Prepared, Positive and Professional

As we wind down a crazy week at Antioch I think it is fitting to reflect and assess where we are at this point in the year. This week we ended our Invest in a Child fundraiser with great success. This success landed me on the roof and will allow me to provide a ton of technology to you to help prepare our students for the interactive and technology driven world they live in. Today we had our third annual book character dress up and I was truly impressed with the creativity that some of you displayed.

We are now entering November and there are a ton of distractions that could interfere with instruction. What I need from all of you (and I am sure you need the same from me) is your Professional Attitude, Positive Nature and Prepared Work Ethic. As these winter months approach it is easy to lose focus of our goals. Think about the professional goals you set for yourself, the goals your team set and the school goal of becoming an Honor School of Excellence. These goals will not come true by chance. They will all require the professional focus I know you all have. During these months it is also easy to slip into the negativity that often accompanies the cold weather. If you find yourself slipping into this trap I want you to ask yourself the following questions.

- Do I love having a positive effect on the lives of my students?

- Where could I get a more supportive community?

- Where could I have better prepared students?

- Isn't Mr. Hoover's the best? (That is just there to make me feel good)

If you are professional and Positive the rest should take care of itself. If you do these things and you are well prepared for each day you will not lose valuable instructional time. Be prepared with thorough lessons and insightful assessments.

As the quote from my weekly update stated "A weak man believes in luck and a strong man believes in cause and effect" I believe this with all my heart. We will not become an Honor School of Excellence because of luck. You will not just get lucky and reach all of your students. Relationship with our students also do not happen by chance. All of these things are dependent on what we do. Our actions will have everything to do with making these goals become reality. Be sure at the end of the year you do not look back and say "I wish I would have ....". As many great coaches have said "leave everything you have on the field". Your classroom is your field and you only have one chance with this group of students.

Collaboration

We can all learn a thing or two from those around us. This week I watched the PTO organize and execute an incredible learning experience that we will all be able to benefit from for years to come. Watching this amazing group pull together to accomplish a huge task in just a few hours was amazing. We now have an incredible self sustaining pond that you all can use as a teaching tool.

I was also reminded that the key to success is teamwork. Each night the past week I have found myself sitting in front of the TV watching the baseball playoffs (mostly the Yankees). As I watch these high level sporting events I am always reminded that a team is only as strong as its weakest players. It is the job of the coach and teammates to try and make those around them better each day. It is also their job to support those around them when they struggle. During the past few days the Yankees have done a great job of this. When one player has made an error or failed to come through his teammates have continually stepped up to get the job done.

It is my expectation that you all do the same thing. I know we are not paid like these athletes, but I firmly believe that collaboration and a supportive team effort are the keys to success. If you see a teammate struggling provide the needed support. If someone drops the ball, help them out. It is also your job to do whatever you can to perform at a high level for your teammates. Nobody should be OK with being the weak link. Push yourself, support those around you and root for the Yankees tonight.

There is no growth in the comfort zone

This week we began our Cultural Proficiency training. I was extremely impressed with your openness. I know some of you were uncomfortable with the conversations and opening yourself up in this type of setting, but I greatly appreciate your participation. As the title of this post infers, in order to grow we all need to feel a little uncomfortable. I am assuming many of you realized Wednesday that diversity means much more than ethnic background. It is important that we all become aware of the people around us and their backgrounds. Until we do this it will remain impossible to become a culturally proficient person. We need to conduct a true assessment of ourselves and our true beliefs. Until this self-assessment is in place we will never understand those we live with, work with, teach, or interact with each day.

I have already spoken with individual teachers that are wrestling with issues from their pasts. Some had tough upbringings and others had county club lives. Neither where you come from or the beliefs that existed in your home define you as a person. They definitely shape us and influence who we are, but we have the power to open our minds and to expand our horizons. Each day we all make decisions. We are all busy and it is easy to get caught up in "our world" but I would challenge you to learn something new about someone you work with or teach. What makes them tick, what influences in their lives shape their decisions. We are in an ever-changing world and we must learn about those around us.

We are teaching in a very exciting time in education. You are seeing changes in the education system with technology, diversity, and globalization that are forcing a transformation to our schools. Sitting children in rows and using rote memorization is a thing of the past and it took many years to move out of that philosophy. It will be difficult if not impossible to prepare students for the 21st century if we ourselves do not become culturally aware and proficient. Take a minute to observe another culture, ask questions and expand your horizon.

Are You Culturally Proficient?

Over the next few weeks I will be talking with you in great detail about a topic that I have been reflecting over myself. Cultural Proficiency is a mind-set, a worldview, a way a person or organization plans for and deals with diverse environments. I am increasing my awareness of the many different levels of diversity. This week my challenge to you is simple. Think about your knowledge level and experience level in working in diverse groups? Do we have diversity here at Antioch? What types of diversity do we have? Do you have diversity on your grade level or in your departments? Sonia Nieto stated, "Any student who emerges into our culturally diverse society speaking only one language and with a monocultural perspective on the world can legitimately be considered educationally ill-prepared." This is an eye opening statement to me. What are we doing to ensure our students are not only seeing the world from "our" perspective? One battle we face at Antioch is that of entitlement or privilege. Many of our students live in a world of privilege. It is our job to be role models that teach them about unearned, unconscious privilege. Randall Lindsey stated, " Once we acknowledge entitlement, we are better prepared to take a responsible role on the cultural proficiency continuum." It is this type of forward thinking we need to instill in our students. Even among this staff and this student body there is a great deal of diversity. It may not always be visible on the surface, but I will be showing you diversity is everywhere. If our students are going to be successful, they must be able to enter the diverse world with an understanding that we are not all the same. The ability to understand others and to see the world from different points of view is the key to success. This ability is essential for our students and for us. We can not teach something we do not understand and we can not pass something on to the next generation if we don't have it. Look deep into your experiences and ability to work with diversity. We will be focusing on these topics over the next few staff meetings as well as looking at the globalization issues we face as the world continues to flatten.

What Are Your Goals?

I am not a Notre Dame fan at all but Lou Holtz is always good for a quote. He once said "If you are bored with life, if you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things - you don't have enough goals." I would add to that the possibility that you just aren't sure what your goals are.

As we begin to reflect on the year that is upon us I will be leading a team through a process where we will be digging in Antioch's goals to determine why we are here. It is easy for us all to say we are here for the kids, but that is not enough. What specifically do we as a school value? What must our students leave us with?What are the bottom line non-negotiables?

I have talked to you about my love for sports, influential coaches and teachers I have had and my desire for you to have that same impact many times. Grant Wiggins stated, "What distinguishes the teacher as coach from the teacher as teller, and the teacher as activity provider is the overwhelming commitment to assist with and study the students' attempt to learn and perform with understanding." This effort is what will ensure you reach every child and provide them with the ability to perform no matter the situation they are faced with. Over the next few months we will be having discussions focused around our beliefs, our mission, and our vision for Antioch and its 786 students. Be sure what you state you believe matches your actions.