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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Quality #14 SELF-IMPROVING

Guest Blogger: Nadia Smith

Favorite Quote: “Let instruction and knowledge mean more to you than silver or the finest gold. Wisdom is worth much more than precious jewels or anything else you desire”. – King Solomon

Encouraging my students to improve educationally is the obvious part of my job everyday. However, it became evident to me that showing them how to improve personally was just as important. Improving yourself gives you a goal to work toward and be proud of, raises self-esteem, and allows you to put that weary and hesitant foot forward to step into new territory. When a student consistently shows responsibility with their homework and behavior, I can picture this individual as a responsible adult and tell them so. On the other hand, I think it is appropriate to discuss with a student who comes in without their homework several times a week what kind of a worker they plan to be when they are older. Often times, children just see themselves in the “now” and not as adults. Often they are not old enough or developed enough emotionally or cognitively to develop a self improvement plan on their own. They giggle when I have them picture themselves as drivers and members of the work force. Why not step in and help them with that?

The goal of this chapter is to show us how to improve ourselves as individuals to the betterment of the TEAM. According to Maxwell, you should commit to learn something new everyday. This involves a conscious effort to slow yourself down, take time alone and assess your successes as well as failures. Then apply the results of that thinking and changing to benefit the TEAM.

Upon reflection on this chapter, I can see where this concept of SELF-IMPROVING to benefit the team can apply to different aspects of my life. I have many “teams” in my life. They include my family, classroom students, my church and friends.

According to Maxwell, we must:

*become highly teachable
He recommends we, “Adopt the attitude of a learner, not an expert.”

*plan your progress
Decide what you need to do (buying books, attending seminars, etc…) and do it every single day, “…so that not a day passes without your experiencing improvement of some kind”.

* value self-improvement above self-promotion
Make career choices based on opportunities to improve self as opposed to improving financially.

Will you take Maxwell’s challenge to self improve? As teachers, at this time of year we are looking forward to a relaxing summer away from planning lessons and managing children. We can choose JUST one tiny area to improve ourselves and see how to affects the “TEAM”. I look forward to planning my personal goal for this summer. I am curious to see how and if it will benefit my family. I look forward to hearing about yours.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Students Perform Well on MAP, Spring 09

Since it been my duty to report to you about poor performance last year on PACT and MAP, I am happy today to report outstanding progress on the MAP test just completed. Students at J.N. Kellett have made remarkable progress on their MAP test from the Fall of 08 to the Spring of 09. Last Spring, Kellett students made their growth targets in only 2 of the 12 tests administered (3 tests for each of 4 grades). Thanks to a simple plan developed by our Data Team and executed brilliantly by everyone and involving hard and consistent work by our teachers, support staff, parents, and especially children, this Spring, Kellett students met or exceeded their Mean Growth Targets in 10 of 12 tests administered. For further evidence of progress, let's look at the percentage of students who met the Mean Growth Target for their grade. See the table below for details.

Reading Met grade growth target Number meeting target % meeting target
Grade 2 No 29 50.9
Grade 3 Yes 31 54.4
Grade 4 Yes 32 62.7
Grade 5 Yes 26 63.4
Language Usage
Grade 2 No 27 47.4
Grade 3 Yes 25 43.9
Grade 4 Yes 43 84.3
Grade 5 Yes 26 63.4
Math
Grade 2 Yes 30 53.6
Grade 3 Yes 37 66.1
Grade 4 Yes 34 66.7
Grade 5 Yes 23 56.1
Overall Met 10 of 12

I am very proud of the efforts of our students and staff to make this kind of improvement a reality. While we are justifiably proud, we do know that our students can do even better. We have one more round of the new statewide test (PASS) next month and we expect that our students will do just as well or better then. If you want to discuss your child's individual results, contact your child's teacher and schedule an appointment. Many of these children have made unbelievable gains this year as measure by MAP.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Quality 13: Prepared

Prepared: Preparation Can Mean the Difference Between Winning and Losing

Guest Blogger: Courtney Montague

Favorite Quote: "Relationships help us to define who we are and what we can become. Most of us can trace our successes to pivotal relationships." - Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson

As I was sitting down reading this chapter before Spring Break I must admit it was bittersweet for me. The entire chapter was on building relationships and how important those relationships are to your own personal success and your success as a team. How sad it is going to be next year when we are all placed in different locations creating new shared experiences, developing trust in our new colleagues, and earning their respect. As a team we have experienced so much together from changes in administration to deaths in our families to the hilarious things our students do on a daily basis. All of these experiences have helped form a cohesive team that, judging by our most recent MAP scores, have increased student performance beyond what we even imagined.
Maxwell talks about 5 characteristics that should be present in a team and I am going to take a minute and reflect on the one that hit home the most with me. The 5th characteristic is Mutual Enjoyment. If you know me then you could probably guess that was my favorite. As a school employee we all experience hard days and I think the best way to overcome those days is through our mutual enjoyment of being together. In the last 28 days I believe this needs to be the focus of our Kellett team. We have put in the time to earn each others respect, and trust, we have shared many wonderful and trying experiences together and now it is time to enjoy the time we have left. There is nothing like a good laugh to get us through the final days of school. I wish everyone the best of luck as we are earning respect, trust and forming relationships with new colleagues in the future. This has been a great team to be a part of!

5 Characteristics of a good relational team member

1. Respect- Show it to others regardless of whether they have earned it but at the same time fight to earn others respect.

2. Shared Experiences- You can't be relational with someone you don't know.

3. Trust- It is the foundation of good leadership and is also the foundation of a good relationship.

4. Reciprocity- One-sided personal relationships don't last.

5. Mutual Enjoyment- When relationships grow and start to get solid, the people involved begin to enjoy each other.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Quality 12 - Prepared

Guest Blog by Tracey Long
Prepared: Preparation can mean the difference between winning and losing

Favorite Quotes: “The man who is prepared has his battle half-fought.” Miguel De Cervantes

I am an avid sports fan. Usually, it matters not the sport, I just have an appreciation for exemplary performances. The NCAA basketball championships have recently concluded and no I am not going to going to talk about my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels. Instead, I will discuss another esteemed program and its amazing leader. John Wooden is the legendary coach of UCLA. His teams hold the unbelievable record of seven NCAA championships in seven consecutive years. Let me share a few quotes from this legendary coach:

“Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”

“If you have thoroughly prepared and are ready to give it everything you’ve got there is no shame if you fail – nothing to fear in failure.”

“Tiger Woods? Peyton Manning? As important as their physical abilities is the way they work so hard to correct and improve their skills. They are legendary for their hard work. And so is anyone else you might care to mention who has achieved personal success and competitive greatness – Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Lance Armstrong and the list goes on.”
~ Who would you add to this list?

“When you have made the effort to prepare to the fullest extent of your ability – and do not underestimate the great challenge of proper and complete preparation – you will reap the crowning block of the Pyramid of Success; namely Competitive Greatness.”

Perhaps the previously listed quotes sum up Coach Woodens’ thoughts on preparation.

Now for some of Maxwell’s thoughts on preparation and someone that I chose to demonstrate the skill~

If you want to prepare yourself so that you can help your team as it faces the challenges ahead, then think about the following:

Assessment: Know where you are, where you are going and what it takes to get you there. Do you think Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion, assessed his situation daily?

Alignment: “Although you know where you want to go, you’ll never get to your desired destination if you’re not lined up right.” I bet Tiger Woods places great emphasis on his alignment for every shot!

Attitude: “If you believe in yourself and your teammates, then you set yourself up for success.” Just think of any championship team.

Action: “Courage has no greater ally than preparation, and fear has no greater enemy.” Alvin York’s cool headed action saved his squad and helped secure victory during the Battle of the Argonne.

To improve your preparedness…

Become a process thinker: before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.

Do more research: just about every professional utilizes some kind of research to improve themselves.

Learn from your mistakes: the greatest preparation tool can often be person’s own experience.

“You can claim to be surprised once; after that, you’re unprepared.”

Monday, April 20, 2009

Quality 12 - Preparation

Quality 12 -- Preparation: Can Mean the Difference Between Winning and Losing
Guest Blogger: Jan WhitenerFavorite Quotes:
"It is better to prepare than repair.” – John Maxwell
"Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success." –
Henry Ford
“Spectacular achievement comes from unspectacular preparation.”
Roger Staubach
Again, Maxwell utilizes a war hero, this time from World War I to exemplify the next essential quality- preparation. Alvin York, a poor, uneducated mountain boy from rural Tennessee, earned the distinction of “the greatest soldier of World War I.” The third of eleven children, he had no aspirations of greatness other than his passion for hunting. He frequently hunted wild game in his native, rural, setting. As he faced life’s harsh realities, he experimented with a life consumed by drinking, gambling, and fighting for three years before turning his life around through his religious faith commitment. He even founded a church in his community.

The receipt of his draft notice in 1917 presented a dilemma of choosing between his faith and love of God and the family legacy of serving and honoring their love of country. He was prepared physically and mentally, but not spiritually. Although he was an excellent marksman in shooting wild game, his heart was not prepared to take the life of another human being. He followed orders and left for basic training classified as a conscientious objector. It was through the process of preparation that laid the foundation for his success as a soldier. He consulted with his pastor, his captain and his major and continuously sought spiritual guidance from his Bible. This preparation completed his commitment to serve by adding the spirituality component.

His leadership and marksmanship saved his squad and earned him the title of the “Greatest Soldier in World War I” with six of the highest medals offered by four countries. He personally felt the experience taught him the value of human lives and motivated him to educate the children of his community. He helped establish the York Agricultural Institute which still continues to educate.

As educators, we can also enhance our team’s initiatives through preparation using four guiding words.

Assessment: This crucial step in preparation begins with knowledge of where one is headed, possible obstacles, as well as strategies to direct and remain focused on the identified goal

Alignment: The golf analogy provided a vivid example of proper alignment to actions to achieve success. After spending more years than I want to admit chasing a small white ball, I have witnessed success and failure directly linked to the level of alignment. I understand the power of “right work” as essential to success in combination with hard work which alone, does not achieve success.

Attitude: I believe attitude is paramount to success in all one does, whether independently or collaboratively as a team. This encompasses attitudes about the goal, oneself, teammates and abilities of all involved.

Action:
Preparation or determining a plan for the course of action, while powerful, would be meaningless without the commitment to take the initiative to put it into action. Maxwell concludes this chapter by encouraging us to improve our preparedness by becoming process thinkers, using research, and learning from our mistakes. In reading classroom tips shared by Dr. Lucas, the word “plan” is often used. I view “plan” and “prepare” as synonymously interchangeable and believe many toolbox tips validate the importance of preparation.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Quality 11 -- Mission Conscious: The (Big) Picture is Coming in Loud and Clear

Guest Blogger: Yolanda Carter

Favorite Quotes: "He who has a 'why' to live for can bear almost any 'how.' -- Friedrich Nietzsche
"When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it." -- W. Clement Stone


Maxwell begins this chapter with a story from the American Revolutionary War. The story took place June 28, 1778 near Monmouth Courthouse in the town of Freehold, New Jersey. General George Washington was planning a full attack on the British. General Washington was forced to take control of the troops from General Charles Lee who had taken a more tentative approach to his attack on the British. This was an exhausting fight and the soldiers were in much need of water. Mary Hays, the wife of artilleryman William Hays, went to the front lines and supplied the men with water so they could continue to fight. She was dedicated to the American's cause and was willing to do any task needed to help the soldiers. On one of her many trips to the front lines to bring water to the troops, she watched her husband be shot and killed from enemy fire. Instead of stopping to mourn the loss of her husband, she took his place as the cannon's gunner knowing that every gun was important for the success of this battle. The Americans won this battle because of their determination and commitment as a team. This battle boosted the troops morale and was a political triumph. General Washington named Mary Hays a noncommissioned officer because her efforts.

Mary Hays, also known as Molly Pitcher, is a wonderful representation of the attitude the people had while fighting in the Revolutionary war. They were mission conscious -- they had a united purpose and worked together to accomplish it. Each individuals actions were driven by the thoughts of what was best for their cause, fellow fighters, and their nation.

4 qualities of all mission-conscious players:
  • They Know Where the Team is Going
  • They Let the Leader of the Team Lead
  • They Place Team Accomplishment Ahead of Their Own
  • They Do Whatever Is Necessary to Achieve the Mission

Any member of a team can hinder the success of the whole team if they are too focused on their individual success or agenda. The team's mission should always be kept in each team member's mind at all times.

To improve your mission consciousness...

  • Check to see if your team focuses on its mission: a team isn't really a team if it isn't going anywhere
  • Find ways to keep the mission in mind: have a mission statement and remind yourself of that statement on a regular basis
  • Contribute your best as a team member.

"Good team players see more than the details of the moment. They are always conscious of a team's mission and act to help achieve it."

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Quality 10 - Intentional

Favorite quote - "You've got to think about "big things" while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction." Alvin Toffler

What does it mean to be intentional? Intentionality comes from making every action count by knowing both what you are doing, and why you are doing it. Chapter 11 is about the big picture. This chapter is about the little actions that bring the big picture into focus. As in any endeavor, the highest level of quality comes from the small things we do to make the big things happen. It's about doing the right things day to day, even moment to moment, all on a consistent basis. What do intentional people have in common? Maxwell says that they;
  1. have a purpose worth living for. Without a sense of purpose, intentionality cannot develop.
  2. know their strengths and weaknesses. They do what you are good at, then do some of the other stuff too.
  3. prioritize their responsibilities. Because they know the why of their lives, the what and when come easier.
  4. learn to say no. No one can do everything.
  5. commit to long-term achievement. As my late, good friend Marvin Cely used to say, "Ain't nothing good ever easy." Marvin founded Marvin's Kids, a non-profit Christmas program that has served thousands of children and families over the years.

How do we become more intentional?

  1. Explore your strengths and weaknesses. Think about it. Ask around for candid feedback - more is better.
  2. Play to your strengths. Resolve to spend more of your time doing what you are good at.
  3. Plan your calendar with purpose. If you think daily, plan for a week.

We can't choose more time, but we can choose to use time more wisely.