Thrivapy: Live, Learn, Have Fun

I am a believer in rewarding progress towards a mission. Taken form the United States Department of Education's website , here is their stated mission: ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Here is a screenshot (12/30/2012) I  don't really have an answer here, but how - beyond test scores - are schools measuring progress towards attaining that goal?  If there really aren't any measures beyond tests scores, then are schools being rewarded for mission progress or test scores? Finally, what role does diversity (a national strength) play in the realization of this mission?  If all schools are measured for mission attainment based on the same measures, then is there no recognition for how a school in an urban area in the Northeast can make progress towards that mission differently than a school in a rural area of the Southwest?  What about a suburba

 I n 2012, I published (including this one) 165 posts here on The Art of Education.  Recently, I posted the 10 most popular ones for the year (I also published a Squidoo lens with those 10 with previews for each). That leaves 155 posts published this year had varying degrees of popularity.  Looking back, I am satisfied with all the posts, but some stand out to me more than others. Therefore, I am sharing links to 12 posts I am most proud of for 2012 - one from each month.  These may not have had the most traffic, but are noteworthy and deserve a second chance - at least to me. Give them a view.  I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. January The 3rd Dimension: Deep and Meaningful Experiences February 2 Simple Steps To Improve Student Success March 3 Tips For Helping Students Set Goals April Helping Derailed Students Get Back On Track May The Worst Response? June 3 Easily Overlooked Qualities of Highly effective Educators July

S ometimes, measuring the level of student satisfaction with their school experience is difficult. With surveys, there may be pressure (implied or otherwise) on students to "get the right answer."  If you decide to talk with students in a more informal way, depending on your current relationship with them, you may have trouble with students not wanting to "open up" about how they feel about school. Here is a simple test that I use to take the temperature of student satisfaction.  It is not exactly scientific, but I have found it to be a fairly good measure - and it is completely noninvasive.  In other words, students have no idea you are actually getting feedback from them when you do it. 1.  Choose an area of the campus and a time when students are likely to be gathering or moving.  Good examples here include: lockers areas between classes, before, or after school or the cafeteria during lunch. 2.  Walk through the area and make a mental note of how many st

W hen you reflect on 2012 at your school, what did it look like? Think about the activities, student projects, classroom experiences, design of spaces, allocation of resources, new ideas, etc. What did it look like? Did it look like 2011?  Maybe it resembled 2010 or 2008 or 2000? Dare I say, some year beginning with 19? O n the other hand, how much of what you did was progress towards a vision of excellence for a year yet to happen - like 2013, 2014, 2015, ...? We cannot predict the future, but that should not stop us from seeking better and recognizing when a better way might not look the same way it did last year. Is your school moving forward or simply "rearranging the furniture" to give the appearance of progress?

B ased on page view stats (as of December 24th), these are the ten most popular posts from The Art of Education for 2012. An expanded version of this list can be found here . In ascending page view order: 10.   "Unsticking" Your Faculty Team 9.   6 Essential Questions For Each Assignment 8.   3 Ways To Get Students To Ask More Questions 7.   "Dodgeball" Strategies For School Leaders 6.   Nothing Prevents You From Sharing 5.   Low Hanging Fruit 4.   8 Ways Schools Can Enhance A Culture Of Innovation 3.   3 Reasons Students Have trouble Setting Goals 2.   Helping Students Set Goals 1.   Improve Your Relationship With The Teaching Faculty

A  friend and former colleague of mine, Jim, recently paid me a wonderful compliment. Connected via Facebook, he has been reading my blog posts (I share each post on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn).  In a recent message, Jim told me about a time when someone told him that he was "always thinking about something."  Jim, a retired math teacher, considered that a great compliment and wanted to send the same compliment my way. I had never considered "always thinking about something" as a compliment before.  Maybe my habit of reflecting on my art and sharing my ideas with others has caused me to take my own practice for granted.  Never the less, I have a great deal of respect for Jim and will gladly accept his gracious compliment. Thinking about compliments, here are a few questions upon which you can reflect. Considering the work you do, what one statement would be the best compliment a student could give to you? Same question as number 1, but this t

T he Ask is the moment when you, as educator, are put on the spot.  When you are called to address the challenge of the moment.  The Ask can come from any number of directions and sometimes, there is no course of study or lesson from experience to provide the "right" answer. The list of potential Asks is too long to write, but here are a few examples. The shy student who suddenly asks for extra help. The parent of the disorganized student who asks you to initial the homework planner. The interested student asking for ways to deepen their understanding. The uninterested student asking when class ends. Is this on the test? A colleague asking for help managing a difficult class. An administrator asking for your feedback. A worried nation asking you to raise achievement. How you approach The Ask can often be the difference between good and great, between being a cog in the wheel or being an instructional linchpin, or the difference between being simply accepted and

I n a connected society, if you choose to engage, you are responsible to a variety of people.  For students, this list includes their teachers and parents. However, once a student decides to engage and commits to a minimum standard of satisfaction, there needs to be some recognition that the student's personal standard may not line up exactly with those to whom they are also responsible.  Parents and teachers may have different expectations.  Therefore, having a strategy to address this "clash of expectations" is helpful. Here are a few tips: 1.  Try to use differences in expectations as points from which to strengthen your support team. Differences in expectations are a problem if you allow them to strain your relationship with your support network.  Use the differences to enter into a conversation about expectations.  Recognize and accept that the expectations of others matter. 2.  Meeting others' expectations doesn't mean giving up on yours. Having

I like new.  I admire innovation.  Striving for innovation as part of your vision is a strong statement for the belief in potential. However, "new" doesn't last.  There will always be a new "new."  The other problem with innovation is that is it singular.  There can only be one "new" at a time.  So, unless your idea, method, device, etc. is truly "new" then you are not being innovative.  You may be creative.  You might be imitating or borrowing.  But unless you are first with the "new" you are probably not really being innovative. Using slides to enhance your lecture is not innovative. B etter, on the other hand, is never is short supply.  No matter where you are now, better is always available.  Better is easier to imagine and measure.  Working to get better is not a race.  You don't need to be first to be better.  Better is always welcomed.  Growth mindsets love better.  Better never becomes obsolete. Using

O wnership and setting a minimum standard of success has been a recent theme for me. Five Suggestions For Establishing Student Ownership Met Your Minimum?  Now What? Hopefully, at some point the conversation with the student moves to a reflection on when to possibly adjust the minimum standard.  In other words, "When do you raise your bar?" Here are a few suggestions. If you are consistently meeting (or exceeding) your minimum, it is probably time to raise your bar. If meeting (or exceeding) your minimum requires little effort, it is a good idea to raise your bar. If meeting your minimum no linger satisfies your drive to do great work, raise your bar. Of course, it is difficult to self-evaluate these matters.  That is why having a regular check in meeting with a coach, mentor, guide, or.... Thrivapist is very useful.

I recently (12/17/2012) published a post about helping students take ownership of their work .  Two of the suggestions in that post are to: 1.   Help the student define and commit to their minimum standard of success/satisfaction. and 2.  Support self-accountability by developing an if/then protocol. Here is a chart I created to help with the if/then protocol.  If you decide to try this strategy with a student, the graphic may help, especially with students who respond better with visuals.

I n the traditional scenario, the teacher tells the struggling student to "reach for the stars."  Other versions of the same tale are told as examples of trying to inspire students by explaining that their potential is limitless.  Sure, reminding students that you believe in them and know they are capable of better is important.  However, focusing only on the mythical heights of potential might be cutting out an important piece of the process. When students are not working to their potential, it is natural to want to inspire them to do better.  You give examples of wonderful work the student has done.  You tell stories about former students and use their experiences to inspire your current student.  You repeat how much you care and how much you are there to help.  Sometimes, this works...for a while.  But eventually, unless the student learns to take ownership of his or her work, old habits will come back and the student will, once again, struggle. The important piece to

 G etting it done crosses the task off your to-do  list.  It frees you to do the work you find more important; more stimulating.  When you look to get it done , getting done is THE goal.  Other than being finished, there is nothing to share after you get it done .  Getting it done  is a task - a fixed item in time. On the other hand, when you get it  you become open to the value and pleasure of learning.  You are absorbing new knowledge and sharing your work with the world.   Getting it  never ends.  It is a gift to yourself because you are honoring the purpose your muse is calling to to discover.  It is also a gift to others because as you honor your obligation to yourself and take ownership of your work, you become an example to others. Getting it is an attitude.  It is a commitment to quality that applies regardless of  task.  It is a belief in your potential to do better.   Getting it is growth. The challenge for some students is they have a tendency to put get it done

image found at  http://www.pamsclipart.com/clipart_images/apple_silhouette_in_black_and_white_0515-0910-2901-1907.html I was just beginning a leadership team meeting today when I was alerted to the news of the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Simply put, I am shaken to my core and have been managing difficult emotions since that moment. Educators all over the world share a special bond with each other and the students and families we serve.  Today, a great void was created in the community of schools. I hope you join me in offering the most sincerest of condolences to everyone affected by this senseless act of violence. It may not be much, but I am compelled to take some action to recognize the tragic events of December 14, 2012.  Therefore, my blog will "go dark" this weekend to honor the victims, families, and friends of Sandy Hook Elementary.  There will not be any new posts published this weekend, December 15-1

  A utonomy  can be described as a state of self-direction or self-governance.  It is also a word I like to use with students when discussing their work.  This is especially true since I read Daniel Pink's Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us .  Autonomy plays a large role in Drive .  As a matter of fact, autonomy is one of three factors (along with mastery and purpose) that Drive suggests are the most important in motivating people. So, why is it that when students are not provided with detailed micro-managed instructions, they seem to freeze and are frustratingly less capable of getting the job done?  Do students value autonomy less than everyone else? I asked my students and they reported, to my expectation, that they value autonomy as much as the next person.  I also found that they are afraid to be wrong, and when asked to decide which is more important, they seemed 'ok' with giving up some autonomy for the perceived payoff of less risk of failure.

T rying to help students find better success in school is not easy.  Even with the best of intentions, the volume of data and feedback can become overwhelming; making it difficult to know the best way to begin. Sometimes, less is more.  So, here is one question I have used with good success.  It can be asked of any teacher at almost any time and will provide you with a clear starting point to help the student. "What two or three specific actions can the student take immediately that would have the greatest positive impact on his/her results?" Three important results of this question (and answer): "Specific"  - Answers must be specific to be useful.  Responses such as, "Work harder", "Study more", and "Put forth additional effort" are not specific.  Useful responses paint a clear picture of what action needs to be taken and leave little to no room for misinterpretation. "Immediately " -   Begin NOW.  Remember, th

  A recent Harvard business Review blog post by Micah Solomon titled,  What's New About Serving Customers (and What's Not) , offers a few very good suggestions that schools should consider.  The article describes three "new" ideas. 1.  " Social media has empowered customers. Respect and work with that power, not against it." 2.  " Customers expect companies to share their burdens." 3.  " Your customers demand their right to serve themselves." Each of these three has implications for interacting with students and families. 1.  Be easy to reach and respond quickly.  As a general rule, I suggest answering emails within 24 hours - even if your response is to acknowledge that you received the message and will be in touch again soon.  In addition, adopting a FRITR (friendly, reliable, interactive, trustworthy, responsive) philosophy to communication is highly effective. 2.  Turning in assignments, reminders about upcoming deadlines,

I like it when students tell me that they want to "do better."  As a matter of fact, "do better" is one of two most often given responses (along with "get a higher grade").  I like "do better" because it shows a glimmer of growth mindset working in the student, and having a growth mindset is an advantage for those seeking greater satisfaction and success.  However, "do better" is not specific enough for students to get the support, guidance, and help they may need to achieve "better." Students need help clarifying "better." One way to clarify "better" is to guide students through creating a vision of success.  Ask them what success looks like if there were no barriers to achievement.  See if they can describe a vivid picture of  what they are doing when they are doing "better."  Then, ask students to list all the barriers they see to getting "better."  Finally, work with them on a r

 ________________ takes over. discipline effort character vision grit resilience creative thinking problem solving teamwork leadership all of the above Rarely, do things go EXACTLY as planned.  This applies to students trying to get better results, teachers with well organized lessons, parent with hopes and aspirations for their children, and administrators who are initiating new ideas.  When the plan breaks down, even for a brief moment, having the skills and qualities necessary to work through the break down puts you in a much better position to eventually succeed. How is your school teaching, valuing, reinforcing, and celebrating those skills? 

I have spent quite a bit of time recently working with students who have just received their report cards.  Inevitably, the instinct is to focus on the results ONLY as an indicator of what has already happened and as a fixed determinant of learning. Certainly, one's grades should be a measurement of learning from the period of time in which the grades are determined.  However, only viewing grades as a final measure cuts out the growth mindset from the picture. My suggestion to students (and parents) is to balance this view of grades with a growth mindset.  Instead of only focusing on them as a fixed measure of what was, use the grades as a starting point for what can be.  In other words, use the current results to determine what is a reasonable vision of "better" and then work on an action plan that addresses "getting better." Chances are, by focusing on getting better, you will be more satisfied with your next set of results.

E mpowerment has been a theme in some recent posts.  One concerns whether or not school leaders empower teachers to deliver on the expectations of the connected/sharing society .  The other provides a simple definition of empowerment and a quick check on the level of empowerment being offered at your school . Empowerment, however, is a tricky topic.  If you don't feel empowered, you want to be.  If you feel like you are empowering others, you want to see the results.  We rarely complain about being too empowered, but often feel we are not empowered enough.  This may be because as specific expectations change, it is difficult to place the new expectation into the current framework from which you operate.  In other words, "How does the new ___ fit into my existing paradigm?" Of course, the challenge is that paradigms are changing constantly.  What feels like empowerment today may feel like restriction tomorrow.  Therefore, it is very important to be clear about what emp

 T eacher empowerment is an important issue, especially when you reflect on what empowerment looks like in a connected/sharing society .  However, empowerment is one of those topics that can lead to misunderstandings because it can mean different things to different people.  Therefore, it helps to have a uniform understanding of what empowerment is before you can explore empowerment in your school. So, here is my simple explanation for what it means to be empowered. There are three essential elements to empowerment.  Without one of these, empowerment does not exist. Element #1 - A clearly communication and understood set of goals/expectations. Element #2 - Each person clearly understands their role and responsibility in achieving those goals or meeting (or exceeding ) expectations. Element #3 - Anyone with any responsibility is provided to tools and resources necessary to address his/her responsibilities. For each goal or expectation of your school, you can use these thr

R ecently, I made this lens to describe how Thrivapy supports student success .  After making the lens, I began to reflect on the specific challenges students face that can be addressed with Thrivapy. Here are 10 of them. 1.  lack of satisfaction 2.  unclear purpose 3.  inconsistent follow through 4.  no sense of what success looks like 5.  difficulty making a plan to address challenges AND taking action on that plan 6.  inconsistent engagement with work 7.  minimal empowerment to do better 8.  fixation ONLY on grades 9.  unclear about responsibilities 10.  organization/time management/prioritizing tasks with a busy schedule The ideas behind Thrivapy do not only apply to struggling students.  The strategies are as effective for high achieving students who are working to manage busy schedules and demanding expectations. There is more information on the Student Success and Thrivapy lens . You can also email me or schedule a Google+ Hangout to discuss.

L eaders occupy higher ground. This can refer to the teacher in her class, the administrator among his division, the principal or headmaster and her school, the superintendent and his district, etc.  Reflect on where you stand.  Who occupies the ground below you? Now reflect on what you do. Do you spend your time actively trying to make sure everyone knows where you stand?  Are you constantly looking for any potential threats to your position?  Are your decisions motivated by a desire to maintain your status by keeping others away from your spot? Or Do you use your position to pull others up closer to you?  Are you throwing ropes out and providing stability upon which others can rely? Occupying higher ground is a great strategic position.  You can survey wider spaces and gain a perspective that those in other places do not have.  If it was worth the effort to get to higher ground, it is usually worth sharing the experience with others.  Having been there fir

P erpetual potential is a state of: feeling as if anything is possible knowing the next great idea will be found today. anticipating the next best (fill in the blank) will be available tomorrow. believing better is attainable. accepting that one person, with a platform to communicate and the drive to do so, can make a difference. Teachers and administrators: Does this sound like the culture in your classroom?  Does this describe the environment at your school?   Students and parents: Is this a description of your beliefs about your ability to learn?  How does perpetual potential align with your beliefs about yourself? Perpetual potential is not easy.  It requires you to: respect the current reality, but have a vision for the future. be brave enough to act and empower others to act. accept a growth mindset (get better) rather than a fixed one (be the best) engage with others and be willing to share what you know to create knowledge. know that seeking support

I n a recent blog post , I wrote, " The culture and environment surrounding education is going through a dynamic adjustment.  Schools face pressures and competition from places that didn't exist 10 years ago.  It is not going to ever go back to what it "used to be" so schools need leaders who understand change." Educational leaders who understand change also understand how to use vision and mission to support that change. Vision is forward thinking and active.  It describes the ideal future of the school.  Vision communicates change.  Vision is the target set firmly in the distance that everyone can see and aspire to become.  Vision is knowing and embracing that change is inevitable - and those changes will move the organization closer to its most ideal state of operation. Mission is not vision.  Mission is the instrument by which you measure the potential change agents.  Many ideas and initiatives may seem "vision appropriate."  However, not all

M y wife went to the store today to do some grocery shopping.  One of the items on our list was cereal.  Specifically, it is a Kellogg's brand of cereal with "Special" in the name. At the store, she was unable to find the"Special" cereal.  She also couldn't find a single store employee in the area near the cereal aisle to ask about the inventory.  However, she did see a Kellogg's representative (the woman was wearing a Kellogg's shirt) one aisle over.  Since the "Special" cereal is a Kellogg's brand, my wife wanted to ask if the rep knew about the inventory. When asked about the "Special" cereal, the rep quickly pointed out (and in a not too friendly manner) that she didn't work for the store.  My wife recognized that fact, but asked if the woman knew if the store was selling the "Special" brand.  At that point, the Kellogg's rep "educated" my wife to the fact that not only did she (the rep) not

S oon, the holiday break will be upon schools.  If you are looking for a good title (or two) to read over your break, check out my Thrivapy Reading Collection. The collection has something for anyone seeking a better understanding of: goal setting goal attainment taking action building habits growth mindsets understanding motivation taking ownership empowerment developing positive relationships Also, I do not receive royalties from any of the links on the reading collection lens .  All earnings from that page go directly to charity.  In other words, my motivation for creating the lens and sharing it is NOT to make some extra money.  I created the lens and am sharing it to spread, what I think, it an awesome collection of books.