Thrivapy: Live, Learn, Have Fun

A ll of us enjoy the feeling of having reached a concrete fixed goal.  It provides a sense of accomplishment and, often, a welcomed boost of energy after an arduous task.  Having worked hard, it is nice to take some time to recharge.  If you are fortunate enough to receive recognition or rewards, that is fine too. Unfortunately, you will wake up soon after and realize that its time to either move on to your next accomplishment or continue working on your current projects. Students work hard, study, ask questions, and perform tasks or projects to demonstrate understanding (usually in the form of tests).  Based on that work, teachers evaluate their work and (in most cases) assign a grade.  That grade is either good, bad, or average.  Based on the grade, students (and parents) react (happy, sad, disappointed, angry, elated, etc.). The grade, like the reward or recognition, takes center stage for awhile.  Until, soon after, the student realizes that on Monday morning they will be bac

G iven the need for independent schools to attract and retain qualified students and families, it should come as no surprise that the last few years have likely prompted many conversations in which teachers have been asked to be more sensitive to and proactive in the marketing of their school to current and prospective families.  Unfortunately, many teachers are quite confused by such requests and simply fall back on “doing what I always do” in hopes that such actions fulfill the request.  Such reactions highlight a disconnection between the teacher’s role as instructor and the need to assume a more conscientious role of marketer. I don’t blame teachers for feeling confused.  After all, I doubt many of them had any formal marketing training as part of their teacher preparation.  Certainly a course in school and community relations may be helpful, but as a marketer? Probably not. As an administrator at an independent school that has asked its teachers to be more conscientious of their

I t used to be that your choices for sharing your ideas, thoughts, and expertise were few and seemingly reserved for a small fortunate number of anointed gurus.  You could write a book (and hope it was chosen for publication), submit an article to a magazine or journal (see note about writing the book), or invest time and energy into finding forums (such as conferences ad visiting other schools) that might be open to hearing your ideas.  For many people, the daunting task of trying to share was overwhelming.  The net result was a culture of educators who like the idea of sharing, but mostly felt powerless to do anything about it. Today, those barriers to sharing no longer exist. You want to write a book?  Do it.  If you can't find a publisher (or don't want to try to find one), publish it yourself. Want to share articles about your ideas and thoughts?  Start your own blog.  Submit a guest post for someone else's.  Publish your own online journal/magazine. Want to

I f you had the ability to do anything you wanted to make your class more effective, more engaging, or more transformative - what would you do? If you knew you only had 5 years left to teach, would you change anything? If today was your last day teaching, how would you approach your class? Does what you are currently doing as an educator match up with what your idea of "great work?" If so, how are you helping others do their "great work?" If not, why? T hank you for reading this post.  As with all my posts this month, I ask you to consider joining me to help support a worthy cause -  St. Jude's Research Hospital .  Between now and the end of January, 2012, I will donate $1 US for every copy of either of my two eBooks purchased.  You can find additional information about this offer by  clicking here .

I n a previous post, I wrote that motivated students doing great work can be found at the intersection of opportunities to build essential skills and the opportunities to learn important subject matter .  I still believe this, but want to add a third dimension into the discussion.  It is a dimension that is less about what you teach or how you teach it.  The third dimension is about nurturing a culture within your class conducive to developing deep and meaningful experiences. Why is creating such a culture in your class important? There are probably many reasons (feel free to leave a comment with your reason), but I suggest the importance of creating such environments in your class are related to society's move away from standardization and more towards distinction.  In other words, in a connected world in which choices are practically unlimited, people are more likely to choose options that are aligned with their desire to make connections with others who share their own spe

Picture found on http://maryandmatt.net/2011/06/ A s I walk around schools, I notice that students really attach themselves to brands.  That is nothing new.  What is hard to find are students who love generics or knock-offs (also not new).  They want to feel special, not generic. Of all the ways to identify themselves, where they go to school is among the most used.  Think about it.  When kids meet each other, one of the first questions you are likely to hear is, "Where do you go to school?" Their school is part of their brand - and they want it to be special! What is special about your school? Do you recognize and celebrate, unashamedly, that quality? Do you tell students how special they are for attending your school? If so, how?  If not, why? How do you show your appreciation for their being a part of and contributing to your school's special qualities? T hank you for reading this post.  As with all my posts this month, I ask you to consider joinin

W hen kids play dodgeball, I typically notice two extreme strategies. One is to race to the front, risk elimination, and challenge the other team.  By doing so, the player learns more about his or her own abilities and make the necessary adjustments next game.  This player learns. The other is to hide in the back, make yourself as invisible as possible, and last as long as possible.  Since little effort is made, this player rarely learns how to play better. The problem with the first is that unless the game allows you to return when a teammate catches the ball, you will probably not play very long.  For games with no "returns" the kids who really don't want to play will use this strategy to get out, but the ones who are more likely to help their team win will be more cautious. The problem with the second strategy is that, if successful, eventually you are the only one left and cannot hide. Thus, a very obvious and public failure is inevitable. Dodgeball hint

This post was submitted by Dr. Kevin J. Ruth. Kevin is CEO/Executive Director of eSchool Network. He holds degrees from the Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, and Stanford University, and is in his seventeenth year in education. He has served independent schools in the classroom and on the courts, and he also serves as a trustee at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy in Virginia. He has published on medieval studies, leadership, and school strategy; additionally, he runs an independent school blog at Introit . He lives in southeastern Pennsylvania. I ndependent schools have taken their time in entering the online/digital learning arena, and for good reason. We’ve wanted to watch the efforts of our colleagues in the public and charter spheres, and we’ve waited patiently for data to roll in on whether online/digital learning shows any real promise. Finally, a recent report on digital learning from the US Department of Education shows that digital learning can be effect

A t some point, in every school, someone spoke up in a meeting and said something like, "I have an idea.  Why don't we try 'Idea X.'  I think it will work well at our school." "Idea X" was new.  The school decided to try it, to experiment with it, to get feedback and make adjustments.  Suddenly, "Idea X" was being referenced in conversation, people began identifying themselves as a member of the school that does "Idea X."  Aspects of "Idea X" began to show up in areas of the school far beyond the original intention. Now "Idea X", which was once innovative, is now tradition. Of course, not every idea or innovation will stick.  Innovation implies experimentation.  Therefore, some ideas will not survive in their original form.  Unsuccessful initiatives shed light on new, previously unseen ideas, which may eventually change the landscape of your school. Tradition and innovation are not opposites as much as they

Image found at http://periodictable.com/Stories/015.8/index.html    Matchmaker Y ou are a school leader. You have a team of educators with whom you work. You have problems to solve, ideas to explore, and initiatives to put into action. If you have invested enough time to know your team members' needs, strengths, and challenges, you have half the information you need. Now examine the problem, idea, or initiative.  What personality, skill set, interest level, etc. is needed to solve it, try it, start it, lead it, or finish it? (You may even ask a colleague to answer the same question to see if her answer is the same as yours). Last step: "introduce" your problem, idea, or initiative to the team member(s) whose personality, skills, needs, strengths, etc. are a good match.  You are also expected to provide the necessary resources to encourage success (think of it as paying for the first date). More than likely, you have created a platform for success, empo

Image found at http://www.retaildoc.com/blog/fruit  "L ow hanging fruit" is a term describing objectives that are easily achieved with little effort.  While I would suggest NOT including low hanging fruit as a part of your professional goals, there may be value in recognizing how "picking such fruit" may play an important role in maintaining your efforts over time In other words, though you may prefer the "tastier" fruit located on higher branches, don't starve yourself by ignoring the sustenance in front of you.  Work tirelessly to achieve your most desired goals by feeding off of some less "important" achievements in the short run. For educators, I have often seen many good teachers and administrators with wonderful goals who mistakenly ignore easy, short term gains because they think it will derail them from working towards their larger, more impressive long term achievements. Long term, higher reaching goals are vital, but

Most Popular Posts of 2011 N ow that 2011 is officially over, I am happy to provide my most popular posts from The Art of Education from  the past year. For those who have been frequent readers, "Thank you" for such a successful year. If you are a newer visitor, feel free to catch up by reading these posts. Visit often! My Top 10 Most Popular Posts from 2011 (#1 being most popular) #10:   Suggested Summer Reading For Teachers and Parents #9:   2 Questions Every School Leader Should Ask Themselves Daily #8:   Maintaining Student Connections: 7 Tips For Future and Current Administrators #7:   Are You An Inspired Educator? #6:   3 Common Practices Educational Leaders Should Avoid #5:   Why Some Resist Tech Integration in School #4:   In Memoriam: My Friend Stanley Rauch #3:   The "Evolution" of Education #2:   Things School Administrators Should Say Daily (But Usually Don't) #1:   3 Pillars to Uphold a Student-Centered Culture