(Full Disclosure: I am an unabashed Beatles fan.)

In August 1966, the world’s most famous Pop Band ceased performing live in public. This was not a swan song for the band by any measure. This was a band that gave new definition to “meteoric rise.” Million-selling hits, two successful films and relentless fame permeated the atmosphere of The Beatles. This little bar band from Liverpool defied all expectations with an exuberance that was contagious. Effortlessly standing on a collective zenith of fame and adulation, The Beatles quietly walked away from the mania.

Behind the scenes, The Beatles were in trouble. Their final tour was besieged with bad mojo. An ill-fated trip to the Philippines was marred by an unintentional snub of the First Lady. John Lennon’s remarks on Christianity fueled controversy. The band also felt that none of their recent, live performances were of any merit. They felt that their playing was sub par. They did not feel like their musical selves.

The band was anxious to explore new territory in the studio. Recent experiments in sound with albums such as “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver” ignited a spark of innovation within them. They were anxious to continue that collective exploration into the sonic frontier upon the conclusion of their final tour.

Many felt that the Beatle ride of glory was effectively over. Some elements of the press kicked The Beatles off the fame mountain. The echoes of the naysayers resonated as The Beatles entered Abbey Road Studios to begin work on what many consider their masterpiece: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

This particular album stands as the result of a strong musical vision sparked with a high level of collaboration and a growth mindset. The story of “Sgt. Pepper” stands as a litmus test for innovation, creativity and collective thinking.

I often yearn to be immersed in a creative ethos like The Beatles. I am not wanting to hitch a ride on the “Magical Mystery Tour” in this case. Instead, I want the innovative spirit of “Sgt. Pepper” to stand as the norm in education. In essence, I want to be in The Beatles.

What if every school strove to have a “Sgt. Pepper” approach to teaching and learning? How can we as a profession take bold steps against the status quo? What would a school look like if the vision was unified in innovative practices?

“Sgt. Pepper” is a creative collage of sounds. What if classrooms were launch pads for students and teachers to create their own collage of learning? There are many elements of innovation illuminating within the grooves of Twitter Chats, Voxer Groups, EdCamps, Flipped Faculty Meetings. There are movements to ditch desks, facilitate Mystery Skypes and integrate design thinking. These are giant steps towards uplifting the profession by doing what is best for our kids.

We have the opportunity to lock arms and join Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as educators. Ours is the noble profession. We must underscore that nobility by valuing the time to collaborate and support each other as educators.

The Beatles felt a sense of urgency at a time when they we were in tune with their dominating complacency. As educators, we must tune into our own sense of urgency and dare to take giant steps to change. The Beatles surely did.

Let’s be The Beatles.

I love Reading.

The joy of reading is a task that is often celebrated and uplifted. I wish that I could come up with a better opening for this blog post. I am sure that others are more eloquent than I could ever aspire to do so. It just comes to do that for me in one sentence: I love Reading.

Remind’s #teachsmall campaign has compelled me to reflect upon those seemingly small moments in my past which have impacted me in a significant way.

The love for books and the written word is due in part to my parents. My mother used to read aloud as a survival tactic for me since I was never one to take naps as a toddler. She provided the ticket for me into larger worlds that included adventures with The Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown and Danny Dunn. (I may be dating myself with these references but these fellows were my comrades and I was their willing sidekick.) Dad used to read aloud verses from the The Golden Book Children’s Illustrated Bible and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I would marvel at his resonating deep voice and those words would come alive for me.

We have sparks along the way beyond our parents and families which also serve as giant steps along the journey. I call these sparks: Teachers.

For whatever reason, I was always placed in a lower reading group in elementary school. I never understood why, but I did know that some of my friends just got to read the cooler books. I remember being dejected in 3rd Grade when I was assigned to read The Enormous Egg and my friends had the opportunity to read Ramona the Pest. My book seemed to pale in comparison to the misadventures of a little girl named the Pest. I wanted in that world and I remember “borrowing” a copy from a friend. Reading the book gave me no trouble and I instantly fell in love with the Quimby Family.

Eventually, my path fell upon the classics like Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe and  The Three Musketeers. Those kind of books really fueled my wanderlust. There was nobody cooler than Edmond Dantes, the Count of Monte Cristo. He was man of mystery and intrigue with the divine forces of truth on his side. I remember staying up late reading that large tome in 5th Grade. I wanted to be the Fourth Musketeer. My dreams knew no limits or boundaries.

Early Fall 1980:

I am walking into St.Leo’s Catholic School during the morning carrying my school books and my copy of  “The Count of Monte Cristo.” I have a nappy Afro, buckteeth and I don’t fit in anywhere. I am the only person of color in my class. Light-skinned and out-of-place in the South. I like The Beatles when I am not supposed to do so. I want to be bionic like the Six Million Dollar Man. I am wondering if Darth Vader is really Luke Skywalker’s father. 

Someone trips me and I drop all of my books in front of everyone. Snickers pass me by. I begin to gather my belongings and reach for my books.

Mrs. McMonagle, my 5th Grade Teacher, stoops down to help me and picks up my copy of “The Count of Monte Cristo.” She studies it carefully and then looks at me. She simply asked me if the book was mine. I nodded the affirmative quickly because I was scared and embarrassed. Mrs. McMonagle was a five foot bundle of intimidation and energy from Great Britain. 

Later that morning, I was told by Mrs. McMonagle to sit in with the Blue Reading Group. This was the advanced the group. 

This small act had such a tremendous impact on me in ways that still resonate today. I will be eternally grateful to Mrs. McMonagle for her seemingly small act of belief which ignited me on path towards more inspiration and an eventual career in Education. The confidence she instilled in me propelled me to have the courage to be The Count of Monte Cristo for Halloween.

Simply put, Mrs. McMonagle was the first teacher to believe in me. One time she was required to take an ethnicity census for our class. She asked if there were any minorities in the classroom. I sheepishly raised my hand. We both realized that I was the only one to do so. The class grew awkwardly quiet. Without missing a beat, Mrs. McMonagle stated that she was also a minority being from England and wrote her name down, too.

We don’t know the impact we have on each other. Small moments of inspiration transpire everyday in the schoolhouse. Somewhere a teacher is changing the world for a student. The impact is infinite.

I still love Reading.

Thank you, Mrs. McMonagle.

Thanks to all Noble Educators everywhere making a difference for our kids.

Here is a brief Blog post I shared today with the #EduHeroes of John F. Kennedy High School!

Team Kennedy,

At our first faculty meeting together, I cited Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech as an entry point in sharing the difference between Vision and Mission.

Today marks the 52nd Anniversary of a speech which changed the world.

Dr. King’s writings were required readings in my household. I still remember carrying around a dog-eared copy of Strength to Love as a child. My father today still quotes Dr. King. If you visit the house where I grew up, the echoes of the MLK Quote: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” still resonate from my father’s voice.

I am not old enough to have ever claim to know Dr. King. Fortunately, the message and dream of Martin Luther King was exemplified by my mother and father. Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” is one of the reasons why I knew I wanted to become an educator. Martin Luther King is my superhero. I have one picture of him taken on the day of the “I Have a Dream” Speech displayed in my office. (I have a few more waiting to be hung, too.)

Here’s a link to a brief article on the background of the speech in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution: http://on-ajc.com/1hJuUds.

Let’s remember that dreams are the sparks that carry inspiration into reality. Our kids have dreams and it is our responsibility to assist in nurturing and supporting them.

Thanks for being such an integral part of our Time for Greatness for All Kids, All the Time at John F. Kennedy High School.

With gratitude,

Sean

For this particular blog, I am not aspiring that I am anywhere near the genius of Lennon and McCartney. I love The Beatles and I stand as an unabashed fan. If I had a portion of the musical talent of two of the greatest songwriting partners of all-time, then chances are that I would not be typing these words. More than likely, I am sitting at a piano playing “Live and Let Die” or “Band on the Run.”

I am fortunate to host a weekly Twitter Chat entitled #EdBeat. The ethos of #EdBeat is simple: an inclusive, positive chat for all educators. #EdBeat has been in existence for a few months and I have been honored to grow my PLN on Twitter. I stand in awe of the many educators from which I have had the opportunity to learn. Each tweet can be a pathway to many insights, connections and collaborations. This particular mindset is the fuel for #EdBeat.

One of the early pieces of #EdBeat was to have a guest host to assist in moderating. I believe that having a collaborator for Twitter Chat is both fun and enlightening. It also increases the inclusion factor as well. There are many incredibly inspirational voices with whom I have the chance to collaborate. Being someone who defaults to wallflower status in social occasions, I am grateful for the personal and sincere connections that have been formed with so many #EduHeroes. Standing in the same virtual room with PLNs from #Read4Fun to #LeadupNow has given me excuse to park on the dance floor.

One episode of #EdBeat earlier this summer was guest hosted by Natalie Krayenvenger. Natalie and I had connected in earlier chats and tweets. Natalie is a self-described “Sherpa of Learning…” She is upbeat, creative and insightful. I thought that Natalie was an ideal guest moderator for #EdBeat. Even though, it was Natalie’s first time moderating a chat, she was a natural. The week leading up to our chat was fun, engaging and highly creative. Our Voxer Chats soon honed in our mutual love for Music. Connecting with Natalie was like “Hittin’ the Note” with a fellow musician or band mate during an extended jam session.

I was having so much fun with Natalie that I worked up the courage to ask her to return to #EdBeat for the following week. Natalie quickly agreed and then we launched into other free-form jam session of collaboration. Afterwards, I worked up the courage again to ask if Natalie would work with me as a permanent co-host for #EdBeat. The collaborative synergy was so evident and we decided that our momentum was too positive to just let it drift into the Twitter ether.

#EdBeat has been enhanced due to Natalie’s strong sense of growth mindset and collaboration. We have a shared vision for creativity, collaboration and connectedness. Natalie has made me a better educator and communicator. I look forward to our future projects together with #EdBeat.

I would not say that Natalie and me are akin to Lennon and McCartney. Their creative dynamic is world-changing and impactful. I do contend that the synergy those musicians had is similar anyone who has found a collaborator. Think hard enough and my guess is that there is respective Lennon to your McCartney in your schoolhouse or PLN. There is much synergy to be discovered when a connection is made via a PLN, Ed Camp, Book Study or CoffeeEdu. Somewhere your version of “Sgt. Pepper” is waiting to be created.

Both Natalie and I welcome any one to join our band in #EdBeat. We welcome ideas, collaborators and dreams.

It has been quite some time since I have taken the time to visit this particular blog. With the recent connections on Twitter and Voxer, I have the opportunity to take time to connect with other #EduHeroes in my PLN. One of those individuals is Megan Morgan. She is what I call a “Blogger Genius.” Recently, she encouraged me to dust off “Principal Liner Notes” and re-visit the marrow of my reflection. I am taking Megan’s challenge with open arms and hoping that the safety net is firmly in place.

(This will be a brief post due to the impending positive realities of Back to School.)

There is wonderful track on “Eat a Peach” by The Allman Brothers Band. It is called “Mountain Jam” and it is one of the highlights of their historic live performance at the Fillmore East in 1971. The Allman Brothers Band were an essentially an amalgam of blues, jazz, country and rock. The band took standard songs and extended them into free-form musical territory. This was not a new practice in music. Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman explored and extended musical themes into longer compositions. San Francisco bands such as The Grateful Dead, Santana and Quicksilver Message Service performed extended pieces in concert. Most of this music sired what is now known as the Jam Band.

“Mountain Jam” is based upon a whimsical folk ditty by Donovan known as “First, There is a Mountain.” The Allman Brothers Band, being a multi-racial band from Georgia, took this tune and extended it to epic, symphonic proportions. The live track on “Eat a Peach” lasts a little over thirty-three minutes. Some versions of “Mountain Jam” hit the one hour mark. The version on “Eat a Peach” is considered by the band not to be their best version. It’s hard to believe that when you hear it. The lyrical dual lead guitar work of Duane Allman and Dickie Betts transcends throughout the performance. Berry Oakley’s lyrical bass playing is a revelation of artistry. Then, there is the double percussive attack of Jai Johnny Johnson and Butch Trucks underscored with the Hammond B-3 Organ stylings of Gregg Allman.

All six individuals playing with a sense of urgency for the shared love of music.The band called this “Hittin’ the Note.” Listening to their musical vision is an inspirational and uplifting experience.

I never understood why The Allman Brothers Band considered this version of “Mountain Jam” to be riddled with mistakes. I just heard good music. Upon closer listening, one can hear a few mistakes. What is powerful to observe upon careful listening is how the band covers each other when a mistake is made. In fact, Duane Allman plays a mistake twice purposefully on his guitar to compensate and keep the band moving. Butch Trucks misses a beat during Duane’s count-in after the Berry’s bass solo. You hear Butch Trucks’ frustration as he is scampering to find the right beat pocket.

Despite this mistake, the band plays onward to glory. “Mountain Jam” stands as a milestone in Rock Music.

What do we do in the schoolhouse when a pivotal mistake is made? Do we allow the misstep to hinder our vision and momentum? Is the mistake allowed to conquer the positive mindset? Are we permitted to bounce back from the safety net?

I often wondered how I have permitted power to mistakes I have made as an educator and lead learner. The impact is detrimental to a team, schoolhouse and child.

It is much more important to keep the groove going when a mistake is created. The Allman Brothers Band stand not only as a great band, but also a reminder to have collective growth mindset when it comes to supporting for a comrade. colleague and student who may unintentionally miss a beat.

“If you want to bust a culture…Celebrate Mondays.”-Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker from School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It ASCD, 2015

Monday is celebrated for the wrong reasons. It is used as an excuse to reiterate excuses for negativity, grouchiness and isolation. I have often participated in the Monday Morning revelry. Occasionally, I would cue up the melodic Pop Music Gem by The Mamas and Papas, “Monday, Monday” and play on the way into school.

Then, I picked up a copy of School Culture Rewired by Todd Whitaker and Steve Gruenert and experienced an epiphany. As a lead learner and educator, I am immersed in the value of fostering a positive culture. When I visit a school community partner or walk around a Target or Starbucks, I am tuned into how the organizational culture makes people tick. I want to know why certain organizations value particular things. I try to take what I learn from these visits and connect to our school.

Reading School Culture Rewired provided me with much inspiration for the #CelebrateMonday concept. Page 13 of this instructional leadership masterpiece fueled my inspiration to take back Mondays. Highlighted on this particular page was this simple sentence: “If you want to bust a culture…Celebrate Mondays.”

I thought that this simple idea of greeting Monday with a positive mindset can make a difference on our teachers and students. We can uplift each other by promoting the positive things occurring in our schools.

A blog post on my Weekly Memo ensued. I asked our teachers to post the positive if they have a Twitter Account. I encouraged them to contact me to do it on their behalf if they didn’t have access to Twitter. First , I got the dull echo of crickets and a few blank stares, but I kept at it every week by modeling what I expected. I saw that a few teachers were beginning to post the positive with the #CelebrateMonday hashtag. The momentum began.

I found that simply walking into a classroom with the agenda of only posting and highlighting the positive helped to uplift me as a lead learner. It was great to connect with kids and become reignited to connect with the positive. As a school administrator, I have often made the mistake or anchoring myself to the mundane and clinical rat race of deadlines as a default. It was refreshing to put those tasks on pause to re-awaken myself to warmth of celebrating the positives of our kids and teachers.

Using the power of my PLN, I began to Tweet out reminders for #CelebrateMonday. I created a poster on Canva.Com and dropped in various Voxer Groups in which I am connected. Pals from #leadupchat and #Read4Fun helped to spread the word on celebrating Monday. I was even a little starstruck when Todd Whitaker himself would favorite and re-tweet my #CelebrateMonday alerts.It was inspiring to see so many examples of #CelebrateMonday tweets in action from areas all over the globe. Seeing smiles, best practices and simple acts of kindness highlighted shows that our noble profession as educators resonates. As I poured over the #CelebrateMonday Tweets from other places, I found myself swimming in the marrow of positivity of complete strangers. What bonded us was the shared vision of celebrating the good transpiring in our schools.

Last week, we trended with #CelebrateMonday for almost 24 hours. It shows that a positive tweet can make a difference. This trending also shows that people are hungry to focus on a growth mindset in our respective schoolhouses. Most importantly, #CelebrateMonday shows the necessity to highlight the good in others. Sincerity goes a long way with others. When we foster a space for empathy and celebration good things are ignited.

#CelebrateMonday is a mindset rooted in uplifting our schoolhouses to a positive culture. Our kids, teachers and families deserve to dwell in schools where the positive is the first instinct for decisions, actions and moods. #CelebrateMonday is way to bring the good in a school culture seven days a week.

(“Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles must serve as a background music while reading this blog.)

It can be quite hard to turn off my “Principal Brain.” It is a potential pitfall of which I am prone to stumbling. Being passionate about the sense of urgency and the leadership it demands causes my “Principal Brain” to be constantly burning mainframe of ideas, questions and actions. I do enjoy re-arranging the pieces of the school improvement puzzle. My sense of urgency is to serve, support and give as much as I can to the schoolhouse.

“This job can consume you.” is a recurring echo that shimmers from the supportive gaze of mentors and thought partners. I nod in gratitude and hear the words of wisdom, but I often allow myself to fall prey to that ever-growing to-do list.

Then, the opening notes of “Here Comes the Sun” and a ride home with my daughter bring the essential perspective back from the ether.

My oldest daughter had to be picked up from soccer practice and I there was a hesitant, but willing compliance from me. I had that million item list to accomplish of this and that to conquer.

“Abbey Road” by The Beatles is an album I have been playing non-stop in my car as reminder to have a strong finish for the school year. I have written about this strong “Abbey Road” finish in a previous blog post here. I even did a “mini-Ted Talk” about it at last week’s faculty meeting.

“Dad, I really like this song.” My daughter said it in kind of random, yet sincere way as “Octopus’ Garden” was playing. I had just picked her up from soccer practice and we were heading home.

My daughter is beginning to forge her musical identity and like her father is beginning to establish her fierce protection of the musicians she admires.

“Dad, this album is so good. It’s perfect.” A musical endorsement from my fifteen-year old is worth a breaking news story. I want all of my daughters to have what I consider to be the musical canon of The Beatles and other so-called dinosaurs of music to be embedded on their respective playlists.

The ride home went from the ritual, mundane conversation to one that was rooted in a sincere moment of exchange between a person I love very much. The “Principal Brain” was justifiably obliterated for the real purpose of who I am as a father. We connected on the beautiful vocal harmonies of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison on “Because.” We marveled at Ringo’s intricate drumming patterns on “Here Comes the Sun.” We both agreed that Billy Joel’s piano playing was greatly influenced by “You Never Give Me Your Money.”

Our ride home was one of the best experiences I had with my daughter due to our shared love of music and The Beatles. It is crucial to let the essentials of our lives dominate. Those essentials for me are being the best husband and father I am called to be. One essential I savored on that ride home was harmonizing with my daughter on “Here Comes the Sun.” That is a sacred moment that cannot be taken away or trumped by a classroom walkthrough or evaluation deadline. “The Principal Brain” is important but “Dad” has to always triumph when it comes to having essential moments with his children.

Music allows one to value the essential of what is in the heart. In gratitude for the connections of the essential, I strive to tune in to the music of my fatherhood.

Time to pull the needle off the record for I have not blogged everyday. There has been a swarm of guilt because I was exhilarated by the #AprilBlogADay Challenge. It has been inspiring to peer into the cool world of Twitter Pals and New Friends accepting the Blog Challenge. It was like I had found fellow knights on the same quest I was stumbling along in the darkness. A inner light had been cast when the switch was flipped in the #AprilBlogADay Challenge.

I have fallen off the trail for the last few days. Technically, I still blog everyday with the Wiley Morning Memo Blog. This particular blog of “Principal Liner Notes” is special. This is an oasis for my reflections, musings and dreams. My #Read4Fun Pal and Teammate, Connie Rockow, wrote about this dilemma a few days ago. She also provided a very eloquent Vox in our #Read4Fun Team Group. Her inspiration is something for which I am grateful and helps with my perspective on the matter.

It is important as a school leader to be in the moment. Too often, I am distracted and appear listless because I am too much in tune with my surroundings. It is a pitfall for striving to be a 360 Leader. Deadlines and other priorities overshadow the important ones. In this case, my little reflective blog went to the wayside.

The good thing with #AprilBlogADay is that there is not a score being kept. The inspiration is still burning brightly and I am still up for the challenge.