Leadership

#DBC50Summer 39/50: The Limitless School

/ Alicia Ray / 1 Comment

Fun fact: I’ve never been able to solve a Rubik’s Cube. Ever. I like to mess them up for others to solve though.

I have watched students take a randomized cube and get all the colors back together within a minute or two. There is clearly a pattern… one that I do not understand. Finally a student showed me a particular Rubik’s Cube Solver online & it changed my life. Okay, that may be an exaggeration. It is pretty cool though. On the site, you position the cube on a table in the same manner as the image on the screen. Then, simply fill in the colors on the digital cube to match what you see on the physical cube. Clicking solve will then show you step-by-step directions (with animation) to solve the Rubik’s Cube!

Reading Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc books this summer has been like that Rubik’s Cube Solution website. This is my 13th year in education, and I’ve never felt like I had it all together. I may have felt successful in one area similar to the way we can get one side with matching colors on a Rubik’s Cube. After feeling accomplished for about 2.2 seconds, I turn the cube over and realize what a hot mess the rest of the cube is still in. This summer of growth has shown me ways to bring many of my thoughts together. It has allowed me to become grounded in who I am, both personally and professionally. It has helped me find my voice through blogging. It is helping me define my passions and my short- and long-term goals. It’s like I put the colors on a screen and clicked solve. Each book I’ve read has been a shift in the cube that further aligns my thoughts, passions, and goals.

Book 39 is no exception. The Limitless School, written by Abe Hege and Adam Dovico, uses the metaphor of a Rubik’s Cube to highlight creative ways to solve (or continue to strengthen) your school’s culture puzzle.

…Oh… and Limitless… it’s an acronym. (Of course it is!)

I have really grown to enjoy reading the forewords of these books! Beth Houf, co-author of Lead Like A Pirate, nails it in the first two pages! She says, “Culture isn’t something you do to people; it is the bedrock of any school campus…Culture first, culture next, culture always.” This is one of my favorite parts of the book written by Beth & Shelley Burgess so I was thrilled to see it here.

Typically, I do not spoil the acronyms provided in the book, but this one needs to be shared. (You can preview the first chapters here!)

  • Leader

  • Impressions

  • Marriage

  • Integrity

  • Time

  • Limelight

  • Educate Yourself

  • Success

  • Set Goals

That’s impressive, right? Abe and Adam discuss how each of these topics play a huge role in creating and strengthening a positive school culture. Trusting others, and being trustworthy yourself, are key components, both for students and staff of a school. Integrity is what you’re doing when no one else is watching. Traditions are also discussed within the book. When I started the pilot position at the STEM magnet middle school I serve, I wanted to give students a reason to come to the media center. I wanted a way to display the community effort that our school needed to be successful. Because I’ve always been a fan of puzzles (and I lucked up and found a beautiful puzzle of wild horses on Amazon for insanely cheap), I put a 1,500-piece puzzle on a table in the media center. At first, no one touched it. I put together a few pieces here and there, and a few 8th graders started venturing into the media center in the mornings to put a piece or two in. Before we knew it, the edges were complete. By then, other teachers within the school saw the puzzle at faculty meetings. They said there was no way we’d finish the puzzle with all 1,500 pieces remaining. That students would steal pieces, or pieces would drop and be sucked up by those amazing school vacuum cleaners (They pick up everything! I’d love to bring one home with me one day and see what it can do on our carpets!) I felt kind of defeated because I wanted to see the good in the students and I wanted to believe they would take pride in this puzzle that showcased their school mascot.

It took nearly 4 months. The final piece went into the puzzle and the 8th graders who had worked so hard on it looked completely…lost. They had finished the puzzle, but rather than feeling a sense of accomplishment, I believe they dreaded taking it apart to put back in the box. We devised a plan and that puzzle is now a focal point in our media center – matted by a black science fair board cut to fit the space within a stunning oversized frame that I found at 60% off one day! As for the 1,500 pieces… every single piece was there. Not one went missing over the entire 4 months!

This has become a tradition in our school. We’ve even purchased sorting trays for the pieces and I have kept one large rectangle table specifically to be the “puzzle table”. When each 8th grade finishes their puzzle, they want it on the wall immediately. I’ve already purchased the frame for this one! The 8th grade puzzle is at least 1,000 pieces and I select the image that I believe represents the 8th grade class as a whole. We just finished our second week of school and already three different 8th graders have come to me asking when the puzzle is going to be put out for them to work on! I will unveil it to our 8th graders next week and students can begin the excitement of seeing it come together the following week! I can’t wait to share it with you, as well! (Hint: It’s part of a #DBC50Summer implementation… when I saw this one, I knew I had to make a little twist to the original plan & I am so thrilled to share when it is finished!)

The section of the book that really touched my heart was Educate Yourself. Yes, it’s about lifelong learning, but also about so much more! The rural area in which I live is very much at the heart of the Bible Belt. There’s a church on every corner, and on Sunday afternoon, if you aren’t in your “Sunday best” at “the Walmart” you get the side-eye, judge-y look from others still wearing theirs with pride (some of you know exactly what I’m talking about). I will choose not to get on my soap box right now about these things, but will just suffice to say that I do not believe it is my place to judge others and I do believe it is my duty as a Christian to love my neighbor (others). That’s everyone; not just those that belief the same way I do, those that look the same way I do, those with the same lifestyle I have. Everyone. And that’s exactly what I try to do on a daily basis. (And also, at my church, we wear jeans and t-shirts. It doesn’t make me any less of a Christian. Just saying.)

Last year I conducted a survey asking for students’ honest opinion about their experiences in middle school. I was blown away by their maturity and thoughtfulness in answering the questions honestly and respectfully. A few of my students noted that the LGBTQ community was bullied, that they wished homophobic terms would be reprimanded in the same way as racial slurs, and that they would like more representation in the books available in the media center. Here is one response from a student:

“Schools need to be aware of mental health, and awareness for bullying (homophobia, transphobia, racism, fascism, sexism, etc). Teachers need to stand up for their students when they are getting bullied. For example, if a teacher hears things like “that’s gay”, “fag***” and the n word (coming from someone who is not black) they should say something. People have been fighting for rights for years now, and I want to (and others too) to come to school and feel safe and be accepted for who you are no matter your race, religion, sexuality, or gender.” -8th grader

That’s powerful, y’all. To be sure I advocate for this voice and better the experience of my students, I need to educate myself. I need to seek out books they can read and identify with the characters. I need to allow my students to connect with like-minded peers. Anytime I attend an edcamp and I see a session on equality, equity, culture responsiveness, etc I do all I can to attend that session. It is, without fail, the most open and honest conversations I’ve ever been part of. I need to provide my students the opportunity to engage in those open and honest conversations that I learn and grow from. I need to provide those books with characters they relate to, and those like-minded peers. Each student should have a positive role model that reminds them of themselves.

I LOVE this video explaining privilege! We should all check ours!

That’s where my implementation comes into play, I believe. I want to provide positive diverse role models through book selection and research in the media center. It’s a small step, but it’s a step in the right direction. I’d rather take a multiple small steps forward than one large step too quickly and risk backward movement. I’ve mentioned an open genius hour as a #DBC50Summer implementation. (Read more here in the post about The Wild Card by Wade & Hope King) Through reading Pure Genius by Don Wettrick, I learned that modeling and structuring the first genius hour is important to the success of future genius hours. I could confine the genius hour topics to be about the qualities of a positive role model & selecting a role model with which the student can identify. These positive role models, selected by students, can then be shared via whatever platform/tool the student desires and discussed among those in attendance. Remember, it’s open to any and all, so there may be 50 or 2; I’m honestly not sure. I’m taking a risk here & building the plane as we fly it. Finally, students can determine if we have any books by or about that person, and if we need purchase some. We will find creative ways to fund these new books & offer a display of diverse positive role models when the books arrive, and make them available for circulation.

I knew this book wouldn’t steer me in the wrong direction! Abe and Adam are located only about an hour from me and I’d love to visit their schools! Watching their tweets is so inspiring and I love the energy in their schools that is evident through social media. (Side note: Abe started his journey as principal of an elementary school this year, so it’s been awesome watching him develop the culture in a new school using the same strategies outlined in his book!) You can follow along too by following Abe and Adam at @abehege and @adamdovico, respectively. Also see what others are doing with their limitless schools using the hashtag #LimitlessSchool. Adam’s website is here. Teach Me Teacher podcast interviewed Adam about The Limitless School. You can see that here in part 1 and part 2.

If you want to change the culture of your school, and want practical ways to make it happen and quantitative data to prove it’s working, you need to grab a copy of The Limitless School!

As always, feel free to add to (or start) the discussion on flipgrid! This global collaboration space for all DBC, Inc books was the brain-child of Andrea Paulakovich, who fell in love with the idea of #DBC50Summer early in the process and ran with it! I’m so thankful to be connected to her, and you should get connected, too!

Rereading book 40 tomorrow! This book was released less than 6 months ago and has taken education by storm! I mean, who doesn’t love a good protocol, right? Especially when they’re a bit silly! Can’t wait to share my favorite protocols from The EduProtocol Field Guide by Marlena Hebern and Jon Corippo in the next #DBC50Summer blog post! I think the implementation will be fairly obvious…

#DBC50Summer 37/50: The Principled Principal

/ Alicia Ray / 2 Comments

Honest is always the best policy, right? That’s what I’ve heard anyway. So Jeff, Anthony… don’t take this personally…

I had absolutely zero interest in reading this book.

There… I said it.

It didn’t “fit” with my educational goals. It wasn’t “in my wheelhouse” so to speak. I have never wanted to be an administrator. There’s not a bone in my body that ever wants the pressure and stress that is put on administrators of public schools. (I say public because that’s all I know and I’m not going to assume to know anything about other schools.) Naturally it would make sense that a book called The Principled Principal would be the last educational book I’d pick up. This is a perfect example of why I wanted to do my personal challenge of #DBC50Summer in order of release date. Otherwise… let’s be real (see what I did there, Tara?)… I would have missed out on this gem because I would have never read it. In fact, the only reason I actually read it rather than “fibbing” was because I wanted to the fidelity of #DBC50Summer to remain intact. I want to be able to say that I have actually READ each of these Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc books. So I cracked open The Principled Principal (book 37) by Jeff Zoul and Anthony McConnell and was blown away by what I read.

I value & respect my administrators very much; I have been blessed to work for exceptional principals and assistant principals. My first principal interviewed me THREE times before offering me the job. Made sense though – I was only 20 years old, fresh out of college with zero experience, and was not from the area. I wouldn’t have hired me. She was every breath of that school. I cannot say enough great things about her. When she retired, it didn’t matter who came in as principal because they didn’t stand a chance filling those shoes. Buddy the Elf could have become principal and served us hamburgers with syrup with all his contagious Christmas spirit and it still would have been a tough sell. I left that school midyear to begin my career as media coordinator. (You know that when a ‘singleton’ position opens up, you jump on it.) The principal that hired me for that job also took a huge risk with me. I had not yet finished my Master of Library Science and had (again) zero experience in the media center (nor with any grade level other than 5th grade – and 1st grade as my student teaching). She was moved to another school just 6 months after I started my job there. Then I began a phenomenal relationship with the new principal and we both were devastated when I was moved to middle school to pilot a new position for our district. She was happy for me, and I was excited for the challenge, but leaving her and our working relationship was heartbreaking. The principal I work for now is a forward thinker who is constantly pushing us to be our best for students. Best part (for me anyway)… she was an instructional coach. So she knows what my role is like and supports me at every opportunity & challenges me to see all points of view. I have worked for nine assistant principals in 13 years!

Being friends with many of these administrators, I see the toll that running a school can take. I see the exhaustion and sacrifice that is made by administrators on a daily basis. I can confidently stand (errr… sit) here today and tell you that I have absolutely ZERO intention to ever become a building level principal. Others are gifted with that calling, so have at it. I respect you and look forward to working with you to help students and teachers in the building succeed. I will be your confidant, your sounding board (we all need one), and you never have to worry about me wanting to take your job (HAHAHA)!

This book is powerful. I’m in a hurry to allow my principal to read it; not because she needs the principles for development, but because every page I read reminded me of her. I want her to see that what she’s doing is phenomenal and forward thinking. That she fits in perfectly with the 30 principals that share their story within these pages. I loved the 3-2-1 format at the end of each chapter. It reminded me of Teach 4, Lead 4, Learn 4 at the end of each chapter in Start. Right. Now. (co-authored by Todd Whitaker, Jeff Zoul, and Jimmy Casas). In 3-2-1, the authors share 3 stories from phenomenal principals (like North Carolina’s own Derek McCoy and Sean Gaillard – both friends of mine!), 2 resources to check out that further your learning from the chapter, and 1 culture crusher that relates to the principle covered in the chapter. I’m not going to spoil the fun of the 10 Principles – get your own copy to find out what they are!

Several (and I do mean a TON of) quotes stood out to me as I read.

The idea of “Have-To’s vs Must-Do’s”

“Prioritize innovation as a non-negotiable in our schools.”

“If we cannot truly understand where people are coming from and what is important to them, we cannot lead them.”

“You cannot control them, but you can control yourself.”

“You are the most important person you lead. We cannot successfully lead others until we successfully lead ourselves.”

“Students who are prepared for…learning expectations through daily…learning experiences designed by…educators who do not fret about standards can knock any assessment out of the park.” (Preach, Hallelujah, Yessir, and Amen)

There are so many other quotes I could add, but let’s look at topics.

I love the section where Jeff and Anthony talk about your school library being one of the places going out of date the most. Seems a bit ironic being that I work in a media center, doesn’t it? However, it’s totally true! Our media centers must either evolve or go the way of the dinosaur. I, for one, choose to evolve. The space in our school is student-owned, bright and cheerful, a space for collaboration, constantly filled with classes, and includes a tabletop game section, 8th grade puzzle (which has already become a tradition over the 3 years I have served there), minecraft lab (which will double as esports league computers coming soon), makerspace, virtual reality lab, flexible seating and tables on wheels, and I’ve recently transformed my office into a small group meeting space. Oh… and it has books. Lots of them. Notice that isn’t all it has though. It’s not a book warehouse, but a space for thinking, creating, collaborating, and brainstorming.

Jeff and Anthony also encourage us to brainstorm five words that reflect my core values. This reminded me of my P is for Pirate by Dave & Shelley Burgess implementation in which I chose 5 words to describe my classroom (media center).

My 5 core value words are empathy, responsibility, growth mindset, consistency, and drive.

Neither of those are my implementation for The Principled Principal. My implementation comes from the disaster of a day (read that as week, please) that I’ve had. It’s chromebook season at the STEM magnet middle school that I serve. Do you know what that means? I am distributing 400(ish) chromebooks in a week, revisiting expectations with every child, discarding old/broken chromebooks and replacing with new-to-them chromebooks, which means the spreadsheet needs to change. It’s 123 new chromebooks for 6th grade that need to be “bagged and tagged”, teaching those students how to use Google Drive, create a WikiProject in our LMS, and understand policies behind acceptable use. It’s matching appropriate chromebook models with new students and brief troubleshooting when students can’t log on to our server. Y’all… this is a stressful time. I don’t typically ask for help, nor do I accept help when it’s offered. It usually takes more time to explain my convoluted process than to just do it myself. I’m also a bit of a perfectionist, so I go behind the other person anyway and double-check. (I know, I know… I need to let it go. But I just can’t.) If I’m going to issue a chromebook to a student and something happen where we have to charge the family for something, I want to be able to 110% vouch for the condition of the chromebook when it was placed in the student’s hands.

You know the Snickers commercial tagline? “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” Well, I’m not me when it’s Chromebook season. I’m crabby, quick to argue, slow to listen, and generally just want to be left alone. Give me Pandora, my label-maker, my spreadsheet, and a scanner and let me do my thing. I have taken frustration out on more than one person this week. I have certainly not been a contributor to any resemblance of positive culture in the past 10 days. Today was the breaking point. As soon as the first 6th grade class came in for WikiProject training chatty and not listening to instructions, I lost my cool. It was ugly. It was only 9:15 this morning and I had already reached my boiling point.

Now I know better. I know to project directions on the board. I know to set expectations from the very beginning. I know that the quieter I talk the quieter they will get. But nope… I yelled the directions (very quickly, might I add). I proceeded to show them that I was in charge of this space, so there (humph). And I did this class after class after class today.

What in the world was I thinking? That’s not the way we operate in our media center. I don’t talk to students like that. I focus on building great relationships. By the time the 6th period class rolled around (I’m ashamed to say that it took me until 1:45) to get myself back together. As they entered, I was much more organized and my voice was calm. I praised students and we discussed common mistakes made throughout the day. I started off by letting them know I had been having a really rough day, being completely vulnerable in front of my students. I let them know up front that none of that was their fault, and that I was really working to get myself back together and find “happy Mrs. Ray” and invite her back to school.

Sixth period went so smooth. I enjoyed it, and I feel like the students enjoyed it. The feedback they were giving me with their attentiveness and enthusiasm matched my gut instincts. Now how much different would the rest of my day been if I’d just been vulnerable and let them know up front that I was stressed out from Chromebook roll-out. What if I asked for help when I felt overwhelmed? What if I allowed others to do something as minuscule as removing the new batteries from their plastic wrap? (My daughters ended up doing it when they got off the bus, and they loved it. Weird!)

My implementation for this book comes from a mix of two principles. The People Principle and the Harmony Principle. I need to be the one with a calming effect, not the one who stirs the pot of negativity by adding my complaints. I need to remember that as an instructional coach, others feed off of my attitude. I’m not saying that I will fake it, because I think they need to see me struggle, too. There’s a camaraderie that is built through these struggles, but I also need to work on my actions meeting my words in my high-stress times at work.

I was able to pull so much from this book that I was so hesitant to read. I am so thankful to have read it and certainly feel that if you are a school leader of any kind, not just “principal” you should grab a copy of this book for yourself! These principles are principles of exceptional leaders, not just exceptional principals. I really enjoyed The Principled Principal and look forward to sharing it with others.  You should also follow along with the conversation on twitter using the hashtag #10Principles, as well as check out the website here! There are book study resources on the website, as well as my favorite video seen below. (So much truth!) You can also check out the individual author websites/blogs for Anthony McConnell and Jeff Zoul.

For a preview of the book (whaaaat?!?! Right?! Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc has an updated website which allows you to preview every.single.DBC.book! For REAL! – I did it again, Tara!), click here & scroll down to the very bottom of the page. But beware, you’re going to want to buy your own copy because starting it is like opening a can of Pringles.

Finally… here are the very few tweets I managed to get out there. I’m trying to stay off social media as much as possible so I can get these last few books read and not be distracted. You will likely see less tweeting and #BookSnaps from here on out, simply because I’m running out of time. I have a deadline to meet (September 22 at 9:54 pm EST, but who’s counting). I refuse to let it go by without finishing #DBC50Summer!

Flipgrid is available here! Thanks Andrea for an incredible idea and so blessed to copilot with you!

Next up in #DBC50Summer is the final one (for now) from our favorite Google Guru (yes, I call you that all the time, Alice), Alice Keeler! She teamed up with the amazing Christine Pinto to share the message that even our youngest learners can use technology to showcase their learning! I love this, and so wish I’d had it when I was working at the elementary level! Check out Book 38 from the DBC, Inc powerhouse – Google Apps for Littles.

#DBC50Summer 33/50: Culturize

/ Alicia Ray / 2 Comments

Thirty-three books in and I experienced another first while reading Culturize by Jimmy Casas. This is the first time I have read the final page of a Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc book at a loss for words. I literally had nothing to say… which meant the blog post would have to wait. A blank blog post won’t help anyone.

Two days… it’s been two days since I finished reading Culturize and I’m still struggling with my thoughts. This post may come out a jumbled up mess. I’m not even going to edit (much), so be prepared for a hot mess express. Usually I know exactly what I’m going to say, with quotes highlighted and implementation plan ready. This time…I’m not even sure where this one is going. So bear with me, and let’s see what happens together.

culturize

(Pause for ice cream break… possibly ice cream will help.)

Ice cream didn’t help. Also, I now feel guilty for eating ice cream at 9:30 at night. Marvelous.

From the very beginning, Jimmy gripped my heart and pulled at my soul. I spent the entire time I read this book wondering if I could have done better. Normally when I read these books, I feel inspired, motivated, excited to implement… with Culturize, I just feel guilty. Jimmy mentions that feeling of guilt frequently in the book. Guilt when a student drops out, guilt when a student lashes out, guilt that he could have done more. I, too, feel that guilt. I think as educators, we all feel that guilt. Honestly, if we don’t – we likely aren’t feeling anything… apathy. Because let’s be honest, if you aren’t feeling guilt, you’re not in the game 100%. That sounds completely pessimistic and very judgmental. Hear me out… have you ever engaged someone in talking negatively about your school? Have you ever found yourself agreeing with someone who puts down the profession of education? Have you ever acted as an educational martyr? If you’re giving every ounce of yourself to help your students, you know by now that you cannot save them all. Y’all – it’s just not possible. And those that you can’t save… well, they bring with them the guilt of not being able to save them. So again – if you’re not feeling guilty at some point, perhaps you’re not really “getting it”.

Jimmy opens by talking about the kids who walk down the hall feeling invisible. I’ve often wondered which of my middle school students feel invisible. I want every. single. one. to know that I see them. But do I really? Do I really see them? Tonight at our open house, I realized just how many names of students I had forgotten over the summer. I constantly advocate for calling students by name, but I couldn’t have told you half of their names as they walked up to me. Do you have any idea how guilty I felt about that? I must do better. Must. No child should ever feel invisible. Every single kid should have a champion (Thank you, Rita Pierson) – someone who really sees them. I can’t be that for every kid, but shouldn’t I try? At what point do I invest in quality over quantity?

Perhaps this is what Jimmy was referring to as he discusses that we are all leaders. I remember thinking early in my career that my principal was the school leader. It was a very clear hierarchy – principal, assistant principal, curriculum specialist, school improvement team chair, grade level chair, and somewhere waaaaay down that totem pole… me. At some point, it changed. That totem pole was chopped down; the hierarchy fell. I remember the first time my assistant principal asked me for my opinion. It scared me, and exhilarated me at the same time. I remember the first time I stepped up to present at our district teaching and learning conference. I was terrified, and now I present all over our state. At some point, I started acting like a leader. My words, my body language, my convictions moved me into leadership. I’ve never wanted to be an administrator. When I started my career in education, the equation was simple: administration = leadership. Reflecting, I think it was when I saw MYSELF as a leader, I embodied the leadership that I saw in others. It wasn’t until that confidence was built that I ever imagined leading others. Jimmy says that leaders don’t need a title. I agree. Administration no longer is the sole equality to leadership. Leaders just need followers who are then empowered to become leaders themselves.

Within Core Principle 1 (there are 4 core principles), Jimmy says that lack of confidence is the number one reason that kids fail. I think it’s also the number one reason adults fail, too. I was talking to a friend of mine once who said, in response to my feeling doubtful that I had anything to offer to the friendship, “that’s part of the problem, the fact that you don’t see yourself as special is part of this for you.” My friend was completely on target. My own self-doubt was negating the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Thankfully, I’ve been able to build on that and I wouldn’t take anything for that friendship. It means the world to me. I still struggle with self-confidence every day, though. Affirmations can help build confidence – more than anyone will ever understand. Self-doubt can eat you up if you let it. Shake it off. Just like we find the positive in others, find the positive in yourself. List at least 5 things that you’re good at, and allow yourself to feel pride. Humility is valued. It’s possible to be humble without doubting your own successes.

In Culturize, Jimmy says often that “What we model is what we get”. What am I modeling for my students and staff? Am I finding the positive in day-to-day interactions? Am I believing from the tips of my toes to the top of my head that every one of my students can be successful? Am I showing grace to others? Do I stay calm when something comes along to mess up the plans I so carefully crafted? Probably not. We’re human, we mess up. Do I apologize to those I’ve wronged? These are very real questions if we consider ourselves leaders.

Another thought Jimmy shares often is that we are responsible for our own actions.

“No one is responsible for determining your success or failure but you, and no one is responsible for your morale but you.” ~Jimmy Casas, Culturize

Oh boy! That right there felt like a punch in the gut! I have been known to complain about the sheer amount of complaints from those around me. (Yes, I know… ironic. You do it, too, don’t lie.) It drives me crazy to be around people who constantly find something negative to say. But here’s the thing…. what am I doing about it? I sit there, and nod my head along with them. Who is that helping? Then I turn around and complain to someone else that I was in a great mood until so-and-so got me down. What? What am I even saying? Does that make sense at all? I am responsible for my morale. Why am I lowering my standard of positivity to meet their miserable attitude? Let’s be real. Nothing happened directly to me; I was just fine until the pit of negativity appeared. Why am I not just fine afterward? and why in the world am I allowing them to continue with the negativity around me? I need to do better. My kids deserve better. If I call myself a leader, and I internalize what it means to be a leader – then dang it, I need to lead. I’ve got to speak up and halt the negativity I hear around me.

Sometimes when I’m wallowing in my own misery (yes, it happens), my “little” brother (he’s 28 and married with two kids of his own) will look at me all innocently and say, “but did you die?”… I need to reframe my perspective.

The media center is being used for pictures! “But did you die?”

I’ve not met with PLCs because the location keeps changing. “But did you die?”

This student left their Chromebook at home for the 100th time. “But did you die?”

The bulb on my projector looks so dim that I have to turn off my lights. “But did you die?”

The TV in the cafeteria won’t mirror the TV in the lobby for announcements.

“But. Did. You. Die?”

There’s too much big stuff to worry about to let the little things ruffle my feathers anymore. Or allow others to have their feathers ruffled. As a leader, I need to shake my feathers back down when daily mishaps come along and help others remember their purpose as well. Rather than complain, determine if whatever happened is even within my sphere of influence. If not, then move on – if it is, then change it. Simple enough, right? When others start on their negative campaign, I’ve got to remember my brother’s “but did you die?” – it just puts things into perspective. I want to be a “merchant of hope” as Jimmy says in his 4th core principle. Believing that my words and actions can inspire others, I need to watch what I say and do. What I model is what I will get.

With all that – I have no idea if I’ve made (as we say in the south) a lick of sense. Welcome to my brain. It’s a terrifying place to be sometimes. (HA)

The only implementation plan I’ve got for this book is to live out the four core principles, every day. This is going to have to be intentional because it’s so easy to be drawn back into the quicksand of negativity that can quickly pull you down. Instead of fighting, I need to stay still, wait, plan, and then move slowly, crawling out of the quicksand and moving away, bringing the others with me helping them avoid that same pit. So in the new school year, I will be a champion for my students, expect excellence from them and the staff I work with (ALL of them… because all means all), carry the banner (with pride and enthusiasm for my school), and be a merchant of hope. Because when all else fails, hope will get us through the worst of the worst. Because at the end of the day, we didn’t die… so tomorrow, we can get up and try again.

You’ve got to get this book. I don’t know any other way to say it. It’s a game-changer. I have said of every book that I recommend it, but this one… this one right here is one that every person should have. It’s one that needs to be revisited frequently. If you truly want to change your school, you have to change you first. Culturize requires a self-examination that you may not be ready for… I wasn’t. My scattered thoughts are evidence that I’m continuing to wrestle with book 33. I will wrestle with this one for a while. I am putting it back on the shelf, but the change feels incomplete. I feel as though the growth just kickstarted. #DBC50Summer has challenged me and what I think of education multiple times. This book is the equivalent to that moment when the GPS just found a traffic jam up ahead and had the foresight to go ahead and re-route you without you even knowing what was going on. Just trust it. Follow it. Just go get the dang book already.

Here’s the tweets. I’ll just sit back and let Jimmy do his thing here.

 

 

 

 

Resources and Podcasts and YouTube, oh my!

Jimmy Casas Slide Deck for Culturize

Jimmy Casas blog

Perspectives in Education podcast

Jimmy’s advice for hiring for excellence

Principal Matters podcast

#IAedchat Live – Feb 25, 2018

Truth for Teachers podcast

Flipgrid for Culturize (Thank you Andrea Paulakovich for this incredible idea and the opportunity to copilot a flipgrid with all DBC, Inc books for global connections!)

**If you’ve made it this far, I’ve got to apologize for the length of this post and the scattered thoughts on this spectacular book. However, keep in mind that I started #DBC50Summer for my own personal growth. This is for my growth so I can better impact my students and teachers. I hope you were able to take something from it as well, but if you take nothing else from this post – buy the book and follow Jimmy Casas on Twitter. Now! Thanks for reading.**

Book 34 is Code Breaker by Brian Aspinall. I’ve presented at multiple conferences on coding in the classroom, started the Hour of Code at my former elementary school, and helped rewrite the elementary school computer science curriculum to include a focus on coding almost 4 years ago, and played a collaborative role in the creation of a middle school curriculum for computer science. So to say I’m excited about this is an understatement. Let’s go!