Tag: teaching

Preparing to hit the ground running…

sheepAre you one of those people who can switch work off as soon as you leave the office? What about when you go on holidays, can you get into vacation mode as soon as you wrap up your final work projects? If so, count yourself fortunate! For me it takes a few days to decompress and  let go of work responsibilities and concerns.

That being said, our time away was fantastic…just what I needed. For the first while I couldn’t even concentrate on a mindless murder mystery, but that was just fine…I had the ocean to watch, walk in, and wash away any nagging work concerns. Amazing.IMG_0820

I think it’s important to recognize that vacation time isn’t meant for re-visioning and making plans for future projects. I believe that this time is truly for resting and allowing the change of pace to refresh and rejuvenate in order to prepare you for the re-visioning and planning to come. Too often we hold off the resting period until we get to the point of burnout…time off then becomes recovery! Author Mark Buchanan can relate to this.

“…when I stepped out for a vacation, I did just that: vacated, evacuated, spilled myself empty. I folded in on myself like a tent suddenly bereft of stakes and ropes and poles, clapped hard by the wind. The air went out of me.”

Buchanan, and others, have found a way to avoid the trap of entering vacation time being totally depleted…it’s not that mysterious, but it does take discipline to make it happen.  

I can already hear the groans…you figure it’s a bit Pollyanna, right? Maybe so, but that doesn’t change the value of instilling certain practices. You may not be able to take off for an extended period of time before heading into serious strategic planning…or even a really busy season, but is it possible to build in time for rest and rejuvenation on a regular, even daily basis? Would having that time built in prepare us to take greater advantage of our holidays, ‘training’ our minds to let go of stressors with greater ease? This article provides some great suggestions on this topic. Inc. talks about ‘10 ways to avoid burnout.‘ Even the Mayo Clinic has something to say about daily time set aside for my 3Rs. 

I'd love to be able to do this everyday!
I’d love to be able to do this everyday!

I don’t start teaching again until September, and my coaching/consulting work naturally slows down over the summer months. However, once the calendar registers September I need to be ready to hit the ground running! That means I am now in preparation mode…not full-out working, but the mind is engaged in re-visioning and strategic planning, and I’m ready for that!

And to be sure…part of that re-visioning and planning is making sure I build in regular times to keep life in perspective, stay fresh, and be on my game. What’s your game plan?

Time for the 3 ‘Rs’…Relax, Refresh, Rejuvenate!

Next?

I am just about finished marking my final projects and exams for the term…my brain feels like mush! It’s amazing how tiring it is to read and mark the results of someone else’s work; perhaps it has something to do with the connection between how successful we have been as teachers and how much our learners are walking away from the term having learned.

The end of term is certainly bitter sweet. Having spent 4 months with various groups of students, I finally feel like I’ve have gotten to know them…then my time with them is done. One particular class so inspired me with their final projects that I want to keep them for another term!

As teachers we so much want to inspire our students to expand their learning, their worldview. We want to help them catch a glimpse of the exciting adventures ahead of them, and prepare them for that journey. We can set the stage for that learning, we can create the thirst for that learning, but as Maryellen Weimer reminds us in her book, Learner Centered Teaching, we can’t make them drink. http://www.facultyfocus.com/topic/articles/teaching-professor-blog/

So what can we do? Well, I think the first thing we can do is to stay thirsty ourselves, and continually work towards quenching that thirst. School’s out, but that doesn’t mean it’s time for our brains to vacate. True, we need to take time to relax, but we also need to be refreshed and rejuvenated…we need to be inspired so that we can be an inspiration. (The 3 ‘Rs’)

Summer session starts for me right away in May and goes until the end of June…not quite time to close the books. However, the full workload is greatly reduced allowing time to slow down, and fill up. This also means that I have time once again to contribute on a more IMG_0706regular basis to my blog. I continue to probe and ponder topics, issues and concepts, but for the next 4 months the focus will be on ‘How do I relax, refresh and rejuvenate’, so that when September hits, I’m ready to hit the ground running.

I invite you to journey along with me, add your own experiences, and then learn together.

Let’s explore…

Are teachers also leaders?

What’s your favorite question to ask? For me it’s why? That’s it. It’s been the same question just about all of my life.

I find that it brings the greatest critical thinking challenges to me as I continue to work in the field of training and development. For most of my growing up years people told me what to do, I’m sure your experience was similar… we get an education and are advised what to take, then we start a career and learn the job with new rules and processes…sadly, asking why isn’t always encouraged!

This was the case until I was finally asked the question WHY DO YOU DO YOU WHAT YOU DO? What’s your purpose on this earth? Someone finally turned the table on me!

Let me ask you, have you ever written a personal mission statement? It asks the why of your life. I was at a leadership staff retreat a number of years ago when I was asked what my personal mission was …not only had no one ever asked me such a big why question…I had no answer for them. Thus started a grueling exercise of discover…and decision! The end result was…

 I want to be about equipping and encouraging others to realize their full potential.

This guided my thinking and actions in every leadership role I took on.

Over the past while I’ve been thinking a lot about the connection between being a leader and being a teacher. I tend to believe that not only are they connected, but being one compels us to also be the other. So if this is true…we need to consider what kind of leader-teachers we should be.

Take a few minutes to consider this connection and perhaps open the door to look at teaching…and our post-secondary classrooms, from another perspective.

John Kotters describes leadership this way…

“Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen, despite the obstacles.”

 Can we see a connection to teaching?

 Learner centred teaching is all about putting the focus on what the learner needs in order for them to be successful. Consider how similar this is to servant leadership:

 “Putting the needs, interests and goals of others above your own and using your personal gifts to help others achieve their potential.”

 Is there a connection here to teaching?

 Our purpose should be to do all we can to help our students be successful.

Let’s assume that we are on the right track here. We all know that learning looks different for each student…the variables are endless.

So flashing back to leadership, what we are discussing is the type of leadership made popular by Blanchard and Hersey…Situational leadership. We know that this is a contingency approach that basically means IT DEPENDS. It depends on the readiness of the follower…the leader adapts his/her leadership style based on the needs of the person being lead.

  • Telling– Leaders tell their people what to do and how to do it.
  • Selling– Leaders provide information and direction, but there’s more communication with followers.
  • Participating – Leaders focus more on the relationship and less on direction. Decision making is shared with followers.
  • Delegating – Leaders pass most of the responsibility onto the follower or group. http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_44.htm

 Can we connect these styles or stages to teaching?

 Let me ask one final question…Can you view yourself as a leader in the classroom? If so, what kind of leader do you want to be?

In preparing to teach a leadership class recently, I came across this question:

 If it is immoral to prevent those around you from growing to their fullest potential, are you being moral?

In other words, as a leader/teacher, am I doing all I can to help those around me to grow to their fullest potential? Hmmm!

Potential, Persuasion & Leadership

Right now I’m sitting in a new little restaurant in Kelowna called Gratitude. Recently opened, it’s claim to fame is a menu that is gluten free, vegan, and safe for most allergies. Limited…but oh so tasty! I feel healthier just sitting here. My order…spicy root veggie soup and a toasted carrot bun with coconut butter. Very delicious.

When the server/owner delivered it to me, the salutation, ‘you are lovely and awesome’ was declared. That took me a little aback…to my shame, the first thought that came to mind was ‘now that’s a little phony…they probably say that to everyone.’ But then I thought, ‘so what if they do, how many people never get to hear those sentiments from anyone?’ Yup, slapped my own hand for that one.

So how does this connect with potential? Glad you asked. Let me guide you through my thought process. One of the courses I’m teaching this semester to third year business students is Leadership; I’m very excited to be working with these future leaders! In the first class we discussed the concept of leadership and explored the experiences of each person…interesting and often inspiring. One of the resources we included in the course pack is a Harvard Business Review called ‘Harnessing the Science of Persuasion’ by Robert B. Cialdini. The article summary states,

“No leader can succeed without mastering the art of persuasion. But there’s hard science in that skill, too, and a large body of psychological research suggests there are six basic laws of winning friends and influencing people.”

The article is adamant that this persuasion must be done in an ethical manner, and that mastery of the 6 Principles outlined can bring ‘scientific rigor to the business of securing consensus, cutting deals, and winning concessions.’

In class we watched a YouTube version of the article, and then spent time discussing it.

What we summarized from the discussion is that leaders need to setthe stage and create a reason for why people should follow them. The obvious danger is the ease with which a leader could cross over the line into manipulation…one good reason why the article stresses the need for ethical action and behaviour.

So, back to potential. I can see potential in my students, or in those I have been privileged to mentor, but if there isn’t a connection, if they don’t like me, they are less likely to give any credence to any suggestions I may offer for their growth and development. The same thing applies to any group of people or team you may lead…do they see evidence of the 6 principles demonstrated through your actions? Do you make it easy for them to follow you, or do you create barriers that in the long run will limit the positive influence you could have in their professional and personal lives?

While I initially felt like the greeting I received with lunch was phony, it did make me stop and think. If she really did know me would those be the words she would use to describe me; if not, would she maybe see the potential in me to come along side and help me grow into a person worthy of such a greeting?

Potential: She found her voice!

Have you ever witnessed someone realizing their potential? It is so exciting! Let me share an experience with you.

Boot Potential! Created by James L. Hayes, Lake Country, BC
Boot Potential! Created by James L. Hayes, Lake Country, BC

I had a student in one of my classes a couple of years ago. She was an exchange student from Asia and was totally overwhelmed with the whole Canadian education experience. Susan, (not her real name of course), was in her early twenties and had never been more than a few kilometres from home before this adventure.

Susan missed the first couple classes, so was already behind before she even started. After her first class I noticed Susan hovering at her desk, taking much longer than necessary to pack up her knapsack…she obviously had something on her mind. I approached and asked how the first class had gone for her. In very broken English, she shared some of the challenges she was experiencing with the language barrier, and wanted to check that I was ok with her using a digital translator. She didn’t want me to think that she was cheating in any way. Once that was talked through I thought we were done…not so. Susan went on to share how shy she was, and that she wasn’t comfortable talking in class, or offering her opinion on anything. In fact, she went on to say that she really didn’t have anything worth sharing anyway. Needless to say my heart went out to her.

Again, Susan didn’t seem to be in a rush to leave, so I decided to put my briefcase down and take a few minutes with this young woman. One of the things I like to do with my students is to ask them to identify their own goals for learning; so I asked Susan. Her answer was so honest…and frightful for her! Her goal was to voluntarily answer one question in class before the end of the term! That’s it, and even voicing it seemed like such a challenge. I assured Susan that I would not pick on her to answer a question that she did not raise her hand for, and that I would watch for her to indicate when she was ready. Susan finally left the classroom looking like a weight had been lifted off her small shoulders.

The next class we were talking about the diversity of cultures in organizations, and the joys and challenges that brings. For one of the activities I invited students to share something unique about their own culture, and describe a little bit about how that uniqueness would impact the workplace. After several students shared I noticed that Susan had raised her hand. Her expression told me that she wanted to take the big step…she was ready…already!

What happened next blew me away. Susan talked for a good three minutes, sharing what life was like in her home country, and how that experience influenced her confidence, or rather lack of confidence, in this brand-new world. She was nervous, but received incredible support from her peers as they listened intently to every word; it was a beautiful thing to witness.

When Susan finished she simply sat down. At the end of class she came up to me, as excited as any child on Christmas morning. The only words she could express were ‘I did it, I did it!’ After the initial exuberance had died down she added ‘And it’s only the beginning of the semester! I reached my goal already.’ Those are the moments that affirm why I love my job!

That day was the first of many with Susan speaking out in class; she even participated in an oral class presentation. When the semester ended, successfully for Susan I might add, I saw a very different young woman leave with determination and intention to return to her home country and encourage other young Asian women to find their voice. Someday I hope to meet up with Susan and hear about the next step in her story.

Helping someone realize their potential does not have to be a major undertaking. At times it’s as simple as being available to listen, and to pay attention to what’s not being said.

Who are the people in your life that just need a listening ear or an encouraging word to move them towards realizing their potential? Look around, they may even be in the room with you right now.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
― Leo Buscaglia