Motivation is Everything

One of the most popular articles in the New York Times this weekend caught my attention. The article describes a recently published paper that examined the two types of motives that exist, internal (motives that are inherent in the task such as writing a blog for the joy of writing) and instrumental (motives that are not inherent to the task such as writing a blog to become a thought leader in education). The article further describes how all of the activities that we undertake have both internal and instrumental consequences (writing a blog can be both for the joy of writing and make the writer a thought leader in education), but that having both types of motives does not predict success and that, “instrumental motives are not always an asset and can actually be counterproductive to success.”

The research, based on data collected from West Point cadets showed that, “remarkably, cadets with strong internal and strong instrumental motives for attending West Point performed worse on every measure than did those with strong internal motives but weak instrumental ones.” This seems to make sense when we step back and think about achieving any difficult goal. If we are motivated by the outcome, and not mastery of the task itself, we can easily step back when it becomes too difficult and find another path towards our goal.

I think often of my students that want to go to college, “to get a good job and make money.” When the Advanced Placement or introductory college classes become challenging, they see that there are much easier ways to get “good” jobs and make money.  Since the opportunity to learn or the experience of going to college were not what was driving them forward, they found it easy to pass up on the college dream.

 Like any successful article, I find that after reading it I have to reexamine how I approach my students about the value of an education. As an AVID teacher, a program designed to support marginalized students in their path to college, I often use instrumental motivation to get them to perform their best. I explain how success in school can lead to acceptance to a good college, earning a good job, and earning a living that will support a happy family. The article makes a clear point that, "for students uninterested in learning, financial incentives…for high performance may prompt them to participate, but it may result in less well-educated students."

After reading this, I see that I may need to step back from the instrumental motivation I use. As the article states, just because there are instrumental consequences of being good in school it does not mean that is the best way to motivate my students. Instead I need to focus on the value of learning for its own sake, which I have tried to do in my class and explained in a previous post, but need to continue to consciously incorporate into my classes. 

Just like everything in my teaching career, it ends up reminding me of coaching football. I want my offensive linemen to block well. I do not talk to them about the fact that the better we block, the more likely we are to win. I simply value the skill of blocking and motivate them to master the skills, irrespective of the outcome it plays in the game. Whether the player is a starter or will never see the field, I expect them to master the skills. The end goal is the by-product of doing everything else right. It is as true for one of my AVID students as it is for my offensive linemen.

Cross-posted from: http://notfillingthepail.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-trip-is-more-important-than.html

Please follow John @jhhines57 or check out his blog at notfillingthepail.blogspot.com

Learning From the Ground Up

While we do not often think about it, we can start redesigning schools with the physical space. As I think about how to structure a high school, I see ways to change the school simply with the furnishing. Open spaces, natural light and comfortable seats can all take a school from “cells and bells” to a place of innovation and invention. I have often said that I go onto college campuses and I see how I wish to teach. It is amazing to have open manicured lawns, wooded paths, and some time to be outside. Being at a traditional high school, cooped up inside, it makes me wish I could escape, not stay and learn. If I feel that way, and I had a positive experience at school, I know my students feel the same way.

Along with how the school is designed, I am interested to see how much schools could become like the best idea companies. Places like Google, Microsoft, and Twitter have to give their employees space to think. Google has become famous for its Genius Hour in which the employees are given time to simply pursue whatever interests them and some of their newest innovations (Google Glass, the Google self driving car) have come from this time. These companies thrive based on how well their employees think. This is how we should be approaching schools. We should treat our students and teachers like thinking, and developing new ideas, was their job. We should give them time to pursue their passions and interests. We have to trust teachers to develop systems and solutions for the issues they face. We then further need to trust students to learn and find passion in learning.

When we think about public education, it is frustrating that while we want to have schools as a place of learning, growing , innovation and invention we run them like factories. With fixed amounts of credits, minutes and grades, we are trying to mass produce graduates (the all important graduation rate as the critical marker of success) with teachers working on the assembly line. We have this system, not because we think it is the best, but because accountability demands clear criteria to measure (test scores, graduation rates). Free time to generate ideas and follow passions is not as measurable as 3 years of high school science or 55 minutes of Geometry.

While places like Google see Genius Hour as a way to allow its engineers to follow intellectual endeavors as vital to it continued success and relevance, it is hard to see this becoming part of our public schools in our current high stakes, high accountability climate. There are some educators calling for the changes, to make schools more like our most innovative and productive companies, it has failed to penetrate the average school and is not part of the much of the current popular reform conversation. Less is more is not as prevalent as more is more.

If we are serious about schools being places of idea production, we have to build them to support the creation of ideas. We have also recognize that learning is an organic process, not a mechanical one. We cannot simply speed things up and have students simply learn more in less time, just like we cannot double the fertilizer we put on crops and expect them to grow twice as much in half the time. What we can do is create a set of circumstances, a climate, that can support higher growth. This can be done many ways, but one way that might need to be considered includes natural light and some free time.

Cross-posted from: http://notfillingthepail.blogspot.com/2014/07/designing-climate-for-growth.html

Please follow John @jhhines57 or check out his blog at notfillingthepail.blogspot.com

What does your legislator know about your work? If you said, "Nothing!"....please read on.

‘Critical Questions’ Series – This post is also available at the Washington State ASCD affiliate website blog: http://wsascdorg.blogspot.com/ as well as the link to the article as pdf: http://www.wsascd.org/downloads/critical_questions/June_2014_CQ.pdf.  

June 2014

What does your local legislator know about your work?

“The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next election while the statesman thinks about the next generation.” –Hillary Rodham Clinton

Policy changes can move slowly and impact people – including our students and teachers – for years while we learn about actual consequences to well-intended mandates.  For those of us used to the crazy pace of the classroom, the geologic-timing of governmental response can be frustrating.  (Although, to be fair, if policy change happened quickly – that would have its own set of consequences.)

Here in Washington State we have what is termed “citizen legislators.”  In general, while the “salary and time required for the job” significantly limits who can serve, it is also “difficult for legislators to obtain and maintain outside employment.” According to the Washington Citizens’ Commission, (Washington) state legislators typically spend about 70% of a full-time job.  Although their income from legislative work is greater than that for (other types of state) legislatures, it is usually not enough to allow them to make a living without other sources of income.

According to a 2012 National Conference of State Legislatures survey, Washington state elected officials have average annual salaries of $42,106. If we take the “70% of a full-time job” figure at face value, this means our elected officials are in jobs that would average annual salaries of … wait for it… $60,151.

Wow.  Why would someone do such a difficult, important job for such paltry compensation?  I mean – the complexity, the stress, the 24/7 public element of the position…it sounds so…so much like…TEACHING.

Clearly, both members of political and educational professions must work from a reserve of passion and dedication, and not omnipotence.  Understanding that they are dedicated, what is the best way for these folks to learn about your day-to-day professional issues?  From YOU.  You and I must engage our citizen legislators and be the teachers we claim to be.  Educate our representatives.

One recent example of this occurred in Eastern Washington.  My colleague Dr. Lambert, from Whitworth University, and I convened a panel of student teachers, mentor teachers, a supervisor, and professors to teach our area senators and representatives about the new exam required of preservice teachers, the educational Teacher Performance Assessment

(edTPA).  One of the legislators left with this comment, “This was one of the best events of this type I have attended.”  Others agreed and thanked us for the format, which was a bit different than what they usually experience.  Instead of asking them to come with all the answers, we invited them to come with questions while we supplied the “testifying panelists.”  Every participant seemed grateful and expressed a desire to work further on the issues together.  I feel great confidence that each of these legislators is going to the state capitol with a much better understanding of what is happening in this area of the profession and will move purposefully toward action that supports quality teaching and learning. 

We felt proactive. We felt like we had been heard.  We did not wait up in the tower, sighing with our head in our hands, hoping that someone would come ask us about the issues of the day.  We refused to gripe… and then sit idle.  Understanding that communication is our duty as good citizens and educators, we felt good as we partnered with our citizen legislators.

We educators always have our eye on the next generation, and so do our legislators.  How can you help our well-meaning citizen legislators to become better informed about our profession?

Suzann Girtz, Ph.D. Asst. Professor Teacher Education Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA girtz@gonzaga.edu

Professional Relationship Dos and Don'ts

We all know that relationships are at the heart of everything we do in leadership.  Our success in leadership hinges on our ability to develop and maintain positive, working relationships with our colleagues.  Oftentimes, navigating these relationships with our colleagues can be the biggest challenge we face.

Having worked as a principal in a fairly large school district, fostering relationships with my principal colleagues was a challenge because of time and proximity.  The bi-weekly or monthly principal meetings were just enough for us to check in, ask about each other’s families, exchange a few professional pearls of wisdom and go on our way, only to wait another month to “rinse and repeat.” 

During the last three years, I have been a part of a leadership team in a small international school.  All of my principal and administrative colleagues work under the same roof.  While some of the same challenges of working in a larger educational system are still present, other obstacles present themselves in a smaller setting.  Having had experiences in both small and large educational systems, Based on my experiences in both settings, I’ve come up with four pieces of advice to help you navigate these relationships and keep peace, harmony and collaboration at the focus!

Challenge #1:  Communication – Don’t take the easy way out!

Communication in any setting can be difficult.  Oftentimes, we rely on the easiest and most time-saving way to communicate.  This is typically email.  When sensitive topics need to be discussed, it’s important to use methods of communication that allow all participants in the conversation to understand fully and let nothing get lost in interpretation.  Use your phone or walk down and have an actual conversation with your colleague, especially if the topic of conversation is time-sensitive or delicate in nature. 

Challenge 2: Collaborate – When decisions need to be made, don’t skip important steps.

Leadership can be fast-paced, requiring decisions to be made quickly.  Thinking through the decision and the potential impacts is helpful in determining your next steps and who needs to be informed and/or involved in a decision.  Proceed with extreme caution when attempting to make decision, big or small, when others are involved or need to have their opinions heard.  Rushing communication or skipping it altogether can only lead to mistrust and frustration.

Challenge 3: Assume positive intentions - Have a positive presupposition, but hold your colleagues accountable.

It’s important when working closely with our colleagues to have positive presuppositions.  The reality, however, is that this can be very difficult, especially in an environment of distrust and poor communication.  Always assuming the best intentions is an effective practice for school leaders.  This does not mean that when we feel a colleague has done something offensive or unprofessional that we turn the other cheek and say to ourselves, “I’m sure (insert person’s name) had good intentions so I will let it go.”  Repeated offenses of this nature can cause frustration and lead to more friction in the professional relationship. We owe it to our colleagues and the culture of the school to address these issues in a constructive (not destructive) way. 

Challenge 4: Talk it out – When there’s an issue, don’t ignore the problem.

When a colleague feels the need to talk something out with you (based usually on an interaction or experience they’ve had with you), don’t ignore the request.  Typically, these requests are intended to surface and resolve relationship issues so that they can be laid to rest.  When these requests are ignored, colleagues can only speculate as to why the request was ignored.  This speculation usually leads to dangerous territory and can ultimately lead to the demise of your professional relationship.

Remember Your ABCs - Always Be Coaching

I am a fan of Corner Office in the New York Times. I read it every Sunday and I think that there are valuable leadership lessons to be found for any career. One recent interview with John W. Rogers Jr., chairman and CEO of Ariel Investments that I read was about the influence of sports on his career. He described how his time on the Princeton basketball team taught him taught him the value of teamwork and caring about teammates more than oneself. As a former collegiate athlete and a current high school and middle school football coach, I know the valuable lessons that can be learned through sports. Lessons on teamwork, dedication, perseverance and humility are all ones that can serve athletes in any career path that they choose.

Along with reading this interview, I have also been captivated by the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito bullying and harassment case. If the John Rogers interview is the best of sports, then the sordid tale of the Miami Dolphins offensive line is the worst. As I read about the investigation and the details of the case, I can easily understand how this kind of climate could be created in a locker room. When winning, and not player development, becomes the sole focus of a team, the types of behaviors demonstrated by Incognito and others, are tolerated because of good on field play. The lessons learned in these situations are that if you are good enough on the field, no one cares how you act off the field. When winning becomes everything, anything is tolerated.

In the end, I believe the impact of sports, for better or worse, comes back to coaching. As an assistant coach, I have been lucky enough to work for some great head coaches. Each one of them focused on player development more than winning. That is not to say that they did not want to win, they wanted to win desperately, but they knew that winning took a back seat to making our young athletes into better men. If we focus on making our players better teammates, encourage and reward hard work and dedication, and support them in the classroom and their lives away from the field, we will make them better people, and the wins will take care of themselves.

As I continue to coach, there are some lessons that I have continued to use with my players on the field. As a leader in my classroom and at my school, I have found that these lessons also apply. The best of sports should be reflected in the best of our schools.

• Everyone has a role in which they can contribute to the team  - Too often we think that a team needs the best players to be successful. The best coaches I have worked for have never believed this. Those coaches have believed that it is about putting players in a position in which they can find success. In my work at school, it reminds me that all students have talents and that my job as a teacher is not to wish they were better, but to find a way for them to succeed.

• How you act off the field is how you will act on the field - Often we think that the on-field success is all that matters, but in the end, character is always revealed. If a player is not working hard in the classroom, they will fail to work hard on the field. Quitters will always be quitters as my father reminded me The best coaches and teachers will always encourage and support students to work hard and do their best in all endeavors.

• Winning is the result of doing things right - If players work well together, execute the game plan, and play hard throughout the game, the winning will take care of itself. We do not need to focus on winning, because all of the steps along the way will lead to it. In the classroom, we do not need to focus on test scores if we can make sure students do all of the steps to be successful along the way. The score will take care of itself.

In the end, it is the coach that has the ultimate responsibility. Focusing on the powerful lessons that sports can teach will lead to stories like John W. Rogers, Jr. Focusing on winning alone are much more likely to lead to situations like Martin/Incognito. My current head coach has said that we are not here to do our best, we are here to be the best. As I relate this to my players and students, I remind them that I want them to not try their best to be a good person, I want them to be the best person they know. I want them to try and exceed all of the examples they see in their surroundings. It may be the only way for them to exceed their situation and create a better life for themselves.

As a coach, and a teacher, I know the important role that we fill for many young men and women in our society. While some may remember the wins and losses, many more will remember the life lessons that they learned on the field. It is time we focus on what will leave the mark, not what will be in the paper.

Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_Remember-Your-ABCs-Always-Be-Coaching/blog/6562706/127586.html