if I only had a brain

I could wile away the hours,
conferin’ with the flowers,
consultin’ with the rain.
And my head I’d be scratchin’
while my thoughts were busy hatchin’,
if I only had a brain.

Some friends of mine just visited the man behind the curtain and received their doctoral degrees in educational leadership. It was an extreme pleasure to walk across the stage in the company of these dedicated educators. Our alma mater, Central Connecticut State University, has a doctoral program that adheres to the cohort model: selecting a diverse group of individuals and then striving to build a level of camaraderie that will sustain us when we feel overloaded with the work. We represented the first wave of graduates from our cohort, and I look forward to seeing the rest of my friends receive their diplomas when they get done battling their own version of flying monkeys in their quest for the witch’s broom.

As I try to decipher the range of emotions from that evening, I realize the power that ritual and ceremony has in education. It is an opportunity for students to bond with their peers and strengthen their allegiance to their school. For example, my school had a pep rally last week, complete with spirited contests between grade levels. The noise in the gymnasium was deafening! Virtually 100% of the students were caught up in the enthusiasm and cheered their hearts out. I am sure that the decibel exceeded the safe threshold set by OSHA by a factor of ten. Even the students who would normally show disdain towards any display of school spirit were yelling like they were at a rock concert. The energy was palatable and it unified the students in a manner that enriched the climate and culture of the school.

Many researchers have studied the importance of culture in organizations. Two notable authors are Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal. Their work on reframing leadership created a model for organizational cultures that identifies 4 components: the structural frame, the political frame, human resources, and the symbolic frame. The symbolic frame includes the rituals and ceremonies. They assert that a leader’s mission in support of the symbolic frame is to create faith, beauty, and meaning. Create faith, beauty, and meaning! The capacity to create meaning might be a commonplace talent, but to create beauty and faith requires a leader with the soul of a poet.

One of my colleagues challenges her elementary school students to read massive amounts of books and rewards their involvement by kissing a pig, or climbing a fire truck’s ladder to the roof of the school to dance a jig. You can guarantee that it becomes the topic of conversation at dinner tables across the community and is a significant source of goodwill. If you define poetry as the unique combination of word choices or events with the purpose of evoking an emotional response, then these antics can be considered as culture building at its finest!

I find it interesting to note that as Bolman and Deal continued their work on leadership that they wrote an extended parable that focused on the spiritual component of leadership; Leading with Soul: An Uncommon Journey of Spirit. They remark on the importance of spiritual aspect of leadership, “Our work has taught us that the symbolic, expressive facets of organizational life are at the heart of inspired leadership” (p. 39). So, school leaders, go create beauty and faith. Promote joy. Embrace the power of ceremonies.

As the Wizard of Oz ceremoniously proclaimed to the Scarecrow; “Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven’t got: a diploma.” Now as for me, since I am certified to wile away the hours, conferring with the flowers, I think I will dance and be merry since life is ding-a-derry…

Make a good day,
Tod

PS. Complete lyrics and dialogue: http://thewizardofoz.warnerbros.com/movie/cmp/r-lyrics.html

PSS. Nice overview of Bolman and Deal’s framework: http://www.tnellen.com/ted/tc/bolman.html

who's on first

Who is on first.
I Don’t Know,
third base.

Abbot and Costello’s gig is a classic (see link below) that has withstood the test of time. The classic mode of instruction in education of a teacher-centered lecture is however well past its time. Yes, lecture does have value as a means to convey information. And yes, a charismatic teacher can present a lecture in a lively fashion. But, the student-centered learning paradigm, with the student playing a more active role in the educational process, is the currently favored practice. Here is a wonderful quotation by Dr. F. Louis Soldan, a superintendent of schools, explaining the paradigm from the teacher’s point of view:

“In conducting the lesson she has no thought of using it to display her own professional skill or brilliancy; but she puts the child in the foreground, and her whole aim is to give his own acting as much time and scope as her skill can induce him to use. She speaks little, that he may speak more; she realizes the difference between telling and teaching. Her aim is to excite activity, and for this purpose she enlists his interest. She makes instruction, not only profitable, but also attractive. She not only serves the intellectual food, but also stimulates the appetite.”

The teacher not only serves the intellectual food but stimulates the appetite! An apt metaphor for a master teacher with a well-tuned perspective on the nature of their profession in order to meet today’s expectations for student-centered learning. Lets check the date of this quotation…this was written in 1899!

1899. Student-centered learning is an heirloom concept. 1899... the math on that is 110 years. Dr. Soldan had it right 110 years ago, so what went wrong? So much as transpired in education since that time that I will just pick one of my favorite axis of evil. One of the items that perpetuated the problem was the cold war era report, A Nation at Risk, that proclaimed in Chicken Little fashion that America was losing its leadership position in the world and called for increased rigor and standards. There is no time for student-centered instruction in a neo-Malthusian world.

Student-centered instruction requires ample planning, preparation for routines, and a teacher with confidence in the associated instructional skill set. Without proper structure and discipline it could well turn into a 3 Stooges slapstick routine. But the Cold War is over and the focus can return to what is in the best interest of the child. Unless however, the standards-based, high-stakes testing paradigm is narrowly interpreted and becomes the new evil empire. But I believe that the brain-based research that supports the value of student engagement of prior knowledge and the constructivist approach will serve as a hefty counter-weight to the pendulum swinging back to the teacher-centered, scripted lesson format that some schools would employ to teach to the test.

But you never quite know what tomorrow will bring. Oh, and by the way, according to Abbott and Costello‘s skit, Tomorrow, he is the pitcher.

Make a good day,
Tod

PS. Abbot and Costello with Who’s on first?: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/abbott&costellowhosonfirst.htm

PSS. A source of heirloom wisdom: F. L. Soldan (September, 1899). Efficient and Inefficient Teachers. The Teachers World, 11(1), 54-55.

gimme some lovin

That song just came up on the radio while I was typing (read that as: my internet link to the free music website Pandora played this song while I was pecking away at the keyboard on my laptop) and I stopped to enjoy the music. It always amazes me how certain songs can conjure up memories and emotions. I associate Gimme Some Lovin by the Spencer Davis group with the version sung in the Blues Brothers movie, which then triggers happy thoughts about my college days since the movie came out at the same time.

All this reminds me that the human mechanism, this body of mine, really is a convoluted mix of emotional responses keyed by environmental triggers. Leaders would do well to remember this. Amidst all the managerial responsibilities of the school leadership position, maintaining a focus on the human element is in constant danger of being eclipsed. Transactional leadership might portray the interaction between the leader and follower as a more sterile quid pro quo arrangement, but if the administrator-teacher relationship can defined in those sterile terms, then why do teachers get so angry with his or her school leader about the smallest intrusions into their practice?

Teaching is a profession that requires a person to bare their soul on a regular basis.

The soul baring can contribute to the sensitivity issue. There is ample research that supports the importance of a trusting relationship between the teacher and the school leader. Fink and Resnick’s 2001 Kappan article, Developing Principals as Instructional Leaders, states that building a climate of trust is a foundational leadership skill, “Effective instructional leaders must, in other words, create both intellectual capacity and social capital within their organization.” Other research shows that new leaders are assigned a certain level of trust that allows for an initial level of a functional relationship. What destroys the relationship is any action that is perceived as a betrayal of that trust.

Betrayal.

Andy Hargreaves work on teaching and betrayal in 2002, finds that in his study of relationships that trust is not the determinate factor, but that betrayal is the key component. He lists 3 types of betrayal; 1) the leader demonstrating a lack of competence , 2) the violation of an agreement or expectation, and 3) poor communication (e.g. public shaming or gossip). Any instances of betrayal are corrosive to the relationship between the teacher and school leader. Hargreaves states, “Betrayal is the emotional enemy of improvement” p. 405.

Since teaching is by its nature a constant series of interactions, relationships taken a heightened level of importance. This sensitivity escalates the teachers’ perception of betrayal. School leaders must recognize that teachers may need positive reinforcement on a regular basis to help maintain productive relationships... give them some lovin. Make sure to click the music video links below to get your own dose of emotional uplift today.

Make a good day,
Tod

PS. Gimme some lovin performed live by the Spencer Davis Group, 1967: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFaT69CyyKU

PSS. Blues Brother’s version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX5zaS0vgJ8#

PSSS. Hargreaves, A. (2002) Teaching and Betrayal. Teachers and teaching: Theory and practice. 8 (3 /4) p. 393-407.

it is what it is

Nonsense.

The phrase ‘It is what it is’ is utter nonsense. Nonsense is what it is! If the depth of your analysis of a problem is “It is what it is”, then you are in pretty shallow water.

If you want to use a nonsensical response that attempts an air of sophistication, then might as just well use Mary Poppins’ phrase: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (which we all know that if you say it loud enough, you’ll always sound precocious).

Why do people use the phrase?

I have often heard people use that phrase to refer to something that they do not like but are resigned to accept. Wimps. Wimps, or worse. They may not be willing to devote energy or thought to diagnosing the issue at the time, but its continual use promotes apathy. This habit will erode your integrity.

A greater concern is the impact of the phrase on your co-workers’ perception of your leadership. Most people use the phrase as a disclaimer from further involvement or avoidance of making hard decisions. Such as, “the student performance outcomes on the standardized tests show a decline of 10 points.” Instead of engaging in the sometimes uncomfortable dialogue of accountability, the casual refrain of 'it is what is is' allows ineffectual practices to persist because they are not addressed in an honest and clear manner. The antithesis of this refrain is Jack Nicholson’s diatribe in the movie A Few Good Men, when he responds to cross-examination by bellowing “You can’t handle the truth!” and then proceeds to passionately articulate the rationale for his actions.

The whole point of leadership is to influence the actions of others. The key word there is: actions. If an issue truly does not mean anything, if there was no purpose to bringing it to my attention, if there is nothing that I can do to contribute to solving the problem, then why are you wasting my time by bringing it up in the first place?

Every issue is viewed in context, analyzed from a certain point of view. Issues in education need scrutiny, not avoidance. The work of educational leadership is to find the knowledge necessary to address the issue. A rudimentary level of knowledge will only support basic or even flawed decisions. Information promotes innovation. Developing a richer understanding can result in a more complex level of decision making. Eliot Eisner refers to this deep level of knowledge as "connoisseurship". The analogy of expertise in wines is appropriate. I envy the wine connoisseur who can distinguish the finer characteristics and subtleties. My brother-in-law has turned his acute interest in experiencing fine wines into operating a very popular bistro and wine bar (a side note: One experiences fine wines, you drink the lower quality stuff). Educational leaders should promote the attainment of a connoisseur's perspective to analyzing data; not the casual, truncated analysis inherent in the phrase 'it is what it is'.

Eliot Eisner promotes the artist's perspective to addressing educational issues; developing a deep appreciation for the task at hand, applying a passionate and craftsman's approach to developing the substance of the work, and communicating the result with vitality.

I prefer vigor over apathy any day.

Make a good day,
Tod

PS. Here is Jack Nicholson, spittle and all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2F4VcBmeo

PSS. How does that song go? http://www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/m/marypoppinslyrics/supercalifragilisticexpialidociouslyrics.html

PSSS. Eisner, E. (2003). Educational connoisseurship and educational criticism: An arts-based approach to educational evaluation. In T Kellaghan and D.L. Stufflebeam (Eds.), Internatioanl Handbook of Educational Evaluation (pp. 153-166). Dordrecht, Great Britain: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

PSSSS. Experience fine wines at: http://www.aidabistro.com/

too bad, so sad

Any teacher that utters that phrase in reaction to a student getting a failing grade should be fired immediately.

Seriously.

Give them a box for their personal possessions and have them escorted out the door! In the corporate world if you are caught visiting porn sites on company time, the usual policy is immediate termination. There is nothing more obscene than the implications of the statement "too bad, so sad". I interpret that statement to represent that the teacher has not only divorced themselves from responsibility for the student's learning, but that their empathy towards that student is nonexistent. Not only nonexistent, but scornful and sarcastic. Put those personality characteristics on a resume and you would be rightfully blackballed from education.

We have all suffered the occasional student that knew which of our buttons they could push and whose goal in life was to act as our personal tormentor. Maybe you reminded them of their evil step-mother and so they have decided to take out all their hate on you. Maybe they reminded you of your annoying little brother. Maybe its you, maybe its them. The point is, when it happens, when that devil child grins joyfully at the nuisance they have caused you, what will you do?

You only have two options. You can either learn how to engage more with the child or you can walk away from their lives, walk away from your responsibility to teach.

If you decide to step away, to distance yourself, then you are setting a precedent that will take you down the path of further disenchantment. Remember the pledge that you made to yourself when you decided to become a teacher; that you were going to be the best, that you were going to enrich the lives of young people. You would be their hope, their guardian.

You can only fulfill that pledge of having a positive impact by walking with the child, engaging them more not less. This situation is one of the truest tests of your integrity. There is never any guarantee of success, but there certainly is a guarantee of failure if you choose to step away. When Rocky Balboa stepped into the ring, he knew that it was going to be a contest, he might not win but he was determined to go the distance.

If life was solely sunshine and roses then you could always have a good day. But, when faced with the challenges existing in life, you have to decide to make a good day.

I have a refrigerator magnet with a quotation from Leo Buscaglia that puts it this way:
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

Make a good day,
Tod

PS. This trailer from Rocky Balboa tells you to fight the good fight and that it isn't going to be easy : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3wuXyOUKJw

PSS. Website for Leo Buscaglia: http://www.buscaglia.com/thoughts.htm
and a video of him speaking of love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opGlp1pE59s