Tone- The Key to Your Message Getting Through

As a former English/Language Arts and speech communications/drama teacher, one of my favorite lessons to teach focused on the tone of the sender.  My example to start the lesson was one that kids and adults can resonate with, a simple statement- "I didn't say you were wrong." I would say this sentence over and over, emphasizing a different word each time, beginning with "I" and working through the end. Each time the emphasis was changed, the meaning of the sentence changed causing the message to be interpreted differently by the receiver.

Too often in relationships, whether personal or professional, we slip up with tonal mistakes. We let emotion or laziness dictate how our message is received because we do not pay attention to how we are  sending our message to the receivers.  Think of the last disagreement you had with someone.  It is difficult to recall the words we may have said but it is likely easier to remember how the words were said to you. This, in fact, may have caused the disagreement in the first place. How you say something is as important as what you are saying.

As an educational leader and often the person parents approach with an idea or concern, my tone in responding can make or break a relationship with a stakeholder.  When an idea is brought to me, I like to talk with the person making the suggestion in order to think through the many parts. If I am dismissive, even unintentionally, in the initial response, "What made you think of this?" the likelihood of anything fruitful coming from the discussion is limited. Tone dictates where your conversation goes.

In observing classroom instruction, I carry may laptop, even on walkthroughs and email the teacher shortly after leaving the classroom. Luckily, I am blessed with excellent teachers. I typically give feedback regarding what I saw and ask some questions.  Email is an especially tricky realm to interpret because your message is read in the receiver's mind. What you may have intended as a joke comes off as an insult.  WHEN YOU TYPE IN ALL CAPS- PEOPLE ASSUME YOU'RE SHOUTING AT THEM. Even if you are just trying to draw attention to something...or your keys are, for whatever reason, stuck on caps lock. If I email a teacher and ask a straightforward question, "What was your lesson about?" It could be interpreted that I thought her lesson was without focus.  Instead, I might ask, "What learning targets were you hoping to meet?" This shifts from a critique of the teacher to a question about curriculum. The need to be defensive is lessened and the real answer I am looking for, regarding content standards, is the focus.

You can't guarantee that your message is always received the way you intended.  However, by focusing on the way you say something, the chances of it being misinterpreted, particularly in a tense situation, will be lessened. If a policy change is on the horizon- focus on the benefits of the change rather than all the problems with the way things are now. Help others to understand your thoughts with clear and positive tone, alleviating misunderstanding and misguided anger or confusion.

You Don't Wash a Rental Car- Improve Staff Ownership

If you own it, you care for it more.  This principle applies to more than just vehicles but as the saying goes, "You don't wash a rental car."  Why would you? Take the scenic route. Drive through mud. Eat in it.  After all, when you return it, someone else has the unenviable task of cleaning it.

Unfortunately,  the school community is sometimes guilty of adopting this mindset. After all, surely there will be someone there after us to take up the challenges and opportunities that arise. "The new teachers will be in the career longer than me." "There's always a new fad, just a rehash of old ideas or acronyms." "Why do we have to do this?"

The challenge with staff development and professional learning is that too often, teachers have heard the same ideas, movements, etc. through the years too often with little follow up or adequate resources to actually improve learning.  So the heart of the matter is ownership. If faculty/staff do not feel any ownership regarding a movement or a change within the school or district, your buy in and ownership are null. This is why teachers need to be involved in the decision making process and leadership of an initiative or movement.

As a new principal, my plan to achieve buy in and ownership with changes is a simple line of questions.

1. What do our students deserve?
2. How is ______ what is best for kids?
3. What/how will ______ look in my classroom?
4. How will we know that ____ is working?
4. Now what?

I believe the best question is the last one.  It requires the conversation to continue. Administrators and teachers must develop an action and follow up plan.  Resources need to be committed to improving student learning and achievement. By having this discussion with staff when embracing the unknown or new whatever, anxiety is decreased, ownership is increased and best of all, your school culture benefits. You no longer have a "Here's what I think we should do" mindset but a "Here is what we have agreed is needed to ensure success for all" norm for operating.  A little wordier...but it does the job. 

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

I have been a school administrator for about 18 days now.  In these 18 days, I have talked with staff, parents, board members, and students.  I have also connected with former members of my graduate school cohort.  One of the most refreshing things shared with me by one of those former cohort members was a much needed reminder.  I asked her how her first year of being a principal was.  Part of her reply was important for me to grasp, "I didn't know what I didn't know."

Graduate programs prepare fresh batches of administrators with the organizational, theoretical, and experiential foundations necessary for licensure.  However, much like being a first year teacher, being a first year administrator can be daunting. You cannot be prepared for everything.  I have been told that if I am an administrator long enough, nothing will surprise me.  The amount of paperwork already indicates that I will be reading more than I probably have since grad school. Here is what I have learned so far...

ASK FOR HELP...
I have been unclear on some of the acronyms in my new school.  I didn't know where the paperclips were. I wasn't sure what the hours were for the open house. I am still not sure how the fire alarm system works.  So rather than sitting, pondering where the paperclips might be or taking a guess at what the long string of consonants meant, I asked.  Who did I ask?  The school secretary and my predecessor.  Finding people who can help me understand and uncover what I need to know to be effective is critical to my success and happiness as a school leader.  This is also where social media becomes helpful as I work with my PLN through various twitter chats to gain understanding and ask for advice.

BALANCE...
I could have taken July off.  OK, probably not.  Maybe in fifteen years. I wanted to get an early start on figuring out what I don't know and what needs to be taken care of in the weeks leading up to school.  I recognize that this first year will be full of learning.  I plan to take on all that I can but balance is critical to being effective. Seeing my wife and daughter are important to me.  Catching up with friends and former colleagues will be refreshing.  If I have been told one thing repeatedly in my career, it is that balance life and work and happiness will ensue.  Balancing home and career, time for personal and professional growth, and perhaps balancing my diet will allow me to be a better principal and healthier person overall.  We'll see about the diet part.

ADMIT WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW
Since I don't know what I don't know, I will be learning all year.  This is okay.  I have already accepted that I am not Superman.  This is not an admission of failure but a recognition of fact.  There might will be mistakes (hopefully not many) and situations I likely could have handled differently.  If I am honest and admit what I don't know before it gets out of hand, I might just be all right. Recognizing a learning opportunity is something I plan to become skilled at. However, failing to file forms on time and claiming, "I didn't know" will probably result in a fairly short administrative career. Don't rest on "I don't know" but instead recognize and learn what it is that is needed to know and do.

So far...my desk top is fairly organized.  By August 10, I assume that will have changed. All we can do is what is best for kids.  If the desk is cluttered but the school is effective, the staff and students are happy and learning, and I am doing what is right for all- I'm okay with a few piles of paper.

What is Your Legacy?

"It is not the length of life, but the depth" 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

My students are currently on the hunt to answer our unit's essential question: "What determines how you will be remembered?"  They have pondered and continue to think on the idea of what the true measure of one's life is. In fact, as I write, they are engaged in a search to answer questions they developed about an aspect of legacy, e.g. career, choices, personality, etc.  I love what I am seeing in my classroom right now: students collaborating, using technology, answering questions they generated, with music underscoring the whole thing.

The concept of legacy is interesting and mildly daunting to consider.  Is my personal legacy tied to my profession one?  Do our students see us as who we really are?  What will we be remembered for? Will we be remembered?

Ok...getting a little mawkish.

As educators and parents, the resonance of things we say and do at our peaks and valleys can define our legacy. Not every word, every time. However, we can't determine what others hold on to from our existence.

Perhaps instead of worrying so much about if we will be remembered, we should do our part to live a life worth remembering. Are we giving others our best? Are we smiling more often than we frown? Did our words match our actions? Were you good to someone who needed goodness in their life? 

Since I am apparently having an Emerson-esque day, here's a final thought:
"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." It is never too late to define who you are. Do this and your resilience and humanness will be a part of your legacy.

Teacher Pay, Allowable Growth, and Logic.

In college, I was lucky to take one of the more challenging courses from a gifted professor of Philosophy. Her humor, approachable personality, and rigorous expectations combined to create a teaching style that made her courses exciting to experience but far from easy. From the course simply titled, "Logic" I took away some helpful tools for critical thinking.  One component of the course that stands out is the learning of logical fallacies and syllogisms.

Recently, Iowa's Governor Terry Branstad revealed a little sneak peak at his condition of the state address. One point that stuck in the ears of many Iowa educators was the statement that funding for Allowable Growth, the funds used by schools to increase budgets to cover necessary operations, would not be increased unless Branstad's proposed reform package passes this legislative session. Read the Des Moines Register article here.

The reasons are many for why Allowable Growth and education reform should not be tied together. For one, holding hostage the funds that have been stagnant for the past two years would only cause further harm to districts already hard pressed for cash. If it is assumed that budgets will not be allowed to grow, then the need to cut staff, programs, and other areas becomes not only a fear but a reality. The Iowa Senate, with a Democratic majority, voted along party lines and a narrow victory emerged for schools as a 4% bump was approved. We will see what the Iowa House (Republican majority) does with it.

Before being labeled as a pro-union, 20th-Century-minded opponent of Branstad, let me say- there are elements of the reform package that I think are great. I believe offering different career paths for teachers is an excellent way to keep teachers in the profession who might have felt the only way to grow professionally was a move to administration, which might not fit the individual. Likewise, I agree with the proposal to raise teacher salaries. However a point of contention with me is the fallacy that if we raise teacher salaries we will automatically recruit the best candidates for teaching positions. Here is the logic we are presented with:

All of the best employees choose high paying jobs
If teaching were a high paying job, the best employees would choose it

The faulty logic behind this belief is rooted in good intentions to strengthen the teaching force. Just because someone may be an expert at chemistry does not necessarily guarantee that they have the dispositions to be a quality educator or the desire to enter the classroom.

If pay is the only reason we do something, we eventually grow tired of the work and the money is not enough to keep us happy as we suffer through. You take a job for the money.  You choose a career because there is no other place you could work happily. This is what being a teacher is. It is a career...not a job at which you work to collect a paycheck, leave work at work, live for the weekend, and dread coming back to on Monday. Are there rough days? Sure. Do kids wear you out but Christmas break? You bet. There is more to it though...which keeps you coming back. I get paid what I get paid. I work just as hard now as I did when I made $20,000 less in a private school. Is more money nice? Yes. However, it did not make me work harder than I previously had.  Coming to a public school helped cover the expenses that arise with a growing family and offered some experiences to round out my skills as I desire a move to administration.

I understand the jump to blame stagnant test scores on teachers and teacher prep programs.  However, the system needing a renovation is not reason enough to penalize districts that are doing great work to improve and provide quality learning each day. Here is the hope that we can not only move forward on real and necessary reform but also give schools the money they need to operate and conduct business.

My Administrative Philosophy: Be the Change

An effective administrator must be, among many things: visible in the school and community, a skilled communicator, willing to lead challenging innovations, collaborative, and knowledgeable about curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  

As an administrator in your school, you can expect to see me in the classrooms monitoring and evaluating the learning environment.  This is critical to developing strong relationships that I feel are important to creating a successful professional community.  You would see me at athletic and arts events to support the students, coaches, and directors and to further develop relationships with the people who make the school such an exciting place to be.

Effective communication is essential for any organization.  As the lead learner within your school, I will communicate with staff, students, parents, and the community on a consistent basis.  Staff can expect a weekly email newsletter regarding calendar items, detention supervision, and hallway supervision.  You can find an example under ISSL Standard 2.b.  Parents, students, and the community can expect a monthly and quarterly newsletter, in either email or print, regarding the life of the school.  Students can expect to see me in their classes as well as at grade level meetings in which we will discuss topics such as GPA, test data, college planning, and course registration, to name a few.  Students and staff will also be aware of my "Open Door" policy, inviting them to visit with me on important issues.  Keeping student achievement at the forefront of the minds of our community members will be my focus.  

As the nature of education changes, there are many opportunities on the horizon that will require leaders to understand how to take a leading role in making the change process as seamless as possible.  This will include embracing the changes and understanding how change impacts an organization in order to assist in moving the school forward.

Understanding relationships and working with staff, parents, students, and shareholders is a priority for me as an administrator.  I will collaborate with my colleagues and gather their input to use when making important decisions regarding policies and procedures.  I would create and maintain a strong staff leadership team and empower the team to study test data, plan professional development activities, and assist me in meeting the needs of the learning community.  

Finally, as your lead learner, I will continue to grow in my understanding and involvement in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  Through maintaining my membership in professional organizations, keeping informed on the latest research regarding education, and attending conferences and institutes with staff, I will assist the school community in growing as a center where learning and the exchange of ideas is the central focus for creating world class thinkers, responsible citizens, and leaders for the 21st century.  

The Educator as Chiropractor: Making Adjustments for Alignment

Summative Assessment. Two big words that cause a collective groan by students...if they know what it means.  By now my students know that it's fancy teacher language for "test." In my classroom, as in many, there are a number of formative assessments coupled with guided and independent practice, as well as opportunities to demonstrate skill before arriving at the summative assessment. The little adjustments made along the journey are integral in terms of providing quality instruction...but that is likely not new or innovative.

Inspecting your instruction and the elements of your lesson design can provide a clearer understanding of how well you are aligned to the intended curriculum.  Using the revised Bloom's Taxonomy Table by Anderson and found in A Taxonomy of Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, you can easily plot your learning target (objectives, learning goals, etc.), the activities you do to achieve mastery of the target, and the assessment. A great model of this table is available from Iowa State University's Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. Another great resource is Bloom's Digital Taxonomy from Andrew Churches. Both resources are helpful in guiding where you place the learning target and the activities on the taxonomy table. 

For example, my learning target "I will be able to analyze bias in mass media through viewing commercials and reading articles" falls under the "Analyze" component of the Cognitive Process Dimension. In my mind, that is the easy part. To verify though, I look at the indicators for the "Analyze" section. I notice the cognitive process is "Attributing" as it falls under the qualification of "...students ascertaining the point of view, bias, values or intention underlying communications"(Anderson, 82). Now I need to figure out where this learning target falls on the Knowledge Dimension. My first inclination is to suggest that this objective falls in to the Conceptual Knowledge area, specifically- Knowledge of Classifications and Categories. My reasoning for that is students were to know the concept of bias. However, after looking closer at the second part of the target there is a specific task "...through viewing commercials and reading articles." This changes  my final analysis and I would say it should be categorized as Procedural Knowledge, specifically Subject-Specific Techniques and Methods as it involves the methods for evaluating bias in specific settings.  There are specific elements you look for to determine if something is biased and therefore there is a method to defining and understanding bias.

Your objective will fall in to one cell of the table.  However, meeting that objective will require some different teaching methods and activities, so the complexity of the table increases as you see the number of ways students are asked to think and grow. You will likely move around the Knowledge Dimension and the Cognitive Process Dimension.  Which is good...you are asking students to think and learn in more than just one cell, likely causing better understanding and greater learning but the student.  This allows you to also see if you are doing much in terms of higher order thinking activities.

SNAP, CRACK, POP. You are performing chiropractic care to your instructional methods. You are adjusting instruction to effectively meet the needs of your learners.  Maybe you are too focused on the factual knowledge side of things.  Perhaps you notice that you spend more time on procedural knowledge than anything else and you could add in some metacognitive activities or even some conceptual knowledge before automatically dwelling in the procedural world.

Whatever the case, when we adjust, align, assess and use more than just formative assessment to make adjustments to our instruction and engage in meaningful, reflective practices- everyone feels better. You'll likely have less headaches, too.


Reference
Anderson, Lorin W., and David R. Krathwohl. A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York: Longman, 2001. Print.