MiddleView

(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!