Time to Examine Our Beliefs about Education

These are challenging times as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on our nation and our world. Yet we see those in essential positions continue their commitment as they work tirelessly during these challenging times. That is true of our educators; learning how to adapt during a pandemic was never a part of the college coursework to becoming a teacher. I applaud my fellow educators for continuing to be their best for their students. Yet, I feel the urgency to have meaningful discussions about our schools and our educational systems. There is so much about our schools that need to be changed, and this pandemic and its impact on education can be the impetus for discussions.

When I was a principal, I sometimes faced difficult decisions between toeing the line and listening to my gut feelings about what was best for our school, our students, and our teachers. I wanted our staff to think out-of-the-box and to be innovative. Yet, I knew that as the principal, I needed to be aware of the expectations of our schools and regulations that needed to be adhered to. How do we balance the two when they were sometimes not in sync?

Now that schools have had to change due to the pandemic and safety issues related to being back in school, the time is ripe to discuss how to make schools more relevant. As a principal, I would often think about different scenarios and ponder how we might change the way we’ve always done education:

• Those of us in education see first-hand the correlation between socioeconomic status and student achievement.  Societal factors have a huge impact on some of our most needy students, and expecting them to be able to focus on school when their basic needs are not met is unrealistic. We know that given time and a caring staff, schools can have a positive impact on disadvantaged students. We know that school can be the one constant in a child's life, the one safe place where family problems can be forgotten for a few hours. How do we address the socioeconomic gap and its impact on education so that ALL students have equal opportunities to be successful?
• We know that every student is different and when they begin school, they do not start at the same starting line; in fact, some students are far behind other students when they first enter kindergarten, but we expect them to be at the same place at the end of the year,  Think of it as a running race; can we reasonably expect someone to start half-a-lap behind and finish at the same time as others who started with a big lead? How should we be measuring progress in school?
• During this pandemic, teachers shared how much they learned and how they collaborated with colleagues to create classrooms where social-emotional learning was as important as academics. If we agree that positive relationships between students and with their teachers can make a difference, how can we use that knowledge to positively impact teaching and learning?
• Seat time and good grades are not necessarily an indication of learning. Too often, learning in school is merely memorizing and regurgitating information. Real learning means applying skills or facts to delve deeper, to make sense of information, and the application to new situations. It may mean that students get feedback then revise their work before submitting it for credit. How do we change our reporting system to tell the story of real learning that has lasting impact on a student?
• Too often, school is teacher-directed. It is the teacher in the classroom who determines what to teach, when to teach it, and what is the evidence of learning. Students are often passive learners as opposed to being passionate, self-directed learners whose curiosity about a subject drive their own learning. How can we ensure that our student learners have an opportunity to create their own learning that is meaningful and impactful to them?
• This pandemic provided evidence that face-to-face learning is not the only option for K-12 schools. Technology is an equalizer; students can learn just as well through blended and/or virtual learning; in fact, some students thrived in this environment. How will schools reconfigure how they provide teaching and learning now that options other than face-to-face, have shown to be successful?
• The public judges schools based on standardized test scores, and schools feel the pressure of ensuring that their students are prepared for this once-a-year high stakes testing. Teachers may be evaluated based on the scores of their students. Unfortunately, the reports that schools receive are rarely useful. Teachers have no way of examining their student responses to see what kinds of errors were made. While we understand that the public needs to know that our schools are educating our students to be contributing citizens of their community, is there a more reliable, less expensive, and less time-consuming way to rate our schools besides high-stakes testing?
• One of the frustrations I had as a principal was not having sufficient funding for our students to experience a well-rounded education that included music, physical education, visual arts, drama, STEM, etc. Our teachers needed support, too - dedicated mentors for new teachers, instructional coaches, technology coaches, etc. This pandemic showed the dedication of our teachers to plug away despite the challenges they faced. While we understand the fiscal challenges our states are facing, the question of funding for schools will not go away. If our children are our priority, shouldn’t our schools be adequately funded?

Soon, we will have a new Secretary of Education. These discussions, at the national, state, and district levels, are long-overdue. Let’s hope we can finally work to improve our systems so that all students, no matter where they live, can have access to a quality education. 

Let’s Listen to Teacher Voices

Recently, some teachers shared on Twitter that they are still reluctant and uncomfortable about speaking up in meetings for fear of being called a troublemaker. Those words surprised and saddened me because these are teacher leaders who are respected and publicly acknowledged for their voices and their views. I could understand how they felt, though.

I know that as a teacher, I was not someone who spoke up in faculty meetings. If I had a question or a comment, I contemplated whether I should raise my hand. Often, as I looked around, I saw faces that told me the teachers were anxious to be out of there; they had other things to do, and if I asked a question or made a comment, it might mean another ten minutes or so before the meeting ended. So more often than not, I stayed silent. 

I realized, though, that if I had a question, my colleagues might have a similar question. Yet we were reluctant to speak up. We encourage our students to speak up if they have questions or concerns, but as teachers, we are often hesitant to do so ourselves. We are more likely to be honest in smaller venues, or as is often the case, in the parking lot after the meeting is over.

When I became a principal, I knew that I wanted teachers to feel comfortable about asking questions or sharing their thoughts. Here are some strategies I used to get them to feel comfortable:

• Build relationships first; know your teachers so you can have casual conversations with them. They will feel more comfortable telling you what they really think of an idea or a proposal if they know you will understand their point of view. Our teachers knew that there were decisions we could not change, but sometimes, their concerns helped us to make revisions that would make implementation smoother.
• Give teachers opportunities to meet and work with others who are not in their department or grade level. This is especially important with large faculties. We tried to start our meetings with an icebreaker or team building activity where teachers were able to talk story or work with someone they normally didn’t interact with. Starting out a meeting with a fun activity put people in a better mood after a sometimes-hectic day. 
• We gave our staff an opportunity to share their viewpoints in small groups. We often started by having them discuss the same or similar questions before reconvening in the large group. There are many different ways to share ideas that are generated; we don’t have to take up time to have each group share out. Perhaps a spokesperson can share one big idea or concern they had. We could have groups write down ideas or responses to questions on Post-its which are then sorted into similar ideas. We could collect the group notes, summarize, and share with everyone. Or we could use a shared Google document where everyone who recorded their ideas had access to. We can hear from more voices via small groups. 
• Often when we go to workshops, meetings, or conferences, we are asked for feedback, but how honest are we? Do we add comments so the presenters could reflect on how they might improve their presentation? Or are we just checking off ratings that really don’t provide much information about how the audience truly felt? Whenever I asked teachers for feedback, I added a space for them to write their name and I asked open-ended questions. This was an opportunity for them to share any concerns or questions they had. If I wanted more feedback about their comment, they knew that I could have a conversation with them. The result was that our teachers were honest with their responses. I think they realized that we truly wanted to hear from them, and we took those questions and opinions into consideration when a final decision was made. 

As a principal, I wanted our staff to feel comfortable when discussing issues, especially those that could be controversial. I remember when we proposed going for accreditation at a time when it was not required for elementary schools in Hawaii. We knew it would take a lot of time and commitment, but after much sometimes-heated discussion, we decided to go for it. Everyone was visibly  proud  when we received a 6-year accreditation term. This would not have been possible without everyone’s buy-in and active participation, and even those who had been reluctant at first were visibly proud that they contributed to the  process. 

Much has been written recently about listening to student voices. We need to make time to listen to teacher voices as well. 

Self-Reflection and Goal-Setting

 I remember the first time I sat in on a student-led conference. Our youngest son was in the fifth grade, and it was conference week. We received a letter from the teacher informing us that students would be leading their conference. The big day came; our son was a bit nervous when he began, but his voice grew stronger as he shared several pieces of work that he was proud of. They were assignments he had worked on in class. One was for the book they were reading, and it was a diary with illustrations and entries from the main character’s point of view; another was a math problem-solving assignment where he had to show his work and explain his thinking, and the third was an art project. He also shared a couple of assignments where he felt he could have improved his effort, and he shared what his goals were for the remainder of the year. In subsequent quarters, our son’s report card included a self-assessment with new evidences of learning as well as his reflections on how he was doing on his goals. I was so impressed, and when I became a principal, I hoped we could include students in their own conferences. Several teachers decided to try it out with great success, and after hearing from these teachers, student-led conferences became part of the culture at our school.

Students as young as preschool were able to sit in on a conference and share some of their work with their parents. In the process, they were able to work on their communication skills, something which many of those preschoolers had difficulty with. Our teachers had flexibility on how they used the time allocated for conference week. Some chose to schedule twenty-minute blocks of time for each student and his/her family. Others had several families come in for a longer time period, and the teacher rotated to each group while students shared their portfolio of work with their parents. Other teachers scheduled two families for 40-minute blocks; students were able to “walk the room” for half the time with their parents, sharing the different activities in each area while the teacher sat with the other family and guided the student as he/she shared their work and reflections with their parents. Walking around during these conferences was a proud moment for me as a principal. Parents were beaming with pride, some with tears in their eyes. We realized how empowering these conferences were for their children. These student-led conferences showed us that it is the learner who is most important in school, and it is the learner whose voice needs to be heard.

Report card grades or a student’s score on a standardized test don’t necessarily tell us about what the child has learned or what the child is interested in. Reflections, sharing self-selected work, and goal-setting ensures that the student, the parent, and the teacher are invested in helping the child make progress towards their goals. We want our students to be self-directed learners and to set goals for themselves, and to know that the teacher and the parent are there to support them. That three-way partnership goes a long way to ensuring success for the student. 

Make Time for Writing

 As I look back at all my past blog points, I realized that I had not shared my thoughts about writing even though I believe it is one of the best ways for students to take their thinking to a higher level. I observed younger students who were eager to write and share their stories with others. Then somewhere in their educational journey, students lost their interest to write. I think it happened at around third grade when the focus became high stakes testing and students were taught to follow certain steps to respond to writing prompts. I saw so many student samples that looked and sounded similar. They started the same way by turning the question posed into their introductory and concluding statements. “Do you think dogs make better pets than cats? Why?” became “I think dogs make better pets than cats because first . . .” Then they proceeded to name three reasons and concluded with “That’s why dogs make better pets than cats.” It worked for standardized tests but not as a way to measure creative writing. 

When I started blogging, I realized how challenging it was to actually write and publish something for anyone to read. Yet our youngest students never felt that way. They were proud to share and to have others comment or even to offer suggestions for improvement. They were able to revise and to write a final copy that was a marked improvement over their first draft. They were thrilled when the teacher chose to post their writing on the walls for others to see. I think back to my school days, and I don’t think I ever shared my writing with anyone other than the teacher.

I was newly-retired when I wrote my book, Leading with Aloha: From the Pineapple Fields to the Principal’s Office, I realized how challenging writing is. After many hours, drafts, edits, suggestions from others, and lots of soul-searching about whether this was something I really wanted, I persevered, and I’m glad I did. I wish I could share that experience with my students today. 

As I worked on a webpage to promote and advertise my book, I shared some of my thoughts about teaching writing. 

About Teaching Writing

• If children can think, they can say what they’re thinking. If they can say it, they can write it. Their ‘writing’ may be scribbles, but encourage them to tell you what they wrote. Write it down and read it back to them. This is the first connection children make between thinking, saying, writing, and reading.
• Just as we realize the importance of reading in our instruction, we need to understand the importance of writing. 
• Make time for children to write. There is no need to provide a prompt. Young kids have so many creative ideas of their own.
• Not all students will be at the same developmental writing stage. Start where they’re at and build on their skills. Point out to students how they’re improving. Help them set goals to improve their writing.
• Writing is hard work for children. Build children’s stamina for writing by gradually lengthening the time allocated for writing. Make sure students are writing during this time. 
• Encourage students to add to their stories and praise their effort.
• Even students as young as kindergarten can help with peer editing. Model how to ask questions for clarification. Ensure that students have opportunities to revise or edit their writing.
• Introduce students to different kinds of writing: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, plays, letters. There are so many ways to express what we’ve learned as well as our thoughts and feelings.
• All students can self-edit when coached through the process. Instead of telling students what they need to improve, ask open-ended questions so students can reflect and make revisions that work for them. 
• Share and celebrate student writing with an authentic audience, if possible. Students will have more pride in doing their best writing when they know it will be shared with more than just their teacher or classmates.

One of the initiatives we were working on at our school before I retired was creating and using a  continuum for narrative writing with our students. We hoped to use this tool so our students would be able to self-assess where they are, how they could edit and improve on what they wrote,  and how they could set goals or next steps. With the pandemic and the need for teachers to learn new skills and strategies via virtual learning, I think the writing continuum initiative has probably been put on the back burner for now. Hopefully, though, teachers have seen this pandemic as an opportunity for students to document their feelings and experiences during this challenging time. Whether they do it through writing or some other means, we need to provide time for our students to share their thoughts and ideas. Maybe one day, they will be able to look back and reflect on how the pandemic impacted their lives and they can share these experiences with their grandchildren. “The year was 2020 . . .” 

Giving Thanks 2020

When I was a principal, I used Thanksgiving as an opportunity to share my gratitude to our school community. The last time I wrote a Giving Thanks blog post was in 2018, and although this has been a challenging year for most of us because of Covid-19, I realize how lucky I am to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving. That is not the case for the almost 260,000 people in our country who have passed away from Covid-19. 

I am grateful for my family: my husband, Randy, our sons Justin and Jordan, and our grandsons Jace and Jayden. Randy is my best friend, and we still enjoy each other’s company after almost 44 years of marriage. We were unable to travel this year, but fortunately, we can call and text Justin, Jace, and Jayden to keep in touch. Our grandsons are growing up way too quickly, but they don’t mind talking and texting with us. For that, I am grateful; I can’t wait to see them again and give them a big hug. After leaving the Air Force almost two years ago, Jordan is staying with us while he  finishes up his university coursework. We are grateful that he is home where we know he is safe, and he is our go-to person when we are experiencing problems with technology. 

I am grateful for my mom and my siblings. Mom is 93 years old, and we all chip in to make sure she is okay. She still lives by herself but enjoys our company, and  we are fortunate that Mom is healthy and independent. 

I am grateful for good health that allows Randy and me to walk around the community almost every day and to golf a couple times a week. We enjoy each other’s company, the competition, and the fresh air.

I am grateful that people in our community follow the science and wear masks and social distance. Because we are in the at-risk age group, we plan our trips to the store carefully and we notice that everyone seems to be following the mandates. It is nice to know that we live in a respectful community where people care about each other. 

I am grateful for all the medical professionals who work tirelessly to care for the sick including those with Covid-19. They are true heroes. I certainly hope the vaccine is available soon so the number of patients goes down and that the nurses and doctors can get the rest they deserve.

I am grateful that our children have teachers who care about them and are willing to learn new strategies to engage their students via distance learning. I retired as a school principal, and I cannot imagine how challenging this year has been for our educators. Let’s hope they can take what they have learned to improve education in the future.

I am grateful to live in a nation where we have the right to vote and to elect our leaders. I am hopeful that we can resolve the deep division in our country and work together to make our world a better place for our children. 

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Do-Overs - An Important Learning Opportunity

 I’ve seen educators on social media discussing about grades during a pandemic. They are questioning whether teachers should allow open-book exams, whether students should be allowed a do-over if they were not satisfied with their initial grade on a project or assignment, and whether teachers should extend deadlines during this difficult time in our schools. These are valid questions that deserve to be discussed even if we weren’t in a pandemic. 

I think we need to ask ourselves some questions. How are these assignments helping to prepare students not just for that class, but for life? Do students have only one opportunity to get it “right”? What happens if students did not understand the content or the instructions? How do we help them, or how do we help them to improve? What kind of feedback do we provide and what will students learn if they are allowed to re-do an assignment? What would be the purpose for giving students a do-over? Is this just about a grade, or is it about the learning? I’m sure there are many more questions if we have that discussion.

My opinion about grades changed over time. When I was a student, grades were important to me, and I learned to play the game so I could receive decent grades. As a teacher, I realized that students rarely saw beyond the grade they received when their assignments or tests were returned to them. I saw that feedback from their peers or from their teacher was more valuable than a grade. The best evidence of students’ learning was when they were able to re-do an assignment and improve on their first opportunity, taking the feedback into consideration. It was gratifying to see the students’ pride; they knew that their effort at producing quality work was what they were striving for. 

As a principal, one of my assignments was conducting formal teacher observations. Although it was time-consuming to go through the entire process, these observations allowed me to have important conversations with our teachers. Sometimes, those who were going through this process for the first time struggled, and I knew from my informal classroom visits that they were much better teachers than what they showed me during that formal observation.  After our post-observation conference where the questions were designed for self-reflection, it was evident that the teacher had not fully understood the process. I offered these teachers an opportunity for a do-over. This one was their practice; the next one would count towards their evaluation. Every single teacher who was afforded this opportunity did much better the second time around, and they were grateful to have had a do-over. 

Sometimes we get so obsessed with grading students that we forget our purpose as educators. We are there to help students learn, to find what they’re passionate about, to build on knowledge they already have, to make a difference in their lives, and to help them build the skills they will need to become contributing members of their community. It is about students discovering themselves, about what works for them as they navigate this place called school. It is preparing them to be self-sufficient, self-directed adults who know how to ask for help if they don’t understand what is being asked of them. 

I realize that do-overs were an important part of my growing and developing, not just as an educator, but as a person with different interests and experiences. Anything we want to do well takes practice and feedback so we can improve. In life, the more we practice, the more confident we feel and hopefully, the better we will be. The same goes for our students; if we want them to learn from their mistakes and to become self-directed learners and quality producers, perhaps we should be giving them opportunities to show their improvement. I think do-overs in school are an important component of learning and builds resiliency in students to be the best they can be. 

Late Bloomers

This morning, I saw this perfect blossom hiding between the leaves on our pikake plant. It’s a late bloomer; our pikake were flourishing during the month of July, and it’s now November. It brought back memories of one of my favorite children’s books, Leo, the Late Bloomer, about a tiger cub who struggles to do the things his friends can do like read, write, and draw. His dad worries about Leo, but his mom is reassuring, saying that Leo is a late bloomer. As it turns out, she was right, and the tiger cub catches up with his friends. 

In today’s educational system, we often push students before they’re ready, and that can do more harm than good. We know that students enter kindergarten with such a range of readiness experiences. While some have never been to preschool and need to adapt to the structure of school, others have been exposed to quality learning experiences from an early age and are ready for the academic and social-emotional expectations for kindergarten students. 

As a nation, we have moved towards standards-based education which details what students need to know, understand, and be able to do, broken down by grade level. Schools track students from beginning of the year to the end, and teachers give grades to gauge progress via quarterly and end-of-the-year report cards. Students who start off the year lacking the kindergarten readiness skills are still expected to achieve grade level expectations by the end of the year. Unfortunately, students who start off with a deficit in readiness skills are often our students from disadvantaged backgrounds who may be later identified as struggling learners. They may lack the language skills or the vocabulary to be successful and they are already behind when they first enter kindergarten. We cannot give up on these students. 

There are many late bloomers in our schools, those who may need a little extra time and encouragement to be the confident learners we want them to be. These students may struggle in the beginning, but once they gain the skills to be successful, they can eventually catch up with those who got an earlier head start . Some of these students have strengths in areas such as art, athletics, music, or leadership. Knowing a child and his/her interests, strengths, and challenges can make a difference. Teaching to the child’s interests and readiness level can lead to motivation, confidence, and success. It’s what we should want for every student. 

Just as our late-blooming pikake flower is gifting us with its beauty and fragrance, our late-bloomer students can gift us as well. Let’s give them the opportunity and meaningful experiences that will help them to be productive citizens who are successful in life. Ultimately, that should be our goal for every student. 

A Real-Life Learning Opportunity

Recently, I saw posts from educators on Twitter about whether teachers should be discussing the Presidential election with their students. Would parents consider it a controversial subject, and would they be offended if their children came home with a different viewpoint from theirs? Our elections are an essential component of our democracy; we have the right to choose our leaders by exercising our right to vote. We need to cherish that right, one which citizens in other countries might not have. I believe that schools and teachers should be able to discuss the election without being political. The teacher needs to be the moderator, pushing students to ask questions, to research and to discuss their findings with their peers, and to think beyond their own selves in order to make an informed decision. 

Last week, like many Americans across our country, I was glued to the TV and my phone watching the election results. This was a new experience for me; now that I am retired, I could literally watch  the news 24/7 if I wanted to. It was exhausting but also eye-opening. Upon reflection, I realize how we often teach about elections on a surface level. We have information about the winners and losers, but we might not look at the history, or the different issues prevalent at that moment in time, or delve deeper to determine why a candidate won or lost. 

On Tuesday evening, the night of the election, our son called me from the mainland where he lives. It was past midnight for him, and he said, “Mom, I think Joe Biden is going to win Georgia.” I looked at the map and the vote totals and asked him incredulously why he thought so. He then explained the data, and although it made sense, it didn’t seem probable at the time. After that, I started clicking on the interactive maps on my iPad or iPhone and listened more carefully to experts like John King or Stephen Kornacki who were able to dig into the weeds to predict the trends and results for different states. I will never look at an election in quite the same way again, and as it turned out, our son’s prediction might be right. Joe Biden is leading in Georgia although it has not yet been called.

Teachers can use real-life situations such as elections to engage students in their own learning. Start with questions from students and as they do their research and discuss their findings, more questions will arise. As students learn more, they should be addressing essential standards in language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Through this process, they are also learning important skills such as listening respectfully to different viewpoints before making a decision, asking questions for clarification, learning to distinguish between an opinion and a fact, or how data can be used to make projections. They will be more aware of issues that impact us now and in the future and may realize why people in different areas of the country might have conflicting priorities. 

It’s never too early to start. I remember our kindergarteners having an election for their favorite cookie. The students made posters, wrote persuasive speeches, and then they voted. I can’t remember which cookie won, but it was the process that was important.  Students in Hawaii and around the nation participated in Kids Voting even during this pandemic. Young activists are getting involved in issues that concern them and sharing their messages. We need to encourage them to continue to be engaged in our civic processes.

We need an informed citizenry, and our students are future voters. Rather than learning civics education through textbooks, schools can use real-life issues, including elections, as learning opportunities for students to delve deeper before making a decision. 

Young Activists

When I was in school, I had no idea that I could make a difference in our world. I lived in the time of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War, but we never discussed these events or issues.  I wrote term papers in high school, but I was merely taking notes and regurgitating information rather than answering a question that would force me to research both sides of an issue and take a stand. 

Today, students as young as kindergarten are introduced to deeper learning where they research a topic or question together and come up with ideas on how to address any concerns. It might be a problem within the school or the community or the state or even the nation or world. Many educators are using project-based learning to teach the content standards for language arts, math, science, or social studies in a meaningful way. Students are more engaged and informed when they learn about problems that impact them now and in the future such as trash, renewable energy, climate change, racial tension, recycling, endangered plants and animals, and plastic use.

When I was a principal, our elementary school students participated in projects and learned so much in the process. I know they may not have grasped the full impact of the issue yet, but the fact that they were researching current problems and thinking about their future gave me hope. I think many adults dismiss our young people’s ideas; they don’t see that our youth deserve to share their viewpoints because our actions today greatly impact the world they will live in for generations to come.

I recently viewed US Kids/ #Vote with Us, a powerful film about the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who led a movement for gun control legislation after a gunman opened fire at their school, killing 17 people and wounding another 17. These young people experienced a traumatic and incomprehensible event in their young lives, but they were able to mobilize and lead the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. in March 2018. These young people spent much of their summer traveling around the country to share their message about gun control. It wasn’t easy, especially when confronted by adults who questioned their motives and sometimes threatened their safety. These students’ efforts led to changes in gun laws in a number of states, and some of these young activists continue to be involved today. As the film shows, though, it hasn’t been easy for any of the survivors of the shootings. 

Through the power of social media, we read about many young people who are making a difference. Their work is helping citizens in their community by organizing food pantries or distributing face masks to our health workers or cleaning up our beaches. Check out this story about the teens who organized the Black Lives Matter march  in Honolulu this past summer where thousands of people marched peacefully to protest the death of George Floyd and to advocate for social justice. Honolulu residents are now voting on a proposal to establish a Youth Commission to advise the Mayor and City Council on important issues relating to children and youth. I am in favor of this proposal; I believe that our youth today are invested in creating a better future for our city, and they should have a voice and a seat at the table.

Schools are realizing the positive impact when students are invested in their learning. When students explore current issues that are of interest to them, and when they are able to discuss and share what they’ve learned with a wider audience, the learning will be much more relevant, meaningful, and likely to have a long-lasting impact. In today’s world, we need citizens who can tell truths from untruths and who can make well-informed decisions. Empowered young activists can have a positive impact on our community, our state, our nation, and our world, and they may become our leaders of tomorrow. Let’s encourage them in their efforts to make a difference!

A Teacher’s Influence

Here in Hawaii, we celebrate and cheer for those who have brought honor and pride to our state. We are a close-knit and proud community, which is why we are especially proud of people like President Obama, Michelle Wie, Marcus Mariota, or Little League world champions. Jennifer Doudna, who recently won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry with a colleague from Sweden, joins this list. Most of us had never heard of her until we saw the headlines that she graduated from Hilo High School on Hawaii island, and then we embraced her.

I love reading stories of inspirational teachers, and this story was a reason to celebrate. (“Remembering the Hilo Teacher Who Inspired a Nobel Prize Winner”)  Miss Wong was a young, new teacher when Jennifer Doudna entered her chemistry class as a tenth grader. “Miss Wong was big,” she shared. “She taught us that science is about discovery. It’s not about memorizing facts in the textbook. It’s about asking questions about the natural world and coming up with ways to figure out answers.”  How I wish I had a teacher like Miss Wong! While I remember dissecting an earthworm and a frog in Biology and doing some experiments in Chemistry, science for me was mostly learned from textbooks, and unfortunately, much of what I learned then was forgotten shortly after the test. 

My younger brother, Chris Amemiya, is the person who influenced me as a teacher to make science exciting for my students. “Science is all around,” he shared with me. “Kids are curious; have them ask questions about the world around them and discover answers together.” I remember that as a high school student, Chris worked on a 4-year science project examining the pituitary glands of Tilapia mossambica to see if they could slowly adapt from a freshwater to a seawater environment. Today, he has a PhD in genetics, is a professor at UC-Merced, and continues to learn. He collaborates on projects with scientists from all over the world. I truly believe that Chris was already interested in science when he got to high school, but his teacher recognized that working on a real-life project would give him the tools he would need in whatever field he chose to go into later in life. 

As educators, it’s not just about sciencing. It’s about igniting a passion in students for something they are interested in learning more about. It could be mathematics or history or art or music or literature or sports. Whatever it is, we should encourage students to ask questions and then teach them the skills they will need to explore and discover on their own or with others who have similar interests. With technology so readily available and mentors who are eager to support our young people, education can be much more meaningful for our youngsters.

I wish that Miss Wong could have lived long enough to see one of her students become a Nobel Prize winner. I am sure, though, that she is smiling proudly from above. Teachers have the power to influence and impact their students; let’s make sure we are helping the next generation to explore and discover answers to their questions by working on real-world problems just like Miss Wong did with her students. 

These Aren’t Normal Times for Teachers

I remember when I was a teacher and our staff voted for a calendar that started earlier in August but included a Fall Break between quarters 1 and 2. That was such a nice break for all of us, and a few years later, the State Department of Education decided that all schools would be on the same calendar with an earlier start date and a break between quarters. So we had a Fall Break, a Winter Break, and a Spring Break. I loved that schedule!

Fall Break was a popular time for Hawaii families to take trips. It was ideal to visit places like Disneyland. Because mainland students were still in school, wait lines for popular rides were much shorter. Unfortunately, this year, most families will not be vacationing or leaving the islands during Fall Break which starts next week. If they  do, they will have to quarantine for 14 days when they return. I’m sure many family plans were disrupted by COVID-19, and we had certainly hoped the pandemic would be under control by now. But it’s not, and that has also impacted schools.

I’m pretty sure I know what many teachers will be doing this Fall Break. They’ll be at home working on plans for the next quarter. Many will continue teaching virtually or remotely during the second quarter, and the lessons they learned during the first quarter will determine how to continue instruction so their students will be engaged and motivated. In this morning’s Civil Beat article, “Hawaii DOE Has Struggled To Cope With the Pandemic: Can It Do Better?”, Board of Education Chairperson Catherine Payne states, “We did not use the spring shutdown to do the planning and training that was needed for the opening of school in August.” The constant changing of information certainly did not help educators, students, or parents who had to pivot at the last minute from in-person instruction to virtual learning. The first quarter is almost over, and second quarter is right around the corner.
                                     
As a retired principal, I know that teachers will do what they need to do to get ready. They’ll do it even without any extra compensation, but schools and the Hawaii DOE  need to recognize that providing professional development stipends will really help to rebuild the trust that teachers feel has been lost. I’ve read their comments in articles and on social media, and I know they feel exhausted and unappreciated. Those who will be spending their Fall Break planning for the next quarter should be compensated. I know that when I was a principal, our teachers appreciated the time to collaborate and plan with their teams during the summer prior to the start of school; a stipend for their time was a bonus.

I also wanted to give a shout-out to all the educators who have gone above and beyond for their students. I am sure it was not easy, but you made it through the first quarter! These aren’t normal times for teachers, but you made it work for your students, and I’m sure that in the process, you learned a lot about yourself and your resiliency. Enjoy your Fall Break!

Effective School Leaders

This is a critical time to be a school leader. So much has changed in our world in the last few months, and leaders have had to adapt. These are perhaps the most challenging time for our nation’s educators;  Covid-19 has disrupted our school systems for six months and counting. Therefore, an effective school leader needs to have the courage to make difficult decisions in these tumultuous times. What are some of the characteristics of an effective school leader?

Effective school leaders are prepared and proactive. They don’t just live in the present; they look ahead. They keep up-to-date on trends and research and have a general idea of where they need to go in the future based on the needs of their school. It is evident that during this crisis, leaders who were prepared were able to get their staff ready to meet the challenges of this pandemic. Some schools were ready to go to a virtual learning model much more quickly than others. Those were the schools that had proactive principals who were planning with their teams during the summer, just in case. Rather than purchasing licenses for online programs, these schools created engaging hands-on, project-based, holistic lessons that meet the needs of their students

Effective school leaders are honest. They are positive but also realistic in communications with their staff and school community. They don’t minimize the challenges and pretend that problems don’t exist. They emphasize that everyone is in this together and will get through it together.

Effective school leaders are good communicators. They have established relationships with their staff, and open two-way communication is the norm at their schools. Effective leaders are good listeners and ask questions; they encourage their staff to share ideas that might get them through this crisis with minimal negative impact.

Effective school leaders support their staff. They provide opportunities for teachers and paraprofessionals to collaborate and to share ideas that they can use with their students whether it’s in a face-to-face or virtual environment. Summer might be a time for teachers to rest and recuperate, but effective school leaders know that it is the perfect time for collaboration or for professional development, and they found a way to provide these opportunities for their staff.

Effective school leaders look for innovative solutions to problems. They are open to new ideas and think of possibilities instead of just looking at barriers to implementation. They see problems as opportunities to try something new or to do things differently. During these challenging times, I’ve seen so many educators trying new ideas and sharing with each other, not just within their school, but with teachers around the state or nation. Effective school leaders encourage this kind of personal growth from their staff.

Most of all, effective school leaders have empathy. They understand the challenges their staff is facing right now, and they do whatever they can to make their job easier. They don’t micromanage; rather they offer assistance and support. Effective school leaders know that their staff is experiencing more stress than usual so they don’t put more on their plate at this time.

Leading and teaching during this pandemic is an anomaly, but out of adversity comes opportunity for growth. I believe educators will realize that they are much more resilient and will be proud of what they have learned during these challenging times. They will be better educators as a result.

Standardized Testing during a Pandemic?

U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently announced that schools would be not be granted waivers from annual high-stakes testing although states and school districts rail against that decision. DeVos has said it’s part of the agreement of the Every Student Succeeds Act and schools need to comply. Some members of Congress are saying that tests will show how the pandemic has impacted education especially for those students of color, those with special needs, or those from low-income households.

Honestly, I thought this was a no-brainer; it just doesn’t make sense. This year is already so challenging for schools, for teachers, and for students. We don’t know how long this pandemic will last and how long it will be before all schools can resume face-to-face learning. Teachers are struggling to provide quality virtual learning experiences while also addressing the social-emotional and mental health issues of students.

I am not a fan of high-stakes standardized testing. (Read about my viewpoints here and here.) I believe the money that is spent on those tests should be distributed to schools to update equipment and learning resources or to purchase additional staff who will directly impact students. I believe the time spent in preparing for and in administering these assessments is instructional time lost for students who may need it the most. I believe the comparing of schools based on test scores is not just unfair; it is disheartening when staff are working so hard to address their students’ needs to be compared to other schools with fewer societal challenges.

I remember a parent who was registering her child at our military-impacted school. She asked me if her son would have to repeat fourth grade. When I asked her for more information, she shared that he hadn’t passed the statewide test the previous year and would have had to repeat the grade if he were still in that state. “This would be his third time in fourth grade,” she shared. I assured her that we do not hold students back if they don’t pass the statewide assessment, and you could see the relief in her whole body. “He has been dreading me coming to register,” she said. “He’ll be so relieved.” Her story elicited a range of emotions in me ranging from sadness to anger. Students are much more than just a test score.

I saw examples of students who struggled with academics and felt so stressed during these statewide assessments. All we could do was encourage them to do their best and to build up their confidence and mindset. Some of these students gave up and others cried because they were so stressed. More than a few times, I felt tears in my eyes because they were so miserable. The thing is that many of these students who struggled with academics and statewide testing had other strengths. Some were natural leaders because of their empathy and caring for their peers. Some were creative and artistic, and others were athletically gifted. A test score didn’t define who they were.

This year should be a time for teachers to examine their practices and to try new ways of engaging and empowering their students to be the best they can be. It starts from recognizing student strengths and finding ways to provide the supports they need so that learning is meaningful. It is not a time for teachers and students to be spending valuable time preparing students for standardized assessments. And it is not a time for states or districts to be spending valuable funds purchasing these assessments.

Virtual Learning Challenges

 When the pandemic first started and we were hunkered down at home, my tennis lessons were cancelled. My coach asked if I wanted to purchase a license for a virtual tennis site where I could watch videos to learn from instructors and practice drills on my own at home. It sounded like a good idea, so I decided to pay for a subscription. It started off well, but after a few lessons, my enthusiasm waned. It wasn’t the same as taking an actual lesson which I looked forward to every week. It was boring, and I had no feedback about whether I was doing the drill correctly. So I stopped watching those videos.

Due to the pandemic, many students in our country are starting the school year off doing virtual learning. What will it take to ensure that students are meaningfully engaged in their lessons and that they will make steady progress towards their learning goals? What will we do for those students who need extra assistance? How can technology be leveraged to individualize learning while ensuring that students are meeting the required goals? There’s a lot to think about.

My virtual tennis lessons could be compared to some of the programs that schools have purchased for students to do at home during this pandemic. There might be a pre-assessment and students are then provided with assignments that are supposed to be what they need in order to achieve the grade level standards. It sounds easy to implement if students are motivated and need minimal adult supervision, but from experience, this is often not the case. Usage at home was spotty or varied greatly from classroom to classroom. It was difficult to gauge the effectiveness of an on-line program when students were not engaged in the lessons. As a principal, I received lots of sales pitches from representatives promising positive results if we purchased their programs, and earlier this year, I wrote a blog, Ed Tech Challenges, I believe it is appropriate today as schools scramble to implement virtual learning.

Here are some questions schools need to think about if they choose to purchase a program for virtual learning.  Will there be a positive and trusting relationship between the teacher and students?  Will the students feel comfortable asking questions if they don’t understand? How do students reflect on their progress and how does the teacher provide feedback to keep students moving forward in their learning goals? How does the teacher supplement these lessons to individualize the learning experiences for students? Does the teacher allow students choice in activities to keep them engaged in their own learning? Are there other options for students to learn the content besides the on-line program? Is the teacher allowed to deviate from the program and make decisions regarding what is best for students? 

I am optimistic. Many teachers are reaching out to others in their own schools as well as through social media to share ideas and to help each other to overcome obstacles with content as well as technology. Many teachers and schools are designing their own virtual learning lessons rather than relying on an on-line learning program. Virtual school allows teachers to learn from each other and to share strategies that focus on what’s best for their learners. Building relationships is still essential if we want our students to achieve their goals, and teachers can do this in a virtual environment just as they would in a face-to-face classroom. Teaching virtually is definitely challenging, but there are resources from educators who are willing to share their experiences and to problem-solve together.

Some educators have been preparing for the possibility of virtual learning since schools closed in March. They have been working with their school teams throughout the summer to implement activities and projects that give students more ownership over their own learning. It might be difficult and challenging, but teachers are finding a way to engage their students and to make their lessons meaningful. I was blown away by this Tweet from one of my educator friends:

And here’s a Facebook post from a principal that made me want to tear up as well. How many principals find the time to do this for their students?

Clearly, some of our schools are doing quality virtual learning with their students. Let’s learn from them!

Leadership in Challenging Times

I don’t usually use this blog for political reasons. I waffled about whether to write and publish it, but in the end, I decided it was a positive view of what leadership is and what it could be. 

Those who know me are aware that politics is part of my personal life. My parents taught us kids about the importance of voting, and we saw it as a civic responsibility. We helped candidates doing things like knocking on doors and dropping off brochures at houses or helping at coffee hours. After I got married, my husband ran for political office. He won his races for City Councilmember and State Senator and lost his races for Mayor and Governor, but that experience of being so close to a campaign and to someone in an elected position taught me a lot about leadership which helped me when I became a principal.

My cousin, Keith Amemiya, is running for Mayor of Honolulu, and our family is helping him, just as they all helped my husband when he ran for the various offices. Even if Keith were not my cousin, though, I would definitely support him. I see in Keith the kind of  qualities and can-do attitude we need in our leaders during these challenging times.

Keith was a 32-year-old attorney in private practice when he was selected as the Executive Director of  the Hawaii High School Athletic Association. It was an unprecedented selection but one that made a difference for high school sports and athletes in Hawaii. Keith made it a point to build relationships and to get to know all 95 schools that made up HHSAA. He talked story with principals, athletic directors, coaches, players, parents, and members of the community. He heard their concerns, he listened, and he worked collaboratively to seek solutions. Under Keith’s leadership, we now have divisions so all high schools have opportunities to play for state championships in different sports. He greatly increased the number of sports available to girls, he sought business sponsorships for state tournaments, and more students were able to go to college on athletic scholarships. In 2009 when the State faced a major shortfall affecting athletic programs at public high schools, Keith spearheaded a “Save Our Sports” campaign that unified the state and raised the funds to offset the budget cuts. 

What made this more remarkable, in my opinion, is that Keith was an unknown at the time of his selection as Executive Director of HHSAA, and he had to work within a system that was, for want of a better description, an “old boys’ network.” Most high school principals and athletic directors at the time were males, many twice Keith’s age, and they weren’t sure why he was selected. The HHSAA selection committee took a chance on an outsider, a young person, someone with ideas and the collaborative skills to change the culture of high school athletics in Hawaii. Their selection of Keith made a difference.

It’s a difficult time to be a leader whether it’s a school, a business, a nonprofit, government, etc. People are stressed and frustrated as the pandemic shows no signs of receding, and sometimes, we blame our leaders for their actions or their inactions. This is why we need leaders who have strong core values that guide them in their decision-making and who have empathy for others. We need leaders we can trust. We need leaders who are not afraid to think out-of-the-box and who can bring people together to discuss and find solutions to the major problems that are impacting us now and in the future. 

Getting Out of Our Comfort Zone

With this pandemic still raging, I’ve been observing from the sidelines as the public weighs in on the safety of opening schools and as educators prepare for the new school year. I empathize with my fellow educators who are navigating uncharted waters that could change at any time. It is during these uncertain times when getting out of our comfort zone becomes so important.

I saw teachers grow professionally last quarter when they were forced to do distance or virtual learning with their students. I was pleased to see teachers sharing about all the new technology tools they were able to try out. Many discovered new ways to engage their students while videoconferencing, and others shared fun resources to make sure that learning would continue during the stay-at-home order. And the professional development was outstanding! Teachers shared resources, held videoconferences to discuss concerns or to problem-solve, and reached out to assist their colleagues who were struggling.

Getting out of our comfort zone can be scary. It’s much easier to not rock the boat and continue to do what we know works. Yet it’s those opportunities to try something new that can be exciting and lead to growth. For those who may be hesitant to reach out to others, social media might be the answer. I am more of an introvert and being from Hawaii . . . well, we sometimes feel self-conscious about whether we’re “good enough.” It probably has something to do with our cultural background and/or our plantation roots. I found though, that when I started following educators on social media, I felt more comfortable about making a comment or asking questions because I was somewhat “anonymous.” Let me share how I got out of my comfort zone and grew as a result of social media.

I was a member of an educator leaders group in Google+ (before they shut down), and I followed Eric Sheninger. When he shared that he was leaving his high school principalship for a position as a consultant working with schools and districts, I congratulated him and wrote a comment “Too bad you can’t come to Hawaii.” What followed was a whirlwind of communication and Eric giving up a morning of his vacation the following week to speak to a large group of school leaders in our district. (Read about it here: Mahalo, Eric Sheninger!) I consider Eric a friend now, and we continue to meet when he comes to Hawaii to work. And it started with a simple comment on social media.

I started reading Peter DeWitt’s “Finding Common Ground” in EdWeek, and after reading a somewhat controversial op-ed, I sent him an email asking if he ever got push-back from his district for what he wrote. As principals here in Hawaii, we were also experiencing major challenges. I wasn’t expecting to get a response - after all, Peter didn’t know who I was - but he answered me right away. After that, we struck up a friendship that’s lasted to this day. In fact, he recently invited me to be a panelist on “A Seat at the Table” for a discussion about equity. I would never have had that opportunity if I hadn’t reached out to Peter via email.

I also followed George Couros on Google+ back when it was still a social media platform, and he invited experienced and new school administrators to sign up for SAVMP (School Administrators Virtual Mentoring Program). I read the description and after much deliberation, I submitted my application. I was not confident, but I figured that the worst that could happen would be getting a rejection. That didn’t happen, and thus began a wonderful year of leading and learning from others. Today, my virtual mentees continue in educational administration, and I continue to follow them on Twitter.

Since my retirement in the summer of 2018, I’ve had many experiences that have taken me out of my comfort zone. (There is Life after Retirement) I continue to grow personally and professionally, for which I am grateful; we should never stop learning! I encourage all educators to try something new or different and to explore new ways of learning from people you may not know personally but who may be experiencing similar challenges. What’s the worst that could happen? They might not respond to you, but know that there are many other educators who could provide you with suggestions or guidance, and hopefully, you will realize that you have much to offer as well.

Empathy and a Book Worth Re-Reading

I’ve been thinking a lot about empathy recently. Empathy is so crucial especially for someone in a leadership position. We cannot know exactly what someone else is thinking or feeling, but we can try to understand, to listen, and to empathize without being condescending.

It is said that President Franklin D. Roosevelt was a “blue blood,” coming from a rich and privileged family. After his bout with polio at age 39, he became a more humble and empathetic person, finding common bonds with his fellow “polio’s.” This empathy was crucial as he led the nation through the difficult Depression and created programs to address major domestic and international problems.

Let me share a bit about John Howard Griffin, the author of Black Like Me. I first read this book when I was in high school. I remember being disturbed by what I was reading, but I had difficulty really understanding about racial inequaliy because it was so foreign to me, living in Hawaii. With the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests this summer, I felt it was time to reread Black Like Me. I’m glad I did. The book had a much greater impact on me this time around.

As I was reading, there were times when I had to stop and put the book to the side because what I read made me so angry. I kept questioning why racial inequality still exists in our country when this book was published in 1961, nearly 60 years ago. I could not imagine the level of empathy that John Howard Griffin had when he decided to temporarily become a Black man and travel to different cities in the segregated Deep South. Reading about his experiences was heart-wrenching and full of despair.

According to the “Afterword,” written on the 50th anniversary of the book’s release, John Howard Griffin suffered a severe concussion during World War II which led him to become blind for ten years. During that time, he became preoccupied with racism. These are his words: “For the blind man, the whole issue of racism on the basis of inferiority according to color or race is solved axiomatically. He can only see the heart and the intelligence of a man, and nothing in these things indicates to the slightest whether a man is white or black, but only whether he is wise or foolish.” He goes on to say, “The racists can see but they have no perception. Is not the gift of sight then being abused, since it leads men to judge an object by the accident of its color rather than by its real substance - is a red table any more of a table than a green one?” These powerful words explain why Griffin did what he did, going through the process of darkening his skin via medication, shaving his head, and becoming a Negro in the South in 1959 during a time of great racial unrest. Griffin actually walked in the shoes of a Black man, experiencing the injustices and the hatred based solely on the color of one’s skin.

I am concerned about the lack of empathy that is often displayed in our country today. We are sometimes so wrapped up in our own feelings that we cannot relate to the feelings of others. As a leader, it is important to have the kinds of experiences that lead to empathy. If we are born into a “blue blood” family, are we able to understand the challenges of those who are less fortunate? If so, what do we do to make things better for everyone, including those who may be struggling? Do we build positive relationships with others? Being aware of people’s behaviors can give us cues to how they are feeling, and when we notice subtle changes, having a conversation can be just what is needed at that time. Empathetic leaders are good listeners and know that honest discussions can lead to the kind of trust that is essential to the organization.

2020 has been a difficult year. More than ever, we need empathetic leaders who can bring us together to solve the problems that divide us.

Some resources about empathy:
Ages & Stages: Empathy
Can Empathy Be Taught?
There are Actually 3 Types of Empathy

Choices, Choices

I know that I appreciate having choices, and as a teacher, I found that providing choices to my students was an effective way of engaging them in their own learning. Rather than giving everyone the same assignment at the same time, students could choose from an array of activities that were designed to address skills and strategies that were aligned to standards. These suggested assignments were differentiated according to the strengths and needs of the students. What I discovered was that given choices as well as the time to complete the required number of tasks, students were much more engaged and committed to their learning. Additionally, they learned to rely on each other to navigate the tasks because they knew that if I was busy with a small group, they could ask a classmate for help. As a principal, I observed classrooms where students had opportunities to choose how to share their learnings, and their projects were often amazing. Student choice was important and led to motivated students who showed evidence of learning in multiple ways.

In this time of the pandemic, school plans for the new school year are being shared with their communities. I wonder how many teachers were asked about their choices. There are too many teachers, here in Hawaii and on the mainland, who are concerned about going back to school while the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise. For some, it appears to be a choice between staying or leaving the profession they love. They are afraid because they are concerned about their health or the health of their family members. Do they stay and risk getting sick or do they leave before the school year begins?

For others, it’s a choice about doing what’s always been done or trying something different. Because schools and educators were forced to try a new way of reaching their students via virtual learning during the fourth quarter of the last school year, I hoped that schools would see this as an opportunity to make changes this year in teaching and learning. We are two decades into the 21st century, and yet, many educators had not embraced technology to engage and empower students in their learning until they had no choice. Here are a few suggestions that schools could consider as they discuss the opening of the new school year while following health and safety guidelines:

• Half of the class in the morning (8:00-11:00 including lunch to end the day) and half in the afternoon (11:00-2:00 including lunch to start the day) Fewer students means more individualized attention; teachers are always asking for smaller class sizes. This is a chance to see if that makes a difference.
• Blended learning - students attend school part of the week and connect virtually the other days
• Total distance learning - students and teacher work from home; students check in daily. Teacher connects with students via virtual conferencing, emails, texts, or using platforms such as Google Classroom. 

These are just a few ideas that are different from the full day/every day model that many schools have opted for. If schools don’t make the change now, when will they change? This is the perfect opportunity. Think about it. Even if students are back in school every day, their classroom and their schedule will not be what it was like pre-COVID-19 when students were encouraged to work together via partner work or cooperative group work, where students and staff could converse while walking through hallways, where recess was a time to socialize with friends from other classrooms, where community circle was an opportunity to discuss problems or questions from the group. Instead, students will be socially distanced, 6-feet apart, all facing the teacher, all wearing masks. That is more like the factory model that I was taught in many years ago, not 21st century teaching and learning.

I get very upset when I hear people insist that schools could open in the next month or so, even as the COVID-19 numbers are spiking and the pandemic is not under control in our country. The health and safety of our students and our staff is the priority. Until it is safe to do so, our students, teachers, and families need choices that make sense for them.

Related blogs:
“Will We Have the Courage to Change?”
“A New Way of Teaching and Learning”
“What Should Schools Be Teaching in These Turbulent Times?”

What Should Schools Be Teaching in These Turbulent Times?

As a retired school principal, I don’t have the worries right now that many school leaders are facing. Yet, I am very concerned as I read comments on social media as well as articles about schools opening for the next school year. Teachers and parents want to know what the plan is, and so far, very few districts in our country have the answers. The physical and emotional health and safety of our students and staff are the primary concerns. The uncertainty of where this virus is headed has kept school leaders in limbo, wondering whether to bring people back to campus when the possibility exists that another shutdown could be inevitable. What is a school leader to do?

This is the time for schools to look at today’s problems as an opportunity to do school differently. If we learned anything at all during this pandemic, it’s that schools need to redesign themselves to be less teacher-directed and more student-centered. The time is right for project-based or problem-based or independent learning with students applying essential language arts, math, and technology skills to delve deeper into science and social studies concepts and issues. Students need to learn how to ask higher level questions, to research to find answers, to have discussions with others to get different points of view, to create something to share what they learned, and to reflect on the learning experience with input from classmates and their teachers. With the technology available today, not all students need face-to-face learning in a classroom.

Students as young as kindergarten can participate and make a difference in their school, their community, their world. The beauty of project-based, problem-based, or independent learning is that students can work on projects at home via distance or blended learning programs. Teachers can have the initial discussions and share resources via face-to-face meetings or through videoconferencing because learning can take place outside the four walls of a classroom. We want students to be self-starters, to be able to learn on their own, to ask meaningful open-ended questions, to distinguish between fact and fiction, or to discern why people’s experiences may have a direct impact on how they react to an event. We, as adults, were probably not taught this in school; we were taught through textbooks and assessed on facts as they were presented. Today’s pandemic and the racial and political discord in our country provides a perfect opportunity for our schools to shift learning away from just textbooks, grade level standards, and standardized testing. Assessing students on random reading passages or math problems with no relevance to the real world does not lead to a more enlightened and informed citizenry.

Think of the problems in the world we are facing today: the pandemic, climate change, inequity of opportunity, trash, homelessness, a polarized country, racial discord. Our students shouldn’t have to wait until they are of voting age or can run for elective office to make a difference in their world. These are problems that need to be addressed, and luckily, many students are not waiting; they are making a difference now. (Youth Power: Age-Friendly city needs to hear from people of all ages) Let’s empower our youth by teaching them important skills that will help them become informed, active citizens who care about and get involved in their community, their state, and their world.

And as a former school leader, I hope that the safety and health concerns of our students and staff is at the forefront of any decisions that are made about the next school year.

Conditions for Growth - A Metaphor

I posted this photo on Facebook with this caption: Last year we didn’t have as many white gingers blooming so Randy and I worked to get them growing again. I cleared off the old stalks that had died and Randy fertilized and watered more often. This year, the gingers are taller and stronger. The blossoms are beginning to open up, and I can’t wait to smell the fragrance from our bedroom as we drift off to sleep.

A dear friend responded with this comment: Sounds like a wonderful metaphor for something.

I thought about it, and I realized that she is right. It’s not just about caring for our plants so they can thrive. It’s about life itself. Do we expect things to grow and thrive without the right amount of care? Or do we leave it alone, forget it, and hope things work out? It’s a mindset about whether we put effort into something so it can grow and become more than what we hoped or expected.

We are in turbulent times; we need to refresh and regroup and regrow our community, our state, our nation, the world. As I have stated in earlier blogs and in my book (Leading with Aloha: From the Pineapple Fields to the Principal’s Office), this Native American quote is one of my favorites: “We don’t inherit this earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” This quote saddens me because at this time in history, I believe that we are leaving a mess for our children and future generations: climate change, huge federal debt, a polarized and divided and inequitable country, chronic disease, hunger and homelessness, trash. These are just a few of the problems we have created and have not addressed adequately.

It’s not too late. I believe that this pandemic has given us a unique opportunity to make needed changes in how we move forward to address our challenges. (Will We Have the Courage to Change?)

Just as our ginger plants are now thriving because we put in the effort, we all need to do our part to ensure that we can make positive changes for the sake of our children and future generations. It starts with each of us. Let’s do this!

Just What I Needed ❤️

It’s been a few weeks since I wrote my last blog post. It’s not because I didn’t try; I’ve started and restarted one, but I just can’t seem to get it done. When I started blogging, I made it my goal to be positive even when the situation wasn’t what I hoped especially when writing about education.
This is a difficult time for schools and for educators, and I don’t have answers to their concerns. That frustrates me.

Yesterday, I saw this Instagram post from one of our former teachers:

As a principal, I had the honor of hiring many teachers. Kat was a Teach for America teacher, but what separated her from others was that she stayed past her contract. I certainly appreciated her for doing that, and I saw so much growth and confidence from the time she started until she decided to leave to explore other opportunities.

Social media has allowed me to keep in touch with teachers who have left our school. I love seeing the positive impact they are having on others as educators or in other professions. Kat is one of those who has really stretched herself and found a niche as the founder and creative director of Afternoon Culture, a branding agency based in New York City. Her company creates brands for start-ups and small businesses, focusing on supporting women and businesses owned by minorities. Her agency is doing well, servicing a niche that is often underrepresented. 

Back when she was at our school, Kat had the opportunity to be a member of our Leadership Team. I remember her initial hesitation, but I was able to convince her that this would be a great opportunity for her. I remember sitting next to her watching her take notes to share with her grade level. Her notes were a work of art! I was intrigued; she clearly saw issues as interconnected whereas most of us would see things linearly. I am not surprised that she has chosen to follow her passion to help others - especially the underrepresented and non traditional - realize their dreams.

I knew that Kat would not be a teacher forever; she had other dreams, but as she states in her IG post, teaching gave her experiences and opportunities that she continues to use today. More importantly, she gained “the confidence to go after her dreams.” I wish that more young people would commit to teaching for a few years; I think they would learn a lot that could help them in the future. Maybe encouraging young people to teach for a few years in exchange for lowering or cancelling their student debt is an idea worth exploring. It’s time to think out-of-the-box. 

Racism - We Must Do More in Schools

In the midst of a pandemic, we suddenly are thrust into another crisis that has brought anger and strife into an already-hurting world. The killing of a black man by a white police officer in Minneapolis has forced us to closely examine our personal feelings. Do we feel anger or sadness or pity? Do we worry that someone we know may be placed in a similar situation? And we react differently. For some, this means going out in public to peacefully protest despite the health crisis we are presently experiencing.  For others, it means sharing our angry thoughts and feelings on social media. For me, it meant examining my own actions when I was a school principal.

Our school was 98% military-impacted, and about 20% to 25% of our students identified as Black. During my tenure as principal from 2003-2018, we carefully reviewed data to ensure that all students were receiving an equitable education and the necessary services so they could be successful. We met regularly to share concerns about students who were having social, academic, or emotional challenges so we could collectively address their needs and share their progress. A good percentage were students of color, and I know we did our best to provide support for them. But was that enough? As I sit here and reflect, I realize that we could have and should have done more, not just for those struggling students but for ALL students. We should have taught them skills and strategies to be able to verbalize and to understand their own and other people’s feelings and emotions. We should have done temperature checks to see whether our curriculum was making a difference for students. We should have paid better attention when students were struggling to understand the underlying reasons for their struggles. Just because racism was not evident at our school doesn’t mean that it wasn’t bubbling under the surface or that we shouldn’t talk about it.

And that is the problem. We sweep difficult issues like racism to the side or we water it down so we don’t offend anyone or we have discussions only when something like what happened in Minneapolis dominates the news. We learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. or Ruby Bridges or Rosa Parks during Black History Month, but do we delve deeper into why they are an important part of our history or why we haven’t made the progress we had hoped for? Do we ask our students to discuss issues of race at home, and do our students have the opportunity to interview their parents or grandparents or other family members about their experiences with racism? Do we let students research about other injustices in our history including against Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and others? When we teach social-emotional lessons to our little ones, do we talk about the color of one’s skin and the beauty of diversity or do we just talk about treating others with respect?

I remember reading Black Like Me sometime in the early 1970’s. It was not an assignment for school so I never discussed the book with anyone. It was disturbing. I remember talking story with a young female teacher of color from New York. She shared that when she was a little girl, she saw her dad stopped by cops for being Black. Her parents emphasized that she had to be compliant if she was ever stopped by a police officer. She was a strong woman who spoke her mind, so her parents were probably very worried for her.  I remember our meetings with parents of students who were black and were having trouble controlling their anger when they were upset. These parents were very concerned and shared their fears that their child would face a difficult future if he/she was unable to control their anger. How do we teach our students to be strong and stick up for their rights when there is a real possibility of being hurt in the process because of the color of their skin?

I see posts from educators on social media about books to read and resources to use and how to prepare for those difficult discussions about racism when school resumes in the next few months, but it cannot be a few teachers in their classrooms. That discussion needs to involve all staff at a school as well as members of the community. We may feel that the topic of racism is not relevant for our students or our community because we have not experienced it. However, we cannot ignore the fact that the racial divide in our country has never been resolved, not since the Civil War ended or the riots and demonstrations of the 1960’s. Racism simmers below the surface until it is suddenly thrust on us unexpectedly. Then we scramble to try to examine and address our personal feelings. By then, it is too late.

Being retired has provided me the opportunity to see issues more clearly. Our students today will be the leaders of tomorrow. We need them to learn about and honestly discuss issues that will impact them, not just now, but in their future. We need teachers who are prepared to have frank and open discussions with their students. This will require professional development sessions on how to talk with kids about difficult issues. We need literature that addresses issues of racism or injustice. We need students to have opportunities to work collaboratively to address these sensitive issues and to offer a way forward for their school or their community. We need parents and community members to be more involved in addressing problems that are impacting our students and being part of the solution.

Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of others. We may not have personally experienced racism and injustice, but if we have empathy, we know that the time to address these issues is long overdue. Let’s make this a priority in schools.

“A Nation in Turmoil”

This was the headline in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

I am so saddened by the state of our country. I rarely use this blog to share my political views, but this is not a political situation. It is a case of failed leadership. 

It’s been a week since the tragic death of George Floyd. People are angry. COVID-19 has forced us to alter our lifestyles and to social distance. So when something like this happens, people, especially people of color, are even more upset. They choose to defy social distancing orders and to peacefully protest. Yes, there were people who looted businesses or did other unlawful activities. Those who committed crimes should be arrested and held accountable, and it appears that those people were not necessarily there to protest but to use this time of unrest to loot and destroy. According to the news I’ve been following, most of the protests and protesters were intended to be peaceful. 

Now the President chooses to inflame tensions by calling in the US military so he can be the “law and order” president. He threatens to mobilize military resources not just in the nation’s capital, but also in states even if governors have not asked for his assistance. I am frightened that our military troops are being asked to use force against their fellow citizens. I am appalled that no one can reign in this runaway train of a presidency. What is next?

Last year at this time, my husband Randy and I were excitedly packing for a Revolutionary-Civil War trip with our son and grandsons. (I shared some of our experiences in these blog posts: What an Experience So Far!  and Experiencing History) After visiting important places and learning about historical events in Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., our grandsons have a better understanding and pride in our country. It is so sad that today, a mere year removed from our trip, our grandsons are witnessing the desecration of national monuments as well as looting and violence in the very places we visited. People are angry about the unnecessary and tragic death of a black man at the hands of a police officer. This problem won’t be solved by sending in the military and using force to try to silence the protestors. 

America, we can and must do better. Our children are watching.