Leadership

Thankful to my mentors as they remind me about unity

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“Focus on your primary”

basketball-referee

A dozen years ago, I was a new principal fortunate to have a strong mentor.  He guided many of us as we embarked on a new adventure.  Blessed with seemingly a never ending supply of energy and time, he shared with us a story about his experiences as a basketball referee.  He said that there would be times where the game was getting heated, fans were bristling with every play, and tensions were rising.  At that very moment a game could spiral out of control for the referees or it could remain a contest of skill and talent.  Our mentor would tell us that the way you make it through those times of turmoil was by focusing on your primary.  You see, unknown to the average fan like me is the specific tactic that referees are charged with -to focus on their primary coverage area.  If they do their job, then when working with the other officials, the game will maintain its intent.

I have to trust my teachers to focus what they excel at – which is to teach.  Ensuring that routine remains for kids is important.  Life outside of school can be hectic and the rhetoric that fills nearly every portal of communication can be overwhelming.  Thus kids need the refuge of school, and they need it to be predictable.  Enabling teachers to do what they need to do and keep the work moving forward is what sets the conditions for our kids, and for the entire school community, to persevere.

hot-seat

 

I had another mentor when I was a principal intern and he always had such wisdom to share and faith in young people.  Early on he tasked me with setting up interviews for an Asst Principal vacancy we had, and he told me to put together a group of 4-5 students.  These kiddos would take each candidate on a tour of campus.  After all the candidates had been interviewed by the committee, the students would come in to offer their take on each person.  My mentor would always say that anyone could come in with the right answers and impress adults.  However, he would add, kids have a much sharper radar for what can fit on a campus.  He would tell me to trust them.  As with many things this mentor offered, I adopted this practice and I’ve used it for each administrative vacancy.  And every time the students have been right.  If we follow their lead and trust them to sniff out the BS and navigate to what matters most, then we can make our way.  Kids are far more resilient than adults when it comes to change.  Maybe they have to be for reasons out of their control, however taking the time to stop talking to them and start listening with them remains a sound strategy in my book.

Finally, I would add that as a principal, my charge toward unity lies in the work of cultivating a culture that can withstand the hardest of times.  Insensitive comments will arise – either from students, parents, or adults on campus.  It will happen.  And at those very moments we have to believe even more in the community we have established.  We have to have faith that, in some way, the values and commitments we have agreed to will help us respond in the most appropriate manner.

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I have always believed in young people and what we can learn from them.  I’ve written often about how much more aware they are then we often give them credit for.  Yet at this time, as I try to bring to close the power of resilience, and the faith I have that we will unify and that good will still prevail, I find myself drawn to the words of a rock-n-roll veteran.  If you have never listened to “The Land of Hopes and Dreams” by Bruce Springsteen, then I encourage you to sample it soon.  The lyrics are below.

Grab your ticket and your suitcase
Thunder’s rollin’ down this track
Well, you don’t know where you’re goin’ now
But you know you won’t be back
Well, darlin’ if you’re weary
Lay your head upon my chest
We’ll take what we can carry
Yeah, and we’ll leave the rest

Big wheels roll through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams

Well, I will provide for you
And I’ll stand by your side
You’ll need a good companion now
For this part of the ride
Leave behind your sorrows
Let this day be the last
Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine
And all this darkness past

Big wheels roll through fields
Where sunlight streams
Oh meet me in a land of hope and dreams

This train…
Carries saints and sinners
This train…
Carries losers and winners
This train…
Carries whores and gamblers
This train…
Carries lost souls

I said this train…
Dreams will not be thwarted
This train…
Faith will be rewarded

Public schools take everyone that shows up at the front door and commits to make them stronger.  During these challenging days, I believe that our school community can be the train for all of our students, our faculty, and the entire staff.  Frankly, I would argue that it may be the only reliable vehicle for both unity and change.

What else are you employing as you work with your communities?

Celebrating the 1st Week – Texas Style

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So as school crept closer, I found myself and many others reflecting, writing, and sharing all that got us excited for the first day of school.  Wonderful ideas around vision, around what is possible, and around caring for our students filled my timeline and I ate it up.  This was my 25th opening day, and I still approach each one with energy and enthusiasm.  However it is another element present on the calendar this time of year that gets me really pumped.  Friday Night Lights!  And as the end of the first week of school drew closer, I couldn’t think of any better way to wrap it up then a home football game.

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Texas is known for football and in Houston it dominates the weekends in the Fall.  Now I am certainly a sports fan, and spending time at school games is an easy thing for me to do.  The passion and commitment that our coaches, parents, and community members bring to our student-athletes is strong.  There is something special about rooting for a team that brings people together.  If you’ve ever gone to a professional baseball game and high-fived the stranger sitting next to you after a home run, or embraced a group hug for your entire row after the winning touchdown, then you know what I am describing.

Yet I love high school football games for another reason.  After the weeks of practice, the prepping of uniforms, and the big pep rally, it is time for 3500 students and 250 faculty/staff to come together as one with the greater neighborhood/city.  I believe Friday Night Lights is the exemplar of what community means for a comprehensive high school.

BK FB PicThe sentiment I always share is that it is a chance to see many elements of our school together in one place, at one time, with one focus.  Perhaps it is the 50 players on the field flanked by 10 student trainers and managers, or the 18 cheerleaders leading the crowd.  Maybe it’s the 45 member drill team or the near 100 piece marching band that pumps up the halftime show.  Possibly the 8 Birdkeepers that are assigned to guard our mascot – a tradition nearly 50 years old – or the 12 elected Booster Club officers that run the flags after each score is what ties it together.  Regardless of the group that brings you out that night, we are talking about more than 250 students united.  Each of them with a role to support our school and show their pride in our school colors.

My point is that a school is more than just what happens inside four walls from 7:40am – 3:15pm.  The evidence is clear that extracurricular activities are vital toward students remaining both physically and mentally engaged during the day.  And it is many of those very programs that tie communities together.  They allow us to remember our history while celebrating the present.  Having something for us all to rally around allows the individual interests and passions of our students and our educators to flourish.  And as the opening kickoff approached for Texas HS football, each team, each school, and each community had a moment filled with nothing but hope.  An optimism that anything is possible.

BIGGER PLAYOFF CROWDSo as I wrapped up this week and watched others head to their cars with smiles yet exhausted shoulders, I found it easy to feel pepped up as it was game night.  And as I parked at the stadium and exited my car, I could hear the band playing a familiar tune and the PA announcer declaring a first down.  As I greeted the familiar faces at security and spoke to our ticket takers, I felt a peace come over me.  Grabbing my hot dog, popcorn, and bottle of water, I smiled at parents, said hello to students, and found my usual seat.  The first week of school was over and I was in my happy place.

What events at your school best represent your school community?

My 2 Week Personalized Learning Adventure

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25 years.  Nearly a quarter century.  I have worked in education and within my single school district for more than half of my life.  Goodness.  And while I may not be able to explain just how I made it this far, how I stayed afloat through all the tough times, and how I stayed away from burnout and boredom, I do know that if you don’t continue to try things, to experiment, and to commit to remaining a learner, then you surely won’t make it.

Each of the last several years we have been given two consecutive weeks of professional development (PD) time with our faculty.  Now at first glance, you might believe that to be wonderful and such a welcome gift from the school gods.  However, I have learned that, as educators, we do much better with kids around.  Two solid weeks of only adults on campus can be taxing.  The energy, the zeal, and the urgency aren’t there when kids are not present.  We need them as much as they need us. The flip side is that designing two weeks of learning for your teachers that is not full of sitting in the cafeteria/auditorium/multi-purpose room and seeming like yet another meeting, can be daunting.  As the Principal, I have to remember that teachers want to move in, work with their teams, and prepare for the first day of school.  I have to give them that time. With all of that in mind, and as June headed in to July, I began to focus on planning PD for my 190 teachers.  I sharpened my focus on how to move from structured to personalized professional development.

Death bu Inservice

So this is my 5th year as campus principal and 9th year on campus.  I have a strong understanding of my faculty and staff, and thus I wanted to try something different.  Simultaneously I wanted to create a setting whereby they re-engaged as learners while also respecting them as professionals.  I wanted to model choice and creativity and exploration.  Crafted similar to a conference format, I aspired to build something I had not, personally, ever experienced.  This was critical to me as I believe that these very elements, when put in to practice within our classrooms, lead to more authentic engagement by our students.

In a nutshell this was my plan.

During the first of our two weeks, I included all the usual stuff: a welcome back presentation from me, time for PLCs and Departments to meet, and devoted moments for everyone to complete the required online district trainings.  However this year I gave them a learning menu in the form of a Tic-Tac-Toe board that had new experiences as the nine blocks.

Tic Tac Toe Board

  • Chit Chats are 25-30 minute gatherings around a central topic or question.  Each of these Chit Chats was scheduled for six over the two weeks.  There was no formal presentation and each person could attend if they choose.  If the topic didn’t appeal to them then don’t come.  Keep working with your teams or on your own planning.  The Chit Chats were organic and I merely brought the food.  Cookies in the afternoon, donuts in the morning, and fruit for the mid-morning session.
  • Make & Take sessions are focus on a single strategy, skill, or tool.  These 45 minute sessions provided a forum for you to learn something specific that you could immediately incorporate in to a specific lesson (or simply in to your classroom).  I offered ten of these sessions during the two weeks of PD.
  • A Learning Lunch is centered on a larger question.  Both Wednesdays included these with the understanding that everyone brought their own food, and that we would sit in a giant circle.  While I opened each session with a reminder of the general question, and affirmed that participation is completely voluntary, it was not uncommon for me to stay silent the rest of the time as the teachers drove the discussion, and thus their learning.

The common threads among each of these three events begins with the fact that they were elective learning opportunities.  If someone wanted to learn about the topic – whether by actively participating or merely lurking – then they could do so.  Most of the sessions were not formally led by me or anyone from my leadership team.   Finally, each of these new experiences were chances for them to elect to learn.  That was the key in my mind.  Providing the setting for them to experience choice and then make a decision.  Now the Tic-Tac-Toe board could be turned in for prize drawings – if they choose to do that.  There were no signatures required as this was not any type of compliance piece.  Teachers are professionals and I wanted my faculty to feel that in an overt way.

I also asked teachers to join our faculty/staff Remind group and I used electronic communication to remind them of upcoming learning sessions that would be available. Joining our 11 day Twitter Challenge was also an option.  Finally, the center block  of the Tic-Tac-Toe board was each of them signing up and participating with a team during a BreakoutEDU session.

A large part of my learning in this adventure included a deep dive in to so many digital tools.  Making use of Google Docs, Remind, and Google Forms (to gather feedback & add topics over the two weeks) allowed me to communicate in a manner I couldn’t have before the technology.  My agenda was not a static document – I was able to change and adjust.  Agility was on display and that also was an approach I wanted to model for my faculty.

Jumper

I don’t yet know how it is being received or how effective it will end up being.  And I’m a little nervous about that.  Similar to my most recent blog post My Attempt at #GeniusHour with Adults, we have asked all of our teachers to choose something they want to learn about this semester or school year.  Now it may not completely meet the district expectations and I’m probably taking a bit of a gamble with that.  However I do believe it is the right approach THIS year with THIS faculty.  I now know that choosing to be a learner – whether your 1st year or 40th year as an educator – is critical to each of us staying relevant for our teams and, most importantly, for our students.

What types of behavior are you modeling for your teachers as the start of school approaches?

My Attempt at #GeniusHour with Adults

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I have been a secondary principal for half of my education career – 12 out of 24 years.  Starting this fall, I will have been in the main chair more than I was anywhere else.  And so as I enter this off-season and reflect on the past school year, I can honestly say that I pushed myself in a new way.  You see, I was starting to get a bit stale.  Yes, I still was intensely challenged, and the commitment to my campus, its students, faculty, staff, and community, had not wavered.  I simply wasn’t sure what was missing.  And thus, I spent this past school year trying to figure out what I was trying to figure out.

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Twelve months ago I entered the summer focused on the idea of becoming a learner again.  I juiced up my iPad, downloaded some great books, and read a lot.  The focus of what I consumed relied upon Twitter, and thus I resuscitated my twitter handle and committed to jump back into the learning.  I was excited.  I ate up articles, retweeted prolifically, and tried to spark wonderful conversation.  My followers grew slowly and my notifications were few.  I didn’t feel like I was gaining traction.  And so when the start of the new year came, it was easy to “get busy with school.”

In October I attended the What Great Educators Do Differently Conference in Chicago with two friends.  I was inspired and my learning engine was reignited.  This idea of discovery and sharing and pushing myself was exactly what I needed.  And as the conference closed, I kept hearing people mention #GeniusHour.  I didn’t know what it was, and, honestly, I was afraid to ask.  I nodded my head and figured it was something I could research later.

A few weeks later, I revisited my notes from the conference, and came across the term – #GeniusHour – again.  I decided to google it.  And as I perused the first website, and then the second, and then the third, I became energized again.  My thoughts raced from, “sure this can work in ES or MS, but what could it look like in the content-obsessed world of high school.”  And then the light bulb went off.

I spent the next two weeks constructing a #GeniusHour presentation for my administrative team.  I then presented to the 12 of them the idea of #GeniusHour followed by the challenge that would come their way.  I told them that we were each going to embark on this work and purely learn.  Topics could be related to school or education, or they could be something more personal.

GeniusHour Final

The room was silent.

A few members of my team had smiles as they knew what they were going to do.  Others had clarifying questions – perfectly acceptable.  And others basically kept their heads down.

I told them that they didn’t have to seek my approval.  That I was happy to support or be available as they wished.  I was specific enough to keep repeating the 4 caveats yet vague enough to make some restless.  And I was okay with that.

That was in late November.  In May and early June we took turns presenting our #GeniusHour projects.  What emerged has exceeded my expectations.  The topics ranged from learning a new language, to a DIY project; others focused on starting a blog while another was writing a novel with his son.  Two projects centered on relationships with one focused on just adults and the other on adults and students.  Finally, one teammate shared her journey from an inactive lifestyle to completing the Texas Ironman Triathlon.

And as we debriefed each presentation the common challenges of being a learner surfaced.  The uncomfortable feeling of starting something you weren’t certain you would understand or be good at.  The idea of learning taking longer or shorter than expected.  The focus on the outcome as opposed to the minutiae.  They had all reengaged as learners.  They also spoke about what it could look like in the classroom and how they might better support both teachers and students.

Prepared to be wrong

This #GeniusHour work that we embarked on will lead much of what we do in August with our entire team.  It wasn’t perfect – two members of my team chose not to participate.  And I had to come to terms with that as being okay.  They may not have felt safe or merely weren’t ready to reenter that space.  The remaining ten that did will share their learning with smaller groups on campus.  We will support our teachers in becoming a learner again.  Maybe their topic will center on an idea for their classroom or maybe it will be more personal.  Frankly, I don’t think the topic matters at all.  It’s the process that will count more.  It’s the experience that will stick with them as they move through the school year.

I didn’t know how it would go with my team, and I don’t know how it will go trying to scale it up with 185 teachers.  However I was certain that we needed a fresh challenge to jump start our work, and I’m counting on that same energy to launch our faculty forward as well.  If we don’t try then we’ll never know.

In my best case outcome, I see teachers embracing this challenge.  And I see them more able to empathize with the challenges of learning.  Each teacher will see that different learning styles exist, and that timelines and modes of sharing can enhance and empower the content they hold so dear.  Additionally, their students will no longer see themselves as the only ones taking a risk.  It’s increasing humanity on campus.  Genuine vulnerability in an intimate way.  Maybe it will help a student persevere a bit more, give it a go one more time.  We will see.

How have you recently engaged as a learner? How could you facilitate a #GeniusHour with the people that work alongside you?

 

Favorite Day of the Year: High School Graduation

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BHS GRADUATIONThe last weekend in May is often a fond time for high school principals.  While some welcome the end of another school year and the “off-season” that comes with June, it is the actual commencement exercises that I enjoy the most.  It is, maybe, the singular day where everyone is happy.  The students walking across the stage have all achieved whatever is needed and thus they are pleased.  Parents have only two requirements for the event – make sure their child’s name is in the program and be sure to announce their name.  That’s it.  So they are delighted.  It’s a great day.

Now for me it is also a workout as I shake the hands of more than 800 graduates and smile for individual pictures with each of them.  While it is a grind, the graduation allows me to have a personal moment with each of them before they head forward.  I hope to never take that for granted.

I also have the charge of sharing a few words of wisdom, and that is a practice that I take seriously.  It is a chance to convey to both students and parents what is important to you, and thus the school.  It’s a chance to reward them for their faith and trust in public education and remind them that you have their best interest at heart.  For this annual speech in front of nearly 10,000 people, I often use some form of a common script.  However this year was different, this class more unique, and thus I pushed myself.  Below is what I shared and I hope that others may find it helpful.

“The scars on my skin are a map of the adventures and the places I’ve been.”

-U Li La Lu, poi dog pondering

Map of Adventures

Having the honor to stand before you and offer a few words as you move forward is a highlight for me.  My pride in your accomplishments is boundless.  Among many highlights, this class led us to our first Football Playoff Victory in 43 years, you won National Championships in a variety of competitions, you’ve been offered scholarship dollars that exceed $36 Million (by the way this is nearly $15 Million more than our previous record); you’ve entertained others across the country, and you’ve comforted each other through the toughest challenges anyone might face.  We laughed and celebrated while we cried and grieved.  There was no obstacle put before us that we could not overcome.

Now this is the part of my speech where I normally challenge you to live your life with great wisdom while offering some sage advice.  However this year, as has been referenced, is different.  You see, this year I learned from you.

I learned what it means to be part of a community.  I watched as over four years together you each accepted each other regardless of background, race, economic status, gender identity, or any of the other means by which we too often get categorized.  You refrained from falling in to the stereotypes that so many try to paint upon your generation.  While you embraced the typical high school experiences such as Homecoming, student concerts and athletic events, and, of course, Prom, you also found moments to bring people and resources together for a greater purpose.  Being part of a community is similar to being part of a family.  And it’s important to remember that family members agree and disagree, they hug and cry, they share the grandest of laughs while embracing through the lowest moments of sorrow.  And then they recover.  It may not always be pretty and it can get messy, however it is absolutely what every family experiences and exactly what needs to happen.

Now I was and remain a fan of a TV show called LOST.  And while making every effort to not give anything away, there is a great quote delivered in the series finale that I think particularly fits this senior class, and I’d like to share it.

LOST Speech no words

This is a place that you all made together so that you could find one another. The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people on that island. That’s why all of you are here. Nobody does it alone. You needed all of them, and they needed you.

While these past four years were both not fiction and not an episode of Survivor, the school you entered in 9th grade was what was necessary then.  And for the years that followed you sacrificed, you invested in yourself, and you built exactly what was required.  Together you created this senior year because it was what you needed.  And a few months ago – when we lost Jade & Michael – together you made your way through it.  Because you had to and because you could.

Now the worry that often creeps in for seniors at this time is what happens next.  Maybe you will want your community to mirror what it is now.  Or perhaps you will desire something completely different.  My wisdom for you is that because of the experience you had at Bellaire, you, more than most of your peers across the city, state, and country, are truly prepared to build your own community.  Because you have already experienced it, if you can truly commit to do it, then what results from your effort will be exactly what you require.  You have that within you.  Trust it.

So as you prepare for the next exciting adventure in your life treasure the time you have had together.  Many of you will move on to the same college or city, and the effort needed to maintain friendships in this technologically rich world is far less than it was for your parents and me.  Yet it still requires effort, it demands respect, and it starts with a shared experience.  As your principal these past four years, I am confident that the shared experience of having moved through Bellaire is one that has been powerful for you.  I am humbled by your success and I thank you for always sustaining the necessary effort.  Go forward from today and lead a life that you take pride in, that you respect, and that you value.  Also be sure to eat your veggies, apply sunscreen, Stay Classy, Live Long and Prosper, and, finally, May the Force Be With You.

Understanding that the Principal has the opportunity to offer the final sentiments to students before they leave your school, how do you approach this opportunity?  What words of wisdom do you share?

 

 

 

 

Who Doesn’t Like a Lollipop?

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Working on a High School campus has been my good fortune for more than fifteen years.  And in about a month I will graduate my 7th class of seniors as a HS principal.  And thus May is often filled with reflection and nostalgia and opportunities to try and be wise.  Those chances can be inspiring and they can be daunting.  And maybe even paralyzing.  However, while I often welcome these last few weeks with a myriad of emotions, I also want to be sure that seniors make the most of their remaining days together.  The closure associated with High School graduation is powerful.  I don’t want them to miss that.

During the senior class meeting a couple weeks ago, I decided to challenge our seniors and how they might want to make the most of their remaining 28 days on campus.  We talked about how a school works best when there is a strong student culture.  Similar to working with adults, I have learned that paying attention to student culture is equally important.

And after stumbling through some words of inspiration, focusing on the type of legacy they might want to leave behind, I showed them the Lollipop TED Talk by Drew Dudley.  You can access the six minute video just below.  It’s focused on everyday leadership.

I believe this video is the perfect message to send seniors as they plan to embark on that next adventure.  Leadership exists in small moments shared between ordinary people on a day like most any other day.  The mistake we commit is that we too often focus on those large moments.  And while those certainly can include instances of true leadership, I would join Drew Dudley in his call to action that we recognize the more tiny and simple acts.

National Teacher Appreciation Week is beginning and thus this concept can easily translate to acts of recognition and gratitude.  The point is that we allow ourselves to be in the moment with another person and then not miss the chance to simply say thank you.  Perhaps it is a hand-written note.  Or maybe it’s a group of people enjoying an ice cream sandwich together.  Or maybe it’s the exchange of a simple lollipop.

lollipop

My takeaway for you would be that it doesn’t matter if it is adult to adult, or adult to student.  Let’s commit this week, this month, and this year to not miss the lollipop moments that surround us.  Who will you offer a lollipop to this week?