We are the Variables

“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.” - Haim G. Ginott

And we thought teachers do not have power. Haim Ginott is so right in his assessment of a teacher. Every day, we have a decision to make. Regardless of our mood when we get to school, we are the "decisive element in the classroom." We have to find ways to reach out to our students and provide an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. We must find ways to inspire our students to reach their full potential. I had an opportunity to visit several campuses in the past several months and one thing that I have found is kids are kids. The determining factor is what they teacher is willing or not willing to do. 

It's All About The Teachers

Henderson Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the Region as well as the state. We have teachers who truly care about the well-being of our students. They dedicate a tremendous amount of time and energy into seeing students succeed. I enjoy it so much when a teacher comes into my office and is truly concerned about one of their students. They are looking for ways to help a student.

As we look at enrollment trends over the past several years, we are up over 50 plus students. This increase in enrollment has nothing to do with what I am doing as a principal. This is all because we have great teachers. I have a wonderful staff and I am very blessed to serve as their principal. Thank you Henderson Middle School teachers for exemplifying excellence.

Kid's Capability

This past year, I asked my video editing class to create an inspiration video to show at 8th grade Graduation. I gave the teacher and students very little direction. I wanted our students to create and think outside of the box. The ultimate goal was to inspire the graduates as well as the audience. The first time I saw the video it gave me goose bumps. I was blown away with the quality of the video.

As I saw the video again the other day, it reminded me about how much we limit our student's ability to think outside the box.  We have everything so regimented that we miss the ability for the student's to get creative. I am not opposed to having everything planned; however, when we do this all the time, we miss out on so many great things that the kids could do. Kids are capable of so much more than we can ever imagine. Please remember that we should never limit our students. Give them free reign on their education and I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.  

Below you will find the video that they created. Hold onto your seats. You are going to enjoy the ride.

https://drive.google.com/a/hjisd.net/file/d/0Bx5HYQXhxmx_bFJ3eFBrd2ZXSGs/view

Thanks to Mr. Travis Gremillion's video editing class for inspiring me.

A Fresh Start to a New Year

New beginnings provide lots of opportunities, especially as a new school year approaches. I love the beginning of the school year. I always look forward to seeing the teachers, and students come back into the building. It is always good to catch up and find out what they did this summer. I enjoy hearing people's story. Everyone has a story to tell; however, no one really takes the time to sit down and listen to it. I am guilty of this a lot of times. I hope this year, I will make more of an effort to listen to what makes people who they are. This will provide me valuable insight into what makes them tick so I can help them achieve and be all they can be.

Marsha Petrie Sue says, "Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what it can be.This year can and will be great. We need to always remember Marsha's words. Every day, we have an opportunity to do something great. Do not worry about what happened yesterday. Focus your mind on the task at hand. If you need help, please ask. We would love to help you especially if you are asking for it.

 

Personal Learning Plans for Teachers

Nelson Mandela said, "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." The more you know, the more equipped you will be for whatever life throws your way. As educators, we have the ability to change the world one student at a time. This is why I believe it is important for all of us to continue our learning. Wikipedia defines learning as "the act of acquiring new, or modifying and reinforcing, existing, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information." We can never know enough.
I want all of the educators in my building to continue to learn and keep growing. If you are not learning, you are not growing.  

Welcome Back HMS Staff! 

I want to officially welcome all of you to the 2015-2016 school year! Summer has come and gone so quickly. I hope you enjoyed the time with your family and friends.    

I am honored to have the opportunity to return this school year as your Principal and I feel grateful to work with each of you. You are going to see drastic improvements ecstatically around the campus. They painted all the hallways, gym, and cafeteria. It looks fantastic.   

During the summer, I get to reflect on our achievements and work on improvement plans for areas we need to adjust. With us working together, I believe we can continue to be the best middle school in the region as well as the state. Parents and students are busting at the doors to get into Hardin Jefferson because all your success. I listened to a parent today who was pleading with me why we should them into our campus. It is shows me how great our school really is. 

I want us to continue to love on students and make a difference in student’s lives. That is why we signed up for this profession.  

One of my personal goals this year is to get our name out there. We have wonderful things happening on campus that our constituents know nothing about.  

The middle school years are the hardest years by far and that is why I love working with these students. This is a critical time in their development and that is why they need teachers who are going to love on them and care for no matter what. They are going to mess up. They will make wrong choices; however, it is our job to be patient with them and show them the correct way to act. 

I look forward in working with all of you to make this school year successful. I am committed to students and families as well as a love for learning. 

Check Your Passion

In Steve Gilliland's book called, Enjoy the Ride, his secretary approached him after a great annual performance review because she noticed there was no passion or excitement in his voice after finding out that he got a raise and another bonus. With this, she asked him a thought provoking question that would alter the course of his life, "If every job in the world paid the same, would you still be doing what you are doing?" He checked himself and realized that he did not want to pursue sales any longer. He wanted to "be in front of an audience motivating them to maximize their full potential, inspiring them to focus on their talents, and teaching them new skills and competencies." (pg. 2)

At the Texas Association of Secondary School Principal (TASSP) Summer Workshop this June, I had an opportunity to hear Steve Gilliland speak. It was a great opening to the conference and I was inspired to check my passion. As I think about the question, I had to be real with myself. Do I enjoy my job? Do I love what I am doing? Do I love whom I am doing this with? I was able to answer everyone of the questions with a "Yes!" I love what I do. I love why I do it; and I love whom I do it with. I want to make a difference in student's lives. This is why I am here. 

I saw an ex-student today as I was pumping gas at Kroger. He saw me and got out of his truck to come talk to me and tell me about how his life was going. He joined the Navy and is about to go into the Gulf to fight for our country. Before he left, he told me to continue to watch out for my students. It made me feel so good 1) that he took the time to approach me; 2) he wanted to share his story with me. This was a good reminder to me of why I do what I do. 

Strategies for Integrating Technology into your Classroom 

Not every teacher knows how to integrate technology into their classroom or for that matter really want to integrate it at all. Some teachers are satisfied just teaching the way in which they were taught. This methodology will no longer yield active and engaged learners. For the digital generation, technology must be incorporated or these students will continue to fall further and further behind. Our students have been surrounded by technology ever since they were in their mother’s womb. Ultrasound technicians were taking pictures of their children in 4D . This type of technology was not around when I was born. These students feed on the virtual world of technology and that is the only way these students with succeed. Teachers must find ways to integrate technology into teaching.  


In the book, Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom, the author(s) have provided us with strategies to help engage and motivate our students. “The best strategy for curriculum integration is to put the technology into the hands of trained teachers, make it easily accessible, and let them decide how best to use it at the point of instruction in their classrooms.” (pg. 338) Good pedagogy is still our number one priority; however, if you can find a way to integrate technology into you classroom, you will have much better success. 

The key is to decide how best to use the technology that you have. This is a very important concept that takes preparation and planning for it to be highly effective. “For technology integration to be successful, careful planning is required at all levels, which involves district-level planning, school-level planning, and classroom-level planning.” 

Every Tuesday during the school year, our two campus technology specialist equip our teachers to meet the ever changing demand of technology. It is up to the teacher to embrace the tools they have been given and turn it around in their classroom. Eric Sheniger says that "we must empower our teachers to use technology, not mandate it."

When I think about my school, I often wonder how I would do as a student. Would I enjoy coming to school every day? Is there a teacher or adult on campus that I could talk to if I had a problem or question? What group would I fit in? What club or organization would I belong to? Will I like my teachers? Will this school provide me the education/help I need?

These questions are only a few of the things that a middle school student thinks about. These are the questions we must have answers too. "Students at this age really want to flex their academic muscles and to feel competent and effective in the classroom. At the same time, they feel an equally strong pull to develop social connections in their peer group. The secret of a great middle school classrooms is allowing them to fulfill both of these pressing developmental needs." (Fires in the Middle School Bathroom, Kathleen Cushman, Laura Rogers, pg. 27) 

Do my classrooms allow them to do both? 

The middle school years are by far the hardest years in a student's life. They are confused and need someone to walk them through this journey. In the book, Fires in the Middle School Bathroom, Kathleen Cushman and Laura Rogers talk about some of the continual back and forth that middle school students experience during this time.

• Middle school students want teachers/staff to see them as mature, but many of them still look like children
• They want to be treated as more independent, serious young people, and they still want to have recess
• They want to learn really interesting, "hard" things, but they want to learn them through games and activities
• They want to be treated fairly-"just like everyone else"-and they also want us to make exceptions for them when they make mistakes
• They want our recognition for what they do right, but they don't want anyone else to see us give it. 
• They want to experiment with the rules. 

Can you see how difficult this age group can be to navigate? All the back and forth. I think it might be the only time in someone's life when they really do not know why they do what they do.

It is a challenge, but every day, I am given an opportunity to impact a student's life. I am a strong believer in getting to know the students' on a personal level. I want to know their names. I want to see how I can help them. I have a strong desire to see students succeed and make a difference in a student's life. When people find out that I am a middle school principal, they are always surprised. They often make comments like "there is no way that I can do what you do." I tell them over and over again that I enjoy what I do and do not want to do anything else. I am thankful and blessed to be in a leadership position where I can make a large impact on a student's future. Thank you for this opportunity.