Yesterday was the first of my two-part sermon series on the Book of Jonah. This is a story about Jonah, and it’s a story about Israel, and it’s a story about me. And one thing that’s true for all of us, is that the call of God is often clear. It’s often as clear asContinue reading “Attempted Escape”
Author Archives: Nick
Initiative Fatigue
“Really?!? Another thing? We are barely started with the last thing and the thing before that. I can’t even remember the main focus of the thing from last month. Is this one going to stick or is it going to be soon forgotten like last year’s thing? How can we have 50 things that weContinue reading “Initiative Fatigue”
In case of emergency
I reviewed a few different emergency scenarios this week and talked with a group of educators about what we should do in different situations. One of the scenarios dealt with a shooting and the other with a student leaving campus during the school day and dying in a car accident. These are horrific situations. Here’sContinue reading “In case of emergency”
Confidentiality
I talked with a group of teachers about two tough confidentiality issues this week. One involved a teacher who shared a story with her neighbor about a rough student. She included names and identifying details. The neighbor then shared the story on Facebook. It quickly turned into quite a disaster. The other issue involved anContinue reading “Confidentiality”
Relationships Matter
As part of the administrative credential program that I have been working my way through for several months, we’ve had the opportunity to read several case studies and scenarios dealing with students, staff, and parents. What’s interesting about these scenarios is the massive range of situations that you could potentially find yourself in as aContinue reading “Relationships Matter”
California Ed Code 48907
I know. It’s a catchy title for a blog post. California Educational Code 48907 has to do with students’ freedom of speech rights. Here’s an excerpt: “Pupils of the public schools, including charter schools, shall have the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press including, but not limited to, the use ofContinue reading “California Ed Code 48907”
Racial Bias in Parent Communication
Several months ago I completed a quick online test from Project Implicit that was designed to measure implicit stereotyping and biases. The process was really thought-provoking and it led to several good conversations with colleagues about how we interact with students. One thing that I hadn’t considered at the time was how dramatically an educator’sContinue reading “Racial Bias in Parent Communication”
Understanding vs. Appreciating
I read a case study this week that ended up leading to some great discussion with a few colleagues. The study told the story of a 13 year old Vietnamese boy named Khoi who had lived with his mother in Seattle for the last 8 months. Khoi was suspended from school for 5 days forContinue reading “Understanding vs. Appreciating”
Cultural Mindfulness
In a Forbes article from 2015 called Why You Need Cultural Intelligence, folks from the IESE Business School explain the concept of cultural intelligence as a sort of x-factor that has the potential to “drive up innovation and creativity” as it allows someone to integrate different perspectives across cultural barriers. They talk about the immenseContinue reading “Cultural Mindfulness”
The Engagement Continuum
The focus this week has been on engaging parents and families. Part of the conversation that has been sticking with me is the distinction between parent participation, parent involvement and parent engagement. When you think about the words participation, involvement, and engagement as they relate to relationships, they have a very different connotation. I don’tContinue reading “The Engagement Continuum”
Mr. Zerwas Teaches Here 