A Culture of Passion

"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow." Anthony J. D'Angelo

Educators are firm believers of continued education - by nature and by design. If our general mission statement is to enhance our students' lives by presenting and engaging them in information, discussions, experiences and interactions to develop and furnish them with the knowledge, skills and tools to participate in and contribute to society around them, then we, too, should be equally involved in such a worthwhile and beneficial experience. This year, I have the great fortune of taking part in a wonderful program for educational leaders, YU Lead. Working with other leaders from around the country, I have an opportunity for continued learning, focused on topics that are so vital in today's educational system.

One of the requirements of the program is to detail, develop and address a particular area of personal growth as a school leader. I have chosen to focus on the ability to craft and direct positive school culture among all stakeholders - students, staff and parents. While this task appears to be quite a challenging undertaking, the benefits of an overwhelmingly positive school culture serve as the very foundation for all progress and success. And although a school may already possess a wonderful culture and atmosphere, there is always room for growth.

There are several components of a school's culture that must be considered in forming an approach to bolster it. One particular buzzword that I believe must be part and parcel of its culture is passion. Students must be passionate about their learning and growth, teachers must be passionate about their students, subjects and engagement, and parents must be passionate and positive about their school's role in their children's lives and its meaningfulness as a force in the identity of their community. The question is, however, how do we encourage, support and promote passion? Where does passion derive from, and how can we cultivate more of it?

According to a recent study in the Journal of Neuroscience, the part of the brain that is activated during motivated activities is called the ventral striatum, and it works in concert with the amygdala, the brain’s emotional hub. Researchers observed that the ventral striatum was activated in proportion to how motivated a person felt - the higher the degree of motivation, the higher the activation level. Following the concept of neuroplasticity, namely the ability to rewire our brains using behavior, we have the power to motivate ourselves by finding passion in life through our actions and our choice of behavior. Malini Mohana, a psychology graduate from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and researcher in neuropsychology, suggests that there are three key elements in self-motivation and building passion: finding the area for which you have a natural affinity, rejecting complacency, and asking the ‘why’ question. Perhaps, these are factors to utilize while moving forward in advancing school culture.

I hope to continue posting on the topic of school culture over the course of the next several months with reflections, experiences and details of progress.

"You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus, and the support." Sabrina Bryan

Giving Thumbs Up Without Our Thumbs

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill

We live in the age of the “Like.” One would imagine, therefore, that we may feel more prone to sharing positive feedback with others while feeling happier ourselves. In a study conducted by Dr. Larry Rosen concerning Facebook’s “Like” button, 52% of the teenage Facebook users of the iGeneration (born in the 1990s) clicked “Like” daily or even several times a day. The Net Generation young adults were a close second with 45%, followed closely by 32% of Gen Xers, and 24% of Baby Boomers. It appears that Facebook users of all ages enjoy using the “Like” button, although it is more popular among younger users. Seemingly, we should be able to determine that our generation of youth would be more vibrant, positive and happy due to all the “liking” they do.

In their introduction to the book Parenting Teens with Love and Logic, internationally recognized psychiatrist Dr. Foster Cline and Jim Fay, one of America’s top educational consultants and a past school principal, write, “Research tells us that the levels of clinical depression in high schools now are similar to what they were in mental health institutions in the 1950s (roughly one in four show such symptoms).” Apparently, there is a sharp discrepancy between receiving a “Like” and truly feeling liked. Perhaps, a sense of acceptance and joy cannot be achieved wholesomely through social media.

Dr. Shelly Turkle, author of the book Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other and Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT, describes the exhaustion felt by teenagers as they constantly tweak their Facebook profiles for maximum cool effect. Dr. Turkle calls this "presentation anxiety," and suggests that the site's element of constant performance creates an environment where people feel alienated from themselves. With the overwhelming results from an array of studies conducted on the topic, therefore, we must question where teens in particular can find true happiness.

In an Atlantic Magazine article, Dr. Moira Burke, a research scientist at Facebook and a recent Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, states, “People who received composed communication became less lonely, while people who received one-click communication experienced no change in loneliness.” Clearly, people respond positively with more substantial communications. Conversely, as Dr. Turkle determines, “The ties we form through the Internet are not, in the end, the ties that bind. But they are the ties that preoccupy.” We benefit infinitely greater from personal connections built upon meaningful interactions.

How do we bolster such connections within our teenage population? How do we encourage significant and lasting relationships when we are all engaged in digital communications at the same time?

Perhaps, one way in supporting our teens is by strengthening their and our positive self-talk and the manner in which we all problem solve. Dr. Tal Ben Shahar, a leading authority in the realm of positive psychology, states, “We maintain that it’s very important to fix things, but no less important also to look at the other part of the situation, at what is working. Cultivating what works, our strengths, our sense of meaning, acts as a preventative. We become far more resilient and are able to cope with what does not work.” I find it troubling that when I consistently approach students to share one form of positive feedback or another, their first response is, “What did I do wrong? I didn’t do anything.” Why does it appear that are our teenagers expect negativity? Is it not clear that they desperately seek to amass “Likes,” yet have a poor sense of self-worth and esteem?

Those who interact with teens have an especially colossal responsibility in building their emotional stability and well-being. In an age where a “Like” clearly does nothing to truly enhance their lives, we must all - teens and adults alike - learn to support one another with valuable, meaningful and thoughtful positive communications. As Dr. Shahar explains at length, we must look at what is going right, but furthermore, we must instill that skill in our students. We must show them all they can do right rather than point out what they have done wrong. If we are to raise a healthy generation of young adults, we must work on nurturing positive environments and inculcating positive habits and thoughts for our teens who are starving for them.

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.” - Willie Nelson

R-E-S-P-E-C-T What It Should Mean to You

“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” - Bruce Lee

In her book The Power of Respect: Benefit from the Most Forgotten Element of Success, Deborah Norville writes, “Nearly eight in ten Americans (79 percent) say a lack of respect and courtesy is a serious national problem, and most people say it’s getting worse (60 percent). Seventy-three percent say we used to treat one another with greater respect.” Needless to say, these statistics are truly frightening. Yet, however painful these numbers are, we must take a step back and question how this has come about. Perhaps, the solution is rooted not in how we treat one another, but how we view ourselves first and foremost.

School is predominantly identified as an institution of knowledge. More than anything else, stakeholders strive to present and promote their institutions as fountains of understanding beacons of information, and laboratories of advanced thought and reasoning. However, rarely do we see a school highlighting the character of their students as their claim to fame, certainly not in place of their scholastic acclaim. As a result, the thrust of a school’s efforts is visibly academic, a reality that students inevitably recognize and internalize. Thus, character development takes a back seat. As a result, our students deem their scores as a barometer of success. This, Dr. Carol Dweck explains, constitutes the fixed mindset as opposed to the growth mindset. Rather than encouraging healthy effort and fostering character growth through resilience where students can appreciate the process, they are focused on the results alone. In the event students cannot achieve the results they set for themselves - or the results they perceive others set for them - they incur a terrible sense of failure.

Dr. William Glasser, one of my great role models in the area of mental health (having earned certification as a Reality Therapist through his institute) says it best in his breakthrough book Schools Without Failure, “Regardless of how many failures a person has had in his past ... he will not succeed in general until he can in some way first experience success in one important part of his life.” If students do not feel success, they will not have any self-respect. Without self-respect, they cannot respect others. We must present our students with the means of success by fortifying their character, supporting their efforts as opposed to their test results, and supplying them with an environment that honors those who excel beyond academic knowledge.

“When people do not respect us we are sharply offended; yet in his private heart no man much respects himself.” - Mark Twain

Improvement Movement

“If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.” - Pat Riley

People often view the opening weeks of a new school year as challenging. Aside from the normal hurdles one requires to overcome, it coincides with a host of Jewish holidays, commencing with Rosh Hashana, the New Year. Standing at the threshold of what we anticipate to be another successful year of academic and personal growth, we are met with the most inconsistent school schedules possible. Between Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Succos, it feels to many that the month of September is primarily spent in shul rather than school.

Perhaps the most encouraging moments during this time is the sounding of the shofar. Its fleeting, yet powerful sound is designed to resonate within our hearts and souls, awakening us to contemplate our deeds of the past year in self-reflection and sincere penitence. Yet, this past week granted me an even deeper understanding, one that brought incredible insight into this meaningful custom. While I am unfortunately not well-trained in blowing the shofar, I had no choice but to step into the role this year. Before the very first time attempted to blow the shofar, I prefaced it in front of tahe Middle School that they should not expect a promising performance. Thankfully enough, however, I managed to go a few days with relative success.

This past week, however, there was one particular day in which I simply could not produce a single sound. The moments passed, I continued with all my might, yet to no avail. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, I managed to sound the shofar properly. As I placed the shofar on a chair, I picked up the microphone, and shared the thought I had while trying to blow the shofar with the students.

“While I stood here trying to fulfill the custom of blowing the shofar, I was quickly reminded how we each have our strengths and weaknesses. Clearly, blowing the shofar is not a skill I possess. And that is just perfectly fine. It makes me think how I have to work on it. How I have to practice. This is the message I can learn in this month of Elul. I can use this moment to reflect on the areas I must still work on; the areas of weakness that I must focus more on this year. We can all use this as an opportunity to consider what we need to improve in preparation for Rosh Hashana.”

As the martial arts superstar, Tony Jaa, correctly asserted, "Never be afraid to fail. Failure is only a stepping stone to improvement." Failure is part of life, yet so is improvement. I was thankful for the chance to fail so that I could be reminded of yet another area I must improve in the days and months ahead, G-D willing. By embracing failure, we recognize our humanity, bringing us closer to a greater understanding and meaning in life. We must never be ashamed of our shortcomings, rather they should inspire and motivate us to continue growing.

What a powerful way to being the new school year in Middle School - by creating an improvement movement.

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi

A Culture of Leadership

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” - John C. Maxwell

As Jews, we always look to the Torah for guidance on all matters. If there is one particular area we learn extensively from, especially in the current Sefer Devorim, is the quality of leadership. Throughout the 40 years of Bnei Yisrael’s journey through the desert, Moshe Rabbeinu’s consistent and selfless demonstration of exemplary leadership serves as a model for all leaders to come. And although there are a myriad of words and actions one can learn to emulate, there is one distinct attribute that Moshe exhibited repeatedly that provides an especially valuable lesson for Middle School students, namely self-sacrifice for others.
In his incredibly accurate and perceptive book Shifting the Monkey, Todd Whitaker describes his impression of great leadership. “Instead of wondering, ‘How do I protect myself?’ a great leader asks, ‘How do I protect my good people? How do I make the world a better place?" Indeed, Moshe proposed personal loss multiple times in protection of the people he had been charged to lead. This trait requires humility more than anything else. It requires addressing the needs of others before our own, which can only occur when we think of others first.
In Middle School, a culture of caring must be cultivated from the top down. It must be stressed not only in our words, but also in our deed. Above all, selflessness must be modeled, not preached. As basketball legend and team leader Isiah Thomas once remarked, “It's hard to get people to overcome the thought that they have to take care of themselves first. It's hard to get players to give in to the group and become selfless as opposed to selfish.” Students must be viewed as a team. Students must view themselves as a team. And teams require leaders.
Our school’s tagline is “Inspiring tomorrow’s leaders.” It is our duty to promote this quality through humility, selflessness and sensitivity towards everyone. It is a team effort. The great 19th century industrialist Andrew Carnegie once said, “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.” Moshe deliberately declared that he could not lead the people alone. He had the assistance of 70 wise supervisors, as well as other greats, such as Aharon and Pinchas.
The catalysts for “Inspiring tomorrow’s leaders” are the inspiring leaders of today. Great leaders do not evolve, they are groomed. By being humble and selfless leaders, we elevate our students with these identical virtues. We must hear their concerns, listen to their ideas and inculcate a sense of team pride that is produced by altruistic leadership; leadership that shares a spirited sensation of glory that develops due to a collective effort.

“The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas; it's to create a culture where everyone can have ideas and feel that they're valued.” - Ken Robinson

Complementary Compliments

Complementary - "combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other or another" 
Complimentary - "expressing a compliment; praising or approving; given or supplied free of charge"

"I can live for two months on a good compliment." - Mark Twain
"The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day." - Wayne Gretzky

Life in Middle School is hard work. Students arrive earlier and leave later, and somehow, recess time simply does not feel the same as it used to in Lower School. All these years students only had to remember two teachers’ names, but now all of a sudden, 6th graders now need to have an entire directory of names, classes and locations on file. And while lockers are wonderful, students wonder, "I'm supposed to fit everything into this?!"
Within a few weeks, this life-altering transition is over, and 6th graders become comfortably entrenched in Middle School life. There is, however, one component that we often associate with Lower School life that can never fade into early adolescence - that deep sense of self-pride and self-worth. While the academic rigor increases substantially, Middle School must retain the warmth and encouragement that is characterized by the earlier grades.
Unfortunately, Middle School tends to be a feeding ground for anxiety and uncertainty for many. With the increasing amount of responsibilities, multiplication of exams and due dates, and heightened consciousness of academic success, students can often feel inadequate or unsure of their skills and abilities. They quickly become nervous if they will get those coveted grades they believe everyone seeks. It becomes our responsibility, therefore, to not only assist students academically, but to demonstrate our support through compliments and positive reinforcement. The question is, though, which compliments to choose.
Dr. Carol Dweck in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success writes, “'Did I win? Did I lose?' Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: 'Did I make my best effort?' If so, he says, 'You may be outscored but you will never lose.'” It is remarkable how far students will thrive when they are driven by the pleasure of the process rather than the results alone. If we restrict compliments merely to those who earn the “A” at the end of a unit, we will have completely disregarded the efforts put forth by countless students. However, if we are committed to empower every student to feel a sense of success, we must utilize other forms of compliments along the way.
When we create an environment of appropriate compliments, we are essentially building a culture of complementary members. By highlighting the efforts of one another, we each grow and share the positive energy. In doing so, the Middle School will no longer be a narrow place of tests, report cards and responsibilities, rather an expansive home of fulfillment and self-appreciation.
Life in Middle School is hard work, but we should enjoy the challenge.

"You're not going to be great at everything. Surround yourself with people that can compliment you so you can work together and then everybody can be successful." - Jonathan Tisch

Here Comes the Sun

"The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveler coming down the road, and the Sun said: “I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveler to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin.” So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveler. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveler wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair. Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveler, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on."
This ancient Greek fable perfectly portrays two distinctly different methods of interpersonal styles that people demonstrate in a wide range of scenarios. Whether at home, at work or at school, the Wind and Sun personify diametrically opposite approaches in the manner in which people attempt to achieve what they want. And while the Wind may even at times accomplish its goal, it certainly will not be actualized with warmth. Furthermore, it may produce a sense of animosity that will ultimately undermine the very objective it sought.
The lasting impression an educator has upon his/her students is truly priceless, and perhaps only secondary to one’s parents. In fact, a child’s future can often be set into motion due to a relationship with or statement made by a teacher. This unique power educators possess helps create the fate of students’ lives each and every day. In a Middle School environment in particular, where students deeply and infinitely thrive on positive, meaningful and inspirational relationships in their transition between the "little leagues" and the "majors," it is essential for educators to be fully cognizant in their choice of words and vigilant in their mode of conduct to be the Sun. Warmth and patience are indispensable tools that must always be employed.
The Mishna in Pirkei Avos teaches us that we must greet each person with a warm and joyous countenance. This is undoubtedly an imperative for this age. In the Middle School, we change lives with our smiles. With our encouragement and support, we make a timeless impression that will forever be etched into the memories and character of each student that we encounter.
“Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it’s all right. Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.”

What Drives Us

"I've always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way and you've got to have that drive and determination to overcome those obstacles on route to whatever it is that you want to accomplish." - Chuck Norris

"That drive." What is that drive, and how to we strengthen that determination?

The beauty of the educational system is the fact that we work in teams. Within each school there are departments and curriculum groups, while even outside our particular school there are PLNs abound on virtually any topic and academic area. Elaine K. McEwan writes, it is a school leader's function "to help people appreciate the value of teamwork and recognize the power of collaboratively wrestling with issues related to teaching and learning." As a team, we support and energize one another each day. It is the team effort, among other components, that assists us in our drive. It is the team effort that compels and propels us further. Yet, with heightened demands in both time and effort, it has become exceedingly difficult to dedicate face-to-face opportunities for such collaboration.  

To resolve this dilemma, we require a different drive. Google Drive. As Tom Vander Ark commented at last week's keynote at The Moriah School, "I live in Google Drive." I second that sentiment. Most of my workload is managed through it. From sharing lesson plans and schedules to materials, meeting notes, and resources, we have the capacity of editing, viewing and commenting on texts until a collective product is produced. And while it may be best to meet in person, this tool makes the team process rather smooth and extremely efficient. Drive is truly a remarkably asset. 

As Chuck said, "you've got to have that Drive, and determination to overcome those obstacles on route to whatever it is that you want to accomplish." 
And this is how educators use Drive. It is truly fascinating what our students are doing with Drive!

Station Rotation

How many channels do you have preset on your car radio? Most people (after all, I have extensive data to support this claim from years of gathering statistics), listen to several stations for different purposes. One may listen to WINS or WCBS for news, WABC for talk radio, and a host of FM or SiriusXM channels for music. While we may listen to traffic on the ones or eights, sports each half hour, and business report on one station, we rotate to various other shows at other times of the day. In short, we do a station rotation to learn and listen what we want when we need to.
When people hear the term station rotation as it relates to education, they often flip out (no connection to the flipped classroom). They believe that this revolutionary model will completely shift the way education has always been into something it should never be; from the way it always worked to the way it cannot succeed. Yet, however fast this model continues to envelope Secular Studies throughout the country, Judaic Studies does not seem to always share the same limelight. There is a certain tradition that apparently protects it from being the center of attention. Nonetheless, after a bit of examination, we may uncover some rather fascinating history that Judaic Studies and station rotation share.
For those who have had the opportunity of learning in a post-high school yeshiva setting, you may remember learning much of the day with a one chavrusa or another, studying in a chabura, sitting with the shoel u'meishiv, and only hearing a shiur on occasion (for some, this even occurred in high school). Depending upon the purpose or goal of the moment or task, you would rotate as needed to any of the above configurations. This, of course, only took place once you were taught to learn more independently. Only at such point did you have the capacity of utilizing inquiry (IBL?) to fuel your investigations.
Assessments? Well, there was the rebbi questioning students regularly as he moved about the room (formative assessment?), there was interaction, peer-questioning and debate with your chavrusa and others (peer assessment?), and then of course a written test at the end of the sugya (summative assessment?), an oral explanation or note submission to demonstrate understanding (alternative assessments?).
In short, a station rotation is seemingly strikingly familiar. Has it been over-simplified here? Perhaps. Yet one thing is for certain - we should be far more comfortable in participating in this discussion.
So with an open mind, let the discussion continue ...

Seven Steps to Successful Tefilah

With the first day of the new school year just days away, we have loaded three teacher in-service days with faculty and department meetings, digital content and software training, and curriculum discussions. However, one topic that always squeezes in there is Tefilah. Considering the fact that we daven three times a day, one can imagine that the topic surfaces regularly due to the collective passion we all share for it.
Whenever Jewish Day School principals gather, we always seem to come to this essential element of student growth. And while there are many perspectives and opinions on how to achieve the elusive goal of fully engaging students in meaningful, heart-felt and fulfilling Tefilah, we nonetheless exchange ideas and initiatives we have all employed over the years. This year is certainly no different.
On Tuesday morning, the Judaic Studies staff will gather for our initial Tefilah Talk, a series of group discussions that will continue throughout the year. What new factors are left to be deliberated upon? What new angle will be taken?
Enter the Seven Steps to Successful Tefilah, a custom-tailored program for Middle School students. Over the course of several months, a strategy based on both current and former student feedback, years of observation, and experience with several schools of and leaders in human thought (such as CBT, REBT, Reality Therapy and notables such as Dr. Aaron Beck, Dr. David Burns, and Dr. William Glasser), a system was crafted to utilize various forms and sources of inspiration, text-based instruction and a student-centered focus on age-appropriate interests and positive relationships. While the program is complete in structure, scope and sequence, the details are still in a development stage, and will be implemented over the course of the year.
Step One: Inspiration includes three facets - positive role modeling, audio and visual materials, and peer presentations, each with specific components that will be highlighted over the next three months. We anticipate heightened student engagement and interest as we forge forward in this vital initiative that will undoubtedly encourage a positive atmosphere in Tefilah.

Always In-Service

As we eagerly anticipate "opening day" in schools across the country this week, schools are engaged in spring training of sorts. For several days already, educators the world over have been engrossed in nearly non-stop workshops, pedagogical discussions, lesson planning and technology development in preparation for the new school year. We often call these sessions "teacher in-service."
From the perspective of many, the beauty of education is in the summer vacation. Oftentimes, people compare and contrast various professions, yet always marvel at this perk educators have. Although it is certainly true that the summer is an invaluable advantage, there is more than meets the eye. Enter the world of an educator. While many professionals frequently burn the midnight oil (and we certainly require the services of every profession), educators seem to be on-call all the time. During the year, class time is just the beginning. Between the weekend review and lesson planning, the early evening parent communications, the late night marking and grading, the mid and end semester reports, and the whirlwind of constant training and special evening events, educators fill their time with one common goal - enable their dear students to grow as learners, citizens and contributors to the world around them. In short, they are in-service all the time for the betterment of society.
As we kick-off the new school year and greet our precious students with a warm smile, we cannot help but be filled with a sense of deep appreciation and gratitude for educators who are now rejuvenated and ready to continue their art of inspiring the next generation of leaders. May their refreshed energy fuel the next ten months of unparalleled learning, while guiding our students to achieve the greatest results and reaching their potential. 

Found on Middle Ground

Middle Ground - "an area of compromise or possible agreement between two extreme positions"
Middle School - "a school which children attend between primary school and high school"

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." (Mark Twain)

In the course of three short years, students progress from innocent young children to active young adults. Within this span of these three years, our children develop and solidify their learning styles and personalities, most of which will remain imprinted upon their very beings for the rest of their lives. The "extreme" and remarkably rapid progression from primary/elementary school and high school is a extraordinary experience, one that we must monitor, support and guide with the greatest of care.

This blog sets out to achieve these goals. I hope to share this journey through these exciting years of education together. You never know what may be found.