I’ve been following the hashtag, #stuvoice, on Twitter for awhile and have been inspired by the tweets, links, and questions about providing a platform for students to share their thoughts about school. We have some very dynamic student leaders at Gahanna Lincoln High School and after reviewing some of the #stuvoice tweets, it dawned on me that It’s been several months since I’ve taken the time to talk with a group of students. So, I set up a meeting with members of my school’s Student Council a couple of weeks ago. We had a great conversation and I was enlightened by their insight!

I went into the conversation with two questions and ended up asking a third question based on their responses. Before I go on, I have to say how impressed I was with their candor, enthusiasm, and maturity! The three questions I asked them are as follows:

* What are the characteristics of a great teacher?
* What does learning look like at Gahanna Lincoln High School?
* What is missing in your school experience?

Question: “What are the characteristics of a great teacher?”

Answers:
* Passionate and Enthusiastic about teaching
* Knowledgeable
* Cares about students
* Flexible
* Understanding
* Willing to work 1 on 1 with students
* Organized
* Shows one’s personality
* Personable/Approachable
* Willingness to connect with students beyond the classroom
* Optimistic
* Devoted
* Creative with school work and working with students
* Engaging
* Able to reflect and grow
* Involved with aspects of school outside of teaching
* Treats everyone equally
* Clear expectations
* Direct communication
* Respectable

As I previously stated, I appreciate their candor. They were really thoughtful with their answers, they added to each other’s responses, and were pretty much in agreement about these characteristics. The bottom line is they want teachers who take the time to get to know them, who will help them learn, and who care about them as people. I plan to share this list with my Administrative Team and Department Chairpersons so that we are better equipped to bring in the best candidates to be a part of Team GLHS!

Be Great,



Dwight

The concept of blended learning has become a hot topic in a relatively short time. As more states are looking at ways to make technology integration a part of the learning process, blended learning has gained momentum. This momentum has been created because of our need to adapt to a technologically connected and digital world in which we now live.

In June, 2013, Ohio Governor, John Kasich, chose Gahanna Lincoln High School’s Clark Hall to announce his blended learning initiative (Ohio SB 316). We were chosen because Governor Kasich recognized Clark Hall as a hub of blended learning and 21st Century learning. So that we are all operating with the same definition of blended learning, following is how blended learning is described in Ohio SB 316:

“…the delivery of instruction in a combination of time in a supervised physical location away from home and online delivery whereby the student has some element of control over time, place, path, or pace of learning.”

Even though Clark Hall is a model of blended learning today, our blended learning journey began about seven years ago when we had two teachers who designed their courses (an English 11 course and an Accounting course) in such a way that students did not have to attend class every day. They solidified a grant to get a set of laptop computers, designed a course on Moodle, and were free to explore. Students had to earn the right to use flex time (time outside of the normal class period) by meeting the agreed upon standards (grades, attendance, etc.) and they excelled.

Fast forward to the last two years, several GLHS teachers (Ryan Kitsmiller @rkitsmiller, Dwayne Marshall @marshall133, Katie Anderson @kpa12, Fred Donelson @mrdglhs to name a few) have created blended learning environments by using Google Apps or Moodle to house their course content. This fall, five teachers, including two previously mentioned, took a class to learn how to develop an online course. Through this class, they either enhanced their skill or learned to develop an engaging and rigorous course beyond just making worksheets digital. Three of the teachers have recently launched their blended courses. We will soon have several courses where students will have the option to take it completely as an online course.

The key components of blended learning include:
*Connectivity- access to web with a mobile device is essential because it makes learning an anytime, anywhere event.
*Relevant course content-student voice and choice in how they want to learn and present their learning.
*Engaging material, such as videos, blogging, inquiry-based questions.
*Collaboration- the opportunity for students to work together to solve problems and assist one another anytime, anywhere digitally.
*Feedback- teacher and peer feedback on blogs or other web 2.0 sites
*Time Management-students must plan according to maximize their time

Blended learning is not just the future of education, it’s our current reality as we have integrated technology, provided relevant professional development, and created an environment that is focused on learning.

Be Great,

Dwight

Author and Leadership Consultant, Ken Blanchard, wrote in one of his books, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” I couldn’t agree more. However, I don’t think this has anything to do with positional leadership, but more about leadership principles. There are a number of people I consider leaders, from students to global dignitaries and everyone in between. I have learned and continue to learn what leadership is by observing others and reflecting on my own behaviors as a leader. Following are my most important principles that define leadership and how each principle is present or in the works at Gahanna Lincoln High School:

Vision
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” -Proverbs 29:18. Vision creates a picture of what a group, team, or organization can become as the people involved work together towards a common purpose. Vision creates a powerful story about the organization and can inspire the high-quality, dedicated work of the people invoked. Without it, individuals will begin to do what they individually think is best, thus creating islands of excellence as opposed to a shared, collective and common purpose. Without vision, there will be conflicting values, uncommon language, and unclear expectations, thus leading to resistance, frustration, and low morale.

At Gahanna Lincoln, we are guided by the vision detailed in our district’s Graduate Profile. Teachers use the profile strands as learning targets as they plan lessons and units. Our Graduate Profile is aligned with the College and Career Readiness standards that are a part of the Common Core Stand Standards. Our Dean of Curriculum, Brooke Menduni, has done an outstanding job of facilitating the transition to the Common Core. Her leadership is helping us to ensure teaching and learning is focused on essential skill development through the content.

For the development of the key skills that are necessary today (communication, creativity, collaboration, and critically thinking) to occur, we have to have a positive school climate and school culture. Risk tasking, trust, and celebration have to be a part of the equation. To ensure this happens, we celebrate student and staff success on a consistent basis through monthly PRIDE (Personal Responsibly In Developing Excellence) Award nominations, monthly staff luncheons (bonding), quarterly student recognition ice cream socials, and two Renaissance Pep Rallies. Individual teachers, like AP American History and World Studies teacher, Ben Cullivan have even created student celebrations within their classrooms. Ben designed a medal he gives to the top student in each of his classes at the end of the year. This has become quite the tradition and the students work extremely hard to earn this special recognition.

Teachers can nominate students and their colleagues each month to receive the PRIDE Award for demonstrating any of the skills outlined in our Graduate Profile or our district adopted character education traits. The names of all the students during the month are scrolled on the announcements and they meet in the lobby to receive a certificate and to take a group photo, which is then displayed in one our busiest hallways. We then follow up with a quarterly breakfast for all the recipients and their parents. It’s a little thing, but our part of our vision is to recognize what is going well so that we get more of it!

Relationships
We are in the business of developing, nurturing, and sustaining positive relationships with people. One of my favorite quotes as an educator is, “No significant learning takes place without a significant relationship” by Dr. James Comer. This has guided me and will continue to do so as long as I’m an educator because learning is a social event that comes through sharing, discussing, debating, and exploring with others. Without significant relationships, learning can be limited.

At Gahanna Lincoln, the focus on creating and sustaining positive relationships is crucial to our success. We have created our Freshmen Experience (9th grade academy) to help nurture our freshmen and show them what it means to be a Gahanna Lincoln High School Lion. Our departments constantly have social events, staff parties, and have fun rituals. We encourage our students to get involved in something at school: the arts, clubs and activities, or athletics in order to create a connection with an adult at school. Currently, over 27% of our students are involved in the arts and over 33% participate in one of our 26 athletic teams. We offer over 30 clubs and organizations for students to participate in and students are encouraged to start a club of interest. Our new Library Media Aide, Brian Winston, has informally started a Chess Club this year and the room is packed before school, during the lunch periods, and after school. The activity is the vehicle that fosters the positive relationships and the same holds true in the classrooms.

Clear Expectations
Educator, author, and presenter Dr. Todd Whitaker reminds every educator to state very clear expectations at the beginning of the year in order to create a positive learning environment. Like the teachers at Gahanna Lincoln, I take the opportunity to do just that during our opening day staff meeting. My expectations of staff are simple:
a. Be Present- not just physically, but emotionally and mentally present
b. Be Punctual-punctuality is a sign of respect
c. Be Prepared- prior planning prevents poor performance
d. Be Professional- dress, talk, conduct, and learning
e. Create a positive climate in your classroom
f. Communicate with parents and colleagues

To include students in the process, the last two years I met with about 400 juniors and seniors who have classes in Clark Hall, our new addition to our campus, and asked them what we should expect of them. This conversation took place four times on the first full day of school and each group came up with the same expectations:
a. Respect
b. Responsibility
c. Trust
d. Team Work
e. Good attendance
f. Hard work
g. PRIDE

Could we ask for anything more?

Communication
This has become one of the most important characteristics any leader should possess. It’s not just disseminating information, but listening, responding, and using a variety of tools to share our story. Good communication, like presence, requires time, but it’s time well spent.

At GLHS, our teachers have embraced the use of Home Access Center, which is our online tool to share students’ grades with parents and students. Each teacher has also created a portal, or individual website, to let parents and students know about lesson objectives, homework assignments, and upcoming tests. In addition to the Home Access Center and the portals, we have several official GLHS Twitter accounts and Facebook pages. With the use of social media, a lack of communication should be a thing of the past.

I will continue to promote the use of social media as a means to communicate with our stakeholders; however, nothing replaces the need for face-to-face interaction.

Team Work and Service
Each of our departments has a Department Chairperson who not only represents the department as part of the school Leadership Team, but they are responsible for unifying the department, supporting new teachers, and tapping into the strengths of each of the members.

Several of our teachers are advisors of school clubs and organizations like Student Council, the Renaissance Action Team, the S Club, National Honor Society, Interact, and Key Club, to name a few. Together, these students have made a positive impact on our school environment by serving others, organizing events, or working together to solve a problem. The teachers help to create the environment for students to take risks as leaders and learn from mistakes.

Accountability
There is an old saying that, “What’s inspected is respected.” Accountability is not about getting people in trouble, but ensuring the expectations, values, and norms are met more consistently. Holding others accountable can be uncomfortable for me as a leader, but it’s not about my feelings. What is required is for each teacher, administrator, secretary, guidance counselor, custodian, and cook to do our jobs to the best of our ability. It’s my job to provide the proper training, support, and resources for this to occur.

We all have improved in this area, especially since we have started to use Google Docs to share what each department does during department meetings and we’ve circulated the book, Shifting The Monkey by Dr. Todd Whitaker, to help one another confront negative behaviors, put the monkey back where it belongs, and become more efficient. This is still a work a progress for me as a leader and for our building as a whole, yet we are definitely making progress!

Learning
I’ve learned from my staff and my PLN to be transparent about my learning experiences by blogging, tweeting, sharing books that I’ve read with others, sharing my teachers’ blogs, attending conferences, and presenting at local and national conferences. In the process of being transparent about my learning, I am promoting the learning at Gahanna Lincoln High School.

Over the last five years, our school’s grade point average has increased from a 2.77 to 3.02, our attendance rate has been steady at 94%-95%, more students are taking AP courses, our ACT score average is above the state average and our graduation rate has been steady at 93%-94%. Our expulsions have fallen below 20 each of the last four years and more teachers are providing the opportunity for students to redo tests and resubmit homework assignments as they become more focused on learning and less focused on time. This has been a muddy, messy process, but overall, it’s rewarding to see students feel like they have a chance to demonstrate their learning.

We continue to have teachers present their learning during staff meetings and department meetings as a way to encourage professional growth. It’s important for all of us to share our learning experiences from attending conferences and workshops with our colleagues. This eliminates excuses like, “the presenter doesn’t know my students, so that won’t work in my classroom.” The presenters in our building are members of our staff who teach our students in our district and in our building.

There is so much expected of school leaders today, which require us to review our foundational principles to make sure they are aligned with our daily activities. Change has always been a part of the field of education; however, the rate of change that we are currently seeing is like no other time in history. In spite of the changes, the leadership principles we hold onto must guide us as we guide others.

What leadership principles are most important to you?

Be Great,

Dwight

This is cross-posted on Connected Principals

I had a very interesting conversation today about whether or not one can be too student-centered. The main point of the conversation boiled down to staff support or a lack thereof; listening to students (not agreeing with them, but just listening to them) versus staff support.

I struggle with this because I like to believe I’m supportive of my staff in regards to them taking calculated risks in the classroom, by helping to provide a safe environment so they can teach and students can learn, and allowing freedom to choose the type of professional development they need. In terms of discipline issues, the administrative team is working hard at being more consistent across the board. I use the phrase, “working hard” because with over 2300 students and six administrators, it can be a challenge. With that said, we are doing okay.

Now, I feel as if I have a fairly good rapport with my students and staff. I will take the time to talk with any student about any thing they want to discuss. Therein lies the problem. Based on today’s conversation, apparently feel that because I listen to a student’s concerns about an incident that may have occurred, etc., I am demonstrating a lack of support for my staff. I hear the student out, ask questions, and help them see things from the adult’s perspective and will then assign the necessary consequences. It takes more time, but at least the student feels understand and heard. The person I spoke with today disagreed with my approach and felt as I my actions are undermining the staff. Hmmm…

I’ve always been a student-centered educator so I struggle with the conversation I had today. If my staff feels like they are being undermined, then there is a serious lack of trust that will quickly erode our foundation. So, I ask you. Am I undermining the staff in any way by taking the time to listen to a student’s concerns? If this is a blind spot, then I definitely need to take care of this. I look forward to your responses. Thanks!

Be Great,

Dwight

Last week, I attended the ISTCO Education Everywhere Leadership Symposium in Worthington, OH. The focus of the symposium was on ways school administrators can lead the integration of technology, including mobile devices and web 2.0 tools, to transform teaching and learning. The keynote presenter, George Couros, creator of connectedprincipals.com, had a powerfully moving presentation about how technology can help us humanize school even more because of the ability to share stories. Story has always been, and will continue to be, a way to make connections and create community. Creating a community where everyone feels they belong is one of our goals at LHS, so his presentation was fitting. Also, we’ve emphasized technology integration the last couple of years as a way to increase relevance in the classroom. With that said, technology is not the only way to increase relevance or create community. It is a way, however, to enhance relevance and community. Following are three personal takeaways from George’s presentation:

1. We have to provide opportunities for students to create, connect and share content with a much broader, global audience using the technology. As we harness the power of social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr, we model appropriate ways to make our learning public and transparent. The more comfortable we are using these tools, the more likely we are to integrate these tools with our students. At GLHS, we allow students to use their mobile devices, so let’s show them how to use them to connect with experts in a particular field or connect with a group of students in another state or country.

2. Schools will continue to be relevant as long as we focus on humanizing the content. This basically means that as we harness the power of technology, use it to tell stories about our learning, share our struggles and successes, and connect with one another beyond the traditional means of email, we will continue to expand the learning for our students. Technology will not or does not replace face to face interaction; rather, it enhances this interaction. For example, I’ve interacted with George via Twitter and blogging before we met face-to-face. Our face-to-face meeting was like seeing an old friend as opposed to being introduced to a stranger. He lives in Canada and I live in Ohio. I am a better administrator because of what I’ve learned from him, about him and his school using social media.

3. “Learning and sharing is synonymous.” Daniel Pink states that learning is a social event. Therefore, harnessing tools such as Twitter, blogs, and other means of digital storytelling enhances the learning experiences for everyone involved. We can add to each other’s experiences as we reflect on our practice using a blog, comment on one another’s blogs, engage in professional conversation via Twitter chats, and willingly share our experiences with others. The more we’ve done this, the more comfortable we’ve become with our students sharing their learning experiences in a positive ways.

In addition to the keynote presentation, the symposium was organized into six sessions of table talks, with five talks to choose from per session. I liked this format because it provided opportunities for the facilitators of the table talks to engage the participants in meaningful conversations about our craft. For example, some of the table talk topics were:

• Blended Learning (Reynoldsburg ESTEM Academy)
• Design Standards for Online/Blended Learning: Quality Matters (ESC of Central Ohio)
• Comparing Mobile Technologies and Preparing for a 1:1 Environment (St. Joseph Academy)
• Conversations with the keynote, George Couros
• From Ohio to the World (Jackson High School)
• Professional Development Without Walls (Westerville City Schools)
• Design Thinking: Technology (Delaware High School)

There were so many nuggets I gleaned from the symposium, but my biggest “aha” or takeaway was more of a question than a statement: “Are we using technology in an adaptive or transformative way?” For example, adaptive use of technology is having students use a laptop or other mobile device to create a document instead of using pencil/pen and paper. An example of a transformative way is to use technology to create or remix content in new and meaningful ways. The more transformative we are, and allow our students to be, the more relevant and rigorous learning will be. George summed it up best when he said, “with technology we all can be teachers and learners.” As we embrace this, just look at what we are becoming! Feel free to comment about any of the information. I look forward to hearing what your reflections are.

Be Great,

Dwight

A couple of weeks ago, I spent three days at the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) Training with a number of district and other Central Ohio administrators. The days were long, but the information was well presented and the process was very collaborative.

The new evaluation system is based on 50% teacher performance and 50% student performance (growth). Because the student performance aspect of the evaluation is not yet determined, the training focused on teacher performance. I was encouraged by the training because our current evaluation system is very similar to the OTES model. Following are my takeaways from the three days:

· OTES is a GROWTH model to help teachers improve. This is not a “gotcha” framework, but a model that relies on vetted, tested, and analyzed best practices.

· The rubric is a holistic scoring of teacher performance, which means it includes the observation, the pre and post observations, information observed through walkthroughs, PLC/department collaboration, etc.

· The rubric is comprised of three Organizational Areas: Instructional Planning, Instruction and Assessment, and Professionalism.

· Evidence for each organizational area is based on ten standard areas:

o Focus for Learning
o Assessment Data
o Prior Content Knowledge/Sequence/Connections
o Knowledge of Students
o Lesson Delivery
o Differentiation (major definition change for us all)
o Instruction and Assessment
o Classroom Environment
o Assessment of Student Learning
o Professional Responsibilities

· The four organizational areas and ten standards are very similar to our current evaluation system, so this should not be a significant change.

· The model has four ratings: Ineffective, Developing, Proficient, and Accomplished. Proficient is where a vast majority of teachers will be, which is a “rock solid” teacher.

· We will have to think differently about the word, “Proficient.” In this model, proficient defines an excellence teacher, not average or minimum, which is what many of us may think of when we hear the word.

· Every teacher will be evaluated at least twice per year, once per semester. Teachers that earn “Accomplished” will be evaluated every other year, while “Ineffective” teachers will be evaluated three times a year.

· Every teacher will have a plan. It will either be a growth plan (developing, proficient, or accomplished) or an improvement plan (ineffective). Again, the purpose is to help every teacher improve.

· Pre and post conferences are not required, but are best practice for the most effective way for us as educators to reflect on the planning, teaching, learning, and assessment process. Personally, I thoroughly enjoy the post-observation conferences I have with teachers.

· It’s extremely important for us all to learn the language of the rubric so that we are on the same page in terms of expectations. We should start having informal and formal discussions about this now.

· During the post-observation conference, we are to focus on two areas: reinforcement, which is a celebration of what went well and then refinement, which is an area for improvement.

Linda Romano, one of the OTES trainers, made two very profound statements about how OTES will impact the role of educators:

“The highest priority of professional development is helping teachers get better.”

“Helping teachers get better is the greatest priority of an instructional leader.”

I truly believe these two statements capture what GJPS has always been about. This will help us have an even greater focus on instruction, learning, planning and assessment. Don’t get me wrong, this is probably one of our greatest challenges we face due to the number of evaluations we have to do. However, we are up for the challenge! Feel free to share comments, questions, or concerns.

Be Great,

Dwight

After much Twitter chatter about Todd Whitaker’s new book, Shifting the Monkey, I had to find out what all the buzz was about. Many educators who read the book created the hashtag #shiftingthemonkey to share their reactions and experiences after reading it.

For those who are not familiar with Shifting the Monkey, it’s about the many burdens we may have on our backs, affectionately called monkeys. Sometimes these monkeys are on our backs by our own doing; however, there are times where others dump their monkeys on our backs. Whether this happens intentionally or unintentionally is not that important. What is important is that we are able to answer the following three questions to help improve our schools, classrooms, homes, and organizations:

o Where is the monkey?
o Where should it be?
o How do I get it there?

I recently finished the book and had the opportunity to attend his presentation about Shifting the Monkey at the Jostens Renaissance Conference in July. Needless to say, the presentation was incredible and rich with great advice! Following are my takeaways from the book and the presentation:

• “We cannot continue to dump on the best people in our organization.” We notoriously lean on the best people to get things done. This can lead to fatigue, frustration, and burnout. Hold everyone in the organization accountable for what they are supposed to do.

• “We have to treat everyone as if they are good.” When confronting negative behaviors, he encouraged us to maintain a level of respect because it’s not personal. The goal should be to teach what is expected in order to help the individual be better. This really resonated with me because we all want to be respected, appreciated, and encouraged.

• “There is nothing wrong with being afraid. The problem is acting afraid.” We are, at times, afraid to confront negative behaviors, which only allow “bad people” to shift their monkeys to the backs of the people bothered by their behavior. This destroys morale and creates a negative climate. Who out there has had a monkey on your back because of fear?

• “When giving expectations, be nice and firm. That way, you can easily identify if someone is being insubordinate.” Clearly communicated expectations eliminate confusion and make it easier for everyone to follow. I learned from Todd to repeat expectations at the beginning of each school year so that everyone is on the same page. Classroom teachers spend a great deal of time communicating expectations, which positively impacts classroom climate.

• “Nobody repeats a behavior without a reward.” What is recognized and rewarded is repeated. This goes for both negative and positive behaviors. Pouting, complaining, gossiping, and bulldozing continue because we often respond to these behaviors. His remedy is to ignore them. Think about that person in your life who pouts whenever they don’t get what they want. If you have given in to this reaction, you only reinforce the fact that pouting gets them what they want. To ignore simply means you see it happen, but you don’t back down from what you expect of them. It’s easier said than done, but again, this can greatly improve the climate and culture.

• “Avoidance is not a strategy.” When faced with negative behaviors that are counter to your expectations, avoidance does not make them go away. Avoidance places the monkey on all the people that are bothered by the negative behaviors. This can destroy risk taking during staff meetings, classroom discussions, family meetings, planning sessions, or other collaborative learning experiences. Respectfully confront the behavior by asking the person to meet with you immediately after the class, meeting, etc and move on. I’ve done this and it works. I’ve also been the recipient of this when I lashed out at one of my colleagues last fall. I was quickly called to the carpet and man, did I have a gorilla on my back for the rest of the meeting!

• “Ignoring is not avoidance. You know it’s there but you choose to respond or not to respond.” Sometimes no response is a response that sends a clear message. For example, if someone has a tendency to try to interject a joke while someone else is speaking, simply ignoring that person will show him/her and others that the behavior is not acceptable at that time. This keeps the monkey on the back of the jokester, not you or the others in the room.

• When we see students in the hallway during class, treat them all with respect by asking, “Hi, may I help you?” This prevents favoritism. School is supposed to be a safe and welcoming environment. However, we sometimes prevent this from occurring when we choose a negative way to address students. Asking “may I help you?” is a respectful way to get the information we need and a way of treating everyone with respect.

• “Stop throwing the blanket monkey.” Ouch! I’ve been guilty of this a couple of times. The blanket monkey occurs when there are a few people doing something negative and instead of addressing those few people, you address the entire staff. Two things happen. The great teachers feel guilty because they think you are talking about them. The guilty ones believe you are talking about someone else. In the end, the behavior doesn’t change.

I plan to keep my eye out for the monkeys and make sure they are where they are supposed to be. I encourage you to read the book!

Be Great,

Dwight

I’ve attended the Jostens Renaissance National Conference I think 7 times, the first time in 2003. As I stated in a previous post, this is one of the most rejuvenating conferences for educators because of the way they treat the participants, the breakout sessions, and quality of the presenters. This year’s conference had a different feel, which left many of us not only rejuvenated, but inspired. INSPIRED:

“Aroused, animated, or imbued with the spirit to do something, by or as if by supernatural or divine influence.”

The opening day began with a number of dynamic presentations, including a three hour pre-conference session about cyber-bullying and school climate by Dr. Justin Patchin and Dr. Sameer Pincha. After a moving welcome by Charley Nelson, the head of Jostens Educator Services, we were prepped for a surprise concert by the band, Parachute, whose song, Something To Believe In, was the inspiration for the conference theme!

Saturday was filled with over 70 breakout sessions during 6 time slots, and a Stars Wars inspired pep rally that showcased the talented staff of Jostens employees who volunteer their time and talent to participate in the conference. During the rally, all the educators in attendance were recognized for our years of experience. All the first year educators were called to the stage and given a standing ovation for joining the most honored profession, but there is no celebration like the one for the educators who have 30+ years under their belts! There were tears of joy, hugs and geniune appreciation for these dynamic role models!

A personal highlight was Todd Whitaker’s (@ToddWhitaker) session about Shifting the Monkey! As you can imagine, it was standing room only. He educated, entertained, and challenged us to identify the monkey, figure where it should be, and come up with ways to get it there. His message was applicable to educators and students alike. More about Shifting the Monkey in another post.

Following the sessions was a first class banquet that honored the Jostens Renaissance Coordinators of the Year and 2012 Hall of Fame Inductees. The inductees’ stories were motivating; however, I was especially moved by the two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who introduced the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Character Development program. They spoke from their hearts as they expressed their love for our nation and their desire for educators and young people to continue to serve others with passion. They shared that out of the 400 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in our history, only 81 are still alive. Their message was not only a call to action, but they reminded us to continue to believe in the power of the human spirit to serve a greater cause than ourselves. That sums up why educators do what we do!

The closing speaker, Kevin Carroll (@kckatalyst) did not disappoint! He reminded us to BE BOLD and believe in the power of connection: connection for sharing, learning, service and play. Kevin’s message is clear: a ball can and has brought people together from across the globe and we must keep play in our lives.

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve thought about what I need to do to be an inspiration to others at Gahanna Lincoln High School and following are the things that came to mind:

*Write thank you notes to people. Email is nice, but there is something classic and genuine about a hand written note of appreciation.

*Hold myself and others accountable. This goes without saying.

The Jostens Renaissance (@J_Renaissance) Conference was exactly what I needed to prepare myself to give my staff, students, and the GLHS community “Something To Believe In!” So, what do you believe in?

Be Great,

Dwight

“Dwight is connected all over the world through Twitter and blogging, but he is not as connected here.” These are words spoken by one of my teachers and man, did they sting…

There are a number of ways I could have reacted to this, but I decided to take the high road and look within. After all, reflection is at the heart of our practice.

I asked myself if there was any kernel of truth to this statement. Well folks, I hate to admit it, but it was true. I began to relish in who I was connecting with across the country. I became so focused on telling stories about what was happening at GLHS through Twitter that I no longer made time for face to face interactions with my staff. I got away from walking the halls in the morning and, at times, throughout the day. I felt myself becoming increasingly impatient with small talk and I was no longer willing to be inconvenienced. I was quickly irritated, overly sensitive, and became less talkative. I started to dislike how I was doing my job.

As I reflected on the statement I referred to at the beginning, I made a deliberate effort to put away my phone (mini-computer) when I spoke with individual teachers throughout the day, I put it away when I got home so I could just relax with my wife and dogs, and I stopped blogging for a while. Actually, I went from late February to early June without posting anything to this blog. Some of that was intentional and some was simply a lack of desire to do so. Nevertheless, it enabled me to reconnect with others who were physically present. I had to intentionally and purposely reconnect with others, not just for them, but for me…

I absolutely love being an educator; a building principal more specifically. I love sharing what is happening at Gahanna Lincoln High School, I love it when we overcome challenges together. I love talking with members of my staff about their lives, and I love spending quality time with my wife when we have date nights or walk our dogs, Lilly and Lola.

And yes, I love positively promoting my school through social media, but it only matters if the people I serve feel that I am emotionally connected and present with them every step of the way. The bottom line: it boils down to the realness of relationships.

Be Great,

Dwight

The culminating event for high school seniors and their parents is graduation. It is the moment that tells the world, “I did it!” Twelve years of school and more importantly, the last four years of a number of experiences and captured in this rite of passage we call commencement. It is the final time the class will be together as one to listen to inspirational messages and celebrate as a group.

As the day approached, I reflected upon my year of learning from members of my Professional Learning Network, articles, blogs, or books I read, and the daily Words of Wisdom I read to students. This reflection led me to write my parting Words of Wisdom that I shared with the Gahanna Lincoln High School Class of 2012 just before they recessed from the graduation ceremony:

Good morning Lincoln High School Class of 2012. This is Mr. Carter with a few parting words of wisdom.

With something to think about, this is Mr. Carter. Make it a great life…. or not. The choice is yours. Thank you!

Be Great,
Dwight