This summer marks the end of my 3rd year as an administrator. This year has definitely been a crazy one; a roller-coaster of emotions and experiences. Like most educators, I use summer as a time to reflect, regroup and recharge.
I am looking forward to the slower, less hectic pace of the work day and the ability to ditch the tie and wear sneakers to work (most days, at least). However, the part of summer that I look forward to the most, is the opportunity to dedicate more time to my professional learning. As I covered in my last blog post, as much as I value blogging, social media and other professional learning opportunities, it can be very difficult to dedicate the time that such ventures truly deserve during the heart of the school year.
Summer has always served as a time to "sharpen my saw" with new skills and ideas and to "whet my appetite" with inspiration and examples of excellence from my PLN.
That being said, like any good learner, I always like to create a list of goals for myself during the summer:
1.) Finish Reading Teach Like A Pirate by Dave Burgess (Carried over from last year, Sorry @burgessdave)
- I started reading the book last summer as part of a book study through Twitter, but only made it through about 1/2
2.) Finish Reading Mindset by Carol Dweck
- I began reading this book in preparation of hearing Carol speak at the annual NASSP conference this past March. However, after I accepted my new position at my current elementary school, I was unable to attend the conference and never got the opportunity to finish reading.
3.) Attend EdCamp Leadership at University of Penn in August
- I'm defnitely an EdCamp junkie and love that this year's EdCamp Leadership is in my hometown. Such a great expereince last year!!
4.) Learn everything I can about Aurasma and Augmented Reality
- Learned about this app at EdCamp Philly this May and have fallen head over heels for it. I hope that I can help share that passion for its possibilities with my staff and get some of them to take a leap of faith with it in their classrooms. Lead by example, right :)
So there it is. Four goals sandwiched around a few long weekend getaways and the normal summer work that needs to be done for August/September.
I hope your summer lists are meaningful and manageable.
Be well.
Joe
Monday, June 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
A Rebirth of sorts...
It's been a while since I have visited and posted on my blog. It's a frustrating and painful thing to admit, but I have struggled this year with the motivation to continue blogging. I started with fervor in July (as many educators do over the summer) with visions of regular posts, documenting the successes and trials of my daily leadership experiences. However, as is the case with many educator's grand plans, those plans were met with a cold dose of reality once the school year started. To go along with my regular duties as Assistant Principal, I was also given the responsibilities of Athletic Director for my middle school.
Despite the efforts of my incredible support staff and my fellow building administrators, I felt myself growing more and more buried in the sea of administrative minutia. I found it increasingly difficult to make time for the professional exercises (blogging, twitter chats, etc) that had made the previous school year and summer so positive. I continually tried to recommit to those practices. I even joined a great community running the #blogamonth challenge in hopes they would push and motivate me, but even they couldn't pull me out of the minutia quicksand. I found myself with little time for classroom visits, conversations with teachers, or the type of instructional leadership that I had come to expect from myself. I didn't like feeling this way, but I had no idea what to do about it. This was NOT why I became an administrator.
So in February, I made the difficult decision to resign my position and accept a new position as an Elementary Assistant Principal in another district. It was extremely difficult to leave the students and staff at the middle school and dive into the relative "unknown" that was the elementary level. However, professionally and personally, this change could not have come at a better time.
I started in my new position, which is split between two elementary schools, at the beginning of April. While my head is swimming a bit as I undergo this transition, I have found the new experience incredibly freeing. In my short time in this new position, I have been able to connect with students and teachers more as I work to become part of my new school communities. I have also found the motivation to refocus on my own learning and the professional practices that help me be at my best so I can help students and teachers be at theirs.
I don't really have a theme or take-away for this post. I guess its more of an explanation and an apology for my lack of activity. It's also served as a bit of a cathartic exercise for me, so Thank you for reading. I'm feeling more like myself, which feels pretty darn good, and that is definitely a victory worth celebrating.
Be Well.
Joe
Despite the efforts of my incredible support staff and my fellow building administrators, I felt myself growing more and more buried in the sea of administrative minutia. I found it increasingly difficult to make time for the professional exercises (blogging, twitter chats, etc) that had made the previous school year and summer so positive. I continually tried to recommit to those practices. I even joined a great community running the #blogamonth challenge in hopes they would push and motivate me, but even they couldn't pull me out of the minutia quicksand. I found myself with little time for classroom visits, conversations with teachers, or the type of instructional leadership that I had come to expect from myself. I didn't like feeling this way, but I had no idea what to do about it. This was NOT why I became an administrator.
So in February, I made the difficult decision to resign my position and accept a new position as an Elementary Assistant Principal in another district. It was extremely difficult to leave the students and staff at the middle school and dive into the relative "unknown" that was the elementary level. However, professionally and personally, this change could not have come at a better time.
I started in my new position, which is split between two elementary schools, at the beginning of April. While my head is swimming a bit as I undergo this transition, I have found the new experience incredibly freeing. In my short time in this new position, I have been able to connect with students and teachers more as I work to become part of my new school communities. I have also found the motivation to refocus on my own learning and the professional practices that help me be at my best so I can help students and teachers be at theirs.
I don't really have a theme or take-away for this post. I guess its more of an explanation and an apology for my lack of activity. It's also served as a bit of a cathartic exercise for me, so Thank you for reading. I'm feeling more like myself, which feels pretty darn good, and that is definitely a victory worth celebrating.
Be Well.
Joe
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
The PLN Challenge
Over break, I was lucky enough to be encouraged by a
few members of my PLN to take part in the #blogamonth challenge where a group
of educators commit to blogging and commenting at least once a month. As part of the challenge, Drew Frank
(@ugafrank) nominated our group for the PLN Challenge. Like most people in my PLN, I have never met
Drew in person, but I have had the opportunity to learn with and from him in
many chats and through his blog posts.
Drew is a wealth of excellent resources and ideas. I would encourage you to follow him if you
are not already. On to the Challenge!
The
PLN Challenge:
1. Acknowledge
the nominating blogger – Check!
2. Share
11 random facts about yourself
3. Answer
the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you
4. Nominate
11 bloggers for the Challenge
5. Post
11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and let the bloggers know
they have been nominated.
11
Random Facts about Me:
1. I
have two wonderful little girls.
2. Huge
Philly Sports Fan - Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers (Not really a basketball fan
though, Sorry 76ers)
3. I
met my wife on a trip to Disney World after HS graduation, even though we lived
7 minutes from each other during HS.
4. My
wife is the most creative person I know.
She crafts, knits, cooks. She’s
awesome!
5. I
love video games.
6. I
am secretly addicted to watching Cooking shows, even though I can’t cook a lick
7. I
am a believer that almost anything can be improved by adding cheese or peanut
butter (but NEVER Both!)
8. I
am a self-proclaimed math geek…and PROUD of it!
9. I
am the oldest of 3children with 7 years difference between me and the next
oldest
10. I
come from a family of educators.
11. I
knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was in 6th grade.
1. What
is your favorite movie of all time?
It’s a tie between The
Shawshank Redemption and Remember the Titans
2. If
you could go to have attended any concert anytime in history, what would it
have been?
3. What
do you do for fun? Hobby?
Video
games and Card Playing. I love a good
poker game.
4. What
two guests would make the best comedic pair as co-hosts for the Oscars?
Will
Ferrell and Darryl Hammond as Bill Clinton and George Bush
5. Cat,
Dog or Goldfish? Why…
Dog, not even
close. Loyalty, companionship and
unconditional love. I love my dog.
6. How
do you caffeinate?
Not a coffee
drinker. I’ve tried, but just can’t
acquire a taste for it. I’m a Diet Soda
guy.
7. Favorite
twitter chat?
#PAEdchat – I am
co-moderator of this chat with my colleagues Bob Lochel (@bobloch) and Diane
Holben (@DianeHolben) on Thursdays @ 9EST.
I am also a fan of #sbgchat and #mschat.
8. Best
place you ever vacationed?
My wife and I took a
cruise of the Western Mediterranean for our honeymoon. We hit Marseilles, Monaco, Tuscany, Rome and
Naples all in one trip. It was
amazing!!!
9. Best
book you’ve read in 2013?
Shifting the Monkey by
Todd Whitaker (@ToddWhitaker). Simple,
Practical ideas steps to implement. I
also love Todd’s style of writing
10. Favorite
television shows?
Game of Thrones, Modern
Family and The Big Bang Theory
11. What
is one thing you never/rarely share that you are exceptionally proud of?
I played Division III
lacrosse for DeSales University. I
started in goal for 3 years and, upon leaving, owned most game and season school
goaltending records
My
Turn to Nominate:
Now it’s my turn to nominate 11 bloggers. I am nominating a mix of the #blogamonth participants
along with other members of my PLN that have had an influence on me. Please give these guys a follow and check out
their blogs.
|
Name
|
Twitter Handle
|
Blog Address
|
|
Bob
Lochel
|
@bobloch
|
|
|
Joe
Mazza
|
@Joe_Mazza
|
|
|
Tom
Murray
|
@thomascmurray
|
|
|
Kevin
Deissler
|
@MrDeissler
|
|
|
Justin
Aion
|
@JustinAion
|
|
|
Jeremy
Lenzi
|
@MrLenziGS
|
|
|
Steve
Kwikkel
|
@SKwikkel
|
|
|
Kevin
Kelly
|
@EmmausKevinK
|
|
|
Justin
Staub
|
@DrStaubSTEM
|
|
|
Allison
Petersen
|
@alcp
|
|
|
Rik
Rowe
|
@WHSRowe
|
- If you
weren’t in education, what would you do instead?
- Who is
your favorite actor of all time?
- If you
could go to have attended any famous speech anytime in history, what would
it have been?
- What do
you do to relax? De-stress?
- If you
could invite anyone to dinner who would you invite and why?
- Would you
prefer to visit a Zoo or Aquarium and why?
- Favorite
twitter chat?
- What is one
thing you tried last year that you learned about from your PLN?
- Best place
to be quiet and reflect?
- Favorite
book of your life?
- What is
one thing you never/rarely share that you are exceptionally proud of?
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