4 (Digital) Habits That Will Make You More Creative
cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Eric E Castro Sir Ken Robinson’s talk on the notion that “schools kill creativity”, is the most viewed Ted Talk ever. The views and clicks do not only come from educators, but from people all over the world as we all have a vested interest in our students. More organizations are looking for students that have “creative” skills, and although schools will a
Limits for Kids: Do we define them or inspire beyond them?
I had an invigorating conversation with a colleague yesterday. Upon reflection, I realized it was because the tone, words, and content of the dialogue were galvanizing. Thoughts were candid. Suggestions were constructive. Discussion flowed both ways. There was a mutual respect. At the conclusion of the conversation, I began to give some thought to an idea I vowed I never would. Because I w
Evaluation in 2 Simple Steps
Embarrassing but true, the above cartoon is not far off from many evaluation experiences. That is one way it can be done; I propose another, which can be completed with two simple steps: 1) Care. 2) See #1. Evaluation should be a process driven by collaborative discussion that results in desired growth. Nobody knows you, like you. Nobody knows you as an educator, like you. Nobody knows what y
What if I could do THAT??
On this Thanksgiving Day I am thankful for many things. One of those is that I get paid to do what I love: teach kids. Some people choose a job over their passion, while others work side jobs to make ends meet while pursuing their passion. I consider myself lucky that my job is my passion. I know why I became an educator. As a matter of fact, I can tell you the person, exactly what he did, and
Do kids have a voice? The power of choice
As I continue to connect, learn, and grow, I have met some amazing educators. I attended EdCamp Chicago this past October and had a career changing experience. The energy was high, passion strong, and enthusiasm contagious! These educators were taking ownership of their learning, and having fun doing it. Discussions were rich and engagement was 100%. It was something I had never seen before!
#OurVoice – TedX BurnsvilleEd
I was honoured to have been asked to speak at the TedX BurnsvilleEd event in Minnesota recently. One thing that I have really tried to focus on lately is empowering voice; not simply students, but anyone involved in education who wants something better for students. The power of our stories is imperative in creating a new narrative towards a better future for our students, as I believe there are
DEC 06
How Competency Based Grading Has NOT Changed Our School’s Transcript
My school district implemented a K-12 competency-based grading and reporting system four years ago. The implementation included the adoption of a set of common competency-based grading practices that all teachers use in their classrooms and competency-based report cards that measure student progress towards mastery of course-based competencies. As the building principal, one of the most common q
DEC 05
To Those That Have Heard Everything
cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo shared by Steven Shorrock I was a little surprised to see a tweet from someone talking about how we shouldn’t be talking about “being connected” with people anymore because everyone should just be doing it. I found it rather interesting as a great teacher would differentiate learning for students and understand that people are are different points in their j
DEC 04
Bringing the Boom: What Hollywood Teaches us about Staying Inspired in the Classroom
If you’ve ever watched a movie in the genre of the Inspirational Teacher, you’ll recognize the formula: there’s a teacher who’s up against an evil administration; or unfeeling, conservative parents; or callous budget cuts (usually in the arts,) with a group of hard-to-please but not altogether unreachable students on whose behalf the teacher fights to create opportunities to thrive, be inspired, a
Motivation by Wonder and Purpose
A good friend and fellow principal, Lydia Wilson, from Bixby Central Elementary, wrote me recently about personal motivation. “Laughing Zoe”, by airenmin. Creative Commons Photo I liked what she said so much, I asked her if I could share it with others. Her response is a good reminder of the deep satisfaction that comes when we have the right motives for school leadership. She writes: Ultimately,
DEC 02
Learning From Eric Sheninger
It has been almost one week since I spoke at #Edscape in New Jersey, and it was a tremendous honour to have that opportunity. Not only because I was able to connect with amazing educators in the area, but because I was asked by my friend Eric Sheninger. Eric speaks around the world, inspiring people all over, has written books, and is one of the most known educators in social media. For him to