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The sermon alluded to change today, and I figured it was a perfect time to talk about it. The amount of changes in my life are extraordinary. As a child of divorced parents, I changed schools seven times in twelve years. I don't look at that as so much of a negative thing, though, as it taught me how to make friends. I had a best friend in 3rd grade, another one in 4th grade (in New Braunfels), and then a really great best friend in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade when we moved to San Antonio. Then we had to move again, so I made another best friend in 7th grade. Then we had to move again, and I made friends with lots of new people, including a new best friend. High school brought new friends and a best friend who is still one of my best friends forever. And then came college. Talk about change. I basically had the same roommate and suitemates for three years, until several of us became RAs (resident assistants). One of my best friends from college became my near neighbor in Dallas, and we were each other's maids of honor in each other's weddings. Change was abundant in friendships, that's for sure, but there are 9 of us from college that get together every fall for a long weekend. Have we seen changes? Most certainly....three of us have had breast cancer, one brain cancer, and one colon cancer. But one thing stays constant----we are there for each other despite the changes in hair color, weight, children, divorces, and so much more. I can't help but be reminded of one the most significant changes in my entire life (besides accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in 8th grade), and that was when I married Dave in 1992. He was 31 and I was 26 (no need to do the math, please), so we had already established some routines of our own. Meshing those together was an interesting task. I remember the first time I had made potato salad for dinner. After dinner, I asked if there was anything Dave would have done differently (danger, danger!). Dave asked why I didn't peel the potatoes. I tried to explain that their jackets were the healthiest part. He said he had never had potato salad with "jackets". Game on----for 32 years----we still talk and laugh about this. You see, we had been single long enough to have our own ways of doing things, and it was time for change and compromise. Change isn't always bad, but it sure made for a great story for years and years. As our Episcopal priest said today, "No matter who you voted for, change is coming." She talked about change brings new life and it brings challenges. I totally agree. In 2012, I resigned from my position as principal at the best elementary school in the world, Edge Elementary School in Niceville, Florida. Dave and I were moving to Tucson (change from a wet sauna to a dry sauna), and I had a decision to make about whether I wanted to apply for principalships in Tucson or if I wanted to do something totally different within the education world. I became a consultant for Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching, that we had just adopted in Okaloosa County. For 12 years now, I have traveled the world, working with schools, districts, and universities, helping teachers grow in their practice; helping principals grow in the practice of coaching teachers; and helping university professors grow in their ability to help grow effective teachers and school leaders. I will never forget the first day of school that I was a principal no longer. I cried like a baby when I saw school buses picking up kids. But a few weeks later, I was in upstate New York, where one of my favorite principals (who is now a Superintendent) came up to me and said, "It is clear that you miss being a principal. You obviously made an impact and it made an impact on you. The thing is: you were at one school. Now, you make an impact on so many people at so many schools." Tears fell down my cheeks as I hugged him and thanked him for his kind words. What a change!! Just for today, think about the changes in your life.....some good, some not so great. What would you change if you could do it today? I wouldn't change a thing, as I do believe that change brings progress, no matter who we voted for or what we believe in. Happy Communicating! Shelly 
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I was so blessed to spend summer and fall with administrators and teachers all over the USA area who truly care about teaching and learning. As most of you know, I don't complain much about the work I do. But passion for the most important work of improving teaching and learning never wanes. In fact, to be quite honest, I feel even stronger about helping teachers and administrators grow in their practice than ever before. I'm about to turn 59 years old in November, and I suppose that is making me reflect on my own life and what I have done in my own career. After being a special education teacher for several years, a school counselor for many years, a principal for 7 years, then now an educational consultant and professor (for loads of Ed. Leadership classes and student teachers), my professional life could not have been better. I am so very grateful for the trajectory I have been blessed to take over these years and for all the people I have met and worked with! What is it about reflection that is so vital? Below are my reflections on reflection. Student Reflection I have had students in the courses I teach reflect on their learning, and I am always so satisfied when I hear them say things like, "I never realized before......but now I truly believe...." The same holds true with workshop participants. When I hear, "I always thought I was good at working with my teachers before, but now I see so many ways to improve my practice", I feel like dancing on air. We watched eight teachers this week. In a couple of classes, we heard students say things like, "Oh! I get it now!" or "Thanks. That makes sense" (the last one was a student to student ah-ah). We also heard a teacher say, "I want the students to summarize their learning at the end of every lesson, but running out of time is the story of my life." We brainstormed ways to NOT run out time, as we agreed that reflection ties up the learning with a nice bow. Teacher Reflection Getting constructive feedback can be hard, but is it worthwhile? Most teachers say it is an incredibly worthwhile process if they, themselves, can be the ones to come to the ah-ha moment versus being TOLD what to do. Consider the following scenario: Supervisor: Did you notice the three students at the back of the room texting? Teacher: No, but I have been working with them on not doing that and they don't seem to care. Supervisor: You need to have a basket at the front of the room where they all put their cell phones when they come in the classroom Teacher: Okay. I'll do that. Who did all the work and the thinking? The supervisor, of course. Now consider this scenario: Supervisor: As you reflected on the beginning of the lesson, what patterns did you notice? Teacher: Well, first of all, I noticed that I do most of the talking for students. I relay the content for the day, and I continue to reiterate the expectations for them about what they are going to do during the lesson. Supervisor: What might be some ways students have an opportunity to play a role in that? Teacher: Well, seeing the notes you took really made me think about how much thinking I do for the students. Even sometimes when I ask questions, if I don't immediately get a response, I just answer the question for them. I want to get better at ensuring they "get" the purpose of the lesson. Supervisor: Some ways that students can take ownership might be to jot down on a post-it note their own personal summary of what they think the lesson will be about. Another might be to have the students turn to each other and tell their partners what they heard you say about the directions. Another idea is to randomly call on a few students to ensure you have a sampling of what they think they will be learning. Which of those might work with your style? Teacher (writes down on a pad two of the ideas): I definitely want to use post-it notes more. The Stop and Jot idea I've heard my teammates use but I always forget to put out post-it notes. I'm going to be more purposeful about that. Also, the random sampling is good. If I "cold call" on a few students, I'll get a better sense of their understanding of what they will be learning, and it won't take up too much time from my lesson plan. Who did the bulk of the work and the thinking above? The teacher, right? And that meshes well with what we know about learning, as it is an active intellectual process that ensures the learner does the learning. I would love for everyone to listen to Kimiko Broome, one of the coolest teachers I met last week, talk about her own learning after our reflection conference. Administrator reflection It is one of my favorite things to have administrators watch a model reflection conference then, when asked, to reflect on the conference, they say things like, "I need to work on my questioning skills" or "I do WAY too much telling and talking at the teachers." It is one of the most satisfying and rewarding events in my own career when I have seen administrators or supervisors have ah-ha moments like that. But it doesn't happen by accident or casually. It happens when they are given time to learn new skills, practice them, see them modeled, then get coached on them. Most every principal or administrator with whom I have worked with on this skill says the same thing I felt at one time: "This is going to transform the learning for my teachers." My reflection Finally, I can't forget or negate my own reflection every time I work with adult learners. I either go back to my hotel, head to the airport, or drive to my next venue and think about what I can do to increase the learning of all those with whom I work. What protocols can I use that will assist them in helping those with whom THEY work? What impact am I making and how am I making a difference? How did I challenge people's thinking to perhaps consider a new way of doing things? And finally, and perhaps (selfishly) most importantly, how am I helping educators and parents who are currently raising kids who will be the best productive citizens possible when they finish their schooling? Why is this so important? Quite honestly, since Dave and I only have canine children, I am counting on the educators of today to raise and grow young people who will someday push my wheelchair and wipe our hind ends as needed. I like what I am seeing in this regard around the country and around the world, and I thank each one of you who is taking part in education! Happy communicating, Shelly  Wow! This is a tough topic to discuss right now, as people are geared up to vote, or already have, and there is such tension in society. I just spent a glorious weekend with 8 other Trinity University graduates from 1988 (please don't do the math), and we reveled in the fact that we have continued to be besties for 40 years. I know for a fact that if I got into a hefty bind, every single one of them would have my back. Guess what! We didn't talk politics the entire weekend. There was no need. Republican or Democrat, we love each other, and our political views don't alter that love in the least. That brings me such joy! Schools are feeling a lack of joy (let's be honest) since COVID. Why? Students came back to brick and mortar schools a full year (in many cases, more) behind. But those teachers are still expected to teach that grade level standard since the state test will be based on that. In my humble opinion, because I choose joy, I would have said, "If you were about to start 2nd grade when COVID hit, you will be coming back as a 2nd grader". I believe that would have been the best thing we could have done for students and teachers. If I were a part of the U.S. Department of Education (which I truly pray remains in existence after this election), I would insist that we make a level playing field across the country. Isn't that what we tried to do with Common Core, and it became a bad word (or phrase) for so many who didn't even understand the impetus for it. Choosing joy also means I choose to understand the good behind something as important as this. I was a principal in a district that was in between two military bases. Students came and went, not always be choice, but by what the next assignment was for the military parent. The result was that students would move from one state to ours (Florida) and would either be ahead (even a year) or behind (even a year) simply because of the state standards that were being taught at specific grades. Imagine if we had federal standards for students: all students in 1st grade must pass these standards in these subjects to move on to 2nd grade. Then, if families have to move around, the pacing of the teaching is not so "off" as it is now. Folks, "Common Core" was not a bad word. Many just didn't understand it. Here's another example: A parent complains that their child is being taught that they have to draw out or "show their work" on a math problem that they have memorized (8 X 8 = 64). Why should I have to learn the reason WHY that works? Well, I choose joy, so I am more than happy to tell you. At what numbers did we stop memorization of numbers? Typically at 12 X 12, right? At least that's what the racecars in 2nd or 3rd grade show on the bulletin board. The problem is unless we learn HOW multiplication works, we can't rely on our rote memorization once we get to 3-digit multiplication. I love that students can reason through the fact that 128 X 346 couldn't possible equal something like 475. Why? Because they have been taught to reason through multiplication. "Use a calculator", you say? Or your cell phone? Sure, but I love to watch young minds be able to reason through something we weren't taught ourselves. How do we help bring joy back to schools? I see it all the time as I visit schools and districts around the country (and the world, actually). First of all, I believe every school should have a regular fellowship snack or meal together. Getting together with food encourages relationships and trust. I have research to back that up, by the way (Arneson, 2012). Next, we need to allow teachers to teach without frequent disruptions (I, myself, have been annoyed when teaching PD in a school in which someone came on the intercom at least once every 30 minutes). Let teachers teach!! And can we please agree that piling on PDs that are not authentic, relevant, and sustainable is a waste of everyone's time? I love what I do because the PDs I teach about new strategies in questioning and engagement, etc. are welcomed with open arms (mostly), AND I get to go in teachers' classrooms and watch them teach, resulting in a reflection conference in which they are the ones who do the bulk of the talking. Teachers want to talk about teaching. They just don't seem to be able to find the time to do it. Let's help them find the time to talk about teaching. I believe with my heart and soul that it will bring some joy back into the teaching profession. In times of trouble, we have a choice. We can wallow in self-pity and flail our arms around in helplessness or we can choose joy and a way forward. Just for today, think of one thing you could do to choose and act on joyful things. Happy Communicating, Shelly Arneson, M. S. (2012). Character and Competence: A Mixed Methods Study on Teacher Trust in Principals in a Midsized County in Florida (Doctoral dissertation, University of West Florida).  |
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