Matt's Monday Memo
January 13, 2020
Good morning, Staff,
I reread an article from several months ago on former defense secretary and Marine, James Mattis. Like many public and at times political figures, much can be debated about their legacy and impact. Mattis embodies the laudable trait of being a relentless student. Mattis is described as someone that embraced mediocrity and modest achievement early in this adult life who later developed strengths through the consistent application of learning over his career. That learning path was cut through both his selected reading of cultural and historical text and his life-experiences, as one absent the other is not extensive enough to have impact. During his deployments, Mattis would read classics from the region and culture to gain insight and to give him greater capacity in his work (he opposed the continued conflict in Iraq). David Brooks observed, “He works insanely hard, propels himself extremely quickly, making himself, every day, a better Marine.”
The description of Mattis is reflected in our work. I will see students I worked with when I was early in my career, and my first instinct is to apologize and provide testimony of my improvement. Teaching is a humbling profession, and learning inherently requires the humility and recognition that there is more to know and areas of yet unreached possibility. A career in teaching requires a devotion to learning. Learning about our students and how they learn, learning from each other, and being open to how we move ourselves forward. When we interview teaching candidates to join our ranks, we ask “What have you done recently to make yourself a better teacher?” All candidates can say they are involved in prescriptive PD from their buildings, and many can say they are active in their PLC settings. The best have recent evidence of their self-directed quest to improve: a recent workshop, a book they read, a connection to another professional in the field, a sought question answered, or a new technology integrated to improve an instructional or assessment practice. It is a worthy goal to be better tomorrow than we were today.
Best,
Matt
Peek at the Week
- January 13-17: Course Selection Week
- January 13: Late Start, Day 5/6: Classes begin at 8:57 a.m.
- January 20: NO SCHOOL (MLK Day)
Did You Know?
WGHS is a great place to increase your daily steps!
Visit the 2nd and 3rd floor staff lounges to see examples of walking routes throughout and around the building and steps noted. Each route guarantees an additional 800 steps to your day!
An example of one of the routes:
Reminders/Announcements
- Don’t forget to check www.statesmensports.com for all athletic updates and scores.
Upcoming Professional Development
- January 23: PD Discussion
- January 30: Staff Meeting (Preview of Angst)