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Consider a Fresh Start for the Final Leg

Many of us have been working with the same groups of students for months. We may feel as though we know them well, can anticipate their behavior when they're challenged, can predict their reactions to dilemmas, as well as predict the commitment they’ll make to learning. We also know their growth and maturity hasn’t been static. Our students today aren’t the same individuals who joined us at the beginning of the year. One of the exciting dimensions of working with young people is that they’re constantly growing and changing. It’s important to be fully present for our students, especially now. We can’t allow our history with them to undermine our relationship with them nor underestimate their current learning potential. We need to set aside our assumptions and let go of what we've come to expect. Students can become trapped in past behavior and unable to break out of old patterns if we rely on past interactions to interpret what we’re seeing now. As our students grow and mature, we need to adjust to them. We must give them new opportunities to show who they’re becoming and explore the best ways we can support them. In short, we need to see our students through “new eyes.” Relying on history and assumptions exposes us and our students to several significant risks. We may miss the full implications of questions students ask. We may think that we know what students mean and respond in the context of what’s been. Yet, the questions we hear today likely reflect more knowledge and understanding than their similar questions conveyed earlier in the year. There may be more depth than we assume. In fact, if we assume greater depth and desire to understand, we’ll naturally nudge and coach students to ask questions that feature more depth and nuance. We can overlook fresh insights and novel observations students offer. When we hear some students’ voices, we may reflexively assume that we know what they’ll say and even tune them out. Yet, new interests and growing experiences may be shifting their thinking and opening opportunities for new growth. Our recognition of what students are becoming can offer welcome support for and build new confidence in students’ thinking. We may miss the full richness and creativity of student humor. We may be familiar with their sense of humor, but listening and appreciating what students have to offer is an important sign of respect. Further, our full-throated appreciation in response to humor can be a great way to wash away past conflicts and repair our relationship. Our expectations regarding the capability of students can be lowered and limited based on past behaviors and previous performance. We may think that we know the potential of our students, but what we really know is what they’ve done in the past. And the past isn’t necessarily predictive of the future or what’s possible. Our willingness to encourage, take a new look, and shift our approach may be what’s needed to help students break out of old habits, take more pride in their work, and deepen their learning commitment. Try this: After a calendar break or when students return from a weekend, make a conscious effort to see students through new eyes. What do we see and what might we anticipate if we didn’t know and have a history with our students? We might even have students introduce themselves to us as a symbol of a new start. We might ask students to respond to questions such as, “Who am I today that I wasn’t at the beginning of the year?” “How have my interests changed?” “What am I able to do that I couldn’t do at the start of the year?” “What am I even better at now than I was at the start of the year? Of course, we might ask ourselves similar questions. How have we grown and what implications does our growth have for our students and our practice? What can students expect from us that might not have been possible early in the year? What commitments will we make to our students in the final leg of the year?

March 09, 2023

Common Characteristics of Life-Changing Teachers

Can you recall a teacher whose influence changed the way you think, ignited a passion, or opened in you a vision for what was possible and who you could be? If so, you’re very fortunate. Many people experience an entire educational career, never having the opportunity to learn from a life-changing teacher. They may have been exposed to committed, well-prepared teachers who supported their learning and provided guidance and advice. Yet, they didn’t encounter a driving force that led them to see possibilities and open doors to learning beyond their imagination and aspirations. Of course, not every life-changing teacher is life-changing for every student they encounter. Also, life-changing experiences aren’t always recognized during the time students are with these teachers. Sometimes the impact isn’t realized until years later when students find themselves recalling and reliving experiences that shaped their lives. Let’s explore the common characteristics of life-changing teachers. We can start by noting that life-changing teachers tend to the basics. They build strong relationships with students. They’re skilled in their craft and are professional in their approach. In addition, these teachers typically possess and practice some, or all, of a shared set of characteristics and behaviors. Life-changing teachers hold a belief in the potential of students at levels that exceed what students often dare to believe. These teachers are talent scouts, gift seekers, and expectation lifters. Being in their presence makes students feel brighter, more competent, and more committed. They give students hope to dream and strive for more than they imagined they could achieve. These teachers nudge and challenge students at the leading edge of their skills and beyond. They’re never satisfied with what students already can do. They search for what might be the student’s next level of learning and how they can awaken an interest and emerging passion that students will own. Regardless of where students may be when they encounter life-changing teachers, these teachers are committed to nurturing growth and expanding learning. They have an infectious passion for what they do. Students find it almost impossible to not be energized and excited by what these teachers care about. What may sound boring and mundane seemingly comes to life in these teachers’ presence and is compelling to learn. These teachers have a voracious learning appetite. For them learning is like breathing. They’re curious, inquisitive, and engaged. They’re always searching for something interesting, new, and sharable. Life-changing teachers often have a level of persistence bordering on tenacity. They refuse to give up on students, even when students may be tempted to give up on themselves. These teachers possess a combination of patience and confidence that sustains their efforts. They believe students will eventually respond to their faith, nudging, and influence, even if it takes weeks, months, or longer. Uncommon teachers hold uncompromising standards. These teachers have a commitment to have all students be successful. The question never is whether standards should be lowered. Rather, they search for paths and processes that‘ll help students meet them. Their mantra often is “Whatever it takes.” Interestingly, life-changing teachers frequently are famous with their students for their quirkiness, often even bordering on eccentricity. These teachers may have unique sayings, engage in unexpected behaviors, or share surprising insights and perspectives. Often students discuss with each other and treasure these aspects of their experience with these teachers long after they’ve moved forward in their own lives. The good news is that being a life-changing teacher is something to which we can all aspire. In fact, the characteristics of life-changing teachers are learnable, achievable, and practicable. Further, not every life-changing teacher must possess and practice all the characteristics that are common to these teachers. Every student deserves to encounter a life-changing teacher. We can be that teacher.

March 09, 2023

Build Long-Term Learning Skills with Five Coaching Questions

Students typically see us as the ultimate “answerers” for their questions. Of course, many questions they have, such as classroom expectations, routines, assignments, etc., are our purview. Our timely and efficient responses can move classroom activities along and minimize confusion and distractions. Students also frequently have questions related to the learning tasks, challenges, and projects that support their learning. These questions can be important to moving learning forward, but we’re not always the best person to answer them. In fact, when and how students wrestle with these questions can help their learning to grow, inject greater meaning into their learning, and build learning-related skills for the future. In the interest of time and convenience, we may tell students what their next steps should be, how to find the answers to their learning questions, or we may simply give them the resources they seek. Yet, when we do, we may be helping them to solve today’s problem, while neglecting some of their most important learning. Rather than supplying ready answers, the learning interests of our students are better served by our helping them to find answers, develop strategies, and tap resources available to them. Our positioning shifts from being the “chief answerer,” to coach and co-explorer. Rather than immediately answering the learning-related questions students pose, we might respond with coaching questions to help them see options to finding answers and alternatives to pursue. Here are five coaching questions we might employ. First, what do you think? Students often come to us without having given much thought once they encounter a barrier or are not certain what to do next. We might have a “try three before me” expectation, but even so, students may have ideas and perspectives they’ve not considered or pursued. By asking students what they think, we send a message that their ideas and perspectives matter, and they may have answers they’ve not recognized. At the very least, this question reminds students that learning is what they do. We can’t do it for them. Second, what else might you try? The typical response to this question is, “I’ve tried everything I know.” We might explore with students the attempts they’ve made and what they’ve learned from doing so. We also can coach students to think about additional steps and strategies that have worked for them in the past that might be useful. The goal is to have students “mine” their experience and develop additional options and steps they can try. Third, what do you know that doesn't work? With this response, we’re coaching students to reflect further on what they've tried. Even though previous attempts weren’t successful, they may have encountered an element or aspect that could be part of the answer they’re seeking. The underlying message is that failed attempts can contain information they can use and be valuable learning experiences. Fourth, how else might you think about this? Sometimes the answer lies in backing up and starting anew rather than pressing harder and pushing farther. This question invites students to reframe the problem or situation and consider it from a different perspective. When approached from a new direction, the answer may be clear and immediately useful. Fifth, who else could you ask? Students can become trapped in the mindset that they must solve every learning problem on their own. Yet, classmates often can be good resources. Other people in their lives may have insights and ideas. Even experts in the community and beyond may be helpful resources. In life, success is less often determined by how intelligent we are and more by the intelligence we’re willing to tap. Of course, we need to place our questions in a coaching context, so that students understand our purpose is to build their learning skills and flexibility, not torment them. Our questions can provide valuable opportunities to remind students that the work they’re doing and the support we’re providing are intended to prepare them for future learning success, not only to complete today’s assignment or this week’s project.

March 02, 2023

Six Keys to Designing Life-Changing Learning

Recall, if you can, a time when you had a powerful learning experience, an experience in which the way you thought, assumptions you made, and perspectives you held were challenged and changed, or became more nuanced. You may recall problems you confronted, struggles in which you engaged, and new learning that emerged. If you can recall experiences such as these, you’re a fortunate learner. These special learning experiences can have a life-long impact. They can ignite life passions, define driving missions, and create new clarity and commitment for learning and life. Unfortunately, too few of these learning experiences happen within the context of the school curriculum. When they occur, they often emerge by coincidence, or they may happen in response to an incident or experience that cannot be ignored or set aside. Yet it seems the mission and context of school should be the place where life-changing learning happens often and with intent. An important recent research review at the University of Pennsylvania distilled five decades of research involving over 7000 studies on learning to define a set of characteristics associated with learning that has a lasting impact. The defining characteristics of life-changing learning are more closely related to the experience than to its duration or even its specific content. In fact, life-changing learning experiences can be the result of a project, extended engagement over the course of weeks and months, or in some cases the experience may span the course of a full year and beyond. Interestingly, for students to experience a profound, life-changing learning experience, not all these characteristics must be present. Depending on the situation, as few as two or three can be enough to drive the learning experience to new depth and breadth and create a life-long memory. Let’s explore these characteristics and how we might use them to design learning experiences that can have a life-changing impact. The first is a supportive environment in which mistakes are accepted, even expected. Students need to be free to explore, examine, experiment, and take risks. Learners need to experience a level of trust and autonomy that invites them to take ownership and invest in their learning. Second, life-changing learning experiences often result from learning that involves service to others, especially people who have a particular need. Teaching, tutoring, mentoring of others who need support are examples. The key is for the learning activity to extend beyond oneself and provide a meaningful benefit to others. Third, these learning experiences may include exposure to ideas, beliefs, or perspectives that are different from those held by the student. However, the experience must be more than something minor that might be ignored or something so overwhelming that it may be rejected. The key is to open the door to a broader perspective and deeper understanding. The goal is for the student to gain a more complex understanding of something significant and the ability to differentiate among things that previously may have seemed indistinguishable. Third, profound learning comes from active engagement, giving energy, and making a commitment. Life-changing learning requires an investment, features a level of learning risk, and presents a meaningful challenge. The greater the commitment and involvement, the greater the return in learning. Fourth, life-changing learning almost always involves real problems, or at least simulations that are sophisticated enough for students to take them seriously and engage authentically. These learning experiences often come without clear answers and existing solutions. As a result, the experience promotes critical thinking, evidence examination, generation of novel ideas, and tolerance for ambiguity. Fifth, powerful learning experiences typically benefit from collaboration with peers, educators, mentors, or others. Profound learning experiences can occur in isolation and with the engagement of a single student. But more often, the thinking, assumptions, approaches, questions, and perspectives of others add richness and depth to the experience. The dialogue, support, and even conflict can move learning forward and generate new insights. Sixth, life-changing learning experiences benefit from opportunities for reflection and meaning making. Reflection can support examination, testing of insights, and adjustment of thinking. Reflection opportunities during these learning experiences can help students to clarify and assign meaning to what they’re thinking and feeling. Discussion, debate, and dialogue with others can provide opportunities to test new assumptions, try out new perspectives, and explore new beliefs. The range of topics, issues, and phenomena that might be the focus of life-changing learning is almost limitless. Of course, we must take into consideration the maturity and readiness of our students and the extent to which we're prepared to support the learning experiences we design. However, the opportunity to make a life-long impact on the learning of our students is a special privilege and shouldn't be ignored.

February 22, 2023

Want to Improve Your Outlook and Sense of Well-Being? Diversify

This is a time of year when it’s easy to feel as though we’re in a rut. We can feel stale and uninteresting. Our energy level may be ebbing, and we need a lift to reset our attitude and outlook. Life often has a way, especially during the winter months, of becoming routine and repetitive. While routines and repetition can bring a level of comfort and predictability, they can leave us feeling flat and unmotivated. Fortunately, the shift in outlook we need may be easier to achieve than we think. A study published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science suggests a practical solution to counter boredom and unhappiness and a way to open the door to new energy and greater fulfillment. In the same way the strategy of diversifying our financial resources across different types of investments can protect a healthy financial condition, diversifying our social engagements and relationships can lead to healthier, more vibrant encounters and a more optimistic outlook on life. While stable, long-term relationships are important to our health and well-being, interactions with others beyond our immediate circle can add variety and stimulation and connect us with others who have a wide range of experiences, outlooks, and perspectives. As a result, our thinking is challenged, we’re exposed to new ideas, and we gain new appreciation for our experiences, insights, and ideas. The answer is as simple as reaching out to former colleagues and childhood friends, contacting a distant relative, and engaging in conversation with people outside the education world. The benefits will be surprising and more than worth the effort. Of course, a similar diversification strategy can be impactful in other areas of life, too. For example, we might diversify our learning and entertainment activities. We can change up what we read or listen to. We may shift from exclusively reading print materials to exploring podcasts. We might shift from fiction to biographies, try science fiction or history. We might explore some new magazines, try some new television networks, or a new movie genre. Live concerts and theatre also are good options. Similarly, we might consider varying the activities in which we engage. If we normally walk for exercise, bicycling can be an option. Or maybe we just choose a new route to explore. We might explore hiking, biking, swimming, or cross-country skiing. Now might be a good time to rediscover jigsaw or crossword puzzles. The variety can increase our stimulation while challenging new muscles and areas of our brain. Another area worth exploring is the foods we eat. We can change up our “go to” menus. We might try new some new foods or return to some that we've not experienced in a while. We can explore foods from different cultures. Or we might expand our cooking and baking repertoire with new recipes. Of course, we also can try a new restaurant or two to expand our eating experience. Still another area to explore for potential diversification is our daily and weekly routines. Now might be a good time to change the time of day we set aside for exercise. We might try completing our lesson planning and related activities before leaving for the day, or at least spending less time at home in the evening doing school related work. Or we might commit to adding to or subtracting other activities from our routines. The options and opportunities for introducing greater diversification to our lives are nearly limitless. However, they only offer benefits if we're willing to step out of our routines, rituals, and ruts to give them a try.

February 22, 2023

Five Superpowers We Can Employ Every Day

The routines and seeming predictability of this time of the year can lead us to ignore the power and opportunities we have each day to shape the experiences of our students. The decisions we make, the lessons we design, the strategies we employ, and even the assessments we administer determine how our students will experience their day, how they’ll engage in learning, and what they’ll do with the learning they gain. We can either create an exciting learning challenge and opportunity or assign students to an experience of repetition, compliance, and boredom. Here are at least five superpowers we can access every day in our work with learners. How we choose to use our superpowers determines not only what students experience, but also shapes how students view the learning we offer and shapes their value of it. Let’s explore these five superpowers and how we can leverage them to open possibilities and shift the learning trajectories of our students. Our first superpower is choosing the tempo, mood, and expectations for learning. Our attitude, energy, and excitement aren’t just one of the influences on the temperament of the class, it’s the driving force establishing the daily climate. When we expect an energetic, exciting, uplifting day, chances are high our students will respond in kind. The opposite also is true. When we project low energy, frustration, or boredom, students pick up our signals and respond accordingly. In fact, students typically spend the first minutes of class tuning in to the mood and energy of the teacher to determine what lies ahead. A second daily superpower is the design and structure we create to support the intended learning. If our design is an interactive investigation of an important learning concept, the exploration of an empowering skill, or expansion of an emerging area of competence and we invite students to be partners in their learning, we create spaces for inquiry, ownership, and sense-making. If the day features information sharing, students listening, and notetaking, we create conditions more likely to generate quiet compliance and fought-for attention. The structure we establish and the design we create drive how students engage in and respond to the learning we present. A third superpower resides in how we choose to listen and respond to our students’ interests, questions, and confusion. When we treat questions as interruptions and distractions to be handled quickly and efficiently, we signal to students that they should confine their questions to cleaning up confusion and clarifying expectations. On the other hand, if we use our attention and responsiveness superpower to invite inquiry, explore implications and possibilities of questions, and even open new paths for learning, students are more likely to think, reflect, and imagine in response to what they’re learning. Of course, when questions are honored, respected, and explored they invite additional questions and even more learning. Still another superpower available to us daily is the focus, depth, and purpose we bring to the learning we plan. When we choose to treat learning as information to be absorbed and skills to be practiced and demonstrated, our students are likely to respond by focusing on what they'll be responsible for and how to meet our expectations. Conversely, we can use our superpower to inquire and examine, press for deeper learning and application, and support students to generate their own insights and generate new learning. When we do, we open the door to an unlimited quest for learning that’s not fully dependent on our knowledge and interpretation of what’s significant. Our fifth superpower is how we choose to approach assessment of learning. If our focus is on determining whether students can repeat what they’ve been told and demonstrate that they can do what they have been shown, we can expect students to give their attention to what’ll be on the test, what type of questions they’ll be asked, and what sort of problems they’ll have to solve. Alternatively, we can treat assessment as an opportunity for students to integrate what they’ve learned, demonstrate their understanding and capacity to use new skills, and even push beyond what we taught to gain new insights and make additional observations. When we do, students shift from being consumers of information to appliers of skills and from repositories of adult knowledge to generators of new ideas and possibilities. An additional observation about these superpowers: The more we use them to open learning doors, inspire inquiry, build confidence, and learning ownership, the more power they possess. Of course, they also enrich and expand our influence on our students and our relationships with them.

February 16, 2023

Share Your Tips & Stories

Share your story and the tips you have for getting through this challenging time. It can remind a fellow school leader of something they forgot, or your example can make a difficult task much easier and allow them to get more done in less time. We may publish your comments.

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Five Responses to Misbehavior We Must Avoid

The mental health of young people is a serious concern. We see evidence and hear reports about the nature and extent of the problem daily. Our students face unprecedented pressure and stress ranging from traditional sources, such as fitting in and friendships, family issues, social media pressure, the need for learning catch up, and fears about the future. We need to do what we can to help our students cope with the issues they face and learn how to manage the pressures and stresses they face. Above all, we need to do what we can to avoid adding to the mental and emotional weight our students carry. For example, when students engage in unacceptable behavior, we must be thoughtful in our response. We want students not to repeat the behavior, but some of our choices in response to students’ actions can risk harming their mental health. Consider the difference between discipline and punishment. Discipline approaches misbehavior or poor choices as an opportunity for teaching and learning. Our goal is not just to stop the behavior. We seek to have the student learn how and why to change their behavior. Discipline is guided by our commitment to help our students grow and be able to make better choices on their own. Punishment, on the other hand, seeks to stop the behavior by exacting consequences or implementing a reaction that'll lead the student not to repeat the behavior. Pain and discomfort - emotional, social, or physical – are frequent tools for punishment. Avoiding further consequences and practicing compliance are the assumed outcomes. Unfortunately, many means for punishing misbehavior can also harm the mental health of students. The damage can be profound and lifelong, especially when punishment is exacted in anger. Many of us can clearly and painfully recall times when and how we were punished, even though many years have passed. Our position of authority in the lives of students makes our responsibility in this regard even greater. Punishment that can cause mental harm comes in many forms. However, there are at least five ways in which students often are punished that teaches little and can result in significant harm: Ostracizing. When we intentionally ignore and encourage others to not interact with a classmate, we risk causing feelings of isolation and depression that can lead to significant and lasting damage. Students may not repeat the offending behavior, but the cost can be high. Humiliation. When we intentionally embarrass a student, especially in front of peers, we risk creating a wound that'll be slow to heal. Students may regret what they did, but they'll not soon forget how we made them feel. The combination of pain and resentment can result in loss of confidence and significant depression. Holding a grudge. Students say and do many things about which they may have not given much thought. We can be offended and angry. We may feel humiliated and embarrassed. However, once we've handled the situation we need to let it go. Our students are still learning and growing. They need the opportunity for a new start without our lingering resentment damaging our relationship with them. Expressing disgust. Disgust is an expression of revulsion or strong disapproval. Few things students do should raise this level of response from us. Expressions of disgust are especially harmful when the object is something over which students don't have control. Physical characteristics of the student, the student’s family status or behavior, or ethnic traditions are examples. Being the object of someone’s disgust can create a lasting and unpleasant memory even if the student does not fully understand what caused it. Negative predictions. What we predict about the future of our students can carry far more influence than we imagine. In a moment of anger, we might predict that a student will never be successful, not graduate, ever amount to much, or another negative prospect. Long after we have forgotten the incident, we likely will find that the student hasn't let the memory go. In fact, the student may refer to our words whenever they fail or fall short. Only rarely will a student use the experience to propel them to success. However, even if they do, it'll be despite us, not because of our inspiration. We must do all we can to help our students and never consciously or intentionally add to their mental health load. Our focus must be on how we can help students learn to behave in acceptable ways, and not rely on our threats, comments, and emotional state to keep them in line.

February 10, 2023

Feeling Stuck? Tap Five “R’s” to Regain Momentum

These are times when there’s much in our world that causes stress, frustration, and confusion. The past two years have been disrupted. Hopes that everything will return to what we used to think of as normal haven’t been realized. Strategies on which we formerly relied may no longer work. Students often respond in ways that are different than prior to the pandemic. We, too, are different than we were two years ago. Meanwhile, we feel pressure to perform, but may not have the energy, enthusiasm, and commitment we used to possess. All these factors can leave us feeling stuck. When we’re stuck in a cycle of frustration, confusion, and resentment, our natural reaction can be to continue to press, hoping things will get better. Yet, doing so can make things worse and even more difficult to change later. Doing more of what’s not working rarely is a good solution. Rather than continuing to push and persist, it may be time to take a new tact. We can start by accepting that no one is likely to fix the situation but us. While this is a statement of reality, it’s also a statement of empowerment. We may not be able to change the elements and factors that drive our situation, but we always have the power to change how we think, interpret, and respond to what’s happening around us. For things to get better, we may need to disrupt the cycle of emotion and action that’s holding us back and making us feel stuck. Here's a five-step process to step back from our frustrations, re-evaluate our situation, re-position ourselves, and re-engage in our lives and work with new perspectives, strategies, and commitment. First, we can relax. We don’t do our best thinking or make our best decisions when we’re stressed and pressed. We only make ourselves more tired, angry, anxious, or frustrated. We risk experiencing a cycle of unproductive thinking and unhelpful behaviors. Continuing to do what hasn’t been working and expecting a different outcome, in the words of Albert Einstein, is insanity. It’s time to slow down and take a break from doing and reacting. We start by setting time aside. Reserve a weekend day, or schedule a getaway weekend to pause, reflect, and explore what we’re experiencing. Second, we need to reflect. We begin this process by examining primary drivers of our stress, anxiety, or confusion. We can explore how we might look at the situation from another perspective. What assumptions are we making that may be getting in our way? What patterns can we see that may provide hints for how we can disrupt and shift our thinking and behavior? How might our thinking and what we’re doing contribute to what we now experience? The key is to focus on ourselves and what we can do rather than becoming preoccupied by factors and forces we can’t change. Third, we use our insights to refocus. We capture “nuggets” of clarity and opportunity from our reflection to identify what’s important to shift in our thinking and modify our behavior. Next, we consider what’s doable and what’ll make the greatest difference in how we feel and experience our life and work. The key isn’t to add on or cram more into life and work. The answer isn’t working harder. The solution is letting go of what isn’t adding value and satisfaction and replacing those things with what offers meaning and purpose. Our focus should be on what can lead to clear progress and promises meaningful accomplishments. If this step leaves us struggling, we consider enlisting a friend or colleague to help us sort our reflection and look for clues and insights we can glean to nourish our refocusing. Fourth, we recommit to our work and purpose, capturing the energy provided by the hope of changing our approach, making progress, and accomplishing what’s important to us. It’s time to let go of what’s been holding us back and embrace our new vision of what’s possible with new insights and a new approach. We step up to embrace the power we’ve claimed and clarity of purpose we’ve created. Fifth and finally, we reengage in our work. This step asks us to convert our insights and intentions to action, challenging ourselves to commit to what we can do today that’ll move us forward and closer to the vision we’ve created. Importantly, we also need to pay attention to what we’ll stop doing that’s been getting in the way. What choices we can make that’ll break the cycle that’s been holding us back? What can we do to be sure that every day we do something to make things better? How can we leverage the next two weeks to see clear progress? If we struggle, we might ask, who should we enlist to help us stay committed and provide coaching and encouragement when we need it? The truth is that we can’t always change our circumstances. Yet, we always can shift how we think and how we respond. Now may be a good time to relax, reflect, refocus, recommit, and reengage to become unstuck and find the success and satisfaction we seek.

February 10, 2023

Feeling Confused and Uncertain? Adopt These Five Life Principles

These can be confusing times. Deciding what to prioritize can be a challenge. Sorting options and choosing a direction aren't always easy tasks. Conflicting pressures and divergent forces too often drive confusion and uncertainty. We want clarity. We need guideposts and guidelines to help us discern a path forward. We need the stability of a set of principles that can give us flexibility while not losing our way. Fortunately, there are places we can turn. Consider these five Buddhist life and leadership principles that have been around for more than 2500 years. First, do the right thing and trust that the best outcome will follow. We like to feel in control, but life doesn’t always give us access to all the “levers” that'll align circumstances and determine outcomes. We can become so preoccupied with how things will turn out that we neglect to ask ourselves, What’s the right thing to do in this situation/circumstance? Yet, when we focus on doing what’s right, the outcome will likely take care of itself. Meanwhile, we’ll have the reassurance that we did what was right, not what was most convenient or comfortable. Second, remain open and curious. Life experiences can be helpful when we confront situations and circumstances that are routine and familiar. They can provide thinking and action shortcuts. However, experience leads us to think we know more than we do and assume more than we should. Experience can close our minds to possibilities, options, and new approaches. Often called the “beginner’s mind,” this principle invites us to open our mind, to ask questions, and be curious, even when we think we know what the answers should be. A beginner’s mind helps us to free ourselves from assumptions, beliefs, and bias that can confine our thinking and limit our success. Third, know your value and live your values: This principle invites us to be comfortable with who we are and appreciate the skills, talents, and intelligence we possess. When we know who we are, we act with confidence. We don’t need to continuously worry about how we’re perceived and what others might think. This principle also challenges us to live our values. We may not always measure up to our ideals, but we always have tomorrow to try again. Remarkably, when we know who we are and live what we value, others naturally respond positively and are more likely to follow our leadership. Fourth, avoid becoming preoccupied with winning and losing. Of course, we don’t want to experience the pain of losing, the embarrassment of a misstep, or the loss of perceived status. On the other hand, becoming focused on hearing praise, finding pleasure, and seeking applause can skew our judgement and leave us making choices that are driven by perception rather than by substance and good judgement. We can become anxious, manipulative, and caught up in short-term thinking. Meanwhile, when we let go of preoccupation with winning and losing, we free ourselves to think more clearly and lead more freely with our values. Fifth, practice empathy and compassion. Empathy and compassion lead us to focus our energy beyond ourselves. They expand our view and give us a larger context within which to understand our experiences and the world. Empathy and compassion promote insight and build connections. When we extend our caring to others, we feel better about ourselves, despite the circumstances and challenges we face. Life will always present complications and challenge our thinking and choices. However, by remaining focused on doing what’s right, remaining curious, living our values, remaining empathetic and compassionate, and taking life as it comes, we can find the path that’s right for us.

February 03, 2023

The Best Questions for Learning May Not Be Ours

As soon as children learn to speak, they begin to ask questions. We can even become frustrated and impatient with the number of questions children ask. Sometimes we may not feel we've the time to respond. At other times we may not know the answers, and we don’t have the energy to pursue them. Yet, questions are a crucial way for children to learn. Our responses can shut the door to asking and learning or open the door to further inquiry and more information. Later as children enter school, they come to understand that the important questions are the questions that adults ask. These questions point the way to where adults want students to give their attention. In fact, student questions often are discounted and treated more as distractions than they’re honored, respected, and used as possibilities to generate learning. Consequently, students learn to explore less of what they don’t know and ask fewer questions. Unfortunately, the messages students receive about their questions risk cutting off key paths to learning that can be generated by questions. When students aren’t encouraged to ask questions, they often discount their curiosity, tolerate their confusion, and default to the thoughts and attention leveraged by adults. In a world that increasingly demands new ideas, thrives on discovery, and rewards novel insights, discouraging questions delivers a serious disservice to our learners. Alternatively, if we reacquaint students with their imagination, honor their curiosity, and encourage their questions, we place in their hands a powerful tool for learning within and beyond what the formal curriculum presents. However, for most students, we need to reteach the role and value of questions to stimulate and support their learning. Let’s explore four ways we empower students to enhance their learning through questions they develop and ask. First, we can teach students to ask questions about their learning as they learn. For example, when students study a concept, reading text, or develop a skill, they can ask themselves questions about the meaning and application of what they’re learning. Their questions help them organize, focus, and absorb new information and strengthen their recall. In fact, creating and asking oneself questions while learning proves a more powerful learning tool than highlighting or underlining text or taking notes. Second when students ask questions that are more significant than seeking clarification and direction, we can resist providing immediate answers and join them in their learning search. We might begin by probing the source and implications of student questions to gain full understanding of what’s driving their questions. Further, we can engage with students to find answers, even when we might have a ready answer we could share. When we learn with students, we honor their interest and curiosity, and we provide them with approaches, options, and modeling they can use to learn independently. Third, we can teach students to frame worthy questions about their learning. For example, we might introduce a taxonomy, such as Bloom’s or Depth of Knowledge (DOK), to help students to understand and utilize multiple levels of thinking and complexity in questions they develop. Then we can coach students to ask deeper, more significant questions in class discussions, probe with deeper questions and thinking in their writing, and practice deeper reflection as they learn. Fourth, we can leverage growing questioning expertise among students by having them create some or all the questions they’ll be asked on a quiz or exam. At first, we might think this approach to be unproductive because students would know the questions in advance. However, if we coach students to create an array of meaningful, complex, relevant questions, their responses will demonstrate learning that may go well beyond what would have been demonstrated by unfamiliar questions at risk of being misunderstood or confusing to students. In fact, the process of developing good questions leads to greater understanding of content and enhanced organization of what has been learned than responding to questions developed by someone else. Asking questions isn't only a great way for young children to learn; questions are powerful drivers of learning regardless of age. Our challenge is to renew the natural tendency for children and young people to ask questions. However, we also can help them to frame, examine, and pursue questions that feature greater complexity, depth, and significance. When we do, we give them one of the most powerful tools for learning they can employ.

January 27, 2023

The Master Teacher Blog