Ask and it shall be given.....

I've had a couple experiences in the last two weeks that I feel really good about....and both of them involve asking for help and doing a bit of advocating for myself. At age 57, isn't it about time I learned how to do that?

In my Research course, our assignment is to write a pilot study, talking about how we would design an actual project. Since this is really a new area for me, I was feeling pretty uncertain about how to begin. So.....I contacted my great friend Don, who has taught Research at GVSU and asked for a meeting. In about one hour with him, I felt like I had a much better sense of direction and ideas on how to start. I went home and began writing, and a few hours later, decided to email my draft doc to my professor at Stritch to see if she also could check it out. Again, I felt really lucky: Carroll called me right away from Milwaukee, gave me two quick ideas but said the rest of it looked really well done.

I think my nature has always been to do my best and try not to impose or bother other people for help, but this week I learned an important lesson about allowing myself to be a little vulnerable. Opening myself to receive the insights of other people, I now have more of a sense of certainty about my work, and I've been able to correct things as I go along instead of playing clean-up after work is completed. I'm thinking this attitude is definitely the one I'll need to cultivate as I go further in this graduate work, and I'm so glad I feel like there are people to help----ports of safety in the storm!

Doing What I Love.....

I have really enjoyed my Leadership course this semester.....The process has been so interesting! We began by reviewing lots of leaders throughout periods of history, looking at who they were, how they became leaders, what style of leadership they embodied, etc. After that, we did a study group project where our group constructed Facebook pages for courageous leaders throughout history. Dale did a wonderful job taking our ideas and formatting them---we were really happy with how it turned out. Our last assignment for the semester brings things to a really personal level: We have to develop a personal theory of leadership that's relevant to our own life, and then present it in one sentence. Our job in our final paper is then to de-construct the sentence, and talk about each phrase to give further information. So here's mine:

Leadership means making a difference by giving my best effort to empower and equip the next generation of school leaders.

I plan on talking about my work, my vision for leaders of courage and integrity, and how my Dad and others have influenced me in always wanting to give my best. I'm excited about it, and am realizing how my learning this semester has prepared me well to come to this point. How cool to be doing things I love!

Sharpening the Saw

This week has been a really different one....I got to be a learner, as well as a teacher. After teaching my WMU seminar on Wednesday, I left for the national ASCD conference in Washington, DC. The theme for this week has been "21st Century Learning", and I've really had my thinking challenged, especially about the new ways that technology can be used so well to enhance learning.

Heidi Hayes Jacobs challenged us this morning by asking, "What year are you preparing your learners for?" and then presented some dynamic ideas about web2.0 experiences that kids should be having in classrooms. It was so interesting and so stimulating to be exposed to such a forward thinker! I'm interested in tying her ideas into the courage concept: that educators of the future will need courage and integrity to re-vision our systems so that they meet the needs of today's students. Lots to think about!

Tomorrow we'll hear Mike Schmoker---another one of my favorite presenters, and he too will be talking about what the future holds. I'm feeling lucky to have had the opportunity to "sharpen the saw" this week, and take part in some learning that will enrich my work. Oh---and the crab cakes on the banks of the Potomac weren't bad, either!

Wherever We Go, Whatever We Do....

I'm in lovely Appleton, Wisconsin this weekend, working with my study group! Al, Dale and I have spent the day together, working on our Courageous Leaders Through History project. We feel good about how we're working together, and the project is shaping up well.

This morning I toured Al's middle school and saw some wonderful technology in action---Students were leading learning using Smart Boards, were giving presentations on Afghanistan and debating the US military presence there ( I think if our gov't were smart they'd listen to these kids!) and were integrating technology into their school life in a really vibrant way.

I'm learning that part of our journey is the managing of how we're working as a group and managing to support each other in our progress. Amy had to work today, and we're hoping she can join us tomorrow for our time together. On Sunday, I'll drive home---and I'm really looking forward to that after being gone for nine days!

Doin' the Leadership Thing.....

Well, it's been a bit of a wild ride these last ten days or so......As I've said to Brian, the work for my courses is interesting, but there's so much of it!!! I'm amazed at the number of hours needed for reading and writing--Whew! My study group buddies are really helpful, and we've been sharing our first drafts of papers due----A great assist for those of us who are woefully lacking in confidence! The books I'm reading, especially about leadership, are really just great---Last weekend I had the opportunity to use Credibility: How leaders gain and lose it, and why people demand it in my teaching, and I loved every minute!

Speaking of last weekend, I started with my friends Nancy and Joyce to teach a year-long course for a group of 14 principals from across the state. It's called "Leadership Matters", and is based on five themes: Intentionality, Courage and Integrity, Collaboration, Coaching, and Reflection. We'll meet eight times over the next year, and I'm thinking this is going to be really wonderful work. I feel so lucky that I get to do things I'm so interested in and feel strongly about!

Oh, also---Because I've been reading so much, I need to report that I've decided on a title for my dissertation. Are you ready? Okay: Leadership: All the Jerks I Ever Worked For Were Wrong! Okay, so maybe I'll need to edit just a bit............

Till next time,

Debbie

The Brain, the Stomach and the Heart

Well....as the little girl said in "ET"....I'm back........

This has been our first fall weekend, the beginning of eight months of weekend courses meeting once each month here in Milwaukee. It was so interesting----once I pulled up at the Residence Inn and got settled in, it felt totally like being back at a familiar spot. My study group buddies pulled in soon after me, and since we've been talking every week on tinychat.com it felt really natural to be with them again too. So......let the games begin!

I was feeling really anxious about beginning the academic work again----especially when the syllabus for the Research course was only posted one day before the course began! I quickly looked through and saw there are four more huge assignments for the Research course this semester to add to the five assignments already for the Leadership course. Are we having fun yet?

So here's what happened: The first Research assignment due is to find five educational journal articles on a topic you're interested in, and write an annotated bibliography page on each one. This created three problems for me:

1. What educational journals?
2. What topic?
3. What the heck is an annotated bibliography?

Check blood pressure: 276 over 400. Breathe deep. Realize we're all in the same boat.

And then, guess what? Friday morning, I dropped Brian at O'Hare Airport and went on up to MKE for school.......and happened to arrive two hours before class began. So, I was able to go to the library on campus, put on my MOST pathetic face, and ask for help. I'd had time to think about a topic ( Engaged Learning Instructional Strategies) in the car on the trip, so the sweet, blessedly intelligent media center person helped me quickly go online, find the journals and print them off. Voila!....and Praise the Lord! :-) First three problems solved before the weekend class even began, and now I can spend the next two weeks doing the actual assignment. Someone up there is truly taking care of me!

Our Leadership professor asked us to share what we'd each gained from the Summer Institute as we begin the fall together. I said I felt so lucky that what I'd learned about brain research and about leadership were immediately useful in my Professional Development work. To be honest, the best ideas are always stolen from great people! Anyway, it made me think again about how much I'm gaining, and how this program is a great fit for me.

To top the weekend off, the food in MKE is great! Saturday night we had absolutely the best cheeseburger I've had in my life, at a spot called Elsa's downtown. Good to know that comfort food is available when needed! And that in my heart, I know I'm on the right path right now, and that feels great. So yay! As long as those media center people are there, I'm ready to rock and roll........at least until I see the next assignment!

Home again, Home again.......

It's been four days, and it feels great to be back home!   I'm appreciating my own bed, and my own master bathroom with the huge, jacuzzi tub.

The first two weeks at Stritch confirmed for me that it's going to be a wonderful place, and a great fit.  The professors totally stick to the themes of leadership, learning and service and make all the presentations, readings and discussions focus on those areas.  I learned so much, and am really excited about it.

I mentioned to my counselor that "the age thing" was the only piece of discomfort I sometimes felt---The fact that many of my teachers are my age.  When I thought about it, I realized that problem is really more about "what will people think?"  than anything else---I'm wasting time wondering  if they'll think it's a little nuts to be doing this at age 56.   So.....my new frame of mind is to realize this is a really rich journey that will result in something I really want.  I'm going to try to stop worrying about other people, and listen to myself.   After that, I'll probably tackle world hunger and global warming...........

I have two papers to finish----I felt like letting them gel for a few days and they're not due yet.  Maybe by leaving them alone they'll improve????   I can hope.

So, the word is----So far, so good!  7 credit hours down, 63 to go (I hope someday I'll look back at that and smile......)

It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint

Starting a school experience with two weeks on campus feels really unique.  Instead of parceling out our work over a semester of several weeks, we're spending eight hours a day in class and then responsible for doing a significant amount of writing at night.  I'm in awe of how focused the older students are----making notes, writing reflections, trading ideas for papers, etc.  I'm also a bit tired!  Like I figured, the content of the classes feels really comfortable.  My barrier is the use of technology, like designing models and templates to illustrate work.  I'm trying to breathe deep, do my best and ask for help when I need it.  A humbling experience for someone with my ego!

The great thing is that with the exception of one presenter, the rest of the sessions have been really great.  I love the topics of leadership and learning, and am already finding lots of things I can use in my work.  So...it's a one day at a time venture, and I'm just trying to keep pushing a little each day to get my papers and other work done.  I appreciate everyone's calls and emails to keep in touch!

Off to meet my study group to plan our presentation for next week.  Our final project is going to be a game show presentation we're calling, " Who Wants to be a Leader?"   Gotta have a little humor along the way, right?

Zero to Sixty

Whew!!!   I'm here, I'm fine----but my head is spinning!

I've had twelve hours of class time with my cohort over the last two days, and it's been really exciting and interesting to meet the group that will travel together over the next three years.  Here are a few of my new friends:

• William and Paula Jo, who live next door to me.  They're from Chicago, and are in the last year of their course work---They're a great source of calm and reason!
• A Franciscan nun from Kenya
• An organist 
• A woman who runs a school in a maximum security prison
• Several college instructors / educators
• A great group of administrators from Appleton, who've adopted me and are allowing me to tag along on their field trips.  :-)   Next week we'll head downtown one night to Summerfest, where Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire are performing.  It's the networking thing, really.......

We've received three major assignments while we're here....First, I'm part of a two week study group on the topic of Leadership.  We have to give a 30-minute presentation to the whole cohort on the last day.   Second, I have to write an 8-page paper on what I want to learn about Leadership over the next year, and what goals are, and what my plan is to achieve my goals.       (This kind of thinking makes my stomach cramp..... Hmmmmm)   Last, I have to write a 10-20 page paper about the major themes of the speakers, books and learning during the Summer Institute, and how they impact my thinking about my Leadership theme.  So....let the games begin!   Looks like I go to class for 8 hours each day and use my spare ( !) time to concentrate on the other work.  So.....zero to 60 mph in just a couple days!  

Our instructor for the summer and fall courses is Donna, who's smart, very kind and who is using some excellent strategies to help our cohort become a cohesive group.  Stritch also is doing a great job of helping the new people get to talk and meet with students from older cohorts---There are lots of opportunities where the instructors have been really intentional about letting us talk to other cohorts and learn from them about their experiences.  It's been a relief to have the students tell us about the high level of support and the commitment instructors have to everyone's success.  In fact, three things about that:  Donna says when we submit our papers to her, she'll get them back to us immediately with feedback.  We do changes in the paper, resubmit, and then she actually grades the paper.   In fact, assignments and course grades are Pass / Fail, which makes me really comfortable.   Last,  no doctoral student defends their dissertation until the entire faculty feels they're ready to pass that final hurdle----therefore, everyone who presents is awarded their degree.  So....I think the professors are working hard to make this a rigorous experience, but they balance that rigor with a high level of support.  Sounds like a great leadership model to me!

I'm off today to participate in a book discussion with people from other cohorts, and also hear an overview of the whole PhD  and EdD programs.  Sorry this post is so long.....I'll try not to be so verbose in the future, and save my words for my papers!

My First Day of School

In the living room in our home is a weathered picture of my brother Bill and my sister Miriam, when they were five and six years old. The year must have been about 1951 or so, and the moment captured in time is the moment cherished by parents across the years---Their first day of school. Their faces shine with excitement, and they look absolutely sure they'll be successful.

So....time has passed, and surprisingly enough that routine is beginning again, although in a much different manner this time. On Friday of this week, I start a new adventure: beginning my course work for a Doctorate in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee. I'm starting this blog to help record the journey ( I'm sure I'll look back and laugh at some time in the future....) as well as to try to process the years ahead by writing about them.

So here's the scoop: As the time to begin approaches, I find I'm really excited about the learning because I love the leadership topic. BUT....I'm also feeling anxious---about being away from home and living in a hotel the next two weeks, about the use of all the technology connected to the learning, about meeting and working with twenty people in my learning cohort, and so many other things! Brian says I'll feel much better after I arrive and get into the process, and I think he's right---The anticipation and uncertainty are the worst part of all this for me! So...........I'm heading down the road at 8 am Friday, and will keep you posted as I navigate my next few days. With a brother and sister who did school so well, how can I lose?