The Truth About Sharing

Update for Dec 14-18

A couple of weeks ago, my wife got me an amazing early-Christmas gift: a recliner.

I have officially said goodbye to any remaining youth I had and took one step closer to being that old man who yells at kids who walk through his lawn.

Ah, I have finally arrived.

The problem (for me anyway) is that even though it's my chair, I'm the one who sits in it the least.

The kids fight over who will sit in it.

The dogs both sneak their way onto it.

Even the wife kicks back in it.

I feel like they all do it while I'm in the room, too, like "Ha, look at him over there stewing because I'm in his chair! Sucker."

I know. It's not really that bad. I'm actually glad everyone likes it. I really did think it was an old man kind of thing.

It's just another lesson in sharing, which is challenging when you have to share something so coveted as a recliner.

Developing a shared vision is challenging, too.

As someone who's in a leadership position, it's hard to check my own perspective and make sure that my own vision doesn't shut down someone else's idea. For example, some folks ask for direction and ideas while others scrutinize words and conclude that I'm being too imposing.

As someone in a leadership position, this is a confusing position to be in.  How am I supposed to provide some sense of direction and not be too imposing? It's actually a balancing act and sort of reminds me about sharing my chair.  

Here are just a few things I've learned about developing a shared vision from a leadership perspective:

• The more specific I am, the more I limit who shares the vision.
• Trust those who are building the vision with me -- Keep it truly shared.
• Hold myself and others accountable for working towards that vision.
• Listen, listen, and then listen some more to what everyone, even the naysayers, are saying.
• Ask more questions than answering questions.
• Be extremely patient and trust the process.

I am so excited about where we are heading together as we take a look at strengthening the learning experience for our students.  I go through peaks and valleys of excitement and frustration along with everyone else.  But I know that it’s all apart of developing something special together.

Have a GREAT week!

-- Herb

Articles Worth Reading

Does education really need to change? - A.J. Juliani http://ajjuliani.com/education-change/ via @ajjuliani

Innovation Is Not a One Time Event http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/5857 via @gcouros

Wellington devotes a day to enrichment activities https://shar.es/1Gr9H5 via @thisweeknews (Thanks for sharing this, Becky!)

Click Here Next: Digital Literacy in K-5  http://clickherenext.com/ -- This is a great resource/blog about literacy and learning from Franki Sibberson and friends.



Upcoming Dates

Dec 16 -- ADCC Staff Meeting, 3:45 ADE Media Center

Dec 17 -- Admin Meeting (Herb)

Dec 18 -- 5th Grade Talent Show, 1:30-2:30; Holiday parties, 2:30

Dec 21-Jan1 -- Winter Break

Jan 4 -- Students Return; ADE PTO Meeting, 7pm

Jan 4-Feb 3 -- Winter Literacy Assessment window (Grades K to 5)

Jan 8 -- ADE Family Game Night, 6:30-8pm

Jan 14 -- Author Visit, Steve Harpster

Jan 18 -- Martin Luther King, Jr Day -- NO SCHOOL

Jan 19-Feb 29 -- Scholastic Reading Inventory window (Grades 2 to 5)

Jan 23 & Feb 20 -- NUMATS (gifted) test (by invitation/recommendation only)

Jan 25 -- Yearbook Sale Begins (Ends Feb 5)

Jan 25-Feb 26 -- Calkins Writing Assessment window (Grades K to 5)

Jan 29 -- K-5 Interim Reports

Feb 1 -- ADE PTO Meeting, 7pm

Feb 2 -- ADE Kindergarten Registration Day

Feb 5 -- Yearbook Sale Ends

Feb 8-11 February Conference Week

Feb 10 -- Conference Evening

Feb 12 -- Parent/Teacher Conference Comp Day, NO SCHOOL

Feb 15 -- Presidents’ Day, NO SCHOOL

Feb 23 -- K (AM) & 1st Grade (PM) ½ Day Data Team Meeting

Feb 24 -- 2nd Grade (AM) & 3rd Grade (PM) ½ Day Data Team Meeting

Feb 25 -- 4th Grade (AM) & 5th Grade (PM) ½ Day Data Team Meeting

Feb 26 -- End of K-5 Grading Period

The Folly of Comfort

Update for Dec 7-11

Comfortable shoes -- There's nothing else like them.  They are like the perfect pillow for sleeping or the hoodie we throw on to keep warm during a cold winter night.

At the end of a long day, no one is lacing up a pair of dress shoes to relax.  Instead, we often go for a warm pair of slippers or a pair of old running shoes that you can easily slip on without untying them.

I've been having some issues running lately where the muscle around my shin tenses up. It's not something that makes me have to stop running, it's just annoying and it slows me down a little.  I sound like a car that has a flat tire as my tensed leg strikes the ground with a flat "slap" on the pavement.

I've tried different stretches, paces and routes trying to find a solution.  I decided to go back to an old pair of running shoes to see if maybe my new ones were the issue.  

I laced up my old Sauconys and they felt great -- Why did I ever stop wearing them?

After about a mile and a half into a run in my old shoes, my feet and knees started hurting.  Instead of going for a 6 mile run, I ended early.  What was I thinking?  I stopped wearing these shoes when I started getting injured -- Why was I going back to them?

Instead of going the distance in my old comfortable shoes, I ran less than normal.

I share this because in the midst of change, we sometimes are tempted to go back to our old ways, putting on "comfortable shoes", rather than face the challenge.

Our project is hard work and we have miles to go.  If we are going to keep moving forward and increase the depth and authenticity of the learning experiences we help create with kids, we should build off of what we do well.  

Let's commit to strategically increasing our distance and pace and avoid seeking out comfortable solutions.

Have a GREAT week!

-Herb

Articles Worth Reading --

The Links Between Teaching Reading And Math http://www.heinemann.com/blog/oconnell-reading-math-11-30/

How to Guide Students Towards Learning Ownership https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/guide-students-towards-learning-ownership

The Active Learning Classroom: 8 Essential Elements https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/active-learning-classroom-8-essential-elements

Video Worth Watching -- 

Upcoming Dates --   

Dec 7 - PTO Meeting, 7PM

Dec 8 - 3rd Grade ELA State Assessment; Steering Committee Meeting, 3:45 - ADE Media Center

Dec 9 - 3rd Grade ELA State Assessment; Ed Team Meeting, 12:30; IAT Meeting, 3:45

Dec 10 - PD Series by Donna - "Dealing with Challenging Children", 3:45 ADE Media Center

Dec 11 - KG Toys for Tots Fire Station Visit

Dec 16 - ADCC Staff Meeting, 3:40 - ADE Media Center
Dec 18 - 5th Grade Talent Show, 1:15ish; Holiday Parties, 2:30ish

Dec 21-Jan 3 -- Winter Break  
   

Some things are funnier when you're older.

Update for Nov 30-Dec 4

I wrote this post 3 years ago for a blog we were doing at Horizon Elementary.  I reread it this weekend after finding an awesome solution to putting up Christmas lights.  
Hope you enjoy!

_________

My family and I have lived in our house for 3 years now and each year I'm expected to put up lights outside during the holiday season.

I don't really have a say.  When I complain, I get a reminder that our daughters (the bosses) won't be young much longer.  After my guilt trip, I usually get going.

Usually decorating consists of me throwing a few strands of lights that still work from last season around the tree in the front yard a couple of times and calling it a day.

That wasn't going to cut it this year.

For the past few weeks, my four year old (the manipulator) looks out the window at the neighbor's house lighted up in all it's glory and says, "Can we make our house look like that?".

The neighbor's house: success.

This time I took holiday decorating as a challenge.  I made a plan for how I'll get things done and start early on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  By the end of the day, only half of what I wanted to complete was done because I didn't account for two things:

1. The ladder didn't reach the rooftop.

2. I still haven't conquered my fear of falling off ladders that don't reach rooftops.

Our house: fail.

The day ended with me trying to grab onto some shingles for leverage while I kick my leg up onto the gutter.  What was I thinking?  I stopped and actually said, "What am I doing?  I'm going to end up like Clark Griswold."

And that's when it hit me.  The scene in the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, where Clark is hanging on his gutter trying not to fall from the roof, got 10 times funnier in that moment.  I used to think it was just a funny scene, but now I get it.
I guess somethings are funnier when your older.

2015 Follow-up -- 

This year, I wised up (Thank you inventors of "Star Shower"!)

Holiday Lights Part 2 from Herb Higginbotham on Vimeo.

Articles Worth Reading - -

“The Maker Movement is about Making Meaning” by @wakeupsilver https://medium.com/@wakeupsilver/the-maker-movement-is-about-freedom-25ef8a323022#.8xqfxtnv2

"Passion or Passive?" 
http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/5824 via @gcouros

It's not just about skills & content - we also have to think about the teacher qualities that matter to students. pic.twitter.com/JFkZnjj5jp

— Quaglia Institute (@QISAtweets) November 24, 2015

Upcoming Dates -- 

Dec 1 - BIT Meeting -- Please have your wish list items submitted by Dec 1 to be considered by PTO.

Dec 2 - Yearbook Picture Day; ADE Staff Meeting, 8:00 AM - Media Center

Dec 3 - Admin Meeting (Herb)

Dec 7 - PTO Meeting, 7PM

Dec 8 - 3rd Grade ELA State Assessment; Steering Committee Meeting, 3:45 - ADE Media Center

Dec 9 - 3rd Grade ELA State Assessment; Ed Team Meeting, 12:30; IAT Meeting, 3:45

Dec 10 - PD Series by Donna - "Dealing with Challenging Children", 3:45 ADE Media Center

Dec 11 - KG Toys for Tots Fire Station Visit

Dec 16 - ADCC Staff Meeting, 3:40 - ADE Media Center 

Fueling the Wonder of Kids

Update for Nov 23-24

Wind plus leaves = pure joy! 🍃😊 @AltonDarby pic.twitter.com/jcTJx026Ek

— Adrianna Kruse (@AdriannaKruse) November 18, 2015

Last Wednesday, Adrianna Kruse captured the moment above, recognizing the "pure joy" of her kindergarten students playing in the leaves on a windy day.

Later on that afternoon, I was heading out to my recess duty a little early and noticed a group of kids playing in the same leaves.  The kids ranged from 1st grade to 5th grade, but each was captivated by the "leaf tornado".  One of the kids noticed I had stopped to watch them having fun and said, "We were wondering if leaves turned into soil or compost when they die?".

"What does everyone think?" I asked.

"Well, I think they turn into compost and he thinks they turn into soil," the student replied.

With a smile, I asked, "What's the difference between compost and soil?"

"I don't know."

Ah, the perfect response for starting a learning opportunity!

"I have an idea. Let's ask Wonderopolis if they know the answer," I suggested.

I told the kids that there is a website called Wonderopolis that has hundreds of posts questions, or wonders, that kids have asked.  They post information including videos and resources that help answer the "wonder".

I took a picture of the kids standing in the leaves and tweeted Wonderopolis:

Our kids are wondering if leaves turn into compost or soil? They wanted to see if @Wonderopolis had the answer. pic.twitter.com/npizx3xoCr

— AltonDarbyElementary (@AltonDarby) November 18, 2015

Wonderopolis is great about interacting with others!  Here's what they said later on that day --

@AltonDarby (1/2) Great question! We don't have that exact Wonder, but you can submit it to the Wonder Bank! https://t.co/gKD0PqFRop

— Wonderopolis (@Wonderopolis) November 18, 2015

@AltonDarby (2/2) Also, check out Wonder #741: WHAT IS COMPOST? https://t.co/hUW6MB2F5s

— Wonderopolis (@Wonderopolis) November 18, 2015

While this is a great example of recognizing when we can take learning further, it actually made me reflect on the way kids learn and make sense of their world.

Kids are naturally curious.

They ask lots of questions, they create their own hypotheses, and work out meaning through play.

As adults and educators, we need to remind ourselves that kids are naturally curious and build off of that.

How much would our unit or lesson plans change if we started with the fact that kids are naturally curious?

How much more would the learning experiences we create for kids reflect inquiry and build on a sense of wonder?

We should commit ourselves to letting the curiosity and wonder of children inspire us to create learning experiences that fuel their learning.

Here's to fueling the wonder and curiosity of kids!

Have a GREAT week!

-Herb


Articles Worth Reading --

When Students Drive Improvement

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/jun15/vol72/num09/When-Students-Drive-Improvement.aspx

Service Learning: Growing Action from the Roots of Passion

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/action-from-roots-of-passion-jessica-cambell

Real-World Problem Solving: Project-Based Solutions

http://www.edutopia.org/practice/real-world-problem-solving-project-based-solutions

Video Worth Watching --




Upcoming Dates --

Nov 23 - Board Meeting at ADE (Preschool is hosting in Cafeteria)

Nov 25-27 Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec 1 - BIT Meeting -- Please have your wish list items submitted by Dec 1 to be considered by PTO.

Dec 2 - Yearbook Picture Day; ADE Staff Meeting, 8:00 AM - Media Center

Dec 3 - Admin Meeting (Herb)

Dec 7 - PTO Meeting, 7PM

Dec 8 - 3rd Grade ELA State Assessment; Steering Committee Meeting, 3:45 - ADE Media Center

Dec 9 - Spec Ed Team Meeting, 12:30; IAT Meeting, 3:45

Dec 10 - PD Series by Donna - "Dealing with Challenging Children", 3:45 ADE Media Center

Dec 11 - KG Toys for Tots Fire Station Visit

Dec 16 - ADCC Staff Meeting, 3:40 - ADE Media Center

Hope amid the chaos

Update for Nov 16-20

http://projectivecities.aaschool.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/01-Paris-urban-fabric-the-Haussmannian-heritage.jpg

This weekend was a somber one for many around the world as events surrounding the terrorist attacks in Paris unfolded.

Social media became a source of information for me, especially Twitter's "Moments" tab which populated updated information.  It amazes me how this medium has become a go-to place to learn about current events, even over the cable news channels.

One of the posts I ran across was of a man playing a mobile piano in a Paris street.  The song he played? "Imagine" by John Lennon.



Lennon's music, especially the songs he created while a Beatle, have often been the source of inspiration for millions of people.  The Beatles could have written songs about hate, despair, and negativity, but they chose to share messages of hope, love, and inspiration.

It inspires me to see people, in the middle of chaos and unimaginable sadness, choose to share messages of hope, community, and optimism.


Have a great week --

-Herb


Articles Worth Reading --

Choice is More than a Menu of Options  https://shar.es/15BnIe

A Principal's Reflections: The Challenge of Change is Not You http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-challenge-of-change-is-not-you.html?spref=tw

Tech Tools That Have Transformed Learning With Dyslexia http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/11/03/tech-tools-that-transformed-learning-with-dyslexia/

Expecting all kids the same age to learn the same info is like expecting all kids the same age to wear the same size pic.twitter.com/ODqd3zTK7u

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) November 15, 2015

Videos Worth Watching --



My dream for education is to have the work we do with kids look like the work in this short clip -->



Upcoming Dates --

Nov 17 - Team Connection Time -- Let me know! The schedule is clear!

Nov 18 - 4th Grade Data Team Day; ADCC Steering Committee Meeting, 3:45 ADE Media Center

Nov 19 - Principals' Meeting (Herb), 5th Grade Data Team Day

Nov 20 - End of 1st Grading Period

Nov 23 - Board Meeting at ADE (Preschool is hosting in Cafeteria)

Nov 25-27 Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec 1 - BIT Meeting -- Please have your wish list items submitted by Dec 1 to be considered by PTO.

Dec 2 - Yearbook Picture Day; ADE Staff Meeting, 8:00 AM - Media Center

Dec 3 - Admin Meeting (Herb)

Dec 7 - PTO Meeting, 7PM

Dec 8 - 3rd Grade ELA State Assessment; Steering Committee Meeting, 3:45 - ADE Media Center

Dec 9 - Spec Ed Team Meeting, 12:30; IAT Meeting, 3:45

Dec 10 - PD Series by Donna - "Dealing with Challenging Children", 3:45 ADE Media Center

Dec 11 - KG Toys for Tots Fire Station Visit

Dec 16 - ADCC Staff Meeting, 3:40 - ADE Media Center

Responding Positively to the Moment

Update for Nov 9-13

Labeled for reuse -- https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3209/3057284879_d211bd3af6_b.jpg

It was in the moment just before a big meeting that someone asked me, "Are you ok?".

"Yeah, I'm fine!" I replied.  "Are you sure? You don't look okay, " she replied back.

"Yep.  I just needed to clear my mind."

I was trying to get my mind right just before our meeting.  We were coming together to talk about our next steps for our Re-Imagine Elementary Education project, so I wanted to be fully tuned into what we were going to be doing.

I had a far away look for many reasons - I was unpacking the things I knew I would need to attend to that night (emails, phone calls, etc); I was trying to think of the things I wanted to say during the meeting; and I was tired. Very tired.  My wife tells me all the time, "You always say you're tired," but on this day I was just drained.

My colleague told me that principals can get this way around November.  She suggested that October is when teachers are starting to feel the pressure of the year and principals feel the need to keep the energy up and going for everyone.  November is when principals are starting to come down.

True or not true - That described me in that moment, so I believed it. And I realized I needed to work harder on that thing called balance.

This rest of the week I spent my time keeping my eyes open for some positivity - Articles, videos, whatever crossed my path that would pick me up.  I didn't actively seek them, I just kept my mind open. I needed things to lift me back up.

Social media helped me hit the jackpot!  Check out some of the great articles and videos I ran across since Thursday below. Each one lifted me up and helped me get my mind right.  The challenges we all face at school and in life won't go away and we can't change that. We can only change how we respond to those moments.


Video - "Life Is Meant To Be Epic" -- https://youtu.be/-nIsOMGgCdo

This 3 minute video talks about how many of us are always longing for that next phase in life because we are seeking comfort.  John Spencer suggests that the discomfort of life is what life's all about -- Life's meant to be EPIC!  

Article - "Not Waiting for Tomorrow" -- http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/5747
This is a great post by my education hero, George Couros.  My favorite line from the post is this quote:

"We need to make the positive so loud that the negative becomes almost impossible to hear."

Article - "I'll Never Resign" -- http://venspired.com/ill-never-resign/

There was a post going around about a teacher who resigned because of the state of education, more or less.  I loved this response to that post from Krissy Venosdale about lifting up the positive in order to make a difference.  

I know that we are in some turbulent times in education and that some of us didn't sign up for this when we got into this profession. But here we are. We have to decide how we are going to respond. I hope you will join me in lifting up the positive in order to make meaningful change.

In other news...

Ask a steering committee representative to share about the great work we engaged in from our ½ day meeting on Thursday. Some highlights to hear about:

--Parent Survey

--North Carolina Trip

--Designing a lesson in 7 minutes

--The building of houses and neighborhoods

--Project Time line 

Upcoming Dates

Nov 10 – 1^st Grade Data Team Day; Picture Make-up Day

Nov 11 – BIT Meeting, 8am; 2^nd Grade Data Team Day; Special Ed Team Meeting, 12:30; IAT Team Meeting, 3:30, Board Meeting, DCR, 7pm

Nov 12 - -3^rd Grade Data Team Day; “Making Math Personalized” w/ Donna Farland-Smith (DCR Media Center, 3:40); HEF Dinner

Nov 17 – Team Connection Time w/ Herb, if needed

Nov 18 – 4^th Grade Data Team Day

Nov 19 - -5^th Grade Data Team Day

Nov 20 – End of 1^st Grading Period

Nov 25-27 – No School, Thanksgiving Holiday