Abraham Alarcon's Blog

It's that time of the year again.  Your inbox is stuffed with sales and ads about back to school specials.  Children are excited to know who their new teachers will be and they can't wait to see their friends.  Teachers are anxious about their class lists, schedules, and making sure that all is ready for opening day.  Administrators are scurrying to make last minutes decisions and welcome back faculty, staff, and students. Everyone is looking for that new idea or strategy to help them be better. A last minute get away or trying to finish that summer reading list may be on the agenda before the start of a new school year. There are so many things to do and all are important. The most important things you need to start the school year are inside you. You don’t need to squeeze in a college course, webinar or a last minute professional development conference.  It's all inside of you! Be a LEADER THIS school year.   Here’s how you...

Being the baby of the family has many benefits.  Time. Attention. Gifts. Love. Yep, I got all of these and more.  I am grateful to my family for everything they provided and more. I copied lots of things my older brother and sister did. Growing up in the seventies, there was a distinct fashion sense and my brother spent a lot of time grooming himself.  So did I.   I learned how to use a blow dryer at 8 years old just by looking at him do his hair! Looking like my brother and having the John Travolta look was a must for me.   Music was always playing in my home.  If it was not hardcore salsa from Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon and the Fania All Stars, then it was disco.  My sister loved to hustle with her friends in the middle of our living room floor.  So did I.   Dancing was like an out of body experience for me and I did it everywhere, even at school.  During inclement weather, we would ask permission and pla...

"Pick up your clothes!" "Come and eat!"  "Clean the dishes!" "Hang up the phone!" My mother was a taskmaster. Living with her as a teenager was not easy. I know that she loved me. She did her best and I am eternally grateful for eveything she taught me. By the time I went to college, I knew how to cook, clean, do my laundry, iron, and care for myself.  Although there were many times I chose not to do what she instructed, I felt the reprimand verbally or physically. I never knew that when I acted against my will and did my mother's, I was acting on "agere contra."  Agere contra is Latin which means "to go against." I learned it as a Jesuit novice in 1998. Seeking to find God in all things, I entered the Society of Jesus religious community to find my vocation (calling). One of my most memorable experiences was when I was assigned to an apostolate in Syracuse, NY called Loretto Home.  At first,...

Birthdays are memorable because they are special. Everyone ... well, almost everyone, celebrates and remembers the day they were born. Family and friends celebrate you for being you. We remember birthdays mostly because of the number or milestones we hit.  We remember what we did, who we were with, and where we celebrated.  Some milestones are memorable and some are not.  My 21st birthday was spent with a supervisor from work and a pitcher of beer at a bar in New Brunswick.  I always thought 21 was a huge deal but it wasn't.  I think turning 13 was more impactful.  A cousin of mine told me, "Hey, look at it this way, now you are officially a teenager!" My wife Barbara surprised me once for my 40th birthday.  We entered a restaurant in Inwood (Upper Manhattan) and as I looked at the crowd I saw my principal and my mentor sitting there.  They stood out among all the people and I said, "What are you two doing here?"  They replied, "It...

We are officially in the middle of the school year.  (Actually, Friday was the 91st day of school with the beginning of the Third Marking Period.)  A lot happened at our staff meeting on August 31.  New staff, new room assignments, new district offices and people, new programs (Journeys) and applications (MyLearningPlan and Genesis), and new requirements.  Lots of "new" things for a new school year. Aside from our regular review of staff expectations and schedules, we gathered into team/grade level groups and created positive messages for our school. Our school continues to have "new" faces and things like students, maternity leave replacement teachers, professional and lunch assistants, and Smart Boards! Because a lot has happened since August 31, questions come to mind as a "mid-year check-in" compels me to share. Feel free to answer back or simply let them stir inside you a desire to reflect and think deeper about your...

Let me begin by saying that I am very organized at work.  As a Vice Principal, I must be organized and on time for my students, teachers, parents and for myself.  Organization also helps me plan and execute the daily operations of teaching and learning in my school. Here are ways that I get and stay organized. 1. Go to sleep early.  The early bird gets the worm saying is so true.  If you want to reach your goals, get to bed early so you can wake up early. As a parent of three boys, my best time to be productive is early in the morning BEFORE my family wakes up.  You will be surprised how much you can accomplish. 2. Exercise.  Run, bike, dance, yoga, weights, or whatever it is.  Just do it.  It helps release endorphins and keeps one healthy.  Exercise is a key ingredient for healthy living and being organized. 3. Post it notes. They have to be my favorite invention.  These colorful squares help me post notes, phone numbers and ...

My first year at Rutgers University I tried many courses and things. One experience I will never forget was a no credit course I took with the Army ROTC.  I cut my hair, wore fatigues, learned about military science and organization and participated in a field training exercise located at Ft. Dix, NJ.  Here is where I had my first lesson on leadership thanks to Captain John Gray, the ROTC instructor. After a long day of rope bridges, shooting the M16, hiking with 40 pounds of gear, eating MREs, our group of 50 students was very tired and wet.  As we entered the mess hall, I saw Captain Gray standing at the front of the line.  He greeted us with a warm smile and a plate. Captain Gray stood there patiently and waited for all of us to grab our food before he got served. I was hungry and was one of the first ones to eat.  I wasn't waiting for anyone.  As I went for seconds, Captain Gray was still standing in the same place handing out plates.  Ho...