Our first year of implementing Leader In Me was exciting and could be felt, heard and seen throughout the building. Staff was excited making the visible changes in our building. Students were excited to have leadership roles. All of us were learning the 7 habits together and implementing them in our own lives as well as in our classrooms and hallways. The language of leadership was being heard in our school and our students were taking it to their homes. Our students were presenting to the school board, and Leadership Day left us all in awe of our students.
This year we continue our implementation of Leader In Me and our pursuit of being a Lighthouse School. However, we are faced with different challenges. How do we maintain the same level of excitement when the changes aren't as drastic and noticeable? How do we possibly duplicate last year's Leadership Day? How do we move to a new level of implementation and higher understanding of the the Habits? How do we continue the conversations with our students and in our homes and theirs? I believe that although the change may not be as noticeable or as drastic in year two, the implementation and teaching of the 7 Habits has the potential to make life long impact on our students day by day and year by year.
When we chose to pursue Leader In Me at our school and implement the 7 Habits, we knew this was not a one year and done "program". We knew these skills and habits would be crucial for our kids and could make all the difference for them as they move beyond Parma Elementary School. I remember our first meeting when we discussed whether or not this was something we wanted to pursue. I remember the comments about this is why we all went into education. We want our students to be productive, happy, successful. For some of our kids, math may be their strength, for others it may be science or technology or reading or writing. We want all of our students, regardless of their field, to be able to work with others, to problem solve and find a win win, to listen and seek to understand, to be in charge of their own lives and take responsibility, etc.
Seek 1st to Understand
We need to make sure our students continue getting lessons on the habits each week. We need to make sure our students hear and understand the habits on a regular basis to the point that it just becomes part of our daily operation. "Lead Time" in every classroom a couple times each week is one way to continue this conversation. Lead time may be a story you read with your class or a video you watch that talks about one aspect of leadership or one of the 7 Habits. This can be a 15 - 20 minutes blocked out in the day a couple times each week, but I believe it needs to be intentional. This is a time when we are intentionally discussing Leadership and the 7 Habits. I will continue doing this in assemblies as well. I love the discussions we have after watching a video or reading a book on Wednesday mornings. I know how powerful that conversation can be in your classroom.
The images on this blog are samples of some things you could read or talk about during a Lead Time lesson. Stand In My Shoes is a great book to share with students and talk about seeking first to understand. The circle of influence or control is a great discussion to have with students as they look at what is inside and outside their control. What kind of person would our students choose to lead? The picture of Stella at the top of this blog is one of my favorite pictures sent to me by her mom last year during spring break. She shared with me the history of this spot. On the night of the MLKj assassination, RFK was in Indianapolis on a campaign stop. At this corner he got on the back of a flatbed truck and implored the people of Indianapolis to live the dream. To not react to the murder in violence but instead in peace. Indianapolis was one of the few major cities which 45 years ago today did not erupt in violence. MLKj and RFK working together one last time. Stella's mom wrote to me, "This is what Leadership looks like. " What a great conversation starter for some of our classrooms.
Check out the Leader in Me Online site for ideas for your classroom. Look at pinterest. Type in Leader In Me in google and then select images. You will be amazed at how many ideas are out there. Please share books, videos, ideas with each other as you find some that work well during Lead Time. Let's keep the conversation going with our students as we continue to LEARN, LOVE and LEAD Together!
Over break I was able to watch a few movies. Some were high action, some gave me nightmares, some were gushy love stories. One made me think a great deal and led me to a little research and reading on Steve Jobs and his success at Apple. The movie, Jobs, with Ashton Kutcher chronicles the
journey of Steve Jobs and the development of his vision for Apple Computers. (I bought the DVD if you would like to borrow it.) There were four things I really took from the film: vision, passion, a culture of excellence and having a powerful team. These are the same things we talk about at Parma Elementary. I believe these are just as important in our school as they are in Apple or any other organization.
When asked about his feelings on Apple surpassing Microsoft in market evaluation, Steve Jobs said that it was surreal, but that "it doesn't matter very much, it's not what's important, it's not what makes you come to work in the morning, it's not what makes any of our customers buy our products." He goes on to say that "...it is good to keep that in mind and to keep in mind what we are doing and why we are doing it." Does this scream MEAP or Standardized Test Scores to anyone else? Having our students
score well on standardized tests is fantastic, but it isn't what any of us went into education for. Preparing our students to take these tests isn't what makes us excited about coming to work every day. I dare say that having high test scores isn't what gives our parents the greatest pride and faith in our school. Yes, we have to keep in mind the outcome of high achievement and test scores, but it is most important to keep in mind that we have a far greater responsibility to our kids and our community than just how they perform on a test.
When Jobs went back to Apple, which was 90 days from bankruptcy, he was surprised to discover that there were still very good people working there, "miraculous people" Jobs called them. He asked them, "Why are you still here?" The reply he got was, "....because I bleed in six colors." This was the old 6 color Apple logo. This meant to Steve Jobs that they loved what Apple stood for, and he says because of that, they all wanted to work that much harder. There are many challenges in our job as there were for the employees of Apple in the early days. There have been other job opportunities in our district and county. We are still here! I have to believe it is because we believe in the mission of Parma Elementary School, we believe in the mission of Western School District, we believe in each other, and we believe in our kids. Yes, our students can be challenging. There are factors we cannot control, but we come to work every day determined to make a difference. One of the employees of Apple said that it is because of those challenges that Apple enables you to do "the best work of your career." I hope you find that you are able to do the best work of your career in your role at Parma Elementary. Let those challenges push us to be our best!
It has been said that Steve Jobs had an obsession with detail, but Steve's point was not an obsession about detail, though he certainly had that, it was about "Building a culture that doesn't tolerate defect as its starting point of design." He had a staircase redone twice in the Apple building because he didn't like its design. He had the tiles laid three times in the men's bathroom because two tiles were askew. He believed every aspect of the company from the tiles in the bathroom, to the building to each employee to each product had to portray and strive for a culture of excellence and perfection. It was this obsession to detail, this intolerance to any defect, this passion for perfection and the ability to build a strong team that created such a successful company. Walk in our school and notice....what does it look like, feel like, sound like? Is this consistent with our mission and vision? Does it portray the pursuit of excellence at every corner? Does every team member contribute to a culture of excellence? Though perfection isn't realistic because we are people working with children, and we are not perfect, the pursuit of excellence, of greatness is always very realistic.
Common Core challenges us and our students to problem solve, to develop higher order thinking, to develop strategies and skills to think deeper, to create. While watching the story of Steve Jobs and how he constantly strived for better, for the next best thing, I couldn't help think about how we are challenged to get all of our kids to think in such a way, to want to find out more, to seek deeper knowledge. In common core, there are no limiting factors placed on the nature of advanced work. Steve Jobs thought beyond limits. He did not let limits stop him from imagining what could be and from creating something better. We want our students to be deep thinkers and problem solvers. They need practice and experience in problem based learning. Basic skills are not enough. We have to help kids know how to take those skills, like Jobs took the basic computer design, and go deeper and think beyond the limits, beyond the current reality.
Our job is challenging, but I also hope you will find it exciting and rewarding. I hope you always know why you are still here! I hope you see the role you have in the lives of our kids and their future. I am so thankful YOU have chosen to be here!
Next Week at A Glance:
Monday, January 13th: 1:1 Tech Leadership meeting at 1:00
Monday, January 13th: 6:00 p.m. District Spelling Bee at CAC
Wednesday, January 15th: Grades 3 - 5 Assembly and Collaborative Teacher Meeting
Thursday, January 16th: 6:30 p.m. School Board Meeting
Friday, January 17th: 8:00 Staff Meeting - Discussing section 1 and 2 Smarter Charts
I know it is no surprise how excited I was with a Spartan victory at the Rose Bowl. I'm pretty sure every student in our school knows that I am Green and White all the way! Needless to say, The Rose Bowl and New Year's Day were pretty exciting for me and many other Michigan State fans. After the game, I began to realize all the lessons we can learn from the Spartans. It is not often I get to use my favorite team in a blog, so get ready to see a lot of Green and White!!
Lesson 1: Begin with the End in Mind - The Importance of a Vision -
Dantonio visited California in the Spring before the season started, and he walked out on the Rose Bowl field in Pasadena. His daughter video taped him talking to his players about this being the field they would play on at the end of the season. That was the "end in mind"....getting to the Rose Bowl. He tells his players on the video that this is where they will make it happen, that they will be the ones. Every practice, every decision, every call, every game was leading to this vision. Believing that they were the ones to make it there allowed the "underdogs" to not only make it to the Rose Bowl but to win the Rose Bowl. Our mission and vision of every child being passionate learners, kind, caring and loving individuals, and strong leaders can and should guide us in everything we do. I loved Dantonio's answer at the end of the game when he was asked what he was most proud of. His response, "Completion".
Coach Dantonio shows the team the 1988 Rose Bowl plaque on the outside of the stadium.
This is a card Mike Sadler got from Dantonio the day after he committed to MSU. He had a vision. Mike Sadler did punt in the Rose Bowl this week!
Lesson 2: It is all about the people and the process - It's not just about "winning" -
Former Spartan head coach George Perles, who led the Spartans to the 1988 Rose Bowl win over USC, and Coach Dantonio.
A quote from the Lansing State Journal about Dantonio sums up his success as a coach, "Dantonio is successful because of how he determines success. Not ignoring wins and losses, but understanding they're a result of people. He is first in the people business. Then the football business." Dantonio states that he determines success by how people feel when they leave his program. He goes on to say, "If it's all about winning, it's going to, I think, take you over the edge at some point. So I've tried to really formulate our success on the basis of those things. Winning becomes as a product of that....People see the product. They don't understand and don't see the process." Dantonio says that when his guys leave MSU, he wants them to be Spartans forever.
I believe a strength of our school is that we are first in the child business. Then the curriculum business. If it's all about test scores, it's going to take us "over the edge at some point." We can't and don't ignore our scores or our data, but our primary focus is each child, the whole child. People will see the product....our test scores as they are published in the paper and online. What they won't see is the day to day process that makes all the difference in the world not only in our test scores but more importantly in the lives of our kids. How we make our students feel every day is so important, so critical in how we achieve our vision and mission of learning, loving and leading. I want every child who leaves our school to step forward with pride and say they are a Parma Student.
Lesson 3: It takes a team....It takes a Village -
I don't think there is one athlete on the field who would not acknowledge the impact the crowd had on
the game. Beginning with the pep rally of more than 27,000 fans who came out to cheer on the Spartans to the roars in the crowd throughout the game including the last defensive stop to end the game. Watch the video and listen to the crowd, the support behind the team:
Imagine that game if the entire stadium had been in red and cheering for Stanford. One of the statements that was made after the game was from Dantonio and the players thanking Spartan Nation. We don't have press conferences or publicized interviews, but there are things we can do to involve, to thank, to include and acknowledge the importance of our families, our village. It takes all of us, the entire team. We first have to support each other. We are a team, and there is nothing that we do in our school that does not affect each other. Not one of these men could have won the Rose Bowl without the rest of these men:
Take a look at the coin toss. Do you notice a difference between the two teams? Look closely.....
MSU is arm and arm, connected, together, ONE! There are times we need to join arms. We are stronger together.....that is a given, and I can honestly say that there is not a better group of people I would rather link arms with in teaching kids the value of learning, loving and leading!
We have an amazing Team and a supportive Village. Let's do everything we can to involve them in our mission and vision for our kids and our school.
Lesson 4: Motivation, Passion, and Belief-
I can't watch this video without getting chills. Okay, maybe it's because I'm a Spartan fan, but I believe we can all learn about the importance of motivation and showing a desire and a belief in who we are and what we can accomplish. There are so many statements and lessons throughout this video including laying a foundation, having something to prove, having to work for it, overcoming setbacks, it is only inches that separates Champions, and maybe my favorite.....you have to be willing to CHASE IT, to work for it!
With Max Bullough suspended for the game, 5th year senior, Kyler Elsworth, had to step in on defense for his first start and play in the Rose Bowl. I'm sure everyone knows the outcome.
After the game, Elsworth was interviewed about his role in the game, especially that last play. He said that he knew coming in that he had the support of his coaches and that they believed in him. He also mentioned the support of his teammates.
We have to let our kids know we believe in them. We believe in their ability to succeed. We have to share our desire for learning, for reading, for being the best we can be. We have to continuously motivate our kids to want it, to chase it, and to know they can do it. Lesson 5: Leading By Example - The Right Thing to Do is always The Right Thing to Do -
I will admit that when I heard Max Bullough had been suspended for breaking a team rule, I could not believe it. I admire Coach Dantonio for his decision, and I am sure it was not an easy thing to do. I don't know what rule was broken, and I have come to realize that it doesn't matter. It was a team rule, and Bullough broke a rule. Dantonio stood by the consequence for breaking a team rule.....even though it meant Bullough would be out for the biggest game of the season....The Rose Bowl. I found this statement from Bullough much earlier in the season to be somewhat ironic considering his current situation: "For me, as much as anything, he's been an example. Someone I can look at and just really watch, see what he does, see how he acts. Coach D is a guy who will stand up here and he'll shoot you straight, tell you what the right thing is to do and do that, because it's the right thing to do, not because you guys like it, not because ESPN likes it, not because Mark Hollis likes it, do it because it's the right thing to do."
We lead by example every day. Our kids are watching and listening our parents are watching and listening. We can be examples of how to treat others, how to respond to others, how to be lifelong learners, how to handle difficult situations. We can model problem solving, critical thinking, integrity, kindness. We can demonstrate leadership, being proactive, preparation and planning and having a vision. We can show kids every day that doing the right thing is always the right thing.....even if it's the Rose Bowl.
Lesson 6: Hard Work, Practice and Preparation -
Nothing comes easy. Coach Dantonio acknowledged that they had some setbacks along the way and had some kinks to work out. The players talked about the hours of practice and watching game tapes of their opponent. There were injuries, long practices, team meetings, huddle after sweaty huddle getting ready for each game, each play. The payoff is a championship. The payoff is "Completion" of a vision.
Having a vision for what we want our kids to learn and accomplish each year, each quarter, each unit, each day is only part of the process. In order to make that a reality, it takes a great deal of planning and preparation. There is not one day or one lesson that does not deserve our planning and preparation. If it doesn't, it is a lesson we need to get rid of. I am sure Coach Dantonio entered not only every game but every practice with a plan. Why? Because he had a vision, and it is the right thing to do! I believe that he modeled so much more for his team than just how to win a football game. I believe that each practice he modeled hard work and the importance of preparation. What are we modeling each and every day? Do our kids see that we care enough and have a strong enough vision to prepare, plan and buckle down with them?
Lesson 7: Celebrate and Lift Each other Up -
In an article earlier in the season, Dantonio talked about celebrating in the locker room after every win. He stated that wins are hard to come by and that you have to celebrate every one. The Spartans, even Coach Dantonio, dance in the locker room after every win, and this season it has been to Rich Homie Quan's "Some Type of Way". Watch the post game celebration below. You will even see MSU President, Lou Anna Simon, celebrating with a dance move or two.
It is easy to lose sight of our every day victories and get lost in the struggles that we face day in and day out. Those victories don't come easily, and we need to remember to celebrate them along the way and to celebrate each other and lift each other up. Our kids also need to be celebrated on a regular basis....in big and small ways. It may be with a pat on the back, a "job well done", a Parma Praise, or a postcard at Wednesday assembly. Let's not forget to celebrate our success, our small steps and big leaps, our victories along the way. Let's DANCE!
Final Lesson: What is our Rose Bowl? It isn't test scores or report cards. Our Rose Bowl is what our students do with their lives after leaving Parma Elementary School. It is the type of person they each become and how they treat others. Every step along the way is important, every grade level, every lesson. Just as every practice and every game leading to the Rose Bowl led to the Spartan victory. What we do every day leads to "completion" for our kids. Let us do everything we can to help them become the best they can be! Our Rose Bowl is the student who comes back as a successful adult to say thank you.....or even the one we never hear from again but know that he or she has made it and is making a difference in this world.
