Thrivapy: Live, Learn, Have Fun

H ighly successful educators do many things well.  In addition, there is a long list of potential characteristics they embody.  However, among those fine qualities are some that are less obvious - yet no less important. Here are three that sometimes do not get the credit they deserve. Highly successful educators are... 1.  specific Whether they are setting goals for themselves, their students, their classes, or their lessons; highly successful educators are specific about what they are working to accomplish.  In order to get specific, these educators invest the time to fully develop a clear vision of the accomplishment.  For example, a "more engaged class" is not enough.  The highly successful educator reflects on this statement and creates a picture of what a "more engaged class" actually looks and sounds like. 2.  ava ilable Being available is not the same as having office hours.  Physically present is an essential part of being available, but unless y

B eyond polices, structures, and procedures, lie some key elements for success.  For new school administrators (either new to a school or freshly picked from the teaching ranks), these sometimes overlooked elements can be the difference between a successful year and one you would like to forget. Sit in on "campfires" One of the most important, and time consuming, aspects of a new administrative role is getting a solid grasp on the culture, values, and unwritten expectations of the community you now serve.  One of the best ways to quickly get a handle on these elements is to seek out the campfires and listen to the stories.  As in the larger society, the stories and myths concerning the school will send a clear signal about the values and culture.  Listen to these stories.  Who is the hero?  What did she do to achieve that status?  Is the hero still part of the community?  If so, seek them out and talk with him. Teachers like to tell stories.  Do not make the mistake of a

E very once in a while, I look back at the books I have read and reflect on their influence, usefulness, and "gravitational-like" power to get me to re-read chapters.  The ones that rise to levels of respect above all others become part of my personal "dog ear" collection (named after the fact that the ones I "dog ear" the most usually find their way onto the list).  I also include in this list any Kindle books that i have electronically "dog eared" with bookmarks or notes. As an aside, I would be remiss to forget two titles that, though not dog eared (since I wrote them), I find useful and frequently refer to - my own two Ebooks: Paying Attention: Thoughts on Communication in Schools Foundations: Examining Vision, Beliefs, Mission, and Philosophy For what it is worth, here is my "dog ear" collection (in no particular order). Ignore them at your own risk. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin Poke the Box by

  F or administrators, your relationship with the teaching faculty is a key component to achieving school wide goals and improving the quality of the student experience.  As with all relationships, this one will have its ups and downs.  However, if you follow a few basic guidelines, you can improve the chances of establishing healthy, respectful, and effective relationships with teachers. Here are a few suggestions. Avoid possessive language The teachers do not belong to you.  Stop referring to them as "my faculty."  Along those same lines, the school (or division, or class) doesn't belong to you either.  The same rule applies. Ask questions I have found that asking more questions than delivering monologues is a good way to maintain good relationships.  That doesn't mean I am not guilty of pontificating from time to time, but at least I recognize it. Listen to answers If you ask questions, it helps to listen to the answers (and implement them as necessary).

R evolutions are messy, bloody, and usually require a great deal of luck to succeed.  Historically, that luck has come in the form of some outside force (with an agenda similar to the revolutionaries') that is willing to provide significant support to help even the odds. It has been suggested that education needs a revolution, but I'm not sure that is the answer. Rather, I believe education needs to be free to simply evolve.  In other words, education would benefit from removing the impediments to its growth and development.  Education also needs to become more comfortable with "natural selection" and allow the beliefs and practices of the past, which are now ineffective and unsustainable, to simply fade away. Every great educator I know did not wake up one day and suddenly have a dramatic/revolutionary change in her practice/professionalism.  It took time, patience, trial and error, coaching, mentoring, and discovery.  Education, as a field, is largely defined

A s an educator, I am interested in observing any noticeable benefits of flipping a class over the long run.  While I am excited about any technique that raises student engagement, the fact is that this blended teaching method is fairly new and has a few basic roadblocks, specifically, a student with poor or no Internet access at home seems to be at a disadvantage. Never the less, I am NOT an anti-flipper (if such a term exists).  Rather, I am somewhat prudent in making evaluations on teaching techniques that I am not very experienced. On the other hand, I would offer a somewhat different take on flip teaching that applies to any classroom - including those with students who lack Internet access at home.  This alternative flip is not based on the instruction, but rather the mindset behind the role of teacher and student. No, I am not talking about having students prepare lessons and teach parts of a class.  That isn't new.  Instead, I am referring to a more philosophical out

  S ure, you can do a research study.  Crunch the numbers.  Interview multiple people.  You can do all of this and you would certainly begin to understand and appreciate what it takes to be an effective and successful educator. Yes, you can do those. On the other hand, if you don't have time (or if the idea of doing scientific/investigative research is not your cup of tea), you can pay attention to what you hear each year at the various end of the school year ceremonies. Chances are you will find a similar answer in the research and in the speeches. I am not referring to pedagogy, lesson planning, flipped or regular classes, technology integration, etc. I am referring to the "secret sauce."  The one item that makes all others possible.  The ingredient that we know is present because of what we experience, not because of what we are told. The secret sauce is often taken  for granted, but we know immediately when it is missing. For educators, the secret sauce

...is knowing when support means backing away and allowing students to go at it on their own. It is difficult because if teachers do it too soon, students are set up for an avoidable failure and distress. Do it too late and students rebel against your guidance. Parents face this issue as well.  Outside of parents and teachers, nobody else is faced with the effects of such a decision. Want to refine your instincts and improve the timing of such a decision? Try teaching a child how to ride a bicycle (or any other new skill). Take up a new hobby and record your own feelings about trying on your own. Listen to parents talk about how their child learned to dress themselves (or independently do any other task at home). There is an art to knowing when to back away.  Finely tuned instincts help.  So does being observant and listening to cues from your students. Oh, and backing away doesn't mean running away.  You can back away slowly at first.  This allows you to jump b

now what?  Hugh MacLeod (2008) Image found at http://gapingvoid.com/2008/06/13/now-what/ copyright 2012 Hugh MacLeod's gapingvoid available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivatives license Y esterday (June 8, 2012), I published a post, What did you learn this year? . If you haven't read it, please do or this post will not make much sense. If you did (or have now and are ready to continue), here is my follow up question. Based on what you now know, what will you do differently ? If you are not prepared to act on what you now know about your class, don't go through the motions of asking for feedback.

  L ike many schools nearing the end of the school year, you probably gave your students a chance to demonstrate what they have learned.  You may have done this through an exam, final project, summary paper, "end of year" presentation, etc. However, students weren't alone in class.  You were there too. Did you take the chance to get feedback from them about the class?  Did you include their feedback as part of your year-end professional reflection? In some format, you probably asked them, "What did you learn this year?" For the student-centered lead learner (yes, I mean you, the teacher), the same question applies. What did you learn this year?

T here are many reasons for educators to feel a sense of pride in their work.  Some of that pride should be directed towards your own personal work.  Some of it should be directed towards your students' work. This post is about your students' work. Pride in your students' work falls into two categories: work your students did during the year work  your students are now prepared to do in the future There is nothing wrong with looking back over the accomplishments your students attained over the past year.  Certainly, seeing the fruits of your labor is an important piece to maintaining your own motivation.  So, take pride in what your students have done and be prepare to do it again next year. However, it is the pride in knowing what your students can do AFTER spending a year with you that I suggest is even more important. Artifacts of past success are important and should be recognized. Developing and encouraging new potential for future success is par

The following article was written by guest contributor, Mark Pullen. Mark is an advocate for classroom technology integration, and writes extensively on that subject on behalf of Worth Ave Group . A s a teacher in a third grade 1:1 classroom, my students all have laptops which they may use whenever needed.  Early in the school year, I let the students know that these computers will serve us powerfully in three key ways: as knowledge tools, creation tools and connection tools .  Using these devices, the students can find virtually all recorded information from throughout human history; they can create, display, and share their work in new and innovative ways; and they can also connect with virtually anyone, including experts in almost any field.   The students quickly understand the computer’s power as a knowledge tool and gradually grow in their skill of using it as a creation tool, but it generally takes more time for the students to fully understand the power of the computer as