Showing posts with label kids first. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids first. Show all posts

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Fueling the Wonder of Kids

Update for Nov 23-24

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:

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


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
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

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Monday, May 25, 2015

Let's Talk about Minivans, Being Principal for a Year, and Truth

Update for May 26-29

It’s time for us to look into a new vehicle for the family.  The 2005 Pilot we’ve had has been good to us, but it’s time to think about what will be worth more over time: a fixer-upper, or a gently used newish car.
The fun part about this is the research that’s involved, if you're into learning more about cars that is.  I love using websites such as Edmunds, AutoTrader, and Cars.com to research the pros and cons of the different cars that are out there.
I’m looking to replace a car that has done it all: transport kids to and from practice, road trips to Florida, and hauling 30 bags of mulch.  What’s funny is that I think a minivan is going to be the way to go.  It’s safe, it’s comfortable, and it hauls lots of stuff.  
I know.  
A part of me died just a second ago after writing that.  But a minivan may just be the answer.  There are cars out there like SUVs and other crossovers that have the same seating as a minivan and can do the same things.  In fact, many of the newer crossover models kind of look a lot like minivans.


2016 Honda Pilot -- Just sayin'...


But honestly, when was the last time I went “off-road” for anything?  
Never.  
When was the last time I needed that all-wheel drive to kick in?  Once or twice when I drove in the snow before the road was plowed, and I still swerved and swayed down the road so it didn’t really help that much.  Besides, what do we end up doing when we know a snow storm is coming?  
We buy bread and milk since they are such versatile foods and we stay home like most folks.
It finally sunk in when we were driving home from another out-of-town soccer tournament. It had been a long day in the sun.  We were cruising down I-70 and the inside of the car was eerily quiet.  I looked up in the rear view mirror and saw both of my kids in the “I’m going to sleep now, but it won’t look pretty” sleeping positions:



While sleeping in the semi-control-over-my-neck-while-balancing-my-head position in a car is sort of a right of passage for kids, I’m thinking there’s a better way to travel.  I’m also thinking about our family's future and I’m betting it’s going to be a lot more of this:



And not this:



And I am happy with that because it’s the truth.
When I started the year as a first year principal, I was worried that I wouldn’t live up to everyone’s expectations.  I thought I had to be someone different than who I am and act a certain way.  But someone at the beginning of the year once told me, “They just want you for you.”
I’ve tried to stay true to myself this year.  What you saw this year is who I am: a 36 year-old married father of two and an elementary principal who likes to have fun, who will only do what is best for kids, and who feels very blessed to do what he does.
And I think I’ll end up driving a minivan.

http://www.gq.com/images/cars-and-gear/2012/04/mid-life-crisis-cars/car-628.jpg
Thanks for an amazing year! Let’s do it again!
-Herb



Articles Worth Reading



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Sunday, May 17, 2015

To All the Great Coaches...

Update for May 18-22

A photo posted by Herb Higginbotham (@herbhigginbotham) on

Playing sports can be one of the most important part of someone's life.  The learning journey that takes place from participating in a sport carries over and often times becomes the experience that makes the biggest impact in someone's life.

While many of the sports stories that captivate us deal mostly with players or with teams, I've been more captivated recently by the effect coaches have on those they serve.

I chose the word "serve" intentionally because I believe that the great coaches, the ones that make life-long, lasting impacts, coach because it's their way of serving others and working towards a greater good.  The great coaches aren't interested in winning only; they see their role as an opportunity to change lives through sports.  They see the sport they coach as a vehicle that carries the players they serve to something greater.

My daughter's soccer coach is one of these people.

This weekend was a tournament weekend, a chance for kids like my daughter to play the sport they love for an extended amount of time.  During the second game my daughter's team played, there was an irate parent whose daughter played for the other team.  At first, the father yelled at the referees for calls they made; nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to irate soccer parents.  However, this father took it a little too far.

My daughter's team won the game that came down to a goal that was made within the last minute.  After the game, that same irate father charged across the field to continue to make his feelings heard.  During his tirade, he turned his focus of verbal attacks on my daughter's coach.

Now, just for context here, picture a 6' 3" forty-something father yelling at a 22-year-old female coach. Not exactly a shining moment for this father.

In these moments, it's how we respond to challenges that make us who we are.

My daughter's coach politely said that the words he was using in front of the kids was inappropriate, turned herself away from the father and helped the girls move to another place on the field.

My daughter's coach did what she could to put my daughter and her teammates safety and well-being before anything else and helped them get away from a negative experience. She could have chose to respond many different ways and with good reason, but she put kids first and walked away. All I could ever want as a parent is to have the adults in my daughter's life be positive role models, and Coach Heather exceeds that expectation in the way she coaches.

Miguel Rodriguez is another story of how a coach's compassion for others outshines the sports aspect of his life.  His story was featured on SportCenter this weekend.

Mr. Rodriguez is an immigrant from Venezuela.  He started a wrestling club a few years ago and works as a instructional aide for students with special needs.  One of those students is Isaiah Bird.

Isaiah was born with physical disabilities that makes him a unique wrestler.  He has no legs, yet is one of the most competitive wrestlers in his area.  As Coach Rodriquez puts it, "He's the one to beat."

At first, I was captivated about how this 7-year-old overcomes his physical challenges to become an outstanding wrestler.  However, by the end of the story, I am more taken with the deep compassion Mr. Rodriquez has for Isaiah.  He feels Isaiah's life is only going to get rougher and Coach Rodriguez sees his role as someone who will get Isaiah ready to take on these challenges.

Take a look at the short trailer for the story and, if you have a moment, take a look at the full story.  It's worth every second.



See the full compelling story here. It is worth every second. (Have the tissues on standby.) -> http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:12893699

The great coaches make it about something bigger than the sport they coach.  They see themselves as a servant leader who believes that sports are just a vehicle to get others to something greater.

On behalf of all players, I'd like to say thanks to all the great coaches.

Have a GREAT week!

-Herb


Articles Worth Reading







"A Title Doesn't Make You a Leader"




Upcoming Dates


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Sunday, April 19, 2015

Let's take a walk.


Update for Apr 20-24

 I had a lot of fun during the first “Walk with Mr. H” at recess on Friday.  Who knew walking around our path would be such a big draw with kids?  I tweeted a picture another teacher took of me walking and the response on Twitter was just as favorable as it had been with the kids:
I honestly don’t think it was because of me either; it could have been any one of us out there walking and the kids would have had just as much fun.
So what was the big draw?  Ask any kid to walk around a path during their recess and they’ll look at you like you have lobsters crawling out of your ears. But make yourself available to spend time with kids and they’ll be there.
I realized that the kids weren’t drawn to walking the path.  Kids were drawn to walking because it was a time to have a personal connection.
I had a great conversation with a teacher at the end of the week and we started talk about change in education (This is related, I promise...hang in there).  They said something that I completely agree with: Whatever we do for kids that works is really just good teaching.

It’s true: At the end of the day, it’s how we relate and interact with students that will determine the effectiveness of any program or any lesson that we do.  The conversation made me think of the remarks of another one of my favorite educators, Todd Whitaker: “It’s people, not programs, that determine the quality of a school.”
What that means to me is putting all of your stock into building relationships with your students. The “Walk with Mr. H” was successful because this year I’ve tried to make being visible in the building, knowing each student by his or her first name, and talking with them a top priority.  I believe that if I hadn’t spent my time building positive rapport with students, I would have been walking alone.  As George Couros reminds us: “To inspire meaningful change, you must make a connection to the heart before you make a connection to the mind.”
All of this has helped me to understand one key aspect to the work we are doing this year: No matter what we do in the future to re-imagine what the elementary learning experience might look like, effective change will always depend on the positive relationships we build with each other and with our students.
Articles Worth Reading







 Upcoming Dates
Apr 20
4th and 5th Grade ELA EOY State Assessments
Dave & Busters Spirit Night, 5pm-8pm


Apr 21
3rd Grade Spring OAA Reading
Staff Meeting with ADE/DCR staff at 3:45 pm at ADE--Teacher steering committee small group explains the vision/design for next year's extension opportunity to the staff as a whole


Apr 22
3rd, 4th, 5th, Grade Math Unit 1 EOY Assessments
*** Garden Dedication, Celebration *** 2:00ish -- See Becky and/or Meredith for details for how the kids can help this BIG DAY!


Apr 23
3rd, 4th, 5th, Grade Math Unit 2 EOY Assessments
*** ART SHOW *** 6:00-7:30pm


Apr 27
Board of Education Meeting at Alton Darby, 7pm


Apr 28
Tech PD with Kelly Riley, 7:45am


Apr 29
ADE WALKATHON -- During each grade’s Related Arts Time -- AM/PM KG will combine with a grade-level.  Details to come!


Student Housing Committee Meeting (Herb) 4:30


May 1
Team Connection Meeting with Dr. John/Board Member, 8:00am -- Meet and greet, breakfast provided.  Your chance to talk with Dr. John.
Upcoming AD/DC Project Dates
4/21--Staff Meeting with ADE/DCR staff at 3:45 pm at ADE--Teacher steering committee small group explains the vision/design for next year's extension opportunity to the staff as a whole


5/6--OPTIONAL STAFF MEETING--work time to collaborate/meet/plan with the people who are teaming up for the extension/design opportunity next year for students.


5/8--Teacher steering committee site visits and work session...
6 of the committee members from each building (those who didn’t go to Reynoldsburg) will go to Wickliffe with Herb, CT and Jennifer.  This team will see a Town Hall meeting that is completely run by students from 8:30-9:30 and then meet with, talk with, and tour the school with the principal until 11:00/11:30.  We will then meet back at CO at 12:00 with the ENTIRE Teacher Steering committee (the 4 who went to Reynoldsburg will need to put in for a ½ day PD request for the afternoon) to debrief and have lunch (provided and to be ordered through Aramark).  We will engage in conversation with the group regarding how to shift our practice as we continue moving forward with our design next year towards students defining their learning path through the options/opportunities that teachers can create/provide for them as experiences.  Could these/are these options/opportunities connected to the networks? This would support students defining the voice and choice in their learning and becomes the heart of student ownership within the design.
Additionally one GOAL for the day is to NAME IT...not pedagogically...or programatically....but based on our Guiding Principles.  So the IT that is named represents the way we do things grounded in those principles--the mantra of "Who We'd Like to Be".  We will be showing the teacher videos one more time and identifying how these ideas align to the principles established in our Guiding Principles and how these ideas can become opportunities for next year.  


5/13--last teacher steering committee meeting for 2014-15​--The purpose is the thank those who were on this committee and touch base/listen to their perspective of the buildings from which they represent, what they think is necessary for next year to move forward.  We will share with them our "list" of what needs to happen and ask them for their "list" in order to bridge the perspectives to move forward with SOME implementation of SOME ideas for the 2015-16 year.
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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Embracing the Energy of Spring

Update for Apr 13-17

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2517/3927296355_4f8831a67e_o.jpg
As the energy and urgency of Spring returns, we are quick notice how much this energy influences our students.
Their energy seems boundless and sometimes, from our perspective, it seems like students are easily distracted or become more impulsive.  And if we have been in education for at least a few years, we know that this phenomenon happens every year.
This is the time of year when the status quo and familiar routines won't engage in the same way. Spring means change and it seems that it's in our DNA to have that same urgency for change.
So rather than fight it or dread it, let's channel our students’ energy and embrace it.
This is the time of year to go for that big project. This is the time of year when the skills you have been focusing on with your students are reaching the peak of the school year. This is the time of year to put it all together, involving students in the direction you will go next.
Instead of planning in order to fill time, plan like you wish you had more time.
Have a great week!
Herb
Articles Worth Reading


Something to make you smile -- This reminds me to find JOY in the small moments!


Upcoming Dates
Apr 13
PTO Meeting, 7pm
Apr 14
Student Housing Committee Meeting (Herb), 6:30pm
Apr 15
School Community Meeting, 9:05am → Walkathon Kickoff, Garden Dedication overview
Apr 16
Admin Meeting (Herb), 8am
**  ADE Parent EdCamp! ** 6-8pm
Apr 17
K-5 Interims -- A good chance to update parents before the end of the year!
Building Advisory Meeting, 8:15am
Apr 20
4th and 5th Grade ELA EOY State Assessments
Dave & Busters Spirit Night, 5pm-8pm
Apr 21
3rd Grade Spring OAA Reading
Apr 22
3rd, 4th, 5th, Grade Math Unit 1 EOY Assessments
*** Garden Dedication, Celebration *** 2:00ish -- See Becky and/or Meredith for details for how the kids can help this BIG DAY!
Apr 23
3rd, 4th, 5th, Grade Math Unit 2 EOY Assessments
*** ART SHOW *** More to come!
Apr 27
Board of Education Meeting at Alton Darby, 7pm
Apr 28
Tech PD with Kelly Riley, 7:45am
Apr 29
ADE WALKATHON -- During each grade’s Related Arts Time -- AM/PM KG will combine with a grade-level.  Details to come!
Student Housing Committee Meeting (Herb) 4:30
May 1
Team Connection Meeting with Dr. John/Board Member, 8:00am -- Meet and greet, breakfast provided.  Your chance to talk with Dr. John.
**  Last Data Team Dates -- End of the Year / Class Lists **
Still working on dates.  Most likely will be mid-May to allow more time for assessments.


AD/DC Project Dates
4/13--Teacher Steering Committee meeting--Jennifer is going to ask Marcy McNight from Norwich to come and present to the committee regarding the PBL design in 5th grade she has helped to create.
4/14—4 Teacher Steering committee members from each building (Tricia, Bobbie, Donna, and Carolyn represent DCR) to visit 2 STEM schools in Reynoldsburg with CT and Herb.  This was originally scheduled on 5/8, however, Reynoldsburg couldn’t accommodate us on 5/8.
4/21--Staff Meeting with ADE/DCR staff at 3:45 pm at ADE--Teacher steering committee small group explains the vision/design for next year's extension opportunity to the staff as a whole
5/6--OPTIONAL STAFF MEETING--work time to collaborate/meet/plan with the people who are teaming up for the extension/design opportunity next year for students.
5/8--Teacher steering committee site visits and work session...
6 of the committee members from each building (those who didn’t go to Reynoldsburg) will go to Wickliffe with Herb, CT and Jennifer.  This team will see a Town Hall meeting that is completely run by students from 8:30-9:30 and then meet with, talk with, and tour the school with the principal until 11:00/11:30.  We will then meet back at CO at 12:00 with the ENTIRE Teacher Steering committee (the 4 who went to Reynoldsburg will need to put in for a ½ day PD request for the afternoon) to debrief and have lunch (provided and to be ordered through Aramark).  We will engage in conversation with the group regarding how to shift our practice as we continue moving forward with our design next year towards students defining their learning path through the options/opportunities that teachers can create/provide for them as experiences.  Could these/are these options/opportunities connected to the networks? This would support students defining the voice and choice in their learning and becomes the heart of student ownership within the design.
Additionally one GOAL for the day is to NAME IT...not pedagogically...or programatically....but based on our Guiding Principles.  So the IT that is named represents the way we do things grounded in those principles--the mantra of "Who We'd Like to Be".  We will be showing the teacher videos one more time and identifying how these ideas align to the principles established in our Guiding Principles and how these ideas can become opportunities for next year.  
5/13--last teacher steering committee meeting for 2014-15​--The purpose is the thank those who were on this committee and touch base/listen to their perspective of the buildings from which they represent, what they think is necessary for next year to move forward.  We will share with them our "list" of what needs to happen and ask them for their "list" in order to bridge the perspectives to move forward with SOME implementation of SOME ideas for the 2015-16 year.
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Sunday, March 1, 2015

School Culture Reflects What We Celebrate, Ignore, and Anticipate

Update for Mar 2-6



This weekend, Alton Darby Elementary hosted our annual Family Fun Day.  This was another new experience for me in my first year with this community.  My understanding is that this has been a tradition for at least 10 years.  In fact, one family has volunteered to help organize the event each of the last 10 years.
The event was a lot of fun and it was a great opportunity for the community to come together.  It also made me reflect on some of the thoughts and ideas I’ve been reading about in a book called School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It by Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker.
The combination of my experience with Family Fun Day this weekend and one line from the book really made me reflect on our school’s culture:

“Culture conveys to its members what they ought to celebrate, ignore, and anticipate.” (Gruenert & Whitaker, 2015)


Celebrate -- What are the traditions, the moments, and the events we look forward to each year?  Why are they important to the community?  Family Fun Day reminds me that we need to look forward to fun throughout the year.  What we did for International Dot Day was an amazing way to celebrate a budding collaboration with our closest neighbor, Darby Creek Elementary.  What’s important to the culture of our community is what we celebrate.
Ignore -- This is a turbulent time for public education.  There are many positive changes taking place as well as a lot distractions that potentially take our focus off of the important work we do for kids.  It’s a challenge to ignore what doesn’t matter to the work we do. But our culture reflects what we choose to put our focus on.  So shouldn’t we focus on what matters and ignore the rest?
Anticipate -- What excites kids so that they can’t wait to come to school?  What increases engagement among teachers, parents and students?  Our Kids’ EdCamps, while a ton of work, have been the moments this year that parents bring up the most when I ask about how they think the school year has gone so far.  How can we continue to connect teachers’ passions to students’ interests?
A school’s culture is so important to its success. Therefore, it’s important that we celebrate what we feel represents what we stand for, ignore what distracts us from the work we do for kids, and anticipate what’s possible for our learning community.




Articles Worth Reading

“Emergent Workplaces: Learning in the Networked Worker” http://idreflections.blogspot.com/2015/02/emergent-workplaces-learning-in.html?spref=tw

“Learning LittleBits” http://wp.me/pKlio-1RG via @jackiegerstein

Upcoming Dates


Mar 2
Beef O’Brady’s Spirit Night, 5-9pm
Mar 3
PARCC Math -  3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
Building Improvement Team meeting, 8am
Last day to enter data into Progress Reports (midnight)
Mar 4
PARCC Math - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
Spring Flower Sale Begins
Special Ed Team meeting, 12:30
Mar 5
Admin meeting (Herb), 8am
Mar 6
BAC meeting, 8am
Mar 9
PTO Meeting, 7pm
Mar 10
4th Grade Social Studies State Assessment
5th Grade Science State Assessment
Mar 11
ADE/DCR Staff Meeting, 3:35pm
Mar 14
Mar 16
Last Day for Spring Flower Sale Orders
Mar 17
Admin Meeting (Herb), 9:30
Teacher Steering Committee Meeting, 3:40
Mar 19
Class/Group/Staff Pictures
Admin Meeting (Herb), 8am
Mar 20
Spring Flower Sale Money due
Mar 22-27
Spring Break
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