Put the Big Rocks First

“Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”--Goethe

At this very busy time of year, both personally and professionally, I thought a (repeat) reflection on the never-ending dimension of time would be very relevant. My message is not one that delves into the general holiday theme, but rather one that has ample application to the holiday season(Whatever season that may be--I've seen Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations in the same aisle of many stores, Easter can't be far behind). It happens not only at this time of year, but throughout the year—there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to accomplish all that we desire to. Time always has lapsed and continues to lapse for each of us from minute to minute, class period to class period, sunrise to sunset, throughout our lifetime. Do you ever feel stretched for time, like me? Do you leave loose ends at the end of the day? Wonder how you are going to get it all done? I have come to the realiza­tion that time constraints will always be present and that I will never get it all done. I know that we all strive to be the BEST people that we can be. In order to be our best, it is necessary that we take care of ourselves. So what can we do to manage all of our life activities, both professionally and personally? I have come to find comfort in one of Richard Carlson’s (1997) many strategies from his book titled, Don’tSweat the Small Stuff—And It’s All Small Stuff. His strategy (slightly tweaked) is as follows:

Learn to Live in the Present Moment

To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year and of what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are—always. Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things all at once. We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments, so much so that we end up anxious, frustrated, and hopeless. On the flip side, we also postpone our gratification, our stated priorities, and our happiness, often convincing ourselves that someday will be better than today. Unfortunately, the same mental dynamics that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that someday will never actually arrive. John Lennon once said, “Life is what’s happening when we are busy making other plans.” When we are busy making other plans, our children are busy growing up(I can;t believe my Lexi is 5--going on 25!), the people we love are moving away, our bodies are get­ting out of shape, friends and family members are dying, and our dreams are slipping away. In short, we might miss out on life.

Many people live life as if it were a dress rehearsal for some later date. It isn’t. In fact, no one has a guarantee that they will be here tomorrow. Now is the only time we have, and it is the only time overwhich we have any control. When our attention is in the present mo­ment, we push fear from our minds. Fear is a concern over events that might happen in the future—the copying machine might break(actually-this seems to be a certainty  at Vianney), my planning time will be usurped, our students will not meet the benchmarks on the standardized test, and so on.

To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present. Mark Twain said, “I have been through some ter­rible times in my life, some of which actually happened.” I don’t think I can say it any better. Practice keeping your attention on the here and now. Your efforts will pay off in great dividends.

In addition to this strategy, I thought it was very timely  that I share with you an excerpt from Stephen Covey and colleagues’ (Covey, Merrill, & Merrill, 1996) work, First Things First. It is nothing earth-shattering, and perhaps it is nothing that you haven’t already heard, but it is worthy to bring once again to the fore-front of our minds. The story is called “Put the Big Rocks First.”

At a seminar, the presenter pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar and placed it next to a pile of fist-sized rocks. After filling the jar to the top with rocks, he asked, “Is the jar full?”

The group replied, “Yes.”

He then got some gravel from under the table and added it to the jar. The speaker jiggled the jar until the gravel filled the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asked, “Is the jar full?”

“No!” shouted the group.

Finally, the speaker filled the jar to the brim with water and asked the group the point of this illustration. Someone replied that you could always fit more things into your life if you really worked at it.

“No,” countered the speaker. “The point is, if you didn’t put the big rocks in first, would you have never gotten them in?”

As you go through this year, think of the “big rocks” in your life as the things you can do to make this a happier and more productive year for yourself and others. What are your big rocks? Can you identifyand define them? List your big rocks, not only for this upcoming  holiday season, but also for the time to come.

Have a peaceful, blessed holiday season(s).

 Thanks for all that you do,

 Tim

The Power of Great Teachers

“Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.” Garrison Keillor

I'm still amazed at how involved and engaged you all were during Spirit Week!  What a terrific testament to our family spirit that each of you saw spirit week as an opportunity to have some fun and build some relationships with students that will sustain learning throughout the semester and year. You are all amazing educators!

Many of you know I had a brief stint as a preschool teacher prior to securing a High School English teaching posting. I loved teaching small children, but the truth is I didn't have the stamina to do it day in and day out. I also probably lacked the patience and definitely the creativity to sustain a quality learning environment for those kids for too long.

At first, I mistakenly thought that my high school students did not want to please me as much as my preschoolers did. I was appalled by their apparent insouciance in terms of my regard for them. Certainly, I surmised, my preschoolers needed me much more than these young adolescents. As you are well aware, nothing could have been further from the truth. The more time I spent with my high school students, the more obvious it became that these young adults craved my attention, my guidance, and my approval.

Our Griffins feel the same about you! They need you! They rely on you for instruction, compassion, and consistency. Although it may not always be readily apparent, your students like it when you take control. Your students know that good teachers control their classrooms, and they understand and appreciate the boundaries you set. High school students thrive in an atmosphere where the teacher stresses self-discipline and communicates with parents regarding progress in this critical area. They respect teachers who discipline students in a firm yet respectful manner that does not sacrifice a student’s dignity. Effective teachers establish a set of clear, though limited, expectations with consequences that are consistently and fairly meted out. Teachers who are well organized tend to have the most disciplined classes. The structure of the classroom prevents a lot of off-task behavior, and students know what to expect from day to day.

Being fair and consistent requires courage on the part of teachers, but students will admire those teachers who stand up for what is right and speak out when they observe unfairness. The curriculum you must cover in your various subject areas is vast and even daunting. However, the values you teach your students may be even more important. Students expect you to have beliefs and opinions not only about your subject matter but also about what is right and what is wrong. Sadly, much of what our students learn from textbooks at this age may be forgotten over time. The life lessons you teach them, however, will last a lifetime! 

Thanks for expertly imparting unto our students what I consider to be an exceptional and comprehensive curriculum. Thank you also for teaching them relevant lessons about life. You are their role model; you may doubt this at times, but even during these moments of doubt, remember this truth. Our young men are watching us and learning from us within the walls of our classrooms and beyond. Therefore, be firm, be fair, be consistent, and use good judgment. 

Teach your students what you know, but also who you are. Everywhere I go, I find myself extolling the many virtues of the Vianney faculty and staff; thank you all for making this such an easy and sincere act in which to engage! Your passion for education and your commitment to our students is inspiring.  You are my role models!

Homecoming: A time to celebrate!

We are the Black and Gold of Vianney 

We are the Golden Griffins of Vianney High

Half lion, half eagle so the Griffin can roar
So the Griffin can soar above the lightening and thunder
We will win, win, win, yeah Vianney.
Oh hear the din din din and our clamor and cheer
We want the world to be told about the Black and the Gold of
Old Vianney, Vianney, Vianney. Hey!

Spirit Week! Homecoming!  A week like no other week in the school year!
Are you ready? Have you prepared your outfits for Lumberjack Day, Tacky Tourist Day, or Flotation Device Day?  Have you prepared your stomachs for Syberg's Chicken Tenders, Jack in the Box Tacos, Ice Cream and BBQ?  Can you hear the chanting of our students at the pep rally?  Will they be able to defeat the faculty this year in tug of war?

You have to admit, even as adults, there's something VERY special about homecoming!  And as our students prepare for goofy costumes, as our teachers prepare to harness some of the excitement during class time so learning can take place, it's time to reflect and celebrate!

At St. John Vianney High School we have MUCH to celebrate this time of year!

Just look around....

Athletics:
At 2-1 our football program is scoring points at an unprecedented rate!  Fans are packing the stadium! Students are adorned in Black and Gold and parents and alumni are cheering until their voices are hoarse! When the Billikens visit The Heeb this week there will be an intimidating atmosphere that they have not encountered in many years!
Soccer continues to establish a culture of excellence.  The Griffins are undefeated and just claimed the CBC Tournament last week by defeating MCC rivals Sluh & Desmet and tying CBC.  The soccer Griffins are currently ranked #2 in the area polls and look to compete deep in to the post season.
The Swimmers & Divers continue to make a splash in the pool.  Many school records have already been challenged or broken this year.  Lead by sophomore Nick Alexander the Aqua Griffins will be real contenders in the state rankings this year.
Cross-country remains solid, getting better with each race.  They will compete again this week after already claiming the Marianist Cup earlier in the season. And don't forget about the success we had last spring.  Baseball advanced deep in to the state playoffs and we were able to claim state titles in golf and volleyball!
Matt Mueller became the first Griffin to win the State Golf Individual title and Volleyball claimed their 17th state championship!

Academics:
This is definitely an area I'm extremely proud of.  We should all be celebrating that Vianney is a Top 50 Catholic School for Academics.  This summer more accolades were attributed to our faculty and students when Vianney became only the 10th school in the country to be named a Model School for Brain Based Education by the Gurian Institute.
Vianney students are excelling at unprecedented rates.  Our ACT scores remain higher than state and national averages, 99% of our graduates attended college this fall, Anthony Schrader and Jack Lyons were recnely named National Merit Semi-finalists.
Our 4x4 schedule is innovative and provides a terrific framework to educate young men.  The faculty at Vianney is second to none in the state of Missouri.  77% have Master's degrees or higher and their commitment to our students is inspiring!
Later this year our chess Team will try to claim their third NATIONAL Championship!  Our curriculum has grown exponentially over the last two years: 12 new courses, 4 new dual-enrollment courses, partnerships with Drury University and Kansas State!  Our freshmen love their Forensics science course!  We are living proof that school can be fun, practical, and rigorous all at the same time.

Spiritually:
What separates our school from all the others is our spirituality.  We should celebrate all the many things that Vianney does to LIVE our Faith.  Many schools pray before school or have monthly masses, but we do a lot of living Faith Formation. From praying the Angelus, Daily Communion Services, participating in the Living Rosary, and wearing outward symbols of our Marianist Faith, Vianney is a special, sacred place.  This past weekend ALL of our coaches participated in a "Play Like a Champion" Retreat to continue their faith development.  And each athletic program has Athletic Apostles now!  At Vianney we LIVE our Faith!

Those are just a few of my thoughts this week!  It will be electrifying to welcome back our Alumni on Friday Night!  Collectively they will share many stories and celebrate the education they had at Vianney.  Between the football and the food, the fight songs and the pep rallies, I hope you'll also take a few moments this week to celebrate the MANY things that make Vianney Special!

Igniting the Flame: Lessons from a Dancing Man

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.” ― William W. Purkey

I have to admit that in my mid-thirties I'm probably STILL much more adolescent in behavior that a seasoned high school principal should be.  Many times it may even appear that I am resistant to enter the world of adulthood.  Should anyone need a letter of recommendation regarding my resistance or my self-endorsement of my adolescent behaviors my wife Lesley is now accepting calls and emails.


Since I'm cleansing my conscious of my adolescent behavior and openly disclaiming my faults and tendencies I should also mention my love (dependence) of technology and my a fixation on TedTalks and Youtube.  I find there's an endless world of videos that say and demonstrate things far more articulate than I could EVER dream.

Which leads me to the video, "Dancing Man Gives a Leadership Lesson" I invite you to watch the video and perhaps comment on what you learned from "The Dancing Man."  Or respond to the Question of the Day at the bottom.

Lessons I learned/Questions I have....

I wonder how many people have enough passion for anything in life to do what the Dancing Man does: Think about it.  It really does take guts and perhaps a little insanity to make yourself completely vulnerable and to display it to the world.  Perhaps we don't all need to take our shirts off and dance in the middle of a crowd, but shouldn't there be something that we are so passionate about that we do "get up and dance?"  As educators, what is that internal flame that causes us to get up and engage students day to day?  Is your faith life strong enough that you would openly share a reflection? What about your family and friends? Do they know how much you care for them and love them?  How frequently do you truly display your affections?

Maybe we need more "Crazy Nuts" in the world: The narrator of the video suggests that the 1st follower is more important than the crazy nut.  I'm not sure I agree.  In fact, I would contend that there aren't enough crazy nuts in the world. In every school in America there are dynamic, engaging, EXCELLENT teachers encouraging our students to reach unimaginable goals, motivating students to exceed beyond what they even believe is possible! These educators are always on the top of their game. They prep for hours to master their craft.  They are always seeking professional development opportunities that will raise student achievement.  They never settle for good enough when they know GREAT is attainable. Unfortunately, even though they possess the power to dramatically change the face of education, they too often stay in the shadows. Perhaps afraid to step in to the light and challenge the status quo of education.  Is it isolation that scares them?  Fear of the unknown or acceptance/rejection by their peers?  Whatever their hesitation we as administrators need to find the antidote and cure them.  We need their ideas, we need their innovation and creativity, we need our halls infused with their passion!  We need someone to start the spark!

We need more "dancing":  Let's be clear.  I'm NOT condoning dancing!  I'm NOT a dancer and refuse to engage in most actual dancing.  By dancing I mean we need more fulfilling moments in life.  Too often we wake-up, go through our routines, and 10-15 hours later  fall asleep to only repeat the monotonous process again the next day.  Think about your BEST moments as a child, a student, a teacher, a person.  What moments truly stick out?  For me it's the ones that brought me to tears.  Either from laughing so hard with my peers or from crying over a devastating loss. When my emotions are triggered, that's when lasting memories are made.  My favorite teachers always knew how to trigger the nuerotoxins in our brains and get us engaged.  My most memorable childhood athletic moments stem from fun and laughter.  And moments in life that shaped who I am often centered around a loss of a loved one and the absence of the JOY they brought in to my life on a daily basis.

The late Jim Valvano has a terrific quote that resonates with me.

“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.”
As educators we need to seek, lead, and participate in moments of emotion. Life is too short and too important to let anything else fill up our time.

Question of the Day: Will you be the follower who ignites the positive change you want to see in the Vianney? In your community? In your life?  

Or will you be the crazy nut?  And is there anything wrong with that?

Have a GREAT weekend! 

What Makes a Good School!

"What makes a good school has very little to do with how rich or poor the students are or the type of curriculum that’s taught. It has very little to do with special programs, expansive playing fields, huge endowments, snappy uniforms, celebrity alumni, or whether the school is wired to the Internet. What makes a good school, whether it’s public or private, religious or nonreligious, charter or noncharter, is a feeling. A feeling shared by the entire staff that their particular school is special. The feeling that their school really belongs to them" (Manna, 1999).

I LOVE that quote! I have ALWAYS loved it! I first saw it when I was a clueless undergrad student at Missouri State, it resurfaced in my Masters program at Drury, and I'm fairly certain I referenced it frequently in my doctoral work at Saint Louis University. And while I absolutely love that quote, I often wish I could add just one thing to it. To possess a good school, a great school, a school of excellence, one MUST have GREAT teachers. It's the one variable that ALL the GREAT schools have in common.

Go ahead, look it up if you must. Marzano, Whitakker, Hayes-Jacobs, Tomlinson, they all have the data and the stats to back up my argument. While the above quote doesn't reference teachers, I ALWAYS think of Vianney's faculty and staff when I read it. To work at Vianney is SPECIAL! It's REAL! It's AUTHENTIC! One of the Five Characteristics of Marianist Education that drive our decisions at Vianney is "Family spirit." Family spirit is NOT a catch phrase, a fancy slogan, or a marketing scheme. Family Spirit at Vianney is a living thing and it has been created, nurtured, and maintained by the amazing faculty and staff that have come before me and who currently reside at 1311 S. Kirkwood Rd.

While cleaning out some files at home I came across an article titled “What Makes a Good Teacher?” (Traina, 1999). The author sought to identify characteristics that are consistently cited by students and parents as those exhibited by their very best teachers. They are as follows:

Command of subject matter. Effective teachers know their subject matter inside and out. In addition, they convey a love of, and passion for, their subject matter.

Caring deeply about each student and about that student’s accomplishment and growth. Effective teachers take time to consider each student as an individual and a unique learner. They take the time and make the effort to get to know about each student, inquiring of their interests, family, and so forth.

Distinctive character. Effective teachers add a special flavor and zeal to their instruction that creates a memorable impression on their students. Whether it is an eccentric sense of humor or a tragedy overcome, such teachers stand out in the minds of their students.

At Vianney we are obviously staffed by teachers with distinctive character (see the photo above for evidence) who care deeply about each and every one of their students. It is equally apparent that Vianney teachers possess a superior command of their respective content areas. As a result, your students will remember you long after they leave us.

The talented, gifted, and caring faculty and staff at Vianney are one more reason why "It's a GREAT Day to be a Griffin!"

The Importance of being the LEAST important.

Last week, I began my sixth “Opening Day” as a high school principal with a calm confidence that this would be the BEST year ever! This sense of aplomb derives from the confidence I have in every faculty and staff member at St. John Vianney High School.

Prior to the year beginning I shared with the faculty and staff that the most glowing endorsement I can say about Vianney is that I am the LEAST important person in the building.  I wonder how many other school leaders feel the same way. 
How many are WILLING to be the least important person in their building? 
How many would stand before their public stakeholders and attest to such a statement? 

Well I do, and I will continue to do so.  I tell the parents of our students, the students themselves, our alumni, and even my graduate students.  At Vianney, I am the least important person. I attest to this belief with great valor.  It is my proudest accomplishment as a school administrator!

Nothing brings me more joy then walking down the hallways at Vianney and seeing our masterful teachers at work.  Their students engaged.  Frequent movement and activities occupying each classroom as they strive to educate young men on brain-based activities.  A warmth comes over me as I hear and see the relationships they  are building with our students.  Some intentionally, others unintentional, establishing a contentedness that will ignite a passion in students to help them reach higher levels of self-esteem, a closer relationship with our school community, and ultimately greater student achievement. 

Like artists, I wonder if my teachers are even aware of their magical and mystical moves.  Are they cognizant and intentional about the way they educate our students?  Are they appreciative of the gifts they bring to the classroom each and EVERY day?  Or is it just who they are?  Has it become second nature for them to care more, to do more, and to strive for excellence on a daily basis?

What I have come to love about Vianney is that we all have the opportunity to be a little part of something big because we truly are a family. I love this feeling of inclusiveness..

It’s this reality that drives me in my work and makes me hopeful for the current and future of education. Our “little” part is “little” only in the sense that it happens slowly, minute by minute, and typically in concert with the efforts of others with whom we work. The “big” opportunities we have to impact the future are the result of thousands of “little” efforts.

Across the country the last couple of week’s teachers, administrators and staff members have set the stage for yet another year together leading impressionable young people. I take great comfort in knowing that MANY impressionable adolescents are at Vianney where their minds, hearts, and souls are shaped by some of the finest role models in the history of education. These young men will go on to become our future. We will produce many noble citizens who go on to greatness. We will do so by seizing every opportunity to build strong relationships and to support students on their path to excellence.

At Vianney, we will do this both purposefully and intuitively, because our staff has fostered a culture of care which permeates our school. Individually and collectively, the care we have for our profession is palpable.

            At Vianney we are widely known for caring about our curriculum and—even more importantly—caring about our young men entrusted to our care.

             Again this year, each of us has a fantastic opportunity waiting: to be “a little part of something big”…i.e., playing a role in what our own future will look like! Because I work with the best teachers anywhere, I am confident that our students will make us all extremely proud throughout the year and later in life.

I’m thankful and blessed to be part of a faith-filled learning community like Vianney! Each day young minds are formed here.  The halls are full of future politicians, lawyers, actors, athletes, innovators, and religious leaders.

I mentioned in August and at the start of this blog—I have EVERY confidence this is going to be the BEST year in Vianney’s storied tradition of noted excellence.

My reasons are simple:

1.      Our students

2.      The returning and new faculty and staff members we have standing ready to teach them, guide them, and care for them.

It’s a GREAT Day to be a Griffin!

           

Lollipop Leadership

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to share my vision of "Lollipop Leadership" with the faculty and staff of St. John Vianney High School.  The idea of lollipop leadership is NOT my own, but was conceived after watching a TedTalk by Drew Dudley.

What motivated me to share lollipop leadership with the faculty and staff is still uncertain. Perhaps I've finally matured as an adult (unlikely), maybe having been a high school administrator for five years has shaped and changed my perspective on schools (more likely), or maybe this video spoke to me on a personal level, because I have often been the recipient of lollipop leadership.

As I watched Drew's TEdTalk it spoke to me. How many times in my life had someone saw something special in me?  How many times did a teacher, a parent, a friend, challenge me to do better, push me to achieve more, or demonstrate an unwarranted confidence in me?  A confidence I didn't even have in myself?

Reflecting on my high school and college years, and taking an honest look at my initial teaching and administrative career a harsh reality presented itself.  At my BEST I was (and remain) an average person.  I do not posses a high degree of intelligence.  Skills in athletics and the arts are lacking in comparison to my peers or completely nonexistent.  I have no silver bullets for school reform, curriculum design or parental involvement.

And despite my shortcomings, here I am.  The principal of one of the finest Catholic high schools in the country. The leader of a school that has been recognized as a Top 50 Catholic High School by the Cardinal Newman Society for Academic Excellence.  A school that became only the 10th school in the country to be named a Model School by the Gurian Institute.  Each year I've been blessed to work with some of the greatest educators in the country and motivate them to be part of Vianney's mission of developing young men for spiritual, academic, and personal excellence in the Catholic, Marianist tradition.  At 29 years old when most people wouldn't dream of applying for a princiaplship at an established, high-performing school, I applied, and was selected to lead a remarkable school community. Two years later the faculty and staff of SCHS earned recognition as a  Top 50 Catholic High School! Along the way we held magnificent school carnivals, "Danced with the Stars," and collaboratively moved a school, from "Good to Great."

How is this possible? What was the "tipping point"?  In my examination of conscience it wasn't "one moment" but a lifetime of moments.  And it wasn't ONE person, but a lifetime of people who have shaped and developed the person I am.  Most of these people were NOT leaders by title, but lead by actions and their unfailing belief in me.

As educators across the state of Missouri struggle with budgetary constraints, political legislation, obstacles with school transfers, and the traditional day-to-day responsibilities of educating America's future, I wonder how many of them realize how critical they are in the lives of their students.  Can the third grade teacher in Ava, Missouri and the AP Chemistry teacher at Zumwalt even begin to comprehend the opportunity they have each and every day to transform lives?  Do they fully grasp that the influential transformation they are a part of has little to do with Common Core Standards,  ACT Benchmarks, and Curriculum Maps?

Will we all pause this year and seize the opportunities to develop students holistically?  To know them on a human-level? Will we max out each opportunity to expand a student's confidence level and self-esteem?  Will EVERY student in our schools know that they have not ONE, but MANY adults who believe in their growth, believe in their potential, and are willing to blindly trust and tirelessly work to help develop them in to the person they are meant to become in life? How magical would our schools be and what great leaps in student achievement would occur if educators across the state made a conscience effort to have a lollipop moment EVERY day?

How will you demonstrate lollipop leadership this year?
Will YOU make a difference in the life of a student today?

I think, I think (with apologizes to Peter King AND Kevin Walsh)

Recently I had the opportunity to prepare an in-service for my new faculty and staff members at Vianney. In-services in general are not "New" to me, this is my 6th year as a school administrator and I have over a decade of service to Catholic education in my rear view window. I've "sat through," participated in, and prepared a number of in-services.
What keeps circling my head is how different last week's professional development was compared to all the others. Specifically a quote from two of my new hires. The first from a veteran educator with 20+ years experience continues to haunt my thoughts, drive me to work harder for my faculty, and truthfully, at my core, really troubles me.

He said, "I just have to say that in my 20 years of education I have NEVER been to an in-service that has been more practical and useful than this. I texted my wife (also an educator) during break and told her I have PAGES of notes of things I'm going to do in my classroom. This is fantastic."

My initial reaction was one of happiness and humbleness. MANY hours of thought and preparation both by me, but also by a number of my faculty went in to creating this in-service. And YES that was my number one objective: "Make it practical; Give them something that can use tomorrow; Don't waste their time, they are busy professionals."

A similar quote was taken from the Facebook page of one of the new faculty members: "Today was AWESOME!!! I learned practical and realistic new techniques to implement into my classroom and met great new people...I don't know if I have ever said this before: today's professional development was amazing-honestly/no sarcasm! Go Griffins!!!"

Again, I was initially pleased, excited, thrilled by the response, and later came back to that pit in my stomach and that voice in my head asking "Tim, isn't it suppose to be this way?"

Since that time though I've become somewhat troubled by the statements of excitement from my new faculty members. I began to review the many in-services I've led as a school administrator over the course of six years (PSA: Reviewing the actions of a six year administration career can cause ulcers, anxiety, and bring downright fear to a person--night sweats are likely to occur). And I keep coming back to one simple question: "WHY AREN'T MORE IN-SERVICES/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS PRACTICAL?"

As educational leaders if we are serious about being lifelong learners. If we truly value our faculty and staff as professionals, then why do we "teach" them in a manner that is the complete opposite of anything we would tolerate from them in their classrooms?

Particularly as educators who sat through the same mundane, horrific, BORING "professional development" in our careers. Why do so many administrators forget their past as classroom teachers and submit our faculty to the same lifeless in-services we dreaded. Isn't history suppose to be our greatest teacher????
The magazines, blogs, twitter feeds, and political activists love to pontificate on the need for education reform. I constantly read about declining literacy rates, higher poverty rates, and failing schools. But if we are honest with ourselves as administrators, the change and reform needed in schools is on the local level. Opportunities for engaging, practical, sustainable learning occurs frequently in our cafes, media centers, and lecture halls with our faculty. To paraphrase a famous quote "We need to be the change we want to see in the world."

I think, I think...