Selected Essays

SELECTED ESSAYS

Selected Essays Selected Essays Forty Years of Observations on Education

Forty Years of Observations on Education

B Y BY P APAT T DDEAVILLE EAVILLE 1

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PAT DEAVILLE

Selected Essays Forty Years of Observations on Education

B Y

P A T

D E A V I L L e

Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Additional copies of this book are available from the Author. Pat Deaville, P.O. Box 6294, Lake Charles, LA 70606 pdeaville3@gmail.com

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D e d i c a t i o n

To Francis Bulber and Tom Wafer: Great teachers, leaders, role models, and editors of the “The Louisiana Musician.”

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P r e f a c e

These essays were composed between 1992 and 2014. Most of these writings were an outgrowth of my work as “Director of High School Curriculum and Instruction” for Calcasieu Parish Schools and “Editor” of the Louisiana Musician. There was a clear link between my writings as a Curriculum Director and Editor. My educational philosophy remained consistent. While some of the works are technical in nature, they all contain my personal observations, thoughts, and opinions.

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T a b l e

o f

C o n t e n t s

Part One: Teachers are Leaders................................................................................. 1 The Good Day of Teaching – My Top Ten............................................... 9 The Bad Day of Teaching – My Top Ten................................................12 Recruit, Retain, and Refine.....................................................................16 Doing the Right Things in the Right Way...............................................22

Part Two: The Big Picture................................................................................. 25-26 Perfection and Imperfection....................................................................31 Success and Excellence...........................................................................35 Making the Impossible Possible.............................................................47 The Samurai Teacher..............................................................................59

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T e a c h e r s

a r e

L e a d e r s

A Guide to Effective Teaching (Original - May 2001…. Revised - May 2014)

Introduction Unfortunately, we find ourselves in an era, in which teachers are rarely treated as inspirational leaders for our children. School systems have gradually become dominated by policymakers. The adult in the classroom is often considered merely an employee, who implements policy. A great teacher is not one who simply implements policy and prepares students for assessments. A great teacher also inspires students towards a greater vision and helps them to understand, that they can achieve that vision. High standards, hard work, and discipline, as demonstrated and led by inspirational educational leaders, can change our schools and our nation.

You are A Leader As educators, we have a responsibility to teach. But for your students to learn, you must be a leader in the classroom. Leadership is not charisma. It is not popularity. Educational leadership is more than giving instructions or dispensing information or managing

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behavior. Leadership does not automatically happen because you are the adult in the room. You may, or may not, possess natural traits that help you lead in your classroom. Nevertheless, every educator must develop “learned leadership skills” to be truly effective. What follows is a “crash course” in leadership for educators. It is not meant to be all inclusive. It does focus on “key components” that teachers and administrators will find useful in developing an effective leadership style in the classroom.

Effective teachers use two principles common to all leadership models. Effective leaders know what needs to be done. Effective leaders take appropriate actions to get it done.

Right off the bat, you must understand that before you can lead your students towards learning, you must be able to lead yourself. Unless you can filter out the unnecessary and focus on the necessary, you will be continually off-target. Therefore, the students will be off target. Even if you plan to do what is appropriate, but never actually do it, neither you nor the students will get anywhere. First, you must be able to identify the correct learning target. Once found, you must develop the skill to recognize the essential elements at the center of the learning target. Then you must engage your students in relentlessly working towards this target’s center, until they can independently and consistently demonstrate understanding, knowledge, and skill.

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Effective teachers establish their competence on a foundation of content knowledge and proven educational practices. Effective leaders are constantly learning. Effective leaders select proven leaders as models.

You must be dedicated to the content of your subject area. No matter how much you may know, there is always more to learn. It is impossible to be the “authority” on everything. It is important for you to maintain a solid grasp of the most important components in the discipline. Staying up to date on content and teaching practices requires more than reading. You must seek out, observe, and converse with effective teachers, in and out of your discipline area. You must continually and judiciously assimilate, utilize, and incorporate the practices of leaders in your field.

Effective teachers do more than teach content. Effective leaders stress challenging goals for all, because of a belief in those they lead. Effective leaders motivate and inspire.

You must do more than teach to the content of the subject area. No matter how much your students may learn about the content, your mission is incomplete unless you also motivate and inspire your students. You must demonstrate passion in achieving your own personal vision. You thereby inspire your students to create their own personal vision, and establish their own challenging, lifelong goals. Setting high standards for your students in mastery of content is important. But equally important is inspiring your students towards high standards in —3—

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their future lives. You lead them towards achievement in your classroom. From this, they gain both confidence and belief in their ability to achieve at high levels throughout their lives.

Effective teachers are imperfect and live in an imperfect world. Effective leaders are not always right. Fortunately, they don’t have to be. Effective leaders must be able to recognize, acknowledge, and recover from their own mistakes.

Learners do not expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to teach. They expect you to be consistent and fair. Learners can accept a wrong turn, so long as you acknowledge errors through corrective actions. Learners show patience with you when you demonstrate patience with them. A mistake is a mistake, nothing more than that. However, for you to be effective, you must be respected by students. Respect is earned by demonstrating competence, practicing fairness, linking students to challenging goals, committing minimal teaching errors, acknowledging one’s mistakes, and learning from those mistakes. Repeating mistakes, failing to acknowledge mistakes, constantly demonstrating incompetence, and/or being unfair will quickly erode respect.

Effective teachers know the difference between leadership and popularity. Popularity enables effective leaders to quickly establish trends. Effective leadership enables achievement of critical goals, even if those goals are not popular.

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You can be liked AND be effective. Being liked can be desirable. But is not essential. At times, being popular can be of value. But earning respect through effectiveness, is always valuable. If you shift focus from “what needs to be done,” to “what needs to be done to make people like me,” popularity becomes a handicap. View popularity and educational leadership as independent qualities. Strive for both. But when the combination becomes incompatible to progress, choose effective leadership over popularity.

Effective teachers communicate well. An effective leader communicates clearly what must be done. An effective leader communicates with words, actions, explorations, and demonstrations.

If you cannot get students to understand what needs to be learned, then the critical learning will not get done. Just because you see the center of the learning target, does not automatically mean your students see the target’s center. You must be a clear and effective communicator. Words should not be your only means of communication. It is important that you be equally effective in communicating accurately through actions, explorations, and demonstrations. When a learner sees how things should be done through actions and demonstrations, the impact of the spoken and written word is greatly enhanced. When a learner “discovers” how things should be done through exploration, the impact is multiplied. Hands-on teachers, like hands-on leaders, tend to be highly effective.

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Effective teachers learn from within and without. Effective leaders are introspective. Effective leaders learn from other effective leaders. You do not have to invent the wheel of teaching. It’s already been done. But most effective teachers are innovative, creative, and capable of original ideas. If you stop thinking and experimenting, you will limit your own effectiveness and the learning of your students. You must consistently take time to reflect. Effective teachers also research the work of others. Effective teachers are “wheel refiners” in an introspective way. They can devise unique adaptations of practices created by others. You can be an original. But you don’t have to be.

Effective teachers delegate responsibilities in the classroom. Effective leaders share responsibilities with their subordinates. Effective leaders foster new leaders within their organization. In certain situations, you can use “lecture” as a teaching strategy. But teaching is not lecturing. Highly effective teachers consistently utilize a variety of activities that complement the variety of ways children learn. Providing opportunities for students to assume leadership roles, or to select learning activities, can greatly enhance the engagement of students in the learning process. Developing student leadership within the classroom can also accelerate learning and create a sense of shared responsibility in the outcome of each lesson. Demonstrations by your students can be more effective than demonstrations by you. Appropriate classroom management, with assistance from students, can be more effective than the leader being the only manager in the classroom. —6—

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Effective teachers build positive learning environments. Effective leaders unify those they lead. Effective leaders create networks, to support those they lead. You can provide enhanced individual motivation and achievement by building a sense of “team” and “purpose” in student groups. A sense of “team” and “purpose” can harness the natural stimuli of peer influence. Likewise, you enhance what happens in your classroom, when you contribute to a positive school and community atmosphere outside your classroom. Being positively engaged with other teachers, parents and community leaders can yield a greater sense of belonging and purpose within your classroom. The appearance and organization of your classroom can also raise or lower student motivation and engagement.

Effective teachers identify, gather, and master the use of resources. Effective leaders bring all available resources into active use. Effective leaders are masters in the use of resources. You, and your students, are living in a world in which the use of technology is pervasive. You, and your students, should learn how to use technology. But technology, in isolation, is not teaching or learning. Technology is a remarkable resource that can enhance teaching and learning. You should strive to become competent in “how” to use technology, and “how” students can use technology in the learning process, both in and out of your classroom. There exists a vast array of resources available to you beyond technology. Acquiring a wide variety of materials, tools, and human resources should be a career-long goal. —7—

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Bring knowledgeable people into your classroom. Allow them to apply academic content to real world situations. This can be a stimulating, rewarding, and highly motivational experience for your students.

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T h e o f

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My Top Ten (August 2008)

#10 Teamwork • There was a common agenda shared by all and supported by effective communication. • There was a balance of “constructive criticism” and “acknowledgement of success.” • The teacher stayed connected to both the lesson and the students. • The students set high priority on group goals and objectives. #9 Consistency • Routines, procedures, and equitable enforcement of rules were well established. • Patterns of instruction and patterns of learning were evident. • Lesson plans evidenced a long-term commitment to student achievement. • There was evidence of tracking all students in the attainment of objectives.

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#8

Positive learning environment

• Appropriate organization, structure, and attendance defined the learning environment. • The educational focus was not lost due to student misbehavior or arbitrary procedures. • All participants enjoyed a positive educational experience. • Productivity was a high priority with individual satisfaction a consideration. #7 • • • • #6

Focus on appropriate content Student work was focused on appropriate objectives. Objectives were challenging and suitable for the lesson’s intent. Objectives contributed to logical, long-range skill development. Objectives enriched understanding and personal satisfaction. Time management

• There was an excellent balance of instruction to student activity. • The teacher kept all students engaged in learning throughout the class period. • Non-educational tasks were kept to minimum. • The teacher paced the class appropriately while addressing essential objectives. #5 Productivity • Repetition was not used as a “filler” to absorb time. • The teacher addressed problems in a manner that led to improvement and/or solutions. • The teacher remained focused on the key objectives in the lesson. • The teacher tracked the measurable progress made by each student.

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#4 • • • • #3

Fundamentals of learning were addressed Mistakes and errors were recognized. Mistakes and errors were corrected. Misunderstandings were addressed as needed. Problems and student difficulties were not ignored. Strong preparation

• The teacher prepared an effective lesson plan. • Monitoring individual student performance/achievement was a part of the plan. • The teacher possessed the teaching skills/materials needed to teach the lesson. • Students arrived mentally and physically prepared to learn and improve. #2

Teaching was clearly evident

• The teacher had the attention and focus of students throughout the class period. • The teacher made concise and helpful comments. • The teacher made sure that student performance was of the highest priority. • The teacher did not spend time on things that diluted student learning/focus. #1

Learning was the key factor

• Students concentrated on learning throughout the class period. • Students ended the class knowing they had addressed the key objectives. • Students ended the class with a measurably increased level of knowledge, skill, and/or understanding. • Students realized they should expand upon their learning outside of the classroom. — 11 —

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T h e o f

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My Top Ten (August 2008)

#10 Disconnect between teacher and learner • There was a failure to communicate, be on the same-page, and/or have a common agenda. • There were excessive negative, pointless, inappropriate, and/or intimidating comments. • The teacher attempted to teach. But the students generally did not attempt to learn. • The students attempted to learn. But the teacher failed to seize the moment.

#9 Inconsisency • There was an absence of routines, procedures, and/or equitable enforcement of rules. • There were no patterns of teaching or learning that could be recognized. • There was little tracking (evidence) in the monitoring of daily learning. — 12 —

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• There was little tracking (evidence) of adjustments made in daily instruction.

#8

Poor learning environment

• Disorganization, chaos, tardiness, and/or absenteeism defined the learning environment. • Disciplinary issues and/or time-consuming procedures eliminated the educational focus. • No one in the room had any fun at any time for any reason. • Everyone had a ball without any evidence of learning or productivity.

#7

Wrong content

• Teacher and students stayed very busy working on the wrong objectives. • Objectives were unchallenging, inappropriate, and/or unsuitable. • Objectives did not contribute to the logical development of knowledge or skills. • Objectives did not enhance understanding or satisfaction.

#6

Time management

• Too much of the class was absorbed by the teacher talking. • Too much time was spent on a few students. This left others, unengaged for long periods. • A great deal of class time was spent on non-teaching and/or nonlearning tasks. • The teacher did not properly pace the instructional time, for all essential objectives to be addressed.

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#5

Mistaking action for productivity

• The students repeated the same task over and over and over and over. • The teacher and/or students made the same mistakes over and over and over. • The teacher constantly pointed out problems without solving them. • The students stayed busy without making any measurable progress.

#4

Ignoring the obvious

• The teacher and/or students ignored (or didn’t recognize) poor performance. • Questions were too often irrelevant. Answers were too often wrong. • Pacing was an unrecognized/unaddressed problem throughout the class. • Problems in “understanding critical points” went unrecognized or ignored.

#3

Lack of preparation

• The teacher did not have a written, mental, and/or recognizable lesson plan. • There were no long/short term plans to monitor or track student performance/achievement. • The teacher did not possess the teaching skills needed for the lesson. • Shortcomings in materials or resources left the teacher and/or students unprepared or unengaged.

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#2

Teaching was missing

• The teacher failed to recruit and/or retain the attention and focus of the students. • Rather than teach, the teacher used class time to articulate (or demonstrate) trivial knowledge and/or experiences. • The teacher spent more time monitoring behavior than evaluating student performance. • The teacher spent more time doing non-educational tasks than tracking student progress.

#1

Learning was missing

• Students walked out of class without any new knowledge. • Students walked out of class without any increase in skill or understanding. • Students spent most of the class thinking about anything but the class. • Students were told that the learning had to take place outside the classroom.

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R e c r u i t , a n d

R e t a i n ,

R e f i n e

(May 2004)

Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic Reading, writing, and arithmetic have been basic to American curriculum for centuries. But they are not the only “three R’s” in education. The Other Three R’s in Education The “other three R’s” are recruit, retain, and refine. These three R’s are critical to teaching and learning in every American classroom. • Recruiting the mind and heart of each student is an essential first step in teaching. • Retaining the student’s interest is the critical factor in making steady progress. • Refinement is the key to both mastery of content and the inspiration to achieve. Effective Teachers Continually Recruit, Retain, and Refine Teaching and learning are at their greatest level of efficiency, when content-rich teachers practice the art and science of recruiting, retaining, and refining. — 16 —

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The typical classroom teacher may not consciously think of recruiting and retention as key elements in what they do. They may only see refinement as their role. But a teacher who sees it that way, is failing to grasp the fundamental value and expanded definition of recruitment and retention. Recruitment and retention involve so much more than the physical presence of the student in the classroom. Students may be “assigned” to a teacher. They can be mandated to appear physically in the room. But that is where recruitment and retention must begin…when students are physically present. The recruitment and retention of a student’s mind, interest, spirit, commitment, and focus are paramount to the refinement process. Recruitment and retention are day-by-day, class-by-class, and student-bystudent processes. Teachers must get and keep students “on board” with what the teacher wants them to do. Any teacher who has developed the skills of recruiting and retention has more than half the battle won. Refinement can then follow as a marvelous and exciting adventure. Students do not learn because they are supposed to learn. They must be drawn into the world of learning. Recruiting their “heart and mind” is the starting point. Retaining their interest and commitment is next step. Then, and only then, can the refinement process yield its full potential.

Recruit 1. As a teacher, how much you know is irrelevant, if no one is paying attention. 2. Recruiting the student’s heart and mind is the foundation of successful instruction. 3. Failure to recruit the student’s attention and interest will put the teacher, and the student, into a cycle of repeated frustration and failure. — 17 —

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4. Once a student “shows up” physically, the teacher must work daily to recruit that student’s mind, interest, focus, and active participation. 5. Student engagement in learning, is what matters most. attendance only matters if the student is engaged.

Student

6. Talking/lecturing to a student has limited potential to engage the student. 7. Having the student do things (activities, actions, and projects) triggers engagement. 8. A student is most likely to engage when peers are engaged (group activities). 9. Discover what “turns on” the faucet of each student’s interest. Keep in mind that every child is different. Every school is different. Every community is different. Every family is different. 10. Discover who has influence over each of your students. 11. A student may be influenced by friends, peers, siblings, parents, grandparents, teachers, aides, sponsors, counselors, secretaries, principals, coaches, ministers, and/or any of many community members. 12. The more you engage those who influence the student, the more likely the student will be engaged. Retain 1. You see your students every day. Recruit them every day. 2. Every day, you must continue to convince students that your room is where they want to be. This is best done by teaching well. 3. If you are a dedicated and effective teacher, you are laying a great foundation for retaining student interest.

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4. Being fair to each student is important. Being honest with each student is critical, even if being honest doesn’t result in immediate positive feedback. 5. Work hard to retain the hearts of students who don’t rise to the top of the class. Every student yearns for some measure of success and fulfillment. 6. Every student will encounter some level of frustration, limitation, and failure in the class. A wise teacher can help the student see past these things. You must be able to show how these negatives are just a part of the journey. 7. You must establish for each student a way they can recognize their progress. 8. Even a student, who is the weakest link throughout the year, must be able to see that they have become stronger. 9. Each student must feel like they are a part of a family…a learning community. 10. Everyone wants to feel appreciated and feel like they belong. All students want to sense that they make a real contribution to the success of the class. 11. If you constantly devalue a student, and dwell on a perceived lack of commitment or interest, you will experience a self-fulfilling prophesy. The devalued student will disengage from you. They will also take other students with them. 12. You may not always be able to lead your class to high goals. But if you do not aim for high goals, students will eventually abandon ship.

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Refine 1. Teach, teach, and teach. Teach the right things. Teach every day. Teach everyone. 2. If you can’t teach the basics, you can’t teach. Most days are good days to spend some time working on the basics. 3. You must constantly address those skills and concepts that are critical for establishing a foundation of independent learning and thinking. 4. For you to succeed, every student must get better. You must put into place a clear and understandable plan for improvement, that addresses every student at their own talent and skill level. 5. Each student must understand “what” they must learn and share a common responsibility to achieve. 6. You must constantly reward and celebrate progress on an individual and class basis. Constantly identify and critique mistakes on an individual and class level. 7. Most students will rise no higher than to the standard you define. Do not limit your vision to a test score. 8. Awards and recognitions should only be milestones along the path of excellence…encouraging the student to reach higher. 9. Failure to reach a standard, within a desired measure of time, is not failure. Losing the desire, to achieve a high standard, is failure. 10. You may love the subject you teach. You may have great knowledge in that subject area. It takes more than those two things, to be a great teacher. 11. Can you instill a love for the subject within your students? Can you effectively transfer your knowledge and skills to your students? Can you lead, motivate, and inspire your students to want more…do more…be more?

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12. You must inspire your students, to be constantly reaching, for an elevated level of understanding and performance. Food for Thought 1. The refinement process is as much about you as it is about your students. Students stop making progress when you stop making progress. If you have no desire to get better, the students in your room will follow suit. 2. You may know much more than what you have taught them, but that doesn’t mean you should stop learning. 3. Teachers, who have their walls lined with awards, may have the key advice you need for your immediate development. 4. Conversely, a teacher that does not immediately come to mind as a professional role model, might have a great idea that will work for you. Keep your ears and mind open. You can learn from everyone in the business. 5. Respect your elders. If someone has been in the business a while, they’ve probably learned something you need to know. 6. Believe in yourself. But check your ego at the door. Your peers and your students respect confidence. No one respects arrogance. 7. Foster a sense of belief and confidence within your class. Teach your students to respect all others and their efforts. 8. If you must tear down those outside your classroom to elevate the sense of accomplishment within your classroom, you are not refining…you are destroying.

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D o i n g i n

t h e t h e

R i g h t R i g h t

T h i n g s W a y

(May 2009)

Introduction We spend a great deal of time every day trying to make our students do things in the right way. When I observe teachers, read lesson plans, and reflect on instruction, “doing things in the right way” always seems to be a big part of the thought process. This is good. But sometimes, even when we succeed in getting the student to “do things in the right way,” we fail, because the student is not “doing the right thing.” These really are two different concepts. “Doing the right thing” requires just as much thought and planning as “doing things in the right way.” Am I confusing you? Here is an example. A cat is in a tree. You get a ladder to rescue the cat. If you want to get safely to the top of the ladder, climbing needs to be done in the proper manner. That’s about doing things in the right way. But what if the ladder you climb is on the wrong tree? Well, no matter how safely you climb the ladder, the cat won’t get rescued. You did the wrong thing. It’s not enough to do something well. You must also do specifically what needs to be done.

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Strategy vs. Tactics (Business World) Two of the most misunderstood words in the English language are “strategy” and “tactics.” Professionals in business, industry, education, and government get the two mixed up. They confuse the two words and often use them as if they mean the same thing. Strategy is more about “doing the right thing.” While tactics are more about “doing things in the right way.” Here is an example from the business world. You build a new product. It is sturdy, dependable, and efficient. You price it affordably and market it well. These steps are good tactics. You are doing things in the right way. Yet, you could go bankrupt because of this product. Unless the product is useful, needed, and desired by your clients, you will have failed miserably in your strategy. You will have done the wrong thing by building a product people don’t want. Strategy vs. Tactics (Educational World) Here is an example from the music education world. You need to rehearse a new musical selection that will be performed in public at the end of the week. You plan a warm-up to be used in every rehearsal. The warm-up emphasizes appropriate phrasing, balance, dynamics, and other important musical considerations. The warm-up is a good tactical process. Come the end of the week, your ensemble performs the new musical selection in public. The performance is very poor. The audience is very disappointed. You realize most of what you did that week was warm-up. You did not sufficiently rehearse the difficult and complex components in the new musical selection. Strategically, you failed. Yes, you can rationalize that all the lessons learned in the warm-up made your ensemble better. Possibly did. Probably it is something you should — 23 —

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keep in your tactical toolkit. But you would have performed better had you balanced your rehearsal time properly. You should have given the musical selection sufficient attention when you knew a performance was upon you. Priority vs. Process Priority and process are also two important concepts. Priority tends to be more strategic…do the right thing. Process is more about tactics…doing things in the right way. Successful teachers, business leaders, and generals understand that priority is critical. Unless you can identify and focus on that which is most important, you will ultimately fail. The same can be said for process. For even with the correct priorities in place, a faulty process can doom your efforts. Additionally, even if the correct priorities are chosen and the appropriate processes are implemented, these must be sustained for a sufficient period of time, in order to achieve the desired results. Yes, there is room for adaptability and flexibility in all of this. Sometimes, you do break with the established priority/process because of time constraints or odd circumstances beyond your control. But if that becomes a pattern, rather than an exception, you will eventually (1) crash and burn or (2) float in awkward mediocrity. Conclusion Do the right thing. Do things in the right way. Understand the proper application of strategy and tactics. Accept that priority and process play equally important roles in long-term success. Which is the most important? Do I focus first on “doing the right thing” or “doing things in the right way?” I say let them hold hands and cross the street together. Look both ways.

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The Big Picture

T h e

B i g

P i c t u r e

School Performance How are we doing?

Curriculum Content What we teach.

DATA

Gathering and Analysis. Real time and trends.

Instructional Practice How we teach and assess.

Goal Setting How we track student achievement.

Data Driven Process: A data driven process links it all together. Data on student achievement are needed Data Driven Process: A and datainstructional/assessment driven process links it practices all together. Data to on studen improve overall performance. achievement and instructional/assessment practices are needed to improve overall performance.

Goal Setting: Initial focus is on tracking student achievement. Followup focus is on improving assessment designstudent and assessment practices. Goal Setting: Initial focus is on tracking achievement. Follow-up focus i on improving assessment design and assessment practices.

Improving Instruction: Initial focus is on ensuring appropriate focusis is improving instructional practices Improvingcurriculum. Instruction: Follow-up Initial focus on on ensuring appropriate curriculum. Follow-up focu is development on improving through professional andinstructional evaluation. practices through professiona development and evaluation.

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T h e

B i g

P i c t u r e

(April 2005)

Data and Measurement are Good Things Right up front, I want to say that data and measurement of growth are good things. I have spent my entire life formally or informally measuring myself, my students, and the world at large. I am a “numbers” sort of person. Have always been. I’m obsessivecompulsive by nature. I loved baseball cards more for the statistics than the pictures, autographs, or bubblegum. So, you would think I would be a big proponent of accountability, testing, and grading all things educational. Well, I am…sort of. But that does not tell the whole story. I do believe in measurement. I do believe in the orderly process of improvement. I am all for standards, quality, and progress. But I believe in so much more. I believe that the human condition is not entirely defined by our attempts to measure achievement and progress. Our processes have merit. But they do not tell the full story of improvement, growth, and potential. Testing is here to stay. Well folks here we are…smack dab in the middle of an educational revolution. It may not be the revolution you wanted. But it is here, and it isn’t going away. — 26 —

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I know there are many of my colleagues who “rant and rave” about all the changes and testing in our schools. Others simply stick their head in the sand and hope this whole revolution thing will just pass them by. Just a little history lesson. It happened to Ford, GM, Chrysler, and American Motors before it happened to math, ELA, science, and social studies. For most of the 20th century, American cars dominated the world market. But then it all came crashing down. We were beaten by foreign competition. American factories closed. Jobs were lost. The economy took a nosedive. American pride was bruised. Ironically, foreign competitors beat us by applying the philosophies and lessons of our own early American automotive pioneers. Our competitors passed us, by using philosophies and lessons we had begun to ignore. The American automotive industry has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Not because it wanted to. But because it had to, to survive. Despite almost three decades of restructuring, the American automotive industry is still playing catch-up. The decline of the American Public Education System. The American public education system is changing dramatically. Not because it wants to. But because it must, in order to survive. While we still compete worldwide in “quality” with our best schools, strongest teachers, and brightest students, we have not been able to match that “quality” with the typical school, the average teachers, or the disadvantaged students. While we still have the best “free public education” system in the world, there are obvious cracks in the foundation. Private schools and foreign schools are using the philosophies and lessons of our early American educational pioneers, while we are losing touch with our educational “founding fathers.” — 27 —

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Public schools are gradually, but measurably, losing their “market share” of students to private schools, charter schools, virtual schools, and homeschools. Vouchers are becoming popular mechanisms, enabling easier access to private and corporate schools. Most alarming, is that public schools are losing many of their best and brightest students and teachers. The rise of accountability and assessment. “Testing” is the centerpiece of the entire American accountability movement. Standardized assessment is the wave of the present and the immediate future. Just who decided that standardized assessment was the answer? Theorists, business/industry leaders, educational corporations, testing companies, public officials, politicians, and professional educators had a hand in this. Each for their own reason. Standardized paper and pencil tests (and the newer digital versions) dominate the national accountability and assessment landscape. Why? Lots of sound and logical reasons could be offered in answering this question. But in reality, it’s done because standardized testing produces the type of statistics and measurements that are most friendly to tracking. The public loves numbers, scores, comparison, growth targets, winners, and losers. It is so black and white. Politicians may love the numbers more than the public. It has such an air of conclusiveness about it all. It reduces the mountains of teaching and learning, into a simple spreadsheet. You don’t have to be an expert on the educational process to draw conclusions. You just have to look at the numbers. I’m not cynical enough to insist the focus on testing is just a gigantic conspiracy, revolving around profit motive. Although sometimes, it does seem like our schools have become retail outlets for an ever-growing and ever-profitable testing industry.

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Educators agree curriculum, instruction, and testing should not be about profit. Education should be about trying to do the right thing for the next generation. Putting the cart before the horse. Testing is the cart. Curriculum and instruction are the horses. Unfortunately, the educational revolution has been like all other revolutions. Historically, revolutions tend to be very chaotic, disorganized, and confusing. It’s the nature of human revolt. We’ve been inundated with accountability, assessments, and school grades/scores for quite a few years. Across the country, we have been constantly reinventing curriculum and instruction. What we teach, should be what we test. How we teach, should be tailored to what we teach, and how we test. But that has not been the case. Don’t you think after all these years of testing what children learn, it’s about time we settle on what and how the teachers teach? I am not trying to be contrary. I’m just saying before you put all the students, teachers, and parent through the stress of high stakes testing, teacher evaluation, and grading schools; it would have been wise to first establish what specific knowledge/skills you intended to test and how you were going to teach the knowledge/skills. Then stick with the plan for long enough to see if it works. We have had standards and benchmarks for quite some time. But they keep changing…even while we are preparing students for testing. Sometimes standards and benchmarks are even stated in an open-ended manner. Some can be the size of a barn rather than the bull’s-eye of a target. We also have some instructional processes that are partially defined. But real assessment requires specifics, details, and logical-performance-based measurements that conform to some statewide consensus about what we should be teaching, and how we should be teaching it.

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Unfortunately, all this keeps changing as we prepare students for tests and teachers for evaluations. There has been no long-term consistency to any of this. The rise of “reform” in educational marketing. “Reform” is such a powerful word. It has an almost magical quality about it. The public equates “reform” with “improvement.” Unfortunately, “reform” can also be just a buzz word. “If it is a reform, it must be a good thing.” No, not actually. Reform is just a word. It is a simplistic and too often meaningless word. Sort of like the word “SALE.” A sale is not always a sale. Let the buyer beware.

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P e r f e c t i o n

a n d

I m p e r f e c t i o n

(May 2006)

Introduction Have you ever hit a wrong note? Have you ever said the wrong thing? Have you ever missed a question on a test? So much for perfection. We are all engaged in a life-long struggle with our imperfections. Rare is the person who is completely comfortable in their own skin. Most of us grow impatient with ourselves. It is difficult to accept our own mistakes. It is also difficult to accept the mistakes of others when those mistakes intrude on our lives. Because there is no escape from imperfection, learning how to cope with our mistakes is a valuable life skill. But an equally important life skill is the development of a desire to pursue some sense of perfection, despite our shortcomings. What follows are a few guidelines. Over the years, I have attempted to impose these upon myself. I share them with you for your consideration.

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Guidelines 1. Aim for perfection. a. You will never fulfill your potential unless you aim for perfection. • Set high standards of personal performance. • Constantly raise those standards as your performance improves. b. Your students will never fulfill their potential unless they aim for perfection. • Help every student discover worthwhile, short-term, and achievable goals. • Insist that every student embrace idealistic, long-range, and lofty goals. 2. Pursue perfection. a. While perfection is unattainable, the pursuit of perfection is desirable. • Do not dwell on that which cannot be attained. • Focus on that which has not yet been attained. b. There is always a “next level” in the pursuit of perfection. • Do not limit yourself to shallow objectives in the pursuit of perfection. • Grow your standards and goals as you develop your skills. 3. Make peace with imperfection. a. Imperfection is not a condemnation of who you are or what you do. • Imperfection is not a curse. • Imperfection does not define your worth.

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b. Imperfection is a natural and normal condition of life. • It is a permanent condition. • Your imperfect nature does not prevent you from achieving great things. 4. Do not allow imperfection to become a friend. a. Your imperfect state-of-being is not an excuse. • Do not blame your condition of imperfection for your failings. • Do not accept your students’ imperfections as the cause of their failings. b. Failure is not a desired outcome. • Accepting your imperfect condition does not mean you accept failure. • Despite your imperfections, success is the only desirable outcome. 5. Imperfections are more visible when we raise our standards and expand our goals. a. Raising standards will initially increase the occurrence of mistakes. • New mistakes occur as new levels of difficulty are encountered. • Most mistakes can be corrected. b. Exploring new ground will initially increase the occurrence of mistakes. • Remaining on familiar ground will not eliminate all mistakes. • Exploring new ground will expand your comfort zone, while refreshing the mind, body, and spirit. 6. Don’t allow perfection to become an enemy.

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a. Falling short of perfection is not a failure. • Success and perfection are different things. • The pursuit of perfection can drive you towards higher stages of success. b. View perfection as a motivation rather than an outcome. • The pursuit of perfection is the fuel that keeps you moving forward. • Successful outcomes are milestones you encounter on your journey.

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S u c c e s s

a n d

E x c e l l e n c e

(May 1997)

Introduction

The hunger for success is a powerful force. Use it. It is linked to the most basic of motivators: the instinct to survive. The pursuit of excellence is also a powerful force. Use it. It is linked to the instinct that drives the selective process. We desire. We admire. We imitate. In our imitation, we mold ourselves into that which we admire. Success and excellence are two different things. “Success” is most often viewed as a victory, an achievement, or a reward. “Excellence” is viewed more as a noble commitment. Let me assure you, both have value. Both have their place in a full, rich life. One can complement the other. Each deserves study. An understanding of success and excellence, enables you to see clearly where you wish to go, and how you can get there. As educators, we also have a responsibility to light the way for others. Let us explore.

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Success • • • • • • • • • •

Success can be a glorious achievement. Success can be a fleeting moment. Success can come in many forms. Success is perishable. Success can be a genuine achievement or accident of good fortune. Success can be a reward that is earned or unearned…deserved or undeserved. Success can be a once-in-a-lifetime moment or a lifetime of moments. Success can be a measure of worth…or not. Success can be sweet or bitter or both. Success does not always arrive on time…if at all.

The desire to achieve victory is very useful. But it must be applied wisely. A victory rarely satisfies for long. There is a natural desire for each success to be followed by another. When properly applied, the hunger for success can be a very positive force. The hunger for success can also be destructive. It can become a contributor to unethical actions, unrealistic goals, disillusionment, and burn-out. Having said all that, it must be understood that there is a primal instinct at work here. The hunger for success is natural, healthy, and desirable. Many generations ago, our ancestors survived not by hunting well, but by hunting successfully. Without success, there would be no food. Without food, there would be no next generation…very simple concept. You might be smart, fast, skilled, and good-hearted. But you better be successful, or you won’t be around for long. Now, we call ourselves civilized. But we are about as far from our prehistoric ancestors as we can throw a computer. Take a casual glance at the world around us. We may call it “the bottom-line” or “the final — 36 —

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score” or “the championship” or “the bank account” or “a high rating” or whatever. These are just civilized variations on the same timeless story. It’s nice to be good. But it’s great to be successful. That’s not a moral judgement. It’s a naked, primal judgement. Survival has always been dependent on success. That’s the message. You can judge for yourself if it’s a proper message. But it is the message. We may use grades or chair tryouts or SAT scores or trophy cases or ratings shouted out over a loudspeaker, but we do send the message one way or another. • • • • • • •

Is this emphasis on success a good thing? Is this emphasis on success misleading? Is it just something we must accept as a part of life? Where does success fit in the big picture of what we do as educators? Is success something all our students should achieve? Is success a treasured reward to be reserved for a select few? Do you expect your students to taste success every year? Every week? Each class period? What is Success to You?

• Is achieving success “the” focal point of your work? • If it isn’t…then what is? • Is success the attainment of goals, with which you challenge your students? • If so, are these goals of value to your students? To you? • Are some of the goals just gimmicks, used to get students to do things? • Is programing of that musical selection, you always wanted to perform, a measure of success? • Is success a trophy, a rating, a front-page story, or a standing ovation? — 37 —

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• Is it a lucrative fund raiser, new uniforms, a big spring trip, or a bigger budget? • Is success a good evaluation, a promotion, a pay raise, or perhaps retirement? • Is your success dependent on the success of your students? • Or is it the other way around?

Whew! Don’t worry. These are just some things to consider. The questions are not part of a test. If they were, how many of us would pass? Well that would depend not only on our answers, but also on who was grading the test. Which, unashamedly, leads me to the next issue. How Do We Determine Success? How you measure your success is one thing. How others measure your success may, or may not, be the same. Each of us has a sense of when we feel successful. Your sense of success may, or may not, align with the opinions of others. You may set goals for yourself and/or your students. Others may not see the value in those goals. You may have criteria that determines how your success is measured. Others, may have very different criteria. Who determines what is successful? People generally develop a simple system of measuring success for themselves. For most of us, it is informal. You ask a person out on a date. If they accept, you succeed. If they don’t, you fail. But is success really that simple when others do the measuring? Your organization gets a standing ovation at the Christmas Concert. On some level, there is a sense of elation. But was it a success? Could it be that the performance was actually poor? Maybe, Mom and Dad applauded because they are relieved that Johnny didn’t pick or scratch inappropriately. Aunt Mabel is so hard-of-hearing,

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she wouldn’t know what was being performed if she didn’t have the program to read. But she stood and applauded when everyone else did. Your group receives a high rating and trophy. But you and your students know that the group performed far below their capability. So, did you and/or your group succeed? Who knows? Success is illusive. Success is tricky. Success is often out of your control. Success is often a matter of opinion. Which brings us to test scores and adjudicated ratings. I am sure some of you are already getting a little uncomfortable at this point. Keep reading. Scores and Ratings and Such Standardized test scores. The public believes in them. Business leaders love them. Governors, legislators, and school board members run for election based on them. Some members of the media worship scores. An educational institution is often perceived to be successful (or not) because of them. Teacher pay/employment status may depend on them. Success is a high score. Why? Because a standardized test score is an “objective statistical evaluation of the student’s educational achievement.” Right… OK. “Can of worms.” I am not going to mess with this right now. But I will say that the full measure of what a student knows, can do, and will become, cannot be measured by any single exam, at any given point in the child’s development. At best, a test is a snapshot of what a student might know (or can do) about some specific thing at some specific moment. Back to reality. In the larger scheme of things, the general public has faith in standardized test scores. Why does the public believe this? Because, we have told them and told them and told them. We enabled them as children…report card after report card. We preached to them that the ACT and SAT scores were gospel. We are the reason that the public perceives the results of standardized tests as being a measure of success. — 39 —

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The musical director, as well as the students, may feel intense pressure in preparing for an adjudicated performance. Directors want the students to taste success. Students want to taste success. Success is a high rating. Directors also want their work to be respected and admired by colleagues. To some extent, directors may perceive a high rating as a fulfillment of a goal, or a steppingstone on their career ladder. The public rarely appreciates “ratings” beyond the presence or absence of a trophy. School administrators do love it when you bring home a trophy or two. But ratings and trophies are not nearly as important to the powersthat-be as we imagine. From the typical administrator’s viewpoint, if you keep your students disciplined, keep your booster account in the black, make a sincere effort when you are formally observed, and meet the standards/requirements of community performance, you are probably set for life, regardless of the trophy count on the shelf. Blurred Reality of Success Brace yourself for a dose of blurred reality. “What you teach” and “how you teach” are always important factors. But there are times, when “what you teach” and “how you teach” won’t determine your success. (Ouch. That hurt.) “What you teach” and “how you teach” do not always pre-determine outcomes. There can be a multitude of wild-card factors that come into play. Consider some of these: • What access do you have to the materials and resources that accelerate teaching and learning? • What level of support do you have from the school and community? • What is the level of development your students attain before they arrive in your room? • What do they know? Or don’t know?

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• What attitude has been nurtured in them prior to their becoming your students? • What life have they led before becoming your students? • What are their attitudes and desires?

How many times have you heard these statements? “That teacher does more with less than any teacher I know.” “That teacher gets the most out of the students he/she teaches.” “The student results may not be spectacular, but that teacher does a really great job.” “It’s not a great teaching situation, but that teacher gets a lot done.” Oops. Did I touch a nerve? Sorry. I realize I am walking on thin ice. Not trying to be controversial here. Just giving you some food for thought about the “success system” in which we work. Do standardized test scores (adjudicated ratings) define success? If so, then the design of the test (philosophy/judging panel), the scope of the test (judging criteria) and the content of the test (musical literature) can have an impact on who will be successful, how often they are successful, and when they are successful. • Did your students have competent (or weak) teachers in the preceding grades? • Did your students have great (or weak) instruction before they came to you? • Do your students have great (or weak) (or any) parenting? • Do your students have strong (or weak) social support systems? • Is the attendance of your students very good (or very poor)? • If you are a music director, what were the previous levels of musical experiences, exposure, and training of your students? • What about the musical experiences, exposure, and training of their parents? • Does the community and/or school expectations of musical performance and literature compliment or conflict with your curriculum? Your expectation? Adjudication criteria? — 41 —

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• Will you have to change the expectations of students, their parents, the student body, and the community in order to be successful? • Will it take an extended time to accumulate the materials and resources needed to level the playing field?

“What” and “how” you teach will go a long way in determining success for you and your students. In a perfect world, these factors would guarantee success. This is not a perfect word. The “success system” isn’t always fair. At times, there are wild-card factors that are very influential. Like it or not. Fair or not. Am I implying our whole concept of “success in education” is out of whack? No…of course not. Whether “we allow others to determine our level of success,” or whether “we maintain our own independent judgement in the matter,” we still work for positive outcomes. The odds of success are greatly in our favor when we work hard, develop our craft, and pursue worthwhile goals. The odds are also better when we keep a proper balance between day-to-day-consistency and commonsense-flexibility. Do the right things. Do things in the right way. Then continue this pattern over a sustained period of time. The odds will be (or turn) in your favor. But understand there are no guarantees. There is no “sure thing” when it comes to success. This is an imperfect world. Pursuit of Excellence Life is a journey. The pursuit of excellence is a road. There are other paths in life. Not all people select the road of excellence. Each of us travels at our own pace, on the path of our own choosing. Most travel with a destination in mind. Regardless, we all end up somewhere. The pursuit of excellence often leads us to achievement (success). On occasion, it leads us beyond success to a higher state-of-being. Sometimes, — 42 —

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it leads us to a destination we did not have in mind (Mr. Holland’s Opus). Beware this frustrating contradiction of life: The desired outcome (success) is not always achieved through the pursuit of excellence. Such is our imperfect world. A Sense of Excellence The pursuit can be a rugged road or a smooth freeway for you and/or your students. Did you ever end a class (rehearsal) with the feeling your students had made some progress? But you had to battle the students, every step of the way. How about the opposite experience? Ever have one of those days when the students were so focused it scared you? No matter how hard you pushed, the students were ready for more? Both are examples of the pursuit of excellence. The first demonstrates your pursuit of excellence. The later demonstrates the pursuit of excellence by you and your students. What is Excellence? Just what is excellence? Sorry. I don’t have a simple definition. I contend that excellence is something one experiences rather than defines. Excellence can be seen, shared, and felt. It has a life of its own. Like building towards success, the pursuit of excellence involves doing the right things in the right way over a sustained period of time. Excellence may develop from a simple pattern of activity (routine). Over time, it can become a way of life. Excellence requires a commitment. Indeed, it is a noble commitment to an ideal, a process, a code, a belief, and/or a value system. It asks one to learn, grow, explore, evolve, follow, lead, respect, persevere, and risk. Unlike success, excellence is never an accident…or gift…or turn of good fortune.

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It has been said that true ecstasy can only be attained through surrender. Likewise, the pursuit of excellence requires sacrifice and surrender. Actually, it hurts at times. Is it worth the pain? Yes. Excellence can be a self-sustaining force. Excellence feeds on itself. In the long run, it gives one increased strength, faith, and confidence. Excellence in the classroom can be created. The teacher is most often the prime generator. When excellence is re-generated by the students, it rips like a lightning bolt through a classroom. It is an amazing thing to observe. Avoiding Excellence I am constantly amazed how many people avoid excellence. Some are experts at avoiding it. Some drift off and on the path of excellence, depending on their mood and circumstances. Others simply ride on the excellence generated by others. Call them opportunists. Even though they never commit to excellence, they often achieve some “shared” measure of it, through association with those who do commit to excellence. • Some people, who truly desire success, avoid the pursuit of excellence. • Some find the pursuit of excellence too demanding, too confining, too difficult, or just too much. • There are some people who are just plain lazy. • There are some who lack the confidence to accept the challenge. • There are some who lack the character to make long-term commitments. • Some believe that success will come, even without commitment to excellence. • Some understand the pursuit of excellence does not guarantee success.

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Do you have a talented student, who never practices, yet outperforms less talented students, who practice all the time? For the talented student, there may be an acknowledgement of excellence, but little motivation to pursue it. Success comes so naturally and easily. Why bother to practice? • Some people experience success because of natural talent or intelligence or charisma. • Some find success by working in a great environment. Much of their success is derived from the talented, hard-working people who surround them. • Some possess fortunes of birthright that reward them with opportunity and success. • Some are expert manipulators. • Let’s face it…some people are just plain lucky. You may also have been blessed with a talented student who pursues excellence and attains success regularly. These students are treasured.

The Troublesome Truth There are people, who faithfully pursue excellence, but find limited success. Life is strange that way. The moon and the stars rarely align for them. • Some teachers seldom feel a sense of success because they fail to set goals that are achievable. • Some teachers set achievable goals. But they feel unsuccessful because they are so bogged down by other issues. (The proverbial draining of the swamp when you are up to your neck in alligators.) • Some miss the feeling of success, because they rely exclusively on unrealistic goal settings imposed by others.

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Often, music directors interpret success at an adjudicated event as being a high rating…a trophy…a plaque. The pursuit of excellence might translate into positive comments from the judges. But that does not necessarily mean a high rating is assigned. It is generally assumed that a director and musical ensemble that are committed to excellence will regularly achieve success in the form of high ratings. It would be nice. It is often the case. But there are no guarantees. Sometimes, the organization and leader will sincerely pursue excellence. But the desired rating, trophy, or sense of success seems to elude them. It should be noted that the arrival of success does not always operate on the timetable the director and/or students had in mind when the journey began. Conclusion Don’t be fooled by success. Recognize its value. Enjoy it when it comes your way. It is one of the great pleasures and motivators in life. Accept the fact that every success will fade in time. Take pride in the pursuit of excellence. Allow it to become a part of who you are and shape who you become. The pursuit of excellence can drive you forward in life regardless of the illusive comings and goings of success.

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M a k i n g I m p o s s i b l e

t h e P o s s i b l e

(May 2003)

Life Yes, life can be overwhelming…but only if you allow it to be. • External pressures and expectations will always be present. • The more you focus on external forces, the more impossible life seems. • If you want to overcome the impossible, stop obsessing on the external pressures and start looking within.

Be your own taskmaster. Regardless of what the world asks you to do, only you should make the ultimate decisions about what you will do, when you will do it, and how it will be done. The World There are many, who will wish to impose upon you a wide variety of demands, standards, deadlines, and regulations. That does not — 47 —

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automatically make your life hard. But your life will be difficult, if you fail to keep these things in the proper perspective. • “What will people think?” If that is your initial question, then you have made your first mistake. • The initial question should be: “What do I think?” • Your self-image, self-control, and self-influence are more important factors in the long run.

Now, I’m not talking about living in a bubble. I’m not talking about disregarding the wisdom of others. I’m not talking about the absence of external standards. It is not wrong to value the opinions of others. But allowing others to control you is wrong. The advice, counseling, and guidance of others can be immensely beneficial. These can be positive factors in your decision-making process. But they should not be substitutes for internal reasoning or control. • There is a great deal of difference between “accepting the rules established by a legitimate authority,” and the “abdicating of your right to personal decision-making.” • There is a great deal of difference between “working in cooperation” and becoming enslaved to those, who would disguise “manipulation” in the cloak of “cooperation.” • Living within the boundaries of a moral and civilized world is a reasonable and just thing to do. • Operating within a cooperative framework of behavior can be done, without depriving one’s self of the right to make personal judgements. • It is good to strive for achievement, success, and excellence. • The standards established around you, can be useful building blocks. • The deadlines set by others can be helpful, and even motivational. • Regulations can assist in keeping matters fair and equitable. — 48 —

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So, I am not advocating chaos, anarchy, or even rebellion. I am advocating reason and internal control of one’s actions. Once you focus internally, rather than externally, you have taken the first step in making what seems impossible, become very possible. You If the first step is to understand that external demands are secondary, then the second step is allowing internal demands to be primary. But dealing with your “self” may be a greater challenge than dealing with others. Self-expectations can be far more demanding, unrealistic, and/or irrational than external expectations. It is amazing what we continually impose upon ourselves. • At times, we are more understanding of others, than we are of ourselves. • We tend to “beat ourselves up.” • We often blame “the external world” for all the “pressure” on us. Yet, it is more often our own unrealistic self-expectations causing the stress. Often, the truth is that our own internal mechanisms are making all the wheels spin so madly. • You need to have a good long talk with yourself every now and then. • Self-talk is essential to getting your “self” to be reasonable, rational, and fair. • You must shut off your internal voices. Tell your mind to “just be quiet and listen.” • Then talk to yourself. Be logical and reasonable. Overload Both the external world, and our own internal mechanisms, can give us a lot to do and think about. Yes, we can feel like we have too many things — 49 —

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to do, or perhaps that some tasks are just too large to handle. We obsess. We feel overloaded or overwhelmed. • • • • • •

Our mind and body react negatively to the perception of overload. The perception is often the result of what we have done to ourselves. Be careful what you demand of your own mind and body. Don’t commit yourself to unnecessary tasks. Don’t take small tasks and make them big. Don’t set unrealistic demands or deadlines on yourself, just to achieve insignificant or unimportant goals.

But when you do have an important job that seems too large, too difficult, too complex, or too time-consuming…don’t react…act. If it is an important task and one that you must do, then turn within. Analyze and prioritize. Identify and address smaller tasks that will lead to the accomplishment of the larger job. • The task that is too large, must be broken into a series of smaller tasks. • The task that is too difficult, must be divided into components that are easier to accomplish. • The task that is too complex, must be ordered into simple and sequential elements that are understandable and achievable. • The task that is too time-consuming, must be done “part by part,” in small portions, over a structured and reasonable timeframe. • When you are given too many things to do at once, don’t do them all at once. You can juggle many things at once. But you can only do one thing at a time, in a quality manner. • Take inventory of all that needs to be done. • Then establish relative priority. — 50 —

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• Do tasks in the most logical order possible. • Don’t allow external forces, or internal mechanisms, to overrule your common sense. Time When given a reasonable deadline, strive to meet it. But don’t take the word “deadline” literally. Under normal circumstances, no one will die, regardless of what you do, or don’t do, as pertains to a deadline. • If a deadline is reasonable, rational, or vital…then you may have to reorganize, reprioritize, or delay other tasks temporarily. • If a deadline is unreasonable, irrational, arbitrary, or simply insignificant…do what you can. • It would be foolish to drive yourself crazy over something that is unreasonable, irrational, arbitrary, or insignificant.

Often, our view of what is “impossible” is created by the unrealistic timeframes we, as humans, impose on ourselves. • The desire for instant success and immediate gratification is a part of the human condition. • We seek to gain great things with minimal effort or sacrifice. • This may be our nature. But “mother nature” knows best… anything worthwhile, will take time. • Neither the achievement of broad goals, nor the ultimate fulfillment of our dreams, should fit neatly into little bites of time. • However, within little bites of time, short-term achievement is possible. • Some satisfaction can occur, while working on basic or routine tasks. • Satisfaction may also occur, when working on smaller components of large tasks. — 51 —

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• Each small achievement should be enjoyed for what it is. • But acquiring “full” satisfaction from each small task, is neither possible nor desirable. Don’t make that a goal. • Rather, enjoy the successful completion of each small task, as every minute of your life is lived. • “Full” satisfaction, is dependent on long-term goals and major accomplishments. Many such successes, achieved over a lifetime of positive work, can provide “ultimate” satisfaction. Guidelines At moments, our lives seem impossible. There never seems to be enough time to do all that needs to be done. Duties, responsibilities, and assignments multiply and confuse. Just how do we cope with it all? Are there any real answers to the complications in our lives? How do we make our “impossible” lives possible? What follows are 30 significant things I have learned in my professional career. They give me focus when life starts to pile-up on me.

1. Seek and embrace the “big picture.” 2. Keep your focus on the most important parts of the “big picture.” 3. An “impossible task” is composed of many small “possible tasks.” 4. Whenever possible, do small tasks in a logical order. 5. Understand the difference between challenge and overload. 6. Within reason, pressure and expectations can be fuel for your life. 7. Unrealistic pressures and expectations can be destructive. 8. Achievement is not the end of anything.

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9. Failure is not the end of anything. 10. Achievement and failure are launching pads. 11. Commitment to a “journey of excellence” makes life better. 12. Expect good and bad experiences in life. 13. Expect to encounter the unexpected. 14. No matter what…you are responsible for you. 15. Don’t treat people tougher than you treat yourself. 16. Don’t treat yourself tougher than you treat people. 17. Don’t be afraid to stretch, fail, learn, or listen. 18. Accept help. But don’t become dependent on it. 19. Be your own taskmaster. 20. Develop positive and useful routines. 21. Be a good friend to yourself. 22. Reward yourself sparingly…but reward yourself. 23. Be your own critic…but make it constructive…not destructive. 24. Time is an arbitrary, man-made measurement. 25. Time is not life. 26. Establish high expectations for yourself and your colleagues. 27. Hold yourself and your colleagues accountable. 28. Cooperation, without manipulation, yields magical results. 29. Learn the system. 30. Use the system until you develop a better system.

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Quotes - Life “The major difference between people is that some succeed in mastering life, while other permit life to master them.” —James Gordon Gilkey

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” —Abraham Lincoln

“Victory becomes, to some degree, a state of mind. Knowing ourselves superior to the anxieties, troubles, and worries which obsess us, we are superior to them.” —Basil King

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…” — T h e o d o r e R o o s e v e lt

“If you do not feel yourself growing in your work and your life broadening and deepening, if your task is not a perpetual tonic to you, you have not found your place.” —Orison Swett Marden

“Far and away the best prize in life is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” — T h e o d o r e R o o s e v e lt

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“Work is not man’s punishment. It is his reward and strength and pleasure.” —George Sand

“Just make up your mind at the very outset that your work is going to stand for quality…that you are going to stamp a superior quality upon everything that goes out of your hands…that whatever you do shall bear the hall-mark of excellence.” —Orison Sweet Marden

Quotes - The World “Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment and learn to exercise his will…his personal responsibility.” — A l b e rt S c h w e i t z e r

“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstances.” — B r u c e B a rt o n

“We are the environment.” — C h a r l e s Pa n at i

“I believe that you can get everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” —Zig Zigler

“The important thing is to concentrate upon what you can do…by yourself, upon your own initiative.” — H a r ry B r o w n e

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Quotes - You “In the end, we do battle only with ourselves. Once we understand this and focus our energy on what we can do to control our life, we begin to gain important insights into how life works.” — H . S ta n l e y J u d d

“The “self-image” is the key to human personality and human behavior. Change the self-image and you change the personality and the behavior.” — M a x w e l l M a lt z

“Relentless, repetitive self-talk is what changes our self-image.” — D e n i s E . Wa i t l e y

“Realizing that our actions, feelings, and behavior are the result of our own images and beliefs, gives us the lever that psychology has always needed for changing.” — M a x w e l l M a lt z

“Have a dialogue between the two opposing parts in your mind and you will find…that they always start out fighting each other…until they come to an appreciation of differences and oneness and integration of the two opposing forces. Then the civil war is finished, and your energies are ready for your struggle with the world.” —Frederick Perls

Quotes - Overload “Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple.” — C . W. C e r a m

“You see, God always takes the simplest way.” — A l b e rt E i n s t e i n

“Nothing is particularly hard, if you divide it into small jobs.” — H e n ry F o r d

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“Planning is bringing the future into the present, so that you can do something about it now.” —Alan Lakein

“The most successful people, in the end, are those whose success is the result of steady accretion…it is the one who carefully advances step by step, with the mind becoming wider and wider, and progressively better able to grasp any theme or situation, persevering in what one knows to be practical, and concentrating thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree.” —Alexander Graham Bell

“All great masters are chiefly distinguished by the power of adding a second, a third, and perhaps a fourth step in a continuous line. Many a man has taken the first step. With every additional step, you enhance immensely the value of your first.” — R a l p h Wa l d o E m e r s o n

“It is your work to clear away the mass of encumbering material of thought, so that you may bring into plain view the precious thing at the center of the mass.” — R o b e rt C o l l i e r

“For all your days prepare. And meet them ever alike. When you are the anvil, bear; when you are the hammer, strike.” —Edwin Markham

“Do ordinary things extraordinarily well.” — J o h n W. G a r d n e r

“It is not the straining for great things that is most effective; it is the doing of the little things, the common duties, a little better and better.” —Orison Swett Marden

“I am only one. But still I am one. I cannot do everything. But I still can do something.” — E d wa r d E v e r e t t H a l e

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PAT DEAVILLE

Quotes - Time “Adapt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.” — R a l p h Wa l d o E m e r s o n

“The most essential factor is persistence…the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement, that must inevitably come.” —James Whitcomb Riley

“Too often man handles life as he does the bad weather. He whiles away the time as he waits for it to stop.” —Alfred Polgar

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T h e

S a m u r a i

T e a c h e r

(May 2002)

Introduction You may not be familiar with military history or military leaders. But you will immediately relate to the wisdom in the words of Sun Tzu, Napoleon, John Pershing, and George Patton. Business and civic leaders constantly draw on the philosophy of military leaders and the lessons of military history. This is not done because of any admiration of war. It is done because the study of war is the study of the ultimate social science. In business, mistakes lower the profit. Political mistakes cost elections. Educational mistakes perpetuate ignorance. In war, death is the measure of error. I have taken editorial liberty with some of the basic tenants of Sun Tzu, Napoleon, and the American Principles of War. I obviously substituted a few nouns. In other cases, I left the tenants intact with some suggested substitutions in parenthesis. The military quotes come as close as possible to “what was said” at the time it was said. But the reader must accept that translations and the re— 59 —

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quoting-of-quotes over centuries of time may have altered the original statements in some ways. At the end of each quote, I offer clarifications that illuminate the meaning in the light of education, without altering the philosophical intent of the statements. I spent forty years as a professional educator. I have also been a lifelong student of military history. I have drawn upon fifty years of reading and research in preparing this essay. At the conclusion of the essay, I have listed a few books that greatly influenced my applications of military ideas to educational practice. Sun Tzu’s Five Factors Sun Tzu was a noted advisor to ancient Chinese warlords. Today, consultants get fired for giving poor advice. In Ancient China, poor advice would get you beheaded. 1. The teaching and learning “process” is the most important element in education. The province of mind and soul. The road to fulfillment or despair. It is mandatory that it be thoroughly studied. 2. Therefore, appraise it in terms of these five fundamental factors. a. The first of these “factors” is harmony between the teacher and the students. b. The second is the climate of the school. c. The third is the culture of the community. d. The fourth is the skill of the teacher. e. The fifth is the doctrine used to develop learning. 3. By harmony, I mean that which causes the students to connect with their teacher, so that they willingly and faithfully go with the teacher through good times and bad. 4. By climate, I mean the interaction of natural forces; including the effects of external and internal standards; expectations and demands. — 60 —

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5. By culture, I mean if the community naturally supports or restricts; lives in ease or in difficulty; holds values or drifts. 6. By skill, I mean the teacher’s qualities of professional competence, wisdom, sincerity, humanity, courage, and discipline. 7. By doctrine, I mean curriculum, literature, organization, evaluation, control, assignment, regulation, and supply. Sun Tzu’s Nine Variables 1. In general, the commander (teacher) receives his mandate from the sovereign (authority to whom the teacher answers) to mobilize the people and assemble the army (students). 2. You should not encamp in low-lying ground (petty politics). 3. Unite with your allies. (Work with colleagues…not against them.) 4. Do not linger on desolate ground (apathy or pessimism). 5. When on poor ground, resourcefulness is required. 6. When on good ground, fight to maintain your position. 7. There are some roads not to travel, some troops not to strike, some cities not to assault, and some ground which should not be contested. (Know which battles to fight and which battles to avoid.) 8. There are occasions when the word of the sovereign need not be obeyed. (Know the difference between a random statement, a suggestion, a request, and an order. If unsure, ask.) 9. Avoid unnecessary battles with an enemy who is in desperate circumstances, as there is a possibility that the enemy will fight with extraordinary spirit, even unto the death. (Work with your colleagues, administrators, and supervisors. Make them allies. — 61 —

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Do not turn them into enemies. Know how much pressure they are under, and how that pressure may affect their decisions.)

Napoleon’s Dozen Maxims Napoleon is widely recognized as a military and political genius, who transformed the momentum of the French political revolution into an international military revolution. 1. In forming the plans of a campaign, it is requisite to foresee everything the fight (curriculum) may demand and be prepared to meet those standards. 2. Plans of the campaign may be modified ad infinium according to circumstances: the genius of the general (teacher), the character of the troops (students), and the features of the terrain (school/ community). 3. Though plans may be flexible, the ultimate purpose must never change. That purpose is victory (learning). 4. All battles (instructional periods) should be governed by certain principles. Every war (assessment/evaluation) should have a definite objective and be conducted according to the rules of war (standards and regulations). 5. Prior to engaging in war (assessment/evaluation), gather every means possible for success. 6. Once entered into war, use every means at your disposal, within the rules of war. Woe be the general that reserves forces in a critical moment. 7. Solid fortresses (good facilities and material support) are useful but are not essential. Great generals and victorious armies fight — 62 —

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equally well on all ground, in all weather, and under all duress. Great generals and victorious armies do not huddle in fortresses except for rest. 8. When a nation (community) is without establishment (traditions of excellence) and a military system (efficient school operations), it is very difficult to organize and supply an army (student population). 9. The first qualification for a soldier (student) is fortitude under fatigue and privation. The second is courage. It is unfortunate, yet often true that hardship, poverty, and want are the best school for a soldier (student). For it is there, one finds maturity and meaning. 10. It is not intense speeches at the moment of battle that render soldiers (students) brave. The veteran scarcely listens to them, and the new recruit forgets them at the first taste of gunfire. 11. Speeches may be useful during the campaign (school year), to do away with unfavorable impressions, keep alive a proper spirit, and furnish amusement for the bivouac. 12. Nothing is as important in war as an undivided command. There must be only one purpose (though there may be many objectives), one army (though there may be many groups) and conducted by only one chief (though there may be many able assistants, with input from all levels). American Principles of Warfare George Washington, Winfield Scott, Robert E. Lee, U. S. Grant, John Pershing, Dwight Eisenhower, and George Patton had great success. While each had unique ideas and philosophies, what follows are the American Principles of Warfare that are distilled from their actions and our nation’s history.

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1. Objective – Know what you need to accomplish and stay focused on your objective. It is important to have a plan in place when you start. But remain flexible to adjusting the plan. Don’t be flexible about the objective. 2. Mass – Put your greatest effort, concentration, and focus on the most critical elements. 3. Offensive Action – Do something. Don’t just gripe, plan, or talk. Take decisive actions that contribute to progress, correction, or strength. 4. Maneuver – There is a lot to be said for a straight path that leads directly to an objective. But the world is a complicated place. You need the support of many people to achieve your objectives. You must be able to influence others, adjust plans to accommodate others, and visualize new paths to your target. 5. Surprise – Every now and then, surprise those around you. Perhaps, surprise yourself with a new approach, a fresh idea, or a simple change. It keeps you, your students, and your peers on their toes. 6. Security – You have a responsibility for safety. Above all, keep your students safe. Also, organize in such a way as to protect and secure your equipment, supplies, information, and records. 7. Economy of Force – Don’t waste time. Don’t waste energy. Don’t waste effort. Focus on the objective. Work the plan. Avoid distractions. Keep external agendas out of the classroom. 8. Cooperation of Command – Getting support from those above and below is vital. The key is knowing how to assist others in meeting their needs, then influencing others to help you meet your needs. This also involves striving to be “on the same page” from top to bottom.

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Applying Military Quotes to the Classroom “Win with ability, not with numbers.” — F i e l d M a r s h a l l A l e k s a n d r V. S u v o r o v

How many hours you teach an objective, is secondary to how well you teach the objective. “In war, it is often less important what one does than how one does it. Strong determination, perseverance, and carrying through a simple idea are the surest routes to one’s objective.” — F i e l d M a r s h a l l H e l m u t h G r a f v o n M o lt k e

What you teach is important. But the manner, in which you present yourself and your curriculum is critical. Stay focused on important objectives day-in and day-out. “The soldiers must always be doing something, even if no enemy is bothering us. Habitual idleness spells trouble for an army.” —The Emperor Maurice

Wasted time is the most common flaw of poor teachers. If active learning is not taking place, then you are moving backwards. Don’t confuse talking with teaching. Talk less. Teach more. Everyday. “Hold what you’ve got and hit them where you can.” —Admiral of the Fleet Ernest J. King

Reinforce what you have taught, while moving to new learning as quickly as possible. “I have always liked analysis. ‘Why’ and ‘how’ are words so useful that they cannot be too often asked.” —Napoleon

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To be a skilled teacher, you must be more than knowledgeable. You must be more than a good manager of people and resources. You must study other teachers and methods. You must come to understand why they are successful, and how they became that way. “I conquered rather than studied history. I distained all that was useless. But took possession of certain lessons that pleased me.” —Napoleon

Knowing a great deal can help you “talk the talk.” But learning how to glean through the mountains of information is vital. The object of study is not to know everything. Focus on what must be known to be successful in what you do. “The art of war is a simple art; everything is in the performance. There is nothing vague about it; everything in it is common sense. Ideology does not enter into it.” —Napoleon

Success is measured by growth in student achievement and character. If that is not your central goal, then you are on the wrong path. “The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike at him as hard as you can, as often as you can, and keep moving on.” — G e n e r a l o f t h e A r m y U ly s s e s S . G r a n t

Focus on doing. Recognize problems. Attack the problem until it is no longer a problem. “I was too weak to defend, so I attacked.” — G e n e r a l R o b e rt E . L e e

You won’t get better by worrying about your situation. Do something. Make the situation better.

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“We are so outnumbered there’s only one thing to do. We must attack.” —Admiral Andrew B. Cunningham

When things appear worst, the true measure of you as a teacher is taken. Do something. Make things better. “For great aims, we must dare great things.” —Major General Carl von Clausewitz

Set goals that will cause you and your students to improve continuously. “The commander must establish personal and comradely contact with his men, but without giving away an inch of his authority.” — F i e l d M a r s h a l E rw i n R o m m e l

The teaching recipe calls for a mixture of humanity, leadership, and tough love. “A battle sometimes decides everything, and sometimes the most trifling thing decides the fate of a battle.” —Napoleon

Details are important in instructional matters, and in the management of students. “If you wish to be loved by your soldiers, husband their blood and do not lead them to slaughter.” — F r e d e r i c k t h e G r e at

Don’t waste the time, efforts, or spirit of your students. Get more out of each class period. Tailor the lesson plans to emphasize the most important objectives. Give your students opportunity and resources that enable them to improve, without putting them in embarrassing situations. Build in measured steps, that students understand and appreciate. “A loud-mouthed, profane captain who is careless of his personal appearance will have a loud-mouthed, profane, and dirty company. — 67 —

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Remember what I tell you. Your company will be the reflection of yourself. If you have a rotten company, it will be because you are a rotten captain.” —Major C. A. Bach

Be sure to look in the mirror. Be honest about what you see. If you don’t like what you see, do something about it. “Your greatness does not depend upon the size of your command, but on the manner in which you exercise it.” —Marshal of France Ferdinand Foch

You may have a prestigious position…or not. But what you do in your position defines who you really are. “An army of lions commanded by a deer will never be an army of lions.” —Napoleon

A timid teacher is likely to have limited success. But a teacher who is lionhearted can transform a timid group of students into a powerful learning engine. “Sorting out muddles is really the chief job of a commander.” — F i e l d M a r s h a l E a r l Wav e l l

You had better be a problem solver. Problems of varying size and importance occur constantly. There are no ideal situations. “Officers can never act with confidence until they are masters of their profession.” — M a j o r G e n e r a l H e n ry K n o x

You can only bluff your way so far. Unless you develop appropriate skill, your students will eventually hit a wall. Important learning will stop. Everyone will know who led them into the wall.

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“Our objective ought to be to have a good army, rather than a large one.” — G e n e r a l G e o r g e Wa s h i n g t o n

Actually, Washington would have loved to have had a large army. But his situation made that impossible. So, he put great emphasis on training and discipline. You may not have all the resources you desire. But stay focused on being fundamentally sound. “The only thing harder than getting a new idea into the military mind, is to get an old one out.” — C a p ta i n S i r B a s i l L i d d e l l H a rt

There are timeless principles. But how you apply those principles should evolve as society evolves. Keep you roots. But stay ahead of the learning curve. “I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.” — G e n e r a l R o b e rt E . L e e

Keep a sense a dignity and humility about yourself always. Teach by example, both in and out of the classroom. “Never fight against heavy odds, if by maneuvering you can hurl your own forces on only a part, and then the weakest part, of your enemy and crush it. Such tactics will win every time, and a small army may thus destroy a large army one piece at a time. Your small, but repeated victories, will make your army appear invincible.” — L i e u t e n a n t G e n e r a l T h o m a s “ S t o n e wa l l” J a c k s o n

Learn how to break down an impossible task into a group of possible tasks. “I always make it a rule to get there first with the most men.” — L i e u t e n a n t G e n e r a l N at h a n B e d f o r d F o r r e s t

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Get started. Get started early. Have all you need when class begins. Bring everything to bear from bell to bell. “We will either find a way or make one.” Hannibal — Don’t

make excuses. Make solutions.

“It is only discipline that enables men to live in a community, and yet retain individual liberty. You can have discipline without liberty. But you cannot have liberty without discipline.” —Field Marshal Viscount Slim

It all starts with the self-discipline of the teacher. Build from there. Students want opportunity. But they want it in an orderly, disciplined, and nurturing environment. “All that can be done with the soldier is to give him esprit de corps – i.e., a higher opinion of his own regiment than all other troops in the country.” — F r e d e r i c k t h e G r e at

You must create an atmosphere that enables students to believe in themselves. What they think about themselves is primary to progress, enthusiasm, and achievement. “If I had worried about flanks, I could never have fought the war.” — G e n e r a l G e o r g e S . Pat t o n

Focus your energy on what you want to happen in the classroom…not on what might go wrong. “You must not needlessly fatigue the troops.” —Napoleon

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Don’t overload the lesson plan or over-test the students. Make each lesson and test meaningful to the students. “The mark of a good military unit is versatility in combat situations… not simply the ability to memorize and execute a set piece battle.” — L i e u t e n a n t G e n e r a l A rt h u r S . C o l l i n s

Student must acquire knowledge. Students must also know how to access and utilize resources. But the real test is the application of knowledge and resources in the solution of problems and accomplishment of independent tasks. “A unit does well, only what the commander checks.” — E v e ry g r e at m i l i ta ry l e a d e r h a s s a i d t h i s i n t h e i r o w n way

If you don’t monitor the development of important skills, students will not believe those skills are important. “It is essential to understand that battles are won primarily in the hearts of men.” — F i e l d M a r s h a l V i s c o u n t M o n t g o m e ry

If your students have heart, they can endure, grow, and achieve. If you or your students lose heart, all is lost. “The art of leading, in operations large and small, is the art of dealing with humanity.” —Brigadier General S. L. A. Marshall

Regardless what you know about the curriculum, you must know how to motivate and inspire people. “Force has no place where there is a need of skill.” —Herodotus

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Being demanding is a neutral factor. The secret is knowing “what” and “how” to demand. “I love the infantry because they are the underdogs. They are the mudrain-and-wind boys. They have no comforts and learn to live without the necessities. And in the end, they are the guys that wars can’t be won without.” —Correspondent Ernie Pyle

Remember that your students enable you to have your job. Without them, the job disappears. “A soldier fights better when he knows what he is fighting for.” —Oliver Cromwell

Don’t wait for your students to ask why. Sell your goals and objectives from the outset. But don’t spend an inordinate amount of time doing it. “You must be able to underwrite the honest mistakes of your subordinates, if you wish to develop their initiative and experience.” —General Bruce C. Clarke

If you challenge your students to “learn by leading,” they will make mistakes. Allow for a reasonable number of mistakes. Encourage. Maintain high expectations. Aim for success and improvement. Avoid condemnation. Condemnation is a dead end. “Rather than telling people how to do things all the time, tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” — G e n e r a l G e o r g e S . Pat t o n

Guidance is an art unto itself. Give students a variety of good options from which to choose. When appropriate, allow for independent solutions. Nurture and reward ingenuity.

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“A leader is one who has the ability to get other people to do what they don’t want to do, and like it.” — P r e s i d e n t H a r ry S . T r u m a n

The students must believe in you, to believe in what you ask them to do. “Men, not weapons, will shape the future. Don’t abandon fundamentals.” —Brigadier General S. L. A. Marshall

Don’t become so enamored of technology and methodology, that you lose sight of what is most important...the student. “There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and much less prevalent.” — G e n e r a l G e o r g e S . Pat t o n

Loyalty from the top down, is the crown jewel of great leadership in the classroom and in the school. “In archery, we have three goals: to shoot accurately, to shoot powerfully, and to shoot rapidly.” —Anonymous Byzantine General

Effective teaching and learning follow simple, logical, and fundamental steps. “It is not sufficient that the soldier must shoot. He must shoot well.” —Napoleon

Excellence is more than participation. “War is not an affair of chance. A great deal of knowledge, study, and meditation is necessary to conduct it well.” — F r e d e r i c k t h e G r e at

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“Luck” springs from consistent effort, expanded knowledge, practical experience, and well-established routines. “We fight, get beaten, and fight again.” — M a j o r G e n e r a l N at h a n a e l G r e e n e

Failure is not a permanent condition. Don’t treat it as such. “It is better to be at the right place with ten men than absent with ten thousand.” — Ta m e r l a n e

Know where your students need to be physically, emotionally, and mentally. Then lead them there as quickly as possible. Treasure and reward those who follow. “Four brave men, who do not know each other, will not dare attack a lion. Four less brave, but knowing each other well, sure of their reliability and consequently of their mutual aid, will attack resolutely.” —Colonel Charles Ardnant du Picq

If you are an island, you will experience more than solitude. You will end up disconnected from your students, your colleagues, and those who would have loved you. Build educational alliances with students and colleagues in order to attain maximum effectiveness. “Individual training is the foundation on which unit effectiveness is built. It is the source of a soldier’s confidence in themselves and trust in the army.” — F i e l d M a r s h a l E a r l Wav e l l

Build student achievement, one student at a time. Each student can be a cornerstone. Give each student the skills necessary to succeed on their own. Then, give each student the skills needed to be an effective team player.

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“First reckon, then risk.” — F i e l d M a r s h a l l H e l m u t h G r a f v o n M o lt k e

Calculate the odds, before you gamble with the outcome. Successful gamblers learn to respect the odds before they learn to beat the odds.

Suggested Reading Waging Business Warfare; David J. Rogers, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1987. Warriors’ Words; Peter G. Tsouras, Arms and Armour Press, London, 1992. The Military Maxims of Napoleon; David G. Chandler, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, 1987. Lure the Tiger Out of the Mountain; Gao Yuan, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1991. The Art of War; Sun Tzu (Samuel B. Griffith), Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1963. The Genius of Robert E. Lee; Al Kaltman, Prentice Hall Books, Paramus, NJ, 2000. Up Front; Bill Mauldin, W. W. Norton and Company, New York, 1995.

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A b o u t

t h e

a u t h o r

Pat Deaville is the former Director of High School Curriculum and Instruction for the Calcasieu Parish School System. Prior to his retirement, he spent 40 years as a professional educator in the Jefferson Davis and Calcasieu Parish School Systems. He is a member of the Louisiana Music Educators Association Hall of Fame. Mr. Deaville served as Editor of the Louisiana Musician for 28 years.

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