Right Before My Eyes, Room 202

As an avid writer and blogger having a desire to grow professionally through sharing of my ideas, observations and experiences, what I saw this morning right before my eyes in Room 202 was all encompassing of years of dedication and passion for teaching and learning.

Room 202 was alive in every sense of the word. When we talk the education lingo and toss around all of the buzz words of our profession, what I saw in this classroom was each and every one of those terms, concepts, best practices and components of education being applied. Flawlessly. And, it did not happen as an independent event. It took effort and focus. Hours and hours to say the least.

There was trial and error, there were mistakes and disappointment by the students and the teacher, there was growth from their efforts and there was frustration from the rigor. There was grit, there was collaboration, there was noise. The room was alive with learning.

Right before my eyes I was witness to everything I strive for with the students and the teachers I work alongside with. Room 202 (and most significantly the teacher within these walls that is dedicated to being the best vehicle of sharing of knowledge and their passion for instruction) has reaffirmed that the hours of planning and preparing, collaborating and connecting, being given the freedom and trust and respect to try new things (and to fail and try again) is worth every moment of every day. The investment in our teachers is being returned in countless ways. The evidence is in Room 202.

On this Friday I am grateful to be surrounded by passionate educators that have a mindset that is built around growing themselves as learners. And, equally as important, they instill this mindset with their students. Room 202 is alive.

Culture Matters

It is at the core of what we do. It is what makes us tick. It drives us.

When you believe in what you do, you are relentless in your actions. When you are inspired by something you see, you share with everyone you come into contact with. As stories of success come across your screen, you re-tell them many times over.

Education is constantly changing, constantly evolving. It is a pulse that is always beating, feverishly. Always an opportunity to learn. To grow. To discover and to explore. Nothing about our world stays the same. Lessons unfold, students reach, teachers take risks, parents invest. The community is one.

Culture is created. It takes time.

Rising in the morning we are eager to see what lies ahead of us within the day about to unfold. We thrive off of what we learn and from whom we are learning. Students and teachers are our source of professional energy. They are our heartbeat.

It does not happen overnight. It takes time to create a culture worth knowing. Worth being a part of. Nurture it.

Culture matters.

"Yet"

Heading into a new school year can bring excitement and anticipation. Eagerness to meet new friends, colleagues and classmates and, of course, the beginning of the journey of learning. Teachers are ready to implement best practice and their administrators are ready to support them each step of the way. Everyone will work in concert to provide the best experience and the best lessons possible. It will be inspiring.

However, a new year also brings challenges, obstacles and the unknown. Students are entering environments in which they are having to make new friends, learn the styles of new teachers and learn new expectations and routines. Teachers too are taking on unchartered roles as they continue to be lifelong learners themselves. Implementing one2one, incorporating a personalized learning experience and of course, always doing what is best for kids and being innovative each step of the way. It can be overwhelming.

As we came back together as a staff prior to the school year we talked about our mindset. Growth vs Fixed. And how we as teachers and learners ourselves could shape the climate of the year awaiting. With all of this excitement and anticipation and conversation there is a word that we as a community of learners adopted for the year ahead with the hopes that it will propel us to great things each step of the way. As we were talking about these unknowns, these fears and these opportunities for new learning, we know that students and teachers alike will be faced with doubt, worry and a desire to retreat to something more comfortable. Therefore, as this community of teachers, leaders and learners ourselves, we will add this simple word to our students and our teachers (and our own) vocabulary. When met with resistance, a seemingly insurmountable challenge, the brain that is telling us to stop or worse case, not even try to begin with, this will become our response. This word will be a part of our growth mindset.

Yet.

This year, as we recognize students becoming worried, fearful or anxious about material, relationships and responsibilities we will support them in their learning and work with them to be successful and accomplish what lies in front of them by adding the word "yet" when they say they can't, won't or have doubt. Ourselves as educators, teachers and administrators when we are handed moments of challenges and adversities in our day we too will implement this mindset into our decisions and our direction and be reminded of "yet". We will model what we expect of others. We will be relentless in our pursuit of success. And of course, failure may be a part of this growth but growth will occur none-the-less.

With that, can you add "yet" to your work? What will you do when faced with challenges? Will you fold to pressures and the weight of our profession or will you regroup, regain your focus and forge ahead? Will you add "yet"?

I encourage you to purposefully add this simple word to your classroom or school building/district and to your mindset this year and watch what unfolds. Already I have grown in my leadership and modeled how I expect others to do the same. As someone who thought they were always a person to persevere, this intentionality of "yet" has added that much more value to what I do.

The Content Can Wait

Today is the fifth day of school and for most of my staff they are just beginning to introduce their content to their classes. And for that, I am ecstatic.

Relationships first. That was the message that was sent loud and clear to my colleagues prior to the first days of school. We agreed that we would have to create the foundation to ensure that students are in an environment in which they believe in. The teaching staff worked collaboratively to embrace a space in which trust would be paramount. It was a agreed upon that the content can wait.

Whether you are in your first days of school or this is already the second week or beyond, I urge you to take a self-assessment of your first few days together as teacher and students and really determine the depth in which you got to know each other. And, if you dove right into content, step back, and give yourself permission to have a "re-do" and revisit some essentials. You will be glad that you did.

Building strong relationships through engaging and collaborative conversations and interactions during the first weeks of school with your students will do the following:

• Create a sense of identity and belonging.
• Foster compassion and provide a feeling of hope for a successful year.
• Build trust and create a supportive space of trial and error.
• Encourage risk-taking and a safe environment for teaching and learning.
• Allows for the mindset of growth to take shape. Always a sense of willing and wanting to learn.
• And, interactions are genuine and meaningful and allows for open communication to be ongoing.

Whether in your classroom or within your school, whether with your students or with your staff, why would you avoid the obvious? Trust, risk-taking, compassion and support are just the tip of what can be accomplished when building relationships becomes the priority and that essential foundation for your work.

There will be plenty of time to cover the content. But content will be the furthest thing from your day if you don't have a space in which everyone comes ready and excited to learn.

5 Reason to Blog

Recently I was sitting having coffee with Jacki Prati and having a great conversation about our upcoming EdCamp on August 7th. The excitement is building for this amazing day of professional learning as we will be joined by over 200 educators from all over the state of Ohio and beyond. We will come together to talk about all that is great in education. If you are in the area please drop in. (Information can be found at: http://www.ileohio.org/)

As our conversation about camp was wrapping up, the conversation shifted to blogging. Or, as in Jacki's case, the lack there of. Not to worry, those are her words, not mine. She shared the personal and professional disappointment that she had not sat down at they keyboard for almost a year. Jacki went on to say that it was not about the lack of desire. Nor was it the fact that she was "too busy" with work, kids, etc. This was more than that. She had lost her purpose.

As the conversation continued, I began to think about my journey with blogging. This became a perfectly timed reminder for reflecting on MY purpose for why I write. And even more importantly, why I share. Let's be honest, if we simply wanted to write for ourselves, we would keep a journal or a diary. But instead, we blog. Therefore, we share.

With that, I began a list. This would be a condensed list of the reasons I write, and share. When I post to my page, tweet to my colleagues and connect with the #compelledtribe, I believe that I do so with purpose. I share this list with you, and especially Jacki, so that when you write you may discover the reasons for your journey. Here are mine:

1. Parallels in our experiences. My job is unlike any other. The same can be said about yours. However, after we take away the titles we soon realize that there are more things in common than we first realize. We lead and we learn through each others experiences. Sharing those experiences makes us recognize the role of each person in the process. Learning of these parallels makes us better.

2. Recognizing our successes and our failures. There are always going to be moments to celebrate in education. However, there will also be moments of frustration and disappointment. Writing about these highs and lows allows us to connect and relate to the daily global happenings around us. This piece also keeps us grounded and humble.

3. Becoming the student, and the teacher. As educators, this is our goal. Switching up our role as the leader and learner is essential. The writing process is just one avenue to get there. Taking the time to reflect through writing has provided lessons that are irreplaceable. Often times the greatest accomplishments are read and not written.

4. Compassion and understanding. Reading about another educators journey can be inspiring and heartbreaking all in the same breath. Knowing what we each go through can be motivational and empowering. There are events and circumstances out of our control. Being aware of the greater picture keeps us grounded and focused.

5. Pride and joy. Each day we greet our students and teachers with smiles and laughter. We became educators to make a difference. Seeing the "light bulb" each day is where we get our greatest satisfaction in what we do. Discovery of emotions such as pride and joy keep us motivated to teach and lead day in and day out. Writing is an avenue to get there and assist others along the way.

In the end, find your purpose for blogging. If you are like Jacki and have lost your way, create a list and set some goals for yourself. Additionally, for tips on getting back to writing and suggestions on how to share your thoughts and ideas, check out Gretchen Rubin's article "Having Troubles Getting Yourself To Write? 9 Tips." Thanks to Jennifer Hogan for sharing this article with me. And, for being my inspiration and motivation in so much of what I do when it comes to blogging, leading and learning.

Five Essentials (to Effective Leadership)

(courtesy davidrumsy.com)

Learning is truly a journey. Each day I look forward to what lies ahead. Getting better is expected. As I venture into another year in education, my fifteenth as a building administrator, there are some "essentials" that I will continue to refine. Following these will be just the beginning of my own leadership journey. Please, feel free to add your own thoughts, and suggestions, in the comment section below. Let's grow the list together.

1. Be ready to listen. The greatest of ideas can come from the most unexpected places. We often are so eager to lead that we take for granted the art of an open ear. Encourage your colleagues to "bend it". Open the door to communication and sit back and hear what is needed be said. Not everything that is shared will be something that is implemented or applied, but you'll be better off to have heard than not heard at all.

2. Strengthen relationships. Every educator that I have met understands the value of knowing who the work with. The great leaders, those that stand apart from their peers, know that the deeper the relationships, the greater the outcomes of success of the organization. While you are listening, make sure to take note of what each member of  your team brings to the table. The more you know who they are, the more likely you are to get them to follow your lead. Relationships matter most.

3. Step aside. As an administrator we have the distinct responsibility to lead our buildings into academic success. Student achievement is our goal. Being the instructional leader is our charge and for the safety and well being of our community, we are the operators of our institutions. Knowing when to lead, and when to step aside allow others to lead, is a craft that only some posses. Sharing the role of who is at the helm builds strength within your walls of your school. Teachers aspire to lead, leaders aspire to create opportunities for them. Give them the support to take the reigns. Build capacity.


4. Model it. From your demeanor, to your disposition, to how you lead, to how you learn and especially how you interact with your staff, students and parents, model at all times. If we expect it of others, expect it of yourself. Always in a constant state of change and an ever growing use of technology in our profession, educators (like any other career) must stay with the times. Model the leading, learning and work that you do. What we do is observed by all. Make it count.

5. Get (and stay) connected. Whether with the people you serve each day or the ones you meet through conferences, conversations or social networking, one of our greatest professional tools is getting connected with others in our work and learning through those interactions. Using platforms such as Twitter, Voxer, Instagram or the constantly evolving world of social media, it is those connections that will grow you as a leader and a learner. If you are not connected, you are not keeping up.

Challenge yourself to work on these five essentials as you begin to think about students, staff and your community entering your halls in the coming weeks. Create for yourself a blueprint for what it is you hope to accomplish this year in each of these areas. Where you find a strength, tweak it. Engage with others to help you discover which is an area that could use more attention, your weakness. Surround yourself with people that inspire you and motivate you. Don't sell yourself short. We each have the ability, and the positions, to lead like never before.

Mind over Matter

If it were only that easy.

For years I have taken the stance that certain things happen in life because we allow them too. Many, however, believe that it is fate that is behind the things that occur in our lives. And it is fate that determines when these events happen and how they happen. Fate for many is what keeps the balance of what we had intended to occur and what actually does. There is a sense of calm when we believe that things "happen for a reason". Regardless of your belief, let's dive into the topic.

Without pause, we could all agree that each of us has made certain decisions in our lives that have created a path of our successes and our failures. Therefore, these decisions will determine our overall satisfaction in what we do and what we are doing. By making these decisions, we could say that our fate is never sealed. Whether controlled or not, things do happen without explanation and regardless of that deep-rooted belief of fate. It is agreed by many that there is always an opportunity to improve our situation. That conversation would go down the path of "mindset". More on that topic another day.

With that in mind (no pun intended), and speaking more directly to our career paths, I further believe that such paths are determined by our behaviors and our actions. Simply put, it is our responses to the events (that we often times can not control) that determines the direction in which we go. Timothy Kight, an expert in the field of building leadership skills, shares this formula:

Event + Response = Outcome. (E+R = O)  

If we "are what we eat" and we "reap what we sew" then isn't it just as fair to say that if we want to achieve certain levels of achievement that we should be able to do so by applying a concept as simple as "mind over matter"?

Mr. Kight emphasizes that our focus needs to be on our "responses". It is those responses that can assist in controlling much of our career paths. The "events" that happen around us (and to us) well, they are going to happen without gaining our input first. And, if we already know what our desired "outcome" should be or what we want it to be, then stay focused on the part of the equation that we can control. Again, our response.

To take it a step further, many go on to say that success is often based on two factors: intelligence and luck. Take the position you have and the position you want (if there is such a thing). To get where you are, and more importantly, where you want to be, (the outcome) which one of the two will be more likely to get you to that spot? Would it be luck? Would it be intelligence? If I am being asked, I would argue it is a little bit of both. Agree?

So, in the end and after all is said and done, I come back to two beliefs that outweigh all the others. The first, fate. We need to hold on to this. It is what helps us in the worst of times and in the best of times. It can not be overlooked nor dismissed. Secondly, and just as significantly, I believe that what we accomplish in life is in large part to "mind over matter", the response. We chose our paths based on our actions. In the face of adversity, how we handle such a beast is what makes us achieve.

With that, put your mind to it. Believe in it. Hope for a little but of luck, rely on your intelligence and do not dismiss something as deep as fate. Your resolve, and your response, will be there in the end.