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!

Underwater Academy: 5 Years Out

 In order to prepare for the colonization of the Moon and Mars, I propose this idea to all interested in Space Exploration.

Let's create a community on the Ocean Floor.

I'm not crazy. This is a serious thought... but then again I might be a little bit crazy... that is how my brain works. I love creating things out of nothing... but there are many out there already working on these concepts.

Why did we collect moon rocks? How many millions of dollars did it take to get those rocks? Why do we have thousands of experiments on the International Space Station? What have we gained from all this effort and work?

I'd argue that we gained far more than we know. Curiosity is alive. What price tag would you put on being fully alive? 

So, we are sending rovers to Mars right now and studying the elements, conditions, history and potential for a base on Mars. Heck, you can even buy acres on Mars on Groupon! I argue that we can begin preparing for this eventuality through designing a community in the crazy conditions that exist on the Ocean Floor. 

Domed. Pressure. Emergency survival conditions. Isolation. Darkness. I know they had Biomes in the desert- this would be our next step.

I'll be your school designer- your building principal. Here is a Playful look at what might be!

A day in the life of The Great Barrier Elementary School. Home of the Guppies. 

At the entrance of the school, staff greats the students coming in from the community tunnel system. 

Good Morning Guppies! This is Dr. Roth with your Morning Announcements. Today's menus includes Tuna, Kelp and fresh Sea Cucumbers! Thank you for all the efforts to help the Sea Turtle population I am happy to announce our nursery has been able to release another thousand into the wild yesterday! Congratulations to the 5th grade Scuba team for their second place finish in the district competition as well. Our Quote of the week is from Leonardo Da Vinci who once said, "Who sows virtue, reaps honor..." So do something great for someone else today. Have a fantastic Day!"

Classes include Underwater geography, the history of nautical science, and scuba 301. 

Safety drills include Dome Leak Evacuation, Shark drills and oxygen tank malfunctions.

There are so many fun directions this can go... have fun with your imagination.

In the end, maybe there are several things we can learn that will one day save the lives of our brave men and women who go to colonize Mars. Men and women that very well may be the toddlers running around your ankles today... 

Be fully alive today friends... dream a little. And let me know if you want me to help!

Michael

(Image from https://www.landscapearchitecture.nz/landscape-architecture-aotearoa/2019/9/5/tomorrows-world)

Other pages of interest:  http://www.seao2.com/undersea/ & http://anarchismtoday.org/futuristic-underwater-smart-homes-being-built-in-dubai/)

TEACHERS ARE FAT...

TEACHERS ARE FAT....

Sharpening your knives as you begin to read this I bet- another bully coming along to make fun of people who are overweight...

According to an article from Food and Nutrition Journal on April of 2018 the problem is serious.
As a principal that is now carrying my Quarantine 15 I am fat too... and over my years as a school leader I have noticed a body type that tends to appear- it is a teacher shape... not unlike the picture from Wally Above.
Here is an exerpt from the article I read:
Results indicated that 43.2% of the teachers had Grade I obesity, 20.4% had Grade II obesity and 6.6% had Grade III obesity thereby indicating obesity as a significant health problem among teachers. Factors such as age, waist circumference, intake of junk foods, physical inactivity and BMI were significantly associated with obesity.
Journal Website:www.foodandnutritionjournal.org

So do we sit back and notice but do nothing?
Teachers- on the front lines for our children... fighting for the future of our community. Their words ignite dreams and instill courage and grit. They are truly heroes... and this is not all their fault.
So here are some proactive things to consider...

IF YOU ARE A NEW TEACHER: You are important. YOU are important. Make time for your health. don't let the stresses of our tremendous work load take you away from investing time in your health. Our work is like a sponge... it will take all the time you give it. You can work until 10PM get up early and work all weekend... and never get it all done. Look around your building for a veteran- maybe ten years in or more... that still has a smile on their face. Usually they will have smile wrinkles... and make sure they are not using drugs to get that smile! For me- Mrs. Sharp and Mrs. Freihheit were the examples of joyful teaching when I was in my first year. I will give ou some of my tips too if you reach out... just know this... set a time when work shuts off. Then invest in a walk, job, aerobics class... you need to sweat and get your heart pumping every day.

IF YOU ARE An OVERWEIGHT TEACHER: Breath. Start small. If you can't jog- walk. YOU ARE WORTH IT- spend some time investing in yourself. I know you give all you can for your kids- spending your pennies on stuff for the classrooms and giving countless hours... I know babysitters make more than you per hour. I KNOW. But maybe the airlines have it right when they give us the preflight speech. In the case of a sudden loss of cabin pressure- put your mask on first. You are so important to the fabric of our nation. So here are some tips... get a solid mental health provider/counselor and for the first two months see them weekly. Often times food is a way we numb the pains we carry. Set up a class or a buddy to walk with daily. There are tricks to getting grades and such more efficiently so you can have more time for yourself. Set up your vacations early- so you can invest in your mental health. You are loved- believe that.

IF YOU ARE a DISTRICT or SCHOOL LEADER: Obese teachers have higher rates of heart disease and other bad things. You are charged with taking care of those who work for you- though I have found many leaders in my career to be heartless and only concern themselves with covering their own asses- you need to pay attention. The system is creating conditions that lead to burnout, teacher depression, and obesity. What can you do/ What can I do?
1. Sit down with a team and reflect. What have you done? What is next? If you see the teachers as your family... how would you look at this? Whatever it takes.
2. List resources. Perhaps you utilize your high school gyms better and offer staff a membership to work out there- with incentives for the times they come in.
3. Hire a district health advisor- programmer. In your benefits- provide nutrition and dietary experts that can build personalized meal plans.
4. Increase benefits for staff to include a membership to health clubs and adequate funds for staff to access counseling.
5. Create calendars with two week long Fall and Spring Breaks. shut emails down over weekends. Create margin and time to breathe.
6. Reduce pressure on state testing results and increase the focus on student learning... create leagues for staff to play volleyball, ride bikes, and softball.
7. Create staff trainings that include laughter- joy- and fun. Life is short.
8. Break up central office and house departments in buildings requiring everyone to spend time with teachers in classrooms- grounding them in the hardest work in the district.
9. Provide mentor training for all building administrators- get them HIGHLY skilled at caring for their teachers and staff. Create a structure for these interactions- push principals to build relationships of high quality.
10. Reduce evening events- provide child care- find a way to pay teachers for the stuff they buy out of pocket. As a school leader that means looking for ways to increase classroom budgets.
11. Increase recognition frequency and capacity. Why do teachers only gt to recognize one teacher of the year... Why can't we do better than this. The Oscars, Grammy's, Writer's Guild and even Nobel give more than one award per year.

It is certainly not an exhaustive list but the bottom line is how much do you love your teachers? They don't have any hesitation in giving their all for our children so I think they deserve for us to give our all for them.

As I drink my water, catch my breath from my latest walk/jog or Wog... and reflect on what I can do next... I am wishing you all the best and hope at least one person has inspiration to make a life change and get your heart healthy in more ways than one...
M

From Kitty Hawk to DIA, Hope for Educators When the World Changes Due to a Pandemic

We are in week 2 of a new era. Our school building is closed. Everyone is working from home. All our students are now learning to fly solo with a voice from the tower... and stress has filled the hearts of our educators.

I sit as a principal, pondering how to cast vision, how to inspire, how to protect people I care about from the stresses of this season. A pandemic is killing thousands in our world, in our country. Families are quarantined. People are wearing masks all around. An invisible enemy threatens our loved ones. Everything is canceled. No sports, no graduations, no funerals or weddings. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my lifetime.

In cognitive coaching, they have a term called reframing. It is taking a problem and putting it into a bigger picture. It helps people put challenges and problems in perspective. So, I went to the history books to find a way to reframe what we are dealing with.

Teachers are frustrated with digital platforms that fail. Frustrated that they have to depend on a civilian force to take over their work. Frustrated they do not get to see their students. The change from a face-to-face interaction to digital is tremendous and for some- a complete 180 from what they are used to... as a leader I know how change management goes... you need to give it time. People will grieve what they are leaving behind. We have no time, we must press forward or as Dory says in a movie Finding Nemo... "Just keep swimming."

So to reframe the current mentality of stress and frustration I landed on the story of Orville and Wilber. Inspired by a childhood toy to see if flight could happen. They gave it a shot. Failed. in 1903 they lived in a world without airports. There was no Air Force protecting our nation. There was no billion dollar travel industry. There were horses and carriages... the Civil war ended recently. Lincoln was assassinated around the time these brothers were born. But they had a vision, and a model... and they were reflective. They tried and failed. Learned from it. Tried again. Then one day, in 1903 they saw their plane fly for 57 seconds. 57 seconds of hope. Changed the world right there.within the next 5 years advancements transformed the concept into something that could fly for minutes, hours, and the Wright Brothers started a ripple that has changed our world. What if they decided they were failures because they only could build a machine that lasted 57 seconds in the air? What if they listened to the critics who said they were fools. If they listened, then Niel Armstrong never would have walked the moon with a piece of fabric from the Wright Flyer's wing in his pocket. Little did the brothers know that the flying machine that went for 57 seconds would someday reach the moon.

And thus we reframe our present situation. We are working hard to get our instruction to fly in this new era. Building lessons this way, that way, or maybe this other way. We are eagerly hoping they will fly. Students will engage, students will learn. But we may only see a small piece of what we were hoping for. Like 57 seconds was to the Wright brothers, we see something. We can pause, reflect, and revise our plans. Because this is not a small moment in our profession. We are seeing something that can change learning management forever.

We are looking at classrooms that are built around the student's needs, interests, and capacities. We are personalizing, customizing, and adapting like never before. Blending our face-to-face with online platforms. Teachers are using video, conferencing, social media, and more to engage whole families in the educational process. To me this is exciting. When we walk out of this, our teachers will have new muscles- new skills, and even more... a new perspective on what it means to guide the learning of the next generation. I don't think we will ever be able to return fully to what was before. Just like we can't go back to the world before planes.

DIA (Denver International Airport) wasn't built in a day. There had to be planes first. Planes began on a field in Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903. 117 years ago. Planes began with flights of 57 seconds and grew from there. Only the imagination will be able to describe what ripple effects with happen even 117 years from now (2137) because of the courageous and adventurous educators who are stepping into this era with a vision no one has ever seen before.

Professional Reading and Investing in My Growth

Better Conversations

Focus on improving my skills in Communication

Over the course of my leadership career I have heard a message from those who follow me that I can improve in my communication ability.

It is not uncommon I have talked to other leaders and they share that this is often something they see on feedback surveys and such.

So I am reading several books simultaneously. It is fun to see when books dovetail or divert from each other. Here are some of the notes and quotes from today's reading:

Jim Knight's Better Conversations. 

Chapter 1: Radical Brokenness and Better Conversations

Quotes:

"In schools, better conversations can dramatically improve educator and student learning." p.2

"Everyone, adults and children, experience greater well-being when they are heard, respected, and valued." p. 2

"Our schools are only as good as the conversations within them." p.4

Reflection:

As a school leader, I am frustrated that we do not have this as a major part of our training. Developing the ability to foster great conversations is an art... and can help us build trust and get results in a school. I will do my best to lead those under my leadership to learn these skills.

Kim Scott's Radical Candor

Chapter 1: Build Radically Candid Relationships (see what I mean by dovetailing!)

Quotes: 

"Every time I feel I have something more "important" to do than listen to people, I remember these words from my mentor, "It is your job!" p.4

"Emotional labor is not just pat of the job, it is the key to being a good boss." p.5

"Many people feel they aren't as good at management as they are at the 'real' part of their job. Often they fear they are failing the people who report to them." p. 5

"Ultimately, bosses are responsible for results... Bosses guide a team to achieve results." p.6

"Three areas of responsibility for managers include: Guidance, team-building, and results." p. 6

Reflection:

I have felt many of the emotions Kim shared as a leader. We are often alone. We are often facing ugly gossip, negative comments about each decision. Isolation and self-doubt are not a great combination. This year I had to truly embrace the growth mind-set. Take every stumble and reflect on it. Hopefully internalizing the feedback that helps and having the ability to discard the unprofessional and often personal comments that do not produce any growth. I am committed to growing- and look throughout history at people that have not always been popular or in the embrace of the group. Galileo, Lincoln, King, even Washington all had times of failure and of unpopularity. Yet they persevered. As will I.

So, I have felt the tension between wanting to get stuff done and listening to people when they need to talk. It is nice to see that my natural inclination to care for people is the KEY!

Brene' Brown's Dare to Lead

Section Three: The Armory

Quotes:

"At the center of all our elaborate personal security measures and protection schemes lies the most precious treasure of the human experience: the heart." p. 72

"I've always talked about living with an unarmored heart as wholeheartedness... engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness." p. 72

"Shame is the feeling that washes over us and makes us feel so flawed that we question whether we are worthy of love, belonging, and connection." p. 75

Reflection:

Shame. Heavy. Like the chains of the ghost of Christmas past... I've felt them. Felt unworthy. This is what I faced head on starting last October. I no longer let shame just rumble around free in my heart. I believe I am worthy. Worthy of respect and care. Worthy of self care. Worthy of grace. Though putting on armor is part of how I have lived- I am getting better at letting that stuff staff in the closet as I walk into maturity- walk into a life as a leader where I am not protecting myself- focused on loving others.

Though I am tired- let me get one more in here...

Gloeman, Boyatzis, and McKee's Primal Leadership

Chapter 1: Primal Leadership

Quotes:

"Great leadership works through the emotions." p. 3

"If leaders fail in this primal task of driving emotions in the right direction, nothing they do will work as well as it could or should." p. 3

"This emotional task of the leader... is both the original and the most important act of leadership." p.5

"Throughout history and in cultures everywhere, the leader in any human group has been the one to whom others look for assurance and clarity when facing uncertainty." p. 5

"Whether an organization withers or flourishes depends to a remarkable extent on the leader's effectiveness in this prime emotional dimension." p.6

Reflection:

I feel this theme- and can see how I missed it before. The fear that people will judge me for task completion has often had me get to "work." instead of thinking about how thinking about connecting to the emotions of a staff is more important that the to do lists and deadlines. So, can I operationalize this somehow? 

Love how these 4 books had a conversation with me tonight...

I bought toilet paper today.

After several weeks of searching, I got a tip... the local drug store had some. I arrived 15 minutes before opening- a lady ran down the aisle ahead of me... and on the bottom shelf- in the back... two packages left. I handed her one. She was grateful. I hugged mine as I walked out- wondered if I would get jumped on my way to the car.

What is going on in our world today? It is crazy. My mom told me stories of what her parents were like, why they would reuse aluminum foil... because they lived in the great depression.

We are all quarantined into our homes- told to practice social distancing- and stay 6ft away from everyone.

People are dying. Others, like me, are worried about loved ones. Worried about their children. Worried about whether life will return to normal again.

How will this change us? Will handshakes become a thing of the past like tipping the hat. How will schools change? Will we accelerate the blended world- perhaps schools serve more functions than simply giving children knowledge and skills- maybe they give parents a break and give them the means to have jobs... did you hear the story of the man and his neighbor?

This will not be perfect, but here it goes...

A man had a farm. One day his horse ran away. The neighbor came over and said, "Awe what bad luck, your horse ran away. I am sorry for you."

The man replied, "Could be bad, could be good. Who knows?"

The next day the horse came back and brought a second horse with him. The nosy neighbor came over again and said:

:Look you used to have one horse, now you have two. What great luck!"

The man replied, "Could be good, could be bad. Who knows?"

The next day the new horse kicked his son and broke his leg. To which the nosy neighbor came over and said, "Oh, what bad luck. The horse broke your sins leg... I am so sorry.

The man said, "Could be bad, could be good. Who Knows?"

Last one for now... The next day all the young men in the country were asked to join the military because they were at war. The son was disqualified for he had a broken leg.

When I think about life, I want to remember that whether we can't find toilet paper, or find that our jobs are taken, or someone we trust hurts us, we are in the middle of the story. There is more. Life has so many beautiful moments- and sometimes they are hidden in the midst of the darkness. Sometimes it is really hard to see- and hope... Hope is a powerful thing.

Today, I found toilet paper.
Could be good, could be bad... who knows?

Crunchy Critiques and Communication Growth Pains

Many leaders have shared with me that when they gather feedback from their staffs one topic is familiar... communication. Be more concise, don't leave out detail, be timely, less is more, be more directive, and so on.

I cannot allow the opportunity to grow to pass me by. So I asked my supervisor for any resources she thought would help one improve in communication. I asked a few other folks too- sitting in front of me are several books now:

• Better Conversations by Jim Knight
• Difficult Conversations by Stone, Patton, and Heen
• Crucial Conversations by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler
• Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott
• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• Primal Leadership by Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee
• The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Chapman and White

I have started to read all of them- I enjoy when books begin to dove tail. I kind of chuckle when I see how many titles can contain conversations in them! Maybe we can write a few more... Uncomfortable Conversations, Unforgettable Conversations, or even something different like FANTASTIC CONVERSATIONS.

I have already seen some hope from this research- Primal Leadership shares how Emotional Intelligence can aid the leader in serving his or her staff... I want to get a Ph.D. in EQ now.

So as I begin this quest, wish me luck that these authors will help me grow.