The Concern for Climate and Learning

Educators strive to create a positive climate in their schools by promoting collegiality, collaboration, teacher initiative and positive discipline. They also seek to improve the learning experience of their students through curriculum initiatives aligned to missions of academic excellence. Ideally, when the two concerns for climate and learning are well integrated, synergy occurs and great things can happen.

A simple model that looks at the concern for climate and the concern for learning, allows us to locate our schools in relation to four quadrants.

While our institutions may not exactly fit in any of the four quadrants, the location allows us to try to correct the balance between the concern for climate and learning. Some schools may find themselves located close to the bottom right quadrant, where test results are everything, with teachers and staff burned out in the process. Others may identify with the upper left quadrant where everyone is nice but where learning takes a back seat. This model suggests that we can do better than that by moving towards the upper right quadrant.

In moving towards a high climate-high learning model, trust issues may surface, especially among staff members used to a low climate-high learning environment. Collaboration and collegiality, important components of high climate, need to be learned and nurtured in safe ways first. Gradual progression can occur as trust builds among the community. Small, manageable and purposeful commitments towards high climate-high learning are a sure and steady path to becoming a great school.

Lessons from the Jesuits

This summer I attended a Catholic principal's orientation in Menlo Park, California in the quiet and reflective retreat setting of the Vallombrosa Center. While there, I recalled a recent book by Chris Lowney called Heroic Leadership. The book traces the history and achievements of the Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuits. In the book Lowney draws out the leadership qualities and personal experiences of a number of Jesuit protagonists, all to illustrate the foundational principles that still form the core values of the order.

Lowney describes a unique way of working and living that integrated four leadership principles – self-awareness, ingenuity, love, and heroism. Translated into practical application for the layman, these principles offer an interesting leadership perspective.

"Heroism encourages people to aim high and keeps them restlessly pointed towards something more, something greater." Such leaders are filled with a conviction of meaningful purpose that it "brings energy, imagination, ambition, and motivation to their work." In the early Jesuit context this often meant the ultimate sacrifice. In our current context, this means staying the course and having the courage to make the tough decisions; to question why things are done; to face and overcome our challenges, daunting as they may be; to have those difficult conversations that need to be had; to take the side of right rather than the expedient or mighty.

"Ingenuity disposes people not just to think outside the box but to live outside the box." It is the belief that there are solutions to problems and that we are capable of thinking through and arriving at those solutions. It is the love of learning and the ability to continually put our learning and talents to creative use.

"Love lends purpose and passion to ingenuity and heroism." It is the belief in theory y rather than theory x, the ability to give people the benefit of the doubt and to view people as well intentioned, trustworthy and as "uniquely endowed with talent and dignity."

"Self-awareness roots and nourishes the other leadership virtues." Through self-awareness, we learn who we are, what we stand for and what we believe in. Self-awareness is a life-long project and the Jesuits practiced the virtue three times a day – upon arising, after the noon meal, and after supper. In our context, it is asking "did I teach the last class with loving interest in my students, or did I go through the motions?" It questions whether we are practicing ingenuity, love and heroism in our daily routines.

Heroic leadership invites us to consider the impact we have with our many daily interactions. We are challenged to consider how we relate to those around us and whether our presence adds to or diminishes the beauty of our world. It is to believe in a world of love rather than fear; to re-invent ourselves while holding true to the principles of self-awareness, ingenuity, love and heroism.

Quotations are taken directly from Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney.

Chado - The Art of Tea

During my six years in Japan, once a week, I would learn to make and serve a traditional bowl of tea. To the uninitiated, the Japanese Tea ceremony may appear forced, tedious and even contrived. At its very core however, it is all about serving others through a dedicated craft. The Way of Tea is the call to take the time to ensure that whatever you do offers the greatest possible benefit for others, and to remember to be thankful for things received. It is expressed in the sincere and simple act of preparing and serving a bowl of tea and receiving it with gratitude.

The Way of Tea is based on the four principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. Harmony dispenses with pretensions, walks the path of moderation and embraces humility. Respect opens us to a proper relationship with nature and our fellow human beings. Purity, the act of cleaning the tea utensils, represents the clearing of worldly attachments that enable people and things to be perceived in their true state. tranquility is arrived at by practicing the first three principles. (adapted from Tea Life, Tea Mind by Soshitsu Sen XV)

As educators, we can apply the principles of Chado in our relationships with colleagues and students. Harmony reminds us that openness and humility is the key to all learning. It is the humble that realize that the more they learn, the more they do not know. Respect reminds us to look deep into another's heart to come to understanding. As an administrator or teacher, have I given my colleagues or students the time they need with me? Purity helps us look beyond the effects of social and economic influences on our students, understand their individual needs, learn how to help them, and view instructional differentiation in an imperative light. Hopefully, by trying to do this consistently, we may achieve pride of craft and arrive at our own sense of peace and tranquility.

In my move from Kobe back to Florida, I packed my Chado utensils in the hope that I may still have the opportunity to prepare and serve a simply delicious bowl of tea.

The Multiplier and Mozart

As this is my last month in Japan before I return to the the US, I took the opportunity to revisit the village of Tamba, where the natural availability of quality clay has nurtured the craft of a good many master potters. Each shop is managed by a resident master potter, whose inner vision of beauty and utility distinguishes his creations from those of his neighbors.

Later, after lunch at Sasayama, we visited an old sake (rice wine) factory. Here, I heard the strangest tale of quality differentiation. Attached to one of the sake fermenting vats were audio speakers where the music of Mozart is played to the fermenting brew. The brewed sake is bottled and sold as a Mozart special. Later, to the skeptics among us, the brewer had us taste the sake from two vats with identical brew formulas – one nurtured by Mozart and the other without the Mozart factor. There was a definite discernible difference. Perhaps it was the effect of the vibration of the music on the yeast or perhaps it was a clever marketing gimmick. Whatever it was, I was impressed enough to walk out with the purchase of a Mozart special under my arm.

Even if the second story is suspect, they both analogize what I would describe as the "soul" of the creative outcome. In terms of an educational institution it is its core beliefs, that deep inner rhythm of uncompromising values commonly shared by its members that influence all thought and action and ultimately the hearts and minds of its students. Two institutions may have identical academic standards, professional development initiatives, curriculum delivery and assessment methodologies, etc, but have discernibly different outcomes.

Good quality clay (good, caring and well meaning people) united by a shared vision (a deep, joyful sense of meaning and purpose) is the key to the real Mozart factor. That's the multiplier that has the potential to harness the synergy inherent in all our technical educational reform initiatives.

Facilitating Performance

During an exit interview with a senior, I asked if there was any teacher that really connected with him and helped move him along as a student. He named a teacher with high expectations and standards who was always willing to help him understand the difficult material. He credited this teacher with helping him overcome the fear of a subject that followed him from elementary school. He added that although the teacher's course was even more challenging and demanding than any course he had before, he never once felt pressured, put-down or intimidated in the class, or in the presence of this teacher. 

This caused me to consider the kind of environment I thrived in when I was teaching. I recalled that I was most comfortable and effective when the following were in place.

(1) A clear understanding of expectations 

(2) A close alignment of my personal values with those expectations

(3) A helpful, supportive and accessible supervisor

(4) Friendly, helpful and supportive colleagues

(5) The freedom to try something new and be allowed to fail and learn from it

(6) The knowledge that I am doing something important and meaningful

I am sure there are a number of other considerations that could maintain welcoming, healthy, productive, and even "joyful" learning environments. Often however, these important factors are crowded out by an array of well intentioned school initiatives. 

Our challenge is to ensure that these very basic environmental considerations are not just one of our many educational initiatives, but remain, the very plate that supports them. 

Habits of Mind and Heart

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) in its Learner Profile offers a set of ten attributes for learners to acquire. IBO communities are expected to work towards developing individuals who are: inquirers; knowledgeable; thinkers;  communicators; principled; open-minded; caring; risk-takers; balanced; and, reflective.

Costa and Kallick (2000) named 16 habits of mind: persisting; thinking and communicating with clarity and precision; managing impulsivity; gathering data through all senses; listening with understanding and empathy; creating, imagining, innovating; thinking flexibly; responding with wonderment and awe; thinking about thinking (metacognition); taking responsible risks; striving for accuracy; finding humor; questioning and posing problems; thinking independently; applying past knowledge to new situations; remaining open to continuous learning.

A variation of some or all of these these attributes, dispositions or habits can be found in school mission statements, belief statements, or student objectives. There is acknowledgement that academic and personal development cannot consistently and effectively take place without the discipline of certain habits of both mind and heart. This underscores the importance of introducing, teaching and reinforcing these dispositions and integrating them throughout the learning experience. 

One habit that could help connect all the others together is individual reflection. Regular and purposeful reflection is a powerful way to personally assess, correct and guide development of the habits of mind and heart.  Journaling or  even blogging would be a simple, effective and versatile approach to reflection. A more formal approach could involve the development of appropriate reflection guides and rubrics used at regular intervals throughout the school year.

Mind - Body - Heart - Spirit

Stephen Covey looks at the dimensions of mind, body, heart and spirit and their associated mental, physical, emotional and spiritual intelligences to describe the whole person. 

He believes that the highest manifestations of these intelligences are vision (mental), discipline (physical), passion (emotional), and conscience (spiritual). 

He does not claim any original thought, but I believe he has put various earlier ideas together in a coherent model. He places conscience at the center of a circle of vision, discipline and passion, implying that conscience is the guiding force for the other three intelligences. Ultimately, Covey’s message is that our “unique and personal significance, or our voice” as individuals can be found at the nexus of our gifts or intelligences. 

If you are a Covey fan, or if you are interested in exploring the concept further, pick up The 8th Habit by Stephen Covey.

Reading & Writing

What are some habits that may cognitively help students develop into better learners?  It appears that anyone who reads widely and regularly, and writes a daily reflective journal should acquire a better disposition for learning and understanding. Yesterday, I was pleased to witness a rare sight - a student with her nose obliviously buried in a novel while eating a burger at Wendy's. How can we encourage more of that among our students (the reading for pleasure - not the burger)?  As educators, we should share our own passion for reading, recommend titles to our students and even suggest they join or form a book club. Every time we see a child with her nose in a book, we can reinforce that behavior by engaging her in conversation about her reading. 

Reflective writing also exercises cognitive “muscles.” How can we revive the habit of journal writing among our students? One technique is the one-minute reflective paper after each class meeting. If we need to start small, we could have students write a short reflective paper at the end of each week instead. Pose the same two questions: “What was the big thing you learned this week?  What is the big unanswered question you are left with this week?” This would be a practical way to introduce reflective writing as well as assess student understanding.

A student who keeps a reflective journal and regularly reads for enjoyment is automatically developing vocabulary, comprehension and thinking skills. Reading a story is cognitively more engaging than listening to the story on tape, and listening to the story on tape is cognitively more engaging than watching it on television. 

Left Brain – Right Brain

Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind, posits that while left-brain activities remain important, more of the right-brain characteristics will be needed for success in the future. The following is a review of the stated differences between right-brain and left-brain activities (quoted directly from  A Whole New Mind):

(1)  The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body; the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body.

(2)  The left hemisphere is sequential; the right hemisphere is simultaneous.

(3)  The left hemisphere specializes in text; the right hemisphere specializes in context.

(4)  The left hemisphere analyses the details; the right hemisphere synthesizes the big picture.

While we all use both sides of the brain, we do have a bias towards one side, Most of us, through traditional schooling, have been trained to use the left hemisphere of the brain. How can we help our students develop and use their ‘whole mind’? Encouraging students to generate challenging and meaningful questions, inquire, think critically, and create novel responses, may be a step in the right direction.

Those interested in learning more should read Pink’s book and see how his suggestions of Design, Story, Symphony Empathy, Play and Meaning can help develop the whole new mind. 

Meaning – Thought – Action

Jerry Porras, the co-author of Built to Last, and, Good to Great, while talking to the builders of great companies and ideas, found that these men and women represented a variety of very different personalities. However, what appeared to be common in these individuals was the clear alignment of three essential elements – Meaning, Thought and Action. I offer a very brief summary of these elements as described in Porras’s third and most recent research endeavor, Success Built to Last: Creating a Life that Matters.

Meaning is linked to what you love and are passionate about. You may not have just one passion but a portfolio of passions. This is a similar concept to what is described in Gladwell’s Outliers and Robinson’s The Element.  How do we as educators, draw deep meaning and purpose from our work with students? 

Thinking can either kill or allow our passions to take flight. Builders are somehow able to overcome self-doubt as well as the doubts of family and peers when it comes to persisting at what they find meaningful. While fortune or glory have come to many builders, it did not figure at all in their thinking. Rather, they trusted their passion enough to strive to become experts at it for its own sake. How can the way we think influence our own craft and improve our abilities to reach  our students?

Builders take action to achieve BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) for themselves. Just the act of setting these goals requires unreasonable confidence, because although they have a clear objective, they often don’t have a clear roadmap. Builders draw meaning from the journey. They learn from failures, persevere and improve, and get to the end of the journey through “thousands of tiny steps.” What personal BHAG can help drive our passion as educators?

The above just scratches the surface of Success Built to Last by Porras, Emery and Thompson. It pulls together a lot of what Gladwell and Robinson have to say on the subject and offers the practical aspects of aligning meaning, thought and action. 

Practice & Passion

Malcolm Gladwell who wrote both Blink and The Tipping Point has a new book called The Outliers. If you read and appreciated his insights in the first two books, you will enjoy The Outliers. One of his conclusions is that while a certain amount of intelligence is necessary for excelling in a particular field, super intelligence does not register as a major factor. Besides the necessary luck and attitude, he discovered that outliers of achievement in a particular field of expertise (those who are impressively beyond the average) all had at least 10,000 hours of association with their field of expertise before they began to make their mark. Among the examples he provides are Bill Gates and the Beatles.

Ken Robinson also has a new book out called The Element. One of Dr. Robinson’s conclusions is that only when we discover our passion and work at it, do we experience work being invigorating, exciting and meaningful. Dr. Robinson describes this as being in one’s element or being true to one’s calling.

If Gladwell’s and Robinson’s conclusions are correct, all our students have within them the seeds of true excellence and achievement in some field or calling. What they need is help in discovering where their passion lies. One way we can help, is to encourage those flashes of creativity, insight and aptitude we notice in our students – even if that passion may lie outside our own course or subject area. That word of encouragement may inspire further inquiry and a subsequent aha elemental moment!