​“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”—Alexander Pope

Before Oprah went off the air with her show, I always hoped that she would do one with educators who could invite their first class of students that they taught, now all grown up.  This would provide an opportunity for teachers to relieve the guilt harbored for years and apologize to them. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what I was doing! But, my heart and my passion with doing what I thought was right was sincere! Will you forgive me?”

Likewise, as a principal I often dream about meeting the little ones who were challenging. Those I worked with and cared for just about every day and every hour. I want to find out how they are doing now as adults.  It would give me the opportunity to tell them that I didn’t know everything going on with them, but I loved them and did the very best I knew how to do.

All of these kids come with names and I pray each and every day that they will forgive me and in their hearts know that I did everything I could and thought was right at the time.  Just last Sunday, I learned something new and yes it was a 60 Minutes segment with Oprah! She highlighted trauma sensitivity and organizations that are doing training for health providers and educators.  One of the simple strategies shared was instead of asking a child, “What’s wrong?’ Ask them “What happened?” This shift of not labeling the child through our language, assuming something is wrong, was enough for many kids to open up and actually share what was happening to them.

Goleman has shared with us that so many children present themselves in the classroom as if everything is alright.  They look like they are listening, paying attention, and engaged. They know how to look like a learner, when in fact, the insides tell us a different story.  Trauma, worry, a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness prevail.

Debbie and I in our Leadership Matters class and other sessions have shared a short film from the Cleveland Clinic called “Empathy:  The Human Connection to Patient Care,” that asks health care professionals to walk in the shoes of patients as they experience their hospital stay.   At last month’s Leadership Matters session, Debbie shared information about empathy vs sympathy and how we need to be empathic as we truly learn, “what happened” to each of the children before us.  The video “Under the Surface,”  asks educators to walk in the shoes of their students as they experience school.  The insight that each of us in an organization comes to school with a story, is powerful.  It helps us shape how we interact, how we understand, when actions don’t match past behaviors.

While legislators and outside interests keep focusing only on academic achievement as a measure for our success and blame us for failing children, we know we are saving their lives on a daily basis.  What if, a child didn’t have a safe harbor? Food to eat? People surrounding them who love them, care for them and provide hope? While others keep hitting home the fact that schools are failing and that we have to get those darn test scores up, we know they are never going to go up unless we address the needs of our children, find out what happened, what their story is and how we can help.  Our children are not a number, they are not a score, they are people with names.

My mission is to keep learning and applying what I have learned.  Continue being a strong advocate for what educators do passionately each and every day as they change lives of children and make their future better and ever hopeful.  I am ever hopeful, that as we learn new and better strategies to help us care for kids, we won’t have to think about those who keep us up at night in worry, knowing in our hearts that we did everything possible for them.

Cedric, Chandra, Tashumba, Betty, Shawn, Robert, Terronda, William, Ricky, Sabrina, Cooper, Matthew, just to name a few, will you forgive me?

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"Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens."
-  Carl Jung

Each year at the MEMSPA Annual Conference I eagerly await Friday morning’s closing session.  I draw on the speaker to inspire me and to awaken within me what I need to learn, reflect on, or think about to change my leadership to improve and get better.  This year, my inspiration came from Brian Partin, President of NAESP.  His reflection sharing was particularly poignant and shook me to my core, not to mention bringing on a few tears.

Brian started by telling about his younger years in elementary school.  He and his brother were raised by their single parent mom who was working two jobs to ensure the boys had what they needed.  At school, she took advantage of the free and reduced lunch program to assist the family in having money to put toward other necessities.  At Brian’s school, those who paid for lunch got a green ticket and those who had free and reduced lunch got an orange ticket.  Brian and his brother were embarrassed and didn’t want to be made fun of so they chose not to eat and get in the orange ticket line!  When the school called home to tell their mom that the boys weren’t eating and why, she made a decision that spoke to me.  She decided to get a third job to be able to pay the $4 per week extra so that Brian and his brother could get a green ticket and most importantly, eat!  What sacrifice, what dedication, what love for her boys!

My principal brain thought thank goodness we don’t put kids in orange ticket and green ticket lines anymore.  But then I remembered a recent story where a kid who wasn’t up to date on his lunch account had to get out of line and was given a sack with a sandwich and an apple and not allowed to eat the hot lunch provided for others.  I thought about the schools that I visit and my own school when I was a principal.  How are we still segregating children?  As learners? As human beings? Who is getting an orange ticket?  Who is getting a green ticket?

The second story that Brian told, brought me to tears as well as many in the room.  He shared that his youngest daughter was born with Down’s Syndrome.  They realized quickly that her eyesight was poor and fitted her with glasses early on that eventually she discarded either through sensory issues or she just plain wouldn’t wear them.  She is getting close to teen years now and she was recently fitted with glasses that has brought new vision to her life- she can see clearly and in focus!  One of the first things she said to Brian was, “Daddy, can you see me?”  Brian told us that of course she was literally connecting her ability to see with the question but he pushed us to think deeper.  What if what she was asking was, “Do you see me?  Do you understand me? Do you know me? Do you get me?”  Brian had us reflect and think about our own students and who might be out there asking the same question? “Can you see me?”

Daniel Goleman in his focus on Emotional Intelligence tells of children out in the seats that have developed such a propensity to compensate for the difficulties happening in their lives that we don’t see them.  We just think they are doing fine and they really aren’t.  Hattie in his analysis of adult language of questioning and interactions with children tells about students wearing microphones to record what they hear each day.  The recordings are analyzed and data collected regarding what is shared with students?  What level of questioning do they hear?  What interactions do they have?  This stunned me, but he shared that some kids spent their whole day at school and not a single person talked to them at all!   “Can you see me?”

After this well deserved holiday break and rest, I challenge you to sit down and do some reflection and thinking.  As you look at your school, the systems, the way kids are treated, segregation of learning, discipline procedures, etc.  Who is getting an orange ticket?  Who is getting a green ticket?  As you think about your students and your staff.  Who is asking, “Can you see me?”

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Twenty two years ago when I landed my first and only principalship job, my relationship with the MEMSPA organization began.  A friend’s brother was a principal on the east side of the state and he called to invite me to join MEMSPA and attend the summer leadership conference Camp Kett!  It was the beginning of building a relationship with some of the most caring, thoughtful, servant-hearted leaders I know.  Throughout all of these years, I have been blessed to learn with and from  some of the most incredible leaders, many that I call friends.  As a newbie practicing principal in a rural community, I needed to learn and be mentored by others.  I certainly found that through this organization!

From professional learning offered in the summer and at annual conferences and throughout the year, I was able to build my toolbox as a principal with best practice skills and strategies.  The opportunity to network and call on others who served in isolation like me, to think through decisions to be made, difficult conversations to be held, and just know that they “get it” was invaluable.

As a major advocate for educators across our state, the MEMSPA organization has remained a steady voice of reason despite the cacophony of voices who believe they know what is best for kids and schools and those who lead them.  Valuable information on legislative information and rule changes shared on a weekly basis, kept me informed and knowledgeable about what I needed to be doing at my school and in my district.

I owe gratitude to my own mentor Dr. Nancy Colflesh who started a learning series in 1999 at the “old” MEMSPA office on Service Rd. on best practices of exemplary leaders.  I remember watching her facilitate a session and think to myself, “Hmmm.  That’s what I am supposed to be doing with my adult learners!”  I “harvested” every trick of the trade, every skill and strategy she taught  and applied it back at my school.  I learned to teach them to others to build shared leadership and now it is my turn to teach those who are practicing and aspiring principals!
How blessed I am to be co-facilitating the Leadership Matters course for principals that Nancy and my friend Dr. Debbie McFalone co-wrote.  Debbie and I just graduated Cohort 8 this last month!  I have had the privilege of co-facilitating three cohorts with Debbie and look forward to welcoming Cohort 9 who is so, so fine in January!  Almost 200 principals in our state have participated in Leadership Matters!  Will you help us make it 225?  You can register here:  Leadership Matters Cohort 9

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our Executive Director, Paul Liabenow.  Paul is a well revered state organization director in our state and across the nation.  When I work with other organizations and facilitate learning, it is with pride that I mention I represent MEMSPA!  Paul always says he is “living the dream!”  But, I know the amount of time and tireless hours he spends to support and be an advocate for all of us as members.  His passion, dedication, and servant-hearted leadership is exemplary and is aspirational.

Finally, for every great leader, there must be those who complement and strengthen an organization through exemplary organizational and management skills.  Doni St. Amour has brought an excitement and enthusiasm to the organization and has provided an opportunity to envision what we can be.  Taryn Hurley ensures that all of our professional learning is scheduled, organized and of the highest quality(I am not doing justice to everything that Taryn does.)  Annette Erickson who has worked at MEMSPA for over 30 years(she started when she was still in High School, I think!) provides the gift of stability, wisdom, and history that keeps an organization grounded and stable. She is the gift that keeps on giving! Thank you to this talented team!

I am no longer a practicing principal, but I get to learn with and from innovative and talented principals who serve our organization by leading sessions at our annual conference, serving as a President, committee chair, on the Board of Directors or as Region Presidents, providing professional learning by moderating #MEMSPA chats, and for the first time at our annual conference Spotlight on Innovation! I am grateful for and thank all of you who  passionately lead schools across this great state.  It is with pride that I know the MEMSPA organization will lead on in the future with our current membership of leading learners!

So we are an organization of about 1,100 members.  How many elementary and middle school principals serve our state do you think?  If we include ALL public, private and charter K-8 schools than there are about 3000 potential MEMSPA members.  My relationship with this organization started with a phone call invite.  Who will you invite  to become a member and share in all that MEMSPA has to offer?

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“Information is abundant:  It’s common.  What’s uncommon, and desperately needed in today’s education systems, is the innovator’s mindset.  -George Couros

A couple of years ago I attended the NAESP National Conference in Nashville, TN.  I observed my first  Innovation Lab.  It was housed in a common open area where principals could just stop by and “lurk and learn!”  Mini-sessions were held on Twitter, Twitter chats, and how to create audio podcasts.  I have wanted our state organization to host something similar at our Annual State Conference and guess what?  My dream is coming true!
Attendees at our December conference can “lurk and learn” at our first annual Spotlight on Innovation #MEMSPA17 on Thursday, December 7 from 12-3pm in the Exhibit Hall entryway area. The idea is for principals to have an opportunity to learn with and from each other.  In one area, scheduled learning opportunities are presented with time set aside to play with the technology and get support from others in how to use it and implement it.  In a separate area we will have a STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) lab setup.  Two teacher-leaders who use innovative teaching materials directly with students will be on hand to allow principals to check out different innovative learning tools like 3d printers, OSO bot coding, LEGO tools and more!  Teacher leaders will be available to answer questions and detail how they use these innovative tools with students in the classroom.
We have gathered some #innovativemindset principals like Mike Domagalski, Ben Gilpin, Allyson Apsey, Jon Wennstrom, and Jason Gribble as presenters for our “Lurk and Learn” sessions.  Here is the schedule:

12:00 PM        Twitter Live! #MEMSPAchat            

12:45 PM        Using green screens for
                        morning announcements

1:30 PM        Blogging/ Innovative Communication
                
2:15 PM        Voxer
                
You will also get a ticket just for lurking and a chance to win a BEAT headphone and Apple Store Gift Card.  Fill out your ticket, take it to the MEMSPA booth in the Exhibit Hall and enter your chance to win!  Winners will need to be present in the Exhibit Hall to win.  Drawing usually occurs around the 3pm time!
The most effective way that principals can promote an innovative mindset is to develop professional learning networks and be knowledgeable and effective users of technology. The  Spotlight on Innovation #MEMSPA17, taking place on Thursday, December 7 from 12-3PM at the entry to the Exhibit Hall, is the place for principals to develop their own learning networks, and keep up with the latest educational tech tools.

​JOIN YOUR COLLEAGUES THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7 FROM 12-3PM JUST OUTSIDE THE EXHIBIT HALL TO BUILD YOUR INNOVATIVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING NETWORK AND “LURK AND LEARN” ABOUT THE LATEST INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TOOLS!

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WARNING:  This article contains some sexual content that is not appropriate for young children to read or hear.  Proceed with caution.

​“We didn’t have a choice to know any life without iPads or iPhones.  I think we like our phones more than we like actual people.” -Athena

Just when you thought you were figuring out the Millennial generation-their propensity for displaying confidence, need for frequent feedback, optimism, clarity of boundaries, and sense of entitlement.  Guess what?  Here come the iGens!   A generation that has grown up with staying safe on their mind, where hanging out with parents is okay,  where going out and socializing with others is not necessary with the myriad of Smartphone apps, text messages, and social media sites to keep them connected, who don’t care about getting a driver’s license, are delaying adulthood or as they call it “adulting,” don’t like to read, are having less sex, drinking less alcohol, have a lower homicide rate, but have a greater propensity for mental health issues such as depression, and suicidal thoughts and actions.

Jean M. Twenge, PhD, in her book, iGen Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood*  *And what that means for the rest of us, paints a graphic picture of what this generation has encountered and how their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are vastly different than any other generation that has come before them.
The iGener’s birth years are from 1995 to 2012.  There are about 74 million of them and they are the most ethnically diverse generation in our history.  “They grew up with cell phones, had an Instagram page before they started high school, and do not remember a time before the Internet,” states Twenge. The average teen checks their phone 80 times per day.  Want to know how iGen YOU are?  Check out the quiz here  “How iGen Are You?”


Twenge coined the term iGen as this generation has been immersed in the use of the iPhone.  As one 17 year old stated, “You have to have an iPhone.  It’s like Apple has a monopoly on adolescence.”  Twenge’s research shows that the use of Smartphones does not discriminate and teens from disadvantaged backgrounds spend just as much time online as their more well off peers.  This generation is also known for their individualism.  A focus on equality and what is best for the individual.  They are less religious, believe in equality issues related to gender, are pro-choice, believe marijuana should be legalized, yet follow a more Libertarian bent about gun control and health care for all.  Finally, income inequality, Twenge states is another main driver that has set the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of this generation.  They are clearly focused on doing the right things to become financially secure and want to “become a “have” rather than a “have not.”

The compelling research that Twenge has collected in her book, delivers clear evidence that this iGen generation lacks social connectedness.  The average 12th grader spends nearly 6 hours of their day on social media sites, texting, or other means of virtual connectedness.  Athena states:   “I think we like our phones more than we like actual people.”  This connectedness according to all the research she has collected shows a generation very connected with their peers via social media, texting, Snap Chat, etc. but an isolated, sheltered group who unfortunately have a higher propensity to commit suicide and struggle with other mental health issues such as depression.

Some good things about this generation are a trend toward lower birth rates, less use of alcohol- these are identified by the fact that they don’t attend parties in general and if they do go out it is with their parents.  This is a generation that has not experienced as much as prior generations and they present themselves as much younger than their ages indicate.  They choose NOT to get a driver’s license and don’t care that mom or dad drive them around.  They seem to be fine with their parents getting them to class on time in COLLEGE!

Twenge culled research that shows a clear link between media time and mental health.  We thought that this generation was communicating more than any generation before it.  What the research is showing though is that this type of communication is isolating and that the more screen time teens have, the less happy they are and the more time they spend with non-screen activities, the happier they are. One student Twenge interviewed said, “I feel like we don’t party as much.  People stay in more often.  My generation lost interest in socializing in person--they don’t have physical get-togethers, they just text together, and they can just stay at home.”

This has led the iGens to resist adulthood,  or in their lingo “adulting,”  They have taken up a slow life strategy where during leisure time they are alone, well at least physically unless you count the many interactions that occur with their phone. The rise in suicide rates, and depression are alarming and as this generation slowly moves to adulthood, they have no clue what having a job means and for education, reading scores are plummeting because iGens don’t like to read!

Twenge asks, How can we protect our kids from anxiety, depression, and loneliness in our digital age?  What can parents and colleges do to ease the transition from high school to college when fewer students have experienced independence?  How can managers get the most out of the newest generation in the workforce?
Twenge gives several suggestions for how to save this generation:

• Put down the phone!  Parents need to assert more control over time spent with devices and total screen time.  Twenge suggests resisting middle schooler calls for the need to have a Smartphone and instead provide an old flip type phone for emergencies.  Think this is draconian?  Consider an interview with Steve Jobs in 2010 by New York Times reporter Nick Bilton.  He asked him if his kids loved the iPad.  “They haven’t used it,”  Jobs said.  “We limit how much technology our kids use at home.”
• Life Hacks for Smartphones- Twenge knows that kids will eventually get a Smartphone, but suggests that parents utilize apps that control the amount of time on sites and keep track of how much time they are using their phone.  Teens always say they need their phone to wake them up.  She suggests buying them a $7 alarm clock.  The addiction and love of phone over real interaction is taking a toll on sleep patterns.  YouTube videos abound of teens beds on fire because they sleep with their phone under their pillow and the phone overheats and starts their pillow on fire.  The excessive addictive nature of apps to check back for likes have created a generation who see their self-worth through what others think and how many likes they receive.   Believe it or not, but if a teen should have only one social media app, she suggests they get Snapchat.  Because of its instantaneous and wiping the slate clean nature, it doesn’t carry the same addictive need for checking back for likes which can create depressive tendencies.
• No Noodz and Porn- This generation has grown up with seeing more violent porn than other generations.  To them, sex is emotionless and something “done” to you.  The term “fucking buddies” is used frequently by this generation.  Although they are having less sex, because they are at home with their phone, their idea of love and how it relates to sex has been skewed because of their exposure to porn.  More teaching of proper posting and an absolute NO NOODZ policy has to be put in place.
• Get kids involved in social activities!  Although parents felt that being in social activities might be unsafe for children, “the isolation and the time spent communicating electronically is a poor substitute for the emotional connection and social skills gained in face to face communication --and it may be contributing to the alarming rise in teen depression and suicide,”  states Twenge.
• Help Beat Anxiety and Depression-Researchers have discovered that mimicking the caveman lifestyle can help in counteracting depressive tendencies.  The six parts of the program include:  1.  Getting more sun exposure.  2.Exercise  3.  Eating a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids.  4.  Avoiding rumination.  5.  Getting enough sleep.  6.  Engaging in in-person social interaction.  Sounds like a great lifestyle that ALL of us need to adopt!
• Growing Up Slowly- The focus on safety has meant parents not allowing teens to go out together, drive in cars, and get a job because of their worries about what might happen to them.  This has left a generation unprepared for work roles and responsibilities.  Twenge suggests that parents provide more opportunities for independence by allowing teens to hold jobs,  get a driver’s license(stop driving them around) and relaxing curfews and rules so they can hang out together more.
• iGener’s in the Classroom-Research has shown that this generation is less confident and don’t ask questions and participate in classroom discussions.  They are in it for the grade and will do what is necessary to get it.  They are used to finding out the information independently.  They only read what has been assigned in class and skim for information.  Long reading assignments are not part of their vocabulary.  Engaging lessons and visually enhancing learning are a must for them and they need to learn the difference between “real news” and “fake news” so they can think critically.  Relevance in learning is key as well.

I find it interesting that the most recent reading scores on the MSTEP statewide have shown a precipitous drop in reading scores.  Hmmmm.  I am trying to embrace the iGen culture, or at least understand it and keep my Boomer mentality to myself.  As always, we will positively take a child where they are and move them forward to be academically ready for the future, loved and cared for, and prepared for being a good citizen of this world.  WE have to adapt and adjust.  iGener’s present a challenge that we are just beginning to figure out.

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​When I was a principal, my contract was for 221 work days.  It meant working all of June and then having the month of July off before reporting back on August 1.  I reveled in my month off.  I made a commitment to myself and my family to walk away for one whole month and not think about school, not visit school, and most importantly disconnect from my phone and email.  The time to re-spirit, rejuvenate, and renew!
 
I am finding from principals I mentor they feel they can’t even take the whole month of July off anymore.  I counsel them to really think about and create boundaries that allow for a large chunk of time away from the work.  Because in the end, you know the work will get done before the start of school.  Think about it, it always does.
 
When I went through Breakthrough Coach training, Malachi Pancoast cited some statistics about longevity after retirement of administrators.  He said, that on average, if you retired from the work at 55, you had a 30-year average life span.  If you retired at 60, you had a 15-year average life span.  If you retired at 65, the life span dropped to an average of 18 months.  I don’t have to tell you that this job is stressful!
 
I am currently reading The Gatekeepers, The White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple.  I was fascinated by this book when I first heard the interview of Chris on NPR.  The correlation to the work of the principal struck me!  Whipple interviewed 15 of the17 living former Chiefs of Staff.  They all described the work as untenable, impossible, and stressful, but they absolutely loved doing it!  One former Chief of Staff described the work as being a “javelin catcher.”  Another described the work like he was “climbing into the cockpit of a crippled plane in flight and trying to land it safely.” There are no moments of peace in this job.  “You’re on the phone on the way home.  You’re on the phone during dinner, you’re on the phone reading bedtime stories to your kids--and you fall asleep before the book ends.  And then you wake up around three in the morning with something bad happening somewhere around the world.” What they described is the work that you do each day!  Keep in mind though, the average tenure of a Chief of Staff is less than two years.  Think about the lifetime of stress that a principal endures, eh “javelin catcher?”
 
Several former Chiefs of Staff share some inspiring information that certainly every principal can relate to regarding servant leadership.  “Never forget the extraordinary opportunity you’ve been given to serve, and the privilege and responsibility that it represents.  And this advice from John Podesta, former Chief of Staff for Bill Clinton: ‘You’ve got to slow down, and listen,” “You’ve got a lot of smart people who are in that building with you.  And you’ve got to resist the temptation to always have the answer.  Slow down, listen.  You’ll learn a lot and you’ll make better decisions.”  Hmmm.  Great advice for an incoming principal new to a building and for veteran principals who may need a reset.
 
The most recent TEDx conference in Vancouver covered robots who could outperform college students to ultraviolet lights that could kill “Superbugs.”  But many talks focused on simple ways to prioritize our life, make improvements to live better, be more mindful, and care for the soul.
In a Washington Post article by Colby Itkowitz, he summarized three things to improve your life and maybe live longer, enjoy life more and find that elusive happiness!
 
1.         Face to Face Social Interaction Leads to Longer Life
            A person’s close relationships and social integration are the best predictors of longevity according to psychologist Susan Pinker who has studied the impact of human connection and its relationship to well-being and physical health.  Pinker shared that women on average live six years longer because they prioritize spending time with their friends more than men.  It must be face to face, not email or text!  “Face-to-face contact releases a whole cascade of neurotransmitters, and, like a vaccine, they protect you now in the present and well into the future,” she said.
 
She shares that ¼ of the population say they have no one to talk to.  It reminds me of Hattie’s work when he shared that he placed microphones on children to record their interactions with other children and adults at school.  He found a remarkable number of children who were never talked to by an individual child or adult for the whole day!  Pinker says that we can change that and it doesn’t have to be long and involved.  Simple eye contact, fist bumps, hugs, and high fives lower your cortisol levels and releases dopamine, making you less stressed and giving you a little high.  What might you do next school year to increase face to face social interaction at your school?
 
2.         Knowing when to turn off your Smartphone Enriches Your Life
            Adam Alter, a professor of marketing and psychology has studied the impact screen time has on our lives.  He cites that in 2007, technology took up a sliver of our precious personal time in a day.  In 2017, it took up almost all of it.  Alter cites that those who spend large amounts of time on social networks, dating apps and online news sites report being less happy.  The problem is according to Alter that technology has removed our “stopping cues.”  Unlike reading a book or watching a movie, time spent on technology sites can become a black hole of continuous searching that never ends.
 
Those who set a finite amount of time on technology, by not having it out at the dinner table, putting it on airplane mode on the weekend--were able to enjoy life more.  “Life becomes more colorful, richer, you have better conversations, you connect with the person who is there with you,” Alter says.  He suggests using vacation responders on email that direct others whom to contact when on vacation and that if they email it will be automatically deleted!  Think you don’t use your phone that much?  Put the app Moment on your phone.  It keeps track of how many times you pick up your phone and how much time you spend on social media sites.  One person thought they didn’t spend much time on their phone, but found out that they picked up their phone 100 times in one day and had over 2 hours of time collectively using various apps.  If one were to minimize that amount of time, what creative, innovative thinking could be relegated to the brain?
 
3.         Chasing Meaning, Not Happiness is What Really Matters
            The quest for happiness doesn’t make us happy.  Emily Esfahani Smith, author of the new book “The Power of Meaning,” realized through her research that constantly evaluating our happiness is contributing to feelings of hopelessness and depression.  She discovered that meaning can be culled in four ways:  belonging, purpose, transcendence and storytelling.
 
We need people in our life who love and care for us, we must have purpose and feel like we are contributing, we need to be passionate about something bigger than ourselves, our faith, nature, or Yoga.  Finally, “what is the story we tell about ourselves?”
 
Shawn Achor is a Harvard researcher who has studied Positive Psychology for the last decade and the author of the book, “The Happiness Advantage.”  He and his team began by studying “outliers” ---people who thrive during times of challenge and stress.   His work involves examining ways in which we can “retrain our brain” to set at positive and become more creative, productive, energetic, and intelligent.
 
●Your external world predicts only 10% of your happiness.   90% of your happiness is predicted not by the external world, but by how your brain processes the world.
 
●75% of your work success is determined by your optimism level, your social support network, and your ability to see stress as a challenge, rather than a threat.
 
●Your brain at positive performs better than your brain at negative, neutral, or stressed.  When you are positively present, your intelligence rises, your creativity rises, and your energy rises---You experience what Achor calls “the happiness advantage”.
 
●Dopamine, the brain chemical present when we are set at positive does two things:  It makes you feel happy, and it turns on all the learning centers in your brain.
 
He suggests 5 strategies that if done for 21 days can train our brain for positivity:
○Spreading gratitude
○Writing in a journal
○Exercise
○Meditation
○Surprising others with “Random Acts of Kindness”
What strategy could you commit to doing that could train your brain to set at positive and experience “the happiness advantage?”
 
Every August, when I got back in the office after my month-long rest, the first thing I would do is enter all my vacations into my calendar.  These were my carrots to help me through the tough and difficult times, when I felt like a “javelin catcher!”  The time to slow down, listen, have intimate face to face interaction that was meaningful with my smartphone unplugged and on mute.  What action will you take this summer to ensure maximizing face to face social interaction, turning off or limiting the use of your smartphone, and focusing on creating meaning in your life?  What memories will you make for yourself and your family?  You can never get that time back and it might lengthen your life!

​The work of the principal has become more and more challenging, particularly for our new and beginning principals. The expectations and high accountability atmosphere has forced a very fast learning curve of sophisticated leadership skills with little or no support. New and beginning principals clearly need help with learning how to manage time, create a vision with clarity, manage professional interactions (between and among adults), and combating isolation and insecurity.

Yet in most situations, new and beginning principals are tossed the keys and told to go be a principal with no induction, no support, and no mentors. We want MEMSPA to be the leader and on the forefront of providing our new and beginning principals with trained, certified mentors and the support they need to be successful. What we need is a cadre of experienced principals willing to serve, get trained and certified! Sound like this could be you? 

If you are an experienced practicing principal or recently retired principal who would like to become certified as a national principal mentor, do I have good news for you! NAESP will be providing an opportunity for you to receive training and certification right here in Michigan at the MEMSPA training center! The training will be held for 2 days this June 21 and 22. After the training, those participants wishing to become nationally certified, will be assigned an NAESP coach and participate with a cohort group mentoring a protégée, participating in monthly chats and reflections, and submitting a capstone project. After nine months and the fulfillment of all requirements, participants can be fully certified for three years!

The 2 day training is interactive, focused on each participant's’ strengths, and begins eliciting skills that are different from what leading a school require. Principals are used to being problem solvers, more directive, and leading people. The act of mentoring is vastly different. A mentor is more of a coach and asks more questions, probes for insight, provides resources, data and information when asked and mostly is a listener who gives support. There are two major mentor rules: 1. Listen and ask more questions. 2. Don’t try to make your protégée a mini version of yourself.

The momentum for becoming national principal mentors is growing.  This past March over 24 principals from around the State participated in our first Michigan Mentor Training and 20 have chosen to become NAESP Nationally Certified Mentors.  This June 21 and 22 could be the opportunity for you to become part of this movement.  Click this link for more information: National Mentor and Training Certification Program