Thrivapy: Live, Learn, Have Fun

L ast year, I wrote a number of posts near the end of the year heralding the usual thoughts.  Those included some predicted ins and outs , my favorite posts from 2010 , and a list of blogging and social networking goals for 2011 . As for those posts, some ins are more common, some of my favorite posts have been read by more people, and I simply destroyed my blogging and social networking goals.  That leads me to this year and how to wrap up a great 2011 while looking ahead to 2012. I have decided to change my approach, somewhat, and pass on making any predictions.  Mostly because I have little control over their becoming true , but also because after doing so last year, I had little time or interest in tracking how well my predictions were going.  This year - no predictions. Also, I am not going to set any blogging or social networking goals.  Last year, I was interested in increasing the numbers of posts and followers.  This year, those numbers are not as important to me as wha

Image found at http://blog.mmiworks.net/2007/05/lgm-gimp-project-overview.html    L ast July, I published a post in which I defined the various components of what I called the "Open House Culture" in schools.  Since writing that post, the Open House Culture concept has become the subject of one of my eBook projects as well as an upcoming faculty presentation.  As such, I have been reflecting on the concept of an Open House Culture and refining/expanding some of my initial thoughts. In that post, I suggested a brief definition for all five components.  One of those five is "Friendly," which was described as: If you genuinely like being an educator, let everyone know from the first impression (if you do not, find another line of work).  Smile.  Produce more “happy endorphins.”  Dress professionally and/or appropriately.  Greet everyone with an implied invitation to engage rather than to “get this over with.” While I am happy with my initial idea of Friendly,

Pete Turner—The Image Bank/Getty Images   A vision statement speaks to the preferred future.  If all things were operating at their highest level, the vision describes what is happening. A mirage is a false vision.  It is the idea of something "good enough to help us survive." Visions gain value through inspiration . Mirages get more valuable through desperation . Visionary leaders motivate others to contribute to and share in the dividends of the preferred future. Mirage spotters motivate others to save themselves by working towards a false sense of achievement. What type of educational leaders do you want to be? What type of leader do you want your students to become?

H ere is an offer I hope you will consider this holiday season. One of the most rewarding experiences of my undergraduate time at Rhodes College was being involved in the philanthropic efforts to support St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee . One of the most rewarding aspects of my professional life has been the publishing of my two eBooks, Paying Attention: Thoughts on Communication in Schools and Foundations: Examining Vision, Beliefs, Mission, and Philosophy  for Kindle. Therefore, I thought I would offer the following deal. Between now and the end of January, for every copy of  Paying Attention: Thoughts on Communication in Schools  or  Foundations: Examining Vision, Beliefs, Mission, and Philosophy  bought, I will donate $1 US of my royalties (which are not much more than $1) to  St. Jude's Research Hospital . Paying Attention: Thoughts on Communication in Schools  is priced at only $0.99 US and  Foundations: Examining Vision, Beliefs, Mission, a

"Permission" by Hugh MacLeod found at Hugh MacLeod's gapingvoid H ave you   ever wanted to shake things up in your classroom?  Try a new way to communicate with students?  Introduce or deliver a lesson?  Assess student learning and growth? Have you tried any of those ideas? No? Why not?  And don't say it is because you don't have permission, because you do. Permission is granted by those who matter most - your students. Yes, they want you to try new things.  They need you to show them that it is 'ok' to be creative, innovative, willing to risk failure for outcomes worth realizing, like changing the world. Modelling fear is a sure way to graduate drones.  We have enough drones.  We need more leaders, thinkers, producers, and problem solvers. Would you be more willing to take a chance if you had a safety net?  Guess what, there are no guarantees.  Your idea may flop.  You may need to try over and over again until you get it just right - the

Y ou can probably reflect on your career in education and list the administrators and leaders you felt were most effective and least effective.  While there are many reasons why, I suspect much of your opinion rests in how these leaders handled adversity and failure. There are those that ignored it and moved on as if nothing happened.  Not effective, no learning, likely to repeat the same mistake again...and soon. There are those that accepted what happened, but used it as a learning experience.  Likely effective because in their sincere quest to make improvements, they demonstrated a willingness to serve their mission and model collaboration and growth. The third group is the one I worried most about.  These are the ones that claimed they wanted to know why things aren't working, but are not as interested in truly learning as much as trying to save their egos and positions.  As operations begin to take an undesirable turn, they quickly "round up the usual suspects&quo

W hen you "like" something, you typically enjoy it, but can take or or leave it.  When it is missing, the "liked" item is can often be easily replaced with a new "like." Loving something is different. Love is an investment.  You pay a price for it, but the benefits are worth the price - and then some.  We miss what we love.  They are not easily replaced.  When they are gone, there is a void. I'm glad there is no "love" option on Facebook.  I "like" it just fine. Now comes the holiday break for schools.  As with summer break, I hear many people express how much they can't wait for the break.  I hope it is because they need a much deserved re-charge, not because they want to get away from the work. Maybe I am unusual in my thinking, but I love being in school.  Not the same way I love my family, but when I am out for an extended time, I feel it.  Sure, I like to get away and re-charge my batteries as much as the next p

S chool leaders are often called upon to help mend and re-establish positive relationships.  These relationships can be student:student. student:teacher, teacher:teacher, teacher:parent, etc. What is difficult is knowing exactly what needs to be done in order to set the relationship back on the right track.  More often than not, something happened to damage the relationship and someone needs to be "made whole again." One key to successfully navigating these situations is to listen carefully at what each party is saying in order to determine exactly who needs to be made whole and how. Here is an example: A High School teacher suspects cheating on a test and follows the school procedure for looking into the matter (uses discretion with the student, contacts the Dean and Division Head, awaits the administrative decision before taking any further action). The student is cleared of any wrong doing. The teacher is informed of the decision and accepts it. The Dean of S

René Magritte, Coming and Going  by  Duane Michals , 1965 O f course, most of us want to arrive at just the right time and leave at the most optimal moment.  Unfortunately, it is rare that such perfect timing occur. School leaders face a similar issue.  Is it too late to initiate ideas others have been using?  How would it look to "arrive" at that particular educational "party" at this point?  Should you wait for the next "invitation?" On the flip side, your school is already immersed in an initiative.  Are there signs that that "party" is slowing down?  Should you move on while things are still going fairly well or risk being the awkward "last person in the room?" The party scenario highlights a real issue with many school leaders.  Mostly, it is about change.  When to talk about it, when to do it, is the timing right, did we make a mistake before, is this new idea the best one, ... the list goes on. Here are a few suggesti

Image found at http://publishingguru.blogspot.com/2010/08/open-doors-along-journey-of-writing.html I f actions speak louder than words and we are judged more by what we do than what we say, then what does it mean when nothing gets done?  If there is no progress, movement, or any obvious attempt to do so, is there any leadership? For example: You are in a group of people who were invited to attend a party.  When you arrive, you and the others are shown into a large waiting room.  There are no instructions, but in the room are three doors.  Each door leads to another room (unknown to the group is that all three doors lead to the party).  You can hear the party going on, but are unsure which door leads to it. What should you do?  Well, you have choices. Do nothing and wait for someone from the party to arrive and tell you what to do. Do nothing and wait for someone in the room with you to try the door(s). Discuss what to do with others in the room. Get up and open a door.

W hy? The question is usually asked in relation to one of two contexts. "Why did we succeed?" or "Why did we fail?" Answers to both questions should include reasons.  Reasons provide information that can be used in the future to either succeed again or avoid failure.  Reasons are shared.  Reasons provide lessons.  Reasons make us better. Only one of the two questions ever gets excuses - "Why did we fail?" Excuses try to cover up reasons.  Excuses are selfish.  Excuses attempt to share (or deflect) blame.  The only thin learned form excuses is to avoid teaming up with the excuse maker. Failure is not the enemy.  Allowing excuses to satisfy failure is. Ask "Why?" five times.  Get five reasons.  Clarify your mission, define your core values, develop your mantra. Ask "Why?" five times.  Get five excuses.  Update your resume.

A s a school leader, one of your roles (by the way, it is not specifically listed in your job description) is to be a scale. Didn't you know that? Well, it is true.  You are a scale.  You need to measure things.  Specifically, you need to weigh projects to determine how heavy they are. Why? Because you are also the person who is likely responsible for assigning those projects to someone (or some team) to deliver results. Here's the challenge.  Is your "scale" calibrated?  How accurate is it?  A scale that doesn't measure accurately isn't very helpful. Let us assume your scale is accurately measuring the weight of your school projects.  Now what? "Light Lifting"  "Light" projects are those that should not present a problem to just about anyone on your team.  Successful completion does not require any major use of energy or necessitate any specialized skill set.  For example, let's say you need someone to

S chool leadership and administration implies an acceptance of responsibility.  Most, if not all, of you probably agree with that.  The challenge is normally not the responsibility, but the frustration that creeps in when you are disappointed over the lack of progress in addressing those responsibilities.  Making matters worse is that in many situations, your leadership/administrative responsibilities are very closely tied to the work of others. How do you know if frustration is creeping in?  Simple test:  Do you find yourself saying or thinking questions that begin with: "How many times do I (we) need to...?" If you are thinking or saying questions like this, you are probably feeling the frustration, and your progress towards fulfilling your responsibilities is likely   being delayed by someone else not having their part done on time or at an acceptable level. This frustration is no secret.  As a matter of fact, it is a big reason why many educators stay away

Today, I turn 40. Despite some ego bruising for never making any "Top 40 Under 40" lists, I think I have navigated these past 40 years fairly well.  I think it is natural to look back and reflect on life when you come up on a cultural milestone like turning 40, but I would rather take this opportunity to express what I feel as I turn "20 again." I feel... fortunate to have been raised by loving parents and among wonderful siblings. lucky that both of my parents are still around to talk to. blessed to have a beautiful and supportive family of my own. honored to have made so many good friends. excited to enter this phase of life - both personally and professionally. overwhelmed by the positive response to my writing and blogging. energized by the prospect of developing my ideas and seeking opportunities to contribute to the professional learning of other educators. tremendous satisfaction for the efforts of all the students I have taught over the ye

E arlier this year, I read Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational .  I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone looking for a good read about behavioral economics. In preparing for a school presentation, I came across this video of Dan talking briefly about many of the topics in the book. Enjoy.

M y experiences with professional learning opportunities have taught me a few things. The more personal the experience, the better. Recyclable experiences (those that can be used multiple times) present deeper opportunities. Expensive does NOT equal value. The easier it is to share the "lesson", the better chance of the experience being transformative. This is why I have really come to appreciate reading short eBooks and reflecting on their content.  Generally, these eBooks can be read in one sitting, prompt you to reflect on the message, and make it simple to return to the source multiple times as needed.  Oh by the way, they are also inexpensive and easy to recommend and share. As recently announced, my new eBook,  Foundations: Examining Vision, Beliefs, Mission, and Philosophy , is now available for Kindle on Amazon.com. Every effective leader makes decisions and takes action based upon a set of foundations. In  Foundations: Examining Vision, Beliefs, Missi

I n a recent post, School Leadership In Layers: From Buy In To Results ,  I introduce vision, beliefs, mission, and philosophy as the four foundations upon which leadership is built. These four foundations are the subject of my soon to be published ebook, Foundations: Examining Vision, Beliefs, Mission, and Philosophy . Foundations is a short book (about 40 pages).  It is short for a few reasons. First, the topics in Foundations can be quite personal and should develop accordingly.  I am not trying to give you answers, only prompt your thinking about your vision, beliefs, mission, and philosophy of education and leadership.  The brevity of the material presented is intended to provide you enough information to entice you to reflect on your own. Second, I wanted to provide a resource that you can read in one setting and re-read as needed. Third, feedback from my other writing has shown that many readers appreciate shorter pieces that are to the point and easy to

S chool administrators say plenty (and hopefully DO plenty - see "walk the talk").  Some administrators like to talk because they seem to like to hear themselves - all the time.  Some, like me, enjoy talking as much as the next person, but tend to choose our words more carefully.  Thus, we may not speak as frequently, but are just as effective. Either way, there are certain messages that should be communicated daily. Whether you like to improvise or stick to the script, here are a few things that school administrators should say daily. Good morning. What are you learning (teaching) today? How is your day (week, semester, year, etc.) going? How can I help? How is (insert project, plan, new initiative, etc.) working? What do you want to do? What does that look like at this school (share your vision)? Is there a more effective and/or more efficient way to accomplish our mission? What have you done today to be a better student (teacher, administrator, etc.)? Wh

F or many teachers, writing student comments for report cards or mid-term reports can be one of the most time consuming and stressful parts of the evaluation process. Here are a few tips that will help you write good useful comments. Use ACTIVE language.  For example: Avoid statements like, "Billy had been doing his work daily..." Instead, try "Billy did his homework daily..." Focus on GROWTH.  The grade is (or should be) obvious on the report.  Therefore, writing a comment that solely speaks of the grade is, in many cases, redundant.  Instead, focus on what the grade implies: effort and growth. If you need to deliver difficult news, try to lead the comment with something positive and end with my 4th tip. Include what YOU WILL DO to help the student over the course of the next school term.  Often comments focus on what the student must do, but do not tell how the teacher is going to support those efforts. Bonus tip related to #3: If you know a stude

I am in the process of finishing my new ebook, Foundations , when I came across an old handout from graduate school which served as a guide for students to write a statement of educational philosophy.  One of the items asks students to decide what they believed the "essence of education" is. The choices ranged from: choice knowledge skills growth reason intuition It is unclear, but I believe the handout was taken from a piece written by Patricia Jerson (1972) titled "What Is Your EP: A Test Which Identifies Your Educational Philosophy" Since 1972, the world has changed a little (insert chuckle here).  Therefore, I ask if there needs to be any additions to those choices above.  I'm not sure any of them need to be removed, but what could possibly need to be added into the mix?  Here are a few ideas. creativity collaboration innovation virtue Now, let's ask the question (sorry for the pop quiz!): What is the essence of educatio

I spent yesterday at the VAIS (Virginia Association of Independent Schools) Annual Conference which kicked of the day with a keynote speech from Dr. Jane McGonigal, author of Reality Is Broken: How Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change The World .  Many of my friends and connections rave about Dr. McGonigal's work, so I went into the event wanting to hear something that challenged my thinking and inspired me to a new outlook for education. Full disclosure: I haven't read her book and only know what I hear from friends and from the address yesterday. In all honestly, I was not terribly moved by anything I heard.  It may not be fair, but from the start, I was less than enchanted with the presentation.  For starters, she wasn't even at the event!  Her address was Skyped in from California (I believe).  I don't have anything against video conferencing, but the experience did not have the best first impression. Second, I kept wondering, "What significant

Sunday Rendezvous: Week of November 7 - November 13, 2011 My Posts Line In The Sand Or Concrete? (11/11/2011) Looking For Followers? Start With One (11/10/2011) School Leadership In Layers: From Buy In to Results (11/9/2011) Who We Are and What We Do (11/7/2011) Other Items 5 Ways To Be Known As A Groundbreaking Thinker Nominations for TED2012: The Classroom  How Introverts Can Succeed in Business and Leadership Mega-list of how-to guides for Google+ brand pages Quick Look: Schools Create Their Own Apps! 7 Things to Know About Google+ Pages for Brands

A s a school leader, you will experience a situation in which someone refuses to buy in and contribute to a project.  This decision to "draw the line" may not matter and your project continues anyway.  On the other hand, the person refusing to move may actually halt progress. In these situations, it is best to determine whether the line was "drawn in sand or concrete." Lines in the sand are easily erased.  They can be covered up and usually disappear by morning.  People who draw the line in sand also tend to underestimate how far the "tide" of colleagues' opinions will reach.  Because of this, their line gets erased without their needing to be the one who did it. Lines drawn in concrete are another matter. If still "wet" the line can be removed or smoothed over, but not as easily as in sand.  Quick action is needed here because once the concrete dries, the line is staying.  There is only one way to remove a line that has set in co

Image found at sivers.org Y ou have an idea for your school and you are trying to build a following for it. Consider this approach. Start with employing your idea to make a positive impact on one person. Even if you believe your idea has potential to make significant changes on the school as a whole, starting with one person helps build momentum, encourages referrals, and gives you field support for your idea. Similar to building your social network, if you begin with one person and deliver good content, ideas, or support, the followers will appear. Great ideas that can potentially make large scale changes are sometimes find themselves in perpetual planning due to the overwhelming pressure to live up to its potential right away.   One person with a great idea needs to organize others to share and support that idea in order to make large scale impacts, but one person with a great idea can make a positive impact on one other person.

A ll leaders, including educational leaders, work to get others to follow their lead.  They work to get others to buy in. After reading a post by Lisa Petrilli about getting others to follow your lead and participating in the Twitter  #leadershipchat concerning the same topic, I offer the following observations for educational leaders. Foundations of Leadership Any decision to take on a leadership role requires you to develop the foundations from which your leadership is built.  Solid foundations are more likely to support more followers.  Poor foundations may encourage your followers will leave before your "house" comes crashing down (or they get caught in the crash).  I suggest four equally important and interconnected foundations for effective leadership.  These are: Vision Beliefs Mission Philosophy These foundations support your decisions and actions.  Your decisions and actions as a leader are the outward examples of your foundations.  The foundations are

Image found at: http://electricminded.blogspot.com/2010/07/missing-piece.html W e like to think that we define people by who they are, but we often define who they are by what they do. This is even more the case when the "doing" takes place in a public setting.  If you look at a group of students in class, at assembly, or during lunch, what do you see? She's a cheerleader. He's a football player. She's an actor. He's a musician. etc... Unfortunately, some people have equally important qualities that  they work hard to keep private. She also volunteers at the local food bank on weekends. He tutors his neighbor's son in math. She keeps up with her chores around the house. He is also writing a book in his spare time. etc... As a school leader or administrator, how do you define your teachers?  What do you see?  Not just during your formal observations, but in all areas? Are there any qualities that you know of that are less public and

Sunday Rendezvous: October 31 - November 6, 2011 My Posts Independent Schools and Job Satisfaction Considering School Administration? Advice and Suggestions Vision Killers Other Items Nonprofit Employers Don't Meet Workers' Needs for Job Satisfaction, Survey Finds Nonprofit Employees Are More Satisfied Than Other Workers With Their Jobs Why Teach in an Independent School How to Crush an Employee's Enthusiasm 9 Things Successful People Do Differently BYOD - Personal Electronic Devices at School

I am close to the end of writing my next Kindle book.  The working title is, Foundations: Examining Vision, Beliefs, Mission, and Philosophy .  In it, I define a few "vision killers" that leaders need to look out for when developing their vision. Here is an excerpt form the book in which I describe vision killers.  Be aware of them as you reflect on your own vision of schools. Traditions that impede progress Traditions are fertile ground to harness symbolic leadership, but can also act to slow progress.  When misinterpreted, traditions act as a convenient excuse to stop forward progress.  Be alert to when tradition is used to stop progress as opposed to celebrate success.   Fear of scorn Success breeds success, but it also brings out the worst in some people, especially those who are envious of your success.  It is unfortunate, but strong visions can illicit strong responses from those who feel threatened by your vision.   Stereotypes If your vision is being