I listen to podcasts to learn, be inspired, and get motivated almost every day. When I need to be inspired or get a fresh idea, I know I can pop in my earbuds and get what I need from other educators who are out there sharing through this media. Listening to podcasts is truly personalized professional development at it’s finest. Continue reading
Whenever I attend any sort of conference where there are sessions happening simultaneously, whether an edcamp or a tradition conference, I always experience FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out! Even if I am fully engaged and learning things that blow my mind, somewhere, in the back of my mind, I’m wondering what others are learning in the sessions I am missing. Continue reading
We are offering a new kind of PD this spring at Ault Elementary inspired by an idea shared by Tricia Reilly @PrincipalReilly at EdCamp Cy-Fair. Instead of a standard “sit and get” we are encouraging staff to get up and move as they listen to an educational podcast of their choice – taking care of their minds and bodies during this stressful time of year! Continue reading
I was blessed to be on the leadership team for the first ever edcamp Cy-Fair which was held this past Saturday, January 20th in Cypress, Texas. I am a huge proponent of edcamps and am so thrilled to bring this professional development model to educators in our area.
Many people make New Year’s Resolutions – promises of what they will do differently in the new year ahead. There is a movement of choosing one word as a focus for the year ahead instead of lots of little promises or resolutions. This word helps you focus on the kind of person you want to be and it applies to multiple aspects of your life.
I have chosen one word the last several years to guide my year and give me focus. This year, I’ve selected the word DISCIPLINED: Continue reading
We are all in this education business for kids. That’s why we come to work each day. And even though for all of us the overriding goal is to do what’s best for our students, sometimes we disagree on what’s best in our state, our district, our school, on our team, or in our classrooms.
Sometimes educators (teachers, and administrators alike) can get into the rut of doing it “the way it’s always been done.” But trying something new can not only make the lesson more engaging for the students but taking a risk and trying something new in a lesson can often rejuvenate the instructor as well.
As a school administrator or teacher leader on a campus, here are 6 easy and effective steps you can take to promote a culture of risk-taking on your campus: Continue reading
My one and a half year old son has a shape sorter. You’ve seen them – a bunch of shapes with a box that has a hole for each shape. He’s gotten pretty good at this little sorting game in his one and half years of life, but occasionally, he misses the mark. Every now and then he tries really hard to get the star through the heart shaped hole, or the circle in the square shaped hole, or as the old saying goes, “the square peg in the round hole.”
Author James Allen states, “A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thought.”
Thoughts matter. There is tons of research out there showing that if a teacher truly believes in her students they achieve at higher levels.
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Meredith Akers 