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~ J Clay Norton, Ed.D.

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Category Archives: Appreciation

Are You, As A Teacher, An Advocate For Our Profession?

24 Tuesday Jan 2023

Posted by The Book Chamber in Actions, Advocate, Appreciation, Attitude, Choice, Education, Educational Leadership, Effective, Emotion, Encouragement, Future, Leader, Leadership, Passion, Teacher Shortage, Teachers, Value

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Question for the week… With there being a teacher shortage, are you, as a teacher, an advocate for our profession?

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First, let me say that I enjoy being an educator. For those who know me, I hope you can say that my passion for education and educational leadership is very high. With that being said, I also know that there are times when teaching can wear you down. The list of items that go to this is endless, but that might be a topic for a future blog. Anyway…

I enjoy seeing teachers who are passionate about their jobs. But how many teachers do we see and hear who are not? That bothers me. For example, a future teacher recently told me that a high school teacher asked what she wanted to do. When she said she wanted to be a teacher, the actual teacher told her, “Good luck with that.” Why would they say that?

For the most part, society does not help advocate the teaching profession. Society will quickly tell us what is wrong with our profession and how we can do it better. I have always said that we are in trouble when we allow non-educators to make educational decisions. If we do not see ourselves as advocates for education, we leave the door open to the outside to determine our standing.

Teachers who are advocates see the end goal of education. They see growing students to become productive citizens in society. They look beyond students being “test scores” and provide an environment that is welcoming and conducive to learning. This is what passion for being an educator is about. It’s about telling success stories that are positive and uplifting. But, as we know, it’s only the negative stories that travel at a great speed…

Take this from one of my go-to “old heads” of education… “There is nothing ever printed or said about the positive aspects of teaching-with those in the profession being the most negative. The intrinsic values are rarely voiced. Being a teacher is the most valuable profession a young person can pursue, but most never hear many positive aspects that make it appealing!!! Just my humble opinion!!!”

I’ll go on and say this, if you are a teacher who cannot speak positively and advocate for our profession, please leave the profession and let those who want to be educators set ablaze the way that will light the way for many others. Yes, there are things wrong with education, just like any other business, but I get sick of hearing the statement, “You signed up for this.” That’s just bad leadership all the way around. These negative nay-sayers teachers are a disease to the profession and will create sores that fester and affect everyone around.

By nature, passionate people inspire. Why not do that for future educators? As I said in last week’s blog The Lengthening of the Teacher Shortage… Is there an end?, “We must give those who are even remotely thinking about becoming an educator a reason to be one. However, if our future teachers are in our schools today, and they are, how do you think they look at the teaching profession when they see us and what we do? It’s a question worth asking and, more importantly, answering… We must give teachers hope, for we are the only model future teachers see.”

Educators today have a choice, do we promote our profession, or do we sever the connection and let society or even other teachers determine our value? Do we love teaching to the point where we believe all children should be afforded equal learning opportunities? Or will we be defined by negative comments made by some in our profession who see teaching as a lonely, lowly job?

Punt that, I’m choosing to be an advocate and a leader of the profession that I love.

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2023 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

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The Lengthening of the Teacher Shortage… Is there an end?

20 Friday Jan 2023

Posted by The Book Chamber in Appreciation, Education, Leader, Leadership, Motivation, Passion, Teacher Appreciation, Teacher Shortage, Teachers, Value

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Scrolling through Twitter today, I saw a post from Mississippi Professional Educators that showed that for the 22-23 school year, Mississippi has 2,593 teaching vacancies statewide. 2,593? Yes, you read that correctly. Are you having the OMG moment? The breakdown: 822 elementary school teachers, 376 middle school teachers, 811 high school teachers, and 584 K-12 teachers. To throw some more numbers at you, there are 202 K-12 licensed educator vacancies, 82 administrator vacancies, and 2,111 K-12 support staff vacancies. The good news is that these numbers are down 443 from the 21-22 school year.

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Now, let’s not forget that the Mississippi Legislature provided an unprecedented salary raise to public school educators last year. While that may have enticed some to stay in education and some to go into teaching, with 2,593 vacancies, more is needed to solve the teacher shortage problem. Think on this also, according to the Economic Policy Institute, teachers make about 20% less than other professionals with similar education and experience.

In a great opinion piece, Mississippi Must Continue to Invest in Its Educator Pipeline, by Toren Ballard in the Magnolia Tribune, Mr. Ballard makes this statement, “The 2022 pay raise was a promising development for enabling upward mobility in K-12 education, but its impact was stymied by record inflation over the last year: if we account for inflation, the $4,500 increase to the starting salary only boosted pay in ‘real dollars’ by $1,346 from the year before.” Quick math equates to $112 a month.

So, is money still the answer to solving the teacher shortage? I don’t know. It would certainly help, but… the value we place on ourselves differs from what others will place. Another good read by Toren Ballard on the teacher shortage is Eyeing the Exit: Teacher Turnover and What We Can Do About It. That said, we must give those who are even remotely thinking about becoming an educator a reason to be one. However, if our future teachers are in our schools today, and they are, how do you think they look at the teaching profession when they see us and what we do? It’s a question worth asking and, more importantly, answering.

Helping someone discover a reason to want to do something creates an intrinsic value that becomes personalized. When that happens, good things happen. We must give teachers hope, for we are the only model future teachers see. At the same time, a value will always be or not be placed on us as educators by others.

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2023 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

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Two Important Dates On My Calendar… Charlie Brown and Andy Griffith

07 Friday Oct 2022

Posted by The Book Chamber in Andy Griffith, Appreciation, Charlie Brown, Entertainment, Leader, Leadership

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This past week held two days on my calendar of significance. October 2 and 3. I am somewhat amazed at the calendar dates now. It seems every day is now a national day of whatever… I believe it is a conspiracy theory for Hallmark to make more money for cards that someone in your family will eventually throw away.

Anyway, October 2, 1950, and October 3, 1960. Both dates are significant for the value they not only bring me but also to our family and many others, I would hope.

October 2, 1950, the Peanuts (Charlie Brown) comic strip ran for the first time.

FirstPeanutsStrip

So, here are a few tidbits you might not know about Peanuts, created by Charles Schulz…

  • Peanuts started out as Li’l Folks by Schulz, but that name was sold even though it featured the forerunners of the Peanuts characters. The United Feature Syndicate decided on Peanuts, although Schulz did not like it. He wanted the name to be Good Old Charlie Brown.
  • Snoopy is named after a black and white dog Schulz had growing up named Spike (who became Snoopy’s brother). Snoopy became Snoopy after Schulz’s mom said they should name their next dog Snoopy.
  • Charlie Brown’s crush on the Little Red-Haired Girl is based on a lady Schulz had a crush on who worked in the accounting department of the school where Schulz taught drawing lessons. The relationship did not work out, leaving both Schulz and the future Charlie Brown crushed. The Little Red-Haired Girl never appears in the comic strip. Also, while working at the school, Schulz befriended a gentleman named… Charlie Brown.
  • In 1968, Schulz introduced his comic strip’s first black character, Franklin, whose father was a soldier in the Vietnam War. Another character, a yellow bird called Woodstock, was named for the 1969 landmark music festival.

October 3, 1960, a day that will live in television history, The Andy Griffith Show first aired.

andy title

When all else fails, and you have to just watch TV, and there is nothing on, you can always watch Andy. Our family loves Andy. Outside of Heather and Breana, my parents, my brother, I have three friends (Allen, Mark, and Norm) on speed dial for Andy Griffith trivia.

So, here are a few tidbits you might not know about The Andy Griffith Show…

  • Barney, Don Knotts, only had a contract for one episode. He was not supposed to be a regular. I sure am glad he worked out.
  • Aunt Bee and Andy did not like each other nor get along while filming the show. Not until very late in life did Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) apologize.
  • Andy was supposed to be the funny one on the show, not Barney.
  • Andy’s real-life wife, Barbara, had a small role in the episode “Barney and the Choir.”
  • The barber, Floyd Lawson (Howard McNear), suffered a severe stroke after the first season. That’s why we see Floyd sitting most of the time in all the other episodes.
  • The maps behind Andy’s desk are upside-down maps of Idaho and Nevada.
  • Ron Howard’s (Opie) dad was the governor’s chauffeur in the episode “Barney and the Governor.”
  • Two of Andy’s girlfriends, Helen Crump and Peggy McMillan, lived in the same little house with the white picket fence marked “323” on the show.

Anyway… Peanuts and The Andy Griffith Show, October 2 and 3, back-to-back write-ins on my calendar. Peanuts and The Andy Griffith Show have brought everything from a balance of humor and melancholy of life to leadership lessons. Both give stories of characters offering lessons about happiness, friendship, setbacks, perseverance, and life itself. In some ways, a moral compass. It’s amazing how we can identify with so many characters of both or know of people who definitely can. I see a lot of Lucys and way too many Barneys in the world. I wish more people in leadership positions led like Charlie Brown and Andy, by just doing what is right by people. We need more friends like Linus, and the slow-down of Mayberry would be a nice feeling to experience.

We spend much of our time quoting the greats of history, the philosophers, the theologians, the poets, etc. Well, I do as well. But the funny thing is, I find myself quoting the characters of Peanuts and The Andy Griffith Show a lot of the time as well. Especially when I or someone around me unintentionally find ourselves living out a memory moment from a frame of the comic strip or a scene from the show. I have written enough for you to read today, so I will Nip it in the bud…

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

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The Value of a Mentor and a Tribute to Dr. Gerald Hasselman…

10 Wednesday Aug 2022

Posted by The Book Chamber in Appreciation, Education, Educational Leadership, Friendship, Heroes, Influence, Inspiration, Leader, Leadership, Legacy, Relationships, Thankful, Value

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The opening week of school for many of us… Let’s talk about the value of mentors and influence, along with a tribute. Regardless of age, we all need them. I made a list the other night and wrote down fourteen names of people who have influenced and mentored me outside my family. I have been very fortunate to have such people in my life. I would also like to add that along with Dr. Hasselman, who recently passed away, two others also have. Of the fourteen remaining, some go way back to high school, college, the beginning of my career, and also currently; all at some time or another in the areas of coaching, teaching, and leadership. While some of the fourteen are recent over the past few years on my list, I will say that along with the others, the mentor and influence team that I have has rock star status. Each one, mentoring and influencing in different areas completing the whole.

I met G (Dr. Hasselman) in 2006 when I started my specialist degree at Mississippi College. I had spoken with him on the phone a few days before about the program, and G told me to stop by. I stopped a few days later and went to his office on the second floor of Lowery Hall. He was not in there, so I walked down the hall. I saw Dr. Tom Williams in the conference room and spoke to him. I did not know Dr. Hasselman was in the room also… I asked Dr. Williams if he knew where I could find Dr. Hasselman. The next voice I heard was, “That’s me, son.” I replied, “Dr. Hasselman, I’m Clay Norton.” Dr. Hasselman’s next words were, “I know who you are, son; go sit in my office, and I’ll be down there in a few minutes.” And that was my introduction to Dr. Gerald Hasselman in 2006.

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Throughout my specialist program and doctorate, I do not know what I did to befriend Dr. Hassleman beyond the student-professor relationship. I do not understand why he took an interest in me. I did not know, at the time, how much of a mentor he would become and how much of his influence I would develop into my leadership style. Looking back, I still do not know, but I am and will forever be thankful. Even as an adult, 34 years old in 2006 and 16 years later, I value the influence and mentoring Dr. Hasselman provided me.

One special moment for me was that Dr. Hasselman was the keynote speaker during our doctoral commencement ceremony at MC. His speech was actually about the power of influence. In the speech, Dr. Hasselman made this comment, “If you ever see a turtle sitting on a fence post, know that it did not get up there on its own.” I realize it is a well-known thought, but for me to hear him say it took on a whole new level of worth. I realized that in many instances, I was the turtle. Along with Dr. Hasselman and others who have influenced and mentored my life, I can sit on that fence post.

Since G’s passing on July 30, a few weeks ago, memories of our relationship have flooded my mind and heart. Memories that I have teared up on and laughed out loud. One day we were playing golf together, and I called him Dr. Hasselman (I had already graduated, and that is what I still called him). He looked at me and said, “Clay, we are colleagues now; G will work just fine.” It took me awhile…

So, here is my tribute to G…

I’m writing today, to tell of a person who modeled leadership to its finest degree. Dr. Gerald Hasselman passed away on July 30, 2022. I only knew G as a college professor at Mississippi College and as a friend for a total of 16 years. Looking at his resume would make you dizzy with all he had done in education, almost every possible role. I would like to tell you about Dr. Hasselman as one of my mentors and his influence on my life. On this front, I can say, without a doubt, that he is one of the best I have ever seen. In and outside of the classroom, he treated everyone with the same high expectations and values. His heart for education transcends into many lives he touched. As an educator, he valued education and serving others, and he did just that. You never had to guess where you stood with G; it was evident. Affording everyone he interacted with, with brutal honesty, respect to difference of opinions, open to dialogue, and fairness; precious and rare characteristics of leaders today. As a lifelong educator, G helped the future by influencing so many, which we need to remember to do and value as well. Education needs more educators like Gerald Hasselman because people like Gerald Hasselman are extraordinary educational leaders. Sitting in his classroom was like being in an educational think-tank with him.

So, I am sad that I lost someone I adored, admired, respected, appreciated, loved, etc. However, I can also be glad knowing that I believe I am a better educational leader because of him. Personally, I will miss G’s subtle wit and small talk about golf and the St. Louis Cardinals. G also became our family’s travel agent/guide; he had traveled almost everywhere and always knew of a good place to eat. Many a conversation we had and solved most of life’s problems. I am grateful for the time I have had being his student and colleague, as I am sure many of you are as well who had him as a professor and worked with him. His impact on our lives leaves a legacy that will ripple through education for years to come. Dr. Gerald Hasselman was my professor, my colleague, an inspiration, one of my leadership heroes and my mentor. Most importantly, G was my friend, and I will miss him…

I hope you have a mentor in your life like the ones I have had and currently do. It will make you better, regardless of your age. Allow someone to invest in you so you can invest in others. The value of a mentor is needed in all areas of life, including education.

I hope everyone has a great school year.

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

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