Hello Good Folks!
I have just finished reading the clips from this past week, and I must tell you this teacher is awfully proud. When I urged you all to "deepen the river" and really drive home your trunk/main point, little did I know what amazing talent was sitting before me.
Where to begin.......
Let me cite David Lester in Pike County. He built his talk using two "props," an old-fashioned slide ruler that had its day but now is obsolete and his smartphone. He used them to illustrate the level of change that needs to take place in his district, saying the company which made the slide rulers, while once an "ultimate" company, likely doesn't exist today because it failed to keep up with changes in its industry. "We can be on top," he said, "but if we don''t make the necessary changes along the way, and we cannot adjust, move and grow, then we'll be left behind." I love his use of visuals. That really helps to drive home the point. I bet no one can forget that talk.
Let's go to Benny Lile in Metcalfe County. He opened a new primary center and built his remarks around the theme of "home." Here's a quote: "The people who built this building gave us a house. Today we start building the home. That's what's special. That home is built by the teachers, the principal, by the community and by more than anything, those little children that come here." He even recited the poem, "Home," by Edgar Albert Guest that described what makes a building more than a building. I love this theme, something his community can relate to. And I love his poem recitation. Again, deepening that river. And can you get any more precious than 'those little children that come here?"
Over in Hopkins County, with Linda Zellich now.....To underscore her theme of an open-door spirit and cultivating "a culture of caring," Linda gave out her cell phone number, a practice that had not been done before. "If you feel like you haven't been heard, you can contact me," she said. "When I say you can count on me, I mean that. I know I can count on you. We have very important work to do." And then to really hit her message about her "culture of caring," she said, "We get there by working together and being a team and by being genuinely pleased with the success of colleagues from other schools." Linda's got something very genuine going here. That is highly attractive.
Nick Brake in Owensboro, has a most wonderful quote: "I think we're in really good shape. We have a lot of new people this year, lot of new teachers especially, but we have a lot of talented people working for us and coming in. I think we're looking at a great year."
And then let me close with a superintendent from the 2012-13 class, Owens Saylor in Daviess County. For their opening day, a breakfast ceremony is always held, but this year, he added a twist -- he called the event "A Red Carpet Affair" and built everything around a movie theme, many employees wearing outfits to match the affair. "This gets people pumped up and enthused," he said. "It's a good way to bring everyone together and sort of get everybody pumped up for another exciting year. I think they come in as excited as the kids sometimes."
All. Just. WOW.
If I failed to mention something amazing that you did, please forgive me. I rely on the clips to bring me the news, and I could have overlooked! If I did, leave a comment and let us all know.
Here's wishing you all a most successful launch. I'll see you in September at the Teaching & Learning training. Looking forward to it.
My best -- always.
Brenda