Teachers, leaders stand firm

Our family walked together through the pasture of my grandparent's farm excited to bring back the perfect Christmas tree. It was my mom and dad, my little sister and I, all enjoying family time during a season of making family memories. But suddenly, my dad noticed something menacing. Up by the pond he spotted a bull we called Victor trotting in our direction. This animal was extremely large and capable of doing great harm, but he had never acted like this before. Now he was running straight for us.

I sensed the danger even more when my dad gave serious instructions. "Get behind me," he urged. We all quickly huddled in his shadow as the bull continued his charge. My dad threw his hands in the air and called out with several loud and authoritative words intended to let the bull know he was in charge. The bull was not deterred until he was within inches of my dad, when the creature dug his front hooves into the ground slowing his massive frame. Dad wielded the handsaw he carried to harvest the Christmas tree, and smacked the bull right across the nose, yelling again as if to remind him who was boss. Victor retreated.

Now these events, lasting a matter of seconds, have been glued in my memory ever since. I knew in that moment what courage really meant. I saw love carried out. I witnessed a lesson about leadership I would only later fully realize. My dad was my hero, standing firm in the face of a palpable threat.

As educators we are facing real threats too. Outside influences with harmful agendas are trying to force their 'reforms' on public schools. In Missouri, a billionaire named Rex Sinquefield has spent millions in his attempt to buy education reform. His narrative is that if we run education like a business, we can 'fix it.' I'm here to say education doesn't need 'fixing,' and especially not by the misguided agenda Sinquefield and his political allies are advancing.

Now Sinquefield, who has no background in education, and his political machine have gathered enough signatures to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would require teachers to be evaluated by 'quantitative' measures and would effectively end teacher tenure. This amendment is a direct affront on local control of public schools. Similar efforts have been launched nationwide. The message inherent in these attacks is clear: education is broken and teachers are to blame.

But what I see in my school everyday is something entirely different. I witness educators who are deeply committed to students' success, educators with a vision of making the world a better place by investing in the lives of children. These teachers love their students and recognize the influence they have in building the lives of young people. We don't need external bureaucracies or billionaire reformers telling us what is best for our teachers or students.

So as the threats materialize, we must stand firm. Like my dad held his ground for his family, all educators must hold to core beliefs and persevere even in the midst of these attacks. Moreover, we must push forward with improvements that will work and tell the stories of how our schools are succeeding even in these challenging and uncertain times.

As a school leader, I hope to protect my teachers from messages that disrespect their work. I hope that my words and actions are encouraging and appreciative to each one who gives so much to helping young people reach their dreams. I feel a sense of obligation to protect and encourage. The work of a teacher is a calling, and it is complex. Your value as a teacher cannot truly be understood by standardized test scores. Stand firm.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/constitutional-amendment-teacher-evaluation-approved-november-ballot

Amendment 3
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
• require teachers to be evaluated by a standards based performance evaluation system for which each local school district must receive state approval to continue receiving state and local funding;
• require teachers to be dismissed, retained, demoted, promoted and paid primarily using quantifiable student performance data as part of the evaluation system;
• require teachers to enter into contracts of three years or fewer with public school districts; and
• prohibit teachers from organizing or collectively bargaining regarding the design and implementation of the teacher evaluation system?

#200154410-001 / gettyimages.com

Missing the mark

It's been a great summer of professional engagement and exciting learning with my PLN. The educators and thought leaders on Twitter really push my thinking and help me raise my own standard of excellence. It's great to test ideas in the Twittersphere to further refine and clarify one's philosophy.

But I caught a moment of disappointment just the other day. I realized that my attitudes and beliefs professed on Twitter and shared with others hadn't held true in a real situation. I had missed the mark. I am constantly proclaiming the power of positivity and seeing the best in others and yet I was quite frankly having a bad attitude.

So that moment of reflection started me thinking about all the other areas I have increased my own accountability as a result of my online publishing. My actions and attitudes have to be in line with my words that are shared in my PLN. I must model a growth mindset. I must take risks and do things that are uncomfortable. I must be a positive deviant. I must live out my faith. And so much more.

But I also need grace. Like every person I will fall short of my own expectations, not to mention the expectations of others. I will drop the ball. I will let someone down in spite of my desire to never let that happen. I will have more moments of regret knowing that I've not held true. 

The important thing is to be real and to set the mark high and strive to hit it. I'm not going to lower my expectations out of fear of failure. Even thought it may be difficult, I'm going to hold myself to my beliefs and do my very best to have my actions rise up to meet my words.

May we all aim high but also have a heart of forgiveness and understanding for others as we journey together in our imperfection. I'm grateful for God's enduring and overflowing grace.

Setting Sail: Teach Like a Pirate

#465457179 / gettyimages.com

I have to admit, I've become a huge Dave Burgess fan after reading Teach Like a Pirate. Since students today are faced with more distractions than ever, it's important to do everything we can to make learning appealing. 

We are about to start a new school year, and it's not uncommon for teachers to begin the year with reviewing class rules, checking out books, and setting expectations. These things are necessary, but they can also be boring. At worst, students are subjected to being 'talked at' far too much during the first days of school. But Burgess writes in TLAP how he approaches the first days of school. He strives to create an amazing atmosphere for his students.

Whereas the traditional thinking is to “not smile till Christmas,” Burgess is seeking to WOW his students from day one. He is still aiming to set clear expectations that will set the tone for the school year, but the tone he is setting is one of incredible engagement and interest in his class.

He notes that he shares his plan for the first days so that his readers can evaluate which if any of the ideas will work for them. He writes, “No content standard matters to me until I have established a safe, supportive, and positive classroom environment I need to successfully teach my students. Any time I spend on the front end of the year to establish this environment is not time wasted. In fact, I know it will pay dividends a hundred times over before the end of the year.”

DAY ONE

Burgess posts a sign outside his class, “You’ve heard the stories…are you ready for the experience?!!” He is building a sense of anticipation from the beginning.

He plays music as students enter. On every desk is a can of Play-Doh and on the board in giant letters, “Do NOT open the Play-Doh!” Burgess explains, “It is far more important to create a unique experience for them on the first day than it is to be sure they know how many bathroom passes they will have each semester and when it is okay to use the pencil sharpener.”

Burgess then goes through a dramatic routine where he tells the class “Good morning” and asks them to respond in kind. He even uses strange accents and such and expects the students to do the same.

He tells them his class will different than any class they’ve ever attended, and he expects them to get involved with creating the outrageously fun and entertaining experience.

He gives them one main rule: This is a NO-MEANNESS ZONE. If he can’t create a completely safe environment students will not be open to taking risks in the learning experiences that he provides.

Burgess then asks the students to use the Play-Doh to create something that represents themselves. He then engages each student in playful banter about their creation and how it represents them with the goal that everyone leaves feeling successful. Another goal is to learn each student’s name as quickly as possible.

At the end of the class period he says something like, “You don’t want to miss tomorrow. Something wild and crazy is going to happen at the beginning of class. You can either be here and see it, or just hear the stories about it when you come back.”

I bet that makes them curious enough to want to come back the next day!