Learning in Progress

While many media outlets point to the  learning loss  students have experienced during these long months, and others point to the  social emotional factors  that must be addressed first, teachers and administrators working on the inside, struggle in many ways to keep their heads above water.  As I am out in my district observing what teachers are living with and working with classes K-12, I can see the toll the pandemic has taken on everyone. It manifests in a million small ways that add up - not all of them are bad . While many will point to the impressive technology skills, the creativity in pursuing individual interests, and the problem solving many students employed to maintain social interactions, these skills haven't always translated well back into a classroom. Our teachers have always done an exceptional job of meeting a student where they are. In a normal, non-pandemic year, teachers consider a student's performance in the previous years, work to uncove...

As we are firmly entrenched in a new school year, the words Ted Lasso utters, as he heads to England, to coach a sport he has no experience ring in my ears: Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn't it? If you're comfortable while you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong When I first heard him say this my initial reaction was "Who is this guy?! Has he ever ridden a horse? And what kind of false sense of entitlement do you have to have to think you can coach at high levels of soccer with no experience!" But, then I paused. And thought. That sense of discomfort is exactly what we need to grow. How often do I tell people: I try to take on a challenge each year that scares me - that makes me uncomfortable - that makes me push through to learn something new. At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, that horse-riding-challenge is exactly what we've been facing for the last year and a half as COVID has forced some pretty significant chang...

How we doin', Fort Thomas?  We're coming up on a year of teaching through a pandemic, and the journey has been the greatest test of our careers. We can compare most years to a marathon: a race to the finish, that we're prepared for, and can find ourselves looking up and enjoying the downhills and the crowds.  Photo by Artem Verbo on Unsplash This year is more like one of those ultra triathlons, and at times, you might feel like you're swimming through shark infested waters, barely coming up for breath. And, remarkably, when I look around at what is happening in the world, I know you are in the lead. You have found strength inside of yourselves you might not know existed and have treaded through impossible waters to reach kids. Disillusionment to Rejuvenation In a traditional year, according to the book  Mentoring Matters , February and March are a time for "rejuvenation". We've spent some long months in disillusionment, and we're cruising downhill on ...