that is already done, but also understand that in order to lead you have to not only manage what you have done but developing ideas for what else needs to be done.

For dinner we got together as the entire Nebraska delegation of secondary principals at Harrington's Irish Kitchen.  It was great to meet other principals from across the state, and reconnect with friends from other conferences I have attended in the last year. 

NASSP Day #2: Powered by Optimism

Gaylord National Harbor Conference Center

Beach sculptures @ National Harbor

Thursday was the Breaking Ranks Schools Showcase, which is a group of schools from across the country which are recognized as the most high performing and innovative schools in the United States. These schools were all truly Powered by Optimism! Each school believed in public education and believed each student could be successful. Although each school was very different in size, demographics, and location the main beliefs and goals were still the same. All schools had a strong system to allow for student voice in school, all believed in the power of technology to transform education, and all believed in each student needing to have a personal connection with at least one adult in their schools. Beverly HS in Massachusetts, WM Hays Composite School in New York, & Pittsfield High School in New Hampshire all had great presentations that included students. I love hearing about the programs other schools are using and how many of the things we are doing at LCC are the same things that these schools are doing.

I left the Successful Schools Showcase feeling like we are on the right track. These schools all were optimistic, just like I feel we are at LCC. They strive to improve each day and have a willingness to change, just like LCC.

For the evening we had two great keynote sessions. One of them by Scott Klosoky one of the leading technology innovators and entrepreneurs in the country. He spent lots of time talking about gaining technology mastery and using technology to its fullest potential. He talked about being high beam leaders who were constantly pushing forward with new ways to integrate technology.

Arne Duncan, Secretary of the Department of Education spoke and answered audience questions at the last session of the night. He laid out Obama's education plans for the the 2nd term and talked about the reinventing of america's high schools.

I met some young principals from Texas during one of my sessions yesterday and had dinner with them at Nandos Peri-Peri. Nandos is an African wood grill restaurant specializing and had a awesome, but very spicy grilled chicken and rice dish.

I left yesterday knowing that I have two things I need to ensure and work to continually develop at LCC. I need to be the leader who is more systematic in my use of student voice in decision making, and I need to figure out a way for each student to have a personal connection with one adult in our school system.

Lots of great sessions on Friday and then an opportunity to meet with our entire Nebraska Principals Group for the evening.

View from  atrium inside of conference center

Secretary Department of Education, Arne Duncan

Life is Good!: NASSP Day #1 02/27

Recent purchases from Life is Good Store!

Sometimes we forget how GOOD we really have it.  Jake and Rocket from the "Life is good" company seem to have it all figured out, and have made a multimillion dollar enterprise out of those simple words.  After having a great breakfast in Old Town Alexandria with a couple of Iowa Administrators that I knew from back home  I had the opportunity to do a little shopping and stumbled upon a Life is Good Store.  I love going into these stores and reading the simple, but powerful messages portrayed on their products.  We often forget how good we really have it, and these messages are an opportunity to remind us how good we really have it.  As I sit in our nation's capitol, I can't help but be reminded of how good life really is.

During the day, we had some free-time to explore DC and all of it's historical grander.  I have been blessed with the ability to visit this area twice before, but haven't been here since 2005.  Most people know that I am always wanting and willing to try new experiences and learn new things.  I went to one monument and two museums that weren't opened the last time I was here.  I hadn't seen the MLK Memorial on the National Mall, and what a beautiful and majestic monument it is.  The Newseum dedicated to the history of news, was the museum I visited before lunch.  Seeing the wall with news channels broadcasting live in 199 different countries at the same time was an amazing sight to see.  After lunch at the famous, Ben's Chili Bowl  I also went to the National Museum of Crime & Punishment devoted to the history of major crimes and the various punishment methods used throughout our nation's history.   For dinner I met back up with a group of Nebraska Administrators for dinner at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood House.  The crab-cakes were excellent!  Both of these administrators were visiting DC for the first time, so it was fun to hear about their journey and experiencing all of the monuments for the first time. Overall a great day of learning new things and creating new experiences.  Looking forward to Breaking Ranks School Presentations on Thursday. 

I am always amazed at what a snow day, holiday break, or a summer vacation can do for the culture and climate in a work place.  The renewed energy and attitude that is personified through each individual stakeholder in a school after a break creates a powerful and positive learning environment.  How do we get more days like that?  How do we  restructure time and provide everyone an opportunity to have an experience like I am having, a time of new learning, reflection, and revitalization of the body, mind, and spirit.

Back to Blogging: Arrival @ NASSP Conference

Wow, I can't believe that we are so close to completing the 3rd Quarter of the 2012-2013 school year.  I haven't been on  blogger in a long time, the beginning of the school year to be exact.  I am not proud of it and not going to give excuses for not blogging regularly this school year like I planned.  I am just going to change, refocus, and be optimistic about doing it more regularly from here on out.

This is the perfect week to restart.   The LCC Schools are strong supporters of growth and continual improvement of all stakeholders in their districts, and have given me the privilege of attending the NASSP (National Association of Secondary Principals) Conference in Washington DC at the National Harbor http://nationalharbor.com/. I have been to Washington DC twice before, but this will be the first time I have attended a National Principals Convention.  I am so excited about the opportunity to gather ideas and network with administrators from across the country.


I plan to write at the beginning of each day about my experiences at the conference from the previous day.  New things I have learned, ideas I may consider trying, and fun things I had the opportunity to experience.

On Tuesday, I flew out of Omaha, the flight was delayed due to weather, but had a great time socializing with the group of Nebraska administrators heading to DC at The Hanger while waiting for our flight.  Everyone on the plane agreed it was the roughest plan ride any of us had ever been on as we arrived late into Washington International Airport.  I felt like I had ridden a bull for 2 hours and 8 minutes, instead of the typical 8 seconds.

The Nebraska group is  staying in the Aloft hotel which is two blocks away form the conference center.  It is a very modern, 21st century hotel with technology and modern amenities abound.  We all went to Cadillac Ranch last night to eat after settling into our rooms, the grilled buffalo chicken flat bread was amazing.  At the center of the eatery was a mechanical bull, which seemed to be appropriate after that wild flight.  Nobody felt like getting on the bull last night, but hopefully George Loofe from Neligh will give me some pointers and I will try it before the end of the week.

Wednesday, the day is free for us to explore the history of Washington DC.  I am excited to have breakfast with some friends from Iowa in Old Town Alexandria in the morning, and then off to see some new monuments and museums that have been put up since my last trip to Washington.  

Please follow me throughout my journey this week!  I will be writing daily!  

Administrators: We Gotta Walk the Walk & Talk the Talk!

As I sat in my office in June and at the lake in July, I spent many hours reviewing and reflecting on my first year as a high school principal. I went back over my staff meeting agendas and presentations, took a look at the modes and means of communication I used with staff, tallied up the amount of paper I put in staff mailboxes, looked back over the type of feedback I was giving during walk-throughs; and I realized I was talking a great game!  I was asking teachers to be 21st Century Teachers that use technology in their classes daily, to present and teach to multiple learning styles, to attempt to use a web 2.0 program in one of their classes each week, to provide constructive and meaningful feedback on student work, and to attempt to go more paperless in our 1 to 1 initiative. 

When I looked in the mirror I wasn't reflecting and modeling what I wanted teachers to do with students in my own interactions and meetings with staff.  We weren't conducting business as a staff, the way I envisioned the classroom would operate.  I realize it was my first year and I had all I could to keep my head above water as I learned about what being a principal was all about (not just in theory).  I was a first year principal in a new state and trying to learn about the dynamics of a new district.  Unfortunately, that isn't a good excuse.  I was comfortable!  I knew how to use Power Point to present at staff meetings.  I knew that I could send out weekly bulletins by creating them in Word and saving as a PDF.  I knew that having a nice big organized binder full of 500 pages of all information the teachers would need for the school year would show I was organized and knew what teachers would need for the school year to run smoothly.

As a principal I would consider myself in the upper echelon of tech savvy administrators, I should be at 28 right folks!  I was on Twitter, I had a Google Calendar, I could get e-mail to come up on any device with WiFi, I usually had a little cartoon or You Tube video to start or end my meetings.   I didn't have a blog, I didn't have a my own website, I didn't use multiple web 2.0 tools in my interaction and work with teachers, I didn't use programs like Animoto, Sliderocket, Prezi, or Powtoon to present to teachers.

 

I have got to be about it!  I turned that old three ring teacher information binder that we give teachers at the beginning of the year into a password protected electronic LiveBinder on our server.  I have created my first staff meeting presentation using Sliderocket.  I am working on my 1st day student presentation this week using Powtoon.  I have obviously started a weekly blog.  I went to two workshops and read a lot about providing more constructive feedback to teachers.  

I want to challenge all administrators to practice what you preach.  As my introductory cartoon illustrates we can make a difference, we have to be the leaders, we have to show teachers that it works in our staff meetings and can work great in the classroom as well.  We must show that we are willing to think outside the box and try new things; and that they can too.  We need to show that some things might not work well the first time, we may have issues, the technology may not work the way we expect; but we don't give up and revert to the way we have always done it and may be most comfortable.

What can you do before the start of the school year starts for your staff that would reflect what you want teachers to do with their students?  

 

Successes and Learning Experiences not Successes and Failures

Cartoon shown during Murray Banks keynote at NCSA Administrator Days

This cartoon shown during NCSA Administrator Days in Kearney this past week made me  remember when I interviewed for the Laurel-Concord/ Coleridge High School Principal job last spring at 27 years old.  I was sitting in the school's board room with three other potential candidates; all much older, two with prior administrative experience.  One seemed to know everybody in the school already, and I later found out that he was originally from Laurel.  I felt really good  about my interview, but on the way home I had already called my mom and told her to chalk it up as another learning experience because of the experience level and the hometown connection that the other applicants had.  To my surprise I was called the next day and offered my first administrative job.

I know that first year I strived to make everything go perfectly and I spent every waking minute of the year focused on my job, but many things that we tried as a district and I tried as an educational leader were chalked up as learning experiences.  The hardest thing for a perfectionist to do is to understand that not everything is going to go as planned and be an absolute hit.  Murray did a great job of reminding me that we should all have way more learning experiences tallied up than successes; and a great administrator is one who can take those learning experiences and turn them into successes.

I have spent a lot of time this summer looking at those learning experiences and trying to find ways to turn those into successes.  I am excited to bring my students and staff back for year two; and prepared to show them some new things we are going to try and some changes we will make to a few of those learning experiences from last year.  I am sure they won't all be successes, but hoping some of the decisions and plans developed will impact learning and teacher effectiveness in my district.

I like that the cartoon has called things that don't work out learning experiences and not failures.  Failures are things that you totally give up on and never workout.  Hopefully all initiatives and  changes being made in our schools are based off of the vision, mission, and goals of the district.  We should continue to adapt and take the learning experiences and tweak them so that we are continually striving to meet our vision, mission, and goals.