Running on the Teeter-Totter

I was struck by something this past week. I guess it is not a huge thing, but I just thought about all of the things that I would like to do and how I just can't get to them. I always have a tasks list that is longer than my ability to do them. I am sure that most of you feel this way. The problem is that I truly have a desire to do some different things in my job such as having lunch with students, getting into more classrooms, talking with teachers, helping teachers collaborate, and many other things. But, the reality seems to always be that there is a report to complete, a meeting to attend, a plan that needs to be documented, POs and budgets to be managed, conference requests to review, discipline that needs attention, and all of the other tasks that go along with the job. Please don't think that I am complaining. I like what I do. I believe that I am pretty efficient. I just think I could be more effective if I could do some of the things that I would like to do. It seems like more and more is required of us. Probably every generation of administrators felt that way. I have always thought that if I could just get a little farther ahead, I could get to some of the other plans that I would like to follow. But, just when I think I am getting close, something comes up and my stack rises to a level that puts me behind again. I guess it is a matter of priority, but it all takes time. I feel the same way at home. There are projects that I have planned to do since our house was built four and half years ago. There are household plans and family plans that get squeezed out by the lawn, snowy driveway, the trash, the bills, etc. I am sure that you can all relate to that. The trouble is that I feel such an internal struggle because I know I could get farther ahead at school if I took more time here, but I am sure my family believes that I already spend too much time doing school work. I know that if I can be home more, I can get farther ahead at home, but then I get farther behind at work. It is a tough balance. It reminds me of standing in the middle of a teeter-totter with someone throwing work responsibilities on one end that makes be run to the other end to balance. Just when I get far enough down the teeter-totter to balance the work responsibilities, more home responsibilities are thrown on the other end. So, I run back and forth trying to keep balance. With all of the that running, you would think I would be a little thinner! I hope you are able to keep balance.


Maybe trying to keep balanced is why I like to travel so much!
Honeymoon Trip July 7, 1996

Deer Hunting in a Rural Community

Living in a rural community that has many sections of woods, corn fields, and deer make it is easy to see why deer hunting is important to many of our students and our community. It also underscores why we have traditionally had no school on opening day. I know that this is a safety issue in our district. With so many hunters and guns out, it is not a good idea to have kids waiting on a country road for a bus to pick them up. It is also an attendance issue because we have so many students who would miss school to go out opening day. Some students and teachers don't care about hunting but love having a day off in the fall. I know people who use this time to "hunt for sales". Actually, my wife, Kristi, and I have traditionally taken the day to kick off our Christmas shopping. This year we didn't have this extra day off because opening day fell on a Saturday. I suppose some feel like they were robbed of a day. I am not a huge outdoors man, but I have hunted. I went as a high school student, but due to many factors, I really got out of it for a long time. I went out again last year for the first time in about 18 years. I didn't get anything. But, this year I went out opening day and did have some success. To my surprise, I got an 8-point buck. I know that some of you may not like this kind of thing, but I truly care about deer starvation and vehicle/motorist safety when it comes to the deer population. We will process the deer and use as much as we can, just like the old days. I actually was able to get a doe in addition to the buck so we will have a good supply of meat. I hope that those of you who hunt were successful. I always feel a little sense of guilt about shooting the deer because they are beautiful animals, but I also know from the DNR that overpopulation hurts the deer as well.

Social Networking

I don't know about you, but I am one of the "hold-outs" when it comes to Facebook or My Space. I know a lot of people who really enjoy this "social networking" and staying in contact with people. My wife is one of those people. Maybe some day I will finally give in to these applications, but for now, it seems like I don't have time to do the things that I need to do - let alone keep up with all of the social networking stuff. The only experience I have had with My Space is being named by students when there are student conflicts being discussed. I think it would be best not to repeat what it said, however! I try to use technology that helps me with my job. Even the blog that I do has work-related themes. I am sure this will come as a great surprise, but I am really a shy person so social networking isn't a natural priority. My shyness is something that I have worked on forever. When I was younger, I was so shy that I would never even talk to a waitress in a restaurant. Finally at 17, my mom told me she wouldn't tell the waitress my order any more - just kidding, but it did take me a long time. I wish interacting with people came more naturally to me. It is a wonder I ever married. When I was first hired at Shepherd, my wife Kristi stopped to introduce herself to me. I know she probably will tell a different story, but the way I remember it is that she stopped to introduce herself to me. I guess that gave me enough courage to begin communication with her, and the rest, as they say, is history. I don't want people to misunderstand. It is not that I don't want to see people and find out what people are doing, but social interaction on a non-professional level is hard for me. I enjoy finding out what others are doing and finding out what direction life has taken them, but I don't seek this information out - unlike Kristi who could probably run an effective presidential campaign with all of her social networking connections. I am still holding out. I have to work on my social disorders slowly. I don't want to shock my system. For now, the phone, email, voicemail, and even a little chat is about as far as I can go. I know some of you are well past that, but I am sure there have to be some other folks out there like me!

Cell Phones: A New Challenge for Educators

As educators, we take advantage of a lot of advancements in technology. Technology has impacted our ability to research. It has shaped our methodology. It has helped the ability to collaborate with colleagues and communicate with parents. These are all good things. But, with these advancements, there are also challenges that make the job of education more difficult. Though students must sign an acceptable use of technology form that addresses most computer issues such as viewing inappropriate sites and using the computer for non-educational purposes, there is an increasing problem with the use of cell phones, especially those with multi features such as camera,video, and internet access - not to mention the increasingly popular text messaging. Schools across the nation are struggling with the issue of cell phone use in schools. It seems that every student has a cell phone, and they have become a natural part of who the student is. Students have instant communication with each other every waking moment so it is difficult for them not to use these devices during school. But, these can be a distraction to education when students feel their phones vibrate during the presentation of a lesson, pull out their phones under their desks and see a text message to which they promptly respond. Many schools have taken the view that catching students using a cell phone to communicate during school is simply a digitized version of a handwritten note. These have been confiscated by teachers since the days of the one-room schoolhouse. Educators tend to rely on the TLO vs. New Jersey standard that viewing and using the information found on a cell phone is acceptable as long as there is "reasonable suspicion" that a rule violation has occurred. Just like the original complaintant in the TLO case, students today see the review and search of their phone as a violation of their privacy rights. The crux of the issue is whether or not the school officials have "reasonable suspicion" that reviewing or searching will lead to evidence that a rule violation has occurred. Educators see searching a phone as not different from searching a locker, a backpack, a purse, or even a student's pocket. Just like in the days of TLO, groups like the ACLU have cried fowl for such searches. As a principal, I can tell you that dealing with this issue is very frustrating. What is probably most frustrating is that we have clear rules/expectations about the possession and use of cell phones. We have these expectations in writing. We talked with all of the students at class meetings, and we have made PA announcements. Yet, students ignore these expectations because the risk is worth the reward. Though the simple disobedience of the rule is bad enough, students use cell phones and text messaging to cheat on assignments, take inappropriate pictures of other students at school, communicate about drug deals, and many other inappropriate behaviors that impact the school environment. The struggle for school officials is how to maintain a positive learning environment facing the struggles brought about by the way students use the ever-changing and advancing technology. Can you imagine a one-room school house teacher being dropped into a classroom today. For that matter, imagine dealing with this issue of cell phones and text messaging just 15 years ago. It makes Star Trek and Back To The Future seem not that far off!

Shepherd Homecoming 2008

October 10th was a very special Homecoming day for Shepherd Public Schools. It was a bit chaotic with all of the hoopla, but it was a fun time for the students and community. I think the staff enjoyed it as well, but I know they have to deal with a lot of extra stress during the Homecoming week. This is especially true of the advisors. I am fortunate because I have been able to experience Shepherd Homecomings from a variety of angles. My parents were graduates from Shepherd High School, and I have lived in Shepherd all of my life. So, I remember Homecomings as a kid in elementary and middle school. I remember Homecoming as a high school student and a football player. I remember the excitement of being a football player during the Homecoming week and receiving special attention. We had the same traditions that we have today - floats, halls, the pep assemblies. I know that there is much more to the game than the wins and losses, but I am glad to say that we won the three Homecoming games in which I played! I remember coming back to the Homecoming parade and the game as an alumni and eventually as a staff member. These last two years I have been able to experience Homecoming as the principal. I can't remember every Homecoming at Shepherd High School, but I know I have been to over thirty. It is interesting to me to contemplate the various ways I have experienced Shepherd High School Homecomings! This year's was an especially cool experience. The floats, halls, assemblies, and class competitions were good as always, but the game was something special since it was the last time a varsity game would be played on the only field Shepherd football has known - at least as far as any research could determine. The game was very exciting. We won. But, what was so significant was how the players, the band, the coaches, and the fans all came together after the game to celebrate. That was a very special moment. The next home varsity game will begin a new era of Shepherd football as we inaugurate the new football field and sports complex. History is interesting. We have a strong football history here at Shepherd High School. We will play our first home game in the new complex 100 years from the first organized Shepherd football team in 1909. The history and tradition will continue. Homecoming may take a new shape, but hopefully all alumni and friends will return to Shepherd High School Homecomings with pride and fond memories!

The ZAP! Room

As you know, it takes parents, students, and teachers working together to ensure a suitable learning environment for all students so they can maximize their success. Of course we want students to do the very best that they can, but we are very concerned about students failing classes and not gaining the skills needed to be successful. We want students to stay on track to graduate with their class.

As a staff, we have been reviewing predictable indicators that correlate to failure. One of the most significant factors is students not doing their homework. Not only have we reviewed our student data, but we have worked with other schools that have come to the same conclusion. The reason for these failures is two-fold. First, students who do not use homework to ensure they have the requisite skills before a test, typically score poorly on tests. Secondly, work that is not submitted cannot demonstrate that a student has mastered the material. Thus, the student’s grade is lowered. We do not want failure to be an option!

We are beginning a new initiative at Shepherd High School to make sure that students do their homework. Last year our science department piloted a program called ZAP! (Zeros Aren’t Permitted). The results of their pilot were very successful. Missing homework assignments decreased and as a result failures decreased. The high school staff is taking this initiative from pilot to full building implementation. The ZAP! Room Guidelines are below.

1. When homework is not done by the specified time, students are assigned to the ZAP Room. Zeros Aren't Permitted. The ZAP Room will run in the media center at the east end from 3:00 – 4:00. Not doing homework is not an option.


2. When assigned to the ZAP Room, the student will be notified and the teacher will record the date and time of next Zap Room to which the student was assigned.


3. The Student’s name is shared with Zap Room supervisor.


4. The date of the Zap Room that the student is assigned must be at least 24 hours in the future so parents/guardians can be notified and transportation issues can be addressed.


5. Parental contact can be personal or through voicemail, but teachers will document the contact.


6. If homework is completed anytime prior to the beginning of Zap Room, the student does not have to attend, but completing the work does not mean that a student will get full credit or partial credit for the assignment.


7. Once a student enters the Zap Room, he/she must stay for an entire hour.


8. If a student arrives late to the Zap Room, they are not allowed in.


9. If a student misses the Zap Room, they choose to attend RTC during lunch to complete their work for the next 3 days.


10. If homework is not completed in the three days in RTC or the student does not attend RTC, the student is suspended until the parent(s) come in for a meeting with the principal, teacher and student.

The bottom line is that failure is not an option, and this initiative is designed to eliminate one factor that significantly contributes to failure and becoming behind on credits.

We know that parents desire the best for their student. We also know that their cooperation and support will greatly enhance the success of this initiative. To help Their son/daughter avoid the ZAP Room, parents should check with their student each night to make sure that they have completed their work. As the assignments are completed, grades will improve.

It takes all of us working together to maximize success!

My Birthday Message

Written October 3, 2008

Well, today is my birthday! I really don't feel any different. The way my back and knees have been aching, I have felt forty for the last few months. I guess there are times in life when you get introspective about where you are in life and how things have gone so far. I feel very blessed. I am where I want to be in life. This introspection also leads me to marvel at how quickly I got to 40. It seems like I am the age the my parents ought to be. A few years ago I was contemplating life and how fast it was already going. It is so true that the older you get, the faster it goes. One of our retired teachers shared this insight with me when I was a student here. Mr. Ronk explained to me the relativity of time. I am sure it all makes sense to you, but it struck me even as a high school student. He explained that every time your life doubles, the passing of time feels the same. In other words, the 4 years from 4 to 8 seem to pass at the same rate as the 8 years from 8 to 16. That is a little scary because it seems like I got to 40 so fast. That means I will get to 80 in what has seemed like a short time to get to 40. It is easy to get caught up thinking about retirement and counting down the years. I have quickly caught myself when those thoughts pop in my head. If I am ready to retire, there are a lot of other realities that will be a part of that time as well. It is possible that one or both or my parents will no longer be living. I know they could go at any time, but with age the probability increases. My kids will be out of the house. They have already gotten older so fast it is hard to remember all of the stages of their development. That is very sad to me. I never want to wish away my present. Every day is important. Please don't wish away your present looking with envy at the perceived benefits of the future. It will get here fast enough! I know! I am 40! Many of you know because you are older than me! :)

I am going to leave you with a poem that has always been one of my favorites from John Milton. It it about the passing of time - 40 and beyond!

On Time

John Milton. 1608–1674

Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race,

Call on the lazy leaden-stepping hours,

Whose speed is but the heavy Plummets' pace;

And glut thyself with what thy womb devours,

Which is no more than what is false and vain,

And merely mortal dross;

So little is our loss,

So little is thy gain.

For when as each thing bad thou hast entomb'd,

And last of all, thy greedy self consum'd,

Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss

With an individual kiss;

And Joy shall overtake us as a flood,

When every thing that is sincerely good

And perfectly divine,

With Truth, and Peace, and Love shall ever shine

About the supreme Throne

Of Him, t'whose happy-making sight alone,

When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall climb,

Then all this earthly grossness quit,

Attir'd with Stars, we shall for ever sit,

Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.

Teachers and Sleep

I was just reading an article on sleep. It was short so it didn't put me to sleep. The article is reporting on a study that was done by Ball State University regarding teachers not getting enough sleep. From personal experience, I can confidently say that I think this would be true of administrators as well! According to the article, researchers at Ball State University claimed that many teachers may not be getting enough sleep at night to be fully effective in the classroom. The study reported that "some 43 percent of teachers surveyed said they slept an average of six hours or less per night, while half admitted to missing work or making errors due to a 'serious lack of sleep.'" Denise Amschler, a professor of physiology and health sciences and co-author of the study, said that teachers with sleep issues tend to fall into two categories: 1) those who are overcommitted with work and family obligations and don't get to bed until after midnight; and 2) those who go to bed at a reasonable time but can't fall asleep because of worry or stress about school. This study is under review by the Journal of School Health. I know that it seems like the older I get the more I have to do and the less time I have. I am sure we can all relate to that. Our society is so fast paced we tend to give up sleep to catch up. We have a great teaching staff at Shepherd High School, but we need to stay healthy. Take care of yourself and take a nap! Oh, but not during class!
http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2008/09/23/tm_sleep.h20.html?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mrss

Pressure For Change

I know that it sometimes feels like we are under a lot of pressure. I was just down at the OEAA (Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability) fall conference. I know you are jealous of that great opportunity! There were more sessions than I could attend, but I know that from the ones I attended regarding AYP, Ed Yes, and the graduation/dropout rate that the pressure is going to continue and surely increase. It made me think about other industries. There is pressure in every field. Non-profits have the pressure of always trying to get enough donations to provide their programs. Publicly funded organizations have to rely on government allocations that have to be spread between competing interests. Private companies have to compete with each other for market share. Everyone has pressure. Industries have to be more competitive, more efficient, more cost effective, and less wasteful. It is true that they can just raise their price if they need more revenue, but they won't obtain more revenue if their competitor can offer the same product at a cheaper price. That is why they are all trying to be more efficient to reduce cost and maintain a solid profit margin. I guess my point is that there is pressure in any job. That pressure causes changes. Change is tough. You can continue to re-evaluate and change to be more effective, competitive and push back against that pressure, or you can let the pressure squash you. When you feel the pressure that we all face in education, remember that you are not alone. No matter what career you were in there would be pressure causing change. The issue isn't the pressure of the employment. The question is how you handle that pressure!

Creating a Sense of Community With the Maple Syrup Festival

Well, this weekend was the 50th Annual Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival. I have only been a part of it for 39 years. Of course, I was only six months old for my first one. I don’t know what others think about the festival weekend, but I really like it. I am sure that a lot of it is the nostalgia of it all. I have so many memories from when I was kid.

I remember my dad serving as the President and Vice President of the Shepherd Sugar Bush Corporation and all of the other years that he worked to support the festival. I remember my first job of community service for the syrup festival was pushing little pills in the holes that were drilled in trees to insert the hardware on which the buckets were hung. The purpose of the pills was for the health of the trees. The purpose of choosing me was because I had small fingers and could push the pill in the hole! I graduated to collecting sap and watching the evaporation process at the “sap house” when my dad was working. I also helped can the finished maple syrup and helped make the maple candy. Over the years, I have done most every job there is during the pancake and sausage meals.

All of this work by the community serves to benefit the community. There are material contributions, but for me, I just like the sense of community that the festival brings. Everyone (well many) comes together to pull off this weekend of activity as well as preparing the product for which the festival is held. This gives Shepherd a sense of identity. Many people know of Shepherd because of its maple syrup and the festival or because they know of the school. Speaking of school, the school basically gives its facilities to this community event. I don’t know when it started, but I know that school has been canceled the Friday of the big weekend for as long as I can remember so all of the set up can be done. The high school, middle school, and main elementary host activities throughout the weekend.

As the current Shepherd High School principal, I can appreciate the excitement of the students. I always got excited, too. To be truthful, I may get more excited now. I want to experience all that the festival has to offer and to do it all. I want my kids to do all of the same things that I did as a child. This year was no exception. I don’t think my kids fully understand the significance to me, but I want to help them understand the tradition of the festival and giving back to the community. I think this was one of my best years.

I try to do as much as the festival has to offer. This year I was able to do the following:

Ø Take my kids to the carnival rides (I remember when there were no carnival rides.)

Ø See the antique tractor display

Ø Watch some of the farm stock tractor pull

Ø Visit the Train Depot Museum

Ø Visit the Sugar Bush

Ø Visit the Little Red School House Museum

Ø Watch the Parade of Emergency Vehicles

Ø Work the pancake and sausage meals and then partake of the same

Ø Visit the indoor crafts

Ø Visit the outdoor crafts

Ø Ride the Navy flight simulator

Ø Watch the Chainsaw Carver Show

Ø Watch a little of the Saturday tractor pull

Ø Watch Cow Patty Bingo

Ø Watch the special 50th Anniversary fire works

Ø Watch the parade

Ø And – I had to buy some maple candy and maple syrup!

Of course, one of the highlights is just being able to spend time with family and see old friends in town. I hope that all who read this can appreciate the benefits of being part of a small town community!

Questions & Answers

This post is designated for individuals to ask questions that may come up regarding SHS issues or education issues. This post allows for viewer comments. If you have a question, please click the "comments" button and ask away. I don't guarantee to have all of the answers, but I will do my best. Please don't use the blog for specific, personal issues. A phone call or email is a better format for that.

Here is a good starter question.

Q: "If the priority for the new bond proposal was the main elementary, why are the sports complex and Winn elementary starting first?"

A: The main reason that the design and construction schedule has Winn and the sports complex first is actually because the main elementary and main campus improvements are the biggest. The design phase is so much more involved that it simply takes longer to prepare. The Winn project and the sports complex projects are relatively small. The design time is much less so these projects can be started before the design phase of the main campus is complete. If the project schedule put the Winn and Sports complex after the main campus, the overall completion of the entire bond project would be even longer. The architectural and construction management firms are trying to maximize efficiency to get the overall project done as quickly as possible.

Knowing Your Principal

This is my first attempt at blogging. This is a way for me to share information about being the principal at Shepherd High School.

It is great to be back working in my home town. I have lived in Shepherd all of my live. I literally have never lived outside the village limits. One of my claims to fame is that I lived at home until I was 27. Before you laugh, just consider how much money I was saving. I didn't really have a good reason to leave! I finally moved out when I was married. Even then, I lived in town.

I graduated from SHS in 1987, and I stayed at home while I was attending Alma College. I was able to get done in four years with a double major in history and political science and my teaching certificate. I graduated from Alma in April of 1991. That fall I was hired by Mt. Pleasant Public Schools to teach in the Isabella County Jail. I taught GED prep and some basic skills to help inmates earn a diploma. I also taught a couple of other adult education classes. I only did this for about a semester until I was offered a position as a grant administrator. This was a very big step for me because I had a chance to start doing some administrative work.

I knew that I needed to work in a regular K-12 position if I ever wanted to pursue administration in a K-12 building. After a total of four years in Mt. Pleasant, I applied for a position in Shepherd at Odyssey. I was hired and worked at Odyssey for a year (1995-1996). I then took a position in the high school. I finished my administrative master's degree in 1998 and then continued to work at SHS until July of 2002.

In July of 2002, I was hired by Farwell Area Schools as a high school assistant principal. This was a very good experience. I was glad that Farwell took a chance on me and gave me the opportunity to obtain administrative experience. After two years, I decided to try for another position. This time I applied for a position with Midland Public Schools. I was hired to begin the 2004-2005 school year. This provided me with more great experience. I was the Level I Assistant Principal at Northeast Middle School. I went from a small rural school to a large city school and from high school to middle school. I went from a school with limited resources to a school with expanded resources. I also went from a school with seven administrators to a school with many more than that. I really liked working in Midland, but I was still living in Shepherd. Midland, as nice as it was, was not "home." In 2006, I applied for the head high school principal position. My past experience really helped to make a case that I should be hired for this position. When it was all said I done, I was hired and began at SHS in December of 2006. I have been at SHS since then.

One thing that I didn't mention is that when I first moved from Mt. Pleasant to Shepherd, I met this new teacher. This new teacher and I got to know each other over the course of a few months (September to December) and by December 24th we were engaged. Kristi (Sneary) and I were married the following July - July 6th, 1996. As you can figure, we worked as colleagues until I left in 2002. When I returned in 2006, she had taken a position as the district media specialist.

We had a son, Alex, in 1998 and a daughter, Adri, in 2000. Now we all go to the same place every day. This is very cool. I am glad to be back in Shepherd where my wife works and my kids go to school.

This introduction is a little long, but it is an overview of how I came to be the principal at Shepherd High School.