What is Success?

My second year has come to a close.  I have been thinking and evaluating the year a lot the last few weeks.  For much of the year, I felt that this year was a "sophomore slump."  I had to work harder to not get as deep in my classes, my speech team moved up two divisions and faced much stiffer competition, and building relationships was much more difficult and took longer.  As the year ended, I began to realize something:

Success is defined in many different ways.

Success in Content

True, it was harder teaching the students US History this year.  Last year I had self-motivated Honors students.  This year, I had to serve as their motivation in many cases.  And teaching US History to High School Juniors in Texas means the STAAR End of Course Exam.  I spent much of the year feeling the pressure to get these students to pass this test because they do not get to graduate until it is passed.  So, I found myself giving in to the temptation to engage in some teaching methods that I felt bordered on learning the test instead of loving the content.  It is a struggle I am sure many teachers face.

If the scores reflect that my students did well, that is a success for them- but is it for me?  My number one goal as a History teacher is that my students find at least one thing to love about history.  I am passionate about history and I want that passion to spread.  When I give in to focusing on the test, my passion wanes because the time it takes to develop passion is given to time spent figuring out what the test might ask.  And if my passion wanes, the students will- at the very least- lose interest.  They will not love history like I do.  The number of students I had last year that told me how much they loved this or that about history when they never liked history before tells me that my approach based on sharing my passion for the content- not my concern over the test- works.  

I wish I felt more successful in my content- but maybe time will reveal a surprise. Perhaps success here is finding that common ground between preparing for the test and sharing a passion for the material- I plan to work on finding it.

A student is successful if they score well on their End of Course Exams because they get to graduate and maybe get an "Advanced" score.  But for me success is a student coming back and saying, "Man, I really love _______ about history!  I never cared/thought about it like that until your class!"

Success in Competition

This is probably the most difficult to measure, because we assume success is more points on the scoreboard.  Our school jumped from a 3A designation to a 5A designation this year.  Sports, Academic UIL, FFA and other Career Tech groups all encountered new levels of difficult competition.  And we all found varying levels of success.  My high school, in its three years of existence, has been remarkably successful by the win/loss standard.

But is that true success?

Just winning is not success, I say.  I feel that a component of success is character.  A team that wins, but is smug, arrogant, dismissive of opponents, and just all around jerks may be victorious, but they are not successful.  But a team that loses, shoulders the disappointment with humility and determinedly works to not lose again is successful

I am proud to say that my school is most definitely successful, by my definition.  Our faculty is actively cultivating these characteristics.  We are courteous to our opponents, and our students behave with character and integrity.  Every school has a few moments of falling short in those areas, and we are no different.  But modeled from the top leadership down, there is an attitude of admitting mistakes and atoning for them.  The Prose and Poetry coach that works with my Speech team and I are very intentional about teaching our younger teammates how to win well, and how to lose well.  It is not always easy, but we must demonstrate humility in victory and defeat.  

Victory must have integrity to be a success.

I want teams that face us to walk away hating that they lost, but respecting the manner in which they lost.  And I want the teams that defeat us to respect the grace and maturity we show in the loss.  This is success in competition.

Success in Relationships

Honors students trusted me pretty quickly last year.  We were able to ask tougher questions faster, dig deeper into discussions sooner.  This year, my on-level classes were MUCH slower to warm up.  And when they did, it was difficult for me to tell because their trust was much less overt and easy to see.

I speak to my students, and treat them, like they are adults.  My simple rule is that I will respect you.  No conditions, no qualifiers, no prerequisites.  I also promise to trust you, until that trust is broken, then it must be earned back.  Well into the second semester, I still could not tell if they trusted or even liked me.  I felt I was not making that connection, and I doubted myself.

I strongly believe that to get students to do the hard thing, they need to care about the teacher who is leading them.  You can give them difficult problems, increase the rigor, but without relationship, I just do not see success happening.  Why was I not connecting?

Now, at the end of the year, I received letters from seniors who chose to write me as a teacher that had an impact.  My students from last year wrote about the way I connected them to the material and how I made a difference in their life.  My classes this year had a handful of Seniors (US History is a Junior level course here), and to my surprise, I received letters from some of them.

One student told of how they almost quit, but because I wouldn't give up on them, they decided not to give up on themselves.  They were walking the stage at graduation because another teacher and I would not let them give up.  They sent me that email the morning of graduation.

I looked back and I realized that these students trusted me long before I could see it.  They were not expressing it because many of them are just more guarded.  They do not trust authority figures easily.  I remembered that there were students I would discipline, and yet the next day, they were not bearing a grudge, they were even laughing with and being friendly.  What had I done that made this possible?

I think it went back to the second week of school.  Everyone did poorly on the first test.  Instead of scolding them for not taking the test seriously, I asked them, "What can I do better as your teacher?"  I got good, solid, workable answers, and applied them- manner of delivery, ways to review better, etc.

That may have made more of difference than I initially thought.  I gave them ownership in the class.  I forgave them as quickly as they fell into wrong behaviors.  I made my room a safe place.  Oh, there were still discipline issues, but I pointed out that the issues were not about disrespecting me- that I can deal with- it was about disrespecting their peers.

Relationships matter.  And successful ones are built on trust and respect.

What is Success?

I am still a new teacher.  I am still learning and do not have all the answers.  I simply notice what works and what does not.  Each year is, in a way, an experiment in how best to educate students in curriculum and guide them in life.  

Some students I fail.  They don't get the attention they need, or I cannot find the best method to reach them.

It haunts me.

Some students get the good grades and pass the right tests, but I fail to make the impression on them that actually helps them in life.  I fail to impart integrity and character.

It haunts me.

Some students get the grades and pass the tests, and mature and grow far beyond the requirements of the course.  They are students that will walk back to my room next year to chat.  They are students who will hound me to follow them back on Twitter the day they graduate.  They are young adults who will send me an email or ask to get together for coffee when they are in college. They will ask me advice on classes and life.  They will tell me that something I did connected with them, and they want to be for others what I was for them.

These sustain me.

What is success?  For me, it is having more students in that last category, while diligently striving to decrease the numbers in the other two categories- perhaps with help from other students in that last group.

What is success?  It is measured not in GPA's and Commended's and Honor graduate stoles, but in students who view the world and the subject matter I shared with them with a little more clarity and the knowledge that at least there is one more adult out there that cares for them.

What is success for you?

Moments

I had the honor and pleasure of getting to address our Senior class of 2015 at Senior Sunset, our new tradition of recognizing our seniors the night before graduation.  The following is basically what I said, and maybe a little more I should add looking back.  Some of this is very specific to our school with it's first ever graduating class, but it is information I feel is good for all seniors.

Our life is made of moments.

Looking back, we all have moments we remember- first day of kindergarten, first day of middle school, first time we tried out for school sports/band/theater, first dates, etc.  We think of these moments and smile, we remember the impact they had on us.

The College Station High School Class of 2015, there are some pretty unique memories you may have.  The first time you stepped through those doors and OPENED College Station High School.  The first time you put on that CSHS uniform and practiced as a Cougar Athlete/Band Member/Team member.  Your first competition.  The first time you sat in a class and realized how important that teacher was not just to your education, but to you personally.  We've got a lot of great teachers here who truly care about you.  The first time you succeeded in a class when you didn't think you could.

There are other moments that CSHS has now become known for.  The moment you experienced victory on the field, the court, the stage, or the classroom.  Triumphs over rivals.  Reaching deep into the playoffs.  Getting to State.  Winning State.  These moments are moments that have defined CSHS.

But this is a moment now.  You are all gathered here together at your Senior Sunset.  What comes now?  Tonight the sun sets on you as a high school student for the last time.  Tomorrow when it sets, you will be a graduate.

Those of you who had me in class know how much I love Theodore Roosevelt.  It wouldn't be a Lehrmann moment if I didn't mention him at least once.  This quote is the first of two from him:

"Be practical as well as generous in your ideas.  Keep your eyes on the stars but remember to keep your feet on the ground.

Courage, hard work, self mastery, and intelligent effort are all essential to successful to life.

Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and the nations alike."

Character and integrity.  Two qualities that are taught to and expected of you as CSHS Cougars.  Wherever you go from here- Texas A&M, University of Texas, BYU, NYU, the military, the workforce or any number of other possible destination- carry those qualities with you. 

 There are many moments to come when you will get to display these qualities again.  Meeting your first college roommate- which could go well or poorly for you.  Sitting in your first college class.  in four years- or more likely these days six or seven- you will walk across another stage (or the same stage for some of you) and get another diploma.  The first time you meet that special someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.  Becoming a parent.  Starting your career and that moment you realize you are GOOD at what you do and want to do it for the rest of your life.

These moments are coming.  And in them, you will have a choice.  At College Station High School, you have consistently made the right choice.  I believe you will continue in that pattern.  But you will have the chance to choose, in your moments to come, the good thing or the great thing.  College Station High School has seen you choose the great thing, to excel time and again.  Continue in that choice.  Choose to make a difference in your world.  I believe you can.

As I close, I have just one more Theodore Roosevelt quote:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. "

Class of 2015:  Dare greatly.  Dare greatly.

Dream Analysis: Helping Students Appreciate Their Dream Over a Fantasy

It is graduation season, and thousands of students who are absolutely CERTAIN that their dreams are going to become a reality are about to embark on a journey of disappointment.

I know, because 17 years ago, I was one of them.

Many students have dreams.  They are good dreams, but often not attainable.  (See every season of American Idol ever.)

But these are just a few of those whose dreams will not come true.

Those thousands I talked of are the students who are going to be doctors, lawyers, scientists, entertainers, athletes- and then one little thing goes wrong.  Some students have dreams that just will not come true, and they have to learn to deal with that in their own way and own time- whether an injury ends their career or the talent just isn't what they thought it would be.

And most students believe their dream has died.

But what if it hasn't?

I believe as educators, we might be able to see something that the student themselves cannot see.  That their dream is not the career they want, but the thing that career would allow them to do.

Confused?  Well, dreams can be confusing, so let me explain with my own story.

My Story

As a high school junior, I wanted to be a lawyer/politician.  I wanted to win court cases for the innocent and downtrodden or hold office and make the world a better place.  Inexplicably, my dream changed my senior year to be a psychiatrist.  I think it had to do with everyone telling me I was too honest to be a lawyer.  But the psychiatrist thing would allow me to help people, and make a lot of money.  (Remember, I'm a high school senior at that point and I do not understand anything about the world.)

I started Texas A&M with a Psych major on the pre-med track.  I sat in that meeting where you were asked to look to your left and right and realize one of them wouldn't be there in a year.  I took special note of my two neighbors, because they were the ones leaving.

Then I failed Biology.

OK, well, I didn't fail it- I dropped it with a 46 average.  Bye, bye med school.

But I could still be a psychologist.  It would mean I could counsel and aid people. It would mean getting a Ph.D, but hey, whatever.

My sophomore year, my dad died.  He had retired from the Highway Department as a Chief Accountant and taken a job as an aide in an Emotionally Disturbed (now Adaptive Behavior) class at my old Junior High to have something to do.  What he did was make a difference with kids others struggled with for 4 years.  Then he died.

I wanted to help people like my dad had.  So, I went into the ministry instead of counseling.  I did this for over ten years.  Then I burned out.  I had wanted to make a difference with people, I had dreams of starting a church for college students (which I got to do) and being a big-time speaker (which I did not get to do), all of which had me making a difference.  There were a lot of factors- not the least of which was working a day job as a tax collector which sucked my soul out- that lead to this burn-out.

But at the heart was that I felt I no longer was making a difference in people's lives.

I got laid off from the tax collection job, and took to subbing in schools.  Then I got an aide job.  Then I got my current job, teaching high school social studies and coaching speech.

Then I realized my dream had come true.  Not the fantasy of money and fame- no the DREAM of having a chance to make a difference in people's lives.

Dream vs. Fantasy
Most of us confuse dreams and fantasies.  Fantasies are the sugar-coated versions of dreams.  It is the wealth, fame, honor, and recognition that a few people get along with their dream.  My high school is seeing some students moving towards their fantasy- scholarships to D1 schools for sports, scholarships for fine arts at prestigious universities.  But the vast majority of students will not experience fantasies.  They will not make the pros, star in movies, be the face of a major medical endeavor, or walk on Mars.  Winning American Idol is not a dream, it is a fantasy and very few get to live it out.

But that does not mean the rest of the people see their dream die.

See, under that thick layer of fantasy icing, a dream still dwells.  A dream is achievable for most, if not all students.  We just have to help students- and ourselves- see that the dream is closer to reality than we think.

Fantasies can be taken away from us- but dreams are in our souls. 

Finding the Dream
In my story, my fantasy was a prestigious job and maybe some fame and money.  But my dream was simpler, attainable.  My dream- through the lawyer phase, psychiatrist phase, ministry phase and now teacher phase has always been the same:

To make a difference in people's lives.

The dream was the heartbeat of the fantasy, not the other way around.  A baseball players fantasy is to play for the Yankees or Rangers or Cardinals- but their dream is to be a part of America's pastime.  An entertainer's fantasy is to see their name in lights, fill stadiums or theaters- but their dream is to make people feel, to connect with an audience.  A doctor's fantasy is to cure cancer or AIDS-their dream is to save a life.

Our students will tell you their fantasy when we ask what their dreams are.  And we will play the realist and try to help them see that only a rare few get Oscars, Grammys, MLB MVP's, or Rookies of the Year.

And we will miss their dream, and crush their spirit.

So, when a student tells you their fantasy, look for the dream.  The fantasy is the accolades they receive for fulfilling the dream.  The dream is what they want to do.

Make a difference.  Be a part of their sport.  Connect with people, Heal.  Save lives. Make someone laugh.  Give someone comfort.  Work with kids/animals/the earth.  Grow something that feeds people.  Build something that makes life easier.  Have a family.  Raise strong, well adjusted kids.

Dreams can be achieved.  They need to be.  When a fantasy becomes impossible, we must help the dreamer see that that does not mean the dream is over.  It just means the fluff is gone, and the real good stuff is still waiting to be explored.

Dream.  Because even if your fantasy never comes true, it is your dream that will give you purpose and focus.  It will give you life.

I have finally realized that my dream is more than the job I do- it is the manner in which I want to live my life. May that be your dream as well. 

Live. 

Social Physics: How Student Relationships Affect the Classroom

In my Youth Minister days, we had a tried and true illustration.  Get a strong/large student to stand on a chair and a small/less strong student to stand on the floor.  Instruct the two to pull against each other and see what happens.  Most often, the small student would pull the larger down.  "Aha!" we would say, and explain that it is a lot harder to pull someone up than it is to drag them down.

As a teacher, I am starting to observe that like in this illustration, there are certain rules of Social Physics at work in our classrooms.  I would like to discuss just a few of them here, beginning with the above illustration.  (Fair warning, I teach Social Studies, so please forgive some slight simplification of the science as poetic license .)

The Gravity Constant

Now, as an educator, I still see the merit in that illustration, but I want to add something.  The reason that the smaller can pull down the larger is that gravity plays a role.  In physics, one knows the gravitational constant is 9.8.  That is added to the pull the small exerts on the large, potentially evening out the amount of force, and typically shifting the balance.  In addition to gravity, standing on a chair is not as stable as the ground.  

In a classroom situation, I have heard teachers argue that it is good to have "honors" level students in the same class as the "on-level" students because it will bring the grades up and they will learn from each other.  Yes, and no.  If the "honors" students are significantly popular, or there are more of them than the other students, then yes.  But when they are outnumbered, I witness the opposite.  The Gravity Constant pulls them down.  Often, it starts as the "honors" student stops answering questions because they are the only one, then the pressure of always being the one the other students look at when a curve is broken kicks in.  Social pressure begins to weigh.

I am in no way diminishing the importance of peer tutoring, but as educators we need to be aware to take care of those students who are shouldering the weight not only of their own responsibilities, but the pressure they feel from their peers.  Help them find a more stable "chair" to stand on, occasionally let them off the "chair" so they can just be another student, and be there pushing the students on the ground up when you see the student on the "chair" trying to help.

Newton's First Law

An object at rest remains at rest. An object in motion remains in motion. To change either of these, outside force is required.  

Every student needs a push.

 Every. Single. One. 

Now that push may move them to pass, or to get a perfect score on the SAT. But it must happen. How much push- and how much prep to get ready for the push- depends on the student. Some students come with wheels- a subtle nudge will move them to success. Some students are "up on blocks" and need to be given wheels- knowledge and skills to complete the task- before the push. 

In either case, when a student walks I your door, they need a push to find success. That push may be as simple as laying out expectations or as complex as convincing a student that your subject actually does matter. Some students are ready to roll at day one, others are like a classic car that has been sitting in the garage for too long. The work will take time, but it will be worth it in the end. 

Sometimes, the inertia a student brings to class is not exactly what you want. Here, the First Law says it's not just going to stop on its own. Enter discipline. And, enter the Second Law. 

Newton's Second Law

More mass requires more force to accelerate. 

Discipline problems often do not start in your room. There is some acceleration bursting through your door, and it may anger at the last teacher or pain from something that just went out on social media or something from home. You did not ask for it, but it is barreling toward you nonetheless. 

Big problems need a lot of force, small problems need little force. You just never know which one is staring at you in the moment. 

Ok, a red faced, teary eyed, or swearing, swinging student is a clear call. But hopefully that's not a frequent situation. 

Whatever the thing you face, if it is not addressed, it could derail your class. Or worse yet, entangle other students in it. That gravity constant still applies here- large mass has strong gravitational pull. 

Now applying force to stop can be firm discipline, clearing addressing the issue at hand. But, in a slight departure from the First Law, sometimes it can be ignored. 

A problem that is not affecting others can sometimes be made worse by applying force from the teacher, when there is another outside force already acting. 

Time. 

Students may just need a moment to burn out the heat of what they were dealing with. 

Because if you react too strongly, there will be a reaction. 

Newton's Third Law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. 

I've seen it in my classroom and in other teachers' stories. You react to a student wanting attention- even if it's negative.  They respond by doing exactly the opposite of what you wanted- they ramp up the behavior. Or they use that pesky gravity constant to draw the class in with them. So what do you do?

Ignore it. 

Yeah- it seems counterintuitive, but sometimes reacting in the moment does exactly what you don't want. Instead, let the moment die. Student misbehavior is all about timing, like comedy. When the student doesn't get what they wanted and other students see you are not phased, their momentum is gone and your opposite reaction worked. 

Obviously, there are limits- if a student is in emotional or physical danger you must act. But weigh the moment. 

Social Physics

So there it is. A theory to try out on your socially active students. Now, I'm gladly headed back to teaching social studies. 

Do Not Condescend Their Youth: Cultivating Leadership Among Students

It is the Spring Semester, which means secondary schools all over the country are holding, or about to hold Student Council elections.  Just this week, I sat in on candidate interviews where I observed potential leaders casting vision and laying out plans.  What I saw in the interviews offered hope and excitement, but also frustration and disappointment. I love leadership, and I have a strong desire to help grow leaders among our next generation, and while I see the seeds of it, I also see that we as educators want leaders, but we seem to struggle with how to identify and mature them.

While I have only worked in the school system for just under three years, I have worked with teens and college students for over fourteen years- including about a decade in the ministry.  I was always looking for students with key leadership characteristics and ways to fine-tune those skills. As a minister, I loved to share this verse with students- and the adults who took those student's leadership for granted:

"And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity."  (1 Timothy 4:12 The Message)

I constantly challenged my students in youth ministry to set the bar for the adults.  So, why then, as a teacher, do I not issue that same challenge to my students in the school setting?

Regardless of your religious or spiritual background, this is sound advice.  I believe it is completely applicable to our students in Student Council, Athletics, FFA, Theater, classes in general or any gathering where students are expected to lead.  So, I want to take just a few minutes to expound upon how to cultivate leadership by drawing out the qualities of leader in word, demeanor, love, faith, and integrity.

Word
Full disclosure- I am a speech and debate coach.  I value the spoken and written word as a powerful cornerstone of leadership.  So, whether the Apostle Paul- who wrote 1 Timothy- put "word" first because he valued it as I do or because he liked the flow better, I think it is most important.  

Most of of us hear talk of leaders and words (which is translated as "speech" in other translations) and we think that all leaders must be great orators.  This is simply not true.  But all great leaders must be great communicators. They must be able to convey their plan, their intent, their message, or their expectations clearly through the use of words.  Written, acted, or spoken.  Throughout my life I have known and in some cases worked under leaders who held a position of power but were in fact terrible at communication.  In some cases they simply did not express clearly their position, in other cases they did not express anything at all.  So for me, a leader who does not clearly articulate their vision is a poor leader.

As teachers, we must communicate.  We must model good communication, and we must allow students opportunities to communicate.  Yes, papers are a manner in which students communicate, but we cannot rely on that solely.  In my classes, discussion is prized.  Verbal communication is how I get my students to process the content- I want to hear them express it in their own words, on the fly.  I want my students to engage in debate, to disagree vehemently in an environment where I can coach and guide the arguments to a constructive end.  I want students to have to speak extemporaneously and with prepared speeches before their peers.  This allows students to develop those necessary communication skills.  I want my students to work in group projects because the back and forth there will develop leadership skills in all participants.  Over all this, as teachers, we must model leadership by word.  In our written correspondence and in our spoken word, we must demonstrate for students clarity of thought, eloquence of diction, and imagery of the story or lesson we are trying to convey. 

 Not every great leader was a great speaker, but every great leader MUST know how to communicate their vision.

Demeanor
Your demeanor, or attitude, determines your effectiveness as a leader.  It is no secret that a teacher's attitude can set the environment for a classroom.  A teacher who is angry, or tired, or burned out will struggle to lead their class.  In the same way, a teacher whose attitude is one of "You do it because I am the teacher and I said so," will not inspire leaders- or much learning.  Teachers must model an attitude of expectancy and humility.  Students will grasp that their educators believe something will be learned in that lesson, but also that teachers are not infallible.  Some translations call this characteristic of leadership "life."  Teachers can inspire leadership from students in their classes by sharing their lives.  Teachers who share their interests outside the classroom are able to build relationships with their students because their students see them as humans.  And teachers who are willing to share their interests intentionally or accidentally inspire students to share their lives with others as well.

If we want our students to become leaders, we must encourage them to attitudes of openness.  We follow people we can relate to and connect with.  We feel this way because their demeanor is welcoming and open.  As teachers we strive to demonstrate this attitude with students- now we must encourage our young leaders to emulate this demeanor with their peers.

Love
It is often the most difficult leadership quality to display and instill, but love is perhaps the most important.  (Yes, even more than communication, says the Speech coach grudgingly.)  "They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."  Cliche?  Yes.  But it is true.  Students spot a phony as quickly as voters spot a disingenuous politician.  And it is easy to love the top student, or the super sweet student.  But to love the student who spurns your every effort at support?  To love the student who will not stop disrupting?  To love the student who is a bully?

It is NECESSARY that we love these students.  To work toward it.  Because great leaders demonstrate love.  Love for country, for deity, for subject matter, for others.  We must teach students that loving the unlovable is what makes leaders great.  But we must also show that "love" does not always mean "like."  I will strive to always love my students, even when I may not like their attitude or behavior.  In fact, it is my love for the student that inspires such great dislike for their attitude or behavior- because want so much better for them.  It is this kind of love that great leaders like the ones we teachers hope to make demonstrate.  

Faith
There are all kinds of faith.  Faith in religion, science, humankind, the natural order, et cetera.  Great leaders have faith in something.  As educators, we should strive to point our students towards having faith in something- themselves, their subject of interest, their future, their God, a cause, or simply something greater than themselves.

Leaders believe in something.  They believe in it so strongly, that they convince others.  But somewhere along the way, those leaders were believed in.  Perhaps that is what we need to do most in teaching our students faith- to put our faith in them.  I try to regularly remind my students I have faith they can do it.  I look anxiously for those moments when I need to tell a student I believe in them.  And occasionally I give the necessary push to one student to tell another student that they believe in them.  Faith is powerful.  It reminds us what we are capable of, and we can use it to remind others what they are capable of.

Integrity
It is sad that we live in a time when leaders are always seen in a lapse of character.  It seems we have accepted that it is just bound to happen that a leader is going to get caught in some scandal or in some lie at some point.  This is why it is all the more important that we model and teach character and integrity to our students.  We as teachers CANNOT take the shortcut.  While we must model mercy, we must also demonstrate justice.  And when we do make mistakes, it is incumbent upon us to be honest and accept and admit our error.  Students see how we act, and they know when we are different that what we say we are.  "Character is who you are when no one is looking."  Another cliche- but another truth.  

We cannot expect integrity in our students until we demonstrate it for them.  We cannot violate extra-curricular practice time limits and justify it with "Everyone does it."  We cannot bend the facts in a lesson to make it easier to teach and say "Its just a white lie, they won't know any better."  We must not be afraid to stand on our principles even when we know that students do not agree- they may disagree, but they will eventually respect that we had integrity.

Students will inevitably have to learn the hard lesson that a failure in integrity will always be discovered...eventually.  When a student falters, they will need to learn to accept that they messed up, own that they messed up, and work to see that it does not happen again as they deal with the consequences.  And consequences are vital- they must be applied.  There are times for grace and mercy, but there are also times for justice.

Do Not Look Down On Them
I have always hated the phrase "The children are our future."  It does our youth a terrible disservice.  They are capable of being leaders NOW.  They are capable of affecting great change NOW.  Let us speak with (words) our students as adults, with all the expectations and responsibilities that come with that.  Let us express and expect attitudes of maturity and humility (demeanor) from ourselves and our students.  Let us care for (love) even the most hard to understand and appreciate, for they are the ones who need it the most.  Let us believe in (faith) our students hopes and dreams- and the students themselves.  And let us model and expect character (integrity) from ourselves and our students.  

And perhaps most important of all, let us not look down on them because they are young, but let us look to find in them examples to inspire us to be better teachers and leaders.

3 Keys to a "New" School Culture

My school is basically a toddler. 

Three years ago, it was being knit together by the careful hands of a bunch of construction workers. Two and a half years ago, it was born and began its life. A year and a half ago I became a teacher, and joined up with the barely-out-of-infancy school. 

I love that our school is new. We are building something new, each year is full of firsts- this year it is our first seniors. There is an air of excitement in classes, on fields, on stages, and even in the halls. This mood and approach to education is so important to the life of a school. Excitement quickly spreads throughout the faculty and amongst the students. Excitement turns to readiness to learn and eagerness to engage and create more new and stronger lessons and environments. This newness is something I realize that I am taking for granted. MOST schools are established, and doing "new" things does not come easily. 

That being said, I do believe there some things that all schools can and should do to recapture the "new." 

Culture

It begins and ends here:  new things are expected and encouraged. Cultures are shaped by perspectives, the perspective that breaking from tradition in a meaningful way (not change for change's sake) is healthy and necessary. "New" culture is all about openness- the new teacher and the established teacher have equal share in the building and growing of the school environment and attitude. Experience carries equal weight with ingenuity, and both work to balance each other out. New teachers invigorate the established, the established guide the new. In short, the culture of a "new" school is built around team. There is no room for condescension or elitism amongst staff or towards students. This culture allows students as well as educators a hand in the life of the school.  If that seems like a risk, it's intentional. 

Risks

Educators MUST have a culture that encourages and even expects risks to be taken. They try new technologies, new formats, new lessons. Teachers who are taking risks demonstrate to students that sometimes failure is a part of learning, and that getting back up after a failure is how to pursue success. Administrators who take risks inspire teachers- and make them feel safe to try audacious things. 

If you are an established school, recreating a culture of the "new" can be difficult. People, and therefore teachers, don't like change, so opposition is to be expected. But you are a risk taker, right?

My admnistrators take and encourage calculated risks. So our staff follows suit. My wife teaches at another campus in our district that is very established. Her principal is doing an amazing job of recreating a culture of the new- integrating social media seamlessly in his leadership and around campus, and challenging teachers to re-evaluate why "we've always done it that way" in a way that gets results and minimal pushback.  

Flexibility

New is not easy. New schools try things that do not work. New schools have to change plans on the fly. 

If you want to reclaim the new- you need to bend a little. If you are taking risks, that's a great start, but flexibility also means being willing to give people a second chance. 

Teachers and students. 

Flexibility may mean you have to allow students a chance to re-earn your trust. This is terrifying.  But it is necessary.  If you as a school are dedicated to a second chance for your educational approach, there is no better way to get the students on board that practically demonstrate a second chance by offering them one. 

Let students have a voice in the new direction and a say in the expectations. 

Student-centered instruction is all the rage, this is student-centered educational culture. It helps to build a relationship between student and teacher that is vital to the culture of the "new."

*****

One of the reason I was so excited to start at my school is that as a new teacher, I would get to grow with my school. But shouldn't that be the case for all teachers and all schools?  Schools and teachers growing, maturing, and developing together is a healthy relationship. One I'm glad to take part in, and hope all teachers and schools can find for themselves. 

New Years Teacher Resolutions

I'm not really sure if this should be posted tonight- technically for teachers, this is mid-year, not New Years- but I'm going to anyway. 

I'm a big believer in constantly evaluating myself. "Did I teach that right?"  "What is a better way to handle that topic?"  "How can I strengthen/fix that relationship with the difficult student?"

New Years resolutions are great for that, so here are mine. 

1.  Use Google calendar more effectively. I am a busy teacher. Co-sponsoring a very active StuCo, coaching a growing and developing Speech and Debate team, two daughters entering the active tween years, a wife who teaches as well, tons of  student activities to go see- oh and classes to teach. I've started using my calendar, but it's time for some next level calendaring. Setting up reminders as much for me as well as for my students has already started to help, but there is so much more to do. Which also helps with my second resolution. 

2.  Get more organized. I've never been a neat freak. I've always enjoyed kinda making things up as I go along. But those two endearing personal traits are not going to work all the time. Again, I'm going with a Google shout out- Gooogle Forms are an excellent tool for debate meet sign ups and planning questionnaires for StuCo. For the classroom, they can be used for class feedback (something I'm getting to in a little bit) and maybe some quiz taking, but I need to experiment more with that. I hate keeping up with papers, so I want to go more digital on class work. I'm also resolving to not let my desk get cluttered.  So I plan to introduce an assignment filing system. I've seen and heard from some other teachers what they use, but am open to suggestions. 

3.  Work on my teaching weaknesses.  I expect a lot of my students. I want them to put their best work forward. I have no problem pointing out to them when they don't. It is only fair that I be made aware when I'm not doing my best. I resolve to ask for more student feedback. What do I do that works?  What do I do that doesn't?  I know I cannot rely solely on student feedback, so I want to be better about asking my peers for guidance and advice. I am fortunate to work at a school that encourages peer coaching- teachers observing and encouraging each other. I want to observe my fellow teachers more, and hopefully see if they will observe me. Seeing the great results of peer coaching so far, I look forward to more opportunities. 

4.  Strengthen relationships with students...and teachers.   My students know I care about their success, they know I am willing to- and do- fight for them. But I want them to know I care about them. Personally. That I care about their extra curriculars, their work, their interests, and their struggles. That means going to games and performances, Googling ( I should get some sort of fee for endorsing at this point) the artist they can't stop talking about so I can carry on a conversation about something they care about do they are more willing to listen to the lesson I need to teach them. And teachers- communication is so important and it so easily gets overlooked. Sharing ideas, asking questions, digging into the content we teach together. Why do students miss those TEKS/standards more than others?  We can evaluate data- and the numbers show what is missed, but we need to discuss why they miss them. The relationships with students and with teachers cross here- if we know what is going on with the students, we can adapt our approach to see success. 

5.  Work on student weakness while strengthening student strengths.  In a previous post (http://amidoingthisrightteachers.blogspot.com/2014/11/good-to-great-yeah-it-book-title.html?m=1) I talked about not neglecting the stuff students do well on, because that's how you move student scores from passing to excellent. I won't rehash that here, but I plan to reteach not just the things students don't get, but also the stuff they did get in September so they do not lose it by May. 

That's my list- what about you?