Q: How do you create the environment where the psychological needs of all staff members flourish? 

C: I thought I had figured it all out, I was tired of students approaching me asking for extra credit opportunities because they were in danger of failing the class.   I didn’t think it was fair for a student to slack 3/4 of the semester and all of a sudden see the need to raise his/her grade and ask for a ditto or worksheet just to pass the class, I simply told students I didn’t believe in the concept of extra credit, but that was just my word, I had no policy for or against extra credit.   So as I revised my syllabus for the next semester and stated that a student must maintain a C or better and be missing not one single assignment in order to qualify for the extra credit project.    I explained that this would be seen as a bonus or a raise at a job they were working at.  

I loved this book,  it was like a “oh yeah” moment on every page as I read.   It is just sad how so many businesses and organizations run, and in many cases families too.     The idea of automony, and intrinsic rewards is not only being scientifically proven to be stand alone great motivating factors, but it an impact so many aspects of a company’s, organization and a family’s well being and properity.  This helped me reflect as a teacher and check my protocols, check my routines, and question why I do the things I do as an educator.      When Pink talked about goals and how counter productive they can be, and what twisted human behavior can come as a result of goals being set, it just made me think about many might practice a “whatever it takes attitude,” and might even the unimaginable in order to meet that goal, no matter how low the road is.     I love that I was able to reflect on my teaching, on my behaviors as a person, as a school leader, and possibly being to develop better habits, and practice and promote automony or self determination theory, or a ROWE environment.

Q; “These analytical qualities can be extremely helpful obviously-many problems get solved through analysis-but in situations where change is needed, to much analysis can doom the effort.” (pg. 33)

Comment:  As I read this I totally thought of how we are struggling with a particular component at our campus, and yet we continue to analyze, reflect, and attempt to think critically about the situation, but not much has been changed thus far.   This is sad, we have spent so much time talking and talking, and instead of looking for the bright spots we are just over analyzing the current situation.  Too often this might happen in large organizations, and my fear is that our school is only going to get larger and larger, and we are will continue on this endless and unproductive path.  

“There are going to be bright spots in your field of view, and if you learn to recognize them and understand then, you will solve one of the fundamental mysteries of change: what, exactly, needs to be done differently?”  (pg. 39)

Comment: I couldn’t agree more, I have seen this done.  Looking, finding, and identifying what needs to be done differently, and overall what is working and why.    Even on the most difficult day as a teacher, I must find the silver lining, I must make an effort to identify what went well and multiple it, or as mentioned in the article, “clone it.”   It’s not a difficult concept, but boy do some of us like to chew the fat.

“What’s working well and how can we do more of it?”    (pg. 41)

Comment: Such a simple idea, and I must tie it intothe quote and comment above, I am not sure that we all have come to this realization, but as mentioned in the reading sometimes a big problem has a small solution.  It time to stop pointing the finger and playing the blame game, let’s take a careful look at our everyday practices and see what results it producing, and attempt to find the bright spots.   Somethings gotta give.  

“TBU, true but useless.”    (pg. 43)

Comment: I loved how this reminded me of my childhood, and of the mistakes I’ve made as a novice teacher, but it doesn’t matter, all of it is irrelevant.   It might be true that it is not going to do anything.   Again a simple concept, Solutions focused therapy, now I would invest time and money into this.   Where can I take a seat???   I love the idea of moving forward.  

“…making most of your strengths rather than obsessing about your weakness.”   (pg. 48)

Comment: Talk about change, after taking a look at the few words the reading provided on the emotions list, I was in shock on how negative our vocabulary is, there are literally more negative emotions that positive ones.    We really have a tough battle to fight, even our words can be so damaging.    Again, I am very fond of the idea of searching for strengths and maintaining that focus.   I hope I remember this when my child comes home with 3 A’s, 2 B’s and 1 F.    After all, easier said than done, right?

Q:   How can I use this in my classroom, as a teacher, as a future school leader?  

C:  I am totally inspired, but as I reflect on my last few years in education I wonder how can I use this to not just inform my practice but to become a change agent, not just someone who talks, reflects, and writes blogs.   All I know is that change is possible and I was able to take a lot from this article.    I loved that it was simple, and real.   This format works for me, it felt as if Dr. Phil was reading this to me. 

Q:   Why are we still looking for a magical way to figure out how to pay teachers, find a balance in tenure and performance, improve teaching and learning?   

C:  As I read the Marshall article she began by listing reasons why merit pay is “ineffective strategy.”     She definetly has some valid points.   And I can imagine for each point someone out there has a counter argument that is just as compelling.    But for me the most reasonable point that I was able to take for the article was the idea of having a team a support network that was invested and dedicated to improving teaching and creating a optimal learning environment for all, yes, both the teachers and the students.   Because at the end of the day we are all students.   I remember a math teacher asking us to prove that we knew a particular formula or concept, he said, “you know you know it when you can explain that concept to someone else, that is teaching.”   True, true.    Even a “tenured” teacher can still learn.   Imagine a team of teachers, administrators, and other support staff giving you effective feedback throughout the semester that will help improve your teaching.   Sadly what we see happen too often is a principal completing one observation throughout the year, and as stated in the article published by the Washington Post titled Myths about paying good teachers more, it claims that “the typical teacher evaluation in public education consists of a single, fleeting classroom visit by a harried principal who is often more interested in classroom behavior  than quality of instruction.”  

Again this takes me back to my question what are we waiting for?    When will we get it?   When will an effective change take place?    Yet these conversations have been taking place for years, (one of the article even quoted President Eisenhower in 1955)   and unless we have some solid examples, guidance and federal, state and local support we will continue on these educational treadmill.

Q: When are we going to understand that the fact that someone has been teachers for years does not show that theor methods are effective, that they care about students, nor they are concerned about the community well being?  

C: I was saddened as I began to read the article, a grim reality for too many schools in this place that many seek to an consider to be a place of opportunity, prosperity, and ambition.     The conversations we had after Dr. Howard Fuller spoke continue to be a topic of conversation on our campus, not just as we debriefed with the studnets, and did a bit of research on Diane Ravich, for those of us who are new to education,   all while getting ready for our largest studnet exhibition, how blessed I am to work at such an amazing place.  A place where I am encouraged to think outside of the box, to teach my passions, and leave the classroom with my students, to look for amazing opportunities for student enrichment.   And then I hear about how San Diego unified might have 50 plus students per class due to budget cuts, and it makes me sick to my stomach.   The fact that I am at this amazing place, does not at all mean that I forget what is going on in public education around our local community.   Where do we start?   Do we evaluate teachers, do we have merit pay?   I don’t know.

Q: My true question is; when will the comparissons stop?

but for the sake of the class…

How do we find/produce accurate data that can help us (all key stakeholders; educators, administrators, parents, and most importantly students)?    How do you meassure student achievement?  Is it a multiple choice test, is a presentation of learning, is it a self reflection, a rubric?   Are we looking for a grade or a certain amount of points or a form as assessment?   And most importantly what do we plan on doing with such information collected? 

C:   I have a wonderful older sister, I love her to pieces, she began to read at a very early age, and to this day is just such a great writer.   The teachers she had knew she was amazing and my parents knew this also, the refrigerator was covered with her awards and certificates.     I was just average student,  I talked a lot in class,  it was really hard for me to stay in my seat, and I wasn’t in love with the idea of reading just for fun.    Needless to say, I bet you can figure out that I was constantly being compared to her, I began to look for ways to out due my sister, I began to be an over-achiever.   I needed to be better than her in something, and I was doing it just to be better than her, not to be a better me.   Ok, maybe this is too much information.  But my point is it hurts so much to be compared, unless there is constructive advice to make some positive changes.     I hope this doesn’t come across as Rothstein says “those who ignore history…are doomed to repeat it.”    I believe that we can learn from our mistakes, and from the examples of our ancestors and predecessors, but comparing apples to oranges, just doesn’t make sense.

Q:  Has there been research done on teachers who earn a masters degree directly connected or in the same subject that they teach?  What have been the outcomes, looking at student performance?   Is there then a correlation?    Looking for data…

C: I have to be completely honest, although I don’t hold a masters degree, I was a strong supporter of teachers who earned a masters degree to be on a higher level of the pay scale versus those that do not have one.  It wasn’t until I began to read the article that the other side made sense.   I was under the impression that the masters degree had to be directly tied to what the teacher was teaching, it made sense.   If a high school Spanish teacher was in the process of getting her masters, wouldn’t it make sense for her to pursue a masters in an area that would strengthen her teaching practices.   But maybe she is getting a masters in business administration or in biology, I don’t know.   Maybe schools should look into what masters degrees teachers hold before assigning them a higher pay scale.   I understand why those studies mentioned in the article, that there is no correlation between students performance and teachers who hold a masters degree. 

Key points that I want to keep in mind as I work on obtaining my masters:

1. “They would seek out masters programs oriented towards genuinely improving classroom effectiveness.”   
2.  ”Use data,”
3. “immediate feedback loop on effectiveness of programs ”

I think if I keep these practice near and dear to the purpose of why I am working on a masters degree it will keep everything in perspective, and keep me grounded without being concerned about issues of money or pay scales.

Q:   How do you guide teams to identify their own areas of need or growth?   And how do we help our various teams to  set attainable goals  not to broad but not too limited. 

C:  No two finger prints are alike, although they might seem very similar from a distance, they are very distinct.   I think the same goes for grade teams.    Although they might be covering similar content or in some cases the same content, the learning environment, the pacing, and the scope and sequence will not be identical.  So, it might be very challenging to have a grade-team identify goals or areas for improvement.   Allowing the teams to brainstorm the areas for improvement, and possibly finding similarities, could help in generating appropriate goals.   Two extreme areas on opposite ends of the spectrum as mention in the chapter are setting goals that are to “narrow and immediate and others are ambitious but not tied to student outcomes.”      The goals the the teams set need to have tangible outcomes,  we need to have evidence to be able to analyze if the changes in our lessons, or projects were beneficial.  But using all this information or data needs to have a purpose.   If not we are just having teachers setting goals based on areas of need, but nothing will get done, and that can get really discouraging.    As mentioned in chapter 6 “we would need to clarify that using data to guide instruction meant focusing on student-centered outcomes as measured by tests, classwork, homework and other evidence of student learning.     In a project based environment, I think that we could integrate collecting data and looking at alternative forms of student assessment as a way of looking at student outcomes, and looking at student learning, and possible areas for improvement.   In the end, I can totally appreciate looking at examples, such as Two Rivers Public Charter School, and what a team of directors did to encourage critically thinking teacher leaders to set goals, and use data to guide their instruction and inform their practice and overall all provide areas for growth.

Q:   Where do we start?   

C:  I was amazed to see our director at so many teacher lead meetings, whether it was a study team, or disciplines, or advisory.   I was wondering, how does she have time.    OF course she doesn’t have time, she makes time.     This component is so important, this is the way to stay informed and involved, although email and google docs seem to be a popular trend, having her sit in and participate in our meetings kept her in the loop, showed she cared, and sometimes allowed us to problem solve with the appropriate person.    I think we have this part down, I know that if were being asked  to look at data as a school or even as a study group, we will have the support and involvement of our director.  

To be completely honest I was a bit intimidated by the whole subject of data.   I guess just the title gave me gose bumps.    Math is not my best subject, and relying on online banking has made my life somewhat easier, but I have been avoiding something important looking at the numbers.    I first step would be recognizing how scary this can be, but reminding myself of the benefits that data came provide.    As mentioned in the book a vital component would be creating a culture where we could look at data in a way that is comprehensible to all, and overall useful.   I currently have the responsibility of being the testing coordinator at the school, but I want to understand the information that is being collected.

“Predicaments require interpretive thinking.   Dealing with a predicament demands the ability to put a larger frame on around a situation, to understand it in its context to appreciate it’s even deeper and often paradoxical causes and consequences.” (pg.  42-43)

Q:   How do you do that?

C:   I understand the difference between a problem and a predicament.    A problem has a solution, and a predicament puts us in a tough place, like a moral dilemma.  How do I distinguish between the two without spending in insane about of time on reflection, and possibly over thinking the situation?   I know for a fact that I rethink and over analyze things too much.   I worry about hurting people’s feelings and I can’t pretend that I am not concerned about pleasing people.    I guess I just have more clarifying questions about problem or predicament solving, what does it mean by larger frame, is it to just look at the big picture?    Is it like a means to an end, like a utilitarian approach?      I was able to follow the example of crime, and how it its causes and consequences are must more profound than just playing the blame game.     Ok, maybe I am understanding this after all.    Before attempting to find a possible solution, or quickly categorize the issue at hand, I guess I need to take a step back and assess the situation, and look for possible causes and consequences, and that might help guide the next necessary steps.

Q: What happens then to protocols and procedures?

C:   I am a bit confused.  As I began to read this chapter,  I began to feel anxiety.    I think that a major role that a director or leader plays is that of problem solver.    Walking a team though a problem solving protocol seems useful and necessary.   If not I can see an entire staff meeting going in circles for about 2 hours, and nothing getting accomplished.   In the last few weeks I have been able to observe how beneficial protocols can be in classrooms, in staff meetings, and in handling with particular situations, like parents.    I love the idea of gathering a bag of tricks so that as leader, and protocols are those invaluable ideas that make day or meeting productive.    After role playing or looking at case studies this past week, I realized the importance of perspective and mindfulness.   These are 2 habits of the heart and mind that we teach and try to have students reflect upon as they work, learn, grow, and serve.   But, as a teacher leader I think that these 2 habits in particular are that ones that need our attention the most.    By being aware of the needs of my audience, my team, and keeping good communication, I think that these protocols are even more possible and productive.