Oregon School Board Association Conference Keynote Speaker

I experienced my first Oregon School Board Association Conference last week-end.  Some portions received mixed reviews, but the keynote speaker, Michele Borba, was excellent.  Here are some of my rough notes.   I suspect my colleagues will have some additional insights they picked up that I missed.  The most important point I can convey is for the reader to go to her website:  micheleborba.com

Notes from Michele Borba, Oregon School Board Conference, July 2011, Bend Oregon

Keynote Address

Challenges:

There are more children needing more attention than any other time in our history.  How can they receive more attention when there are fewer resources?

 Current Troubling Trends:

1.  Increased Aggression—vulgarity, bullying, (study of bully’s: 1 in 4 in prison by 26)

2.  Strong sense of Entitlement—and a corresponding decline in empathy!!

3.  Increased Cruelity, bullying:  43% of kids afraid of going to the bathroom.

4.  Incivility

5.  Substance Abuse:  much of the abuse coming from family medicine cabinets

6.  More cheating—including use of the technology

7.  Increased Promiscuity

8.  Increased Stress

9,  Intolerance

10. Depression

11.  Breakdown of the Family—36% of households with children headed by single parents.

12.  “Rescue Parenting” where parents continue to rescue, even to the extent where new hires in prestigious companies are experiencing parents stepping in and interfering when they believe their ‘child’ is not being fairly treated.  Reflected also in the number of young adults refusing to leave nest

13.  Loss of “face to face” connection.  Young people spend 7.5 hours a day interacting with machines or technology--correlates to lower empathy.

14.  Recession’s impact

Three Thing We Need to Teach to overcome these challenges:   EMPATHY, SELF-DISCIPLINE, AND CONSCIENCE

We are hard-wired for empathy. Without empathy, we do not have tolerance.  But empathy can be learned, cultivated.  Schools are not just a source of information.  We need both our head and our hearts developed.

We can learn these skill and attributes by experiences that teach it.  We need to make them a part of the core curriculum, and this is not from a work sheet or a kit.; when schools have the above as goals, that all buy into, where it is discussed in the faculty room, where the school community makes them genuine priorities, where the students know what the school goals are and also buy into them, these priorities are internalized.  When teachers practice these attributes in their own lives, when new-hires are selected, based on their demonstrated ability to model these attributes, we will change lives.

 Relationships are key from the top down.  We teach by modeling ourselves.

Talk with the kids.  Message frequently is “nobody listens to us.”

Who is the teacher who touched you?  Almost invariably, the quality that is most commonly held:  s/he cared about you. 

Bully’s look for the weak, the easy targets.  We need to teach to look in the eye.  Self confident kids are not as vulnerable.  Hold your head up. 

These three principles (empathy, self control, conscience) can be incorporated into best practices teaching.  One and one half minutes per class period.  Paired sharing. 

Character is a verb, not a noun. 

Note the skills of excellent listerners:  Katie Couric, David Letterman, Larry King, Brian Williams.  They listen, they smile, they ask good questions, they don’t interrupt.

The same best practices can be demonstrated in the faculty meeting:  The SOLER rules

Sit, open, listen, eye to eye, review

School should be a place where everybody knows you and are glad you came.

Conscience

Does the school have community, do the values have visibility, when you walk on campus, do you clearly know what the school stands for?  Does the principal/teacher “walk the talk”?

Ask the community leaders, what traits do you want from our graduates?

Parent Education, getting to them early.

When talking about their work, don’t say, “you’re smart.”  Say, instead, “I like your effort.” 

Self Control—Regulating your thoughts and actions so you act in a way you know is right.

Teach anger management strategies:  1.  Say, “calm down,” 2. Take three deep breathes, 3.  Count slowly to 10. 

Rule of 21:  It takes 21 days to develop a habit.

 ‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

Resources to examine:  Jim Collins, “Good to Great”;

Carol Bleek, Stanford Univ.  “Mindset”

New Yorker Magazine “Don’t”

Richard Kadison, “College of the Overwhelmed”

micheleborba.com