Behind the Data

Behind the Data

I can’t help but think our focus in education seems to be in the wrong place some times.  I know that this is a bold statement to make – especially coming from a school administrator, but I’d like to give you some thoughts as to why I think we need to shift our focus.

Standardization seems to be a word that is talked about often in the educational setting.  Students take standardized tests to measure achievement towards Adequate Yearly Progress.  Tell me this.  How many standardized students do you know?  What is a standard student?  Are all students the same?

As I attend conferences and meetings in my field I constantly hear what needs to be done to close achievement gaps.  We talk about data, and get asked the question; what does the data say?  We have gone from data poor to data rich in education in just a few short years.  Don’t get me wrong though, having data is much more of a benefit that not having it.  Data gives us something to go by, however, data in itself is just information, the faces behind the data must be our focus.

A school can choose any curriculum that it wants.  It can implement a million programs, but the reality of these is that they do not come with a magic wand, that (if waved), will automatically produce soundly educated students.   We must focus on the child first.  What makes a student learn?  How do we motivate students?  Once we have done this, then we can bring in relevant curriculum and programs that focus on critical content.

Howard Gardner (Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education – Harvard Graduate School of Education) is a guy that I have come to admire in recent years.  He has written several books that focus on the various different intelligences that each of us possess.  His Theory of Multiple Intelligences surrounds the idea that each of our students learns in a different capacity.  Some students are linguistic, others might be mathematical or logical.  In any event, we must allow our children to learn in a way that caters to their needs.

If you are not motivated, how likely are you to learn?  Bad example time…I attended Lamaze classes with my wife as we were eagerly anticipating the birth of our first child.  Although, I was motivated to become a dad for the first time, I was not motivated to breathe heavily for practice.  Needless to say I wasn’t much help to my wife.  The point being, if you are not motivated you will not learn.

We must shift the focus.  Education must be deeper than data.   We live in a world that is currently on a technology fast track.  The world will look much different five years from now.  Our Elementary children will take jobs that haven’t been invented yet.  We must teach critical content and real world competencies.  We must do this in a student-centered environment where today’s students have control of their own learning and todays teachers offer guidance and support.

Teachers today must be able challenge students to think outside of the box.  They must allow children to think critically and work together.  Teachers must allow for communication and innovation.  We need to ask the tough questions and then give students the tools they need to find a solution.  When it comes to assessments and achievement tests, we need to allow children options to show mastery.  I could write an essay to show mastery, or maybe I could act it out.  Maybe I could write a song, sing a song, or build a structure.  The point, we can take many different directions to get to our destination, why don’t we allow children to do the same in school.

I’m not a standard person and neither are you.  I’m unique and so are you.  I’m good at some things and not so good at others.  You can reciprocate that back to me as well.  We all have the things inside us that drive us and motivate us.  If we allow our students to tap into their strengths – we will see achievement gaps narrow.  The data will look better, and it will be because we focused on the face first.

I believe that we are making strides in the right direction.  We are starting to individualize education.   Classroom desks are being replaced with Maker Spaces.  “Sit and Get” education is becoming a thing of the past.  We must continue with a sense of urgency.  College and Career Ready students are those that are well rounded in content and equipped with adequate social skills. 

As we move forward, we need to make it a priority that achievement tests are offered to our students through a variety of different mediums.  Let the students pick the assessment, and I guarantee you positive results.  

Travis Jordan

Email:  travis.jordan@k12.nd.us
Twitter: @Supt_Jordan
Facebook:  Search Mr. Jordan's Blogs

What game are you playing?

What game are you playing?

Two of the best decisions that I ever made in my life were to become a basketball coach and to resign as a basketball coach.  As contradictory as it may seem, hopefully it will all make sense in just a short while.

The first decision came after I decided to put my NBA career on hold.  I came to realize that a 5-inch vertical (give or take an inch depending up the type of floor), coupled with a 20.6 second 40-meter dash just wasn’t going to cut it.  I could score though, however it seemed to come more naturally to me during warm-ups.

I had a dream (as I’m sure some of you had the same dream).  I was going to be an NBA star.  When I graduated from high school I was given a choice.  I could go on and play college basketball or I could become a coach.  This is when I decided that my NBA career could be put on hold…hold... and still holding at age 33. 

I started my coaching career as I was attending college.  I loved coaching.  It was a way for me to still be around the game, but also help me make a difference in someone’s life.  Little did I know however, I was also making a difference in my life.

You see, Travis Jordan the coach was a much different person than Travis Jordan the individual.  As a coach, I was completely consumed with winning.  Do whatever it takes to ensure my team scored more points at the end of the night than the opponents.  I was vocal.  I was intense.  I hollered at officials, and hollered at my players.  I spent more time hollering than I did coaching.  My passion for winning brought about an alter ego in me that I did not like. 

After 11 years coaching at one level or another I decided that I did not like Coach Jordan.  Instead, I decided that I was going to focus on teaching and obtaining my Masters in Educational Leadership.  It is during this time that I realized the world is bigger than basketball.  I realized that being a “life coach” and educator was far more important to me than being a basketball coach.

The “Life Coach” in me would like to share with you some ideas for the upcoming sports season.  Whether you are a coach, parent, player, or fan I believe we can all live by these.   If you become an avid follower of these principles, I believe you will be well on your way to winning “life’s” game and not just a basketball game.

Coaches; it is ok to be demanding without being demeaning.  Although you may think winning the game is the most important goal in the moment, winning the game of life is even more important.  Look for teachable moments.  You may have to sacrifice a win on the court, to emphasize a win elsewhere.  What would be better; winning the championship with an undefeated record, or winning the championship with one or two losses?  You can answer that question later, but it’s something for you to think about.  Sometimes we need to see losses as wins.  A failed play at the end of the game is something that occurs in the thousands in a person’s life.  Coach the teachable moments and with any luck you will have a winning team on the court, and undoubtedly a winning team off the court.

Parents; let your child play, and your coach…coach.  Although we would like to give our children a GPS that will lead them all on paved roads, and heading in the right direction; it might be more beneficial to give them a compass.  Let them find their own way, and pave their own roads.  Be there as a support if they get knocked off the road.  Be the fuel that keeps their engines on the road.  Love them when they win, and love them more when they lose.  Turn over the sport to your child; it’s his/her rodeo.  You have ridden the bull before.  The following is a short four-question true/false quiz.  If you answer true to any of the questions you need to rethink your involvement in the sport.

1.     I critique my child or my child’s coach after the game.

2.     I try to solve my child’s problems for them.

3.     My child gets mad or embarrassed when he hears me in the stands.

4.     I tell my child that he/she should be playing more and the coach does not know what he/she is doing.

Be a support for your child.  Pick them up when they fall down.  Hug them when they need a hug.  Love them unconditionally.  Show them that sport can be a great metaphor for life.  Wins and losses are a reality.  Failure is ok and bouncing back shows and builds character.

Athletes; understand that if you are not coachable, you are not employable.  You don’t have to like everyone around you, but you must be adaptable.  You must be able to work well with others.  You must be able to sacrifice personal gain for team achievement.  A good player can score, but a great player can get his/her teammates to score.

Speaking of scoring understand that many life lessons come from sport and they help to shape you as a person.  The things you learn on the court such as teamwork, perseverance, preparation, etc. will help you score in life.  Embrace every moment and seek out the positive in every situation.

Fans; cheer the youngsters on.  Applaud great plays and sympathize on the not so great.  Understand that refs do make mistakes.  They’re doing their best and it is nearly impossible to have a mistake free game.  Don’t holler at the coach.  It is impossible to play more than five individuals at a time during a basketball game.  This leaves more than five sitting on the bench.  It happens.  It’s life.  Support your team (and the opponents) in a sportsman-like manner at all times.

I may have made the decision to stop coaching basketball, but I will never stop coaching life.  Coaches, parents, athletes, fans please never stop coaching life.  Our children need and depend on us.  As the fall sports season approaches hand over a compass to your child and watch them carve out their own journey.  We can all be winners at “life’s” game if we put our minds to it.

A Tribute

Phil Jackson said it best when he stated, “The strength of the team is each individual member, and the strength of each member is the team.”  For an organization to run properly, each of it’s parts must work to their full potential.   This is true for the educational setting as well.

Often times in education, an outsider looks in and sees a teacher and group of students.  They may see the classroom that they have a connection to, or maybe a sports team.   This is just a fraction of the school.  A school has many important parts.  The working parts and how they are intertwined to make a school function often go unnoticed.

How about the custodial staff, foods service workers, bus drivers, administrative assistants, para-professionals, the board of education, etc.  Each and every one of these individuals plays an important role in the function of the school.  They are a key ingredient to the recipe of education.  An Oreo cookie wouldn’t be what it is without the white filling in the middle.  Monster cookies would be less monster like if the M&M’s were absent.  You get my point.

Creating a sound educational experience for students would not be possible without the men and women whom we often times take for granted.  Each plays a vital role in the education of our youth.  Each and every employee of a school district has the opportunity to impact children just as a teacher does.

Two days ago Griggs County lost a very special person.  She was an Administrative Assistant for our district, but was much more than that to all the people that knew her.  Frankly, she made everyone’s life better.  She came to work with a smile, and left work with the same smile.  She never complained, and taught all of us valuable life lessons. 

She worked tirelessly to ensure that she met the needs of every student, and every teacher, and all others.  I often times told her that it was O.K. to say no once in awhile. 

But you see, this was not her nature.  She cared for the sick.  She troubleshooted gradebook dilemas.  She counted box tops.  She fulfilled teacher requisitions.  I could go on and on, but most importantly she filled our hearts with joy.

All that came in contact with her will miss her.  Although she wasn’t in the classroom, she was one of the best teachers in our building.  She taught me so much, and forever I will be indebted to her.  I’m a better administrator because of her, and most importantly a better person.  Thank you for all that you contributed to not only Griggs County Central, but to the communities we represent.  You will forever be missed, but you will live on in all the individuals you have touched.

Do me a favor.  Thank the people in your schools that don’t always get the recognition.  They are working just as hard as those in the classrooms.  Appreciate the people that work endless hours behind the scenes to ensure teachers and students are given the tools and resources they need to be successful.  These people are the glue that makes everything else stick.  Phil Jackson’s quote is right on.  The strength of a school is the strength of each individual within it.  Thank you to all of the support staff at Griggs County Central.  Thank you for being the M&M’s in our Monster Cookies.

This blog is dedicated to Sandy Hanson.  A person that has had a significant impact on my life.  A person whom I will never forget and owe so much.  You will always be near the top of my most influential people list.  Thank you.  God needed an administrative assistant, and he knew we had one of the best.  His work just got a lot easier with you by his side.

Turning "I Cants" into "I Cans"

I was not the easiest child to raise; you can ask my parents.  I now know however, what they mean when they wished upon me that someday I would have a child that acted as I did.  Not only did I have great parents, but they were magical as well J.

I grew up with an undiagnosed condition called “Separation Anxiety.”  I believe the onset came when we moved in the middle of my Kindergarten year in school.   I don’t think anybody would have predicted it, but it had a profound affect on my early childhood.  The first few years of my life I was afraid to go to school.  It had nothing to do with the school or the teachers, but everything to do with the fact that I thought I was going to be left there.  I know it sounds crazy, but like I said I had wonderful parents.  I was completely consumed with the idea that my parents were going to leave me.  I would even check the coat racks daily to see if my brother was still in school.

As a result, I did not want to be in school.  The teachers actually let me lay in front of the door of the classroom for hours (sometimes I’d fall asleep).  This was extremely hard on my parents, and most likely a burden for my teachers.  I struggled in school.  I rushed through things and eventually I just didn’t care. 

My mother was told that I would never be above a “C” student during an IEP meeting when I was in third grade.  I had a learning disability she was told.   My mom told me this story when I was in 8^th grade.  I was a smart child; I just had extreme “Separation Anxiety.”   I was young, and soon I started to believe that my teachers were right.  Honestly, they didn’t know any better, because I had never been diagnosed with the anxiety. 

This would become the first time in my life that I can remember somebody telling me (telling my mother in this case) that I couldn’t do something.  I wasn’t going to be above a “C” student.   I thought back to my elementary years after my mother told me this story.  I had memories of sitting in a corner during handwriting class – where I would draw figure eights with chalk on the chalkboard over and over again.  I remember leaving the room for assignments and tests.  As these memories filled my mind, I started to become angry.  I was angry at myself, more than anything.  I could do the work.  I was a smart student.  I wasn’t applying myself, and therefore I was doing myself a disservice.  So, I did what needed to be done; I set out on a mission to excel in school and prove that I was indeed better than a “C” student.

It wasn’t the first time that I would hear the phrase “you can’t.”  The love of my life was basketball when I was growing up.  I traveled with my father often when he would officiate games around the area.  I fell in love with the sport.  I set a goal for myself, that I would get an offer to play college basketball upon graduation.  As I proceeded to practice each and every day, I was met by doubters.  You see, I was not the most muscular of boys in high school.  In fact, I was actually quite skinny.  Naturally, people didn’t think I would amount to anything, but I set out to prove them wrong.

With my mind set, I embarked on my four years of high school with motivation.  The motivation came from people that told me “I couldn’t do this, or couldn’t do that.”  For the next four years – if I wasn’t studying, I was playing basketball.  I forgave any possible fun that I would have with friends (which today I regret), but I was on a mission to prove people wrong.  I can remember shooting baskets outside in my driveway with my brothers in the dead of the winter.  I always told myself that if I could shoot well with gloves on, I would be certainly be able to shoot better without them.  I said the same with wearing boots.  If I could crossover in boots and on a frosty surface, then I would definitely be able to do it on a gym floor.

Academically, I set out to do the best I could in every class that I took.  The separation anxiety that I suffered in early childhood led to other anxieties in high school.  I was somebody that suffered from test anxiety.  Because, I had this anxiety I often studied for way longer than I needed to.  I became a perfectionist, even though perfection was something (I did not know at the time) was unattainable.

Fast-forwarding to my senior year, I can remember a day in my English class like it was yesterday.  The high school principal came in and announced the class salutatorian…a fellow classmate who excelled in many areas of school.  I learned lots from her.  I never expected to get it; the thought actually didn’t even cross my mind.  Then the principal announced the valedictorian and sure enough he announced my name.  Granted I probably took a few easier classes to get there, but I was extremely humbled and proud of myself.  I had now proved somebody wrong.  I turned an I can’t into an I can.  Most importantly though, I proved to myself that hard work pays off.

Speaking of hard work, I was still quite busy with basketball.  I was a three-year starter and did the best I could.  Our team had lots of talent.  We had our ups and our downs.  We played in an extremely competitive district.  The furthest we ever made was the first round of regionals my senior year.  It was during this senior year that I turned another “I can’t” into an “I can.”

I will never forget the day after we lost out in the McLean County Tournament.  I was on the bus and waiting for it to depart for home, and my coach came on and told me that somebody wanted to talk to me back in the school.  My second dream and motivation was about to come true.  A college coach was interested in me and wanted me to come and play for them.  I walked back on the bus and was overcome with joy.  Something that I had dreamed about as a child had come to reality.

This was my story.  What is yours?  How many times as educators do we doubt that our students can or cannot do something?   How many times have you been told that you can’t do something?  What is your motivation?  My motivation has always been my dream killers.  There is nothing worse in life than somebody doubting your ability or dreams.  Let me tell you this, and I know you have heard it before.  You “can.”  It’s as simple as that.  If you put your mind to it, you can achieve it.  How many times have you been told this?   As educators we need to fuel the dreams of our students.  When a child walks through our doors with their head on the floor, we need to pick them up.  When a child cries, we need to wipe away the tears.  When a child is frustrated, we need to lend our ears.  When a child is excited, we need to be excited with them.  When a child succeeds, we need to be the first to congratulate them.  We have the power to help make dreams come true.  Are you a dream killer, or dream driver?

It’s time to shout out the doubt.

I know sleeping on the classroom floor seems quite odd, and I always wondered by the teachers let me do it.   Maybe they knew I was dreaming of the “some day.”  The some day in my life that I would be writing about the significant impact it had on my life.   Do me a favor and tell a child that they “can” today.  Tell them that they matter.  Dreams come true.  Failure is not final.  Turn “I Cants into I Cans.”  

Disclaimer:  As always my blogs are my thoughts that are quickly jotted into the document.  A wrong there, their, or they’re may have presented itself.  A comma here, there, or nowhere may have also been mistaken.  I do not have my blogs critiqued and I never write a second draft.  Please forgive me for I not no wut I rite sumtimes.

Thank You Derek Jeter

Thank You Derek Jeter

As I sat eating my “Dome Dog,” I heard over the PA system.  “Now batting for the New York Yankees, the short stop Derek Jeter."  I looked over at my brother and said Derek who?  I was just a freshman in high school at the time.  We then proceeded to have a conversation about how to pronounce his last name.  Of course I was wrong.  We had little idea that we were getting our first glimpse at whom would become one of the greatest baseball players of all time, and arguably one of the greatest role-models for our youth.

It wasn’t our first trip to the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.  In fact my family had made it a tradition to catch the Yankee series each year.  We are all Yankee fans.  It’s a prerequisite in our family; before you make your grand entrance you are branded a Yankee fan.  My middle child was not only branded a Yankee fan before his entrance…he was equipped with his name, Jeter James Jordan, before he blessed us with his first appearance.

Derek Jeter’s legacy and where he falls amongst baseballs greatest will forever be debated.  I have my own opinions, but I’m not writing this blog to gloat about his athletic ability.  I’m writing this blog to emphasize the importance of role models to the young children of this world.  While baseball experts around the globe debate his place in baseball history, I think I speak for an overwhelming majority when I say Derek Jeter as a person is not up for debate.

Derek played the game with passion.  He played baseball the right way.  He was a leader whom led by example.  He kept his professional life separate from his personal life.  He was not a cheater and you will not see an asterisk next to his name when you flip through the record books.   He is living proof that hard work, perseverance, and strong work ethic can lead to conquered dreams.  His actions have been mimicked by millions of young children around the world.  A pickup baseball game has many youngsters pretending to be Derek Jeter... they all want to wear #2.

Derek Jeter is not the only person our young children look up to.   Athletes are role models – no doubt, but each and everyone one of us is a role model for someone.  At any given moment somebody is watching you.  They want to be like you.  Is your attitude contagious?  Is your attitude worth catching?  As an educator and parent, I have the opportunity to influence children everyday.  I think of it as the greatest job in the world.  Yes, sometimes life does get the best of me and I fail to lead in an appropriate manner.  We as people are not perfect, but we must remember that we are leaders.  We are role models, and the people around us will repeat our actions.  I’ve got a lot to learn as an educator and parent, but I’d be doing society and my children a disservice if I didn’t strive to be the best that I can be.  Perfect may not be attainable but we must set our sights on it.

If you can’t find a role model, be one.  Whether you are a parent, business leader, educator, professional athlete, or someone with a beating heart – you have an obligation to improve the society in which we live.  We adults have a tremendous amount of power.  We can change the world for the better.  We can be the hope for kids all around the world.  I don’t know about you, but this excites me.  I’m up for the task.  Are you?

As I look back on the days my family and I traveled to Minnesota I’m greeted by hundreds of memories.  Whether it was sitting on George Steinbrenner’s lap when I was 6 years old or hearing Derek Jeter called to the plate for the first time, these moments with my family have had a profound impact on my life.  Just as my dad and grandpa told me stories of the Yankee greats, I’m honored to be able to share the story of Derek Jeter to my children.  My kids may or may not be blessed to be a Yankee great in the future, but I guarantee you they will quickly learn how good he was as a player, and more importantly how great he was as a person. 

I would like to thank all of those that were great role models for me in my life.  Of course Derek Jeter and other professional athletes were on my list, but my parents, grandparents, relatives, educators, and many more also accompanied them.  Thank you for the positive impact you all had on my life.  I strive each and every day to reciprocate that to my children and youngsters of this world.