What Matter's Most

free e-book from Seth Godin....Good stuff!

Dallas White Rock Marathon 2009

This past Sunday, I just completed my 4th straight Dallas White Rock Marathon and 9th overall. WhiteRock2009 The question that I am most often asked is "Why do you do it?" I am yet to have an answer despite much thought and consideration. Is it an addiction? A sickness? The best I can come up with is that involves a pursuing a goal. While my time is not impressive, I did finish. In the same way, it may take us longer than we expect to reach our goals, but as long as we keep the end in sight and persevere, success is possible. I walked more than would like the last few miles, but I kept moving. I think that is applicable in much of what we do. There are hills and valleys, pain and setbacks, but the key is to keep moving! And that is what I did for 4 hours and 35 minutes on a beautiful Sunday morning-

10,000 Hours

Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers discusses the 10,000 hour rule. In a nutshell, those individuals that succeed (Bill Gates, The Beatles, et. al) do so because they have invested the magic number of 10,000 hours to hone their abilities. As we look at this hypothesis, the question is, "does this apply to teachers and educators?" I believe the answer is YES!

By my calculations, on a 187-day contract, working from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the minimum that a teacher would work during the year would be about 1500 hours. If we divide 10,000 by 1500, it works out to somewhere around 6 years, give or take a year depending on weekends and summers. In a profession where close to 50% of teachers are no longer teaching after 5 years, we are losing highly trained and skilled workers right about the time they become 'professionals'.

It takes at least a year to understand the in's and out's of teaching, and learn the ropes. Knowing that it takes 10,000 hours to stand out in one's profession will give us staying power and the determination needed to persevere.

The Parent is Always Right?

The following came from Seth Godin's blog...

Win the fight, lose the customer
Does it really matter if you're right?
Given the choice between acknowledging that your customer is upset or proving to her that she is wrong, which will you choose?
You can be right or you can have empathy
If someone thinks they're unhappy, then you know what? They are.

While Seth's blog mainly deals with business, he makes some great points that deal with human nature, and teacher's can gain much insight and wisdom from. I have worked with some difficult parents, and to this day there are some that despise me. I realize we cannot choose the parents or our students as businesses can sometimes decide upon their customers, but if we want to make a difference and build relationships with parents, then at least at the very beginning, the parents have to always be right.

Not an easy pill to swallow-

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Priorities

The following is a quote from Seth Godin's recent blog entry,

Without a list, you can see how making intelligent decisions is impossible, so we resort to confusing activity with productivity.

I realized how true this is for teachers (and for that, every other profession). If we as teachers want to get more done, accomplish our goals, and figure out what is important, we must start writing things down and then prioritizing them.

One of my priorities is to reply to emails within 24 hours. To the very best of my ability, I try not to email parents/students from home--I try to take care of this at school. Grading papers is up near the top also. It is important to find out what is important to administrators also. Helping them reach their goals and objectives can benefit you in the long run.

I also think this involves NOT doing some things. Not staying at school every night until 7 or8. Not trying to re-invent the wheel by designing every lesson to include all seven learning styles. Not ____.

As the end of the year approaches, one of my goals is to find 15% of my activities that are not productive, and shift my energy and efforts elsewhere. It's time to re-evaluate and do what needs doing right now!

New Project

I have a new project-

In addition to teaching, tutoring, and training, I am looking forward to chronicling my runs and sharing some of my observations as I run. My sights are once again on the White Rock Marathon, as I have learned that it is impossible to stay motivated and train without a concrete goal. Running to "stay in shape" can get you 1-3 miles, but unless you have a goal, it is near impossible to be up at 4 a.m. while the rest of the world is asleep in order to do what it takes to run, and improve my times.

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!" This is my start--it's a marathon, not a sprint!

Survive the first week!

As we just finished our first week of school, I have tried to stick to my own advice, and GO HOME! There is so much that could be done, and you are never totally finished, so it is important to separate the necessities from extras so that you can do what you need to do and then leave. Remembering it is a marathon and not a sprint is critical to having a great year. There are plenty of days left to put in 12-14 hour days so work when it is time to work, and then work to accomplish your other goals away from the school building.

It's going to be a great year!

Back to school

Lots of changes taking place in our district. Should not be too surprising. Change is difficult, and there is always opposition. We will continue to do all that is asked of us (and more), and great teachers will continue to make a difference.

3 days and counting

3 days and counting until summer break is over for teachers and we report back to school. For me, it has been an eventful and fruitful summer. From the birth of our daughter, to self-publishing a project designed to help teachers, being an educator has enormous benefits!

As we kick off a new school year, it is important for me to set new goals for this school year, and assess the progress I have made over the past year. I believe that taking time to reflect is too often neglected, and we don't pause to consider or reflect on the experiences that shape us. Some lessons that I have learned over the past year:

1) Teaching a 6:45 a.m. class is possible and fulfilling, but requires enormous discipline, especially when training for a marathon and private tutoring. Find a routine and create a new habit.

2) You can have everything you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want (Zig Ziglar). This is true in teaching, tutoring, or any other profession. If you provide exceptional service, your influence will spread.

3) I am blessed to be part of a great group of teachers and administrators. These people are selfless and generous. They are leaders and passionate about what they do. Not all schools have such a sense of community, but I am blessed to be a part of this group.

These are just a few of the lessons that I have learned/been reinforced over the past 12 months. There will be challenges and victories over the coming weeks, and my goal is to continue to provide insight and wisdom about not only how to survive, but to come out on top.

Tribes and Teaching

I highly recommend Seth Godin's new book Tribes. It is a paradigm shift from the traditional thoughts on leadership. My question is how do we as teachers implement and develop our "tribe" as we move through the school year.

Leadership is not management. We try to manage our class and our students, but in doing this we are not effectively leading our students. Our administration may be impressed with the lack of students we send to the office, but are we training our students to think. If we are not being criticized then maybe we aren't taking the chances that we should.

The best way to grow used to involve reliability and consistency, while the enemy was change. While these values are important, change is coming, and we can either lead or be left behind. The Internet is a resource we must learn to use and embrace as we develop ourselves and our students.

We are really talking about a mindset. The status quo is not good enough. Taking initiative is fulfilling and rewarding. We can react or respond, but to be happy and achieve results, we must be proactive and take initiative. We need to be willing to take a chance. We will face blame and criticism, and that is the true fear that we face.

So amidst my rambles and thoughts, my question is this:

How do we as teachers develop our tribe and the tribe mentality with ourselves, our students, and our administration?

Comments welcome-

Mediocrity

I can do better than I did today! Today I had an opportunity to do something meaningful. As a teacher, I have enormous opportunities during my summer break. But today slipped away, and I let it do so. Before I am too hard on myself, I do realize that there are times when we need to take a break, and I got to spend time with my 2-month old daughter. However, I spent little time reading, writing, and my workout consisted of a 3-mile run. I know that in about 2 weeks when school kicks off I will be overwhelmed so days like this are important, but without a plan, as Dave Ramsey would say, "I wondered through like Gomer Pile on Valuum." Since I was up at 5 this morning, I had a chance to get something done--I didn't.

Tomorrow will be better! I already have my list, and hanging out with my wife and new daughter are at the top. School is right around the corner, and I will being making the most out of my last week!

Why Teacher's Appreciate Summer

#3) My email inbox can stay empty and free of new messages. We live in a connected society, which is a double-edge sword. It is easy to communicate, but the downside is that sometimes, some individuals want instantaneous responses. It is nice to see zero new messages during the summer!

What I like about Summer Break (2)

I have time to work out! Whether at the YMCA or running on the road, I am not pulled in so many directions by teaching and tutoring. Now it is hot in Texas, and it is only slightly cooler in the a.m., so running at 5:30 a.m. only provides a little less sun. And Dallas humidity is brutal. Nonetheless, I can catch up on my physical goals/workouts that were hard to squeeze in during the school year.

What I like about Summer break...

As a teacher, there are many reasons to look forward to summer break. Even though I taught summer school for 5 weeks and have 3-4 days of in-service training, my summer is great for a number of reasons. Here is my top 10 list...

10. I can wake up at 5 a.m. and take my time. I do not have to hurry to run (work out), grab breakfast, read, and be at school by 6:30 a.m. Even teaching summer school allows me some morning time. (starts at 8 a.m.). The challenge now is maintaining the discipline, which is still a struggle, to take care of those things when you get up early--not wasting my time, rather making my list and tending to it. Having a new baby at home has helped me get up early, but it also will zap your energy. The secret is disciplining myself to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, so the time will come when I can do what I want to do, when I want to do it.

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/teaching/7412162

Just finished publishing my first work. More details to come!

Completing Summer School

My students have worked very hard over the past 5 weeks. It is not easy to give up the majority of your summer to spend 6 hours Monday through Thursday, not to mention homework time, to take an optional math class. Although the desire may not come from within (sometimes parents encourage), most of my students are highly motivated and want to be here. They enjoy learning and want to do their very best. It helps to have supportive parents, but after recently completing the book Outliers , I have a better understanding of why some students achieve more. In a nutshell, those students that continue their education during the summer months, be it in a classroom, by reading on their own, or with experiences with their families, have higher levels of success as compared to those students who spend their summers watching t.v., hanging out with friends, etc.

At the same time, how many of us as professionals continue to grow, read, and learn after our formal schooling has ended? We are either progressing or digressing, never remaining in the same place. How many times have I myself chosen to watch television or surf the web when I could be engaging in a book or other material that will take me to where I want to be. I am improving, but I am not yet where I want to be in regards to this level of discipline. I will continue to persevere and in time I will accomplish more.

The choice as to whether or not to teach summer school is difficult for some teachers. Yes, the extra income would be nice, however, we have worked very hard over the past 10 months with the hopes of recharging our battery during the summer months. Teaching a PreAP class as opposed to a credit recover class makes a difference as you are working with motivated students. I do remember my first tours as a rookie summer school when the job was much more demanding, but as I have paid my dues, I am fortunate to have a great group of hard-working students. Some factors to consider when deciding whether or not to teach in the summer:

1. Do I need/want the extra income?

Most teachers get paid for 12 months out of the year, so anything made during the summer is a bonus.

2. What does the schedule look like?

Monday - Thursday? Having a three-day weekend makes a huge difference.
8 a.m. - 12 p.m. or 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.?

3. Will you have any summer left?

Having 3-4 weeks before reporting back still gives me a break.

Whether or not you are teaching summer school, my hope is that you use your summer to make something happen. Have a plan and set some goals. WRITE IT DOWN! Even if your goal is to refresh yourself physically and mentally, have a plan of how to do it. Otherwise, you will wake up at the end of August wondering where the summer went.

If You Aim at Nothing...

...You'll hit it every time. I've heard Zig Ziglar use that quote, and it is absolutely true. If we fail to set goals for ourselves in all walks of life, we will just drift along and really not accomplish much.

I have seen it in my running countless times. When I have a marathon that I know if coming up, I know exactly what my goal is and I start to plan exactly how I what I am going to do in the weeks/months leading up to it. I know I need at least one 20 mile run, and a week or two prior to the race to recover. Knowing that the marathon is coming and if I do not train properly, I will risk injury (either to my pride or physically). Conversely, after running my last my race of the spring which is the Oklahoma City Marathon, my plan is to continue to run and keep myself in shape over the summer in preparation for the fall schedule. The problem is that if I do not have a definite race to train for, it is near impossible for me to remain motivated and stick to a schedule. I like to think of myself as highly motivated, but the stark reality is that without a goal, it is hard to maintain, improve, and continue to press on.

I see this in my classroom as well. If I do not have a goal for myself and my students, we will coast along and wake up in April wondering where the time went. Having an end-of-course exam and setting a goal for all of my students to score commended gives me a target and reinforces what I am doing. All that we do as educators should revolve around helping students be successful and preparing them for their future. When we break that goal up into something measurable, it empowers us and gives us a sense of direction. Students need goals and it is important that we as educators model that process for them.

The summer time is a great chance for teachers to set new goals for themselves in all areas of life as well as begin planning their goals for the upcoming school year. Start small. Make a list of what you want to get done this week and even tomorrow. When I put it down on paper, I have found that things get done. Very few people write down their goals, but if we will make a conscious effort to do so, what seemed at first as insurmountable will eventually be a reality.

You Don't Have To Be Great To Start...

...But you have to start to be great -- John Maxwell. This is one of my favorite quotes, and is on the bulletin board in my classroom. As I undertake this new project, there are many unknowns, but in the words of Zig Ziglar, "Anything worth doing is worth doing WRONG, until you learn how to do it RIGHT."

This is a project that has been in the works for the past 3 years. Right now there are many individuals considering teaching as a profession, and a worth profession it is. There are challenges and rewards, and there are many things that I never learned in all of my formal education.

My goal in putting this together is to help people at different places:

(1) If you are considering a career in education --what to expect, challenges and rewards, and common misconceptions.

(2) If you are a new teacher about to begin your first teaching job -- what they never taught us in our education programs.

(3) If you are a current teacher how to move from survival to stability, and eventually from stability to significance -- finding balance and staying power as a teacher.

If you fall into one of these three groups, this is the place for you! I will do my best to provide insight and wisdom from my time in the classroom.

The summer time is a great opportunity for teachers to recharge their batteries and find balance in their lives. It is also a great time for new teachers to prepare for the upcoming year.

Welcome Aboard!