The Funnest Thing EVER!!!

WEll the first full week of school is over and the 2nd week has just begun. Life as an assistant principal has been mind blowing. I need a second me just to keep up with the email. I haven't figured out the three different email accounts, calendars, and the new computer I was given. I have been running from one fire to the next and not really putting too many out. I have forgotten student and staff names because of the over load of new information I have to remember. But I will tell you the funnest thing ever is getting into the classrooms and watching teachers teach!!! Discussing with staff the educational philosophies , new trends, and practical ideas is the upside to any down side I may be feeling. Wow, Wow, Wow!!!

Teaching Excitement

I started out the day with the usual 'manage mop up' tasks. When my e-mails got to be endless I decided to walk around the halls and see which teachers had come in (non-contract dedication) to work in their classrooms. I have always been proud of the teachers in the district who work all summer long on curriculum, classroom environment, and even cleaning. I was invited into a classroom by a teacher who had been busy working on bulletin boards and organizing. Her class next year will be larger than usual and suspected to be very energetic. She explained several classes she had taken during the summer that she took just to target curricular and behavioral needs that would increase student learning. She explained that the behavioral system she used seemed to stress the punitive and she and her team teacher wanted a more positive based approach. As she continued to explain her changes for the year and also how the students motivated her to learn more , I just wanted to yell , WOW! This is what education is all about. This is professionalism. This is intrinsic motivation. This is a life long learner!!! This is just an example of what I witness with the staff up and down the halls. Students start in a week but the opportunity to learn has started !!! Thank you staff!!!

The School Year Begins...for administrators and staff...

Well August 1st is here and many administrators and staff members are reporting to their buildings and classrooms. The truth is many have been there all summer. The idea that educators have the summer off is a myth. The contract may say they have time off but in reality the summer work is just as important as the school year activities. I have experienced that as a classroom teacher and school administrative assistant and now as an assistant principal. What was I doing? Interviewing staff for positions, going to classes, working on school data, reading and researching new learning techniques, the list goes on and on. Perhaps this sounds like quite a chore? Not really , I am a life long learner and I am really learning a lot!