Developing Resiliency

Resiliency... I have thought a lot about this word lately, struggling with challenges that have tested my own resiliency, watching as those that I love endure their own struggles and trying to encourage them to be resilient. However tonight, the word resilient took on a new meaning, because tonight I attended the funeral of someone who found that they were not longer able to be resilient. It was sad, sad for the family, sad for his friends, and sad for those us there to support the family even though we never met the man for whom the funeral was taking place. The minister giving the eulogy reflected on psalms, spoke of the family left grieving, and shared his belief that in times of need we need to turn to a higher power for a source of strength. I listened and wondered how often during the last year as this man suffered he turned to a higher source. I do not mean for this to sound as if I am trying to blast religion, because I know that many people find great strength in their beliefs. Rather, I wonder about those that don't find that strength. I think about my father and reflect on how his faith has been shaken because he cannot understand why has to suffer. Then I wonder why there are those that suffer way more than my father and somehow seem to find a way through it without being shaken... Resiliency? I don't know, but as you have probably figured out from reading previous blogs, whenever I wonder about things, I start doing some research. Perhaps this research was a little more urgent and personal, because I hope that what I learn I can share with the people that I care about, those having their own resiliency tested.

In my research, I came across articles, books, even a few Army training videos. I watch speeches given by various presidents after national tragedies and listened to news videos in which various psychologists gave tips and advice. However, when I came across a video by Dr. Sirols something clicked. What she had to say made sense, real practical advise that I could share- quick and easy tips on ways to help people develop their resiliency. Nothing like a "fast track" mentality for developing a skills that can save your life, but I figure if it can help someone, why not share what I learned which is what I am attempting to do in this blog. So here goes...

3 Ways to help develop resiliency (Dr. Sirols)

1. Mindfulness- Become at peace with yourself through relaxation, meditation, reflection, journaling or whatever you find relaxing. (I guess this blog might serve as my path to mindfulness!!).

2. Live Authentically- Live the life you know you should be living. (Dr. Sirols put it poetically in the video so I will let you listen to her yourself!)

3. Move- Move towards those things that bring meaning, purpose, and joy into your life. So often we are paralyzed by fear. We resist acting because we are afraid that it will not help the situation, but Einstein would call that insanity- doing the same thing and expecting different results. The only way to move forward it start moving, even if we fall back a little, we will never get ahead if we stay in the same spot.

Most importantly... To be resilient we need to be connected and we need to turn away from the negative thinking... why me? 

I am not a psychologist, not a counselor, and not an expert... but what Dr. Sirols said in her video made sense to me. It was consistent with my thinking and my experience. My desire to share this video, comes with a hope that if you are finding yourself in place where your resiliency is being challenged, where you feel that you are being tested, that perhaps you will find this information helpful. The saddest moment in life is when we see those we love lose hope and give up... if this can help someone find a way to fight through the rough times, to bounce back, have faith, believe that things can and will get better, then this blog will have accomplished what I hoped it would... what I hope it will!

The Perfect School

             The professor stood before our class... "You have reflected on your Leadership Mission and Vision" She was right, in fact I have been reflecting on that since I began this program more than a year ago. She then began to engage us in a fantasy trip... "Imaging yourself in the future, you have had a successful career and are finding yourself in your perfect school." With more than 15 tasks and less than 3 weeks before graduation, I didn't not fancy spending the time to engage in a fantasy. But as she later explained describing "Our Future Perfect School" was one of the documents we needed to complete before graduation. So in the midst of finalizing a research proposal, finishing a literature review, creating my mission and vision, I began my fantasy trip to my perfect school and what I found was that it turned out to be more than a fantasy excursion, rather it served as an opportunity to reflect on those things that I would love to build in a school... a school with no budget restraints, with an incredibly positive culture, a school where I can be the kind of leader I would love to be.

As you read about my perfect school in the future, take a minute to consider what kind of school you would create if there were no excuses, what type of relationships would exist there, what would you build?The following was written as if I were writing it 5-10 years in the future.

                                           My Perfect School in the Future

               A few years back, I read an article by Shelley Plock. The article was titled “21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020.” She spoke about how books and desktop computers would be non-existent, and with the explosion of technology taking place at that time; I thought that the article was not only interesting, but also completely possible. I can remember feeling excited about the prospect of leading the kind of change she was describing, the kind of change that was so desperately needed in our district. In those early years, I was so unsure of my ability to lead that change, but since then I have learned that my passion and belief in people was what I really needed to become the change leader that I am today.

             Over the years, I have grown into my role and I am so amazed by how lucky I feel to have ended up in this school with this incredibly dedicated staff. I really never thought that I would be fortunate enough to be in the forefront of leading change initiatives for my district and yet, here I am! The staff at this school is an amazing group of professionals willing to embrace innovation. By creating an environment in which the staff feels staff to try new things, they have become risk-takers and have eagerly embraced opportunities to become change agents. I have always believed that learning is a life long endeavor. That every experience, both good and bad, provides an opportunity to learn a lesson; you simply need to be willing to reflect upon the experience and use it to guide future actions in order to fully grasp the learning potential.  If I claim a main victory as a leader, it is the fact that everyone here; the teachers, staff, students, parents, and even the community members we are involved with have join me in the belief that learning does not stop at our school gates or when the bell rings.

            This united vision of learning that extends beyond the classroom has resulted in our development of a model of collaboration never before seen in this district. This model is one in which students, teachers, parents and members of our community learn together, both in in our school, as well as, in our community. The traditional structure of classrooms does not work for everyone, so sometimes we change that and take learning out of the classroom. Our teachers challenge themselves to do whatever is necessary to improve learning for everyone in our community. When I say community, I do mean the entire community. With our outreach program, students can see how school skills are used in the work force. Parents and partners share their expertise by bring real-world experience into our school and by taking our students out into the real world. Students learn the value of education as they work to enhance not only their own life but also those of others in our community. That is one of the wonderful things that have come out of our model of collaboration and partnerships. Collectively we have created a sense of community for our school, it is in fact the center of learning for not only our students but also their families. Innovative thinking at our school means that our community of learners looks for opportunities to learn and grow together in a multitude of meaningful ways. Math skills are more meaningful when used to calculate the amount of paint that is needed to paint the house of one of our elderly neighbors or the clubhouse at our local park, and the value of becoming involved with the people in our community in a significant way has created a sense of commitment and purpose for our students. Learning is relevant when students see how they can use it to help others; it brings meaning to their lives, and motivates them to work harder. Our teachers have embraced the principals of servant leadership as a means of helping our students and their families learn and grow to their full potential. But I cannot claim full credit for this, in fact, our collective vision has evolved through a process vested in collaboration, and shared leadership.

            Many teacher leaders have stepped up to move us towards becoming more socially conscious, all in an attempt to overcome many of the barriers that our students were facing. Driven by data and informed decision making, my staff is always seeking solutions rather than settling for excuses, and it has been this tenacious pursuit that has propelled us forward to the point that we are seeing learning gains beyond anything that anyone believed possible, everyone that is except for my staff. They have always set high expectations for all our students and have worked to help them achieve those goals.

            Key here is that fact that everyone in our “learning community” believes our students will grow to become productive members of our society. While every student is not destined to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer, everyone in a community plays a role. In our community that means that everyone: the facilities staff, cafeteria workers, clerical staff, paraprofessionals, parents, partners, clergy, everyone, plays a role in mentoring and serving as role models for our students. Each student has an adult that takes a special interest in his or her success, helping guide them, support them, encourage them, and show them the value of education. When students know that there is someone that cares that much about their success, it is empowering. When students see the adults in their world working together towards a common goal, they see the value of that behavior and they emulate it in the behavior. They work harder to make sure that they are not disappointing their teachers and their mentors, and as a result, their level of success has sky rocketed. The added benefit within our organization is that teachers see the value and benefits of the involvement of all these individuals and as a result the staff has developed such strong interpersonal relationships that it has created a united sense of solidarity; a “we are all in this together” mentality. This mentality has propelled individuals to a greater involvement in our school and throughout our community, which in turn creates more commitment. It is a wonderful cycle of involvement and respect.

            I know that many people will look at what we are doing and see us as the exception rather than the rule, but I truly believe that education has to continue to evolve in order to meet the changing demands of our society. As an instructional leader, I see my role as a facilitator of learning. By ensuring that my staff and community stays current with the latest research, by creating an error tolerant environment, my staff and students will feel comfortable being risk-takers. T.S. Elliot said, “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” I believe my staff is still figuring out how far we can go, and when we get there it will be incredible! Someday my time at this school will be done, when that day comes I know that the involvement and commitment here will continue so that our students and our community will continue to thrive. I believe that the model for collaboration we have begun is an example of what education can and should be, and that will be my legacy.

What would your perfect school look like... What are you doing to create it... What are we all doing to create it?

           

Personal Mission & Vision

I am nearing the end of the first phase of my leadership journey, that is the completion of my certification and endorsements that will qualify me to serve as an Assistant Principal in my district. The PROPEL Leadership program is a specially designed intensive program focused on training us to be change agents for our district, "Turn Around" leaders. Extensive training in leading change, building culture, learning how to capitalize on short term wins to make long term gains... reframing organizations. 

A year's worth of theories, Meta-analyses, high effect size strategies, Instructional leadership.

Names like: Hattie, Reeves, Marzano, Fullen, Drago-Severson, Northouse, Senge, Collins, Allison, McNulty, Robinson, Boleman, Deal, Whitaker. The Wallace report... the list goes on, and on, and on!

90-90-90 schools, 21st century Learning, Common Core, Florida Principal Leadership Standards

Being asked what we believe, what do we value as leaders, what are our "bone deep beliefs... those things that we would be willing to drop our keys on the desk and walk away if they did not exist...

This blog has been a digital reflection of my learning throughout the last year. Moving forward into Phase 2, I will continue to reflect on the next part of my journey, but for now I want to share one of the last tasks I was ask to do in this phase of the program. Below you will find my Personal Mission and Vision. It expresses those "Bone Deep Beliefs" they have been asking us to consider over the past year and it contains my hope for my future in leadership. Perhaps reading it will inspire some to take the leadership journey, perhaps it will remind others why they already took the journey, and perhaps it will simply give you hope for the future of education... because in the hands of those that I have worked with over the past year, we are committed to making a difference for those students that need us the most.

Good Luck to my fellow Cohort Members... May the passion and promise of the future burn bright in you always!

          My personal “Leadership Mission” focuses on my ability to combine leadership skills, intentions and actions in a way that can enhance the lives of others. But what does this mean? The word leadership conjures up as many meanings as there are individuals considering it’s meaning. It is a complex process; constantly evolving, and when implemented with sincerity and purpose, it has the potential to have a positive, dynamic impact on people. Leadership plays a significant role in the lives of every individual regardless of how it is defined.

            For me Leadership can best be broken down into three separate aspects: Skills, Intentions and Actions. Leadership Skills requires individuals to have both a conceptual understanding and a perceptual understanding. The conceptual understanding might also be called the science of leadership, that is, the knowledge of effective leadership strategies, an understanding of how to motivate individuals, and a familiarity with ways to support adult growth and development. The perceptual understanding might best be described as “soft skills,” that is those people skills necessary for building relational trust, the with-it-ness to respond in the moment, and the ability to “read” your audience so you know when your message is being well received.

            Leadership Intentions are more introspective and reflective. Leadership intentions are about core values, those things that define your character and your personal beliefs. One of my key leadership intentions is to be a life-long learner. I believe that we need to continue to take advance of opportunities to not only grow as individuals through reflective practices but we need to also help others reach their full potential. This type of servant leadership is central to my leadership intentions. I also believe it is important to maintain a professional demeanor, one in which I make ethical decisions, set high expectations, and take personal responsibility for my actions. Integrity, honesty, commitment, and passion are aspects of this professionalism and are essential to my core values.

            Finally, leadership takes action. I believe leaders need to have a strong voice for change. They need to support and encourage creative, innovative thinking by creating an environment in which individuals feel safe to take risks. Leaders need to recruit and maintain partnerships and involve all stakeholders in order to develop a framework for collaboration that will increase opportunities for success. Leadership action means that we seek solutions rather than settling for excuses, facing each challenge head on without allowing them to become barriers. Leadership action means that we set high standards; for ourselves and for everyone we work with. It means that we create the belief that anything worth doing is worth doing well… we find the right way not the easy way, and excellence is an expectation not an exception. When leaders take action, we ensure that everyone understands that they play a role in the success of the organization, their ideas, their input and their effort are required and valued.

            These three leadership aspects combined incorporate my personal values, those things that are of utmost importance to me as a person and as a leader. They make up the core of my personal “Leadership Mission.”

            My personal “vision” takes my mission and places it into the future. The vision manifested as a school leader would focus on my ability to create a framework for collaboration in which all stakeholders can work together to create a school that is central to the community, one in which high expectations lead to student achievement and personal growth. However, my vision for the future does not end as a school leader. I have always believed that my true calling is to impact education on a broader scale. My curriculum knowledge, ability to write, my innovative thinking, and my passion for education extends beyond the scope of a single school or even a single district. My vision for the future places me in a position to impact education at the state or national level. With a strong belief that our system needs to be reformed in a way that we are able to create a landscape where industry and education can come together to enhance opportunities for all students, where learning extends into the real-world, where classrooms no longer exist solely within the confines of a building, and where people of all ages come together to learn; my vision for my future in leadership places me in a position to provide innovative ideas that will change the way we learn for decades to come.