I'm tired of hearing 'let's prepare our kids for the real-world.' Let's start talking about empowering our kids to make it a better world. pic.twitter.com/hI6tx5hU74
1). What percent of your students are going beyond just compliance and are actually cognitively engaged in deep self-driven and relevant learning?
2). How often are students in your class offered the opportunity to move around and get 'the blood' flowing with some type of physical activity?
3). How often are kids in your class able to work in teams and work collaboratively on some type of group learning activity?
4). When was the last time you read a professional book or article and you tried something new as a result of what you read in the book/article?
5). If you had to describe the perfect and ideal classroom, what would be your top three most important characteristics?
6). How confident are you that your students could tell someone who doesn't teach what you teach specifically where they are struggling and where they are succeeding in regard to their learning?
7). Let's assume audio was recorded for an entire week in your classroom. Of all the voices that are heard during that time, whose voice do you believe would be heard the most?
8). If you eliminated all the grades in your classroom, do you think students would still actively participate and continue learning?
9). If a group of teachers from another school district who taught a similar content/grade came and observed your classroom, what do you think they would say in their post-conversation?
10). If you were the principal for the week and you got to observe every classroom in your building, what would you want to see in all the classrooms?
BONUS: What's the ratio of consumption to creation in your classroom when it comes to the work students are doing?
A phrase I've been hearing a lot lately in education is making sure we are 'being held accountable.' This phrase in itself is pretty innocent, however the context in which it's used can make a world of difference. In the same vein, it's becoming easier and easier for folks to point fingers with all the emphasis and focus on 'accountability.'
For example, if you are a student, the teacher has the responsibility of making sure you are learning what you are supposed to learn. The teacher is entrusted to hold each student accountable for doing their work and completing all assigned tasks as requested by the teacher.
If you are a teacher, you are being held accountable by your building level administration. Teachers are charged with ensuring each student learns the board approved curriculum, all professional paperwork is completed and turned in on time, and lastly, that they uphold the professional image of the school district.
For building administrators, you are being held accountable by the district level administration. Building administrators are asked to lead their respective buildings. They do this by making sure the teachers they are holding accountable are holding their students accountable.
The superintendent and other central office administrators are held accountable by the Board of Education. The BoE works closely with the superintendent to ensure the school district operates smoothly and efficiently. The BoE is able to do this by holding the superintendent and other central office administrators accountable for initiating and monitoring the implementation of the district vision and goals.
Lastly, the Board of Education is entrusted by the community to maintain a safe learning environment for the children and parents within the community. The BoE is held accountable by the community by a democratic process that takes place every April, when new BoE members are elected or re-elected.
With all of these levels of accountability, we have to ensure we don't lose sight of what our main purpose as educators is; preparing students to be autonomous and independent thinkers who know full well they will live in an unknown future that is constantly changing and evolving.
So, at the end of the day, let's all assume accountability and let's stop pointing fingers, and let's get to work because I think we all know there's a lot that needs to be done...
1) - Blogs are the heart of learning and sharing...
If you are an idea and inspiration junkie like myself, then you will find blogs to be extremely beneficial. Educators of all ages and backgrounds are bringing their ideas, reflections and experiences to one convenient location; their blog. Educational bloggers have one goal, and that is to share as many ideas and experiences as possible. During the last several years, I have had the opportunity to learn so much by reading and following the blogs of others. Additionally, reading and following blogs helps keep me current on new and pressing educational issues.
2) - Blogs are real world and real time experiences...
When educators write a new blog post I can say with almost 100% certainty that they are writing about something that has happened recently. Whether it happened as part of their daily job experience, or it happened as part of a professional conversation, educator blog posts are relevant and current. Blogs are personal and can be quite intimate at times, thus bringing to the life the real experiences of real educators.
3) - Blogs will make you reflect on your educational practices...
As you begin reading educator blogs you will instinctively start to reflect upon your educational practices and beliefs. You will (whether you like it or not) start comparing yourself to others and to their experiences, and fortunately this is not a bad thing. The more we question and think about what we are doing the better off we will be. Reflection is key to educator growth and development, and blogging helps with this.
4) - Blogs give you the opportunity to connect and collaborate with educators from all around the world...
One thing most educators don't have the time for during the course of a normal work day is sharing and collaboration. Blogging provides a safe and comfortable forum that supports two-way (at times even more) conversation. Imagine this: you read a blog post...you have a question...you leave a comment...you get a response from the original author (or another reader)...you start a conversation with these educators...you've made several connections...you've started expanding your PLN (professional learning network). Blogs create opportunity through collaboration and sharing.
5) - Blogs are free, accessible and extremely convenient...
The Internet has made educator growth a "anytime / anywhere" kind of thing. New educator blog posts are being written on a daily basis, and most importantly they are all FREE! If you have access to the Internet (computer, phone, etc...), you have the world of blogging at your finger tips. Blogs are accessible 24/7 and help to provide you what you need when you want it. I am not saying that books will become obsolete, but reading blogs has definitely taken a chunk out of my book reading time.
5 reasons educators should have their own blogs:
1) - You wish to improve your educational practices through sharing and collaboration...
Your blog posts will be an open invitation for educators to leave comments. This is an excellent opportunity to see what other educators think about your educational practices and / or beliefs. By engaging in open conversations with other educators through comments you are able to learn from the opinions of others. More importantly, these opinions are coming from a very diverse group of educators who all want and are willing to help. The educator blogging community is extremely gracious when it comes to supporting one of their own.
2) - You want to help other educators by sharing your experiences...
Every time you write a blog post you are giving another educator the opportunity to learn. By reading about your beliefs and experiences, you are providing them the perfect foundation for growth. Just as you can grow and develop as an educator by reading the posts of others, others can grow and develop by reading your posts. Once you become comfortable reading the blogs others, it is only fair you start to repay the favor and start adding your own!
3) - You want to add to the educational discussions happening all around the world...
Too often educators are able to list all the negative and bad things happening in education, while they are only able to talk about and list a few of the positive things happening. A blog provides you the opportunity to be a part of the educational solution. Your voice now has a much broader and diverse audience, which in turn can be extremely powerful. Please take advantage of this great opportunity and let your voice to heard.
4) - You want to take professional reflection to the next level...
One of the best things about blogging (in my opinion) is the reflective piece. Whenever I sit down to write a blog post I am forced to really think about what I am going to write. Consequently, there is no way I can write something without having given it considerable thought. Anytime I share an experience or an educational belief on my blog, I am forced to evaluate and analyze. This is a crucial piece to future educator growth and development.
5) - You want to inspire others and lead by example...
Some of the best blogs posts tend to have two things in common: 1) - they inspire me... 2) - they describe an experience or thought where the original author is leading by example. Here is your opportunity to inspire and motivate others toward new heights. Share your success stories...share your failures...share how you are trying something new and leading by example. Your blog is your playground, and I promise you...there is no greater feeling than getting a comment or an E-mail from somebody who was inspired and motivated to try something new because of your blog post...
Every time you catch yourself saying you 'have' to do something, replace it with you 'get' to do something... it's all about your perspective.
Technology devices don't make bad decisions and they surely don't bully others... this is why teaching and embedding digital citizenship is so important.
Your school culture is not something set in stone; each and every educator has the ability to shift and adjust the school culture on a daily basis.
The less teachers teach in the traditional sense and the less teachers grade the more students will learn and the more relevant and purposeful we will make education.
Teachers, not one rule you make during the first few weeks of school will cause good behavior in May; every strong relationship you make will though... via @drjoeclark
Formative assessments are not part of the grading process; they are part of the instructional process.
When you average all the scores throughout the semester, you are saying that the scores in the beginning of the year are just as important as those in the end.
Super heroes don't need to fly and don't need to wear capes; sometimes they just need to simply kneel down and provide a helping hand up.
Self-improvement is definitely easier said than done, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be trying. Here are a few things I challenge you to avoid thinking and avoid saying this year:
~ I can't believe they did that... what in the world were they thinking!
~ I can't do my job because someone else hasn't done their job...
cbiiidesigns
~ It won't work and it's not possible...
~ They are going to hate the idea and they will never go for it...
~ That student needs to learn the way I do things and shape up...
~ Nobody else is doing it the right way, so why should I...
~ I have a personal problem with that person, so I'm going to ignore everything they say...
~ I don't really care what everyone else is doing, I'm going to do my own thing...
~ They are doing everything wrong but everyone thinks they are perfect; why don't they see the truth...
~ I always get stuck with the worst kids, the worst jobs, and the worst situations...
Accept this challenge and you will be rewarded with more than you could ever imagine...
As a first year administrator I have had the opportunity to grow tremendously as a professional over the course of the school year. Despite all the learning, I believe there are many things going well at PBJHS, but we will always have room for continued growth and improvement.
Most recently, I have been afforded the opportunity to assume the role of principal for the 2012-2013 school year at PBJHS. I have both graciously and humbly accepted this opportunity, and I look forward to continued success and growth in the years to come.
As I begin the transition from assistant principal to principal, I am already seeing how the roles differ greatly. Furthermore, my interest in leadership has always been there, but I am even more intrigued as a result of these recent changes. By no means do I consider myself to be a proven or reputable voice on leadership, but I do have some observations and thoughts on the topic...
- sometimes the easiest and most straight forward decision becomes the most difficult and controversial in the blink of an eye...
- if your goal is to keep everyone happy and comfortable, you should plan on not getting much accomplished; progress and growth will require pulling and tugging...
- you are surrounded by people with many strengths and viable attributes; help to create an environment where they can excel and share their strengths with others...
- there is a very fine line between helping and being supportive, and enabling and creating a group of people who are dependent upon others to get anything done; tread this line carefully...
- what you say is fine and dandy, but what you do is all that really matters...
- if you want to prevent and destroy any hope of having positive morale, you will have lots of meetings where nothing really gets accomplished... you will probably also have meetings about future meetings.
- making yourself available is a double edged sword... the more available you are, the easier you are to reach, which is both good and bad. Being available and visible are parts of leadership, and being available will always far outweigh not being available...
- if you don't appreciate and recognize the contributions of others, you will eventually fail, and you will most certainly never become a great leader...
- leadership will always be centered around relationships, and those that are able to master the relationships piece will be best positioned to be great leaders...
- leadership is about commitment, perseverance, self-reflection, and trust; commit yourself to doing whatever it takes, and trust yourself and others to be self-reflective learners who are always looking to grow...
I am excited for the upcoming school year, and I am very optimistic about what we can continue doing for kids at PBJHS. What are your thoughts on school leadership? What am I missing on this list? What is a "must" for all school leaders?
At our most recent administrator meeting, we really were able to be honest and open about the direction of our school district. We spoke about educational theory and philosophy, but we also talked about how it could look on the ground floor. Though there is no specific theme in this blog post, I wanted to share some of the ideas discussed at this meeting, as well as some other ideas that have been floating around in my head...
- When talking about interventions to help our students, we must have the discussion about the types and kinds of work we are assigning our students. The best interventions in the world will never help if the work being assigned is of poor quality and little relevancy to students...
- When we consider change and new initiatives, there is value in finding middle ground before any kind of complete overhaul. Getting some change will always be better than getting no change and an entrenched staff reluctant to consider any kind of change ever again...
- Any school or team that is interested in progressing will need dialogue between all stakeholders.
- When educators focus on "winning" against students, we all end up losing. We should never want to defeat a student to teach the student a lesson or teach the student who is boss. Focus on building relationships that can endure setbacks and struggles... remember, we are the adults, and as such we should be above "winning."
- The school or district that can master enthusiasm, empathy, and energy will be the most successful. Enthusiasm is a direct result of high energy, and having high energy is exactly what we need in schools to make a positive and long-lasting difference. Empathy is the piece that connects and strengthens the bond we have with each other. Empathy should never be confused with weakness...
- If a teacher can't tell a student or parent why the student has a particular letter grade, there is no point to having the grade. Even worse, if the teacher doesn't know why the kid has a particular grade, the student will definitely have no idea. "Your child is struggling with the concepts in math," is not an appropriate response to, "why is my child failing math class?" Grades and assessments should provide both specific and useful information that helps to continue the learning process, not bring it to a screeching halt...
- When you continue to do the same thing over and over and expect something different to miraculously happen you are going to get frustrated. When you get frustrated you tend to do even more of the same thing, which will result in you trying to tighten the reins even more. At this rate you will eventually lose all control over whatever it was you were trying to control. Wouldn't it just be easier and more productive to change, evolve, or modify what you are doing...?
- If you aren't willing to share your ideas and success stories with others, then you are telling your colleagues you aren't interested in their success. If you aren't interested in their success, then you aren't interested in the success of your school or district. When you share you aren't giving anything away, in fact, when you share, you are creating value for yourself and for your colleagues. Is that really a bad thing...?
What have you been thinking about lately? What ideas and thoughts would you like to contribute to the conversation...?
This year has been a year of growth... a year of learning... and most importantly, a year of reflection. Countless conversations have taken place and many of those conversations have ended with a common but yet necessary statement, "let's figure out what we need to do that is going to be best for our students."
Too often we get caught up in what we as educators are doing; too often we talk about how great something was that we did, but for some reason our students just didn't respond how we expected them to; too often we end up passing the blame for something that we can ultimately control and influence...
Problem:
As educators, we tend to focus on what we are doing when we need to focus more on how our students respond to what we are doing...
Potential solutions:
- When students perform poorly on either a formative or summative assessment, consider how the information was presented and potential reasons for the poor performance.
- When students are not engaged and not paying attention, consider the reasons for this behavior and think about strategies to re-engage them rather than just thinking of ways to punish them into compliance.
- When students seem disconnected to the content and purpose of education, take time to share with them why they need to know this and how this information will affect them in their lives.
- When students are acting in a certain way, either positively or negatively, they are telling you something about you and your class, as well as their current life situation; use this information wisely and always be aware of it.
- Encourage your students to do a survey about your teaching and instructional practices; you can acquire a ton of valuable information when you give your students a voice. (here is one I used)
Additional thoughts:
- If a student exhibits the same undesirable behavior on a daily basis and you respond the same way each time without success, you need to change what you are doing; doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is tiring and a waste of your time...
- If what you did in the past worked but for some reason it's now not working, remember that all students are different and as society changes so do our students; maintain your adaptability and never do something just because it's the way you've always done it before...
- If you find yourself blaming your students for any reason, it's time to step back and look in the mirror and truly be honest about your actions as an educator...
Challenge:
Take your performance as an educator to the next level by shifting your focus. Your focus needs to be on how your students respond and act as a result of your actions. If you are not getting the desired results for your students to succeed, the answer lies with them. When you find that answer (which may be different for many students), apply it to your instructional practices and you will begin to see results. Accept the awesome responsibility of educating our future leaders, and remember that it is about their success and growth, not your predetermined expectations...
As I was thinking about ways I could close out 2011 with a #BOOM type blog post, I ended up thinking more about the types of blog posts that I enjoy. I enjoy the blog posts with both a relevant and meaningful message that inspires and motivates me to be not only a better educator, but also a better human. So here is my attempt to sum up the many great thoughts from many great minds in 2011:
http://goo.gl/xudiQ
Servant leadership is where it's at... by serving others and helping to empower them to be leaders we will all achieve more. Leadership is not about what I do, but rather about what I can help you do and what we can all do together. School leadership is evolving just as fast as our society, and as such school leaders need to move away from the "I and you" mindset to the "we and us" mindset. See @biebert@leadershipfreak@northeagles@ryanbretag@drtroyroddy for more on leadership.
The power of knowledge is only as strong as what you make of it... by being well read and very knowledgeable you are positioning yourself to do great things. But simply having the knowledge doesn't really get you very far if you can't apply it and harness the knowledge in a productive and effective manner. Schools and society want people who can put their knowledge and expertise into practice; they NEED educators who can apply their skills to an increasingly diverse student population to enhance student learning and future success. Being "book smart" is a great start, but we need more and we need to take it up a notch... 2012 has great potential! Check out @mrbernia@azjd@cmcgee200@plugusin for practical advice on putting knowledge and expertise into practice.
Relationships... if you don't have strong relationships, then nothing else really matters. Make it a point to make this "THE POINT." Check out @mrwejr@henriksent@principalj@pernilleripp for more.
Be inspired! Be motivated to do great things! Give the gift that keeps on giving and help to inspire and motivate those around you! A little encouragement and support go a long way when used appropriately and effectively. And when you find that inspiration or motivation be sure to share it with others! You will probably never know how you affected someone else's day or life, but the ripple effect will be felt much further than you could ever imagine! Check out these superstars who inspire and motivate me: @KTVee@waterthebamboo@mrmatthewray@toddwhitaker@timbuckteeth
Finally, try to be better than you were yesterday every single day of your life. Try to do something new every single day of your life. Try to build a new relationship with someone new every single day of your life. Try to be thankful for something in your life every single day of your life. Try to take a moment to reflect every single day of your life. Try to imagine a world that does not yet exist every single day of your life... Actually, the more I think about it, don't try to do all of these things, DO ALL OF THESE THINGS!
“Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is
teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so
powerful and so rare.”
http://goo.gl/LLzV3
The Staff
Jeff Shanley - former CEO, now head of
business development, a natural networker who was effective at raising money
and recruiting talent, but management was a different story.
Michele “Mikey” Bebe - head of
marketing, known as a brand building genius, but the least popular person on
the Decision Tech team.
Martin Gilmore - head of engineering
and the designer of the Decision Tech flagship product. His lack of engagement
had become an irritation to the others on the team.
Jeff Rollins (JR) - a prototypical
sales person who rarely followed through on commitments.
Carlos Amador - a very engaged,
thoughtful contributor. Though his customer support role was not “fully
developed,” he took responsibility for product quality.
Jan Mersino - as CFO, she was a key
player at DecisionTech - a company with plans to go public.
Nick Farrell - his undefined role
didn’t match his impressive title - COO. Given the company’s slow start, he had
little meaningful day to day work. He saw himself as the only executive on the
team with the ability to take over the CEO role.
Part 1 -
Underachievement
-
What were the main weaknesses that Kathryn immediately noticed with her new team? How would you describe a typical meeting at
DecisionTech before Kathryn’s arrival?
-
What are the characteristics and qualities of a “good” and effective meeting? How can we make sure we have “good” and
effective meetings here at our school?
-
Can you associate yourself or somebody you know with any of the characters
presented thus far in the story?
Part 2 - Lighting the
Fire
-
Pg. 30 - Email versus face-face conversation - when is one okay and not the
other? Are you guilty of this?
-
Pg. 44 - “Great teams do not hold back with one another; they are unafraid to
air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their
concerns without fear of reprisal?” How
do we create an environment where you can voice your concern without fear of
reprisal?
-
Pg. 65 - “It sounds like your strength and weakness are rooted in the same
things.” Do you agree with this statement,
and if so, how can we use this information to our advantage?
-
Pg. 79 - Revenue, expenses, new customer acquisition, current customer
satisfaction, employee retention, market awareness, product quality were listed
as the team’s “scoreboard.” Is this applicable
to education? How often should we check
the “scoreboard?” Daily, monthly,
biannually, annually……?
-
Pg. 81 - “Your department cannot be doing well because the company is failing
and if the company is failing then we are all failing and there is no way that
we can justify the performance of our own department.” Is this true in education? Is this true at our school?
-
Pg. 84 - “Could you start saying us and we instead of you?”
- Pg. 92 - “It’s the lack of conflict that’s a problem.” Do we have conflict in our staff
meetings? PLC?
- Pg. 95 - “They just need to be heard, and to know that
their input was considered and responded to.” Are your opinions and ideas heard?How do we establish an open arena to discuss
our ideas at our school?
Part 3 - Heavy Lifting
- Pg. 137 - “When a company (school) has a collection of
good managers (teachers) who don’t act like a team, it can create a dilemma for
them, and for the company (school).” Do
we have this at our school? In your department?
- Pg. 153-159 - What did you think about Mikey’s
departure from DecisionTech? How do we
deal with somebody who is obviously good at their job, but detracts from the
overall effectiveness of the team?
Part 4 - Traction
- Pg. 175 - At one of the last off-site visits Nick
proclaimed that the biggest issue that needed to be addressed was the avoidance
of accountability, which ultimately leads to low standards. How do we prevent avoidance of accountability
at our school? Within our departments? Within our classrooms?
- How can we hold our colleagues more accountable without
creating conflict? Is it our job to hold
our colleagues accountable? If we are
creating conflict for the betterment of the school is the conflict justified?
- What is your reaction to the idea that the larger the
unit, the smaller the leadership team needs to be? Do we have small leadership teams at our school? Are these small leadership teams
more effective than one overlapping leadership team? Why or why not and how?
http://goo.gl/K28DK
-
Do you see yourself as any of the characters presented
in this book?Can you still contribute
to the success of your team even if you posses less than stellar team
qualities?
- What specific skills and strengths did Kathryn possess in
developing the leadership team at DecisionTech?
- How do we develop the skills and strengths that Kathryn
demonstrated for her team?……applicable to schools?
- How and why does a book like The Five Dysfunctions of a Team continue to be on the best
seller-list after 7 years of being published?
- What were your key take away points from this book and
why/how are they significant in your life or work?
Tick tock goes the clock. Tick tock and the school day is gone. Tick tock and the decision is made and we are moving on. Tick tock and the opportunity is lost. Tick tock and we had our chance to leave an ever-lasting impact...
Time is something we can't ignore. Time is something we can't get more of. Time is the enemy we all must endure. Time can never be defeated, and how you use it makes all the difference...
http://goo.gl/Dz3Nn
Regardless of our capacity in a school or a district, time is constantly on our minds and in our sights. Time is the one thing that is for certain. We all have 24 hours in a day, and we all only get 60 minutes per hour. Deciding how we use our time is perhaps the most important decision we make on a daily basis...
- Will you spend the extra time it takes to speak with a child to find out why he/she has been struggling lately? (what will your other students be doing at this time...)
- Will you take the long way just so you can say "thank you" to that colleague who really helped you out by going the extra mile? (will you need to get up earlier than usual for this to happen...)
- Will you read the page/blog post/article that was given to you by a colleague who felt it was relevant to what you are doing? (will you still have ample time to prepare for this week's classes...)
- Will you notify the parent of a student who has shown great improvement recently? (how do you decide which parents to call and which parents not to call...)
- Will you complete all the necessary paperwork/documentation that is being requested of you? (which of your other duties will receive less time while you complete these tasks...)
- Will you put the needs and requests of others before yours? (how will you decide which requests to fulfill and which needs of yours to ignore...)
As educators we all lead busy lives and we all have more on our plates than ever before. As our responsibilities and expectations increase, the only thing that remains constant is the amount of time we have. This post is not meant to be a pity party for educators, but rather a reminder that the choices we make every day on how we utilize our time have an impact much longer than we might realize.
Every time we make the decision on what to do or which task to complete first, we are making a decision that involves time. Guard your time and prioritize your time. Focus your time on what must be done to effect the greatest good, and never take your time for granted. Most importantly, recognize that when you decide how to use your time, you are also deciding what you don't have time for.
How do you prioritize your time? How do you decide what you don't have time for? Are you willing to accept that in order for you to fully devote yourself to a set of tasks, you must also be willing to sacrifice those tasks you don't have time for...?
At Poplar Bluff Junior High School we started a professional studies book club that meets on a monthly basis. The second book we chose to read was "How Full is Your Bucket?" by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton. Here are the notes I provided the book club members to help fuel and guide our discussion:
Chapter 1: Negativity kills
- How do you respond to negativity? What strategies do you employ to keep negativity out of your life?
- Do you ever find yourself being overly negative? Do people view you as a positive or negative influence?
Chapter 2: Positivity, negativity, productivity
- “It’s true that most of our negative experiences will not kill us, yet they can slowly but surely erode our well-being and productivity.” Pg. 15
- How often do you receive recognition and praise? How did you feel afterward? Do you deserve recognition and praise for doing your job?
- How do we prevent overly negative people from spreading their negativity?
- “It is possible for just one or two people to poison an entire workplace.” Pg. 25 - Do you believe this? As a member of an organization, do you feel comfortable giving one or two people that much power?
Chapter 3: Every moment matters
- Remember a time when you got good news, praise, or recognition that filled your bucket…how long did it take before a negative person emptied your bucket?
- As educators, do we focus on the strengths or weaknesses of our students? Do you agree with Rath’s belief that we should concentrate on what people do well, rather than what they do not do well?
- “Positivity must be grounded in reality.” Pg. 45 - Is it possible to give too much praise? Do we ever give insincere/artificial praise? Is there a difference between insincere/artificial praise… and lying to avoid confrontation or hurting one’s feelings?
Chapter 4: Tom’s story: An overflowing bucket?
- Is being born a negative person a valid excuse when emptying the buckets of others? If our natural disposition is to be negative, can we change?
- “I was able to strive for greatness in my area of natural talent.” Pg. 55 - Do we help our students find situations and circumstances where we know they will be successful and excel?
- Do the people you spend a majority of your time with help to fill your bucket?
Chapter 5: Making it personal
- “Recognition is most appreciated and effective when it is individualized, specific, and deserved.” Pg. 62 - How can we make sure we provide individualized, specific, and deserved recognition for all of our students?
- “The recognition & praise you provide must have meaning that is specific to each individual.” Pg. 66
- How would Rath respond to a teacher of the month award? Are these awards effectively recognizing and praising teachers in an individualized, specific, and deserving manner?
“You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people to get what they want.” Zig Ziglar
Chapter 6: Five strategies for increasing positive emotions
1. Prevent bucket dipping: Ask yourself…am I adding to or taking from the bucket?
2. Shine a light on what is right: Do you concentrate on success or failure (strengths or weaknesses)?
3. Make best friends: Friends help add to and build up your bucket.
4. Give unexpectedly: Small unexpected bucket fillers can have a huge impact.
5. Reverse the golden rule: Put the needs of others before yours…take care of their bucket, and they will take care of yours.
Todd Whitaker is a great educational thinker and an experienced Educator. He has written several books, and his thoughts seem to resonate with Educators from all levels in all positions. Here are my book club notes from his book, "What Great Teachers do Differently." Todd is also on Twitter (@toddwhitaker) 1. Why look at great?
- What are the characteristics of “great” teachers?
- Most administrators believe they would be better teachers if they ever returned
to the classroom…why?
- Should we have the opportunity to observe the “great” teachers? -
how do we determine who is “great?”
2. It’s people, not programs
- School districts put a lot of emphasis on new programs and initiatives? Do school districts put the same amount of
emphasis on developing teachers into “great” teachers?
- Can you think of any examples where two identical programs were being led
by two different leaders with two different levels of success? Why was one program more successful than the
other?
3. The power of expectations
- Are student expectations clear in your class?
- Are teacher expectations clear at your school? Do teachers need clear expectations?
- What strategies do you use to make sure there is transparency, as well as
clear expectations in your class?
4. Prevention versus revenge
- What are the most successful
classroom management strategies you use?
Why are they the most successful?
- Do all teachers really have the
same “bag of tricks?”
5. High expectations - for whom?
- Are your expectations higher
for your students than for yourself? (think about the lens and mirror
principles from Maxwell’s Winning with People)
- How do you know if your expectations are too high or too low? Is it possible they can be too high?
6. Who is the variable?
- When something goes wrong in your class (behavior, homework completion,
quiz scores) who do you blame?
- Passing blame also passes power… are you prepared to give your power away?
7. Ten days out of ten
- How can we make sure we treat all students and colleagues with respect and
care?
- How do you cope with a bad day in the classroom? How do you hide your true feelings from the
students?
8. The teacher is the filter
- How do you set the tone in your classroom?
Do you realize how powerful your attitude is?
- “When the teacher sneezes, the whole class catches a cold.” Pg. 56 Do you
agree with this?
- Do you agree with Whitaker’s take on the teacher’s lounge?
9. Don’t need to repair - always do
repair
- Building strong relationships
with staff and students is essential to being a “great” teacher.
- Is the “highway patrol example” applicable in the education setting?
- Do we always reinforce appropriate student behavior in our classrooms?
10. Ability to ignore
- How do you determine which comments or behaviors to ignore, or not to ignore?
- Is it appropriate to ignore one student and recognize the behavior of
other students to teach what behaviors are acceptable?
11. Random or plandom?
- Do you plan to use all 50 minutes of class every single day? Does this require more work on your part?
- What strategies do you use to be proactive instead of reactive in terms of
classroom management?
- What did you think about the faculty meeting example? Do you see this at your school? Positive/negative effect?
12. Base every decision on the best
people
- “Great” teachers worry about
what their best students think. Should
we only worry about our best students? - Are you guilty of using blanket statements
with your students?
- Why do most teachers/students/administrators use blanket statements?
13. In every situation, ask who is
the most comfortable and who is least comfortable?
- When dealing with students and
staff members do you consider the ramifications of your words on others?
- Do you feel comfortable in your current position? Do the “great” teachers at your school feel
comfortable?
- Do your great students feel comfortable when you are addressing an issue
with your class?
14. What about these darn
standardized tests?
- Whitaker sees some value in
standardized testing… how can we use standardized testing as a tool in our
classrooms? - In your particular class, do
you feel that standardized testing is emphasized more than actual learning?
15. Make it cool to care
- “Great” teachers teach all students to care,
and as long as the teachers are acting in the best interests of the students,
they can do no wrong… how can we make this applicable in the classroom setting?
- “The heroes are not the contract negotiating team that got the teachers a
raise, but rather the teachers that had an impact on the lives of their
students.” Pg. 119
16. Clarifying your core
- “Every teacher has an impact. Great teachers make a positive difference.” Pg. 126 - Are you prepared to accept the
responsibility of making your school a “great” school?
“Students care about great teachers because they know great teachers care
about them” Pg. 122
