Farewell and Hello
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..."
The elegance of this passage was first introduced to me ages and (almost) ages ago. Dickens published the work in 1859 as a historical novel featuring London and Paris during and around the French Revolution. In America, the Lincoln - Douglas debates and the question of slavery was pressed very near to the brink of war.
The words are timeless, even to this day. "...it was the season of LIght, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair..." Our lives run in ups and downs. Some have found the key to that ever desired even keel, but most of us are seemingly searching for some magic cure to the roller coaster existence.
Today we have chosen, maybe unaware, to pick a side. We like sides as we find comfort and common values in the selected members of the team. Team members have been coached by people over the generations to share the fundamental rights and wrongs of one side or the other. Is that the essence of Dickens introduction? It is both wonderful and awful depending on the side you cheer for?
Has empathy been lost based our position in the game? Are we able to walk a mile in the moccasins of another and know their joy? Their sorrow? Their experience of living? Is our culture driven to believe there is only one right and all the others are wrong? Does opinion hold the position of a fact?
2018 was a year much like every other - "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." I reluctantly bid it farewell. 2019 is mere hours away. May it's arrival be greeted with a hardy hello and surrounded in the one thing so desperately needed in a season of Light and Darkness - Hope!
Hope in all that this new year brings is met as the best of times. And that when trials and struggle arrives, which it surely will, we meet it with the hope and faith we find in each other, regardless of the team we represent. May our better selves live in the hope we are unsure of, and that we posses the confidence to know hope reigns.
The vision cast at the end of Dickens novel continues to speak to the noblest intent. "It is a far, far better thing I
a CASE for controversy
I must begin this post with an observation that some may find off putting. The Christmas posts I followed on Facebook were void of taking sides. There was almost, albeit for just a day, the ability to take our vast political differences and put them aside for the sake of family and Christmas itself. Yet, Christmas is one of the most controversial things on this planet?
1. Time is relative in all things
December? Just a response to the pagan solstice and the darkest time of year to bring in the light of the world? Some scholars direct us to March or sometime in the spring. The churches observation of this event in Christendom fits a liturgical purpose. Maybe it's even the time of giving for tax purposes? I could go on and on. My truth is that I come to worship my God and celebrate the miracle of this loving deity as he comes to earth. His very unique creation.
2. You're kidding right -- Creation?
It keeps getting better doesn't it? The foundation of Christmas isn't just the birth of Jesus, but it's the delivery system. Have you noticed that the Old Testament begins with something created from nothing and the New Testament begins with a very similar happening. The writers of the Gospels connect us to the beginning of time with a Virgin birth. Something, from nothing, so to speak.
I'm continued to reflect on my faith each time I come up with a question. I cannot fathom God in a certain way, matter or form. I don't see God as Michael Angelo did, nor do I see him as the anyone else does today. I see God in the very being of my faith. How are these things possible? I have no idea and I don't have to know.
3. Santa Claus and the commercialization of...
Our experience is that Christmas and Santa Claus is for kids. That may be very true. But wasn't it an ancient teacher who rebuked his closest followers with the words, "Let the little children come unto me"? Our truth is that we love the innocent, genuineness of our kids because it draws into a better place. Our very adult reply to Virginia about if there really is a Santa Claus reminds us to be accountable to the very ideas found in the documents of our faith.
Society moans louder and louder about the first retail outlet to break the seal on Christmas Decorations. I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Yes, I get irritated by it too! If I'm honest about my feelings though, maybe Christmas truly is something that should be celebrated throughout the year.
If I take one thing from my compromised, evil Facebook page it is this. My friends love their families and the time they spend together at Christmas. Sharing a meal, worshiping, or watching the eyes of they children on the morning where the greatest gift of all time was revealed.
a night of nights
Silent Night, Holy Night
A poem, a broken organ, a legend filled with some truths and facts. Silent Night is typically sung just one night, this night, in the Austrian Alps where it was first performed 200 years ago. If you listen to the stories the song is simply a lullaby-like melody meant for each of us to seek peace. God's peace found in that place where peace is eternal. Sung only this night so we long for peace all year long.
All is calm, all is bright
Funny, at least as I see it, that night 200 years ago starts with brokenness. The Christmas story itself is found in Luke 2 and spoken by school children, Christian congregations and families everywhere on this night is about brokenness. But the truth is that someone "allowed" the organ of the church to fall into disrepair. Some say mice, some say rust, so on that Christmas Eve long ago the choirmaster picked up his guitar and provided the support for this timeless melody.
Round yon virgin, mother and child
The birth of a Savior was born out of brokenness. Brokenness that certainly wasn't easy to fix, or even really understood by God's chosen people. Our own understanding of our brokenness, or fall into sin, is forever debated by theologians and educated folk. I'm not going to define it, but instead, know that I feel it. I can't explain it most of the time, but brokenness abides in our world and impacts all us from time to time.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild
In a broken world, in a location known only to the shepherds, a savior is born. Surrounded by animals, loving parents albeit scared, and shepherds who were told by angels to attend and then told everyone what they had seen and heard.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Because of this event, that baby was born and peace abounds. The strife of all the years before is over. Peace between God and His broken world has come. Sleep is now not only possible but bathed in the truth of heavenly peace. That truth, out of brokenness, surrounds us now! Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber collaborated on the words and melody, but the work was accomplished years before all part of this amazing plan. May the peace of heaven be yours this Christmas and always.
It has always been this simple...
When I was a kid there was a local program on channel 9 that shaped my view of the world. When you're watching a 19 inch Black and White TV my view of the world may have been monochromatic, but it was as deep as it was wide. The show was a Chicago staple called Family Classics and during this time of year, it aired a long list of Christmas Classics.
The common factor in Christmas movies is human conflict and resolution. But that is really the theme of most of our literature, military history, and our very existence. We are built for relationship. Simple really. But not for some.
I'm reminded of these memories because it seems we've lost what really matters in our interaction with people. As much as we drive our news and media coverage with the success or failure of retail during the holidays, we've lost the message of Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street. We've forgotten how both Macy's and Gimbel's finally figured it out.
CNN business reported today that Best Buy's CEO has nothing to sell, yet the company is positioned for success. That's quite a different story from six years ago when the CEO with little experience in the industry appeared on the scene. He used a little common sense and created a vision for success. Looking back at the coverage of this turn around Forbes and the New York Times also commend Joly's leadership.h
There are many lessons to be learned in each of the referenced articles, but it really comes down to a relationship. (It is Christmas after all!) Relationships with vendors and suppliers, with employees and most importantly customers. Kris Kringle had it right all along because that's what "Business 101" is about on 34th Street.
Maybe more importantly, for those of you know the story of the reason for the season, it has always been about relationship. Hasn't it? Merry Christmas Everyone!
Adding some stuff
In 2013 I lost a lot of my original blog due to a server error. I've saved some of it here thanks to Tumblr!
My teachers were effective because?
(Published in my Tumblr account March 2013)
A recent post appeared in ASCD Smartbrief and I agree with everything. Well, everything except for what’s missing.
ASCD compiled seven statements and asked “What makes an effective teacher?” The idea was to vote for your favorite and they would compile the data and share the “order of finish.” I love informal surveys, but this
one got me thinking about my experiences in the classroom and I couldn’t vote for just one. My thoughts are in blue.
1. They create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
The classroom and school culture is vital to effectiveness and student success. Administration designs and develops tools for teachers to impact the lives of the students and their families regularly. Teachers typically adapt those tools to their unique classroom demographic that has a history of dynamic change. Community is often overlooked.
2. They belong to learning communities
It’s truly an incredible time to be a teacher. There are more established and emerging locations for teachers to develop relationships that grow themselves personally and professionally. I sat in a twitter online learning community the other night and could not help but smile at the sharing and the professional accountability of the group.
3. They think systematically about their practice and learn from experience
Systematic thought has many definitions. Factors include the environment - input - process - output - feedback mechanisms - and more! The real key to this is the ability to adapt professionally as you evaluate your skill set. Your experiences make you a better educator and those experiences never stop. Step back and look at your career from 30,000 feet and then again from 3 millimeters and then do it again and again.
4. They take responsibility for managing and monitoring student learning
Accountability for learning is, at this moment, high risk. The biggest partners in education are parents and the community culture that surrounds the students outside of our classrooms. That should completely change our role to include the home, family and community. I’ve seen many great teachers stumble over this thought because the ever-changing social dynamic of our culture moves quickly and can easily distance the educator from the student. Think about how different your learning experience was from student to qualified teacher and then think again how many times teachers must re-condition themselves to new, unknown cultural shifts. A business comparison might be well received – the corporate world is traditionally 10 to 15 years behind the curve. Education and high-tech manufacturers must push the limits of the curve to educate tomorrows leaders. The battle is beyond our schools and that’s a battlefield that we need many levels of support to conquer.
5. They are leaders
Seems like common sense, but we’re not talking about the kind of leader at the head of the line, or one leading from behind. I believe that leaders are passionate about service and modeling leadership for students and others so that they take the extra time to make sure that they do hard things. The make choices that hold themselves to honor of the profession, without any ego.
6. They are committed to students and their learning
See the above five traits and share with me how this isn’t just another way of saying all those things?
7. They know their subjects and how to teach those subjects to students
I’ve witnessed educators who have very little ability in their subject area and every student learns. Excellent teaching does have direct correlation to the subject matter, but a good teacher is just that…a good teacher. One would assume then that early childhood educators, who obviously know their curricula well, would be the “best” teachers. Put an excellent high school physics teacher in that early childhood classroom and I’d be tempted to wager a high level of frustration for the students and the teacher, and vise versa. (I actually did this once and was so wrong…)
So what which attribute would you vote for? It’s difficult because while these traits may make for effectiveness there is just something intangible missing. For me I knew a good teacher when I saw it, experienced it, and lived it. Being a student gave me a sixth sense to identify excellence as it affected me. As a parent and as a school administrator I pray I kept the same sense. The student that lives in me looks for passion and a love of learning that translated into my effectiveness scale. I wanted to see one last trait – the effective educator is a life-long learner. Mine certainly were.
Part II -- Amazing Times
(Published in my Tumblr account March 2013)
I really believe that everything happens for a purpose. No accidents, or coincidence but purpose. Last week when I was thinking, and sharing here that true collaboration is and must continue to become the norm for the education community I couldn’t help be notice this week's Time magazine. The cover speaks of the elusive cure for cancer, but the article says something simply amazing.
“The hero scientist who defeats cancer will likely never exist.
No exalted individual, no victory celebration, no Marie Curie or Jonas Salk, who in 1955, after he created the first polio vaccine, was asked, So what’s next? Cancer?–as if a doctor finished with one disease could simply shift his attention to another, like a chef turning from the soup to the entrée.
Cancer doesn’t work that way. It’s not just one disease; it’s hundreds, potentially thousands. And not all cancers are caused by just one agent–a virus or bacterium that can be flushed and crushed. Cancer is an intricate and potentially…"
Yes! That’s it! It’s just not about one "magic” person, because cancer, much like our students are “hundreds, potentially thousands” of different organisms – creations unique as ___________!
As educators, as leaders of students or teams of teachers, we cannot expect to have all the answers. We will, and must deliver a better solution using all the tools. Those tools are found in each other! We are as unique as our students, fellow faculty, co-workers and parents. We must partner with people, no matter what their role, to meet the needs of those we are teaching so they may become life-long learners.
Because of the collaborative efforts of my own teachers, I’m a life-long learner. They never said I shouldn’t or couldn’t…although I’m sure they shook their heads a lot. They built in me a passion for doing my best, even though I didn’t always know what I was doing. They offered me the tools, taught me how to use them, and believed that one day I’d create something of my own. They built the foundation.
Now add all the “new” tools we have today and we live in an amazing time. Simply amazing…
When the old site went down
(Published on my Tumblr acct 2013)
Here’s the deal. I’m not being alarmist by any means. I’m presenting a thought based on this link that caught my eye. What happens when the internet goes down? You can jump in and read the link, but come back and let’s talk about this.
I’ve got stuff in the “cloud” if you do I bet you’ve really never imagined the possibility of losing the internet. If you did you might have a back-up on a hard drive someplace, but what if the hard drive crashes. In the old days, we’d put everything on physical media. Yes, those round plastic things that store things. But if you’re like me I have a few devices that don’t have a drive. So then maybe a USB stick might be your choice. Okay, so how prepared are you?
Wait there’s more! What about your music, your movies, your web-based email where would it go? What about your contact list? Here’s another one…what if the cellular network went down. Okay, that’s enough for one day.
…just one more thing. I remember the little old notebook my mom kept her list of names and addresses, in fact, I still have it. Maybe that’s the backup? Because even this blog is just stuck in a server somewhere if the internet goes down.
Amazing Times
(Published in Tumblr 2013)
I’ve taken the last few weeks to re-visit education in my blog and my personal walk. Our non-profit works in schools to bridge the gap between our communities and our schools. But that’s not even close to why this is a great time in education.
Way back in the middle 1980’s I dreamed of a time when you could magically make history interactive. Where textbooks could be re-written on a daily basis with the most up-to-date information. When we could visit far away places not just in picture books or on the TV, but personal and interactive. Way back then we thought it was a big deal when we networked our Apple IIe’s together with a 40MB hard drive for central storage and kids were learning how to program with logo. Those dreams were just that, but there had to be away.
Today I read a blog on the topic of the obsolete school IT director and found an amazing thing that’s happening in education. It’s not IT and it’s not the BYOT movement. It’s an opportunity for pure and complete collaboration. This amazing thing is working together across disciplines to bring all the possibilities for our classrooms and our students.
As we drive our students and teachers to open, collaborative environments I think something wonderful happens. As students dream of their future, it begins in a classroom. One tool that allows that might be technology, but the most effective, resourced teacher and this collaborative community will continue to blow technology away.
We live in the most amazing time!
Things other people say
(Publihed in my Tumblr account Summer 2013)
There are great leaders, writing lots of great things about leadership. This link will take you to a great article about a sermon, a walk, and trust. If you don’t have time to read the whole thing, here’s the best part.
“Over the years I have witnessed the powerful changes that occur when team members care about each other and truly have each other’s backs. Trust-based organizations:
1. Execute faster: Stephen Covey calls it “The Speed of Trust”. A trust-based organization spends less time on formal communication and more time getting the job done. Speed = productivity.
2. Innovate more: Employees who know the boss has their back think outside the box without fear of failure or retribution.
3. Produce higher quality work: Happy people simply care more and do better work because of it.
4. Attract Customers: If you think customers can’t feel the company culture, think again. They sense a trust-based organization intuitively and want to be associated with it.
5. Have lower turnover: After working within a culture of carefrontation it’s almost impossible to go back — and they don’t.”
In whatever environment you work in, people are intuitive and generally, they prefer to work in a place that cares about them. But look at the order the author chose. Trust = speed! We spend so much time trying to figure out what’s going on we get nothing done. Then come innovation and high quality, which attracts customers and leads to lower turn over. Completely logical in every way.
Read the blog, when you have time. It’s worth it.