IGNITING PASSION: Providing Time, Support, and Questioning

This was an amazing week for me as a professional development specialist.  I had the wonderful opportunity to experience all aspects of my new position: 

• from organizing, implementing and reflecting on an eight hour preK-12 Project Based Learning (PBL) session,
• facilitating a one-on-four small group restructuring session to create a hybrid approach for a College Prep English 12 section with high school teachers, 
• a questioning session with my current leader about my own skill-set and how I am utilizing it, 
• to a comprehensive introduction of a new organizational leader to the vertically aligned 6-12 work I have been involved in at the district that I am embedded. 

For me this provided a perfect opportunity to reflect on exactly what it is that I do, and how I could improve on my approach. Upon reflection, I found that this weeks work fell into three categories that led to the driving force for those I serve, as well as for myself, to achieve growth. 

The three categories are TIME, SUPPORT, and QUESTIONING: 

TIME

As I review the results that were submitted from the PBL session I recognize that the teachers greatly appreciated the TIME to sit with their teams and plan a project.  They appreciated the SUPPORT of the professional development specialist who were available as well as that of their principals who also participated in the project planning process. The products that they created were then recognized by providing TIME for them to present to their peers, TIME for feedback, and then TIME for revision.  Each groups project was different and interestingly enough focused not only on the standards, topics of interest for students, but more telling, on the PASSION of the teachers involved.  Providing the teachers focused TIME with each other to reach a goal, with SUPPORT, and with their administrators proved to be something that produced projects rooted in PASSION.  

SUPPORT 

Once they have TIME, they need SUPPORT.  They need to know that the product that they created was recognized and will be valued.  Even if the product needs to be adjusted to meet standards or to adjust the QUESTIONS, the teachers need to know that their PASSION and their TIME involved in the collaboration process did not go unnoticed.  They need feedback.  Not only is this the case for the PD session, but for the small group restructuring that I facilitated as well.  It is essential for me to return to the people and products that were created in this session: the VISION, the curriculum map, and the visuals are products rooted in PASSION.  I must review them, pay value to them and encourage the PASSION that was palpable within that conference room to continue to grow in my absence.  The development, revision and continuation of this momentum is contained in the power of QUESTIONING.

QUESTIONING

There is a fine art to determining the correct QUESTION to ask at the optimal TIME.  To achieve the best possible outcomes for a team or individual, asking the correct QUESTIONS at the perfect TIME is essential.  I greatly appreciated the TIME my new leader took to observe and reflect on my work. The amount of SUPPORT I felt while educating her on my work made me feel valued. During her TIME with me, I closely observed her QUESTIONING the teachers and the administrators who I serve.  This is a role that I would normally be engaged in and not have the opportunity to see from an outside perspective.  This unique opportunity allowed me to reevaluate the power in asking the right QUESTIONS at the right TIME.  Just like the creation of a driving QUESTION for a PBL, when working with teachers and administration I must be cognizant of my own QUESTIONS.  I realized listing to her QUESTIONS, that I must be specific enough to help the teachers reach the answers they already know and drive them in the direction that is best for them to go.  However, QUESTIONS must also be open ended enough to allow for creativity, PASSION, and personal redirection to manifest.  Observing this leader allowed me to listen more intently and hear things more clearly.  This new clarity gave me an understanding of the things that I may have been missing. We spent TIME reflecting at the end of the day on my approach to my current PASSION project. Through this TIME, SUPPORT, and QUESTIONS, I gained much clarity on my thinking and a renewed respect for the power of providing and giving up my TIME to display SUPPORT for personal growth through proper QUESTIONING of those I serve. 

PASSION

As I work through all of the differentiated work I was involved in this week, there was one driving force around growth. That driving force is positive PASSION! During the PBL planning session it was clear that the teachers and the administrators were PASSIONATE about the driving questions that they chose to focus their projects on.  During the restructuring of the curriculum delivery it was clear that the teachers were PASSIONATE about making this change so that they could better serve their students needs.  During my session speaking on my own skill-set, it was obvious that my leader is PASSIONATE about what he does and that he was also keen on the things that I am PASSIONATE about in my work.  During the tours, listening to the QUESTIONS that drove to more QUESTIONS, I recognized that my teachers are also driven by PASSION. 

My week was filled with PASSIONATE educators taking the TIME to QUESTION what they are doing and it is my job to ensure that SUPPORT is provided and through proper QUESTIONING teachers and administrators will continue to be PASSIONATE about their work and QUESTION their approach to continue on the path towards growth that we journey TOGETHER. 

The Potential Energy of Educational Change

As educational leaders during our training and onward we read books on how to drive change, how to manage people, how to have those crucial conversations, how to collect, analyze and utilize data to determine needs, choose strategies and measure our progress.  However as a consultant, I have a new perspective.  As I move through roles of advisor, supporter, and driver of improving practices at various levels in various districts there is a clear dynamic that I am witnessing.  I believe this perspective needs to be highlighted for educational leaders and change agents alike. The knowledge this exists is needed to understand how to obtain sustainable positive momentum towards change. The dynamic I speak of is illustrated above in the poem by Marianne Williamson. It’s the idea that as human beings we often have a fear of inadequacy, but there is also a reciprocal fear that often goes unnoticed. As we begin to succeed and feel good about our actions and practices, especially in organizations that are as organic as a school, a fear of shinning "too" bright, hurting feelings, and performing "too" well manifests. The fears that I witness in those I serve are not rooted in the question, “What if it doesn’t work?”, the fear I recognize most is rooted in the question, “What if it does work?”.

In the midst of change everyone moves at a different pace and even possibly through different paths to achieve the desired outcome. It is my responsibility to guide and support those I serve through their pathways and ensure that the pace is occurring with optimum velocity for that individual or team.  However, once momentum takes hold the ability to provide the correct push and pull becomes more complicated. The extraneous forces in organic organization such as a school then become either the unpredictable lubricant or friction that either cause an initiative to thrive or encourage it to take a dive.  Relationships, emotions, unspoken norms, fears (real and/or perceived), historical practices, and levels of support of peers and administrators all harness the potential energy to positively effect the culture of change. There must be intentional refueling stops feeding the momentum along the path to sustain the movement.  

What is the fuel?

The fuel is providing balance between encouragement, empathy, and positive facilitation. I find that providing a safe place for educators to reflect (to gain control and understanding) of their own personal thoughts and feelings is a powerful positive catalyst.  It's important not to entertain negative thoughts and encourage the good in those that shine to ignite the fire in others which helps them understand that the collective light does not diminish, it enhances their glow.  Know that when kindling a fire there is a delicate balance between it manifesting warmth and light vs. destruction. We must protect the flame from a slight negative wind blowing it out, as well as understanding the importance of controlling the edges so that they do not spread energy too fast or furious which can easily destroy a culture. Leaders, teachers, and supporters, learn to positively kindle your fire with the knowledge that it brings life and ensure that the elements are positively balanced to maximize your energy yet not allow it to become a destructive force, nor to fizzle out.  Foster the flame so that it resides in the sweet spot where it provides warmth and light to the organization. 

Ignite momentum and kindle the light! 

Retraining the Brain: The Unconventional Approach

Retraining the Brain: The Unconventional Approach 

In my past and especially in my current position I have lived and observed systematic changes that are being discussed, implemented, and  of course resisted.  Moving from a principalship to a Professional Development Specialist, my perspectives have been broadened and my limited thinking has been challenged.  I now see things from the other side of the pit. Let me explain what that means:

When I was fourteen I was a high jumper. I was nothing spectacular, but I was dedicated to improve.  Through my dedication, my freshman year of high school I qualified for the state track meet in high jump.  I obtained a sixth place medal and was driven to improve on that ranking. Unfortunately during the winter of my sophomore year I broke my left ankle, my dominant jumping leg.  This was disheartening to me because not only was I concerned about my high jump career, but I had to sit out of the entire season for my first love, volleyball.  For a fifteen year old athlete, this seemed like the world was ending.  I remember crying and telling my dad that it was pointless to try. This was an unacceptable mindset for my father’s daughter and he encouraged me to continue with physical therapy and beat the odds.  

The temporary set back in my tenacity lasted through my surgery to tighten up my tendons and then again when I re-broke my ankle at a festival placing me in a cast for another eight weeks.  I knew I was going to be pushing it to gain my strength back in my left leg to jump the height needed to qualify for the state meet. I had to figure some other angle to take to solve my problem. 

My solution was a bit outside of the box and met great criticism and doubt.  At the age of fifteen, I decided to teach myself to take my approach from the other side of the pit. The left side of the pit would now become my home because my right leg was now my strong one. I was determined to jump off my currently stronger leg, otherwise known as jumping wrong sided! I spent hours on the high jump pit teaching myself to be left handed and jump right footed. If you have ever written with your wrong hand you can imagine how uncomfortable this was at first.  I welcomed the discomfort and even utilized it as a motivator to keep pushing through the doubts of others that were whispered to me day in and day out. The voice in my head that said I was on the right path needed to be louder and stronger than the ones that were not experiencing the slow growth. 

There is no doubt in my mind that I had more repetitive approaches than any other high jumper in the history of track and field in one season. My biggest fan, my father would wait for at least and hour after every practice was over for me to finish my attempts and teach myself to work against my body and through the discomfort.  I had many people tell me my work wasn’t worth it. They said I was working hard only to achieve failure and disappointment. They said it couldn’t be done.  However, I kept my eye on the bar and progressed one step at a time from the “wrong” side, envisioning the “wrong” approach, with the “wrong” foot over and over again.  To my own surprise one day I eventually realized that wrong approach felt right and even became second nature. In fact, I managed to literally inch my way up the standards until I beat my own personal best by several inches. Yes, you heard me, I approached the challenge in the “wrong” way and surpassed my goals. At the surprise of many, I qualified for the state meet that year.  Although I did not win, I did place fifth and I did overcome the first of many challenges my life would throw at me.  Most importantly I learned that with perseverance, tenacity, determination, and a strong will, taking the uncomfortable approach may provide you with much more than you ever dreamed possible. 

So now when difficulties are in my way, I always take a step back and look at the solutions from all possible angles and all possible approaches.  I learned through this first of many GRIT building experiences that nothing is impossible. We have to look at things from every angle, from a different perspective, even take your approach from the other side of the pit to realize solutions that would otherwise never exist.  

As a Professional Development Specialist who is growth mindset oriented, I understand that as I coach administrators and teachers to approach teaching differently it’s not going to be easy. It will be uncomfortable and frustrating for them to take their approach from the “wrong” side of their thinking. The naysayers comments will ring in their head and I must teach them to find and listen to their own voice.  I will encourage them and continuously ask them to look at things from the student perspective, the parent perspective, and the perspective of how to authentically utilize the skills at hand in the real world. I will ask them to look at the learning they will provide as the student’s lifeline to being a successful adult.  

What do students need to know and understand to succeed? How can you teach students to discover those things that they may not fully understand on their own... when they are on their own? How can you as an educator teach a student not only knowledge, not only how to learn, but how they learn? How can you ensure that your students are ready to take on those challenges at those moments when they will need to take an unconventional approach, the approach that everyone says is impossible? How will you as a teacher or administrator drive this next generation to take the road less traveled to discover the possibilities that have yet to be discovered? How will you inspire this nation towards continuous improvement and innovation? 

My goal is that I always challenge myself and my clients to approach instruction from the other side of the high jump pit to experience new heights and help students and our future leaders achieve more than they ever expected possible!  

MAXIMIZE ALL POSSIBILITIES! 

I would like to thank my friend who has been encouraging me for a year to write this story.  It isn’t always easy to write about our own experiences, however being uncomfortable and outside of ones comfort zone is where sustainable growth most likely occurs. 

Growth: Shifting Paradigms in constant Metamorphosis

GROWTH MINDSET

As a Paradigm shifts one will Transform! 

When Transformation is complete one takes Flight! 

As they take Flight they Discover a Whole New World! 

In that world, there are New Possibilities and New Challenges!

That's when One must Begin to shift Once Again!

...the Cycle Continues!

Life is a Constant Cycle of Metamorphosis

As a caterpillar shifts into a butterfly and it's life is transformed, my lens has shifted from a teacher, to a building administrator, and now to that of a Professional Development Specialist. As I prepare to fly, I am researching and reflecting on my practices as a teacher and an administrator. I understand through study of change theory and living it that it’s essential when inspiring a culture of innovation to be cognizant, encouraging and empathetic that shifting beliefs, behaviors, and driving values will come with resistance and will also be an exhausting effort for those being asked to adjust their ways. Individuals will move through the "Stages of Adoption" at various rates and therefore I must adjust my approach in accordance to their needs.  As a Professional Development Specialist it’s important for me to recognize the personalized thought processes and conditioned behaviors which exist in a school and community culture. I must then choose my actions appropriately to foster the growth of the individual, team and/or the entire system’s based on it's needs. 

Further more I recognize that providing services within the optimal range of the Stages of Adoption will ensure the most efficient and sustainable results. Specifically in regards to Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory I understand that focusing on the “Innovators, Early Adopters, and Early Majority [and supporting them in the confirmation of] the innovation’s relative advantage, compatibility, and simplicity” will not only encourage the “Late Majority and Laggards”, it will also build the desired sustainable culture of innovation. Essentially, it is my responsibility to analyze and determine where, when and how to approach the system players to have the most effective impact on the organization while coaching it’s internal leadership to inspire and encourage the change they have set forth to achieve.

To do so I plan to pull from my client's knowledge/ideas, my own experiences and depend on researched and proven models for innovative approaches to educational practices. After reviewing the ADDIE Model, C4 Delivery Model, and an NGLE article about the set up of an Apple Store, I am reflective on how these three concepts could affect how professional development should be designed, delivered and evaluated.

In my experience as an intervention specialist I had no choice but to work through a personalized learning approach to instruction, especially at the high school/middle school level while supporting as many as 30 students in their inclusion setting for subjects from freshman English to advanced Chemistry at one time.  Within my classroom we would naturally move from experimental centers, into peer supported groups or individual learning areas supported by technology. I acted as as a facilitator of their inquiry based learning not by design but due to the necessity of covering so many topics with effective outcomes simultaneously. At the time I hadn't studied these theories, I simply did what I felt was the best for my students to grow and achieve success.  

As a principal my desires were to make the professional development within my building more customized and relevant to each teacher and their team goals and needs just as I did for my students.  After reading these articles I am recognizing that I used a C4 model to fit within my schedule and available time frames for teacher learning:

• C1 Concert: Staff meetings often led by a teacher leader in knowledge, a new technique, or tool
• C2 Connected: Online Wiki Book studies, Learning modules through OLAC were assigned per need or interest, Twitter resources and chats
• C3 Coaching: OTES meetings where I provided individualized resources and advice through collegiate conversation and reflection to each teacher at two checkpoints and adjusted goals as growth occurred.
• C4 Collaborative: Staff Meetings, Building Leadership Teams (Data driven focus), Lighthouse Leadership Team (Cultural Focus), Teacher Based Teams (Grade Level driven with a focus provided from the BLT and LLT)

I feel that within both my classroom and building I had been implementing this philosophy of customized learning and to apply it to professional development will be a natural transition for me. By nature I am a special educator who designs individualized learning plans and I feel that this skill has helped me to collaboratively work with a team to analyze needs, design a plan, develop action steps to implement the plan, and then most importantly progress monitor and adjust approaches along the way.  While looking at the ADDIE model I recognized that these processes will also apply to implementing growth and accountability for organizational movement towards measurable outcomes.  The ADDIE model is comparable to helping the leadership team develop a needs based Personalized Improvement Plan for the organization as well as sectors within the organization.  

When addressing Professional Development I plan to use the same approach to make the adult learning experience personal. Encouraging the learners (leaders and teachers) to become interested in topics and tools through hands on experiences and collaborative thinking, providing them with a risk free learning opportunity that is rigorous and relevant. The key is then ensuring their understanding through allowing them to demonstrate their knowledge while guiding them to adjust their approach. Using the ADDIE model to develop and progress monitor continued implementation by development and reference to their personalized action plan at key intervals will help to ensure that the end-in-mind stays the focus of the coaching. Finally incorporating the the C4 approach for extending and supporting their learning will ensure ownership and encourage the desired manifestation of a culture comprised of a collective growth mindset and optimal student outcomes.

I am excited to live in a constant state of professional metamorphosis!