The Maria Bridwell Educator’s Podcast: Recent Episodes

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Disciplines of an Effective Educator

Trust

Trusting others has the implication that we value what others say and truly listen to what they want.

A good leader is going to actively listen to others. Not just listen to respond but listening to understand.

One of the biggest things that we do as leaders and as leaders in the classroom is not fully listening to students or responding to them without taking into account what they have said. When we do this, it sends the message that:

• My idea is greater than your idea, so I don’t have to listen.
• Interrupting you is okay because your response isn’t important.
• I’m not listening to you because I’m already preparing my response.

Some practical tips to do to help with listening:

1. Don’t say, “I understand how you feel, but...” If you say that, you are already discounting what they are feeling or thinking because they will feel invalidated and that you’ve move into a different direction during the conversation.
2. Instead, summarize what you have heard. They will see this as you trying to really see their perspective and hearing them out.
3. If you go a different direction, articulate why. Always try to explain with reason and logic. They may or may not agree and that’s okay but you will know what everyone is thinking.

Truth

-Finding out the truth from students can be difficult sometimes especially when handling behavioral issues. A real understanding of what happened is important before inflicting any sort of disciplinary action.

Things to remember:

1. No single person is responsible for group truth

2. Don’t confuse disagreement with conflict

3. Don’t assume people see it

4. Speak Now or Forever Hold Your peace

Communicate:

Parents

In dealing with parents, reveal the truth of the events of what happened and keep it simple.

Admin

Keep your principal in the loop with what happened so that they are not blind-sided when they receive phone calls or emails from parents regarding the situation.

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Episode 6 Notes

Quote: Everytime you walk past someone, you have the opportunity to make their day better or make their day worse.

Quote: Try to make small deposits into another person’s emotional bank account.

In the times when it is difficult is when kindness is more needed than ever.

Kindness is a critical component of organizational success. Kindness is going to be critical to your success as a teacher in the classroom. This is not to say that we sing “Kumbaya” around the campfire. Kindness is about intentionality. It is about creating and maintaining the right environment in your classrooms so that students feel loved and cared for. When they experience that love and care, they will be loyal to you and will do just about anything for you. Kindness is the root of encouragement, encouragement leads to enthusiasm, and everyone benefits.  

How do we do this?

-Take the time to smile and greet your students and people around you.

-Don’t underestimate the power of writing encouraging notes. Make is an active part of your regular routine. Make it a regular habit to highlight behaviors that need to be reinforced. But also take time to encourage those who help you...your paraprofessionals, your fellow teachers, etc. Say thank you for what they have done to help and support you. 

-It can be other forms as well: quality time, a small gift perhaps. 

Questions to ask as you work on being an encourager to your students but also to people around you?

1. How do people feel after they interact with you? Do they feel inspired or deflated?
2. Will active encouragement inspire your students? Will it get them excited? Will it help them have a better day?

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Disciplines of an Effective Educator: Patience

Patient Admonishment

• Being patient with the person not with the actions. In other words, the person behind the troublesome behavior is not the identity of that student. We need to treat students with respect and dignity.
• Behavior of students must be addressed privately and in a patient and respectful manner.
• We demotivate students when they feel disrespected. The reason for any reprimand is reconciliation. They need to be aware of their behavior, why its wrong and be reconciled to you as their authority but also to others.
• There are instances for public admonishment. When a student has been consistently doing wrong after multiple attempts to correct or they are trying to get away from their responsibilities by being deceitful and even being disrespectful.

Patient Praise

• Effective praise is more than cliche sayings that we tell our students. Often times, because we want to use a sandwich approach before we admonish, we lump the praise and the students forget about the praise that you give them and are more focused instead on the admonishment.
• Effective praise should be done just as a stand alone. Just praising the student for what they are doing right.
• Effective praise is also more than just a generalization. It needs to be specific and that takes practice.
• Encourage and prime students for success through sincere praise.

Some questions that you can ask yourself in order for praise to be genuine and specific?

1. Will everyone have a good reason to believe this praise is true?
2. What exactly is the praise for?
3. Move on from admonishment without a grudge. When a student makes a mistake, admonish them, encourage them and move on. Allow them to make mistakes but teach them how to learn from those mistakes.

Recap:

Being an effective teacher requires the discipline of being patient...Being patient means:

1. To admonish effectively in private
2. To praise students specifically
3. To prime students for success through pointed praise
4. To move on from admonishment without a grudge

Reference:

Manby, Joel. (2012). Love Work. Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders. Zondervan Press.

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There are two types of leaders:

1. Diminishers

2. Multipliers

Traits of a diminisher:

• they feel as though their people will never figure out a situation without them.
• They use the talents of other people for their own good.
• They blame other people for mistakes within the organization.
• They tell others what to do.
• They decide for others.
• They control the situations and the activities of other people.

Traits of a multiplier:

• They feel as though people are smart and they will figure things out.
• They develop talent.
• They explore the mistakes that are made and learn from them.
• They challenge others to find direction
• They consult with others and collaborate before making decisions
• They support other people in getting things done

Five Disciplines of a multiplier:

1. Attract and optimize talent. They are talent magnets.
2. Create intensity that requires the best thinking. They establish a working environment that is highly motivated but also comfortable and warm. They are Liberators.
3. Extending challenges. Multipliers act as challengers. And that mentality starts with them.
4. Debating decisions. Multipliers engage people in debates regarding issues up front, allow their people to discuss issues and collaborate before making any major decisions. They are debate makers.
5. Instilling ownership and accountability. Multipliers expect high expectations for their people’s across the organization. They are Investors.

Qualities of a multiplier:

1. They have a hard edge. While they are not micro managers, they fully expect great things from their people and because of that expectation, they drive them to achieve extraordinary results.
2. They Don’t Play Small. Multipliers don’t step aside out of the limelight so that others can play big.
3. They have a great sense of humor. Not in the realm of being comedians or joking around all the time. But in the sense that they don’t take themselves or situations too seriously.

Becoming a multiplier:

Accelerator No. 1: Start with Assumptions. A diminisher assumes that people will never figure something out without them. A multiplier assumes that people around them are smart and can figure things out.

Accelerator No. 2: Work the Extremes. Assess your leaderships and work the two extremes...a. Neutralize a weakness b. Top off a strength.

Accelerator No. 3: Run An Experiment. Decide to try a new strategy to work on your diminisher qualities for 30 days. Reflect & adjust. Keep trying the new strategy for another 30 days to form a new habit.

Accelerator No. 4: Brace Yourself for Setback. Give yourself permission to stumble and make mistakes. Change is not immediate nor does it happen overnight, it happens over a period of time.

Accelerator No. 5: Ask a Colleague. Pick someone who will give you an honest assessment of your leadership style. Take the feedback and run with it to work on your areas of weaknesses as well as your strengths.

Resource:

Wiseman, Liz. (2017). Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. Published by Harper Collins Publishers.

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Stress and Burnout have been rampant especially in the height of this current pandemic crisis. Professions who are called “serving professions” have suffered immensely from stress. The American Psychological Association conducts a yearly survey regarding stress and in 2020, they stated that “We [in America] are facing a national mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences for years to come.” 

This episode will cover what the burnout syndrome is, why it exists and how we can help to alleviate stress in our daily lives. 

References:

American Psychological Association

Prokopov, I., Legurska, M. & Mircheva, V. (2020). Burnout syndrome among teachers and a model for its diagnosis. Trakia Journal of Sciences, 18(1). 

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Our mindset is important to lead us and our students to success. This episode covers 5 simple ways to help in establishing the type of mindset that will lead to success now and into the future. 

Reference:

Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Pscyhology of Success

Mary Cay Ricci Mindsets in the Classroom

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This podcast episode gives insight to the two different types of mindset that will either hold a person back or propel them forward to success. The research that has been done by Carol Dweck has revolutionized education. Her research is more than just a buzz movement in education, it is foundational to the way that we think and the way that we teach others to think.