A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 20)

In response to the 11/20/ 2010 post, “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long – Part 4,” a LYS Assistant Principal writes:

Sometimes the work just balances out. There are days when you put in more hours than you want to, but need to. Then there are days when you work a straight eight. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little and hope that when all is done you will come out ahead. If in the long run, everything does not balance out for you, then you have to re-evaluate your time and determine what you can do differently in the future. Something is tripping you up - maybe you are not focused enough, maybe you are taking unnecessary steps, or maybe you are omitting something critical. Many find this re-evaluation easier when done with someone else. A new perspective might help you make better use of your time.

SC Response

Here is what I know. It is exceedingly difficult to objectively examine your own practice, especially as you are doing it. On the other hand, it is not a difficult process to objectively examine the practice of someone else. That is the power of coaching.

Watch a college or pro football game. When the offense or defense goes off the field, the players go to a coach and actually look at pictures of the plays that they just ran. They strategize and plan for adjustments and then hit the field again in the span of just minutes. It is now a part of the game and for the players to operate at the peak of their effectiveness, an absolute necessity.

When the same practice is brought into the classroom, the positive effect is so dramatic that it borders on hyperbole. However there is a transition period. Initially, many teachers bristle under the increased scrutiny and many feel as if they are being judged. And in non-LYS schools, with non-LYS trained administrators, this often is the case. But LYS focuses on increasing effectiveness and performance. We honestly don’t care where one begins, what we care about is the journey. Every one of us has room for improvement and can use a coach. The day one no longer believes this is the case is the day that person has committed the unforgivable professional sin of not being coachable.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Attend the LYS Presentation at the National Conference on Education

Attend the LYS Presentation at the TASB Winter Legal Conference

Visit the LYS Booth at the NASSP Conference

Attend the LYS Presentation at the Texas Middle School Conference

Mid-Winter Conference Round-Up

Well it wouldn't be a TASA Mid-Winter Conference if there wasn't an impending winter storm disaster. Now I just plan for it.

As usual the LYS Booth was a hub for school leaders and old friends from across the state to meet and catch up. Along with Sherilynn Cotten, Jim Davis, Bob Brezina and Don Brown here's the short list of those who stopped by (apologies to anyone I forget to mention): Rick Berry; the Old Ball Coach, Tim Edwards; Dr. C-Scope, Wade Labay; Fred Richardson, Dr. Jerry Roy, most of the Grand Prairie ISD team; the Midland ISD team; Dr. Tommy Price; Dr. Andy Peters; the Cotulla ISD team; the Tomball ISD team; Dr. Wanda Bamberg; the Luling ISD team; the Hutto ISD team; the Eagle-Mt. Saginaw team; Ed Tweedie; the TASSP team; Larry Hutto; lots of old friends from the High School Redesign days; and lots of our old HCDE pals.

Without getting too political, here is my analysis of our current situation. Money will be tight for the next two years. Probably not as bad as the early news would lead you to believe, but there will be painful cuts. This will not improve until we elect people that understand two things.

1. Investing in public infrastructure is the only way to ensure long term prosperity.

2. If you cut off a $25 billion dollar revenue stream, you have to replace it with another revenue stream.

I'll close with this, if we keep voting for people who tell us that they think education is important, but then do nothing to support education, who is to blame? Us or the people we keep electing?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Attend the LYS Presentation at the National Conference on Education

Attend the LYS Presentation at the TASB Winter Legal Conference

Visit the LYS Booth at the NASSP Conference

Attend the LYS Presentation at the Texas Middle School Conference

A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 19)

In response to the 11/11/2010 post, “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long – Part 6,” a reader writes:

Distract and redirect and then make changes? Are teachers a bunch of idiots that won't recognize that this is going on?

Teachers are not a bunch of puppies that you can pat on the head, say "good job" and give a treat to. I find the reader's comments extremely unprofessional and insulting. Although it is not indicated, it makes me wonder if the comments were really written by a principal who is trying to justify his or her micromanagement. They are the ones dictating all of the changes and hard work and we are the ones implementing them.

By the way, there is no apostrophe in egos.

SC Response

Actually, an assistant principal wrote the post. But the idea of using small victories to build momentum for bigger changes is a valid and tactical leadership practice. Breaking big initiatives into small, actionable tasks is a valid leadership practice. Celebrating small successes, the wink, the pat on the back are all valid leadership practices.

Are these practices manipulative? Yes. But leadership is a form manipulation. A successful leader convinces the individual to sacrifice self-interest for the greater good. This may take the form of reason, passion, force, and/or exchange. The more successful the leader, the greater the number of individuals they are able to lead.

Could the AP have written the comment in a more polished and subversive manner? Possibly, but would that not have been even more insulting? It pains me that you felt that you were disrespected. The purpose of this blog is discourse, dialogue and critical thought. If I agree with you, I need to understand why. If I disagree with you, I need to analyze my position and build a contrary argument. Let’s abandon insult in favor of rational debate and friendly disagreement.

Additionally, I do believe that everyone in the LYS Nation understands that teachers do the heavy lifting in education. To argue otherwise is simply asinine. But it is the responsibility of leadership to point teachers in the right direction, support them, monitor their progress, and as conditions change, adjust the direction in which the organization is heading. To not do so is leadership failure. When leadership fails, teachers fail. And when teachers fail, students fail. It is that understanding that drives my work.

Finally, sorry about the typo, they drive me nuts also.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Attend the LYS Presentation at the National Conference on Education

Attend the LYS Presentation at the TASB Winter Legal Conference

Visit the LYS Booth at the NASSP Conference

Attend the LYS Presentation at the Texas Middle School Conference

Negative, Sarcastic and Rude in Public = Same in Private

In my coaching role, I present to groups of all sizes, all across the country. From one-on-one sessions, to large conference halls with as many as 1,500 educators. On the whole, at least 95% of the audience that I present to is attentive, professional and enthusiastically participates in the planned activities and discussions. 3% of the audience is distracted, usually by a text, e-mail, or phone call. 1% of the audience will try to sneak in something else to work on, which quickly gets put away. But it is the last 1% that I want to address. The last 1% is made up of negative, sarcastic, and rude braying mules.

I’m not whining about the fact that sometimes there are mean people in the audience. Personally, I find the public displays of ignorance somewhat humorous. But, whenever I get the chance, I’ll do some follow up. At first, I would just ask an administrator about the person. I would usually get the following answer, “Well Mr. Jones can be difficult, but he is a great teacher and gets good results.”

Invariably, I would except the answer and just chalk it up to the person having a bad day or my presentation style.

But over the past year, I have changed my tactic, now I make it a point to try to get by the person’s school (if an administrator) or classroom (if a teacher). And here’s what I have found. If you are an obnoxious jerk in front of an audience, you are even worse when you think people are not watching. And the supposed good results are either due to the lack of objective performance data or fear and intimidation.

If someone has a rare bad day, forgive him or her and move on. But if you have someone who can’t get along with adults and treats kids like livestock, save your students and your staff and get that person off your campus, ASAP.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Visit the LYS Booth at the TASA Mid-Winter Conference

Attend the LYS Presentation at the National Conference on Education

Visit the LYS Booth at the NASSP Conference

Readers Write... (MLK Jr. Day)

In response to the 1/17/2011 post, “MLK Jr. Day,” two readers sent in comments. The first is from the Old Ball Coach, and he simply writes:

Excellent.

SC Response

An ‘Atta Boy’ from your coach, feels good. No matter how old you are, or how far you are removed from the field.

The second reader writes:

I work at a school that has a lot African American students, Hispanic students and students from other ethnicities. When I first came to this campus the grade level I worked with had in place an excellent program for the Mexican celebrations of the 16th of September and the 5^th of May. We added emphasis on Black History Month by honoring those who had attended this school in years gone by, through interviewing these alums who were now prosperous role models and leaders and then writing a paper about these wonderful and outstanding people. We had a culminating activity by which all of the students gave their person a certificate of honor and a copy of the paper they wrote about them.

I believe that making these connections with our community, whether they come from the African American community or another part of the community is a connection that stays with the student for life. It also taught our students how these people came to such a wonderful life. It all pointed back to education. Because our students were allowed to reflect upon the previous students who'd attended this school and meet them and know them and honor them, our students then became students who wanted to be like these people.

SC Response

To quote the Old Ball Coach, “Excellent.”

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Visit the LYS Booth at the TASA Mid-Winter Conference

Attend the LYS Presentation at the National Conference on Education

Visit the LYS Booth at the NASSP Conference

A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 18)

In response to the 11/11/2010 post, “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long – Part 5,” a Principal writes:

Well... You have really scratched the scab of a sore wound. I read the posts and wonder if these people are “Believers” with a strong philosophy that they can articulate clearly or are they simply “Gomo’s” (going thru the motions) and that's why they're so upset.

As a wise woman once told me, “Put kids first and keep kids first. Everything else happens for a reason and you can't take it personally.”

Maybe you should do a post on how much time effective administrators put in and see what kind of response you get.

SC Response

I don’t know the motivation of the angry writers, though my gut feeling is that they are not “Gomo’s” (by the way, I love that term). Would a Gomo read the blog on a regular basis and then take the time to write in? I really don’t think so. I think that this was a case of some teachers missing the context of my post and believing that I was dismissing the hours that they put in.

I do know that the longer one works in an unsuccessful system, the more defensive one gets about their own craft. It’s the “I may work with a bunch of slackers, but I’m not one of them” syndrome. I’ve even lived through this myself.

As for the hours effective administrators put in, it’s an apples to oranges argument. Bottom line, the effective administrator puts in more hours, both weekly and annually. And no, they don’t always make more money. When I was an AP, I was one of the lowest paid members of the staff (and actually took a pay cut for the job). When I was a principal, I had some teachers who made as much as I did (and worked 40 fewer days). When I went to central office, two of my principals made more than I did. And in each case, I didn’t have a problem with this. Why? Because leading is my avocation (as it is for most effective leaders). Which is why the argument isn’t fair, especially if one considers the principalship and the superintendency. When you examine the economic equation logically, the requirements of the positions are not offset by equal remuneration. One doesn’t take the job for the money alone, you take the job because deep down you love it, hours be damned.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Visit the LYS Booth at the TASA Mid-Winter Conference

Attend the LYS Presentation at the National Conference on Education

Visit the LYS Booth at the NASSP Conference