I'm about to take my second bite out of the retirement apple soon. Despite the fact that I loved retirement the first time around, I have really enjoyed my gig as interim principal at JN Kellett Elementary this year. Being in a school and in daily contact with students was truly a breath of fresh air. Renewing acquaintances with teachers and administrators was wonderful as well. I am grateful to the Board of Trustees and to Dr. Lucas for the opportunity. By the way fellas, I am not expecting a gold watch or anything.
Here's the thing. Since I started blogging as Interim Principal, I have discovered that it is a good thing for me to blog. While there is not a long line of readers holding their breath, just waiting for the next witty, inspirational, or clever thing I might say, blogging is good therapy for me. It keeps my mind active and keeps me off the streets. Mine will not be an educational blog. I hope to write about sports, politics, education, life in general, or anything I dang well please. You are welcome to visit regularly if you want and tell me I'm full of it if you need to. Please excuse me, I have an appointment in the far reaches of the blogosphere. Hasta la vista.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thank You for a Tremendous Year
Last June, I was honored to be selected as your Interim Principal for J.N. Kellett Elementary School for the 2008-09 school year. During the ensuing year, the spirit of the children, families, and staff of Kellett Elementary has amazed me. No matter what the need, someone always steps up to say, “I can take care of that.” Whether the task needed students (Safety Patrol and Flag Patrol), parents (PTC, SIC, and fundraisers), or staff (re-organizing fourth grade, picking up in the absence of another teacher, going the extra mile) someone always comes forward to make a difference in the lives of these children. Together, we have had a tremendous school year. Teachers and students have really focused on teaching and learning, and the result has been a significant growth in our MAP scores, our level of independent reading in 100 Book Challenge, and attendance. I appreciate all the efforts expended to make this Kellett’s best year ever. After 54 years, we will close this building next week, honoring the past with a Kellett Celebration from 5-8 on May 29. The celebration will include displays from the various decades of operation at Kellett, a ceremony to celebrate Kellett history, and a cookout. J.N. Kellett Elementary will be long remembered by the people who worked and studied here.
This summer or early next fall the move into a Blue Ridge Elementary and, for some, Northside Elementary will be complete, and a new chapter will begin. Whether in our school work, our behavior, our attendance, let’s all commit to take that Kellett spirit wherever we may go. Make each day special at your new schools and give your best effort. There will inevitably be anxiety as we make our transitions. As with any transition, there will be adjustments to be made. For now, enjoy your summer, and come back refreshed and ready make 2009-10 your best year ever.
This summer or early next fall the move into a Blue Ridge Elementary and, for some, Northside Elementary will be complete, and a new chapter will begin. Whether in our school work, our behavior, our attendance, let’s all commit to take that Kellett spirit wherever we may go. Make each day special at your new schools and give your best effort. There will inevitably be anxiety as we make our transitions. As with any transition, there will be adjustments to be made. For now, enjoy your summer, and come back refreshed and ready make 2009-10 your best year ever.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tenacious
Guest Blogger Marian Stillwell
Never, never, never quit!
On my daily inspirational calendar the other day, was this timely saying: “The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.” In John Maxwell’s final chapter of the 17 essential qualities of a team player, he tells the story of several couples in London. The only thing Dan feels he must do is to have his picture taken on Abbey Road, in the same spot where the Beatles’ famous album cover was shot. The story of how these couples overcame all the obstacles to doing that reveals lessons for us all.
• They asked for what they wanted
• They were good-natured, and understanding of the situation
They didn’t give up right away—they hung around.
Eventually Dan did get his picture, and it turned out to be a great experience for everyone.
Another story I heard recently on an NPR broadcast was about the Chicago Cubs’ rookie infielder, Bobby Scales. Bobby was finally called up this year, after spending twelve years in the minor leagues—enduring cheap hotels and long bus rides. Guess what he did during the off-season? He was a substitute teacher! Now, this 31-year-old is living his dream and batting over 400. That’s what I call tenacious! He said, “I watched the guys who were called up, year after year, and I knew I was as good as they were. So I just kept on playing.”
Which leads us to the salient points in this chapter:
If you are doing your best and don’t give up, you have a chance for success
Tenacious people keep on working, even during the hard times
Tenacious people keep working until the job is done
It’s not a stretch to apply this in your teaching. We serve in a challenging profession in the best of times. This is easily the most challenging time for teachers that I have witnessed since the days of desegregation in the early 1970’s. We are expected to do our jobs under intense scrutiny, with decreasing resources, and with an abundance of uncertainty. All of us, whether we are going to Blue Ridge or elsewhere, will be packing up and moving. We will be tired, and we will certainly be challenged by the logistics and the unexpected glitches. We must be tenacious enough to keep working until the job is done, and done right. Our students are depending on us to be steady and dependable. Our colleagues are depending on us to shoulder more than the usual workload. But the reward will truly be great, and those of us going to Blue Ridge will be proud to say that we helped launch the premier elementary school in Oconee County! What an honor!
Never, never, never quit!
On my daily inspirational calendar the other day, was this timely saying: “The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.” In John Maxwell’s final chapter of the 17 essential qualities of a team player, he tells the story of several couples in London. The only thing Dan feels he must do is to have his picture taken on Abbey Road, in the same spot where the Beatles’ famous album cover was shot. The story of how these couples overcame all the obstacles to doing that reveals lessons for us all.
• They asked for what they wanted
• They were good-natured, and understanding of the situation
They didn’t give up right away—they hung around.
Eventually Dan did get his picture, and it turned out to be a great experience for everyone.
Another story I heard recently on an NPR broadcast was about the Chicago Cubs’ rookie infielder, Bobby Scales. Bobby was finally called up this year, after spending twelve years in the minor leagues—enduring cheap hotels and long bus rides. Guess what he did during the off-season? He was a substitute teacher! Now, this 31-year-old is living his dream and batting over 400. That’s what I call tenacious! He said, “I watched the guys who were called up, year after year, and I knew I was as good as they were. So I just kept on playing.”
Which leads us to the salient points in this chapter:
If you are doing your best and don’t give up, you have a chance for success
Tenacious people keep on working, even during the hard times
Tenacious people keep working until the job is done
It’s not a stretch to apply this in your teaching. We serve in a challenging profession in the best of times. This is easily the most challenging time for teachers that I have witnessed since the days of desegregation in the early 1970’s. We are expected to do our jobs under intense scrutiny, with decreasing resources, and with an abundance of uncertainty. All of us, whether we are going to Blue Ridge or elsewhere, will be packing up and moving. We will be tired, and we will certainly be challenged by the logistics and the unexpected glitches. We must be tenacious enough to keep working until the job is done, and done right. Our students are depending on us to be steady and dependable. Our colleagues are depending on us to shoulder more than the usual workload. But the reward will truly be great, and those of us going to Blue Ridge will be proud to say that we helped launch the premier elementary school in Oconee County! What an honor!
Quality 16
Guest Blog by Tracey Long
SOLUTION ORIENTED
Make A Resolution To Find The Solution
Favorite Quote: “Don’t find fault; find a remedy.” Henry Ford
I think back into the not so distant past and remember a voice that said “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” Yes, that is the undeniable voice of Mr. Ellenburg in regards to the PACT scores that arrived in the fall. The scores were very low and lagged behind those of similar schools in the area. As we all know, Mr. Ellenburg came out of retirement to be the interim principal of a school which was closing. He could have simply taken the easy way out and just gone with the flow. However, Mr. Ellenburg stepped up to the challenge and came to Kellett with a vision and a plan. He took ownership, created a data team to analyze scores, brainstormed strategies, and involved the entire faculty with his leadership. The voice came again, “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” The spring MAP scores showed tremendous gains and Kellett leapfrogged over the similar schools that we had lagged behind. Mr. Ellenburg is a solution oriented team leader and Kellett is very fortunate that he chose us for his team.
Maxwell’s believes that your personality type, upbringing, and personal history may affect how solution oriented you are naturally. However, anyone can become solution oriented. Consider these truths that all solution-seeking people recognize:
Problems Are a Matter of Perspective
All Problems Are Solvable
Problems Either Stop Us or Stretch Us
Maxwell tells us that we only have four choices to approaching problems:
Flee them
Fight them
Forget them
Face them
What do you usually do?
To make yourself a more solution-oriented team player…
Refuse to give up
Refocus your thinking
Rethink your strategy
Repeat the process
SOLUTION ORIENTED
Make A Resolution To Find The Solution
Favorite Quote: “Don’t find fault; find a remedy.” Henry Ford
I think back into the not so distant past and remember a voice that said “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” Yes, that is the undeniable voice of Mr. Ellenburg in regards to the PACT scores that arrived in the fall. The scores were very low and lagged behind those of similar schools in the area. As we all know, Mr. Ellenburg came out of retirement to be the interim principal of a school which was closing. He could have simply taken the easy way out and just gone with the flow. However, Mr. Ellenburg stepped up to the challenge and came to Kellett with a vision and a plan. He took ownership, created a data team to analyze scores, brainstormed strategies, and involved the entire faculty with his leadership. The voice came again, “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” The spring MAP scores showed tremendous gains and Kellett leapfrogged over the similar schools that we had lagged behind. Mr. Ellenburg is a solution oriented team leader and Kellett is very fortunate that he chose us for his team.
Maxwell’s believes that your personality type, upbringing, and personal history may affect how solution oriented you are naturally. However, anyone can become solution oriented. Consider these truths that all solution-seeking people recognize:
Problems Are a Matter of Perspective
All Problems Are Solvable
Problems Either Stop Us or Stretch Us
Maxwell tells us that we only have four choices to approaching problems:
Flee them
Fight them
Forget them
Face them
What do you usually do?
To make yourself a more solution-oriented team player…
Refuse to give up
Refocus your thinking
Rethink your strategy
Repeat the process
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Personal Note
Yesterday, my parents celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary. That alone is a monumental accomplishment. Both are in their eighties and are still "doing pretty well for old people." We are blessed to still have them with us. Both are children of the Great Depression. Mom was a country girl from Pickens and Dad was a linthead from Easley, growing up on Arial Mill. They met in the mill, and she worked at various ones until the 1970's. They were married just after World War 2 and Dad served in Germany in 1946. It took Mom a while to take a shine to Dad, but he knew immediately that they would get married and raise a family. Mom still doesn't buy anything that's not on sale, but Dad enjoys the freedom of being "heavy on the hip." Together they had four children; Linda, myself, my brother Tom, and my deceased baby sister Gena.
While we were little, Dad went back to school for a Bachelor's (Furman) and Master's degrees (Erskine), after getting his GED before we were born. What a powerful example that set for us as little kids. He had gotten the call to preach, and wanted to be the best preacher he could be. And preach - he did. For forty plus years, he has preached the Gospel to thousands, while Mom filled the role of preacher's wife to perfection. As preacher's kids, we were always at church and always under scrutiny. After all, we were being raised by someone who spoke for God three times a week. By the way, most of what your hear about PK's is true, but much is not. Just FYI.
Mom had a dream for Tom and me. She wanted us to go to college. To be clear, it was her dream way before it was ours. She didn't want us to have to work as hard as they did. She said later that all she accomplished was getting us in high stress jobs that threatened our health. But she worked and saved, while Dad got us up at 4:00 AM to deliver papers starting at about age 8 or 9. There was no question that we were going, and there was no question where we were going. We were going Clemson. We were raised hearing that and when the time came, we applied and thank goodness we got in. After some struggles we both graduated and went on to advanced degrees.
Tom is the city attorney for Myrtle Beach. He has two children (a College of Charleston grad) and two grandchildren. My sister Linda never got to go to college, but she is one of the smartest and best people I know. She has a heart of gold and is full of spit and vinegar. She has two children (one college grad) and five grandchildren. Gena attended Anderson College, but was killed in an auto accident. Her daughter Lani is a Virginia Commonwealth grad. One of the great blessings, among many, of being born into this family is that we learned early on about the value of faith, family, hard work, and good education. Those experiences made us what we are today.
What's does this mean to us? It means we have the same opportunities to model these attributes for our own children and grandchildren, but that's not all. We have the responsibility to model them for the children in our care here at JN Kellett. We need to give them a glimpse of what life can be like when goodness and faith and perseverance are applied to our dreams. Thanks, Mom and Dad for giving us the tools to dream big and do important work.
While we were little, Dad went back to school for a Bachelor's (Furman) and Master's degrees (Erskine), after getting his GED before we were born. What a powerful example that set for us as little kids. He had gotten the call to preach, and wanted to be the best preacher he could be. And preach - he did. For forty plus years, he has preached the Gospel to thousands, while Mom filled the role of preacher's wife to perfection. As preacher's kids, we were always at church and always under scrutiny. After all, we were being raised by someone who spoke for God three times a week. By the way, most of what your hear about PK's is true, but much is not. Just FYI.
Mom had a dream for Tom and me. She wanted us to go to college. To be clear, it was her dream way before it was ours. She didn't want us to have to work as hard as they did. She said later that all she accomplished was getting us in high stress jobs that threatened our health. But she worked and saved, while Dad got us up at 4:00 AM to deliver papers starting at about age 8 or 9. There was no question that we were going, and there was no question where we were going. We were going Clemson. We were raised hearing that and when the time came, we applied and thank goodness we got in. After some struggles we both graduated and went on to advanced degrees.
Tom is the city attorney for Myrtle Beach. He has two children (a College of Charleston grad) and two grandchildren. My sister Linda never got to go to college, but she is one of the smartest and best people I know. She has a heart of gold and is full of spit and vinegar. She has two children (one college grad) and five grandchildren. Gena attended Anderson College, but was killed in an auto accident. Her daughter Lani is a Virginia Commonwealth grad. One of the great blessings, among many, of being born into this family is that we learned early on about the value of faith, family, hard work, and good education. Those experiences made us what we are today.
What's does this mean to us? It means we have the same opportunities to model these attributes for our own children and grandchildren, but that's not all. We have the responsibility to model them for the children in our care here at JN Kellett. We need to give them a glimpse of what life can be like when goodness and faith and perseverance are applied to our dreams. Thanks, Mom and Dad for giving us the tools to dream big and do important work.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Quality 15: Selfless
Guest Blogger: Lora Roth
Favorite Quote: “We’re here on earth to do good for others. What the others are here for, I don’t know.” Poet W.H. Auden
There is no I in Team
By our nature, most educators are not self-aggrandizing horn blowers. We are genuinely in this profession to help others and can thrive on little recognition. However, in any team setting there is often an underlying current of competitiveness that interferes with attaining true selflessness.
Maxwell uses the story of World War II POW officer Philip Toosey to bring to light the power that one person’s choices can have on the welfare of the group. Toosey persistently advocated for his troops even when his efforts regularly brought about increased personal suffering. His whatever-it-takes attitude ensured the survival of numerous Allied prisoners.
While it is admirable to be humble, selflessness only benefits the group when you can reach beyond and promote others with no regard for your own status. “No team succeeds unless its players put others on the team ahead of themselves. Being selfless isn’t easy, but it is necessary.”
To “cultivate” your selflessness:
1. Be Generous- success can easily be achieved if all members give generously with their time and gifts.
2. Avoid Internal Politics- value relationships within the team with no regard for personal gain.
3. Display Loyalty- not only when things are going well, but especially when times look bleak. “Loyalty fosters unity, and unity breeds team success.”
4. Value Interdependence over Independence- remember Menlo Park? Two heads usually are better than one.
To be more selfless today…
· Promote someone other than yourself- actively seek opportunities to give genuine accolades about another team member to supervisors or family members.
· Take a subordinate role- try for a day to consciously serve others and let them go first
· Give secretly- donate something anonymously without seeking any acknowledgement
Favorite Quote: “We’re here on earth to do good for others. What the others are here for, I don’t know.” Poet W.H. Auden
There is no I in Team
By our nature, most educators are not self-aggrandizing horn blowers. We are genuinely in this profession to help others and can thrive on little recognition. However, in any team setting there is often an underlying current of competitiveness that interferes with attaining true selflessness.
Maxwell uses the story of World War II POW officer Philip Toosey to bring to light the power that one person’s choices can have on the welfare of the group. Toosey persistently advocated for his troops even when his efforts regularly brought about increased personal suffering. His whatever-it-takes attitude ensured the survival of numerous Allied prisoners.
While it is admirable to be humble, selflessness only benefits the group when you can reach beyond and promote others with no regard for your own status. “No team succeeds unless its players put others on the team ahead of themselves. Being selfless isn’t easy, but it is necessary.”
To “cultivate” your selflessness:
1. Be Generous- success can easily be achieved if all members give generously with their time and gifts.
2. Avoid Internal Politics- value relationships within the team with no regard for personal gain.
3. Display Loyalty- not only when things are going well, but especially when times look bleak. “Loyalty fosters unity, and unity breeds team success.”
4. Value Interdependence over Independence- remember Menlo Park? Two heads usually are better than one.
To be more selfless today…
· Promote someone other than yourself- actively seek opportunities to give genuine accolades about another team member to supervisors or family members.
· Take a subordinate role- try for a day to consciously serve others and let them go first
· Give secretly- donate something anonymously without seeking any acknowledgement
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