Educational Discourse

Schools are beginning to reawaken after a summer siesta – in North America and parts of Europe anyways. I’m still three weeks out from starting day and in the midst of a major house reno so I’m not really thinking too much about school although it has drifted across my vision a few times. The work on the house has taken me away from my pre-summer attachment to the “Wrinkled world” and I’ve found that it has been refreshing to do other things. Having said that, I have noticed a recent trend in the Twitter talk of late. It seems that many of the educators are not really looking forward to their first day sessions with motivational speakers and the like.

Why Motivation?

When I put out the question regarding what might my subject be for this post, I received this response:

Maybe you could write about why we are subjected to motivational non-education speakers the first few days of inservice?

The light bulb went off. Why indeed. What is the reason for having educators listen to a motivational speaker on the first day of school? In my limited experience, teachers don’t need motivation to start the year. If anything, they need something about February or March. However, what is even more interesting is why there seems to be a universal truism that teachers need to listen to non-educators during these times. What is the reason for bringing in people outside the educational sphere? Do they have something that educational speakers lack? Is there a lack of “good” educational motivational speakers?

With the question now smoldering in the back of my mind, I went back to my house renos. I do quite a bit of thinking while I’m renovating and the next few hours had me pondering this whole idea of the need for motivational speakers from outside the educational realm. And the more I thought about it, the more it perplexed me to why we’re not listening to another educator of some sort. Do we really need that motivation to begin our year? Do we need the slogan to carry us through the year? Aren’t teachers some of the most motivated people around? Or….

are the years of public bashing of education and educators taking their toll. We continue to see teachers shortages all over with it getting worse not better. We lack the presence of male teachers in elementary settings and, it seems, it is beginning to be a worry in the middle and high school setting also. We see new teachers trying the profession for a few years and moving on. Is there indeed a lack of motivation in educators? Or is this a perceived lack that really isn’t true?

As a leader in a relatively small school, I am able to talk with the teachers about such things as PD and the first day sessions. Now, it’s not that they don’t think that this time together with other teachers from other schools isn’t good but, because it is at the beginning, some feel it would be better spent at the school doing things that are priority for those in the building. They feel that working towards building a great start to the year might be the best motivation of all. They want to  have things ready for that first day with students, wanting to set a particular tone that will carry them through the year. To them, that is motivational.

Maybe we’re trying to hard to bring the corporate world into the schools by offering these first day motivationals. We see places like Toyota and Wal-Mart brining in motivational speakers for their employees. However, with the number of talented people who work in a building, maybe we could find a way to tap these talents to offer an in-house motivational day, setting a tone for the year, an expectation of what could be and where we can go together. What if we did this with the kids the first day? What if, instead of starting right into the year, we began with a motivational day for students? What type of reaction would we get? What if parents were invited to come to the day at the school and teams of teachers were to give “motivational” sessions on a variety of topics? Could we mix students and parents? Could it be we need to reevaluate our purpose for the first day sessions? Bringing someone in to motivate teachers might be less effective than providing the other partners with motivation for the school year. I wonder if the SRC would be willing to lead a motivational set for parents?

No Lack of Motivation

As I see it, teachers are usually motivated for that first day. They are wanting to start the year and begin to set the course for the upcoming days. They are there because they want to be there and want to help students. They are motivated to do and to try. They don’t lack motivation – those that do don’t last long and no amount of motivational speaking will change that. During a time when education seems to taking some serious heat about student test scores and student achievement, is it really necessary to bring someone from outside education to motivate the educators?

Your Motivation

So, what is your motivation? Do you need motivating in some way? Does your staff? If asked, would you be able to put together a day that would inspire and motivate the people in your building? Do you know where there is a need for motivation? As leaders, we have the responsibility to the staff, students and parents in our school communities to make sure that each group is motivated. If we see one, or part of one, group that is not motivated, can we provide that “motivational day” that will light the spark?

Well, back to the renos. I have a whole set of cupboard doors to work on. What’s my motivation for this? Knowing that, at the end, someone I love will be happy. That motivation, in a sense, is what we do at schools. It’s not the monitary rewards or other things that gets me to go to school. It’s knowing that, maybe, someday, what I am doing today will impact these students a some point in their lives. When and how I have no idea. Just as these renovations really won’t change the monetary value of the house a whole lot in a small town but, seeing how the people in my house enjoy their new surroundings and spending time doing the work, hoping that time will influence them some time in the future, that’s the motivation. The final product will be nice but the act of doing is what is important.

This year, as I begin to prepare to head back to school, I’m focusing on the actions of what I do and paying attention to the journey. So, what’s motivating you?

When you watch children play on a playground for a while, you soon can tell those who are at the center of the play groups and those who are on the outside. Those on the outside would really like to play and take part but they know that no matter how much they try to get into the main group of play, they won’t be able to unless someone from the “group” invites them. Now, once in the play group, they are not really part of the group. As soon as they do or say something that upsets one of the “group” they again join the outsiders looking in and usually someone else takes their place. This continues over time as the main group remains pretty much intact, unless someone moves in and can meet the criteria. Those children on the outside desperately want to play and be part of the group. So much so that, at times, they’ll turn on other children on the outside just to prove they can be like the main “group”.

Now this type of thing doesn’t stop as the children get older, it just morphs into other types of “playground” settings like the hallway, the rink, the park or any place that children gather and then places where adults gather. As an administrator, I’ve been involved in a number of scenarios similar to the above that have created hard feelings and problems. It is very difficult when a parent comes to you to discuss their child knowing that the child isn’t one of the “in” group but just wants others to leave them alone and treat them with respect. As a parent, I’ve had to watch as one of my own children has played on the outside and not been included. Thank God she has an incredible sense of something because this has not altered her love of school, feelings for other people and her genuine love for others. She seems oblivious, most of the time, to what the others are doing as she and one of her playmates play together. We hope that as she grows older, she’s now 10, she’ll not lose that gift of genuine caring.

Making a leap to the adult world, we seem to kind of experience this phenomenon in the blogosphere. It’s not exactly the same. People are not “excluded” on purpose. No one goes around telling people they can ”blog today.”  There are a few major names that come to mind whenever the conversation begins about education and web2.0 this is not wrong or any different than any group of which I have been a part. A reference by them or a link will send others your way. Of course, you have to have the writing and the content to keep them.

When I first began blogging, I was hoping to see my contacts and conversation grow by leaps and bounds but that didn’t happen. In fact, it has taken a long time to build relationships with a few bloggers and share in the mutual blog reading and commenting. I still try to visit the blogs of people who comment because, well, there aren’t 100’s of them and so I figure I should give them the courtesy. Of course, I wanted to be one of those who was at the forefront but, somewhere along the line, it didn’t happen. I didn’t become one of those “name droppers” that were mentioned and joined.  In hindsight, that’s probably good.

Through the summer I’ve come to realize that I don’t need to post every day. I have a big job ahead of me as I try to introduce the staff and students to the usefullness of these tools and try to enhance the functionality of administrators through these tools. I can write for myself despite the fact that it will sometimes rub others the wrong way. I can always comment back to anyone commenting – there aren’t that many!

I will continue to post as a teacher and administrator who doesn’t just find the tools fascinating but as someone who uses them daily in order to save time, delineate information in an expeditious manner, ensure contact with parents and students, communicate with staff, students and parents and improve my teaching and administration capabilities. I will continue to work with my teachers, I’m the IT person for the school, in developing and enhancing their use of these tools to help organize themselves and enhance the learning of students. I will assist the teachers to build their programs using new tools in order to help our students develop 21st century skills. I will continue to look for teachers who are interested in making connections using these tools and try to bring students together in unique and educational ways.

It’s not that I won’t join in the great conversations that take place but I won’t be tied to my reader or worry about “the one that got away” because there will always be another one. Right now, I’m working on renovating our house. I’ve spent 4 days repairing and repainting and have a few days left. I enjoy this as it is something totally different from my usual work. After nearly 2 weeks of no technology, I’ve realized that, like tv, which I don’t watch, I can still do my job and completely function without being locked into the various “tools” that are being used. I’ve been able to spend time doing other things, knowing that life is full of choices and it’s not the talents or gifts we are given but the choices we make in using them.

To those who visit regularly, thanks for your comments and input. I hope to continue sharing comments and ideas through the year. For those who visit, thanks for visiting. Maybe sometime soon, you’ll leave a comment and we can begin a new conversation. As for “playing” with the others, maybe some of us will be invited but, if not, we can’t lose the gifts we have and we can share them with the few who visit.

 Image 1 – www.dexh-es.eu.dodea.edu    Image 2 – http://kaslovisitorguide.com/pics/winter1.jpg Image 3 – http://www.olegnovikov.com/gallery/whatsnew/summer.jpg

Well, I’ve been tagged by Janet Cleary. Thanks Janet.

First, the rules:

First, the Rules:
1) Post these rules before you give your facts
2) List 8 random facts about yourself
3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged

Okay, 8 random facts, hmmm.

1. I am the eldest of 3.

2. I have 7 children

3. I’m a NY Islander fan

4. I owned a painting company.

5. I broke my collarbone and separated my shoulder playing junior hockey.

6. I’m a Science Fiction fan

7. I shoot left-handed.

8. I’m a Christian

 Now, I’m suppose to tag eight more people -

Susan Funk, Donna Desroches, Bud the Teacher, missprofe, Glen Mosses, Brian Saxton, Trevor Smith, Kim Cofino

Communication.

It’s something that most people don’t usually think about and when they do they believe they’re pretty good at since, well, it’s how the world moves. In the f2f world, spoken communication is only one way we get a message. The body language of the person,  tone of voice, inflections, speed of speech and other contexts impact what is being said and what is being received/interpretted. It’s something that I work on continuously in  my role as principal and educational leader. How people perceive I am listening to them has a huge impact on the relationship that develops. Especially with students, their need to have you listen BEFORE you speak has a huge impact on how the situation will develop. Speaking is only a small part of communicating. This is one area that needs to be addressed in our educational systems.

As a leader in my school and within my division, I have worked on body language and listening skills so that people know I am listening to what they have to say. It was a director with whom I worked who very bluntly pointed out that, although I listened, I didn’t have the greatest listening posture. It didn’t matter that I was paying attention or that I did listen to what was being said, my posture was sending out another signal. From then on, I have worked on conveying the message that I am interested in the person that is speaking and what they have to say. Of course, I sometimes slip but at least I know when that is happening. Good communication requires that one’s effort in listening matches that of the speaking. Often, we are wording a response or thinking of a rebuttle or reviewing our grocery list instead of focusing on what they other person is saying.

This all changes in a world where we are more and more networked with less f2f communication. Even within my own school, the use of email and electronic calendars has reduced the need for people to meet f2f.  With students, I’ve been using more and more web2.0 technology which means that communication with them sometimes takes the form of conversations via network and not f2f. In fact, during the NECC and BLC conventions, both of which I was unable to attend, I was able to skype into a few sessions and read about them on a number of blogs. I didn’t get the f2f version and, I believe, lost much of message because of not being able to see what was happening. The whole way we communicate changes when we eliminate the ability for others to see our facial expressions, posture and hear our inflections. We must rely on the word on a page to deliver our message.

Discussions on communication have been cropping up lately in a number of places. In Greg Farr’s post about change one can sense the passion that Greg has for doing this. His turns of phrase and the intensity with which he proclaims his desires for next year come across as he explains his vision and where he wants to go. In another great set of posts,Kim at  G-Town Talks focuses on her move from being a principal to an assistant-superintendent. Her posts deal with how she feels about the new position and the reaction of her community and her own self-discussions. Again, you can sense her struggle as she decides to move on to this new position.  Greg Mosses has been discussing the changes he is going through as he moves into an assistant principal position and his dealing with distance learning. Greg highlights his apprehension and insights within his new environment. Christian Long of ThinkLab has decided that, with his move back to the classroom, he will switch his blogging site for this new stage of his career. His post on this decision and the comments that ensued are a great example of how the connections within the new social environment are impacting educators on a variety of levels. Christian also has a great post on the use of Twitter and his decision to not look at it for the classroom. I’m with him on that one. Although I do enjoy twittering away a few moments now and then, just because it’s cool doesn’t mean we have to use it. Dean Shareski has another post about RSS and how many of us who are using the web2.0 tools would like to see particular people blog as we tend to get most of our information via this format.

With all this happening, I began to think about being a leader and how my leading will evolve as people, teachers especially, begin to use social networks to a greater extent. How will sites like Facebook and MySpace or sites within closed environments impact how we interact as professionals? How will our role as leaders evolve within this new social network? What impact will the social networks have on teachers and, in turn, principals as they navigate these new networks? How do leaders ensure that information and communication doesn’t get lost or misinterpreted through these various networks of communication?

Three factors that I notice impact the manner in which communication just doesn’t work in a networked environment. As a leader and someone who uses network communication a great deal, this has become as important as the body language during f2f meetings. The first one that writers should be aware of is that some things just don’t transfer well to this type of communication, satire and irony being two that I find don’t make the transfer. It’s not that one can’t use the two, but it is hard to tell how one is suppose to read the comments. Some writers tend to use it but don’t get it when it is directed towards them. I would forgo using either unless you can take as well as give.

 A second factor in this type of communication is how you word your posts and comments. It seems that there are some people who make it their quest to constantly be the the opposing side/devil’s advocate. Although this is okay some of the time, using it too much can cause communication problems. It’s good to have an opposite view but, as in f2f, too much negativity isn’t good. You don’t have to agree with all that is written but be aware of how you give voice to your disagreement. Remember, you are not there to explain your words. 

A final factor is the type of language one uses. Trying to demonstrate your language knowledge through the vocabulary you use may seem like a way to show your stuff but it will turn many a reader away.  This doesn’t mean you dumb down things but, instead, use language that won’t leave people going “Huh?”

Communication.

In education it is becoming more important as we struggle to stay abreast of the latest technology and remain focused on the student and their needs. Greg Farr’s post is one of the best step-by-step looks at how he, as a leader in his school, is planning on focusing on specifics and bring direction at a time when there is so much going on in education. I appreciated Greg’s open and honest reflections and his explanations. I especially like that he outlined how he was hoping to communicate with his staff. As a leader we really need to focus on this. As teachers, we must realize that there are multiple modes of communication available and we should be striving to use the best one for what it is we are doing with our students. We also need to reexamine how we want students to communicate with us. I know that I will be exploring this in my upcoming class. The paper hand in assignment just doesn’t seem to fit in a class called Communication Production Technology.

Communication – it’s not as easy as it sounds.