Principles & Principals

Engagement, not compliance

2010-08-08T11:55:00.002-04:00

A parent once asked me why her son volunteered to stay at school until 11:00pm setting up a stage for an all-school Mass, but couldn't spend 15 minutes taking out the trash to earn his allowance. Teachers often wonder why students will fail to submit an easy vocabulary sheet to help their grade, and then spend hours on a video presentation or art project that doesn't have nearly the impact on their academic standing. My wife questions why it's easier for me to help with someone else's backyard improvement project than finish the list I have waiting for me here at home.

Daniel Pink, a noted author and speaker, explains in the animated video below that studies have demonstrated that for most behaviors we value in communities and the workforce, rewards such as money or grades are actually de-motivators.  Instead, people are looking for the opportunity to self-direct, and master skills in an environment that has a real and lasting purpose. It's not to say that money and grades are unimportant, rather, that they are poor motivators.

This explains why when we eliminated the 10 hour per year service hour requirement at Cardinal Gibbons, the amount of volunteerism and service on campus doubled or even tripled in many cases. It also helps to explain why, when a teacher is able to take unnecessary grading issues off the table, students are far more motivated to learn in that classroom. It certainly doesn't mean that a teacher should be an "easy grader" - far from it.  Once students are confident that the grading process is fair, they are free to attempt to master skills in the class.

At Cardinal Gibbons, just as in companies, parishes and communities, we want engagement not compliance. Therefore, we need to become comfortable with, as Daniel Pink says, "radical forms of self-direction."  Allowing students making mistakes and being creative. Encouraging teachers to challenge long-standing assumptions in school environments. Welcoming the creative talents of parents and friends of the school. Although Pink cites several examples of successful, creative visions we must also be prepared for some setbacks and failures. Risk-taking is easier in a healthy community that acknowledges the possible downside of creativity, and creates a support network for creative individuals.

It's important to remember that community integrity is a vital part of this motivation. If people work alone on an island, they won't see how their efforts make an impact, leading to a diminished sense of purpose.  Paradoxically, those who care most about the community will be the most reluctant to be creative, fearing the potential backlash of unintended or unanticipated consequences. A parent running an annual event in isolation is more likely to make decisions based upon "that's the way we've always done it" because that thought process is the most likely to do no harm. But it's also least likely to move us forward.

Leadership is vital in clearly articulating a community vision, and fostering each individual's connection to the organization's vision. Students need to know "how this relates to the real world." Teachers need to know how their decisions will be supported and implemented. Parents need to know how their volunteering and attending events helps to accomplish the school's mission. The motivation of working for the benefit of others is very powerful, which is why we'll often drop our own projects to work on someone else's tasks. Most exciting of all, students can be an integral part of leading to ensure each member of the community knows the value of their contributions, and learning something very important about leadership in the process.

Time to get back to my household to-do list ...

The New Gibbons "Spirit Logo"

2010-07-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

I posted a sneak peek of the new logo to my Twitter account last week, and found that in just 1 hour, over 60 people had visited the bit.ly link to my homepage. One person a minute! I certainly don't get that kind of traffic when I normally post links to articles or my blog. Clearly, students, alumni and parents have some interest in the new "spirit logo." A parent suggested that I give a little more background about how we arrived at this logo.

The process was important, as we had been thinking about a consistent logo for Athletics and other co-curricular activities ever since the "CG" logo was adopted four years ago. We decided to enlist the help of a professional communications agency, and we were lucky enough to find a designer who knew and loved the school already, as a graduate of Cardinal Gibbons. Many thanks to Greg Galloway '95 and the team at Signal who helped us through the process, designed the logo, and put together a style sheet to help us stay true to the original design.

A rumor had been circulating around campus that the school was going to abandon the "Crusaders" mascot, and some alumni mentioned the rumor to me at Homecoming. Of course, we were not originally known as the "Crusaders" - that mascot was adopted when the students at Nazareth Orphanage officially joined Cathedral Latin High School during the 1949-1950 school year (read this portion of the school's history on our centennial website), but there was never a part of the process where changing or eliminating the mascot was discussed. As you can see from the logo at the top of the page, it remains our school mascot and a part of the school's spirit logo.

We consulted with coaches, teachers, parents, alumni, and most importantly, students on the essential qualities of our school that should be represented in this type of logo, or as the design folks like to call it, a "mark." Interestingly, while terms like "excellence" and "successful" were important, just as common were words like "welcoming" and "sportsmanship." It was refreshing to hear that in competition, it was important to our student-athletes and coaches that we focus on being hospitable and welcoming to teams and fans from other schools, and that it should somehow be reflected in the logo. That discussion ruled out some of the ideas seen in other logos.

There was also a discussion on the name - in other words, what would be the focus of the logo when people referred to our school. We really had four options: 1) Cardinal Gibbons, 2) Gibbons, 3) CGHS and 4) Crusaders. Everyone agreed that we were known on campus, by alumni and in the public arena as "Gibbons," and that the logo should reflect that common usage. So, the "G," referring to "Gibbons" quickly became the focus of the logo.

In searching logos and crusader mascots, the most creative one was from another Catholic preparatory school: Mercy High School, in Burlingame, CA. Although we had a lot of interesting suggestions during brainstorming sessions, supporters of the rabbit crusader were never able to sway the majority. For those of you in favor of a more quirky logo, you missed your chance to get on the rabbit bandwagon. Also, for the many fans of the Green Army's famous "Banana Cheer," the "Crusading Bananas" did not make it very far in the process.

It was at this point that we were presented with several different versions, and the group decided to move forward with a design that incorporated a shield and flag (the original was different than the final version). People liked the shield idea, for its connection to the Crusaders mascot and its timelessness, and the flag for the "movement" it added to the logo and the fact that it was distinctive. Groups also liked that the cross in the flag reflected the "CG" logo we've been using, and will continue to use.

So far, everything had been pretty smooth, however, when it came to the "G," that's where the group had difficulty making a decision. We went through several versions of the "G," everything from a very traditional "Block G" (which we use for our Athletic Varsity Letters) to some diverse versions that were crafted by Greg and the team at Signal. The challenge was to come up with something distinctive, however not so different that it was either difficult to read or would quickly become dated. After several variations on the "G" we finally agreed on the letter you see in the middle of the shield, which we hoped would be clear, strong and distinctive enough to remain the letter we will continue to use in applications of the spirit logo. Additionally, it gives us the font that we use for "GIBBONS" in the logo.

The most exciting part of the new logo is that it will be worn by our community of faculty, parents, and friends of the school, and of course alumni and students (both current and future). We're proud of our school: our long and storied history in Raleigh, our tradition of success in athletics and fine arts, and the tremendous spirit of our school community. There was a lot of thought and work put into the development of a logo that would represent all that we love about our school, and I look forward to seeing the "spirit logo" around campus this fall.

Trust Me

2010-05-19T17:55:00.006-04:00

The following article was published in the Spring 2010 edition of "Voices":

Alumni will remember from their high school days that nothing heightens parental suspicion faster than a teenager saying, “trust me” as they leave the house on a Friday night. Parents who hear “trust me” can be pretty sure that their child is up to something.

Yet, “trust me” is exactly what we want to hear from our students.

In March, when the SACS-CASI Accreditation Peer Review Team members were finishing their 5-year visit, the Team Chair told me that our students used the word “trust” repeatedly in describing their relationship with adults on campus. He found it so unusual that our students felt comfortable developing and leading new programs for adults such as our Board of Trustees orientation and the Family Association Retreat, and noted that the mutual trust between students and faculty was the foundation of the school’s culture.

In giving authentic leadership opportunities to students, we tell them explicitly that we trust them. What do we trust? We trust that students will do their best, using their gifts and skills to the fullest. We trust that they understand the mission of CGHS, and want to further that mission. Finally, we trust that they care deeply about the good for all members of our community.

Trust doesn’t eliminate mistakes, however. I once had a teacher at a leadership presentation raise her hand and ask me: “what if we trust students with responsibility and they mess up?” A perfectly legitimate question, and just as valid when I returned it to her: “what if you mess it up?” Students who are only given simple management tasks hear clearly that they aren’t trusted with anything more important, and certainly adults hear the same message. Even if a person has the skills and support system necessary for a leadership challenge, they are unable to act if they don’t feel trusted.

Mother Theresa once said “I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.” To be fully trusted is a simultaneously inspiring and challenging experience, and a formational opportunity that students must experience now if they are to be leaders in church and community.

Today, our alumni continue to reward the school’s trust, returning to serve and lead at Cardinal Gibbons. Your parents were right: when you say “trust me,” you are up to something. You’re leading on the CGHS Board of Trustees, Alumni Council, and as faculty and staff members; you’ve contributed your time and expertise in our Alumni Career Day, and in the planning of the 100th Anniversary celebrations; and you are even leading our efforts in social networking technology and website design. How fortunate our students today are to profit from your contributions and to learn by your example the benefits of trust.

Losing Control

2010-04-26T18:51:00.090-04:00

The other night I drove my son and some of his friends to a basketball skills clinic, and quickly buried myself into a corner of the gym with a pile of work from school that had to be finished by the next day. However, in only a few minutes I found myself totally distracted from my work, watching one of the most impressive teaching demonstrations I'd ever seen.

The clinic involved at least 75 athletes, ranging from 10 years old to 18, both boys and girls, with a wide variety of athletic, basketball and learning abilities. The young coach running the skills clinic had every single one of the athletes engaged, working hard, and learning, with almost no breaks in the pace of instruction or drill transitions. If an athlete was struggling in a drill, another athlete showed them how to do it correctly. There were no apparent consequences to failing at a drill (running laps, etc.), yet the athletes were clearly trying to improve. The learning, tempo and energy in the gym were nothing short of inspirational to someone who has spent many years observing and mentoring coaches.

If you had walked in, you would have imagined that these athletes had been working with the coach for years, rather than the one or two other sessions he's run with them. The way the group moved, worked, and improved was astonishing. What was most impressive to me is that he seemed to have absolute control over the hour and a half session, even though he was interrupted a few times by a guest coach, and parents were talking too loudly on the sidelines. He never broke stride, and the athletes were totally "locked in" - they never lost focus.

I approached him at the end of practice and asked him about his coaching methodology. He looked a little surprised, as I'm sure he expected a parent to ask a "basketball question," or worse! I explained that I was an educator, and that I was trying to learn how to teach coaches and teachers how to work effectively with groups. He smiled knowingly, and explained that he's experienced some difficulty in training other coaches in clinic settings, but that there was one thing that he found to be most important. I expected him to talk about preparation, drill and fundamentals instruction, or even a coach's presence in the gym, but I got something totally unexpected.

He told me that the most difficult thing to get coaches to understand is that "they have to be OK with imperfection." He added that "most coaches are so interested in the drill looking right, that they never allow the athletes to work their way through the drill - to get better."

It makes me think of all the times in the classroom or in the gym where I was too interested in my lesson plan, or the practice I'd developed to actually let my students work to improve the process and themselves. In other words, I was more interested in having them work to improve within my lesson, instead of creating an environment where they would grow beyond the lesson.

Simply put, I was unwilling to lose my control over the teaching environment. Instead of actually creating a classroom where my students could learn and grow, I developed a setting where my students and athletes were limited by my control.

This video features Alan November, an educator who promotes the use of technology in education, asserting that students need to become active classroom contributors through the use of available tools. It's an interesting presentation arguing for a shift in the teacher control paradigm, and is a gentle reminder that while technology can be a distraction, if used creatively it also has tremendous potential in the service of our students' education.

Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom by Alan November from Brian Mull on Vimeo.

Easy Solutions

2010-04-21T18:17:00.006-04:00

This is an interesting video from Dan Meyer, a math teacher from Santa Cruz, CA (It was forwarded to me by a CGHS parent who discovered it being used informally as a resource at their company for "Take Your Children to Work Day" - thank you!).

I've heard discussions about academic and social challenges facing college freshmen, and one of the biggest is a perceived lack of "stick-to-itiveness." Dan's presentation gives a solid argument why this will continue without changes in high school education.

The application for math and science classes is obvious, however I also like employing his theories to the problem of jumping to solutions-based thinking in leadership challenges on campus. When we have a problem at school, students and adults want a formula where they can plug in established solutions ("the way we've always done it") in order to arrive at an easy solution. Invariably, we arrive at the creation of a new policy (usually a clarification of an existing policy) precisely because it's an easy solution, and difficult to oppose. Rarely do those groups ask important questions, sift out non-essential information, or (most frustratingly of all) use their collective or individual intuition about what works and doesn't work.

Planned Unorganization

2010-03-22T22:25:00.008-04:00

Friday night at Cardinal Gibbons: the gymnasium, filled with hundreds of teenagers, playing an all-out version of loosely officiated dodge ball. It's the grand finale to a night with games against teachers and other class teams in volleyball, basketball and now dodge ball. In many schools, these events can develop into a highly organized class competition, with many hours devoted to the planning, rules, and structure of the evening.

For many years Gladiator Night has resisted the temptation to transform into the kind of high school event that is organized to the hilt … instead, the school has worked hard to keep it unorganized (very different from “disorganized”). I remember the dodge ball finale a couple of years ago where a single remaining freshman fended off 20 seniors for a full five minutes. The entire gym, including and especially the seniors were cheering him on – a spontaneous, playful moment, instead of organized entertainment.

We need more play in education. St. Thomas Aquinas, the patron saint of Catholic education, asserted that "it is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes." Among the final exams, state championships, fine arts competitions, we must reserve time for play.

Martin Buber said that “play is the exultation of the possible.” Organization is the enemy of play, because organization is the limitation of what is possible. Who would organize an event where one freshman takes on 20 seniors? And who would think it possible that it would be the best moment of the night?

Personal disclosure: I really like organization. I'm OK with clutter (check out my office desk as proof), but I can’t stand disorganization. My colleagues and mentors here at Cardinal Gibbons, deserve all the credit for showing me the educational and cultural value of unorganization.

Immediate Blog Feedback

2010-03-19T14:56:00.001-04:00

Fr. Scott was kind enough to give me immediate feedback on the blog, asking if I would be updating at least a couple of times each day.

My response: I will only be updating twice a day if he's OK with concise posts.

Concision is not my specialty.

CGHS Spiritus article: "Forming Our Future"

2010-02-10T21:46:00.011-05:00

Education articles today make constant reference to the future: “21st century learning,” “emerging technologies,” “education 3.0.” Educators discuss how to prepare students for an uncertain and challenging future, as if the light at the end of the educational tunnel is the headlamp of an oncoming train.

We’re now a decade into the 21st century, and even with rapid and drastic changes in technology and communication, the essential need of our Catholic high school students and communities remains exactly the same: to learn how to share our gifts in service to God and each other. Our biggest educational successes of the past 10 years have been the fruit of relationships on campus, supported not replaced by new technologies. As the leadership expert James Kouzes writes, “The best way to lead people into the future is to connect with them deeply in the present.”

Our focus, then, cannot be on the technology first, but rather on the integral human formation of each person on campus. Doing so will enhance our students’ use of the remarkable technological tools we incorporate in our schools. Today our students are capable of accessing tremendous amounts of information and opinions, able to reach out to vast audiences instantly, and can interact with a wide variety of environments daily. This “future” is a great gift to our students, as long as they have the personal integrity to maintain balance, intellectual curiosity, and faith that leads them to love God and others.

By encouraging and forming these traits we embrace the future, which is with us now, in our classrooms, hallways and homes. St. Francis de Sales told us to “bloom where you are planted.” Taking this to heart, we are certain to encounter a future that is shaped by our students, deeply rooted in their formation today.

So, what's with the blog title?

2010-01-27T23:30:00.006-05:00

Because I've been known to struggle with semantics, the thought of naming a blog for eternity causes procrastination. I decided in the meantime to pick a point that causes me to chuckle for a variety of reasons: (assumption: you know the difference between "principal" and "principle")

1) I really love it when I see "principal vs. principle" in print (often next to "your vs. you're," "there vs. they're vs. their") as if school principals are diametrically opposed to principles. Do we give them up upon oath of office, or are they gradually whittled away?

2) You'd be surprised at large amount of correspondence (from vendors, etc.) that I receive referring to my job as "principle." I don't know if that means that they consider me a school leader "in principle," or that they're making a positive assumption about my character.

3) Cover letters from aspiring educators that use the word "principle" convey either a spelling deficiency, a lack of attention to detail, or misplaced faith in Microsoft's spellcheck ... none of these options are very attractive to an employer ... espeshully in edukashun.

My understanding is that the position title originally comes from the concept of a "principal teacher." What a shame that we dropped the "teacher" part of the title ... it's the most important part of the job.

The beginning

2010-01-27T10:25:00.001-05:00

At the suggestion of a good friend and colleague, I'm going to try my hand at blogging. Since all it usually takes is a suggestion, here we go ...

One of the challenges of being a principal is making time to sit down and synthesize the thoughts that occur throughout the day, especially as they relate to my vocation, our school, and Catholic education. Even more challenging is finding the opportunity to share those thoughts in a forum that allows for feedback and discourse. The vision for this blog would be a place where students, parents, alumni and friends of Cardinal Gibbons could weigh in on the many possibilities that lie in store for our school.

Hopefully this blog will serve all these purposes ... and will give me a chance to expand beyond Twitter's 140 character limit! Thanks in advance for your patience, good humor, and most importantly, your thoughts.