Yankees Clinch

The Yankees clinched a playoff spot yesterday. I don't hold much hope for the playoffs though unless they can get solid pitching 1-4. Playoff baseball is a lot of fun to watch though so I look forward to that.

The most difficult thing I have to do

Being a middle school principal has its difficult moments but it is nothing compared to being a parent. I am not talking about the early years of diaper changing, making sure they are sleeping, or making the well balanced meal. Or even the taxi service during their middle years. Or even the dealing with them miles away at college or whatever. I am talking about the situations when you can't help them find their way or step in when they could use an advocate. Having to stand idly by when they are not getting a fair deal or have to make a difficult decision. Parents have to step back and let their kids fail or succeed on their own. Kids have to learn their own lessons and make their own way. When someone figures out the best way to keep out of the way, let me know.

Overload

How do you recognize when you are on overload? Things are coming to you so fast you don't know where to turn next. Do you pick one thing to try and accomplish it? Do you pick up a little of each thing and just try to get through it all? Do you just shut down? I am not sure as I have tried each of the above. I will keep plugging along through the challenges going on.

Excitement for first day

I love the first day of school when the kids come in with bright eyes and excitement. They are looking to see what the new year is all about and who is their teacher and who is in their class. New clothes, new materials, and the prospect of a new year. It is all fresh, exciting, and full of possibilities. I wish we could bottle up all the positive energy for those times we need it. I hope I can sleep tonight.

First Day with Teachers

So here we are meeting for the first time and I am still nervous. I have done this three times before but there is still a part of me that gets nervous when I present change or vision or even a schedule. There are people that will pick up the "tells" but hopefully the message is still clear and forceful where it needs to be.

Education revisited

Sitting in my back to school administrator meeting, I find it truly interesting that we bounce back and forth from philosophy to "nuts and bolts" type of work. This is the beginning of school in a nutshell. We bounce back and forth with getting the school open and setting a direction for the school year. It is exciting and frustrating all at once.

St. Augustine 2010

Just back from a whirlwind tour of St. Augustine Florida and all its tourism, history and heat. We survived upper 90's weather with a health dose of 80-85 degree water and air conditioning. I do not know how Ponce de Leon drank that water. The Flagler history there was mind blowing. Golf at the King and the Bear was phenomenal. Good time, good city and good to be home where I can consider a pair of sweatpants tonight because 66 is a bit chilly.

Sunny day

So here I am at work and looking out at 75 and beautiful. How do people do it? How do they work through this weather? I can't and I am out of here.

Game 6

Teamwork and knowing your role, that is why the Celts are here. Wouldn't it be great if everyone understood this in all they did?

Beat LA

I do not watch too much regular season pro basketball but when the playoffs come around I do. I love the Celtics run they have made and I have hope that older men can still play a little ball.

Energy

Is there an inverse proportion for student energy at the end of the year and adult energy? These two weeks of school are always the most trying and exciting. Hold on!

Time

I realized over vacation that I would really like to control my time. Time for work and time for fun under my control would be really living. I feel controlled rather free to enjoy the things I need and want to do. We are overbooked in my house and finding time to enjoy the better things of life is a challenge sometimes. Like now.

Homework

SO where do you stand on homework? How much should students be doing? Are students supposed to be spending hours after a full day in school and after all their activities? I am having serious thoughts about homework. What are your thoughts?

Week before vacation

What is it about the week before a vacation? The energy level goes way up as if some part of us is already on vacation. Wittingly or unwittingly, I always seem to schedule a million things to do and almost make it like I have to go on vacation to recover from the crazy week preceding it. Interviews, school board meeting, practices for my kids, and all that goes with being a principal normally is enough to send me over the edge. Our memory is short when it comes to year to year for this type of thing. I for one never learn.

If

If someone writes a blog and no one reads it, does it make a point?

March Madness

I love the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. It is a time when David can beat Goliath. We see all these teams we haven't seen all year and root for them. Murray State? Yea I had them. Old Dominion? Them too. Missed St. Mary's though. It is just plain fun to watch.

Choose your attitude

I had a conversation with a parent this morning who was trying to convince his son that we indeed get to choose our attitude each day. He was suggesting to his son that if he wanted to be in a good mood today that he just had to plan on it. Is it that simple?

I believe it is. I believe that people are who they want to be. They are in the mood they most feel comfortable in. They let things drag them to the negative sometimes because it is easier to do.

There are some people in the world who have many challenges and yet they manage to smile and have a positive attitude. There are those who don't have many challenges but make some for themselves and have a negative attitude. It really is who they are and what attitude they choose.

So I am going to choose what mood I am going to have each day from here on out.

Education in the 21st Century

So when the White House asks, "what does education in the 21st Century mean to you? What would you answer? I am really struggling with this right now in my own thinking. Dealing with meeting the mark on standardized tests is our reality, but the preoccupation with this is not. Technology needs to be integrated and not the end all. But a better prepared student for this changeable society, that is what should be striving for. Check out this blog that will shed a little more light:
http://ow.ly/1dZiZ

Snow and short memories

If you love New England, you have to appreciate the year to year snowfall. This year it has been sparce. It has been a month since we had snow. 4-6 inches of snow is remarkable this year and we close school with the threat of this snow even if it came in after school. Last year, it was part of life each week. We do have short memories when it comes to weather and how to handle it. Drive slow and deal with the snow, don't be afraid of it.

Bill of RIghts

So we are studying the French Revolution and the Declaration of Rights of Men tonight. A long reading assignment coupled with several challenging questions is the work we are engrossed in. When did reading a section and answering questions be put forward as a good practice even a best practice? How do kids really engage in overblown and pompous writing and reading? Have them discuss it or challenge their own understandings of rights. Get down and dirty with the topic and give them something really to consider rather than read about history from 400 years ago that doesn't really relate to them.