A few years ago (or maybe a few more than that) I was the proud recipient of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. I know what you are thinking, "That has served him well." My wife is quick to point out that the only other political science major she is aware of is … Continue reading Do Your Little Bit of Good
Author: azjd
Junior high principal by day, aspiring difference maker, and Jedi in my own mind. Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.
5 Lessons Effective Teachers Teach, Without Explicit Instruction
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 … Continue reading 5 Lessons Effective Teachers Teach, Without Explicit Instruction
The Most Essential Task
Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. - Desmond Tutu Many of my days are filled with activities, projects, and tasks. I hurry from one thing to another, and time flies by in a haze of meetings and minutiae. If I … Continue reading The Most Essential Task
Instagram: Telling Our Story
A few weeks ago, I posted the following paragraphs to my personal Facebook account: My school has a perception problem, and it is frustrating. Willis serves the lowest socioeconomic area of Chandler and there is an unfortunate stigma that goes along with that...the impression that our students, and our school, have less potential than other … Continue reading Instagram: Telling Our Story
The Three R’s: Relationships, Resilience, Reflection
Almost every school day I witness the same (or similar) incidents play out in our classrooms, and on our campus. Children in crisis. The issue(s) might be real, imagined, understated, or dramatized; but whether perception, or reality, there are kids who are in survival model -- struggling just to manage day to day challenges. Their … Continue reading The Three R’s: Relationships, Resilience, Reflection
The Stories You Aren’t Supposed to Tell
In the era of school choice, students have become a commodity. In addition to educational credentials, a master's degree in marketing might be considered a valuable investment for school leaders. Telling your school's story is a necessity in a free market educational system, because where parents (and students) choose to go -- so goes the money … Continue reading The Stories You Aren’t Supposed to Tell
On Picking Battles…
Go big or go home. Swing for the fences. Do or die. Go for broke. Our society places a great deal of emphasis on impressive results, audacious performances, and big victories. These outcomes garner attention, result in accolades, and make headlines and highlight reels. But, even though dramatic results are frequently cause for celebration, when the going … Continue reading On Picking Battles…
3 Questions I’m Using to Plan My Day
Work is complicated. I'm not terribly adept at filtering out the minutiae. I find it extremely challenging to focus on what is most important. Recently I have been trying a new approach to planning my work day. I began this process by spending focused time considering what matters most in my job. As a junior high … Continue reading 3 Questions I’m Using to Plan My Day
molehills out of mountains 