Test Time End-in-Mind

The big tests are next week for my kids.  Math is Monday and Reading is Tuesday.  I cannot guarantee that every one of my students will pass these tests.  In preparation for the tests, I cannot say that I have scientifically broken down the identified objectives and systematically formed small group learning activities to strengthen those objectives.  I have done this a little bit, but it has definitely not been the most important thing in our classroom.  I cannot say that I have focused the last three weeks on last-minute test preparation.  These tests are not the end-in-mind in my classroom.

I can tell you that my students talk about the things they read almost every day this year.  They analyzed good pieces of writing for author's purpose.  They made connections to their readings.  They wrote critically about the things they read.  They wrote their own pieces using author's tools and tricks they encountered and discussed.  In math, they collaborated to find solutions.  They solved problems multiple ways.  They proved their solutions were accurate.  Oh, and they did a TON of mental math.

How will they perform on the test?  They will be fine.  Some will do wonderfully.  All will try their best.  The kids who didn't pass the test last year may pass it this year.

Yes, I want them to do well!  I know each child wants to pass and do well.  Their families want them to do well.  The campus folks want them to pass (or better.)  The district wants them to pass or better.  The community wants the campus and district numbers to look good.  No one is cheering for mediocrity or worse.

However, ask anyone what they want from public school education and they never start with, "Great test scores."  They always talk about graduates that can solve problems, communicate well, and perform well on a team.

When the test comes around, take it seriously.  At all other times, keep your desired end in mind at the front of your lesson design!

Getting it ALL done

I was sitting in my office a few minutes ago with nothing to do.  I had done it all.  Everything on my list was checked off.  What a great feeling!!!!!

I hope you don't believe a word of that.

I haven't ever had everything checked off of my list.  I don't think anyone in a school can ever be all-the-way done with everything.  (Although I have met one amazing teacher who got almost everything done!  Yet there was always that one thing she never quite marked off her list.) And for me, I don't really keep a "To Do" list.  Keeping up with the list would be just one more thing on my list that would go undone!

The truth???  I was sitting in my office while my computer rebooted, trying to decide what my current priority would be.  Anyone who knows me understands that I need to move from activity to activity.  I rarely start a major project and stick with it until it is finished.  Instead, I try to rotate through important things.  It works for me.  I also try not to let the "paper-pushing" aspects of the principalship get in the way of the important things.

These short moments of choosing the next priority to focus upon happen several times a day.  So many great things to do and a few not-so-great things to do.  When these moments arise, I have a new practice.  I get up and get out!  I'm not the kind of guy who spends too much time in my office.  Not at all!

So when I happen to be trying to decide what priority to focus upon, I automatically go to the classrooms.  It gives me the chance to focus on the most fun part of the job that also happens to be one of the most important priorities!  It also gives me a chance to change my own state of mind.  Usually, choosing the next priority becomes crystal clear during these classroom visits!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Begin with the end in mind.  The second habit according to Dr. Stephen Covey.  Decide what you want your results to be, then pursue those results.  This is a wonderful principle that will most certainly lead to greater happiness for each one of us.

As I think about the way many educators discuss future goals with a child, I wonder if there is a flaw to our rationale.  Oftentimes, we ask young children about their future as an adult, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

There is nothing wrong with that question!  It is good for kids to visualize an excellent dream career as an adult!  It is also good if they change their minds 100 times!  But sometimes we start talking details when we talk to kids, especially when we try to connect today's work as a student to tomorrow's success, "You need to care about your math if you want to be a professional bull rider so you can take accurately manage of all your winnings!"

We try to justify the importance of certain learning objectives based on their potential future.  We try to justify the importance of good behavior based on life as an adult.  For most kids, adulthood is both too far away and a completely foreign concept.  You don't really get to know what it is like to be an adult until you are one!

We tell kids, "You need to behave in school!  If you act this way as an adult, you won't be in trouble at school, you'll get fired from your job." 

"You need to learn how to understand the author's purpose so that you will be able to better communicate with your customers and clients if you get a job that requires written communication."

"You need algebra if you are going to be an engineer or work with computers."

Young kids can't even fathom having a real job.  They hear that school IS their job.  But for a few kids, that rationale doesn't matter.  A few kids just can't wait for the bell to ring.  The minutes until the end of class agonizes them.  Then they get in trouble and hear about a future that is year's away while only trying to get beyond the next 20 minutes.

Most kids agonize over waiting two days to go to Six Flags.  They can't stand waiting an hour for dinner.  And doing homework for 30 minutes prior to go outside to play takes FOREVER.  Yet we try to give them reasons to do well in school based on a purpose that is still uncertain and many years away.

It is impossible to convince a student to see the benefit of yet another worksheet or generic writing assignment.  The learning activity may benefit the kid now, and it may make his future brighter, but that kid may just not truly be able to put that rationale to work.  The student probably wants to believe the teacher's reasoning and simply cannot.  If it was easy to simply tell ourselves something and make it come true immediately, with no problems, then every single one of us would be healthy eaters and McDonald's would go out of business.  Last time I checked, there was still a McDonald's on every corner!

I have definitely seen a decline in the need for this type of conversation in schools over the last ten years.  Teachers are designing lessons that engage students with meaningful and interesting projects.  These well-designed lessons create an intrinsic curiosity that engage students.  Good classrooms do not look like worksheets anymore.  It is impossible to convince a kid that the worksheet has a purpose and the textbook is wonderful.

Good teachers create lessons that no longer have the need to convince students to perform.  Good teachers understand that learning is a process that takes a different amount of time for each individual.  They also understand how to design lessons that play to the interests of as many kids as possible.  Good lessons do not require a child to suddenly see into future far enough to understand why a basic understanding of Newton's Laws of Gravity will be beneficial.  Good lessons make Newton's Laws fun and interesting and naturally worthwhile!

Are you only happy on weekends?

Some people get to Friday and find themselves suddenly looking for a way to do something that makes them happy.  They go all week long, trudging through the week, with no happiness other than the upcoming weekend.  For some people, the happy times includes time with friends or family.  Others just want to kick off their shoes, sit back, and relax.  Then the weekend ends, and it is back to a Monday through Friday grind.

Don't let it be a grind!  As you head through this weekend, start planning ahead for next week.  Find your joy every single day of every single week!

Puddle Jumper!

I love the rain.  I also love getting outside right after the rain!

One of my favorite things is watching a kid size up a jump across a rain puddle.  Toes on the edge, a little bend of the knees and a swing of the arms...and jump!  Then the smile!  The great thing about this risk-taking leap is that the smile comes whether those feet clear the water or they make a splash!

The goal, the plan, and the results take almost no time at all...and end with a smile!  The goal was chosen, the effort was made, and the smile came regardless of success!

What about a more long-term goal?  Wouldn't it be great to approach it with the same puddle-jumper attitude!!!

Passion and Goals!

Can you have a goal without a plan?

There was a time that I believed a goal without a plan was just a dream.  Now, I think that some of the best goals swell our hearts with anticipation before we have a clue how to get there!  Big, audacious goals can take time.  Early on, that time may simply be spent figuring out exactly what your "End in Mind" actually looks like.

I have heard the goal, "I want to write a book," from several folks.  The next question is always, "What will your book be about?"

The was a time when I gave very little credence to the answer, "I don't know."  Not anymore!  Perhaps finding the answer to that question is the burning question!  The burning question that causes the writer-to-be to seek out his/her greatest passion and bring it to life through words.

If you have a goal, and you are not sure how to bring it to life, keep asking yourself questions until your answers lead you to your plan!  Passion and goals lead to plans for success!

Do what you can!

Make it happen.  Get it started.  Get it done.

These statements are not always so easy for a lot of folks.  Fear gets in the way.  Oftentimes, we look for some kind of answer to be given to us or we wait for a new factor to play into our actions.  We wait for someone else to influence our decisions and our actions before jumping in.

Great advice!  If you begin with the end in mind, then focus on these three phrases, you will be able to take that first step to action.  This doesn't mean you shouldn't seek the help of others.  Seeking assistance may be step #1.  Sure, it may be risky, but will it be worth it?  Probably.  Do what you can, then continue to do it better!  We want kids to do this in school, so shouldn't we follow the same advice?

Be brave and happy.  Get it started!

Think, then do!

Dan Millman is one of my favorite authors.  I devoured his books in my 20's and 30's, yet many of his ideas still resonate strongly 15-20 years later.  Over the last few weeks, I have been doing a lot of thinking about a potential upcoming assignment.  Then, as I was thinking, I thought to myself, "I am doing way to much thinking and not enough doing!"  Dan Millman says it this way:




As a guy who wants to be proactive, I decided to make a call this morning, just to ask about the assignment timeline that I am quite eager to learn about.  The timeline is not in my circle of influence, but it is in my circle of concern.  First I thought, then I proactively chose to ease my concern by making a phone call and asking!  Not so tough!

Dan Millman would be proud!

Two Steps Forward

Last year, around this time, I was gearing up for my big New Year's Resolution.  I was determined to eat better, lose a few pounds and make exercise a habit again!  I know...I shared this resolution with about 200 million other people in this country!  I resolved to start this on January 2nd because there is always leftover pie on January 1st!

So on January 2nd, I really worked hard to make it happen.  I started off great!  Through January and February, I ate more vegetables and less bread.  I stopped going back for a second helping at every meal.  I started going on some long walks and even ran a bit.  I did push-ups and pull-ups and other exercises that can easily be done at home and in the office.  By the end of February, I had lost about 20 pounds and I was feeling good!  I had established a few new habits that were working for me!

On February 28th, a friend asked me if I could play for his indoor soccer team because they were missing a few players.  I eagerly agreed and played pretty well.  It was a blast!  With about three minutes left in the game, I was chasing down a ball that was heading towards our goal, I flipped the ball against the wall to my right, then cut left.  Unfortunately, my knee cut right, and POP.

I tore my ACL.  I knew it.  I limped off the field, and grabbed some ice.  A few days later, the doc confirmed my injury and scheduled surgery for March 20th.  What a downer!  For the first time in quite a few years, I had made a resolution that actually stuck!  It stuck because I chose a few easy habits that I could actually maintain.  The question became, would I be able to keep up with my new routines through the six month recovery period?

Post surgery included  massive back pain and a nasty hematoma under one of my incisions.  Six months turned into eight months.  A few months into rehab, I felt like I had failed to maintain my new habits.  I wasn't focused on the veggies as much and there was really no way to get my exercise with a bum knee.

What's the point?

Looking back now, I realize that I didn't exactly fail.  I may have missed days (or weeks) but the general habits are still there.  Missing one day or week does not mean that I destroyed my resolution.  It does not mean I broke the good habit and I need to start from scratch.  It doesn't mean that I need to wait until the next January first to begin again.  A habit is not broken so easily, especially if my resolve to keep it is strong!  "Two steps forward, one step back" is still progress!

Is your table round?

Have you ever organized a meeting and sat around a table with a bunch of folks to brainstorm?  Perhaps you were looking for a solution to a problem or an improvement to a process.  Maybe you were designing something new?  Regardless of the purpose, once the design has been created, tasks must get done!

Who will do each task?  A well-rounded table typically sees each task fall to the person who happens to show strength, expertise, or passion for it.  The schedule-driven person may create the timeline and manage the process.  The talented writer may take care of the communication.  The artsy folks may lead the creative process.  People typically fall into the roles for which they are best suited.  This is one of the advantages of a well-rounded table.

This leads to the question, "Is your table round?"  In other words, is your team made up of folks who may not necessarily agree on things, but certainly bring individual strengths to the table?  Sometimes, we end up inviting people to the table who think like we do.  There are definitely advantages to this.  Easier conversations and quicker answers would most surely happen.  But does it give you the best end to your assignment?

Dr. Stephen Covey says, "If two people have the same opinion, one of them is unnecessary."  The point is that if your table is surrounded by people who think like you do, the team may not reach the greatest levels of success.  It takes courage to invite folks who think differently than you to the table but it just may lead you to something far better than you could have imagined!

Next time you invite folks to your table, make sure it is round!