Empower 19 Conference – Baruti Kafele explained “mission” and everything that goes with the “mission” of a school. Here are the important terms that he outlined and how he explained each:
Mission – The mission is what dominates your thinking. Purpose – The purpose is your why. Vision – The vision is your where. For example, where will your school be in x amount of years? Value – The value is your worth. What is your value to your school? I then took each of those words and applied them to our dream – York Academy of Discovery: Mission – Our mission is to advocate on behalf of children through education. This is what dominates our thinking. How can we serve and advocate for children? We have done several things to begin this advocacy. Our blog is one way to give our views and opinions on issues that impact children. Our Facebook page provides information and uplifting shares pertaining to children and parents. This past school year, we volunteered at a school helping teachers in providing students with extra services to meet their needs. We have not given up the idea of developing our unique kindergarten and mentoring programs. Purpose – Why do we seek to develop York Academy of Discovery? We do so because we wish to make a difference in the lives of children. This is a part of our hearts and our faith. It is a way to serve our Lord. Developing York is a way to touch the lives of children and families. It is also a way to bring equity into the education of young children. Vision – Our vision is to develop and implement programs that meet the needs of young children. Where are we, and where will we be in the future? We have our website, our Facebook page, and our volunteer services. Our vision is still to implement a kindergarten program. This program would provide young children with a faith based program that gets children off to a successful school start and closes the achievement gap. Value – What is our worth to York? We believe in young children. We believe in early childhood development and education. We believe that we can provide “quality” experiences for low income children, English as a second language students, and others. We believe that giving children a faith based environment builds acceptance, unity, and hope. Thinking - Children first. BEcky Have you ever heard someone use these terms: my students, my classroom, my school, my district, my team, my family, my job, my people, my world…? If you have, you would be wrong in doing so, according to some leaders. They would like you to switch the word “my” to “our”. If you use the term “my”, you are seen as individualistic – not a team player, negative, not willing to collaborate…
OK – I get it. I am not stupid – I understand what you are saying. But can you understand what I am saying when I use the term my? Using the term “my” does not mean I that I do not want to collaborate. It does not mean that I don’t see the value of team. It does not mean that I don’t care about other students in other classrooms. Under my name on the class lists are the names of about 28 students. You have placed those students with me. So I take ownership of those children. I have a vested interest in those kids. If they are special education students with an IEP they are still my students. If they are English Language Learners that receive some assistance from ESL teachers – they are still my students. If they are gifted and talented students that receive additional services – they are still my students. If they are 504 students – they are mine. If they are general education students named under me – they are mine. I take ownership of these kids making sure that they are making progress, that they are safe (emotionally and physically); I advocate on their behalf; I talk with and work with their parents; I am aware of their needs; I know their strengths and weaknesses… If these students are with me for the majority of the day, it is imperative that I take this on – that I see these children as mine. I take responsibility for their growth and development during the school day. This is hard enough to do with a class of students. I cannot give this kind of energy to every student in the school – that is why you have classrooms and classes or groups of students assigned to teachers. A principal might say – “Well, I have all students’ best interests on my plate.” (Oops not my, but our.) It has been said time and time again, that the teacher is the number one indicator of student achievement in a school. It is because he/she is the one directly involved in working with the whole child. While the principal is important – the teacher is the one leading that classroom and that group of students. Saying “my” doesn’t mean I won’t help a student from another class – it simply means that I am giving my all to making sure these kids are “successful”. I make it my business to know the whole child. It is important that other teachers, such as special education and ESL, listen to my views and thoughts on a student and not dismiss my work with these students. Nor is it in the best interest of students for others to totally ignore my contribution to the education of these students. Is it considered teamwork when a classroom teacher is not invited or involved in meetings that pertain to the students in his or her classroom? As a past principal, it never bothered me when a teacher said "my" students. I saw this as indicative of a good teacher looking out for those students placed under her/his name. I wanted them to “own” those students, to consider them theirs. I even presented that to the staff, that they see these kids as their own – no matter what their ability, no matter what their race, no matter what their services.. I loved it when they looked at their students and said, “You are mine.” “I got you.” BEcky Are you a leader? As I listened to Baruti Kafele at the ASCD Empower 19 conference, I took notes on the questions he asked and points that he made. These are excellent thinking points for reflection on the part of leaders. These are also excellent questions for classroom teachers to contemplate. While Mr. Kafele spoke about leaders, I have included the classroom teachers. Good leaders and good teachers take time to look at their leadership/teaching and reflect:
Is serious thought and analysis a part of my philosophy and teaching? Can someone SEE my style? Fill in the blank – I lead/teach this way because ____________________. Who am I? Do I have a leadership identity? What do I represent? What does my leadership/teaching say to every teacher and every student? How do staff and students perceive me? What is the evidence to support their perceptions? When staff and students see me, do they see excellence? What message does my message to staff and students convey? What is the impact or influence of my leadership/teaching on the school or the classroom? Can others see the impact of my leadership/teaching without a leader/teacher being present? Do I matter in the lives of children? Who’s that leading the school or classroom; is it ME? Step back and watch yourself lead/teach; do you like what you see? Do I have my equity lens on? Remember equality and equity are not the same. None of us are perfect. Our questioning and reflection helps us to understand who we really are as leaders and teachers. Are we making a positive difference in the lives of others, especially students? BEcky “Be where the students are.” “Wherever students are that’s where I need to be.” Baruti Kafele explained the importance of interacting with students and teachers as a school leader. Good leaders are in the midst of students and learning.
After this Empower 2019 presentation, these words stuck with me: “Be where the students are.” Later I contemplated how I was no longer where the students are. Being in the midst of students was always my dream from little on. A sense of sadness enveloped me. My eyes teared up. My sense of purpose was gone – my life’s work no longer valued. I was no longer a teacher. “Be where the students are.” In my early years as a child, I was already a teacher. I was in the midst of children helping them to grow. I grew up in a family of eight children. Being the oldest girl, and second to the oldest of all the kids – I helped to care for and nurture my siblings. “Be where the students are.” I became a “real” teacher in high school. It was an actual paying job, teaching baton to many students and creating a baton corp from this group of students. During my years twirling, I competed on an individual level and was also the leader of a baton team and a baton corp. My own teacher had carefully taught me how to lead my peers. I used many of these lessons in my teaching. And I was always in the midst of my students as I taught. As I went on to become a classroom teacher, I saw my job as a calling. My calling required me to be in the midst of students. After all, the greatest Man to walk this earth did the same. Jesus knew he had to be in the midst of his “students.” His role required him to “be where the students are.” Lutheran teachers use Jesus as a role model and perfect example of what a teacher should be. He knew the needs of His people, was called “Teacher”, and loved even those who hated him and betrayed him. What a teacher! So that day, after listening to Mr. Kafele’s excellent presentation – I was sad. I was no longer where the students are. I had retired; I really hadn’t expected to retire – but circumstances necessitated the inevitable. The writing was on the wall. I had always been where the students were, even as a principal for 10 years. But I was also in a cage, fighting to be free – fighting for the needs of children. My voice no longer mattered and the needs of children were not put first and foremost. So it was that I went back to developing York Academy of Discovery. I contacted a few people instrumental in supporting York. York is an endeavor to be where students are. We use this platform to make a difference in the lives of young children. Working on York led me to being with students again. This past school year I was very thankful to Christa Isenburg and Stephanie Densford for going to bat for me to volunteer in their classrooms. I once again felt a sense of purpose and passion. I felt my calling once again. I don’t know what the next year holds. Will I be where the students are? Who knows? I do know that God has put a passion in my heart. My passion is to be where students are. May God use me and guide my passion to still make a difference in the lives of children. “Be where the students are!” BEcky Some Key Concepts from Craig J. Boykin’s presentation at the ASCD Empower 19 Conference:
The athletic trap does exist where black athletes become “Gods” but are failing in school. As we try to help students, consider: The head which is the academic piece; the heart which is the social emotional piece; Health – which is the physical piece, and the home. Take into account Maslow’s hierarchy where it is necessary to meet basic needs before optimum learning can take place. Relationships: “You must care about kids’ situations outside of the classroom or they don’t care about academics.” “Race has nothing to do with building relationships.” Teachers of all colors can and do reach students. Also remember that all relationships have disagreements. Make your actions match your words. Don’t ever disrespect a parent in front of the child. It’s a good example for teachers to apologize when they are wrong. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Some causes for lack of achievement: Lack of support at home – we can’t always expect help from the home. In these cases, the educational system has also failed the adults in the home. They are distrustful of schools and staff. Parents are sometimes not on the same page. Lowered expectations – we cannot baby students. Student motivation - “Students put up walls not to keep educators out, but to see which educators care enough to break them down.” Kids are in survival mode – when kids are just trying to survive, it is very difficult for them to learn. Learn versus unlearn – Some kids have developed bad habits. It takes ten times as long to unlearn some behaviors. Stress Discipline: On out of school suspensions – sending kids home is sometimes the worst place for them to be. Teachers send their power out when they send kids to another teacher. Remind students – “He who angers you, controls you.” Things teachers can do: Be real! Respect students and keep in mind some of the kids have been raised on – “Don’t let anyone disrespect you.” Provide relevance – help kids see the value in education and what they are learning. Resilience – after setbacks help students to recover quickly. Build those relationships. BEcky The reality of teaching is that being a teacher means so much more than just building a workforce. It is so much more than creating workers for businesses. Teachers already know all the facets involved in their jobs, and they teach anyway. In all my years serving as an elementary school teacher and as a principal, I have dealt with so many situations that were not in the career/college department. Here are just a few actual experiences:
Working with a young child in the classroom who was dealing with trauma from being shot in the foot. Visiting a former student at home and in the hospital that was diagnosed with leukemia. Later attending his funeral; he was in middle school when he passed away. Grieving with a young child whose mother passed away. The mom had been a weekly helper in our classroom, one of those mothers who helped wherever needed and valued education. She died suddenly and unexpectedly. Listening to students tell me that a family member was in jail. They missed them and loved them. I remember one student drawing a picture with a jail cell and her father in it. She was so excited because he was to be released that day. Comforting children as CPS would come to the school and investigate. Talking with CPS if they had to remove the child from the home, and asking that if at all possible that the child be allowed to remain at the school and not have to change schools. Through all the sadness of the situation we wanted to provide a sense of stability and consistency. CPS was always good at working with us. Valuing the needs of students who had a parent in the military, and who were far from home. There were tragedies such as a fire in the home, car accidents… A student coming into school crying because she saw her dad taken away by police for beating up her mom. Divorce Dealing with nasty custody battles - so many stories that could be shared. One story: Shortly after my family and I moved to a new state, I received a phone call from a parent from the previous state where I had taught asking me to testify in a custody situation. I did not want to be involved, but was then subpoenaed and was flown back to give a deposition. A child reporting that another student had shown him naked pictures. I called the other child into my office – the pictures were of his mom who was a stripper. Contacting CPS over reports of abuse. Working with and advocating for students who were English Language Learners - hearing some of their stories. Suicide of a family member. Students dealing with drug use in the home. Homelessness and making sure that kids were provided transportation to stay at the school. These are just a few of the experiences that teachers and schools deal with on a daily basis. My experiences cover many years, different states, different cities, different schools… So excuse me when it seems I don’t value business and creating a workforce that will meet their needs. I DO see this as ONE of the jobs of a teacher. Teachers are dealing with academic achievement, closing the achievement gap, safety, character, social-emotional well being… Career and college ready is one aspect of our job to prepare students for life. The reality of teaching is that we are doing so much more than just building a workforce for businesses. Sometimes I would go home and look at the reality of my day and feel so overwhelmed. But I would continue to go to school each and every day, hoping that my work would make a difference in the lives of children. The reality of teaching is that it is so much more than building a workforce. The reality of teaching is dealing with the whole child. BEcky “Swing a hammer at the status quo.” That was a message presented by Dennis Griffin & Paul O’Neill at the ASCD Empower 19 Conference. Being a leader is more than a title; it is action. How you engage in conflict defines your leadership. Conflict requires vulnerability and the desire to create change. Engaging in conflict has the potential to challenge and change the status quo. It requires ongoing questioning, listening, and reflection. Without relationships, you cannot have leadership. Help others fulfill their dreams and vision. Look at people not as problems but as possibilities. Do you know other people’s hopes, dreams, and struggles? To be successful with conflict, you must have trust. Yes!
As Griffin and O’Neill focused their talk on leaders, my mind went to classroom teachers. Teachers cannot be afraid to swing a hammer at the status quo nor should leaders be upset when they do so. We cannot be afraid of conflict. Someone posted about complaining and how complaining changes the brain. For sure – it is a change that is necessary if we are going to have change in the status quo. Complaining with conflict can be progressive. No complaining – no conflict makes for status quo forever. Nobody sees who we really are, our struggles, our battles… Status quo will not change without someone pointing out that “wrong” exists, and change will not occur without a form of conflict. So if we want our brains to not experience growth, then we continue with the way things are no matter the suffering that may be happening. Mandela, Ghandi, King… - they saw struggle and pain, they “complained”, they were part of the conflict – yet they swung a hammer at the status quo. They were “peaceful” and wanted the conflict to be handled in a “peaceful” way. But they did not back down from conflict. Their speeches could be considered by some to be complaining and whining. They swung the hammer anyway. They realized that without conflict – nothing would change. So they “fought.” What are classroom teachers asking? They are asking for leaders who understand their circumstances and their struggles. They are asking for leaders who acknowledge that without classroom teacher input and voice – education will not be changed for the better. Politicians and business can say they know how education can be improved. Everyone knows education except the very people in the classrooms. Teachers ask that leaders put aside their biases and begin to understand the real conflict. Show some vulnerability, and seek advice and counsel from “workers.” See the potential in this conflict to change the status quo – teachers are for change. Teachers just want to be a part of the change – they understand children and the education process. Teachers are asking for leaders who will allow questioning and who will listen even though your thoughts and ideas may be challenged. Teacher thoughts and ideas are challenged each and every day. Help teachers to fulfill their dreams and the dreams of their students. Preparing students for the workforce is only one aspect of our job. The job of the teacher also includes helping students to see that they can dream, they can hope, that they can overcome struggles, that they can trust once again… There is a distrust of leadership because there is no relationship. Our voices are shut down and belittled. Stop seeing teachers as a problem and begin to see them as partners. The classroom teacher is tired, tired of being told what to do every minute of the day, tired of endless frameworks, tired of everyone else knowing best, tired of people telling them to stop complaining, tired of standardization, tired that business and everything else is put above children, tired that we cannot fight in the best interest of students without being labeled as negative and as attackers… If we hope to have change that benefits children, the classroom teachers must swing a hammer at the status quo. Come into our classrooms, especially in schools in areas of poverty – see the trauma teachers deal with, see the struggles of our families, see the teachers and the hardships experienced in the classroom , see how our passions are lost in a sea of paperwork – rules – regulations, see how we pay for many of the things in our classroom, see how much time we spend on our work – see how even our family life may suffer because of this… See how we love what we do, how we love our children, and our desire to make a difference. See why teachers must swing a hammer at the status quo. Yes we will complain, we will experience conflict, we will swing a hammer at the status quo. How will you respond? Will you respond as a “true” leader? BEcky Without Conflict there can be no Leadership! At the ASCD Empower 19 conference, I was able to attend this presentation by Dennis Griffin and Paul O’Neill. Mr. Griffin & Mr. O’Neill pointed out that each day involves conflict – as a leader, you need to answer the call. Conflict brings great opportunities. Conflict is inevitable, don’t see it as a negative. Use conflict as a positive force to create opportunity.
Leaders should realize that conflict comes with the role. Great leaders know that what matters most is how you handle conflict. This idea goes along with what Dennis and Paul are saying. While their presentation dealt with leaders and conflict, I began to think about conflict and the classroom teacher. Generally, teachers do not like conflict. They tend to stay away from it. Some may even see conflict as being unproductive and the person “creating” conflict as negative and not being a team player. There may be a mentality that if questions or concerns are voiced, this is an attack. They don’t want to make waves. Teachers tend to be “peacemakers.” “Conflict in the traditional sense is messy and makes us feel uncomfortable.” Yet, it is important that we understand a teacher’s role in conflict and see how conflict can improve our classrooms, our schools, and our profession. When do we, as teachers, finally say enough is enough?! Give us back our voice. Give us back some creativity and flexibility. EVERYONE else tells us what to do and how to do it – from administration to parents to politicians, to businesses… Everyone is shouting orders and no one listens. It’s like teachers are “fools” with no understanding of children and how to run a classroom. It is very sad to see what is happening. All these orders actually provide us less opportunity to engage our students and to show our own passion for learning and for people. And teachers are hesitant. They are hesitant to “stir things up” – to instigate conflict even when it is in the best interest of a student or students. If the teaching profession had an oath, the oath would probably include something like this – “I promise to always put students first. I dedicate myself to serving children and to fight for their needs...” If we follow an oath such as this – there will be conflict along the way. We will not be able to avoid it. Conflict is necessary if we are to provide our students with the very best education. There will come a time the interest of the student or students are put aside for the interest of someone else or other entities. When will we say enough is enough? To others the conflict may seem minor and inconsequential, but as teachers we realize it is only the beginning. If we don’t take a stand now, the interests of others will be put above the interests of students. Employers say they want a particular type of worker. From my perspective businesses want different types and kinds of workers. We say we want to prepare children for the FUTURE work force. We no longer need the “factory” system. We need collaboration, teamwork, creativity… Yet, we turn around and implement standardization. We do exactly to teachers what we say we should not be doing with kids. We don’t allow teachers the very things we say we should be developing in workers. Teachers should not be seen as negative if they speak up and question. It is those very thoughts and questions that provide an opportunity to make things better – to improve solutions. Leaders need to allow such conflict. They need to listen. They need to think about what is being said and see this conflict as an opportunity to provide the very best for kids. It is an opportunity to improve what someone else thought was the “best” answer. Leaders are human and make mistakes. They don’t always have the best answers. We all need to use conflict in a way that provides voice and consideration. Good leaders realize that it is necessary to listen to stakeholders, especially those closest to the action. Teachers have been told to be quiet, to stop being negative, to be a part of the “team”… If there is no conflict – people are not growing (this includes leaders) and the best solutions will never arise. Enough is enough. The teaching profession is waiting for a leader who will finally shake things up, who will once again put students first, and will allow teacher voice to be heard on behalf of children. Enough is enough! Don’t be afraid of conflict. BEcky “No matter how dirty your past is, your future is still spotless.” This quote was shared with us by Basil Marin at the ASCD Empower 2019 conference. Words like this give hope to “unreachable” students. Marin says there are reasons for student disengagement in school: stressful home situations, education gaps, lack of cultural relevance & awareness, low self-efficacy, the curriculum… To engage students, Marin suggests that we respond with LOVE:
L – Listen to kids O – Observe them V – Value them E – Empower them Basil got me to thinking about teachers. “Hard to reach kids” gives us a window into the greatness of some teachers. I am always amazed when I see a teacher touch the heart of a child who is pushing everyone away and fights the learning process. These children often fight everything and everyone. They do not trust. Trust is the big word here. They will only begin to come around, when they begin to gain trust. And even when you think you have gained their trust, they will continue to test you. This is such a hard process. Even the great teachers become frustrated and discouraged. They come close to giving up. But the difference between a great teacher and an “ordinary” teacher – is the great teacher continues the battle even when the war seems lost. What does love in the classroom really mean?” When we deal with these kids who show little love for teachers and for learning, how do we instill in them a sense of purpose and caring? Marin has it right – we do it by loving them. That’s exactly what Christ did for His people. His people who denied Him, walked away from Him, betrayed Him, crucified Him – Jesus loved them in spite of it all. Some hearts were changed forever – others were not. Teachers love and teach their students, sometimes not seeing the outcome of their work. They continue to work in the best interest of students not knowing the impact they will one day have on the lives of their students. They often work in a state of “faith.” Teaching with love means you do your best with students knowing that you may not see the end result. Love also means caring enough to take action. We may feel sorry for the student, but we must continue to have high expectations. As we love them – yes, we hold them accountable. We show love and caring, yet we also mold the mind and the character. Otherwise – they are still lost. Love is not enough. Or better yet, LOVE shows kids that we care enough to shape them into people who can contribute to society in a meaningful way. We don’t want our “hard to reach” kids to "fail" in life. We want them to see the beauty inside themselves and to see their potential. So we give them a kind of love that accepts who they are, where they came from, and we work to give them a brighter future – a future filled with hope. We must help them understand that the love we give them doesn’t mean they will never suffer again. It doesn’t mean that they won’t have any more struggles or failures. The love we give them shows them that there is hope when all seems lost. There are people who love them. If one has chosen wisely, “true” friends will be there to support them and love them in their good moments and not so good moments. Our love helps them to trust once again – a trust that knows someone cares and they can risk loving others too. As great educators have said so many times – real learning begins with relationships. It begins with LOVE, a love that takes action! BEcky |
AuthorBecky Kischnick |