Principal's Blog

Actionable Steps

5/14/2019

May 14, 2019

To help encourage conversations and dialogue about focusing one’s goals and outlining steps to attain them, our topic(s)/question(s) of the week are: What goal(s) do you want to focus on over the last month of this school year? What step(s) are you taking to meet this/these goal(s)? Actionable Steps (Week of 5/12/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

It was lovely to see the sun out for a few days last week, and Friday evening’s sunlit sky and sunset was a welcome sight to start the weekend! After spending most of Saturday at Concord-Carlisle High School for the spring Challenge Success conference, we headed to Newburyport to celebrate my nephew and neice’s birthday with extended family. On Sunday we had a family day to celebrate Mother’s Day - seeing Avengers: Endgame, hoping to get outside with the kids, and having a celebratory dinner with my parents.

I often share how I am trying to unplug and #slowitdown, but my ‘follow through’ and actualization of this desire/goal is not always successful. With an intentional effort to acknowledge Mother’s Day (Katie is a my proofreader and editor - so, a very minor gift is ‘light reading’) and as a symbolic nod to the premises of PDF (Playtime, Downtime, and Family Time) from Challenge Success, the blog update is brief - have a wonderful week!

Topic/Question of the Week (Week of 5/5/19): What can you do to become 'less busy' and find time to step back and 'do nothing'?
Sampling of responses...

I have not tried this, but have read that scheduling downtime into your day is a very effective way to ensure finding time for yourself. Along the lines of scheduling, making a clear plan each morning of what needs to be accomplished in the day and when it will be completed often helps to ensure there is some time at the end of the day for yourself. Recognizing and avoiding over-scheduling your day is key, often some work can be done in small chunks over several days or you might realize it is not of high priority and can be set aside for another day. Having a plan to navigate your day / week is essential.
Physically leave my house and go somewhere else for that purpose.
I do appreciate trick questions, and this feels like a 'trick question'
Either walk somewhere and not really have an agenda...or, sit down and look out the window and look at the beauty of life!
I can take some moments to look out my window and just enjoy the sky. This always brings me peace.
Leave my clean laundry in the laundry basket
Well I have too much homework and sports - so I cannot do anything about it really
Finish needed work during times you don’t have anything
Sleep
Just save time to relax and breathe
Not sign up for literally everything
Finish things (hw) early
Have less homework
Don't check e-mail
Using time wisely and not spending forever on homework because I am distracted
Do homework quickly
This is easy...put my phone down.
Put my phone down
Drop facebook

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Enjoy the week and take care.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.
Nat

Making Time for 'Nothing'

5/8/2019

May 7, 2019

To help encourage conversations and dialogue about making time to ‘do nothing’, our topic/question of the week is: What can you do to become 'less busy' and find time to step back and 'do nothing'? Making Time for 'Nothing' (Week of 5/5/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

After a week of several nights out at school last week, it was important to leave right away after school to be with Katie and the kids. We were glad that the rain held off last Friday afternoon for Maggie’s softball game before watching the Celtics game as a family - a really nice way to start the weekend (despite the loss)!

In an effort to step back, unplug a bit, and create some space, I am keeping things brief - sharing the weekly responses, highlighting a post that underscores the importance of ‘doing nothing’, and an explicit ‘thank you’ and acknowledgement of Teacher Appreciation Week...

Topic/Question of the Week (Week of 4/28/19): What problem do you want to solve? What do you need to learn to be able to do that?
Sampling of responses...

Time in class for consistent conference sessions. The trick is to know the flow of each class; each class has a unique flow. If you were to ask me what one superpower would I want, the answer would be very easy: the power of 100% flawless intuition
I would like to work on mindsets and helping both myself and others look at positive approaches to problems rather than spiraling into complaining and negativity. I need to observe people who model this already and to readjust my approach and mindset when a problem arises.
I would love to help people simplify SBR. I think some cross-subject meeting could be helpful!
Cancer
Chrome boxes do not print locally. That is a potential daily problem. I need to learn whether nearby, multiple “printers” will become a part of this new system
DVD players: I need to learn about audio speaker effectiveness. Playing a DVD or any A/V product with a weak, ineffective speaker system is a problem ; and potentially discriminatory
Time management. I'm not sure, which is why it's a problem.
World hunger.

The Case for Doing Nothing
by Olga Mecking (@OrlaMecking) in The New York Times
Mecking’s post introduces the Dutch concept/term ‘niksen’ (doing nothing), espousing the need and benefits for all of us. As one who is continually ‘running around’ and often using the term ‘busy’ as a badge of honor, niksen is an important mantra for me to consider and embrace. Tips are given within the post: Make time for doing nothing, and do it with purpose...Resist the culture of busyness...Manage your expectations...Reorganize your environment...Think outside of the box...
Running from place to place and laboring over long to-do lists have increasingly become ways to communicate status: I’m so busy because I’m just so important, the thinking goes. Perhaps it’s time to stop all this busyness. Being busy -- if we even arebusy — is rarely the status indicator we’ve come to believe it is. Nonetheless, the impact is real, and instances of burnout, anxiety disorders and stress-related diseases are on the rise, not to mention millennial burnout.

...the idea of niksen is to take conscious, considered time and energy to do activities like gazing out of a window or sitting motionless. The less-enlightened might call such activities “lazy” or “wasteful.” Again: nonsense.

Generally speaking, our culture does not promote sitting still, and that can have wide-reaching consequences for our mental health, well-being, productivity and other areas of our lives. Technology doesn’t make it any easier: The smartphone you carry with you at all hours makes it almost impossible to truly unplug and embrace idleness. And by keeping ourselves busy at all times, we may be losing our ability to sit still because our brains are actually being rewired.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I strongly believe and know that Voltaire had it right…

The Blake community of teachers ( it's important to take a broad interpretation of 'teacher' by being sure to include our entire staff) makes me a better (I hope!) educator every day - and, the practice of appreciation brings us together to reflect, grow, and learn. Last year I shared this post below by Aaron Hogan as it speaks the practice of ‘presence’, an attribute that is critical for a healthy and safe learning learning environment. It is now on my list of ‘annual May reads’ as it reminds me to witness, appreciate, and articulate the presence that is practiced by our teachers for students, parents, and one another - thank you...

Ending the School Year Well
by Aaron Hogan (@afhogan)
We often start to see 'end-of-year countdowns' in schools and I would be lying if I said I never counted down the days to summer. That said, Hogan offers an important perspective with this post and I particularly commend his outreach for ideas for how to 'end the year well' from colleagues - a direct and indirect way to appreciate one another by seeking input.
We cannot afford to do anything other than continue to pursue our students. Our students and colleagues are worth more than our survival mode efforts. We can make just as great an impact in our last days with students as we did in our first hours together.

Never stop getting to know your students (even at the end of the year). Invest in them. Let them know that they are loved. Much like a successful start to the year, a successful end to the year is an active pursuit.

Words do not truly express the appreciation I have and feel for the teachers (again, broadly defined) with whom I work, along with the teachers who have left their imprint on my mind, heart, and being. I have been fortunate to have wonderful teachers at all levels (Professor Fisher, John D’Auria, and Mrs. DeChristopher come to mind today, but there are many more), both personally and professionally, and I hope I honor them with my efforts each day. I hope we can all find time to appreciate each other this week.

As I say quite often, Blake Middle School is a special place (it may sound trite, but the sentiment is sincere) and I am so proud to be a part of the collective mission to enhance the learning experience for our students. It is a privilege and a joy to come to work every day with such a fine team of educators and this recognition is a reflection of our students, staff, and community.

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.
Nat

Solution-Oriented

4/30/2019

April 30, 2019

To help encourage conversations and dialogue about a learning-driven culture and solution-oriented approach to solving problems, our topic/question(s) of the week are: What problem do you want to solve? What do you need to learn to be able to do that? Solution-Oriented (Week of 4/28/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

After a beautiful couple of days of true spring weather mid-week, this stretch of cold damp has made me want to hunker down in front of a warm fire. With Katie having her monthly weekend of yoga teacher training, I have enjoyed some nice time with the kids - although it has only been one week since vacation, it seems like much longer since I have seen them! Well, with Owen it has been true as he returned Friday afternoon from his week at Nature’s Classroom. He had a blast and came home one ‘tired camper’ - it was great to see him and hear the stories. It is so great as a parent to hear the value of these experiences that we hope and believe as educators to be true and worthwhile.

Attending the #DigiGirlzMA event at the Microsoft Technology Center in Burlington on Friday was a wonderful way to end the week! I remember being struck at the ‘opening question’ that started the day last year and the feeling came right back this year - Have you ever used a product and thought, ‘This wasn’t designed with me in mind?’ Many examples were shared by the students (clothing, technology, vehicles, hygiene products, etc.). These answers and the ensuing discussion helped to set the stage for an important element of the day - it is critical that our ‘teams’ (however they are defined) are represented with diverse input, allowing for different perspectives, lenses, ideas, and backgrounds to be shared. In last year’s blog entry (New Perspectives) following the event I shared the following and the sentiments ring true...
The question itself is one that is an excellent entry point and holds implications for our work, connections with students, relationships, lesson plans, assessments, projects, and lives. It was one of those 'mirror moments' as it immediately pushed me into a place of reflection of diversity and the implications that hold true - in terms of gender, race, culture, learning, age, etc. This perspective is one I hope to meld into our day-to-day thinking for our endeavors - as I have said before, my hope is to not add 'one more thing' but to broaden our thinking so that some of this work becomes 'second nature' and part of 'how we do business'.

One example that really struck me last year was shared again - the fact that seat belts were designed for men, and as a result…
Female drivers are 47% more likely to be seriously injured in a car crash. (The World is Designed For Men - how bias is built into our daily lives by Kat Ely in Medium) This quote from this post really emphasizes the reason we need to include all perspective and give them a voice...
The impact of having such a limited set of voices in the rooms where design decisions are made has far reaching implications.

I hope that we can keep this perspective/mantra very much at the forefront of our collective thinking and work with students and one another. It ties directly to the work we have been doing regarding bias, cultural awareness, diverse learners, and meaningful systems of feedback with a focus on personalization. In an effort to bring these conversations into our day-to-day dialogue and connecting them to our work, I have jotted down a few ‘notes/mindsets/take-aways’ from #DigiGirlzMA and highlighted a couple of posts below (along with responses from the most recent Topic/Question of the Week)...

#DigiGirlzMA Take-Aways/Mindsets/Notes

Always go for more education
Best thing you can do is ask questions
Important to establish ‘Fail free zones’
Microsoft’s Mission: ‘to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more’
Form your views and opinions on where you want to go
Fundamental shifts are taking place in education
Accessibility features are what will be the ‘game changers’

Topic/Question of the Week (Week of 4/21/19): What are your hopes for the end of this school year? How do you want to grow as a learner?
Sampling of responses...

I want to end the school year by not wishing away time to summer, but rather making the most of each day. I want to grow as a learner by applying some of the ideas I learned at DLD.
I want to hear end-of-year perspectives of students. I also want to hear about different summer plans people have.
I hope to continue to find a way to have students interact with my curriculum and build skills.
My hopes are to have A’s in all my classes. I want to grow as a learner by not just learning the subjects material, but learning how to take notes, study, etc
My hopes for the end of this school year are have the same passion for learning as I did in the beginning of the school year. I want to have more self control and really focus on my top priorities first.
I want to do well on MCAS and have better problem solving skills.
I want to get an A in English.
I want to broaden my knowledge of science and history
Find more relationships with other disciplines...or go back to some of the subject areas and re-frame some previous thoughts and ideas...for instance...maker space along with Project based learning. How I can impart some of the lessons from my painting class into the Middle School visual arts program.
I want to become more comfortable in math
That I am comfortable with time management
I hope that students leave the year passionate about a subject. I hope they have fond memories that propel them into more learning. For me, I would love to grow a little bit with attending to details!
I want to learn to make everyone happy, whatever the conditions are.

Standardisation broke education. Here's how we can fix our schools
By Ken Robinson (@SirKenRobinson) in Wired
Sir Ken is a ‘must follow’ as he addresses complex issues and breaks them down to the foundation and offers solution-oriented perspectives. His commitment to a creative and compassionate education and to broadening our definition of ability is one that aligns with our mission.
We are all born with fathomless capacities, but what we make of them has everything to do with education. One role of education is to help people develop their natural talents and abilities; the other is to help them make their way in the world around them. Too often, education falls short on both counts. As we face an increasingly febrile future, it’s vital to do better. For that to happen, education has to be urgently transformed. We have the resources and the expertise, but now we need the vision and commitment.

Usually, the problem is not the learners – it’s the inherent bias of education and the enforced culture of schools. For generations, formal education has been systematically biased towards narrow forms of academic ability. The result is that it largely disregards the marvellous diversity of human talents and interests.

For the past generation especially, politicians have been smothering schools in a depressing culture of standardisation. As a result, they have been marginalising the very capabilities our children need to create a more equitable and sustainable world – by which I mean creativity, compassion citizenship and collaboration.

We have an opportunity now to rethink the whole ecosystem of education. We need to reinvent schools. There’s a growing movement in alternative education...It’s about building schools that value the social dimension of learning and practical work; that place equal value on arts and sciences. They are dedicated to fostering the right conditions for people to learn; to making education more organic and less formulaic. They recognise that schools must foster young peoples’ natural appetites for learning; that schools themselves must be creative, compassionate, democratic and collaborative. And they must be more personalised and organic.

Failure and self-doubt are ‘a natural part of learning’
by Sam Tassiker in tes
Eric Sheninger (@E_Sheninger) shared this post earlier in the week and the ‘self-doubt’ in the title drew me in. Tassiker shares her ‘mirror moment’ about how failure and self-doubt can be a natural part of learning, as she found herself experiencing them while taking swimming lessons. Her open and honest reflection spoke to me, embracing the humbling nature of teaching and learning. This honest approach will certainly help me and us towards a solution-oriented mantra.
Learning a new skill has thrown me well and truly out of my comfort zone, and I’ve made a conscious decision to try to improve. As a 34-year-old teacher with her head (pretty much) screwed on, this is a taxing situation, but imagine the strife as a teen. Not only are you being thrust into learning a new skill every hour, going from one to the next, sometimes with little to show in the way of improvement – you’re also learning new things about yourself.

A teacher can see the bigger picture: they’ve seen the journey so many times before from fairly useless to pretty competent. I’m going to try and remember during my next rant about negativity being unproductive that not only is failing a natural part of learning – so is a little doubt.

Key steps towards progress and growth begin with a shared commitment to open dialogue, questions, and listening. At the heart of our work is the belief that we can make things better and improve them for our children. Katie shared this quote from Michelle Obama - an excerpt from remarks made at the signing of the ‘Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act’ in 2010 - and I found them to be wonderful, pertinent, and centering...

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.
Nat

Conditions for Learning

4/23/2019

April 23, 2019

To help encourage conversations and dialogue about conditions for learning, articulating hopes and vision, and continuous growth for our community, our topic/question(s) of the week are: What are your hopes for the end of this school year? How do you want to grow as a learner? Conditions for Learning (Week of 4/21/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

I hope that everyone enjoyed a restful and relaxing vacation, getting a chance to do whatever was ‘needed’ - rest, relaxation, exercise, sleep, time with family/friends, or simply a change in routine. We had a nice ‘staycation’ and particularly cherished the days with warmer temps, sunshine, and blossoms on the trees. It is such a wonderful feeling to get the terrace furniture out, have a seat with a good book, and simply ‘take it all in’!

I feel as though I share similar thoughts after each structured break we have in our routines. As educators we thrive on routines and schedules, yet the framework of a change via vacation does wonders for my energy, head, and perspective. I cherish the time with my family, the opportunity to challenge myself to relax and ‘unplug’, and simply time to ‘just be’. After a few additional naps during the first couple of days after vacation I find myself settling in to a new routine - reading, gardening, some yoga, and cooking. I will continue to try and find ways to build and meld the routines from vacation into the ‘school routine’ (an uphill climb for sure, but one worth pursuing).

Through several of the posts and books I caught up on over the past week, the words from Ted Sizer and Henry Ford shared above kept popping into my head. The ideas are both simple and clear, yet I feel they often get lost…

We must always focus on the conditions for learning first and provide space for the learning to happen
We must always be looking ahead with an eye towards change and adjustment of practices for progress to take place

In an effort to ‘practice what I preach’, for the last few years I have dedicated ‘space’ as April vacation concludes to reflect via an intentional structure to foster discourse, reflection, learning, and growth. I hope the structure provides a ‘window’ into some current thinking, while also providing a structure to examine both our conditions and practices with an eye towards improvement...

Mirroring and sharing responses from the most recent ‘topic/question’ of the week
Re-sharing my resolutions/intentions for this calendar year (please keep me honest and on track)
Sharing some posts that held meaning as of late with mindsets that I hope will carry me forward
An annual request for all of us to not 'count the days', stay focused, and enjoy our time with the students
Elicit some feedback and reflective thoughts from staff

Topic/Question of the Week (Week of 4/7/19): What topic(s) would you like to see discussed in school?

Current events and discussion / debate. The world does not model civil discourse right now and with education, that can shift.
Freedom of expression
I would love to see more discussion about the stereotypes surrounding masculinity.
I would like to learn more about foreign countries and their cultures.
Homophobia, Transphobia, etc
Zoos
Integrity and not lying
the genocide against indigenous peoples, misogyny, gun reform, homophobia, transphobia, quantum physics, feminism, racism,global warming, lack of education, human rights, poverty, inequality, Health care or lack thereof, water famine, domestic violence, unemployment, food crisis, plastic pollution
A more variety of languages to be able to take
Pets
How kindness can change everyone and I want everyone to learn to be kind no matter what the circumstances are. I know many people/teachers talk about being kind but clearly some students aren’t getting the message, so I wanted to embrace that topic even further so people can understand it and it could be part of their daily lives.
Sports, arts or current events.
Debate so students can voice their opinions
Diversity and how the color of your skin, your religious beliefs, your body, your sexual orientation does not evaluate your personality and personal beliefs.
Able to take more than one language and having art more than once a week
I think the topic of discourse itself would be great
Timing, approach toward behavior correction, expectations.

Resolutions/Intentions for the 2019 school year...

#slowingitdown
Defining ‘personal time’ and ‘professional time’ (an uphill climb for me)
Embrace hope (#willfulhope)
Explore musical interests (playing and listening)
Listening to understand rather than listening to respond
Embrace and model authenticity and vulnerability
Explore ways to 'go deeper' and find more meaning
Practice intentional time for self-reflection, mindfulness, and growth
Think about ways to connect more directly with students (focus groups, check-ins, discussions)
Broaden and redefine some methods of sharing and growing (networking, connecting, collaborating) within Blake, Medfield, and beyond

Some posts that resonate...
Your School’s Big Dream: Creating a Vision for the Future
by Donna Orem in NAIS
It is critical that we take a broad view and ‘think big’ while also ‘thinking simplistically’ for all of our practices. In thinking about our work at Blake, we talk a lot about mission and I love the idea of articulating our vision as well. Different ideas come to mind (to do right by our students...to open doors for students...to create solutionaries...to foster a culture of learning). Having shared a few with a couple colleagues at Blake the last one (fostering a culture of learning) encompasses the others - I look forward to discussions as a staff about this work.
Too often, we start with a collection of needs instead of a North Star to guide us, that is, a firm vision statement of why the school exists. The former approach almost always results in enhancing what we know while the latter can open new thinking. Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, suggests that, “All organizations start with why, but only the great ones keep their why clear year after year.”

...the vision is the North Star that reaffirms the “why” and guides the work of the organization in support of that aspirational goal. And the very aspirational nature of vision statements helps organizations to reach for tomorrow instead of focusing on the needs of today...The strategies for success are changing. If we don’t ask different questions, we will continue to end up with faster horses — not driving the future.

Unlocking the Science of Motivation
by Grace Tatter in HGSE’s Usable Knowledge
Motivation is a topic that comes up almost every day in some capacity in our work, and it is imperative that we really delve into the science of motivation rather than solely relying on ‘our gut’. Relationships are at the heart of this work and Tatter’s post provides a structure for building ‘healthy motivation’...
Elicit curiosity and encourage exploration.
Don’t rely on incentives.
Remind children that success is possible.
Prioritize social interaction.
Remember that we all have different intrinsic motivators.

Teachers can know their content backwards and forwards. They might have put hours into their lesson plans. But if their students aren't motivated, learning won't happen.

Our motivation systems are partially laid out by genetics, but they’re also shaped by experiences. High levels of stress and a dearth of positive relationships with adults can affect how children’s brains respond to different tasks. Caring adults can help students develop the motivation systems that will serve them well, long into adulthood.

Academic Integrity: Cheat or Be Cheated?
by Denise Pope in Edutopia
With the latest and highly publicized cheating scandal with college admissions and standardized testing (and more stories seemingly coming to light each day), Pope’s post reads as though it could have been written today. She wrote it in 2014 and the principles within truly underscore the importance and need to change our practices as educators and systems of and for learning.
5 Steps Toward Academic Integrity…
Strive for Buy-In of Honest Academic Practices
Emphasize Mastery and Learning Over Performance and Grades
Establish a Climate of Care
Revise Assessment and Grading Policies
Reduce Workload without Reducing Rigor

Stories of cheating in schools often make national headlines and are frequently met with widespread shock. How could such actions occur on the campuses of elite colleges and high schools? What's going on with kids these days? It's easy for us to throw up our hands and say this behavior is the inevitable outcome of our students seeing questionable standards and dishonesty in sports, government and businesses.

It's easy to blame societal issues for what appears to be an increase in academic dishonesty. However, the better course of action would be helping our schools change the "cheat to compete" mentality.

The Value of Tinkering
by Aaron Schomburg in Scientific American
The title of this post caught my eye and the ‘sub-title’ (It helped develop Stephen Hawking's creativity, and we should encourage it in our children) drew me in. As we think about the experiences we want for our students and our staff, the premise of ‘tinkering’ is one we should embrace and establish. Schomburg’s post has implications for education and learning at all levels.
As an elementary school science teacher, I find this not easy to admit, but some of my students’ most rewarding and meaningful classes over the years have happened when I have taken a back seat and let my students “tinker.” Whether they want to dam up a stream during a water study, build nests with mud and sticks while investigating local bird populations, or, after completing a set of Lego models, independently design and build spinning Lego tops from which energetic battles ensue, students love having time to explore and investigate independently.

Tinkering is not a word that many educators use, and for good reason: parents and administrators have come to expect us to use certain educational buzzwords when discussing our strategies, approaches, lessons, concepts or skills that are to be taught...As an educator for over a quarter of a century, I urge parents and educators to consider giving young children the opportunity and time to help establish a foundation of creativity and imagination. Tinkering is, by definition, “to work with something in an unskilled or experimental manner.”

Our children and students are increasingly engaged in a very structured and busy world that does not allow for the development of the valuable skills and growth mindset that come with time to tinker. We should give them that time.

Why a Great Teacher is Not Enough
by Joshua Ray (@JoshRay711), NBCT
Ray’s post resonates with me on many levels as our middle school model, while not perfect, is conducive to collaboration and pushes us to move ‘beyond’ the one teacher in one classroom environment. We need to make sure we are continually taking a holistic and coherent approach with our practices or the system will not improve. We are all better and benefit when everyone gets better - this is true for students and staff alike and highlights the importance of diversity around the table as well.
If we want a great educational experience for all students, we must rethink how we define and celebrate talent and greatness within schools.

...our school has become hyper-focused on adult learning for the sake of student learning. Great teaching is no longer contained to a single teacher or classroom. Instead, it has become the daily pursuit for our entire staff. Teachers are asking to observe one another, student evidence is being utilized to make decisions about what is happening in the classroom, and our teams are collaborating on how to provide specific instruction based on the individual needs of our children. We are learning to be vulnerable and admit when we need help because of our collective commitment to refuse to let any child fail.

In my opinion, no level of choice, teacher incentive, or privatization can compete with the feeling of knowing that you are part of a collective effort greater than yourself that is changing children’s lives. Instead of seeking the answer to bring to our schools, I have learned that the answers are often in the room, lying in wait to be discovered through the right mix of passion, collaboration, and collective effort. Great teaching is not an individual accomplishment, but a collective experience that every teacher and student deserves.

A few annual pleas/requests (paraphrasing of thoughts/notes shared in past years)...
The last day of school for us this year (barring any crazy weather changes!) is June 14 and it is my annual 'ask' to do your/our best (and I include myself in this ask) to not 'count down the days'. I have seen similar posts of this nature before, but Pernille Ripp (@PernilleRipp) shared her thoughts in a very thoughtful way two years ago (On Counting Down the Days) - I appreciate her sincerity and honesty and staying centered on the important work that we do...
Because while the countdown may be fun on the surface; another way to show off student accomplishment – you made it through 7th grade -it also sends a much deeper message; we are done with the year. I am done with you. I cannot wait to be done and finally get a break. Is that really what we want to tell our students?

It is not that we don’t know how many days are left. I have 38 days left to be exact and so much still to teach. It is just that we don’t advertise it. We don’t actively remind children how much better summer will be than what we are doing. It undermines the entire mission we have had all year of instilling the importance of the work we do. It undermines every single time we have said that school is important. So now, when a child tells me that they are excited about summer, I tell them I am too, but also that I will miss them, that I will miss our learning, that I will miss our classroom. That we have so much learning still to do. That we will work to the very last day because our time is valuable. Because we need every minute we can get.

Couros's post, The Policies in Your Head, is one that I often return to when I have a hard time 'getting out of my head' and in times of reflection: Don’t hesitate to ask questions in the pursuit of doing what is best for kids. Otherwise, the thing that might be holding you back is your own thinking, and nothing else. I have shared this before (and have needed to remind myself of this and needed others as well to help me with the reminder!) - I do not always enjoy the feedback that you or others may share but I know it is important and I welcome the dialogue and conversation. I am looking to improve and rely on questions, open communication, and feedback - and please know that I thank you for it.

Continuing the practice suggested several years ago in an Educational Leadership post by a retired principal named Dave Weston, this week I am asking all Blake staff to share their thoughts in response to the following questions...
- What’s going particularly well for you this year?
- What concerns/issues do you have at this point?
- What can I do to best support you right now?
- If you could get some professional development right now, what would it be?
- Anything else?

And, my 'broken record' thought for our community of learners...
I firmly believe that a concerted focus on our mission and essential question will help us to embody our mantra of a 'willingness to adapt' and, if all goes well, learning and growth as we aim to 'get out of our own heads', establish productive conditions for learning, and foster and further a cohesive thread throughout the school…

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.
Nat

A Culture of Discourse

4/9/2019

April 9, 2019

To help encourage conversations and dialogue about a community of discussion, dialogue, discourse, and learning, our topic/question of the week is: What topic(s) would you like to see discussed in school? A Culture of Discourse (Week of 4/7/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

Hopefully the sunny weather and warmer temps on Saturday were enjoyed by all - it was great to get outside for a few walks and take it in! We had a nice weekend as a family - a nice family dinner on Friday evening, some sports on Saturday, watching of the Final Four, and some pleasure reading.

I often share that a resolution and area of growth is to #slowitdown and work on home-work balance. This is a ‘work in progress’ and I am going to do my best to keep growing in this regard. It was such an honor to be asked to share some thoughts at #DLDMedfield, as our community is one that values the concepts in the images above - Vulnerability and Discourse. Thank you for helping to embrace and foster this culture of growth and support.

We each gain inspiration from different sources at different times. For us to truly foster and build a ‘discourse community’ I think it is critical that we continually share and keep the lines of communication open, while also providing space for vulnerability and humility. As a ‘snapshot’ of inspiration and growth, this week I am sharing three sources for my own reflective process from the past week - a post/perspective on the future of education, a sampling of responses to a question posed to our students and staff, and quotations highlighted at #DLDMedfield...

Preparing Students for the Uncertain Future: Why America’s Educators Are Ready to Innovate — but Their Education Systems Are Not
by Robin Lake (@RbnLake) in The T74 Newsletter
Lake is the director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education and this post offers a 40,000 foot lens/perspective on the future of public education. I think it’s always important that we continue to keep our eyes on the future, share ideas, read, and consider implications of change.
America’s future depends heavily on whether education, from preschool through adult professional training, can adapt to a rapidly changing world. Our young people are demonstrating that they are willing and able to solve the most complex social, technological, and economic challenges and ready themselves for the future if we give them the chance.

A sober assessment of the research to date makes some things clear about which skills and competencies will be most needed in the coming decades, and has important implications for how education will need to change:
1. There will be more of a premium on skills only the human mind possesses…
2. Automation will affect everyone, but will create more problems for different groups...
3. We will need many more “creatives,” innovators, and effective leaders...
4. Change will be the new normal

Can America’s public schools and higher education systems respond effectively to these challenges, or will they drag students and communities down? We think education can adapt, but it will not be easy. This collection of essays suggests how we can approach the unknowns and draws implications, both immediate and long-term, for research and development, investment, and policy. The seven essays we present here point toward new principles and priorities:
1. Schools should teach to the extremes, not the mean, so they capture talents that are now being lost, and motivate many kids who are now settling for mediocrity...
2. The traditional lines between high school, college, and career must be completely reimagined...
3. Schools cannot be the sole learning space...
4. Families must have the power to opt out of rigid systems that refuse to change...
5. Schools teaching younger students would have outcome requirements focused only on a limited set of core gateway skills...
6. Teachers must be of two kinds—those who build deep relationships with students and curate personalization, and specialists who are experts at teaching specific bodies of knowledge...
7. Funding must increase, be more flexible, and follow students longer.

If the challenges before the education system seem daunting, the students themselves offer hope. Recent surveys of teenagers have found they are inclined toward lifelong learning and eager to have an impact on the world through their work. The question is whether the institutions charged with educating them can harness those inclinations in ways that allow them to thrive in our new economic and social realities.

Topic/Question of the Week (Week of 3/31/19): Share something good that is taking place in school right now.

Project happiness, it was formed to try to make people feel happy and better.
Gearing up for author visit by members of Blake retweeting about it. An example of working together to achieve the best possible outcome.
Hearing the great news about Mrs. Gumas. She works so hard and deserves the recognition.
I saw students playing ping pong and it looked so fun!
I am in Community service club，and we are making an outdoor classroom
Track
MCAS
My best friend sent me a text saying how much she appreciates me
Hanging student art work. Extending recognition of students that were in the school musical. SMILING and saying hello to others....with well meaning.
Meditation in SOCIAL STUDIES! 😊👍🏻
We got to go outside for recess for the first time in a while and that was fun.
Theater had a successful show!
I am having a sleepover with my friends tonight (Wednesday night) because we don’t have school tomorrow woohoo!
Everything
Genius Hour

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.
Nat

Making Time for the Good

4/2/2019

April 2, 2019

To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the importance of making time to find, articulate, notice, acknowledge, and celebrate ‘the good’, our topic/question of the week is: Share something good that took place or is taking place in school right now. Making Time for the Good (Week of 3/31/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

Friday night’s performance of How to Eat Like a Child was fantastic and a wonderful way to welcome the weekend! Special commendations and thanks to all of the students (on stage, crew, and behind the scenes, Tracy, Maureen D., Joe, Nancy M., Samantha Kerivan, Caroline Harrington, and Melissa Landis. Please try and take some time (whether you saw the show or not) to share thanks to everyone involved! The rest of our weekend was spent trying to slow down and catch up (these two things often feel ‘at odds’ with one another!) - some errands, school work, gardening, a couple runs, yoga, and ‘just being’.

After an emotional and full end to the week last week, I felt the need more than ever to truly ‘slow it down’ and make time for the good. As shared in my e-mail to the Blake community on Friday night, it has been heartening, encouraging, and affirming to witness the response and outpouring of support and care expressed by students, staff, and parents to the events that transpired. At the root of one of our core values - responsibility - is simply the ‘ability to respond’, and I thank everyone for their response and for truly living our mission and values. It is not a perfect path, but I appreciate, recognize, and admire the ‘walk’.

Each one of us has different ways of ‘making time for the good’ - for me, it comes in different ways, but most often through reflection. Below are three ‘artifacts’ (a letter I received this week, a post from George Couros, and responses from our Topic/Question) that helped me to find the good - the key I need to remember is making the time...

Excerpt from a letter I received in the mail this week - a wonderful and meaningful example of the impact that ‘sharing good’ can make…
Dear Mr. Vaughn,
I would like to share my experience at the Middle School last week. I arrived for an after school meeting with some of the teachers. When I arrived I noticed a plaque on the wall that said something about the high school. So I asked a couple of male students who were near the door whether this was the high school. They immediately energetically began giving me directions to the high school. I quickly explained that it was the middle school I wanted and they said the door was open. Of course, I tried the door that was locked. Seeing my lack of success, they said to use the other door. No laughing, no rude remarks, just helpful suggestions given in a friendly manner. What a pleasure to see such cheerful, enthusiastic young people. I just wanted you to know that, completely unprompted, some of your students presented your school in the best possible light.

Finding the Best Fit for the Culture of a School
by George Couros (@gcouros)
I receive all of George’s posts in my e-mail inbox, but I do not always get the chance to read them. Peg Mongiello, a dear friend and mentor (and former principal at Blake) sent it to me after visiting Blake on Friday. Peg had a significant imprint on me and took a chance on me as a teacher when I was hired - her goal was to help foster the ‘right fit’ and that belief/practice had a significant imprint on me.
I might have been the best person for the “job” but not necessarily the best person for the “environment” or the culture, at the time. Sometimes a positive addition can harm a culture, and sometimes a positive subtraction can have a positive impact on the culture as well.
In education, the focus is to accelerate the school as a whole, not only the individual. The success of both should be interconnected.

Topic/Question of the Week (Week of 3/25/19): What have you learned recently that you would like to know more about and share with others?

I recently watched a conversation between the authors David Epstein and Malcolm Gladwell about athletic development. Epstein has a book called The Sports Gene that I would like to read as well as another coming out soon. His main argument is that at young ages, specialization is not beneficial for a variety of reasons.
History
Google Classroom, and how many functions it can perform.
I learned about how much poverty is in other places and that 2 billion people in the world live off 1 dollar a day.
I recently learned of a termecoined in the 1960's The Overton window. I have also recently learned about early colors artist had to use to make other colors because many of our bright colors didn't exist until the early 1900's.
kindness and friendliness.
Dance and the magic of performing
I have recently learned that bees are in terrible danger of going extinct, due to pesticides 100 times deadlier than DDT. Also that if bees die we will lose many plants pollinated by them including a lot of fruit and vegetables. Some ways to help bees are by planting bee friendly flowers (usually native flowers) or putting up bee houses for solitary bees, like the mason bee who live in holes in trees or the ground instead of hives. I want to know more about bees and I hope that others will help save them.
the book To Kill a Mockingbird is very good and I think people should read it
Be kind to everyone or people won’t like you or assume things about you. Also,one thing you say can turn into one big problem.

As with anything in our lives, culture needs to be intentionally fostered and nurtured to be healthy and grow. I hope we can continue to find ways to foster, nurture, and support one another (students, staff, and families alike) on this imperfect path. Please hold me accountable as well with these efforts - slowing it down, making time for the good, listening, assuming positive intent, and simply showing up.

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.
Nat

Sharing and Learning

3/26/2019

March 26, 2019

To help encourage conversations and dialogue about learning and sharing with others in your own learning process, our topic/question of the week is: What have you learned recently that you would like to know more about and share with others? Sharing and Learning (Week of 3/24/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

Last Friday’s 5-Town Special Olympics (this year hosted by Holliston High School) was a wonderful way to end the week. It is always one of my favorite days of the year as it really does embody a sense of community on many levels. In many ways it had felt like a long week, and the event really brought forth a new energy (a vitamin, if you will!) that was much needed for me. Katie had her second session of yoga teacher training this weekend, so the kids and I had a relatively quiet one - watching some March Madness, a couple sports commitments, and some initial spring cleaning in the yard.

In an effort to keep things simple in this busy month of March, I find these words from Peter Senge to be centering and spot-on. This notion of learning being rooted in sharing and creating learning processes is liberating with many implications for our work with one another and our students. I have been intrigued by Senge’s work since seeing him speak at EdTeach Teacher’s Innovation Summit back in 2016, and his work has had a significant influence on my thinking about change, assessments, learning, and growth. Applying his own words to reality, it was through his sharing that I have learned and grown. The simplicity of this process is one that I believe we overlook and underestimate (and I include myself here in this statement/assumption), and I hope we can continue to come back to it as a compass point.

Brevity is one form of simplicity (not always my strength - at least in writing!), and in an effort to ‘keep it simple’, I am sharing a couple of posts that I read this week that piqued my interest and wanted me to go deeper and learn some more. That is at the heart of what I hope we can do for our students each and every day and, as noted above, for one another. They are not tied to any particular theme - that is, except for theme of continued conversations. Along with the responses to last week’s Topic/Question, I hope they foster dialogue and conversation...

Frustrated at Work? That Might Just Lead to Your Next Breakthrough
by Adam Grant (@AdamMGrant) in The New York Times
I always enjoy Grant’s work and the title grabbed my attention right away. There are some key take-aways within - using frustration as a ‘source of creative fuel’ and creativity and growth need support and commitment from and with others.
...When we’re dissatisfied, instead of fight or flight, sometimes we invent. Frustration is the feeling of being blocked from a goal. Although it sounds like a destructive emotion, it can actually be a source of creative fuel. When we’re frustrated, we reject the status quo, question the way things have always been done, and search for new and improved methods. But there’s evidence that dissatisfaction only promotes creativity when people feel committed to their team and have the support they need to pursue their ideas.

People tend to be surprisingly drawn to difficult goals. Decades of research show that extremely difficult, specific goals motivate us to work harder and smarter — again, as long as we’re committed and supported. Most of us prefer a task with a 50-50 shot of success over an easier one.

On the list of special places, one place is always forgotten.
by Luke Reynolds in The Hartford Courant
Garland Kincaid sent this post to me earlier this week and it was one that I have come back to a few times. This brief post is based on the exercise of asking others this simple question: What is a place from your past that has special significance for you? The common ‘missing response’ of ‘School’ is one that is worthy of significant reflection, conversations, and exploration.
So the tragic question is this: Why does school never make the list as a special place? Why don’t we remember our fifth-grade classroom as fondly as we remember our kitchen, or any other place we have spent a lot of our time?

After their shock wears off, my soon-to-be-teachers are ready with an array of ideas: school made us feel less curious; school made us feel scared; school made us feel judged; we didn’t get to show who we really were; we had to be quiet all the time; we had to sit all the time; we had to deal with immense pressure to get as many points as we could to get the highest grades we could. In other words, for many students growing up through our American school system, obedience was crucial. Creativity and experience? Not so much.

Here are a few practical possibilities for us to honestly consider implementing:

Smaller class sizes
More experiences; more relationships
More joy, less conformity

Topic/Question of the Week (Week of 3/18/19): What action can you take today or this week to improve the learning environment at Blake? Be specific.

I can work on being a better listener.
Work on not complaining about little things like homework or tests, and just get it done. Try not complaining for 24 hours.
Spread positivity, everything should be exciting and people should be excited to learn, certain topics aren’t fun and we could find ways to make them fun.
Clean the trash off the ground
Be nice to everyone I meet, you never know what kind of day they are having.
My big interest ...and good for students too...would be to relax...do not get stressed out over things...relax...students will fall into step and pace when they are ready...not when I’m ready ...keep things organized...students need to have clear organization/structure...it helps so we don't get stressed out.
I can begin and end each day with a question.
Be kind, helpful, and always gentle to everyone.
Being positive and enthusiastic toward peers.
Not be distracting to others and helping others learn.
I can see if anyone is struggling and help them.
Be more enthusiastic

With Women’s History Month (March) ending this week, I wanted to share some more words to honor the month - this week’s come from Oprah Winfrey and Marie Curie...

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Enjoy the week and take care.
Nat

We Need to Start Somewhere - Take a Step

3/18/2019

March 19, 2019
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about learning and making steps towards progress, our topic/question of the week is: What action can you take today or this week to improve the learning environment at Blake? We Need to Start Somewhere - Take a Step (Week of 3/17/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

After attending MassCue’s Spring Leadership Conference (Lead with Courage) on Friday at Holy Cross, I found myself energized and full of ideas on the way home. Coupling that energy with the quite welcome warmer temperatures and spring-like weather (so good to see some crocuses in the yard!), a run without gloves and all the winter gear was a great way to start the weekend. It has been a low-key weekend (the lull before the upcoming storm of spring activities kicking in) and we did our best to ‘just be’ - getting outside, watching some college basketball, reading, and resting.

(Fair warning - it has been a particularly reflective week)...

Over the last two weeks I have had the good fortune of learning from and listening to others. Although this is always true as we work in schools and are constantly learning from our students and one another, the nature of the schedule and blending of events allowed for some unique opportunities - our annual Career Day for 8th graders, listening to Jim James from Park Street share his story, our visit from Dr. Murray, and attending MassCue at the end of last week. There were many ideas shared and questions posed - each worthy of consideration, listening, and attention.

One of the challenges I often hear and encounter myself is the feeling of being overwhelmed by all of these ideas and initiatives. Questions always arise...Where do you start? Which one takes precedence? How do we know these work? What does the research say? With so many initiatives going on, how do we do anything well? In addition to these questions, as leaders we are very often told the cautionary tales of ‘initiative overload’ - go slowly and take on only one or two things at a time. I truly struggle with this dynamic as an educator and as a leader - and it took me right back to a blog post I shared back in April, 2017 referencing one of my favorite quotes from Ted Sizer...

Continuous Learning - April 4, 2017 (excerpt below)
Last Sunday afternoon when I was catching up on reading some educational periodicals (one of my favorite things to do, as you know), I came across these words from one of my true inspirations in education, Ted Sizer. Sizer was the founder of the Coalition of Essential Schools and considered one of the strong advocates for educational reform and progressive thinking, asking questions, posing solutions, and engaging in dialogue. We often talk about all of the initiatives that are taking place, at both local and global levels, and the challenge of addressing all of them at once. This can certainly be an observation made at Blake as well - how can we address the needs of all of our students on a day-to-day basis while also engaging in discussions about other shifts in our practices? Some of the shifts are small, while others may feel seismic. Sizer's words resonate with me as I firmly believe that we can not talk about any of our practices in isolation as they are an interconnected web...we can not talk about homework without talking about grading; we can not talk about grading with out talking about feedback; we can not talk about feedback without talking about assessments; we can not talk about assessments without talking about curricula; we can not talk about curricula without talking about the social-emotional needs of our students; we can not talk about the social-emotional needs of our students without talking about professional development; we can not talk about professional development without talking about scheduling and structures; the list could go on and on. So, how can this take place? I may be sounding like a 'broken record' as I believe I have been coming back to this guiding principle each week - it is our mission and essential question that guide the practice and will be the 'glue'...
Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

These thoughts still hold true in my mind and I welcome the dialogue with others about this ‘struggle’ we face as educators - trying to move things forward while balancing everything at the same time. And I really do not have the answers, but I welcome the conversations and dialogue. We all learn from one another and I value all of the voices, thoughts, ideas, pushback, challenges, successes, affirmation, and skepticism.

To hopefully foster more dialogue about learning and ideas, I am sharing some of my notes from my recent ‘listening sessions’, along with an article highlighting Robert Kegan’s work referenced at #MALeads19 and the responses to this past week’s Topic/Question - please know that my door is always open to discuss, share, ask questions, and listen…

A few notes from Dr. Martha Murray’s talk to our 8th graders…

Make personal connections with your work
Follow your interests
Always ask yourself: What problem do you want to solve?

Notes/thoughts/mindsets from #MALeads19
These come from two particular sessions…
Julie Wilson (@JulieMargretta), keynote speaker and author of The Human Side of Changing Education: How to Lead Change With Clarity, Conviction, and Courage and a presentation on Personalized Learning given by Dr. Mario Andrade (@MarioJAndrade), Superintendent of the Bristol Warren Regional Schools, and Tom Driscoll (@Mr_Driscoll), Director of Digital Learning for Bristol Warren

4 questions from David Perkins
- What’s worth learning?
- How’s it best learned?
- How can we get it taught that way?
- How do we know it has been learned?
We are living in a VUCA world
- Volatility
- Uncertainty
- Complexity
- Ambiguity
I was 23 before a mentor had actually asked me what did I think
Why are we preparing children for the real world?
- They are in the real world
Culture will reflect pedagogy and pedagogy will reflect culture
School is based in ‘grounded in knowing’
- Worst response used to be ‘I don’t know’
5 Dysfunctions of a Team - a book by Patrick Lencioni (for Dept Chairs?)
- Absence of trust—unwilling to be vulnerable within the group
- Fear of conflict—seeking artificial harmony over constructive passionate debate
- Lack of commitment—feigning buy-in for group decisions creates ambiguity throughout the organization
- Avoidance of accountability—ducking the responsibility to call peers on counterproductive behavior which sets low standards
- Inattention to results—focusing on personal success, status and ego before team success
Robert Kegan’s Theory of Adult Development (see post below)
Five Success Factors for Change
- Sustained Leadership and a Visionary School Board
- A Shared Vision of the Change
- Unleashing Talent and Building Teams
- Rethinking the Use of Transcript and Space
- Overhauling the Assessment Structure of Learning and School Performance
Notion of RFL rather than RFP
- ‘Request for Learning’ vs ‘Request for Proposal’
Most important work - assessment
3 Changes…
- Directed Change
- Planned Change
- Iterative Change
Marathon, not a sprint
- It’s more of a marathon relay - this is generational work
- We are passing on the baton
The Hero’s Journey
If every single person takes action, we would have a tidal wave of change
Don’t start with the knee-jerk reaction to the question of ‘How can I help?’ with ‘I’m fine’
Heed your call to adventure
Digital Promise - League of Innovative Schools
Launching Innovation in Schools
In a few words, what are some common elements of personalized learning environments?
- Equity at the heart
Learner Variability Project
Be intentional about teaching
- Teach how to make choices
- Teach how to be independent

Notes from Jim James’s (owner of Park Street Books in Medfield) talk to our 8th graders…

Flexibility of thought and maturity are critical
Never have the arrogance that you can do something better than someone else
Browsing is the process of serendipity
Always give - you will get back
‘I’m not a fast learner’ - I keep working at it
Your name has a value
Everybody has something going on - keep that in mind
Try and love everyone - even those who have done you wrong
You can get over some of your fears by facing them
Love what you do
Listen intently - you will never regret it

Part 1: How To Be An Adult— Kegan’s Theory of Adult Development
by Natali Morad in Medium
Mentioned by Julie Wilson in her keynote at #MALeads19, this post introduces us to Robert Kegan’s work and theory on adult development. As we examine our own practices and growth as adults and educators, it is important to gain a greater understanding of self and where we are on the path. The concepts of ‘Transformation’ and ‘Subject-Object’ shift are outlined, along with an introduction to the 5 Stages…
Where you at? Kegan’s Stages of Adult Development

Stage 1 — Impulsive mind (early childhood)
Stage 2 — Imperial mind (adolescence, 6% of adult population)
Stage 3 — Socialized mind (58% of the adult population)
Stage 4 — Self-Authoring mind (35% of the adult population)
Stage 5 — Self-Transforming mind (1% of the adult population)

For most of us, adulthood just happens. We don’t have a framework for adult development that can help us understand where we are and where we want to be. This is where Dr. Robert Kegan’s Theory of Adult Development comes in. Kegan (a former Harvard psychologist) shows that adults go through 5 distinct developmental stages (just like children).

...most of us — about 65% of the general population — never become high functioning ‘adults’, i.e. we never make it past Stage 3 (out of 5 Stages!). We still lack an independent sense of self because so much of what we think, believe, and feel is dependent on how we think others experience us.

According to Kegan, becoming an adult isn’t about learning new things (adding things to the ‘container’ of the mind), it’s about transformation — changing the way we know and understand the world (changing the actual form of our ‘container’).

Transitioning to higher stages requires a subject-object shift — moving what we ‘know’ from Subject (where it is controlling us) to Object (where we can control it). This is my favorite part of the theory. It’s based on the premise that the more in of our lives we take as Object, the more clearly we can see the world, ourselves and the people in it.

Topic/Question of the Week (Week of 3/11/19): What can you do to be a better listener? Be specific.

Resisting the urge to fill a conversation with your own voice is the key to being a good listener. Rather than planning what you will say next, focus on genuinely hearing the person that you are with. It is also important to eliminate other distractions (like a screen) and provide the speaker with your full attention.
Ask questions and listen to answers. Ask more questions from their responses
Remind yourself that it’s not all about you. Everyone matters just as much as you, and when they speak you need to listen.
1) clear your opinions 2) open your mind 3) be quiet inside and out 4) eliminate distractions
I’ve started saying “I want to listen to your answer carefully. “ when I ask a question. It signals to my Brain to not talk
Maybe I think that I can try not to get distracted by the things around the room, and try to understand and listen because these teachers worked sooooo hard to make us smarter every second.
I once read a book Tao in the Martial Arts, and at one point in the book the Sensei took a full cup of tea and started to pour more in. As the cup overflowed he pointed out that if you can not empty your cup there is no room for “more” sometimes being a better listener is emptying your cup and approaching the conversation with an open mind ready for new info, rather than waiting to simply impart what you already know.
Get more sleep

So, where do we go with all of this? I think the key is that we simply start and continue taking active steps. It’s not easy and the path is not direct - but, the process of the struggle is where the learning takes place. In reflecting upon this notion (one that is indeed hard for me) I often come back to work we have done with Christi Barney...
Considering and Reconsidering - May 23, 2017 (excerpt below)
Christi Barney's words from both professional development and conversations have helped to frame this thinking - 'The struggle IS the treatment' - and, the treatment is the learning. She shared that the phrase helps to to remember 'that it is actually in the service of mastery for kids to struggle and make baby steps forward.' Wise words, indeed - and, ones that we should remember for ourselves and one another. Please remind me of this often so I can consider, and reconsider, my actions, thinking, and beliefs - and, I will continue to try and do the same for all of you.

Throughout the month of March I am continuing to share words in honor of Women’s History Month - this week’s come from Madeline Albright and Malala Yousafzai...

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.
Nat

Time for Listening

3/12/2019

March 12, 2019

To help encourage conversations and dialogue about active listening and its impact, our topic/question of the week is: What can you do to be a better listener? Be specific. Time for Listening (Week of 3/10/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

The warm sun and bright light on Saturday morning was a welcome sight for sure this past weekend. After a very quiet Friday evening with the kids as Katie was out with friends, we spent the day on Saturday with my side of the family celebrating and remembering my uncle who passed away a couple of weeks ago. It was a day full of emotions and feelings and a centering reminder/assurance of the importance of being present.

As I have shared before I take some time at the end of each week for intentional reflection - looking back at the previous week, noting challenges and successes, and previewing/mapping out the week ahead. This sometimes takes place on a run, in my office, on a walk, or at home. It has become part of my weekly routine and one that I look forward to. At times the reflection is thematic and at others it is tangential, and of course there are the ‘in betweens’. This past week certainly was full of events and I found myself in an active and ‘intentional place of listening’...

Listening to Josee Vachon perform for our sixth graders
Reflecting and listening to progress made with the SEL task force and initiatives across the district
Dr. Martha Murray sharing the work in the field of medicine, following her passion/interests, and the path she has taken with our 8th graders
Listening to parents at our incoming parent night share their concerns and feedback about potential schedule changes and implications
Attending the Blake STEAMers showcase and listening to the students share their ideas, pose questions, and convey lessons learned
Listening to author Matt de la Pena share his story with students and staff, conveying messages about diversity, literacy, family, and inspiration

In that spirit of sharing and listening, I am re-sharing or ‘re-highlighting’ some clips and posts that have become some of my go-tos for centering and inspiration - we have seen these as a staff together and I shared them at our incoming parent nights over the last couple of weeks...
Dave Grohl's Mom Virginia Talks About Raising A Rockstar Child
(8:39)
Won't You Be My Neighbor? Trailer (2018) - Mr. Fred Rogers Documentary (2:45)
Fred Rogers inducted into the TV Hall of Fame
(6:00)
The Imperfect Pursuit of High Ideals
(15:44)
This is the speech given by James Ryan, President of University of Virginia, on the one-year anniversary of the march on UVA and Charlottesville.
Transcript of President James E. Ryan's Address: “The Imperfect Pursuit of High Ideals”
...we can, with generosity of spirit, recognize, as Professor Gordon-Reed put it, “that the pursuit of high ideals—even if carried out imperfectly—offers the only real chance of bringing forth good in the world.”

Taking time each week to ask questions and listen to the answers will help us in this path towards growth...
Topic/Question of the Week (Week of 3/4/19): What is it about your favorite subject or favorite activity that you enjoy or like? Be specific.

Making and creating ideas in visual art forms. I like individual sport activities like skiing and swimming.
It is hard to explain, but everything seems to click with it. It is not that it is easy or hard, it is often quite challenging, but it is a challenge that I want to take on. It's as if the activity would not be as enjoyable if the challenge was not present. In a lot of ways it simply feels as if it is what I am meant to be doing.
My favorite subject is Math because I’m challenged. My favorite activity is to play sports. My favorite sport is soccer.
I like the people I work with, they make it fun. Like coaches, teammates, friends, teachers, peers.
I like to play basketball.
My teachers because if my teachers r good I like the class 10x more
Acting In Theater
Acting in theater, since everyone supports you
I love to play the flute and teach my 17 year old cousin on how to play it. I also love to sketch, and I LOVE going to the beach 🏝! I am a proud Egyptian, and I am really looking forward on going to my home country (Egypt)! There are definitely more but those are the tops.
I enjoy going to museums and historical sites to learn more about American history. I specifically enjoy visiting presidential libraries, art museums, and homes of famous Americans.
Creative liberty
I like baking and rollerblading.
Hockey or video games
Hanging out with friends
I like music because I can express myself and have fun.
I like soccer and soccer is very fun because of my teammates and I love to play.
Math and science
Quantum physics and theoretical physics because they’re really important and are really easy.
I really like art and when I draw, I feel most like who I am. It makes me feel like myself. Through all the things we do to make ourselves something we’re not, it’s nice to do something that just makes you feel good.
I like the beach.
I really enjoy playing the piano. It brings me peace and helps me think about the patterns of life.

Each opportunity for listening presents an opportunity for learning. I always process and grow from dialogue, but it is in the listening that I know I grow. These two ‘ideas’ help me to remember the importance of listening…

James McCauley from the Riverside Trauma Center shared the acronym W.A.IT. - Why am I talking?
Adolescent psychologist Madeline Levine’s words at Challenge Success: ‘I’ve never had a patient say my parents listen too much.’

Throughout the month of March I am continuing to share words in honor of Women’s History Month - this week’s are from Marie Curie and Louisa May Alcott...

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Enjoy the week and take care.
Nat

Discovering and Developing Oneself

3/4/2019

March 5, 2019

To help encourage conversations and dialogue about discovering our own sources of motivation and interest, our topic/question of the week is: What is it about your favorite subject or favorite activity that you enjoy or like? Be specific. Discovering and Developing Oneself (Week of 3/3/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)

Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.

The snowy, wintry weather provided a nice ‘structure of rest’ and down time for us this weekend. All events on Saturday were canceled so we enjoyed some sledding and simplicity - a rare experience in our family!

The week of school following a vacation always feels full and this one was no different. From both a personal and professional perspective, it was busy...starting with a Sunday night excursion with Katie to see Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt in Providence (stretching my comfort zone by going out on a Sunday evening!), attending the Challenge Success K-8 parent evening on Tuesday, Incoming 6th PIN, picking up our new car, Read Across America (visiting Memorial was one of the highlights!), and trying to fit in sleep, chores, etc.! Each week brings forth different schedules and I truly believe that it is all relative - no one’s schedule is necessarily busier than another’s - for me, how the busy affects me is entirely dependent on my own frame of thinking. When I am tuned into my own frame of thought (not always easy!), I am better able to identify and recognize my sources of fulfillment, stress, and direction.

In addition to the highlight of reading to Alison Guilbert’s Kindergarten class on Friday (Owen and Grayden picked out a bunch - Memoirs of a Goldfish, The Day the Crayons Quit, and The Day The Crayons Came Home), listening to some of our 8th graders share their thoughts about middle school at the Incoming 6th PIN was wonderful. We started doing this last year - asking four of our 8th graders to share their responses to a few prompts and answering questions from parents…

What have you liked about middle school?
What advice do you have for incoming 6th graders?
Anything you wish you had known?
Anything you wish your parents knew?

The insight from our students was direct, honest, personal, and affirming. As I sat in the audience and just listened, a feeling of admiration and pride was felt - not just by me, but by our staff and the incoming parents as well. I remember feeling this last year and it struck me that we should be finding more opportunities for our students to share their voice and experiences. Special thanks to these students - Kayla Herrick, Morgan Turner, James Tyer, and Max Bean.

Last week I referenced a podcast I had listened to over vacation (Armchair Expert on Expert: Todd Rose) featuring Todd Rose, author of The End of Average and Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment - an exploration of the role that personal fulfillment plays in the attainment of success. Since I first listened to it I find myself coming back to it as it touches on what feels like everything we talk about as a community - passions, education, finding interests, resilience, the role failure plays in learning, structures of school, and the list could go on and on. The notion of ‘fulfillment’ is one that sounds wonderful, but can also be lofty and almost untouchable (speaking for me and not necessarily others here). That said, Rose’s work has made me think about it more and more and it is this idea of actually articulating - not just recognizing - what brings fulfillment for each of us is important. The specificity of favorites and resonance will shed light on our own development and that is essential for our students as well.

Trying to tie these ‘somewhat tangential’ thoughts and reflections noted above (a relatively quiet weekend, a busy week comprised of personal and professional interests and responsibilities, highlights of the week, providing opportunities for students, and reflection about our practices and vision), I am sharing a few items that I hope you will find of interest and can help foster more dialogue and reflection - a quote from Todd Rose, an article referencing Rose’s work, and a sampling of responses from last week’s Topic/Question - recognizing that our own responses to questions help provide a window into our own growth and development)...

The Why Is Everything
by Grace Tatter and Jill Anderson in Usable Knowledge (HGSE)
Tatter and Anderson’s brief post highlights Todd Rose’s work and within the post is a link to a different podcast Harvard EdCast: How Personalized Learning Can Lead to Success. Strategies for teachers bringing forth the ‘dark horse mindset’ into the classroom are noted - the premise that the focusing on personal fulfillment can and will serve as both a means and an end to success. I particularly love the term ‘equifinality’ - the idea that there are always multiple ways to get to the same end goal...

Help your students figure out what makes them “tick” — it often can be applied in a variety of contexts.
Let students practice autonomy.
Focus on personal responsibility.
Reward creative strategies.

Topic/Question (Week of 2/24/19): How can sharing and acknowledging your own weaknesses help you grow as a person and a learner?

It is important to understand that we are not perfect. Recognition of a weakness combined with a growth mindset allows a person to continuously grow and learn new things.
Sharing and acknowledging my weaknesses helps me to connect with others, open myself up to new learning and often different ways of thinking/framing my weaknesses. Sometimes weaknesses can be opportunities to grow and learn in ways not previously considered.
a little bit of humble never hurts
I am recognize my weakness in others.
You become tough
Certain people might have more insight into your struggle and they can help you.
Acknowledging weaknesses is a way to become more comfortable with making mistakes, to identify potential areas for growth, and to create a sense of purpose and course for future professional development.
You can practice the things you are not as good at, so you can get better.
When you tell someone you trust on a weakness, they might help you develop that weakness into a strength.

As I look into my own mirror of reflection (the weekly practice of blogging certainly helps!), I find myself discovering more about myself as a learner. There is much that fulfills me in my work and it is hard to narrow it down to only a few. In the spirit of trying to model, though, I think it is the actual practice of reflection, sharing, and learning in a community that drives, motivates, inspires, and keeps me ‘ticking’. Our mission serves as the compass on (to borrow James Ryan’s words) our ‘imperfect journey’ towards ‘intersection of our aspirations and realities’...

March 1 marked the beginning of Women’s History Month and throughout this month I will be sharing words from sources of history and inspiration...

I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
Please click here for Blake Updates.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Enjoy the week and take care.
Nat

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