Category Archives: School Improvement

Morning Meditation: Reducing Stress and Unlocking productivity


Welcome, seekers of serenity and productivity aficionados, to the realm of morning meditation – a powerful elixir poised to diminish stress and ignite productivity in your daily pursuits.


In the tumultuous landscape of modern life, stress emerges as a formidable adversary. Yet, morning meditation stands as a beacon of hope, offering solace through the practice of mindfulness. Studies illuminating the effects of this practice reveal a remarkable decline in stress levels among participants. Engaging in morning meditation rituals allows individuals to bid farewell to the grip of anxiety, fostering a sense of inner calm and resilience.

Beyond its prowess in stress alleviation, morning meditation emerges as a silent orchestrator of enhanced productivity. Scientific investigations have shed light on the remarkable cognitive benefits experienced by individuals who commence their day with meditation. The ability to navigate tasks with heightened focus and efficiency becomes a hallmark of those embracing the morning meditation routine.
Amidst the scientific exploration, nuances arise. Some studies highlight the potential limitations associated with self-reported measures and the specificity of certain meditation methodologies. These considerations urge us to tread cautiously, recognizing the complexity inherent in understanding the true breadth of morning meditation’s effects.

In the pursuit of empirical truths, our compass rests upon the principles of validity and reliability. These guiding principles enable us to discern the authenticity and consistency of our findings. Upholding ethical integrity, participant anonymity and data security stand as our foremost responsibilities, ensuring the protection of individuals’ confidential information.

Morning meditation stands not just as a practice but as a gateway to tranquility and increased efficiency. Embrace this ritual to bid adieu to stress and welcome a heightened state of productivity. Let us embark together on this journey, unlocking the potential of morning meditation to shape serene and prosperous days.
In this quest for tranquility and productivity elevation through morning meditation, we seek not only stress reduction but also the keys to unlocking the chambers of productivity. Join us as we delve deeper into this realm, where stress recedes, and productivity ascends to new horizons.

What the heck is STEM?

Assessment, Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, School Improvement, , ,

By Michelle Murray

Perhaps you feel you have an answer to the question posed, “What is heck STEM?”.  Well guess what, you are not alone! As a former STEM consultant, I made an income from schools who had their own definition of STEM  as well. Some schools created a committee that was in charge of compiling relevant data, creating and administering surveys to their constituents, and preparing proposals to ask donors for funds for a Maker Space or something similar all with the goal of adapting this once hot educational buzzword “STEM” into their curriculum and hopefully school culture. As an outsider to any particular school, I always found it interesting that there is normally a fundamental difference per school in how STEM was defined.

Public schools, on the other hand, often sought to fill a gap, raise test scores, or apply for a grant that dictated what that definition of STEM was. However, state to state and sometimes even county to county, there is still a different understanding of what STEM is and the best way to implement STEM. Usually schools attempting to fill some sort of curricular gap with a new STEM curriculum had other underlying issues that they hoped the alleged magic of STEM would resolve. With that, sorting out what those issues were instead of throwing the idea of STEM at the problem became the norm and oftentimes did not solve the issue. This was often another reason why schools hired me. 

“The implementation of STEM can differ according to the school, district, or county.”

– friendly stem consultant

In 2018, the National Science and Technology Council created a report driven by their Committee for STEM education. This report’s intention is based on a vision for a future where all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM education and the United States will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment (National Science and Technology Council, 2018). While I have not found any evidence that this report is commonly used when schools implement STEM, the report did share important key factors when developing STEM such as increasing diversity and equity in STEM and the use of technology as a classroom tool.

Additionally, the federal five year strategy for STEM implementation was introduced in the report and how best to prepare the STEM workforce for the future. 

I found myself thinking about this lack of consistency and the expected outcomes of STEM implementation in South Florida schools. I wanted to answer the following questions; could consistency somehow play a part in how schools implement STEM successfully and be a contributing factor to the growth in STEM fields in the US? Similar to common core standards, should STEM be its own mandatory vertically aligned standard, perhaps, or should it continue to be woven in as just an option for schools to adapt?

Lastly, are we as teachers planning our STEM lessons using different STEM curricular goals thus resulting in inconsistent student outcomes statewide or nationwide? How do we accurately measure the results equitably given the different ways we understand and implement STEM?

Not to mention STEM has now evolved over the years as people such as myself study STEM implementation and recognize that STEM needs to evolve as education evolves. Some examples of this evolution: i-STEM (Integrative STEM), D-STEM (Diversity in STEM), STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and STREAM (Adding the reading or research to STEAM) to name a few. 

As schools look to define their STEM programs, I think it’s important to look at existing programs as a guide based on your schools goals. I also suggest a pace that makes sense for all stakeholders at your school, and lastly STEM seekers should develop a true sense of why you’re implementing STEM in the first place. This will help frame the hard work ahead but I caution you humble educator, due to technology evolving and the need for the workforce to catch up to neighboring countries coupled with the lack of a mandatory baseline STEM curriculum framework, in the end you may find yourself still asking, What the heck is STEM anyway?

 References

National Science & Technology Council. 2019. Charting a Course for Success:America’s Strategy for STEM Education. https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2019/05/f62/STEM-Education-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf

Florida Department of Education. 2022. Defining STEM. https://www.fldoe.org/academics/standards/subject-areas/math-science/stem/defining-stem.stml

Recommended Citation Carmichael, Courtney C., “A State-by-State Policy Analysis of STEM Education for K-12 Public Schools” (2017). Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). 2297. https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2297

A New Special Education Educator and a New Classroom

Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, School Improvement, Uncategorized, , ,
Preventing Teacher Burnout: 7 Tips for School Leaders | TUIO

Imagine: You are fresh out of college with a teaching degree and certifications from a university that prepared you for life in the classroom before a pandemic. You are so excited about your first year of teaching; you take the first job opportunity. You answered all the questions correctly presented by an administrator but asked little to no questions about how they will support you and their knowledge of special education. You assume that since you see their school-wide positive behavior reinforcement and vision, the administration is supportive and will guide you through your new environment. A few weeks pass, you are given the keys to your new classroom and an assistant or two to decorate the plain white walls and begin lesson planning along with attending a variety of training, but you still don’t even know where the resource room is located. You begin the school year applying instructional and classroom management strategies that you were taught in college. A few months passed, and you had a groove going. Then, suddenly, a nationwide school closing happens due to a pandemic. Since this is the first pandemic for all, no one had answers to how to engage students, especially students with disabilities, create a Zoom or Google call, teach through screen share, and more. After students receive the technology provided by the state, you begin to get frustrated with the incompletion of assignments, lack of attendance, and lack of support from the administration. Parents are struggling on the other side of the screen with your students who are non-verbal, lack the motor skills to hold a mouse or touch a screen, require movement breaks, maladaptive behaviors, and more. Teaching from home has allowed you to pick up more hours with your second job to make ends meet because of inflation. Let’s be honest having a little bit of freedom during the day is nice, but it begins to get repetitive and boring. You feel isolated as an educator and begin to lose that drive you had. Fast forward to summer, and you are anxiously waiting for the announcement if you will be back in the building or continue virtually. You receive an email from your administration; you will continue virtually with new and difficult guidelines to meet with no insight and how to get there. You start the school year while still working your “side hustles” because your teacher pay is not enough to afford your tiny one-bedroom and car payments. You begin the school year still collecting insufficient data from half of your students who choose to show up. A month has passed, and you still haven’t heard from some families by zoom, email, call, or text. Finally, teachers can return to the building, but students are still learning at home. Feeling a little more confident you can use the calendar and other supplemental materials in the classroom, but it’s still not engaging students. Your administration has yet to provide strategies that you could be using from the classroom over zoom with your students with disabilities. Luckily, you taught yourself how to make interactive PowerPoints. You receive an email from your administration that students can return in two weeks. You get that feeling of excitement again that you haven’t had in a while. Your students return with more maladaptive behaviors and show regression academically, socially, emotionally, and independently. Now, you are in the position to make up for lost skills and have your students acquire new skills because they are eligible for state testing. You attend meetings hosted by your administrator reminding you of deadlines but still offering no tools. You begin doing more work for your students outside of school, and your career has slowly absorbed your workplace and home. You become physically and mentally drained from your classroom’s physical behaviors and lack of structure. You begin to give up on this career with no one to lean on. You see on social media how teachers are making more doing less intensive jobs like a virtual assistants. You put in your two weeks by winter, and you’re free along with 50% of special education educators who leave within the first few years (Boe et al., 2008). Two weeks passed, you began questioning your decision to leave the field. You feel guilty for leaving your students, but your mental health is more important. Eventually, someone less qualified with a general education degree, temporary license, and unaware of the prior scenario takes your special education position. The less qualified teacher is married with no children, and their household is a dual income. The less qualified teacher struggles more than you do because students lose over 54 days of instruction when their teacher leaves mid-year (Jones, 2020). With only a few differentiated instructional strategies, this new teacher relies on your aids to show her the way and has to make up for the regression lost during the pandemic and your 54 days (Jones, 2020). At first, the new classroom is overwhelming for the teacher, but she is passionate and driven. The first week is chaotic but still no sign of administration checking in. She requested a few days off for a fake medical emergency but only to sit at home to teach herself how to manage and teach a variety of students with disabilities because the administration had no tools to offer. She comes back with a new schedule, new ideas, and a caring heart. The students do not make gains as they would have with you, but there are some gains, and the new teacher is trying her hardest. How could losing a qualified special education teacher and student regression be avoided?

Jones, A. E. (2020). Retaining Special Education Teachers: The Relationship Between School Leadership and Special Education Teacher Retention in a Low-Income School (Order No. 28090280). Available from Education Database. (2449480535). http://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/retaining-special-education-teachers-relationship/docview/2449480535/se-2?accountid=36334

Boe, E. E., Cook, L. H., & Sunderland, R. J. (2008). Teacher turnover: Examining exit attrition, teaching area transfer, and school migration. Exceptional Children, 75, 7–31. 

The wHole Child: Post Pandemic

Instruction, School Improvement, , , , ,

Are schools prepared to support students’ mental health in a post COVID society? Teaching the whole child is not a new concept. Some may call it holistic education or even social-emotional learning. Whatever you desire to call it, it is clear schools have a major obligation to do more than educate students. Schools are here to prepare students to be productive members of society, and that takes more than academics.

Before educators can support the needs of the post-pandemic child, we need to understand what the post-COVID child looks like. During the pandemic, children endured long periods of isolation, inactivity, and a lack of peers’ engagement. Teachers have been repeating themselves like never. That is only the beginning. With extended periods of online, virtual interactions, children are missing out on real-world intercommunication.

There are positives and negatives in all situations, but COVID has surely increased childhood trauma. With the loss of many loved ones since the beginning of the pandemic, adjusting has been difficult. Processing the loss of a loved one could be devastating. Unfortunately, with the loss of millions of people all over the world since the beginning of the pandemic, it is easy to say everyone has lost over one person during this time.

Children are witnessing their grandparents, parents, siblings and other intermediate family members pass away all within a year or two. The grieving process has five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Denial and isolation can last anywhere from hours or weeks, leaving individuals emotionally shut off from the world. The anger stage can last anywhere from a day to months. Individuals become frustrated, aimless, and disorganized thoughts. Bargaining is the next stage, which has been shorter than others. Individuals have brief moments of clarity. Once people begin to think clearly, depression sets in. It may come and go, but the life change becomes a reality. After a month or even a year, finally, there is acceptance.

When grieving for losing one person can take a year, is it possible to process the loss of several immediate family members simultaneously in one year? Long-term effects of trauma include extreme anger or sadness, emotional outburst, sleeping problems, or even PTSD.

The post-pandemic students are not the same as the student before the pandemic; honestly, how could they be? These students are dealing with situations that not even their parents have had to endure. The post-pandemic child may need more support than students in previous school years do. The pandemic may affect students in lower-income communities more. With a lack of the materials needed to navigate their way through this period; widening the learning and emotional developmental gap. With teachers feeling the burn of making ends meet, it may take more than the teachers to fix this growing problem.

A study conducted by Tim Presley, Cheyeon Ha, and Emily Learn focused on teachers’ stress and anxiety levels. In The study, they surveyed over 300 teachers within the first month of returning to the schools. All teachers reported the increased stress brought on from online teaching and increased responsibility. According to Education Week, 84% of teachers are saying teaching is much more stressful now than ever before. It’s no wonder schools are having a hard time filling the roles.

With limited counselors in each school district, how will schools support the students’ mental health? Teachers are already feeling the burden of additional roles and responsibilities. Who will take on the challenge?

Adulting on the Spectrum: What Works?

Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, Research, School Improvement

Several studies have shown that many individuals on the autism spectrum achieve limited independence in adulthood. Data also shows that they are usually unemployed or underemployed after aging out of high school and are less likely to participate in post-secondary education or employment. This disadvantage causes social isolation and the need for ongoing support in daily activities. The range of the autism spectrum varies with those at the higher functioning end, often leading to reasonably independent lives, employment, and/or completing secondary academic programs. Special classes for individuals on the autism spectrum taught within a secondary special education program provide the best opportunity for maximum inclusion in the community as adults. Several qualitative findings have identified interventions that support this idea.

My first-hand experience also supports that notion. I was the owner-operator of an adult day program. We provided pre-vocational training to adults with disabilities. Most of our participants had recently aged out of high school (ages 22+). While participants in our program came from various educational settings, it was evident in those who had prior pre-vocational training. Our program consisted of supported employment, pre-employment curriculum, occupational skills acquisition training, social skills training, independent living skills training, and executive functioning skills training. Implementation varied from role-playing, computer-based programs, one-on-one practice, group activities, community-based instruction, video modeling, and dramatic play. Because many of our participants had just come from a secondary educational setting, our program functioned as an extension that led to gainful employment, skills maintenance and enhancement, and/or productive daily engagement of community inclusion.

Being an adult on the autism spectrum and actively engaged in the community is the goal. Several factors play an essential role in assuring successful inclusion. Fong (2021) identifies the effectiveness of employment-related interventions on the employment outcomes of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He identifies Project SEARCH Plus ASD Supports (PS-ASD) model and Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) to improve employment rates for individuals with ASD. The PS‐ASD intervention consists of community‐integrated business settings, classroom instruction at a business, and internship experiences. PS‐ASD is a collaborative model between students with autism, their family members, a local community rehabilitation program, and a vocational rehabilitation agency. It adds additional components to include specific strategies and staff expertise specific to autism based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR‐JIT) consists of a digital job interview simulation with a human resources representative from a department store accessible through a computer or using wearable virtual reality headsets. Tsiopela (2017) introduces a pre-vocational skills laboratory (PVS-Lab), a web-based learning environment supporting students on the autism spectrum to develop pre-vocational and employment skills. The new research framework aims to improve performance and pre-vocational skills development of students with ASD, emphasizing the interrelation between performance, behavior, and stress-emotional situations.

Knowing that there are proven interventions readily available to improve the outcomes of adults on the autism spectrum, why isn’t the use of those programs mandated? Knüppel (2019) notes that young adults without regular productive and engaging daytime activity had more behavioral difficulties and comorbidities than young adults with daytime activity. There is an imperative need to increase independence in adulthood, employment rates, and participation in post-secondary education for individuals on the autism spectrum. This improvement will decrease social isolation and the need for ongoing support in daily activities.

Citations

Fong, C. J., Taylor, J., Berdyyeva, A., McClelland, A. M., Murphy, K. M., & Westbrook, J. D. (2021). Interventions for improving employment outcomes for persons with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review update. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 17(3)http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1185

Knüppel, A., Gry Kjærsdam Telléus, Jakobsen, H., & Lauritsen, M. B. (2019). Characteristics of Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Performing Different Daytime Activities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(2), 542-555. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3730-7

NCH Healthcare System. “NCH Welcomes Project Search.” YouTube, NCH Healthcare System, 1 Oct. 2018, https://youtu.be/oH4737RsQy4.

Tsiopela, D., & Jimoyiannis, A. (2017). Pre-vocational skills laboratory: designing interventions to improve employment skills for students with autism spectrum disorders. Universal Access in the Information Society, 16(3), 609-627. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10209-016-0488-6

Let’s Talk About COVID-19 and Why Teachers Are Important During Times of Uncertainty

Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, School Improvement, Uncategorized, , ,

Let’s Talk About Sex COVID-19 and Why Is Sex Education Still Taboo in the U.S.? Teachers Are Important During Times of Uncertainty by Angela Holliday My dissertation topic is Let’s Talk About Sex! Why Is Sex Education Still Taboo in the U.S.? Considering what’s going on in the world however, it doesn’t really seem important right now. COVID-19 has caused job loss, supply shortage, fear, anger, hoarding, and death. With this grim picture though, there have also been acts of kindness, generosity, sharing, and dedication by many, including teachers. Therefore, I’d like to focus on the importance of teachers during times of uncertainty, and why we need them now more than ever. Ava Parker, President of Palm Beach State College, said at the 2017 LCAN Achieve Palm Beach County Florida Chamber Learners to Earners Summit “education is everybody’s business” and as such, I have made it mine.

I still remember the names of the teachers who made a difference in my life. Two teachers, Mr. Norde and Mr. Sweeney, were huge in helping me understand Algebra I. Mr. Norde and Mr. Sweeney left an indelible mark even though I’m sure I didn’t show my appreciation at the time. Their words of encouragement allowed me to believe I could do it. They found ways, where my parents had failed, to explain math problems in a way that made sense. I still appreciate their time and ingenuity to this day. A perfect example of this was when “a student who faced hardships told a researcher that the greatest thing a teacher can do is to care and to understand” (Zakrzewski, 2012). If not, “the kid will say, ‘Oh, they’re giving up on me, so I might as well give up on myself’ (Zakrzewski, 2012).”

I mention my teachers because in times of uncertainty or self-doubt, seeing a familiar face or hearing encouraging words from a teacher, even if virtually, can offer stability and encouragement. The students need their teachers to be the faces and voices they knew in school. The students need their teachers to have expectations of them while also understanding things are different now. The students need their teachers to push them but also to pause when they see them struggling. The students need their teachers to laugh with them but also to allow them time for silence when there’s nothing left to give. Recently, a student asked their teacher if she thought they’d see one another in August. She was honest and said she didn’t know, but she couldn’t wait for the day she sees them again.

What does education look like moving forward? In their article, 3 Ways the Coronavirus Pandemic Could Reshape Education, Gloria Tam and Gloria El-Azar examined how education changed very quickly, with its first change being how millions around the world are educated. The old, lecture-based approach to education was ushered out by COVID-19 which became a catalyst for educational institutions around the globe to search for “innovative solutions in a relatively short period of time” (Tam et. al, 2020). Second, the rapid change prompted much needed innovation to the educational system. Within the past few weeks, there have been a multitude of stakeholders coming “together to utilize digital platforms as a temporary solution to the crisis” (Tam et. al, 2020). Lastly and probably the most unfortunate change, with the digital divide, the equality gap could widen. In Palm Beach County alone, the school district needed as many as 11,000 laptops for students to learn at home during the coronavirus pandemic (Palmbeachpost.com, 2020).

Time takes time and we will wait to see what changes continue to take place in education.

Parker, Ava (2017). Local College Access Networks Achieve Palm Beach County. Florida Chamber Learners to Earners Summit, 2017. Retrieved from: http://floridacollegeaccess.org/local-college-access-networks/

Isger, Sona (2020, March 3). Coronavirus Florida: 11,000 Laptops Sought for PBC Students to Study from Home. Palm Beach Post, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20200323/coronavirus-florida-11000-laptops-sought-for-pbc-students-to-study-from-home

Tam, Gloria & El-Azar, D. (2020, March 13). 3 Ways the Coronavirus Pandemic Could Reshape Education. World Economic Forum, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/3-ways-coronavirus-is-reshaping-education-and-what-changes-might-be-here-to-stay/

Zakrzewski, Vicki. (2012, September 18). Four Ways Teachers Can Show They Care: Research Suggests Caring Relationships with Teachers Help Students Do Better in School and Act More Kindly Toward Others. Greater Good Magazine Science Center at UC Berkeley, 2012. Retrieved from: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/caring_teacher_student_relationship

Effective ISS program

School Improvement

Student behavior is a part of every school setting. It is inevitable that student behavior problems will occur. Throughout public education’s history, out of school suspensions (OSS) has been the popular consequence for major offenses; however, studies have shown that many school districts send students to OSS even for minor offenses (Dupper, 1994). Through public criticism, in school suspension (ISS) was born. This was a way for schools to keep students in school, but out of the classroom.

In-School Suspension Programs

ISS seems like a great strategy for student misbehavior. It doesn’t count as students being absent and they get to take a time off from the classroom that they’re misbehaving in. In fact, ISS setting should be a deterrent to their “bad” behavior. If that is the case, then why is there is such high recidivism in ISS? Many research articles point out the fact that ISS programs vary from district to district. Within a district, it still varies from school to school. In some schools, ISS programs are much like a “holding classroom”. Students are expected to be quiet, maybe make up work that they’ve missed, and they are isolated from their friends. Allman & Slate (2011) states that it negatively impacts students, increasing the likelihood of recidivism and students choosing to drop out of school. In order to maintain consistency and to increase efforts in changing student behavior, ISS programs should be uniformed county-wide.

Effective ISS Programs

Sheets’ (1996) research points out that if ISS programs focus on behavior change rather than the actual consequence itself, then it will be more effective. Contrary to popular belief, an ISS program is necessary to modify student behavior, protect the overall learning environment, and protect the community by keeping students off the streets (Sheets, 1996). For any program to be effective, it must have a foundational component, which all parties involved will develop the program’s philosophy. The operational component includes a qualified person assigned to monitor the program. Lastly, the evaluation component must measure student behavioral change over time to determine if the program is effective.

Modifying Behavior

How will students change their behavior if they are not aware of the cause of their behavior? According to research studies, ISS should be a time of self-reflection. This is when behavior counseling will take place. When students first attend ISS, they should immediately think about the action(s) that led them there, the rule they broke, and the attitude they displayed. They need to understand why they were sent there in the first place (Morris & Howard, 2003). Therefore, students will answer a series of reflective questions during this time.

Additionally, research shows that most students who are sent to ISS are reading and writing below grade level. Haley & Watson’s (2000) research shows that utilizing a literacy-based approach in ISS is effective. This is when the facilitator writes with the students using prompts to create an essay describing the events that led them to ISS.

Why ISS

A simple punitive model of punishment is not enough. If the school does not attempt to change student behavior while they are being “punished” in ISS, or provide them with an academic component, then recidivism in ISS will continue to increase, which essentially decreases overall student achievement.

  References

Allman, K.L. & Slate, J.R. (2011). School Discipline in Public Education: A Brief Review of Current Practices. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 6 (2).

Dupper, David R. (1994). Reducing Out of School Suspensions: A Survey of Attitudes and Barriers. Social Work In Education. 16 (2), 115-123.

Haley, A. N., & Watson, D. C. (2000). In-school literacy extension: Beyond in-school suspension. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 43(7), 654-661. Retrieved from http://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2048/login?url=https://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2261/docview/216910744?accountid=36334

Morris, R.C., & Howard, A.C. (2003). Designing an effective in-school suspension program. The Clearing House, 76, 156-159.

Sheets, J. (1996). Designing an effective in-school suspension program to change student behavior. National Association of Secondary School Principals.NASSP Bulletin, 80(579), 86. Retrieved from http://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2048/login?url=https://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2261/docview/216026632?accountid=36334


Are We Supporting Our Novice Principals for Success?

School Improvement

A 2014 report from the School Leaders Network found that by the end of the third year of the principalship, half of all novice principals leave their jobs.  Which brings up the question, why?   Did they feel supported in their learning process in their new job?   I can answer this based on my personal experience as a novice principal  over ten years ago and the experiences of some of my friends.

Image result for support

Almost eleven years ago, when I became a principal, I was told the name of a person who was assigned by my area office that was to be my mentor.  This was not someone I knew or felt comfortable with.  We had no official meetings of any kind, not even a get to know each other casual meeting.  My first year was a blur.  I jokingly say it was my best year because I did not know what I did not know.  I kind of fell into doing things.  There was no one guiding me, reminding me of due dates, or walking me through processes and procedures.  I did not even know who in the district to call on if I needed  some help.

Compare this to my friend who has been a principal for over 15 years.  He had an official program he went through his first year as a principal.  Monthly meetings to support for upcoming tasks, support for personnel issues, anything needed.  During these monthly meetings district personnel were also invited and introduced so he knew who to call if he had a need.

More recently is a friend who has been a principal for five years.  She had even less support than I did.  She was just thrown in the chair in a sink or swim kind of scenario.  All three of us are in the same district with only a few years separating us as novice principals.

With the high stakes of accountability in the principalship increasing throughout the years, it seems to me the mentoring and support for novice principals is diminishing in our district instead of improving.

As a principal, we are no longer considered just building managers.  We are those as well as instructional leaders.  As a novice principal, it is difficult to have all of these responsibilities without support or with minimal support.  It is time for all school districts to look at their novice principal support program, if there is one, and determine if their novice principals are getting the support they need to be successful leaders of their schools.

Image result for success

I feel with the support needed, novice principals will stay in their positions and be successful leaders of their schools.  And in turn, more schools will be successful because of the strong veteran leadership at the schools.

 

School Leaders Network. (2014). CHURN: e High Cost of Principal Turnover. Retrieved from https://www.acesconnection.com/fileSendAction/fcType/0/fcOid/405780286632981504/filePointer/40578286632981536/fodoid/405780286632981531/principal_turnover_cost.pdf

The Minority Report: Looking Through Different Lenses By Reginald L. Browne, Doctoral Candidate, Lynn University 2019

Instruction, Leadership, School Improvement

The movie, Minority Report, released in 2002 was a fast-paced science fiction film starring Tom Cruise as John Anderton, Chief of PreCrime. This film focused on police using psychic technology to identify, arrest and convict murderers before they commit their crime. “PreCogs”, (i.e., psychic technology) were three twins that could see into the future through imagery. Based on their imagery they could see murders committed in the future and if all three twins agree on the crime committed, the name of the murderer would be shared with the special PreCrime unit for their arrest. Although well intended, the Minority Report was perceived to be infallible until John Anderton himself was identified by PreCrime as a future murderer of a man he had not yet encountered. As he avoids capture, while simultaneously attempting to prove his innocence, the movie challenges the audience. Do individuals have free will or is one’s future predetermined? Can an individual be profiled a murder? While this movie was science fiction, it has relevance to violence that is occurring today within our nation’s schools.

Take the questions, can an active shooter in our schools be predicted? Can the active shooter in a school setting be identified before an event occurs? Can the experts in school safety, Secret Service, and community point to predictors of a school shooter? Like in the Minority Report, there may be clues. There are indicators. We don’t have “PreCogs” (psychic technology) but we do have predictive tools from the Secret Service such as Threat Assessment, which assesses the propensity of future violent acts on school campuses. However, for a threat assessment to be initiated, first, a student must do something that would cause the school to raise concerns. This may be too late. We also have Everly & Bienvenu (2018) seven school shooter profile characteristics: male (active or recent student); anger and revenge; awkward and avoidant, isolation; copycat killing; dysfunctional family of origin; easy access to weapons (either from home or family member); and uses media to express frustration and anger (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/when-disaster-strikes-inside-disaster-psychology/201803/profiling-school-shooters). These two indicators point to one crucial determinant: violence from within. In Minority Report, the “PreCogs” were able to obtain information about the future of an individual through remote viewing or sensing and to project or see a distant or unseen target and know what will happen.  Everly & Bienvenu (2018) shooter profile characteristics are able to project characteristics of potential individuals who have the ability to murder or traumatize others because of inborn, psychological features.

There is an underlying message in Minority Report and the School Shooter Profile; and this message is, the seed of destruction and harm is within the psychic of the perpetrator (i.e., the individual). The perpetrator can be any student attending any school across America. So, this should be our nation’s focus. Thus, capitalizing upon violence from within as a focal point, I draw your attention to the inner connection a child has with their school as a potential intervention method to rid our schools of mass murders. A former supervisor once said to me, “a child wants to know three things from a school employee: Can I trust you? Are you committed? Will you keep me safe?” I believe all of these relate to the emotional and psychosocial connection all students seek within our schools. Yes, the brain is a social organ that seeks connections to learn and school leaders must capitalize on that fact. Learning is a social process involving the brain that takes place in collaboration with others and schools have the capacity to fundamentally change the way the brain functions (Cozolino, 2014; Hippel, 2014). However in addition to teaching and preparing students, and engaging students for their futures, students also want relationships of trust, support, communication and commitment to their personal growth and development from their teachers. While teachers are knowledge-based and academically trained, students are sociably astute and collective sponges of all that surrounds them (i.e., bullying, gossip, threats, ‘weird students’, ‘packing students’;, homeless students, alcoholics, etc.). Students are the pathways to the school’s happenings.

In the current climate of our schools, we may need to revisit how we engage students in school, from the classroom, security guard, to PE coach and school administrators. Are we connecting with students? Are we available to listen to students? Do students see teachers and administrators as trustworthy, supporters and ‘go-to’ individuals when they see or hear something that needs to be shared for the protection of others? The school is a village, however, the attitude of the villagers can plant seeds of despair or healing and recovery. These villagers, teachers and students, can identify those with internal violence before an event rather than after the event.

Moore (2009) wrote of the importance of creating school cultures of trust and respect. He addressed the effects of emotional intelligence and the possible direct impact for both administrators and students. Of critical importance is the fact that emotions can be intense, disruptive, de-motivating, motivating, exhilarating, positive, and negative, and they can challenge the leadership, rationalization and abilities of any individual. Hence, if in-born psychological features surface within an individual and show through their outward emotions, red flags should become obvious. Palmer (2003) stated that emotions are not simply what individuals feel but are a source of information (p.6). With emotional information, administrators and teachers can build trust and cooperation, show empathy and openness to students, show social awareness, grow collaboration, and show proficiency in talking about issues and solving problems with students, and most importantly divert crises before they occur. Effective administrators and teachers possess the ability to understand and “manage moods and emotions in self and in others” (George, 2000, p.1027). If these mechanisms are in effect for both teachers and students, the violence from within is more likely to be identified before the event (school shooting) rather than after the event.

“Character” in Character Education

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“Character” in Character Education by Stephanie Rothman

This Blog is written in response to Siddhartha Roy’s “Science in Service of the Public Good” TedxVirginiaTech Talks, in which he argues that if we help our school-going children build character, skills and virtues, the water crisis in Flynt, MI could have been averted. He states that the Education system in the United States is focused on creating “Excellent Sheep”, a term coined by William Deresiwicz who describes students as somehow risk-averse, timid, directionless and narcissistic.  We are creating students who will spend time polishing their resumes as opposed to reflecting on what they want to do and who they want to be.   According to Siddhartha, we must teach kids as if they were “heroes-in-training.”  We need to teach them to aspire to do or to be anyone they desire, as long they do it for the good of the public.

Recently, character education has made a “come-back”, especially during the late 1990s since the United States has been plagued with routine school shootings, ubiquitous bullying, and other violent behaviors in schools. Researchers have recognized the multidimensional aspects of character beyond just moral and civic, to include intellectual character and performance character as well (Davidson, 2004).

It is important to recognize a “four-dimensional” conceptual model of personal character so that we may help our students to foster strengths and virtues pertaining to each dimension.  Some virtues may not be practiced with moral and civic means in mind. For instance, while a medical student may display intellectual virtues such as attentiveness, curiosity, and open-mindedness, and performance virtues such as self-discipline and patience, he or she might still lack moral virtues by displaying academic dishonesty, arrogance, and envy.

It is equally important to distinguish performance with moral and civic virtues in order to help students foster virtues appropriately. Performance virtues are useful in executing challenging and complex tasks, but not necessarily for the means of the public good. For instance, a criminal mind might display performance virtues such as grit, patience, resilience, and perseverance, while also being cruel, merciless, and indifferent to any civic responsibility. However, “moral and civic goods are such that can be achieved only by the way of practice of performance virtues. For instance, maintain a good relationship with one’s friends and loved ones can require considerable patience, self-control, and perseverance” (Baehr, 2017).

In short, a person may display intellectual virtues such as curiosity, attentiveness, open-mindedness, and intellectual thoroughness while possessing intellectual vices such as arrogance, dishonesty and laziness. Nonetheless, intellectual and civic virtues may intersect given that civically virtuous behaviors often involve virtuous intellectual activity like a careful, thorough, and honest assessment of diverse political positions and arguments (Hazlett, 2016).

When teaching our students about character education, educators need to focus on the INTENTIONS part of character education. The recognition the four dimensions of character and how it is related to character education in elementary and secondary schools can help guide the creation of a curriculum that include activities and learning opportunities emphasizing each dimension. “Character education isn’t just about helping students become kind, honest, and fair. It’s also teaching them to work hard, develop their talents, and strive for excellence so that they are equipped to make a positive difference in the world” (Davidson, 2014).

One of my favorite characters in history, Theodore Roosevelt, states it perfectly: “To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace society.” The tragedy of Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day, 2014, could have been perhaps prevented if our schools had character education at the forefront of their curricula.

References:

Baehr, J. (2017). The varieties of character and some implications for character education. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46(6), 1153-1161.

Davidson, M. (2014). A CHARACTER EDUCATION RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE FOR THE 21st CENTURY. Journal of Character Education, 10(1), 77-83.