Chapter 10: Aligning Our Behaviors with Our Values
Moral purpose of the highest order is having a system where all students learn, the gap between high and low performance becomes greatly reduced, and what people learn enables them to be successful citizens and workers in a morally based knowledge society.
--Fullan, 2003, p. 29
As I read Michael Fullan's (2003) comment on moral purpose, an ideal world comes to mind. To close the education gap it will take many willing educators to become culturally proficient through constant conversations and a deep curiosity to explore and discover more about the communities they serve. My actions align with my values because what I choose to invest my time into is representative of what I value. I don't have time to be someone I do not say I am or to be involved in activities that are not reflective of my values. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by colleagues whose actions align with the core values stated in the organization's mission statement. We find fun activities to be involved in together so that we may have shared experiences we can reference later and we continue to learn and grow collectively, as well as interdependently.
Table 10.2 What Questions Do We Ask?
Curiosity: What Questions Do We Ask?
1. How can we help this student get caught up?
2. What resources can we recommend to the parents to help their child at home?
3. What supports can this student benefit from?
4. Is the student showing academic improvement?
5. Are my strategies and approaches working?
Table 10.3 What Results Did We Expect or Find?
Disturbances: What Are the Results or Outcomes of Our Questions?
1. Gaining insight, through parent-teacher conferences, of what incentives work to motivate the student often helps bridge the gap.
2. We have to talk to the parents to see what will work for them at home depending on what they are willing, or able, to do for their child.
3. After looking closely at data that reveals where the gaps are at, we can decide what supports the student will benefit from.
4. Data will reveal whether or not the child has been progressing.
5. Data will reveal whether or not my strategies and approaches have been helping my student meet the instructional goals.
Table 10.4 Patterns or Themes From Our Questions and Responses
What Are the Patterns or Themes of Our Questions and Our Results/Outcomes?
1. Closing the gap
2. Open lines of communication with all stakeholders involved
3. Data-driven decision-making
4. Being supportive of students
Reflection:
As I look at the information from Table 10.2 through Table 10.4, I am thinking that by doing this exercise I have probably arrived at what probably are the most important actions I can take as an educator to help my students grow academically. Some of the conditions that influence the kinds of questions my colleagues and I ask might be students' SES, cultural background, societal advantages and disadvantages faced by the students and their families, the types of supports our schools receive, how much experience we have and the type of learning culture we have institutionalized at our campus.
Table 10.7 Breakthrough Questions Lead to Desired Results
What Might Be Our Breakthrough, Action Questions?
1. What practices should we continue?
2. What are our responsibilities?
3. What win-win solutions do we have?
4. From what other perspectives could we approach this situation?
5. What thoughts, feelings and needs are all stakeholders experiencing?
What Results Do We Anticipate?
1. We will continue the practices that the data prove to yield results.
2. Our responsibilities will vary depending on what our position is on campus.
3. We need to bring all stakeholders to the table to discover win-win solutions.
4. We need representatives from diverse backgrounds to be able to view the situation from different perspectives.
5. We will discover root causes for people's actions once we discover their thoughts, feelings and needs.
Who Takes the Lead?
1. Each teacher will take the lead in their own classroom. Collectively, a teacher interested in taking on the responsibility can take the lead.
2. Everyone can take the lead in making sure they fulfill their own responsibilities.
3. The principal can take the lead in holding a meeting where at least one representative from each stakeholder group can be present to offer win-win solutions.
4. Each representative from the different stakeholder groups can take the lead in offering different perspectives from which a situation could be approached.
5. The principal could take the lead in allowing different stakeholders to take turns, in a respectful platform, expressing their thoughts, feelings and needs.
Who Else Needs to be Invovled/Invited?
1. Parents
2. Superintendent
3. Community Members
4. Interested Educators from Other School Districts
5. Students
What Results/Outcomes Did We Achieve?
1. Culturally Proficient Best Practices
2. Collective Learning
3. Win-Win Solutions
4. All Differences Taken Into Consideration
5. Everyone's Needs Have Been Met
Final Reflections, Questions, and Actions:
As I reflect on the content of this book, I am grateful for the way in which it has challenged my thinking.
*What am I most intentional about in my teaching and learning?
I am most intentional about providing my students with opportunities to expand their thinking and their ability to see different situations from different perspectives, while supporting their development of learning how to ask the type of questions that help them, and others, think above and beyond the content at hand so that they may be able to apply it, not just learn and memorize it.
*Who am I, in relation to my colleagues?
In relation to my colleagues I am a collaborative emerging leader with high aspirations and a constant thirst for more opportunities to learn more in order to become a more effective educator. I am a transparent learner who is always eager to share my newly-acquired knowledge, and transformative thinking, with my colleagues and anyone else who may be interested and willing to listen.
*Who are we as a professional community?
As a professional community we are a passionate group of learners always looking for more opportunities to continue to grow as individuals, collectively, as educators and as people.
*What are we learning?
We are learning how to make the most out of new opportunities and that we must be on the forefront of this fast-paced society always seeking to refine our skills, while keeping them current, in order to remain effective educators.
*What do we do with what we learn?
First we apply it and see what results we get. Then we share it with everyone around us and encourage them to try it out also. We offer them support and guidance through the process. Finally, we enjoy success!
*Who else do we need to include in our professional community?
We need to include students, parents and interested members of the community.
*What additional data would be helpful to us as we develop our learning goals?
Qualitative data as well as any quantitative data will help in the development of our learning goals. Data that reveals our current biases, thoughts, feelings, and needs will also help us realize what our learning goals should be.
Final Words:
I am willing to commit myself to the use of Cultural Proficiency as a lens through which I examine and design or redesign my current work in the following ways: I will take a more conscious approach toward my current classroom policies, routines, and overall expectations to make sure they are in alignment with Cultural Proficiency. I will be more aware of the type of questions I think about and ask more breakthrough type of questions instead of barrier questions. I will be more aware of the language I use in order to be more supportive and open to different perspectives and ways of thinking.
I am willing to commit my learning communities to the use of Cultural Proficiency as a lens through which we examine and design or redesign our current work by co-creating our own set of guiding questions that will serve our learning communities to ensure we are mindful of using the Cultural Proficiency lens while we engage in lesson-planning and other activities that involve creating activities for our students.
My short-term goals include using the Cultural Proficiency lens to ensure all my students experience academic success and feel welcome at school. My long-term goals include producing well-adjusted contributing citizens of society who also embrace Cultural Proficiency.
The first steps I will take include a deep reflection of my current work in order to decide what changes should occur. Then I will share with my colleagues my experience of using the Cultural Proficiency lens as a guide to all my work so that they too can reap the benefits of this breakthrough approach. Culturally proficient educational practices will open so many doors for my students, my colleagues and for anyone who chooses to live by them.
Moral purpose of the highest order is having a system where all students learn, the gap between high and low performance becomes greatly reduced, and what people learn enables them to be successful citizens and workers in a morally based knowledge society.
--Fullan, 2003, p. 29
As I read Michael Fullan's (2003) comment on moral purpose, an ideal world comes to mind. To close the education gap it will take many willing educators to become culturally proficient through constant conversations and a deep curiosity to explore and discover more about the communities they serve. My actions align with my values because what I choose to invest my time into is representative of what I value. I don't have time to be someone I do not say I am or to be involved in activities that are not reflective of my values. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by colleagues whose actions align with the core values stated in the organization's mission statement. We find fun activities to be involved in together so that we may have shared experiences we can reference later and we continue to learn and grow collectively, as well as interdependently.
Table 10.2 What Questions Do We Ask?
Curiosity: What Questions Do We Ask?
1. How can we help this student get caught up?
2. What resources can we recommend to the parents to help their child at home?
3. What supports can this student benefit from?
4. Is the student showing academic improvement?
5. Are my strategies and approaches working?
Table 10.3 What Results Did We Expect or Find?
Disturbances: What Are the Results or Outcomes of Our Questions?
1. Gaining insight, through parent-teacher conferences, of what incentives work to motivate the student often helps bridge the gap.
2. We have to talk to the parents to see what will work for them at home depending on what they are willing, or able, to do for their child.
3. After looking closely at data that reveals where the gaps are at, we can decide what supports the student will benefit from.
4. Data will reveal whether or not the child has been progressing.
5. Data will reveal whether or not my strategies and approaches have been helping my student meet the instructional goals.
Table 10.4 Patterns or Themes From Our Questions and Responses
What Are the Patterns or Themes of Our Questions and Our Results/Outcomes?
1. Closing the gap
2. Open lines of communication with all stakeholders involved
3. Data-driven decision-making
4. Being supportive of students
Reflection:
As I look at the information from Table 10.2 through Table 10.4, I am thinking that by doing this exercise I have probably arrived at what probably are the most important actions I can take as an educator to help my students grow academically. Some of the conditions that influence the kinds of questions my colleagues and I ask might be students' SES, cultural background, societal advantages and disadvantages faced by the students and their families, the types of supports our schools receive, how much experience we have and the type of learning culture we have institutionalized at our campus.
Table 10.7 Breakthrough Questions Lead to Desired Results
What Might Be Our Breakthrough, Action Questions?
1. What practices should we continue?
2. What are our responsibilities?
3. What win-win solutions do we have?
4. From what other perspectives could we approach this situation?
5. What thoughts, feelings and needs are all stakeholders experiencing?
What Results Do We Anticipate?
1. We will continue the practices that the data prove to yield results.
2. Our responsibilities will vary depending on what our position is on campus.
3. We need to bring all stakeholders to the table to discover win-win solutions.
4. We need representatives from diverse backgrounds to be able to view the situation from different perspectives.
5. We will discover root causes for people's actions once we discover their thoughts, feelings and needs.
Who Takes the Lead?
1. Each teacher will take the lead in their own classroom. Collectively, a teacher interested in taking on the responsibility can take the lead.
2. Everyone can take the lead in making sure they fulfill their own responsibilities.
3. The principal can take the lead in holding a meeting where at least one representative from each stakeholder group can be present to offer win-win solutions.
4. Each representative from the different stakeholder groups can take the lead in offering different perspectives from which a situation could be approached.
5. The principal could take the lead in allowing different stakeholders to take turns, in a respectful platform, expressing their thoughts, feelings and needs.
Who Else Needs to be Invovled/Invited?
1. Parents
2. Superintendent
3. Community Members
4. Interested Educators from Other School Districts
5. Students
What Results/Outcomes Did We Achieve?
1. Culturally Proficient Best Practices
2. Collective Learning
3. Win-Win Solutions
4. All Differences Taken Into Consideration
5. Everyone's Needs Have Been Met
Final Reflections, Questions, and Actions:
As I reflect on the content of this book, I am grateful for the way in which it has challenged my thinking.
*What am I most intentional about in my teaching and learning?
I am most intentional about providing my students with opportunities to expand their thinking and their ability to see different situations from different perspectives, while supporting their development of learning how to ask the type of questions that help them, and others, think above and beyond the content at hand so that they may be able to apply it, not just learn and memorize it.
*Who am I, in relation to my colleagues?
In relation to my colleagues I am a collaborative emerging leader with high aspirations and a constant thirst for more opportunities to learn more in order to become a more effective educator. I am a transparent learner who is always eager to share my newly-acquired knowledge, and transformative thinking, with my colleagues and anyone else who may be interested and willing to listen.
*Who are we as a professional community?
As a professional community we are a passionate group of learners always looking for more opportunities to continue to grow as individuals, collectively, as educators and as people.
*What are we learning?
We are learning how to make the most out of new opportunities and that we must be on the forefront of this fast-paced society always seeking to refine our skills, while keeping them current, in order to remain effective educators.
*What do we do with what we learn?
First we apply it and see what results we get. Then we share it with everyone around us and encourage them to try it out also. We offer them support and guidance through the process. Finally, we enjoy success!
*Who else do we need to include in our professional community?
We need to include students, parents and interested members of the community.
*What additional data would be helpful to us as we develop our learning goals?
Qualitative data as well as any quantitative data will help in the development of our learning goals. Data that reveals our current biases, thoughts, feelings, and needs will also help us realize what our learning goals should be.
Final Words:
I am willing to commit myself to the use of Cultural Proficiency as a lens through which I examine and design or redesign my current work in the following ways: I will take a more conscious approach toward my current classroom policies, routines, and overall expectations to make sure they are in alignment with Cultural Proficiency. I will be more aware of the type of questions I think about and ask more breakthrough type of questions instead of barrier questions. I will be more aware of the language I use in order to be more supportive and open to different perspectives and ways of thinking.
I am willing to commit my learning communities to the use of Cultural Proficiency as a lens through which we examine and design or redesign our current work by co-creating our own set of guiding questions that will serve our learning communities to ensure we are mindful of using the Cultural Proficiency lens while we engage in lesson-planning and other activities that involve creating activities for our students.
My short-term goals include using the Cultural Proficiency lens to ensure all my students experience academic success and feel welcome at school. My long-term goals include producing well-adjusted contributing citizens of society who also embrace Cultural Proficiency.
The first steps I will take include a deep reflection of my current work in order to decide what changes should occur. Then I will share with my colleagues my experience of using the Cultural Proficiency lens as a guide to all my work so that they too can reap the benefits of this breakthrough approach. Culturally proficient educational practices will open so many doors for my students, my colleagues and for anyone who chooses to live by them.