Servant Leadership: It Is Easy to Forget

By Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers on August 18, 2016 6:30 AM | No comments

This quote appeared a few days back on a LinkedIn homepage and sent to us by one of our contacts. Its simple, profound truth set us to thinking. Why isn't this on the website of every educational leadership program and on the desk or wall of every leader? Isn't this the jolt we need every now and then to bring us back to the reason we entered this leadership arena in the first place? Most of us wanted to serve more students than we could in our classrooms and we wanted to serve adult educators as well as the children.  But, we do forget sometimes.

Reflecting on and writing often about the importance of leading safe, nurturing, encouraging, inclusive learning environments, the focus is on the organization as a whole.  We talk about the role of the staff and teachers, and how to help students to flourish as they maintain values and actions that support such an environment.  A 2014 Brookings Institute Study reported that "student achievement does not improve with longevity of superintendent service...and that superintendents account for a small fraction of a percent (0.3) of student differences in achievement." It also reported:

Superintendents may well be as important to student achievement as the popular perception, their portrayal in the media, and their salaries suggest, but there is almost no quantitative research that addresses their impact.

Studies like this can misdirect boards of education to recruit leaders who are effective in managing the business of the district.  Managers do important work and monitor and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization but most of them don't serve or lead people. The bottom line motivates them. We know the difference between a manger and a leader in our heads and our hearts. Leaders encourage us ot be more than we think we can ever be, they inspire and we choose to follow. Why? Because they serve.

The superintendent's effect on student achievement, we believe, begins in the hearts and minds of the leaders and best begins with the superintendent. Superintendents matter. Ask anyone in a district where superintendent turnover is rampant. Chaos reigns, political jockeying is a way of life and others go undercover searching for anonymity or safety.

When thinking about servant leadership our minds turn to the late Robert Greenleaf.  From The Center for Servant Leadership website:

Servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world.

Three questions are identified on that website to determine the reach of a servant leader:

1. Do those served grow as persons?
2. Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? and
3. What is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?

Questions with 'yes' and 'no' answers are important to determine the existence of one thing or another. We like to ask for examples to support the choice.  Or, we ask....

1. In what ways do those we serve grow as persons?
2. How do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?
3. How do the least privileged in our organization benefit from my work?

An Example: Evaluation and FeedbackIn the attempt to maintain an accountability process, for decades schools have required supervisors to observe and evaluate teachers. Over time this process has grown to mammoth proportions, taking up time and energy, resulting in something called 'feedback' and/or a 'score' of some kind indicating the one observed receiving a rank ranging from something like 'ineffective' to 'highly effective'. This does nothing to encourage or motivate the teacher or the principal being evaluated. It simply labels them one thing or another. Much like how students are evaluated, the grade is the end of the conversation. 

Identifying what is wrong and telling how to fix it is common in observations, evaluations, and in work with students. Feedback has come to mean, for many, a dreaded message delivered with the bad news of what's wrong. The result? Ask yourself if, as a result of conferencing with a teacher, or a teacher with a student, "How did they grow as people as a result?"  "In what ways did I help them become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely to become servants themselves?" and "How did the interaction consider the effect on the least privileged?"

The CascadeWithout the model beginning at the top, it is unlikely a difference will be made in the organization.  When the superintendent is a servant leader, s/he remains connected to  all, even the least privileged students with an intention of the work growing, independent, motivated, healthy, wiser students/teachers/staff members/administrators.  Through that modeling, it becomes more likely that other leaders in the organization turn toward the servant within themselves and embody it in the community.  School leaders and the teachers are unquestionably serving students but do students think about that? Can we articulate what we model?

No matter the job held in the district, the unifying purpose and the passion for the work is making it possible for students, all students, to experience success. None of us can forget who we serve. The manner in which we speak to one another, the respect we show to all remains based upon that sense of service with students at the center.  As we reenter the school year, it is a good time for us to reflect a bit. Are we leading with a servant's heart? Can others tell?

Quote of the Day

"Who we are professionally is rarely isolated from who we are personally." Unknown

THE CORE 4 OF PERSONALIZED LEARNING

by Scott Johns on January 20, 2016

In some ways, creating a successful personalized learning classroom is similar to winning a basketball game. To give us direction, my high school basketball coach consistently focused on three key areas, which he called the Big Three:

(1) Out-rebound the other team

(2) Limit turnovers to fewer than 12

(3) Make at least 80% of our free throws

He believed that focusing on the Big Three would create the proper strategy to win basketball games. During halftime and time outs, my coach would often refocus our team on one or more of these elements by saying things like, “They are killing us on rebounds. Everyone needs to rebound!” or, “We have 10 turnovers already. We need to start taking care of the ball!” His words told us what we needed to know when we got back on the court, as well as gave us a preview about what we would likely do a lot of in the next day’s practice.

Not surprisingly, when our team met these three elements, we won.  

At Education Elements, we have established our own set of key elements, called the Core Four, that lead to a successful personalized learning classroom. Similar to the basketball court, these core elements can provide guidance for educators in creating a winning strategy for their district, schools, and classrooms.

Of course, the Core Four cannot simply be the only items on a check-off list---my team would have certainly still lost basketball games if we did not focus on playing defense, perfecting plays, and working together as a team, just as educators need to develop relationships with students, master their content, and manage behavior. However, similar to my coach’s Big Three, the Core Four are designed to provide educators with areas of focus to ensure success as they make the shift to personalized learning.

• Integrated Digital Content

While personalized learning is never solely about the technology or digital content, the integration of digital content and technology is essential in creating a successful personalized learning classroom. By leveraging digital content, teachers can provide an individualized path and pace for students. Integrated Digital Content does not mean that students will be isolated on a device for an entire class period. Rather, teachers should actively find ways to integrate digital content into their curriculum, thereby providing deeper learning through reinforcement and practice at the level that each student requires. Additionally, the use of digital content can provide teachers with opportunities to better target the needs of their students. For example, while the majority of students within a class are engaged with digital content, a teacher can pull a group of students who need additional practice on a particular topic in order to provide personalized attention.

• Targeted Instruction

Targeted Instruction involves breaking down the monolithic, whole-group structure found in traditional classrooms in order to better meet the needs of students. Using data, teachers are able to create and change student groups frequently and purposefully based on student interest, need, or skill-level. The small groups themselves can lend to differentiation by using various strategies, such as grouping students with homogenous skills so teachers can focus their lessons or heterogeneous skills to encourage collaboration. Many benefits can stem from the use of Small Group Instruction. For example, Small Group Instruction provides students with more opportunities to share their thoughts and questions, and teachers often find that Small Group Instruction enables them to build more personal relationships with students.

• Data Driven Decisions

In successful personalized learning classrooms, teachers frequently collect and review data to identify trends and areas that need improvement. Through such analysis, teachers can modify their instruction to meet the data-driven needs of students. For example, a teacher may discover that a math concept needs to be retaught to a small group of students within her class, or she may find that certain students are able to bypass a specific objective. Data-Driven Decisions also entail opportunities for teachers to review data with their students in order to improve learning and help students to set goals and monitor progress against them.

• Student Reflection and Ownership

Built on metacognition research, we believe students need ample opportunities to reflect on their own learning. Although far from simple to accomplish, Student Reflection and Ownership begin with a teacher helping students to track their own data and set specific learning goals. Teachers should provide mentorship and support as students develop the skill of reflecting on their own learning. With practice, Student Reflection and Ownership lead students to become self-directed learners who take ownership of their academic futures.

By focusing on these simple elements, teachers, principals, parents, and students will create an environment in which personalized learning can succeed. After all, as the legendary basketball player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, once said, “They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing.”

Quote of the Day

“WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS HAVING A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. 

WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE.”

Teihard de Chardin

Something to think about, as we begin a new school year! Avail new mercies for all students. 

"When a low-performing student is being described, their racial profile will probably provide the least useful data. It will not point to different teaching interventions or course offerings. Leading with race can distort the appropriate process in identifying this student's needs." @terrenceruth https://t.co/DVuvTqVRqY

http://www.christiancentury.org/blogs/archive/2016-07/fog-race-american-discourse#.V36eottj5Fs.linkedin

The Tug of War between Change and Resistance Michael Murphy*

Resistance to change efforts in schools is natural, predictable, and possible to get beyond.

Resistance: Perfectly Predictable

Human attitudes and behavior toward any proposed change develop over the course of that change (Hall & Hord, 2001). Change often happens in three phases: initiation, implementation, and institutionalization (Michael Fullan, 2007). Initiation is the "process that leads up to and includes a decision to adopt or proceed with a change" (Fullan, 2007, p. 69), and this is typically where resistance initially appears. People confront the technical aspects of the change—what they perceive it will require them to do differently, and if the demands of the change will be overwhelming (Lawrence, 1969).  This "can I do it?" mentality grows as they are pushed to implement the new practices. During implementation, change can also shift the way people in the organization relate to one another (Lawrence, 1969). The social aspects of change can be dangerous and more confounding than the technical aspects, because many people have deep, personal reactions to changing "the way we've always functioned." Technical and social aspects often feed each other to fuel overt resistance.

Observe Others, but Alter Your Behavior

Thinking about the three phases of change and how they relate to human behavior enables leaders to anticipate resistance before it happens. Knowing that the technical and social aspects of change often compound resistance also helps predict the way practitioners may respond to what appears to be a logical, much needed change. Three strategies help leaders see how to adjust their behaviors to meet resistance head on.

Strategy 1: Give People What They Need

Closely observe the behavior of those affected by the change and then provide whatever that behavior signals these colleagues need—before the behavior turns negative. During the initiation phase, focus on the purpose of the change and be clear about the urgent reasons that a shift in knowledge or practice must happen. People are motivated by a sense of purpose_ by an understanding of the overarching rationale. They will seek connections between the work you're championing and the other work they're obligated to do. During implementation, leaders must notice what teachers need and have a thorough plan ready to support teachers as their understanding of new practices evolves. It's important that people experience short-term wins during this phase, so they'll be motivated to continue the work.

Strategy 2: Ask How It's Going

Practitioners will generally be eager to talk about the change and any concerns they have—if you ask them and truly listen. Then you’ll know how to address the biggest concerns. When concerns are met, people tend to cooperate with change and are motivated to work for full implementation (Hall & Hord, 2001). The most effective way to find out how the change is going: have a quick, casual conversation with each individual teacher.

Strategy 3: Keep the Change Formula in Mind

A simple formula to keep resistance to a nontoxic level (Beckhard & Harris, 1987): D x V x F > R (Dissatisfaction workers feel about the status quo, Vision for the change and how it will positively affect teachers and students, and First steps a worker must take to work toward the change, must be greater than the amount of Resistance put forth.) Leaders should consider how their actions and conversations strengthen teachers' awareness that the status quo isn't working (D), their vision for positive changes (V), and their level of comfort with their own first steps (F)—so these elements will outweigh resistance.

Beyond Tug of War

Leaders must become skilled in observing and responding to the first signs that unrest is brewing. In many cases, a leader's failure to strategize how to respond to pushback may actually nurture or accelerate resistance. Better planning for the pull toward change and better noticing of the opposing pull of resistance is the leader's job. When we change our own thinking and behaviors so we create an "us" that accelerates change together, we can end the tug of war.

References

Beckhard, R., & Harris, R. (1987). Organizational transitions: Managing complex change (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change (4th ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

Hall, G., & Hord, S. (2001). Implementing change: Patterns, principles, and potholes. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Huberman, A., & Miles, M. (1984). Innovation up close: How school improvement works. New York: Plenum Press.

Lawrence, P. (1969, January). How to deal with resistance to change. Harvard Business Review.

Powell, W., & Kusuma-Powell, O. (2015, May). Overcoming resistance to new ideas. Phi Delta Kappan, 96 (8), 66–69.

*(For full article, go to Educational Leadership Online June 2016 | Volume 73 How to Be a Change Agent Pages 66-70)

I revised the student poster to create this mini-poster [inspired by Lori Gard (bit.ly/StudentsRemember ) and Sylvia Duckworth] to support our teachers' efforts with improving the school experience for parents as well as their students!

Begin with the End in Mind: if we all begin the school year...with "being..."
(you feel in the blank) as our goal for the end, what a year for our students...

Welcome to my blog...where the intent is to connect educators and supporters of educators for the purposes of sharing and improving our craft. This amazing work that we do deserves our collaborative efforts for the good of every child whom we have the privilege and honor to teach. We make a difference! As we strengthen our minds and continue to learn, we not only help our students reach their potential_ but we reach our own: peak performance isn't just for athletes. We want to be our best in whatever realm of education we find ourselves. Let's do this!