The Right Fit

We all have that favorite pair of jeans or shoes that fits just right.  They're perfect...snug exactly where they need to be and loose in the same way.  It's very subjective and hard to articulate, but you just know when you've got the right fit.

I believe that the same concept applies to job interviews.  Of course, my viewpoint is limited because I have only been the person interviewed.  I have never been the person conducting the interview.  And my track record when it comes to being interviewed for administrative jobs honestly isn't very good.  In fact, out of nine career interviews, I have not been offered one position.

Now, I'm not trying to make a negative statement or have anyone feel sorry for me.  I'm just illustrating the fact that the right fit between myself and a school has yet to be made.  That's just the nature of the process.

Rather than bemoan my success rate, I completely trust the viewpoint of the interview teams that have taken the time to evaluate me.  In a lot of ways, the interview process is like speed dating.  You have a limited amount of time to put your best foot forward.  You're not exactly sure what the other party is looking for.  But, both sides have a vested interest.  In this case, it's the children at that school.  Unfortunately, in each circumstance I've been in, the experts in those districts have determined that I'm not the right fit for that specific scenario.

Some people may look at an 0-for-9 percentage as a sign that maybe that line of work isn't in cards for them.  I choose to look at each of those nine instances as an opportunity for growth.  Sometimes I may have made mistakes in my approach or in an answer I gave or my etiquette during an interview which led to another candidate bypassing me.  Sometimes I may have done everything correctly, but someone else just out shined me and proved that they were the best fit for that job.

If you think about it this way, three out of 10 is a great batting average in baseball.  All I need is one out of 10.  I have to stay patient and not get discouraged about the statistics.  Not in a narcissistic way, but  I must continue to believe that the combination of my personality, leadership skills and experiences will lend themselves well administratively to a school someday.  However, it must be beneficial to both parties, and for reasons not entirely known to me, I just haven't found that fit yet.

Here's what I do know, however, about the right fit.  Let's suppose for instance I did land one of those nine jobs for which I interviewed.  That job needs to be mutually beneficial.  So, if I got a job, that's great, right?  But what if it wasn't the right fit?  What if it was a job where my beliefs didn't mesh with the culture of the school?  What if it turns out that the administration I worked with didn't allow for me to grow as an educator?  What if I ended up being a drain on fellow faculty and staff with my constant ideas for change?

What that means is without the right fit, sometimes, one or more parties will turn out to be negative or even miserable.  Therefore, students will be able to sense that as well and have those emotions negatively impact the learning environment.  Nobody wants that, so that's why I'm confident that the people who decided that I'm not the right fit have made the right decisions in the best interests of the students in their schools.  Like the favorite pair of jeans or shoes, they may not be able to fully explain their decisions, but they just know--and that's good enough for me.

I would like to think that I am the right fit in all situations, but I only have tunnel vision of what I believe I bring to the table.  Those who ended up getting those positions were what's best for those students at that point in time.  As much as we would like to have a calculated and fully objective hiring process, we have to remember that this job involves human beings.  And human beings are messy and subjective.  Human beings sometimes have to go with their guts, and there's nothing wrong with that.

So, I could choose to be angry and bitter about my situation, or I could choose to look ahead to the next opportunity while keeping in mind what I've learned from previous interviews.  I choose the latter because I believe there is a right fit in my future.  At the risk of sounding like a Match.com commercial, my best fit is still out there--I just haven't found it yet!

I can tell you this much, though.  When I do find it (and increase my success rate to 1-for-10), the first thing I'll do is to throw on those favorite pair of jeans, enjoy the moment and thank my lucky stars that I have chosen education as my profession.  As long as I have the opportunity to work with students, things seem to fit just right.

The Quest For Continuous Improvement

In my personal Education Hall of Fame, there is a gentleman by the name of Tom Keating.  Currently, he is the principal of Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids, IA, but he was more widely known as the volleyball coach at Wahlert Catholic High School in Dubuque, IA.  His coaching resume is extensive, but just to give you an small idea about his impact:  his teams won 11 state championships in Iowa and they were rated in the national top ten continuously, he was named national high school coach of year twice, he is still an outstanding presenter and continues to speak at clinics nationwide and is an all around great guy.

I have heard his presentations, watched his instructional videotapes, emailed with him and had conversations with him over dinner.  Back in the day, as a volleyball coach at an opposing school in his conference, he even let me watch one of his practices once!  He definitely cared about winning, but he cared about growing the sport and growing leaders more.  You could say that I'm a solid, card-carrying member of the Tom Keating Fan Club.

The point of this blog entry is to highlight one of his favorite sayings that has become one of mine as well.  So much so, that I would say that if I had to base my entire educational philosophy around one statement, this saying of his would be it:  "Every day, you get better or you get worse--there's no such thing as staying the same."

To paraphrase, every time a student comes into the classroom or an athlete walks into practice, they are presented with a choice:  to improve or to regress.  Of course, there are many factors that contribute to that ultimate result, but if you go into that day with the idea that you will improve, chances are you will.   Also, since others are continually improving, that means even if you stay the same, you are actually getting behind when compared to the growth of others.

I have stressed that point to my students and athletes daily.  Even if they walk out of my classroom or gym a tiny bit better than when they walked in, over the course of a semester or a season, the difference  between start and finish will be significant.  It's a philosophy that seems so simple, yet elusive for many students.

More importantly, though, do I practice what I preach?  In this new age of education where technology will be the mechanism for student engagement as well as professional development, I believe I have moved out of my comfort zone in an attempt to extend myself.  Every day, I connect with incredible educators nationwide on Twitter and other social media, as well as gaining knowledge and ideas on a continual basis from my new personal learning network.  So, while I don't profess to getting better every single day, as Keating suggests, I can certainly say that my intentions every day are to do so.  It's really an exhilarating feeling to be nearly 20 years into my educational career to say that I am still learning!

The other great thing about having this feeling is that it's contagious.  I have been able to find like-minded educators in and out of my building that provide me with encouragement, ideas and feedback often as well.  I have now prodded other educators, and they now have caught the bug, just like I did, and now are finding their own ways to improve themselves every day.

With as much pressure and scrutiny that educators are faced with from all directions nowadays, this notion of continuous improvement might be the very thing that keeps frustration with the job at bay.  Being able to acquire to skills and to keep things fresh is at the core of all human desires.  It's all right there for the educator who has the aforementioned proper attitude.

So, at my core, I believe that continuous improvement is a must if you want to succeed in this time (or any time for that matter) in education.  People who want to rely on what worked 20, 10 or even three years ago may have a point, but most everything has a shelf life and an expiration date, it seems.  If we're not trying to getting better on a daily basis, not only do students suffer, but a small opportunity to advance the profession is lost.

This not only is true for teachers, but administrators as well.  I know Tom Keating, the coach, well.  However, I left Iowa for Kansas City before I knew Tom Keating, the principal.  But if I know Tom Keating, the human being, I can only imagine what life at Xavier High School is like.  I would think that he would be the one growing teacher-leaders and therefore, having students achieve at high levels. He would think that risk is a necessary part of that growth and wouldn't admonish teachers for trying something new in the classroom and failing, as that is part of the learning process of human beings.  He would visit classrooms often and continue a working two-way dialogue with teachers in order to improve instructional strategies and methods and, in turn, student achievement.  And lastly, I bet that he would be the kind of administrator to learn side-by-side with his fellow educators.  He would be one to get right in the middle of a professional development session and discuss ideas with his teachers, not merely professing from higher ground.  Like I said, I don't know these things for a fact, but knowing Tom Keating, I'd be willing to place a hefty bet that all of this is true.

Someday, when I will be able to fulfill an administrator's shoes, I believe that this concept of continuous improvement will be at the top on my non-negotiables list.  To me, it's the one thing that sustains us as educators.  If that is absent, then other aspects of the job begin to drop off as well.  Every day, we all have an opportunity to get better or get worse.  Thanks, Tom for reminding me of that.

The Monumental First Post...Jumping Off The Log

There's an old joke that goes something like this:  There are three frogs sitting on a log and one of them decides to jump off...how many frogs remain?  The answer is three--deciding to jump off and actually jumping off are two totally different things!

So, that idea begins this blog.  After a significant length of time as an educational blog and social media lurker, I have decided to jump off the log.  

When I finished my doctorate a little over a year ago from Saint Louis University (where they have a very good Ed.D. program that I would highly recommend, by the way), part of the dissertation process was to provide a reflection on my experiences in the program.  The statement I wrote at that time that still rings in my head is that I believed that the doctorate was not an ending, but only a beginning.  It represents an obligation to further contribute to the educational body of work that exists in the world.  In order to do that, I must be willing to stretch myself and go into areas (like putting myself and my thoughts on a public blog) that involve risk and might even be a little dangerous!  I believe the discourse and learning possibilities far outweigh the occasional mistakes or negative outcomes that may arise from this endeavor.

I'm not sure how often an idea will motivate me to blog about it, so I'm not committing myself daily, weekly or monthly, but I'm sure each time I post, the easier it will become.

As for the title of this blog, the derivation comes from my senior year in high school.  I was the sports editor on The Surveyor--the school newspaper at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, IA (www.crwash.org).  My final column in the last edition of that year's paper was written (with pen on paper, mind you) in the basement laundry room at home while the dryer was tumbling away.  So, when that column went to print, it went under the title of "Thoughts While Waiting For My Socks To Dry."  That article was a random conglomeration of memories and opinions about what occurred that school year of 1991-92.

Fast forward to 2013.  This blog will operate under that same philosophy.  You will see random thoughts here about education, leadership and new ideas.  You'll probably even see a sports take or two.  I'm not looking to change the world, but crazier things have happened!  I don't know if two people or two million people will read these words, but at least I can say that I'm attempting to fulfill that statement and obligation I made last year to try push myself and, in some small way, the educational world as well.

So, here I go......  (jump)