Meet Your Students Where They Are.

As we talked about in the cultural proficiency training yesterday it is essential that we figure out who our students are. We began this journey a couple of months ago talking about ourselves and explaining what has shaped us into the people we are. We have also participated in an activity that forced many of us to feel the isolation that many of our students feel each day they walk through the doors at Antioch. Yesterday, we focused on how to meet our students where they are.

I challenge you all to take a minute out of your day to look at your class roster and think about the baggage the students you serve may be carrying. Take the activity we conducted and do the same for your students. Do the policies and procedures you have in place hinder these students' success? If so, what changes can you make to help them feel comfortable at school? Ask your students the questions Adam talked about. How do they feel at school, what do they think you value, what do they think their parents value? All of these questions should help you to better understand where they are. If we don't know where they are how can we meet them there?

I hope that the training was beneficial and you took what we discussed to heart. As Adam stated it is our job to prepare our students to be successful citizens. We need to reach them and pull them as far as we can. If they come to us with baggage, which many do, we cannot dump more baggage on them. Take some time and reflect and make sure we are helping to lighten the load of baggage the students are carrying. Go and meet them where they are and do the great things I know you all can do.

Birthday Reflection

I don't know when my birthday became a town holiday, but today was a great surprise. I spent the entire afternoon reading the comments you all wrote about me and my leadership style. I want you to know that each and every letter that you wrote touched me and helped to affirm in me that I am doing what is needed at Antioch. It is clear that you all understand what is important to me and I am thankful that I have been able to model those behaviors. I am touched that you all have the trust in me as a leader and I do not plan to let you down.

I often feel that I am getting credit for the great things that are happening at Antioch and I truly believe that I am only a small part of those accomplishments. Each day that I enter the building and look around I am amazed at the incredible staff we have acquired. Leading this team is truly an amazing opportunity and I thank you all for taking the time out of your busy days to write the kind words that you shared about me. This book is something that I will keep with me throughout my career.

Remain Focused

We are entering the stretch of year that always seems to beat us down as educators. With this said I want to remind you that morale is a state of mind that you choose. If you decide to be positive then that is what your days will be. If you decide to be negative or dwell on the challenges we all face then you will go home feeling beat down every afternoon. Stay positive and don't lose focus on the three priorities we have put in place this year. Pull small groups, integrate technology and expose your students to the world around them.

Pulling small groups is a great way to research what level our children are at. This can occur in guided reading groups, strategy groups for reading or writing or in math class. Taking the time to sit and listen to a child is a powerful tool. Integrating technology through the use of Mimio Boards, Promethean Boards, document cameras or any other tools that are available to you is an easy way to engage reluctant learners. When you show students these new tools and the world they open up they will become excited about learning and that is the key to success. Using these tools and others such as Skype you can bring the world into your classroom. This leads to our third initiative. Globalization and diversity. What are you doing to open the eyes of our students to the differences that exist among us and those around the world?

We are all here for one reason STUDENTS. Stay positive, bring the world into your classroom and make sure you spend time in small groups with your students. If you do these things you will end the year with a feeling of satisfaction, knowing you made a difference in the lives of your students.

Rules and Relationships

My message the week will be short and to the point. I want you all to think about your classroom. Are there students that just will not follow the rules? Do you have structured rules that the students understand? What type of connection do you have with your students? Don't just think about the kids that are easy to love, but those that are the most in need of our love, and those that are the toughest to love.

I am going to share a quote that was shared with me this week that could shed some light onto why we struggle with some of our students. Rules without relationships leads to rebellion while relationships without rules leads to a lack of respect and chaos. If you feel like your classroom can be chaotic or you have students that don't show you respect this could be why. Running a classroom with a fine balance of relationships and rules is challenging, but it is the key to well structured classrooms with the safe and comfortable learning environments.