Election Eve, 2020

Election Eve, 2020

As a government teacher, national elections were my Super Bowl. My classes reviewed the foundations of democracy, evaluated party platforms, researched candidates, held mock elections in class, registered to vote, and discussed election results. It was exciting to be a part of democracy in action. I like to believe that my former students remember both the information and the anticipation experienced in my classroom, particularly in presidential election years.

When I transitioned from classroom teacher to school administrator, my election experiences changed. I was no longer presenting the tenets of a healthy democracy to students. I was managing election outcomes with faculty, staff, students, and our community.

The most memorable example of my role shift was in the 2016 Presidential Election.

2016 was a challenging year for many reasons. I was working as a high school assistant principal with a newly appointed principal. The new principal struggled to connect with faculty and, quite frankly, struggled to lead at all. As an assistant principal with established relationships on campus (I taught there for 20 years before moving to the admin role), both leadership and management of everything on campus in 2016 fell on me. It was stressful and complicated, but I showed up every day willing to tackle new challenges because I loved my school community.

On November 9, 2016 (the morning after the election of Donald Trump), I showed up at 6:30 am to my office worried about one hundred other things than the election results. Two teachers met me when I arrived, sat down at my desk, and wanted to talk. Within 30 minutes, I had sixteen teachers in my office. Throughout the day, students would seek me out during break and lunch to discuss the election. Back in my office, I received phone calls from parents and community members. People were processing, and I was a resource. This was not a normal day, and I was exhausted by 10 am.

My anxiety was palpable. I kept thinking about all the responsibilities I had on campus that were not related to election results. My emotions ranged from commiseration to irritability as I moved through the day having conversations with so many people. People sought me out because they needed someone they trusted to listen to them.

But, I made a critical leadership mistake. I was not there for the people who needed me because I was too caught up in what I perceived to be the day’s priorities instead of being the leader that was needed that day.

I have had four years to reflect on my response that Wednesday in 2016. I have shared my experience of that day with several school administrators as some form of a cautionary tale relevant to 2020. Through reflection, I recognize that I could have approached the day differently and proactively prepared for the myriad of responses from teachers, students, and community members. 

So, here is my advice to school administrators post-election:

• Clear your calendar. As much as you can, eliminate meetings or scheduled observations to reduce stress on staff. Keep your day (and your mind) open. 
• Be willing to listen. People who need to talk, need someone to listen. Be a good listener. This is not a time to debate or share your fears or concerns. 
• Ask good questions. Instead of presupposing you know what people think and/or feel, ask. How are you doing?  What are your thoughts? What do you need? Do not try to pepper people with platitudes. Listen. Listen. Listen more. 
• Support stakeholders, no matter the result.  Some people will be thrilled with results, others terrified. Do not tolerate bullying. Interrupt negative behavior and provide for the needs of your students and staff who may have different views of the outcome.
• Expect the unexpected. As a school administrator, dealing with the unexpected is our normal. Be prepared for more unexpectedness. Be ready to keep students and staff safe emotionally and physically, even though nothing will be predictable. 
• Check yourself. Reflect on your values. Reflect on your emotional response. Be the leader you would want during a turbulent time. Be you. Be respectful. Be empathetic. Be courageous. 

Cory Collins concluded an article in Teaching Tolerance with this note: 

We don’t know what will happen on November 3. But we do know that on November 4, educators and students alike will awake to a critical moment. Much will be determined by how we collectively meet that moment—including in schools.

If educators value relationships, culturally sustaining practices, and creating an inclusive learning environment, the moment calls for courage and conversation (Collins, 2020).

I lament that the enthusiasm I used to feel about elections has given way to anxiety and apprehension. But I am solid in my belief that we have power in our collective responses to be better educators, better leaders, and better people. 

Election Day, 2020: This too shall pass.  

 Reference

 Collins, C. (2020).  Teaching the 2020 Election: What Will You Do on Wednesday? Teaching Tolerance. Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/teaching-the-2020-election-what-will-you-do-on-wednesday

Cross posted on drnwatkins@blogspot.com

What’s next?

Abolitionist Teaching
Decolonization
Dismantling
Humanizing

The passion around the concepts listed above reverberated in my ears as I watched a panel discuss re-purposing our pedagogies.  The panel, hosted by the Education for Liberation Network, ended with a call to action for us all to take one next step as educators committed to just, equitable, and inclusive education.

One of my next steps was to write this post.

A colleague sent me the link to the panel live feed with a recommendation that the speakers were amazing and the topic relevant if I had the opportunity to watch. I am a better person and educator because I did.

Here are my takeaways for educators:

• Justice is not just a convenient word
• We play a role in building what we want
• There are no throw-away people
• Our work against the system will be from within the system
• De-colonizing systems means supporting voices of oppressed
• Children look to educators as a model
• Teachers make magic happen
• We must fight for human rights
• Schools should work to remove the ways we de-value students and humans
• Look at data: where is the racial dis proportionality?
• Have high expectations and believe that students have the capacity
• There is zero tolerance for hurting each other
• Define how you want people to relate to each other
• Avoid the savior complex; you are not the one
• Recognize that dismantling takes time (it may not happen in our lifetime)

To summarize: 

We must be part of the abolitionist teaching movement to dismantle systemic racist structures to humanize black, indigenous, people of color. 

But, in doing so, be kind, bring love, and hold each other up.

As educators, the call is loud and clear. We need to have conversations with our families, students, colleagues, and leaders.  We need to do the work and identify gaps and barriers for students while devising action plans to bridge them. We have a voice that is vital to these conversations.

What is your next step?

Resources

Watch

Panel Presentation – Video

Systemic Racism Explained

Read

Teachers Must Hold Themselves Accountable for Dismantling Racial Oppression

There Is No Apolitical Classroom: Resources for Teaching in  These Times

Abolitionist Teaching

Review
Education for Liberation Network

Tolerance.org

*Cross posted at https://drnwatkins.blogspot.com/2020/06/whats-next.htmlrNWatkins

I’m going there…

I recognize this may cost me a few connections on social media… but it is time to say a few things.  I’m going there.

What do you value?

I am both a student and teacher of government and economics. I KNOW the Constitution… all of it. I understand the foundation, evolution and interpretation of the Constitution through the Courts and can name specific laws, events, and court cases that greatly impacted our country. I am a believer in democracy. I am a public school educator. I am the wife of a military veteran. I am a proud American. 

But I do not understand why people think our current government operation is normal or okay. 

I understand the technicalities of both micro and macroeconomics from theory into practice. I see our mixed economy balancing cries for free market and government intervention. I applaud innovation in business and I believe that entrepreneurs and small business define what it means to have free enterprise. 

But, I see financial commitments to bail out banks and industries while an 88 year old former teacher writes a check to the IRS because she did not pay enough taxes on her retirement income from her career in public service. I see my 23 year old son struggle finding a job in a pandemic with looming student loans. I see wealthy politicians make more wealth for themselves and their businesses by capitalizing on information and connections not available to everyone.  I see essential workers risking their health to ensure that we have supplies and food. 

I do not understand economic interest over human well-being.

I am registered to vote as a “decline to state.” I have voted for Republican candidates and I have voted for Democratic candidates. On a political spectrum, I am currently moderate, left leaning.  I used to say I was a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. 

But the political spectrum is so blurred right now that I technically do not fall on a line.

Here are my real thoughts:   I believe we are having a constitutional crisis in the US. I believe our current leaders have skewed values that do not allow our “government” to operate constitutionally. I see this in how Congress acts and how the President reacts. I see this in how the President acts and how people react. I see this in how people act and I react. I do not understand how anyone believes that this current president is good for our country. I really don’t. 

Our president and those working closely with him are not acting like leaders.  They act like bullies, self-preservationists, and corrupt politicians.  I want leaders who operate from core values aligned with the US Constitution, not their own narcissistic and selfish tendencies. I want leaders who are accountable and empathetic, but still strong. I do not see that in this president.

The media is not helping. Depending on the TV channel, the time of day, the fodder (from the President), and the target audience, the constant news cycle feels like a sibling fight, “Yes you did…” “No I didn’t…”  MOM!

I have friends and people I really like personally that I completely disagree with politically but we rarely talk about those differences.

But, I am searching for a way to lean into these conversations. 

Expressing my opinion makes me vulnerable, I recognize that. I have a list in my head of those friends and connections who will applaud these statements and those who will refute, disagree, and delete me. I have selected to scroll by or ignore many perspectives that do not match my own on social media. I recognize many will scroll by this. 

But, I really want to understand different perspectives, read a variety of sources, and have hard conversations. 

So, independent  from candidate names and party lines, I think about values. Can we find common ground on values? I am not asking about just reciting the historical values from our nation’s founding. I am talking about values now, today… about defining what is important. Core operating values. 

I believe we may vary on the path and policies to live those values, but I also believe that identifying values will help us connect, prioritize and make better decisions.

Here are mine:

Health and Well-Being. Individual Freedom. Truth. Equality. Opportunity. Unity.

And you…?

Kinship

-OCDE, 2019

The focus of Orange County Department of Education’s 2019 California Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Professional Learning Institute was Know my Name, Face, and Story.  School personnel were encouraged to think Name, Face, Story as they educate and support our students. District and school site leaders promoted Name, Face, Story in pre-service meetings and presentations. The headline Know my Name, Face, and Story described “what” educators should do to learn about students but the title alone skirts around “why” this is an important strategy.  The WHY is kinship. 

Father Gregory Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, defines kinship as “… the state of being intimately connected to other people—of loving them and being unconditionally loyal to them.” He passionately outlined this philosophy in his 2017 book “Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship.”  I read both of Father G’s books: Tattoos on the Heart and Barking to the Choir.  However, it was when I heard Father G speak to a large, privileged Orange County audience,  I crystallized my ideas around kinship as it related to education and our students. 

Irony surrounded the presentation I heard.  Father G speak about poverty, addiction, crime, and violence to a packed house of patrons who paid nearly $1000 per person for a Speaker Series in south Orange County, California. He told stories about his work with Los Angeles gang members. Stories about life and death, rehabilitation and relapse, hope and fear. He wove in his faith and philosophy. He made the audience laugh and cry. This was an evening of more than stories. Father G shared his commitment to the communities he serves and successfully infused compassion into the audience. And at the end of the evening, the good people of south Orange County returned to their safe homes in their nice cars. 

Father G helped me think about the power of kinship in education. I believe that kinship is key to our society and has profound influence on our work as educators.. Kinship has the power to reshape and redirect the lives of children, students, schools, and communities.  Name, face, story can create kinship. 

“Now is always vast and new. Like any practice, it’s not about technique or program. It’s a decision.”

― Gregory Boyle, Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship

Name, Face, Story is the starting point for creating kinship in schools. The concepts asks educators to look beyond what is being taught and see who is learning. The aim is to create connections, but the result should be to create community. 

As professional development continues to focus on MTSS and we work to ensure student needs are met, we must remember the second part of the MTSS movement: All means all. Meet every child where they are. Work towards equity and excellence. Create the ability for every child to be successful… however that is defined.  This means that we must see everyone in the community, love everyone in the community, and support everyone in the community because they are us and we are them. This is kinship. 

Candy Bowl Connections: The power of something sweet

“Ooh…. candy!  May I have a piece?”

The candy bowl is a powerful concept. An offering to stop by an office, say hello, stay a moment, and leave a little happier. As a school leader, my candy bowl attracted colleagues, made afternoon meetings bearable, rewarded students, soothed parents and delighted small children. There were those who sneaked in to grab a snack and those who took the time to have conversations. What I know for sure… I must have a candy bowl and keep it stocked.

Creating connections and developing relationships is one of the most important components of leadership. My former principal kept a well-stocked jar on his desk. As a teacher, I found myself on a daily trip during 4th period to grab a piece (or two) of Hershey bites, say hello, if he was available, and merrily return to my next class. The ritual and the result made my day better.  Occasionally, if I missed my daily walk, one piece of candy would be in my school mailbox at the end of the day. A reminder that I was important and missed. 

As a leader, I want the conversations, both casual and professional, to improve communication, keep up with colleagues, and bring some joy to the day. Candy is sometimes a welcome distraction to the pressing demands of the moment. And, it is an incredibly simple way to connect. 

When my role changed from a high school site to a university, I was not sure who would partake of the candy bowl nestled near my desk. To my delight, everyone does!  Students, professors, and Randy all stop by to grab a treat. Randy is the building supervisor who came by once to check the air conditioning in our offices. He stopped into my office and his eyes lit up when he saw the Almond Joy in the bowl. “Ooh…. candy!  May I have a piece?” Now he pops in to say hello (grab a bite) and promptly responds to any repair needs I might have. He knows my name and I know his… and his favorite candy bar. We connected. 

You naturally learn people’s favorites and I try to keep a variety stocked. People are thrilled that you think of them even in this small way.  There is even some science to the type of bowl used. I used to use a large glass mug stocked full. But accessing your favorite piece (on the bottom of course) meant you had to dump the whole mug and fish it out.  A student gave me a ceramic wide bowl he made and it became the perfect dispenser. The ease of a candy accessibility dramatically improved (although my investment to keep the bowl stock increased as well!). 

Temptation is real though. There are days when I want to eat every bite in the bowl. This serves as a reminder to myself to take a break or change my location. I keep in mind that if I eat all my own candy, I will disappoint those who may come by.  Sometimes that works and sometimes I eat the candy. 

The candy bowl brings people together, opens up conversation, and provides a moment of respite from the day. I love having visitors to my office… even if that little treat is the only reason they pop in…. because I know that they know that my office is a place to pause and connect. That is the power of something sweet. 

Beginning something else

This is the first year in thirty years that I am not opening a school. 

As a high school teacher and administrator, the start of school excited me. I was one of those teachers who could not sleep the night before students arrived. I enjoyed thinking about my new students and remained passionate about the subjects I taught. I fretted about remembering everyone’s names and over planned so there would be no dead time throughout the first week. Reacquainting with colleagues and reminiscing about all we did (and did not do) over summer reminded me how fortunate I was to teach with great people at a school with strong culture.  I was always excited to begin fresh.

My retirement from the public school system was an ending. This year, there is no high school campus or classroom. I have no role in the upcoming academic year for high school students. I find myself feeling nostalgic. I miss the hustle, bustle, confidence, and nerves of a new academic year. I miss the anticipation of yearly opportunities and New School Year’s Eve resolutions that accompany the start of the academic year. I miss my friends and colleagues who share these experiences. I even miss the frustrations and challenges that come with settling in. I miss it all.

I am at the beginning of something else. 

My new role as an assistant professor means I still teach subjects I am passionate about and still fret over remembering all my student’s names. The environment is different… less connected, in some ways.  The stakes are different… students choose to be here and do this work. The outcomes are the same…effective teaching and learning. 

I am fortunate to continue the good work of educational leadership and prepare the next generation for future celebrations and challenges. I have opportunities to continue my own learning and deepen the research on topics that matter.  I have a platform to advocate for students, teachers, leaders, and schools. 

While I miss so much that comes with opening a school, I embrace the new journey ahead filled with the same hope, promise, planning, and excitement. School is starting and we are here.

 

A simple mantra for school leaders

In Dare to Lead, Brenè Brown writes, “I want to live in a world with braver, bolder leaders; and I want to pass that world on to my children.”

This is a vitally true statement for school leadership. School leaders in a variety of roles must be brave and bold to support quality education for all

Brave and bold leadership starts with relationships. Creating and maintaining relationships makes decision making, change, and action easier and effective… or at least provides a foundation for understanding the decisions, change, and action in an organization.

Brave and bold leadership is centered on relationships and the people you serve. Being brave and bold requires developing principles and practices that create trust. Mistrust creates frustration and doubt and damages relationships over time. People may be willing to forgive once, but less often twice.

In my experience as a school leader, I prioritized relationships and worked to develop several attributes that framed brave and bold leadership. Here are those attributes:

Seek feedback: Performance expectations for school leaders mandate reflection and a review on how actions affect others and influence progress toward school/district goals. Feedback is key for reflection. Ask others how they perceive decisions and actions. See feedback as a gift.

Understand the need for change: Little to nothing is ever perfect. There are opportunities to improve with change. Complacency is an enemy of innovation. Do not get too comfortable. This does not mean everything needs to constantly change. It means be open to innovation and seek opportunities to better educational experiences for all students.

Collaborate: Share ideas with others. If it is good for one classroom, one site, one district… share and listen to the ideas of colleagues. Work with people.

Be consistent: People pay attention to your actions and your words. Consistency means you are not sending conflicting messages and that your actions match your words. Consistency builds trust.

Flatten the organization: Flatter organizations increase creativity and collaboration when leadership is shared. Management is embodied in hierarchical structures. A flatter organization reduces the negative impact of positionality and allows people to flourish with responsibility.

Be compassionate: When tough decisions must be made, talk through the rationale and the thought process of how the decisions were made. Discuss why a policy or action is needed. Honesty and compassion are born from a commitment to transparency.

Brown (2018) has a mantra before she takes the stage for a presentation. She writes about human connection and states it in a simple way: people, people, people. What leadership is really about is people, people, people. And in the case of school leadership, it is truly people, people, people. From the classroom, to the site, from the district to the state, and even on the national stage, it is about people, people, people. If school leaders forget that very simple mantra, relationships, decisions, policies, and actions may be doomed to fail.

Reference

Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts. New York: Random House.

Hiatus

A slight pause. Okay… a year. But, I’m back!
I plan to publish once a month.

Upcoming topics:
Demographics
25 years in a box
Dark side of the moon
Have we lost our minds?
High Expectations

Thank you to those that read.  The process is motivating!

“Cool before I knew you”

“Ms. Watkins,  do you know any humanitarians?”

Pause.  When students ask me questions that I’m not expecting, I will wait a moment while I process the question and make sure I know what exactly is being asked. Humanitarians?

“Well John, do you mean like Gandhi or Mother Teresa?  Where did this question come from?”

John was quiet a moment then admitted, “I was reading your bio on the school website.  You talked about something humanitarians… so I was curious if you knew any.”

Now I’m mentally trying to view my bio searching for humanitarian.  The quizzical look on my face made John defend his question and admission. “I was just searching around, just looking to see about all you have done.”

Humanitarian?  Think. Think.  Got it! “Do you mean Humanities?  I received a fellowship with the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Is that what you saw?”

Mystery solved,  John and I had a conversation about education and fellowships and the definition of humanities.  I was honored that he wanted to know more about my early life.  He was interested in the opportunities I had, the education I received, and the places I traveled.   As he was leaving my classroom, he exclaimed, “You were so cool before I knew you!”

I was cool!  I did amazing things around the world and throughout the US.  I became a life-long learner and engaged in activities that kept my mind fresh and informed.  I was a dancer, a writer, and an artist.  I was involved and fearless.

Wait… I’m not cool now?

Cool before I knew you.  The teacher/adult John knows today is a summation of the past experiences. But honestly, the amazing things on my bio were nearly twenty years ago.  20 years!  I do different things now that are still amazing, but different amazing from the adventures of the early years of teaching.

I always say teaching high school keeps me young. I am young at heart if not in years.  But my students see me as a peer to their parents.  And that is not cool.  However, it is a reminder to my students that their parents may have been cool before you knew them.   Just ask!

 

 

Are the kids alright?

End of day Friday. The fire alarm starts going off intermittently throughout 6th period and into my last class of the day. The alarm was symbolic.  For several days leading to Friday afternoon, student’s stories filled my emotional bucket with their pain and fear and stress until my bucket spilled tears from the enormity of their challenges… and my helplessness. The fire alarm represented the warning signals, the  red light alarms and in some cases, a call to arms.

There is J.G. whose dad recently lost his job.  The family was evicted from their apartment and now their family of seven is staying in a friend’s garage until work can be found.  He is getting food from generous teachers on campus.  Can I expect his homework to be turned in on time?  At all?

N.B.  admits he is suffering from depression but cannot get the help he needs because he despises judgment from his family.  His dad is in the hospital and he fears being left alone.

A beautiful, talented girl, S.E. fears  that she cannot do it all. She tears up as she tells me that she cries herself to sleep each night and wonders if anyone cares about her.

L.W. sadly tells me her cat had kittens and all but one died.  She held the kittens all night and one died in her hand.  She sent her younger siblings away to insulate them, but she recalled the weight of the poor animal in her hands and asks if she did the right thing.

A.M.  states to  me before class,  “Nothing about death today…okay?”  His maternal grandmother passed away the night before and his family was devastated. He is trying to be strong, but grief consumes him and he wears it uncomfortably.

S.B. cannot say a positive thing about anything.  Beyond just teenage angst, this student’s negativity is represented in everything she says, writes… and I fear, thinks. Her cavalier attitude masks her into a person who is not very likeable.  I think she prefers it that way, but it is exhausting to hear.

My braggart, S. J., lacks a filter for humility.  His writing demonstrates how insecure he is… but his presence and speech turn people away from him until he sits alone wondering why he lacks friends.

L.S. graduated (barely). He was in the neighborhood and wanted to say hello.  He has dreams of “making it big.” “I’m going to do my thing.”  He is a dreamer and it was great to see him and feel his positive energy.  Then the conversation changed.  “I’m struggling in school… it is just not for me.”  “I don’t have a place to live.”  “I have about 15 cents to my name.”  “I don’t know what to do.” “I can’t seem to stop smoking pot.”

M.J. held back at the end of the day Friday.  She was crying before she spoke.  She reached into her bag and handed me a ceramic tool.  “Please take this from me.  I took this from Ceramics and use it to cut myself between classes.  I don’t want to anymore.  Please take this.”

One of the thoughts pounding in my head is “Why are you telling  me this?”  Quickly followed by the thought “Thank goodness you told me…..”  Hearing student stories like these make me think of many things.  There are legal considerations;  there are emotional considerations;  there are ethical considerations;  there are personal considerations… and they bombard me on this Friday.  Every kid… every person… has their challenges.  The confessions of this week dig into me and fill my mind with sadness, concern…. and helplessness.

I believe it is a testament to my teaching and classroom environment that students feel comfortable talking with me about EVERYTHING.  I’m honored.  I know many teachers understand the weight of responsibility that accompanies this honor.

The Offspring sing “The Kids Aren’t Alright” accompanied by this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrZ4sMRYimw

The line ringing in my head is “fragile life… shattered dreams.”  My kids are other peoples children.  How can I help?  How can they help themselves?

Are the kids alright?  Am I?

… and the fire alarm blares again.