Category Archives: Classroom Leadership

It’s about the one who wields it…

31 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by in Actions, Andy Griffith, Attention, Attitude, Character, Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Inspiration, Intentions, Leader, Leadership, Servant, Unity, Useful, Value, Vision

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I saw the below tweet on Twitter the other day…
“A stone in evil hands killed Abel. A stone in righteous hands killed Goliath. It’s not about the stone; it’s about the one who wields it.”

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As I read that, I thought, “Man, this is good stuff.” And, of course, it got me thinking…

I’m sure there are numerous analogies one can use instead of stone in the hands of either, but I thought immediately about the tongue, the pen, and, ultimately, leadership.

My mom had a Rudyard Kipling quote cross-stiched in our house growing up, “Keep your words short and sweet, for you do not know the ones one day you will eat.” (many have been attributed to that quote). Yes, there have been many a person who cannot wield the tongue. I think of the Andy Griffith episode where Andy tries to catch his words back after a conversation with Ellie. He fictitiously grabs them out of the air and pretends to eat them, saying how bad they taste. The tongue with the right mindset can create a beautiful oration of eloquence. Alternatively, it will speak with a forked tongue of divisiveness, manipulating meaning to justify one’s own means.

The pen… I am fascinated with people who can write well. The nuance of language can move emotions when sentences begin to flow. No wonder, English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, stated, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” a metonymic adage indicating that the written word is more effective than violence as a means of social or political change. However, we also see the pen as a means to direct harm toward others, especially when words are written by one hiding behind a keyboard. False accusations, slander, you get the idea.

And leadership… Yes, leadership in the hands of an evil person causes more damage than can be imagined. With a me, my, mine mindset, the complete culture of an organization can be wiped away. Leadership in the hands, and I will use the word righteous, person shows servant-based, others first, a we, us, ours mindset. Edifying the body of an organization where others feel welcomed, not threatened. Where the culture reciprocates the empowerment of ownership. We have all seen and/or been part of leadership in the right or wrong hands, and we have felt the result of such.

It’s about the one who wields it… Powerful, indeed.

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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Do you help your students “Seize the day?”

03 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by in Achieve, Actions, Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Conversations, Education, Educational Leadership, Encouragement, Expectations, Inspiration, Intentional, Intentions, Kindness, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Relationships, Teachers

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“Carpe diem… Seize the day.” For the younger readers out there, this was a classic movie, Dead Poet’s Society, 1989. For us older, distinguished veterans, we should remember it well.

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There is this one scene that I like where the teacher, Mr. Keating, played by Robin Williams, takes his class out to the commons on the first day of class and has them look at the former students who came before them. While there, Mr. Keating tries to awaken their spirits, per se, into making the most of the time they have. In the clip, these words are spoken by Mr. Keating, “… seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.”

Watch the clip here: Carpe diem… Seize the day – Dead Poet’s Society

While watching and listening to the clip, I thought about this… The other day I stopped by the bank on the way home, and the teller asked me how my day at school was. I said, “fine,” and she said, “I don’t know how ya’ll do it.” I figured she was talking about teaching… So I said, “Well, I can either focus on who they are or who they can be.” She just looked at me like I had two heads and changed the subject. I wondered if she wanted to continue the direction of the conversation, but I was not going to speak negatively about education. Sure, we have problems, but so does every other occupation. Anyway…

How does this all tie in? Well, how many times as educators do we “seize the day” to make the lives of our students extraordinary? It’s easy to focus on what walks through the classroom door, but do we ever consider what they can be when they walk out the door? Do we focus so much on the negative aspects of students that we forget that they might not become who they can be without our help? This goes for all aspects of education… Teachers and students, administrators and teachers, School leaders, etc.

While I believe Mr. Keating wanted his students to understand that, ultimately, it is up to the individual to “seize the day.” Knowing or unknowingly, at the same time, he was helping them understand that. That’s where we make the most of who our students can be. Giving them belief, giving them hope for their future, and modeling an example that says, be different for the right reason.

Oh, to help a student to feel extraordinary, to help them “seize the day.” Most might not do that on their own. Let’s help them “seize the day” by us doing the same. Our lives might just feel extraordinary if we do.

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.

What’s in a name? Homework, Classwork, Practice…

16 Friday Sep 2022

Posted by in Classroom Leadership, Decisions, Education, Effective, Grading, Leader, Leadership, Students, Teachers

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Today’s blog is going to be all over the place…

Homework, classwork, practice… Why do we categorize the work we ask students to do the way we do when it is actually not an assessment? Why do we not call “work” learning activities if teaching creates learning opportunities? Is it a location term? Work at home equals homework? Work in the classroom equals classwork? What is the purpose of what we call it?

Here’s a thought… should “work” be graded if we call it practice? Is practice actually practice if it is graded and required? Practice offers room for mistakes, but going home and doing homework on a lesson just taught and then graded? What good does that do? Are we doing it for the lessons or for accountability and responsibility? Or are we assigning work for students to “get better?” Herein lies the questions that keep some of us up at night.

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What is more important, the learning or the grade of an activity? Are we looking at the quality of growth and exposure or a grade only? Now is a good time to throw the idea of completion grade into the conversation… Does completion of work acknowledge the student knows the correct answers? The war of educational terminology, I can’t take it anymore…

So, is there an answer? Kinda sort of like, not really. While I am not a fan of homework, I understand the need for practice. However, I believe that practice should be held in the classroom while the teacher is with students for guidance (especially if you teach on a block, 90-minute schedule). Long lessons wear students out and the teachers. I believe in teaching in “chunks with checks.” Introduce a topic, talk about it, check for understanding, and give a guided independent check for students. Then teach the next topic of the lesson. When done, provide practice problems for them to work on in class.

In education, we get so caught up in a student’s grade that we seem to forget about the student. Student success is about growing the student, not the student’s grade. A student’s success is better achieved in the classroom environment where learning takes place.

But what about the grading? The accountability, the responsibility of it all? Now the conversation has exponentially exploded. I offer multiple attempts for students on their practice (usually three to five, depending on the topic). Yes, it’s graded, but only their highest attempted score is kept. I feel multiple attempts create growth for a student while at the same time offering accountability and responsibility. If students want a better score on the lesson, they redo it (our school uses the Canvas platform, which makes this easy). After a few times of not getting the score they want, or if they need help, they can ask for it. Also, I feel practice should not take more than 20 to 25 minutes. I’m sure you remember middle school math and homework of 50 long division problems, graded for accuracy while showing all your work. How did that help any of us? Yes, it was practice, but…

Well, I’m sure you have read enough of my rant today. The bottom line for me is to do right by students. We do not know what goes on with our students after they leave the school building, but I do know the best way for them to learn is while in the school building.

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.

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What Advice Would You Give a Student Teacher?

04 Friday Mar 2022

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Choice, Classroom Leadership, Connections, Decisions, Education, Educational Leadership, Effective, Embrace, Encouragement, Engagement, Expectations, Experience, Heart, Leader, Leadership, Patience, Reflection, Relationships, Teachers, Value

≈ 3 Comments

This past week my wife, Heather, was sent an email from an education major, getting ready to do her practice teaching stint. The three questions were…
1. What advice do you have for new teachers?
2. How can I succeed in this profession?
3. What did you not know that you wish you knew when you got here?

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As Heather typed her response, she asked me some of my thoughts… Well, for those of you who know me, that can result in positive corruption on many different levels. As you read, here are our combined thoughts…

1. Form a relationship with a seasoned teacher who can mentor you and support you during your first years. Be prepared for tough days, but great teachers are strong people who do not give up. Keep striving and apply what you have learned from your teaching experience and your college academic program. Be proud of being a teacher. Teaching is a God-given gift. Our society depends on dedicated and devoted teachers. You need to have a strong desire for student success and make a positive difference in your school building. You cannot be friends with your students. Earning your student’s respect is necessary. Finding ways to relate to your students creates an inviting environment in your classroom. Being consistent in everything you do is important, especially when you have discipline. Remember, you are the adult in the classroom.

2. Always plan ahead and use your time wisely to prepare your lessons. Understand that true teacher success is growing students academically, socially, and emotionally. Teaching students responsibility, treating others, self-discipline, and accomplishing positive goals are life skills needed for their future. You must take care of yourself. Avoid becoming content. Stay an idealist teacher. Good teachers are lifelong learners. Even though teachers have holidays and a summer break, the teaching profession is hard work (preparing and teaching lessons, managing your classroom, grading work, dealing with difficult students, communicating with parents, teacher “duties,” which have lots of descriptions, are just a few of a teacher’s daily responsibilities). You must take care of yourself and find time for other activities besides school. Try to leave school at school. At some point, you will be a spouse and a parent; never apologize for putting family first. To continue in this profession, you must take care of your mental, spiritual, and physical health. Also, you do not want to be an island. You need to talk to other teacher friends to learn from each other and support each other. Your relationship with your principal is also necessary for future success. Hopefully, you will work in a school where your principal supports you. You definitely need their support when challenges come concerning students and parents.

3. When standing in the hallway between class changes, talk to students and find ways to communicate with them, even those who are not your students. Develop hallway cred. Stay organized and always be prepared for the day. Stay positive and look for ways to get your students involved in your lessons. Allow them to have some ownership in your class. If you can, add some humor to your teaching style. Find ways to brag on your students and encourage them in front of their peers. Know your students’ names and greet them when they arrive at your class. Remember to work smarter, not harder. This will help to prevent getting burned out. Learn patience. 

As Heather read the above response, I started thinking… shouldn’t veteran teachers want and do the same thing? How many times, as educators, do we make school “hard” when we know what needs to be done? As I read the above answers, I created a mental checklist in my head to make sure that I was doing these things. How about you? Go be the teacher you want to be…

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…