wk 4 comment on Steve Mohler's Blog

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Wk 4 - DB 2 Dream Job? - Maybe later

What stands between me and my dream job? Economic issues, location, and commitments are barriers.. I live in a small rural town and have been here for a number of years. I prefer the big city life much more but circumstances keep me here. I feel that I am a very creative person and have lots of visionary insight that can be used in many areas of the arts. But, due to my location those gifts are not used to their fullest and when they are used they are taken for granted by small minded, small town mentality. Twenty years ago I probably would have felt more inclined to say that I deserve a dream job. But as I near my retirement from education I suffice to finish out my time here. Perhaps after retirement, in my next life I can find a better outlet for my gifts.

1 comments:

Kelly McKinley said...

Steve, from what you've told me about what you've done in your small town, I would guess that many students and parents do NOT take you for granted. I know that it is so easy to get down when you hear one snide comment. I know that happens to me a lot. However, what you need to hold onto is the difference that you've made in the lives of your many students. After hearing about all you've done in your district, I don't think that your talents are being wasted at all.

May 25, 2010 7:39 PM

wk 4 comment on Alison Baxendale's Blog

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Week 2- Post 5- AR website

The beginning of this week was a flurry of activity trying to finish my Action Research website. I feel as though I have a good base. I am sure that I am going to need to improve some areas of the website, but I am looking forward to improving the content. I know I will also have to improve my literature review. I am continuing the research. As soon as I receive the edits, I will continue with the next version.

As I see the program drawing to a close, I am a little overwhelmed with all that has to be done in the next two months. I know that some of this apprehension is due to the fact that this is the busiest time of the school year. My students are working very hard, but also needing a lot of help as the end of the school year approaches. I know that I need to step back, reorganize, and then I will be able to handle everything.

I have been looking into the publishing/ leadership project. I am going to have to do some more research as my first plan will not work due to the timing involved with this class. I can still try to present at the original conference, however it will not be for almost a year. In the next few days, I am going to talk to some of my colleagues to see if they are aware of opportunities that are available. I am also going to do additional research on my own. I am hoping to find a viable direction soon.

2 comments:

Bennert61 said...

I too feel the rush of not only the end of this program, but also the end of the school year. Trying to get everything done, and be everything to everyone has been crazy...

And silly me is adding in looking for a new job and moving back up to NH next month.

It is like the beginning of the program all over again, learning how to structure time so that things get done and done well, without slacking in the quality. I am now glad we had to discuss that in the beginning, because it is really helpful to reflect on that lesson now!

You are planning to present?!? That is awesome, I would love to hear your presentation.

May 23, 2010 5:22 AM

Kelly McKinley said...

I think that you will do well as a presenter. You have a nice, clear speaking voice and great stage presence. I don't see why you can't present at your original conference as well as somewhere else.

The end of the school year is always really crazy and it seems like we were all insane to begin a Masters program when we did. The good news is that we'll be done with everything near the start of the summer.

May 25, 2010 5:09 PM

Wk 4 Publishing/Leadership Project part 4 of 3: Proposing to TI:ME

The deadline for submission for the TI:ME convention is May 31st. Although I have not gotten confirmation that this will be an appropriate conference at which to present, I am going to submit a proposal anyway due to this deadline. If it is rejected by the Full Sail professors, I will find another venue. I'm not entirely sure that what I've created is the presentation that I will ultimately give. I would like to get my audience on some computers and have them navigate their way through my site. Perhaps I will ask them to complete a scavenger hunt like I did with my fourth graders. I have always been more of a "hands on" type of learner/teacher/presenter. I might even give my audience a list of possible Web 2.0 sites that they could take away with them to use to build their own website.

Wk 4 Publishing/Leadership Project part 4 of 3: Proposing to TI:ME

The deadline for submission for the TI:ME convention is May 31st. Although I have not gotten confirmation that this will be an appropriate conference at which to present, I am going to submit a proposal anyway due to this deadline. If it is rejected by the Full Sail professors, I will find another venue. I'm not entirely sure that what I've created is the presentation that I will ultimately give. I would like to get my audience on some computers and have them navigate their way through my site. Perhaps I will ask them to complete a scavenger hunt like I did with my fourth graders. I have always been more of a "hands on" type of learner/teacher/presenter. I might even give my audience a list of possible Web 2.0 sites that they could take away with them to use to build their own website.

Wk 4 Being the Board

I have to admit that I'm not entirely certain that I understand what "being the board" means. In September of 2008 I was rear ended by a drunk driver. Ironically, I was the designated driver for a bachelorette party. I did cast blame. It made me very angry that this woman got behind the wheel when she was intoxicated. I had made sure that I was sober, why couldn't she? The impact of her car caused me to have back problems. I had to go through physical therapy and was in constant pain for nearly a year. It still bothers me.

Sometimes, I agree, it does not do any good to cast blame. It is upsetting to me when I chastise a student for an inappropriate behavior and instead of taking responsibility, they try to cast blame onto another student. "Well, Suzie was doing it, too!" I'm not sure what they are trying to do in this situation. Do they think that by telling on Suzie, I will forget that they did something wrong? Is this supposed to excuse their behavior? Or, is it that they feel that by getting someone else into trouble, they won't feel so alone in their crime?

wk 4 Getting a new principal!!!!

Sadly, due to the failure of the levy and the impending state takeover, we have been losing some very good people to other districts. Two of our principals found jobs elsewhere. We just got the news this week that our principal will be moving to the Jr. High and we will be getting a new principal next year. After much speculation, we finally found out who our new principal will be and we are all very excited. I had worked with her for several years when I taught at the elementary school and she was a great teacher. They then promoted her to the position of assistant principal and then, after two years in that position, she was promoted to principal of one of the other elementary buildings. She is a fabulous principal.

Wk 3 Comment on Alicia Kalb's post

Alicia Kalb said...

Kelly,
I really admire how you can take a horrible situation and turn it into a positive one. To have such high expectations of what you would be getting and then to have it all of sudden yanked away, would be bad enough. But then to have things crippled further would be devastating to anyone. But you are right giving up or complaining how unfortunate the situation would have not accomplished anything. You thought of your students and made the situation work to your advantage. Not many people would have been able to think positively in this situation. Honestly, I do not know how I would have handled it. This turned out to be a lesson for you and one that you could share with your students. As teachers we constantly tell our students to make lemonade out of lemons, but do we ever show them. This is a great example of your lemonade. Sure it’s not the ideal music classroom, but I’m sure there are people who have it a lot worse. At least you are still teaching music and there is music in your school. Too often in life we get so weighted down with the things that we can’t control that we do not work on all the things we can control. Life isn’t fair, that’s what everyone says, but why complain about it when we all know it’s true. As you said “Make it work!”

Is that the stage in the picture? Are you still on the stage or did they find you a new home? At least it looks like you have a fairly large space available to you.

May 20, 2010 11:12 AM

Kelly McKinley said...

Alicia,

I am still on the stage. There was a moment, though brief, where I was told that I would have the music room back next year. I've since been told that I will be back on the stage. Who knows what will happen? Things are changing daily in my district.

The main problem that I have right now with the room is that, although there is a partition, the stage opens up to the cafeteria. Two of my classes are forced to listen to the cafeteria noise as we have class. The stage is also the home for the band instrument cages. Kids come in during the last ten minutes of my class to get their instruments. Most of them are pretty good about coming in quietly, though.

To quote "The Art of Possibility" that is just "the way things are."