June 25, 2013

Dear Blake Families - 

As we navigate our last week of school, I hope everyone enjoyed a nice weekend (in between planning, family activities, end-of-year parties, etc.).  The Vaughns had a great (and full) weekend - Owen's baseball-themed birthday party (hard to believe he turns 7 this week!), yard work, and my 20th high school reunion on Saturday night.  I was fortunate to find some quiet Sunday afternoon before we entered the last full week of school!

Towards the end of the week or early next week, after the students have left and some 'fresh quiet' is discovered, I will be sending along some end-of-year thoughts to our staff as we enter our summer months.  We will be gathering as a staff Thursday for lunch where announcements will be made and goodbyes and well wishes conveyed.  Once again I have copied the questions that I will have our staff reflect upon at our meeting...

- What was meaningful this year?  What made teaching worthwhile?  What mattered?
- Describe a positive interaction or experience you had with a student during this academic year.
- Describe or explain an accomplishment you attained or something you are proud of taking place during this academic year.
- Describe a particular student or situation during the school year who or that you feel you could have handled in a way that would have resulted in a more positive learning experience.
- What is an area that you would like to grow professionally?

Although I know it is not realistic, I wish I could personally connect with each of our students and families to wish them a wonderful summer and to thank them for their work this year.  At his retirement reception on Thursday evening, Bob Maguire shared that he felt blessed to have spent his time in Medfield.  I deeply share that sentiment and feel fortunate to be a part of the Blake and greater Medfield community.  I recognize my bias but Blake is truly a special place - I want to thank both staff and families you for your commitment and dedication to help foster a nurturing, challenging, and supportive environment for our students.  Your work does not go unnoticed.

I do believe it would be 'out of character' if I did not pass along a couple of posts/resources this week that I hope you will find of interest.  I shared them with staff this week in my weekly memo as well.  The first resource is a posting I came across Saturday morning via Twitter:  A Teacher's Guide to the Perfect Summer in 15 Steps.  The tips are not 'ground breaking', but I appreciated the intent and 'heart' of the guide, with this preface:  “You’re a teacher? You must love having summers off!”  Chances are, you’ve heard this line before. We know as much as you know this is NOT the case. Teaching is a year round gig-- planning, prepping, and organizing happens 365 days a year. But this summer, we want you to kick back and try to enjoy some “you” time. Sleep in, and catch up on those tempting Pinterest recipe treats. We’ve even included some painless, quick tips to help plan for the upcoming school year. Indulge in our favorite ways to enjoy your summer. You’ve earned it!   You certainly have earned some time to indulge yourself and I hope you can do just that.  The second posted resource is a post from Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers in Education Week, entitled 'Care Deeply About Students is Mr. Woolley's Retirement Wisdom'.  In this post Berkowicz and Myers resurrect a retirement speech given in 1992 by Richard Woolley, a retiring superintendent of 18 years.  As they write, the message from Woolley reads as though it could be written today and pushes us as educators and caring, investing citizens to examine our practices:  "His letter made June 1992 seem not long ago and far away.  It has caused us to pause and wonder if we rail and rally too much.  Is it that for each of us, our present time is the toughest and the most remarkable?  We bring you his voice, looking back and forward, the soothsayer leader whose vision was not limited in time nor impeded by nets of change surrounding him."  The end of his message regarding 'caring' particularly resonated with me, as I have shared many times my belief in the importance of relationships:  "...nothing will likely fix our schools more than the caring people who work everyday with the children.  Tinkering with class sizes, courses to cut or to keep, budgets to trim, etc., will not fix the roof and keep it from leaking.  Caring, seems to me, to be the only 'stuff' which will allow us to prevail.  The more we care about our students and what happens to them, the more well respected we will be and the more well fixed we will be.  It is that simple.  And that, dear friends, will require you and me to be different."  This caring applies to students, staff, our community, and one another.  I shared this with staff and conveyed my hope that they would be able find a few moments at some point this week before they depart for summer to read Woolley's words as I feel they capture the heart and essence of the work we are committed to do together for our students.  Their care is greatly appreciated, and the care of our families is as well.

Please click here for Important Dates and Announcements.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.

Nat Vaughn

June 18, 2013

Dear Blake Families - 

The weather this past weekend was certainly a welcome sight after the rain we have been experiencing over the last couple of weeks.  We had a busy, but great weekend- Friday night's ice cream social at the elementary school in Holliston, Veterans Memorial Monument dedication on Saturday morning, sports games, and a get-together with friends on Saturday.  On Sunday afternoon we went to the Paw Sox game with my parents for Father's Day and had a wonderful time!

One of the highlights of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedication on Saturday morning was spending time chatting with and getting the opportunity to meet former Medfield students who had not visited the schools in a good period of time.  There was a wonderful sense of community in place and it brought back the sense of recognition and appreciation that we felt at our Veterans Day assembly in November.  Many of the veterans and family members shared that they had not seen one another for a lengthy period of time and it was amazing to see how much things had changed.  At this time of year (reunions, graduations, end-of-year assemblies), we often hear that same sentiment expressed.  With this in mind I have posted an article that I read last November by David Brooks, 'How People Change', in The New York Times.  Brooks references a widely shared e-mail known as the 'Crews Missile', countering the intent of its message as he shares his own view as to how to foster and encourage change in others:

Human behavior flows from hidden springs and calls for constant and crafty prodding more than blunt hectoring.  The way to get someone out of a negative cascade is not with a ferocious e-mail trying to attack their bad behavior.  It's to go on offense and try to maximize some alternative bad behavior.  There's a trove of research suggesting that it's best to tackle negative behaviors obliquely, by redirecting attention toward different, positive ones.  It's foolish to imperiously withdraw and say, come back to me when you have a plan.  It's better to pick one area of life at a time (most people don't have the willpower to change their whole lives all at once) and help a person lay down a pre-emptive set of concrete rules and rewards.  Pick out a small goal and lay out measurable steps toward it.

I believe this viewpoint is a healthy and productive one as we approach our last full week of school.  I have copied the questions I sent along last week to our staff, so that they can hopefully remain at the forefront of your thinking:

- What was meaningful this year?  What made teaching worthwhile?  What mattered?
- Describe a positive interaction or experience you had with a student during this academic year.
- Describe or explain an accomplishment you attained or something you are proud of taking place during this academic year.
- Describe a particular student or situation during the school year who or that you feel you could have handled in a way that would have resulted in a more positive learning experience.
- What is an area that you would like to grow professionally?

Please click here for Important Dates and Announcements.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.

Nat Vaughn

June 11, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

Hopefully everyone enjoyed a nice weekend.  Katie spent Saturday, day and night, with Maggie at Girl Scout Encampment, so it was a weekend with the boys here at the Vaughn abode.  After running in the 'Taylor's Triumph 5k' Saturday morning, the boys and I had a pretty low-key day -- playing, walking to the library, and dinner out.  Our Sunday was low-key as well, knowing how busy the weeks are for all of us.

As shared last week and you are well aware, reflection is very important to me and the month of June is rife with opportunities for this practice.  I have enjoyed reading the reflections that everyone shared at our faculty meeting on Monday, and I feel fortunate that I was able to have conversations this week with various staff, students, and parents about the year.  My hope is that these conversations will continue as the honest feedback that I am getting will serve me well.  One common theme that I hear is the importance of 'balance' and the need to make sure we can 'say no to a good idea' in the vein of making sure our efforts with our students (in all of our endeavors) are thoughtful, thorough, and focused.  With this in mind we will continue to look at thematic focus points for the upcoming year, as best we can.  I encourage everyone to join me in the process of reflection this month, both individually and collectively, so that we may improve our work for the students.  At our end-of-year luncheon in a couple of weeks, continuing a tradition from the past few years, as a staff I will be asking everyone to reflect and jot down thoughts on the following:

- What was meaningful this year?  What made teaching worthwhile?  What mattered?
- Describe a positive interaction or experience you had with a student during this academic year.
- Describe or explain an accomplishment you attained or something you are proud of taking place during this academic year.
- Describe a particular student or situation during the school year who or that you feel you could have handled in a way that would have resulted in a more positive learning experience.
- What is an area that you would like to grow professionally?

Over the next couple of weeks, I have encouraged our staff to take some time to think about these questions once again, reflecting upon the past year.  This last of stretch of school can certainly be trying, but my hope is that these questions will help center our work and remind us of the important role we play and impact we have on our students and community.  Please help me with this process as well.

This week I am highlighting three articles of interest.  The first article, 'Progress, Not Perfection:  Three Tips for Your Journey', is from Edutopia and highlights the importance of reflection in professional growth.  Although its audience is primarily intended for a new teacher, I believe the tips hold value for all of us:  "So when did I finally stop and take a breath?  Thankfully, through difficult discovery in my second year teaching, I soon learned that seeking 'perfection' from myself as teacher was not what it was about...Rather, it was about the journey or progress that I made in my work as a new teacher, and about how I unpacked that learning, set goals for myself when I failed, and laughed out loud with my kids (sometimes till I cried) that made a difference!"  This message is one that we should continue to convey to our students as well.  The second article, 'You're Not Really Thinking of Taking Away Recess, Are You?' is written by one of my favorite principals, Peter Dewitt.  In this blog Peter references the growing pressures we feel in school and the importance of making sure that our students get breaks from academic time.  Last year we began piloting recess and I am thrilled that it has now become a part of our fabric at Blake.  Balance is indeed critical, and physical activity and opportunities for socialization are necessary components and contributors for the growth of our students:   "As a school principal, I understand the pressures of increasing academic performance. Accountability and mandates feel like they are stifling our creativity. However, to give up recess and other physical activity is a mistake. We cannot lose sight of the fact that our children need downtime during the day as well as after school when they get home. We need to foster more Mary Cain's (referenced in the blog) in the world, not stifle them.  In a child's world, a great kickball game, a game of 4-Square or tag is just as important as what they are doing inside of school. The playground provides students with an opportunity to meet new friends and learn to play new games. Recess has long been the place where I can watch students interact and the conversations they have with me out on the field helps to build a bond. There are benefits to recess for both students and adults."  Our Blake mini-marathon was a great success and I look forward to the many returns of this event in years to come, as it benefits our entire community.  With summer days coming closer, the third piece I have attached for your summer reading lists - 'Summer Reading for Educators:  My Favorites'.  My list is growing and I am sure there are many other good reads that we can all share, but I wanted to pass it along.

Please click here for Important Dates and Announcements.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.

Nat Vaughn

June 4, 2013

Dear Blake Families:

With the heat and humidity over these past few days, I hope you all were able to relax and find some cool activities over the weekend.  We certainly took it slowly as a family, amidst the 'normal craze' of the weekend - birthday parties, sports, etc.  This can feel like an 'uphill climb' with family commitments and graduation parties, and I appreciate our staff's efforts to maintain a sense of 'normalcy' as best we can for our students.

As we are now entering our final month of school, my bias and desire to reflect is certainly present in my thinking.  At yesterday's faculty meeting, we took time to reflect upon goals from this year and to begin the brainstorming process for the 2013-2014 school year.  To help establish a mindset for our discussions, I asked our staff to read Daniel Coyle's article, 'The Most Powerful 3-Letter Word a Parent or Teacher Can Use'.  I found this brief blog post to be encouraging in that it is a simple reminder that we all have areas of growth and they are important to pursue.  By employing the word 'yet' in an active manner, we are sending a simple message to our students, one another, and ourselves that improvement and progress is possible - certainly one of our underlying goals and can be found in our newly established mission statement:  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.

In keeping in line with this theme of self-reflection, I have attached an article I hope you will find of interest from Edutopia entitled 'Mirror, Mirror on the Wall:  How Can I Be a Better Teacher Next Fall?'  The article references the end-of-year sentiments of an educator, both the 'counting down' and 'looking forward' elements that play out in our heads:  "Sure, there is a lot to do this time of year, and students have started counting down the hours left before vacation -- and for many teachers, we are counting down the days.  In my view, this is the best time for reflection about what we can do to make next year even better than this year.  We have a lot of information available to us, and we still have access to what we learn from our students, which is not possible once they are gone for the summer."  I particularly like the idea of tapping into the minds of our students as we look to improve our craft.  I encourage you to take a look at some of the ideas shared in the article as we begin the 'closing process' of the school year and to perhaps employ one with your students.  I welcome these ideas and look forward to hearing some of the discussion points that come about as a result.  The end of the article states an important reminder that we need to keep in mind:  "Your final conclusions won't be like a formal school-wide evaluation process, but they will give you the chance to change.  Most teachers are excited to try these techniques -- but never forget how difficult change can be."  

With this in mind, I recognize the need to do some self-examination myself.  In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that I am better at giving advice than following advice.  Change is important and feedback is important, but that does not mean they are easy processes.  I do not believe I am unique in this regard, but I do have a love of learning and know that I want to improve.  On Monday evening I shared our School Improvement Plan with the School Committee, highlighting the progress we have made as a school over the last academic year and outlining the endeavors we will pursue as a school in 2013-2014.  With the busyness that exists at this time of year, this task could easily fall into the category of 'one more thing to do' - however, I have thoroughly enjoyed our collective discussions (as a staff, at Site Council, and through individual and group discussions) as to how we should shape our plan.  I am incredibly proud of the work we have done for our students, yet am equally cognizant of the important work that needs to be done.  And, I also know that I need to look at my own role and the growth that needs to take place within my own work, pushing myself to answer some questions:  What do I need to do?  How can I be a better educator?  And, how can I be a better leader in the school?  In this regard I have attached an article by Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers, two educators whom I have come to truly admire, entitled 'Loyalty Does Not Mean Silence!' that underlines the importance of open and honest dialogue and feedback, specifically in the context of the dynamics and relationships of teachers and administration and the unfortunate results that take place when 'loyalty' and 'silence' are seen as codependent:  "The tragedy here is documented in many business and leadership books.  Those who know what we should know, hold it back.  Those with a suggestion for improvement don't offer it... a loss for all of us.  At the personal level, when those who have learned to be quiet keep coming to work, they experience a divided life.  One day, a few of them may become whistle blowers but others can actually develop physical illnesses.  Swallowing truth day after day does that, especially to those who are witness to something they know is wrong.  And, when the disillusioned leader calls silence loyalty, truth is lost.  In business, profits suffer.  In education, children suffer."  A real hope I have is that we can continue to be honest with one another as a Blake community, highlighting our good work but also being direct and clear with one another about ways we can do better.  I believe I should be held to this same expectation as well.  Know that my door is open, and although feedback can be hard to hear at times, it is indeed important.  Oftentimes, I have learned, the best thing I can do in my role is to listen, as Berkowicz and Myers eloquently point out by referencing Winston Churchill's quote:  Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

In the continued spirit of sharing resources and articles of interest (as educators, parents, and simply members of school and greater communities), I have attached two other articles of interest.  The first article is written by Jason Gay, 'Building a Sports Prodigy (Kidding)', and the second article is a posting by Patrick Larkin entitled, 'Do You Have Any Idea What Your Kids Are Posting Online?'  Both made me reflect and think upon my own children and those at Blake, and I believe they are good reminders to stay grounded and connected, listening and tapping into the genuine needs and interests of all of our children.

Please click here for Important Dates and Announcements.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.
Take care.

Nat Vaughn