Nuts and Bolts

#1 Mistakes Educational Leaders Make

Many mistakes are because the administrator does not understand gender issues. The male has been trained in the male world. He thinks in the male world. His decisions are made according to his belief system. The female administrator makes mistakes when she attempts to base her management style and decision strategies on what she thinks a male would do. However, the female administrator will be judged/evaluated on criteria developed by and for male administrators.

Positive feedback is erased from the mind of the person when the word but is included in the comment. They hear only what comes after the word but. That single word implies your lack of satisfaction.

Three hundred seventy-five Georgia educators were asked to list and rank the types of mistakes their administrators made.

Poor human-relation skills
Poor interpersonal-communication skills
A lack of vision
Failure to lead
Avoidance of conflict
Lack of knowledge about instruction/Curriculum
A control orientation
Lack of ethics or character
Forgetting what it is like to be a teacher
Inconsistency
Showing favoritism
Failure to hold staff accountable
Failure to follow through
Snap judgments
Interrupting instruction with public address system

Other mistakes associated with caring and trust were failure to give warm fuzzies, failure to circulate with staff, staying distant, not calling teachers by their names, failure to delegate, failure to compliment staff.

A study in Oregon reported that 73% of the superintendents had released, transferred, or counseled out principals. Reason—lack of vision, poor administrative skills, poor community relations, failure to make decisions, failure to listen.

A group of California superintendents were asked to rank the top five reasons why principals lost their jobs.

Failure to communicate in ways that build positive relationships with parents, teachers, students and colleagues.
Giving and receiving feedback.
Human relations skills
Listening, caring and trust.
Management skills.

When the rules are more important than people, the principal will fail.

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#2General Information

Mistakes are not necessarily failures.

Quitting or giving up—that is failure.

Children know more ways to learn than we know ways to teach.

Burnout is not working too hard. Burnout is failure to see results of effort.

The Principle of the 5 P’s

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

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#3 Public Schools and Religion

Current Do’s and Don’ts on Public Schools and Religion

The law regarding religion and public education is continually evolving, but here is a current list of do’s and don’ts. Most U.S. Supreme Court decisions about religion have been 5-4 votes. The following information could change anytime a new justice is appointed. (Source: US Department of Education guidelines as updated in 1998 and reissued in December 1999)

A: Nuts and Bolts: Dr. Harold L. Smith

In general: As representatives of the government, administrators and teachers must neither encourage nor prohibit student’s religious activities.

Private activity: Individual students and groups may informally pray, discuss religion, or read Scriptures on campus if such activities are neither disruptive nor coercive.

Clubs: Student-run religious groups may meet on campus during nonclass time and publicize their events, on an equal basis with other noncurricular gatherings.

Curriculum: Schools may “teach about” religion, including the Bible, but “religious instruction” is restricted to private “released time” classes off campus.

Homework: Students may express academically relevant religious ideas in written, oral or art assignments.

Holidays: Schools may “teach about” religious holidays and celebrate their “secular aspects,” but must not observe them as “religious events.”

Graduation: School officials may not organize commencement prayers.

Literature: Students may distribute religious literature to schoolmates if other handouts are allowed.

Garb: If school dress codes allow private expressions, religious symbols or messages are permissible.

A: Nuts and Bolts: Dr. Harold L. Smith

(Arlington Star Telegram, Saturday, February 12, 2000)

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#4 Facilitating Successful Meetings

There must be a clear understanding about how a decision is to be made. Too many times committees spend time discussing a topic which they have no control or little say. Good leaders make sure members know which of three roles the group will play regarding each decision.

They decide. When this is so, group members need to know what decision-making process they are using—simple majority, sufficient consensus, full consensus—so they know how to communicate and whom they most need to influence within the group. (Consensus)
They recommend. When groups serve as recommending bodies, they need to know who is making the decision. That is, to whom are they recommending their viewpoint—the principal, another campus committee, the superintendent? (Consultation)
They inform. When the task of the group is to inform, leaders ensure group members are clear that: this is an information gathering session, full expression of opinions is sought, not consensus, the decision-makers time line and how and when the decision will be communicated back to the group. (Command)

Post Questions for Decide who Decides

Who is making the decision?
What are the processes for making this decision?
What will be the consequences of this decision?
How will this decision be communicated?

Levels of Decision Making

An individual or group above you
An administrator unilaterally
An administrator with input
An administrator and staff by consensus
A staff with input from administrators
A staff by consensus
A staff by vote
A subgroup of a staff with input from others
A subgroup of staff unilaterally
Individual staff members selecting from a menu of options
Parents and community members
Students.

Developing Leaders

A Site Based Decision Making Committee or Campus Improvement Committee will probably have district guidelines about the organization and operation of the committee. Many leaders provide opportunities for staff members to develop leadership skills as they serve on committees. The position of facilitator rotates each month. A person serves as recorder at the October meeting and then serves as facilitator at the November meeting. Usually the individuals may not serve as recorder or facilitator the first year they are on the committee.

The campus administrator will work with the facilitator to determine the agenda for the meeting. The facilitator must keep the committee on the topics listed on the agenda. The facilitator or a timekeeper must see the meeting starts on time and ends on time.

A principal that believes she/he must be the facilitator is probably not developing leaders and is probably using valuable time that could be more productive.

Your Site Based Decision Making Team or Campus Improvement Committee must be trained—instructed each and every year. The success of the committee will be determined by the training they receive.

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Dealing with Disruptive Behavior

To reduce minor behavior problems in class, the British Columbia Federation of Teachers” Handbook suggests these strategies for “dealing with behavior in the least amount of time, with the least disruption and negative feeling”:

Proximity. Continuing your lesson while you move about the room and pausing near trouble spots can let the students know that even though they aren’t near the teacher’s desk, they are still expected to demonstrate appropriate behavior. Your getting “boxed in” behind your desk or podium encourages misbehavior in far corners of the room.
Pauses. Continuous teacher talk may give students a noise screen for their own conversations. An occasional pause—just a few seconds of silence—brings an off-task student back in focus.
Asking for a Response. Hearing your own name can be an attention-getter even if you’re not paying attention. Working an off task student’s name into a question can often bring the student back into the lesson. Say the student’s name first in order to allow that student to hear the question to be answered. The purpose is to get the student back into the lesson, not to embarrass.
Active Participation. Having the student respond to a question or become involved in an activity can eliminate the undesired behavior. Asking for a show of hands, having students perform a physical activity, or having each student write a quick answer to a question can make all students accountable for an immediate response.
(For more advice, go to

Source: NEA Today—The Magazine of the National Education Association—April 2000, page 15

A teacher took her self-contained, learning disabled students, on a field trip to the Meadowlands Track facilities. The students enjoyed watching the jockeys and horses race. One area the students enjoyed was the training area and track for the trotters. A student asked if the jockeys were handicapped. Puzzled, the teacher asked what he meant. “Well, the horses are pulling wheelchairs, aren’t they?”

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M and M Ice Breaker

The object of this activity is to share unimportant information with a small group to cause conversation and help individuals meet others at their tables. This activity is best used when the total group is 20 or more and they are seated 4-6 at a table.

Place some M and M’s in the middle of the table. Ask each person to pick his or her favorite color. They are not to eat the M and M’s yet.

Instructions: You are going to share something about you or your family or your work with your group according to the color of the M and M you chose.

If you picked yellow, share how you or your spouse proposed.

If you picked red, tell what is your favorite vacation spot and why.

If you picked green, tell the group your most embarrassing moment.

If you picked blue, tell the group your favorite food.

If you picked brown, tell the group whom you would like to change places with.

Have the members at each table share their comments within the group. Ask each table to select one response at their table to share with the large group.

The listed comments above for each color can be changed, as you so desire.

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#7 Active Listening

Too many times teachers and administrators attempt to solve a problem before knowing what the problem may be. Time is wasted trying to solve a problem that may not be there. Active listening is one tool that may help a teacher or administrator. Active listening means listening first.

Principal:“Come in and be seated Mrs. Smith. What can I do for you?”

Mrs. Smith:“I have come to see because…………………………” (Do not interrupt Mrs. Smith)

Principal:“Let me see if I understand your concern. What I am hearing is …………………. Is this your concern?”

Mrs. Smith:“Yes sir, that is why I have come to you.”

Principal:“Your concern is………. You and I need to determine how to address this concern. What suggestions do you have?

Mrs. Smith:“One thing I though of is………… (Don’t tell Mrs. Smith that it won’t work or we tried that once. There is a concern that must be addressed and Mrs. Smith may have the best answer.)

(Continue discussion. Develop a plan of action)

Principal:Mrs. Smith, I think we have a plan that will work. I will call you in three days to see how you think things are going. (In three days make that call. Don’t ask anyone to call for you.)

Principal:“Come in and be seated Mrs. Smith. What can I do for you?”

Mrs. Smith:“I have come to see you because……………….. (Do not interrupt.)

Principal:“Let me see if I understand your concern. What I am hearing is……….. Is this your concern?

Mrs. Smith:“No, my concern is…………..

Principal:“Lets try again. I understand your concern to be…..” (If you still do not understand--) “I need to ask my assistant principal to come. Maybe she can help me understand your concern.” (A good way to create other problems is to state, “You aren’t making yourself clear.”

Principal:“I understand your concern to be………… What can you and I do to solve this problem?” (Listen, take notes, don’t interrupt)

Mrs. Smith:“One thing could be…………… (Don’t tell the parent it won’t work or we tired that once.) Develop a plan of action.

Principal:“Mrs. Smith, I think we have a plan that will work. I will call you in three days to see how things are going. (Make that call!)

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#8 No Behavior Problems

There may come a time in your teaching career that a student is not behaving as you expect him or her to do. The parent must be contacted. That is your responsibility. How you contact that parent can go a long way to determine if the parent is going to work with you.

Teacher:“Mr. Smith, I am Dennis Hopper. I attempt to teach your son in my math class. I am having nothing but trouble out of your son. He spends all of his time talking and will not do his work. If he doesn’t start doing what I tell him, he will flunk. I have done all I know to do.”

Parent:“If you are having trouble with my son, the problem must be you. He has always liked school. He hasn’t had problems before. What is your problem?”

This teacher will probably not get any help from this parent and the parent will probably contact the principal about a teacher that has given up on this child. Lets look at another way to approach the same problem.

Teacher:Mr. Smith, I am Dennis Hopper. You son, Kevin, is in my third period math class. The reason I am calling you is my concern for Kevin. Kevin is having a difficult time in my class. He has a problem is may prevent him from being successful in my class.”

Parent:“What kind of problem is he having? He is usually a strong student in math.”

Teacher:“Kevin has done some good work in class, but right now he is not doing his homework and spends class time talking to class mates. He did not have the assignment that was due today. What do you think may be the reason for this change.”

Parent:“I am not sure of what may have happened, but I will try to find out.”

Teacher:“I will call you tomorrow afternoon to see if we can get a plan in place to help Kevin. I appreciate any help you can give your son.”

In the first phone call, the teacher has a problem. He so stated. In the second phone call, the student has a problem. A parent will be more interested in solving a problem their child has than they will to solve your problem.

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#9 Script That Call

Every parent should be contacted on a regular basis. Some will be contacted more often that others because of student behavior or grades. Some parents have been contacted so many times they hate for the phone to ring. Many of them have developed techniques to negate the teacher contact.

Teacher:“Mrs. Smith, I am calling because Jamie is having trouble in my math class. She is not doing her best work………………”

Parent”“I am so glad you called. Jamie told me about her math class. I know she is having trouble. She is just like her dad. He is so poor in math. Of course all of our family find math hard. Do you have Jamie in other classes? School requires so must work for teachers. I bet you are so tired every night. I don’t know how you do it. I will do what I can. Thank you for calling.”

Teacher:“Yes, I get tired.

Parent:“There is a program about teaching on television tonight. I think I will watch it.”

The parent took control of the conversation and the teacher was helpless. Script what you want to tell the parent. Refer back to your script.

Teacher:“Mrs. Smith, I am calling because Jamie is having trouble in my math class. She is not doing her best work………………”

Parent:“I am so glad you called. Jamie told me about her math class. I know she is having trouble. She is just like her dad.”

Teacher:“Mrs. Smith, I understand. But the reason I called is because Jamie is not being successful in her math class. We need to develop a plan to help her.”

Parent:“Nothing helped her daddy. His mother isn’t very sharp either.”

Teacher:“I understand. But the reason I called is because Jamie is not being successful in her math class. We need to develop a plan to help her.”

A dated script can help you keep on track. It can also be used for documentation. Later the parent says she has never been contacted. You have a copy of what you said and the date of the contact.

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#10 Write it Down

Students will be sent to your office and they don’t have a clue as to why they are in your office. You don’t have time to talk to them but you must. How can you document the problem, determine actions and maintain a record of the incident?