10 Perspectives on Learning in Education

Jimmy Casas, Todd Whitaker, Jeffrey Zoul

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000044652
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Professional Development

The best educators never stop learning about their students or their craft. In this second volume of the Routledge Great Educators Series, ten of education's most inspiring thought-leaders come together to bring you their top suggestions for improving your students' learning in the classroom and your own professional learning as an educator.

You'll gain fresh insights on learning how to…

· Influence others and make a greater impact as a leader. ( Todd Whitaker)

· "Unlearn" traditional practices that no longer serve our students. ( Jeffrey Zoul)

· Be vulnerable and willing to learn from and with colleagues. ( Jimmy Casas)

· Master your emotional intelligence to improve people skills. ( Sanée Bell)

· Shift the focus from grading to standards-based learning. ( Garnet Hillman)

· Create student-centered learning environments with flexible seating. ( Kayla Dornfeld)

· Balance the role of technology in your life and plug in more intentionally. ( Jessica Cabeen)

· Focus on the non-negotiables for success with the hardest-to-reach kids. ( Brian Mendler)

· Apply a cross-curricular, design-thinking approach to your curriculum. ( Erin Klein)

· Connect with colleagues and students for true collaboration. ( Derek McCoy)

The book's practical strategies and stories will inspire you on your journey to make a difference in students' lives.

1

Learning to Lead

Todd Whitaker

The title alone to this chapter—“Learning to Lead”—might sound kind of scary. And it can be kind of scary. After all, if you do not have a fancy title—instructional coach, principal, superintendent, etc.—then why would you even attempt to lead? Isn’t that why they get the big bucks? Aren’t they the ones with all of the power? Who is going to listen to you anyhow?

Even worse, what if you try to lead and no one follows? What if you try to lead and everyone gets mad at you or even worse, laughs at you? What if your ideas are bad? What if the concepts are wrong? No wonder learning to lead is so scary. The unknowns can seem overwhelming and may convince us that the best step is one of inaction.

We have all seen leaders get criticized for their decisions and actions. Even if we agree with them, and the majority of the teachers in our school are on board, there still may be a few naysayers who seem to have a loud voice that no one challenges. Many times, we are glad we are not in the leader’s shoes and have those disagreeable feelings and emotions channeled our way.

It is always easier to criticize a leader than it is to be one. However, without leadership, things seldom move forward. This does not mean a person or leader is only that individual with a title, but it does mean it is someone, anyone, taking a risk and making an effort to help move a group, organization, or a school forward.

Realize that in the absence of leadership, everyone tries to fill the void. Unfortunately, it can often end up being negative people with strong personalities who enter this “leadership gap.” The reason they gain influence is that it is no fun to stand up to and resist them. The ire that was given to the formal leader when he or she suggested changes or ideas could quickly pivot to anyone who promotes ideas that he or she disagrees with or that may require additional effort and work. And if it is you who attempts to assume the leadership role, this negativity may head in your direction. Once negative people get established or, worse yet, entrenched, it can be even less rewarding and more frightening to try to take a risk and assume a leadership role.

However, it is also frustrating to not make progress. Our job is no fun unless we continue to make strides to improve our teaching and our craft. We chose education to have a positive impact on students, and if we are aware of a better way to do so, it can be quite troubling if it is not enacted in our schools. So how can we advance improvements regardless of role or title? How do we start? What can make the biggest impact and how can we have a part in this?

The Impact of Leading

Though we may think of times when a leader’s decision was not popular, we can think of many times when the decision was right. The leader held his or her ground and did the right thing, even if there were others who wanted the leader to do something else. The coach who suspends the star athlete from a critical game for a rule violation may not be popular among die-hard fans, but we still know that decision was right. There may be short-term anger among a small group of visible and vocal opponents, but the coach also gathers long-term respect among the clear thinking and objective majority. And that is what we all really want. We would like to be held in regard by those around us—especially by those we most hold in regard ourselves.

We have all known people we respected and admired. Think of educators—peers and supervisors who you looked up to. Many of those people we valued because they were leaders. Maybe not in title but definitely in how they lived their lives and served in their profession. This is where we all want to be, and this is how we are going to start learning to lead. We chose education to make a difference. Now we want to expand our positive impact. We do this by leading others.

Let’s look at some ways that everyone can learn to lead. None of these require any position power, and we can work on implementing these into our practice right away. Many of them you know, and some of them you do. But to really lead effectively, these must become part of our daily practice.

Role Modeling

The most basic way to lead is role modeling. It is by handling ourselves in a professional way at all times. It is by caring for others, by being friendly, and by being effective at our craft. Some people are role models through one or two ways. We can admire someone for seemingly always being positive. Others we can respect for their appearance or personality. But education takes us a little deeper than that. We really want to be that teacher who has a significant and lasting impact on the students in our school.

At times, even the best of us might get a little jealous when we hear students continually say positive things about other teachers. It may be about how much they loved a previous teacher or about a teacher whose class they have the period right after ours. We may even ache a little bit to be thought of in that same light. But what we can do is make sure we strive to be like that colleague rather than try to pull him or her down.

It is interesting to watch sports at all levels. When your team wins, people describe the players with all sorts of positive traits—determined, fearless, selfless, etc. Then after they have won the battle, we are proud of their sportsmanship as they shake hands with their defeated opponent. At the professional level, we admire the winners as they describe what challenging and worthy competition they just faced. There is nothing wrong with this at all. However, there is nothing much special about it either. Being a gracious winner is not a difficult task. Holding your head up high and congratulating those below us is fine. But role modeling means much, much more than that. Sending a positive note to a colleague who just won teacher of the year when you have never been selected is special. The losing team that acknowledges and brags about the conquering foe is the rarity. Though people may see this as weakness, it is more about an example of strength. This is how we start becoming leaders. Building others up rather than ever working to diminish them. The world has plenty of critics. We do not need any more of those. We need people who do the right thing even when others do wrong. We need people who speak up when others are silent. We need people to offer comfort to those most in need. That is being a leader.

The world has plenty of critics. We do not need any more of those. We need people who do the right thing even when others do wrong.

I have the good fortune to work with thousands of educators around the world each year. Principals will often ask me why teachers do not stand up to their negative peers. I always answer that it is because the principal does not stand up to their negative peers. If the principal does not model how to do this appropriately and professionally, how and why should the teachers know how and be willing to do so? But it is more than that. We do not need teachers to stand up to negative colleagues. That is not where it starts. That is the principal’s job. It is fine if a teacher does, but that is not what is needed. Instead, what a teacher needs to do is do the right thing, even when his or her colleague(s) do wrong. That is role modeling. That is where it starts.

If you are a parent, do you expect your children to fix their friends? Probably not. That is quite an overwhelming task. However, if you are a parent, do you expect your children to do what is right even when their friends do wrong? Probably so. And if your children do right, there is at least a chance that some of their friends may choose not to do wrong. That is role modeling. That is where leading starts.

That is the same way we need to look at leading others. We have to do right even if others do wrong. That may not be enough to solve all problems, but it is enough to start. That is learning to lead. That is leading.

Complaining, or Rather, Not Complaining

When we get tired and worn out, negativity is much easier to succumb to. We would like excuses for being less effective than we wish we were. Being around others who offer excuses can actually provide comfort. “The problem isn’t me; it’s the students!,” “Maybe if we were ever supported, we could actually do our jobs!,” “If the legislators in our state had actually taught, maybe they would make a good decision about education!,” etc. These are common refrains in a school that may increase in frequency as the year moves along and as the honeymoon period in which we started the year comes to a close.

But let’s reflect for just a minute. Do we really want all of our elected officials to teach? Would you volunteer your child to be in their classrooms? Yikes! Most likely not. But what we did by saying that was let ourselves, and everyone around us, off the hook. By being a part of the conversation, and especially by offering any concurrence, we have perpetuated and possibly even strengthened these arguments and perceptions. And even if we sit there in silence, there may be the thought that we agree. Is this being a leader?

This does not mean that you have to “stand up” to a negative person and even less so to a negative group. However, it may mean that you have to, at the minimum, not join in. If you can be the first to not chime in or at the least not to nod in agreement, that is a step toward beginning to lead.

Have you ever been in a situation with a bunch of people who do not know each other and something unusual or annoying begins to happen? For example, say you are in a fast-food restaurant and the person behind the counter is acting very rude, and the order seems to be taking forever. At first, you may find it odd and keep to yourself. But once it gets to the point that you feel things are way off the norm, you may begin to look around to see if others in the same situation feel like you do. If the other people waiting do not show signs of despair—and especially if they seem like typical people—then you may begin to think it is just you being picky or impatient.

However, if they are also looking around and feeling frustrated, you may make eye contact and simultaneously frown, roll your eyes, or show some other kind of disgust. By doing this, you validate, and are validated, that the problem isn’t you. It is the person behind the counter, possibly the manager also, and potentially it is the whole dang restaurant chain. You actually feel more confident that this situation is ridiculous and that you have been wronged. You may feel empowered to make snide comments aloud and/or complain to the worker or your temporary “colleagues” (i.e., the other customers).

But as you scan your fellow customers, if the most impressive one, or the one most like you, catches your eye and gives a you a positive, warm, friendly smile, you may shift from the negative mind-set and actually be more tolerant and accepting of the situation. They may even show an awareness and acknowledgment of the situation by grinning and giving a knowing shrug—kind of a lighthearted “at least we are in this together” response.

Even in a situation like this—complete strangers who may never cross paths again—there is leadership. Instead of looking around and examining others for signals, you can put yourself in the shoes of the employee and think, “I can just imagine what it would be like to work here for minimum wage in an understaffed environment waiting on hungry, impatient people.” This can allow your facial expressions and body language to assume a much calmer and kinder posture. But in this environment, if no one takes a positive tone, then the only possible outcome is negativity.

This is exactly what happens in a faculty meeting or in the teachers’ lounge. If a new teacher is at his or her first faculty meeting, that person is watching others to see what is appropriate. He or she is looking at others to see what is appropriate in terms of dress, in terms of bringing in snacks or drinks, and whether to sit near the front or back of the room. If the new teacher sees others grading papers, texting, or playing Candy Crush on their devices, then he or she, as the newbie, may feel that this is not only appropriate but also possibly even expected in order to “fit in.” However, if the new teacher sees just one teacher who has made a positive impression, who said “hi” to him or her as the person walked in and invited the new teacher to sit at his or her table, or if the new teacher has heard very positive comments about behaving differently, that may be enough to dissuade him or her from following the lead of the majority. Maybe—maybe not. But that is where leadership starts.

If someone says something mean or inappropriate to a colleague, you might want to stand up to him or her, which might be too scary at the time. But at least don’t laugh. Having the strength to do what is right while you are in the minority is leadership. Many prospective principals have asked me if it is possible to become a principal in the schools where they teach. My response is always the same: as long as you haven’t griped in the teachers’ lounge, you have a shot. You are already different than most of the others in the school. But once you choose to roll in the mud of negativity, it is very difficult to ever feel clean. And maybe more importantly, it is challenging for your colleagues to forget.

Having the strength to do what is right while you are in the minority is leadership.

Disclosing Vulnerabilities

Many times, people attempt to lead by being above someone else. It could be a formal leader who “pulls rank.” It could also be someone who attempts to show superiority among peers by bragging or self-aggrandizing. When you say something like, “Here is how I do it,” there is a chance that it comes across as, “Here is something I thought of that you didn’t because I am smarter and better than you.” As a result, not only have you potentially lost the ability to influence the colleague but also you may have damaged his or her view of you on a longer-term basis.

By using the term “disclosing,” we really mean exposing weakness or vulnerability. Rather than sharing something that is “your idea,” it may be more influential to describe how difficult it was for you or that it is something you find challenging also. And a more powerful way to lead could be to share a non-ego-driven solution. By saying, “You know something someone told me once …” or “One time I saw a teacher…,” it can allow you to share the same solution, but it is a more powerful way to influence because it feels like we are learning together rather than one person drawing from the well of knowledge.

This can allow you to be more influential and thus increase your leadership capability and capacity. It makes you more vulnerable by showing that you are not perfect. It also allows the other party to feel more connected and makes him or her comfortable disclosing too.

This can be even more powerful coming from someone who is viewed in high regard. For example, it is powerful if the teacher who seems to have it all together, or the macho coach, is willing to ask things like, “Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could do a better job of …” or “One thing I struggle with is …” These people, who seem intimidating, or even “perfect,” now have more influence because they have shown that they are more like everyone else rather than being more removed or above others.

That is also a sign of someone who has confidence, which is always an attractive characteristic. Bragging is reflective of insecurity and diminishes our ability to lead others. Learning to lead requires us to be very aware of ourselves and of how we are seen by others.

New Teachers

If we want to learn to lead, let’s start with the points of least resistance rather than the areas of greatest need. Instead of beginning our leadership journey by centering on the area or people that most need to be different, it might be better to focus on the area or people where we can most make a difference.

We can all remember what it was like to be a new teacher. We were excited, anxious, energetic, and nervous all at the same time. We didn’t really know what we were doing, but we sure wanted to act like we did. Great effort went into our classroom appearance, and we made sure our bulletin boards were pristine. We had our procedures thought out and wanted everything to get off to a fantastic start.

Then something weird happened. The students showed up. All of a sudden, it was different than we had imagined. At times, it seemed lonely. You realized that teaching can seem like an isolated profession, even though you are never alone. Things happened quite rapidly, and every student may not have responded like you had hoped and imagined. We might have struggled with work-life balance and began to get feelings of self-doubt. You could have really used a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Meet the Authors
• Preface
• 1 Learning to Lead
• 2 Schools That Unlearn
• 3 Learn For and With Others
• 4 Learning How to Tune Into Your Emotional Intelligence
• 5 Shifting the Focus to Standards-Based Learning
• 6 Creating Student-Centered Learning Environments
• 7 Learning to Balance the Role of Technology in Your Life
• 8 Learning the Non-Negotiables for Success With Kids
• 9 Learning to Apply a Cross-Curricular, Design-Thinking Approach
• 10 Learning by Connecting With Others