Site Upgrade Announcement

It is official! pro doctrina as a blog has moved and has changed names!

I look forward to you joining us at Profiles in Learning! Remember to subscribe by email and follow on Twitter @Mr_Meals. 

The newest post has dropped this morning entitled: Valuing our Voice 

Thanks for being a part of this learning journey and I'm excited for this next chapter!

Take care in learning,

Anthony 

Questions of Purpose

Why Not Here? Why Not Now?

These were the questions asked by newly minted college president Charles Eliot.

He was challenging the essence of his institution and calling for sweeping reforms that would radicalize the trajectory of their college.

The year was 1869 and Harvard College was a backwater regional higher learning education institution. It had no recognition beyond New England and was considered simply a finishing school for the elite. It granted graduates at the time, a paper of promotion, that was basically meaningless.

President Eliot evangelized a vision that was simply overwhelming in the context of the time. He described the university as an institution of unifying purpose regardless of socioeconomic background, regardless to origin of birth, city or rural, North or South, East or West, and no regard for specific religious denomination.

We must note that his vision still lacked the fullness to welcome women or racial diversity and will be a struggle for institutions of higher learning even into our modern day. Yet, his vision was still in stark contrast and tone to only four years prior when the country was bitterly divided by the Civil War.

Through Eliot's vision he laid the foundation for the explosive growth of Harvard College. Today, Harvard is ubiquitous with academic excellence and cutting edge research/innovation. This can be traced in no small part to Eliot's leadership and passionate vision during that crucial time.

It started with the simple, yet inspiring questions:

Why Not Here?

Why Not Now?

These questions carry weight for us in leadership roles today. No matter our organizations, no matter who we are, where we are...we must challenge ourselves in rising to the occasion of these fleeting moments.

Look at the challenges facing our communities...who will solve them...the next generation, right?

I used to say that with great urgency...now I believe I was wrong. It is too convenient to pass the buck to the next generation. We are in this together. Both young and old. The generation of now and the generation of yet born. No one generation should bear the weight of historic responsibility.

Together we must ask those powerful questions:

WHY NOT HERE?

WHY NOT NOW?

Before the start of our new school year I challenge each of us to take a moment and reflect on the potential that could be sparked by asking those two simple questions. As I prepare in two weeks for my own personal annual retreat, these will be the questions of purpose I have the opportunity to mull over! 


Housekeeping Blogging Note:
Dear fellow learners!

It is amazing to think that our journey together started only in December 2017. Thank you to all those who have read and followed this blog!

The next post will be the 50th of this blog and I have a special announcement that will be unveiled at that time. I expect the post to drop sometime early this weekend.

Again, I'm humbled beyond measure at the warmth and feedback you as readers provide. I look forward to continuing to grow with you in this endless learning adventure!

Take care,
Anthony

Welcome the Details

It is easy to get lost in the details. 

It is equally easy to overlook the details. 

I tend to be guilty of the latter. I love to immerse myself in the big picture, grappling with seeing the connections of various macro pieces. 

The choice to embrace the big picture is not necessarily bad, but my past hostility towards the details was. 

By mistakingly believing that the details take care of themselves if the large, guiding vision was in place, has led to countless painful lessons. 

As a big picture thinker, I have to make the intentional choice to surround myself with those who obsess about the details. During planning sessions I must carve out time to dig into the weeds and allow space for our detail-oriented thinkers to play. 

A powerful reminder struck me when I visited the Drexel University Museum of Natural History in Philadelphia, PA. 

While there, we visited the diorama displays that illustrated the various ecosystems and animals that fill our earth. The dioramas were breathtaking. It felt as if the scenes were alive. 

As we continued through the museum we came to a diorama that was closed. We could see two artists working away inside. 

One was delicately coloring a mound of what appeared to be thousands of small sticks. These would be scattered across the floor of the diorama. The other artist was coloring the edges of the tree in the diorama foreground. 

I was astonished at the level of detail they were taking, but quickly realized it was through the details that the scenes felt so real…so alive…so spectacular.      

As we plan for another great year for our FFA District and local Agricultural Education program I have made the intentional choice to Welcome the Details. 

Make It Count

Make it count. Each moment, every breath. Any word or thought. Being purposeful and intentional.

Let us not reside solely in the recesses of our mind or the consuming technology before us.

Rather, let us be found in the relentless pursuit of building relationships that matter and pouring our lives into communities we love.

Yesterday concluded our first day of North Central FFA District Leadership retreat. Our challenge and commitment to each other was: 'making this year count'.

Already three months have flown by since they were elected district officers...

To start retreat we thought back to our first days in FFA, asking ourselves 'what did we wish we had known' because...already three years have flown by...

Those conversations were inspiring.

How do we make it count? Count not only for us, but especially for those coming after us.

How do we cultivate relationships that are beyond the surface with our members and in our short time blossom into lasting, meaningful connections?

How do we raise an engaged membership whose hearts and minds are focused on service?

These are the questions that must consume us, not....how many members attended Greenhand Conference or how many state awards did our district win?

My message today for our leadership team: We have a rare opportunity, let us shatter the past and its baggage of expectations. Let us capture these moments and make it count! 

Seeing Students as Seashells

Seashells are a beautiful demonstration of the diversity and resilience of life.

Along a beach we will never find two seashells that look the same. Along that very beach we will see seashells that have been rocked and tossed by aggressive currents to wash up pristinely on the coast.

As a child my favorite memory of collecting seashells came when I placed them against my ear. I could hear that distinctive, yet faint, sound of the ocean waves.   

As educators we have a responsibility to see our students as we see these seashells.

Our students are all unique, with special talents and gifts which we must cultivate and not crush.

Our students' lives are each marked by stormy waters, therefore, let our classrooms be the calmness of a beach.

Our students' voices yearn to be heard, so let us listen intently and with singular focus. 

Learning By Firehose

via GIPHY

This week has been filled with BIG starts.

First, it was the official start to preparing this year's Kansas FFA officers in facilitating learning during next week's Student Conference for Chapter Leaders (SCCL) for over 300 FFA members.

Then, it was also the start of my next master's course studying the role of the university in society.

Its been one of those "firehose" learning weeks.

Drinking from a firehose would probably not be any of ours first choice in obtaining our daily need of water. Actually, drinking from a firehose would (dependent on the pounds per square inch of pressure released) hurt pretty bad...

So, that begs the question: why would anyone want to or choose to learn "firehose" method? 

Many times in life it's not our choice whether or not we will learn firehose method; therefore, would we not be better off occasionally choosing the path more difficult to prepare for the times when we do not have the luxury of choice?

Think to a time you had to learn firehose method. 

How did you respond? How did you process and filter through to the essentials?

More than anytime in history we have access to an almost unlimited amount of information, this brings great opportunity for those prepared and equipped to process it! Yet, anytime we venture unto the great wide web, we are treated to the firehose treatment of bombardment.

Occasionally, we as educators must choose the firehose method to keep ourselves attuned to the world our rising generation was born into.

Arming our students with the ability to process information through classifying, drawing comparisons and connections, and critical analysis will be one of the greatest gifts we give this generation.

Challenge yourself this summer...find the firehose and take a drink.

Tyranny of Time

It is sad, we spend our lives chasing deadlines and limited time opportunities.

We fill every waking moment from start to finish with endless "productivity".

Our culture measures data that is all about efficiency and time saved. Yet, any time "saved" is just spent up again in the crazy rush.

When we view our world through quantifiable terms, we invariably commoditize it. We are told over and over again, "Spend your time wisely and don't waste it!"...as if it were something we really owned.

The deeper issue though with commoditizing our time is that it gives us permission to put up the blinders to the world around us. We too easily fall into the excuse that we don't have time to look out for the interests of anyone else besides ourselves.

When we fall for the false narrative pushing the scarcity of time, it incentivizes us to take shortcuts. Shortcuts in building authentic relationships, shortcuts in learning a craft deeply, shortcuts in our morals...the list could go on and on.

These shortcuts may increase the quantity of our time, but will in due course reduce to rubble the quality and impact our time may ever have had on others. Before too long I hope we may realize that our quality of life is independent of time, but wholly dependent on each other.

Deep, genuine relationships are the colorful strokes by which we cover our life's tapestry. Without them dust will be the only coating our lives will accumulate.

I'll finish with a quote by Albert Schweitzer:

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know the only one's among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."       

Let us not submit to the tyranny of time, but find freedom in the service of others! 

Teaching a Plant to Learn

There are tons of remarkable characteristics of plants.

Grass has the ability to warn other grass it is about to be mowed (that sweet smell after mowing the grass, is actually the grass sending a warning signal). Plants can be trained to take a smaller shape and will reduce the size proportionally of its leaves and even bark (this is an art form in of itself called Bosnia).

Yet, even with all these remarkable abilities...can you teach a plant to really learn?

Everyone would say not possible, its obvious a plant cannot learn...heck they don't even have a brain! As an agriculture teacher I take special pleasure in rocking my students' world when I share with them to the contrary there is mounting evidence that they can and do learn! Follow the link below to learn more:

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2015/12/15/can-a-plant-remember-this-one-seems-to-heres-the-evidence/

In education we face an analogous challenge. We struggle with trying to help our students learn. We have done an excellent job at siloing the information from the process. Students are 'learning', that's not the issue, but are they recognizing how they are doing so and building upon it for when we are not around to guide them?

Why would learning how to learn be important? Classrooms are 'safe' places for learning. We have cookbook labs that help students understand the basic principles. Most students accomplish those tasks excellently. Yet, when tasked with leaving the map and tackling a problem that does not have a clear answer or process...students and many times ourselves freeze up. 

The raw process of learning is challenging, exhilarating, frustrating, and sometimes just plain boring. It's hard to express, but I have found that the learning process can elicit all these emotions and sometimes more than one at the same time!

Yet, do we allow students to feel that process, reflect during the process, and allow the process to play out? Unfortunately, we don't have time to do that...with all this other content we must teach, we just pour on the content, find an interactive way for them to learn the concept and hope it will stay retained long enough till the upcoming state exam.

More than ever our students desperately need to learn how to learn. Now, how do we accomplish that?

I won't claim to have an answer, but maybe the place to start is taking a deep dive into an unclear concept ourselves. Feel what it is like to learn again...recognize the struggle for ourselves. Rediscovering the learning process will be our only hope in helping our students do the same.

Everything Has A Cost

Everything has a cost.
Maybe it is a belief we stand for or something we value.
No matter what...everything has a cost.

This past week, I traveled all over Washington, D.C. during the Washington Leadership Conference. Countless markers and monuments stand as testaments that our principles, freedoms, and opportunities did not come freely or are maintained freely.

Whether it was standing in the center of the World War 2 Memorial where the lives of each soldier lost in the war are marked by a star with the words emblazoned beneath saying, 'The Price of Freedom'. Or standing in the midst of the white-washed marble tombstones of Arlington Cemetery stretching across acres, marking the grave sites of our fallen heroes over the centuries.

Honoring these men and women who gave the last full measure of their lives ensuring our protected future was a humbling experience. It made me pause to consider how I was ensuring my time in the classroom was honoring to the sacrifices they have made.

During my time in college I struggled with my decision to pursue education. My parents felt I was wasting my future by pursuing a career that paid less than most other professions. (Since then my parents have been extremely supportive of my time in the classroom.) I flirted with geography, ag economics, and even potential military service. Yet, I still felt a burning desire to be in the classroom. It was in the agricultural classroom that I knew I could connect with students and help raise up future leaders for our community. I took the attitude that I must somehow instill qualities of character through my curriculum.

Offering opportunities to strengthen character through my curriculum has been a tremendous blessing to both my students and I. Providing students the chance to care and work with various livestock in my Animal Science class has taught the value of hard work and labor. Installing landscapes across our community has built in my students respect for their sense of place and an understanding that we each carry a stake in bettering our communities.

These may be intangibles that cannot be measured through a multiple-choice assessment, but I can see the impact from that glint in their eyes to their changing in topics of conversation.

Our time in the classroom is a valuable commodity. We have an overwhelming amount of standards and concepts to teach. Yet, the most valuable aspect of our classrooms are each of the students who are there. Some of these students will choose to wear a uniform of the armed services, some may choose to become educators, some may pursue a career in business or medicine.

Though there may be countless paths for our students to choose from, all of them require a strength of character. Let the time students spend in our classrooms be an opportunity to build that character and refine themselves for the life task before them. Too great a price has already been paid for us to squander the chance to prepare a new generation of leaders for our country.

Everything has a cost...so let us ask each day: 'What can I give?'         

Thank you to all those who have served and are currently serving our country in the armed services. Words and monuments will never be enough to express your sacrifices.

What are we building?

Each day is another layer of our lives. So, what are we building?

If the answer is our own legacy, our own small kingdom, then we must take stock. How is that landscape looking? Too often, the answer is not what we want. Lives built for self are weak replicas of the life we are called to.

What if our focuses, energies were devoted to encouraging and building each other up? How would that change the dynamics of our families, schools, communities, and country?

It is an intentional choice to build another person up, let us pursue such paths with endless abandon! Start by asking yourself, who can you build up today?

One of the most important steps I took this year was opening my heart to a deep, enriching mentoring relationship with an aspiring teacher. I admired his clear passion and drive to grow. Initially, I was hesitant. What do I, a young teacher myself, have truly to share?

How little did I know, that real growth comes from two or more embarking on a journey together that neither has gone on before. It has required building each other up, feeding off each others ideas, and trusting each other deeply. If the opportunity affords itself to establish a formal mentorship, my advice, take it!         

Today is a new day...so I ask again, what are we building?

A Timeless Debate...

"You regard William as of subtler vein and acuter genius because omitting grammar and literature he has hastened to the cunning of logic, where he learns dialectic not in books as is customary but in schedules and notebooks...For what good does it do them to spend their days on these things which are of no advantage to anyone at home or in the camp or in the forum or in the cloister or at court or in the church, but only in the schools?"
-p. 16 University Records and Life in the Middle Ages compiled by Lynn Thorndike

I was shocked as I read this letter from Peter of Blois, written in the 1150s! As background, he was tutoring two young boys; both of whom were quite different in their approaches to learning. The older boy pursued knowledge from the world of work, leaving behind the study of formal grammar and literature. The younger boy gravitated more towards the traditional learning of that day. Their tutor after working with them for two days (How often do we make outreach to parents as quickly as that?) wrote a letter walking the delicate balance between preparing them both for the real world and ensuring both young men had the foundational skills for success.

It is hard for me to fathom that this question, what is the purpose of school, has been nagging educators for almost a millennium! We should be humbled that our pursuit for that answer is not one solely for our age, but has been a timeless source of debate.

Yet, we should be cautioned that the abrupt changing of the winds we see today does little benefit for our students, parents, teachers, and administrators. In education policy they refer to this as the swing of the pendulum. In some years the pendulum heavily emphasizes foundational content skills to only shift rapidly to more abstract career-based skills.

The impatience of not seeing results quickly is the force driving much of the rapid pendulum swinging shifts. Peter describes eloquently in his letter that we would be better with content seeped in an understanding of its benefits and translation to the real-world. How do we ensure the content we teach draws relevance to the world beyond the confines of our four-walled classroom?

What can be agreed is that there exists no one answer to the question, what is the purpose of school? Yet, by answering that question of relevance for our students we will hopefully better serve their needs irregardless of what policymakers label the purpose of schools. Keep those connections rolling for students, opening their minds to the vastness of our world and we will have served greatly our part in this mission of education!   

Finding Inspiration

We cannot hope to inspire others if we ourselves are not inspired or seeking inspiration...

How do we seek inspiration? It is an intentional investment in ourselves. Drawing connections between various facets of our world and knowledge. This does not happen in a sudden flash, but through a slow burning process that can take years.

There are four unique, yet similar definitions of the word inspire:

1. fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
2. create (a feeling, especially a positive one) in a person.
3. animate someone with (such a feeling).
4. give rise to.

We tend to focus on the first three, where we seek to inspire. Yet, how can we "fill" someone, "create" a feeling in someone, or "animate" someone; if we ourselves are not filled with the capacity of giving rise in eliciting such emotions. Simply, if inspiration does not exist in us how can we hope to pass on something we ourselves do not have.

We must make intentional efforts in filling our hearts and minds with those things that will serve as the kindling to ignite the inspiration we seek. Perhaps it is reading a book that now the summertime affords us. Maybe it is the hike into the wilderness with our family. Whatever it is, we must recharge the batteries of our minds and hearts.

To seek is to find; do not rush the process and above all -- let us keep our fires of inspiration alive!   

The Ability to Recognize Ability

As teachers the greatest contribution we can make into the lives of our students in many cases, is recognizing their own unique ability. In a world dominated by societal pressures about what worthy 'ability' looks like we need to help students decipher their own abilities.

This came to startling view when we asked a group of 8th Graders to identify their perceived strengths and weaknesses. The answers consistently came back to their own athletic ability. They would list strengths such as: great ball handler, fast on the field, or stronger from lifting.

As a lover of sports and a former basketball coach I appreciate the value of sports, this allowed us to meet our students where they were at. What they had listed were surface layer ability and strengths. We wanted to push them deeper...

What allowed you to be a great ball handler? Did you suddenly wake up at five years old and decide you were going to be miraculously able in basketball? They got to this level of performance not due solely to natural ability. There are these hidden abilities and strengths; discipline, growth mindset, and passion. These are abilities and strengths that will, when instilled, not only show up on the court, but in the classroom and hopefully in their personal lives.

Yet, are we equipping students with that understanding? Are we providing them with the language to help them draw those connections? If we silo these areas of life we will not see transferability of the good qualities learned through sports.

The first task in helping students recognize their own ability and help them navigate those waters for themselves is to see the greatness of ability in each of our students. By recognizing the deep and foundational ability of students we can help open their own hearts to their special gifting.

Now the questions we must ponder are:

1. Can we help pre-service teachers learn to recognize the deeper ability of their students?
2. How do we equip young teachers with the capacity to have deeper ability and strength-based conversations?
3. How do we strengthen our own ability to have those levels of conversation with students?
4. Finally, how do schools help facilitate the time and space for such conversations?                 

A School Year of Blessings

Summer is officially right around the corner with State FFA Convention coming this week. As I look back through the year, I am humbled by the blessings and experiences of the year! 

First and foremost; I'm continually blessed by the hand of the Lord in providing for Annelle and I. As Annelle begins a new journey farming with her family he has given us firm clarity and assurance that this is the right direction for our family. 

Next, I cannot think and feel lovingly enough of Annelle. Her patience and love is such a source of constant encouragement, but what I value even more is her straightforwardness and honesty when I am in need of correction...which is more often than I would like to grant. :)

I've started graduate school and found great blessings from our course's Teaching Assistant this year, Carlos. His willingness and eagerness to visit with me on the phone, provide feedback on my writing, and offer critiques of my paradigms have been invaluable as I grow as a researcher and educator. 

School has also offered its many blessings! The greatest blessings have been from my peers. They are so passionate about growth for themselves and their students that it is contagious. I'm honored to be counted a part of this group that is pursing excellence. 

We have been honored and blessed by our community who believe in our school to have passed a $4.1 million dollar bond to enhance our school district. Construction has already started and we are ahead of schedule. Our new Ag Ed Center is slated to be completed by December 18th, 2018.  

Then, I'm blessed to be blogging. In the past I have tried three times to maintain a blog. All times I've stopped after about ten posts. Currently, I'm working on blog post #37. I have found blogging to be a great outlet for my mind and reflections. A great source of encouragement has come from the #CompelledTribe blogging community and I look forward to continue my blogging journey through the summer and beyond!

Finally, thank you to all my students. From you do I find the inspiration and courage to learn and grow. The blessings and lessons each of you have passed on to me this year have been abundant beyond all I could imagine. Thank you and may you each have a blessed summer! 

I could never possibly list all the blessings of this year that has been poured out upon my family. To all those who I may have forgotten, thank you for a tremendous year and I'm looking forward to another remarkable year of growth! 

Lessons from Shop Camp

We have just wrapped up another great week of Shop Camp for our Middle School students! It was our largest year thus far with 16 students compared with four the year before! I always find it a fun way to start the summer break! As I reflect on the week and think to the cool learning that happened two lessons struck me as crucial to remember as I prepare for another year of formal instruction:

1. Students need the space and permission to fail...and then the opportunity to succeed.

2. The world is our classroom. 

The first lesson struck me when I was working with one of our 5th grade participants. He had welded his bike rack and had a working plan that he modified at the end because he wanted to force enough room for seven total bikes. As we looked over his finished bike rack and tested it out he quickly realized that not only would it not work, but he couldn't even get the minimum of three bikes to fit on his current rack. 

As we spoke we started to brainstorm options that could make a redesign work better for his needs. We visited about the process to help square his design and layout the bike placers more evenly. His next project was able to hold ten bikes running on either side, he tried another welding process that he was able to get proper heat penetration, and above all he approached the layout of his design with greater accuracy. All these together on the second try allowed him to build a project he could take pride in even though it required him to completely take a part his initial design. 

Thinking to my own classes for next year, I am reminded that I too need to allow for failure by my students. A fear of failure paralyzes many students who are concerned too much by the effect on their grade besides the actual learning. My challenge is to consider how I can maintain the balance between risking boldly and robust accountability that replicates the real world? 

The second lesson hit home when I took our camp students out on their tour day. We lined up tours that took them to a community college, a large scale custom cabinet manufacturer, and a stock trailer manufacturer. You can tell that the tours were effective when you have an even amount of students declare one of the tours as their favorites. The best conversations I had though were from the students who looked at me and said, "Mr. Meals, I'm confused...I thought I knew what I wanted to do and now I don't." The students saw careers and opportunities that expanded their horizons beyond what is narrowly advertised by our greater society.

We must never forget that the world is our classroom. The classroom alone is in many respects a poor substitute for the experience found outside its four-walled confines. The body of student experience must be filled with opportunities to see the world that is all around us. Whether that is taking a history class to an important historical site or taking a Horticulture class to local greenhouses. These will be the experiences if strategically acted upon will be the anchors of learning that stick with a student their entire life. Our communities are living laboratories for learning and we must immerse our students into their waters. The challenge for me to ponder is how can I both bring the greater world into my classroom and also ensure students the opportunity to learn in the world beyond the classroom?

School's Concern Should Be Community

Dr. Mara Tieken challenges us in her article, "Only Hope: Why Rural Schools Matter", about our understanding of the true value that public schooling plays in our communities.

"As currently conceived, "school" is considered an institution for children not their parents and families...Only when we acknowledge the many roles that schools play can we fully recognize the promise of public schooling for all of our communities" (Tieken, 2013 p. 7).

In many places, particularly rural contexts, schools play an outsized role in the development of community. Yet, should that not be the case for every school? What other public institution brings together such a broad range of individuals across the social spectrum?

The chief concern for school's should be creating community. Without community there can be no hope for learning. I'm not speaking about the surface level community, where we come out to show support for our school's sports teams. That's easy...I'm speaking to a deeper community built on mutual trust and shared partnership between stakeholders.

The first step for such community building is the acknowledgement among us educators that our schools serve well beyond the students immediately in front if us. When we embrace the role of community-building the outcomes of education become clearer because they are then defined by the needs directly relevant to those we serve.

Below is an excerpt from the book, The Choice: In Teaching and Education by the Arbinger Institute:

"Education is the lifeblood of a community's continued existence. We have an obligation one to another. 

There are many in every community who feel this call.

They should be involved in the educational endeavor.

As mentors, as tutors, as men and women to be admired -- there are so many roles that need filling.

Every school and every classroom should be community space, for it is the community's future that is learning" (Arbinger, 2001 p. 68).

Doing education together is crucial for the future of our schools and community. This will require changes in perspective about how we evaluate the true gains of schooling. What would happen if schools were evaluated more by their attempt to involve community stakeholders in the educating of our youth? Let us not be found wanting!

Symbiotic Learning

Learning cannot be a one-way relationship. Learning by its nature is symbiotic.

Take heed of a newly planted fruit tree. If left dependent only upon the water found in the soil, it will fail to root out and grow fruitfully. It must receive intentional watering and fertilizer to flourish and survive through its first winter.

We as teachers must also be cautious in only being dependent upon the content we find and keep. In quick time this will become stale and dry to those we are called to teach. Co-production of knowledge is the lifeline of great teaching and learning. Students engaged in the process of discovery and inquiry into the content we teach is the cascading of water and the addition of precious fertilizer to the tree of learning.

Surrendering the thought of us as THE teacher is critical in this process. We are only the teacher as much as we are the learner.

Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry

Too often we are absorbed in the rush. We are leveraging technology to do more, but are accomplishing less. We are frustrated when relationships don't yield fruit after the first interaction. We wonder why with as much is occurring around us that the wheels of life keep spinning deeper.

As an educator it is becoming increasingly important for me to recognize the importance of adjusting the pace of my classroom. From a constant feverish breakneck speed, to one of more carved time for deeper learning and spaces for reflective thinking. Taking time from the hurry of life to prepare students to listen and learn from their own internal rumblings, their curious soul.

Students are rarely provided the time to engage in this act. When in our society do we provide them the space to learn this when we rush them from one activity to the next?

Consider Principle #1 from The Choice: In Teaching and Education, I AM NOT THE TEACHER (The Choice p. 19)

"So who is responsible for what I have learned? Who has taught me if not my teachers?

The answer -- 

A teacher that each of us knows: The curious soul that resides deep within me, the river of inspiration and imagination that flows within.

The greatest teachers in my life have been those who have awakened me to these internal currents and rumblings -- those who have brought me as it were to the water's edge and inspired me to jump and be swept around the bend." 

May I be a teacher who is never so much in a rush that I forget to awaken the curious souls of the students before me. Yet, to awaken their souls, mine must be alive, curious, and hungry as well! How can we eliminate the hurry in our lives and immerse ourselves in the waters of our own currents? 
    

Increasing our Personal "IQs"

Summer is fast approaching and what an opportunity to increase our IQs!

For those curious, I'm not talking about that test that tells us nothing about the true potential and internal fire of the individual taking it! (Don't get me started...) 

In the quick and powerful read by Mark Sanborn entitled the Fred Factor, he addresses our implementation quotient (IQ). Which can be expressed as:

IQ = Implemented ideas 

       # of ideas

As summer approaches we quickly accumulate a list of ideas we are going to implement for the next year that will take our teaching and learning to the next level. Unfortunately, the number of ideas that make it past the dream stage tends to be way lower than we would like to admit. (I'm way guilty of this!) From personal experience, my lower than desired IQ is the result of a lack in prioritization and discipline of followthrough. The challenge I'm accepting is to focus on three ideas that will result in greatest student impact for the coming year.

Thankfully this is not a task for me alone! I'm blessed by being in a learning community who willingly provides input, accountability, and feedback for this process. Thank you to my Blue Valley family for helping me increase my IQ for the coming year!

How will you increase implementation of the ideas that desperately need to come alive?

Everyone Needs Windshield Time

I love driving. I love travel. As I reflect about why this is the case, the shutting out of the stresses of the day is a huge part of the appeal. The singular focus on the process of driving is relaxing and eases my mind. This time of reflection and focus is called windshield time. Each of us need our own windshield time each day, but rarely carve out time too. This was one of the many unforeseen blessings of becoming a full-time bus route driver...I am forced to take windshield time. The concept of singular focus seems to be lost on our broader society. Singular focus is wasteful, inefficient, and impractical. We need to keep up the multi-tasking and break-neck speed up 24/7.

When the CompelledTribe choose to tackle the topic of ways/techniques that we use in renewing, recharging, or rejuvenating relationships with students and/or staff during the last quarter of the school year. I could not help, but be drawn to my attempts at singular focus. For me, singular focus has been an intentional practice I have tried (and still have lots of growth) to adopt in my relationships over the past year.

It has looked like pausing at the copier machine in the morning buzz and asking the track coach how his players did the day before at the meet. (Not shuffling or stapling papers, looking him in the eyes and demonstrating singular focus even for two minutes.) It has looked like writing an unexpected note of thanks for a student about the contributions they are making in class. (The singular focus of writing a note with real meaning.) These may not seem like huge sweeping, relationship rocking incidents, but that is not the goal. The goal is the daily, personal disciplining of our minds that this world is so much bigger than us.

Each person has a life as deep, rich, and complex as our own. Each person has a story. This realization is called SONDER. Learning each others' stories requires our singular focus (windshield time) and will renew, recharge, and rejuvenate the relationships with all those around us!   

Below is a beautiful video that details the word sonder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkoML0_FiV4     

Take care and finish strong,
Anthony

What is a WIN?

Last week Tuesday we had one of our largest contest days of the year. We had students competing in Vet Science, Food Science, Ag Sales, Livestock Judging, and Prepared Public Speaking. Performance wise our students competed well bringing home plenty of awards and medals, yet it didn't feel like a win.

Maybe because it was the disappointment I felt when the students rushed off the bus without offering Megan or I assistance in carrying any of the judging materials. Potentially, it was the loud, obnoxious noises they made in the stands while other contests were being held. Or it was the final straw when I saw how no one opened their eyes enough to see that a teammate of theirs was needing their comfort and no one helped them. These may not in the whole scheme be huge issues, but I'm a strong believer in that everything speaks. Small actions to the big ones. 

It would not have been a conversation reflective of my heart if I would have had it immediately that afternoon with our students, it would have only been raw hurt and I wanted to remove my personal emotions from the situation.

During the next day's leadership team meeting, we had a powerful conversation about what constitutes a win. Having a day to reflect and not be reactive was critical and allowed the space for the students to reflect on the day and how our actions reflected back to who we are and what we want to represent. I was able to explain my disappointment in a healthy manner, staying true to my heart, but ensuring that 'I' was removed to allow room for their growth.

We all came to agreement, about what constituted a win. It should not be measured by the awards we hang on the walls, but by how much we seek to build each other up, respect each other, and above all serve each other. Below was a summary of our desired WIN:

W- We stand for something bigger than ourselves.

I- I will honor myself and others by the actions I choose.

N-  Never settle for good enough...seek growth. 

What does your WIN look like?             

Profiles in Learning ~ An Introduction

Learning is everywhere.

We learn new skills for a job.
We learn the names of new friends.
We learn the lyrics to our favorite song.
We learn the rules of a game.
We learn a new hobby.

Nobody really ever taught us to learn, it came naturally, right? Not so fast. Learning is taught through modeling. We pick up this skill of learning from those around us. Learning to learn, which allows us to research and think, to create new ideas, and to continue growing is not a haphazard task. Yet, in our society today we treat it as such. We expect students to know how to learn and think...even though in many cases they have never been taught how. And I do not mean memorization skills or other various study skills for performance on an exam...I mean that our students are equipped with the mindset and attitude for lifelong learning.

My efforts in this monthly blog series seek to dive into the life of a person. Someone who lived a life of learning. By investigating the mindset and attitude of learning from these individuals along with highlighting how they went about living it out, this series will hopefully strengthen our own path of lifelong learning. In our digital age, we are obsessed with finding the next great tool to enhance learning, when the greatest tools may lie inside all of us. 

The Greatest Teacher

Plenty of education studies and books have approached answering the question: What makes a great teacher?

Jennifer Hogan has a wonderful blog on this specific topic found here:
http://www.thecompellededucator.com/2018/02/the-1-key-for-being-good-teacher.html

As we approach the day before Easter, I'd like to reflect on the greatest teacher who's been in our midst. Jesus Christ throughout the Bible made each moment an opportunity of teaching for those who followed him. Even up to his death on the cross, his actions teach us. There are three qualities in particular that highlight the heart and mindset of Jesus in his teaching:

1. No judgement against those he taught:

--> Throughout the gospels we see that Jesus resides with and teaches those that the religious elites despised. Tax collectors, prostitutes, and gentiles; they were all welcomed by Jesus and never sent away. He taught them and invested in them. What is even more incredible, were the 12 disciples that Jesus called. They were not highly trained religious teachers, they were fishermen, accounts from the period said that several of them couldn't even read when they initially became disciples.

--> Our application? - Every child in our midst is worthy of our time and investment without judgement, but with grace. Many students had little control over the lives that were built for them when they enter the classroom. Our role is to equip them and prepare them for the world and life they will build for themselves.           

2. His teaching and actions are aligned: 

--> Jesus was not inconsistent. His actions were a direct reflection of what he taught. In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches the Beatitudes. This beautiful sermon summarizes the spiritual attitude that Jesus encapsulated with his life. We are not perfect and nor can we be perfect, but can we discipline our hearts and spirit to be more consistent in our lives?

--> Our application? - We tell our students to be eager learners. Are we as hungry and does it show up? We tell our students to have a growth mindset. When was the last time we broke the mold and tried something that stretched us? We tell our students not to procrastinate. Yet, I've got a pile of papers that haven't been graded for two weeks... Our actions speak much louder than words. Jesus knew this and is why he died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. 

3. Jesus taught for application and living:

--> Jesus' primary method of instruction besides direct modeling, was through parables. Throughout his short ministry on earth, he taught 39 parables that are directly captured in the gospels. It would be fair to say there were probably more that were shared by him beyond these. These parables many times left his disciples and followers confused. Yet, it forced them to continue to reflect and wrestle with what Jesus was teaching. In many cases, these parables were speaking about direct application to how we need to approach our spiritual and daily walk.

--> Our application? - I'm not suggesting we stop teaching content or even necessarily changing the way we teach. Yet, we need to have awareness in being responsive teachers. We should be prepared to utilize teachable moments that may carry weight beyond the content and into our students' lives. I love the Habitudes series and if a teachable moment allows me to integrate it into a lesson, I will do so. I'm not only responsible for preparing the next generation of agriculturists, but I'm also preparing the next generation of leaders in our community and parents for our future students.

Thank you Lord for taking up the cross. May we seek to love as you loved and give our hearts to your service on this earth. To you be all the glory.

Everyone have a blessed Easter! ~Anthony           

Confessions of a Yes Addict -- A Case of Failed Balance

Will you serve on the calendar committee? Yes, absolutely!

Will you help with the upcoming community fundraiser? Yes, no problem!

Will you serve on the Extension Board? Yes, I can fit that in!

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

When our blogging group #CompelledTribe for the month of March had the theme on the topic of work and life balance. I knew this was the opportunity to reflect on my own struggling approach to this part of my life. I'm trying to get better...I swear, but it has been hard.

I've always told myself I thrive under pressure...that my best work comes from being under pressure. This attitude has often left me eating off more than I can chew. Even more so, I know this mindset is false because as a student in college I made the intentional choice to not be involved in no more than two activities beyond my academic studies.

That decision allowed me to work a full-time job while attending school and pay for college with no debt. It also allowed me to save money so that my first gift to my spouse, Annelle, was a newly purchased car. It has been helpful to think back to that part of my life as an example of when I did it right.

Then I became a full-time teacher. Working in a small school everyone steps up (especially when the staff has 13 teachers total). That was my excuse. Then living in a small community, I've fallen in love with, there again is a lot of work to go around to an active few. Again, that was my excuse. As I have thought and reflected on this, I've quickly realized the pace I've set for myself and my family is not only unsustainable, but deeply unhealthy.

Saying yes to every opportunity means more than just another responsibility on my plate. It also means I'm saying no to something else. It's saying no to the deeply rewarding pursuit of blogging. It's saying no to spending time with family. It's saying no to other opportunities that will mean more than the frivolous yeses I hand out each time I'm asked.

A strategic reset is the season I'm about to enter. Annelle is in the midst of a career change that will greatly alter our lifestyle. It's both exciting and scary at the same time. As Spring slogs on, I'm adopting three actionable steps to help in this reset (and moving forward):

1. I will not say 'Yes' as a knee jerk reaction- I will go back and wait at least 24 hours to look at how the opportunity aligns with our family's trajectory before I agree to a new responsibility. During this 24 hour period, I will also pray and visit intentionally with my spouse about whether to accept the opportunity as well.

2. Create a full (honest) inventory of all my current responsibilities and projects- I will sort these into four categories: purpose filling, get done and move on, as time allows, and required for life/work (the essentials).   
     
3. Taking back my mornings- there is a sweet spot time where my deep work and day setting occur. It is between 4am and 5:30am. This is when I typically delve into my devotional, drink coffee, blog/write/journal, and take time to think and reflect. These times since Spring began have been absorbed by other "pressing" items. I must remind myself daily that no work is greater than sharpening the saw of my faith, my strength, and my mind.

Thank you #CompelledTribe for selecting this as a Spring Theme! I'm so encouraged by the blogs in the group! 

The Underdogs

This March Madness will go down as a record-breaking, exhilarating ride. The year of the underdogs is a fitting name for what has happened during this post-season. Everyone loves the underdog...they cheer them on to victory and relish it when they win. Even if it's against your own team, we seem to still accept a begrudging respect for them as an opponent. The key here is to never discount anyone. 

In the classroom, we have plenty of underdogs. The students coming to school from broken homes. The students we welcome on Monday morning who have not had a filling meal since Friday lunch. The students who have been told all their lives that they are worthless and will never amount to much. The students experiencing deep emotional pain and social exclusion. Do we cheer them on? 

Often, these are the students who we struggle to connect with, further disparage in the privacy of the faculty lounge as lazy and not going to make much with thier lives. Sometimes, we just write them off...how guilt washes over me when I think to those times where I was not the teacher and mentor the student was inviting me to be for them in that passage of life. 

What will the underdogs on our watch say of our efforts later in their lives? I pray they will say, "Mr. Meals never lowered his high, unbending expectations of me, he was filled with grace towards my choices, and he never, ever gave up on his belief in me." What will your underdogs say of you?    

Aspiring to Inspire

Recently, while at a workshop I was struck by the claim of a participant that our focus in education must be to design schools for those who want to learn and that some students have no desire or capability to be successful in their learning.

I've always struggled in articulating what my heart wants me to say in moments like these. So now as I reflect, I know precisely what I would have spoken up and said, "Sir, you are 100% correct. Students will aspire to the expectations we inspire!!"

If we already walk into our classroom and assume that only half of our students are capable. You know what, half our students will seem like complete duds no matter what they do for us. Don't set the bar low for students...see the greatness in each and every one of them. Inspire them to that inner greatness. Yes, I'm an idealist and I'm unrepentant of that fact. Yet, I also recognize that the only aspect I can directly control in a students' life is my attitude towards them.

The students who walk through that door are in the process of becoming masterpieces for a work we truly have no conception of...so how dare us assume we know (oh how stained is my guilt of this!!).

Our students arrive in this world as blocks of the finest marble and we are entrusted as Michelangelo, but fleetingly in their life. Let the mark we leave be a chip towards helping them realize their masterpiece, not a brazen whack that splits the whole.

Okay, thank you. I really needed to get that off my chest! :)

Have a wonderful rest of the week and let us aspire to inspire those around us! 

Paradigm #4 - You Don't Get It

Of the five paradigms that I've spent the past few posts exploring, this one stands out as the most dangerous pitfall for those involved in preparing our youth. It's easy to develop a 'bunker-like mentality' in the roles we play because of the isolation of our roles.

As parents, we are isolated in our parenting at home...so of course no one gets what we have to put up with especially those teachers who complain about my child, but they don't see the mounds of homework piling up after sports practices, all I want is to raise a good and honest child.

As teachers, we are isolated in our classrooms...so of course no one gets what we have to put up with especially those administrators who add more layers of paperwork, but they don't see the hours I'm putting into a part-time job so I can pay for my family's bills while still planning lessons that will inspire my students.

As administrators, we are isolated in our offices...so of course no one gets what we have to put up with especially those parents and nagging teachers who feel entitled in telling me how to do my job, but they don't see all the decisions I have to make that are going to have a financial impact on our school and district to help our students.

As policy-makers, we are isolated in our ivory towers...so of course no one gets what we have to put up with especially, those pesky administrators who try to always explain why our ideas won't work, but they don't see the countless efforts poured into researching these options and the nights left awake thinking about how to best help students succeed. 

When we entrench ourselves into our roles and refuse to credit the perspectives and values of other stakeholders in this journey of educating our youth, we all lose. Generally, those involved in the work of education view it as a calling, a strongly held conviction...why then are there so many turf wars over the basic concept of education (maybe it is due to the extreme variety in strongly held convictions)? If the African Proverb that says, "It takes a whole village to raise a child," is true, then why in many educational settings have we adopted a "we vs them" mentality?

In the beautiful book, The Choice: In Teaching and Education, by The Arbinger Institute. There are two applications drawn from Principle 4 - I Build Community, that I would like to quote below that are directly tied to this paradigm:

"Application 4.3: Building Community with Families

Compared to other educators in the lives of those I would teach, my educational role is small and insignificant. The people with whom students spend most hours of every day are the ones who most influence learning. 

So if my Objective is to inspire learning, as best I can I help father, mother, or others as well. No one should feel more welcome in the halls and rooms of a school than those whose homes are the center places of learning." (p. 66)

"Application 4.4: Building Community with the Community

A community is an organism -- some parts old and others young. All parts beholden one to one another. For the oldest and wisest among us is so because he has learned in the presence of others. 

Education is the lifeblood of a community's continued existence. We have an obligation one to another. There are many in every community who feel this call. They should be involved in the educational endeavor. 

As mentors, as tutors, as men and women to be admired -- there are so many roles that need filling. Every school and every classroom should be community space, for it is the community's future that is learning. 

There is much goodwill among people today. So many who will willingly help. Collectively their learning so far exceeds mine, I'd be negligent not to ask for their help." (p. 68 & 69)

We have a choice in this educational endeavor...we can seek to understand or seek to be understood. By seeking to understand the heart of all those involved in this great process of learning, we will discover that our goals are all closely aligned. We all seek to better our next generation, we view it not only as our duty, but an honor and privilege to be engaged in that undertaking.

Let us seek together to create win-win dynamics in our education system by looking beyond our self-created bunkers and envisioning a community dedicated to learning that will raise this generation.

Teacher Challenge: Bring in a community member who could serve as a guest speaker and bring to life a topic area you are exploring in class.

Learner Challenge: If you are in a season where you are looking for a mentor in your educational journey, seek one who is serving in a different role and capacity than you. Seek to understand their role, perspectives, and associated values to deepen your understanding of the connective web of education and learning in our world.

Paradigm #3 - Conditioned to Compete

As we survey our cultural landscape it is hard not see our world without the lens of competition. It dominates the airwaves as political parties clash for votes, sports teams become the pillars of entertainment, and it even seeps into the very fabric of our educational system and our classrooms. Our society has conditioned countless generations on the psychology of competition. This paradigm of scarcity, benefits no one and self-imposes limits on a pie that does not need to shrink.

Competition is not bad in all contexts and is certainly not bad when held in healthy perspective. What has become fearfully apparent is the utter failure of a forced, contrived competitive mindset into our educational system. Accountability, as word in education, over the past two decades has become synonymous with competition. Competition is peddled as a cure-all to the ills facing our education system. Competing for school funds, competing for students into our school district, offering school choice, etc... I'm all for accountability, I use it in my mentorships as way to ensure mutual growth...not growth at the expense of others. The false narrative around the oxymoron 'competitive accountability' continues through the remaking of teacher and administrative evaluations today tied to student success on standardized assessments. Creating a system based on 'extrinsic competitive' motivators is easy to do and the results are plain; winners and losers.

Yet, is our education system designed to produce winners and losers? I hope we can agree that is not the case... Learning and education are both relational enterprises, a relationship built on the foundation of mutual cooperation for mutual growth. Competition's place in this equation should be in a private form, where we push ourselves, personally, to grow in our capacity as a learner, not try to prevent the growth of another.

Creating a system that expands the pie of opportunity for all students, all parents, all teachers, all administrators, all policy makers, all businesses, all stakeholders in the future of our country must be our goal, we should hold ourselves accountable to nothing less. This is a tall, utopian task we may never see fulfilled, but it starts with us. It starts with a shift in our paradigm, from one of scarcity to one of possibility fulfilled through mutual cooperation that generates societal synergy.

Over this past year I was deeply convicted about this paradigm as I think about the agricultural education program I'm involved in guiding. We recently, passed a significant bond that will create huge enhancements for our specific program and we have been planning for these improvements and new building for the past two years. After I visited with elementary school stakeholders during several public bond meetings over the course of the semester I quickly came to realize how narrow-minded and honestly competitively-minded our bond vision had been for the fulfillment of our specific agricultural education program vision and needs.

These conversations during the public bond meetings, caused a deep shift in my paradigm. We could definitely construct a new agricultural education facility, but how can we ensure that we maintain a level of retention of our young families in the community and continue to attract new families who will keep that facility filled with eager learners? It was then I decided to become active in our local PTO as a future father and offer my sweat and service to fulfill desperately needed improvements for the elementary school that was not offered through the bond. My biggest takeaway from this experience, the pie only gets larger when we cooperate. When we see others less as competitive rivals for the same piece of the pie and begin discussing ways to make the most of the pie we have, its amazing at how quickly we can acquire the ingredients together to make a new, larger pie.

Reflect for a moment to our classrooms and schools. Where do we need to change our mindset from one of 'competitiveness' to one of 'cooperativeness'? How can we infuse that shift into our own daily life?

Teacher Challenge: It is easy to create a "competitive" review game. Change it up and try to design a cooperative challenge that forces students to work together and not against. 

Learner Challenge: Understanding the psychology of competition is important. Dive into the link below for a quick primer on the topic:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/socially-relevant/201506/the-psychology-competition

Paradigm #2 - Education is Viewed Transactionally

As I reflect on my time as a student both in K-12 and college, I'm struck at how pervasive this mindset was for me. I often obsessed more about the grade than the learning. There were moments I choose not to take an academic risk because it didn't fit the rubric. I think about what I may have lost in the pursuit of a GPA.

Now being an educator, I'm faced with the dilemma that grades don't truly encapsulate the complete learning process. It evaluates a product of learning, which in of itself is not bad, but it becomes problematic when the student feels there is only "one" proper product of their learning. True, there are historical dates, scientific laws, and certain mathematical problems that do have only one correct answer and there is a place for teaching and learning these concepts for foundational knowledge. Yet, education is filled with many more topics and problems that do not have such a linear answer or end product. In life outside the school walls, this holds true, where there are almost no clear answers to the daunting issues facing our world.

The danger now is the expectation that once I have submitted "this proper product" I must receive the grade I desire or that now I will increase my earning power. Culture has created the expectation that we must receive immediate tangible results for the effort we put forth. This transactional paradigm towards education leaves many without an understanding that learning is a continual process that does not end with the submission of a project or the entering of the grade. How can we begin chipping away at this deeply entrenched paradigm? Below is a phrase from Mark Reardon, a learning facilitator trainer:

"We are what we honor."

Honor rolls (GPA-based) and Valedictorian (GPA-based)...these are not bad things, but we must consider if these are what we will choose to honor above all else. I don't know my answer to this question yet, but I'll pose it anyway: How could we honor the learning process more in education, more in our classrooms? 

Teacher Challenge: How might you be able to create intrinsic motivation to complete an upcoming project or assignment without using a tangible extrinsic reward?

Learner Challenge: It is crucial we challenge ourselves as learners to see multiple sides of an issue. Below are two articles that challenge my views on this paradigm. After reading the articles, how do they change, if at all, how you interpret this paradigm?

1. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-reasons-why-your-gpa-important-melvin-hade/

2. http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/05/20/high-school-caledictorian-earned-1003-gpa