"Life's Most Persistent and Urgent Question Is: What Are You Doing For Others?" ~ Dr. King

"What are YOU doing for others?" Don't rush, take a couple of seconds to really reflect? Now that you have given it a little more thought, was your answer tied to your occupation? Was it tied to your vision of tomorrow? Please allow me to frame the question differently, "what are you sacrificing for others?" Do your answers still align? One element that is often overlooked in the conversation regarding servant leadership is that in order to serve others, you have to make a sacrifice in some capacity. The sacrifice may come in the form of resources, relationships, time with loved ones, criticism, imprisonment, and in some cases the ultimate sacrifice, your life. Dr. King endured each of these sacrifices. Have you ever thought about the toll that took on him? His family? What Dr. King did for others aligned with his sacrifices and enhanced his determination to walk in his purpose. The world has never and will never become a better place without the sacrifices of members of the human populace that look to facilitate change. What do you think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be doing for others today or should I say, What would Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sacrifice for others today? Would you follow him? If you were going to follow him, what sacrifices would you have to make?  

When I became an administrator four years ago, I had an epiphany in regards to doing the right thing. Doing the right thing is really hard for many people. If you do not believe me think about the conversations that are currently occurring in the world of education around student achievement, especially for students of color. Brown v. Board of Education was decided in 1954. Brown v. Board II took place in 1955 because there was not a major shift towards desegregating schools. The Civil Rights Act of 1965 saw a shift in the desegregation of schools due to legislation that would have costs schools financially for failing to integrate. I say that to say this, without including the obstacles in educational attainment prior to 1954, sixty-four years have passed since the doctrine of separate but equal was struck down, yet and still the academic gaps have continued to grow in America despite our deeper understanding of researched-based pedagogy, influx of technology, and financial increases for students (in comparison to 1954). I wonder what Dr. King would think of the achievement gap? What would his message be to the nation? What would he be willing to sacrifice to ensure equity in education? More importantly, what is our message and what are we willing to sacrifice?

When the time comes for adults to make a sacrifice we ask; is it safe, politic, or popular versus if it is right. Humans do not have a desire to live in solitude. Due to this many, individuals will often follow the crowd rather than stand alone. We need to understand that our students are not just paying attention to our words, they are assessing if our words align with our actions. We encourage them to make a sacrifice for what is right at the possibility of losing a close friend. We tell them if they are really your friends they will support you. We tell them to stand alone for a just cause, because they will feel better in the morning. The way that we conceptualize making the sacrifice for righteousness is easy. On the contrary, making the decision to stand for righteousness is often met with a series of questions coupled with fear of isolation and ridicule. I think we encourage our students to sacrifice for righteousness because we often lack the courage to live by that creed. What role does sacrificing for righteousness play in the achievement gap, the Civil War of the 21st Century?

Now I am not here to say that I am perfect in regards to what is right, but I try my best to be guided by my moral imperative. I can honestly say that F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real) has halted me in the past I came to regret my inaction. Along the journey, I have made concerted efforts to Face Everything And Rise. Initially, I was unaware of the sacrifices that I would have to make in my service and advocacy of others. I have lost a few friends. There were times when I had to stand alone on an issue or topic in a meeting. In complete transparency, there were a few times a bull's eye was painted on my back for doing what I believed was right. I was not expecting this. The bull's eye was not placed on my back because I was disrespectful, it was because I dissented from what was the popular opinion. I remember the first few times that I did this my colleagues would come into my room and share their frustrations with me. It was validating to hear them say; I am glad that you said that. I support you. In a conversation with my father, he shared with me, "anyone can support you behind closed doors, but I will ask you is that support?" As I continued to see my colleagues remain silent regarding their beliefs and watch what was happening to me, it dawned on me, if my colleagues truly supported me why did they support me after the meeting? They had the same opportunity to share their thoughts, yet they remained silent. The pain that I felt initially from being ostracized made me understand why they remained silent. They did not want to endure the criticism and isolation that came with taking a stand. Despite not liking the feeling of isolation, my resolve and moral imperative was strengthened to advocate for all students in and outside of the school edifice. 

In the Dark Knight, I recall Batman telling Commissioner Gordon that if the hero lives long enough, he will eventually become the villain. With pride we talk about how Dr. King helped to fight injustice in the name of nonviolence through boycotts, speeches, and organizing the masses. However, we do not spend extensive time discussing the duration of the struggle, the criticisms, unwarranted assaults, and unlawful imprisonments he sacrificed to end racial injustices in America. I would say that in Dr. Martin Luther King's case, one could make the argument that in some factions in society he was deemed the villain and is now immortalized as the hero and the epitome of servant leadership.

On January 15th, we paid homage to The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One of the most perplexing questions that have always been on my mind is why does it take time to bring about change when we know that something is a moral injustice? Yes, I agree. We do not create a world of enhanced chaos by not heeding strategic thinking, a magnitude of the change, and what are some of the intended and unintended consequences of the change. Far too often we do not quantify the amount of time the adaptive change necessitates, nor do we discuss the loss and sacrifice that the change will call for. We often substitute these intensive and critical conversations for quick solutions to appease the populace that change is occurring. We are  willing to use a technical change as a band-aid to the deep rooted ideologies that reside in the minds and sometimes the hearts of others. Time has concluded that technical changes do not solve adaptive problems. Is this the reason Dr. King stated, "the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically? Is this why he emphasized that intelligence plus character is the goal of true education? Thinking intensively and critically helps us to decipher our truth. It also helps us to have empathy and understand how our actions may impact our fellow man from various perspectives. I have found courage from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he found it in his moral imperative that "The time is always right to do what is right." 

Dr. King stated that in the end, we would remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. This has resonated with me because I do not want to every question if I advocated for the futures of my students. When you decide to disrupt the status quo, you must expect resistance will ensue. Dr. King tried to prepare future advocates of truth for this when he stated, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." This statement brings us back to focusing on the most difficult question that we have to answer, is it right? The moment we answer this question we are called to action. If and when, we determine that an action is not right we have to overcome cowardice, expediency, and vanity as they will create fear that will lead us to accept the status quo. There will never be another Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. With that being said, he left an example of service, advocacy, and leadership principles for us to follow to continue walking in his footsteps, a legacy personified by servant leadership due to his willingness to ask, "life's most persistent question: what are you doing (sacrificing) for others?"

#OneWord: #FEAR

Fear. Yes, FEAR!!! Fear is the one word that we all have in common. Fear keeps us from accomplishing our goals. Fear keeps us from fighting the effects of the status quo. Fear causes us to hesitate. Fear causes us not to take action. Fear causes us to see the worst in a situation and doubt our human capacity before we even take a risk. Fear makes us see the version of ourselves that is not our best. Fear makes us think what will my family, friends, and people that do not even know me think of my decision. Truly, it is not the actual thought of FEAR that stifles humans; it is what the fear is connected to that chains our leadership and allows the status quo to disenfranchise our world when we decide not to take action. 

This blog stems from my reflection moderating the first #PLN365 #TwitterChat at the request of my good friend and fellow #EduGladiator #CoreWarrior Paul O'Neill entitled #FirstSteps. I have to let you know that Paul was relentless in making sure that I moderated this chat. Why did Paul have to be relentless you may ask, you said it, because of FEAR. After I accepted I began to say, "what have I gotten myself into?"

 (Tweets to Q2 Created the Themes for this Blog)

                                                                 

                                                                  Fear Of Capacity

When we begin our journey down a new path various questions enter our mind which include but are not limited too:

Am I good enough? 

Will I succeed?

What happens if I fail? 

How do I compare? 

Will I be alone? 

What other factors (race, gender, creed, etc.) will allow people to judge and/or stereotype me? 

Honestly, many of the same fears tried to manifest inside of me as the #PLN365 chat was approaching. Focusing on my fears had the potential to dilute the learning process of the journey. Understanding my purpose and the support of members of my #PLN reinforced that the only true barrier that can ever stop me, is me. More importantly, you never know who you may encourage and inspire to take their #FirstStep by walking in your purpose as you travel through the forest of fear. Your journey is not just about you. Your journey is about your service and ability to impact the lives of those around you. Too often, we feel that we do not have a voice that others will listen to when the reality is others are eager to learn and grow from our unique perspectives and experiences. 

Fear of Failure:

Patrick Newsome (@pn6609) shared a great point in regards to failure. When we fail at something, we do not feel good on the inside. We are concerned with how we are viewed, and let's be honest, we do not want to disappoint ourselves. If we are truly going to live the mantra of life-long learners, we must come to embrace dissonance and the correlation between learning and failure. I tell my students all of the time that if they knew how to do everything, there would be no reason for me to be here. We may not have enjoyed the process of failure but what we learned helped us become who we are today. 

Fear of Perception:

Kristin Jenkins (@PreK33) discussed the fear of perception that exists deep within our minds. We are often more concerned with how others are going to perceive us, and that halts our ability to act. This has happened to me on several occasions, and I hope to limit this in the future. The question that I posed to Kristin is, what if everyone was waiting for your leadership? When new teachers join our staff, I make it a point to tell them I do not want them to try to figure out the culture and acclimate to it. I want them to be engaged and let their talents show immediately. You are here to enhance our culture not adapt to it. 

Fear of Misunderstanding

Have you ever had a vision that was often misunderstood? This happens more often then what most people are willing to admit. The pain of misunderstanding has the ability to stop us on our journey. The pain comes from the criticism taking the form of personal attacks on the journey. The backlash that comes without having all of the facts has always been difficult for me. Too often we do not seek to understand and react without all of the facts. The reality is every leadership action will require you to overcome this fear as there will always be a percentage of the populace that will not agree with your vision. The good news is that it is YOUR VISION and you are obligated to see it through and to have great friends will empower you to, "GO FOR IT!"

Fear of Success

Jeffrey Lahey (@MrJeffLahey) spoke to the fear of success. People may begin to look at you differently, depend on you, and expect more from you. More importantly, you begin to expect more from yourself. When you experience success, it does add to your plate as expectations are enhanced. The question becomes how do we create balance and what are we willing to let go of as we continue to evolve?

Fear of the First Step

The most powerful moments that were brought to life for me after the chat came in the form of the first steps of others that I had the opportunity to be part of. Laura Busch (@llbusch) (My First Step) and Jessica Stephens (@DrJStephens) (Love Works- Every Single Time) gave me the privilege of sharing their first blogs with me. It was an honor to read their stories. Jess' blog resonated with me when she stated, "This work is about the human condition, thus human connection." The passion in their writing helped ignite the fire to create and share this blog. I look forward to reading more of their work and the work of others in my #PLN. We have a unique opportunity to share our stories and empower each other with rich discourse, critical thinking, and feedback. Who else is better equipped to share your story than you? 

The Good News

Failure is not permanent, and fear is often a hallucination of your mind. Conquering your fear gives you the power to be limitless. The first step to conquering your fear is to acknowledge that you have them. 

When you acknowledge that you have fears, you can begin to strategically learn how to overcome the barriers that are in your way. When was the last time you learned something new? Were you an expert the moment you began? According to the research, it takes 10,000 hours of intentional practice to become an expert or a master of your craft. That is approximately 417 days, and unless you are a prodigy, you will experience failure. Jay explained that when we burst through a barrier, the joy of moving forward is invigorating. Think about the last time you overcame an obstacle. How did you feel afterward? Was it worth the endeavor? I guarantee you it was, and more importantly it prepared you for the next obstacle that you would face. The problem with the journey is not the destination it is the challenges that are present along the way. This would be a problem if you live in an isolated world, but I have news for you:

 YOU ARE

NOT

ALONE

 ON THIS

JOURNEY!!!

This is why my #PLN is My Justice League. If you do not have a #PLN, you can join mine. I can not think of a single reason why anyone should be restricted to the artificial barriers that create isolation, foster division, and devalues diversity. I am not encouraging anyone to choose FEAR for their one word.  However, I hope that your one word will help you Face Everything And Rise.

As always, thank you for reading this post. You can read more about the ability to Face Everything And Rise here: Green Lantern Corps: WillPower.

The Bat-Signal Was Batman's Calling, What Is Yours?

The iconic Bat-Signal is a beacon of hope to the citizens of Gotham that Batman will be there in their time of need. We often discuss what the Bat Signal meant to the City of Gotham, but what did it mean for Batman? The simple answer would be that there was a problem, but I believe it is deeper than that. The Bat Signal provided Batman with PURPOSE!!! What separated Batman from the ordinary citizens of Gotham, was his commitment to bring about change in situations that appeared to be insurmountable. Batman chose to take action rather than admire the problem. Batman is a SUPERHERO due to his willingness to embrace his purpose of protecting the citizens of Gotham. What makes you an #EDUHERO is how you nurture and protect the academic, emotional, and social needs of your students. 

Purpose

In the world of education, we have all heard the outcry of too much test taking, not enough funding, not enough time, too strict or too loose curriculums, too many meetings, homework, grading, and the list goes on and on. When you entered education, how many of the aforementioned topics determined why you became an educator? Yes, the items above are concerns in our profession. However, they often become the grey clouds that begin to dim the light of the purpose for many of our colleagues. How do we navigate this ambiguity? Purpose allows us to be the lighthouse that safely leads the ships to harbor in tumultuous storms. This is what makes you a SUPERHERO or better yet an EDUHERO. You are a SUPERHERO/EDUHERO because you made a conscientious decision to take action in the ongoing Knowing-Doing gap that encompasses our future leaders and most valuable resources; our students. 

In my career as an educator, one of my strengths that I have always relied upon was keeping a focus on my purpose. I never viewed teaching as a job. To this day, I do not consider educating future leaders as a job. It is my purpose. Every day parents give me their most prized possessions to nurture, protect, and advance their academic outcomes and possibilities. We must find a way to prevent the confusion of our occupations with our purpose. There are times when I am called to perform as Bruce Wayne (occupation), and there are times when I am needed as Batman (purpose).

Have you ever tried to imagine your life without your education? How different would your life be? Would the difference impact your livelihood? Your family? Was the purpose of your education to memorize facts? Was it to get an A on the test? For me, the purpose is to ensure that every student no matter the school they attend, has the opportunity to assess the resources needed to become productive members of society. (I can write another blog defining what productive members of society means to me, but I will save that for another day). Unfortunately, many of our students expected outcomes are predetermined through a systemic cycle that my PURPOSE wants me to break.

Two months ago, one of my former students reached out to me on Twitter. The next day, my secretary gave me a message that she called me. When I checked my email, I had an email from her. I was impressed because one of the lessons I try to teach my students is persistence. She is a senior in high school and wanted to invite me to her graduation. She shared with me that she has been accepted to two colleges and is eager to attend. She stated to me that her graduation was a significant moment in her life and she wanted me to share that moment with her because I believed in her and helped her reach this accomplishment. It would be safe to say that initially, our relationship began with a rocky start. This young lady did not like school when we were together. She swore that she would never attend college. Initially, she did not want to participate in class or engage in her learning activities. This made me more diligent. Why you may ask? Her education aligned with my purpose. When I am working with students, I do not always see them for who they are at that moment; I see them for who they can become. I feel obligated to leave no stone unturned to ensure the success of all students that are under my care. Every student wants to go to the board, they just lost their way, and it is an honor to help get them back on the right path. I have not had any correspondence with this young woman, but our collective purpose kept us connected. I shared this story with my staff to let them know that often in our lives as educators we do not feel the sensation that comes with immediate gratification. However, if we are led by our purpose, the fruits of our labor will manifest in time, and it hardly aligns with a test score.

Purpose Is Always Supported By Personal Reflection

Every SUPERHERO has a moment of reflection that made them stare at themselves in the mirror and they knew that their lives and the lives of others would be forever changed by what they decided to do or not do. Yes, there is always the initial "this will help the world be a better place." Yes, there is the "I know that I can make a difference." If you continue to peel back the layers, you will find other reasons that enhance the commitment to their purpose. Batman had the experience of seeing his parents murdered. Batman did not want anyone else to experience the pain of loss that he felt. I had labels placed upon me when I was a student that were often unwarranted, and I wanted to prove everyone wrong. One of the reasons for this was my parents. They were very open and direct about the challenges that I would encounter due to various stereotypes that run rampant in our society. My parents made many sacrifices for me, and I refused to allow those sacrifices to be made in vain. In my mind, the only way I could pay them back was to ensure that I overcame the obstacles and stereotypes that people tried to attach to me. I believe that education is a fundamental right of the populace. The cycles of poverty and crime that were perpetuated when educational opportunities were not equitably accessible became very clear to me prior to becoming an educator. Not only were they perpetuated, I wanted to make sure that they were not self-fulling. I never wanted a student to leave me thinking that the paradigms of the world had absolute control over their reality. 

Answering The Call Is Not Easy

Answering the initial call is exciting, and we are often full of glee. To this day I still remember my reaction when I received the phone call four years ago, that informed me that I was going to be a principal. There were many things that I was unaware of when I entered this role that presented a wealth of new challenges for me. (I will share those in a later blog). What we need to remember is that finding your purpose is a gift. Many people do not accept their calling due to the criticism and critiques that could potentially come from family, friends, and members of our society. Answering the call might result in a change to oneself and challenging the status quo. For some reason, we believe that when we find our purpose, our lives will become more comfortable. I would argue the opposite. When you identify your purpose, you experience life beyond your wildest dreams, and you will also encounter challenges that you could have never imagined. With that being said, you must have faith that following your purpose will make a difference. If you do not believe that you can make a difference following your purpose it will not happen. 

Every signal and every call is not intended for every person. Purpose orders your steps, keeps you up at night, and makes you restless. You begin to feel that there is something more for you to complete. You want to take action. You are eager to learn. It feels like the box that you currently occupy is going to burst because it can no longer contain your growth. Purpose connects you with people that you were destined to meet at precisely the right time. Many people have tried to assign purpose to others, but unfortunately, that can never happen. We can place expectations, aspirations, and high hopes on others, but we can never assign their purpose. Purpose lays at the center of our hearts and minds.Batman always answered the Bat-Signal because it was not just about protecting others, he was fulfilling his purpose. Will you answer your calling?