Laub's Blog

A Nation of Wimps

2011-12-17T15:33:00.004-07:00

Parents are going to ludicrous lengths to take the bumps out of life and living for their children, to the point of actually trying to LIVE their children's lives for them. However, hyperconcern has the net effect of making our kids MORE fragile; and the result is they're breaking down in record numbers.

After a successful, lifetime career in performance psychology (education and coaching), a recent trade journal (American Swimming Coaches Newsletter-Volume 2011-Issue o5) reminded me of research quoted in a 'Psychology Today' article/research published in 2004. In it a red flag was raised concerning our escalating insistence in intervening in our children's lives to protect them from the bumps and bruises of normally growing up. The result is we are increasingly raising a nation of ultra-fragile youngsters who lack basic coping skills when dealing with failure, and even lack one of life's most fundamental skills: resilience...HOW do you cope when life hands you a dirty deal.

This comes home with the increasingly numbers...from single or two pages...to STACKS of 'accomodations' crossing the average teachers desks today. Not only are we unable to keep up with ALL the accommodations levied on us, it is nearly impossible given the sheer numbers of bodies in our classrooms. They are well documented, and occasionally necessary, but more often than not merely an excuse to cover a student's REAL problem...sheer laziness, procrastination and a lack of simple personal organization and discipline, often the very attributes their parents who apply for the accommodation are lacking themselves!

"Life is planned out for us, " says Elise Kramer, a Cornell University junior. "But we don't know WHAT to want." As Elkind puts it, "Parents and schools are no longer geared toward child development, they're geared to academic achievement." I've recently had, sadly, yet another example of a parent(s) with the 'over-achievement' illness. In advising a young person on their academic prospects, the student aspired to become a diesel mechanic...the parent's (well meaning) response was the goal for 'their' student was to become a brain surgeon (I'm afraid the emphasis and exaggeration is my own...). The debate went on for clearly 15-20 minutes before either side started LISTENING to one another.

In education, and in sport, there is no doubt there are significant economic forces pushing parents to invest heavily in their childrens outcomes from a very early age. But taking ALL the discomfort, disappointment and even the play out of development, especially while increasing the pressure for success (in a society the has lost ALL perspective on what success means), turns out to be misguided by about 180 degrees. Increasingly studies on the severity of student mental health problems seems to concur.

With few challenges on their own, kids are unable to forge their own creative adaptations (read resilience) to the normal vicissitudes of life, and not only make them risk-adverse, it makes them psychologically fragile. It also riddles them
with anxiety and a host of 'accomodation' prone disorders. In the process, they are robbed of identity, who they really are, meaning and a sense of accomplishment. They haven't really accomplished anything...their mom/dad is/will be always in the arena punching it out for them...how sad, and counterproductive. The very leaders who are voting for our funding, and asking us to produce a compliant and ready workforce for their businesses are actually working against us.

I don't fly well...I am nervous; I panic on every 'clear-air-turbulence' bump and grab the person next to me, whether I know them or not. This often results in some awkward moments and stressed flight attendants. Be that as it may, the pilot in the cockpit I want spot-on 100%...if I'm flying to LAX and he's having a '99%-day' we end up in the bay, and I'm swimming to shore. I'm a good swimmer, so 'good luck' to the rest of you suckers. I continue to argue why do we hold such high expectations of others and are so willing to 'lower the bar' for ourselves and those around us?

Giving Credit Where It's Due: Leadership 101 (continued)

2011-11-12T14:26:00.007-07:00

Recent reasons for kudos and accolades in the news for educators in Utah school districts follow the mantra that, in spite of our Legislator's (and local school Bored's) lip-service (yet continued obvious lack of support), those in the trenches continue to do a superlative job in academically preparing Utah's students for the rigors of post-secondary education. We continually OUTSTRIP expectations in preparing our students for the 'real world'...that with the lowest funding, support and obvious dislike/disregard/outright hatred from those who could help students achieve even more: our Utah Legislature.

Witness: http://tinyurl.com/4yclxvq&gt. Not to be TOO critical of the congratulations and accolades being so freely and lavishly heaped on this well-written PRESS RELEASE by a (well paid) minion of Superintendent Dr. David Doty, please read further, between the lines: WHO are the recipients of the praise? "Canyons Superintendent David Doty said the honor validates the vision and hard work of Canyons’ staff, including Chief Academic Officer Dr. Ginger Rhode, Director of Evidence-Based Learning (Secondary) Dr. Hollie Pettersson, dedicated principals and teachers."

Read the whole self-aggrandizing release here: tinyurl.com/4yclxvq&gt&gt.

Point being, most of our gifted and dedicated teachers who directly AFFECT those scores, and the resultant reason for celebration, were never DIRECTLY celebrated, by name or otherwise...just those in the 'press-release', presumably to make Canyons School district look wonderfully progressive. Even more telling, they feel slighted in that many of them do not KNOW 'Chief Academic Officer' Dr. Ginger Rhode, or 'Director of Evidence-Based Learning (Secondary)' Dr. Hollie Petterson, or have little more than passing contact with either in their continued pursuit of what they've always done best...for years-and-years in their classrooms, where none of these academic 'giants' have ever visited!!

Now, to put things into FINAL perspective, dig a little deeper: <http://tinyurl.com/868p7gq>...it seems Davis School District is WELL ahead of the curve, even more so than Canyons by at least a year, and didn't have the advantage of shedding their least-likely-to-succeed population from the other side of the tracks, then trumpeting their fledgling school district is suddenly light-years ahead of the academic competition. And they gave credit where it was MOST due...

They acknowledged their gifted AP TEACHERS are the reason(s) for their continued success...

Leadership comes in many forms, but one of the most obvious is when you can finally say, "Thank you!" to those who deserve it the most...and they're NOT the highly-paid administrators with the impressive titles in the Puzzle Palace...they're too busy with day-to-day business in the trenches.

Humanistic Education: What We're Forgetting

2011-11-05T14:42:00.008-06:00

"Don't spend your precious time asking 'Why isn't the world a better place?' It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is 'How can I make it better?' To that there is an answer."
- Leo F. Buscaglia

I am proud to say Leo was a personal friend, having met in the early '70's when he spoke at the University of Utah, and then reconnecting a couple of times after, including, by happenstance, a magical afternoon at his home in Santa Monica with a graduate seminar of students during the Christmas holiday break in 1975. He was a Master of education (actually, a Ph.D., which we so highly revere in the Canyons School District)... rather, a MASTER of education, who simply believed so fervently and wholeheartedly in his students it literally consumed him and those who came in contact with him. Not in their academic CONTENT, but in their humanistic POTENTIAL...in that, he was a Master, a Zen Buddhist concept he so loved.

CONTINUING debate in the Canyons School District and the Utah Legislature somehow steer far south of of this fundamental issue and into the hot-button political topics of 'accountability, more testing, more measuring, how-much-knowledge-can-be-crammed-into-these-vessels-of -tomorrows-workforce (sarcasm intended). According to Elise Cramer, a Cornell University junior:, "Life is planned out for us, but we don't know WHAT to want. Parents and schools are no longer geared toward (human/child) development, they're geared toward ACADEMIC achievement." My question is simply: at WHO'S behest. And, if they've NEVER spent a moment in the classroom observing the challenges, frustrations, joys and roadblocks, WHY do they get a chair at the negotiations table. Simply because they've been elected by a complacent/ignorant populace, and are now subject to the whims of others with money that got them elected?

In Hara Estroff Marano's excellent article in Psychology Today-2004 entitled 'A Nation of Wimps' she warns the epidemic of students' fragility factor(s) now making its mark in education (indeed, in other areas, as well) is a result of our endless drive to push kid to succeed at any cost. Consider teachers now shuffling through literally PILES of reports certifying the educational 'accommodations' required for students to be 'allowed' to succeed in the classroom. At the other end of the spectrum, our Administrators/Legislators are constantly DEMANDING better scores/ results or heads-will-roll. WHO is looking out for the welfare of the child...schools were supposed to maintain a safe place for the continued development of the child, but we're losing that. Leo would be gravely disappointed...and so am I.

The severity of this epidemic is witnessed in the escalation of student mental health problems since 1988, according to an annual survey of counseling center directors. As a lifetime educator/coach, we know playtime has gone with this phenomenon. Toys, and even sports are designed by adults, and we tell them where to stand on the field and how to play a game and what's fair or not. Then, we justify it by saying it's in the best interest of business leaders who are begging for a 'compliant workforce', and they disguise this by saying we're NOT producing students who are 'workforce-ready'...this from the VERY people who have driven the American economy into the ground with their lack of ethics and business sense...maybe, just MAYBE we need to be developing better PEOPLE, not better academicians...

Leo thought so, and so do I. Our current problems are the result of those who supposedly 'know' and less of those who 'know better'...

KARMA IS A BITCH

2011-10-09T10:52:00.004-06:00

Interesting turn of events in the continuing saga of the leadership struggles of the Canyons School District...one of it's OWN Board members has been 'censured' by his other fellow Board members ...hmmm...what does that mean? Is he no longer invited to the CSD barbeques, or is he blocked from @canyonsdave's tweets, or is his visage shunned by fellow Board members at District business meetings? One HAS to wonder, and even shudder, at the drama surrounding the announcement of such a sentence...

I wonder, because I was subjected to such an out at the hands of the very same, last year. I was reprimanded, in writing, for criticizing District administration via Twitter and this Blog. I know, I know, as well as you, those forums are 'protected' by the First Amendment and a matter of free speech...or are they? Even the District representative sent to 'reprimand' me and ask I sign said, "This is bullshit!". We have to wonder, as citizens/taxpayers/voters, what the hell is happening within our own supposedly transparent walls of representation when discord and lack of civility reign supreme?

The teachers I represent, not officially of course, wonder WHY have our leaders abandoned us, and taken to internal infighting among themselves? Are they so out of touch they no longer recognize the needs of the STUDENTS they were elected to serve. Max DePree's definition of a leader is one who (1.) Defines reality; (3.) Says 'thank you' for the privilege of leading; and (2.) Becomes a DEBTOR AND SERVANT. Our District administration has seemingly forgotten step number 2.

Why aren't they ACTIVELY lobbying against the poisonous and destructive diatribe of our Utah legislature, and the likes of Howard Stephenson ? It seems if they are elected to SUPPORT our educational efforts, they would vocally and actively lobby for their constituency to OUT the legislators who are obviously anti-education/students/teachers and call for election(s) of a more pro-education agenda. THAT would be REAL leadership...not just building new schools, spending money, and infighting among themselves and reprimanding gifted administrators and teachers who speak out when the emperor wears no clothes...

Maybe it's time they step up to the plate and put their 'money where their collective mouths are'...and ask Utah voters to do the same! Lobby their constituency to get rid of legislators who HATE education and teachers, and elect those who will support their efforts...after all, aren't they working FOR our schools...I'm waiting to hear from you! Are you working FOR our schools...??

BLOGGING AS A SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITY

2011-09-11T13:10:00.004-06:00

I haven't blogged in awhile, which is really more a disservice to me than anyone who stumbles across these ramblings/rantings, because I was reminded by good friend a couple of years ago blogging is almost a MANDATORY activity for those who teach (Dr. Darren Draper, Director of Information Technology-Canyons School District) because it limbers up the old creative thinking muscles and forces us to write....something we must demand daily out of those we teach.

And, I haven't blogged for a couple of reasons, one being the demands of the job and keeping up with responsibilities outside of the classroom. But, slightly more disturbing, I haven't blogged because of an underlying intimidation after being reprimanded by those who sign my paycheck for past grumblings/analyzing/musings over the motivations of management/administration/leadership and their relationships with those they manage/administer/(but my assertion then and now is they don't LEAD! See earlier ramblings on this blog site...). A recent conversation with an civil-rights attorney, who is addressing the needs/issues of a close friend and fellow educator who has suffered egregious treatment at the hands of our administrators, has reminded me of our constitutional right(s) (indeed, our duty), to speak out when the emperor is wearing no clothes, and we are protected by our constitutional rights afforded by the First Amendment! Funny, how under the duress of being threatened and intimidated with our paycheck and livelihood in difficult times, we forget our right and obligation to do just that. I'm pretty sure those in 'power' know this, as well.

Reading this morning's SL Tribune, and an op-ed well written by Harold G. Christensen, I was torn...'the law IS the law, and the people (were) are good law-abiding citizens', but I felt he almost contradicts himself citing example after example of Thoreau, Gandhi, Parks, King, even furthering with Walesa, Mandela, etc.: WHAT did they all share in common? Serious jail time...simply to do the thing that is right.

We are admonished to teach our kids daily that integrity is 'doing the right thing, even when no one is looking', then punish those who demonstrate that trait. Do these kid NOT understand hypocrisy, or do their 'bull-shit' meters not sound clarion at our own poor examples? I think yet one more example of 'leaders' trying to venture into areas they have no experience/expertise, while calling themselves experts, just because they are elected by a popular vote. And those who truly lead in the classroom suffer at their hands and inexperience, and ultimately, so do our students. Yet they don't ASK for help from those-in-the-trenches, the real leaders, just subjugate them and push them around in a grandiose show of 'real power'.

WHY do our locally elected legislators and Boards of Education, and even Superintendents continue to show such disdain/disregard for their life's blood: their teachers?! Again, I think we threaten them in ways they can't even verbalize...with our passion, experience, expertise, indeed education and ultimately REAL influence at the grass roots...with their kids. Sooner or later, the bubble will burst, and the emperor exposed: http://tinyurl.com/3f2mj68&gt. http://tinyurl.com/3lyvyku. http://tinyurl.com/3ucxwq4. http://tinyurl.com/3gayolw
I said in my header plagiarism is one of the sincerest forms of flattery...I'm going to amend that. I have been censored, and my Blog-Spot musings have been 'blocked' at the school I teach at, and, although I haven't the means to check quite yet, maybe in our entire school District...the assumption being my writings are subversive and disrespectful, and may even cause others to THINK...THAT is the sincerest form of flattery!!

A Long Time Ago (we wished...) In A Parallel Universe Far, Far Away (we wished even MORE...)... a fictitious fable.

2011-03-18T15:46:00.008-06:00

Once upon a time, in a land of opportunity was a small place on the map known as Slake Valley, and in a land that revered Smarts, the people in Slake Valley were tops...indeed, the OopahLoompahs of Slake Valley were the best-of-the-best in instilling Smarts...they were, without question, the envy of the land, far and wide. The Smarts they passed along was not only the envy of the land, but, by EVERY proxy real measurement known to OompahLoompahs far and wide, it was certainly so.

However, distrust and jealousy reared it's ugly head in Slake Valley (as often happens within the ranks of those NOT smart, including those, who, for one reason or another, think of themselves as 'Bosses' and/or had missed out on Smarts...an unenviable history of 'electing' Bosses who are-not-Smart seems to be a fault of Slake Valley), and a rift developed between the EeeeSiders and WessSiders, each erroneously believing they had been somehow grievously wounded by the other...it was NOT true, but the meddling Bosses goaded each into believing such nonsense.

In a poorly planned and executed tantrum, the EeeeSiders decided to separate themselves from the WessSiders. The EeeeSiders and the WessSiders parted ways, although both were superb at instilling Smarts in the minor OompahLoompahs they were charged with...and you know what happened? Instead of things IMPROVING for the EeeeSiders, predictably, they became more cumbersome...MORE 'Bosses' came out of the woodwork to micromanage what the Oompahs were already doing so well, MORE expenses popped up, and more headache/heartache ensued.

The EduCaré's of the OompahLoompahs ONLY wanted to instill Smarts...they LOVED to instill Smarts...indeed their very existence was to instill Smarts and the ONLY reason they get up in the morning, but with added layers of meddling 'bosses' and 'experts', they were being denied their very existence! 'Bosses' told them to 'improve your productivity' of Smarts, then stripped them of their opportunity to do so by taking away their DAYS to instill Smarts, then called it 'fiscally responsible'...then told them to improve their morale about instilling Smarts. Meanwhile livelihood and opportunity to help their OWN families at home had been sent 'to-the-rescue' from bigger-and-better Bosses from across the land who appreciated what was happening in Slake Valley, but the Oompahs were not given their help and no one explained why. Kind of hard for them to keep their morale high, but they did.

Ahhhh, God-Would-That-It-Were-Not-So, but, a long time ago, in a Universe far-far away... it is...and, according to Max DePree who asks in his leadership essays: "Why Do We Weep"? THIS is why we weep...and after years of exemplary, sterling performance to be charged with insubordination for simply asking the above, we weep...unashamedly, unabashedly...and continue to weep...not for ourselves alone, but for our OompahLoompahs who have families at home making monthly budgets, and car payments that have been denied, and years of devotion and dedication that has been discarded...

Jeez...

2010-03-28T16:26:00.004-06:00

It's been a number of weeks (months??) since I last posted, and I can only 'blame' or attribute that to numerous things...life's demands being the foremost, but other, more newsworthy events taking precedent more likely.

A former swimmer, now a successful Ph.D. in Physical Therapy and published author has taken on the enormous task of sharing her families trials in Haiti, and continues to blog on their tribulations which make running water and a warm house seem...so...trite: http://haiti-norton-laneau.blogspot.com/

And, of course, on a much lesser note, our Utah legislature and it's continued idiocy concerning education, and their much ballyhooed posturing on 'showing the feds who's boss'...Jeez, will this nonsense EVER end...no, not until we vote these numb-skulls out-of-office...

So...what's to blog about? Hell, I continue to teach, do a great job, fight the good fight, listen to our ELECTED board criticize what we're trying to do, listen to our ELECTED legislature make a mockery of what we do, and still be positive...if we don't laugh, we would all just cry...

Leadership and Education

2010-01-17T15:26:00.002-07:00

Max Depree, former CEO of the Herman Miller Company and best selling author of Leadership Is An Art, and Leadership Jazz, said: 'The three primary roles of a leader are to define reality, act then as a debtor and servant, and finally, to say thank you (to those who have ALLOWED you to lead...)'.

Leadership is a tall order...and an awesome responsibility...'to be a leader means having the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who PERMIT leaders to lead'. Max Depree. Recently I've heard dialogue and read tweets from our newly hired educational leader espousing his leadership 'vision' and what the results might well be...his passion is without question, and his qualifications without equal, but, if he's NEVER 'walked-the-walk', how can he possible become a debtor and servant to those of us who HAVE, some for their entire careers...particularly if there exists NO dialogue?

It is the same argument for an elected Bored-of-Education, in a state that routinely elects a legislature that continuely denies the importance of education, while spouting great platitudes of being 'pro-family' and 'pro-children', yet continues to be the STINGIEST legislature on the continent...witnessed by the LOWEST per-pupil-spending in the country, in spite of the BEST performances in the classroom. THIS is LEADERSHIP??? And I still haven't seen ONE of them down in the classroom to experience, for themselves, the frustrations we're faced with...and the same goes for our Bored, or even our handsomely paid Super-Intendent...we're told we need to introduce 'rigor' into our curriculum, when we set the very STANDARDS for RIGOR for the rest of the country...

Vince Lombardi once said, about leadership: "The quality of a man's life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor". I work with these people EVERY day...unfortunately, I don't get enough opportunity to mingle and share with them as much as we should, but it IS improving. Our Professional Learning Community initiative IS bearing fruit, and it will change the face of our already excellent educational efforts.

Attila the Hun, in Wess Robertson's book Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, said: 'In the end, vision, drive, energy, singleness of purpose, wise use of resources and a commitment to a destiny worthy of his/her efforts become the characteristics of a leader who exels'. In our recent EBL (Evidence Based Learning, a 'new-and-improved' acronym introduced into our already overburdened vocabulary...) meeting (01/15/10), numerous participants voiced the opinion most of what we've experienced in LEADERSHIP so far is "All talk, no action"...NOT a compelling vote of confidence.

Maybe we're back to Max Depree's second step of 'becoming a debtor and servant'...

New and Improved

2010-01-09T15:40:00.006-07:00

OK...let's see if I can tone it down a bit and be a little less offensive or combative, and still get across the frustration not only I, but others, are feeling but are afraid to express. We CONTINUE to be dictated to by entities who have NO clue what it means to be in the classroom every day and what our difficulties are, and TOLD how to think their pre-thought thoughts based on the simple fact they have been elected by an uneducated and clueless populace.

Oops...I've done it again, haven't I...only, this time, I won't apologize and take it back. I am neither old nor bitter, just extraordinarily experienced, talented AND educated beyond years based on the years in the trenches. And, I am growing increasingly tired of our hard working teachers taking-it-on-the-chin and 'cowboying-up' in what is increasingly a losing battle...at least, in Utah.

Recently, our Superintendent in our 'new-and-improved' district has announced a plan to 'enhance' high school graduation diplomas to encourage...um...'rigor'. This is by a hired Superintendent, by elected Bored-of-Education members, who have NEVER been in the classroom...and neither has he...yet, suddenly, through some never-turn-back-flash-of-insight, the answers have been revealed to them and theirs, and the rest of us are, well, ignorant, I suppose.

Needless to say, opposition is mounting, which the media is, interestingly, ignoring, since it is from the inside...the teachers...the good doctor's employees, themselves. And, teachers, in the 'Life Elevated' great state of Utah have been LOOOOOONG relegated to the back seat of the lowliest of state employees as witnessed by the Utah Republican-dominated legislature continued thumbing-their nose at public education needs, resulting in the LOWEST PER PUPIL FUNDING in the country...in a state that PRIDES itself in caring for it's families and children.

Enter the Utah legislature's GRAND idea to allow 'splitting' school districts, and a select few rallying around splitting the highly successful (by ANY proxy measure) Jordan School District to form the 'new-and-improved' X School District. There is enough blame to go around...Uncle Barry's selfishness in jerking all retirement benefits for looming prospective retirees (resulting in a HUGE loss of confidence vote during the 'district split' proceedings among his OWN employees...those that didn't leave for a district that takes care of their employees, that is)...the selfish voters who forgot the 'west-side' had been funding them for well over half-a-century until the demographics of the growth and development of the Salt Lake valley had now moved to the southwest...to the Utah legislature who, plain and simple, DO NOT CARE ABOUT EDUCATION AND THEIR KIDS, AND THEIR RECORD IS EVIDENCE.

So, today I am told, we are once again reinventing the wheel, and introducing 'rigor', for students who do do not need 'rigor'...they are already introducing 'rigor' every day, on their own...yet we continue to ignore our kids who are 'falling through the cracks'...when are we going to get it right?!

Maybe...just maybe, it's time for teachers who are fed up to, once again, WALK OUT...and NOT return until the legislator's wander into the classroom themselves and make a TOTAL mockery of the processes they take for granted daily...BUT, even our elected teacher representatives (JEA, now CEA and the big boys UEA) are so afraid of our legislature (or, maybe, in cahoots with?) they wouldn't DREAM of such a bold step...

This Post Has Been Eliminated

2009-12-13T15:41:00.003-07:00

I've been told my original post 'Idiots in the Classroom' made me sound old and bitter, of which I'm neither...yet. I AM, however, still willing to get down in the trenches and wrestle around with issues that make a difference and get my hands dirty trying to fix things...I've never been afraid of hard work. Some of us are doing that daily, in spite of appearances...(come down and watch).

Look for a more positive outlook here in the future, where education is fully funded, class sizes are 23.5 students, our boilers/heaters don't shut down over the weekend in a storm and our critics are actually helping.

Education, Coaching and Values

2009-11-22T16:34:00.004-07:00

Over the weekend I was given the opportunity to announce a large multi-team (22 schools) Thanksgiving Invitational swimming meet at the huge South Davis Recreation Center about a block from our house. After 30+ years of successful coaching AND announcing swimming, my expertise the last few years has primarily been the 'voice' of our football and basketball games at my high school, which, admittedly, I know little about...(after a few test drives I found it didn't take a rocket scientist to read the scoreboard and say 'second and three at the 45 yard yard line').

Being back in the swim of things was surprisingly comfortable and a lot of fun, and I know it is good for the moms and dads in the stands to have someone at the mike who understands some of the nuances of competitive swimming. The meet was long, the heats sometimes seemed endless, but watching coaches and athletes interact and the enthusiasm of clean competition was invigorating. My wife is a former competitive swimmer (coincidentally, for the same program I was asked to announce for) so her help was welcome and a great way to share the experience.

One of the most rewarding moments was announcing the son and daughter of a swimmer who competed very successfully under my tutelage, and the reunion, though brief, reminded me of the critical importance Educator/Philosopher/Coaches play in the lives of student/athletes they spend so much time with...sometimes as much as 25-30 hours a week for swimmers, FAR more than their English teacher, AP Chemistry teacher, and sometimes, even their parents. Paul Bergen, one of my favorite philsopher/coaches said to me succinctly once, "You're seriously meddling in these kids lives".

Bruce (who went on to college, medical school, and a successful medical practice...one of MANY of our athletes to do so on the discipline they learned in sport), his wife, and I laughed as we visited sharing fond memories of the grueling lessons learned in the pool and out, and the 'Lauber'isms' shared with their offspring as platitudes for success...some I'm still proud of, and some just plain funny. It was a warm, fullfilling feeling that I know not too many teachers get to share after the fact, but not too many teachers share the bond student/athletes and coaches share through the strong emotional bond of the struggle for excellence that also includes a struggle against the physical pain of daily training.

I have said MANY times, and still maintain, most Americans do not understand sport...they sit in their easy chairs on a Saturday or Sunday watching over-paid chemically enhanced thouroughbreds play at a kids game, hoist their Bud Light, and call it 'sport'...it is better called what it really is: spectacle. I saw a little girl finish the 50 yard freestyle in 2:37 on Saturday (it's typically a :30 second swim), get out of the pool and hug her mom, excited at her 'best swim', who understands sport a whole lot more that those arm-chair quarterbacks who can quote the latest Green Bay stats, or a MLB players batting average. This is the subject for a whole blog in the future which will certainly get my Man Card revoked, so look forward to that. Back to the business at hand...

John Wooden, famed basketball coach at UCLA always booked himself as a teacher first, then a coach. IMHO opinion his writings and platitudes (Wooden'isms, if you will...) should be required study for ALL aspiring coaches who want to work with kids, and probably classroom teachers as well. We've lost touch of much of the humanism, and a lot of the wonder and joy of teaching through over-specialization and focus on 'winning' when the root meaning of competition in it's simplest sense is merely 'to strive together'...to work together, to bring out the best in one another.

Back to Basics: The 'X' Factor

2009-11-14T14:14:00.002-07:00

James Counsilman, the late infamous Olympic coach (1972 Montreal Olympics, where the men won every Olympic gold on the program, and the women might have done the same had it not been for the DDR drug fueled juggernaut that, to this day, has NOT been corrected by the IOC), and coach of Indiana University (11 times NCAA champions...) gave a landmark presentation to the ASCA World Clinic in 1975 simply entitiled "The X Factor :Separating the Important From the Uninportant". It is still considered one of the seminal presentations in the annals of the American Swimming Coaches Association, if not one of the most important, and an integral part of the Level I educational system of new coaches...and so it should be of all new teachers.

In a nutshell, he admonished coaches (teachers) from jumping on every 'shiny and new' training (teaching) methodology that pops up, and instead concentrate on the 'X' Factor, the ability to separate the 'wheat from the chaff'...separating what's important from the less imporatant. His belief, as is mine, is that great teachers are born (NOT taught...) with an innate ability to see what is important, winnow it out from the myriad of offerings being proffered as the 'next great educational tool', and forge ahead, even in spite of great opposition...and that, usually, with sheer will and perseverance, prove true.

After 35 superbly successful years of teaching/coaching, I, too, occasionally fall victim to the 'shiny and new' promises of the next great wave of educational tinkering...but, as a born skeptic, I've also become very wary of the snake oil salesmen at every turn, particularly if they spend little or NO time in the classroom. As result, I've adopted the state of Missouri as my home state (I'm actually from Arizona...), whose motto is 'SHOW ME!', hence, the 'Show Me' state.

The late Carl Sagan said skepticism is a process to winnow 'great truths' from 'great folly', and in education, there is a LOT of great folly out there. I've come to the conclusion that to separate the important from the unimportant I need only look no further than 'what can I take to the classroom tomorrow that might make a difference...'. Technology IS the wave of the future, but for my great state of Utah ('Life Elevated'...we're just not sure WHERE quite yet, but if it costs money, no way) our leadership that perpetually is re-elected ad-infinitum is anti-education at every turn, and it's not likely to end anytime soon...we're lucky to have a TEACHER'S work station in each classroom, let alone any other type of technological tools.

Our push toward Dr. Rick DuFour's Professional Learning Community has taken 7 LONG years, mostly due to conservative, dogmatic administration that has blocked classroom innovation at every turn. With a new school district's birth, however, there may be a light on the horizon...but, not so fast...the same, administrative dogma that plagued us in the past seems imminent in the 'New and Improved' future...time for the 'X' Factor...

We HAVE to take control at the classroom level and instigate DuFour's axioms: "WHAT do we want students to learn?; HOW can we tell if they've learned it?; and WHAT do we DO if they haven't learned it (or already KNOW it)?" Not much technology here, simply the hard work (as it ALWAYS has been, of rolling up our sleeves and getting down and dirty.

It will NOT come from the top down...it will NOT come across our desktop as the newest and cleverest podcast; it WILL come from us who are daily separating the important from the unimportant...those actually DOING the work of teaching...NOT talking about it. Legislatures, Superintendents and Board of Educations be damned...get down here and SHOW US...in our state, where we are already uncommonly succesfull as measured by ANY proxy test you want to throw at us...we'll probably show you!!

Education and Technology: Reality Therapy

2009-11-07T15:39:00.010-07:00

Well, I've had a few months and a LOT of experiences to think about where we're going with this great education-technology debate, and IMHO, it's not going anywhere very quickly. The reason is very simple...technology in the classroom DOESN'T exist on a measurable/impactful scale, and likely won't...not because it's not here...it IS, as the Great Gurus of IT keep trumpeting...but because the 'mover-and-shakers' and 'money-changers' who decide what actually gets into a working class teachers hands, HAS NO CLUE, and even less funding forthcoming.

In the 'Life Elevated' (indeed) state where I teach, the mantra has been consistent for the 35 years I have been in the trenches: nobody gives a damn, witnessed by the inadequate funding (lowest per-pupil funding in the contiguous...), highest class sizes witnessed by the huge families and class sizes as a result, and the lock-step mindless perpetuation of re-electing the same numbskulls who expect teachers to do 'more with less'...and God bless us, WE DO!

A sudden, blinding, never-turn-back-flash-of-reality occurred to me three or four months ago actually TALKING (no tech, here...) to some of the gifted geniuses I teach with...it's not going to be the technology that will drive the wave of the future...IT WILL BE US!! It will be OUR blood-sweat-and-tears, as it has always been, our insight, as it has always been, and OUR creativity, AS IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN, that will mold the future. Hell, I can't even get my 'New-and-Improved' school district to buy me a media cable to connect my laptop to my classroom Eiki projector...so it sits idle, technology be damned.

Our movement in my high school is new, but, well, 'old school'...it is good old fashioned, roll-up-you sleeves' and get dirty education. (Oooooo...tech-folk DON'T like to hear about 'get-in-the-trenches" and actually deal-with-kids stuff)...Can we USE technology? You bet! But we sure as hell can't wait around fifty years for the powers-that-be to decide to give it to us...and the 'experts' espousing great tidings from above and beyond what great things we can be doing with what we don't have, and likely won't anytime soon, are schizophrenic...they need to take the great equipment and tech software they are AFFORDED, and the rest of us may never see, and stuff it.

My 'New-and-Improved' district is busy congratulating itself, and taking it's IT team and wives to an awards dinner, for being a leader in 'social software'...my take? Who the hell cares, and why are you wasting district monies taking everyone out to dinner when teachers don't have the tools in the classroom to show a frigging video?!

Here's my take in closing...tinyurl.com/yhj3yqh.

Here's the REAL tragedy in education...and it's NOT whether our kids Twitter or Blog...they already do, and will continue without our help. It's, fundamentally, should we REALLY be beating a rented mule about the virtues of something most classrooms, and teachers, do not, and many WILL NOT, have access to...shouldn't we be spending, first, on avoiding the continual grinding down and habitual discarding of talent like we so routinely do...

OK, IT demi-Gods-of-America...let's hear from you...and, I'm from Missouri...put your money where your mouth is...SHOW ME!!

General Fatigue 101

2009-03-22T13:28:00.004-06:00

Now I'm guilty of not blogging, again, for several months. I am really not one to lend themselves to lame excuses, nor accept them. My last blog referred to a general fatigue brought on by 34 years of 'fighting the good fight' in education and have it largely fall by the wayside...that hasn't changed, and it continues to today.

Newly married now, moving to a new town and house 25 miles distant, all the requisite responsibilities, etc., now commuting 30 minutes twice-a-day (I KNOW that's not a big deal, but for HALF a job...) have only added to the fatigue and malaise I'm experiencing. Added to that we've become a 'New-and-Improved' district and I SEE and hear a lot of good things happening around us, but have yet to see much, if any, trickle down...

There isn't a day that goes by I don't hear from a former student-athlete seeking wisdom and guidance in the form of lessons learned over the years, and my wife is pushing me to copyright and publish our handbook of those lessons (The Hocus-Pocus Manuscript III), and go into consulting...seems education continues to want the least common denominator (hence, the cheapest) in the classroom, even the Canyons School District, new-and-improved...

Sheesh, I'm tired, but I AM very, very good and don't want to throw in the towel quite yet...

Edu-Speak Fatigue 101

2008-10-09T09:53:00.005-06:00

I haven't posted for some six months or so, not that I haven't thought a bunch about it. Sometimes our lives take interesting twists and turns, and other priorities percolate to the surface, and although we mean to, we can't always find the time to pursue all we wish to address...Seinfeld once said, '...you can't have it all: where would you keep it!'

Darren Draper, in his (always extraordinarily insightful) blog recently touched on a nerve that has been rubbed raw with me recently, and stirred my normally pacifistic tendencies from their slumber. Although Darren wrote eloquently of his fatigue in his expertise, which is trying to educate, illuminate and introduce IT as an adjunct to classroom methodology, my fatigue, educational as well, is necessarily of a different bent.

I, too, am tired...after 34 years, I'm tired of edu-speak, babble, lip service, pontificating, politicizing, blather, fluff, burble, blab, jabber, mumbo-jumbo, chatter, gibberish, prattle, drivel, twattle, and just plain bullshit and invented modifiers concerning the latest in educational 'reform' and how to fix what's 'broken' in the classrooms of America. I am so tired of the focus on what's broken, and the lack of insight into what's working...unlike Darren, who is still relatively fresh in the business, I am bone-tired, 34 years tired, old-as-dirt tired of listening to the doom-sayers and evangelists with the next great fix. That's why I LOVE to read blurbs about what's right with education, and who is really making a change for the better.

In a recent faculty meeting at my middle-sized (1900+ students) sub-urban, progressive college-prep high school, we heard from our newly hired superintendent...a result of a 'state- legislature-meddling-in-education' law that allowed for our (successful, by most proxy measures) large school district to split into two more efficient districts (this decided by the same voters who, in lock-step, continue to elect the same legislature year-after-year that gives our classrooms the lowest per-pupil funding in the country). Although articulate and well-spoken, like most politicians, when pressed with questions about class size, he responded, also in lock-step, a need to adequately fund our schools and provide resources to lower our classroom sizes, etc., etc., etc., blah-blah-blah.

Having been 'laid-off' last year, after 33 years, as a result of declining enrollment, and watching my classrooms grow in size as they are shuffled off to teachers who neither want to teach the subject, or maybe shouldn't, the fatigue was so overwhelming one can only weep. I've served on every educational 'reform' committee over the years imaginable (and some you COULDN'T imagine), every school CSIP improvement committee, faculty advisory committee, school/community council, etc., only to watch our best and brightest in our business be ground into dust under the unbearable weight of educational red-tape and layer-on-layer of bureaucracy. Like Draper, I'm tired...and like him, I'm not ready to throw in the towel...

Miyamoto Mushashi, in his Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho), prefaced saying at 57 or 58 it was time to put down his sword and pick up the pen after a lifetime of servitude as a samurai. There's a time and place to fight the good fight I read about in various educational musings. There is also a time to step back and reenter the fray with more effective strategies...

Off the Subject...

2008-02-19T16:58:00.004-07:00

I wanted to continue my blog on the 'Continuing Challenge of Youth Development' (and I will...), but have remained sidetracked for some weeks with some of my own development and enrichment. But, recent events have engaged and enraged me so thoroughly, I have to write. I hope it's not too inappropriate to 'rant and rave' in a personal blog, but I figure if you want to read it you have a choice.

Speaking of choices, I am unashamedly a pacifist, vegetarian practicing Zen Buddhist. I have absolutely NO interest in brainwashing others in this personal pursuit (TV already does a good enough job for 99% of America...). But, when I read or hear what @jethrojones forwarded to me (sorry...I don't watch TV, either...), I can't believe what I am reading: www.ksl.com/?nid=153&sid=2679753.

I can't believe we are living in an enlightened age where we celebrate war, hungriness, homelessness and pain are routinely ignored, children haven't health care, and our elected Utah legislature, in their 'wisdom' chooses to focus on further marginalizing 'alternative lifestyles' and clearing grocery shelves of evil malt beverages, and fail to see the immorality in an adult human being microwaving a puppy. Why, why, WHY do we continue to elect these IDIOTS!? Is our humanity gone so far south individually, we can't see this HUGE disconnect in our own human dignity.

I'm an avowed optimist (and, no, that isn't something immoral or dirty...sheesh, get a life...), but I sometimes openly weep at our loss...

Ed Psych 101-The Changing Challenges of Youth Development

2008-01-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

Although learning is a part of everyone's life, and society spends billions of dollars on education, it seems learning is not as well undersood as it should be.

Lacking a clear sense of what learning is, what there is to be learned, and why it is important, there has really been no strategic overview to guide our efforts, although there is a lot of 'hitting the barn door' in hopes of getting at least close. Without a clear sense of direction (or, lately, MANY clear senses of direction, each one being the 'right' one)we have allowed our pub lic arrangements for learning to drift along the currents of institutional expediencies, ritualized form and narrow political agendas (witness NCLB...).

It's clear we cannot continue in this way. Global changes in technology, economies and culture are forcing us to choose a future or have one thrust upon us, one that we most certainly won't like very much...and todays students are pointing the way. Our immensely rich natural resources cannot sustain our priviledge in a post-industrial world where initiative and intelligence are the most important forms of capital. In short, 'learning fitness' is the key to not only individual quality of life, but to national survival.

I'm borrowing a lot of these ideas from Ken Low, President of Action Studies Institute in Alberta, Canada. Teenagers are a new 'invention'...and so is education, although those in education won't want to hear this. Historically, teenagers didn't exist before the second World War. The average age of the Pony Express rider was 14-15-15 and 1/2. Romeo was 17, Juliet was 14. We create this transition zone learning how to function in institutional environments because it is something that takes quite a lot of practice to do...and that, in and of itself, is depressing.

Education, in the United States, was 'borrowed' from Europian Prussian models that exemplified producing a compliant populace for the military...and, unfortunately, in 250 years, that 'model' hasn't changed much...and, according to the military complex AND business, that is STILL the norm...but, is it really? What of these kids, who are so 'plugged-in', something else is suddenly going on?

Our capacity to survive as a species is based more on our ability to operate in tune, than it is to innovate and look at other things differently: straight numbers, the human species spent 50,000 generations as hunter/gatherers...50,000 generations...then 500 generations in the agricultural era. We spent 10 generations in the industrial era, and now in generation ONE of the micro-electronics era...to quote from 'Ghost Busters', who're you're gonna call??? It ain't, more, according to most teachers, in the latter...

I'm tired and spent, but want to add some further thoughts...a LOT of further thoughts, to the above...stay tuned...

Lessons From Football and Bassetball...

2007-12-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

As the official 'Voice-of-the-Bengals', that is, the announcer for home games for football and mens' and womens' basketball games, I've had to learn a LOT about sports fairly quickly...as a swimming coach for 35 years, I am like KFC...I know one thing well, and bassetball ain't it. When I announced the ball had been advanced to the 53 yard line in my first football game three years ago, I was soundly laughed out of the press box...but only momentarily.

But, as a student of Sports Psychology, I couldn't resist the opportunity to learn from the sociology of what was occuring in the coaches box, as well as what was occuring in the stands...man, what an education!

Ken Low, a leader in the 'think tank' known as the Action Studies Institute, has posited that, in sport, we teach two skills...'Field Skills and Character Skills'. He further postulates 'field skills...the X's and the O's' are easy to learn, and easy to teach. I agree...most intelligent adults can teach swimming skills...a little physics, a little hydrodynamics, and ... BINGO! BUT, can you teach the DRIVE behind the accomplishment?

I want to discuss some elements of this drive in future blogs, because it relates VERY directly to Educational Technology and it's use in the classroom...

Ed Psych 101

2007-12-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here are my observations on Ed Psych 101...Ed Tech in the classroom. If, in our efforts to include Ed Tech in our classrooms, we LET Ed Tech DRIVE what happens in our classroom, we're letting the cart get ahead of the horse...and if you let that continue to happen, as it will if you ignore the ground-swell of tech development, well, you deserve what's going to happen in your classroom, and it won't be pretty.

I'm an 'active' teacher...always have been. I HATE passive teaching...sitting on your 'arse', lecturing, never engaging your students. I LOVE to walk around, check progress on work, interact with the kids, find out who's activiely engaged and who's just plain being lazy...years of Performance Psychology go into this 'hands-on' approach.

Educational Technology DEMANDS active teaching...you HAVE to be up-and-about to check on progress, inappropriate use of technology, cell phones in the lap. etc...it's a given. If kids learn they CAN cheat with their cell phones, some will...protect the appropriate use of technology by being active in your classroom...walk the aisles, demand they 'shelve' technology except when released from their constraints by common courtesy, 'May we plug in, please...'.

Damn, I am astounded at their courtesy, and their creativity...and I'm going to ask them to 'unplug'?...not on your life!

Paying Attention

2007-12-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

"A question from your friend, the Universe: Just how much time do you spend thinking big? I mean, really, really BIG? Good, very good! Because that's exactly how much of 'it' your're going to get! What a coincidence." From 'Notes from the Universe' by Mike Dooley.

I recently posted a poorly thought out, and even more poorly written thought on those who pretend they can offer advice and even legislate what goes on 'in the trenches/classroom' when they've not been there...ever, or in recent years. I've since deleted it, because I unfairly characterized a close friend as being in the same category as the Patrick Byrnes (overstock.com, and pro-voucher champion...) of the world. Darren HAS been in the trenches, and knows about as much as any of us about 'with-it-ness' as even us long-timers.

He challenged me with his 'what are YOU doing to effectuate change, Russ?' reply, which was sobering, and kind in turn...ouch. This weighed heavily on my mind, to be reprimanded so succinctly and soundly by one of the heavy-hitters in Ed Tech...and I had to admit, somewhat ashamedly, I wasn't doing anything, really. As with his recent post, 'Making Change-One Sock at a Time', I believe we ALL have those 'Ah-Hah' moments (if we remain awake...)...in Buddhism we have a saying, 'When the student is ready, the teacher arrives'. A couple of weeks later, my teacher arrived...ah-hah!

Darren was kind to cover my fanny in his recent post...I know and understand District Policy (number AA419, section IIA7 - to be exact). But, since I don't believe very many of my 'bosses' access the internet, let alone read my particular blog, I'm going to stick my neck out...hey, I'm retired, what are they going to do, fire me?

I watched a young lady texting (hey, read Darren's post, and my comments...how're you going to miss them texting?), and said 'What are you doing?'. Now, it used to be they'd immediately slam their phone shut and say, innocently, 'Nothing...'. My students now know me better, and KNOW I'm really asking, 'WHAT are you doing?'. Natalie was perfect...she kept on texting and answered, 'I'm texting my former boyfriend who has moved to Seattle...SEATTLE! (I'm getting used to this technology, but it stills boggles my mind...ah-hah!). Not fully realizing what I was doing, as the class was now silent waiting for the inevitable 'cell-phone/teacher confrontation', I simply said, ' Find what he had for breakfast, and I'll give you extra credit...'. Off to the races...

Breakfast from Seattle, breakfast from Helena, Montana, breakfast from Laguna Beach, California, 4 or 5 breakfasts from various places in Idaho...it lasted for 10-15 minutes and supplanted a 30 minute video I had on the docket...how's a video supposed to compete with THIS?

Friday is 'Current Health Events' in my class, extra credit. So I decided to take the next step...besides bringing in newspaper article or magazine articles, or things off the internet, why not let them access news from their phones...simple rules: cite the source, know enough about the news you can sit in their desk and share it with the rest of us. If you've EVER sat in a room of 40 students in rapt attention of their classmates sharing the news, hanging on every word, it is priceless...I didn't even have to teach...they did it all themselves! Did they learn Health...hell, yes! I even learned a thing a two, and I Pay Attention!

If this is the wave of the future, I may stay in thirty more years...

Time For A New Post

2007-12-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

Although I've ascertained an implied responsibility to posting...I'm afraid my inexperience and lack of expertise have offended (unintentionally) some great people and good friends...I am going to take care in the future in when and what I post...I have some things to say, I just want to take care how I say them...

Reflections on a Career

2007-11-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

I spent a five day weekend recently at the Red Cliffs Lodge on the Colorado River up stream from Moab, Utah. It was an outstanding get away from the sometimes hectic day-to-day school life. The lodge was exceptionally quiet...not many people around because of the time of year, and the fact I stayed over through Monday and Tuesday...school teachers often enjoy perks the average working stiff doesn't, so it's hard to listen sometimes when some teachers bitch about their lot in life.

In any case, a nice, quiet time to jog, bike and sit in the sun and meditate and reflect listening to the soothing sound of the river a stones throw from the back patio. I didn't take my laptop because I didn't want to be seduced into working or surfing the web and checking up on e-mails (I had 89 when I got home, mostly spam...). I sat all one afternoon, tossing back a few CFO's and reflecting on my 33 year (34 if you count my student teaching...) teaching/coaching career at Brighton High School. A nice trip back through 'educational technology' time.

When I first started, everything was 'hard copy'...roll was taken by hand, grading and scoring in a notebook, scores added by hand, and grading done in written form and turned in to be processed. Copying of classroom lessons was done on a mimeograph machine...the one that printed everything off in a smeared, bluish color...and that's when you could get to it, because we only had two in the school. Classroom media was confined to overhead projectors, film strip with accompanying cassette audio, and 16 millimeter projectors (when you could get one...we had four for a staff of 80...) that often broke in the middle of a film, if they hadn't already 'eaten' the film...and the films had to be 'ordered' from the District Office media center a week in advance...and if available, you often got them at the wrong time for the unit you were on.

Fast forward to the age of the computer...I bought a used Macintosh SE30 from our then Media Coordinator, and carried it back and forth to my classroom in a huge carry bag...no internet yet, but I COULD use it for some rudimentary methodology and planning...fast forward again when some Health Science funding allowed me to buy a PowerMac for the classroom, our school was laboriously wired for the 'net. It took my computer 15 minutes to bring up the school's rudimentary website and about that much time to access anything on the web...when it was up, which was not often, and not long. We're STILL using 16 millimeter projectors for most media, although the VCR is making it's debut...

Fast forward to today, and our rooky teachers have no clue how easy they have it...computers in every classroom, PowerSchool and PowerGrade, VCR's and TV's in every room, most have laptops and wireless internet connection and Eiki-style projectors for virtually unlimited media access and flexibility...a lot of the veteran teachers won't use because of their fear and distrust of technology.

Well, the learning curve is getting steeper, the technology advancing exponentially, and the stakes getting higher...old dogs are going to have to learn new tricks. As the sun set on the red cliffs and the Colorado, I had to shake my head in wonder...after 34 years, what else is in store in my career...I can't wait to find out.

High School Progress Teams

2007-09-29T08:18:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I spent the day at Copper Hills high school at the High School Progress Team meetings. I have been involved in these three-time-a-year meetings for the past three years, and, although I don't like to leave my classroom in the hands of a substitute teacher, they are really productive.

Every high school in the district (8, and the JATC) sends a 'team' of three teachers, a vice-principal and principal, and a counselor...the day is spent interacting with our 'sister' schools teams discussing things our schools are doing that is exciting, innovative, and that work. It is incredibly motivating and educational. Because secondary teaching is a quasi-monastic lifestyle where we spend almost all of our time with kids, to interact with 'grown-ups' who are gifted leaders in their own schools is really stimulating.

The district makes a good-willed effort to try and demonstrate their support of school reform and pledge lip-service to the changes a lot of us are passionate about; the unfortunate reality is at the administrative level they are as rigid and dogmatic as any huge political organization. But, at least it's a foot in the door, and the ground-swell these types of gatherings create can't be ignored for long...too many teachers on board. At the last meeting we were shown Karl Fisch's 'Shift Happens'...pretty unsettling particularly for the 'suits' (district administrators) in the room...I got the impression it had not been previewed except by Kin Searle, who showed it.

So now what...educational technology has and will continue to be a topic of discussion at these and future meetings...can't be ignored. As Draper says, we live in exciting times...I'm an old dog in the business, and even I'm caught up in the wave...

Guilt and EduBloggerWorld

2007-09-14T16:44:00.000-06:00

After reading Draper's latest post, I thought a little bit about it and had to admit feeling a LITTLE guilty about my lack of participation. I think these social forums are fantastic ways to share ideas, and realized I haven't contributed much myself. EduBloggerWorld, among other sites, is driven by the interaction of like-minded people who are passionate about sharing their ideas. I also think there is an implied obligation to participate as much and as often as we can.

The reality of the first three weeks of teaching is, however, another can of worms. To hit the ground running takes an awful lot of planning, preparation and TIME. And, if you're a classroom teacher, if you're going to spend time on anything it will likely be in behalf of your students in your classroom.

The forums in EduBloggerWorld are legion, and fascinating, but when crunch time comes, not much is left over in the way of creative juices to login and spar with various issues. I've come to believe it'll take some getting used to...balancing the energies required to do my job in the classroom, and continue to stretch as a professional...at least, I'm willing to stay in the hunt. This is too damn exciting to ignore...

Back to School: The Real Deal

2007-09-01T11:47:00.000-06:00

Well, back full-time for the first week. I'd forgotten how much energy it takes, and how tired I'd be by the end of the week. I also had forgotten what energy can be drawn from interacting with 2,000 excited youngsters!

Us veterans were given seniors for our mentoring class on Monday, which I thought could be problematic, since I teach mostly sophomores (Health Education...I know, I know, scottie1242 says that's not REALLY teaching...Drape can fill you in on him...interesting character). Anyway, expecting a jaundiced group of (random) seniors, faced with a new attendance policy, etc., they turned out to be a blast! What a fun, funny group of hot dogs!

Technology woes reared it's ugly head immediately in the form of PowerGrade (our computer based attendance and grading system) being incompatible with the 'new and improved' system our district switched over to during the summer. This is on top of PowerGrade being unavailable the first five weeks of last year (NO attendance, NO grades, NO information for patrons, students, etc.) because it had been 'upgraded' by their engineers, which turned out to be a DOWNGRADE to teaches who eventually used it. Sheesh, and, as the largest school district in the state of Utah, we're paying 'em bazillions to screw things up.

I'm not ready to throw in the technology towel quite yet, but I have a HUGE problem understanding WHY the technology gurus wait until school starts to trouble-shoot, and we REALLY need it...they are, after all, making a helluva lot of money to do their job! Luckily, I was NOT assigned to work TIC-TECH this first tri, so I can take the chicken way out when teachers complain and just shrug my shoulders...ahhh, ignorance IS bliss.

Back to School II

2007-08-25T11:10:00.001-06:00

All our Professional Development Days went well, and in spite of my original misgivings, I was able to get through my participation OK. It turns out the 'rookies' I was working with were actually experts and did a helluva job of introducing the concepts of collaboration in ways I couldn't have dreamed of...very engaging and well accepted by the faculty. I ended up with the boring part of the presentation, which was, indeed, the PowerPoint presentation...luckily, through the grace of the Trunk Monkeys and Dilbert I 'spiced' up the educational research a bit...

Guess our personal biases sometimes get in the way of our learning, too.

Now, on Monday, the 'rubber-hits-the-road'...

Funny e-mail from scottie1242@aol.com...seems he's taken exception to Drape's Pay Attention video, and said so. I responded to him in kind, and he wrote back, 'being a Health Educator, what would YOU know about teaching, anyway...'. Sheesh...all these years (33 now) I really thought I WAS a teacher...humbling to be corrected by a REAL educational 'expert'. I have made the mistake of engaging in an e-mail 'jousting' contest with him, which I will cease-and-desist from immediately...no point in engaging someone in a battle-of-wits when they are only half prepared...

Posting a third edit to my original post, I missed a couple of 'posts'...mostly our Educational Technologically requests have begun in earnest...computers and printers unhooked indiscriminately to 'clean' and install new carpet, laptops going down without reason (my responsibility), etc. , see earlier posts: LaubsBlogs. In any case, I have been assigned, against my request, the latter part of the year (2nd and 3rd trimesters) a 'Tech' period...the time when we need it the least...sheesh, the time most 'fires' have to be put out is FIRST trimester...

OK, so our TIC will have to deal with most problems unassisted first tri...now what?! Well, hopefully, our hiring a FULL TIME techie should help...if he/she can. As Forrest Gump said, so eloquently, 'it happens', translated into, later on, 'shit happens'. Kind of glad it's not happening on my watch...sorry, chickening out again .

Back to School

2007-08-21T13:58:00.000-06:00

There's a very famous line in the film 'Apocalypse, Now', when, Robert DeNiro, flying in on a destructive force of helicopters and decimating the local forest, says, "I LOVE the smell of napalm in the morning...".
Well...I HATED the film (sorry, hated the era, and the thoughts...still do...)...but I LOVE the smell of education in the morning...didn't quite connect then, but it does now...
I LOVE getting back together with my 'buds', sharing war stories (even though I don't understand a helluva lot they're talking about...) and comparing notes. Sheesh, I was made to be a teacher...I can't imagine any other 'gig' , any other profession, that I was carved-out for...now, when I understand there is so much more my students can be offered, and aren't, I sometimes weep...and I'm NOT a techie...sheesh, thankfully, my daughter graduated with some tech savvy, and gradually moved into a 'Tech-Savvy' industry... great pay and benefits, and saves me making her car payments forever...
So, I spurned the 'big money'...but, what I got in return, dude, you can't spend...EVER!

Work 101

2007-08-11T10:54:00.000-06:00

Well...here we are...summer's over. Had some other stuff to take care of and it took the entire month of July...sheesh...life has a way of throwing things at ya..!. Debriefed with the other Leadership Team members on Wednesday (Model Schools in D.C., and Professional Learning Communities in SLC...kind of wished we had sent EVERYONE to PLC...). Kind of burned out on presenting to our faculty (I know, I know, what a chicken way out...), so I had hoped to opt out of our Professional Development Days, but no such luck. Have to present, with a couple of 'reluctant' rookies on Collaboration...luckily, it's one of my favorites and one I know inside and out.

In our preparation(s), I was told we shouldn't use PowerPoint because the staff doesn't respond well to technology (by our 'rookies' no less...)...here we go again. I've become a technology-presentation-sort-of-guy thanks to Darren Draper, and I don't think I'm going back any time soon...so, I not-too-gently informed our novice presenters that we WILL not only use technology to teach our peers, we will use technology to also ENTERTAIN them...

Well...they were not too happy...they wanted to have this 'activity' and that 'activity', which sounded swell, but, to download a lot of information in a short amount of time takes more than 'activities'...we've got to get some information out there...sorry, but I trumped 'em and we're going with a combination of the two...sheesh...

Reality Check...

2007-08-01T13:15:00.000-06:00

Draper gave me a virtual dope-slap (if you don't listen to Car Talk with 'Click and Clack-The Tappet Brothers' on NPR Saturday and/or Sunday mornings, you're are DEFINITELY spending too much time on Twitter) a couple of weeks ago concerning the reality(ies) of not only supplying our STUDENTS with the technical support they need, but the TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT to keep it up and running...as a 'novice' Techno-Weenie on our school support team, I find out yearly how difficult it is to just keep our system up-and-running and useful with so many teachers who refuse to learn aside from turning their printers on, or even plugging them in...
See an earlier Laub's Blog...'Serious Meddling'.

The Dignified Professor-Part II

2007-07-26T13:38:00.000-06:00

I figured if a Nobel Laureate can be so unassuming about his life as an educator, maybe the rest of us can learn a thing or two from him...

"I don't believe I can really do without teaching. The reason is, I have to have something so that when I don't have any ideas and I'm not getting anywhere I can say to myself, 'at least I'm living; at least I'm doing something; I'm making some contribution...it's just psychological'."

Drape and I have had these discussions many times...what a GREAT gig teaching is, what a great living it is, how much fun it is, etc. You already know that, or you wouldn't be here...BUT, when it is reiterated by a Nobel Laureate ,no less, even more satisfying...

"When I was at Princeton in the 1940s I could see what happened to those great minds at the Institute for Advanced Study who had been specially selected for their tremendous brains and were now given this opportunity to sit in this lovely house by the woods there, with no classes to teach, with no obligations whatsoever. These poor bastards could now sit and think clearly by themselves, OK? So now, you don't get an idea for awhile, what's next? You have every opportunity to get an idea, but you don't...nothing happens, because there's not enough REAL activity and challenge...you're not in contact with the experimental guys. I believe that in a situation like this a kind of guilt or depression worms inside of you, and you begin to worry about not getting ideas. And nothing happens...no ideas come.

Nothing happens because not enough real activity and challenge: you're not in contact with the experimental guys...the guys fooling around with this stuff...you don't have to think how to answer questions from the students...nothing.

In any thinking process there are moments when everything is going good and you've got wonderful ideas. Teaching is an interruption, and so it's the greatest pain in the neck in the world. And then there are the longer periods of time when not much is coming to you. You're not getting any ideas, and if you're not doing nothing at all, it drives you nuts. You can't even say, "Well at least I'm teaching...".

If you're teaching, you can think about the elementary things that you know very well. These kinds of things are fun and delightful. It doesn't do any harm to think them over again: Is there a better way to present them? Are there new problems associated with them? Are there any new thoughts you can make about them? The elementary thoughts are easy to think about: If you can't think of a new thought, no harm done-what you thought about before is good enough. If you do think of something new, you're rather pleased you have a new way of looking at it."

Sheesh...this was written 60 years ago, by one of the most profound minds to grace the face of this planet (and maybe others, depending on your leanings...)...I am, and will continue to be, in awe of the future WE ARE SHAPING...blog on, Bro's...it's NOW!

The Dignified Professor

2007-07-22T13:59:00.000-06:00

I'm going to do something I promised in my Navigation Bar...to plagiarize like hell. And, I'm going to try to avoid all the clever little 'tricks' like links and colored words to emphasize points (well, mostly...)...I'm just going to let you stew on these words, written sixty-some-odd-years ago, and see if they ring true for you as much as they do for me...in spite of our technological advances...

In a former incarnation I was a math/physics 'minor', because the rumor was to land a teaching job, and particularly a teaching/coaching job, you needed to teach a 'solid' subject. When it became apparent my coaching skills had advanced to the point to guarantee a position, I abandoned the math/physics as too, um...'abstract'...for an Exercise and Sports Science combination...and my Master's studies and thesis also lent themselves to that pursuit.

Well...long story short, I've NEVER lost my interest in math and physics (stay with me, stay with me, there IS a point to this rant...), and, to this day, read mostly non-fiction, and, mostly, research in quantum physics. Weird, I know, for someone who has taught Health Education for 33 years...but I can't keep my hands off the stuff...

OK...another long story short. One of my favorite 'characters' in the business is Richard P. Feynman (Nobel prize winner: EDP, I forget what year...). Anyway, as usual, I 'm spending my 'off' summer hours reading about him (Classic Feynman edited by Ralph Leighton.)

I have to quote him, for the benefit of ALL of us in this forum: "I don't believe I can really do without teaching. The reason is, I have to have something so that when I don't have any ideas and I'm not getting anywhere I can say to myself, at least I'm living, at least I'm doing something; I'm making some contribution-it's just psychological."

Continuing... "The questions of the students are often the source of new research. They often ask profound questions that I've thought about at some time, but have given up for awhile." And, ..."So I find that teaching and the students keeps my life going, and I would never accept any position in which I agreed where I don't have to teach".

I'm not doing Feynman nor his intense love of teaching justice by paraphrasing a couple of lines, here, so I'll continue this rant when I have a bit more time...it's just, in spite of our vast technological leaps, we still need TEACHERS...thank you, Drape , for acknowledging that...even us old farts need to hear that stuff...

Serious Meddling...the 'haves' and the 'have nots'...

2007-07-18T12:15:00.000-06:00

Working for the largest school district in Utah, and at the 'flagship' high school (emphasis mine) of reasonable size (2000 students, about 75 teachers-about 130 staff total), you would think the prevailing mind-set on Educational Technology would be as progressive as possible. And, you would think that major effort and resources would be earmarked for providing Ed Tech opportunities for our districts students. Instead, other priorities are apparent... http://tinyurl.com/yp3yn5.

I started thinking about the reality the other day, after being so 'pumped up from using the mouse' (Dilbert) and logging onto EduBloggerWorld, among other wonderous places to visit and interact. Although ALL of our teachers have computers, as part of our team I'm going to hazard the following educated-by-experience Informational Technology observations:

One-third of our teachers have minimal training, little motivation to learn more aside from basic PowerGrade functioning necessary to just survive day-to-day bookkeeping functions, and are working off sub-standard (I've been 'warned' by a former colleague at calling their machines 'junk...', although, that's what they are...) work stations.
One-third of our teachers are reasonably skilled at using their work stations, accessing e-mail, the Internet, and storing reasonable amounts of classroom data for use later, such as lessons, lesson plans, work sheets, methodology, etc.
One-third of our teachers are skilled at using Educational Technology in their classrooms and are comfortable accessing, and assigning, on-line opportunities for their students and lessons...and my guesstimate at this one-third I think is being pretty optimistic.

Okay, so we have a school full of teachers working off single platforms in their respective classrooms...not much chance of the students using any form of technology, particularly since we won't allow them access to their 'evil' cell-phones or iPods (Pay Attention). So now, you say, what about labs?

Good point...we have several computer labs in our school, as you might expect for our size and our District's prestige. First and foremost, our Media Center has a PC lab of 30 computers for student use...enough for (usually) an entire class. Originally, it had only 20, and it took some debate to get the Director to agree to adding 10 more from our former TIC and myself ...turns out he didn't WANT the extra computers, because then it meant, indeed, an entire class could visit and access the Internet...too many students. To further drive home the point I'm trying to make, our own Jordan Education Association awarded one of our teachers their Teacher-of-the-Year award (pretty big stuff, eh?!), and she won't send her students into our own Media Center because of the hostile, anti-student environment...she has them go to the local library, instead. OK, so there's access to ONE of our labs...not so great, and the kids know it.

We have one eMac 'writing lab' staffed by part-time help. Last year, the aide (Fay) in the lab was very, very good and extremely motivated...she was skilled in accessing all kinds of educational sites and helping students (and teachers!), but my general impression was the lab (and Fay...), were under-used for the above numbered reasons (including by yours truly...).

There are several other Specialty Labs throughout the school, but at least a couple of them also suffer from under-utilization and (do I dare say this?) mismanagement...Business Labs are well used, FACS (Foods and Consumer Sciences) are well used, Yearbook Lab is well used, Electronics Lab is well used, BUT, there ARE a couple of HUGE (IMHO) assets that could really help us in the pursuit of Educational Technology nirvana...well, maybe not nirvana, but at least a step toward solving our draught of assets for students.

Labs poorly used, and at the risk of being a jerk, computer labs assigned to teachers with neither the training or expertise to teach off those platforms...TREMENDOUS loss of possibilities. Last year, we had an entire Macintosh (PhotoShop) lab disassembled, and moved (this was without prior approval of our Tech team OR our Assets Secretary) to our Tech 2000 Lab, which was already outfitted with Macintosh G4 towers and flat screens...the lab had been systematically dismantled and 'decommissioned' by unsupervised students...I know, I know, some of you out there are thinking, 'Sheesh...fire their ass!', but for those of us in public education, we know the realities are not quite that simple.

Well...here we are...September, 2007. Instead of setting students up for Ed Tech nirvana, I will be putting out technology 'fires' not unlike to the wildfires Utah has faced this summer...monumental in nature, but NOT putting much of a dent in their needs. A friend of mine has been one of the most successful coaches in my sport in the world the last 20+ years...and Olympic coach for two countries...pulled me off to the side one time and said, "You are SERIOUSLY meddling in these kids lives...you can't afford to sell them short". Indeed...I wish our Board of Education shared that vision...

My Addiction

2007-07-08T13:26:00.000-06:00

50%

Mingle² - Online Dating

Comparing Conference Notes

2007-07-07T07:33:00.000-06:00

After our large (10) team of educators got back from the Model Schools Conference in Washington D.C., I had a chance to catch up and compare our differing (and similar) experiences between that and the Professional Learning Communities Institute two other members of our team attended last week. I was really glad I opted to attend the PLC Institute for a couple of reasons: one, after years of extensive traveling required for my coaching responsibilities, I don't travel well, and certainly don't 'fly' well; and two I'm a little burned out on the Bill Dagget Rigor and Relevance Model. We've been flogging this concept for three or four years at Brighton now, and being more of a 'touchy-feely' social scientist anyway, I prefer the humanism of a collaborative learning environment.

We'll get a chance to formally sit down and compare notes in the next few weeks, but in terms of an action plan Natalie and I have already decided to move. With the addition of our BAMS (Bengal Adults Mentoring Students) mentoring program next year with the time embedded in the school day a reality, we know the same can be done for collaboration time. Now, to just get the District to buy-in...ahh, politics.

My Brain is Too Small

2007-06-30T14:02:00.001-06:00

Apologies to Doug Baird, whom I teach with at Brighton High, and really love (Drape's Takes). After three days at the Professional Learning Communities Institute with Natalie Aposhian ...one of the most gifted educators I have EVER worked with... (small team, I know, but the majority of our leadership (10) team headed to Washington DC this morning for the Model Schools Conference), we debriefed and agreed the wealth of information was just too overwhelming. We also agreed there was some urgency in meeting again, soon, while it was still fresh in our minds, to prepare to 'download' the info to the rest of our staff, even if it meant sacrificing precious (to teacher's, anyway) summer vacation.

Darren's recent post, on 'moving at the speed of creativity', plays right into what Natalie and I, among other educators from 22 states and Canada, dialogued about over the past three days in our interactive sessions. The concepts presented were common sense, were not complicated by any stretch of the imagination, but, to quote Bob Eaker, 'the grandest design degenerates into hard work'. We both agreed, having embarked on this challenge of re-culturing our school into a 'Learning (not teaching) Community' five years ago, when first introduced to this concept, we were NOT about to give up.

We also admitted our frustration, and sometimes embarrassment, when talking with some of the over 1,000 educators in attendance who were equally fired up over the concepts. We had to admit we belonged to the largest school district in the state of Utah, which, for the SECOND time was HOSTING this Conference...and yet, they continue to create roadblocks for individual schools to implement these research honored initiatives. Why...they asked...why!

Well, re-read Drape's most recent post again, and some of the answers may be apparent...CHANGE is painful...but, it's gotta be done, and it's gotta be done NOW. And we're the one's who have got to drive it...it's called LEADERSHIP. WHY the knowledge of what needs to be done frequently fails to result in action or behavior consistent with that knowledge is one of the great mysteries of organizational management. (There you go, Scott, I stole that from Pfeifer and Sutton...). We simply had to sheepishly admit what had been holding us up for FIVE YEARS was our own district's inability to 'think outside of the box', and allow the best and the brightest to 'run with the ball' (see earlier post on Laub's Blog).

Well, if you're gifted 'reading between the lines', I know you ALREADY know what we've concluded...as with assessments in your (our) school, or analysis, or anything else for that matter, what is the most effective FOR YOUR SITUATION/SCHOOL comes from within...from your own gifted people/teachers/staff...from the people who know, and CELEBRATE what WORKS for you every day. Finally, thank you Karl Fisch, for your comments on our 'award winning' super-star...right on! The focus of Professional Learning Communities is a fundamental shift away from 'I and Teaching' to 'We and Learning'...but, as I've heard before, you can 't cross a big chasm in two jumps...take a leap of faith...a BIG one.

(This does NOT deviate from the need to integrate Informational Technology into our schools...if anything...it emphasizes the IMMEDIATE need to address the exponential explosion of how quickly things are changing. If I can see this, after 32 years, why can't our 'visionary' educational 'leaders' see it...and they're paid the big bucks...!? Sheesh...).

Embarrased...

2007-06-27T14:32:00.000-06:00

Well, after offending everyone, including friends (for which I profoundly apologize for being a complete jerk...NOT my style, by a long shot), yesterday out of my growing frustration, I thought a bunch and went to bed. At 2:00 AM I woke up with a profound epiphany (and a need to go wee because of an aging bladder...)...

I had ignored the very things I have been blogging about thus far...I was milking what I used to tell my athletes was the PLOM syndrome...Poor Little Ole Me...everyone has more information, everyone is more gifted, so everyone should be shouldering MY load. My Leadership Training taught me a pretty effective cure to this in terms of planning...start by taking assertive, direct action, and the best way is by constructing a 'What If' list:

WHAT IF: I assumed a LEADERSHIP role for my school in the push for Educational Technology, instead of waiting for someone to do it for us...I'm part of the TIC-Tech Team, after all...and Kristen can't do everything, bless her heart.

WHAT IF: I tried to learn as much as I can this summer about Blogging and blog sites (with some reasonable summer diversions, of course...gotta have a LITTLE down time), so I feel comfortable passing on what I've learned to other staff at our school, and 'coach' them into developing their own blog sites. Although Darren forwarded his blog to all of us, I'm CONVINCED most have not visited out of sheer intimidation...

WHAT IF: I downloaded Darren's posts specific to teacher's and the importance of blogging, and mass-mailed it to all our staff at the end of August prior to the start of school, as food for discussion at our pre-school prep days.

WHAT IF: I convince Kristen (our TIC) and Becky (my Principal) this fall we should offer in-service training after school once or twice a week (at in-service pay using TIC monies...) to teach these skills...although I don't feel extraordinarily qualified to teach something like this, I would volunteer to do it for nothing...I am paid a little extra as a TIC-Tech, after all.

WHAT IF: I manage to get the one third of excited staff on board with at least SOME of these concepts, and they began their own learning curve that would exponentially mushroom into a school wide (and more...) data base.

Educational Technology Leadership cannot be 'expected' to 'reach out and touch someone'...another leadership axiom I love: Leadership, like teaching is learned by doing the 'job' of it. It's not that we love what teaching DOES for us...rather we love what the doing or work of teaching does for us. "You MUST remember that success in your office will depend largely on your sustained willingness to work hard. Sweat rules over inspiration".
Attilla the Hun

Technology Overload Part 2

2007-06-26T14:57:00.000-06:00

Man! I've been watching Drape's posts, and trying to follow the proceedings of NECC, and I have to admit I'm falling farther and farther behind the curve...I can't fathom WHAT is going on, much less make sense of it, so I can only empathize with my fellow educators in my building who don't have a clue how to tweak their PowerGrade, let alone our TIC, who can't bring our website up to speed...

There HAS to be a way for newbies to receive the tech advice/support we need to push for the advocacy at the micro/macro level that I keep reading about, but am not seeing...it seems all the great minds/advice are warping out AWAY from the grass-roots, and NOT giving a second thought to those who really want to make a difference...but need HELP! Sheesh...

I know, I know, you would like for us to go search for it ourselves, but, have you EVER considered that's a bit of a stretch in and of itself?...

Leadership/Teaching/Technology Part 2

2007-06-23T11:29:00.001-06:00

Scott S. Floyd left me some thought provoking (and welcome, being a newbie...) comments on my recent posts, and thanks to Darren's posts that illustrates blogging actually makes us think better, and not wanting 'my brain is too small' syndrome, I'm letting these prompts goad me into creative bursts of reflection and writing.

When I 'stepped down' from coaching (30+ years...) six years ago, my Principal/Boss at school told me he was not about to let me 'rest on my laurels' and he was going to put my leadership abilities to use. (Part of a rigorous certification process through the American Swimming Coaches Association, where over 6,000 members are certified in a five level program involving education AND productivity, only 5% arrive and are certified Level V, and the Level V School is the Leadership School...).

What I've always known, and know now even more emphatically, teaching IS coaching, and the leadership issues are one and the same. John Wooden, the UCLA basketball icon knew that; Vince Lombardi, the Notre Dame great knew that; even my favorite long-since-fired little league football coach Dick Groth knew that. In this age of over-inflated egos and salaries and misunderstandings of what sport is in America, Scott asks a very important question that literally BEGS to be asked: 'Where are the parents of these kids when it comes to educational rigor/relevance? They're more interested in the next youth NFL/MLB season' (paraphrase mine...oops, and even as I rag on professional sports in America, Darren is sitting, enjoying a hot dog, at an Atlanta Brave's game...the horror...the horror...BOTH (do you know how much fat is in that sucker!?) the hot dog AND the monetary support of America's unbridled meglomania over grown men being paid millions to play a kids game while a huge part of our populace goes hungry...kids in particular...and without basic health care...). I know, I know...I'm going to catch hell for that comment...

I would like to 'tweak' the Leadership Muscles of the one third of educators I mentioned in my previous posts by offering some prodding of my own based on some great reading I'm going to recommend. Wess Roberts wrote a couple of 'easy reads' a number of years back that I really enjoyed on leadership: Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun and Victory Secrets of Attila the Hun. (Tongue-in-cheek, incidentally...Wess' assertion is that Attila received an undeserved 'bad rap' in history...). Here's his take, with a couple of my edits: 'Every teacher is a leader, and has been a leader and will continue to be a leader of the youth of our country through teaching. Very few top CEO's or business leaders of fortune 500 companies get the opportunity to lead the number of people you do!' (And, they pay themselves MILLIONS, not to mention the stock options and trashed employee retirements plans, and we call it 'Good Business'...ouch, there I go again...).

Finally, another great resource is Max DePree's Leadership is An Art. He said: "The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality, and the last is to say thank you for letting me lead you, but, in between, you become a debtor and a servant". Well, if we're to 'define reality', our reality is changing pretty damn quickly, and we (and my other third) better get on board as quickly, because, as debtors and servants to our students, we owe it to them to 'coach' them into the 21st century...and then thank them for affecting the change in us to keep us current and honest, as well. Sheesh, I'm exhausted, already...

Leadership/Teaching/Technology

2007-06-21T12:12:00.000-06:00

As part of a six member School Improvement Team at Brighton High School, we presented some ideas/tools to our faculty at an April Professional Development Day (gleaned from other successful high schools in our district at a High School Progress Team conference). We were all pretty excited about a couple of initiatives that could potentially make a very positive impact on the culture of our school and our students.
The natural 'flow' of the presentations led intuitively to me showing Karl Fisch's Shift Happens and Darren Draper's Pay Attention. My only introduction the the clips referred to the changes we were seeking, and I used a paragraph I once heard in a Leadership Conference I was enrolled in: "The learning of leadership (teaching) skills-the work of it-the changes-the growing-are possible. Ninety five percent (95%) of the atoms in our bodies are replaced in a year...a new liver every six months...a new skeletal system every three...a new brain every year...loosen up a little: change your mind. We replace our DNA, atom for atom, every six months. We have 60,000 thoughts every single day...unfortunately, for a lot, 57,000 are the same ones we had yesterday"...and then "These two presentations are food for thought...".
I followed up by saying (prophetically, it turns out...), "I going to venture those two presentations scared the hell out of a third of you, pissed off a third of you, but I'm really appealing to the third of you who are excited as hell at the possibilities...we're going to need you!"
Darren, in a recent e-mail exchange, said something that really got my creative juices percolating. In referencing his pending attendance at the NECC Conference in Atlanta, he mentioned some particular presenters to pay attention to, citing them as motivational LEADERS in Educational Technology...that rang a bell...
What we need in our building is not just not just Technology Information Specialists to 'fix' things when they break (although God knows we need them), but Technology Information Specialist LEADERS (the one third I was appealing to). We need that one third of gifted educators in every building to drag the other two thirds, kicking and screaming if necessary, into the digital age for our students sake.
This is best summarized by an emphatic statement made by one of our teachers following our presentations, and he is truly one of the best of the best, having just received a Huntsman Award and the $10,000 prize that goes with it for teaching excellence: "I dislike the idea of someone telling me how I should teach in my own classroom". Sheesh...

Learning Curve

2007-06-18T14:19:00.000-06:00

When Darren Draper was 'in the trenches' at Brighton High School as our TIC, I worked with him as one of several Tic-Techs and the Macintosh 'specialist' for the school...baptism by fire...did I learn a TON. But, mostly I found myself mostly scrambling like crazy just to keep up with his vast knowledge of technology, and often resorting to a CYA mode when he ran out of patience with me (us) and found it easier to just do the job himself. Needless to say, things ran efficiently because of his lead, but sometimes left me behind the curve.
This past year, with Darren moving on to the Puzzle Palace (our District Offices as a specialist...), we had a new TIC appointed. Kristen (Bishop) is extraordinarily gifted, but working on her OWN learning curve, as a new TIC. Her strategy, and MO, was to try to put out the major technology fires as they arose (which, in education, are legion...), and simply tell me where the problems were, and go fix 'em...I had to resort to good old 'trial and error' and intuition, and wound up learning more and more quickly than I ever had before...pretty satisfying, but scary.
I now find myself in the same position, now...hanging out there by a thread, but with NO other option(s) but to go forward...reminds me of the 'old world' maps that labeled the uncharted territories simply as "here there be Dragons"...indeed...

Sheesh...Technology Overload...

2007-06-17T11:45:00.000-06:00

OK...I've been spending a lot of time surfing links and Blogs the past couple of days, and I'm just starting to wake up to the potential...and I'm stunned! I need help sorting this out, and some recommendations how to start to sysematically use this source(s) in regular, meaningful ways...

Follow-up...the horror, the horror...

2007-06-16T11:14:00.000-06:00

Since I was prompted, the gifted coach/teacher I mentioned in my last post was eventually forced to give up his position because vocal (and influential...read 'monied') parents objected to his philosophy of rotating players, and letting every kid carry the ball. It seems he was interfering with the future of the NFL quarterbacking career of some of the 10 year-olds, who were destined for greatness, and lucrative careers...and the league complied.
I am writing a book about this sick phenomena, based on my experiences of 35 years....stay tuned...

Learning the Blogosphere

2007-06-15T08:20:00.000-06:00

As a career educator/coach, I've found it's one thing to have 32 years of experience or 1 year of experience 32 times. I firmly believe you shouldn't be working with kids if you can't maintain a 'fresh' perspective, and you can't do that effectively unless you continually re-fresh yourself one way or another. That doesn't mean you continually have to reinvent the wheel, particularly if you have effective methodology that works in the classroom, but if we expect out kids to be open to new ideas and learning, we have to be, too.
One way is to continue look to dialogue with other professionals on a regular basis. High school teaching, in particular, favors a semi-monastic lifestyle, where we are often sequestered away with our kids, only, day after day (the autonomous, sub-contractor: it's been said by one professional teaching is the SECOND most private act adults participate in...and, no, I won't go there if you want my guess at the first).
This is one reason I'm excited at the possibilities of blogging, and grateful for leads by people like Darren Draper. As a gifted educator himself, he also, with others, realizes education is changing, and one way to refresh ourselves is to insure we continue to change, as well.
My Master's degree was in the Psycho-Social Aspects of Children in Sport (I know, I know, quite a mouthful, but, hey, I'm a coach, too...). I had to spend a lot of time studying a lot of kids activities aside from my area of expertise, which is swimming. I remember watching a very gifted 'little-league' football coach/teacher (yes, they're one and the same) working with 9-10 year old kids one time, and this coach required all his players rotate positions on a regular basis so everyone of them had a chance to carry the ball. His enthusiasm in this philosophy was reflected one morning as one of his charges was running an end sweep, carrying the ball, tongue hanging out, too large helmet swiveled around on his head so he was peering out the ear hole (they had to use hand-me-down equipment from the high school program). 'Coach' elbowed me, nearly knocking me down (and I'm a big guy), yelling, "Look at that kid! The possibilities are endless!!"
Indeed...the possibilities ARE endless.

Trekkie references...

2007-06-14T14:40:00.000-06:00

And, yeah, I am a 'died-in-the-wool' 'Trekkie'...something for which I won't apologize for anytime soon...

Help!

2007-06-14T14:11:00.000-06:00

Since I'm REALLY new at this, and intimidated, I'm also fascinated at the possibilies. Using a limited amount of technology intuition, and following some instructions (both REALLY difficult for a guy, and a educator of 32 years who spent most of my career NOT relying on technology...). However, following Darren Draper's lead (although at several light-years distance), whom I know well and respect his expertise, I'm an 'old dog learning new tricks' pretty quickly.
As a 'newbie', I would love and appreciate as much help and guidance as possible (be kind, please...).
I still lean on Darren an awful lot, but he has moved off at warp factor 9+, and expects most all of us to try to do the same...and, to be fair to our students, we should 'make it so'...