The doctorate discussion

After 2 1/2 years of coursework, I'm currently preparing for my final semester of coursework at Northern Illinois University in the Educational Administration program and the writing of my dissertation that will follow. (And, yes, I am totally excited about the Orange Bowl! Go Huskies!) Being in a doctoral program, I'm always interested when conversations emerge about the merits and challenges of that pursuit. Just last night, I reread this post from Jason Markey about his own decision to part with his program. It prompted me to both reflect on and share my own choices on this path.

Why did I start?
As my husband worked on his doctorate in Religious Studies, I kidded that we weren't going to have any of that "Dr. & Mrs." business in our house. While I said that jokingly, I do acknowledge that I have a competitive spirit that prompts me to really challenge myself. I also knew that, despite many ways to simply continue my own learning, having a doctorate would allow me long term opportunities I wouldn't be able to seek without it; a couple of those include serving on a central office administrative team or teaching future teachers or administrators.

How did I choose a program?
I had an interest in earning the Superintendent Certification, so I narrowed my focus to programs in Illinois that had those requirements embedded. As an aside, once in my program, I learned that I could dual-enroll in an Ed.S. program with parallel requirements to earn my certification prior to the completion of the the last 5 courses and the dissertation. I also looked at logistics such as distance, course, and schedule. NIU's program is located on the University campus 45 minutes from home. Courses were held full days on Saturdays during the school year and moved to Tuesday/Thursday evenings in the summer. Other programs were split over a weekday and partial day Saturday or 2 weekdays. The cost of a state university was more manageable than some other options, too, as our district does not offer reimbursement. Finally, I talked to people I knew who were in or had completed all of the programs I was considering. At that time, I also hadn't been a part of any online learning community and preferred a face-to-face program to keep me on track.

Any challenges?
First, I have to acknowledge that my husband has been a tremendous support, as we are parents to 4 elementary children. His willingness to work part-time and take on most household responsibilities has been so critical to pursuing my doctorate and becoming a principal during that same time frame. That said, it is still a challenge to coordinate schedules. Our extended family or friends step in to help from time to time if our kids have conflicting events or Jim does need to be out of town for his work. Likewise, there are many times where I feel bad that I'm not at a soccer game or family event. I only felt that would get harder as the kids got older, though, so I had to give myself permission to be okay with it now. I also had to come to terms with the cost of a program to my family now v. our needs now and the possible long term opportunity. Finally, balancing my academic life and my principal life has been challenging at times, as you might imagine, which leads right to my next question...

What are some unplanned benefits?
I came to greatly value my partners in this process, including the members of my cohort and the practitioners teaching some of our classes who had walked this path themselves. Before starting a PLN through Twitter, it helped me expand my learning community in real life. While I appreciate the many laughs with my friends in Cohort #20, I don't think I realized how necessary it would be to lean on each other at times...such times when we were trying to balance a major paper and writing up teacher evaluations or when we were feeling that guilt from being away from home more than we'd like. I also underestimated how much my coursework and the professional discussions in class would positively impact my current role as a principal. While there were indeed times I needed to read or write about something I simply wouldn't have chosen on my own, I have encountered frameworks, historical perspective, or theories that inform how I approach a situation like a curriculum implementation or identifying members of my team for different tasks. To me, this differs from knowing that I need to understand collective bargaining, for example, if I work as a district official; I fully expected that. Those nuances in between were sometimes missing pieces for me about the how or the why.

How does it work with my PLN?
I was nearly two years into my program when I seriously began exploring a PLN. Initially, I explored Twitter as a time saving tool since I couldn't keep up with the journals and e-mail blasts that kept me informed of the larger educational sphere. (Guess that would also make it an unplanned benefit.) That, over time, evolved into learning with others in this space and projects that stem from it. My PLN also has given me a different perspective and different tools to take to my cohort. It has also influenced my dissertation topic related to school principals and technology, for sure. One afternoon, while researching, I encountered articles written by Scott McLeod and an instrument developed through CASTLE. I recognized his name right away as a member of my PLN and was able to connect with him through Twitter; that's not something I would have thought possible even a year ago. Like is shared in Jason's blog post and the comments that follow, both really work together allowing me to further personalize my learning and contribute to a greater degree.

I'm honestly grateful for (although sometimes frustrated by) both the benefits and the challenges that have impacted my professional growth and leadership development. All of it allows me, in turn, to impact my school community, other professionals, and even my own family. If you're in the midst of this, too, what has your experience been? Although I bet common themes emerge, it'll differ on some level for all of us. I think we can agree that, just like in all areas of our professional life, encouraging of one another and celebrating of successes along the way sure does help us move forward. And for that I am grateful, as well.

"I hope it stays..."

I can't imagine a parent or an educator who didn't think of the families in Newtown, Connecticut at some point this holiday season. For me, those times came both at school and at home; in both cases, amidst real disbelief, came near equal awe from some of the good that has come forth. Then this morning, I was reading a post on Ed Week where teacher Connie Sullivan talked about the special place Sandy Hook Elementary was long before the events of December 14th. She concluded her thoughts speaking to the people that have stepped up to help the community move forward, saying, "We obviously live in a state, we live in a country, that wants to help...If this is what comes out of this, I hope it stays."

What do I hope stays?? My mind first goes to student arrival on Monday, December 17th. Having been scheduled to be at a conference, I simply decided my school was where I needed to be that morning. The night prior, I sent my families a letter via e-mail, as I thought it important that they hear from me before they sent their children to us that Monday morning. Likewise, rather than my normal spot in the foyer where I could greet both bussed students and those transported by parents, I headed outdoors to the parent drop-off line where I could greet and reassure our moms and dads. That was among the most emotional, memorable experiences I've encountered as a school administrator. Our kindergarten children, most of them unaware of the tragedy that had taken place, came bounding in to school as if it were any other day. My staff put their own worries, fears, and sadness aside in preparation for the day ahead, starting with those morning duties. The most vivid images before me, however, were of parents walking their children to the front door or letting them out in the car line. In really its most simple form, that love from parents to children was never so evident. Rather than the normal rush and routine, I saw many extra hugs and longer-than-normal looks as students headed into school. There really wasn't any need for those parents to say what they were thinking and what their own worries might be. What I wasn't prepared for, though, were the expressions of appreciation from our school families that came both in writing and in spoken words; for the acknowledgement of the tremendous responsibility we feel for their children's future and present; for the loyalty and conviction spoken by some when doubters questioned our district or public schools in general; and for the patience with one another as we revisit and adjust procedures.

I'm not saying the terrible images of what happened in Newtown have left my memory as a principal or a parent, nor that I haven't looked at my own kids, my school kids, and my staff in a different light. I'm not saying I can even begin to understand how those parents, educators, first responders, and community members move forward. I do hope, however, that open expression of love from parents to kids stays. I hope patience with one another stays. I hope the understanding that my staff and I place student safety in the highest regard and protect these children as our own stays. I hope as school leaders, we continue to check in on and support one another in this challenging work. I hope consideration for what is best for children continues to take priority over adult convenience. I hope we remember that as parents and schools, we are on the same team and can accomplish so much more when we work together.

What do you hope stays? How can we multiply the good in the teachers and the students lost and honor them through gains in our own school communities?

My letter to families in the wake of tragedy

Below is the letter I shared with my school families this evening. Thank you to Joe Mazza, Bill Powers, Tony Sinanis, Dr. Spike Cook, Patrick Larkin and the countless others in my PLN who shared resources and ideas as we prepare to both lead our schools and send our own children to school. Best wishes for a Monday that focuses on the goodness of your school's children, the dedication of your staff and support from your greater school community.

Dear East View Families,

Like you, I am spending part of my Sunday evening preparing to send my children to school tomorrow with my heart heavy from Friday’s events at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. While the district will issue a formal statement regarding this horrific tragedy, I wanted to connect with you as your child’s principal and as a parent before you send your much loved children our way to reinforce the following:

• Thank you for trusting us with your children every day. Know that keeping your children safe is the single most important piece of our work at school and that your children are diligently cared for by our school staff. 
• The main office will continue to be the only point of entrance to school during the day, and we will continue the sign-in process for visitors.
• I have instructed all staff to refrain from discussing Friday’s tragedy with students or with one another in the presence of students. We respect your role as a kindergarten parent on what you feel is appropriate to share with your child. If it is brought up by a student, the teacher will take that student aside to talk or involve me, Mrs. Schafermeyer, Mrs. Noll (our social worker), or another member of our team to ensure his or her needs are addressed. If your child needs to speak with someone outside of the classroom, you will be notified in the interest of working together. If you know your child is having a tough time, please feel free to contact his or her teacher, the office staff, or Mrs. Noll so we can support him or her.
• Know that we conduct drills in partnership with local first responders to aid in our preparation for weather related or other events that may compromise the safety of our school community. Through those drills and ongoing conversation, we continue to revisit our plans and policies. Likewise, teachers and substitute teachers all have copies of our emergency procedures and know their role within those plans.
• Mrs. Noll will be at our Home & School Organization meeting on Tuesday, December 18^th at 7 p.m. to highlight how to talk to your children about this situation and answer any questions you might have from a social-emotional perspective.  You may also access the following resources to assist you : http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/talkingviolence.pdf  (http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/talkingviolence_spanish.pdf  ).

Please don’t hesitate to contact any member of the East View team if we can support you or your children or if you have questions or feedback.

Respectfully,

Kathy Melton

Critical memories: Shaping our practice

This morning I read a blog post by Principal Jimmy Casas. In this post, Jimmy talks about a home visit on which he accompanied his principal earlier in his career and how that's played out in his current role and philosophy of serving students. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter; his commitment to his school community and the education community is evident.

Reading about his experience took me back to a time earlier in my career that shaped my current practice and, really, shaped how I viewed others from that very moment. I was a 6th grade language arts and social studies teacher. In my fourth year of teaching, there was a point mid-fall that one particular student was exhibiting some attention-seeking behavior; at that time, it seemed immature and as his teacher I found it frustrating. I decided it was time to call mom during my prep and 'tell' her what I was seeing in the classroom so we could correct his behavior. Fortunately, I paused after telling Mom I had some concerns about behavior. She asked if anyone had shared what was happening at home. No one had, which is a different, disappointing post altogether, so I asked her to share. My student had 4-year-old twin brothers, and Mom shared that one of them was stricken with a cancer that he was not likely to overcome. I vividly remember leaning on the doorway of my classroom on the telephone, appalled that I had jumped to this conclusion that a student was choosing to misbehave when his family was essentially in crisis. Sadly, he did lose his brother in the months that followed.

I was also pregnant with my first child that year, and my team teacher and our classes threw a baby shower for me. My student, G, remembered a yellow flower container that had fallen from my desk and broken months prior. As a gift at the shower, he gave me a yellow candle holder and candle hoping to replace what I had lost. I've kept that the past 11 years as a reminder of what he lost and the challenges that are part of our students' daily lives; I've kept it as a reminder that we MUST take time to learn our students' stories and consider how we can support them rather than punitively punish or prematurely judge. I've kept it as a visual cue to keep me from making that mistake again for I still need that reminder from time to time.

Jimmy shared his home visit; I've shared my story about G. What moments significantly shaped how you view students, families and your role as an educator?

Being good neighbors

As I continue to have conversations with my colleagues about the power social media gives us to define our learning communities and share our successes, I often take a step back to reflect on the bright spots in my school. In a large unit school district, I'm fortunate that my school is physically attached to our district administration center. The school portion of the building was closed for two years as the previous student population moved to a new school facility. As safety work and renovations were in progress, my district opted to expand its full-day kindergarten pilot to all families who wished to participate. Given capacity in our neighborhood schools, my building prepared to open serving full-day kindergarten students from six of our district's elementary attendance areas as well as our English Language Learner programming. That summer, as we prepared to open, I worked in the district administration center and began thinking about how we could be good neighbors and capitalize on our proximity.

From that came East View Neighbors, in which my school community invited our district office staff to adopt one of our twenty-five classrooms for a school year. From our superintendent to secretaries to curriculum directors, this invitation was warmly received and we've just started our second year of this unique partnership that truly serves us all well.

• Our students learn about the people who work 'past the blue doors' and start to develop an awareness and appreciation for the many people that make their school experience possible. They also have an increased audience for enthusiastically sharing what they learn along the way.
• Our teachers feel supported and valued, as members of our district team spend time in their classrooms seeing what they do on a daily basis and connecting with students. They have a voice in sharing the successes and challenges that come with their service to students and professional expectations.
• Our district administration center staff have ongoing, undeniable, joyful reminders of why they engage in the challenging work of ensuring that our community extends an excellent education to its students. They believe in our work, our students and our teachers for they have seen it firsthand. (They are also very understanding when we monopolize the entire parking lot with our Halloween parade traffic. :) )
• Our parents see that the focus for all of our district staff is their children...our children.

As for me, I love watching all of these connections and relationships form over the course of the year.  I am proud of both my teachers' and students' willingness to welcome our neighbors and of our neighbors' willingness to join us in classrooms and contribute in this hands-on way to the critical work of teaching and learning. From our benefits secretary teaching a dinosaur lesson to the student artwork tacked up in offices to helping a director select a read-aloud story to our Assistant Superintendent bringing a whole kindergarten class down to his department for a visit, I'm convinced that the memories made between neighbors are some of their fondest all year.

Out of my office

My use of Twitter throughout my day has indeed increased, but Sunday afternoon I learned I still have progress to make trying to listen to a fantastic Keynote and Tweet at the same time. RT was indeed my friend as I listened and connected with the words of Chris Lehmann at the ISTE Leadership Forum (#ISTELF12) in Indianapolis. Steven W. Anderson wrote a thoughtful reflection of Lehman's words; I appreciated reading this as I continue to think through my experience and what it means for me and for my school and district. A couple of Lehmann's points emphasized sharing ideas and modeling learning as leaders, which I wrote about yesterday.

Stressing that technology should not isolate us, Lehmann talked about technology allowing him to do his work in places outside of his office. A seemingly simple idea really resonated with me as I thought back to countless times where I've said, "I need to do (fill in the blank) really quick, and then I would like to get out in the building." More often than not 'really quick' takes more time than I thought or something else arises, and I've lost valuable time with my students and staff during the school day. And I don't feel good about that at all. So Wednesday when I returned to school and found a folder full of items needing my signature, I took that folder and my computer and headed to one of our flexible learning spaces to take care of those tasks that I really didn't need to do in isolation. In a matter of 20 minutes, I accomplished the work I needed to and interacted with 4 classrooms of students and multiple staff members; that couldn't have happened in my office. As I write parts of this, I'm in a different part of my school where I can see a parent volunteer with a small group and two instructional assistants supporting literacy groups.

Beyond the scope of that keynote, there has been considerable dialogue on Twitter about #NoOfficeDay ranging from thoughts that it is important to spend time with students and teachers to concerns that it implies that principals generally DO spend their time in their office. You can read more about that here. Additionally, the role and practice of principals has also been widely discussed and debated in social media, like here and here in the blog of teacher Josh Stumpenhorst. All of this has has prompted much thought over time as I'm in my second year as a building principal. I think back to my time as a junior high Assistant Principal when my administrative team scheduled 'Instructional Time' where we blocked out hours during the week where our goal was to be involved in classrooms rather than in the office. While this was essentially 'no office' time, we framed it as instructional time to put the focus on what we were doing rather than what we were avoiding. Josh's posts also bring out the perceptions that exist about our work as building leaders. Taking my work out into the building this week beyond arrival/dismissal, birthday sticker deliveries, classroom visits or teacher observations has prompted some looks and some questions, resulting in some thoughtful conversations with staff. As I seek to enrich my school community and move us forward, I need to be with my students and staff and 'care for' them as Chris Lehmann said. I see many of my principal counterparts in my PLN seeking ways to do the same.

How do you engage with your students and staff during the school day? What actions positively impacted how your role is perceived in your school? How are you still challenged in this regard?

Much to consider and failure to own

This week, I was fortunate to travel to the ISTE Leadership Forum in Indianapolis. This was the first time I have been to a conference since starting a PLN, so it was a first opportunity to meet many of my PLN members in person.  That alone would have made the time worthwhile. Honestly, I’m still not quite sure where to start with organizing my thinking following keynotes, sessions, and informal conversation that both challenged and affirmed.

Blogging is an important step in organizing these thoughts and others as I move forward. I built this blog exactly three months ago, knowing there is value in the transparent reflection that happens as words fill this space.  This, though, marks the fourth time I’ve posted.  In a social media panel on Tuesday, Sheryl Nussbaum Beach made a reference to the effect of our good ideas not being that good if we’re not taking time to share them. Couple that reference with a post I read from Dean Shareski earlier this month and other nuggets of inspiration along the way, and I readily admit I have fallen short...way short. Part of being a learner and a leader is being willing to own that.

Looking futher, this fall I started East View Learns 100, a public online space where I hope to compile 100+ stories of learning from our school community. Today I was excited to post Story 13 and Story 14 and make plans for our very next student post. This project emerged from my reading of edu180atl, the #Learn365 project, and Parkland School Division’s 184 Days of Learning, along with Leyden Learn 365 which started this fall in Illinois, too. I am so excited to see our project unfold and love that all stakeholders in our school community can have a voice here. From the perspective of teachers, though, it is indeed taking a risk to engage in public reflection in a space such as this and not everyone is comfortable and willing. If I want them to take that risk, I owe it to them to model that myself. It is also my hope that I can bring some of my local school leaders along with me on this journey for their own progress and the greater progress of our students and teachers. Thanks to my PLN for continued encouragement and for giving me so much to consider; my commitment is to do the same for you along the way.

Knowing our blind spots

This morning, I visited my place of worship as we continued to work through a series called Blind Spots. Today, specifically, we focused on "The Least" ; this didn't equate to people that actually ARE the least, but sometimes people to which we show value the least. Sometimes this includes people that are marginalized by society in general. Often times, they are people that we physically see and simply don't take time to acknowledge.  We saw a clip of a Saturday Night Live game show in which the contestant could identify a celebrity but did not know the name of his doorman of 6 years. Now, admittedly, I have a hard time NOT connecting my experiences outside of my principal role to my principal role, my graduate school studies, or my school community as a whole, and this message connected to my professional life in an instant. (Sure, at times it could be a balance issue, but more often I chose to think it is because I really am passionate about my work and reflective by nature. Right?! Right.)

As I listened then and in the time that's followed, images of different people came to mind, along with the notion that as school leaders, we need to be SO mindful of people that might be in our own or our school community's blind spots. First, I thought to those more marginalized by society, specifically a particular family in which one parent was a registered sex offender. I began to work more closely with this family as we addressed the needs of their child. I was initially met with distrust, anger, and the assumption that I was judging them for past actions. Over time, we built a relationship based on the common goal of supporting that child. As a principal, that involved both building my own relationship with the parents and facilitating others in doing so despite their own perspective and preconceived notions.

Next I thought of people, like the doorman on SNL, that I clearly know and don't always take the time to see. Images of our cafeteria staff and some of our special education support team came to mind here; these are often people who come and go during the course of the day and don't take part in most of our staff meetings and other functions. I've come to use my calendar as an accountability tool where I track appointments and schedule follow-up with parents. Taking that further now, I've already put that visit to our cafeteria staff on Tuesday's calendar, along with double checking the list of special education itinerants that will be in my building over the course of the year. Again, seeing a need as a leader to make that acknowledgement part of our culture, we'll talk about it as a building leadership team at our meeting Wednesday morning. That conversation will start with me being honest about my own need to do better here, and I must challenge myself to grow past the one simple check-in that will serve as a starting point.

When I look even closer, I think about a conversation with my secretary last spring. She and I get along well and she is truly a wonderful, compassionate person. During the summer months, she and I are the only ones in the school office and I believe we do a good job of checking in and collaborating. After some concerns and tough thinking last spring, it was time to sit down and talk. I realized that despite the fact that I saw her every day, I didn't do as well REALLY seeing her.  The office, and our school in general, is a bustling place, and she was often in my blind spot. Fortunately, we had a great, candid talk as we moved into the summer months, and I started this year with an awareness of keeping that relationship a priority. Again, it isn't as simple as flipping a switch; like any interpersonal relationship, it takes work, time and the willingness to acknowledge when we can do better.

Who is in your blind spot? As a leader, how do you help others see people in theirs? How do you convince those used to being left in a blind spot that they do matter and have value? Join me in committing to do better as you reflect on the start of school.

Connecting...and preparing to STAY connected

With a new year with students starting for me next week, I am very much reflecting on the importance and the challenges of being connected. This post is prompted by Connected Educator Month and Scott McLeod's Leadership Day 2012 today! As I continue to mold my time with my staff at the start of next week, I am so excited about the possibilities for them, our students, our parents, and my colleagues. I am both motivated and confident in taking risks because I know the power to enrich our school community's learning experience is more than available to all of us thanks largely to my Professional Learning Network (PLN).

My staff theme this year is #makeitcount, inspired by a Nike campaign in which filmmakers hired by Nike took their budget and embarked on travels around the world. This crossed my Twitter stream, courtesy of George Couros, in June right as our school year was coming to a close.  This really spoke to me about taking those risks and providing engaging, thought provoking, authentic experiences rather than a nicely packaged rehearsed "film". I shared this with teachers in my final time with them last year and highlighted some of the ways we "made it count" for the benefit of students. I prompted them, as they both reflected on last year and prepared for this year, to think toward the authentic experiences in which we can engage as a staff and provide for our students this year; we'll pick up at that point again, come Monday. Trusting them and working alongside them as professionals, I also want them to think big, reach out, and take risks that would further student learning and family connections. I also shared how I encountered that #makeitcount resource, again, to put power behind growing a PLN. In other words, I shared the resource itself as the primary focus, and came around to Twitter the tool I used to make connections and acquire that. This is a strategy I've also used with administrator colleagues; it is essentially creating the relevance first and then teaching the tool. After a few opportunities to expose colleagues in this way, I share more of the "how to" phase of getting connected themselves.

While the summer is busy, most of us can agree that the pace still changes rather drastically in those first weeks when teachers and students arrive. Here is where my challenge comes in...I do not want to lose ground on the connections I make and continuing to both contribute and utilize the powerful resources my PLN consistently shares. I am aware that I have been less attentive to my PLN in the last couple of weeks in which my summer doctoral term brought exams and literature reviews as it wrapped and teachers returned to prepare their classrooms.  I am not satisfied with that. I do not want the nuts and bolts of my work to take precedent over the value I can add to our community through true leadership. How do you integrate that into your day? Anyone else feeling this way?

I prepare to leave my office today thinking of ...

• #kinderchat projects in which my school can engage
• Parent engagement possibilities and resources, and
• A variation of The #Learn365, tied back to edu180atl, 184 Days of Learning, which will provide a means to record and share our learning. (Shout out to Jason Markey who just started this at East Leyden High School yesterday!)

I'm still a bit amazed that all of this was here without me really knowing it before recent months, and I know I still have much to learn.  I am inspired and grateful for the opportunities I have and the time that is generously given by others to connect more people and support one another in the critical work we do. Thank you, PLN!

Getting started...finally!

Over the course of the past year, I've come to really value Twitter and the Professional Learning Network I'm developing through my interactions there. Honestly, I started by following educational organizations or publications and not really tweeting at all. It gave me a quick way to stay informed about what was happening as journals from those same organziations piled up on my desk, often unread. Eventually, I began to retweet occasionally and started making connections with some other educators, thanks in part to some conversations with @stumpteacher and @j_bednar, who I am fortunate to know in real life, and interaction with @joe_mazza through #ptchat.  With those connections come amazing resources, additional sets of eyes and ears, and support for the important work we all do for kids.

I also began reading more blogs. While I had blogged about my family's adoption journey, I had never blogged in a professional light. Looking back, though, the adoption blog was a way to share with progress with our extended family and friends, as well as other families who were also in the adoption process. It only makes sense to that this would serve us well in other areas of our lives. So, I'd read education blogs and it would prompt me to comment or set up a blog and write a post...but I didn't. I wanted to wait until I had time, like a day off or a class finished, or I thought something through a little more. Over spring break, my family took an awesome vacation to Disney World, and I unplugged from my school work and my doctoral work (well, for the most part) (but not from ESPN because that was when the Tebow trade was going down). On that trip, I was really energized despite the busy, busy days! As we traveled home, I wrote a list of about 20 lessons from Disney that applied to my work and I planned to write about them on. That was in March...still haven't written. Today, though, I encountered this post on why sharing matters from another educator, @gcouros, whose candor and reflection I've come to value greatly (not to mention quality You Tube video sharing). And I decided today was the day I would get started and follow through (...despite, or maybe partly because of, the two chapters of stats homework waiting for me tonight!).

I've always enjoyed infusing technology into my work and my personal life, and I have been spreading the Twitter PLN goodness to my principal colleagues, doctoral cohort members, and my building staff. I have seen directly how my students at my school can benefit from this, too; for example, I connected two of my kindergarten classes in Illinois with kindergarten classes in Port McNeil, British Columbia, Canada for some amazing, authentic learning about where each group of students is from and some hands-on science sharing about our chicks and their salmon. I know that if I'm going to continue to develop as a leader and develop leaders and move my school forward, contributing and sharing is every bit as important as the information that is shared WITH me...and what others have shared has undoubtedly made a difference to me and helped me do that for others.

So here I am... And those Disney ideas are still rolling around in my head; so are some tweets and posts I've seen about the how we can promote creativity and curiosity in students given the demands and accountability placed on us, the value of doctoral programs, and the need for quality administrators and empowered teacher leaders. Now I've made myself a nice little place to put them!