One thing about life is that some days are better than others. It’s a common part of the human experience. The more variables in your life, the greater the chance of things not going your way. In spite of it all, we must push through and make the most of each day that we’re given.

Life is filled with the unexpected. One day everything is flowing smoothly, next thing you know, the unexpected is slapping you across the face. It’s not an easy place to be, but we have to keep the proper perspective. If we’re honest about it, we have far more good days than perceived bad ones.

How do you keep your head held high and perform at your job when things are not going your way? Take a moment to put things into perspective. Is this something I can solve right now? Have I ever been through a similar situation? Separating personal problems from professional responsibilities is not an easy task.

Our nature causes us to think of the worst possible scenarios when things do not go our way. If you work in a service oriented field, such as education, you typically don’t have time to dwell on your personal issues during the day. You’re expected to push personal matters aside and devote your time and attention to those that you serve. This can be a very daunting challenge.

Something that helps me push personal things aside is to remind myself that the people I serve are not aware of what is going on. Not to say that they don’t care, but I have a professional responsibility to serve others the best that I can. This may involve me spending a few minutes alone in my office to get myself together. Another thing I try to do is get out of the building. When dealing with life’s issues, I take a short walk around the outside of the campus. This often helps me refocus to make it through the next task.

Getting into the classrooms of teachers that exemplify what an educator should be is also helpful. Do not underestimate how seeing young people enjoying learning can lift your spirits. Our students love to talk about what they are learning when they are actively engaged. Seeing students and teachers engaging with the content and each other is good for the soul.

Trials of life are inevitable, but sometimes we have no choice but to push through. Most things, short of the death of someone close to you, can be managed while still fulfilling your professional obligations. Remember, as long as you are alive there are no bad days, just rough moments.

With anything that you want to get better at doing practice is required. When learning to play a video game there’s a certain amount of time needed to master the game. Learning to play an instrument or playing any sport requires a time commitment and repetition. I view homework the same way. In order to master certain skills, practice is necessary.

The topic of homework has become contentious. Whether or not to assign homework, how much homework is given, and how do we monitor homework are all common quandaries. As things change in education, how do we deal with this topic?

As a teacher I vividly remember checking homework. Students either did their homework routinely, lost it, or had some reason why they could not get the homework done. It could be a frustrating situation. I did all that I could to help students see the benefit in doing their assignments at home.

I gave only 4-5 questions, 2-3 nights of the week. We reviewed our Math topics during class, I have students time to work with classmates and individually, and worked with some students in small groups to aid in understanding the tasks. I still regularly had students not complete homework.

I understand the obstacles that some of our students face when it comes to homework. Some, no matter the support given at school, just could not figure out what to do on their own. Others had household duties to take care of once they left campus. Another group had team sports that kept them out late and another group that just lost what they were supposed to do.

Assigning homework is a lot easier now with the use of technology. How do we provide incentives for students to do the work? How do we help students and parents see the value in homework? I don’t have answers for these questions, but I remain hopeful about ways to improve our practice.

As educators, we would like all of our students to be intrinsically motivated to complete homework assignments. A partnership and strong communication between parents and teachers could help improve the rate at which students complete homework. Individual practice will always be a necessity for learning new material. Creativity and consistency is key to improve outcomes.

There are many schools of thought when it comes to grading. Teacher’s approach to grading can vary widely within the same building. Are there any grading practices that are wrong? Should there be a standard way of grading for all teachers? Is there really a need for grades?

Grading can be subjective. If you give five teachers a copy of an assignment from a student, you will probably get five different scores for that assignment. Teaching philosophy, years of experience, and possibly, the teachers own school experiences, are all factors that sway grading.

I have worked in a district that didn’t require number grades until students reached sixth grade. Student report cards reflected their mastery of topics of study for the marking period. While I understand the logic behind the process, there was a lot of confusion for parents and students alike. I often had to explain what the rankings meant when parents inquired.

There are benefits to a standard based grading system. There is more of a focus on mastery of skills. Yes, it takes more of a time commitment for grading on the teachers part. If done correctly, students will take pride in tracking their progress.

When it comes to grading, I believe, that the goal should be to work towards mastery of the topic of study. If students come up short then it is the duty of the teacher to help students reach their goal. Tutoring and reassessment are two ways to provide opportunities to reach mastery. Reassessments give students another chance to show what they know.

Grading systems that rely on percentages will probably always be around. This is not necessarily a bad thing. If there are solid teaching practices and multiple ways to demonstrate knowledge of a topic of study, number grading systems can be just as effective as standards based grading. The common factor is the willingness of teachers to provide the guidance necessary.

Debates about grading will continue to go on. Whatever side of the debate people fall into, the one commonality should be student learning. Whatever needs to occur for students to make sufficient progress, teachers should find a way to make things happen to benefit learners. Allowing students to fail without adequate opportunities to reassess or make up work is a practice that needs to stop. Let’s all make sure that we give students the very best chances to be successful.

Throughout our days there are a multitude of things that we deal with. Some of these things are planned and some come out of nowhere. Having a plan of attack helps take some of the stress away when it comes to dealing with the unexpected. The reality of working in a school setting is that things will always come up, how you deal with them can make or break your day.

The major difference in being an administrator and a classroom teacher is scheduling. As a teacher, you know what your schedule is. As an administrator, your days will vary. Having a schedule will help to focus your time.

ARD meetings, 504 meetings, parent conferences, and PLC meetings, are a few things that your days could be comprised of. While these meetings are important, you have to find a way to take care of other important tasks as well. How is this possible? I’m glad you asked.

When you begin creating your schedule, start with tasks that absolutely have to be done. Next, begin with secondary essential tasks. What are the things that you would like to do, barring an urgent situation? Here is an example of what calendaring your day could look like:

7:30 Student Arrival

8:00 ARD meeting

9:30 Classroom observations

11:00 Lunch duty

11:45 Eat something!

1:00 Grade level PLC

2:00 Office time

3:00 Student dismissal

This is just an example. Always build time into your day for the unexpected. Some things you may not get around to doing, and that’s okay. Flexibility is the name of the game. Calendaring your days and weeks will help you to be productive and stay focused on the important things.

The last month of the school year is usually filled with one activity after another. Students and adults can begin to feel anxious about the impending end of the academic year. While it’s great to break from the normal curriculum, teachers still need to incorporate classroom structure.

Somewhere along the line, some students and teachers began thinking that learning ends when state assessments have been completed. I’m not sure where this originated, but it’s a dangerous practice. I’m not saying that there should not be any fun days to end the school year, but there needs to be structure. How do we find a balance?

The weeks after assessments is a time for teachers and students to take a collective sigh. The key to keeping things from getting out of control is planning. Classroom procedures that have been in place all school year should not be abandoned.

One idea is to check the curriculum of the grade level that students will matriculate to the next school year. What will students learn at the beginning of the next year? This could be a no stress way to teach new content. Will students remember what they learned when school starts the next year? Some of them might, but it’s still a way to keep learning happening.

Secondly is project based learning. Students can use previously learned skills in a practical way. Students working together in groups to produce a product provides motivation to be an active participant in learning.

Lastly, are all of the fun things planned to end the school year. Field trips, awards days, and field day activities could keep students excited about their remaining school days. These are just a few ideas.

I am in no way minimizing the challenge of keeping students engaged through the end of the school year. Doing things that students enjoy while ensuring that procedures are still followed can help teachers keep their sanity. This can be an enjoyable time of the year if you keep the proper perspective and plan accordingly.

There’s a long standing joke in the education community that when a teacher decides to pursue a path into administration that their “crossing over to the dark side”. I know you’ve probably heard this countless times. Why is this the perception? Why the division between teachers and school leaders?

Teachers sometimes feel as though no one understands their plight. “Students are not progressing enough, there’s not enough time to plan, too many meetings, too much paperwork” etc. Yes, these things are sometimes true. Sometimes the demands may cause some teachers to doubt if their school leadership team truly has their backs.

There are decisions that are made in which teachers have very little insight. These decisions could possibly erode the relationship between teachers and administrators. It is sometimes hard for teachers to give their school administrators the benefit of the doubt.

Because teachers are not privy to some information, they have a hard time understanding why decisions are made. Their concern is how does this affect my classroom and my ability to do my job. This can lead to unfair assessments of what they think is happening versus what is actually occurring.

Part of the burden of leadership is seeing the entire picture. Administrators have to think of how decisions and school district policy affect everyone on their campus. To keep teachers from making assumptions, leaders must share as much as they can with their staff about decisions that are made. Sharing with your staff allows time to process and to figure out how implementation will look on your campus.

One of the main ingredients in a solid working relationship is communication. The other main ingredient is trust. Without these two components it is hard for any organization to be successful. Good administrators strive to build relationships and communicate effectively with staff members.

I believe there may always be thoughts of separation between administrators and teachers. If both parties are working on behalf of doing what’s best for students, then the rift could be resolved. Open communication and being on the same mission brings a level of understanding. Education has enough outside detractors, we need to make sure that we work together internally for the sake of our students.

Every aspect of our lives can be tied to relationships. From birth, we begin establishing relationships. Relationships are at the root of it all. Our relationship with people, food, money, all affect who we are.

In the world of education, relationships are the currency that shape a school’s culture. The relationship that administrators have with teachers, parents, and staff, the relationship that teachers have with students and their fellow teachers, and the school’s relationship with the community, all work hand in hand. The quality of these relationships determine a school’s ability to be successful.

Administrators set the tone for their campus. The ability to establish a positive relationship with teachers and other staff members is crucial. When teachers and staff members feel important and valued there is a ripple effect on their effort in the classroom and around campus. Showing genuine interest in the well being of the adults in the beginning models an expectation for the students.

Teachers set the tone for their classrooms. How do students feel when they are in class? Is the environment nurturing? Can the student be free to explore and make mistakes without the fear of embarrassment? The way students are treated has a direct effect on their achievement.

Staff peer relationships should be respectful. Is there a true spirit of collaboration? Can teachers hold each other accountable in a respectful way? Teacher’s interactions with each other should model the expectation for students. Students can tell when staff members do not like each other. I am in no way saying that you have to like everyone you work with, but there should be respect shown especially in the presence of students.

Creating an atmosphere where the community feels they are a part of your school can be helpful. Newsletters and inviting volunteers to campus builds your school culture. The relationship between your school and the community is a vital one. Parent and community support can be beneficial for all parties involved.

The relationships that are formed in a school community can either push a school to higher heights or pull the learning environment into a low place. Taking time to build positive relationships is well worth the time and effort. Have that conversation with a person in your building you don’t usually talk with. Reach out to that parent that can sometimes be difficult. Relationships are the bedrock of everything that we do.

All things come to an end. Sometimes, what you think is a good place to be in is not where you should be. In order to get to where you want to be you have to do things that push you out of your comfort zone. I have a few thoughts to share about professional growth.

When we have been doing something for a long time there’s a certain level of comfort that we gain. This can apply to daily routines, activities that we participate in, or foods that we like. Comfort in the pattern of life is not necessarily a bad thing. When it comes to your career, this could be detrimental.

Most people have a desire to do more when it comes to their careers. There’s a longing for promotion that one can have. If you have worked in a place for a while, there could be hesitancy to make a change. Sometimes change is necessary for your growth.

In education, there is a lot of competition for a small pool of positions. In some instances, the position that one may be seeking is not available in their district. School districts can be very particular about who they want to fill certain positions. There is often a hiring profile for openings.

During my career I have experienced success when stepping out of my comfort zone. I worked in one school district for fifteen years. During that time I developed relationships with people at every level. I tried for several years to advance my career, to no avail. I thought my connections, experience, and commitment to the district would help.

I finally started applying for districts and positions outside of my normal travels. While unnerving, it was also exciting. The possibility of a new start and new connections fueled me.

The courage to step out on faith has made a huge difference in my career. I truly believe that if I would have stayed in the same situation I would not be as far along in my career as I am currently. Then again, maybe I would. Who’s to say?

We often hear that a person is “not the right fit” for certain schools. This could absolutely be the case in some instances. You never know until you truly get to know a person . In the hiring process, district personnel go with their feelings and what they think they know about a person from an interview.

When it comes down to it, we all seek growth. If you feel that you are not growing where you are, seek other opportunities. You should not let your fear of change keep you from taking a chance. Sometimes, you truly have to go to grow.

Every business has a way to quantify how they are doing. The amount of revenue generated tells them exactly where they stand. Too often in education we do not use the right measures to truly know if we are helping students to learn and grow. There is value in being data driven.

District assessments, campus developed assessments, exit tickets, and informal assessments all paint a picture of what is happening in our schools. These are just a few examples of data that is generated. We can take this valuable information and use it our benefit.

Data does not have to be a dirty word. We should view assessment scores as a way to let us know exactly where we stand. Scores should also not be a secret to students. Teachers should help students to track their progress.

After any assessment, teachers should spend some time analyzing student results. Information can be broken down by standard or item type. Students can be given a data tracking sheet for their scores. When students know what they need to work on they can focus on improvement.

Assessment results can also help with small group instruction. The data gives teachers evidence of what students need more work on. No, this is not a way to group students into high, mid or low rankings. This is a way to group students by their areas of need.

Attendance data is another factor that affects student performance. Finding trends and other factors that sway attendance is a part of campus improvement. We could also look into how teacher attendance affects achievement.

Taking time to analyze data can have positive effects for teachers and schools as a whole. Your schools data is a starting point for developing an action plan for school improvement. There’s a lot of ways for us to look at things but numbers don’t lie.

No matter the situation we will always have incidents that lead to disciplinary action being taken in our schools. Even the highest performing campuses are not devoid of kids being kids. How do we respond when students misbehave? How can we ensure that we discipline students with dignity?

Discipline comes from the Latin word disciplina,which means instruction and training. Discipulus, another form of the word is the source of the word disciple or pupil. Oftentimes in our schools we are not being true to the origin of discipline.

There have been many programs and books written about discipline. Two of the latest programs in schools are Capturing Kids Hearts and Restorative Practices. Both programs are centered around relationships.

There is always a reason for student misbehavior. It may be a rough start to the morning with a parent yelling at the student, a lack of sleep from the night before, or anxiety because of struggles learning the material being taught. Misbehavior could also be from a lack of engagement. The content being taught could be uninteresting or poorly delivered.

Whatever the source of the behavior, we as educators are tasked with trying to figure out how to best help our students. Sometimes this requires a student to be removed from class. Other times the student can be redirected with a quick conversation with their teacher. Either way we have to sharpen our tools of engaging students to discuss what is causing them to act out.

The first question I ask students when I see them in my office is “What happened?” Usually students are upfront about the incident, but sometimes I get the response “I don’t know.” My next question is usually “What were you supposed to be doing?” Followed by “Why weren’t you doing it what you were asked?”

During the course of the conversation I am able to gauge what’s going on with the student and offer guidance. I often ask students to tell me how they could have handled the situation differently? We come up with strategies that could be used to help them respond differently should they encounter the same problem. Kids are kids and they need repeated reminders and opportunities to learn.

In most instances students are ready to return to class and continue their day. Sometimes the incident that occurred in class is more serious and requires that the student be removed. Even in those instances a conversation is required. A student that was angry and disruptive will of course need time to calm down. Once the student is calm there can usually be a conversation about the correct response.

Before a student goes back to class, especially if they have been removed, there should be a reentry plan. If possible, a conversation with the classroom teacher about expectations would help. This could also be an opportunity for the student to share their thoughts.

I know that teachers question why students are brought back to class after an incident. Students are on campus to learn and what they need to learn often cannot occur in an administrators office. If the student had articulated what caused their actions and they are now ready to learn, they should be welcomed back into class, within reason.

Out of school suspensions, while sometimes necessary, should be a last resort. The goal should always be for students to get as much instruction as possible. That’s hard to do when a student is always out of class for disciplinary reasons.