Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow In fifth grade I experienced my first public speaking assignment. Mrs. Poocha told us to choose a celebrity, prepare a monologue, then present as that celebrity. Because I am a reasonable person, I chose to present as Yogi Bear. I spoke about my life, answered questions from …
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow When I was in my second year of teaching, I launched a drama club at the middle school where I worked. Because the program was new, I had no budget, no materials, nothing but a crew of eager kids. In some ways it was nice to start …
Ryan Fellow Blog: Setting the Stage for Principalship Read More »
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow In a previous life I was an improviser, performing regularly with several troupes in Phoenix. There are no rules in improv, but there are some guidelines that make it work: listen intently, say yes, add information, and start with emotion. The number one rule of improv, though, …
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow A recent defining moment in my field study was the day my mini-movement kicked off. A group of teachers were huddled around the whiteboard, studying the day’s math lesson, and working frantically to finish before they parted ways to deliver said lesson to their students. It was …
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow Back when I was a Dean of Students, I was asked quite frequently to clean up vomit. It happened so often, in fact, that I was formally recognized as a stellar barf-cleaner-upper (you can read about that here). This week when I received feedback from my advisor …
Ryan Fellow Blog: Assessments Show the Tough Path Forward Read More »
Gretchen Larsen Class of 2018 Ryan Fellow Hi! My name is Gretchen Larsen, and I’m a proud Class of 2018 Las Vegas Ryan Fellow. Welcome to my Ryan Fellowship blog! Each month, I will be sharing an update about my experiences during the Field Study year, where I will be preparing for my first …
Our leaders are a community of change agents. As a part of this community – whether you are a first year Ryan Fellow in the field, or an experienced Accelerator principal transforming your school – you share in our collective successes and challenges. As we wrap up 2016, the Accelerate Institute community has a lot …
