I'm surrounded by behaviors that are not always appropriate. I work in an alternative school and with children who are mainly here because their behaviors got them booted out of their home school. I attend many meetings in the districts of our cooperative that are about students and their lack of progress with academics because their behaviors are getting in the way.

When I suggest that maybe we need to focus more on changing the behavior and less on the academics so learning CAN occur, I am looked at as if I suggested that we all wear our swim suits to school. What an appalling thought!!

I talk a lot about the "function" of the behavior. People don't do things unless there is a pay-off to continue doing it. It is not always easy to see what the function, or purpose, of the behavior is, but with a little investgative work, you can usually come up with a hypothesis. It could be for attention, for control or to escape something, as examples. The student who can't do math and says, "F you" to the teacher may be trying to get kicked out of class so he doesn't have to do the math that is too hard for him and feel stupid. It's easier to get kicked out of class then to ask for help, he may think.

You can also apply this theory with the adults you work with. Have you ever had an adult in your office who displayed behavior that was inappropriate and you wondered what that person was thinking? Or you see the same inappropriate behavior over and over in an adult you know or work with? What's the function of that behavior? What's the pay-off for them that they keep doing it? Is it for attention? For control? To escape something?

In this job, we are continually faced with a variety of people, some of whom present challenging behaviors for us to figure out. Some people we don't want to figure out, if they are adults. It's the kids with challenging behaviors that we are obligated to figure out. We need to teach them appropriate behaviors to get the same results they were seeking before. Could they raise their hand for attention? Do a job in class for some control? Be given a "Take a break" card to escape something?

Changing behavior is not always easy. If it was, exercising and losing weight would be a snap and my thighs would be thinner (for the bathing suit i never wear). I realize most teachers did not go to school to teach appropriate behaviors but to teach academics.
Yet, it is part of our job as teachers and administrators to help the students we serve become the best person they can be.

Reggie Engebritson

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Do you ever have those days where you wonder if there is a sign on your forehead that says "Bring Conflict Here" because it keeps coming up and getting in your face? I've had a couple of those days lately. They can be wearing, can't they?

I've heard some administrators say that they avoid conflict. That statement intrigues me. Now, let me clarify. I'm not the type of person who wakes up every morning hoping for some conflict nor am I someone who likes to stir up the pot to get some conflict brewing. I can enjoy a conflict-free day, like anyone else. But I don't think I avoid it. Unless I'm misunderstanding something. To me, avoiding something would mean you go around it, take a detour, ignore it, or pretend it doesn't exist. And if we are the administrator, isn't that part of our job to resolve the conflict? If we don't deal with it, who will?

I think conflict comes with the job, because there are so many situations that we are involved in where conflict can occur. I'm not saying it will, but the conditions are ripe for it to occur. Such as when you want to change the way things have been done in your building or you need to talk to someone about their job performance or you have to disagree with something a parent says or wants. I could easily name twenty more instances and so could you. And I'm not talking about conflict where it gets loud or ugly or physical. I'm talking about those meetings with people (can be staff or parents or colleagues or board members) where people don't agree or don't understand or don't listen and it gets a bit heated and there is no easy solution.

As stressful as conflict can be, I try to learn from the situation. Especially in those times where the conflict is not resolved and you have to meet several more times. Could I listen more and talk less? Could I make more eye contact? What does my body language say? What is it the other person wants? How can I compromise? These are things I ask myself so that I am more aware and in a better position to resolve the conflict.

So, if you are someone who avoids conflict in a leadership role - how do you do it? What does that look like? Is it effective?

Reggie Engebritson

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I'm sitting in my almost empty house which is three hours from my job. My house is for sale and there is an Open House today and so I drove here last night to make sure everything looks OK. The last adult child that was living here moved out two weeks ago. Another adult child stopped by last night and cleaned out the dishes and pots and pans for his place with four other 20 year olds.

My desk back at work is full of things to still do before teachers return next week. I still have one teacher to hire plus a few specialists for our special education coop. Parents are calling and want to meet before the school year starts. I have to prepare for a due process hearing. I still have to put the finishing touches on a few workshops I'm involved in next week. I should be doing more reading and I want to put life back into the blog I started last year.

After spending the last two years immersed in my first administrative position, I decided to get back on track and complete the last stretch of my doctoral program - the dissertation. I have been spending the last few months writing my lit review and in less than two weeks, I defend it to my committee so I can move forward and begin collecting data.

I am sure you have a plate just as full. You may have wondered, like me, how to put in a request for another month of July to get a few more things done.

Since that won't be happening, I need to remember to just breathe. The first day will arrive and kids will walk in the door and we will be there ready to serve. Eventually, my house will sell and my dissertation will be completed. It's the journey, not the end goals that I need to focus on and as crazy as these last few weeks have been and the ones coming up, I need to remember to be grateful that I am able to wake up each morning, get out of bed and have a purpose in life.

Are you grateful for the challenges that are before you? I showed the video of "The Kid That No One Wanted' from Angela Maier's post to about 90 special ed teachers this past week as part of our workshop. After we watched it, I told them that they have been given the gift of the next 180 school days to make a difference in a child's life and that I know they can do it because of the incredible skills and talents they possess. Which they do.

You might be feeling overwhelmed right now with all that is before you and all that you think you should be doing. Just remember: One day at a time. Be grateful. Enjoy the journey.

Breathe.

Reggie Engebritson

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I find working with people who are passive-aggressive wearing. I try to get to the source of what is causing them to be sullen or moody, but I can't get a straight answer. Either they say "nothing" is bothering them and "everything is fine" when it is so obviously untrue or there are so many causes that even if it is within my power to fix something, they say "it doesn't matter" because there are still too many other things that can't be fixed.

I am, by far, not perfect. Yet, I do make a conscious choice to come to work every day and face people with a positive attitude, even when I might not be feeling it on the inside. I try not to be a pig (see Dan Winters' post), I try to give people what they need to do their job and I don't bring my problems from home to work. I try to create a positive work environment because the work we do is hard and we spend a lot of hours at work and I don't think laughing and being happy should only happen outside the work day. Nor should eating chocolate.

This post isn't about working with the majority of people who have a bad day now and then. I have that too. It's more than that.

This is about the few people who make you wonder what mood they will be in when you approach them. It's great to be around them when the mood is positive. Or the people who smile and appear agreeable to your face, which is nice, but you are fairly certain that behind your back they don't look the same way or sound as friendly when your name comes up. These people do their job, that's not the issue. The issue is how their mood, or personality, negatively affects the others around them. Which in turn can affect the work environment.

Believe me, this isn't about wanting everyone to like me. I'm not here for that. It's about being in a leadership position, wanting to do right by the kids we serve and both needing and wanting the adults who work with me, for the most part, to be positive with me. I'm not just talking about teachers here. It's all the staff. Office, maintenance, kitchen, support staff, bus drivers.

From what I've read, it's not easy to change this behavior. People who act like this usually don't see themselves as the problem, even if it is clearly stated to them what they are doing and how their behavior affects the others around them. Like I said at the beginning of this post, it is wearing working with them.

Could I discipline them? Possibly, and I will if it comes to that. But, I am a leader in a profession that serves kids. And we serve kids who are at-risk or have disabilities, so every day they are here we are working on shaping behavior for the good. Should I stop doing that just because the negative behavior comes from employees? Should they know better because they are adults and get a paycheck? Maybe. Should I try harder to help them because I am the leader? Maybe. Probably.

When the kids are in the building, it is easy to get caught up in what is happening with them and issues like this take a back seat because it doesn't happen every day. The pace is slower this month, so the issues have moved to the front seat. Which has caused me to stop and reflect, once again, on the importance of the adults around me and the responsibility this position has to not only do right by the students, but also by the adults who have not just jobs, but careers, here.

Reggie Engebritson

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 5:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Now that I'm a 'seasoned' administrator (I have two years in already!! :)), I've decided that instead of trying to fix everything, I'll pick a few goals to really focus on this next year (see how much smarter I'm getting?!?). I want to focus on literacy in our school, especially reading. We are an alternative school, K-12. Our students have come to us, for the most part, because their behaviors got in the way of their learning in their home school and so they were sent here. Many of our teachers are young and inexperienced. The new principal I hired a year ago, just completed his first year in administration. We are trying to build positive relationships with our students and change the negative behaviors that occur. That has been our main focus and we now have many positive classroom and school-wide incentives in place. I now want to focus on reading.

I want us to know the reading level of every student. I want us to know it when they come to us throughout the year, and I want us to know it when they leave. I want us to do more formative assessments so we can do interventions and help students with their reading skills. I want us to look at the data and make informed decisions based on that data. I want us to start a library. I want us to have software for our computers to help with reading skills. I want us to have audio books and podcasts for kids to listen to while they read along. I want to build time in the schedule where everyone reads.

So, what's the problem you ask? Well, I'm not EXACTLY sure where to start. I don't have a reading specialist to rely on and I don't have a curriculum director to plan with and because we are a small school, we have classrooms with multi-grades and abilities. I want to make sure that I'm not burning out the new teachers as we try to meet the state reading standards for each grade and prepare for the statewide reading tests (let alone the other subjects with state standards and don't forget working on those inappropriate behaviors that got them here in the first place}.

What would you do? If you could give me one piece of advice on how to set up a quality reading program, what would it be? You are starting with no K-12 reading program, curriculum or series in place. There are no classroom libraries of books. There is not a building-wide library. You do have enough computers for students, but little, if any, software programs for reading. You have state reading test scores and you now have a more formative assessment that you will adminster three times a year for benchmarks and monthly, as needed, for progress data. What would you suggest next? What has worked for your school? I appreciate any thoughts, ideas or strategies that you are willing to share. Thank you!

Reggie Engebritson

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Today is Graduation Day at our school. We are an alternative school and a small one at that, so we only have seven graduates today. There are others who should be joining this group, but they got sidetracked and will need to return in the fall to try and complete their requirements. We have others who decided getting a diploma wasn't worth it and left school completely. So, it's a big day for these seven students, their families and the school staff who supported them.

I'm proud of them for making it to the finish line. I hope that this accomplishment will teach them that they can achieve whatever they want, if they stick with it, even when there are detours to the end goal. Something happened to each of these graduates that caused them to have to leave their home school district and end up here to finish their education. And instead of giving up and throwing in the towel, they hung in there and made it to this day.

While I am looking forward to the ceremony and celebration of this day, I can't help but wonder if we did all we could do as a school to prepare them for the future. I really don't have to wonder long. I know there is more we could do and need to do. Now, I'm not saying I can't be happy for the good things we did accomplish, because I can. I just know that as the educational leader of this school, I need to keep my mind student-focused and continue to select a few things to work on each year to keep improving our program for the students we serve.

It's so easy to bogged down in the day-to-day issues and concerns that come flying at us from all directions. We all know that. But as the end of my second year as an administrator comes to a close, I can't help but reflect on if I have made a difference and what kind of legacy I want to leave.

After today, I'm going to take some time to do what Barbara Barreda suggested in her post, which was, "Empty your inbox, re-do your files, clean out your drawers and re-evaluate your priorities and set a new agenda that will carry you into the 2009-2010 school year with fresh perspective and hope." Then, I am going to keep working on the improvements we need to reach alternative learners and give them the education they deserve.

But first, I am going to celebrate this day with these seven students, their families and our staff. I am grateful to be a part of this and to be able to make a difference in the education of the students who will follow these seven. I hope that each of you, as you serve in your leadership role, can take some time for reflection and celebration at this time of year. And don't forget to have a piece of graduation cake - indulge yourself!!

Reggie Engebritson

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 4:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Now, be honest. Ever have one of those long days (or a string of long days) where you wonder what life would be like if all the people you encountered during the day would be pleasant and agreeable every single day? I'm not saying that they just nod their head "yes" after everything you say or periodically interject, "Brilliant idea!" after you suggest something. I'm talking about having interactions where people act mature and rationale and if they don't agree with something you said or did, they would state it in a mature and rationale way and you could agree to disagree or you could change your mind. Or if you didn't agree with something they said or did, they would accept it in a mature and rationale manner.

I am creating change in my workplace and therefore, it is causing people to be upset, mad, angry, passive aggressive and threatening. Sure, there are people who are happy about the changes that are occurring and welcome it. But at the end of the day, my mind tends to wander back to the ones who are the loudest, who are in my face, who are being the most resistant and who are putting up roadblocks.

Do I sometimes wish I wasn't dealing with the challenges they present? I'd be lying if I said no. But I have learned to accept that there is something I am supposed to learn from the experience of being with them. Maybe it is to be more clear in my communications; maybe it is to be a better listener; maybe it is to offer them something they want or maybe it is to reaffirm the direction I'm heading.

When I'm feeling challenged by something or someone, I try to take some quiet time to think. What's troubling me about the situation? What feelings am I having? What are my options? What can I do to change the situation? What might be the motive for the other person's behavior?

Realizing that these people aren't in my life to screw up my day or to make me miserable has helped to keep me from inhaling a bag of chocolates in one sitting. I can choose how I am going to react and I can learn something from the experience. And maybe, they will learn something in return.

Reggie Engebritson

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week, I attended a regional special education law conference. One of the keynote speakers was attorney Jose L. Martin from the Richards Lindsay and Martin law firm of Austin, TX. He also conducted one of the breakout sessions which was titled, "Understanding the Modern Requirements for Considertation of Research Based Interventions." He talked about what both IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Act) and NCLB (No Child Left Behind) say about either scientifically based research or peer-reviewed research. NCLB calls for the use of "scientifcally based research" as the foundation for many education programs and for classroom instruction. IDEA states that IEPs (Individual Education Plans) need to include "a statement of the special education and related servcies and supplementary aids and services, based on 'peer reviewed research' to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child..."

One of his final remarks got me to thinking which is leading to my point for this post. He said that we should "train staff to be skeptical 'research consumers' so that they can scrutinize research on methodologies for its theoretical base, implementation and replicability information, and evidence of effects on student achievement."

So, I got to wondering, how I would begin to do that? I also wondered if some of you are already doing this with your staff. As consumers of many things, there are times when we want to read and know the research on something and there are other times when the product maybe looks good, seems simple enough and someone we know is also using it, so that's good enough for me - I'll buy it. Should a teacher care about the research or is that only for the administrator to be concerned about and/or the curriculum team that recommends purchasing of products?

How do I help special education teachers, who are doing a lot of individualized instruction for students with varying abilities and needs, focus on instruction that is research based? When they want to order something that caught their eye in a catalog, what consumer questions should they be asking themselves first before submitting their order?

The same questions might apply when a request comes for a workshop that a teacher wants to attend. I try to look at the flyer to see if there is any research to the topic or is it just someone making the educational circuit promoting an idea/product that is going to "fix" the children with disabilities or supposedly make life easier for the teacher?

We have all been taught to read the labels on the foods we buy so that we are better able to make decisions about what we put into our bodies. The same goes for medications and over-the-counter products. But what about the instructional products or strategies we use with our students? How are you teaching your teachers to be better consumers so that they are using scientifically based or peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable as stated in both NCLB and IDEA? How will we answer the question from parents or legal advocates at IEP meetings when they ask what the research says about the specialized services we are providing their child?

Obviously, the beginning is to start having these discussions with teachers to get them thinking about being better research consumers. It's a process that will take time. I think that just as we keep talking about "data driven decision making" or "response to interventions" or "positive behavioral instructional strategies" that if we keep talking about 'research based" services, we will come to understand it more and be better educational practitioners in the long run.

Is there anything you are doing now, either with your staff or on an individual basis, to become better research consumers?

Reggie Engebritson

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

Many of the posts on this blog are about making positive change for the benefit of the students we serve. Believe me, I'm all for that and am working hard to make a difference. But do you ever have days where it seems like all that is surrounding you is chaos, conflict and confusion? I'm not talking just from staff as it could be also from parents, students and the community. I know what you are thinking. Change is difficult for most folks and so you have to be ready for that and allow time for people to process what you are asking of them. Conflict can be good; it can mean growth. Confusion means people are at least asking questions and you can use this time to clarify your vision. I truly get all of that.

But sometimes, it can feel a bit daunting. Especially to us new administrators who want to get along and play nice, but didn't sign up to take this ride passively and so we create change to make things better. Know what I mean?

So, how do you handle it? Do you have a mentor to vent/talk to? Do you work it out at the gym? Do you take a mental health day? Are you drinking heavily and ready to slit your wrists? (I use this question as a gauge to see how my staff are doing. If they don't laugh, I know it's serious).

I have more good days than bad and I like what I am doing. Humor certainly helps. But every now and then, I am in awe of how difficult it all can be. And I just wondered if you ever felt that way too.

Reggie Engebritson

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm guessing that most of us are in the middle of some type of holiday break right now with several days off from school. Or without staff and students for those of us who still plan on going into work. If you are anything like me, the days have been filled with the hustle and bustle of shopping, wrapping, cooking, cleaning, driving, eating, drinking, talking, laughing and then probably a repeat of many of those same activities over and over.

It's now a few days before the New Year. 2008 is almost over. I tend to get reflective this time of year and wonder where the time has gone. I think of all the things I have done and could of/should of done. I am sure many of us think of the projects we should be starting, the books/blogs we should be reading, the family/friends we should be connecting with, the papers we should be writing, the initiatives we should be implementing, the progress we should be making. Sometimes I feel like I can't keep up or that I am not doing a good enough job in both my work and personal life. Ever feel like that?

But for right now, I just want you to try and be "in the moment." Take an hour or half a day or the next couple of days and just slow your thinking and focus on the here and now. Don't think of all the things that you think "should be happening." Just be in the present and absorb it. Be appreciative of where you are, right now, in this life. Be grateful for all you have been given up to this moment. You are doing the best that you can. You are making a difference. Look, REALLY look, around you and see all that is there.

We don't know what 2009 will bring. No matter where we are in this life, whether this is our first year of a leadership position or our last, we don't know for sure what 2009 will bring. And that's OK. Because for right now, for these last few moments of 2008, we are going to treat ourselves to the present. And fully savor it.

Reggie Engebritson

[cross-posted at the old LeaderTalk blog (including comments)]

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