The Superior Education Blog

Dealing With Criticism, Guilt and Shame in the Classroom

SuperiorEd — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:09:00 GMT

by Stephen T. McClard - Complete Article List W hen you think of shame, what comes to your mind? How about guilt? Many people associate shame and guilt as one emotion, but in reality they are very different. By definition, guilt is the "I have done something bad" emotion. By contrast, shame is the "I am bad" emotion. As you continue reading, consider how your actions can impact guilt or shame in a child. Ask yourself if there may be ways to change these emotions into success for your students. Shame is felt when others are aware of our incorrect intentions or actions and can often lead to feelings of worthlessness. Guilt, on the other hand, is the emotion that is felt when no one else knows about our intentions or actions. I clarify this because it makes a noticeable difference to the person making the choice. The difference between success and failure in dealing with our classroom management can depend on our perception of these two emotions. A high percentage of poor behavior in the classroom will elicit neither shame nor guilt. This is because the individual taking the action may be unaware of the impact his/her actions have on others, or they may simply lack the related values associated with their actions. Dealing with poor behavior then boils down to the impact we have as educators when revealing the poor behavior to the student. Evoking a guilt response in the student is an inevitable result of negative feedback no matter how delicately we may think we are handling the situation. Avoiding this certainty will only allow the problem to fester and gives the student no new direction to head. If we can first communicate indirectly, we create the best chance for success. Allowing the student the autonomy to choose the correct path will be the most effective way to make first contact with poor behavior. Evoking guilt in a student indirectly can be very powerful and may allow the student to avoid shame. Guilt can lead to empathy if skillfully managed for the success of the student. When it becomes necessary for us to take a student aside or openly correct a repeated poor behavior, the emotion can then become shame. When our corrections reveal shame in a student, the reaction can differ depending on the personality of the student. In some cases, we will have success and in other cases the student will choose to react poorly. The defining factor in this will be determined by the approach we take. Delivering negative feedback can be a dicey proposition. Our approach can make all the difference and will determine our overall ability to build or kill rapport with our students. Here are a few tips to take these emotions of the heart and turn them into success every time: Tips for Delivering Negative Feedback 1. Be the Bigger Person The first step to success is to answer the main question: Why am I correcting this student? If the answer to this question is anything other than allowing the student to become a better person, then our motives are not true. If we are merely in a bad mood, wanting to take revenge or looking for someone to use as an example, then correction will only backfire. Revealing your contempt builds ground for the student to stand against you. Remaining calm and assertive will allow you to build ground for the student to walk with you. 2. Eliminate Bias In his book, Verbal Judo , George Thompson says that it is important to eliminate bias in communication at all costs. A calm and assertive attitude will be the key to overcoming the natural gut reaction of the student. Keep your anger, harsh emotion and condescension out of your approach to discipline. Within the tone of your voice and the words you use, you can either turn off a student forever or create ground for him/her to walk with you. The inner voice is normally grumpy, so ignore it. Learn to control it and make it obey with positive intentions. 3. Sprinkle on the Praise! Praise builds rapport and gives you ground to stand with the student when negative feedback is necessary. Praise often and be specific. Don’t just say, "Good job, Tom." Be specific and create a mental picture. Praise can be effective, but praise for what is expected should be avoided. Instead, praise what is unexpected. "Tom, I loved the way you played that solo. You showed so much emotion. It was hard to believe you kept yourself so focused. I'm impressed. I can't wait to hear you again tomorrow." 4. Praise Last with Correction First If you are going to add correction and praise together, do not praise first. "I loved the way you played that solo Tom, but you need to stay away from B natural in this key." This is an ineffective way to praise and correct because your students will learn to anticipate "but" as a negative at the end of all your praise. On the other hand, if you correct first and then praise, the praise is the focus of the argument and will assist you in building ground with the student. "Tom, I noticed that you used a B natural in the key of B flat. We can work on that, but I was very impressed with your tone quality and mature sound. Great job!" This "but" comes across much better. Your "but" should have as much impact as possible. While you are laughing at that last sentence, remember this tip: Use humor often. 5. Create Context Creating context with your students can be an amazing force multiplier. Simply asking or telling a student to change a behavior is not nearly as powerful as asking with a picture. "Tom, can you please refrain from blurting out (ask)? The class will run much more efficiently if only one person speaks at a time (why). In addition, you avoid taking the chance of getting in trouble (why not). You will have a much better chance of avoiding a detention if you show me that you can be respectful (positive ending)." Creating context will also involve answering the why for everything you say. Answer the question, “Why is this important to me?” 6. Paint a Mental Picture Using a metaphor to further build context for proper behavior is one of the most entertaining and pleasant exercises a teacher can endeavor to accomplish. A metaphor paints a mental picture that contains all the elements of a well thought-out lesson. Evoking a previously learned metaphor can bring the lesson back to a student’s mind in a matter of seconds. The following is an example of a great metaphor that I use in my band classes: I use a metaphor that I call the consistency principle. The consistency principle states that all people want to be seen as consistent. I ask the students to mentally place themselves in my position in the front of the room. I ask them to imagine what expectations they would have if they were the teacher needing to teach the class. I then ask them to remain consistent with these expectations. It is like a magic trick and gets them to empathize with me. All I have to do is have them imagine what it would be like to be me. The fact that I made them believe in being consistent sets up the expectation that they should. I can then continue reminding them each day to be consistent. Final Thoughts All of these suggestions create a basic foundation for pushing students to create their own high expectations and walk with us instead of against us. It is one thing for us to have high expectations for our students, but when the students create their own high expectations, we are likely to minimize the need for consequences all together. When we take this step, we create the best possible environment for students to turn guilt and shame into success. Article by Stephen T. McClard, originally written in November, 2009, Copyright, Stephen T. McClard

The Riddle of Humpty Dumpty Solved

SuperiorEd — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:02:00 GMT

By Stephen T. McClard - Complete Article List C harles Dodgson, better know as Lewis Carroll, wrote the infamous novel, Alice ’s Adventures in Wonderland . From my perspective, the secret to the Humpty Dumpty Riddle is contained within his works. This article represents my attempt to solve a riddle that has plagued me since my time in the crib. Am I correct? You decide. If not, it was fun trying and you can leave me a few comments (But play NICE!). And yes I know, he's an egg. Humpty Dumpty (EGG/DNA) sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King’s horses and all the King’s men could not put Humpty back together again. To understand this riddle fully, you need to recognize that the origin of Humpty is likely in the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages is also where we find the Knights Templar and the search for the elixir of life (fountain of youth) and the Philosopher’s Stone (Gold from mercury). Charles Dodgson was a devout Roman Catholic and a highly skilled mathematician. It is rumored he was a Freemason, which originates from the Knights Templar (Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (knowledge)). Given the time period, this may or may not be true. Examining his comments reveals that he may have been speaking against the secret societies. This is hard to determine. Throughout the Alice stories, and especially in Through the Looking Glass , Dodgson reveals these three facts about his life and clarifies Humpty in a dialog with Alice. This curious exchange between Alice and Humpty in chapter 6 helps us understand the riddle further: `And only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!' `I don't know what you mean by "glory,"' Alice said. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. `Of course you don't -- till I tell you. I meant, "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!" `But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument,"' Alice objected. `When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less. `The question is,' said Alice, `whether you can make words mean so many different things.' `The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, `which is to be master - - that's all.' Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. `They've a temper, some of them -- particularly verbs, they're the proudest -- adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs -- however, I can manage the whole of them! Impenetrability! That's what I say!' Verbs are proud (men) and actively seeking knowledge. Adjectives are easy to influence. Verbs are hard to manage, but God can manage them all. I purposely lead you down this rabbit’s hole slowly to let you solve the rest of the riddle for yourself. The glory of man (above) is the birthday present when he is created, but the key to the riddle is in understanding what the word impenetrability means. This is a mathematical reference to the fact that two bodies cannot occupy the same space. In other words, evil and good cannot occupy the same space. God made man good, not evil. Regaining the former glory is impenetrable through the efforts of mankind alone. You can draw further inferences by studying the history of Freenasonry and reading some of Dodgson’s poetry. A final metaphor that relates to this riddle is found in the Genesis story of the fall of man in the garden of Eden. There were two trees in the garden: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan tempts man with knowledge to get to the keys of the tree of life, using man’s potential as his conduit of choice. He lies to man and tells him he can live forever. God then says a curious thing: "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." This is then the key to understanding the rest. Remember that Dodgson was a devout believer, a Mason and a mathematician. He understood the connection between Freemasonry and the biblical story of the garden. Now, reread the story as it is in literal terms: Man sat on the wall of choice when he was vulnerable like an egg on a wall. Man took knowledge and used it before he was ready (before the egg hatched), and had a great fall (from God’s grace). If he had just waited, he would have become his potential by hatching. All of the King’s tools (technology) and all of the King’s men (Alchemists/Scientists/Mathematicians) could not put man back in his place of glory again. You see, the riddle is actually a lament of what was lost. Now that you see the riddle as I do, consider the sequencing of DNA and the Human Genome Project. Now most people might stop here and be satisfied. I’ll carry it further. DNA contains the equivalent of 12 encyclopedias full of encoded language with three million characters and is in a four bit cipher that man cannot crack. Reread God’s words from the garden in a completely new light: "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." If you think this is interesting, read the words of God from the Tower of Babel when all of mankind spoke one language. Notice what happens when they stretch out their hand to take what is not theirs to take: Genesis 11 6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is (are) one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. The question is, are we now ready to hatch or are we traveling down the rabbit's hole in error? According to Dodgson, it’s impenetrability. As for me, I just have fun thinking about it. I hope you have enjoyed my muse. You may think I'm living in a fantasy world like Alice and my rabbit's hole is slightly too deep, but you can't blame me for trying. It's Humpty Dumpty after all!

The Love of Truth

SuperiorEd — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:30:00 GMT

By Stephen T. McClard - Complete Article List VIDEO “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out; a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.” Victor Frankl E veryone, no matter their lot in life, will act a part in the play called life. When viewed against the vastness of space and time, our lives are but grains of sand on an infinite stage. Some lives in this performance are seemingly insignificant while others play leading roles. The factors that determine our lot in life are guided by our views of truth and dictated by our larger view of the production for which we are cast. Contained within every soul and locked within every human experience, truth abounds yet hides itself, patiently waiting to be found in its correct form and on its own terms. Truth, after all, is the ultimate end pursuit of all conscious efforts and the motivation for our movement forward in time. Housed in this tiny piece of real estate, we search, eking out our existence, patiently waiting for tiny moments of discovery that can fill our void and expand our view of the universe. The unsatisfied thirst to understand and know truth is what plagues our existence. Yet, our finite existence contains potential for an infinitely marvelous array of possibilities when shadows of truth are humbly understood and applied to our efforts and struggles. Sadly, our truths are but the mere edges of ultimate universal truths that are waiting to be discovered. Found within our souls and within our intellect, we hold the capacity to know and understand. We lack only the proper insights and connections for truth to be realized fully in our lives. As we seek to discover new understanding, truth observes our progress and waits. Eons of time have passed since truth began its work, anticipating moments in time to reveal its purpose and expand our dimly lit view. Nations struggle and wars rage, all in the name of truth. Contradictions to truth abound, yet truth remains constant, shining amid our turmoil and strife. We rage and fight to proclaim our knowledge of truth, yet truth patiently waits to reveal its purpose. We arrogantly boast that we possess truth, yet truth patiently waits for us to humble our souls. Truth cannot be contained by a mere fleshly vessel. Knowing this is our first step to know more of what the immutable laws of truth offer. Truth cannot allow itself to be used for false purposes. Knowing this is our second step to understanding our reality and allowing truth to fill our need. Truth will not be used to manipulate or alter what is true. Knowing this allows us to humbly accept what truth sets out to accomplish. Truth patiently waits. Our ways are not yet the ways of truth. Our thoughts are not yet the thoughts of truth. Our sense of justice is but a glimpse of what truth demands. The edges of truth are barely visible when seen through our dimly lit reality. We can be assured in our pursuit of truth if we will only humble our thoughts and patiently seek the glories of what truth will bring to our souls. Truth moves about, quietly whispering in the ears of those who will listen. It speaks throughout the ages of what is right and good and pure. It gives a voice to the humble philosopher and shines a light for the seekers of knowledge. Passed along from generation to generation, its illuminations multiply. Called by many names, it quietly proclaims its wisdom, allowing us to grow in our understanding and control. Truth asks only one thing of us: to humbly set our minds in the midst of knowledge and toward the pursuit of bettering others and ourselves. Truth patiently waits for us to seek and discover the rewards it has waiting for a generation that will plum the depths of its boundless and abundant seeds of potential. Truth is the pursuit, but meaning is the reward. The rewards of meaning and the pursuit of life are the answer to the ageless questions that have haunted man since truth first began its work; who am I and what is my purpose? Before truth fully answers these questions in your heart, it has one expectation. As you gasp your last breath of life, what will run through your mind? What thoughts will you have about your life and the purpose for which you were formed? The two questions truth will answer in our lives--who am I and what is my purpose?--will become startlingly clear to you at this moment, the final humbling moment of physical life. As you have your last thought, this will be the moment at which you realize the impact you had on others, the moment when you realize that you either lived your purpose on this earth or you missed your purpose completely. Until this moment, truth hesitates to answer our questions. It waits patiently, eagerly, hoping it can bring the answers to light before our light fades and our eyes close for the last time. For a select few mortal souls, the seekers of knowledge, the meaning to these two questions will be answered before this moment arrives. Truth will gladly answer these questions but has an expectation which is hidden in an ancient riddle, the parts of which have been scattered in full view since truth first began its work. The first part of the riddle is this: no matter where we go, there we will be, and until we realize that we can only be where we go, we will only be where we are. Going is the only way to travel along the path of truth. Just as the apprentice must stay with his master, truth will accept no less than this from us. We realize at this moment that answering the riddle starts with the journey. The journey with truth starts with the first step and is the second part of the riddle. The first step in the journey is the most important step and cannot be taken in the wrong direction. It is at this point that most souls will stumble and lose their way along the true path. Without taking the proper steps in the proper directions, truth will continue without its apprentice. As sojourners with truth, we are bound to the path of truth and thus begin our journey in life. Our journey begins when we enter through the gate of life at birth and lasts until we finally move through the portal of death. It is between these moments that truth forges our destiny in the crucible of life. It is at this moment that truth decides our fate, the one purpose that we were formed from nothing to accomplish. What happens between these two moments, birth and death, will decide our fate. Truth, with its friend fate, decides our future destiny and dictates our purpose as we walk the path of life. Discovering purpose in life starts with the first step and ends with the last. Where we go, there we are, together with truth, stepping forward toward our destiny. What, then, does truth require of the knowledge seeker along the journey? To discover the answer to this question, we must first learn humility. Truth will not reveal itself until we are humble before it. This may happen along the path or will finally happen when we exit this life through the portal of death. We are powerless against the eventuality of humility, so pushing ourselves beyond self will be the first step to understanding what truth requires of us. To gain humility, we realize that our soul is unique to the purpose for which it was created. We choose our path through free will, and the choices we make along the way define who we are and will further define the unique steps of others. The value we see in others will be reflected in the value we place on ourselves. Free will is, therefore, the determining factor in our choice to be humble or to be selfish and self-centered. Free will can lead us away from the self-deception that separates us from truth, or it will ultimately lead us away from the true path. We are free to travel the paths of truth when our self-will is removed and we humble ourselves by seeking the good of the many. Truth is simply the destination of a random and unpredictable journey. As our soul walks to the grave, the steps taken along the way are dictated by free will. Whether we seek evil or good, all paths end at truth. For the seeker of knowledge, reward is gained and continues beyond the grave. For the seeker of self, reward is pursued but never gained, ending at the grave. This life is fleeting. At our essence, we are souls trapped in a decaying corpse, a corpse moving about in time. Will the precious time we have on this earth be lived for our own selfish ends, or will we take each step forward for the betterment of others? Discovering our purpose for this movement in time is then reduced to these two choices and will define who we are when the end finally comes. No matter where we go, there we will be, and until we realize that we can only be where we go, we will only be where we are. Article originally written in July 2009 - Revised 2010 This article has been copied by others and attributed to their own creation. I am fine with this. Truth is free. Why hold on to it? There is enough for everyone who chooses to seek.

Humbly Seeking the Good

SuperiorEd — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:55:00 GMT

By Stephen T. McClard - Complete Article List L iving life well requires a mastery of words and actions. Finding the good in all situations demands the proper application of meaning to form correct choices. Like magic incantations acting on the experiences of awareness, words have the power to transform the intellect in specific directions along the various paths of life. Focusing the lens of the mind then defines the path that is traveled. Clarity of thought can direct the mind toward the good of life if intellect guides emotion. However, if emotion guides intellect, the path of life will only bring clarity through the lessons of uncomfortable experience. Duplicity Duplicity is a state of awareness representing contradictory thoughts and actions. Like two out of tune notes, duplicitous thoughts and actions resonate with disharmony to the intellect. Seeking the good in any situation requires harmony between the two. Guiding the emotions from the intellect represents the first step of tuning the mind to harmony and equilibrium. Finding the good in life is impenetrable apart from the proper use of the intellect. Impenetrability Impenetrability is the state of being whereby two things cannot occupy the same space. Emotion will always move past the space in the mind occupied by the intellect. Since two objects cannot occupy the same space, the stronger of the two will move the weaker. Seeking the good in any situation requires strength of intellect. The second step to finding harmony and equilibrium in the mind requires the use of intellect as the dominating force for guiding choice. When emotion obediently serves intellect, equanimity follows. Equanimity Equanimity is a state of mental and emotional steadiness arising from deep awareness. A constant state of equanimity is impossible if the five senses dictate emotion. To maintain equanimity is to guide action by intellect through the filter of mindfulness of purpose. Mindfulness Mindfulness is a calm awareness and mastery of emotion. To be mindful is to master intentions of choice in all moments of life. Intention Intention is the first leg of a well traveled journey. The good of life can arise from correct intention if the disharmony caused by duplicity is eliminated by the intellect. This journey demands only one true intention from us along the path. If we wish the good of life as a reward for our efforts, then two contradictory goals are selfishly desired. If we pursue the good of life to avoid punishment, duplicity has once again revealed our selfish intention. True intention, however, only comes by desiring the source of good in life from the perspective of humility. Humility Humility seeks the good as its own reward. The goodness of God is the peace that comes from choosing His free gift of Grace. Grace Grace is unmerited favor to the humble. Pride The exalting of self. By not choosing, a choice is still made.

Seed of Truth - Education

SuperiorEd — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:23:00 GMT

By Stephen T. McClard - Complete Article List “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out; a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.” Victor Frankl Everyone, no matter their lot in life, will act a part in the play called life. When viewed against the vastness of space and time, our lives are but grains of sand on an infinite stage. Some lives in this performance are seemingly insignificant while others play leading roles. The factors that determine our lot in life are guided by our views of truth and dictated by our larger view of the production for which we are cast. Contained within every soul and locked within every human experience, truth abounds yet hides itself, patiently waiting to be found in its correct form and on its own terms. Truth, after all, is the ultimate end pursuit of all conscious efforts and the motivation for our movement forward in time. Housed in this tiny piece of real estate, we search, eking out our existence, patiently waiting for tiny moments of discovery that can fill our void and expand our view of the universe. The unsatisfied thirst to understand and know truth is what plagues our existence. Yet, our finite existence contains potential for an infinitely marvelous array of possibilities when shadows of truth are humbly understood and applied to our efforts and struggles. Sadly, our truths are but the mere edges of ultimate universal truths that are waiting to be discovered. Found within our souls and within our intellect, we hold the capacity to know and understand. We lack only the proper insights and connections for truth to be realized fully in our lives. As we seek to discover new understanding, truth observes our progress and waits. Eons of time have passed since truth began its work, anticipating moments in time to reveal its purpose and expand our dimly lit view. Nations struggle and wars rage, all in the name of truth. Contradictions to truth abound, yet truth remains constant, shining amid our turmoil and strife. We rage and fight to proclaim our knowledge of truth, yet truth patiently waits to reveal its purpose. We arrogantly boast that we possess truth, yet truth patiently waits for us to humble our souls. Truth cannot be contained by a mere fleshly vessel. Knowing this is our first step to know more of what the immutable laws of truth offer. Truth cannot allow itself to be used for false purposes. Knowing this is our second step to understanding our reality and allowing truth to fill our need. Truth will not be used to manipulate or alter what is true. Knowing this allows us to humbly accept what truth sets out to accomplish. Truth patiently waits. Our ways are not yet the ways of truth. Our thoughts are not yet the thoughts of truth. Our sense of justice is but a glimpse of what truth demands. The edges of truth are barely visible when seen through our dimly lit reality. We can be assured in our pursuit of truth if we will only humble our thoughts and patiently seek the glories of what truth will bring to our souls. Truth moves about, quietly whispering in the ears of those who will listen. It speaks throughout the ages of what is right and good and pure. It gives a voice to the humble philosopher and shines a light for the seekers of knowledge. Passed along from generation to generation, its illuminations multiply. Called by many names, it quietly proclaims its wisdom, allowing us to grow in our understanding and control. Truth asks only one thing of us: to humbly set our minds in the midst of knowledge and toward the pursuit of bettering others and ourselves. Truth patiently waits for us to seek and discover the rewards it has waiting for a generation that will plum the depths of its boundless and abundant seeds of potential. Truth is the pursuit, but meaning is the reward. The rewards of meaning and the pursuit of life are the answer to the ageless questions that have haunted man since truth first began its work; who am I and what is my purpose? Before truth fully answers these questions in your heart, it has one expectation. As you gasp your last breath of life, what will run through your mind? What thoughts will you have about your life and the purpose for which you were formed? The two questions truth will answer in our lives--who am I and what is my purpose?--will become startlingly clear to you at this moment, the final humbling moment of physical life. As you have your last thought, this will be the moment at which you realize the impact you had on others, the moment when you realize that you either lived your purpose on this earth or you missed your purpose completely. Until this moment, truth hesitates to answer our questions. It waits patiently, eagerly, hoping it can bring the answers to light before our light fades and our eyes close for the last time. For a select few mortal souls, the seekers of knowledge, the meaning to these two questions will be answered before this moment arrives. Truth will gladly answer these questions but has an expectation which is hidden in an ancient riddle, the parts of which have been scattered in full view since truth first began its work. The first part of the riddle is this: no matter where we go, there we will be, and until we realize that we can only be where we go, we will only be where we are. Going is the only way to travel along the path of truth. Just as the apprentice must stay with his master, truth will accept no less than this from us. We realize at this moment that answering the riddle starts with the journey. The journey with truth starts with the first step and is the second part of the riddle. The first step in the journey is the most important step and cannot be taken in the wrong direction. It is at this point that most souls will stumble and lose their way along the true path. Without taking the proper steps in the proper directions, truth will continue without its apprentice. As sojourners with truth, we are bound to the path of truth and thus begin our journey in life. Our journey begins when we enter through the gate of life at birth and lasts until we finally move through the portal of death. It is between these moments that truth forges our destiny in the crucible of life. It is at this moment that truth decides our fate, the one purpose that we were formed from nothing to accomplish. What happens between these two moments, birth and death, will decide our fate. Truth, with its friend fate, decides our future destiny and dictates our purpose as we walk the path of life. Discovering purpose in life starts with the first step and ends with the last. Where we go, there we are, together with truth, stepping forward toward our destiny. What, then, does truth require of the knowledge seeker along the journey? To discover the answer to this question, we must first learn humility. Truth will not reveal itself until we are humble before it. This may happen along the path or will finally happen when we exit this life through the portal of death. We are powerless against the eventuality of humility, so pushing ourselves beyond self will be the first step to understanding what truth requires of us. To gain humility, we realize that our soul is unique to the purpose for which it was created. We choose our path through free will, and the choices we make along the way define who we are and will further define the unique steps of others. The value we see in others will be reflected in the value we place on ourselves. Free will is, therefore, the determining factor in our choice to be humble or to be selfish and self-centered. Free will can lead us away from the self-deception that separates us from truth, or it will ultimately lead us away from the true path. We are free to travel the paths of truth when our self-will is removed and we humble ourselves by seeking the good of the many. Truth is simply the destination of a random and unpredictable journey. As our soul walks to the grave, the steps taken along the way are dictated by free will. Whether we seek evil or good, all paths end at truth. For the seeker of knowledge, reward is gained and continues beyond the grave. For the seeker of self, reward is pursued but never gained, ending at the grave. This life is fleeting. At our essence, we are souls trapped in a decaying corpse, a corpse moving about in time. Will the precious time we have on this earth be lived for our own selfish ends, or will we take each step forward for the betterment of others? Discovering our purpose for this movement in time is then reduced to these two choices and will define who we are when the end finally comes. No matter where we go, there we will be, and until we realize that we can only be where we go, we will only be where we are. Article originally written in July 2009 - Revised 2010

Education – Pillar of Stability, Peace and Satisfaction

SuperiorEd — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:42:00 GMT

By Stephen T. McClard - Complete Article List A ll educators, at one time or another, will seek wisdom that is beyond their experience. Dealing with unruly students, not to mention the occasional administrator, can be a trying time for young and veteran alike. Choosing your source of wisdom can be as simple as prayer or as enlightening as digesting the latest educational materials from the scholarly gurus of our day. The latest and greatest in educational materials, however, pale in comparison to the masters of old. Aristotle, Socrates, Confucius and so many others have laid the foundations for our current view on life, the universe and everything. Despite the answer being 42 to some, the questions are endless when it comes to living life well. Now that I have your attention firmly focused, consider one of the oldest self-help books known to man. You may be thinking that I am gearing you up to read a few Bible passages, but you would be wrong. Although the Bible is in a league all to itself, my aim in this article is to give you a glimpse of a different 4000-year-old self-help book that finds its origin in Egypt. Isesi was the King in the Egyptian Fifth Dynasty (ca. 2414 BC). Isesi had a Vizier (advisor/minister) named Ptah Hotep (meaning: Pillar of Stability – Peace and Satisfaction). The Maximus of Ptahhotep was an ancient literary masterpiece and self-help guide for the people of Egypt. As you read this document, you quickly realize the immensity of wisdom that is contained in very short and concise nuggets of knowledge. This work covers topics from restraining anger to dealing with the passions of youth. From the standpoint of an educator, wisdom of this degree is gold plated and rock solid for dealing with students and coworkers alike. Take these passages as a small sampling: “Teach others to render homage to a great man. If you gather the crop for him among men, cause it to return fully to its owner, at whose hands is your subsistence. But the gift of affection is worth more than the provisions with which your back is covered. For that which the great man receives from you will enable your house to live, without speaking of the maintenance you enjoy, which you desire to preserve; it is thereby that he extends a beneficent hand, and that in your home good things are added to good things. Let your love pass into the heart of those who love you; cause those about you to be loving and obedient.” How many pages could be filled in this article to illustrate just a tiny fraction, a mere glimmer off the edge, of this one single passage. The writer of this passage starts by instructing us to teach others respect through example. If you work at a job you enjoy, it is only right that you should do your best to return your salary with valuable work and effort. The affection you show to your place of employment will guarantee that your back is covered when you make mistakes. By passing your love for others forward, you teach others to do the same. That is amazing wisdom when you consider that your employers are your students! "Be not arrogant because of that which you know; deal with the ignorant as with the learned; for the barriers of art are not closed, no artist being in possession of the perfection to which he should aspire. But good words are more difficult to find than the emerald, for it is by slaves that that is discovered among the rocks of pegmatite." Arrogance is a hard quality to escape. If you are able to restrain your own arrogance, you find it ten fold in another. How do we effectually deal with the arrogance of our students according to wisdom and understanding? The answer according to Ptah Hotep is obvious: Treat all men as equals. Why? Because the barrier to what we are trying to convey as educators is not within the child but within the way the child is treated; within the very words we use. Rich and poor alike can attain the perfection that education offers if what is offered is truth—like an emerald hidden in a rough place. "If you find a disputant while he is hot, and if he is superior to you in ability, lower the hands, bend the back, do not get into a passion with him. As he will not let you destroy his words, it is utterly wrong to interrupt him; that proclaims that you are incapable of keeping yourself calm, when you are contradicted. If then you have to do with a disputant while he is hot, imitate one who does not stir. You have the advantage over him if you keep silence when he is uttering evil words. "The better of the two is he who is impassive," say the bystanders, and you are right in the opinion of the great." Students and coworkers will often have disputes. Dealing with a ‘hothead’ is never easy, especially if they wrap their arguments in clever language. The best way is the middle way in philosophy. According to Aristotle, the Golden Mean is the answer. Choosing the middle way is avoiding extremes—not anger and not cowardice. According to the passage above, you should listen more than you speak. The other person may be telling you something you need to understand. If you argue, “he will not let you destroy his words.” Don’t interrupt. The better of the two is the one that is impassive (unsusceptible to pain). According to Verbal Judo , by George Thompson, remove bias from your persona. In my book, The Superior Educator , I relate this idea in the form of the calm and assertive demeanor. The calm and assertive persona removes the barrier in the middle. George Thompson says, “Think for the other person in the manner in which they should be thinking for themselves.” When you remove your own bias, condescension, anger and prejudice, you open the door for dialog to take place. Solving such problems can lead to humility when a student or coworker is treated with honor and respect. As you consider what has been said in this article, realize that the work of becoming a great educator is locked within improving one person at a time. The work of inspiring the mind and producing the next great generation of thinkers is not that far removed from this ancient document of Egyptian culture. It’s locked within the potential of valuing the humanity of everyone we influence without forgetting the true source of Good in the world. I’ll leave you with one more passage and leave it to you to figure out the rest. “Apply yourself while you speak; speak only of perfect things; and let the great who shall hear you say: "Twice good is that which issues from his mouth!" Many believe Ptah Hotep to be Joseph from the Bible.

The American Marketplace of Ideas - The Right to Free Thought and Expression

SuperiorEd — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:22:00 GMT

by Stephen T. McClard - Complete Article List Emily Brooker Video Documentary E mily Brooker, a former Missouri State University student, sued the university in 2006 for trying to force her into signing a gay rights advocacy statement. Brooker made the claim that the university School of Social Work had used coercion and intimidation to force her into an ideology that was contrary to her beliefs. In the end, the university took the correct actions to preserve freedom of expression and personal liberties. Brooker's actions were critical in making this a reality. In an earlier article , I outlined the framework that an educator must follow within the American marketplace of ideas. In this article, I said the following: " An important part of our democracy includes the concepts of free discourse and freedom of expression. These two ideas are inexorably tied to our framework of what it means to be an educated citizen. Free access to thought is what defines us as individuals living in a free land. Limiting this access can only weaken our educational institutions." While the behavior of the university Social Work Department was detestable, it reveals the reality of the important struggle that we must all participate in to preserve liberty and freedom for the next generation of Americans. Emily Brooker is an amazing example of how one person can make a difference in the lives of others. In my estimation, she is a shining testament to the truth of what I wrote about in a previous article, The Seeds of Education-Truth . This nation was founded on the belief that government is of the people, by the people and for the people. Our foundation as a nation can only be preserved when we respect the liberties and unique beliefs of all individuals. It is also important to understand that the views of the professors are equally protected under the law. Forcing those beliefs on others, however, is unacceptable in a free democracy. Truth is free, but preserving truth comes with the responsibility to value and respect the expression of all points of view equally, separated from the threat of coercion and intimidation.

Education-A Marketplace for Sticky Thoughts That Stretch The Mind

SuperiorEd — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:35:00 GMT

by Stephen T. McClard - Complete Article List I n November of 1919, five defendants were convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917. As America was in the thick of a military campaign with Germany , these five men dropped anti-war leaflets out the window of a building in New York . They were charged with disseminating words and ideas that were considered unlawful to write, speak or otherwise publish. They quickly received a twenty-year prison sentence. In a later ruling by the Supreme Court, the sentence was upheld by a 7-2 vote. One of the two dissenting votes came from Oliver Wendell Holmes. Holmes noted the following in his decision: "The ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas...that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is the only ground upon which their wishes safely can be carried out. That at any rate is the theory of our Constitution. It is an experiment, as all life is an experiment. Every year if not every day we have to wager our salvation upon some prophecy based upon imperfect knowledge. While that experiment is part of our system I think that we should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe and believe to be fraught with death, unless they so imminently threaten immediate interference with the lawful and pressing purposes of the law that an immediate check is required to save the country.” With these words, Oliver Wendell Holmes planted the idea of America as a marketplace of ideas and further instilled our notion of what it means to guarantee freedom of speech. In society and in education, this idea gives us a framework for the dissemination of truth. For this, we all owe this pioneer of thought a debt of gratitude. An important part of our democracy includes the concepts of free discourse and freedom of expression. These two ideas are inexorably tied to our framework of what it means to be an educated citizen. Our free access to thought is what defines us as individuals living in a free land. Limiting this access can only weaken our educational institutions. We can also thank Holmes for this famous quote: “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” This is a metaphorical reference to hypertrophy (hī-ˈpər-trə-fē), or stretching muscle to gain size and strength. Yet again, Holmes gives us a clue where educators stand in the grand scheme of the marketplace of ideas. For the last few years, education has moved from being a free market of ideas to a factory-floor of assembly line learning. Our mad dash to meet the standard of state testing has essentially placed a muzzle on the mouths of great educators and sterilized uniquely crafted curricula. The well-intentioned mandates of law makers have stretched teachers thin. Having the autonomy to transfer unique and sticky thoughts to stretch the minds of children is becoming increasingly difficult, sucking the life and vitality from the average classroom educator. This current era of mandated demands in education is creating a marketplace that serves a narrow band of educational outcomes. It forces curriculum into a complicated puzzle box that services a test rather than exciting originality and inspiring thought. This is a sad state of affairs given that we live in an age of unlimited access to information and ideas; it is even sadder when you consider the off-the-shelf tracking technology that could easily provide the data that we currently seek through state testing. So what is the answer? Is there any hope? I say yes! I say that we are uniquely positioned to build the next revision in education. We have the potential, through technology, to bring about a new revolution in learning. Seizing this opportunity now has the potential to revitalize both the marketplace of ideas and the marketplace in our economy. In the next era of education, technology has the potential to merge the ideals of state-mandated testing and the needed freedom and autonomy that educators require to do their jobs. Releasing a teacher to do the job of educating will be the greatest gift that technology has ever provided our world. Using technology to its potential in the classroom may one day bring out the best in the marketplace of ideas. I will leave you with this thought: “It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. References for this article come from the great and unlimited source of knowledge, Wikipedia.

Understanding the Underlying Causes of Misbehavior and Underachievement

SuperiorEd — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:20:00 GMT

Chapter 2 from the book, The Superior Educator by Stephen T. McClard - Complete Article List “The ancients, wanting to demonstrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first governed well their own states. Wanting to govern well their own states, they first regulated their families. Wanting to regulate their families, they first cultivated their character. Wanting to cultivate their character, they first set right their hearts. Wanting to set right their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wanting to be sincere in their thoughts, they first increased their knowledge. Increase of knowledge was found in the examination of things. Things being examined, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then made right. Their hearts being made right, their character was cultivated. Their character being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made peaceful and happy.” Confucius 500 B.C. Eighteen years of teaching have taught me one very clear lesson: experience and emotion drives all behavior, good or bad. Because of this, I can only control a certain percentage of circumstances based on my own experiences. These circumstances are further restricted by my abilities and emotional control as a leader. If I can somehow enhance my experiences and exert greater ability and emotional control, I can, in turn, control more of my environment The motivating force behind any behavior, good or bad, is found both outside my sphere of influence as a teacher and caused by my influence as a teacher. Therefore, a child’s behavior is motivated by unique experiences and the influence of outside forces acting on self-interests. A child’s ability to cope with these outside forces may be hampered by abuse, psychological disorders, developmental defects, psychological trauma, physical challenges, or neglected needs. My influence may assist in minimizing the effects of these handicaps, but in the end, I am only one piece of the puzzle. Despite my best efforts, being connected to a child for one hour a day will not replace the needs that are left behind at home. Good old-fashioned family values are the key ingredient to stimulate a child for success. When these needs are not met, our educational process will leave children behind. This is why the No Child Left Behind Act misses the point entirely. When you ask yourself the question of why children are left behind in American education, you are really seeking an answer to why needs are left behind. Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who studied how needs and development are interdependent in every person. In his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Maslow explores a hierarchical list of needs that are present in every human. According to Maslow, every person has basic needs that must be met for that person to progress to higher needs and ultimately arrive at the top of his “Hierarchy of Needs.” The fundamental principle of Maslow’s hierarchy is that some needs take precedence over others and, therefore, must be met first. Maslow’s theory brings us face to face with the ultimate cause of misbehavior in the classroom. Think of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs like a ladder. Each need is a rung on the ladder with each successive step being dependent on the step below for progress up the ladder. These needs are broken up into five basic steps. Step one, the most basic needs, are biological and psychological such as air, food, water, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. The next rung on the ladder is the need for safety, which includes security, structure, resources, morality, health, and property. These two steps in the hierarchy are the basic needs that must be met by society and the family and cannot be efficiently met by educational institutions. After children have these two basic needs met, they can now progress to the third stage in Maslow’s hierarchy, which is love and belonging. Important social networks like friends, family, teachers, coworkers, classmates, coaches, and intimate relationships is the third step. It is important to restate the fact that meeting the first two needs is necessary for the third need to be met fully. As a child progresses through early development, these three areas of need play a critical role in preparing the mind for learning and must be constantly maintained and stimulated. At this point in Maslow’s hierarchy, a child can reach the fourth step, which is esteem. Self-esteem can come from a variety of sources and includes feelings such as confidence, achievement, respect for others, and respect by others. It is only at this rung of the ladder that a child begins to go beyond his surroundings to seek knowledge. He becomes a “success seeker” instead of a “failure avoider.” Well-met needs are the foundation for this to take place. Seeking knowledge is the chief desire of all educators and can be the one missing factor in a child’s development. Understanding this fact gives you a clearer picture when developing your teaching and leadership style. Transcendence is the last step in the hierarchy and is the point at which we seek a better world for others and ourselves. If it is possible to move a student in the direction of seeking knowledge, transcendence will ultimately follow later in life. It may take years for this to happen, but your influence as an educator will be critical in the movement toward this goal. Consider Newton’s first law of motion and replace the word objects with children. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force (another moving object). Newton also said that the tendency of an object is to resist changes in its velocity and that objects at equilibrium will not accelerate. Moving children involves pushing them in the correct direction and upsetting their equilibrium. You may be the only unbalanced force in a child’s life that can create the proper educational inertia. Realize this power and use it wisely. Abraham Maslow said, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” Educational institutions should not be the only tool of choice for the “nail” of student achievement. Once we realize this, we can focus on the true problems a child faces in the classroom. It suddenly becomes clear why education is leaving students behind. Children who are “left behind” in America are experiencing a breakdown in the first four basic needs. The answer, according to politicians, is to incorporate as many social programs into education as possible and to hold teachers and school districts accountable for failing to raise standards. Teachers, who are already bogged down in preparing students for standardized tests to meet state demands, find it impossible to juggle between being a teacher, counselor, social worker, and miracle worker. On top of the juggling act, teachers receive half of the salary that any other highly educated professional would make in the business world. This situation is not making education an attractive alternative for the “best and brightest” undergraduates who want to be successful in life and receive respect in their profession. Education will continue to be the scapegoat for the problem of social decay until lawmakers realize that education is not the source of the problem. Poorly performing schools are merely a symptom of a larger social problem. This problem will only be addressed when we are mature enough as a nation to set and enforce boundaries with decency in the media and tackle larger social problems that plague our society. We must work tirelessly to strengthen families and aid single-parent households in providing for children. Exposure to violence, drugs, alcohol, vulgar language, and destructive behavior in the media and on the internet must be eliminated from the view of children. If not, we will continue seeing kids meet their own needs with self-destructive behavior, causing the cycle to perpetuate. If we continue modeling poor behavior in every corner of society, there will be no end to the problems we will create for children and schools. When considering history, we see that our nation has the most advanced and effective educational traditions in the world. Most major advances in science have come from American classrooms. Telecommunications, computers, radio, television, the light bulb, and so many other inventions have come from our ability as a nation to transfer knowledge and inspire ideas. Unfortunately, most people tend to see our educational system as nothing more than the problem for children being “left behind” in our society. In the media, you will hear such things as, “Education is nothing more than government-funded child abuse.” Arrogant, uneducated comments such as these are typical of what the public is led to believe about education today. This type of deceit is dished out to the public by such personalities who seem to be merely looking for political gain or ratings on their radio programs. As teachers, we are bombarded daily by assaults to our professionalism in the classroom. We are told that we will be held accountable for our teaching abilities and that 100% of all school children must succeed. This impossible demand is placed on teachers, but the burden truly belongs with the family. This is not hard for the average person to understand, yet politicians and the popular media do not get the point, or worse, do not want the point brought out for fear of losing votes and advertising revenue. There is little surprise that teachers leave the classroom at a rate of one in three each year. States will be lucky if they are able to replace the nearly one million teachers that will retire in the next five years. The “best and the brightest” will continue running away from careers in education if confidence in the field is not improved and salaries continue to stagnate. Politicians need to wake up to the truth and take the focus away from educators and educational practices when dealing with the issue of failing schools. They must get on with the business of cleaning up themselves first and then focusing attention toward society instead of the classroom. There are no easy answers to the troubles that teachers and society face. Social decay in the United States is not going away any time soon. Until we admit to ourselves that improving family and protecting values is the ultimate answer, education in America will continue to fail for a certain number of students who, for whatever reason, have not had their basic needs met in a meaningful way by the family unit. There have always been shifts with the curve of success in this world, and there will always be vicissitudes with any society. In the end, we have to look within ourselves to seek the greater good. When we seek to improve society by walking away from self-serving behavior, we step one rung higher on the ladder to improving the lives of everyone around us. Without realizing and affirming Maslow’s genius, we are just beating nails with the same old hammer. If you remember one thing from what I write here, remember this: If no need is “left behind,” no child will ever be “left behind.” This educational plan costs nothing and enriches the lives of everyone who participates.