Category Archives: Teachers

The Intrinsic Value of Teaching…

08 Friday May 2020

Posted by in Appreciation, confidence, Education, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Teacher Appreciation, Teachers, Value, Whole

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Fictional conversation…
“It’s Teacher Appreciation Week.
Are you serious?
Yes!
I thought we just had Teacher Appreciation Week.
No, that was this same time last year.
Oh… Well, I guess we need to do or say something for them?
Are you saying or asking?
Both, I guess.
We could put something on Social Media.
Probably, but do you think that is enough?
Well, even though we don’t tell them often enough, they know we do.
Yea, they know we appreciate them.
But, do they?”

It amazes me how often groups have to have a “week” named for them to see or hear words of appreciation…

First of all, let me say Happy Teacher Appreciation Week. As I have stated before, “Educators might be the last great hope to help change society for the better.”

I like the word “intrinsic.” A quick lookup would give you this as a definition: “belonging to a thing by its very nature.”

Here are a few thoughts I have…

The fulness of a teacher’s purpose is to totally give of themselves to the absorption of others, where they are seen through eyes that want learning and understand the value it brings. This can only be done with intrinsic value. This is my perspective of what an appreciated teacher is and should look like.

If there was never an “Appreciation Week” or if teachers were never given praise, teachers would still have value, by virtue of who they are. Take a teacher out of the school building and let them “be normal,” you would never know the difference between them and other people. That is one of the beauties of being an educator, we are just like everyone else, while at the same time, totally different. You see, the only agenda a teacher has is to want what is best for students now and for the future. Society is fueled by competition to reward the individual, education is fueled by collaborative work to reward the whole.

The value of an educator can never be taken away. It may be attacked (usually by jealously or ignorance), but it cannot be diminished. A teacher’s value is it’s being. We are nothing more than the sum of what we do; that is to teach. We are one of a few professions that give of ourselves, and the really good teachers do not seek any glory. The glory they find is often seen in the transformation of students, and there you will find that the glory resides within the hearts and minds of those students.

Here is the deal with teachers… We have good days, we have bad days. Each day we try to make it better than the last one. We want to be the best at our jobs. The more our goal is to get everyone on the same page, the more perfect our job becomes. The success of a teacher is found when we can duplicate that day after day.

Intrinsic… “belonging to a thing by its very nature.” A teacher’s value will never be adequately measured.  However, educators know their true value, and maybe that is why they do what many choose not to.

The role of what a teacher does is extraordinary. Make an effort today to say thank you to one. Teaching, an appreciation? YES… All-day, every day – THANK YOU, TEACHERS!

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

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2020 J Clay Norton

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Staying Close with Your “Distance” Leadership…

17 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by in Communication, Conversations, coronavirus, covid19, Distance, Education, Educational Leadership, Leader, Leadership, Relationships, Teachers, Trust, Understanding, Value

≈ 3 Comments

The educational world, as now, most definitely, has moved into the distance-learning mode. As educators, we can adapt as well as any profession. Try teaching 150 students with different personalities and different learning styles throughout one to two days. Yep… Did I say the ability to adapt?

You get the idea… However, what about leadership when it comes to the distance-learning mode? How does that look? Can we adapt? Yes, due to recent circumstances, most everything is done by remote, even leadership.

Let’s not talk about the collective decisions of leadership, let’s talk about the relationships of leadership. The decisions we make as leaders are usually made by a consensus, well-informed group, and then disseminated to everyone. I believe that it is just part of doing our jobs as leaders.

Now… on to the relationship part of leadership during these “distance” times…

More than ever, people are looking for leaders to guide them during uncertain times. Rest assured, a leader will always emerge in times of need. Leadership is challenging enough, without all the extra “stuff” that goes on. However, quality leaders probably do not have to change their “style” very much. On the other hand, if a leader leads from a “distance” to begin with, the need to change is now. At some point, if you do not change, then your “distance” leadership will turn into leadership that is so far away, it will be nonexistent leadership.

Here are a few quick thoughts that I have (and this goes for teachers as well)…

While a “blanket” text or email is fine, make a point to be intentional with a few people each day. Just create a running list… Communicate with them individually. If you call, they probably will answer and carry on a conversation. Showing some intentionality will create and possibly strengthen a bond you have with others. People, by nature, work better in a friendly environment. This environment carries over remotely. We really have no excuse, technology has made this so easy.

With regard to “distance” leadership, another thing is to trust. Yes, even remotely. In education, we must trust the teachers. They have more “jobs” going on remotely, then they do when at school. Let them do what they do best; teach. Tell teachers what needs to be done and let them go. Check on them, not their work, per se.

Leading from a distance requires more effort on our part. Now is an excellent time to really invest in the lives of our teams. Ask them something other than work or even weather-related. Ask their opinion on something that could benefit the whole (but do not ask, if you do not want to hear).

The unknown… that is where we are with educational leadership at the moment. However, we are becoming more familiar with it day by day.  The only known is that we have had to adapt and change. Many a leader will rise or fall due to the choices of the decisions that they make during this pandemic. We will need the support of our teams. Make every effort and give your team a reason to support you.

Remember, as a leader, it is up to you to lead. If you do not, someone else will. If that happens, do not get upset. You had your chance… Do not be a “from a distance” leader, stay close. Society already has enough “distance” leaders as it is…

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

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2020 J Clay Norton

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Maslow Was Right…

03 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by in Appreciation, Consistency, coronavirus, covid19, Decisions, Education, Educational Leadership, Encouragement, Foundation, Leader, Leadership, Love, Purpose, Relationships, Teachers, Understanding, Value

≈ 3 Comments

Wow, what a few days and weeks can do to change the way education is…

As I sit here, at our kitchen table, writing this blog, I consider how education is exponentially changing, and for the better, I might add, (I hope). As educators, we have been given and give direction as to how education needs to work the past few weeks, and it appears how it needs to work in the months forthcoming.

One conversation that I have had with myself lately (I have a lot of those by the way) is, “How are teachers and students adjusting?” I somewhat have an idea of the teacher’s side of it, but what are our students thinking at this moment? For what apparent reason, I do not know, but Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs came to mind. If you are an educator, you should know what this is.

Your quick “Reader’s Digest” compressed write-up is this…
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was introduced by Abraham Maslow in 1943. The pyramid reflects the universal needs of society, in stages of human development. The most critical layer of the pyramid is the first layer, and upward a person moves. However, for a person to move upward, each layer below must be complete. The layers are, starting from the bottom as the foundation are: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

Well, now the question you might be asking yourself is, “What does this have to with education?” I am glad you asked… Education is dealing with people (I know, duh moment for everyone). What I notice is that in Maslow’s Hierarchy, there is not a single layer that refers to an IQ of a person, but every layer can be associated with EQ.

The first layer is the Physiological layer, and while that is the foundation, the other layers are important as well. However, if our students and teachers, for that matter, do not have the foundational layer of their physiological needs met, then the chance to move upward is not going to happen, or if they do move up, it will be with limited motivation, and there is an increase in displeasure within an individual. What does all this mean? If a student is struggling to have their physiological needs met, then they are unlikely to pursue safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. And let’s throw in doing classwork for that matter.

With all the above being said, hopefully, you can see now why what we do as teachers during this “displaced” time is so essential for our students. The other day I was strolling through Twitter and saw this quote by Dr. Brad Johnson, who is an advocate for education… “Relationships before rigor, Grace before grades, Patience before programs, Love before lessons.” As I saw that, the first question that came to my mind was this… “How many educators are conducting their distance learning as if they were teaching the exact same way as if they were in the classroom?” “Newness of lessons be gone, I’ll just teach as if I were there,” they might say. If this is true, then we are failing measurably at meeting the EQ of our students.

The other day I tweeted out, “As educators, we have a powerful opportunity to be a constant example in our student’s lives during this time.” If we encourage them with relationships, patience, and love, then the rigor, programs, and lessons will fall in place. If we can help students help themselves, then they will be closer to moving up the layers of the pyramid and possibly gaining the self-actualization that we all want them to have. Motivation to succeed is not always innate with our students. The more we can do for them, the more I believe they will do for us. The time for us as educators to truly teach is here. Be the teacher our students need during this time.

Thank you to all the first responders and teachers doing what they do best.  If you see one, say thank you.

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

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2020 J Clay Norton

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Gimme A Break… Spring Break That Is…

06 Friday Mar 2020

Posted by in Family, Rest, Spring Break, Teachers, Time

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This week is one of four weeks we all long for as educators… Yes, I said, educators. The other three include the week before Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the end of school. As I listen in the hallway, I hear teachers say, “Four more days; Three more days; I will be glad when Friday gets here…”

The need for Spring Break is real, even for teachers. That long break between Christmas and now… The hard thing, though, is making Spring Break last. Joking, at my house, at noon on Wednesday, I say, “Well, Spring Break is over.” I immediately get “fused at” by my family, but it is fun nonetheless.

So, how do we make Spring Break last? I believe it is by not focusing on what you have to do when we come back. Look at what you get to do next week (if you want to)…

Sleep late
Wear anything you want
Go anywhere you want, when you want
Eat when you want
Go to the bathroom when you want
Stay up later than normal
Take care of that much needed “stuff to do” around the house
Did I mention sleep late…?

You get the idea. What you do not need to do is think about the things that you do not have to do. By now, we are at our “wit’s end” trying to keep everything and everyone on the same page. Too often, we cannot rest, relax, and rejuvenate because of our lack of planning beforehand. Get what you need to be done for when we come back today and leave it. The goal is for you to leave the classroom mentally. You know the students do…

Being an educator is exhausting. The 10-12 hours a day get long, and that is just inside the building. What about the time outside the building? Yes, you need a break too. Go ahead and actually take it. Your family will probably appreciate it as much as you do.

I hope each of you has a great one. We will pick back up with the blogs AFTER Spring Break.

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

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2020 J Clay Norton

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