2011/12 Wells-Fargo NC State Principal of the Year

Capture Your Ideal: a Tribute to Education Majors

2012-02-07T17:57:00.001-05:00

On February 6, 2012, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Campbell University to speak with their Teaching Fellows and Education Majors as part of their guest lecture series. I spoke with the undergraduate students in their beautiful new Chapel. It was gorgeous with large, clear windows in every wall giving the illusion of being outside. I spoke with them about the amazing choice they made to become teachers. We talked about how important the work is and how many people are invested in their success.

As I concluded my remarks, they shared with me a piece of paper with their theme for the year. Their theme is one of those statements that live on with you as you consider the levels of meaning and slowly peel back the layers to reveal a simple, yet powerful truism.

“Teaching Fellows 2011-2012 Theme: Capture Your Ideal

Benjamin Mays, a great African-American minister, educator, scholar, social activist, and mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was an articulate spokesperson.

He stated:

“Man [or woman] is really what his [or her] dreams are. Man [or woman] is what he [or she] aspires to be… It must be borne in mind, however, that the tragedy in life does not lie in not reaching your goals. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is the sin.”” (Hand-out from the Campbell University Teaching Fellows)

When these young men and women bravely decided to dedicate their lives to others through teaching, they were clearly reaching for the stars. They aspire to become a child’s teacher. They are working hard in their studies and have committed themselves to giving their all to the children who will one day call them teacher. I admire them and each of the education students I have met this year as I have spoken at various universities around the state.

Education seems to under attack in our country as budgets are slashed and results are questioned. It saddens me when teachers are painted with broad strokes, the actions of a few tainting the view of the profession. Daily I see an amazing people giving deeply of themselves for their students. I am heartened by this next generation of educators who despite the circumstances are stepping forward to join the ranks of teachers. They do so because they dream of making a difference just as their predecessors made a difference in their lives.

Today I pause to thank the Campbell University students for the gift of the words of Rev. Mays. I thank them also for choosing to be teachers. To them, to the university students I have met this year, and to all education majors I say, Keep dreaming, keep reaching, keep chasing… for the dreams, ideals, and stars you reach for will one day change the world through the students you give your lives to.

What I Learned about Great Leadership From my Wife and and a Toiletry Bag

2012-02-04T13:27:00.000-05:00

Christmas morning had arrived and I eagerly reached for a present from my wife, Rene’. The present I chose was a medium size box that made a satisfying sound when I tilted it from side to side. Knowing my wife, I opened the present expecting the unexpected. Inside I first found a traveler’s – sized tube of toothpaste, a small bottle of mouthwash, a small can of shaving cream, and other toiletry items. I smiled at my wife as she laughed at my puzzlement. This was perhaps the oddest Christmas present I had ever received.

She explained through her giggles that she was going to put the items into a small bag that was in the closest for me to use on my trips around the state. I thanked her for the gift and moved on to other, seemingly “better” gifts. In the hubbub of the kids opening their gifts and our Christmas lunch, the unique gift was forgotten. A few days later as I prepared for a trip to Raleigh for a State Board Meeting, she handed me the bag with the toiletries inside. I marveled at how much time she had just saved me. I didn’t have to stand in the bathroom and think about what I needed. There was no checking off mental lists to make sure that I would not arrive in a hotel room without some forgotten necessity.

Six weeks and several overnight trips later, I have come to realize that her gift was one of the most useful, thoughtful gifts I have ever received. On my way out of the house, I quickly grab the bag knowing that I have all I need. When I return, I toss it back onto the closest shelf with no need to unpack it.

Driving down the road between speaking engagements I have had the time to think about the gift and how it serves as a wonderful example of great leadership. In choosing a gift for me, Rene’ spent time thinking about my needs. She seized upon one that I didn’t even realize that I had.

Just like a great leader, she sought to eliminate a need, freeing me to spend time previously wasted on trying to remember to pack my razor on other, more important things, like enjoying more moments with my family. Principals do the same thing. They try to identify the needs of the teachers and provide for those needs so that the teacher may spend more time engaged in incredible instructional activities with their students.

The way she put together the bag itself is also applicable to the work of a great leader. She started by finding what I already had to work with. In this case, a little used, small piece of luggage. Using what I had, she added to my capacity/ability to meet the need by providing all of the toiletries in small sizes so that I did not have to keep packing and unpacking the items I use at home. She created a toolkit for me.

A great leader does the same thing. They investigate those they serve, finding what can be built upon and then add to it. A principal might find that a teacher is skilled in a particular area and use those transferrable skills to build capacity in a new area. The principal or leader then adds to or creates a toolkit that the teacher or employee or group member can reach into to accomplish the needed task.

Perhaps I have just had too many hours in my truck to think about this, but it does seem that Rene’s gift resonates with me as I speak with principals and teachers. Educators seek to build capacity. We help students develop toolkits with which to tackle the tasks they are presented. Each time I reach into the bag, I am reminded of the powerful metaphor it represents and just how blessed I am to be married to a very wise, very caring woman.

2011 Memory Mission Trailer

2012-01-21T17:39:00.000-05:00

During our trip to the Dominican Republic, Lifetouch was constantly filming, capturing the moments both with still photography and video. Watching the trailer has me ready to rush back to Constanza to continue the work.

Lifetouch Memory Mission 2011 - Trailer

I appear in the trailer at the 2:25 mark asking the question Jan Haeg asked of us all, "Is it more important to be interested or interesting?" This question was the subject of a past blog entry: http://www.ncpoy.blogspot.com/2011/12/is-it-more-important-to-be-interested.html

The trip was absolutely amamzing! It was life-changing and worth every moment of worry over the to-do list that was growing at home. I hope that you have an opportunity to experience a trip like this. Thanks Lifetouch!

My Class Ring Came Home

2012-01-19T18:46:00.000-05:00

In 1986, I graduated from high school and entered the US Navy to begin my military service. In the service we were allowed very little jewelry while in uniform. The only ring a man could wear was a wedding ring. For some of my fellow recruits, there was great angst as they removed their class rings to store them in their lockers. This was not an issue for me as I no longer had my class ring despite having only graduated a month before. The story is a bit cliché. I was dating a young lady and gave her my ring to wear on her necklace. After graduation, I never saw the ring (or the young lady) again. I am confident that is due to some poor decision on my part.

26 years later, I serve as a High School Principal and have another class ring. When a new high school opens, the Founding Principal is given the school’s first class ring. It is a symbol of all of the hopes and dreams for the new school and the students who will fill it over the decades to come. For me, the ring is incredibly special. When I look at it I am reminded of the incredible teachers and staff in our building. I am reminded of the families who have sacrificed their time, talents, and financial resources in birthing our new learning community.

Zephyrhills High School Bulldogs Class of 1986 (left) Cuthbertson High School Cavaliers Opened 2009 (right)

I would not have thought that I would ever see the two rings together because I had long ago given up all hope of ever seeing my own high school class ring again. Then I received an email from my alma mater. The Principal’s Secretary had reached out to me because my ring had been found. A gentleman in the community had called the school to seek out the ring’s owner. After some research on the part of the secretary of our Alumni Association, I was located.

A wonderful gentleman had found my ring years ago and had placed it in a box in his room intent on tracing down its owner. Years past and the ring was unfortunately forgotten. Then as the Winter Holidays approached this year, he happened upon the box and found again the ring. He immediately began to make phone calls and three weeks later, I put it on again for the first time in over two decades. The bottom is cracked and there are scratches on it. It still looks beautiful to me. I can clearly remember the pride my parents showed when they sacrificed to be able to purchase the ring for me.

As I have met with our students on ring day each year, I had shared the story of losing my ring and had encouraged them to learn from my mistakes. Next year, I’ll tell the story again and I will be able to show our students my class ring for the very first time. I am very grateful to the gentleman for finding my ring and to each of those who helped him in his search.

Today the two rings are side-by-side on my dresser. I love thinking about how the experiences and memories represented by one ring formed my approach to the work of opening the new high school that is represented by the other.

Second Chances - University of Alabama vs. LSU

2012-01-10T08:39:00.001-05:00

Last night in the BCS Championship Game, the University of Alabama triumphed 21-0 over Louisiana State University. I do not pull for either team and watched the game simply as a fan of college football. As the game progressed and it became more and more evident that Alabama would win, I began to think about the mild controversy that was stirred up when they were announced to play in the Championship Game. Some believed that two schools from the same conference should not be in the big game. Others felt that since Alabama had already lost to LSU in their regular season meeting, that they should not have a second chance to play them.

Had educators made the decision based on the way we approach our work, the decision would have been easy. We believe in second chances. We work hard to help students overcome where once they failed. Imagine if there were no second chances in school. How many students would be lost to us early on?

Alabama was given a second chance and won a National Championship. The BCS Committee was justified in their selection. They must have asked what would an educator do when debating whether to invite Alabama. Second Chances are really wins for everyone.

"Life is Like a Cup of Coffee"

2011-12-19T06:16:00.006-05:00

During the mission trip to build a school in the Dominican Republic, I had the opportunity to meet seven wonderful North Carolina School Administrators. Among them was Mr. Mark Sale (@JohnMarkSale). Mr. Sale serves as the Principal of Swain Middle School. He and I had several conversations during the trip and I found in him a kindred spirit. He is dedicated to the children in the school he serves, his family, and to making the world a better place. I recently received an email from Mr. Sale that resonated with me. I asked him to share a portion of it and the video clip he linked here in this blog. He graciously agreed. Please enjoy a few thoughts from the far western side of North Carolina:

"I traveled to China a couple of years ago to help begin a collaborative project with our school here in Bryson City. While I was there, I stopped drinking coffee because the quality wasn't what I was used to and I was becoming somewhat addicted to it. I would have a cup every seven or eight months, but that was all. And then I drank the coffee in Constanza. It was everything a cup of coffee should be and one cup was all that was needed to start the day.

Since Constanza I find myself drinking coffee more. Very rarely does the coffee of Bryson City (or even Starbucks) measure up to the coffee of the Dominican, but it is coffee and has its own value. Some cups are better than others. I also find myself thinking of each of you like the sip of coffee in the morning. There are very few things that compare to that first sip. It awakens all the senses and warms the soul. That is how I think of each of you and I think of you often. I found my thoughts sliding back to Constanza and to each of you at mile five of my bike ride yesterday. The thoughts sustained me to the end of the ride.

Now watch the video -- and thanks to each and everyone for sharing coffee with me. Coffee will never taste the same. Keep the email and pictures going too, They help keep my cup full." - Mr. Mark Sale, Principal, Swain County Middle School

Like Mr. Sale, I love a cup of coffee in the morning, particularly on those rare mornings when I get to share it with my wife. After traveling to the Dominican Republic and seeing how happy they are with seemingly so little, I have come to realize that I, too, have worried too often about the cup and not often enough about simply enjoying the coffee.

Memory Mission Evening Reflections

2011-12-18T21:36:00.000-05:00

The following quotes and thoughts were shared individually and collectively by the members of the Lifetouch Memory Mission Team in the Dominican Republic during the evening reflections. Some are funny. Some are sad. Some will only make sense to those who were in the room when they were shared. Each represents a moment where friends, who were once strangers, shared stories, thoughts and memories in an effort to understand what they were witnessing and participating in. The people of Constanza received a school. The people on the Memory Mission Team received schooling in the essence of life.

Tuesday, 11/29/11

· Experiential Learning involves four steps: Experience, Reflection, Insight, and Application.

· The common themes that were heard when the group introduced themselves using magazine clippings were the importance of: making a difference, faith, family, travel, and the power of public education.

· There is power in visuals.

· Time is such a scarce resource!

· We were encouraged to Show we care!

· How can we be more intentional?

· Take the initiative to meet/greet others.

Wednesday, 11/30/11

· We each have different gifts.

· Is it more important to be interested, or interesting?

· Why can’t we do this at home?

· Setting is so important. In some settings, we are more likely to share.

· Don’t hide behind your camera.

· Photographers look into the eyes.

· We are very concerned with doing it right.

· We kind of forget to stop and look around.

· It is hard to really live in the “present.”

· You can look into their faces and see the lives they lead.

· A story was shared of children who live just thirty minutes from the new school who were eating cardboard because that is all that they have to eat.

· It is overwhelming to think about how many people contributed to the day.

· It was great to see the community coming out to see the school.

· We appreciate how well the team worked together.

· You can ‘feel’ the pastor’s vision.

· Speak the things that aren’t as if they are!

· Seeing the walls today was so wonderful.

· Barnabus Notes – Barnabus was a good friend of Paul. He wrote notes of encouragement to Paul. Barnabus notes are written to individuals to encourage them.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

· Thank you to Pastor for bringing Ana to us today.

· Unbelief was expressed at how much work has been completed.

· They do so much with so little.

· Esta mi eschela! – “That is my school!” said the boys on the dirtpile.

· The LiveFeed has been very moving.

· Being a follower is powerful.

· A little girl said to a female group member, “I like your hair. It is better than mine because it is yellow.” This was a very telling statement.

· A child said to another member, “You look like me.”

· The hope is that our non-verbals show our love.

· “What can I do to help?” – we are so appreciative of everyone humbling themselves to fill-in where needed instead of trying to lead.

· Great job! The group is ahead of schedule.

· Spend time with the Dominicans.

Friday, December 2, 2011

· Great day!

· It is impossible to overstate the importance of relationship-building – take time to talk with the kids, take time to play with them.

· One member had the chance to talk with some Dominican men across the street from the school. She asked them if they had kids and they beamed when they said yes. They were so proud to say that they had children who would be attending the school.

· It was obvious when a teacher was great as the class came up.

· It is interesting to see the men on the team show emotion.

· An old man giving out candy said, “We are one people under God!”

· The pictures are a gift to them. You are a gift to them. They are a gift to you. We are just sharing gifts.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

· A small group of team members sang to the rest of the group the song, “Freely, Freely.”

· Our lives have been changed.

· We loved seeing the kids slide down the hill.

· One girl was running down the hill and asked a female member of the group to run down with her. The group member said that she was scared to run down the hill. The girl said, “It’s OK, just do this:” and then made the sign of the cross and ran down the hill.

· Lifetouch folks should volunteer in schools.

· There was camaraderie in the bucket line – everyone was so inspirational.

· Our group leader was asked by World Servants, “How is it going with all of those decision-makers?”

· Thank you for being just people.

· Thank you for being so nice.

· Lifetouch employees have gotten to know each other much better through this experience than they ever would at work.

· Bendy-buckets!

· Dominicans are rich because they do not have the same stress that we have.

· Where does the time go?

· Why can’t we do this at home?

· There is a sense of accomplishment in what we have done today.

· Be a Learner! Be a Servant! Be a Storyteller!

· World Servants tries to be culturally sustainable. They try to ensure that every project is sustained beyond the visit.

Monday, December 5, 2011 – Meeting with Dominican Republic School Administrators

· Struggles of schools here:

o breakdown of families

o students dealing with issues at home

o over-age children in the classroom

o one of the big problems – at 13, the girls get pregnant

o children would rather go work in the fields than go to school

o children lost interest in going to school

o sharing problems with the families

o how to involve parents

· At the end of the year they speak to the children about the importance of education.

· They “educate with values.”

· They “do what we have to do.”

· The families come from humble roots.

· They try to help the Haitian students fit into their schools. The Haitian parents are integrated into the community.

· Most important is the human being.

Monday, December 5, 2011 – Evening Reflection

· You exceeded the expectations.

· I am proud to be a part of this group.

· Superintendents, Elementary Principals, and Secondary Principals can work together.

· “There is a season.” – all of us were meant to be here.

· Being at the school today was a Lifetouch person’s dream come true.

· Amazing.

· Sincere appreciation and thank you to those who captured the trip through the LiveFeed, Facebook, and YouTube.

· A song called, “I Want to Leave a Legacy” was shared.

· We are leaving a legacy of opportunity.

· A member said that he had a desire to instill a sense of “Service to Others” in his own children.

· There is power in women and the ladies of our group have shown this to the people of Constanza.

· It is really cool to work for a company that has a heart.

· I loved working with everyone; it was really cool to get to know the Dominicans.

· The Pastor’s wife shared a song with us.

· I feel good about this country because of the folks we have met here.

· We exceeded our expectations.

· Principals are special people – what you do matters!

· This is not the end; it is the beginning.

· When we look at the black shirts with all of the names, we will have a special memory for each name.

· This has been one of the most outstanding trips ever!

· I have never met a greater group of people.

· In this room is incredible passion!

· Thank you to the Pastor.

· It is a blessing to be here with such folks.

· Don’t waste your pain. Don’t waste your story.

"Why Can't We Do This at Home?" - Daily Dominican Reflections

2011-12-17T08:41:00.001-05:00

Each night in the Dominican Republic, our mission team of superintendents, principals, and Lifetouch employees gathered together to reflect on the day. The day's work had been long and took it's toll. Quick showers and filling meals helped replenish our bodies, but it was the Evening Reflections that renewed our spirits.

It was tough to be surrounded by such overwhelming poverty everywhere you looked. Knowing that some children did not attend school because they were sent out into the fields to work or because the parents could not afford the small entrance fee hurt. Hearing stories of girls who were married off by the age of 13 and having babies themselves really drained us as we sensed a missing hope for the future. As we looked around and saw the ravages of extreme poverty, it would have been easy to sink into a depressed state ourselves. Nightly reflections though, combatted the negative visuals and stories.

During the nightly reflection our group members shared stories from the day. The stories tickled us, warmed our hearts, and sometimes, yes, broke our hearts. In sharing the big moments of the day, we encouraged each other. We reminded ourselves of the hope we were building in bringing a school into the community. On several nights tissues were passed around as tears flowed. Yet, sharing sad moments became uplifting as arms went around shoulders and hugs were given.

After the sharing of stories and reflections, we had poignant words of encouragement from our team leader as well as a review of the next day's activities. We had relived the day through our stories, been uplifted through a positive message, and were given a focus for the upcoming day. We would leave each night tired and ready for bed, but also excited to continue the work.

During one evening's session, David Loeslie, a Vice-President with Lifetouch, asked the question, "Why can't we do this at home?" The question might have referred to the mission trip - Why can't we build a school at home? Why can't we go into our communities and help others? Those are important questions, but there is a third question, "Why can't we sit down with our families and loved ones each night and simply talk about the day?" That question stings a bit.

I am married to my best friend . We have four amazing teenagers between us. The kids are bright and academically successful. They participate in school sports and are involved in their friends' lives. They are wonderful, interesting people. Yet, in this role of principal, I spend much more time with others than I do with my own family. I am at school almost every night for different academic, athletic, and artistic events. While that truism explains the greatest barrier I have to repeating our Daily Dominican Evening Reflection here in my home, it does not completely preclude it.

One small take-away from this incredible trip, that I was blessed to be a part of, is a renewed commitment on my part to be more a part of my family's lives by having a real conversation with each one on a daily basis.

I have been amazed as this trip has continued to resonate within me. If no school had been built, if no school supplies, toys or clothes had been donated, if no new professional and personal relationships had been birthed, and the only outcome was my having more reflective conversations with my family, then it would still have been a worthwhile, life-changing experience.

Why can't we? We can! Why don't we? Well, that is the question, isn't it?

NC Principals' LiveFeed from the Dominican Republic

2011-12-07T16:00:00.009-05:00

North Carolina was well-represented on the Lifetouch Memory Mission to the Dominican Republic. Selected by different associations, the state of North Carolina was represented by 8 public school administrators:

Mark Anderson, Principal, Crown Pointe Elementary School, Mecklenburg County, NC
Toby Cone, Principal, Cove Creek School, Watauga County, NC
Tracy Grit, Principal, Riverside Elementary School, Avery County, NC
Rob Jackson, Principal, Cuthbertson High School, Union County, NC
Mark Sale, Principal, Swain County Middle School, Swain County, NC
Tim Sansel, Assistant Principal, Starmount High School, Yadkin County, NC
Mary Smalling, Principal, Hardin Park Elementary School, Watauga County, NC
Sharyn VonCannon, Principal, Unionville Elementary School, Union County, NC

On Saturday, December 3, 2011, the administrators from North Carolina broadcasted live from Constannza, Dominican Republic. The broadcast is linked here:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18907871

LiveFeed from Constanza

2011-12-07T15:55:00.001-05:00

On December 1, 2011, I had the opportunity to pause in my work in helping to build the new school and share with our school community. This was made possible by a LiveFeed that Lifetouch employees put together for us. In the background you can see portions of the new school and see the work going on.

The LiveFeed appears here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18863541

Lifetouch Memory Mission Day 4 News Update Video

2011-12-07T15:43:00.000-05:00

Paint on the walls, bucket brigades, concrete wheelbarrows, interviews with Lynn, Jodi, and David. In the background, you can see the LiveFeed from the NC principals being set-up

Lifetouch Memory Mission Day 3 News Update Video

2011-12-07T15:42:00.002-05:00

Picture Day and Bucket Lines in the Dominican Republic.

Lifetouch Memory Mission Day 2 News Update Video

2011-12-07T15:41:00.001-05:00

Tile work, stucco work, block work, and an interview with Unionville Elementary Principal Sharyn VonCannon.

Leading by Serving

2011-12-07T01:31:00.001-05:00

Day 5 - Saturday, December 3, 2011

A full day of work greeted us as we arrived at the work site. The building was taking shape. Block walls were closed in. Buckets of paint were pulled out. Rebar was piled up. Windows were stacked up just outside and the team was ready to go.

The week had already been long. Although the weekend had arrived, there was to be no rest on this day. The team was united in its desire to see the building's completion. I found myself marveling at the team and the team's performance. Imagine a team of 50 principals, superintendents, and Lifetouch executives/managers. Every team member is a leader in their professional life and yet, here in this place, each willingly took upon themselves the mantle of a servant.

From the beginning, the Dominicans and their leaders were in charge. Our team looked to them for instruction and guidance. They decided how each step of the building process would be performed. They decided who would do what. In this way, the new school was truly theirs. We simply came alongside them to help them in their work. Painters showed superintendents how to roll paint on concrete. Masons pointed out the intricacies of leveling concrete block to executives. Construction helpers had principals straightening nails to be re-used. Everywhere you looked a Dominican was teaching, guiding, and directing a group of Americans.

Servant Leadership is not a new concept. Too often it is referenced, but not put into practice. As a principal, I believe it is my job to serve the students, teachers, and parents. I am supposed to remove barriers and locate resources. I am to assist where needed and anticipate needs. For a week, I have watched an amazing group fully live out the tenets of servant leadership. I am sure that there were times that a team member might have wanted to suggest an alternate way of accomplishing a task, but instead chose to follow.

As we worked, I was proud to see members complete assigned tasks and then immediately go looking for the next thing to do. There was no slowing down. I watched as team members encouraged each other on and pushed themselves. Their work ethic inspired and challenged me to continue to give my best.

One of the final tasks of the day was to rub down the stucco to prepare it for paint. Each square inch had to be sanded with a piece of concrete block. To reach the ceiling and upper walls, platforms were made from planks and stacks of concrete block. These pseudo-platforms were never perfectly stable. The team members who climbed up on them to accomplish the work did not have to worry though as their partners steadied the contrivance while they were working. Team members were serving and looking out for each other.

Servanthood seemed to come naturally to the team. They obviously practice serving others routinely. Leading by serving built a school in the Dominican Republic. It truly is the only way to bring a group of people together to accomplish a task using their very best efforts. The truth is that when you serve those around you they, in turn, look for opportunities to serve others. Your initial servanthood inspires those around you to do the same. I know that I have been encouraged by the eagerness and willingness of the team to serve.

The Beauty of a Bucket Line

2011-12-06T07:26:00.001-05:00

Day 4 (continued) - Friday, December 2, 2011

After spending the morning helping with Picture Day at another school (see previous entry), we returned to the worksite to continue our work on building the new school. The first task involved pouring concrete to build a roof across the walkway from the main school building to the bathroom building.

The roof was to be made of concrete. The border of the roof is 24 inches deep and 8 inches wide. The roof itself was about 4 feet wide and about six inches deep. The entire roof had to be poured. There was no concrete truck, no truck to pump the concrete. There was only bags of concrete, pile of sand and gravel, buckets and a hand mixer.

The concrete was mixed by hand and shoveled into buckets. The buckets were handed from one person to another along the line and then up a platform and then onto the roof. On the roof, the buckets were passed along to me where I poured the buckets out into the forms. It took over 1,500 buckets of hand-mixed buckets of concrete to finish the roof. It was the hardest physical work I have ever been engaged in. By the end, it was hard to stand up straight and I was very tired, but I was also struck by the beauty of the bucket line.

We had worked in lines throughout the week, moving tiles from one room to another and moving concrete blocks from pile to another pile. Working in a line, passing along construction materials gives you the opportunity to get to now the people next to you. You have the opportunity to laugh and sing. In our bucket line of concrete, I heard people ask each other if they were OK. I saw them take special care to pass the bucket with the handle in the exact position the next person wanted. Care for you neighbor was not just a maxim, it was being lived out in tiny moments up and down the bucket line.

Countless children will walk under that overhang, never knowing how much work it required. I do hope though, that as they walk under the walkway, they feel the joy that went into the construction. I can only describe that line of concrete bucket passers as beautiful.

Picture Day in the Dominican

2011-12-04T09:21:00.001-05:00

Day 4 - Friday, December 2, 2011

The notion of Picture Day at school brings up memories for most of us. I remember being dressed up in my best clothes. My mom would worry about my Picture Day outfit for weeks. On the big day, I would be dressed up in my nicest outfit and my hair would be slicked to the side and off I would go. Our teacher would line us up and we would head to the Auditorium for our semi-annual pictures.

Mom usually bought the middle package and sent my sisters' and my picture out to extended family members. She would take down last year's 8x10 from the frame on the Living Room wall and replace it with this year's. The old one lovingly went into her photo album, a pictorial timeline of our lives. Picture Day was a big part of our lives.

Today, as a Principal, Picture Day does not seem to have the same importance. The introduction of digital cameras gives many the ability to take great pictures any time they want to. The students no longer dress in their best outfits, opting instead for clothing that more closely resembles their daily wardrobe. Still, though, it is a part of our traditions. The student portraits go into our Yearbook and are kept to mark the celebrations of another year.

Imagine a place where children have never seen their picture, ever. In the Dominican Republic, there are no Picture Days. Parents have no valued photos of their children to treasure. For one school, on Friday, December 2, 2011, that changed. The corporate sponsor of the Mission Trip is Lifetouch. Their primary product is Portraits. They take pictures at Cuthbertson, having successfully won that opportunity from our Yearbook sponsor each year.

Lifetouch determined to give one school a Picture Day. The school contains some of the children who will attend the new school we are building. We arrived at the school, the Escuela Manuel Tobias Duran (Manuel Tobias Duran School), and found the members of the Lifetouch team had already set-up blue backdrops. We moved students, class by class, to the photography area outside of the building. They each waited in line to have their picture taken. The children were coaxed to smile, but hen they appeared the smiles were genuine.

We talked and played with the children who were waiting on their classmates. They were a little rambunctious, just like children around the world. After each child and the teacher had their picture taken, we walked them around the school for a group shot of their class. Picture Day had just become "real" for them. I cannot wait until we return on Monday with their picture packages in hand.

Lifetouch employees sent the pictures to their plant in America. Plant workers volunteered their time to process the pictures and a Plant Manager is flying here with the pictures in two suitcases. We will have the opportunity to hand a child their picture. For most, it will be the very first time they have held their own picture.

Picture Day, though a big part of my own school days, has not been something I that really think about. It happens routinely and we move on. It now has more meaning for me. There are parents in this world who would love to have a single picture of their child. In my family, we have hundreds of digital pictures of our children. We are so blessed and sometimes don't even see it.

My School!

2011-12-03T19:27:00.003-05:00

Day 3 - Thursday, December 1, 2011

Today was our first full day on the job-site. We had an early wake-up call so that we could have breakfast at 7:15AM and be on the bus by 8:15AM. Breakfast was wonderful. I did not know what to expect from a Dominican breakfast, but I was delighted to find ham, cheeses, pineapples, mango, scrambled eggs, and mashed potatoes.

By 8:30AM, we had arrived at the school ready for a full day of work. We quickly resumed our masonry duties. Seeing what we had accomplished in a short day the day before helped motivate us as we began our day. It was so exciting to watch the walls grow block by block. The care and passion that went into the work was so obvious. Blocks were removed to be reset when the level indicated that were not perfectly placed. It was so wonderful to watch the other principals and superintendents really get into hard work.

After a full day of laying block, we were incredibly tired, but also incredibly happy. We had taken occasional breaks to play with the kids hanging out on the edges of the construction zone. On one break, I asked one little boy if this was his school. He shook his head and said no. I smiled and said this is your school. We are building it for you. He began to smile broadly and repeated "mi eschela" - my school! It was a beautiful moment and made it easy to really give my all to the work.

If every student takes ownership in their school, if they believe it is their school, they will keep it clean and take care of it. More importantly, they will believe that in their school, they can achieve their dreams. We have often said that we are building hope. This school is theirs. Here they will find a pathway to a bright future.

Is it More Important to be Interested or Interesting?

2011-12-02T08:24:00.002-05:00

Day 2 - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Our trip to Constanza was an adventure. The flight from Charlotte to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic passed without mishap. The second flight was three and half hours long, but after the flight to China and back, it felt like nothing.

At the airport we were greeted by our hosts. We were quickly wisked onto waiting buses to travel from Santo Domingo on the coast up into the mountains. The bus ride took almost four hours. The road was narrow and wound back and forth. Halfway through the journey it started raining making it even harder for the driver to see. The bus seemed to struggle to make it up the grade from time to time. Our driver was determined to make goos time. At one point he was dismayed by how slowly another bus was traveling so he passed the other bus on a two lane road, going uphill, in the dark, in the rain, and in the middle of a blind curve. His American passengers all breathed in sharply and held their breath for some time.

After finally arriving at our quarters, we had a great meal and met for our first evening reflection. As this was our first time together, we didi little reflecting and spent quite a bit of time getting to know one another. The group is primarily made up of principals and Superintendents as well as employees of Lifetouch, the corporate sponsor of the trip.

The morning brought breakfast and an Orientation session. We learned that the town has 90,000 people. The current school serves just over 1,100 students in a 10 room building. It runs double shifts with some children attending during the day while others attend during the evening. Classroom built for 25 students routinely hold 50-60 children.

We were encouraged t spend time developing relationships with the Dominican workers on the project as well as the community members who might be nearby and reminded that while the work is important, the relationships are much more important. It is important that we show that we care.

During the orientation, Jan, a team member, posed the question, "Is it more important to be interested or interesting?" This was such a great question! As I reflect on it, I keep asking myself in life (not just on a mission trip in another country,) isn't it more important to be interested in other people than it is to be interesting to other people? If we were all genuinely interested in others, what would the world look and feel like?

Following the Orientation we boarded the buses to head to the job site. The school's construction was well underway by Dominican workers. Our task this week will be to build the block walls, tile the floors, and possibly paint. They hope to have children in the school in two weeks. It seems like such a daunting task, but how can we build a place that will offer hope if we don't show the power of hope in our actions. After a jobsite orientation by the Engineer, we were assigned our first tasks. I was placed on a mason team. We were charged with building the block walls in the last classroom. We were taught how to level the block, use the mud, tie rebar, and alternate the seams.

By the end of the day, we knew that we would sleep well that night. Dinner was followed by our evening reflection time. Group members shared how great it felt to be here and shared their concern that they do a great job for the children. The group members are awesome! They are dedicated and passionate and it shows. Clearly, as interesting as they are, they are more interested in those they labor for.

Building a Dream in the Dominican Republic

2011-12-02T08:21:00.003-05:00

Day 1 - Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The opportunity to give back in a real, tangible manner excites me. The life I live has its roots in the education I received in the Public Schools of North Carolina. I am able to provide for my family and make a difference in the world because teachers in amazing schools refused to accept anything less than my very best. Their encouragement gave me access to the life I live now. I owe a great deal of who I am and what I have to the education I received in North Carolina's Public Schools.

Today I embark on a journey to a mountain community I had never heard of. I have been told stories of homes with dirt floors and tin roofs. I have been told about students who could not attend school because the nearest one was too far away and grossly overcrowded. Children there have not had access to the education I received. What an amazing blessing it is to be able to travel to Constanza and help build a school for the children. We go to build hope. We go to provide a space for teachers to encourage children to believe in themselves and we go to build a dream.

364 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T07:23:00.002-05:00

I have been haunted by a tweet that recently appeared in my Twitter timeline. For those who don’t utilize Twitter, when you create an account, you can then “follow” anyone you choose (experts, celebrities, schools, companies, family members, etc.). When someone you follow posts a “tweet,” it shows up in your timeline where you may read it. Educators (and others) have created amazing Professional Learning Networks by following really smart theorists and practitioners. My own PLN is equal parts educators and Duke Basketball lovers (life can’t be all work, right?)

A tweeter that I follow, @WiscPrincipal, retweeted a tweet written by @Shira. Shira’s profile says that she is from Israel. That may or may not be true as you can list your location as being anywhere you want it to be. This particular tweet returned unbidden to me during the night as I considered its impact and again this morning, it continued to swirl through the morning fog my coffee is currently battling through.

@Shira said, “Only in America would people violently trample each other for discounts, exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have…” When I initially read the posting, I nodded in agreement, laughed at the irony, and considered retweeting it myself. I chose not to because I try not to ever be negative in what I send out. Yet, despite my moving on to the next 100 posts, this one lingered and lingers still.

A day after sharing Thanksgiving with family, friends, and neighbors for all of our stuff, we are likely to turn ugly trying to get more stuff. What an incredibly sad state of affairs for our society.

This past week at a ballgame, I had the opportunity to speak with the younger brother of a student. In the middle of our conversation about his football season, he shared with me how much impact our pastor’s sermon had had on him the week before. During the sermon, our pastor commented on how we spend one day being thankful and 364 days complaining when it should be the reverse. The message spoke to this seventh grader to the point that he commented on it to me at a basketball game.

Perhaps my mind is drawn to this powerful notion of truly being thankful because of a trip I will be taking in two days. I will join principals and superintendents from across the country on a trip to a poor, rural, mountainous region in the Dominican Republic. We are going there to help build a school for the children. The area is so poor that we have been invited to leave behind our dirty clothes if we would like so that they may clean them and give them out. Their needs are so great that they are excited to accept clothes I will never miss. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I will encounter there. Against that backdrop, Shira’s statement booms. Fighting for more stuff when others have no stuff seems sad to the point of being ugly.

The pastor is right. We do need 364 days of Thanksgiving.

Rachel's Challenge

2011-11-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

On April 20, 1999, the unimaginable happened. Two male students chose to mark the birthday of Adolf Hitler by charging into their school, Columbine High School, armed with guns. By the end of the day 12 students and one teacher had lost their lives. The shooters then killed themselves. Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Her parents have turned that tragedy into a powerful call for ending bullying and promoting positive interactions between students. Based on an essay she wrote in the weeks prior to her death and on her 6 journals, they have created an organization called “Rachel’s Challenge.” www.rachelschallenge.org

On Monday, November 14, 2011, our school marked the beginning of our Anti-Bullying Week by hosting Rachel’s Challenge assemblies. The assemblies were provided for our school by Steve Moore Chevrolet in Charlotte, NC and News Channel 36.

The speaker shared the life of Rachel Joy Scott and the challenges that she had left for us all through her writing. Throughout both assemblies the students were absolutely riveted to the speaker and the video clips that were shared. We were absolutely and fully drawn into Rachel’s story and I believe the students left the assembly having accepted Rachel’s Challenge.

During lunch, students have been signing their names, accepting Rachel's Challenge.

From Rachel’s writing, the speaker left us with 5 challenges:

1. Eliminate Prejudice by looking for the best in others

2. Dare to Dream - set goals, keep a journal

3. Choose your Influences input determines output

4. Kind Words - small acts of kindness= huge impact

5. Start a Chain Reaction with family and friends

We have accepted Rachel’s Challenge!

Career & College Promise 2011- Tuition Free College Courses

2011-11-11T12:05:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, November 10, 2011, I had the honor of joining Governor Bev Perdue, State Superintendent Dr. June Atkinson, and State School Board Chair, Dr. Bill Harrison at Cato Middle College in Charlotte, NC, for the Governor’s Press Conference announcing the Career & College Promise program. I could not be more excited about it.

Effective, January 1, 2012 students who meet the eligibility criteria will be able to take college courses Tuition Free! The program provides dual enrollment educational opportunities for eligible North Carolina high school students in order to accelerate completion of college certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees that lead to college transfer or provide entry-level job skills.

The program has three pathways: 1) College Transfer – students take courses that are transferrable to all NC public universities and many private universities; 2) Technical Career – students take courses in Career and Technical education career clusters that lead to credentials or certificates in a technical field and provide entry-level job skills; and 3) Cooperative Innovative High Schools – students enroll in a special school like an Early or Middle College.

In 1993, I proudly graduated from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College with an Associate in Arts Degree in the College Transfer Program. That degree hangs above my bachelors and masters degrees and will hang above the doctorate degree I hope to earn soon. It has a place of honor because my community college experience started my post-secondary education. There I left behind the poor study habits I had displayed in high school; I learned to learn. I worked long hours holding down multiple jobs to pay my way through. Thinking about how amazing the experience was for me and now seeing the opportunity for high school students to experience college classes without cost delights me to no end.

Governor Perdue talks with students (Picture Source Career & College Promise Website)

Governor Perdue said, "Career & College promise will prepare eligible high school students for life after high school – that means college credit for some, and career training for others. Regardless of a student’s plans after high school, Career & College Promise provides focused preparation at no cost to the student." I applaud our governor and the state legislators from both parties who made this happen for our students.

At Cuthbertson High School, we have 56 seniors who are applying to start in the program in January. 56 students will begin their college life before finishing their high school careers. They will receive college credit and honors-level high school credit for their work. This is innovation at its best.

For more information about the Career & College Promise: http://careercollegenc.org/default.htm

Characteristics of a Leader

2011-11-05T09:27:00.000-04:00

Today I have the opportunity to speak at the North Carolina Association of Student Councils Western District Conference. It is being hosted by Union Academy in Monroe, NC with middle and high school students from across Western North Carolina in attendance. I was asked to speak on the topic of “Leadership in the School.” Understanding that leadership comes from within, I spent some time researching leadership traits. I came across the following list of Leadership Traits that was put together by the United States Marine Corps. It is sometimes referred to as “JJDidTieBuckle” with the letters in the acronym coming from the first letter of each trait. This is one of the most comprehensive (and succinct) lists that I have come across. Are there any character traits that you might add to this list?

JUSTICE

Justice means being fair. Treat others equally. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you and so forth.

JUDGMENT

Judgment is the ability to effectively assess the situation. You must be able to accurately understand the implications of the situation you are in so that you can make good decisions. Judgment is also known as common sense.

DEPENDABILITY

Dependability is nearly self explanatory. People must be able to depend on you to provide support, accurate information, guidance and motivation. People must be able to trust in your honesty as well as your competence.

INITIATIVE

Initiative is your tendency to approach your responsibilities in a proactive manner. A leader with initiative will not wait for direction before taking action. If you see something that needs to be done, do it.

DECISIVENESS

Decisiveness is the ability to make solid decisions quickly. With sound judgment, you will have enough information and with confidence in your information, you can make the decision now without hemming and hawing about.

TACT

Tact is a skill that enables you to communicate with people in a direct and effective manner without spurring conflict. This goes back to people skills. You need to be able to give direction without making people angry. Tact will help you inspire confidence in your leadership abilities and gain trust and loyalty.

INTEGRITY

Integrity is essentially honesty, which is crucial to being able to lead people effectively. Without honesty, there is no trust. Without trust, others will not truly follow you and support you’re motives or efforts.

ENTHUSIASM

Enthusiasm deals directly with your ability to motivate. It is about maintaining and putting forth a positive attitude. Enthusiasm expects success and drives us closer to achieving it. It fosters optimism and inspires others to follow your lead.

BEARING

Bearing is a trait that is often not discussed in civilian organizations but is none the less critical for good leadership. Bearing is the way you conduct and control yourself. It is your appearance, your posture and your manner that reflects self-confidence and self-control. Stand straight and exude a demeanor of leadership and authority. Bearing lets people know that you take your role seriously. Do not slouch about or goof off. These things do not inspire confidence in others that you can lead them.

UNSELFISHNESS

Unselfishness is another that is self-explanatory. A good leader is looking out for the good of the team. A leader is not selfishly seeking his or her own best interest. Leaders have no ulterior motives.

COURAGE

Courage is the trait that is paramount in all good leadership. You must first have the courage to lead, to expect success, to accept responsibility and to face challenge. Leaders do not fear failure, they embrace it and learn from it in order to minimize its impact and the likelihood that it will occur again. Look fear in the eye and grin. Courage is the chariot that carries us to victory.

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge is another important component of good leadership. You must have the experience, training and information necessary to see the operation to a successful end. Without knowledge, we are merely guessing our way through life. Without knowledge, there can be no judgment or sound decision making.

LOYALTY

Loyalty involves being devoted to the task or the goals of the organization that you are a part of. It means that you make the goals of the team your own. The loyal leader stands behind his people and supports them. He truly believes in what he is doing. Loyalty in leadership promotes a loyal following.

ENDURANCE

Endurance what keeps us going when the going gets tough. Endurance encompasses our dedication and tenacity to see the job through to completion regardless of obstacles or challenges along the way. It embodies both our mental and physical stamina as well as our will power.

Source: http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmc/leadership_traits.htm

Dedication and Determination Rewarded

2011-11-03T17:01:00.000-04:00

As a father and a principal, I spend a significant amount of time instructing young people on the benefits of hard work, confidence, believing in yourself, etc. Sometimes these “life-lessons” leave me wondering if I really got through. Saying something can be meaningful, but experiencing it brings the lesson to a deeper, more-meaningful level.

My son, Joshua, is a sophomore. He is a remarkable young man. His life-story includes two recent journeys through cancer. Through many rounds of chemotherapy, proton radiation, hospital stays, and surgeries, he continued to amaze me with his faith and resiliency. While battling cancer the first time, he continued to play on his baseball team, not wanting to let down his teammates. The second journey shortened his Middle School Cross Country season. He loves participating in sports even though he may not be as athletically gifted as his peers.

Joshua preparing to receive a Proton Radiation Treatment

This post though was not meant to be about his past bouts with cancer. Instead, it is a dad’s public, written admiration of his son. Joshua continues to run Cross Country. As a Freshman, he rarely did well enough in practice to be allowed to travel with the team to meets. His lack of success did not daunt him, nor dissuade him from his goal of earning a Varsity letter. Through the summer prior to his sophomore year, he worked hard. The hard work paid off as he earned a spot on the Junior Varsity Team and was able to run in every meet. His PR (Personal Record) was broken frequently throughout the season and he was able to run on the Varsity Team 4 times as one of the Top Seven runners. The season ended and Joshua eagerly awaited the news of who would be the Top Seven runners selected to compete in the Regional Championships. He was hopeful of hearing his name called though he knew his average times over the season might not be enough.

The coach’s announcement should have been disappointing. Joshua was selected as the #8, or Alternate Runner. He would continue to practice with the team and travel to the Championship Race but would not be able to run unless something happened to one of the Top Seven runners. As Joshua shared this news with me, I expected him to be downhearted or disillusioned as he had worked hard for his dream. Instead, he confidently told me, “Dad, I am going to work as hard as possible in practice so that if they need me, I’ll be ready.” I was filled with pride as his words washed over me. I could not have scripted a better response. Instead of bemoaning his near-miss, he was planning how to make the most of the situation.

We talked after each practice leading up to the championships. He continued to be upbeat and motivated. He shared his determination to prepare just in case. With no hope to run again this season, he could have shrugged off the practices. He could have felt sorry for himself. He chose a higher path. I encouraged him in his efforts and told him of how proud I was going to be to stand next to him as we cheered on his teammates. I needed him to know that my pride in him was not based on academic or athletic success. I have simply expected his best work at whatever he attempted. Running or not, Joshua could be confident in how proud his dad is of him.

The story could end there and stand as a testament to dedication and determination. He had worked hard all season and steadily improved. In the end, he had shown his true character in how he responded to disappointment. The story does not end there though. One of the runners wound up not being able to compete. The team only had six of the needed seven runners and turned to their alternate. Joshua stood ready, having worked hard to be prepared.

Joshua (with the R on his chest) running for his team.

When the starter’s pistol sounded at the North Carolina 4A Regional Championships, Joshua took off, running with his teammates. He ran one of his fastest times for the season. People attending the meet may not have noticed him as he finished near the back, but his family and friends did, relishing in the warm feeling of hard work repaid. It can be said of him that he is dedicated to his team and determined to always be prepared. I could not be prouder of him as he taught with his actions that making the best of every situation and choosing to approach life with confidence and optimism ensures that when opportunity knocks, we will be ready to succeed. In life, dedication and determination are rewarded.

North Carolina People

2011-10-20T21:37:00.002-04:00

President William Friday served as the president of the University of North Carolina system for thirty years. His work is legendary and indeed, he is considered an educational icon and hero to many, including me. The Friday Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Friday Institute at NC State University each bear his name. His biography is available here: http://www.unctv.org/biocon/wfriday/

For the last 30 years, he has hosted UNC-TV’s longest running television show, North Carolina People. Each year for the last 27 years, he has interviewed the North Carolina Principal of the Year. He shared with me that he looks forward to this particular conversation each year. This year, I had the honor of sitting down with President Friday and discussed the current budget situation, the importance of global education, changes in curriculum and instruction, and the importance of teachers. I also had the opportunity to share my appreciation for my own teachers and principal. As a native of North Carolina, educated in the public schools of North Carolina and in the University of North Carolina system (Western Carolina University), I was proud and humbled to converse with one of my heroes. At 91 years of age, President Friday is incredibly sharp and kept me on my toes throughout the interview.

The interview is linked here: http://video.unctv.org/program/1616436260/

Interview with Trent Thomas of 5F Prep

2011-10-20T17:41:00.001-04:00

I recently sat down with Union County Teacher and 5F Prep Founder, Trent Thomas, as part of an interview. He has worked with CHS students in the past and will be working with some of our seniors this year. He also talked with our Freshmen at Orientation this year about how to be successful in high school. I have been impressed with his work and would commend him to you. I am not a paid spokesperson, nor on the payroll of 5F Prep, but do like to share great resources when I come across them.

The interview was filmed and is available below as a series of links.

***Intro to Interview and vision of 5Fprep   http://bit.ly/nlnaSB

1. Why did you choose to be a principal? http://bit.ly/oMuL0I

2. Who votes on NC Principal of the Year and what is the process?    http://bit.ly/qV7Sno

3. Technology or Globalization. . .Which is more important? http://bit.ly/mXZ6e0

4. After your trip to China, how would you compare Chinese and American education? http://bit.ly/qsdBAg

5. What are key characteristics of a great teacher?     http://bit.ly/pQAafM

6. 80% of college students change their majors at least once. What can high schools do to help this issue? http://bit.ly/pqZocw

7. 5Fprep- Your thoughts on the program and how can it prepare students for college?    http://bit.ly/oWp0js

September 21st - International Day of Peace

2011-10-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

I admit my ignorance. I am not proud of it, but perhaps a precursor to learning is a knowledge that we do not know everything and we must continually seek to expand our understanding of the world around us. I digress.

In September, 2001, the United Nations unanimously approved a holiday to be celebrated on September 21^st. This holiday would be a worldwide day of peace. For one day, hostilities would cease and the world would be at peace. Millions of people observe this holiday each year and I knew nothing of its existence. I was ignorant.

The purpose of the day was greater than just stopping fighting for a day. If two sides in an armed conflict took a day off from fighting, relief organizations would be able to come into the area and help the wounded, immunize children, and offer help to the civilians in the area. Peace, though, was also recognized as being more than just an absence of armed conflict. It was also a call for peace from domestic violence and a push for helping others.

The existence of this holiday was brought to my attention by one our teachers and club sponsors, Mrs. Ross. Mrs. Ross approached me during the summer to request that our school participate in “Peace Day.” She brought me information about the day and how we might embrace it.

I began to look into it and realized that my own understanding of the concept of “Peace” was limited. Rather than pulling out my Webster’s Dictionary as members of my generation were taught, I followed the example of my own children and went to www.dictionary.com for the definition and found:

“Peace:

1. the normal, non-warring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world.

2.(often initial capital letter) an agreement or treaty between warring or antagonistic nations, groups, etc., to end hostilities and abstain from further fighting or antagonism: the Peace of Ryswick.

3. a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations: Try to live in peace with your neighbors.

4. the normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community; public order and security; He was arrested for being drunk and disturbing the peace.

5. cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension.”

While much of the definition fit my own quick internal definition, this highlighted that it was really bigger. A feeling of “a state of mutual harmony…in personal relations” pushed my thinking on how celebrating this holiday could really help us with many school initiatives (i.e. our anti-bullying efforts, our work against cyber-bullying, building school spirit, increasing club memberships, etc.)

The more I learned about Peace Day, the more I knew that I would like to see our school participate.

"Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples…This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace.” – United Nations Resolution, 2001

The Day has three Guiding Principles:

Peace within - the Minute of Silence at noon in each time zone;

Peace without - an Act of Service for Peace that benefits the larger community;

Peace year round - a commitment to a Daily Peace Practice by joining with others to build a worldwide Culture of Peace.

We decided that we would become involved and did so with great success. The day’s activities were primarily organized by our SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Club. Many clubs and groups participated and it was that sharing of responsibilities that brought such success.

For us the day included:

Curricular Focus – teachers included the “International Day of Peace” as a focus in their classes. They still taught what was called for in their Daily Pacing Guides, but included the day’s concepts as part of their work. Fundamentally, schools exist to create productive citizens who will positively contribute to society. Promoting the concepts of peace within our curriculum certainly helps accomplish this goal.

T-shirt sales – The SAVE club sold t-shirts that said Peace on the front along with the school name. The students had found a vendor to provide the shirts for just over $1. The students sold the shirts for $5 and used the money to support the Treehouse Child Advocacy Center.
Boys vs. Girls Soccer Game – the day’s concluding activity was a soccer game matching our Girl’s Soccer Team against the Boy’s Soccer Team. Soccer is perhaps the most international sport we compete in and seemed to really be the obvious choice for a fun concluding activity. Tickets were sold to the game and the funds were used to support “Turning Point,” a local domestic violence shelter.

NHS Blood Drive – the National Honor Society hosted a blood drive to highlight the work that takes place on Peace Day to help hurting people. This was again a way for our students to make a difference.

Armed Forces Presence – we invited each of the Armed Forces to participate in the day. They shared the military’s support for International Peace Day. Knowing that we have family members serving in harm’s way made it important to us continue to show our support of the military even while promoting the concept of Peace.

Video Presentation during lunches – during lunch we showed a video from Peace One Day giving the background of the day and the desires for the future.

The International Day of Peace is an important concept. I am grateful to Mrs. Ross who brought it to my attention and proud of the efforts of our students and staff in using the opportunity to make a difference. I would encourage you to take a look at the following websites and consider taking part.

www.peaceoneday.org

www.internationaldayofpeace.org

Union County Public Schools - Excellence in Action!

2011-09-09T07:19:00.000-04:00

I am proud to serve in Union County Schools In two months, I will mark my tenth anniversary with the school system. As I reflect on an amazing decade, it is worth noting the success of our amazing school system last year.

UCPS 4 year cohort graduation was rate 89.1% (5th in the state from among 115 school districts and 1st among large districts in the state).

UCPS was top performer among large districts in AYP with 61.5% of schools making AYP.

All but a few UCPS schools made Expected Growth on NC ABC Accountability Program.

UCPS had 21 Honor Schools of Excellence.

36 UCPS schools had a higher performance composite in 2010-2011 than they did in 2009-2010.

UCPS had 19 schools recognized as UCPS International Schools.

UCPS High Schools had a record number of scholarships in terms of 4 year monetary total and number of scholarships awarded.

Countless school, team, club, and individual honors were won by our students and staff during the last year.

The culture of Excellence is evident in all that we do!

Twenty-First Century Evaluation

2011-09-08T05:30:00.002-04:00

The state of North Carolina has recently adopted a new Teacher Evaluation System. It is radically different from it's predecessors. Previously, we focused deeply on classroom observations. The resulting conversations centered almost exclusively on what had been observed in the classroom during that particular visit. Too often, a teacher's leadership in the school, her reflection and resulting growth, and involvement in school improvement efforts were largely ignored. That is not to say that the process did not help teachers. It is safe to say that it was not perfect.

The new Evaluation System strives to "promote effective leadership, quality teaching, and student learning while enhancing professional practice and leading to improved instruction." ( www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/profdev/training/teacher/teacher-eval.PDF) This broader emphasis begins to capture all of the amazing, important things teachers are doing that cannot be witnessed in a single classroom visit. Lasting School Improvement efforts require teamwork, require teacher leadership, and require a focus and understanding of data. Evaluation that focuses on teacher growth in all areas helps increase the capacity of the school to meets the needs of a diverse student body.

Teacher-leaders seek opportunities to demonstrate leadership and in doing so, purposefully move beyond their own classroom walls and bring their expertise into Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that exist to help members grow. The evaluation system pushes teachers into reflection and in doing so, into a continuous growth cycle.

Beyond attempting to measure more of the teacher's impact on the school, I am particularly excited about the change in the teacher's role in the evaluation process. In the past, as teachers were evaluated by an administrator, they were relatively inactive in the process. They had a conversation in pre-observation conferences and in post-observation reviews, but little beyond.

The new Evaluation System is based on a dynamic role on the part of the teacher. "The teacher will actively participate through the use of self-assessment, reflection, presentation of artifacts, and classroom demonstration(s)." (cited above) Active participation by the teacher is an exciting concept. My belief is that the active role the teacher takes in the Evaluation System will engender a feeling of ownership. Imagine a teacher looking forward to the evaluation process and actually guiding her own evaluation.

The unfortunate truth is that this exciting system has one overwhelming requirement - time! It takes time to have deep conversations with teachers. It takes time to review artifacts. It takes time to conduct classroom observations. Time is a precious commodity in a school. In an economy where allotments of Assistant Principal positions are radically decreasing, the number and frequency of managerial tasks a Principal has to accomplish are increasing. Overflowing plumbing trumps a classroom observation in immediacy even while falling well-short on the priority list.
In my view the new Evaluation System is superior to what we have had. Whether or not it makes a difference in student outcomes will be dependent on teachers and administrators embracing the system, engaging in deep conversations, and giving it the time it requires.

The Three C's of Global Education

2011-08-25T19:47:00.000-04:00

Our high school has a focus on global education as evidenced by the globe centered on our school crest. It is absolutely imperative that schools embrace the need for our students to recognize their place in the world and the impact that hard-working students in China, India, and Brazil will have on their future.

As a high school senior in the eighties, I had only to worry about competing with my in-county peers if I had chosen to go right to work in the textile mills as so many did in the mountains of North Carolina. In-state rivals were a concern when considering a spot in the freshmen class of one of our major universities. The only international concern that was ever spoken of, beyond worries over the potential spread of communism, was of the hungry children in Africa who were held up as a way to convince me to clean my plate at dinner.

Those days are no more. Our students have to be very aware of all of the players in our interconnected world. Their peers around the globe directly compete with them for lucrative positions that are geographically indifferent as long as the employee has the necessary skills and a reliable connection to the Internet. They compete for limited spots in the freshmen classes of the best universities. Competition is the first "C." for our students to be successful they must be fully prepared to compete against their international counterparts.

If we only create a class of competitors, they will be sorely prepared to compete. Our students must be able to collaborate with others regardless of cultural differences. As businesses recruit talent around the world, our students must be able to demonstrate an ability to work on multicultural teams. Collaboration is an equally important "C."

Competition and collaboration hinge on the third "C," Communication. Students need to be able to communicate using 21st century tools, leveraging social media and Web 2.0 tools to share their messages in a variety of mediums. An understanding of the power of a well-crafted message between a skilled sender and receiver will allow them to become a vital cog in industries that span the globe, yet depend on well-timed communication between teammates to keep the work going forward.

My own kindergarten teacher could not have imagined the world I live in, the tools I routinely use, or the on-demand availability of information we have at our fingertips. I would be just as unsuccessful if I tried to guess at the world waiting for our students. Just as she knew that regardless of my circumstances, I would need the skills she taught, we know that our student's future success depends on their ability to Compete, Collaborate, and Communicate.

The Great Communicator on Vision

2011-08-12T13:54:00.000-04:00

Just about every school has a Vision and Mission Statement posted somewhere. For some schools these are guiding principles that guide the schools progress. In other schools, they are long-forgotten statements that exist to fulfill a reporting requirement and are only referenced when called for in a new report. Sometimes the school's vision and mission are "real," that is they represent the actual beliefs of the stakeholders. In others, they are mired in cliches and educational jargon, ripe with pretty words, yet bereft of any emotional attachment.

Recently I had the opportunity to address a room full of aspiring principals in our county's leadership program. I had been asked to discuss the concept of vision. I began by sharing from the new NC Standards for School Executives, specifically the first standard, "Strategic Leadership." It states, "School executives will create conditions that result in strategically re-imaging the school’s vision, mission, and goals in the 21st century. Understanding that schools ideally prepare students for an unseen but not altogether unpredictable future, the leader creates a climate of inquiry that challenges the school community to continually re-purpose itself by building on its core values and beliefs about its preferred future and then developing a pathway to reach it."

Successful schools have living visions that they continually re-visit to ensure that they are making strides towards the future they have envisioned. Perhaps one of the best examples of this being done comes from the Great Communicator, President Ronald Reagan.

In 1974, then Governor Ronald Reagan shared that from the “deck of the Arabella in 1630 off the Massachusetts coast, John Winthrop said, “We will be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us,”” He cast his vision and began sharing with the American people how he foresaw the country. In 1984, accepting again the Republican nomination for President, he again proclaimed America as a city upon a hill. This return or revisit to his vision kept him true to the path he had dreamed of. As a President he saw democracy grow around the world even as paragons of communism began to crumble.

In 1988, as he was leaving office he said, “I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it and see it still.”

Throughout his political career his vision remained constant. What, then, is the lesson for leaders? I believe that we must continually re-visit our vision, mission, and core-values. We must critically evaluate what we find to ensure they still communicate our goals. We must use them as a rubric upon which to assess our progress. In maintaining a constancy of purpose, we instill confidence in those we serve. Our work may very well become a city on the hill, drawing in students seeking a pathway to their futures.

Harmonized? I was BLOCKED! :)

2011-07-27T16:14:00.000-04:00

I have been taught from an early age to always meet my commitments. My dad had many talks with me about the importance of “doing what you say you will do.” I have certainly tried to always live that out in my personal and professional life. As a dad, I have found myself having the same talks with my sons. (Note: I purposely chose to describe the interchanges as “talks” and not “conversations” as Dad never left room for compromise in this area.)

Imagine my consternation when I found myself unable to do what I was supposed to do during my travels in China. This blog is important to me for several reasons (keeping staff, students, and community informed about my work as the SPOY, sharing with Principals across the state my work on their behalf, routinely sharing how thankful I am to have this opportunity, and using the blog to highlight the amazing educators and their work as I encounter them along this journey.)

For the trip to China, the blog would also serve to allow the Cuthbertson Community and anyone else who might be interested to follow along as I experienced a “brand-new world.” A reporter from our local paper, the “Enquirer-Journal,” had also asked to publish excerpts in the paper to allow community members across the county to also follow along.

Suffice it to say, regular blog posts would be important to meet the obligations I made for myself. Before leaving, I checked to ensure that the hotels we were staying in would have internet access. Confirming they did, I was ready to enjoy China and share my discoveries. The first day we visited perhaps the most famous sites in China and I made a grave error. I was blown away by our visit to the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace. I tried to capture in my blog entry how incredible the visits were. The error? Well, I happened to mention that we had visited Tiananmen Square. For daring to list that location, my blog was quickly blocked and completely inaccessible within China.

It took me some time to find out what had happened. I tried using the tricks that our creative students have used in the past to “jump” around the school’s filters only to be blocked at every turn. To be able to continue to add to the blog, I had to email the posts to our Assistant Principal Kim Warr for her to post on the blog. My very simple blog had joined Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Google on the banned list in China. It still seems incredible to me that a blog that simply mentions Tiananmen Square would be blocked so that the Chinese people could not read it.

Nicholas Kristof wrote in the New York Times of a similar experience, “Psst. Don’t tell the Chinese government, but I started a Chinese-language blog here in China, and it contains counterrevolutionary praise of dissidents. Now let’s count — 1, 2, 3 ... — and see how long my blog stays up. My hunch is that State Security will “harmonize” it quickly. In Chinese, Web sites are mockingly referred to as “harmonized” when the government vaporizes them so as to nurture a “harmonious society.” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/opinion/23kristof.html?_r=2

It sounds better to share that my blog was “harmonized” rather than bluntly state that they “BLOCKED” it. The truth is, by cordoning off large sections of the internet, the Chinese Government has made it harder for the Chinese people to “harmonize” with the rest of the world. We cannot learn from Chinese educators in our eLCs (Electronic Learning Communities) as we tweet great ideas back and forth because they are not allowed into the conversation. They cannot engage with us and sadly, we cannot engage with them. The Chinese people I met were friendly and warm. The teachers we observed were obviously dedicated to their work and to their students. I am sorry that they are not allowed the opportunity to grow professionally by conversing with colleagues around the world.

Sitting here at my computer, moments away from posting this latest post, I am again overcome by the feeling of gratitude for the blessing of being an American. I can access the blogs of my choice. If I chose, I could read or write comments that were unflattering to the government or our leaders. As an American educator, I am going to continue to encourage the students and teachers I encounter to learn all they can about the rest of the world and in so doing learn more about themselves. I believe that the more they do that, the more they will have to be thankful for. That reason seems a little selfish as I read it back to myself. That is not my intent. We have much to learn from others and I am grateful that we have the opportunity to do so!

Learning with our Colleagues in Northeastern North Carolina

2011-07-15T11:37:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, July 14, 2011, I had the honor of giving the keynote address for the Northeastern North Carolina School Leadership Program, hosted by Elizabeth City State University (ECSU). I had been asked to share strategies and best practices I use as a principal with the audience of Principals, Assistant Principals, University Professors, aspiring administrators, and university students. The session seemed to go very well and seemed well-received.

I was so blessed though by the content of the rest of the day as schools and districts presented the remarkable things they have been doing. Through ECSU, they had access to a federal grant. An evaluator from the US Department of Education was on-hand to hear from them on their progress. All of the other school and district representatives were there supporting their colleagues and learning from them. Throughout the day, I tweeted some of the smart things I heard from them using the hashtag, #nncslp.

Each school or district had access to the competitive grant process to tackle a Problem-Based Learning Initiative. The project had to be grounded in the school’s School Improvement Plan and support the principal’s personal/professional growth as measured by the NC Standards for School Executives.

Project #1 “Ace Time” John A. Holmes High School, Edenton, NC

Students needed a continuum of Academic Interventions. The project was developed to increase the number of students receiving credit, decrease the number of students needing credit recovery, decrease 9^th grade retention rate, increase 4-year cohort retention rate, and increase student’s sense of belonging. To meet these needs, the school created a 20 minute focused intervention time between 1^st and 2^nd periods. The target group was ALL students with less than a 77 in any class. Progress Reports are sent home every two weeks

Project #2 – “The Power of Formative Assessments”, Edgecombe County Schools

The Middle Schools in Edgecombe County identified a need for high-quality formative assessments called Common Formative Assessments (CFAs). They give the assessments every 10 days. The Principal collects the tests and does the data analysis. They talk of “constantly climbing the ladder” The Middle School Principals found themselves talking almost daily in their efforts to help each other.

CFAs are given more often than benchmarks. In rural areas, the students often do not have resources allowing them transportation to afterschool tutoring, etc. CFAs are used to inform and drive instruction and tutoring during the school day.

Project #3 – Northeastern High School, Elizabeth City – Pasquotank Public Schools

The school developed a project called, “Leaders Developing Leaders.” It was designed to improve teacher leadership in the school. The presenter described the School Improvement Plan (SIP) development process as a “beast.” Their goal was to create the School Improvement Plan and make it a living, breathing document, instead of something gathering dust on a shelf. Their project gave teachers a stipend to write the SIP during the summer and stipends for the School Design Team to work on the presentation of the plan to the school and community.

Project #4 – Northampton County Public Schools; “Controlling Classroom Management”

The district Needs Assessment identified a Teacher turnover rate at 22% and found that 26.8% of their new teachers were struggling with classroom management. Their objective was to create and enforce school-wide behavior plans. Each challenged teacher filled out a checklist on classroom management while their administrators reviewed their discipline data. They created a program involving 6 Principals; 11 challenged teachers; and 10 accomplished teachers. They used Harry Wong’s “The First Days of School;” Marcia Tate’s “Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites,” and “Shouting Won’t Grow Dendrites;” formal surveys; and model classroom management skills demonstrations.

Project #5 Perquimans County High School - Perquimans County Public Schools

Perquimans County High School used the project to create a multiple day freshmen transition program. The Vision and Mission of the school was the foundation of the program. The principal found that, “some 9^th grade parents needed this more than the 9^th graders.” She said that she observed that the 9^th graders felt like they “fit” on the first day of school and saw more freshmen in clubs.

Project #6 Warren County Public Schools

Warren County Public Schools used the project to create a PLC for the county’s 8 principals using the theme, “Teamwork makes the Dream Work!” They brought in a variety of guest speakers and engaged in great dialog with each other. At one point, 5 of their 8 principals had two years or less experience as a principal. They appreciated the Opportunity for networking; the Opportunity to learn information and ways to become more effective leaders (curriculum matrix, teacher/principal evaluation process); the Opportunity for “at home” professional development; and the Opportunity to learn and grow successful leaders.

Project #7 Weldon Elementary School, Weldon City Public Schools

The principal from Weldon Elementary presented their project, “Educational Leadership at It’s Best; Success for All Students.” They were looking at Reading Scores in 3^rd and 4^th grade because their scores in reading were way below their scores in Math. The school’s goal is to become a 90/90/90 school. “The term “90/90/90” was originally coined by Douglas Reeves in 1995 based on observations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where schools had been identified with the following characteristics: 90% or more of the students were eligible for free and reduced lunch, 90% of more of the students were members of ethnic minority groups, and 90% or more of the students met the district or state academic standards in reading or another area” (Reeves, 2000). The school’s project goals came from their SIP and were based on data. After a year of intense data disaggregation and work with teachers in this area, the school saw scores rise. They have more work to do, but feel good about their progress.

I know that I have done a poor job of capturing the remarkable work of these schools and districts. I would encourage you to reach out to them if you are interested in learning more about their work.

I am very grateful to the Northeastern North Carolina School Leadership Project for inviting me to spend the day with them and wish to especially thank Mrs. Yvonne Walton, the NNCSLP Coordinator, and Dr. Claudie Mackey, the NNCSLP Director for being such gracious and welcoming hosts. I learned much, much more than I shared during the day and leave having reaffirmed that the strength of public school education in North Carolina resides in our shared belief in learning from each other.

From Beliefs to Blessings

2011-07-10T10:15:00.000-04:00

A frequent recurrence to fundamental principles is absolutely necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty. NC Constitution Art. 1, Sec. 35

During the State Board Meeting, Legislative Liaison, Ann McColl, referenced the quote above from the North Carolina Constitution. She frequently referred to the Board’s Legislative Directives. As she reminded the board of the priorities they had set for themselves, I found her approach resonating with me. Organizations have Mission Statements, Vision Statements, Core Values, Goals and Strategies, but without someone continually recalling them or highlighting them, they can degenerate to a shallow life of pretty words on a forgotten page.

My church has a mission statement on the front of our weekly bulletin. One of our Assistant Pastors is especially great at recalling the elements of the Mission Statement as he makes particular announcements. As he mentions a new program that may have an associated cost, the potential pain of implementation is mitigated when we are reminded that it supports our stated goals.

Our school has a mission statement that represents the work of many over the course of a full year. It was built on a foundation of shared beliefs about the purpose of education and our hopes and dreams for the new school. Parents, students, staff, and community members each shared their desires and beliefs. This mission statement is central to who we are, but absent a constant check-in with it, it could lose its power to guide our efforts. Ideally, our elected Site-based Management Team will constantly check it against our progress attempting to determine that we are still aligned with our goals.

As a principal, I was motivated by Ms. McColl’s approach with her State School Board presentation to also continually touch on our school community’s beliefs. As the statement (written in 1776) from the Constitution of North Carolina warns, a continual check-in with our core beliefs is absolutely necessary to keep receiving the blessings and success our school has enjoyed. Regardless of the institution, we cannot lose sight of our guiding principles.

The Privilege of Education

2011-07-04T19:50:00.000-04:00

Later this week I will begin my service as an Advisor to the State Board of Education. I will pay great attention as the State Board Members discuss the policies and procedures that will guide Public Education in our great state. I will offer my opinion when appropriate and will do my best to serve the children of our state in this new role. For one year I have this remarkable opportunity before another will step up to take my place. During this year I will take great comfort in the words that appear on the wall over the Chairman of the State Board of Education. “The people have a right to the privilege of education, and it is the duty of the state to guard and maintain that right.” –Constitution of North Carolina, Article 1, Section 15.

This “privilege of education” resonates with me today as we celebrate Independence Day. Throughout my recent journey to China, I had the opportunity to experience how another country chooses to educate (or not) its young people. In our schools we still believe in the American Dream, that every child might one day be President if they work hard enough, make good choices, and try their best. It is decidedly American to believe that EVERY child deserves the very best education we can give them. This was not the case in China. I saw no Exceptional Children (EC) children there. There were no Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) to help students overcome obstacles in their lives. We were told that students had to test into schools. Those that did not make it were not admitted. This privilege of education seemed to be denied to some. Not here. We seek to help every child reach their maximum potential. Every child is invited into the school to take advantage of this privilege. Our state guards and maintains their right to it. Even as our state leaders debate the cost and determine the allocations they will give, they do so knowing that it is a precious gift, this privilege of education.

It is a gift. It is a privilege. It is also something that is too often cast aside by some of our youth. While in China, I saw students who were pouring themselves into their studies. They listened with rapt attention as their teachers spoke. When called upon, they stood by their desks and responded respectfully. Though not all had access to the privilege of education, the ones that did seemed to be fully taking advantage of it. When I consider students who would walk away from a free, public education to drop out and condemn themselves to a life devoid of a high school diploma, my heart breaks. When I replay conversations with parents who say, “maybe that is best for them” or “I can’t do anything with them,” I am saddened. We put together new and inventive programs to increase our graduation rate. Our school’s graduation rate is higher than 96% and yet, still I worry about the ones who walked away, often with a multitude of poor choices on their disciplinary histories.

Still though, I remind myself that this is the beauty of America. We guard and maintain the right to the privilege of education, but we do not force anyone to take advantage of it. Our students and parents have the right to say, “thanks, but no thanks!” I served in the US Navy to help ensure their right to give up what has been give to them and I would not want to take that away from them. Our students must know how hard their peers around the world are working because they will compete with them for the best jobs. They must understand that they are given this amazing gift with which to conquer the future or drop on the wayside as they make their own way in the world sans education.

Education is a privilege. Being an educator is a privilege and one that I do not take lightly. I am honored to serve the State Board of Education as an Advisor and look forward to being on hand as this precious right to the privilege of education is guarded and maintained.

Yearning for Home

2011-06-23T19:36:00.000-04:00

"When you're safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home” Thornton Wilder

I could not wait to get back home, particularly when I was stuck in Chicago. I attempted to keep updating the blog via text message while there because the internet was not available. With a night in my own bed behind me, let me see though, if I can capture the final 24 hours of my China adventure.

The flight from Shanghai left the airport there almost two hours late. We were held up, sitting on the airplane, by bad weather in Shanghai. It had rained several times during our stay though the weather did break the day we ascended to the 100^th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center. The storm at the airport abated just enough to allow us to rise shakily into the air and on our way back to the USA. Our initial flight plan called for a parabola over Russia, Alaska, and Canada before landing in Chicago. The plan was drastically changed though. Instead of following a mostly land-based route, our plane flew straight out over the Pacific Ocean on a Northeast heading. We guessed at the reason for the change from the flight path the video on our seatback was showing. I guessed that the delay on the ground necessitated the change to a faster route. My seatmates felt that the recent shooting at an airliner by the South Korean Army was the actual reason. Whatever the cause, we crossed the ocean directly.

The flight passed without incident. It took almost 14 hours to complete. We gained back the day we had lost in our flight to China. According to the itinerary, we landed 45 minutes after we took off due to the crossing of time zones. Because of the delay in Shanghai, several of us worried about catching our connecting flight as we left the airplane. After collecting our luggage, we had to go through Customs. That behind us, we re-checked our bags and hustled from Terminal 5 where International flights land at Chicago-O’Haire to Terminal 1 where United Domestic flights departed. Arriving at Terminal 1, I found out the flight to Charlotte had been delayed, giving me the time to get to the Gate and board without being late.

Once on board, I stowed my laptop bag and fastened my seatbelt for the two-hour flight to Charlotte. The rest of the passengers found their seats and the airplane door was closed. The Captain apologized for the delay and said that he did not know why we had been delayed, but that he was hopeful to get skyward quickly. Moments later, he was back on the intercom apologizing because our flight had been cancelled as the plane was being pushed away from the gate. He pulled our plane back in while the Flight Attendant told us that we would have to report to Customer Service for a new flight. I was dumb-founded. There seemed no reason to cancel our flight. The reason given was that the runway was backed up. We would have been 31^st in line to take-off.

I called my best friend and partner, Rene, for help. She took up the task of trying to get her husband home and wound up spending hours on the phone with the airline. She found out there were no more flights to Charlotte that night. Meanwhile, I was standing in line at Customer Service. No fewer than 800 people were in front of me. I found out that almost every flight had been cancelled. The line stretched down the hallway and out of the Terminal. I could not see the Customer Service desk from my place in line.

I was resigned to waiting it out when an alarm began sounding throughout the terminal. An announcement proclaimed a “Tornado Warning.” We were herded down into the tunnels between the terminals where we would stay for almost two hours waiting for the storm to pass. We received reports that as many as three tornados had touched down near the airport. While I waited out the storm, Rene found me a hotel, no easy task with so many stranded passengers. When the all-clear sounded, I went outside to wait on the hotel shuttle. After standing in the rain for a while, the van finally appeared.

In the van, I began visualizing the cozy bed, spending some catching up on emails, possible posting a blog entry, reading a little bit, and perhaps turning on the television and hearing English. I noticed many trees down. Turning into the hotel parking lot, I was confused to see it darkened inside. The hotel had lost power during the storm. Without power, they had to check us in by writing our name on a sheet of copy paper and walking us to our rooms by candlelight. With no other options, I climbed in the bed after being left in a pitch-black room.

Checking-in by candlelight

The next morning the power was still out. I was disappointed to learn that they could not provide any breakfast because of the power situation. Rather than wait in the dark hotel until my afternoon flight, I jumped back on the shuttle and returned to the airport where I breakfasted on a McDonald’s Sausage biscuit while answering emails.

At 2PM, I found myself back on a plane, holding my breath until the plane began taxi-ing down the runway. It wasn’t until we were in the air that I finally felt the relief of going home. Our flight landed earlier than expected. Rene was on-time based on the schedule, but later than I arrived. As I stood waiting on the sidewalk talking to her on the phone, she repeatedly apologized for being late. I laughed and said that it was really just in keeping with the theme of the trip. I was completely unconcerned though because I was back in North Carolina, minutes away from returning home.

The trip was absolutely phenomenal! I loved everything I encountered. Nothing I encountered though caused such an emotional response as seeing my wife and family after being away. Perhaps Mr. Wilder was correct; we want to be traveling when we are at home and we want to be at home when we are traveling. For myself, I cannot wait for the opportunity to share all that I encountered with our staff and students.

Thank you for joining me for this journey. You are invited to stay with me as I travel through this year. I have posted pictures from the trip on Facebook. You may see them here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.196324300417501

I hope you have a wonderful summer and that you also have an opportunity to chase an adventure (or be chased by it!)

2011-06-22T14:51:00.001-04:00

I am sitting on the plane in Chicago hoping to take-off for Charlotte shortly. My adventure may be finally winding down. Thanks for joining me for the journey.

2011-06-22T11:43:00.001-04:00

After being checked in at the hotel last night with paper & pencil, I was escorted to my room and issued a candle. I slept well in the dark and caught the shuttle back to the airport where I have a 2PM flight and hope to be home today! 5 of 6 flights on this trip have been cancelled or delayed. The question must be: "is the journey worth the hurdles?" My answer: "Absolutely!"

2011-06-21T23:37:00.001-04:00

The fun continues! After being pulled off of the plane to Charlotte when the flight was cancelled, a Tornado Watch forced us into the tunnels between terminals. After sitting out the Tornado Watch, I waited in the rain for the hotel shuttle. We arrived at the hotel to find the power wasn't working and we could not check in. I could be fussing and stamping my feet. Instead I am laughing through each new development as I continue on this journey that seems not to end.

2011-06-21T23:05:00.001-04:00

While waiting in line, a tornado watch was issued and everyone had to squeeze down into the tunnels between the terminals. While waiting out the storm, my wonderful wife found me a flight tomorrow and a hotel room. She rocks!

2011-06-21T21:19:00.001-04:00

Wow! The journey continues! While sitting on the plane waiting to push back from the terminal, the flight was cancelled! We had to unfasten our seatbelts and exit the plane. The line for Customer Service is about 800 people long. I am in the Chicago airport trying to find a way home. Never fear, I will get there! :)

2011-06-21T20:34:00.001-04:00

After checking through Customs and running from Terminal 5 to Terminal 1, I have made it onto a very small plane bound for Charlotte and home. I cannot wait to see my family, drink a real Diet Coke, and have a meal that does not involve a Lazy Susan! It has been a great trip!

2011-06-21T19:11:00.001-04:00

I just landed in Chicago. It is SO great to be back in the U.S.! Hoping to be home by midnight if we make the connecting flight. We were held up by bad weather in Shanghai.

Love Me Do

2011-06-21T07:43:00.001-04:00

Today was our final full day in China. We started our day at the Shanghai World Financial Center. The building has 101 floors and stands over 1600 feet tall. In 2009, the building was recognized by Guinness World Records for having the World’s highest observation deck and having the highest hotel as the Park Hyatt Shanghai occupies Floors 79-93. Standing on a glass floor, I looked down on the cars below. They were so small that they were not even the length of my fingernail when I held my hand out. I look forward to sharing pictures once I return home.

We were given an opportunity to spend time on a self-guided walking tour in downtown Shanghai. It was beautiful. The sidewalks were lined with trees. Buildings soared all around and yet, it still managed to feel open.

Our next stop took us to a Middle School in Southern Shanghai. The students were very friendly, each wearing their red scarf and listening intently as their teachers spoke. One class had a boy and girl class leader stand and recite a welcome to us in English. Both welcomed us to “our very beautiful, very modern school.” I could not decide if this was their feeling or if they were simply reciting what they had been taught. The building was very clean, if a bit old. It had its own water purification system that the Assistant Principal proudly showed us. The students worked from workbooks with the teachers teaching from the front of the room. Like the school in Beijing, cameras were also mounted in their classrooms so that the teachers and students could be observed. When given the opportunity, the only question the students had was asked by a young lady near the front of the room. She wanted to know if any of the Americans could speak Chinese. Sadly, we could only parrot a few phrases we had learned while here. The Chinese students begin learning English in the first grade.

For dinner, we again sat at a round table with a Lazy Susan that was constantly replenished. While I have enjoyed the food, I am looking forward to adding variety again to my diet. It seems that we have had the same meal every day for every meal for the entirety of our trip. I am sure that some dishes were present for some meals that were not for others, but they are running together now.

We ended our day with a Riverboat cruise down the center of Shanghai. The buildings come alive at night, lit with neon and splashed with colors. Walkers were everywhere enjoying the night air. We were told that as almost all city residents live in apartments, they are out and about throughout the city more than we might be because they do not have their own yards to enjoy.

Somehow I have wound up using the titles to Beatles’ songs to title each day’s entries. Today I chose “Love me do.” It really does not have anything to do with a person. It has to do with the powerful feeling that consumes me now. I cannot wait to get back home, to the U.S. While here, I have seen policemen on every corner and solders posted throughout the city. I have been unable to access Facebook, Youtube, or Twitter to share pictures or updates with friends and family. Access to my blog was blocked on the second day of my journey because I simply shared that we had visited Tiananmen Square. China is beautiful and the people we have met were awesome, but I have within me a new appreciation for our home and for the freedoms we enjoy. To my country, please allow a sappy, homesick patriot to borrow the words of four Brits and say, “Love, love me do. You know I love you. I'll always be true. So please, love me do.” As a nation and as a people, we have been blessed.

It will take weeks to process all that I have experienced. I am so grateful to EF for providing this trip to our State for the State Principal of the Year. It has been amazing. After seeing how hard the Chinese are working to become a global force, I am more convinced that our students must be fully prepared for life in the 21^st Century where they will have to compete with Chinese students (and others around the world) for the best jobs, collaborate with the Chinese on work teams made-up of multiple nationalities, and successfully communicate across cultures and backgrounds.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me. Thank you to my colleague who has been posting my blogs each day. (I’ll explain our process after I get back home.) Thank you to our school staff who have taken care of CHS in my absence. Finally, thank you to my family for being so understanding during the chaotic weeks leading up to our school’s first Graduation and my flight to China hours afterward.

How Do You Do It?

2011-06-19T11:56:00.000-04:00

Wow! We did not slow down at all today, doing our best to make-up for lost time yesterday. The morning started with breakfast in the hotel. We had an earnest conversation about whether or not the hotel was serving leftovers from dinner for breakfast. We have noticed that the Chinese serve the same foods regardless of the meal and that this morning’s fare sure resembled last night’s menu at the hotel restaurant. I suppose that helps curb waste and could be considered “green,” but there is something about fried pork over noodles at breakfast that just doesn’t work as well for me.

After breakfast we climbed aboard our bus for a long day. Our local guide joined us. Her English name is Jasmine. John is still with us, though John and Jasmine don’t go together as well as John and Yoko did in Beijing. Jasmine spent the initial ride teaching us about Shanghai. It is the most populated city in China, with 23 million residents, though it occupies 1/3rd the land size of Beijing. It has over 14,000 skyscrapers (more than Chicago and New York combined.) Traffic is almost at a standstill with the number of cars they have on the road. To combat the problem (aggravated by a lack of land), they have built 9 subway systems, interstates that are completely bridges over land and water alike, and 11 tunnels under the river. Watching our various bus drivers combat traffic has alternated between being funny and being scary in the extreme.

Our first stop today was the Jade Buddha Temple. I cannot wait to make it home to be able to post pictures as it was breathtaking. We watched as Buddhists lit incense in the burners in the courtyard and began praying/chanting in each of the four cardinal directions while holding the incense aloft. It was odd to be touring/taking pictures while worshippers were kneeling to pray. They did not notice our presence and seemed to be able to pray/worship without being distracted. Jasmine shared that they need the money raised by the tourists to support the various Temples and Monasteries and willingly made the trade-off of tourists walking by parishioners in the act of worship. We did observe the monks going through a ceremony. Afterwards we found out that the ceremony was carried out daily to bless the trinkets/souvenirs sold in the Temple. The Buddhists believe that souvenirs bought in the Temple brought good luck and harmony. Many Chinese people were in the Temple and seemed to be buying many souvenirs to take back home with them.

As we rode to our next stop, Jasmine shared that the cities visited on our trip were perfect because they really gave you an overview of Chinese history. She said, “If you want to know Chinese history 2,000 years ago, go to Xi’an, our Ancient Capital, home to many dynasties. If you want to know Chinese history 500 years ago, go to Beijing, our current capital, home to the last two dynasties. If you want to know Chinese history over the last 100 years, go to Shanghai where you will experience modern China, a very modern city and their finance and fashion capital.”

After a trip through traffic, we arrived at the Yu Yuan Gardens, a gorgeous garden. The garden was built by a retired politician who made Shanghai his retirement home. The reception areas featured furniture from the Qing Dynasty, known for being very ornate and detailed. It featured multiple ponds and walkways. Along the top of the brick fence ran a dragon that encircled the garden. At the time the garden was built, only the emperor was allowed to use the symbols of the dragon. The builder got around this by having a three-toed dragon. Everyone knew that dragons had five toes, so his must be a fake dragon, sparing him from the emperor’s wrath for using his symbol. At one time, a hill in the garden was the highest point in all of Shanghai. Today that hill is dwarfed by every one of the 14,000+ skyscrapers and most of the buildings not tall enough to classified a skyscraper.

Leaving the Garden, we entered a popular shopping district, much to the delight of several of companions. Many did their part to aid the local economy. The Chinese seem to love haggling so prices are rarely posted and never firm. It becomes a game to purchase anything. You always walk away wondering if you paid more than you had to.

We next visited a Thai restaurant. Eating food from Thailand in China was an interesting experience. The food was certainly Thai, but was served Chinese-style with a large Lazy Susan in the middle of the table and plate after plate placed on it to be served family-style.

Our next stop took us to the Knock-off District, easily the largest shopping mall I have ever been in. It was filled with stores, each selling name-brand merchandise at suspiciously low prices. We were told as we exited the bus, “Remember, nothing here is real, regardless of the tag.” While walking through, I looked at a pair of Ugg boots, a favorite of my step-daughter. The tag on the back of the boot was sewn on upside down. I am pretty confident that those were not Ugg boots at all! Though I did not by anything, it was fun trying to spot the mistakes in the manufacturing.

Our final stop for the night was a Chinese Acrobat show. It absolutely defied description as acrobats tossed each other in to the air, bent their bodies into shapes that I would have thought impossible to get into, and generally made me grimace in pain for them. We found out that Shanghai has several acrobatic schools and that children begin to study there as early as five years old.

We have one more full day in Shanghai before our flights take us back home. I am looking forward to another fun-filled and fact-filled as I continue to discover much about this remarkable land and her people. After another vey full day, arriving back at the hotel after 9:30PM, I can’t help but wonder how frequent travelers do it. I am starting to feel tired and certainly a bit homesick for my family and my country. What an amazing opportunity I have been given and one I deeply appreciate, but in the end, as Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home!”

Not a Second Time

2011-06-18T16:26:00.000-04:00

Today was a day of delays from start to finish. We left our hotel in Xi’an at 8AM for the hour-long drive to the airport, needing to arrive by 9AM for our 11AM flight to Shanghai. We arrived at the airport right on time, found the needed ATMs to replenish our dwindling resources, checked our baggage in, and headed to the Security Checkpoint. For the second time on this trip, I was pulled out of line to stand on a box and be “wanded.” The female agent did not miss an inch of my body as she checked me for contraband. I am not sure what caused me to be chosen, but it was over pretty quickly and we were on our way.

Arriving at our gate, we received the first of many messages concerning our flight. Our plane was delayed due to the weather somewhere else. Later it was delayed due to aircraft maintenance. Then it was delayed due to heavy air traffic. Finally, at 2:30PM, our 11AM flight began to board. We had passed the time reading, napping, and looking at the pictures we had taken while here.

It was a relief to finally be in our seats on the “China Eastern” flight. Everyone was seated with their “carry-on luggage stowed away under the seat in front of them or in the overhead compartments, their seatbelts fastened, and their seats in the upright position.” The passengers on the flight were ready to go. The Flight Attendants had found their seats. We heard the voice of the Captain. However, rather than the “Welcome Aboard” speech we anticipated, he shared with us that we would be sitting on the plane for some 50 minutes before taking off.

I do not know what this delay was caused by. However, when it comes to flying, safety is paramount, so I didn’t complain. In fact, no one in our group had complained all day about the delays that kept mounting. One secret to successful travel must be an attitude of patience.

After waiting the 50 minutes, our plane finally climbed skyward. Ahead was a 2 hour flight to Shanghai, our final destination for this trip. The flight experienced some turbulence due to weather, but was otherwise unremarkable. Our pilot proved my previous assetion wrong when he gently touched the airplane down in Shanghai. We exited the plane and found our baggage.

Our awesome Tour Guide, John, led us to our bus and we began the drive into the city proper. He spent the hour it took teaching us about the city. It is the largest city in China based on population with almost 23 million residents, but occupies only 1/3^rd the land that Beijing does. The lack of land has forced the city ever upward. John said that New York city has over 4,000 buildings with 20 or more floors, while Shanghai has over 14,000, including the world’s third tallest building, The World Financial Center, at 100 floors tall. We are planning to visit it tomorrow.

We arrived at our hotel at about 7PM. We quickly received our room keys and headed for the elevators. Here we found our final delay of the day. The Hotel is extremely nice and was hosting an important banquet. They had closed some elevators to only be used by the banquet attendees, leaving only two to take care of the 34 of us and our luggage. Being the Southern Gentleman my mother had instructed me to be from an early age, I deferred to all of our female companions and then to all of the older gentlemen. After almost 30 minutes, my roommate and I were finally on our way up. The room is the nicest we have had.

We visited no sites today and saw little of China outside of the Xi’an airport, but perhaps we needed a slower day to catch our breath and prepare for the whirlwind our final days in this country will be. Regardless of the Beatle’s song title at the top of this blog, asking that we have a flight delay, “Not a Second Time,” we did. However, as before, it all worked out and our journey continues.

Flying

2011-06-17T20:31:00.000-04:00

Last night we arrived in Xi’an about midnight, a full 10 hours later than expected. Our original flight had been cancelled with no explanation given. Unlike American airline companies, we were not automatically scheduled onto another flight. Instead the Tour Group Company, EF, had to work hard in the background to find seats for us on another flight. They did. This flight was late in arriving and late in leaving. We flew on an airline called China Eastern Air. The accommodations onboard were typical, but hearing the pre-flight speech from the Flight Attendant in another language completely reminded me that we were not at home, and in fact, were on the other side of the world. I slept through most of the flight, but was quickly awakened by the landing. I only have this one flight to go on, but I am not sure if they call their wheels first making contact with the ground “touching down,” like I am used to. Instead we slammed to the ground in a landing that jarred our teeth. They say that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. This was a good landing.

We got into our rooms about 1:15AM. We are staying in the beautiful Xi’an Hotel. We met the bus this morning about 8AM, ready for another full day. I was surprised by how large the city is. We knew it would be the smallest city we would visit and that colored my expectations. Like Beijing, apartment buildings fill the city with skyscrapers. Some 8.3 million people live here in what is referred to as the “Ancient Capital.” It served as the capital for eleven different dynasties, including the first Chinese dynasty, the Qing (pronounced Ching.) The first emperor of the Qing Dynasty was responsible for building the Great Wall and the 8th Wonder of the World, The Terracotta Warriors.

The Terracotta Warriors were our first destination. In 1975, a farmer was digging a well. He unearthed a soldier’s head made of terracotta. Local politicians heard of his discovery and sent our archaeologists to discover the source of this head. American archaeologists were also invited in. All told, more than 7,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses were found. The first Emperor had them created to guard his tomb. He expected that after he died, the army that he had buried would protect him in the afterlife. They were lined up in battle formation, seemingly ready to march out of their underground home to protect their emperor. After his death, a peasant revolution brought about the end of the dynasty. In the war that followed, enemies broke in to the Terracotta Warriors home and broke them up ad burned the timbers supporting the roof. They were found almost 2,000 years later when the farmer began digging. Many have been repaired and now stand again in their places of honor. Most are still buried and are being painstakingly unearthed by the archaeologists who continue the work. It is estimated that it will take generations to finish.

The rest of our day included a “Dumpling Banquet,” a visit to an Art Museum where we were able to practice writing in Chinese symbols, a visit to the City Walls, and a stop at a Buddhist Temple. It has been a full day.

I have taken hundreds of pictures to share, but can no longer access my blog to post any. Once I used the name Tiananmen Square, it became blocked. I can also not access Facebook or Twitter. It can be easy to forget that I am in a Communist country until things like being blocked from certain sites by the government quickly remind me that this is not home. I am loving the journey and have walked around in constant amazement. I will keep emailing my entries to a colleague who is posting them for me. I look forward to processing this whirlwind of information over the coming months and appreciate the opportunity to share the journey with you.

With a Little Help from My Friends

2011-06-16T10:24:00.000-04:00

Today was a great day! We started our day at the Temple of Heaven. Twice a year the Temple was used by the emperors to pray in for a good harvest. It is surrounded by a beautiful park. The park was filled with Senior Citizens who were exercising, playing cards, knitting, chatting with their friends, and having a great time. We went into the wooded area and practiced Tai Chi with a Master Teacher. Though none in our group were able to stretch as low as he did, we did have a great time. Later we visited the Temple. It was beautiful.

Before leaving the Temple we found out that our noon flight to Xi’an was cancelled. Rather than panic, our amazing Tour Guide John began adding stops to our agenda while his company worked on getting us a flight. We went to a well-known Tea House and were able to participate in a Tea Ceremony. The hostess taught us about the four most popular teas in China and their health benefits.

We had lunch in a Four Star Hotel. Every lunch and dinner has involved a large round table topped by a large glass Lazy Susan. Throughout the meal they keep bringing plates of food to the table. The patrons spin the Lazy Susan and serve themselves. We have become masters of chopsticks.

After lunch we visited the Olympic Park. We saw the Water Cube building where the pools were housed for the Olympics. We also saw the “Bird’s Nest” where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies were held for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. There were still vendors selling Olympic souvenirs around the complex. From there we went to a shopping district surrounding a lake. We rented tandem bicycles and went weaving in and out of traffic just like the locals. (I am quite sure that they would not agree that we were riding as well as them.) The ride included several near brushes with cars, rickshaws, and pedestrians.

From the Olympic Park we traveled to the Art District known as 758. The District was filled with Art Galleries. The Art ranged the gamut in form and subject. Leaving there, we finally arrived at the Airport for our new flight. As of this moment, the flight is 30 minutes late and could be cancelled again. Our group does not want to miss visiting Xi’an. That is the location of the Terracotta Warriors.

Although the original flight was cancelled, we wound up having a better day than planned because we were able to do so many things that were not on our original schedule. “With a Little Help from our Friends,” we were able to turn lemons into lemonade. I hope you are having a great start to your summer. I will post pictures when I return.

The Long and Winding Road

2011-06-15T20:48:00.000-04:00

Today was a “bucket-list” day. Having the opportunity to walk along the Great Wall of China has to be one of those opportunities on the list of many to accomplish before their journey ends. However, as majestic as that was, it was not the highlight of the day. The highlight was walking into a Chinese School and observing students hard at work. Even though we are halfway around the world, what I experienced in the school gave me much to feel thankful for.

Students here live in a world where their parents are allowed just one child. According to our guides, this policy manifests itself in two ways: either the student feels inordinate pressure to succeed because they are the focus of the family’s efforts, or in rare occasions, the child is spoiled to a great extent. Our pre-trip coursework related the long hours that many students put into their studies seven days a week. I included a link to a film documenting the long work hours and pressure they feel in a previous blog post.

We observed a teacher who was teaching an English course. While the expectation was that the students work on their English speaking and reading skills, it was interesting that the content of the lesson was on cleaning their room and not relying too heavily on their parents to take care of them. In making a point, the teacher shared with the class that her mother-in-law lived with her family and took care of her daughter. This seems to be somewhat common.

Walking through the school, I was surprised to see security cameras in the front of every classroom so that the room could be monitored while the children were working and the teacher was teaching. I cannot imagine having cameras to monitor our teachers. The Principal shared with me that it was primarily for their National Exams to show that the students did not cheat.

It was interesting to me that both the Principal and Assistant Principal had each spent a year in America. As I travel, I am finding this to be common outside of the USA. I am not sure why we do not travel more though I suppose financial pressures have a lot to do with it.

After leaving the school, we traveled about two hours by bus to the Great Wall. At the base of the stairs was a Subway. After several days of eating entirely native food, I could not resist and bought a Turkey Breast sandwich. I put it in my backpack and began the climb along with my colleagues. We climbed over 2,700 steps to the top. I was drenched in perspiration and proud of myself when I reached the top. The view was spectacular though the constant haze/smog prevented seeing off into the distance.

We walked along the wall and at the top of one of the watchtowers, stopped to enjoy our Subway sandwiches. I wonder what the builders would think about our being on their wall eating our decidedly American lunch, taking pictures, and sharing stories. The Great Wall is over 3,500 miles long. I am not sure if The Beatles were referring to it in their song, “The Long and Winding Road,” but they might have been. We also learned that astronauts cannot see the Great Wall from the moon. I took a lot of pictures that I will post when I return home.

We do not have access to Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube here. My blog is frequently blocked and has been since my post about visiting Tiananmen Square. As you may have read, I did not post anything controversial, just that we had visited. My theory is that their filters catch the reference and just block it.

Tomorrow we will practice Tai Chi with the locals in the Temple of Heaven and then head to the airport for our flight to Xi’an. I am looking forward to the experience of flying inside the country.

Thank you for coming along on the journey. I will continue to post as I am able to access the blog.