Leadership & Employee Engagement

The issues raised in this blog are not specifically motivated by the policies within my own school or within my district. I write about many topics that are often related to discussions with educators who do not work in my school district. This blog in no way is intended to reflect solely on any specific leaders or my place of employment. 


I am bucking a trend that reveals most teachers become less engaged after their first couple years in the classroom (Teacher Engagement Starts Low, Worsens With Time). More than ever, I am committed and fired up about teaching.   

My renewed passion is the result of my attempts to make sense of what is going on around me in regard to education policy. My career has been equal parts reward and challenge. I embrace the challenge. I am grateful for the reward. And I have a lot of ideas about how we can improve education.

Refusing to acknowledge problems makes improvement a matter of luck

For starters, why don't more schools districts provide yearly teacher engagement surveys in order to improve educational outcomes for children? 

When leaders engage the staff, they are 

putting students first

School leadership could determine if the school districts priorities are understood by the staff and identify obstacles to success. Most of my own criticism of leadership is not related to a lack of trust or confidence, it's usually because I do not understand the problem or I wish I had a voice in solutions.

Employee engagement feedback would help school leaders directly improve the quality of education by inviting teachers to give measurable feedback about issues that have an impact on student learning. It is a simple, inexpensive tool that could influence planning and communication strategy for school leaders - two areas school districts often come up short. Too many schools are mired in a bureaucratic stranglehold when it comes to improving the employee experience.

Effective school leaders welcome ideas that help them understand their staff better, especially when that feedback is used to encourage all hands on deck to row in the same direction. I cannot imagine an adept school leader scoffing at the opportunity to prioritize and address the concerns of the staff. When the important work of meeting student needs is at stake we should focus on working together without fear of consequences for speaking up and sharing ideas. Meaningful dialogue and identifying priorities that impact student growth is more likely to result from staff input than from a top-down leadership model based on compliance.

Improvement demands awareness

If the goals of the organization are understood, district leaders should have some way to identify why some buildings are succeeding in areas where others may be lacking. How do principals, instructional coaches and other administrators get a true sense of how engaged and committed staff members are to district goals when there is nothing formal in place allowing for teacher voices to be heard?

For some teachers, the reality is that we often feel isolated and wonder if our leaders care what's on our minds - collectively or individually. Employee engagement surveys can provide the entire education team a constructive avenue to work with a clear focus and gain the confidence of teachers. If teachers and school leaders are focused on the same challenges positive outcomes for students are more likely. We should dive into the messy process of meeting student needs together and that happens when we take the time to listen and share ideas.

Face to face conversations and trust are a necessary part of the equation too. In fact, those relationships and honest conversations are the most important aspect of school improvement. Getting to a starting point so we can assess and tackle our challenges is accomplished with regular employee engagement surveys. It just does not make much sense to me that we encourage teachers to take important risks to improve for the sake of student achievement and yet very few school districts take time to effectively survey staff about their levels of engagement. We should expect and support administrators in their mission to grow as leaders and foster a positive culture in our schools.

Twenty-first century learners demand a robust education that includes self-assessment, reflection and an emphasis on growth. We fail our students if we do not insist that teachers and school leaders engage in the same growth mindset. To effectively create a culture of learning for students, school leaders should accept the vulnerability that a growth mindset promotes and seek formal teacher feedback. Setting high expectations for students and helping children meet them requires feedback about the level of engagement of teachers.

Todays' political climate demands multiple 

skills of teachers and school leaders. The best 

seek feedback to improve. 

The same type of engagement survey is helpful for teachers to hear from students as well. I found great value in my first quarter survey of student engagement and it helped me see where I needed to improve. (In addition, I found weaknesses in the survey itself). Schools should actively seek engagement feedback from parents and community members. We are in the business of meeting student needs. School leaders should be elevating the voice of educators within their school communities in order to meet those needs.

Learn from the best

Just as we have master teachers serving as mentors, we need to give superintendents more tools to identify the unique leadership skills of building administrators. District leadership teams will be better able to meet students needs if they can identify the strengths and weaknesses of strategies and building personnel. Teachers and leaders, just like our students, feel more valued if their talent is recognized and their voice is valued.

Acknowledging our challenges and improving outcomes for students requires original thinking and new strategies. Employee engagement within our schools needs to be addressed. There's too much at stake to continue with top-down leadership models aimed at compliance rather than growth. We let our students down when we fail to seek feedback and recognize the strengths of teachers and school leaders.

DISCLAIMER: This blog includes ideas and topics serving as a composite of issues from various sources. The issues raised in this blog are not specifically or solely motivated by the policies within the author's own school district.

Officer Fields Reminds us of our National Failures

Guest Column - Media Version

By Nick Gregory

Michigan Education Voice Fellow

Three weeks ago when School Resource Officer Ben Fields slammed an African-American girl to the floor most people were surprised that could happen in a classroom. What’s not surprising is that Fields has averted criminal charges and the Columbia, SC incident may become another bullet point on a growing list of national failures. 

Instead of tackling important issues like institutional racism or the impact of zero tolerance policies in schools, the conversation was hijacked by people insisting the officer was simply doing his job when he injured a non-violent student and threw her across the classroom. Rather than learning from the incident, we have been implored to focus on a ‘problem’ that’s been in existence as long as backpacks: The entitled and bratty kids plaguing our nation.

Blaming a generation of students in response to the officer’s rage is predictable and sad. Before blaming the victim, a 16-year-old in this case, consider all of the ways the situation could have been handled better by the adults.

An army of critics want to convince you that kids these days are the problem so there’s no need to examine failed policies or the negligence of Fields.

When you hear about the kids these days, it’s often coded language describing kids whose geography, look and race are different from the person offering the critique. Those kids, not your children, of course, are the problem. Critics of today’s youth recount childhood stories resembling Norman Rockwell paintings – when a menacing look from an adult could redirect a child and obedience reigned supreme. The glory days when all the good parents spanked their children have been gone for decades, not weeks.

Children need to learn about accountability, but assuming the best way to reach that end is to body slam the respect out of them is ludicrous. Our charge as a nation is to provide a quality education to every child, even those who text during class or don’t follow directions. If you will agree that we can do better than “legally” permitting physical assault in our classrooms, I will concede that we have some troubled kids making it difficult.

Our meager attempts to examine our national conscience about important issues are being drowned out by loud proclamations about the crumbling morality of society. As a result, the analysis of the Columbia, SC incident has largely missed the point. Addressing inequity in American schools and advancing how we deal with racism in this country are challenges that require courage and focus. Distracting from those challenges with sweeping, presumptive generalizations is timid and useless.

Our children are taking their cues from the adults. We slip into a programmed national debate where emotional arguments turn Officer Fields into a hero or a villain depending on what story you choose to buy. We pick sides and then fill in missing information with a narrative that fits our particular perspective.

What example do we set for children if we keep score on Facebook and Twitter while ignoring a search for solutions to problems we know exist? Being right, no matter how clever our 140-character idea, is not going to solve anything if we're talking about the wrong things in the first place.

Rather than denying problems exist, our energy would be better spent figuring out why so many young people are doubting the promise of America. We are not the first adults to raise a generation of children who are losing faith in our ability to leave them a better world.

This generation of students is not failing us, we as adults are failing them. It is time to own up to our mistakes and learn from the lessons of injustice alongside of our children.

- Nick Gregory

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nick Gregory has been a social studies and journalism teacher at Fenton High School since 2000 and he has been a National Writing Project Teacher consultant and a junior varsity basketball coach since 2003. Gregory is a Michigan Education Voice Fellow and he has exhibited photography related to Detroit and social justice causes since 2011. Gregory, who has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, believes that building positive relationships helps students find their passion for learning.

Stressed? Do Something Productive

This is an open letter addressed to a dozen teachers I normally get to see at lunch during the school year. Our lively lunch topics vary, but inevitably we end up talking big ideas about the culture within our building and our school district. We wonder aloud about the decisions made by our leaders and we sometimes get discouraged by the environment and political process. The underlying conclusion I have drawn is that teachers should stick together and influence their local districts by elevating their collective voice. Ultimately, when we have a collective voice grounded in our professional values we support our students ... and one another. No one is proud to admit it, but sometimes all that stands between good teachers settling for mediocrity are students and colleagues. Our journey in my high school is probably very similar to the journey across staff lounges throughout the country.

“I drank a lot of wine. I lowered my professional standards. And then I left the public school arena.”  

- A teacher in response to how she coped with stress

To My Brothers & Sisters at the Lunch Table,

Although individual options vary about how to manage stress in our careers as educators the piece titled, Stressed Out! What Can Teachers Do About It? will help you see you're not alone ... and there are ways to make it better. With parent-teacher conferences around the corner and the teacher evaluation process underway, the adrenaline of September seems a distant memory now.   

The above option (drinking a lot of wine) is not one I am endorsing, but I suppose it could be tempting to some following a confusing and disheartening round of lay-offs. Expectations to carry out  half-baked initiatives lacking a clear purpose may be stifling your creativity and motivation, but contrary to the quote above you are passionate and generally optimistic. That is exactly why you need to make your positions clear to our leadership. Teachers are experts and our ideas are critical to decision-making.

Soon, our Board of Education will interview and hire a full-time superintendent of schools. I hope you will get involved in the process even if it means you have to push, pull, drag or backdoor yourself into the process ... be heard. Next November, three Board of Education seats will be up for election so get a head start now.

In a profession and environment that may lack support for teachers, the story linked here reminds us to get back to very important and basic ideas like building relationships with students, using technology to connect with other teachers or even switching schools.

Do yourself a favor and click the link when you have a mindful minute or two to spare (placing it here again) and think about the most important aspects of our profession. Why are you a teacher?   

While it can seem daunting to influence politics at the state level, we can make our voices heard in our school district. Soon, we can have ownership in WHO WE HIRE as superintendent and the PRIORITIES that will drive the final selection by our elected board. Whatever your own brand of leadership and communication, be heard. We are the professionals who know best what our students need. If we choose to own this indisputable fact and elevate our voices in the political process our students will be better off because of our effort.

  

We got this,

Nick

Officer Fields & Our Youth Entitlement Problem

Part of the incident as shown on news.yahoo.com

When School Resource Officer Ben Fields slammed a 16-year-old African-American girl to the floor and tossed her across the classroom, his actions that day became the source of national scrutiny.

If not for the video footage would we even believe something like this could happen in a classroom? For some among us, the duty-bound officer also became the face of a ghastly national problem.

Police brutality in light of reports that the student suffered a broken arm, rug burns and emotional trauma? No.

Inequity in our schools, the impact of zero tolerance policies or the role of law enforcement in our schools? Nope.

Racial divisions in the United States? Nah.

Officer Fields is becoming a hero to a cause that has been in existence as long as backpacks. Apparently, we need to address the entitled and bratty kids problem plaguing our nation.

The kids these days, long a euphemism relegated for use by the elderly, now belongs to 30-somethings on Facebook. Even Twitter blew up with shots at the damn kids now-a-days because they are such a rude and smug bunch, unlike the kids 15 or 20 years ago. Right.

When we hear about the kids, just beware of the potentially coded language meaning those kids - the kids whose geography, look and even race may be vastly different from the person offering the critique. Those kids, not our own children or relatives of course, are the ones criticized most. And can we please quit with the glory days when all the good parents spanked their children and it only took a menacing look from an adult to re-direct a kid. Those days have been gone for decades, not weeks. Enough already.

Isn't bitching about kids (and their disrespect, and their video games, and their music, and their saggy drawers, and on and on and on) a page out of an old playbook? Every generation seems to point to the kids as this sort of blanket response to societal problems that erases any personal responsibility from the adults who are complaining.

For instance, in Ted Nugent's ridiculous rant he claims someone "finally gave the child a dose of reality" and how shameful it is we live in a world where an, "undisciplined brat could be made out to be innocent while a good cop can be called a perpetrator." Not sure about you, but I never witnessed a "dose of reality" when an adult took down a kid in school for refusing to comply. Take a look at the comments on Twitter suggesting justice was served. The victim blaming response when a child messes up and displays poor judgment is a petulant comeback by adults who refuse to address the more complex reality. I understand that young people need to learn about accountability, but to assume the best way to reach that end is to body slam the respect out of them is ludicrous.

If you will agree that "legally" allowing physical assault in schools is not in anyone's best interest, I will agree that we have some troubled kids out there making it difficult for schools to deliver a quality education. In some cases, extremely difficult. 

As expected, Deputy Fields lawyer reminds us his actions were "justified and lawful." If the implications weren't so serious, it would be laughable that the same incident that led to his firing and an FBI investigation has also resulted in two teenage girls being arrested for "disturbing school." The 16-year-old student who was the target of Field's aggression was arrested and a classmate was cited for having the audacity to record the incident and speak out in class. Meanwhile, we continue to hear that the videos don't tell the complete picture and some supporters of Fields pretend he had no other options in the classroom that day. I'm not buying it.

Predictably, we have slipped into a programed "national debate" where emotional arguments turn this officer into a hero or a villain depending on what story you choose to buy. We pick sides, exchange barbs with political slants and then fill in missing information with a narrative that fits a particular perspective and ideology.

Maybe this generation of young people is not failing us as much as we are failing them.

Our children are taking their cues from media personalities and adults who avoid substance while turning our attention to slow motion replays and legal strategies so we can strengthen our opinion on the matter.

Maybe it's not as much an entitlement problem of our youth as it is our failure as adults to acknowledge and solve the real problems we lug around every election cycle without much change.

We can start by agreeing on what all students should be entitled so we can divert our attention from the make-believe issues.

We must ensure every child is entitled to:

• A quality education with professional teachers, leaders and a community of support
• A safe learning environment
• A voice that is valued in a democracy that understands their background and their perspective
• An educational system that is funded with proven interventions and programs that serve student needs 
• Opportunities for success and preparation for career & college 
• An educational program that embraces the rich diversity that makes the United States special
• Optimism regarding what they can achieve  
• Trust in the people who serve (and protect) them in our schools

This list could certainly be longer (add your ideas in the comments). The point here is that if we allow the conversation to drift off into griping about kids these days then we will miss the part about creating lasting and important changes in our schools. It will take courage and heroic leadership to advance changes that have staying power. Improvements will not happen by complaining about students.

Of course, we want to do a better job raising responsible, respectful and culturally aware children, but let's not assume we are the first adults to raise a generation that is losing faith in our ability to leave them a better world (Remember the Vietnam era?). Our energy would be better spent figuring out why so many young people are doubting the promise of this nation rather than denying problems exist.

We, as adults, share responsibility for the mess we find ourselves in and we can begin by owning up and talking about the injustices and the lessons we are learning alongside of our children. After all, we are the parents, grandparents, teachers, neighbors and family friends of these kids and blaming them is counter-productive. We need to start by listening to children, especially those children who may not look like us or come from the same neighborhoods and schools where we live. Listen to their parents. Their teachers. Listen.

If we aren't mindful, we will miss an opportunity to work toward addressing the education gap that exists in our country. I am sick of talking around the tough issues in favor of the hot topic du jour. What example will we set for children if we spend our time and energy keeping score on Facebook and Twitter while ignoring a search for solutions?

Simply being right, no matter how clever our 140-character idea, is not going to solve the problems we have if we're talking about the wrong things.

Our children do have an entitlement problem and we need to deliver what they are entitled. It's past time we own our share of that problem and start demanding we do a better job for all children.

If you feel the way I do, post this blog to Facebook or Twitter and/or write a letter of concern to your local school board member or government official. This is an opportunity to turn voice into action and get to the root of our problems in American education.

All of this, you say, because a video of an officer slamming a child to the floor went viral?

It's not because it went viral. It's because it took me seeing that video to realize that we have an obligation to speak for those who do not have a voice (or a camera).

Sitting by silently will not make our schools better. I do not need another video to remind me that the entitlements children deserve are being ignored. This incident reminds us that as a nation we are not living up to a fundamental principle that all children should have an equal opportunity to pursue their ambitions. Quit with the kids these days routine and do something constructive about the real problem of adults looking the other way.

Eventually, Deputy Fields' actions will become background noise in our education policy. If we fail to shine a spotlight on the negative culture within too many of our schools in this country, our response will be predictable and useless once again: Those damn kids these days!

TAKING ACTION

It is not safe to assume people have heard your point of view before or that they will dismiss your stance. Educational opportunity and fighting for the common good are not ideals beholden to a specific political party or ideology. Please be heard.

• To find your local school board and school leaders, visit your school district web site. Write to them about your concerns. Your concerns in your district are important.

• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or news outlets.

• To reach public officials, a simple google search or websites like, Usa.gov or Opencongress.org can help. 

Mentorship is a dare

It turns out that it is difficult to keep seventh grade students on task while a snake swallows a goldfish whole in the front of the classroom.

Student-teaching in a middle school was invaluable because goofy adolescents seem to dare their teachers more than other age levels. Middle school is that perfect blend of students appreciating risk and accepting those inevitable teaching failures. When I brought a small snake into a seventh grade English class to supplement our study of Aesop's Fables, it was more experiment than lesson plan.

While handling the small snake in class he got scared and bit my hand. It jolted me enough that I lost my grip and our scaly guest slithered through a sea of backpacks. The students standing on their desks screaming and pointing did not really help our snake posse track him down. Eventually, we managed to capture our lesson plan with an empty box, but it was not without drama. 

In the end, no people or animals were harmed (except the goldfish I guess) and I collected the most descriptive and powerful writing of the year. The classroom was electric that day.

That was the first time I got that unique teacher high I continue to chase every marking period.

My "teaching strategy" was also the target of criticism from a few students who thought we had inhumanely scared a snake under the guise of learning. They made good points and their speeches condemning my actions were articulated well. Other students broke through some walls and crafted poetry and impassioned narratives rich with detail.

This is the moment I point to when I talk about getting hooked on teaching.  It is a sacred breakthrough in education when a class truly acquires it - a blend of togetherness and chemistry where students bring out the best in their classmates and our best as a teacher. Once a teacher has that profound experience when a class evolves into a community and gels, the constant mission to shape a classroom into a robust learning environment is born.

With papers stacked to the ceiling and lesson plans that may as well have been scribbled on napkins, I knew right then that teaching was my calling. Teaching is still invigorating and exhausting at the same time.

The Teacher Who Dared Us to Be Great

My very first mentor Richard Mraz is the person I hold largely responsible for opening my heart to a fulfilling career in education. He dared to mentor six teaching interns that year and his involvement in my life has made all the difference in my career.

My mentor and friend, Richard Mraz

Michigan State University put him in charge of evaluating our growth throughout a year-long teaching internship. Richard kick-started my growth more than he evaluated it during my time at Owosso Middle School. He helped me discover teaching and he taught me what it means to truly care about young people. Most importantly, he helped me acquire a thirst to evolve as a teacher. He modeled a growth mindset and a positive culture of learning before those ideas were a thing.

Like so many of my good and bad days that school year, I called Richard to share the serpent experience. He laughed with me as I gave him the play-by-play. Richard had a way of incubating my enthusiasm and then encouraging me. With his support, a single idea would multiply into all kinds of new schemes. He took joy in my navigation and knowing he was invested in my success gave me the necessary freedom to fail.

Making Mentorship a Priority 

That was 15 years ago.

Now I am choosing to measure my success as a teacher in part by my influence on other teachers. Am I helpful? Have I taken a risk and served as a mentor? How well do I accept the help of others and open my mind to new approaches? How do I influence the education of our students beyond my classroom?

When I reflect on those questions I end up back at Owosso Middle School where my journey began as a baby-faced rookie wondering what in the hell I was doing.  When I tried to impart knowledge to a bunch of 12 year old kids I was reminded by my mentor that the learning had to be mutual. Richard had a knack for challenging me to re-think ideas on my own terms without telling me how poorly constructed those ideas were. He helped me reach higher and ultimately I was finding Mr. Gregory through the process. The good news is that the search continues.

The best mentors inspire.

Richard's brand of inspiration was subtle and unassuming. He cared deeply about our profession and our talks focused on finding human connections above everything and then applying pedagogy. His reach as a mentor was highlighted by his patience and the peace of mind he gained from more than 30 years in a classroom. He was a pro. My success as a beginning teacher was his success. He was invested in my growth. I picked up on the fact he cared about me at a self-absorbed stage in my life. Richard coached me to use my talents and my gifts to be a good classroom teacher and he understood that most of the essential skills needed as a professional required on-the-job training. He teamed with the lead teacher in the classroom and together they made my development a priority.

To this day, there is no one I want to share my exciting teaching days with more than Richard. I honor Richard's memory (he passed away more than a decade ago) by keeping students front and center. Even in my student-teaching experience when I was looking to merely get by from time to time, Richard pushed me to focus on what students needed, not what I wanted. He helped me become mindful before I even knew what being mindful meant.

Photo By Nick Gregory

Even now when I feel off, I think about some of the lessons Richard gracefully modeled. I loved learning with him by my side. In a career full of meaning, my relationship with Richard holds a special place as a lifelong treasure.

Those experiences with Richard are imprinted into my Teacher DNA. Regardless of how district policies, trends in best practice or teaching assignments change, my "genetic sequencing" as a teacher is firmly in place. Richard knew that many of those lessons I stumbled upon under his watchful eye would help me to eventually chart my own course. When I felt lost in my profession five years ago, I was hanging on to the idea that Richard is proud of me. Despite my insecurities and his death, he was still helping me push through and grow at a time when a part of me was ready to walk.

That's what the best mentors do - they help us find the tools we need to push through and grow. The best mentors care about people and they care deeply about our profession. The best mentors have a winning combination of the seven character traits below.

1. Authenticity Wins - Having a strong sense of self takes time and reflection. Good mentors encourage others to be themselves. The adage recited to new teachers, "Don't smile until Christmas" is older than chalkboards and pointless. Good mentors don't waste time on mind games and silliness that diminishes the true value of our profession. Be real.  
2. Always a Pro - Mentors are pros who encourage others in a quest that brings honor to the teaching profession. Being a pro is not about always being serious or maintaining appearances in an attempt to avoid mistakes. Being a pro is about serving students and families. I am talking about keeping the students as the focus and instilling an addiction to improvement in those around you.  
3. Achieve Vulnerability - Being vulnerable is an achievement in our profession when you consider the attacks levied on K-12 education from all directions. I am speaking of achieving professional vulnerability - the kind that allows one to take risks, re-think values and test strongly held ideas with student learning in mind. Vulnerability, in the right context, is necessary in order to reach new levels of awesomeness. Live there. Learn there. Grow there. 
4. Humility Breeds Confidence - It is easy for others to follow and want to be around you if they know that you know, 'It ain't ever about you. Never.'
5. Listen to Learn - The art of listening is a necessary gift in our profession and listening is not simply an exercise, it is at the core of teacher improvement. The best learn how to listen with their hearts and mind.
6. Sense of Humor  - Obvious, right. Laughter, especially at oneself, helps us maintain some perspective. Sometimes we need help getting there.
7. Trust Conquers Fear - Building trust and reserving judgement just makes sense when going through the challenges we tackle in K-12 education. Trust makes it okay to fail and trust encourages learning from those failures.  

I credit Richard with helping me understand the value in building positive relationships when I was most impressionable. Above everything, relationships are still the most important aspect of my career. I am lucky. Everyday at Owosso Middle School I worked with a veteran pro (Teacher Shirley Andersen) and with Richard's support, I always knew I had mentors invested in my success.

It made all the difference then.

And now.

Compliance is not engagement

The issues raised in this blog are not specifically motivated by the policies within my own school or within my district. I write about many topics that are often related to discussions with educators who do not work in my school district. This blog in no way is intended to reflect solely on any specific leaders or my place of employment. 


While discussing rules and expectations with students in our high school law class, Brooke* made the point that just because people comply with a rule or expectation, it does not mean that the expectation is valuable. Another student chimed in that expectations without merit are a waste of time and another student took us in the direction of all the things students do to pretend they are following some rules.

It's not just students doing these things. We all do some of this I suspect. And it's not all bad, but unfortunately our increased proficiency to jump through hoops in education comes at the expense of our students.

Think about that for a minute.

The more time we spend focused on trivial tasks or getting hung up on the mundane, the less time we have for critical issues related to student learning.

All professions have their share of compliance issues. It makes sense that education would be similar. After all, there has to be some accounting for student learning, teacher job performance and our responsibility to meet the needs of our respective communities. On the other hand, what should we do when the compliance topics requiring so much of our energy have little to do with student learning?

What I am talking about are the unique things schools begin to value above all else. I remember a period when meeting a deadline was celebrated at staff meetings and not meeting them could mean your name was on a widely shared e-mail reminding everyone of your failure. In some school communities there seems to be a disproportionate amount of emphasis on posting learning targets and not actually developing meaningful ones. Some school leaders are placing too much value on teacher compliance in the form of record-keeping and collecting evidence that is, at best, loosely connected to student learning.

How do we get our schools (teachers and students) to move beyond compliance and into the arena of determining the best ways we can work together for student learning and professional growth? 

Our student-led discussion about compliance in class reminded me of this valuable blog by Todd Finley from Edutopia. The blog lays out the research-based conclusion that teachers who engage students help students achieve more academic success, sense of belonging and the ability to persevere in tough situations. This may not be earth-shattering news to my readers, but think about the implications if we applied some of this reasoning to how we lead in our schools.

What if our schools were dedicated to teacher engagement and student engagement? (I know that some are - including my own school in some respects - and I hope you will comment below to share those success stories. We need them.)

Adam Fletcher’s definition of engagement applies to teachers in their work with school leaders and principals: "Students [insert, Teacher for Students] are engaged when they are attracted to their work, persist despite challenges and obstacles, and take visible delight in accomplishing their work." (Finley references this definition in his blog) 

The question, "Why is this important?" deserves an honest conversation for the things we emphasize in our schools. In my classroom I have sometimes failed to investigate whether my expectations and my lesson plans actually met their stated intentions. It happens from time to time and just as I expect from administrators leading a staff, I cannot keep plodding along not reaching my students simply because I have complied with some minimal expectation. I encourage my students to ask me why we do certain learning activities in class so we are constantly reminded of our learning objectives. I benefit from knowing that if I lose sight of what is important, my students have a way to nudge me in the right direction and we get back on course. Teachers do not always have constructive ways to voice concerns to administrators so we can stay on course. When there is a lack of teacher engagement with poorly designed professional development, staff meetings that only serve to fan out announcements or an increased emphasis on collecting evidence to show teacher effectiveness, students ultimately end up on the losing end in this culture of compliance.

Our school leaders need to stop and think about what we emphasize in our schools and also how we honor that emphasis through our interactions with students. A more meaningful school experience for teachers and students takes hard work and dedicated leadership. We also know it can be tempting to fall into completing checklists and moving on. One more thing done. Not much gained.

Wonderings  (using the terminology wonderings, which is employed in teacher observations by my school administrators)

1. How should the most important expectations be differentiated from the other business and emphasized for the school staff? 
2. What work needs to take place to shift the focus from compliance to a culture of learning in your school? What ideas do you have to improve the engagement level of the staff? Have you shared these ideas or do you have avenues to share them?  
3. What methods of motivation are effective in getting the school staff committed to working toward important school-wide and district-wide expectations? 

[Please share your ideas and results in the comments below or reach out to me privately]

Engagement requires more energy, expertise and talent than compliance. We know that the engagement of the teaching staff is critical to student success. We cannot afford to expend too much talent (teacher and student talent) in an effort to meet half-baked expectations and silly requirements.

No one remembers fondly the educator who expected students to blindly comply to constantly changing expectations. Likewise, we never hear about educators who retire and proudly claim it was their burning passion to be compliant that made their career special.

We need to be mindful of what makes teaching such a meaningful career and see to it that our school buildings reflect those values above all else.


*Name changed to respect privacy

DISCLAIMER: This blog includes ideas and topics serving as a composite of issues from various sources. The issues raised in this blog are not specifically or solely motivated by the policies within the author's own school district.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nick Gregory has been a social studies and journalism teacher at Fenton High School in Michigan since 2000 and he has been a National Writing Project Teacher consultant and a junior varsity basketball coach since 2003. He has exhibited photography related to Detroit and social justice causes since 2011 and he loves to travel. Gregory, who has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, believes that building positive relationships helps students grow their passion for learning. Gregory is a member of the Michigan Education Voice Fellowship.

Practical Tips for Mindful Teaching

Conversations, by Nick Gregory

This past weekend I took some time to put the brakes on after a whirlwind start to the school year. A lazy Saturday drive led to this photo (right) and some time to just enjoy the ride without any plans.

In addition to teaching, I have been getting in on valuable Twitter chats, reading interesting education blogs and elevating my involvement within my school community. I am an adrenaline junkie who binges on big ideas and feeds off student energy every September and October. This past weekend though, I embraced the reality that teaching is a marathon and not a sprint. I know this from 15 years of experience, but in the past I would wait until a November crash to face my demons.

I cannot express enough how important it is to take the time before October hits to step back and breathe. Slow your roll. If we are not mindful, we can get sucked into the day to day without appreciating the important nuances of our craft. We get so busy that sometimes we substitute movement for meaning.

Four Tips to Remain Mindful as an Educator 

1. Breathe and observe 

Set aside five minutes per day for silent observation. Take in the learning that is happening all around you. With some patience and permission, you may be surprised by what you notice unfolding in your presence.

The Curious Walk, by Nick Gregory

The photo to the left happened because I set my camera aside and noticed surfers climbing a hill in the distance ten minutes prior. By the time they re-appeared there was a two second window to capture this moment with everything in harmony. In the classroom, we spend so much time trying to be "on" that we sometimes forget to appreciate the joy of just being.

To capture and live the moments that matter, it pays to slow down. When students are engaged and on-task, it is a credit to the expert in the classroom. Our default mode is programmed to juggle and multi-task. Choose to be intentional about noticing what is going on around you - the sounds, the sights, the feel. Live in those harmonious moments (Harmony can be many things in a classroom -  designed chaos, loud, messy or even quiet, low-key and deliberate, etc.) A positive classroom environment is to be appreciated, not taken for granted. At the very least, observe recess or the lunch room to breathe it all in. Be present. It works.

2. Make meaningful 1-minute impressions daily

Choose 5-10 students that you will get to know a little better each week. These will be those "1-minute moments" to listen with more intention as they are in group work or to read homework a little closer. Find your opportunity to dig a little deeper. Simply make a point to intentionally engage those 5-10 students more than normal. It could include reaching out to a family member, checking in with past teachers or noticing something unique and sharing your observation with the student. Whatever means you employ, take one valuable minute to personally connect and it will enhance the learning experience. By Thanksgiving you will have connected individually with all of your students in a meaningful way. If you have fewer students (elementary or special education come to mind), you could alter this idea to fit your classroom and maximize these personal connections early in the school year.

3. Connect your talents to your work 

Drifting Together, by Nick Gregory

Take something you already enjoy and build it into being a better educator and colleague. The connection can be loose, but it's a risk worth taking.

So for me, I enjoy photography and writing. Connecting for me means making post cards to share with colleagues (There are samples below from a gift set that I will give to some friends and colleagues). I even made business cards which fed into my interests designing. I intend to design stationery using my photography for notes to students, recent graduates, colleagues or families from time to time.

The idea is that you take interests you want to develop and play around with them. It is not a race. These initiatives bring you to a place where you are enhancing your experience in your professional life. Let's come to terms with the fact there will always be things we have to do, but applying your interests to your career is something you will enjoy doing. And besides, when you let people in and they learn more about who you are then a more meaningful work experience is right around the corner. We all have talents (fixing things, building things, planning things, organizing events, art, gardening, web design, writing, exercise, yoga, music, video, etc.) that inform who we are and match up with values within our profession. When we can sneak something personal into our professional life it brings us back to our center and it enhances the experience of others. It is worth the energy to experiment. Acting on this idea has brought me immense gratification. It is a win.

4. Seek the company of people who make you smile 

Sometimes we need to put the fun back into work. When the grind of education becomes a challenge, feed off others. Every school building has a zany goofball who is ready to supply a hearty laugh. Better yet, we all have students with this gift. Find them. Now. The gravitational force of helping others can create a roller-coaster experience and laughter can make for a lighter and more enjoyable ride. Seek opportunities to smile. We all know this is important, but the reminder never hurts.

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Honoring our craft (See No. 3 above)

The photographs included in this blog above represent a sample from a set of postcards I will pass along to others over the course of the school year. I have included a few more of the postcard photos below. Each card represents a big idea that is central to learning and the craft of teaching. On the postcards, the "big idea" is printed on the front of the card (listed in the captions for this blog post). The recipients can display them or they can pass them on to someone else. It is entirely up the recipient and it honors our profession.

Resilience, by Nick Gregory

Resting point, by Nick Gregory

Imagination, by Nick Gregory

Mindful, by Nick Gregory

Teacher Growth & Performance Evaluations - an Oxymoron?

The issues raised in this blog are not specifically motivated by the policies within my own school or within my district. I write about many topics that are often related to discussions with educators who do not work in my school district. This blog in no way is intended to reflect solely on any specific leaders or my place of employment. 

Dear School Leader,

Cartoon by Dan Piraro, Bizarro! 

You surely noticed the elephant at the the kick-off to the school year staff meeting. He was the one sighing as we moved through PowerPoint slides detailing the formula used to determine our effectiveness as teachers.

We have a teacher evaluation problem to deal with as a staff.

There, I said it.

Now, can we work together for teacher growth?

This letter is my invitation for you to begin talking to the staff about how we can make teacher improvement the linchpin of the evaluation process.

Whether you know it or not, your evaluation process is on the minds of a lot of teachers under your leadership. We don't know how to talk about it because it is a topic fraught with questionable methods and a flawed process. No one wants to sound like a whiner or be misunderstood so it has been safer to quietly comply and find ways to "score" better. We know that you too must struggle with what you are being tasked with as a school leader and it must feel overwhelming. Teacher evaluations and the talk surrounding them - in the media, the community, the hallways of our building - have changed our building climate in ways most of us did not see coming.

Teachers want to be invited into the conversation about how we can make the entire teacher evaluation experience meaningful. You want evaluations to be more useful and so do we, but starting that messy work is tough. Consider sharing my words with your staff and we can get the conversation started with our focus on WORKING TOGETHER.

GUMBY By Highlimitzz, Flickr

Your staff understands that you often find creative ways to adjust to the legislation out of Lansing and since you do not have a crystal ball, you have had to twist in more ways than Gumby to keep us in compliance. Thank you for steering the ship. Really, thank you.

As the winds of change continue to swirl around teacher evaluations, your teaching staff is your best resource when it comes to transforming the process into something that is robust and meaningful.

You may not have as much influence with legislators as you would like but you can influence your staff by broaching the topic of teacher evaluations with sincerity and sharing your expertise as an educational leader. It will help us understand you better and it will serve as a reminder that we are all on the same team. We need those reminders that you understand the frustration many teachers feel and that you are committed to supporting teachers with a teacher evaluation process that will serve students and teachers.

• Can we talk about the teacher evaluation process and what it means to you as a leader in our school district?
• Can we break down the walls, get past the legalize and get some assurances from your heart and your experience as an educator that we will use the evaluation tool to inform best practice?
• How can we re-think and use the mandated teacher evaluation process so that it helps teachers improve and helps students learn?

Our staff wants to hear from you and we want to know what you value and expect from our staff. You are an educational leader with expertise in leading teachers and running a school. Quality teachers are supportive of an evaluation process that promotes growth.  We are begging for an opportunity to be heard and to gain insight into your ideas about how we can build a growth mindset and a collaborative learning culture together. We understand that it will take work, teacher leadership and new ideas to make this process the best it can be for our school. Let's roll up our sleeves, potentially make a mess of it, grow with it and roll with it and do this together.

Our students and families will be the ultimate beneficiaries of our efforts and our staff will feel a greater sense of belonging. We need that sense of belonging now more than ever. Our profession has been under attack and funding has not kept up with the demands of twenty-first century student needs. The teacher evaluation process is a great opportunity to help teachers grow and improve. Let's do this. Together.

To the contrary, if we treat teacher performance evaluations as this thing we have to do then I am afraid you are telling me that it's just another thing I am subjected to and it has no real benefit for student learning. I may "measure up" in the evaluation, but what I am most interested in is measuring up for students and improving as a teacher. It is your responsibility to help me achieve and strive for improvement.

What this evaluation means to you is more important to me than what it means to the State of Michigan. You are a person I respect, see regularly and if I know precisely what you value and how you value, I am more likely to have trust that your evaluation of my teaching is intended to help me. I want to have more confidence in your evaluation and your feedback is critical to this process. I need to be reminded that we share goals and that you welcome risk-taking, encourage collaboration and you support me in my effort to put students first. I need to improve and I am counting on you to guide and help me be my best.

The evaluation should reflect all of this, but it can't until we talk about it.

Sharing your expertise and your stance will help your teaching staff understand that you too are navigating a windfall of challenges and your aim is to keep students as the top priority. The evaluation has to support that mission, both in theory and in practice. Teachers want to be part of meeting this important challenge.

• Can we invite teacher leaders to have some say in the evaluation process and to take some responsibility for making it better?
• Can we work together to re-frame the evaluation process as something that can help our staff and not divide us? We want desperately to give the process more credibility, and we also feel defeated using an evaluation tool that no one seems to understand and a process that is inconsistent.
• Can you help us understand the role of the evaluation process in our school? We get nervous about re-assignments or lay-offs based on evaluations that many of us fail to find professional value or understand.

You can't erase all of the anxiety surrounding evaluations, but simply knowing that we are tackling this challenge together will give us more faith that the outcomes can have relevance for teacher growth.  

I realize that the struggles with our process are not necessarily a reflection of you or any single leader. Despite that fact, our problems are still real and we have to stop pretending it will just be okay by saying little and doing even less to change the situation. We can do better.

Trust me, if we address the challenge of improving our evaluation process then more of our energy will be devoted to the craft of teaching rather than "acing" evaluation measures that we're not even sure translate to best practice. We want to believe in the process as an avenue for improvement. Even just a little.

In closing, teachers want to improve and we will thrive in a culture that supports teacher growth. We are better when we collaborate, take risks and occasionally fail. But you see, all of this talk about "highly effective" or "minimally effective" and [INSERT potentially arbitrary measure here] student growth are topics we desperately need help unpacking before we can move forward.

We respect that you have a unique set of challenges with teacher performance evaluations and teachers can help make this entire process better if you invite the conversation and lead. Educators and their leaders are creative and passionate about helping others. Those qualities will serve us well if we are serious about transforming teacher performance evaluations into opportunities that encourage risk-taking and collaboration rather than competition and completing tasks.

Invite the conversation.

You might be surprised by the sigh of relief from the staff and the results.

We got this.

Sincerely,

A dedicated and concerned teacher

Any School, Michigan

DISCLAIMER: This letter is a composite of topics that are not specifically motivated by the policies within the author's own school district. The author wrote this letter based on his own experience and after conversations with teachers in school districts across the State of Michigan. The letter is intended to serve as a notice that compliance is not a substitute for best practice and teachers can and should have a voice in the performance evaluation process.

Other Resources about Teacher Evaluation and Improvement:

• When Teachers Compete, No One Wins By Janet Allen
• Three Reasons Why Observations are a Waste of Time by Peter DeWitt
• The Accidental Community: Feeling the Love by Shira Loewenstein

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nick Gregory has been a social studies and journalism teacher at Fenton High School in Michigan since 2000 and he has been a National Writing Project Teacher consultant and a junior varsity basketball coach since 2003. He has exhibited photography related to Detroit and social justice causes since 2011 and he loves to travel. Gregory, who has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, believes that building positive relationships helps students grow their passion for learning. Gregory is a member of the Michigan Education Voice Fellowship.