20 Personal Thoughts on Education and Leadership

~ Andrew G Secor

For the last 10 months, I’ve enjoyed some great exchanges with educators based on my  “not so deep,” #SimpleMessage, thoughts I’ve posted on Twitter most Friday mornings. I have no shortage of opinions on either of those topics and enjoy sharing my perspective with others. Their responses and thinking have greatly impacted me and allowed me to continue to grow in this profession. download.jpg

Here are 20 of those thoughts. Feel free to read the rest on Twitter @secorsig.

1. April 13, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, surface level, Friday thought. As elementary educators, we need to put students in positions of academic adversity where they have to show intellectual persistence. We can’t send them to secondary ed w/out having encountered those challenges

2. April 20, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, surface level, Friday thought. If someone walks up and asks you what you can improve upon in your job and you can’t make a list for them, you’ve stopped growing and you just don’t know it yet. And, “work too hard” doesn’t count

3. April 27, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, surface level, Friday thought. To achieve their highest potential, every educator needs someone in their district who believes you can be greater than even you ever imagined. Are you that person for someone else in your district?

4. May 11, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, surface level, Friday thought. “Teacher Appreciation Week” is a time to recognize people in the greatest profession in the world. But make this the icing on the cake. Do all you can to make those teachers feel valued n appreciated all yr long

5. May 18, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, surface level, Friday thought. Educators, stop blaming parents. It’s tired, weak, and lame. What good does it do? Control what you can control. Work toward solutions. Stop pointing the finger. Figure out what you can fix and support

6. May 25, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, surface level, Friday thought. I’m not a fan of public summer countdowns in classrooms or school offices. Don’t send the message that you can’t wait for it to be over. Got one in private, different story. Send the right message, a positive one

7. June 1, 2018 – My Friday thought. The workplace and our world are requiring us to develop a different type of thinker and person to meet the demands of today’s society. Our educational system grades/evaluates us using a rubric that doesn’t match that ask.Tough spot for schools

8. June 29, 2018 – My Friday thought. We ask all kinds of questions when interviewing prospective educators for jobs. I think two very important things get overlooked, often at the principal and central office level. How humble is that person? How well do they listen? #SimpleMessage

9. July 6, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, surface level, Friday thought. We live in a world that assumes and almost pushes us to, take another step of professional advancement. While there are times when that is the right move, sometimes you are right where you are supposed to be SimpleMessage

10. August 10, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought. I think a balanced calendar is what’s best for kids. I’m not sure that’s debatable. But if a district isn’t doing that, a free and comprehensive summer programming option for all students, including transportation, is necessary

11. August 24, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought. We have lots of school improvement teams and committees. Don’t neglect a social committee of some kind for staff. Make it an emphasis to have a group of people that plan for your team to spend time together outside of school #SimpleMessage
12. September 7, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought: Principals, never say “my school.” Don’t say “my students” or “my building.” It’s ALWAYS “our.” Use “we” instead of “I.” That school was there long before you and will be there long after you are gone #SimpleMessage
13. September 14, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought: Relevant, relevant, relevant. When looking to plan PD its the #1 thing I consider. How relevant and impactful is what we are learning to their daily work with students? Excited to learn with the Jamestown team this afternoon #SimpleMessage
14. September 21, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought: Don’t glorify “busy.” We all get the same amount of hours and minutes in each day, week, month, and year. We all make choices about how we spend those. Everyone is busy. How are you prioritizing your time? It’s your choice #SimpleMessage
15. October 12, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought: Think about the amount of time spent in elementary schools getting kids to line up straight and quiet to walk down the hall. Ever been to a middle school or high school? Does that look the same? Is that time spent worth it? #JustAQuestion
16. October 19, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought: My first superintendent told me that the district didn’t pay me my salary to supervise lunch. If I did that every day, I’d miss so much teaching and learning. He said stop in the cafeteria to build relationships, not supervise
17. October 26, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought: One of the most important jobs a principal has is keeping their finger on the emotional status of their team. I’m always trying to figure out how individuals, small/large groups are doing and what I can do to provide support
18. November 16, 2018 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought: Be sure to praise things that a student can control. Stay away from “you’re smart” and “you’re cute.” Emphasize things students can control, like their work ethic, passion, effort, grit, resiliency after a mistake n kindness #SimpleMessage
19. January 11, 2019 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought: When looking at interventions for students who need support, I am skeptical of the learning impact from a technology-based system. I’ll side on those students receiving instruction from a human educator trained to deliver it
20. January 25, 2019 – Here’s my not so deep, Friday thought: As a principal, one of my biggest jobs is to remove obstacles which will allow teachers to do what they do best. It certainly isn’t my job to put MORE obstacles in front of them

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