Donald Gately Ed.D.
Category Archives: Leadership
About school: We can make it special
rincipals and teachers can create singular moments for kids everyday. Like the Brooklyn Nets, these are our schools, classrooms, hallways, gyms, and cafeterias. We are in charge of these settings. We can do extraordinary things to create lifelong fans of learning and of our schools. Continue reading
About Work / Life Balance: So much to learn
It can be difficult to describe the magic of the Ed camp model. It’s liberating to cast off the formalities, restrictions, and passivity of conventional educational contexts (read: SCHOOL) and embrace a mode of learning that elevates choice, participation and sharing. When I’m asked to give an example of the power of EdCamp, I will describe the amazing session that took place this past Saturday on the topic of Work / Life balance. We wish you were there! Continue reading
About cooking: You can eat your mistakes
@DMGately at Nathan’s Famous 4th of July. It was the Fourth of July. I was doing what I love doing in the summertime, using my barbeque smoker to make pulled pork sliders for dinner. I woke up at 4:15am to … Continue reading
Posted in Best Practice, Educational Focus, Leadership, Reflections, Teaching/Learning, Uncategorized
Tagged assessment, cooking, learning
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About hope: We can’t give in, can’t give up
When Sandy Hook happened, I was certain that something would change. Six and seven year olds! If as a nation we were not willing to do something to address gun violence in our schools following the deaths of six and seven year-olds, I told myself, nothing would ever change. How could we not act!?
But we didn’t.
Posted in adolescence, Leadership, Reflections, Teaching/Learning, Uncategorized
Tagged gun control, gun violence
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About Feedback: Good enough is not good enough
If you’re going to have a single job for a long time, the two jobs you would do well to consider are classroom teacher and middle school school principal. Both of these are dynamic roles that are constantly challenging, you can never be bored. The jobs of the principal or the teacher are wildly unpredictable. It’s important to have a plan but don’t expect that you’ll be able to follow it. Because of the chaotic dynamism of these roles, there’s a tendency for some people to cling to consistency. Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Personal Best, Reflections, Teaching/Learning
Tagged feedback, reflection
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About school climate: You might control the weather
We cannot control the weather, but there are so many things that educators do control.
It’s about intentionality. Everything we do as educators should be done with intention, not because that’s the way were were taught, not because it’s what “feels” right, or what’s easy for us; we must always act in ways that create safe conditions for learning to take place and to build the resilience of our kids.
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About a hero: Detective Steven McDonald
The world lost a true hero recently, Detective Steven McDonald of the New York City Police Department. Detective McDonald was an amazing man who, in his words and in his life, embodied character and a belief in the inherent goodness … Continue reading
About energy: Loving the mannequin challenge
Any middle school teacher knows that one of the most exciting but challenging aspects of the job is the frenetic pace of life with the kids here. The executive function portion of the adolescent brain, the part that slows things down so we don’t make poor decisions, hasn’t fully developed. As a consequence, middle school kids seem to be operating at 78 rpm while the rest of us are at 45rpm. The engines in their brains have more acceleration than brake.
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About EdCamp, Friends and Family
You’ve all been to conferences. You sign in. Get a name badge that was printed for you in advance. Everyone has a neatly prepared badge — with their name — title — school district — all proudly displayed on their badge, neatly protected in a plastic case — hanging — from a lanyard.
And there’s Sharpy-Boy over there with his sloppy sticky label Continue reading
Posted in edcamp, Educational Focus, Leadership, Random Thoughts, Reflections, Uncategorized
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About “developing”: Teacher evaluation
I’m a life-long fan of the New York football Giants. We’ve had season tickets in my family since 1963 when my dad and my uncle bought a pair of tickets to see them play at Yankee Stadium. My brothers and … Continue reading
Posted in Best Practice, Leadership, Reflections, Teaching/Learning
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