It's Christmas morning! Merry Christmas to all!
I was thinking recently about the differing perspectives on Christmas...the proverbial debate over the "true meaning" of Christmas. I got to thinking...isn't there room for it all? Yes, Christmas has become commercialized with Black Friday shopping now starting before Thanksgiving, and Christmas music on Mix 96 starting the day after Halloween, and Christmas store displays appearing even before that. And, no, Christmas should be ALL about getting presents.
And yes, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ for Christians and is celebrated in different ways by different cultures and religions. We indeed should observe that meaning of Christmas in the respective ways of our culture and/or religious backgrounds.
But isn't there room for all of it? Can't it be okay to celebrate the seriousness of the birth of the Christ child with the whimsical fun of Santa with the hustle-and-bustle of Christmas shopping for a gift for a loved one or friend? I think there indeed is room for all of it.
There is room for setting a budget and gift giving; there is room for church service and observance; there's room for Hallmark movies with family; there is room for ripping open gifts with children and grandchildren; there is room for spiced egg nog and Christmas carols. ALL OF IT IS IMPORTANT, and as we age the birth of Christ can be enjoyed right along with The Polar Express.
So it's Christmas, and enjoy the day and the yearly experience for all of the reasons - the fun and the solemn - because it's all good and there is room for it all!
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Monday, December 9, 2019
Cultural Competency Finale
So my final day of professional development training in what I now forever will call cultural competency was last Friday, and for me was the least meaningful of the three days. For most of the day, the presenter helped the audience to see the steps to have systemic application of the concepts for a school wide or school district wide implementation - a school improvement effort if you will.
The problem is that in school districts the size of Rockridge, a sustained school improvement effort is virtually impossible. The main issues as I see them is lack of funding and turnover. Lack of funding is fairly obvious...not enough money is thrown at the effort to create a lasting implementation. Turnover results in part to the frequent turnover of state mandates. The mandate that comes from state leaders this year will be gone next year, only to be replaced by a different or "improved" mandate the next year. Another turnover issue, though, also involves school boards, principals, and superintendents. At a school district of our size, those folks just aren't around for too long. Our principal is now is more of the abnormal than the norm. Administrators and school board members are normally around 3-5 years, and then its a new set of philosophies that emerge that think the last school improvement needs changed to something better.
So between lack of funding and turnover, real sustained improvement really is in the hands of the classroom teachers that value a particular emphasis. And when I retire, my replacement may have a completely different take on the value of cultural competency.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed this professional development series. It confirmed some ideas for me and gave me some new ideas to mull over. I had a chance to hear others speak and see an awesome presenter carefully turn a group of educators mostly unfamiliar with each other into folks who were willing to share views and feelings and ideas - often about very difficult topics.
If that's the last formal professional development I attend before I retire, it was a good one to end on.
The problem is that in school districts the size of Rockridge, a sustained school improvement effort is virtually impossible. The main issues as I see them is lack of funding and turnover. Lack of funding is fairly obvious...not enough money is thrown at the effort to create a lasting implementation. Turnover results in part to the frequent turnover of state mandates. The mandate that comes from state leaders this year will be gone next year, only to be replaced by a different or "improved" mandate the next year. Another turnover issue, though, also involves school boards, principals, and superintendents. At a school district of our size, those folks just aren't around for too long. Our principal is now is more of the abnormal than the norm. Administrators and school board members are normally around 3-5 years, and then its a new set of philosophies that emerge that think the last school improvement needs changed to something better.
So between lack of funding and turnover, real sustained improvement really is in the hands of the classroom teachers that value a particular emphasis. And when I retire, my replacement may have a completely different take on the value of cultural competency.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed this professional development series. It confirmed some ideas for me and gave me some new ideas to mull over. I had a chance to hear others speak and see an awesome presenter carefully turn a group of educators mostly unfamiliar with each other into folks who were willing to share views and feelings and ideas - often about very difficult topics.
If that's the last formal professional development I attend before I retire, it was a good one to end on.
Friday, December 6, 2019
December Random Thoughts
I weighed 213.4 lbs. this morning...a new low since starting intermittent fasting last February. I'm feeling great on the basketball court; I don't have the aches and pains, I'm not as winded trying to keep up with the kids, and I just feel more positive and energetic. I'm now actually concentrating on trying to get faster. My basketball officiating schedule has been brutal to start December, and I'm surviving and very pleased. The daily stretching routine and trying to get some strength training in 2-3 times a week is also contributing.
School improvement frustrates the hell out of me. I've been in this profession most of my life, and I just don't understand what has to be so challenging. It's a big, big project if its run poorly and too much is attempted to be tackled. It's a very simple and rewarding project if it's just kept small and specific. Our high school was labeled an exemplary school, but we are now going through school improvement - apparently in three areas - data decision making, school climate, and curriculum mapping. We had a half day Wednesday, and it was a total waste of time - nothing was accomplished that hadn't been tried before. Yes, data can be used to drive instruction, but the data has to be credible and reliable. Yes, data can lead to discussions, but the data has to be credible and reliable. Yes, teachers can use data to get to know their students better and more efficiently create groupings and generate differentiated remediation support, but THE DAMN DATA HAS TO BE CREDIBLE AND RELIABLE! So step one is to determine the best way to make the data be as credible and reliable as possible and then figure out a way to assess how credible and reliable it might be. And after that is completed, the other parts of the process can be started. Did I mention the data has to be credible and reliable?
Christmas isn't far away, and I'm fairly ready which is nice. I've got a lot of shopping completed, the tree and the lights are up, and I'm enjoying the Christmas music of the season. I might get some shopping in today.
I have my last day of professional development with cultural competency - at least that's what I'm calling it. I've enjoyed it and grown from it. Now, I hope I can just help my students more than I perhaps have done in the past. I'll post a new blog entry when I'm through.
I haven't written much because I honestly try to avoid writing rants (sorry about the school improvement rant above). I'd like these blog to be positive, and I'll keep trying.
Oh...I'd really appreciate the "extra" things in my life to not break - like Amber's car, the stove, the tire on the truck that seems to be leaking. I can get it all done, but I'd really appreciate an opportunity to maybe get ahead of the game of life rather than just trying to struggle to keep up. Maybe that's a Christmas wish!
School improvement frustrates the hell out of me. I've been in this profession most of my life, and I just don't understand what has to be so challenging. It's a big, big project if its run poorly and too much is attempted to be tackled. It's a very simple and rewarding project if it's just kept small and specific. Our high school was labeled an exemplary school, but we are now going through school improvement - apparently in three areas - data decision making, school climate, and curriculum mapping. We had a half day Wednesday, and it was a total waste of time - nothing was accomplished that hadn't been tried before. Yes, data can be used to drive instruction, but the data has to be credible and reliable. Yes, data can lead to discussions, but the data has to be credible and reliable. Yes, teachers can use data to get to know their students better and more efficiently create groupings and generate differentiated remediation support, but THE DAMN DATA HAS TO BE CREDIBLE AND RELIABLE! So step one is to determine the best way to make the data be as credible and reliable as possible and then figure out a way to assess how credible and reliable it might be. And after that is completed, the other parts of the process can be started. Did I mention the data has to be credible and reliable?
Christmas isn't far away, and I'm fairly ready which is nice. I've got a lot of shopping completed, the tree and the lights are up, and I'm enjoying the Christmas music of the season. I might get some shopping in today.
I have my last day of professional development with cultural competency - at least that's what I'm calling it. I've enjoyed it and grown from it. Now, I hope I can just help my students more than I perhaps have done in the past. I'll post a new blog entry when I'm through.
I haven't written much because I honestly try to avoid writing rants (sorry about the school improvement rant above). I'd like these blog to be positive, and I'll keep trying.
Oh...I'd really appreciate the "extra" things in my life to not break - like Amber's car, the stove, the tire on the truck that seems to be leaking. I can get it all done, but I'd really appreciate an opportunity to maybe get ahead of the game of life rather than just trying to struggle to keep up. Maybe that's a Christmas wish!
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