The 4 Stages of Failure

I really enjoy Justin Tarte's twitter feed as there is always a plethora of ideas and thoughts to apply to my practice.  This weekend, Justin pushed out this comparison between failure and failing, and it made me ask myself this question.

How much do we value failure as a meaningful part of the learning process? 

Failing vs. being a failure... huge differences! #edchat pic.twitter.com/UuFmJ5P2Sm
— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) April 14, 2015

Well as I reflected on my own failures as a student and professional, I realized that overcoming failure is not that simple.  In fact, failure is very similar to overcoming grief or a bad habit.  You overcome it in stages.  In fact, I think there are 4 stages to overcoming failure.

Frustration
When kids fail, frustration is a natural response.  Kids that see themselves as failures, never leave this phase.  When educators convince kids to see failure as a temporary event, they can overcome frustration and move to the next phase.

Acceptance
This concept is two-fold.  First kids must be able to acknowledge that failing is a natural part of the learning process, and second, kids must accept the fact that failure can become learning if accepted properly.

Inquiry
What can be learned from failing?  This question permeates the inquiry stage of failure.  If kids can stay focused on identifying the cause of failure,  they move themselves one step closer to learning from it.

Learning 
Once students can identify the causes of failure, students stand firmly on a platform called "Learning from It".  Learning from failure is the pathway that starts with frustration, moving toward acceptance and asking how it was caused.  By moving through the 3 previous phases successfully, student can conquer their setbacks by converting failing into learning.


Failure is Learning in Action
Whether kids look at their grade as failing or look at themselves as a failure depends completely on how we counsel with the student.  In absence of a conversation with the teacher, kids will naturally see themselves as a failure when they see a failing grade on their report card.  The challenge for teachers and administrators alike becomes this.  How can we convince kids to see their poor performance as a temporary setback that is waiting for a comeback?  Every kid has the potential to come back when they fail.  The question we must continually ask ourselves is how do we motivate and inspire all kids to make the choice to overcome adversity when they fail.

Is your Mind Fixed on Growth?

Do you have a growth mindset?   Learning is about growing through failure not success.  To synthesize this question at a deeper level, I challenge each one of you to read Bill Ferriter's blog (CLICK HERE) and watch the video at the end.  I rarely say that something is unbelievably amazing, but this concise post (which was unbelievably amazing) fixed my mind on what is most important.  It is the growth not the result that determines if we are learning.  If we can condition ourselves first to become fixated on the progress we are making in our craft as opposed to obsessing about meeting a specific level of mastery, then I am confident that we will be more successful at conditioning our kids to develop the same growth mindset..

As I pondered the idea of growth mindset, I wondered what questions I should ask myself.  That is when I found this infographic by Marc Chernoff from MarcAndAngel.com.  While these questions focus on reflecting on our work at the end of the week, you can ask these questions every time you encounter a failure or setback.  By reflecting and being cognizant about failure, we can identify which strength can be leveraged the next day or next week to improve our deficit area.

Tweet by MAMS_PrincipalNov 01, 5:11am via Twitter for iPhone

Great reflection questions to end the week and help your planning 

#satchat#atplc #edchat #njed #cechat 

#mupa13pic.twitter.com/STBWDCCQu0

6 Sparks of a Scintillating Teacher

I love watching "Minute with Maxwell", a daily email that comes into my inbox each morning.  This morning a fireball of a word piqued my interest, Scintillating.  I knew what the word meant, but the mere pronunciation of the word sparked my intrigued in John Maxwell's message.  I just had to find out what he would say about the word in his video.  

As he went through his vivid description of the word, some of my favorite teachers of all time bursted to the front of my mind. Their electrifying lessons captivated me.  Their individual consideration made me feel like their class was designed just for me.  They walked their talk, and that influenced me to do the same.  Finally, these instructional idols inspired me to shoot for the stars in my own life, and they did that with high expectations accompanied by amazing accountability and stupendous support.

6 Sparks of a Scintillating Teacher 

To be even more definitive, each of these teachers possessed 6 sparks that didn't just motivate me.  They motivated all students.  Hope you identify with them.

Brilliant

Her intellectual prowess drove me to constantly ask the question, "How does he know so much about this content?"

Rousing

His passion for telling us the story of history took me on a journey back in time. 

Invigorating 

His dynamic presence made me believe that I could be equally an expert of this content. 

Gung-Ho

Her excitement and love for life and teaching challenged me to be a more selfless human being. 

Hypnotic

Listening to her 'why' behind the 'what' entranced my mind and made me view life and content in a way that I had never experienced before. 

Thought-Provoking

His unique way of explaining my thinking to me redirected me to correct my own mistakes without ever hearing that I was wrong. 

So what other Sparks would you add?

Scintillating teachers sear learning into the minds of their students. Kids rarely forget these superstars because their content is branded into their brains.  But there are other descriptors that make a scintillating teacher, so drop a comment and share your thoughts.  Who inspired you by being a firecracker of a teacher?  What was it about their teaching that fired you up?  After all, that is how we become better teachers, by emulating the greatness in others.

7 Steps to Conquer Twitterphobia

I get so tickled when I'm talking to someone who says, "I don't get Twitter."  They complain about the hashtag (for old folks, the pound sign) or why there has to be an @ symbol just to talk to someone. Their pontification of pensiveness is quite amusing.

After listening to them lament over their Twitter-phobia, I ask them one simple question.  "Do you use Facebook?"  Their answer is typically, "Well, yes", followed by, "but you don't understand.  I don't get all that # stuff."

So I'm tired of listening to all the excuses.  I want to tell all of you Twitter-phobes that there are 4 reasons you should be using Twitter. 

1. 140 characters is Facebook minimized

Think about it. No one reads your Facebook posts when you have more than 140 characters anyway, and let's face it. You don't read peoples' lengthy posts on Facebook either. Anything that you can post of FB can be tweeted on Twitter. 

2. Hashtags Connect

The great thing about Twitter is that you don't have to know everybody or be everybody's friend. The # connects people around topics of interest.  For example, #satchat (Definitely click here!!!) is one of the most popular chats on Twitter for educators. On Saturday mornings, you can find 100's if not 1000's of educators conversing in this forum about really interesting topics in education. 

3. Friends are overrated

Let's face it. When you are reading Facebook there are lots of people you tune out.  After they've said the same thing over and over for the last few weeks about politics, their family, or their personal problems, you really don't pay attention to anything they say.

Twitter is pretty transparent, and it's not that personal, which is a good thing if you're trying to learn from others. I have developed some pretty awesome contacts over my four years on Twitter, and that is because of the transparency and openness that you find by connecting with other educators who you would otherwise never meet. I don't know any of them personally, but I find my closest tweeps to be extremely powerful influences on my work. Friends influence you, but strangers stretch you. 

4. You're wanted on Twitter

There are lots of people out there that want to help people new to Twitter. Chats like #NT2T (New Teachers to Twitter) created by Joe Mazza (Click Here) and Twitter leaders such as Jerry Blumengarten (Click Here) are extremely powerful resources to all tweeps, especially those that are new to Twitter. 

Following bloggers such as Bill Ferriter, Dean Shareski, Eric Sheninger, and David Culberhouse keep me up-to-date with the latest things happening, and their cutting edge thoughts influence my life as a leader. 

Are you willing to try something for me?

I'd like for you to try these 7 steps to see if Twitter is for you.  If you still have Twitter- phobia after these 7 steps, I'll give you a complete refund. (That's a joke...)

Step 1

Set up an account. It's not that difficult. In fact, here is a quick video to help you get started. 

Step 2

Find some people to follow like the people that I just mentioned. Don't worry. They won't bite. 

Step 3

Look at the people that they follow.  Check out their bio and the tweets that they put out.  If they appeal to you, follow them. If not, don't. 

Step 4

Spend some time reading and analyzing how people tweet and use the # to communicate. 

Step 5

Find a regularly scheduled chat and participate in it either by tweeting or by just watching the hashtag. It can be a little overwhelming and intimidating, but watching how the conversation works will give you a good understanding of what Twitter is all about. See Jerry Blumengarten's Twitter Chat Schedule Page

Step 6

Find some of your friends that use Twitter, and talk to them about how they use it to learn. 

Step 7

Remember that everyone was new to Twitter at some point in their life. They were intimidated. They were nervous about sending out tweets, but they got over it, and you can too.

Conquer your Fear

Technology can be a challenge, but the more you use it, the more confident you will be with it. Twitter has changed my life as an educator. It has stretched me in ways that traditional PD never could. I have learned things that I would never have learned in any district that I worked in. I was once scared of Twitter, but after taking a chance and jumping in, I realized that there was nothing to fear but fear itself.   I hope you'll give it a go and conquer the senseless fear of Twitter.

From "Great Job" to "Great Growth"

"Good job!"  "You did a great job!"  "Nice work!"  "Super effort!"  When's the last time you gave an employee one of these announcements of affirmation?  If you're a leader who likes to promote the positive, chances are you say this a lot.  Any why not?  After all, affirmation solidifies behavior, and recognition builds repetition.

But there is a downside to "Good Job!" Telling people that they did a good job loses its effect after a while. People come to expect it from leaders who say "Good Job" all the time.  Employees begin to wonder what makes the leader determine who does a good job and why they get a compliment. In time, they can end up focusing more on what the leader deems as the standard of high quality work. If certain people receive more kudos than others, resentment toward the leader will eventually develop over time.

 Here's the root of the problem.  Compliments are transactional responses. In other words, if I, the leader, think you do something pleasing to me, I need to pay you a compliment; thus a transaction has been completed.    However, if the employee works hard, and the leader doesn't see it or worse fails to compliment the effort, the employee will not be paid; and therefore, a transaction will not occur.  The employee will be led to believe that the leader doesn't value his work simply because he hasn't been paid a verbal compliment for his efforts.  The problem with this fixed mindset is that the focus from both parties is on recognizing effort and paying for it, rather than creating an environment where the focus is on continuous progress and growth through consistent efforts.

Transformational leadership is more about moving people forward than praising them for where they are. In other words, if leaders want to transform the workplace, they must stop employing the tactic of transactional compliments such as praising people solely based on singular, isolated actions. A mindset of continuous change requires leaders to exceed praise and utilize specific feedback that celebrates growth over time.  This happens when the leader acknowledges not only where someone currently is but how far they've come and where they will eventually be one day.  Hence, the leader focuses his feedback on growth instead of the job.

Here are 5 Ways Leaders can transform "Great Job" into "Great Growth"

Growth Feedback

Commenting on a person's performance over a period of time by showing specific areas of growth helps employees transform their behavior into more efficient and focused behavior. Nothing transforms mindsets better than showing people how far they have come in their work. They will focus their efforts on continuing the growth that they are making.

Reflective Questioning

Asking reflective questions gives the employee a chance to evaluate their own performance. This also gives the leader an opportunity to gauge if the employee has a false sense of confidence or expectations that are too high. Reflective questions also help the employee see their own strengths and find ways to fix their own problems. The purpose of reflective questioning is to guide people to rate their work and effectiveness.

Examples of Exceptional Work

Highlighting and giving specific feedback on examples of the employee's exceptional work builds tremendous confidence. Nothing builds a sense of efficacy better than the leader showing an employee a piece of their own excellent work and then highlighting why their work is tremendous.  This tells the employee specifically what quality of work you want them to continue.

Affirmation Connected to Areas of Weakness

Some people do some things really great and other things not so well. Find opportunities to connect strategies within  the employee's strengths to their areas of weakness. For example, "if you had done this weakness in the same way that you did the strength, you could possibly get better results".  This feedback affirms the employee's strengths while defining how the employee can improve their deficits. 

Thoughts to Think About (yes, the redundancy is necessary)

Another great way to transform people into a mindset of constant transformation is to affirm excellent work by giving them a question that challenges their great work to become even bigger and better. Asking people how they would make changes to their work when they do it again affirms quality while challenging growth.  This challenge by affirmation also tells the employee that you have a lot of confidence in their abilities and the growth they are making . 

Good, Better, Best

The word good affirms the present. Better is a step up from good, but by comparing yesterday to today, it solidifies the status quo for tomorrow. Best is the only goal of a transformational mindset.  If we want every member of the organization to be their best, each member must constantly know their performance every day without the leader's input and strive to improve. This will happen when leaders create the conditions for employees and leaders to work interdependently to evaluate one another's progress over time.  From there they must seek out new ways to more effectively and efficiently give their very best performance each and every day. Good is never good enough and never will be good enough, so let's create a mindset where we collectively evaluate our work in this way: 

Good, Better, Best

Never let it rest,

Until our good is better 

And better is the best. 

Confronting our Can'ts

Very few words can terminate one's ability. All too often in education when we fail to achieve our intended result, we rush to believe that the task is impossible. We jump to rash diagnoses such as:

• He can't read. 
• She can't sit still and focus. 
• They can't multiply. 
• These kids can't write. 

Even worse, when we allow thoughts like these to enter our minds, we automatically disable the belief in ourselves to close the gap. We say things like:

• I can't teach him.
• I can't reach her.
• We can't truly help all kids. 

And when these statements enter our minds and leave our lips, they become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Now, let's analyze the statements above for a second and synthesize the word, can't. Do we really believe so little in our own abilities to educate kids that we honestly embrace the thought that these kids can't learn to read, write, sit still and multiply?  Even worse, do we allow these statements to condemn these kids to the lower bar of expectations? 

Can't is such a crippling word. It halts progress. It preserves the status quo. It allows opportunities to never actualize because not only have our beliefs disabled our own abilities. We have crippled all hope for kids who in reality presently struggle with learning.

So here is what I recommend.

 If Can't is such a powerful word, let's use it to our advantage. How about we all rise up and use these 4 strategies to cripple the naysayers and hope-killers. 

1. Cancel Can't from your Language all Together. 

Our thoughts become our words. Our words become our actions.  Our actions become our habit, and our habits become our character. If we refuse to allow can't to enter our thoughts, it will never be allowed into our responses to difficult situations. 

2.  Analyze the Can't 

People say can't when they don't know what to do. In most cases, what they really mean is the following: this kid struggles with something, and I don't know what to do for him. Leaders, who believe in the power of can, help Can'ters identify the point at which they don't know how to respond.  Then, they help them develop a plan to address the problem. 

3. Nullify Can't with a Can't of your Own

Negative people drive me crazy. Can't seems to roll out of their mouth at every difficult turn. Leaders must step up and tell them that Can't will not be a part of our system. Can'ters can not be allowed to use their disabling attitudes to hold us back, impede our efforts and stifle progress any longer. 

Can We Do This?

Yes we can.  Of course, kids are behind. Sure, they lack behavioral controls, and yes, they don't know how to do things. That's why they come to school. They come because they can't, and they are counting on you and me to turn their Can't into a resounding Can. It won't happen until we transform their Disabler of Can't into an Enabler of Can. 

Can't never could and never will help a kid. So what can you do about it?

Leading Challenge before Change

Everyone talks about change. They say change is coming or change is here. Change agents preach we must change in order to improve. Well if that's the case, then why do so many people avoid it?

Change is not the problem. The fact of the matter is that before we can change, we must first accept the challenge to change. In order to make change, we must challenge the status quo. Literally speaking, change is embedded in the challenge 

So How do We Challenge?

Courage

First, we must have the courage to stand against the tyranny of tepid growth. Being the first person to make a stand is difficult; therefore, courage is the gatekeeper to change. 

Humility

People don't follow a person, but they will join a cause if they believe the change will make their environment a better place. Challenges that fail are often the result of a person's decision to make the challenge more about themselves than the necessity to adapt. Humility is required to make change. 

Arouse Interest

Generating support for change can be difficult. Successful change agents define how the world could be better if we all pulled together. In order for change to be initiated, leaders must peak the interest of others. 

Live with the Pain

Starting to make change hurts. It is uncomfortable and makes those implementing change want to stop. Change agents understand that pain is a challenge in and of itself, and that no change can occur without first enduring the pain.

#NoPainNoGain

Listen to Barriers

There is always something standing in the way. Barriers abound. People are frustrated. Look for them, and listen to what's being said. These obstacles are opportunities to turn risk into reward, and listening is the only way to make it happen. 

Engage Critics

Critics are at every turn. Do not turn them away. At first sight, they can be seen as negative naysayers, but by engaging them, leaders use their feedback to identify what parts of the change are difficult to comprehend. Critics often can't see the vision of the change, and the leader must translate his vision. 

Negate Naysayers

Naysayers and critics are two different creatures. Naysayers don't want to change while critics critique your steps throughout the change. Once you determine that a person complains for the sake of complaining and they offer no real solutions, drop them and move on. They're wasting your time. 

Goal Setting

No change occurs with a wish or a whim. Short term and long term goals are critical to ensure that leaders meet the challenge of making change. Change takes time and without goals sustained change never occurs. 

Evaluate Progress

Once goals are set, they must be monitored. Remember, what gets measured gets done. Checking progress helps leaders gauge the effectiveness of their change and the leader's own leadership in making it happen. 

I leave you with this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that sums up the challenge within change better than anything I've said. I hope you accept the challenge before the change. 

http://mobile.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth121065.html

The 3 Uns of Change

Change is occurring daily. It is happening by the minute, by the second. Can you see it?  Do you hear it?  Can you feel it?

Change requires movement. It is progress, and it requires activity. Are you ready?  More importantly, are you accepting of the change. 

Change is a regular occurrence in education. With the advent of each new educational concept, change is required. Acceptance is mandatory. Failure to acknowledge or accept change may result in students being unsuccessful. What worked for last year's kids may not work for this year's kids. 

I had the opportunity to attend the Texas ASCD conference in Frisco, Texas. While there, I had the opportunity to listen to Lee Crockett speak. Lee's presentation on 21st century learning and the necessity to embed technology in learning was powerful, to say the least. To drive the point further, he illustrated that the change needed in education today was one of the most imperative in our nation's history. 

When describing the reasons that this necessary change will fail to be implemented by people, he narrowed it down to the prefix, Un.  People who fail to implement change fall into one of the following Un categories:

1. Unaware

For one reason or another, people are purposely or accidentally oblivious to the fact that a change is taking place and as a result fail to adapt. To become aware, one must engage in constant search for new knowledge. Awareness requires seeking which also requires us to drop the blinders of our own experience. 

2. Unwilling

People are set in the paradigm of personal performance and refuse to accept the moral responsibility to make a change that will ultimately benefit kids. To become willing, one must commit to meeting the ever changing needs of kids; and therefore, commit to new and innovative ways that others have found more effective in helping kids learn. If one is willing to make the change, they are more committed to kids than themselves. 

3. Unable

The skills necessary for implementing change can be underdeveloped or nonexistent. If so, those wishing to make the change must commit to learn the skills of change by engaging in professional development. Ability is as much about mindset as it is anything else. If you possess a passion for learning and becoming more effective, you will discover and engage in meaningful personal development which will enable you to move with the change. 

Change is a-coming.  Change is here. By first being aware of changes taking place, we can be willing and able to go with change.  Furthermore, transforming our paradigms of stagnation into a mindset of change and regularly adapting our craft to meet the unique needs of our kids culminates awareness, willingness and ability into a perfect trinity that we call learning. 

Shifting the Half Glass Paradigm

Is the glass half full or half empty? That is the question for today's post. The other day I was scrolling through my Twitter stream and noticed Bill Ferriter's picture of a half glass with the hashtag, #HalfFull, beneath it.

The next thought I had was why do I have to choose which of the two mindsets best represents me? I mean either choice seems a little hollow if you ask me. Let me explain a little further.

Half Empty People

The half-empty paradox is obviously vacant. It neglects appreciation and emphasizes blaming one's current lot in life on everything or everyone. These people acknowledge for a brief moment that there is water in the glass, but their focus quickly shifts to complaining about how much water is not in the glass. In essence they don't value the beauty of the present; thus they cannot move forward to their true goal, spiritual fulfillment.

Half Full People 

Optimistic people see the bright side of everything and are grateful for the half they possess. Their positive disposition is contagious because they model for others how to appreciate life for all of the good and bad that it has to offer. 

But there is a downside to people who commit to the half-full philosophy. With their focus being on appreciation for all that they have, they often are blinded to what is still missing, the other half of the glass. 

Fully Full People

These people are a rare breed. They see the glass half full but go beyond that point of view. By being thankful for the half that they have, they use the meniscus (line in the middle) as the bridge between their present and their potential.  By focusing on the meniscus rather than which part is empty or full, they can begin to set their sights on the 'yet to be filled' half in a vastly different way. With this complete change of mindset, Fully-Full people transform a void into a vision. They view the upper part of the glass as their goal, something to strive for. The image below illustrates what I'm talking about. 

By tapping into the power of validation, Full-Full people use their success of their current reality as a springboard to shoot for the opportunity that they have yet to discover. 

Half-empty people can't do that because they cannot value where they are, and half-full people cannot do it either because they can't their sights for a vision beyond their shackles of satisfaction. 

So where is your vision set?  Are you focused on the #HalfEmpty, the #HalfFull or the meniscus which brings the two together to create the #FullyFull paradigm?

Finding Victory within a Loss

My last soccer game was last month. With my girls team there were lots and of ups and downs. There were days when we didn't play so well, while there were days when everything was clicking perfectly. As a coach it was my job to find the areas that needed improvement. Putting players in the best place for them to be successful was crucial, and in the end these decisions decided whether we won or lost.

When we win, it's real easy to celebrate, but when we lose, it can become a challenge. Players feel defeated. The coach doubts his ability to lead. In short it is difficult to find a victory in a loss, but if the team is going to make any progress, the coach must always find victories in every loss. The best way to do that is to capitalize on the strengths of every player on the team.

So translate that into the school setting. When the scores don't come back as you expected, how did you react as the leader or the coach? Do you see only loss, or do you see victory? Our nation and culture has condemned failure, especially when it comes to student achievement, and thus, we can find no victory in a loss. We must rise above the failure of edpolicy and move toward discovering the victory in our kids.

Here's three ways to find victory when you lose

1. Growth in Student Performance.
Looking at individual students or groups of students and how much they have grown is very helpful to find victory.

2. Growth in Skill Performance
Results by skill must be analyzed to determine how much growth occurred from last year.

3. Growth in Individual Teacher Performance
Teacher performance can be analyzed to find the growth that their students experienced from the previous year as well as the skills that grew in achievement. Finding these victories are critical for leaders as this is where coaches can find experts to help other teachers who didn't experience growth in particular areas.

Everyone wants their team to win, but it doesn't always happen. Excellent coaches or leaders don't overreact to a loss because they know every result has something to be gained from it, the victory within the loss.

The ABCs of All Kids can Learn

All kids possess the ability to learn. If you don't believe me, then how in the world did we learn to walk?  How did we learn to talk?  How are you able to read the words in this sentence?  Scientifically speaking, the human race is genetically engineered to adapt physically, emotionally, socially and yes academically. 

Education figureheads promote the mantra, "All Kids Can Learn". It's on the banners of our schools. Most of you reading this actually believe all kids can learn. But here is where the rubber meets the road. Some educators believe all kids can learn; therefore, some educators do not prescribe to this rhetoric. What's worse is that some educators say all kids can learn, but their actions and interactions fail to match their words. 

So here is today's test to see if we truly believe all kids can learn.  Do we possess the ABC's of All Kids?

Action - Do your actions give up or try harder when kids fail to learn?

Belief - Do your inner judgments of kids change because of a child's background, parental support, economic status, language barrier, disability, race or behavior?

Commitment - Does your commitment depend on the response of the child or the parent or the level of support you get from other educators?

Determination - Is your will power to ensure that all kids succeed stronger than all of the obstacles you will have to endure to get them there?

Effort - Does your planning, preparation and reflection get down to the specific needs of each kid?

Fearlessness - Do you experiment with new and innovative instructional strategies or do you let your comfort level dictate which new things that you will try?

Grit - Do you have the intestinal fortitude to overcome the difficult times you face in meeting the needs of kids.

Honesty - Are you honest with yourself when you fail to meet the needs of kids or do you blame others for failure?

Ideology - Do you believe that kids must walk in the door and meet you where you are in your instruction, or do you believe that you should walk through the door and make your instruction meet kids where they are in order for them to learn?

Justice - Do you see the potential in your role which is to guarantee that all children take advantage of their unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

Knowledge - Do you seek out new ways to be more effective in meeting the needs of all kids?

Love - Do you truly have a love for all kids no matter what issues and baggage they bring in the door?  Do you love all the things that you do for kids, or do you do only the things that you love? That answer could have an effect on all kids.

Mindset - Is your mind fixed on guaranteeing that some kids will master all content or that all kids will master the most critical content?

Nobility - Do you do things for kids because it's what's popular or comfortable, or do you do what's best for kids because you know that it will guarantee that they learn?

Opinions -  Do you allow the bias of your opinions to drive your decisions about students?

Purpose - Does your moral compass drive your actions toward supporting all kids, or do your reactions take you further away from that purpose?

Quality - Do you focus on ensuring that your work guarantees high quality results for all kids or do you justify your work by the quantity of things you get done?

Resolve - Is your belief in all kids dependant on the success or failure of the students, or is your commitment to your belief strong no matter how students perform?

Spirit - Is your attitude about kids dependent on their behavior or how they respond to you, or is it cheerful in all weathers?

Tenacity - Are you passionate about your belief in all kids to the point that you are willing to fight for and defend your beliefs to anyone regardless of title or position?

Understanding - Do you accept the fact that learning is a process over time and that there will always be setbacks and successes within that process?

Vulnerability -  Do you reveal your weaknesses to others so you can learn how to get better at meeting the needs of all kids?

Wisdom - Do you seek to broaden your understanding and your depth of knowledge about all of the needs that children have in their quest to learn?

aXiom - What is the unquestionable truth that people see in your actions and your words? Do these things reveal to every observer a deep rooted commitment to every child and their learning?

Yes - Can you answer yes to the following question? No matter how difficult the task is, will I never cease to believe that each and every child deserves my best every day?

Zest - Does your attitude set the tone for every child to do his best regardless of the circumstance?

"All Kids Can Learn" is a cliché that is easy to say but hard to do. All kids deserve more than our words. They deserve our best. If you believe in all kids with the passion of the ABC's, then all kids will learn and achieve success. 

The Cure for Can't-swer

Whether you can or whether you can't, you're absolutely right. 

A crippling illness is plaguing many people in every organization in the world. It is the number one cause of toxic cultures. It is the precursor of complacency, the first stage of failure.  This disease has been destroying the hopes and futures of millions for as long as organizations have existed.  This disabler is can't-swer.

What is Can't-swer?

It is the state of mind where our words, responses, and attitude tell ourselves that something is impossible. This state of mind preserves the status quo and kills innovation. 

What causes Can't-swer?

There are lots of things that can lead people to develop can't-swer, but the main reasons that this plague cripples people are the following:

• Lack of knowledge 
• Lack of passion
• Lack of commitment
• Lack of ability 

Any of these issues can cause doubt, fear, and uncertainty, but ultimately these underlying symptoms drive people to verbalize their believe that they are incapable of making growth. 

What's the Cure for Can't-swer?

There are three simple mindsets that are crucial to stop this affliction to one's ability. 

1. The Mindset of Believing

The first step to overcoming can't-swer is to believe that all things are possible. Just because you have not seen something does not mean it cannot happen. We live in a world where we must see things before we can believe they exist. Strong minds with a passion for new opportunities believe in possibilities long before they can see them. 

2. The Mindset of Seeing

Once you believe something can exist, and you are passionate about it, then you are ready to develop action steps to make it happen. This is probably the hardest step to beating can't-swer because creating action steps does take a lot of time, creativity, as well as trial and error. This is where a lot of people give into can't-swer, but this is also the place where survivors' will-power wins the game. 

3.  The Mindset of Action

Procrastination is one of the biggest indicators that you may have can't-swer. Getting started on your action plan and taking risks are great ways to ensure that this plague does not stop you. When encountering obstacles or problems along the way, it is critical to just keep moving.  Action will stop can't-swers from coming out of your mouth. 

How can We prevent Can't-swer?

The interesting thing about can't-swer is that it is a communicable disease. By allowing ourselves to be corrupted by coworkers, colleagues, and others who are afflicted by this disease, we stand a strong chance of contracting the disease ourselves. Surround yourself with positive people, and you will quickly find that can't-swers never come from their mouths. Problem-solve with people who are innovative and creative, and you will quickly see that they don't allow the word, can't, to be a part of the vocabulary.  A culture of true collaboration is like sunscreen to the skin. It blocks harmful UV rays from damaging the body. 

The More You Know

Can't-swer is preventable. The more you learn how to be positive, opportunistic and innovative, the greater the chance you will never have to deal with this issue.  Another key consideration is to be extremely conscious of your attitude and your responses in difficult situations. This is a really good place for can't-swer to take root in your work and your life. Finally, if you can avoid contracting this disease of deplorable desperation, you will make a huge impact on yourself, your coworkers, and your organization as a whole.