Leaning In!

On August 1, 2005, I "leaned in." I didn't know I was "leaning in" at the time. I had never heard of Sheryl Sandberg or FaceBook. After eleven years as a teacher and grant coordinator, I became an Associate Principal for a small, suburban high school 30 miles from my home.

My son was entering Kindergarten as I began learning about evaluating teachers, imposing consequences for adolescents' poor choices, supervising endless school sporting events and activities - and finishing up my administrative leadership degree. My daughter was in third grade. My husband, who works in home health care, took on a bigger role.

Things like having a clean house and a home-cooked meal on the table every night got moved down on the priority list. Mommy guilt set in and I relinquished any hope for "mom of the year" accolades in my future.  My first mommy failure was school picture day. No one remembered. As a result, my kindergarten child's yearbook premiere came sporting a Power Rangers muscle t-shirt, a bad case of bed head, and a temporary tattoo on his bicep lef tover from a birthday party favor. I was mortified. Needless to say, when that picture packet arrived, it got tucked away in a drawer.

Two years later, I was promoted to Principal. That same, sweet boy said, "does this mean you're going to be a REAL principal Mom?" I believe this was his way of telling me he was proud of me. He couldn't care less about the school picture fiasco. His mom was a REAL principal.

There is no doubt that choosing to be a "career-loving parent" has its sacrifice. There are more stories like the school picture incident. Plenty more. But after reading Sheryl Sandberg's book, Lean In - Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (released in March 2013), I have a new sense of peace. As a woman, mother, and professional.

I feel a sense of vindication that my childhood play days of emulating "Charlies Angels" and playing "teacher" didn't make me "bossy."  Sandberg prefers the description "possessing executive leadership potential." Enough said, right?

There are plenty of great takeaways from Sandberg's book, but my biggest are relief and thanks for affirming what I've been hoping since the day my first born arrived in to this world. I'm doing just fine. Not perfect by any means, but just fine.

I'm getting ready to "lean in" again. I've accepted a district-level leadership position in a new school district beginning in July. I'm excited to begin a new chapter in my career and I'm really glad I read Sandberg's book. I hope my daughter reads it too. It has amazing messages for women and men of all ages. When I finish this blog post, I'm heading out to buy a frame for a special picture to be displayed in my new office.

Photo Credit: LifeTouch



3 Ways Advisories Get to the "CORE" of the Common Core

As I see it, the Common Core at its "core" is increasing rigor so that students are college and career ready when they leave the school house doors as graduates. So, what part do student advisory programs play in successful common core implementation and achievement? An advisory program that is thoughtfully planned and executed with genuine investment from teacher mentors can help cultivate and sustain a rigorous academic culture. Here are three ways I believe advisory programs can get to the "core" of the common core:

1. Long-Term Investment in Student Relationships. Advisories that follow the looping concept where small groups of students are placed with a teacher who serves as an adviser throughout high school have great capacity for long-term impact. Similar to a college advisers, teacher advisers are responsible for assisting students with all aspects of high school and post-high school planning. A four-year advisory structure builds trust and connection for teacher-student relationships that endure. 
2. Advisers insure that all students take a rigorous and challenging course of study. No "easy senior year" here. When students meet with a teacher adviser twice a week four straight years, there is  no getting off the hook by taking an "easy" academic route to graduation. Teacher advisers are accountable to 20-25 students versus the counselor's load of 250 or more. Schools where students are invited to be challenged academically are not enough. They must RSVP. Advisers make sure they show up to the party. Push first. Then support students through their academic struggles and challenges. No student in an advisory is left behind.
3.  Teachers gain a vast knowledge and expertise in mentoring students for success beyond high school. The traditional teacher in a high school is a content expert as well as a teacher. Helping students reach proficiency in the common core standards and content is the primary goal. But, advisory is the map to guide students to the next stop on their post-high school journey. Advisories are also an avenue for a unique and high-impact professional development opportunity for teachers. There are few rewards greater than when a teacher adviser plays a key role in helping a student get accepted in to an elite college or university or assisting a student in obtaining a scholarship that makes a dream possible. Professional growth is the by product of the research and work behind helping students realize these opportunities and options. Serving as an adviser takes the teaching profession to a new level.

Building an advisory program is not easy. The costs are time and commitment. Teachers must buy in and genuinely invest in the structure and process. Planning, evaluating, revising, and delivering the program is demanding for everyone involved. Support from administration is essential.  

The Common Core at its "core" is increasing rigor so that students are college and career ready when they leave the school house doors as graduates. I believe investing in a student advisory program will help us get there.

From BLAH... to TAH-DAH! Go "EdCamping" for Your Staff's Next PD Day!

From THIS...

Inspired by Knapp Elementary Principal, Joe Mazza (@Joe_Mazza) and the increasing numbers of "edcamp un-conferences" happening around the world, we shifted the "professional learning paradigm" at our high school recently. True confession: I have not attended an EdCamp myself. I have followed several of them through the Twitter hash tag world, however, and I have officially registered for my first - #EdCampKC in November. For a traditional professional development junkie like myself, I consider it a substantial change for me and our school. It was strange to release the control for our staff's learning almost completely. I referred to Mr. Mazza's blog post about his school's experience multiple times, presented the concept to our teacher leadership team, and we went for it. We liked it so much, we plan to make it the mainstay format for all of our scheduled late-start professional development days for the school year (5, two-hour sessions). Here is what we did based on Knapp Elementary School's model by Principal Mazza.

1. Set the time. The district has five, two-hour late start days set aside for professional development each year. For the high school schedule, this is 7:10 am to 9:10 am with students arriving for a shortened day by 9:40 am. During my years as the principal, I have almost always planned and conducted those learning sessions. To not know exactly WHAT or WHO was going to be doing professional development was a little nerve racking for our administrative team.

2. Draft the Big Board. The one pictured below is our completed version that was projected at the beginning of the day for the entire staff after all of the sessions were confirmed. We utilized what was available, free, and effective - Mr. Mazza's google doc! Here is a copy of ours for anyone interested: Final Schedule Board

3. Make suggestions for session topics. Given this was my first real release of staff development control, I felt that we needed to provide some suggestions for topics to get the ball rolling. Together with the teacher leadership team, we proposed the following topics:

BYOT (more on this later)

Social Media

Web Tools

Learning Stations

Teacher Web Sites

Power of I (academic interventions)

Flipped Classrooms

As you will see from the final schedule board, not all of our suggestions made the cut. I was pleasantly surprised at some who offered up other topics and facilitated a session. This may not be exactly like the process the EdCamp creators originally designed, but the scheduling process became a lot like an NFL draft. Teachers would throw out a topic, chatter would ensue to gauge interest, then someone would volunteer to lead the session. Boom. It's on the board. 

Our completed schedule board projected for staff.

4. One unique session. Our school is launching a BYOT program. At the time of our first #EagleEdCamp, we were on the verge of ready to open up access to the wifi and begin the use of students' personal devices.The Assistant Principal led a session that was offered during both time slots for any teacher interested in piloting any kind of BYOT in their classroom. We decided to make this a requirement prior to launching the initiative in a way to make a teacher "BYOT certified." (This was not the first introduction to BYOT for these teachers, of course)

5. Once the schedule board was complete, teachers made their selections and headed out for their morning "un-conference." 

6. Build in reflection and more sharing. I created a basic google form to survey teachers' reactions to the #EagleEdCamp format and asked they complete it by the end of the day. Questions were short and simple such as 1)What will you begin or change in your classroom as a result of something you learned today? 2) How can we improve #EagleEdCamp for our next late start? 

TO THIS!

Some of the comments included: 

"I like the EdCamp format. Great to learn from our colleagues and grow together." 

"Great day. Inspiring!"

"I thought it was cool that we had teachers leading sessions and we all had input on our own PD topics. Can't wait until next time!"

We also encouraged teachers to "tweet" about it before, during, and after the process to ask questions, reflect, and share links and info for additional learning after the morning was over. We used the #EagleEdCamp hash tag. 

Overall, an outstanding day! Many thanks and credit to all of the EdCampers out there and especially to @Joe_Mazza! 

One More "Pinteresting" Way to Connect Educators

Becoming a "connected educator" has undoubtedly changed the course of my career and is always evolving. First FaceBook. Then Twitter. Then blogging. Tweet chatting. And, now Pinterest.

A friend who is also an elementary teacher sent me the "invite" to join Pinterest (it's open access now). I accepted and started exploring. At first, it was just looking at crock pot recipes, exercises I should be doing, and funny and inspiring quotes and E-cards. (If only my real life was a true reflection of my pin boards) I browsed the "Education" category mostly finding elementary teachers and their awesome creativity. But, not so much to share with high school teachers I feared. Then, I started noticing other Edtech professionals - familiar names from the Twitter network. And, lately, I've started using the search features to find  high school teachers  and topics of interest to follow like BYOT or flipped classrooms. They are out there! Math, Science, Langauge Arts, Foreign Language, and many more educators who are sharing their expertise and resources through pin boards. It's exciting to repin and share resources for teachers in my school as well as the rest of the cyber world. Like other forms of social media, the possibilities for professional networking and sharing are unlimited. So, why do I like Pinterest to connect educators?

1.  It is appealing to a "visual" audience in a way that Twitter isn't. Yet, when I find something I want to share from Pinterest, I can click the "share to Twitter/Facebook/Email" to reach other audiences.
2. It's a permanent storage area for links and resources organized by my own categories.
3. I can find a recipe for dinner and read a professional article... all within the time it takes to stand in line at the grocery store. The people and boards I follow direct the content I can peruse via the main board with a timeline of pins.
4. It's a great conversation starter with teachers..."Hey, I saw you repinned me yesterday... what did you think of that Algebra II activity? Would it work for your students?"

Although Twitter will always be my first love for connecting with others, I find great value in the art and science of pinning too. (The Google Chrome Extension for Pinterest is a MUST) One teacher compared Pinterest to online hoarding. Whatever you call it, I see Pinterest and my other social media tools as keys to getting better at what we do! Will you join me in a "pinteresting" adventure to connect and grow as an educator?

It's More Fun On The Bus!

Our administrative team recently read Jon Gordon's The Energy Bus as a small group book study. The story is a fable based on the life of a businessman named George who learns ten rules to fuel the ride of his life. George is down on his luck, personally and professionally. One morning as his world is crumbling, he is forced to ride the bus to work because his car breaks down. He doesn't realize it at first, but he is aboard the "Energy Bus" driven by Joy who, along with her other passengers, teach him the ten rules.

Although, George is a business man, his story has many parallels to the education profession. So many, that we chose his book as our theme or school mantra for the year. Some may criticize or tease that a high school has an annual theme, but I think a theme helps sustain a positive culture throughout a school year. A theme that helps bring focus to our purpose can be like a lighthouse for when the seas become rough. And, we know all too well the seas can become rough.

The Energy Bus theme is incorporated into the weekly principal's newsletter that is modeled after Todd Whitaker's Friday Focus. T shirts and note cards with the theme logo are printed for the entire high school faculty and staff. The opening faculty meeting is an inspirational kickoff to inspire and set a positive tone for the school year.

Without giving away too much of the book, I will end this post by saying "IT'S MORE FUN ON THE BUS!" And, here is how we tried to convince our faculty and staff to join us!

Click Here to see our version of "Call Me Maybe?"

Other themes we have used in recent years include:

212 - The Extra Degree by Sam Parker & Mac Anderson
BELIEVE- "You Will Become What You Believe"
Good to Great - by Jim Collins
Dare To Be Uncommon - by Tony Dungy
Packing Parachutes - The story of Charlie Plumb

What kind of crazy things do you do to inspire? What themes have you used to help keep school culture positive? Please share!

Champions Are Made In The Off-Season!

Ask any coach what it takes to be a champion and the answer will more than likely sound something similar to the title of this post - Champions Are Made In The Off-Season. The time to work on sport-specific skills and fundamentals is not in the heat of competition season. The time to improve skills and fundamentals is, yes you guessed it, the off-season.

Most educators work officially on the 185-day school year which runs something close to August through May or September through June. During my summer off-season, I have observed educators from around the world connecting, sharing, and learning from one another. Many others are attending workshops, reading professional books, and finding ways to improve their craft. 

We began a weekly tweet chat to stay connected over the summer using a unique hash tag (#10TuesTweets). We meet every Tuesday, at 10 am CST for ten weeks in the summer to discuss various initiatives and topics related to our school. The response has been very positive! I can't imagine a more convenient or powerful way to connect and learn with other professionals. Week 8 discussion will be a time for anyone who wants to join us to share and reflect on their own off-season preparation for the 2012-2013 school year. 

Just for fun, here are a few things I've learned during my own off-season:

1. Pinterest is not just for soccer moms. Not only can I get the latest crock pot recipe, I can learn about the best iPad apps for educators or read an educational article. It's another tool to connect and learn with and from other professionals.
2. I can attend national conferences "virtually" by following a unique hash tag on Twitter during the "live" conference.
3. I have found numerous web and social media resources to share with teachers.
4. Twitter is a "game changer" - try it - you'll be hooked too!

What did you do in your off-season? I would love to hear your comments!

"5 + 1 Things Twitter Has Taught Me"

I wrote the  post "5 Things Twitter Has Taught Me" (see below) as a self-reflection. But more so in hopes of persuading others to engage in the endless professional possibilities that Twitter and social media offer. I still think it's a decent list of things I've learned. But, this week I need to add another. And, it's perhaps the biggest one. If' you're not a professional development junkie like myself, I'll summarize in one sentence and you can stop reading.

I attended three national conferences (one still in progress) at the same time and from the comfort of my own home (or my son's baseball game, or riding in the car, or in line at the store...). 

For those of you still reading, here is my list:

Through the miracle of the hash tag (#), I "attended" the 20th Annual Model Schools Conference held in Orlando, Florida. (#20thMSC). The International Society for Technology in Education Conference held in San Diego, California (#ISTE12). And, finally the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Summer Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri (#ascdsc12).

Here are the highlights of what I learned and am still learning through Twitter and the conference hash tags.

• Hundreds of conference attendees (in the flesh) tweet their favorite quotes or summarizing comments from key note speakers and presenters.
• I get the same feeling of anticipation and excitement when everyone is waiting for a keynote speaker to arrive on the stage like Sir Ken Robinson at #iste12. (I said I was a junkie..)
• Attendees and organizations will tweet links to archived videos of presentations and speakers such as; Dr Robert Marzano, Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Sir Ken Robinson, Dr. Willard Daggett, Ray McNulty... and more!
• I linked to, read, and learned about topics including (but definitely not limited to); flipped classrooms, Diigo, problem-based learning, Bring Your Own Technology or Device (BYOT(D), game-based learning, common core standards and strategies for implementation, tablets and apps, and many more I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention.
• May sound silly, but take my word for it - www.tweetchat.com is great to slow down the "refresh" speed of tweets using a unique hash tag. #iste12 logged nearly 5,000 tweets over the course of the conference.

While all of the things listed before are awesome to add to my "educator tool belt", the most powerful thing of all is the connection to other professionals. Tweeting in and chatting with all of the professionals in attendance online or in person, helped build my network of experts and professional friends. I can't lie and say I wouldn't love the opportunity to meet and work with many of these people in San Diego or Orlando or St. Louis. But, Twitter and the use of conference hash tags was the next best thing. Without a doubt!

Original blog post - 5 Things Twitter Has Taught Me:

1. Professional learning is available when you need it, 24/7.

After hearing Kevin Honeycutt (@kevinhoneycutt), I was convinced I needed a Twitter account. Although I signed up immediately, I didn't really use it for more than an avenue to track celebrity gossip and breaking news. Then, I discovered FlipBoard and began finding legitimate professionals to follow. I rarely forget to eat or sleep, but Twitter  for professional development has caught me wondering why my stomach is growling or I am yawning . Any time, anywhere. I can be reading professional journals from my iphone between innings of my son's ball game! If there's 12-step program for addicted Tweeters, I may need the contact information.

2. Tweet chatting and following hash tags are effective for collaboration.

During the school year, we constantly wish for more time to collaborate with teachers. Various structures and procedures to creatively design collaboration time are put in to place. But, it's never enough. Teachers visit other schools for specific peer observation opportunities and collaboration, but there is only so much in the substitute teacher pool for release time. Setting up a weekly summer tweet chat with our own hash tag (#10TuesTweets) has proven to be an effective way to have professional discussions and learning with each other, but also with others from around the world. And, these discussion can take place without hiring a babysitter, or from the checkout line at the grocery store!

3. Professionals from around the world are ready and willing to help.

Ask and you will receive. I have not found anyone who will not extend themselves to help a fellow colleague. Twitter is a network that gives us no excuse to claim we can't find answers or help from others. I try my best to pay it forward and share every chance I get. I consider my PLN to be a network of "virtual" friends and colleagues.

4. Tweets can be a "link" to unlimited resources in the form of blogs and web resources.


Tweets are a "link" or a window to professional blogs and web-based resources. It never occurred to me that 140 characters could lead to so much information and resources for professional learning. I now have a number of blogs that I follow regularly that I might never have found without my Twitter connections.

5. Social media is not a one-way ticket to disaster, but a gateway to self and organizational improvement.


I, like many parents and educators, lived in fear of social media. No way was anything positive coming as a result of my being involved. My own children forced the issue. So, I began my journey first as a watchdog mom. Little did I know, it would improve me as a professional and energize my passion as an educator. Thanks kids! And thanks to all of my colleagues and friends in my growing professional learning network!