Category Archives: Deciding

Odds, Probability, Alternative – Words in Education We Should Not Have To Gamble With!

13 Friday Jan 2023

Posted by in Actions, Advantage, Consistency, Culture, Deciding, Decisions, Education, Effective, Expectations, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Students, Teachers, Value

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“But odds are only created if a probability exists that there is an alternative.”

I ran across that sentance in Robert Dugoni’s book What She Found, which I am currently reading. Two ideas jumped out as I reread that sentence. First, as a math teacher, I was like, “Yep, that makes sense.” Second, I realized some things should never have to have odds or an alternative. Where’s that idea going? Well, I’m glad you asked. 

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As an educator, education should not have an alternative. What? We either offer an education or we do not. What are the odds that a student receives an equitable education? Well, this question should not have be asked either. We find ourselves moving into 2023 and the second semester of the school year, wondering how to continue to educate when, for the most part, in many school settings, we find that we cannot. You might say, “Well, where I live, we have a great school, and our children get a great education.” I can say the same for where I live.

But, as I look across the state, and you do not have to travel far, many schools need more resources and community support that are clearly defined in other places. One might say, “This is due to the community’s tax base.” Ok, I get that. But why should that matter when it comes to educating the future of our state? As you know, so many variables, and let’s also add excuses, exist on why children do not get a “proper” education. They range from the lack of leadership, teachers, parenting, counseling, facilities, curriculum, and the list goes on… However, receiving an equitable education should never be an issue. 

Until we can find a way to offer an equitable education, we will continue to deal with odds, probability, and alternatives when it comes to education. When we have to add those words to our educational system, the level of success will be determined by those same words. It should not be a gamble. 

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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Knowing Joy Beats Someone Telling Me I Should Be Miserable…

02 Friday Dec 2022

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Christmas, Deciding, Decisions, Emotion, Encouragement, Inspiration, Intentions, Jesus, Joy, Kindness, Leader, Leadership, Misery, Thankful

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Ok… I am always excited when I learn something new, and boy, did I? The other day listening to talk radio on the way to school, I heard a segment on the reporting of the US Misery Index. I was like, what? Are you serious? There is an index out there that is supposedly going to tell me if I am miserable or not? Maybe not me specifically, but our nation as a whole.

So, I got to school and looked it up. Guess what? It’s real. Here’s the website: http://www.miseryindex.us

In short, here is the description… “The misery index was initiated by economist Arthur Okun, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960’s. It is simply the unemployment rate added to the inflation rate. It is assumed that both a higher rate of unemployment and a worsening of inflation both create economic and social costs for a country. A combination of rising inflation and more people out of work implies a deterioration in economic performance and a rise in the misery index.”

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Yes, inflation is high. I’m not going to get into the unemployment rate and all of the other political stuff. However, inflation does not discriminate. I don’t like the price of milk and eggs right now, but I’m not going to make myself miserable over it. I like money in my pocket just as much as the next person. What I don’t need is an index gauging my thoughts for it. But… ultimately, I decide if I am miserable or not.

So, where’s the leadership in this? It all depends on you, I guess. My joy depends on these things – family, close friendships (that circle grows smaller as I get older), enjoyment of my work, and when it does not rain on Saturdays (so I can play golf), and foremost, my relationship with Christ.

As we are now in the Christmas season, if we listen to everything out there, we almost have no choice but to make ourselves miserable. Some small part of me believes that is what society wants; for us to be miserable, so we will depend on someone or something else. I am not going to sign up for that. You shouldn’t either.

Regardless of what the US Misery Index says, at any time of the year, I’m going to choose joy. Now, I have bad days; I’m sure we all do. However, the joy we should feel at Christmas, we should feel all year. Especially knowing the reason for Christmas, for that brings “Joy to the World” within itself.

And as for leadership… I get to choose that also. I get to decide what type of leader I want to be. I definitely do not need an index for that, either. As we begin the month of December and the Christmas season, focus on the joy that we have. If you have a chance, which we all do, spread some of it around.  It sure beats being miserable because somebody said, “Misery loves company.”

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…

Mississippi Legislators have listened… Now what?

14 Friday Jan 2022

Posted by in Actions, Choice, Deciding, Decisions, Education, Effective, Leadership, Legislators, Momentum, Teacher Appreciation, Teachers, Value

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“I’m just a bill…” No, this time, you are not…

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HB530 has made it through committee to the House floor and passed 114-6, bipartisan at that. That is great news for Mississippi’s educators. But… what will happen next? The Senate Education proposal has not, as of today’s writing (Thursday, January 13), been introduced. It has until Monday, January 17, to do so. With that being said, if the Senate Education Bill for teacher raises makes it out of committee and passes on the floor of the Senate, what will happen when the House and Senate bills meet?

Now, for a long time coming, teachers have a pep in their step. Many educators are actually following this session of the legislature. If that’s what we want to call it, teacher morale is higher than it has been in a long time… Why? It seems that legislatures have actually listened. We can see that in the two bill proposals and the overwhelming support of how the voting went in the House. We often hear what others are saying, but listening often does not occur. It seems the legislators have listened. Now, teachers across the state are somewhat breathing a sigh of relief in hopes of a salary increase.

Being an election year, I knew that teacher salary would be more discussed. Every session, it is brought up, but now… I would have never thought the House and Senate’s numbers made public would be what they are. One thing for sure, while the bidding war is on, let’s just make sure it is the teachers who win.

So, what happens now… will the Senate approve the House bill? Will the House look at what the Senate proposes? Will it even be taken up in the other House’s committee? Will the topic be tabled? This is the period of uncertainty. No one likes that in their lives. We want to know what is going on and what the results will be. I’m sure negotiations will be made and a compromise offered, but to what cost to the teachers? To add the finality of questions, what will the Governor do?

While we wait, I believe we cannot just sit and hope. We must continue to contact our legislators. We must remain proactive and let our voices be listened to. We must continue to advocate. Legislators have now acknowledged that a salary increase is way past due. Now is the time for them to make good on what they have made public.

I remain hopeful, and I hope other teachers also do. The teacher shortage, teacher retention, teacher “morale,” teachers staying idealists instead of disheartened can take a turn for the better. Now is the time. Too much has been said to backpedal and give reasons why not. Legislators should not use teacher salaries as a “tack on” to another bill to pass a political agenda.

It is time to set aside political differences. It is time for that bipartisan legislation we saw in the House vote and time for the Senate to uphold the value public educators bring every day to their schools. Everyone says they want to invest in the future. What better way to help our future than to ensure that our students have the best and most qualified teachers to educate them. Value does have a price tag.

Legislators, thank you. Now, make good on your promise. This is much more than a bill.

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…

Don’t Let Your Conscience Disappear, Especially If You Are A Leader…

24 Friday Sep 2021

Posted by in Actions, Character, Choice, Clear, Conscience, Consistency, Deciding, Decisions, Leader, Leadership

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On Friday, April 16, 2021, I wrote on the conscience in my blog titled: The Conscience… It’s For Others As Much As It Is For You. Since then, it has been on my mind somewhat and even more lately that I wanted to say more. The other day I made the statement, “I find it very disheartening that we even have to put the words ‘weak’ or ‘bad’ in front of leadership. Leadership should always be measured as positive. That is why it is so crucial that we have leadership with a clear conscience. If we do not, then we will continue to fail society.”

So, here are some new thoughts… 

The conscience. Your conscience. That “thing” that each one of us is supposed to have. Labeled as good, bad, or not having one at all. Our conscience, an essence of warning that triggers and monitors our lives. The “inner voice” that speaks to us when our minds need confirmation that something is wrong, out of place, weird. An intuition per se.

While I would say most people will equate their consciences with their hearts… then our hearts know our motives, our true selves. Lying to others becomes more manageable when we get comfortable lying to ourselves. And when that happens… like a magic trick… poof, our conscience disappears, and the audience sits with amazement, wondering where did it go?

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When it comes to leaders in our society, their consciences are not any more or less important than others, but I am beginning to see leaders’ consciences leaving them as quick as they can run away from it. It just disappears, or they hide it where it can only be found when they want it. Why? What has happened to a person where we wonder, “When did they start to think a certain way?”

I see the issue not so much growing more popular but more evident. Blame-shifting is so easy to do now. Especially with the anonymity of social media and hiding behind a keyboard. Imagine everyone being made a scapegoat because leadership will not hold themselves to the same standards as everyone else.

We live in a culture where the conscience of leaders is elevated to be valued as medal-worthy due to pride. Leadership has also reached a level where others need to be blamed for a leader’s failure instead of responsibility taken for personal faults. Leadership deflection is so prominent that it is now seen as the norm, and leaders are escaping wrongdoing by claiming that they are now victims of other’s misunderstandings, even accusatory. When leaders shun responsibility, they set rules that only acknowledge self-entitlements.

Our conscience is a part of who we are. We cannot escape it. It does not and will not disappear, regardless of how many times we put it aside. However, the more times we do, the more numb our consciences become; stifled, muted, callous, eventually dead at the end.

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

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2021 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on…

Twitter @thebookchamber

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