Aligning curriuculum, Marzano strategies, intervention groups, struggling students, naysayers.............whew! I feel like I'm a salmon swimming upstream trying to find my way home. When I get there, every one of my students will be reading on grade level, have an intrinsic desire to learn, and the parents and teachers will smile everyday. No frowning allowed.
Everyday, I dodge that grizzly bear trying to eat me alive as I jump upstream. You know, the bear that waits at the waterfall snatching the salmon as they jump upriver. The bear is the teacher that refuses to acknowledge that they need to improve the quality of relationships with students, parents and colleagues. It is the naysayer that doesn't want to implement a new way of doing things. The bear is the parent that doesn't agree with the detention you assigned to the boy that scratched profane words on his desk. Will I avoid the bear and make it home?
For now, we are trying to focus on improving reading scores. We have implemented intervention groups and are trying to find that intervention that will magically fix all of those students that have a hard time comprehending what they have just read. Until I make that jump upstream, and dodge the bear I guess I'll just keep researching, keep trying, and keep inspiring!
We are all at a point in the year in which we are spinning as many plates as we can. It doesn't get easier... yet. So in the meantime, tell your teachers to keep teaching and not get stuck now. Especially now! Have them use assessments to find the major weaknesses and work to spiral back to those weakness often.
ReplyDeleteTell parents that their child is disrupting the learning environment and stealing instruction from the other students in the class. Due to time lost, you need to collect that time back and you are sorry their child has put them in this frustrating situation.
Stay positive (even if you have to fake it). Remember, when the boss sneezes the staff catches a cold. I often work to remember not to sneeze.
You are an awesome principal and a great leader. If you weren't then no one would complain. :^)
It is totally that time of year! Our admin. team had this very discussion today. June is our time to rejuvenate and relax and look forward to next year. Right now we are just trying to keep up with all the demands. Twitter keeps me sane:)
ReplyDeleteI am with you!! My secret is to always have a great big smile on my face---people always tell me they're amazed that I'm still smiling. It's fake, but it keeps me sane!
ReplyDeleteKeep doing what you're doing...don't hide from the bear.