Arguing to Find the Middle

I saw the title for this post, “How to Win Every Argument” and first thought, “This article could be great for the work that I do, often trying to convince people to do something different than they are already doing!”  Then I jumped in, and it was NOTHING like I thought, but so much better.

From the article:

Next time you state your position, formulate an argument for what you claim and honestly ask yourself whether your argument is any good. Next time you talk with someone who takes a stand, ask them to give you a reason for their view. Spell out their argument fully and charitably. Assess its strength impartially. Raise objections and listen carefully to their replies. This method will require effort, but practice will make you better at it.

These tools can help you win every argument—not in the unhelpful sense of beating your opponents but in the better sense of learning about the issues that divide people, learning why they disagree with us and learning to talk and work together with them. If we readjust our view of arguments—from a verbal fight or tennis game to a reasoned exchange through which we all gain mutual respect and understanding—then we change the very nature of what it means to “win” an argument.

This article was a reminder for me, as it should be for all educators, is that when we see arguments as a “win-lose” proposition, this makes little sense when,

a. We are all on the same team.
b. We all serve the learners in front of us.

I have noticed “camps” over the past few years. You have the “kids should create” camp and the “kids should consume” camp, the “researchers” versus the “innovators,” the “traditionalists” versus the “new.”  What we all need to realize is the answer is rarely in the extremes but most often found in the middle.  By focusing more on how we can we truly win every argument as the author describes, we are less likely to implement “my idea” or “your idea” but the “best ideas” which should always be our focus, no matter where they originate.

• July 7, 2017 Empowering or Stifling Voice?
• August 11, 2017 Things Change and Things Stay the Same
• April 19, 2017 People Are Always Your Best Resource
• September 12, 2017 3 Crucial Elements of Being a Change Agent
• December 20, 2010 The Leader in You

from Connected Principals https://ift.tt/2Nol7tT

Alexander Square by RDG Management in Langley

Alexander Square by RDG Management Ltd is a new 6 storey condo development located in the historic, yet thriving neighbourhood of Willoughby in Langley. This project will offer an eclectic mix of condominium residences, ranging from Junior 1 Bedroom homes up to 3 bedroom homes. There will be a very limited number of 2 Bedroom + den and 3 Bedroom homes. Alexander Square is where you’ll love to live.

The post Alexander Square by RDG Management in Langley appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Projects – Vancouver New Condos https://ift.tt/2IXzPEt

Don’t Ask For More Until You’re Willing to Risk More

Strong leaders have strong visions for their schools. They feel a constant tension between how things are and how they could be. And leaders want to see progress toward the vision. And progress toward the vision is great, but it comes at a cost if leaders aren't careful.

People must never feel diminished at the expense of the vision.

I would challenge leaders to consider this question. Why do you provide learning opportunities for your teachers? I'm guessing the most common answer would be it's for the kids and their learning. 

That's a noble goal, right?

It's to help teachers be better so kids can learn more too. It's to move the school forward toward the vision. We have important work to do to be the best we can be, so the kids can be the best they can be.

But here's the translation for many teachers: My current work is not appreciated here. It's never good enough. You're always trying to squeeze more out of me. I'm doing all I can and now you're adding to my plate. My work is not valued here. I feel like I'm being pushed in directions I don't even know if I want to go.

But what if we approached professional learning from a different perspective? What if school leadership focused more on serving teachers and meeting their needs? What if professional learning was more about growing the teacher and not about better test scores or some other outcome?

Let's create a culture of professional learning that values teachers. Let's start with this idea. We want to provide experiences that help teachers get the most out of their work. We want to provide experiences that help you achieve your greatest fulfillment as a teacher. 

We want to provide experiences that offer the highest return on your investment as an educator. 

That's servant leadership. Helping others make a greater impact and find more fulfillment in what they are doing. It's not about squeezing more out of the individual for the sake of the school, the test scores, or even for the kids. It's not about winning at the SMART goals game.

But those things will probably improve too as teachers feel more appreciated, find more fulfillment, and sense they are getting a higher return on their investment as an educator.

There's nothing wrong with leaders asking more of the people they lead. That's what good leaders do. They challenge people to grow their capacity and to use their capacity to the fullest.

But start with why. Reflect on your own motives. Why are you asking more? It has to be to care for your team. Love your team. It has to be for the benefit of each individual first. Help them reach their goals. Help them feel a greater sense of accomplishment. Give them a sense of their own talent, progress, and strengths.

The best leaders are constantly affirming the work that is being done. They are recognizing the strengths and contributions of each team member. The vision is realized as a result of valuing people, encouraging them, and supporting them all along the way.

Leaders: When we ask teachers to risk more and to give more, are we also giving more and risking more for teachers?

The vision for your school is important, but the vision is meaningless if performance is more important than people.

What are some ways you are risking more for you colleagues, caring for them, and increasing the return on investment for others? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on or .

        

Comments

• Comments

Related Stories

• 20 Ways to be Future Driven in Your Classroom
• 3 Reasons to Recognize Effort and Growth Over Achievement and Outcomes
• The Power of Choosing 'Must' Instead of 'Rather'

 

from Connected Principals https://ift.tt/2lXN9j6

Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern

I continue my quest to read novels set in libraries and bookstores with Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern. I've worked hard this week to dive into this novel, and I'm kind of "meh" on it, which is a big surprise to me; but then again, the novel wasn't what I expected, either. This seems to be my theme this summer-reading books that surprise me. 

The novel starts off with Kit talking about how she met her husband, Cal in college. This completely threw me for a loop, and I kept putting the book down, not really very interested in her relationship with Cal. What does this have to do with a library, I wondered? But I kept going. Mostly Kit's backstory explains why she is a librarian in little Riverton, NH--a place far from where she comes from. 

Aha! The library. Set in the small dying industrial town of Riverton, NH, the Carnegie library is one of the few places left in town that is actually open. There is a core group of faithful patrons, a pitiful budget, and a need for more of everything in the library. Kit is the reference librarian, and she's very good at her job. Sunny, a 14 year old, is caught stealing a dictionary from a bookstore. She's sentenced to work 40 hours a week at the library for the summer. Probably the best thing that's happened to her. Her parents, Willow and Steve, are the type of parents who provide no structure to their child-they "no school" her (not even homeschool, just let her figure stuff out on her own), are perpetually broke, and move around a lot. They live off the grid and do a great job avoiding authority. 

Rusty, who is a minor character for part of the book, takes a bigger role about half-way through. He's an ex-Wall Street executive, broke, homeless, and using the only computer the library has for public use every day, all day. He's a mystery until Sunny and Kit get to know him. 

The library in Riverton is a refuge for all who are wounded by life, frustrated by life, or just weary. It has a gently worn feeling; comfy and cozy, but still needing a lot of attention. Kit's love of books reminded me of myself in a weird way. It took her a few library jobs in science and academic libraries before she realized it wasn't the library life that she loved, but the books that she loved--libraries were the place where she could be surrounded by what she loved. 

Back to the story! I liked the characters: Kit, Sunny, and Rusty. I was not fond of the marriage back story, which took up a large chunk of the book, and spun out too slowly. When I finally got to the point of finding out just what had happened in Kit's marriage to Cal, I thought it was kind of ridiculous and over the top. Sunny didn't have much choice in her life; but growing into her teen years she's becoming more adamant about living a normal life: going to school, staying in one place, eating candy. In their attempts to show Sunny a life of freedom, they've actually closed her off to so much of life. 

Rusty was a good shot in the arm for the novel. He was necessary; just having the unfolding friendship between Sunny and Kit would have led to nowhere. Adding Rusty into the mix--with his honesty and cheerfulness, was one of the better aspects of the novel. 

I guess I thought there would be more of a big plot point in this novel about a library in a small town. But instead it was a quiet unfolding of three lives, their growing friendship, and healing from past wounds. My feeling still stands as a "meh". 

Rating:  3/6 for a novel about people starting over, or just beginning--depends on how you look at it. I'd love to know what happens to Sunny, Kit, and Rusty after the final page. Not a bad read--character driven and not a whole lot of action. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 

from Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews https://ift.tt/2lXAwVy

PMP:119 Your Friendships – Learning to Climb Together

When I was in college, I had my first experience in mountain climbing. I was traveling in Guatemala for a summer missions outreach when one morning, we woke up before dawn and rode a bus to the base of an active volcano. About twenty of us had decided to begin our climb in the dark […]

from Connected Principals https://ift.tt/2IY0Qbe

7549 Oak Street by Gradual at Oak & 59th

7549 Oak Street by Gradual is a new collection of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom townhomes located in Vancouver. This project will offer 31 townhomes, five buildings, sharing a common one-level parkade, are a combination of stacked townhouses, back-to-back stacked townhouses, and courtyard roughhouses, of which four are 2.5 storeys and one 2 storeys.

The post 7549 Oak Street by Gradual at Oak & 59th appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Projects – Vancouver New Condos https://ift.tt/2lQg2hb

500 Foster by Amacon in Coquitlam

500 Foster by Amacon is a new 41-storey market condo tower and 6-storey rental lowrise development, located at North Road & Foster Avenue, Coquitlam. This project will offer 304 market residences from 1-3 bedrooms, and 21,700 sq ft of amenity space. 500 Foster thoughtfully provides a range of housing types, unit sizes, and tenures to appeal to a broad mix of households at different stages of life and with varying degrees of mobility.

The post 500 Foster by Amacon in Coquitlam appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Projects – Vancouver New Condos https://ift.tt/2tRegRs