A Reader Writes... (Instructional Discussions - Part 2)

In response to the post, “Instructional Discussions,” a reader writes:

“Here is one key concept in response to your post that the LYS philosophy stresses that people have such a hard time comprehending: We need to FORCE teachers to be "coaches," not lecturers, and model for them what true instructional coaching is. When I went through the LYS Leadership Development Academy, Cain talked it, preached it, and always modeled it. Our staff had no doubt what instructional coaching was.

As we all transformed from lecturers to actively engaged coaches, success permeated our inner city secondary campus. Coaching is the word and the concept. But it is too simple for the majority of educators to grasp.”

SC Response
You are right. You also hit on one of the six keys to rapid change. Once you train your people, you have to make them implement the training. That sounds draconian, but it really isn’t. Because over 90% of making someone “do” something involves coaching, observation, feedback, timely support, encouragement and problem solving. When that is in place, the “doing” occurs more effectively and efficiently. As you pointed out, this is what we lived everyday, in real time and in real classrooms, at the Leadership Development Academy.

Now juxtapose that to the traditional model in place at most campuses.

1. Campus administration stays in their silos.

2. Central office never ventures out from Downtown.

3. Teachers hunker down in their classrooms.

4. Meaningful training occurs infrequently (if at all).

5. Some level of administration mandates improved performance.

6.Teachers continue to do what they feel is most effective.

7. Finally, the weakest link gets the blame for the failures of the campus. Depending on the campus, the weakest link is usually identified as "those students" or "those teachers."

As you can see (and many of you have lived through), the shift to LYS philosophy is dramatic. Since most educators have only been exposed to the traditional system, they do not believe that the LYS’er is there to coach, up until someone proves to be uncoachable. Understandably, their initial response is to fight and pushback. Hence, the “make them implement" rule. But with LYS, “make” is all together different.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Save the Dates and Come See Us Live

The Spring / Summer speaking tour dates have been finalized. The LYS crew would sure like to see you in the audiences at the following conferences:

March 11 to March 14, 2010
National Association of Secondary School Principals Convention in Phoenix
Visit the LYS Booth

March 14, 2010
National Association of Secondary School Principals Convention in Phoenix
Presentation by Sean Cain

May 13, 2010
Texas Charter School Conference in Dallas
Presentation by Sean Cain

June 9 to June 11, 2010
Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference in Austin
Visit the LYS Booth

June 9, 2010
Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference in Austin
Multiple Presentations by Sean Cain

June 10, 2010
Texas Association of School Boards Summer Leadership Institute in San Antonio
Multiple Presentations by Sean Cain

June 11, 2010
Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Conference in Austin
Multiple Presentations by Sean Cain

June 11, 2010
Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference in Austin
Post Conference Training Session by E. Don Brown and Sean Cain
(available to all TASSP members and conference attendees)

June 19, 2010
Texas Association of School Boards Summer Leadership Institute in Fort Worth
Multiple Presentations by Sean Cain

LYS Nation, make your travel arrangements now because we’re coming to see you.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Working Hard - Part 2)

In response to the post, “Working Hard,” a reader writes:

Thanks for getting to the core of the supposed 'low morale' issue that always occurs at this time of year. Teachers are aware the clock is ticking. And the ones that 'overslept' one day too many know that their data doesn't look so hot right now, just like I do. This means that I’m on their doorstep everyday with a big bright smile and “You better believe I’m watching you like a hawk” eyes.

They also dread hearing my annual comment of “You better not even make a prediction right now of end of year results for ANY student because we still have three months of teaching ahead of us!"

You've said it before and I hope they carve it into all LYS’er tombstones... 'Adult behavior determines student achievement'.

Cowgirl up!!!! :)

SC Response
There you go. But for the record, you did misquote me. It is, “Adult practice drives student performance.”

I do want to point out that you made an excellent point. We have three months left of school. This means we have to keep teaching after the state accountability tests have been administered. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case; most schools shut it down and coast after the tests. Here’s the litmus test to see if this is occurring on your campus. If you are performing at the same level (or lower) as your demographic peers, there is a lot of phoning it in occurring. If you are out performing your demographic peers, you are most likely teaching at full speed for most of the year.

Numbers don’t lie.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Instructional Discussions - Part 1)

In response to the post, "Instructional Discussions," a reader writes:

"The problem with Cain’s Foundation Trinity is getting people to believe that teaching can be objectively measured. As for objectively measuring instructional quality, that’s an even tougher sell. Any tips?"

SC Response
Here is the basic recipe:

1. Staff training
2. Constant coaching conversations
3. Short-term measurable targets
4. Force of leadership will
5. Time
6. And most importantly, results.

But here is the secret weapon. It helps to either carry a really big stick or have a superintendent who is willing to back you up. Without either of those two things, you can still dramatically improve student performance, but you may not be around to receive the credit. Not that the LYS Nation give a hoot about credit.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Submits... Instructional Discussions

The following was submitted by a veteran LYS principal who is leading her third significant turn around of a struggling school (this one a large high school).

“We had a union meeting last Friday. Teachers met with union reps to discuss their gripes and concerns. I received feedback this morning from some friendly teachers.

To put this into context, I have probably written close to 100 directives this year. Most of the directives are for policy violations, failure to follow established procedures, or no instruction in the classroom. Real black and white issues, but the volume is disappointingly high. I really thought that the majority teacher complaints would come from the sudden increase in directives being written, but this is not a real sore spot.

The biggest gripe seems to be stemming from the increase in instructional conversations. I have instructional coaches that do almost all of the instructional conversations and they are getting the blunt end of the teacher attacks. What makes this particularly interesting is that the instructional coaches are technically teachers, and are in fact union members themselves. Also, there are four of them, so this isn't a personality issue with just one person.

I have noticed that here, as in my previous two schools, that the real heat starts when the instructional conversations begin. Most teachers don't seem to fight the black and white directives, but they come unglued when the instructional conversations begin. I have witnessed close to twenty assistant principals and instructional coaches engage in instructional conversations. That is a lot of different people, with a lot of different approaches and personalities, all receiving negative reactions from teachers when the instructional conversations begin.

There has to be something to learn here.”

SC Response
A very interesting observation and one that I too have seen on multiple campuses. I think the issue boils down to the difference between “fact” versus “opinion,” or as E. Don Brown reminds us, the “objective” versus the “subjective.”

Consider “speeding.” When I speed, I recognize the risk / reward proposition. If I don’t get caught or have a wreck (the risk), I get to my destination faster (the reward). If by chance I do get a ticket or have a wreck, I don’t like it, but I only have myself to blame. Plus, I can’t complain about it much, because there is not much sympathy given when you are the cause of your own grief. This is similar to my cutting a procedural corner at work. I finally get caught coming in late, not following the appearance code, or not turning in my lesson plans, I have no one to blame but myself. My peers may empathize, but they are not going to come to my defense. As you stated, it is all very cut and dried, very objective.

Now let’s say I’m at home mowing the yard like I always do and a county inspector comes up and tells me that I’m mowing wrong. Even worse, he says if I don’t mow in a more aesthetically pleasing manner, I will be fined. Needless to say, we are going to have an argument and my friends will give me a friendly ear and quite possibly will come to my assistance. What I just described is obviously arbitrary and subjective.

Now here’s the rub, teachers believe the assessment of their craft is subjective, and rightfully so. When there are no objective standards, no objective expectations and infrequent observation, then the evaluation of the teacher is the simply the subjective masquerading as the objective. So any feedback remotely negative results in an understandably defensive response.

But as an experiences LYS leader, you have changed the rules. By implementing the “science” of instruction (the Foundation Trinity and the Fundamental Five), you have transformed the subjective into the objective. Unfortunately, teacher perception does not change nearly as fast. So the first time teachers are faced with truly objective feedback, they want to kill the messenger. Stay the course. Given enough time your teachers will come around. But blink and you are sunk.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Working Hard)

In response to the post, “Working Hard,” a reader writes:

“Stress is handled differently by people. Sometimes just asking a co-worker how they are is a balm to their spirit. Let's them know you care. Knowing when to leave a stressed out looking co-worker alone is ok if you don't know what to say or do. Giving a smile once in a while to your co-workers might just help a stressed out person. Letting a co-worker know that they can have time to get things done if they need more time can also help. BE a team player and help if you can.

If you are the cause of the stress, did you do it because you are stressed and you want to reach out and poke at another, or are you just doing your job? If doing your job is the cause of another having stress, then do your job and go on, they'll be ok.

Me? I'm easy-going. I know that things can't get much worse than they are, no matter what it is that's trying to get me down. I know that my belief system is so ingrained in me that no one can cause me to stop enjoying myself, my day, and my life. I also believe that your job should be one you enjoy and that you have fun doing. So, maybe if being an educator isn't turning out to be what you thought it was going to be, then you might be in for a lot of soul-searching.

If not, then you are an educator. We need tough people with solid minds and thick skins to do this job. We have a lot to learn to do the LYS system. And I say we go for it, heart and soul and learn to be a LYS’er.”

SC Response
Exactly. I love the job of education and all that comes with it, good and bad. I love it when things are going well and I love it when things aren’t going well. In fact, I have learned that when things aren’t going well the next big innovation is just around the corner. We just have to look beyond ourselves to find it.

I wrote the working hard post because it illustrates a fact that we often miss. With all of the constraints that our organizations face each day, the biggest one is often the well-intentioned but misguided beliefs of leadership. When we are in the thick of it, we worry that we are pushing our teams too hard. Then when we are done, we realize that our teams could have been great, if only we had pushed and pulled them just a little more.

When I first became a principal, I really tried to actualize some of the misguided brain-washing that my professors tried to shove into my head while earning my M.Ed. I quickly found out that the teachings of leadership theory by those who had never been leaders of people was of little help once your name was on the bottom line. Fortunately, growing up I had the examples of my relatives who were military leaders, my former coaches and Roy Smith (Aldine ISD Principal and Assistant Superintendent) to fall back on. As I struggled to reconcile the “theory” and “practice” of leadership, it was Brezina who provided the insight that crystallized my understanding. Comfortable and great are mutually exclusive. As the leader, you have to decide which your team will be.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Submits... Sunday Advice

An LYS reader shares,

"Teaching that brings about no change is as effective as a parachute that opens on the first bounce."

SC Response
There you go again, always focused on being effective. I guess on your campus, just showing up isn’t enough?

Great advice. Great reminder.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...