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It’s time to announce the winner of the Fundamental Five Poster Contest.
The second runner up is….
Holbrook Elementary!
The first runner up is…
Hairgrove Elementary!!
And the winner is…
Lee Elementary!!!
Congratulations Lee ES and thanks to all the schools that submitted a poster for the contest. Your creativity and passion for great teaching is inspiring and greatly appreciated.
Thank you all.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Friday, October 2, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Leadership / Lonely - Part 4)
In response to the posts on, “Leadership / Lonely,” a reader writes:
“As far as rookies entering in the conversation, I agree with SC, we can all benefit. Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman was keen on staying in contact with students, even after winning the Nobel Prize in physics. Feynman stated: "I don't believe I can really do without teaching. The reason is, I have to have something so that when I don't have any ideas and I'm not getting anywhere I can say to myself, "At least I'm living; at least I'm doing something; I am making some contribution" -- it's just psychological.
When I was at Princeton in the 1940s I could see what happened to those great minds at the Institute for Advanced Study, who had been specially selected for their tremendous brains and were now given this opportunity to sit in this lovely house by the woods there, with no classes to teach, with no obligations whatsoever. These poor bastards could now sit and think clearly all by themselves, OK? So they don't get any ideas for a while: They have every opportunity to do something, and they are not getting any ideas. I believe that in a situation like this a kind of guilt or depression worms inside of you, and you begin to worry about not getting any ideas. And nothing happens. Still no ideas come.
Nothing happens because there's not enough real activity and challenge: You're not in contact with the experimental guys. You don't have to think how to answer questions from the students. Nothing!
In any thinking process there are moments when everything is going good and you've got wonderful ideas. Teaching is an interruption, and so it's the greatest pain in the neck in the world. And then there are the longer period of time when not much is coming to you. You're not getting any ideas, and if you're doing nothing at all, it drives you nuts! You can't even say "I'm teaching my class."
If you're teaching a class, you can think about the elementary things that you know very well. These things are kind of fun and delightful. It doesn't do any harm to think them over again. Is there a better way to present them? The elementary things are easy to think about; if you can't think of a new thought, no harm done; what you thought about it before is good enough for the class. If you do think of something new, you're rather pleased that you have a new way of looking at it.
The questions of the students are often the source of new research. They often ask profound questions that I've thought about at times and then given up on, so to speak, for a while. It wouldn't do me any harm to think about them again and see if I can go any further now. The students may not be able to see the thing I want to answer, or the subtleties I want to think about, but they remind me of a problem by asking questions in the neighborhood of that problem. It's not so easy to remind yourself of these things.
So I find that teaching and the students keep life going, and I would never accept any position in which somebody has invented a happy situation for me where I don't have to teach. Never.
This is from the book "Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman!" Part of Feynman's true brilliance was his appreciation of rookies.”
SC Response
Good point and great example. If you haven’t read “Surely Your Joking,” you should put it on your reading list. The book is probably 20 years old, but it is a great account of one of the geniuses of our times and a person who loved teaching, life and the pursuit of knowledge.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“As far as rookies entering in the conversation, I agree with SC, we can all benefit. Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman was keen on staying in contact with students, even after winning the Nobel Prize in physics. Feynman stated: "I don't believe I can really do without teaching. The reason is, I have to have something so that when I don't have any ideas and I'm not getting anywhere I can say to myself, "At least I'm living; at least I'm doing something; I am making some contribution" -- it's just psychological.
When I was at Princeton in the 1940s I could see what happened to those great minds at the Institute for Advanced Study, who had been specially selected for their tremendous brains and were now given this opportunity to sit in this lovely house by the woods there, with no classes to teach, with no obligations whatsoever. These poor bastards could now sit and think clearly all by themselves, OK? So they don't get any ideas for a while: They have every opportunity to do something, and they are not getting any ideas. I believe that in a situation like this a kind of guilt or depression worms inside of you, and you begin to worry about not getting any ideas. And nothing happens. Still no ideas come.
Nothing happens because there's not enough real activity and challenge: You're not in contact with the experimental guys. You don't have to think how to answer questions from the students. Nothing!
In any thinking process there are moments when everything is going good and you've got wonderful ideas. Teaching is an interruption, and so it's the greatest pain in the neck in the world. And then there are the longer period of time when not much is coming to you. You're not getting any ideas, and if you're doing nothing at all, it drives you nuts! You can't even say "I'm teaching my class."
If you're teaching a class, you can think about the elementary things that you know very well. These things are kind of fun and delightful. It doesn't do any harm to think them over again. Is there a better way to present them? The elementary things are easy to think about; if you can't think of a new thought, no harm done; what you thought about it before is good enough for the class. If you do think of something new, you're rather pleased that you have a new way of looking at it.
The questions of the students are often the source of new research. They often ask profound questions that I've thought about at times and then given up on, so to speak, for a while. It wouldn't do me any harm to think about them again and see if I can go any further now. The students may not be able to see the thing I want to answer, or the subtleties I want to think about, but they remind me of a problem by asking questions in the neighborhood of that problem. It's not so easy to remind yourself of these things.
So I find that teaching and the students keep life going, and I would never accept any position in which somebody has invented a happy situation for me where I don't have to teach. Never.
This is from the book "Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman!" Part of Feynman's true brilliance was his appreciation of rookies.”
SC Response
Good point and great example. If you haven’t read “Surely Your Joking,” you should put it on your reading list. The book is probably 20 years old, but it is a great account of one of the geniuses of our times and a person who loved teaching, life and the pursuit of knowledge.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Leadership / Lonely - Part 3)
In response to the posts on, “Leadership / Lonely,” a reader writes:
“I loved this comment.
But I have to add, sometimes you just have to fake it till you feel it.”
SC Comment
You are absolutely right. “Fake it till you make it,” may be the most important, practical problem solving strategy you can employ. There is not one of us that knows the answer to every problem, which leaves everyone with two primary choices when faced with a novel situation.
1. Do nothing
2. Do something
If you consistently do nothing, you and your team, campus, or organization will find itself falling further behind the pack. Soon your actions morph into nothing but re-actions and before you know it, you are simply a victim of fate and external variables of which you think that you have no control. You also quit making meaningful deposits into your experience bank. Without realizing it you turn yourself into the person that has 10 years of first year experience.
On the other hand, if you do something, you will find yourself operating with incomplete information and a limited skill set. You will have to adjust on the fly, think quicker, and act more decisively (than the average educator) just to have a chance at success. By necessity you will fake it until your experience and skill set catches up with the problem, at which time you will have made it. Repeat the process and soon you and you team, school, or organization will be operating ahead of the pack. You will be dictating the discussion and in comparison to your peers, you will be much more in charge of your destiny. You will be one of the fortunate few that are able to gain 2, 3 or 4 “years” of experience in a single year’s time.
Or as I recently explained it to one principal, “solve problems at full speed and make your own luck.”
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“I loved this comment.
But I have to add, sometimes you just have to fake it till you feel it.”
SC Comment
You are absolutely right. “Fake it till you make it,” may be the most important, practical problem solving strategy you can employ. There is not one of us that knows the answer to every problem, which leaves everyone with two primary choices when faced with a novel situation.
1. Do nothing
2. Do something
If you consistently do nothing, you and your team, campus, or organization will find itself falling further behind the pack. Soon your actions morph into nothing but re-actions and before you know it, you are simply a victim of fate and external variables of which you think that you have no control. You also quit making meaningful deposits into your experience bank. Without realizing it you turn yourself into the person that has 10 years of first year experience.
On the other hand, if you do something, you will find yourself operating with incomplete information and a limited skill set. You will have to adjust on the fly, think quicker, and act more decisively (than the average educator) just to have a chance at success. By necessity you will fake it until your experience and skill set catches up with the problem, at which time you will have made it. Repeat the process and soon you and you team, school, or organization will be operating ahead of the pack. You will be dictating the discussion and in comparison to your peers, you will be much more in charge of your destiny. You will be one of the fortunate few that are able to gain 2, 3 or 4 “years” of experience in a single year’s time.
Or as I recently explained it to one principal, “solve problems at full speed and make your own luck.”
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Leadership/ Lonely - Part 2)
In response to the post, “Leadership / Lonely,” a reader writes:
“I admit that I am enjoying this blog. However, as a new administrator I am struck by the absolute confidence that you and the other writers display in your comments. Do all successful principals have this level of absolute confidence in what will be, or is it just a bluff, or what? How in the world do you develop that level of supreme sureness in your own abilities? How do you deal with the doubts, or do you even have them. I would love to contribute but I just do not feel I know enough to even know where to start. My coaches always told me that we learn more from our losses than our victories. If so you guys must have lost some big ones to get where you are now. Any suggestions for a rookie?”
SC Response
Great questions! I actually started laughing (at us, not you) as I read your comment, because your questions are so on target. Let me answer them in order.
1. I do think that most successful principals are supremely confident. It’s not that they are sure that things will turn out as they plan. They just know that whatever problem arises, they and their team will be able to figure out the answer. It is the belief that given enough time, anything can be solved. Once you “know” that, you go from being a potential victim of fate to controlling your destiny.
2. Experience and overcoming adversity is what puts you into supreme confidence mode. Once you have faced utter ruin and survived, ordinary problems become less of a big deal.
3. Everyone has doubts. We are in the people business, so nothing is completely sure or predictable. The key is to make decisions as soon as you have just enough information to be reasonably sure of the results and then be willing to adapt as better information becomes available. Forward motion creates both confidence and success.
4. There’s no entrance exam to contribute. We learn as much from working with rookies as we do from veterans. The right question at the right time can clarify a line of reasoning. Fresh eyes make us re-examine processes. I was actually sharing with a principal today, that a question from a rookie AP, drives much of my current research and development. The question, “How do you quantify what your gut tells you?”
5. You hit the nail on the head. I constantly remind the people that I work with that the “brilliant” insights that I have are often the result of long strings of failed and sub-par solutions.
6. As for advice, tackle the problems that nobody else wants any part of. Solve them and you create value for the organization. Fail and at least you know one more thing not to do.
And yes, as a group we can be quite full of ourselves. As Fred Richardson says, “A good principal is frequently wrong and never in doubt.”
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“I admit that I am enjoying this blog. However, as a new administrator I am struck by the absolute confidence that you and the other writers display in your comments. Do all successful principals have this level of absolute confidence in what will be, or is it just a bluff, or what? How in the world do you develop that level of supreme sureness in your own abilities? How do you deal with the doubts, or do you even have them. I would love to contribute but I just do not feel I know enough to even know where to start. My coaches always told me that we learn more from our losses than our victories. If so you guys must have lost some big ones to get where you are now. Any suggestions for a rookie?”
SC Response
Great questions! I actually started laughing (at us, not you) as I read your comment, because your questions are so on target. Let me answer them in order.
1. I do think that most successful principals are supremely confident. It’s not that they are sure that things will turn out as they plan. They just know that whatever problem arises, they and their team will be able to figure out the answer. It is the belief that given enough time, anything can be solved. Once you “know” that, you go from being a potential victim of fate to controlling your destiny.
2. Experience and overcoming adversity is what puts you into supreme confidence mode. Once you have faced utter ruin and survived, ordinary problems become less of a big deal.
3. Everyone has doubts. We are in the people business, so nothing is completely sure or predictable. The key is to make decisions as soon as you have just enough information to be reasonably sure of the results and then be willing to adapt as better information becomes available. Forward motion creates both confidence and success.
4. There’s no entrance exam to contribute. We learn as much from working with rookies as we do from veterans. The right question at the right time can clarify a line of reasoning. Fresh eyes make us re-examine processes. I was actually sharing with a principal today, that a question from a rookie AP, drives much of my current research and development. The question, “How do you quantify what your gut tells you?”
5. You hit the nail on the head. I constantly remind the people that I work with that the “brilliant” insights that I have are often the result of long strings of failed and sub-par solutions.
6. As for advice, tackle the problems that nobody else wants any part of. Solve them and you create value for the organization. Fail and at least you know one more thing not to do.
And yes, as a group we can be quite full of ourselves. As Fred Richardson says, “A good principal is frequently wrong and never in doubt.”
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
A Reader Writes... (Leadership / Lonely)
In response to the post, “Leadership / Lonely,” a reader writes:
“Let me add to this strand. Cain and I had very much the same conversation at a different time and place. I received the very same advice. I also chose to fight the good fight and engage. We won. The students won. The teachers and parents and all the others in the district that are still there won, and they continue to do so.
I also was stolen and promoted by another district before they could fire me (and they would have had I stayed) but I get to continue the good fight. The sad part is that there were several other principals that faced the same situation with me at that time but in different districts. They received similar advice from Cain, but they chose to play it safe (?) and their careers went up in smoke. The failure to engage is the only sure fire, 100% recipe for defeat, so given the choice, “With a smile on your face and a song in your heart” choose to engage.”
SC Response
What is interesting is in our profession, engaging at full speed can turn most no-win situations into a win-win situation. As the writer points out, the students win, the community wins, most of the staff wins and even the principal wins. However, engaging at full speed does not mean playing politics at full speed. The politically expedient decision will seem like the prudent choice, but as soon as you make the political choice, you give up the moral high ground. At that point, the only thing that disappears faster than your effectiveness is your credibility.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“Let me add to this strand. Cain and I had very much the same conversation at a different time and place. I received the very same advice. I also chose to fight the good fight and engage. We won. The students won. The teachers and parents and all the others in the district that are still there won, and they continue to do so.
I also was stolen and promoted by another district before they could fire me (and they would have had I stayed) but I get to continue the good fight. The sad part is that there were several other principals that faced the same situation with me at that time but in different districts. They received similar advice from Cain, but they chose to play it safe (?) and their careers went up in smoke. The failure to engage is the only sure fire, 100% recipe for defeat, so given the choice, “With a smile on your face and a song in your heart” choose to engage.”
SC Response
What is interesting is in our profession, engaging at full speed can turn most no-win situations into a win-win situation. As the writer points out, the students win, the community wins, most of the staff wins and even the principal wins. However, engaging at full speed does not mean playing politics at full speed. The politically expedient decision will seem like the prudent choice, but as soon as you make the political choice, you give up the moral high ground. At that point, the only thing that disappears faster than your effectiveness is your credibility.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Big Gains)
In response to the post, “Big Gains,” a reader writes:
“People who want to go slow do so for the sake of adult comfort. Going fast is good for kids but requires adults to become professional and proficient fast. That hurts. Going fast may mean making hard decisions. Do you give that teacher who is less than marginal another two or three years because they are close to retirement, letting them age out instead of confronting them? Or do you put that teacher on a growth plan?
My former high school, which I led to recognized academic standards, now has a new principal. She objects to growth plans for teachers "because that is how principals get fired." This young woman has a serious moral flaw: she is a coward. She could decide to do what is right for kids, but that is uncomfortable for adults, and that could lead to conflict. If you are in a district that prohibits growth plans (yes, those kind of districts exist. In fact, there are a lot of them) get out and go somewhere serious about helping kids.”
SC Response
Whenever I present, I start with the moral imperative (or as I now understand it, the moral equation) to change. The equation consists of two questions.
The first question is this, “Am I satisfied with the performance of my school (or district)?”
The second question is, “Am I willing to leave students behind?”
If you answer “No” to both of the questions, then you must change, and do so rapidly. Anything less than rapid change means that you are either compromising your principles or lying to yourself.
As for the comment about the principal being a coward, that may or may not be true. But what is true is that student success is not her number one priority (based on growth plan comment). And I find that to be a travesty to both the position and the profession.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“People who want to go slow do so for the sake of adult comfort. Going fast is good for kids but requires adults to become professional and proficient fast. That hurts. Going fast may mean making hard decisions. Do you give that teacher who is less than marginal another two or three years because they are close to retirement, letting them age out instead of confronting them? Or do you put that teacher on a growth plan?
My former high school, which I led to recognized academic standards, now has a new principal. She objects to growth plans for teachers "because that is how principals get fired." This young woman has a serious moral flaw: she is a coward. She could decide to do what is right for kids, but that is uncomfortable for adults, and that could lead to conflict. If you are in a district that prohibits growth plans (yes, those kind of districts exist. In fact, there are a lot of them) get out and go somewhere serious about helping kids.”
SC Response
Whenever I present, I start with the moral imperative (or as I now understand it, the moral equation) to change. The equation consists of two questions.
The first question is this, “Am I satisfied with the performance of my school (or district)?”
The second question is, “Am I willing to leave students behind?”
If you answer “No” to both of the questions, then you must change, and do so rapidly. Anything less than rapid change means that you are either compromising your principles or lying to yourself.
As for the comment about the principal being a coward, that may or may not be true. But what is true is that student success is not her number one priority (based on growth plan comment). And I find that to be a travesty to both the position and the profession.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Data Analysis
I had about a dozen conversations this past week about data analysis. Everybody is hot on the idea, but have questions on how to start, what is the best way, and who should do it. Here is the synopsis of what I shared.
1. Data should be used to change the future, not predict the future. Once you see the trend, get in front of it to alter the predicted result.
2. Initially, whoever is using the data needs to have a role in crunching the data. Yes, this is time consuming and inefficient. But this is a case where engaging in the process builds the insight to change the predicted results.
3. The data analysis and conversation should boil down to the identification of, and answer to, the following three questions.
A. What is working?
B. What is not working?
C. What will we do differently, NOW?
4. Data is power. The higher up in the command structure you are, the better you have to know the data. Teacher, do you want to help a student? Know his or her data and have an intervention. AP, do you want to help a teacher? Know his or her data and have an intervention. Principal, do you want to help an AP? Know his or her data and have an intervention. Assistant Superintendent, do you want to help a principal? Know his or her data and have an intervention. If all you have to offer is the advice, “work harder, faster and longer” then you really offer nothing.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
1. Data should be used to change the future, not predict the future. Once you see the trend, get in front of it to alter the predicted result.
2. Initially, whoever is using the data needs to have a role in crunching the data. Yes, this is time consuming and inefficient. But this is a case where engaging in the process builds the insight to change the predicted results.
3. The data analysis and conversation should boil down to the identification of, and answer to, the following three questions.
A. What is working?
B. What is not working?
C. What will we do differently, NOW?
4. Data is power. The higher up in the command structure you are, the better you have to know the data. Teacher, do you want to help a student? Know his or her data and have an intervention. AP, do you want to help a teacher? Know his or her data and have an intervention. Principal, do you want to help an AP? Know his or her data and have an intervention. Assistant Superintendent, do you want to help a principal? Know his or her data and have an intervention. If all you have to offer is the advice, “work harder, faster and longer” then you really offer nothing.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
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