LeaderTalk

Focus on You

I'm not certain about all school districts, but my experience has been that the end of June officially signifies the end of the school year, at least fiscally, if not also contractually.  For eleven-month administrators, the end of June can mean vacation is about to begin.  For twelve-month administrators, it can mean things might slow down a bit in July with possible time for reflection and planning along with some vacation time.

Whatever your situation is, I strongly encourage you to use your vacation time.  Really use it.  Don't just take half days here and there.  Get out of the office.  Get out of the building.  Get out of town, if you can.

I recently took a week and left town.  I went near the Boundary Waters area in northern MN to a cabin.  No access to the Internet, so I couldn't check my emails.  My cell phone worked and I did get a few work calls during the week, but that was OK.  The luxury was having complete days to do whatever I wanted.  I never used an alarm clock and I slept in as long as my body needed.  I read a complete book.  I knitted a baby blanket.  I sat on the dock and watched the sunset across the lake.  I did enough sudokus to get my fill (almost).  I napped every day.  I soaked in every minute of the week.

As a new administrator, I probably wouldn't have taken several days of vacation since there is so much to do and learn.  But my contract says that I have to use my vacation days within 18 months, or I lose them.  When I was hired and my contract was created, I was told that this is a stressful job (!) and the board wanted me to use the vacation days to recharge.  I'm glad they did it that way.  I needed this vacation more than I realized.

Whether you've just completed your first year of administration or have been doing this awhile, I hope you focus on yourself during this next month of summer and really take some time off.  You deserve it.  And you probably need it.  So, go for it!  What do you have to lose?  A few stress lines?   

   

How far we have come

I just returned from a long postponed visit to the high school where I began teaching in 1980. After reviewing the staff roster, I did not see a single teacher who was still there back when I started teaching as a fresh-faced newbie. I was expecting that, of course. Almost 30 years had passed; a whole career in a blink.

Thanks to Facebook, several students from those days recently contacted me. The word got out that I was online and approachable. Most online conversations that followed were of the “What have you been up to?” or “Here’s what I’ve been doing” variety.

Most were genuinely pleasant to read. Students enjoyed reflecting on their high school life. Some sad stories emerged of lives damaged by drugs; some successes emerged also. There were medical doctors, editors, pilots, software engineers, musicians, and a television personality in the ranks of my former students.

Some letters were repentant, their writers apologizing for being disrespectful as students. I recall one of them who used to slouch back in his chair every time the national anthem played. He has a career now building models for the military. “Sir,” he wrote, “if I knew then what I know now I would have been a much better student.”

Standing in the halls of that building, I realized the school was just a shell. It was the canvas, the atmosphere, the background hum to a shared human experience.

My students shared with me the memories of their friends, their successes, their loves, the assemblies, games, trips, and fun. They recalled the struggles in the classroom but not the details of the struggles. They left the school stronger and more complete people than they were when they entered. 

One student, the editor of the yearbook two decades ago, now an editor for a Canadian publishing house, invited me over for tea on hearing of my trip. As we sat and poured over the yearbooks we had worked on, she showed her daughter a photo of herself and an impossibly young version of me saying, “There I am with my favorite teacher.”

The years have swept all evidence of me away from the halls, as they will sweep us all away, but I know I have made an impact and left an impression on at least a few students. That has to be one of the greatest signs of success in our careers.

I strongly recommend you take your own nostalgia tour someday – when you’re ready. Such tours are not for the faint of heart.

Reflections on an American icon

I was glued to the television on Friday evening and over the weekend soaking up the coverage of Tim Russert's untimely death. I, like many, was looking forward to Mr. Russert's enthusiastic and generally non-partisan analysis of the upcoming fall election. Democracy has lost a tremendously valuable ally. As I reflected on what I heard about Tim Russert, I thought much of what he was lauded for applies to leducational leadership. A couple of musings:

• Preparation. All commentators discussed over and over again how well he prepared for minute details about his program. As an educational leader, how many times have you been as prepared as you should have been for a meeting? How much more influence could we have if we worked at preparing better - even for the minute and mundane management pieces of school administration? I feel like I am generally well-prepared but the reviews of Mr. Russert's efforts made me feel like a slacker.
• Asking everyone the tough questions. Mr. Russert held everyone to the same standards - "friend or foe." Do we do this every day? Can we ask the tough questions when needed in a professional and team-building way? Most felt Mr. Russert was extremely fair. Are you perceived that way?
• The American Dream. Commentators discussed how Mr. Russert never lost his marvel of what a kid from a blue-collar neighborhood could do in our country. He evidently shared his admiration for his third grade teacher with anyone who would listen. We often talk about making a difference in one child's life. At this time of the year it is important to reflect on those lives we already have made that difference. I think it is important to remember those who we made a visible difference with as we recharge for the Fall. How will you encourage that challenging student in the back of the room to reach their potential?

I am sure many LeaderTalk readers also enjoyed Mr. Russert's work. Any other thoughts connecting this American icon to leadership in our field?

Incoming Phone Calls-Do you send to voicemail or to a live person?

Here's a question for you-do you have your school secretary screen your incoming calls and put them on a phone log or do you simply have them patched through to your voice mail?  I have a bias, but I am curious about how others do this.  My bias is to have all phone calls routed to a live person, rather than to my voice mail.  I've gone to a column type word processing document that has columns for completed, date, phone number, person and notes. We print out a new sheet each day for the calls. The secretary keeps the sheet by her desk (we've color coded it in "cosmic orange" to make it stand out from all of the other pieces of paper on the desk).  I've listed my biases below-I'm curious as to your perspective-feel free to disagree.

• The secretary can screen, prioritize the call, and calm the waters with an angry caller.  We’ve all been switched to voice mail when we wanted to talk to a live human voice.  When we get voice mail, it makes us even angrier.  The same is true with your callers.  An effective secretary can tell the caller where you are (“She’s out in the building visiting classrooms-she should be back in about an hour. May I take a message?”), gauge the intensity of the call and give you a heads up when you return (“Call Mrs. Smith immediately-she is very upset about the new bus routes.”). 
• A second advantage is that your call log gives you additional time to make the callbacks in the order and priority that you decide.  If you go back to your office, and listen to your voice mail messages, it may take you up to five times as long to listen to the messages as it would if you simply read the notes section for each call.  You then take the phone log, make the return calls, and log when you completed the call (for a shorthand tool to note when there has been a call back or you are waiting on someone, check the section on dots, circles, and dashes below).  The time you save by simply having your secretary answer your calls can also reinforce your focus on classroom learning (“She’s observing teachers this morning. May I tell her you called?”).

Who Is Interviewing Whom?

I remember my high school prom.  I had asked several girls if they would go with me.  They each said they’d love to, but “could they let me know later?”  I wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box, but I knew they were really saying, “I’m waiting to see if Bob (or Bill, or Joe, or Steve…) invites me.”

That’s why I ended up going to the prom with my best friend and “wing man”, JAMES.

A statement that Dan Meyer made in one of his blogs caught my attention.  He is beginning a search for a new job.  He wrote, “Moreover, due to an admixture of experience and arrogance, for the first time in my employment history, I will be interviewing my employers.”

As I thought about that statement I realized that Dan is not being arrogant at all.  In fact, he’s simply openly admitting a growing trend among teachers looking for jobs.   I remember when I would interview a candidate and if I called to offer a job, they were excited, thankful, and accepted the offer on the spot.  Nowadays, it is not uncommon at all for candidates to say “thank you for the offer, but”… (wait for it)…."could they let me know later?”….(ooooh! Shades of my prom!)

There is an understandable shift in the Education Job Market due to three factors: 1) a huge number of educators are either retiring or are eligible for retirement; 2) 35% of teachers leave the career after 5 years; and 3) there is a shortage of certain fields – specifically Math and Science – in which income opportunities are higher in the private marketplace.

As the pool of HIGHLY QUALIFIED applicants shrinks and demand rises, we have a situation straight out of Basic Economics 101.  There are more open jobs than there are qualified applicants.  The competition for hiring is now taking place between districts, not applicants.  What benefits do we offer?  How does our pay compare?  What is the condition of our buildings?

We have a question on our on-line application which asks applicants:  What three things would you most want to know about the students with whom you will work? I logged into the applicant bank and randomly read how 63 applicants answered this question.  It gave an interesting snapshot of what applicants might be using as their criteria for choosing a position.

The most common answer was that they wanted to know about socioeconomic make-up and past test scores.  The third most common response was about the level of parental involvement.

I’m fairly sure that many of us still end our interviews with some type of question such as, “So do you have any questions for us?”  There was a time when the vast majority of applicants would smile and shake their heads “no”.  Or they MIGHT ask timidly, in a voice shaking with apprehension and anxiety, “When do you anticipate filling the position?”   Those days are long gone.  I had an interview last year and when I asked if the applicants had any questions, they ALL did, but one applicant pulled out a LIST and we spent another hour answering her inquiries.

Colleagues, we are in competition for the best teachers.  And Dan is 100% correct: WE are the ones being interviewed by the applicants.

So…

I thought it would be enlightening, beneficial – and fun – to interview Dan Meyer.  I wanted to see how our interviewing styles would meet both of our expectations.

For role-playing purposes, imagine that Dan and I have been interviewing for about 20 minutes.  I’ve already reviewed the basics – resume, application, past education and employment…the small talk is out of the way…and here’s where we pick up….

[Actual Transcript - Interview via Email Q&A.]

Mr. Farr:  Mr. Meyer, what has brought you to this point in your career?

Mr. Meyer:  Over one great high school, one good high school, and a great teacher education program, I've determined the kind of environment I need to do my best work as a teacher  I'm here to find if yours is that environment and if I'm the guy to do that work for you.

Mr. Farr:  Well, that's an honest statement.  Sounds like we are both on a mission to find the best.  I know the basics from your application, but tell me, if you had your pick, which specific classes and at what level would you choose to teach?

Mr. Meyer:  I'm most interested in remedial level Algebra and Geometry.

Mr. Farr:  Tell me, how are you defining remedial?  Special education qualified?  Failed past classes?  Failed past mandated testing?

Mr. Meyer:  I'd like to work with students for whom traditional instruction and first measures have proven unsuccessful.  That could mean special education but mostly I'd like the challenge of students who, for whatever reason, are repeating the class.

Mr. Farr:  This being an alternative high school, I appreciate that you understand that "traditional" instruction doesn't work for everyone.  In your opinion, what causes most of these students to struggle or fail the first time around?  And based on that observation, what modifications, accommodations, or alternative methods have you found effective?

Mr. Meyer: It was important for me to realize that the way we traditionally assess math students is broken.  We build towards large tests which every student but the indoctrinated either stresses over, schedules absences around, or cheats on, and then, after that grade has been assigned, we move on.  Assessment needs to flex to and remain current with a learner's understanding of the course, not stand with its arms crossed in the way of it.  I also noticed very recently that the extra time I put into engaging activities, interesting problems, and real-world relevance came back to me ten-fold with fewer disciplinary problems and a happier class.  That realization has taken me 90% of the way to becoming the teacher I want to be.

Mr. Farr:  Cynical, but true.  So why assess at all?  Can you describe a form of assessment that you have used in your classroom that meets your expectations for feedback about the student's comprehension?  And most important to me, what do you do with the results of the assessments?

Mr. Meyer:  I've divided my courses into discrete skills.  I rank my students along a four point scale for each skill.  I keep a loose grip on those rankings.  My students can always improve them and I use them to direct my remediation, to tell me where to focus my efforts.

Mr. Farr:  Dan, I have followed you on your blog, and I've read your application and resume.  I sense that you would be an excellent addition to this staff, but I want to go back to your opening statement, what you said about determining if this environment is where you want to work.  What are looking for?  And I'd appreciate you being very specific…is it the facility?...the demographics?...your potential co-horts?...me?...  What are you looking at and for?

Mr. Meyers:  I have a long list of preferences, wants, and needs, some more pressing than others, all of which I've posted, stupidly probably, on my blog.  The most important of these is that my district believes that a teacher's work can and should be assessed meaningfully, that the culture there offers few excuses for the failure of its students, and that I find there a long menu of professional development options — seminars, speakers, and collaboration days.

Mr. Farr:  We are huge on the professional development issue.  So far our district has 58 professional development sessions available to sign up for this summer and into the Fall.  This doesn’t include a whole book of opportunities available through the Educational Service Center which is a ten minute drive from my office.  We have had Phillip Schlechty, Gary Gordon, and Doug Reeves here for training, and next month we have Dr. Marzano spending time with us. 

We have a program called Action Learning Teams – ALTs – which are teams of teachers who are given 5 days each year to meet and work together in collaboration with teachers from other disciplines, grade levels, or schools.

I think you'd fit here.  I think I'd like to work with you.  What about you?  Would you take the job if it was offered?

Mr. Meyers: It sounds like our values align closely, which is great, and really encouraging.  I'd like to spend an hour touring a few math classrooms, speaking to your math department head, and talking to a student or two.   After that, let's talk about how soon I can get a place in your faculty parking lot.

--------------------------------------------*-----------------------------------------

What I found was that the interview worked better as a conversation.  I also took a more pro-active role in trying to conduct the interview in an effort to communicate the fact that I did consider this a two-way interview.  I tried to communicate and allow for the fact that I realized HE was interviewing ME as much I was interviewing him.

I am embarrassed to admit it.  Working for a district considered among the best, I may have been guilty of a cocky attitude with applicants at times.  I admit I might have taken a condescending attitude toward applicants…“Sit down and impress me.  Why should I hire YOU?”  “You’ll be lucky if we honor you by inviting you to work here.”  [Harrumph!  Such nerve in my younger days!  I apologize to all within reading distance for this...]

As applicants are in a position to “shop schools” and students are being given more and more of a choice of moving between schools depending on the school’s rating, we find ourselves in a new role.  No longer can we just sit back and expect teachers and students to come to us regardless of how clean our buildings are, how well the grounds are kept, or what neighborhood we’re located in.

The marketplace has changed.  If we, as potential employers, are not aware of the fact that the rules have changed, we will not attract and keep the best teachers.  We have to sell our districts, our schools, and even ourselves to potential candidates.  If we don’t, the best and brightest will interview at the next district on their list.

Although I really think my interview skills are much more polite and even – shall we say – more politically correct now, I want to thank Dan Meyer for driving the final nail home.  He’s right on the target.  I will approach all interviews from now on from a totally different perspective.

Interviews are no longer One-Way-Impress-Me-Sessions after which we offer someone a job and expect them to act like they won the lottery.

Today’s interviews must be two-way conversations in which BOTH parties have a great deal at stake: putting the right people in the right places for the right reasons.

The ultimate goal of every interview, job offer and eventual hiring must always be offering the very best instruction to all students in all schools.

Spiritual Growth in the Workplace

Is there a connection between our own spiritual growth and our work? Most people keep them separate. It’s pretty common to feel that 'work is work' and anything spiritual doesn't belong in our professional lives. I know that this is a delicate conversation; but I am convinced it's worth having.  In fact, many organizations are developing a contrary view of what it is to be a working professional and an effective leader.

The poet, David Whyte has written a beautiful book, "The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America". Whyte asks this simple but profound question:

What would our days be like if we came out of hiding and brought our fears, loves, and dreams directly into the workplace?"

The answers to this question are deep and complex.

In my experience I find that we are most fulfilled when our life’s purpose and our work are aligned.

Robert Frost says it brilliantly in the last stanza of “Two Tramps in Mudtime”

My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future’s sakes.

Aren’t leaders most effective when they inspire those around them to their best work?

Inspiring others isn’t something that comes from authority. Authority produces compliance. Inspiration is not something that we can't fake or think through with our minds.

The etymology of the word inspire is "to breath life into". It is the ability to access the deepest parts of ourselves; and in so doing touch the hearts, as well as the minds, of those around us. Accessing the peace of the heart, speaking from that sacred place, and touching the hearts of others is a key attribute of great leaders. The ability to inspire others can be developed; but it is a deeply personal exploration, some might say a spiritual one.

Aren’t we most effective when we can stay grounded and present during chaotic events at work?

This is more than just ’staying calm’, it is the ability to let our 'purpose' guide us, to be totally present to what is happening, and to take appropriate action. The deeper we feel our 'purpose' at work, the easier it is to navigate chaos. Being effective int he midst of chaos requires that we have trained ourselves to stay grounded, to keep our minds from racing and worrying, and to see the situation clearly without the filter of emotion and judgment. The more we can stay present, the better the chances we will act appropriately. Finding our purpose and training ourselves to be grounded and present during stressful moments is a spiritual journey that can have positive outcomes in our work.

If we connect with people and we are truly present with them, aren’t we more apt to build trusting relationships with them?

Being present means not thinking about what we are going to say next, nor is it having silent judgments about what they are saying, “That’s not right.” “That’s naive.” “That’s a great idea.” It is listening, actively and openly. Training our minds to be present is the underlying concept of meditation, a deeply spiritual endeavor.

The workplace may be the very best place for us to engage our spiritual selves. It is in our work with others that our deeper selves are truly tested. The connection between our spiritual journey and the effectiveness of our work lives is impossible to sever. We may think we can compartmentalize our spirit from our work, but over time the artificial barriers break down. After all, we can’t help being who we are.

Whyte says,

Like water flowing from an underground spring, human creativity is the wellspring greening the desert of toil and effort, and much of what stifles us in the workplace is the immense unconscious effort on the part of individuals and organizations alike to dam its flow.

Aren’t we most effective and most fulfilled when we are fully human, fully ourselves…even at work?

pete

Hiring the Best Teachers

This past month has kept me quite busy, and I would imagine that it is the same with the rest of you.  I feel as if I am holding down two jobs:  Running a school and planning for the next school year.  One of the activities keeping me busy right now is interviewing candidates for open teaching positions at my school.  I take the hiring process very seriously because I believe it is the most important job I have as a principal.  As I like to say, "Your school is only as good as the teacher you have this year."  My job is to bring in the best and the brightest teachers I can possibly find.

The interview process is where it starts.  Over the last 14 years, I have been collecting interview questions for all types of teaching positions.  I have specific questions designed for kindergarten, music, PE, first grade, fifth grade, and everything in between.  When I interview a candidate, I focus on two different areas.  First, and foremost, I am looking for highly ethical, well-grounded, warm and caring people who have a child-centered approach to teaching.  These are the kinds of intrinsic qualities I can't teach to someone. I will ask a set of questions that tease these out.  The candidate either possesses these qualities or she does not.  If I am not satisfied that the person is truly child-centered,  I will end the interview after about 20 minutes.  However, when I find someone who does fit this definition, I will ask more specific questions about teaching reading, math, science, social studies, and about classroom management and assessment, and about teamwork.

Although I have been happy with this process, I am always looking for other methods of interviewing, and I would love to add to my growing list of interview questions.  How do you interview for teachers, and what are your favorite interview questions?

Preparing Principals

After leaving the trenches of school administration and moving over to higher education at the University of Wyoming this year, I have found that my love of teaching is still present!

One challenge that I have particularly enjoyed is trying to use teaching methods that build administrative skills and not just book knowledge.

One way I have tried to do this is to build simulations and role plays into the coursework.

One example is a simulated teacher dismissal hearing we ran in our doctoral class on Personnel. We took a real case and real documents and gave everyone in the class a role.  Roles ranged from attorneys to hearing officers and witnesses.  We went through discovery steps and took depositions and then built our case and tried it in the Court of Law on our campus.  We invited other students and created observers to help simulate the public pressure of such events. The consensus of the class was that there is no way to prepare for the pressure and intensity of such an event without going through one even if it's simulated. 

Most of the students are already practicing principals or superintendents and they all acknowledged that going through the rigors of cross examinations and depositions helped them understand more completely how to build a case for dismissal.

It's interesting that I have the same dilemma that public school teachers have when they are trying to teach effectively while at the same time covering all their state standards.  The dilemma is that teaching in such an active manner consumes more class time so that you are always trying to weigh out whether or not it is "worth it."

As university professors we need to help prepare principals for the actual work and not just the theory side of the profession. My .02.

Why don't we do more pre-testing?

When I moved to Iowa from Minnesota, the Iowa Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) didn’t test me before it issued me a driver’s license. It took into account my long history of driving and my clean record and determined that I did not need to take either a written or driving test. I did a quick vision check, took one of those goofy photos, and I was all set.

Imagine, however, if the MVD, before it would issue me a license, wanted me to sit through a series of classes intended to ‘teach’ me how to operate a car and drive safely. I would have been completely annoyed. ‘Test me now!’ I would have exclaimed vociferously. ‘I already know how to do this! Stop wasting my time!’ By now you’re probably nodding your head in agreement, knowing that you’d do the same thing in my situation. Although you’d rather not have to do the written and driving tests again, you’d definitely rather be tested than sit through hours of instruction on material you already know.

Unfortunately this is exactly what happens to our nation’s schoolchildren on a daily basis. Millions of students regularly experience curricula and lessons that address content and concepts with which they’re already familiar. It’s not just the ‘talented and gifted’ kids; there are plenty of students who know the material in a particular learning unit before they even start. They’re just never given the chance to demonstrate their knowledge ahead of time. Nor do they have the opportunity to request to be pre-tested.

What a colossal waste of time this is. Rather than the joy of wrestling with and thinking about new material, students suffer through yet another hour ‘learning’ old information. Rather than working with children who are eager, interested learners, teachers suffer through yet another group of disengaged students.

I wonder why we don’t care more about this? It’s one thing to cover the required curriculum. It’s quite another to have students cover the curriculum despite the fact that they already know it. As a former eighth grade teacher, I know how difficult it is to differentiate instruction. But it’s relatively easy to do some simple pre-testing and at least make an attempt at altering a ‘one size fits all’ lesson plan. If more teachers did this on a regular basis, they might be surprised at how much instructional time they gained back during the year. And of course they’d also have better baseline data with which to assess student learning growth for each curricular unit. And did I mention the message of respect for students that accompanies the practice of pre-testing?

Why don’t we do more pre-testing? Why is it so hard to get teachers to buy into this?