MiddleView

 Continued from Part I (see previous entry)

Privacy

Keep things private.  There is no reason for anyone else to know about the issue except those involved.  I do not mean to lock out other administrators, but other kids, etc…Make sure you protect the privacy of the kid.  If a child confides in you about a fight and stops it, great!  If you expose him or her to the other kids, that will probably be the last tip you receive from a kid.  Always develop an out for a kid.  Make sure it is not obvious who helps with an investigation.  Always set up a scenario where the kids are protected.  And do not discuss kids with other parents.  Not only is this just a plain bad idea, I actually think it is against the law!

Let them speak

Let them speak and listen.  Often, we know the entire situation before we start talking to the kids directly involved.  Let them talk anyway.  Sure it they were in the wrong, they will receive a consequence.  However, if you do not let them to give their side of the story, they will feel it is useless to talk to you.  Make sure you give them some time to talk.  Listen.  Every child deserves the chance to defend themselves (even if we know they are not exactly telling the whole truth)!

Get the parents involved

Always make parent contact.  There is nothing worse than calling home and saying this is Johnny’s 6th referral this year and them having no clue what you are talking about.  They need to know each time a child receives a referral.  I know if my child gets in trouble (again, I reiterate he never will!) I want to know about it early.  I want to have the chance to work with him before it gets out of control.

This is not an exhaustive list, but just a few things that work for me.  I try to handle discipline issues following these guidelines.  I do have one question for you though–I have a hard time getting my students to be honest.  Some are in my office weekly and of course it was never their fault.  Do you have any suggestions for getting kids to be honest?

 

Posted by Michael Waiksnis at 01:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 

I hope this post catches your attention.  Discipline is not exciting, glossy fun or new.  In fact, if I sent out survey asking you to rank your least favorite part of your job, I would be willing to say I can guess the top vote getter (I know, I know, I am from Florida so not voting jokes please).  However, as an assistant principal, discipline consumes a good portion of my time.  Here are a few tips on how I handle discipline.  I doubt any of it is researched based or part of a “program”, but these techniques have helped me deal with the discipline issues we all face.

Time

How your school is set up will directly effect how you handle time and discipline.  It you are at a school where you are the only administrator or at a school with 5 other administrators, the makeup will affect the time aspect.  When I was working at the high school level, we implemented a plan that worked well.  There were 5 assistant principals, including myself.  Every day, there were two A.P.’s assigned to discipline.  This meant you were stuck doing discipline all day for about 2 days a week.  However, this left you with three complete days to be an instructional leader and handle your other duties. 

It worked well and I think we all liked the system.  Of course, our office days were not our favorite, but we knew we would have time on the other days to get out and work with our teachers.  That was the purpose of the system and it worked well.  The only downside is that there was not any continuity for the kids.  If they found themselves in trouble, they never knew who would be handling the situation.  I hampered the ability to grow relationships.  At the middle school I currently work at we are each responsible for our grade level.

This is great as far as developing relationships and getting to know the kids.  You are better able to sense things and intervene before it is too late.  You are also able to set your expectations more clearly.  If one of your students gets in trouble, they know they have to face you!  On the down side I usually have to handle discipline issues daily.  I though about setting up a schedule for minor discipline.  However, I would rather deal with it ASAP.  I think my teacher’s deserve it.  The discipline that seems minor to us, is probably huge for that teacher. 

Style

I would assume most of us are on the same page with this one.  I do not attempt to degrade or humiliate my students.  If they misbehave, I want to handle it in a manner that will prevent future incidents.  I try to follow the catch phrase “discipline with dignity”.  If my own child was in school and misbehaved (of course, he never will misbehave!) I would want the same.  I do not see any reason for degrading a child in the name of discipline.  Of course, we need to be firm.  I think I am when I deal with discipline issues.  The students need to know their actions are unacceptable.  You have to establish yourself as the authority figure.

Relationships

You have to work to develop relationships with your students.  It is funny, at the high school, I never seemed to even think about this.  Maybe it is just the middle school, but I see the value of it now.  I want my students to feel as if they can talk to me before a situation gets out of control.  I also make sure they know I am the authority figure.  I do not back off on consequences.  The kids need this type of structure.  Many do not get it at home.  I would almost always rather deal with the child. The parents often present the most challenges.  Of course their child would never do that!

Consistency

Whatever you do, stay consistent!  The kids will pick up on it if you are not.  Handle situations as similar as possible.  We all know that each one is different, but stay as consistent as possible. 

Stay Tuned for Part II

Posted by Michael Waiksnis at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Quick!  What do you remember about your principal when you were in middle school or, for those of us past a certain age, junior high school?  I can recall exactly four things – his name, he was short, he had beautiful handwriting (he signed my yearbook), and his wife was my kindergarten teacher (which is probably why I remember him at all).  Not exactly the type of impression most of us are hoping to leave.

Sometimes, in the midst of all school leaders do to keep a school up and running and moving forward, we forget why we do what we do – but the simple truth is that we better be doing what we do for the students!  So it pays to ask yourself the question -- “What am I doing to stay in touch with my students and what will those students remember about me?”

One of the things I loved about being at Talent Middle School was my “job” as the choir accompanist.  It kept me in touch with the kids, it let them see me in a completely different light – and I have to admit, it was a really nice feeling to walk into the choir room and be greeted by a round of applause!  Supervising the halls in the morning was another opportunity to greet students and have quick conversations with them and while lunch duty wasn’t quite as much fun as accompanying the choir, it did give me regular visibility and contact with the students.  And even though these activities took up a chunk of my time on a regular basis, the relationship building was worth it.

I recently had an unexpected glimpse of what at least one student remembers about me.   It was a wrong number - a contractor I’d done business with in Oregon got my number mixed up with my brother-in-law’s and called me by mistake.  We chatted a while and he mentioned that his son (who attends my former school) had remarked that he missed me.  When he asked why, his son said, “When she was in the halls or at lunch she wasn’t looking for kids doing something wrong, she was always talking with us.”  Since most of the time I really was keeping an eye out for kids who were acting in an unsafe manner or not following the rules, his perception of what I was doing warmed my heart!   Next time the busyness of being a school leader gets you down -- remember why you’re there in the first place and get out and spend some time talking with the students.

Posted by Patti Kinney at 12:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We’ve all been there as middle level leaders.  We’re in the middle of a meeting or conversation that has become so bogged down that we’re getting nowhere.  We think to ourselves, “How did this happen?  This was supposed to be a simple task!”  Most often this happens in the preliminary stages of a project or idea when we become so focused on the details of how it will work that we forget we’re still examining the big picture concept. 

Next time this happens to you, try sharing the story of Ramon with the group.  I’m a big fan of children’s picture books – especially those with a message to leaders and I just found a new one by Peter Reynolds.  His book, Ish, tells the story of a young artist named Ramon who becomes upset because his pictures aren’t exactly perfect.  He was ready to give up art completely when his younger sister observed that while his drawing of flowers and a vase weren’t quite “right”, they were "sort of vase-ish”.  This idea freed up Ramon to draw “ish” drawings that didn’t have to be absolutely perfect.  The book ends with Ramon living “ishfully ever after”.

Maybe we need to try living more “ishfully”.  Yes, there are definitely times as a leader when we do have to get it “right", but there are also many times when the outcome can be “ish” – not a homerun, but still in the ballpark.  There are so many demands upon middle level leaders that prioritizing where we spend our time and energy is critical.  Next time you are stuck in the middle of a project, remember the story of Ramon and ask yourself, “Does the outcome have to be exact or can it be ish?"

Posted by Patti Kinney at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

 Whose Staff Development is it Anyway?

(cross posted at Ed LeaderWeb)

Staff Development.  These two words can strike fear in many a’ teacher’s heart!  When I was teaching I vividly remember sitting through some staff development sessions wondering if this was the end as we knew it.  There seemed to be no connect to my job and there was definitely not anything sustained.  We all know the catch words, “sit and get, hit and run”, but many of the offerings were more like sit and wonder how this impacts your job!

This of course is not only for teachers.  As an administrator I have sat through some strinkingly similar staff development sessions.  Most, if not all, of these sessions educators attend are well meaning and have wonderful points.  The sustaining factor is what hurts us most.   I know this is nothing new and we have all heard this before.  The high school I worked at in Florida always had a staff development theme for the year.  We tried to connect as many of the offerings together.  To me, it was sustained and continuous rather than a hit and miss approach.  I only hope the teachers felt the same way!  However, we all know this and this is not the point of my post.

This year we are focusing solely on curriculum mapping.  It is a sustained effort that directly ties to the everyday job of our teachers.  In our district, we have a series of late start days and the usual teacher works days.  Our teachers also meet as grade level  departments twice a week.  All of this time (or as close to 100% as possible) is spent on curriculum mapping.

When a new or recycled “thing” comes out, it is easy to present it to the staff and forget it.  Everyone hears about the glossy parts of the program and then moves on to the daily grind of education.  Even at my last school, when I was in charge of staff development, the “sustained, themed” approach was still a bit scattered and at times disconnected.  This year has been devoted to curriculum mapping.  The teachers know this and know they will have ample time to complete this tough task.

I think this is working.  Our teachers are hard at work and are engaged at our sessions.  They already know what is expected and we give them TIME to actually work on it.  It is no longer an administrator talking to a group of teachers.  It is teachers working together on a sustained goal. I love the idea of curriculum mapping and I think it will improve our school.  Teachers are working almost daily as teams to determine what should be taught and the BEST method to teach it!  As far as the staff development concept goes it is rather simple. Our plan is not diverse, glossy or complex.  It is simply sticking with one concept and giving our teachers the time needed to work on it.

Posted by Michael Waiksnis at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I am disturbed by something I read this week.  On NMSA’s MiddleTalk List serve – an online community of middle level practitioners who share their questions, concerns, and comments with one another – there was a discussion on the use of on-line gradebooks.  I was brought up short with the comment by one responder: “One concern in our building when we first went to online grade books was that the principal would have access. He is not supposed to, but has been caught a few times with information that he should not have. The company can give him a code that gives him temporary access.”  A former principal responded, “This is interesting to me.  Why would the principal not be allowed access to grades?”  The “conversation” continued among members with several sharing stories of principals changing grades, sharing inaccurate grades with students, and the concern over problems caused by grades being so closely monitored.

I admit these incidents were reported without a context so there may be a “rest of the story”, but I am still bothered by the lack of trust between teachers and administrators that this example illustrates.  Breaking Ranks in the Middle calls for collaborative leadership, This We Believe (NMSA) calls it courageous, collaborative leadership, and Turning Points 2000 speaks of democratic governance.  In each publication, the message is loud and clear – if we want to improve the education of young adolescents then we have to work together in order for it to happen!

How do we as school leaders move the school beyond an “us and them” mentality?  How do we instill a culture of professionalism within the school environment?  How do we establish collaboration as the operational norm in the school?  Tough questions with no easy answers -- but the key word is together.  And yes, it takes energy and effort from all school personnel to make it work.  And yes, there are poor administrators just as there are poor teachers who just don't "get it" --  but there are no excuses; as school leaders, we are ultimately the one held accountable for the quality of the school.  So the question bears asking, “What are you doing to build trust among your staff, break down any barriers that may be impeding school improvement efforts, and institutionalize collaboration as the standard way of doing business at your school?”

Posted by Patti Kinney at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Margaret Meade said it best  – Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. 

In an earlier entry, I wrote about efforts being made on behalf of the Success in the Middle Act being presented as an amendment to the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization.  It’s exciting to see that this banding together of middle level leaders is making a difference and our voices are being heard.  In last Friday’s issue of Ed Daily, Kris Kitto wrote an article entitled, “Support for Middle Schools Deepens, Widens”.  Here are a few excerpts:

   Though happy to see middle schools included in the House’s recently released NCLB reautho­rization discussion drafts, middle school advo­cates have again mobilized to help Congress craft the most effective program for improving the young adolescent grades.
   The Middle Grades Coalition on NCLB sent a support letter Wednesday to Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., the author of the Success in the Middle Act, H.R. 3406. The letter expressed the group’s hope that Grijalva will introduce his bill as an amendment to a new NCLB.
   Support for middle school reform has grown as experts increasingly link strong middle schools to higher graduation rates…The coalition’s widening support also indicates a critical mass for middle school reform on a national level.

I underlined the parts that illustrate that the voice of middle level educators is beginning to be heard more clearly.  Did you know the original NCLB bill consisted of over a thousand pages, but middle schools or middle grades are only mentioned 15 times?  Through the combined efforts of national organizations interested in middle level education (NASSP, NMSA, Nat’l Forum, College Board, and more) we are beginning to be heard.  Paraphrasing NASSP president Barry Stark’s remarks to the committee last week – it’s time to look at the missing M in ESEA!

But to be most effective, it has to be more than just national organizations speaking out – state organizations and individuals must also step up to the plate – and that is beginning to happen as well.  It was exciting that by putting the word out to their state affiliate organizations, NASSP and NMSA were able to garner the support of 73 state level organizations representing all 50 states and add their names to the names to the support letter mentioned in the Ed Daily article.  Now it’s time for you to add your name to the list as well – use the PLAC site to contact your representative to let them know you support this piece of legislation as well.

Posted by Patti Kinney at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 

Looking for informal, real world personal professional development?  I was recently invited to be a guest on Practical Principals.  We did a show on classroom walk throughs that you might find useful.  We talked about how we use them in our school.  We all have different ways we implement and use CWT's.  I would love to hear what you think of the show!

Posted by Michael Waiksnis at 05:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 

(cross posted at Ed LeaderWeb) 

Do Something Different

I am sure it’s not an original phrase, but it is the challenge I issued to my 7th grade teachers and students.  It is simple, but I think it says a lot.  I told the kids, if you have been a C student in the past, do something different to become a B student.  If you have been failing, do something different and pass your classes. 

During this past summer I spent a lot of time thinking about motivation.  I am not a Bear Bryant type motivational speaker, although I really wish I was!  I was looking for something to motivate those I lead.  I decided on Do Something Different.  I think if we all improved just a little, the collective gains would be enormous.  I focused on two main “ingredients” of our new rallying cry.

Mediocrity
It is sensationally easy to settle for being mediocre.  Just do enough to get by and everything is o.k.  Kids do this.  Adults do this.  It sinks ships!  I challenge everyone I come in contact with to not accept mediocrity.  It starts with ourselves.  It is not o.k. to just get by.  We must work hard and make that extra effort to do what’s right for kids.  Even if it is 5:45 on a Friday.  I think we all understand this.  95% of school administrators I have met understand this. 

I directly challenged the teachers.  We can not accept mediocrity from the teachers.  I expect teacher’s A game each and every day.  We must strive to do our best all of the time.  The kids depend on us.  Sometimes it is easy for teachers to just get by and fly under the radar.  I know most teachers do not do this, but there is always a percentage who do.  As an administrator, I can not accept mediocrity from my teachers. 

I challenged the kids to not accept mediocrity.  As a student, I was a victim to mediocrity.  I was an average to above average student through high school.  I know I could have done much better.  But I just figured, why?  I could just fly by and get B’s and everything was great.  I really need to find a way to communicate this danger with my students.  The teachers and I need to make sure we DO NOT ACCEPT it from them.  We need to make them work and master what they do.  If we accept B work from an A student, we are settling for mediocrity.  I know we can not afford to do this.

Stagnation
We need keep all of our stake holders away from stagnation.  For our adults it often sounds like, “That’s the way we have always done it and we turned out fine.”  Or, “If only the kids were still the same”.  Essentially we are making excuses for why we are not achieving.  We can not allow ourselves to accept excuses.  This goes for the administrators as well.  We all face budget cuts, less than ideal parents and a host of other variables. 

Teachers must resist the urge as well.  All students do not come to class prepared.  All students do not eat on a regular basis since they do not have food.  Some parents truly do not care about their kids.  Classes are over crowded.  This list goes on.  We can simply say, “If it weren’t for ________, we could actually teach the kids.”  Well, that is settling for mediocrity or even worse.  We are accepting excuses and not doing what’s right for kids. 
We need to accept all of the variables that make it difficult.  They will always be there.  No sense crying over them!  Move on.

If we all improved just a little, the collective gains would be huge.  One of my goal’s this year is to impart this type of thinking to those I lead.  Miracles would be great, but we are just looking for incremental change.  Not incremental improvement for the school, but for each person. 

Do Something Different.  I think it sounds kinda nice!

Educational leadership podcast plug alert!  There is a new podcast in town.  Check out Practical Principals.  I was honored to be a guest on the show—it airs on Friday.

 

Posted by Michael Waiksnis at 07:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

A few years back I had an appointment “on the hill” with an Oregon senator to talk with him about educational issues.  I had scheduled the meeting to follow his visit with a group of students visiting from Oregon that included several students from my own school.  As I watched him interact with the students, an amazing thing happened.  One small, scruffy-looking boy (probably a seventh grader) walked up to the senator, stuck out his hand, looked him in the eye, and said, “Senator Smith, I’m glad to meet you and I want you to know I like the way you and Senator Wyden work together, I think you should increase funding for education, and that you should raise the speed limit on our rural highways.”  At that moment it struck me that if a seventh grader can so clearly articulate what he believes to a senator, why can’t we as middle level leaders do a better job of advocating for what we believe?

It’s been a busy week at NASSP.  We were asked to bring written and oral testimony regarding NCLB before the House Education and Labor Committee – and everyone has been in overdrive getting it perfected.  NASSP President, Barry Stark (middle level principal from Nebraska) presented the testimony before the committee on Monday morning and an important component of the testimony was regarding the Success in the Middle Act.   Earlier this year, NASSP joined forces with the National Middle School Association, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, and a number of other education associations to form the Middle Grades Coalition on NCLB and promote our joint recommendations for NCLB reauthorization. As part of this effort, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) introduced the Success in the Middle Act (H.R. 3406) to create a $1 billion Middle Schools Improvement Fund. This is the first piece of legislation aimed specifically at helping improve low-performing middle schools and deserves our support. 

So what can we as middle level leaders do?  Contact your representatives, let them know you support this piece of legislation, and urge them to do likewise.  For ease of contact, you can use the PLAC site on the NASSP website.  Remember the seventh grader?  He knew what he believed and wasn’t afraid to act – if a seventh grader can do it, so can we!

PS.  For more information on being an advocate, read an article I wrote for Principal Leadership a few years ago.

Posted by Patti Kinney at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 

Put me in coach.  Wait a Minute I am the Coach!

Cross posted at Ed LeaderWeb

I was looking through an old legal pad yesterday and came across something interesting.  We were interviewing for a new baseball coach at the high school I worked at in Florida.  To give you a little history, I was one of the coaches at that school before I moved into administration.  I am a life long baseball fan and know first hand what it can do for a student athlete.  It is safe to say I had major buy in and connection to hiring the best coach possible.

What caught my attention were the questions I selected to ask the prospective coaches.  They sounded just like questions we use/should use for teachers.

1.  What will you do to build and develop your baseball program?

We should look for teachers who build and develop their program.  This may be the physics program, reading program, etc…Our teachers need to feel ownership and build their programs as if it were their team.

2.  What will you do to create student-athlete’s who are leaders in the school.  What techniques will you use to mold and develop their behavior?

This goes without saying!  We need to do this with every child.  (I guess I did not follow the one question at a time method!)

3.  How will you build a sense of community with all stakeholders of your program?

What do we do as educators to make our students feel part of something?  We should be asking this in all interviews.

4.  What will you do to market your players to colleges and universities?

All educators should be working to get their students to the next level.  I am not sure how many of us actively market our kids to the next level.  Thinking of it in this context changes things.

5.  How will you handle adversities that may arise in your program?

We all need a plan to deal with the unexpected.

6.  What is your vision and goals for your program?

All teachers should have a specific vision for their own courses.  We can no longer think of teaching as going to class and presenting information.  The kids are yours and their success depends on you.  Where are you sailing the ship?

I think these questions would make effective teacher interview questions.  It will force the teachers to think of their courses as THEIR team.  I think teachers and administrators will be much more effective viewing their students as part of their program.  Coaches are some of the most dedicated teachers.  They spend long hours each and every day building their programs. 

At my school, I am the 7th grade administrator.  I have and will continue to view the entire 7th grade as my team.  It is my direct responsibility to see that they are successful.  When I think of my role as an assistant principal, the similarities to coaching are striking. 

Posted by Michael Waiksnis at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Once when I received recognition for my work as a principal, one of my teachers had her students make me a congratulations card.  I was basking in the glow of comments such as “you’re the greatest”, “we’re proud of you”, “we knew you were the best”, etc. when all of a sudden I was brought back down to earth by Kevin’s comment.  Knowing him quite well (he had premier level frequent flyer status in the office), I couldn’t quite be sure if he had just not been paying attention or if he actually knew something the other students hadn’t figured out.  Kevin’s remark?  “I hope you get well soon!”  Sometimes I do think you have to be just a little bit “not well” to love working with middle level students on a daily basis!

One of the things I miss most about being a middle school principal is the daily contact with the students.  Even though, as in the case of Kevin, I would often wonder at their thinking process, I enjoyed the daily conversations and camaraderie that occurred with them during supervision times and informal classroom visits.  Once thing was certain, they were rarely afraid to speak their mind!

By this time, NASSP middle level members should have received the results of the NASSP/PDK middle school student poll in the mail.  If you didn’t get it or aren’t a member you can find it at www.principals.org/mlpoll.   I found the results fascinating to read – probably because they validated much of what I believe about young adolescents.  To me, one of the most telling pieces of information was the confirmation that middle level students want to be heard; they want a voice in their school.  The poll showed that students who felt they had a voice in their school gave their school a higher grade, and as they looked forward to high school, they rated having a voice in their school as their number two desire, second only to a safe and secure environment.  It was also interesting to find that girls, more than boys, felt this was important.  Students whose parents have less than a college degree also felt the chance to speak their mind was an important part of their schooling, more so than students of parents with college degrees.

In today’s climate of high-stakes testing and accountability, it’s easy to forget that we need to listen to our students – but it’s critical as middle level leaders that we find ways and time to do so. Please comment so we can learn from each other - what are ways that your school is giving students a voice in their education?

You can also help us out by taking this brief survey on the poll 

Posted by Patti Kinney at 01:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)