FIRED UP FRIDAY

We didn't start the FIRE; We are just perfecting it!

 

Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire by Billy Joel

 

http://soundcloud.com/billyjoel/billy-joel-we-didnt-start-the

 

Fired Up Friday started off only as a dream of a win at all cost; An upstart principal who wanted to find the ultimate currency of his faculty, staff and students. You see this whole FUF plan was only something that he causally threw out to at one of his 7:00 a.m. (LEMON SQUEEZE MEETINGS) to his leadership team of 6 ladies (Assistant Principal, 2 Curriculum Specialist, Reading Specialist, ESL Coordinator, and Instructional Technologist) and they all thought he was thinking too far OUTSIDE OF THE BOX!  He quickly responded with we are going to stop thinking OUTSIDE THE BOX and start living by the creed that has morphed into a catch phrase for the ages NO BOX THINKING. He used this term because he said in order to reach a new generation we are going to have to be the research and think as if there is NO BOX!  If we continue to think as though there is a box then we will get the same results and if things don't go as planned we will hop right back in the box! 

 

Therefore the NO BOX THINKING began to govern and be the measuring stick to everything done at BQJ! It has also grown into a Twitter Chat #nbtchat that will kick off this Sunday at 7:00 p.m. CST. You can join, but have to leave your box behind! 

 

To show them how committed he was to this new BOLD/BRASH statement he upped the ante of this new scheme and told them that FUF would start four days later Friday December 7,2013!  This date was two Fridays before they got out for Christmas break. They all looked around the room like, is he serious?  He stated that instead of shutting down for Christmas break two weeks early they would actually engage all faculty, staff and students with a modified schedule! Next the idea was rolled out to the staff. They thought that this leadership team had truly gone too far. We want to do our favorite Christmas time lessons, videos and parties!!!!  This is not the time for such a dramatic change in schedule. Be realistic…they all whined.

 

This plea fell on deaf ears and he asked them what time is it? To which they all replied the TIME IS NOW! The whole elective schedule had to be modified to fit in two PE sessions for every 3-5 student per week and this was no small feat trying to juggle the schedule of 350 students. The schedule was nowhere near perfect and the whole idea of giving 3rd-5th grade teachers conference starting at 7:45was seeming like a novel idea. The whole FUF was only a day away and the NO BOX THINKING principal was chomping at the bit to prove everyone wrong and show them that this new way of thinking was the only way to go. 

 

As the principal met with his leadership team of 6 for one final meeting before they went home before the big day, they shared with him that the staff was feeling very concerned with loosing sooooo much instruction time on Friday. You see they were used to giving tests all day Friday to rest, I mean assess the students’ learning for the week. He simply replied they will get past it once they see the success. The leadership team of 6 then replied we just really want you to rethink this idea (get back in the box), you don't really have all the kinks worked out (dude get back in the box), they have all coined your Fired up Friday with F'd Up Friday (we are joining them and you are going to fail alone on this one). The principal simply smiled and said this will work, all you have to do is TRUST THE PROCESS!  We have to stay 20 STEPS ahead!

 

We have had FUF every Friday since then and today was the culmination of this NO BOX THINKING! We had the turning point on the day of LOVE 2/14/14 when we actually began to see it paying huge dividends and many of the last naysayers fell in LOVE with FUF! We had a special visit from some local businesses leaders who wanted to see this NO BOX leadership in action. We took them by to see ONE of our Project Based Learning (PBL) groups who are working on broadcasting a student lead television show. Next we had the last few of the opposing teachers actually come aboard and say that this was the BEST thing we had ever done! Finally the day culminated with a reluctant student answering all of the questions in his small group, assisting others with their work and being the leader of his small group of 5!  The teacher then asked him what had gotten into him? To which he replied it feels like my head is on FIRE! I am just so pumped up about learning after today's FUF that I want to be the best student I can be!!  The teachers ran to get the principal and share this GAMECHANGING moment!  

 

The principal is so excited to see the NO BOX THINKING becoming a way of life for all of TEAM BQJ!  He feels like Billy Joel in that he didn't light the fire but HE WAS PERFECTING IT!

 

Fired up Friday will be the turning point that takes us from meeting the standard to being the standard. This is the ultimate innovation tool that will galvanize the faculty, staff and students of BQJ! This is the ultimate sign of NO BOX THINKING due to the components of engagement mixed with innovation which are endless:

 

1. Campus wide block party

2. 3rd - 5th grade breakfast with the principal 

3. Teacher Pre-Game Speech

4. Sunday morning service with ET the Hip Hop Preacher

5.  Message from the students

6.  Targeted Small Group Instruction & Intervention

7. Project Based Learning

 

You name it we have or will try it!!!!

 

The 21st century version of FUF and the theme song of the NO BOX THINKING movement:

 

Adele vs. Ohio Players - Rolling In The Fire (Wick-it Remix) by Wick-it the Instigator

 

http://soundcloud.com/wick-it/adele-vs-ohio-players-rolling