Good Problems

Most of my job involves solving problems. Some are small problems like finding the right class for a student and some are big problems that occasionally involve lawyers or others far above my pay grade. Every now and then I run across a good problem. This week I have been hit with several of those. Good problems involve changing a program or finding funding for something that we would have otherwise not needed without something good happening. 

Our WorkKeys test results presented one of those good problems. Usually when students miss out on getting a silver or better it is because of just one of the three sections. In the past, students have shrugged that off and showed very little care about it. This year, both Mrs. Batchelor and I have been overrun with students wanting to retake the test to prove that they can do better. They don't even seem to mind when we tell them that they have to pay for it and that it doesn't count for the school. They just want to prove that they can do better. I ran into this same problem with several students regarding their Reading Inventory test this week as well. I even had a student come and apologize to me personally with tear-filled eyes for a score in the 1500s because she knew that she could do better. 

Another good problem arose this week as Coach Willis and Ms. Barnett were planning a college trip for juniors. Usually we market these trips to students with a 2.5 GPA or better. When they told me 125 juniors have a GPA of 2.5 or higher I suggested raising it to a 3.0. That didn't help much. 86 Juniors have this GPA. Still far too many for a bus. Even when we went to a GPA of 3.5 we had 52 students in the 11th grade. That's about 25% of that class.

These are good problems to have and more importantly, they show students that do care about their grades and their achievement in school. Students wanting to retest when they do not make it are showing grit. They are not afraid of trying again or trying harder. Students as a whole have a bad reputation for not caring, but it is hard to make that argument for the majority of our students. These "good problems" now present us with an opportunity to capitalize on our students' desire to do better in school and on tests that matter. Now we have to rise to the occasion to solve these good problems for our school.

Thanks for Talking

Mrs. Willis asked me yesterday if I was going to write about communication in my blog for this week. She was right. That topic has consumed much of our jobs in the front office lately. Getting parents, students and teachers to communicate often solves the majority of problems in a school. 99% of the time, both parties can come to realize that we are all here for the same reason and that no one is out "to get" the other party. Without communication, we often assume the worst and become defensive. We build up situations in our heads and make mountains out of mole hills.

Greene Central's administrators, counselors, front office staff and so many of you have been helping facilitate conversations lately about student performance in school. We are at that point in the semester when we get the ever-annoying question, "What can I do to pass?" Every educator has that sarcastic answer in the back of their minds ready to go, but what we really end up doing is communicating about the problem. We speak with parents, coaches, family and community members to find what motivates students to finish what we started. The process can be frustrating, but without the communication, no progress takes place.

Thank you to all of you that help facilitate the daily communication for our students and our school. Whether you are the one that found the correct number to call a student's mother, translated for a Spanish-speaking family or counseled a student that only listens to your voice, you made communication work and gave a student a shot at success.

Comfort Zones

The term "comfort zone" came about when the first heating and air conditioning systems began being installed in homes. Rather than have a thermostat that was fixed on one specific temperature, requiring the system to cut on and off regularly, a temperature range of about three degrees was programmed in. This range was called the "comfort zone." Today we use this term more often to describe what we are comfortable with in our lives. Daily transactions with our friends and family, good health and a little money in our bank accounts often leaves us right where we want to be. When something disrupts that we can be as uncomfortable as living in a home with no heat and air.

Our school and our classes all have comfort zones as well. We find patterns for what works and what doesn't and we get used to routine. We like teaching one way that works for us and for most students. Then comes that student or parent that disrupts that. (Ok, maybe that principal disrupts it too.) Sometimes this is good because it makes us think about what we do and why we do it. We learn to refine practice and adjust that comfort zone. Reflection is one of the most important things we can do as educators. We need to think about what we do and do not do and make decisions, often tough ones, about adapting our practice. This is what Standard 5 of the Teacher Evaluation Rubric is all about. Please take some time to reflect on your practice and your comfort zone and determine where you might need some adjusting to maximize your effectiveness. Your adjustment just might make everyone's comfort zone a little bit better.

Cast Down Your Bucket

I always find it funny when we acknowledge simple practices in one aspect of our lives, but cannot apply that same practice to something else. The phrase "meet them where they are" has become a little cliche' in the education world, but the practice is really quite simple. I've been met with this idea is so many different places lately and this seemingly simple concept becomes quite difficult to practice. Think of a water well. It's just a deep hole that meets ground water. When you want water, you send down the bucket, fill it, and bring it back to the top. Simple. Easy. Anyone could see that if you only sent the bucket down halfway and asked the water to meet you in the middle, that you would never be satisfied. The well analogy is an old one. Booker T. Washington popularized the concept at the turn of the 20th century as others made the argument for African Americans to return to Africa in response to discrimination in America. Instead, Washington encouraged African Americans to "cast down your bucket" and pull up the best of African American culture here. They had to start where they were and focus on moving up, not away.

This week I have had several data conversations about EVAAS and conversations with parents about student behavior and performance that fell within this same analogy. As adults and educators, we want and even expect students to be at a certain level of behavior and education. That doesn't always happen. It frustrates us. How can we work on higher order thinking skills when a student reads or does math significantly below grade level? How can parents talk to their children about college and life if all they want to discuss is their friends or music? We have to meet them where they are to start. Otherwise we are just sending our bucket halfway and asking the water to come up. Understanding this analogy requires us to change as the motivator or teacher and that's hard. But refusing to adapt is only as effective as yelling down the well for water to come up.

Mirror Neurons

The story goes like this: In Parma, Italy, researchers in the 1990s were studying the neurons of monkeys. Devices were attached to the monkeys and brain scans showed when individual neurons in their brains activated. The purpose was to determine what neurons activated as the monkey made reactions. While studying a monkey, a scientist walked into the room eating something (the story varies here) and the neurons of the monkey begin to fire as he sees the scientist eat. The strange thing was that the same neurons fired in the monkey watching someone eat as they did in the human actually eating. Who knows if this is how mirror neurons were actually discovered, but the point is that they actually do exist. People (and we think several other species as well) actually have neurons in our brains that are wired for empathy. We can see someone in distress, happy or in fear and we can instantly feel the emotion that they feel. This probably explains why we watch feel-good movies during the holidays or get that creepy feeling when we see someone else with a spider on them.

Knowing this, just think about the impact this knowledge has on education. As the teacher, you have the power to directly impact student attitudes and emotions based on your own. The key is to controlling ours and not letting the student emotions control our neurons first! In our Grit book study this week, I shard a thought that I have long held about teaching. I strongly feel that great teachers are also great actors. They perform for an audience several times a day. The best teachers change the story or the main character's actions based on how the audience reacts. They can recognize what the audience needs and can ad-lib appropriately. By doing this, science says that they are literally controlling their minds.

So just think about this the next time you start that tough class period or have to deal with that difficult student. Both of you are wired for the power of mind control, but only one of you gets to use it first.

Where Are You Going?

"Where are you going?" It's a phrase often heard in the hallways of a high school. On any given day teachers and administrators ask students where they are headed. They may be in the hallway without a pass, in the parking lot or on a hall during lunch. Whatever the reason, we want to know where their intended destination is. Having a direction keeps you from wandering aimlessly. While students may know where they are headed in the hallway, how many of them have a direction for the school year or beyond high school? We often talk about students being unmotivated, but think how hard it must be to be motivated when you do not have a goal. So often, I speak with students that have no idea what they want to do after high school. They have no goal. Without that goal, they have no reason to make good grades or apply themselves in certain areas. Kids today have grown up in a mass media culture that
tells them what to wear, what to eat and what to listen to. So is it any wonder why they struggle to answer that question for themselves, that they struggle with the process?

Now that we have talked about students, what about us? What do we want? Do you want to be the best teacher? Do you want more kids to score well? Do you want kids to be better writers or thinkers? As a teacher, what do you want? Can you answer it? If so, what are you doing to make that your main focus? In essence, "Where are you going?" Take some time to focus on finding direction for yourself and help your students do the same. When we know where we are going, we are much more likely to be satisfied with where we end up.

Why Students Care (Or Don't)

Teachers are equipped to deal with learning disabilities. We have methods and procedures for overcoming language barriers, broken homes, and cognitive impairments. The biggest problem that we do not have a manual for is apathy. So what makes some students care and others not care, and why should we care? Those of us reading the Grit book have an answer to this question. While the author acknowledges that grit is naturally higher in some than others, grit can also be learned and grown in everyone. The first key to growing grit is finding a person's passion.

It seems like a no-brainer, but people tend to do better and grow more in areas that they have an interest. Our problem in schools, is that not every child comes to school with a genuine interest or passion for what we teach. In fact, some kids down right hate what we teach. So how do we move beyond that hate and generate a passion for what they do not like? Easy, build relationships first. All good teachers do it. A student may not care about what you teach, but they can care about you. I barely remember all of the things that I was taught in high school, but I do remember working to please my favorite teachers. Building a relationship with your students is an important first step, but it is not the only step. Leveraging that relationship toward understanding curriculum is what has to happen and that's the difficult part. Many teachers are good curriculum presenters or good relationship builders, but those that can make both happen are the ones that do the most good.

I wanted to say thank you again to those of you that have already taken the Positivity Challenge and I encourage the rest of you to jump in as well. It's never to late to appreciate others!

What Students Bring to School

It's almost so normal, that we don't pay attention to it anymore, but think about all of the times a student did not come to school with paper or a pencil. You (like me) probably rolled your eyes, and worked to provide the student with what they needed to make it through your lesson. It is easy for teachers to complain about what students do not bring to school. We find ways to get around this problem most of the time because doing anything else is counter-productive for us.

With all of the things that frustrate us about what students do not bring to school, it is easy to loose sight of what students do bring with them every day. Students bring the thoughts and words from their households and community with them everyday. These ideas cloud their judgement at times and keep them on the right path at other times. This week I have been hit hard with parent fears about their children. America is very divided right now. Politics, religion, race relations with police, immigration, terrorism and many other factors flood students ears at home and they can't help but bring these ideas to school with them everyday. As the election approaches, we are likely to see outward expressions of these things that students bring to school with them. I want for us to treat these the same way that we treat the missing pencil. We give them what they need to be successful in school and in life, and despite our personal frustrations or disagreements, we teach them anyway. Young minds are impressionable in many ways, and while they may hear things that we do not agree with, we still have to show them how to be the best person possible. They will remember that part as well.

It's OK to Learn to Struggle

Some weeks I find myself bogged down in the management of the school and I don't get an opportunity to speak with someone, or read something that inspires my writing. Then there are weeks like this one where I have been overwhelmed with topics. Despite a myriad of ideas on education and where our school is going, I felt the need to write about seeing people struggle. Early in the week, I went to leave and I saw Rebecca Burris and Rachel Spooner helping Luci Sanchez change a flat tire. I did the gentlemanly thing and asked if they needed help. I was quickly hit with a response I did not expect. These ladies were quick to tell me that they did not need any help! They handled it on their own. It took a little struggling, but they got it. 

Later in the week, Coach Fulghum had arthroscopic surgery on his knee. Coach usually unlocks the building each morning, so on Thursday I rode out before 6:00 am to unlock the building, thinking that he he would be on the mend for a few days. At the front door I was met by Coach Fulghum. Less than 24 hours after his surgery, he had walked across the street to the school and had unlocked the doors as usual. He said that the doctor had told him to walk as soon as possible, so he got up and started walking. He may not have been as fast, but he struggled through.

When you're struggling through something, it feels bad. You want to get it over with, complete the task, or get better. But struggling can tell you a lot about yourself. It shows how willing you are to persevere or how quickly you will quit. We have to start teaching students that it is ok to struggle. Struggling makes us stronger and better the next time. It is perhaps our greatest teacher, because we are not quick to forget how we got through. Every day we see students give up. They don't understand a question, or didn't pay attention to directions, or just can't grasp a concept. Sometimes this even leads to behavior problems or dropping out of school. Coaching kids to struggle through things they do not do well initially may very well be the best thing we can teach them while they are with us. They may not use much of the content we teach each semester in their adult lives, but I can guarantee that each of them will encounter struggles. 

Reading Matters

This week our students took the Reading Inventory test and we have a first look at where they are in regards to reading growth. This is something that we pay careful attention to in Greene County in all grade levels. My own second grade child can quickly tell you her lexile and growth from the previous test. It's something all Greene County kids know. If you know me, you know that I'm always looking for an angle and a purpose on why we test. So how much does reading really matter? Consider these statistics:

In a study of literacy among 20 ‘high income’ countries; the US ranked 12th

Illiteracy has become such a serious problem in our country that 44 million adults are now unable to read a simple story to their children

50% of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth grade level

45 million are functionally illiterate and read below a 5th grade level

44% of the American adults do not read a book in a year

6 out of 10 households do not buy a single book in a year

3 out of 4 people on welfare can’t read

20% of Americans read below the level needed to earn a living wage

50% of the unemployed between the ages of 16 and 21 cannot read well enough to be considered functionally literate

Between 46 and 51% of American adults have an income well below the poverty level because of their inability to read

Illiteracy costs American taxpayers an estimated $20 billion each year

School dropouts cost our nation $240 billion in social service expenditures and lost tax revenues

There is a correlation between illiteracy and income at least in individual economic terms, in that literacy has payoffs and is a worthwhile investment. As the literacy rate doubles, so doubles the per capita income.

3 out of 5 people in American prisons can’t read

To determine how many prison beds will be needed in future years, some states actually base part of their projection on how well current elementary students are performing on reading tests

85% of juvenile offenders have problems reading

Approximately 50% of Americans read so poorly that they are unable to perform simple tasks such as reading prescription drug labels

Statistics like this do not just highlight just how serious our situation is, they are literally depressing. But there is hope. Over time, our students have started to get better at this. 40% of our students read at or above the proficient mark and another 30% are at the basic level. This leaves 30% below the basic level and by the measure of the statistics above, that means that we are making ground on the problem. While we should be proud and celebrate our achievement, this is something that we can never be satisfied with, no matter what the score may be. Keep pushing your students for growth at every level. Teach kids to never be happy with where they are and to always want more and better. Then teach them how to work for it. One day, your students will have children of their own and we will need them to be able to read to them, and to push them as well. Changing the literacy problem in our area and in our country will not happen overnight, but we can make it a little better every day.

Single Parent Households

For most of this week I have been a single parent. My wife took a promotion this summer and I'm tremendously proud of her. She's worked very hard and deserves it. It has brought about some changes in our home and for the first time, I'm feeling what it is like to be a single parent. Erika has been in California on a recruiting trip and I have been making lunches, checking all of the homework, getting the girls ready and putting them to bed each day. I have had the help of my parents a few times to make everything work, but I can tell you that it has been difficult.  The competition for attention between my children and my job has left both coming up a little short in a few areas.

While my wife's absence this week has made me appreciate her, it has also made me understand what many of our student's parents go through as well. 34% of today's students come from single parent households. That is a huge change from 19% in 1980 and just 9% in 1960. Some of you are a part of these statistics (and I sincerely applaud you for making it work).  I write about this, because it is another aspect for us to understand as we seek to connect with our student's families. Connecting with these parents can be challenging enough at times, but connecting with those that are managing life and a family on their own can sometimes be impossible.

This is probably the week when many of you have started making calls home about behavior or academics. As I do every year, I encourage you to try to make a positive call home as your first connection. Est
ablishing a rapport with a parent can be a bright spot in their day and can also help make it easier when you need their support later, especially if they have a lot of competition for their time.

Family

On Saturday morning I received a call from my dad. He told me that his oldest brother had passed away in his sleep Friday night. My dad was upset, but somewhat relieved. My Uncle Ray was given six months to live, about 20 years ago. On Wednesday I decided to make the trip up to Virginia to the funeral and I saw family members that I have not seen since I was a teenager. My dad's family is not very close and for a multitude of reasons, we do not get together much at all. It was great to see everyone and we got to relive some old memories with each other. On the drive home I had plenty of time to reflect. I spend a lot more time with all of you and with our students than I do with my own family. I guess that's somewhat normal for educators. We dedicate so much of our time to school. In a sense we become a family for one another. I saw members of our football team exhibit this on Monday as they carried flowers to the mother of a team member that had lost a parent over the weekend. It was a gesture that seems normal for families and it felt right for them.

Families come in many sizes and in many places. We build bonds with the people we spend the most time with and care about. Like all families, we get on each other's nerves, we can be reluctant to say 'thank you' as much as we should and we take each other for granted at times. At the end of the day, we still help each other and we move on. That's what families do. Sometimes, like it or not, we're stuck with one another. This week I wanted to tell each of you thank you for sticking with me and for being a member of our crazy extended school family. It's nice having each of you with us.

Classroom Culture

This week was by far the best opening of school that I have been a part of. (Hopefully by the time you're reading this, something strange didn't happen to make that statement false!) It was great seeing everyone back and so many of our students returned happy to see us. I was able to also meet up with some of our recent grads this week as they returned home from their first weeks of college. A couple in particular spoke about how easy some of their college classes had been due to what they had learned at Greene Central. That has to be the greatest compliment a teacher can receive. Another encounter I had this week happened at a volleyball game. The opposing team's coach came to speak to me and at first I did not remember her. She explained that she had interned here several years ago during my first year at Greene Central. She wanted to tell me how good of a job this school had done since she had left. She said that you could simply feel it when you walked in the doors. That is the definition of a positive school culture.

This week our students got the same impression from each of your classes. Every one of them learned to feel a certain way about that class when they made a first impression about you, the other students in the room, and how that class was going to go.  Every classroom has a culture. Just as a school's culture can change, so can a classroom's culture. Each day is a chance to reinvent your room. With the first week down, take a moment to reflect on what your classroom represented this week. If you're brave enough, ask your students to define your classroom in one word. No matter what tone you set in the first week, set a goal toward what you want it to become and work toward that goal incrementally. Who knows, maybe one day your students now might just return to visit and see just how much we have all grown as a result.

I Believe

With exams beginning and the end of the school year drawing near, I find myself in a huge hurry. Documentation for central office must be done. Budget must be complete. Interviews, hiring, planning for events, writing speeches, counseling students and parents, data, testing....it goes on and on. I swear I think of this stuff in my sleep. This has been a hard year, and a great year. If I think back 10 months ago, before you all came back to our building, that's probably exactly what I expected. Change and growth are hard. There are no easy or exact answers. If there were, all schools would excel, all students would be high achievers and all teachers would be perfect (ok principals too). But we're not perfect. We work, we struggle, we win, we fail, we triumph one moment and we are let down the next. We blame others, only to see the reflection of ourselves (principals too). We take criticism that we know is unjust, only to doubt ourselves later for it (principals too).

Every school year is hard, but know this: I believe in you. More importantly, I believe in us. And even if 850+ students do not say it, and their parents do not say it, they believe in us too. I believe that we have hit the tip of the iceberg of this thing called Grit, and we are going to take it much farther...for ourselves and our students. I believe that we are going to miss true leaders that are moving on, but I believe that there are those among us that will take up their torch. I believe in getting back to basics on instruction and at the same time, celebrating innovators that break moulds. I believe in your determination. I believe that we have bad days and good days. We scream in silence and we thank each other the next day. Most importantly, I believe in what you are here to do.

So here's to those of you that work extra hours to re-grade. To those of you that planned a great lesson, and re-tooled it at lunch. To those of you that worked weekends with students to make up time and grades. To those of you that cursed your obligation, but did it anyway because you felt it was the right thing to do. Our jobs are not easy but we all believed when we chose to show up the next day. Thank you for that. Enjoy your summer.

Staying Power

Last night Greene Central hosted our annual athletic awards. It's a fun night where coaches reward students that participate and excel in team sports. In almost every speech you hear phrases and words like, "hard worker," "sportsmanship," and "dedicated." While student awards were the spotlight, our student athletes were not the stars of the evening. Not a single person that spoke forgot to mention thanks and admiration to Coach Bass and Coach Brann for their service and leadership to Greene County athletics. Last night was really a celebration of them.

I recently read an article that spoke about millennials and their inability to find careers for a long term. Today's younger workers tend to lose interest in careers around 5 years, and look for a change. The article spoke of the growing elimination of workers that have held one job for their career. That came to mind yesterday evening as I thought about our two future retirees. Here are two people that have dedicated the past three decades of their lives to one profession. To me, that moves beyond a career and into a passion.  The work that they have accomplished and the countless hours that they have contributed to this profession also personify passion. I can only imagine the countless number of times they must have questioned their own sanity for staying in education. I have no doubt that each of them have had several opportunities to go somewhere else, or to do something else along the way. Despite that, these two have staying power. They show determination. They don't believe in quitting. But these traits didn't happen all at once. Staying power happens every day. One day at a time.

So here's to Coach Bass and Coach Brann and everyone else that makes the decision to wake up, show up and do their best every day. The staying power to make it 30 years can come to us all.

Awarding Hard Work

Today is Awards Day at Greene Central High School. Today is the day when we celebrate academic achievement for all content areas and when seniors begin the first of several ceremonies that will
celebrate their completion of high school. While I am all for the promotion of academic achievement and the acknowledgement of students that do well in the classroom, I think that we have to also recognize what today really is. Today is the recognition of hard work. Each and every award given today is the result of hard work. Each senior college signing is the result of hard work. Highest class averages were earned from the determination of students that worked hard enough to be the best at something.

This week I had the privilege of attending the annual Boys and Girls Club breakfast. The keynote speaker for the event was Greene Central's own, Cliff Godwin. Coach Godwin told stories of how he was pushed into the mentality of hard work during his time at Greene Central. Coach believes that he is successful because his family, teachers and coaches forced him to work hard even when he was tired. They expected the same from him after a full day of school or a summer's day of work as they would expect any other day. Hard work got him to where he is today.

This year I have seen so many shining examples of hard work in the classroom, on the playing field and in your club activities. It has led our school to multiple athletic playoffs, higher SRI growth than our school has ever seen and to the realization of over $2 million in scholarship offers for this year's senior class. Hard work did that. And while we celebrate student achievement today, we also need to be reminded of the hard work of others that resulted in student achievement. Thank you for the hard work of all teachers, not just for the work done in the classroom, but also for the work done beyond the classroom planning events that make our school matter, and opportunities that make our students proud. Thank you to parents that support, counselors that stay on you until the job is done and community members that offer a helping hand. Thank you all for your hard work. That is what Ram Pride is all about.

Staying On Top

A turkey was chatting with a bull in a pasture. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."

"Well why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients."

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. 

Finally, after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

The moral of the story: BS may get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

_________________________________________________________________________________

With just one month left, this is the time of the year that students, teachers and even principals have to buckle down and do some hard work to finish out. Exams, graduation and a long list of expectations lay before each of us and we want to do our best. It will take hard work and GRIT to get us where we want to be in the end. This time of year always reminds me of the finish of any race. If you run it hard, you have a chance. If you're worn down, defeated and weary, you'll certainly get caught.

Let's all pitch in together to make this last month one where teamwork, a gritty attitude and a whole lot of determination gets us to where we want to be in the end!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

I have written a lot about grit and delayed gratification, and for the most part, those ideals have been directed toward student motivation and getting the children that we teach to work a little harder each day. During Teacher Appreciation Week it would be easy for me to write a "thank you" for the work that teachers do, but instead I'm going to write about grit and delayed gratification again. This time, it's not about the work, but about the reward. Educators need to do a better job of focusing on the fruits of our labor instead of the trials and tribulations we face along the way. Focusing on the successes of our efforts provides a model to go by for future efforts and fuels our passion to continue to do more.

This week I encountered many things to write about and I could see this post getting longer and longer in my head. Instead of berating you with so many of the different examples I saw, I'll focus on just two. The first example of a long term reward comes from a little practice I picked up from several of you. I decided a few years ago when I received a thank you letter from a student at Greene Central for the help that I had given him, that I was capable of doing the same as an adult. Each year I try to track down a former teacher and thank them. This year I chose my sophomore English teacher. Mrs. Dail was one of those teachers that taught me more about life and how to be a great person than anything I remember about subject/verb agreement or the plot of a novel we read. She continued to help me beyond the year I spent in her classroom and was personally responsible for me attending college and becoming a teacher. I wrote her an email to say thanks and did not receive a reply for several days. When she replied, she explained how she simply did not know how to respond. My thanks was two decades removed from her classroom, but the timing was right for her. Twenty years later, she had finally received the recognition that was due for her efforts for one kid.

My second example was two years removed of my efforts. Last night I had the privilege of making good on a promise that I made, and I attended the commencement ceremony of a former student of mine that graduated from nursing school. At that time I posted a blog about her and how her program was attempting to remove her due to her immigration status. Several of us that knew her fought long and hard for several weeks to keep her in school and were successful. Beyond that, we supported her in school and hours of encouragement and prayer went her way. Last night she was pinned as a nurse and it was probably the most satisfying thing in my career to date. She will begin work this summer at Vidant hospital. We won.

Many of you that have been teaching for a few years have stories similar to mine. Those of you well into your career probably have dozens of examples. At the end of Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to ask you to focus on those examples of how your own grit has produced success beyond your classroom. To those of you early in your career, please know that your efforts will produce quality results, sometimes it just takes years to see the full impact. Thank you all for what you do and I hope that you can take time to focus on your achievements.

Grace

Mrs. Willis accuses my blog of sounding like excerpts from a sermon from time to time. It's a fair analysis. As a preacher's kid I'd like to think that the backyard sermons I received from my dad somehow moulded my thought process. If the gray area between religion and school offends you, or simply isn't your cup of tea, you should probably stop reading this one.

This time of the year we struggle with how much to give of ourselves as people and professionals to help students succeed or just pass. Missed assignments, poor attendance and a myriad of reasons and excuses lead us to do more because others did less. On the one hand, we can set expectations and draw a line in the sand. You miss too many days: you fail. You miss the deadline for an assignment: sorry; do better next time. On the other hand, we give and give in hopes that the student will learn and will one day recognize the effort that went into helping them succeed.  Perhaps the learning and personal growth we hoped for will be achieved and it will all be worth it. These are the two ends of the spectrum and most of us fall somewhere in the middle, but lean to one side or the other. To be honest, this argument can even create conflict between our personal beliefs and our professional goals. Hold on this thought for a moment.

Most educators believe in a higher authority. You almost have to to stay in this job! I think that it comes down to faith. We have faith in one another, faith in our students and faith in the system that we work within. It all revolves in a belief that we are here to help one another and that we will all do our best. Faith is an easy concept. Just believe that it will be better. But if you believe in a higher authority, you also believe in grace, and that is much harder to practice. We all need grace. We all make mistakes and hope that we can be forgiven. Grace, on the other hand, is much harder to practice. We want it for ourselves, but find it difficult to give to others. Grace can be enabling or rewarding, and you just never know which way it will go.

So back to our troubled students. Where does our desire for personal grace intersect with our ability to give help and second chances to others? That's a tough thing to determine. It comes down to a personal belief and a reflective brain. When you decided to become a teacher, was it because of an inspiring teacher that gave you second chances to be better or because of a teacher that never budged? The answer will be different for many of us, but my advice is that all of us should be the teacher that we needed when we were younger and the person that we need now.  We all fall short and we all could learn a lesson or two, and in the end, most things work out for one reason or another. My dad would call that reason grace.

Think hard about grace and how best to administer it over these final weeks of the school year. Our reactions to student needs stem from our beliefs and do not necessarily reflect our own needs. Find your line and help students accordingly. If you need help finding your way through that gray area, I can try to help. I think that's my job. Be reflective instead of reactive and do your best to determine how grace should be administered in learning, as in all other aspects of our lives.

Salute Your Assistant Principals

This week is National Assistant Principal’s Week. For the life of me I can’t remember that being something that was recognized when I was an assistant principal. That’s probably because assistant principals are often too busy to realize that something like that exists. The job of an assistant principal is often very thankless. You work diligently to manage the day, the students and the problems that pop up, only for someone else to get the credit most of the time. And if you’re doing your job right, that’s how you want it. Our assistant principals are some real characters and they bring so much to our school with their personalities.

Mr. Castillo is one of the most passionate educators I know.  He takes student needs and goals personally and gives so much of himself to help make things happen for students that would otherwise get little or no attention. I am envious of his ability to generate relationships with families in two languages and every time I see him do it, I kick myself for not remembering more Spanish. If he is not driving a bus or opening his home to leadership meetings, he is keeping us all on our toes with the next prank he has concocted. He pushes me to push our staff to do more and for that I greatly appreciate him.

Mrs. Willis tells you like it is. She is the voice of reason and guidance for so many of our young ladies. Her broad life experiences have created an educator that is very wise beyond her years. She is my sounding board for new ideas and she is the person that checks on me to make sure that I take care of myself. Her experience growing up in a home much like so many of our students, to become an author and educator encapsulates the true definition of grit.

Mr. Simms is simply who everyone should want to be when they grow up. Every time I have a stressful day, I always remind myself that Dexter Simms has done this job much longer than I have and he is still one of the happiest people I have ever known.  He always has a smile on his face and a kind word for anyone. His positivity is infectious and his wisdom has helped me countless times.

So while we wrap up National Assistant Principal’s Week, please join me in saying thank you to the people that never really expect to get credit for so many of the things that they do each day. Without their work, our school might be a very different place to work. (And your doorknobs also might not have lotion all over them!)

Taking Time to be Important

I have a thing for watches. I probably own about 10, but I have 5 that I wear regularly. I just like the way that they look and feel. I can vividly remember my dad purchasing me my first watch. It was a black Timex and I got it because I couldn't remember what time to come home from a friend's house. He brought it to me the next day and told me that I would never get to use that excuse again. Since then I have owned dozens of watches. As a runner I had watches that had lap timers and all kinds of functions. As I got older I wanted watches that I felt showed somewhat of a status symbol. Having one on my wrist makes me feel ready for the day and important.

Take a look around any school and you will see that kids do not wear watches anymore. They have a cell phone that gives them the time and a watch is just a single-purpose device. I think that kids today miss out on some of those things that make you feel like an adult and feel important. That's why I purchased three watches and gave them to three young men this week. About a month ago I started my own homeroom, comprised of three 9th grade boys. All three were failing all of their courses. In our first homeroom we talked about why they were not being successful. Taking time to do their work and to study was a common theme. They also mentioned a lack of motivation and an overwhelming fear of being wrong. Since then, we have been working on making up classwork, completing assignments and being in their classes on time each day. Their grades have significantly improved and I am proud of what we have started. These young men come in each Monday and we talk for a few minutes and then they help each other on anything that they need for class. (They have several classes together.)

When I gave them their watches on Monday, I told them about my first watch and why I still wear one. I want them to feel important and I wanted it to be a symbol to take time to do the right thing. I never expected that I would have to teach them how to set a watch or even how to tell time on an analog clock face, but we did a crash course on that as well. These watches were a small investment in the lives of three young men, and to be honest I wasn't even sure that they would wear them. I was hoping that the feeling was universal. Their faces said it all as they put them on and I have seen them wearing their watch every day this week.

While I do
n't suggest that we go out a purchase watches for every student, I do suggest finding how to make students feel a sense of importance about their purpose and their goals. Learning has so much to do with how a learner feels about what they do and so little about their given talents toward the subject. The right mindset can truly overcome anything.

Girls Are Different

When I began coaching I dreaded dealing with girls. At the time, I had a highly successful boys cross country team and not even enough girls to make up a team. I had a parent complain about me not doing anything to motivate and encourage girls runners to make them better. What I was failing to realize was that the two groups operate very differently. It was actually a book I read for a college class the next semester that changed my outlook. I was taking a course on the history of the middle east and we were studying the cultural impact on women within the region. The book described an experiment within the Israeli army to build a group of women that were trained snipers. The experiment hit a major roadblock as women were not responding to traditional methods of basic training. The trainers were applying the same techniques that they had used for years. They tear down bad habits and teach new ones in their place. To teach, they yell and criticize. When they did this, the women snipers actually got worse. When they abandoned their methods and tried encouraging and praising good shots instead of criticizing bad ones, the women actually began to outperform the men. When I tried this same tactic in coaching, I quickly built a girls team that was unstoppable.

This week I have been reminded how different girls are and how important it can be for girls to be successful. Our girls soccer team enjoyed their first win in school history on Wednesday night against North Pitt. I was able to quickly rush from the Beta Club inductions (where many young ladies were awarded for their academic excellence) to see the final minutes of the game.  The 1-0 win looked like a World Cup victory for these ladies. The look on their faces personified grit. On the other end of the athletic spectrum, our softball team remains undefeated. The recent win over JH Rose of 25-0 in three innings showed just what confidence can produce in a group of young ladies. These girls look unstoppable on game days and any coach will tell you, that confidence is a major first step in winning.

I reflected on all of this on Thursday morning when my wife was called into work early and I couldn't get back to sleep. When my own girls awoke that morning, I laughed at myself as I struggled to use a hair straightener to get my little one ready for picture day. That evening I carried my oldest to a daddy/daughter dance at school. All-in-all I think I have fully realized how important it is to provide positive attention and praise to girls. Confident girls perform better. Maybe it's not even a girl thing. Maybe it's a part of human nature that we just see easily in girls. Either way, I think that this element of human nature cannot be ignored when we seek to teach others, female or male. Praise and confidence in the task can make the difference in quitting and fighting to get that essential first win.

I Get To Do This

You can tell a lot about a person from the language that they use. While we often pick up on body language and mood very quickly when talking with students and adults, language sometimes tells us a lot more. Language can describe motive and motivation within a person simply by the words that are chosen. I once heard someone express this concept very simply. Saying, "I have to..." implies a negative attitude toward a task. Saying, "I want to..." changes the connotation to the positive, but could still be driven from selfish reasons. Saying, "I get to..." implies selflessness and genuine joy in the task. 

Many of you "had to" finish grading papers this week so that report cards could be issued. I heard it in the hallways and I saw it on your faces. I also heard many of you "want to" start the second six weeks with a renewed motivation and a higher expectation for student success. I had a chance to think through this throughout the week and I can honestly say that my entire attitude changed as a result. I get to do a lot of great things. This week I got to see my student leaders meet with the Board of Education and I was overwhelmed at what they had to say about our school and the many projects that they are all so involved in. So many of our students believe in this community and in giving back to younger students in our school system. This week I got to appreciate having a school social worker. I have never had one as a principal until this year and I didn't know that this week was School Social Worker's week. Working with someone that is willing to go to student's home and make their lives better so that they can come to school is truly a privilege. I also get to work with a dedicated group of teachers that give up their time and energy to make our school and community a better place each day. I get to reflect every day on how our effort makes students successful and how their success serves as a role model for siblings and younger students in the district that they work with. 

What do you "get to" do? 

Stressed Out

What a week!!! Between the ACT, a packed schedule, the stomach virus and a substitute shortage, stress had me maxed out early this week. When we got through the ACT on Tuesday without a hitch despite a million reasons why it should have failed, I must admit that I felt a little foolish. I stressed out because I thought that I had to control everything. That's not a natural reaction for me, so when I feel like I have to make the impossible happen I try to over work things and I stress out. What I really should have done was trusted my team. No one would ever have known that we operated school and the ACT with 10 teachers out.

March is a tough month on teachers. We have so many things begging for our time and attention and you feel stressed because no matter how hard you work, you just can't seem to make it all happen. You lose sleep, and you can actually start to feel sick. Science calls stress the "silent killer" because high stress can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and an irregular heart beat. Stress is a natural reaction our bodies take to heighten our senses as a survival technique. That seems ironic, because when I'm stressed out I feel like I'm barely surviving! 

Toward the end of the week I vowed to work on keeping my stress level lower in an effort to improve my performance and my faith in my team. I encourage you all to take a lesson from my mistake. Trust your team. We forget that so many of us can and will support one another like a family. Students and parents also contribute to that team as well. Having faith in what we have built and those that are with us each day makes any situation better. And if that still doesn't work, science also has shown that laughter and chocolate both have proven to reduce stress!

Arguing Over the Environment

This week my wife and I got into an argument. Ok, so it wasn't really an argument, but more of a heated discussion. She is a nurse and helps manage the children's emergency department. I am always comparing schools to other professions, and hers is often the one I pick. It all started when we got on the topic of the ED being backed up and it taking a long time for patients to be seen. Sometimes they even are seen by doctors and nurses in the hallway when all rooms are full. That just made no sense to me as a comparison. Sure these people got care, by a professional, in a timely manner according to their needs. My argument was this: Imagine if we treated children the same way. If a child came to enroll in school and we had no class below capacity in the subject they needed, would it be ok to put them in a desk in the hallway? Would it be ok if I gave them a book and had the teacher check on them? While they are receiving an education, something doesn't feel right about it. Needless to say, I would expect a heated visit from that child's parent very soon!

My wife contends that I cannot compare the two situations. The management of an emergency room and a school are just too different. Her argument is that while it is not optimal, good nurses can mitigate these issues with great communication and great care. I have to admit, from a management standpoint, I was wrong. I was focusing on the problems with infrastructure, staffing and care. What I should have been focusing on was what really matters, how the patient or child in both situation feels. Children learn when they feel wanted, appreciated and valued. Patients heal under the same conditions. Good teachers, like good nurses, make that happen no matter what the obstacles. Thinking back on it, our teachers make students welcomed and wanted when the roof leaks, AC breaks, the room is crowded or whatever life throws their way. Environment has much more to do with how you feel about what is around you than the building or space within it. So while I work on improving the environment of my own house after being overly critical, I want to encourage each of you to continue to build positive environments in your classrooms and in our school. Remember that teaching is a service industry and our clients deserve to feel great about their product.

Higher Expectations

This week I told two freshman students the truth. We have lied to them long enough. What I told them was harsh and unexpected. "You're not special." The words almost hurt to say each time they came from my mouth. You could visibly see their faces change each time I said it. Both students have goals of being the first from their family to attend college. Both students were not meeting the expectations of their teachers or of any student that I would consider college bound. I said it again. "You're not special. Why would a college want you?" Again I saw their faces drop. 

We spend a great deal of time from Kindergarten through Senior year telling students that they can be anything that they want to be and that they can go anywhere that they want to go. The truth is that unless they distinguish themselves in and out of the classroom, that is a lie. The other truth is that it is our fault. We spend so much time generating positive relationships in the classroom and motivating students to try, that sometimes we short change what they can produce if we pushed them to do more. 

This week our teachers did professional development on generating higher level questions in their classrooms. That is a tough job when sometimes you worry about the students that cannot show success with mid or even low level questions. The other side to generating higher level questions, is generating higher level expectations. That process is not easy or quick, but it is necessary. It's true, average students with average or even good grades are not special. They are average, and they will be competing with all other average students for college admissions. Higher expectations and a strong push can provide them a pathway toward showing abilities and that is how our students can stand apart from the rest. That is how they can be special.

What is College-Ready?

The term "college-ready" is one that has become all too familiar to high school teachers. That term has been used to embrace many different statistics that seek to measure a student's chances of being successful in a college classroom. From our Levels 4 and 5 on End of Course tests, to PLAN, SAT, ACT and DAP scores, everyone seems to have a way of predicting a student's success before they ever set foot on a college campus. Before we accept these tests as the gold standard that they claim to be, there are a few things that anyone associated with a high school in a low-wealth area should understand.

Consider these facts:

• Only 42% of Americans over 25 have a post-secondary degree.
• Research suggests that college recruiters tend to focus on schools with a track record of successful students and may actually be overlooking schools with a high ratio of African American or Latino students, despite their ability to handle college rigor.
• Though the number of African American and Latino enrollments have greatly increased since 1995 (73% and 107% respectively), these students are attending schools with open-enrollment policies that are perceived as academically weaker.
• More African American and Latino students with an A average are choosing to attend community colleges over white students with an A average.
• Each year, there are as many as 111,000 high-scoring African American and Hispanic students that do not attend college or do not graduate. (That makes over 2 million students since 1995)
• The SAT claims that a student scoring a 1550 out of 2400 has a 65% chance of scoring a B average in their first year of college
• Students with this score have a 69% chance of graduating within 6 years of college
• Students below this score only show a 45% chance of graduating within 6 years
• In 2014, less than half of test-takers achieved a 1550
• Only 16% of African American and 23% of Hispanic students scored a 1550
• The ACT claims that students meeting the benchmark score for each area have a 50% chance of finishing with a B average in the subject area in their first year of college
• Only 40% of test-takers met the benchmark in 3 or 4 areas of the test in 2014
• 33% did not make the benchmark in any subject area

These statistics prove what most teachers in low-wealth areas already know. There are many other factors aside from performance on the SAT or ACT that keep minority students from attending college. With these factors hanging over our student's heads, how on earth do we work to continue to make our students college ready? Well, not-so-fast! New research says that these tests are ignoring some very important factors: Grades and Grit. Students with higher GPAs in high school and lower SAT or ACT scores are actually proving to outperform students with just high test scores. Other studies point to students with a growth mindset are also outperforming students with just high scores.

Keeping students working hard in the classroom, taking challenging courses and teaching them the value of grit is showing to be a far better indicator of college readiness than any of the standardized tests that are currently being used. This information is going to be very valuable for us in the next few months. Between upcoming tests where students can work hard to perform, scheduling for next year's classes and an incoming crop of freshmen just 6 months away, grit and grades need to be on everyone's mind! Every teacher and parent can help by preaching the value of hard work and resilience at every opportunity. Let's fill every student's ear every chance we get!

We're In a Relationship

This week I am at the NCASCD conference. I look forward to this week because I always leave with great ideas to come back to school with. At one session I saw a video that I have not seen in a while. If you have not seen the nail video, I strongly suggest that you stop reading and watch it now!

In schools, we spend a lot of time talking about teacher and student relationships. These are so important that I believe that they are equally as impactful as the curriculum or methods that you use in your classroom. With all of this focus on the relationships with students, I think it is easy to put the relationships with other adults on the back burner. Particularly your relationship with school administrators.

All working relationships hinge on the fulfillment of four basic needs. They are: freedom, fun, love/belonging and power. These four domains allow you to be a connected equal in any relationship and I can certainly see how they relate to teachers as well. Teachers need autonomy, enjoyment, appreciation and a voice in what they do everyday. When I started reflecting on this, I instantly thought of times that I was acting just like the guy in the nail video. I recalled conversations with teachers that just wanted to share how hard they were working. They needed validation, not suggestions. And I get it, it's hard to tell me to shut up!

The spring semester is always a blur of events and activity and in the hustle of it all, please remember to focus on relationships. Not just student relationships, but also relationships with adults in our building and the adults that are in our student's lives as well. We all need those four needs to make the very most of our purpose and we can all work to help provide them for each other.