I Love Public Schools

Happy "I Love Public Schools" Day!!







Why do I love public schools? There are so many reasons!

• Every Student Matters! 
• Our educators and support staff are committed, dedicated, and difference makers! 
• I have been in education going on 29 years and still look at every day as an opportunity!  
• Students I taught in Iowa who now have children of their own have connected with me through social media--some of them are teachers-they say because of me!  
• My heart swells when I see and hear the successes of students that I taught at Barr MS, and from my tenure when I was the principal at Shoemaker Elementary!
• We are in a profession that is ever-changing and we impact the future through our relationships, expectations, and relentless efforts to ensure all of our students succeed.

I'm so proud to be a public school educator and thankful to be serving Grand Island Public Schools alongside all of you!

 SEEING IS BELIEVING! We will prepare all students to THRIVE!

As we Learn Better, We will Do Better!

Monday represented more than a professional learning opportunity for our GIPS staff.  It was also a time to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and what it means for us today!

As I reflect in awe of his courage and leadership for what is right, I started to think about all of you and the courage you bring to the classroom every day.  You are the difference maker for our students and you make decisions every day that impacts student outcomes.  I know you are not recognized enough for time, commitment, and emotional capital you expend to ensure Every Student, Every Day, A Success!

This week you all engaged in professional learning, an opportunity to grow in your practice and transform instruction to increase equitable opportunities for all students that will allow them to thrive in this ever-changing world.

It has been so inspiring to see professional learning in practice through pictures and videos posted on Twitter! I'm sure there are so many more that have yet to be shared! The response to this opportunity is what will determine the benefit to our students.  Give it a try, reflect, adjust, and try it again!  It will take practice and intentional planning to increase effectiveness. It' will be worth it, so don't give up.


I was also able to join in on some professional learning this week.  We had a conversation about homework and David Holden (AAIS Consultant working with our high school teams, asked the question: "is it about turning in the homework, or is it about the learning?  If it is about learning, is there another way to get assess what students know and can do? If it is about turning in homework, it is about behavior that we may or may not be able to control".

This caused me to pause and think about the importance and impact of verifying learning (to the grade-level standard) within the lesson.  We have to think differently about our ability to control the outcomes.

 Which leads me to another quote from Steven Covey that resonated with me:  "Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets--if you are ok with this-keep doing what you are doing, if not, make a change!"  This isn't just about teaching, this has implications at all levels and within our systems.

I recognize the ask that we have of you every day and the responsibility that falls on me and our L4L team to support you. We will continue to learn, grow and improve together and as we learn better, we will do better!

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New Year's Promise

Not everyone believes in New Year's Resolutions, however, no matter what you believe, the end of a year (in this case a decade) does create a reason for us to pause and reflect on our accomplishments, events that have had an impact our lives, and an opportunity to set new goals ("new year, new me!" is a quote from several people that I interacted with this past week)! It is also a time for new beginnings and new hope for a year of good health, happiness, and ability to effectively navigate change that we know we may encounter.  

As I was reading quotes about the new year, I came across the one above and made me reflect upon my own 2020 vision.  I often think about how I can be a better person, wife, colleague, leader, but rarely think about what I need to let go of in order to truly make progress and achieve the change and vision for the life I want to experience.  

This is not a new epiphany! It seems to make sense that you should give something up or stop doing something to make room for change. Yet why is it so hard to do?  There are all kinds of research and examples of why people struggle with change and transitions, even though there is a preponderance of evidence to prove that life will be improved as a result.  

We do this in education all the time. We participate in professional development, read a book, watch a colleague- and get excited to try new strategies or an approach.  We try it initially and then a few weeks later-give up on it or go back to what we have always done. We become exhausted and worried about the unknown. Although we know there is a "preponderance of research and evidence" that proves a strategy will have a significant impact on student achievement--there is still hesitation, resistance, and even disbelief that this change will have the desired impact. 

I spent a lot of time thinking about the "why" we as educators want to hold on to past practices and beliefs?  

In Doug Reeves most recent book-"Achieving Equity & Excellence" he makes several great points that explain why.  He says, "change is hard because it represents loss-loss of previous practice and convictions and most of all, loss of previous identity". He suggests the approach of "try it, test it, improve it"!  Change the behavior, reflect, and improve!

I think this applies to both personal and professional goals for 2020!  Let go of past practice,  pay attention to the preponderance of evidence and research about what can help you achieve your desired results for 2020, and SEE a NEW YOU!  

We have gained great momentum this first semester-let's stay strong and focused on the  "why"!