The Juggling Act

School

Work

Family

Church/Neighborhood

We’re tugged in all directions to accomplish certain tasks and build relationships that are meaningful and rewarding for us.  Yet often, there is too much to be done, and not nearly enough time to accomplish it all.

One principal I’ve worked for has kicked teachers out of the building at 3:30pm, telling them to go home.  He valued his family, and did not want anyone else leading an unbalanced life where work was your entire life.

I’ve worked for another principal who literally lives at the school.  Her daughter is grown and in college, her responsibilities and her focus is that school–and she expects everyone else to feel the same way.  It’s at the point where you get a guilt/disappointment trip if you are leaving early.  “Oh, half day today?!” is the comment as you leave at 5pm after a long day that began at 7:30am.

In the past I might have been energized and ready to go for 12+ hours in the school. But that was before I had a family and a daughter.  Now I’m ready, willing and able to work, and work incredibly effectively, but I am not willing to stay later, simply for the sake of staying late. What’s the point? Sure if there’s a large project that’s due, or some last minute things that pop up, once in a while, that’s ok.

What are your thoughts?

You have to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything!

Savannah Red gave me this wise counsel in the last post, and I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit. Where is the line with differentiation? How much is too much?

I can’t say that I know the answer just yet.  I watched a mother with her daughter today as we went to the district office for a suspension hearing.  Mother kept kicking her emotionally disturbed child to keep her quiet.  Yeah, it was completely ineffective.  The hearing officer was so skilled at distracting and refocusing the child, and it was so effortless.  She knew the mother’s tactics were not effective.  Differentiation in action.

Tonight I was at grad school, and we’re discussing these new school proposals. I have to write one, but I’m not sure yet what my dream/reality school will look like. Is it 6-8? K-8? Is it dual language? Is it college prep? Could it be 6-12?  I have no idea yet. I had an idea, but I don’t feel good about it. It’s just not “right” yet.

I think this is when the chameleon nature is a disadvantage. I’ve adapted myself to so many situations, and I’m flexible. I just want to run a school where children learn, and the community, both inside and outside of the school, supports that learning. I’d like to work with teachers who collaborate, who innovate to meet the needs of our diverse student body.   Is that so much to ask?

From teacher to administrator: A vast divide

Over the past three weeks, I’ve been trying to integrate into my new school and create routines for myself to accomplish my assignments, grad school, and still have time for my family.  It’s been a tough line to walk, but I feel like I am effectively managing my time.

The hardest part of this transition as of yet is the paradigm shift from teacher to administrator. 

I remember. . .

It was 6 years ago, and only my 4th day teaching in the South Bronx.  There wasn’t a single working TV anywhere in the school, so we glued ourselves to the radio, trying to piece together what happened. My students and I stared at each other, trying to piece together the horror that was unfolding a mere 12 miles away.  We saw the billowing smoke, clouds of ash, and we could even smell the remnants.  The world had changed, and there was uncertainty all around.

I then reflect on today, at my intern site.  The children in my Pre-K and kindergarten programs weren’t even alive 6 years ago. They don’t understand the moment of silence, its purpose or relevance.  The 8th graders completely understand, many of them having lived through the uncertainty of whether their parents were alive on that day.

I remember crying each morning as I went to school for months and months. I couldn’t go from my home to the subway without passing hundreds of missing persons posters, begging anyone to call if they saw this loved one.  I remember the piles of flowers at the fire department, and the 7 ashy cars sitting on 85th street for months.

I will never forget how NYers came together, in support.  I will never forget the first Yankees game after 9/11.  Normalcy returned, and life continued.   It is with these memories that I gain strength–strength to rebound in the face of adversity, and strength to persevere in difficult situations.

As my school focuses on resiliency, I think of how 9/11 strengthened my resolve and desire to serve the people of this country.  Their actions tried to tear the country apart, but I am only stronger.  I will never forget.

A few statistics from Day 2

38: # of kindergarten and 2nd grade students who did not show for school yet this year

35: # of no-show students who had disconnected phone numbers listed

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2: # of teachers hit by a CTT student today
1: # of  administrators attacked by a middle school student today

3: # of parent altercations we had on the street this morning

4: # of police necessary to determine if the incidents above were truly assaults

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20: # of websites I searched to figure out a cafeteria incentive plan

2500: # of times I cursed the lack of a playground during cafeteria duty

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4690: # of stairs I climbed today. Who needs Bally’s when I have a 6 floor building with no elevator?

0.26: # of pounds the Canadian government claims I burned today climbing stairs

Day 1

Kids came, and most of them left. Overall not a bad day, but I’m so exhausted I’ll post more tomorrow or the next day.

Look forward to a post on creating a new school and another on hiring new teachers from alternative cert programs (Teaching Fellows, TFA, etc).

Consistency amidst Change

Anyone that has followed educational trends in major cities knows that New York City is continually changing. Ever since Mayor Bloomberg was elected Mayor, the school system has been in continual flux. Although if you look deeper at the situation, NYC has had 12 Chancellors of the School System since 1978. At that rate, change is continually happening, but are we waiting long enough to see the results of the change?

When one implements new policies, whether as a classroom teacher or otherwise, one must “stay the course.” George Bush articulated this principle in dealing with the War in Iraq. Yet this begs the question: when do you stay the course, and when is it time to change course?

“I’ve always said that this would take seven years, minimum,” Mr. Klein said, and for the first time he expressed a desire to stay on, even after Mr. Bloomberg, in the hope of finishing the job. “It might be more like 10 or 12 years — a generation of students. If I can continue to do the work that’s necessary, I would like to stay.” (NYT , 9/3/07)

Hopefully with the new accountability measures and increased autonomy,  all  NYC students will finally receive the high quality of education that they deserve, regardless of socioeconomic level.

The Entry Experience

Growing up as a military brat, I went to 14 schools before 6th grade. Change comes naturally for me.  I’ve learned the art of adaptation: fitting into my surroundings, and thriving in this environment.  So far, this experience has been no different from those in my past, although I must admit that it is different to enter as an administrator–or The Boss. Some have readily accepted that.  Others have dubbed us “Pretend Principals.”

Over the past week, I’ve made it my mission and goal to know each staff member’s name and grade, and be able to match that information to their face. I’m not completely there yet, but I have a majority of the staff in my memory.  The teachers I immediately supervise are all familiar with me, and I am with them.

I’m still learning the culture of this new school,

Lessons learned during PD this week

1. People can only focus on one thing at a time. Handing out Handbooks, schedules, and class lists while presenters are still conducting a workshop does not facilitate focus.  Sometimes this happened during explicit instruction; other times it happened during groupwork.  How is a group supposed to concentrate on progress monitoring, incorporating data into instruction, and lesson planning strategies when someone is handing out irrelevant materials?
2. It does not remedy the aforementioned situation to say, “Don’t look at your handbooks now. You should be doing the groupwork on assessment.”
3. There will always be problems. Learn to anticipate them, and plan for solutions before the problem has arisen.
4. Most teachers will willingly adapt to change.  They look forward to new ideas and progress–anything that will make their lives easier and improve student achievement.  In fact, they’ll even embrace change if it means more paperwork, as long as this translates into increased student achievement.
5. There will always be one dissenter, who resists change.  The challenge is to anticipate their concerns, and turn their dissent into opportunity.  I’m still learning how to do this.

First day–Jitters are gone, now it’s time to work!

I left my house a bit before 7am to get to the school before my 8am start time. I walk through the notorious neighborhood, and it doesn’t look anything like what I expected. The housing projects aren’t the typical high rises, but rather small two-story row homes. Aside from the high proportion of fences, bars and rottweilers, I could have thought I was in Northeastern PA, or any other town that uses row homes. I didn’t see the things that others told me about the neighborhood. We’ll see what happens in the future. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the area.