Thrivapy: Live, Learn, Have Fun

I recently wrote a post about trust .  After writing that post and reading the comments left by a few visitors, I began to think about the implications of “building” trust and “earning” trust. Building Trust From a comment left by reader, Dr. Douglas Green: You build trust slowly, but you can lose it all at once. I like the metaphor of the brick wall that you build one brick at a time. The wall can be knocked down with one blow from a wrecking ball. The wrecking ball in the case of trust is most likely a lie or doing something you said you weren't going to do. You can add bricks by doing unexpected acts of kindness. I like Dr. Green’s metaphor of building a brick wall.  Even if we recognize that walls are usually built to “keep people out” and trust is built to “encourage people to come in”, the key element in the metaphor is not the WALL, but the BUILDING of the wall.  In my mind, the act of building has social implications.  Building is obvious, exposed, and visible.  The b

If you are an administrator starting at a new school this coming fall, you may be wondering about how to prepare.  Here is one thing I did a few years ago (and still do).  You may find it helpful. Meet with as many teachers of the new school as you can (or who are available) this summer. Invite them to talk about the school. LISTEN to them! Meet them individually. Meet them on-campus or off, whichever is more comfortable. Begin to learn their names, what they like about the school, what they would like to see changed, what you should not change under any circumstances, etc. Meet as many parents of your new school as you can this summer . Invite them to campus. Have a few meetings in the morning, share a cup of coffee. LISTEN to them! Invite them for small group settings.  There are probably too many to meet one on one. Begin to learn their names, what they like about the school, what they would like to see changed, what you should not change under any circumsta

 Image Source Page: http://morsehill.com/ropes-courses/low-ropes/trust-fall  How do you build trust? This is an important question for all leaders.  Without trust, your vision cannot and will not be shared.  Your cause receives only the superficial support of those over whom you have power based on position.  The work of the school will likely be functional at best.  Certainly, it will not have any deeper meaning. The result? A school in which teachers cannot collaborate for fear of making mistakes, students who only care about "what's in it for them", and families who are unwilling to become active participants in the life of the school. My answer to "How do you build trust?"  Simple in words, often difficult in action... Be honest Be student-centered Be mission based 

In the previous two parts of this series, I examined Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Willl Rule the Future  and suggested how some of the concepts in the book apply to schools.   Those three concepts are: Work that cannot be done cheaper overseas Work that cannot be done faster by computers Work that satisfies the aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual demands of a prosperous time (p. 61) In part three, I explore how schools satisfy the aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual demands of their communities. What do we mean by the "aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual demands" of a school community? To paraphrase Mr. Pink, schools can no longer only provide a reasonably priced (or free for public schools) education that adequately addresses their missions.  Schools need to also be 'beautiful, unique, and meaningful" (p. 33).  In other words, there must be value beyond the teaching and learning - and that value must be obvious.  I suggest that scho

In A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink , Mr. Pink suggest writing a mini-saga as an exercise in story telling.  For those who are unfamiliar with mini-sagas, they are very short stories with a beginning, middle, and end.  They are, I believe, also exactly 50 words long. I have never written a mini-saga, but decided to give it a shot. The School Leader The incompetence of his instruction was matched only by his inept classroom management. Student-centered and mission-driven, he was committed to improve. He got better and wanted to share his passion with others. He now has an office and business cards. Now the learning is mutual. His message is, “Follow me!” If you are looking for a way to work on your story telling skills, I recommend this exercise.  It was a great way to help find efficient language as well as being plain old fun. Thanks for reading!

In part 1 of this series, I explored the notion of doing work that "can't be done overseas."   Inspired by Daniel Pink's, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future , that first post spoke of the need for schools to remain financially responsible and resilient.  By practicing prudent financial management, respecting time, efficient use of human resources, and nurturing alternative revenue streams, the costs of operating schools becomes more acceptable, thus making your school a more realistic option for potential families. In part 2,  let's take a look at how schools can not just maintain but increase their impact on the lives of students by "doing work that computers cannot do faster." There are two key aspects to this idea for schools that I want to discuss. Identify the work that the school does (or the value provided) that cannot be provided by a computer. Effectively putting computers to work in schools. Identify the work that

In A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future , Daniel Pink speaks of the necessity of work that: Cannot be done cheaper overseas Computers cannot do faster Satisfies the "aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual demands of a prosperous time" (p. 61). I have been thinking about how this applies to schools. Specifically, I am thinking about how these three points apply to private school enrollment and operations. This post explores statement one: Work that cannot be done cheaper overseas While most schools are not directly competing with an overseas market for students, whenever potential families have choices about how to use their dollars, there is competition for those dollars. In the most basic sense, tuition charging schools need to decide to position themselves in the market that they choose to enter for students.  The three I refer to most often are: High tuition: best product, highest quality Great value: less expensive, but getting a great deal

I’m sitting at my breakfast room table on Father’s Day morning and thinking about how easy it is to love my children, yet how hard it is to be a parent.  Love alone is not enough.  If it was, then the parenting part would be easier.  The love may keep us from losing our minds and provide the necessary foundation for good parenting, but love alone is not sufficient. How does this relate to education? Loving our students is not enough.  Caring about them is not enough.  Wanting the best for them is not enough. Sure the love, care, and hope are all critical as a foundation for success, but they require additional pieces to make a true difference. Here is a list of additional qualities that help complete the profile of an effective educator (and parent).  Feel free to add to the list. Patience Skill Good communication (clear and disciplined) Accept that you need to let students “fall” a few times as part of the learning process Organized High standards, reasonable expectations,

Here is a Prezi based on one of my most popular posts. Enjoy! 3 Pillars that Uphold a Student-Centered School Culture on Prezi   

If lost in the wilderness, people without a sense of direction will eventually walk in circles.  Therefore, it is important to find a fixed point somewhere on the horizon upon which to maintain your movement in a certain direction. Schools can be challenging environments in which the demands of the day (or even the hour) can disorient a teacher or administrator from achieving necessary progress on important strategic issues.  This is not to say that being flexible enough to assist with unexpected issues is not important.  Such flexibility is important for school leaders.  What I am suggesting is that it is equally important to have some mechanism to “maintain your direction.”  You need to find your fixed point on the horizon.  Otherwise, you may begin circling back over issues long since covered and no longer in need of attention. Do you have any tips for finding your fixed point?  How do you keep a big picture/strategic outlook while addressing the daily operations of your school? 

I have written before about the value of establishing and supporting a growth mindset in and towards students .  As school leaders, do we also work to establish a growth mindset in and towards our teachers? Some school leaders may be hesitant to approach growth oriented feedback with teachers.  The temptation to focus on fixed results (test scores, duties performed, clubs sponsored, etc.) is powerful and is not entirely without some merit.  Using some markers to suggest areas for growth, such as fixed results, can lead to a clearer, more effective growth plan. Talking about professional growth and making that mindset the foundation of most conversations makes people vulnerable.  Weaknesses are exposed.  Walls are torn down.  This can make some people uncomfortable. It can be just as uncomfortable for students to engage in growth oriented conversations.  Therefore, strategies that help students focus on growth may also help teachers. Here are a few. Establish trust.  No trust,

Many of us may have had a conversation like this before: You are talking to a department chair (or another appointed manager/leader) who asks you about how to “get my teachers to do what I tell them to do.”  The chair’s issue is that once she tells certain people what needs to happen, they usually just go about their day as if the request was not made.  She asks, “What authority do I have, as chair, to make them do what I want them to do?” If I am trusted to do a job, I want the power given to me and then I will be held accountable for it.  But give me the chance to make or mar that job myself. - Theodore Roosevelt I believe this quote holds many answers to the question posed by the department chair in the example above.  Let’s look at the issue from multiple angles: the teacher being asked to perform a function by the chair, the chair herself, and you, the school leader being addressed by the chair. The Teacher For the most part, I find teachers to be quite willing and able to

After reading Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions  by Guy Kawasaki, I decided to take a look at Alltop.com . From their site : The purpose of Alltop is to help you answer the question, “What’s happening?” in “all the topics” that interest you. You may wonder how Alltop is different from a search engine. A search engine is good to answer a question like, “How many people live in China?” However, it has a much harder time answering the question, “What’s happening in China?” That’s the kind of question that we answer . You may notice the Alltop.com widgets on this blog and even the badge I now display.  You can now find this blog, The Art of Education , as well as many other great sources on Alltop.com's Education page . If you are looking for a good place for searching topic specific information, give Alltop.com a look.

One of the school leader’s most important role is what I call being the CSO – Chief Storytelling Officer – for the school.  I have written before about telling good stories well , I neglected to include why storytelling is a vital skill for the leader. School Culture and Tradition Sure, your school may have an archive and the library may have an entire collection of past yearbooks, but being able to “tell the tale” of how your school has evolved into the paragon of virtue and scholarship is a key part of your school culture and tradition.  Here’s a hint – find the teachers or staff members who have been around “forever” and LISTEN TO THEM!  There are great nuggets of wisdom in their stories.  You will be surprised to learn what they maintenance worker, cafeteria assistant, bus driver, or 7th grade history teacher remembers about how the school operated in 1989. Recruiting and Retention Telling the story of your school is a powerful piece to any recruiting or retention plan.  This

Here is a nice  response to my recent post, Innovative teachers: Revolutionaries or rebels? I enjoyed this post, my Admn. trusts me and allows me to do almost anything I ask (in the name of education). I take many risks because I know she will allow me to do it. Unfortunately I am one of the only ones in my building taking the risks.... This response, as well as a recent #isedchat Twitter session (Thursday evenings at 9 pm EST), got me thinking. Why do some administrators not "allow" innovation to exist?  What strategies can teachers use to "enchant" support for innovative ideas from their administrators? Before I begin, let me offer a strong recommendation for the following books.  If you are interested in this topic and are looking for a stimulating and passionate read, please check out Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions  by Guy Kawasaki, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?  bySeth Godin , Poke the Box  by Seth Godin, and Do the Work  by St

In many ways, education is essentially an on-going conversation.  Therefore, effective communication is often a staple of good teaching and learning.  Unfortunately, this skill does not com easy for some of us.  It takes practice, the desire to learn from each conversation/lesson, and the willingness to apply what you learn to your next interaction. It is also important to remember that communication is both verbal and non-verbal.  What you do is often more powerful than what you say.  For example, Teacher ‘X’ tells a student that she would like to help him, but she cannot because he didn’t sign up for the help session in advance.  The student notices that there is plenty of room for him, but is denied the session anyway.  The result – even though the teacher said she wanted to help, the decision to value the sign up procedure over the student’s initiative to seek help sends the message that the student is not worthy of consideration over a seemingly benign procedural issue. Naviga

I had a conversation with a friend recently in which the subject of rebellions vs. revolutions came up.  Looking back on the conversation, I cannot remember how it came up, but it did.  What I do remember is saying something to the effect of the difference between a rebellion and a revolution is: Rebellions are something to be put down and are historically viewed as being defeated. Revolutions, on the other hand, are historically viewed as successful and positive movements. Both are the result of mobilizing and unifying passionate followers to take action on a radical, new, or innovative idea.  One is successful.  One is not.  If given the choice, be a revolutionary – not a rebel. In schools, we say we want creative and innovative thinkers coming up with ideas about how to educate students better.  When teachers come forward with ideas, do we as school leaders view them as rebels or revolutionaries?  Are the ideas presented in a way that motivates you or invites you to be a par

I like Westerns.  One of my favorite scenes from The Magnificent Seven is when Chris (Yul Brynner) is recruiting men for his group to protect the village.  The first “recruit” was Vin (Steve McQueen).   While sharing a drink in a saloon, Vin asks Chris how many men he has lined up to take on this seemingly impossible task.  When Chris indicates one (raises one finger), Vin takes a deep breath and holds up two.     There has been plenty of interest in the idea I wrote about in my recent post, “I have an idea.” In response to this interest, I want to share an expanded version of the idea .  This expansion is more detailed, but still calls for collaboration and feedback. Click the logo to access the Google Doc outlining additional thoughts and details. I have also created a collaborative working document with the purpose of collecting your thoughts, ideas, questions, etc . After reviewing the information and/or contributing to the working document, please feel free to let me

For quite some time, I have been working on an idea.  I have been calling it, for lack of a better name, The American Society of Independent School Educators (ASISE). The Idea The idea is to create a society designed to bring together the collective wisdom of independent school educators (and others who share a set of basic principles  about education) in an effort to improve education for all students.  The resulting effect being the advancement of independent school education through the work of the school’s most valuable assets - the people who deliver the school’s programs and are responsible for the school’s operations. While many current groups are designed to support independent school educators through relationships with member schools (i.e. state and/or regional accrediting associations), my idea is a society designed to support independent schools through the networking and development of independent school educators.  To strengthen schools by strengthening educators. Th

Many schools have Honor Rolls for students who achieve a certain grade average. Philosophically, I do not have any problems recognizing students for their achievements, but I do think about the term “honor” and how it is used in that context. Recently, I participated in National Junior Honor Society induction ceremony for a group of middle school students.  As part of that ceremony, I was asked to make a few comments.  In preparing to do so, I drew some inspiration from our 30th President, Calvin Coolidge, who said “No person was ever honored for what he received.  Honor has been the reward for what he gave.” This quote really got me to think about the role honor plays (or is ignored) in schools. Undoubtedly, there are numerous teachers, students, parents, and administrators who have spent this past school year giving of themselves for no other reason than to make someone else’s day better.  As a matter of fact, I often ask students two basic questions: What have you done today