Thrivapy: Live, Learn, Have Fun

  I was watching my children build a tower out of Lego blocks recently.  As the tower grew in height, it began to lean and eventually fall.  At first, frustration set in, but then they figured out two ways to keep a higher tower upright. 1.  They could build a wider foundation to support the tower. 2.  They could build the tower around an already standing structure that was tall enough to support the tower from the inside (basically adding a skeleton to the tower that couldn't be seen from the outside). We expect students to learn more, grow intellectually, and ascend to higher levels of understanding. Maybe there is something there to learn from the Lego block tower. Are you providing students a wide enough foundation to support that level of achievement? Is there a constant support system working from within to encourage higher levels of understanding?

image found at  http://harveyd.edublogs.org/category/professional-development/ I am all for teachers trying new ways to make connections in their class by using available and engaging technological tools. However... At some point, your connection may be slow, the power may go down, your battery runs out (and you forgot your power chord, etc. These are the moments that highlight which teachers are putting the cart before the horse.  It is not about the tools.  What matters is the learners.  Your connection to them should never be as limited as an image on a screen, a comment box under a blog post, a search result, etc. Those rarely change and have no ability to adapt to the needs of the learner.  That video you rely on to "teach" the lesson isn't paying attention to the reactions of the students.  It can't stop itself and hold an unscheduled discussion of an issue that suddenly and obviously hits a nerve.  The video just plays, unaware of the response it r

E ach year, I have the pleasure of observing and interacting with a number of teachers.  In the 20 years I have spent working in schools, I have come to believe that the point at which every educator grows from beginner (or novice) teacher to established professional happens when a certain set of qualities moves from requiring conscious effort to the habit of serving students. There is no time table for this transformation.  Some teachers are lucky enough to have wonderful mentors and administrators who help them develop these characteristics fairly quickly.  Other teachers start off with bad advice, develop poor habits, and have to re-invent themselves (usually with a fresh start at a different school). Either way, I believe there are five characteristics that, once they become habits, are indicators of the ideal professional educator.  To remember them, I have come up with the acronym FRITR (pronounced fritter ,   like the pastry). F riendly R esponsive I nteractive T rus

W hen students enter school, there is always great hope (and the expectation) that the student will grow and develop over the course of time and leave the school having become a better, more fully prepared citizen. However, the relationship between school and student is not one sided.  While it is natural to expect the school to have an effect on the student, how the student effects the school can often be overlooked. One of my favorite questions to ask students, especially those who are new to the school, is, "What do you think you need to do to make the school better?"   Students are usually stunned by that question and have a difficult time thinking of an answer.  Mostly, they try to think of what kinds of activities they can participate in or teams to join.  While there is absolutely nothing wrong with contributing to the life of the school by being an active participant, the answer I guide students towards is less about any one specific activity and more con

image found at http://www.northeaststage.com/store/ E ducators can view their relationship with schools in many ways.  Here are two worth reflecting upon. 1.  In exchange for your time and talent, the school (or school system) in which you work  gives you a stage to demonstrate how much you know . 2.  In exchange for your time and talent, the school (or school system) in which you work  gives you an opportunity to demonstrate how much you care . image found at  http://gregory-g-allen.blogspot.com/2012/02/missed-opportunities.html  W hich statement is more aligned with how you feel?  

  B eing able to do a quick online search is helpful.  Knowing where to find the correct information is a useful skill.  Having the ability to collaborate with skilled peers gives you an advantage over those who do not understand group dynamics. However... There are times in life, and especially in leadership roles, when you need to be agile.  You need to move quickly. You need to stand and deliver. Not just deliver with acceptable results, but deliver with remarkable results.  You need to deliver the goods and deliver them spot on. This is much easier for those who can draw upon a vast reservoir of knowledge and experiences.   As such, content matters because through the learning of subject matter content, we absorb information.   Sharing information matters because by engaging in the social process of sharing information, we create knowledge. Whether knowing the atomic number of Argon (18 by the way) or having gone through the experience of having to lea

D uring these summer months, educational leaders are preparing for the approaching 2012-2013 school year.  In every case, some form of change will "go live" once teachers and students arrive.  These changes can take on a wide range of forms.   Here are a few examples that may be familiar. Completely new school schedule New technology integration initiative New teachers to replace long-serving, and now retired, faculty members Greater focus and emphasis on already existing programs Small adjustments in multiple operational procedures You, as a school leader, serving in a new role or at a different school Of course, there are many other possibilities.  However, I have found that most school changes fall into three broad categories: Something completely new (program, person, procedure) replacing a previous form of the same item Something new to support an already existing program Noticeable adjustments to an existing program to highlight its value L eadin

 R ecently, we experienced a few unusually strong storms here in Northern Virginia.  During one, the wind was gusting up to hurricane force levels.  Quite a few trees fell and power was out for many people for multiple days. During the height of one particular storm, my neighbor decided to call her roof and siding expert.  It was about 11:00 pm and she figured she was going to need him to come by the next day after  hearing  the damage being done outside.  Because of the time, her hope was to leave a message so she could get on his, surely to be long, list of customers. To her surprise, the owner actually answered the call himself.  He was manning the phones to make sure his customers, who he knew would be needing his help, would know for certain that he had received their call.  He couldn't calm the storm, but her was able to provide some degree of assurance. My neighbor could now worry less about someone being able to come fix her damage because the expert was aware of the

   I n the midst of a recent room renovation, I called an electrician for help with a wiring problem.  While he worked, I commented that though I am not necessarily the most accomplished DIYer, I typically try to take care of issues before calling a professional - EXCEPT with electrical work.  I believe I said, "With plumbing, I am not likely to drown myself if I mess up.  Electrical is another issue altogether!" In my mind, I know when to try something new (after researching the issue and possible solutions) and when to call an expert.  Usually, the scale begins to tip towards the expert when my attempt to fix it involves a greater than acceptable risk of serious injury to myself or damage to my home. In my professional work, I have been called upon to provide support in areas which I have a history of success.  These areas include personnel management, strategic thinking, synthesis and analysis, and goal setting.  Of course, I am not an expert in all things, so as

Image adapted from Wikimedia Commons file,  Jack_Be_Nimble_1_-_WW_Denslow_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_18546.jpg ,  Illustration by  w:en:William Wallace Denslow   from the Project Gutenberg EBook of Denslow's Mother Goose, Original copyright 1902 by   William Wallace Denslow   From: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18546. S chool leaders face numerous situations which require decisions.  Often,a thoughtful and prudent approach to making decisions works well.  However, there are times when the leader needs to be nimble and quick, such as emergencies or taking advantage of sudden opportunities.   Knowing when to act quickly and when to proceed with caution is important.  Misreading the situation may cause the leader (and the school) to "get burned" by the metaphorical candle. When quick action is needed, leaders need to call upon a reserve of experiences and knowledge to guide them.  In addition, leaders who are rarely "like Jack" may find it difficult to

image found at  http://www.webpagefx.com/blog/general/how-to-get-in-the-zone-at-work/  I  remember playing baseball and being "in the zone."  At bat, the ball seemed to move slower and appeared bigger.  In the field, I could anticipate where the ball would go before the batter made contact. On the mound, my focus was razor sharp and the distance to the catcher's mitt seemed more like 40 feet away than the actual 60 feet 6 inches.   When I think back over those moments, it was as if every move was effortless, instinctual, and exactly timed. Now, I am not an expert on being in the zone.  As a matter of fact, I am reading  Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience  by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly to try to understand this experience better.  Since I have not finished the book yet, I cannot make any decisions based on its suggestions.  However, after reading  The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business  by Charles Duhigg, I am led to believe that some aspec