Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Sharks will either eat you or make you faster, much, much faster


Fishing boats will often travel for days and days to find that prize catch. The problem they encountered was, when traveling 3-4 days back to unload their catch, their prize fish were no longer valuable. They spent so much time floating around in their little container, swimming in the same waters, they lost their muscle tone. Stagnant. Complacent. In a rut. This is how we have always done things.

So fisherman started adding sharks to the tanks in the boats. Sure, a few fish were eaten, but the rest stayed active and alive. Adding sharks improved their success.

Admin: Hire sharks. Anyone can join the pack, follow in line, do what the others do. But NO ONE IMPROVES. We need to hire employees that will challenge and extend our teams.

Teachers: change things up, for you and your students. Routines are valuable, but are they routine because it's easy for you, or are they routines that still challenge students. How many times during the school day do you make your students uncomfortable by challenging their thinking? How many times a day are you challenged, chased by a shark?

Parents: there are good "sharks" you can throw into the mix: engaging and fun summer learning programs; academic rewards for students making academic gains (ex. if they read a book, their reward is you buy them a new book, or check out a new book from the library); find ways to challenge your child to get them outside of their comfort zones. It's good for them.

I'm both a stick and a carrot guy. Sharks would work great for me. But I also like having that reward dangling for me to work towards. Find what your team needs, what your students need, what your child needs. But whatever it is they need to be motivated, you need to motivate them.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

"If that was your child, what would you want them to do?"

When making decisions for students, I truly believe our leadership teams strives to do what's best for students. We are willing to sacrifice adult comfort for student achievement. We have made some adults upset, but for the right reasons. It is hard to stay angry with us -- though some are doing a great job -- when we can show them (research, data, etc.) that the decision was done based on what's best for the student. 

Fair is not equal. I promise every parent of every one of our students that we will not treat their children equally. We will give them exactly what they need, deserve, earned, and it will look differently than all other students. We are willing to be unpopular, very, very unpopular. 

"On some positions, Cowardice asks the question,

'Is it safe?'
Expediency asks the question, 
'Is it politic?'
And Vanity comes along and asks the question,
'Is it popular?'
But Conscience asks the question 
'Is it right?'
And there comes a time when one must take a position that
is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it
because Conscience tells him it is right."
-- Martin Luther King, 1968

Friday, May 15, 2015

Grit. It's what's for dinner.


I can play the piano because my mom used to beat me. Well, whacked a few time with a whiffleball bat on the backside, wasn't as violent as the first sentence sounds.

But the fact is, she MADE me! Can you believe that?!?! A parent making a child do something that the child didn't want to because the parent...knew what was best for the child!! (Huge sarcastic gasp!)

Why did she do it? She was helping me push through a challenge. I wanted to give up. Sometimes I didn't want to because it was boring and took away from play time. Sometimes it was because it was really hard.

There are times when you'll need to help your child overcome something challenging. Before you grab for the whiffle, first try to determine WHY they are struggling.

It's either one of two things: I can't or I won't.

I won't = they don't like it, don't see the long-term value, think it's embarrassing, etc. This is a personality-related issue. Maybe they have too much on their plate. I see a lot of parents who have their children involved in A LOT of activities. Yes, it is very important for our kids to be well-rounded and involved. But it's ok to not be involved with everything.

I can't = they don't know how. They do not yet possess the skills necessary to accomplish the task to a level that is acceptable. OR MAYBE they do not have the resilience to push through this obstacle.

In a recent newsletter from Pat Quinn, "the RtI Guy", he said:
  • How do you get students to not give up when reading a difficult passage?
  • How can I help students who have a terrible struggle at home?
  • How do I get students to persevere when they are not comprehending something?
  • What do I say to help a student who is reading three years below grade level when I pass out the standardized test?
  • How do I get my students to have the stamina to take these tests?
The answer to all of these questions is: Resilience.  

Call it Grit, Perseverance, Stamina or Resilience... it is the ability to overcome all obstacles on your way to a goal.

The good news is that Resilience can be taught, practiced, learned and improved.  You can help your students/child/teacher/employee/self increase their Resilience!

P.S. I fought her on the piano-thing until 7th grade. When I joined the school choir in 7th grade there were 40 girls and me. I was the only one who could play the piano. She never needed to prompt me to practice after that, ever again!! Since then piano earned me music scholarships, I make money playing for wedding and such, and even supplemented my income as teacher by giving piano lessons. I guess sometimes it is okay to borrow someone else's grit until you grow your own. Thank you, Mom! And guess who is the one making my own kids play the piano? Nope, not me, my wife. Thank you, Beautiful!

Monday, May 11, 2015

It's a boy!

Milo Augustus Darling. 5/8/15. 8lb 1oz. 20 inches. Quite perfect. 


Wednesday, May 6, 2015

I once spent 5 innings in the Ranger's dugout...

(This is a little long, but worth the read, trust me.)

Seriously! This is a totally true story with a really good teaching moment.

Prior to moving to Central Washington I worked in the Mercer Island SD where I was blessed to have many very amazing families. One of these families gave me the opportunity to be a groundskeeper for a day during a Mariner's game. So the day I went, they played Texas.

As part of the experience I spent time actually sitting in the dugout. Ron Washington, manager at the time, would sneak cigarette breaks in the tunnel so the cameras couldn't see him. Told me he "needed to be seen as a role model still."

There is a point to this story, not just bragging.

During one inning, Josh Hamilton scored. He came into the dugout and was greeted by fist bumps, high fives, etc. But when he turned towards where I was seated, near the helmet and bats, Washington said, "You missed the steal sign."

Hamilton looked confused.

Washington quietly explained, "Davey gave you the steal sign but you missed it." He then turned, walked the two or three steps up to the railing, leaned on it, and turned his attention back on the game.

The dugout went silent. Players silently returned to their spots and Hamilton stood there for a moment. He then tossed his helmet and sat on the bench, alone, clearly upset at himself.

For you non-baseball fans, Josh Hamilton is a very imposing figure. Huge man, 6'4", 240, arms sleeved in tatoos, chiseled jawbone. And when this experience took place a few years ago, he was a bonafied stud, really in his prime.

Washington was not imposing, 5'11", 155 (maybe), he looked frail and puny next to Hamilton.

But the moment Washington spoke, they listened. It didn't matter that they made billions of dollars and were huge superstars. He was their leader. They respected him. They wanted to please him. It was visibly upsetting to Hamilton that he had let his leader down.

After a few minutes, Hamilton was up on the railing a few feet away from Washington, leaning on his folded arms, just like his manager.

"Hey, Skip."
Washington didn't look at him.

Hamilton scooted a few inches closer.
"Hey Skip." Picture a tail between his legs.

After a few of these "hey skips" and scoots, he was actually right next to Washington, nudging him. Trying to make amends.

This is Josh Hamilton we're talking about. And it's not like he made a huge mistake. He scored the run. It all ended as it should have.

But Ron Washington had done something with this team of professional baseball players that superseded their salaries, their egos, their sponsors, their own agendas. They respected him. They wanted to make him happy.

How?

I don't know. I wasn't there during those moments. But I didn't see yelling. I didn't see intimidation. I didn't see swearing or belittling.

It was clear that they understood what he expected from them. I saw immediate direction. And I saw an employee seeking feedback and support.

I saw Washington eventually unfold his arms, and take a few minutes to talk with Hamilton and offer, what I can only assume was, timely feedback. And a pat on the butt.

I bet Hamilton, and the rest of his team, were much more vigilant looking at the 3rd base coach after that exchange.

One of the coolest experiences of my life!


Saturday, May 2, 2015

I'm looking to hire Belgian pull horses

One Belgian pull horse alone can pull up to 8,000 pounds. When yoked together and collaborating their efforts, two Belgian pull horses can pull up to 32,000 pounds. For those of you not yet doing multiplication, that's 4x's the weigh.

My grade level teams that are seeing the best results with student growth are those who are working together, as one. But I won't compare them to horses to their faces. They might rear up and kick me. :)