Clickers!

On Monday, my staff was trained on the use of a Classroom Performance System (CPS) – “clickers”  You can learn more about clickers at www.einstruction.com

I believe they all learned something they can immediately use in their classrooms.  Some already use them quite a bit in their classrooms and the kids absolutely love them!  They provide instant feedback to the students and the teacher during the lesson.  In my opinion, they are the best technology tool (right now) that can be used in the classroom.  They keep students engaged in the lesson, give the teacher instant feedback about the student’s understanding of the lesson and the kids also receive instant feedback on if they answered a question right without anyone (besides the teacher) knowing who in the class answered right or wrong.  I hope more of our teachers start to use clickers in their classrooms.  I know I will have to keep encouraging the use of this and other technologies to help enhance the curriculum.  Until next time…

Connie Talbot

While roaming around on YouTube this weekend, I came across this runner-up of Britian’s version of “American Idol”.  She is only six years old!  Don’t cry when you listen…:-)  She is incredible!

Another Week Gone!

Hello Boys and Girls!

 Well, another week is in the books and we have a two day school week next week!  Wow!  Thanksgiving is here already and in a month from now, I’ll be writing “Wow, Christmas is here already…”

I met with my administrative counsel this week.  I set up this committee to help me get a handle on the climate of the school and discuss current issues teachers are having.  I hand picked this committee of teachers who I feel are leaders in the school and they are teachers I trust will be honest with me.  I am not afraid to take criticism – no, it doesn’t feel good sometimes, but I think in the end, it will make me a better leader.  I know what my faults are, but sometimes I need a refresher to let me know how my faults effect other people.  I am really going to try harder to follow up on issues that are brought to my attention.  I am going to carry a little “notebook” so I can write stuff down when people catch me in the hallway with their current emergency.  And of course, everyone’s issues are the most important ones (in their mind anyway).  I truly feel that there are people who must find something to complain about every day or their day isn’t complete.  It’s hard for me to understand that because it takes a lot for me to complain about something.  Maybe I should set a rule stating that you are only allowed one gripe per week, so you better damn well make it a good one and choose it wisely…cause’ I ain’t listening to more than one gripe per person per week!  Do you think that would go over very well?  Ya, me either!

Don’t get me wrong….I love my school and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now!

 Time to enjoy the weekend!  Until next time….

Procrastinator!

Yep, that’s me!  It’s been a while since I’ve posted and I apologize to many thousand readers across the world.  I will try to do better!  I need to make more of a commitment at the end of the day to post something…even if it’s small.  So, I hopefully will do better!  Anyway, just got over being sick and missing a day of school.  I hate missing school because it takes a minimum of two days to catch up for every day missed.  I think I am just now caught up from being gone to Tennessee.  It is crazy to think how fast this school year is going!  We have finished the first quarter and I’m sure Christmas will be here before we know it.

It seems that this time of the school year is tough for some teachers.  Some hit a wall and attitudes change.  The pressures of curriculum, assessments, etc. get to a lot of them.  We are between the beginning of the year excitement and winter break.  This also happens (in my opinion) near the end of March/early April.  Some staff become easily agitated, short with students, complain more…I think it’s just the way it is and I need to make sure I’m sensitive to it and be supportive.  I really try to be sensitive and supportive to the individual teachers needs, but of course, I can’t make everyone happy.  I know that, but it’s still hard to accept sometimes.  The more experience I gain as an administrator, the more I realize that satisfying everyone just isn’t going to happen.  I guess with my personality it’s still hard to accept.  Oh well, I’m doing the best that I can and I know I have things I need to keep working on like communication with teachers and staying organized.  I know my communication and organization style really bothers a few staff and some are just fine.  Of course I worry about upsetting the few and I have tried a lot harder this year to get information out sooner and more often, but there have been a few instances where I was “late” in getting info out.  Not late according to my standards, but late to others…oh well.  Henceforth, that is what I will continue to focus on is communication and organization.

 I should probably get back to work now since I am done procrastinating posting this blog.  I will try to do better.  Have a great weekend everyone!

5th Grade Leadership Conference

I spent the day yesterday in Ogallala at the Region V 5th grade Leadership Conference.  150 fifth graders from around western Nebraska came together to learn about what it takes to be a leader.  Marge Beatty from the ESU (Educational Service Unit) gave an excellent keynote to the kids talking about being a hero and leading by example.  The kids had a fun day rotating through nine sessions – they were all very well behaved and had a great time! 

Since it was held in Ogallala, I got to take my kids to school and pick them up after.  They were very excited because I never get to do that.  It is very evident to me that it is a full moon because the kids were a little loony at school today.  I never really gave much credit to my wife’s theory on the effect of a full moon on people.  It wasn’t just my school, but the middle school and high school also had issues today…maybe I’ll do a little research on that good ol’ full moon theory.

 Thanks for reading…if there is any of you out there reading this!  Well, it time to watch the World Series!  Go Rockies!!

Grandpa’s Cannon

I’m Back!

Well, I’m back from the T+L conference and am excited about some of the things I have learned.  I am ready to start my teachers on blogging and Podcasting.  We had my son’s birhtday party at Harvest Moon Farms (My father-in-law’s pumpkin patch).  It was a long day but the kids had a lot of fun.  I made a video of Keith (father-in-law) shooting his pumpkin cannon - I used Windows Movie Maker and posted it to YouTube.  It was fun and I will have a link soon on this page so you can watch it too.  Back to school tomorrow – busy week!  DLT meeting all day tomorrow, 5th grade leadership conference all day in Ogallala and marathon IEP’s all day Wed – Fri.  Off to bed!  Until next time…

Hello world!

Hey – this is my first post on my very first blog!  My friend Neil showed me the light on blogging (I’m hoping to be half as dedicated to my blog as he is to his).  I am sitting here in Nashville at the T+L Conference (technology conf) learning about about a bunch of really cool technology that my teachers could use in their classrooms…too bad much of it is way to expensive right now.  I am anxious to start helping our students create Podcasts when I get back.  It’s really not that hard and I know the kids will have a lot of fun with it!  I just need to get a few teachers on board to help me out.  Well, I need to start learning how to modify my blog page.  Until next time…