principal
Vol. 10, No. 3
Navigator The magazine of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators
True Grit Spring 2015
Inside: Keep an eye out for OAESA’s 58th Annual Professional Conference logo. Many of the articles and materials inside preview True Grit: Educators Partnerin’ for Success, our conference this June at the Hilton Easton in Columbus.
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Executive Director’s Exchange Dear Colleagues, Welcome to the spring issue of the Principal Navigator! I hope you are planning to saddle up and join us at the Hilton Easton at Columbus on June 10–12 for True Grit: Educators Partnerin’ for Success. Since grit is the theme of this year’s professional conference, we decided to use this issue to preview some key research and practical applications around the topic. I am the oldest of five children born to a bank president and a journalist. Both parents were competitive athletes who had high expectations for themselves and their offspring. If we whined, my mom would sing a little jingle: “S-P-I-N-E…backbone…get some!” Well, pardners, I think she was talking ’bout grit! What does that mindset mean for us as educators and the children and families we serve? The authors in this issue have provided lots of examples, and you’re going to smile as you see yourself in so many of the stories included in the magazine. You have to read Dr. Thomas Hoerr’s article on pages 12–13 as he challenges us to embrace our role in student failure and frustration, not just success. Really? That’s a different perspective. Be sure to catch his OAESA webinar on May 1 from 1–2 p.m. and his Twitter chat (#ohprinchat) on June 3 at 8 p.m. Both will prepare you for his work with us at the conference. Teresa Phillips-Harris (p. 16) provides us with a great theoretical background from both Dweck’s and Duckworth’s research. Then I love that she gives concrete examples of how her school district is creating grit-building opportunities. Jim Grant, one of our conference keynotes, also shares his universal grit-building strategies on p. 42, as well as a checklist entitled “I Am Grit Ready. Are You?” OAESA has a valuable partnership with the Ohio Department of Health, and they eagerly share an article with us for each issue of the Principal Navigator. This issue’s submission (p. 36) is excellent, as Angela Norton highlights the important role of the school nurse in promoting resiliency in students—especially those “frequent flyers” to the nurse’s office. Remember, you don’t have to do this alone, principal! Thanks, Mark Jones, for reminding us that we need to take care of ourselves (p. 27) and remember why we came into this profession in the first place. Julie Kenney’s article on p. 40 shares the Etna Way and how to “Cowboy Up.” And I love how our own OAESA Board Member, Amanda Albert (p. 8) shares how “my desire to become an educator was probably fueled more by the people who told me I couldn’t than anything else.” These women have grit! Dr. Sharon Dorsey (p. 24) tells the story of three educators’ growth experiences through the Ohio Instructional Leadership Academy and how all three evidenced perseverance, grit, and growth. Likewise, Dr. Rachel Jones (p. 14) shares how she and her staff used a sociogram to identify teacher leaders within her school. Read how she and her teachers pushed themselves out of their comfort zones and have reaped the benefits of that growth and risk! Ken Pease (a.k.a. John Wayne, as he likes to see himself) writes that a “principal has to have emotional grit” (p.20). Dustin Knight, Dr. Jeromey Sheets, and Dr. Paul Young examine whether grit is just another educational trend or whether having grit actually can make the difference. See p. 32 to read their fascinating article. And finally Dustin writes a personal article (p. 46) about how his grandparents instilled in him that hard work and perseverance lead to success. To top it off, we’ve got poetry, inspirational quotes, book reviews that center on grit, and a crossword puzzle that will test your grit knowledge. So, to me, after reading all of the great material in this issue and learning from our colleagues, I can truly see that grit means a growth mindset. “S-P-I-N-E…backbone…get some!” Thanks, Mom! Sincerely,
Julie Davis, EdD OAESA Executive Director
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Feature Stories
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Got Grit?
Got Grit? TRUE GRIT:
principal Style
16
12
20
Thomas Hoerr, PhD
Every child needs to encounter frustration and failure to learn to step back, reassess, and try again.
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GRIT: The Great Equalizer Teresa Phillips-Harris
COWBOY UP! 32
40
An school counselor shares her school’s journey to grit, highlighting their discoveries and grit-building opportunities they discovered on their quest.
20
True Grit: Principal Style Ken Pease
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32
46
44
40
42
Is the Grit Phenomenon Cowboy Up! Edu-fact or Edu-fad? Julie Kenney
In what ways are teachers and Dustin Knight, Jeromey Sheets, EdD, Paul Young, PhD administrators like cowboys? The authors take a close look at education’s latest fad: grit. Check out their analysis of this trend.
An elementary administrator imagines what he’d be like as John Wayne, which compels him to look more closely at a principal’s grit.
One administrator compares the “Code of the West” to various ways her urban elementary school uses grit.
Universal Gritbuilding Strategies
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GRIT
Jim Grant
to my friend Jim Grant Brod Bagert
OAESA Professional Conference keynote and world-renown speaker shares some of his favorite grit-building ideas.
Famous poet Brod Bagert tackles the topic of grit in this poem about working hard to succeed.
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Lessons Learned from the Greatest Generation Dustin Knight
Raised by his grandparents, this principal shares what it was like to grow up with true grit and passes the valuable lessons on to you.
Are you interested in writing for the Navigator? We are currently accepting articles for the following theme:
Transitions
The Fall 2015 issue of the Principal Navigator will focus on transitions in education, for your students as they move from grade to grade and school to school, and for you in your career. We will be looking for articles about back-to-school ideas, success plans, etc.
Articles are due July 15, 2015. Please e-mail the editor, Abigail Smith, at navigator@oaesa.org for article guidelines and to let her know you are interested.
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Vol. 10, No. 3
About the Principal Navigator Editorial Committee Jeromey Sheets, EdD, chair, Lancaster City Schools Julie Frankl, State Support Team Region 7 Keith Helmlinger, Sidney City Schools Angela Schaal, Sylvania City Schools Laurie Vent, Upper Sandusky Exempted Village Schools Paul Young, PhD, retired Stephen Zinser, Cincinnati Archdiocese
OAESA/SAIL Staff Julie Davis, EdD, Executive Director Mark Jones, Associate Executive Director Nancy Abrams, Business Manager Donna Ball, Special Projects Coordinator Melissa Butsko, Director of Operations Audrey Carson, Communications Specialist Tyler Carson, SAIL/University Partnerships Advisor Tony Piehowicz, Corporate Partner Advisor Abigail Smith, Editor, Principal Navigator Joanne Turner, Coordinator of Office Operations Kathy Windau, Membership Coordinator
Unless otherwise noted, all articles published in the Principal Navigator become the property of OAESA and may not be reprinted without permission from OAESA. The articles published in the Principal Navigator represent the ideas and/or beliefs of the authors and do not necessarily express the views of OAESA unless so stated. Advertising inquiries should be directed to OAESA by phone at 614.547.8087 or e-mail at info@oaesa.org. The Principal Navigator (ISSN 1088-078X) is published three times per school year by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators, 445 Hutchinson Ave., Suite 700, Columbus, Ohio 43235. Subscriptions are available only as part of membership. Periodical postage paid at Columbus, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Principal Navigator 445 Hutchinson Ave. Suite 700 Columbus, Ohio 43235.
In This Issue
3
Executive Director’s Exchange
8
Highlighting a PrinciPAL
10
OAESA Board of Directors
14
Elementary Essentials
24
Updates from OILA
27
From OAESA’s Associate Executive Director
28
OAESA Chalkboard
30
Legal Report
36
Health Issues
38
2014–15 Committee Members
45
Welcome to the Association
48
Sorry...We’re Booked!
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Julie Davis, EdD
Amanda Albert, Northmor Elementary 2014–2015
A New Strategy to Identify Teacher Leaders by Rachel Jones, EdD Tales of Three Educators: Paths to Obtain Leadership Skills by Sharon Rae Dorsey, PhD Take Care of Yourself First by Mark Jones News from the Association Administrative Personnel Suspension Policies by Dennis Pergram The Role of the School Nurse in Promoting Resiliency in Students by Angela Norton Thank you for serving OAESA this year! OAESA’s newest members
Book reviews on the topic of grit
Grit Crossword Puzzle
How much do you know about grit?
OAESA is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).
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Highlighting a PrinciPAL Amanda Albert
Assistant Principal, Grades 4 to 8, Northmor Elementary What is your educational background?
I have a BS in elementary education from Ashland University. I began teaching second grade at River Valley Local Schools in Marion, Ohio, in 2001. When it was time to renew my license, I began taking classes and earned a MA in teaching and learning from The Ohio State University in 2006. In no way, shape, or form did I want to pursue anything having to do with being a school administrator—famous last words! By 2010, I had worked as a second grade teacher for eight years and for several different principals, and it was time to renew my license, again. With some persuasion from the principal I was working for at the time (who was awesome), I decided to pursue my degree in educational administration. In 2011, I completed a second master’s degree from Ashland University.
Why did you choose to become an educator?
For as long as I can recall, I wanted to be a teacher. Growing up, I had many family influences pointing me in that direction, and both of my aunts were teachers. Over Christmas break, they would grade papers, and I would get the job of putting stickers on them and teaching my cousins how to read Dr. Seuss! I was not always the most successful student; in fact my high school guidance counselor told me that I was not “college material.” Once I was in college, my desire to become an educator was probably fueled more by the people who told me “I couldn’t” than anything else. This is a statement I have reflected on a lot, and I really think that for me I initially became a teacher because that’s what I wanted to do my whole life. Becoming an administrator was something I chose to do because I saw an opportunity to positively influence far more than the kiddos in my classroom.
What three words describe you best?
I would say the answer to this question depends on whom you ask! I’m going to go with passionate, persistent, and reflective.
What do you read to stay current in the education field?
I spend a lot of time checking out things posted on social media. Twitter is a great source of information. I also read the publications that OAESA sends out, such as the Tuesday Talks and Principal Navigator. Time is so limited I have to be picky about what I subscribe to. Often a teacher will come to me with a recommendation of a book or article they’ve read. I always try my best to read their recommendations because if it is something they are passionate about, then we can turn that into something positive for our school.
What was the last good book you read for enjoyment?
The last book I read (and finished) for enjoyment was The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. In fact, I probably read some portion of it at least once a week!
As an assistant principal, what are some of your main responsibilities?
This is my third year as an assistant principal. My first year I served as a K–6 assistant principal and district test coordinator. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to begin my administrative journey as an elementary assistant. That year I focused on discipline and the test coordinator duties. The last two years, I have worked as the 4–8 assistant principal in our building, with some opportunities to continue my work with the K–4 teaching staff. My principal and I have a great work-
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ing relationship. I don’t feel like I am pigeonholed into having to only do discipline. Some of my main responsibilities include facilitating a Building Leadership Team, the Intervention Assistance Team, and Positive Behavior Support Committee. My principal and I split the difference in teacher evaluations and discipline. Starting out as an assistant principal has been wonderful and something I wish all beginning administrators had an opportunity to do!
How do you cope with stress at school, and what do you do at home to unwind?
How much stress you take on is all a matter of your perspective. I invest my time in situations or issues where I can make a difference. I surround myself with people who are positive and want to come up with solutions. I think the most stressful thing (which I was not prepared for) is all of the information I know about the lives of my students and staff. I did not expect to be so aware of all the “stuff ” that goes on in people’s lives—most of which I have absolutely no control over and can do nothing about! These are the sorts of things I take home with me, but I have to maintain a focus on things I can control in the schoolhouse. When I go home, I have to somewhat “divorce” myself from work, and that is very hard to do! I have a four-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son, so going home means I have to be a mommy! My husband is a teacher, but during seven months of the year, he also runs a charter boat on Lake Erie. We take the kids and go to the lake on the weekends. Things like this really take my focus off the stresses of work, and an adult beverage from time to time helps as well!
What do you consider are today’s biggest challenges for principals and assistant principals?
Keeping up with the mandates and changes are one of today’s biggest challenges. With PARCC, AIR, OAA, OGT, PBAs, EOYs, IEPs, IATs, OTES, OPES, PBIS…it just goes on and on. It is hard to keep a group of teachers focused on the most important thing, the kids! OAESA just held the Assistant Principals Conference, and in speaking with many of the attendees, it seems that the traditional role of AP as disciplinarian is becoming blurred. Principals and APs appear to be functioning more as coprincipals, rather than in specific roles.
What motivates you to do your job as assistant principal?
I am motivated by the opportunity to learn; starting out as an AP has been wonderful. I am able to get job-embedded PD every day, and I know that these three years of experience will help make me a better principal.
The theme for this issue is True Grit, and it’s also a preview to OAESA’s 58th Annual Professional Conference this June. Can you share a paragraph or so about your experience with grit? I am so excited about this year’s conference theme! Grit is what it takes to stay true to your belief system and do what you know is best for kids! Grit is making mistakes and learning from them. As educators, we observe grit on some level every single day! Here are some examples of grit in my school:
• A kindergartener in foster care who has cerebral palsy, which causes his feet to turn inward. Until now he had never worn shoes and had been carried most of his life. He has the most amazing smile, and he has started walking on his own and is wearing shoes! • A staff member who comes to work with a smile on her face, doing great things for kids, despite the fact that her father is under hospice care with days to live. • Grit is being a parent and exposing all your mistakes to school officials in an effort to regain custody of children. It takes resilience to create a school climate where students, families, and staff can come together to tap into their true grit. Grit is seeing things through from start to finish!
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Board of Directors
2014–2015
Executive Board President-Elect
Heidi Kegley
Frank B. Willis Intermediate 74 W. William St. Delaware, OH 43015
740.833.1700 kegleyhe@delawarecityschools.net
NA ES P Representative
Dr. Jeromey Sheets Tallmadge Elementary 611 Lewis Ave. Lancaster, OH 43130
740.687.7336 j_sheets@lancaster.k12.oh.us
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President
Kevin Gehres
Van Wert Elementary 10992 SR 118 South Van Wert, OH 45891 419.238.1761 k_gehres@staff.vwes.net
Past President
Beth Di Donato
Eastport Avenue Elementary 1200 Eastport Avenue Uhrichsville, OH 44683 740.922.4641 edidonato@claymontschools.org
Federal Relations Coordinator
Aretha Paydock
The Arts Academy at Summit 1100 10th St. NW Canton, OH 44703 330.452.6537 paydock_a@ccsdistrict.org
Zone Directors & Representatives Zone One Director
Coming Soon
Zone Two Director
David Winebrenner
Zone Three Director
Stephanie Klingshirn
Zone Four Director
Zone Five Director
Troy Armstrong
Jonathan Muro
937.968.4464 stephanie_klingshirn@darke.k12.oh.us
Wauseon Primary School 940 E. Leggett St. Wauseon, OH 43567
419.335.4000 tarmstrong@wauseonindians.org
Madison Middle School 1419 Grace St. Mansfield, OH 44905 419.522.0471 jmuro@mlsd.net
Zone Seven Director
Zone Eight Director
Zone Nine Director
Zone Ten Director
Melanie Pearn
Susanne Waltman
Steven Foreman
Timothy Barton
330.335.1420 wadc_simpson@wadsworthschools.org
melanie.pearn@riversideschools.net
330.830.8056 sew2jc@jackson.sparcc.org
740.588.5539 foreman@zanesville.k12.oh.us
614.801.8000 tim.barton@swcsd.us
Middle School Rep
Central Office Rep
Assistant Principal Rep
Daniel Graves
Amanda Albert
330.468.2200 bwerstler@twinsburg.k12.oh.us
614.365.8951 dgraves@columbus.k12.oh.us
419.947.1900 albert.amanda@northmor.k12.oh.us
Cleveland District Rep
Columbus District Rep
Zone Six Director
Erin Simpson
Overlook Elementary 650 Broad St. Wadsworth, OH 44281
Barbara Werstler Geo G Dodge Intermediate 10225 Ravenna Rd. Twinsburg, OH 44087
Gretchen Liggens James A. Garfield Pre-k–8 3800 West 140th St. Cleveland, OH 44111
216.920.7000 gretchen.e.liggens@cmsdnet.net
Kings Jr. High 5620 Columbia Rd. Kings Mills, OH 45034 513.398.8050 dwinebrenner@kingslocal.net
Madison Ave. Elementary 845 Madison Ave. Painesville, OH 44077 440.357.6171
Columbus City Schools 270 E. State St. Columbus, OH 43215
Mississinawa Valley Elementary 10480 Staudt Rd. Union City, OH 45390
Strausser Elementary 8646 Strausser St. Massillon, OH 44646
Northmor Elementary 7819 SR 19 Galion, OH 44833
Zanesville City Schools 116 N. Fourth St. Zanesville, OH 43701
Alton Hall Elementary 1000 Alton Rd. Galloway, OH 43119
Zone Map
April Knight
Avondale Elementary 141 Hawkes Columbus, OH 43222
614.365.6511 aknight@columbus.k12.oh.us
Would you like to get involved with OA ESA governance? OAESA is currently seeking county representatives and district liaisons in all areas of the state. Contact your zone director directly or call the office at 614.547.8087 for more information.
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Got Grit? by Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD
Every child needs to encounter frustration and failure to learn to step back, reassess, and try again.
S
hould an educator ever cause a student to feel frustrated, or even to fail? You may have raised your eyebrows or reread my first sentence just to be sure that you didn’t misunderstand. After all, an affirmative answer to that question runs counter to so much of our training. Don’t we always work to help our students succeed? Designing for student frustration and failure is unheard of. And that’s unfortunate because the answer to my question is yes. As important as scholastic preparation is (and it is important), it is only part of what students need to succeed in life. Howard Gardner’s personal intelligences, Daniel Goleman’s emotional intelligence, and Carol Dweck’s mindsets all reflect the fact that our attitudes are even more important than our skills. We know and understand some of this, of course. We work to help our students have a positive attitude about school, be good citizens, and accept others. Every teacher values student effort and responsibility. Yet an overlooked quality—one that is crucial in achieving success in the real world—is grit. My faculty has been talking about grit since fall, after we read a New York Times article by Paul Tough called “What If the Secret to Success Is Failure?”1 Tough argues that success in the real world depends on far more than scholastic preparation. He argues—and my faculty
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agrees—that learning to respond to failure is essential to success. Granted, we have students who struggle and whose school experiences are difficult. We create opportunities for success for those students and help them see that they can achieve. Every child needs to feel that learning is possible and probable. For some of our students, however, learning comes easily. These are the children who are on the honor roll, play on athletic teams, participate in drama or debate, and hold offices in student government. These students come to school expecting to succeed because, well, that’s what they do. We have a different obligation to these students. We need to be sure that they sometimes encounter frustration and failure. Those are loaded terms. No one likes to be frustrated, and no one wants to fail. But every child needs to encounter frustration and failure to learn to step back, reassess, and try again—and again. It surely seems odd and perhaps heartless to create scenarios in which students are not successful, but how can they learn to overcome adversity if they haven’t experienced it? As educators, part of our job is to ensure that every child finds success, and an important part of finding success is knowing how to respond to failure. As soccer star Mia Hamm said, “Failure happens all the time.
It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.” People who have not learned to respond well to frustration and failure are likely to choose paths without much risk or challenge and thus destine themselves to a life of predictability, safety, and mediocrity. Researcher Angela Duckworth, cited in Tough’s article, showed what a predictor grit is for success in any setting, from elementary school to West Point Academy. She says that grit “entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress.”2 Indeed, within a group of equally talented students, athletes, or artists, the level of grit may be the single best predictor for success. Hillary Clinton, Steve Jobs, Michael Jordan, and Maya Lin might not have had much in common to discuss over dinner, but they are each known for having an extraordinary amount of grit. (You can see Duckworth talking about grit in a TED presentation at www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaeFnxSfSC4.)
among my faculty. We begin by ensuring that every student confronts his or her limitations, often through rethinking how hard and where we challenge our students. For example, in addition to using multiple intelligences theory as a tool to help children learn through their strengths, we recognize that we can also require students to work in areas that are unfamiliar and less comfortable for them. Parent education also plays an important role. We want parents to understand our rationale, and we need them to support us in our efforts to take their children out of their comfort zones. Finally, if we want our students to develop grit, we need to do so, too. We need to take ourselves out of our own comfort zones and learn how to respond to frustration and failure. And just maybe we’ll develop grit, too!
How and when to help students develop grit has been an exciting topic
References
1Tough, P. (2011, September 14). “What If the Secret to Success Is Failure?” The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure.html 2Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2004). “Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-term Goals.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 1087–1101.
Republished with permission of ASCD, from Educational Leadership, “Got Grit?” by Thomas Hoerr, Volume 69, Number 6, March 2012; permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.
About the Author Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD, is head of school at the New City School, 5209 Waterman Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108. He is the author of The Art of School Leadership (ASCD, 2005) and School Leadership for the Future (NAIS Press, 2008). Dr. Hoerr will be presenting Fostering Grit at 8:45 a.m. on Friday, June 12, at the professional conference. Find him in Easton Ballroom AB.
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Elementary Essentials
A New Strategy to Identify Teacher Leaders by Rachel Jones, EdD
T
eacher leadership is a “sleeping giant,” according to researchers Marilyn Katzenmeyer and Gayle Moller. In their 2001 book, Awakening the Sleeping Giant: Helping Teachers Develop as Leaders, they write: “Within every school, there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership, which can be a strong catalyst for making change.”
As financial cutbacks reduce the number of administrators and resource personnel in schools and districts, teacher leadership can boost instructional expertise, instructional coaching, collaborating, teacher efficacy, and informed decision-making. As the sole administrator for over five hundred students and approximately sixty faculty and staff members at Ohio’s Gurney Elementary School, I always want to increase leadership capacity among my teachers for those exact benefits. But before a principal can build leadership capacity through training and professional development, it is critical that he or she identify promising teacher leaders. Once during a preconference for an observation, a teacher shared with me the results of an affinity survey she conducted with her students. She asked them three questions: 1. Who would you most like to sit by in our room?; 2. Who would you most like to play with at recess?; and 3. Who would you most like to be work partners with? The results informed the teacher of strong peers in her room, as well as students who might need social support. That’s when the light bulb went on for me: I thought this might be just the format to identify promising teacher leaders. I’d read countless articles on key leadership qualities, such as trust, authenticity, emotional intelligence, and expert knowledge. If I could identify the teachers my staff members admired for these traits—the colleagues that others sought out for advice and guidance—then I knew they would have the trust and following necessary to have an impact.
Implementing the Survey
I decided to create a kind of sociogram, or a graphic representation of teachers’ social links. I started with a basic survey of my staff. The six survey questions were based on the areas in which I believed we would most benefit from having teacher leadership. It sought teachers’ opinions on: Who of their colleagues would be a trusted, critical observer of instruction; Who is considered very knowledgeable/successful in math instruction and language arts instruction; Who has strong classroom management skills; Who has strong technology integration skills; and Who teachers choose to work with in a collaborative team. All teachers were listed as possible choices for each question. To add another layer, I answered all six questions myself so that I could then compare my perceptions to those of my teachers. The survey was administered via a Google Form, and responses were immediately placed into an Excel document and graphed for easy analysis. Surveying my teachers about the leaders among them could have been dicey, to say the least. There are several reasons why it went smoothly for me. First, I’ve been principal at my school for thirteen years and have established trust with this staff. When I assure them that no one other than me will see the results and that the results will in no way impact their evaluations,
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they know that’s the truth. Second, I created a sample results Excel document from the Google Form, so staff could see that all responses were anonymous. Third, my staff understood the value of this process. The reason that the teacher in my opening example shared her affinity survey with me was because it illustrated one method she uses to know her students and their needs, a component in our teacher evaluation system. Likewise, my teachers knew that a critical aspect of our Ohio principal evaluation system is how well I know my teachers. They could see the connection between this activity and my gaining insight to better support their growth. Finally, our district was, at the time, looking for teachers to be trained in peer observations. This was another way for teachers to have input into who they trusted to be their peer observers.
Identifying Leaders
The survey results provided me with a variety of information. Based on the results, I learned which teachers would be well received by their peers in various leadership positions, such as a language arts curriculum representative or a school technology advocate. I sorted the results by grade level, which allowed me to choose subject-specific teachers in a variety of grades for leadership roles. For instance, I had been asked to choose two teachers to attend a three-day training on our state’s new teacher-observation process so that we could begin planning peer observations in our district. In a building with ten National Board Certified Teachers, where over 90 percent of the teachers have master’s degrees and over 75 percent have ten or more years of teaching experience, this choice could get complicated. I knew that I had to identify teachers who the majority of the staff would value their critical peer feedback. I was excited when the survey results clearly indicated a handful of teachers who I could confidently say would be welcomed into classrooms and whose feedback other teachers would take constructively.
Additional Support and Self-Reflection
Because I took the survey myself, the results also allowed me to compare my perceptions of teacher leaders and my staff ’s perceptions. For example, what does it mean if I chose a standout teacher to lead technology integration, but almost no other teachers identified technology as one of his or her strengths? It could mean that I’m not adequately acknowledging and celebrating what that teacher is doing in the classroom. Or it could mean that there are other teachers with greater skill in that area, and I need to be present more in their classrooms to learn this about them. By using this strategy, I am also able to identify teachers who, over time, are never selected by colleagues as having an area of strength. Seeing this, I can provide additional support to help those teachers develop and set goals for their growth. Additionally, when teachers approach me for leadership roles, I can use this information to support them in developing the common characteristics evident in our current leaders. The ability to identify teachers who will likely be effective leaders in our school makes the sociogram an invaluable strategy. This is a practice that doesn’t have to be done every year, but using it every three to five years gives teachers ample opportunities for leadership, growth, and recognition. Filling leadership roles with these peer-identified teachers ensures that our school’s teacher leaders are capable and effective and will remain in their positions over time. Some of the teacher leaders from Gurney Elementary have even been sought out to provide training and mentoring in other schools within the district. Resources for developing teacher leaders are always limited, so when I’ve chosen a teacher for a position, it’s nice to feel confident that he or she will see it through and be a true asset to our school.
About the Author Rachel Jones, EdD, is principal of Gurney Elementary School in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Dr. Jones is Ohio’s National Distinguished Principal for 2014–2015. This article is reprinted with permission by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). It originally appeared in the January/February 2015 issue of the organization’s Principal magazine.
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GRIT:
The Great Equalizer by Teresa Phillips-Harris
A
s we try to keep the focus on why we became educators and pull our attention away from the ever-consuming draw of the Common Core and the new wave of state and national tests, one feels compelled to look at grit, resiliency, growth mindset, and wonder. Are these terms just the new feel-good buzzwords, or is there something more to this area of research? Could grit be the factor that levels the playing field for all our students and helps them become more successful, regardless of natural talents and abilities? Our Journey to Grit
As with most great journeys, our road to grit started with a challenging question, “What do we do with our students who are brilliant but are so afraid to fail that they won’t take risks?” This question was posed by two gifted intervention specialists (GIS) in our district who know a lot about working with the best and brightest of our future leaders. They were seeing more students fall short of their full potential and were faced with a great challenge; their highly motivated learners were becoming paralyzed by the fear of failure. This question led us to a training on how to build resilience. We also examined many articles and books on how grit and growth mindset help students succeed. From this, we formed a professional learning collaborative to evaluate grit and explore ways to develop a growth mindset to help all our students become highly successful.
The Discoveries in Our Quest
Our search began with Angela Duckworth’s research, which has been ever evolving. She started out looking at resiliency as part of her desire to help students achieve their full potential. She observed through her teaching experience that students were not living up to their full potential and were failing to consistently apply themselves for multiple reasons. It became Duckworth’s desire to
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understand effort and use this as a way to change our approach to education. (Del Giudice, 2014; Perkins-Gough, 2013) Through research, Duckworth discovered that highly successful people had a trait that went beyond the effort of resilience. She coined this trait as grit. She and her colleagues define grit as “trait-level perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” Duckworth’s research identifies grit as having two trait components—consistency of interest and perseverance of effort. (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009) Duckworth’s Short Grit Scale has been used to predict, with great accuracy, which individuals will be successful at completing West Point training, competing in the advanced levels at the National Spelling Bee, and graduating from Ivy League undergraduate programs. In multiple settings, grit has been a greater predictor of success than IQ. In fact, students with higher IQs tend to be less gritty. Duckworth has also compared report card grades and standardized tests. She found that students with high IQs tend to do better than their peers on the one-time snapshot of a standardized test. However, students who exhibit more grit tend to have higher GPAs and are able to maintain a strong work ethic over the course of time. Studies are even showing that a student’s high school GPA is a better predictor of college success than their ACT or SAT scores. If people with grit put more time and effort into their work, and are
Why Is Building Grit Important?
No matter where you work in education, you are faced with some students who are underachievers. Some may argue that students are unmotivated, but if you talk to students, most seem to have the desire to do well. So what are they missing? Duckworth’s research indicates that students are not living up to their full potential because they have not developed the self-discipline to work long term toward a goal. They have not mastered the self-control to put off indulging in their wants in order to spend time on the harder and less pleasurable educational practices that really pay off. (Duckworth & Eskreis-Winkler, 2013) Overall, individuals with grit attain higher levels of education, make fewer career changes, and earn higher GPAs. The research points out that highly successful people have traits that take them beyond talent, natural ability, and intelligence. Making an effort and having the passion, growth mindset, and self-discipline to work hard are what creates success and equalizes the playing field. (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009, Dweck, 2008, Duckworth, et al., 2007)
How Do We Build Grit?
How do we create learning environments that foster grit? The short answer is that we don’t know yet. The research in this area is ongoing, but there are some methods that seem more likely than others to accomplish this goal, and if we try something that doesn’t work, that’s okay too. We will learn something from the experience and become grittier because of it. We only truly fail if we never try!
in turn more successful, then maybe grit could be the key to success for all students, regardless of IQ or natural ability. So, how can we build grit in our students? (Duckworth, Tsukayama, & Quinn, 2012; Duckworth & Quinn, 2009; Duckworth, Mathews, Kelly, & Peterson, 2007) Duckworth first points to Carol Dweck’s research, which looks at the difference in mindset and how one’s beliefs about learning impact our ability to learn and how we respond to tough challenges. Dweck identifies that people either have a fixed or a growth mindset. Individuals with a fixed mindset feel that they are born with a fixed set a talents and abilities and that these characteristics cannot be changed. Fixed mindset individuals typically experience negative self-talk and tell themselves things like, “I am a C student, and I will always be a C student” or “I stink at math, and I will always stink at math.” However, people with a growth mindset are always looking to learn something new, to be better than they were the day before. They think that learning and facing new challenges are fun! They tell themselves, “I may not have this math problem figured out yet, but if I stick with it, I will learn how to do it.” They see a poor grade and are motivated to go home and figure out where they went wrong or put in extra time with a tutor until they master the issue. (Dweck, 2008)
What we do know about grit is that it is developed when a person faces obstacles and overcomes those challenges by staying the course. We have to help students become okay with the uncomfortable feeling of being stretched beyond their comfort zones, to realize that learning happens when we face challenges, and it is this growth that makes us smarter. Dweck’s study on brain activity during challenging academic activities reveals that the growth mindset individual is working hard and making new connections in the brain. In contrast, the fixed mindset individuals have cool, calm brains that are just hoping you don’t notice that they are not as smart as you think they are. Dweck’s research shows that teaching students about how the brain works and how it responds to positive or negative self-talk can change a student’s approach to learning. Once students understand that their abilities are not fixed, then they become willing to try new and challenging tasks and in turn find success in areas they previously believed impossible. (Dweck, 2008) Another way to help students build grit is to encourage them to stick to their commitments. It is important to try new things, and although not all activities are for everyone, sticking with an activity through the season, semester, or school year will help students learn to finish what they have started and will build long-term grit toward more favorable goals. Duckworth uses a strategy she calls the Hard Thing Rule to incite people to invest twenty minutes a day toward learning a new skill. She suggests this new skill be challenging but something they are interested in and willing to practice daily. They expected to continue this activity through a predetermined period of commitment. She notes that in all activities there are peaks and valleys, and it’s important not to give up in the midcontinued on p. 18...
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continued from p. 17... dle of a valley but to learn the joy of persevering.
How Our District Created Grit-building Opportunities
We believe it is important to be intentional in how we foster grit in our students. We know that this is not a singular event, but a daily, ongoing effort toward creating grittier, happy, successful kids who grow up to be passionate adults who do great things. For this reason, we have worked to create grit-building activities in our classrooms and throughout the overall structure of our students’ school experience. Here are a few examples of how we have tried to be strategic in building grit: Opening Day—We read The Dot by Peter Reynolds to every class and talked about how we were going to focus our efforts on becoming perseverant and building grit this year. Dot Mural—We created a dot mural with dot markers. All of the students could add dots to the mural throughout the year to represent a time they showed perseverance or encouraged another student to persevere, like Vashti from The Dot. Grit Fun Run—We faced challenges together as a school when we all ran a mile to the high school football field. At the arena we were
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greeted by the cheerleaders, football players, and the marching band and heard speeches about grit from all of the fall sports team captains. Grit T-shirts—We received shirts that explained what grit is all about and wore them each time we had a grit day. Grit Tree—Each month students were nominated by their class for something gritty they had done. The top candidates’ names were placed on a leaf and displayed on the tree. Then the gritty students were entered into a drawing to receive a special grit T-shirt. Grit Guests on Morning Announcements—During Red Ribbon Week, we invited community members (a DARE officer, a teacher, OHS grad/business owner, air force officer) to share how they achieved goals and overcame obstacles that stood in the way of their success. Grit Groups—Six times throughout the year we completed a grit-building activity in a multigrade level group. The groups met with the same teacher each time and these groups will be maintained from year to year.
Example Activities:
Goal Setting—Each student took the Short Grit Assessment and wrote a goal to become grittier. Obstacles—We invented team-building activities that helped our students face obstacles. We talked about how to overcome obstacles to our success. Fourth Grade Grit Program—We looked at the needs of our fourth graders and created grit-building classroom guidance lessons to specifically target this group. Additionally, students with greater needs received a high school mentor with whom they met weekly during lunch for five months. Family Night—We invited our families and community members into the school to complete grit-building activities with us.
Conclusion
In order to maximize the chance of success for our students, we need to come up with challenges for our students—moments to push them outside their comfort zones. We need to be their cheerleaders, standing beside them, encouraging them to keep going even when things get tough. We need to create environments where it is safe to fail and celebrate the lessons learned from these failures. People with grit know the secret to success is not giving up on dreams when they are in the valley of disappointment, but rather focus on the peak that will follow. We need to foster our students to be smart, calculated risk takers, who love learning for the sake of learning. Our goal is for our students to not simply perform for the momentary reward of an A but for the long-term reward of becoming an expert at something they love!
References Del Giudice, Marguerite (2014). “Grit Trumps Talent and IQ: A Story Every Parent (and Educator) Should Read,” National Geographic, Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141015-angela-duckworth-success-grit-psychology-self-control-science-nginnovators/# Dweck, C. (2008). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House, New York, New York. Duckworth, A. L., & Eskreis-Winkler, L., (2013). “True Grit,” Observer, 26(4). Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., and Kelly, D. R. (2007). “Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. Duckworth, A. L. & Quinn, P. D. (2009). “Development and Validation of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S),” Journal of Personality Assessment, 91, 166-174. Duckworth, A. L., Quinn, P. D., & Tsukayama, E. (2012). “What No Child Left Behind Leaves Behind: The Roles of IQ and Self-control in Predicting Standardized Achievement Test Scores and Report Card Grades.” Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(2), 439–451. Perkins-Gough, Deborah (2013). “The Significance of Grit: A Conversation with Angela Duckworth.” Educational Leadership, 71(1), 14-20. Tough, P. (2013). How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt Publishing, New York, New York.
About the Author
Teresa L. Phillips-Harris is an elementary school counselor for Oakwood City Schools in Dayton, Ohio. She received her master’s degree in both school and community mental health counseling from Ohio University and is currently working on her PhD in counseling through Liberty University. Teresa is a military spouse and mother of two elementary-aged daughters. In her spare time, she volunteers at her church, reads research articles, and swims. Teresa can be reached at harris.teresa@oakwoodschools.org or at 937.218.2237. Teresa and her team from Oakwood City Schools will be presenting a clinic at the professional conference that echoes this article on Thursday, June 11, at 2:15 p.m.
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True Grit: Principal Style by Ken Pease
W
hen I think about true grit, it sure is fun to picture myself in John Wayne form, except as a principal. I see myself as confident, strong, steady, and compassionate. What an image I project, striding down the halls of my school, heels clicking with every step as I invoke fear, hope, and leadership all at the same time. What an image—what a guy!
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continued from p. 21... Conversely, I wonder if John Wayne ever had days like I do—those days when it’s really hard to get out of the house to ramp up for another day and be somebody, for everybody. Thankfully one day, nine years into this job, I got a big boost from a recent OAESA zone meeting from my principal friend, Tim Barton. He explained that after twenty-plus years as a principal that even he has days like this too. He said the job is rewarding because he can reflect on a daily basis that he did his best, and his best makes a difference for children and communities. But then he admitted that, after all this time, he still gets low, and it is the lows of the principalship that are the most difficult. I was surprised to hear a veteran readily admit that the lows still come, no matter how long or well you have done the job. And those lows are the times when you really need true grit. A principal’s grit looks a whole lot different than the grit the main character, Rooster Cogburn, exhibited in the movie True Grit. A principal has to have emotional grit. As the years have progressed, I have been able to get a hold of many of the challenges the job presents. My schedule is manageable now, and my systems are up and running. I have been able to strike a healthy home and school schedule that allows me to be present for both my school and the people I love. I have been able to streamline the work and make efficiencies at every turn, so I avoid many of the pitfalls that once ensnared me. But there is one aspect of the job that gets me every time and tests the depths of my grit: the amount of emotional energy needed to be a principal, which tests my resolve daily. The emotional burdens seem to hit the principal at every turn—the call to children services to report abuse, the parent who now finds her children homeless, the staff member who loses a spouse, the school that loses a student, the parent who disagrees, the panicked parent whose child did not come home on the bus, the disgruntled staff member that grieves a decision. These and many other ex-
amples take an emotional toll on the caring principal, who feels a sense of potential conflict around every corner. The unfortunate part about all of these stressors is that you just don’t know when they are coming. As a teacher I never had two bad days in a row. I would be able to go home and reflect on my day and make adjustments for the next day. Usually when I had a bad day, it was because of poor preparation or poor lesson planning. In the quiet of the evening, you can fix those issues and return to class for a better day. As a principal, however, you have no control over the stressors of the next day. They fly at you with no regard to your schedule or how you feel. With Tim’s help, I am beginning to find ways to manage this emotional burden. His advice was to evaluate each day and ask two questions: Did I do my best, and did I do what was best for children? This is good advice for someone like me because I get so invested in the emotions of the job. As a younger principal, I was quick to forge bonds with people and then let my emotions dictate how my day would go. However, with experience, I have learned that it is better to forge professional relationships with your staff and then work on friendships with colleagues outside of your building, such as with OAESA members. In doing so, you take emotional control for parts of your day, which will save you some energy to solve the next uncontrollable crisis that arises and needs your immediate attention. The principalship is not easy work and it tests the true grit in all of us. With the demands increasing each year, we must learn to manage the emotional energy just as we manage our schedules. When successful, we can confidently stride the halls ready to be that strong, steady and compassionate leader our children need. And in doing so, we just might have a day where we will be able to ride in on our white horse and be that somebody, for everybody.
About the Author Ken Pease and his wife, Kristin, are proud parents of four children and live in Hilliard, Ohio. Ken has been principal at Slate Hill Elementary School in Worthington Schools for the past five years. Previously he served as a principal and teacher in South-Western City Schools for eleven years. He can be contacted at KPease@wscloud.org or (614) 450-5000. Look for Ken’s clinic, “PBIS Me ASAP!,” held at the professional conference on Thursday, June 11, at 1:00 p.m.
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Updates from OILA Tales of Three Educators: Paths to Obtain Leadership Skills by Sharon Rae Dorsey, PhD
H
ow are leaders developed? This question looms large in education. This article outlines the stories of three educators who used grit to attain leadership skills and used those new skills in productive ways in their respective buildings. Each participant faced a different set of obstacles, and in a larger sense, their stories represent the struggle of leaders to overcome both individual and site-specific challenges. The stories spotlight the power of determination, the need for some support, and the range of leadership skills necessary to succeed in Ohio’s schools. The three individuals participated in the year-long Ohio Instructional Leadership Academy (OILA), which was a learning experience funded in spring 2013 under the Ohio Race to the Top Grant and sponsored by six state educational organizations—the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA), the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA), the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA), the Ohio Education Association (OEA), the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). OILA aimed to provide school teams, composed of Ohio teachers and administrators, the skills and knowledge that instructional leaders need to ensure the academic achievement of each student. Using a blended-learning approach, OILA focused on leadership skills through three face-to-face institutes and four online learning courses conducted from September 2013 through September 2014. The three participants highlighted here come from varied geographical locations, communities, and school environments across the state of Ohio.
A High School Teacher’s Experience
Polly Sue Poppy is a teacher at Fairport Harding High School in the Fairport Harbor Exempted Village School District. The school contains grades 6–12 and has an enrollment of 275 students. About forty-five students graduate each year. The webpage of the school district says, “Over the last five years, no district in Ohio has experienced greater performance index growth than Fairport Harbor… our improvement has been a team effort.” Polly Sue was asked to participate in OILA by her superintendent. He wanted to groom her for another role in the high school—that of instructional coach. Polly Sue had great faith in the superinten-
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dent whom she had followed to the district when he became the new superintendent more than eight years previously. She entered OILA as part of a two-person team with her high school principal. Her principal attended the first and second institutes but was unable to participate in the four online courses. As a result, Polly Sue was unable to have any of the required team discussions. The superintendent gave her the choice of dropping out of the program or remaining in OILA, even though OILA was designed for teamwork. Polly Sue decided she wanted the information and the leadership skills and decided to remain in the program. Dr. Ellen Cahill, the instructor of Polly Sue’s online course cohort, provided personal support. Polly Sue also received support and an opportunity to share her new leadership strategies with her Early College Acceleration Team at the high school. The five-member team met every morning for forty minutes. With each member responsible for a task, the team addressed student needs and school culture in the areas of Project-based Learning, Writing Across the Curriculum, and Early College High School. The teacher-based team (TBT) completed the OILA modules together and then shared with other building teams in the district—the middle school team, the high school team, and content area teams. What was the impact of OILA? According to Polly Sue, she could not have anticipated the richness of the learning opportunity, the amount of work involved, and her personal and professional growth. She believes the OILA work “saved her life” and kept her from leaving the profession. With a full teaching load in addition to doing the team and planning work, she believes it was the most difficult year in her profession. OILA inspired her to finish her master’s degree in education leadership through Concordia University Chicago (CUC). Polly Sue says, “I do not want to be a principal, but I do want to strengthen my school. I want to serve kids. Then I’m happy. Students are the first customers and the most important ones. You get out of it what you put in.” The impact on the school was also visible. For the first time in many years, the school had a 100 percent graduation rate, almost a 15 percent increase over the two preceding years.
An Elementary Teacher’s Experience
Erika Bower was a fifth grade teacher at Harrison Elementary
in Marion City Schools when she enrolled in OILA as part of a three-member team that included her principal and a kindergarten teacher. Harrison enrolled four hundred students from pre-k through grade five with 98.7 percent classified as economically disadvantaged. Erika had begun working on her PhD at CUC a year before OILA began. Donna Ball, a co-manager for OILA, was Erika’s advisor and informed her of the learning opportunity. Erika had been curious about leadership styles and how they affect student leadership and teacher motivation, so she was eager to enroll in OILA. Erika’s team experienced major changes during OILA’s year-long program. One of her team members—the principal—left the school midyear to become the district’s curriculum director and departed the district at the end of the school year. Despite her changes in position, the principal stayed on as a team member through all four OILA online courses and attended the first two of the three institutes. The new principal at Harrison also provided support by joining the team and attending the last two OILA institutes. Between the two principals, continuity was maintained in the work of the team. Two challenges did arise in the teamwork—arranging face-to-face discussions required in the online OILA courses and ensuring the comfort of team members to speak frankly in team discussions. The team overcame both challenges and started relying on each other, sharing leadership, and holding each other accountable. As a teacher, Erika felt she shared responsibility for tasks. Every staff member at Harrison was involved in the activities of the building, which resulted in many volunteers for activities. The teamwork and leadership skills learned in OILA had a huge impact on the school. Erika’s team worked as a TBT with the three members thoughtfully considering the structure of the team and how team time was used. To carry the TBT format into the whole school, they made slight adjustments in grade-level team meetings. Originally teams met in separate grade-level classrooms, but they changed the meeting location so that all teams met at the same time but as separate teams in the cafeteria. This slight adjustment allowed staff to see models of effective teams at work and fostered collaboration within and across grade levels. Harrison’s value-added was improved. Reading achievement at grades four and five and math scores also improved. The staff developed a common vision and a focus on goals.
biology teacher in the science department. Shortly after the team enrolled in OILA, the principal of the high school departed. Fortunately, the new principal continued to support the team in its involvement in OILA. The team worked well together. The members’ excitement for the project grew throughout the year-long program with the team doing more than the course-required discussions and meeting in a variety of venues—after school, during teacher prep time, and on professional days. The team members felt comfortable providing honest feedback on the leadership topics and scrutinizing their school with newly found leadership lenses. For Shawn, it was interesting to hear the teachers’ perspective on the leadership topics and how they applied to their school situations. He describes the team discussions as “rich, positive, innovative” and “going beyond what was required.” Shawn believes that OILA caused him to take a harder look at leadership styles. He really enjoyed the speakers at the three institutes, describing them as “awesome.” He felt especially validated by Mike Staver, a motivational speaker for business and education, who presented “Leadership Isn’t for Cowards.” Through involvement in OILA, Shawn learned that school staff members must feel that they can truly communicate with the people above and below them. Educators need to ask more questions and look for perceptions that are different from their own. During the time that Shawn and his team participated in OILA, several collaborations across the curriculum were established at Marysville High School—the science department and the agriculture department designed and team-taught course; the agricultural engineering and physics teachers collaborated in a course; and the social studies and English courses were taught together. Shawn believes that their three-member OILA team built an environment that fostered these cross-curricular collaborations. continued on p. 26...
At the end of the school year, Erika was given the opportunity to use her newly acquired leadership skills as the new principal at another elementary school in the district, McKinley Elementary.
A High School Assistant Principal’s Experience
Shawn Williams has been an assistant principal at Marysville High School in Marysville, Ohio, for twelve years. With an enrollment of 1505,the school resides in a suburban district with low student poverty and average student population. Shawn entered the OILA program because he was excited and interested in the program’s format—working with a team in his school and with other teams across the state; engaging in a longterm project, not just a single meeting; and receiving college credit for the work. He enrolled in OILA as part of a three-person team that included Shari Anderson, a wildlife fisheries teacher in the agricultural science department, and Michelle Kroft, a marine
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continued from p. 25...
Lessons from the Three Stories
Here are some similarities that all three participants experienced in OILA: Leadership Skills—Both Polly Sue and Erika took on new leadership roles after becoming involved in OILA. Polly Sue is working toward becoming an instructional coach at her high school. Erika became a first-year principal. Shawn’s leadership skills were validated and reinforced. College Credit—The two teachers gained college credit for their post-graduate degrees, and this also motivated Shawn to participate. Challenges—Two of the three educators had significant changes in original team members. Two also had changes in the principals’ positions at their schools. One had to create trust and comfort among the team members. Importance of Teams and Local Support—All three educators found needed support in acquiring or gaining new perspectives on
leadership skills from their teams, whether from their OILA teams or a team established at their local sites. The educators also had additional support at the local levels from past or new principals, local State Support Team members, OILA online course instructors, and other school staff. This support served to guide the educators through their challenges. Changes in Their Schools—All three educators showed visible changes in their schools, if not directly caused by participation in OILA, at least correlated to and fostered by the skills learned in OILA. All three readily admit that these changes were the result of a team effort, not only by the teams that participated in OILA but also by the team spirit fostered at their schools. Hopefully, these three stories will spark reflection and encouragement as your colleagues and you travel the leadership path. And make sure you stay tuned to OAESA for information about how you can participate in upcoming OILA institutes and enhance your own leadership skills!
About the Author Sharon Rae Dorsey, PhD, is a program evaluator with the Wexford Institute. She served as the external evaluator for OILA.
Be
a part of
raising readers
Featured at the 2015 Professional Conference, True Grit: Educators Partnerin’ for Success
Send us your photos of kids reading: together, alone, at home, in school, or with parents. We’ll include them (with your permission) in a slideshow displayed throughout the conference. Together, we are raising readers! Send to Abigail Smith: smith@oaesa.org.
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from OAESA’s Associate Executive Director
Take Care of Yourself First
B
by Mark Jones, OAESA Associate Executive Director
y now we’ve all read or heard the various definitions of the term grit and how that word applies to our students. No doubt you didn’t need a scientific study to convince you of the importance of tenacity and perseverance in accomplishing one’s goals—especially when the challenges are great. As educators we’ve all come across those students who made up for shortfalls in other abilities by demonstrating an incredible degree of drive and determination in reaching for success. Indeed, at the most fundamental level, the very purpose of our educational mission should be to challenge each student to achieve at his or her highest possible level. However, stop for just a moment and think about your work in school. Consider all that you know about the importance of showing dogged perseverance in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Think about how rapidly the new challenges, collectively known as “school reform,” have engulfed you, particularly in the last few years: OTES, OPES, CCSS, PARCC…and this list goes on and on and on. Without a doubt, being a school principal has changed dramatically, and the pace of this change is accelerating. It is clear to me that having grit has become an essential skill for success as a building administrator—now more than ever before. But I also believe that simply possessing grit is not enough. While sustaining tenacity for meeting the expanding demands of the job is certainly a virtue, this alone will only allow you to survive at best. Your life’s mission shouldn’t be to just survive, but rather to thrive, and to do so in the most creative, productive manner possible. Toward that end, I urge you to take a few deep breaths, clear your mind of all the PARCC clutter, and consider the big picture. In other words, begin leveraging your natural grittiness in ways that will make a positive impact on your role as a school leader. How do you do this? A couple of suggestions come to mind. First, nobody knows the difficulties you have faced in implementing the recent reform initiatives as thoroughly as you do. Well-intended efforts to improve our schools, whether driven by legislators, the Department of Education, or local school boards, often fail to consider the practical and logistical ramifications involved with implementing these ideas. Yes, that’s a fancy way of saying, “They just don’t get it!” So, demonstrate your perseverance, not only by giving these mandates your best effort but also by verbalizing to the powers that be exactly what issues you are facing in the field. Unless you speak up and speak loudly to those in decision-making positions, things probably won’t improve. Second, start to recognize your own physical and emotional health as top priority. Anyone who’s ever flown on a plane knows the drill: “In the event of sudden decompression in the cabin, put your own oxygen mask on first before assisting others.” When I look around the landscape of school administration, I get the distinct sense of a sudden decompression in your cabins. Take care of yourself first. When you feel stressed out, go for a long, relaxing walk in the woods or enjoy an afternoon of fishing, shopping, or gardening. Devote as much energy into planning your family vacation as you have into scheduling PARCC testing. Grab the opportunity to go onto the playground and take your turn on the swingset with your students. It will relieve your stress and make you more effective in the area that really matters—building positive relationships with kids. Finally, to borrow a fundamental concept from Stephen Covey, consider this: none of us went into education saying, “Someday I hope to assess the critical thinking skills of all my students through an incredibly complex series of unproven online tests designed around an intricately convoluted scheduling process that would confuse even Rube Goldberg.” Maybe it’s time we all return to where and why we came into this profession in the first place. Keep that as your compass, and pursue it with grit!
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OAESA is in the last stages of choosing our award winners. This is still being determined at press time. We will be honoring them at our Annual Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 12, at the professional conference. We hope you can join us. If not, we will also be featuring them in the Fall 2015 issue of the magazine, so stay tuned. Ohio Ready Schools is busy with spring regional meetings. The Southwest Region met on April 17 in Troy, Ohio, where participants learned about conscious discipline from trainer Larry Slocum and gained resources for summer reading from Emily Rozmus from InfOhio. Two Ready School teams—Franklin-Monroe Elementary and Van Wert Early Childhood Center—shared their best practices with the group. The Northeast Regional Cluster will meet at Leggett Elementary in Akron on May 6. Attendees will tour the building and hear from teaching teams about their ongoing Ready School activities. Four Ohio Ready School teams will be presenting at OAESA’s professional conference—Sandy Valley, Franklin, Evamere, and Mississinawa Valley Elementaries. Check the conference brochure for details. Eight schools also joined the Ready Schools network from the Middletown area, sponsored by the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and Middletown Community Foundation. Interested in knowing more about Ohio Ready Schools? Call OAESA at 614.547.8087.
The SAIL for Education staff will be visiting Concordia University Chicago on May 9 to attend commencement ceremonies. Over ninety SAIL students are eligible to graduate this spring. Congratulations! 2828
Members of the OAESA Board of Directors and staff recently joined two hundred elementary and middle-level educators and leaders from across the country in Washington, DC, for the NAESP National Leaders Conference. They took the needs of Ohio’s schools directly to Congressional leaders, who were in the process of debating reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind. They asked representatives to oppose the House ESEA bill in its current form. Their main priorities included access to early childhood education, opposing the use of school vouchers, and improving principal training and recruitment. The OAESA Board of Directors and staff will continue to advocate for these issues in Ohio so that the administrator’s voice is heard.
Are you taking advantage of OAESA online communications? + Join our 1,023 followers on Twitter! + Over 250 people like us on Facebook. Do you? + Be sure to check out our eNews each month. We have something for everyone. + Many of our Tuesday Talk topics are suggested by members. What is important to you? Be heard! Send your ideas to carson@oaesa.org. + Did you know our monthly webinars are completely no cost? Have lunch with us on the second Friday of each month from 1–2 p.m. and hear about methods and tips from your colleagues. Don't forget to stop by www.oaesa.org for the latest news from the association. We update the home page regularly. Make sure you check back often!
OAESA moved this winter. Come check out our new space: 445 Hutchinson Ave. Suite 700 Columbus, OH 43235 ph. (614) 547-8087 fax (614) 547-8089 29
Legal Report Administrative Personnel Suspension Policies by Dennis Pergram For many years, the Ohio Revised Code (RC 3319.17) provided for boards of education to implement reductions in force for teachers. Effective June 30, 2000, the General Assembly enacted RC 3319.171, which allows for a school board to adopt an administrative personnel suspension policy governing the suspension of any contract entered into by the board of education under RC 3319.02. RC 3319.17 specifically states the following: “If a board adopts a policy under this section, no contract entered into by a board under section 3319.02 of the Revised Code may be suspended except pursuant to the policy.” Although most boards of education now have administrative personnel suspension policies, RC 3319.171 further provides that if a board does not adopt such a policy, the board may not suspend an administrator’s contract, except pursuant to section 3319.17 of the Revised Code. This would create a rather awkward situation, as RC 3319.17 pertains to teachers and, most importantly, recalls rights for those teachers whose continuing contracts of employment are suspended—neither of which pertains to an administrator.
Case law provides that an administrator whose contract is nonrenewed and has a continuing contract as a teacher from the same district (or another district) and has served as an administrator in his or her current district for two years or more may return to the classroom, provided there is a position for which he or she is licensed. This same logic would seem to apply to an administrator whose contract is suspended pursuant to a reduction in force.
An area of concern is the administrator’s recall rights when his or her administrator’s contract has been suspended under an administrative personnel suspension policy. As set forth above, RC 3319.171(B)(3) provides that the administrative personnel suspension policy shall include a right of restoration (recall) for administrators “if and when any positions become vacant or are created for which any of them are or become qualified.” In my opinion an administrator is qualified for such a position if he or she is licensed for that position. I have seen some administrative personnel suspension policies that I do not believe are compliant with RC 3319.171. For example, a policy that states that an administrator may only be recalled to a position that was abolished if that position is recreated With respect to what is required under the administrative person- is, in my opinion, violative of the executor’s recall rights under RC nel suspension policy, RC 3319.171(B) provides that administrative 3319.171 and most likely meaningless, as it is highly unlikely that personnel suspension policy shall include, but not be limited to, all the district would recreate the position. of the following: I have also seen some administrative personnel suspension policies (1) One or more reasons that a board may consider for sus- that vest discretion in the superintendent to determine what is in pending any contract of employment entered into under section the best interest of the district when deciding an educator’s right 3319.02 of the Revised Code. A reason for such suspension may to be recalled. I also believe that such a provision is violative of RC include the financial conditions of the school district or educa- 3319.171 as I think that RC 3319.171 was intended to provide an tional service center. administrator with a right of restoration, not merely a chance of being recalled if a position becomes vacant or is created for which (2) Procedures for determining the order of suspension of con- he or she qualified. tracts within the employment service areas affected. There is not a great deal of case law regarding RC 3319.171. There(3) Provisions requiring a right of restoration for employees fore, it is important for administrators to consult with an attorney whose contracts of employment are suspended under the pol- familiar with RC 3319.171 to understand their legal rights. icy, if and when any positions become vacant or are created for which any of them are or become qualified. If an administrator’s contract is expiring and the school board is reducing administrators for reasons other than performance, the school board may nonrenew the administrator’s contract rather than implement a reduction in force, provided the school board complies with RC 3319.02. Of course, such a nonrenewal eliminates any recall rights that the administrator may have had.
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About the Author Dennis Pergram, legal counsel to OAESA, is a partner in the law firm Manos, Martin, Pergram, & Dietz Co., LPA. He is a former chairperson for the Ohio State Bar Association Committee and has practiced school law for over thirty years.
S R A N I B E W R E K SPEA NO-COST
Jim Grant Founder, Staff Development for Educators Listen to this webinar from March 6 at oaesa.org
April 24 Donalyn Miller Author, The Book Whisperer Manager, Independent Reading and Outreach, Scholastic Book Fairs
May 1 Tom Hoerr Author, Fostering Grit Head of New City School, St Louis, MO Webinars will take place on Fridays from 1-2 p.m. There is no registration required. OAESA will email the link and login instructions the morning of the webinar. Capacity is limited to the first 100 participants. Not able to attend? All webinars will be recorded and available in the Members Only area of the OAESA website to view at your convenience.
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Is the Grit Phenomenon Edu-fact or Edu-fad?
Dustin M. Knight
Jeromey M. Sheets, EdD
Paul G. Young, PhD
E
very principal has a personal grit story and relates important grit-related character skills to surviving and thriving in the principalship. The concept of grit is nothing new. Yet, recent research findings from grit gurus such as Angela Lee Duckworth, Carol Dweck, and Paul Tough have come under fire from counter-gurus led by Alfie Kohn, Paul Thomas, and Ira Socol. They criticize “grit-faddists” for being culturally biased, racist, and classist. As a result, Duckworth’s work and recommendations have become entangled in the tug-of-war battles between liberal and conservative educational reformers. Whether the grit movement ultimately proves to be fact based or another edu-fad, there are many no-nonsense, no-cost, ready takeaways for principals that can benefit all children. In order to effectively lead professional learning communities, principals must become aware and knowledgeable of both sides of this issue, the research and its considerations, and the implications for preparing students with skills that enable them to succeed in various predicaments and settings later in their lives. Some of those considerations, with school-related implications, are highlighted in questions being studied by social psychologists, such as the following: • • • • • • • •
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What traits contribute to the successful acclimation of immigrant groups into American society and the workforce? Why do some individuals accomplish more than others of equal intelligence? Are self-controlled kids more conventional, obedient, and moralistic but also less spontaneous and uncomfortable with uncertainty? Do character traits such as resilience, self-control, and persistence transcend students’ IQs? Do cultural influences impact the acquisition of character skills among people of different generations? Are today’s parents too permissive and their kids too coddled? Is failure beneficial? Has the immediate focus on testing left too many kids uninterested and ill prepared to accomplish long-term goals?
Talking about grit skills and characteristics has become fashionable among teachers and principals because there are increasing numbers of students who appear at risk of achieving long-term success because they are: • • • • • • •
overweight and lack self-confidence. shy and never show any indicators of initiative. never finish what they start. preoccupied by home stressors. smothered by helicopter parents. capable, but lack role models at home. bullied by classmates for numerous reasons and lack any grittiness in response.
These kids are found in every demographic group, in every school, in every community. To ignore concerns about their current development and, later, preparation for the workforce is folly. We believe that all kids can benefit from strong one-to-one, adult-student relationships and direct instruction related to the self-discovery and development of grit character skills. Both kids and adults need grit,
but many of those with adequate cognitive skills have learned to search with Duckworth’s recommendations for teaching grit skills as well as Eric Chester’s work on reviving work ethic and found that quit, rather than try harder, with much consequence. more than 75 percent of his students became more self-responsible, It is time to change that mindset. Kids and adults need grit as de- eager for and receptive of constructive feedback, and determined to fined by Angela Duckworth in her highly acclaimed, 2013 TED prove they possessed growth vs. fixed mindset character skills. Although Ira Socol and others might describe this acquisition of grit Talk: characteristics as simple compliance, Paul sees it as achievement of real-life skills, essential for beginning teachers to survive and thrive Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. in their classrooms. He is continuing studies that track graduation Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day and hiring rates and job satisfaction and retention of self-identified in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but gritty teachers. for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. (Duckworth, 2013) As a veteran elementary principal, Dustin also observes a lack of grit in his students (grades K–5). He has witnessed many parents The Need for Developing Growth Mindsets After retiring from the principalship and a leadership role with the over protecting and enabling their children. He works to help his National AfterSchool Association, Paul increased his teaching load students understand and develop the self-sufficient skills necessary at Ohio University-Lancaster. His observation of college-age Mil- for independence and success. lennials raised his concern about their desire and abilities to handle rigorous work in teacher preparation programs. He was shocked by Dustin was taught grit skills by his grandparents, and now as a parthe percentage of students, as Carol Dweck describes in her 2007 ent, he works to instill growth mindset characteristics in his two bestseller, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, who presented children. He explains to them that they must always work hard for themselves by trying to “look” smart yet lacked any serious sense everything and nothing can be taken for granted. He is a firm beof curiosity or initiative. Paul called them “quiet sitters-and-get- liever that children need to learn how to experience failure in order ters” with learned behaviors that prevented them from embracing to be successful. Citing Dweck’s research, he believes that protectchallenges or accepting constructive criticism. They were interested ing children from disappointment in the short term could be harmful in the long run. mostly in shortcuts and doing only what was necessary to get by. Paul found it interesting that Duckworth’s attention had turned to As a parent of three young children and principal of a school with the question of grit and college completion, trying to predict the a public preschool, Jeromey believes that too many students learn college persistence of graduates of several high-performing urban to “get the right answer” rather than understand the meaning and charter school networks. So he interweaved Dweck’s mindset recontinued on p. 34...
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continued from p. 33... process of learning. He observes preschool children and his own children entering school with great willingness to work hard. Yet as they progress through primary grades with increasingly challenging experiences, if the “right answer” doesn’t come easily to them, they accept failure rather than persist to learn new things. He cites an example of preschoolers creating castles out of blocks. When a castle crashes, preschoolers immediately try a different process. If that process doesn’t show results, they strategize until they create one that does. They build over and over without giving up. Preschoolers are motivated and excited to share the process with peers and adults. However, as they get older, they learn to focus on end results. Expectations change. Their motivation changes to getting immediate, positive results, such as getting A’s, being the fastest, being the smartest, or finishing first. In an environment that rewards participation and results, they learn to negate the processes of learning and avoid the acquisition of a growth mindset. Jeromey believes that students must be taught to focus more on learning processes and less on outcomes. When students internalize the processes of learning, they become better prepared to set personal goals and develop strategies that help accomplish them. When processes are internalized, students learn, and, even more importantly, become responsible for their own learning.
Defining Grit
In our instant-gratification, short-attention-span, multitasking world, many educators have lost sight of persistence as a core element of high achievement. Grit, unlike many traditional measures of performance, is not tied to intelligence. Grit helps all kids. Principals are role models, and they must lead their constituents in defining grit. We suggest they teach the acronym PERSIST as outlined: Purpose—Purpose moves people. Students must internalize a clear purpose in learning objectives and activities. Leaders must continuously clarify intended or desired aims, goals, expectations, and results.
Self-control—Learning to avoid self-gratification and impulse behavior is important for members of every generation in achieving goals. Self-regulating behaviors must be taught and modeled so that all learners can learn to identify and avoid emotions and reactions that reinforce negativity. Teach Try—Children, youth, and adults must discover the joy in making an attempt or effort to do something. Acquisition of a strong work ethic is essential for all generations. Grit is acquired through human interaction and human experience, not from technology like iPhones and social media.
Teaching grit skills should start with young children. In any school, Experience—Experience is the knowledge or ability to demon- teaching grit will be a challenge when adults themselves lack the strate mastery of an event or subject gained through both suc- capacity or desire to PERSIST. cess and failure. Ability is developed through dedication and hard work. Brains and talent are just the starting point. Implications for Principals and Teachers Recognizing that adults are role models, grit-probing questions and Relationships—Kids need positive role models and mentors. stories should be a component of every teacher interview. Teachers Relationships are an investment. The more adults put in to de- should be aware of grit connections in literacy, social studies, math, velop relationships that emphasize grit, the more they will get science, and other content areas. They should be able to articulate back in kids with healthy outlooks on work. how they teach grit skills. Grit development can easily be taught school wide and program wide and cost nothing. Effective, ongoing State of Mind—A growth mindset requires skills to innovate, a school- and community-based mentoring programs support the conscientious desire to grow, and a willingness to take risks and development of grit characteristics. learn from mistakes. It also takes effort, initiative, dedication, creativity, and skills to persist. These can be taught. The grit counter-gurus are right to point out that persistence can be counterproductive if it leads to unhealthy choices. They are also Initiative—Initiative is a personal quality that shows a willing- right to suggest that grit skills should not be taught to reinforce staness to get things done and to take responsibility. Students that tus quo “drill and kill” instruction, and their suggestion that some are taught initiative will learn to solve problems and accomplish school requirements are not worth doing is valid. Evaluation of things on their own. practices and procedures should be ongoing. Attainment of attri-
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butes that lead to a happy, fulfilling, ethical, creative, and psychologically healthy life should not be overlooked. Why one persists is much more important than how long! Grit cannot be touted as an antipoverty tool. Even though many people who have climbed out of poverty can recount a classic grit story, that alone is not a rationale for incorporating grit into instructional programs. Many middle class and affluent kids from all demographics lack staying power when things get tough. Regardless of whether grit is deemed to be a conservative or liberal reform movement, this “edu-fact-fad” doesn’t cost anything and can improve test scores, classroom habits, and lifelong learning mindsets. The implication is to identify and measure the various skills and traits other than intelligence that contribute to human development and success.
Summary
It is time to rethink the applications of “everyone’s-a-winner” type programs that enable complacency and a fixed mindset development rather than healthy competition. The decades-old focus on self-esteem development of all students that has permeated many classrooms must be called to question and reconsidered. An instructional approach that delineates success from failure and teaches coping skills for normal bumps, bruises, and disappointments must be developed. Work ethic skills must be taught and reinforced in the school, home, and community. Grit is what separates fruitful lives from aimlessness. Attitude trumps aptitude. All learners must understand that grit is an amalgamation of essential character skills for success in school, the workplace, and the security of our way of life. Fads lack grit because they fade over time. Greatness comes from grittiness. Grittiness is factual.
Recommended Reading Colvin, Geoff (2008). Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else. New York: Penguin Group. Dweck, Carol (2007). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House. Hoerr, Thomas R. (2013). Fostering Grit: How Do I Prepare My Students for the Real World? Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Kohn, Alfie (2014). The Myth of the Spoiled Child: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Children and Parenting. Boston: Da Capo Press. Tough, Paul (2012). How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Web Resources Davis, Vicki (2014). “True Grit: The Best Measure of Success and How to Teach It.” Edutopia, January 9, 2014. Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D.R. (2007). “Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-term Goals.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 1087–101. Duckworth, A. L. (2013). The Key to Success? Grit. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit. Duckworth, A.L. Twelve-Item Grit Scale. Retrieved from http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~duckwort/images/12-item%20Grit%20Scale.05312011.pdf.
About the Authors Dustin Knight is the principal of Tarhe Elementary School in Lancaster. He is a former member of the OAESA Board of Directors. He can be reached at d_knight@lancaster.k12.oh.us. Jeromey Sheets, EdD, is the principal of Tallmadge Elementary School in Lancaster. He is a past president of OAESA and the current NAESP State Representative. You can reach him at j_sheets@lancaster.k12.oh.us. Paul Young, PhD, is retired from the principalship. He served as a former president of both OAESA and NAESP. He is currently an adjunct professor at Ohio University-Lancaster. Paul can be reached at paulyoungohio@gmail.com. Together, the authors have shared a mentoring partnership for more than a decade. They are coauthors of Mentoring Principals: Frameworks, Agendas, Tips, and Case Stories for Mentors and Mentees, which is available from Corwin Press (www. corwin.com). Look for the authors at the upcoming professional conference! Dustin, Jeromey, and Paul will be presenting “Got Grit? An Edu-fact or an Edu-fad?” on Thursday, June 11, at 1:00 p.m.
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Health Issues The Role of the School Nurse in
Promoting Resiliency in Students by Angela Norton
A
resilient child is one who will develop into a responsible adult in spite of risk factors and adversity. Some of these common risk factors include poverty, unsafe neighborhoods, stress, lack of family involvement, chronic health conditions, and difficult temperaments, just to name a few. These are conditions that most adults would find overwhelming. Unfortunately, for many students in our schools, these are the obstacles faced on a daily basis, over which they have no control. However, some children find a way to rise above the difficulty in their lives; these children are resilient and seem to bounce back from adversity. Why are some children this way? Research centered on resiliency indicates that certain protective factors help foster and promote resilient behaviors. These resources that involve the interactions of personal and environmental characteristics have been identified as a common thread in resilient children.1
Other researchers believe that resiliency is innate and that all humans have the capacity to transform and change, no matter what their risks are. “Resilience skills include the ability to form relationships (social competence), to problem solve (metacognition), to develop a sense of identity (autonomy), and to plan and hope (a sense of purpose and future).”2 Among the various resiliency theories, one factor is repeatedly mentioned as the foundation to building resiliency in youth: the positive impact of the presence of one supportive adult who cares about a child and his or her well-being. Outside the home environment, children spend the majority of their time in the school setting. This renders school as an ideal place to develop protective factors and to foster resiliency skills. Schools are a natural place for interacting socially, developing relationships, and engaging in meaningful activities that build confidence and self-esteem on a regular basis. It is clear that teachers have an important role in building resiliency through nurturing classrooms and involving students in the learning process. However, the great thing about schools is that there are all types of caring adults, in addition to teachers, who work with and around students. Therefore, supporting students and developing caring relationships are not just limited to classroom teachers or school administrators. In fact, many times students may feel less comfortable sharing personal issues with their classroom teachers and find themselves turning to someone else in the school. One of the individuals that students typically turn to is the school nurse—someone who is naturally seen as an adult who cares for all students. The school nurse, by virtue of her or his work assignment, is also seen as a safe and impartial person that a student can go to for help in a confidential setting. It is not unusual for the school nurse to see “frequent flyers,” or children that stop into the school nurse’s office on a regular basis but do not seem to have a legitimate physical complaint. These frequent visits to the school nurse may seem puzzling to teachers, administrators, and possibly even the school nurse, but these students of-
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ten need to touch base with this caring adult in order to feel secure and carry on through the school day. While this frequent-flyer student may not appear on the surface to have a healthcare need, this contact with the school nurse can be crucial to the ability of a student to be present in school and academically successful. The school nurse is functioning as a protective factor to boost the resiliency of a needy student. Not only does the school nurse have an opportunity to become the caring adult in a student’s life, but he or she is also trained to assess the student’s health conditions—not only physically but emotionally and mentally. A school nurse has knowledge of various screening tools that may be adopted and implemented within the building to provide staff with help when identifying and determining the root cause of a problem. He or she can also provide appropriate referrals and follow-ups with other healthcare providers or community resources in order to help keep students engaged in school. The school nurse has the unique ability to work with classroom teachers and other school staff to address health issues of students and to provide interventions that can promote and improve healthy behaviors. The result of this collaboration is a student who is cared for and supported in a holistic manner, and the ultimate outcome is a student who feels connected to school and is performing at his or her highest ability. Schools that incorporate strategies to build resiliency will have the outcome of healthy, well-developed students who are more likely to succeed in school and in life.3 Somchit & Sriyaporn, 2004 Werner & Smith, 1992 3 Bernard, 2015 1 2
References Bernard, B. “Turning It Around for All Youth: From Risk to Resilience.” ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education. Retrieved on 2/26/2015 from http://resilnet.uiuc.edu/library/dig126.html. Somchit, S. & Sriyaporn P. “The Relationships Among Resilience Factors, Perception of Adversities, Negative Behavior, and Academic Achievement of 4th–6th Grade Children in Thad-Thon, Chonburi, Thailand.” Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 2014; 19:294-3003. [PubMed] Werner, E. & Smith, R. “Overcoming the Odds: High-risk Children from Birth to Adulthood.” New York: Cornell University Press, 1992.
About the Author Angela Norton is the program administrator for School and Adolescent Health at the Ohio Department of Health. She can be reached by e-mail at angela.norton@odh.ohio.gov.
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Thank You to OAESA 2014 – Advocacy Committee
Aretha Paydock, Chair, The Arts Academy at Summit, Canton City Schools Thomas Bates, Upper Arlington City Schools Scott Bowling, J. T. Karaffa Elementary, Toronto City Schools Francine Dembski, Longfellow Elementary, Sidney City Schools Chantelle Lewis, Larkmoor Elementary, Lorain City Schools Brent Swartzmiller, Frank Elementary, Perrysburg Exempted Village Schools Stephen Zinser, St. Vivian Elementary, Cincinnati Archdiocese
Assistant Principal Committee Members and Award Readers
Amanda Albert, Chair, Northmor Elementary, Northmor Local Schools Jonathan Muro, Chair, Madison Middle, Madison Local Schools Julie Fulton, Cardinal Intermediate, Cardinal Local Schools Kristin Hoffman, Meigs Primary, Meigs Local Schools Rob Schrembeck, Lee Eaton Elementary, Nordonia Hills City Schools
Interviewers and Visitors Timothy Barton, Alton Hall Elementary, South-Western City Schools Donna Bishop, Retired Danny Graves, Columbus City Schools Dave Winebrenner, Kings Junior High, Kings Local Schools April Knight, Avondale Elementary, Columbus City Schools
central office committee
Early Childhood Committee
Stephanie Klingshirn, Chair, Mississinawa Valley Elementary, Mississinawa Valley Local Schools Jana Alig, Reynoldsburg City Schools Lori Bittner, Van Wert Elementary, Van Wert City Schools Lisa Garofalo, 4c for Children James Nichols, Indian Hill Primary, Indian Hill Exempted Village Schools Jeffery Schiller, Cuyahoga Heights Elementary, Cuyahoga Heights Local Schools Scott Taylor, Lakeview Elementary, Lakeview Local Schools Jacklyn Triplett, South Elementary, New Philadelphia City Schools Olympia Williams, Ohio Avenue Elementary, Columbus City Schools
Editorial Committee
Jeromey Sheets, Chair, Tallmadge Elementary, Lancaster City Schools Julie Frankl, State Support Team Region 7 Keith Helmlinger, Whittier Elementary, Sidney City Schools Angela Schaal, Central Trail Elementary, Sylvania City Schools Laurie Vent, South & East Elementaries, Upper Sandusky Exempted Village Schools Paul Young, Retired Stephen Zinser, St. Vivian Elementary, Cincinnati Archdiocese
Danny Graves, Chair, Columbus City Schools Aretha Paydock, The Arts Academy at Summit, Canton City Schools Hall of Fame Committee Jana Alig, Reynoldsburg City Schools Steven Foreman, Zanesville City Schools Members and Award Readers Rasheeda White, North Avondale Montessori Elementary, Cincinnati City Schools Troy Armstrong, Chair, Wauseon Primary, Ava Yeager, Parma City Schools Wauseon Exempted Village Schools Timothy Barton, Chair, Alton Hall Elementary, South-Western City Schools Communications Committee April Knight, Avondale Elementary, Columbus City Schools Erin Simpson, Chair, Overlook Elementary, Wadsworth City Schools Angela Belcher, Crestwood Elementary, Swanton Local Schools Asia Armstrong, Indian Trail Elementary, Canal Winchester Local Schools Paul Gibbs, Jerusalem Elementary, Oregon City Schools Kirk Pavelich, Royal View Elementary, North Royalton City Schools Cathryn Petticrew, Dohron Wilson Elementary, Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Jay Parks, Retired Dave Rogaliner, Timmons Elementary, Kenston Local Schools Dave Rogaliner, Timmons Elementary, Kenston Local Schools David Rogers, Lexington Elementary, Marlington Local Schools ShouChun Seday, Laurel School Paul Sallada, Retired Brent Swartzmiller, Frank Elementary, Perrysburg Exempted Village Schools Ava Yeager, Parma City Schools Steven Vrooman, Clark State Community College
Distinguished Principal Committee Members and Award Readers
Steven Foreman, Chair, Zanesville City Schools Barbara Werstler, Chair, Geo G. Dodge Intermediate, Twinsburg City Schools Victor Johnson, Sandy Valley Elementary, Sandy Valley Local Schools Chantelle Lewis, Larkmoor Elementary, Lorain City Schools Cheryl Montag, J.F. Burns Elementary, Kings Local Schools Curtis Montgomery, Wilder Intermediate, Piqua City Schools James Roe III, Retired
Interviewers and Visitors Ken Bernacki, Robert C. Lindsey Elementary, West Geauga Local Schools Heidi Kegley, Frank B. Willis Intermediate, Delaware City Schools Diane Kittelberger, Edison Middle, Perry Local Schools Julie Lather, Oak Creek Elementary, Olentangy Local Schools Gretchen Liggens, Oliver Hazard Perry Elementary, Cleveland Metropolitan Schools
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Visitors
Donna Ball, Retired, OAESA Special Projects Coordinator Angela Belcher, Crestwood Elementary, Swanton Local Schools Janice Gearhart, Westfall Elementary, Westfall Local Schools Paul Gibbs, Jerusalem Elementary, Oregon City Schools Robin Keating, New Albany Elementary, New Albany-Plain Local Schools Timothy Keller, Taft Elementary, Ashland City Schools Robert Kelly, Retired Heather Koehl, Timberlane Learning Center, Northridge Local Schools Betsy Long, Beacon Elementary, Hilliard City Schools Melissa Moriarty, Pickerington Elementary, Pickerington Local Schools Susan Nolan, Buckeye North Elementary, Buckeye Local Schools Jason Orin, North Nimishillen Elementary, Louisville City Schools Mary Rykowski, Evening Street Elementary, Worthington City Schools Dan Sebring, Normandie Elementary, Bay Village City Schools Patti Schlaegel, Granby Elementary, Worthington City Schools Steven Vrooman, Clark State Community College Cynthia White, Retired
– 2015 Committee Members Middle-Level School Committee Dave Winebrenner, Chair, Kings Junior High, Kings Local Schools ShouChun Seday, Laurel School Matt Shields, Archbold Middle, Archbold-Area Local Schools
Professional Conference Committee
Heidi Kegley, Chair, Frank B. Willis Intermediate, Delaware City Schools Kevin Gehres, Chair, Van Wert Elementary, Van Wert City Schools Sue Brackenhoff, Fairborn Intermediate, Fairborn City Schools Robert Buck III, Wilson Elementary, Forest Hills Local Schools Douglas Higham, Geo G. Dodge Intermediate,Twinsburg City Schools Kara Jackson, Toll Gate Middle, Pickerington Local Schools Mark Lotycz, Fairbanks Elementary, Fairbanks Local Schools Melanie Pearn, Madison Avenue Elementary, Riverside Local Schools Jacqueline Schuenaman, Retired Erin Simpson, Overlook Elementary, Wadsworth City Schools Kathleen Verhoff, Kalida Elementary, Kalida Local Schools
Retired Committee
Donna Ball, Chair, Retired from Marysville Exempted Village Schools Carolyn Beal, Retired from Delaware City Schools Lisa Garofalo, Retired from Cincinnati City Schools Robert Kelly, Retired from Mount Healthy City Schools Laurie Parrish-Storm, Retired from Green Local Schools James Roe III, Retired from Westerville City Schools
RURAL/Small District concerns Committee
Paulette Baz, Park Elementary, Swanton Local Schools Scott Bowling, J. T. Karaffa Elementary, Toronto City Schools Janice Gearhart, Westfall Elementary, Westfall Local Schools Jeffery Schiller, Cuyahoga Heights Elementary, Cuyahoga Heights Schools Teresa West, Central Elementary, Vinton County Local Schools
Secretary Award Committee
Elizabeth DiDonato, Eastport Avenue Elementary, Claymont City Schools Susanne Waltman, Strausser Elementary, Jackson Local Schools Lisa Elson, St. Marys Intermediate, St.Marys City Schools Rebecca Hornberger, Violet Elementary, Pickerington Local Schools Michelle Unger, Muskingham Valley ESC, Perry-Hocking Regional Office
urban concerns Committee
April Knight, Avondale Elementary, Columbus City Schools Gretchen Liggens, Oliver Hazard Perry Elementary, Cleveland Metropolitan Schools Jay Parks, Retired Katherine Sabo, Norwood Middle, Norwood City Schools Andrew Smith, Columbus Africentric Elementary, Columbus City Schools Rasheeda White, North Avondale Montessori Elementary, Cincinnati City Schools Olympia Williams, Ohio Avenue Elementary, Columbus City Schools
Special thanks to our members who served on... Academic Content Standards Committee—Steven Foreman, Zanesville City Schools Committee for Practitioners for ODE—Theresa Kucsma, Retired edTPA Committee—Heidi Kegley, Frank B. Willis Intermediate, Delaware City Schools Educator Standards Board—Jen Denny (2014), New Albany Elementary, New Albany-Plain Local Schools Educator Standards Board—Ken Pease, Slate Hill Elementary, Worthington City Schools NAESP/NASSP Joint Committee on Teacher Evaluation—Ken Pease, Slate Hill Elementary, Worthington City Schools ODE Report Card Website—Jonathon Muro, Madison Middle, Madison Local Schools Ohio Equity Plan Work Group—Aretha Paydock, The Arts Academy at Summit, Canton City Schools Ohio’s Deans Compact on Exceptional Children—Barbara Werstler, Geo G. Dodge Intermediate, Twinsburg City Schools OPES Work Group—Greg Barlow, Fayetteville-Perry Elementary, Fayetteville-Perry Local Schools OPES Work Group—Timothy Barton, Alton Hall Elementary, South-Western City Schools OPES Work Group—Danny Graves, Columbus City Schools OPES Work Group—April Knight, Avondale Elementary, Columbus City Schools OPES Work Group—Cynthia VanScyoc, Shenandoah Elementary, Noble Local Schools Senate Advisory Committee on Testing—Dr. Rachel Jones, Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools
What about you? Want to get involved? Have a knack for writing? Think about joining the Editorial Committee. Are you a whiz with social media? Consider signing up for the Communications Committee. Do you love our professional conference and have some great ideas about future speakers, vendors, and themes? We’d love to have you participate in the Professional Conference Committee. OAESA will be sending out information to our members about serving on a committee soon. Please watch your e-mail and mail to find out more about this opportunity to serve your organization and colleagues.
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Cowboy Up! by Julie Kenney
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here’s a saying at my school: “Show them the Etna Way!” We live by a code here at Etna Road Elementary, and that code is a lot like the Golden Rule: treat people like you’d like to be treated yourself. By showing respect and being responsible, we have been able to do so much good for many underprivileged students in this urban school. We tell our students that character matters, and good character is doing what’s right when no one is looking. This is much like the definition of true grit—having courage and resolve and displaying strength of character. This correlation got me thinking: In what other ways are teachers and administrators like cowboys? I’ve compiled a list of phrases from the “Code of the West” and compared them to ways we show grit in our school.
“A cowboy is pleasant, even when out of sorts. Complaining is what quitters do, and cowboys hate quitters.”
Working in a school, it’s never easy. The hours are long, the day is hard, and the job isn’t always glamorous. From the moment we step out of our cars in the morning, we must turn on our smiles and be happy for the children we serve. They need us, and for some, we are the most consistent people in their lives. So we can’t complain or quit, even at 7:30 a.m. when we haven’t had coffee yet. Remember why we signed up to be teachers; we knew it wouldn’t be easy.
“A cowboy always helps someone in need, even a stranger or an enemy.”
One little kindergarten boy stole my heart in 2011. He was so needy and in my office more than he was in the classroom. The poor little guy was without a mother, extremely hyperactive, and often dirty. One day I saw him in the hall, and he was crying. He grabbed my hand. I bent down on one knee to get to his level, and he put his germ-filled hands on both sides of my face and said, “Ms. Kenney, I need you!” I fought back tears and got to work for him.
“A cowboy is loyal to his ‘brand,’ to his friends, those he rides with.”
One Christmas a family member bought me a personal protection alarm for my key ring. I asked what inspired this gift and was told it was because I worked in a dangerous school where I had to go through metal detectors. I quickly explained that we do not have metal detectors and that I didn’t think we needed them! The longer I work here, I realize my school is my home, and my coworkers are my family. One of our tasks should always be to share the true message of how wonderful our system really is. So as the principal, one of the interview questions I always ask is: “Why Whitehall?” I’m always looking for that special teacher who can be loyal to us and understand why we work where we do!
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“Every trail has some puddles.”
In our world, nothing is perfect, and no classroom is without at least one character that needs extra attention and TLC. We used to spend a lot of time talking about all the “bad” kids and how much time we lost teaching because someone’s behavior took attention away from the lesson. When we actually do the math, we really only have 10 percent or less of our students that would be considered frequent flyers to the office. Knowing this, we had our teachers make a list of which students really take the most time and then helped the teachers develop plans to accommodate them. The biggest shift in thinking came when we shared real-life office referrals with our teachers and had them understand how many we were handling and to what caliber. It allowed teachers to understand that we were treating many events like they were the Great Flood of 1913, when in actuality a lot of those incidents were really only tiny puddles.
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.”
If OTES has taught me one thing, it would be to talk less and listen more! I learn so many more interesting facts about my teachers, what they’re teaching, and how they’re working with students when I give them the opportunity to share with me. A post-observation conference is much more effective when I allow it to be filled with details and examples of how events, lessons, and stations are implemented in more than just the class time I visited. I also apply this cowboy code when parents want to talk to me about something they’re upset about. I’ve found that often they want to be heard before they can be open to hearing from me.
“Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but about how well you bounce.” In education, we must remind ourselves that things won’t always go exactly as planned, and we have to be able to bounce back. Recently I was meeting with my fourth grade behavior intervention team, and we were sure that we had created the perfect plan for one student. We were right; the plan worked perfectly—for one day! After our egos crashed to the floor, we had to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and reconfigure the plan. In essence, we had to bounce. And my personal favorite, as it applies to always checking and double-checking your progress and making sure your teachers and staff share the same vision you do:
“If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then, to make sure it’s still there with ya.”
About the Author Julie Kenney is the principal of Etna Road Elementary in the Whitehall City School District. You can reach her at kenneyj@wcsrams.org. Julie and Robert Goetz, a teacher from her school, will be presenting the clinic, “Get Down to the Nitty Gritty,” at the conference at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 11.
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Universal Grit-building Strategies by Jim Grant
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ver the past few months, I have been crisscrossing the country conducting workshops to help with ways to develop people’s growth mindset and strengthen their grit. A recurring question keeps coming up in every session: Will these strategies work at different grade levels as well as in nonschool settings, such as business and services groups? The answer is: yes!
grit traits of your five closest friends and/or relatives and seek to emulate those traits that have helped them persevere and become successful.
So what do universal mindset and grit-building strategies look like? I will share a few of my favorites. One of the easiest strategies to strengthen your perseverance is developing the habit of motivating yourself with the power of positive self-talk statements, e.g., “I will not quit, I will stay-the-course, I will be here now, I will not text until I finish this task,” etc. I have found that displaying inspirational posters in a prominent place is a great strategy to inspire myself as well as those around you. Some of my favorites sayings include one by Henry Ford: ”Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Another one that keeps me going is from President Teddy Roosevelt: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” When I need courage to take a stand, I read a quote by Reverend Billy Graham: “When a brave person takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” When I share a strategy promoting surrogate grit and the value of modeling, I begin with a wise saying from Jim Rohn, who once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Take time to audit the
Another universal strategy is to time yourself as to how long you can stay with a challenging task. Strive to increase your time-ontask each day. Google the word “SISU” (\see, soo\), the meaning-laden grit word that defines Finland. Once you process this powerful term, find your own SISU symbol to look at and think about as a way to stay-the-course, persevere, and not be a quitter. My SISU symbol is Mount Monadnock, the second most climbed mountain in the world. The word Monadnock is derived from the Abenaki language and loosely translated it means “mountain that stands alone.” I always feel uplifted and gain inner strength whenever I view this mountain.
An important strategy for developing a growth mindset is making a conscious effort to eliminate using the word “try” when making a commitment. Saying “I’ll try” can be used as code for not intendI have been sharing the virtues of grit with a wide range of busi- ing to do something. Keep in mind “gritty” people make and keep ness enterprises, including service groups. Why? We are at a tip- commitments. ping point in our society. Driven by concerns about the younger generation, there is a great deal of interest about entitlement, de- A beginning point of your grit journey starts with a strategy to termination, work ethic, perseverance, tenacity, and a host of other reclaim lost and/or diminished grit traits. The SDE website is a character-related areas. It comes as no surprise that being “gritty” treasure trove of helpful free downloads. Visit www.sde.com/ resonates with everyone, as it’s something we all want for our own downloads. Look at “Teacher Resources” and find “Free Downfamily members. loads—Jim Grant.” Click on “Grit & Mindset” and go to “Reclaiming Lost and/or Diminished Grit Traits.” Any traits identified on This realization created an epiphany. It became evident that over this activity would indicate a trait in need of strengthening. Select half the tips and techniques I have been sharing are universal a signature song whose words embody your grit and spirit. Repeat mindset and grit-building strategies. What is meant by universal the words to the song as a way to energize yourself. My song is “The strategies? What are the attributes that classify a strategy as being Impossible Dream,” from The Man of La Mancha. The words lift universal? Strategies considered universal are ones that work well me up and inspire me to fight the good fight on behalf of children. for a diverse range of people, e.g., English Language Learners, those who are information poor due to being raised in poverty, people I also suggest repeating inspirational lines from a movie as another with learning disabilities or “invisible” disabilities, people from dif- way to foster being “gritty.” Because I am involved with the food ferent cultures/ethnicity, etc. By simply adjusting the wording and pantry in town and feeding hungry people is important to me, I tweaking the accompanying activities, these low-prep, high-impact borrow a line from Henry Fonda as Tom Joad in The Grapes of grit strategies can readily be modified to work at specific age and Wrath: “Wherever there’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be grade levels as well as with different types of groups. there.”
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These are just a few of my favorite universal grit-building strategies that can be easily adapted to a wide range of situations. Let’s hope being “gritty” is as transformational for you as it has been for me. Grit luck!
I AM GRIT READY. ARE YOU? Personal Resolution...I resolve I will: __ maintain an optimistic perspective. __ look at setbacks as a learning experience. __ continue to learn and grow. __ look at good failures as a pathway to success. __ try things I’ve never done before. __ create and follow my own path to the future. __ be persistent and stay-the-course. __ be prepared and punctual. __ redefine myself and strive to become an outlier*. __ follow my heart and trust my intuition. __ live my life in a way that will inspire others. __ practice gratitude every day. *According to Jim, leaders who are outliers persevere during challenging times.
Cut out the above checklist and share with your staff or stick it on your fridge to serve as a daily reminder. You will find this resolution and other fantastic resources at www.sde.com. The article on p. 42 was featured on SDE’s blog, Appleseeds, on October 2, 2014, and was printed here by permission of Jim Grant. Jim Grant is an internationally renowned educator, author, and keynote speaker, and is regarded by fellow educators as one of America`s most passionate advocates for children. A teaching principal for almost twenty years, he founded Staff Development for Educators (SDE, Inc.), with the goal of creating classrooms where all students can succeed. Jim is currently the executive director of SDE. Jim will present, “What Every Educator Should Know About Grit,” as keynote speaker at the professional conference at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 11, and will host two breakout sessions that day—one for administrators at 11:00 a.m. and one for teachers at 2:15 p.m. Come hear more about what he has to say!
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GRIT
by Brod Bagert to my friend Jim Grant I break the chains, I fly sky high, I’m strong as strong can be, because I’ve learned to persevere, it’s perseverant me. Like fourth grade long division, it gave me such a fright. I got it wrong a hundred times before I got it right. In fifth grade it was science fair, I almost threw a fit. For three whole months I struggled, but my project was hit. And trying out for sixth grade band was not a lot of fun, but after two whole years of work I’m trumpet number one. I break the chains, I fly sky high, I’m strong as strong can be, because I’ve learned to persevere, it’s perseverant me. I struggle and I practice, then I struggle more and more. Sometimes it can be fun, but often more it’s a bore. But I’ve learned that perseverance is a special king of friend, I’m spinning in the middle but I’m winning in the end. P-E-R S-E-V E-R A-N-C-E Perseverance. That’s the word. The thing that sets me free.
©2014 Brod Bagert. Reprinted here with permission from the author. Check out the rest of Brod’s poetry at www.brodbagert.com.
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W E L C O M E ‘s New Members Zone 1 Claire Giardino Megan Smith Juliana Speakman Zone 2 Jenny Moeller Sabrina Armstrong Robyn Bersani Melissa Bly Becky Cornett Brian Daft Kelley Felder Timothy Fessler Brian Lyons Michael Mayfield Linda Pavlinac Dawn Schroeder Lisa Tenbarge Zone 3 Jennifer Baldwin Rhona Craig Andrew Foltz Andrew Group Dennis Halaby Valerie Herdman Melissa McClain Alicia Mitchell Kathryn Randenburg Jennifer Rhoades Emily Tierney Gerald Todorovich Kaitlin Toth Stacey Williams Zone 4 Kayeann Batanian Jillian Bigelow Brian Cannon Michelle Dammeier Kathleen Daney Jamie Holley James Lang
Joy McCarthy Melissa Ramirez Charles Schroeder Laurie Worline Carrie Wray Zone 5 Adam Brown Mindy Brown Tom Hager Jennifer Jackson Jennifer Long Natalie Long Alison Mayer Kaitlyn Turner Zone 6 Najma Abdur-Rahim Mary Adamo Lisa Adams Andrea Aller Kennethian Brown Marisol Burgos Elizabeth Burkhalter Brandee Carson-Jones Tamea Caver Adrianna Chestnut Adrienne Clotman Thomas Dreiling Shannon Federinko Wendy Geiling Kelly Gibbs Luciana Gilmore Dawn Hayden Kelvin Holland Aarion Hudson Lawanda Jackson Amelia Johnson Martina Kehoe Monique Martin Sheila McGhee Melissa McKibben Lisa Moorer
Andrea Moss Janee Moss David Mowry John Musat Patricia Norman Frank Sciarabba Maria Shaw Reginald Shaw Robin Simmons Carol Smith Christa Smith Tanya Stitt Tiffany Stropko Taura Talbert-Salter Latia Taylor Jody Wessler
Zone 10 Samantha Althouse Jodie Bailey Maurice Branscum Jill Carfagna Kim Castiglione Alison Fisher Michael Fluhart Jennifer Fry Dustin Gaver Katie Grijak Rebecca Hudson Andrew Knuckles Amanda Koenig Cynthia Lenox
Kathryn Moser Michael Nesler Staci Peters Kimberly Pirie Joseph Pratt Eric Riddle Christy Rigsby Diane Savage Alexandra Seiling Kayla Shriver Allison Swanger Megan Valentino Michelle Wagner Michelle Watts Bradley Zimmerman
Zone 7 Trisha Arko Nome Baker David Bermann Julie Blair Christopher Chieffo Lisa Delguyd Geraldine DeWitt Halley Fast Karen Klem Melissa Puhalla Richard Shields Julie Simmons Lori Slekar Zone 8 Christina Hull Carli Jones Carrie Kirsch Alivia Myers Jessica Schering Zone 9 Mary Hitchens Laura Tompkins
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Grit: Lessons Learned from the
Greatest Generation by Dustin Knight
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grew up in the 70s, a child from a broken home, and was raised by my grandparents who were part of the greatest generation. They not only knew what grit was, but they lived it through the Great Depression and World War II. I began learning the lessons of grit and strong moral fiber from the time I was a toddler until…well, until right now! Their lessons of perseverance and gritwrapped moral direction have helped me become a strong teacher, principal, and father. They instilled morals shared today by the baby boomers—completing chores, saving money, putting forth 100 percent effort, respecting others, believing that hard work pays off, putting family first, etc.
My grandfather was a career military man who served in the US Navy during WWII. He was disciplined and strict but also caring and fair. My grandmother was born into poverty and was the eldest of four children. She contracted polio as an infant and lost most of the use of her left arm. Her mother died when she was thirteen years old, leaving her with the task of taking care of her three younger siblings. Living through the Great Depression, my grandparents learned the value of hard work, respect, and the importance of saving a dollar. They both had full-time careers and worked into their seventies.
My grandparents constantly praised me for working and taking on responsibility. Even though they loved me unconditionally, they made sure I understood that hard work was necessary and that any allowance or rewards were earned, not given. Their lessons became more meaningful when I became an adolescent. After high school, I considered joining the military. I was ready to sign up for the Marine Corps when my grandfather said that I should consider college first. This surprised me, coming from a military man, but he expressed how smart I was and that I should work hard to get an education. He told me that if I went to college, he and my grandmother would help pay for a portion of the tuition if I paid the rest from my job at the grocery store. I decided to go to college and major in education.. It wasn’t easy working nearly forty hours a week and attending school full time, but I persevered and graduated with a teaching degree. To say that my grandparents were proud of me is an understatement. They praised me for being the first person in my family to earn a college degree and becoming a teacher. After teaching for several years, I set a goal to become a principal. While teaching and attending graduate school, I married (my grandfather was my best man) and bought a home, and my wife and I had our first child—our son. My grandparents were at the hospital the day he was born. Seeing and feeling their pride in me and my family was indescribable to me. Soon after earning a master’s degree in educational administration, I received my first principal position—two weeks before school started! My grandparents once again gleamed with pride and joy, and I did too, knowing how hard I had worked to get where I was.
the author as a baby with his grandfather
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As time passed, I noticed my grandparents aging faster. When my grandmother was ninety-two and my grandfather eighty-eight, they still attended every birthday party and stopped by my school to support their great-grandchildren and me. They always put fam-
ily first and encouraged me to do the same. Sadly and unexpectedly my grandmother passed away a year ago. I was at the hospital with my grandfather to comfort him and to help him grieve his best friend of nearly sixty years. This was by far the hardest experience I have ever had in my life. However, perseverance and my years of hard work and experience taught me that life must go on. I thought of my grandmother carrying on when her mother died and, later in life, when she had to care for her two sisters, who both died of cancer. She always told me, “Whoever said life was easy? It’s full of ups and downs, and you have to be strong and move on.” My grandfather is nearly ninety, and he is doing well, living alone without my grandmother. I visit him several times a week, and we have a unique relationship now. Although I will always be his grandson, I now feel like he is my best friend, and sometimes I feel as though our roles have reversed. I look after him as he and my grandmother looked after me. This is a true full-circle situation, and although it isn’t easy, it has been a life lesson of grit for me. I am very thankful that I was raised by grandparents who passed
“Lessons of grit must be passed on to our youth so they understand that hard work equates to success.” their sense of grit to me. Their lessons of perseverance, working hard, and putting family first have made me a better person and principal. I only hope I can do the same for my children. Lessons of grit must be passed on to our youth so they understand that hard work equates to success. Today our students need these lessons more than ever. Society is different today. If children do not understand how to be gritty, success in life will be much harder to attain, but fortunately school leaders have the opportunity to show them that success is earned, not given.
the author with his children and grandfather Here are some important grit lessons I learned from my grandparents that I encourage parents, teachers, and principals to teach children and youth: •
•
•
•
Effort—When children know to put forth their best effort at anything they do, they increase their chances of being successful. Children who put forth optimal effort will succeed, and they will learn that it’s their effort that leads to success. Respect—Children must learn to respect each other and adults. The Golden Rule works great with children: “Treat others as you want to be treated.” In fact, this is a core virtue for everyone. Hard Work— Nothing is rarely achieved without hard work and perseverance. Children must understand that their success depends on how hard they work to earn something. This can be a test, or it can something as simple as completing chores at home. Accepting and Learning from Failure—Children need to know it is okay to fail. Not everyone can win all the time. Children must learn how to lose to improve. I see many parents today who enable their children. This can potentially hurt a child’s motivation and drive to be successful in the future.
Principals and teachers have the opportunity to help instill positive choices, important life skills, and grit every day. Grit lessons are not always easy to teach, but they are important lessons that we must teach to insure kids’ happiness and success.
About the Author
the author and his grandfather today
Dustin Knight served on the OAESA Board of Directors for Zone 1 from 2007–2009. He is currently a county representative for Fairfield County and is the principal of Tarhe Elementary School in Lancaster, Ohio, where he’s served for the past twelve years. He lives in Lancaster with his wife, son, and daughter.
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Sorry...We’re Booked! The Mindful School Leader
by Valerie Brown and Kristin Olson Reviewed by Christine Hames, first grade teacher, Leetonia Exempted Village Schools
Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8— Teaching Kids to Succeed by Debbie Silver Reviewed by Carrie Sanchez, principal, Port Clinton Middle, Port Clinton City Schools
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his book is a wonderful, useful, and applicable tool for all educators. Oftentimes in education we feel that we need to create the best “reward” or the best “hook” to engage our learners. In Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8, Silver addresses the fallacies in those theories and provides readers with true, hands-on tools to implement in schools, classrooms, and even individuals. Twenty-first century learners need to be problem solvers; they need to be hungry to find answers to problems and situations posed to them. Silver discusses topics that all educators battle, including the need for instant gratification, learned helplessness, and entitlement. Twenty-first century schools need to reinforce ideas, such as deliberate practice, earned success, and empowerment. Silver provides tools to do exactly that. Student motivation is critical in the formula for student success. Silver’s approach allows educators—teachers and administrators alike—to self-evaluate the culture of one’s classroom and school and move forward to help students learn to want to succeed.
We extend our appreciation to Corwin for providing these publications to our reviewers. You can order these books and other resources at: Tel: (800) 233-9936 Fax: (800) 417-2466 Mail: 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 www.corwin.com To inquire about discounts for large quantities or to request information about professional learning programs built around these books, please contact your account manager at (800) 831-6640.
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he Mindful School Leader is an inspiring book that offers practical ways to bring calmness into schools. Mindfulness alleviates stress in the body and mind. Pressures in the schools often leave everyone stressed and unable to perform to the best of their ability. Research shows that you can change your schools using eight weeks of meditation practice, which increases capacity around self-awareness, attention, visual processing, and memory. All of these things help leaders and educators to be less reactive. Most importantly, we need to remember to stop and observe. We need to take care of ourselves before we can meet the demanding job of taking care of our students. The Mindful School Leader included many testimonials that showed how using mindfulness has changed leaders, teachers, and students. This process is changing schools, starting with the leaders and working its way down. This book was interesting to me. I have already recommended the book to my principal and fellow teachers. We are all under pressure and could use these simple steps to change the atmosphere in our school. The positive highlights of the book include several testimonials from people that are already using mindfulness in their schools. I also like that the authors included step-by-step directions on how to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practical tool for schools. You can start with oneand three-minute exercises. Overall the book is easy to use, and I cannot wait to try these exercises. The Mindful School Leader is a great resource for administrators, teachers, and anyone in education today.
Resiliency in Schools: Makng It Happen for Students and Educators by Nan Henderson and Mike M. Milstein Reviewed by Becky Diglia, curriculum director, Lincolnview Local Schools
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esiliency is the key to surviving and even thriving throughout the ups and downs of life, no matter what types of adversity we face. Identified resiliencies include initiative, independence, insight, relationship, humor, creativity, and morality. The diverse population served in today’s schools come with varying levels of resiliency, regardless of academic and social levels, but all students need to have caring and dedicated adult role models who will ensure that students do develop resiliency to succeed at life. All educators must take this on as the most important quality that students will gain from school, despite the situation they come from. In order for teachers and administrators to succeed at this role, they must also possess the quality of resiliency in both their own personal and professional lives. The book gives a clear presentation of six factors needed in a school environment in order to promote resiliency in students and staff members. Teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, and community members must work together to create a learning environment that provides experiences that allow for bonding, clear boundaries, life skills training, caring and support, high expectations, and opportunities for meaningful participation in order to ensure students develop the critical resiliencies that will help them become highly functioning individuals. The information in this book is well presented in an informative and persuasive manner. It provided a clear explanation of the importance of going beyond identifying deficits and weaknesses in our struggling, at-risk students to help educators remember to identify and build on students’ strengths in order to give them the tools they need to rise above the labels and stigmas that often hinder people for life. Positive highlights of the book include the short chapters and tables and charts that provide clear profiles of resilient students, teachers, and schools contrasted with the profiles of students, teachers, and schools in needing resiliency improvement. These provide a quick review and reference the key factors and issues for schools and communities to focus on. A weakness in the book is that it has a 2003 copyright, which some
might find a bit dated. It would be helpful to have an updated version with more current examples of schools that have succeeded at full implementation of resiliency building programming. Practical usage for administrators includes the tools provided at the end of the book to complete an assessment to determine what aspects of resiliency building is currently present within the school environment. Because of the short length of the book, it could be used as a book study with the staff and district leadership team to develop a strategic plan for becoming more intentional with resiliency-building practices throughout the school culture.
Fostering Resilience by Martin L. Krovetz
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Reviewed by Kelli Thobe, assistant principal, Celina Primary School, Celina City Schools
ostering Resilience offers several means that schools and districts can implement to increase scores, close achievement gaps, and, as the title states, foster resilience within the students. Getting the community and nearby colleges/universities involved with K–12 education is a common theme in the schools and districts the author outlines in this book. As author Martin L. Krovetz shares his experiences and success with each of the schools, he also reminds the reader of the true meaning of being in education. To be effective and instill a love of learning in the children, educators must first care for and get to know each student. With all the shifts in education today, many educators feel the stress to meet standards and foster a relationship with each child. The book has many ways to help students grow (socially, academically, and emotionally) through partnerships with nearby universities. If a district is able to collaborate with a university, much of the book would be useful to consider for implementation. Unfortunately, the programs developed by each of the schools in the book require several years, struggles, and much stress to obtain the success. The book does, however, give the reader a sense of why one entered the education field to begin with—to enrich the lives of children through teaching and compassion, where the well-being of students is put before curriculum, testing, and standards.
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Across perseverance and passion for long-term goals keynote speaker at OAESA's professional conference who asks the question: "How do I prepare my students for the real world?" _________________ intelligence: awareness of other people’s motives and feelings author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character professor of psychology at Stanford University who defined growth and fixed mindsets mindset that allows a person to live a less stressful and successful life the tendency to see the positive in situations and to believe in a favorable outcome treating others the way you want to be treated self-__________________: trust in one's own abilities mindset in which people believe qualities like intelligence and ability cannot change the quality of being thankful inquisitiveness having great enthusiasm and energy
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Down not giving up; persistence showing admiration for someone because of their abilities, qualities, or achievements strength in the face of adversity the ability to become strong or successful again after something bad happens American psychologist associated with the study of grit ____________________ Grit, a book written by Thomas Hoerr about how to prepare students for the real world True Grit: Educators Partnerin' for ______________ the state of being tenacious founder of Staff Development for Educators, Inc. and OAESA professional conference speaker
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