Quote-Day: Day 16

All #feedback is not created #equal. If it isn't #evidence based, and you can't act on it, it isn't worth giving. #edchat #QuoteADay #Day16

I had the opportunity to wrap-up this year's recertification for lead evaluators, a series of workshops that administrators here in New York State engage in yearly to refresh our understanding of the needs for effective performance review for educators.

During our session, one of the topics that was discussed focused on feedback, and how everyone gives feedback, but not everyone gives feedback that is useful.

I really agree with this statement.  As a teacher, I had an epiphany during my second year of teaching.  I had been providing feedback to students that was very basic, and not surprisingly, I wasn't seeing the changes I hoped I would see.

To address this, I made sure that every time I provided feedback, I supplied students with at least one relevant question tied back to their work.  Though this took longer to do, it saved time in the long run as students were more likely to change behavior (or at least see me to discuss my feedback further).

The key tenets of the feedback I began to supply?  The feedback had to be based on evidence from the student work, and, just as importantly, students had to be able to act on the feedback (in other words, it was reachable and appropriate for where students currently "were").

Today, working primarily with teachers and leaders, I make it a habit  of supplying feedback in exactly the same way.  Regardless of where we are in our lives, we are all learners seeking to further our understanding of the world around us.  If we are going to take the time to supply feedback, why not make sure it is meaningful?

Quote-A-Day: Day 15

Bad news becomes worse news when it isn't addressed immediately. Sweeping under the rug helps no one. #edchat #edu #QuoteADay #Day15

Our desire to help others and reduce potential damage or pain often causes us to think twice about delivering bad news.  Yet, the longer we wait to deliver bad news, the potentially worse it can become, and the more likely it is for people to hear news from someone other than the source, and we often know how that can impact a situation.

So what does that mean?  In short, that we have to overcome our fear of making people uncomfortable in order to inform and support.  One way of looking at it is that the sooner we share bad news, the more time we have to support the people who need it.

Delivering any news that is less than stellar can be a challenge.  Yet, we can't look at these scenarios as if they are ones to be avoided.  Instead, we need to embrace these chances as times to build capacity, strengthen relationships and truly become people leaders.

Quote-A-Day: Day 14

Don't forget to set aside an opportunity to #exercise all parts of your mind + body. #Downtime is #essential. #edchat #edu #QuoteADay #Day14

Some days it feels like we're moving at the speed of light.  With no potential end in sight, life passes us by, and we do whatever we can to keep the train on the tracks (and not fall off in the process).  So, it isn't surprising that we need to force ourselves to make time to relax.

Downtime is a necessity.

All parts of our body and mind need exercise, including those parts that control our ability to tune out all input, and just be.

My wife and I took a short one night trip two evenings ago.  It was great to get away, and we enjoyed a night filled with good food, good drink, and ample relaxation.  Our kids were well taken care of, enjoying their time with my parents, and my wife and I made every effort to ignore the cell phones and let email sit for another day.

We both returned feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the challenges that life throws our way.  The truth is, I'm sure we both would have been able to handle things without our one night jaunt.  But, the opportunity to simply "turn off" for one day, certainly made us that much more effective when we "turned back on."

Quote-A-Day: Day 13

Never be afraid to take a few steps back. It's amazing what you can learn when observing from a new perspective. #QuoteADay #edchat #edu

It's pretty unbelievable what you can learn when you take a step back and look at a situation from a new angle.  We tend to get so caught up in putting out fires and handling problems, that we rarely, if ever, are able to stop, remove ourselves from the heat of the moment, and look at the scenario from a different angle.

But when we do have that opportunity, wow, it's amazing how much we can learn.  While it's difficult, I do my best to stave off any decision making until I've put myself in the shoes of a number of different stakeholders.

Recently, we've been struggling with finding ways to keep one of the programs that has been a cornerstone of our agency afloat.  The program has made the difference in the lives of many students, but finances over the last few years have plagued its ability to pay costs.  I've tried to view the situation from the perspective of teachers in the program, students, parents, and administrators in districts that are making the decision about whether to support the program in the future.  While viewing the situation from these perspectives doesn't necessarily make the problem any easier to solve, it does provide for a more effective context from which to troubleshoot, and regardless of the outcome, I can now visualize the many different pathways our agency, and the program, may take.

It's true that taking a few steps back can prevent us from moving forward.  But, what we lose in forward progress, we make up for in information gathering and relationship building.

Quote-A-Day: Day 12

We don't know what we don't know. Better to assume lack of #knowledge than intuit that other's are wrong. #edchat #edu #QuoteADay #Day12

If you're like me, you've definitely been in situations where you think you know all the answers, only to find out you're wrong.  I was once told that we never know what we don't know, and for that reason, no one can ever be a real "expert."

Of course, it is tough to admit when we don't know something, but the most effective leaders feel comfortable using their lack of knowledge as a driving force for learning more.  No matter where you go or what you do, there is always going to be somebody who knows more about something than you.

And that's the point.  If we knew everything, or knew precisely what we didn't yet know, life's challenges and adventures would be non-existent (or at least a lot less fun).  Better to be cognizant of the fact that there are always questions to be answered, and always those out there who can help us answer them.

Quote-A-Day: Day 11

Remember those who #helped+#hindered you along the way. #Learning from the #past helps prepare us for the future. #edchat #QuoteADay #Day11

Sometimes I think that we get so caught up in the day, that we forget to think much about the one that came before.  Yet, our past does, quite regularly, inform our future, and realistically, we should never want to ignore our past, as it has helped shape who we are today.

When we do have the time to reflect on our lives, we often tend to push aside thoughts about the aspects of our being that did not go as well as we hoped, and we tend to ignore (or worse get angered by) the people in our lives who treated us as less than we would want to be treated.

Yet, even those who had a negative impact on our lives can to be remembered for the positive learning we took from them.  There are even times when we can learn more from those who were thorns in our side than from those who we consider close friends or family.

Regardless, all our experiences (both positive and negative) come together to help make us who we are today.  While it is true that our past does not define us, we should embrace the fact that our past helps us define for ourselves, who we will become in the future.

Quote-A-Day: Day 10

#Knowledge may keep us sharp, but #humility tempers the edge. Without it, we can cut others and ourselves. #QuoteADay #Day10 #edchat #edu

Last evening I took the Jeopardy online test.  I enjoy doing this yearly for two reasons.  First, I love Jeopardy, and would love even more to be a contestant.  As far as "game shows" go, they don't get much better.  Second, I look forward to being humbled each time I take the test.  Yep, I actually look forward to getting my butt kicked.

There's something about being humbled and understanding the importance of humility.  Any leader worth his/her salt knows that to stay relevant, an ever increasing wealth of knowledge needs to be attained.  The problem with knowledge on its own, though, is that it can lead to arrogance, and a belief that the more knowledge one obtains, the "smarter" one becomes.  This is only half true.  Certainly knowledge is a requisite factor in leading and life.  But, to avoid the inflated ego that might accompany it, we need a good dose of humility to bring us back down to Earth.

A quick note:  Humility is different from humiliation.  Doing horribly on the Jeopardy online test was an important application of humility for me to experience  No matter how smart I might think I am, I have much and more to learn; it's good to be reminded of this.  But, I wasn't humiliated by the experience; I took the test knowing what to expect, and feeling happy about it afterwards.  Everyone should have the experience of a little humility.  But no one, should ever be humiliated.