Reciprocal Frustration

Most people don’t want to actually get better. Scratch that. Most people want to get better, as long as it doesn’t require additional work and discomfort. Which means what they want to hear is this, 

“You are doing everything that can be done.  Improved performance is not possible. So keep doing what you are already doing. Anything negative is not your fault and outside any controllable variable.”

This also means that any message to the contrary is obviously wrong and frustrating.  I run into these people daily.  And they occupy all positions, from school board member to classroom teacher. We’ll call these people “Group 1.”

There are some people who view every peak as a new baseline. They cannot abide with the status quo. They look for every edge, every angle, every small opportunity to eke out a little more performance. They question everything and everything is always in draft stage. Which means they want to hear this, 

“What if you tried this? What if we chased a different target? How can you control the uncontrollable variable? What if the answer is the Kobayashi Maru?”

This also means that any message to the contrary is defeatist and frustrating. I don’t run into these people as often, weekly instead of daily.  And they occupy all positions, from school board member to classroom teacher. We’ll call these people “Group 2.”

Both groups naturally frustrate each other.  And neither group is going away.  So, here are two things to consider.

1. If you are from one of groups and your boss is from the other group, you will be frustrated.  That is your problem, not your boss’ problem. Learn to live with it or get another boss.

2. If you are from Group 1 and you are a boss, in the long run, you are the limit to the organization’s ceiling.      

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Assistant Principal Workshop (Keynote); NASSP National Principals Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of December 3, 2017

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of December 3, 2017 when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list.

1. I worry about the "not everyone needs to go to college" crowd when I see stats like these... Of the 7.2 million jobs lost in the recession, 5.6 million were jobs for workers with a high school diploma or less. (By @jcasap)

2. How well you read or do not read determines where you’ll be in life. (By @aggiebianca01)

3. You manage things and lead people. School is a people business. Thus school leadership is about leading people to do amazing things! (By @Snowmanlearning)

4. Public education in the U.S. will only survive if public education supporters and their neighbors and friends make a point to vote in large numbers in every election (esp. primaries) for candidates who unequivocally commit to defend public education from privatizers' schemes. (By @johnkuhntx)

5. Public investment in K-12 schools has declined dramatically in many states over the last decade. (By @natsupers)

6. Change can be scary and uncomfortable, but we’re in this business to make a difference for kids. There’s no time like the present! (By @ichew_Willbern)

7. If you're complaining, you're not leading. Leaders don't complain. They share a vision. They inspire with optimism. They focus on solutions. (By @JohnGordon11)

8. A person working a full time job of ANY kind should never be in poverty in this country. (By @Snowmanlearning)

9. Leaders deal with things others avoid. (By @Leadershipfreak)

10. Texas State Representative Earnest Bailes speaking candidly— and truthfully—about special interest politics at work in the Texas Legislature. “Local control and rural school support are considered ‘liberal votes’ by the folks pushing vouchers.” Straight talk from a fine public education legislator. (By @pastors4txkids)

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Assistant Principal Workshop (Keynote); NASSP National Principals Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

December 8, 2017 Update - PowerWalks Hurricane Relief Challenge

On August 25, 2017, Aransas County Independent School was Ground Zero for Hurricane Harvey.  To assist the district in its rebuilding LYS announced the PowerWalks Hurricane Relief Challenge which was supposed to run from August 25 to September 30, 2017. And the LYS Nation stepped up!

Then Hurricanes Irma and Maria ransacked Florida and Puerto Rico. So, LYS extended the PowerWalks Hurricane Relief Challenge through October 31, 2017. And the LYS Nation stepped up!

But in October the extent of the devastation that occurred in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands due to the hurricanes was revealed. So, LYS announced that the PowerWalks Hurricane Relief Challenge would be extended through December 22, 2017.  And the nickels keep adding up.  Here are the current donation totals:

August 2017: 5,211 PowerWalks classroom visits, generating a donation of $300.00

September 2017: 39,135 PowerWalks classroom visits, generating a donation of $2,000.00

October 2017: 49,222 PowerWalks classroom visits, generating a donation of $2,500.00

November 2017: 37,238 PowerWalks classroom visits generating a donation of $1,900.00

December 2017 (In Progress): 10,571 PowerWalks classroom visits generating a donation of $528.55

So far, the current donation total for the PowerWalks Hurricane Relief Challenge is $7,228.55

As proof that the LYS Nation is going above and beyond to meet this challenge, we’ll share some historical numbers.  From August 25, 2016 to December 1, 2016 there were 74,914 classroom observations completed. This is a number that no other group of schools can match. Unless the comparison group is made up of motivated LYSers.  

Because LYS Nation, from August 25, 2017 to December 8, 2017 you have now conducted 141,810 PowerWalks!  Don’t stop now!

Keep Stepping Up!

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Assistant Principal Workshop (Keynote) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook