On this episode of the Innovative Schools Podcast, we have Gary Brooks back in the seat, and he's here to talk about how to kick off your school year right. Come on, let's learn together. Hey, everybody. Welcome to season four of the Innovative Schools Podcast. Kevin's with us.
Kevin:I'm here. How are again, I'm good. How are you?
Jordan:Good. I I do like that we get to do this together sometimes now.
Kevin:We we've gotten We're making this a thing.
Jordan:We're the thing.
Kevin:But It's fun.
Jordan:It is fun. We're here in Las Vegas Yep. For the Innovative Schools Summit.
Kevin:We got a window behind us.
Jordan:We do have a window.
Kevin:This an enclosed hall room.
Jordan:We haven't introduced you yet. Stop talking. Oh, sorry.
Kevin:Yeah. You're not you're not on the talk yet.
Kevin:Don't guess who's here yet. You know?
Jordan:I guess it's ruined.
Kevin:That's right.
Jordan:That's right.
Kevin:We have we have the one, the only. He's been on comedy stages across America. He's been on education conference stages across America. He's been in the the hotel rooms all across America that
Kevin:he probably didn't want to be in
Kevin:And he's he's a author. He's been a prince. He's been in the classroom, the administration room. He's been all over the place, and we are honored to have Gary Brooks with
Gerry Brooks:us today. Excited that we could work this out. Last time we did work out, so I'm excited. Yeah. I'm excited where this is falling.
Kevin:We've been working
Jordan:on this for a while.
Gerry Brooks:Yeah.
Jordan:That's But we had you on before once.
Gerry Brooks:Yeah. It was great. Yeah. We're great. Yep.
Jordan:And I'm excited because I was a part
Kevin:of You gotta be a part
Kevin:of this one.
Jordan:I'm a part
Gerry Brooks:of this now.
Kevin:Sounds good.
Jordan:So how are things going, Gary?
Gerry Brooks:Going good. A little stressed out. Yeah. Summers is always my big time. So my August is a Monday through Friday.
Gerry Brooks:So I'm getting ready to kick into that, you know, by the time this is it, I I do Monday through Friday, get home on a Friday night and stay Saturday and then I leave on a Sunday and.
Kevin:How many how many do you average a year now?
Gerry Brooks:I think probably about a 150.
Kevin:Oh my goodness.
Gerry Brooks:Summer is big and and one of the good things with summer is sometimes superintendents because that's the opening days for everybody. Superintendents will contact each other. So I'll have double bookings. So I have like six double bookings where I'm speaking at one district and drive in the morning and then eating lunch, driving fifteen minutes and speaking to the next district over. It's just been fantastic and love it still.
Kevin:That's awesome.
Gerry Brooks:Meeting people, getting out, talking to people, encouraging them. It's great.
Kevin:And the thing that I've appreciated about you from the beginning, from the very first time that we had you is the fact that some people just know you because of YouTube. They've seen your videos on YouTube and they, Oh, he's great. He's hilarious. This funny principle. But you have really some substantial and substance in what you're sharing and things for people to take back home with them.
Kevin:So, I mean, you incorporate the video and it's great, but you have a lot of substance. And so I really appreciate that about you and what you're doing.
Gerry Brooks:So And thank people often come and say, Do you want to do a comedy show? And I'm like, That's not what I do. I do a professional development that encourages it, it includes it, it'll it'll be funny, but it's not gonna be an hour and a half comedy show. It's gonna be an encouragement for them to walk out along with the humor and and the stress that that we deal with. So it's just it's been a huge blessing.
Jordan:Yeah. One of the things I've always appreciated when you're here and being able to, hear is to see that other side of not the social media side.
Kevin:Right.
Jordan:But to get to hear from you and how the while I'm not an educator, I have two kids of my own at home. And the things that you talk about and the object lessons, I can't there are certain objects in my life I can't look at anymore without thinking about some of the lessons and the things that you brought that and how I can take those not just into instances where I'm working with younger kid younger people, but also with my own kids.
Gerry Brooks:Right. Well, that's exactly why I do that. Those object lessons, your brain kicks in. Yeah. Absolutely.
Gerry Brooks:You remember something from six years ago when someone says something and that that was a big youth ministry thing. And so it's been great. And I'll get pictures of schools with, you know, glasses or pacifiers or mugs or something, but just because it's one of those things that kicks in and it can be done every year. And I it it's it it really has been a blessing transitioning that from the youth ministry into speaking.
Jordan:Yeah. I think that's one of the strongest things of what you bring is those object lessons into what to trigger that
Kevin:thought Yeah.
Jordan:Of what it is to remember when I see that past. I have a a niece that's about one year old, and every time that pacifier Exactly.
Kevin:You remember it. Yeah. Yeah.
Kevin:And what's funny, I use actually, I use that this past Christmas for leaders. We did a leaders dinner for our church.
Gerry Brooks:Yeah.
Kevin:And for a bunch of leaders I help oversee what their role is and stuff. And I use that with them. And it was amazing, their response to that as well. And gave you credit. I was like, listen, I didn't come up with this.
Kevin:I probably should have, but I did not.
Gerry Brooks:Well, that's one of my favorite things about speaking is every once in a while I get an offer from someone that's non educational. My sister-in-law does Estee Lauder. So I got to speak to Estee Lauder. I got to speak to an insurance company and it's all of it is it's just about dealing with people. Yeah.
Gerry Brooks:And it doesn't make a difference if it's parents, you're still dealing with customers. And so it translates and I love being able to go out into the business world and getting a group of insurance agents and being able to speak the same type of thing, you know, moving the stories. The stories sometimes on the videos, you know, tend to be heavy school, but the object lessons can fit anywhere for anywhere in church setting. You know, I've gotten to go to several church camps and speak that way, so it's just been a blessing.
Kevin:Yeah. Absolutely.
Jordan:Alright. So speaking of people, let's get into educators.
Kevin:That's right.
Kevin:So That's why we're here.
Gerry Brooks:That is why
Jordan:we are here. So this is coming out right before school starts for
Kevin:a lot of
Jordan:And what Kevin and I wanted to kinda bat around with you and, like, talk about is that opening, that beginning of school Right. For the teachers and and administrators, the whole school thing in general. And so that's where we want our conversation to kind of like hang out and talk about this new school, new year, whatever, whatever you wanna look at it. But I guess just like in that vein of like the that new school year as because you were a teacher, you're an administrator, you had all the different roles. Maybe maybe we could kind of walk through some of the things that you learned in each of those positions for that new school year, maybe starting at the the classroom or that teacher level of going to this new school year.
Jordan:Let's kinda talk about what teachers should do. They probably know a little bit, but maybe there's some of your wisdom to share of things that you did as you prepared for new school year.
Gerry Brooks:Well, I think the biggest thing right now, and I'm this is one of the things I like to be able to have a July, August speaking is to build relationships. And I say, you know, building relationships. I just I have a friend who just moved from North Carolina to Florida and her mother was a teacher and her mother is 84 years old and she sent me a picture of two friends that drove from Florida, picked the mother up, and drove her back and they were at Buckeys. Oh, wow. And one of the teachers was probably 45 And that's one of the things that happens with education is it's so much about the relationships.
Gerry Brooks:And the fact that a 45 year old teacher, a six year old teacher would drive to North Carolina to pick up somebody they had worked with. You know, she's not been in the classroom probably in twelve years, But they still have that relationship. And education has that. And I think that sometimes we don't think about that. We get a lot of professors saying, avoid the lunchroom, avoid the teacher's lounge because there's a lot of negativity.
Gerry Brooks:And there is. But you also end up avoiding relationships. And I think the biggest thing that teachers need to be able to do is focus on our relationships, the people that are in their same positions, the people that are in their same schools, the people that are in schools around them, and build relationships with those educators because we're all going through the same thing. And you know, if you happen to have the best class ever, someone across the hallway does not and you know, if you're not going to build a relationship with them, help them, listen to them, it's going to be you next year and you're going to be the one without the great classroom and you know, all the craziness and somebody else is going to have it. We just have to build relationships with teachers and then I say, now, build relationships with parents.
Gerry Brooks:You know, that's one of the bit my big things on social media is, you know, crazy parents. Mhmm. We got crazy parents. But they're you know, 90% of them are not that way. 90% of them are not the ones that are wanting a summer IP meeting.
Gerry Brooks:90% of them are not the ones that are on social media. They are there for their kids. They understand the relationship. And I think that we really and truly have to try, especially at the beginning of the school year to do everything we can to build those relationships with those parents because it's a two way street. And if we're not, it, you know, can backfire for the whole school year.
Kevin:So how to make it maybe even more practical. How how how can a teacher build relationship? What are some practical things to to build relationship? Maybe even with someone that they feel like, man, last year, I wasn't even sure if they like me.
Gerry Brooks:Right.
Kevin:Like, did I get on their nerves or maybe that person got on my nerves, but we've gotta work together. So what's some practical things that they can do to help build that relationship? Teacher to teacher.
Gerry Brooks:One of the things that I always say when people say, you know, I'm in a negative situation. I'm in a par I always say, worry about your own self. Go in there, close the door, and teach. This is the one time of the year that I say the opposite, worry about everybody else. Go into the building and talk to everybody.
Gerry Brooks:Go to every because you have no idea what somebody's going through. And so, generally during the school year, I'll say, find your niche, find your group, find friends. If things start getting stressful, you've got a class of 25, close the door and teach those kiddie and worry about your own self. At the beginning of the school year, there are so many people to worry about. New teachers.
Gerry Brooks:You've got new teachers that are in there that have no clue what's going on. You have experienced teachers that are transferring in, and now all of sudden, they're in a new setting. You have people that over the summer went through a divorce, and you don't realize that. You have custodian. I mean, you have all these people.
Gerry Brooks:And so I always tell teachers, you know, that first week of PD and the first two weeks of school, worry about everybody else. Walk around and find out how the librarian's doing. Find out how people are going. Look at body language. See the people that used to come by and are not coming by, and then go out of your way to see that person that I don't think I had a great relationship this person.
Gerry Brooks:Well, maybe they were going through something. Yeah. And maybe they're going through something now. And so I tell tell people, this is the time where 90% of the time for, you know, nine and a half week months, I say worry about your own self. This is the two weeks where I say worry about everybody else.
Gerry Brooks:Go into the secretary. Go into the school nurse. Once you've got yourself organized, see if you can help somebody. Talk to the people that you wouldn't normally talk with. Don't forget the PE teachers.
Gerry Brooks:Don't forget the paraeducators. And that two weeks, if you're going around making an effort, can be the complete difference in the relationship that you have because we've been away from each other for two months. And somebody may have lost you know, we had a big transition at our school, and we had grade level split. And now, you know, a grade level of six that were all best friends are now a grade level of three and two of them are one way and one's another. And they're really kind of starting over even though those three didn't leave.
Kevin:Yeah.
Gerry Brooks:And we need to recognize that, that these two weeks people are going through so much stuff, trying to get back in, you know, get rid of the summer brain coming in. We don't know what they're going through. They have kids that left for college. They have a child that's all of sudden in high school, a child that's all of sudden in middle school. Now they have a kindergartner.
Gerry Brooks:This is a time frame where teachers are going through so much. That two weeks of you focusing in on other people can really submit your relationships for the entire school year.
Kevin:And it may be even I'm just thinking it could be even that one that, alright, I've done all this. I've done those two weeks of really trying, and they still are kind of standoffish to be able to say, hey, I did my best. I'm not gonna be negative toward them. I'm gonna do my best to continue, maybe even leave a note every now and then. Hey, how are you doing?
Kevin:Yep. But don't feel like I've gotta be best friends.
Gerry Brooks:Right. That's and I'm a I'm a big, you know, brush your sandals off and move on. Yeah. I but I do think we should give it two weeks and we should, you know, get in there and and be as nice as you can be. There are some people that just are introverts that don't want it.
Gerry Brooks:There are some people that are negative. But then again, I look at the most negative person I ever worked with, I now look at what she was going through at that time, and I thought, I wonder if people would have treated her differently if they'd known what she was going through, and if we would have embraced her differently. So don't give up on those people, but also don't I mean, that you do have to move on. You got to brush the sand off your sandals and move on. If somebody doesn't want you in the room every morning, then go once every two weeks and say hi to them.
Gerry Brooks:And, you know, then find somebody that wants you in there.
Kevin:Which is so true. I was it's just yesterday talking with Michelle who you know here at the hotel and she was telling me about one of the other managers who when he first came in that he was like, he's always smiling. Like, when he talked to me, he's just smiling like this and he talks all the time. He's just like, he get on my nerves but then all of sudden, I heard a story and he was a prisoner of war. He was in the Bosnian war and he was a prisoner of war And The US troops had come in and rescued him and helped and the just a long story there.
Kevin:And all of a sudden, finding out what his background was and the reasoning why he smiled all the time now changed her whole perspective on this person.
Gerry Brooks:Right.
Kevin:And just I was just thinking about that even in regard to the
Gerry Brooks:I mean, think about how much you go through in any one any one given summer. Just the trauma of having a kindergartner, having a middle schooler, having a high schooler, or having a college student going to college for the first time. Not to mention divorce. Sure. You know?
Gerry Brooks:Or you're home with a spouse that's, works at home, and all of sudden, you got two months. It it there's just so much in those two months that we don't think about. And I I just think that we need to make the effort and, you know, it's unless someone's being super rude to you, I just think, you know, live your life where you would want everybody to be happy and you wanna be happy and try to build a relationship and just move on from there.
Kevin:You know?
Jordan:I feel like, at least once an episode, I make a Ted Lasso reference. Have you seen
Gerry Brooks:Ted Lasso? Love Ted Lasso.
Jordan:This whole conversation just makes me think of the episode where the line where he says be curious, not judgmental
Kevin:Yep.
Jordan:Comes from of like in what you're just saying about the individual here at the hotel just like not knowing not having that curiosity to to invest to ask questions about someone. Like, we should have that. And that's what you're saying, Gary, about, like, coming into the new school year, all this stuff changes potentially between different people, new teachers maybe coming in that you don't know at all Mhmm. Or teachers that you knew for a while, but they're acting a little bit different or something happened to them. It's like, have that mentality of being curious and not judgmental to build that relationship.
Jordan:Because as everyone knows, teaching is stressful in itself. Right. And from my experience, I know that it's a lot easier to navigate and to make it through stressful or tough situations with people than by yourself.
Gerry Brooks:Right. Absolutely.
Jordan:And so just all this conversation makes me think of Ted Lasso and being curious and not judgmental. It's one of my favorite shows.
Kevin:How about the parent side of it to take in this summertime to to get to know the parents?
Gerry Brooks:Right. Well, I think the parent time now that we're in August, I think the parent time has to do with the fact that they just love an email, they love a note, and they love a written something written in a planner. And I know it takes time, but I always tell everybody take fifteen minutes of your planning or fifteen minutes after school to send emails, postcards, post it notes, or write in planners. And if you, on your planning for fifteen minutes, go around and write in a kid's planner or whatever, I say planners because we have planners and the parents look at them every night to write, Billy was great in math today. That that's, you know, that's all that that takes.
Gerry Brooks:I saw that in a teacher when I was working at a title one school and it was just crazy. And she stopped a class right in the middle and called a parent for a good situation.
Kevin:Wow.
Gerry Brooks:And I just think that those two to three weeks at the very beginning, sending the emails, sending them home, you know, she was having a rough time or I know you were worried about this or, you know, you're worried about friends, she's playing on that. Just keeping that communication because they are losing their kids for six hours, six or seven hours. They're giving you their child and they're coming home and there's nothing. You know, I have to get, How was your day? Good.
Gerry Brooks:You know, that's fifty percent of the kids. And now some of them will talk them off, I mean think about having a middle school or high schooler who's just going to say good. And for a middle school teacher to say, I'm going to spend thirty minutes after school for the first two weeks just emailing these parents and building that relationship. That thirty minutes for that two weeks, know, is what being what, ten hours? We'll get you through the rest of the school year because they see you as an adversary.
Gerry Brooks:It's like when they say the policeman coming through the building, go and see the kids and say hi and talk to them and go to recess out there and change that perception of what those kids have about policemen. It's the same about teachers. Spend thirty minutes every single day emailing the parents, writing in the planners, giving them as much encouragement as you can, figuring out what their fears are. You know, we're really worried about her and friends. We're, you know, we're worried about her mask.
Gerry Brooks:She struggled and address those concerns and then they know that the door is open to start those conversations, and it just builds positive relation. And it's the first two weeks. And you don't have to do it all year round. It would be a lot to have to spend thirty minutes emailing parents every single day. But if you do it for the first two weeks and set your school year out, it'll the next nine and a half months will be a lot easier.
Jordan:I can relate as a parent on the other side of that. I I know my daughter sometimes. Well, not I know my daughter. Sometimes. I know her
Kevin:all the time. Sometimes. I
Jordan:know that she's she's not always the best student. But having that relationship with the teacher, especially if that foundation built at the beginning to be able to, like, talk about those things, because sometimes it feels like what we get from her is everything's good. Did your teachers have to talk to you today? No. Everything was great.
Jordan:All this different stuff. And then a couple weeks later, get, for the past four weeks, your daughter has Right.
Kevin:It's like, woah, woah, okay. Right.
Jordan:We're not getting all of it, but having that relationship there for us to be able to ask the the adult in the room, And having that foundation would be something
Kevin:that Well,
Gerry Brooks:even a question of the day for for ten days where you have a folder with each kid's name and on your post it and send the thing out, you know, would you tell me what their three favorite books are? Would you tell me what their Mhmm. What what do they enjoy on the weekends? And then put that in the kid's folder. You're building that relationship with the parent, but then, you know, come December when Billy's not talking, you can go to your email.
Gerry Brooks:You've got a little folder that says parent question. You've got a little folder that says Billy. You pull that up and you realize Billy loves Pokemon, and you can start a conversation with him. And that even just to asking three questions twice a week, hey, parent survey, can you tell me these three things? And get that going and then save those in your email.
Gerry Brooks:And again, I'm just going on the way our email works. You just make a folder. And then you can go back there and reference those anytime. It it you know, just that that beginning stages where they are dropping their child off with someone they don't know for seven hours a day, those x that extra time in the first two weeks of school just means the world.
Jordan:That sounds like a very efficient way to build both relationship on the student
Gerry Brooks:Right.
Jordan:And with
Gerry Brooks:the parents. To know the yeah. Absolutely. Yes.
Kevin:Yep. How about home visits? What are your thoughts on home visits?
Gerry Brooks:You know, here's the thing. I I have a a friend that just moved to from my school as a special ed teacher to the sister principal, and she called. She said, what advice do I have? And I said, you need to look up the 10 the the 10 kids that had the most behavior write ups, and and you need to go visit them this summer with something. You need to bring them a coloring book in a color, you need to bring them a $5 gift card to Domino's because those parents are expecting something negative.
Gerry Brooks:And when you show up as the new sister principal with a coloring book and crowns and a gift card to, you know, dollars 5 gift card to Domino's or McDonald's and introduce yourself, then that totally changes that because those parents, especially those top 10 behavior issues, top 10 flyers, top 20 flyers. I'm not a real big thing on going to all. I I just I think that is that is unless you're gonna pay for it.
Kevin:Sure.
Gerry Brooks:I think it's very invasive on a parent on a on a teacher's time. Would it be good? Yes. The you also have a lot of parents that don't want to. We have a Hispanic trailer park in our area that houses a large portion of Hispanic population.
Gerry Brooks:And we would go out there and send things saying the teachers are going to be here at this point and this time and we would take popsicles out there and we would be out there for an hour and half and all the kids are generalized local there, all the parents are there, but we were finding they weren't they weren't wanting us in their houses. They, you know, some of them were living with, you know, extended families and there's 15 people in a trailer. So, you know, I love a home visit especially if it's if it's a a situation where you know there might be issues, you know there might be need, special ed parents love that too because they, you know, special parents fight for their kids because they've had to fight from day one. And behavior issues where you can go beforehand and say this is who I am. And that way when you make that phone call, you're gonna say, I'm the one that showed up.
Gerry Brooks:No. I'm we met this summer. I'm not a big thing on going out. I know some districts do that and it's great if they offer the two or three days of PD and we're going pay you to be able to do that. But I think there are also some districts that require it And I think that's very invasive on teachers during the school year.
Gerry Brooks:Because, you know, 90% of the time a phone call too. And you have a lot of people that would not want people. Yeah. You know, we, you know, we Kelly taught at a Christian school. And I don't know that I would've wanted those teachers in my house because we we're in a very bougie school and we're living in a rough neighborhood.
Gerry Brooks:And I you know, so I if it's open and if it's being paid for teachers, but I I definitely think and if it's a teacher, I definitely think that if you've got some kids and you're already that child that you would, oh gosh, you should be visiting. I mean, if you're you're worried that there's gonna be a child and there's
Kevin:gonna be behavior or you've heard there's a
Gerry Brooks:parent that's on Facebook all the time, that's a parent that you could go to. It takes fifteen minutes. You could do one a week and, you know, one after church, one on Sunday, you know, and go and visit those. Anything that you think might be any kind of issue, a student is tremendously struggling, they were retained, they have behavior issues, those types of visits can really help the school year and punch it off to a good start.
Kevin:And did you feel that helped increase, family engagement as well? It does. I mean, side of it.
Gerry Brooks:Yeah. Family engagement is very tricky because family engagement just depends on a lot of factors. You know, I can say family engagement is pizza. You know? Then my family engagement tripled, up there.
Gerry Brooks:My thing with family engagement is I think that we sometimes put too much emphasis on it because we have some families that can't. They just can't. It's not that they don't want to, but you got three jobs. Well, you know, you can't, you know, the homework is, you know, reading every night is not an option. And some of them have no jobs.
Gerry Brooks:And do you know how stressful that is? And now you want me to sit down and read with my job for thirty minutes. Oh, it should be easy. You don't have a job. Well, if I'm not don't have a job, I'm consumed.
Kevin:Absolutely.
Gerry Brooks:With how I'm going to get milk in the refrigerator. So, you know, I love family involvement. I love getting them in. I I love the opportunities where they can just, you know, the the fairs and the arts arts and humanities things, the book fair nights and things like that but I think a lot is just offering to families and allowing them and not pushing, not giving awards, you know, for you know, anybody that does this book report of this thing because you have some that can't. Offer it to them.
Gerry Brooks:And if they do it, that's great. If not, you've offered to them and you've got 10 out of 50 out of 25 that did it.
Kevin:Go ahead. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Kevin:I heard you wanting to jump Well, in
Jordan:was just, you know, I I love all the conversation about the classroom educators, but wondering if this is a good time to start kinda moving into maybe the administrator I
Kevin:thought I was gonna
Jordan:Oh, Sweet. Good job.
Kevin:So Right.
Kevin:Go ahead.
Jordan:Are you just gonna leave me here?
Kevin:Yeah. I'm no. I'm gonna let
Kevin:you add. I'm gonna let you stay right there. Go ahead. Sorry.
Jordan:But just, you know, moving to what administrators either for in either those veins of what they can do in this starting school year towards families or to their their teachers, the teachers in their building or those things I don't know where we want to start.
Gerry Brooks:Well, kind of applies the same way. Mean, I think the principals for the first month of school need to be in the classrooms every single day and you need to send more time in your classroom than you do in the office and that's not always the case. You can't always do that. But this first month of school where the kids need to see you and the teachers need to see you. And if you spend an hour and a half in the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon going around visiting every single classroom, seeing everybody for five minutes, ten minutes here, switching those times up so you're not always hitting reading or always hitting math and being very prevalent and seen.
Gerry Brooks:Then when you have a week where you're pulled 19 different places, it's not going to be a big deal. But I think it's very important for principals to be out and be seen that first week of school out at car rider line. They should be doing car rider duty, dismissal duty. They should be at the bus line. And if you have a district that is overwhelming you with all these things, then you just say, I'm not going do that.
Gerry Brooks:And it also may be that this is the time frame where you have to put in the extra time. I'm not a big believer in staying until six and 07:00 at night. I think that's ridiculous. You know, get organized, get it at, get there an hour early as a principal. I'm always an early person because nobody's in the building and the things you can get done from six to seven in the morning, you can't get done from three to four because three to four, there's always someone looking for you.
Gerry Brooks:There's always a parent. There's the soccer team that wants to come in and get water. Get there in the early. But that first month of school, I didn't do district All the district stuff was done at night. I would either take it home or it would be at 06:30 because there was so much going on that first month of school, making sure kids were getting where they needed to be, making sure that discipline and classroom management was where it needed to be, checking in all the new teachers, visiting all the classrooms that that first month is a little bit more stressful for principals because I do think that's when you have to take more time.
Gerry Brooks:Once you get it settled and after that first month and everybody's classroom management is going well, the new teachers are settled, you've got some things in place for those that are struggling, then you can coast a little bit and go home a little bit earlier and you've got time to do the extra things that Central Office wants you to do. But that first month, need to spend a tremendous amount of time in the classrooms, out of your office, not in your office, which means you're going to have things to do after school that you needed to have done during school, but you can't because you're in the classrooms all the time. So I think that's a big thing with them is getting in there and involved. And I also think it's a relationship too. They need to ask around and ask about the kids.
Gerry Brooks:Ask, you know, I all of our kids, we we the teachers brought their kids to our school. I literally had a conversation on the plane about a girl that's going to go to college and where was she going to go to college? She's going be a dancer And I had her in kindergarten through fifth grade. And the principals need to go through and say how she doing? What's going on?
Gerry Brooks:And did they go how was college? You know, did they get to know the parents so that you can have those conversations, the teachers as parents because you've had those kids. And so sometimes I think we think of them as teachers only and we forget that they're parents too. And even if they're not a parent in your child, in your school, they're still a parent. And that's a way to their heart like it is a way to eat a parent's heart.
Gerry Brooks:So, I want to go around and ask about all the kids and find out what's going on even if they're not our school. How's it going at, you know, at JR Ewen? You know, I know she's not here. I wish she was with us but how's it going? Are you liking it?
Gerry Brooks:And get involved personally with the with the teachers also. Principal wise, I think, you know, they need to be seen a lot but it's it's very difficult. I've seen the downfall of some principals trying to get relationships with every parent. 800 parents.
Jordan:Yeah. You can't do it.
Gerry Brooks:You you can't. You you you just can't. My sister professor was great at it, but it just, you know, I feel like that principals should concentrate on building positive relationships with their staff and having positive relationships with the parents. But if you focus in on the staff, they will in turn focus on the parents of their classroom and it all gets taken into. So, I really try to focus in on the staff for the first month, visiting as much as possible, always being aware with parents in Colorado Line, bus duty, in the lunch room because as parents are coming in and visiting and seeing and talking with them there but really spend a lot of time with relationships with the staff.
Kevin:So, what can they be doing just maybe some four, five, maybe three, whatever, practical steps that assistant principal or principal who even they're coming into the role new.
Gerry Brooks:Right.
Kevin:That right now during the summer as they're they're getting ready to come go back to school and start. What are some practical steps that they can do to to prep themselves to get ready for that?
Gerry Brooks:Well, I think the biggest thing you can do as a new principal is not to change anything. And that sounds really stupid. But even when it's going bad I just think that that that one of the biggest downfalls I've seen from new assistance or new principles. Is going in and deciding this is my school and I'm going to do things this way. When you have no clue, I mean you don't have, you're at a brand new school, you have no clue what the dynamics are, what the climate and culture are, and you're going to get 16 different answers and this teacher is going to think it's the best school in the world and this thing is what we're, I think that you need to spend this first six months making sure that the school runs positively by supporting all the teachers and then start slowly making changes because I think I've seen a big downfall when someone comes in, tries to make all these changes, we're going to do all these things, find out what the principal did, either good or bad.
Gerry Brooks:Find out what the principal did, how things were run, and don't go in shaking every bush. If there's something negative going on that that was very detrimental in the school, then that obviously needs to be addressed but step in there as a bystander and look and just watch what's going on for the first six months, first half of school year, get to December, see what's going on, and then make changes there because you're going to have people that were very dedicated to the old staff and if you don't do what they want, they're to leave and that's good. They can leave But go in and see what's going on, see how things are working, look for the leaders that step up naturally, look for the people that struggling which step up naturally, don't assume, oh, third grade is really low, they're struggling teachers. Well, may not be the case. It may be they didn't have a good relationship with They may be the best grade level that you have there.
Gerry Brooks:But if you go in there with that mindset of this is what the principal told me, this is what the things are going on, I just think that you really need to take a big step back, run the school through supporting the staff that is there and then make your changes once things have gotten rolling and going good.
Kevin:Now how about for the, it's a little drastic, but it could be realistic. How about for the one that is coming in the district says, Hey, I'm bringing you in because you're the man and this is a failing school and you better turn it around.
Gerry Brooks:And that does happen. And I think if that's the case, then you need to pick your five things. Pick the because here's the thing. Bottom line is you probably have 30 things you need to change.
Kevin:Yeah.
Gerry Brooks:But go in there and say this is what we're going to be doing. Everybody will be at staff meeting and we will do them once a week and you will also do a team meeting once a week. Here's the agenda. I mean, set that up for success. Set them up for success.
Gerry Brooks:This is the expectation. Here are the five major things. Maybe the 10 major things that we will be doing. Let them know right away, and then hold them to that. There are some people that need to come in there that way and a lot of districts will come in and change around and say, you've turned this school around.
Gerry Brooks:Now, we want you to turn that school around. Unfortunately, I have found that district office doesn't really know what's going on in schools. And so sometimes the turnaround, know, what they're saying needs to be turned around is not really what needs to be turned around. So if you're coming into what they would consider an F school or a failing school or a struggling school or a negative situation. Think about what the district expects, what the expectations are, where they're probably always going be around test scores, come up with five or 10 things of these are my non negotiables.
Gerry Brooks:This is what I would do. Everything else we will work with, come to me with your ideas. And then stick with those non negotiables and they will see, he means we are going to be at staff meetings once a week and we're to have a and nobody's out because schools that are like that, you know, one teacher's not there this week, one teacher's not there next week, they skipping out. Come up with your non negotiables. This is what we're doing.
Gerry Brooks:Hold everybody accountable for it and then open it up to the leadership that's there in building a better place.
Kevin:And what are some suggestions that you would give to, and maybe you don't want to keep all the staff, you know, but to gain that staff commitment to say, hey, let's do this together. What are some suggestions that you would give to say, hey, if you're coming into that as a principal, here are some things that you should do.
Gerry Brooks:Well, I would first say, don't blame it on the district but blame it on the district. You need to be able to stand up there and say, look, we I have been placed here because this is a struggling school. Everybody knows that. You know that. So there are certain things that we are absolutely going to do and we're going to do them.
Gerry Brooks:However, my door is always open. And if you see something that we are doing that either the district is requiring or that I'm requiring that you think is not good for students, all you have to do is come in and talk to me about it. I'm not saying that I will change my mind, but I will certainly listen to you and I will certainly get your ideas because you're in the classroom. And I'm in the office and I'm running around with 99 teachers and six classes per grade level, so I can't see everything. So if the things they've set out for me to do, if the expectations they have for me, and now I'm putting them on you, if you absolutely disagree with something, come and talk to me about it.
Gerry Brooks:I'm not going to say I'm going to change it, but I'm certainly going to listen and I'm going to listen to the experts that are in this building and say, why do you believe this is something that we don't need to do? And then we can always reevaluate that. And I always ask for somebody on every grade level. You can call it leadership or you can call it a rotation. I want one person from every grade level.
Gerry Brooks:You all decide. That way what's going to happen is half of them are going to send the person that they think is the leader. It's generally if it's a negative situation, it's not the leader, it's the negative person. Yeah. Because they're the ones complaining but then you hash that out right then and there.
Gerry Brooks:They see you as a leader. You're meeting with them once a week. You've got one person from every grade level, one person from specialist, one person from special ed. If it's all the negative people, well you've got them all in one room, and they don't agree. They're all gonna be negative together.
Kevin:They all put the leader in there.
Gerry Brooks:They all put that you're the best teacher, want your I mean, so it works that way too to say, I want input. I need one person from every grade level, one person from specials, one person from special ed and we're going to meet, it's going to be extra. We're going to meet once an hour and then just use that timeframe to talk, to discuss, ask what they were and use the people that are in the building.
Kevin:That's good. The other side, you got a great school. You got a principal that's been there twenty years. How about for that principal?
Gerry Brooks:Well, and that's happened in my district too. The district doesn't know. What the district thinks is great is not often great. And I think that the same type of thing, you need to go there and see what is working, what's not working. If it's a school, what I have found, it has a lot more to do with real estate than it does anything else.
Gerry Brooks:So, all of sudden, you've been placed in this great school and they're the greatest school ever. We went on of the top school when I was the first principal, my first year as principal. We were doing observations and we went to the end all be all school that I thought that's absolutely the school that I want to be at. Every one of the teachers in the seven classrooms that I sat at that I observed in were sitting at their desk and every student was on a worksheet. They were in the bougiest area.
Gerry Brooks:Their parents are coming from $750,000 homes to $2,000,000 homes. They didn't need someone up in front of them. They could all learn and they were the highest test scores and it was not a good situation and the district was absolutely clueless. So I think you first need to step in there going just because the test scores are great doesn't mean everything's going fantastic. And go in there and say, yes, this is a great school.
Gerry Brooks:We've got a great reputation. How can we make it even better? How can we make it where everybody in the district wants to be a part of this team? Everybody in the building is happy here because we are supporting you and doing what we need to do. Test scores are where they need to do.
Gerry Brooks:Parents are happy and then kind of go from there. But I think that there is a big misnomer. I'm anxious to see what happens in our district in a couple of schools where people are stepping into what our superintendent feels like is the best school ever. And everybody else in the realm is going, there's a lot of problems at that school but they're completely ignoring and I think it'll be an easy fix. I think it will be a very easy fix but I think you have to step in there knowing that good reputations and bad reputations are really and truly often dependent on somebody that has no clue whatsoever.
Gerry Brooks:It's people from the church that say, oh, that's a great school and they
Jordan:have no clue.
Gerry Brooks:It's people from Central office that the only reason it's not a clue is because they don't get calls from parents. Yeah. Well, that just maybe a good communicator. All you gotta have is a good counselor to stop the calls from the parents. And they may not know the school is falling apart, but they've got three great counselors that are dealing with it all.
Gerry Brooks:Oh, that's the best school ever. Well, really and truly, it's the best three counselors. And if you really stepped into it, the principal didn't know what they're doing. So I would say step into it with open mind knowing you've obviously it's got a reputation. What can you do to further that reputation and make sure that the reputation is true?
Kevin:So I'm going to throw it on the other side. Is when is a good time? Because because again, for me, this could have to do with coming into a new school year that transition to summertime and all that. For a principal and you've been that how long you're a prince? You've been a principal for
Gerry Brooks:seventeen years.
Kevin:Seventeen years. So, you understand that process. What at what point does a principal look and say, hey, maybe it's time I step aside.
Gerry Brooks:I think that when you're miserable, I think it when it starts to negatively affect your your life and you are sitting in your car for ten minutes before you go in, it's it's it's the time it's time to go. It it just really and truly, I I also think that if you have tremendous staff turnover, you need to look at yourself as a leader. And that was one of the big stresses. And I think I even talked about this on on the last time I I
Kevin:met with you guys.
Gerry Brooks:Yeah. If your school is having tremendous staff staff turnover, that is a you issue. And if you continue year after year after after year, year, you really need to rethink. Do I need to go into central law? If you're loving the leadership point, can I go in and be a curriculum person?
Gerry Brooks:Could I be an assistant somewhere? But we continue to have schools that have tremendous turnover and they blame it on everything except for the leadership. And I have been at schools where teachers will go at a ref school, where there's somebody throwing a book and somebody throwing a chair because the leadership is good. And I've been at great schools where people are leaving nonstop because the principal is the administration is not doing good. So I think the first thing that you need to look at is do I have a tremendous staff turnover and don't make excuses because that's generally the first thing that a struggling principal would do.
Gerry Brooks:They will blame it on everything else. Well, you know, that we we have struggling kids and we don't have supportive parents. A teacher will stay at a school without supportive parents if they have supportive administrators. And then if you just are miserable, I don't think anybody should be miserable. And I've said, had that conversation with teachers.
Gerry Brooks:Are you happy? Because you look absolutely miserable. And you look like you're miserable leaving and you look like you're miserable coming. Are you happy? Is this what you need do?
Gerry Brooks:It's hard. If that's your degree and you've done it for twenty years, what else are you going to do now as a principal? Are you going to go back into the classroom and make what $25,000 less, 30,000, 40,000, maybe more just because it's not going very well. But I also think it can take such a toll on your mental health when you are either miserable or you are just every single year. I mean, I literally know principals that interview all summer long because they are losing nineteen and twenty staff members at a 50 member school, a 50 staff member school.
Kevin:Wow.
Gerry Brooks:And they are not waking up to the idea that hold on a minute, this might be something that I'm doing. Maybe I need to go back into the assistant principal for a little while. Go under somebody, learn, and then do it but I just I don't I think that you run a risk of mental health issues if you continue to stay in a job where you have such tremendous staff turnover or you were literally sitting in your car for five minutes and not getting out because you're miserable and think I can do this. I can, you're having to hype yourself up like a football game. Yeah.
Gerry Brooks:To walk into the building. And I've seen principals that do that. They sit in their car for fifteen minutes because they're thinking, I don't know if I can do this today. And we're, you know, here we are in August. Well, you got ten months.
Gerry Brooks:Maybe this is not the job for you. If it's in August and you're stressing it.
Kevin:And why is this, why is that so hard? Why do you think that is so hard for just, I mean, for not just principles, mean, humanity for people to be able to look and say, maybe it is me.
Gerry Brooks:Maybe Yeah.
Kevin:I'm the I'm the one in all of this. It all comes back to me.
Gerry Brooks:When it comes to staff turnover, I don't get it. I don't get why I mean, I will sit this with somebody and they're there and I'm thinking, do you have it was me, I would be scared to even open my mouth. If I was at a table with 10 principals and I lost staff every single year, I would be thinking, what do I have to add to this conversation? Can't even keep my own staff. And they don't see that.
Gerry Brooks:It also has to do with there are always loyal staff. And at every school, even the absolute worst schools in the entire world, you will find someone who is feeding that principal. You're the best ever. You're wonderful. You're great because those principals tend to favor those people.
Gerry Brooks:And they know if they just say, I'd never leave here because they get what they want to. So I also think pay is a big thing. I mean, when you get to the point now, you just can't leave a job. I mean, this is like teaching. If I said, would you be a para?
Gerry Brooks:If you could keep the same job, 90% of them would say, absolutely, yes. I could be with the kids. I wouldn't have parent teacher conferences but a teacher is not just going to go. This job is so stressful but I want to stay with the kids so I'm going go be a para. A principal is not going to do.
Gerry Brooks:I love working with kids. I want I'm going to go be a teacher because the pay jump is so different. Pairs are wonderful. I'm thinking about how great it would be to be a para. Yeah.
Gerry Brooks:To work all that. Now, the pay is horrible. Yeah. But you know, you're walking out the door when the bell rings, you're not doing parent teacher conferences, you're not on the phone with a parent, and then you get all the joy of the relationships, all the joy of working with the kids, but the pay is horrible. If we could do a thing where everybody's pay was the same, I don't think we'd have principals.
Gerry Brooks:Who would want to be principals? Mean, there would, the people that have that leadership skills and love that would rise to that occasion. But why in the world would you, you know, want to be in charge of 800 when you could have a classroom of 25 and you know, affect those 25 kids for ten months. So, I think pay has a lot to do with it too. We get stuck in a pay scale that we can't get out of.
Gerry Brooks:So. As
Jordan:we kind of kinda close a little bit, we're getting to that time. But I wanted to know a little bit, specifically, what your what was your favorite part of a new school year as you kinda got ready for the school year? What did you look forward to the most?
Gerry Brooks:My favorite part is always probably the first week watching the teachers work so hard to build those relationships.
Jordan:Mhmm.
Gerry Brooks:And it it just going into classrooms and seeing the things that they're doing. You know, a lot of times they spend the first week making sure rules are making sure the classroom management is correct. And so, they're not focused on test scores and the lesson and all this. The lessons are more fun because really, it's not about the math lesson. It's about whether you can put that paper over there, get your pencil, sit down with your group and answer three questions.
Gerry Brooks:When in order to do that, you don't really focus on the questions, you focus on that type of classroom management thing. So, first two weeks is always great for me because people are going through kindergarten classrooms where the kids go no nothing. Know, I mean, it really is. Two, I mean, sometimes even a month to six weeks worth of, we're still working on classroom management because they can't walk down the hallway in a line there And it's just so nice to see that because then by the time month two comes around you're looking, look at all these kids. Look at how much growth they have not academic but look at the fact that we've got 800 kids walking through this hallway, the bells ring, lunchroom is fine and seeing that those cogs work in place that first two weeks of school, I always just loved it.
Gerry Brooks:And the excitement everybody coming back in. Yeah. Everybody coming back in from that knowing and just jumping right back in there with your friends and your family because it is your family. It's your family for ten months. And some of them have not seen each other for the last two and a half months.
Gerry Brooks:And now all a sudden they're back in there and you know and then the excitement of sports, know football and band and you know it just it kind of takes you back to your own school. If you had a good situation, a good experience, it's school is fun and it should be and you kinda jump right back in there. Yeah.
Kevin:What was as you look back over all your years, what was one of the coolest things that a teacher, one of your staff did for you as as principal?
Gerry Brooks:Oh, I think that one of the best things that ever happened was it was a birthday party that was just super, super, super personalized. Because it just showed me that they knew exactly who I who I was, and I absolutely love that. The birthday cake was a can of Campbell Soup, and I eat Campbell's soup cold. I I then they all they grosses them out. But I eat chicken noodle soup, and I pop the can, and I eat it right out of the can.
Jordan:That is gross.
Gerry Brooks:But the cake was actually a chicken noodle soup, and all the presents were I mean, it just all the presents were no. Wasn't. It's good to know that. Then to you know what I'm saying? Absolutely.
Gerry Brooks:It was one of those things where they they're like, we see you. You know, the notes about that and I always say and I think I talked about this last time I was here. One of the biggest things was when my son was in the football playoffs And he was in football players four years in a row. Because they were at little one A school and they recruited and they had a great football team. So it wasn't a big deal to me.
Gerry Brooks:Yeah. It from kindergarten on, we were going to state championships. Well, when he got up there, if you're in public school, that's a huge thing.
Kevin:Oh, yeah.
Gerry Brooks:It's a huge thing to go even to playoffs. Well, I didn't recognize it because we were in the playoffs every year but the teachers did and they celebrated him. And for them to say, LCA, who is your child's school is going good luck, sending me things, decorating my office. It made me realize how spoiled I am to know that we are at such a good school that we're always, it's just kind of happened. But it wasn't until I was there with my public school teachers and even private school teachers that didn't have that privilege of being at that school that had such a good team but yet they there they were supporting Jared, supporting and I even love that now when they get involved with my kids and ask about my kids.
Gerry Brooks:So, think probably the biggest thing was personal relationships went so beyond just the classroom. Them knowing me, wanting to know me, me knowing them. Mean, I think teaching is like no other. And if you do it right, it's the best career ever.
Kevin:Awesome. If you
Gerry Brooks:do it wrong,
Kevin:it's miserable. Get out quick.
Gerry Brooks:So get to know your principal. I mean, ask him. I mean, that, you know, we have teachers that expect the principal to run around and know everything but yet they don't know if it, you know, the principal's daughter is on the volleyball team. You know, why do you not know that? Or is she doing good in college?
Gerry Brooks:Why do you not know that? Get to know them like you would. It didn't you don't have to go to spring break with them. You don't have to spend the weekend with them, but get to know them personally just like you enjoy someone asking about your spouse and how they're doing and your kids and how they're doing. Do the same thing with the principal and the administration, assistant principals, and secretaries.
Kevin:Just be human.
Gerry Brooks:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How hard is that?
Gerry Brooks:Yeah. Yeah.
Kevin:Some people, it's really hard. Unfortunately.
Kevin:Unfortunately, it is. Yeah.
Kevin:The Go on.
Jordan:You keep starting sentences.
Kevin:I know. I do, but then I realized I'm I'm maybe I'm asking all the question. You're here.
Jordan:It's fine.
Kevin:Jordan's here with me.
Kevin:Oh, yeah.
Kevin:Sitting in
Jordan:that seat. So it's nice to just observe for a little bit. Know? You can just kinda glean some wisdom.
Kevin:Well, I was gonna ask what is again, as we're bringing it down, what is some advice that you would give to two ways what is it some advice that maybe one two things at the max that you would say teachers you're going in new new school year here's how you can really help your principal your administration And then on the other side, administrators, here's a couple of things that I would suggest that either I did or I've seen done that would really help encourage your teachers as you're coming into a new school year. Right.
Gerry Brooks:Well, I think the number one thing for principals is to is to support them publicly and criticize privately and I have absolutely no problem with someone coming in saying you're doing something wrong but it doesn't need to be in a staff meeting. And I think that you need to support the principal unless they are doing something that is blatantly against kids and negative. I love the teachers that would even the negative teachers. I love when they would come and close the door because it was a it was a two way conversation. They weren't chewing me out.
Gerry Brooks:They they were saying I just agree with the fact that you're letting the teacher's kids play soccer in the hallway in the afternoon. And I would say, well, they're here till 06:00. Those kids are here till 06:00. I see that as a freedom that we can give them. And they would say, I'm trying to work in my room.
Gerry Brooks:And we would have a back and forth. And it never bothered me. I never felt like I was being jumped on and I said that from the the from day one, if you have something, come directly to me. If you're not comfortable with that, come with a friend. Find the bully girl teacher because she will be more than willing to come to my office because you do have some teachers that have great ideas but they would never say anything because they think it's a disrespectful thing.
Gerry Brooks:It's not a disrespectful thing. It's a, this is what I'm thinking, this is what you're thinking, and we're thinking the opposite thing. So, I think that they need to, you know, always support publicly and criticize privately and build that relationship with them. And I also think that you need to have three to one. Three praises to one criticism.
Gerry Brooks:I mean, don't just because I say that doesn't mean you need to be in my office closing the door five days a week. Sure. I need to hear every once in a while that you like something that I'm doing because if it's just critical, then it does end up being a negative relationship and that principal just sees that's just negative person and at some point, it's like I tell the people that that teacher that complains five days a week. When they call on Monday, you don't take the phone call because they've been complied in five days a week but the parent that never called but tells you you did a good job and since you're a good post note, when they call on Monday, it's the first person that you call and so don't get to the point where you're so comfortable that everything out of your mouth is negative. Make the positives in there but go and close the door and be very open and honest with your principal.
Kevin:Awesome. Now the second The second part was principals to teachers. The administration to teach.
Gerry Brooks:I think that you need to be very, very, very light your criticism. I just think it's very easy to be very, very critical, especially when you get stressed out about things. I think that you need to always try to be as positive as absolute possible and come around the back door for negative things because I think that there are teachers one thing they will think about for weeks and months. And I used to say things flippantly and say things like, you know, a guy was a little bit loud in there today, you know, and then, you know, a month and a half later, she's still talking about me saying her classroom was a little bit loud. And so, I think you need to be very careful with your criticisms.
Gerry Brooks:Sometimes making it a joke is not they don't take it that way even if that's your personality. They take on everything you say because the bottom line is you're the boss. So, be very very careful with your criticism. Make it as constructive as it possibly can be, make it a two way conversation, but be careful because everything you say they take on and they sleep about it and they don't, they lose sleep for weeks on end about something you said passing in the car rider line that you don't even remember saying. And so just be very careful with how you interact with them.
Kevin:Good. That's good stuff.
Jordan:Has been a wonderful You got something else?
Gerry Brooks:You're starting again.
Kevin:Yeah, I am. I start again. Because I was thinking about it last time. I just wanna know, have you gotten to Vietnam yet?
Gerry Brooks:I've not. Oh, I've got a big bucket list, but unfortunately, I'm I'm my bucket list is getting smaller because we're it it you know, life is
Kevin:Life is.
Gerry Brooks:Life is taking over. And so, yeah, there's a lot of bucket list and lots of different things. I might go to Turkey. I'm hoping to be able go to Turkey, at some point soon. But now with everything Kelly is going through, you know, travel is kind of back on plans and now babies, plans.
Gerry Brooks:I, you know, I think that we had this idea that when we retire, we were going to be this great retired couple traveling all over the place. And I thought, where did we ever come up with that idea? Mean, we've got grandkids, we've got kids. What made us think we were just going to be able to get on a plane once a month and go somewhere? Just doesn't
Kevin:I mean, it might eventually.
Kevin:That Winnebago is still sitting in the yard, Yeah.
Kevin:I mean,
Gerry Brooks:and then I'm thinking, when is that gonna be even when they're in high school? I'm gonna I'm not gonna wanna miss a volleyball game. I'm not gonna wanna miss a man competition or a drama competition. When am I gonna get to travel that way? So, that bucket list is getting smaller, but it's still, there are still many, many places I would like to be able to visit.
Gerry Brooks:We're trying to do something, at least every six months that fun either with friends or some. I think that's important just to be able to relax and enjoy your life. I always say your paycheck is not about electric bills and car payments. It's also a reward for a job well done. If that means a cruise, that means a trip, you need to plan those and look forward to those for a year or two years.
Jordan:Well, has been a wonderful conversation.
Gerry Brooks:Yes, it has.
Jordan:I've been more of an observer and that's great. I love that. But just hearing all these things of what educators can be doing and teachers can be doing and just your overall encouragement to the education world of what they're doing. Your recognition, I think you bring something specifically unique because you've sat in all the chairs Mhmm. Along the way, and I really appreciate that.
Jordan:I know our listeners appreciate that Yeah. As well. Thank you, Kevin. Also, Glad
Gerry Brooks:we got to do it right here. That's right.
Kevin:Right. Beginning of August. Right when this is the most important time to do this.
Gerry Brooks:Tell Gerry Chang, we got the most important person first.
Kevin:Oh, got it. There we go. Go go ahead. Go ahead and tell Gerry. Gerry, if you're watching this.
Gerry Brooks:You can look right in
Kevin:Kevin said, I
Gerry Brooks:was no. That's one of my favorite things about this conference is you have such great speaker. I mean, I'm already getting ready to do a video with the with the pretzels that are in my room and. Yeah, it's awesome. That's right.
Gerry Brooks:And you know, they they those blow up because people, you know, it it it is. You you you all are blessed and you do such a great job of of picking high quality people and not only just for the keynotes, for all the sessions And I love that it ends up being a family that we can joke around and goof off and see people and take pictures and wave at. And you all have just done a great job with a great conference.
Jordan:Thank you. Thank you Your for additional check is in the mail.
Gerry Brooks:Yes, there you go.
Kevin:For that. He got extra pretzels. Gerry, he got
Gerry Brooks:that because Gerry will be gone.
Kevin:Want the pretzels now. He'll want pretzels too.
Gerry Brooks:Right. Yeah. That's Kim.
Kevin:Kim will want the Yeah.
Kevin:Kim will
Kevin:want the pretzels. Yeah.
Gerry Brooks:But great. Alright.
Jordan:Let's land this plane.
Kevin:That's right. Let's get out
Jordan:of here. But thank you. Yes. Thank you. For joining us.
Kevin:For being here.
Jordan:Yep. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you all for being educators and teachers and doing what you do. I'll say for all of us, we recognize how difficult teaching can be. Absolutely.
Jordan:And we all appreciate Especially this
Gerry Brooks:time of year.
Jordan:We all appreciate the work that you guys put into it. So go have a great year this year. Thank you for joining us. And we'll see you on the next episode.