Last month’s reading was a chapter from a book regarding equitable and culturally responsive teaching. This month we’ll address empathy……this time among the adults in our buildings.
Turn Me to We: Get Along, Work Together, Protect Kids from Adult Arguments –
Vicki Davis, Cool Cat Teacher Blog http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/
True organizational greatness is about turning Me into We. It is sad when you see a team take their eye of their goal and turn upon each other. When you're busy fighting each other, you lose sight of the main mission and cannot achieve it. We human beings can only handle so much. We are finite in our ability to process and finite in our ability to mete out self control. When we are under attack, we use all of our resources to fight or flight even if that attack is from those who are supposed to be on our own team.
Friendly Fire Kills Cooperation
This "friendly fire" comes from out of the blue often from those who are supposed to be our rear guard. From those who are supposed to be watching out for us. We think we have the same mission and goal but then somehow we've become so factioned that our goal is no longer the "we" of working together towards a common mission but the "me" of self preservation. This is a sad state to be in for an organization and an individual.It will wear you out. Ron Clark said some wise words last week as he spoke to us at the GISA conference.
"If teachers are not getting along, it filters down to the students, it just does." Yes, it does!
Kids Hear Everything
The same if anyone is not getting along in front of students. Kids perk up their ears and hear far more than you think they do. It may provided a moment's respite from the day as kids quietly work (so they can eavesdrop) but adult conversations about adult disagreements should never happen in front of the students.
When we tear each other apart we reduce each other's ability to reach the kids that take the most effort to reach. It is completely exhausting to truly reach a child who is drifting away. The child who has untied his mooring to the dock and is just looking out towards sea and letting the tide take him to the beckoning sunset does not know that he is in danger. It takes a vigilant teacher to notice the drift and to reach out (and sometimes swim out) to pull him back to shore. But when teachers argue, their eye is no longer on their students it is on another teacher. Teachers are on the dock arguing while kids get in their boats and drift away.
Petty squabbles between teachers or teachers and staff are some of the biggest time wasters and resource drainers of a school. But to pretend that problems don't exist is also a problem.
We Need Interpersonal Masters
We need people who are masters at interpersonal relations to lead us and to be in our midst. We need to show students a better way to live and be. We must treat each other with respect to engender the respect our profession deserves.
Some of my greatest regrets are the conversations where my children were eavesdropping and I didn't know it. Now, Kip and I take a drive. He can vent his frustration at atomic-level without having to be overheard by anyone but me. He can move past it as adults do... but kids never forget.
Don't worry about the false fear that kids are going to think the world is a place where everything is perfect. They won't. But they should see teachers getting along, enjoying being together, working hard. Principals need to ask themselves about the things that they are doing or have done to cause petty jealousies to break out.
It would be easy when times are tough to turn on each other, but let me ask you these questions:
So, times are tough and you may have to spend less. Do you want to spend less money AND work in a hostile work environment?
Would you rather spend less money but enjoy working with your staff members?
Many of us would happily make less money and work in a place where we enjoy people, where we laugh, where we are validated and appreciated. I've seen studies that show this.
What if we try to make our school a better place?
But for this to happen it has to start with you and me. There are things you can do to make your work a better place to be. What if each of us tried to do 3 things "on the quiet" to make work a better place?
Bring special coffee to the teacher's lounge
Find a funny cartoon and post it on the bulletin board in the lounge
Write a note to someone praising something they did well
Buy someone their favorite drink and put it on their desk just because
Notice when someone is tired and encourage that person
Let someone talk about himself/herself without interrupting to tell your own "one up" story or offering any advice
Laugh with someone
Laugh at yourself
Life is tough enough without having a place to work that is upsetting. I love the person I work next to at school and like seeing her each day! It makes a different.
Just remember that the ONLY thing you have control over is yourself. As I have people say in my 21st century influencer and 10 habits of highly effective 21st century teachers keynotes, "I can control me." Say that to yourself. "I can control me." If enough of us "me's" out here decide that we want to be better, more friendly, kinder, more thoughtful and keep our focus on the main thing then me does become we.
Can you disagree professionally?
Think about your work environment and how you as a staff handle disagreements. Can you think of ways you can disagree that treat others as professional and preserve the integrity of the classroom. Politicing and infighting are poison especially if these things go on in front of students.
Remember that teaching is a noble calling but that when you are acting unkindly and disrespectfully to another teacher that you are not acting that way. Getting along with others is hard and sometimes I just want to act ugly.
But beginning a fight is like unleashing a dam: it is almost impossible to put things like they were before and you never know who is going to drown in the end.
Remember your noble calling, teacher [or administrator]. Let's work every day to treat others in our profession nobly too.
Teacher of the Year and Jacksonville State University Hall of Fame Nominees
Names of nominees are due to me by November 18, 2011. If you are selected for either recognition program, please look for an email from me on Friday afternoon with further directions.
HPTC City Leaders’ Celebration – 3rd and 5th Grades
Once again the Hoover Parent Teacher Council has requested that 3rd grade students write poems honoring the firemen in our city and the 5th grade students write essays honoring either their SRO (if they have received their Too Good for Drugs Training) or our police officers in general (if they have not received their training.)
Your principals have been asked to form a selection committee at your school who will choose the top three poems and the top three essays. These pieces are to be submitted to me by JANUARY 13. A selection committee here at central office will select the top three pieces from each grade.
These students and their parents will be invited to the celebration on January 26. The students will read their pieces at that time.
I ENCOURAGE ALL TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE in order to support this important parent/family group and our city leaders. This event also provides a real world opportunity for our students to write for authentic purposes.
Life in a Crowded Place Book Study
The next meeting is Tuesday, November 15, from 3:30-4:30 at central office. If you would like to follow our Edmodo discussion, email me for the code.
Nook Pilot Project
On November 16, Barnes and Nobles executives from the corporate office in New York City along with our Pearson contacts will visit our two pilot classrooms at Green Valley and Gwin. Please follow the teachers’ and students’ progress this year on their blog http://elemereaderjourney.blogspot.com Some dates and times will be established during second semester for demonstration visits for administrators and teachers from other schools.
District Professional Development Day – November 21
See an earlier post on this blog for more details. Don’t forget your math packets!
Elementary Science Academy
Audrey Ann Wilson, Education Director, at Aldridge Gardens is hosting a “lunch and talk” session for these teachers from 11:30-12:30 on November 22 at the gardens if they are willing to attend and you have secured permission from your principal. Please let me know if you plan to attend.
Math Documents on Intranet
More math documents have been added to the intranet. You can access these files in the following manner:
1. Go to the Hoover website
2. Click on Departments
3. Click on Curriculum and Instruction
4. In the upper right hand corner....click sign in.....if you are at home....your user is however you sign into your computer.....with hoover/ in front of your user name.
Example: hoover/astone Password - whatever your password is to login
5. On the left-hand side (navigation bar) you will see elementary curriculum.....click on that link.
Spelling Bee
The deadline for school spelling bees to be held is January 13. The date for the school system spelling bee is January 24 at 9:30 at the Hoover High School theatre.
ARMT+ Item Specifications
We’re waiting…….we’re waiting…….Nancy Clarke, our ARI contact, said there is no definite date for release of these documents. I will let you know just as soon as they are posted on the SDE's web site.
I have enjoyed seeing you and your students during my school visits. I wish all of you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving! Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can help in any way.
