Posts
I mentioned this as an aside in an earlier post, so today I will officially post it as great advice.
Early in my administrative career, I was concerned about the first year turn-over rate that I had on my campus. When I mentioned this during a regular status report to the superintendent, Bob Brezina, he quickly reminded me, “Didn’t I tell you to hire on potential, retain on performance.”
“Yes, sir,” I answered.
“Good,” he said, “get back to work and keep performing.”
Meeting over. Total elapsed time, 3 minutes 23 seconds.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Saturday, April 25, 2009
You Are My Sunshine, My Only...
We’re in the final push until the end of this school year. Students are getting antsy, teachers are getting edgy and administrators are dangerously close to using their last nerve.
Here’s an easy and quick jump-start for everyone. Have the custodians clean every window this week (inside and out). Then, open up all the blinds (or better yet, take them down) and let the sun shine in all day. It will make everything a little bit brighter and give everyone a little more energy.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Here’s an easy and quick jump-start for everyone. Have the custodians clean every window this week (inside and out). Then, open up all the blinds (or better yet, take them down) and let the sun shine in all day. It will make everything a little bit brighter and give everyone a little more energy.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Seany Craig Plan (Apologies to Jenny)
I started to get excited when I began reading a story about 70 educators in Florida that included the following statement, “We supported each other and developed friendships that have lasted… We exchanged…”
Then reality stepped in and the statement finished with, “...recipes, health tips, provided encouragement during challenging times, and celebrated successes and fitness milestones.”
Yes, the story was about a group of teachers banding together, sharing ideas, making goals, and supporting each other - to lose weight. And they were successful, in one month, as a group, they lost 279 pounds (or about 4 pounds a person).
Yet, ask those same teachers to use that same strategy with their instructional practices and I promise you that they would fight and stonewall, all in the name of protecting their creativity and professional autonomy.
When I speak and coach, I often tell the audience that improving instruction is as simple as losing weight. And I am going to make my argument one more time, using the above mentioned teachers as the example.
The Seany Craig Campus Performance Diet Plan:
1. Adopt a common scope and sequence (the recipe book)
2. Adopt short-term common assessments (a scale)
3. Hyper-monitor (A daily calorie intake / expenditure log)
4. Share the data as a team (peer support)
5. Make adjustments based on the data (menu and exercise adjustments based on progress towards goals)
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Then reality stepped in and the statement finished with, “...recipes, health tips, provided encouragement during challenging times, and celebrated successes and fitness milestones.”
Yes, the story was about a group of teachers banding together, sharing ideas, making goals, and supporting each other - to lose weight. And they were successful, in one month, as a group, they lost 279 pounds (or about 4 pounds a person).
Yet, ask those same teachers to use that same strategy with their instructional practices and I promise you that they would fight and stonewall, all in the name of protecting their creativity and professional autonomy.
When I speak and coach, I often tell the audience that improving instruction is as simple as losing weight. And I am going to make my argument one more time, using the above mentioned teachers as the example.
The Seany Craig Campus Performance Diet Plan:
1. Adopt a common scope and sequence (the recipe book)
2. Adopt short-term common assessments (a scale)
3. Hyper-monitor (A daily calorie intake / expenditure log)
4. Share the data as a team (peer support)
5. Make adjustments based on the data (menu and exercise adjustments based on progress towards goals)
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Brezina Book Recommendation
Bob Brezina recommends:
"Disrupting Class," by Clayton M. Christensen.
It's now going on my list.
Think. Work. Achieve
"Disrupting Class," by Clayton M. Christensen.
It's now going on my list.
Think. Work. Achieve
Recognizing Gang Tags
I was recently on a campus working with some administrators who were dealing with more and more students tagging their books with gang signs. After confirming that yes, the tags were gang related, we discussed some strategies for addressing the problem. One idea was to train all the staff on current gang tags and what specifically to look for. However, I didn’t think that was the best way to combat the problem. Here is the reason why, gang tags are like technology, by the time we figure out what to look for, we are already out of date. So I suggested an alternate strategy.
1. Let the staff know that there is a problem and show them the examples.
2. Stress that the teacher is the first line of defense. The teacher has to look at notebooks, desks, books, etc. and address anything suspicious.
3. The staff has to use the following filter when assessing doodles and drawings. If you saw the words and/or drawings on the side of a building near your home, what would you think? If it wouldn’t bother you, it is probably okay. If it would make you uncomfortable, then the teacher needs to take some action.
This advice obviously isn’t the end all in addressing gang issues, it’s just a way to build some first level awareness and initial response. If you need some other ideas or resources, send me a comment.
Think. Work, Achieve.
Your turn…
1. Let the staff know that there is a problem and show them the examples.
2. Stress that the teacher is the first line of defense. The teacher has to look at notebooks, desks, books, etc. and address anything suspicious.
3. The staff has to use the following filter when assessing doodles and drawings. If you saw the words and/or drawings on the side of a building near your home, what would you think? If it wouldn’t bother you, it is probably okay. If it would make you uncomfortable, then the teacher needs to take some action.
This advice obviously isn’t the end all in addressing gang issues, it’s just a way to build some first level awareness and initial response. If you need some other ideas or resources, send me a comment.
Think. Work, Achieve.
Your turn…
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Chef Wayne, or How Do You Interview?
First, a disclaimer. In general, living on the road is a combination of the mundane, punctuated by random irritation. After the first two weeks, all illusions of glamour have disappeared. However, sometimes there are perks…
Recently, I the was guest of Chef Wayne, the Executive Chef of the Chart House, in San Antonio, for a tasting menu dinner. The Chart House is one of the top three restaurants in the city and the whole experience for incredible, but that is not the point of the story. Here’s the point. We were test subjects.
Chef Wayne was in the process of hiring a new chef for the kitchen and we were part of the try-out. So what is a chef interview like? At a 5-star restaurant, with a boss like Chef Wayne, it goes a little something like this. The interviewee is provided with all the fresh ingredients to cook a meal (it this case: appetizers, soup, salad, side dishes, main course, and dessert). The chef then tells the candidate, “Impress me.”
The interviewee then begins cooking. The Chef is judging him on organization, timeliness, taste and presentation. If the Chef is impressed, the interviewee is hired. If the Chef isn’t impressed, the interviewee hits the bricks.
Talk about being results oriented. What if we were able to hire teachers in a similar manner? "Here’s the class, here’s the lesson plan and resources, now teach a mini-lesson and impress me."
I would ask, what if we could hire administrators the same way? But, in some places we already are. The Leadership Development Academy (LDA) in San Antonio is a one year interview for aspiring assistant principals and principals. These aspiring leaders are working everyday with the toughest kids in San Antonio, with this mandate: teach the toughest of the tough and show that you have what it takes to move to the next level. And it works.
Some staff are being plucked from the program to fill leadership positions as they open up, some staff are on the “A” list to move up soon, and some staff have shown that though they were willing to talk the talk, they are either unwilling or unable to walk the walk.
Bob Brezina, taught me to hire based on potential, retain based on performance. Chef Wayne and the LDA take this to the next level; hire based on performance, retain based on performance.
So what happened to the chef who was being interviewed? In a unique turn of events, he was asked to come back and interview again the next night. As those of us in the dinner party can attest, he nailed the crab stuffed mushrooms, pear and goat cheese salad, lobster bisque, potatoes, grilled sea bass and chocolate soufflé. However, he fried the spinach. Evidently, you don’t fry spinach in Chef Wayne’s kitchen.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your Turn…
Recently, I the was guest of Chef Wayne, the Executive Chef of the Chart House, in San Antonio, for a tasting menu dinner. The Chart House is one of the top three restaurants in the city and the whole experience for incredible, but that is not the point of the story. Here’s the point. We were test subjects.
Chef Wayne was in the process of hiring a new chef for the kitchen and we were part of the try-out. So what is a chef interview like? At a 5-star restaurant, with a boss like Chef Wayne, it goes a little something like this. The interviewee is provided with all the fresh ingredients to cook a meal (it this case: appetizers, soup, salad, side dishes, main course, and dessert). The chef then tells the candidate, “Impress me.”
The interviewee then begins cooking. The Chef is judging him on organization, timeliness, taste and presentation. If the Chef is impressed, the interviewee is hired. If the Chef isn’t impressed, the interviewee hits the bricks.
Talk about being results oriented. What if we were able to hire teachers in a similar manner? "Here’s the class, here’s the lesson plan and resources, now teach a mini-lesson and impress me."
I would ask, what if we could hire administrators the same way? But, in some places we already are. The Leadership Development Academy (LDA) in San Antonio is a one year interview for aspiring assistant principals and principals. These aspiring leaders are working everyday with the toughest kids in San Antonio, with this mandate: teach the toughest of the tough and show that you have what it takes to move to the next level. And it works.
Some staff are being plucked from the program to fill leadership positions as they open up, some staff are on the “A” list to move up soon, and some staff have shown that though they were willing to talk the talk, they are either unwilling or unable to walk the walk.
Bob Brezina, taught me to hire based on potential, retain based on performance. Chef Wayne and the LDA take this to the next level; hire based on performance, retain based on performance.
So what happened to the chef who was being interviewed? In a unique turn of events, he was asked to come back and interview again the next night. As those of us in the dinner party can attest, he nailed the crab stuffed mushrooms, pear and goat cheese salad, lobster bisque, potatoes, grilled sea bass and chocolate soufflé. However, he fried the spinach. Evidently, you don’t fry spinach in Chef Wayne’s kitchen.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your Turn…
Charter School Accountability
I recently saw a headline where charter school advocates were again complaining about accountability measures. It was the usual complaints – it’s not fair, it’s tough, our kids are different (to be fair, after re-reading this opening statement, their complaints are not much different from those of the typical, regular school educator).
Here is my opinion on charter school accountability, based on my experience working with, observing, visiting and assessing over 100 of them.
First. This pattern was discovered when I led a team that conducted a state-wide review of charter schools about 6 years ago. There is an inverse relationship between profit motive and service to students. This makes sense. We didn’t get in this business to get rich. Public education isn’t funded at a get rich level. So to make a significant profit, you have to cut somewhere. The worst abusers are the for-profit charters that are masquerading as non-profits. There is a special ring of hell for those operators. On the other hand, true non-profit charters do some amazing things for students. One of my favorites is Yes! Preparatory Academy, in Houston. They served as one of my state-wide model schools when I was the State Director for Innovative School Redesign.
Second. Charters exist to either be more efficient, more effective, or more innovative than regular schools. If you can’t do one of those three things, you shouldn’t be allowed to exist. That is the business you volunteered for. Produce or get out. And if you fail, you can still hold your head high, because you demonstrated that a specific model or plan doesn’t work. That is valuable information. If you succeed, then you have discovered a better way to teach kids. And that is information that the entire profession needs to pay attention to and learn from.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Here is my opinion on charter school accountability, based on my experience working with, observing, visiting and assessing over 100 of them.
First. This pattern was discovered when I led a team that conducted a state-wide review of charter schools about 6 years ago. There is an inverse relationship between profit motive and service to students. This makes sense. We didn’t get in this business to get rich. Public education isn’t funded at a get rich level. So to make a significant profit, you have to cut somewhere. The worst abusers are the for-profit charters that are masquerading as non-profits. There is a special ring of hell for those operators. On the other hand, true non-profit charters do some amazing things for students. One of my favorites is Yes! Preparatory Academy, in Houston. They served as one of my state-wide model schools when I was the State Director for Innovative School Redesign.
Second. Charters exist to either be more efficient, more effective, or more innovative than regular schools. If you can’t do one of those three things, you shouldn’t be allowed to exist. That is the business you volunteered for. Produce or get out. And if you fail, you can still hold your head high, because you demonstrated that a specific model or plan doesn’t work. That is valuable information. If you succeed, then you have discovered a better way to teach kids. And that is information that the entire profession needs to pay attention to and learn from.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Assesment)
In response to the post, “A Reader Recommends,” a reader writes:
“I too agree with the posted comment with one caveat: the days of teaching what we love SHOULD be long gone. Unfortunately, the practice is alive and well and will be for a long time to come. The post is correct in stating that accountability is here to stay. But state or federal level accountability will not move us forward at any realistic pace. The way around "love units" is a well designed and delivered curriculum.
The accountability we seek should then be self-imposed by the way of short-term common assessments. Benchmarks are out and are almost useless (that is another discussion), but short, frequent common assessments that are aligned to the curriculum keeps everything honest.
A wise man once told me, "if you have a curriculum without common assessments you don't have a curriculum, you have a myth." Get a curriculum, conduct common assessments aligned to that curriculum, hold yourself accountability to your common assessment goals, and you will be on your way to NOT having to worry about state or federal accountability. I assure you that if you have the best curriculum ever invented but leave out the common assessments (and internal accountability) aligned to that curriculum, love lessons will creep back in.”
SC Response
You are dead on. The great schools (schools that consistently out perform their peers) have always held themselves accountable to higher standards that what is mandated by external entities. External accountability raises the floor. Internal accountability raises the ceiling. The lever for constant, incremental improvement, that allows a campus to exceed all expectations is the disciplined execution of the Foundation Trinity.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“I too agree with the posted comment with one caveat: the days of teaching what we love SHOULD be long gone. Unfortunately, the practice is alive and well and will be for a long time to come. The post is correct in stating that accountability is here to stay. But state or federal level accountability will not move us forward at any realistic pace. The way around "love units" is a well designed and delivered curriculum.
The accountability we seek should then be self-imposed by the way of short-term common assessments. Benchmarks are out and are almost useless (that is another discussion), but short, frequent common assessments that are aligned to the curriculum keeps everything honest.
A wise man once told me, "if you have a curriculum without common assessments you don't have a curriculum, you have a myth." Get a curriculum, conduct common assessments aligned to that curriculum, hold yourself accountability to your common assessment goals, and you will be on your way to NOT having to worry about state or federal accountability. I assure you that if you have the best curriculum ever invented but leave out the common assessments (and internal accountability) aligned to that curriculum, love lessons will creep back in.”
SC Response
You are dead on. The great schools (schools that consistently out perform their peers) have always held themselves accountable to higher standards that what is mandated by external entities. External accountability raises the floor. Internal accountability raises the ceiling. The lever for constant, incremental improvement, that allows a campus to exceed all expectations is the disciplined execution of the Foundation Trinity.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
A Reader Asks... (Grading Policy)
A reader asks,
“What do you think of schools that have to agree on all the same grades? Example...we have to agree as a 1st grade team on what grades to take in math and reading. What is your opinion on that?”
SC Response
This is a loaded question. It depends on the context. Let me explain.
The contextual question is, “who is the policy designed to benefit?”
For example, a big problem that almost every campus faces is that an “A” in Ms. Jones' math class, is a “B” in Ms. Smith's math class. Policies that are designed to make grading expectations consistent are worth implementing. Deciding in advance what assignments will be graded; what the weight of the grades will be; and what the grading rubric will consist of; is a recognized, yet historically under-utilized, best practice. And in all my experience, I have yet to come across a campus that is hitting all of those marks.
Most grading practices are designed to either create a floor number of expected assignments for poor teachers and/or to create a ceiling number of expected assignments for over-achieving (or hard case) teachers. As for creating consistency in grading expectations (rubrics), that’s a level of problem solving that almost no one is willing to tackle on a campus-wide level.
All of that to say, I think that every campus should have grading guidelines. I think that those guidelines should be developed by teams of teachers and administrators. I think the focus of those guidelines must be on what is best for students. And finally, I think that an individual teacher should have the ability to exercise a little discretion within those guidelines.
I hope that helps. If not, contact me.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“What do you think of schools that have to agree on all the same grades? Example...we have to agree as a 1st grade team on what grades to take in math and reading. What is your opinion on that?”
SC Response
This is a loaded question. It depends on the context. Let me explain.
The contextual question is, “who is the policy designed to benefit?”
For example, a big problem that almost every campus faces is that an “A” in Ms. Jones' math class, is a “B” in Ms. Smith's math class. Policies that are designed to make grading expectations consistent are worth implementing. Deciding in advance what assignments will be graded; what the weight of the grades will be; and what the grading rubric will consist of; is a recognized, yet historically under-utilized, best practice. And in all my experience, I have yet to come across a campus that is hitting all of those marks.
Most grading practices are designed to either create a floor number of expected assignments for poor teachers and/or to create a ceiling number of expected assignments for over-achieving (or hard case) teachers. As for creating consistency in grading expectations (rubrics), that’s a level of problem solving that almost no one is willing to tackle on a campus-wide level.
All of that to say, I think that every campus should have grading guidelines. I think that those guidelines should be developed by teams of teachers and administrators. I think the focus of those guidelines must be on what is best for students. And finally, I think that an individual teacher should have the ability to exercise a little discretion within those guidelines.
I hope that helps. If not, contact me.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
A Reader Recommends...
A reader recommends the following:
"Another book on the must read list is, “The Global Achievement Gap,” by Tony Wagner. This book is very hot with the politicians right now and will give educators a good insight into the direction we are apparently going to be taking over the next five years. There is one point I would like to make. The author uses real world examples of both good and not so good situations. In one of the good ones, a teacher (whom we are supposed to emulate?) makes the following statement, “… All we were doing was teaching to the test. I wasn’t able to teach what I loved-which is big fat novels…” (Emphasis added.)
The days of teaching what each individual Loves are long, long, long, gone. Modern accountability is here to stay and the sooner our profession accepts that fact, the sooner we can focus our efforts towards the true Hedgehog principle, which is "Instruction." It is the ‘How’ of instruction that deserves our attention as the "what and the when" decisions are no longer ours alone to make. I doubt the Author realized that even his exemplar actually perpetuated the wasted, false discussions within our profession. The Eagles have a song, “Get Over It.” It is time for us to ‘Get Over It’ and move forward, or we will be left in the dust bins of history."
SC Response
Great comments and good points. All I can add is that I concur. We owe it to our students and our profession to use all the tools at our disposal to improve instruction and to address those in our profession that are addicted to the narcotic effect of comfort and the status quo.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
"Another book on the must read list is, “The Global Achievement Gap,” by Tony Wagner. This book is very hot with the politicians right now and will give educators a good insight into the direction we are apparently going to be taking over the next five years. There is one point I would like to make. The author uses real world examples of both good and not so good situations. In one of the good ones, a teacher (whom we are supposed to emulate?) makes the following statement, “… All we were doing was teaching to the test. I wasn’t able to teach what I loved-which is big fat novels…” (Emphasis added.)
The days of teaching what each individual Loves are long, long, long, gone. Modern accountability is here to stay and the sooner our profession accepts that fact, the sooner we can focus our efforts towards the true Hedgehog principle, which is "Instruction." It is the ‘How’ of instruction that deserves our attention as the "what and the when" decisions are no longer ours alone to make. I doubt the Author realized that even his exemplar actually perpetuated the wasted, false discussions within our profession. The Eagles have a song, “Get Over It.” It is time for us to ‘Get Over It’ and move forward, or we will be left in the dust bins of history."
SC Response
Great comments and good points. All I can add is that I concur. We owe it to our students and our profession to use all the tools at our disposal to improve instruction and to address those in our profession that are addicted to the narcotic effect of comfort and the status quo.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Supreme Court Hearing
Check out the link below, the story is, "Court skeptical about school strip-search."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-strip-search_wrsapr22,0,4652436.story
In this case, the court seems to be on the side of prudent action. Now, if we can keep from shooting ourselves in the foot by not being reasonable, we still have the capability to protect our schools and our students.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-strip-search_wrsapr22,0,4652436.story
In this case, the court seems to be on the side of prudent action. Now, if we can keep from shooting ourselves in the foot by not being reasonable, we still have the capability to protect our schools and our students.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Monday, April 20, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Nesting, Part 3)
In response to the post and subsequent comments relating to, “Are You a Nester,” a reader writes:
“If nesting is your only administrative sin, you are not doing too bad. I have met hundreds of principals, and those that know a substantial amount about curriculum and instruction are few. Let me put it a different way. It is easy to sit in a football stand, watch a play go down, and then call it good or bad. Many times it is obvious; if the QB is nailed 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, not so good. If the play results in a TD, awesome play.
The point is, everyone sitting in the stands can spot a good play or a bad one, but only a good coach can give the players realistic advice on what went wrong and how to fix it. Instruction is the same way. Almost any principal can quickly learn to spot good instruction from not so good instruction. But, can the principal provide the teacher with realistic, specific, and effective strategies to improve instruction? I don't mean telling the teacher that rigor is low and it needs to improve. I mean can you, as the principal, not only spot poor instruction but quickly and effectively coach it into a win? Can you analyze a specific lesson in math, science, English, and social studies and give specific (not the general education double-talk stuff) feedback that will certainly improve the instruction? I have met VERY few principals who can do this, yet this should be the bread and butter of instructional leadership in my view.”
SC Response
Now were cooking with gas! The type of instructional leadership your describe is rare. But it has the potential to become less so. Those instructional leaders who have adopted the Foundation Trinity on their campus, religiously conduct their 20 to 25 five walk-thru’s each week, and then maintain a regular and purposeful dialogue with instructional staff, based on both data and what they have observed, have a shot to make the leap. When I say a shot, it is in recognition of what Don Brown calls the art and science of leadership or what Micheal Fullan describes as the nuance of leadership. Just going through the motions puts you in the position to develop the insight necessary to move from hack, to technician, to artist. But, there is no guarantee. The advice the hack gives never evolves past work harder, faster and longer. The technician advises to work the plan, but cannot see beyond the plan. The artist makes minute changes to the instructional dynamic to change the future.
So I agree that the big picture goal is to become an exceptional instructional leader. I also recognize that in that pursuit, there are some fundamental practices that we cannot abandon. Two of those being the disciplined execution of the Foundation Trinity, and the purposeful manipulation of the educational environment in order to leverage effort.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“If nesting is your only administrative sin, you are not doing too bad. I have met hundreds of principals, and those that know a substantial amount about curriculum and instruction are few. Let me put it a different way. It is easy to sit in a football stand, watch a play go down, and then call it good or bad. Many times it is obvious; if the QB is nailed 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, not so good. If the play results in a TD, awesome play.
The point is, everyone sitting in the stands can spot a good play or a bad one, but only a good coach can give the players realistic advice on what went wrong and how to fix it. Instruction is the same way. Almost any principal can quickly learn to spot good instruction from not so good instruction. But, can the principal provide the teacher with realistic, specific, and effective strategies to improve instruction? I don't mean telling the teacher that rigor is low and it needs to improve. I mean can you, as the principal, not only spot poor instruction but quickly and effectively coach it into a win? Can you analyze a specific lesson in math, science, English, and social studies and give specific (not the general education double-talk stuff) feedback that will certainly improve the instruction? I have met VERY few principals who can do this, yet this should be the bread and butter of instructional leadership in my view.”
SC Response
Now were cooking with gas! The type of instructional leadership your describe is rare. But it has the potential to become less so. Those instructional leaders who have adopted the Foundation Trinity on their campus, religiously conduct their 20 to 25 five walk-thru’s each week, and then maintain a regular and purposeful dialogue with instructional staff, based on both data and what they have observed, have a shot to make the leap. When I say a shot, it is in recognition of what Don Brown calls the art and science of leadership or what Micheal Fullan describes as the nuance of leadership. Just going through the motions puts you in the position to develop the insight necessary to move from hack, to technician, to artist. But, there is no guarantee. The advice the hack gives never evolves past work harder, faster and longer. The technician advises to work the plan, but cannot see beyond the plan. The artist makes minute changes to the instructional dynamic to change the future.
So I agree that the big picture goal is to become an exceptional instructional leader. I also recognize that in that pursuit, there are some fundamental practices that we cannot abandon. Two of those being the disciplined execution of the Foundation Trinity, and the purposeful manipulation of the educational environment in order to leverage effort.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Sunday, April 19, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Nesting, Part 2)
In response to the post, “Are You a Nester,” a reader writes:
“Nesters have no business in educational administration. Whoever read that and was convicted by it had better never let it happen again. That is why schools have been so mediocre. Organizational management is critical to administration. How can students, teachers, parents and other administrators respect someone when they are sitting across from a mess?
Mess = chaos. "Cleanliness is next to godliness." Everything is a reflection of the leader; the office needs to reflect perfection in every way, starting with the Foundation Trinity behind the desk on the wall!”
SC Response:
At ease Marine. You are right in recognizing the import of organization and appearance in improving your effectiveness as a leader. However, you are missing a couple of critical points.
Point One: As you move up in responsibility, it is very easy to get buried in paperwork, especially when you are making an effort to spend a significant amount of time out of the office and in the classrooms.
Point Two: There is a difference between important stuff and worthless trash. And the difference is ownership. My stuff is vital, yours less so. As such, the practice of regular spring cleaning is both important and made easier with external support and reminders.
Point Three: Becoming an effective leader is a journey. Everyone begins at a different place, but the goal is to get better everyday.
Point Four: The only unforgivable sin is not being coachable. Even Tiger Woods has people stand in his blind spot to help him improve. It just so happened that the nesting post covered that reader’s blind spot. Sometimes, the recognition of a blind spot is so exciting that you want to share it.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“Nesters have no business in educational administration. Whoever read that and was convicted by it had better never let it happen again. That is why schools have been so mediocre. Organizational management is critical to administration. How can students, teachers, parents and other administrators respect someone when they are sitting across from a mess?
Mess = chaos. "Cleanliness is next to godliness." Everything is a reflection of the leader; the office needs to reflect perfection in every way, starting with the Foundation Trinity behind the desk on the wall!”
SC Response:
At ease Marine. You are right in recognizing the import of organization and appearance in improving your effectiveness as a leader. However, you are missing a couple of critical points.
Point One: As you move up in responsibility, it is very easy to get buried in paperwork, especially when you are making an effort to spend a significant amount of time out of the office and in the classrooms.
Point Two: There is a difference between important stuff and worthless trash. And the difference is ownership. My stuff is vital, yours less so. As such, the practice of regular spring cleaning is both important and made easier with external support and reminders.
Point Three: Becoming an effective leader is a journey. Everyone begins at a different place, but the goal is to get better everyday.
Point Four: The only unforgivable sin is not being coachable. Even Tiger Woods has people stand in his blind spot to help him improve. It just so happened that the nesting post covered that reader’s blind spot. Sometimes, the recognition of a blind spot is so exciting that you want to share it.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
A Reader Writes... (Innovation)
In response to the post, “People are Listening,” a reader writes:
“Your second point, ‘The needs of our academically fragile students fuel the drive to innovate.’
This point hit me like a ton of bricks. I have been a Brown guy for a while now. I have known SC personally, even longer. A simple truth is that the mother of all innovation is necessity; need is what truly drives invention. Knowing that; it has to follow that the NEEDS of education have to drive the innovation (invention) and we certainly know where the needs are.
Over the last 6 months, I have had conversations with two state senator staffers. The more we write and speak out, the better chance we have of making change. We are surrounded on all sides by long standing traditions and beliefs that are actually bad for kids. Our task is formidable, but failure will be disastrous for generations, and therefore, is unacceptable.
Examine your practices, and the practices of your school, and then determine if they truly meet the needs of your academically fragile kids. Or, are you and your staff simply following the traditions and practices that promote the needs of adults.”
SC Response
Obviously, I agree with the writer (as he mentions, we have worked together for a number of years). But, I think that it is important to point out that he is touching on the fact that there is a “Knowing-Doing” gap. A huge step in identifying and creating the need to innovate is to bridge the “Knowing-Doing” gap. It is one thing to know what we should do (I think that level of understanding is evident in about 50% of the educators in the field). It is quite another thing to commit to doing it. I hate to sound cynical, but I think that those who commit to aggressively bridging the gap represent less that 5% of active educators. A view has been confirmed in conversations with some of the “who’s who,” in education research and theory.
Here’s the rub, if you are not aggressively trying to reconcile daily practice and best practice, then you don’t know what you don’t know. And it’s the need to know what you don’t know, that positions you to create an innovation at the right time and in the right place.
Finally, the 5% statement seems insulting, but it’s not meant to be. It’s just the recognition that it’s easier to go along than to stand up and fight. A fight that many of you, the Lead Your School readers, are fighting every single day. That is one of the reasons why I started this blog. Because I am on your campuses, I see what you are trying to do. I see a cadre of loosely dispersed, motivated change agents. You see yourself stuck on an island with the masses entrenched and unwilling to change. It is my privilege to remind you that you are not alone, and though they may not thank you, your students and staff are better off because of you.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your Turn…
“Your second point, ‘The needs of our academically fragile students fuel the drive to innovate.’
This point hit me like a ton of bricks. I have been a Brown guy for a while now. I have known SC personally, even longer. A simple truth is that the mother of all innovation is necessity; need is what truly drives invention. Knowing that; it has to follow that the NEEDS of education have to drive the innovation (invention) and we certainly know where the needs are.
Over the last 6 months, I have had conversations with two state senator staffers. The more we write and speak out, the better chance we have of making change. We are surrounded on all sides by long standing traditions and beliefs that are actually bad for kids. Our task is formidable, but failure will be disastrous for generations, and therefore, is unacceptable.
Examine your practices, and the practices of your school, and then determine if they truly meet the needs of your academically fragile kids. Or, are you and your staff simply following the traditions and practices that promote the needs of adults.”
SC Response
Obviously, I agree with the writer (as he mentions, we have worked together for a number of years). But, I think that it is important to point out that he is touching on the fact that there is a “Knowing-Doing” gap. A huge step in identifying and creating the need to innovate is to bridge the “Knowing-Doing” gap. It is one thing to know what we should do (I think that level of understanding is evident in about 50% of the educators in the field). It is quite another thing to commit to doing it. I hate to sound cynical, but I think that those who commit to aggressively bridging the gap represent less that 5% of active educators. A view has been confirmed in conversations with some of the “who’s who,” in education research and theory.
Here’s the rub, if you are not aggressively trying to reconcile daily practice and best practice, then you don’t know what you don’t know. And it’s the need to know what you don’t know, that positions you to create an innovation at the right time and in the right place.
Finally, the 5% statement seems insulting, but it’s not meant to be. It’s just the recognition that it’s easier to go along than to stand up and fight. A fight that many of you, the Lead Your School readers, are fighting every single day. That is one of the reasons why I started this blog. Because I am on your campuses, I see what you are trying to do. I see a cadre of loosely dispersed, motivated change agents. You see yourself stuck on an island with the masses entrenched and unwilling to change. It is my privilege to remind you that you are not alone, and though they may not thank you, your students and staff are better off because of you.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your Turn…
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