Wrap Up

Well, another school year is almost complete along with entries for The Principal Outlook.  I started writing this year with Albert Einstein as the first entry and encouraged you to use multiple means of assessment with your students.  Did you?  The Love Boat was next with a warning that many of the issues you face in a classroom cannot be solved in a 40 minute segment and that you would need to keep at it. Did you?  September brought us the exhortation to tell your students what it is that you expect; they shouldn’t have to guess about this.  Did you? John Wooden was next with his “Pyramid of Success” and a reminder that your actions reveal your character.  Spencer West, that paraplegic who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro without any legs reminded us that it doesn’t matter what you have; what matters is what you do with what you have.  What did you do with what you have? The month finished with Olympic champion Sanya-Richards Ross who reminded us that you don’t win the race until you win the race and nothing should be taken for granted. October began with the harvest and what goes into reaping what you sow in the classroom. What did you reap? Next was Mark Twain and the day you find out why you were born.  Have you discovered this?  This was followed by a plea to not let your teaching methods get dusty as many do with their Bibles. I finished out the month withCharlie Brown’s Halloween and the need for us to refrain from putting rocks in the bags of our students. How are their treat bags looking?  November brought climbing both sides of the fence and doing whatever it takes to reach students. How many fences did you climb?  Being receptive to a kid’s perspective is vital to zeroing in on what is needed.Brad Meltzer spurred me on to encourage you to write your favorite teacher with a note of thanks during Thanksgiving. Did you write that letter?  I finished out the month with the concept of changing the pronoun in your mentality to favor those which are plural. A soldier in our parking lot reminded me through his actions on what allegiance means in a very visible way. Our daughter’s college graduation reminded me of a time where we almost lost her – sure thankful that we didn’t. 

The New Year brought a note about making and more importantly; keeping your resolutions. How are those going for you? Rick Warren’s, The Purpose Driven Life, was compared to being a purpose-driven school. Are you holding tightly to the purpose? At the end of the month, we were reminded that Florence Chadwick would have reached her goal in swimming a section of the Pacific Ocean if she would have just focused on the goal and not the barriers to it.  How is your focus?  Finally, the Super Bowl reminded us that preparation from reflected practice is paramount to succeeding n the classroom. How is your reflected practice coming? February brought “running in all of the lanes”and the call to be the very best teacher that your students will ever have.  Are you running in all of the lanes?  Money Ball was tied in to using the formative data that you get to inform your instruction. How do you use formative data? I wrote about breakfast cereals and the charge to be like a Rice Krispie while you snap, crackle, and pop in your classrooms. The green month of March began with giving your “Seal of Approval” to your students as they began round one of state testing.  Teddy Roosevelt was used to remind us of what not to do during “Disabilities Month” or any other time for that matter.  I instructed you to stop being normal as you provide a unique experience for students in your classroom; often just a one chance deal. Are you being normal? I wrote about changing the ending to bad movies as well as how the school year will end. Did you change the ending? The month was closed with a request to not only spring clean your home, but yourself as well and to stay refreshed. Are you staying refreshed? Garth Brooks came to visit (at least in my thoughts) during April with “The River”; a song which encourages us to never be satisfied with the status quo. I came clean and wrote about how slowly I drive, but that habit also makes my vehicles last longer and that the need to rush through education is detrimental to the lasting effect on kids. I wrote about leaving your legacy at this school (or whatever school you are teaching) and to imagine a mural featuring you and what would it include. How is your mural looking? In May, I wrote about the new generation and how we older folks had it worse off…so did out parents and their parents and their parents.  The one thing that will never change is the need to reach kids – they will always be here. “Being born into the right family” was a huge hit as I received incredibly feedback – just remember that every school has kids who are struggling in ways not always obvious. Always be cognizant of what your kids are faced with through developing great relationships. I concluded the school year with “Summer Breeze” and the need to overcome the temptations of letting summer get an early start in the heads of your students and to keep your foot on the pedal. Are you overcoming as we head into the final few days?

Perhaps you had a personal favorite.  If so, please share it with me.  It has been an honor to write to you and to lead this school.  No matter where our paths go, know that I have tried to make the most of every opportunity and appreciate what we do in this great calling.