Beyond Discipline or Beyond Common Sense?

     I realize the title of this blog might be a little inflammatory and that's not the intent. I really enjoyed the first session of the #kohnbc book chat on Twitter last night (thanks @birklearns) and am looking forward to our conversations around the next chapters on Alfie Kohn's book "Beyond Discipline". The timing was excellent as I had just returned from a quick dash to Chicago where I had the chance to co-present with my good friend Charlie Coleman. I learn from him each time and enjoy the stories he shares from his classroom experiences. It provided a good counterpoint to some of what Kohn writes about and was part of the reason we chose to reference his work in our book.

     Some of the comments shared last night resonated with me and mixed in with the Chicago event prompted this post.

"Kohn is so good when reading but in practice sometimes hard to make practical."

Dave Meister (@phsprincipal) shared that thought and it reminded me that our classrooms are not test laboratories free of all of the frailties of society. They instead consist of a wide range of kids with a wide range of talents and abilities (and yes they ALL possess both) displayed under a wide range of circumstances. Some of these factors may require us to move into those areas Kohn sees as negative and labels as controlling.

"Behavior in school must be contextualized when taught."

Tom Schimmer (@tomschimmer) shared this gem and it provided the clarity that expectations vary from place to place in schools. You can't accurately describe expected behavior at the assembly which will be held in the gymnasium from your classroom seat. "Be Safe" looks markedly different in a kindergarten classroom than it does in a grade 12 classroom.

"Too often we hold students to higher standards than we hold ourselves."

Darcy Mullin (@darcymullin) gave the third prompter to me with his comment about expectations that often times seem to only be externally employed. If we don't model what we teach then we are teaching what we model. The rule that states "No food or drink in class" doesn't have fine print excluding adults from adherence but it seems to be employed in a tiered way.

     So how does this tie back to Charlie and Chicago? He shared a story that I won't do justice to in print but hope to provide enough details to connect the dots. Charlie spoke about an elementary class of his where Mikey was the student who misbehaved the most. This was widely known as Mikey had been the most challenging student in each of his previous years and his reputation was set. As the teacher Charlie was determined to make a change in that reputation and pass along a better Mikey than the one he inherited. Here's where it rubs Kohn the wrong way. He used a merit ticket as a method to try and change the behavior. Given how far to the negative the behavior had gone, it required some overt action to pull it back to acceptable and then beyond to expected. Charlie really honed in on Mikey and rewarded him more frequently than others. At the end of each week a draw was held for some other trinket or positive outcome. Mikey never won these draws and Charlie could not understand why as Mikey's odds were much higher than the other students based on the number of tickets he received. Finally on a day when Mikey was away, Charlie looked in his desk and saw, that despite the overall chaos, there was a neat pile of tickets sitting in one corner. He asked the students who sat near Mikey if they knew this was occurring and heard that Mikey proudly showed off his stack with the comment about how often Mr. Coleman had caught him being good. I cannot find a lot of problem with the approach or the outcome for the student. Would I expect to continue to have to do this? No. The approach would be to move away from the overt to more covert methods but the desired changes required something different. Here's one other outcome that I appreciated hearing from Charlie. He would start each day with 30 tickets in his pocket. If he still had lots left at the end of the day he knew that he had missed out on noticing a lot of wonderful things that happened in his class and he committed to not letting that happen often. Think about your classes. Could you really have 30 students for five hours a day and not see a myriad of great things happening?

     I appreciate the views that Alfie Kohn has brought to the education world and I believe in a lot of the approach. I also know after 28 years that there are many ways to move kids forward and I'm not prepared to toss out any that might be the first spark to the fire that burns within all of our students.

This too will pass...

     Lately it seems that there is a lot of dialogue about what needs to change in our education system and what might be the best way to affect these changes. It strikes me that many of these conversations have been going on in similar format throughout my 28 year career and don't progress much beyond the conversation.
     A recent study (http://tinyurl.com/44jj8rd) released by Mussio and Associates looked at the impact of birth month. Their conclusion - December babies are less likely to attain benchmark standards at grades 4 and 7 on time, and are less likely to graduate on time. I don't think I'm the only educator who already knew this. In our province the graduation rate (defined as six year completion) continues to hover around 80 percent for all students and around 50 percent for Aboriginal students. This also is not news. We know that our most disadvantaged learners struggle with a two month summer break and come back for the start of the next school year having lost much of the gain attained in the previous school year. Yet we still run a school system on the agrarian calendar and talk about how this works for the majority. We know about the impact of poverty and of children living in disadvantaged homes and still resist making substantive change to the system that will address these issues.
     Let me insert a disclaimer here before those pockets of brilliance that exist across all systems get riled up and want to highlight their outstanding work. These should be the norm and not the exception to a healthy education system. When one of the schools in our district had an incoming class of kindergarten students who screened significantly below standards for kindergarten readiness, we didn't shrug our shoulders and say "let's hope they catch up". Instead the teacher, with support from district staff, embarked on direct instruction with the intent to close the gap. By the end of the school year, the students were kindergarten ready. They could not be abandoned in grade 1 and so the process must continue.
     The point is that we have a wealth of information at our disposal and we are not using it to create the systemic change that is required for today's learners and tomorrow's community members. We cannot continue to address the needs of the future with the unmodified recipe of the past. I cringe when I hear educators say they are tired of the assessment conversation or hearing about personalized learning. My response to that is simple - you are having the wrong conversation! Instead of dismissing a topic, shift the dialogue to student success. Make it about what we collectively need to do in altering the inputs to improve the outcomes.
     Dr. Randy Pausch spoke of brick walls as indicators of how much we wanted something. If we see them as excuses to stop, we may not have really wanted to achieve the goal. I wonder if he also meant the brick walls of our schools being resistant to the winds of change.

What Wayne Said....

     I love this time of the school year and likely not for the reason that might seem obvious - that it's almost over! I chuckle to myself when non-educator friends talk about the year winding down as they have no idea about how the emotions of staff, students, and parents wind upwards. No, I like this time of year for the reflection that occurs. Sometimes it is at graduation and other times at retirements of beloved colleagues. But it's always a positive experience from my perspective.

     It's also the time I invariably find my self thinking about those who have inspired me over the years and the mentors I have been fortunate to have. Lately, I find myself thinking a lot about my good friend Wayne Hulley. I can't escape recalling a phrase or two that he has used that provides me solace during a challenging moment or simply brings a smile to my face when I'm struggling to find my "happy place". I've created my top ten "Hulleyisms" that continue to inspire me to be the kind of educator he describes and models.

1. What happens to you is very often beyond your control but your response to it is what makes the difference.
2. Parents are sending the best kids they have.
3. Different isn't always better but better is always different.
4. Hope is the belief that all students can learn and that school staffs are capable of turning that belief into a reality. 
5. In school improvement, no adults in the school are unimportant. 
6. To change outcomes for students, schools need leaders who care enough and can express that caring to other people.
7. Our time is now if we choose to make it so.
8. School reform is as much an act of the heart as it is an act of the head.
9. Effective schools are willing to undertake not just restructuring but also reculturing to reach their goals. 

     And my newest favorite (simply because Wayne agreed to write the foreword to the book Coleman, Weber, and I wrote) that demonstrates the ease with which he can synthesize material and bring it to a place that educators can relate to:

1. School improvement will never be easy because it forces schools and teachers to change their behaviours.  However, committed staff, with constructive proven strategies can make a positive difference. 

     I know that all of us can think of inspirational figures throughout our careers and most of us have been blessed with positive role models. Wayne has been all of that and more and I feel very fortunate to have spent time with him over the last fifteen years. If ever there was an educator for whom the Order of Canada was designed, Wayne Hulley would be that educator. Thanks for the encouragement, support, and guidance over the years my friend.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.....

    Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes 

(Turn and face the strain)

     I read with great interest a recent post by Cale Birk (http://bit.ly/j2HaV5) that questioned if/how often school leaders should be moved. While his query was about Principals and Vice-Principals, the same question can be asked of anyone in a school district leadership role. One of the comments was posted by Johnny Bevacqua who referenced the research we heard at a previous BCPVPA conference where the optimum length of time was suggested to be five to seven years. This has generally been my experience but I think there are some exceptions to the research.

     I should also declare that part of my motivation for this post is my own upcoming move. Leaving the role of Assistant Superintendent after three and a half years to take on the challenge of being the Executive Director for the BCPVPA feels like the right move despite not meeting the optimal length of time to effect change. Part of my thought process on the topic is that sometimes a move occurs because of external factors. The time spent in my current district provided some great personal connections and insights that I felt would allow me to take the district to new heights. The final decision was not mine and this prompted a good period of reflection to determine next steps. The new Superintendent has great ideas of his own to also propel the district forward. I determined it was better to find another spot to carry forward my thoughts and continue to have a positive impact on education in my region. Although I didn't stay for five to seven years, I have been reminded often in recent weeks about the contributions I have made and the long term impact of some of the work. Change, in this case, didn't have a time constraint.

     I was also pleased to see a tweet from Justin Tarte about his new assignment as an Assistant Principal. This is another role that I feel departs from the requirement of five to seven years. I have always advocated for the role of AP (or VP) to be a learning role where having different mentors as Principal provides a rich learning environment. Generally speaking I would consider switching these folks to another school after two years unless a vacancy occurred that would allow them to become a Principal. The role of VP/AP should not be a career move but instead serve as training for future leadership challenges. Working under different leaders and at different sites provides insights that are not as readily available when familiarity settles in.

     As I start thinking about making my move to a new role (and thanks by the way to all who have sent their good wishes) I do so with the premise of being there for five to seven years and effecting the positive types of changes that will be necessary to keep the organization vibrant and forward thinking. I also know that time has a way of bringing forward new challenges, new decision makers, and new opportunities. Most importantly I want to embrace each day with the notion that today matters and positive impact doesn't have a shelf life. The last words (as did the introduction) go to David Bowie:

Time may change me

But I can't trace time

 

 

Yesterday, Today, and/or Tomorrow

     Anyone with a role in education today knows that we don't work in a static environment. Despite that I still hear colleagues that appear to be trapped in one of three places - yesterday, today, or tomorrow. I'd like to suggest that our work (and more importantly the success of our students) demands that we spend time in all three.
     There are those who focus only on the past and long for "the good old days". These folks long for the "Leave it to Beaver" family unit where school was the law and parents and students never questioned a decision rendered. This notion might work if all of the other factors associated with those bygone days were also still in vogue.  Pick any aspect of life today and ask yourself if it is the same as it was during your parents' time. Technology is a favorite topic of folks following this blog. Remember the first computer you saw? Compare that with today where I have a Blackberry that has more computing power than the lunar lander had. Other aspects like the social fabric are also considerably different.  The great Satchel Paige once commented, "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." He may not have realized he was giving advice to educators but it certainly fits and serves as a good reminder that our work, while learning from the past, requires us to face the challenges we see today.
     Paige's advice may seem to indicate that today is the most relevant place to devote our energy and I do think that is where I spend much of my time. I've also come to realize that it's not enough when I think about preparing students for what lies ahead. Today is significant in that we need to assist kids and each other with all that is fluid in our world and that appears to change daily. Arming students with a different set of three "R"s - research, resiliency, and responsibility - may connect more with the realities they face than to stick with our traditional areas of focus. The concern with focussing only on today is that it precludes us having an eye on what's coming next. The thoughts of former Secretary of Education Richard Riley that the top ten jobs in 2010 didn't exist in 2004 serve as a reminder that "today" is very transient and needs to include an eye towards the future.
     Before we rush headlong into what's next, it is important to realize that focussing only on the future is a never ending game akin to a dog chasing its' tail. The reality of the future is that it never arrives! We need to assist our students to be able to take on all that might come their way and to empower them with a sense of hope. Fullan talks about hope not as a naive, sunny view of life but instead the capacity to not panic in tight situations and to find ways and means to address challenges. This is the future facing the majority of our students. While we may help them by arming them (or familiarizing them) with some tools, it is ultimately up to them to take what we have placed before them and run with it.
     A recent conversation with my son David gave an excellent summary of this topic. He said, "I look at the past with great humor and the future with great anticipation...it's the present that is wearing me down!" The balance needed to walk in all three views is a challenge but it is essential as we continue in our various roles as educators.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

     I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Seattle earlier this week.  It was a refreshing change to attend as a participant and a great learning experience as I spent time with colleagues from British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Wyoming, and Tennessee. One of the more interesting conversations centered on what to do with students that have been struggling all year and seem destined for failure.  Depending on the jurisdiction there was anywhere from four to eight weeks left in the current school year.

     An educator let out an exasperated sigh as she reflected on the number of strategies she had tried with the end result still being that her student was hovering around the mid 40's as his grade and only four weeks left in the year. She suggested that her energies might be better spent with those who were responding to the interventions. I asked her to tell me a little more about the particular student and she described a student many of us are encountering. Little prior academic success, no support from the home, poor socializing skills, and a big chip on his shoulder concerning adults. She then added a number of vignettes about interactions she had with the student over the course of the year. These all struck me a positive interactions and I asked her if she thought these were reflected in her assessment of the student. She did admit to the personal growth the student had demonstrated but was frustrated by the lack of comparable academic growth. We talked about the time left in the year and what else could be done to continue the progress being made. It may not result in the student meeting the standard but clearly it should not be viewed as a failure.

     While we are challenged with book ends that mark our school year and are compelled to provide a final grade on the academic achievement of students during that time, this should not be confused with measuring the growth of students.  There is a Chinese proverb that states "the one who plants the tree rarely gets to enjoy its' shade", and that is so true for us as educators.  Clearly we must continue to plant the seeds of knowledge and tend to the garden that is our classroom.  Whether or not I, as the teacher of record, get to see the end result is not as relevant as whether or not the student experiences growth. As we collectively work to improve the life chances of all of our students we should also reflect and build on the work of those teachers who worked diligently before us to move students along the continuum of growth. As we head to graduation ceremonies let's remember the great work done by our Kindergarten teachers.

     You may recall the end to John Donne's Meditation 17 part of which is quoted in the title of this blog. The meditation ends with "it tolls for thee." Remember this as you look at the rest of the school year and contemplate who time is running out for. We are the difference makers and should continue to be just that until the final bell tolls.

Courage to Lead

     I was recently asked to give one word that I felt best described leadership. When asked a question like this I try to clear my mind and let the question find the answer. The word "courage" tumbled across my lips and intuitively it made sense.
  
     The dictionary defines courage as "the ability to do something that frightens one". While this definition touches on aspects of the work we do as educators, it does miss being a complete fit. I've always felt that the balance of being a confident leader is to not be inconsiderate.  It is this aspect of self-doubt that is often a hallmark of strong leadership.  It is the skill that allows for acknowledgement of the good work being done coupled with the ability to confront current realities.  We live and work in an environment that is defined by change and we have a responsibility to respond to that change.  The greatest things I did early in my teaching career have little contextual reference today.

     Positional power can be misused and set the work of a school back. Roland Barth talks about the significance of the relationship between Principal and teacher as being the greatest contributor to school success and the driver for all other relationships in a school ("Improving Relationships Within the Schoolhouse", Educational Leadership, March 2006,Volume 63, Number 6). The balance then, comes in engaging all who have a stake in the outcome in the conversation of why changes need to occur and what those changes might mean.  It's important to have all of the information at your disposal and to be prepared to have your thoughts challenged.

     Courageous leadership is not limited to the formal positions defined in school district but instead, is displayed across the system.  Recent blogs have highlighted great teacher leadership and powerful leadership lessons learned from our students. The power of two students in Nova Scotia to challenge bullying based on perceived sexual orientation spawned a wonderful celebration in schools across our country where we all don pink and think about the impact of our actions.

     Courage should not be used as a weapon to blindly charge forward. Instead, it must be balanced with the perspective that comes from walking in the shoes of others and being open to having their experiences influence the final outcome.  If I have developed any skills as a leader in my twenty-eight years of being an educator, it is because of the contributions of others that have emboldened me to be courageous in the face of significant challenges. Thanks.