Patience In Third Gear #savmp

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Do you ever feel like a Ferrari in third gear? Cruising along the boulevard, feeling pretty good - but knowing that you have three more gears in the transmission and you really want to see where they take you. You have enough road in front of you, plenty of gas in the tank and it's time to shift.......

But you can't. Maybe you're worried you'll drive too fast and get pulled over. There's a stoplight up ahead and it's about to turn red. Or maybe you work in education?

In the education world, the Ferrari in third gear feeling happens on too many occasions. I talk with way to many school leaders who feel the same and are in the same position.

Ready to shift - ready to open it up - ready to blow the doors off - ready to see what they can do - see how fast they can drive - see how far they can go. But they can't.

They have someone telling them no. It's too fast, you need to slow down. You need to have PATIENCE. You need to wait. Focus on the nuts and bolts. No new ideas please. How will that raise test scores?

How many 4th graders do you know that talk about their test scores on the weekend? How many kids tell their grandparents what their standardized test scores are? I. Don't. Know Any.

What they do tell them about are the awesome Genius Hour projects they're working on in class. How they just started using Minecraft Edu in the computer lab to build their California Missions and they LOVE it! How they're coding in school and the Hour of Code is finished, but they're still coding in school! How they have Sphero robots in class and their teacher has them program figure eights as a way to teach math and problem solving!

How can we in good conscience slow down when we're talking about kids? When we're trying to move the educational program forward for kids! Open up doors and opportunities for kids! Expose kids to new programs and ideas that will make them even more excited to be at school.

Wanting to shift into a higher gear for kids is an educational right they deserve!

I'm patient for the tulips in my garden to bloom - my crock pot takes all day to cook - long term financial investments take patience - watching the lakes in California fill back up after our drought takes patience - but having patience to support kids in school with new and innovative ideas should not take patience.

It should be a priority that we make for our kids. It should take precedence over everything else we do. It should be number one on our list. It should be the mission and vision of every school and district in our country. It should be what we strive for as educators. We're in the business of opening doors for kids, showing them what's possible, how far they can go - you can't do that if you're stuck in third gear.

It's like that scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off - there's this beautiful sports car and it never gets driven. A car is meant to be driven, especially a convertible. See what it can do, open it up and get after it!

Go get after it for kids, they deserve it,  need it and want it!

My Dad #savmp

There's a ton of amazing things happening in my personal and professional life right now, I wish my dad was here so I could share with him.

Growing up in my dads classroom was awesome, he taught 2nd and 3rd grade for 35+ years in West Contra Costa Unified School District. I can remember visiting his class when I was younger than his 2nd graders, thinking they were so big and cool! I also thought my dad was super cool - a teacher, in charge of these twenty kids each year. Talking with them, molding them, modeling for them, teaching them violin, being an all around role model really.

Many of the students in my dads class had pretty rough home lives. Only one parent at home, no parents at home, jail - I can remember him telling me the stories. Being a teacher is like being a dad sometimes. I even feel like I'm a mom sometimes at school, I'm pretty sure my dad played that role for his students all those years!

There's no doubt that I'm in education today because of the influence my dad had on me. My dad has been gone four years now, he's already missed so much over that time, but just last week is when it's really starting to be real.

The crazy thing is that I called my dad every single morning on my way to school. He was usually at home and hadn't left yet, but we'd talk about school, lessons, colleagues, kids, current events, politics and of course traveling.

I think it really hit me this week because I have quite a few really big things happening in my professional life right now (I can't announce some of them yet) and he's not here for me to tell him. My mom is my other best friend and lives only eight minutes away from me, but for some reason it isn't the same talking about my educational accomplishments.

My dad would understand - he was an award winning teacher himself. My dad was awarded the Warren Eukel Teacher Trust award in 2000 which is a pretty big deal in the Bay Area. He was always the best celebrator too! Whenever something awesome happened to myself or one of my brothers, he was there with flowers, balloons, a new laptop, pizza, coffee, a flight to Ireland, anything that would make us feel special!

Cancer really sucks, my dad fought for five years and it finally took his life. All I can say is that I'm the husband, father and educator I am today because of him. I may not blog enough, respond to enough Tweets, chime in on Voxer enough - it's because I'm focusing on being a husband and a father. Just hoping I can be as awesome as my dad was for me!

My dad had a sign on his classroom door that said - "Only Kind Words Allowed" Our Kids Deserve It message today is dedicated to my dad.

My dad and I hanging out in Dublin, Ireland!

Last photo with my dad in San Luis Obispo, he passed away two weeks later. 

How Voxer Has Changed Our Life #PrincipalsInAction #savmp

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All of us at some point have been skeptical about something, until that moment when we 'Drank the Kool-Aid' either in our professional or personal lives! I've heard many educators tell me they signed up for Twitter and didn't really understand it for two years. It took that one interaction to get them hooked and start using with fidelity.

Being a Principal can be extremely lonely, there's always questions or ideas that you want to bounce off of someone else - it can be super isolating.

If you choose to be on administrative island in 2016, that's totally up to you. If you haven't heard of Voxer, or you aren't connected with your colleagues on Voxer - You. Are. Missing. Out!

There's a tribe of Principals from around the country that talk, collaborate, cry, laugh, commiserate and discuss Principal life every single day. We've all drank the Voxer kool-aid, it's changed our lives and it can change your's too! NAESP even recognized #PrincipalsInAction as a Top Twitter Hashtag to Follow in their January Communicator - our Voxer group is rocking too!

Listen to the Principals below tell you How Voxer Has Changed Their Life! Sign-up, get your colleagues signed-up, don't make excuses, get connected now and deepen the conversation - because kids deserve you to be connected!

Please listen to them all, it was amazing compiling these responses from my fellow Principals, most of whom I've never met in person, but I feel like we're all friends!

I Sometimes Feel Alone - It Makes Me Sad #savmp

Not everyone will understand how I feel, it's not that typical type of alone feeling. It only really comes about when I'm in large groups, and with people who I know in real life. Don't get me wrong, the people are smart, passionate, energetic, caring and great to be around. We have good conversations about kids, curriculum, leadership ideas and much more. That alone feeling comes when I know many of them aren't 'connected' - they're missing an entire conversation that's happening behind the scenes. We're missing out on conversation together, it could be much deeper. It's so hard to have deep conversations with people you only see or talk with once a month.

I'm in a room full of people but I feel alone -

Where does this feeling come from? I feel more connected to other educators who are hundreds or thousands of miles away. It's because I actually talk or interact with those other educators more! My daily Voxer conversations with Principals keeps us updated on each others lives. We know what their wins are and also what they're struggling with. Those details about their daily Principal life is important. 

Sometimes it feels like I know little secrets because I've already read about the articles/ideas being discussed. Or already talked about the articles/ideas with others on social media. Or maybe I've even connected with the author or speaker we're talking about on social media - that's actually most often the case. I want to speak up and tell others about my interactions, but I sometimes get that 'alien look' and decide to not raise my hand. I want to let others in on the secret, but if you're not connected you really won't understand. 

I want others to understand the power in connection, how easy it is to connect with others, how powerful it is to connect with others, that I wish we were more connected and not just during our once a month obligatory meeting. We only get together with the 'in real life' colleagues once a month or so. And when we do, it's usually a scripted conversation, following an agenda, making small talk, it's a very un-connected conversation. It can make me feel like I'm alone.

It would be such an extreme challenge to work as a Principal without Voxer. I couldn't imagine being where I am today without Twitter and all the amazing connections I've built.

Every awesome opportunity that happens to me in my professional life is because of my social media connections.

Even though I feel alone sometimes when I'm in large groups, I'm thankful for my behind the scenes connectedness, it's what keep me going, day

This continues to be my favorite Twitter Story video and can't believe it only has 12,000 views. Get connected, discover the possibilities, you'll feel more connected, I hope I feel less alone!

Start With An Idea - See What Happens

If you haven't seen the video below it's amazing, check it out! It has almost 10,000,000 views in just a few days!

You should now take the time to watch this next video below. Watching all of it would be great, and really at 10:03 is why I'm writing this blog post.

Casey Neistat is amazing, super creative, hard working and tons of energy. He makes a vlog everyday and posts to his YouTube channel, chronicling his life and adventures. All of his daily videos don't go viral and have millions of views, but this one did.

It all started with an idea Casey says! 

What's your idea? Do you have an idea? I'm sure everyone has an idea they would love to see into fruition? What do you need to make it happen? Money? Time? Support? Confidence? Colleagues?

I challenge you to take off with your idea! Talk about your idea with others and see where it takes you. Start small, but you must start, one foot in front of the other. You got this, make it happen!

I Cried Last Week #KidsDeserveIt #savmp

I'm blogging about this event because I don't cry very often, it's rare. It's not that I try to withhold my emotions, my tears just don't flow that often.

Last Saturday I was invited to an Eagle Court ceremony for a student I had in 4th grade, he's now a senior in high school and applying to colleges. To be honest, when the invitation came in the mail I started to get choked up, this kids meant/means a lot to me. There hasn't been a student in my career that I've spent more time with. It's been eight years since he was in my class and I still think about him a lot - and I'm so proud of who he's become.

It all started when he was in 3rd grade and I'd see him at recess or outside of his classroom because he was in 'trouble.  I knew right away he needed to be in my class - I needed him in my class. He glommed on to me pretty quick as well, his teacher in 3rd grade wasn't very nice to him, he needed to be in my class for sure.

I can still remember that first day of 4th grade, he was the first one in line when the bell rang. Ready to see our class for the first time, smiling ear to ear, excited beyond belief - I was too!

It wasn't all smooth though, we had some major challenges with behavior, academics and self esteem throughout that year. When the first report card came out his mom was at my door right after school. She gave me a hug and said he'd never had a report card like this before. The positive comments, good grades - her son was so excited for school everyday already and now this awesome report card.

He'd earned it - sometimes all a kid needs is to have someone believe in them. To help them find their awesome that's already inside.

Fast forward eight years and his mom is speaking during the Eagle Court ceremony. She's talking about the men in his life - dad, grandparents and then she starts talking about me. I couldn't hold back anymore and really started crying. Like I hadn't cried that much since my dad passed away a few years ago. These were tears of joy, celebration, excitement, pride and so much more.

After the ceremony I went on stage to congratulate him in person. He gave me the biggest hug and thanked me for always believing in him. Are you kidding I said, I'm so proud of you!

I know our paths in life were meant to cross, he needed me and I know for a fact that he's made me a better educator/person/dad with our experiences that year in 4th grade.

Educators - take the time, go the extra mile, put in the work, build those relationships, connect with kids. They won't remember what grades they earned, their scores on a standardized test or how many words they spelled correctly every Friday. They'll remember how they were treated, if they knew you cared about them, if you made school fun and exciting. It's not about the grades, it's about the relationships we build and how we make kids feel. Be awesome for kids - they deserve it!

KDI Minds Collide #KidsDeserveIt

Kids Deserve It! 

 Writing our last chapter!

Sometimes things just fall into place.  It doesn’t make sense all the time, but it always seems to happen at just the right time. The important thing to remember is - just go with it, there’s a reason it’s all happening!

Who would have known that six months ago, we would have met face to face and hit it off so well at NAESP?  That it would have led to the creation of Kids Deserve It and a book deal?

That the working relationship would turn into a friendship where it was like we’d found our long lost brother.  Where our world’s began to collide on more than just a work level.

This weekend we finally had the opportunity to spend some time in person together since July!  And even more than that our families got to meet as well.

But the best part came the next day.  On Saturday our families collided and we spent the entire day touring San Francisco.  We visited the Golden Gate Bridge, rode a cable car, walked the streets, saw thousands of Santas, rode on BART,  ran to Twitter Headquarters, and even rode (yes, all 6 of us) in a Pedicab.

And as we sat across the table from each other writing the ending of our book on Sunday morning while Adam made blueberry pancakes, it all hit us.  Look at the world we live in.  A world where when we choose to connect with others and put ourselves out there, we can really find something special.

Over the last six months our worlds have been flipped upside down.  There’s so much awesomeness that has happened.  And this weekend, spending it together with our families, was only a further reminder of even greater things to come!

So please remember - take the time to connect with people in person. With Social Media we all have so many ‘friends’ and it’s the real friends that we believe truly make the difference. They make you a better person for  you, your family, your job and for those around you everyday.

Be awesome, connect with others, practice gratitude and don’t forget to smile - you deserve it!

Writing + breakfast at Adam's house!

 Pedi cab with both families, thanks to Chris for pedaling us!

 Everyone loves a cable car ride!

Golden Gate Bridge

The Welcome's