Summary: Yesterday John Wink hosted a Twitter challenge called <a href="http://leadlearner2012.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">#LoveMySchoolDay</a> where he invited educators across the country and around the world to celebrate their schools and share out moments, ideas, photos, etc. of why they love their schools.<br> In many ways, educators have lost the battle of public relations when it comes to our schools. Part of the blame rests with the insatiable appetite of American media outlets for negative stories about schools. In Rick DuFour’s <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/williamdparke-20/detail/1942496575" target="_blank">In Praise of American Educators</a>, he catalogs the relentless assault on public schools by media outlets that portray schools as havens of failure and low expectations.<br> At the same time, part of the responsibility for what others think about our schools rests with us, the educators who are responsible for them. Yes, failing schools exist. But thousands of thriving, safe, and productive schools serve students everyday too. The problem is that so many of those wonderful moments are never shared beyond the walls of our schools.<br> Although any school or organization has its weaknesses, the assumption that most are failing is not only false, it is also a dangerous one. When our community members lose trust in the integrity and products of our schools, we are fighting an uphill battle in caring for their children.<br> The good news is that we don’t have to sit back and let others determine the opinions about our schools. First of all, when we are making strong decisions and developing best practices, we set the tone for the kinds of schools we want to brag about. Second, with the growth of social media, we have the capacity to consistently showcase the amazing moments we see in our school everyday. Like never before in history, each of us has the capability of bolstering confidence in the teachers, students, lessons, activities and outcomes we have the privilege of observing.<br> These thoughts have motivated me to this past year in working on my next book: Messaging Matters. In the next couple of months, you’ll hear more about that, but today I want to give some practical examples of how to brag on your school.<br> Cool Cat Teacher’s 10-Minute Teacher<br> This week Vicki Davis interviewed me on her podcast, <a href="http://www.coolcatteacher.com/kindness-goes-viral-mondaymotivation/" target="_blank">10-Minute Teacher</a>, about the Movement of Kindness our students have embraced this school year. <a href="https://www.williamdparker.com/2017/02/01/pmp-052-starting-a-movement-of-kindness/" target="_blank">(You can see a previous post for all the details.)</a> Here’s a copy of that interview, if you’d like to hear it:<br> <br> After sharing our story, Vicki asked me to explain how other educators can encourage this kind of movement among their school community.<br> 6 Takeaways from our Wall of Kindness<br> I shared six takeaways with Vicki that anyone can use to consistently share the positive messages coming from their schools. Here they are:<br> 1. Carry an iPhone or Camera To Capture Moments<br><br> Assuming your students and parents have authorized sharing images of students per FERPA guidelines, you should be capturing and sharing out positive moments everyday from your school. Snap photos or take short videos, and then email them, post them, Tweet them, or whatever it takes to have others see and celebrate great moments. Just two days ago, we shared out four congratulations emails on teams or individuals who recently won awards or recognitions for Drama, NHS, FFA, and Choir. All of this, and it was just Monday when these were announced!<br> 2. Increase Your Social Media Shares<br><br> If you district allowing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, then spread the news. These social media outlets are free publicity for your school.
