January 2018 – If…Then…So?

The Rule of Thirds

The lines of learning are getting real blurred and that is a good thing. Doesn’t really matter what profession you look at, the lines of learning are getting blurred. One way to think of where we were in education, not even a full generation ago, was there was a time when the teacher was called the “Sage on the Stage”. Then the shift was for the teacher to be the “Guide on the Side”. Now in examples of vibrant classrooms, or learning environments I would say that it is hard to know who is the teacher and who is the student because those roles can be interchangeable. The shift is all for the better in my way of thinking, but certainly there can be struggles for all involved.

I believe that one improvement in learning is there are so many more resources to use for growth and development. Twitter has expanded the way we communicate with others who are in the field about new ideas and methods. Podcasts allow us to connect by listening to other’s ideas and experiences and then either incorporating parts or all of the ideas/experiences.

One podcast I would suggest is by Don Wettrick: StartEdUp podcast In a recent episode about VR in the Classroom, I heard Don talk about his own Rule of Thirds. Included are these three points; 1) are you passionate about it?, 2) What (new) skills are you going to acquire? and 3) Who does it serve other than you?

The Rule of Thirds can be applied to group projects as some guidelines to help students know what the parameters could be. Imagine the start of a project where the students get to focus on their passions and they must acquire new skills that are tied to the passion. The last guideline is that teens are being asked to serve someone other than themselves. That sounds like a win-win-win to me.

The Rule of Thirds could also be great if you were wanting to set guidelines for professional growth and development. I would use the three points when working with teachers who are forming Professional Learning Teams in school. Give teachers the encouragement that they need to branch out into areas where they have always wanted to go, but have been afraid of failure. Maybe the new technique or method did not work the first time the teacher tried something new, but the success comes when they have attempted something that they are passionate about, they acquired new skills and they are serving others. All of us need to learn each day for our own growth and development as persons, as professionals and as role models for our students. If you are looking for a little help to stretch outside your comfort zone, then consider incorporating the Rule of Thirds. So you can keep growing and moving forward serving others.

3 Most Important Things In Leadership

Whenever I have a new opportunity come my way, I try to find out more information about the opportunity as quickly as possible. So when I had a chance at my first Principalship I decided to talk with folks who were currently serving in leadership positions to get their input. I did not ask them what they thought about my taking on a new opportunity. I asked them about their experience when opportunities came their way. More to the point, what are the three most important things to remember when serving as a leader? Then the follow-up question, what three things do you wish you would have known that could have saved you from a huge mistake. It was and still is interesting how many times reflecting on the mistakes help to determine what are the three most important things to remember. So one asterisk to add to the list of three important things, is to become a reflective practitioner. Save that topic for another blog post.

Ready? Here are the three most important things to remember about being a leader; 1) It’s about the people, 2) It’s about the people and 3) It’s about the people. That was the answer given to me by a veteran Middle School Principal. At first I thought it was a pretty lame answer. Then I lived into my leadership role and discovered the advice was pure gold. No matter how you slice it, what ever you are trying to accomplish, it is only by working with and for others that your goal has any chance of being reached. In any business model the most valuable asset of the school or company are the people that make up the enterprise. In schools, it is the faculty, staff, and administrators working together set the tone and create the culture for all whom are served. It is hard work, with trust and a shared commitment being critical foundational components. My experience is that when you work in a school that is people centered with a shared commitment, a common goal and a deep level of trust, it has been almost a Camelot moment. Certainly memorable and something that all continue to strive to reach.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

One final thought. When I talked about people being the most important thing to remember in leadership, it is essential to remember that the leader also needs to check their ego at the door. I view leadership as being synonymous with being a servant-leader. The mission of the organization is first. See the big picture, know your role but know too, that the leader is not the epicenter. On the occasions when I have checked my ego and worked with a thoughtful, committed group, we changed our corner of the world.

Reaching Outside the Comfort Zone

Within the past year I put the wraps on a portion of my career that included over 30 years in school leadership and administration. Each successive position pulled me more away from directly serving the students to indirectly serving them through the business side of a school. My passion, what really gets my blood boiling, is my life-long love of learning. Now I have some more time to dedicate to my passion.

I have always been someone who craves learning but even more I love to share that learning. Now with a little more time available, I thought blogging was one way to get my ideas out to a wider audience. But frankly, I found the idea of the public sharing a little scary, no really I found it extremely scary. Interestingly enough it was two blog posts that convinced me to take a leap and get started. Posts by Mandy Froehlich https://mandyfroehlich.com/2017/10/27/what-is-the-point-in-blogging/amp/ and George Couros https://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/7909gave me the needed push to begin.

My reasons for blogging probably match many other’s. Lots of input and no output makes for a very full mind. There are so many resources that are so available that consuming new ideas, information and materials could be a full time pursuit. One of the reasons that I am blogging is to create one area of output. I hope by getting thoughts penned to paper, or to a blog post, will help my to clarify those thoughts, to have a path to articulate thoughts and ideas, and to put those thoughts and ideas out to the broader community for feedback. I do think that being a reflective practitioner is essential to ongoing personal growth no matter what the field of endeavor; I am hoping that blogging will provide another path for that reflection. Finally, the scary part of blogging is being stretched out of my comfort zone. Growth can occur due to many different reasons, being stretched and pulled certainly is one way. So here goes the leap!