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Brandon Adame is a third grade teacher at Blandford Elementary School. When this story was told, he was a second grade teacher at Blandford.
My first encounter with Ball was when I worked on one of the strategic planning teams for the district. My principal proposed that I be a part of the process, so I said, “Okay. I’ll see what this is all about.” Quite honestly, I didn’t know anything about Ball and I had no idea what I was getting into. Basically, what we did was meet and talk about where the district is currently, and where we want it to be based on our vision.
At first I was really skeptical and felt intimidated. Our strategic planning group was made up of teachers, principals, and parents from throughout the entire district, and I was a first-year teacher – straight from college. But in the end, I think it was good that I had just come out of college. During the process, I remember thinking, “Okay, what do I want?” So I read my old essays that I wrote in college about what I was going to do as a teacher and how the kids were going to do this and be so great. When I read that, I thought, “Wow, that’s so not what it is.” But I knew we could get there – and that’s what I think I brought to the process.
Ball gave us the opportunity to have an open forum to talk as if there were no limits on what we could do. They said to us, “Forget about the limits. We’ll worry about that later. Let’s talk about what you want.” So every day we started by saying, “Don’t have limits. Don’t say we can’t do this.” Instead, we talked about where we wanted our students to be, and about what we could do if there were no testing or monetary limitations. For me, it was really refreshing to sit down and get back to basics, and to see what everyone wanted for the students. We all wanted the same thing, but we all felt that testing prohibited that. The process also changed my thinking to, “Let’s think beyond testing, and maybe eventually we’ll get rid of the things that are holding us back.”
One thing we started talking about was technology. A lot of students have access to computer labs, but not their own computers. So we said, “Imagine a day where kids have their own laptops and can access the internet at any time.”
I think the greatest thing that we talked about was changing the whole report card system. Instead of having letter grades, have an individualized action plan for each student based on their strengths and needs, and actually have students demonstrate their knowledge through different means – not just test taking. For example, if students like to work with their hands, say to them, “Build this for me.”
Talking about the whole structure of education, and especially the report cards really made me think, “Wow, I’ve been stuck with the same model and haven’t thought of other ones. But thinking about these new models – wouldn’t that be a great thing to see happen with the kids?”
The hardest part of the process was the word-smithing that we did. We would develop a couple of objectives for our action plan, and then someone would say, “I don’t feel comfortable with that word, let’s change it.” Or we’d say, “We agree that we all believe this should happen for kids,” and then someone would say, “You know what? I don’t quite believe that.” So, we’d go back to the drawing board day after day, and we’d e-mail each other, “Is this okay? Do you think this would work?” We’d think we were done with our action plan, and then the next day someone would say, “Well, I don’t quite feel comfortable.”
So that was the hard part. We kept going back and changing it. Every single time we did that, my ideas changed. In fact, everyone’s ideas changed and we’d be back at square one. At first, it was pretty annoying. I was like, “Come on, guys, just settle for it.” But I think that was the best part because people had so much buy-in – they didn’t want to just settle for it. They wanted something that everyone was proud of, and that everyone felt comfortable with. I think that’s what we ended up with, too. So that was a very good thing.
I’ve been able to implement some of the things that came out of the strategic planning process, like the APA principles that we talked about. Honestly, I may have heard about the principles in college, but here we actually looked at them and dissected each one. I have them on the wall in my classroom now, and I look at them when I do my lesson plans, trying to accommodate the students’ needs. I also have little notebooks in which I make notes about the kids and what their strengths are. For example, in a science lesson I’ll let the students use different ways to show me what they learned. That’s really helped me out a lot.
I’ve noticed that the enthusiasm of my students is changing because now I’m targeting their strengths and letting them show me that they know something. A lot of my kids can’t pass a paper and pencil reading comprehension test, so instead I’ll ask them verbally to explain what’s going on in what they read – which is something they can do.
My relationship with other teachers has changed as well. During meetings, I now express different points of view, and I open my mind to new things. I also participate more, and I think I add a little more to conversations because of what I’ve learned and what I’ve learned from others.
Being part of this process was a great experience for me. I’ll be honest with you, it wasn’t the easiest thing. It was a lot of work, but at the end, I think we all looked at each other like, “Wow, we all gained a lot from this.” So, it was definitely worth it.
Word cloud created at wordle.net.
Kathie Connaughton is an ELD teacher and ELD Department Chair at Rowland High School.
The work with the Ball Foundation has made quite an impression on me. I think that the change process that Ball is facilitating in the district is going in deep and changing things in a way that is going to stay with the district for a long time. I know it’s changed my life in that it has brought me into a different kind of thinking.
Let me give you an example. At one of the Chicago meetings, one of my most powerful moments of learning was when Stephanie Pace Marshall said, “You need to take a look at the understory.” The understory is the truth behind something. It’s the flushing out of assumptions and really taking a look at what are you dealing with here.
Stephanie had all of us at this meeting (which included people from two other school districts) make a huge mind map. She said to us, “I want you to put down all of the things that you think the district deals with that are important.” Everything that we put on this map were things that we recognized as problems, like no parent involvement, subgroups of students, just about every aspect that you could think of in an organizational structure. Then Stephanie said, “Well, what’s the understory to all of these things?” And there was this huge leap of understanding that came from making us look at the organizational structure and our practices in a different way than we ever had before.
For example, we have a huge subgroup of students here at Rowland High School that is made up of Hispanic students, English-language learners, and Special Ed students. Many times teachers will say, “Hispanic students don’t do very well because their parents don’t care. They never come to conference meetings, or if they do, it’s very sparingly.” Well, what’s the understory behind that? What are the real reasons they don’t come? Or why does it appear that parents don’t see education as a focal point? The truth of the matter is they do think education is important, but there are different reasons why they won’t come. Sometimes it’s because they’re embarrassed because they themselves don’t have a good education. They feel that if they go to a meeting, they may not understand what’s going on because of the language difference. Even though we have translators, the parents don’t understand the process or the words being used. So that can keep them away. Sometimes, if they come from a rural area in another country, they may not see education as a priority. Just coming over here to this country is a big first step for them. They might have what would seem to us a very menial kind of job here, but for them it’s a big deal because they’re putting bread on the table. It’s survival. It’s like one leg up for them and they’re satisfied. Many of these families will not change until the next generation. It’s not that these kids aren’t smart or that their parents aren’t smart or don’t care. It’s just that they come from a different environment and culture that speak toward a different kind of achievement for their children.
Going back to the meeting—after we made the mind map, we discussed some of the things on it, including the commonalities that existed between the three districts that were participating in the meeting. The upshot of that discussion was that even though we all came from different parts of the country, the very same problems surfaced in all the districts. That was a big eye opener to us. It made us realize how large of a problem and how human of a problem some of those things were. Many of us tend to think of ourselves in such a provincial way. We’re in our little boxes and we only think of things in one way. What this discussion did was open our scope of thinking and make us realize that these larger problems exist beyond our own demographic.
I have felt privileged to be a part of this process, and to be able to share my thinking, my talents, and my expertise. For me, this work with Ball has been tremendous because of the respect that is given, and I’m not saying that just for myself. I think that other people feel that way, too. Even the teachers in the networks make comments like, “You know, I’m not worried because I’m being asked what I think, and I’m dialoguing my ideas, my biases, and my concerns with other people.” It’s a new era of understanding that emerges when you respect people in the system. They then come forth with their best, and the system works better and is more coherent. It energizes the organization to have the kind of respect that says, “I value your work. I value your opinion.” We then move forward together.
Word cloud created at wordle.net.
Chris Ericson is Assistant Superintendent of Schools.
The district’s partnership with the Ball Foundation has really had an impact not only on the district, but also on me personally. On a district level, working with Stephanie Pace Marshall has helped us to appreciate this district as a living, dynamic system. She has made us aware of the process of transformation and the power of story. Story helps us translate our vision from something abstract to what it will look like when realized. It also helps us to honor our past and appreciate what we do not want to lose.
Our focus is on transforming teaching and learning but we have broadened that concept in that we are transforming the system as a whole. We’re creating how we are “going to be” in that system, how we’re going to evolve, and how we’re going to work. We have a frame of reference for how we’ve operated in the past and how we are now living into a new reality.
How we talk to each other has been impacted. We talk about the work that we’re doing, but just as importantly is how we work and interact with each other, including the relationships that we’re forming. We’ve all come to value process to a greater degree. That was an “aha” for me – I knew as a district that we’ve always valued process and relationships, but we are now more conscious of being genuinely more inclusive.
Our Ball partnership work has made us better thinkers. In the past, when we’ve talked about work, it has often been from ground level. But one thing Stephanie talked to us about was taking different perspectives, from the 50,000 foot level down to the ground. To really make a difference for students, we have to be able to strike a balance. While we need to address what’s in front of us every day, we also need to be able to take a more comprehensive, in depth approach to transforming teaching and learning. This concept has really impacted how we approach major initiatives including the strategic plan and the redesign work. We try to take that higher, broader perspective, and yet, appreciate the rigor and complexity of our work. It takes us away somewhat from being mired in the mundane. There are those days where you feel like all you’re doing is putting out fires, but the partnership is elevating.
On a personal level, this work has helped me to be more patient and more reflective. I’ve always valued relationships, process and true collaboration. But now I try to use my time differently. I am outcome-driven, and while I know the value of giving time toward goals, I didn’t always spend my time aligned to my values. I gave what I thought I should or could give, and then I’d move on. Now I am more reflective about how my time is aligning to what I value as important rather than urgent.
I’m also trying to be more cognizant of distributing leadership. Sometimes it’s hard for me to delegate. And yet, I’ve started to see that with an investment of time with people – maybe by putting more time into the beginning of a project or spending more time on mutual reflection – that we’re all in a better place to continue the work and do what we need to do. It’s really made me appreciate how we can sometimes impact the work that we think is so important by letting go and sharing responsibility.
In my meetings, I’ve also tried very hard to eliminate strictly informational kinds of items. I try to create open space to work more on instruction and learning issues to have greater impact on student achievement.
Our partners from the Ball Foundation have been, in every sense of the word, true partners. They are critical friends who raise our sense of self-efficacy and professionalism. They share with us specific information and expertise, but their questions are what are most impactful to helping us move our work forward. They challenge us. There will be a tremendous void once the formal partnership comes to an end but I feel confident that the culture of the district has been impacted for the better related to both what our work is and how we work together.
Word cloud created at wordle.net.
Susan Halliday was Principal at Killian Elementary School when she told this story. She is now retired.
In our first meeting with Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, she talked about thinking within the firestorm or within the gift, which I thought was extremely powerful. The idea of the firestorm and the gift comes from her book, The Power to Transform. One year, the school she helped establish in the Chicago area had mistakenly sent out more invitations for students to enroll than the school had room for. A couple of the teachers felt that they needed to send an apology letter to those parents and say, “Oops, we made a mistake. We’re sorry, but we don’t have room for your child.” And Stephanie said, “Absolutely not. There is a reason that these letters have gone out, and we will accommodate those students. How are we going to go about doing that?”
Well, she knew that her words would be controversial and possibly create lot of turmoil. She asked someone to write down everything they heard people saying in reaction to the situation. Dr. Pace Marshall wrote all of those comments out, printed them up, and told her staff that there are two ways of thinking – the firestorm or the gift. They could live in a firestorm (believing in the negative) or they could live in the power of the gift (moving forward, making a difference in people’s lives, and thinking positively about the situation): “Okay, this has happened and there is a reason for it. We are going to welcome these students and we are going to treat them just as we treat all of the students here.” It became the staff’s choice.
I felt that (gift/firestorm) was really powerful. This way of thinking has always been a very big part of my own personal philosophy; I just had never been able to put it into such a concise package. Since hearing the story (gift/firestorm and Dr. S. Pace Marshall’s school), I’ve found that it has frequently been referred to when we’re in various staff discussions.
The gift/firestorm choice is actually reflected on a different level in the PA announcements we make every morning (which comes from Michael Josephson’s Character Counts program). The announcements always end with, “Make it a great day or not. The choice is yours.” Unbeknownst to me, the students would finish up the statement with me in the classrooms. I’d start by saying, “This is Mrs. Halliday,” and end with, “make it a great day or not. The choice is…”, and then the students would chime in with, “mine!” I feel that is so powerful because each of us has so much of a choice in how we behave and how we think and what we do.
Looking at the gift and the firestorm on an adult level with the staff brings it back to making it a great day or not, the choice is yours. It is how you see something whether it is meaningful or not. A person can sit and grumble and be totally non-productive, or he/she can move forward and do the very best possible. Education, to me, is the most important profession. We are not going to have excellent doctors or good politicians unless they have a strong education. Education is the key, especially in America. Public education is that great equalizer, but it is still a choice of what you do with it.
There appears to be a condescending pecking order in education. College professors appear to feel they know their subjects so intensely that anyone who is not a college professor but calls himself an educator really isn’t quite as important. And often teachers at the high school level appear to feel they know their subjects so well/thoroughly that anyone who teaches at a lower level aren’t as important, especially the elementary teachers who just ‘play’ with their students.
And junior high teachers apparently feel like they’re caught in the middle with the high school and college educators thinking what they do is meaningless, and the elementary teachers not preparing students for middle/intermediate school. The elementary schools/teachers get the brunt of the condescending. Interestingly, you will see it even within the elementary school among fifth or sixth grade teachers feeling that in K-3 having only 20 students in a classroom is a piece of cake. That is, until the teachers actually walk into the primary classroom, sit down and see what is really happening (the depth and intricacies of the instruction).
I believe the Ball Foundation facilitating the Immersion Days has really allowed and encouraged a deeper understanding of what each of us does and that each of us is extremely valuable in the education process. When my staff came back from their Immersion Days, a few of them felt the ‘firestorm,’ but I was really pleased because many, many, many came back with the ‘gift’ and looked at it as, “Wow. You know this was great.”
It just takes one person out of a hundred to make a negative comment to a kindergarten teacher or to any teacher to have an impact. It is that negative one that’s remembered, not the 99 positive ones. At first what tended to happen with some of our folks at the Immersion Day, especially those teaching kinder, was they clammed up because they didn’t want to be shot down. But then they felt much stronger at the next Immersion Day. So being able to walk through the experience at these Immersion Days and realize, “Gee, that negative comment was probably not that meaningful,” has made all the difference.
I’ve also seen the ‘firestorm’ and the ‘gift’ in the planning for reorganization that Ball is helping the district do. It’s just phenomenal because we are in some really difficult economic times and we are going to be running the district in a different manner because we are not able to afford all the positions (both classified and certificated). Having Ball facilitate the conversations about how we can still make this work is really having a positive impact. They are so gifted at getting the conversations and the thinking to move forward. The process is helping people to understand what’s actually occurring and to be willing to think more in the ‘gift’ instead of the ‘firestorm.’ “The sky is falling” because this is difficult, but we have been through difficulties before and we will get through this new challenge together.
During the 41 years that I have been in the district, I feel that it (the district) has been open to ideas and to new ways of thinking. However, I don’t think that it has been as open as it is right now due to the Ball Foundation facilitating and so expertly helping to drive those important conversations. I’m looking forward to seeing how we continue to provide the very best education for our students. But that is not just an elementary concern, it is not just a kindergarten concern, nor is it a just junior high concern, nor just a high school one. Instead, it is truly all of us driving and supporting this together. We need to keep our focus on what’s best for students, and what’s best for students is not adults arguing and being divisive or single focused, but being there for all and figuring out how we can best serve. We are in such an exciting and important profession. What a gift.
Word cloud created at wordle.net.
Jim Himes is a district psychologist.
At one of the Ball meetings, I was particularly taken by the exercise where we were each given a different part of a story and had to walk around and talk to people to figure out what the story was. The story itself fascinated me and the process of putting the story together fascinated me.
The story illustrated the plasticity of the brain. It was about a woman who had a condition where anytime she tried to stand up, she felt like she was falling over even though she wasn’t. Apparently this condition affects quite a few people and ruins their lives. They can’t walk, they can’t work, they become incapacitated and are at a total loss. This woman had an electrode placed on her tongue so that it affected her brain and stimulated her in a way that she was able to have her balance again.
For the exercise at the Ball meeting, the story was condensed and cut into pieces. We were each given a piece of the story and had to circulate around the room talking to people and collecting pieces of the story. Then we went back to our original table group and put all the pieces together. Because of my scientific background (I have a degree in biology), I was able to fill in some of the holes in the story about brain plasticity. When this information was put together with the pieces the other group members contributed, it seemed to complete the story (which is maybe why I was taken with this exercise). I acted as a spokesman for our table, and Carla said, “Yeah that’s it. That’s what happened.”
It was a much better experience than I expected it to be. I generally do not like group activities. I’m very comfortable talking to a group when I have something prepared. But if I’m sitting with 15 people I don’t know, I’m not only not comfortable with it, I don’t like it. I overwhelmingly prefer to be sitting with 15 people I know. I don’t think I knew anyone at my table at this meeting. But I thought the way they structured the exercise really pulled people together. It was an exciting exercise for me and I really responded to it and enjoyed it. There were other exercises that I enjoyed as well, but if you asked me to go back and name all of them, I could not do it. But that one sure made an impression on me.
Afterwards I asked JoAnn and Carla about the book that the story had come from, and they said it was The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. So I went home and immediately ordered the book from Amazon because I was fascinated by it. When I did my Master’s at Cal State Long Beach many years ago, I wrote my thesis on how the right and left hemispheres of the brain relate to school children. At that time, the idea that the brain’s division into two sections affected how information transferred between the two was considered pretty firm. Doidge takes the opposite tact and supports it with research saying that the brain is very plastic and that things can change in a very short amount of time. So when the book came in the mail, I read it and found some things directly applicable to what I do here at work.
I was interested in the section where the author dealt with autism since I work with two severely handicapped autistic classes – the primary and upper. In the book there was a case study of an autistic man and how they worked to help him socialize in a better way. One of the main deficits of autistic children is socialization skills along with communication skills and often cognitive skills. I’m planning to look more closely at that part of the book to see if the methods they used are applicable to younger children as well.
The book also related to my personal life. I’m at retirement age, and I was very interested in the aspects of the book that dealt with the aging brain. We all live in fear of the more extreme kinds of memory loss and I have familial experience with that – it’s the kind of thing you do not want to happen to you. Doidge wrote that he has been engaged in developing a program for memory skills, and that he has seen significant increases in these skills in older people. I would definitely want to get more into that.
I was glad I got exposed to the book because the way things are going financially in the state and in our district, we don’t have the liberty to go to conferences the way we used to. And the fact that I’m darn near ready to retire, I may not have been exposed to it at all unless I stumbled on it through my own research.
Word cloud created at wordle.net.
