The Love of a Leader...

The weeks ahead are going to be unpredictable, potentially hard as we navigate the unknown, and require patience as we experience a variety of emotions in this journey.  I often share with people a story of a time when my dad told me one evening, after a late-night in the tobacco field loading the wagons.  He and my sister went to start milking and he told me to back the wagon in the barn.  I immediately responded that I didn't know how to back a four-wheel wagon.  If you have not ever done it, it is very different than a two-wheel wagon.  His response I can still hear crystal clear, "I will see you when you get the wagon in the barn." I am certain I gave my signature teenage eye roll and I do remember shedding a few tears of frustration, but I backed that wagon in the barn that night. I don't remember how many times it took and I don't remember how late it was, but I still remember the feeling of accomplishment that I had once it was done. From that day forwar...

Those who know me...like, really know me and all my deficiencies, know that I have a hard time with pausing.  I am fast and furious, with no time for nonsense. I come by it honestly, my mom is like the energizer bunny.  Growing up, she would sweep the floor at least fifty times a day, I am certain. She would clean the dairy barn each morning, scrub brushing every square inch, literally it would shine when she finished.   The milk inspector (who was "The Grinch") would often tell her that we had the cleanest dairy farm in the country. Fast forward to my high school years, my basketball coach would frequently give me the, "slow down" look and say, "go to fifth gear."  It is who I am. In my career, I have been told by more than one supervisor in my early years, there is plenty of time, slow down...take your time.  While I don't believe that nonsense, because we are not guaranteed tomorrow ...there is merit in taking your pedal off the gas a tad at times....

**Before you attack, I am not an advocate for private charters that are managed by companies with a bottom line of making money.  I serve and believe strongly in public charters that are not for profit, have a specific mission and vision by which they educate children from, and meet rigorous academic expectations. There are many public charters that exist in this country doing great work that all educators can learn from in the journey. This post is my initial reflection after I attended the National Reform Conference in Nashville in December.  There were many people attending from all over this country with one goal in mind. The goal:  Improve the educational experiences of all children in this country.  This conference included speakers that ranged from Governor Jeb Bush to parents whose experience with charter schools saved their child. The entire conference was informative, inspiring, and, honestly, gave me much to think about regarding the rights ...

Life over the last six months has been a wonderful, beautiful, crazy, awesome segment of time in my professional and personal life.  I took on the role as principal of an elementary school in a brand new town being built in Babcock Ranch.  This role was 100% unexpected.  I have always desired to be an elementary principal, but I always LOVED serving at the high school level.  I believe my own struggles in high school (family loss on many levels from our farm to the divorce of my parents) stirred a fire in my own heart to provide support to others students who were battling their struggles while striving or struggling to meet the demands of the academic curriculum.  I often wonder how I have ended up where I am today. The truth...many good people have taken the time to invest in me over the years.  I could write lists of people who filled the gap while our family experienced varying levels of trials over the years.  Growing up I remember only a few tim...

Today, I write my blog and smile.  I have wanted to write this entry for quite some time and today, well...today is the day.  Today at the chiropractors office I was told, "you are always so put together and are always organized."  I looked over my shoulder as I knew they could not be referring to me as I stood there in my UK shirt and purplish shorts that were far from being put together.  There was no way. People, in the morning, I wake up hitting the ground running at 4:50 (after hitting the snooze button at least twice) most days with the song, "I Will Survive" playing in my head as these days in this work it feels like an episode of survivor on a pretty regular basis.  I always thought I was pretty tough, strong...I mean I was the oldest of three farm girls, my dad wanted three boys...so you can envision the rest.  He took no excuses and "suck it up" and "figure it out" were very frequent phrases heard by myself and my two sisters. Well, ...

On this day four years ago, Darrell and I were on a plane ride that would forever change our lives.  We were heading to Ethiopia to meet our daughter, our precious blessing from God.  A blessing that would likely not been able to happen without a focus on the heart from people who were unafraid of the world.  The ways of the world and political "bureaucrazy" are often enough of a reason to prevent us from being the change in the world.  You see, I am thankful for heroes like Dr. Martin Luther King who were stronger than both bureaucracy and the harsh world he faced.   This morning the speaker for our school systems Unity Celebration in honor of Martin Luther King Day; Michael Chatman, spoke of being a gentle leader in the face of adversity.  He spoke eloquently on many of my own beliefs and it encouraged me that it truly is not an issue of blacks and whites.  It is in fact an issue of our hearts.  It is how we interface with others that spea...

In the spirit of JOY this season, it seems fitting to share how I find JOY when it seems the negative can quickly become the focus.  The last year and half have been a challenge for me as a professional and I have learned first hand that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! No, I don't mean physically kill me (although some days I did feel like I was being run over by a Mack truck), but my soul...the place where my joy resides was under attack.  There were times I questioned my expectations of what the educational experience should look like; however, at the end of the day my bar remained, what would I want for my own child?       The profession I have chosen allows me the privilege to experience joy on a daily basis.  I love serving people and the fact that I get to collaborate and work alongside students and teachers who love learning on a daily basis makes my heart overflow with joy.  Of course there are days that we miss the ma...

It seems a mystery, with no students and teachers in the building...what in the world could the principal possibly be doing inside those walls?  During the summer months while school is out, school is really beginning.  As quickly as the year ends and the checklists for closing the year out are met, the new year is already underway.  It is a time for finalizing the schedule, sending out transcripts for recent graduates, finalizing review of handbooks from the suggestions for changes throughout the year, ordering supplies in preparation for the upcoming school year (as the new budget opens on July 1), hiring, preparation of classroom changes, and sending teachers and administration to a variety of trainings and meetings to prepare for new policies and procedures for the upcoming school year.  Teachers are in and out as they prepare to make adjustments in their unit/lesson plans and redesign their rooms to accommodate their new ideas and learning for serving Next Gene...

It was time, I needed to make sure I was in-tune and staying connected to what the best schools in America are doing to meet the needs of their students.  I am responsible to the students I serve daily. Leaders must take the time to make sure they are collaborating and engaging with those who can make them better in their roles.  I look forward to learning and getting out of my comfort zone as I know it isn't about me, it is about the students who will have a better experience as a result of my learning and leading. Last week I had the privilege to attend the Deeper Learning Conference at High Tech High in San Diego, California.  It was an amazing experience that gave credence to the passion I have for shifting the traditional school experience into a real world, meaningful, deeper learning experience that I believe is critical for every child.  I am a firm believer that every child should have the privilege to experience a meaningful education that they create, n...

The life of a leader requires a love for their work.  I love what I do on a daily basis and I am thankful  for the privelege to serve in a capacity everyday that impacts the lives of students.  Being a principal requires a love for the people you serve and I can think of no greater investment than children who will run the future and teachers willing to be in the trenches.  On the 30th anniversary of the explosion of the Challenger a quote from Christa McAuliffe seems appropriate, "I touch the future--I teach."  This commitment to education does require the leader to have a vision beyond tomorrow, beyond next week, and beyond next year.  It also requires accountability to monitor classroom instruction.  I have always believed that if I wouldn't want my own child, niece, or nephew in the classroom with a teacher, then why would I compromise for the children entrusted to my care within a school and when it happens...it is hard. There have been only a ...

The sandbox may just be the easiest form of entertainment, although those huge empty boxes rank up there as well for children.  My daughter loves playing in sand and believe you me; if there is sand nearby, she will find it and bring plenty home for all to enjoy.  Yesterday, when I picked her up from pre-school she was dressed of course in one of her fun pink dresses and her fancy black dress shoes.  This girl loves fancy clothes and shoes, my joy on Friday is knowing I can wear wear jeans...not this little chick, no jeans and tennis shoes in her wardrobe any day of the week (she is four). Yesterday, after a long week in the education profession (which I do love, but there are still hard situations that can drain even the strongest soul) we arrived home and my daughter informed me she wanted to take her shoes off, but she assured me that she had already gotten all the sand out of her shoes.  We live in Florida, sand is inevitable and I really do love it!   ...

Last night I sat in a very hot gym filled with people who were watching their loved ones graduate and begin the next journey in life.  I saw many, many folks and thought of others who have impacted my own journey at some point or another in the last twenty-fives year.  My heart was full as I thought about life and how thankful I am for the journey. And then I started thinking, who would have thought... that for many years I drove a tractor better than I could drive a car, which eventually led to my love of manual transmissions...my car is a six speed and I am not sure I will ever be able to settle for an automatic.  that I was engaged in high school to the love of my life and in June we will celebrate 19 years together and I still love him.  In fact, I never thought I could love him more than I did then...but I do.  He is my rock.   that I would be an educator, my goal was to get out of school and do something, anything but school or farm. I have ac...

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for another  John 15:13.  The Love of a Leader is possible because lives were lost.  People willing to give their lives for their country.  I feel insufficient to even write about my freedoms.  Life is full of trials and journeys and I am thankful for the freedom to experience life.  Freedom gained by sacrifice should be the most appreciated and yet our free lives are often so complicated we too often forget.  I get to live out many loves of my life daily because others gave the ultimate sacrifice.  I pray that I honor them daily through my demonstration of what I love resulting from freedom. Here are a few of my loves made possible due to the sacrifice of men and women willing to sacrifice their own lives for others... The freedom to choose Christianity and live out my profession daily.  My sanctification journey  is far from over and I am thankful for God's grace.  I ...

I am back for a moment at least...I still haven't figured out how to blog regularly, when it hits,  I share.  Today, it hit.  Today was a two cups of coffee and chocolate kinda day and I will be honest a third cup of coffee could have been helpful, but out of respect to those I love most in my environment I used my self discipline and ate chocolate instead.  The morning started off with a delightful parent who attended my "Sit Down with Shannon" session and made me shine as she shared how delighted she was with the teachers and supports in our school.  Let's be real folks... as a principal, rarely do we hear what is going right.  I have a lot of skill in positive self talk and utilizing sugar to balance the complaints.  Today though started off with a wonderful and positive parent interaction and my heart was happy.  She left and then the rest of the day would begin to unfold, not as I had planned in my head while getting ready (which is the case...

How are you making a difference?  You can help here.  Join these students as they believe they can change lives and I believe they will.  It is going to take a Village to Support a Village. UNLOCK is a class designed by students at Eminence to fulfill their desire to serve others in impoverished areas.  They came to me as the principal after some discussions around the importance of service to others and expressed a desire to frankly, just do more.  Their persistency and my passion for missions resulted in an opportunity for a needed response to our Next Generation Learners who were asking for something different.  I don't think either stakeholder had any idea of what it would look like, but we all knew we were moving forward.  The first fifteen weeks of this school year have looked very different for the students in this class from the integrated approach to credits (they are earning Language Arts, Technology, and some History credits in the course...

My morning began with a young man entering the office in his clearly pressed and prepared army attire.  It nearly took my breath away as I sat thinking about what day it was and here was this young man, clean cut and proud standing in my presence.  I immediately thought in my mind, this is someone's son...they must be so proud.  He introduced himself as Brandon Lane and I then saw his name displayed on his shirt.  I knew this young man, but we had never met.  This young man is spoken of at Eminence with high regard.  During my time here at Eminence, I have heard this young man's name from time, enough that I recognized him based on stories.  Stories of hardship overcome by success.  I shared with him that while I did not know him, those who do are proud of him and especially one person particularly.  He went on to name Mr. Nethery.  He shared the impact that Mr. Nethery had on him in some of his most difficult times.  The first pla...

The buzz lately seems to always be about transparency and change.  I have shared before that the work to create an innovative environment is hard for everyone...even for students, who request a different type of learning experience.  "Sitting and getting" is much easier for a student then to actually "create and engage", if you think differently...keep reading.   Tonight I write only to introduce you to a student in our school who I can say without a doubt is going to change the world.  She is an inspiration to everyone who knows her as her smile will make you melt.  Her passion is evident and she is real.  She is brave beyond words and her actions show her strength every single day.   When you need to know the challenges are actually worth the work...I invite you to read a blog from a student in our school participating in the UNLOCK class.  A Project Based Learning Class designed to build a partnership in Nicaragua and beyond that...

It is easy to lose site of the "The Main Thing" in the midst of the busyness of the days.  Today I found myself observing awesome lessons around annotating bibliographies, hearing the always inspiring UNLOCK class story being presented to visitors, creating ecosystems, talking with students ecstatic about the playhouse they designed, built and delivered to a local preschool, and writing scary Halloween stories....all awesome, yet I left overwhelmed with the amount of work to be done.  Being a school of innovation is insanely fun most of the time, but it requires being out of my comfort zone a lot and not always knowing the answers.   As I was dealing with concerns around providing appropriate interventions for various populations, PGES (KY's new evaluation system), ILPs (Individual Learning Plans), and addressing general issues I thought about how blessed I am to have a wonderful team to serve along.  They are problem solvers who love teaching and they love child...

It is the time of year when students earn ice cream, money, or a stash of other fun items based on the number of "A's" that appear on the report card.  I challenge you to ask what does that "A" on the report card tell you as parent?  Ask yourself, how much of the grade is a reflection of behavior? What about compliance, nicely organized material, or extra credit?  Bringing in items for extra credit would be academic in what way?  How does the percentage/grade reported reflect academic performance of your student?  What skills are strengths?  What skills do they need to continue to practice?  I am guilty as a teacher of offering extra credit and grading students based on well-organized content or even worse lack there of versus focusing solely on what students know or did not know.  I have learned better over the last several years and must acknowledge that if I am going to produce Next Generation Learners that are College and Career Ready it requ...