Personalization is the Answer to Our Pandemic School Questions

Our systems must change. 

The new normal is upon us and we have to think differently- we must adapt and innovate in order to meet the needs of students and guard the mental health of our educators and parent populations.

It starts with a mindset. All the discussion on Fixed vs. Growth Mindset comes into play here. We have expected our students to adopt a Growth Mindset, well now our system needs to embrace it.

So, how do we do that?

Get Excited. Counterintuitive maybe, but get excited because we can create something that can build students who are no longer passengers but pilots! This is ultimately my hope in any school- that students learn to chart their courses, navigate turbulence in life and get their dreams off the ground. We can only get this to happen if we can create a system that is customized to individuals- or in other words... personalized.

Learn from the Gym. When you walk into any gym, what do you see? What systems are in place? There are usually experts around to provide guidance. There is a variety of equipment and people are doing all kinds of things. One guy maybe busting out some miles on the treadmill, another may be pumping some curls and a third is chilling in the sauna. Some people have formed small groups and are moving to the music of a Zumba class! All are here to grow. All have established their goals and most have a plan or routine that they helped develop. Perhaps there is a way we can steal some inspiration from our local gyms on how we can adapt or grow as a school system.

Embed Hope Theory. Professor Snyder (1991) created this method for inspiration called Hope Theory. When people set goals, have an understanding of the pathways to reach these goals, AND possess the agency to make the efforts to take these pathways... they have Hope. So, create systems that give students voice and choice. To show them who they are as learners... to give them partnership with the learning goals... and watch them take off. Watch them with a smile from ear to ear... they are capable of surpassing our expectations when we can give them ownership of their learning.

ReThink the Roles of Teachers. Teachers become system engineers and Momentum Coaches. Similar to Personal Trainers... they co-create programs and care plans for students as individuals. They provide encouragement for the agency students need and energy that students are burning through as they follow their personalized approach. This is crucial- we must invest in teacher training and teacher support for this shift to be successful.

To reduce burnout and provide inspiration- our teachers must know they are cared for, supported, and trained well. We can come out of this pandemic with a stronger system of education if we only will embrace personalization as the answer to our questions.

www.michaelsroth.org  
 

The School Culture Wheel

 As he got up and began to climb on the desk, I was not sure whether I should stand up to catch him if he fell or just sit and see what happened next. The scene will never leave my mind- Thomas Sergiovanni my professor and mentor began to talk about how culture is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership... "It is like trying to get an amoeba to cross the street. You push on one side and the other parts ooze back around you. He spoke of doing our best to build relationships and lead through a common vision and connection.

I have spent many years working on my growth as a cultural leader. Not all my learning has come through getting things right- I have learned much from the mistakes along the way. 

As I am in interviews and often have been asked about the cultural aspects of leadership I thought I would reflect a little. Please let me know what you think after reading this post.

HONOR: In my college days the professor imprinted this concept during my cross cultural communications class... honor is much more a part of communication than you give it credit for. There are countries where it is everything. So how can having an attitude of honor impact leadership? It means we respect all. It means we learn to listen with empathy. It means we reflect before making decisions... have we heard from everyone? 

It means we embrace diversity. We look for opinions that do not match the majority opinion. It means we reach out and find new perspectives and voices- learn from different opinions.

It means we are aware of the effort and accomplishments of ALL those in our organization and we have created routines and systems to pull recognition and celebration to the center of what we do as a group.

CONNECTION: What unites our group? Have we spent time building things that unite us? Relationships where we know our teams, we know the individuals that make up our group. We care about the individual. Their passions, their unique styles, and even their quirks. We love them. 

Shared vision can be so powerful. Mission, Vision, and Values are the true leader in any place. As a school principal I serve that and that means I serve the people who make up this organization since they crafted this vision. It is so important to bring this vision mission and all the values into your gut and lead with these as your guide.

Fun is essential to build connection. Laughter and food, enjoying each other's company... it all becomes a context for super cultural energy. I love being in a group where laughter is flowing. And since life is short... this is where meaning comes into our life...

COMMUNICATION: The capillaries and veins carry so much throughout our body and we need clean, clear, and consistent informations systems. Clarity removes anxiety and we can do so much to have an organization happy kind of like a liver can remove the toxins from the blood creating a cleaner and more vibrant bloodstream.

As a leader part of the communication process is being aware of what the needs are so you can provide what is needed- nothing more and nothing less. 

CONFLICT & RESTORATION FOCUS: How we recognize this element in culture and set up for it is crucial. We must find ways to maximize the POTENTIAL ENERGY conflict brings. It is electric- it is something that has the potential to unite like no other phase of culture... When we pull our efforts into the long term picture of why we exist and what our coming together provides for the students ow and the students to come... it can help us listen to other perspectives with openness. 

In addition, being aware that there are conflict patterns that wound a culture. We must come together on how to be loyal to the absent and eliminate the toxic behaviors that hurt us. Behaviors like gossip, slander, indirect and passive aggressive communication. This seems to be a challenge wherever you go. So perhaps there are trainings or mentoring relationships that can help a community mature in the conflicting process.

Finally- forgiveness needs to be a big part of an organizations' culture and we will all mess up at times. We must begin to embrace each other even when our flaws are apparent.

TRADITIONS AND STORY: Part of what draws me to visiting countries around the world is to experience the power of the traditions there and hear their Oral Traditions. I love seeing how a group of people unite around dance, food, events, or anniversary. I believe every unique school has its own story and traditions. There is something rich about being still and experiencing the local flavor.

Wherever life leads me, I am so excited about the culture and opportunities that await, similar to when you are about to backpack in Europe or visit Honduras, Australia, or Romania... life is short and culture is one of the things that make it powerful!