Love & empathy...it's for grown-ups, too

I have come to know a quite amazing person over the past few years. She is an educator, and one of the best I’ve been around.  She has a heart for kids, and is especially aware of kiddos who have less opportunities than others. The manner in which she talks about her job, learns all she can and pursues excellence for those she serves is simply exemplary, and is a model for how I should be approaching my job. I have simply become her biggest fan.

A common statement is to be kind to others, for we never know the battles they are facing.  I think more common than not is we apply this thinking to those who need empathy that can be seen. But we all have our own battles. Battles that are real and relevant. Fears that keep us awake at night, challenges that we don’t know where to start, and feelings of loneliness, inadequacy and/or doubt.

My friend who I’m thinking about is going through a difficult time personally, and experiencing many of the feelings described. I believe her words in describing herself included that statement “a hot mess.” The thing is, she wears it well. It appears she leaves it at the door when she leaves home, and while she may juggle a few unpleasantries during the day, she focuses on learning and doing what’s best and right by kiddos. She leaves her role (and as with most educators, takes work home with her) so that she can be mom, her most cherished and important work, where there, too, she may not truly be appreciated for all she does.

She’s worn out. She’s tired. She’s hurt, and she’s even scarred. But no matter how she feels about herself, I just want her to know that she is beautiful. What makes her that way is the hope in her eyes, the love in her heart, and the passion in her soul.

You may know this person, or someone just like her. I know her. I love her and her heart. She needs to know she is important, that she is of value and of worth. She has influenced more than students; she has inspired me and influenced all those who take the time to watch and learn from her example. And when you have a chance, please let her know by expressing appreciation and kindness. She needs it, too.

The Artistry in Creating Learning

It's doubtful you have ever witnessed a student become filled with joy and meaningful satisfaction upon completing a worksheet. With the only sense of accomplishment coming from completing such a task, any given student most likely would file the "learning activity" under "things that suck". A simple observation from this simple educator: happy and engaged are students that are given the opportunity and freedom to be expressive, to discover, to create. 

For too many students, school today is filled with redundancy of the abstract. Ideas and symbols, linguistic representations and mental models that are rarely fully developed. We generally learn best when we can actually create something concrete; when we turn an idea or thought into a product. More important, the learning from the process itself is purposeful, creating that "stickiness" that only experiential learning can provide. Every day, our students could and should have the opportunity to develop and test their ideations and prototypes - items that become refrigerator door and counter top masterpieces for the world to see.

I doubt the same joy & fulfillment referenced earlier is shared by the teacher who copied the generally insignificant worksheet for the students. Where is the brilliance in this? The highest quality

of life is filled with creative expression. It should include a broader definition of who we think as artists. Barbers, cooks, gardener, and janitors have as much right to claims of creative artistry as sculptors and painters.  This includes school staff, teachers and administrators, who are indeed entitled to the same innovation license as designers and architects to model valuable creating and learning opportunities.

Every learner and educator has a unique contribution to make toward impacting the quality of life, both for themselves and for others.

These past few years have been an extremely exciting learning time for many in our district I'm fortunate to be a part of.  Our district has decided it was time to put action to school reform ideas that have been spouted for years  From a diverse group of students, parents, educators, business, and community leaders, we have developed frameworks around what "Learning shouldn't be" and what "Learning should be" (Check out more on twitter at #ImagineSPS).  Here are a few shouldn't and should's...

1. Learning shouldn't be quiet- Given the chance, learners of all ages want to talk and share their learning experiences. Master teacher guidance is important, and given the framework and purpose, learners work to solve a problem and understand solutions. They talk about their personal learning experiences, hopes and expectations. Feedback from teacher and peers filled the room with purposeful energy - a creative buzz.

2. Learning should be messy- Meaningful learning is not divided into subjects. Outside of school, we rarely find segmented time for subjects; so why do we treat school this way? Life is messy; let's help our prepare them for their future by integrating and embedding authentic learning activities.


3. Learning should be fun- I specifically watched adults fabricate mental models to solid structures using various items from a maker-table. The passion of their creation came in building and articulating their experience. They smiled and laughed through discouragement when their prototypes didn't work, and became animated in pressing forward. Interesting side-note here: the adult learners' hands continued to manipulate objects such as Play-Doh, straws, pipe-cleaners, and other items from the maker-space table as they tested and discussed their process. This was not a distraction, even seeming to add to the creativity and discussion process.  Yet how many times do we insist that students clear their desk and put things away so they "won't be distracted?"



4. Learning should be personal- I love this has become our district mantra, and three words came to mind through this imagining process as we worked to make the mantra real: For learning to be personal, learning needs to be engaging, meaningful, and relevant. Learners today have access to knowledge at their fingertips.  This shift means the teacher is no longer the keeper and giver of knowledge.  Rather, the artistry of teaching becomes guiding, fostering, mentoring and facilitating how to use and apply the knowledge. For this reason, teachers are more important than ever.


It is a critical time in education, and never has it been more exciting!

The value of work

“If you are poor, work. … If you are happy, work. Idleness gives room for doubts and fears. If disappointments come, keep right on working. If sorrow overwhelms you, … work. … When faith falters and reason fails, just work. When dreams are shattered and hope seems dead, work. Work as if your life were in peril. It really is. No matter what ails you, work. Work faithfully. … Work is the greatest remedy available for both mental and physical afflictions.” (Korsaren, The Forbes Scrapbook of Thoughts on the Business of Life, New York: Forbes Inc., 1968, p. 427.)

What comes to mind when you think or hear the word “work?”

I am not necessarily talking about one’s job, as I hope people end up working in a field they love and have a passion for.  Sadly, some people will and do say “work sucks,” and “I wish I didn’t have to work.” Not to be confused with one’s “job,” I’m referring to the process and value of work. While not working on a rare occasion may be more about self-preservation or an earned break, work itself brings great value.  Think for a moment: What would life be like without work? 

Work is the primary means of both a growth mindset and self-actualization.  Work is honorable. Developing the capacity to work helps the individual contribute to the world in which we live. It brings an increased sense of self-worth by realizing one can make a worthwhile contribution that is for the greater good, extending beyond themselves to their families and communities.

Aligned to the adage of not being worth it if it’s easy, I don’t know that anything is supposed to be completely stress-free. Setting high goals for myself, and being willing to labor to achieve them is the foundation of my growth plan. A few characteristics are needed and strengthened, such as develop self-discipline, and being accountable. Continuous improvement is not related to employment alone, but also other worthwhile pursuits that make me well-rounded and balanced. Recognizing that we each have gifts and talents yet undiscovered, and that through work, hidden skills are usually spotted and developed by collaborating with others, is how we all become capable of achievement and success.

Charles Kinsley stated “Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something to do that day which must be done, whether you like it or not. Being forced to work, and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know.”

An idea that comes from the previous quote is that work is the prelude to cheerfulness and being content.  There is little to compare to the feeling of satisfaction when a job is done, and done well.  A completed work, project or task is rewarded by physical, mental and emotional gratification.

I love what J. Richard Clarke stated: “We have a moral obligation to exercise our personal capabilities of mind, muscle, and spirit in a way that will return to [ourselves], our families, and our society the fruits of our best efforts. To do less is to live our lives unfulfilled. It is to deny ourselves and those dependent upon us opportunity and advantage. We work to earn a living, it is true; but as we toil, let us also remember that we are building a life. Our work determines what that life will be.” Clarke continues, “Work is honorable. It is good therapy for most problems. It is the antidote for worry. It is the equalizer for deficiency of native endowment. Work makes it possible for the average to approach genius. What we may lack in aptitude, we can make up for in performance.” (April 1982.)

May we ourselves capitalize upon the lessons of work, and instill our future generations with the value of work.

Be still

I recall the feeling of that first teaching offer, and stepping into my classroom, and experiencing that feeling akin to being deity.  I knew exactly what I was going to do and how was I going to do it.  Yes, I had it all figured out.  And then the students came...

I quickly realized I didn’t even come close to having it figured out, and 20 years later, I’m not sure that I’m any closer. Yes, I’ve learned a few skills and had meaningful experiences (wonderful & rock-bottom), but trying to figure it out and be relevant in an evolving world is so difficult. And I don’t think all of the outside noise and push for collaboration helps me process it.  So what one thing can I make time for every day?

Be still.

I recently watched the Ted Talk by Pico Iyer, and an interesting statement stood out to me: It is in stillness that we prepare ourselves for the realities around us.

When do we make time for personal reflection and planning? When do we make time to be still, to cut the outside noise off, and deal with the own noise in our head?  A common encouragement we hear from health professionals is take time to exercise 30 minutes a day for our body.  We know the value of physical fitness for mental, physical and emotional health.  But do we take equal time each day to be process? In this age of constant movement and connectedness, perhaps we would be better if we joined a mental health club to disconnect from the outside and visible segment of our life, and give some daily strengthening to the invisible portion of our mindset. I think it’s okay to be a bit more selfish with a small fragment of our own time, which directly increases our effectiveness in our roles and influence.  It may also help us understand the difference between making a living, and making a life.  These are very different directions, and it is important that we model this difference.  We can’t model behaviors we aren't authentically living.

So spend some time in stillness.  Take time each day to close the door (figuratively and literally) and listen to the voices in your head and figure things out.  The world is changing daily and there is a need to calibrate accordingly.  Then give yourself permission to change for the better, and use your influence to better the world, or at least, your corner of it.  

When students tell the school's story

One of the opportunities we have as educators is the opportunity to ferociously browse what other schools are doing.  From curriculum to programs, technology to structure, and learning environments to philosophy/mindset, learning from others should be considered a wonderful collaborative obligation.

The best measure of any school’s effectiveness is its students; and I’m talking beyond achievement scores. I’m referring to how the students describe the school with the words and manner in which they express what they think of their school. This past week I was able to attend an event where the story of how one school was doing was expressed beautifully by their students, who were courageous enough to serve as a panel before a crowd of 250 people to express themselves.  Here are a few “from the mouth of babes” key statements that spoke to me.

“I am learning to listen with eyes, ears and heart.”

“We always need a WIG – Wildly Important Goal – to work toward.”

“We let the teachers think they are in charge; but really, we are the ones who are running things.” (I love this one…great indication that the student has taken charge of their learning & future.)

“I’ve learned that goals are easier to achieve when we know the steps to get there.”

“My school isn’t just a school, it’s a place that I can call home.”

And my favorite…

“What I like about my school is that the teachers think I can accomplish anything.”

What I found wonderfully refreshing is that I was learning from students.  I was learning that these statements from elementary students, from grades 2-5, were not just random statements, but guiding and personal compass statements they were applying daily.  Such behaviors generally come as a result related to the last student quote, because there is a teacher that believes in them so much that they too believe in themselves.

I know there are great examples of exemplary schools all around that we can look to.  This specific story comes from what I learned from the students at @WYE_Bulldogs.  I appreciate that their exemplary principal @RomanaDunn14 and the WYE staff have turned the telling of the students’ future story over to who it belongs: the students.  It makes me wonder: what story would your students tell of your school?

Attractive Poison

Alison Randall recently told the story of stepping out of her front door to pick up the morning paper, and noticed the red mound that had been created by fire ants during the night.  Alison, probably like many of us, learned by painful experience that fire ants were not anything to be trifled with. She went to the garage for some pesticide to apply. The instructions on the label read: "(This pesticide) is highly attractive to fire ants. They will carry it into their mound, feed it to their queen, and the colony will die"  Alison followed the instructions as listed, sprinkling the granules on and around the mound.  A short time later, she noticed a great deal of activity around the mound.  The fire ants were busy collecting the granules in their pincers and sprinting to take them inside their home, not knowing yet the fatal consequences of their choices.

I think about this story and its application to our education arena today.  It seems with each year, education appears to be an easy target for legislation reform.  And while I'm all about improvement, it appears that most efforts are spearheaded by well-funded individuals and groups who have a very limited view of what quality education is and how it should be defined.  It is how we got to our current over-assessment of students and cutting of creative opportunities for students.  It is what has created the overall belief that our schools are failing (a belief that I don't share, btw).  Even in my home state, we are preparing to vote on an education amendment, a piece that has made it on the ballot through the efforts of a well-funded interest group.  Ask any given educator, and chances are high this amendment would be considered a poison; and to the individual voter who doesn't take the time to understand the natural consequences, it may appear to be attractive.

Our schools are wonderful places to create learning opportunities and connect students to their future. They are also bound by the limitations that our society places upon them. Part of our challenge and responsibility as educators, and as leaders within our neighborhoods, is to help our communities understand the directions on the label, and that through their votes and voice, they are our greatest partners by the excellence they insist upon, including not allowing the attractive poisons into our schools. Please join me in advocating what is best for our students.

Acknowledging Dan

Tonight one of my daughters told me that what I did was a good thing, and that she was proud of me. I think it was the circumstances of why she made the statement that was remarkable, and also affirming as a parent that our actions are the greatest model of teaching for our kids.

Our Friday nights generally are as lazy as possible.  Wonderfully exhausted from the learning & work week, the routine is to unwind as soon as possible.  This particular evening, the older two were enjoying their schools Friday Night Lights, and we took the younger two to Qdoba.  As my daughters were yapping away while my overstuffed burrito was falling apart, I noticed a man come in and find a seat in corner.  His clothing and condition were extremely poor; he pulled his stained hoodie off of his head and glanced our way. His face appeared hollow.  He looked around quickly and laid his head down.

I tried to return to my meal, and found myself feigning interest in my girls' conversation.  I noticed my wife glancing toward the man just as I was.  Up to this point, I have become proficient in ignoring the needs of those on a street corner holding up a sign that says "homeless - anything helps - and God Bless."  But I felt something different here.  I looked a bit longer, and noticed his head; it appeared that patches of hair weren't growing, and skin was blotched.  Make whatever judgments, but he simply looked malnourished and neglected.  Then he lifted his head and looked around again.  I think he was just waiting for a worker to ask him to leave.

I went over and asked him if he needed some food, and he said yes.  I asked what he would like, and his answer was anything please.  What struck me as I was talking was the look in his eyes, nearly void of all hope. This person needed food.  Sadly- that was his secondary need.  More important, I felt he needed to be acknowledged.  He needed to know that he was not invisible.

I went to the counter and ordered him some food.  The workers there beginning their conversation about how they were going to get him out of there.  I let them know I was buying food for him, and they wouldn't need to escort him out.  I took his food to him, got him a drink, asked his name, and shared my name.  I invited him to enjoy his meal, and left him with a God Bless.

Driving home is when my daughter told me that was a good thing I did, and that she was proud of me.  She acknowledged me, and my value.  And I how couldn't help but think about Dan, and how often he had been acknowledged, and had he ever been told of his value as a human being.