Tier 1 Add-on Blog Summer 2017

     I had a hard time getting started on this class (EPEL 8970).  When I saw that the assignments were summaries of standards, I nearly gagged.      At this point, I’ve been doing this for long enough that I’ve been through several revisions of the standards for my subject and of the general evaluation rubric for teachers.  I’ve always had a hard time stomaching these things.  The standards are generally a very convoluted way to state the obvious.       When the TKES standards came out, I looked them over, got a headache, put them in a drawer, and virtually never thought about them again.  With that approach to the standards, I’ve been rated exemplary every year since they came out with a couple of those years being given a perfect score.  With all the emphasis on standards in our profession, how does this make any sense!?  It’s because the standards state the obvious.  If I’m doin...

     I’ve finally decided to take the plunge.  When I came into education, I knew that at the right time, I would need to step up to be a leader.  Now that I’m entering my 15 th year of teaching, I’ve finally started to feel like I’ve built my teaching chops to the point where it’s time to take positive steps towards reaching a new goal.  Even just a couple of years ago, I felt like I still had some important lessons to get from the classroom, and I wasn’t quite ready yet.      I’ve known that at some point, I’d have to go back to school to get the certifications I need, and that has been a stumbling block for me.  I would have done it years ago, but I’ve been very concerned about managing my time.  I work long hours as a teacher – as I’m sure many of us do – but I also work almost every evening as a private tutor teaching music lessons, so my work weeks commonly top 70 hours.  I feel strongly about all of the work t...

Zane Shelfer When I think about what I'm passionate about in education and contemplating educational leadership, I think about the work I've done for 19 years. I've been employed by the Department of Juvenile Justice School System as a teacher, school counselor, Director of Student Support, and now Assistant Superintendent during those 19 years. It has been and continues to be an incredibly rewarding career. Working with marginalized youth in those different capacities has taken the fulfillment and responsibility that we all feel educating children to another level of advocating and supporting students who for various reasons have become involved in the juvenile justice system and don’t have a voice. When I was summarizing and interviewing for the assignment of GELS Standard 3 about recruitment and development of teachers and staff becoming leaders, I thought about my own experience. After working for 14 years in a detention center, I was recognized as having leade...

Samantha Clay Blog 3 A recent success I’ve had has been transitioning from a school-based position to the district office.  In just a couple more weeks I will have completed my first year in a new role supporting School Test Coordinators (typically Assistant Principals in my district) with the implementation of national, state and district assessments.  I knew from the moment I saw this position posted last summer that this was the position I was born for.  I’ve had the most amazing year learning, growing and making so many new connections.  On top of that, I’ve been able to transition to a role where I spend a lot of time training and developing adults and collaborating with other departments such as IT and Curriculum, which has allowed me to apply things I’ve learned in my MHRD, MPA and EdS programs as well.  I’ve been able to meet all the goals I set out to accomplish this year and look forward to adding more responsibilities and partnering with other ...

Stephen F. Fusco My formal lawyer training taught me to think ahead and prepare for what is coming down the line.  While this is a good skill in a courtroom, leading with a mindset towards the answer is an ineffective strategy.  I recently read an article entitled Learning to Listen by Safir (2017).  The article identified four different leadership styles that drive certain types of action.  The peacekeeper approaches leadership much like Switzerland.  The focus is on relationships, bending to the loudest voices and avoiding hard conversations (Safir, 2017).  The manager is much like a robot and keeps things running smoothly while also complying with all directives and mandates (Safir, 2017).  The driver is the third type of management style and a leader who embodies this type of focus has a strong sense of urgency and a leads with a decisive style (Safir, 2017).  Prior to reading this article, I would put myself in the driver category....

After reading posts on this blog and a few others I monitor, I wanted to provide some general feedback. Please put your name at the top of each blog.   Be sure to edit carefully!   Remember the blog guidelines ( here ).  Posts should be 300-500 words. Post about things you are truly passionate about and/or things you have questions about.  This is a reflection blog! Happy writing, Dr. Sauers

Beth Maffei Organization is something I struggle with EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!  I start out every school year with the thought in mind that this will be the year that I am super organized.  Papers from meetings will be filed. Student papers will be assessed and commentary done in a timely manner.  When copies are made, hard copies will be immediately filed.  There won't be stacks of paper, books, folders, etc. just laying around. I have a plan and I start out strong.  But then reality sets in and by October the classroom looks like a war room! I know where everything is but it looks like a disaster!  And it drives me crazy. I also have plans for organizing my time in a more efficient manner. I have a paper calendar, an online school calendar and a google calendar.  I won't double book. I won't be late. I won't forget that something is due.  I start out strong and then it's October and I'm consistently checking calendars and/or double booking. ...

Samantha Clay Blog 2 – School Climate School climate, which is the quality of school life, has been a topic of interest to me over the past few years.  With the CCRPI and the School Climate Star Ratings, this has been more of a focus for schools due to these accountability measures set forth by the GA DOE with the anonymous, statewide survey instruments that identify safety and health issues that have a negative impact on student achievement and school climate.  In 2011, Georgia was the first state in the nation to include school climate as an early indicator in its academic accountability system.  A body of recent research has shown that positive and sustained school climate promotes students' academic achievement and teacher retention, which itself enhances student success.  While completing my Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction, I conducted research in an attempt to link academic improvement with the implementation of a social-emotional learning (SEL) ...

While many educators enjoy the calm down time of "summer vacation" (no classes, no students, free time), I embark on my Tier I Educational Leadership certificate as well as my EdD in educational leadership with all of its demands (summer school, blogs, papers, discussions, presentations).  While some argue I am a glutton for punishment, I choose to view this journey as an ever-evolving process to redefine my role in society and the world.  This morning was no exception!  While many of my colleagues posted pictures on Instagram at the pool or some sunny destination, I woke up at 6:00 AM to participate in a podcast with a GSU professor regarding the use of mindfulness as an intervention in the classroom.  At first glance, this might not seem like something related to the role of an educational leader; such an assumption could not be further from the truth.  As an educational leader, it is my responsibility to drive the future of education.  To this end...

I was reading an article on Scientific Learning about Poverty in Education. According to the article, “Today, low-income students are four and a half times more likely to drop out of high school.” In Georgia, 60% of students are living in poverty. If you aren’t from Georgia, you can check your state’s statistics by clicking this link. http://www.southerneducation.org/Our-Strategies/Research-and-Publications/New-Majority-Diverse-Majority-Report-Series/A-New-Majority-2015-Update-Low-Income-Students-Now Other Alarming Statistics The 14.7 million poor children in our nation exceeds the populations of 12 states combined. ·        In 2013, 15 million children in America lived below the poverty level ($23,834 a year for a family of 4). ·        1 in 5 children live in poverty. ·        SNAP benefits average less than $1.40 per person per meal. So far, I’ve only worked in schools were chi...

Ecen though the Law, Governance and Policy class was only three weeks, I learned so much.  My eyes were open to so many different areas that I never really new.  It was good to become more knowledgeable about policies because it will help me become a better educator and leader.  I found myself looking back on behaviors of myself and others, and realizing areas I could have done better.  But, that's the beauty of it all.  When you know better, you can do better.  It was an awesome experience and the case study method really challenged my thinking.  So glad I decided to pursue this add-on.

Samantha Clay Blog 1 – Quiet Leadership Growing up as an introvert, the classroom could be both my favorite and my least favorite place.  I was a very good student and loved to learn, so when given independent assignments, projects or assessments, I flourished in my element.  Then there were the times when collaborating with classmates nearly drove me mad and times when being required to speak up in a discussion or provide an answer for participation points made the classroom a nightmare – why couldn’t I just turn in the work I had done on my paper instead?  I frequently knew the answers and, of course, I had opinions, but I’d rather write them down than shout them out.  The classroom was frequently too loud and I didn’t feel the need to add to that.  I often found myself getting tired of hearing the same students speaking at every possible chance they were given, often blurting out the first thing that came to mind without even thinking.  I, on the o...

Summary of Board Meeting             I attended a School Board Meeting for Rockdale County School System on Thursday, May 18, 2017. The meeting was held at Heritage High School in the auditorium. The stage was set with a podium on the left side. In the middle of the stage there were four tables and each had a table cloth that said, “Rockdale County Public Schools”. There were 8 people at the table that included the Superintendent, the Chair, and the Board Members. There were four women, four men, and three people of color. The meeting was called to order at 7:01pm by the chair. A fifth-grade student from Sims Elementary School performed an oratorical entitled “Rise Up”. After her performance, all in attendance were asked to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. After the Pledge, the Chair made a motion to alter to meeting agenda. One person seconded the motion and then all Board Members were asked if they all agreed. They ...