Be Traditionally Progressive!

We often try to simplify things through polarization. You are either democrat or republican, conservative or liberal, a fitness freak or a couch potato, a digital native or a digital immigrant ... for someone who finds myself in the middle of each of those categories above, this is frustrating. Trying to take what is grey and make it black or white complicates rather than simplifies.

In education, traditional education and progressive education are usually seen as polar opposites that cannot be mixed.

Can you be traditionally progressive or progressively traditional? or are they mutually exclusive?

When this dichotomistic image appeared in my Twittersphere, it got me thinking.

As with most issues, definitions make a huge difference ... what is meant by traditional and progressive education?

Traditional Education
Traditional education can be summarized by a belief that returning to the education (pedagogy and content) of the past is the best for education. Traditional education presupposes that there are enduring aspects of education that should be taught to all students at all times ... and in the same way that it has always been taught. It tends to be against change in schools, frowning on educational fads. Classical education models and Back to the Basics movements would align with traditional education. 

Educators with a traditional educational perspective tend to teach the content that they were taught as students in the same way that they were taught as students. Content and pedagogy in traditional classrooms do not change from the educational models of the past.

Even though I would not categorize myself as a "traditional educator," I do believe that we can learn much from the past and many things should stay the same in education.

Historically, schools operate under mission statements that have not changed for years. For example, I currently work at a school that has been thriving in the Denver metro area for over 100 years. For a century, the mission of the school has not changed. The words of the mission statement continue to guide the school in the 21st century. If written well, a school's mission statement should focus on the timeless elements of educational purpose ... isn't that a traditional element of education?

Similarly, the school or classroom's core competencies or essential student learning objectives, if written well, may not change for many years. For example, many schools (even progressive schools) have "Effective Communication" as one of their student core competencies, and this educational pillar has been in place since Aristotle's trivium (rhetoric).

Christian schools, obviously, embrace biblical values on life and learning that have been passed down from generation to generation for over 2000 years. A few of these unchanging elements found in the Bible include, the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), loving God and loving others (Mt. 22:36-40), and the command to welcome the stranger and alien (Lev. 19:34 et al.). These, at least for Christian schools, are traditional elements of education.

So, if your school has a mission statement, core competencies, and biblical values on life and learning that have not changed since the school's inception, does that mean that the school provides a traditional education? 

That is what some dichotomistic educational philosophers want you to think. You have to be either traditional or progressive.

Progressive Education
The concept of progressive education (attributed most closely to John Dewey in the late 19th and early 20th century) is a view that the best education (content and pedagogy) is one that continually changes to adapt to a new group of students and cultural context. Dewey (and other educational psychologists after him) explored elements of pedagogy from a scientific model to see which is most effective in teaching and learning. He was a pragmatist and promoted changing ineffective teaching practices and embracing effective ones. Although Progressive Education has been criticized because it seems to chase after each educational fad, John Dewey was actually focused on a methodical scientific study of pedagogy, utilizing trial and error to confirm or reject specific educational practices.

I appreciate educators (and schools) who are progressive, defined as ever-improving, ever-evaluating current practices to see which pedagogical techniques are most effective. However, others define "progressive" education differently.

Similar to the chart above, the National Association of Independent Schools published a list of elements that are found in progressive classrooms and schools. (https://www.nais.org/magazine/independent-school/spring-2008/progressive-education/)

• Attending to the Whole Child
• Community
• Collaboration
• Social Justice
• Intrinsic Motivation
• Deep Understanding
• Active Learning
• Taking Kids Seriously

The article linked above describes what is meant by each of these categories. My concern is with the implication that these elements are exclusive to progressive education. Can't students in a traditional classroom be intrinsically motivated or concerned about social justice?  Can you embrace any of these elements within a traditional educational model?

Both And

Educators today should embrace both the traditional aspects of content and effective pedagogy of the past and the modern content and new pedagogical tools needed to prepare today's students to learn and lead in the 21st century.

Educational leaders can help achieve a traditionally progressive school through the following practices ...

• Re-emphasize the mission statement, core competencies, and educational philosophy in which the school was founded. New teacher orientation should include an extensive program on the philosophy and tradition of the school. In addition, school halls and classroom walls should nod to the traditions of the school ... the enduring elements that are valued by the school. Be Traditional!
• Encourage innovative education by the teachers. Every school should have "innovation grants" in which teachers can apply for funds to try something new in the classroom. Professional development should have opportunities to learn new educational techniques, and administrators must encourage teachers to try new pedagogical methods to uncover more effective educational practices. Be Progressive!

I am thrilled that my rather "traditional" Christian school has innovative teachers who are doing some very progressive things. Here are a few things that I see every day walking through classrooms:

• 20 Time / Genius Hour
• Flipped classrooms
• PBL through Google classroom
• Digital bell-ringers, formative assessment, and exit tickets using student phones/devices
• TED Talk student presentations
• Action research to collect original data
• Classrooms with flexible seating options
• Breakout spaces (with white board painted walls) for student collaboration

So am I a traditional or progressive educator?  As expressed above, I do not believe that they are mutually exclusive. Of course, the easy answer is I am both.*  

It would be good for traditional educators to think more progressively and for progressive educators to think more traditionally.

So go and be traditionally progressive next year! 

*If I am pushed to take a stand ...

I am more concerned with those teachers and schools who hold to educational methods of the past in our modern society. Technology has rapidly changed our world and has even changed how our brains function. Instead of lamenting the current state of education and pining for more "traditional" students and schools, we need to embrace the fact that students in front of teachers today learn differently than they ever have. Therefore, it is more imperative for educators to pursue innovative and effective methods of instruction and assessment rather than hold to the pedagogy of the past.

Fuel for another blog post :) 

The Reformation's Impact on Education

On October 31, 2017, many Christians celebrated the 500th Anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the church door, he began a religious reformation AND a cultural reformation that included the educational system.

As a Reformed Christian, I deeply appreciate the impact of the Reformation on faith; as a professional educator, I see the impact of the Reformation on education every single day.

Many of you are asking, how does a religious movement have anything to do with the classroom? More could be written on each of these topics, but let me share briefly a few of my thoughts (remember I'm an educator not a theologian).

95 Theses on a Church Door

It all began with nailing 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. It was the tradition in that day to post issues to debate on the church door; however, few dared to challenge the beliefs (or activities) of the church in these debates. Martin Luther did not want to destroy or split the church with this debate; his goal was to engage in a healthy debate with the leaders of the church on a number of issues, especially the selling of indulgences. He did not, initially at first, want to leave the church but rather to call it back to the Bible. While Martin Luther was initially excommunicated rather than debated, the topic was eventually debated by the entire western world.

So, what does this have to do with education today?

Debating for Learning

One of the best student learning experiences is found in debate ... it is even better when the debate is about a current topic. Debating prepares students to be critical thinkers and effective communicators. Debates can be formal or informal, heavily directed by the teacher or a spur of the moment discussion among students at lunch. Whatever the format, debating is an important part of a rigorous and lively academic culture.

What if every school had a "church door" that students could post objections, questions, and issues to debate?

School Leaders ... Before installing that door and creating a healthy debate culture at your school, remember that Martin Luther challenged the highest authority of his day ... and you can't excommunicate the students for posting an issue. Just kidding ... but you better be ready to debate the best and brightest students in your school.

What would a "church door" debate culture look like in your school?

Priesthood of All Believers

One of the tenets of the Reformation was the "priesthood of all believers." Through Jesus Christ's work on the cross, all who believe in him have "priestly" access to God through prayer and reading God's word. In addition to "priestly" access to God, there is also a "priestly" responsibility to intercede for others who are hurting in this world.

Okay, so how does that relate to education?

Universal Education and Restoration

There are two logical educational conclusions to the Reformation concept of the Priesthood of All Believers: universal education with a focus on restoration.

Coming out of the Medieval Ages, schools before the Reformation were primarily for boys from wealthy families or those studying for the priesthood. Schools were taught in Latin as that was the language of the powerful in that culture.

Martin Luther (and many of the other Reformers) fought to institute universal education for all children, boys and girls from all socio-economic levels. Not only universal education but education  in the vernacular of that culture. If all believers are "priests" then all children should be educated so that they can perform "priestly" duties ... to be able to read the Bible (in the common language), to be able to understand God's word intellectually, and to intercede for others through prayer and acts of service.

While Luther believed strongly in education, he was not an academic elitist. He celebrated both academics and trades as equally honored, God-ordained vocations.

Schools that honor this Reformation principle are ones that welcome all students, focus on developing the whole child, and teach students to use their talents as a living sacrifice for God's glory and service to humanity.

How does your school reflect the "priesthood of all believers"?

Ad Fontes

Another powerful slogan of the reformation was the Latin phrase, ad fontes. This phrase is literally translated as "to the fount" or "to the source" and was interpreted by the Reformers to challenge all Christians to return to the Word of God (the source) to evaluate church practices and the culture of the day. Martin Luther sought to debate the church's practice of selling indulgences because when he went back to the source (ad fontes), he didn't find anything in the Bible to support this church practice.

This is a great reminder for all Christians ... to evaluate church practices and culture in light of God's word, but what does this have to do with education?

Primary Sources

The ad fontes concept is such an important one in education, especially in today's world rife with fake news. In our culture, we have become sloppy researchers and subsequently sloppy thinkers; after all, it is so much easier to do wiki-research rather than digging into primary sources. Students need to be challenged to do "ad fontes" research ... with primary sources, eye witness accounts, quotes in context, etc. Students (and adults alike) quickly "google" to find information and assume that all of the search results are equally true and equally valid.

One of the most important 21st Century skills is evaluating information. Students today must understand the importance of using primary sources and how to evaluate the plethora of information that is at their fingertips.

Students are not the only guilty ones ... adults (of all ages) believe anything posted on social media. Shout-out to my Facebook friends ... look up articles on Snopes.com before sharing with me!  If I comment "ad fontes" on your post, you'll now know what I mean.

Seriously ... students must be taught how to evaluate sources and use primary sources.  Ad Fontes indeed!


When historians list events that changed the world, the Reformation is usually listed in the top 10. While the theological points of the Reformation were essential to a change in the church, the Reformation's impact changed the world ... including the world of education.

Happy 500th Birthday!

Learning (not Learner) Centered Education

Other than a few letters, what is the difference between a LEARNER-centered approach to education and a LEARNING-centered approach? The educational fad is to be a "Learner-Centered" educator, but I am encouraging a change (back) to "Learning-Centered" education. Yes, it may be just semantics and I may be the only one who thinks this makes a difference, but at least consider the following points.


Teacher-Centered Education
Education has always been teacher-centered. From the time of the Greek philosophers, the teacher has been highly regarded as the possessor of knowledge. The activity of education was done by the teacher through lecturing; students were passive recipients of the "correct" knowledge.

The Hebrew rabbis also operated within a teacher-directed system. While they emphasized "walking and talking" teaching practices, questioning of their "disciples," and correct living (ortho-praxy or piety), they still held to a teacher-directed model of education.

The Scholastics of the Middle Ages was a return to the Greek philosophies on education and heavily teacher-directed. We continue to see this model in many of our modern universities with the professor as the "sage on the stage."

A Learning-Centered Shift
During the late 19th century and early 20th century, educational psychologists (like Dewey, Vygotsky, and Piaget) studied learning and cognitive growth. Educational leaders in this time period were competent scientists and pragmatists. They were passionate about which educational strategies truly worked to enhance learning. Concepts arose during this time that are still essential parts of effective teaching and learning today: preparatory activities, repetition and cyclical learning, scaffolding, schema, experiential learning, problem-based learning, dissonance, collaboration, inductive and deductive reasoning, and the zone of proximal development.

Each of these concepts were truly learning centered. They were strategies that fostered and facilitated student learning, and they were supported by data on student learning.

A Move to Learner-Centered Education
In the 1960s and 1970s, the concept of learning styles re-oriented education to be LEARNER-centered. Essentially, the learning styles theory assumes that each student learns best if taught from his/her specific learning style. It began with three learning styles (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) and has grown to nine multiple intelligences as presented by Howard Gardner (1983). Educators, since the end of the 20th century, have fully embraced learning styles and a learner-centered focus. Ironically, some aspects of the learning styles movement are contrary to some of the "learning-centered" research, like cognitive dissonance and growth mindset. The presupposition behind learning styles, that students learn best when taught in their preferred learning style, is being questioned. This is now called the "learning styles myth."

• Reiner, C and D. Willingham (2010). "The Myth of Learning Styles." Change.  Available: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cedar_Riener/publication/249039450_The_Myth_of_Learning_Styles/links/0046353c694205e957000000.pdf

Unfortunately, embracing an educational movement without contemplating the data on student learning can plague schools, districts, school boards, and even educational thought leaders.

One of the trends that is currently being reconsidered is the impact of technology on learning. While arguments can be made about the positive use of technology in schools to motivate, to differentiate, to manage learning, and to prepare students to enter a 21st century technological world, the research on technology in schools benefiting student learning is quite thin.

• Kardaras, N. (2016). "Screens in Schools are a $60 Billion Hoax." Time.  Available: http://time.com/4474496/screens-schools-hoax/

A Return to Learning-Centered Education
This article is not intended to discourage innovation and creativity, but it is a call to return to educational pragmatism. Let's make sure what we are doing in schools truly enhances student learning.

Let's be learning focused.

Private Schools in a Market-Driven World

In-N-Out Burger and McDonald's both sell hamburgers, but they have distinctly different perspectives on the market.

In-N-Out Burger relies on customer loyalty and has not changed their menu since 1975 (when they added milk shakes). In comparison to many fast food chains, In-N-Out Burger does very little advertising; they do one thing well and count on their raving fans to tell their friends and to return as customers.

McDonald's (and most other fast food chains) also work to build customer loyalty and raving fans, but they have a realistic view of living in a market-driven world. McDonald's differs from In-N-Out because they spend considerable amount on marketing/advertising and regularly introduce new menu items to attract new and returning customers.

If we define a "market-driven" business by the level that it focuses/alters products based on what the market or customers want, we would conclude that McDonald's is more of a market-driven business than In-N-Out Burger.

In-N-Out Burger is an anomaly, and its customer loyalty is unmatched in the fast food industry. When In-N-Out fans see the In-N-Out sign (or even two crossed palm trees), Pavlovian drooling begins. Every fast food restaurant would love to have these raving fans.

What does hamburger sales have to do with education? More than you may initially think. Schools, for years, have held to an In-N-Out perspective on the market ... never changing the educational "menu" and spending little on advertising.  However, we live in a very competitive, market-driven world, even in education. My focus in this article will be on private (tuition-reliant) schools, but today public, charter, and private schools are competing aggressively for students.

What Must Change

Many private (tuition-reliant) schools have operated for years from solely an In-N-Out Burger mentality, relying on a loyal parent/alumni base to be raving fans who tell their friends and enroll their children/grandchildren. However, they are discovering that their base is not as loyal as they had thought and expect to be "courted." Schools need to be more market aware. They need to "change the menu" to attract new parents, promote the amazing things happening in the school, and encourage their alumni to enroll their own children.

With excellent public, charter, and private schools, the educational climate is extremely competitive. Private schools that are tuition reliant are especially susceptible to the market, i.e., it is difficult to compete with free. While I may wish that we still lived in an In-N-Out educational world, private (and now increasingly public) schools need to think more like McDonald's.

What Cannot Change

When fast food chains introduce a new menu item or run an advertising promotion, they do not change the staple of their company. McDonald's may offer a new McCafe drink to attract new and returning customers, but they still primarily serve hamburgers and french fries; that is what they do well. Likewise, when schools offer a new program, they must continue to provide the education that is their staple. Mission statements cannot change, excellent teaching and learning cannot change. Schools cannot compromise their mission and excellent education to appeal to the market.

A Market Awareness in Education

Like most businesses (and McDonald's), schools rely on both word of mouth and market sensitive strategies to turn heads and to encourage parents and students to "come and see" the good things happening at the school. Not only do these strategies reach new families, they also build excitement in their current families ... making satisfied "customers" into raving fans.

Here are a few ways to build raving fans and to encourage others to "come and see."

Social Media -- A free way to promote the school is through an active (even overly active) social media presence. If your school is not posting pictures daily of the great things that are happening at your school, you are missing this free marketing. Unfortunately, social media can also be where your brand takes a hit; schools must control the social media messages by over-communicating all the good things happening.

• Hire a tech-savvy, raving fan to manage your social media accounts. Find someone who is tech-knowledgeable and communication-wise ... a recent alumni may be a great choice.
• Encourage parents, students, staff, alumni, and board members to like, share, re-post everything that the school posts. The effectiveness of social media is in the activity metrics, i.e., the more something is "liked," the more people will see the post.

Word of Mouth -- A school must provide talking points to staff, students, and parents to share with the community. A school-wide awareness of the school's mission statement, core competencies, and motto is a good start. However, encouraging positive talking points is more about over-communicating to your stakeholders about all the great things happening at your school so that they, in turn, have something to share with their friends and neighbors.

• Communicate with the staff (and families) the importance of positive messaging about the school to the broader community.
• Use the "Magic Ratio" of 5 positives to 1 negative. If something positive is messaged to the school (and greater) community each day, the impact of an occasional negative message will be diminished.
• Handle complaints and grumbling quickly and internally. When complaints/grumbling simmer and fester, they often end up on social media and taint the positive word of mouth messages.

Innovation -- Encourage and promote innovation within the staff. Most teachers went into education to make learning fun and interesting; they should be given the funds and freedom to be creative and innovative. Often innovative ideas turn into great pictures for social media, and sending kids home with answers to the "what is something interesting that you did today?" questions really helps parents spread the word about your school. 

• Ask teachers ... what new things are you doing? when can I visit your classroom to see something new? (and take pictures to post on social media)
• Provide "opportunities to grow" through staff discussions, articles, and stretching professional development.
• Establish an innovation fund for teachers to use when they want to try something new.

Building / Renovation -- Colleges and universities have figured this out: construction on campus brings energy and excitement about the future. Nothing inspires people to "come and see" and ask questions like an active construction site. Old buildings with no construction/renovation happening is boring for everyone, including current families.

• Have a construction/renovation project (no matter how small) going on at all times, especially during the admissions season.
• Consider updating classroom furniture into flexible seating; this may provide an inexpensive way to recreate a room.

Both In-N-Out And McDonald's

Today, parents and students are looking every year at the greener grass on the other side of the school fence; they are being wooed by other schools at an alarming level. Schools (especially those that are tuition-reliant) must have both an In-N-Out and a McDonald's perspective on marketing. We must build those raving fans (that will salivate when they see your school name) like In-N-Out has done; however, schools must also utilize guerrilla marketing strategies to message positively about the school. Finally and most importantly, schools must continue to deliver excellent education that is both innovative and effective.

Florida Reflections

As my thoughts and prayers are with Florida this weekend as they anxiously await Hurricane Irma's arrival, I can't help but think about how influential my time in Florida was for me professionally and personally. You see, my first teaching job was in Bradenton, Florida ... a city just south of Tampa Bay.

I only lived in Florida for five years, but those years shaped who I am as an educator and a person.

1991
As I reflect, let me take you back 26 years to the summer of 1991. On July 20, my wife and I were married in Colorado and flew to California for a short honeymoon. We then headed across the country to move to Florida ... two 22 year old newlyweds starting our life together in a new state and without a clue.

We arrived in Bradenton and soon realized that our short honeymoon had been extended by this beautiful community on the Gulf Coast. Our first apartment was 10 minutes from Bradenton Beach (Anna Marie Island). The sand was so white and so soft and the water was so warm (as opposed to California beaches and the Pacific Ocean) that we felt we were at a Caribbean resort. Every day was an adventure as we learned about life and grew together as a couple.

We truly felt that we were still on our honeymoon and spent most days at the beach. We loved our few weeks in August before school started ... in fact, I was so enamored by this beautiful area of the country, that my first classroom bulletin board was a map of Florida with the following words from Shakespeare ...

This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself ...
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands, --
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this Bradenton!

Shakespeare's original text ends with "this England." 

Then, work started ...

I began teaching high school English and I struggled.  I was a poor teacher and I was miserable.

It didn't help that I looked so young. The first few days I was repeatedly mistaken for a student, by students and parents (and even a few staff members). In fact, one of the seniors asked: "Who is the nerd wearing a tie on the first day of school?" ... yep, that nerd was me.

Trying to establish myself as an authority figure, I followed the horrible advice of "don't smile until Thanksgiving" and began in an adversarial relationship with students. This poor start haunted me for the entire year. In fact, I had a couple classes that were a daily battle ... and I was losing badly. As I look back on that first year, I don't remember having a day in which every class period went well. Now, this may be an exaggeration, but, sadly, that is how I remember my first year.

Thankfully, I had wonderful colleagues and administrators who supported and encouraged me. Every new teacher learns a ton from his/her first teaching position ... here is what I learned that first year in education.

1. Smile (before Thanksgiving) and show that you love your job. I'm afraid that my students saw that I was not enjoying my job (and they smelled the blood in the water). The importance of showing that you love your job (even if you have to fake it) is essential to encouraging students to love their job as students.

2. Have fun, and make learning fun. Thankfully, I had two great administrators, Dan van der Kooy (principal) and Jerry Mitchell (superintendent) who both were so positive and encouraging; I also was part of a staff who laughed a lot and enjoyed spending life together. What an encouragement to a teacher who wasn't having fun.

3. Build relationships with your students and enjoy their unique personalities. During my first year, I assumed the worst of my students and felt that they were my adversaries trying to thwart my efforts. Not only was that assumption false, I missed out on getting to know some amazing individuals.

4. Don't give up. Even though I wasn't enjoying my job, I showed up every day and tried to improve. I was encouraged by my principal to give teaching at least two years before making career decisions. Wise advice, and I am so glad that I did.

5. Say "Yes" to opportunities. I had never lived in Florida (or anywhere east of Iowa), but this opportunity arose to teach in Bradenton, Florida. Sometimes saying "yes" to the crazy opportunities that God places in front of you can make all the difference. Starting our careers and marriage in Florida was such a good stretching experience for me and my wife, it pushed us out of our comfort zones, and it taught us a ton about life. A few years later, I was asked by the seniors to speak at their graduation and even though it was completely out of my comfort zone, I said, "Yes." What a blessing and something I have done numerous times, but only because I said "yes" to that in Florida.

My second year was completely different ... I enjoyed teaching and my students, and I began to realistically see myself as a career educator.

Living in Florida also taught me to respect nature. Growing up in the mild climate of Southern California, I was in awe of the power and violence of lightning storms. Being a golfer, there were a number of scary situations in which I had to hustle into lightning shelters on the golf course to wait out a storm.

Additionally, the start of my second school year coincided with Hurricane Andrew ... the largest hurricane to hit the United States (at that date), destroying the southern part of the Florida peninsula, and our school was a shelter location. Seeing the comparison between Andrew and Irma now is frightening.

As I pray for Florida this evening, I remember the wonderful friends in Bradenton and the staff at Bradenton Christian School. My good friend, Dan Vande Pol, is now the superintendent of Bradenton Christian School. Prayers especially for him as he leads in this trying time.


My wife and I had five wonderful years in Florida before moving back to the West, where our family lived; however, we regularly ask each other: "Why did we ever move away from Bradenton?"

Stay safe!

KISS In Education

Education should not be complicated ... it just shouldn't. Unfortunately, administrators, standards, testing, the American market, and our culture has made education complicated and frustrating for teachers and eventually for students. While there are many factors to declining test scores and teacher shortages, I truly believe that we need to simplify education in America. Hire qualified teachers who care for their students ... and get out of the way and let them teach.

It seems like each year brings around another educational fad, another standard, another assessment system, another "magic bullet" educational tool, and another acronym. While being progressive and innovative in education requires trying new strategies, the KISS Principle (keep it simple, stupid) has been on my mind as I prepare for another school year.


I just finished my 26th year working professionally in education (13 in teaching / 13 in administration), and I've been to countless conferences, completed a masters in curriculum / instruction and a doctorate in edu leadership, been on both sides of accreditation visits, taught college education courses, and my twitter feed (@drkedu) is overflowing with edu resources ... Let's just say, I've seen a lot come and go in education.

Of course, my education and experience have impacted my view of education, but I'm also a parent. Being a parent of five amazing kids (and my recent @acsd conference) have really driven home the KISS principle this summer.

This summer, I attended the ACSD Conference on Teaching Excellence in Denver.  This conference was filled with great sessions on pedagogy, teacher observations, brain research, assessment, and exemplary schools. The presentations were from some of the best educational thinkers today: Jay McTighe (Understanding by Design), Robert Marzano (The New Art and Science of Teaching) and James Stronge (What Makes a World-Class School and How Do We Get There). But, the message that I kept hearing was KISS ... keep it simple!

The two gurus on teaching excellence and teacher evaluation systems, Marzano and Stronge, both finished their keynote sessions with personal notes on what was truly important.

Robert Marzano highlighted a program called Rachel's Challenge, named after Rachel Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine High School shootings on April 20, 1999. This powerful program couples an anti-bullying message with a message of kindness. Marzano passionately promoted this program to help students feel safe at school. Yes, the essential message from the master of "the art and science of teaching," was to "keep it simple" and focus on creating a safe learning environment ... reduce bullying, increase kindness.

James Stronge focused on the "simple" research findings of effective teaching and learning. You want to know what really matters in teaching? It was quite simple:

1. Quality Feedback from teacher to student
2. Positive Relationship of teacher and student
3. Effective Teaching Strategies.

His new book What Makes a World-Class School and How Do We Get There is a meta-analysis of effective schools, and the top two characteristics of "world-class schools" are effective teachers and joy in learning.

However, James Stronge also ended his presentation on a personal note ... as a parent. What is he looking for in a "world-class" school to enroll his own daughter?  The questions that he is asking are: Is she safe? (care for her)  Is she happy? (make learning fun) and Is she learning? (challenge her to grow).

Education is simple, right?  I agree with Marzano and Stronge; as a parent, I want my children to have qualified teachers who care and make learning fun and challenging ... all in a safe environment.

We sure know how to make education difficult today with metrics and rubrics, assessments and lesson plans ... we keep adding state and national standards, high stakes testing, RtI assessment, among a thousand other things that someone thinks will work. It is ironic that the educational research doesn't support increasing of any of those things ... see Stronge's research.

An example of how our "complicated" educational system is not working has been recently highlighted in the comparison of American schools and schools from Denmark and Finland.

The educational system in Finland has been called the best in the world by Howard Gardner (Harvard Graduate School of Education). In fact, in the article "Why Finland has the Best Schools" (Doyle, 2016), Gardner is quoted as saying, "Learn from Finland, which has the most effective schools and which does just about the opposite of what we are doing in the United States." As cited in the article, Finnish children don't begin their academic study until age 7 and spend an unbelievable amount of time playing ... in a safe, loving environment ... and yet, Finland is ranked as the most literate country, along with being on the top of other global educational rankings.

Another example comes from Denmark. While American kindergartners are focusing on Common Core literacy standards and American parents panic if their child is not reading at the end of kindergarten, their Danish counterparts play. See the October 1, 2015 article in The Atlantic on the negative effects of too academic kindergartens: "The Joyful, Illiterate Kindergartners of Finland" by Timothy Walker.

Is the American educational system too complex?  I would argue "yes."  Is it a contributing factor to the current teacher shortage?  I would also argue "yes."

Teachers used to enter this amazing profession because they love working with students, get excited about learning and growth, and want to inspire students with learning that is fun and challenging. Today, college students don't consider the teaching profession because the profession doesn't include any of the above anymore ... it has become an over-assessed and over-stressed profession (and it has always been under-paid). Unfortunately, the American education system continues to get more complicated and regimented, and the results have yielded lower test scores and a teacher shortage.

Keep it simple ... I echo James Stronge

• Care for my kids
• Make learning fun
• Challenge them to grow

That is what I want for my kids and for every kid at my school.  Isn't that what every parent wants?

Keep it Simple, Stupid ... just care for kids like they were your own!

Happy Interdependence Day!

Americans celebrate our independence every 4th of July; however, independence for Americans is more than just freedom as a country ... it's a worldview (and it's killing us as a country).

In 1776, when colonists declared their independence from Britain, they also declared their dependence upon each other. From statesmen making decision for the good of others above themselves to militiamen sacrificing their own life to ensure the freedom of their neighbors ... America has had a culture of inter-dependence.

in·ter·de·pen·dence noun

1. the dependence of two or more people or things on each other.

The Declaration of Independence was also a declaration of interdependence. We need each other to flourish, and our forefathers understood that interdependence. 

This sense of interdependence grew as our country expanded westward. Settlers formed wagon trains as they headed to the frontier and relied on their neighbors on the prairie for survival (just watch any Little House on the Prairie episode). 

Over time, we forgot about this interdependence. Our reliance on each other to survive turned into self-reliance, independence, and arrogance. Now, we don't even talk to our neighbors let alone help them. Today, our American worldview can be defined as independence. So, what happened? Why don't we rely on each other anymore?

We can blame technology that allows us to "google" anything ourselves, authors like Whitman ("Song of Myself") and Emerson ("Self-Reliance") who promoted a "rugged individualism," events like the Gold Rush that inspired an "every man for himself" greed, or the "rags to riches" success story of Andrew Carnegie or Steve Jobs. Regardless of what caused this shift, Americans see weakness in dependence and strength in independence, and we teach that to our children from an early age. 

But is independence so bad? Certainly, we can see strengths to American independence. The American Dream is built upon independence and "pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps" ... whatever that means.

The problem with our hyper-focus on independence is when our selfish striving gets in the way of loving our neighbor. How often do we pass by a neighbor in need because it will sidetrack our plans for the day? Who has time to visit a sick co-worker? It is even difficult to find time for our friends. 

Spend any time in a country that is more relational than ours, and you quickly realize how rich this country truly is ... yes, most of these countries are usually referred to by America as "poor" 3rd world countries. However, they take time for each other, they are relationally rich, they are interdependent upon each other.

Thankfully, holidays are times when we as a country re-connect with family, friends, and neighbors ... let us always remember our need for each other ... our Interdependence!

         

Enjoy your Interdependence Day!