The best advice I received during my first-year teaching was from the Mentor of New Teachers, Myra Dietz. She suggested for all of us to create a "Nice Stuff" file, as a collection of items of appreciation. She stressed, "You may not realize it now, but being able to look back at this material will make a huge difference in your careers."
I followed her advice and continue to add to my "Nice Stuff" file as an Assistant Principal. It contains thank you's from students, notes from parents, emails from colleagues, etc. More than just a collection of sentimental tokens of appreciation, this file serves a much larger role.
Showing posts with label enthusiasm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label enthusiasm. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Monday, October 29, 2012
Six Walk-Through Check-Points
There are many data points to look for when completing Walk-Through's, and it is easy for administrators to be overwhelmed when trying to complete an effective five-minute Walk-Through. I've put together six basic "Check-Points" to assist on assessing instruction during a Walk-Through.
"Six Walk-Through Check-Points"
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Energy in the Room
I recently formally observed a Beginning Teacher in my school that demonstrated how important and beneficial it is for the teacher to be the energy in the classroom.
You can find hundreds of articles and resources discussing how important it is for the teacher to be the energy in the classroom. Why is it so important?
Two primary effects:
1. Instructional time is maximized.
2. The students are engaged.
You ever notice how fast an observation goes when you're in an energetic classroom? Forty-five minutes fees like 15. The best compliment a student can give a teacher is, at the end of the class, you hear, "It's time to go already?!?". This only occurs when the instructional time is maximized, keeping students engaged for the entire class period.
Last week, I retweeted a tweet by @Jaymelinton (who will be moderating Wednesday's #ncadmin chat, "New Teacher Support", at 8 pm [shameless plug]), which was originally posted by @coolcatteacher:
"Students will rarely exceed the energy you put into the equation."
The importance of energy and enthusiasm was best demonstrated near the end of Thursday's observation:
Since this occurred in a world language class, I'm not sure what exactly the teacher said (it was not a Spanish class-I can normally hold my own in a Spanish class). All of the sudden, 24 high school students had their feet off of the ground and were sitting on top of their desks, working furiously on the activity and participating with the dialogue led by the teacher. It was some sort of quick-paced, relatively silly, "the floor has turned into hot lava that is rising towards the desk" activity. These students could not care less about "looking cool" in front of others. Remember, these are high school students.
Every single student participated; Every single student was engaged; This was the result of the energy in the room.
Thanks for reading!
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
You can find hundreds of articles and resources discussing how important it is for the teacher to be the energy in the classroom. Why is it so important?
Two primary effects:
1. Instructional time is maximized.
2. The students are engaged.
You ever notice how fast an observation goes when you're in an energetic classroom? Forty-five minutes fees like 15. The best compliment a student can give a teacher is, at the end of the class, you hear, "It's time to go already?!?". This only occurs when the instructional time is maximized, keeping students engaged for the entire class period.
Last week, I retweeted a tweet by @Jaymelinton (who will be moderating Wednesday's #ncadmin chat, "New Teacher Support", at 8 pm [shameless plug]), which was originally posted by @coolcatteacher:
"Students will rarely exceed the energy you put into the equation."
The importance of energy and enthusiasm was best demonstrated near the end of Thursday's observation:
Since this occurred in a world language class, I'm not sure what exactly the teacher said (it was not a Spanish class-I can normally hold my own in a Spanish class). All of the sudden, 24 high school students had their feet off of the ground and were sitting on top of their desks, working furiously on the activity and participating with the dialogue led by the teacher. It was some sort of quick-paced, relatively silly, "the floor has turned into hot lava that is rising towards the desk" activity. These students could not care less about "looking cool" in front of others. Remember, these are high school students.
Every single student participated; Every single student was engaged; This was the result of the energy in the room.
Thanks for reading!
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
"Never Lose Your Enthusiasm"
During a student interview this past spring, I was asked, "What do you think is your strongest leadership trait?"; without hesitation, I responded, "Enthusiasm."
Thursday, May 10, 2012
#thankateacher = awesome
National Teacher Appreciation Week is concluding Friday. Elementary, Middle, and High Schools across the country have been recognizing and praising their teachers in various ways. School leaders, students, and PTSA's have provided meals and gifts as tokens of appreciation. Most have simply sent personal messages to the teachers that have made a difference in their lives.
I have utilized Twitter throughout the week to provide simple thank you's to our teachers in various instances, sometimes with specific teachers in mind. These have all taken the form of "________ = awesome. #thankateacher".
My online PLN has shared my acknowledgement through numerous Retweet's and Favorite's. The best part is the diversity of WHO has been responding, ranging from principals and teachers to former students of mine now in college. This has motivated me to do the following:
I am asking my Twitter folks to reply to my post with their own "When a teacher _______ = awesome. #thankateacher", filling in the blanks with their own characteristics of great teachers. I will be doing my best to retweet every response that I receive tomorrow (Friday, May 11).
Please feel free to to post message comments at the bottom instead of taking your post to Twitter.
I will be adding all of the responses here throughout the day and weekend:
Make sure to respond to one of my tweets and include the hashtag #thankateacher
(blue indicates my own)
When a teacher advocates for respect and equality = awesome.
When a teacher comes early and stays late = awesome.
Teachers that provide remediation to students during their planning period = awesome.
Teachers writing letters of recommendation for students, even when it was requested at the last minute = awesome.
Teachers providing a safe environment to a student, when they won't have one anywhere else = awesome.
Great coaches who are also great teachers, since both involve teaching, just a different environment = awesome.
Teachers who send a quick email or place a call to inform parents of something positive = awesome.
Teachers looking out for each other and truly working as a TEAM = awesome.
Teachers who aren't afraid of failure when implementing new instructional strategies = awesome.
Teachers arriving early (really early) or staying late (sometimes really late) for tutoring or test re-takes = awesome.
Teachers taking ownership of their students' learning and growth = awesome.
The teacher/teachers alumni want to see when they visit the school = awesome.
When a college student realizes why their teacher pushed them so hard in high school = awesome.
Teachers giving their students options for projects/assessments = awesome.
Genuine enthusiasm displayed while teaching = awesome.
When staff members (non-teachers) still find ways to teach students in other capacities = awesome.
Teachers who teach every day like they will be formally observed = awesome.
Teachers that consistently maximize instructional time = awesome.
When a teacher makes accountability a way of life rather than just for a student's instructional year = awesome.
When a teacher teaches a student who later becomes a celebrity and gets on VH1 for an interview = awesome.
When a teacher allows students to learn by searching for their own answers (and they like it!) = awesome.
When a teacher takes the time to also take the role of counselor/parent = awesome.
When a teacher teaches WITH former students = awesome.
When a teacher goes the extra mile to communicate with a parent = awesome.
When a teacher buys shoes for a kid = awesome.
When a student wishes a former teacher Happy Mother's Day = awesome.
________________________________________________________________
Please at least take a moment to thank someone who dedicated their career to teaching. Thank you to every educator, everywhere.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue. Also, a big thank you to Ann Doss Helms (@anndosshelms) of the Charlotte Observer for including this post in her blog.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
(I always put this disclaimer in my posts, but this time, I hope the opinions are shared by ALL employers!)
I have utilized Twitter throughout the week to provide simple thank you's to our teachers in various instances, sometimes with specific teachers in mind. These have all taken the form of "________ = awesome. #thankateacher".
My online PLN has shared my acknowledgement through numerous Retweet's and Favorite's. The best part is the diversity of WHO has been responding, ranging from principals and teachers to former students of mine now in college. This has motivated me to do the following:
I am asking my Twitter folks to reply to my post with their own "When a teacher _______ = awesome. #thankateacher", filling in the blanks with their own characteristics of great teachers. I will be doing my best to retweet every response that I receive tomorrow (Friday, May 11).
Please feel free to to post message comments at the bottom instead of taking your post to Twitter.
I will be adding all of the responses here throughout the day and weekend:
Make sure to respond to one of my tweets and include the hashtag #thankateacher
(blue indicates my own)
When a teacher advocates for respect and equality = awesome.
When a teacher comes early and stays late = awesome.
Teachers that provide remediation to students during their planning period = awesome.
Teachers writing letters of recommendation for students, even when it was requested at the last minute = awesome.
Teachers providing a safe environment to a student, when they won't have one anywhere else = awesome.
Great coaches who are also great teachers, since both involve teaching, just a different environment = awesome.
Teachers who send a quick email or place a call to inform parents of something positive = awesome.
Teachers looking out for each other and truly working as a TEAM = awesome.
Teachers who aren't afraid of failure when implementing new instructional strategies = awesome.
Teachers arriving early (really early) or staying late (sometimes really late) for tutoring or test re-takes = awesome.
Teachers taking ownership of their students' learning and growth = awesome.
The teacher/teachers alumni want to see when they visit the school = awesome.
When a college student realizes why their teacher pushed them so hard in high school = awesome.
Teachers giving their students options for projects/assessments = awesome.
Genuine enthusiasm displayed while teaching = awesome.
When staff members (non-teachers) still find ways to teach students in other capacities = awesome.
Teachers who teach every day like they will be formally observed = awesome.
Teachers that consistently maximize instructional time = awesome.
When a teacher makes accountability a way of life rather than just for a student's instructional year = awesome.
When a teacher teaches a student who later becomes a celebrity and gets on VH1 for an interview = awesome.
When a teacher allows students to learn by searching for their own answers (and they like it!) = awesome.
When a teacher takes the time to also take the role of counselor/parent = awesome.
When a teacher teaches WITH former students = awesome.
When a teacher goes the extra mile to communicate with a parent = awesome.
When a teacher buys shoes for a kid = awesome.
When a student wishes a former teacher Happy Mother's Day = awesome.
________________________________________________________________
Please at least take a moment to thank someone who dedicated their career to teaching. Thank you to every educator, everywhere.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue. Also, a big thank you to Ann Doss Helms (@anndosshelms) of the Charlotte Observer for including this post in her blog.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
(I always put this disclaimer in my posts, but this time, I hope the opinions are shared by ALL employers!)
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
What Makes A Successful Parent?
What Makes A Successful Parent?
In an ongoing series and in preparation for Elementary and Middle School Parent-Teacher conferences, an Assistant Principal in my district has created a display for parents. You can also check out TIPS for Successful Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
“WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL PARENT?”
by
James Robert White, Ed. D.
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH!
ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD!
RESERVE QUALITY TIME DAILY TO SPEND WITH YOUR CHILD!
ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO ALWAYS DO HIS/HER BEST!
NEVER GIVE UP!
TEACH RESPONSIBILITY!
[Copyright © January 25, 2005]
(Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D.
Assistant Principal ▬ Catawba Heights Elementary School
101 Ivey Street
Belmont, North Carolina 28012
(704) 827-3221 Fax: (704) 827-2419
Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Enthusiasm & Encouragement: Every Day
We start the second semester tomorrow, so I took advantage to meet my teachers this morning, due to the Teacher Workday. I did not want this meeting to be simply a distribution of information, but rather an opportunity for me to gather the team together and focus on the start of the semester (which, due to the 4 x 4 Block schedule, is really like the first day of school all over again).
I began by placing the teachers in random small-groups and asking them to do the following:
Discuss "what" as a school, can improve for this semester. But, for everything you list, you must also provide "how" we can improve in this area.
This led to some very good discussion, as the whole group was able to speak freely with their colleagues. I served more as a moderator to maintain the focus, initially by asking for "instructional issues" first. The best aspect was not only allowing teachers to voice "what" needs to be done and "how" we need to accomplish it, but by speaking in front of the group, we can now keep each other accountable for the areas discussed. I frequently told the group, "If it's a few weeks from now and we haven't done it, tell me. Keep me accountable." Crucial convesations!!
After sharing some pertinent information, I transitioned to a key component of the meeting: Encouragement. I showed the following two clips, asking the group to notice the drastically different environments, but consistent actions of both motivators, courtesy of http://www.wingclips.com/ :
"Run Through Me"
"Dare to Climb"
The consistent factor is constant encouragement, regardless of how many failures or how many attempts occur.
I quickly transitioned my meeting by sharing one of my all-time favorite quotes, by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." This quote has become a mentality that I find crucial to my role as a leader. It also was the "team quote" of my 2010 team, which won the conference title, maintaining an almost contagious amount of enthusiasm every day, especially during matches. Other coaches actually complained that my players were "too spirited" and there was "No place for all those 'Let's go's' and 'Come on!'s' that you would frequently hear at our matches. This only reassured how powerful enthusiasm can be for those who have created a culture of enthusiasm.
I finished by asking my teachers to bring a high-level of enthusiasm and encouragement every day this semester. I asked my teachers if they possess a genuine enthusiasm and consistently encourage their students, this semester will be a success. Every day.
Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
I began by placing the teachers in random small-groups and asking them to do the following:
Discuss "what" as a school, can improve for this semester. But, for everything you list, you must also provide "how" we can improve in this area.
This led to some very good discussion, as the whole group was able to speak freely with their colleagues. I served more as a moderator to maintain the focus, initially by asking for "instructional issues" first. The best aspect was not only allowing teachers to voice "what" needs to be done and "how" we need to accomplish it, but by speaking in front of the group, we can now keep each other accountable for the areas discussed. I frequently told the group, "If it's a few weeks from now and we haven't done it, tell me. Keep me accountable." Crucial convesations!!
After sharing some pertinent information, I transitioned to a key component of the meeting: Encouragement. I showed the following two clips, asking the group to notice the drastically different environments, but consistent actions of both motivators, courtesy of http://www.wingclips.com/ :
"Run Through Me"
"Dare to Climb"
The consistent factor is constant encouragement, regardless of how many failures or how many attempts occur.
I quickly transitioned my meeting by sharing one of my all-time favorite quotes, by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." This quote has become a mentality that I find crucial to my role as a leader. It also was the "team quote" of my 2010 team, which won the conference title, maintaining an almost contagious amount of enthusiasm every day, especially during matches. Other coaches actually complained that my players were "too spirited" and there was "No place for all those 'Let's go's' and 'Come on!'s' that you would frequently hear at our matches. This only reassured how powerful enthusiasm can be for those who have created a culture of enthusiasm.
I finished by asking my teachers to bring a high-level of enthusiasm and encouragement every day this semester. I asked my teachers if they possess a genuine enthusiasm and consistently encourage their students, this semester will be a success. Every day.
Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
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