I get called a lot of names as superintendent. Most of them, not flattering. Some, I must say, are incredibly creative, however. But nothing gets under my skin more than questioning my integrity. If you want to get my blood pressure up, just call me a liar.
As such, this idea for a newsletter has been sitting on my idea whiteboard for about two months and I have not had the guts to write it. But, here it goes . . . .
You are all liars.
The issue is that the vast majority of your lies are not coming out of your mouth. The lies are coming from your actions.
Let me say it differently, we are all hypocrites at times when it comes to what we say we want, value, or believe in and then exhibit the behaviors that we exhibit. I will run through some of the lies I tell myself to maybe soften the blow for you.
I say I want to drop 30 pounds before the start of the school year, but the second burger and the fifth beer on a Tuesday night make me a liar.
I say I want to maximize every second of the day so that when I am home I am truly present, but twenty minutes ago I was scrolling aimlessly through Facebook and Instagram.
I say that nothing matters more to me than time with my kids, but sometimes I do not head outside to play with them until the game is over on TV.
The reason I share this is that I really believe that all progress begins with telling the truth. And thus, we must admit when our behaviors make liars out of us. And we must admit this not for the sake of self-punishment, but to wake us from our unconscious stupor of just existing and not actually driving toward our goals.
Now, if we want to make the conversation real uncomfortable we can talk about the many lies commonly told in schools that in no way match the behavior of ALL adults in the building. My favorite example is when we talk about learning being at the center of everything we do, but then many educators and schools:
- Demonstrate little value in our personal learning
- Limit learning through arbitrary time constraints
- Abide by grading systems that measure compliance over true learning
- Refuse to allow ourselves to be vulnerable to truly collaborate and learn from each other
This is just one example; there are PLENTY more. Let me explain this in a different way. I think we all grow a little weary of the maxims and platitudes tossed around about education and school on Twitter and social media. I think we all grow weary because that is not how it ‘really’ is. But, what if it really was?
And – even if it wasn’t – how cool would it be if we just started telling the truth about OURSELVES and OUR SCHOOLS so that we could start to make some real progress? Quit lying with your behavior and quit lying to yourselves, and I think we would all be shocked at how much progress we could actually make.
We tell more lies with our behaviors than we ever tell with our mouth – and this is your call to change that.
THE BEST THING I READ/WATCHED THIS WEEK
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
This is a short book with many great takeaways. One of the agreements is not to make assumptions. This seems easy enough, but I loved the way he described the solution. BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO ASK QUESTIONS. I loved the connection between true vulnerability and its role in helping to end assumi-cide.
THREE PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Teach Better Team
Really cool organization developed to help support educators with a very unique business model. Check them out.
Rae Hughart
Dr. Kevin B. Russell
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME SOON
ON DEMAND
Manage Your Time or Time Will Manage You Book Study
Communications – MicroCredential Certification through Illinois Principals Association
June 21
Western Illinois University
Growing principals into future superintendents
June 23-25
JULY AND AUGUST ARE FILLING FAST
CONTACT ME HERE FOR AVAILABILITY
MORE OF MY MUSINGS
Podcasts
4 New Releases in the Last Month
NEW RELEASE – Dr. Efrain Martinez and I chat around ‘The Journey’ of Leadership
NEW RELEASE – A Keynote turned into a Podcast from IEI Spring Summit in Colorado
MCUSD Staff Room Podcast – End of Year Reflection
Transformative Principal with Jethro Jones(w/Mike Lubelfeld and Nick Polyak)
Writing
NEW RELEASE – Teach Better Team Summer S.E.E.D.S
“There is the danger zone. As humans, we tend to be very good at relaxing. We tend to not be as good at recharging. There are significant neurological and biological reasons why, but I will try to not bore you with those details. The bottom line is that as much as staying up to 2am binging Netflix, eating pizza, and sampling craft beers sounds amazing, it is most likely NOT going to help you recharge. The good news is that we absolutely do know what will help you recharge if you choose to commit to these five steps to recharge your own battery.”
Unfinished Leader (written with Mike Lubelfeld and Nick Polyak)
School Leadership Framework for Growth and Development is now available on Amazon.
Edutopia –Leading with Integrity
“Every time you choose to avoid a difficult conversation, it is a selfish decision. Why? Because the only person who could possibly benefit from avoiding a difficult conversation is you. And that win is only emotional and temporary.”
ASCD – Four Must-Do’s For Empowered Principals
“Vision—now and always—is the difference maker. Great principals can imagine a brighter future for their building, even in the midst of tribulation, that can bring energy and excitement to those they serve. If you cannot imagine education at large and your particular school as significantly better and different than it is in its current state, it is going to be hard to lead significant change.”
Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter.
It would mean the world to me if you could share it with one person each week. We all get one chance to live a life of passion and purpose. Help me maximize my one at-bat.