I will admit it-I like shiny new things. I have always loved the Back to School time of year. Buying my new school agenda (thanks Amber Teamann for sharing Erin Condren with me this year), creating the school year calendar in my office and that sense of a fresh start is exciting for me. … Continue reading Be Careful of the Shiny New Tech Tools as You Start the School Year.
So this will be the end of my 5th year in kindergarten. I will be repeating kindergarten again next year (and the year after that, and the year after that…) but oh man this year I will be ugly crying on the last day. The students, this staff and these families have been incredible. The … Continue reading What I Really Learned This Year in Kindergarten.
http://www.transformativeprincipal.org/?s=Jessica+Cabeen Overview: Woodson has been an all-day everyday Kindergarten Center for the past 11 years. In the past 4 years enrollment has fluctuated between 360–425 students (currently about 385 with our preschool class). 51% of our students are students of color, and we have a 61% free and reduced lunch student population. We have … Continue reading How a Kindergarten Center is Amazing with Jessica Cabeen Transformative Principal 099
http://betterleadersbetterschools.com/jessica-cabeen/ Jessica Cabeen has been a Kindergarten Principal in Austin Minnesota for the past 5 years. Previous to this she was an assistant middle school principal and special education supervisor. Her teaching career included work in special education and as a music therapist. She facilitates the Minnesota P3 Principal Leadership series as well the Principal Academy through the … Continue reading Unconventional Leadership: Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast.
So last year I started a Coding Club…with kindergarten students. Oh it get’s better-I haven’t been a ‘teacher’ in over a decade! The Woodson Coding Club started first on a personal passion-to find out more about my son’s love of robotics. This passion grew into a mission to provide our youngest learners opportunity to create, … Continue reading Coding, Computational Thinking and Kindergarten. #PackInTrain #RenLead
Last year over break I worked on the 20 ’16’ ways-this year I took a little turn on the post. In order to really make a positive impact for students-it is key that we as the adults are coming from a place of positivity, mutual appreciation and respect for others as well. During the 2016-17 school year … Continue reading 20 ’17’ Ways to Create a Positive Classroom Environment-*hint it starts with the adults as learners*.
Last Friday I had the opportunity to spend the day with a mentor, and now friend, Jen Hegna. During our day she mentioned my ‘tech abilities’ which I shrugged off multiple times-but on that day it had me really thinking: “Why do I dismiss my abilities in technology so easily?”. Age really has NOTHING to do … Continue reading 3 Misconceptions of Being a “Tech Leader”
Yes, I am attempting to draw parallels between George Couros The Innovators Mindset and a Midwest Icon…SPAM®. This spring our district created a hashtag and started a summer book study on George’s book…the hashtag-well of course: #SPAMTownEdChat. This past week one of the questions we all dove into was the following: Question #5: How Might You Create and … Continue reading SPAM and the Characteristics of the Innovator’s Mindset
Principal in Balance: Learning to Lead in Work and Life 