Fish!

Who wouldn't want to work under the Fish! philosophy?! It's all about having a good time while at work, but have you worked in a high school recently? So many teachers can't step out of the box they are in and aren't willing to wear a different hat. We should all have a good time at work, but how do you balance the "party" atmosphere with the "professional" one?

My principal just wants everyone to have fun and enjoy their work. Can they do that and still promote learning and mastery of standards? Of course they can! The challenge is in transforming the culture from a drudgery to one promoting fun, engagement, and excitement about learning. I sit in teachers' classrooms and watch with horror as they speak with their monotone and lecture to their students when it can be so much more exciting. I wonder what happened to their enthusiasm for learning? What have we done that has broken them down to this? Our students, even more so than most, need teachers who are enthusiastic and passionate about what they are doing.

I love the students at my school. I love interacting with them on a daily basis and have built some strong relationships with them. I did that through my energy and enthusiasm for what I do. How do I rekindle a spark in teachers who just seem to be burning out?!