So far, during this opening week of Teacher Workdays, I've been focused on getting to know people, the culture, and the way of doing things at Dudley High School. It's nice to be in a building where there are already some policies and procedures that guide instruction. I'm looking forward to activating those more thoroughly and with more fidelity across the school to support teachers and students. I've also been doing a lot of work so far this year on planning the professional development and learning for the school. It'll be nice to have a focused and aligned plan for the year that focuses on building good instructional habits, collaboration across and within content areas, and that builds capacity for teachers.
I'm happy with what I've been able to do with the space so far. There are some items I still need, but that'll probably be a trip over to Wal-Mart or Office Depot this weekend. Having a calendar and some items for my whiteboard will help a lot, especially when it comes to testing. The Teaching and Learning Center is one that is open for business, and I'm glad that I've been able to have some meetings in the space to begin coaching and collaborating.
The main headache right now is related to technology. I don't have my account for NCEdCloud, so I can't do much on Canvas or any of the other technology services. I've also not received codes that I need from College Board, so completing some of my AP Coordinator tasks is on hold until that is resolved. Like so many, we can't escape the flux that comes at the beginning of the year. I've got my eyes locked on the issues I can impact, and I try to move those outside of my control to the back burner.
I should be able to have a weekend where I'm not focused on work to be ready for Monday. It'll be good to feel the energy of the building with everyone here. Off to year nineteen!
