Blog Archive for October, 2009

As Educators we have many responsibilities to our students, their families, our coworkers, team mates, and school administration. We strive to stay in compliance with curricular requirements, state standards, and laws that stipulate what we teach and how we teach it. Dr. Larry Selaty was a professor at Wayne State University and a Special Education administrator in a large school district in the suburbs of metro Detroit. As a young man, Dr. Selaty served his country as a “Tunnel Rat” in the Vietnam War. When he finally returned home after surviving a horrific imprisonment as a Prisoner of War, he completed his college education and became an educator.

I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Selaty a few years ago in a graduate class at Wayne State. Based on his extensive experiences, Dr. Selaty had a unique perspective on life. One evening, Dr. Selaty taught us something that changed the way I view my life and make decisions. He asked the class if anyone knew how to juggle. None of us were willing to admit they could juggle. Nevertheless, Dr. Selaty pulled three tennis balls from his briefcase and informed us that we were all expert jugglers. He said as educators we constantly juggle the variety of responsibilities that we take care of each day. He said we keep this juggle going throughout the day and even as more balls are added to the juggle, we strive to keep control over them. Dr. Selaty suddenly stopped juggling. “You know what’s important?” he said. “You need to know what you are juggling.” He went on to explain that some of the “balls” we juggle are rubber and some are glass. If we let a rubber ball fall out of our juggle it will bounce and we can work it back into our juggle when we are ready for it. However, if we let a glass ball fall out of our juggle that ball is not going to bounce. It will shatter and we will not have the opportunity to get it back.

Knowing the difference between the rubber balls and glass balls you juggle can change the way you plan your work and work your plan. Take a blank sheet of paper and fold it in half. On one half make a list of the professional responsibilities you consider to be glass balls. These are tasks that simply cannot drop out of your juggle. On the other half of the paper, list your rubber balls, responsibilities that will bounce back if you have to let them fall out of your juggle on occasion. When you are done assembling your lists, you may want to turn the paper over and repeat the process, this time reflecting on your personal life.  Do you have responsibilities in your personal life? I know I do. Besides being an educator, I am a husband, a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend…I am a person that juggles a lot of balls both at home and school. I imagine as a dedicated educator, you juggle a lot of balls too.

Less than a year after I completed Dr. Selaty’s class he was killed in a car accident while vacationing in Florida. His legacy lives on in many ways for his family, friends, and students. For me, Dr. Selaty will be remembered as a respected teacher that introduced me to a talent I didn’t know I had. I can juggle and so can you!

I believe that education is the noblest profession on earth … second only to those who serve in our armed forces.  Like most of you, I have huge admiration for men and women who put their lives on the line to protect strangers both inside and outside the U.S.  A shining example of this kind of person is General Stan McChrystal.  General McChrystal is the new U.S. Commander in Afghanistan.  Feeling the need for results and frustrated with the red tape and bureaucracy that holds his men and women back, on a recent 60 Minutes episode, General McChrystal shared “When you ask an average organization when they want something completed, they pull out a calendar.  In a great organization they pull out their watch.” I believe this candor should hit home to us as educators as well.  We wait way too long to act, and have far too much patience for timelines that often stretch out for years.  We should follow General McChrystal’s advice.  Forget the calendar, let’s look to the watch!

One of my favorite books on leadership, and a must read for all principals, is a book by Jack Welch titled Winning.  Jack is the former CEO of General Electric and recognized as one of the greatest leaders of his generation. This guy sweats honesty and he makes it a point to write about how the lack of candor is killing organizations and turning great potential leaders into status-quo wimps.  Take a look at this clip as he encourages new leaders to be the best “YOU” they can be.

Note: If you decide to purchase the book, I highly recommend that you buy the audio version.  Nothing beats having Mr. Welch offer leadership tips in his own voice.

I’m always inspired by educators who say what they mean and mean what they say.  When schools and districts struggle it is rarely due to a lack of talent in the classroom and almost always due to a lack of candor about the problems that need to be fixed.  Michelle Rhee is the chancellor of the Washington D.C. public school system.  After two years of working in one of our country’s most challenging areas, she sat down with Washington Post journalist Jay Mathews to talk about where her district has been, and more importantly where they are headed.  I find her honest, unapologetic, candor to be refreshing as she places kids at the forefront of all decisions made in her district.  Click on the link below to watch this three part interview and decide for yourself.

Jay Mathews Interview