"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." WB Yeats
Reunited and it feels so good.
Nothing better!
Yesterday, after a multi-year break, we were able to host our district’s convocation morning. It was like a family reunion.
No need to recap all that happened over the last 3 years. It was a rough stretch, by any measure. Our educators persevered and kept the needs of kids front and center.
Yesterday felt different. It felt ‘normal’. That word has lost a lot of meaning, but yesterday had people smiling, relaxed, laughing, hugging. We are people people and people needed people yesterday.
I’m proud to work in a place where the superintendent, in his remarks to the entire staff of the entire district, said, “We keep the main thing the main thing.” And the main thing is a focus on kids and educators.
Year 39 is on deck for me, all in this wonderful place. School starts tomorrow. And here’s what I know will happen. Kids will be nervous, adults will welcome them with big smiles and reassuring words. And day by day, young people will take steps to becoming successful older people, with the gifted people in our schools leading and supporting them. That sure feels like ‘normal’.
Jeff Nelson
Fife School District
Assistant Superintendent:Teaching-Learning-Innovation
39 years as an educator.
16 years teacher
3 years assistant principal
12 years principal
8 years Assistant Superintendent
BA, Washington State University
MAEd, Washington State University
Previous member of AWSP Legislative Committee
Previous member of UW Tacoma PEAB, Administrative Certification
Established and maintained Fife’s first website for 7 years
Present work includes establishing the first Teaching/Learning/Innovation department in the Fife School District. Examples of responsibilities include: teacher/administrator professional development, assessment, TPEP, curriculum/materials review, 24 credit requirement, technology levy leadership, teacher/administrator bargaining.
Initiatives underway in Fife, as a result of new TLI Department: AVID, OER, Curriculum and Materials reviews, Student Perception Pilot with CSTP, Google Expedition
Cofounder of Educational Internet Communications, LLC. Marketed and sold one of the first online grade checking programs in the US. Consulted with Seattle Educational Internet Company for 2 years.
jnelson@fifeschools.com
twitter.com/jeffnelsonTLI
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The Lighting of a Fire 