Learning Forward Kansas Blog Click on a post link below or View all posts here LFKSRemembering Dayna Richardson October 10, 2023 By Vicki Bechard, former LFKS Secretary I sat down to write this blog at the end of September with a heavy heart, as a way to process a tremendous personal and professional loss, and as a tribute really, to my friend, colleague and partner in professional learning Dayna Richardson. True to Dayna’s love/hate relationship […] Community Connections Matter January 29, 2023 by Jessica HanveyLFKS Conference Chairperson It has never been more apparent to me, as a long-time educator, the urgency of making the school and community connection. After the struggles of 2020, educators and students proved to be resilient, digging to the depths of our professional being in order to meet demands of our society. It […] Keeping the Light On February 8, 2022 By Vicki BechardIt’s February. The weather doesn’t know whether we are still in winter or trying to forge ahead to spring. Even the groundhog wasn’t definitive. But in my many years of teaching and coaching, February was always a challenging month. Basketball was on the home stretch after a long season. The last set of […] 12 Days AFTER Christmas December 16, 2021By Vicki Bechard We all know the song, 12 Days of Christmas and have probably sung it many times. I’m pretty sure I’d love 5 golden rings, but I have no need for a partridge in a pear tree! I remember teaching PE in my first job and the band director would send his sections to […] Seeking Covid Relief in Collaboration and Collective Efficacy September 17, 2021 By Vicki Bechard, LFKS Special Projects “How are the children?” My friend, a long time educator, uses that question to gauge the temperature of the culture of a school, the impact of decisions that are made, and the direction a school is headed. Right now every school is consumed by Covid protocols, differences of opinions, […] Celebrating Teachers: Challenges, Endings and New Beginnings May 3, 2021 May 2, 2021by Vicki Bechard, Secretary LFKSThe first week of May is traditionally dedicated to showing our appreciation for all teachers. I think we could have two such celebrations – or may be more! What if we started each school year off celebrating teachers? Maybe show some love at the end of the first semester […] We Need a Little Christmas Right This Very Minute! December 16, 2020 By Vicki Bechard, SecretaryChristmas music has been playing in my car for the last month or so. I have several stations selected so I skip around a lot to only listen to songs I want to hear. Several songs have extra meaning for me this season, but this song by Johnny Mathis may hit the […] Iconic Leadership Lessons for Challenging Times September 22, 2020 By Vicki Bechard, LFKS Secretary It goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. 2020 has been a year of disruption and discomfort; sadness and loss. Any given year has personal and societal highs and lows but in this particular year, everything seems to be bigger, harder, and more overwhelming than most of […] #BetterTogether May 4, 2020By Vicki Bechard, Secretary LFKS The lockdown officially ended today here in Kansas as we begin Teacher Appreciation Week. Educators smile at the irony in this and look to the silver lining that at least we are less restricted. Soft openings are happening this week; more will be phased in over the next month. School […] March Madness!! March 10, 2020By Vicki Bechard, LFKS Secretary March Madness is upon us! We have been playing the “game” of school improvement all year and those spring OVT (accreditation) visits are about to start. It’s crunch time! We want our results to lead to April Achievement and May Magic. Can we feel the excitement in our halls, our […]
