25 Handy Words We Need In Schools

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

You may have already seen this post, 25 Handy Words That Simply Don’t Exist In English. It looks like it’s been culled from Christopher Moore’s In Other Words: A Language Lover’s Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World.  Reading the list, I couldn’t help but think how helpful some of these words might be in our work in schools and communities.  Namely:

Nunchi (Korean): the subtle art of listening and gauging another’s mood. In Western culture, nunchi could be described as the concept of emotional intelligence. Knowing what to say or do, or what not to say or do, in a given situation. A socially clumsy person can be described as ‘nunchi eoptta’, meaning “absent of nunchi”

Supporting leaders to develop emotional intelligence is a huge part of our work (see blog post Emotional Intelligence and School Leadership).  Imagine if we could just tell a principal she needs to work on her nunchi… and she actually knew what we were talking about!  It literally means “eye measure” and “is a kind of antenna one has to sense another’s feelings or state of mind.”

 

 Desenrascanco (Portuguese): “to disentangle” yourself out of a bad situation (To MacGyver it)

Entangle

I’m going out on a limb here, comparing National Equity Project coaches to MacGyver.  But our work often involves supporting our partners to desenrascar conditions in their school or district.  This is no simple fix, but instead involves following entangled trails of distrust and disempowerment to get down to the root causes that limit a school or district’s success. Surfacing root causes helps identify “the points of greatest leverage: the places where the least amount of effort provides the greatest influence for change.” (For more on root causes, see Peter Senge’s Schools That Learn). 

 

Tatemae and Honne (Japanese): What you pretend to believe and what you actually believe, respectively

Most Americans would say they agree with the statement “All children, regardless of race or social background, are capable of learning.”  But much of our work involves unpacking whether a person tatamae (pretends to believe) in educational equity, or honne (actually believes).  It’s not always obvious to the person, but if they only tatamae, it will be obvious in their language and actions.  We see this all the time.

The good news is that when people only “pretend to believe” in equity, we can still guide them toward creating systems and structures that create more equitable conditions and outcomes.  Once they see that equity is possible, they can actually believe in it.

 

Waldeinsamkeit (German): The feeling of being alone in the woods

Alone in the WoodsTeaching is often described as an isolating profession.  Teachers are surrounded by students in their classrooms, but most schools lack adequate collaborative structures. Professional learning communities give teachers a chance to learn from and with each other  to continuously improve their teaching practice.  They also help teachers fight the waldeinsamkeit. 

 

Meraki (pronounced may-rah-kee; Greek): Doing something with soul, creativity, or love. It’s when you put something of yourself into what you’re doing

Finally, we envision schools and communities lead by people full of meraki.  We work to create humanizing structures that enable and encourage people to bring their full self into their schools.  Almost every educator has meraki but not every system is designed for it.

Meraki - Soul


Posted in Changing the Discourse, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Moral Imperative: With the Kellogg Foundation Learning Labs in Mississippi

Posted on May 16, 2012 by

The Learning Labs is a national movement to radically improve early learning (birth to age 5) for all children in the United States. Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the movement consists of a partnership of innovative state-level early learning agencies located in Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Washington State. From May 7-9, 2012, a team of five National Equity Project staff facilitated a Learning Lab Network conference with Kellogg Foundation program leaders in Mississippi, hosting over 80 education leaders from across the country.

The conference led off with a tour of the site of the infamous murders of three civil rights workers in 1964 that was described in the film Mississippi Burning.

In the second day, in addition to sessions for state-based teams, our staff and others facilitated breakout sessions on core learning areas:

  • High-Quality Learning Environments: Job-Embedded Professional Development 
  • Public Will Building: A Voice and a Movement 
  • Family and Community Engagement: Connecting at the Roots 
  • School Success: Assessment and Alignment 
  • Policies and Frameworks: An In-Depth Look

The civil rights tour was profoundly moving and set the historical and moral context of the more practical work that followed.  As equity leaders in education, we need to keep our moral imperative front and center in our work.  The moral imperative of education is not to (merely) raise achievement.  It is, in the words of NYU Professor and our advisory board member Dr. Pedro Noguera, the keynote speaker at the conference, to “prepare young people to make the world better than it is.”

Posted in achievement gap, Changing the Discourse, Conferences & Events, National Equity Project, racial equity, Structural Racism | Leave a comment

Community Schools National Forum

Posted on May 2, 2012 by

The Coalition for Community Schools presents their 2012 National Forum next week in San Francisco, May 9-12.  This year’s theme is “Scaling up School and Community Partnerships: The Community Schools Strategy.”

Community Schools National Forum

National Equity Project Executive Director LaShawn Routé Chatmon will serve on Thursday’s Lunch Plenary Panel discussing “The Role of Community Schools in Moving an Equity Agenda in America.”  Angela Blackwell, CEO of PolicyLink will present opening remarks; co-panelists include:

Registration is still open, visit http://www.communityschools.org/2012nationalforum.aspx for more information.

Related reading: Martin J. Blank, President of the Institute for Education Leadership posted this article on Huffington Post: “All Hands on Deck for Community Schools.”

P.S. I’ve been urged to put a face to my previous blog postings as thenationalequityproject. So here I am. :)  I also manage our Facebook and Twitter accounts.  I’ll be in attendance and will post my take-aways after next week’s event.

Posted in Conferences & Events, Equity Pedagogy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Being Human 2012

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

A few weeks ago I attended the Being Human 2012 conference in San Francisco.

I wasn’t sure what I would gain by attending the conference, but the subject matter seemed intriguing, and at least tangentially relevant to the National Equity Project‘s work as a leadership (human?) development organization.  In particular, I’m working with a team on staff to gather brain research that pertains to our coaching and change management work, so I figured I might gain some new insights to bring back to that team. If nothing else, they did a great job marketing the conference in my neighborhood.  I couldn’t turn a corner without seeing these colorful and compelling posters.

Being Human 2012

The day featured a series of presentations from leading researchers from a range of disciplines – psychologists, neuroscientists, philosophers, anthropologists, even a poet.

Beau Lotto opened the day with a series of optical illusions, demonstrating how our brains are continually searching for relationships in order to make meaning.  Our brains are constantly “redefining normality”.  I couldn’t help but hear that hot new phrase, “the new normal,” justified here by neuroscience.  At the same time, Beau gave it a positive twist in that we’re actually free to “choose your delusion.”

I was most impressed by Vilayanur Subramanian (VS) Ramachandran, Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at UC San Diego.  I wasn’t surprised at all to learn that Ramachandran was named named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 by Time Magazine.  His talk focused on his research on “phantom limbs” – people who have either lost or were born without a limb experience the limb as real, and oftentimes experience pain or cramping in the phantom limb.  Since the limb isn’t actually there, the pain is generated from their brain, but the pain is still real.  Ramachandran developed a therapy for these people involving mirrors, whereby they see their actual limb reflected in a mirror, and are able to “wake up” the phantom limb.

In our brain research study group, we have already discovered and discussed the phenomenon of mirror neurons, which essentially help us to understand the actions, intentions and emotions of others by “mirroring” their actions within our own brains. When we see someone else do or feel something, part of our brains actually fires as if we are doing or feeling it ourselves.

Ramachandran took this thinking further, equating mirror neurons to “Gandhi neurons.” He suggests that “there is no fundamental difference between your mind and my mind except for our skin.”  He suggests that mirror neurons are the foundation for empathy.

In this interview “Do Mirror Neurons Give Us Empathy?” he says,

“If I really and truly empathize with your pain, I need to experience it myself. That’s what the mirror neurons are doing, allowing me to empathize with your pain—saying, in effect, that person is experiencing the same agony and excruciating pain as you would if somebody were to poke you with a needle directly. That’s the basis of all empathy.”

Empathy is a cornerstone of emotional intelligence, and is essential for effective leaders. For fun, try taking this Emotional Intelligence quiz to see how well your mirror neurons pick up on these facial queues.

At the National Equity Project, we coach leaders to understand and emulate the notion of “distress-free authority.”  In a group setting (in our case, a school) the distress and anxiety of one person can be rapidly transferred throughout the group (to both staff and students).  You know that pervasive ‘vibe’ that you sometimes feel – negative or positive – when you enter certain groups or settings?  Mirror neurons provide one explanation for this very real phenomenon.

Watch the video of Beau Lotto & VR Ramachandran’s presentations at Being Human: Perception & Sensations from Being Human on FORA.tv.

I found most of the other speakers to be equally compelling and relevant. David Eagleman’s critique of the United States prison system as our “defacto mental illness system” was so powerful, I still need to read more about his work at neulaw.org.

Anne Harrington, Professor of the History of Science, Harvard University gave a great talk on the cultural factors that influence both our treatment and perception of illnesses.

Hazel Markus, Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University told a story about being chided by her Chinese neighbor after letting her daughter quit the cello that I could easily see in one of our Teaching With A Cultural Eye sessions.

Hazel Markus Culture Cycle

Hazel Markus, Ph.D "The Culture Cycle"
Ideas, Institutions, Interactions, Individuals

And it was a real treat to hear from Paul Ekman, especially this bit of wisdom he formulated together with his Holiness the Dalai Lama:

“Every emotion can be experienced in a constructive or destructive fashion.  If the emotional episode seeks to further future collaboration, it’s constructive. If it interferes, it’s destructive.”

I do wish the day had a more interactive format.  I wanted to know more about these people in the audience around me, and what had brought them all the way to out to the Palace of Fine Arts on a rainy Saturday.  Apparently the Being Human team is working on an interactive website that should be live sometime in 2012.  In the meantime, I will continue to ponder what it means to Be Human in our schools and communities.

If you’d like to learn more about the day, visit www.beinghuman2012.org or http://fora.tv/partner/Being_Human for videos of all the presentations.

palace of fine arts

San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts
Being Human, March 24, 2012Being Human

Posted in Conferences & Events, Emotional Intelligence, Neuroscience | Leave a comment

Pay Now or Pay Much More Later

Posted on March 30, 2012 by

Last week a group called Fight Crime: Invest in Kids released “Pay Now or Pay Much More Later,” a report on proposed cuts in California to early childhood education.  Research supports the idea that the less we invest in early education in vulnerable communities, the more young people will end up in the mass incarceration system described by Michelle Alexander in The New Jim Crow.

“The Governor’s proposed 2012-2013 budget would cut preschool spending by $180 million by eliminating 17,000 slots for low-income 3- and 4-year-olds and reducing per student funding, after $70 million and another 17,000 slots were already cut in 2011.  In the nine-county Bay Area, up to $155 million in proposed preschool and transitional kindergarten cuts would impact up to 24,000 children.”

Here is a chart that speaks a thousand words on our state’s priorities. Police chiefs and district attorneys started the organization that put out this report - not just educators, the police are asking the state not to cut early ed funding.   

 

 

 

 

 

There are proposed cuts to K-12 education overall. At nearby San Leandro High, three student went on a hunger strike this month to voice their opposition to budget cuts: “The seniors started the strike the day after the school board approved $1.4 million in cuts.  The district also has a contingency budget to slash an additional $2.5 million if voters in November do not approve a state tax measure that would bolster school funding.  That contingency plan would further reduce staff and eliminate sports and music programs, among other cuts.” [Oakland Tribune]

Prisoners in California have also been hunger striking to protest inhumane prison conditions.

Posted in Education Funding, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Coaching for Equity Institutes – Coach Training & Professional Development

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

Lead The WayRegistration is open for this summer’s Coaching for Equity Institutes, taking place in Oakland, CA in June and August.  Since 2007, over 400 educators and professional coaches have attended our annual summer institutes.  You can read more about the Institute and register online at http://nationalequityproject.org/attend/coaching-for-equity-institute-2012.

The Coaching for Equity Institute is a three-day, non-residential institute. Participants learn to use coaching techniques to develop and strengthen their colleagues to become more effective teachers, teammates, and leaders.

To give you a sense of what you might expect to gain by attending the Institute, I wanted to share some testimonials from last year’s participants.  We welcome a wide range of attendees: principals, teacher leaders and district administrators; foundation and nonprofit directors and managers; as well as new or experienced professional coaches.

“The Coaching for Educational Equity Institute is a practical workshop for principals, coaches, teachers and district level administrators seeking to increase the academic achievement of their students of color.”
- Danaé Reynolds. Principal, Palo Alto Unified School District

“This institute was phenomenal!  I learned skills I can use as a coach in my school.  I had the opportunity to practice my learning which was very powerful for me.  I can’t wait to go back and continue this equity work in my district.” - Meg Williams, EL Specialist, Palo Alto Unified School District

 “This institute has been transformational for me not only as a leader but also as a person.  I believe that my conversations at all levels of my life will truly change and evolve over time into a deeper level of discourse and awareness thanks to the National Equity Project.”
- Sharon Mitchell Guddat, Title I Director, Federal Way Public Schools

“Imagining new possibilities to Coach for Equity gives me great optimism about the work that lies ahead.  The modeling, design, and ambiance of the past three days helped support not only my thinking, but also my collaboration with my team to make positive changes with the will to transform education for all children.”
- Shawn Simpson, Coach of Coaches, Federal Way Public Schools

“This has been a reaffirmation of why I chose to do this work.  It’s been a revolution of the mind and a transformation of the soul.  Thank you to the National Equity Project for your time, effort, and commitment in leading this movement.”
- Christina Cartwright, Instructional Coach, Federal Way Public Schools

“The institute provides the space and time to step back from the work, to remind ourselves why and for whom we are doing the work, and to open our eyes to how we can do the work with more intention.”
- Hanna Doerr, Post Secondary Success Program Manager, San Francisco Education Fund

“The Coaching for Equity Institute provided me with the tools to do my work effectively as a leader, educator, and community member.  The facilitators are highly skilled and model every aspect of what they teach – creating an environment that deepens my thinking.”
- Norma Martinez-Palmer, Ed. D., Director, Educational Equity, San Jose Unified School District

“Coaching for Educational Equity was an excellent combination of critical theory and hands-on coaching skills.  The National Equity Project is presenting clear, meaningful concepts for coaches, administrators, and all people involved in supporting teachers and students to achieve the quality education they deserve.  It is a contribution to the field of coaching we can all learn from.”
- Sarah Young, Senior Program Consultant, New Teacher Center

“As a brand new coach of amazing colleagues who were my peers just two months ago, I was feeling extremely ill-equipped to execute on my role.  But after being exposed to the concepts, strategies, and tools presented, I’m excited and ready to not only hone my coaching skills, but to also engage in the much tougher work of ensuring that our focus is always creating an equitable environment for young people.”
- Valerie Evans, Director of Curriculum and Training, Education Pioneers

 

Previous Posts on Coaching

 

 

 

Posted in Coaching, Conferences & Events, Leadership, National Equity Project, school coaching | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Teaching with a Cultural Eye and Listening

Posted on March 23, 2012 by

We welcomed over 40 teachers and other educators, including teams from nine bay area K-12 schools, to our most recent Teaching with a Cultural Eye (TCE) Institute last week (March 15-16) to learn, discuss, and reflect on relationships with students in the context of learning theory, social and cultural difference, and equity.

One high school special education teacher shared this week how the work in the two-day institute, particularly the emphasis on listening, has contributed to some breakthrough moments with students that had been percolating for some time.

Here are excerpts from her email, in her energetic day-to-day voice, where her deep empathy with her students and her investment in connecting with them personally while keeping learning and success central (aka, learning partnership) shine through:

Monday I decided to take the listening thing out for a drive with my students. We sat on our yoga mats on the floor and I mentioned how we’ve been at school for 6+ months, worked hard, and come far.  I posed two questions for them to ponder without talking; 1) what’s been working/successful and 2) what’s not working/needs improvement. Then I asked everyone to take a turn to share their responses, to focus on listening to one another’s words, free of criticism or judgment, no responding (verbally/nonverbally).

1st question responses: Each student, in one way or another said that in the past they had never felt like they had belonged anywhere.  They said they never had positive social experiences at school as they have had this year. One student said he loved how there are enough “weird people” in high school to find his own “weird group” of like-minded friends. (YAY!)

2nd question responses: No matter how hard they worked, they felt that their grades stunk. They said they wanted this to change though they worried that it would impact their social successes.

Wrap up: We talked about the dilemma/balance of socializing and feeling successful with school work and whether the both could happen at the same time.  I asked what we could do differently. They got quiet…for a while. I talked a bit about having an open mind-set vs. closed mind-set. Two responded, “What if we let you help us more?” (YESSS!)

Results: Both yesterday and today, three students, self-initiated, have asked me to come into their classes and help them with specific assigments. (YES squared). I am super busy going from room to room now. I love it! One reached out to his math teacher on his own asked whether she would be okay with him taking tests orally (YES cubed). She agreed and seemed impressed that he took it upon himself to ask her.

This is huge…they have resisted help for soooooo long.

This teacher notes that we need to share celebrations more with one another (and we thank her for sharing this with us), since so much of the work educators and the people who support them do goes unseen.  We agree, and we will be sharing more stories of change going forward. (YES cubed!)

Posted in Changing the Discourse, Coaching, Constructivist Listening, Effective Teaching, Equity Pedagogy, school improvement, school reform, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment