Balance (National Teacher of the Year, Michael Geisen)

Book 'Em, Dannie

2009-06-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Denver, CO When I first got selected as National Teacher, my friend and colleague, Dannie, was laughing pretty hard. “They’re going to make a movie out of you!” she chided. She was referring to The Ron Clark Story, which I had never heard of. (Incidentally, I hadn’t heard of Teacher of the Year, either.) Of course, he was the Disney Teacher of the Year, so that’s a

Educated People

2009-06-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Medford, OR Graduation season is coming to a close, and I just gave my third commencement address. This one was for my alma mater, Southern Oregon University, in Ashland, where I earned my Masters in teaching in 2001. It was a grand day out on the field with about 900 graduates and a few thousand visitors. By this date, all the graduation rhetoric and clichés have been used, and as the

Storytime

2009-06-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

St. Cloud, MN Last night I had dinner with Jerry Wellik, a gem of a fellow who is a professor of education at St. Cloud State University, about 70 miles outside of Minneapolis. He grew up in a little town in Iowa near where the National Hobo Festival has taken place for over a hundred years. (It’s located at a site near the RR tracks, incidentally.)As you might imagine, the festivities

Fer Bummer, and Fer Neat!

2009-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR Happy Anniversary! Exactly fourteen years ago, Jen and I said, “we do.” And we did. And we have. And we are! And we will. In other news, Aspen and Johanna had their last day of school yesterday, so today is their first day of summer break! Anniversary… First day of summer break… and where am I? Flying to Minnesota, don’tcha know. But Aspen and I looked over our

ExploraVision

2009-06-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC What a grand couple of days in DC… a ride on the secret Senate subway, hanging out with Toshiba executives and old friends from Japan, cocktails with Bill Nye, flirting with exotic women (she was almost 2), and the possibility of laptops and other technology for my classroom next fall. This was the 17th annual Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards!Oregon was represented among the

Solo Mio

2009-06-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR I hope I don’t pull a muscle. It’s been nearly two weeks since I’ve given a presentation (not counting our high school graduation ceremony… gotta love country music blaring at the football stadium!) I’m now officially on my own. I no longer have “people” in DC to book all my arrangements, iron out the details, and tie up all the loose ends. I’m

It is Finished! (emphasis on the "ish")

2009-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles, CA In the words of Jesus: “It is finished!” Of course, after he said that, he died. And even then, he kept working. For a couple thousand more years. I have a feeling my job will continue to linger on like this, too. But it’s important work, so that’s okay. It’s just nice to have passed this major milestone. Actually, we’re still on the runway,

24 Little Hours

2009-05-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR Well, this is it. My last official trip as National Teacher of the Year / Slave-to-Whoever-Wants-Me. It seems like just yesterday that I was… ah, hell with it. It’s been a looong year, and I have made one heck of a journey. I wish I was feeling more reflective, but I’m not. At least not yet. I still have another 8 or 9 events scheduled for June, and a

De Belt

2009-05-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Reno, NV I’m either getting rusty or I’m getting weary. I’ve been through how many TSA checkpoints this year? And now I have finally set off the beeper. Culprit: belt. Dang. Must have been the mild seizure I was experiencing from all the flashing slot machines in the airport. Ah… Nevada.

Winding down

2009-05-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR Things are finally starting to wind down a bit. Now that the 2009 National Teacher of the Year has been announced and the school year is starting to wind down, my schedule is finally beginning to ease. Only a few more engagements in May and my official reign will be over. (Then my lucrative career as an inspirational speaker, best-selling author and, of

My Heroes

2009-04-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hartford, CT I finally got to see two of my heroes teach! Yesterday: Mike Flynn, 2008 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. Today: Joan Hurley, 2008 Connecticut Teacher of the Year. (The 2009 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, Anthony Mullen, was just announced as the 2009 National Teacher of the Year! I’m old news now. Finally.) Mike is a 2nd grade teacher, but this year is a teacher in

Neck and Neck

2009-04-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake City, UT It’s neck and neck! (Strange expression.) My numbers of glasses of cranberry juice, bars of soap liberated from hotel rooms, and thank you cards written are all in the high 150’s. If I add up all the presentations, talks, and interviews I’ve done, they’d be in a close fourth place. All of this record keeping to say that I fly too much, am gone

An Open Guitar Case

2009-04-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

San Diego, CA I spent the day today with people whose primary function is to give away money. (No, not the federal government.) It’s an organization of small, mostly family-based, foundations whose philanthropic interests include education. I was there to kick off the day with an overview of public education from a teacher’s perspective. I left my guitar case open, but

Weather or not

2009-04-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR Mid-80’s in central Oregon today! Feels like summer! (Snow a few day ago, though. Felt like winter.) What cracks me up is when people look at their thermostat and say “yep, global warming!” Or even better, when it snows: “Those liberal scientists don’t know what they’re talking about! Global warming?!? It’s snowing in April!” Of course, both

The Not-So-Friendly Skies

2009-04-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

San Antonio, TX Somebody didn’t get enough sleep last night! And I’m not talking about me (although I didn’t, of course.) Our flight attendant woke up and put on her grumpy pants this morning. My first flight was delayed this morning because the crew got in late last night and federal regulations stipulate a certain amount of rest for them. I suppose that’s a good

Was It Worth It?

2009-04-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR As we were hiking yesterday, a good friend of mine asked me about the pros and cons of this past year. “Overall, was it worth it?” My answer: “I’m not sure.” It has been a year of ups and downs, of incredible opportunities and tremendous pain. It has led to personal growth, and hopefully some good in the world of education. But it has taken it’s

The Ceremonial Blanket

2009-04-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, NV I got to hang out with Robert Kelty, the 2008 Arizona Teacher of the Year this weekend in Flagstaff. My family was able to join me for a few days there also, since I had a bit of a break after a couple of events there, and Jen’s sister lives in Flag, too. It was the mini-spring break we didn’t get this year. ‘Twas nice. Robert came to education via Teach for America on his

March Madness and the Final Four

2009-04-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Detroit, MI Each year, the NCAA Rules Committee produces a nearly 200 page document of the rules for college basketball. It is a somewhat cumbersome attempt to account for the complexity of the game we have come to love. But the committee is planning to make some major changes for the 2009-2010 season. Just this week, Rules Committee Secretary Ed Bilik released a statement that due to the

Haiku

2009-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR Amazing scheduling anomaly! My next three gigs are all west of the Mississippi river. (This is a bit like the fact that on a multiple-choice test, there are always three of the same letters in a row somewhere on the test. It’s statistically unlikely, but it always seems to show up.) Tomorrow morning I’m at the National School Board Association’s annual

M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i

2009-04-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

Jackson, MS When I was in 4th or 5th grade, I did a report on Mississippi. I remember only two things about the state (the fact that Jackson is the capitol isn’t one of those things.) First, I remember the shape of the state, and especially it’s coastline. I made a pretty nice looking map of Mississippi and Alabama, and remember the rough symmetry between them. And I seem to recall

Monday mornings

2009-03-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

St. Louis, MO Mental note: try not to accept speaking engagements on Monday mornings. Especially in large gymnasiums with hard chairs and bad sound systems. I might have been more popular if I had simply inserted pliers into people’s mouths and started pulling. Perhaps Mondays should just be cancelled. But then, Tuesdays would be Tuesdays. Kind of like if babies

When I grow up...

2009-03-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

Jacksonville, FL I had another chance to speak to “Future Educators” this morning. These are middle- and high-school students who have expressed interest in teaching as a career. That wasn’t me at that age. I worked through a few career options ranging from graphic design to geology before finally settling on a major in Forest Resource Management. Teaching wasn’t

Improv in the Zone

2009-03-26T06:00:00.001-07:00

Redmond, OR Oh, I hurt. Went skiing on Tuesday with Jen, my brother (David), and another friend (Troy). This was my third ski day this year, which is two or three times more than I usually get in a year! I’ve managed to space them out perfectly, though, so my muscles re-atrophy between each outing, ensuring a few days of good pain to remind me of the fun I had. There

Procrastination

2009-03-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Chicago, IL Got some much needed rest my first night in Chicago. Slept in until 11am. Back to my normal 3 ½ hours last night, though. I have this pesky habit of procrastinating the preparation of my presentations until the pm previous. (Holy alliteration, Batman! Didn’t mean to do that until halfway through, at which time there arose a moral imperative to plow

On Weariness

2009-03-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Columbus, GA Must… sleep… Too many events, too much jet lag, too much Southern food. Must… sleep… I feel like I’m going soft, though. I did three speaking engagements and a forum yesterday, and two more talks this morning. And I’m beat.True, it’s about 4am in Japan right now, and I’ve been up way too late working on some new ideas, but shoot, I should be able

Transitions

2009-03-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC I just spent a long night in DC (long because sleep did not come easily after my evening nap). It was sort of a transition day between my time in Japan and my next series of gigs in Columbus, Georgia. Perhaps it will cushion the culture shock a bit. Perhaps. Jen and I have begun to really consider what our next year will be like, and last night as

Japan II

2009-03-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

Tokyo, Japan Life is beautiful. Japan is a beautiful and fascinating country, but the true beauty is in its people. Although publicly reserved, most of them tend to open up a bit in private. After spending a bit of time together, and after a bit of sake, they’re downright hilarious. Or should I say “hirarious”? The Japanese people and culture are very complex, perhaps especially to

How.

2009-03-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC Addressed the Chiefs today in DC. Not the team, but the heads of all the states’ departments of education. (Some are “Superintendents,” some are “Secretaries of Education,” and so on, so they’re just collectively called “The Chiefs.” That’s pretty cool.) They were in town for a legislative conference, and I was asked to share with them a teacher's

Risky behavior

2009-03-04T15:30:00.000-08:00

Savannah, GA When people hear that I'm a climber, they generally respond in a similar way to when they hear that I'm a middle school teacher. "Wow, you must be insane." People generally consider rock climbing to be an extremely risky endeavor. But I would argue that the seemingly conservative act of staying home on the couch is actually more risky. Hear me out... Climbers do everything in

The blank page, structure, and novelty

2009-03-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

Washington, DC I’m enjoying this new journal that my cousin, Becky, gave me. Not only does it have a watercolor of Mt. Hood on the front, it also has blank pages! My previous journal, which had more of a Mediterranean faux leather cover, had rule-lined pages. I was a little worried that a lack of lines would lead to a lack of straightness of print, but it hasn’t been

I'm a Geek

2009-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR I’m such a science geek. I voluntarily sat in on an science symposium at Western Oregon University with presentations such as “Retention of sorbed nile red by manufactured organoclay in the presence of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial isolates,” “The effects of varied ambient glucose concentrations on the intracellular glucose levels of human retinal pigment epithelial cells,” and “An

Measuring and Teaching 21st Century Skills

2009-02-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a report worth reading on the measurement and teaching of 21st century skills (a.k.a. non-cognitive skills, "soft" skills, "higher-order" skills, etc., that can include creativity, critical thinking, adaptability, collaboration, technological literacy, synthesis, and so on). Produced by the Education Sector, it does a fair job of looking at the balance we ought to be striving for in our

A Long Ways from the Action

2009-02-22T18:00:00.000-08:00

Dallas, TX I wonder if it’s frustrating working for a national organization trying to make a difference in children’s lives. It just seems like it’s often a long ways from the action. I’ve been serving on a task force to help make recommendations to the board of this major national organization for how to increase and promote the role of the arts in education. The

We're Free!

2009-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR Here’s an interesting idea: let’s have teachers work for free! Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, in an effort to keep schools open, has asked teachers to finish out the school year on a volunteer basis. In our case, that would be at least half a month’s salary (although the latest talk in Prineville is of 10-20 more days cut, in addition to the 10 we’re

News Flash: Teacher of the Year Interacts with Live Adolescents!

2009-02-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

Tulsa, OK – In a rare move Thursday, National Teacher of the Year, Michael Geisen, was allowed to interact with actual public school students. Witnesses report seeing brief conversations and even physical contact such as handshakes and pats on backs. There were no injuries, but students were advised to have their doctor or psychiatrist evaluate them for unseen damage.

Handcuffed

2009-02-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

Dallas, TX Spoke to pre-service teachers this morning, then college faculty (teacher educators) this afternoon. After outlining my grand plan to save the world through creative, rigorous, balanced teaching, a concern came up. “Many of our teacher candidates want to teach like this, but the administration at the school they are working in has mandated the use of

Bleak

2009-02-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR Things are looking grim around here for kids. Prineville schools have now cut all spring sports, outdoor school, music positions, and are likely going to cut even more days off the school year (we’re currently cutting ten.) Redmond schools (where my own children go) are closing the alternative high school because the students haven’t met test benchmarks,

Southern Hospitality

2009-02-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

Myrtle Beach, SC Hush puppies, sweet tea, soap dispensers, Depends undergarments, and dial-up internet! Ah, Southern hospitality… Jen was bummin’ when she saw where I was staying this week: a resort on the beach in South Carolina. Expected highs in the 70’s. I was bummin’ when I checked in: the only thing in the 70’s was the décor. “Budget cuts,” I was told with

Stuffed

2009-02-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Washington, DC Jen and I got to attend the NEA Foundation’s Celebration of Excellence Gala this weekend (“the Emmys for teachers”) to honor a handful of outstanding educators from around the country. Several of my Teacher of the Year colleagues were being recognized, and two of them – Mike Flynn from Massachusetts and Rich Ognibene from New York – were among the five

Tinted, Not Tainted

2009-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Dallas, TX Eight distinguished teachers pile into an airport shuttle with their luggage, but I get my own Lincoln Town Car (with tinted windows.) We’re going to the same destination. At the same time. I was fortunate enough to attend the 2009 Teacher of the Year conference in Dallas this week, one year after I attended it as a participant and new honoree. This

Toxic shock

2009-01-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

Cleveland, OH The mood is changing at the Dept. of Education in Washington, D.C. My friend and colleague, Stephanie, who is a teacher ambassador at the DOE this year had described the climate this fall and winter as “toxic.” But she said that this past week, the cloud has dramatically lifted, and there is great hope and optimism among the permanent staff. Here are

Loan Approval?

2009-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR Imagine that your parents, in their later years, decide that they need to make a few upgrades to their home. A new driveway, fencing, high-speed cable line, etc. And imagine that they borrow it from you, even though the chances of them paying it back before they pass away are slim to none. And what if you didn’t really have a say in it? Now it’s true that

Lost

2009-01-23T13:00:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR I have never been so lost. A few nights ago, after sitting on the tarmac for a couple of hours in Scranton, PA (nope, didn’t see Jim or Dwight or anyone else), we finally landed in White Plains, NY (they had to shovel off the runway.) I waited another half an hour for the car rental person to appear behind the desk, scraped off my windshield, and headed out

Guide to DC

2009-01-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

Washington, D.C.I've been in DC quite a bit this year, and now have a pretty solid knowledge of the town. Check it out here:

Hire Ed

2009-01-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

Springfield, IL I’m becoming like Ed. He drove the “limousine” (what I would probably refer to as a “15 passenger van”) with just little ol’ me in it from the airport to the hotel last night, and then this morning from the hotel back to the airport. He was a friendly old feller, so I sat in the front seat so we could talk. And he liked to talk. On the 20 minute

Spice it up!

2009-01-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

Chicago, IL “The flight attendants who spice it up usually get in trouble,” Rachel replied to an elderly woman who was giggling at the speed and monotony at which Rachel had finished her safety presentation. “Especially after last week’s crash.” I know what you mean, Rachel. I just came from a teacher prep college where students seem to be a little apprehensive about

Roll ‘Em if You Got ‘Em

2009-01-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

White Plains, NYYesterday was a big day. After eight long years, we have a new President of the United States. For most children, all they can recall are the Bush years. That’s all they've really known! For them, this truly is change. As someone who tends to be mildly cynical, especially when it comes to politics, I have been inspired by Barack Obama and his historic

Sundance

2009-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Salt Lake City, UT I actually touched soil in Salt Lake City! I’ve flown through the SLC airport probably 40 times this year (it’s a Delta hub,) but have never been outside the security checkpoint. Until now. ING, who is the primary supporter of the National Teacher of the Year program, also supports The Creative Coalition, a group of filmmakers, artists, producers,

My Kind of Date

2009-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR Jen is sitting next to me, on a plane! This weekend is one of the perks of being teacher of the year (the other, of course, is being able to expense Odwalla juice at the airports.) We’re heading to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah! Together! I’m not sure we’ll actually get to see many films, but we’re going skiing today (Jen found free

Skip Intro

2009-01-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

Seattle, WA Ya know those websites with the fancy Flash animation sequences before you get to the main homepage or menu of the site? And you know how they usually have a little button you can click that says “Skip Intro”? I wonder where you can get those little buttons. Susan, the assistant dean at the college of education at Seattle University, was introducing me before

Hugs and Cuts

2009-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR On Friday, I visited my school for the first time this school year. I live half-an-hour away from Crook County Middle School, and I’m usually not home for more than a few short days at a time, so it just hasn’t happened. I wish it would have earlier. I was overwhelmed with hugs, smiles and questions from my former students (“Where all have you been?”)

A Productive Day

2009-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Portland, OR I had make-up on by 4am this morning, but by noon today I’ll be hanging from the side of a cliff (on purpose.) Yes, I realize that Sylvester Stallone got to have make-up and climbing at the same time, but as the nametag says: “Be Patient, I’m New.” [here's Jen in the afternoon on the second pitch of an unnamed route at Smith Rock; much more natural for us...] Providence, RI I forgot that I was heading to the coastal Northeast: the rubber chicken circuit is actually the rubber fish circuit here. Except the fish is really good. Had a casual dinner with the Governor and his wife, Sue, last night. Well, casual in that there were just five of us. Not my usual casual, as in barefoot-in-front-of-the-campfire casual. The

On the Road Again

2009-01-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

Portland, OR On the road again… I really could have waited to get back on the road again… I’m pretty sure I prefer life on a remote beach to this complicated life we’ve created for ourselves. I was pretty down this morning. Getting up at 4:30 in the darkness and freezing rain, leaving my family that I’ve spent the last three weeks with, and returning to the

Your Holiday Homework Assignment

2008-12-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so a couple of my readers (i.e. half of my loyal following) have wondered what on earth they will do when I remove myself from civilization for three weeks and retreat to a remote beach in Mexico, far from suits, conferences, airplanes, and (gasp!) my computer! Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do: not much of anything related to suits, conferences, airplanes or

Halfway to the Moon

2008-12-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

Redmond, ORWell, I’m halfway to the moon. According to my flight tracker, I’ve logged enough airline miles to circumnavigate the earth nearly 5 times, or fly halfway to the moon. I’ve spent almost eight full 40-hour workweeks in the air since May (and that’s not counting all the time sitting on the plane waiting to take off or deplane, or the time in airports, or in taxis, or…) Time-wise, I

Thinking About the Box

2008-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR The cardboard box. Within the cardboard box lies the future of all humanity. Children recognize this potential, and act! It is a shelter, a space ship, a table, an outhouse (my kids have very active imaginations.) The possibilities are endless, and children enter a different world when they enter the box. It is their world. We’ve all seen children

Stakeholder-ing

2008-12-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hartford, CT Passionate. Cooperative. Always learning. Creative. Hard-working. Team player. Inquisitive. On and on they went (not as many –ing words as I might have expected from several hundred ING employees!) These were the qualifications for someone they would hire to work with them at one of the world’s leading financial management companies (which is also

Workin' Stiff

2008-11-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR Well, back to the ol’ grind. Today, just a quick little overnighter to Connecticut, then another to Texas later in the week. No international intrigue, no language difficulties, no free little socks that don’t actually fit very well on trans-oceanic flights. Just regular ol’ domestic travel, domestic accommodations, and domestic bliss (I got to see my

This Week's (Japanese) Top 40

2008-11-26T18:30:00.001-08:00

Tokyo, JapanHoly Shinto! What a week!I am forever indebted to the Baba Foundation, Nakajima-san sensei, my guide Endo-san, and all of the wonderful people I met while in Japan this past week. I was very well taken care of and learned an incredible amount about Japanese culture, education, history, food and people. And one day I was a big boy and navigated Tokyo all by myself. In Japanese.I'm

Mike Geisen Does Japan

2008-11-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

San Francisco, CA Konichiwa! I’m about to hop over the other pond and land in the hamlet of Tokyo. And while I’m understating things… I’ll be staying under a thatched roof and eating some rice and fish. The Baba Foundation has hosted the National Teacher of the Year for many years now, and so I will have the unique opportunity to tour Japanese schools, a science

What I Learned in Switzerland

2008-11-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

Zurich, Switzerland While in Switzerland, I attempted to steal a Rolex executive’s watch, dozed off during lecture by one of the world’s top scientists, and introduced my imaginary friend to an audience of Ambassadors, members of Parliament, and top-level executives of multi-national corporations. I’d say my diplomatic mission was a success. I was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of about

Acquisition de l'anguage

2008-11-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

New York, NY Le dang! I wish I had paid closer attention during French class in high school. I would have known just enough to be dangerous, and given the flight attendants something to chuckle about. (As I write, I just said “gracias” for the menu. Le doh!) I actually do know just enough French to be dangerous (c’est trop dangeroux!) When I was last in Europe, I was able to roughly

An Historic Night

2008-11-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

Washington, D.C. (Sigh of relief…) The results are in, and history has been made. Barack Obama will be the first African-American President of the United States. But more important than the color of his skin is the content of his character. While both candidates were men of exceptional character, I am excited to have a president who takes a bigger picture view and

Election Day

2008-11-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Portland, OR Election day. Finally. It’s been an interesting and exciting few months (the campaigns were much longer, I know, but I don’t start paying too much attention until the pre-season games are over.) But I’m ready to be done with it. I want to know whether we should stay in Mexico this winter and extend our beach camping and surfing trip by a few years.

College Interrupted

2008-11-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

Redmond, OR I ran into Jett’s dad at the airport this morning, and was excited to hear how my former student was doing at college this fall. Except he isn’t. Jett, the inventor of the Shock-a-Dog (that’s a hot dog cooker), who used to bounce off the walls of my classroom, managed to graduate last spring. He was not one of the kids that many people would have

Marching

2008-10-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

Denver, CO Left… left…left, right, left! That’s what a typical day looks like for most adolescents in American schools. About 4 out of 5 classes focus on the brain’s left hemisphere, and one might focus on the right. “That art class is all some kids have to look forward to!” administrators say. “It’s what keeps those kids in school!” So we’re asking kids to

Let's Talk College

2008-10-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR My daughter went to college this week. She’s only 9, but she did well! Built a structure that would withstand a 500-year wave and tested it in the world’s largest tsunami research center, created both endothermic and exothermic reactions in the chemistry laboratory, and even ate with the big kids in the college cafeteria. Mrs. Renz, Mrs. Zistel and Mr.

No Frothy Punch for You!

2008-10-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Fargo, ND Scandal! The new North Dakota teacher of the year isn’t a member of the union! Beth, who happens to be a remarkable teacher, passionate advocate for students, and a really kind and sincere gal, was the clear choice for ND teacher of the year. However, when she was in the lobby of the hotel prior to the afternoon reception for the

Feeling Presidential

2008-10-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C. 1736…1737…1739… Hey, I’m supposed to be in 1738! Where’d it go? Here’s where my room is supposed to be, but all it says is “Presidential Suite.” Bing! (Light bulb.) Sweet! I get the suite! (Second thought: what a waste of money.) So I enter the room and check out my new pad for the next two nights. Large dining table, bar (unstocked),

Expert = Teacher?

2008-10-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Norfolk, VA Where do folks get the idea that if you’re an expert on something, you’d be a good teacher? In the final presidential debate, McCain was talking about how we ought to have more programs like Teach for America and Troops to Teachers and less certification to become a teacher. We should basically just take them from the battlefield, or the boardroom, or wherever, straight to the

Do the Math

2008-10-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

New York, NY Delta Air Lines has done the math. They had two employees working through the TSA screening line checking to see when each traveler’s flight departed. Those who were in danger of not making it through security in time were escorted to the express line. They must figure that rescheduling a flight and shifting folks from one itinerary to another is too costly

Surfing in South Dakota

2008-10-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

Denver, CO South Dakota reminded me a bit of North Dakota, except it was a bit further south. My folks both grew up in a little farming town in northeastern North Dakota and we used to visit every couple of summers. We never could talk them into a Christmas visit for some reason. Hmmmm. Yesterday, as I walked the streets of Pierre (pronounced “Peer,” by the way), it had a similar

P.T.A.

2008-10-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Rapid City, SD John Candy and Steve Martin, eat your heart out. I think it’s about time for me to rent Planes, Trains and Automobiles again, although this time it might hit a little close to home. I’ve been traveling for over 10 hours already today, and I’m only now about to take off on a plane. I haven’t even left South Dakota yet! Thankfully, I haven’t had a rental car catch on fire,

I've been replaced by a science teacher named Michael

2008-10-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR “…and the new Oregon Teacher of the Year is… (envelope please)… a science teacher named Michael!” What a kawinkydink! Except our 2009 representative, Michael Lampert, teaches high school in West Salem. And he’s been to Antarctica. I’m thrilled for him, and look forward to meeting and working with him. From what I’ve read and seen, he sounds like a remarkable guy! When they

Where Grow From Here? [sic]

2008-09-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake City, UT Where Do We Grow From Here? “That’s not a typo, by the way,” reassured Jon Quam, followed by some good-natured ribbing. (There actually was a rare typo on the cover of our conference binders, however, that said “Where Grow From Here?” Very Yoda-like, actually.) That was the theme of our weekend retreat as we dove into the personal and

The Fellowship Disperses

2008-09-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

New York, NY Well it’s pretty much officially over. At least for the rest of the Fellowship. The other 55 state teachers of the year are mostly done with their official reigns by now, and we had our last formal meeting this weekend in Princeton, NJ, and New York City. In my final speech to them, I likened my journey to that of Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings (although I’m not really sure

The Schmuck and the Streakers

2008-09-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake City, UT Okay, now I’m feeling like a schmuck. A lazy schmuck. Jen and I are on our way to New Jersey for the final gathering of all the state teachers of the year, and we get to be on the same flight as Hal Adams (Utah) and Steve Gardiner (Montana). Steve was just telling us about how he wanted to challenge he cross-country athletes to run every day – what he called “

Teaching Experience: Several thousand years

2008-09-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake City, UTSeveral thousand years. That was the amount of teaching experience in the room this morning at the annual convention of the National Retired Teachers Association. A couple hundred retired educators (that's the several thousand years part) and me (that'd be seven more.) I'm not worthy!Jen sent me a quick message this morning: "Have fun charming the cute old ladies. You'll

First Class

2008-09-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC I’m sitting up front in First Class! Not sure how that happened, but here I am. I must have surpassed a major milestone in the frequent flyers program or something. So I did what I think you’re supposed to do in first class: read the Wall Street Journal and try not to make eye contact with the steerage filing toward the back of the plane (of which I

Constructivism

2008-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Redmond, OR Helped some folks build their new home yesterday. I’m not fast, or even particularly accurate. But I was successful: I didn’t pierce myself with any of the pneumatic tools! Constructivist, yes. Construction worker, no.

Homecoming

2008-08-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Seattle, WA I was always sort of ambivalent about homecoming. I never really understood who was supposed to be coming home, or why we were celebrating it. All I knew was that it involved a football game, a queen, and a dance. And that was good enough reason to celebrate, I guess. This morning was my own homecoming to my alma mater, Kentridge High School in Kent,

The Pearl

2008-08-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Memphis, TN Just finished reading “The Pearl” for the first time since high school. Steinbeck is amazing. I find both comfort and strife in his writing style, and his themes are powerful. I’m pretty sure I appreciate him more now than I did in school. Of course, at the end of the story, one must ask “What, if anything, is my pearl?” Was being awarded National Teacher of the Year akin

Labels

2008-08-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

Nashville, TN I hope the pilot of this plane is at least proficient. I’ve just finished working for a couple of days on a panel of experts on a small part of an evaluation tool for evaluating principals (they’re my “PALS”, remember?) We basically just defined the “cut scores” for labeling principals as “Below Basic,” “Basic,” “Proficient,” and “Distinguished.” A lot

Good vibes, red meat, and dental floss

2008-08-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Des Moines, Iowa Lots of laughs this morning. Not when my alarm went off (three hours after turning in,) but when I presented at the back-to-school kick-off in Ankeny, Iowa. It was a good crowd, attentive, jovial, and the space felt small for 600 people (the fire marshal winced.) This was my main goal this morning: good vibes with a bit of content thrown in. A little bit less rigorous

One Man, One Vote

2008-08-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

Somewhere over Montana At International Space Camp, we had a reception one evening to honor and celebrate all of the state teachers of the year. We mingled, had some hors d’oeuvre, and saw a slideshow of our Washington DC experience together. Near the end, Jon Quam showed a video of the speech I gave at the White House for President Bush and Secretary Spellings. It was rather humbling to

Staying Awake in Class

2008-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Huntsville, AL Scientific studies have confirmed that getting more than 4 hours of sleep per night is probably a good idea. However, this week, at Space Camp, I felt like a real astronaut: they have 8-9 hours per day scheduled for sleep time, but usually end up only sleeping for 3 or 4. They spend the other budgeted hours just looking out the window trying to savor the incredible views and

Teacher-of-America-Guy!

2008-07-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Seattle, WA 3…2…1… Ignition… Blastoff! (Or whatever they say these days.) I’m heading to Space Camp! (In Alabama. In July.) All the state teachers of the year (and about 20 international teachers) get to attend Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama for a week. In July. (Temperature=Humidity. Which does occasionally happen in central Oregon, too. In January.) I just stowed my carry-on

Hi Ho Silver Bullet!

2008-07-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Atlanta, GA I love when people step up and challenge me, especially now that I’m teacher-of-the-universe. I think I have some good stuff to say, but it’s certainly not gospel! I don’t have all the answers. I don’t have the silver bullet. I need to be challenged. Everyone needs to be challenged. Every idea needs to be challenged. A young woman (senior in college) waited patiently for me

The Mike Geisen Story? Probably not.

2008-07-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Charlotte, NC I finally got a chance to see Ron Clark, 2000 Disney Teacher of the Year, best-selling author, founder of the Ron Clark Academy, inspiration for "The Ron Clark Story" movie, and friend of Oprah. I think the Disney award fits, because he is one animated dude! He’s passionate, energetic, and fun to listen to. I actually didn’t know anything about him before this crazy year

Mi Primera Fajita

2008-07-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

Atlanta, GA I just paid $7 for a tortilla filled with lettuce. To the chef’s credit, my last three bites did contain some sort of chicken product. It can be downright criminal what they allow in airports these days. I’m heading to North Carolina to speak to college seniors about their first year of teaching. My first year of teaching was an incredibly tough year.

The Precious Times

2008-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Seattle, WA Holy smokes, I’m tired. Getting up at 3:30 this morning was not on my list of things to do today. That’s only 6:30am Eastern Time, but I haven’t been in that time zone for a full week now! (A new record!) We’re calling the Seattle area home for the next few weeks as we spend time with our families and friends near where we grew up. We celebrated my dad’

Weekend Weather Angst

2008-07-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake City, UT Six days and eleven states (I think… we had a detour flying into Atlanta which allowed me to pick up South Carolina.) And I still have to work this weekend. Too much, really, but I handled it okay. Tomorrow, Jen and I will drive to Portland for a school boards convention, which will hopefully allow us to spend a bit of time together. We’re needing

Education on Charlie Rose

2008-07-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Atlanta, GA Despite joking with President Bush that I might run for President, I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t make a very good politician. I think I would have a hard time balancing so many needs and not offending my constituents. At the NEA convention, I think I was sort of expected to be the union man. I had complete freedom to talk about whatever I wanted to,

Small crowds make me nervous

2008-07-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

Washington, DCJen made me practice my speech for the National Education Association Representative Assembly for her before I left home. I got really nervous. But when it came time to address the 10,000 delegates in D.C., it felt pretty natural. Reg Weaver softened 'em up for me.(The video has about 4 minutes of introduction by Reg Weaver, the NEA president, then my remarks for about 20 minutes

Balanced

2008-07-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

Charlotte, NC It’s funny the memories that stick with you from your school days. When I was an 8th grader, a classmate asked if I was right-handed. (I was wearing a blue sweater at the time.) He said he could tell because my left pectoral muscle was bigger than my right, and he figured it was because it had to make up for the weakness in my left arm. Ever since then,

The Glamorous Life of Ironman

2008-07-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

Being National Teacher of the Year is not always as glamorous as you might imagine:

Kindergarten has the Answers

2008-07-05T06:00:00.001-07:00

Redmond, OR (continued from previous post) I think the answer to our 21st century woes lies waiting for us in kindergarten classrooms. My son, Aspen, just graduated from kindergarten last month, and when I went to visit him in Mrs. Lay’s classroom, I experienced education as it should be at all levels: interactive, integrated, arts-infused, engaging, filled with choice

What is Achievement?

2008-07-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Austin, TX Education Secretary Margaret Spellings: “We shouldn’t try to water down accountability efforts with fancy sounding words like ‘authentic assessment’ or ‘multiple measures.’” Rough translation: “We’ll continue to use cheap, over-simplified standardized tests that enshrine a narrow set of largely irrelevant trivia and basic skills while de-emphasizing what

Unfortunate Appellation

2008-06-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

Denver, CO I’m in Denver, and my only memory of the Denver airport is from when I was a young lad. My brother and I were making a layover on our way to somewhere (North Dakota, likely) and we heard the following on the intercom: “Mr. Greasy… Junior Greasy, please report to a white courtesy telephone.” Dang, that’s rough.