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!