The last bell of the day

Finding your voice in a stagnant culture

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. 

In my new role as the administrator for summer school I asked one of my students *Tanner, "What's your favorite part of school?"

The 13-year-old boy stopped jumping over a hand railing for the three seconds it took to answer.

"The last bell of the day," he responded with a dead stare.

And with that, he jetted back to class, leaping to touch every banner hanging in the hallway.

A desk I found at summer school begs the question,

"Why continue your search for career satisfaction 
despite your lack of influence on a dwindling 
school culture?" 

I expected this boy who failed multiple classes would say gym or lunch. I naively figured he might call out his favorite teacher or say something about the girls in art class. But Tanner had something else in mind and the way he answered my question, serious and without hesitation, made a profound impression.

His words hung in the air.

"The last bell of the day."

A simple response from a boy who told me middle school was a place for good students, not him. He said he was smart enough (and his test scores this summer support that finding), but he just quit caring. With a slight grin, Tanner told me that it doesn't matter because he will probably transfer to another school next year.

All of this got me thinking about how we deal with people who fall out of touch with school and may feel that they do not belong. What about when that sentiment about not wanting to be at school is shared by teachers or staff members?

The school culture should support adults as well as students

At times I have felt professionally isolated and believed that if I left the profession I would not be missed. From time to time I have even thought that my absence would go largely unnoticed by school leaders in my building. Sometimes my frustration had to do mostly with me, but like many teachers my sense of belonging is strongly correlated to the culture of the building where I teach. For the most part, I have felt less control and influence on our building culture in recent years and it has pushed me in new directions.

Unlike Tanner, transferring to a new building or a new position is unlikely for teachers so how can we make the most of a challenging school environment?

Framing the culture challenge  

We should be mindful of a couple important questions as we examine school culture. Keeping these questions in mind can help frame the challenges existing in your school culture.

• Do school leaders in struggling environments want to know the truth about how teachers feel about the culture of the school? Is your boss challenged by the same constraints a struggling teacher may feel?  

• What can you do as a professional when you work in a culture where there is an unwillingness to face tough questions about employee satisfaction and professional empowerment?

• How should you balance maintaining your sanity at work with a growing sense of wanting to change the culture for the better? 

Here is my advice for educators seeking more career satisfaction despite feeling powerless to change their school culture.

Claim your expertise 

You are an expert and that expertise needs to be claimed by you. Education is one of the few professions where masses of talented and accomplished people seem to think that claiming expertise translates to arrogance. Humility is an awesome quality to have when your professional life is spent serving others and claiming expertise is unrelated to humility. When I say to claim your expertise this means taking ownership of what you have to offer students and colleagues and putting yourself out there to share your ideas. Take action to amplify your voice in our profession and engage in highlighting what you know works while investigating new approaches with enthusiasm.

Being really good in a particular aspect of your job is something that should be celebrated and shared. Collaborate without an invitation from others and do not bother seeking validation from school leaders who seem too busy to realize your value. When the culture of your school doesn't encourage sharing, your success is not a threat so do the best you can without worrying about what others think. We do not need permission to be experts. Most importantly, take your ideas somewhere else to grow. Your expertise will benefit other people and ultimately your ideas will reach students which is the goal.

I earned the role of a Lead Fellow with America Achieves 
so that I can help educators amplify their voices on 
education and policy issues. I feel connected to so many
pros who continue to help me improve as a teacher.

Outside of my daily interaction with students, claiming my expertise as a teacher has brought me more satisfaction and enjoyment than any other aspect of my professional life. Accepting a fellowship with America Achieves launched me into the 2015-2016 school year with new professional relationships and a network of pros to learn from on a regular basis. If you can find an organization with professional values that match your own, go for it. Do not wait for an invitation. Find a way to be involved beyond your school. Twitter chats are another great extension to branch out professionally.


Whatever your particular strengths, keep in mind that the expertise you bring everyday adds value to your school and to the experience of hundreds of students. Your confidence will grow by leaps and bounds if you put yourself out there and choose to present at conferences or take a role as a leader within your building.

You did not get into teaching to be on the sidelines. We all bring a different personality and dynamic to this profession and when you go all in and claim your expertise, no one can take that from you. As an expert you continue to learn and grow professionally and even in a school that may not appreciate or recognize your talent, it is okay to seek validation elsewhere. Personally, I feel most accomplished and excited about the potential of our profession in my roles outside of my school. I used to be resentful about leaders who fail to recognize my talents, and I am now liberated because I have moved on and found my own place to shine. My school represents a part of who I am professionally, but certainly not everything. Go claim your expertise and branch out - it might be the best decision you make for your career.
    

Elevate your voice with ideas, not complaints

Perhaps the biggest lesson I have learned in the last few years is to bring ideas and solutions to the table in the face of adversity. Some school cultures are set up in a manner where ideas are not valued, but that does not mean that you should stop bringing those ideas. Even if your ideas do not take flight today, you can become a person on the staff who is viewed as creative rather than simply a griper. Your colleagues, the real pros, will recognize you as a leader even if the principal may not notice. Leaders who are not interested in new ideas have already lost the confidence of the staff so it is imperative that others pick up the slack. Be a "slack picker-upper" who knows the limit of his reach. One day it may be a trusted colleague who earns a leadership role and seeks your advice because of your track record of good ideas.

Twitter chats are a tremendous

source of professional development. 
Click HERE to check on great 
chats coast to coast. 

Keep in mind that principals and other leaders often move on to new roles and many will change and grow just as the best teachers do. Your ideas may take root eventually so keep generating new ones to meet the challenges of teaching. Each idea could be a springboard for something down the road so don't think of it as wasted time.

I have embraced the fact that most of my ideas will live on this blog because to this point I am in an environment that has not made room for my ideas yet. (Did you catch the yet?) Maybe someday. Regardless, having ideas and sharing them will provide positive energy. A great post on the #COLchat Twitter chat, "Your vibe attracts your tribe" reminds me to stay mindful of who I attract. The ideas
and goals I share with others are my magnet.

Be the leader you wish you had 

Hopefully you are able to find strengths in the leaders you work alongside and it is important to recognize those strengths. I am fortunate to work with caring and compassionate leaders with a wide range of talents. When I say to be the leader you wish you had, it is important to note that I am not coming at this from a place of judgement. This is more of a challenge and it has helped me grow as a leader.

Rather than becoming mired in disappointment about the weaknesses in your building leaders, turn those perceived weaknesses into personal tests of your own leadership. For instance, if you think your principal does not communicate well enough how much she values teachers then choose to show your appreciation of teachers in your own way. If your leader struggles to hold people accountable, find ways to influence your sphere and create a learning environment with more personal accountability. If you are like me and get frustrated about the priorities building leaders hold then work through the proper channels to address the issues you can influence. If you make your leader's weaknesses your personal challenge, you will a.) likely appreciate how difficult it is to do some of the things you value and b.) you will be more fulfilled taking action and leading by example.

Once I decided I was done waiting for leadership in the areas I value most, my learning accelerated and new opportunities have added value to my career to make up for what's missing in the school culture. As teachers we also need to remain mindful that there are a lot of aspects of building leadership we're not aware of so being the leader you wish you had is a positive way to build a better culture. Teachers share in the responsibility of creating a positive building culture.

  

Mentorship & Collaboration = Growth

At the heart of teaching is our desire to help others. We all need help and the best way to help ourselves is to share our ideas, experiences and hardships with colleagues. If the culture around you promotes isolation then the best way to push back is to muster the energy to reach out to like-minded people and help one another. If you are feeling bold, reach out to someone you struggle to understand and see what you can pick up from that person. This school year I chose to reach out to a couple colleagues whose style and personality are very different than my own. This simple exercise made me a better teacher and gave my work more meaning. Along the way, I also began to appreciate a different way of doing things.

Expert teachers benefit from mentorship as do inexperienced teachers. I got tired of waiting around for my district to re-commit to a formal mentorship program so I began to seek mentoring from some of the pros right down the hall. Mentorship does not require official documentation and evidence of growth. It can simply mean that you are choosing to make guidance part of your professional diet. Somehow we got so caught up in data and evidence that doing simple things that make work fun and meaningful got lost in the shuffle.

As an aspiring administrator, I appreciate that my assistant principal has taken an interest in my
career aspirations. She has my back. I have reached out to school leaders in my district to learn more about their respective jobs. No matter what the culture is in your school, you are surrounded by people who got into this profession to help others. You may need to look for those people if you are in an environment where everyone seems to be in hiding, but it is worth your time to search. Trust me.

Feed the Beast 

The beast is your natural curiosity. If you are a teacher, you are hard-wired to have a love for learning. You must feed that curiosity. Whether your passions have a link to your profession or not, they deserve more of you. For me, my passions are photography and writing. For you, it may be knitting, reading or gaming. Regardless, we are happier when we find balance.

Happy people make better teachers.

On this occasion my passion for photography included 
taking pictures at the GearUp2Lead Conference in 
Flint, Mich. for heroic student leaders in mid-Michigan. 
This photo was from Bullycide, a production of 
Trust Theatre Ensemble, directed by Lori Thompson. 

It is tough to be happy when all of your eggs are in one basket from August to June. At work, I do my best to remain mindful of all the aspects of this profession that are meaningful in my life so I can weather challenges better.

On a personal level, this is an area in which I have grown considerably. I still have a long way to go.

I will openly admit that my growth continues to be the result of me taking responsibility for my attitude and finding ways to make a positive difference in education. When I was feeling discouraged about my role in my school, I chose to stop waiting for things to change. I have talents and interests that continue to leave me wanting more influence so I continue to seek new outlets for my ideas. I have forged a positive professional identity in spite of sometimes feeling held back within the culture of my building. As a result, I have never felt more motivated and optimistic about my role in education.

Concluding Thoughts

When motivated educators finish the school year feeling discouraged, we have a responsibility to unpack the challenges of the school year in order to work toward improvement. Teachers and administrators have to take ownership of the culture we perpetuate in our schools. More than anything, children cannot afford to have teachers feeling diminished or professionally handicapped by fear and anxiety.

If educators cannot examine issues related to school culture honestly in the summer then I am not sure how we can truly tackle the threat a negative school culture poses for students.

When I have felt stunted in my role as a teacher, it is only when I reached out and took some risks that my situation began to improve. Writing and talking honestly about important topics in education has made a positive difference for me. Professionally I am on a trajectory that has me poised to keep learning and growing in a pursuit I love. Quite frankly, I got tired of waiting around for things to improve and I have dedicated my energy to ideas that carry my passion. I am grateful I can explore my professional interests in a public forum. I hope this advice is helpful.

* Tanner is a made up name used to protect the identity of the student

ABOUT THE AUTHOR of CIVICS ENGAGED: 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 2002. 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. You can follow him on Twitter @CivicsEngaged.

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 my own school district. I have chosen to include many topics here that are also related to my discussions within my fellowship about teaching in general, not just in our school district. This blog in no way is intended to reflect solely on our school or our school district.  

An open letter to Donald Trump from a high school teacher

HuffPost published my letter to Mr. Trump. Click here to see it on HuffPost.

Mr. Trump,

Since you announced your candidacy for President, teaching high school social studies has become more interesting. Other than comedians, students have gained more from your White House run than anyone.

As a high school American government teacher, I recognize that you are in a great position to win the nomination. The U.S. Constitution and the values it embodies serve as the foundation of our curriculum, so when my students ask questions about the election, the role of the president and you, their interest brings more meaning to our discourse.

Mr. Trump, taking questions about you has been a challenge. The cornerstone of your immigration policy includes building a "great wall" and having Mexico pay for it, so naturally students have questions. When you said, "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?" about opponent Carly Fiorina, students wondered about your character. As you talked about "bombing the (expletive)" out of enemies and killing their families or banning all Muslims from entering the country, we took notice in class.

Mr. Trump, you have put me in a precarious position as a professional educator. My ability to remain neutral, as you brazenly assault the American values I have spent my career promoting, became more difficult every time you found a microphone. Referring to African Americans as, "the blacks" and bragging publicly about having a young "beautiful piece of (expletive)" are just a couple of the red flags my students have raised in class.

Mr. Trump, behavior like yours in a classroom would stifle learning and make parents cringe.

You actually referenced your penis size in a national debate and publicly denigrated the appearance of a political rival's wife. Your preposterous comments and arrogance justify students' concerns about your temperament. For many of my students, who study history and defend the Bill of Rights, it is inconceivable for them to support you.

At one time, we laughed at your antics. We had never heard a political figure say the things you were saying and in a manner that defied even modest political calculations. As you sunk to new lows, students became victims of the circus atmosphere you were creating.

Mr. Trump, not taking you seriously was a mistake I deeply regret - as a teacher and as a citizen.

Your candidacy has ushered in a sobering realization that more Americans are impaired by prejudice and anger than my students thought was possible. Mr. Trump, you have reached millions of people with a disturbing political message and nasty tactics. Your behavior is repulsive, but professional integrity requires that I attempt to understand your appeal.

Mistakenly, I expected that decency would always have a role in any legitimate campaign for president. As a veteran teacher, I failed to recognize the consequences of the depraved manner in which you peddle fear to hungry crowds. We never saw your rise coming. Once the laughter died down you were leading the Republican field by huge margins, and the teacher became the student.

Your lively political rallies with threats of violence and lessons about greatness woke me up. The punchlines became storylines that paint a picture of a hopeless, deeply confused nation. You are enthusiastically leading an insurgency against goodwill that my students will spend a lifetime undoing.

Yet, I remain optimistic about the future of our nation in the face of your existence.

Mr. Trump, I am hopeful because my students are gaining a deeper appreciation of American values like promoting the common good and fighting for equality. Students are embracing diversity and individual rights as those values come to life on the campaign trail. Student attitudes are being shaped, in part, by opposition to your toxic rhetoric. As many students prepare to vote, they recognize the threat your presidency would pose to the world.

Mr. Trump, at worst your popularity is a cruel reminder that many of our neighbors and friends have xenophobic leanings and a worldview skewed by sexism and bigotry. At best, your entertainment value has clouded the judgment of too many voters.

Regardless, for my curious students, you are their first living lesson on the perils of populist racism. Hatred and bigotry, really bad ideas before you came along, are now alive for first-hand analysis in every classroom coast to coast. You are energizing a generation of young people to fight back.

Once you flame out, they won't let you happen again. This is the source of my optimism.

Instead of teasing modern angles out of the lessons from Jim Crow America, we have you: a national political figure exposing the ugliness that occurs when power and bigotry mix in the absence of humility. In social studies classrooms, divergent points of view and civil dialogue co-exist. Your absence on the national stage will encourage informed conversation that will advance progress. The lessons we learn from your disgraceful campaign will live much longer than the harm you inflict today.

Today, you are trending. Tomorrow, your story will be the one about the damage that is unleashed when fear controls the political narrative. The lesson about how slowly the electorate digested your hostile message about American greatness will stay with us a long time, Mr. Trump. Your candidacy will be a lesson about temptation and averting disaster.

Mr. Trump, you are a reminder that progress is not dependent on a specific political party or the ambitions of one man. Advancing American democracy demands a citizenry that is vigilant and informed.

You, Mr. Trump, are the pathetic reminder that we needed a pathetic reminder.  

Nick Gregory

High School Social Studies Teacher

ABOUT THE AUTHOR of CIVICS ENGAGED: 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. You can follow him on Twitter @CivicsEngaged.

Dads get the invitation to volunteer at school

A great day with my son.

What dog keeps the best time?

When I snuck that riddle into my first-grade son's lunch box last week, he knew the answer was a watch dog. It was also the obvious answer because he was looking forward to me volunteering in the Watch D.O.G.S. program at his school.

Watch D.O.G.S. is a national initiative to encourage dads to volunteer at their child's school and the acronym stands for Dads Of Great Students. The National Center for Fathering started the program so when my son's principal invited all of the dads to come and spend a day volunteering, this was a no-brainer. I am happy to join the ranks of more than 400,000 men who volunteered through the program in schools across the United States last year. I volunteered on my birthday - a tradition I plan to continue for both of my children.

Kavaun was eager for me to spend the day with him and his classmates and I enjoyed helping and getting a feel for my son's school experience. The educational leader in me walked away impressed by the network of professionals who make delivering a great education the reality for my son and his peers. From the support staff to my son's teachers and all of the students I encountered in the hallways or at recess, everyone was first-class. I always felt my child was in a wonderful school, and experiencing it first hand confirmed for me that dedicated and talented people make all the difference in a school.

Evidence of engagement and learning could be found all over 

the school. There was no shortage of enthusiasm for learning.

I am certain no one was putting on a show for me as a volunteer. Several parents dedicate their time volunteering in the building on a regular basis and more than ninety Watch D.O.G. volunteers will participate this school year. I was witnessing the everyday work of professionals that contribute to an awesome learning environment.

Mr. Brett Young, the building principal, deserves credit for making the Watch D.O.G.S. program happen in our school district. As a father of four children himself he understands how challenging it can be to volunteer for a day. Even as an educator who understands the value of being directly involved in my children's education, I would not have volunteered if not for Mr. Young. I am pretty sure that many of the one hundred men coming in as Watch D.O.G.S. would say the same thing. He actively reached out to the dads and father-figures of more than 400 students and invited us to the school for a pizza dinner in September to tell us how to participate in the program. Schools generally welcome parent involvement, but an invitation to commit to a specific day is what it took to get me in the door.

Messages celebrating great ideas can be found
in the hallways throughout the school.

Another cool thing is that Watch D.O.G.S. are not just fathers - grandfathers, uncles and other adult male role models can participate as D.O.G.S. in the school building. All of the D.O.G.S. receive a thorough volunteer background check and the staff goes out of their way to make guests feel welcome. Volunteer tasks can range depending on the day and time of the visit. I did some organizational tasks to help my son's classroom teacher, I read to the children and answered questions, monitored recess and worked with students in a small group setting. My son's classroom teacher contributed to my meaningful experience and I was able to be a part of art, music and physical education classes as well.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. program is great and I encourage elementary school leaders to look into it. As a parent, I know there are plenty of opportunities to help at the school, but if you are not aware of specific needs, just call the school or drop in to the office. I applaud any school that makes a focused effort to increase parent involvement in the school. Everyone wins.

A highlight for me was reading to the class.

If you're like me and need a specific date to lock in so it will happen, volunteer on your birthday or at a time when you know you will need a planned break. Volunteering is a guilt-free way to miss other obligations and it's something you and your child(ren) can look forward to sharing.

Highlights of my day:

• Scored a goal in soccer at recess despite several children doing everything they could to stop me
• I met Kavaun's classmates and even helped a few of them with math
• Story time was so fun I did it twice
• A free T-shirt that will stir good conversation and memories at home when I wear it. 
• My birthday was announced over the P.A. and I got a birthday ribbon. Several people made sure to wish me a happy birthday too - something we don't get a lot of in the high school. 
• I walked away amazed at how my son's teachers could get seven year-old children on task so effectively. Seeing students make connections with their learning was pretty cool.  

This poster was next to the Watch D.O.G.S Wall of Fame where a photo of 

children and their D.O.G.S welcomes guests to the school.  

Achieving Failure with a Growth Mindset

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. 

Yesterday I was a first-year teacher again.

I really had no idea where my social studies lesson plan was heading and the bewildered looks on student faces was a flashback to my rookie year. Trying something new in my classroom was the best way for me to recognize how far I have to go in terms of my own improvement.

Our high school class was attempting to unpack the topics of addiction and the decriminalization of drugs in the US legal system. We used the documentary, Chasing Heroin from PBS as a digital text and students developed meaningful questions for a Socratic seminar following our viewing. My intent was to create an environment where students would dig deeper as writers and thinkers. I was hopeful we could get past the generic talking points related to addiction and make it relevant on a personal level.

I wasn't sure how to meet my lofty objectives so I ran my ideas by a couple of all-star English teachers. They coached me through the "Socratic Seminar" process and they addressed some of the challenges of completely turning the direction of the conversation over to students. Meaningful dialogue without me leading might be tough they warned. I was determined that the class should make their own path so I relied on their expert advice to let it go wherever it needed to go.

Falling flat on my podium and crawling back to a last-minute victory with an audience of high school seniors was humbling and necessary for my growth. I have a fresh experience to draw from as I work to improve as a teacher. This very real and clumsy teaching experience is a gift.

Learning can be messy

With eyes wide open, I took the plunge insisting every class member contribute to a natural "Socratic-style" dialogue with no hand raising. After some valuable writing time and a review of their excellent questions, it was time to start.

[Silence]

[Followed by even longer silence]

[ Interrupted briefly by side conversations or a hurried question for the class to ponder]

[More silence] 

Repeat

My typically engaged class was censoring their voices. For more than thirty minutes, student comments were sandwiched between awkward gaps of quiet - the kind where everyone in class notices the air vent blowing. Agitation could be measured by the occasional paper shuffling to fill the space while a few students nervously tapped their feet. A majority of people just stared down at the paper in front of them pretending to read as our most outspoken students doodled and drifted. It got so bad that when I mustered the courage to look out to survey the entire circle, the class smart ass nodded to me with raised eyebrows and a self-assured smirk silently saying, "What did you expect?"

My students expected me to take over.

I did not do much to help and we spent a thirty minute eternity in this awkwardness. Inevitably, it broke down when a single student raised an issue about the demeaning body language of a classmate and an alleged comment he made under his breath about "stupid people." Others were frustrated and admitted not wanting to share ideas for fear of being viewed unfavorably.

With that, all sorts of ground rules and expectations were established by the class - not me - and the silence was broken. Student expressions of frustration mixed with some laughter helped everyone re-calibrate.

The blow-up was cut short by a student who rarely speaks in class. He shared a very personal story dealing with heroin addiction and death. Our raucous classroom turned back to silence - the best kind of silence - and everyone listened intently. Naturally, a very authentic and serious conversation about rehabilitation and the legal process filled up our remaining 25 minutes of class. Students left wanting more.

It was a phenomenal moment as we eventually managed to stumble our way into some really valuable learning. I wished we didn't have to stop at the bell. My students helped me gain an honest assessment of how I can raise my game as a teacher and why my growth is critical for student learning.

The Immediate Take-Aways

Optimal learning requires a safe space

I was advised by a sassy student during our preparation for our Socratic seminar that if I followed through with it, I should prepare for failure. The implication from this likable student was that I was wasting my time with high expectations. She giggled at my optimism and told me students would stare at the wall and no one would participate. I accepted her challenge and she was absolutely correct.

Even though there was a lot of silence and mumbling, it was a success. She lived something that I struggled to understand completely - that sharing ideas and feelings about a very real topic like addiction would require committing to new expectations in our classroom. Besides me there are seven or eight students who carry the majority of the dialogue in our class so we rarely hear from other important voices in class. This experience helping me learn precisely why why we need more voices. As a professional, I need to learn how to do a better job.

Give the class back to students; they will appreciate the effort even when it is not smooth

Doing something for the first time can be scary interesting. Students may not voice their praise, but they like knowing a teacher is trying to engage them. Mixing it up and the effort is welcomed. This blog and my ideas about creating a positive culture of learning in schools helps me think through my ideas. I believe strongly that teachers are creative and talented people and writing about these topics makes me want to try new things that will help students. Seeing students eyes glaze over motivates me to keep trying better ways to reach more people. Just by virtue of the fact that I might keep more students awake has to count for something! (I do not allow students to sleep in class, but I know some will sleep with their eyes open when they're not engaged)

Meet students where they are to get where they want to go

Another student told me that if I left the room during the Socratic seminar the lesson would go better. It got so bad that I honored her request and sat outside my classroom for a little bit. It didn't go better, but it was clear to me that I was the engine of the learning experience in our class. They really did not know how to make it work without me front and center. This is more a reflection of me and not the talented students in the class. To their credit they still tried to make it work even when it was clear that we were off to a poor start.

They were struggling and we embraced the struggle together. We stuck it out and I think students appreciated my effort even if the process was flawed in the "technical" sense. We persisted because students wanted to make it work. That want is within students even if the evidence of their desire to learn is absent.

Listening is the first step to change

In the short amount time since our class experience I have talked to four students individually about the topic of addiction. They shared experiences and insights with me that informs their learning. I was taken aback by some of the connections and ideas they shared. Understanding how our own perspective shapes our learning is enlightening. Listening to new ways of viewing the same challenge (addiction in this case) is invaluable. Once we get past being right and we seek understanding then our ability to change improves dramatically. I am grateful to my students for this reminder.

We may never know the reach of a single learning experience 

A future researcher or policy maker could be sitting in my classroom. At the very least, two-thirds of my students claimed they had experiences with addiction in their own lives. Many students encounter opportunities to experiment with alcohol or other drugs so gaining a deeper understanding may help them personally. The future challenges for our students are largely unknown. If our classroom experiences help in some way, it's a win.

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.

  

Too Scared to Fail

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. 

The Shorter Version

Dedication: To my friends at lunch who said the first version was too long. Thank you. I have chosen to include many topics here that are also related to my discussions within my fellowship about teaching in general, not just in our school district. This blog in no way is intended to reflect solely on our school or our school district.  

It's been seven months since we talked about building a dynamic culture of learning within our school. We started the school year talking about the value of taking risks and finding new ways to maximize our talent. Teachers discussed elevating our teaching to new heights with collaboration and fresh approaches to learning.

We all bring something unique 

to the table. Schools need to 

foster an environment where 

failure has a new meaning.

Focusing on building relationships with students and trying new strategies would help my students and I needed to shake things up anyway.

Our professional development was an invitation for me to take 14 years of experience, find that spirited rookie teacher I was and mesh the two. On top of all of that, this new approach gave me permission to experiment and fail. More than ever, I was looking forward to a fun school year.

It turns out that my attitude adjustment has saved me this school year because nothing around me has changed.

When I reflect about my dissatisfaction and the underlying frustration expressed by many of my colleagues, the common denominators are the increased importance of poor teacher evaluations and feeling voiceless when it comes to addressing our struggles. In essence, we are mute.

How in the hell did it become so scary to fail? 

How many teachers are struggling in silence and what impact does that have on students? 

My professional satisfaction was stagnant because I was not equipped to adapt in an educational world that would keep score. My important work was being reduced to a collection of arbitrary measures dumped into a data bank and computed with magic formulas. Things like student grades, test scores (some of them not even based on the classes I taught) and improving my bottom 30 - whatever that means - took on real importance. In this new system, we could classify teachers into winners and losers. In the end, the data spit out department rankings and the lowest ranked teachers were laid off in my school district. I am not certain our administrators understood how the evaluation process and their struggles making it work was eroding our confidence. We never talked about how we felt and the pressure people were under.

I am among many teachers who are frustrated about our teacher evaluation process despite my highly effective rating. From the time we started keeping score, it seemed like we were becoming worried and consumed with the wrong things. Achieving a high score would identify my "value" to students, but actually getting the best scores seemed more like a shell game. One year I lost. The next year I won. I changed nothing. My professional experience became pretty uninspiring once the students cleared out and classes were dismissed. For the first time in my career, I was getting bored.

Failure is a lot of things, but let's not forget how boring failure makes everything around you.

This chronic fear of failure was well underway before anyone realized how destructive it would be to our morale. We began focusing on "data centers" as we simultaneously failed to actually use data to inform our teaching practice. We were "recording interventions" and collecting artifacts and e-mails in order to have sufficient "evidence" for our 10-minute performance review in June.

At the expense of using our talent to work together, we were developing pre-tests to re-affirm improvement that was inevitable. Teachers began doing a bunch of prescribed things, not really knowing how much any of it matters for student learning. Somehow, we slipped into a culture that rewarded teachers who could prove their value. The "evidence required" to support what good teaching is became more important than simply valuing good teachers.

My ideas outlined below are inspired by the failures and successes I experience in my job.  My advice to teachers and administrators who may not even be aware that their staff is too scared to fail is pretty simple really.

Jump, cover or build - you can't do all three

We got into education to make a difference and tackle challenges. Finding new ways to do that makes our profession fulfilling. Helping others and sharing in the growth of others is unbelievably gratifying. Please keep that in mind. Teachers and administrators need this growth as much as students.

Do you contribute to a culture where the staff that uses their talents to build relationships and foster a dynamic culture of learning?  Are you so focused on meeting arbitrary compliance mandates that people lose sight of more important goals?

A trained circus animal can jump through hoops, but it takes creativity and encouragement to take a risk and build something special. If we are consumed with covering our asses for fear that we may get caught in a round of "gotcha" then teachers will lose the interest and energy to do more and be more. Support your staff so they know they have the professional freedom to do great things without having to be fearful. We understand the value in playing it safe, but at some point safe has a cost too.

Your call, but realize that over the course of time, you will get what you emphasize.

Mentorship & Trust 

Observing teaching can be like sitting at your kitchen table and watching the wind howl outside. Even though you cannot see the wind or feel it, there are clues that reveal the strength of the wind - leaves blowing around, trees swaying and the absence of birds. In a 30 or 45 minute teacher observation, teachers are hopeful that the observer can make sense of the learning taking place in a snap shot and evaluate appropriately. Save the fireworks for the Fourth of July. This is everyday important teaching and we need to know you get it.

Get on the teachers level and have real conversations about teaching - not just that day's lesson, but the big picture. If you fail to understand what's in my heart and how my experiences have helped shape me as a learner then you fail to grasp who I am as a professional. In the absence of a meaningful context for your observation, we simply have to hope for the best.

Step into our world and offer guidance. Your investment in helping teachers is critical and should be a top priority.

Ostrich leaders promote fear

Photo by Donarreiskoffer

There's a myth that an ostrich will bury his head in the sand to avoid conflict. While this is not true, an ostrich can run more than 30 miles per hour and that comes in handy when avoiding challenging scenarios.

Don't run away from conflict and challenges. Find a way to use conflict to fuel constructive action. Be creative. Sometimes change is so damn slow because ostrich leaders have run so fast to escape problems that they forget problems even exist. Productive, passionate and talented professionals despise it when we are ignored. We would rather be shut down with reasoning we do not agree with than to have our concerns ignored. Avoiding risks at all costs tells us that a leader does not have the capacity to change.

One of my coaches used to say, "When I stop demanding more of you, that's bad news because I have stopped believing in you." While I think that is a crappy thing to say to an adolescent, my message to you is in the same vein - when you stop hearing from your staff, beware that they may be doubting your ability to lead in tough times. "Riding it out" becomes the norm when struggles are set aside for later. Especially when later really means never.

Share Excellence

Value all

Teachers enjoy celebrating the accomplishments of our colleagues. Professionals are not worried about favoritism, especially when it does not exist. Just like our classrooms, you lead a staff bringing different gifts to the table. If a leader is unable to see the value in each member of their staff then it's time to re-visit your days in the classroom.

People's achievements and attempts at something worthy should be recognized. Teachers are inspired by the successes of their colleagues and we will thrive in an environment that celebrates our ambition to make a difference for others. We will grow in a culture where new ideas and creative initiatives are supported. Acknowledging a job well done, privately or publicly, goes a long way.

We become what we honor.

PD should match up with a coherent vision

Leadership does not need the 
weight of planning PD on 
their shoulders. Get teaching 

staff involved early and often. 

While we can get something of value from any learning experience it is nice if there is a demonstrated purpose for our PD and meetings. Granted, some teachers are difficult to please, but if you fail to invite teachers into the planning for PD, good luck.

Without teacher insight you will need luck, unless your expectation is merely attendance. Decades of staff meetings have proven administrators can get bodies in chairs. Do you want to get hearts and minds present also? Talk to your staff about these things and seek their ideas. Do something different if it's stale. If you 're not sure if it is stale, it is. Or you could just ask.

Collaboration beats competition

Duh, I know. But keep reading because you may be fostering a divisive and competitive environment without even knowing it.

If you intentionally foster a competitive approach to the teaching profession you have failed your staff and most importantly, your students will pay the price. The value of learning has nothing to do with competition and our teachers will not reach their full potential without collaboration and a shared sense of purpose to our students.

You may justify competition with any metaphor you like, but based on the flawed teacher evaluation process that exists in many schools and "data" that lacks merit, you are kidding yourself if you think professional educators will improve with flashbacks to their high school track and field days. Teachers do not train with competition in mind. Rather, we aspire to grow and improve with student learning in mind.

You have a choice to make when it comes to the culture you create around competition among teachers. Address the staffs concerns about competition and show teachers you support collaboration. In other words, make your stance known. Or you can do nothing.

And doing nothing is a choice.

(Newsflash: If budget cuts and layoffs are even a remote possibility, you better make handling this topic a priority if you hope to have a healthy work environment.)

The heart of the matter

I know what the legislation says and I read your last e-mail about meeting a deadline, but what's in your heart? What do you value as a leader? Compliance will always be a part of the work world and that makes sense. Your most passionate and dedicated teachers will be more motivated if they know why you chose to be an educator. Knowing your vision for our school culture and why it is important to you can unify our staff.

A teacher can thrive with an administration team they trust, working alongside people they know care about our profession and us individually. Having values and convictions about the value of our profession should be communicated to us often.

Teachers want to be led, not managed.

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.

See more of my ideas related to employee engagement HERE - Compliance is not Engagement  and  HERE - Employee Engagement Surveys.  

Also, Here - Teacher Growth and Performance Evaluations - an Oxymoron?

Too scared to fail

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. 

Dedication: To my friends at lunch who said the first version was too long. Thank you. I have chosen to include many topics here that are also related to my discussions within my fellowship about teaching in general, not just in our school district. This blog in no way is intended to reflect solely on our school or our school district.  

It's been seven months since we talked about building a dynamic culture of learning within our school.

Seven months.

We started the school year talking about the value of taking risks and finding new ways to maximize our talent. Teachers discussed elevating our teaching to new heights with collaboration and fresh approaches to learning. Our professional development that day was centered on student success. It was refreshing. My fire to teach, which had dimmed after a round of lay-offs and a few years of a weak teacher evaluation process, was re-kindled. Excited and liberated because my school district seemed focused on nurturing a new culture of learning, I adjusted my attitude and got on board.

I found this sign in rural Michigan and it reminds 

me that we all bring something unique to the table. 

Schools need to foster an environment where people 

can be themselves and where failure has a new meaning.

Focusing on building relationships with students and trying new strategies would help my students and I needed to shake things up anyway. My best days in the classroom always involved taking risks and making the time to connect with students (Read my blog post about connecting with students).

Our professional development was an invitation for me to take 14 years of experience, find that spirited rookie teacher I was and mesh the two. On top of all of that, this new approach gave me permission to experiment and fail. More than ever, I was looking forward to a fun school year.

It turns out that my attitude adjustment has saved me this school year because nothing around me has changed.

My enthusiasm is intact and I remain eager to engage my students and colleagues. More importantly, my students are benefiting as I try to find new ways to help them grow a passion for learning. I am happy to report that I have successfully failed at rates closer to my first year of teaching and I laugh more than ever.

When I reflect about my dissatisfaction and the underlying frustration expressed by many of my colleagues, the common denominators are the increased importance of poor teacher evaluations and feeling voiceless when it comes to addressing our struggles. In essence, we are mute.

How in the hell did it become so scary to fail? 

How many teachers are struggling in silence and what impact does that have on students? 

My professional satisfaction was stagnant because I was not equipped to adapt in an educational world that would keep score. My important work was being reduced to a collection of arbitrary measures dumped into a data bank and computed with magic formulas. Things like student grades, test scores (some of them not even based on the classes I taught) and improving my bottom 30 - whatever that means - took on real importance. In this new system, we could classify teachers - in effect creating a system with winners and losers. In the end, the data spit out department rankings and the lowest ranked teachers were laid off in my school district. I am not certain our administrators understood how the evaluation process and their struggles making it work was eroding our confidence. We never talked about how we felt and the pressure people were under.

I am among many teachers who are frustrated about our teacher evaluation process despite my highly effective rating. From the time we started keeping score, it seemed like we were becoming worried and consumed with the wrong things. Achieving a high score would identify my "value" to students, but actually getting the best scores seemed more like a shell game. One year I lost. The next year I won. I changed nothing. My professional experience became pretty uninspiring once the students cleared out and classes were dismissed. For the first time in my career, I was getting bored.

Failure is a lot of things, but let's not forget how boring failure makes everything around you.

This chronic fear of failure was well underway before anyone realized how destructive it would be to our morale. We began focusing on "data centers" as we simultaneously failed to actually use data to inform our teaching practice. We were "recording interventions" and collecting artifacts and e-mails in order to have sufficient "evidence" for our 10-minute performance review in June. At the expense of using our talent to work together, we were developing pre-tests to re-affirm improvement that was inevitable. Teachers began doing a bunch of prescribed things, not really knowing how much any of it matters for student learning. Somehow, we slipped into a culture that rewarded teachers who could prove their value. The "evidence required" to support what good teaching is became more important than simply valuing good teachers.

That's a small part of what being too scared to fail looks like. Needless to say my school did not follow through on the "culture of learning" movement started in September, but I did. A growth mind-set and re-thinking my approach to pedagogy has been energizing. Professionally, my frustration with misguided priorities still exists, but I have chosen to start changing our school culture from inside my classroom first. My boredom with the status quo is mildly entertaining to me now as long as I keep it at a safe distance. My classroom, this blog, my photography and my family keep me isolated from a profession I would otherwise struggle to recognize.

Even though the cards are stacked against teachers to take risks and collaborate, I refuse to give in to a culture of compliance. My expectations belong to me and I am mindful that being excited about learning is contagious. A few of us have created a voluntary PLC on our own time as a response to our situation. We have been soul-searching, trying to find a challenge we can tackle that will help students. We are excited to use our expertise for something constructive.

I have come up with ideas for educators and building leaders to push back against the status quo. My ideas are inspired by the failures and successes I experience in my job.  My advice to teachers and administrators who may not even be aware that their staff is too scared to fail is pretty simple really.

Jump, cover or build - you can't do all three

We got into education to make a difference and tackle challenges. Finding new ways to do that makes our profession fulfilling. Helping others and sharing in the growth of others is unbelievably gratifying. Please keep that in mind. Teachers and administrators need this growth as much as students.

Do you contribute to a culture where the staff that uses their talents to build relationships and foster a dynamic culture of learning?  Are you so focused on meeting arbitrary compliance mandates that people lose sight of more important goals?

A trained circus animal can jump through hoops, but it takes creativity and encouragement to take a risk and build something special. If we are consumed with covering our asses for fear that we may get caught in a round of "gotcha" then teachers will lose the interest and energy to do more and be more. Support your staff so they know they have the professional freedom to do great things without having to be fearful. We understand the value in playing it safe, but at some point safe has a cost too.

Your call, but realize that over the course of time, you will get what you emphasize.

Mentorship & Trust 

Observing teaching can be like sitting at your kitchen table and watching the wind howl outside. Even though you cannot see the wind or feel it, there are clues that reveal the strength of the wind - leaves blowing around, trees swaying and the absence of birds. In a 30 or 45 minute teacher observation, teachers are hopeful that the observer can make sense of the learning taking place in a snap shot and evaluate appropriately. Save the fireworks for the Fourth of July. This is everyday important teaching and we need to know you get it.

Do teachers a favor and do more than watch a lesson. Get on the teachers level and have real conversations about teaching - not just that day's lesson, but the big picture. If you fail to understand what's in my heart and how my experiences have helped shape me as a learner then you fail to grasp who I am as a professional. In the absence of a meaningful context for your observation, we simply have to hope for the best.

This same line of reasoning goes for an instance when administrators need to have a difficult conversation with a teacher about a parent or student concern. If you don't know me - really know me - then I am left wondering if you can understand my position. As much as you can, step into our world and offer guidance. Your investment in helping teachers is critical and should be a top priority.

Ostrich leaders promote fear

Photo by Donarreiskoffer

There's a myth that an ostrich will bury his head in the sand to avoid conflict. While this is not true, an ostrich can run more than 30 miles per hour and that comes in handy when avoiding challenging scenarios.

Don't run away from conflict and challenges. Find a way to use conflict to fuel constructive action. Be creative. Sometimes change is so damn slow because ostrich leaders have run so fast to escape problems that they forget problems even exist. Productive, passionate and talented professionals despise it when we are ignored. We would rather be shut down with reasoning we do not agree with than to have our concerns ignored. Avoiding risks at all costs tells us that a leader does not have the capacity to change.

One of my coaches used to say, "When I stop demanding more of you, that's bad news because I have stopped believing in you." While I think that is a crappy thing to say to an adolescent, my message to you is in the same vein - when you stop hearing from your staff, beware that they may be doubting your ability to lead in tough times. "Riding it out" becomes the norm when struggles are set aside for later. Especially when later really means never.

Share Excellence

Value all

Teachers enjoy celebrating the accomplishments of our colleagues. Professionals are not worried about favoritism, especially when it does not exist. Just like our classrooms, you lead a staff bringing different gifts to the table. If a leader is unable to see the value in each member of their staff then it's time to re-visit your days in the classroom.

People's achievements and attempts at something worthy should be recognized. Teachers are inspired by the successes of their colleagues and we will thrive in an environment that celebrates our ambition to make a difference for others. We will grow in a culture where new ideas and creative initiatives are supported. Acknowledging a job well done, privately or publicly, goes a long way.

If our professional development matches up with a vision, please recognize our colleagues who are leading the way and living that vision. (If we lack a vision, that's a whole different matter) We need to see how professional development initiatives make a difference for students. We want to be inspired by our colleagues who go do things honoring our shared mission.

We become what we honor.


That reminds me,

Leadership does not need the weight of 

planning PD on their shoulders. Get teaching 

staff involved early and often. 

PD should match up with a coherent vision

While we can get something of value from any learning experience it is nice if there is a demonstrated purpose for our PD and meetings. Granted, some teachers are difficult to please, but if you fail to invite teachers into the planning for PD, good luck.

Without teacher insight you will need luck, unless your expectation is merely attendance. Decades of staff meetings have proven administrators can get bodies in chairs. Do you want to get hearts and minds present also? Talk to your staff about these things and seek their ideas. Do something different if it's stale. If you 're not sure if it is stale, it is. Or you could just ask.

Collaboration beats competition

Duh, I know. But keep reading because you may be fostering a divisive and competitive environment without even knowing it.

If you intentionally foster a competitive approach to the teaching profession you have failed your staff and most importantly, your students will pay the price. The value of learning has nothing to do with competition and our teachers will not reach their full potential without collaboration and a shared sense of purpose to our students.

You may justify competition with any metaphor you like, but based on the flawed teacher evaluation process that exists in many schools and "data" that lacks merit, you are kidding yourself if you think professional educators will improve with flashbacks to their high school track and field days. Teachers do not train with competition in mind. Rather, we aspire to grow and improve with student learning in mind.

You have a choice to make when it comes to the culture you create around competition among teachers. Address the staffs concerns about competition and show teachers you support collaboration. In other words, make your stance known. Or you can do nothing.

And doing nothing is a choice.

(Newsflash: If budgets and layoffs are even a remote possibility, you better make handling this topic a priority if you hope to have a healthy work environment.)

The heart of the matter

I know what the legislation says and I read your last e-mail about meeting a deadline, but what's in your heart? What do you value as a leader? Compliance will always be a part of the work world and that makes sense. Your most passionate and dedicated teachers will be more motivated if they know why you chose to be an educator. Knowing your vision for our school culture and why it is important to you can unify our staff.

A teacher can thrive with an administration team they trust, working alongside people they know care about our profession and us individually. Having values and convictions about the value of our profession should be communicated to us often.

Teachers want to be led, not managed.

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.

See more of my ideas related to employee engagement HERE - Compliance is not Engagement  and  HERE - Employee Engagement Surveys.  

Also, Here - Teacher Growth and Performance Evaluations - an Oxymoron?