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Time to Repair and Rebuild Culture – Where to Start

It is not a secret that organizational cultures took a beating during the pandemic. The result for too many of us has been feelings of isolation, struggle to remain engaged in and committed to our work, and even questioning whether we still belong. Unfortunately, without focused attention and careful effort, some of the damage to the culture of our schools and districts will become permanent. Simply hoping the situation will improve holds little promise. Declaring that certain elements will be part of our culture does not guarantee their presence. Repairing and rebuilding culture takes time and focus. It also requires an understanding of what the culture can be and why rebuilding is important. Our repair and rebuilding plans must focus on the areas and aspects of our culture that have sustained the most crucial damage. Our plans also need to include expanding and strengthening areas of the culture that were not as robust as they needed to be prior to the pandemic. Of course, as leaders we must model the central elements of the desired culture consistently and visibly. If we as leaders do not commit to and behave consistently with the culture we seek, all other efforts will likely fall short. The beginning of a new year is a great time to revisit, reexamine, and recommit to the culture that will define us and the impact we will have on our students, each other, and the communities we serve. We must be intentional, transparent, and authentic in our work to repair and rebuild. We also need to support the work with dialogue, activities, and reflection to translate concepts and aspirations into experience. Here are five areas of examination and potential activities that can serve as places to start: Reaffirming core values and purpose. We may assume that the core values in place before the pandemic remain and that everyone accepts and is committed to a common purpose. We may be correct. However, much has changed over the past few years. Unless we revisit, re-examine, reaffirm our core values, and recommit to our central purpose, we risk having them drift, be ignored, and even be abandoned. Our repair and rebuilding efforts must push beyond broad statements to include clear examples and evidence of living our values and purpose. Activities in which we engage might include generating what would constitute evidence of living our purpose and values. We might provide real or constructed case studies, and in response, people could identify the values involved and describe how our purpose would inform actions to take and messages to communicate. Seeing through the eyes of learners. We can examine learning experiences from the perspective of students. When we do, we shift the focus away from adult issues and gain insights into how learners experience the culture and what we can do to make the culture more inclusive, supportive, and rich for students. Activities that include student voices can stimulate important conversations and dispel faulty assumptions about how students experience school. Student voices can also provide insights regarding where to expand learning opportunities and experiences, how to increase learning commitment, and how to uncover ways to make learning more relevant and compelling. Reaffirming the value of community. Shared community is a crucial element of a healthy culture. When members feel as though they belong, are valued, and are respected, almost anything becomes possible. People want to feel confident that they will receive support when needed, that they can collaborate without fear of manipulation, and that they can struggle together without fear of blame and abandonment. Activities must help participants to feel what community can be and how it opens doors to possibility. Celebrating evidence of living our purpose. A strong culture is more than an aspiration. It is experienced daily, sometimes minute by minute. When teachers and other staff members exhibit courage, flexibility, patience, persistence, and other purpose and value related behaviors, it is important that we recognize and celebrate these behaviors and their impact. What we choose to celebrate conveys a message about what we value. The activities we choose need to signal the importance of reflecting and recommitting to core values and purpose. Building shared capacity. New challenges, a new context, and new expectations call for increased capacity to respond and serve. Initial capacity building activities can engage teams and staff in learning that has value for all. Activities might explore how to stimulate student creativity, promote engagement, and build learning skills. Capacity building can also extend to defining and responding to challenges and opportunities facing the organization. We can explore how everyone can play a role, contribute their talents, and be a resource in meeting challenges and take advantage of opportunities. Organizational culture often becomes strongest when everyone works together in the face of difficult problems, responds to external threats and achieves common goals. Sustaining a healthy, vibrant culture is difficult work even in stable and predictable times. The times in which we are living are neither. Consequently, the work of repairing and rebuilding culture now is even more challenging. Yet, it is work that can strengthen and transform our organizations and the experiences of those associated with them. We face what may be a once in a career opportunity to lead work that will create a path to greatness for our organizations and for those who are a part of them. It is time to get to work.

July 21, 2022

Begin the School Year with Advantage-Creating Mind Frames

We look for advantages when and where we can find them. Advantages can give us a head start and make success more likely. Advantages give us leverage to avoid wasting time and energy. Advantages are especially welcome when they do not mean that others must experience a disadvantage. So, starting the new year with advantages that help our students and us succeed can be welcome, especially during times like these. One of the most significant and impactful advantages we can gain as we begin a new year lies in how we think about and approach our work. How we position ourselves in our relationships with students will largely determine how they will respond. And the strategies we employ to help students learn will greatly influence their success. With this context in mind, let’s explore four mind frames that can give us and our students important advantages in the weeks and months ahead: Mind frame #1. Don’t focus on removing the challenges that lie ahead; prepare students to meet them. We might be tempted to lessen the challenges that students will face by giving them easier work or providing excessive support, but we risk devaluing the success they achieve and giving a false sense of accomplishment. Rather than making the road ahead easy, we can focus on developing the skills and confidence students will need to meet and succeed with the challenges they will face. We will not be able to lessen the challenges our students will experience once they leave us. Preparing our students to accomplish demanding tasks and succeed in difficult times is an advantage we can offer that will serve them well regardless of what their futures hold. Mind frame #2. Don’t protect students from every misstep and setback; help students learn from their mistakes. Mistakes can be frustrating and even painful. Of course, we do not want our students to suffer. However, in the context of learning, mistakes can offer powerful lessons that lead to growth. In fact, some of the most powerful and memorable learning our students will gain this year will be the result of their mistakes and missteps they experience. While we need to offer instruction and coaching that focuses students on what is important and prepares them to encounter new concepts and skills, we also need to allow them to make mistakes without shame, excessive penalties, and unnecessary risk, so that learning can result. Mind frame #3. Don’t force students to prove they are trustworthy; assume and treat them as though they are, and they will prove you are correct. What we assume about the character and intensions of others can have a determinative impact on how they respond. When students feel that we trust them and believe they will be positive, contributing members of the class community, they are far more likely to behave accordingly. Lengthy lists of rules and consequences for misbehavior risk communicating a lack of trust and can tempt some students to test us to confirm their suspicions. On the other hand, when we choose to trust, students are also likely to want to prove us correct. Meanwhile, should the behavior of students occasionally fall short of our expectations, we are more likely to see and treat the behavior as an aberration than confirmation that they are not trustworthy, and we will seek to correct rather than punish. Mind frame #4. Don’t ask students to convince you of their talents; look for what makes each one special. As a new group of students enters our class, we might take the position that they must prove themselves to us before we recognize their abilities and talents. Of course, some students who have the confidence of past success will respond. However, this approach risks missing some of the most important, latent talents that students possess and have the potential to develop. Conversely, if we adopt the mind frame that every student possesses talents and gifts and our challenge is to help each student discover and develop what makes them special, we set the stage for far more talent discovery, development, and demonstration. Importantly, even if we are not successful in completely discovering and developing the gifts of some students, we will have communicated to them that they are special, and we are confident they have potential that is yet to be fully recognized. We cannot control every aspect of our students’ learning, relationships, and growth in the year ahead. However, the mind frames we adopt and the advantages they offer can make important differences in crucial areas over which we have control. The best part is that these mind frames cost nothing but hold the promise of immeasurable value.

July 21, 2022

Culture Was a Costly Casualty of COVID – Rebuilding Starts Now

A strong culture is what makes the work in an organization worth doing. Culture often determines where we choose to stay, even when the work is hard and not everything is perfect. Culture infuses meaning and purpose in our efforts and nurtures our need for belonging. Yet, we sometimes take culture for granted, that is...until we lose it. Culture is not a mystery. We know its strong, positive elements. People share a common purpose and follow explicit core values. Expectations are clear, and we welcome and value fresh ideas. We recognize and appreciate individual and team contributions, and we respect the common practice of collaboration. Routines and traditions communicate connections, build our sense of identity, and make the work feel like more than just a job. Many of us reflect fondly on life prior to COVID. We long for how life and work were before all the disruption. Of course, not all was perfect. We struggled to engage and instruct students in the face of digital, societal, and other life distractions. We countered underfunded education and limited resources. Our work was difficult. Yet, looking back, we can experience a sense of loss. The pandemic upset many aspects of the culture we experienced, from disrupted routines to lost traditions. Much of what we thought we could assume about our work no longer applied. It became more difficult to collaborate and communicate. Accordingly, we felt more isolated, less supported, increasingly overwhelmed, somewhat muddled in our sense of purpose, and eroded in our sense of identity. Culture became a casualty of COVID. Unfortunately, culture does not necessarily rebound on its own. Many underlying conditions have changed our work and shifted our expectations. Restoring routines has proven difficult. Efforts to revive old traditions have, at times, felt contrived. Even renewing and refreshing professional relationships has sometimes been a challenge. If we hope to have a strong, supportive, productive culture once again, we need to rebuild it. Culture cannot be left to chance. Waiting and hoping that our pre-COVID culture or an even better one will reappear is an unwise choice. We need to be purposeful, strategic, and persistent right now in our efforts to create a work culture we want and need. But where do we begin? Here are five places to start: First, we can easily revisit our central purpose and values. What driving force defines our organization? What do we want to accomplish and for what do we want to be known? What do we believe about the people who are part of our work, and who will benefit from it? How will we become our best selves? Second, we can rebuild the personal connections, support, and sense of belonging that make working together worthwhile. How can we share our successes and what we learn with each other? How can we restore our shared commitments and rebuild trust? What does it mean to be a part of this organizational community, and how do we want to make it special? Third, we can be clear about the commitments we make to our students and their learning. What can students expect from us? How will we build their capacity and motivation to learn? How will we prepare them for their futures? How will we support them while also nurturing their independence? Fourth, we can decide what will we not accept or tolerate. What will not have a place in our culture? What will we promise each other to always avoid and reject? What will we do when we are faced with the unacceptable? Fifth, we can establish routines and traditions to communicate who we are and what we value. Routines communicate what we value in our daily work. Traditions represent our values and what we long to celebrate. What routines need to be re-established, and what new routines should we adopt? What traditions should we continue, and what new ones should we establish? Building or rebuilding culture takes time and persistence. We will experience setbacks that require adjustments along the way. However, there are few forces that are more defining and influential than culture to drive the success, satisfaction, and sanity we seek.

July 14, 2022

Five Strategies to Defeat Pesky ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts)

Most of us have had the experience of perceiving a person or situation as negative and reacting accordingly, only to find later that the person was much different than we perceived and the situation was other than what we assumed. We all know the feeling of thinking someone disliked us when they were simply distracted by a circumstance of which we were unaware. Additionally, we have been reluctant to begin a task for fear of failure, only to discover that the task actually led us to new, unimaginable skills and opportunities. These thoughts are natural. Caution and self-protection can serve us well, but such thinking can also prevent us from experiencing much in life that can lead to growth, opportunity, and happiness. Scientists claim humans have as many as 70,000 thoughts per day. Unfortunately, most are negative. Equally disheartening, about 90% of our thoughts are repeated from previous days, leading to bad habits, biases, and distortions that do not serve us well. Worse, a good portion simply occur automatically. Over time, our negative thinking can increase the frequency and level of stress we feel, diminishing our brain’s serotonin and dopamine productions. These natural chemicals produce feelings of happiness and well-being. Persistent negative thoughts can even accelerate the brain’s aging process. Having studied the phenomenon of negative thinking and its consequences, psychologists call this process Automatic Negative Thoughts, or ANTs, because these thoughts happen so quickly and naturally. Like actual ants in nature, these thoughts permeate our reality and can be difficult to eliminate. Nevertheless, there are several strategies we can employ to shift our thinking and push pesky ANTs into the background. First, resist mind reading. We “mind read” when we think we know what another person is thinking or feeling. When we do not receive the reaction we expect, our ANTs often lead us to assume the other person is upset, uncaring, or choosing to ignore us. We reduce the number of ANTs with which we must contend when we resist negative assumptions and delay drawing conclusions until we know the facts of the situation. Second, refuse to take what happens personally. People are less likely to be focused on us than we assume. When people are short with us, snap at us, or seem grumpy, they are as likely to be reacting to something unrelated to us as not. As much as we might think otherwise, the world generally does not revolve around us. Third, resist “all or nothing” thinking. When we think about people and situations in terms of “always or never,” “perfect or horrible,” or “winner or loser,” we risk missing the nuances of life. Life delivers a mix of good and bad. Even the worst situation can have positive dimensions. People who seem perfect also have flaws, and people who make mistakes still have strengths and talents. Fourth, refuse to engage in “should haves,” “could haves,” and “might haves.” Actions we take and choices we make can seem clearer in retrospect. Rather than wasting energy on regrets and guilt, we can focus on what we can do now, what we can learn, and how we can adjust in the future. We cannot change the past, but the future is ours to shape. Fifth, ask yourself if there is another way of thinking about the situation. A delay in the delivery or completion of a report can leave us feeling disappointed, but the additional time can allow us to become better prepared and able to collect information that improves our decision-making. Changes in perspective lead us to discover new insights and opportunities we would have otherwise overlooked. Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can be challenging to shift, but when we convert them to Positive Energizing Thoughts (PETs), we win. In other words, we can transform our ANTs into our PETs. Comaford, C. (2012, April 4). Got inner peace? 5 ways to get it NOW. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2012/04/04/got-inner-peace-5-ways-to-get-it-now/?sh=ead92d667275 Westenberg, J. (2017, May 9). You have 70,000 thoughts every single day – Don't waste ’em. Observer. https://observer.com/2017/05/you-have-70000-thoughts-every-single-day-dont-waste-them-decision-making-process/

July 14, 2022

Four Daily Intentions That Rebuild Confidence and Optimism

There are times when we can feel as though we are caught in the “back water” of life. We may doubt that we are making the difference we want to make. We are not making progress where we desire. We may even feel our confidence begin to wane and our optimism to dim. Certainly, many forces and factors can contribute to these feelings. However, the challenge is to find our way out. We may not be able to control all the elements in our lives that push us in the direction of momentum loss and self-doubt, but there are steps we can take and areas to focus our attention to counter the malaise in which we find ourselves. It happens that by taking control in some areas of our lives we can counter what we are experiencing elsewhere. When we create energy and build momentum in areas over which we have control, we often begin to see movement in other aspects of life. We can begin to turn the situation around by the intentions we adopt for how we will spend our time, where we will focus our energy, and the actions we choose to take. Let’s consider four intentions we can adopt for each day that can put us on a path to rebuild our confidence and restore our optimism. First, we can adopt an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude is a surprisingly powerful life force. When we pay attention to the things in our lives we can be thankful for and we notice the actions of others that make our lives easier, more pleasurable, and full, our outlook automatically begins to change. We start to focus on what is good and valuable rather than what is frustrating and disappointing. Life gets better when we start the day committed to finding and appreciating what can make us grateful and end the day by reviewing and savoring what is good in our lives. Second, we can commit to showing compassion to others. As difficult as our current circumstances may be, there are others who face challenges equal to or greater than ours. When we choose to notice, understand, and care about others, our burden can feel lighter. Further, when we show compassion to others, we gain an appreciation for their courage and can be inspired by their commitment. Showing compassion generates a sense of connectedness and reveals the value we can offer in the lives of others. It is a worthy question at the end of the day to inquire where and to whom we offered compassion. Third, we can commit to being of service to others. As educators, we might assume that everything we do is in service to others. While this perspective has merit, the value of service is revealed when we take an additional step, offer a little additional attention, and provide a measure of support beyond what may be typical or required. When we provide a measure of extra service to others, they benefit and so do we. We feel better about ourselves and we can see the difference we make. Taking a few minutes at the end of the day to reflect on what we did to improve the lives of others, even in small ways, can make a big difference in how we feel about the day and what we did in it. Fourth, we can commit to being curious. At first, this intention may seem like a surprising strategy to turn around our confidence and attitude. Yet, curiosity is the gateway to surprises, discovery, and learning. When we adopt an attitude of curiosity, we notice aspects of our world that we may have ignored or taken for granted. We ask questions that lead to new insights and information. We open ourselves to learning and exploring. Curiosity can lead us to see new opportunities and guide us to let go of what may be holding us back. At the end of the day when we recount for ourselves what we explored, discovered, and learned we can see a world that seemed closed begin to open and that invites us to grow and become who we want to be. Intentions can be powerful forces. When we align our energy with what we want to accomplish we can overcome barriers that seemed insurmountable. New insights and opportunities emerge and new strategies surface. When we commit to practicing gratitude and showing compassion, being of service and remaining curious, and we take the time to reflect and appreciate our experience, we harness a force to rebuild our confidence and restore our optimism.

June 17, 2022

An Empowering View of Resilience

A popular understanding of resilience is that it is the ability to tolerate and survive despite challenges and setbacks. While this perspective is correct, it is incomplete. Resilience is more than hanging on and surviving. Resilience includes learning, adjusting, and responding. While it might be enough to “hold on” and “weather the storm” in the short-term, this approach offers little in the face of sustained pressure and long-term changes. In fact, this approach risks weakening our relationships, shifting our outlook on life, and compromising our future success. There is another dimension to resilience that is more empowering, effective, and even growth evoking. This approach adopts a learning, adjusting, and engaging view of what it means to be resilient. Rather than “hunkering down” in response to pressure and stress, we can view the situation through a lens of what we can learn from the experience, how we can adjust our perspective and strategies, and where we can engage more effectively going forward. We see repeated examples of the second dimension of resilience in nature. As living conditions and environmental factors change, animals and even insects adjust. When some sources of food disappear, the search begins for other sources and shifts in diet. When predators threaten, potential victims develop new strategies to counter the danger. While the pressures and stresses we experience may be less existential, they are serious, and our health and well-being depend on us responding in ways that are effective and sustainable. In this context, we might define resilience as our ability to adapt effectively to the difficulties life presents to us. We are not freed from pain, grief, and anger, but we identify and adopt ways to respond and stay healthy. Of course, each of us needs to discover and adopt what works best for us. Nevertheless, here are five strategies to consider:

Look for what can be learned. We can start by searching our memory for what has worked in the past. We can examine the situation and seek out elements and aspects over which we have control. We can look for new skills and strategies that others have employed effectively. The key is to view the situation as one that invites learning rather than tolerance.
Focus on progress and accomplishment Setting goals, marking progress, and celebrating even small wins can provide energy, meaning, and purpose in our lives. Experiencing progress and success can also increase our confidence, provide a sense of control, and renew our commitment.
Embrace hope. We can take the long view on our current situation. Almost every circumstance will improve over time. Seeing a point in the future where we will get beyond our current troubles, experience greater stability, and achieve success can keep us going even when current circumstances are difficult to manage.
Act. We may not always know what to do. But doing something is almost always better than doing nothing. In fact, when we try something, we often learn more about what else we can do that would make a bigger difference and be even more successful.
Choose how to respond. When we are emotional, feel pressured and stressed, or uncertain, we can react to what happens around us with little thought or intention. When we do, we give up our ability to choose. We cannot always control what happens to us, but we always have a choice in how we will respond. In that choice can reside considerable influence over what happens next. When we choose how to respond we inject a degree of control that can be sacrificed in “knee jerk” reactions. In fact, thoughtless reactions can often make the situation worse.

We often have more influence over and control in situations than we realize. However, we need to engage, learn, and adjust to discover what might be possible. Choosing to practice resilience as “toughing it out” can work in response to short-term conditions and challenges. But when life presents significant shifts, changing circumstances, and new expectations, a better choice is to take control for ourselves, engage our learning, and unleash our creativity.

April 22, 2022

Share Your Tips & Stories

Share your story and the tips you have for getting through this challenging time. It can remind a fellow school leader of something they forgot, or your example can make a difficult task much easier and allow them to get more done in less time. We may publish your comments.

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Appreciate Your Teachers: A Letter to My Much Younger Self

Dear My Much Younger Self, So many people are playing roles in your life right now that will shape who you become and what you will accomplish. Yet, their value and impact are not yet clear to you. In fact, the guidance and influence they are offering are not always comfortable and welcome. Still, you need to listen, follow, and treasure what they offer to and ask of you. Among the people who are guiding and shaping who you will become are your teachers. Of course, it can be tempting to dismiss and push back on what they say and expect. You think that you know what is best for you. Unfortunately, you do not have enough life experience and perspective to make every decision on your own. You need to pay attention, heed their advice, and follow their guidance. I have come to appreciate many of the expectations teachers are holding for you. They have shaped my attitudes and expectations for myself. Insights they are sharing with you have stayed with me decades later. Let me share with you some of what I have learned as I reflect on the experiences you are having now. The teacher who is pressing you to lift your aspirations and increase your investment in learning sees in you potential that you do not yet realize you have. Listen to what the teacher says and follow the advice you are given. You will not regret it. The teacher who gives you challenges and pushes the boundaries of your learning knows that the most valuable learning you will develop comes with struggle and frustration. When you make mistakes as you are learning, know that they are a natural part of the process. Use them to adjust your approach and guide your learning. The teacher who holds high expectations and refuses to lower them when you fail to make your best effort and do your best work is teaching you a valuable lesson about life and learning. When the work is hard, you need to focus on your effort and strategies, not how to “work the system” or find an easier path. The teacher who resists providing you with immediate answers is not necessarily being difficult. Learning where and how to find answers for yourself is a lesson you will use for the rest of your life. Knowing how to solve problems on your own will serve you well when you face dilemmas and difficulties and no teacher is present to provide a formula or show a clear path forward. The teacher who presses you to focus on what you are learning, not just the grades you will receive, is guiding you to focus on what is most important. It may seem that grades are what you are working for, but grades are nothing more than symbols. Grades at their best do little more than capture the progress you have made and learning you have gained. I could go on, but you are probably wondering why I am sharing these things. I want you to do something I neglected to do. I fear that my teachers did not feel my appreciation for what they did for me when I was experiencing what you are experiencing. Of course, you cannot fully know or appreciate the impact they are having on you and your life. Trust me. What your teachers are doing for you matters. You will come to value the impact they are having. In the coming week, please make it a point to thank your teachers for what they are doing for you. Tell them that you appreciate that they push you and hold you to high expectations. Thank them for believing in you and your potential. Let them know that you understand that learning is not always easy. I know. Doing what I am asking is not typical behavior for you. It will feel awkward. I am asking you to do it for me. Of course, you will also be doing it for yourself. Enjoy what lies ahead. Your life will be amazing. All my best, Your Future Self

April 15, 2022

Five Compelling Reasons to Remain in Teaching

This is the time of year when the stresses and strains of teaching can lead educators to contemplate making a change. Certainly, the experiences of the past two years have not made the work any easier or less stressful. Consequently, we can lose perspective, forget what led us to teaching, and overlook the important reasons to remain in this profession. In the coming weeks, you may be approached for advice by a colleague who is having a “stay or leave” debate with themselves. Without lead time and opportunity to reflect, you may miss the opportunity to remind your colleague of some of the most compelling and enduring reasons for choosing to remain despite the pressures, distractions, and frustrations. If you should find yourself facing this challenge, here are five important truths about teaching you can share. First, teaching positions us with a front row seat to learning. Learning is among the most complex, magical, and inspiring of human endeavors. It is difficult to imagine more compelling and rewarding experiences than to see “a light go on” as a student makes an important connection, discovers a new insight, or applies a challenging new skill. The “mystery” that is learning challenges us to reflect, imagine, inquire, and even improvise in real time. Few other professions offer such meaningful engagement multiple times each day. Nurturing the learning of students invites us to be learners with and for them. Second, teaching reminds us that we are needed. We may be the one smile a student will experience in their day. We may be the only consistent advocate they have. The compliments and encouragement we offer may the only support they feel. We have the power to make a student’s day. Often, we are the one person who will make it a day to hope, persist, and celebrate. Third, teaching positions us to influence the future. Our engagement with students is early in their life trajectory. When our influence leads to even a small change today it can have a life altering impact over time. Some people are experts at predicting the future. Teachers are experts at creating it; one student at a time. We may not know which of our students will discover a cure for a dreaded disease, solve an important world problem, open a local business that keeps a community vital, or serve their community in other important ways, but we know they will. In the words of astronaut Christa McAuliffe: “I touch the future. I teach.” Fourth, teaching offers pure entertainment every day. In the words of former radio and television host Art Linkletter: “Kids say the darndest things.” His words offer in insight into one of the special treasures of teaching. Students are funny, creative, imaginative, surprising, unscripted, and always bring a fresh perspective. If we need to laugh or smile, we can always recall something a student said or did that was so surprising, unpredictable, or humorous that we cannot help ourselves. It has been said that if teachers do not see humor in their day, they must not be paying attention. Fifth, teaching allows us to work with friends and kindred spirits. Teachers make great friends. They care. They are dedicated. They work hard. They also are funny, loyal, and dependable. They are ready to offer support and share insights and ideas. Teachers are quick to understand when colleagues are worried or struggle to solve a teaching and learning problem. The fact is that good people tend to be drawn to teaching. They want to make a difference and they understand that one of the best places to contribute is in the lives of young people. The reasons why a colleague may contemplate making a career change will likely be varied and complex. However, you may be able to provide what they need to be convinced to stay when you remind them of what teaching has to offer and what it means to them.

March 02, 2022

The "C" quence That Drives Success and Innovation

At some point in our careers each of us has probably experienced the feeling that some element of our practice or the design of our approach is not working, or at least is not working well enough for enough students. We sense that there must be a better approach, a more effective strategy, or a new way of thinking about a persistent problem or unmet need. We may decide to just keep on keeping on and make the best of what is, or we may choose to explore something different. We may not even know exactly what we are looking for or need, but we resolve to spend some time, give some attention, and dedicate some effort trying to find out. We need to know where to start and how to find the answers we seek. We may be unsure of what to do when we land on something that seems promising and worth pursuing. We might even wonder if we have what it will take to pursue our idea or strategy to the point where it begins to pay off and provide the benefits we hope. Fortunately, there is a path, or sequence of thinking and action, we can employ to guide us on this journey. We can follow these four C’s and the sequence they suggest to focus our attention and support our work. The first C is curiosity. Without curiosity we fail to see opportunities, we ignore promising ideas, and bypass exploitable circumstances. Curiosity leads us to ask more questions, observe more closely, and keep our attention engaged. Without curiosity we are left to respond to what others point out and tell us is important and doable. Curiosity opens the door to possibility. The second C is confidence. When we feel confident in our skills and abilities, we are freer to take risks, explore options, and move forward before every question is answered. Alternatively, when we doubt and talk negatively to ourselves about our capabilities, we may see opportunities and paths worth pursuing, but hesitate fearing failure and embarrassment. Interestingly, asking ourselves what we would do if we were not afraid can make us aware of what is possible and worthy of our attention and bolster our willingness to act, even when our confidence is not strong. The third C is commitment. Commitment is our confidence in action. Once we commit, we move from exploring to exploiting opportunities and circumstances. Without commitment, we risk false starts, early abandonment, and lost opportunities. Commitment becomes stronger when we gain clarity about our intentions, set goals for our work, and measure our progress. The fourth C is courage. The path to success and innovation almost always includes setbacks and experiences that lead us to question our goals, doubt our worthiness, and require us to respond to doubters and skeptics. We might face criticism for choosing to try something new, pursue a different path, or question tradition. Yet, we need to continue to work, learn, and move forward. Remember: Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the choice to act despite it. Courage is what carries us through the final stages of the journey to success. The path to success and innovation will not always be smooth and easy. Yet, it holds the promise for us to make a difference, leave our practice and profession better than we found it, and provide learners with opportunities that they otherwise would not have experienced. In short, it is more than worth the risk and effort. It may even open doors and create opportunities beyond what we imagine.

February 25, 2022

Five Signs Our Desire to Please May Be Hurting Us

It is common for humans to want to be liked. The approval of others feels good. However, constantly seeking the approval of others can become “too much of a good thing.” Preoccupation with the approval of others can compromise our effectiveness, undermine our self-confidence, and blur our sense of direction. Placing the immediate approval of others as the highest priority for our decisions and actions risks doing what is popular rather than doing what is right. The long-term consequences of approval seeking can undermine the trust and confidence of others. It can also lead to exhaustion and burnout. Of course, as with most things in life, we need to seek balance. Enjoying the approval of others is not a bad thing, unless it compromises our principles, distracts our attention, and leads to poor decisions. What are signals that we may be paying too much attention to what others think and working too hard to please them? Here are six signs to monitor:

Do I pretend to agree with others, even when what is said conflicts with my values? Obviously, we need to be willing to listen and consider what others say and think. We can accept the views of others as their perspectives. However, validating untrue, hurtful, and disrespectful statements just to be liked undermines our self-respect and risks people seeing us as weak and inauthentic.
Do I find myself apologizing frequently even when I have nothing for which to apologize? Being willing to admit mistakes and apologize for them is an important interpersonal skill and mature response. However, when we constantly accept blame for plans and activities that do not go perfectly, we risk undermining our influence and placing ourselves in an undervalued and disrespected position.
Do I constantly seek ways to avoid conflict? While engaging in unnecessary conflict can hurt relationships and compromise our reputation, conflict can be important to finding new solutions and relieving built up tensions. Certainly, we need to keep conflict focused on ideas and issues, not people and personalities. Yet, seeking to avoid conflict at all costs risks growing frustration, may leave important matters unresolved, and can place our leadership in question.
Do I need praise to feel effective? It feels good to be praised, but praise is not the same as accomplishment. Much of the important work we do is not widely known and may not immediately be recognized as praiseworthy. Our focus needs to be on our values and goals, how what we are doing is consistent with what is important, and how we are moving things forward. Our commitment needs to be to practice behaviors that are worthy of our approval, even if others may not immediately notice.
Do I struggle to say “No?” Being able to say “no” can be as important to our effectiveness as saying “Yes.” An inability to say “No” risks allowing unworthy activities to go forward and us committing to actions in which we do not fully believe. Further, we can waste precious time and energy on other people’s priorities while sacrificing our own.

Of course, none of these elements are absolutes. Their presence, in moderation, is natural and healthy. The key is to seek and maintain balance. Pleasing others is fine if we do not lose our identity and self-respect in the process.

February 18, 2022

The Master Teacher Blog