Christmas, Perhaps Means a Little Bit More!

Earlier this week I began to write my blog about the complexities of dealing with ambiguity and felt it an apt post for this time of year. December at school (or in life in general) is a time when the excitement of upcoming holidays is often coupled with a feeling of exhaustion due to a number of items still requiring focus and hard work right up until the end of the semester. 

Having said that, I came into to school yesterday and I knew immediately upon arrival that I needed to change my blog topic.

As I walked in I passed a clothesline of socks being hung with care by Vianney icon and pseudo St. Nick--Charlie Walsh.  The socks were to serve as encouragement to our student-body of the good they could do for others while simultaneously doing "damage" to their rival grade levels. 

Metaphorically, the socks represent a tradition at Vianney that has existed for more than 20 years thanks to the help of the Lettermen's Club, Charlie Walsh and Paul Rhame.  They represent an important part of our culture--bringing service, justice, and peace to those MOST in need during this holiday season--kids!  The beauty of the Vianney Toys for Tots Fundraiser is both in its simplicity and reciprocity.


Students compete by grade level, trying to raise more money then the other classes by donating change, often pockets and pockets, of change, in to empty snack barrels.

Coins counts against your class, paper money adds to your team total. The prize at the end....Bragging Rights! And a lesson that "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." 

Traditionally this Annual Vianney display of service for others has raised between $5k-$10k with all funds going to purchase toys for children who otherwise might not have as spirited a Christmas as most of our families. Children who our students never get to meet, faces they never get to see--our students' only solace is the satisfaction of helping those who could not help themselves this Christmas season.

The extra joy also comes from the Saturday morning shopping spree!  Teenage boys frequently become consumed with societal perceptions of what it means to "Be a Man" or at least an adolescent, high school boy.  Egos, attitudes, and selfish wants can become part of any teenage boys' persona, but not on that one Saturday morning.  For a couple of hours our Lettermen's Club will shop till they drop, racing up and down aisles, grabbing toys ranging from Monster Trucks and Tractors to Barbie Dolls, teddy bears, bicycles, and Play-Dough!  

Nearby shoppers will frequently remark how respectful our students are and how much joy and laughter they exude while shopping for other children. Stories of Christmases past and reminiscing about their favorite childhood toy usually occurs. Smiles will extend on their faces as they purchase make-up sets and princess play-sets, board games and basketballs.  So much fun will occur that at least for a few small moments our students almost forget they are shopping for others and the spirit of Christmas slowly fills their hearts!  As our students head to the checkout counters with cart after cart of Christmas toys it's in that moment when I often realize just as the Grinch once did that, "Christmas perhaps doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!"

All of this hit me hard this week and I am very thankful it did. It forced me to realize that I had let the busyness and complexities of work cloud the things that mean the most: the importance of assisting and supporting those who are less fortunate than us, the unique spirit of community in which we exist, and a genuine appreciation for the people with whom I am surrounded.

Suffice to say, this post is an opportunity for me to say thank you: to our staff, our students, our alumni, and families for believing in and supporting Vianney in so many ways.

I hope that everyone has a joyful Christmas Season. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Thank you for the many gifts you bring to our school, to our Vianney family, and to me on a daily basis!

Vulnerability--the key to connection, learning, and development

Strength, Determination, Reliability, Integrity, Courage, those characteristics, the biblical connection to the gospels of St. John and St. Mark, and the existing statues in Tower Grove Park inspired Vianney's 1st principal, Bro. Ken Nesbit to select the mythical creature as the school's mascot back in 1960.

It would be difficult to debate the selection or the merits of the Griffin. After all, upon walking across the stage at commencement and receiving their diploma, we hope all of our students have developed in to Men of Character and Accomplishment that can PROUDLY exhibit the Characteristics of the Griffin throughout their adult lives.

These characteristics identify the qualities that define the best version of the men our students strive to become. And while all honorable, and necessary, and valid, I cannot help but think sometimes about what NEW characteristic I would add to the existing traits.  

What word can encompass what we hope our students will eventually become?

The quality that I would suggest is as important as any other a Vianney Griffin could display: vulnerability.

I frequently hear parents say, “He’s a teenage boy, so he doesn’t tell me anything.” I’ll allow that, for many boys, this unwillingness to share details with adults – and parents in particular -- is an appropriate step in their burgeoning independence. They want to manage their own affairs, and high school  offers them an opportunity to begin to test their self-reliance. 

Too often, though, boys confuse communication with dependence. They want to solve their own anxieties and disappointments, and they clutch victories in private, lest they appear in need of external validation. They fear being judged as weak by asking for assistance from teachers or judged as inadequate by verbalizing their emotions to peers.

What some boys fail to see is that vulnerability underpins so many of those attributes they aspire to develop and that we hope the Griffin, and ultimately, they will possess. 

A recent report by Michael Reichert and Richard Hawley titled “For Whom the Boy Toils: The Primacy of Relationship in Learning” (2013) affirms the long-held view that a young man's learning is enhanced when he enjoys strong bonds with his instructors, coaches, and mentors. 

Our own anecdotal data tells us that those students most ready to achieve scholastic success at the high school and college level view their teachers as allies rather than as adversaries, but that perspective comes from trust, and that trust comes from one’s willingness to be vulnerable. 

In her 2010 TED talk on vulnerability, Dr. Brené Brown describes her own process of wanting to throttle all manner of weakness within herself, analyze it, figure it out, and then cast it aside. In essence, she conveys an adolescent boy’s approach to vulnerability: resist it and conquer it by force and sheer will.  She later acknowledges, though, the futility of such an approach: “In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, really seen.”

We know that our young men benefit greatly from the relationships they build while at Vianney; the friends they make during their four years here will be their friends for the next 40 years and help them celebrate birthdays, marriages, babies, and career and personal milestones! 

Yet our task is to convince them to make the most of these relationships by showing their teachers and their peers who they really are, even if that identity is continually evolving. Vulnerability enhances connection, connection enhances learning, and learning enhances development.

Young men most readily see the power of vulnerability in the athletic arena, as sacrifice and faith in one’s teammates are cornerstones of a team’s success. Yet they need to embrace this vulnerability just as much, if not more, outside of the lines of play. 

Students must remember that those moments when a fellow student stands in Mass to share a personal reflection, at Kairos to discuss a struggle he has overcome, or in the offering of intentions during a class prayer are the ones that ennoble us as a community. 

Those brave young men allow themselves to be seen – in ways large and small – and they deserve not just our support but our courage to do the same as we develop them into 

Traveling to Rome with my smartphone & faith

In a few short days I will begin my exciting pilgrimage to Rome to participate in the Vatican’s  World Education Congress to discuss some of the more critical concerns in Catholic education. As part of these discussions, the Congregation aims to re-energize the Church’s commitment to education, by means of this World Congress.

The goals of the Congress are as follows:

• To offer schools and universities a place where they can dialogue and debate about the challenges that the “educational emergency” unavoidably provokes for our societies, educational systems and the Church;

• In light of ethical and religious principles, to draft a written analysis of the above-mentioned challenges and their repercussions for every field of education. 

• In light of the Magisterium, to examine in greater depth the ideas that education is proposing and developing about humanity and society;

• To formulate useful suggestions and guidelines;

• To draft a message that is meaningful, descriptive and challenging.

The Vatican has informed us that Pope Francis will be in attendance on the last day of the Congress and will offer his own words on education.
As I prepare for this journey there are a million thoughts and emotions that are running through my head and my heart. As a life-long (cradle Catholic) this is an adventure of a life-time! One that brings me great joy and one that I hope in many ways makes my family proud. 

I've struggle for weeks to try to articulate what this journey means to me and honestly, I've fallen short in finding the words. I'm hopeful that long airplane rides and time spent inside the walls of the Vatican will provide me words at a later time.

So instead, I'll use this blog as I often do, to share my thoughts in hopes that someone will read them....

With Open House recently concluding I remain so proud of all of our faculty, staff and students. The outpouring of emails, text messages, and tweets about our school and the character of our young men has been the prevailing theme this week! It has made me reflect more on our school community, the Vianney family, and what a gift Catholic education is for all of us!

I can't help but think of how fortunate our current, past and present students are to have been blessed with a tremendous gift: the gift of faith through Catholic education. But like any gift, it must be cared for and tended to.

I pray our students don’t put it on a shelf and treat it like an antique; something to be admired and appreciated but never used. My hope is that they don’t treat it like an old favorite toy; outgrown, forgotten and neglected in the bottom of the toy box. Hopefully they will treat this gift like most people treat their smartphones. 

You may have noticed most people take every spare moment to check out their smartphone(I know I do). They take it with them everywhere. When they need an answer to a question they look it up on their phone. When they need encouragement from their friend, they call or text on their phone. It is their constant source of comfort and assurance that they are connected to others and can access help.

Our faith should be like that too. We should take it with us everywhere. When we have a question about what to do with our life, we should turn to our faith and the Church. When we need comfort or assurance, we should turn to prayer. Our faith and trust in Jesus should be our constant source of comfort and connectedness.

As we all know too well, our smartphones will get outdated and we will have to replace it. 

We never have to replace our faith. Our faith comes with free upgrades (sacraments) and free weekly updates (Sunday Mass). Yes, we are committed to a lifetime contract, but there is no iPhone that continues service after you die.

If people (including myself--specifically myself) spent as much time in prayer as we do on our smartphone, imagine how much it could change the way we live and change the world!

Remember this each time you reach into your pocket and pull out your phone.

So as I head to Rome I will take my smartphone and my faith and hope that my connectedness is strong during my travels.

Life has MANY ways of testing a person's will

This has been a difficult week for all of us at St. John Vianney High School. One that has required a lot of personal reflection. One where our faith has been tested and needed.

I find that inspiration for my writing comes at different times and through a variety of channels, and this week was certainly no different.

As I reflected this week I have received many heartfelt and thoughtful emails, texts, and calls from the Vianney community and other area administrators and schools, offering words of encouragement and prayers. Please know your sympathy for our community this week has not only been appreciated, but helpful to us all.

I also came across a quote on Twitter that immediately spoke to me in a time when I needed something to speak to me the most. It read:

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen at once.”
I quickly copied the quotation, as I knew I had found my inspiration for this week.

This week we lost one of our Vianney Griffins far too soon. As principal this required many

messages to families, faculty, and students. It required many answers, most of which I

learned I was ill-equipped to deliver.

Perhaps that's been the most frustrating. As a school leader we are often looked to "have the answers" or "fix the problem." Yet, the moment I learned on Saturday night that our student had passed, I knew I wouldn't have answers or a solution to the problem.

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will”. This week has certainly done just that.

We had to do so many things this week that I had wished we’d never have to do in our school. Our principal’s council went to work throughout the night on Saturday and into Sunday evening to try to prepare to care for our kids who would, just like us adults, struggle and grieve and have a million questions we could not answer.

We began preparing prayer services, communion service, prayer cards, communication plans, counseling strategies and handling the many issues that I now understand come from a student’s passing. Expectations of work have never been an issue for me, but doing so with a heavy heart seems abstruse.

Yet in the darkness, I saw again what makes our community so amazing. I saw that even with heavyhearts and their own struggles and questions, our team would not let the passing of our student damper their compassion or their attention to detail, so I would like to record here my profound appreciation of Scott Brown, Michelle Steeg, Linda Sodemann, Rob Staggenborg, Kim Mohr, Father Tim Kenney, Mike Loyet, Terry Cochran and those who in your own small ways have been there every second of every day balancing the needs of our students when they needed us most.

I realized this week that it isn’t death in itself, however, that is tragic, even if it is always sad. As adults we are accustomed to announcing deaths, as we say goodbye to long-serving faculty or staff members or alums who have gone on before us to God’s heavily kingdom, mostly after full lives, and typically marked by as much joyous remembrance of their achievements and contributions to the world and their families as about regret at their passing. The Vianney Book of Remembrance similarly records the ending of lives, shorter or longer, among our family members and loved ones who we lift up in prayer.


We also have the pleasure of announcing happier events like births and marriages.

But it is a different and much sharper sadness when it is our young who are being mourned. While we can and should focus on the positive aspects of our brief interactions with a young soul now prematurely departed from this world, we are also deeply aware of the promise unfulfilled, of all the good that they might have done in the world. There is no getting around it: there is little more melancholic at a school, a place that normally glows with the incandescent energy of youth, than the early extinguishing of one of its candles.

So as we prepare to lay our student to rest and say our final good-byes on this earth, until we meet again, I’ve also thought about what I want for all of our students.

My prayer is that our young men leave Vianney for their next stage of life with a passion for all that they do, a curiosity that inspires learning, and the courage to step outside their comfort zones.

By courage I mean that I know that life never presents us with a straight path; that each one of us is faced with times when we find ourselves without an answer, without a direction or, alternatively, with too much coming at us at once and no clear sense of what to do next.

While being able to problem solve is a fundamental key to success, it is even more important to work to ensure confidence and courage during the uncomfortable stages prior to solving a problem or dealing with a dilemma.

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will.

And I also hope and pray that our students and community will continue to watch out for each other, and if you yourself are having difficulties, don’t hesitate to talk to someone.

Vianney does love you; our faculty and staff, as well as your friends, are here to listen and help.

And though the road in life is never straight, by choosing our path, we choose our destination.

The Principal is NOT the bogeyman!

A bogeyman (also spelled bogieman, or boogeyman) is a mythical creature in many cultures used by adults to frighten children into compliant behavior. Parents may tell their children that if they misbehave, the bogeyman will get them. Bogeymen may target a specific mischief—for instance, a bogeyman that punishes children who suck their thumbs—or general misbehavior, depending on what purpose needs serving. – Wikipedia

With Halloween quickly approaching I thought it would be an appropriate time to address another

mythical creature often used to frighten children or students and even some teachers--the principal!  It also so happens that "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is one of my favorite movies and has a rather entertaining bogeyman in its cast of characters! 

I remember my own childhood ideas of the principal as pretty much the scariest person in the world!  The idea of going to the principal’s office was terrifying.  No one ever went there for a good reason.  You went to the principal’s office because you were in trouble… BIG TROUBLE! Stories even existed of the never seen but legendary “paddle”  I, of course, was NEVER SENT there, but I greatly feared it nonetheless.

I think this is the image of principal that many of us, including teachers, still perpetuate today.  As adults we know that most principals are actually pretty decent, kind, compassionate people.  What I think what many enjoy, however, is setting up the principal to be the bogeyman.  A threat often used to motivate kids is “If this happens again I will have to send you to the principal’s office.”  I’m okay with this to a certain extent, as long as the referring adult doesn’t really expect me to act like a monster. I mean I hope I treat our students like i treat the adults in the building, with respect.

When students do something wrong and are sent to see me, I do want them to feel remorseful about what they’ve done.  I will not accomplish this understanding of guilt by yelling or threatening.  Instead, I ask them to reflect on what they have done, consider the feelings of those effected, and to see how they have let down themselves and their parents.  When necessary and appropriate we will talk with their parents about an appropriate consequence.  This usually works, but it is far from the end of the process.

Before students leave my office I think it is important to affirm them and give them hope.  I usually try to

remind them that they are good, and that this has been a bad choice.  I like to remind them that my disappointment or the teacher's disappointment stems from how much promise we see in that young man.  This action does not define who they are.  Instead, I tell them, they will be defined by how they respond to the situation.  They can accept responsibility, apologize, make up for what they’ve done, and grow closer to others.

As an adult in a position of authority, I believe giving the offending student hope is absolutely necessary.  The image of a student leaving my office is not one in tears, but one of a students who has been remorseful and now has their chin up, firmly resolved to fix what they’ve broken.

So feel free to use a visit to my office as a threat, but don’t be disappointed if students leaving my office aren’t in tears.  It’s not that I’m being “too easy” on them, it’s all part of my goal to develop students into reflective, responsible, and respectful young men.

Also, feel free to stop by my office, because I typically keep treats like chocolate and other candy near by.

Happy Halloween!

Pope Francis--Trampling Expectations

In the Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis continually reminds us that Aslan is “not a tame Lion”.  Aslan, who (spoiler alert) represents God in the series, is beyond the expectations and limitations of “civilized” society.  Whereas a typical king would conform to expectations, Aslan is unpredictable, powerful, and unrestrained.

I can see how God is like that, and I see how that is unfolding in the mission of Pope Francis.

The Pope's recent visit to the United States left me feeling hopeful and grateful that we have a transparent, spiritual leader in a time when our Church and our faith needs a "spiritual awakening," a jolt of enthusiasm and inspiration!  A fresh approach that remains true to our Catholic teachings and traditions.  As I followed his United States pilgrimage I enjoyed the exuberant welcomes, the outpouring of people, and the proof that our Faith is Alive and well!

I also watched intently at how the media covered much of the visit.  Often flipping from channel to channel and I observed that the media likes (loves) to slot people and movements into categories of “liberal” or “conservative”.  They do this because it makes writing easy.  You are either this way or that way.  It also sells advertising.  Viewers or readers like to choose sides i.e. are you a “liberal” CNN viewer or a “conservative” Fox News viewer.  

Putting people into these categories also creates division and debate free from the troubling difficulties of nuance or discernment.  Once you’ve chosen your side, there’s really no need to listen to the other side at all, expect maybe to ridicule their ideas. Once you choose a side there's also no reason to continue to grow, learn, and educate one's self on issues or topics.  You have "your side," "your rules," "your orders," personal growth and life-long learning stops.  The closed mindset begins.  

All of this of course is very troubling for educators who believe in the power of sustained, life-long learning.  Educators who believe that each experience changes us, helps us to improve and helps us to better our understanding of our own beliefs and a deeper appreciation for the belief of others. 

Pope Francis is putting the media in a difficult position.  He is merciful, kind, humble, and wise.  He loves children and the poor, judges no one, and admits he is a sinner.  At the same time he remains ardent in his defense of the unborn, the definition of marriage, and the role of the Church.  He is breaking down barriers that the media has erected and they are not quite sure what to do with him.  God has given us a leader who is not a tame Lion.”  Since he is not concerned with the “labels”, he runs roughshod over them.  He is trampling people’s expectations with unfettered love for God and others. 

So what does this mean for Vianney?  

We need to be more like Pope Francis; allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, humble, forgiving, and sharing our faith with the unfettered enthusiasm of a child. We need to let go of our fear and embrace a Christianity that goes beyond political correctness and inhibition.  What would this look like?  How would it change us?  How would it change our community?

We Get What We Expect

You don’t get what you want, you get what you expect. 

This phrase was shared with me several years ago at a beginning teacher's workshop.  In the workshop we were taught how to unlock the power of our imaginations to change how we see the world and ourselves. We learned how to seriously envision ourselves succeeding in this or that area of life. Once we had that picture in mind, we worked on using affirmative statements to reprogram our subconscious to help us achieve our vision.

I know it may sound like way out in left-field thinking (No, Coach Brown this is NOT a baseball post). Trust me, it’s not. Our imaginations are truly powerful and the evidence is all around us. Successful people, whether they do it consciously or unconsciously, use the power of their imaginations to achieve their success.

Think of some successful people you know. How do they talk about themselves? Rarely will you hear a successful person talk about how terrible they are or how they expect to fail. Successful people say things like “I can do that!” and “I can’t wait to make that happen!” By repeatedly affirming themselves both inwardly and outwardly, these people program their subconscious to find ways to make that dream a reality. They keep working, trying new ways to get things done, and never give up until they reach their goal.

On the other hand, think of some of the less successful people you know. How do they talk about themselves? Usually they have low self-esteem and low expectations. They say things like “I wish I could do that” or “That’s too hard” or “That’s too expensive.” Like the successful person, they are using their imaginations too, but in a negative way to affirm their lack of success. Their subconscious, thus programmed to fail, will find ways to make sure success never comes. They will give up, make excuses, and ignore opportunities until they fail.

In the case of both the successful and unsuccessful person they will get exactly what they expect.

Nowhere is this mentality of using the power of your imagination to unlock your potential more important than in education. Students need to envision themselves being successful. They need to have positive self-talk, both inwardly and outwardly. As with adults, imagining and affirming success will set students on a positive course in life.

Think of the teachers your son's have had over the years. Which ones made the biggest difference? I am willing to bet my career that the teachers who made the bigger difference in your son’s life were the ones who affirmed them and made them see how great they can be. Knowledge of content and good pedagogy are important, but are not necessarily life changing.  I was blessed to have several life-changing teachers in my life. I am blessed to work with many such teachers at Vianney. 

If we want to better our society then we truly must be the change we want to see in the world. We need to constantly lift up our students, reminding them frequently of their awesome potential! 

Reminding them that failure is merely a stepping stone to a greater success. This is not an excuse for laziness or to allow our students off the hook for adolescent mistakes, but it puts these behaviors in a different light. Ultimately we need them to understand the dignity and awesome plan God has in store for them on their path to becoming Men of Character & Accomplishment! 

The importance of Learning vs Learned

“In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”-- Eric Hoffer

Wednesday morning one of our veteran teachers shared a reflection centering on how he

LEARNED to be a GREAT teacher by LEARNING from the MANY great educators that came before him and worked beside him during his time at Vianney.  It got me thinking about not only the difference between LEARNED v LEARNING, but the gap that can exist and widen if we are not cognitively aware of the importance of being a life-long learner.

Medical doctors and physicians are certainly viewed as learned in our society. They possess an incredible amount of knowledge and their practice is unique. Their medical degree certainly suggests that they are learned. But how satisfied would you be with your doctor if she did not engage in further learning beyond her degree? Would we not want our own doctor to learn about the latest research, most effective practices and prescribe the best new drugs? It would be unacceptable for doctors to be simply learned, they must also be learners.

The same must be true for educators. Although it is not often recognized universally, educators do possess a unique body of knowledge that satisfies a professional designation. It is easy to criticize educators because all of us have gone to school but the fact is unless you’ve been in the classroom you have limited knowledge of the real work of a teacher. However, receiving that education degree only enables educators to be viewed as learned.

There was a time in education when being learned was all that was required. We held the knowledge and delivered it accordingly. But today’s classroom is far different and far more diverse than ever before. Now, educators must still be learned to a high degree but to be truly effective, educators must be learners through and through. Just as we would expect our doctors to engage in the latest practices, we must expect that of our educators too! Today’s educators must be lifelong learners throughout their careers.

There are two critical drivers of being a learner in our educational system. The first is internal and is a necessary component for learning to be activated. Attitude! Educators, new or experienced must first have the attitude to be a learner. There needs to be a constant desire to improve one’s practice, to hone one’s skills. This is a difficult task because it requires honest self-reflection on the part of the teacher and high levels of feedback from supervisors and peers.

“Teachers who set high goals, who persist, who try another strategy when one approach is found wanting – in other words, teachers who have a high sense of efficacy and act on it – are more likely to have students who learn.”
(Shaughnessy, 2004)

Classroom doors need to be flung open to expose our many strengths and also the areas requiring improvement. While that may sound to be a common attribute for educators, like most people in society, I can attest that our faculty at Vianney is welcoming and embracing the idea of trying something new and moving beyond their own comfort zone, not all schools are as fortunate as we are to have not only LEARNED educators, but PASSIONATE educators interested in continuous, lief-long learning. 

“To teach like a professional or teach like a pro is a personal commitment to rigorous training, continuous learning, collegial feedback, respect for evidence, responsiveness to parents, striving for excellence, and going far beyond the requirements of any written contract. But teaching like a pro, day in , day out, cannot be sustained unless your colleagues teach like pros too.…"

“Professional capital is about collective responsibility, not individual autonomy; about scientific evidence as well as personal judgment; about being open to one’s clients (students/families) rather than sitting on a pedestal above them; and ultimately about being tough on those colleagues who, after every effort and encouragement, fall short of their professional mission and let their peers as well as their students down (p. xv)”. (Hargreaves and Fullan)

The second driver must be support. This driver comes from multiple sources but it must

begin with an environment of support. A sense of trust must be established to allow for teachers to step out of their comfort zone. The ability for teachers to “try and fail” and risk take with the use of high yield strategies without the threat of outside watchdogs is central to a supportive environment. The support default (time and resources) tends to fall as a responsibility of the school. There is little argument of that! Schools  need to create opportunities, time and resources for educators to engage in learning. Additionally, educators must seek out other educators to collaborate and share and engage in professional dialogue about their professional practice. To suggest that this can only occur within the confines of the school day, while students are present is unrealistic and limiting.
We recognize that a love of learning must be a goal of any 
educational system since learners will be those who inherit the earth. We also understand that while students are in school, their greatest impact is from their teachers. They have the ability and possibly the responsibility to act as a role model for the love of learning and the importance of being not just learned but a learner! It is no longer permissible to be just learned! Educators must be learners! 

Great Leaders Dive in the Deep End!

" If you want to change you have to be willing to be uncomfortable."

Now there’s a statement for leadership! There’s a statement for challenging the status quo! And finally, there’s a statement that must be part of our education vernacular, everyday and all the time!

It is pretty easy to sit and watch the race go by. Our lizard brain likes it that way; no stress and no potential for danger. But also… no chance of greatness! Earlier this week,
I re-read the blog, Don’t Go In The Water! 

 It is an excellent piece of writing that challenges leaders to go into the deep and unknown. Little scary! Not quite sure what is below and what might come up and bite you! But leaders need to take that plunge into the unknown and become uncomfortable. They cannot ask their staff to go in ahead of them. They must be willing to enter first, change first and be uncomfortable first.

Every expert or so-called expert makes the claim that education must change. Even most educators, unless they’ve been sleeping under a rock for the past twenty years believe the same. It is well understood and agreed upon that the purpose of education is far different from when the education system was founded. Yet, the change seems to be glacier in movement. Why? Because it is far easier to do what we’ve always done comfortably than to try something different that makes us uncomfortable. It is human nature and how we are wired!

Leadership is uncomfortable and it is messy! Even when the vision is crystal clear, the pathways to that vision are many

and often blurred. We don’t know what lurks around the bend, which detour is ahead or which hill is worth dying on! But unless leaders take that uncomfortable step, choose a detour and pick a hill, we won’t impact change in ourselves and worse in the peers we lead.

Great leaders don’t have all the answers. In fact, they probably have more questions than answers. Great leaders are bold and patient! They understand that there is little comfort in challenging the status quo. They relish in the deep and the uncomfortable! Achieving the goal is to be celebrated but not for long because it is time to push onward. Impactful leaders invite you on the journey rather than sit on the sidelines. 

Each day that we lead we must be prepared to stretch the

norm. We must stoke the flame of passion to change and to

grow. We must learn and accept being uncomfortable in the

deep water and the shifting sands. And when we have accepted this, we will be on our journey of great leadership and monumental change!  

Preparing for the future!

When I graduated from Mehlville High School in 1997 I did not have the slightest inkling of where I was going, and there was no way I had an understanding of how much the world around me was going to change. Have you considered that the that the kindergarten children entering school in Fall 2015 will begin retiring (assuming an age of 65) in the year 2075! Even if the rate of change remained constant over the next 60-65 years, this will be a very different world then the one they know today!

Even with all the changes in my own world, education has always been the saving grace. The ability to be a learner, to problem solve, to articulate a critical response and to adapt has been instrumental in navigating this ever changing world. Education from early learning to post secondary, informal and formal, and inside and outside of the school building must continue to be our saving grace. In order for education to lead us through future generations, schools must continue to evolve and teaching quality must always be a priority.

Few of us could have imagined the world we currently exist in when we were in high school. In terms of technology itself, we are miles ahead of any of our dreams from those years(I just wanted to avoid dying of DYSENTery in Oregon Trail). I would venture to suggest that even our current high school students have only the faintest glimpse of how much the world will change throughout their life to retirement. Yet, our role in education is to prepare students for that unknown and unexpected world.

Dylan Wiliam in his article, “Teacher quality: why it matters, and how to get more of it” articulates that schools in the past have been talent identifiers. We sorted students in a factory model based on students’ current talent without any acknowledgement of future growth or potential. Today’s world requires extensive talent and skill and therefore we must work with all students to create potential and that can only be accomplished with high teacher quality.

In essence, teachers need to see the magnificent diamond within each student. They must be able to seek the inner talents hidden within every student and let them grow and prosper. They must be able to recognize that what you see may not be what you get! While we may not be able to bring every student's s dreams to reality, we must never take the potential of dreaming away from anyone. The potential that exists in our students must not remain untapped!

The unknown world of tomorrow will not require students who can simply regurgitate knowledge. They will need to be able to create knowledge. In order to problem solve effectively, they will need to be precise in the identification of the problem. We will need divergent thinkers who challenge the status quo, creative minds who think outside the box and innovative risk takers. These kinds of students will only be developed under the tutelage of high quality teachers and transformed systems.

Even an unknown future can be prepared for through education. Classrooms that engage prepare for that future. Teachers, who question and stretch the box, prepare for that future. Environments that support risk taking and growth mindsets develop potential in our students, a critical competency for the 21st century. Understanding that “if you can’t be wrong, you can’t learn” prepares students to recognize that failure is an essential part of the learning process. Committed learners, who understand hard work and are willing to explore multiple pathways to that learning, not just compliant students will be successful in tomorrow’s uncertain world.  We may not know what the future holds in store for us or our students. But we know that our educational system with high quality teaching will be our best strategy and our saving grace to prepare our students for that future.

Connected Educators

There are times in our careers that we use the term professional judgment as a license to do whatever we believe is right! We’ve earned our degree! We’ve “practiced” our skills! We’ve been inducted into the profession!

The very definition of a professional supports our “right” to trump any disagreement of practice. Quite honestly, a rigorous pre-service program and a Bachelor of Education should allow for some latitude in our ability to deploy professional judgment.

However, the world has changed at an alarming pace and as educators we need to be continually seeking to heighten our own informed professional judgment.  As many of you know I am a big user and supporter of Twitter.  I find twitter provides a terrific avenue to celebrate the MANY success of our students, teachers, and Vianney Community.  It also serves as a valuable professional development tool!  Through Twitter I connect with educators and administrative leaders from all over the world! Twitter allows me to learn what new, innovative, and effective practices are working in other schools and serves as a resource for professional development that never existed before.  It is transformative, powerful, and reliable!

Occasionally I'll see a quote, idea, or conversation and it will spark me to reflect more on my personal practice or our school practices. Recently I was part of a twitter chat that provoked my own reflection on how informed professional judgment is linked to both the art and science of teaching and overall confidence required.

When I began my career, I was convinced that teaching was ONLY an art. Although I “enjoyed” my university experience at Southwest Missouri State, I really didn’t see the direct connection between theory and practice. While some of my professors were highly engaging, others didn’t seem to have a good sense of the real world in the classroom anymore. Those professors may have known the theories, but they lacked the art so significantly that I was often tuned out, disengaged--bored!

Furthermore, I was a coach and teacher. And so, the art of teaching came very close to what I did coaching football or basketball.  My professional judgment was more based on the successes I had as a coach and how I was able to transfer it  to the classroom.

Being nostalgic and looking back at my own experience in school, many of my favorite teachers were coaches. They weren’t necessarily athletic coaches, but they certainly employed sound coaching methods in their practice. I was a relatively average student who, because of my sports upbringing was also fairly disciplined. Today, I would probably be considered as a compliant student because as an athlete back then, you just did what the coach told you. Style or art works well when your players or students are compliant and/or engaged, but what happens when they aren’t? Today, with our correct move towards inclusion and overarching goal of student success for all, we can no longer just “coach” the compliant or engaged.  

The art of teaching must be married to the science of teaching. There is considerable uniformity in the belief that students are very different today as compared to when most of us started this profession. We can provide numerous reasons why or lay blame until we’re blue in the face but it doesn’t change this fact. Given this, educators must become more learned than ever before. The professional judgment we gained in our undergraduate degree is simply insufficient. The soft skills we employ as educators may be an art, but strong, effective and engaging pedagogy is a science. Educators today, now have the benefits of the latest brain research to inform practice. It changes our perspective from “he won’t do his work” to possibly, “he can’t do his work… in this way.” It pushes us away from the factory model of education and truly highlights the uniqueness of each student in our classrooms.

Secondly, the student of today requires far different teaching practices for high levels of engagement and learning. In order for students to develop their own creativity and innovative talents, our educators must demonstrate those same qualities in their classrooms. It is understandable that some educators shy away from those practices for a number of reasons. Often, the barrier of an accountability system that numerically ranks schools, teachers and students can be found to be at fault. When only test scores rather than true learning are measured, there is a disconnect. Additionally, many educators are being asked to engage in practices that initially are out of their comfort zone. It makes sense that until educators build some confidence in a different pedagogy, it is likely to remain on the “practice” court only. Informed professional judgment is defined through actions in the classroom. More than ever before, educators need to be innovative in their practice utilizing a skillful art and science to reflect informed professional judgment. And stakeholders and administrators need to be patient and supportive by creating and/or maintaining environments to allow the development of these skills. 

Informed professional judgment is a non-negotiable for today’s educators. Educators need to stay informed not on a yearly basis but on a daily basis. Schools and districts will never be able to offer the amount of learning opportunities required to keep our professionals up to date. That is the reason why educators must become connected within their school, their department, and with the use of technology. Educators of today are unable to provide informed professional judgment on an ongoing basis without being connected personally or virtually. Connected educators build up their own confidence levels. Connected educators are supported by others who act as reference or sounding boards. Connected educators find ways to ensure that their professional judgment is always informed.

We know that the classroom is very different today than it was even ten years ago. We also know that education is one of the only saving graces for many of our students and for society as a whole. With that in mind, it is critical that leaders and teachers continually strive to provide their most informed professional judgment and in order to achieve, they must be connected!!!