Stuck in a Rut or a Groove?

I am taking part in the #IMMOOC “3 Blog Challenge” this week.  3 blog posts under 200 words.  If you are interested in participating, details can be found here.

I noticed this commercial (which is rare since I never watch commercials) from Chick-fil-A, which had a gentleman standing in a hole, and his colleague comments about him being “stuck in a rut”, to which he is oblivious. When he comments that he “thought it was a groove”, she states, “classic ‘rut’ thinking”.

It is pretty rare that a fast food restaurant gets me thinking about education, but this commercial really got me thinking.  How often do we as educators think we are on a right path when in reality, we are just doing what we have always done and are not moving forward?

#classicrutthinking

I know I talk about social media quite a bit, but I believe there are many educators were exposed to their own “ruts”, thinking they were in a groove.  They noticed what others were doing in the same positions and thought, “Why am  I not doing that? What is holding me back?”

When we have access to see what others are doing, it pushes us to become better.  The traditional isolation of education is being challenged, and it changing the way we see education.

One of my favourite quotes is, “To innovate, disrupt your routine.”  Sometimes we need that “shock” to our learning to make us wonder why we do, what we do. We need to sometimes provide that disruption for others (students and colleagues), yet, do we do that to and for ourselves?

• September 20, 2015 Understanding and Immersing Ourselves in How We (Can) Learn
• August 12, 2014 The “Work Phone” Mentality
• March 12, 2017 Find problems, create solutions.
• July 15, 2015 Resilience and Innovation in Education
• February 17, 2016 Starting From Scratch #InnovatorsMindset

Source: George Couros

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Stuck in a Rut or a Groove?

I am taking part in the #IMMOOC “3 Blog Challenge” this week.  3 blog posts under 200 words.  If you are interested in participating, details can be found here.

I noticed this commercial (which is rare since I never watch commercials) from Chick-fil-A, which had a gentleman standing in a hole, and his colleague comments about him being “stuck in a rut”, to which he is oblivious. When he comments that he “thought it was a groove”, she states, “classic ‘rut’ thinking”.

It is pretty rare that a fast food restaurant gets me thinking about education, but this commercial really got me thinking.  How often do we as educators think we are on a right path when in reality, we are just doing what we have always done and are not moving forward?

#classicrutthinking

I know I talk about social media quite a bit, but I believe there are many educators were exposed to their own “ruts”, thinking they were in a groove.  They noticed what others were doing in the same positions and thought, “Why am  I not doing that? What is holding me back?”

When we have access to see what others are doing, it pushes us to become better.  The traditional isolation of education is being challenged, and it changing the way we see education.

One of my favourite quotes is, “To innovate, disrupt your routine.”  Sometimes we need that “shock” to our learning to make us wonder why we do, what we do. We need to sometimes provide that disruption for others (students and colleagues), yet, do we do that to and for ourselves?

• September 20, 2015 Understanding and Immersing Ourselves in How We (Can) Learn
• August 12, 2014 The “Work Phone” Mentality
• March 12, 2017 Find problems, create solutions.
• July 15, 2015 Resilience and Innovation in Education
• February 17, 2016 Starting From Scratch #InnovatorsMindset

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The best way to be happy? Focus on relationships. #IMOOC #IMMOOBC1

I listen to sports radio on the way to work each morning. It is my happy place. Luckily, mixed in all the Cowboys news and such there is a lil’segment they do that highlights different musings. I thought it quite ironic that yesterday’s referenced a study out of Harvard, about happiness. Happiness comes from choosing [...]

The post The best way to be happy? Focus on relationships. #IMOOC #IMMOOBC1 appeared first on Love, Learn, Lead.

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Find problems, create solutions.

I am taking part in the #IMMOOC “3 Blog Challenge” this week.  3 blog posts under 200 words.  If you are interested in participating, details can be found here.

I asked the following on Twitter:

Wide open question…what are some ideas or practices we need to rethink in education?

— George Couros (@gcouros) March 12, 2017

The responses were amazing and had such a wide range of answers (seriously…click on the tweet and see what educators are saying…it is fascinating).

As I was thinking about the responses here, I thought about this process with a staff. I have neither been a part of a professional learning day where this was asked, nor did I pose it in my role. Opportunity missed, because the conversation would be so valuable.

So an idea for a staff day…

Have groups discuss the same question (what are some ideas or practices we need to rethink in education?), and then think of a consensus three to bring to a larger group.  Then pose “ways forward”, and what is possible now to make these realities.

Two things here…

This creates time for “problem finding” and “problem solving”, not one or the other.

The other point is that it shows people that we can create the change we want, and that we do not have to wait for someone else to do it for us.

As I have always said, the biggest barrier to innovation is often our own thinking, not any outside factor. Find problems, create solutions. No one is going to do it for us.

• April 20, 2016 The Policies In Your Head
• May 26, 2015 What Innovation Is and Isn’t
• March 8, 2016 Finding the Good Problems
• June 2, 2016 Embracing Meaningful Change at All Levels
• February 17, 2016 How We Look at the World

Source: George Couros

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Find problems, create solutions.

I am taking part in the #IMMOOC “3 Blog Challenge” this week.  3 blog posts under 200 words.  If you are interested in participating, details can be found here.

I asked the following on Twitter:

Wide open question…what are some ideas or practices we need to rethink in education?

— George Couros (@gcouros) March 12, 2017

The responses were amazing and had such a wide range of answers (seriously…click on the tweet and see what educators are saying…it is fascinating).

As I was thinking about the responses here, I thought about this process with a staff. I have neither been a part of a professional learning day where this was asked, nor did I pose it in my role. Opportunity missed, because the conversation would be so valuable.

So an idea for a staff day…

Have groups discuss the same question (what are some ideas or practices we need to rethink in education?), and then think of a consensus three to bring to a larger group.  Then pose “ways forward”, and what is possible now to make these realities.

Two things here…

This creates time for “problem finding” and “problem solving”, not one or the other.

The other point is that it shows people that we can create the change we want, and that we do not have to wait for someone else to do it for us.

As I have always said, the biggest barrier to innovation is often our own thinking, not any outside factor. Find problems, create solutions. No one is going to do it for us.

• April 20, 2016 The Policies In Your Head
• May 26, 2015 What Innovation Is and Isn’t
• March 8, 2016 Finding the Good Problems
• June 2, 2016 Embracing Meaningful Change at All Levels
• February 17, 2016 How We Look at the World

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Don’t Wait To Be Excellent…Start. Right. Now.

I just finished reading the latest book from Todd Whitaker, Jeff Zoul, and Jimmy Casas—Start. Right. Now.: Teach and Lead for Excellence. The authors have packed the book with wisdom and insight from their collective experiences. The end result is a book for educators that is an excellent guide for becoming a stronger leader.

Something that caught my attention right away is the idea that every educator who is effective is also an effective leader. Leadership is not just for those in formal positions. Every teacher must grow as a leader, too. And conversely, every leader should aim to be an effective teacher as well. These roles are very complimentary and are both essential to creating outstanding schools. This idea reminded me of a recent post from this blog, 7 Reasons 'Classroom Leadership' Is Better Than 'Classroom Management.'

So while Start. Right. Now. is definitely a leadership book, it is equally relevant to teachers or formal leaders like principals or directors. The authors share a framework of four qualities important to all educators who strive for excellence. These qualities are adapted from leadership guru John Maxwell.

1. Know the Way

Excellent leaders must pursue and possess knowledge of their chosen field. For educators, that means knowing content, best practices, strategies, and how to influence people. Knowing the way means knowing what works based on experience and based on knowledge passed along from others. 

2. Show the Way

Showing the way involves coming together to develop a vision for learning and then building capacity in others to reach for and achieve that vision. To show the way, leaders must be future-focused, always preparing for what is to come, while simultaneously doing the work today that will lead to a brighter future tomorrow. Always be present in the moment to create brighter moments ahead. Where some people may see only problems, great leaders see possibilities and they focus their energy accordingly.

3. Go the Way

Your example is your most powerful influence as an educator. Students and peers are always watching to see if what we say corresponds with what we do. It matters how we live out our values, and it matters how we treat everyone we meet. Every interaction counts. The following list exemplifies educators who go the way. These staff members:

• Believe in giving back
• Invest in others every day
• Find time to greet children every day
• Possess a "whatever it takes" mindset
• Want to be pushed by others
• Find a connection with kids each day
• Go out of their way to share a bit of kindness with others
• Accept that teaching is calling, not a job
• Take time to show gratitude to others
• Make time for others, but also make time for themselves

4. Grow Each Day

Great educators make their own personal and professional growth a top priority. The recognize that change is inevitable but growth is optional. However, failing to make efforts to grow results in certain failure. Surround yourself with excellence, invite feedback, and be open to reflecting on areas you can improve. Connect with other committed educators who can support you in your efforts to grow. The only way to reach your potential is to start right where you are and focus on getting better every day.

The book is filled with many stories, examples, and resources to support these essential leadership principles. At the end of each chapter, ideas from other outstanding educators are featured. You might recognize a number of the ones included. They might even be part of your PLN. Some of my favorites include Pernille Ripp, Neil Gupta, Glenn Robbins, Bill Ferriter, Jon Harper, Jennifer Hogan, and Heidi Veal. These short contributions add another dimension to the book.

You'll also find specific actionable strategies at the end of each chapter with links to resources to help you get started. For instance, there are suggestions to write a personal mission statement, create a vision statement, attend an EdCamp, and participate in a Twitter chat. It's packed with great ideas every educator is sure to find helpful.

Question: How are you growing in your leadership as an educator? Are you getting better every day? If you want to do something to level up your leadership, consider reading Start. Right. Now. 

You can snag a copy of the book at the link below. 



I want to hear from you. Be sure to leave a comment here on the blog or on Facebook or Twitter. Your thoughts and ideas take the discussion deeper.

The links in this post are Amazon Affiliate links. If you click these and make a purchase from Amazon, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is always appreciated here!

        

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Intellectual Property in a Digital Age

I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on Twitter.  Yet the conversation about “intellectual property” and “does the school own my work?”, has come up several times in the last month and I wanted to share my thoughts.

From my rudimentary understanding of intellectual property, older practices in education (that still might exist today) state that when you worked for a school district, the things that you created in relation to your job, while under contract, are owned by the employer.  When there is a physical element in play, this does make some sense.  You create something, use school supplies, resources, and the only one for you to “own” the physical item, would mean either taking it, or copying it, which would cost money to your employer.  But what happens when it is digital?

Technically, this would still solely be owned by the district (in many cases).

Here are a few problems with this thinking…

1. Educators may become reluctant to spend time creating digital resources, or share them with colleagues, if they know they would have to start from scratch if they were to move.
2. Because of the above, you may limit “innovation” because educators may be told that they have “ownership” over their learning, but in reality, it is owned by someone else.
3. Not only does this hurt the move to a culture of innovation, this also just hurts culture. If you get into a situation as an educator when you are leaving and a district says they own your content online, this is not the best advertisement for new educators coming in.  Many people judge their time in any organization based on how they were treated when they left,  not necessarily the majority of their time with the school or district.  Who will you attract long term?

Now with digital, it is easy for both parties to have access; not just the teacher, but the district. I can understand that if you created resources while working for a district, why they would want access, but I can also understand why the educator would want to take this with them moving forward if they are to leave. With digital, you can have both.

Since this is just something I am starting to research more, I would love your thoughts.  Yet the reason I bring this up is that this is a traditional practice that needs a rethink in our world today.  We need to look at ways where we attract and develop people who want to be innovators, not discourage the process.

“Who owns the learning?”, is not a question that applies only to students, we will have to look at this question from the viewpoint of educators as well.

 

• February 14, 2017 4 Questions to Lay the Foundation for a “Culture of Innovation”
• May 16, 2016 Meaningful Change is On All of Us
• October 18, 2012 Let’s Figure This Out
• October 30, 2016 5 Terms We Need to Rethink in Education
• November 8, 2012 Denying Our World

Source: George Couros

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