Category: VVMS

Minnetonka Summer Leadership Institute 2014- Innovation in Education

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Yesterday I was given the opportunity to attend the Minnetonka Summer Leadership Institute on Innovation in Education. There were three keynote speakers: George Couros, Heather Staker, and Eric Sheninger. I decided to create a one…



National Foreign Language Week

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This week we have celebrated National Foreign Language Week at VVMS. I am really proud of our teachers for promoting this week and global awareness. Our teachers created posters, ads for our messaging system, and a unique idea that I really loved. Our teachers gave each teacher a blank name badge on which we could write something…



What personal characteristics define an excellent administrator?

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Recently I was asked What personal characteristics define an excellent administrator? My short answer: I believe an excellent administrator is a learner, enjoys children and is effective at leading adults. Additionally, being visionary, strategic and having a growth mindset as a leader is important.

In order to have a strong academic culture I think that we have…



Growth Mindset

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Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset may be the most influential work on my parenting and career to date. Last week I found myself in our Middle Level PLC meeting changing a survey scale from not true to not yet in my mind. I did it without intentionality, it has just become part of who…



My Most Important Question:

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On Friday I sent all of the students at Valley View Middle School a google form with one important question: What do you love about Valley View Middle School?  Not only was I curious about their responses, I also want to use them in a promotional flyer for our upcoming first annual VVMS Showcase.  I…



Here Today

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Today I am grateful to be getting back into the swing of a new school year and to my blog.  I know that 2014-15 is going to be an awesome year.  I am looking forward to sharing the good news of my school, my profession and my leadership.  I am reminded that:

All I know for…



#LoveMySchoolDay

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I absolutely love the profession of teaching.  I love learning. I love working with students and adults who are dedicated to the students they serve. At Valley View Middle School, we have awesome teachers! This quote from Sir Ken Robinson speaks volumes:



#dayofpink

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Valley View Middle School is proud to celebrate the International Day of Pink today!  It is wonderful to see all the students and staff wearing pink, talking about diversity and anti-bullying.

From the DayofPink website: www.dayofpink.org

DayofPink is the…



PBIS @ VVMS

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I have worked in high-poverty, diverse schools my entire career.  While in High School, I enjoyed tutoring elementary students in south Minneapolis at Hoops and Homework which grew into a job with Educational Talent Search during college at Humboldt Junior/Senior High School.  I was fortunate to student teach at Como Park High School in Saint…



If these walls could speak…

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I believe that the physical space of a school speaks volumes about the mission, vision, and values of a school.  It is often overlooked but it sets the tone and climate of a school in powerful ways.  I was inspired by a session at #nassp14 in which the principal showed pictures of his 21st century…