TEACHER AS A LEADER

I’m here today to disturb you. Shake people little bit. Part of my job is to be  a professional disturber. Shake people out of the little bit and pull them out of their safe harbor of known. Challenge and inspire you to see new set of eyes. Lot of us stay within the safe harbor of the known and in the security zone because we think that’s the safest place to be.

Why do we want to stay in the safe zone?

We keep doing the same things.

We keep treating the people in the same way.

We keep repeating the same behavioral patterns.

We keep thinking the same kinds of thoughts.

Why do we resist new or the change?

We do that we’re afraid to do new things

We do that we’re afraid to stretch even if we knew at the deeper levels that if we move towards the change we will grow.

Here is the new Idea: There is no safety in the comfort zone. There is no safety in the safe harbor of the known.

If you really want to be accepted by the students then we need to come out of our safety zones. We need to stretch like rubber bands, trying new things, Innovating, exploring and pushing the personal frontiers. You know the ships that stays in the safe harbor never get banged up. It never experiences rough seas but that’s not why the ships were made for. Similarly, if human beings stay within their safety zone and if they don’t stretch, then there is no stress no challenge no struggle but that’s not what human beings are made for.

Is "all teachers are leaders" simply a catchy phrase or does it have real meaning in practice? Is it an assumption? If so, who makes that assumption? Does it mean that teachers are leaders of students? Does it mean that teachers are leaders of their peers? Does "all" mean "all"? Are teachers natural leaders? In what situations do teachers lead? Do teachers have to have permission to lead? Who would be in a position to give permission? How do other teachers feel about teachers who assume positions of leadership? What is a position of leadership? What other questions does the phrase "teachers are leaders" raise?

Introduce yourself…tell three things about you.

Name a few Teachers whom you remember as good leaders also and inspired you in your life time.

The Greatest models of leadership are children these days. Children have the ideal traits of a great leader. They stretch in various ways.  

Children are curious

Children don’t resist change

Children love to learn

Children embrace change

Children are passionate they put people first

Children are loving

Children understand the importance of relationship

Children connect so easily. Example of Five children and Five people in Lift

How can we get those traits of greatness back?

In school, stand single line and the first person is the leader.

Everyone in the class gets a chance to be a leader. Each of us learnt how to do it.

Everyone should feel and act like a leader.

Why we don’t feel that we are leader ourselves.

Many people just don’t feel the need to be leaders

They’re secure; don’t need to prove anything; they’re happy, content and they like what’s happening to them.

The greatest responsibility of leaders is that they not shortchange themselves, thereby shortchanging those whom they lead.

The beliefs you hold at the beginning of the journey defines the Journey.

All of us have a psychological bandwidth of perceptions called beliefs.

If your life has to be examined as a Teacher, as a leader, your beliefs has to examined.

If life has to expand, beliefs have to expand.

Change the attributes by which the person defines himself and it will change the way he lives.

You can perform to your beliefs or underperform to your beliefs but you can never over perform your beliefs. Thirukural: Vellathanaya malar neetam…

Tell yourself you are not here for ordinary things in life.

You cannot change the quality of your teaching, inspiring and relationship with the person without changing the quality of your beliefs.

Rather than examining your life which is the effect, rather examine your beliefs which are the cause. Change the cause, the effect will change by itself.

Without shift in belief, there is no shift in life.

You cannot change without changing their belief.

You can give lectures, speeches, references, you can motivate or shout at them, scream at them, reprimand them, you can give them incentives or give them awards, but you cant change an individual without changing his beliefs.

He doesn’t believe in his leadership qualities. Example: Sachin and Dhoni. Raina & Gambhir.

Counter salesman – is not enough with individual excellence – but make people excel with your lifestyle. Without this change is belief system, shifting the designation, shifting the salary scale, shifting the incentive slab or even shifting the office will not bring about leadership qualities.

Who you are is lot more important than how you look.

It’s never too late to be awakened in life.

Your success as a teacher is not on the results you produce but on the results you make others produce.

What are your beliefs about being an Educator?

How do you define yourself as an educator?

They are afraid to lead

 We are afraid because success puts pressure on us to continue to succeed.

Often we just don’t want to be responsible, so we shrink from leading.

People who have poor self image will always shy away from success.

Some prefer to be with the crowd; its lonely at the top.

Risk is another reason; people don’t want to stick their necks out.

In early Indian context, when teachers ran their own home based schools (Kurukulams),

structured all their own curricula, and recognized their ability to impact

the learning of every student, teacher leadership was an imperative, not an

option.

As Kurukulams became multiroom buildings and then multibuilding school systems, however, the status of the teacher moved from expert to employee.

Currently, when the emphasis on achievement and accountability it threatens teachers and they do not think of themselves as leaders.

Risk-takers have often been called “movers and

shakers” because of their responsiveness to problems and their willingness

to participate in decision making, to “shake up” the system, and to tackle

the status quo. Of course, classroom teachers solve problems and make

decisions every day, but the characteristic that enables teachers to become

leaders is a take-charge attitude—

Students also benefit when they see their teachers taking risks, extending

boundaries, and stretching their capabilities. Ateacher who tries new teaching

models or uses new technology in her or his classroom takes risks very

publicly. However, teachers who are not complacent, but who are excited

about learning and expanding their skills through managed risk-taking,

provide role models for students venturing into new areas.

Teacher as a leader is not about having position.

Its not about having a Title…

Its not about being a CEO, MD, HOD, Principal, Director, Chairman.

Its not about having a office by yourself and having an AC.

Its about doing your part in every little thing you do.

Take 100% responsibility for your life.

-        Level of your achievements

-        The results you produce

-        Quality of your relationship

-        Your health status

-        Your income

-        Your debts

-        Your feelings…everything!

But most of us have been conditioned to blamed something outside of ourselves.

We blame …

Our parents

Our bosses

Our friends

The media

Our co workers

Our clients

Our spouse

The weather

The economy … anyone or anything we can pin the blame on.

Good old story about a man searching something in the street light when he had lost it in his house.

Have you ever blamed anything in the system? Mention few…

Event+Response=Outcome

Every outcome you experience in life is the result of how you have responded to an earlier event in your life.

If you don’t like the outcomes, there are two basic choices you can make:

1.    You can blame the event for your lack of results

2.    You can simply change your responses to the events until you get the outcome you want.

You can change your thinking, change your communication, change the pictures you hold in your head (Your beliefs of yourself and the others)

If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.

Blaming others is excusing yourself.

When you complain, you are signing away the powers of human being.

Learn to replace complaining with making requests and taking action that will achieve your desired outcomes. That is what works. That is what leaders do. Either work it to make it better or leave. Do something to change it or get the heck out of it.

Examples of Steve Jobs- Apple computers, Bill gates – Microsoft, Chinnapillai – Self help groups, Man of trees, Sarath Kumar – Noodle Kings.

Leadership begins with you:

Are you proud of what you do.

How hard you play when no one is watching.

Do what is right rather than what is easy not because you get promoted but it is the right thing to do and doing what is right is demonstration of excellence.

Are you an educator because it is your passion or you are in this job by accident?

Do you have a vision for your passion profession?

High visionaries achieve higher.

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and reach it – Michelangelo.

Don’t let anyone talk you out of your vision:

There are people who will try to talk you out of your vision…

They will tell you that you are crazy and can’t be done…

They will laugh at you and try to bring your level down…

They are Dream stealers… every Institute got such people. Every department has such people. Every one will meet such people in life. Don’t bother them.

Story of Monty Roberts: The Man who listens to horses

So create your future from your future, not your past.

You are the average of ten people whom you most spend time with.

Associate with leaders avoid dream stealers.

Leaders are Emotionally Adult:

Are we emotionally balanced in our relationship with the students and fellow Teachers?

Are we emotionally mature to deal with our students or we give in to cheap popularity?

Start strict and give legitimate freedom. Quote examples: Juvenile students.

How to attain Emotional Adulthood?

If you have acceptance, it will keep you emotionally tranquilled. Non acceptance will keep you emotionally disturbed.

In class room set up, we come across very often the feeling of fear. What is Fear?

When I’m about to encounter uncertainty, I don’t know what’s going to happen or don’t know what is awaiting ahead then this causes fear in me.

In trekking and white water rafting, there is uncertainty yet it is not fear but it is an adventure. In uncertainty, when you accept it becomes an adventure and it becomes fear when you don’t accept it.

When something that you don’t like happens, if you don’t accept it becomes anger but if you accept, it becomes tolerance.

When do you feel Jealous?

When someone has something that I don’t have or someone who is able to produce better than me or what I can’t do, then I feel Jealous.

If I accept the fact about someone better than me, then that becomes inspiration.

If someone has hurt you, if you don’t accept it is hatred and if you accept the hurt then it becomes the forgiveness.

The emotional equation of life is so simple:

If something that is handled with non acceptance, it becomes negative emotion,

If something that is handled with acceptance, it becomes positive emotion.

Never Judge without knowing the background

Question 1:
If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis, would you recommend that she have an abortion?
Read the next question before looking at the response for this one.
Question 2:
It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts. Here are the facts about the three candidates. Who would you vote for?

Candidate A.
Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologist.
He’s had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.
Candidate B.
He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon , used opium in college and drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.
Candidate C
He is a decorated war hero. He’s a vegetarian, doesn’t smoke, drinks an occasional beer and never cheated on his wife.

Which of these candidates would be our choice?
Decide first… no peeking, then scroll down for the response.
Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Candidate B is Winston Churchill.
Candidate C is Adolph Hitler.
And, by the way, on your answer to the abortion question:
If you said YES, you just killed Beethoven.
Pretty interesting isn’t it?

Makes a person think before judging someone.

Teddy’s story

Freedom Writers

Paradigm shift – Alteration of Bandwidth of psychological perception – experience and define – not define and then experience – we have created our definitions about students. We look at reality by our definitions -  open up your definitions – re look at your beliefs – Life can’t fit into your definition – you cannot change the quality of your relationship without changing the beliefs you have about the person.

The scratch is not in the object but in the spectacles. Dead fly in the telescope.

Even a wrong appears ok, diluted, subdued, right because of the beliefs.

Duryodhan’s belief on his friend and wife.

Rama and Sita in Ramayana.

Ever since moment makes a Leader

When this man was thrown with the indignity he went through, his thought process went through internal churning, Epiphany – Divine intervention shifts  your life’s focus and gives a EVER SINCE moment. From the time of the birth of the Barrister until on the platform, he had EVER SINCE moment. Teresa’s churning …

In small turning points of our life, we experienced EVER SINCE momentarily. But we need to invite the Divine Intervention.

Leaders put people First

Leadership is all about relationship.

We are good in sending satellites to target with pinpoint accuracy but we have struggles to walk across the street to meet your friends.

Eg. What is DOCOMO?

My boys relate through FACEBOOK.

Connect with people and communicate. If you want to be successful, you need to communicate.

-        Celebrate people, respect each other not as boss. Give types of leadership here.

-        Great leader is like the sun, give everything towards people. Like sunflower follows the sun, people will grow towards you.

-        No matter what your designation is if you give of yourself, if you celebrate your students, if you develop deep relationships, people would turn towards you as a great leader.

-        We are all same if we strip away all formalities. We all have need for hunger, need for human connections, need for being accepted, belonging, need to be loved and need to be made special.

-        Keep championing the best practices. Share one best quality that you exercise as a leader. Behavior that gets rewarded is the behavior that gets repeated.

-        Create a culture.  This is the secret weapon to be a successful leader. Rules of behavior to follow in an organization. Name some rules that you would like to change or alter.

-        Great leaders work on the culture.

-        In order to be a leader, they think that they need to talk in a certain way, behave in a certain way that makes them strong and powerful, talk like this, command like this, but ironically we connect to people who are down to earth, who are practical, when you are real.

-        Take away the mask then the chemistry happens. Example: Indian team won the match. How do they hug each other? Do they formally greet each other?

OBSTACLES TO TEACHER LEADERSHIP

There are many reasons why teachers have not assumed appropriate leadership roles in schools and in education. For one thing, there has been a confusion of the meaning of leadership with that of management, supervision and administration.

Good managers can also be leaders; and leaders can also be good managers.

MERE MANAGEMENT	REAL LEADERSHIP
Concerned with now; sees the bottom line	Concerned with the long term; sees also the horizon
Seeks to maintain and to protect the status quo; prefers safe and orderly dynamics	Seeks change and innovation; fosters risk taking and creative tension
Judges itself by how many are affected; feels responsible	Judges itself by how many involved; tries to be responsive
Emphasizes skills and tasks	Emphasizes ideas, habits, and the “big picture”
Could be casual	Must be passionate
Projects strength and relies on rewards and punishments	Makes others strong and relies mostly on intrinsic motivation and on logical consequences
Speaks to the task; is realistic and practical	Speaks to the heart; is optimistic and hopeful
Figures it out at the top and calls the shots through directives, orders and mandates	Multiplies informed choices for others and seeks out their collective wisdom
Identifies the right strategy and does things right	Promotes strategic thinking and does the right things
Claims authority by position; can be imposed	Earns authority by expertise and modeling; must be accepted, selected, elected
Expects compliance and requires loyalty to an individual or to an organization	Expects commitment and seeks loyalty to principles and shared ideals