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Developing a Voice

10/13/2019

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By: Taya 


​Welcome!

Hi ya’ll! My name is Taya and I am a reoccuring voice on the Award Winning Culture Podcast by Wildcat Nation. I’m so glad to finally be writing a blog about my experiences as a podcaster and as a student leader. I was so scared to host the very first podcast in August of 2018 but eventually those nerves wore off and I was just so excited for the entire experience.
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My first ever podcast interview with VP & CMO of Motivating Systems: Andrew Epperson. We loved talking to him about PBIS Rewards!

The real question

It's not very surprising that hosting a podcast would be scary and nerve racking the first time. The question I had to ask myself was: will people actually judge me for my mistakes here? The answer was NO!  People aren’t going to hear me stutter and think “what a loser,” they just won’t. Because it takes guts to interview someone in a higher power or status. If they don't realize that, they have no right to judge!

The thing about voice

A voice is defined as expressing an opinion or attitude in words. Having a voice is one of the most amazing and wonderful things. Because of my understanding that I was being brave to use my voice, thinking of others judging me just didn't mean as much. I’m so fortunate to have my voice heard through the podcasts and this blog. Personally I have always wanted to share knowledge, ideas, and advice with anyone I could reach. And now I have a platform. I know that not everyone has the same chances as I do, but I encourage you to find your voice and spread your personal message with the world. You can do this through blogs, podcasts, online videos, stories, quotations, and so much more.
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My friend Macey and I got to join Barbara Gruener on her podcast Character Speaks last year.

What it's Like

Yes, it can still be frightening to Take the L.E.A.P into podcasting.  It’s a risk for sure! But the idea of helping to share the ideas of these extraordinary and inspiring people, makes all the worries worth it. As someone who loves public speaking, finding a voice isn’t as hard as it is for some people. But no matter if you love public speaking or are a quieter person, finding your voice and sharing your words can affect others in such remarkably positive ways.  

Our society needs your uniqueness...will you join me, to share your thoughts and ideas with the world?
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​I ENCOURAGE educators, parents, and leaders alike to help students (LIKE ME) discover the JOY of feeling heard.

Here’s a few of my favorite podcasts I’ve recorded:

About the Author

Taya has a strong history of student leadership at Enterprise Middle School.  Last year, she was the ASB Activities Coordinator and this year has stepped into her current role of President.  She balances exceptional classroom performance with sports and theater. Taya is at the heartbeat of Wildcat Nation!  Taya is trying to build influence in her community and share her ideals and advice with as many as she can.

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LEsson #8:  The wet shoe

8/11/2019

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Written by:  Jennifer Appel  
Based on the stories told by:  Paul Dowdy
I am sad to say that this is the last story of the summer.  I have loved telling my father’s stories and learning from them again.  I am excited to start a new school year with this renewed energy that these stories have brought back into my life.  I hope that you have learned as much as I have and take some of these ideas with you as you enter a bright new school year!
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“Without patience, we will learn less in life.  We will see less. We will feel less. We will hear less.  Ironically, rush and more usually mean less.”
​Mother Teresa


​My dad was one of the only men in his school so he was frequently called upon often to check on the boys restroom.    On one occasion, he received a call from a teacher who was concerned about a student who had gone to the bathroom and had not returned.  He had been gone for about 20 minutes and they were concerned that he was causing mischief in the bathroom or was really sick.  So my dad headed to the classroom and told the teacher he would go to the bathroom and see if he was okay.

As he entered the bathroom he noticed the student was standing at the urinal and was singing as he relieved himself.  You could tell he was taking his time and enjoying his time in the bathroom. The young boy obviously didn’t hear my dad enter the bathroom, so he wanted to make sure that he knew he was behind him.  He walked closer to the student and called him by his name. As I said, the student had no idea my dad was there, he was having too much fun singing. He was so startled when my dad said his name that he suddenly spun around to look at my dad but unfortunately was not finished with his “business”.  So when he turned, he didn’t stop peeing and it landed all over my dad’s shoes. 
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This is a situation that my dad learned a valuable lesson from, it is best to show PATIENCE when confronting a student.   If you don’t show PATIENCE you may have wet shoes and a lot of clean-up!

Do you REACT to a situation instead of showing PATIENCE?

How can we show PATIENCE for students who demonstrate avoidance or insubordination?

What have you learned from an Award Winning Principal that you can apply to your school this year?

About the Author

Jennifer Appel is a teacher at Enterprise Middle School.  She has been teaching for 20 years.  Her passion for education comes from growing up in at education driven family (4th generation) and wanting to help and serve others.  She is now driven to create an environment where all students are able to learn and become passionate about serving others.  Jennifer can be contacted through email at awardwinningculture@gmail.com.  You can follow her on twitter at @jennifermappel.  Follow AWC @awculture on instagram @awardwinningculture.  Follow Wildcat Nation on instagram @emsleadership.  #WildcatNation #AwardWinningCulture
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Paul Dowdy is a retired elementary school teacher and principal.  Paul was in education for more than 40 years.  Paul created cultures of excellence at every school he taught at or lead.  Paul was also an adjunct professor at 3 different universities in the state of Washington and a regional director for Heritage University.  Paul has shared his stories all around the state of Washington in the form of presentations.  He's passionate about children and that reflected in all of his work as a reading specialist and his study of the brain and how that drives instruction.  Paul is not on social media...but can be reached near any body of water that's conducive to shadow casting! #FlyFishing
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Lesson #7:  Scattered sagebrush

8/5/2019

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Written by:  Jennifer Appel  
Based on the stories told by:  Paul Dowdy

“The time is ALWAYS right to do what is right.”
​ Martin Luther King Jr.

Some days being the head principal is difficult you have to make decisions that affect a lot of people’s lives.  You have to support students, parents, and the community. You have a challenging job and have to deal with a few things you are not expecting!  This was one of those situations that I am talking about, my dad was very surprised to deal with this one.
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One day as my dad sat in his office he had a patron that lived across the street from the school come in to visit.  He could tell that she was really distressed and needed to talk to him immediately. On this particular day the wind was blowing very hard (we should probably be called the “little windy city”)  We also live in a dessert, so there are leaves and sagebrush that blow all over the playground and into the neighborhood.
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So the woman began to yell and vent that sagebrush was gathering in her front entry by her doorway and that it was all his fault and coming from his school.  My dad kindly showed her RESPECT, by letting her explain why all of this was the schools fault and he was to blame.

She continued to explain her reason for believing it was the liability of the school.  She stated that they had open fields of sagebrush just beyond the fence line on the back side of the playground.  The sagebrush was being blown over the fence, which was only 4 feet high. It was then blowing through the playground area onto the street and then into her yard.  So, with her logic on the sequence of events, it was the school that was responsible for her front door being blocked by sagebrush. 

“WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT, she barked?”
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My dad showed the woman respect by discussing the problem and trying to come up with a solution.  This was a delicate problem, because sagebrush was very common in the area and was everywhere. My dad thought to himself, maybe he could build a huge netted area that would catch the sagebrush or try to redirect the wind to blow away from her house; but, he ultimately knew none of those ideas would work.  He was very nice and told her thank you for stopping by and bringing this to his attention.

So what now…
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Now some leaders mights just forget about this and chalk it up to a crazy person that just wanted someone to clean up her yard.  But an award winning principal takes the time to really care about his community as he/she demonstrates respect and validation to their concerns.  And if at all possible...correct them.  My dad contacted the grounds crew and gave them the concern, they laughed a little at this idea, but respected my father enough to take it seriously.  Eventually, they contacted the woman that lived across the street, cleaned up the area (including her yard), while implementing a solution that made everyone happy. 
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Award Winning Culture listens to everyone and gives them the RESPECT that they deserve. 

After all, What might not be a concern for you, could be something very important to them... 

Do you always respect concerns from your community?

How does your influence with district personnel allow you to truly support and serve your community?

How are you creating a safe environment where all are welcome to come in and see you?

About the Authors

Jennifer Appel is a teacher at Enterprise Middle School.  She has been teaching for 20 years.  Her passion for education comes from growing up in at education driven family (4th generation) and wanting to help and serve others.  She is now driven to create an environment where all students are able to learn and become passionate about serving others.  Jennifer can be contacted through email at awardwinningculture@gmail.com.  You can follow her on twitter at @jennifermappel.  Follow AWC @awculture on instagram @awardwinningculture.  Follow Wildcat Nation on instagram @emsleadership.  #WildcatNation #AwardWinningCulture
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Paul Dowdy is a retired elementary school teacher and principal.  Paul was in education for more than 40 years.  Paul created cultures of excellence at every school he taught at or lead.  Paul was also an adjunct professor at 3 different universities in the state of Washington and a regional director for Heritage University.  Paul has shared his stories all around the state of Washington in the form of presentations.  He's passionate about children and that reflected in all of his work as a reading specialist and his study of the brain and how that drives instruction.  Paul is not on social media...but can be reached near any body of water that's conducive to shadow casting! #FlyFishing
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Lesson #6:  God is Speaking

7/28/2019

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Written by:  Jennifer Appel  
Based on the stories told by:  Paul Dowdy

One day, my dad came home and said one of his kindergarten teachers came into his office and said she wanted to share a story with him that occurred that morning in her classroom.  It was the beginning of the year and Kindergarteners are in a formal school setting for the first time. I love seeing Kinders because everything is new and wonderful! So there are always great stories from Kindergarten teachers, as the kids are so honest and real!  

On the first day of school, my dad always went on the intercom and welcomed all of the students to school and made sure they knew who he was and he cared how much he about them.  It was a small way to wanted to jumpstart a great year.  A lot of principals do announcements, but an Award Winning Principal must still demonstrate HUMILITY, even when they're center stage!  
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So he got on the intercom right after school started.  The kindergarten teacher said that her children listened very intently with great interest and wonderment.  Like I said earlier...everything is so fascinating to them!  The teacher explained that one of the kiddos had wide eyes looking at around obviously listening intently to my dad’s voice.  He then yelled out to the class: 
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“It's God...speaking out of the wall!"

​The kindergarten teacher said that she was about to start laughing but was able to compose herself.  She then explained that it was the principal making an announcement and that it was called an intercom system.
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In an Award Winning Culture you have a lot of influence in your space but need to show Humility even when you are thought of as a "God-like".

What are your first day of school routines?

How might you stayed grounded when unexpected praise or attention comes your way?

Are you able to laugh at yourself and show HUMILITY in situations?

About the Authors

Jennifer Appel is a teacher at Enterprise Middle School.  She has been teaching for 20 years.  Her passion for education comes from growing up in at education driven family (4th generation) and wanting to help and serve others.  She is now driven to create an environment where all students are able to learn and become passionate about serving others.  Jennifer can be contacted through email at awardwinningculture@gmail.com.  You can follow her on twitter at @jennifermappel.  Follow AWC @awculture on instagram @awardwinningculture.  Follow Wildcat Nation on instagram @emsleadership.  #WildcatNation #AwardWinningCulture
​
Paul Dowdy is a retired elementary school teacher and principal.  Paul was in education for more than 40 years.  Paul created cultures of excellence at every school he taught at or lead.  Paul was also an adjunct professor at 3 different universities in the state of Washington and a regional director for Heritage University.  Paul has shared his stories all around the state of Washington in the form of presentations.  He's passionate about children and that reflected in all of his work as a reading specialist and his study of the brain and how that drives instruction.  Paul is not on social media...but can be reached near any body of water that's conducive to shadow casting! #FlyFishing
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Lesson #5:  Bathroom Scream

7/21/2019

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Written by:  Jennifer Appel  
Based on the stories told by:  Paul Dowdy
“No act of KINDNESS...no matter how small is
​ever wasted.” 

​-Aesop

One day my dad was sitting in his office at his desk and he heard a blood curdling scream coming from the lounge area down the hall.  He immediately dashed from his office and ran down the hallway to the lounge. It sounded like someone was being attacked or something terrifying was happening in his school.  He was worried about his staff members as this was an area that only staff was allowed. As he reached the area, [which was only a few large steps away, but felt like a mile] he discovered a young student, with a garbage can in his hand walking into the hallway to empty it into a larger garbage cart.  He could hear a woman sobbing behind the door that the young man had just exited.  

He quickly realized it was a teacher and she was yelling, “he did this”.  He couldn’t figure out what the teacher was saying, but was very concerned with what must have happened.  As he stood there for a few seconds trying to figure out what was going on, the young man came back with the empty garbage can and tried to enter the bathroom again, but discovered it was locked.  My dad started to put the pieces together and understand what must have happened.
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After the teacher was able to compose herself and come out of the bathroom, my dad was very patient and showed KINDNESS toward the teacher and tried to help calm her down and hear her story of what occurred.  Only after listening with empathy, did he begin to share with her the student's motivation on entering the bathroom...

The young man was a student in the district who was in our self-contained special education program.  The special education director and my father had set up a program for this young man to help give him some life skills.  My father was  a principal who loved to have all students in his building. He enjoyed having the district life skills program and hi-cap in his building.  He believed in showing KINDNESS to ALL students and meeting all of their needs. This student came over to my dad’s elementary school every day and was expected to empty all of the trash cans in the building.  He was instructed to empty all of the cans in a specific order and be very quiet and polite as to not interrupt any of the classrooms or any areas in the building where teachers would be working, etc.
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On this particular day, he was working his way around the school emptying the garbage in rooms until he arrived at the teacher lounge bathrooms.  He had already emptied the garbage in the men’s room and then he moved his attention to the women’s restroom. Unfortunately, a female teacher had entered the bathroom a few minutes before he arrived and had neglected to lock the door.  The young man, like he did every day, opened the door grabbed the garbage can and walked out to empty it into the large garbage cart in the main hallway. 

The poor teacher had no idea what was happening and began to scream as though her life was in danger.  The young man was totally oblivious to the teacher screaming and was just doing what he had been taught to do for that day.  He was not being disrespectful to the teacher or probably even registered the fact that he had just seen someone in the restroom, he was just focused on looking at the trash and emptying it.  

The teacher was very upset and of course was reacting on emotion like anyone would in that situation.  She wanted this young man banned from my dad’s school. My dad was able to show KINDNESS to the teacher just as he had the student and talk to her and help her understand what happened.  He explained that the student was just doing as he was told, and had no idea what he had done. He suggested that she make sure and lock the door and that maybe they could keep this wonderful program going.  After some time and prospective, she was able to see the incident from the student's perspective and was also able to show KINDNESS toward him and support the student's continued work at the school.
Award Winning Cultures set up an environment where EVERYONE can show KINDNESS even in a stressful situation.

How have you seen KINDNESS change others perspective on overcoming adversity?
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How might you stay focused on KINDNESS, during challenging moments?

How does your culture support diverse students, programs, and activities?

About the Authors

Jennifer Appel is a teacher at Enterprise Middle School.  She has been teaching for 20 years.  Her passion for education comes from growing up in at education driven family (4th generation) and wanting to help and serve others.  She is now driven to create an environment where all students are able to learn and become passionate about serving others.  Jennifer can be contacted through email at awardwinningculture@gmail.com.  You can follow her on twitter at @jennifermappel.  Follow AWC @awculture on instagram @awardwinningculture.  Follow Wildcat Nation on instagram @emsleadership.  #WildcatNation #AwardWinningCulture
​
Paul Dowdy is a retired elementary school teacher and principal.  Paul was in education for more than 40 years.  Paul created cultures of excellence at every school he taught at or lead.  Paul was also an adjunct professor at 3 different universities in the state of Washington and a regional director for Heritage University.  Paul has shared his stories all around the state of Washington in the form of presentations.  He's passionate about children and that reflected in all of his work as a reading specialist and his study of the brain and how that drives instruction.  Paul is not on social media...but can be reached near any body of water that's conducive to shadow casting! #FlyFishing
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Lesson #4:  The Leaf Pile

7/14/2019

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Written by:  Jennifer Appel  
Based on the stories told by:  Paul Dowdy
During the winter we'd occasionally have extreme cold and snowy mornings.  On one icy morning, the wind chill temperature was 20 below freezing and thus the school district decided to cancel school.
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As the principal, my dad always made a COMMITMENT to be at school even if the schools were closed.  On this particular day he arrived at about 6:30am to make sure everything was ok with the school and so he could greet any school employees or parents in case they had missed the announcement [this was long before the internet...when you had to listen to the radio to hear about delays and closures].  In an Award Winning Culture you you make a COMMITMENT to serve your school community even when the school day has been cancelled.  This form of altruism can help provide an igloo of safety in the harsh reality of a frozen campus.    

Whenever school was cancelled, he would go outside prior to the bell ringing for school to begin and walk the outside perimeter of the school to check and see if any students were arriving who may have missed the announcement about school being cancelled.  On this particular morning it was so cold that he had several layers of clothes, a hat, gloves and warm boots.
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He always started at the front door to check if parents were dropping their kids off and then moved to the side of the building where the older students would be gathering.  He then moved to the side of the building where the lower grades would be waiting for their door to open.
As he came around the corner by the 2nd grade doors he noticed a large pile of leaves up against one of the 2nd grade teacher’s door.  It seemed rather unusual because there was no wind to blow them against the door and it was the only area that had leaves.
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He decided he should probably check it out just in case. As he approached the pile of leaves he could see a small pant leg sticking out of the leaves.  He quickly approached the leaves, brushed them away and discovered a small second grade boy who had covered himself with leaves to keep warm. Due to the below zero wind chill that day, the tiny frail boy would have been in serious danger had my dad not discovered him.  He quickly grabbed the little boy and hurried to find the closest door to get him inside. He was lucky that the little boy wasn’t outside very long, but he was still cold to the bones. My father made him some hot cocoa and got him a blanket to warm up while he called his parents to come and pick him up.

How long might the boy have stayed clinging to warmth under the leaf pile had my dad no been committed to ensuring student safety?  
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Award Winning Cultures makes a COMMITMENT to the students, staff and community even on snow days. 

Do you always check the perimeter of your school on a snow day?

How can you make sure all of your students are safe when they are at school?

How might you demonstrate commitment to your school community...even on a day off?

About the Authors

Jennifer Appel is a teacher at Enterprise Middle School.  She has been teaching for 20 years.  Her passion for education comes from growing up in at education driven family (4th generation) and wanting to help and serve others.  She is now driven to create an environment where all students are able to learn and become passionate about serving others.  Jennifer can be contacted through email at awardwinningculture@gmail.com.  You can follow her on twitter at @jennifermappel.  Follow AWC @awculture on instagram @awardwinningculture.  Follow Wildcat Nation on instagram @emsleadership.  #WildcatNation #AwardWinningCulture
​
Paul Dowdy is a retired elementary school teacher and principal.  Paul was in education for more than 40 years.  Paul created cultures of excellence at every school he taught at or lead.  Paul was also an adjunct professor at 3 different universities in the state of Washington and a regional director for Heritage University.  Paul has shared his stories all around the state of Washington in the form of presentations.  He's passionate about children and that reflected in all of his work as a reading specialist and his study of the brain and how that drives instruction.  Paul is not on social media...but can be reached near any body of water that's conducive to shadow casting! #FlyFishing
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Lesson #3:  The Lost Shoe

7/7/2019

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Written by:  Jennifer Appel  
Based on the stories told by:  Paul Dowdy

"The Strength of the TEam is each individual Member.  The strength of Each Member is the team."
​
​-Phil Jackson

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This has been a crazy week on our summer vacation in southern California, we had a major earthquake and then experienced even more intense after shocks, over the past couple days.  It really got me thinking about the environment and how it can affect so many people, while causing a great deal of damage and harm. This week reminded me of a unlikely story that my dad shared from one of his elementary students.
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One day a tiny 1st grader came running in from recess to talk with my dad’s lead secretary.  The little boy started yelling with a very anxious voice that he had lost his shoe in a hole on the playground.  The secretary told him it was alright and tried her best, to calm him down. When he was finally able to explain, he said it fell in this giant hole.  She asked him why he didn’t simply reach down and grab it (thinking it was just a little hole in the grass).  The little boy said that he wasn’t able to get his shoe. 
 
As a true servant leader, my dad had established an environment of honesty with his students, staff, and community.  In fact this culture of honesty permeated to relationships all over the school community   Thus, despite the tall tale, the secretary decided to believe the overwhelmed young man and go outside with him.  In a lot of cases students would be brushed off and told to try harder, or they would deal with it later. But in an award winning culture of trust,  educators  believe in their students and support them, despite long odds.

As the secretary and student approached the area where the child said they lost their shoe, they discovered a hole that appeared to be getting larger as they got closer.  Noticing this strange movement in the earth, the secretary decided that she needed to go back in the building and have someone look into this geological impossibility. In the meantime, she was able to find the little boy a new pair of shoes that they had on hand,  for students in need.  She assured him that they would get his shoe soon humanly possible.
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My dad quickly called the grounds crew and they immediately came out to help him investigate the situation.  To the surprise of everyone the hole had become much larger, it was at least 6 feet across.  As they were able to look into the hole , they found the shoe down at the bottom of an approximately 20 foot sinkhole.  The crazy part is that you could see it was an old boiler room. Upon further inquiry, they found out that it was from the old elementary school that had been torn down to build the new school.  For some reason as construction was being done in the demolition of the old building they neglected to find the floorboards above the basement that contained the boiler room and had covered the area with dirt to have a nice playground.  With several years of the ground cover over the wood floorboards, they eventually rotted away and caused a huge sinkhole in the middle of the playground. Over time, they were able to remove all of the old floor boards and properly fill in the old structure so that it was once again safe for children. What if no one had bothered to listen to the student's outrageous story?  Would someone have fallen in the hole?  Perhaps, a student might have been hurt...  
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When we establish an Award Winning Culture, children are given the respect of trust.  As educators we must be honest with ourselves but we must also have faith in the HONESTY of others.
Have you had a student that had a crazy story you didn’t believe that turned out to be true?

How will you create a culture where honesty is the norm?

How does TRUST play a role in relationships with our students?

About the authors

Jennifer Appel is a teacher at Enterprise Middle School.  She has been teaching for 20 years.  Her passion for education comes from growing up in at education driven family (4th generation) and wanting to help and serve others.  She is now driven to create an environment where all students are able to learn and become passionate about serving others.  Jennifer can be contacted through email at awardwinningculture@gmail.com.  You can follow her on twitter at @jennifermappel.  Follow AWC @awculture on instagram @awardwinningculture.  Follow Wildcat Nation on instagram @emsleadership.  #WildcatNation #AwardWinningCulture
​
Paul Dowdy is a retired elementary school teacher and principal.  Paul was in education for more than 40 years.  Paul created cultures of excellence at every school he taught at or lead.  Paul was also an adjunct professor at 3 different universities in the state of Washington and a regional director for Heritage University.  Paul has shared his stories all around the state of Washington in the form of presentations.  He's passionate about children and that reflected in all of his work as a reading specialist and his study of the brain and how that drives instruction.  Paul is not on social media...but can be reached near any body of water that's conducive to shadow casting! #FlyFishing
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Lesson #2:  Bronco II

6/30/2019

1 Comment

 
Written by:  Jennifer Appel  
Based on the stories told by:  Paul Dowdy
“Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself.”

​Maya Angelou

When I was growing up my dad drove a Bronco II, we bought it brand new, so we thought it was the coolest car!  It had a wheel on the back that you had to move to open the back door, so cool! We loved that car, BUT it had some bad luck!
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One summer day my father was working at school.  Everyone else was done for the summer, but he was hard at work getting everything ready for the next school year.  He was sitting in the office by himself when he heard someone coming in the building. He looked and a fireman burst into the office area. My dad was the principal of the only school in our small town at the time (we now have 3 elementary schools, and 2 middle schools) and he had a close relationship with all of the officers both fire and police in the area.  They were constantly at the school and volunteering with the kids, so he was used to them being in the building or just stopping in. Thus, he didn’t really think much about one of the officers stopping by...
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But then the fireman asked whose maroon Ford Bronco II was in the parking lot.  My dad nervously answered that it was his, and because it was summer, it was the ONLY car in the parking lot.  The fireman said that he had just crashed into the side of the Bronco.  My dad laughed thinking that he was getting pranked by the fireman, they were always joking with him and he just thought he was being funny!  The fireman then looked him in the eye and stated again that it wasn’t a joke, they had really run into the side of the Bronco that was in the parking lot.
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My dad hurried out to the parking lot and sure enough his beloved Bronco was smashed on one side.  The crazy part was that you could see that the Bronco had been moved about 4 feet from where he originally parked it.  There was a huge dent in the side of the car, approximately the length of the front of a fire engine.
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Apparently, the firemen were practicing in the parking lot of the school (there fire station was just down the street from the school) and the fireman had set up the cones around my dad’s Bronco to practice.  The officer that was practicing had tried to hit the brakes and then his foot slipped and he hit the gas by accident and rammed into the side of my dad’s car. My dad just stood there in shock listening to the story, he couldn’t believe what had happened.
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The fireman was apologizing profusely the entire time he was explaining the situation.  He said many times that he would pay for the repairs and his Bronco would be as good as new.  Now, in a situation like this most people would fly off the handle or not treat the officer with respect and FORGIVENESS.  Obviously, my dad was upset about his car being smashed, but he was also understanding that they were just doing their jobs and practicing to save lives. 
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My dad was able to handle the situation with FORGIVENESS instead of anger. 

Educators with an AWARD WINNING CULTURE mindset handle tough situations with respect and forgiveness instead of anger.

What role does forgiveness play in overcoming adversity?

How does empathy support demonstrating respect?

Will you create an Award Winning Culture that that's capable of forgiving students, staff, and community...even on their worst day?

About the Author

Jennifer Appel is a teacher at Enterprise Middle School.  She has been teaching for 20 years.  Her passion for education comes from growing up in at education driven family (4th generation) and wanting to help and serve others.  She is now driven to create an environment where all students are able to learn and become passionate about serving others.  Jennifer can be contacted through email at awardwinningculture@gmail.com.  You can follow her on twitter at @jennifermappel.  Follow AWC @awculture on instagram @awardwinningculture.  Follow Wildcat Nation on instagram @emsleadership.  #WildcatNation #AwardWinningCulture
​
Paul Dowdy is a retired elementary school teacher and principal.  Paul was in education for more than 40 years.  Paul created cultures of excellence at every school he taught at or lead.  Paul was also an adjunct professor at 3 different universities in the state of Washington and a regional director for Heritage University.  Paul has shared his stories all around the state of Washington in the form of presentations.  He's passionate about children and that reflected in all of his work as a reading specialist and his study of the brain and how that drives instruction.  Paul is not on social media...but can be reached near any body of water that's conducive to shadow casting! #FlyFishing
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lesson #1: The Crow

6/23/2019

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Written by:  Jennifer Appel  
Based on the stories told by:  Paul Dowdy
“Students are inherently the most important people entering our
school building”
-- Jimmy Casas, author of Culturize

One of the best character lessons I learned from my father is that you need to interact with your students in an environment outside of the classroom.
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Coach for my 4th grade basketball team.
This can be as simple as greeting them at the door, playing outside at recess, eating lunch with them, going to sporting events, or coaching.  All of these establish relationships on a different level than just in the classroom.

One particular story that I vividly remember is when dad came home one day and said that he was attacked by two crows!  We had to hear this one! My father believed strongly in going to recess every single day, he ran a kickball game, basketball game, football, and even on special occasions he brought his fly fishing rod and taught students about the art of casting.  Many times, he would even tell his bosses that he was not available for meetings during the middle of the day because he was needed in his building.
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Recess Supervision EVERY DAY!
AWARD WINNING PRINCIPALS always put their students first.

He was more than just a principal to his students, a lot of them didn’t have male role models and he always willingly stepped into that role.
Picture
Principal Dowdy in the early 1980's!
One day, he was going outside at the start of recess like he did everyday and saw a group of students that were gathering near a tree on the playground.  He said that the kids seemed a little scared and then he saw that two birds were circling the students. As he approached the area he saw that it was two crows that were paying very close attention to the students.  He was trying to figure out what was happening and realized that another crow was hurt and on the ground, so his friends were watching over and trying to protect him.

He decided that he needed to protect the students and the crow by removing the injured crow from the area and to safety while having the students play in another area of the playground.  He had a feeling that the crows were not going to be very receptive to him moving their friend, so he went back inside in search of protective gear! He grabbed his baseball cap he always wore, a thick winter coat, and borrowed some heavy duty gloves from the custodian.  Armed with makeshift safety gear, he then went back outside and carefully moved the crow to an isolated location so that he could heal and fly again. All while he was doing this, the two crow friends were “dive bombing” him. The students were grateful to go back to the area without being watched by the two crows.  But it was a different story for my dad, he was attacked every single recess for the next two weeks...crows have an amazing memory. A reality my dad learned the hard way!
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When you craft an Award Winning Culture filled with SELFLESSNESS, you establish an environment where your students are your first priority!

By relating to students in their natural environments, educators model character, service, and sacrifice toward their students while overcoming adversity.  

Even if we suffer the occasional attack by some angry feathered friends...for nearly TWO WEEKS...it is absolutely WORTH IT!  Our kids deserve it! #CatchingCharacter
​

ABout the author

Jennifer Appel is a teacher at Enterprise Middle School.  She has been teaching for 20 years.  Her passion for education comes from growing up in at education driven family (4th generation) and wanting to help and serve others.  She is now driven to create an environment where all students are able to learn and become passionate about serving others.  Jennifer can be contacted through email at awardwinningculture@gmail.com.  You can follow her on twitter at @jennifermappel.  Follow AWC @awculture on instagram @awardwinningculture.  Follow Wildcat Nation on instagram @emsleadership.  #WildcatNation #AwardWinningCulture
​
Paul Dowdy is a retired elementary school teacher and principal.  Paul was in education for more than 40 years.  Paul created cultures of excellence at every school he taught at or lead.  Paul was also an adjunct professor at 3 different universities in the state of Washington and a regional director for Heritage University.  Paul has shared his stories all around the state of Washington in the form of presentations.  He's passionate about children and that reflected in all of his work as a reading specialist and his study of the brain and how that drives instruction.  Paul is not on social media...but can be reached near any body of water that's conducive to shadow casting! #FlyFishing
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Catching Character

6/16/2019

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Written by:  Jennifer Appel  
Based on the stories told by:  Paul Dowdy

​Leadership is a choice, not a position.
-Stephen Covey

I was born into a family of SERVANT LEADERS.  My great-grandfather was a teacher/principal/superintendent...my paternal grandfather was a minister...my maternal grandfather was an auto mechanic...my paternal grandmother owned the Wedding Haus in Leavenworth and was one of the first to perform same sex marriages for couples...my maternal grandmother was a cook in the schools...my father (Paul Dowdy) was an elementary teacher/principal and my mom was a paraprofessional.  And of course my brother and I were both in school; thus, our life has pretty much always revolved around serving others and education.
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Telegram offering my Great Grandfather his first principalship in 1927!
My parents were adamant when we
were growing up that we must eat
dinner together EVERY night to
​maximize family time.
​
This was easy, as it was before cell phones and we lived in a tiny town with no cable TV.  We were able to sit at our little 4 person table as a family, just about every night and discuss our day.  As children of the 60’s, my parents strongly believed in having open discussions with us about life.  So we had lots of fun family conversations about what was happening at our schools.  My brother and I were lucky enough to have my father as our own principal through elementary school so the educational learnings happened 24-7.  My parents would share these enriching stories over Mac and cheese, flankstank or roast beast.  We would sometimes laugh, discuss, or just take in what was happening.  My parents instilled in us the love for education and that every story was filled with a message to teach us.  After all, everything happens for a reason!
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My Dad and I in 1981, I am 4 years old and my dad has been in education for 7 years.
I wanted to be a teacher ever since I can remember, and I think the reason can be directly connected back to my parents educational stories.   They spoke about their life's passion with such pleasure and admiration for how they were impacting the world. Not surprisingly, my brother and I both grew up to become educators.  I am a teacher and my brother is a principal. Additionally, we also decided to marry educators, Hans my husband is a school counselor and my sister-in-law is a middle school science teacher.
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The Whole Family, my brother and his wife with their two children, my mom and dad, and Hans and I with our two girls!
Following in his grandfather footsteps, dad ventured into his grandpa's two loves: education and fly-fishing (occasionally interweaving the two in a master class of learning).  He graduated from college as a reading specialist and started out teaching 5th grade. In 1977, he became the youngest head principal in the state of Washington at the age of 27. 
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My dad in his first year of teaching 1974! Love the 70's mustache!
While working as a principal he also had a second job to support two children and worked as an adjunct professor at Heritage University, Eastern Washington University and Central Washington University.  [Fun Fact: Fast forward a bunch of years--my dad and I actually co-taught numerous education courses at Heritage for about 10 years. I really loved being able to share that experience with my dad and we were able to give our students two unique perspectives (elementary principal and middle school teacher)].  After retirement from public education he went on to be the Regional Director for Heritage University and continued to teach future educators! Beyond being an amazing father, he was an AWARD WINNING PRINCIPAL.  His recognitions included: Washington State Distinguished Principal of the Year, Phi Delta Kappa Educator of the Year, Golden Acorn Award (twice), Washington School Counselor Association Award winner, and the Masonic Lodge’s Outstanding Educator Award.  But, I just knew him as DAD and he was the principal that everyone in our community loved!
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During the summer, we are going to feature an
8 part series
called
“CATCHING CHARACTER”.  
​
In the series, I'll share some funny, sad, and inspirational stories from my award winning principal father and how
that helped ignite a burning desire in me to create an
​AWARD WINNING CULTURE within my
​own sphere of influence.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Jennifer Appel is a teacher at Enterprise Middle School.  She has been teaching for 20 years.  Her passion for education comes from growing up in at education driven family (4th generation) and wanting to help and serve others.  She is now driven to create an environment where all students are able to learn and become passionate about serving others.  Jennifer can be contacted through email at awardwinningculture@gmail.com.  You can follow her on twitter at @jennifermappel.  Follow AWC @awculture on instagram @awardwinningculture.  Follow Wildcat Nation on instagram @emsleadership.  #WildcatNation #AwardWinningCulture
Paul Dowdy is a retired elementary school teacher and principal.  Paul was in education for more than 40 years.  Paul created cultures of excellence at every school he taught at or lead.  Paul was also an adjunct professor at 3 different universities in the state of Washington and a regional director for Heritage University.  Paul has shared his stories all around the state of Washington in the form of presentations.  He's passionate about children and that reflected in all of his work as a reading specialist and his study of the brain and how that drives instruction.  Paul is not on social media...but can be reached near any body of water that's conducive to shadow casting! #FlyFishing
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    About AWC

    Award Winning Culture was created by Hans and Jennifer Appel with the sole purpose of creating an educational mindset of Positive INTENTIONALITY and ACTION; with a daily mantra to make our sphere of influence stronger through Character, Excellence, and Community.  Part of AWC's mission is to highlight outstanding educators, companies, and resources that support an Award Winning Culture.  Both Jennifer and Hans work at Enterprise Middle School aka Wildcat Nation.  Wildcat Nation received the 2018 ASCD Whole Child Award in Washington, for its award winning culture and the ​2018 Global "Class Act Award" for Kindness.
    ​

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