March Staff Development Newsletter

I have heard the quote, "In like a lion, out like a lamb" since I was a small child growing up in Hebron. I have not put a great deal of thought into the quote, I assumed like most people, that it was a quote about the weather- Miserable weather at the beginning of March and better weather at the end of March. When I searched for its origin today, I came across this explanation: One idea which has recently gained currency is that the saying refers to the stars. At the start of March, the constellation Leo (the Lion) is on the eastern horizon at sunset. By the end of the month, Aries (the Ram) is on the western horizon."

Personally, I would like to offer another perspective on the quote. I have never seen a March that was half bad weather and half good weather, it is usually different every other day. Many of our days as educators are the same way, rarely do we have a day that is the perfect balance of smooth and bumpy. We love the days that our students are ready for learning and our lessons go perfectly and our students show us they know the information. The days that are more challenging because of behaviors or a spinning laptop are much more frustrating. There are lessons that are being learned each day and helping students by modeling how to be ok when things are not ok may be the biggest lesson you can teach them.

We need to ensure that we are prepared and have quality instruction and assessment but we also must be prepared that things may not go as planned and reflect on how we can make the best out of the moments that we have together. I am proud that in our district we teach students first and our content second.



Here are a few other March quotes for those of you interested in quotes:

According to the Farmer's Almanac, some other March related sayings include the following:

• A dry March and a wet May? Fill barns and bays with corn and hay.
• As it rains in March so it rains in June.
• March winds and April showers? Bring forth May flowers.

We are fortunate to have a national expert in assessment, curriculum, grading, and feedback join us on our staff development day. Not only is she a National expert, but she is also a Concordia grad and has numerous connections to the Seward community. Jan Hoegh will be meeting with our elementary staff in the morning and middle/high school staff in the afternoon. Opposite of your time with Jan Hoegh, you will have time to briefly check in with your action teams and then you will have time to work on curriculum, individual goals, and building goals.

Jan is going to be presenting material, allowing for implementation time, and allowing time for questions after the implementation time.