tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63631963048900301912024-02-19T23:19:01.846-06:00FC SuperintendentJoe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-6220393681346218302015-10-08T12:12:00.001-05:002015-10-08T13:53:15.888-05:00Cardboard Can Save Education<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My daughter loves school. She loves her teacher, loves her friends, and loves being a Cricket. Having said that, she is not the easiest person to get up in the morning. There are few days throughout the course of the year that she shows up at my bed with that smile that melts your heart and indicates that she is ready for the day. Those events are (in no particular order)...the first day of school, Christmas, and the day she gets to see her cousins from out east. That’s it, folks...until this morning. Today, she gets to show off. She has been working hard with her partner on their Cardboard Challenge project and today is the day she gets to show that project to the world. So, when that smile greeted me at at 5:45 AM, I knew what the excitement was all about. Add that to yesterday’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=81&v=Jarg7Z1jREU" target="_blank">cardboard boat challenge</a> at the high school and it got me to thinking about the whole process of learning and genuine excitement in schools...all around cardboard projects. The following clearly resonated with me when thinking about the last 2 days:</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Power of an Authentic Audience</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My daughter knew her audience was bigger than the teacher today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Though presenting to your teacher is important, and she definitely values the opinion of the leader in the classroom, this was different. Like the o</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 1.38; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">ther students in 3rd grade today, they created a game out of cardboard, tape, a few sticks, and paint. They built it from the ground up. They failed. They fixed. They kept working. All with the understanding that whatever they put together was going on display for their peers, all K-5 students, and parents during the event today. The audience was definitely a factor in the work. The teams competing in the cardboard boat race were in an even bigger pressure cooker! They had an authentic audience to come and see their projects, but those projects also had to work! My favorite quote came from a freshman… “All we got is cardboard, tape, and a bunch of hope!” </span><br />
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Most of the boats stayed afloat for awhile, those that did not clearly understood what happened in their construction, but all knew they had a vested interest in the project as they were captaining the vessel. If it sunk...so did they, and their peers/teachers/parents would all be there to see it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we know the work is shared with the world we clearly tend to take it more seriously. Writing my dissertation was awful. I had to find time to get to it and loathed looking through the edits. I knew no one was reading it. In fact, I placed a $10 bill on page 14 of my dissertation on display in the Cardinal Stritch Library in Milwaukee, WI. I am certain that when I go back in 10 years to look, it will still be there. The only audience was my committee. Fast forward 3 years and I have co-authored 2 books. I could not wait to work on those. The collaboration with <a href="https://twitter.com/TonySinanis" target="_blank">Tony Sinanis</a>, the conversations about how we could change practice, the idea that we could help change the narrative of schools...all drove me to want to write, improve, and tell the story to the world. The audience was real...and when it’s real, it is easier to see the value in the words.</span><br />
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<b style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ownership of the Learning</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both the 3rd grade kids and the HS kids had standards to attain as part of their project. Having said that, they all went about the process in different way. I think there has to be a balance between pure project based learning and essential skill development (specifically at the younger grade levels). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, when it comes to a predetermined standard, I truly believe that if kids own the process of how they demonstrate said standard, they will put more effort into it. As adults, we are the same. Tell me that I have to learn something and spit it out on a piece of paper or online doc...I forget in a day. Let me own the process and demonstrate that I have gained knowledge in a way that fits my interest and I’ll spend more time doing it. I want to own it. Kids want to own it. The students I have seen in the last 2 days discussing their cardboard creations make it as clear as ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">We, as district leaders, have a real chance to model this for staff and show them what the power of ownership looks like. In Fall Creek, we try to treat professional development like Genius Hour or Passion Projects. Find your passion...and let’s help you develop in an area where you want to get better. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw23bKppwD7Fa_MfxAiNY_650LN8pc412_q4nluAcViwmpOq2bXBZIaYo-lvPq7_v1j_f2W5S4MTbB4zRMPxXyhB1RI_YFfcXOSRttqcFutFimoB6bnS_iqsW3rO_41YIkDSiJQ9a3G_s/s1600/IMG_2043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw23bKppwD7Fa_MfxAiNY_650LN8pc412_q4nluAcViwmpOq2bXBZIaYo-lvPq7_v1j_f2W5S4MTbB4zRMPxXyhB1RI_YFfcXOSRttqcFutFimoB6bnS_iqsW3rO_41YIkDSiJQ9a3G_s/s320/IMG_2043.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In 3 years, we have never said no to a professional development goal. We have helped people move through the process and sometimes we have to tweak some language, but if they find passion in their goal, we will help them find a way to make that happen. Our issue this year was how do we measure those goals in an evaluation system. Our answer...don’t worry about that now. We’ll deal with it later...you find your passion, and it’s my job to find a way to measure it. This year we are taking it a step further and allowing staff to demonstrate their learning in any way they choose. We will still have the forms we have used available, but if there is a different way to show learning that resonates with them...GO! We have to trust people. Some will put a tremendous amount of time into the process, others will not. There may be a faction of a group that tries to skirt the process and doesn’t put as much time or effort into getting better. Spoiler alert, folks...the process you are using with them isn’t working either. We are making decisions based on our best teachers...and our best teachers want voice and choice in the process. Guess what, the gorgeous little girl who walked into my room at 5:45 wants it too, and I know she is in a place where that can happen. Go Crickets.</span></div>
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Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-80614664119300120322015-09-23T19:06:00.001-05:002015-09-23T19:08:20.033-05:00EdcampWASDA<span style="font-size: large;">A few years ago I wrote a <a href="http://fcsuperintendent.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-power-of-colleagues-beyond-school.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> about the idea that we as district leaders had to find a way to come together and learn as a group. We lead learning organizations...therefore, we should lead the learning in those organizations. Over the course of the last four years I have seen our <a href="http://www.wasda.org/" target="_blank">Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators</a> (WASDA) take some great strides in bringing our members together to learn as a group. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFR7usijsxt01NRL9u_IhilbEYydYpI7osmDjyognU2Lxw5edRnMh9-ADa7G6eaaKr28ey467mv8k1mkMlOWg7_sk5cTTh-IpagH4iwOaU67hAvXmNIbvh0bfe-kqLIHTZmZP-xjf8f8/s1600/IMG_1735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFR7usijsxt01NRL9u_IhilbEYydYpI7osmDjyognU2Lxw5edRnMh9-ADa7G6eaaKr28ey467mv8k1mkMlOWg7_sk5cTTh-IpagH4iwOaU67hAvXmNIbvh0bfe-kqLIHTZmZP-xjf8f8/s320/IMG_1735.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> As Ed Reform movement tends to move glacially, sometimes we need an event to start a new conversation and get people thinking about learning in a different way. I truly believe Edcamp has done that for teachers, and after taking on the first Edcamp in WI dedicated to Superintendents, I wholeheartedly think it could have the same impact on district leaders.<br /><br />Last year, prior to the start of the Fall Superintendent Conference in Wisconsin, I was asked to organize a Social Media Lounge for Superintendents to b</span><span style="font-size: large;">ecome more familiar with digital tools to help their learning and tell the story of their district. The session was good...we had about 20 people show up and had really solid conversations about social media. I don’t know if anything new was learned that day. We knew it could be a powerful tool before we got in the room. We knew it would take away from other things we do. We knew that there were inherent risks in adding social media to your district, but those risks didn’t outweigh the benefit to kids. People left that session with a better understanding, but I don’t know if any new knowledge was gained.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />This year, when asked to run the Social Media Lounge again, I asked if it would be ok to run an <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23EdcampWASDA">EdcampWASDA</a> instead. Full credit to WASDA here...they may not have known anything about Edcamp, but they trusted, gave us 4 rooms, and helped promote the opportunity to everyone. I was not surprised at all...they have been incredibly supportive of Superintendents in our state. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOs_l6vFI9KlLSrZ3FutbKCNbXRZAKQaGabLzEDbU_MuyCkMVIs2RYElfqVMNVRe9UU7kMnuKaFYuaRieZmpeDODDerb3FzJUd9QjEYBCChktyqJ7UXAb36A8nJLFhcybkw1IbRee6r8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-20+at+10.21.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOs_l6vFI9KlLSrZ3FutbKCNbXRZAKQaGabLzEDbU_MuyCkMVIs2RYElfqVMNVRe9UU7kMnuKaFYuaRieZmpeDODDerb3FzJUd9QjEYBCChktyqJ7UXAb36A8nJLFhcybkw1IbRee6r8/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-09-20+at+10.21.07+AM.png" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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Based on the size of the rooms, we had to cap the number at 75 total participants. Though we didn’t sell out, we had 67 people sign up to join us prior to the preconference sessions. With a free opportunity, the likelihood of retaining all of those participants can be low, but we counted 62 of the 67 Supts in the opening session! </span><br />
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We explained what Edcamp was, talked about how we needed to trust the process, and then built a fantastic board for the day! </span><span style="font-size: large;">Last year during the Social Media Lounge we talked about Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Though those topics came up this year, look at the other opportunities for Superintendents to choose. So good! No sessions were pre planned...these ideas all came from the Supts in the room and that ownership was absolutely huge. They invested, trusted, and engaged for a few hours in a way that I have not seen before. It was fantastic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I loved the conversations, and the idea that it was a relaxed atmosphere where learning could take place. People were on their phones, but they were on their phones tweeting or looking for a resource, not thinking about what was going on back in the district. Our State Superintendent, <a href="https://twitter.com/WISuptTonyEvers?lang=en" target="_blank">Tony Evers</a> was there...participating in conversations with district leaders. Leaders from schools with populations of 10,000 were having conversations with leaders from schools with populations of 300...all in this together and all in this for kids. </span><br />
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The best part for me was the 2:40 session where we debriefed at talked about what it could look like for our organization, but more importantly, what would this look like in your district. If we allow our staff to own their learning process they will see the value in allowing students to own it was well. We have to believe and trust that ownership leads to engagement, and that process allows our kids to have more voice and choice in their education.<br /><br />I could not be more proud of our organization. As is always the case, this could not have been done without the help of many. <a href="https://twitter.com/KayeHenrickson?lang=en" target="_blank">Kaye Hendrickson</a> took care of all the logistical stuff, so we we could concentrate on the process...she was amazing. <a href="https://twitter.com/bradfordgs?lang=en" target="_blank">Brad Saron</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ACHMSup?lang=en" target="_blank">Paul Fisher</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ColleenTimm1?lang=en" target="_blank">Colleen Timm</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jasternke?lang=en" target="_blank">Joann Sternke</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrDLKerr?lang=en" target="_blank">Deb Kerr,</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ijohnpederson?lang=en" target="_blank">John Pederson</a> were all there to help build the board and answer questions. <a href="https://twitter.com/WASDA?lang=en" target="_blank">WASDA</a> Director Jon Bales trusted the process and Nancy Lund and Jessica Schwedrsky made the room arrangements a reality and pushed the message.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">
<br />Moving forward I am excited, and a little nervous, about what EdcampWASDA can become. I’m excited for the opportunity to grow our circles of influence and get more people involved. WASDA has expressed interest in making this part of our regular conference. That is awesome...and a little nerve wracking. The thing that made EdcampWASDA so great was that everyone in that room CHOSE to be there. They left their district early and made a conscious choice to be part of something new. My ONLY fear in making it part of the regular conference is that we can’t mandate learning. We can provide the opportunity, but it is about the learner and when the learner chooses, we all win. This is absolutely no different in the classroom...when the learner chooses, they invest. When they invest, they grow. EdcampWASDA was successful because over 60 people trusted the process and allowed themselves to take a risk. Just think what that that concept could do for schools districts, schools, and most importantly...kids. Go Crickets.</span></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-50062510508308443442015-06-27T09:24:00.001-05:002015-06-27T09:24:16.768-05:00Remember When...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to return to an area
of the state where I lived for 10 years as a teacher, counselor, and
coach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My time in Ashwaubenon was
special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I met some incredible people
and got to work with kids in both elementary school and high school, which was
such a fantastic balance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in town teaching
a class through Viterbo University and as I prepared I was sending out some
tweets about getting e<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: large;">xcited to be back in that area and looking forward to
meeting our group.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">A few of my former
students/players saw the tweets and reached out to see if there was a way we
could connect while I was in town.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">What
an incredible feeling…to reconnect with kids who you knew years ago…at
different places in their lives…and talk about the experience when you were
together.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">One of the guys was a 3</span><sup>rd</sup><span style="font-size: large;">
grade student when I left and the other was a member of the high school golf
team that I coached.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">I had so much fun
talking to both of them…the golfer and I went out to lunch and I caught the
former 3</span><sup>rd</sup><span style="font-size: large;"> grade student working with kids at a park as part of his
summer job.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbKBLqNLE82w2-UI2pXzOZZRxARQTLOvPSOoZuk0Mf8-gGUpeLarueHbz2zVMVD5-cV44FgqnAu4XFD8_IRCOQHcxFuPQoOBmIr2oWl-aoyo-7Ay-AHUK1CZBTpRbYim7Ciw-Nti3ynU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-06-27+at+9.08.22+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbKBLqNLE82w2-UI2pXzOZZRxARQTLOvPSOoZuk0Mf8-gGUpeLarueHbz2zVMVD5-cV44FgqnAu4XFD8_IRCOQHcxFuPQoOBmIr2oWl-aoyo-7Ay-AHUK1CZBTpRbYim7Ciw-Nti3ynU/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-06-27+at+9.08.22+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we got through the pleasantries of “You look great” and
“Glad things are going well” we started to talk about the old times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inevitably, conversations move to “Remember
when…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We talked for some time about all the things that happened
when I was in school with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The time
I wore a wig and huge sun glasses to introduce a lesson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The time I made the team run 1 hole on the
golf course for each time they used profanity (only had to happen a few
times…ha!), a quick conversation, and a book I read to a 3<sup>rd</sup> grade
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crazy thing is…if I was asked
to recall the best parts about teaching and coaching with these guys, I would
not have picked any of those instances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDiD-q6y7ukzpGaOt59Ok87xN2BZUqxrpYzpGX8OHcn1cnsqoZpRoUDuThsDMsAc6Yukh1kzr-b0scYwo2el4ewq5D8hVr-yBYURBBHYP71ojkgkqruCkpFg7rYwFCjlCcZLJYwYYblQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-06-27+at+9.05.53+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDiD-q6y7ukzpGaOt59Ok87xN2BZUqxrpYzpGX8OHcn1cnsqoZpRoUDuThsDMsAc6Yukh1kzr-b0scYwo2el4ewq5D8hVr-yBYURBBHYP71ojkgkqruCkpFg7rYwFCjlCcZLJYwYYblQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-06-27+at+9.05.53+AM.png" width="296" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">They were just things I did…not a lesson I was really excited about or
crowning achievement on a team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most
notable things to us are often not what our kids remember. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Perception is such an incredible thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go through our lives interacting with
multiple people on a regular basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
spend our time getting ready for meetings, lessons, presentations, events and
other big ticket items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a
tendency to look ahead at what is next and not live in the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conversations with these two incredible
young men reminded me that those moments are what others remember. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As I often do, I sent out a tweet with a picture from my
meeting with the former 3<sup>rd</sup> grade student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next day as I was preparing for class I
saw a tweet by another student from my days in Ashwaubenon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tweet was simple…all it said was…are you still bringing “sandwiches” to the picnic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
took me forever to understand what that meant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I realized what he was talking about, I just sat back and
smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-f-tixyP2A3atB3d6q8ZgguEKJ-0ulcfotQrMg2QDzahiIS4ntr_hREvLWz6lINANnu2ia5Lwphrn3fZ-VZPEIFzgEpOY3KsboixOr9N7QtbkWzNOJaYwS-w9Sv64W7kUyCqGyoG5VE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-06-27+at+9.07.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-f-tixyP2A3atB3d6q8ZgguEKJ-0ulcfotQrMg2QDzahiIS4ntr_hREvLWz6lINANnu2ia5Lwphrn3fZ-VZPEIFzgEpOY3KsboixOr9N7QtbkWzNOJaYwS-w9Sv64W7kUyCqGyoG5VE/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-06-27+at+9.07.49+AM.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The tweet referenced a 5 minute
ice breaker that we did before class…one time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One. Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what he
remembered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an activity that I
haven’t thought of or used in over 10 years, but he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every interaction counts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every single day with every single kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The moments that you hold dear are special to
you, but you have no idea what will resonate with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As leaders in classrooms, schools, and
districts we have to remember that eyes are on us all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That may be unfair, but it’s real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any anxiety I felt with that concept was
relieved through the interactions I had with these kids, who are now well on
their way to being incredible men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
you reflect on the year and think about all of the lessons, meetings, and
presentations what went well…consider the fact that there were thousands of interactions
that may have been more meaningful for your kids, parents, and colleagues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those moments may be the ones you revisit 10
years from now when your asked, “Remember when…”. Go Crickets.</span><o:p></o:p>Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-26554005661537609572015-05-10T21:26:00.002-05:002015-05-11T15:35:47.962-05:00What a Week...<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Every week in
Fall Creek is wonderful, but this one seemed a bit more special.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Teacher Appreciation Week brought a number of
wonderful things to school.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Our board
was very generous with gifts for our staff.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">T-shirts, mobile chargers, food, and gift cards all made their way to
our group.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">We had quotes from kids
playing on our screens throughout the school for the last 2 days of the week
(thanks to the #LeadWild crew for the idea). From start to finish the week was
wonderful…mostly because of Teacher Appreciation Week, but we also had a few
other events that brought it to a new level.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">The best part was that all scheduled events came with some <b>Unscheduled fun </b></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">that brought even more joy to the moment.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Here were a few…</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Personal Days<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXrlRpG0mRGCfC9jhcC4y3l2yyhQTUj7MeDq94VmMYlxc7WS8tGO02dcjvZYy3AnrGPNvRRd-zQM7cr1fMXP6cpAIQfpQhqJxGc-qkbdPqZX78bpyNc5kwFGqaNO-5w8_kqS1kEiPE9M/s1600/IMG_8064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXrlRpG0mRGCfC9jhcC4y3l2yyhQTUj7MeDq94VmMYlxc7WS8tGO02dcjvZYy3AnrGPNvRRd-zQM7cr1fMXP6cpAIQfpQhqJxGc-qkbdPqZX78bpyNc5kwFGqaNO-5w8_kqS1kEiPE9M/s320/IMG_8064.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">We raffled off 2
personal days a few months ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
great idea given to me by the incomparable <a href="https://twitter.com/Jeff_Zoul" target="_blank">Jeff Zoul.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got to teach Chemistry (well, we actually
talked problem solving with drones and Spheros) and a Library aide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a fantastic opportunity to get into
the classroom and give away a day for our staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was happy that the scheduled dates came up
during Teacher Appreciation Week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
loved the time with kids…dedicate opportunity to get feedback, but more
importantly, just to connect. <b>Unscheduled fun</b></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">…One tweet from the day
and I have already had conversations with a number of people who are
implementing it in their building next year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Excellence in Education</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This banquet
allows us to select 4 seniors to recognize.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSzQNU2IAI3OUUWxOx74xov-qp3HDN64-1gjmWAEXOpfiEFPY1HGEEQLgqC9VP5U9GZLYYSDqBDwWZaTlMa3hzr6ef9BuDm0ggqvEDNVMg8UC3CV61Gi4Q-Delob2t8YCM3ZwfBSeZjw/s1600/IMG_8104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSzQNU2IAI3OUUWxOx74xov-qp3HDN64-1gjmWAEXOpfiEFPY1HGEEQLgqC9VP5U9GZLYYSDqBDwWZaTlMa3hzr6ef9BuDm0ggqvEDNVMg8UC3CV61Gi4Q-Delob2t8YCM3ZwfBSeZjw/s320/IMG_8104.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">They choose an influential teacher from their career and the local
Chamber of Commerce puts on a dinner for all of the recipients.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">I got to attend and see the joy in the faces
of both teacher and student…it was such a wonderful way to celebrate an
educator that made a difference in their lives.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Unscheduled fun</b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">…2 of the
recipients from a different district were in 2</span><sup style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">nd</sup><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> grade when I was
their principal in a different school.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">To see them walk across the stage and receive their award gave me an
incredible sense of pride though I haven't seen them in years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Interviews<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">We were
interviewing for a few positions this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We adjusted our schedule because 2 of our team members were being
recognized by players on the Varsity Softball team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUHCNsP5ucYMyMRIY-_HgaiJEyf5EnqFM5qnVYL19ASLu__nGRWtVOSOg50spHthtNOC4uoLtdiPA-W09fW8Mj6pZSTn_vbNZIIaSI6D_ROf6mTlIaLjf1UJWvJXh0xOSF7Mt7wBcMPY/s1600/IMG_8312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUHCNsP5ucYMyMRIY-_HgaiJEyf5EnqFM5qnVYL19ASLu__nGRWtVOSOg50spHthtNOC4uoLtdiPA-W09fW8Mj6pZSTn_vbNZIIaSI6D_ROf6mTlIaLjf1UJWvJXh0xOSF7Mt7wBcMPY/s320/IMG_8312.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Each year, our coach asks his players to have
one teacher introduced with them during a game…another great connection for
staff and students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a different
interview, our team felt so strongly about one of the candidates that they
wanted to drive 20 minutes away and offer the recommendation for hire at her
student teaching placement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Unscheduled fun</b>…to see the pictures
from our teachers and the reaction of our recommended hire…wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an impromptu event that our candidate
and team will never forget. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Muffins with Mom<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">20 minutes a
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is all it takes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>20 minutes of uninterrupted time with your
kids and the connection you can make is astounding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxajEVDteL6_2Ve9FWOoMd9bxsr3qCgsAtiO9f1YYHUBqdgl00rkzKMHz0BTovyZ_7P2uUD0f45JLyMNdffGSfAwOY6Wloloqe3LU_d-M-2f9dGXqwY-pnS2zOtqzFgqeuLa51St5CP4/s1600/IMG_8125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxajEVDteL6_2Ve9FWOoMd9bxsr3qCgsAtiO9f1YYHUBqdgl00rkzKMHz0BTovyZ_7P2uUD0f45JLyMNdffGSfAwOY6Wloloqe3LU_d-M-2f9dGXqwY-pnS2zOtqzFgqeuLa51St5CP4/s320/IMG_8125.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Muffins with mom is always 20 minutes and we
always fill the gym.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year we had
over 600 muffins ready for our kids and a significant female role model in
their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have 325 kids in our
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The response continues to make
me proud to live in a place like Fall Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Unscheduled fun</b>…Later in the
day I received a text from a family at my former school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the family’s last Muffins with Mom as
their youngest was moving on to a new school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She just texted to say thanks for starting it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Girls on the Run<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">4 years ago one
of our teachers asked if she could start a Girls on the Run team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started with 12 girls, made great connections,
and we were off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4 years later we have
42 girls in the program and it is now the largest in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6sqj2kIDchmX7xCuhIaRgugsEpbvaEAX6yy_khA9bt0WdWRsSm8OK6kjo49qOZLUE8BrxCg7FVlHVY3uIaA31Jt58AfLCe1GOdesgM2KvATN1ss5N7CMp3EshP2WHBt-9-LAnmdhuoA/s1600/IMG_8175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6sqj2kIDchmX7xCuhIaRgugsEpbvaEAX6yy_khA9bt0WdWRsSm8OK6kjo49qOZLUE8BrxCg7FVlHVY3uIaA31Jt58AfLCe1GOdesgM2KvATN1ss5N7CMp3EshP2WHBt-9-LAnmdhuoA/s320/IMG_8175.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">It is a perfect example of someone finding
their passion and taking that passion to kids to give them an opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conversations they have about image, goal
setting, and taking care of yourself and others have helped our girls
tremendously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also allows them to
connect with other staff members in the building so they have another quality
adult in their life. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Unscheduled fun</b>…I
got to see parents take pride in what their kids do outside of school, watched
a K-5 pep rally for 42 girls, and saw their reaction as they were <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c54Fw4AZFdY" target="_blank">given high fives from their peers</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Teacher Appreciation
Week is unique.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">When I started thinking
about this blog post, I was trying to figure out how we could make school feel
like Teacher Appreciation Week all the time in our building.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">After a few conversations with people I know
and trust, I have pulled back on that stance.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Though we want people to feel valued and know that they are part of
something bigger, there is no problem with adding a few pieces to a particular
week of the year to celebrate our staff.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Events are special.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Scheduled
events like birthdays, holidays, games, or a celebration week like we just had
in Fall Creek. Unscheduled events like impromptu conversations, random Google
Hangouts, calls, or tweets…however they enter your world, they are all about
being in the moment.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">The week was full
of moments that I won't</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"> soon forget, most were scheduled, but some were not…all
added to an incredible place that I get to call home.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Well done, Fall Creek…well done. Go Crickets.</span></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-66783473200828655592015-04-16T15:14:00.001-05:002015-04-16T15:14:43.919-05:00From "I don't know" to...<span style="font-size: large;">The after school routine in the Sanfelippo house was relatively similar on a daily basis. My mom would ask me… “What did you do in school today?” My answer was always the same… “I don’t know.” This conversation happens in many homes around the world. Clearly something happened during the school day when I was a kid…but the story of my classroom was dependent on a kid who really didn’t want to talk about school. The result of that conversation is clear…people wondering what is going on in those walls.
The power of stories has an incredible impact on our lives. As kids we want to have stories read to us. As adults we gather to hear stories of the past. They evoke an emotion that can only come when we tug at the recollection of the moment. The stories told often narrow in perspective as time goes on. Our view becomes focused on our feelings at the time and that becomes the story. I don’t remember all the events leading up to my son being born (7 weeks early) almost 14 years ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_ykJzeiKADmTi5r_V5gtzRCG1egSOt94kzQPEGfT8xLtf3JuwOyVXCOL9P11gU9ev855uydhyphenhyphenAXENCsuzDemnYvRg17f2vtWi9_a729D2c-VLl5yeZfrxYoqecfCVU4MMYHBdrsezdc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-16+at+2.57.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_ykJzeiKADmTi5r_V5gtzRCG1egSOt94kzQPEGfT8xLtf3JuwOyVXCOL9P11gU9ev855uydhyphenhyphenAXENCsuzDemnYvRg17f2vtWi9_a729D2c-VLl5yeZfrxYoqecfCVU4MMYHBdrsezdc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-16+at+2.57.55+PM.png" height="188" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I do remember how scared I was and the first time I was able to hold him. That is the story I continue to tell because the focus has narrowed to those two pieces.
The stories of schools are no different. The narratives of schools are being told by people who attended years ago. Whatever their experience was at the time is the one that they are telling right now. The issue is this…schools are not the same as they were when I went 20 years ago. Kids in our space are doing amazing things. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnLK-zfykeJJBUaRVaJPIQe8XZ7bOamTYhyTZ55QwWi8js0gt4FCAlDjOm1-NhhPPnIZvDoCejPWZ_dMqAh7czXAmN8Xsd4lYTcsYinFGDdz5r8gkHGCzuKAEmNNoY3sJg-3l2fXdXT4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-16+at+2.19.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnLK-zfykeJJBUaRVaJPIQe8XZ7bOamTYhyTZ55QwWi8js0gt4FCAlDjOm1-NhhPPnIZvDoCejPWZ_dMqAh7czXAmN8Xsd4lYTcsYinFGDdz5r8gkHGCzuKAEmNNoY3sJg-3l2fXdXT4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-16+at+2.19.46+PM.png" height="197" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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They are creating, innovating, constructing, deconstructing, and problem solving like never before. They are bringing content to the world instead of regurgitating content back to their teachers. They are connecting with authors and other classrooms across the globe on a regular basis. They are tweeting, posting, and blogging…all with the understanding that all education does not need to take place within our walls.
The only way we can change the narrative of schools is to bring our story to the world. We are in a service organization. Bringing what we do to the world on a regular basis has not been part of our organizational DNA. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ds06uQRizlgDW9fnM1kPKPRnXlBIPfjVMHK1TtSPT0GUGL6KmbuZER3TUtPZW3skYkEknx-QB0VQQSXunT-tozKvLF5snsLRgHT_1B2GxRGXzDv3UzdvNWBl7ybtb-ETnRuAI11-wKE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-16+at+2.19.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ds06uQRizlgDW9fnM1kPKPRnXlBIPfjVMHK1TtSPT0GUGL6KmbuZER3TUtPZW3skYkEknx-QB0VQQSXunT-tozKvLF5snsLRgHT_1B2GxRGXzDv3UzdvNWBl7ybtb-ETnRuAI11-wKE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-16+at+2.19.05+PM.png" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
Simply put…that needs to change. My 8 year old, my 11 year old, and the 14 year old are doing amazing things in their classrooms, with the leadership of INCREDIBLE teachers. It is not fair to them, or anyone in our space, to have their story told by people who have no connection to what happens here. I've attached a few pictures of things going on in our building over the last 2 days. I didn't have to look to hard to find them...our #gocrickets thread is available to anyone on our website and gives us a chance to share our learning with anyone who wants to jump in. The opportunity to tell our story is one we really need to gravitate to with the current landscape of public education. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqAxC360YxmYNbBo8UoYKyGz0LeH9_WYROrUqlmuu5ilrsXzuwHIlZ4H6JWKQJpUnJC58aHMw0zj32fgJGoF_4hiI565MlbyI5UNFxjrmk8cHIuZzA3AUI7G73m3NYRfJJZnynx7LEk8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-16+at+2.58.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqAxC360YxmYNbBo8UoYKyGz0LeH9_WYROrUqlmuu5ilrsXzuwHIlZ4H6JWKQJpUnJC58aHMw0zj32fgJGoF_4hiI565MlbyI5UNFxjrmk8cHIuZzA3AUI7G73m3NYRfJJZnynx7LEk8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-16+at+2.58.10+PM.png" height="195" width="320" /></a></div>
We can't hope that the stories are told...we have to help others tell them</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">. We can change the narrative by connecting with parents and community members through many channels. We can help parents have conversations that move from “What did you do at school today?” to “Hey, I saw on Twitter that you were launching rockets today…tell me more about that”.
Most importantly, we can help students own the process and love learning so if they are asked what they did in school today they can move from…“I don’t know” to “I don’t know where to start.” Go Crickets. </span>Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-3756800508942804202015-04-16T08:49:00.000-05:002015-04-16T11:07:31.911-05:00Telling Our Story at the Bammys<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In a colossal lapse of judgment, the BAM Radio Network has
asked the incomparable <a href="https://twitter.com/tonysinanis" target="_blank">Tony Sinanis</a> to host the 2015 <a href="http://bammyawards.org/" target="_blank">Bammy Awards</a>…and
apparently I get to be his sidekick!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have secured a utility belt to hold all of the hair gel he requires, made requests
to have only blue M&Ms at the site, talked to the staff to ensure that the
dressing room is at a perfect 73.6 degrees and have upgraded my phone so I can
hold all of the pictures he will make me take of him during the evening.
Ha!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are very excited to help bring
the stories of great students, teachers, administrators, and innovators to the
world through this event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our passion is
clearly in the area of Telling Our School Story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <a href="http://www.corwin.com/books/Book244211" target="_blank">book we wrote</a> and the <a href="http://www.bamradionetwork.com/branded/" target="_blank">radio show</a> we host
are predicated on getting the amazing work our kids do into the worlds of those
who have a different view of public education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The theme of the Bammy Awards is Breaking the Code of Silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out the video as it presents a quick
overview of what we can do as educators to tell the story of our schools.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So…we hope you will join us, physically and or virtually on
Saturday, September 26<sup>th</sup> as we hope to help tell the great stories
of our schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may get a little
crazy…I have purchased an Ab Roller and plan on using it 4-6 times to ensure
that I am physically fit enough for the event…or at least it will strengthen my
core and help if I am laughing too much!! One thing is true…the theme of
Breaking the Code of Silence requires loud voices…and BAM could not have picked
2 louder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s do this!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-82891312730195336972014-12-22T08:33:00.001-06:002014-12-22T08:33:18.543-06:00Can We Change Ed Reform?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OK...School district leaders, government agencies, education
reformers...here we go... </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Social media has been a great place for me to
learn and grow over the course of the last 2 years. I have met some
amazing people, connected with government entities, and cultivated resources
that I hope have helped our school move forward. However, there are times
throughout the year that I think we as a connected group forget that though our
group is growing, it still makes up a relatively small portion of educators working
with kids on a regular basis. We talk about change, the impact of being
connected, and how ownership of learning is key to learning...but it is often
in a tunnel of those we have chosen to connect with and who share similar views
on what education should look like. There are people across the world doing
amazing things. Most of those who are connected are more than willing to
share so our Fall Creek group can have the connections to get better in their
space. We have been able to bring in authors virtually, talk to local,
state, and national leaders on a regular basis with the help of our social
media presence, and distribute resources we have found by getting past the
Google search. That is awesome...but the perspective is still only reaching
a small population. The people we work with will not connect if they
don’t see the value to their immediate space. Example...I hate to
exercise and eat well. Hate it. I know it is good for me and I know
it would make me feel better. My wife is the most beautiful thing that
has ever landed on the planet and she is doing everything she can to provide
great meals and encourage me to exercise, but when I see a place to get a
pizza, I’m getting a pizza. I haven’t seen the value because I have not
been invested in it...and if she can’t convince me, no one will until I start
to see the value for myself. When I see personal success, clearly I will
be encouraged to engage more. Social media is the same thing...until
educators see the value for their day to day interactions with kids, it will
still be a place where a small percentage lives or what “those people do”.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Social Media is for other people</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">In the Superintendent position, the circle of those who I connect
with on all social media platforms is small...in the great state of Wisconsin I
have a </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Joesanfelippofc/lists/wisupt"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Twitter list of Superintendents </span></a><span style="color: black;">that
has under 100 names. We have 425 districts in this state. Even with
the group on the list, I think there are about 20 who I connect with on a
regular basis and share ideas. I love their passion...but I KNOW about
their passion because of the connection we have made on social media. I’m
sure there are a plethora of very high quality </span>superintendents across our state and <span style="color: black;">I feel bad that I haven’t been able to connect </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCJrRTYQYdRmeAH0B_nGy-P3ET0ATZ7x0n8Q8iGBzvo6hbN0euFppRsnv_ZvjZvKhz38ADkwKc-nvhxMmI1r6BxrQPlmMf7lUCCIKZy1nrvJgoyIj2n_drnH_vG9gj3UwUgT_YoGDK3c/s1600/business-plan-social-media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCJrRTYQYdRmeAH0B_nGy-P3ET0ATZ7x0n8Q8iGBzvo6hbN0euFppRsnv_ZvjZvKhz38ADkwKc-nvhxMmI1r6BxrQPlmMf7lUCCIKZy1nrvJgoyIj2n_drnH_vG9gj3UwUgT_YoGDK3c/s1600/business-plan-social-media.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">with them...the impact
we could have together is much better than what we have individually.
There are a number of very vocal and highly visible people on the
speaking circuit who are extremely active on Twitter. When I went to see
speakers 5 years ago it seemed like they were talking about dreams rather than
reality. They stood on a stage, got people fired up about education, and
then they left. Now, we are able to connect with those people on a
regular basis. Every keynote speaker I have seen in the last 2 years has
been accessible through Twitter. I have reached out to most, and in almost
every case I have been able to engage in a dialogue about how we could help our
kids grow and succeed. Having said that...we need to help people connect so
they can find their own way without making it feel like they are poor educators
without it. Help out at social media lounges at conferences, engage in
conversations on twitter, and offer to help through Google Hangouts or Skype.
Helping others see the value means being there if they need the help, not
just telling them they should do it. We owe it to our staff to help
connect and continue the conversations so they know how.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Social Media and technology does not fix bad teaching</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Getting everyone ON Twitter is a great idea in theory, but ON
Twitter does not always mean invested in the process. Conversely, ON
Twitter does not make you a great teacher...it may give you more resources, but
at the core of what you do should be the teaching and learning of the group you
are assigned. They only have a limited time with us and every effort
should be made to ensure that the time they spend in our space is inspiring.
The use of social media and technology can clearly enhance the learning
environment, but is not the answer if instruction does not change.
Bringing back the exercise example...I have the shoes, the Ipod, the
quality ear buds, and like 5 mapping apps. All of them were great for a
week...then the allure of something new was gone and the $100 shoes I bought to
take me to the next level stare begrudgingly at me every time I leave the
house. If the intent moves to more ownership of the process, everyone
will be more invested. We all want to own our growth. The most
productive Professional Development in our district over the last 2 years was
clearly learning from peers and self directed. Our teachers know
that...and that knowledge helps us transfer the environment to our students.
Teachers don’t like to be talked at all day. Guess what, students don’t
either. Loved this </span><a href="https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/a-veteran-teacher-turned-coach-shadows-2-students-for-2-days-a-sobering-lesson-learned/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">post from Grant Wiggins</span></a><span style="color: black;"> on a teacher spending 2 days as a high school student. We owe it
to our kids to increase our ability to instruct and provide a place that is
engaging for students. Getting there means we need to empower our
teachers to learn HOW to make that happen instead of walking in an expecting it
to be the norm right away.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Waiting for the next</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Social media aside...this is the biggest issue with education
reform. Initiatives have historically been attached to a person.
New administrators come into districts and have a perspective on how they
think they can move the needle in a particular area. They are well
intended, and honestly, that is part of the reason they are there...but if
initiatives are attached to a person, they leave when the person </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrY4D_hrNSvcG47Gzrb39Eij3KHGSIoeCgq04RhIgdPJJuekN7-yZZIPfFyJlEAZdk9a6FX79xCPcPXX_9naEpY5jCOdhsBYcIdv0U6jiUvpAMOrGdD3muyxiv4jsxhQS4eqph_3Eav4g/s1600/12353876-best-team-success-communication-network-with-the-selected-group-in-red-on-blue-as-business-people-wo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrY4D_hrNSvcG47Gzrb39Eij3KHGSIoeCgq04RhIgdPJJuekN7-yZZIPfFyJlEAZdk9a6FX79xCPcPXX_9naEpY5jCOdhsBYcIdv0U6jiUvpAMOrGdD3muyxiv4jsxhQS4eqph_3Eav4g/s1600/12353876-best-team-success-communication-network-with-the-selected-group-in-red-on-blue-as-business-people-wo.jpg" height="295" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">moves on.
I know teachers and administrators who have not engaged in a new process
because they know the person will be gone in a few years and they will have to
start something new when a different leader chosen. Who can blame
them!?!!? The minute they feel comfortable with the initiative, a new one
comes along and they have to find a way to integrate what they have done, or
scrap all of the work that went into it at that point. We have all been
there...change is necessary, but doesn’t need to be constant. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<span style="color: black;">The point is this...education reform will go nowhere
if our staff does not feel a connection to where we are going. If we want
them to invest, we need to invest in them. For those who are making
decisions on a state and national level...ask our teachers what they need to be
successful. For those people in the connected community...extend the
conversation beyond those on social media who already believe a new direction is
needed. Those of us who are connected have a responsibility to spread the
word, do great things, and invest in people who are not connected so they can
see the value without pontificating so we push them away. We have a
responsibility to get into universities and raise the expectation so we are
hiring people who we want to be like, not who fit into who we are. There
are pockets where these things are happening...and pockets of excellence are a
great start, as long as we encourage and empower everyone in our environment to
do what is best for kids and those pockets grow over time. Go Crickets.
</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-35549425446995987292014-11-27T07:55:00.001-06:002015-01-02T11:46:29.209-06:00The Start<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">So...I
went to the White House and met the President last week. I really don’t
know a different way to start the post. That happened. The leader
of the best country in the world, in location that I have visited twice, but
always outside a gate. At some point I will reminisce about the speech, the
entrance and exit of the President, the fact that I shook his hand twice, sat
10 feet from him as he </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSCnLpkuS-xochYqyRn9r9S1tZpGo1upQIGMTHb1EryDy1RkWpjCbWPgosMoceE6Zy1InAoAKA9Mvj2l_gLoQrmrgYCgRbKXZ4lqlbie8WQ04bH-0hombIRFVsPDlu557FPTX9b7DZ5w/s1600/IMG_5387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSCnLpkuS-xochYqyRn9r9S1tZpGo1upQIGMTHb1EryDy1RkWpjCbWPgosMoceE6Zy1InAoAKA9Mvj2l_gLoQrmrgYCgRbKXZ4lqlbie8WQ04bH-0hombIRFVsPDlu557FPTX9b7DZ5w/s1600/IMG_5387.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">addressed the nation, and received texts from our staff
as the students in Fall Creek watched from their classroom. <a href="http://rebel6.wordpress.com/2014/11/20/future-ready-schools-summit/" target="_blank">The events of the day were captured brilliantly by David Britton</a>. At some point the
surreal notion of being in that space will fade. Not today. Today,
the inspiration of being at the White House, discussing what school could look
like with the highest ranking officials in the US Department of Education, and
meeting with 117 school leaders across the country to make life better for kids
in our school system still woke me up with a mission to get better. The
makeup of the room included leaders from schools districts that ranged in size
from hundreds to tens of thousands. The interesting component to me was
the issues that we face in a district of 800 were the same as those faced in
other districts much larger. Quality time for Professional Development,
financial support, and connectivity were all brought up throughout the day. We
all face these and need to help each other for all kids to succeed. I
walked away with a great sense of pride in the relationships we create with
kids and a determination to make our spaces better for them to learn.
Here are a few takeaways from the summit:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><b>It’s
about Trust</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Everything
we talked about that day will fail if we don’t develop trust with our staff,
students, and community. Nothing can be done to improve student learning
if the people we are hoping to bring along on the journey do not trust where
the journey leads. We have a responsibility to build trust first...above
all else, create an environment where trust is the default. The more
initiatives we bring forward, the less people will be willing to jump on board
in the process. I have worked in places where staff members judge the
number of years they have until retirement by the number of initiatives they
will have to endure. That is not fair to them, and certainly not fair to
kids. Solution: Find two things your staff does really well and enhance their
opportunity to grow those. Have them find one thing they want to improve, and
let them drive the learning in that area.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0reN0emlhLtLUxmdJ55rQE_uVaokAe4RcTX-Vt20hFwHXAGLppjcW-L0C7dAuKqID1G0X2B1cg3FTl2-sIH8xkQ6aN_DCgM-EBsetXRadGYIa3gkT7PdZEytHGaJQIHf9s83UC-orB8/s1600/IMG_5363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0reN0emlhLtLUxmdJ55rQE_uVaokAe4RcTX-Vt20hFwHXAGLppjcW-L0C7dAuKqID1G0X2B1cg3FTl2-sIH8xkQ6aN_DCgM-EBsetXRadGYIa3gkT7PdZEytHGaJQIHf9s83UC-orB8/s1600/IMG_5363.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><o:p><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><b>It’s
about Leadership</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The
day was filled with exceptional leaders. To hear their stories and think
about how it would translate to the kids in Fall Creek was both exciting and
exhausting. Their teams were doing incredible things in the area of
digital learning. The opportunities that were given to students in their
districts were amazing and their ability to cultivate more leaders in their
districts was well noted. The passion and purpose shared throughout the
summit was undeniable. The leaders in the room were confident, yet
understood that we were all in this together. I think seeing the
President speak had a lot to do with that outlook. The conversations
about how to make school better were at the forefront of every interaction, and
that was absolutely inspiring. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><b>It’s
about Teachers, not Tech</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I am
inspired to work in a place that knows kids are different. Our teachers
make great connections with kids and families. We got into teaching to
change lives. We teach because we had someone who believed in us long ago
and saw value in what we could bring to others. We need to understand
that the feeling we received from someone instilling that confidence in us has
to be transferable. We have a responsibility to make kids feel like there
is someone in the building who believes in who they are, but more importantly,
who they will become. As a profession, we also have to understand that a number
of us got into teaching because we experienced some success in school.
That also makes up a very small percent of the population of kids in
school. If we teach the way we were taught, it will only resonate with a
very similar population. I may not have been the brightest kid, but I
could “do school”. I knew what I needed to get by, and often did just
enough. We don’t want kids to just “do school”. We want kids to be
inspired to do something different, something bold, something that will make
life better...and we need to understand that “doing school” will not get them
there.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XlPL-qb-0W8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Most
importantly, it’s about Students</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The
theme was clear throughout the day. Future Ready is about kids.
Schools are about kids and the adults in that setting have a
responsibility to ensure that the spaces reflect that notion. At the heart of
that responsibility is the willingness to connect the adults and kids so
quality instruction can happen and kids see the value in the learning. If
they own it, they will learn. If they feel a connection, they will learn.
If they know you trust them, they will learn. We owe it to them to provide
a better opportunity than the one we had. The connection leads to discussion,
the discussion leads to confidence, and the confidence leads to change.
Everyone in our building has the ability to change the world. They all
have a passion. Finding that can be difficult, but it always starts with
the connection. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<span style="color: black;">I think we have all been in a room where there are
discussions about how to change things and we leave knowing that nothing will. I honestly could not have been more excited about where this group
could go. The regional meetings set up across the country will be a great
opportunity to discuss what Future Ready is and what it is not. Future
Ready is about learning, not about tech. It is about creating
opportunities for kids, not what is convenient for adults. It is about
developing our staff members to ensure they are growing in a digital age, not
about teaching the way we were taught as kids. It is about creating
capacity for all of our schools to ensure all kids leave prepared to take on whatever
their future holds, not what the past held. It is about the Future...and
together we will be ready. Go Crickets.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-49485613111994982152014-08-25T17:37:00.000-05:002014-08-25T17:37:58.229-05:00The Issue with Comfort Zones<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Comfort zones are interesting to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all work so hard to get to them, but once
we get there, we are really scared to step outside of the peace that they
offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They provide us with a sense of
calm, but I question whether or not they help us to grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we spend too much time in the comfort
zone, it is much harder to take risks and step outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I completely understand it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is rarely time where we take on a new
activity and it turns into awesome right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Take a pen and a piece of paper…write your name on the paper with your
non-dominant hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How are you feeling?
Clearly the more you practice the better it would get, but if we are constantly
reminded that we’re not good at a particular task, we are much less likely to
continue doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having said that,
there are not too many things in the world that we could do right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence, the learning always came from
outside our comfort zones.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2ya0ahxvjatWvKNHdqp5kRVr2JggcA9ZMWWmvOSJV8PczQ1Ru2j1QnnZaeSBnP9PbHxvn_sKYBHQ1i6PjRsPIbWT4G8UBnMTADNkNrWxV7ZQeY5Yww268CLJ-QnFt9NhjDiA7DWVQBQ/s1600/Team+Sanfelippo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2ya0ahxvjatWvKNHdqp5kRVr2JggcA9ZMWWmvOSJV8PczQ1Ru2j1QnnZaeSBnP9PbHxvn_sKYBHQ1i6PjRsPIbWT4G8UBnMTADNkNrWxV7ZQeY5Yww268CLJ-QnFt9NhjDiA7DWVQBQ/s1600/Team+Sanfelippo.JPG" height="400" width="306" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Some people step out of their comfort zones and try
something new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am currently involved
in an activity that doesn’t just fall a little outside my comfort zone, it
resides miles away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are a few weeks
away from <a href="http://dancingwiththeeauclairestars.com/index.php/contestants-2/" target="_blank">Dancing with the Eau Claire Stars</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was asked to be one of the contestants, and it has been quite the
experience!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now…I don’t consider myself
a star, a dancer, and I don’t live in Eau Claire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So…this could not be more outside my comfort
zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dancing portion of the
activity is difficult and well beyond my level of expertise, which was clearly
a switch for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tend to pick
activities where I feel like I can experience a relative level of success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no idea how I was going to have that
feeling in a choreographed dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inevitably,
everything I do tends to get my wheels spinning about how it relates to schools,
students, staff, and professional growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So…here are a few thoughts going through my head as the process has
rolled out…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Don’t waver<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The longer it takes you to make the decision, the less
likely you are to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tend to
talk a lot in education…we discuss and discuss and discuss before making a
decision and sometimes forget the most important part…actually making one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do your research, but when you
commit…go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you know you are in you
will feel much better about the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Impact of Peers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">As administrators we can lead the process of challenging
staff members to grow outside their comfort zones, but when it comes down to
the ownership of the process, the value of peers is incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The support from peers as you take a risk in
your practice can be a true motivator when it comes to confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People want to be acknowledged for what they
do, and that includes attempting to try something different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has to be the culture of classrooms as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students will not go out on a limb
if they feel like their friends are going to insult them or their teacher won’t
support them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know really intelligent
kids who do not participate in class because they are afraid of what their
friends will say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know kids who knock
others down emotionally because it is easier than admitting that they don’t
understand or know the answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
worked with staff members who don’t want to extend themselves for fear of what
their colleagues would say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am lucky
to work in a place where the support for peers is really solid, but even in
that space it can be hard for people to step out of their comfort zones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8f5hOrUvVMcXUVfkFOj6nUfFr15swp1dyl1Ywwt3dMDLNyXYvTMMGWxObhb5ey-rqx1FSfxwKOG9xClNeADltq_2hECPGispokM4L9il34up9mLdHlDeHzpaItnr4ENXShR9-54dgYY/s1600/Magic+Happens.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8f5hOrUvVMcXUVfkFOj6nUfFr15swp1dyl1Ywwt3dMDLNyXYvTMMGWxObhb5ey-rqx1FSfxwKOG9xClNeADltq_2hECPGispokM4L9il34up9mLdHlDeHzpaItnr4ENXShR9-54dgYY/s1600/Magic+Happens.jpeg" height="219" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Have Fun<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Find the fun…these dance rehearsals are hard for me because
every time I try to do something I am constantly reminded that I am not good at
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel awkward and frustrated when I
can’t get the steps right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have really
amazing teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allie and Amber are
great dancers, and better people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
have made this process so fun for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
laugh, shrug our shoulders, make things up as we go, and at no point have I
felt like I am a burden to their evenings (though Amber may have a few
bruises!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are having a blast…and I
am so glad I decided to take part in the process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am so far out of my comfort zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allie and Amber are fantastic teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They ask the right questions and push me to
get better, while understanding the concept that I am way out of my
league.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like I am accomplishing
more every time we rehearse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This feeling has to
be a staple of what happens in schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Adults need to feel like they can grow, and not be stuck in a rut of
their own professional development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids
need to feel like they are getting better and have ownership in how they grow.
As you get ready to start the year, understand that you will be asking kids to
step out of their comfort zones to maximize their learning and you can be an incredible model if you step out of your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Have a great start to the year, everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go Crickets!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-923539151952495362014-08-16T14:41:00.001-05:002014-08-16T14:41:09.472-05:00Digital Leadership Day<span style="font-size: large;">Here are a few thoughts as part of Digital Leadership Day...</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDXh6DF1SVFtqPXmKlUkS6FmdA1fL27g-PHPXXmJNsiTDhqrnC9mlucqrS2fJlMSYgepkzVqXH9Q77pSLrynVfjc4GX6rNBP6Ngy_YPanptB_DbNOIn-7grcHjq9mgzZb3USgn5Ft5C4/s1600/IMG_3341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDXh6DF1SVFtqPXmKlUkS6FmdA1fL27g-PHPXXmJNsiTDhqrnC9mlucqrS2fJlMSYgepkzVqXH9Q77pSLrynVfjc4GX6rNBP6Ngy_YPanptB_DbNOIn-7grcHjq9mgzZb3USgn5Ft5C4/s1600/IMG_3341.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">Over the course of the last 2 months I have had the incredible opportunity to meet face to face with phenomenal educational leaders across the country. A few years ago I wouldn’t have even considered the thought of traveling across the country to connect with leaders from different states, talk about how we can change the educational landscape and create better environments for kids. I didn’t think the power of 140 characters would lead me to Voxer conversations that have made me laugh, cry, and want to be a better leader because of the push I get from my friends across the world. I didn’t think a simple conversation would turn into a session at an Edcamp that would grow into a radio show that would balloon into writing multiple books. All of those things may have happened at </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOC0KulmWsVRgcfJ5oLiK_oQFqEeBkPORmufSN4NAMpzqMQByoO-kWWMPXvMF0SnmhTEpEkKLiJgmujz93nw0XESD4zPZ8t_7Mlhf94jWDS7WMXNTwiSCOgYJWavxosWUSSGyEtK0DjiA/s1600/image+(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOC0KulmWsVRgcfJ5oLiK_oQFqEeBkPORmufSN4NAMpzqMQByoO-kWWMPXvMF0SnmhTEpEkKLiJgmujz93nw0XESD4zPZ8t_7Mlhf94jWDS7WMXNTwiSCOgYJWavxosWUSSGyEtK0DjiA/s1600/image+(2).jpeg" height="320" width="238" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">some point, but the impact of being connected digitally has made it substantially easier. The digital leadership journey, is just as it indicates…a journey. We go down many paths that we don’t really know throughout our careers. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Some work out and some </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">don’t, but all help us to grow. The use of digital tools in the development of leadership skill has been a game changer for me. The tools have allowed or conversations. Those conversations have challenged my thinking and grown a network that expands well beyond location. The best and most connected leaders in the country are literally a tweet, post, or vox away. The internet has changed school for students. They have access to any content at any time. The same holds true for leaders. The opportunity for growth is out there. If we are leading learning organizations, it is incumbent on us to model that learning.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Leadership and Management</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1AfPtze_H1ianwkWU9o_kXOdODxNBRj0ol01WI8JOqsa72lzxS43vV7g21LTC3pGy2I6_bF3Shm2fzAmlj0VC08PaM4IlnbxHhA3UXvDsTI5DiSZa15DGC4XkH6v69AEbQ3KI4fqzFc/s1600/leadlearn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1AfPtze_H1ianwkWU9o_kXOdODxNBRj0ol01WI8JOqsa72lzxS43vV7g21LTC3pGy2I6_bF3Shm2fzAmlj0VC08PaM4IlnbxHhA3UXvDsTI5DiSZa15DGC4XkH6v69AEbQ3KI4fqzFc/s1600/leadlearn.jpeg" height="137" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The digital portion of leadership may not be essential…but it certainly has made me want to be a better leader. We often get stuck in the day-to-day operation of what school looks like…and to be honest that is a critical piece to leadership. Curt Rees and I were talking a few months ago about the difference between leader and manager. The discussion veered toward the idea that great leaders have both vision sense and management ability. Philosophical discussions that happen in every social media forum are </span><span style="font-size: large;">just dreams if you do not have a process in place to make change happen. We can talk about how it should look or how we would like it to look or fawn over the latest infographic…but the attempt to move forward is where the new path for staff and students will be cut.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Modeling</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As I have indicated before, I live and work in an unbelievable school district. We have unwavering support for our school from the parents and community, the staff is beyond wonderful, and the school board allows us to take risks and try new things. We are a very small school so as we move into the future the use of digital tools will certainly be needed to provide opportunities for our students that they can’t get due to limited course offer</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoR_MnnTghfJcXgJj335_0ssPZsbHiMfI9O45JFpPSJJVxj3bH_wXUgqqovHUdyfKTPHsQT_ZG7JZeBZaHncRYUjzlYLrcVvBcYaf_SQ0Cz3M_lSFS1Mhz1-oQakKWWJU2zZjbXG00lpo/s1600/penguins.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoR_MnnTghfJcXgJj335_0ssPZsbHiMfI9O45JFpPSJJVxj3bH_wXUgqqovHUdyfKTPHsQT_ZG7JZeBZaHncRYUjzlYLrcVvBcYaf_SQ0Cz3M_lSFS1Mhz1-oQakKWWJU2zZjbXG00lpo/s1600/penguins.jpeg" height="130" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">ings. We use social media in our building on a regular basis. Could we use them more often…of course. We have some classrooms that have active Twitter feeds and connect with other classrooms </span><span style="font-size: large;">across the world. We have some classrooms using Remind to connect with families. Our school district app has been very successful in communicating with our parents and families. CricketTV has brought HS extra curricular activities to life for extended family not living in Fall Creek. These are just a few examples. As a leader, modeling the process for staff is essential, but it clearly does not hold the biggest card in terms of influence. The staff in our building who have utilized the communication tools and connected to the outside world do it because of the feedback they get from students, parents, and colleagues. If the positive comments are coming from any of those groups the motivation grows and the initiative starts to move.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Digital tools of today will be replaced with newer, faster, and more productive tools in the future. The gold is not in the tool, but the process. As leaders, we have an obligation to seek out and model opportunities that could help our students, staff and community. We need to provide resources and time for people to dive into the process and grow through ownership of learning. Self-guided exploration of learning is great for both students and staff. We don’t need to have all the answers and often won’t, but if we are seen as leading the learning, we will be in a better place. Go Crickets!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOB7OSpjPhsRvWTCtdhZgAl_G7s4kf2Er2-8NIRiA0lW8dR6meMtrSrrqQINGYYBtLz0Ge0olVmyjWryKWwQda8FieL7opLHwy09K-0_JeGgpgSAHvhFb_3LzPAQx9GwRV7s0uUJtcA4/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOB7OSpjPhsRvWTCtdhZgAl_G7s4kf2Er2-8NIRiA0lW8dR6meMtrSrrqQINGYYBtLz0Ge0olVmyjWryKWwQda8FieL7opLHwy09K-0_JeGgpgSAHvhFb_3LzPAQx9GwRV7s0uUJtcA4/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Having said that, being the Lead Learner should also encompass Learning to Lead. At a very young age I was told that I had “leadership ability”. To this day I don’t really know what that means, but I knew it gave me confidence to get in front of a group of people, provide some energy and enthusiasm, and attempt to get people headed in a similar direction. The confidence that was instilled was great, but I think it also had a negative effect.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We consistently tell kids in Fall Creek that they work hard. We do not tell them that they are smart. The theory behind that is that at some point all kids will run into something that they view as too hard. For those who have been constantly told that they are smart, it may be a let down when they can’t figure something out. For those who have been told that they work hard, it may be a just another task that they know they can achieve with additional work.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I think I always felt smart when it came to leadership. Things came easy and I could get by with energy and enthusiasm. Sometimes I feel like it has been more of a curse than a blessing. Working to become a better leader is hard. When things got hard and difficult decisions needed to be made, I often felt like the kid who has been told they were smart for years. Now what? What if it doesn’t work? What if people start seeing me in a different light? What if the decision is wrong and it impacts everyone’s lives? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6hy1ytcaFq6UlrcFPzFPBwCF1AHk-U4wnkGkngS6ZpqJaS3PPzhbHF01uZk10_5mfnMopLCsJjld4RFXkcsRfAKWxpCTUA8GrU74R7Yicw91LK5oSiwaG8SP2y-Mv1O2rO-z1vQrPa8/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6hy1ytcaFq6UlrcFPzFPBwCF1AHk-U4wnkGkngS6ZpqJaS3PPzhbHF01uZk10_5mfnMopLCsJjld4RFXkcsRfAKWxpCTUA8GrU74R7Yicw91LK5oSiwaG8SP2y-Mv1O2rO-z1vQrPa8/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">People are often placed into leadership positions because of great interview or because they had experienced some success in a different role. The fact is…being a lead learner means taking the process of learning to lead seriously. Certifications, degrees, and experience can all play a role in that development, but the process has to take you out of your comfort zone and help you move to a different level. I recently had my leadership teams fill out a survey for me through the Franklin Covey training. The results were honest, and clearly identified areas that I need to improve. I am so happy that I have a group willing to tell me I need to get better in certain areas. The challenge for leaders is we try to get better at too many things and subsequently get better at none. We discuss how we can improve in an area, but rarely find the time to dig deep and get better in our leadership practice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOlUWnxZdzhj-hq6_t49psdgQ5OdOn_L1psLESv58EiRXsavNpCohB4sxpwQy8uewKMJuxvbFXJlzZMP4Gvp_nK0BNUy_xM3ErZFBW40nIGl2tD3ocYP-AptJm0-VGZlFya8lLyPP1qw/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOlUWnxZdzhj-hq6_t49psdgQ5OdOn_L1psLESv58EiRXsavNpCohB4sxpwQy8uewKMJuxvbFXJlzZMP4Gvp_nK0BNUy_xM3ErZFBW40nIGl2tD3ocYP-AptJm0-VGZlFya8lLyPP1qw/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">We read books and think of ways to implement, and then the day to day operations take over and our growth timeline gets pushed back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Every year I ask our staff to come with “My Three”. They find 3 things that they can look to after a day, and when accomplished, walk out feeling good about what happened. There will be days that they struggle to meet the three and others that they will have them met by the time kids arrive…but it is a constant reminder that little victories can bring big success. As the year starts, I WILL work on the following as I continue to LEARN to LEAD…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Be a Leadership Builder</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>On Time…Every Time</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Listen More…Talk Less</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I am so lucky. I live in a school district that allowed me to take a Superintendent position with no experience. I live in a school district that allows me to SCREAM the great things happening here in every social media forum I can find. I live in a school district that was willing to give me time to grow. We have an incredibly supportive community, a wonderful school board, and a staff that has never said no to an initiative. They all deserve the best leader, and one willing to work hard at learning to lead. I could not be happier to call this place home…Go Crickets!</span><br />
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Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-11126835090834009582014-07-02T16:55:00.001-05:002014-07-02T16:55:03.421-05:00Principals Are People Too<span style="font-size: large;">A group of fantastic principals have connected on writing a series of blog posts to get some perspective on a few topics...I am happy that they pushed me back to writing...thanks folks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Are you out of your mind?” I was coaching golf and I told
one of the coaches from a rival team that I was moving to Eau Claire, WI to
become an elementary principal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
leaving a counseling position in a fantastic school district, where I was able
to coach basketball and golf, two of the activities I loved most in the world.
He asked if I had thought it through and laughed a little bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really excited to be a principal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The building I was moving to seemed to be a
good fit for me, and I was happy to get my wife back to an area of the state
that she really liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We packed our
stuff, moved across the state, and started a leadership journey that has proven
to be life changing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o_FRZBQqE1CWxqdwMI9CSdTNjSpgjM5vBpT5Akug06408bALWjK7-7daKV9yncXKcvto7Tn_FDK45Gg4Nihfu0PmKOXwnJuzW2b-fuMfby1YpBknXnpOSfs-C0c-K_VD_bnCoBZs-AE/s1600/You%E2%80%99ve-been-hacked-now-what.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o_FRZBQqE1CWxqdwMI9CSdTNjSpgjM5vBpT5Akug06408bALWjK7-7daKV9yncXKcvto7Tn_FDK45Gg4Nihfu0PmKOXwnJuzW2b-fuMfby1YpBknXnpOSfs-C0c-K_VD_bnCoBZs-AE/s1600/You%E2%80%99ve-been-hacked-now-what.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My first experience as a principal was incredible,
considering I had little to no idea what I was doing. The transition to
the area was great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The school was
wonderful, the families were very supportive, and I was one of 12 elementary
principals in the district, so there were a number of people who I could lean
on in my first year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to make
some connections, had a great mentor, and felt like we were making a difference
in the lives of kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often referred
to our school as the “Little Slice of Heaven on the West Side”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really my first adventure in the area
of branding our school and telling our story, which has become a clear passion
to this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids would ask me if I had
a house, or if I had kids, or if I slept at school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I told them that I had kids and a wife
my favorite response was… “Wow, that’s weird”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When we moved to Eau Claire we purposely chose a house on a
particular side of town so our kids would go to a different school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really wanted them to have their own
identity and not be “the Principal’s kid”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We came to find out that it didn’t really matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone knew they were “A Principal’s kid”
even if was at a different school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4-OuxyUvH1F4dmnEtP0X7Cf_KXr1hv58O57gE1jJ-Jpa4Q7hA8_jFRrnkNoCWxLadoU5iA0pSL00PYS6l9uTCVQyTBpMGAh79FiJ4Ep3RDHum5cjfVWH3xu2r1l2Azg4pPneJNHyoGc/s1600/IMG_0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4-OuxyUvH1F4dmnEtP0X7Cf_KXr1hv58O57gE1jJ-Jpa4Q7hA8_jFRrnkNoCWxLadoU5iA0pSL00PYS6l9uTCVQyTBpMGAh79FiJ4Ep3RDHum5cjfVWH3xu2r1l2Azg4pPneJNHyoGc/s1600/IMG_0191.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The social piece of being a principal was harder than I
thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found myself wondering what
people thought of our kids, our house, or our cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wondered if being a principal meant I had
to hang out with other principals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wondered how long I had to work to make sure people thought I was doing a good
job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did a great deal of
wondering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every year we sat our kids
down and told them that they may be looked at differently because of what daddy
does for a living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was that fair?
Probably not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it real?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Administrators are people too and I think sometimes the daily grind of
what this job means can take over a family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUReP_5Cf2j3S12-nlOjB1reJ3SfcGQi1qQP57eTlf8qGGN4k8y9ZezaUn3c7eIS0tTQq_2gnU42QxT44KU-DOcuiRlBrOdG6RN72cENJx9IRShCNasHJDu3uRbSf8CRJrQEjeVy7GGCI/s1600/Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUReP_5Cf2j3S12-nlOjB1reJ3SfcGQi1qQP57eTlf8qGGN4k8y9ZezaUn3c7eIS0tTQq_2gnU42QxT44KU-DOcuiRlBrOdG6RN72cENJx9IRShCNasHJDu3uRbSf8CRJrQEjeVy7GGCI/s320/Tree.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Fast forward to this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After 5 years in Eau Claire and 4 years in Fall Creek, this was my last
as an elementary principal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been able
to split the Superintendent and Elementary Principal role here for the last 3
years. As I move into the Superintendent job full time, our school board and community
have been so supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fall Creek is
truly a special place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a number
of staff members who have students in our building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That has really helped our kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With so many families who have connections to
the building, our family feels more at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The connection and pride to a small school resonated from the first
piece of Cricket gear our kids put on to today where our closets are mostly
green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">We could laugh when my oldest son
tied my daughter to a tree and someone got it on camera.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">We cried when our team lost in the sectional
semi final.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Our kids envision what they
will look like on stages, fields, courts, and hallways.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Maybe it is time that makes me think the
lines between being an administrator and community member are not as defined or
maybe it is the ages of our kids.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The
only thing I know is that the place has definitely played a role.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">We all want what is best for kids here…it doesn’t
matter if you are on our staff, an administrator, or a community member.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Fall Creek Pride is real…and our family has
bought in 100%.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We chose this profession…we chose it because we wanted to
see kids succeed and we thought we could make a difference.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">We chose to be parents for the same reason.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes the administrator and community
member line can get blurred.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Part of
being a good administrator is being a good person…and being a good person means
taking pride in what you do and where you are from…and I could not be happier
to say that we are from Fall Creek…Go Crickets.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-16253152360268465092014-04-09T01:34:00.001-05:002014-04-09T10:48:27.730-05:00The Power of Storytelling<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Great storytelling and great storytellers have the
opportunity to rule the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We use
storytelling to connect to each other on a different level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we were young we wanted a story before we
went to bed, when we were in school we wanted the teacher to hear ours, and as adults we convene at restaurants, bars, and
reunions to revisit the times that made us most happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We remember what we want to, and the
connection to the positive things that happened to us drive those conversations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last minute wide-open jump shot to win
the <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICN91etnx-YcKtf5fsKvnEtK0xNrvyddAaBNi9_aGSMle7iLVAQyHQoXRJv2hBBJSE9wTI63fjr6RbVTnfyCFijXIP0nyh6-XSl3a4lWhVwm88QjpDMqcl-G0gBLJqv4IbczqWoYjIqE/s1600/Video-storytelling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICN91etnx-YcKtf5fsKvnEtK0xNrvyddAaBNi9_aGSMle7iLVAQyHQoXRJv2hBBJSE9wTI63fjr6RbVTnfyCFijXIP0nyh6-XSl3a4lWhVwm88QjpDMqcl-G0gBLJqv4IbczqWoYjIqE/s1600/Video-storytelling.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via www.socialmediatoday.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
game in high school has turned into a fade away, from the corner, over
three people, from our knees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
revisiting difficult times with your friends often results in how it made you
better as a person, or grew as a family or group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We thrive on storytelling and look for any
opportunity to share our perspective.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We want to hear great stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to invest in great stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a reason pregame shows before big
events conduct mini movies on members of the teams taking part in the
contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last weekend was the NCAA Final
Four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The network access to players,
coaches, and families was unbelievable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Superbowl coverage starts 6 hours before kickoff and is watched by ridiculous
amounts of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to hear their
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to connect with them, and
those in charge of programming know that this is the way to higher ratings and
more exposure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When an Internet video
goes viral, you will often see talk show hosts and news stations lining up to
interview the individuals and have them tell their story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To desire that connection is human and
derived by emotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We look for the story
because we want to connect, and the emotion of the stories gives us that
connection.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLojiqupb6Bt2sBsSKWg0yC3PD-c0-1TPchc9dD9Oe0Ptd0rQllIYPiSd3YAAbk83BSg-svxpvymT5hygn6cL76BFaRzmUiE6_KkRQzRqGqXLrDPcD5w2GBGr4M5h7IWMDdodXnoDxZbg/s1600/IMG_1719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLojiqupb6Bt2sBsSKWg0yC3PD-c0-1TPchc9dD9Oe0Ptd0rQllIYPiSd3YAAbk83BSg-svxpvymT5hygn6cL76BFaRzmUiE6_KkRQzRqGqXLrDPcD5w2GBGr4M5h7IWMDdodXnoDxZbg/s1600/IMG_1719.JPG" height="315" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via www.allposters.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">The greatest stories in the world are real…and many of them
are happening in our schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Fall
Creek, Wisconsin, we are able to hear over 800 stories everyday in our
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The melting pot that is our
public school system could lend itself to the most incredible stories the world
has ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the work that is
done in classrooms, hallways, gyms, and auditoriums is often only shared with
those who attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hope for our kids
to go home and tell the story of school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We hope our families run into our teachers outside of school to have
conversations about what happens in our schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hope a lot, and hope is good, but the
power of storytelling can’t be left to hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We need to promote the narrative that drives the great stories of kids.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We live in a true attention deficit society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NBC does not promote Must See TV anymore
because must see is on our time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are
able to watch full seasons of television shows, download radio podcasts, and aggregate the
stories from publications that fit our needs…on our time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a look at someone as they check their
phone for information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If something doesn't catch their eye right away, what happens?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their phone turns into a Roulette wheel and
the emphatic scroll begins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our stories
have to grab the attention of the public and engage them in the wonderful
things kids do in our school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In effect,
we are storytelling through 140 characters, an Instagram picture, or a Facebook
post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are utilizing those spaces to
make tell micro stories in an effort to highlight the amazing work of kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This also helps us build social capital with
our stakeholders and take them along for the ride that is education today. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrjnVPiqX7LrXlycta9lop3KhGi9xEeUceNtdywq0tDRrEcYMpvoZqDg_2cZ1XT2DZ-NmojIlgwQoHlxVDokwW8W7nkfb6wljXz8BctiRCLzL3_F5t7kkzdE3yCXs1f_grYNM523xx6A/s1600/Technology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrjnVPiqX7LrXlycta9lop3KhGi9xEeUceNtdywq0tDRrEcYMpvoZqDg_2cZ1XT2DZ-NmojIlgwQoHlxVDokwW8W7nkfb6wljXz8BctiRCLzL3_F5t7kkzdE3yCXs1f_grYNM523xx6A/s1600/Technology.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://blous.me/post/73524047104/all-this-technology-is-making-us-antisocial</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Essentially, we can feel however we want to about the change
in society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can feel like the ills of
the world are blamed on the idea that we no longer sit at a table and tell
stories to those around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can feel
as though technology is taking over the world and people don’t engage in meaningful
conversations anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality is
meaningful conversations take place all the time…they just happen in smaller
pieces and on our time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was on a Voxer
conversation this week with 8 people who I consider true friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have only met half of them in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our conversations lasted hours, but in 1 or 2
minute blocks and on our time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shared
great stories…in a medium that allowed us to connect when we could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Better or worse, I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different? Absolutely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Families in our school want to connect, but they want to do
it on a schedule that fits them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is nothing wrong with that because at the end of the day it is not about the
time of the connection, but whether or not it happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to look at time as a commodity…one
that we can harness, but not control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Parents and community members will engage in what we do if we give them
the opportunity, but do not force the issue of time on them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">A picture, video, post, call, or text all can have a
profound impact on emotions. Great
stories find where emotion lives, and deliver something impactful in that
area. The world has, and will, belong to
the storytellers. We have 800 in this school,
and all with the desire to have their voice heard. When they don’t have the medium, we should
provide the opportunity. When we do,
everyone has a chance to come along for the ride. Go Crickets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-91137671718397672462014-03-08T08:55:00.000-06:002014-03-08T08:55:22.036-06:00Take it easy on them...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">When I was in my first year of teaching I remember having
difficulty with some of the kids in class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was frustrated because they weren’t getting their work done, didn’t
show much effort, lacked focus, and were in each other’s space on a consistent
basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember calling my mom to let
her know that the new job was hard and the kids were having the aforementioned
issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told me to keep working and
it would be fine. So…I kept working, but I still saw the same thing out of the
kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About a week after our
conversation, she left the following message on my answering machine (yep…it
was an actual machine at that time!)…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZy2P7FNq7cFlzsm1db3YMxYJiokmTx-5aWJaWBv-7OaT0A4Z5R9ksXbPMGV2HKszkmUKEb38obkcxXPLSClgg0DL68LeHjwGZE5oIlhu-laPYVcTfNegYMsRjeRBDLUTk7JO_wrwz1c/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZy2P7FNq7cFlzsm1db3YMxYJiokmTx-5aWJaWBv-7OaT0A4Z5R9ksXbPMGV2HKszkmUKEb38obkcxXPLSClgg0DL68LeHjwGZE5oIlhu-laPYVcTfNegYMsRjeRBDLUTk7JO_wrwz1c/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.bisd303.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Joe lacks focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has the potential, but procrastinates and
rarely gets his work done on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
needs to show more effort to improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
also needs to keep his hands and feet to himself.” </i>Then she said… “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You turned out ok…take it easy on the kids”.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It is funny that listening to an excerpt from my elementary
report card completely changed my outlook on the classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an elementary kid I knew I was more of a
burden than a prize in the classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
needed a stage, and our classroom didn’t have one…so, I created my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The needs I had as a learner were definitely
in contrast to what my teacher had for the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often think back to that time when kids are
struggling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly their need is not
being met…and it is our job to find a way to engage them in the process. I had
a number of students in that first class that needed to be engaged in a
different manner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the
opportunity to learn from my own experience helped restore a positive outlook
on what was happening in the classroom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The cold weather…time inside the building…and shortened days
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhEwDYoh8zmPcU7Mdx37HsAd6DsbYP8EKKXpuT59iF5qD2m0vI56kY3BMrdXkKgfeAFavW9Q-oS9TK3pvp0ccfEIBTuUOtGhoayFILRCKztAt8MQpr1AX7kArNhDr_11cplKdHzSbS7k/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhEwDYoh8zmPcU7Mdx37HsAd6DsbYP8EKKXpuT59iF5qD2m0vI56kY3BMrdXkKgfeAFavW9Q-oS9TK3pvp0ccfEIBTuUOtGhoayFILRCKztAt8MQpr1AX7kArNhDr_11cplKdHzSbS7k/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via www.peddlerson.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
always makes for an interesting February.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The last month has been exceptionally difficult on kids as the
temperatures have been ridiculous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
never thought I would see -45 and am fine if we don’t ever see it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With kids cooped up in classrooms and unable
to get outside I think it is natural to see them get agitated a little easier
than normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group of Crickets we
work with on a daily basis are phenomenal…I am constantly astounded by their
work ethic and the support of their families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are in a very lucky place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Having said that…they are still kids and kids make mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think our staff does a great job of looking
at the environment of the action rather than the action itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allows us to adjust the situation,
rather than shift blame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PBIS data has
been great in this regard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The environment of the classroom is largely determined by
the actions and attitude of the adult in that space.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">We have to set the tone in our classrooms…and
it has to be an inviting place for all.</span><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">In the end, the environment of the classroom will be determined by the
feelings students have in that area and whether or not they feel like they will
have success. That success may come at a much later date…but they need to feel
like it is possible.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Go Crickets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-87043382479966774632014-02-14T08:39:00.002-06:002014-02-14T15:56:23.034-06:00The Next...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I love sports talk radio. I seem to be spending an inordinate amount of
time in the car between 3:00-10:00 pm most evenings these days and podcasts
continue to be a great way to pass that time.
I truly enjoy the work done by <a href="https://twitter.com/notthefakeSVP" target="_blank">Scott Van Pelt</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ryenarussillo" target="_blank">Ryen Russillo</a> on <a href="http://espn.go.com/espnradio/show?showId=scottvanpelt2009" target="_blank">SVP and Rusillo</a>. In starting the <a href="http://www.bamradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=104:branded&layout=blog&Itemid=306" target="_blank">BrandED </a>podcast with <a href="https://twitter.com/TonySinanis" target="_blank">TonySinanis</a>, I get a sense of what it takes to put a very very small show
together. Our podcast is 12 minutes...recorded...and
only happens every other week. These
guys put quality interviews and live conversation together on a daily basis. It is much harder than they make it sound. One of the things I like about the show is
that they don’t spend a great deal of time talking about <i>The Next</i>. Sports and sports
talk is absolutely obsessed with <i>The Next</i>. It is clearly driven by the idea that
listeners identify greatness and are always looking for something comparable…we
tend to avoid enjoying the moment, and seek out something more. <i>The
Next </i>Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, and Magic Johnson discussion will be
replaced with who will be <i>The Next </i>Kevin
Durant, Andrew Luck, and LeBron James…because it is always interesting to think
beyond greatness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When working with students, the mindset of <i>The Next</i> can easily get flipped.
Years ago when I was in a different district, I heard from fellow
teachers… “Well, he’s a (fill in the name of a family who has struggled) so we
are just hoping to get them through high school”. As wrong as it is to live in the obsession
with who is the next superstar, comments like those drove me crazy. So…because family members in the past have
struggled we automatically shut down any hope of a sibling having success
because they are <i>The Next</i>? No. If
we treat a student differently because of that concept, we are just
contributing to an assumed predetermined path of failure…and that is simply not
fair. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The mindset also needs to be evident in school. As organizations we spend so much time
looking at other programs and expect similar results if we implement the same
systems. The reality is that all schools
are unique. Initiatives like Genius
Hour, Project Based Learning, and 1 to 1 are awesome…but the success is in the
process. Your school culture and identity are not bought from a box, they are built from the character in your walls. <i>The
Next</i> great initiative will be replaced with a new Next great initiative,
but the success of your school is dependent on the people, not the programs
(thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/ToddWhitaker" target="_blank">Todd Whitaker</a>). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNxjk1ZQoFPhe8SeEYqNt6ZrqdjDPKuxihZYNHV8Zjihv20iAceeh8j7WbAMuxVFshzo58bQ4kIklWzxuVVH8W0HsKg7Pay1rimbk68jNi1YTBfjO1iauBmRIM8jbmectnnLME4c7aVQ/s1600/Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNxjk1ZQoFPhe8SeEYqNt6ZrqdjDPKuxihZYNHV8Zjihv20iAceeh8j7WbAMuxVFshzo58bQ4kIklWzxuVVH8W0HsKg7Pay1rimbk68jNi1YTBfjO1iauBmRIM8jbmectnnLME4c7aVQ/s1600/Road.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via beliefnet.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Kids in schools invariably follow the path of
society. They emulate and
desire to be those who they connect with either personally or from afar. Social media has allowed our students to go
on the journey of famous athletes, singers, and Hollywood superstars from their
phone…so the idea of <i>The Next </i>is
firmly implanted from a very young age.
Social media and technology are not going away, so hope is clearly lost…right? Wrong.
We need to encourage our kids to stop thinking about <i>The Next</i>…and become <b>The First</b>. Every person is
unique and has the opportunity to do something wonderful. Though their interest may stem from what they
see…the idea that they can be <b>The First</b>
shouldn’t leave their thought process. There is no shame in admiring the work
of superstars…and no shame in using things they have done to become successful
to improve your own personal or group achievement. However, their situation was different than
your situation, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow may be different
for you than it was for them. All of those things are great…because the world
needs variety.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The irony of it all is this...the people they emulate were,
more often than not, <b>The First</b>. Every single day, 802 future superstars walk
through our doors…and our hope for them is not to become <i>The Next</i>…but to become <b>The
First</b>. Go Crickets.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-39216462238954368202013-12-27T11:34:00.001-06:002013-12-27T11:36:10.429-06:00The Year in Pictures<span style="font-size: large;">1,201 is just a number. I can’t decide how I feel about it. On one hand it seems like a lot of pictures to take at school that tell the story of the amazing things happening in Cricket Country. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem like nearly enough to articulate what happens in our schools on a daily basis. Obviously, pictures tell stories. The pictures and videos we take in schools hope to tell stories for those who can’t be there to experience what we see every day. The pictures can highlight what happens, but often the message gets lost with the “you had to be there” mentality. We hope that the pictures we take contribute to the mosaic that is Fall Creek. All 1,201 can be seen at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/fallcreekcrickets">www.flickr.com/fallcreekcrickets</a>. It was next to impossible to come up with only a few to highlight in this blog, but here goes…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGf8D3qYpKuB2orcWTJDsITzjaoWFeNHpv2tIdb9LIeXK7PC2Hn3aK-mfULwlpsS0qMj18wgHm3LxtQflqzvb_0IDCuLWu-oEq0EK93JEt9gRzJ4uA-JvbP_05wj2jQz3Uhehqy4A4G2k/s1600/IMG_6641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGf8D3qYpKuB2orcWTJDsITzjaoWFeNHpv2tIdb9LIeXK7PC2Hn3aK-mfULwlpsS0qMj18wgHm3LxtQflqzvb_0IDCuLWu-oEq0EK93JEt9gRzJ4uA-JvbP_05wj2jQz3Uhehqy4A4G2k/s320/IMG_6641.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">The first picture is the monstrosity that is our Play Web. It’s huge…and the kids love it. It represents what I hope students bring to school all the time. Be brave, aim high, and step out of your comfort zone. When we were building the new playground, I had inkling that the structure would be big…but had no idea that I could go to the top and take an aerial shot of the school! The idea was to have some equipment for our older students at the elementary level. Turns out that everyone loves it…from Kindergarten students to Middle School students…I even saw some of our high school kids navigating the ropes. In the end, it is awesome and the students have been both safe and brave while spending time on the structure. It clearly represents what we want from kids and we hope that the same level of nervousness and drive can get them to the top of their academic career as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypvPWMIrJ9b3oeps702r280SgqAF0iTqaCVJ8yF1A5PpTmWmqOwNMm7KJFZRy3XXVKsVB4rwP7Dp5Ov8fyHPi4EpAqXIHlf772poi7PvQUplXyrdzmly5l48MFWI5Eh0xN3tEJZhb4ak/s1600/IMG_0487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypvPWMIrJ9b3oeps702r280SgqAF0iTqaCVJ8yF1A5PpTmWmqOwNMm7KJFZRy3XXVKsVB4rwP7Dp5Ov8fyHPi4EpAqXIHlf772poi7PvQUplXyrdzmly5l48MFWI5Eh0xN3tEJZhb4ak/s320/IMG_0487.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As the year went on we wanted to get more time for our staff to collaborate. We have grade level collaboration days and our professional development time has moved to more of an independent model where our group gets to choose how they grow. That model leaves little to no time for all staff collaboration between SPED, Title, Counseling, and across grade levels. So, thanks to Jay Posick (who I will yell at later in the post) we started collaboration mornings for our staff and students. Every 6 weeks I get to take our students, all 350 of them, in the gym for 90 minutes. During this time we read a book together, play some team building games with classes and grade levels, and have some buddy reading time. Our teachers get that additional time to work together and connect on a different level. The picture is from one of our teambuilding activities. Look at the smiles!!!! Now…I have learned a few lessons. First…though the time is crazy and trying to keep the interest of 350 kids ages 5-12 is next to impossible, I love it. The staff has been very appreciative of the time and the connection I get with our students has been excellent. Next…our 5th grade students have helped organize and even plan some of the days, which is a prime example of what happens when you trust and empower kids…they have been awesome. Finally…listen. When I talked to Jay about the idea I failed to listen to the details. Apparently, I didn’t hear the part where he told me they get together for 30 minutes…not 90. So…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSKbriH876u4fSxEZvo0fI9g6MXu1nswKMr1GJQaTQcmumZ5ceLvrki_s2RANflCq0ZQ36fi7FjyLl1bdMA35yuaIeiuezPTWolRI7djhjpG3gYLXJ0hOMUweS8nlDdjr5K9k-RY8028/s1600/IMG_0298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSKbriH876u4fSxEZvo0fI9g6MXu1nswKMr1GJQaTQcmumZ5ceLvrki_s2RANflCq0ZQ36fi7FjyLl1bdMA35yuaIeiuezPTWolRI7djhjpG3gYLXJ0hOMUweS8nlDdjr5K9k-RY8028/s320/IMG_0298.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">This is a first grade student drawing during indoor recess. I snuck behind him only to see that he was drawing a picture to give to his teacher. It speaks to the connection we aim for when</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> working with kids. The feeling that they have when they know they belong, when they know they are wanted, and when they know they can succeed is so special. This happens all the time…kids color a picture or draw something for their teacher and the stacks of mementos grow on the edges of desks in every school. Our reaction to the picture is what makes the connection work. If it’s just another picture, </span><span style="font-size: large;">the likelihood of the connection diminishes. If there is that moment in giving it to their teacher, when they feel like the only other person in the world, the connection goes well beyond curriculum and school rules…and that is where amazing starts.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWtUTOYIyGtei5m1r0jQI82ebVMHvo4Z16SW2BLOPA2oXdEdrHtP24H9ieNQ4cXQD6Jybzb9vzQdFFKfr-ozmhJsK_y40IzBlBmkOEh7u35x0NjGqsLd65YXsFgot1O4p6S0Z2Mn-mIM/s320/IMG_0717.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moment captured by Karen Stuttgen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWtUTOYIyGtei5m1r0jQI82ebVMHvo4Z16SW2BLOPA2oXdEdrHtP24H9ieNQ4cXQD6Jybzb9vzQdFFKfr-ozmhJsK_y40IzBlBmkOEh7u35x0NjGqsLd65YXsFgot1O4p6S0Z2Mn-mIM/s1600/IMG_0717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, and my favorite, was taken in a classroom by one of our teachers. It is rare that the ah-ha moment is ever captured. This was it…the moment where one of her students “got it”. The student was teaching her peers and the knowledge that she understood the process was overwhelming…it is both precious and poignant. We spend hours and hours hoping that a moment like this happens for our kids. We help them to own the process so the joy comes in learning, not memorizing. When they take pride in the learning and can work through the tough times to get to that moment, it makes everything right. The joy in her face continues to make me smile and gives me hope that this feeling happens often, even if we can’t catch it with a picture.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1,201 to 4. I often think about the work we do in schools and know that it is worth it, but don’t know if everyone feels that way. Our staff and students are amazing. Our staff has the best interests of students in mind and their joy comes from seeing students succeed. Our students are respectful and find joy in owning the learning process. When those two ideas collide, magic happens. Here is hoping that you, your students, and your staff have seen it happen this year and continue to do amazing things in 2014. Go Crickets.</span>Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-47163679496861861482013-12-14T11:15:00.000-06:002013-12-14T18:34:14.941-06:00Social Media is the new Fridge<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bWSAvGE3X7z8CwYGAzsAmn2gtmzUFqiKGFmL6Plm3oijd0uJbaYuWBWMf67P6OdY_itiLHxXwTbslT22FGPdfaptgJNlhL7s_WACxCXPP3m0FxYyoRErpVG3SFMAi-MHWVKESXf2sbY/s1600/IMG_4057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bWSAvGE3X7z8CwYGAzsAmn2gtmzUFqiKGFmL6Plm3oijd0uJbaYuWBWMf67P6OdY_itiLHxXwTbslT22FGPdfaptgJNlhL7s_WACxCXPP3m0FxYyoRErpVG3SFMAi-MHWVKESXf2sbY/s320/IMG_4057.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image via Jones Sign</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Think back to
when you were a kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stuff would come
home from school, out of the backpack, and in my house, would go immediately to
the refrigerator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom used to
display everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Draw a circle on a
piece of paper…fridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paint a line on construction
paper…fridge. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one time I got 100% on
a spelling test…fridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As time went on, essays, my sister's grade reports, school pictures (fashion faux pas and mullets included) were
all affixed on the central location in the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place where everyone would go for
nourishment was also the place they went to get an emotional pick me up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the good things going on were
prominently displayed in that place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anyone who came to the house would inevitably stop at the fridge, and the
displays would spark a conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was a great place to tell the story. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Social media has
brought the conversation that happened in the kitchen to the masses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pictures that were held by magnets are
now posted and shared through Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The opportunity
to share has grown exponentially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iphoto
streams can be shared with anyone and the story told through pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously these feeds/streams can become saturated, but the
fact that our refrigerator was so covered in paper and pictures lends itself to
the same concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We WANT to share…we
are PROUD of our kids and deep down we want others to know about it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3clXE5GeaDZkub8ihi4bsPIJ7GK4KDeqtV58YrEevWuiPiEDWKfq73brXtvi4l_bq0v9HZZq654bTBTOsjJIspeIFJjW7luB_ArfJtW1VbfgPLYtZgjKOhYImZifHUqidzFzkcKJG9Q/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3clXE5GeaDZkub8ihi4bsPIJ7GK4KDeqtV58YrEevWuiPiEDWKfq73brXtvi4l_bq0v9HZZq654bTBTOsjJIspeIFJjW7luB_ArfJtW1VbfgPLYtZgjKOhYImZifHUqidzFzkcKJG9Q/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image via mediabistro.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Parents want to
be connected and want to brag about what their kids are doing in school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want to be proud of the place they send
their children…who wouldn’t?!?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have a number of people following our district Twitter and Facebook
feeds, but the real gold comes with the feeds specific to classrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of our teachers took the leap last year and helped parents sign up for Twitter. The teachers post often to keep families up to date on
the great things going on in the classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They don’t try to meet a quota of how many times they post or count to
see who has been in pictures and who has not…they just post…a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The feedback has been great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially, families now have a running
story of what happens in the classroom. This is happening all over the
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaders like <a href="https://twitter.com/TonySinanis" target="_blank">Tony Sinanis </a>and
<a href="https://twitter.com/benjamingilpin" target="_blank">Ben Gilpin</a> flood their Twitter feeds with the great things happening in their
schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/mattBgomez" target="_blank">Matt Gomez</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/pernilleripp" target="_blank">Pernille Ripp</a> are not only displaying what happens in their classroom, but are allowing students
to own the process through posts and blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The list clearly does not end there…hundreds of teachers across the
country are connecting with their families through social media…but what if it was in the thousands…or
more!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When someone asks what is going on
in school, the evidence is right in your pocket…all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be shared with family, shown to
coworkers, and provide a little smile when a day gets tough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stories are told day in and day out in
schools…sharing those stories with the world is a great way to connect to
families.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">There will never
be a time in education where someone walks into my office and says… “Wow, I
just don’t know what to do with all of this time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We expect a great deal from our group…and
they deliver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Connecting with parents is
simply not optional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How teachers
connect with parents has been based on comfort zone and time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we move into an environment where the
fridge has turned into a phone, it is essential to find parents where they live socially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twitter and Instagram will
turn into something else in a few years, and we will be ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want the conversations around what happens
in our school to promote the positive things going on at every turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The medium will change…but the commitment to creating
opportunities for parents to connect to what we do will not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That connection can help the conversation
that has happened at kitchen tables since the dawn of time…<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Parent: How was
your day?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Student: Good.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Parent: What did
you do?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Student: I don’t
know.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">I used to live
that discussion every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using social
media as the new fridge swings that conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When kids own the process, know there is a
connection to home, and can take pride in what they do because they see it all
the time, their response goes from “I don’t know” to “I don’t know where to
start”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go Crickets.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-80366527094619950712013-12-08T18:29:00.001-06:002013-12-08T18:29:13.149-06:00The Power of Branding
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When is the last time something amazing happened in your
classroom? I’ll help you out…the last
time you had kids in your classroom and they were engaged in learning, it was
amazing. To think that we have people in
this world that have the skill level to engage a group of children of varying
abilities, backgrounds, races, needs, and interests is amazing. The work done in schools all across the world
is spectacular. Kids
gather…learn…leave…and make the world we live in a better place. So…amazing happens all the time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The idea of branding schools isn’t about selling kids or
making false promises…it’s about promoting the amazing things going on for
those who don’t have the opportunity to experience it on a daily basis. The percentage of people in your community
who have kids in schools is relatively small.
When we were looking at community data for a referendum, about 20% of
our community was made up of households who had students in our building. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">That leaves a huge void in who has knowledge
of what goes on in our building and who does not. Telling the story of the wonderful things
happening in schools to the kids who see it all the time is simply not
enough. Students understand the experience
because they live it…we need to make connections to everyone else because the
80% can be an incredible asset to the 20% who walk through the hallways. That large percentage is the group that tells
the stories of their community and their experience with the school
system. Schools have the chance to be
the piece that communities get behind and provide an identity to those who live
within the boundaries. Some community
members will come to you…they will show up at games, concerts, school plays…and
when they do, the performances on courts, fields, and stages is only part of
the story. The feeling they have when
they leave your building is the one that gets talked about at dinner tables,
local restaurants, and work the next day.
Others will not…but if they both are speaking the same language and can
identify with a brand it helps you build a great deal of social capital and
celebrate the wonderful work of kids. Here are 3 things we discussed when building our brand in Cricket Country:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Get a Win Early</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKc6PEN4dD_WX2FOMYxA08ykSigcr3rosZlBvExe25jr9eoSllM4gljqkWnloQXF2a1Bk4OtsmSSFq7HZeO7r_Ug1ZM94txY6DIJvnI5PLjQuvpQIphMdud84gSSC6NaW2GuhBzcYxlfo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-08+at+5.48.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKc6PEN4dD_WX2FOMYxA08ykSigcr3rosZlBvExe25jr9eoSllM4gljqkWnloQXF2a1Bk4OtsmSSFq7HZeO7r_Ug1ZM94txY6DIJvnI5PLjQuvpQIphMdud84gSSC6NaW2GuhBzcYxlfo/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-12-08+at+5.48.13+PM.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We started a Facebook and Twitter feed before the school
year was up and running a few years ago.
We had a <a href="http://www.wqow.com/story/15354481/teachers-welcomed-with-red-carpet-entrance-at-fall-creek-high-school#.Tl2Nq97c8dw.twitter" target="_blank">Red Carpet Welcome Back to School</a> for teachers where students
lined an area of the hallway and when all of our teachers walked out of a meeting
on their way to lunch the kids screamed…yelled…took pictures…asked for
autographs…made it feel like the Oscars.
They were awesome. We got some
media coverage and it ended up on CNN.com for the day. One event…and we were off. We had something to celebrate and it was fun
to see it grow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Find something and go.
</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It’s really that easy.
People see the golden arches or the swoosh and know exactly what it
means. The Fall Creek Crickets put Go
Crickets on everything…everything.
Shirts, window clings, bracelets, umbrellas, stress balls, Frisbees,
lanyards…everything. We throw t-shirts out at games, give away bracelets, ask who needs window clings…whatever we can do to get the word out. The financial investment we put into "stuff" is minimal in comparison to the amount of social capital it builds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOjIg0W6IOMeu6hUnvYFo7kuklKzsG94jH9miInqs3zZHzr9U0NXxJL3RopsP4dIwq2CxnugYlV6mnjlib0UpER_a5adIBoEEUR4z4KiBkVIJtOGTyztTN2oNLDb0kfbTCohzvMyeXS4/s1600/IMG_0305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOjIg0W6IOMeu6hUnvYFo7kuklKzsG94jH9miInqs3zZHzr9U0NXxJL3RopsP4dIwq2CxnugYlV6mnjlib0UpER_a5adIBoEEUR4z4KiBkVIJtOGTyztTN2oNLDb0kfbTCohzvMyeXS4/s320/IMG_0305.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We use the
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23gocrickets&src=hash" target="_blank">#gocrickets</a> hash tag all over the place.
Staff, students, and now even parents are using the hash tag…as social
media continued to grow we needed to find a presence in that space…having our
community own that through a shared voice has been an incredible feeling. Identify your brand and then promote it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Never give up the opportunity to say something great about your school</b></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The issue is not about what is happening in schools, it’s
the perception of what is happening. The
reality is that everyone didn’t have a great school experience when they were
younger. The thoughts and feelings they
had as students often linger to a point that their perception of what it was
becomes the reality they convey to others. That perception can change…if your
voice, and their new experience, are positive. The interactions you have through social media and face to face have an incredible impact. If your focus is on the positive things happening in your building the take away for those who don't see it everyday is so powerful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am unbelievably fortunate to work in a school district
that has outstanding teachers, great families, and a supportive school
board. I understand that this is not the
case everywhere, but the opportunity to change the perception of what your
school district is starts with you. We
are with kids everyday…we see their smiles, growth, and accomplishments. Those are the stories that build pride and
community. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">As a school district you can hope that the words of your
students and parents reach the 80% of the population who are not there
everyday.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Or…you can take to Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, YouTube, local media, games, and community events
to spread the amazing story of what kids do all the time.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Our story is special and so is yours…TELL
IT.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/fccrickets" target="_blank">Twitter </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FallCreekSchoolDistrict" target="_blank">Facebook </a>and start building a brand that celebrates the great things going on in your building and district. Good luck…and Go Crickets!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-59964918442339514022013-12-01T12:49:00.002-06:002013-12-01T12:56:09.663-06:00Delivering on the Promise<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Travel half way across the country for a conference with no agenda…really? Try to explain that to people who have not taken part in an Edcamp and the look you will get is priceless. When you explain it to those who have attended and Edcamp, they seem to get it. The trip started out as an idea to connect with family and attend a great professional development opportunity, and I’m so glad that it came to fruition. The people, conversations, and connections made the 3000 mile trip well worth the time and effort. <a href="https://twitter.com/EdcampNJ" target="_blank">EdcampNJ</a> was the first of a 3 stop East Coast #Edutour of great things happening on the other side of the country. It was a fantastic way to start the trip. Here are a few reflections: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_NmDILKjvdzvFl8kVBpcZ2_uSZZgkgKHlfu0YBQi204se_4_vgZODA7q9BuquHWwJDXx67xwOs4kWJh3vkkyD2Lrq9ys_pw6hK5yRzUkDDlgz5i3xbl4zVQL_GIqkg2ailOJpKCDzAA/s1600/Satchatpic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_NmDILKjvdzvFl8kVBpcZ2_uSZZgkgKHlfu0YBQi204se_4_vgZODA7q9BuquHWwJDXx67xwOs4kWJh3vkkyD2Lrq9ys_pw6hK5yRzUkDDlgz5i3xbl4zVQL_GIqkg2ailOJpKCDzAA/s320/Satchatpic.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The day started like many Saturdays do with #satchat. The only difference this week, was that I got to participate live with the moderators at #EdcampNJ. Twitter is a funny thing…you get a chance to talk to people that you have never met, and form a relationship based on common interests. Somehow, when you meet these people face to face, that conversation just continues seamlessly. The opportunity to meet some people I connect with on a regular basis was something I was really looking forward to at the event. I had the chance to meet with <a href="https://twitter.com/wkrakower" target="_blank">Billy Krakower</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottRRocco" target="_blank">Scott Rocco</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/bcurrie5" target="_blank">Brad Currie</a> as they were getting ready to start the live feed. As great as they are online, they are better face to face. During the show, put on by <a href="https://twitter.com/TeacherCast" target="_blank">Jeff Bradbury</a> from <a href="http://teachercast.mediacore.tv/" target="_blank">Teachercast</a> (his work is also fantastic!), they asked me to come up and share some of the great things going on in Fall Creek. It was an absolute honor to be on stage with those incredible leaders. The work they are doing through #satchat is outstanding, and brings together a tremendous amount of people who want to change the face of education. To have the chance to share our story with that audience was truly humbling. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">People not Programs</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xjbpQhP4z2u3ggK5_aKnIENAsenaF0RcSAat8AnRWpMwTuTGdwqHZFGGNMAWFzKWN8A746Hm8Yhksg_Dntk-VCUhPxZtoQwjg6diBasrhLbBsZ0ysXdwq-v1L8-yhrYkQDlJFY2r58M/s1600/IMG_0418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xjbpQhP4z2u3ggK5_aKnIENAsenaF0RcSAat8AnRWpMwTuTGdwqHZFGGNMAWFzKWN8A746Hm8Yhksg_Dntk-VCUhPxZtoQwjg6diBasrhLbBsZ0ysXdwq-v1L8-yhrYkQDlJFY2r58M/s320/IMG_0418.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is a staple of <a href="https://twitter.com/ToddWhitaker" target="_blank">Todd Whitaker</a>’s message when he speaks to groups. As educators, we tend to get so hung up on process that we forget it is the people who make schools successful. This was clearly the case at #EdcampNJ. When you attend an Edcamp, you put a tremendous amount of trust in the people associated with the event. As I connected with people on Twitter who were planning to attend, I knew the event was going to be in great hands. The day absolutely delivered on that promise. <a href="https://twitter.com/TonySinanis" target="_blank">Tony Sinanis</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/thomascmurray" target="_blank">Tom Murry </a>have been incredible go to people online for me over the course of the last year. To meet them both on the same day and get a better understanding of who they are was a fantastic experience. They are both hysterical…and 100% about kids. The passion they project in discussions about students was stunning, and I am glad to call them friends. It seemed that everyone I connected with fit their Twitter persona perfectly. The #edtechchat crew in attendance was hysterical (<a href="https://twitter.com/iplante" target="_blank">@iplante</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/thomascmurray" target="_blank">@thomascmurray</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ajpodchaski" target="_blank">@ajpodchaski)</a>, the #satchat crew wonderful, and the 300+ people who attended were all fully engaged in getting better as educators. It was very cool.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cross Country Connection</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EP6P9lv7yyluF8mQ5FWOh6FGpeA9OkFXM-5dCoAaZ04g1yU0n8wlw6T789pFGYwDacv9oWBIkq3GBGG_UH10JlVLDg8ororkBM8b9V94zb5Ff9nnGKpxDxqq_5DKEQcReclmQBYXIP0/s1600/IMG_0419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EP6P9lv7yyluF8mQ5FWOh6FGpeA9OkFXM-5dCoAaZ04g1yU0n8wlw6T789pFGYwDacv9oWBIkq3GBGG_UH10JlVLDg8ororkBM8b9V94zb5Ff9nnGKpxDxqq_5DKEQcReclmQBYXIP0/s320/IMG_0419.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A few weeks ago, I was talking to Tony as we were both working on a presentation about branding your school. The importance of branding your school district and telling your story has become more important than ever. It was ironic that we were both preparing a very similar presentation for a future conference and attending #EdcampNJ. As Tony and I talked, we thought it might be fun to connect what we were doing in our own states, and present as one of the sessions. Though we didn’t have anything formal to present together, we had enough to start a great conversation. The session went great! Tony and I had a blast. We joked that if it wasn’t going well after three minutes, we were going to vote with our feet, and leave our own session. Ha! Unfortunately for everyone in the room, we really like to hear ourselves talk, and didn’t even get through introductions in the first three minutes. After that the discussion was really insightful. We certainly learned more from the group than they did from us…but we sure had fun doing it. I would encourage anyone attending an #edcamp to own the process and present something. You don’t need to be an expert…only willing to start a conversation and see where it goes. It was a wonderful experience. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Walking Away</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There were so many take aways from the day, but a few were clearly quantifiable. The people running this event were absolute pros. Logistically, it was flawless. The venue was great, and the sessions were outstanding. I walked away with new apps, a better understanding of Google hangouts, an experience that will help run #EdcampEC in April, and the opportunity to present with a great friend. I made another connection to the #edtechchat crew that afforded us an opportunity to share our session with a larger audience the following week (post coming soon), and continued connections with people who I truly respect in the education world. #EdcampNJ was the first on my East Coast #EduTour, and it couldn’t have started out in better fashion. Thank you to all who made the day possible…it absolutely delivered on the promise.</span><br />
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Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-48113034425557449262013-10-28T08:23:00.002-05:002013-10-28T16:41:21.451-05:00The Power of ChoiceWe are 2 weeks removed from our Edcamp style PD opportunity for 7 districts (known as Cluster A) in northwest Wisconsin. Just under 450 people showed up ready…and mostly willing to be part of what we did that day. I say mostly only because it was a required day for staff. Usually an Edcamp involves individuals who choose to spend a Saturday learning and growing. Though this day was required, I think the experience was beneficial and made people think about professional development in a different way. Here are a few things that led to the success of the day:<br />
<br />
<b>Planning and Preparation</b><br />
We asked Superintendents from all 7 schools to choose two people to serve on the Cluster PD committee. The only requirement, in terms of choosing people, was to ensure we brought individuals to the table who were interested in providing a new opportunity for growth. New ideas…new format…new energy…we wanted this group to look at the importance of modeling growth and learning. We spent our first meeting last year discussing how adults learn and what we could do to provide the opportunity for growth in the context of an already full school schedule. The conversations were great! Ideas were challenged, we ended in a much different place than we started, and the dialogue left us wanting more when it came to providing a better opportunity for our staff members. The Edcamp format is organic in that the sessions are built by people who attend on that day. We had to modify that piece a bit because we felt getting 450 people into a room who have not been to an Edcamp before could have led to only a few sessions. So we began to ask our staff members to facilitate sessions…an open document was sent out to everyone in the 7 schools, some members of the committee connected with people in their building and encouraged them to provide a session, and we ended up with over 60 sessions for our group. The concept of learning from colleagues was at the heart of what we were trying to do…and the number of sessions really helped with the choice for our staff. We then created tracks so there was a variety of choice for each level (Elementary, Middle, HS) and the technology options (Moodle, Twitter, Camtasia…) were spread throughout the day. <br />
<br />
<b>Introduce the Day</b><br />
We took a few minutes at the beginning of the day to introduce the format and the schedule. A few minutes is the operative term…providing an hour keynote wasn’t the way we wanted to go. We felt like that would put us back in the same format we have used in the past so a quick 15 minute introduction to the day and a few words about owning the learning were shared…then we moved on. The morning was spent with grade levels or departments and the afternoon was dedicated to the Edcamp format. It was really important for both facilitators and staff members to mention that the premise of the day was to meet the needs of all staff members through choice. We asked people to vote with their feet…if a session did not meet their needs, they should go somewhere else. If there were no sessions that met their need and they wanted to connect with a colleague in an open space…do it! We didn’t want facilitators to feel slighted if people left their session, but also didn’t want people to sit in an offering for an hour and get nothing from the time in that space.<br />
<br />
<b>Food</b><br />
Provide food. Done.<br />
<br />
<b>Archive</b><br />
We asked all facilitators to video their session. This was met with some resistance, but had more to do with uncertainty about running the video than actually recording the session. Of the 60 sessions we were able to capture over 30. This is a great start! The opportunity to learn something new or go back and review the session you attended was important to us. <br />
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<b>Prizes</b><br />
All 7 schools brought raffle prizes for staff members and we gave away some Cluster A shirts…not essential, but a cool thing to have throughout the day.<br />
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<b>Continuing Discussion</b><br />
The idea of Event PD has been around forever. We go somewhere…get inspired…leave…and repeat the following year. Our group wanted to continue the discussion so we have added a few things. Email distribution lists helped our groups connect through department or grade level. Together we are better for kids…it’s really that simple. There are amazing things happening in this part of the state…but they are happening in pockets. Being able to connect outside of our district is important in finding those pockets and improving all programming for students. We are also offering mini session offerings specific to levels in November and January before we get together again in February for another Edcamp as a group. The mini session offerings are optional and will rotate between the 7 schools in the area. If the discussion doesn’t continue then we are just putting a fancy bow on something we have done for years and our Edcamp turns into another Event PD that doesn’t allow for growth.<br />
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<b>Get Feedback…on the day</b><br />
Surveys through email are great…but we wanted to get the immediate feedback from our staff so it was reflective of what they had just done. We asked staff members 2 questions…what did you like and what do you need? That’s it.<br />
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As I reflect on the opportunity it provided for staff it made me think about the importance of choice in our schools. I was incredibly proud of the group that put this together. The discussion about what it could look like was fantastic. The idea that we couldn’t make it work was never an option. The day was a success because of a few things. First and foremost, we had colleagues willing to facilitate discussions. If we had 450 people show up with a small number of sessions to attend, the day would have been compromised. To have 60 people step up and facilitate speaks volumes about our group. Secondly, our PD group did an incredible job of selling the day. This day was about our staff…and that was clear when anyone talked to our PD group…they were spectacular. Next, the staff in all 7 schools…they did not have to buy into this day. They did…and that is a credit to them. Finally, the leadership in the 7 districts was willing to give up 2 days that could be spent doing things within their district. Huge shift and the trust they showed in the process was outstanding.<br />
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The feedback from the day has been wonderful. The adjustments people wanted had more to do with logistics (more snacks and better parking) than it did programming. I received a number of emails praising the work the committee did in planning, but a few stood out…here are some excerpts:<br />
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<ul>
<li><i>"In my 34 years of teaching I have never walked away feeling more excited about teaching" </i></li>
<li><i>"I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated!!" </i></li>
<li><i>"It was the most productive inservice day I've been part of in 21 years"</i></li>
</ul>
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People want the connection to their colleagues and need the choice to drive their learning. We provided the opportunity and 450 people ran with it…I am so proud to be part of a group that is giving ownership of learning to staff members…growth is inevitable…and when we can give that same opportunity to kids...wow. Go Crickets.<br />
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Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-11384351363481121202013-10-10T08:28:00.001-05:002013-10-10T08:39:17.791-05:00Not Just Another Day<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As educators I think we all have days...maybe weeks or months where we wonder if the work we are doing has an impact on kids, families, and communities. Sometimes we can get caught up in the routine of “doing school” and the days run together. In those times it is nice schedule something to bring the focus back together. Sometimes it just happens...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via sodahead.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yesterday we had 2 events that made me walk out of the door feeling incredible about what our teachers do everyday. Both were part of our routine, but there were pieces that made me look at things differently...and it was wonderful. Each month we have an all school meeting...consisting of birthday announcements and a story centered around a theme for the month or some of the PBIS data we have addressed as a need. This month our meeting fell in the same week as Homecoming (we are a K-12 building...which is awesome and the subject of a blog post in the near future) and specifically on 80s dress up day at the high school. So...we did a quick contest with the elementary staff in which we split into two groups, I gave a song title from the 1980s and they had to tell me the artist. All 385 students were the judges and pointed to group that got the answer correct. It was meant to be very quick. As I looked at the 2 groups from the back of the gym I had this overwhelming sense of pride...not because they knew the answers (even though a few were born in the 80s!) but because I saw them laughing as they went through the game...genuinely laughing...and enjoying just being together. It was great.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second event happened after school at our all staff meeting. We have been talking at great length about <a href="http://www.fcsuperintendent.blogspot.com/2013/09/finding-super.html" target="_blank">Finding Super</a> in kids. I asked our staff members to bring their class lists to the meeting and when they got there I gave them some time to look at each student on their roster and write down what they believed to be that child’s superpower. As I watched them write I noticed a few things. First and foremost...it didn’t take them long to identify a superpower for each student...which made me feel great about the relationships they have formed. One of the real stories to me was the look on their faces as they wrote. A smile, little chuckle, nodding of the head...it was subtle, but they were so invested in the process of identifying great things about their students...and that was very cool. I asked them to share a few superpowers of kids with the people at their table and the conversations were awesome. Teachers who had particular students in the past added their view, they were laughing, and I could really tell that they really knew their students. The follow up was simple...do the kids on your list know their superpower? Have you told them? At 3:00 today our kids will walk out of this building poised for a 3 day weekend...and I have no doubt that they will know their superpower on the way out of our doors.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love our staff. I love that they are honest, even when it it uncomfortable. I love that they tell me to put my phone away. I love that they tell me to slow down. I love that they are willing to have tough conversations. I love that they take on additional tasks because they know the work needs to get done. I love that they laugh together. I love that they are willing, absolutely and unequivocally,to do what is best for kids.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hope every leader has a day like yesterday. A day where you walk into school thinking it is just another Wednesday and walk out knowing that the collective effort is making a difference in the lives of kids. We are not perfect...but that is not the expectation. The expectation is continued growth and working toward our vision of a “Community that works, learns, and succeeds together.” There is no other group that I would want to take that journey with than the one that resides at 336 E. Hoover Ave in Fall Creek Wisconsin. Go Crickets. </span></span></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-36800214535241396422013-10-07T13:31:00.002-05:002013-10-07T20:48:13.212-05:00Choose Your Own Adventure<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a kid I was not an avid reader at all. It really came down to sports books where I was more interested in the pictures than content and the occasional Choose Your Own Adventure book which I liked because the story could change and I had the opportunity to make a decision. Subsequently, if I didn't like the outcome, I would go back in the story and choose something different to meet my needs. I think one of the reasons I had a hard time getting started with books was the unknown. Will it be something I like? Will it be too hard for me? The questions that I didn’t have answers to tended to drive my desire to read and that really hindered my ability to grow through text.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I started my career in administration I think I was bringing the same concept to those around me. People were limited in their growth because I was the only one providing the resources for them...and it tended to cause a great deal of stress from my perspective because I felt that I needed to be all things to all people. Therefore, the leadership tended to be on a surface level and though people may have been excited to be at school and enjoyed the culture...pushing for growth as educators came in a very limited form. I reference George Couros (<a href="https://twitter.com/gcouros" target="_blank">@gcouros</a>) very often and one of my favorite quotes of his is “The smartest person in the room is the room”. I actually started using it with students when I visited classrooms last week and love the idea of growing well outside of your own perspective. Instilling that concept with staff is a key component to educator growth. Combine that with the EdCamp movement across the world and we are getting ready for the winds of change in Northwest WI.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>EdCamp...Cluster A Style</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Friday over 500 educators will descend upon little Fall Creek, WI. Members of 7 different school districts (known as Cluster A) are coming together to learn...from each other. We have over 60 sessions offered as well as a chance for grade level and departments from other districts to get together in hopes of celebrating the work we all do with students and challenging each other to grow as a group. A collection of 14 people from these districts got together for one reason...Professional Development was simply not working. Seeing a motivational speaker was great, but the end result was a spike in excitement and then a faint recollection of the message months later. This group wanted to provide the vehicle for continuous improvement, allow choice for our staff members, and grow as a group dedicated to changing what education could look like in our area. We have AMAZING people doing incredible things...but the chance to connect and grow together was not happening. We broke from traditional Edcamp format in that we asked for sessions and facilitators in advance. The biggest difference between what we are offering and what Edcamp generally provides is the motivation to go. Attending an Edcamp is a choice so there is a great deal of internal motivation to drive the day. Our day is required...so we wanted people to know and understand what they were getting into before showing up on Friday morning.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Beyond the Day</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27px; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the help of our technology coordinators, special thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/FCSDTECHGUY" target="_blank">@fcsdtechguy</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/jbgrangaard" target="_blank">@jbgrangaard</a>, we have set up an interactive Cluster A web page for our group of schools that will go well beyond reference and promote the opportunity to grow from wherever your baseline sits. The expectation is that all sessions will be videotaped, archived, tagged, and available in the future. Our tech guys have done a great job of setting this up so there won’t be added pressure on our presenters during sessions. We hope the discussions that start will continue through email, twitter, blogs, and optional after school sessions. Our job as a coordination group is to provide the opportunity and resources for our staff. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Choice is crucial. We often talk about providing opportunities for students to choose their learning, but if we don’t model that from an administrator perspective, we need to take a look at what we are doing. We also hope this eliminates the… “There is nothing for me” reaction to PD we have heard in the past. With over 60 different sessions our guess is there will be something...anything...to spark interest and add something to your toolbox as an educator.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So here we go. The intent of the day is simple...fix the way we grow teachers and change the face of education. That's it! Clearly this won’t happen in one day...but if we give our staff the the opportunity to choose...their adventure will be much more meaningful and the impact on our kids will be tremendous. Follow the #ClusterA hash tag this Friday...we are hoping to break Twitter. Go Crickets.</span></span></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-40705308508845329012013-09-08T10:14:00.002-05:002013-09-08T10:14:40.861-05:00The Issue with Alphabet Soup<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A few years ago I divided my staff into groups based
on how many years they had been in education. I asked them to write down all of
the initiatives they have gone through in their careers. This was a fascinating activity. The amount of change in education over time
has been incredible, but the most telling thing to me was during the discussion
our staff members spoke to the cyclical nature of education. Many of us have seen <a href="http://www.jamievollmer.com/pdf/the-list.pdf">Jamie Vollmer’s List</a> of
increasing duties on schools since the 1900’s.
Things we do today were done in the past, but under a different
name. The importance of early childhood
education, character education, alternative education programs…all were
discussed and implemented in the 1980’s.
Ready to feel old…that was 30 years ago!!! Clearly more is being put on educators and
school leaders when it comes to meeting the needs of the whole child. I came across this list of <a href="http://www.nwaea.k12.ia.us/documents/filelibrary/pdf/alphabet_soup.pdf">acronyms
used in education</a>. I ask our staff
not to speak in acronyms when they talk to parents, but we have landed at a
point where there needs to be a test every year on new abbreviations in our own building. To make things worse, some
acronyms have multiple meanings…as Phil Dunphy reminds us in this clip.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We decided to have a little fun with all of the initiatives
going on in education during our opening staff meeting. Our Middle School Principal Brad LaPoint
(<a href="https://twitter.com/bradlapointfc" target="_blank">@bradlapointfc</a>) developed the script, our HS Principal Brian Schulner
(<a href="https://twitter.com/BSchulner" target="_blank">@BSchulner</a>) and I tried to carry it out the best we could, we had great
staff help at the last minute, and a surprise guest at the end that brought it
all together. Click on the Staff Welcome Video to check out our 4 minute skit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-size: large;"><a href="https://ensemble.cesa10.k12.wi.us/app/sites/index.aspx?destinationID=Ox3VmRZav0iHCOEapjxZZQ&contentID=lVCFibBrSEizvcE0NlwhyA&pageIndex=1&pageSize=10" target="_blank">Staff Welcome Video</a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The issue with multiple
initiatives is that it creates an environment of surface implementation. Staff members are conditioned to be wary of
diving in with both feet for fear that a new program or process will come along
and they will have to start over. This
is not their fault, but clearly impacts the culture when initiatives have to be
rolled out. The reality is we tend to
build planes while we fly them in education…and that’s ok. The environment that we build with our staff prior
to an implementation will set the stage for what happens during and when it
needs to be adjusted. I am extremely
lucky to work in a place where our faculty, parents, and board members are
flexible and understanding throughout these changes as long as it is
communicated well and has the best interest of students in mind.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our students may have more opportunities now than
they did years ago, but life as a kid in a world where everything you do
has the potential to be documented through social media brings on new
challenges…and more pressure. Through
all the initiatives that we implement and all the acronyms we have to learn, I
hope the four letters we focus on continue to be K I D S. We are here for them…for big ones and small
ones…for gifted ones and those who struggle…for those that get breakfast in the
morning and those who don’t…for those who make us smile daily and those who
challenge our decision to teach…for those who have support at home and those who don’t…all of them. They deserve
it. Initiatives will come and go, but we
got into this business to make a difference in the lives of kids…and if the
focus is always on them our world will be a better place. Go Crickets.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-58041808441714898602013-09-02T09:08:00.002-05:002013-09-09T17:16:31.977-05:00Finding Super<b id="docs-internal-guid-3d3016b8-def0-f8b4-8381-865bc0e77284"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-3d3016b8-def0-f8b4-8381-865bc0e77284"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is the best Superhero? All have value (though the Wonder Twin who could only turn into something with water could be argued) and would be welcomed in a time of need.There is a case to be made that superheros should be placed in two separate categories...those who have innate powers and those who help based on external means. Superman-innate power. He comes here from a different planet, can fly, does that thing with the eyes where he burns through things, relatively muscular...all powers that were part of the genetic makeup. Batman-external means. Cool toys, awesome car, a belt that apparently never runs out of stuff. Spiderman-external means. Bug bite and the rest is history. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-3d3016b8-def0-f8b4-8381-865bc0e77284"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZiMW2O4fLM9JiGIVOscPnSbWIkViAKovfAVr2ro8cy2MiAhN2WPckMAcOfXVGH7lJZ_9QUX7VvLxsohovMPkK67IqJk38rUB3W1j51BtTs4uJ9iyhQQtez21bYfzhMjL_Ahyphenhyphenm2hpwqs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-02+at+8.45.15+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZiMW2O4fLM9JiGIVOscPnSbWIkViAKovfAVr2ro8cy2MiAhN2WPckMAcOfXVGH7lJZ_9QUX7VvLxsohovMPkK67IqJk38rUB3W1j51BtTs4uJ9iyhQQtez21bYfzhMjL_Ahyphenhyphenm2hpwqs/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-09-02+at+8.45.15+AM.png" width="281" /></a><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few months ago a group of teachers at a conference saw someone wearing a shirt that said…."I teach. What is your superpower?" Within minutes I received texts from the group letting me know that we needed to have these for our staff members. I loved the idea and when staff came back to school this year they all received a shirt with FC on the front and the saying on the back. The best part about the roll out for me was that everyone got a shirt…custodians, cooks, bus drivers, teachers, support staff, administrators…everyone. I think some people could look at the shirt and think it is not for them because they don't have a classroom. The bottom line is this…everyone teaches. Everyone. From the minute our community walks in the building to the time they walk out they encounter a crazy number of people. We all have the ability and responsibility to teach. We teach enthusiasm. We teach responsibility. We teach welcoming. We teach perseverance. We teach through our actions. We want to be the most family friendly building ever…and in doing this our actions model what we want out of the FC school district. Most importantly, we teach kids how to find their superpower.</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Throughout the course of a day, a student in our school will see anywhere between 5-10 adults. That number could easily be on the low side. I am accounting for different classes, lunch, recess, specials, custodians…but there could certainly be more. Can you imagine being a student in our school and knowing that EVERYWHERE you walked there was someone who wanted you to succeed? If kids have a connection to one adult in school they tend to come back…what if they had a connection to everyone in the school? Possibilities are limitless. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have an opportunity every day to find something in a child that they didn't know they had. We have the opportunity to allow students to learn at their level and with their interests in mind. We have an opportunity to engage children at their level and help them want to learn more. Superheroes tend to fly in at the last minute and save the day. We are asking our group to flip that concept…you don't have to be a superhero…you have to find them. Everyone has "super" in them. Being “super” is not limited to race, socioeconomic status, or gender. It is only limited by confidence. If we can find a way to instill confidence and allow students to find their "super", there is literally no end to what they can do. Students will accomplish at high levels if they feel they can and if they are engaged in the process. How many times do you hear of a kid refusing to play a video game because it is too hard. They simply don't…they keep struggling and failing until they succeed because they are engaged and challenged by the process. They like to play, even though it doesn’t always yield success. They don’t shut down if they get a bad score or if it takes them seemingly forever to pass a level.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUIW9iZRFJWpPNFQzYt1n6kQDDZz_IdgKOi-6dANo3P9CTtEBS6jSk6raxb9wyxnscCuYHkFoXhZStstd6yKIj_UwcNNJ9ivDnus43hycd1J063NqUuz8sK8HTUhdJ8F3BBqfjb7-SHY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-02+at+8.52.39+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUIW9iZRFJWpPNFQzYt1n6kQDDZz_IdgKOi-6dANo3P9CTtEBS6jSk6raxb9wyxnscCuYHkFoXhZStstd6yKIj_UwcNNJ9ivDnus43hycd1J063NqUuz8sK8HTUhdJ8F3BBqfjb7-SHY/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-09-02+at+8.52.39+AM.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">via www.superchargeyourlife.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finding "super" in a student starts with a conversation and a commitment to ensure that relationships rule. They will believe in themselves if we believe in what they can do...authentically. One of the best parts of school is a fresh start for both students and teachers. The conversations we have with students in the first 2 weeks will set the stage for how engaged they will be in our school. The gifts that kids have don't come from a belt or a bite. Their gifts come from knowing that someone in school is there to support, guide, and challenge them in a place where they feel safe. So...as the school year gets rolling, I wish everyone a great start and best of luck finding the “super” in every student. If we’re always looking, it will be easy to find. Go Crickets.</span></div>
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</b>Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363196304890030191.post-72408951052455675742013-08-16T14:23:00.001-05:002013-08-20T00:39:36.152-05:00Keep It Simple-Relationships & Growth...Go!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Philosophies of Education tend to be like shoes...your experience changes with them over time and there is always something new to try on. Philosophies are well intended and give a basis of why we teach or lead in a particular fashion, but as we are all different, so too are the philosophies we carry. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qC5l1XaBEDOUCaQKzgnpeQLqnC39EEoovG6uhYWjfihO00s94Q5lWNWVDKQR2jFfxurZhKv0BmzcKAPsYyunGQKrX2pJqLuMTyh5WOYGBwVJ8J7mIGG3h9fmztoPtAVPcRNtC1jdLuM/s1600/Relationships.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qC5l1XaBEDOUCaQKzgnpeQLqnC39EEoovG6uhYWjfihO00s94Q5lWNWVDKQR2jFfxurZhKv0BmzcKAPsYyunGQKrX2pJqLuMTyh5WOYGBwVJ8J7mIGG3h9fmztoPtAVPcRNtC1jdLuM/s1600/Relationships.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Via Mindslap.com</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My perspective on what education has become and where it can go has certainly changed over time depending on my role and time in a district. New initiatives that brought the promise of solving the issues with struggling learners, advanced learners, classroom culture, and behavior management seem to come and go like miracle diets. All of this is well intended, but the multitude of changes in education have allowed our staff members to wait out initiatives they don’t like because they don’t have time to invest or dismiss them altogether because they know another one will be coming soon. So, at its core I believe educational philosophy should revolve around the two things that have not changed in all my years of school...</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Building Relationships and Growth</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Relationships</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Kids are smart, they may not know how to find the circumference of a circle, diagram a sentence, or problem solve on the playground, but they know if you like them. The connection with kids is something you simply can’t fake. They may not like everything you do or what you assign or how you assign it, but if they know you care about them they will try anything. They are not just here to gather knowledge, spit it out, grab a diploma, and move on. They want the experience of school and they want to be in a place where they are wanted...it is our job to make them feel that way. That environment will allow them to take risks and allow them to grow beyond the score on a test or the grade in a book.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-u8s9dQcCc5WoXSqQaMAyanfC0fmAhQCbRnEyUoHpH3xdyS1BIC7htBsP0rAc5Hehd0GAL7epWQSO27o9sstaau70ahkNAM0dJBiCDhF95Vh_ipf9eEDBuFeip8ivZr48992nrD_cNAY/s1600/Magic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-u8s9dQcCc5WoXSqQaMAyanfC0fmAhQCbRnEyUoHpH3xdyS1BIC7htBsP0rAc5Hehd0GAL7epWQSO27o9sstaau70ahkNAM0dJBiCDhF95Vh_ipf9eEDBuFeip8ivZr48992nrD_cNAY/s320/Magic.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Via quara.com</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Growth</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is not just about kids, it’s about all of us. This means that sometimes we have to engage in learning that helps us, not just adds to areas where we find success. I will never be a great golfer. I hit the ball well and score relatively well most times that I play, but I don’t get any better for one reason. I can’t putt. Horrible...and I refuse to practice putting because it’s beyond boring. I would much rather go on the range and hit the ball as far as I can. So, clearly I’m never going to get better. If we as educators only work on things that we do well already, we don’t grow. Stepping outside our comfort zone is tough, but necessary for growth. If we want kids to think beyond what is safe we must do the same in our practice. Everyone’s checkpoints are different, but when you hit one it becomes the new normal and the beginning of new growth.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My philosophy is not long, but doesn't come with a ton of exterior variables...create relationships with the people around you (students, colleagues, community...) and grow. Wherever you are now...just grow. The impact that it can have on you and your students will be fantastic! </span></div>
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Joe Sanfelippohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855235420307872980noreply@blogger.com2