Note to 12-Year-Old Self

To My 12-Year-Old Self

At 45 you will be faced with a turning point in your career and life, but all of your life’s challenges until then mixed with all of the support of loved ones in your life will help you with this decision and life journey.

You will be a beautiful person no matter what size or shape you are. Your merit is not based on your appearance as much as it is based on your actions.

You will want to be an attorney, judge, politician, and eventually the first woman President. Your main goal is to change the world, but life happens and you will do this in other ways. Be open to those and realize that this journey is not a failure but a different kind of opportunity.

Schooling will be difficult and you have to work really hard, but in time you will find the content that you are passionate about and people who inspire you to learn. I know you are skeptical, but you will eventually love reading and learning so much that you will be a lifelong learner.

There will be a time in your life when you feel that it’s over. However, this will be a time of new beginnings. While you will suffer tremendous loss and lack direction, your family and a very dear friend will help you get through it. No matter how much divorce feels like an ending, you are so much stronger than you ever thought.

Your first teaching job and students pull you through this defeat and out of the deep, dark hole you were in, and it’s that moment that you learn that gratitude is the key to a happy life. By focusing on what’s right and the possibilities, you do open yourself up to love again. Take the risks; open up to possibilities. It is not only OK to move away and turn your life upside down, it is what you need.

You will further your education which will supported by a new love who supports you through teaching and pushes you into other aspirations--waking up your love of learning and leadership. You will be able to get through tough principalships, deployments, and whatever life brings you because you have the strength in you, and you will have a partner who loves you for who you are and everything you can become. He and your two beautiful, kind children give you a new and complete fulfillment of life.

While you will not be the President of the United States, you will become the President of an association and will work to spread your belief in positivity and gratitude. You will earn two bachelor's, a master’s, a specialist, and your doctorate even though you heard a teacher tell your mom in 5th grade that college wouldn’t be a feasible option. You love, read, meet amazing people, and you learn that the power to make a difference is within you.

The best advice that I can give you now is to not left the voice of doubt tell you that you are not ready or overpower the voice of passion and self drive. You are ready for whatever life brings you. Accept the challenge. You will thrive on it, but remember you need the loved ones in your life, so as you take care of yourself and strive to better who you are, remember to express gratitude for those who helped you to get there. My best advice to you is to jump, Shanna. You will have people who love and support you catch you when you fall, and eventually you will soar. 

Lessons Learned from Allyson Apsey's The Path to Serendipity

I just finished The Path to Serendipity last month, and I want to be a better person because of the words and stories Allyson Apsey shared. This is a must read! This a powerful, inspirational, and reflective read. The author, Allyson Apsey, puts herself out there, modeling risk taking and growth mindset, making herself vulnerable, sharing her stories, and offering wisdom and insight that she had learned during her journey of life and a career in education. I couldn't put the book down. Allyson shares her heart in her words, inviting you in. I felt like I was crying, laughing, and even feeling failure with her. There are so many lesson reminders in the book. If you are looking for inspiration, asking yourself how can you get through another school year, or just wanting to bring more joy and purpose to your life, work and others, get this book. Do yourself a favor and do the reflections at the end of each chapter too. Connect with her hashtag (#Path2Serendipity), share and learn with others. This is one of those pieces that the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Here is a collection of my  
reflections:  Twitter feed presented on Wakelet 

Reflect, Refresh, Forgive, Repeat

I know that I am not alone. As an educator and school leader, April, May, and June are a whirlwind of long 14-16 hour days, increased discipline, and work to finish a year strong but also plan for the year to come. It gets mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. I am lucky that after 12 years of opening and closing school years I know it is only a temporary state of craziness. I am even more fortunate to have a life partner who knows this as well and reminds me of it when I start to fall apart; I usually have several days of crying due to exhaustion and not knowing how to keep up with the demands. He always has a way of reminding me that I get through it; I always do. I also remind myself that even in these times, I always want to get up and go to school/work. Everyone is not fortunate enough to have a career that they love, and other than the occasional snow day dance or end-of-the year blues, I love what I do and the people (big and small) who learn and serve with me.

It is during these times of exhaustion, stress, and sometimes hurt that we tend to resort to negatively. This is easy to do when we are in this state. I found myself slipping after some hard to hear feedback, during reviewing data portfolios and completing teacher evaluation meetings, and dealing with escalating student discipline or upset parents. My coping skills are not always the best. I stress eat and revert to unhealthy meals and binging on chocolate. I start to miss a day or two of workouts, but I always forgive myself, lean on the people who are my trusted advisers and friends, and remind myself to snap out of it. We have to allow ourselves time to reflect, to let us feel what we are feeling, but also remember the choice to live and be positive: reflect, refresh, forgive, and repeat.

Positivity is a lifestyle change. Life has its ups and downs. How we choose to keep going during the down times matters. I have learned that it is OK to reflect and allow myself to feel what I am. The key is not allowing myself to stay there long. Reflect and learn, refresh the mind, body, and spirit, and most importantly forgive ourselves, so we can move on.  Positive reminders, healthy habits, the people in my life are all tools that I use to get me back on the path to positivity. The power of positivity lives inside me! Being positive not only promotes happiness, it leads to better health. In addition, we become a part of helping and reminding others to be positive. More positive people can only help make the world a better place.

#MEMSPA17 Takeaways: Whole Leader Theme Delivered

MEMSPA's 92nd Annual Conference

The MEMSPA Annual Conference is one of my favorite professional learning experiences! I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve on the board and attend this event. I always look forward to seeing colleagues, making new connections, and this year officially taking on a mentoring role. This year's theme was the Whole Leader, and MEMSPA delivered on this with all of the PD offerings.


For the first time, @donistamour created #MEMESPAconnects, a mentoring program for new principals in the association. It is exciting to be matched up with new principals and offer support. I am looking forward to the opportunity to give back, for it was my MEMSPA connections that helped me stay in administration, still loving it in my 12th year. The first morning of the conference, I got to meet one of my mentees and recruited another. I am looking forward to our book chats, monthly check-ins, and offering any support and guidance needed. Most importantly, to remind them that you should never stop learning and connecting with others.

Mentee MEMSPA Swag (Scholastic)

The learning from the first session with Dr. Constantino was powerful. We need to create cultures in our buildings that believe family engagement is good. This means evolving from events to actual daily engagement. I look forward to continuing this discussion and cultivating innovative means to foster such engagement. Concurrent sessions supported this culture with collaboration initiatives with staff and ways to build and maintain relationships.

The second day at the President's breakfast, the general keynote speaker, Jan McInnis, presented on the importance of laughter! Many benefits to using laughter exist. Besides the health and relationship benefits, she spoke on the importance of using laughter to get through difficult times. This is such an important lesson--and a necessity to get through a career in education. We, especially as leaders, cannot take ourselves too seriously.

Gilpin and Butler's Session

I went to several breakout sessions, learning about relationships, technology, RTI, and more, but the session that resonated with me the most was with @benjamingilpin and @danpbutler on cultivating relationships. It is so important to build up our teacher leaders. Ben and @Jon_Wennstrom (in another session) both echoed the importance of relationships and relationship building. Having specific ideas and approaches are always helpful, and these two sessions were full of proven approaches.
  
In the last general session with motivational speaker, Jim Mahoney, we were reminded, "You get what you give." Other meaningful advice included: "You can't teach the whole child unless you are the whole teacher/leader." "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." Culture trumps strategy, every time, and we can always do more and better with collaboration.

Job-Embedded Session

In addition to all of the great sessions, I was able to support the first Spotlight on Innovation and colleagues who have become great friends over the years. I also was able to present on the topic of job-embedded practices that my own teachers have made successful with both coaching and instructional rounds and our #ReadingMatters campaign and initiatives with my students from our Pages with the Principal The One and Only Ivan booktalk. The best part of the entire conference was recognizing outstanding region principals and seeing a well-deserving and long-time MEMSPA colleague and friend named MEMSPA's Outstanding Practicing Principal of the Year. Congrats to Craig McCalla; you are so very deserving! 

      

Colleagues, President Patterson and Past-President DeGraff (left) and Region 2 Principals (right)

The Lessons Learned from My Dogs

Daisy and Rosie

Staying positive isn't easy. It does take a mindset and determination to not get sucked into the negative talk and culture. Tonight, after a long, short week of work and evening conferences, I am relaxing and looking at my cute, furry family members and think: we can learn a lot from our pets. Daisy, our 8 year-old black and white Miniature Schnauzer, and Rosie, our almost 1 year-old black one, teach me many lessons.

1) Determination
Daisy will sit and stare for up to an hour while my husband sits in his chair watching TV. With the "treat" jar right next to his chair, she waits patiently, sometimes tapping his leg with her paw or even using proximity, until he caves. If we work hard enough and exercise patience, we can make anything happen.

2) Loyalty
Both Daisy and Rosie are loyal to us and each other. It goes a long way when we demonstrate commitment to students, staff, and the community. We also must be loyal to ourselves and our moral compass while making decisions that we feel are supported and best for our students.

3) Rest
Lazy days are needed. Relaxing in front of the fireplace or hanging out in bed an extra hour is a must to re-energize and fill our buckets. It's easy to burn our candles from both ends, but this will increase our susceptibility to negativity. We must stay rested and strong to keep a positive, growth mindset.

4) Play
The same goes for exercise and play time. Taking time for ourselves is key to being healthier and happier. Finding an exercise that is both fun and satisfying can foster accountability to fitness. Play should be personalized (on our own or with loved ones), but we also need to remember to play with the students too.

5) Affection
Both of our dogs love to hug, wrapping their front legs around our necks. Greeting us with crazy, screaming barks and howls at the door always brings a smile to my face. People need to know that they are cared for and about in life. Hugging, praising, and showing kindness will actually support loyalty, work ethic, and satisfaction.

Lessons can be learned from our four-legged friends. It's time to start paying attention to what they are telling and showing us. We can even model these lessons for our staff and students and pass it on to others.

Positive Takeaways from #NPC17

As the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) state representative for Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA), I was fortunate enough to attend the combined principal conference in Philadelphia this month. The three main themes from my learning that resonated with me the most are relationships, empowerment, and mindfulness.

NPC17 in Philadelphia

Relationships
So many speakers confirmed the importance of relationships. Michael Schmoker referenced Hattie's work and a key focus is teacher-student relationships (.5-.7 effect size). Relationships with students, parents, community members, our teachers, and other administrators are crucial to school success. Kevin Carroll highlights the importance of play and the connections we make through it. We can build relationships through appreciation. Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf gave several strategies and tips to demonstrate appreciation. Several other presenters combined the importance of relationships with their topics. Christian Moore, Founder of "Why Try" stated that lasting change and motivation for youth involves relationships. "Relationships+Relevance = Resilience." One important aspect of positive and healthy relationships involves empowering those people to become the best versions of themselves.

Empowerment
In addition to the empower messages at the conference, I read the book Empower by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani on the trip to and from Philly. The messages around this theme support my district's teacher growth model (Danielson's "distinguished") to push our practices to be more student-centered approaches. I totally recommend this book!

In addition to the book, several speakers and presenters touched on the importance of empowering stakeholders in our schools and districts: teachers, students, and even our parents. We need to empower students by putting them in charge of their learning. We also need to empower teachers with the support and freedom to make this possible. The more growth people experience, the more they are empowered.

Christian Moore, shared powerful messages and tips for motivating students and teaching resilience.  He states, "Resilience is the greatest equalizer--It transcends race, gender, culture, socio-economic status...and literally an other aspect of your environment."

Mindfulness

"In teaching, you can't do the BLOOM stuff until you take care of the MASLOW stuff." -Beck

Sherry Turkle reminded us to work on social skills and being present. Carla Tantillo (Mindful Practices) models how to integrate social-emotional learning and promoting mindfulness with easy to use strategies.  (Check out her books.) Mindful practices will helps us to build resilience, growth, decrease stress, and help us to slow down and in turn be more productive.

We need to take care of self, so we can take care of our staff, and support and take care of our students. It's a collaborative, team effort to teach, love, and inspire our children. Thank you #NPC17 for reminding me of the importance of relationships, empowerment, mindfulness, and much more.

Positive Changes in Learning with Innovative Practices: 5 Outcomes of Using an LMS

"A way of thinking that creates something new and better" is how George Couros (2015) defines innovation in his book and guide, The Innovator's Mindset. He conceptualizes this term in chapter one, explaining what innovation both is and is not.  Emphasizing that technology is only the tool and not the outcome, innovation involves transforming the learning environments and practices to make it newer and better.

An innovative practice that leads to a more personalized learning environment (newer and better for many) is the use of learning management systems (LMS). The type of LMS doesn't matter. Teachers may use Google classroom, Schoology, Edmodo, Moodle, Blackboard or a variety of others. It is this practice that helps to make both differentiation and personalization more efficient than ever.  Here are just a few ways an LMS can foster an innovative culture and environment.

1) Reading (at the students independent and instructional levels)
Teachers can group students and/or provide individual students themed-related reading texts at their reading levels. The LMS provides a confidential way to protect students reading texts several years below grade level.

2) Flipping lessons
Teachers can record their mini lessons and post them in the LMS for students to view, pause, and replay until they can better understand the instruction. If students do watch the videos as the "homework," the teacher is available to coach, assist, and facilitate the practice and doing part of the lesson in the classroom.

3) Linking Supplemental resources
Teachers can link resources that meet different multiple intelligences, so students can have the teaching that works best for them. A variety of online resources and personal teacher works can be quickly linked for students.

4) Collaborating (with peers in the classroom to across the world)
Not only can peers work together, teachers can set groups so multiple classes--even those in other states and countries can communicate and work together. In addition, communicating online offers support to our introverted students who need more time to think about what they want to say (post).

5) Engaging students (with digital media and personal choice)
Videos, social media, electronics, and several other forms of technology are tools used is today's students daily lives. This is a way to grab and keep their attention. Teachers can embed and link videos and a variety of other multi-media tools. Students can access and use those that are best for their learning.

Learning managements systems are an innovative practice, helping to make teaching and learning better (and more efficient). Instructional leaders can even use them to flip staff meetings and create a culture of professional leaning. The use of these systems is developing many of the skills students need to have for school and beyond.