PMP179: Special Edition – Principal Matters 2019 Year In Review
Jan 08, 2020
Show notes
Last week my family and I traveled back to Tennessee to see my parents and extended family. Photo by Kelly Sikkema – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@kellysikkema?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit My parents both turned 79 this past year. Life has slowed down a lot for them now. One of my mother’s favorite past times, for instance, is walking the woods — gathering treasures like small rocks or interesting plants. When my fourteen year old son, Jack, joined her for a stroll during Christmas break, they found their way to a leafy spot above a natural spring and talked so long the rest of the family thought maybe they were lost. Later that night, Jack told me, “Dad, sometimes I’m jealous of Grandma.” “Why?” I asked. “She finds so much joy in the smallest things,” he explained. “Today she found a small leaf, and held it up saying, ‘Oh, look how beautiful and fragile it is.’ I wish I could be more like that.” “Me too, Jack,” I said. As I think back over the past year and look at the year ahead, I want to stay thankful for the small things. For instance, I’m thankful for another year of marriage. This was the twenty-sixth year my wife and I am grateful we’re still crazy about one another. I’m thankful for our two daughters who are successfully completing college: one junior and one freshman on the same campus. I’m thankful for weekly dates I’ve had with my two kids still at home during 2019: Watching sunsets with my sixteen year old daughter, Katie. She’s obsessed with sunrises and sunsets. One morning, I woke up early and saw the front door open. As I headed down the stairs to see what was wrong, Katie came bustling back in the door. “You won’t believe the sunrise!” she exclaimed. “It was so beautiful I had to run out into the front yard for a better look.” I’m thankful for the quiet moments with my son Jack. When he decides to talk, it can be worth the wait. A few weeks ago, he began telling me about the book he’s reading in English class, Night by Elie Wiesel – how it has convinced him that all of us are capable of allowing horrible deeds if we refuse to listen to the experiences of history. It is these small moments throughout the year that remind me of what is really important. And I’m sure, you have your own small moments that have built your most important memories this past year. I’d also like to tell you that I’m thankful for you. Whether you know me through my posts or in person, I’m thankful that you trust me with your time. You have a lot responsibilities in your work and families, and I value the opportunity to share ideas and learn along with you each week through these posts. In the lines that follow, I want to celebrate some of the small wins I’ve seen in the Principal Matters community with a quick re-cap of 2019. And as a token of gratitude for you, I want to provide you with a free professional development resource (at the end of this post) – something that may help you lead your team with more focus on their mission, vision, and goals for 2020. Another Year of Growth In 2019 the Principal Matters Podcast topped 345,000 unique downloads! It excites me that each episode averages more than 2,000 listens. Although this audience is modest in comparison to other nationally known podcasts, I am so encouraged to think about how each listener of Principal Matters is someone leading a school community. That means hundreds and thousands of students (perhaps even millions) are being influenced through our collective work. What an honor to add something of value to the work you are doing each week in your school communities! In addition to free content, this past year I began offering Mastermind and Executive Coaching options. A special thanks to those school leaders around the country who have been joining me each week for these special offerings! Through our book studies, virtual meetings, and “hot seat” opportunities, we have been leveling-up our leadership together! If you are not participating, and would like to learn more, please email me and I’d be glad to send you an application or answer any questions. Oklahoma School Leaders I’m thankful to be serving for my third year as the Executive Director for the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals (OASSP) and Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association (OMLEA). In addition to trainings and workshops, our OASSP/OMLEA members hosted a successful state-wide conference for secondary and middle level leaders and teachers in Oklahoma City this past February with Jeff Zoul and Jack Berkemeyer as keynotes. (And we have another one next month featuring Akil Ross and Kim Campbell!) In addition, our members represented Oklahoma principals at national events in March and October in Washington D.C, we attended NASSP’s National Conference in Boston, Massachusetts in July. And this fall, we participate in AMLE’s Conference in Nashville, TN. Oklahoma principals and teammates are not only great leaders but also they are my colleagues and friends. It is such an honor to serve them. What a joy to be a part of CCOSA, our umbrella organization dedicated to supporting administrators across my state, which also allows me use of my vacation time for consulting and professional development requests outside of Oklahoma. Principals Across the Nation Last April, I was honored to provide a full-day of professional development for Brazosport ISD, Clute, Texas, where we studied the 8-Hats for School Leaders with Assistant Principals and Aspiring Principals who had used my first book, Principal Matters, for a year-long book study. I’m also thankful to Renton Public Schools, Renton, Washington (outside Seattle). In August, they invited me to their Summer Principal’s Retreat, where I presented on my second book Messaging Matters – Inspiring Teachers, Motivating Students, and Reaching Your Communities. I also had the privilege this past summer to be in Atlanta with Dr. Tim Elmore and the Growing Leaders Speaking Team. I always value the times I can learn from Tim’s mentorship and grow alongside this incredible group of leaders. We also had a sneak-peak at Dr. Elmore and Andrew McPeak’s newest book and content for Generation Z Unfiltered. You can pick up it up at this website: https://www.generationzunfiltered.com 2019 Episodes A special thanks to my many podcast guests of 2019. These included LeAnn Nickelsen, William Stubbs, Phyllis Fagell, Chris Legleiter, John Wink, Dave Sandowich, Kim Marshall, Jenn David-Lang, Jethro Jones, Danny Bauer, Jesse Haynes, Garth Larson, Doug Casa, Kyle Palmer, Diana Lebsack, and Daniel O’Donnell. Their valuable lessons and takeaways have inspired me and thousands of others! And a huge thanks goes to Jen Schwanke, who served as co-host, with an entire series from her book, You’re the Principal, Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders. You can check out Jen’s series in episodes 144-156. If you’ve missed out on any of the forty new podcast episodes from this past year, below is a list of the 2019 show-titles with links to the accompanying blog posts: PMP178: 10 Positive Takeaways from the Past Decade PMP177: Cha Cha’s for Making Learning Stick with LeAnn Nickelsen PMP176: Leading Through Equity with William Stubbs PMP175: Middle School Matters with Phyllis Fagell PMP174: 10 Areas to Focus on for Growth as a Leader with Chris Legleiter PMP173: Lessons in Leadership from Your Scars PMP172: Learning and Leading with John Wink PMP:170 Four Lessons in Teamwork from my Son’s Hospital Stay PMP169: Leading into the Wind – Lessons from Dave Sandowich PMP168: Managing Your Day with Kim Marshall and Jenn David-Lang PMP167: Keeping Your Leadership Focused on Service, Not Self PMP166: Unique Challenges of Rural Principals and Why Your Story Matters PMP165: Three Lessons in Decision Making from Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink PMP164: On the Road – Thoughts for New School Leaders PMP163: Encouraging an Environment of Growth – Questions and Answers with Jethro Jones PMP162: Go! Community – How to Harness the Power of the Room with Danny Bauer PMP161: Answers to Principal Matters Questions, Part 2 PMP160: Answers to Principal Matters Questions, Part 1 PMP159: Engaging Students in Shaping Their Own Stories with Jesse Haynes PMP158: Why Telling Your Own Story Matters PMP157: Preparing for the Start-of-School Year PMP156: 6 Tips for Managing School-Wide Changes PMP155: Parenting as Principals – Do’s and Don’ts, Part 2 PMP154: Parenting as Principals – Do’s and Don’ts, Part 1 PMP153: Maintaining Balance and Focusing on What Matters, Part 2 PMP152: Maintaining Balance and Staying Focused on What Matters PMP151: Hiring & Retaining High Quality Teachers, Part 2 PMP:150 Hiring High Quality Educators, Part 1 PMP:149 Managing Adult Conflicts, Part 2 PMP:148 The “Why’s” and “How’s” of Managing Adult Conflict PMP:147 Providing Focused Professional Development PMP:146 Good Habits for Balancing Priorities PMP:145 Promoting a Culture of Trust – Part 2 PMP:144 Building and Maintaining Positive School Culture PMP:143 Learning for ALL with Dr. Garth Larson PMP:142 Preventing Student Athlete Injury or Sudden Death – Interview with Dr. Douglas Casa PMP141: How Culture Drives Successful Learning Communities – Interview with Dr. Kyle Palmer PMP:140 Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders – Interview with Jen Schwanke PMP:139 Building Stronger Collaboration – Interview with Diana Lebsack PMP:138 Middle Level Kindness Challenge – Interview with Daniel O’Donnell New Book Coming in 2020 Thank you to those who have shared my books with others or used them for book studies. Several readers have asked me if I’m working on another book, and the answer is yes! The next book will be about the essential habits for principals who want to thrive, not burnout in life and leadership. I’ll keep you posted as I draw closer to a launch date. Free PD Resource Finally, as a way to thank you for your participation this past year, I wanted to share a free resource with you. Recently, a reader had emailed to ask me if I had any professional development content on developing mission, vision, and goals with school teams. So I put together this free summary of a Professional Development Session on Mission, Vision and Goal Setting that I wanted to also share with you as a complimentary New Year Gift. It includes tips on leading conversations with your school teams for 2020 and beyond. It is a skeleton outline (only 8 pages). But I hope it is a good place to start if you want to add your own ideas and personalize it for your team’s professional learning. Let’s Wrap This Up As I’m writing this post, I am waiting for my daughter, Katie, to arrive home from a trip she took with her high school band over Christmas break. The Owasso High School Band was invited perform in the Rose Bowl Parade on New Years Day. It was hard to not be with her on the trip, as we were driving back from Tennessee while she was performing. But thankfully, my wife was watching the parade on Instagram Live, so when the Owasso Band began its performance, we pulled the car over to the side of the road to watch together. Sitting on a rural spot in Western Kentucky, we could see the 300 band members marching and playing in beautiful Pasadena, California, with mountains and palm trees in the distance. She was thousands of miles from home, but we were cheering her on and sending our love as best we could. That’s what families do. When we can’t be together, we still cheer each other on from a distance. Wherever you are today and the months ahead, I want to send my cheers your way for this New Year! Thank you so much for being a part of the Principal Matters community. As you begin the New Year, let me encourage you to dream big, set crazy audacious goals, and determine to have fun in the process. Remember that when you stay inspired (even by the small things in life) you inspire others to make the most of their days too. Now It’s Your Turn I’d love to hear from you on happenings from your past year and the goals and dreams you have for 2020. Feel free to send me an email at will@williamdparker.com or drop me a line via Twitter @williamdp or Instagram via @william_d_parker. Looking forward to continuing to learn and grow together! Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post PMP179: Special Edition – Principal Matters 2019 Year In Review appeared first on Principal Matters.
PMP178: 10 Positive Takeaways from the Past Decade
Dec 24, 2019
Show notes
Just like you, I can think of many reasons to worry about the future or raise concerns about trends that have developed over the past decade.
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Whether that includes increases in school shootings, soaring health care costs, rises in the costs of education, the number of children experiencing trauma, growing concerns in climate change or global and domestic political unrest — the list of negatives can be pretty overwhelming and depressing.
At the same time, as important as it is to confront the harsh realities of the world with possible solutions, I want to keep the dangers of this world in perspective with the amazing achievements of this last decade. As we draw 2019 to a close and officially end the 2010’s, I’d like to pause for a moment and celebrate 10 remarkable changes that have taken place in our world – and the lives of those whom we educate:
With the world’s population estimated at 7.7 billion, consider the implications of 65% of the world connected through technology. Never before have more people had the opportunity to interact, discover, and influence others with such speed and accessibility.
2. Access to information has increased learning potential.
Just as the printing press revolutionized the modern world during the 15th century, we have opened new territories of learning with access to information in the past ten years. Khan Academy, which began in 2008, for instance, has now become a staple for young people around the world who need immediate examples of lessons and examples in most major subject areas of school.
In addition, self-starters use YouTube for example, to access lessons or tutorials everything from repairing plumbing to installing camera systems. Since its start in 2005, YouTube’s first video to ever hit a billion downloads happened in 2011. This has also been a game-changer for education as schools have introduced blended learning options, 1-1 devices, and more virtual options for student learning. In many ways this has flipped the roles of educators from experts in conveying information to facilitating and guiding students in how to interpret information.
3. Innovation has changed the job market and our work.
According to Alice Murray from Jobbio.com, new jobs during the past ten years now include App developers, Uber drivers, social media managers, user-experience designers, Airbnb hosts, drone operators, data scientists, genetic counselors and anything involving cryptocurrency.
For many people, this past decade has also made it easier to work remotely or find jobs that match specific skills. In addition, this flexibility has forced some companies to recognize the importance of improving job culture in order to retain workers. As we for future jobs, it is important to remember many of those titles don’t even exist yet. So a focus on problem solving skills, critical thinking skills and people-skills is as important as ever.
4. Advances in medicine are saving lives.
Improvements in medicine and health outcomes have meant a reduction in smoking-related diseases, fewer people dying of HIV, better treatments for cancer, and more precise solutions for injuries, including reconstructive surgeries and bionic limbs.
Although we still have a long way to go to prevent diseases, modern medicine continues to improve possibilities for our collective futures. Even with the ever-growing costs of health care, it is important to recognize that longevity and quality of life have continued high in the modern world with the average life-span of a U.S. citizen now being around 78 years old.
5. Food production is at an all time high.
Yes, world hunger is still a problem, but it is also noteworthy that according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, projections for wheat and corn productions are heading toward an all-time high in 2019.
6. Ease in navigating travel has opened to world to cultural cross-pollination.
According to travel blogger Lucy Dodsworth, many travel agencies have been replaced by self-scheduling, low-cost airlines have made pricing more competitive and affordable, staying in-touch has become easier with advances in technology, the ability to continue working while traveling has been made more convenient, it has become easier to photograph and record travel with advances in phones, and experiences with exotic foods are now brought closer to home in U.S. cities.
On a personal note, who would have ever thought my own Oklahoma neighborhood would now host a Mexican Grocery, a Ding Tea shop, and a restaurant for Vietnamese Pho?
7. The advent of podcasting has changed the way we access content.
Even in my own forway into podcasting, I’ve been surprised that I’ve been able to connect with so many educators across the country and the world. With just 176 episodes shared, Principal Matters podcast has had 341,560 unique downloads at the time of this post!
8. Growth of Netflix and online streaming are changing entertainment.
9. Ease of digital tools has changed our work and life patterns.
During this decade, we have seen increases in online banking, online retail, video-streaming, self check-out options, and digital applications for almost any product, including food deliveries like DoorDash, GrubHub, and UberEats. In addition, online tools make it possible for anyone to own a website, create advertising, market products, or design. Much of what we purchase, consume, read, listen or watch is literally available at our fingertips. Even cleaning is easier with products like iRobot’s Roomba, which will automatically vacuum floors and recharge itself. Although social scientists are still uncovering the many pitfalls with the ease of digital access, this decade has given new meaning to the idea of convenience for work, play and life.
10. Young people are changing the conversations that drive practices and policies.
Although our youth may live in a world that is more stressed, more anxious, and more complicated than ever before, we should be able to celebrate the ways many they are shaping their futures with optimism and creativity.
Let’s Wrap This Up
It is easy to see why change has become a common part of the modern experience. At the same time, how do we lead our school communities during these changing times? One of my favorite leadership authors, Dr. Tim Elmore, says that we must stay committed to the timeless truths that always apply to life while also adapting to the timely ways others learn and grow.
Instead of being overwhelmed by the fast-paced world we live in, let’s celebrate the positives and focus on ways we can harness these tools to better prepare our students for the next decade.
Now It’s Your Turn
What ways have the developments of the past ten years improved or enhanced your abilities and service as a school leader? How can you prepare your students for opportunities that may not yet exist? As you think about the decade ahead, I’d also like to recommend Dr. Elmore’s newest book, co-authored with Andrew McPeak: Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population. Let’s look at our students and future with optimism as we think about ways to leverage changes and equip our school communities for the 2020’s.
PMP177: Cha Cha’s for Making Learning Stick with LeAnn Nickelsen
Dec 18, 2019
Show notes
A few weeks ago, I was sharing with a group of principals one of my favorite video-clips from the movie, The Incredibles.
It’s the scene where Lucius, aka the superhero, Frozone, is watching as his city is under attack from his apartment window. He pushes a button on his remote control to open a wall in his living room. When the secret compartment opens, the space is empty where his supersuit should be hanging. Thus ensues the following dialogue:
Lucius: Honey? Where’s my super suit?
Honey: What?
Lucius: Where – is – my – super – suit?
Honey: I, uh, put it away.
Lucius: Where?
Honey: Why do you need to know?
Lucius: I need it!
Honey: Uh-uh! Don’t you think about running off doing no derrin’-do. We’ve been planning this dinner for two months!
Lucius: The public is in danger!
Honey: My evening’s in danger!
Lucius: You tell me where my suit is, woman! We are talking about the greater good!
Honey: ‘Greater good?’ I am your wife! I’m the greatest *good* you are ever gonna get!
After watching this clip, I then asked the principals to reflect: How does this scene remind you of the tension you sometimes feel between your school responsibilities and your home life?
After we talked about their responses, I then shared three ideas for them to keep in mind as they feel the tension of managing crisis while also managing all the other important duties of their school leadership:
1. Staying mindful: Really seeing the great learning moments happening around you even as you take care of business.
2. Staying intentional: If you don’t schedule and prioritize what’s most important, it probably will not happen.
3. Moving the needle: At the end of everyday, reflect on one step you took toward reaching your targets or goals. And make sure you’ve done at least one action to move in that direction.
I then asked them to repeat back to me the three takeaways. Based on their responses, I summarized and reminded them that school leadership allows involves a balance of putting out situational fires while also focusing on the many other important tasks of building a school community.
And then I asked an important follow-up question: Now, can you unpack the instructional methods I just used in this short mini-lesson with you?
They were quick to respond: We began with an attention grabber. They had given feedback and input. We engaged in reflection and dialogue. We discussed three actions to consider in their leadership. I had checked for learning. We summarized our learning.
After this quick lesson, I reminded them that the cycles of learning happen in every setting. Whether you are leading a faculty meeting, a small group discussion or covering a classroom lesson, this cycle is important for us to model for our teachers as much as it is for us to encourage them to use it in their own teaching.
How Do You Make Learning Stick?
As you think about the ways to make learning meaningful, I am excited to introduce you to this week’s podcast guest, LeAnn Nickelsen, as we discuss her newest book co-authored with Melissa Dickson, Teaching With the Instructional Cha-Chas: Four Steps to Make Learning Stick. In her book and our discussion, LeAnn unpacks the learning cycle and provides practical ways for educators to increase learning for all students.
LeAnn’s Bio
LeAnn Nickelsen
LeAnn Nickelsen is the Founder and CEO of Maximize Learning, Inc. An author of 14 practical books for educators, she provides a wealth of information to School Districts in active, fun, and targeted professional development. A former teacher of the year, she has worked with teachers and school leaders in more than 450-schools in 49-states. LeAnn is an expert coach helping teachers incorporate best practices into their daily lesson plans and within their classrooms. LeAnn also loves to ski with her family, and in her spare moments, she loves drinking tea and petting her dog, Bella. And she’s the mother of college-age twins.
Chunk, Chew, Check, and Change
Here’s a snap-shot of our conversation, but listen to the entire episode for more powerful examples and takeaways:
WILL: One of the reasons I’m excited to talk about your book is because I’ve seen you present this material to teachers and leaders. School leaders want to provide better instructional coaching to their teachers. How can your catchy phrase Cha-Chas help school leaders better understand how to make learning stick?
LEANN: There is a lot of research and training in brain research. But how do we bring all those concepts together? The answer is in these four words: Chunk, Chew, Check, Change… Using the right learning cylces will double or triple the speed of learning for students. Collective teacher efficicacy, for instance, can produce three years of learning growth in student achievement. And even the most vulnerable student populations benefit greatly when teachers understand how to do this correctly.
But first you need the right foundation. And allignment happens first. Teachers must first undersand what standards they should be teaching. Within each standard, you have a specific learning target. Through baby-steps, you break down those into achievable learning targets. Ask yourself: What does your learning target have to do with the lesson you are presenting? Also, how are you using daily formatives? These questions must be answered first so that you have effective lesson planning.
Once you have your foundation for learning through understanding standards and learning targets, then you have a lesson plan that can break your learning into the Cha Cha’s:
Step 1 – Chunk It
Once you know your learning target, chunk the content into small amounts. The max amount is 14-15 minutes before you lose student engagement. So many factors affect the abilities of students to process learning, so break the learning into chunks of learning.
Step 2 – Chew It
Learning occurs here by finding buy-in, making connections, using memory-tools for high student engagement. Learning must be relevant for students to understand it. Have students act out or re-teach information. Have them physically and verbally engaging with the content. Ensure that all students are engaged, not just the ones normally engaged. Learn and talk, use dry-erase boards for feedback. The key is that differentiation happens throughout.
Step 3 – Check It
Everytime you pause, you have an opportunity to check for learning. It’s important to remember the four E’s: Examine Evidence Everyday from Every single student! This is a big part of equity. That feedback helps you understand the quality of your instruction.
Step 4 – Change It
One of the reasons we don’t see improvements is because we aren’t changing our instruction. We don’t want imperfect practice because it embeds wrong ideas. Change your pace. Pull students into individual instruction. Give verbal feedback to close gaps faster. Re-teaching is a powerful way to ensure all students have actually met the learning targets.
Let’s Wrap This Up
This conversation is just the tip of the iceberg for the many practical ideas and applications that LeAnn shares in this episode and in her book. As we wrapped up our interview, she explained: “We have to raise the urgency among all educators to use teaching methods that actually work in improving student learning. And that power rests in the magic hands of our teachers so that no student falls between the cracks. Effective learning can be done, and it is being done!”
If you’d like to receive a free copy of LeAnn’s bi-monthly newsletter for educators, check out her resources at https://maximizelearninginc.com or email her at leann@maximizelearninginc.com.
Now It’s Your Turn
How can you can you apply the four C’s to your own cycles of learning? How can you embed these in the lessons and professional learning you are doing with your own staff and teachers? Share this post with your teachers and ask them to reflect on ways Chunk, Chew, Check and Change may help their own teaching cycles.
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Encore146: Balancing Priorities with Jen Schwanke
Dec 12, 2019
Show notes
Have you ever felt overwhelmed in trying to balance priorities?
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If you’re like me, you can probably think of more than once where student discipline, parent concerns, and teacher feedback provided you more tasks than you could complete in a day.
No matter whether you are a new principal or a veteran leader, here’s a quick truth: you will never reach the point where you “have it all together.” That’s because you will always have room for growth. At the same time, how can you build strategies and good habits for better balancing priorities?
Jen Schwanke
This week, author and principal Jen Schwanke and I continue a series from her book, You’re the Principal, Now What? Strategies and Solutions for School Leaders. As we discuss ways for school leaders to balance priorities, we focus on nine helpful takeaways so that you increase your capacity to manage the demands of school leadership. These include:
1. Acknowledging your limitations. Every leader must admit he or she has limits, and it is a healthy practice to anticipate what you will do when overwhelmed with tasks, requests, and responsiblities.
2. Refusing to be a martyr. Tuck in your cape. You are not a super hero. And your teachers and students do not need a leader who sacrifices his or her well-being to serve.
3. Watching your attitude. At the end of the day, you set the tone for the optimism and hope of your school. You are not in it alone, but your attitude will convey to others how they should be handling pressure.
4. Staying organized. Yes, there are strategies, plans, and tips that can help. But these must fit your work style and personality to be effective.
5. Leaning on support. You were made to work with others. Don’t be afraid to model humility, ask for help, and rely on others for the tasks of leading a school.
6. Connecting with colleagues. Other principals and school leaders can provide a safety net for you. They provide perspective and support that can make the load feel lighter.
7. Putting students first. Yes, you have a lot on your plate, but always ask yourself how your actions, words, and plans are helping students.
8. Learning the cycle of leadership. Believe it or not, principals sometimes reach points of peace. When you have these rare moments, don’t feel guilty. Learn to draw strength from them for the next difficult moment you’ll encounter.
9. Embracing unpredictability with humor. It will be difficult to survive leadership unless you embrace pressure as part of the journey. It’s even more satisfying when you learn to find joy and laughter even in the crazy moments.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Among these helpful takeaways, Jen and I also discuss several ways leaders can organize and prioritize tasks so that they are fulfilling their duties and honoring those whom they serve. This includes creating a scheduling system that works for you, taking time to prioritize, and keeping track of tasks and crossing them off the list. Many of these great tips can be found in Jen’s helpful book, You’re The Principal! Now What?.
Now It’s Your Turn
The good news is that over time, school leadership does provide seasons of stability, where you can breathe, reflect, and re-prioritize. Good habits do lead to better results. This week, choose one good habit you may want to implement or enhance for balancing priorities. What is one step you can take today to rethink your approach to managing many responsibilities while also finding joy in the process?
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PMP176: Leading Through Equity with William Stubbs
Dec 04, 2019
Show notes
In October 2018, William Stubbs, an instructional leadership director at Oklahoma City Public Schools at the time, entered and won the Teach for America’s Shark Tank OKC as a contestant in the city’s Shark Tank competition.
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He was awarded $10,000 to implement stronger partnerships and mentoring opportunties for the city’s young men of color with educators and community businesses. His idea was borne from a conviction that black males, in particular, need more access to men of color as role models in education and business.
Recently, I had the privilege to interview William Stubbs, and he shared several takeaways for principals to keep in mind as they consider how to create stronger environments of diversity and equity.
William’s Bio
William Stubbs is the Middle School Managing Director at UpLift Education in Dallas, Texas. He is a former Instructional Leadership Director for the Oklahoma City Public School District. Before his Oklahoma tenure, he served as the K-12 Principal at Kennedy Charter Public School in Charlotte, NC. Before joining Kennedy Charter Public School, William was the Dean of Students and Upper School Literature Teacher at Kestrel Heights School in Durham, NC. He has also been a Principal Intern at Reedy Creek Middle School – Wake County Public Schools in Cary, NC. William holds an M.S.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in English from Shaw University.
The Life of an Educator
William Stubbs has always been passtionate about learning and growing, and he wanted to be an educator from a very young age. As an undergraduate at Shaw Univeristy, he was a part of the Breakthrough Collaborative that allowed college students to teach and mentor middle school students. Later he was a Teach for America educator and taught high school English. Much of his experience has been working between district public schools and charters. He is also a co-moderator for the Twitter chat Black Males Educators or #BMEsTalk, each Tuesday night at 8PM Central Standard Time, where educators from across the U.S. share ideas, research, and feedback on ways to encourage positive outcomes for black male educators.
Important Trends in Education
In this episode, William shares about how diversity matters, especially in settings where demographics are shifting.
An important question for school leaders to consider is: how can you closely allign your student population and your staff represented there? Many black male educators did not have black male educators in early-childhood. More black male educators are seen in high schools but fewer in college settings. Teachers of color can often connect with the learning of students of color.
District and school leaders must be clear on what diversity means and why it’s important. And conversations on change need to begin with leaders. This includes developing professional learning around critical topics, like implicit bias, and strategizing around hiring practices and how leaders view talent.
William also explains how important it is to understand the need with both head and heart. Then leaders can began to implement policies and practices that reflect that understanding.
The implications of bias, for instance, are sometimes seen in the ways leaders view candidates with public versus private university degrees, the strategies they use for recruiting, and even the use of substitute pools. In addition, schools must develop leadership pipelines for building conditions for growth, and recognizing talent so that more black male educators are encouraged to stay in the profession.
Practices Affecting Student Popluations:
It is also important to review codes of conduct and analyze how zero tolerance practices may be affecting some populations more than others. This also means adopting restorative and guidance practices in student discipline.
In addition, school leaders need to consider how students are identified in special education or gifted and talented programs. For instance, do we have a clear system for identifying gifted and talented students from among all groups while not over-diagnosing students of color into special education classes?
Let’s Wrap This Up
At the end of our conversation, William shared six reasons black males typically leave the profession of education. These include:
Feeling alone or isolated
Being counted on for disciplinary or coaching without being viewed as instructional leader
Difficulties in navigating credentialing requirements
Low pay from state to state making it difficult for educators to make a living income
Wanting a supportive school leader
Wanting to be in a school or district that encourages growth
Now It’s Your Turn
What is one step you can take in rethinking practices in hiring, recruiting, and developing pipelines for leadership in your school or district? How can you make sure no one on your team feels isolated? How can you remove barriers and develop teachers as instructional leaders? It is important to ask how all students feel represented by their teachers and school leaders. And as you support teachers and students, consider the six areas above, especially for those on your team who may represent minority populations.
Listen to this podcast episode for more details, and follow William Stubbs on Twitter at @WmStubbs. Join the Tuesday night chats via Twitter at #BMEsTalk.
PMP175: Middle School Matters with Phyllis Fagell
Nov 27, 2019
Show notes
Do you remember what is was like to be a middle school student?
For many people, memories of those years often bring back stories filled with anxiety and awkward physical, emotional, and social changes.
According to Phyllis Fagell, however, those years can be good ones. “Probably what people might be most surprised to know is that I actually had a positive middle school experience, and I was really inspired to write because of my experience as an educator and seeing how dramatically different childhood is today than when I was growing up.”
A school counselor and authorPhyllis Fagell has insights for middle school students and their parents.
“A lot of people have difficulty anticipating their own child going to middle school because they bring negativity to the table,” she explains. “I like to reassure parents that their own memories actually are inflated because they too were going through puberty. Actually those experiences weren’t probably markedly worse than any negative experiences they had at other times when growing up.”
In this week’s podcast episode, Phyllis Fagell, makes a guest appearance and shares about the skills middle school students need to develop. She provides an overview of ten skills, and she unpacks a few key areas where school leaders can provide stronger guidance.
Phyllis’s Bio
Phyllis Fagell
Phyllis Fagell is a lincened clincal professional counselor, certified professional school counselor, author, and journalist. She has worked in both public and private schools with students in grades K-12, focusing on middle school for the several years. She currently works full time as the school counselor for Sheridan School in Washington, D.C. As a journalist, Phyllis writes for a number of national publications and is a frequent contributor for Washington Post on counseling, parenting and education. She is the author of the new book, Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond – and How Parents Can Help.
10 Skills for Middle School Students
At the start of our conversation, Phylliss provides an overview of the 10 key skills kids need to know to thrive in middle school and beyond, which include the following:
Make good friend choices
Negotiate conflicts
Manage a student-teacher mismatch
Create homework and organization systems
Consider others’ perspectives
Self-advocate
Self-regulate emotions
Cultivate passions and recognize limitations
Make responsible, healthy, ethical choices
Create and innovate
Responsible and Ethical Choices
She also unpacks areas where school leaders can better understand those need areas for their students, including how principals can help students develop responsible/ethical choices. She shares how a veteran principal used meaningful responsibilities as a way for students to build positive identities at school and decrease behavior challenges among his middle school population.
Finding ways to engage students in building their own strategies also helps them own their learning and empowers them to support school practices. With cell phones, for instance, Phyllis argues that most students want a break from technology but want the rules enforced consistently – if everyone is complying, they avoid Fear of Missing Out or FOMO.
The more we treat students with respect, she explains, the more likely they are to participate in fulfilling expectations.
Self-Regulating Emotions
Phyllis explains how students may not recognize their own emotions. When school leaders validate, not shame students, they have better outcomes in transforming behavior. Ask students if they’ve been their best selves.
In another story, she explains how a principal confronted middle school boys who were harrassing an eight grade girl. At first the boys were defensive, but when the principals switched gears asking them if they were being their best selves, they softened and were open to correction – creating an opening for restorative consequences.
She explains that when principals help students connect their thoughts to feelings and behaviors, they better they are able to manage their emotions. Other strategies include: Asking kids to choose an emotion, place a name tag by emotion, asking them to assign numbers to their emotions, i.e., 1-10 “I’m in dire straights” to “I’m feeling joyful” and acknowledging both negative and positive emotions.
Helping Boys Connect and Girls Feel Empowered
Finally, Phyllis shares how leaders can help boys and girls learn to express themselves and push against stereotypes. In her work with boys and girls, she helps them identify emotions others may deem unacceptable for them to express, teaches them not to compete with opposite genders, and helps them understand healthy body image as well as ways to work on building trusting relationships.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Whether you are working directly with middle school students or supporting parents or others who work with them everyday, the mental health of your students is as important as their academic health. Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond – and How Parents Can Help, is a great resource for caring for their most essential needs.
Now It’s Your Turn
What are some ways you can help your students engage in owning more responsiblity for schoolwide and classroom practices, procedures and expectations? How can you reframe questions to students by focusing helping them be the best versions of themselves? In what ways can you help boys and girls learn to communicate in ways that are safe and empowering?
PMP174: 10 Areas to Focus on for Growth as a Leader with Chris Legleiter
Nov 21, 2019
Show notes
Every person in your school is at a different level of growth. Not just students, but teachers are also at stages of growth. Leadership is not any different.
Photo by mikecohen1872 – Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/143106192@N03
Some educators are just beginning the journey. Others are finishing their first few years, and some are experiencing years of mastery in certain strategies or subjects. Over time, you find some areas where you have deep understanding, but you always discover new areas where you need growth.
How do you continue to grow with intentionality? This week, veteran principal Chris Legleiter shares ten powerful takeaways from his years of experience as an instructional and building leader.
Chris’s Bio
Chris Legleiter has been in education for 24 years, including the last 13 years as an administrator. His experience includes teaching and coaching at the high school level and building administrator experience at both the middle school and high school levels. Chris has worked in rural schools and suburban school districts. He currently serves as the Principal for Leawood Middle School of the Blue Valley School District in the Kansas City Metro area.
Chris has a “lead-learner focus” that places a priority on continual growth that includes helping others to collectively grow and learn from each other. This work includes growing as a leader in his position and supporting others in our profession. His interests include spending time with his family, reading, exercising and writing. He also blogs at LeadLearnerPerspectives.com where you can read great posts on leadership.
In today’s conversation, Chris shares “10 areas to focus on for growth as a leader,” including:
Mindset – Your growth is dependent on importance you place in cultivating a mindset of growth and continuous improvement.
Core beliefs – Your non-negotiable drive your decision-making.
Challenging status quo – Your leadership is more than putting out fires; it is helping others see where to grow next.
Influencing others – Don’t aspire to the best on the team, aspire to be the best for the team; develop the confidence of capacity of others.
Be Intentional with your efforts – Build rapport, share your vulnerabilities, model, and be a servant-leader.
Reflect on your experience – Have a constant cycle of reflecting on experiences for yourself and your teammates.
Broaden you learning – Understand the power of Professional Learning Networks in your own growth.
Model your work – Be an example of strong instruction for your teachers, how to handle mistakes, and vulnerability.
Know your why – Stay centered in what matters most – helping others.
Positivity – Your attitude is contagious; celebrate others and set the right tone for change.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Chris asks the question, “If everyone in our school had your attitude, what kind of place would it be?” He hangs this sign in his school as a reminder to himself, his staff and his students. Listen-in to the entire conversation to be encouraged in your own leadership goals!
Now It’s Your Turn
What is one or two of the above areas where you can focus this next week? What goals can you help your staff or teachers set for continuous growth? How can you encourage and celebrate the work of your team members when they show growth?
PMP173: Lessons in Leadership from Your Scars
Nov 13, 2019
Show notes
When I was in college, I had a blue 1981 Toyota Celica that overheated on the long trip to Oklahoma, and the engine burned up.
Photo by Mantas Hesthaven – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@mantashesthaven?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit
It was my first car. I had bought it with the money I earned over summers as a shell diver in the Kentucky Lake area. But now it was toast, and I became a car-less college kid. On my next summer break, I talked a friend into driving me back to Tennessee on his way home to North Carolina. Any money I earned that summer I had to save for school. Before long, it was time return to college, and I had planned to catch a Greyhound bus back this time.
The morning of my trip, I began packing my bag for the long road between Paris, Tennessee and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Shoving in all my belongings, and holding the bag down with my knee, I pulled the zipper closed around it. But as I did, it suddenly broke. The zipper threads spread open like long, jagged lines of opposing soldiers. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t weave them back in line, and the broken metal clasp was now in pieces.
I had an idea. I found my dad’s toolbox and retrieved some plastic wire-ties. With a pair of sharp scissors, I started cutting holes along the edges of the zipper hemming, and inserting the plastic ties, then pulling them tight. It worked. I had found a makeshift solution.
But as I dug the scissors into the next hole with my right hand, I didn’t think about my left hand as I was clenching the fabric beneath, and I quickly sliced through my left index finger. As I stared at the oozing blood, I knew I’d need stiches. Not only did I have a long bus ride ahead of, but now I’d be traveling with the fresh sting and throb of a sewed-up finger.
Mom gave me a ride to the ER. This was 1989, and 21-year-olds were not covered by their parents’ insurance in those days. And I hadn’t bothered to look for any other coverage. So mom talked to hospital staff, and they agreed to break the cost into a series of small payments. She wrote them a check for the first installment.
A few hours later, I was standing at the truck stop where Greyhound buses boarded passengers. Mom gave me a hug and kiss, and as she drove off, I wondered how long the 500 miles ahead would feel with my wire-tied traveling bag and my throbbing finger I had to keep elevated to prevent swelling.
A bus schedule was posted on the side of building. The next pick up time was 6PM, and I had a couple of hours. So I sat on my bag, ackwardly pointed my wrapped finger in the air, and waited. One hour turned into two, then three. No bus came. No one inside the truck stop had any explanation. As the evening darkened, I found a pay phone (yes, they had those back then too) and clumsily dialed the number to my grandmother. My parents didn’t have a phone at their house (I know, you can’t believe that either), so Grandma told me she’d drive down to tell them I needed help. As the evening darkened, I waited, and finally, one of my older brothers pulled up in his pick-up truck.
“Man, you’ve had a hell of day, haven’t you,” he said as he threw my bag in the truck bed. “You sure you don’t want to stay back this semester and farm with me?”
It was midnight by the time we made it to the house, and mom and dad already were in bed. I knew Dad would be the first one up in the morning, and I needed him to drive me back to the bus station before he headed to work. I’d lost a day of travel, and I couldn’t afford to another day, or I’d miss the start of the semester.
I was so tired I could barely think. The house was quiet, and I couldn’t decide how to make sure dad would drive me. So I dropped my bag by the front door and just lay down on the floor beside it and fell asleep. It was early morning and still dark outside when I felt my dad’s toes prodding me awake. “Get up and wash your face,” he said. “Let’s eat some breakfast, and then I’m driving you to the Nashville airport.”
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and said, “I don’t have money for a plane ticket, Daddy.”
“Well, I’ll take care of it, just get ready,” he said.
Like most families I knew, we lived on a tight budget, and my parents never used credit cards. I knew my parents would be sacrificing to get me back to school –just like they had sacrificed yesterday to mend my finger. But I also knew from the tone of Dad’s voice, the decision was made.
The first time he had sent me off to school as a college freshman, he had taken my car to the tire shop and bought me four new tires. “Those roads get icy in the winter,” he had said, “so you’re going to need good ones.” Of course, he was right, and I was thankful.
As we drove the two hours to Nashville in the family Oldsmobile, I looked out the window at the passing fields and trees. It was late summer, and Tennessee always boasts tall pines and thick patches of oaks and cedars. Soybean fields and corn were bursting with growth with not many weeks till harvest.
Even though it was a work day, I noticed Daddy wasn’t wearing his mechanic’s work clothes. Instead he had put on his “goin’ to town” clothes: a collared dress shirt, slacks, and a pair of black dress shoes. I don’t remember what we talked about as we drove, but it was a pleasant ride. I felt so relieved that I’d be flying instead of spending the entire day on the road.
As we I pulled into the airport entrance, I rolled down the window all the way for a good look. My elbow was hanging out the window, and we passed flower beds lined with rows of yellow petunias. The lanes of road semmed confusing but led us to a series of signs pointing to departing flights and parking areas. I didn’t have much experience with airports so I trusted Dad to navigate.
Before long, we had parked, dragged my bag to the ticket counter, checked it and bought a one-way ticket to Tulsa. In those days, you could still walk to the gate and wait together without any security lines or screenings. As we made our way down the long, carpeted hallway to my gate, my dad stopped and looked down at his shoes.
The sole of his left shoe was separating around his toes. You could see his sock-covered foot sticking out in front. “Well,” he said, “I guess we’ll have to walk a little slower.” So we walked along, the plop, plop of Daddy’s shoe smacking on the carpet. He just smiled till we reached my gate.
He stood there as I boarded the plane, and before long, the plane lifted up. Above the airstrip now, Nashville was quickly shrinking below me. Somewhere down there, my dad was plop-plopping his way back to the car for the long ride home.
All these thoughts came back to me last week when I was in Nashville for a conference with the Association for Middle Level Education. It was a great conference, and I learned a lot connecting with other educators. It was fun seeing the city again. It has changed a lot over the years — more skyscrapers and more places to listen to music.
My last night there, my little brother drove into the city to have dinner with me. And the next morning, I boarded the hotel shuttle for the Nashville airport. As I was scrolling through my phone and occasionally glancing out the windows, I noticed autumn was visiting the trees with hints of yellow and orange. And as we pulled into the entrance to the Nashville Airport, I was surprised to see the beds full with long yellow rows of blooming flowers.
And that’s when I remembered: In my imagination, I was sitting back in the car with my dad.
My elbow hanging out the old station wagon. He was sitting beside me – 50 years old, the same age I am today, peering through his dark rimmed glasses at the unfamiliar signs, looking for a place to park. He was unloading my bag, and before long, he was looking down with a grin at his broken shoe. As he dug into his wallet for the cash to buy the ticket, what was he thinking? Was he calculating the months it would take to cover the expenses of the last two days of hospital bills and airfare for his college boy? If he was, he never mentioned it. He just stood there like always, taking care of me.
One day a few years ago, I was driving my daughter, Mattie, home from school. She was in her junior year of high school where I was her principal. I was telling her about a conference I was planning to attend as the keynote speaker. As we talked about the upcoming trip, I said, “Sometimes it’s uncomfortable when people introduce me. It feels like odd to share stories about myself or tell feel like it’s bragging to be announced with a list of your accomplishments.”
She didn’t speak for a moment, and then she said with quiet resolve, “Well, if you give the credit to those who have helped you life, then it shouldn’t be embarrassing, right?”
Let’s Wrap This Up
This week I’ve been thinking about how much has happened since my dad walked me through the airport almost thirty years ago. Since then, I’ve taught thousands of students, raised a family, and now I’m watching my own kids go off to school. My oldest daughter turned 21 this week.
As I think about what I’d still like to change about my life, I also feel grateful. Grateful for parents willing to sacrifice. Grateful for friends and family. Grateful to connect with school leaders in my state and around the world. Grateful for shoes. Happy for luggage with zippers that work.
A few years ago, I was talking to my mother about the scar on my left index finger. “You know what?” she said. “It took us about three years to pay off that finger one month at a time, but we got it paid off.” I had no idea. I had completely forgotten that she had set up payments for my stitches. And like a typical college kid, I didn’t bother to ask about it again. So as I’m walking down memory lane today, I’m even thankful for the scar on my left finger. It not only reminds me of one bad day back in college; it’s also a reminder of the many small ways that others have loved me – even when I didn’t recognize or appreciate it at the time.
This week you will be serving and leading others, whether it involves your school or family. It’s likely you’ll be taking actions that others may never see. But my guess is that there is someone – whether it’s a student, a teacher, a fellow-leader, or a family member – who will benefit because you’re there. You may even be mending hurts, resolving conflicts, or cleaning up the messes that others are making. Wherever you find yourself this week, take a moment to remember the sacrifices others made for you to reach your goals. And then pay it forward by helping those around you with no expectations or strings attached. When you do, you’ll be doing what matters.
Now It’s Your Turn
Is there someone in your life you may need to reach out to with a thank you for the ways you’ve been helped recently or in the past? Pay attention today for the small ways you can add service or assistance – even in a small way – to someone in your life or your school. When you see someone else serving, how can you celebrate them and show them gratitude.
PMP172: Learning and Leading with John Wink
Nov 07, 2019
Show notes
Whenever you think about your best teachers, I’m sure you think about the ones who make learning engaging, meaningful and memorable.
Photo by Mervyn Chan – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@mervynckw?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit
I often call these “magic teachers” because it seems they can hold the attention of any group of students. But when you unpack what makes an effective teacher, you discover a mix of procedures, expectations, relationships, creativity and levels of learning.
In this week’s episode, John and I discuss ways that teachers and leaders can optimize student learning with strong processes, meaningful engagement, and understanding mastery in learning.
John Wink Bio
John Wink currently serves as the superintendent of Carthage ISD in Carthage, Texas. Prior to that, John served as the director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the Tatum Independent School District in Tatum, Texas, and principal at Gilmer Elementary School (2011–2014). With over 20 years experience in education, John has served as a choir teacher at Longview High School, principal at the Gilmer Elementary School, Hallsville Middle School, and Hallsville High School, and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at Tatum ISD in Tatum, Texas, and superintendent of Blue Ridge ISD in Blue Ridge, Texas.
In his new book, John cover several topics, including classroom management, relationships, student engagement, and rigor/mastery. In a lot of the professional development I’m attending, it is refreshing to see educators embracing the importance of positive relationships on culture and learning environments. But positivity doesn’t replace procedures and routines.
John explains why routines and procedures are such an essential foundation for learning:
Teachers have more demands than ever – which is why we often talk about rigor. That can difficult for new teachers or ones with challenging students. I ask teacher to think about this: If you focus on everthing, you focus on nothing… You can’t have a home until you have a house first: putting up the structures, routines, procedures… they must be done regularly. Students thrive on consistency…
The goal? Independent learners, not just good behavior
Parents need to be able to anticipate what to expect. Learn to be “boringly” predictable…
How can a school leader use the lessons in John’s books to help guide his or her teachers in increasing student engagement?
The fatal error: we think engagement is something we do or for students. If our marriage goal was engagement, we would stay married! The goal is not about teaching, it’s about active LEARNING. This requires the teacher to be observant. Building relationship is key to engagement. What you consider engagement may not be what someone else considers engagement. Fisher and Fry’s work define the stages of engagement: warmups, focused learning, guided learning, collaborative learning, independent learning, assessments w/exit tickets. I have 10 five-minute chunks of time. Define engagement! And model it!
Some educators have a love/hate relationship with the word ‘rigor’. What are the benefits of rigor when you talk about mastery in student learning?
You have two choices with rigor: 1. Vigorous learning or 2. Rigormortus 🙂 Rigor should not just mean “work, work, work…” How do reach levels of proficiency in learning? This means we know exactly where learners are starting. Then our goal is guide them to the next level. Design your assessments so that students can see what level they are on… When they know what skill they are missing, they can improve. When they don’t know, they only see learning as work… Rigor is not about the top step; it’s next step.
Principals: expect this of yourself and teachers. What steps are your teachers? Some just need resources. Others need relationships. Some are ready for mastery!
One final topic in John’s book is teacher leadership. Why is teacher leadership important for excellence in classrooms?
School leaders need to be dealing with the new problems…that is how your school and districts grow to the next level. We need people and systems of leadership for addressing OLD problems. Everyone should be a leadership of something. Someone should be a leader of copiers, Google classroom, note-taking, relationships…
Ultimately, all of our teachers should also be leaders. A school leader’s job is to create a system of leadership to get the job done: monitor and adjust…this happens when we share leadership with everyone.
What is one step you can take this week to better engage your teachers or staff in the kind of learning you want to see them practicing in classrooms? What “old lesson” responsibilities can you ask others to manage so that you can have space to manage “new lessons” as a leader?
PMP:170 Four Lessons in Teamwork from my Son’s Hospital Stay
Oct 31, 2019
Show notes
Six years ago, on October 31, 2013, my son Jack was eight years old.
Photo by Will Montague – Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/36607441@N05
We had just finished an amazing day of trick-or-treating, and he asked if he could change back into his normal clothes. This was a big deal because he had been wearing a hosptial gown for almost ten days. On this Halloween, we did not go door-to-door as we normally did each year. In 2013, Jack was dressed up in his Star Wars Jedi costume and enjoyed trick-or-treating in a wheelchair as we pushed him through the St. Francis Children’s Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
When bad things happen, it is sometimes hard to see the good in our difficulties. My son’s battle and recovery from an infectious disease known as Kawasaki, was one of those times. In addition to the amazing support of our friends, church and community, during those days, I was also astounded at the phenomenal care he received from his nurses, techs, doctors, and interns that literally saved his life.
Each year at Halloween, I think back to that time with gratitude. The medical team who cared for him was an excellent example of teamwork. In fact, I’ve often thought how their actions apply to the work we do in school — or anyone interested in developing a team, organization or even as family.
I’ve shared about Jack’s story in a previous podcast episode. But in honor of this special anniversary, I wanted to reflect on the our experience with my son’s medical team again and share four takeaways that may help you in your own service to others:
1. A common goal unites a group of diverse people.
To give you some context, when our son was first admitted, he was in terrible shape: high fever, rash, swelling, etc. When they diagnosed him with Kawasaki and began treatments, his condition worsened.
Then he went into shock.
His treatments had to stop while they stabilized him for the next twenty four hours. Then they began treatments again, and this time the symptoms began to disappear and he began to heal.
It was obvious during the entire time that his medical team had one goal in mind: to save our son.
No matter their backgrounds, gender, differences in job titles or compensation, each team member was focused on that one outcome. Every decision was weighed against its effect on him, his condition, and well-being.
In Jim Collin’s book, Good to Great, he studies the most effective businesses in America–ones with the longest track record of success. And one of many contributing factors was the ability of great companies to focus on a specific area where they can be most effective and work toward that goal.
Lesson learned? When we focus on a common goal, not allowing ourselves to be distracted by secondary ones, we are more strategic and effective. What is the common goal you are working toward with your team? A common goal can unify the most diverse of people into positive action.
2. Great team members know their roles and execute them well.
Whether it was the nurse tech assigned to check my son’s vitals, his RN who was determined to bring his fever under control, his physicians prescribing treatments or the pharmacists or lab techs we never met but who were prescribing or analyzing–each one played a pivotal role in his healing.
And each one performed the role assigned. The nurse did not attempt diagnose. That was the doctor’s role. The tech did not administer meds. That was the nurse’s role. Instead, each person performed the role he or she had been assigned.
At an athletic event, you sometimes see a team playing “in the zone”. Everything seems to flow effortlessly. But in reality you are observing the skills of individuals who understand their roles and have played them long enough, practiced enough, and been together enough to make a complicated event look like play.
The result is something beautiful to observe.
Lesson learned? Fulfilling specific roles means each team member understands his or her key responsibility areas. When each of us performs our specific role on a team, the effect and outcome can often be breath-taking.
3. Caring for people and reaching outcomes must go hand in hand.
Not only did his medical team accomplish the goal of curing our son, but also they truly cared for him.
Whether it was regulating his meds, whispering soothing words, or finding creative ways to relieve fever, they were consistently showing the sincerest care for him.
Most educators are familiar with the research done by the Gates Foundation on the three R’s that are present in all great schools: rigor, relevance, and relationship.
In school, an educator may be an expert in curriculum and instruction. But the intangible element of caring for and loving students always separates a good “instructor” from a great “teacher”.
Lesson learned? When trust and care are present, not only is a goal accomplished but a meaningful relationship is established at the same time. And usually more learning, productivity and positive outcomes occur in the process.
4. Great teams remain teach-able.
Another of the reason I think my son’s medical team was so effective was that he was in a teaching hospital. Resident doctors interning there were being asked to participate and lead in decision making. At the same time, the older doctors were mentoring, coaching, and teaching them.
It was an atmosphere of mutual respect where continuous learning, research, and practice were valued.
Not only do you flourish when you work in a culture of learning but also those whom you are serving will flourish too.
Lesson learned? When people value the importance of constantly learning from one another, relying on research-based methodology, and growing through experienced practice, then you have created a culture of learning and growth.
Great things happen in places where people are flexible, open, and teachable.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Today Jack is healthy, happy 14-year old. It wasn’t only his medical team who contributed to his care so many years ago. Our school friends, church friends, and family were also amazing. In fact, on Halloween morning in 2013, a local pastor in Tulsa placed this post on his Facebook page: “Hey, friends. There is a little boy in room 123 at St. Francis Hospital who needs to enjoy a great Halloween. Don’t let him down!” Before we knew what was happening, visitors (many of them complete strangers) began stopping by the room with candy, treats and games.
By that afternoon, every surface, counter and windowsill was overflowing with gifts.
Great commmunities work for common goals, execute individual roles, care for others, and remain teach-able. In my son’s case, the actions of a great community quite literally saved his life. Think about what we can accomplish in our lives, schools or organizations when we do the same.
Now It’s Your Turn
What are some other examples of great teamwork you have observed? What would you add to the list of qualities it takes to build a great team? What are some resources on team-work that you recommend?
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