Classroom Management / Philosophy / Professional Learning / UbD - Understanding by Design Posted on:

How Might Teachers Use Their Soft Power?

Soft power is a concept developed by Joseph Nye of Harvard University to describe the ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce, use force or give money as a means of persuasion. Nye coined the term in a 1990 book, Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power. He further developed the concept in his 2004 book, Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics. Put another way, soft power is essentially a country’s ability to gain global respect and influence through non-military means such as art, entertainment, product exportation, tourism, education, relief aid, etc. The term is now widely used in international affairs by […]

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Communication / Professional Learning Posted on:

How Might We Create Irresistible Faculty Meetings?

I’ll be honest – I don’t know the answer to this question yet. However, I am intrigued by it. And committed to the ideal. Our family is full of educators. I love it because we get to “talk shop” and compare notes. Yesterday, a close family member recounted the tale of her first faculty meeting this week that consisted of a principal reading the emergency crisis plan for two hours. We’ve all sat through some doozies. Tomorrow we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s famous speech. To borrow the iconic and powerful phrase, and in no way whatsoever drawing […]

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Reflective Practice Posted on:

#18 The Challenge Resumes

So, I unplugged from technology for vacation and a new baby. Now the 60 Day Blog Challenge resumes, albeit with an extended pause, but continues nonetheless. That’s why we call it a ‘challenge.’ It’s not supposed to be easy. But it is fun. Thanks to all of the dear friends who have brought food and sent gifts. Your thoughtfulness and generosity means more than you know. We are grateful for you and your influence in our lives. We feel loved. “Roll your windows down the summer’s nearly gone.” – Time is a Runaway by The Alternate Routes I’m looking forward […]

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Digital Citizenship Posted on:

#16 Thoughts on Digital Citizenship

Students have the power to make decisions in the realm of social media where the consequences can stick around for a long time. Educators must model and instruct the proper use of these tools. Parents should closely monitor their student’s activity while the student gradually earns trust by their consistent actions. All three stakeholders should discuss and agree on guardrails that allow students to utilize the latest technology while simultaneously maintaining responsible digital citizenship. Not an easy task. Parents… 1. Be informed and involved with your student’s social media life. They know more than you do in this realm. How […]

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Decision-Making / Inspiration / Reflective Practice Posted on:

I Became a Teacher Because…

  I became a teacher because… 1. Growing up in my neighborhood, I was the oldest kid of “our gang.” I enjoyed being the leader. In contrast, in my own grade level, I was a late bloomer and one of the youngest which often meant I felt behind my peers. Comparing these two groups and my status in each one led me to enjoy leading and teaching others. 2. One of my first jobs as a swim coach helped me realize how much I enjoyed teaching others. Swimming was one thing I was really good at and it was fulfilling […]

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Gifted Education / Leadership / Progress Monitoring Posted on:

#14 What Are Your Strengths?

What stands out when you look at this report card…? Math                 A+ Science            A Composition    A- Literature         A History              F Music               A+ If you noticed five “As” then congratulations! Your default is to look for strengths. Why is it that we are drawn to the “F” despite all of the positive? It raises a larger question – is it better to focus on shoring up our weaknesses or exploiting […]

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Gifted Education Posted on:

#9 How to Challenge Gifted Students: An Interview with Dr. Arianna Shirk

A key challenge at Mount Vernon (and every school I have worked in) is how to challenge those students who score 100 on everything. Often, the teacher’s energy and focus goes to the “lower performing” students. The high achievers often do not receive the challenge they deserve because teachers think, “Oh, they’re fine. They’ve already got it. They get everything. They can help tutor the others.” This is a myth in need of busting. All students deserve and need to be challenge beyond their current ability, including and especially the ‘gifted’ students. A key approach to solving challenges at Mount […]

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Inspiration / Reflective Practice Posted on:

#7 What is the #60Challenge?

I’m feeling good about my new blog and recent posts. I want to take a minute to clarify a few housekeeping items… 1. I have started several blogs over the years, but most didn’t last longer than a few posts. So far, I feel like this new blog is a win. Thanks for those who have retweeted or given enthusiastic feedback. It keeps me going. Really. 2. I was intending, and even in the process of planning, a relaunch of this blog when Bo Adams (@boadams1) shared the idea of the 60-60-60 Challenge with me. From his own blog, here […]

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Coaching & Feedback / Inspiration / Leadership / Reflective Practice / Teamwork Posted on:

What Swimming Taught Me About Leadership

What Swimming Taught Me About Leadership Be the first one off the blocks “Swimmers take your mark. Bang!” Any swimmer will tell you that in a race, every detail matters. The start, the turn, the position of your body are all critical to keeping the edge you need to win a close one. Swimmers are fanatics. We shave our arms, legs, and heads just to shave one second of our fastest time. Your first and best chance to win a race is to be the first one off the blocks and into the water. It takes a lot of practice, […]

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Coaching & Feedback / Reflective Practice Posted on:

#5 Why Conduct Student Surveys?

Why should teachers solicit feedback from their students at the end of the semester? The answer is simple. Growth. Our team and our school promote this practice in our five year strategic plan as well as the standards of professional excellence by which we coach and evaluate our teachers. Seek feedback and measure attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of students about their work and contribution within the classroom environment. -iPlan17 We also highly value the idea and posture of Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset. (For more on this concept, see post #6 of the #60-60-60Challenge tomorrow.) Here are some key thoughts for […]

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