A Last Lecture, by George Manthey

Notes from George's Last Lecture

George Manthey is my cousin and Assistant Executive Director at Association of California School Administrators. He is retiring this year and gave his 'Last Lecture' at the Classified Educational Leader's Conference in Emeryville, CA on Feb. 28 of this year. His speech really touched my heart and I wanted to share some of his "GEMS" for those of you that don't want to sit through the full hour speech. That said, the ending makes it all worthwhile!  Where I couldn't resist adding my comments, they are (in parentheses).

George's GEMS

1. People meet up. People we connect with are there for a reason.
   
2. Steal the best stuff, share it, and give credit!
3. Leaders need to simplify, not complicate - Doobie Brothers -I may be just a boy but I am not a fool, Our leaders need to simplify instead of complicate. There is an inverse relationship between size of SIP and the improvement.
4. Don't underestimate your influence - make the most of every single opportunity! It is through creating change that we have a lasting influence.  Here he tells a wonderful story about a struggling 2nd grader who came back to him some 30 years later, an extremely successful lawyer and father, and said, roughly, 'all of my accomplishments are your accomplishments, too.' (What teacher doesn't wish for that impact?!)
5. Leading is a dance. Dance joyfully. When you dance, sometimes you teach, other times you learn. At times you are fronts and center, other times you are in the background. You have to take risks. Dancing is more powerful when you include everyone. (Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.)
6. Often you need a commitment to just go halfway.
7. It isn't good enough to have a goal, if your goal doesn't have truth, beauty and goodness. Seek what is beautiful, right and good.
8. Sometimes you won't know, there are other times you will (think Vincent Van Gogh)
9. Include and transcend. Live in the world of What's Not. Lao Tzu said 'Hollowed out, clay makes a pot. Where a pot is not, is where it is useful.'  Our imaginations are not big enough when they are not expanded by others.
10. one word - NOTICE. Pay attention. Live whole heartedly. Brene' Brown reported in her TED talk, 'people who notice have things in common: Courage. Compassion. Connection. Vulnerability.'
11. End Abruptly when the time is right.
12. There are no accidents. In everything there is a purpose.
13. Love the ones you're with.

George Manthey's Last Lecture from ACSA on Vimeo.

2013 goal 4: DeClutter

No - I haven't forgotten nor abandoned my 5 goals for 2013. I am just a little slow to write about them...I'd like to say because I am to busy doing them, but that would be a lie.

Voluntary simplicity means going fewer places in one day rather than more, seeing less so I can see more, doing less so I can do more, acquiring less so I can have more.

- John Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go There You Are

The best things in life aren't things.- Art Buchwald 

Less is more.- Mies van der Rohe

Goal number four is to lose the clutter, both the physical clutter....the stuff, but also the emotional clutter, those things and scripts that keep me awake at night.

Clutter-free gurus suggest if you haven't worn it for a year, or a season, get rid of it. Since I lived on the east coast for one nasty winter, I have coats that aren't usually necessary here, but I always go to, "what if?" Or I look at that sparkly top. Although I didn't wear it this year, the right party may come up next year...and so it goes. I guess the one season thing doesn't really work for me. I can justify keeping almost anything!

So, I have been thinking a lot about my attachment to things. I don't mean to sound morbid or depressing though this may all come out that way. First, I realize I won't be around forever, and having had to sort through my aunt's and uncles' things over the last few years has made me think about what my son and nieces and nephews will have to sort through when we are gone. Second, after watching a friend of ours downsize from a mansion, to a live aboard yacht -- and his fast forward to a homeless shelter -- has helped me see how simply one can live. Finally, recent losses have put into perspective the importance of people and experiences with those people, over things. Things, stuff, just get in the way.

DH and I started the year like gangbusters. We cleared out two closets and filled four large backs for the shelter. We planned to keep going until every closet, dresser, kitchen cupboard and cranny was purged. But then we hit a wall when I went back to work.  So now my plan is less ambitious. Get rid of the 4 bags. Then tackle one thing every weekend. It could be one drawer, one closet, one shelf in the storage unit. Just one thing.

That takes care of the house. What about my classroom? My first student teaching assignment is with a dear woman 9 months from retirement. She'd apparently taught most of her 30+ years in the same classroom. The hope was that I'd be placed in her classroom. This didn't happen. But I always think about her stuff when I keep something in my class for that project I might do someday. My colleague Tanya Hobson-Begraft writes in her blog:

I’m still working on making my classroom a learning space free from unsightly teacher storage.  I really believe that students need a beautiful learning space where they don’t have to sit on top of curriculum kits, or see distracting boxes, piles of textbooks, bundles of computer wires, and baggies filled with things around the room.  I’m nowhere near this goal, and will be working to clear space from my cupboards so that everything I need is inside of them, and not in the student’s learning environment.

I want my shelves cleared of storage and instead used to house things that children can take and use. I love the Montessori model of shelves filled with trays and displays that have been thoughtfully laid out, connected to the curriculum, and ready for children to explore. So that’s my goal: move out the dust collecting storage, and move in something more accessible for students. My rule is going to be: If it isn't something I want the child to touch and use on a daily basis, then it's not going to be within their reach or in our sight.

Since I've had to move 5 out of my 7 years teaching, the only thing I've acquired too much of is books, and really, can you ever have too many books? No, my clutter at school is more around my work space. I have noticed that my students notice that and tend to follow suit. Just as I want to be a good example in my reading and writing, I'd like to be a good example with my organizational skills. I do have them, I just haven't really been employing them in the classroom as much as I'd like. My main classroom de-clutter effort will be around my teaching space.

Which addresses the physical stuff.

Decluttering the mental stuff is a little harder. I do find that my writing helps me get stuff out of my head, so I plan to write more this year. I'm also trying to worry less and be more present. When I used to run, I had a zen mediation to help my cadence, one which I'd be wise to practice again: If there is nothing I can do, why be unhappy? Why be unhappy if there is something I can do. .

Location:Santa Clara,United States

2013 goal 3: Use and inspire positive language and outlook

This year I set five goals. The third of which is to use and inspire positive language and outlook in my classroom and my life. When my first niece, Cynde, was born 34 years ago, I realized the huge responsibility of being an aunt. I could remember words that my own aunts had used when I was a child. I knew that someday my darling niece would remember something, anything, that I said to her. I knew I couldn't predict what she would or wouldn't remember, so I better be sure it was all good. Not that it was, I'm sure I made mistakes and faux pas along the way, but just thinking about my words was a good start. Fast forward 20+ years to when I decided to become a teacher. That responsibility I felt as an aunt was now multiplied by the 30 minds I'd be reaching every year in my classroom. I continue to be awed by the trust these children put in me. As I entered my seventh year teaching this fall, I found myself getting a little more cynical and a little more sarcastic. I don't want to be "that teacher" and so, my goal to be more positive.

Anyone who has known me a while will tell you I am generally a positive, optimistic person. It drives DH nuts when we are driving and someone cuts him off and I say, "oh honey, maybe he is on the way to the hospital because his wife is having a baby!" I give blood frequently with my dear sister-friend. We both have the same, rare-ish blood time and we remind the blood suckers at Red Cross, B+: it's not just a blood type, it's an attitude. So it is in my nature to be positive, but I still need a little help now and then.

Over winter break, I started reading Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives by Peter H. Johnston. Reading this book has helped me really focus in on my choice of words and to think about the impact on my students of my words, tone, and non-verbal forms of communication. I want my legacy to be one of creating a joy of learning and a respect for life in all of my students. If that is the legacy I hope to create, I need to work on it every day.

January finds our school community focusing on the life skill of kindness. My students have decided to create in our classroom a Kindness Project. We have brainstormed ways that we hear and see kindness. We are creating kindness icons and we are practicing words and actions to create a habit of kindness. I am so excited that my students are joining me on this journey!




Artwork by ERM, 3rd grade, created using tagxedo and skitch. Thank you!

Top 12 Reflections on 2012 - conclusion

And in conclusion... my final 5 of 12 reflections on 2012, some personal, some professional, all combining to make me, well, me!

Write a 2012 year in review about what you've done, where you've been, and the joys of the year. Take time to remember. +Vicki Davis 

8.  Education + Technology = #EdTech: When I decided to become a teacher, my vision was to use what I had learned "in the real world" to help me be a better teacher.  I have worked hard, and spent a lot of my own time and money, to find meaningful ways to bring technology into the classroom to provide my students with authentic learning experiences.  When I had to leave SUSD, I was afraid I'd have to start from zero to re-establish myself as a technology leader with my new district. At my age, (really at any age) starting from zero seems like a grand waste of time.  One of my favorite expressions is that I'd rather ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.  As a manager, I respected the initiative that showed. As a teacher I appreciate the perceived independence, even though I know it can sometimes frustrate my principals.  So, I just did what I do and kept my principal informed.  Through programs like CreaTV and the iPad Academy, I have been able to flex my tech muscles while providing our students with unique learning opportunities. I have also been in a position to help develop other teachers as they learn how to use technology to become more efficient and effective educators. In January, +sheila monger  and I were honored with a Good Apple Award by our school board and recognized for our contribution in the area of educational technology.  I am very proud of the work we have done to help teachers and students use technology in meaningful ways.

9. Walking Compassion: 2012 marked the 11th year of my involvement in endurance fundraising walks to help raise awareness and money to fight breast cancer.  My cousin Sue did the first 3-Day from SJ to SF in 2000. My mother-in-law was battling breast cancer, so in 2001 I decided to do the 3 day.  In May of that year, Alice McConnell lost her battle, but I've kept fighting for her. Since I started walking, my friends, teammates and I have raised well over $50,000 to help fund mammograms, education and research.  Of course, you'll know where to find me September 28-28!  Walk on!

10.  In October of this year I applied to and was accepted into another academy at our district. Cambrian and others use the academy model as a choice method for professional development (see page 32).  This time it is the Digital Media Academy.  I saw this as a great opportunity to merge my work with CreaTV and classroom learning using digital media.  Our students have started out by producing short PSAs  addressing personal concerns such as playground safety, littering, and bullying.  We have been able to use student created content on our monthly television show on CreaTV, Comcast channel 28,  Around Bagby.  Our students are becoming better planners, writers, problem solvers, communicators and collaborators.

11. Friends: I can't name every moment that a friend was there when I needed them this year or I'd use up the internet :^)  My family of choice, those I am related to by blood and those I choose to have in my life, truly do complete me. This year I was fortunate enough to have many opportunities to be with people I love. I walked and golfed and even had a golf-a-pallooza clinic in April. I was overwhelmed by the support I received during my surgery and recuperation, especially from two of my best friends, Linda and my husband, Jim. We shared happy times, including the birth of my newest nephew and cheering on the Giants and we cried together in sad times, saying goodbye to loved ones who died suddenly.  My friendships mean so much to me and none more than the strong bond with my girls.  Kathy, Mary, Linda and I have been friends together since Junior High.  We have seen each other though children and deaths and marriages and divorces and everything in between.  No year would be complete without Girls' Christmas, celebrated in Monterey this year. I am so grateful and blessed!

12. Assessment. As I started this year end review with iPads, I'm ending with them.  While initially I used the iPads for student engagement and learning, I also used student work on the iPads for informal assessment.  However, I wanted to learn more (and still do) about ways I can use the devices to effectively assess student learning.  In August, with the help of +Jill Florant  at Edmodo, I started using Edmodo not only to communicate with my parents and students but also to assess their learning. I started using assessments and quizzes. Parents are able to see their child's progress and it really has improved the home-school connection.  In addition to Edmodo, I also started using Class Dojo for behavior management.  The kids love their avatars and work hard for positive behavior reports.  This fall I used adopt-a-classroom to generate crowd-funding for SpellingCity and our collaborative weather project.  SpellingCity helps administer spelling practice activities and tests, grades the tests and provides useful reports to me and the parents.  In 2013 I plan to further investigate and utilize methods for assessing student learning and engagement on iPads.

So, with number 12, I will put 2012 behind me.  The advice to sit and reflect was good. Now I realize why I am so tired!  It was a great year, but one with lots of pain and sadness, too.  

I don't make resolutions, once you break them - it's like a pass to be bad the rest of the year. Instead, I set goals which I work on throughout the year.  This year's goals? Enjoy life deeper, sweeter, healthier, happier, with gratitude. Specifically:

1. Live a Healthier life with balance - Spend more quality time with family


2. Research and implement ways to measure effectiveness of edtech in my classroom


3. Use and inspire positive language, outlook - in my classroom and my life


4. Declutter - mentally and physically


5. Utilize Effective & efficient assessment and demonstration of learning on iPads

Happy New Year!