Category: Recommendations

Recommendations

Building Trust – The First Step

on September 3, 2013

ImageI recently had an experience in which my trust relationship with an employee was broken. The experience has been cause for a significant amount of reflection in which I’ve been asking myself what was missing in the foundation of the expectations. How could I have responded differently to the situation? The trust wasn’t just broken from my perspective. I feel comfortable that the employee feels the same way. Knowing this has led me to ask several reflective questions: How do I lead in repairing the relationship? Why is it important to repair the relationship? What was missing to start with that allowed the event to occur? The more thought I give the situation, the more I see that there is a crack in the foundation.

The Crack in the Foundation

ImageAs a principal and instructional leader, there is an inherent responsibility to provide staff with a clear understanding of the organization’s foundational values and vision. The larger vision on which our education system is built is to teach students to become independent citizens. In this case the instructional goal that supports that vision was to have students with severe handicaps participate in a general education lunch while developing skills to be able to transition to participating in this activity independently. Yet, as I reflect on the practice that was occurring, it strikes me that the goal wasn’t clearly communicated, the steps provided in the training weren’t being implemented and the materials to support the training weren’t available. There is a huge crack in this foundation.

The “glitch” in the goal was the difference in understanding that the expectation for achieving independence is expected in all activities on campus, not just the classroom. Directions have been given over a series of years that support a generalized concept of taking students to lunch which is very different from, “Use the prompting model and visual supports (training and materials provided to meet expectations) to support students in walking to the cafeteria, getting their lunch, sitting at the assigned table and taking in their meal with 100% independence by the beginning of February.” This goal than needed to be broken into clearly defined objectives to provide staff with an understanding of the process that it will take to get there. For example, an objective such as, “Support students in getting their food by using visual and gestural prompts after oral directions have been given. Provide 5 seconds of wait time in between prompts.” In clearly defining the goal and the objectives, staff would have had more knowledge on how to apply the training they have received in this specific situation. Clear expectations go a long way toward building trust.

In this particular situation, I noticed that staff didn’t have the visual prompts that have been created to support the prompting model built into the training they have received on how to support students with both receptive and expressive communication. It struck me that staff may not be clear that these materials are to be used at all times and not just during specific curricular activities. Again, clear expectations go a long way toward building trust. Staff need to understand what is expected of them at all times in order to be successful.

The situation has turned out to be blessing in disguise. We continuously look at how to improve programs and while the situation was incredibly uncomfortable, it has allowed for the realization that there are cracks in the foundation. The expectations were not as clear to staff as management thought they were. We’ll side step for a moment, fix the crack in the foundation, continue to build trust and grow strong programs for students.

Recommendations

A Moral Responsibility

on August 11, 2013

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As educators it is important that we have a clearly defined personal philosophy of education. While this seems like a straightforward and obvious statement, defining that philosophy, allowing for it to develop with our experiences, articulating and defending it require careful thought. As I reflect on my personal philosophy of education, I see how easy it is to jump into the catch phrases of, “I believe all children can learn,” “I believe all children should be able to attend a safe and welcoming school,” and yes, these are parts of the ethical considerations, but if we were to apply Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to this study, these statements would fall at the foundational level of meeting the physiological, safety and belonging needs.

It is in looking at the level of self-actualization including morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, prejudice and acceptance that one’s true philosophy can be found. Thus stated, I believe we have a moral obligation to presume competence on the part of all students. While the American educational system espouses a desire for higher levels of achievement, the system is set up to support mediocrity. It is imperative that we meet learners where they are. It is essential to engage the gifted student in ways that challenge them to grow intellectually in ways that the student finds engaging and relevant I find it heart-breaking that the Thiel Fellowship http://www.thielfellowship.org/ is where our most gifted students have to go to reach their potential. It is through dropping out of college and our educational system that their gifts are being developed. I am grateful that Peter Thiel has created this fellowship and has taken on this moral responsibility and saddened that our society and legislature function in a system so focused on a standardized process that we do not support the innovators of our society.

At the same time, we also have and equal responsibility to students who are labeled as disabled. There are gifts and far higher levels of understanding among these students who do not blend or express themselves in non-traditional methods of communication than most give them credit for. There is a moral obligation to assist all members of society in finding and providing the means for them to express their voice and to engage their minds and bodies to reach their highest levels of potential.

The importance of combining both the art and the science of teaching as well as the research based with the innovative cannot be understated. It should not be either or. Education has an obligation to be creative, to combine the planned with the spontaneous, to let go of pre-conceived notions of learning, particularly those designed around a system designed for the industrial era, to let go of our prejudices and be open to considering the multitude of modalities available to engage, teach and inspire.

Recommendations

21st Century Pedagogy

on August 9, 2013

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There are times when we all come across something that we know must be shared and shared widely. As part of my coursework for IEASC (Innovative Educator Advanced Studies Certificate) I came across a math video put together by Dan Myer. I was so intrigued, I googled him and discovered his fabulous web page – http://blog.mrmeyer.com/

Regardless of what subject you may teaching, your student may be learning or you may be supervising, I encourage you to watch the Youtube video above explaining how video can, perhaps should, be used to support instruction.

If you are interested in learning more about IEASC, this excellent certificate coursework is on-line instruction.  It is offered by CUE and Fresno Pacific University and includes a Leading Edge Certification. http://www.cue.org/ieasc

Recommendations

Diving In – Why Lead?

on August 7, 2013

ImageIt’s time…time to finally start the blog, to share the thoughts and the inspirations that are helping define a career in education. 

Let’s start with, “Why Lead?” There are many reasons one may end up in a leadership role, but why the choice? For myself, leadership is the venue in which I find the opportunity to serve others, specifically other educators and students. After 17 years of teaching, I had experienced the good, the bad and the ugly when it came to education leadership. The most inspiring leader to come across my path during those this time was a middle school custodian who I imagine would not characterize himself as a leader.

Oscar is a man who does dive right in. If there is a need, he makes sure it is met. If there is a student who needs something, he quietly makes it happen, if there is a classroom that needs some extra attention, he is there to provide it and most profoundly, I watched Oscar take one at risk student after another under his wing for many years. Quietly, understated, never looking for attention or credit, Oscar connected with students who found themselves not being successful in the classroom. He modeled what it means to be a servant leader.

As a teacher of the “intervention” and special education students, I had frequent opportunities to connect with Oscar. While I often struggled getting the support I was looking for to help my kiddos when I sought this from administration, I quickly found that if Oscar knew there was a need, I or my student would end up being connected with the right person. Ultimately we ended up with a team of four. None of us ever spoke of what was being provided for our students. Nobody saw it as being anything special – just helping kids out. Now that I am in a new role with a different organization and focusing more on the study of leadership, I see the power and the impact of the leadership Oscar provided.

Students were provided with clothing, food, groceries, showers and mentors in jobs in which they could see themselves aspiring to. I suspect several of my “at risk” students will end up being custodians, school cafeteria workers and school office administrative assistants. They are likely to model this same style of leadership, have the same impact on another generation of children and do it in a quiet, understated manner, never seeking credit.

So, why lead? I have chosen to lead through the role of an administrator. I lead to support the work of and clear the paths for the the teachers, custodians, bus drivers, classroom assistants, cafeteria workers and volunteers who aren’t just showing up for work, but showing up because they believe in giving to others and supporting the potential of each student they come into contact with.

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