Plasmapause – A 30 Year Journey to my first EP Album

We’re in the plasmapause, a place of equilibrium, where the forces of the earth meet the forces of the sun. I imagine it as a place of stillness, where the particles of dust stop spinning and hang motionless in deep space. - Jo Ann Beard We all have side projects, passions and hobbies, things we … Continue reading Plasmapause – A 30 Year Journey to my first EP Album

Testamania Running Wild – Designing and Implementing Equitable Assessment Practices Around Innovative Instruction

“Ladies and gentlemen, this contest is set for one fall. To my left, hailing from the first floor supplies room, weighing in at .006 pounds, standing at 11 inches tall, can only be used with a #2 pencil, and scored with a Scantron machine; Bubbles the Answer Sheet! And its opponent, hailing from all conceivable … Continue reading Testamania Running Wild – Designing and Implementing Equitable Assessment Practices Around Innovative Instruction

Innovative Tools & Ideas to Re-Imagineer Schools for 21st Century Learners

Universally, the company that sets the standard for excellence at the highest level in terms of truly creating a unique and magical experience for “children of all ages” is Disney. As Walt Disney himself once said, “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make … Continue reading Innovative Tools & Ideas to Re-Imagineer Schools for 21st Century Learners

“Talk-nology” – A Course Developed to Foster “Social” Skills (“S”EL) in order to Activate Social Awareness, Student Voice and Agency to Catalyze Change

(Be sure to view the accompanying video at the conclusion of the article featuring, Principal, Mark Erlenwein.) In K-12 education and academia, there is no debate that SEL-Social Emotional Learning remains a highly prioritized focus that is crucial towards ensuring our children and young adults recover and rise above the challenges and setbacks brought upon … Continue reading “Talk-nology” – A Course Developed to Foster “Social” Skills (“S”EL) in order to Activate Social Awareness, Student Voice and Agency to Catalyze Change

Looking Forward in the Rearview Mirror

My leadership GPS always guides me well, as long as I look forward with the rearview mirror nearby.  I’m looking forward and positively to 2022. I won’t forget the events, experiences and opportunities 2021 provided. While many moments served as a detriment towards our work, those same moments pushed everyone beyond their growing edge. Each … Continue reading Looking Forward in the Rearview Mirror

Interpersonally Atrophic(ly) Yours – A Covid Tale

A year and a half into this pandemic and after countless hours at my desk at home, at the office, in the car, at the beach, wherever and whenever work called during the endless days, I couldn’t help but notice the growing interpersonal atrophy due to the adaptation of remote anything and everything that involved … Continue reading Interpersonally Atrophic(ly) Yours – A Covid Tale

The Power of People Podcast

High School principal, Mark Erlenwein, and College and Career Skills Coach, as well as the founder of The HOPE (TM) Skills, Bob Wolf, kick-off the Power of People Podcast, discussing the importance of learning Human Interaction Knowledge Applied Skills (First Impression, Interpersonal, Communication, Presentation and Selling skills), and the importance in one's career and life. … Continue reading The Power of People Podcast

Marking Period(s) – Leave Off the “S” for Less Stress for Students and Faculty.

With most schools utilizing online Learning Management Systems, which provide 24/7 access to student academic data via desktop or mobile computers / phones, many schools still utilize the two-term, 4 or 6 marking period model, with a distributed paper report card at the conclusion of each marking period. Why? Upon implementing an online Learning Management … Continue reading Marking Period(s) – Leave Off the “S” for Less Stress for Students and Faculty.

Academic and Social Emotional Wellness for High Achieving Students

Mark Erlenwein My Journey thus Far as the Principal of SITHS Making the Experience of High Achieving Students Rigorous, Healthy and Meaningful In 2013 I became the newly appointed fourth principal of my alma mater after 16 years as a STEM teacher and assistant principal in the same building I practically grew up in. My … Continue reading Academic and Social Emotional Wellness for High Achieving Students