What is it we are doing here anyway?

As I observe students and teachers go about the business of school on daily basis, I am quite aware of how hard both groups are working to get a lot of different goals accomplished. Many times people who have not been in school since they have graduated will look at what goes on and ask what exactly is going on here? What are they working towards? Does what appears to be chaos really have a function that is driving towards some greater goal? People judge schools on many things: Where do the graduates go? How do the test scores look? How did the (insert one of various sports teams here) do in the game the other night? How many students look like they are up to no good standing around the school before it starts? In other words, people use various ways of judging a school based upon their frame of reference. The real outcomes of what a school sets out to accomplish are sometimes difficult to measure. It is my hope that all students will learn to:

• communicate well, read well, and have good number sense
• be ready to take risks
• be able to find, use and distribute accurate information for problem solving purposes
• offer service to their community and have a spirit of giving
• build endurance to do the things that need to get done despite their difficulty
• look at things differently
• have integrity, self respect and respect for others
• be lifelong learners

To me, these are the most important things for our students take from their educational experience!

A link for your consideration

ACT released a report this summer called Rigor at Risk. The executive summary of the study can be found at http://www.act.org/path/policy/pdf/rigor_summary.pdf I think this is a must read for students, parents, teachers, administrators, and Board members. There are many pieces that are important to consider. One item of particular interest to me stated:

■ High school teachers and college faculty also disagree about the depth and breadth of essential
state standards needed to prepare students for college. High school teachers rate a much larger number of topics and skills as being “important” or “very important” for college success than do college instructors. This parallels the tendency of many state standards to be broad and inclusive rather than specific and selective. It may be that the extensive nature of
state standards forces high school teachers to treat all topics as important,potentially sacrificing depth for breadth. In contrast, postsecondary educators indicate that a more rigorous treatment of fundamental content knowledge and skills would better prepare students for college and work.

Again, we must make sure we emphasize the mastery of skills and the ability to use information rather than the recollection of facts!

"Gone Fishin"

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life" (Chinese proverb)

Sometimes in education we get caught up in the information that students need to have in a particular discipline. Can a student recite the presidents? How many bones are in the foot? What force causes a body to stay in motion? As I sit here typing these questions, I think we are sometimes guilty of giving our students a "fish" everyday and making them dependent to come back for more. We need to emphasize how to find information and how to process information rather than making learning the facts the only goal. Teaching students to "fish" allows them to be in charge of their own learning. Creating a "net" of understanding by giving the students tools as opposed to facts will allow them to "catch" on to the most important concept: Learning is a life-long process!

A favorite quote

“Here is the key to success and the key to failure: We become what we think about.”
-Earl Nightingale

When we surround ourselves with positive people, think positive thoughts, positive things will happen! The moment you define your goal and begin to work toward it, you have become successful. By using this “key” to success, you will open the way to opportunities limited only by your own mind.

Building and Cultivating a Positive Learning Environment

Relationships and expectations are the foundation of a school that will prepare students for higher education and/or careers. Strong relationships with other students and staff cannot exist without a culture of trust and respect. We as a staff can build the level of trust in our building by affording the students a level of respect by which we acknowledge them not as subordinates, but as fellow learners. Our mentoring program (A BIG THANKS TO OUR MENTORING TEAM!) is being designed and implemented to help both students and teachers build positive, respectful relationships. It is the aim of this endeavor to build strong relationships between teachers and students for the purpose of guiding students, building motivation for learning, and exposing our students to information which will guide them in their daily decisions as well as long term planning. This environment is not something that a principal can mandate. It must be cultivated by the entire staff. We must remember we are here to teach students and not subjects.

Welcome To PHS

Paris High School is a familiar landmark in Edgar County and long steeped in the tradition of education excellence and outstanding achievements making our students among the finest in East Central Illinois. Here they are given the full spectrum of educational experiences and opportunities, in a strong diversified curriculum with a talented, experienced and caring staff. The school's mission is to prepare our students to be life long learners and productive members of society. Through wide experiences and cultural opportunities, as well as with a strong foundation in reading, math, writing, and the arts, our students welcome and respond to competitive challenges. The school operates with the premise of creating strong relationships with and for students, emphasizing rigor in all classroom challenges, and to make all learning environments and tasks relevant. It is with great pride that I offer an open invitation to anyone interested in finding out more about Paris High School. Visit us at 309 South Main Street in Paris or call (217) 466-1175