Category: school leadership

Schools are finding that something as simple as the timing of recess makes a difference in health and behavior of their students.   Rescheduling recess to play outside before they sit down to eat lunch has resulted in less food waste with higher consumptions of milk, fruit and vegetables and fewer behavior problems.

Children are calmer during lunch when they’ve had time to play first.  They slow down eating because they’re not trying to rush outside.  Nine years ago a school nurse in Scottsdale Arizona suggested the switch.  The school conducted a pilot study and discovered multiple benefits one being that when students returned to the classroom they were calmer.  Lunch served as a cool down time.  Since that pilot program 18 of the districts schools have adopted recess before lunch.  With many other schools across the country now doing the same.

Despite this common sense approach promoting healthier children many schools resist simple changes because doing so always creates logistical problems. Difficulties like children returning to hallways and classrooms to return coats and get lunches becomes excuses.   Many schools stay stuck in the status quo.  Even simple scheduling changes like recess and lunch can quickly become hot issues with staff. 

The word simple change is a contradiction because change is always an adjustment.  And depending on the personality or the resistance it can fall anywhere on the continuum from difficult to intolerable.

So how do any of us switch gears and accept change? 

To be successful in life we must be willing to evaluate ourselves and work to improve. That means dedicating time to align our work with our goals and our purpose. 

For schools this must be a constant.  Every school administrator and every teacher should accept that there are no sacred cows and approach new ideas with the mantra “we can make it work” instead of excuses.

Do you create obstacles?

I know that I do, especially when I don’t like something, when I’m uncertain or afraid to step out of my comfort zone.  In those times it’s easy to list everything that’s wrong and make an impressive argument in my own favor. 

But when I really want something it doesn’t matter how difficult or unlikely the chances of success are.  I’m willing to take a risk because I dream of the possibilities.

This last week in the news I observed a lot examples of those who see only obstacles and of those who see possibilities.  It seems when bold thinking is required people separate into two camps.  Those who cling to sometimes failed methods, citing the obstacles as the rationale for maintaining the status quo, and those who accept risk believing in the possibility of change for a better way.   These two positions rarely find common ground. 

I compared this to my own thinking when presented with a challenge.  The camp I join depends on whether I’m willing to let go or to hold on.  

“Dream nothing,” the Dalai Lama says.  When we make this radical change in thinking the power that lies nowhere but in ourselves becomes more apparent.  We can’t change the world, only the way we look at it.  So some us will always see obstacles and some will see magic.  But the truth is, neither one matters. 

The Buddha once famously said, “If an arrow is sticking out of your side you don’t argue about where it came from or who made, you just pull it out.”  Likewise the path to happiness is simply finding the cause of your suffering and attending to it.  Like pulling out the arrow. 

Pulling out the arrow is identifying what we can do better now.  

I can’t think of a faster way to getting on the path of recovery than by just doing something better now.  And there’s a lot that needs to be recovered. 

Creative World Connection wants to be your schools resource for finding that path and connecting with your staff and students. Imagine CWC as a compass to help you navigate.   Our website is getting a makeover.  In September we are offering the only education weekly newsletter dedicated to promoting character and personal growth.   Each week you will receive five special messages to share with your school community in your morning announcements or greeting.  In addition you will receive the most current information on ways to develop and grow your professional learning community.  If you are interested in a free trail subscription click on the link Contact Us and send an e-mail.  

“The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.”

Pascal (philosopher, scientist)

News this week prompted me to seek first to understand.  My youngest daughter has been in Tanzania working and learning in an international hospital.   She said the experience taught her more than her first year of medical school.  The group she is with all wanted to do a safari before leaving Africa so they traveled to the northern town of Arusha.  After a long bus ride they arrived late at night. The group under estimated how risky it was to be carting luggage while looking for lodgings.  Caught unaware they were all robbed at knifepoint.  My daughter lost all her American money, which is really all that is accepted so an early morning phone call home alerted me to the mishap.  My first reaction was typically are you okay?  Next I was angry that a group of young thugs could so easily ruin what had been a life-altering trip. 

I struggled to manage my worry by researching the Internet for information about this little town.  I discovered that robberies of tourists are not that uncommon.  Common sense and caution are naturally advised.  I started to imagine how this group of young Americans might appear to the young and poor Tanzanian natives.   By their standards the group was rich and privileged.  And to be honest that is true.  I was able to replace the stolen money without much hardship.  What bothered me the most was that my picture of safety and well-being was shattered.  Bad things can happen anytime or anyplace but now suddenly my daughter seemed especially vulnerable.

I began to wonder about the money, whose pocket was it in now?  Did the money go to feed a hungry family?  Or did it travel into more criminal channels?  I hoped the money did some good.  I hoped the money did not just work to harden the hearts of those who took it.  I hoped they had somehow recognized that the group they stole from had come to Africa to give back.  

Seeking first to understand allows you to become influenceable.  When this happens your circle of concern expands and you are in turn able to influence.  The more deeply you understand other people the more you will learn to appreciate them.  The more reverent you will feel about them. 

Stephen Covey in his book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” says “to touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.”

We all must assume that we never fully understand anyone and know we need to be open to really listen.  This assumption allows us to become more empathic.  This is the challenge of communication; this is the challenge we all face.  And not just with those closest to us but with the world.  Understanding is the only way we will be able to solve problems.  When we strive to listen with both the heart and the mind we will discover the intent and feelings of other people. 

I am counting the days until my daughter arrives safely home.  I must be careful not to allow myself to become more alarmed, more afraid, and worried.  I have to trust in the balance inherent in the universe, the duality of all things.  There is bad but there is also good. 

In his book the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” author Stephen Covey writes how our paradigms correct or incorrect are the source of our attitudes, behavior and ultimately our relationships.  He tells the story about a man riding the subway in New York on a Sunday morning.  The man is sitting quietly reading his newspaper when a father enters with three noisy children.  The children are talking loud, throwing things at each other, and bothering other passengers.  Their father seems indifferent to all the confusion.  Finally the man cannot bear another minute of their disturbance and asks their father to do something about his children.  The man lifts his gaze and says, “you’re right I should do something but I don’t know what, you see I just came from the hospital my wife just died.”

This information changed the thinking and behavior of subway traveler immediately.  He moved from anger to compassion to empathy.  What he experienced was a paradigm shift. This kind of quantum shift in thinking allows us to form new attitudes and behaviors.  It can change the way we see the world. 

Our picture of the world is basically our assumptions.  We all tend to make assumptions about everything.  We believe what we believe simply because we believe it.  This leaves little room for doubt and also creates the perfect mental environment for being offended and hurt.   This mental flaw is responsible for a lot of the chaos and misunderstanding that our minds create. 

The first time I heard the story about the subway rider I identified with him because I had done the same thing many times myself.  I had formed many opinions before asking questions, before knowing more.   It takes a disciplined mind to change the way you think.  In a classroom a disciplined mind is critical because the opinion and judgment of the teacher directly influences the success of the students. 

The more aware the teacher becomes of his or her basic paradigms, maps or assumptions the more he or she can take responsibility for them, examine them and test them against reality.  And in doing this gain a larger picture and a more objective view.   When you stop making assumptions you will communicate freely and clearly and become truly impeccable with your word.  This type of honesty will strengthen and nurture every single relationship you have.

There is no more powerful way to improve an organization than by creating an environment, which supports these principles.  Individuals will recognize that their contributions are part of the strength of that organization and will be motivated and inspired to continue to do more.   An organization that honors this thinking is committed to the principle of potential.  The idea that we are all embryonic and can grow and develop releasing more potential and more talents. 

Every school seeking new ways to improve must first look at the character of their shareholders and then tap into that potential.   We can all change our mind, change our thinking and to paraphrase Einstein, “when you change the way you look at things the things you look at change.” 

It’s easy to identify failure, it’s much harder  to identify success.  Success is not always predictable but it does align itself with certain principles. 

In education sometimes success is attributed to the wrong factors.  All children do not come to school standing at the same start line.  Some are not even really in the race but are expected to finish just the same. 

For thirteen years I supervised a disciple program in a middle school and on any given day I faced the challenge of mediating and reconciling the anger and arguments of fighting students.  Any success I hoped to achieve depended on one thing; creating a peaceful environment where everyone felt safe, where everyone felt heard and where there would be no judgment. 

There were many critics in my school.  Without judgment they argued there could be no punishment, there could be no justice.  They felt I was creating a system that forgave and did not demand responsibility.  But what is punishment for a child if there is no opportunity to learn from the mistake, if there is no lesson learned?

It didn’t take long for me to discover that fighting was a result of not being accepted, of not being respected and loved.  The root cause of these disputes were simple; children who did not have this most basic need satisfied would find another way to get what they needed.  Unfortunately that other way was not socially acceptable nor was it sustainable.

One particular day late in May I had seven boys all who had initiated some sort of aggressive behavior.  These boys all had a reputation to defend and would test the limits all day with each other and me.  Experience warned me that spring fights were the worst mostly because everyone was tired of dealing with the problem.  There was no tolerance or desire to play head doctor so I knew to expect little support from other adult staff.   What I needed first was to stay centered and find the peace I needed inside.  I had to rely on that deep reservoir of calm to create the right balance of leadership and kindness.

I had a simple plan to begin.  Something I had never tired before but felt there was nothing to lose.  I would create a peaceful environment first with sound.  It is believed at the most fundamental level that the whole universe is made up of vibrating pulsating energy. The sound of OM is considered as the humming sound of this cosmic energy.  If you observe the nature of sound you will find that striking together two objects produces all ordinary audible sounds.   In contrast Om is not the result of striking two objects.  It is the primal sound of the universe that emanates on its own.  

The boys would have this unique kind of elevator music to work by all day.  Chants and mantras would be our background.  The boys were immediately curious and confused.  What sort of day was this going to be?  I was bombarded with questions.  They were intrigued by the sound and wanted to know more.  

I tapped into this energy and used it as the beginnings for our daylong discussion on what is peace and how do we find it.   In this environment each boy was vulnerable and spoke from the heart. Their need to be valued and recognized exposed the depth of their feelings.

My room became a curiosity that day.  Other adults who came into the room were as curious and interested as the boys.

I shared with the boys the power of chanting Om.  The chant helps banish worldly thoughts and remove distraction.  When this happens the body is infused with new vigor.  Chanting can help relieve depression like a powerful drug because it truly is a cosmic tonic. 

That day remains clear in my memory because it was one of the most peaceful and productive days I ever had. The boys gave an intuitive respect and honor to the sound. I encouraged them to come back anytime they were on the cusp of a disagreement.  They left with a fragile commitment to give peace a chance. 

I know my efforts were not some miracle cure for the deeper problems these boys shared.  I also know that they would remember the day as well.  And for that reason alone I know my efforts were successful. 

This will never be a measurable success.  No one will copy this method or claim it as a valuable teaching tool.   And that is the major difficulty in claiming success, where was the benefit?  My hope is with these boys.

I gave each of them a copy of this as they left. 

Peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.  It means to be in the mist of these things and still be calm in your heart. 

It is possible to ignore stereotypes.  It is possible to accept the unconventional over the traditional.

The part of the brain that feeds us information on stereotypes and biases is linked with memory and goal planning. We recruit stereotypes and ideas and use this information as a way to make plans that are consistent with our goals.  When people and ideas don’t fit in with our preconceived notions we tend to ignore the contradictions until they become too dramatic to overlook.  When an exceptional situation gets our attention  we are confronted with changing  our thinking. 

This was demonstrated very dramatically last week when a dowdy looking Scottish woman named Susan Boyle captured both the attention and admiration of the world when she surprised an audience with her beautiful singing voice.

Susan’s voice was a contradiction to her appearance. The audience was prepared to dislike her based on her unattractiveness. What happened instead was a surprise and a pleasure when they heard her sing.  She made them feel good. It’s possible that the surprise and pleasure of her voice resulted in a rush of dopamine.

That same rush happens anytime we experience a novelty.  The Alliance College Ready Public School in Los Angeles is also a novelty.  In one of the most challenged and depressed urban districts in the county they have a 90% graduation rate.  These disadvantaged students complete  college prep courses and go onto universities despite being surrounded by a culture of violence.  

The school was also in the news when philanthropist Eli Broad donated six million dollars to their 11 schools.  He said the reason for the donation was because it’s time to take notice of the emerging leadership and excellence of charter schools.

In major cities all over the US charter schools are competing with public schools for students because they are demonstrating they are not resistant to fundamental changes.   Instead of just compensating students with learning differences, emotional issues, and  language and cultural barriers they are seeking methods to strengthen weak areas in learning.

Exceptional schools are schools that refuse to accept horrible outcomes year after year.  These schools have adapted interventions and developed evidence based teaching practices that respect their student’s weaknesses while finding new ways to improve. 

The Alliance College-Ready School is one of the 70 international school chains profiled on the School Chain Showcase.  This non-profit organization  (www.schoolchains.org) hopes to raise awareness by profiling successful school chains from around the world and showing the different ways they educate their students. 

On the website schools in Africa, Europe, America, and Asia demonstrate how it is possible to embrace a paradigm shift and create institutional changes.  These schools have looked at problems in a new way and found new possibilities.  Instead of being dumped into the failure category often associated with disadvantage and poverty they are embracing a whatever it takes belief and making systematic changes.

Visit the website – www.schoolchains.org to find ways and partners to improve education

Did you know that the average time between the onset of puberty and the formation of a committed sexual relationship is longer now that it has ever been in human history?

That’s a lot of years to be expected to just say no.  Today our children are quite different biologically from those in the past.  Our improved diets, artificial light, decreased physical activity, and the explosion of sexually provocative material have resulted in earlier puberty and greater sexual activity and fertility than in the past.  Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to keep children from being exposed to the overly sexualized media content.  It is estimated that on average children view about 14,000 sexual references per year.  Sex and sexual innuendo on TV rarely show the adverse consequences of irresponsible sexual behavior.  

My daughter a medical student shadowed an ob-gyn doctor in an inner city clinic.  She was shocked to learn this doctor spent 75% of her day with girls under the age of 18.  These girls were either pregnant, had contacted an STD or had  serious infections.   The doctor told her the best she could do was prescribing appropriate medication and warning these young girls about the dangers of future unprotected sex.  She expected to see most of them back with more serious complications.

Children feel the sex drive in their bodies long before they are psychologically ready to commit to the demands of a mature relationship.  Until we can educate our children that sex is natural but needs respectful and loving expressions  we will be dealing with the consequences of reckless and unprotected sex. 

Today in our schools there is no dedicated funding toward comprehensive sex education.  The type of content presented to our children does not educate them on male and female anatomy, contraceptives and disease.  Children need to understand how their bodies respond sexually and girls need to learn how their bodies are connected both physically and emotionally to all phases of their menstrual cycles.

 Teachers need to become less fearful of these taboo subjects and more outspoken in demanding the right kind of content in our Sex Ed programs.  Leaving this to the vocal minority will doom our children to a lifetime of ignorance and abuse.  The best lesson for children is to learn that their bodies are their own, and to develop respect for this.  Knowledge is power: all children deserve solid sex education because sex is an inevitable part of their lives.  The best kind of program will teach:

• How to value themselves and their bodies.  Children who respect their bodies are better prepared not to compromise themselves with casual sexual encounters. 

• The sexuality – spirituality connection.  There’s a critical difference both biochemically and neurologically between having sex as an extension of an emotional bond and having casual sex with someone you don’t really care about.  Children need sufficient self-esteem to experience this solid loving connection. 

• The facts about male and female sexual anatomy.  Girls need to  understand not just the mechanics of their own menstrual cycle but the different phases and the accompanying emotional and physical changes that occur during the month.  Boys need to be taught female anatomy as well as understanding the role their hormones play in thoughts and behavior. 

• The facts about how to prevent pregnancy and protect themselves against sexually transmitted disease.  This information has never been shown to increase the likelihood of a teenagers having sex. Many teens define sex as intercourse and don’t understand that oral sex is sex.  STD’s can be transmitted during oral sex including HIV and AIDS.  Girls who succumb to the pressure of providing oral sex to earn popularity and acceptance will discover our culture’s double standard and their own devalued status. 

 If we can teach our children to respect their sexuality as part of a miraculous process then it’s possible to help guide them toward making responsible choices.  This is a life skill that will contribute to the greater good and benefit society. 

Many schools embrace some sort of character education in an effort to curtail discipline problems.   The hope is for students to stop and think how they would feel in difficult situations and use that feeling as a gauge for their own behavior.  The question is does it work?

The problem with most programs is they are limited in their desired influence.  The best program cannot change a school’s environment.  The best test of character lies in the attitudes of the teaching staff.  Do they embody the values and principles of empathy, kindness and respect?

This weekend I read an interesting article in the New York Times on teaching character.  It seems school districts across the country are spending enormous sums of money hoping to find a program that is comprehensive but does not crowd out the academic mission of their schools.

This sounded like a contradiction to me because what could be more important than helping to shape the character of every student.  The mission of any school need not be limited to academic achievement in fact it should be to nurture the desire to learn in collaboration and cooperation with each other.  If the mission focuses on the narrow goal of promoting individual achievement than it fosters the type of competing and comparing that often threaten acceptance, tolerance and synergy.  

For thirteen years I supervised a disciple program in a middle school.  The purpose of our program was to provide a quality environment and engage the student in a process of responsible decision-making.  The hope was in this process the student would accept responsibility for their actions and choose a better positive way to solve a problem.  The character component was critical.   It was successful in a limited way because it only engaged students with behavior problems.  It was not proactive because it did not reach the greater number of students who helped shape and influence the environment of the school.  Nor did it work to change the attitudes of the teaching staff.  Despite devoted time and energy there was no paradigm shift in the way we looked at solving problems.  What we needed was a critical examination of how each one of us hoped to embody the principles of character. 

As a staff we were an older version of our middle school population.  There was gossip, there were cliques, there was bullying, there was jealousy, there were petty grievances and wasted energy on small things.   I have no doubt that students were aware of these adult relationships and viewed them as a template for their own behavior. 

The best way to teach character is to show love and kindness.  The environment that has a high regard for individual differences, for forgiveness and acceptance is one that allows everything to flourish.  Think of it in terms of providing rich compost that needs little to protect it during times of stress.  The environment itself is the protection. 

This connected integrated view holds true for every system in the universe.  Our own bodies operate so smoothly that we can forget about them until some failure captures our attention. 

Schools can become the best place to be if the adults insist on nurturing an environment of love of kindness.  It will be apparent to every child that character is not just a buzzword, or an inspirational message, it is a practice built on the right foundation.

Can success in life be predicted by intelligence measured on IQ tests?

The hereditarian view of intelligence claims that cognitive inequalities are written in our genes as well the social inequalities that arise from them. This view accepts that IQ differences between ethnic groups are a matter of heredity.  The accepted IQ ranking in racial/ethnic groups are – Ashkenazi Jews, East Asians, whites in general and then blacks.   Although this view has been denounced as racism wrapped up in pseudoscience it is still believed.  Unfortunately when a teacher believes this idea even as a generality it limits and cripples the success of their students.

In “Intelligence And How To Get It” Richard Nisbett puts forth evidence that stresses the importance of non-heredity factors in determining IQ.  This “new environmentalism” comes from neuroscience and genetics as well as from studies of educational interventions.

In a nutshell what Nisbett has found is that IQ differences are largely environmental and that extensive early childhood interventions have produced enduring IQ gains.  The challenge is in finding and implementing the right kinds of educational programs.  Nisbett believes that nearly everyone can be propelled above the threshold of an IQ of 115.

The way to gain intelligence is to live in an environment rich in possibilities.  Not only is it critical for parents especially those from poor and disadvantaged homes to have lofty goals for their children but for their teachers to have these same goals as well.  Embracing a possibility even one that seems unachievable is the first step to seeing it happen.

Imagine the story of Joyce Gladwell who grew up in the poor Caribbean island of Jamaica. She was able to go to high school only because her mother Daisy Nation was a dreamer and an idealist.  Daisy Nation’s ambitions made her a force to be reckoned with. These ambitions made it possible for her daughters to go to college.

A rich environment uses what’s available and the very first place is in our language. Language must be fine-tuned and practiced the same way a musician tunes and practices with an instrument.  With language children learn to question, to explore, to be engaged, to be creative, to dream and to aspire.    Children become masters of their language when they are talked to, read to, and questioned.  This is the beginning for enrichment and achievement and it must be woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Every parent and teacher can embrace the culture of possibility.   Embracing this culture is giving a gift to your child, to your student.  And it’s a gift that every child deserves.

Driving to yoga today I heard two news items that disturbed me.  The first was an interview with the president of a Wall Street investment company. He was commenting on the economic mess and particularly AIG.  He said its human nature to steal, to lie and to conceal.  In other words when no one is watching the rules don’t count.  The other story was about the increase in violent gangs in Mexico.  In the town of Juarez on the border drug gangs have taken over.  The gangs became powerful because the young males of this town had no opportunity so they turned to the testosterone fueled violence and brutality of gangs.  Without gangs these young men had no future.

It’s seems whether it’s Wall Street or the dirty streets of a poor Mexican town the rules don’t count.  Both found opportunity and exploited it.  So I have to wonder can we really be good?  Is it our truest nature to seek the honorable path and stick to it despite difficulties?

 Mahatma Gandhi said, “Nonviolence is not a garment to be put off and on at will. Its seat is in the heart and it must be an inseparable part of our being.”

Only the strongest and most disciplined person can hope to achieve the status of Gandhi’s teachings even so without the teaching there is no hope of walking this noble path.    Gandhi’s wisdom reminds us to recognize how connected we all are in this small tenuous world.  Unconditional love and compassion are stronger than ignorance and prejudice, stronger than even hatred.

In order for our children to discover this truth they must first witness it, they must be in an environment that seeks this way of respect and peace.  There is no peaceful oasis in our modern day world so it must be created.  Every classroom teacher can make a commitment to create this place in his or her classroom.  Every school can adopt a mission statement that seeks this more disciplined way. 

In order for children to learn to deal with anger, jealousy, or other negative emotions they must understand the possibility of a nonviolent spirit.  The first place to get a grip on this is to understand simple anger.  There are five steps to mindful anger management. 

The five R’s:

1. Recognizing – Noticing the familiar stimulus that pushes your hot buttons and triggers the harsh response.  By first noticing it means the ego has not yet seized on it and reacted to it.
2. Recollecting – Remember the downside of anger and also the upside of practicing patience.  The mantra is “this too shall pass.”
3. Refraining and Restraining – Hold back your habitual negative reaction and try to see the situation through another person’s eyes.  The most difficult person or situation can become your greatest teacher, your greatest opportunity.
4. Relinquishing – Give up you conditioned reactivity and let go of these impulsive urges and choose a more intelligent response.  Just accept that anger arises and instead of acting on these urges feel them without acting. 
5. Reconditioning and Responding - Let go of these unhealthy patterns and intentionally chose more desirable kind ways to respond. This is most difficult because sometimes it appears you are too passive doing nothing.  But it means you are responding with equanimity, becoming wiser and more compassionate.

This kind of holistic character education is possible but it requires a dedicated effort in order for it to be effective.   To paraphrase Gandhi when you begin to transform yourself you transform the world.

Every teacher can become this vehicle of transformation. 

Creative World Connection daily messages are one way to help you acquire this habit.  Any school interested in becoming a subscriber may contact me by email (see contact tab) and I will tailor a plan for your school population.