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On the Same Page (Even if Taken from Different Books)By Ellen McFall, NBCT
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Change can be scary, whether it’s mental or physical. It stands to reason that how one approaches change can truly make all the difference. From an article entitled, “Why Your Attitude Is Everything” *, author Keith Harrell states, “One of the most important steps you can take toward achieving your greatest potential in life is to learn to monitor your attitude and its impact on your work performance, relationships and everyone around you.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
The initial goal for my CTEPS work was to address school culture; move everyone to a positive place, enabling a great outlook to face each and every day. Through continued work with my bird (small CTEPS) group specifically, it didn’t take long to realize that I needed to broaden my focus and provide a path for the faculty and staff in my building to be on the same page.
At the same time, I realized I had to narrow my focus to offer solutions that demonstrate why being a “green light”, positive attitude person does matter. Some time ago, at a particularly great session during a Model Schools conference, I heard an analogy comparing school culture (and the relevant staff within) to a stoplight. It has always stuck with me. It created a real 'picture' in my mind. It goes something like this: folks in a school are either red light, yellow light or green light people. It's fairly simple, really. The green light folks are always positive and see things from a moving forward together progressive angle. The red light folks are most consistently negative and prefer to do things the way they've always done them. The yellow light people are the real key here. Those are the folks who walk the middle ground, some positivity mixed with some negativity. The point being, green light folks MUST persuade the yellow light folks to transition to the GREEN ZONE. A little attitude goes a long way. At a most basic level it’s necessary to think like the little engine that could, ‘I THINK I CAN. I THINK I CAN.’ Yep, that’s me.
Realizing this would be no easy feat, I (like Keith Harrell) also recognized that in my heart I know it to be true that much of what we do in life starts with our attitude. Our school is soon to undergo some restructuring in our district. Our two separate middle schools (grades 6-8) will become two different centers: one for all county students in grades 6/7, the other for grades 8/9. In many ways, this makes the outcome of my CTEPS work even more vital and to be honest, a bit scary. Now, more than ever, the faculty and staff will need to be on the same page as we combine our students, our teaching pedagogy, our resources, our solutions oriented thoughts, our growth minded goals, our day-to-day successes and challenges and OUR LIVES.
The most profound moment in my work this year has been the realization that I have underestimated my power. If you’ll bear with me and forgive the clichés, I know that two heads are better than one and no man (or woman) is an island. While I cannot magically give everyone a positive attitude, I can work on my own attitude each and every day AND offer tools and steps to suggest to my colleagues how we might reach the same page.
My research and guided path through CTEPS has cemented my thought that (at minimum) it’s a threefold process (see piktochart) and it’s not going to be smooth or simple sailing to get us all there. We’ve got some great things in place - faculty and staff field trips, fun activities, a ‘shout out’ to staff bulletin board, finger food Fridays, and always, always celebrating the big moments together - like retirement and new babies.
Let me continue by stressing that I work with some of the best folks ever: in my school, in my district, in my state. Inspiration comes in many forms. Many days the look on a student’s face when he/she “gets it” is truly priceless.
Another aspect of inspiration for me comes from my work with colleagues. In particular, I’ve had the distinct honor of meeting lots of new colleagues, now friends, through this Classroom Teachers Enacting Positive Solutions network. Our CTEPS team leaders are leading and guiding our growth quite effectively. Through planned strategic activities including face-to-face meetings, online zoom sessions, small (bird) group conversations and sharing, and the completion and self-reflection afforded in guided resources/formats (to name JUST a few integral pieces), my colleagues and I are growing. We are growing through research. We are given the tools, shown how to most effectively use them, and given the support to turn a plan into action. I’ll be sharing these resources with my school colleagues.
Let there be no doubt, school culture IS a living, breathing entity. I’m ready to put my best foot forward and I’ll be asking colleagues to read Seth Godin’s Tribes with me so we can have a discussion and plot our path together. Heather Warrell at the Kentucky Department of Education shared some of her expertise in this ‘positive culture’ arena, and I’ve got some great ideas to guide us. Us...has a nice ring to it...no man is an island; two heads are better than one…
So proudly I shout, “my CTEPS work is only the beginning” ...more steps are needed to see this project to completion, more communication and commitment from my home team, more revision will be needed to see that we all land on the same page, and stay there.
At a recent KySTE conference I was able to participate in my first breakout.edu session. WOW! Cannot wait to lead a session with my friends and colleagues; new and existing. This chance to ‘work together’ hits so many key components that our district is focusing on: critical thinking, collaboration and communication. AND, it affords me a way to put my action plan into ‘play’. The idea is to start with the adults in the building and show them how they can use this tool with students. Hey, wait a minute…” if you build it, they will come” (a line you may recognize from one of my favorite movies, FIELD OF DREAMS, with Kevin Costner)...if we build positive attitudes with the adults in the building, I’m guessing there’s research to show how it positively affects the students’ own attitudes and surely their achievement, also!
I’m on it...more research, more CTEPS in the right direction...on the SAME PAGE. Who’s with me?
* http://www.success.com/article/why-your-attitude-is-everything
The initial goal for my CTEPS work was to address school culture; move everyone to a positive place, enabling a great outlook to face each and every day. Through continued work with my bird (small CTEPS) group specifically, it didn’t take long to realize that I needed to broaden my focus and provide a path for the faculty and staff in my building to be on the same page.
At the same time, I realized I had to narrow my focus to offer solutions that demonstrate why being a “green light”, positive attitude person does matter. Some time ago, at a particularly great session during a Model Schools conference, I heard an analogy comparing school culture (and the relevant staff within) to a stoplight. It has always stuck with me. It created a real 'picture' in my mind. It goes something like this: folks in a school are either red light, yellow light or green light people. It's fairly simple, really. The green light folks are always positive and see things from a moving forward together progressive angle. The red light folks are most consistently negative and prefer to do things the way they've always done them. The yellow light people are the real key here. Those are the folks who walk the middle ground, some positivity mixed with some negativity. The point being, green light folks MUST persuade the yellow light folks to transition to the GREEN ZONE. A little attitude goes a long way. At a most basic level it’s necessary to think like the little engine that could, ‘I THINK I CAN. I THINK I CAN.’ Yep, that’s me.
Realizing this would be no easy feat, I (like Keith Harrell) also recognized that in my heart I know it to be true that much of what we do in life starts with our attitude. Our school is soon to undergo some restructuring in our district. Our two separate middle schools (grades 6-8) will become two different centers: one for all county students in grades 6/7, the other for grades 8/9. In many ways, this makes the outcome of my CTEPS work even more vital and to be honest, a bit scary. Now, more than ever, the faculty and staff will need to be on the same page as we combine our students, our teaching pedagogy, our resources, our solutions oriented thoughts, our growth minded goals, our day-to-day successes and challenges and OUR LIVES.
The most profound moment in my work this year has been the realization that I have underestimated my power. If you’ll bear with me and forgive the clichés, I know that two heads are better than one and no man (or woman) is an island. While I cannot magically give everyone a positive attitude, I can work on my own attitude each and every day AND offer tools and steps to suggest to my colleagues how we might reach the same page.
My research and guided path through CTEPS has cemented my thought that (at minimum) it’s a threefold process (see piktochart) and it’s not going to be smooth or simple sailing to get us all there. We’ve got some great things in place - faculty and staff field trips, fun activities, a ‘shout out’ to staff bulletin board, finger food Fridays, and always, always celebrating the big moments together - like retirement and new babies.
Let me continue by stressing that I work with some of the best folks ever: in my school, in my district, in my state. Inspiration comes in many forms. Many days the look on a student’s face when he/she “gets it” is truly priceless.
Another aspect of inspiration for me comes from my work with colleagues. In particular, I’ve had the distinct honor of meeting lots of new colleagues, now friends, through this Classroom Teachers Enacting Positive Solutions network. Our CTEPS team leaders are leading and guiding our growth quite effectively. Through planned strategic activities including face-to-face meetings, online zoom sessions, small (bird) group conversations and sharing, and the completion and self-reflection afforded in guided resources/formats (to name JUST a few integral pieces), my colleagues and I are growing. We are growing through research. We are given the tools, shown how to most effectively use them, and given the support to turn a plan into action. I’ll be sharing these resources with my school colleagues.
Let there be no doubt, school culture IS a living, breathing entity. I’m ready to put my best foot forward and I’ll be asking colleagues to read Seth Godin’s Tribes with me so we can have a discussion and plot our path together. Heather Warrell at the Kentucky Department of Education shared some of her expertise in this ‘positive culture’ arena, and I’ve got some great ideas to guide us. Us...has a nice ring to it...no man is an island; two heads are better than one…
So proudly I shout, “my CTEPS work is only the beginning” ...more steps are needed to see this project to completion, more communication and commitment from my home team, more revision will be needed to see that we all land on the same page, and stay there.
At a recent KySTE conference I was able to participate in my first breakout.edu session. WOW! Cannot wait to lead a session with my friends and colleagues; new and existing. This chance to ‘work together’ hits so many key components that our district is focusing on: critical thinking, collaboration and communication. AND, it affords me a way to put my action plan into ‘play’. The idea is to start with the adults in the building and show them how they can use this tool with students. Hey, wait a minute…” if you build it, they will come” (a line you may recognize from one of my favorite movies, FIELD OF DREAMS, with Kevin Costner)...if we build positive attitudes with the adults in the building, I’m guessing there’s research to show how it positively affects the students’ own attitudes and surely their achievement, also!
I’m on it...more research, more CTEPS in the right direction...on the SAME PAGE. Who’s with me?
* http://www.success.com/article/why-your-attitude-is-everything
With 24 years of teaching experience, Ellen McFall is currently the Library Media Specialist at St. Charles Middle School in Marion County. Ellen earned National Board Certification in 2007 and renewed in 2016. She serves as president of the Marion County Education Association, Student Technology Leadership Coordinator and co-Academic/FPS team coach. Most recently Ellen served as a regional team lead for KEA’s NBCT network and mentors NBCT candidates. She is also a CTEPS graduate. She previously served as an education adjunct faculty member at St. Catharine College.
Use Ellen's infographic to help create a positive school culture.
