Edu Change & Student Advocacy

     With so much changing and evolving daily in education, as well as the world as a whole, we are naturally also looking for the constants. What are things that will seemingly always be relevant to the success of those working in and experiencing EDUCATION?      I was recently reminded of one of those constants. It’s really one of the foundational themes for those that work in education. This is the idea that we are SERVANTS. Our mission, our passion, our purpose and our calling have to be based on the overall idea of serving others. Education is a service-oriented endeavor.      With educators, or anyone working in education, this appears to be the simple dividing line. Educators and employees of educational institutions who view themselves as serving others tend to be more successful, happy, respected and fulfilled. Those that often get in trouble (moral or legal indiscretions), or whom have large amounts of dissatisfaction, te...

     A number of years ago, a science teacher colleague of mine asked an elegantly direct, but poignant question. He said, “Why can’t all school be more like sports and performing arts?      At first, I thought he was just referring to the engagement aspects. In addition to those huge advantages, he was also referring to assessment aspect.     Why did sports and performing arts work so well for so many students? The answer is that they were REAL.      Yes, they had to practice or rehearse, but there was the game or the performance. There was a real assessment in the end. The result of the game, concert, show, production or performance was understood by all; including participants and spectators. That’s right, the assessment was not only REAL, but it was public. And being public makes it more REAL right?      So, are sports and performing arts the only areas in school that are traditionally REAL? ...

     As an educator, it has always bothered me when another educator makes blanket negative or critical proclamations along the lines of “students are just lazier than when we were in school” or “students are not interested in learning or working.”      Indeed, I have also been bothered when people from one generation make fun of a younger one just because things are different or have changed. As an example, the older generation is always disgusted with the younger generation’s music, dancing, clothing styles and more. This is normal and predictable.      But when it comes to education, these types of statements or ways of thinking are more damaging and dangerous. Teachers should know better. Are students often lazy, unmotivated, uninterested, disengaged and even seemingly apathetic? Sure, they are. Were we not the same when we were students? If one’s memory is lost, then let me reassure you that we all were lazy, unmotivated, uninteres...

     For years, teachers and educators have pined for students to be more involved, engaged and interested in their learning and education. Well, that time has come and we better be ready.      Recently, I received an e-mail from a 7th grader detailing to me why he’s ready to not only start high school today, but what his expectations are for the learning experience once there. I will return to the words and inspiration from the 7th grader in a minute.      Education writer Marc Prensky identified this shift years ago when he wrote the now classic Engage Me or Enrage Me where he identified the changing tide in students as learners.      We are seeing the end of a student generation that operated in or even excelled at the world of compliance. Essentially, their expectations from school and learning were much different than now and arguably lower than what see represented in the shift. This is the last of the generati...

     DATA – one might be hard-pressed to find a more overused word in education during the last 15 or so years. Right?      Traditionally over the last 15 years, this buzzword has been hotly associated with the high stakes-testing environment and was primarily referring to how students did on a variety of standardized tests.      Sometimes, we also collected and evaluated data related to grades, GPA’s, graduation rates, dropouts, attendance and more.      But as education works to become more relevant, I think the time has come to collect and analyze data that could be much more meaningful and applicable to all stakeholders including students.      Here are a few examples of the type of data that we begin gathering in this new paradigm: · Student Survey Data on everything from teacher support, course satisfaction and engagement, course ideas, project ideas, instructional practices, school safety, techno...

     As an educator, I have learned a great deal from many sources.   Indeed, it has been a lifelong journey in on the job training , courses, studying, sharing, collaborating and more.         First and foremost, I have learned so much from my students.   In my 23 years, I have been emotionally, spiritually and intellectually inspired, challenged and motivated by the lessons that my students provided.   Whether it was from that first Journalism or English 10 class in 1990 or from the iPad-slinging freshman from the class of 2017, I learn from students everyday.      I have also learned from colleagues continuously.   Educators are a tremendous resource as long as they share with one another, collaborate with one another and keep an open mind.   They are the people who test potentially life-changing ideas everyday with students.   Thankfully, my first principal taught me how to say “yes” instea...