Go Faster!

Charles Duhigg Smarter Faster Better—The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

My sister is my hero. Looking back, I think it started when she dropped me off at college. I was going to live hundreds of miles from everything familiar, and our fourteen-hour pep talked gave me the confidence I needed to have this home away from home experience.  As we progressed through college, marriage, children, and a life, we would frequently call and catch up on our wonderful yet hectic lives. Inevitably before we hung up, one of us would close the conversation with our mantra, “Go Faster!”

When I received Smarter Faster Better, by Charles Duhigg as a gift from my sister I was touched by such a perfect, thoughtful, gift. It made me smile and reminded me of our phone chats. I was excited to read the book and to learn more about Duhigg’s findings on The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business. I wanted my every-day decisions to be more purposeful and innovative to support my personal life, career goals and frankly any wisdom I could glean as I am finishing my doctoral degree program.

What I appreciated the most from Duhigg was how he shared the key concepts of being Smarter Faster Better. My lessons learned came from the experiences of a business mogul, the cast from Saturday Night Live, an airline pilot, a rogue General Electric employee, a police crime detective, a professional poker player, a film director from Disney’s movie Frozen, and finally a new school teacher. The book was a page turner for me.

Each of their life experiences gave me better perspective on the components needed to be productive in a way that could change some of my bad habits. I learned how to get myself started and generate motivation through self-selected choices that deepen my values and long-term goals. I learned about the power of choosing a stretch goal first, then developing realistic SMART sub-goals to support my ambitions. Creating mental pictures and even a movie inside my head to envision my potential futures gave me perspective and alternative options. I learned the focused choices I made, could lead me to make better decisions to get things done!

“Productivity is about recognizing choices that other people often overlook. It’s about making certain decisions in certain ways. The way we choose to see our own lives; the stories we tell ourselves, and the goals we push ourselves to spell out in detail; the culture we establish among teammates; the ways we frame our choices and manage the information in our lives. Productive people and companies force themselves to make choices most other people are content to ignore. Productivity emerges when people push themselves to think differently” (p. 284). 

My sister and I still talk by phone, but not as often as I’d like. I also haven’t heard each other say, “Go Faster!” in a while. We are growing older, and our wisdom is showing. We have learned life is not a race but a journey to experience for ourselves and through those we love the most. Although as we are each reading this book, I am hopeful our future productivity will be Smarter Faster and Better.

Beyond Academic Proficiency

Thomas R. Hoerr the Formative Five—Fostering Grit, Empathy, and Other Success Skills Every Student Needs

It's Christmas Day, and the meal has been served, and the presents have been all unwrapped. We are all snug and content and in various states of stillness. The only audible sound is from the neighbor boys and dog next door--and they are joyfully loud. Squeals, shouts, and barks are clearly heard as they run and play their imaginary games. Their noise reminds me of the 394 students who attend our Title I elementary school. I worry. Where are they today, and are they too enjoying the company of friends and family gathered around their holiday traditions. Will their lives be full and happy to carry on these annual festivities?

At our school, are all working incredibly hard to ensure they have the knowledge and skills needed to venture into future opportunities and responsibilities. We are relentlessly focused on their reading achievement and celebrating their effort as they reach their self-selected goals and showing ownership and pride in their own learning. We are supporting their decisions to repair the harm and restore the relationships as they experience conflict with others. The learning culture has shifted, and it feels hopeful.

Although, after reading Thomas R. Hoerr’s book The Formative Five, Fostering Grit, Empathy, and other Success Skills Every Student Needs I was reminded there are many more essential skills to teach beyond academic proficiencies. Hoerr shares; “Social and emotional skills matter just as much in determining life satisfaction and success as traditional intelligence” (p. 7).   Hoerr promotes the responsibility we have as educators to move beyond just standardize achievement instruction. We also need to strategically teach those essential skills that are necessary to develop and cultivate social mindsets as our students grow toward adulthood.

Hoerr admits narrowing down the social and emotional skills needed for success in relationships, and the workforce was not a simple task. He used his research and the thinking of many well respected educational authors and informative academics to emphasize his five selections; empathy, self-control, integrity, embracing diversity, and grit.  Here are their words.

Empathy:

Jessica Lahey, (2014) author of The Gift of Failure wrote, “In order to be truly empathetic, children need to learn more than simple perspective-taking; they need to know how to value, respect, and understand another person’s view, even when they don’t agree with them.”

Self-Control:

Charles Duhigg (2012) in the book The Power of Habit, “Willpower is a learnable skill, something that can be taught the same way kids learn to do math and say thank you’” (p.134).

Integrity:

First Lady Michelle Obama highlighted the importance of integrity when she said, “We learned about honesty and integrity—that the truth matters . . . that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules . . . and success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square” (Cassidy, 2012).

Embracing Diversity

Jacqueline Woodson, author of books for children and young adults said, “Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through the world together.”

Grit

Brené Brown (2015), author of the book Rising Strong shared, “There can be no innovation, learning, or creativity without failure” (p. xxv). “Grit gives us the courage to take risks and to fail because we know that failure is a necessary ingredient in ultimate success.”

At the passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December of 2015, the push to measure academic progress and the success of individual schools with just standardized test scores is changing. There are other vital skills needed for our children’s success now and as they grow and make life altering choices. Hoerr’s Formative Five gives parents and educators a new perspective on the additional skills needed for student’s future success in a global society.

Hoerr recently was interview on ASCD Learn, Teach, Lead, Radio by Rachel George, an ASCD Emerging Leader. You can hear his passion for this important shift in education first hand on this podcast. The joyful noise of student learning in every classroom should include instruction around social and emotional skills, to prepared our students for a bright and promising future. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ascd-learn-teach-lead-radio/id1093613867?mt=2&i=1000378747810

Renegades Needed

Brad Gustafson Renegade Leadership—Creating Innovative Schools for Digital-Age Students

I had the chance to read Renegade Leadership: Creating Innovative Schools for Digital-Age Students by Brad Gustafson in a way I have never experienced before. I joined a Voxer group sponsored by the author and joined by other educators from around the country. Water cooler questions for our on-line chapter discussion was broadcasted by an audio or text Vox by our book study facilitator.  What followed for me was a weekly professional discussion with passionate digital leaders from across the country. Just for me, just in time PD.

I was initially intrigued with the alternative leadership approach i.e. Renegade—who doesn’t dream of that! The fact Gustafson also focused on leadership for our digital-aged students also caught my attention. In the trenches of our school improvement work, preparing our students for our connected world is not as high on our comprehensive achievement plan as it should be. I needed to start paying more attention to the innovation that was occurring in schools across the country. What are they doing to impact student ownership of their learning through digital connectivity?

Gustafson shared The “Renegade Leadership” traits needed for authentic change in our current traditional educational system.

“Renegade Leadership is instructional leadership for the digital age. It is child-centered to the core. It is collaborative, connected, and combines the best of what we know with the best of what’s to come” (p. 6).

A Renegade Leader strives to learn.  A Renegade Leader understands how incredibly connected our world is becoming and to remain relevant pedagogy must by responsive to these changes.  A Renegade Leader takes seriously the responsibility we all have to prepare our students for their future.  “Renegade Leadership prioritized relationships within a relevant and connected pedagogy” (p. 8).

The best practice and innovation needed to move forward requires the Renegade CODE. Renegade Leaders collaborate face to face to create and build student learning experiences. Student ownership transfers our learners from passive to contributive learners. Purposeful digital connectivity is used in meaningful ways when possible. Students experience what it means to be a learner now and as they navigate all of our futures.

 “The book includes a series of unique features designed to challenge, affirm, and inspire” (p. 2). Some of the features I found to be helpful while reading was the companion website which clarified or enhanced the ideas in the book. Also, throughout the book were real-life Renegade Leaders and students, with examples of how their learning was propelled forward, not with a new gadget, but the thinking required to use the digital device as a tool to communicate. Finally, there was plenty of authentic, practical advice to inspire us to get started.

As I read through the book, I marked it up in two ways. Alternative systems to consider in our school improvement journey, and takeaways I can strategically share with teacher leaders to move us all towards a more student-centered school. Together with a bold and brave mind frame focusing on the possibilities of our student’s future with what if rather than the constraints of we can’t was a hopeful message.

Learn more @ Responding to the Needs of the 21st Century Student

Failure as Feedback

Jessica Lahey THE GIFT OF FAILURE—How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go so Their Children Can Succeed

I just finished the last chapter of The Gift of Failure—How the best parents learn to let go so their children can succeed, by Jessica Lahey. It is early, and the house is unmistakably quiet. My head is spinning with Lahey’s thoughts and recommendations on parenting. As I started to get up and start my day, my eye caught one of my most treasured holiday possessions. A homemade wall hanging with handcrafted decorations from the first magical years of my boy’s childhood are on full display.  

A few of these ornaments encase pictures of my kids at various stages of their growth and young personalities. In all of the photos, their heads are tilted up, and the smiles are wide and full of life. Those hectic and delightful days are gone, and my sons are now adults. With Lahey’s book in my hands and my eyes glued to those young faces, my mind wandered to my parenting experience. “How did I do?” “Did I provide enough opportunities for them to struggle? “Did I intervene too much? “Was their path too straight?” “What did they learn?”

It was hard being a parent, and I made many mistakes, but there was incredible joy in the learning. These small beings you are entrusted with is such a gift that keeps on giving. The decisions I made throughout their typical days as an infant, a toddler, a preschooler, then through school, and eventually college were never ending, exhausting, and yet looking back exhilarating. 

Lahey’s everyday examples in her book demonstrate how parents can provide opportunities for children to struggle, fail, learn, and succeed. There are so many insights on the value of walking away and letting them figure it out when they are two—yes two! I should have been celebrating the stubborn two-year-old, so when they were sixteen they would be less likely to give up! I should have of proudly displayed the baseball cap, football jersey, and soccer ball instead of all those stupid trophies to celebrate what they love is theater. I should have let them determine what a clean room looks and smells like for their guest, rather than nagging and appreciating the fact their friends choose to be at our house rather than someplace else. 

Should of, could of, would of, can be a dangerous head game for parents. Knowing Lahey wrote this book midstream of her parenting experience made me again appreciate her realism. Whether you are a parent or an educator who works with children every day, it is never too late to give them opportunities to learn through failure.  Each disappointment, frustration, and life’s letdowns are opportunities to gain insights on what worked and what can you do differently next time.  Giving up is not an option. Learning is. 

My parenting days are not over. One of my sons called me just now. Given the hour of his call which is not his usual check-in pattern, my heart was racing. “Mom, do you have my spare car key in the junk drawer?” I got up to check, double check and got back on the phone with an unfortunate. “No.” I proceeded to ask him cautiously what was up, a parenting skill I acquired in the teen years. “I’ve locked my keys in my car.”  I again replied with a few short words of sympathy, but his answer made me smile and gave me hope I got some parenting right. “OK Mom, I’ll figure it out. Talk to you soon.” 

Lahey’s book The Gift of Failure will now be my go-to gift for every baby shower I attend. I also highly recommend it for every educator so the book is also a perfect new teacher gift. I can't go back and mend my parenting mishaps, but I can move forward.