Be inspired by a public high school teacher who's blind

Click the picture above to watch the 2 min video

Maybe I'm the last to know about Jim Hughes. The Youtube video (above) was posted in 2012, and I've watched a TON of inspirational and motivational videos for the 52 weeks of Motivation Monday posts on my blog. 

THIS video is my absolute favorite by far, and I felt compelled to share it with you! There are SO many takeaways from this video, which I'd like to share in today's post. I hope you agree that the story is incredible, awesome, inspiring, (insert other adjective here).

Here are my take-aways from the video

• Sometimes we underestimate what people with physical limitations can accomplish
• Jim's principal was a risk-taker with a growth mindset
• Kids know what the qualities of a good teacher are
• Jim's students don't see his blindness as a disability but as an asset to his teaching

And here are my favorite quotes from the video

"Boy am I glad I took a second look at that resume, because it's made all the difference in the world for generations of students."  - HS Principal 

"[The other teachers] are blinded with the Powerpoints and the handouts and all that. Every teacher should try a day with a blindfold and really learn how to talk to your students."  -student

"There's no cheating whatsoever. We respect him too much."  -student

Who do you need to share this video with?

I agree with Covey: Put first things first

Habit #3 - Put First Things First

by Stephen Covey, author The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

One day an expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I’m sure those students will never forget. After I share it with you, you’ll never forget it either.

As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. 

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.

Then he smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was onto him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" 

"No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" 

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it! "

"No," the speaker replied, "that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all."

ACTIVITY
Download this document and list your Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand. Post it where you can see it each day. Feel free to download one for work and one for your personal life. 

Examples for School Leaders
(Classroom observations, meetings with teachers about instruction, Unexpected parents who show up, minor discipline infractions that must be dealt with, etc.)

Examples for personal reflection
(Exercise, planning healthy menus/meals, spending quality time with family, watching TV, reading, household chores)

Leadership: A Balancing Act

When I talk with new administrators about the challenges of being a school leader, one of the topics we discuss is the balancing act of leadership. Sometimes as leaders we “walk a tightrope,” where sometimes we misstep and sometimes we glide effortlessly. Today I want to share some of the situations where leaders must find balance, and I would love for you to share other situations (perhaps some that you yourself have faced) in the comments. 

Sometimes school leaders act as shields for teachers. They listen to complaints or concerns from parents and/or students, and they realize that they should gently nudge the student or parent to the teacher to address a situation head-on. Sometimes school leaders listen to the venting of a parent or student, and they never share the comments with the teacher. But, at a certain tipping point, the school leader will address the comments with the teacher. Part of being effective is knowing at what point a comment or complaint should be shared.

Another balancing act is in the area of professional learning. Most leaders I know are lifelong learners who embrace the opportunities to learn. Part of the responsibility of the leader is to encourage and model professional learning, but if “too much, too soon” is faced by teachers, there can be a resistance to the opportunity to learn. There has to be a balance between enough learning to enhance professional growth with not so much that the teacher feels overwhelmed. It can feel like a no-win situation at times, especially for new leaders.

Another situation that requires balance is time management. The lives of school leaders can become so engrossed with serving others that they don’t serve themselves. Also, school leaders can sometimes neglect their own families because of the needs of their students and staff. Workloads can be overwhelming, communication responsibilities can overflow, and taking time to exercise can become a ghost of the past. School leaders must balance their own needs and their families’ needs with the needs of their school community. They must delegate and trust in others to assist them and share the load. Without a support system, school leaders will tip the scales in an unhealthy direction, both physically and emotionally.

          Related Post: Leadership Resources for New and Aspiring Leaders

Balance does not mean all things equal. It means doing what’s necessary and doing it well. It means allowing others to share the load. It means understanding one’s beliefs and values and acting in a way that honors those values. It can be one of the highest hurdles for a new administrator to get over. Sometimes it can even be such a high hurdle that turns new administrators back to the classroom. 

Can you relate to this post? If you’re an administrator, how do you walk the tightrope? 

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We learn by doing - activities to try for Digital Learning Day!

 

Digital Learning Day is coming up soon, and we're turning it into a week-long celebration at my school. Next Monday and Tuesday, we have two district Professional Development Days scheduled, so I went ahead and shared the "Digital Learning Day Challenge" with our staff today because of our different start to the week next week. 

If you HAVEN'T heard of Digital Learning Day, you can read more about it at www.digitallearningday.org. There are a ton of resources there for you and your staff for every day, not just Digital Learning Day!

So... what are we doing at our school? 



There are 9 activities from which our teachers can choose. If they do three, they are entered into a drawing for either Starbucks or iTunes gift cards. All of the instructions are in the online flyer. 

I used S'more to create the online flyer, but you could easily do this in a Google Doc that you could share with your staff. 

Today, I got our school's first entry from Coach Cavender. Her students were playing a Kahoot review game in her history class, so she's the first person on our leaderboard! 

What do you have planned for Digital Learning Day? Please share in the comments or on twitter (@Jennifer_Hogan).