Birdbox: Beginning the School Year Blindfolded - February 26, 2025

 

“Uuummm…why do we need a blindfold for the back to school faculty meeting?”

I could see the fear and terror in her eyes as she asked. A sinister feeling began bubbling up throughout my body, fermenting in my gut. My legs became shaky with excitement. I knew that I had her, the anticipation, the trepidation, was eating at her, and as much as she was looking forward to the start of our 24/25 school year, she was dreading those first hours together. 

As a sly half smile began to rise towards my right ear, I finally responded as I saw beads of sweat begin to form on her suntanned brow. 

“Because. Are you scared?” 

After she let out a deep sigh, threw her hands up to the sky and then back towards the ground, she said with a hesitant, nervous laugh, “No, I just don’t know why we would need a blindfold for a faculty meeting!” 

*

Being an elementary school principal for the past thirteen years, I’ve always viewed faculty meetings as an opportunity to engage our staff with lessons that were out of the box, collaborative, and FUN! I know I can’t stand it, when I literally can’t stand because I’m bolted to a seat, in a meeting that lasts hours, so why would I ever expect that from the amazing educators I get to serve daily? While all of the activities I provide at our monthly faculty meetings are geared towards our staff and whatever topic we are diving into that day; data analysis, discussing hot topics in education, or problem solving, my goal is to use an activity that will engage them, making them forget they are spending a contractual hour or two after school, and find a way to make the activity their own and bring it back to their students. 

A successful faculty meeting begins days, sometimes weeks before it actually happens. Like any harvest, the seeds need to be planted and time needs to pass. Two weeks before our back to school faculty meeting was to take place, I sent out our “Welcome Back” email to staff. In it, I mentioned that for our faculty meeting portion of Institute Day One, all staff needed to bring a blindfold, and if someone didn’t bring one, I would provide one. That’s it, nothing more and nothing less to explain. One responsibility for Opening Day, bring your own blindfold. 

*

Opening Day for the 24/25 School Year has finally arrived! The day began with our entire district meeting in the middle school gym for an opening address from our superintendent, district admin, and keynote speaker. Throughout the morning, before everything kicked off and everyone was mingling, many staff came up to me and referenced the need for a blindfold. Each time, that sly half-smile would begin to raise towards my right ear. Each time it was brought up, I always responded the same. I would look towards the ground, then slowly lift my head up, stopping when our eyes met and locked. “You’ll see.” 

After a morning together at our district’s middle school, everyone grabbed a box lunch provided from our gracious board of education, and had about an hour to eat and get back to our campus. Once I got back to our building, I sprinted to my office and scarfed down my sandwich and chips like a stray dog who is enjoying their first meal in their newly adopted forever home. As I walked to our LRC (Learning Resource Center) I had a little skip in my step and a smile that reached from ear to ear. I love our faculty meetings. I love the anticipation leading up to them, the fun, friendly tension as everyone tries to come up with their own solution as to what we are going to be doing. 

As staff began to file into the room they were greeted by smiles and a mix of the top ‘90’s alternative hits playing. I noticed that some staff had scarves and headbands, while others had sleeping masks, and yet some had no hint of bringing a blindfold. After running through the welcome back spiel, introduction of new staff, my personal goals for the school year, I stopped, looked over the playing field for my hyped up activity, and asked, “Does everyone have a blindfold?”

Many reluctantly said they did, in which I replied with a puzzled look on my face as my eyebrows resembled Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s famous look from the squared circle, “Really, cuz I don’t see everyone having one.” 

At that point, almost everyone that did not have their blindfold in plain sight reached into the deep abyss of their purse, pocket, or portfolio and produced a blindfold. Only two staff admitted they did not have one. That sinister, half smile began rising towards my right ear, and I showed them what I would provide for a blindfold, a white, cotton mask provided by the government when students and staff returned back from the Pandemic. If you’re wondering what it looked like, imagine a female sanitary napkin that can wrap around your ears to be held to your face. One staff member quickly lept from their seat and flew out of the LRC, only to return within seconds with what could be used as a blindfold. 

“Alright, I need everyone to get into the group based on the number of their playing cards. I’ve mixed two decks together so we will have some groups of more than four. Find a table or area your group can get around to work collaboratively. And bring nothing but your blindfold with.” After stating the instructions like the host of a reality game show, I gave staff about 72 seconds to get to their area of their choosing. Once I saw groups claim their space, I walked over and placed a string of yarn on their playing area. Once everyone had their turf, I continued with the instructions. 

“Who has seen the movie Birdbox with Sandra Bullock on Netflix? Can someone who has seen it please give an elevator trailer for those who haven’t?” After being provided the synopsis of Birdbox from one of our social workers, the spotlight was back on me. 

“So what we’re going to do is everyone is going to put their blindfolds on and as a team, I need each group to create a perfect square, a box, while blindfolded. Once you think you have it, get my attention and I will come by to get a picture and assess your progress. Everyone got it? Blindfolds on!  Now go!”

Each group quickly got to work. Some dove right into beginning to create their box, while others talked about their approach and strategy. As I scaffolded the room, checking on everyone’s progress, not one person seemed to be cheating by not using their blindfold correctly. 

The ‘90’s alternative hits were silenced and the air now permeated with laughter. Teamwork was abundant as every group wanted to create the perfect box. Many of the groups called out my name to signify they were complete while others just yelled with laughter. One group all through their hands up into the sky, only to have their box fall apart into a circular-rectangular-squiggly shape. “You don’t have a box anymore once you let go! What were you thinking?” I got out through my own laughter, which only was fuel to enhance theirs louder and heartier. 

*

The Birdbox activity served the purpose of creating a fun, engaging, and friendly competitive atmosphere while building teamwork with staff that may not normally work with one another. We also discussed that while every group essentially completed the Birdbox challenge, some had more perfect squares than others, some took longer to reach their end goal, every group took a different approach, and each individual had a crucial role in Birdbox where each team needed to rely on and trust their members. 

When you take the blindfold off it sounds pretty similar to what ingredients lead to a successful classroom. 

***

Pick up my book, The Educulture Cookbook: Recipes & Dishes to Positively Transform Classroom & School Culture with EduMatch Publishing.

Homework Helper - December 2, 2020

 Homework Helper
By, Michael Earnshaw
December 2, 2020
@MikeREarnshaw

I am very fortunate to have a PLN, my crew, that spans the United States and even crosses our borders. I get to speak to educators from all over, with different backgrounds and experiences, to help me learn and grow. I hope they would feel the same about me. We’re able to collaborate and help solve each other’s problems, share stories of successes and laughs about funny times, and also shed tears for situations that may not have personally affected us, yet being in the game we know exactly what our comrade is going through. Throughout all of these conversations, there is one topic, one issue, that always comes up. 

“These kids are not completing their homework! 2020 and remote learning have made it worse than ever! You can’t believe how many kids are failing simply because they’re not completing their asynchronous work!”

I know, you’ve been part of this conversation, we all have. It doesn’t matter what coast you’re from or if you’re educating young minds over the borders, another pandemic the field of education is facing is that many students are not completing independent work. Much of this plague is happening for those students that are learning remotely. It’s not only remote learners, but the majority of our students either have been, currently are, or will be learning remotely at one point of the 2020/2021 school year. This non-completion of homework virus, much like the Covid-19 virus, is something we as educators must try and combat even if we do not have all of the answers. We can put some things in place to help our students, our future, understand the importance of asynchronous work. 

First, the homework debate has been going on for years and we’re not going to get into that with this blog. Every educator has their own differing opinion on the value of homework and honestly, I don’t see the argument coming to a consensus while I’m in the field (I’ve still got about 30 years or so). What we need to look at is the situation our students are currently in. For over a decade now educators have been stating that kids aren’t learning at the rate they used to, that engagement and attention are almost non-existent because we are competing with the technology at kids’ disposal when they’re outside of school hours. Hell, we’ve been competing with this DURING school hours with cell phones serving as mini-computers in the pockets of every child at every grade level. 

So the argument has been that today’s students are disengaged in school because they have too much screen time. Now with the Covid-19 Pandemic what have we done? We’ve added about seven MORE hours of screen time for our students with remote learning. Look, I understand this had to be done, how else could we reach our students when it’s not safe to bring us all together within our walls. We will never be able to combat or lower the amount of screen time students utilize when they’re not with us. If we thought that they had too much screen time before, the 2020/2021 year has now grown insurmountable! Screen time is screen time. It doesn’t matter if it’s video games, movies, Youtube, or remote learning, staring at a screen is screen time. 

Like I said earlier, we can’t control or limit how much screen time a student partakes in when they are on their own time. What we can do is limit how much screen time they utilize when they are with us, whether that is synchronous or asynchronous learning. We already know that during our instruction and class discussions they will be with us via a screen. Educators need to take inventory of how much time there they are requiring. Regardless of the grade level, students, and the educator, must take movement and mindfulness breaks. There’s no perfect formula, but personally, I would need one about every 20 - 30 minutes. 

Now we must look at what we are assigning students to complete for their asynchronous learning. I’m pretty positive that it’s going to include more screen time, especially if we are in a remote learning environment. I’ve talked to many educators and have also seen first hand that much of this asynchronous work is basically a digital worksheet. Let me ask you this, after sitting in a virtual classroom for even an hour, how exciting is it to complete more time on a screen with a worksheet? We knew that when our classrooms were full of students that worksheets weren’t engaging so what makes this time any different? 

Before you assign asynchronous work, or homework as many are calling it, stop and evaluate it yourself. Would it draw you in? Is it engaging? Is it going to assess and enhance what was learned that day or is it simply compliance? Is there any other way this same assessment could be given that wasn’t staring at a screen? Think back to all of the various, out of the box activities you used to use when school was “normal.” Dioramas, poems, songs, artistic paintings or drawings, interpretive dance, podcasting, blogging, and the list goes on and on. Why can’t we still utilize these assessment approaches even during remote learning? The answer is we can, and we must! By having students partake in an activity that is THEIR choice and focuses on THEIR strengths I’m sure we would get more “homework” returned. Plus, it’ll take students away from a screen for a while. Yes, they’ll have to get back on to submit or record what they’re doing, but the focus isn’t simply staring at a screen completing a digital worksheet. 

I don’t know if this is the solution, but I know that I can’t sit around any longer and just complain. I’m willing to try something to see if it will help. If it does, great! If not, then we try another approach. I hope you will too. Now it’s time to get up and take a walk around before I visit a virtual classroom. 

High Cholesterol - November 3, 2020

 High Cholesterol
By, Michael Earnshaw
@MikeREarnshaw
November 3, 2020

“I’m sorry man, I know how hard you worked to lower it,” was the text that came through from my brother-in-law. I thought about it for a while before responding. 

I turned 40 in March of 2020. The day before my birthday I visited my doctor. I’m not one to visit regularly, I know, I’ve already heard it from my wife, but this visit was warranted. Something came up I needed to get it checked out (and since this blog isn’t about that situation I’ll let you know everything for the visit came out fine). Being as I hadn’t been to the doctor in about three years he wanted me to get some bloodwork done, especially since I was turning 40. I wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary, I’ve always been a healthy guy. 

My watch started vibrating, alerting me that I had a call coming in. A name didn’t pop up, but I knew the number was the doctor’s office. I stealthily exited the class I was hanging out in and made my way to the nearest door to step outside on our playground and take the call. I answered just shy of making it to the door so I didn’t lose it. We went through the formalities and then I heard something I never could have expected. 

“Your cholesterol levels are very high and the doctor wants to speak with you about treatments.” 

A few days later I was back in his office being explained all of the differences between LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and how I had a lot of bad cholesterol but just enough good cholesterol that I wouldn’t drop dead any time soon. That’s good news I guess. 

“You’ve got two options, Michael, one, start medication and we test you in 6 months and see where your levels are at. Or two, you say you’re going to change your diet, limit alcohol, workout more, and then when you come back in six months, if your levels haven’t changed, you’re going on medication. No discussion,” were the choices my doctor handed me. 

I have never been a fan of medication, so I chose option two. 

Six months flew by. I got my labs redone, anxiously awaiting to hear the results. I felt that familiar vibration on my left wrist on a Friday while solving the World’s problems with my assistant principal. 

“So your LDL levels were higher than before. You’re going on 40 mg of Lipitor. We’ll have an order for your labs to be checked again in March.” This was spoken by my doctor’s nurse. My doctor didn’t even give me a call, no opportunity for a conversation, just like he promised. 

Now I’m not going to lie, I was a little upset by this news. I had made some adjustments to my diet, worked out as I usually did, and hoped the levels would lower and I could stay off meds. But as I reflected on the past six months I realized I could have done so much more. Instead of truly making the changes I knew I needed to make I found myself putting blame on “The Pandemic.” It was the pandemic’s fault I snacked on Flaming Hot Munchies each night. It was the pandemics fault I skipped a workout because of staying up later than I should have the night before. It was the pandemic’s fault I couldn’t get my cholesterol lowered by partaking all of the new healthy lifestyle changes I planned out in my head.

Excuses. That’s all it is. Too many times, when goals aren’t reached, I find myself blaming someone or something else. It makes it much easier to live with knowing the undesired result was out of my hands. But now I realize that is no way to live. That is not the message I want to send to my kids, my wife, staff, or students. I want to model that hard work pays off and we need to work towards our goals. And if the result isn’t what we hoped for we own it, make adjustments, and start again. 

I texted my brother-in-law back, “Haha, thanx man, but honestly, I could have done so much better. Luckily, it’s not too late. Time to make those changes now and hopefully get off the meds in 6 months. I’d rather rely on myself.” 

Change Begins with Me - June 3, 2020

Change Begins with Me

June 3, 2020

By, Michael Earnshaw

@EduChefEarnshaw

As an educator and father, I have always believed that I did a good job of teaching my own children about our world, the issues we face, and how to treat others. In the wake of tragic murder of George Floyd, the peaceful protests to bring awareness to the racism that still plagues our country, and the looting and destroying of local businesses, I realize I have not done a good job. Not even close. For this I am ashamed and feel I have let my children down. I need to smash the own distorted window that I have been trying to gaze through these last 40 years.

My window was finally shattered on Sunday, May 30, 2020. My wife and I were watching the 5:00 pm news. We sat close on the couch, phone screens locked and focused all of our attention to the scenes being reported. Some were peaceful protests full of chants, signs, and a message that America must come together to bring an end to racism. These scenes were scarce in the big picture. Many of what was being shown were storefront windows being shattered, vehicles pulling up right to the now open space created by a pipe dancing with the glass window, only to be filled with goods and products that were not paid for. We also saw buildings being set on fire, local family owned businesses being destroyed and ransacked. Many of these scenes were not even three miles from where we were sitting. “Dad, why are they doing that? Why are they breaking into stores and stealing and destroying?” my daughter whispered. I knew that she was not only curious, but overcome with fear. We’ve always kept our children away from many of the scenes the news plays. We don’t hide them from the truth, but there are many images and stories we feel they can be taught about from us and not how the media displays it for adult eyes. I looked at, grabbed her hand, and told her, “Babe, there’s just something going on in the world and people are upset. They are letting our government know that changes need to be made.” This wasn’t the time for me to go into details with my 8 year old daughter on why there was a mix of peaceful protests and looting. Why we needed justice for not only George Floyd, but all of the African Americans being subjected to racism still in 2020 solely because of the color of their skin. For those that lost their lives at the hands of a racist clothed in blue and a badge. Without hesitation my daughter responded. “Is it because that white police officer kneeled on George Floyd’s neck and killed him? Because George Floyd said he couldn’t breathe and the white police just kept doing it? That’s what people are saying on Tik Tok. I know it’s not right, why would he do that?” My heart was shattered. My innocent 8 year old daughter knew more about the horrific situation from her social media platforms than I thought. This was her news. These were her questions. And it is time that I follow the mission I lead by.

I knew in that moment that it was time to no longer hide the true realities of our world from my children. They already know what is going on, whether I share the information with them or not. As an educator, as a father, it is my responsibility to inform them, teach them, and empower them. This all begins with me. I have finally opened my eyes. I have self-reflected on these issues and I must learn, alongside my country, my neighbor, my children, how to be a force, a voice, to bring an end to racism in our country. It is my responsibility, as a white male, to be honest about my faults, my mistakes, my wrongs not only with those I serve but my children and most importantly, myself. I truly believe in my heart that my children, your children, OUR children, are the catalyst that will bring about true change in our world. There is no way this is going to happen if we are not honest with them about the racism that still infects so much of our country. It is our duty to learn ourselves first and then teach them so they are that force empowered and determined to change this world. That is never going to happen if we don’t begin with ourselves.

Dreams Vs. Goals: Rd. 2 - June 19, 2019

Dreams Vs. Goals Rd. 2 

June 19, 2019  

By. Michael Earnshaw 

@mearnshaw158 

If you’ve read my last blog on Dreams Vs. Goals Rd. 1, you understand that I'm not saying we need to abandon dreams, but instead transform them into goals. By setting goals, creating action plans, and doing whatever it takes to reach that goal builds our character. It gives us strength and the ability to inspire others. Goals would not be possible without first having dreams.  

A key characteristic we must remember while climbing that ladder to a goal is to stay true to our word. Displaying action behind what we say shows so much more about our character than the actual words we speak. Keeping true to our word shows ourselves, others, and the enemy mind that we will not be stopped on our mission for betterment.  

Thinking about proving our word brought me back to a time five years ago when I took my role as Principal. I had served as an AP for 2 years and was trusted by my Superintendent and School Board to lead Oak Glen Elementary to amazing opportunities.  

I took up my Principalship at the end of July. At the August School Board meeting all the district’s Principals were presenting on, at the time, our local STAR assessment data from the previous school year. When looking at all three of our elementary school’s next to one another, the one I had just inherited was below the others and did not show the same level of growth or achievement. One of the points all the principal’s needed to make was our plan of action for the next school year: How were we going to show improvements?  

I had no nerves about presenting our plan. After I explained what we would do as a school, our action plan, I finished up my presentation by stating, “I guarantee that next year that our scores will improve.” 

The Board President responded, “Did you just guarantee your scores will improve?” A few of the other Board members chuckled. I began hearing those voices in my head, “Dude, did you just say guarantee?” “What is wrong with you?” “Oh my God, I meant to say I guarantee that we will work hard to raise scores, not guarantee that they for sure will go up!” 

“Are those mics on?”, I replied. “Yes, I did. I guarantee when I present to you next year our scores will have improved.”  

That was it, my portion of the presentation was over. The next day my Superintendent had a laugh over my comment, but I had said it, now it was time to prove it.  

I spent the remainder of the year learning my building, staff, and families. I always had what I proclaimed in the back of my mind, tucked away in that old trunk not shut with the latch, but it wasn’t the driving force behind my leadership. I knew that by building relationships, being visible, and being active we would come through on my word.  

August rolled around again. I crept up to the District Office, mentally preparing for our annual data presentation. My wife must have secretly fed my caterpillar cocoons that hatched during the commute because I now had a butterfly conservatory housed in my belly. When my turn came up to present Oak Glen’s STAR data, I showed our charts, explained the data, and concluded with, “If you remember last year, I guaranteed our scores would improve. Well, there you have it!”  

Our scores did in fact improve that first year, and I’m proud to say have continued to since then. Some years better than others, but still growth.  

To show your true character, others are looking at your actions behind your words, not the words themselves.  

Take your dreams, put them into goals, get an action plan behind them, and then be sure your actions stay true to what you said you would accomplish.  

Popeye was Plant Powered - 5/29/19

Popeye was a Plant Powered 

By, Michael Earnshaw 

May 29, 2019 

@mearnshaw158 

This morning I participated in my first #RunandRant. During my 6 miler I pondered this week’s question, “What is strength?” I finished my run, bathed in sweat, and punched “Record” on my phone. I filmed myself ranting for 40 seconds on what strength means to me. The question is still lingering in my brain and I figured why not go into a little more detail, a written rant.  

Strength to me has nothing to do about being physically strong. I’ve met many people who can run faster and farther than me, squat, deadlift, and bench more, but they are some of the weakest people I've come across. True strength is found in the mind and heart. How we hold ourselves, how we present ourselves, and how we treat others show how truly strong we are.  

I’ve been working on a multi-blog post about the differences between dreams vs. goals. Everyone has dreams, but not everyone takes the next step and transforms those dreams into goals. The strongest individuals are those that set goals. They see what they want for their lives, what is going to better themselves, and create a plan of action to get there. Not every goal is reached with the first attempt, or second for that matter. Those with strength learn from their failures, stand back up, pick up their chin, and go after it again and again and again. Once their goal is finally met, they evaluate and set another.  

True strength is also found by how we treat others. In society today, so many are self-absorbed in their own world and will lie, cheat, and steal to get what they want. Just scroll through any social media site and you will be inundated with many individuals looking out for only themselves and how others perceive this lavish, luxurious life they lead. This portrayal just shows their true weakness and insecurities. I want to follow those that not only are goal setters, but also know that once they take care of themselves they are here to serve others. We all have differences of opinions and beliefs. That does not make anyone better than the next. The strongest live to serve others, to help them in need, to encourage and motivate them, to have their back and pick them up when they fall. The strongest individuals see the good in others and display appreciation, kindness, and empathy.  

Lastly, strength comes when challenging the status quo and never accepting mediocrity. It is so easy to follow the herd and not follow through on what you know is right when nobody is standing by your side. Speak your voice, stand up for the less fortunate, and fight for what you know is the right thing to do even if you’re alone. I’d rather live my life knowing I stood for what I believed in my heart, what was for the good of others and this world, than following lemmings off a cliff.  

There you have it, my extended version of this morning’s #RunandRant. True strength comes from first taking care of yourself mentally, physically, & spiritually. It’s then followed by how we help others find their true strength. Finally, listening to your heart and following through on what you know will benefit our world. Take care of yourself, others, and this world and experience the beauty available.