As I reflect on the kind of leader I strive to be, I know that in order to lead effectively and efficiently, I have to to be a learner first and foremost. Fortunately, I have developed a few habits that help me to be a continuous learner who reflects on my current practice while trying to grow from "good to great." I'm thankful that I have a great PLN that keeps me on my professional toes both via Twitter and Voxer (shout out to my #MiddleLeader friends) and within my district. Of course reading is fundamental, and right now I'm enjoying Uncommon Learning by Eric Sheninger and Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen. But sometimes you have the opportunity for a professional learning experience that is out of the ordinary. This past vacation week, I had the opportunity to swim in the waters of professional learning with 400 plus educators as I participated in #EdCampVoxer coordinated by Sarah Thomas, Nicol Howard, Rachelle Wooten, Carla Jefferson, and Shana White. The opportunity to have asynchronous conversations about Authentic Leadership, Personalized Learning, Subversive Education, Rethinking Discipline, and the Best Apps of 2015 (just a fraction of the sessions) was so #AWESOME! Don't worry, I spent time with my family and visited with friends for dinners, parties and brunches. However, during those down times (walking the aisle of the store, baking cookies, wrapping presents, and moments of me time), I participated and learned from educational all stars. As I prepare for school tomorrow, I feel refreshed and excited about starting my professional new year. So this is a post to say thank you to all of the #EdCampVoxer coordinators and participants. Thanks for jumping in the professional learning pool last week. I can't wait to share the fruit of those conversations.
Last week a member of our school community was taken abruptly from those who loved him. His passing created a tidal wave of emotion that included not only mourning, but also joy and gratitude as family, friends, colleagues, and students recounted stories and discussed his impact on their lives. I was reminded this week of the legacy each of us leaves behind when we travel from this life to the next. For Paul, the legacy people spoke of were his genuine kindness, his commitment to his students --not only their learning but their development as people--and his fierce connectedness to those he loved.
Having only known Paul for two years, I did not have the privilege of knowing him as deeply as my school colleagues; however, as a building leader I witnessed his kind spirit and observed his commitment to our students and our school community daily. He epitomized one of our big rocks by “fostering a sense of community that enriched the experience of middle school students by building relationships among the students, staff, families, and the community.” As a member of our Wellness Committee he was determined to provide opportunities for our staff to get together outside of school to increase our connections. Every staff member I spoke to talked about his openness, warm smile, and fierce commitment to friendship. Paul also cultivated excellent relationships with his students. One small example, among the hundreds, was during a classroom visit where students were wrapping up a unit and preparing for an essay. When I asked a group of students how they felt about the upcoming claim paper, one student responded: "With a teacher like Mr. Duquette it will be okay. We'll get there." He created an environment where students wanted to thrive because they knew he believed they could. In his 28 years as a teacher in our district, his legacy has touched thousands.
Amidst the grieving process, we have an opportunity to consider the impact of a person on our own lives, and we have a choice to decide how we will pass that impact on to others. As I think about Paul, I'm choosing to pass on kindness in action, to focus on the whole child, and to remember that investing in relationships is at the heart of what we do to and in the end, it is all that matters. Thank you Paul for leaving a legacy that makes me strive to be better.
Despite the fact that she is only five feet, she stands tall in my life. As I reflect on my past, participate in the present, and look to the future, she hovers above me in mythic proportions reminding me of the wonderful blessing God showered down on me when he made her my Nana! As a child, I can recall returning home from weekend or week long visits and unpacking my clothes so that I could stuff my face in them because they smelled like her house. I didn’t want that smell to go away because it reminded me of the love and acceptance I found in Nana’s house alone. Going to Nana’s house was more special than raiding her candy drawer that offered up jellied and hard candies to my small, waiting hands. Visiting Nana’s was like embarking on a journey to normalcy, the way life should be. At her house I had an opportunity to see a strong marriage, be in a home filled with values, and experience a place where it was all right to be me, even during my clumsiest moments. The day I moved in with my Nana and my grandfather was the start of the best days of my life. The more I think about the sacrifice they made, the more I praise God for her lack of selfishness. Here they were in the early evening of their lives (alone at last) and they chose to raise a thirteen year-old. I am grateful for love that would take in a teenage girl, my frenzied emotions and all, who felt unloved and unwanted and make her feel like she was where she was meant to be all along. The sacrificial love she showed me, when she wasn’t required to, is so connected to the One she serves. My Nana showed me how to be a strong and independent woman while still submitting to those in authority. She taught me about faith, modesty, having common sense, saving, budgeting, and giving. I married a wonderful man who respects and supports me for who I am because she accepted me for who I was and taught me how to respect myself and expect nothing less from anyone else. During my life, my Nana has been like a mother to me, my taskmaster, my confidant, my cheerleader, my rock, my sounding board, my prayer warrior, and my constant northern star. I love being around her now just as much as I did when I was a child. She stands out among the many people in my life, and I count it a blessing that I am her granddaughter.
Much appreciation to @LisaMeade23 and @donald_gately for their tributes to the loving giants in their own lives.
Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse. - Henry Van Dyke
No matter the language, thank you is a beautiful word. Whenever the chaos of life threatens to "steal my joy," I stop to appreciate what I have and where I am in the current season of my life. When I remember to be thankful for what is going well, it immediately improves my attitude and aligns my perspective on even the most challenging of situations. While I know we should do this all of the time, I love the season of thanksgiving because it provides me with a specific opportunity to reflect, show appreciation and return the many acts of kindness I have received. Among my many gifts, I'm thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the messy, exciting, emotional, complex, fast-paced, never dull, chaos of school, and to partner with an amazing staff and families in clearing paths toward bright futures without limits for our amazing students. As a life long learner, I am constantly looking for ways to grow and improve for the benefit of my staff and students. A little over a year ago, I joined Twitter and my world expanded in ways I could not have imagined. I didn't even know what a PLN was before@pcmteacher told me about it (Here is a great article by Tom Whittlbyexplaining it if you are still wondering). But here I am, one year later, forever changed by a network of educators I connect with on twitter (shout out to #ptchat,#satchat, and#ptcamp) and now Voxer, where I regularly connect with my fellow#ptcamp and Leading in the Middle friends and colleagues. As a result of my PLN's transparency, sharing, and support, my perspective has widened, my knowledge has deepened, and I have reached new levels of understanding about myself as a person, learner, teacher, and leader. So on this last day of November but not the last day of giving thanks, I want to say thank you for helping me be a better me.
As far back as I can remember, I've wanted to champion the cause of children. Initially I thought it would be as a lawyer defending the rights of children who had been neglected, abandoned or abused, but when I realized that being a prosecutor might put a strain on my moral compass, I decided on being a social worker. Somewhere during my high school years, I vacillated between teaching and social work. I even stated in my yearbook that I would be the 1st person to reach millionaire status on a teaching salary--ah the ignorance of youth. However, I remember really being bit by the teaching bug in my junior year of college. I thought about being a professor because I had the benefit of amazing professors at Trinity College, and they challenged me in ways I didn't think possible. But I kept remembering those teachers who were my champions in middle and high school --the ones who helped me be the best that I could be to get into Trinity--and I knew that I had to do the same for other teenagers.
Recognizing my calling was a result of thinking about my own champions. How could I do for some other teen what they had done for me? I realize today that I am on this educational journey championing the 920+ students in my school and the hundreds before them because of those who championed me. So I have to do what my fellow #ptcamp friend Jay Posick did in his recent blog post and take thee time to thank those educators who started me on my most amazing educational journey.
The first teacher to impact my life as a learner was Mrs. Pamela Barker-Jones. She was the first teacher who made me believe that I could learn and possibly excel in math. This did not come easily. I recall her championing my efforts countless days after school with patience and celebrating each small gain. She refused to let me believe that I was incapable of doing well in math, and I learned the impact of an adult's commitment to her student's success and the power of encouraging a growth mindset.
In high school I had wonderful teachers. Yet everyone of my English high school teachers --Mrs. Judith Lyons, Mr. Robert Pisarski, Mrs. Lynda Glover and Mrs. Maria Mascaro --nurtured my love of literature and helped me flourish as thinker, reader and writer. I wanted to teach English because of their high standards and the passion they brought to the classroom every day.
As educators we know that teachers are not only found in the classroom. Jonah Cohen, Mr. Dennis Mink and Mr. Harry Pacheco were the directors of the Trinity College ConnCapp/Upward Bound program. I spent three summers on the campus of what would become my college (that's another post) living in a dorm, taking classes in preparation for the next year, receiving mentoring from area high school teachers and current college students, and participating in experiences that were foreign to me as a sheltered urban kid. During the school year, they ran homework clubs, served as our advocates in our schools, took us on college visits, and helped us complete the college application process. I'm not sure if my dream of college would have been realized if it had
not been for the leadership, mentorship and support of these three
men as they ran this program. I learned the power of serving teens outside of the classroom to deepen the impact of their learning and success.
Stepping on the campus of Trinity College meant having excellent professors and while all of them made an impact on my scholarship, there were three who were models for how I wanted to teach and mentor. Dr. Gail Woldu, my freshman college seminar adviser and professor, was a woman of the highest expectations-a Grey's Anatomy Miranda Bailey of sorts -who required me to use my voice even when I wasn't sure I had much to say among the elite students at Trinity. She reminded me of the power and need of all of our voices to the conversation in and out of the classroom, and I haven't been afraid to use it since. I traveled abroad because she insisted that I experience life outside of my neighborhood, and it changed me for the better.
I majored in American Studies and loved the the melding of literature and history. I learned the power of mentorship as I fell in love with Toni Morrison, discovered the power of an author's voice, and the value of text-based discussion and written reflection in Dr. Farah's Griffin's classes. While Dr. Cheryl Greenberg's passion for African American history and Civil Rights encouraged a love of research and debate that reminds me of a how teacher can transform a student's thinking.
These champions of my youth followed their calling and set me on an educational journey that makes me responsible for doing the same for the adolescents I encounter every day. I am grateful to walk in a calling to bring passion, commitment, high expectations, guidance, and strength based thinking every day to champion the "somebody's child" the way my teachers championed me.
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”― Maya Angelou
As we end week 3 of #ptcamp and our Beyond the Bake Sale study of Linking to Learning (Chapter 3) and Addressing Differences (Chapter 4), I’ve been astounded by the high level of collaboration, brainstorming and deep reflection among the campers as we continue to focus on authentic family engagement beliefs and practices. As we consider how we approach issues of race, class and and culture, I must say that I'm proud to work and live in a diverse community.
There are more than 70 languages represented in our schools.
Approximately 20% of our students live in homes where English is not the home language.
Almost 18% of residents were born in another country.
The ethnic diversity in our town is about 38% (American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, and two or more races).
10% of our students receive special education services
Approximately 19% of students are eligible for free/reduced-price meals.
Needless to say, we are a multitude of threads creating a rich tapestry. However, what most excites/warms/fulfills me is the fact that our community values the rich diversity in our community and attempts to operate on the belief that "diversity is our strength."
Over years, there have been a number of efforts to have courageous conversations about race and diversity at the town and school level. Our district is committed to closing the achievement gap. Our Board of Education and our District have identified diversifying our staff "to more closely match the diversity of our student population" as a strategic initiative knowing that in doing so "we will deepen our understanding, capacity, and effectiveness in helping all students realize their full potential." Within our schools, we have worked to look at our curriculum to make sure the experiences and activities make students aware of different cultures and diverse individual experiences. In addition, there are several programs and opportunities for students and families to celebrate, appreciate, and support the various types of diversity represented in our community. Yet with all of the great things happening, we know that there is more we can and should be doing to demonstrate that "all families, no matter what their income, race, education, language, or culture, want their children to do well in school--and can make an important contribution to their children's learning."
Educating students to become global citizens means equipping them with the tools to respectfully interact with people who look, sound, think, behave, and believe differently than they do. We continue to need professional development to reexamine our assumptions and practices, to make sure that we are teaching and responding in culturally responsive ways to our students and families. Our challenge is creating the professional learning experience that goes beyond a visiting speaker or one day workshop, because that doesn't promote the level of reflection and conversation necessary to go the distance. In order to continually keep our cultural lens (think beyond the traditional definitions) fixed and clear, we need to consider how we invite parents/guardians and students into the conversation about respecting differences and bridging the divides. Working together (school staff, teachers, students and families) we can and will operationalize the strength of our diversity in ways that not only make all members of our community feel welcomed, accepted, and appreciated, but also actively engaged in our school and greater community.
"I want all parents to be real partners in education with their children’s teachers, from cradle to career. In this partnership, students and parents should feel connected—and teachers should feel supported."—ARNE DUNCAN, U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, MAY 3, 2010
Core Belief 1:
All families have dreams for their children and want the best for them.
Core Belief 2:
All parents have the capacity to support their children’s learning.
Core Belief 3:
Parents and school staff should be equal partners.
Core Belief 4:
The responsibility for building partnerships between school and home
rests primarily with school staff, especially school leaders.
As I consider my daily work as a leader to ensure the social/emotional and academic success of our students, the four core beliefs identified in Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family -School Partnerships is a wonderful lens through which we can view and evaluate our work as a school community to actively engage families. All successful relationships require a strong foundation. As a staff, we work together to build strong relationships with one another and our students and value the support of our families. We have the privilege of teaching amazing students who carry their parents'/guardians' hopes and dream. We have a responsibility to cultivate strong and healthy partnerships with families to support these dreams by providing opportunities for parents/guardians to share these dreams and identify how we will equip students with the tools to achieve them along with ways that families can support students at home. In order for this to happen, we have to believe that "all parents have the capacity to support their children’s learning." If we believe that each adult in a student's life has "funds of knowledge" about their children and their community, then it is our responsibility to respect this knowledge and value their input by partnering with families to equally support our students. We have to actively seek to build these partnerships as a school community. We are ready for this opportunity to embed these core beliefs into our learning community's strong foundation of support. Our first step will be to evaluate our current practices and create an action plan to better connect parents/guardians to our community "through a focus on the children and their learning." As I consider our next steps, I'm excited about this journey, and I know that we will continue to enrich the lives of our students by building strong active relationships with our families. I look forward to sharing our progress with my fellow #ptcamp'ers and learning your journey toward strong family partnerships.
