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~ J Clay Norton, Ed.D.

The Book Chamber

Category Archives: Vision

Getting rid of the bitter taste of leadership…

05 Friday Nov 2021

Posted by The Book Chamber in Actions, Bitterness, Character, Communication, Decisions, Effective, Facade, Intentions, Kindness, Leader, Leadership, Listening, Love, Transparent, Uncategorized, Vision

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Ugh… that tastes bitter. Even worse, that bitter taste can sometimes linger, and it begins to be all we think about; talk about distracting. It will probably hinder us from tasting the good of other things also.

But… what does bitter look like? Good question. Better yet, what does bitter leadership look like, and why is it such a thing? First, what is bitterness? A quick lookup gives this definition – having a sharp, pungent taste or smell, not sweet. Hello… not sweet, pungent… Talk about a bad quality of leadership… How about this statement, “I have a bitter taste in my mouth about…” Yep, been there, said that. Pungent… doesn’t even sound like a good word to say.

I would say, most of the time, our bitterness is always going to be with something or someone else. It mostly comes with disappointments which leads to frustrations, not only with yourself but others. Bitterness in your life affects so many things; confidence, mood, performance, likeability, respect… most of all, love. It deprives the sweetness of what leadership should be.

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One area I see bitterness is in leaders who only think their way is “the only way.” They lead with blinders that prevent them from seeing anything anyone else has to say. By default, others begin to question, respect is lost, and their leadership becomes a facade, seen right through. I guess, in the end, bitterness comes and goes, but the effects can last much longer. A full circle runs through all people, especially when we do not get our way.

So… how can we fight bitterness? I am not sure there is an absolute answer. However, I have seen enough leaders with bitterness that I have some ideas on how I do not want to lead. First, be open to ideas and not have a closed-mind set. Second, be transparent with your leadership. If we can incorporate both of these concepts in our leadership, we will lead better, and others will not have to be bitter because you are.

Go figure and it sounds easy. However, when our EGO gets in the way, bitterness is going to taste bad. Let’s lead with a sweetness.

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

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2021 J Clay Norton

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Lead with Your Eyes Wide Open…

10 Thursday Oct 2019

Posted by The Book Chamber in Actions, Clarity, Inspiration, Leader, Leadership, Observation, Purpose, Vision

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Have you ever tried walking a reasonable distance with your eyes closed? Obviously, you end up stumbling, but for some reason, you lower your head, thinking that you can “see” your steps and ways better.

Think for a moment with me on this… instead of thinking about walking with your eyes closed, how many leaders do you know who lead with their eyes closed? Just like walking, they lead with their head lowered, thinking they can “see.” Yes, they are short-sighted and closed-minded. Do not be this way.

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When you lead with your eyes closed, it is nothing more than dead leadership walking. Leaders who lead this way think they have the only option for whatever the issue is. They are unwilling to flip the switch and see what is going on around them.

We live a unique, ever-changing world. However, we can only define our leadership by knowing what the variables are and being able to see all around us. If we continue to lead small and narrow, we will always lead cramped up.

Knowing our surroundings, knowing the people around you enables you to lead more efficiently, and once you begin to lead that way, your leadership world, for some reason, begins to breathe. No more uptight, stuffy, cramped… I need a leadership humidifier.

Those who lead with their eyes closed, lead a lie only they believe. Closed-eyed leaders hide their faces, afraid to see past their eyelids and stay mentally locked up. Their leadership always cast a shadow, “throwing shade.” Please prove to others that there is more to you.

For those leaders who do lead with their eyes open, thank you. Your “openness” allows others to thrive and shine. Reality is no longer a wanting fantasy. Others become more than they are because you lead with your eyes wide open.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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Teach with classroom leadership not classroom management…

06 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by The Book Chamber in Actions, Effective, Honest, Leader, Leadership, Purpose, Relationships, Servant, Teachers, Value, Vision

≈ 3 Comments

If I had the opportunity to rewrite or rename a few college education classes, renaming classroom management would be the first on the list. We live in an everchanging world, and for the most part, people, in general, want to be led, not managed. Students are no different. Education needs more teachers who are leaders in the classroom, not managers. Yet, that is what we prepare future educators to do. Why not prepare them to lead? Classroom leadership takes classroom management to a welcoming concept for both the teacher and student.  Classroom leadership is what we should be teaching our future teachers. Classroom leadership needs to be discussed more in our educational conversations regarding teaching and learning.

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Classroom leadership is centered around empowerment, not only for you, as a teacher, but for the student as well. Classroom leadership should be based on a vision and principles, not managing students like they are products on a shelf; a vision that shows what the end result can be – where students can grow, and finish better than they started. Classroom leadership should be about influence, and that is what leaders do; influence inspires, management manages. When people are inspired, they do not have to be managed.

Too many teachers get caught up in wanting or even needing to have “great” classroom management. Now, that is not a wrong concept, per se, but…  What the question that needs to be asked is, “What are you managing?” Is it policy and procedure of your classroom, lesson plans, desks all in a straight row, etc…? I believe that most teachers think that classroom management is all about having their students behave; shut up, sit down, raise your hand, I am the teacher and I am in charge (Well, I have always felt that if you have to tell someone you are in charge, you probably are not leading very well anyway). And what happens when one of these “classroom management rules” is broken? Teachers immediately enforce “classroom management” and write a detention or send the student to the office.

So, how do we move a teacher from having classroom management to having classroom leadership? A few thoughts…

Develop hallway cred…

Yes, it is just like street cred and it might be the most important attribute you develop as a teacher.  Students will do right by you, if you do right by them and believe it or not; they will have your back. Being fair and honest is all it takes. However, this takes a teacher with strong emotional intelligence. You want a student to relate to you, be willing to relate to them. The thought “my way or the highway” only works with weak and insecure leaders.

Develop a quiet strength…

Every day, we have an opportunity to be for a student.  There are enough people in the world trying to tear students down; a teacher should not be one of them. Some students take more “quiet strength” than others, this we know.  But when that student knows we have found value in them, that we have acknowledged their strengths, empowerment takes place, and it is amazing how the environment of your classroom changes for the better.

Develop yourself in being a role model…

Your classroom starts with you.  The atmosphere is contingent on what you bring every day, and those four walls are your domain. Also, someone has to be the adult in the classroom; please let it be you – talk like, act like, and please dress like an adult. If you want your students to act a certain way, give them a reason to act that way.

Develop an understanding that mistakes happen…

For the most part, I do not know students who “mess up on purpose.” Now, they may not know a better way, but as soon as you “connect” with them, they might just take your words for correction to heart more often. Mistakes can be an opportunity for learning. Please quit “beating” a student up because they get a wrong answer or do not understand. More importantly, when you make a mistake, be transparent enough to acknowledge it in front of a student or the class; this goes a long way with every thought thus far.

Now it goes without saying that there are a few teachers who have excellent classroom management, but I would say that they actually have outstanding classroom leadership instead. I would go even further by saying classroom management is easier for teachers who have classroom leadership. Excellent classroom management is a by-product of classroom leadership.

Overall, we are talking about a paradigm shift – shifting from one thought of how our classrooms should be to another. As a classroom teacher, our focus should be where we can move a child on the educational scale of the particular subject area you teach. Yes, we teach students in the now, but we educate them for the future. Leading them is the answer. Learn how to be the classroom leader instead of the classroom manager. Everyone will be better for it.

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others

©2019 J Clay Norton

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Teaching with the language of the heart…

15 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by The Book Chamber in Heart, Leader, Leadership, Love, Maturity, Servant, Teachers, Vision

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With this being the standard week of giving cards of love and yesterday Valentine’s Day, I would like to touch on how teachers and leaders can reach the hearts of their students and followers.

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Understanding that one box of chocolate does not fit all and more importantly, you throwing a red rose blanket at the feet of others does not cover all; there are certain points a teacher can make that are exemplary of their leadership for others that truly comes from the heart.

Challenge them

Great teachers are not afraid to challenge the heart of a student. How do you do this? You step into the unknown, looking for opportunities that can help a student grow. You inspire their hearts to the point that they want to do and be better. Sometimes, that even means going against what the pacing guide or the curriculum says to do that day. No one is ever for the better if they are always staying the same and unchallenged. Challenge students to succeed, not to fail.

Make your classroom a shared vision

While you are the teacher, your classroom should be more about your students than you — a shared environment, where ownership exists between both parties. What is the vision you want your students to see? Too many times, teachers “box” their students in, keeping the lid closed, stifling their growth. A shared vision pulls students forward. Be willing to speak their language and have an idea of who they are. Together, your classroom becomes much more conducive to teaching and learning.

Model the mature way

Someone has to be the adult in the classroom; please let it be you. Yes, you, as the teacher or leader, must model the mature, professional way. This is the behavior that wins the respect of others. Do not be the clownfish who drowns in their own immaturity. You set the standard, let them be high. Why would you set them low? Having a quiet strength has been shown to win the day more often than not.

Teach from the heart

This is why we teach and lead… or suppose to anyway. It is our calling that enables us to build students up who are torn down by society. With the concept of “me first” being propagated everywhere one looks, the one constant has to be your teaching from the heart. This is the only way we can lift spirits, and promote a better way. Knowing what to teach is nowhere equal to knowing how to teach.

While every one of the above topics aligns with servant-leadership, it goes without asking, “What are we here for as teachers?” As an educator, are you trying to pull the best out of a student from the inside, where their heart is, instead of pushing something down their throat from the outside? Like anything else in life, for all involved, understanding the why of something increases the likelihood of a better effort given. Why a person does anything can always be seen by where their heart is.

Teach with the language of the heart, you just might be able to see a heart melt and turn into something solid.

©2019 J Clay Norton

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