as a teacher is equally valuable in the business world. Good leadership techniques work regardless of the environment. When I interviewed Danny for the Chicken Soup for the Soul podcast, he talked about that day with Belinda, and how it was a turning point for him as a young teacher. He went on to work with all kinds of parents, among them parents who were incarcerated and parents who were inebriated, but he never worked with parents who didn’t want to hear something good about their children. He said, “Kids who are problems are so accustomed to hearing the negative. It’s such a surprise for them to hear the positive instead. And it’s a wonderful surprise for their parents, too.” Danny said, “When you focus on the negative, you tend to get the negative.” Even when you’re not dealing with a disciplinary problem, the more positive approach is always the way to go. He asked, “Is it better to put ‘–2 out of 20’ on the top of a test, or ‘+18 out of 20?’ It’s a subtle difference, but it’s an important one.”
When you focus on the negative, you tend to get the negative. He told me another story in the same vein. He was assigned 16 eighth grade boys who no one else wanted to teach. Eight were African American and eight were Latino. Danny says, “If their life wasn’t miserable enough, they got stuck with the white dude as their teacher.” On the first day of class, Danny said to them, “You know guys, you’re all going to have to help me out. This is my first time teaching in the gifted and talented program.” He said they all looked at him like he was from outer space. But it worked. Danny treated them like geniuses and they started acting like geniuses. Here’s another great thing that happens when you make a conscious effort to look for the best in a little girl named Belinda, or you tell 16 eighth grade boys that they’re gifted, or you treat your colleagues like they’re fabulous. That conscious change in strategy — looking for the good, and expecting it — actually causes a real change in your attitude. Because now you’re focusing on the good, not the bad. And you start to see so much more potential in your students, or your coworkers or your employees. I get the occasional flawed work from my team, or I get a Chicken Soup for the Soul story that needs a lot of help. I go back to my colleagues or our writers and I thank them for the “great first draft” and then I edit like crazy. That creates a mentoring opportunity, and it also leads to better performance from that person in the future — because he or she feels empowered to keep trying, instead of just giving up. Now, he or she sees a road to success, one that has already been paved with one or more small victories. “We have a choice every day. We can fill people with negative energy or positive energy,” said Danny on my podcast. Exactly. So we’ll lead with sugar instead of vinegar, and we’ll compliment before we critique. That’s how we empower the people in our lives to achieve their best — and make our own jobs a little easier while we’re at it.
THE BEST EDUCATORS ARE GREAT LEARNERS For many, a master’s or doctoral degree is an investment in a personal mission -- to have greater impact on those you lead or teach. At NGU, our programs are designed to prepare you for the rigors of leadership and the opportunities it affords.
If you’re ready to earn your master’s or doctoral degree, contact NGU today. • Fully accredited • Options include: M.Ed. - Online, On-Campus, Hybrid MME - Online Ed.D. - Online, Hybrid and one week intensives • Short, 8-week terms • Scholarships and other financial aid available
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT NGU.EDU/SEEN OR CALL 864.663.7522
To read more about Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Teachers, please visit http://www.chickensoup.com/book/198706/inspiration-forteachers. To learn more about Dr. Danny Brassell, please visit http://www. dannybrassell.com. www.seenmagazine.us
SouthEast Education Network
Fall/Winter 2017/2018
11