August 13, 2024 • 43 mins
In this episode, Mr. B. sits down with Jen Lyon, the new principal of the Alma Intermediate School. Mrs. Lyon talks about her background, the plans she has for AIS, and many other things. For those of you who are wanting the "inside scoop" on the principal, this is a great way to get to know her. We hope you enjoy the episode, and remember to never be afraid to embrace your inner weirdo!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
We heard you missed us, So we're back. It's been
a while everybody. I hope you are all doing well.
My name is Michael Bridges and I am the GT
and AP coordinator for the Elma School District here in Alma, Arkansas.
And you are listening to the Hey What's Your Deal? Podcast,
the only podcast with the nerve, the audacity, and the
(00:34):
unmitigated gall to just come right out and say, Hey,
what's your deal? And again we are still the number
one GT podcast in the state of Arkansas, as I'm
pretty sure we're still the only GT podcast in the
state of Arkansas. It's something we wear with honor and pride.
But hey, welcome back. We are in season three. Wow,
(00:55):
haven't been canceled yet. It's quite the achievement. We're back.
School starts tomorrow. Today is August thirteenth, and we actually
have our first day of school tomorrow. So I thought
it might be a really great idea to ask the
new Alma Intermediate School Principal, Gen Lyons, to come on
(01:18):
and talk to us about her vision, what she wants
to see for the school, how she got started in education. So,
without further ado, I give you Miss Jen Lyons. So
we can find out what's the deal with the Alma
Intermediate School principal. Enjoy everyone, all right, we are back
(01:44):
with our first guest of season three, and I thought
it would be very appropriate to get our new Alma
Intermediate School Principal, Miss jen Lyon On here, So Miss Lyon.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
How to be here? This is such a super duper honor,
number one guest, number one, season three.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
And you know what they say about like seasons, right,
season three is like the pinnacle, Pinnacle, and then after
that it goes down.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So I get to be the guest star on the Pinnacle.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You'rcl Yeah, does that mean you're the cream of the crops?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Strongly?
Speaker 1 (02:14):
There's no pressure, no pressure at all, no pressure at all.
So you just got hired just running through the building
and setting up.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
There seems to be a question of when I got hired,
when I started the job. It all kind of happened
in the strangest way, because yes, hired in May, contract
started in July. But obviously the job started the night
you got hired. You know, the night I got hired.
My email got turned on. Yes, and so I've been
(02:44):
trying to carry that ever since then. But really, July
is when is when I was in the building and
officially on contract, and we've just been running, just running,
trying to get the school. You're ready, yes, you know,
trying to get all of the things that need to
happen happen so that the kids can come back.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
But it tests to you. Is like I'm talking to everybody,
and everybody's like super excited. They like the flow and
the energy in the building. I've always said a principle,
where's the building, you know you can walk in? And
I talk to a lot of parents at open house
and they just were like just so nice and warm.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
So well that makes me happy because our number one
priority is just to have a safe and welcoming environment.
If you can't have that, we can't do anything else.
And so I want everyone to feel welcome. I want
everyone to feel comfortable walking through a hallways, being in
our classrooms, whether you're a student, of parent, or a
staff member. Like everyone needs to be here and feel
like this is home.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Absolutely absolutely, So why don't you give us a little
bit of information about yourself your family?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Sure? Okay? So I have been married to my husband,
Joseph for the last eighteen.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Years, eighteen I got you beat. I just got twenty
under our Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Things start getting really real. Whenever your relationships or your
job can could be a voting member of society, you know,
like my relationship is an adult. You know it is
an adult.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Point, that's how I think of things. As their children's years.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
I don't know, but.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
That's how I think about it. And so we have
three children. Nate who is fifteen, he'll be a sophomore,
and he's coming to Alma. He originally was going to
stay at Northside, but he has decided to move on
over to Alma. We're really excited about that. And then
I have Caleb, who is a seventh grader and courageing
he will be joining us here in fourth grade.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Okay, right, yeah, your family bring.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
In my family. We have a variety of menagerie, if
you will, of pets at our house. We are the
pet family, the ones that somehow things happen either a
dog get stumped on the playground, or someone brings a
turtle to school and they don't know what to do
with it. It always ends up at my house. Yes,
right now, we have a snake that we are really
(04:47):
trying to get back to his original owner that we
borrowed from a previous fifth grade teacher. And he is
going mia on me at the moment, but we are
going to get that snake back to his rifle owner.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Wow is the thing that happen when you say snake?
Are we talking like boa? Are we talking to kick
me ball?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Python that my daughter Cora had volunteered to keep for
the summer and uh and and we want him to
go home?
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Are you? Are you a rept all person?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I'm an animal person, animal person. I'm just an animal person.
I've really like no animal scares me or bothers me,
and I like all animals. And I have that syndrome
where you should be afraid of animals, but are not
afraid of animals. And like, like last year, we had
a bat in the school at my old school, and
I was the one they called to remove the bat
(05:38):
from the hallway and and figured it out. Everybody else
is running the other way, and I'm running towards the animal.
So that's just that's just how it is.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Oh nice, nice, Okay, So tell us a little bit
about your background in your career, because you come from
your media specially.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I was a media specialist for eleven years in Fort Smith.
Really being a media special is is what led me
to leadership. So I've taught kindergarten in Morlton, and then
I taught first grade at Marling Elementary for a few years,
and then I was hired at Tillis Elementary and Fort
Smith as their media specialist. It was something that I
(06:15):
thought I was going to do for the rest of
my life. Like I grew up saying I wanted to
be in the library. I immediately got my master's degree
straight out of bachelor's because I wanted to be in
the library. I taught for the amount of time that
you needed to teach in order to go into the
library because that was my plan, that was my track,
that was what I wanted to do, and I did
it for eleven wonderful years of enjoying having a variety
(06:40):
of students in my classroom, of championing student voice, of
supporting teachers with technology and instructional practice, and I loved
every minute of it. And then I was elected state president.
I was elected president of AIM, which is the state
organization for library media specialists. And when something like that happens,
you're kind of moved into a position where where you
(07:04):
have voice and you work with people on the state
level to review laws, to write laws, to advocate for
your position, and to advocate for students, and so that
kind of thing. Whenever, it was whenever I was brought
to having more of like a three thousand foot view
of education, that's when I started considering leadership, when I
(07:29):
saw that there was a need that I felt like
I could step into and help exact some change and
some things that needed to happen. Because you think that
every school is like your school until you see a
lot of other things and then you realize that you
could have a greater impact than what you currently have.
And so that's where I'm that's where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Well, and you start picking up those skills too, you know,
you kind of you go from yeah, like you said,
you're at your school, but then you start picking up
leadership skills. You have to be in these meetings and
you have to run these and you have to deal
with these people and these personalities, which is a huge
part of what you do now. And then so yeah,
that's uh, I totally get what you're saying. And the
(08:09):
macro and the micro is what I try and make
other people understand and a big thing for us. Doctor
Wood and I have talked about this. You know, we've
worked in different districts. So it's one thing when you've
only worked in one district your whole life and that's
all you've seen. But when you get out to another district,
it kind of opens up your eyes and.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Your life so different. Yes, it is. It is like
you said, like you know how things run for you
and your world and your district, but then seeing what
else is out there is is just very I am.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
And sometimes it's better and sometimes.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Sometimes it's worse. Yes, And so you just don't know
until you know.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yes, yes, but it gives you that experience, and that
experience can come in handy. So I mean, I know, okay,
there was a job opening, so of course that drew
you to Alma, But what kind of what kind of
I mean like their job opening is everywhere? What made
you think Alma might be this?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Well? And that's what's so interesting is that I had
been in Fort Smith for sixteen years and had never
once considered leaving the district. I was just there, you know,
and I had you know, I had been hired an
assistant principal i'd been there for three years. I knew
(09:18):
that I was ready to be in a principal position,
and it started being evident that I felt like I
was ready and I was looking for opportunity, but there
just wasn't that opportunity in Fort Smith. We'd had a
higher turnover the last few years. They had hired a
lot of newer principles in the last like three to
(09:39):
four years, and so it's a younger principal staff as
far as experience wise. And so I started really thinking, like,
if there's not a place for me here, am I
interested to opening the door to other districts? Which is
terrifying when you've been somewhere for a decade and.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
A half more and it's like it's home.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
It is. I know how the district works, I know
the people in that district. I know the hidden rules
of that district.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
And they know me. You've made a name for yourself, I've.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Built relationships and connections with people. We've done life together
for the last you know, for the last sixteen years,
and it can be really scary to leave that, especially,
you know, I was happy, I was happy in my job.
Didn't I didn't leave Fort Smith because I was unhappy
or I wanted something better. It was purely I feel
(10:32):
like I'm led to be in at this position. And
someone mentioned to me, like it didn't happen. I wasn't
even searching. I wasn't searching the one ads, you know,
I wasn't on the website. I was specifically told, did
you know that this job is becoming available in Alma?
And it wasn't somebody that's from Alma. At the time,
(10:53):
I didn't think I know anybody from Ela, and so
it just kind of happened like that, and they planted
a seed, and my imagination let that seed grow, and
I started really looking into this district and really looking
into the values that I could find on the website
(11:15):
or with people that I could make connections with. That
I because I apparently know a lot of people who
know a lot of people on Alma, and so you
start asking questions and apparently a lot of people in
Alma know people who know me. So because I found
out about that, you know, after I was hired, and
I started getting screenshot of text messages from teachers like saying, Hey,
this person's asking about you. But I just kept hearing
(11:36):
that you know that this was a place that I
wanted to be, that we had similar values, that we
had similar visions for what our schools needed to be.
And and being from Morlton originally is where I'm from.
It reminded me of being home. It was almost like
kind of going back to my roots of a district
(11:58):
that is of a similar size, and understanding how close
knit that district is. And and being a person, you know,
being being a person that is uh within a community
instead of as much as I loved Fort Smith, they're
two very different districts, you know. And learning how to
(12:20):
be in a smaller community again has been a wonderful
growth experience for me.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Yeah, I totally understand that what you're saying about larger areas,
it feels like you can almost get lost.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
You can, you know, you can and uh, and here
everyone is connected, you know everyone. The fact that you
know everyone's name, even you know and and everyone knows
your name and and those are all all things that
are new because that took a decade. That was a
(12:57):
decade of work, yes, in in one district, and then
here it was almost instantaneous. I knew who people were
and they knew me, and and not just knowing someone's name.
But but the way people in Alma present themselves is
you're learning their name, but you're also learning exactly who
they are. People in Alma are very genuine and they
(13:20):
they they let you know really fast what they're all about. Yeah,
which I love. I appreciate that. Yeah. And so yeah,
that's just it's been a great transition.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Good good. So what is so far the favorite part
of your job right now? And I know there's probably
a lot of things, but what would you say? And
I mean you can give me talk to if you
need to.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Well, I'm really really looking forward to actually seeing children,
So that it's hard to pick a favorite part of
your job when you actually have only experienced a half
of a day of great start with children, you know,
and and uh in an open house, and so those
are those are those are the two things that I've
really really enjoyed so far. Usually, I would say that
(13:58):
my favorite part of of my day is morning drop off.
I love bringing the energy and and and the energy
that students bring in the morning can carry me through
an entire day, even if I know there are going
to be really tough things that we're going to have
to do. That day. If I can start my morning
with drop off and seeing kids and seeing their families,
(14:20):
I can do anything.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
And I think people forget just how important like saying
good morning to it.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Oh my gosh, yes, I mean just just.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Hey, good morning, you know, and half the time they
act like your shot.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
That I know, and that's that's a that's something that
I want to just be a norm, right, you know.
It is how we greet each other in the morning
and how we care for each other, right, And so
that's probably my favorite part of my day. But if
you're asking what the favorite part of my entire job is,
it's just the organization. I love to organize, to communicate,
(14:55):
to support people and so anytime, and that all comes
from media l by the way, like you know, those
are those are your core responsibilities. You have to be organized,
You have to be able to communicate with people, and
you have to be able to find what people need
and support those people and problems however, or a solutions finder,
you know. But those are the kinds of things that
(15:18):
I really really enjoy and so those are what I
bring to this position as well.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Okay, okay, and I totally know what you're saying. About
the kids. Like I worked through the summer, don't see
a lot of kids. It's all the paperwork and the
administration part and organizing, and then the kids get here
and I'm like, oh, yeah, this is this is the
whole part of my general right job.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah, And that's something you know that's been different is
moving towards a twelve month contract. You know, even in
Fort Smith, like principles aren't on a twelve month contract,
and so you get this big long break At first,
I when I when Doctor Wood told me I was
doing that, I was like, what am I going to
do all summer long? But man, we found things, you
(16:00):
feel like quick did. And now I feel like we're
running at running to a finish line that is way
too close. Yes, way too close. And I can think
of a thousand more things that we need to do
before school starts.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Yes, doesn't matter if you're ready for it or not.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
It's here, it's coming here, and I'm I'm ready. I'm
ready for it to come, even if there are some
things that maybe aren't quite done and perfect we are.
I'm just so ready for kids.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
To be I remember like my first year of teaching,
you know, thinking I don't have everything ready. I don't
have everything ready. I don't have everything ready, and it
was great. It's great because it's it's the relationship stuff,
and it's it's what you do with the kids and
how you make them feel and getting them in the
building and making them welcome.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
I'm ready to already know every single person's name, every
single student's name, and and uh, you've.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Got a lot of them to know. There's a lot.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
It's a long term, a long term goal, yes, but
well that's something that's just really important to me. It
is knowing students students and knowing their names, being able
to address them by their names, and for students to
feel I feel like when you know a student's name
and they know you know their name, like that's a
feeling of belonging that I want our kids to have.
And so it's going to take al I'll get there.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Most difficult part of your job that you have found
so far.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Well, I think that this is just the most difficult
part of a job of education. And that is for me.
It's it's when kids have big adult problems and maybe
things that you don't think that kids should have to
deal with. It's a case by case basis. But it's
(17:40):
definitely the hardest part of our job is you get
this lens as an educator that a lot of people
in society don't have, and you see things in children's
lives that if you live, if you live in a
very specific lifestyle, you might not see it if you're
(18:03):
not encountering it in your job. And so it's when
kids have those big grown up problems and you know, like,
this isn't you want to tell the student, This isn't
something that you should be dealing with. This isn't something
that should be part of your life, but it is,
and so we're going to have to figure out how
to work through it. That heartbreaking kind of thing. That's
(18:24):
the hardest part of the job.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Yeah, And I think one of the things that I've
noticed about that, and I've talked about this before, is
that to me, that provides us with extra capacity for grace.
Oh yeah, I see. I see those kids going through stuff.
And then as teachers, we see this stuff where other
people maybe in society don't. They're like, well, why are
(18:45):
people like that? And it's cyclical, don't.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yeah, they call it like Adolf Brown, he's an educational speaker,
and he talks about like the kids that bring their backpack,
They bring their backpack full of all the things from
from from the rest of their life. You know, we
try to make school a bubble of learning, right, We
try to like set aside things that are happening outside
of school for kids so that they can focus on learning.
(19:10):
But they do come with a backpack, yes, backpack full
of all the things in their life that they're bringing,
you know, of all their experiences, and of all of
the things that we don't even know about yet, right,
And so just being you know, cognizant of that and
give you like you said, giving grace, but yet having
those expectations. Like it's such a fine line between giving
(19:33):
grace and having expectation.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, because I firmly believe that the way you show
love is expectations. You know, if I don't love you,
I'm just going to let you go do whatever, and
I'm not going to expect anything from you. And I'm
not going to expect you to do well. Well, that's
not taking care of you, because that's not preparing you
for what's there in the outside world. I have to
have expectations, and I got to make sure you reach.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Those I got to make sure. I got to support
you until you get there.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Sure. Sure, and not just expect you're going to nail
it every time, but just provide that support.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So and give, you know, giving them the grace and
the safety net to take the big chances.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yes, to know it's okay to fail. Yeah, to know
it's okay to fail, which kind of leads us into
educational philosophy, which is such an easy question to answer.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Oh my gosh, I think we all start our very
first paper. What I was just thinking, what is your philosophy?
Speaker 1 (20:25):
I'm just started. I have no philosophy.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
And then we are all told what our philosophy is,
aren't we We're all told you're supposed to say that
all kids can learn. Yes, but I do think that
that is the truth. It's recognizing that all kids have
great capacity for learning and for achieving. That looks different.
(20:48):
That looks different for every single one of us. Yes,
because we're all individuals, and we're all going to have
different needs and different strengths, and different personalities and different
you know, different backgrounds, and all of this are different.
And the true, the truly greatest teachers are the ones
that are able to pinpoint each student what their needs are,
(21:09):
what their strengths are, and to help those kids grow
while they're in their classrooms. And so that is every
kid is capable of growth.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Yes, yeah, okay, so what is your vision for AIS?
We kind of got.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Together and we spent so much time on that.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Didn't I love the way you did that though, because everybody, no, seriously,
because everybody had ownership in it.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
That's exactly my vision too, is that I want this
to be a place where people feel like they belong
and they have a voice and that their voice is valued.
And so it was really important to me that we
design a mission and that we design a vision for
our school. As a team, I was really for a
(21:52):
while there. I thought, we're going to have so many
people in that room. Is this really something that we
want to unleash? Because is typically when I've helped schools
in the past, it's been a very small group of
people joining it. But I felt like our school was
in a place where everyone needed to felt to feel hurt,
and everyone needed to feel like they contributed to what
(22:15):
our school is going to be.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Well. And it's like I told other people, I told
some of your superiors. I was like, they just set
the right tone. You guys, you came in, you and
missus self came in and set the right tone, which
I think it was something everybody needed. I mean it
kind of.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
And it happened day one, Yeah, day.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
One, which is great. But I mean, that's to me,
that would be the biggest thing for you, is you
come stumbling out the gate.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
I didn't want there to be any question from the
very first moment that we were all together. I didn't
want there to be any question of what we were
all going to be about. And you know, the thing
is is that missions can be what you make them.
And I truly believe that every decision that you make
(23:00):
as a teacher and every decision I make as the
principal are filtered through that mission. It is hanging on
my door with all of your signatures on it. And
it's every every time that I think about or I'm
asked about something that we want to do, a direction
that we want to go in, it's going through that mission.
And if it's not helping us fulfill our mission, we
(23:22):
are not going to do it. And if it is
our helping our fulfill our mission, then I'm one hundred
percent on board with it. But that's we needed that, like,
we needed the very basis of who we wanted to
be and why we exist. And if we don't know
the answer to those questions, then what are we doing?
What are we doing? And so that is I want
(23:43):
us and our team selected things that were in line
with me. You know, it was It was funny because
if I could have written our mission by myself, it
would have been that mission. It's such a good, perfect
way of thinking about things. Yes, and I was so
(24:04):
proud that our our entire team was able to come
together and create that statement.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yeah, and again, I just love that it wasn't here's
our mission.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Stay now, everybody together.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Mission, Stay now. It was everybody got buy in and
that everybody does. That's huge.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
That's how you make things meaningful and how you make
things that are real not just compliance pieces. I'm not
I'm never going to be on board with something that's
just for compliance. I'm always going to be looking deeper
into how we can use this, How is this going
to help us sustain our mission?
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Well? And it's it makes it easier to work with
people when it's got some buy in on this. I
agreed to this. I have craft this, yes, and then
when they don't, you can be like here.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
It is we agreed. We all agreed that this is
how we were going to frame our decisions, and this
is these were our core values. We all agree to that.
So how can I help you find your way back
to it?
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Absolutely? Okay, So five years from now, you're a season
principle and to make it you will make it five years.
I had faith in you. Lots of coffee and sleepless
nights and stuff. Yes, okay, So in five years, where
do you want AIS to be like what you see here?
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Well, it's been interesting because when I came in, I
kind of had a one year, three year, five year plan,
and you addressed those big long term plans as you
get to know people, as you get to see things
for the way the current state of things are, and
knowing what I wanted to do, and there have been
some things that I've already said, Okay, this was part
(25:40):
of my one year plan, it might have to be
part of my three year plan. But then there's some
things that I thought I wasn't going to get to
do this year that immediately at the gate, the need
was there the teachers wanted that teachers asked for certain things,
and so it's very fluid, but five years down the road,
I really believe that this true. This school is capable
(26:03):
of really great things. Alma is such a phenomenal school district,
and our job this year has been to align with
to make sure that we are cohesive with the rest
of our district. I want our school to be consistent
with with what parents' expectations were of the primary I
(26:24):
want it to be a seamless transition to the intermediate school.
And then I want us to be listening to the
middle school so that we can provide to them the
students that they need them to be when they get
into middle school. And so for me, a five year
plan is just that we are on the same level
of greatness as as our as our other two bookends,
(26:46):
and that we're listening. You know, we're able to communicate
with the primary school and tell them what we need,
what skills we need those kids to have. They're able
to communicate with us to to let us know here's
where they are, and then and then create that on
the other end as well, so that student's experience and
a famili's experience in Alma is consistent, whether they're in
the primary, the middle of the high or the intermediate,
(27:08):
and that families know what to expect in every building.
And so just the pulling us all together, that's what
I really really want. I don't know if that'll take
five years, but it's because it's already. I hope that
families can see that we're already pulling some of those
things together. We've met with at least the primary in
the middle this year to make sure that we're in line.
(27:29):
I really in five years also feel like there is
student achievement gaps that I can see that I think
that we can work on. You know, like I said,
new to the building, new to the district, new to
all of these things. I'm really excited to get into
teachers classrooms and to see what that effect of instruction
(27:50):
looks like. We've got two curriculums that we're going to
just keep going deeper and deeper and deeper into. And
as we move students through with consistent curriculums, I think
in consisting consistent, effective teaching practices, those achievements, that achievement
data is just going to go up and and so
I feel like, if we can just continue to be
(28:10):
consistent with what we're doing, our kids are going to
show growth. Yeah, and it is just five years. I
think that we could just show so much growth and
our kids could all be profession And.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
I think you said you know that consistency. I felt
really good when when doctor would when doctor would said
in the Airdale Academy that we were going to keep
the curriculum.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
And she's not going to move it. It's not going
to be changed.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
It's not going to be changed. It's not going to
be something that shifts or changes or anything like that.
It was going to say constant.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Which is great thing that is so important because if
you're always if you're always changing, and you're never becoming
an expert in a curriculum, it's just very confusing with
for teachers. And to feel like you're going a million
different directions and you're never getting to grow deeper in
your practice is really really hard for teachers. But then
it's also not it's not the best for students.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Right because what I've seen and I've seen one of
those things where it's it's.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Jumping on bandwagon to banda shows this.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Now we had to shows this now and instead of
we're gonna we're going to plan our flag right here
and try this for five years, six years, they're jumping ship.
And what it does is it creates gaps and students learning.
Not every curriculum doesn't hit at the exact.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Same time that is correct, So.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
You're switching and you're putting these huge gaps in their learning.
So to hear that we're going to stay consistent and
well and.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
A lot of things have changed over the past year.
Is not even with just our curriculums with state standards,
but learns act with so many different things. And so
I feel like we're kind of at this moment where
we can really start kind of picking up picking up
steam again. Yes, you know, we were all kind of
halted after after COVID the way we had to change instruction,
and then and then we started kind of picking up steam.
(29:57):
And then they're like, oh, wait, we're going to pass
this assive bill that's going to completely change Arkansas's education,
our education in Arkansas. And now we're starting to learn
from that and we're starting to be able to pick
up from pick up some steam again. So I'm hoping
that we just are at a point where we can
roll with the initiatives that we've accepted and we can
start making progress.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Yeah, okay, all right, you're done with the sweaty question.
Oh I didn't take a breath, pose yourself, compose yourself. Okay,
So now we got some fun questions too. Okay, so
what would you say? Media Specialist? Is your favorite book?
Speaker 2 (30:32):
It depends on who I'm talking to. Yes, my greatest,
my favorite book of all time, the one i've read
the most. If you're going with the one that I've
read the most, I've read this book probably sixteen or
seventeen times. I used to read it like every summer religiously.
It was like the book that has started my summer office.
And that's Jane Eyre Janeyor is like classically my favorite book? Yes,
(30:54):
if I'm talking to kids, I'm always going to be
a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. It is
it kind of grew the love of learning in my
own life and or the love of reading and my
own life reading for for fun, not just reading for school,
and it helped me experience that in the Harry Potter realm.
(31:15):
I'm a huge reader, so I like I read several
books a month, and when I can, I will lie.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Lately, school kicks in and it's kind of like, okay,
I'm not going to be.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Able to the months. The month of August, I'm not
getting to read as much. But I really love to
escape in a good book. And I like fantasy a lot,
so it usually on my Kindle is going to be
a type of fantasy read. I do Kindle unlimited, so
like it's just a lot of just keep coming, but
(31:49):
they just keep coming, and then you start and that
they're all of similar tropes and so you start mixing
them up. But that's okay, because I like I'm that
escape reader. I like to read to just escape. You know,
we all have different purposes of reading, and and you
all have you different you have different purposes at different times,
you know, Like I read a lot of educational books.
I'll read a lot of books about culture and business
(32:12):
books and I like that kind of stuff too. But
if you're gonna if it's a Saturday morning and I've
got a cup of coffee, I'm gonna be diving into
some fantasy.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Okay, So how about your favorite movie?
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Oh gosh, let's see. Well, okay, it's a movie, but
it's also a musical, okay, and I decided that the
Alma Theater program was presenting it just for me because
it's my favorite. But my favorite movie of all time
is Newsy's.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
It's I like Disney, I like, I'm a big Disney fan,
But Newsy's has been my favorite movie since it came out, Like,
I've loved it for so long, and I'm so I
was so excited when they decided to develop a Broadway
production of it. Still unsure about the choices that they made. Yes,
(33:01):
Still unsure about the storylines changing and some characters that
are different. Still unsure about that because the original was
perfect and they didn't change it at all. Yes, But
I loved the music. I love musicals. I grew up
kind of in theater, singing on the stage, and uh,
and so I love a good music musical. And it's
(33:21):
hard for me to love a musical that was produced
on the stage first and then developed into a you know,
because it's because you already have a conception of what
that should be, kind of like a book into a
movie kind of the thing. But this was like a
musical first. Yeah, it was like it was like a
movie first. And so ah, man, I love newsies. I
(33:42):
might go to all the performances.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
I'm definitely gonna, definitely gonna check it out. Yeah, because
we're talking all the time about how great art theater kids, dan.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Man, let me tell you theater is how I sold
Alma to my daughter Cora. It's I sold Alma moving. Yes, Yes,
I'm asking you to move for the second time to
a new school. But let me tell you about this school. Yes,
and she was all on board.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Awesome, awesome, Okay. Your favorite type.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Of food, pizza is the most perfect food ever, pizza
pizza because you can have breakfast pizza, you can have
different toppings on your pizza, you have dessert pizza. It's
kind of like its own food group. It is all
it gets it. It's like an all in one.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
It's kind of like cheating because you can throw anything
on a pizza. So you could get pizza, pizza, eat pizza.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I would eat pizza every day, every single day. I
could eat pizza. Wow. So pizza pizza, Yeah, it's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Sometimes a pizza hits.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
R but I can't say any type of particular type
of pizza, although I will if I have to commit
there's this pizza hideaway called the Pollinator. The Pollinator is yes,
what's the best? It's that salty sweet.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
My daughter and my daughter.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Yeah, it's amazing. It's one of my favorites. No one
can replicate it. You can only did it hadaway. You
can do it at home. My husband tried. It doesn't work.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
How do we might be one of my favorite pizza
I how doo way is delicious? Yet? Okay? So I
go two ways here, your favorite band or your top music.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
I do have a favorite band. Okay, So my favorite
band is the aver Brothers. Oh yeah, okay, okay. So
I have been to nineteen Avite brother concerts. I've traveled
to the Dominican Republic to see them, I've traveled to
Mexico to see them, and I'm going to Florida to
see them in a couple of months. I would go anywhere.
(35:37):
The energy that you can feel at an Avit brother
concert is just one of the most positive things that
you can experience. I love the lyricism of the Averte Brothers.
I love just their their family feeling. My kids love
the aver Brothers. We've go we go to concerts as
a family. It's it's not just their music rights, it's
(36:00):
all the things. And so they're my favorite. And in
that genre, you know, that Americana folky pop kind of genre.
That's typically what I'm going to listen to on the weekends.
I like music to be blifting. Yeah, And so so
I like a faster beat, a faster beat, you know,
and I like a lot of mandolin.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I'd getting ready to say.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
It my my okay, so a group of morals in
But my mema was played the banjo in a band
that uh and some of my aunts and uncles, my
great aunts and uncles were all in it, and we
would have like Friday night dances, and so I would
go sing with them and play with them. And so
(36:47):
live music has has just been a core, a core
part of my life and and it's a lot of
it is where it like, it's where I find joy.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Yeah, yeah, I get that. I get that. Tough one
favorite memory.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Memory of all time, Like that's so hard that it
is cheating. But I like to travel. I like to
take my kids places and have experiences with them. And
I didn't get to travel a lot as a kid.
And my mom was a teacher, my dad was a
(37:24):
small business owner who when you're self employed, you don't
get to take off you if you leave, like you
aren't getting paid, Like that's it. And so we didn't
get to go a lot of places in the summer
and a lot of places. You know, we only went
on a couple of vacations my life, in my whole life,
and so it was really important to me as a
parent to be able to provide that those experiences. You
can't get those types of experiences through movies and books
(37:48):
and the media and that kind of thing. So I
really my favorite memories all all come with traveling with
my kids, not even the ones that have travel my husband.
I love my husband, right but and I love traveling
with him. It's it's fun, but it's it's being able
to provide experiences for my children that I didn't get
(38:11):
and being able to provide experiences for them that that
they're not going to forget, yes, you know.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
And the thing I love about that is like it's
you do that, and it's not that they don't appreciate
it right now, but they're going to appreciate it so
much more. And I look back on it and.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Be like you've been there, Yeah, you got to see that. Yeah,
and you know it's not just part of this movie,
this historical drama that you're watching or reading about, Like
you got to see that.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Well, and that whole cyclical thing you know that we
just talked about. You're creating a good cycle. You know,
when I was a kid, we did this and it
was great. So we're going to do We're going to
do it this with my family.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
It's our tradition.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Yeah, and that's that's huge. I think I think creating
that those good patterns are really really important. Oh, I'm
going to ask you a question you asked us in
the one yes missus Lyon, in one word, can you
describe yourself for us please?
Speaker 2 (39:10):
I think that I am dedicated, dedicated, Okay, I'm dedicated.
I any anything that I have too, that I do,
anything that I sign myself up for. If I put
my name down on that piece of paper and I
agree to be a part of something, I jump in
with both feet into the deepest deep impossible and I
(39:34):
will bleed that cause from that moment on, and so
I just have always felt like I'm not a wishy,
washy type of person. I try to be as dedicated
as possible, because I feel like when someone is dedicated,
they're consistent, you understand what they're all about, you know
what they're all about. You also can trust them to
be because you know where they're coming from, you know,
(39:57):
and you know that they're going to be there for
you no matter what. You know that they're going to
be there to support you. And so yeah, I would
consider myself like dedicated.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
It's a good word. Good word. Okay. So one thing
we do on the podcast, because it's one of the
things we do to just kind of practice gratefulness and
to recognize those people that are special to us, is
we have shout outs.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
This is such an easy question.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
So is there somebody that you have out there that
you just want to give a shout out to just
to thank you, you know, recognize them.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Oh my gosh. Okay. So if I couldn't do this
with Lauren self, I don't think I would have been
anywhere near as successful as we've already been so far.
She is my perfect, like little partner in crime, and
(40:49):
I knew from the moment that I met her that
we were going to just be such a great team
and that we were going to compliment each other in ways,
and that she was going to be able to support
the vision that I have for our school and be
and be in line with that vision. You know, it's
not my vision anymore, because we have the same vision
and we're both working to achieve that thing. And she's
(41:12):
she's just the perfect person for that. She's been able
to provide a bridge to me. So, uh, you know,
I was ready for this. I feel strongly still even
a couple of months later that like I was ready
for this position, but moving to a different district was
the hardest part. And she's been that bridge. She's been
(41:35):
that bridge to help support me and understanding the differences
the nuances of Alma the you know, from from the
practices to the people. She's made sure that I've known
everybody and and she's made sure to take me to
all the places and uh provide context, you know, in
(41:57):
in how things are and have been and the whole
history lesson yes and which is which is something that
I that I really appreciate because if there's anything that
I want from this experience is to maintain what is Alma,
what is the greatness and the community and all of
(42:17):
the things that Alma holds dear, it's that's what I
want to champion, and it's hard to know what those
things are unless you are surrounding yourself with people love
and breathe that thing. And goodness gracious, that girl loves
and breathes this district, and so it was just she's
(42:38):
someone I'm super grateful for.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
All right, So missus self, this shout out is for you.
Gotta do a little ice cube. That's probably the only
part of the song we can play because we got
to keep it PG. Okay, well, missus Lyon, you made it.
I did the thing to the end. You did the
thing survived. We just want to thank you for being
(43:04):
our first guest of season three, so excited and just
coming in and knocking it down. And I really appreciate
the fact that you came on because I just think
it's a great way for people to get to know
you without them to sit down. They just got to
sit down for what it did. You're thirty minutes with you.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
I would hope that from this you kind of get
a little bit of what I'm all about. But know
that there's nothing I love more than a good conversation.
There we go, so I'm here for it.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Our door is open. Ladies and gentlemen, Well again, we
just want to thank you for tuning in and joining us,
and just keep your ears open out there, and never
ever forget to embrace your inner WARDO. Thanks guys,
We heard you missed us, So we're back. It's been
a while everybody. I hope you are all doing well.
My name is Michael Bridges and I am the GT
and AP coordinator for the Elma School District here in Alma, Arkansas.
And you are listening to the Hey What's Your Deal? Podcast,
the only podcast with the nerve, the audacity, and the
(00:34):
unmitigated gall to just come right out and say, Hey,
what's your deal? And again we are still the number
one GT podcast in the state of Arkansas, as I'm
pretty sure we're still the only GT podcast in the
state of Arkansas. It's something we wear with honor and pride.
But hey, welcome back. We are in season three. Wow,
(00:55):
haven't been canceled yet. It's quite the achievement. We're back.
School starts tomorrow. Today is August thirteenth, and we actually
have our first day of school tomorrow. So I thought
it might be a really great idea to ask the
new Alma Intermediate School Principal, Gen Lyons, to come on
(01:18):
and talk to us about her vision, what she wants
to see for the school, how she got started in education. So,
without further ado, I give you Miss Jen Lyons. So
we can find out what's the deal with the Alma
Intermediate School principal. Enjoy everyone, all right, we are back
(01:44):
with our first guest of season three, and I thought
it would be very appropriate to get our new Alma
Intermediate School Principal, Miss jen Lyon On here, So Miss Lyon.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
How to be here? This is such a super duper honor,
number one guest, number one, season three.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
And you know what they say about like seasons, right,
season three is like the pinnacle, Pinnacle, and then after
that it goes down.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So I get to be the guest star on the Pinnacle.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You'rcl Yeah, does that mean you're the cream of the crops?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Strongly?
Speaker 1 (02:14):
There's no pressure, no pressure at all, no pressure at all.
So you just got hired just running through the building
and setting up.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
There seems to be a question of when I got hired,
when I started the job. It all kind of happened
in the strangest way, because yes, hired in May, contract
started in July. But obviously the job started the night
you got hired. You know, the night I got hired.
My email got turned on. Yes, and so I've been
(02:44):
trying to carry that ever since then. But really, July
is when is when I was in the building and
officially on contract, and we've just been running, just running,
trying to get the school. You're ready, yes, you know,
trying to get all of the things that need to
happen happen so that the kids can come back.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
But it tests to you. Is like I'm talking to everybody,
and everybody's like super excited. They like the flow and
the energy in the building. I've always said a principle,
where's the building, you know you can walk in? And
I talk to a lot of parents at open house
and they just were like just so nice and warm.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
So well that makes me happy because our number one
priority is just to have a safe and welcoming environment.
If you can't have that, we can't do anything else.
And so I want everyone to feel welcome. I want
everyone to feel comfortable walking through a hallways, being in
our classrooms, whether you're a student, of parent, or a
staff member. Like everyone needs to be here and feel
like this is home.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Absolutely absolutely, So why don't you give us a little
bit of information about yourself your family?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Sure? Okay? So I have been married to my husband,
Joseph for the last eighteen.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Years, eighteen I got you beat. I just got twenty
under our Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Things start getting really real. Whenever your relationships or your
job can could be a voting member of society, you know,
like my relationship is an adult. You know it is
an adult.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Point, that's how I think of things. As their children's years.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
I don't know, but.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
That's how I think about it. And so we have
three children. Nate who is fifteen, he'll be a sophomore,
and he's coming to Alma. He originally was going to
stay at Northside, but he has decided to move on
over to Alma. We're really excited about that. And then
I have Caleb, who is a seventh grader and courageing
he will be joining us here in fourth grade.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Okay, right, yeah, your family bring.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
In my family. We have a variety of menagerie, if
you will, of pets at our house. We are the
pet family, the ones that somehow things happen either a
dog get stumped on the playground, or someone brings a
turtle to school and they don't know what to do
with it. It always ends up at my house. Yes,
right now, we have a snake that we are really
(04:47):
trying to get back to his original owner that we
borrowed from a previous fifth grade teacher. And he is
going mia on me at the moment, but we are
going to get that snake back to his rifle owner.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Wow is the thing that happen when you say snake?
Are we talking like boa? Are we talking to kick
me ball?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Python that my daughter Cora had volunteered to keep for
the summer and uh and and we want him to
go home?
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Are you? Are you a rept all person?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I'm an animal person, animal person. I'm just an animal person.
I've really like no animal scares me or bothers me,
and I like all animals. And I have that syndrome
where you should be afraid of animals, but are not
afraid of animals. And like, like last year, we had
a bat in the school at my old school, and
I was the one they called to remove the bat
(05:38):
from the hallway and and figured it out. Everybody else
is running the other way, and I'm running towards the animal.
So that's just that's just how it is.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Oh nice, nice, Okay, So tell us a little bit
about your background in your career, because you come from
your media specially.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I was a media specialist for eleven years in Fort Smith.
Really being a media special is is what led me
to leadership. So I've taught kindergarten in Morlton, and then
I taught first grade at Marling Elementary for a few years,
and then I was hired at Tillis Elementary and Fort
Smith as their media specialist. It was something that I
(06:15):
thought I was going to do for the rest of
my life. Like I grew up saying I wanted to
be in the library. I immediately got my master's degree
straight out of bachelor's because I wanted to be in
the library. I taught for the amount of time that
you needed to teach in order to go into the
library because that was my plan, that was my track,
that was what I wanted to do, and I did
it for eleven wonderful years of enjoying having a variety
(06:40):
of students in my classroom, of championing student voice, of
supporting teachers with technology and instructional practice, and I loved
every minute of it. And then I was elected state president.
I was elected president of AIM, which is the state
organization for library media specialists. And when something like that happens,
you're kind of moved into a position where where you
(07:04):
have voice and you work with people on the state
level to review laws, to write laws, to advocate for
your position, and to advocate for students, and so that
kind of thing. Whenever, it was whenever I was brought
to having more of like a three thousand foot view
of education, that's when I started considering leadership, when I
(07:29):
saw that there was a need that I felt like
I could step into and help exact some change and
some things that needed to happen. Because you think that
every school is like your school until you see a
lot of other things and then you realize that you
could have a greater impact than what you currently have.
And so that's where I'm that's where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Well, and you start picking up those skills too, you know,
you kind of you go from yeah, like you said,
you're at your school, but then you start picking up
leadership skills. You have to be in these meetings and
you have to run these and you have to deal
with these people and these personalities, which is a huge
part of what you do now. And then so yeah,
that's uh, I totally get what you're saying. And the
(08:09):
macro and the micro is what I try and make
other people understand and a big thing for us. Doctor
Wood and I have talked about this. You know, we've
worked in different districts. So it's one thing when you've
only worked in one district your whole life and that's
all you've seen. But when you get out to another district,
it kind of opens up your eyes and.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Your life so different. Yes, it is. It is like
you said, like you know how things run for you
and your world and your district, but then seeing what
else is out there is is just very I am.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
And sometimes it's better and sometimes.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Sometimes it's worse. Yes, And so you just don't know
until you know.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yes, yes, but it gives you that experience, and that
experience can come in handy. So I mean, I know, okay,
there was a job opening, so of course that drew
you to Alma, But what kind of what kind of
I mean like their job opening is everywhere? What made
you think Alma might be this?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Well? And that's what's so interesting is that I had
been in Fort Smith for sixteen years and had never
once considered leaving the district. I was just there, you know,
and I had you know, I had been hired an
assistant principal i'd been there for three years. I knew
(09:18):
that I was ready to be in a principal position,
and it started being evident that I felt like I
was ready and I was looking for opportunity, but there
just wasn't that opportunity in Fort Smith. We'd had a
higher turnover the last few years. They had hired a
lot of newer principles in the last like three to
(09:39):
four years, and so it's a younger principal staff as
far as experience wise. And so I started really thinking, like,
if there's not a place for me here, am I
interested to opening the door to other districts? Which is
terrifying when you've been somewhere for a decade and.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
A half more and it's like it's home.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
It is. I know how the district works, I know
the people in that district. I know the hidden rules
of that district.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
And they know me. You've made a name for yourself, I've.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Built relationships and connections with people. We've done life together
for the last you know, for the last sixteen years,
and it can be really scary to leave that, especially,
you know, I was happy, I was happy in my job.
Didn't I didn't leave Fort Smith because I was unhappy
or I wanted something better. It was purely I feel
(10:32):
like I'm led to be in at this position. And
someone mentioned to me, like it didn't happen. I wasn't
even searching. I wasn't searching the one ads, you know,
I wasn't on the website. I was specifically told, did
you know that this job is becoming available in Alma?
And it wasn't somebody that's from Alma. At the time,
(10:53):
I didn't think I know anybody from Ela, and so
it just kind of happened like that, and they planted
a seed, and my imagination let that seed grow, and
I started really looking into this district and really looking
into the values that I could find on the website
(11:15):
or with people that I could make connections with. That
I because I apparently know a lot of people who
know a lot of people on Alma, and so you
start asking questions and apparently a lot of people in
Alma know people who know me. So because I found
out about that, you know, after I was hired, and
I started getting screenshot of text messages from teachers like saying, Hey,
this person's asking about you. But I just kept hearing
(11:36):
that you know that this was a place that I
wanted to be, that we had similar values, that we
had similar visions for what our schools needed to be.
And and being from Morlton originally is where I'm from.
It reminded me of being home. It was almost like
kind of going back to my roots of a district
(11:58):
that is of a similar size, and understanding how close
knit that district is. And and being a person, you know,
being being a person that is uh within a community
instead of as much as I loved Fort Smith, they're
two very different districts, you know. And learning how to
(12:20):
be in a smaller community again has been a wonderful
growth experience for me.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Yeah, I totally understand that what you're saying about larger areas,
it feels like you can almost get lost.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
You can, you know, you can and uh, and here
everyone is connected, you know everyone. The fact that you
know everyone's name, even you know and and everyone knows
your name and and those are all all things that
are new because that took a decade. That was a
(12:57):
decade of work, yes, in in one district, and then
here it was almost instantaneous. I knew who people were
and they knew me, and and not just knowing someone's name.
But but the way people in Alma present themselves is
you're learning their name, but you're also learning exactly who
they are. People in Alma are very genuine and they
(13:20):
they they let you know really fast what they're all about. Yeah,
which I love. I appreciate that. Yeah. And so yeah,
that's just it's been a great transition.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Good good. So what is so far the favorite part
of your job right now? And I know there's probably
a lot of things, but what would you say? And
I mean you can give me talk to if you
need to.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Well, I'm really really looking forward to actually seeing children,
So that it's hard to pick a favorite part of
your job when you actually have only experienced a half
of a day of great start with children, you know,
and and uh in an open house, and so those
are those are those are the two things that I've
really really enjoyed so far. Usually, I would say that
(13:58):
my favorite part of of my day is morning drop off.
I love bringing the energy and and and the energy
that students bring in the morning can carry me through
an entire day, even if I know there are going
to be really tough things that we're going to have
to do. That day. If I can start my morning
with drop off and seeing kids and seeing their families,
(14:20):
I can do anything.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
And I think people forget just how important like saying
good morning to it.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Oh my gosh, yes, I mean just just.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Hey, good morning, you know, and half the time they
act like your shot.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
That I know, and that's that's a that's something that
I want to just be a norm, right, you know.
It is how we greet each other in the morning
and how we care for each other, right, And so
that's probably my favorite part of my day. But if
you're asking what the favorite part of my entire job is,
it's just the organization. I love to organize, to communicate,
(14:55):
to support people and so anytime, and that all comes
from media l by the way, like you know, those
are those are your core responsibilities. You have to be organized,
You have to be able to communicate with people, and
you have to be able to find what people need
and support those people and problems however, or a solutions finder,
you know. But those are the kinds of things that
(15:18):
I really really enjoy and so those are what I
bring to this position as well.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Okay, okay, and I totally know what you're saying. About
the kids. Like I worked through the summer, don't see
a lot of kids. It's all the paperwork and the
administration part and organizing, and then the kids get here
and I'm like, oh, yeah, this is this is the
whole part of my general right job.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah, And that's something you know that's been different is
moving towards a twelve month contract. You know, even in
Fort Smith, like principles aren't on a twelve month contract,
and so you get this big long break At first,
I when I when Doctor Wood told me I was
doing that, I was like, what am I going to
do all summer long? But man, we found things, you
(16:00):
feel like quick did. And now I feel like we're
running at running to a finish line that is way
too close. Yes, way too close. And I can think
of a thousand more things that we need to do
before school starts.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Yes, doesn't matter if you're ready for it or not.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
It's here, it's coming here, and I'm I'm ready. I'm
ready for it to come, even if there are some
things that maybe aren't quite done and perfect we are.
I'm just so ready for kids.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
To be I remember like my first year of teaching,
you know, thinking I don't have everything ready. I don't
have everything ready. I don't have everything ready, and it
was great. It's great because it's it's the relationship stuff,
and it's it's what you do with the kids and
how you make them feel and getting them in the
building and making them welcome.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
I'm ready to already know every single person's name, every
single student's name, and and uh, you've.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Got a lot of them to know. There's a lot.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
It's a long term, a long term goal, yes, but
well that's something that's just really important to me. It
is knowing students students and knowing their names, being able
to address them by their names, and for students to
feel I feel like when you know a student's name
and they know you know their name, like that's a
feeling of belonging that I want our kids to have.
And so it's going to take al I'll get there.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Most difficult part of your job that you have found
so far.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Well, I think that this is just the most difficult
part of a job of education. And that is for me.
It's it's when kids have big adult problems and maybe
things that you don't think that kids should have to
deal with. It's a case by case basis. But it's
(17:40):
definitely the hardest part of our job is you get
this lens as an educator that a lot of people
in society don't have, and you see things in children's
lives that if you live, if you live in a
very specific lifestyle, you might not see it if you're
(18:03):
not encountering it in your job. And so it's when
kids have those big grown up problems and you know, like,
this isn't you want to tell the student, This isn't
something that you should be dealing with. This isn't something
that should be part of your life, but it is,
and so we're going to have to figure out how
to work through it. That heartbreaking kind of thing. That's
(18:24):
the hardest part of the job.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Yeah, And I think one of the things that I've
noticed about that, and I've talked about this before, is
that to me, that provides us with extra capacity for grace.
Oh yeah, I see. I see those kids going through stuff.
And then as teachers, we see this stuff where other
people maybe in society don't. They're like, well, why are
(18:45):
people like that? And it's cyclical, don't.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yeah, they call it like Adolf Brown, he's an educational speaker,
and he talks about like the kids that bring their backpack,
They bring their backpack full of all the things from
from from the rest of their life. You know, we
try to make school a bubble of learning, right, We
try to like set aside things that are happening outside
of school for kids so that they can focus on learning.
(19:10):
But they do come with a backpack, yes, backpack full
of all the things in their life that they're bringing,
you know, of all their experiences, and of all of
the things that we don't even know about yet, right,
And so just being you know, cognizant of that and
give you like you said, giving grace, but yet having
those expectations. Like it's such a fine line between giving
(19:33):
grace and having expectation.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, because I firmly believe that the way you show
love is expectations. You know, if I don't love you,
I'm just going to let you go do whatever, and
I'm not going to expect anything from you. And I'm
not going to expect you to do well. Well, that's
not taking care of you, because that's not preparing you
for what's there in the outside world. I have to
have expectations, and I got to make sure you reach.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Those I got to make sure. I got to support
you until you get there.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Sure. Sure, and not just expect you're going to nail
it every time, but just provide that support.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So and give, you know, giving them the grace and
the safety net to take the big chances.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yes, to know it's okay to fail. Yeah, to know
it's okay to fail, which kind of leads us into
educational philosophy, which is such an easy question to answer.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Oh my gosh, I think we all start our very
first paper. What I was just thinking, what is your philosophy?
Speaker 1 (20:25):
I'm just started. I have no philosophy.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
And then we are all told what our philosophy is,
aren't we We're all told you're supposed to say that
all kids can learn. Yes, but I do think that
that is the truth. It's recognizing that all kids have
great capacity for learning and for achieving. That looks different.
(20:48):
That looks different for every single one of us. Yes,
because we're all individuals, and we're all going to have
different needs and different strengths, and different personalities and different
you know, different backgrounds, and all of this are different.
And the true, the truly greatest teachers are the ones
that are able to pinpoint each student what their needs are,
(21:09):
what their strengths are, and to help those kids grow
while they're in their classrooms. And so that is every
kid is capable of growth.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Yes, yeah, okay, so what is your vision for AIS?
We kind of got.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Together and we spent so much time on that.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Didn't I love the way you did that though, because everybody, no, seriously,
because everybody had ownership in it.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
That's exactly my vision too, is that I want this
to be a place where people feel like they belong
and they have a voice and that their voice is valued.
And so it was really important to me that we
design a mission and that we design a vision for
our school. As a team, I was really for a
(21:52):
while there. I thought, we're going to have so many
people in that room. Is this really something that we
want to unleash? Because is typically when I've helped schools
in the past, it's been a very small group of
people joining it. But I felt like our school was
in a place where everyone needed to felt to feel hurt,
and everyone needed to feel like they contributed to what
(22:15):
our school is going to be.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Well. And it's like I told other people, I told
some of your superiors. I was like, they just set
the right tone. You guys, you came in, you and
missus self came in and set the right tone, which
I think it was something everybody needed. I mean it
kind of.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
And it happened day one, Yeah, day.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
One, which is great. But I mean, that's to me,
that would be the biggest thing for you, is you
come stumbling out the gate.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
I didn't want there to be any question from the
very first moment that we were all together. I didn't
want there to be any question of what we were
all going to be about. And you know, the thing
is is that missions can be what you make them.
And I truly believe that every decision that you make
(23:00):
as a teacher and every decision I make as the
principal are filtered through that mission. It is hanging on
my door with all of your signatures on it. And
it's every every time that I think about or I'm
asked about something that we want to do, a direction
that we want to go in, it's going through that mission.
And if it's not helping us fulfill our mission, we
(23:22):
are not going to do it. And if it is
our helping our fulfill our mission, then I'm one hundred
percent on board with it. But that's we needed that, like,
we needed the very basis of who we wanted to
be and why we exist. And if we don't know
the answer to those questions, then what are we doing?
What are we doing? And so that is I want
(23:43):
us and our team selected things that were in line
with me. You know, it was It was funny because
if I could have written our mission by myself, it
would have been that mission. It's such a good, perfect
way of thinking about things. Yes, and I was so
(24:04):
proud that our our entire team was able to come
together and create that statement.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yeah, and again, I just love that it wasn't here's
our mission.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Stay now, everybody together.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Mission, Stay now. It was everybody got buy in and
that everybody does. That's huge.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
That's how you make things meaningful and how you make
things that are real not just compliance pieces. I'm not
I'm never going to be on board with something that's
just for compliance. I'm always going to be looking deeper
into how we can use this, How is this going
to help us sustain our mission?
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Well? And it's it makes it easier to work with
people when it's got some buy in on this. I
agreed to this. I have craft this, yes, and then
when they don't, you can be like here.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
It is we agreed. We all agreed that this is
how we were going to frame our decisions, and this
is these were our core values. We all agree to that.
So how can I help you find your way back
to it?
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Absolutely? Okay, So five years from now, you're a season
principle and to make it you will make it five years.
I had faith in you. Lots of coffee and sleepless
nights and stuff. Yes, okay, So in five years, where
do you want AIS to be like what you see here?
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Well, it's been interesting because when I came in, I
kind of had a one year, three year, five year plan,
and you addressed those big long term plans as you
get to know people, as you get to see things
for the way the current state of things are, and
knowing what I wanted to do, and there have been
some things that I've already said, Okay, this was part
(25:40):
of my one year plan, it might have to be
part of my three year plan. But then there's some
things that I thought I wasn't going to get to
do this year that immediately at the gate, the need
was there the teachers wanted that teachers asked for certain things,
and so it's very fluid, but five years down the road,
I really believe that this true. This school is capable
(26:03):
of really great things. Alma is such a phenomenal school district,
and our job this year has been to align with
to make sure that we are cohesive with the rest
of our district. I want our school to be consistent
with with what parents' expectations were of the primary I
(26:24):
want it to be a seamless transition to the intermediate school.
And then I want us to be listening to the
middle school so that we can provide to them the
students that they need them to be when they get
into middle school. And so for me, a five year
plan is just that we are on the same level
of greatness as as our as our other two bookends,
(26:46):
and that we're listening. You know, we're able to communicate
with the primary school and tell them what we need,
what skills we need those kids to have. They're able
to communicate with us to to let us know here's
where they are, and then and then create that on
the other end as well, so that student's experience and
a famili's experience in Alma is consistent, whether they're in
the primary, the middle of the high or the intermediate,
(27:08):
and that families know what to expect in every building.
And so just the pulling us all together, that's what
I really really want. I don't know if that'll take
five years, but it's because it's already. I hope that
families can see that we're already pulling some of those
things together. We've met with at least the primary in
the middle this year to make sure that we're in line.
(27:29):
I really in five years also feel like there is
student achievement gaps that I can see that I think
that we can work on. You know, like I said,
new to the building, new to the district, new to
all of these things. I'm really excited to get into
teachers classrooms and to see what that effect of instruction
(27:50):
looks like. We've got two curriculums that we're going to
just keep going deeper and deeper and deeper into. And
as we move students through with consistent curriculums, I think
in consisting consistent, effective teaching practices, those achievements, that achievement
data is just going to go up and and so
I feel like, if we can just continue to be
(28:10):
consistent with what we're doing, our kids are going to
show growth. Yeah, and it is just five years. I
think that we could just show so much growth and
our kids could all be profession And.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
I think you said you know that consistency. I felt
really good when when doctor would when doctor would said
in the Airdale Academy that we were going to keep
the curriculum.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
And she's not going to move it. It's not going
to be changed.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
It's not going to be changed. It's not going to
be something that shifts or changes or anything like that.
It was going to say constant.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Which is great thing that is so important because if
you're always if you're always changing, and you're never becoming
an expert in a curriculum, it's just very confusing with
for teachers. And to feel like you're going a million
different directions and you're never getting to grow deeper in
your practice is really really hard for teachers. But then
it's also not it's not the best for students.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Right because what I've seen and I've seen one of
those things where it's it's.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Jumping on bandwagon to banda shows this.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Now we had to shows this now and instead of
we're gonna we're going to plan our flag right here
and try this for five years, six years, they're jumping ship.
And what it does is it creates gaps and students learning.
Not every curriculum doesn't hit at the exact.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Same time that is correct, So.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
You're switching and you're putting these huge gaps in their learning.
So to hear that we're going to stay consistent and
well and.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
A lot of things have changed over the past year.
Is not even with just our curriculums with state standards,
but learns act with so many different things. And so
I feel like we're kind of at this moment where
we can really start kind of picking up picking up
steam again. Yes, you know, we were all kind of
halted after after COVID the way we had to change instruction,
and then and then we started kind of picking up steam.
(29:57):
And then they're like, oh, wait, we're going to pass
this assive bill that's going to completely change Arkansas's education,
our education in Arkansas. And now we're starting to learn
from that and we're starting to be able to pick
up from pick up some steam again. So I'm hoping
that we just are at a point where we can
roll with the initiatives that we've accepted and we can
start making progress.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Yeah, okay, all right, you're done with the sweaty question.
Oh I didn't take a breath, pose yourself, compose yourself. Okay,
So now we got some fun questions too. Okay, so
what would you say? Media Specialist? Is your favorite book?
Speaker 2 (30:32):
It depends on who I'm talking to. Yes, my greatest,
my favorite book of all time, the one i've read
the most. If you're going with the one that I've
read the most, I've read this book probably sixteen or
seventeen times. I used to read it like every summer religiously.
It was like the book that has started my summer office.
And that's Jane Eyre Janeyor is like classically my favorite book? Yes,
(30:54):
if I'm talking to kids, I'm always going to be
a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. It is
it kind of grew the love of learning in my
own life and or the love of reading and my
own life reading for for fun, not just reading for school,
and it helped me experience that in the Harry Potter realm.
(31:15):
I'm a huge reader, so I like I read several
books a month, and when I can, I will lie.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Lately, school kicks in and it's kind of like, okay,
I'm not going to be.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Able to the months. The month of August, I'm not
getting to read as much. But I really love to
escape in a good book. And I like fantasy a lot,
so it usually on my Kindle is going to be
a type of fantasy read. I do Kindle unlimited, so
like it's just a lot of just keep coming, but
(31:49):
they just keep coming, and then you start and that
they're all of similar tropes and so you start mixing
them up. But that's okay, because I like I'm that
escape reader. I like to read to just escape. You know,
we all have different purposes of reading, and and you
all have you different you have different purposes at different times,
you know, Like I read a lot of educational books.
I'll read a lot of books about culture and business
(32:12):
books and I like that kind of stuff too. But
if you're gonna if it's a Saturday morning and I've
got a cup of coffee, I'm gonna be diving into
some fantasy.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Okay, So how about your favorite movie?
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Oh gosh, let's see. Well, okay, it's a movie, but
it's also a musical, okay, and I decided that the
Alma Theater program was presenting it just for me because
it's my favorite. But my favorite movie of all time
is Newsy's.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
It's I like Disney, I like, I'm a big Disney fan,
But Newsy's has been my favorite movie since it came out, Like,
I've loved it for so long, and I'm so I
was so excited when they decided to develop a Broadway
production of it. Still unsure about the choices that they made. Yes,
(33:01):
Still unsure about the storylines changing and some characters that
are different. Still unsure about that because the original was
perfect and they didn't change it at all. Yes, But
I loved the music. I love musicals. I grew up
kind of in theater, singing on the stage, and uh,
and so I love a good music musical. And it's
(33:21):
hard for me to love a musical that was produced
on the stage first and then developed into a you know,
because it's because you already have a conception of what
that should be, kind of like a book into a
movie kind of the thing. But this was like a
musical first. Yeah, it was like it was like a
movie first. And so ah, man, I love newsies. I
(33:42):
might go to all the performances.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
I'm definitely gonna, definitely gonna check it out. Yeah, because
we're talking all the time about how great art theater kids, dan.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Man, let me tell you theater is how I sold
Alma to my daughter Cora. It's I sold Alma moving. Yes, Yes,
I'm asking you to move for the second time to
a new school. But let me tell you about this school. Yes,
and she was all on board.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Awesome, awesome, Okay. Your favorite type.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Of food, pizza is the most perfect food ever, pizza
pizza because you can have breakfast pizza, you can have
different toppings on your pizza, you have dessert pizza. It's
kind of like its own food group. It is all
it gets it. It's like an all in one.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
It's kind of like cheating because you can throw anything
on a pizza. So you could get pizza, pizza, eat pizza.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I would eat pizza every day, every single day. I
could eat pizza. Wow. So pizza pizza, Yeah, it's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Sometimes a pizza hits.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
R but I can't say any type of particular type
of pizza, although I will if I have to commit
there's this pizza hideaway called the Pollinator. The Pollinator is yes,
what's the best? It's that salty sweet.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
My daughter and my daughter.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Yeah, it's amazing. It's one of my favorites. No one
can replicate it. You can only did it hadaway. You
can do it at home. My husband tried. It doesn't work.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
How do we might be one of my favorite pizza
I how doo way is delicious? Yet? Okay? So I
go two ways here, your favorite band or your top music.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
I do have a favorite band. Okay, So my favorite
band is the aver Brothers. Oh yeah, okay, okay. So
I have been to nineteen Avite brother concerts. I've traveled
to the Dominican Republic to see them, I've traveled to
Mexico to see them, and I'm going to Florida to
see them in a couple of months. I would go anywhere.
(35:37):
The energy that you can feel at an Avit brother
concert is just one of the most positive things that
you can experience. I love the lyricism of the Averte Brothers.
I love just their their family feeling. My kids love
the aver Brothers. We've go we go to concerts as
a family. It's it's not just their music rights, it's
(36:00):
all the things. And so they're my favorite. And in
that genre, you know, that Americana folky pop kind of genre.
That's typically what I'm going to listen to on the weekends.
I like music to be blifting. Yeah, And so so
I like a faster beat, a faster beat, you know,
and I like a lot of mandolin.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I'd getting ready to say.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
It my my okay, so a group of morals in
But my mema was played the banjo in a band
that uh and some of my aunts and uncles, my
great aunts and uncles were all in it, and we
would have like Friday night dances, and so I would
go sing with them and play with them. And so
(36:47):
live music has has just been a core, a core
part of my life and and it's a lot of
it is where it like, it's where I find joy.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Yeah, yeah, I get that. I get that. Tough one
favorite memory.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Memory of all time, Like that's so hard that it
is cheating. But I like to travel. I like to
take my kids places and have experiences with them. And
I didn't get to travel a lot as a kid.
And my mom was a teacher, my dad was a
(37:24):
small business owner who when you're self employed, you don't
get to take off you if you leave, like you
aren't getting paid, Like that's it. And so we didn't
get to go a lot of places in the summer
and a lot of places. You know, we only went
on a couple of vacations my life, in my whole life,
and so it was really important to me as a
parent to be able to provide that those experiences. You
can't get those types of experiences through movies and books
(37:48):
and the media and that kind of thing. So I
really my favorite memories all all come with traveling with
my kids, not even the ones that have travel my husband.
I love my husband, right but and I love traveling
with him. It's it's fun, but it's it's being able
to provide experiences for my children that I didn't get
(38:11):
and being able to provide experiences for them that that
they're not going to forget, yes, you know.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
And the thing I love about that is like it's
you do that, and it's not that they don't appreciate
it right now, but they're going to appreciate it so
much more. And I look back on it and.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Be like you've been there, Yeah, you got to see that. Yeah,
and you know it's not just part of this movie,
this historical drama that you're watching or reading about, Like
you got to see that.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Well, and that whole cyclical thing you know that we
just talked about. You're creating a good cycle. You know,
when I was a kid, we did this and it
was great. So we're going to do We're going to
do it this with my family.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
It's our tradition.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Yeah, and that's that's huge. I think I think creating
that those good patterns are really really important. Oh, I'm
going to ask you a question you asked us in
the one yes missus Lyon, in one word, can you
describe yourself for us please?
Speaker 2 (39:10):
I think that I am dedicated, dedicated, Okay, I'm dedicated.
I any anything that I have too, that I do,
anything that I sign myself up for. If I put
my name down on that piece of paper and I
agree to be a part of something, I jump in
with both feet into the deepest deep impossible and I
(39:34):
will bleed that cause from that moment on, and so
I just have always felt like I'm not a wishy,
washy type of person. I try to be as dedicated
as possible, because I feel like when someone is dedicated,
they're consistent, you understand what they're all about, you know
what they're all about. You also can trust them to
be because you know where they're coming from, you know,
(39:57):
and you know that they're going to be there for
you no matter what. You know that they're going to
be there to support you. And so yeah, I would
consider myself like dedicated.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
It's a good word. Good word. Okay. So one thing
we do on the podcast, because it's one of the
things we do to just kind of practice gratefulness and
to recognize those people that are special to us, is
we have shout outs.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
This is such an easy question.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
So is there somebody that you have out there that
you just want to give a shout out to just
to thank you, you know, recognize them.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Oh my gosh. Okay. So if I couldn't do this
with Lauren self, I don't think I would have been
anywhere near as successful as we've already been so far.
She is my perfect, like little partner in crime, and
(40:49):
I knew from the moment that I met her that
we were going to just be such a great team
and that we were going to compliment each other in ways,
and that she was going to be able to support
the vision that I have for our school and be
and be in line with that vision. You know, it's
not my vision anymore, because we have the same vision
and we're both working to achieve that thing. And she's
(41:12):
she's just the perfect person for that. She's been able
to provide a bridge to me. So, uh, you know,
I was ready for this. I feel strongly still even
a couple of months later that like I was ready
for this position, but moving to a different district was
the hardest part. And she's been that bridge. She's been
(41:35):
that bridge to help support me and understanding the differences
the nuances of Alma the you know, from from the
practices to the people. She's made sure that I've known
everybody and and she's made sure to take me to
all the places and uh provide context, you know, in
(41:57):
in how things are and have been and the whole
history lesson yes and which is which is something that
I that I really appreciate because if there's anything that
I want from this experience is to maintain what is Alma,
what is the greatness and the community and all of
(42:17):
the things that Alma holds dear, it's that's what I
want to champion, and it's hard to know what those
things are unless you are surrounding yourself with people love
and breathe that thing. And goodness gracious, that girl loves
and breathes this district, and so it was just she's
(42:38):
someone I'm super grateful for.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
All right, So missus self, this shout out is for you.
Gotta do a little ice cube. That's probably the only
part of the song we can play because we got
to keep it PG. Okay, well, missus Lyon, you made it.
I did the thing to the end. You did the
thing survived. We just want to thank you for being
(43:04):
our first guest of season three, so excited and just
coming in and knocking it down. And I really appreciate
the fact that you came on because I just think
it's a great way for people to get to know
you without them to sit down. They just got to
sit down for what it did. You're thirty minutes with you.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
I would hope that from this you kind of get
a little bit of what I'm all about. But know
that there's nothing I love more than a good conversation.
There we go, so I'm here for it.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Our door is open. Ladies and gentlemen, Well again, we
just want to thank you for tuning in and joining us,
and just keep your ears open out there, and never
ever forget to embrace your inner WARDO. Thanks guys,
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