• How do you manage your email account(s)? 
• Do you check it regularly, or when you get an alert? 
• Do you have your work email on your phone? If so, do you use a stand-alone app or do you mix your work and personal email accounts on one app? 
• Do you feel like there’s an expectation that you’ll be checking your email outside of your regular office hours/work days? 

These are questions I’ve been asking other teachers lately. Perhaps I’ve been thinking a lot about email (and management) because I’m on every almost email list and group in our district. And, I often feel obligated to read them in real time. Even on weekends. 

To wean myself off the work email habit, I’ve started deactivating my work email account on the weekends. I’ve been doing this for several months now. It’s been surprisingly easy. At least, I haven’t missed anything important—nothing that couldn’t wait until Monday morning. 

And, no one has complained. I’m thinking that next school year, I’m going to set office hours on my work email account. Banker’s hour’s. I’ll still keep my analog lists, or course. 

If everyone is doing it, "best practice" is only mediocre. 

The phrase "best practice" has resurfaced again. At least, in the circles I travel the phrase seems to be cropping up with regularity. This surprises me, since I thought it had dies a slow death.  

Best practice had its glory days a few years ago. It was all over twitter, and it haunted every public school PD session I attended. I wondered where it originated, but a Google search wasn't much help. As a former dot-com employee, the phrase seemed like something shouted across the cubicle farms and communal dining centers. There was always a phrase of the week/month that dotcom managers liked to promote...and best practice sure sounded familiar. 

I was delighted to see that wikipedia includes a critique of the phrase. It comforts me to know that I'm not alone in despising the phrase best practice. That entry even offers a more intelligent alternative: contextual practice. 

This makes sense to me, because every situation is different. Every classroom is different. Most importantly, every student is different. Let's put this into context. See what I did there? 

Just like a dog, I know what I am doing but I can't explain my methodology. 

A little analog inspiration taken from Cori’s messages: 

#failforward & #kbdb [know better do better] 

*mirror image, made with salvaged wood type

This is how it ends. Budgets get prioritized. Spreadsheets get adjusted. Cabinet decisions happen. Board policy does whatever it does. And, then the TOSA funding disappears. 

Well, it's not quite that simple. I knew my Tech TOSA position was a temporary thing. 

"All we are is dust in the wind, Dude."

Talking with attendees at Fall CUE and Spring CUE, this seems to be a trend across numerous districts in California. Maybe that's confirmation bias. Maybe it's just anecdotal evidence. Maybe it's purely coincidental. I'm no scientist. I am an Instructional Technology Coach, or TOSA. At least, I was for four years. 

On several occasions, I joked with my supervisor (the Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction) that I'd teach my way out of a job if do it properly. Meaning, I'm not just helping students learn technologies and using technologies to learn in new ways...I'm arming the teaching staff with digital tools, as well. 

Building Capacity

That was the big push before SEL. Don't get me wrong. SEL is a useful and powerful strategy. It needs the funding. I also know that district priorities shift. Learning goals change. Outcomes get realigned. 

It was a good four-year run as a TOSA. To be fair, I did ask the question in my interview ~four years ago, "How long will you fund this TOSA position?" The answer was three years for sure, and possibly four. And, here we are at the end of year four. 

But, what does it mean? 

• Laying Plans 
• letters of recommendation acquisition (3, but 4 would be ideal)
• resume (in both traditional and infographic format) 
• new URL for this website
• new Instagram handle 
• new Twitter handle