Max Learning: Give a Man a Mission

"It is my mission!" This was the emphatic response to my redirection from two-year-old Max as he dismantled his grandmother’s French casement window opener.  Apparently, his obsession with the cartoon Little Einstein's was teaching him the concept of a mission. As I pulled him away, kicking and screaming, I would have never guessed that this destructive act would lead me down the path to such a successful strategy for working with him.

For those of you who read my blog, you know that Max is a high energy child. (Click here to learn about Max)  Despite his mother and I having 45 combined years in education working with kids, we still struggle with his behavior. Imagine the discomfort when we were invited to have him be the ring bearer at an outdoor wedding in Vermont. My first thought was, "That is not going to happen." I envisioned a cartoon-like scene in which Max was the Tasmanian devil spinning around eating the pillow with the rings attached and bolting off into the woods. (Click here to see my visualization) My brother-in-law and future sister-in-law pleaded that we involve him. They were willing to take the risk. After many conversations, Courtney and I decided that we would embrace the discomfort and take him as the ring bearer.

With the decision made, Courtney and I began strategizing about how we could make this happen.  During one of our conversations, we remembered how motivated he was when, “on a mission.”  For years as a classroom teacher, putting kids to work was a go-to strategy for active students who would disrupt the class relentlessly if not engaged.  It is one of those seemingly universal ironies for educators that best practice often gets forgotten when working with our biological children! Here is how we used the mission concept to set Max up for success.

Mission Lessons:

1)      Clearly define the mission objective - We told Max that he had an important mission to accomplish at his Uncle Matt’s and Aunt Rachael’s wedding.  We acquired the pillow that he was to carry and tied fake rings to it.  We showed him pictures of his Uncle Matt and told him that he would walk slowly toward him, carrying the pillow.  Once he got to his uncle, he would give Matt the pillow and get a hug.  Max would then walk to Mommy and sit on the front row.   

2)      Provide a model of excellence - To help Max visualize what his mission would look like, we searched You Tube for a video that showed a good model.  It was an intensive search since many of the videos show best how not to do it! 

3)      Break the mission down into parts - We began clearly chunking the process into parts.  We included pillow positioning and the speed of walking as his mastery of the basic skills were established. 

4)      Provide immediate specific feedback - Rather than just celebrating with a “Good job!”, we worked to be very specific as he was practicing.  The feedback sounded like, “Good job bringing the pillow to Mommy.  Next time carry the pillow in both hands.”

5)      Provide positive reinforcement - Max loves Pez candy! We used his sweet tooth to positively reinforce his behavior.  Broken in half, these little candies stretch a long way.  Some may argue that this is a bribe.  This is not true since a bribe is designed to induce someone to do something illegal or dishonest.  The reality is that reinforcers offer a powerful tool for shaping behavior.  Extrinsic motivators are often necessary to find success, with the ultimate goal of being driven from within.  

6)      Provide multiple opportunities to practice over time - Because we had the gift of time, we were able to practice this over and over again. Once we were at the rehearsal in Vermont, the distraction of people and the open woods were a small thing to overcome because he had automaticity. 

7)      Play off of their passion - Max is not a fan of dressing up.  His ring bearer outfit included multiple layers, a vest, a tie and a cap.  Max rarely wears a hat for more than a minute.  This is where playing on his passion for a mission made all the difference.  We sold him that these were his “special mission clothes.” With this approach we had to fight him to take them off, instead of putting them on.

8)      Trust and celebrate - In the end, all that was left was to trust that he would do the right thing.  Despite all the successful practice, I will tell you my heart was thumping like an excited shrew when I set him down and sent him on his way.  We were rewarded with a perfectly accomplished mission.  My Tasmanian devil had been transformed into masterful little solider.  We were so proud!  The pride and love Max felt from his family was the intrinsic motivator that I wanted him most to experience.  I was not disappointed.

As educators, we can get lost in the variability of our learners.  Students with high energy can be disruptive to the learning of others.  Too often we end up in the cycle of redirect, threaten and consequence only to find ourselves frustrated when the behavior change doesn't last.  If you find yourself struggling with one of these busy students, don’t forget to, “Give a man a mission!”

The Awkward Beauty of Inverted Leadership

     “Come on Mr. McCord, YOU are the principal!” This statement from an impassioned and frustrated parent still rings in my head, years after it was spoken.  The remark speaks to the belief that we have power to direct changes that many times we do not possess as educational leaders.  Rather than a top-down leadership structure, ours is more diffuse in nature.  Our power is the power to influence.  It is relational in nature.  This also applies to teachers in the leadership of their learners.

In my experience, effective leaders in education embody the role of a servant.  A servant leader doesn’t seek to sit atop of a pyramid of power.  Conversely, a servant leader seeks to be at the bottom of everything.  Balancing our leadership from the bottom can be awkward to say the least.  Sitting at the base of this inverted power structure requires mastery beyond what most executives are required to muster as leaders of their organizations.  We can visualize this type of leadership as an inverted pyramid.

With this in mind, what steps can we take to create balance as we lift others to success? 

1)      Hire for service mindset.  Education is a human business.  It is messy and filled with shades of gray.  Fuzzy boundaries are the norm.  Hiring adults that have a heart for kids and one another is critical.  When we are in service to one another we stay focused on what is really important.  For teachers, it moves us away from a strictly academic focus and toward developing the whole child.  For education leaders, it moves us away from professional development of our staff toward human development.  A sense of connection and relationship is the foundation for everything.

2)      Maintain focus on those you directly support. Balancing from the bottom of an inverted pyramid is precarious to say the least!  The majority of our time and energy needs to be on the close relationship with those that we are serving directly from below.  This is the zone of our greatest influence.  As a teacher, attention to supporting and building capacity in your students should be your goal.  As a principal, my attention needs to be support and capacity building for my teachers.  When I am struggling to get into classrooms to give my teachers the feedback they crave, I have lost focus on where I can make the greatest impact for our students. 

3)      Communicate clearly with those you support and those who support you.  In a highly interconnected pyramid, communicating effectively, above and below is critical. Actively listening is a key for success.  When we focus on understanding others rather than seeking to be understood, clarity ensues.  When communicating, remember to start with your “why” so others can develop an understanding of the direction you intend to go.  Develop consensus and clarity to avoid unbalancing your organizational pyramid. 

4)      Keep your feet a shoulder’s width apart.  One of the mantras that my first football coach repeated constantly was, “Keep your feet a shoulder’s width apart.”  What he knew was that having a broad base increased our balance.  For those of us who seek to lead from the bottom, we must have a clear understanding of our beliefs and values. These provide the broad base from which we make decisions and provide support.   We are in the best position possible when we stand firmly upon our values and embody them. 

5)      Remember who is on top.  Students are at the top. It is imperitive to remember that our decisions should be student-centered, not adult-centered.  At the top of the pyramid are the kids – we are there for them, not the other way around. Our lens should always be, “Is this best for kids?"  Many times this is not what is easiest for adults.

6)      Celebrate gains. Success in schools is all about improvement.  As we lead from the bottom, we need to provide feedback and encouragement for the things that go well.  Too often we withhold our positive feedback for some nebulous point in the future.  Commit to speaking your positive in the moment.

7)      Show struggle and strain . It is acceptable, even preferred, to let people know about your failures and struggles.  This is hard work! When we model authenticity and vulnerability, those that we serve see that we are human.  Knowing this, they are more likely to connect with us.  Showing a façade of perfection only drives others away from us.  Be real and your chances for success increase greatly.

8)      Put your ego aside. This work is not about you.  It is not about me. It is all about the kids.  When issues arise, servant leaders take responsibility, even when we don’t have complete control over all the variables involved.  When things go well, we give the credit away to others. 

Without question it is difficult to make ourselves servants to others who we have authority over. Despite that challenge, this is the job of public educators at every level. If you are a "boss" in an educational setting, you will only get low level compliance that must be constantly policed.  If you are a servant leader, you will inspire others to do great things, even when you aren't looking.  

Sir Isaac Newton is credited with the quote, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”  I challenge you to not simply stand on the shoulders of other’s at the top of a perceived pyramid of power.  Instead, let your legacy be that of a servant leader, standing steadfast at the bottom of an inverted pyramid of support.  In doing so, you will become a “giant” whose shoulders others have stood upon. In this possibility lies the beauty of inverted leadership. 

Special thanks to Dee @DeniseToler for creating the sketchnote!

Becoming

She was one of the cutest girls I had ever seen.  A big blue bow stood proudly atop her curly head of hair.  Round reddened cheeks and big doe-brown eyes showing distress and frustration drew me quickly to her side. You see, I have a propensity for rescuing damsels in distress!  Especially darling ones whom are struggling to open their grape packets in kindergarten lunch. What I wanted to do was rip open the package for her so she could indulge in her well-earned lunch.  What stopped me was the amazing modeling that I witnessed from the team of adults in the lunchroom.  Instead of rescuing these precious little people, they were patiently teaching the students how to open ketchup packets, Lunchables, milk cartons and a variety of other things. (Click here for a smile!) As I walked away in exhaustion, I could not help but appreciate the message that the Bethke Elementary staff was teaching their littlest learners.  By letting them struggle, they showed the kids that they had belief in their capability to perform.  By patiently standing by their side coaching them, they showed that this is a school full of caring adults.  The big message here was that we are not here to do everything for you, but we will teach you how to do things on your own.  These five-year-olds were becoming independent.

This experience sent me back to a conversation I had a few weeks ago with a retired high school Life Skills teacher at a birthday party.  I have the utmost respect for this gentleman and those who work with our special needs students.  As I picked David’s brain for wisdom, he shared what he saw his role to be.  Because his goal was to prepare his students to deal with life’s challenges, he was purposeful in designing challenges for them.  He was not focused on keeping the students at peace and compliant with tasks that they were already apt to accomplish.  He viewed himself as a challenge creator who was there to support the kids as they struggled.  After all, he would not always be there as their guide.   His students were becoming competent problem solvers despite their disabilities.

The third experience that tipped me over the edge to write this post came last week in a first grade classroom.  I am currently housed at Bethke Elementary while my new Jr. High is under construction.  Many of the staff at Bethke are exploring how flexible seating can be used to provide choice and create  learner-centered environments for students.  While helping to raise desks so that students could stand as they worked, I engaged the first-year teacher in a conversation about how she planned to manage which students had the option to stand, sit in a chair, or sit on the floor.  From my experience, I know that many teachers will avoid variability because of the potential student conflict it may bring.  What Sarah said was powerful.  She described the potential conflict between students as an opportunity.  An opportunity to work through a small conflict that would help them to get to know each other.  She anticipated their problem-solving conversation to include why they wanted to stand or sit or who had a turn already.  She planned to be there to support them as they worked through the conflict.  I was so impressed by the wisdom of this young teacher.  Her students were becoming social agents capable of conflict resolution.

How do we move from being enablers for learned helplessness to becoming facilitators of challenges that will empower learners?  

1)      Plan for experiences that provide productive struggle – when struggle only leads to frustration, your engagement will drop.  Being prepared to scaffold for students that are at various levels of readiness sets everyone up for ultimate success.

2)      Talk less, listen more – by actively listening, you can understand where students are to better guide their learning path.

3)      Respond to questions with questions that lead learners toward the goal – when done in a masterful way, the teacher is able to connect to previous learning or experiences that will prompt forward progress.

4)      Allow for think time when questioning students – although waiting can be awkward, processing time is frequently interrupted by the teacher.  Be patient and avoid the urge to rescue students from their thinking or demonstration of the skill.

5)      Provide guidance, walk away and then return – this cycle promotes the expectation that you expect them to get the job done, but you won’t leave them stranded without support.

6)      Celebrate the attempt despite the appearance of the product – remember that the production behaviors are what we need to be giving feedback on. 

7)   Allow for collaboration – many times the best strategy is to allow students to support each other through learning experiences. 

As educators we must be be designers of experiences that our learners struggle with and ultimately overcome.  This is how we build a growth mindset. In a world in which information is but a Google search away, educators who serve to only deliver information are irrelevant.  Educators that support learners on a path to discovery, competency and ownership of their learning are invaluable.  Are you becoming invaluable as you grow in your craft?

A Voice for Change

As a child, I hated school but loved to learn.  Straight rows and worksheets were not the way to engage a boy who was passionate about discovery and movement. For the majority of the time it felt like school was being done TO me instead of FOR me.  As a school leader, I know that the classrooms in my school are significantly more interactive and engaging than what I experienced.  Through direct observation and listening to students, I know that we still have room to improve. 

Over the past few years I have worked in a variety of ways to stay connected to what students experience and how they feel.  A couple of years ago, I selected a student and spent the entire day following his schedule.  That experience is one that I encourage anyone to opt into if you have the opportunity.  I was pleased with the overall instruction and activities that I saw throughout the day.  The most challenging part was all the seat time.  I still struggle as an adult to sit still for long periods.  A funny moment in the day was when the student that I was shadowing asked, “Mr. McCord, are you following me?!” My reply was, “That would be weird wouldn’t it!” He agreed that that would be weird.  At the end of the day I did debrief with him to let him know what I was up to.

As educators, we are in a service industry.  Successful service involves hearing the customer’s voice.  Since our primary customer is the student, opportunities to receive feedback to drive our work is critical.  Some of these opportunities I have drawn from were very purposeful, others serendipitous.  Here are some of the ways I have captured student voice:

1)      Hallway conversations – I am dedicated to the bell being my “call-to-the hall.” Early morning duty, class changes and dismissal duty are rich areas to mine for student voice.  I stole a simple but effective conversation starter from Bettendorf High School's Joy Kelly; “How’s your world?”  This open-ended question has opened up some enlightening hallway conversation.

2)      Small group lunches with the principal – Our token reward system allows kids to purchase a “Lunch with the Principal” pass.  Students also are drawn from previously submitted reward bucks to be awarded. The pass allows them to bring a friend and receive a Chick-fil -A lunch.  While they are dining on succulent fowl, I ply them with questions.  Some of my favorites include:

a.       What is your favorite thing about this school?

b.      What is one thing you would change about this school if you could?

c.       What is one thing that your teacher doesn’t know about you that you wish she did?

3)      Creation of a PTSA instead of a PTA. By adding students to our parent-teacher organization, we were purposeful in including students on the Executive Board meetings.  This ensures that students have a voice in the many ways that organization plugs into the school.

4)      Advisory class visits to conduct action research. In my most recent visits to classes, I explored their opinions about grades, grading practices and standards-based learning.  This feedback was fascinating and validated some of my beliefs and challenged others.

5)      Invitation to student leaders to present proposals to the administrative team.  This is something that we tried for the first time last year.  Bringing students into pitch their ideas to the team was validating for the students and inspiring for our administrators.  Priceless!

6)      Enlistment of your Language Arts teachers to have students do “quick writes” on a specific topic. Although there is a large investment of time involved in reading through the writing, it is well worth it.  Knowing the purpose of their writing gives strong relevance to their work and the feedback is rich!   

The conversation that sent me down the path to write this post came in May.  The young lady that initiated the conversation was my 8^th grade videographer working the camera for my daily live announcements. She approached me between classes and said, “Mr. McCord, there is a video you need to see on You Tube.  Get out your phone and I will search it for you.”  As she handed my phone back, she directed me to watch the video so we could talk about it later.  Now you might think that this is pretty presumptuous of a 14-year-old to be so directive with her principal.  The reality is that she and I had built a strong connection through daily conversation before and after each announcement.  She is the kind of student that speaks directly about things in her world, good and bad.  This type of “real talker” is just what I want when it comes to capturing student voice.

As I looked down at my phone screen, I saw that the title of the You Tube video is, “Don’t Stay In School”. (Click here to see the video) My first thought from reading the title of the video was not very positive.  My inaccurate assumption was that this would be a message encouraging students to drop out of school.  I trusted my student and watched it any way.  What I discovered when I clicked on the link was a video that was very thought-provoking and had over 11 million views.  The young man was not encouraging anyone to drop out of school.  He was challenging the nature of what we focus on in schools.  His call was for the system to ensure that what we teach has relevance.  His voice was a voice for change.

I had a follow up conversation with my videographer the next day after announcements.  I started the conversation off with a simple question to her, “Why did you ask me to watch this video?”  Her response was both validating and daunting.  She said that she knew that I was a principal who cared about making our school a good place for kids to be.  She acknowledged that her experiences in school were better than what was described by the video in some ways.  Specifically she celebrated the financial literacy she was working on in math at the time.  She went on to say that things still needed to get better.  The challenging part of her response was when she said, “Mr. McCord it is your job to make this better.” I wanted to respond to her with a description of what curriculum was and my limitations, but I held my tongue.  Her voice was a voice for change.

When I think back to that conversation, I realize how long this problem has persisted.  I am a fan of comedy, especially comedy that pokes fun at life.  Two comedy skits that help reveal the depth and history of this issue came my mind.  The first was the skit “The Five Minute University” performed by the SNL character Father Guido Sarducchi in 1980. (Click here to see the video)  This performance is funny, but also saddening in its truth about many college undergraduate experiences.  The second skit came from the television classic The Andy Griffith Show. (Click here to see the video) Barney’s painful recitation of The Preamble speaks to a classic case of  “mistalgia". Many times we can be dragged back into the past way of doing things because we over-glorify the effectiveness of what went before.  Upon reflection, I see that my voice needs to be a voice for change.

So where do we start this conversation?  In a political climate that seems to support standardization and reliance on single-measures to judge the success of students, schools and districts, this might seem an impossible chasm to leap. How can content standards accurately predict what a student must know to enter a job market that is continually reinventing itself?  These are the questions we need to be talking about.  So what is an educator to do?  I believe that the biggest payoff will come through supporting our teachers in their role as the designers of engaging experiences.  It is not so much the WHAT that we teach as it is the skill set employed by the learner as they learn.  The 21^st Century Skills framework is one that gives guidance to a skill set that better equips our students for what is to come.  What other actions would support increasing the relevance of our student’s learning experiences?  I would love to see your comments.  Will your voice be a voice for change?

Becoming Tribal

I was blessed this summer to swim in a sea of professional learning.  With a year to plan for the opening of a new campus, I dove into every opportunity I could find that I believed would stretch my thinking in preparation for this great work.  As I sit back and begin to unpack my learning, I am struck by a common experience that was unanticipated when the summer began.  This experience was not listed in the descriptors for any course or conference I attended.  This experience could be described as tribalization.  This process involves drawing groups of individuals who were initially loosely associated tightly together under a variety of circumstances. 

My first tribal experience began with an invitation to participate in a pair of eCourses developed by Brené Brown as part of the COURAGEworks online learning community. Since Brené Brown is one of my top influencers and “EduHeroes”, the decision to participate was an easy one to make.  From her work we developed our campus growth mindset mantra, “Lean into the discomfort”.  Part of the expectation for our participation in this work was to join a discussion group of district administrators, teachers and a counselor.  Over a period of weeks, we individually went through the eCourses and came together as a group to process the learning.  Leading the Skype processing sessions were representatives from CourageWorks who asked probing questions that explored our values, beliefs and ultimately fears.  As we dug into this “heart work” something amazing happened.  The perfecting that each of us was doing to a certain degree, faded away.  As our professional facades collapsed, the true beauty of who we are was revealed.  Through sharing our stories, vulnerably and honestly, a bond grew between us that would be hard for those who have not experienced something similar to appreciate.  With acceptance came trust.  With trust came a strong sense of what it means to be human, to be worthy.  We had moved from a group to a tribe. 

My biggest summer opportunity for professional learning came from my week attending the Leadership: An Evolving Vision (LEV) summer institute at Harvard.  This was the most powerful adult learning experience I have ever been a part of.  Session after session from EduHeroes left me feeling like I was drinking water through a fire hose! One of the structures created to support reflective practice and meaning-making of the intense learning was the formation of small groups.  My group of 10 individuals was diverse in many ways.  We had members from Texas and both coasts of the US.  Two Australians, a New Zealander and a Canadian rounded out our international team.  These folks are leaders of public schools, charter schools and parochial schools.  The organizers of the LEV institute were very purposeful in the selection of the team-building experience that lead to my second tribal experience.  Early in the week, we drove out of the city to a challenge course to participate in Project Adventure.  This adventure-based experiential program combined low element and high element challenges.  I found the high element challenge especially powerful.  As I slowly made my way across a tight wire over 30 feet above the ground, I placed my safety in the hands of four of my peers.  Later I had my turn working the rope to secure my team mate’s safety.  The physicality of this experience left us open to connection with one another.  As we worked through a series of low element activities, the team quickly developed a “no man will be left behind” mentality.  It is near impossible to maintain a false air of professionalism when one is slapping mosquitoes, picking ticks and dripping sweat.  Through the physical challenges, laughter, and reflective moments we became brothers and sisters.  We had moved from a group to a tribe.

As a learner, I love when my experiences inform me at multiple levels.  The content for both of these experiences was rich and challenging.  Perhaps the most valuable lesson was how the development of a tribal culture allows our teams and organizations to function at high levels.  Conversations and commitments are at a deeper level.  Real talk about things that truly matter can happen.  Authenticity is the norm and everyone is valued for what they bring to the table.  A tribal culture is one of interdependence in which we are investing in one another.  Here are some of my thoughts about how you might leverage the creation of tribes in your organization.

1)      When you are with others model the characteristics that support connection.  Interactions need to be relational not transactional.  Demonstrate courage and vulnerability by sharing your honest story. 

2)      Allot time for the purpose of your teams to do this work.  In my experience, spending a day away from your normal venue devoted to team-building is a great way to start.  With ongoing meetings, remember to allow time for personal and professional celebrations at the beginning. Clearly send the message through you agenda that you value the relational over the transactional by the order that you do things.

3)      Although you can be proactive in creating experiences and structures that support tribalization, the most powerful opportunities can come in a more impromptu fashion.  When a dilemma or crisis arises, our response to it will either support the development of our tribe or leave us fractured.  Value others voice in dealing with these issues.  Lean on your team and expect them to lean on you.  Through challenge, our tribe becomes strong.

What could you add to this list?  As I close this, I want to thank my new tribe members.  I smile when I think of our time together and look forward to our continued connection as we do great things for kids.  I appreciate your investment in me and am proud to journey ahead with you as a kindred spirit.

Living a Legacy

A life well-lived is full of surreal moments.  Good or bad, these moments are benchmarks for our lives and worthy of reflection.  Many times these life events are greatly anticipated and full of joy.  For me, exchanging vows with my wife and watching my children come into this world are at the very top of the list.  Another event that is near the top of the list happened on May 4, 2009.  On that day, I was introduced to the staff at Morton Ranch Jr. High as their new principal.  I don’t remember what I said but I keenly remember the feelings.  Joy, excitement, and fear all mixed together in a delicious cocktail that left my head spinning.  Seven years later I stand on the brink of another surreal moment as I anticipate standing in front of my staff and wishing them farewell.  In the days leading up to this moment, a different emotional cocktail is brewing.  This one is bittersweet. Melancholy and pride laced with a dose of discomfort.  As I drink it all in, it leaves me reflective and thinking about legacy.

Legacy is a popular topic these days in education circles.  Recently, my district adopted a vision statement, “Be the Legacy!”  I like the promise and challenge that this simple three word vision statement holds.  Legacy can be described as what we leave behind as an inheritance to others.  Legacy can sometimes be seen as a tangible item, but not always. 

 As I walk the halls of the school, I see evidence of a tangible legacy.  These artifacts include murals, panoramic class pictures, commemorative benches and many other things.  I love the history and the stories that are told by these objects.  Many folks focus on this type of legacy as what matters the most, simply because it is concrete in nature.  It is easy to see.  It is easy to touch. 

The type of legacy that I want to celebrate is less tangible.  It is relational in nature.  Let’s call this “interpersonal legacy.”  It is about investing in those around you.  Leaving an interpersonal legacy is more about leaving every place, conversation, or interaction better than you found it. This can seem to be a daunting task.  Here are a few actions we can take to invest in one another and build interpersonal legacy.

Extend respect to everyone before the expectation of receiving it.  One sure way to drive people away is to expect the gift of respect to be given to us when we have not offered it to them unconditionally from the start.  This can be especially problematic when working with students who have trust issues with adults due to their experiences.  Give respect in order to receive it.

Seek to truly see others and allow yourself to be seen. Everyone has a story that colors the way they see and interact with the world.  Seek to understand before reaching judgment. Remember to share your own story. Be real. Be authentic. Be human.

Listen and respond empathetically instead of sympathetically. This can be a true struggle in professional settings.  Actively listening and identifying with one another brings us together.  Work to remove the words, “At least….” from your response when others are sharing their struggles.  If you need further clarity regarding the difference between empathy and sympathy, Brene Brown addresses it beautifully in this short animation. (Click here to see the video).

Embrace the discomfort of courageous conversations.  What we choose to ignore, that is counter to our values, often speaks more to our leadership than anything else.  In my experience, when done respectfully and with the right motive, relationships are strengthened when we openly address our concerns with others. 

Mend fences when things head south. The world of education is a human business.  As much as we try, every interaction will not end positively.  Be purposeful in reconnecting to others when you know it is needed.  Don’t make it personal and don’t take it personally.

Speak appreciation in the moment.  My New Year’s resolution was to not to sit on a compliment. What a joy it has been to pull people aside, students and adults, look them directly in the eyes and say the good things I am thinking about them in that moment. 

Be an energy pusher instead of an energy drain.  Bring your best high energy self into your work.  Enthusiasm is contagious. 

Acknowledge the presence of others.  All people need to know they matter and long for a sense of connection.  Meeting and greeting others is a simple action that pays huge dividends in building interpersonal legacy.  At MRJH it has been such a pleasure to connect through thousands of hugs, handshakes, head nods, “good mornings,” smiles, fist bumps, high fives and even a few shakas! Lift others to lift yourself.

I believe that we all have a desire to make an impact.  We want to matter, to make a difference.  In my mind, that is the ultimate reward for our work.  What better way to leave your mark than by building an interpersonal legacy by investing in others?  Since it was announced that I would be leaving my campus to open a new school, I have received many positive notes and letters from staff, students and parents celebrating what we have accomplished.  When a staff member writes, “I am a better teacher because of you” my heart rejoices.  When a student approaches me and says, “Mr. McCord you were the best principal I ever had and I am going to miss you” I am honored.  When I reflect on those words, I know my passion and purpose are well aligned.  It is in these moments when I know I am living a legacy, and in those moments I feel fully alive. 

One last thought about interpersonal legacy.  It goes beyond the lives we influence in a positive way.  It is not just what we leave behind, it is also what we take with us.  As I move forward on my professional journey, I take with me the interpersonal legacy of my staff, students and parents.  If I have left a mark on them, be assured they have left a mark on me.  I am a better leader and a better man because of my work with the Morton Ranch community. Thank you for investing in me. 

This post is dedicated to the 4,000+ students and staff that I have had the great pleasure of serving in the role of “School Dad” at MRJH.  Safe, civil and productive… that’s The Maverick Way!

Cursed! 8 Roadblocks to Success

I am a people watcher.  My wife and I enjoy this hobby together and refer to it as “visiting the human zoo.” Although the appearance of folks can be entertaining, I find the most joy in watching behavior.  I am especially fascinated by how beliefs, perceptions and values play out in our behaviors.  Many people will point to student behavior as the most driving factor in a school’s success.  This simply is not true.  Adult behaviors drive school success.  I can clearly visualize one teacher who almost bounces down the hall during passing, engaging everyone with eye contact and a smile.  The way he carries himself says, “I am so happy to be here and glad you are too!”  A minute later, another staff member passes walking with purpose clearly not interacting with anyone.  The flat affect of their body language communicates disengagement and despondency.  How is it that two highly-educated, well-meaning professionals can respond in such a dramatically different way to their environment?  How can one teacher find success with a group of challenging kids when another cannot?  It is as if some educators have been cursed.  One can define a “curse” as the source of trouble or bad luck.  Let’s take a look at some of these roadblocks to success.  I challenge you to identify specific people that come to your mind as you reflect on this list.

1)      The Culture of Complaint Curse – I am saddened by how often conversations between people start with a complaint.   Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that one of the quickest ways to build an ally is to find a common enemy.  But to be emotionally healthy, this can’t be our only relationship-building strategy.  As educators, we need to hold ourselves accountable to model positivity for our students and one another.  Those who suffer from this curse fowl the nest that is our school culture.

2)      The Curse of Knowledge - The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that leads better-informed parties to find it extremely difficult to communicate concepts at the level that a novice learner needs.  Students can become intimidated and reluctant to ask questions for fear of looking less than smart.  Educators who suffer from this curse often make inaccurate assumptions about their learners.  They believe their students are disengaged and “just don’t care.”  Teachers carrying this curse lack the skill set necessary to meet the learner at their current level of mastery and bring them where they need to be.

3)      The Curse of Invulnerability - This curse drives educators to not allow themselves to be truly seen.  The focus for those with this curse is concern of appearing to be smart, strong and capable.  It is often masked by what people describe as “professional distance.”  This curse interferes with relationship building, transparency, and true connection to others.  Shame leads to blame and true discourse about real issues never happens.  If you are not among the 24 plus million people who have watched Brene Brown’s TED talk about vulnerability, do yourself a huge favor and do so today!  (Click here to view)

4)      The Curse of Complacency – This curse manifests itself as a quiet voice in the mind of the individual that whispers, “I have arrived personally and professionally.” It kills the drive to receive feedback or seek further growth.  Author Jim Collins captures it perfectly with the quote (below) from his book, Good to Great.  Acceptance of the status quo is the order of the day for those afflicted.  This can be a huge issue for leaders working to transform “high performing” campuses as measured by standardized testing.  Teachers in these settings are especially susceptible to the curse since their current practice seems to be effective based upon test scores. The insidious nature of this curse keeps these teachers from actively seeking best
practices. 

5)      The Curse of Standardization – This curse has reached epidemic proportions in education.  It is a sly curse disguising itself as high expectations, clear direction and tradition.  Whether it is the federally supported Common Core, or state-based standards such as our Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, our learning targets are too numerous to be truly learned at a deep level.  In an attempt to fully cover the wide breadth of standards, teachers fall victim to the curse by providing the exact same instruction for rooms full of learners with a great disparity of competencies.   Despite the obvious need for differentiation, the Curse of Standardization keeps us in a traditional lesson cycle of lecture, independent practice, homework, test, grade and move on.  In an effort to create "well-rounded" individuals, creativity is killed and students disengage.  What a tragic curse that directs us to standardize rather than build student’s strengths, support them in following their passion, and ultimately owning their learning. 

6)      The Curse of Experience – There is an old adage that says, “Experience is the best teacher.” I agree with that statement.  I also know that experience can be a killer of the creative problem solving needed to be successful.  People carrying the Curse of Experience are incapable of novel problem solving.  They seek to apply the same set of processes to new problems.  They become frustrated when they have different results from before, not recognizing that different variables are currently in play. Frequently those carrying this curse suffer from “mistalgia.”  Beware the educator that always starts the conversation around problem-solving with, “At my old campus….” This individual might be suffering from this curse.

7)      The Curse of Low Expectations – This curse kills our ability to help students reach their potential.  When afflicted, teachers no longer believe that certain students can be successful.  They will actively seek new instructional strategies, but nothing works because the real issue lies with the teacher himself.  One can sometimes detect those who suffer from this curse when they judge entire groups (class periods, grade levels, etc.) of kids as incapable.   If you hear a professional make the statement, “Bless his heart.” you can be assured that the Curse of Low Expectations is raising its ugly head.

8)      The Curse of Hypocrisy - This is the darkest and most dangerous curse. When afflicted, the curse bearer engages in the same behavior or activity for which he criticizes another.  At its onset, the individual simply lacks self-awareness.  Once the curse has reached its apex, the individual is aware that they are passing judgment on others while demonstrating the behavior they are judging.  Despite this awareness, they lack the self-honesty or motivation to change.  An example of this is the principal that reprimands the teacher who does not differentiate, but provides no differentiation for his teachers during staff development.  Another example is the man who attends church and while processing the sermon, sees the sins of others and never recognizes them as his own.  For this reason some refer to this as “The Church-goers Curse.”

At the beginning of this post, I challenged you to identify specific people that came to your mind as you thought about each curse.  Did you ever identify yourself?  If not, you might be suffering from the Curse of Hypocrisy yourself. :-0)

As a reflective leader, I have spent time lately trying to understand the factors, biases, and distorted thoughts that interfere with our success as educators.  It is easier to recognize these problems than it is to ameliorate them.  How does one go about curing these curses?  Here is what I recommend:

·         Start with self-awareness.  We all have fears, biases and prejudices that influence our actions.  Becoming aware of those that potentially limit us from being our best self is critical.  Reflect on your curses. Perhaps you will want to identify a curse that is a roadblock to your success listed in this post.

·         Once identified, be intentional with how you guard yourself against the curse.  Shift your self-talk. Mind what you do and say when interacting with others. Model what you expect.

·         When you see others who are afflicted by a curse, be willing to have a courageous conversation with them.  Help them with their journey to become the best-of-the-best.  This is at the heart of what it means to be a servant leader.

What other “curses” can you identify?  Please comment and add to this list.  I would love to hear your voice!

Max Learning

My life has been blessed in multiple ways.  I am married to my best friend and I have what I consider to be the best job on the planet.  The biggest blessings in my life are my three children Stefan, Caroline and Max.  I am in the unique position to have had a child in my 20’s, one in my 30’s and one in my late 40's.  Children are the best thing and the hardest thing.  They fire your passion and pride while teaching you lessons in humility.  Nothing makes you more vulnerable than having a piece of your heart walking around in this big ole world!

Although all three of my children have taught me a variety of lessons, I am going to focus the latest lessons from the one that is currently living under my roof, Max.  Max is two and a half and could be the poster child for what people describe as, “all boy.”  To say he is “all boy” really under sells his true energized spirit.  When he enters a room, the wild rumpus begins!  He explores the world like a metal head in a mosh pit.  He is very loving, but sometimes loving him is painful.  Hugs can feel like a strangle hold applied by a MMA master.  Kisses can result in a bloody lip.  He can destroy a room in seconds.  If you are picturing the Tasmanian Devil, you have the right idea.  I know you might be thinking, that’s just my skewed view because I am his father.  Further evidence about his personality can be seen in the nicknames the teachers at his day school have given him over the two years he has been there. He holds several descriptive titles including, Grain of Gold, The Little Prince, Big Pappa and The Alpha Male.  Sometimes, his mother and I think we may have cursed him by referring to him as “Mowgli” before he was born. 

Before you start to think that he is beyond hope, let me celebrate the other traits he has.  Max has passion for life. He is inquisitive beyond measure.  Currently his two favorite sentences are, “What’s that?” and “What’s his name?” He is acquiring language at a logarithmic rate.  He is strong, fast, and fearless.  He is curious, creative and loves to help.  I find that he is perfect in his imperfection. But what he is best at is teaching me what the love of learning looks like.  If you want to see what engagement looks like, watch Max at play.  He is an explorer.  He likes to take things apart to see how they are put together. He adapts his toys to do things they are not designed to do.  An example of this is how he plays with his water table.  His table is designed with a water wheel, a slide for figurines and even a working diving board.  He rarely uses it as it is designed.  Instead, he pulls it apart and finds a variety of things to put in it from the back yard.  Rocks, dirt, my shoes and Max himself are all potential playthings to go into the water. 

Max Learning Lesson #1 – Provide open ended experiences and allow students to explore. Let’s stop valuing the ability of students to simply follow a recipe or fill in the blank with a correct answer. Let go of the ideal and instead provide the opportunity to let their curiosity (choice) lead them to learning.  Until students own their learning, school experiences will lack the deep level of engagement we seek.  I am always fascinated about what Max finds to spark his curiosity.  When we take him to the zoo instead of amazement at the elephants, his biggest interest is the fencing, hinges and climbing on the benches.  On a family trip to a strawberry farm, Max finds the biggest joy in playing with a stressed caterpillar that is regurgitating its breakfast on his arm.   

Max Learning Lesson #2 – Focus more on the process than the product. Let’s stop valuing what our students create for the way it appears without consideration of the independent work that went into it. Reduce the amount of help you give and instead focus on celebrating their individual effort.  If Max wants to mix the colors of Play Doh, that’s OK. If his Valentine heart sponge stamp looks more like a cabbage head, that’s OK. 

Max Learning Lesson #3 –Provide for variety and movement.  Few of us as adults can sit for 5 hours of a 7 hour school day without resentment.  Yet this is not an uncommon expectation for our secondary students.  If Max wants to stand while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, that’s OK.  If he wants to escape from the stroller and take a detour while we are out walking the dog, that’s OK.  One of the best strategies for Max or any busy child is to give them a mission that involves physical activity. 

Max Learning Lesson #4 - Mind your words. What we say and how we say it has a huge impact on how students see themselves.  Last fall we were at one of the gym type facilities that caters to small children.  When it was time to clean up, Max modified the activity to be more engaging and challenging.  He picked up and carried the toys in his mouth and then practiced his bombardier skills by carefully taking aim as he dropped them into the bucket while on his tippy toes.  The teacher responded to his unique approach in a tone that was dripping with sarcasm, “Well that’s creative!” Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that this behavior might be a public health hazard and socially unacceptable for an older child.  My issue was with the use of sarcasm.  The teacher is very fortunate that Max is not developmentally advanced enough to understand the slight.  What I wanted to do was to channel my inner Liam Neeson and say:

Instead, we took our business to a different gym facility where his current "rock star" teacher, “Ms. G.G.” celebrates his high octane approach to every activity.  A great teacher makes all the difference!

As the product of public schools, I know that what our kids are getting today in my school is better than what came before.  With that said, we still have a long way to go.  We must find ways to shift away from what Sir Ken Robinson describes as the current "factory model" in place today.  I want a school culture that allows Max to be fully alive.  One that recognizes his strengths and sharpens his edges rather than grind them down into compliance. I want a classroom environment that celebrates creativity over conformity.  As his dad, how could I want less?  As the principal of 1,200 souls, I want the same for my students.  As their “school dad,” how could I want less?  I assure you that it is my great passion to do this work for kids.  Slowly but surely, patiently but passionately, I am committed to providing personalized learning for all.  Max deserves it.  All our kids deserve it.

The Devil is in the Differentiation

Public education is in an engagement crisis. One of the most common concerns I hear from teachers is that their students are not engaged. If you gather a group of experienced principals together and talk to them about their top roadblocks to transformation on their campus, a lack of teacher engagement will be at or near the top of the list. According to Gallup research in 2012 only one in three U.S. teachers, K-12, are engaged in their job. Principals and district level leaders are not immune to disengagement. At almost any meeting or professional learning session all one has to do is look around the room and see a variety of folks engaged with their electronic device and not in the topic at hand.  Disengagement is a killer of learning and productivity at every level! How do we turn this around?

Some would argue that we could address this through punitive measures. Teachers continue to take points away for late work, record zeros for undone assignments and keep disengaged students after school. Principals document teachers who are unmotivated and not taking care of students and other professional expectations.

Others would argue that we can motivate others best through reward systems. Many schools, including mine, have token economies and prize structures to recognize positive behavior. Teachers give bonus points or extra credit for students who scramble at the last minute for a passing grade. A jeans pass for teachers is the order of the day for staff rewards. Some school systems offer staff members merit pay for what is seen as exceptional performance based upon test scores.

What we do know is that these external motivators do increase the level of behavioral engagement or compliance. This is not enough. Quiet classrooms and cooperative employees are no guarantee for student achievement or staff engagement. We must move beyond mere compliance if we want to maximize everyone's potential.  What we need is cognitive engagement. Creativity and critical thinking live here. So how do we reach people so that they are motivated intrinsically to engage at a meaningful level?

Daniel Pink does a fine job of shining a light in the dark places surrounding what motivates people. He shares research that shows that extrinsic motivators, like money, increase performance for linear tasks and those that require mechanical skills.  The same does not hold true for high level thinking tasks. 

Pink describes three factors that lead to better performance. (Click here to see the video) These are autonomy, mastery and a sense of purpose. If you are struggling to engage others ask yourself these questions:

• How am I providing choice for those I wish to engage?
• How am I determining where people are in terms of their competencies and support them on their journey to achieve mastery?
• What am I doing to make this work tie into a larger purpose?

I believe that these three areas speak to the need to personalize learning.  When it comes to personalizing learning, the devil is in the differentiation.  I hold Carol Ann Tomlinson as my top influencer when it comes to understanding what differentiation is and what it is not.  She has produced a number of books and other resources that will support interested educators seeking to become more masterful.  There are two key characteristics that she identifies for instructional consideration that align well with Pink’s research.  Tomlinson describes “interest” as what the learner enjoys learning about, thinking about and doing.  If we can give the learner the autonomy to choose, we are drawing from what drives from within.  A second characteristic that Tomlinson describes is “readiness.”  Readiness can be defined as the learner’s current knowledge, understanding, or skill set related to the learning target.  Establishing readiness provides a starting point for us to begin growing others toward mastery.  Human nature tends to predispose us to enjoy the things we are good at.  When we support growing our learners from where they are toward mastery, we again draw on their internal motivation and increase engagement. 

In the paragraph above I was purposeful in choosing the descriptor, “the learner.” Many would assume I am referring to students and the need for teachers to personalize their instruction.  This idea is bigger than that.  It applies to all of us at every level in the education world.  It is the highest form of hypocrisy when leaders ask others to do what we are unwilling to do. This is not easy work, given limited resources, time constraints, and the factory model that constrains much of our system.  These constraints define the box that we must innovate within. 

If we hope to break the trend in which shifting demographics are the best predictor of student achievement, we must differentiate to personalize learning for our students.  If we are to ameliorate the crisis of teacher disengagement, we must differentiate to personalize their professional learning.  If we are to engage education leaders and empower them to model this practice, personalization is again a must. 

I am encouraged that the State of Texas is moving to a system that has the potential to support the type of personalization we all deserve as educators.  If used appropriately as a tool for reflective practice, the proficiency scales embedded within the teacher system, T-TESS, have great potential.  These rubrics will provide the structure to have instructional conversations that are deeper and more focused than ever before.  It appeals to me that, as a principal, I will have the same type of scale to give direction to my personalized learning through the T-PESS framework. It is so powerful when our practices and expectations align at every level.  

Like most growth that leads to positive change, this will no doubt create discomfort for us all.  Are you willing to do the hard work and lean into this discomfort as a teacher...principal...central office administrator?  We are all charged with becoming the designers of engaging experiences. I am committed to fully engage in this work for my staff.  Let's model what we want for ourselves, each other, and most of all, our students.  We ALL deserve it!  

Feel free to leave your comments/thoughts/ideas below.  This is a discourse worth having.  Let's talk!