When you go out of your comfort zone and it works there's nothing more satisfying (Kirsten Wiig)

Kirsten is a comedian, an actor, a screenwriter and a producer. So, she knows a thing or two about going out of her comfort zone. She's right - that's where the sweet spot is. Her caveat (and it works) is important. Although, if it doesn't work there's a pay off after the failure but that's a different, longer-term kind of satisfaction.

For a short-term adrenalin rush though, a leap into the unknown for a teacher in a classroom, and it works, is pretty intoxicating.

It's a daily crapshoot for a teacher - I'm not sure of the percentage payoff to crash and burn but I'd say roughly it's around 50%, remembering that 75% of all statistics are made up.

Those are pretty good odds, and there are oodles of learning moments in the crash and burns as well.

Oh, and the picture of the Walter Mitty film isn't random. Aside from it being one of my favourite films, Kirsten Wiig appears in it with Ben Stiller and it's always good to be reminded of the Life magazine quote:

To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.

Giant steps are what you take, walking on the moon (Police)

It is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change - Queen Elizabeth II.

Once you know it's the Queen, you can certainly hear her voice.

She certainly lived her life following that maxim. Small steps.

Lao Tzu says a similar thing in his Tao Te Ching - A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

That, in turn, reminds me of Neil Armstrong's, 'One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind' as he walked on the moon (yes, he did).

I'm sensing a theme...

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try (Beverly Sills)

One of the main reasons for changing schools this year was student mindset. As in, my growing frustration with students who had the ability to study but decided not to.

That's a complicated thing. There are many reasons why someone won't commit to study. Nevertheless, the change has worked from that point of view. My expectations haven't changed but the collective mindset of the students in front of me is very different in my new school.

Again, it's a complicated set of reasons why that is so, and while I know from experience that educational utopias are a white whale, I am appreciating the difference.

Achievement results from work realising ambition (Adam Ant)

I'm struggling a little to believe Adam Ant came up with that snappy aphorism (was hard for me to take him seriously in his early eighties poptastic years).

Nevertheless, the quote is a nifty combo of hard work and ambition (goals) equaling success. True that!

Musicians wanting to sell shed loads of records and gain public adoration need that combo as much as students slogging away to pass an Achievement Standard do.

Light tomorrow with today (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

Photo by Eco Warrior Princess on Unsplash

Just a quick post, thanks to a week of senior reports and Year 13 marking.

My professional development mini goal for the term centres on my interest in school culture. 

Specifically, I'm keen to construct a best practice document for dining room duties at my school (Iona College). To that end, I've arranged to shadow a colleague who is a bit of a stickler, even though she thinks she's quite liberal with her interpretations of protocols.

That's happening this week. I'll collate some notes as I observe how she goes about her work. Should be cool and a practical way in to understanding some crucial school culture.

I also want to have the espoused theory at my fingertips, so I need to do some research as a precursor.

Wahoo! This sort of stuff excites me/ lights my fire.

Baila mi hermana (Santana)

Photo by Pierre Goiffon on Unsplash

School socials are a ritual that I'd almost forgotten about. 

Hastings Boys' High School didn't bother with them and they were certainly never an option at OneSchool Global. So my last school social would have been ten years ago at Woodford House where three schools (WH, Iona College and Lindisfarne) united.

Ironically, that's where I experienced the latest version. Nothing too much had changed. Same three schools, it was still very loud, the Year 9 girls are still taller than the Year 9 boys, the Year 13 students still appear to have the most fun, the music still doesn't quite hit the mark for Year 9's and only a few students actually dance.

My favourite moments from last night were when I caught up with my old colleagues at Woodford. Hugs and smiles and a shared history are elements that are hard to beat.

Yes indeed, some things don't change.

See much, study much, suffer much, that is the path to wisdom (Celtic saying)

Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash

The focus for this post will be on the 'study much/ suffer much' part of that Celtic saying.

During my varsity days at both Auckland University and especially at UNITEC doing a thesis for a Masters degree in Educational Management, I did a lot of suffering as I studied. A lot!

It was really hard work at times, especially given I was working full time as a Deputy Principal and we had four young children at home, but I pushed through. 

Yes, I know. We had it tough in our day! No pain - no gain.

That thesis experience was good for me - built some resilience, even if I didn't exactly enjoy the discomforting process.

Am I wrong or is there a trend these days for students to shy away from the study much/ suffer much regime. Often students seem to want things handed to them on a plate. 

That is not the path to true wisdom.