Melissa Kennedy

Retired Superintendent @usd498, Principal @usd313, Teacher @usd380 | #KELI Mentor | Blessed Mother and Grandmother

[Melissa Kennedy @MLHKennedy]

@JerryMoran @NSF @UnivOfKansas Please support Rick Scott as Senate Majority Leader!

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

Still trying to starve the monster…
#Project180

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

1)Thread on failing kids.

The next time someone asks you,

"What are you doing to motivate the kids failing your class?"

Tell them you are failing them.

Isn't that why we fail kids?

Fear of failure.

So, in that respect, you're doing your part.

If this isn't true.

[Joe Brummer @JoeBrummer]

Behavioral issues in schools are not on the rise because of what we do or don't do AFTER they act. They are on the rise because of what we do or don't do before they act. School culture and climate is where we need to fix discipline, which means proactive not reactive.

[Steve B @75ThunderRoad]

"Avoiding school" is such a misleading term.

The school attendance crisis?

It's a mental health crisis.

It's a SEND crisis.

It's a school funding crisis.

All of which began long before Covid but has been profoundly exacerbated by the pandemic.

https://t.co/7ZgmFYvAx0

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

If we could come to imagine learning as guided practice rather than a graded end, then the whole game would change.
#Project180

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

Kids don’t have learning anxiety.

They have grading anxiety.

Which manifests into what we commonly call “testing anxiety.”

Are we testing for learning or are we testing for grading?

“They’re the same thing.”

Hmmm.

Maybe that’s the problem.
#Project180

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

Thinking about starting an honor roll for the kid who can fix my car, or the kid who works 20+ hours per week, or the kid who takes cares of younger siblings, or…the list goes on.

Seems there’s honor in those roles.
#Project180

[Melissa Kennedy @MLHKennedy]

@OBrienSci I was an educator for 30 years (21 as an elementary teacher). Do you think this is something new?? Childhood illness is LIFE and I built up a helluva immune system. Come to think of it, the students did too!

[Melissa Kennedy @MLHKennedy]

This 👇🏼

[Tyler Rablin @Mr_Rablin]

Hear me out:

What if we put every staff member's name on a board posted in the office and then publicly awarded or took away points based on their behavior?

No? Bad idea? But, like, fine to do to kids somehow?

Because that exact system exists in tons of classrooms.

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

Someday, we're gonna have to face it.

What we're doing is no longer working (if it ever really did).

Not doom and gloom.

But belief in better.

But we can't get better until we admit we need to get better.

My doubt.

Your denial.

We can stay stuck.

Or we can get going.

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

Once upon a world, school was a primary source of information for the vast majority of our kids. And this gave us a sense of purpose (maybe control).

That world is gone.

The world seems to know it, but I am not sure education knows it.

And the world ain't waiting.
#Evolve

[Natalie Vardabasso @natabasso]

Grades don't define a student's potential.

But they defined mine for nearly 26 years of my life.

It wasn't until I left the traditional system that I prioritized learning, reflection, and growth.

What if our school system prioritized these things instead?

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

And then the reminders.

He had been written off as a failure for most of his school experience.

Have a few like him right now.

And I will again and again.

Ran into him today.

He’s laying fiber optics, making bank, and loving life.

So damn tired of school F-ing kids.

[Dustin Springer @DrSpringer12301]

At some point we are going to need to acknowledge that the mental health of OUR children needs to be addressed. No matter how hard we try, we can't force learning to occur when OUR kids are fighting silent killers like anxiety. Kansas is ranked 51st in providing outpatient

[Melissa Kennedy @MLHKennedy]

@TrentonJKennedy Your momma says…… hot tea with honey, Emergen-C, load up on Vitamin D, even more Vitamin C, and REST. Please. 🥰

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

Kiddo obviously struggling not to give his attention to his phone while we were talking about phones and attention.

He shared with us.

“My dad is texting from prison. And I don’t want to miss it.”

My response.

“Please, always, give your attention to that.”

Class nodded.

[Monte Syrie @MonteSyrie]

Once upon a classroom, I made them comply.

And I was good at it.

But.

It never quite felt right.

So, I learned (am still learning) to let them commit.

And.

It feels better.

There, in the space between.

Where kids have some room to grow.

Mine.

A room to grow.

[K-State College of Ed @KSUCollegeofEd]

We had wonderful collaboration and leadership development throughout the course of the day as we gathered mentors and mentees for our annual KELI event! @DrRACollins @mischelmiller @KsCommissioner @DrBrianJordan @gabuie31 @KASBPublicEd @ksdehq