Okay...I'm back...because I have something to say.
The American people have lost their way. Their thinking is askew, and the craziness of the epidemic is best summarized by the now popular statement, "Perception is reality." This statement is false. It would be better stated, "Perception is the illusion of reality."
To say that perception is reality is to say that what one thinks defines his world. There is validity in this statement to an extent, but I want to focus on the limits of this thinking. Taken to an extreme, if I perceive that a dog is really a monkey, then I am a fool. Still, perception is reality. That dog is a monkey in my world.
In a more realistic light, perceiving that a person loves you does not make that person love you. Perceiving that drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is a good idea does not make it a good idea. Basing one's decisions on perception keeps one from considering the facts related to the concept, keeps one from realizing the truth.
Consider a continuum of truth. To one far end is what is referred to as absolute truth. I have a difficult time providing an example of absolute truth. Nevertheless, I believe that it is a concept that helps us to consider degrees of truth and helps us to place concepts along the continuum. Somewhere in near the middle of the continuum is opinion--based on truth but not completely grounded in truth. Perhaps somewhere a little further down the continuum is belief, a little less founded on truth but still drawn from truth. Then to the far other end is perception. In other words, I place perception as far from absolute truth as it can possibly get. This does not mean that perception is the opposite of truth, because the entire continuum is founded on degrees of truth. However, perception is a long way from truth and, I suggest, a long way from reality.
What I have just done is drawn a connection between reality and truth. This could be further stated as what is truth is reality. What is not true is not reality. The legerdemain of a magician is not reality. It is all a hoax and we take pleasure in being fooled. (I suggest that being fooled is the process of becoming a fool. Funny that we delight in that, isn't it?) In reality, there is much about our culture that is founded upon our being fooled, upon our being mislead by our perception, upon our escaping reality. I think we would all agree with this, as we love movies and novels and games and so much more that helps us to escape the reality. But we don't like being called fools. But we are sometimes.
The bottom line is that perception is not reality. Reality is truth. Only through seeking the facts that underlie a real understanding of any concept will we be able to understand the reality of the concept. The curious thing is that understanding the reality will alter our perception. Indeed, I would suggest that perception is far more influenced by truth and reality than truth and reality are influenced by perception.
By the way...Those of you with the Chinese characters leaving comments...Who are you? Can you leave comments in English so that I may know what you are saying? I apologize for being so very limited in my understanding of language, but I long to know what you are saying.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
This Is the End
I started the year with some false sense of renewed virtues. I thought I might goad myself into writing more and perhaps accomplishing something. But it does not look likely.
I'm tired and very busy. Therefore, I quit. This blog is ended.
Perhaps I'll start another blog someday. Thank you to those of you who took the time to read.
Goodbye
I'm tired and very busy. Therefore, I quit. This blog is ended.
Perhaps I'll start another blog someday. Thank you to those of you who took the time to read.
Goodbye
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
There Never Was Any Bob Dylan
As I walked from the store into the parking lot, I heard the faint but clear sounds of "Like a Rolling Stone" from off to my left. I looked over to see some guy sitting in a Dodge minivan, his head thrown back against the head rest and his arm dangling out the window, a line of white smoke running up his forearm from the cigarette in his hand. And there it was: "You've gone to the finest schools, all right Miss Lonely, but you know you only used to get juiced in it." It made me smile. I loved Dylan and I was happy to know someone else enjoyed the music as well.
I kept walking across the lot to my car. I made sure to turn off the radio as soon as I turned the key. I didn't want radio music to knock Dylan out of my head. As I drove off I sang as much of "Like a Rolling Stone" as I could remember. Then I launched into "Queen Jane Approximately," but as I sang I could hear The Grateful Dead in my mind, and I could see my fingers forming the chords on a guitar. I stopped singing and thought about other Dylan songs that I had played and enjoyed over the years. The bass line of "Everything Is Broken" started through my mind and I thought about his album, "Time Out of Mind."
Dylan has stood the test of time, not only having created a long list of songs in the early days of his career that will remain fresh forever, but also having continued to write songs that are poetic and interesting. Even if his voice is shot.
More to come....
I kept walking across the lot to my car. I made sure to turn off the radio as soon as I turned the key. I didn't want radio music to knock Dylan out of my head. As I drove off I sang as much of "Like a Rolling Stone" as I could remember. Then I launched into "Queen Jane Approximately," but as I sang I could hear The Grateful Dead in my mind, and I could see my fingers forming the chords on a guitar. I stopped singing and thought about other Dylan songs that I had played and enjoyed over the years. The bass line of "Everything Is Broken" started through my mind and I thought about his album, "Time Out of Mind."
Dylan has stood the test of time, not only having created a long list of songs in the early days of his career that will remain fresh forever, but also having continued to write songs that are poetic and interesting. Even if his voice is shot.
More to come....
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
2010--Year Two
A quick review of the past year shows that I made 35 postings to this blog. That is less than one per week. (Yes, I am an Einstein.) I had hoped that I would have been more prolific, although I'm uncertain as to why. I have my doubts that more than a handful of people have ever read anything that I've posted. This is an important point to consider: Why does one bother to write at all? Is it for those who may read what has been written? Or does one write for some other reason?
I used to be an English teacher--and believe that I still am in many ways. That is to say, I am still concerned with the way people speak and the way people write. I wince at the damage that is done to our language by the casual concern most people give to communication. I cannot send a text message with misspelled words and inappropriate grammatical structures--although I may, from time to time, make a mistake when in a hurry. I still enjoy reading what I consider good prose and good poetry. (Let's face it, what one considers good prose or good poetry is largely subjective, in spite of anyone being able to argue his case with logic or gusto.) I still want people to improve the way they talk and write, and I desperately want everyone to find the real pleasure in reading that comes from finding a book that speaks to you. I am still an English teacher, in that respect.
Anyway, as an English teacher, I once read that some author stated that a person writes because he has something to say. That should be the only reason for continuing this blog. I do have something to say about education, about teaching, about learning. It really does not matter if anyone bothers to read what I am writing or what I have written. It only matters that I write.
To some, this may seem an absurdity. But what I also understand is that the writing process is one of discovery and of clarification. Through writing--perhaps especially through such free, reflective writing as I am doing now--one works through what he is really thinking and brings order to those thoughts. Discovery and clarification. It may be what Margaret Wheatly referred to in Leadership and the New Science--which is a must read for everyone on the planet--when she made reference to order rising out of what was seemingly chaos.
The bottom line is this. I need to continue the blogging. I need to step up my production of blogging. I need to recognize that I do not have to have something important to say every time, but that I do need to say something, which will invariably be important to me.
THE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION ==> I will make two postings per week for the entire year of 2010. That will mean that I will have 104 postings added to this blog by the end of 2010. At that time, I will end The Learning Perspective blog. I will make my postings on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Ideally, the Tuesday posting will be on a topic from my readings and experiences and the Saturday posting will be purely reflective. Don't hold me to that.
Sounds like a challenge. I hope someone out there will come along for the ride.
I used to be an English teacher--and believe that I still am in many ways. That is to say, I am still concerned with the way people speak and the way people write. I wince at the damage that is done to our language by the casual concern most people give to communication. I cannot send a text message with misspelled words and inappropriate grammatical structures--although I may, from time to time, make a mistake when in a hurry. I still enjoy reading what I consider good prose and good poetry. (Let's face it, what one considers good prose or good poetry is largely subjective, in spite of anyone being able to argue his case with logic or gusto.) I still want people to improve the way they talk and write, and I desperately want everyone to find the real pleasure in reading that comes from finding a book that speaks to you. I am still an English teacher, in that respect.
Anyway, as an English teacher, I once read that some author stated that a person writes because he has something to say. That should be the only reason for continuing this blog. I do have something to say about education, about teaching, about learning. It really does not matter if anyone bothers to read what I am writing or what I have written. It only matters that I write.
To some, this may seem an absurdity. But what I also understand is that the writing process is one of discovery and of clarification. Through writing--perhaps especially through such free, reflective writing as I am doing now--one works through what he is really thinking and brings order to those thoughts. Discovery and clarification. It may be what Margaret Wheatly referred to in Leadership and the New Science--which is a must read for everyone on the planet--when she made reference to order rising out of what was seemingly chaos.
The bottom line is this. I need to continue the blogging. I need to step up my production of blogging. I need to recognize that I do not have to have something important to say every time, but that I do need to say something, which will invariably be important to me.
THE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION ==> I will make two postings per week for the entire year of 2010. That will mean that I will have 104 postings added to this blog by the end of 2010. At that time, I will end The Learning Perspective blog. I will make my postings on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Ideally, the Tuesday posting will be on a topic from my readings and experiences and the Saturday posting will be purely reflective. Don't hold me to that.
Sounds like a challenge. I hope someone out there will come along for the ride.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Ten Truths about Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution is a skill that everyone needs. It is also a skill that can always be improved. However, colleges and universities do not teach conflict resolution to new teachers. New teachers are woefully ill-prepared to talk with an angry parent or to resolve any but the simplest conflict. Because conflict resolution skills are considered soft skills, many educators and many people in general underestimate the need to develop these skills, scoff at the suggestion that they need to develop these skills, and reject all efforts to improve these skills. These same people most often exhibit the exact opposite skills that would result in conflict resolution--entering into debates and arguments when they should be looking for resoluton.
I suggest that there are Ten Truths about Conflict Resolution and that if a person begins by accepting these truths, then that person will move a giant step toward becoming a skilled in conflict resolution.
The Ten Truths about Conflict Resolution are:
1. It is better to talk face-to-face than to talk over the phone. It is better to talk on the phone than to communicate through an email. It is better to communicate through an email than not to communicate at all.
2. When communicating through email, keep the message short and stick to the facts.
3. Meeting with people face-to-face not only helps to resolve conflict but also helps to develop relationships important in resolving future conflicts.
4. Parents have a right to be upset, angry, or frustrated. They want what is best for their children and love their kids. Let an angry parent talk. Let the parent express the emotions for a few minutes. Not only will the parent unburden himself of the frustration, but you will also be able to identify the problem.
5. Find the facts. When an angry parent calls, the problem may be wrapped in many layers of emotion. Listen carefully for the real problem.
6. You are the professional, the calm voice in the meeting. Remain calm and listen carefully. Identify the issue and when you have the opportunity to speak, restate the problem as you understand it. This will let the other person know that you are listening.
7. Take notes. It will help you to stay focused.
8. Be proactive. If a teacher has had a problem with a student during the day, the teacher should call the parent at the earliest convenience. The parent is more likely to believe the first story that he/she hears, and if that happens to be the story that the student tells, it will be more difficult for the teacher to convince the parent otherwise.
9. Invite the parent or other person to provide a solution. Ask the other person what he or she would like to see happen to resolve the issue. This does not mean that what that person proposes will be the solution, but it again communicates that you are willing to listen and to work toward a resolution that both can agree to.
10. It is not about winning. It is about resolving the issue.
I suggest that there are Ten Truths about Conflict Resolution and that if a person begins by accepting these truths, then that person will move a giant step toward becoming a skilled in conflict resolution.
The Ten Truths about Conflict Resolution are:
1. It is better to talk face-to-face than to talk over the phone. It is better to talk on the phone than to communicate through an email. It is better to communicate through an email than not to communicate at all.
2. When communicating through email, keep the message short and stick to the facts.
3. Meeting with people face-to-face not only helps to resolve conflict but also helps to develop relationships important in resolving future conflicts.
4. Parents have a right to be upset, angry, or frustrated. They want what is best for their children and love their kids. Let an angry parent talk. Let the parent express the emotions for a few minutes. Not only will the parent unburden himself of the frustration, but you will also be able to identify the problem.
5. Find the facts. When an angry parent calls, the problem may be wrapped in many layers of emotion. Listen carefully for the real problem.
6. You are the professional, the calm voice in the meeting. Remain calm and listen carefully. Identify the issue and when you have the opportunity to speak, restate the problem as you understand it. This will let the other person know that you are listening.
7. Take notes. It will help you to stay focused.
8. Be proactive. If a teacher has had a problem with a student during the day, the teacher should call the parent at the earliest convenience. The parent is more likely to believe the first story that he/she hears, and if that happens to be the story that the student tells, it will be more difficult for the teacher to convince the parent otherwise.
9. Invite the parent or other person to provide a solution. Ask the other person what he or she would like to see happen to resolve the issue. This does not mean that what that person proposes will be the solution, but it again communicates that you are willing to listen and to work toward a resolution that both can agree to.
10. It is not about winning. It is about resolving the issue.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Protocols
I have been the principal of my high school only since July 1, 2009. In that short time, I have encountered more than a few instances where a parent, having a concern regarding the way a teacher or coach has handled a situation involving the parent's child, has gone directly to the superintendent or a school board member first, without ever addressing the issue with the teacher, with the coach, or with a building-level administrator. The worst part about this behavior is that the superintendent or school board member does not insist that the parent take the concern or complaint to the teacher or coach first. This is a violation of proper protocol.
The proper protocol for dealing with complaints, concerns, and issues involving the relationship between the student and the teacher or coach is to first contact the teacher or coach. If the complaint, concern, or issue is not resolved through this process, then the parent should contact a building-level administrator--the principal or assistant principal or perhaps a guidance counselor. If resolution is still not established, then the parent should contact the superintendent or assistant superintendent. If resolution is still not established, then the parent may take his or her concern to the school board.
It is not entirely the parents' fault that such a violation of protocol has become the culture of a school district. Any time that a school board member or a superintendent responds to a complaint, concern, or issue registered by a parent without redirecting the parent to contact the teacher or coach, the superintendent or school board member is guilty for creating such a culture. I will, however, forgive the superintendent or school board member, suggesting that these individuals have not considered the appropriate response to parents and are, therefore, not prepared properly. (However, as the top professionals of the district, they have a responsibility to be properly prepared.)
I suggest that when a superintendent or school board member has a parent address a complaint, concern, or issue to him or her directly before talking to the teacher or coach, the first question that the superintendent or school board member should ask is, "Have you talked directly to the teacher or coach about this concern?" It will be likely that the parent will say that he has not and the parent will provide a rather convincing argument as to why the parent believes talking to the teacher or coach will not resolve the problem. Whatever the parent's reason is for not talking to the teacher or coach, it is imperative that the superintendent or school board member insist that the parent do so, regardless. By not forcing the parent to confront the teacher or coach, the superintendent or school board member is enabling the parent in avoiding conflict resolution, is expressing a lack of trust in the teacher or coach in having the ability to resolve the conflict, and is breaking protocol. If a parent is absolutely unwilling to address the complaint, concern, or issue directly to the teacher or coach, then the superintendent or school board member should express that nothing can be done to resolve the conflict.
Stating that nothing can be done to resolve the conflict at this point may sound callous and counter-productive; however, what is actually being expressed is a strength of resolve to follow the proper protocol. Through following the proper protocol, the superintendent and school board are expressing a trust in the professionals that they have hired to do their jobs effectively and allowing these professionals the opportunity to meet the challenges of their jobs.
People do not learn to resolve conflict by avoiding conflict resolution. Teachers and coaches cannot become proficient at conflict resolution by having the superintendent or school board member passing judgment from on high.
My final point is that I have heard that parents have expressed that they take their concerns to the superintendent or school board member because they are "tired" of taking their concerns to the building and nothing ever being resolved. The irony here is that I am a new principal and these parents have not given me the opportunity to resolve their issues. Granted, there are times when issues are not resolved to the satisfaction of the parent--and in response to this I will suggest that the parent's satisfaction is unreasonable. But this does not provide a sound reason to violate protocol. To allow a parent to bypass protocol for any reason is to enable that parent to avoid learning to resolve conflict and to teach the student the method of avoiding conflict resolution. It is the teaching and reinforcement of a bad habit that has been translated in our society that everyone is entitled to get their way.
This has got to stop and the only way that it will stop is if everyone, from the teacher to the school board member, makes a commitment to follow the proper protocol and to practice proper conflict resolution.
The proper protocol for dealing with complaints, concerns, and issues involving the relationship between the student and the teacher or coach is to first contact the teacher or coach. If the complaint, concern, or issue is not resolved through this process, then the parent should contact a building-level administrator--the principal or assistant principal or perhaps a guidance counselor. If resolution is still not established, then the parent should contact the superintendent or assistant superintendent. If resolution is still not established, then the parent may take his or her concern to the school board.
It is not entirely the parents' fault that such a violation of protocol has become the culture of a school district. Any time that a school board member or a superintendent responds to a complaint, concern, or issue registered by a parent without redirecting the parent to contact the teacher or coach, the superintendent or school board member is guilty for creating such a culture. I will, however, forgive the superintendent or school board member, suggesting that these individuals have not considered the appropriate response to parents and are, therefore, not prepared properly. (However, as the top professionals of the district, they have a responsibility to be properly prepared.)
I suggest that when a superintendent or school board member has a parent address a complaint, concern, or issue to him or her directly before talking to the teacher or coach, the first question that the superintendent or school board member should ask is, "Have you talked directly to the teacher or coach about this concern?" It will be likely that the parent will say that he has not and the parent will provide a rather convincing argument as to why the parent believes talking to the teacher or coach will not resolve the problem. Whatever the parent's reason is for not talking to the teacher or coach, it is imperative that the superintendent or school board member insist that the parent do so, regardless. By not forcing the parent to confront the teacher or coach, the superintendent or school board member is enabling the parent in avoiding conflict resolution, is expressing a lack of trust in the teacher or coach in having the ability to resolve the conflict, and is breaking protocol. If a parent is absolutely unwilling to address the complaint, concern, or issue directly to the teacher or coach, then the superintendent or school board member should express that nothing can be done to resolve the conflict.
Stating that nothing can be done to resolve the conflict at this point may sound callous and counter-productive; however, what is actually being expressed is a strength of resolve to follow the proper protocol. Through following the proper protocol, the superintendent and school board are expressing a trust in the professionals that they have hired to do their jobs effectively and allowing these professionals the opportunity to meet the challenges of their jobs.
People do not learn to resolve conflict by avoiding conflict resolution. Teachers and coaches cannot become proficient at conflict resolution by having the superintendent or school board member passing judgment from on high.
My final point is that I have heard that parents have expressed that they take their concerns to the superintendent or school board member because they are "tired" of taking their concerns to the building and nothing ever being resolved. The irony here is that I am a new principal and these parents have not given me the opportunity to resolve their issues. Granted, there are times when issues are not resolved to the satisfaction of the parent--and in response to this I will suggest that the parent's satisfaction is unreasonable. But this does not provide a sound reason to violate protocol. To allow a parent to bypass protocol for any reason is to enable that parent to avoid learning to resolve conflict and to teach the student the method of avoiding conflict resolution. It is the teaching and reinforcement of a bad habit that has been translated in our society that everyone is entitled to get their way.
This has got to stop and the only way that it will stop is if everyone, from the teacher to the school board member, makes a commitment to follow the proper protocol and to practice proper conflict resolution.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Do Whatever Is Needed to Help Students Succeed
I was recently at the Indiana Association of School Principal's fall conference. One of the keynote speakers was the author of If You Don't Feed the Teachers, They Will Eat the Students. The statement that rang truest with me was that we need to do whatever we can to help students succeed. Schools can have whatever mission statements and vision statements they have. But the motto of all teachers should be that statement.
So, what does this mean?
Success means something different to each person, without a doubt. Still, we can all agree that the opposite of success is failure. Therefore, any student earning an F in any course as a final grade has not succeeded. The question, at that point, is whether the teacher, the counselor, the administrator, or anyone else has done whatever was needed to help the student succeed.
When a student fails a class, it is usually because the student did not complete the homework assignments. This usually affords teachers an opportunity to absolve themselves of any responsibility for the student's failure, pointing out that the student had not learned to be responsible. But a very important reality of a student failing because he did not do his homework is that, often the teacher allowed the student not to do his homework. What did the teacher or anyone else in the school do to encourage or force the student to do his homework? Were there any calls to the parents? Were there any meetings with the parents and the student and the teacher and the counselor or the administrator? Was the student assigned any detentions for not doing his work? Was the student allowed to play sports in spite of not doing his homework? Was the student allowed to participate in any extra-curricular activities in spite of not having done his homework?
We need to do whatever is needed to help students succeed. If we are not, then we are allowing students to fail, which means we are allowing them not to learn. That is educational malpractice.
So, what does this mean?
Success means something different to each person, without a doubt. Still, we can all agree that the opposite of success is failure. Therefore, any student earning an F in any course as a final grade has not succeeded. The question, at that point, is whether the teacher, the counselor, the administrator, or anyone else has done whatever was needed to help the student succeed.
When a student fails a class, it is usually because the student did not complete the homework assignments. This usually affords teachers an opportunity to absolve themselves of any responsibility for the student's failure, pointing out that the student had not learned to be responsible. But a very important reality of a student failing because he did not do his homework is that, often the teacher allowed the student not to do his homework. What did the teacher or anyone else in the school do to encourage or force the student to do his homework? Were there any calls to the parents? Were there any meetings with the parents and the student and the teacher and the counselor or the administrator? Was the student assigned any detentions for not doing his work? Was the student allowed to play sports in spite of not doing his homework? Was the student allowed to participate in any extra-curricular activities in spite of not having done his homework?
We need to do whatever is needed to help students succeed. If we are not, then we are allowing students to fail, which means we are allowing them not to learn. That is educational malpractice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)