You Don't Win Until You Win

Anyone who knows me understands that I love the sport of Track & Field.  So, this past summer of Olympic Track & Field was like a needle and spoon to a smack addict (okay, bad analogy).  To watch Usain Bolt run away from the field in a 9.63 second 100 meter race was nothing short of insane.  To see the athleticism of so many and the intensity of which they competed was a marvel.  American Sanya Richards-Ross won the womens’ 400 meter dash in 49.55 seconds.  At the 2008 Olympic games, Sanya finished third in the same event and cried afterwards with the bronze medal around her neck.  Cried because she finished as the third best quarter-miler in the world?  Why would she cry over that?  Are you kidding me?  Well, the reason that she cried was because she was expected to win.  She wasn’t expected to place third or even as runner-up.  She was expected to win plain and simple.  She learned a lesson that day that helped her focus on winning the Olympic gold at her next opportunity.  That lesson was simply this – “What I learned is you don’t win the race until you win the race.  I knew I had to cross the line first to call myself the Olympic champion.”  Talk was cheap then and still is.  She did it this past August with her actions.  With arms pumping hard, a huge push off of her toes, knees driving, and a desire to taste the fruits of her labor, she surged to the finish.  This time, she wasn’t crying on the awards stand due to a loss, but rather because our country’s anthem was being played in her honor as Olympic champion. 

There are so many high yield strategies that are available to employ as a teacher.  No matter what subject you are teaching, there are strategies that will get you the most bang for your buck.  Conversely, there are many age-old strategies that while may part of a yearly repertoire, are not very effective at increasing student achievement.  Take a close look at some of the material on effect size from our Marzano study.  Tracking student progress and scoring scales ranks at the top – are you using this strategy?  Setting goals and objectives has a high effect size – is that in your plans?  Identifying similarities and differences is way up there in return, so what are you waiting for?  Research-proven strategies have a high probability of raising student achievement if, and I emphasize “if”, they are used in the segment or type of lesson that is appropriate and at the appropriate level of implementation.  This is the “Art of Teaching.”  Classroom strategies and behaviors (Domain One) have the highest impact on student achievement.  While it is true that you cannot win the race officially until the summative tests and ISTEP, now is the time to be using what will get you the most return on your investment of time. If you are using strategies that will not pay off and you want to be a gold medal winner (green dots galore), then make the switch now to strategies that will get you on the podium. Our expectations are that we reach our school goals, our team goals, and our individual goals.  We can’t talk our way there.  We have to make it happen.  You do have the cross the line first.

------------------------------------------------------------------

It is guaranteed that the Browns will not lose this weekend.  Bank on that!

I Wish I had Legs Today

When given the choice, do you take the stairs or the escalator?  Be honest. Ever think about climbing a mountain?  Scaling a mountain is something that most of us have never done.  Sure, maybe we climbed Mt. Baldy at the Indiana Dunes State Park or climbed the stairs inside the Washington Monument.  Spencer West scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro this past July – Africa’s highest point at 19,341 feet.  Only 50% of people who attempt this climb make it to the summit.  Spencer West did…on his hands. You see, Spencer West, now 31 years old, was born with a genetic defect which resulted in both of his legs being amputated at the pelvis when he was a small boy.  He climbed this with a few friends, friends who were able-bodied.  Spencer West did this on his hands. Toward the end of the climb, the party began to experience pain beyond belief and two of his fellow climbers were vomiting profusely.  Between spewing episodes, they climbed.  In time, they reached the summit covered in blood, sweat, tears, and puke.  Spencer West’s first reaction to reaching the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro:  “I wish I had legs today.  I would have literally carried my friends who were struggling.”  Are you reading that?  Mercy, this guy is a leader!  He defines himself not that he has missing legs, but by what he does – his actions. His climb redefined what was possible for him but also served as an inspiration for others to overcome obstacles and challenges of their own. 

It’s not what you have.  It’s what you do with what you have.  At the end of the day, what do you wish you had?  Why do you wish you had it?  If you had it, what would you do with it?  Would you choose more technology?  How about a smaller class size? (okay, really dumb question) Perhaps parents who returned your calls?  Maybe a different group of kids?  The point is that this is our lot, what has been given to us.  We can look at what we don’t have and fixate on the perceived lack.  That only leads to further disappointment.  The other side is the same side that Spencer West took.  He chose to accentuate the positives that he had.  He let his actions define him.  All of you have positives that can be used to enhance what you do in the classroom.  You will be defined as a person by what you do, not by what you have.  Your actions will always speak louder than your words and in the very end, your heart will be judged.  Use your gifts now!  Do not hide your light under a bushel – it is meant to be shared with others.  Be an inspiration for the kids around you.  You may get to the top of your personal mountain, but know that life will also have valleys.  It’s the climb up that will define you.

-----------------------------------------------------------

We are heading to Cleveland this weekend to see the Browns take on the Buffalo Bills.  I suppose “Buffalo Bills” is what you get when you buy a lot of buffalo…just a thought.

Lessons from Coach Wooden

John Wooden was one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time.  How would that label be justified?  Glad you asked.  John Wooden is a graduate of Purdue University and was part of the 1932 National Title team and earned All-American status three times.  After serving in the U.S. Navy, he was named Head Coach of a struggling UCLA men’s’ program.  Things started to change.  From 1948 to 1974, the UCLA Bruins won 620 games and 10 National Titles – yep, you read that right – 10 titles.  He was quick to give credit to the players, but they played under his system called “The Pyramid of Success.”  This involved life lessons that spilled onto the court but would last a lifetime after athletics.  I want to focus on just a few of these today.  On top of the pyramid is competitive greatness.  On the way up are benchmarks such as loyalty and team spirit.  Coach Wooden preached about having a focus on character.  Your character is what you really are.  Your reputation is what other people think of you.  Focus on the former.  Secondly, he demanded that his players acted with integrity by telling them, “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”  He extolled his squads to leave the program better than they found it.    John Wooden passed away at the age of 99 in 2010.  He made a huge impact on countless numbers under his tutelage.

What we do in education reveals our character.  There are opportunities to cut corners or to do things right.  Which do you choose?  When you have a chance to challenge kids at even higher levels, what do you do?  When there is a chance to develop a relationship with a kid, do you find yourself approachable or do you put up the invisible wall?  Do you find out what makes kids tick so that your instruction can more relevant or do you just teach it the way you’ve always done?  Do kids have to guess if you care about the direction they are heading or do they know that you care from your actions?  Is Monday morning something you dread or embrace?  When a kid fails do you feel like part of you failed as well or do you think that he/she got what they deserved?  Are you a “go the second mile teacher” or are you of the “one lap max” mindset?  Each day we get the opportunity to do things for hundreds of kids that we may never be repaid for…or maybe we do, just not in the standard sense of remuneration.  Once in a blue moon, you may get a kid or two, a parent or two, to say thanks for pushing them.  Maybe it’s that one note of thanks that you keep in your top drawer that keeps you going.  Maybe it’s reading about someone that you taught who is now doing huge things with their life.  Maybe it’s just knowing that someone’s life became a little easier because you were in it.  That’s was success is.  Work hard, take the high road and build your foundation for a successful career.

--------------------------------------------------

The Browns travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in the “Battle of Ohio.”  OH…IO!