#SAVMP Week 1

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I am so happy to be heading up the #SAVMP program this year! The School Administrator Virtual Mentor Program was started 2 years ago by George Couros. Amber Teamann headed it up last year and I am proud to take the reigns this year. If you have never heard of #SAVMP, be sure to check out the blog at savmp.edublogs.org. Weekly posts are available by searching the #SAVMP hashtag on Twitter. Be sure to read along with what our mentors and mentees are sharing, and please comment and join in the conversation. We learn from each other!

My Reflections on #NAESP15

I have spent the last 24 hours or so trying to digest the last week in Long Beach, CA with the NAESP15 crew. It is difficult to put into words just how important these conferences are, not just because of what you are learning but because of who you are meeting.

I do not enjoy meeting new people. I will just put that out there. I have a very high level of social anxiety, and meeting new people is a very, very difficult thing for me. Even being reunited with old friends can be very uncomfortable. Lucky for me, I've managed to find a great group of people in my learning network that make life just a little easier for me.

My husband and I arrived in California on Friday prior to the conference so we could enjoy some relaxing time in a state which I had never visited. We had a great time (received an immense sunburn!) and were easily on West Coast time when the conference came around.

Our small (but mighty!) group found a home on Voxer and in the Innovations Lab where the techies and want-to-be-techies were all made to feel at home. Dr. Joe Mazza and the MCDPEL staff have created an incredible place where conference attendees can network, learn, find help and find support. This group of people made the conference for me. It was an exciting subset of the conference and I am so proud to have been even a small part of it.

6 of us presented on a National Panel on Innovation and Connection. Ben Gilpin, Brad Gustafson, Amy Fadeji, Joe Mazza, Todd Nesloney and myself had over 100 educators in our room playing games and discussing some very deep concepts on getting ourselves and our students connected. Amy - and her mighty selfie stick - took a picture of the entire audience, and it was amazing. I am pretty sure they are still dusting off the peanut debris from the tablecloths.

I was able to meet in person some of the many people who have helped me on my journey. Melinda Miller, Lisa Dabbs, Adam Welcome, Joe Mazza, Rosa Isaiah, and so many more. Every one of them as beautiful in person as they are online, and I could not be more blessed to know them.

When I leave a conference, I find I need a "buffer" day. One in which everyone leaves in small bits as opposed to all at once. I feel that it makes the emotional part of leaving a large group you have spent every waking moment with *just* a little bit easier. This time was no exception. We had an extra day to say goodbye to our amazing group little by litte, and know that many of them we will see again in Chicago at EdCampLeader in just 10 days.

I cannot stress enough what I think many people miss about these large conferences. It IS important to attend the sessions, read the materials, visit the exhibit hall - take in everything that is being offered. But most importantly - create the relationships. These are the people who will continue the learning with you when you return home. Share ideas, share opinions, share the struggles. It is the easiest way to get through this job, and definitely the most enjoyable.

So, to Todd, Brad, Ben, Amy, Catina, Melinda, Kathy, Brandon, Adam, Jeremiah, Rosa, Lisa, Joe, Dan and everyone else I was fortunate enough to connect with....thank you. Thank you for helping me connect, keeping me connected, and giving me a LOT of laughs along the way.

"Send Last Location" with Find My iPhone

Apple added an awesome new feature to it's "Find My iPhone" security. "Send Last Location" is an option you can enable which will automatically send the location of the device to you when the battery is critically low. For a long time, the "Find My iPhone" feature was really only helpful as long as your battery was not dead. Now, you'll at least know it's ready to turn off and where it is at that point!

Go into Settings --> iCloud --> Find My iPhone --> Send Last Location

I have gone back through my school devices and turned this on for each of them. It is going to be a great help!

#EduVoxer Tutorial - UPenn MCDPEL

This is a really great resource put together by Joe Mazza and his team over at UPenn's MCDPEL - be sure to check it out if you have any questions regarding Voxer or it's uses!

http://midcareer.gse.upenn.edu/eduvoxers

#EmpowerED Institute

I will be presenting at the Corwin Press EmpowerEd Institute in Boston on August 6-7, 2015. Spike Cook and I will be presenting on Overcoming Isolation in Leadership and I will be presenting on Leading Your School from Your Mobile Device. It will be held at Grafton High School in Grafton, MA and should be an amazing event. I am looking forward to this as my first Corwin Institute! Corwin describes the event in this way:

"Cultivate empowered, adaptable, and self-directed learners through best practices in the use of educational technology and 21st Century pedagogy. Sessions at this two-day institute will focus on emerging trends and research-based strategies in leadership, implementation, professional development, and instruction."

Be sure to visit the registration page to sign up - you will not want to miss this event! Follow the hashtag #empower15 for up-to-date information and discussion.

#B@CKCH@NNELedu

Joe Mazza has done it again. He has created yet another amazing and educational resource for @MCDPEL as well as sharing it with the masses. #B@CKCH@NNELedu can be found on iTunes or on the website.

#B@CKCH@NNELedu is a "scenario-based" podcast running about 25 minutes an episode, and it uses real scenarios from real principals. It is based on the idea of Serial, the insanely popular podcast from WBEZ Chicago. After listening to the episode, follow the backchannel on Twitter at #backchanneledu. At the beginning of each subsequent podcast, the principal of the previous scenario comes back, discusses what happened in the actual scenario, things that were discussed on Twitter and other backchannels, and then the new episode begins. It is really quite interesting, very fun to hear familiar names and voices, and especially to know that we aren't alone in this.

Be sure to check it out - you will not be disappointed.

Image Credit: http://midcareer.gse.upenn.edu/backchanneledu

#MACUL15

One of my absolute favorite things about conferences (besides the knowledge and new ideas of course!) is meeting up with my Tweeps (Twitter friends) in person. It sounds crazy, I know ;)

This past week, I was able to meet up with Brad Gustafson, Ben Gilpin, Bob Dillon, Tom Murray, Erin Klein, George Couros and a whole bunch of others for a great few days of learning and sharing. Kudos to the #MACUL team for all of their hard work and effort. It really is an amazingly well-run conference and we thank you for all that you do!

One of the best parts of the conference was the Makerspace set up in Cobo Hall. This Makerspace included circuits, a giant scrabble board, playing cards, a 3D printer, and a life-sized Jenga game (which of course we had to play!). Brad and I had a great time in the Makerspace and it was one of my favorite things I brought home with me.














My Kindergarten teacher was collecting objects one day for her students to create with. I thought this was the perfect time to introduce a Makerspace! It was not as technological as most, but they had a great time! Check out some of their awesome projects!

If you aren't signed up for a conference anytime soon, you really must find one. It is so worth the time and cost.

Creating a Mobile App for Your School - Yea or Nay?

Once your website is published, you want as much information at the hands of your families as possible. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2015 "nearly two-thirds of Americans are now smartphone owners, and for many these devices are a key entry point to the online world." So, do you create a mobile app or not?

In my last article, I mentioned that I utilize Wix.com for my websites. They have a really great mobile site that could, for all intents and purposes, replace the need for an app. If you have other things you want to add to it, or really like the simple look of a screen with icons on it, you may want to look into building an app.
I have used iBuildApp in the past, and currently use Infinite Monkeys. I switched purely because of the pricing structure. I really liked the simplicity of iBuildApp and would highly suggest it for a starter app. As mentioned in my last article - be sure to take advantage of embedding things - it will make updating the app that much easier!

If you have more questions on app building or what it can be used for, be sure to reach out! principalstager@gmail.com.



Blessings!


Image Credit: Tsahi Levent-Levi
https://www.flickr.com/photos/86979666@N00/7809646882/

Keeping Up Appearances...on your Website

Your website is one of the very first places people look to find more information about you. They may look to Twitter or Facebook, but chances are your website is where they will end up. Be it professional or your school it MUST be up to date! It can be daunting to try and keep it up-to-date all of the time, and that is not helpful for those who are busy already!

Here are a few tips on how to keep it up-to-date without losing your mind.

1. Make sure your website is easy to use. I have Wix.com which was a little cumbersome to set up but is extremely easy to update.

2. Put information in a Google Calendar and embed it. Then you're adding it in the calendar and automatically updating the website.

3. Pictures, pictures, pictures! Of yourself, your school, whatever. People LOVE photos, and you don't have to continuously update them. Put them in a slideshow and let it go!

4. Embed, embed, embed! (See the theme?!) If you chose to use Vimeo, Youtube, Google Calendar, etc. - embed it. There is no use in updating multiple things if you don't have to.

Of course, mobile apps are also fun, but I'll cover those in another article.

What are your tips for easy website upkeep?

Image credit: www.visualinspiration.com

To Block or Not to Block.....

This week a conversation came up in a meeting with some parents from my school.  The question was regarding Newsstand on Apple's iPad devices.  The issue is this: there is no way to block it unless you restrict all access to the App store.  This creates obvious problems for school time when students are trying to download the educational apps for class.

Solution: teachers send home which apps are to be downloaded for the next day.  Not a huge deal.  Right?

The reason for the Newsstand restriction IS a good one.  The app allows covers of all magazines and a preview before you purchase them.  Our Catholic school students then have access to the covers and first few pages of magazines which they should not be accessing for free.  The covers are censored.

The educator in me says that if we teach them appropriately they will use it appropriately.  The parent in me says if we restrict it, they will find it more interesting.  The level-headed me says that these are school devices and I can understand the restrictions.

What are your thoughts on this?  I have already contacted Apple regarding the blocking of Newsstand (or even option to restrict) and no answer as of yet.

12 Days of Christmas and Appreciating Each and Every One

Jessica Johnson shared a Google Doc with me this morning on the topic of the 12 Days of Christmas. It was an idea she received from Melinda Miller and Jay Posick - a way to show your staff that you appreciate them each of the 12 Days before Christmas break.  I love this idea!  They don't have to be big, extravagant gestures, but just a little something to brighten their day. 

A few ideas are candy canes, personalized Christmas cards, letting them wear flannel PJs to school, etc.  I am sure my staff would LOVE this idea, and I cannot wait to get started.

How about our friends and family? Of course you can't buy a candy cane for everyone you know, but how about something simple like 3 compliments a day? Sending someone you haven't talked to in a while a quick note that you're thinking about them. I can guarantee that the person you compliment on their scarf or nail polish will keep that with them all day.  I sent a text to a few of my oldest friends the other day reminding them how excited I am to see them during our annual night out after Christmas, and how fondly I remember our previous ones. 

Who's day can you make today? What small gesture can you give that may turn someone's day around?

"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day."

~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Google Hangout Tutorial (2min screencast) #PrincipalPLN

Pernille Ripp sent out a tweet this morning asking for help with Google Hangouts.  It was as simple as creating a hangout, inviting people and sharing the broadcast link.  We do it with #PrincipalPLN each week but I forgot how tough it was to learn the first time!  I created a screencast and shared it, and here it is for you, too :)

Have a great day,
Theresa

Sending out an SOS!

I am sending out an SOS.  

This happens about twice a year for me.  I get involved in everything I possibly can (because that's what this job needs and deserves) and get emotionally invested in all of it.  I work my "side" job as a church musician which usually takes over my weekends.  This weekend had a wedding, our school auction, and all on the tail end of a week that I couldn't have found another second in if I tried.

I give up.

I cannot do it all.  I am not 16 years old.  I am 34, and I am tired.  Time for a break.

The auction is finally over, there is finally time to breathe.  Time for a break.  I need to get back to writing (because I want to), exercising (because I NEED to) and just slowing down a bit.  This week will be an 8-5 ONLY Principal week.  No evening meetings, no rehearsals.  Just a slight break so we can focus on what is really important and what comes next.

Do you need a break?  How and when do you take it?  As Ice Cube said: "Check yourself before you wreck yourself."  Be proactive.  We worry about everyone else, be sure to take a little time to worry about yourself, too.  

I guess it's more of a white flag than an SOS, but either way - thanks for the help :)

Time to #LoseTheSnooze

If there's one thing I do well it is hit the snooze button. I've done it as long as I can remember, I just really love to sleep! There really is nothing like feeling your body laying heavily in bed in the morning (especially on those cold Michigan mornings!) I've been trying my best the last few years to lose this habit. I just can't seem to shake it. No matter how much I know I need to get out of bed, I convince myself it makes more sense to sleep in and get those last few treasured moments, even though I know that I'll feel worse afterward.

That ends tomorrow morning with my alarm clock.

If there's one thing I've learned it's that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. It's time to stop putting things off, getting them done, and living and working like there's no tomorrow. That includes losing the snooze.



Special thanks to Jessica Johnson for the kick in the pants I needed!

Watch this video, and you'll want to #LoseTheSnooze with me:

http://ln.is/shar.es/8qbnE 

Staying Healthy to Outlast the Marathon of the School Year (#PrincipalPLN Episode 6 Season 2)

We are the best at taking care of others, the worst at taking care of ourselves. In this episode we share tips to take care of yourself first so you can be the best principal you can be to last the whole school year long!

Spike's book is out! Check it out: Connected Leadership: It's Just a Click Away

Jessica's blog post on The Miracle Morning

Headspace App for meditation

Relax with Andrew Johnson Lite

Books:  The Miracle Morning The ONE Thing

Podcast Audio: https://soundcloud.com/principalpln/6audio

https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/168804686&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true

Subscribe on iTunes!

#PrincipalPLN Episode 5 - Safety Principles for Principals

Episode #5: Safety Principles for Principals

What’s been happening?

On to our topic…

-“Safety 10” -Talk about it for 10 minutes at each staff meeting after they’ve all been in their classrooms.

-Have a way to notify parents instantly (auto-message system). ex: SchoolReach, BlackBoard Connect, Remind

-Monthly Mentor Checklist - applies to entire year, but have mentors discuss safety protocols with new teachers before the start of the year.

#PrincipalPLN Episode 5 - Safety Principles for Principals

 

Episode #5: Safety Principles for Principals

What’s been happening?

 

On to our topic…

-“Safety 10” -Talk about it for 10 minutes at each staff meeting after they’ve all been in their classrooms.

-Have a way to notify parents instantly (auto-message system). ex: SchoolReach, BlackBoard Connect, Remind

-Monthly Mentor Checklist - applies to entire year, but have mentors discuss safety protocols with new teachers before the start of the year.

#PrincipalPLN Season 2 Episode 4 - Twas the Night Before the First Day of School

In this episode we catch up on what we've each been working on, what we wish we would have done earlier so we aren't stressed now (the story of principals' lives!) and what is most important the first week of school.

Need some ideas on books to read in classrooms the first week of school? PrincipalJ shares ideas HERE.

Stay tuned for future podcasts on...

Staying Healthy to Outlast this School Year Marathon

Guest Hal Elrod, Author of The Miracle Morning

Series of podcasts on tips for being efficient

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcC67ZmCO5E]

New Episode - Let us help plan your first staff meeting (Part 2)

 Great resources for planning your first staff meeting of the year:

First Staff Meeting Ideas:

Pass the Buck

Notes to prepare for my first staff meeting (includes what I learned from What Great Principals Do Differently by Todd Whitaker)

Mr. Bean idea then have teachers “pack their suitcase”

Example of a staff meeting agenda

Personalities Matter--Tools

Example of agenda/plans for new teachers/mentor day

Flipped meetings

The First Five Days of School

Youtube Clips are always good to include:

https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSanfelippo (go to presentation videos)

http://www.principalj.net/video-clips-for-staff-meetings-2/ (blog post with a few and links to other posts with videos)

The Fun Theory

Kid Snippets Too Sick for School (search youtube for other funny “Kid Snippets”)

Penguins (for teamwork)

What Teachers Make

When I Become a Teacher (use with new teachers)

Kid President: Pep Talk for Teachers and Students

The Principal Meltdown

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipAI6MJwzz8]

The audio is available for download here: https://soundcloud.com/principalpln/principalpln-3a

My contribution to the ALS #IceBucketChallenge

I have completed my #IceBucketChallenge as challenged by Dr. Spike Cook.  I am not nominating anyone, but I challenge you to donate to a cause close to you and please send in a few extra supplies to your classrooms this year - either for the teacher to use or for the students who may need them.  You can visit the link below to view my challenge if you'd like.  

#PrincipalStagerOut!

 

 

 

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