A View from the Now-Retired Principal's Seat

I like gardens.   T o be clear, there is a difference between liking gardens and liking gardening .   (It’s not unlike fishing.   I actually prefer catching!)   Gardens are peaceful.   They bring beauty to our surroundings.   They smell good.   They tie us to the Earth.   They bring us food. My wife is primarily in charge of our numerous flower gardens.   She plants at least a dozen flats of annuals and nurtures perennials each year, and they are gorgeous.   The vegetable garden is my domain.   I like having a vegetable garden.   It seems to connect me to my family’s agrarian past.   I also like to model for our daughters that people must get their hands dirty in order for us to eat.    I like the smell of dirt, and I am proud when in the fall I can say, “I grew this.   I’m “providing” food for my family.”   In my never-ending combat with nature’s critters, I’ve learned to plant items that do not seem to attract rabbits, deer, woodchucks, or chipmunks.   So I plant garlic, beets

Everyone is working on something. This seems like a rather simple statement, but I’ve recently tried to see this through my students’ eyes.   Let me explain. Teachers and principals have many opportunities to watch and even help kids take risks and learn something new.   Like many schools, we have students who have learning disabilities or who are learning how to speak English.   Of course, we have students who are quick to master a new concept, and we have students who struggle to learn new concepts.   Each of these students is taking risks and pushing themselves farther than they had originally expected.   Fortunately, we have supports in place to help all of our students be successful.   I’m not convinced, however, that our students see all adults as learners.   There seems to be an unwritten rule in schools that adults know the answers.   In fact, I would suggest that same unwritten rule is shared in families.   Adults are wise.   We know what’s best.   It’s easier to

The following is from a parent email sent to a teacher in our building.   Many thanks to this parent for her permission to use her story and words.   Any changes I’ve made are mostly in parentheses and were only to make the story clear for everyone or to protect names of our students.   Read on, and be prepared to better understand my school, our entire staff, and all of our supportive, remarkable students and parents. I wanted to make sure that I shared this heartfelt moment with you regarding your wonderful class.  I was in (my daughter’s) class to take pictures and observe the 2nd Grade Bake Sale .  This was my first experience with it and what fun! Prior to your class arriving, there was a little boy that did not bring in cookies to sell.  I heard the teacher ask if he would like to go down to (another teacher’s room) during the bake sale or if he would like to stay and watch.  He stated he wanted to stay and watch.  In front of him, he had his red bowl for the kids to depos

Spring has sprung!  The daffodils are popping up, and the crocuses are in bloom.  In Michigan, where I am a principal, springtime is a glorious season.  It's magical to watch Michigan transform from season to season.  We cheer for the Detroit Tigers, and we anticipate the NHL playoffs (Go Wings!)  The grass begins to turn green, and the tress start to show their buds.  The April showers wash away winter which seems to have lasted forever, and...we finally start going outside for recess. Our students are some of the luckiest students in the world.  We have a great hill on our playground where the kids get to go sledding on wintery days, and we have some of the best noon-aides in the world who take our kids outside for 20 minutes each day as long as the temperature and windchill are above 0 degrees.  (FYI...0 degrees is still pretty chilly, but we're from "hearty stock" in Michigan!) Basically, our students get outside almost every day.  The problem lies in those pesk

Divorce.  Death.  Disability.  Tumor.  Racism  Hunger. Abuse.  Neglect.  Cancer. Suicide. War. This is quite a list, but each word reminds me of a student or even more than one student who in one way or another had to face these challenges.  Sometimes the student has had the cancer or been the victim of neglect.  Other times, the student has witnessed the death or the divorce or been part of a family who has dealt with the suicide.  Each instance, however, has tugged my heart and changed who I am as an educator.  Even more, each instance has changed who I am as a person . How do we support these students?  How do we nurture and help students to be the best learners they can be when they seem to face insurmountable odds?  The answers, of course, are not simple.  First, I keep an active prayer list.  It defines me and helps me cope.  Next, we offer professional help as much as possible.  We often collect money to help.  In every case of neglect or abuse, we report to the

"Daddy, will you hold my hand?" No words could have meant more to me last week as our two, pre-teen daughters and I were SCUBA diving during our Spring Break.  Both girls and I were making their first "night" dive.  We were part of a larger group, but the basic plan was to explore the rocks, corals, and wildlife between 35 and 60 feet underwater for the next 45-50 minutes...in the dark...with flashlights.  Night diving is exciting because many of the fish and other creatures under the sea are nocturnal.  You get to see everything in a different light...literally.  The entire experience, however, can be a bit unnerving if you're not prepared and completely comfortable with your training, gear, and plan.  Our youngest was clearly a little uncomfortable when she reached out to me with her hand. To be sure, I wasn't jeopardizing her safety.  She was ecstatic to be able to do a night dive, and I knew she had the skills to enjoy everything and be successful.