Out of My League

As I was reading my e-mail yesterday I came across the e-letter from the President of the University of North Texas. Not that we are close, I’m just a number on a list of alumni that receive the information. I do like reading about my alma mater and supporting the university in any way that I can.

In this article President Bataille says,

     “the days of the “sage on the stage” are nearing an end. At UNT, a group of faculty      members are leading the nation in an effort to redesign the way some large-enrollment courses are taught to undergraduate students. Successfully focusing large-enrollment undergraduate courses to be more student centered is a nationwide challenge and the need to create assessment-driven alternatives to current practice is a concern for the entire higher education community.”

It’s good to see that the university is looking to create assessment-driven alternatives. It’s good to see that the faculty is involved. It’s about time. Those mass classes for so long have been known as the weeder classes. Weeding out those students who didn’t “belong” in higher education. I remember struggling through a few of those classes as I had no interest in them. I hope we at the elementary and secondary school level can lead the way for the universities to get better! That is my hope!

So, President Bataille if you are listening, how about that interview? It only takes about two minutes and I will spot you the first question! Do you know who Lane Ledbetter is?

I am enjoying the time I get off this summer. This morning I was reminded of the work that still needs to be done. I was reminded by an email that I received from my alma mater about how teaching needs to change, about how the sage on the stage is not what should be happening. My alma mater, The University of North Texas, is changing the way things are being done in the large section classes. You remember those classes… you were number 27 or 156 or worse 315 of 517. Having skimmed the article it sounds like they are changing higher ed in much the same way we would like to transform our schools… more on this later. I wonder if I can get in for an interview?

I am attending the Marilyn Hohlman Principals Academy presented by the Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform. WOW… sorry… Wow… have I been inundated with information thus far this week… more on that later. I have had the opportunity to interview several of the Senior Associates with the Schlechty Center, the President and COO of the Center and the Founder and CEO. Please click on the names below to hear the podcasts of these interviews:

Phillip Schlechty     Judy Love     George Thompson       Sandy Jenkins    

Nancy Rindone-Doughney

I’m going to go ahead and tell you about dinner tonight. First you will need to know the players. Fezzik was there… as was Electric Glide… and most importantly…  Cinderella. I’m going to go ahead and mention that this dinner was kind of a wind down to a great week. I’m gonna go ahead and tell you that we were planning on letting our hair down a little… we were planning on doing this literally not figuratively. Two new players joined us at dinner. They are also AP’s in the district at the secondary level. He will be called Atlas and she MilkMaid. I’m gonna go ahead and stop the dinner story and go ahead and tell you one small part of the General Assembly that happened earlier in the day.

 As good participants we wanted to attend the General Assembly and see what was happening. There was a great guest speaker planned for the event. We knew there would be a few presentations before hand and then we would get to hear Dr. Douglas Reeves. Before Dr. Reeves came to the podium, a high ranking officer in a national educational organization came to the podium to speak. In about a five minute period the advanced administrators in my party noticed that the speaker had a speech cruch. He said “I’m gonna go ahead…” numerous times. I’m sure we must have missed the first ten or fifteen of those cruches. However, over the last fifteen minutes of his speech he must have uttered that phrase 48 times. Okay, he did mutter it 48 times… we counted… so… I’m gonna go ahead and return to the dinner story without the I’m gonna go aheads…

 One of the patrons in my party, Cinderella, ordered chicken and biscuits. As we were having conversation about the days events at the conference, and unknown to the rest of us, Cinderella found a hair in her food. She did the polite thing and put it on a napkin without telling any of the rest of us. She figured it was just a random event and moved on with her meal. When she came upon the second hair in her food she brought it to our attention not mentioning that this was the second. We told her to complain but she told us it wasn’t that big of  deal. As the rest of us dined I noticed that Cinda was just picking at her dinner. She wasn’t really consuming it at the rate the rest of us were devouring our food. Then it happened. Not to split hairs here… but Cinda found a third… we were floored… how does this happen? So, over the next twenty minutes we laughed about this so hard that one persons jaws began to hurt. Most of us found out that we have abs we didn’t know about. I know it’s not as funny to you… yet… we couldn’t stop laughing!

We did get free desert… and we did ask the manager if the same staff that prepared our meal would be preparing our dessert… she assured us it was a different group… hair net anyone?

I fell it is appropriate at this juncture to tell the world about my group at TEPSA this year. And, since this is my blog… that is what I’m going to do!

There are six of us. Two men and four women. It is important for you to know and understand that this group is a very accepting one. They are all professional educators who are no longer in the classroom. They have stepped out and up and are trying to make a bigger difference in the lives of all of our students. They are all exceptional assistant principals. I say they are an accepting group because they have allowed me to hang with them. This is remarkable because I am one of “them”. From time to time I refer to my wife as one of “them” because she is in our district central office. But, that is for a different blog. Let me introduce my set to you:

(The names have been changes to protect the innocent!)

Cinderella, Hairspray, Electric Glide, Lawrence Welk, and Fezzik. They will have to figure out who they are. I would give more specific details… but that would help the casual reader too much.

Here is what I know about my group.

I am getting paid to be at TEPSA so I don’t count. The rest of my group isn’t getting paid. They are off contract already. They are here in
Austin on their own time. They are here on their own time to improve themselves as educators and to improve their schools. In turn this will improve the lives of their students and the lives of people those students come into contact with. I am always proud of what I do. ALWAYS! But, being around these guys these past few days has heightened my awareness of what great things we get to do and the ever daunting task that we are asked to do. They are all fine educators. They are all striving to be better… they are true professionals and I am glad to be on their team!

Today was my first full day of attending the TEPSA conference. My group and I visited several vendors booths before heading off to the breakout sessions. We sat down and discussed what each of us was going to attend. We wanted to cover a wider range of topics by spreading out than we could possibly do individually. At least that was our plan. I think the six of us actually saw three different presentations. Afterward several of the group mentioned that the session they attended was just so so. I thought my choice worked well for me. I learned some things. Was exposed to several new ideas that I think I can implement in my school. Four of us actually made it to the General Session. The other two of the group decided to visit the exhibits. While I believe they took in a wealth of ’stuff’ I don’t believe they took in anything as spectacular as the other four of us. We heard (and saw) Erik Wahl speak about “Discover(ing) Your Untapped Potential”. I initially had reservations about hearing him, mainly because I didn’t like his picture. His picture rubbed me the wrong way. I know… shallow of me… yet his message about creativity moved me. In summary his presentation was about unleashing the potential that our students have and not restricting that inate ability that they possess. We should grow it. I hope that my journey mirrors the belief of Carol Ann Tomlinson when she said, “Plan to be better tomorrow than today, but don’t plan to be finished.”

I often wonder what elementary principals learn at the summer conferences they attend. I guess this year is my year to find out as I will be attending my first ever Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association conference in
Austin. I’m truly not sure what to expect. My ride as an elementary principal has been nothing but exciting. I learn new words and acronyms almost daily. I have learned that elementary teachers work extremely hard. In my opinion they are probably the hardest workers in all of education. That is, the hardest workers other than the students. So, I’m hoping that my days at the conference will provide me with tools that I can use in my first full year as principal. Tools that will enable me to help my teachers achieve all of our goals.

I feel it is only fitting that I dedicate my first blog to the beautiful and intelligent woman that is sitting next to me. I’m sitting in a blogging/podcasting class on my seventh wedding anniversary. My bride of seven years is sitting in the chair next to me furiously working on her first blog. I know many men that wouldn’t be able to do what we are doing today. We have a full day planned. This training… followed by lunch… probably with a group of people… followed by the remainder of the training. When the training is over we will pick up two of our three children. Riley has swim lessons at 6. Then it’s off to vacation bible school for Riley and Tyler. Drew has a baseball game at 6:30. Finally when they are all at their destination… Angie and I will be enjoying a few hours out on the town. Something simple… small talk… exchanging gifts… food… and then… off to get the boys. There is no doubt… and everyone that we know will agree… I married out of my league… way out of my league… and my life is the better for it! I love you Angie!