Ohio ASCD Journal
Winter/Spring 2016
OHIO ASCD JOURNAL Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
In This Issue
Editor’s Welcome
Putting the “Special” Back into Special Education by Bonnie Grimm, Maria Schafer, Dr. Bob Stark, and Dr. Mike White ………………………………………. Collective Collaboration by Mariann Moeschberger, Kathryn Plesec, and Nicole Westendorf ………………………………………. Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar (ALAS): Crystallizing the Future by Celebrating the Past by Barbara J. Cockroft ………………………………………. Professional Development: Maximizing Resources, Increasing Results by Dan White ………………………………………. The Fashion of Passion Are We Setting Goals Too High? Part I of II by Dr. Sylvia Rimm
by Dr. David Silverberg
Ohio ASCD Journal
The Ohio ASCD Journal is committed to publishing engaging articles written by real-world practitioners. The spring edition of the Journal features pieces that highlight some of the most compelling issues of the day, including Leadership (Barb Cockroft), Professional Development Strategies (Dan White), Special Education (Bonnie Grimm, Maria Schafer, Bob Stark, and Dr. Mike White), Collaboration for Student Growth (Mariann Moeschberger, Kathry Plesec, and Nicole Westendorf), and Student Underachievement, Part I (Dr. Sylvia Rimm) Thank you for joining our exploration of today’s educational landscape. I believe that the Journal is an excellent platform for our shared growth and hope that you too will consider submitting an article that celebrates your wisdom and vision. Please send me your ideas: dsilverb@ashland.edu David Silverberg, Ed.D. • Editor, Ohio ASCD Journal; Board Member, Ohio ASCD • Faculty, ASCD Professional Development Services • Director, Telego Center for Educational Improvement, Ashland University
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Noteworthy Dates Ohio ASCD Winter Conference ASCD Annual Conference Whole Child Symposium Ohio ASCD Summer Conference
2/9/16 4/2/16 - 4/4/16 4/20/16-4/21/16 6/14/16
Columbus, OH Atlanta, GA Cincinnati, OH Columbus, OH
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Putting the “Special” Back into Special Education by Bonnie Grimm, Maria Schafer, Dr. Bob Stark, and Dr. Mike White Education Consulting Services 1. Honor the Teacher We can sometimes forget that special education teachers are first and foremost teachers. They are the experts in intervention and support. However, these experts often find themselves in the role as classroom aide. In this role they help students maintain focus, follow class directions and instruction, complete assignments as well as provide accommodations and modifications. Supporting inclusion in this way is and will continue to be an important part of meeting student’s needs and allowing students to access core curriculum. However, an inclusion model alone does not address skill deficits that prevent success in the first place. No student has ever been taught to read by having an intervention specialist whisper in their ear during regular classroom instruction! When intervention specialists provide direct instruction to correct skill deficits, students become readers and thinkers and better students. Every student has the right to learn how to read. For students who are not responding adequately to regular classroom instruction, the opportunity
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for intensive specialized instruction with the intervention specialist must be in place. When special educators establish themselves as experts in intervention and support, they become more valuable to the general education teacher. In this manner we are honoring both the skill of the teacher and the needs of the students. 2. Honor the Student Students who lack foundational skills in literacy are often viewed as lazy, incapable, and unmotivated. To make stronger students we need to make stronger readers. Knowing how to read may be the ultimate “power standard”. The time required to provide intensive reading instruction must become a priority within the daily schedule. As reading skills improve, struggling students become more confident, allowing them to participate more meaningfully in class, attempt grade level tasks independently, and demonstrate increased stamina. It is imperative to expose students with disabilities to grade level standards, material and conversations. Remember, that a non-reader is 2
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not a non-thinker. Educators cannot wait until students learn to read to teach them grade level content. Poor readers are often tracked into low performing groups, reducing opportunities for exposure to grade level vocabulary and grade level thinking. Poor readers need opportunities to hear grade level text, complete grade level work, and participate in collaborative groups. To honor students they must receive corrective instruction as well as opportunities to fully participate within the classroom. 3. Honor the Curriculum We need to ensure that special education is not a watered down version of the curriculum. Expectations for students with disabilities are often lower than for typical students. Students that are significantly below grade level may show great progress, yet may not be narrowing the achievement gap that exists for them. We need to maintain a high level of expectation for students with disabilities. While accommodations, modifications and supports are critical to leveling the playing field for student with disabilities, high stake testing is the same for all. We must keep in mind the rigor needed to successfully complete grade level tasks. All students and all teachers must experience what proficient grade level work looks like. To honor the curriculum special education and regular teachers need to provide models of proficient work and scaffolding opportunities for students with disabilities. 4. Confront Barriers to Learning In order for students with disabilities to be successful, external and internal barriers to learning must be addressed. In the classroom, struggling students are often impacted by one or all of the following internal barriers: a lack of
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Winter/Spring 2016
foundational skills, focus, attention, and/or stamina. In addition, external barriers also exists that impact a student’s ability to be successful. We must address the internal barriers to learning in order to enable students to access and benefit from core instruction. Lagging skills in the areas of foundational skills, attention, focus and stamina may cause students to appear lazy, unable to follow directions, off task, and/or unable to initiate or complete assignments in a timely manner. The inability to read on grade level is often the biggest barrier to success. When a student is not able to read on grade level work may take to 2 to 3 times as long to complete. Classwork and assessments become a source of frustration. Students often give up, not reading any or all of a text, guess at answers or just quit altogether. As a result, assessment data may not give an accurate picture of the student’s abilities. Students with disabilities will continue to need frequent checks to follow class instruction and remain on task. Class work and assessments may need to be chunked, directions broken into simple steps, and additional time given for students to process information. External barriers to learning must also be addressed. These barriers might include the building and/or classroom schedule, or lack of effective school wide positive behavior supports, clear building wide and classroom expectations, classroom management, data decision making system and/or of consistent communication between staff and with parents. To honor the impact that these barriers have on student achievement, we must identify the obstacles that are preventing learning success and create a system that address them.
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Collective Collaboration by Mariann Moeschberger, Kathryn Plesec, and Nicole Westendorf At Arthur Road Elementary in Solon, Ohio, collaboration is deliberate and thoughtful in its planning, purpose, and outcome. Four components, each with the same ultimate purpose- being that of student achievement, allow us to monitor each student’s progress and growth. We lead and actively participate in collective collaboration during weekly Leadership Team meetings, monthly Watch List meetings, quarterly Special Education meetings, and Response to Intervention (RtI) coaching and check-back meetings,. Student data drives the conversations. Data allows us to look for patterns and trends. Questions as to why a student might struggle are discussed and student learning goals are crafted and then monitored on a consistent basis. Student growth is expected, and the collaborative team maintains that focus from the start to the finish of the school year. We all know how quickly the year flies. There is not time to say “next time” we’ll look at that student more closely.
opportunity to bring up student concerns or provide updates for the team to discuss or know. It does not end with the team just knowing about a student’s struggle or concern. Knowing is not enough. Action must be taken. The leadership team determines next steps for each student who has been discussed at this weekly meeting. Will a student learning goal be needed? Is communication to parents necessary? Is communication with the teacher occurring? What does corrective instruction for this student look like? Is the student struggling with content or struggling with accessing the content? Really, the questions we ask each other about what might be getting in the way of student learning are endless. This is where we have to push each other and hold true to that commitment of student learning and that all students make progress. We have the mindset of whatever it takes! The additional components of collective collaboration allow us to check on these students again at another point in time.
The principal’s role and responsibility is the monitoring of all information and data for all students. Weekly Leadership Team meetings are a vehicle by which this can occur. These meetings are scheduled on the calendar for the entire year. In attendance are the principal, guidance counselor (RTI coach), curriculum teacher leader, and school psychologist. Our building leadership team commits to each other the importance of having this time to do nothing but discuss student learning. Yes, each team member has a unique role within the school and works with students, but is what is happening with and for a student being communicated to all members of the collaborative team? This weekly meeting allows each team member the
The second component of collective collaboration we utilize is a monthly Watch List meeting, where our Leadership Team meets with grade level teachers and interventionists. These meetings are scheduled a year in advance, but the agenda for this meeting is somewhat flexible as we move through the year, adjusting for the current needs of the building. What remains consistent, however, is the following: the meetings are data-driven, we remain focused on student learning or behavior strategies versus “admiring the problem”, and we leave with an assurance that a plan or goal is in place for each student that is matched to his/her demonstrated need. We are truly “watching” each student grow as a learner.
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Additionally, we have quarterly Special Education Meetings, which are designed to monitor accelerated progress and fidelity of intervention for students with special needs. Again, these meetings are scheduled on the calendar at the beginning of the year, but like Watch List, the agendas are adjusted as needed so that they best serve our current needs. At these meetings, the team expands to include the district Director of Pupil Services, who brings an additional lens of problem solving when we are analyzing students’ trajectories of progress. These quarterly meetings are opportunities for our team to ensure all students have access to and are meeting the grade level curriculum expectations, to review and reflect on the most current data for these students, and to modify instructional plans for students as needed. Whereas the first three components of collaboration are scheduled meetings on our yearly calendar, the last component is ongoing and occurs “in the moment”, as determined by student need. In service of our overarching goal, to ensure that all students are learning, making both academic and behavioral progress, we utilize our district’s model for Response to Intervention (RtI), the Pyramid of Strategies. This Pyramid of Strategies is a district-wide approach to accessing and acting on student data in service of student growth. It involves targeted action goals based on student data from the previous school year (end of year diagnostics, state tests, DRA level), quarterly assessments, and other relevant student data. The process involves individual teacher or group coaching sessions to set targeted learning goals, as well as check back meetings to monitor student progress. Within our Pyramid of Strategies, each member of the leadership team has a role. The school counselor takes on the role of coach and pyramid coordinator, ensuring that student Ohio ASCD Journal
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concerns are acted upon in a timely manner. In years past, the school counselor’s office was often a place where teachers would come to present a student problem and then hope that the counselor would “fix” it. Our model for collaboration moves beyond that “dump and run” model into a collaborative problem-solving model. We focus on strategies, solutions, and progress instead of admiring the problem. Our building school psychologist also serves as a coach and consultant, especially for behavioral concerns. We never hesitate to knock on one another’s doors for help or a quick consult if we are puzzled about a student. Rather than being concerned about whose territory it is to help a child, we work together as student advocates, communicate with parents, and keep the process moving until students are progressing. When we are unsure of what to do next, or are looking for more expertise related to a reading issue, we consult with our curriculum teacher leader. Similarly, we rely on our building math teacher leader for assistance with students who are struggling in math. No member of the team is afraid to ask another for help. Our principal actively supports and participates in these meetings and check backs as needed. She keeps an eye on the entire process, monitoring student progress as the instructional leader of our building. At any given moment, we can each speak to a student’s progress and our knowledge of his/her intervention plan. The collaborative process we have described is not linear in nature; rather, it is a cyclical process. The type and amount of collaborative conversations and meetings are many and varied, but they allow us to fulfill our district’s mission, with confidence, that all children at Arthur Road Elementary School are being challenged to reach their potential.
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Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar (ALAS): Crystallizing the Future by Celebrating the Past by Barbara J. Cockroft, M.Ed. Consultant, State Support Team, Region 9 Co-Manager Young Entrepreneurs Consortium Straight-A Grant “When people are crystal clear about the most important priorities of the organization and the team they work with and prioritize their work around those top priorities, not only are they many times more productive, they discover they have the time they need to have a whole life.” —Steven Covey Having recently celebrated my 15th wedding anniversary, I was reminded of the beauty of crystal, the traditional gift that one gives and/or receives for such a milestone anniversary. When asked to write an article reflecting on the 15-year anniversary of the Ashland Leadership Academy Seminar (ALAS), a leadership program for Ohio’s educational administrators, immediately I thought of the properties of nature’s crystals-the crystallization, their multi-faceted nature and their uniqueness and beauty. Watching snowflakes, delicate ice crystals falling on a snowy, wintry day, I reflected on how the properties of crystals parallel the guiding principles of ALAS: leadership, collaboration, and transformation. CRYSTALLIZATION: LEADERSHIP Crystallization occurs when atoms gather to make tightly bonded or connected groups; ALAS “crystallized” in 2001 in much the same way—with the express purpose of sustaining and enhancing leadership skills, as well as inspiring the vision, of school administrators in Ohio. According to Attorney John Britton, shareholder of Ennis Britton Co., LPA, and one of the ALAS’ Ohio ASCD Journal
Founding Fathers who has served as primary legal presenter since its inception, the threeweekend seminar series began when a number of “like-minded individuals coalesced to address the need to better ‘develop’ educational leaders and fill a void in professional development options for public school administrators. There was a unifying vision of delving into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of effective leadership, not just the ‘what’ of educational administration.” Aware of a program at another university which focused solely on school law and legal issues through “sit and get” lectures, the other Founding Fathers and visionaries, Malcolm Driver and John Haschak, and Drs. Norm Summers, Tucker Self, John Sikula, James Van Keuren, Steve Stuart, Jim Wilkes, Yong Zhao, Stan Heffner, Joel Roscoe, and Jim Mahoney, former superintendents from across the state, wondered if there might be a better option for motivated school leaders—an option that would not only assist current leaders but would provide practical guidance through the presentation of proven leadership information in a collaborative environment. We reasoned that the social aspect of our program would help instill some fun into professional development. ALAS faculty has always appreciated the incredible demands and stressors that administrators face; we strive to keep the atmosphere pleasurable. Although we are dealing with serious issues and topics, we do not take ourselves too seriously. Learning and growth can and should be fun. Furthermore, the group felt strongly that adult learners in the field needed to 6
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participate in the programming and, although a more participative and interactive legal component would be part of the experiment, it was agreed that LEADERSHIP would be the primary focus,” explained Britton. “We opined that not only guest speakers on various topics would be sought, but that the ‘heroes among us’—educational leaders in Ohio who were making a difference and who would be willing to share their experiences and expertise--would be encouraged to participate. M U LT I - FA C E T E D COLLABORATION
N AT U R E :
According to Dr. Dwight McElfresh, Dean of the Founders School of Continuing Education at Ashland University who now serves ALAS as a consultant and historian, ALAS’ locations in its first year were multi-faceted: there was a site in Cleveland, a site in Columbus, and the current Cuyahoga Falls site. Since the participation rate (around 75-100 persons per year) draws largely from Northeast Ohio, it was determined to focus exclusively on its current location in Cuyahoga Falls, although participants from Northwest, North Central and Central Ohio have been consistently added to the ranks. Dr. Gene Linton, Director of the Founders School of Continuing Education at Ashland University, added that the “group is capped at 90-100 attendees. It is intentionally kept small in order to be more intimate and to maximize collaboration and networking opportunities among leaders.” The orderly, repeating patterns of crystals, much like the orderly, repeated programming of ALAS—held in early January, February, and March each year--are a marvel of nature as well as the chemistry of the participants and their collaboration. Monica Myers, current principal of Jackson Memorial High School in Massillon, OH and a member of the planning committee, remarked, “I have many fond memories of the program, having attended Ohio ASCD Journal
now for 13 years. I remember collaboration with my own school’s team of administrators when we attended as a team, meeting other administrators and aspiring administrators, seeing colleagues that have also attended ALAS for many years and sharing with ALAS participants my role as a high school principal as well as doing a presentation after my visit to China.” April Siegel-Green, former administrator for Chardon Local Schools and member of the ALAS planning team agreed, “Many of my fondest memories are of networking times with fellow colleagues, before and after the sessions. They evolved from small groups getting together in the lounge after a presenter to an entire school district of leaders taking over an area in which to connect, discuss and banter about the various topics presented.” Added McElfresh, “My fondest memories are mostly from the planning of the programs. When you put great leaders like John Haschak, Malcolm Driver, Jim Wilkes, John Britton and Mike Wronkovich in a room, the synergy is remarkable! Lots of arguments, storytelling, swapping of tales and remarkable vision of what leaders need to survive in today’s schools.” U N I Q U E N E S S A N D B E A U T Y: TRANSFORMATION Crystals by their very nature bestow in the eyes of the beholder a surreal uniqueness and an eminent beauty. Each year the ALAS series features an overarching theme and a line-up of national, statewide and/or local educational experts. This year ALAS will be held the weekends of January 8-9; Feb. 5-6; and March 4-5, 2016, at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls, OH with the theme being “Communication.” According to Britton, “My passion for effective leadership training has allowed me to have significant input on our leadership speakers and topics. It remains my belief that we are at a crossroads in public 7
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education and the need for energized and efficacious leaders at all levels is imperative to the future of public education, if not its very survival.” Dr. David Silverberg, Director of the Telego Center for Educational Improvement which oversees the series, states, “Ashland University's Telego Center for Educational Improvement provides high-quality outreach programs and services for school districts and Educational Service Centers across the state of Ohio. We produce leadership conferences, curriculum audits, grant evaluations, and a host of other customized services. My role as the director of the Telego Center is to design and deliver high-impact programs that are responsive to district needs.”
THE FUTURE: CRYSTAL MOMENTS
There are many reasons why ALAS has succeeded and endured, according to Britton. “First and foremost, our attendees have a wonderful environment for interaction with peers and the exchange of ideas. Secondly, the quality of the presentations, on balance, provides cutting-edge leadership concepts and approaches that allow for personal and professional reflection. Our legal component provides a chance for administrators to sharpen the saw relative to the ever-changing landscape with hot topics at the forefront. Being able to capably and readily identify legal issues can serve as a major preventer of career derailment. Finally, the social aspect helps put some fun into professional development.” Silverberg adds, “When I think about this year's extraordinary list of speakers, including ASCD CEO Deb Delisle and Corwin author Jennifer Abrams, I am confident that ALAS is succeeding in its mission to provide professional development, networking, and renewal to each generation of leaders. ALAS is the kind of forum that creates the future.” Linton reflects, “Seeing people advance in their career path and their transformation as leaders is always a joy to me each year.”
“ALAS has been the beneficiary of amazing new energy and leadership,” reflects Britton. “The prospects for continued success are incredible. Yet, this platform would have not made it to this point if not for the efforts of two talented leaders: John Haschak and Malcolm Driver. Their selfless commitment to the program and their desire to create a meaningful and relevant vehicle for the benefit of other administrators deserves more than just a mention.”
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Without question the beauty of ALAS lies in its formula for success: participative, informative and entertaining. Britton sees ALAS as remaining tuned in and responsive to the needs of educational leaders—not afraid to innovate and adjust to the changing times. He sees the program expanding to the entire state, so that meaningful leadership programming can reach every corner of the educational geography. In life, we all experience crystal moments, those life-altering experiences that are both enlightening and transformational; being invited to present at ALAS last winter and participating in the series has been one of mine.
It is often said that the best predictor of future performance is past performance. With ALAS’ solid history of developing educational leaders in Ohio through leadership, collaboration and transformation, we do not need a crystal ball. Our children, teachers and staff are in great hands as these crystal moments, coined ALAS, continue to infuse the hearts and minds of the educational leaders of our great state. Happy 15th Anniversary, ALAS! For further information on ALAS and/or to register, please visit: https://goo.gl/NTuEgC
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Professional Development: Maximizing Resources, Increasing Results by Dan White Director of Education, Midview Local School District With Title IIA funds being cut for districts across Ohio, we are all forced to reexamine how we are using staff professional development money to ensure we are getting the greatest return on our investment. This is not new and has been an ongoing discussion, particularly for those of us with scarce resources. One strategy that is working well for us at Midview Local School District is to bring highly skilled trainers to our district multiple times per year to work with our staff. Instead of an isolated training, this model promotes consistency and ongoing review, ensuring we remain on track. Many districts around us have also implemented sustained professional development with success and found it to an improvement to the one-time workshop approach. For example, for the past few years we have brought Dr. Lori Wilfong with Kent State University to our district to work with our teachers on curriculum mapping and creating units that align to Ohio’s New Learning Standards for writing. Dr. Wilfong is extremely knowledgeable and highly respected by our staff. To date, she has worked with all of our English Language Arts teachers in grades kindergarten through eight. Two to three times during the year, Dr. Wilfong spent a half day with either the ELA department or a grade level. Dr. Wilfong first met with all our grade levels to develop
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crosswalks from Ohio’s old standards to the New Learning standards. These crosswalks served as guides for what became our new curriculum maps. Subsequently, these served to help us create writing units for our teachers and students. Throughout this process, we found that the alignment of work being done at each grade level was of greater reliability than we had ever experienced before. We believe this consistency is primarily the result of two things. First, all of our teachers are hearing the same message and being asked to complete similar tasks and objectives. By having Dr. Wilfong lead each session, we built in alignment both horizontally across grade levels and vertically from grade level to grade level. Dr. Wilfong is able to share with each grade level what the grade levels above and below are doing so we can compare and correct inconsistencies. Another benefit to our approach is that Dr. Wilfong works directly with me and our principals to guide us through each step in supporting the success of our teachers and students. Our plan is to have Dr. Wilfong return this year and model some of the instructional bestpractices that support our writing units. We will also begin working on writing units with our high school ELA teachers. This is a work in progress, but we truly believe we are heading in the right direction to meet the needs of our staff and students and promote continued progress across the district.
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The Fashion of Passion - Are We Setting Goals Too High? by Sylvia B. Rimm, Ph.D. Director, Family Achievement Clinic Clinical Professor, Case School of Medicine NOTE: This is Part I of a two-part article by Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm. Part II will appear in the next edition of the Ohio ASCD Journal.
"emotions as distinguished from reason." We must search beyond the obvious to understand
A most frequent and fashionable mantra given today by educators, parents and wellmeaning counselors to adolescents and young adults is "find your passions." It is heard and seen everywhere - at airports, in advertisements, at high school and college graduation addresses, from successful parents and teachers, and even on Starbucks coffee mugs.
what leads reasonable and responsible adults to guide adolescents who are already at the most imaginative and emotional stages in their development to believe that they are entitled to "follow their feelings to find what they will be doing for the rest of their lives?" The appropriate term for young people who believe they are entitled to do only what gives them emotional pleasure is "narcissism."
Here are a few of the recent quotes and advertisements: 1. A poster on a public school wall: “Do What You Love and Do It Often” 2. A poster in an airport: "Mia Hamm Kicked her way to the top. Passion. Pass It On." 3. An internet advertisement: "Turn Your Passion into a Career." 4. An employment ad: "Breaking news! Schools searching for 10 educators passionate about learning!" 5. On Starbucks coffee mugs by the famed and highly successful Oprah Winfrey: "Follow your passion. It will lead you to your purpose." 6. Perhaps most comically, on a giant dumpster: "Trashin' is our Passion.” Passions, as defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary (2007), are "strong feelings," and Ohio ASCD Journal
Highly intelligent adults who are responsible for guiding young people are allowing them and even persuading them to follow only their own feelings, rather than combining feelings with reason and logic or accepting advice from experienced adults for determining their future directions. Dr. Gordon Marino, Professor of Philosophy at St. Olaf College questions, "Is ‘do what you love’ wisdom or malarkey?" (2014). One must explore how this irresponsible "malarkey" has become so omnipresent? The Research That Supports Passion Soccer player Mia Hamm is undoubtedly passionate about playing her sport and is successful as well. Teachers who are passionate about their work are actually more likely to inspire students and Oprah Winfrey is both passionate and extraordinarily successful in her career, so why not encourage this message of searching for one's passion? In a 15-year follow-up study of a sample of successful women (Rimm, Rimm-Kauffmann & Rimm,
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2014), most of the successful women emphasized that they were passionate about their work. Lest readers think I only quote women, I asked my husband and sons how they feel about their work. They admitted they loved their work, at least much of the time. Educational administrators who are passionate about their work at least some of the time are more likely to be effective. Furthermore, I am often very passionate about my own work. Enjoying your work, or intrinsic motivation, absolutely enhances learning and should surely be part of an adolescent search for meaning, so what can be wrong with this epidemic of advice to search for passions?
passion. The following statements are likely to be shared by adults who realistically enjoy their work:
The Problems with Passion
• After many, many years of hard work and rejection, my art has finally been accepted into an art museum!
The major problems with communicating to gifted children goals for becoming passionate about their work is that adults are either giving them a message of entitlement, or even worse, inspiring them to set their goals too high at a time in their development when they should be searching for their identity with both their emotions and their reasoning abilities. Bright children often internalize perfectionistic, highly competitive pressures. Now adults have added a new pressure that causes them to believe that they must find a “perfect passion." Research on motivation (Davis, Rimm, & Siegle, 2011; Hostettler, 1989) finds that achieving children and adults set realistic expectations and those expectations build their self-efficacy. Underachievers set goals too high or too low, both of which defeat motivation, by serving as excuses for avoiding effort. There is a huge difference in the way successful adults define and understand passion in regard to their work and the way in which imaginative and emotional children understand Ohio ASCD Journal
• I absolutely love my work 'sometimes!' • I made excellent progress on my project! • My journal article was finally published! • I’m making a difference and helping people! • I made a sale today! • I’m helping to design a bridge to alleviate traffic downtown!
• My students’ science project won a prize! Children, adolescents and young adults hear and interpret expectations of passions very differently. Here are some examples: 5th grade boy: "I'm hoping to be a professional basketball player, but I won't play on a team because it's too competitive." Ninth-grade boy (with gaming addiction): "I could become a reviewer of video games. I know them all." Semi-musically talented guitar player: "I’m following my passions and hope to become a rock star.” Or in contrast: Seventh-grade boy: "Why doesn’t the teacher teach us something we love; I don’t like math, it's too boring."
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Eighth-grade boy: "I plan to design video games. I absolutely hate to write. I won't do that homework. The teacher is not teaching me right.” Teenage girl: "My parents expect me to be perfect, the work is too hard." College student: "My passion is to become a writer, but I’m not signing up for a writing course. It will destroy my personal style." Parents and teachers also share these messages with me in my clinic and school about students who they want to help find their passions: • Our son goes from sport to sport, activity to activity, but doesn’t persevere. • My student doesn't seem interested in anything. • My student just wants to get by and do the least he can. • I can’t drag my son away from video games. • My daughter won't take notes, but instead draws. Her passion is art and I think she should not have to take notes. I want her to follow her passions. • My son has good musical talent but won’t take lessons. Instead, he thinks it's important to just play for himself. The Sad Effect of Too High Expectations Young people who have internalized too high expectations will feel extraordinary anxiety or are at high risk for depression, with some experiencing both. Anxious children may habitually avoid effort and competition. Examples of such avoidance include the boy Ohio ASCD Journal
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who won’t even try to play on a basketball team although he loves the sport; the child identified as gifted who refuses to be in the gifted program because she doesn't think she is smart enough or the writer who won’t take a writing course because he fears criticism. Children who go from one activity to another and quit as soon as an activity becomes difficult are searching for their passions, but they equate passions with finding tasks easy and fun. When they fear failure, they discontinue the activity because they no longer believe the activity is their passion. Examples of depressed children include those who give up on joining any activities or who refuse to do homework. One very talented young woman set her heart (and passion) on becoming a solo violinist until she found her talent was only sufficient to play in a symphony orchestra, but not as a soloist. She became so depressed that she could no longer even listen to music although music had been her passion during her entire childhood. Passions Should Be Tempered With Reason Some children feel passionate about unrealistic dreams for their futures, while others can’t seem to become engaged in activities at all. The first are at risk of depression; the second are likely to become underachievers (Rimm, 2008) because they are so fearful of making effort. For those young people who are intensely involved in exclusive activities that they hope will lead them to a career, educators and parents can help them to investigate opportunities toward pursuing careers they may feel passionate about. Acrostic REAL (Figure 1) encourages students to be strategic, emphasizes a growth mindset (Dweck, 2006), and encourages realistic expectations.
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For those students or children who are already entirely engaged in their passions which will lead to careers that are too competitive and likely go beyond their talents, Figure 2 provides reasonable strategies for dealing effectively with their passions without destroying all hope for their career directions. Only a very small percentage will be successful (Rimm, RimmKauffman & Rimm, 2014) and should be encouraged to follow their talent. Parents may invest thousands of dollars in specialized teachers, lessons and opportunities for their children if they overestimate their talents and wish them to only follow their passions. Being realistic and understanding children's limitations can save them frustration and heartbreak down the road. Students Who Are Not Engaged In Anything Children who wander from activity to activity or who give up as soon as they meet a challenge
can be lured toward engagement by much less extreme words than “passion.” Parents often try to encourage them to join an activity by saying such statements as, "You'll probably be really good at basketball if you just try." Although parents don't intend these words to cause pressure, anxious children typically interpret them as impossibly high expectations. Encouraging them to join in activities to develop friendships can assist them in getting started. Teaching children that a strong work ethic will help them to find their strengths and assuring them that there is time to explore their interests and capabilities will give them courage. Finding work experiences or mentors who inspire children can help them discover their interests. Figure 3 with its emphasis on interests, rather than passions, encourages children to become engaged in learning and to persevere. To Be Continued. Part II will appear in the next edition of the Ohio ASCD Journal.
Figure 1: Don’t Steal Their Dreams, but Temper Passion with Reason!
Realistic: Are there real career opportunities? Effort: Effort and perseverance are appropriate mindsets.* Adolescents: Adolescents need to become resilient. Learning: Learning to be strategic is important. *(Dweck, 2006)
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Figure 2: Strategies for Students with Passions in Highly Competitive Careers
Practice: Practice, practice passion area, so you determine the extent of your talent. Alternative: Develop alternative skills in case passion opportunity doesn’t work out. Strive: Strive to win in competitions, and join collaborations to compare your talent. Skills: Select coaches to teach you high-level skills. Install: Install a deadline for rethinking alternative career directions. Opportunities: If opportunities are not realistic, select other direction. Never: Never stop enjoying your passion, but make it into your hobby. Figure 3: Strategies for Students with No Specific Interests
Interests: Interests can guide you. Negotiate: Negotiate time to examine interests thoroughly. Test: Test new activities with friends. Explore: Explore multiple extra-curricular activities. Raise Grades: Raise grades by working hard on school subjects. Experiment: Experiment with part-time and volunteer jobs. Search: Search for mentors and observe their work. Tutor: Tutor young students to build confidence. Serendipity: Serendipitous events or meetings can lead to opportunities. Ohio ASCD Journal
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References Davis, G., Rimm, S. & Siegle, D. (2011). Education of the gifted and talented, (6th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House. Hostettler, S. (1989). Honors for underachievers: The class that never was. Chico, CA: Chico Unified School District Marino, G., A life beyond ‘do what you love,’ (2014, May 17) New York Times
Rimm, S., Rimm-Kaufman, S., & Rimm, I. (2014). Jane Wins Again: Can Successful Women Have it All? A Fifteen Year Follow Up. Tucson, AZ: Great Potential Press. Rimm, S. (2008). Why bright kids get poor grades and what you can do about it. Tucson, AZ: Great Potential Press. Rimm, S. (1994). Why do bright children underachieve? The pressures they feel. How to Stop Underachievement, 4(3), p. 14-17, p. 18. Rimm, S. (2008) How to parent so children will learn (3rd ed.) Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.
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=================================================== ***Submissions and Inquiries are welcome for future publication. Please contact Dr. David Silverberg dsilverb@ashland.edu. =======================================================================
CREDITS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Silverberg, Ed.D.
DEPUTY/MANAGING EDITOR Terri Jewett, M.Ed
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kameren Jewett, J.D.
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