Molehills out of Mountains

The relationship between perception and reality is not a new concept, nor is it rocket science.  There are numerous familiar quotes that remind us that attitude is everything. Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.  ~ Albert Einstein Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.  ~ Winston Churchill Excellence is not a … Continue reading »

Lately, being in my office has been causing feelings of claustrophobia.  The tether to my desk has seemed more like a steel chain – email, paperwork and a plethora of issues trapping me in a space that is reasonably effective for rote completion of tasks, but seems to squelch efforts at creativity. This has me … Continue reading »

I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy watching Phineas and Ferb with my daughter. I have seen many episodes, enjoyed the humor, but rarely have I had any “a-ha” moments while watching the inventive pair of boys, their pet platypus and his evil genius nemesis – Dr. Doofenschmirtz. This changed over our holiday … Continue reading »

I am probably the last person who should be writing a blog post on productivity – there are many who would attest to this fact. I often struggle to balance responsibilities and I frequently feel like I am scrambling to efficiently manage my time. That being said, I am also a firm believer in the … Continue reading »

As a school principal, I do my best to stay up to date with current best practices in the education field.  I read, blog and tweet.  I visit classrooms, interact with students, and utilize a shared leadership approach to administrative practice.  I try to create a school environment in which teachers feel comfortable taking appropriate … Continue reading »

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.  ~ Henry Ford The Edublog Award nominations are out, and with them, a flurry of blog posts and tweets making the social media universe aware that voting has begun, and addressing the pros/cons.  In the process of scanning some of these posts, … Continue reading »

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.  ~ Albert Einstein I am new to this “principal thing”, but I think I am slowly getting better — learning daily.  I began the year with grand ambitions and a broad vision about how we could improve our school.  It is a good school, but one that suffers … Continue reading »

This week, I attended the Virtual Schools Symposium (iNacol) in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Attending conferences, and leaving with a nauseating mix of frustration, excitement, confusion and a multitude of questions has become a common occurrence.  This conference was no different.  I am sitting on my return flight to Phoenix, sorting through a plethora of notes and … Continue reading »

Complacency is perhaps the most insidious form of educational malpractice.  While certainly more detrimental, instances of blatant disregard for students are relatively rare in comparison to teachers and administrators who are just “going through the motions.”  Most educators don’t set out to bore their students to death, cause embarrassment or humiliation, or meet out unjust … Continue reading »