Sometimes You just have to choose....or not...

Wowsers - It's been a long time since I've sat down and shared some thoughts on this blog!  Christmas seems like yesterday.  The "Git her done" list has been somewhat overwhelming since January, but at this point, much has been accomplished.

• Releasing a staff member,  
• BPM Conference in PHX, 
• Master Plan Feasibility Study presentations - (21 in 3 weeks)
• Capital Campaign planning and roll out, Leadership visits,  PR in school.
• Hiring of a key staff position, 
• Ministry budget process
• Assisting with Leadership development with PSWD
• Celebrating the birth of Ben, our third grandchild and a late visit to PHX.
• Annual golf tournament planning
• Graduation and wrapping up another school year.
• Squeezed in a wonderful week with the 7th grade in Yosemite NP allowed some space to clear my head.

Most of the above list was not on the annual agenda to get done. So in the middle of routine work enters the unique opportunities that redirects focus and energy.
So what can you say "no" to?  What on this list of critical target activities could have been put on a shelf and picked up later when there is less happening? What will it be and how will a decision be reached?  I would like to say there is some formula or process to prioritize and help expend the necessary energy to pull of something of quality.  In reality - it is necessary to accomplish it all.
This is when you sit back and simply thank God for giving margin, resource of time or people to make it happen.  This is what reflection does for you and I guess what this blog is for me. It allows me to recognize the ways God used many pieces beyond me to get His work done.
To do lists are one way to get things done, another way to see God at work - often showing up in ways beyond our feeble dreams.  Thankful.

Christmas does change everything!

                                                
Merry Christmas!  We celebrate the birth of God-incarnate - Emmanuel!  Who doesn't love the decorations, music, gatherings and travel?  I feel extra- blessed because I usually worship at my son's church and  receive Christmas through  the experiences while growing up in our family. This happens as we join with  his family and worship at his church that he pastors. My context is certainly different than the other 99.9% of those who experience worship on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
In another context, millions of worshipers come for their once or twice a year worship experience to sing the familiar carols, light candles and hear the angel's message.  I think about the energy invested in this experience without a plan for true transformation to take place.  What do we want to have happen after they spend an hour with us?  Do we think through the outcome for the worship experience?
My experience tells me - no.  What can they get here that they couldn't experience on their own?  In some instances, we dumb down the message so that we make people feel "comfortable," thinking that the comfort may bring them back before next year.  Who was comfortable on that first Christmas?  The story is filled with hardship and challenge!  Yet we love to romanticize this birth and dwell on the quiet lullaby of angels and sheep.
It is similar to what it takes to mentor and disciple people. Three words come to mind as I discuss this issue with my Pastor - son.  Learning takes place most effectively when three things happen -   Information - Imitation - Transformation.    All three take investment of time and a continual opportunity to learn. 
Information is transferred/ exchanged / passed on from one person to another.  They receive specific teachings that are intended to move both minds and hearts. Hopefully there is some "new" information told in a different way that makes listening easier.
Imitation -  once information is transmitted,  there must be modeling in order to "see" and experience the information in action.  That's the "hands on" portion of learning.    During this time there is opportunity for trial and error,   Modeling can occur so the behavior that must be acquired has time to be seen and practiced.
Transformation - Nate says this is "innovation" (a word I don't like - so I chose transformation), means once the information is delivered, there is enough imitation and practice to make change stick.  The change is based on the information that was initially delivered.  In other words.  You began with the "end in mind" or the change you want to see take place.
As I walk through this Christmas season, I'm listening to the "change" that the Christ-child wants to make in me. My life has brought me through different experiences than where I was a year ago.  My needs are different, my prayers directed differently, my awe of God's activity draws me closer to the manger.  I want to see it and I want to be transformed by it.  Because He changes everything!

October Already !

It's hard to believe it is October.  One way I realize this is the STL Cardinals are not playing in the
NLCS this October   This year is not "OURS" 
The  school year started off by introducing 110 Chromebooks on four carts to grades 5-8. This was a huge commitment after struggling with Surface tablets and trying to adapt the iPads to shared devices.  Neither worked well.  It took some trusted friends in technology and public education to convince me that this was the way to go.
We moved the 50 iPads down into grades 3-4 and are fully rolling into the 21st century!  We had our rough spots with wireless and internet access in early September, but now many of the kinks have been worked out by IT.   Now teachers and kids are asking for more!  Wowsers!  And to think that I was resisting this venture into the world of Google for about 3 years.  Painful lesson after seeing how quickly and easily our students and staff adapted to this new platform.   Thanks Chip, Chris, Matt, and Dennis.  I wish I had one of your on my staff!
The Cards... had quite a run with the most victories in the majors.  But sadly the strengths of their season fell apart in the postseason humiliation against the Cubs.  Next year and this year! Rolling strong!

Waxing Mahogany on Ministry

I just finished up another school year! - year 38 to be exact! I'm waxing a little mahogany in considering how blessed I've been during those years to serve with amazing teachers, passionate pastors, wonderful parents and above all - students.  It's incredible to think how education has changed since I started on this journey.  It has led me from Nebraska to California, to Arizona, back to California, to St. Louis, now back to California!  Each stop on this journey has been filled with amazing opportunities to grow and do my best to do good stuff!  It wasn't and isn't always easy.  In fact, blending ministry and education is harder than it would appear.  The wildcard is how the world of learning and equipping challenges the age-old practices of living out the Gospel.  It is a life full of paradox's.  The mixing in the "Church" and school adds another level of complexity.   Throw in a few fallen folks who are somewhat immature in their view of faith and life and it becomes even more complex.  Almost mysterious...
There is a total lack of framework or understanding how all the pieces of the ministry fit together to accomplish a similar outcome.  I can't id too many success stories because I just don't know anyone who has taken the time to figure this out.  Most of us "inherit" a  ministry situation that has already been under development for decades and built up its share of wounds and scars.  Good leadership arrives, apprises the status of the ministry and begins the painful process of moving forward.
What is the benefit?  Each component of the ministry working for one goal or direction could be used by God so powerfully that the "gates of hell could not prevail against it!"  Yet those gates are closing down so many Christian schools ministries because they can't find the time or energy to look globally how they fit in accomplishing something bigger - that Christ calls us all to "make disciples?
Our LCMS school system began as a way to teach German and keep Catechetical understandings to equip the members of the club to follow the prescribed teachings.   It now finds itself in a time and place where the local church is trying to determine its own niche in order to sustain itself.  They attempt to attract "new" by hanging on to too much of the "old."  Those making those decisions not only grew up in the "old systems" but are "old." (like me)  It usually doesn't work out well.  Do they think of taking the school along with them in determining its niche?  Is the school part of the package they seek, or simply not enough energy to make this critical alignment work.
I don't know how to fix this thing... My gut says that unless the powers that BE - that set the mission and vision align these two big disciple makers, this struggle for survival will continue.
But I find strength in knowing whose gates I prepare to enter - The God of the Church commands and we must obey - make disciples - baptize - teach everything Jesus commands -  and He is with us always :)!  Even into year 39:)

"That's Why We Are Here!"

 
Yesterday we lost a mom in our school who passed from this life into eternity.  In 38 years in education, I can thankfully count the number of deaths in a school setting on one hand. Each time it leaves a family without a spouse, a parent, a friend and an empty place that was once filled.  The initial reaction to the community is one of grief and questioning the loss- and even projecting that event into the life of their own. "What if this happened to me...?" A HUGE teachable moment that becomes more real because so many have been engaged with this life that once was.
I can think of no better reason to have a Christian Day School and a place where this could happen. Here hope and truth can be shared openly and comfort offered to those who mourn.  This is the testimony of power that rears its head and gives us that Apollo 13 statement: "this will be our finest hour!"  "Oh death, where is your sting, oh grave, where is your victory? -  Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Cor. 15:55)  This becomes a sacred moment where God can show up in a big way. 
I find great comfort and assurance in Paul's words to the Thessalonians:
¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,^[d] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Please pray for families who experience this loss and through it find hope in the cross!

The Leadership Walk

 

The saying is true-  "leaders must embody the characteristics that they seek."
Changing your own behaviors and characteristics must happen before you should expect to see it in your staff. This certainly rings true as I  humbly reflect on poor leadership models in my own experience.
My Strengthsfinder assessment reveals that I am an insatiable learner.  There isn't alot going on that I'm not trying to learn about. (I recently did some research about  the tradition of the"upside down" Christmas tree. :)) My latest read on my ihome PLN took me to a challenging blog by George Couros who is currently the Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning located at Parkland School Division, located in Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada. How cool is that title!  (Why do all the cool diy shows come out of Canada?)  Anyway... His 8 points challenged my thinking as I review my own leadership style and effectiveness. 

1. Visionary – When I listen to some superintendents, the vision they share is inspiring and you can tell they see a new vision of school.  Yet what is important about these visionary leaders is that they can take this “powerful vision” and break it down to what it looks like in the classroom.  To create a culture of “innovation”, it takes small steps forward towards a greater vision, not a gigantic leap to the top of the summit.  Innovative leaders help people continuously grow with small steps that build both confidence and competence, so they are more willing to become more innovative themselves.
2. Empathetic – Along the lines of design thinking, new ideas start with understanding the people they are created for.  When I first became a principal, I did not try to mirror the ideas of the principals before me, but I thought, “If I was a teacher in this school, what would I expect of my principal?”  That trickled down to trying to empathize with being a student in the school, and a parent in the community.  For example, as a teacher, I hated meetings that seemed to go nowhere and went too long.  So to respect the time of others, meetings became shorter and we spent more time learning, than we did on things that could have been simply emailed.  Is having a shorter meeting innovative? No.  But trying to put yourself in the place of those that you serve is where innovation begins.
3. Models Learning – One of the superintendents that I have the great respect for is Chris Kennedy of West Vancouver.  He has shared his ideas that leaders need to be “elbows deep in learning with their schools”, and I think that is imperative to creating new and better ideas.  It is simple to fall into the trap of doing things that have always been done, or simply going with what you know.  This limits everyone.  If we want to do better things for students, we have to become the “guinea pigs” ourselves and immerse ourselves into new learning opportunities.  We rarely create something different until we experience something different.
4. Open Risk Taker – This building upon the previous point.  The term “risk-taker” has become quite cliche in our work, as leaders often promote it, but rarely model it.  People are less likely to take risks in doing something different unless they see those above them in the hierarchical structure do the same thing.  If leaders want people to try new things, they have to openly show, that they are willing to do the same.
5. Networked – Networks are imperative to growth and innovation.  It is easy to think you are doing something amazing when you are not looking beyond the walls of your school.  Great leaders have always created networks, but now this is not limited to face-to-face interactions.  It is also not as limited for those who live in rural areas.  Anyone willing to connect is now able to connect. It is simply a choice.  We can no longer be limited to the ideas in our own school. We need to connect with others outside and choose what works for our organization and remix it to be applicable.
6. Observant – Great ideas often spark other great ideas.  Things like “Genius Hour” and “Innovation Week”, that have become synonymous with school, were probably sparked by seeing things outside of schools and modifying them to meet the needs of kids.  The power of the Internet is that we have access to so much information, not only from schools, but from outside organizations.  Although a business solution might not necessarily work “as is” for a school, if we learn to connect ideas and reshape them, it could become something pretty amazing.  What I am hoping to see one day is that although we can take great ideas from outside companies like Google, our practices in schools will become so innovative that people will look at borrowing from education.
7. Team Builder – The least innovative organizations often seem to surround themselves with like-minded people.  Innovation often comes from conflict and disagreement, not in an adversarial way, but in a way that promotes divergent thinking. The idea is not to go with the idea of one person over another, but to actually create a better idea that is often in the middle of the two ideas shared.  If a leader is going to be innovative, surrounding yourself with people that mirror your personality is not the way to get there.
8. Always Focused on Relationships – Innovation has become such a huge focus of schools, they we often forget that it is ultimately a human endeavour.  I don’t see a smartphone as something that is innovative, but it’s the thinking behind creating a smartphone where the innovation happens.  It is easy to lock yourself in an office, connect with people on Twitter, and appear from your room with some great idea or new thing.  The problem is that if you are want to become an “innovative leader” it is not only about you creating new and better ideas, but your staff.  If you have lost focus on the people in the building, new ideas might appear, but they might not be embraced.  Spending time with people and building solid relationships with them often leads to them going miles beyond what is expected and move away from “what has always been done”.  When people know they are valued and safe in trying new things, they are more likely to do something better.  This is at the core of an innovative school. WDTM for me?

Bad Taste in Footballville

                                             

A new school year always brings the start of football season and all the world is right again... or is it? My alltime favorite sport has recently left a very bad taste in my mouth and I'm wondering how long it will take to leave.  Here's why... I can't go to ESPN.com and read up on college football team without at least one major college program suspending a member of their team for drugs,  sexual assault, felony charges or "violating team rules..."  - whatever that means!  Meaning they need that player to play and they want to protect any further conversations or investigations happening inside or outside the confines of the university.  Really?! -  It's getting ridiculous! A few of the programs - FSU, OU, TX, UF, UA, and those are just the ones who are reporting issues to avoid further scrutiny. 
Yesterday every media outlet on the planet were sharing the video of Ray Rice hitting his wife in an elevator last February.  The video was just released and caused the Ravens to release him and banning him from the NFL.  Rice is one of several players who recently received suspensions from the NFL on violence issues.  (along with PED,s and drug violations)
So I'm wondering what is different this year than year's past?  Are these just making the front sport pages because it is more common, or because the issues have gotten out of hand? - because they have! 
How can these pampered athletes who begin their coddled existence early in high school receive free ride when other upstanding students are denied entrance into the same university because they aren't generating the kind of revenue a high caliber athletic program needs to exist.
My solution... IF there is any "suspensions" or violations of any portion of a team policy,  behavior, classroom and academic expectations by the student- athlete,  the athletic program forefits that athletic scholarship into the general student body where some other deserving student in the university would receive it for the remainder of the year.  Both the athlete and student can "re-apply" for the scholarship the following year and reception would be based upon merit and how they lived up to the honor of the scholarship.  That would put the pressure on the athletic program to police..their athletes, as well as carefully screen their student-athletes  far beyond their athletic abilities. 
Let's give the right message to our kids in high school - and enforce it in our college programs.  Then perhaps we avoid the kind of behaviors that Ray Rice exhibited.