Going Back to Work

     Going back to work... There's more here than meets the eye. First, the new school year starts for me in two days, so I will be going back to work in the most traditional and obvious sense very soon. Second, I have taken a hiatus from posting here for some time but I will be returning the blog to record, reflect and share ideas, so this will be a different kind of work for me. Third, I have committed to take better care of me physically, emotionally and intellectually than ever before, and that is yet another kind of work.
     Allow me to make a confession. I love summertime as much as anyone else in education and I often find myself clinging to the last days of July, wishing they would pass by just a little more slowly. Don't get me wrong. I love being a high school principal and that's what I am meant to be doing right now. It's a tough job, though, and a job that requires a great deal of emotional and physical energy. Summer provides me the time I need to recharge to get ready to hit the ground running when the new school year arrives so I covet my summer days and nights. As I mentioned, my summer ends shortly and that time for me will be here in less than 48 hours. Gasp!
     Every year, though, something interesting happens a few days before I return to school, and it happened again this weekend. I woke up this morning completely energized and entirely ready for the year. Just like that, I'm recharged and ready again. Well, sort of... In truth, I never fully disconnect from the previous year and I never really keep the upcoming year at arm's length. While I don't spend hours during any given summer day reflecting or thinking ahead, I do spend mental energy doing both at least a few minutes each day. I read books, articles, blogs, tweets and more. I jot down ideas for calendar items, themes for the year, points of emphasis for the year, and topics for assemblies, faculty meetings, new-teacher in-service and more as they come to me, but I often don't dwell on them. Instead, I let these ideas swirl around, largely unsupervised, in my mind all summer and then - I promise it happens every year - I wake up one morning and I have concrete ideas and energy to spare. That morning was this morning, and I've spent a significant amount of time today thinking and preparing mentally for this week, the following week, the week the kids return and beyond. Let the record show that I am ready to go back to work.
     At least one of you has noticed (you know who you are and you may indeed be the last of your kind) that I have not posted here for quite a while. Most of the mental energy it takes to write has been devoted to a creative writing project. I won't bore you with the details here right now, but it has taken much of my spare time and creative energies. I'm only a fraction of the way through it, so don't expect any announcements any time soon. Nevertheless, I have been thinking for a few months now that returning to my blog might be a good idea. I think it will be healthy for me. I like (read need) to hash out ideas in writing and I certainly will be exploring new ideas and new perspectives in my professional life in the coming weeks, months and years. Additionally, my hope is that some of the things I share here will be helpful to you, too. My goal will be to blog and continue writing creatively, and that's going to require a lot of energy. Let the record show that I am ready to go back to work.
     As I wrap up a successful tenure at one school and begin a new chapter in my life at another school, I already know that the new job will require me to be at the top of my game. To prepare for that challenge, I have worked hard this summer (and the past several months, actually) to make sure that I am in the best shape possible physically, mentally and intellectually. I have devoted serious time and energy to taking care of my body, my mind and my soul recently. I can say without hesitation that I am in the best overall shape I can remember. In fact, I'm pretty sure my overall health right now is better than it ever has been. I am not finished, though. My commitment is to continue to improve. Why now? I know I have a responsibility to my new team, my new kids, and my new community, while I still have an ongoing responsibility to myself, my family and my friends. This is going to take a lot of effort. Let the record show, however, that I am ready to go back to work.
     I realize this post borders on reflective rambling so I am thankful you are still reading. The next post, though, will be substantive and will touch on each of these aforementioned ideas as I talk more about my new position, the new challenges it will present me, and - most importantly - how this new chapter will require a new improved version of me. I hope you will follow along as I share this and many other reflections and ideas, some of which I've been considering for quite a while and some of which I am sure will surprise me along the way.

The ONLY Way to Do School Right

Let me be clear: there’s no such thing as the only way to do school right. It does not exist. I’ve been reminded of this three specific times in the past few weeks, and I think it’s worth discussion.

Not long ago I had a conversation with one of my colleagues about some of the unique cultural aspects of our school. She commented that some of these aspects seemed puzzling, even strange. I replied that strange may not be the right adjective but perhaps they simply were different, even unique. I went on to explain that every time I visit another school, I discover things that seem different, unique or even strange. The more contact I have with other schools, the more I believe this to be true.

Just this past week, a principal and an exec-level leader from a school in another state visited my campus. As school leaders do when they get together, the three of us talked shop. We compared notes on everything from schedules to hiring and firing to admissions testing to curriculum. We shared things that had worked for us and things that hadn’t. We asked probing questions, offered opinions and shared insights into the business of doing school. At the end of the afternoon, we each took away from the conversation some new ideas about things we could try on our own campuses. However, at the end of the conversation, we each were reminded that our campuses, our students, our faculties, our leadership and our circumstances varied in numerous ways.

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to travel to Kansas State University with college guidance directors from Texas to learn more about the university. Over the two full days I spent with the counselors from schools around the state - and some truly outstanding schools, at that - I once again was struck by the notion that we can do school in myriad ways yet still have a similar outcome: well-prepared, successful kids. As a group we talked specifically about schedules, course offerings, extracurriculars, grades, transcripts, curriculum alignment, college placement, testing and more. There hardly were two schools represented in the group that approached any of these things in the same way. Nevertheless, we all send well-prepared kids into the world each year.

I will be the first to argue that there are non-negotiables in education, things every school should do or emphasize, things every teacher should incorporate into classrooms, things every principal should promote and expect. I also will be the first to argue that there’s no such thing as the only way to do school right. Even when we all are driven by the notion of “what’s best for kids,” we have to approach this notion from different perspectives. We have to keep in mind the varied backgrounds and futures of our stakeholders. We have to consider everything from geography to demographics to socio-economic standing to facilities to school mission to available financial resources when considering the right way to do school for our kids.

While educators can find great ideas and inspiration from collaborating with and learning from others - and in fact should do so on a regular basis - educators must remember that what works for some may not work as well or in the same way for others. The way we schedule the day or generate transcripts or teach grammar at my school may not be ideal for your school. The way you incorporate technology or organize extracurriculars or manage gradebooks at your school may not be ideal for my school. The fact that the ways of doing school varies so much, however, does not mean your way or my way or someone else’s is right or wrong. Just because something we do is right for us does not mean it is the only way to do school right. Education is not as simple as that. We can think in terms of good, better and best, instead of right and wrong, but even those descriptors tend to be relative.

The cautionary lesson to be learned about doing school right is this: when you encounter someone who insists there’s only one way to do school, that everything must be standardized, stop and think for a moment. “The only way to do school right” can’t exist because schools vary as much as the stakeholders they serve. One size absolutely cannot and does not fit all in education. The challenge is to remember how liberating and invigorating education can be when the shackles of standardization and one-size-fits-all are broken. There’s no such thing as “the only way to do school right.”

Note for the grammar police: I am perfectly aware (as evidenced by my proper use of the adverb perfectly) that I have used an adjective as an adverb in the phrase  “the only way to do school right.” Let’s face it. “The only way to do school correctly” just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Give me some latitude here. Just saying.

In Defense of Fidgety Kids

Funny story: As I boarded a plane in Kansas for a late-night trip back to Houston, I found myself in the mood for neither sleep nor reading. Instead, I decided I’d spend the entire flight enjoying some great music with earbuds in my ears. I fastened my seatbelt, closed my eyes and disappeared into my playlist. Two or three songs into my private concert, I opened my eyes and discovered the guy next to me visibly annoyed. To be clear, the guy seemed to be annoyed with me.

Before I say any more, I probably should give a little history here. For twenty years, my wife has been somewhat amused by my involuntary tapping of my fingers, thumbs, hands and/or feet when listening to music. In truth, she’s been pretty amused by my tapping and fidgeting even when I’m not listening to music. It happens when I watch football, when I talk on the phone and when I read, when I’m waiting for a page to load on my laptop. On top of that, I usually have something in my hands - a pen, my phone, a paperclip - when I’m in meetings or when I’m talking in my office. What can I say? People who don’t fidget don’t always get it when other people can’t sit still or be still.

Back to the annoyed guy on the plane… In my defense, I’ve flown plenty of times and I have a pretty keen sense of self-awareness. I realized how close I was sitting to the gentleman last night and, because our knees practically touched, I made an extra effort to keep my feet still even though the music made me want to move. I suppose, however, my hands tapped away involuntarily on my legs and my neighbor didn’t like it. I don’t know why it bothered him so much but clearly it did. Once I realized what was happening, I noticed he continued to look over and stare. He never said anything out loud, but I knew he was sending me a laser-beam stare and bad vibes. Maybe he was easily distracted. Not sure. I am sure he didn’t understand why I couldn’t sit still.

Truth be told, the guy next to me on the plane last night reminds me of teachers who can’t stand it when kids can’t be still. I’m pretty sure you know the type. “Be still.” “Quit tapping.” “Don’t move.” “Sit like a statue no matter how uninteresting I am or how God wired you.” These are teachers who don’t really understand kids and don’t know all the latest research on why kids fidget and why fidgeting is not a bad thing. I didn’t say these teachers don’t like kids. I said they don’t understand, and I stand by that. There’s a greater implication here than teachers simply wanting kids to be still all the time, though, and that’s really what I want to address.

The teachers who can’t stand the fidgeting will be the same teachers who make assumptions about kids’ intelligence, future success, character and more based on how much wriggling and wiggling happens in chairs, at desks, and in lines. Think I’m overstating? My twenty-plus years in education begs to differ with you. The truth is that fidgeting has nothing to do with intelligence or any of the things I mentioned above. At all. And here’s another truth for teachers who don’t get and can’t handle the fidgeting: kids who can’t sit still just might grow up to be adults who can’t sit still, and that will be OK.

When the exec team at my school meets once a week, a dozen sharp and capable professionals gather around a big conference table to discuss policy, practice and more that affects the life of our school. Each member of the exec team sits quietly and attentively in a fancy leather swivel chair through the entire meeting each week. Each team member except for one, that is… Yours truly swivels back and forth in my fancy chair through the entire meeting. Why? I have no idea, except that’s just how I’m wired. I’m sure I swivel in my chair for the same reason I tap my fingers or my feet when listening to music. Surely my boss and colleagues don’t question my attentiveness or intelligence or character. So why does that happen when kids fidget?

Here’s the bottom line. As long as a kid isn’t stabbing a neighbor with his protractor or drumming on his desk so loudly that no one else in class can hear the teacher, teachers need to let a fidgety kid fidget. A fidgety kid who can’t fidget is almost like a kid with vision issues who’s not allowed to wear glasses. Kids need to have the freedom to move a little, to fidget, to stand, to sit differently or to tap their fingers so their brain stays engaged. If you don’t believe me, check the research. It’s not rocket science.

If you’re not buying what I’m telling you, let me leave you with this thought, which just may scare you into early retirement: If you don’t allow kids to fidget a bit and you hang around teaching long enough, you just may end up with one of those fidgety kids as your principal.

You’ve been warned.

THIS kid needs YOU to be THAT ONE PERSON

The kids that show up in our classes, hallways and gyms every day come in all shapes, sizes and colors, with varying physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs. The kids each have their own strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears, and baggage. Their levels of motivation and IQs vary as much as their socio-economic backgrounds, religious backgrounds and home situations. Each of these variables and more factor into what kids are like when they get to school. Bottom line: each of the kids in our classes, hallways and gyms truly is unique.

One of the challenges in reaching unique kids, each of whom is wired differently, and really making an impact on them lies in figuring out how to connect in an authentic way. This can be tricky. Not every adult in the building can connect with every kid, and there are plenty of kids who seem to struggle to connect with anyone. This is where you enter the picture. You and only you can do this. I'd stake my career on the following: there are plenty of kids who can connect with plenty of adults, but there is this one kid (think about it... you know who he or she is) who needs you to be something special and rare and extraordinary. You are the one adult in the building who can connect with this kid. And this kid needs you to be that one person.

What do I mean by that one person? Think about the people in your own life who make your life better, who add value to your life, who make you happy. Now, narrow the list to that one person who does this to a greater extent than anyone else. You know who I'm talking about. Narrow the list to that one person who:

• makes you smile.
• makes you stand a bit taller.
• makes you walk with your shoulders back a bit more.
• makes you want to be a better person.
• makes you feel significant.
• believes in you more than you believe in yourself.
• believes in your potential.
• sees you for your potential.
• takes an interest in you, even about mundane things.
• knows how to make you laugh.
• knows how to make you cry.
• knows exactly what to say.
• always has your back.
• thinks you're cool.
• thinks you're smart.
• thinks you're the best.

This kid? This one kid who will connect with no one else but you? This kid needs you to be that one person. 

Go be that one person and change this kid's life.

"I'm going to coach whoever shows up"

I recently completed Roland Lazenby's Michael Jordan: The Life. As I anticipated, I've come away from the experience with more than a few thoughts and ideas that translate pretty well to the classroom.

I spent my high school and college years completely fascinated (translation = obsessed) with Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. Only later in life, once I became a teacher and a coach, did I realize that one of the fundamental factors in the success of both Jordan and the Bulls was a gentleman and master teacher named Tex Winter. Winter, a veteran coach and the godfather of the Triple-Post (Triangle) Offense perfected under Coach Phil Jackson's Bulls, epitomizes "teacher" better than most any coach around, save perhaps John Wooden. Phil Jackson once tweeted me that Tex Winter was the greatest teaching coach he'd ever worked with.

One of my favorite passages from Lazenby's book gives us a great insight into Tex Winter's #coachteach approach: "Winter believed that he had been hired to teach, so he taught whenever possible, with the sort of frank, direct feedback that most players hadn't heard since middle school. 'When we step out on that floor at a practice session, I'm going to coach whoever shows up,' Winter once said of his approach." Furthermore, Assistant Coach Johnny Bach said of Winter in the book, "He brought an enthusiasm that went beyond the normal."

As the new school year is upon us, Tex Winter's example serves as a great model for teachers. Winter declared he would teach "whoever showed up." In other words, he didn't care if he was coaching the greatest basketball player of all time or the practice squad's reserves. Winter was going to teach, and he was going to do so with "enthusiasm that beyond the normal."

Imagine the impact teachers can have with Winter's attitude - teach whoever shows up. We all know that we're going to get all kinds of kids in classrooms this year: super smart, academically average, academically behind the curve, distracted, hungry, hurting, perfectionist, defeated, highly motivated, hardly motivated, likable, hard to love, rich, poor, and more. The challenge is this: teach whoever shows up and do so with enthusiasm beyond the normal. Admittedly this is a ridiculous challenge. Thank God we have teachers in classrooms and not anyone else.

Interested in more parallels between coaching and teaching? Check out the #coachteach hashtag on Twitter, or check out What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches.

School Leaders' Perspectives on What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches - Part II

In my research for What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, I had the opportunity to interview numerous high-profile, highly successful coaches at the high school, NCAA and Olympic levels. As I began getting feedback on the book from educators, I realized there were plenty of school leaders with wisdom to contribute on this topic. Inspired to seek more expert advice on the topic, I asked a number of former coaches who now serve in school leadership positions to weigh in on the following question: What lesson or principle about teaching that you learned while coaching do you most frequently emphasize with your teachers? 

If the wisdom below strikes a chord with you, be sure to reach out to the individuals and let them know. I'd also to encourage you to build your PLN by following them on Twitter.

What lesson or principle about teaching that you learned while coaching do you most frequently emphasize with your teachers?

Brett Howard @brethoward33

If you are average, you are as close to the bottom as you are to the top. Who wants to be average?

Mike Zavada @mikezavada

You have to be persistent and positive in your language.  Best teachers and coaches will have students who are able to repeat back language used to describe certain skills 20 years later. These catch phrases repeated over and over ingrain a mental picture of the outcome expected.  This is an essential teaching/coaching skill.  Also, the more consistent you are, the better teacher or coach you will be.

Jon Bosworth @bosworth.jb

Organization and communication need to happen first.

Lucas Leavitt @Lucas_Leavitt

The importance of explicit instruction and repeated practice is vital. As a tennis coach, initial explicit instruction is mandatory to be able to help players learn the correct mechanics of each stroke. Without repeated practice, the muscle memory will not be able to take place and these strokes will not become second nature to the players. This is exactly the same in teaching. Teachers must be taught explicitly how to use specific strategies or methodologies and then need to be provided opportunities for repeated practice where corrective feedback can be given.

Michael McDonough @msquaredbhs

I learned that fair doesn't mean equal. John Wooden wrote about that. If you are working with a student or having to discipline then you should have a fair reaction. It doesn't mean that it's equal to another person who may have done the same (or similar) action. A coach handles different players differently, motivates differently, yet is fair.

School Leaders' Perspectives on What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches - Part I

In my research for What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, I had the opportunity to interview numerous high-profile, highly successful coaches at the high school, NCAA and Olympic levels. As I began getting feedback on the book from educators, I realized there were plenty of school leaders with wisdom to contribute on this topic. Inspired to seek more expert advice on the topic, I asked a number of former coaches who now serve in school leadership positions to weigh in on the following question: What lesson or principle about teaching that you learned while coaching do you most frequently emphasize with your teachers? I've listed the first of their answers below (more to follow soon).

If the wisdom below resonates with you - and I believe it will - be sure to reach out to the individuals and let them know. I'd also to encourage you to build your PLN by following them on Twitter.

What lesson or principle about teaching that you learned while coaching do you most frequently emphasize with your teachers?

Brian Knight @principal_SMS
Work Ethic/Perseverance - I often ask my staff: Is your work ethic on par with your classroom goals? We all want to be successful, but are we really willing to commit to what it takes to be successful. Success is not an accident; it is a choice. You must be willing to put in the needed time if you want true success in your classroom. You must be willing to try, even if you might not find immediate success. Failure is not the opposite of success; it is a vital part of it. As teachers we must model this for our students. We must learn from mistakes, and become better because of them. If your players are scared to make mistakes they will never push themselves as hard as they could. Similarly, in learning if we are not willing to take some risks we will never learn as much as we could. You must be willing to try; we must be willing to do; we must be willing to put in the time and effort it takes to be successful.

Robert Sain @saintroop
1. We can only control our attitude and our effort.
2. Do the next right thing right.
We cannot control others whether it be an opposing team, students in a class, or faculty members. We can only control us. Our attitude and effort must set the pace and keep a high bar for all around us. Each person giving their best attitude and effort combined with a continual focus on doing the next right thing right can provide any school with a large amount of horsepower. 

Art Sathoff @sathofar
Putting the time in, motivating others, doing what you say you'll do, cause greater than yourself

Valarie Farrow @valariefarrow
Looking back, I would say differentiation. I remember even in my early years telling players during practice if they didn't understand something to ask a teammate. I was/am not an auditory learner and a coach giving verbal directions paled in comparison to visual and kinesthetic learning.

Justin Smith @TXJustinSmith
Leading faculty is similar to coaching in that a team-first approach is necessary in order to approach the highest collective potential. Great coaches focus on team chemistry (work environment), togetherness (culture), and inspiring great individual work ethic (professional development). As it is in all group settings, a leader effectively empowers those in his or her charge by personalizing the work, supporting the individuals by meeting them at their readiness levels, and setting high standards of excellence that are equitable for all. A strong leader has a high level of competency in his or her role, yet understands that high levels of emotional and social intelligence are imperative when leading people. Not all athletes respond well to the same critiques, nor do teachers when provided feedback. Therefore, to effectively lead a group of individuals, a coach or principal must really understand how to motivate each and every member of the team the way in which they will respond and move towards their greatest self.

This is the first of a series of posts in which I will share what other educators shared with me, Check back soon for the next post.

Excerpt from What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches - The Game Has Changed

Below is an excerpt from my newest book, What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, to give readers an idea of what the book really is about. I hope you enjoy the excerpt and I hope you'll consider picking up or downloading a copy of the book.

---------
What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches
by Nathan Barber
Copyright 2014, Routledge/Eye on Education
---------

“Athletes and people are happiest when they are improving… You are either getting better or you are getting worse… I find it really tough at any level, but especially with an Olympian that’s no longer getting any better and not improving… we have to deal with some tough stuff. We do whatever we can – with technology, with feedback, with multiple coaches coming from different angles – to keep them improving, because that’s when they are performing at their best.” Marv Dunphy, member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame, Five-Time NCAA National Champion as Head Coach of Pepperdine University Men’s Volleyball, and Gold Medal Winner as Head Coach of the 1988 Olympic Team

The Game Has Changed…

            The game has changed. What game, you ask? Well, virtually every game in the modern sports world has changed since its inception. For some sports, rules have changed, gameplay has changed, equipment has changed, scoring has changed and even the length of the season has changed. The three point line in basketball, the designated hitter in baseball, and the forward pass in football each have irreversibly changed their respective sports. For other sports, the players today are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever before, and the very nature of those particular sports have been forever altered because of the changes in the athletes. Usain Bolt in track and field, Lionel Messi in soccer, Tiger Woods in golf, Michael Phelps in swimming, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Brittney Griner in basketball have elevated the level of “excellence” to new heights in their respective sports. Additionally, many nuances of the major sports have changed.

            To be a successful in the sports world today, a good coach must understand change. He not only must acknowledge that his sport changes but also must take measures to keep up with the changes. He must be willing to change his practice approach and his game plan. He must be willing to approach players differently. He must be willing to approach every aspect of the game differently. If there is a coach today using the same approach, same game plan and same practice plan he did twenty years ago, chances are that his program ranks somewhere other than at the top. Because rules, equipment, scoring and even players have changed through the years, no good coach would stubbornly resist change and refuse to stay current. Imagine a basketball coach running the same plays he used before the introduction of the three-point line.

A good coach works hard to stay on top of how his particular sport continues to change or he simply gets passed by. An NCAA or National Football League defensive coordinator better put in extra time to understand how the New Orleans Saints and the Baylor Bears, engineered by Sean Payton and Art Briles, respectively, have changed the game of football offensively. A National Hockey League coach better work hard to find a way to approach Ken Hitchcock’s frustrating, defense-first style of hockey. Coaches who do not keep up with other programs’ innovations will become obsolete very quickly.

            As with the world of sports, the world of education has changed. Historically, education has changed very little until very recently. The stand-and-deliver model of teaching by lecture dominated education for centuries, dating back to the advent of universities hundreds of years ago. Even late into the 20^th century and beyond, such obsolete pedagogy has managed to hang on for dear life in some schools even though the world outside the classroom walls has been changing at an incredible rate. In recent years however, the rules of education have changed, the art of teaching has changed, scoring and assessment have changed, the length of the days and years have changed, and even the students have changed. Imagine a teacher teaching science the way she taught it in the 1970s, or history, or art. Inconceivable! For a good teacher, these changes present opportunities to change with the times and explore new and exciting best practices.

            A good teacher understands that both teaching and learning have changed. Whereas classrooms once were cutting edge with one Apple IIe for students to share, many classrooms today have tablets or laptops in every student’s hands. Classrooms of days gone by used sticks of chalk with chalk boards or black boards, while today’s classrooms often boast interactive whiteboards. Blended classes, digital textbooks, state standardized testing, increasingly competitive college admissions, scores of proprietary curriculum choices, Advanced Placement courses and more have changed not only what teachers teach but how they teach. Similarly, what students learn and how they learn have changed. Research has shown repeatedly that the one-size-fits-all assembly-line method of educating students used so much throughout the 20^th century leads to disinterest and disengagement with 21^st century kids.

A good teacher recognizes that today’s students differ even from students ten years ago. Today’s students are more plugged in than ever. Today’s students have different life goals than students a generation ago. Today’s students face a future that is more uncertain than ever before and employment statistics that are far from encouraging. As a result, what students need in the classroom varies greatly from what students needed in past generations. A good teacher changes her game plan, or lesson plans, to accommodate these changing needs. Because students’ needs have changed and because the ways students’ learn best have changed, a good teacher stays current on changes in teaching and learning by reading, researching, observing others and experimenting with new approaches.

            A good teacher, unafraid to change with the times, rewrites his game plan as often as necessary in order to stay current with best practices. In terms of teaching quality, experience can be priceless. As recent research shows, however, there exists no direct correlation between teacher experience and teacher effectiveness. This largely results from career educators’ inability or desire not to change and update their game plans to give todays’ students what they need. The best teacher in any given building may or may not be the most experienced teacher. The best teacher in the building, though, will not be the one using the same yellowed notes he used three decades ago. The best teacher in the building will not be the one using the same exams he used back when mimeograph machines with purple toner were all the rage. The best teacher in the building will not be the one who has memorized all the lectures and can deliver them with no notes or outlines in front of him. As with coaches who hold on too long to the old ways of doing things, quite possibly, the game of teaching has passed some of these teachers by, thus rendering them obsolete in the 21^st century classroom. The best teacher in the building, regardless of years of experience, does what all good teachers do: he evaluates his game plan often and rewrites his game plan as often as necessary to accommodate the changing needs of the students and the changing landscape of the real world and does not cling to obsolete pedagogies.

            Perhaps baseball coach John Cohen of Mississippi State University sums this up best. Having led his Bulldogs to not only the College World Series finals in 2013 but also to the most wins in program history in a season, Cohen understands that change and evolution are crucial to continued success. He says of his own coaching and teaching journey, “… the six most dangerous words in the English language: We’ve always done it this way. That’s dangerous because the world is changing. If we were doing it the same way that I was doing it as a young coach 20 years ago, we’d be doing the program a huge disservice. It’s a challenge to make sure you’re constantly evolving.” As Cohen will testify, the challenge certainly is worth it, for you and for those you teach.

Keeping mind that the game has changed, and will continue to change, the obvious question is, “Will you?”

Excerpt from What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches - Introduction

Below is an excerpt from my newest book, What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches. I'm going to post a few short excerpts over the next few weeks, but I thought I'd begin with the Introduction to give readers an idea of what the book really is about. I hope you enjoy the excerpt and I hope you'll consider picking up or downloading a copy of the book.

What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, by Nathan Barber
Copyright 2014, Routledge/Eye on Education
 Introduction
 

     What is a coach? The word coach seems to have originated in Hungary at some point in the 16^th century and described a large carriage used for transportation. In the early 19^th century, coach became an Oxford University slang term for a tutor who “carried” a student, as in preparation for university exams. Later in the 19^th century, coach at last appeared in the vocabulary of sports as one who leads a team. An interesting thread runs through these three examples of coach. Do you see it yet?

     We can deduce that coach morphed into the verb coaching at some point during the 19^th century once the associations with tutoring and leading sports teams became commonplace. Now, in the 21^st century, what lies at the heart of coaching actually can be traced back to its three original, unique, yet related uses. The all-time winningest high school boys soccer coach in the United States, Terry Michler, makes an astute observation about coaching in the modern world. Michler, who coaches at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, Missouri, says, “[coaching] involves taking someone where they could not get on their own.” With one short phrase, Michler sums up and ties together the three original applications of the word coach. All three of the original meanings of coach involved taking someone – a passenger, a student, an athlete – somewhere he couldn’t go on his own – a distant geographic destination, the Dean’s List, the league championship. A good coach does the same today.

     Coaching is teaching. Who knows who first said this, but this phrase has been quoted and requoted countless times, and with good reason. A great coach also is a great teacher, even if the subject matter is zone defense, the pick and roll, the bunt or the art of putting. Don’t take my word for it, though. Consider what these great coaches have to say on the subject:

“The coach is first of all a teacher.” John Wooden     

“They are about as parallel as anything can be.” Terry Michler

“At the end of the day, coaching is teaching.” Brian Boland

“Coaching is teaching.  Great coaches/teachers are good communicators; start with the end in mind; stress the fundamental (little things) concepts; practice and build on those fundamental concepts daily; reteach until the concept is mastered; motivate their students; and establish positive relationships with their students.” Dale Monsey

“Coaching and teaching are one in the same in that the educator has one purpose in mind: to share knowledge with the student/athlete in the hopes of making them smarter both mentally and physically.” Patti Gerckens

“Coaching obviously is synonymous with teaching because I think great coaching is effective teaching. What you’re trying to do is to accelerate someone’s growth in the game that you’re an expert in, and you’re trying to give them the benefit of your experience by sharing with them what they can do to get to their potential.” Anson Dorrance

     Even when the subject matter differs, great coaches and great teachers have a great deal in common. Great coaches and teachers communicate effectively, harness the power of teamwork, make work meaningful, embrace technology, build a winning tradition, teach life lessons and seek continuous improvement. Drawing on the wisdom of some of the best and most successful coaches in the business today, this book draws parallels between great coaches and great teachers, between great coaching and great teaching. Using examples from the lives and experiences of these great coaches, this book illustrates the correlation between teaching in the sports world and teaching in the classroom. As you read through the book, note that coaches whose names are italicized have provided direct input for this book. Without their wisdom, this book would not have come together as such a practical yet meaningful guide to great teaching.

     Although this book could be read cover to cover in a few sittings, each section has been divided into short, easily digestible pieces to be read and pondered and then applied. Additionally, because of the way the book has been structured, reading through the sections in order is not necessary. Browse the sections, find what interests you or what you need, then read, consider and repeat. Regardless of how you read through the book, my hope is that you are challenged by the ideas presented here and that you find many of these ideas relevant and useful in your own teaching journey.

Nathan Barber

The above information is Copyright 2014 Routledge/Eye on Education and Nathan Barber

A Few Thoughts from "What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches"

Here are a few thoughts taken from What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches. If you like what you see here, please check out the book. Please feel free to share not only this link, but also these images.

Variations on "A good course changes what you know. A great course changes who you are."

I recently had the privilege of attending The Innovator's Journey, a collaborative effort of a number of innovators gathered at Olin College to identify qualities and characteristics of innovators' childhoods that might be infused into 21st century education. Perhaps I'll say more soon about that incredible experience, but here I'd like to focus on something I heard while I was there. If I knew who said this, I certainly would credit that person. Unfortunately, I don't, so I won't. Nevertheless, I want to share this powerful idea. "A good course changes what you know. A great course changes who you are." Simple. Powerful. True.

Since hearing this several days ago, I haven't been able to shake the idea. Furthermore, I've spent some time thinking about other iterations of this same idea. These multiple other iterations I share with you here. I hope these will be food for thought for you in the coming school year.

• "A good course changes what you know. A great course changes who you are."
• "A good teacher changes what you know. A great teacher changes who you are."
• "A good coach changes what you know. A great coach changes who you are."
• "A good school changes what you know. A great school changes who you are."
• "A good book changes what you know. A great book changes who you are."
• "A good mentor changes what you know. A great mentor changes who you are."
• "A good leader changes what you know. A great leader changes who you are."
• "A good principal changes what teachers know. A great principal changes how teachers teach."
• "A good principal changes what school does. A great principal changes what school is."

I could keep going. Instead, I challenge you to think about how you could adapt the idea of  "A good course changes what you know. A great course changes who you are." to make it meaningful for you and your teaching journey.

Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays on the Importance of Focusing on the Process

In my research for What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, I heard from a number of incredible coaches a pretty clear message about the importance of the process in teaching and learning. Specifically, several of the coaches told me that a key element of their success over the years has been focusing more on the process and less on the results. By focusing on the process (individual and team growth and development) with their players, and by coaching the athletes and teams toward mastery rather than performance (stats, scores and wins), the coaches have been able to improve the quality of individual and team performances. Perhaps that sounds counter-intuitive, but the evidence lies in the national championships and Olympic medals these coaches have accumulated.

I recently discovered a great quote by Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon (I did not obtain this personally for my book)  that summarizes this approach to process-focused coaching and teaching: "What I'm trying to convince them is, you're not trying to beat the Yankees or the Red Sox or the Blue Jays, you're trying to beat the game of baseball through execution." Maddon nailed it. This approach works equally well for baseball, hockey and soccer, as it does for writing, calculus and second languages. Just as Maddon has led his team into the playoffs and into the World Series by focusing on mastering baseball rather than focusing on beating particular teams, teachers, too, can lead their classes to success by focusing on mastering writing, calculus and language, rather than focusing on test scores.

Don Meyer Quotes That Have Meaning for Coaches and Teachers Alike

In my research for What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, I discovered numerous quotes from successful coaches on the topics of teaching and learning. Below are a handful of thoughtful quotes from the late Don Meyer, who is widely known as a master teacher. Some of the quotes below appear to be about basketball only. However, each quote below holds significant meaning for the classroom and the classroom teacher, for teaching and for learning.

It is foolish to expect a young man to follow your advice and to ignore your example.

You have to learn things in every game... the games have to be the ultimate learning experience.

Your program must have an overriding purpose, which is clearly visible, which teaches lessons beyond winning.

Treat everyone with the utmost respect, and most of all have patience when you teach.

Every situation is an opportunity for growth.

Our example isn't the main thing in influencing others, it's the only thing.

It's not what you achieve, it's what you become.

Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?

Shout praise and whisper criticism.

A rock never shines because it absorbs light, but a mirror will because it reflects it. Are you a rock or a mirror?

Be who you are... everybody can spot a phony.

What you accept in victory, you must accept in defeat.

Focus not on the results but on the process, says Sean Fleming

In my research for What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, I heard over and over from successful coaches that their greatest point of emphasis in teaching and instruction every season is the process not the results. This philosophy falls right in line with emphasizing mastery over performance. Furthermore, Carol Dweck's research on a growth mindset entirely supports this approach to teaching and coaching.

Pete Carril Quotes on Teaching and Learning

In my research for What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, I discovered numerous quotes from successful coaches on the topics of teaching and learning. Below are a handful of great quotes from Pete Carril, former Princeton University basketball coach now with the Kings, who is recognized by many as a master teacher. Some of the quotes below appear to be about basketball only. However, each quote below can easily be translated into meaningful classroom practice.

The smart take from the strong.

In trying to learn to do a specific thing, the specific thing is what you must practice.

Teach a guy fundamentals and he can play anywhere.

Try not to talk too much about shooting. Spend the time instead taking a lot of shots.

Anybody can know the facts about something, but knowing how to do it is what's crucial.

The high school coach who does not make his players learn and practice should be arrested.

If they learn to do things right, or well, that gets to be the way they do things.

It is a mistake we all make as coaches to think that there is only one way of doing something.

When you teach basketball, it has its technical parts and its life parts.

Go slow so they can learn fast.

If you watch what your players are doing when they play, they will show you what to teach them.

In trying to learn to do a specific thing, the specific thing is what you must practice.

Anybody can know the facts about something, but knowing how to do it is what's crucial.

John Wooden Quotes on Teaching and Learning

In my research for What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, I discovered numerous quotes from successful coaches on the topics of teaching and learning. Below are a handful of great quotes from John Wooden, legendary basketball coach at UCLA, who was recognized by many as a master teacher.

"I believe it's impossible to claim you have taught, when there are students who have not learned."

"If I am through learning, I am through."

"Pay attention to the details and the big things will take care of themselves."

"I deeply believed that the teacher and coach who has the ability to properly plan... from both the daily and the long-range point of view together with the ability to devise the necessary drills to meet his particular needs for maximum efficiency, has tremendously increased his possibility of success."

"They are all different ... There is no formula ... You can't work with them exactly the same way."

"Over-coaching can be more harmful than under-coaching. Keep it simple!"

"If we, as coaches, aren't teachers, we are nothing."

"When everyone has good players, #teaching will be a telling difference."

"When I was coaching I always considered myself a teacher. Teachers tend to follow the laws of learning better than coaches who do not have any teaching background. A coach is nothing more than a teacher. I used to encourage anyone who wanted to coach to get a degree in teaching so they could apply those principles to athletics."

"It is difficult for young players to learn - because of the great emphasis on records - but, ideally, the joy and frustration of sport should come from the performance itself, not the score. While he is playing, the worst thing a player can think about in terms of concentration - and therefore of success - is losing. The next worst is winning."

"The purpose of discipline is not to punish, but to correct."

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

"Never mistake activity for achievement."

"Decisions are more apt to be accepted when you've listened to suggestions first. I wanted them to see the reason behind what I asked of them, not to do things just because I said so."

"Learn as if you were to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."

“The coach is first of all a teacher.”

Join the conversation about coaching and teaching on social media using #coachteach.

Educational Technology Must Make the Experience Better for the Student

A Lesson for Educators: John Wooden on Why Focus on the Process is More Important Than Focus on Results

"It is difficult for young players to learn - because of the great emphasis on records - but, ideally, the joy and frustration of sport should come from the performance itself, not the score. While he is playing, the worst thing a player can think about in terms of concentration - and therefore of success - is losing. The next worst is winning.”

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden sums up nicely a concept that has taken hold of me and won’t let go. In my research for What Teachers Can Learn from Sports Coaches, I heard from a number of incredible coaches this same message: the worst thing a player can do is focus less on the process and more on the outcome, results or score.

Consider this analogy. A basketball player who steps to the free throw line and focuses on either making or missing the free throw has severely handicapped himself; his focus has shifted from shooting a free throw correctly to an outcome over which he has no control. In truth, even the greatest free throw shooter cannot control whether the basketball falls through the rim. What a player can control, however, is the process of shooting a free throw. Feet, knees, elbow, wrist, fingers, form, shot, follow-through, etc. A great coach teaches a player to remain focused on the process of shooting, not on makes and misses. A player can control the process, and in fact can trust in the process which he’s practiced, learned and perhaps mastered, but he cannot control the outcome.

The irony of focusing on the process rather than on the outcome or results is that the closer a player is to mastering the process, the greater the likelihood of the desired outcome becoming reality. There exists here a direct correlation to education. Because of the “great emphasis on records,” as Wooden says, or on scores, performances, grades and other quantitative so-called measures of learning, schools, teachers and students easily can lose sight of education’s true goal – mastery – and focus instead on outcomes and results.

Consider this analogy. An AP US History student spends the entire school year focused on earning a 4 or a 5, then on the day of the AP exam stresses about what her score will be. The student, focusing on an outcome over which she has no control, has handicapped herself heading into the exam. What the student could have controlled all year, however, is the process of mastering the AP US History content universe along with the reading, writing and critical thinking skills emphasized in the classroom by a great teacher. If this student focused and relied on the process, which she practiced, learned and perhaps mastered, she would put herself in the best possible position to achieve the desired outcome or results.

With the heavy emphasis on performance and scores in both athletics and in education, we have lost sight of the importance of mastery and the process. Wooden enjoyed more desirable outcomes – NCAA national championships – than any other NCAA basketball coach in history. He did so, though, by focusing on the process rather than on the outcomes or scores. Wooden's emphasis on the process played out on both a micro level (i.e. free throws) and a macro level (i.e. wins and championships) and his players reaped the benefits. Educators today should steal a page from Wooden’s playbook and consider the significance and potential benefits of focusing on the process and mastery rather than on results, performance and scores. Furthermore, to paraphrase Wooden, the "joy and frustration" of learning should come from the process, "not the score."

In my next post I will address Wooden's thought, "ideally, the joy and frustration of sport should come from the *performance itself, not the score."

*It is worth noting that Wooden uses the word performance in this quote to mean the game itself, not the final outcome of the game.

For all the teachers and coaches who serve as Father for so many kids...

Getting them to enjoy the process