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!!!

Some Perspective

This extended Labor Day weekend was a GREAT time for me to pound the pavement and increase my running mileage.  These three days away from school afforded me the opportunity to shed some of the pre-Christmas weight I've already put on and help me get over the disappointment I was feeling in myself. While running this weekend I decide to take my route through Jefferson Barracks Cemetery.  It's quietness, herds of deer, and calmness seemed like a good running destination.  It also afforded me a long overdue visit to the graves of my two grandfathers and grandma.  As I paused to catch my breath and pay my respects, I noticed the grave of a young soldier who had lost his life in battle in 2011 at the age of 22.  As I turned I also noticed a young man in a wheel chair praying over a grave and a mother with her small child at another. Perspective!

Often my exercise regime is far less about keeping in shape and far more about clearing my head and aligning my thoughts. In essence, it allows me to regain perspective! During my workout, I reflected on the many gifts that have been bestowed on me and the many reasons that I should be far more grateful. And, I also reflected upon the many times that we as a society are not nearly as grateful for our own blessings. We have allowed our society to value ME over US and MONEY over MORALS. 

Unfortunately, the one place where this thinking should not be commonplace, the education system, has too, fallen under this trend. Too often educators complain about workload issues, work stress, limited budgets and other challenges that we “face!”  I myself at times, get frustrated with managerial aspects of my role, inappropriate actions of staff or students, and unrealistic demands of some parents.  Even with all the challenges we face, it is important to put things into perspective.  Vianney is still recognized as one of the best Catholic high schools in the nation! A 2014-16 National School of Excellence, awarded to the top 5% of Catholic High Schools in the country!  

We receive incredible financial support from our parents and alumni who support our mission!  Our endowment is growing, our facilities improving with the addition of the NEW

$1 million STEM labs and soon to be completed North Athletic Field Complex that will house a NEW all-turfed baseball stadium, with lights, and stadium seating.  A field large enough for soccer & lacrosse to also practice or play games on if they choose.

But, if that is our ONLY perspective, we will always want more! Our perspective cannot focus on the monetary piece of our school or the bricks and mortar that provide our institutional foundation. Our perspective must revolve on the giftedness of each of us and the gift of being in a Catholic, Marianist school. Our perspective must be that we hold the future of children in the palms of our hands each and every day. Our perspective must be that we have the ability to change a world to value “we!” Our perspective must be on knowing that we can make a difference in EVERY young man's life who walks into our room. Our perspective should give us pride in knowing we have highly skilled, innovative, passionate, and dedicated teachers. We have great supports for students. Our technology program is unique to our school and develops students to be critical and creative thinkers in an ever changing world. Our high school is safe and caring and our working conditions are well beyond adequate--they are exceptional! Most importantly, at Vianney we don't just talk about Faith or Family Spirit, we live it and model it! The Living Rosary, the multitude of prayers, making 100's of sandwiches to feed the homeless each Monday, our daily communion services, our retreat programs, our community Masses like this weekend's Grandparents' Mass or the Mother-Son Mass later this fall, and on and on and on.  At Vianney our Faith is lived!

Today we celebrated our Honors Convocation. An opportunity to recognize all that exemplifies Vianney.  Days like today make me proud to be principal as we honor our students for their academic, extracurricular, leadership, and service accomplishments.  The actions of our students model our aim--to develop Men of Character & Accomplishment!

And yet, somewhat poetically it occurred today on September 11th and recants in mind the horrific loss of life that was experienced 14 years ago on our own soil. When I pause to think about Jefferson Barracks Cemetery, the tragedy of 9-11, and the celebration of this morning's Honors Convocation it seems so easy to gain perspective on my own life when I am surrounded by tragedy or celebratory events. During these times, it is quite simple for most of us to recognize that the crosses we bear are far smaller than many others. But what about when those tragedies become only a faint memory? Do we still have the right perspective? What happens when the calendar turns to September 12th or November 15th, or the days just become another day with no Honors Convocation, No lab dedications, or Marianist awards?

In our lives we are surrounded by people who may have sacrificed much, carried burdens for a long time and have suffered silently! If our perspective continues to focus on the “me” we will never recognize those who truly need and deserve our support. If our perspective continues to be on what I don’t have instead of what I do have, we will never be happy.

Today and tomorrow and the tomorrow after that, look at all the blessings we’ve been given not the burdens we face. Welcome the opportunities we’ve been afforded. Seize the gifts of each day because that’s the right perspective!

Increasing Engagement

When I first began my career in education, GREAT teaching was often defined by a classroom where students sat quietly in rows. There was such an emphasis placed on classroom management as an effective teaching tool that as undergrad students we actually had to take a Classroom Management Class!  And while I believe that classroom management is required for excellent teaching to occur, students sitting quietly in rows cannot be the only evidence. In fact, I preach to my teachers that civil disobedience and lack of sound does NOT in fact indicate a successful classroom.  If learning is to be engaging it should be conversational, exploratory, and at times even loud and/or fun!

Thankfully today’s classrooms are shifting from student compliance to commitment and from teacher driven silos to student focused learning environments. This transformation is being driven because of a concentrated effort to increase learner engagement. 

Author Daniel Pink suggests that people are typically motivated through purpose, mastery and autonomy. These desires are not exclusive to adults, students desire those same attributes in their classrooms today. 

The ability to offer students an education that is purposeful, seeks mastery and allows some sort of autonomy equals a high level of learner engagement.

When I attended high school, I too often remember questioning the purpose of why I was learning some of the curriculum at that time. When I talk to students today, they ask the same question, “Why do we have to learn this?” Without purpose or a connection to their current life or future plans, learner engagement is negatively impacted. Students need to be confident that what they are doing in schools today matters! Creative thought and problem solving ability are greatly enhanced when students are engaged in meaningful learning.

When there is a sense of purpose there is a desire to improve. This is not just typical behavior for artists and athletes but for the general public. None of us wake up in the morning hoping to fail at something we truly believe in. Mastery at the school level requires educators to provide specific feedback to students. Students need to be clear as to where they are, where they need to get to and how they are going to get there in their educational journey. It further requires educators to work collaboratively with students to develop a growth mindset that promotes intrinsic motivation.

The last piece of the engagement puzzle requires students to have some autonomy in their own learning. Although curriculum is structured and has its set of important requirements and necessary limitations, students still need to have some choice in their schooling. The key is employing flexible learning groups, having teachers implementing differentiated instruction and allowing students choice in how they demonstrate their learning. Autonomy allows students to build on their own strengths.   

Vianney is generally recognized as one of the best high schools in Missouri and in 2014 we were recognized as National School of Excellence! It is my belief that moving our classrooms closer to student-centered environments has facilitated a positive change in our culture, increased learning engagement and enthusiasm, and ignited the growth we desired in student outcomes! We at Vianney have learned and accepted that quiet compliance in the classroom is no longer sufficient for students to develop the skills they need to be engaged citizens. We need to continue to shift our efforts to active learning that promotes high learner engagement. An emphasis on learner engagement will develop all students’ abilities to learn how to learn and experience success in school and within our knowledge based society. These efforts will help us to continue to develop Men of Character & Accomplishment who are successful leaders now and ALWAYS!