A Broken Arm

The reason I have not written since May 25th is because I tripped over a box in my home on May 26th and broke my upper right arm in four places. It was a serious break that required surgery and has resulted in limited use not only of my upper arm but also my lower arm and hand as well. Although this has been a challenge that I would have prefered to forego, I have learned some valuable lessons.

Lesson #1: Each member of our body has an important function to perform. When one member is not functioning properly the whole body feels the loss.

Lesson #2: When one body part isn't functioning as it should the rest of the body has to compensate. For instance, I'm having to use my left hand for things which I would normally use my right hand such as eat, write and type. Even though my left hand isn't as efficient, it has become stronger.

Lesson #3: There has been a need to rely on other people to help do those things I absolutely can't do myself like using my right hand to file my nails on my left hand. Yet, I have found creative ways to do some things that I felt I couldn't do.

Lesson #4: Whining, complaining, feeling sorry for myself don't improve the situation.

These four lessons can be applied to an orgnization body. I'll explore that more in another blog post.

The Hearer Also Has Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the hearer of the message:

1. Always start with where you agree with a speaker.
2. Listen to the message and the heart of the speaker rather than focusing only on the words.
3. Don't get hung up on a word or a phrase that a speaker uses and take them out of context in order to take offense.
4. Check things out with the person directly as to what he or she meant rather than making assumptions.
5. Begin by erring on the side of trusting that the person has a good heart. In Alma 61: 9 in the Book of Mormon Pahoran responds to the chastisement of Captain Moroni by saying, "And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart."
6. Don't be easily offended and remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
7. Stay focused on one's own message and cause and give no heed unto those who would distract you or even attack you.

Those who would be remarkable leaders will be those who take responsibility for what they say AND for the way they listen to what is said by others.

Words Can Come Back And Bite

Comments made by the three major 2008 Presidential candidates and their spouses and supporters over the last few months are a reminder that we need to mean what we say and say what we mean. If we don't it is too easy for others, especially our opponents on issues, to misconstrue what was said as the following examples show.

#1
Michelle Obama--February 18, 2008: "People in this country are ready for change and hungry for a different kind of politics and...for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback." Note: Obama received rousing applause after making the comment.

February 20, 2008: Clarifying what she said, "What I was clearly talking about was that I'm proud in how Americans are engaging in the political process." When asked if she had always been proud of her country, she replied, "absolutely" and said she and her husband would not be where they are now if not for the opportunities of America.

Jen Psaki, Obama campaign spokeswoman: "...Michelle is proud of her country, which is why she and Barack talk constantly about how their story wouldn't be possible in any other nation on Earth. What she meant is that she's really proud at this moment because for the first time in a long time, thousands of American who've never participated in politics before are coming out in record numbers to build a grassroots movement for change."

Cindy McCain, wife of Pres. candidate John McCain, capitalized on Obama's remark by saying, "I have, and always will be, proud of my country.

Bill Kristol, Weekly Standard Editor: "I think the Democrats have to be careful..they're running against the status quo...You have to be careful not to let that slide into a kind of indictment of America. Because I don't think the American people think on the whole that the last 25 years of American history is a narrative of despair and nothing to be proud of."

#2
Sen.Barack Obama--May 22, 2008: After reiterating his respect for McCains' service in a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Obama said, "He [John McCain] is one of those heroes which I speak, but I can't understand why he would line up behind the president in his opposition to this GI bill, I can't believe why he believes it is too generous to our veterans. I could not disagree with him and the president more on this issue. There are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing, but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them."

Sen. John McCain's response: "Perhaps if Obama would take the time and trouble to understand this issue, he would learn to debate an honest disagreement respectfully, but, as he always does, he prefers impugning the motives of his opponent, and exploiting a thoughtful difference of opinion to advance his own ambitions." He also said, "And I will not accept from Senator Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did." Note: McCain did not return to Washington, D. C. for the vote preferring to stay in California to campaign and raise money.

#3
Sen. John McCain at a rally in Stockdale, CA on May 22, 2008: "I have the knowledge and the experience and the judgment to lead this nation. My opponent does not." He then sarcastically praised Obama saying, "I admire and respect Sen. Obama. For a young man with very little experience, he's done very well. I appreciate his very great lack of experience and knowledge of the issue. He's been very successful." Note: A crowd of about 400 laughed.

#4
Sen. Hillary Clinton in an interview with the editorial board of the Argus Leader newspaper in Sioux Fall, S. D. on May 22, 2008: Explaining why she was staying in the Democratic race, Sen. Clinton said, "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California."

Bill Burton, chief spokesman for Obama campaign: "Senator Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign."

Sen. Hillary Clinton's clarification of remark: "I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, and particularly for the Kennedy family, was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever."

Clinton aide: The New York Senator Clinton was merely giving "historical examples of the nominating process going well into the summer," and that reading anything further into her statement was "inaccurate and outrageous."

Mo Elleithee, Clinton campaign spokesperson: "She was simply referencing her husband in 1992 and Bobby Kennedy in 1968 as historic examples of the nominating process going well into the summer. Any reading into beyond that would be inaccurate."



In order for words to carry a message that will put one in a positive light it is crucial that words not carry a sarcastic tone that belittles others, even opponents. Even though others may laugh at the cleverness of the words it will always be somewhat of a nervous laugh because all people seem to instinctively know that using humor to belittle others lessens the credibility of the message bearer.


Even when extreme care is taken for words to convey the intended message it can still be misinterpreted. The three presidential candidates are politicians and two are lawyers so they are experts on word choice and inflection. Yet, even they commit "fau pauxs" and have make apologies and/or have gone back to clarify misunderstandings about what they said. Yet, in spite of the risks and the fact that words can come back and bite, they keep on speaking because they understand the importance of the message and the cause. Putting oneself on the line like this day after day takes a whole lot more courage than waiting until someone else makes a fau paux and then using that as an opportunity to critique the other person's words and/or to use the same words in a different way to make one's self look good.

Even though a speaker bears much responsibility for the words he or she says to convey the intended message the receiver of the message also bears a great responsibility which will be the topic of tomorrow's blog post.

One Would Think I Would Have Known Better!

As I have started to pay more attention and listen to the words I have been saying to myself and others I have been appalled. Over and over again in a whining and complaining manner I've been saying such things as, "Why won't people listen to what I have to share?" and "Why don't people want all that I know?" I have had the attitude that I know a lot about how to improve the education of Hispanic learners--After all, it has been my goal over the last 8 years or so to become an expert on this issue, and I have worked towards that goal paying a heavy price not only financially but with my time, energy, and emotions as well.

It wasn't until Dr. Scott Ferrin who is my professor, the chair of my doctoral committee, and most of all, my friend gently reminded me to be humble that I really heard what I had been saying.

One would think I would have known better! Many of my favorite books throughout my lifetime have been:

• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Norman Vincent Peale
• The 8th Habit by Stephen Covey
• How to Be A Woman of Influence by Pat Williams
• Influencer by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
• Plus many others!

The authors of these books would never recommend I complain and whine about people not listening to me. Although rereading those books might be helpful just reading the principles won't change a thing unless I apply them. Isn't that true of everything?!? It's the difference between being just knowledgeable and being wise.

Ask and ask and ask and ask again

The difference between someone who gets what she wants and one who doesn't is the willingness to keep on asking until one gets that desired "YES" answer. All young children seem to instinctively know this. What child doesn't badger parents until they relent? We seem forget to forget as we become older how powerful this tactic is--or we consider it a childish antic that we must give up.

There is a story in the Bible--Luke 18: 1-7--where a widow went continually to an unjust judge asking him to avenge her of her adversary. He eventually gave into her saying, "Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

Sometimes to get to that yes we want we need to take a different route. Nephi and his brothers in the Book of Mormon had to try a variety of methods before they were finally able to obtain the brass plates from Laban that they had been sent to do.

Nephi's brothers, Laman and Lemuel, were ready to give up when the first try didn't work. Then when the second try didn't work they were even more adamant about giving up the errand. Nephi stayed focused on the goal and wasn't about to accept defeat no matter how many "No's" he had to overcome.

One reason we may choose not to be persistent is because we don't want to weary someone with our request. As children we could have cared less if the other person became weary or not. We knew what we wanted. Needless to say, it probably wouldn't be to our advantage to be childish when persistently seeking a yes to a request, but if we can recapture that childlike trait and engage it in a mature way, many more doors will open for us to achieve our goals and desires, especially when they are for a higher cause than ourselves--such as wanting to better serve our diverse learners.

Hypocrisy Raises Its Ugly Head

The Republican Party touts "the sanctity of marriage" as one of its top issues. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. It only becomes an issue when the party would have us believe that only Republicans have this value.

Whenever a focus changes from the positive aspects of one's own stance and starts pointing fingers one runs the strong risk of being a hypocrite. The old adage is true that when we are pointing an accusing finger three are pointing back at us.

The political arena is a prime example. Even though the sanctity of marriage is part of the Republican platform there are many skeletons coming to light within the Republican ranks related to adultery, illegitimate children, homosexual solicitations, and involvement with prostitutes. This is not to say that Democrats don't have their share of skeletons, too. They do, but it is the hypocrisy of some Republicans--advocating one thing and doing another-- that is disconcerting.

Then there is President Bush who recently accused some (there seems to be a consensus that he was referring to Sen. Obama although he didn't refer to him by name) while making a speech in Israel of being an appeaser. Making this accusation in another country is troubling in itself, but it is even more troubling when some within Pres. Bush's own Cabinet and army of advisors have made similar comments that would define them to be appeasers, too. Now we have the fiasco over Geraldine Ferraro accusing Sen. Obama of being sexist while in the same breath she is making racist comments.

All of this is a reminder that when we want to win over others to our point of view--whether ii is a political matter or an educational matter-- it is critical that one stick with the facts and the issues. Even though it could be helpful to compare one's view with an opposing view, the point one is trying to make will be much more powerful if the main focus is on the positive aspects of one's own argument rather than on criticizing the other side.

Same "Ole, Same 'Ole

On May 8, 2008 there was an article in the Desert News announcing that Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. was forming a committee to look at how to improve Utah's work force to compete better in a global economy. It was even mentioned in the article that Governor Huntsman recognized that everything that needs to be done starts in the classroom. Although the Governor has identified a worthy goal and has recognized the most important path to achieve it, I was extremely disappointed when I saw the list of the seventeen people he chose to be on his "Globally Competitive Workforce Steering Committee"--same 'ole names and same 'ole faces. Plus, not one minority was chosen.

It is disconcerting and troubling how obsessed our nation has become with the term experience. Our 2008 Presidential Campaign has focused on it. Senator Hillary Clinton's mantra has been that she will be ready on Day One because of her experience. She adds that the nation can't afford to break in a newcomer. Senator John McCain has emphasized that Sen. Barack Obama's simplistic views demonstrate he doesn't have the needed experience or the judgment to make wise decisions. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has stated that the presidency isn't an internship.

Sen. Obama and Obama supporters are quick to point out that all this "experience" that others supposedly have has led us into the mess we are in and to the continual decline of country and how we are perceived in the world.

This obsession with and emphasis on experience is also part of the education world--The main determinant for how much a teacher is paid is based on his/her years of teaching. Although teaching experience appears to have an influence on student achievement most studies have discovered that the benefits of experience level off after the first five or so years of teaching. There is not a consistent linear relationship between years of teaching experience and student achievement after the initial three years of teaching. In other words, teachers with 20 or more years of teaching are not necessarily more effective than teachers with 7-10 years of teaching. In fact, there is a joke that is more real than funny and that is that some teachers have taught their first year of teaching 25 times.

If we are serious about improving our nation and/or schools, it is critical that we keep the following thoughts in mind:

• Experience by itself isn't always the best answer. Even our founding fathers (and mothers!) had never founded a nation before.
• We need the right definition for experience. Obama told supporters at a Colorado fundraiser that lack of experience in Washington is not necessarily a bad thing--"When you say I don't have enough experience, what you really mean is that I haven't been in Washington long enough. I've been in Washington long enough to know Washington needs to change." Obama's wife, Michelle, noted in a speech that even though her husband doesn't have the check-marked experiences he has the experience that makes a difference noting his work as a community organizer, civil rights lawyer, law professor and state lawmaker.
• Advocating for change is not an indictment against the country or a system such as public schools. Nor is it denying the fact that the United States is the greatest nation in the history of mankind. America and our public school system do have flaws. Living in a fantasy land pretending that all is well will keep us from making the needed changes to move forward.
• All systems need a certain amount of turnover to bring new blood--people from the outside--who can look at the system with new eyes. This is the only way a system avoids becoming stagnant.
• Although experience can be beneficial it also needs a moral compass as Michelle Obama suggests and there needs to be a focus not only on how to achieve positive results but a way to measure if they have been achieved.

In order to improve our nation, our community, and our schools we will need, whether experienced or not, individuals, members of committees, and leaders who are not only "lifelong learners" who are able to be "innovative and creative" but who are also passionate and committed.

Note: The purpose of this posting isn't to endorse Barack Obama.

Important Qualities Versus Rewarded Qualities

Quite a few years ago I learned the importance of writing down the qualities we would like to have and than acting as if we already had them. By doing this four things would happen: 1) We would gravitate to those experiences that would help us develop those qualities, 2) We would gravitate towards people who had those qualities, 3) People who had those qualities or at least valued them would gravitate towards us, and 4) People who did not value those qualities would dismiss and shun us if not outright fight against us.

Although I wrote qualities down many years ago (at least 25!) it has been a long time since I have reviewed them. Yet, they have played a significant role in shaping who I am. In spite of that, it is time I rewrite that list--or at least modify it--as there were some things left off that original list that as I've grown older I've realized are extremely important.

My new modified list statement would be: I am genuine, real, humble and teachable, kind, courteous, trustworthy, honest and a woman of integrity, optimistic, diligent, virtuous seeking only those things that are lovely and of good report and praiseworthy, discerning, patient, long suffering, loving, warm, approachable, compassionate, wise, radiant, curious and interested, respectful, dependable, hard working and a doer, visionary, a great conversationalist and a good communicator, loyal, committed, passionate, learned and knowledgeable, generous, full of faith and confidence, talented, empathetic, forgiving, bold and assertive, reverent, appreciative....and Christlike in all that I do and say with a willingness to sacrifice all that I have in order to serve others regardless of how small my circle of influence may be.

Needless to say I will not perfect these qualities during this earthly experience as it will take an eternity to do so. Yet, the very fact that these are my desires, I must be prepared for the four consequences mentioned earlier. Plus, it is important to recognize and accept the fact that these qualities are not the qualities the world applauds or rewards. In fact, the opposite could occur and even most likely will occur as history reveals what has happened to those who were well on their way to perfecting these qualities. Even Christ who was perfect in every way was trampled upon and crucified.

The Harmful Effects of Greed

A couple of days ago my husband and I watched a section on the Brian Gumbel show about former Derby winners being sent to the slaughterhouse. We actually only watched a portion of the section because when even my husband could no longer stand seeing the cruelty that was being inflicted upon these animals, he changed the channel. Yet, we had seen enough for me to pursue the issue.

I am appalled at what I have discovered. In spite of the fact that 70-85% of Americans are opposed to killing our American horses for overseas human consumption, this inhumane treatment has been able to continue due to two main reasons. First, once many owners have run every last ounce out of their horses, they sell what is left of them at an auction where they hope to get the highest number of bucks possible. Second, there are a small number of powerful lawmakers in Congress who are thwarting the overwhelming sentiment of the American people and being influenced by lobbyists to keep slaughter alive.

The bottom line for both reasons is greed. Not only is this a shameful travesty in regards to horses, a similar travesty is happening when greed trumps what our diverse learners need to help them have the education they need and deserve.

"David" Meets "Goliath"

Last night on Bill Moyers Journal Bill interviewed Melody Petersen. Petersen is a reporter for the New York Times who covered the drug industry for four years, winning one of the highest honors in business journalism--the Gerald Loeb Award. Then she spent another four years researching and writing the book Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves Into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation On Prescription Drugs.

When Petersen started to write about the pharmaceutical companies she didn't know a thing about the drug companies and actually thought that they were a lot about science. After all, that's what they were telling the public. Yet, Petersen came to the conclusion after 8 years of writing and researching that it was marketing that drove the companies--selling prescription drugs rather than discovering them had become the industry's obsession.

To help make her point Petersen states a statistic that comes from the Federal Drug Administration that 100,000 Americans die every year from their prescription drugs--that they took just as the doctor directed. This wasn't when a doctor or a pharmacist make a mistake or the patient accidentally took too much.

My reason for sharing this story isn't to promote Peterson's book or even to say that I agree with her although she does make a compelling argument. I learned an important lesson from her as I watched her and listened to her and thought about what she was doing. As we all know the pharmaceutical industry is incredibly powerful.

Petersen explains how the drug companies have used advertising to promote their products. We only have to watch a few minutes of television and watch the ad after ad telling us that there is now a pill for anything and everything that ails us (or that we are made to believe that ails us!). These ads are even more powerful because the industry has learned that the public will be more likely to believe the message if it comes from someone who is trusted to be independent--like a doctor. Many physicians who used to be the gatekeeper who had the interest of his or her patients at heart are now given gifts or cash from the drug companies to participate in the propaganda. The drug company even now pays the FDA to get their drugs reviewed and approved. Adding to this troubling scenario Congress is in the grip of this industry. Petersen reports that in a recent six-year period the drug company spent more on lobbying that any other industry and now employs two lobbyists for every member of Congress.

In spite of the power of the drug company Petersen who is just a young reporter has been willing to fight it. While the majority of people has just accepted the overwhelming power of the drug companies and reconciled itself to the situation, Petersen has chosen to be a "David" who has taken her "slingshot" which is her book to fight this "Goliath."

President Cynthia Bioteau Is Remarkable

President Cynthia Bioteau is the president of Salt Lake Community College in Utah. I had the opportunity to meet her at a luncheon where she spoke. Needless to say, I didn't expect her to remember me, but she did.

Since that first meeting I have seen her at a few functions we have both attended, and we have communicated various times through email. I have always been amazed at how quickly she responds to my emails and how gracious, helpful, and encouraging she always is--in spite of her schedule that can't help but be extremely demanding because of her position.

This trait that Pres. Bioteau exhibits seems to be a trait that all great and remarkable leaders possess. Vicki Mori, the Executive Director of Guadalupe School, and Scott Anderson, President and Chief Executive of Zion's Bank and Dr. Cesar Diaz, President of Hispano/Latino Rotary Club of Salt Lake are three others who exhibit this same trait. I don't believe they developed this trait after they assumed leadership positions. I believe it was this trait (along with others) that made them remarkable leaders even before they ever held a leadership position.

As respectful as we need to be of their time and generosity I've found that when we need something done and accomplished we often need to go straight to the top. Those who aren't at the top who possess this quality of getting things done promptly with graciousness will soon be at the top and those who don't possess it won't stay at the top very long.

Everyone Needs A Julie Eckman

Everyone needs a Julie Eckman in his or her life. Over the 30 plus years I have known Julie Eckman she has blessed my life in numerous ways:

• She sends me a birthday card each year telling me how much she appreciates and treasures our friendship.
• She listens to my dreams and hopes as well as discouragements as if she had nothing else to do in her life.
• She not only buys the book I have written, but she also reads it and shares it with others.
• She supports my many endeavors even when they are more than a little crazy in any way that her health will allow.
• She withholds judgment when my behavior is less than what it should be and focuses instead on my better self and my potential.

Research studies have indicated that people are blessed if they can count on one hand all the true friends they have had in their lifetime. I am blessed that Julie is one of those friends for me. My only regret is that in our limited time together Julie is so busy being this kind of friend to me that I have neglected being that kind of friend to her.

Senator Hillary Clinton Is Already A Winner

In spite of the fact that Sen. Hillary Clinton is behind her opponent Sen. Barack Obama in number of popular votes, pledged delegates, and super delegates in the 2008 presidential democratic election, one would never know it. She looks, acts, and speaks like a winner.

Whether one supports Sen. Clinton or not there is much to learn from her in the way she has handled herself in this intense presidential campaign. For those of us in an intense battle fighting for our diverse learners what can we learn from Sen. Clinton?

1. Stay focused on the goal, not the obstacles even when those obstacles seem insurmountable.
2. Stay focused on one's message and be extremely articulate in presenting that message and make every speech your best speech.
3. Stay positive and never let on to those you are trying to influence in any way that you are discouraged or doubtful.
4. Fight to the end and give no heed to those who would encourage you to quit.
5. Be willing to invest your own resources to achieve what you believe in.
6. Reiterate over and over that you will fight for those who choose you.
7. Be present. In other words, whether speaking to a group or an individual, speak to the one and make each one feel that he or she is the most important person in your life at that moment.
8. Continually thank those who support you and don't focus on those who choose not to support you or who desert you when the going gets tough.
9. Let your compassion for people drive your toughness.

These qualities of Sen. Hillary Clinton have earned her respect from all sides of the political arena, even from those who are strongly opposed to her stands on a variety of issues. She may not win as the Democratic Presidential nominee, but she has already shown that she is a winner and an example for many others to follow.

Note: Senator Hillary Clinton is not my choice for 2008 presidential candidate.

Harvey Mackay's Counsel Pays Off

Harvey Mackay has written a great book called Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty. In this book he discusses the need to be constantly building one's network and nurturing that network.

Paying the price to put into practice the principles Mackay outlines has paid dividends for me numerous times. I experienced one yesterday. A couple of years ago Denece Kitto was added to my network when we served together on Utah Governor Huntsman's Student Achievement Working Group. We have been in contact off and on since that time. Yesterday Denece called me to get some information she needed for an application. Yet, that wasn't the end of the conversation. As we visited about a variety of other individual endeavors we found that not only did we have some similar goals but also each of us had resources that could benefit the other.

It is well-worth the effort to take some time teach day to do the following four things:

1. Adding at least one new person to one's network
2. Updating pertinent information such as birthdates, interests, names of spouse and children, etc. on index cards or another filing system about people in one's network.
3. Contacting at least 1-3 people in one's network through an email, a card, or a telephone call to congratulate, thank, or just to say, "hello."
4. Mending any fences that need mending.

We just never know when someone from within our growing and nurtured network will be just the solution we need or when we might have or be the solution he or she needs.

Wisdom Couched In Silliness and Humor

It seems like I'm watching a lot of movies these days (I am on vacation!) but yesterday my husband gave me a Mother's Day gift--He selected a movie specifically for me for us to watch--Evan Almighty. Even though it was about as silly as you can get I love Morgan Freeman who played God. Plus, there were some words of wisdom couched in between all the humor and silliness.

In one scene "God" gives Evan Baxter's wife the following counsel: "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage does God give him courage or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?"

In another scene "God" asks Evan Baxter: "How do we change the world?" and Evan Baxter answers correctly when he says, "One single act of random kindness at a time" Learning this insight was especially pertinent and significant to Evan Baxter, a Buffalo newscaster who had been elected to Congress on the slogan, "Change the World." The first night he was in Washington Baxter prayed asking God to help him change the world. God heard Baxter and answered his prayer but in an unconventional way that Baxter hadn't expected. Baxter had had an optimistic zeal to change the world through the political system. Yet, the political system has its limitations because often personal agendas or even corruption gets in the way. God knew and Baxter learned that relying only on politicians to solve the world's problems wouldn't be sufficient.

Baxter comes to realize that God has called him to do a work. He exercises faith in that calling even when he others mock him and accuse of him of being crazy. Even for a short time his family leaves him not understanding what is going on with him.

Baxter's faith is also to be admired when taking into account that God hadn't given him a detailed blueprint on how to accomplish what he is being asked to do. At best he was only armed with a sketchy understanding of God's plans. Yet, God reassures Baxter telling him, "Whatever I do, I do because I love you." That love and Baxter's faith are tested when even after the ark is built and the community is ready to dismantle it, no flood comes. Baxter looks up to the sunny sky and expresses his frustration saying to God, "Is it too much to ask for a LITTLE PRECIPITATION?" God answers the prayer with a little precipitation but still no flood.

What Baxter didn't know, but God did, was the flood wasn't going to come because of rain but because of a break in a dam. Baxter learned that God has his own reasons for asking us to do certain things. Therefore, we only need to follow his directions and then leave the outcomes and timing up to him.

Not only did Baxter learn that God had chosen him for a work, but as he told a reporter, "He chose all of us." In other words, each of us has a work to do that we can fulfill if we'll pray to be a change agent, listen to the answer that may be unconventional, and continue to follow the instructions in the answer even if we can't see any results and/or others are mocking or chiding us.

Learning From Rocky

Because I have absolutely no interest in boxing I avoided the Rocky films with Sylvester Stallone. Yet, last night I watched the latest with my husband, Craig. Although I still have no interest in boxing, Rocky Balboa gave some advice to his son in the movie that I desperately needed to hear right now at this time in my life.

"I'd hold you up to say to your mother, 'this kid's gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid's gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew.' And you grew up good and wonderful. It was great just watching you, every day was like a privilege. Then the time come for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did. But somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you're no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow. Just let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that! I'm always gonna love you no matter what. No matter what happens. You're my son and you're my blood. You're the best thing in my life. But until you start believing in yourself, you ain't gonna have a life."

Losing Our Bearings

I had the most intriguing dream last night. I was in another city frantically searching for a hotel I had previously visited. After taking a variety of wrong turns I realized I had "lost my bearings." To regain my bearings I needed to stop--remember my goal and develop a reasonable plan on how I was to achieve the goal. After doing that I found the hotel.

I can think of no other reason why I'd have such a dream other than the fact that it was puzzling to me as to why Sen. Barak Obama's comment about Sen. John McCain losing his bearings would be interpreted to have something to do with McCain's age. Anyone at any age can lose his or hear bearings at any time in any situation.

The media has spent hundreds of hours interviewing numerous people trying to figure out what Sen. Obama meant by his comment without ever properly interpreting what the phrase losing your bearings means. It's a reminder to all of us to be cautious about the amount of time we waste trying to interpret a phrase someone else may have used, especially when we aren't even basing it on a correct definition of the phrase. This wasted time could have been used in a much more productive manner discussing important issues at hand whether in a presidential race or in our own personal encounters.

Margaret Mead Would Be Impressed!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

Last night I had the privilege to attend a very special celebration. Rotary Club of Hispano-Latinos of Salt Lake was celebrating its first anniversary.

Even though this club has only been in existence a year and consists of only 15 members, it is a dynamic organization that is making a difference-- locally and internationally. Just take a look at this list:

• December 2006 the club provided Christmas to 3,000 Hispanic children in need.
• 2006-2008 the club participated in the Dictionary Project to provide dictionaries to 3rd graders in inner city schools.
• November 2007 the club organized its first international project in Cuba! It distributed over 2,000 pounds of school supplies, 5 wheel chairs, 500 glasses, and clothing and shoes to different schools.
• December 2007 the club held another successful toy drive for needy Hispanic children.
• June 2007 the club sponsored its first international exchange student

I know the members of this club quite well because I have attended a number of their meetings and festivities because on top of all these other impressive endeavors the club has supported my Lovejoy's Libros project to get books in Spanish and/or English into the hands and homes of our Hispanic students, the majority of which have NO books in their homes.

The club is not resting on its laurels. It already has plans for this coming June to provide Emergency Humanitarian Aid with the help of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the state of Chiapas, Mexico to help more than 4,000 people in 8 small villages who were affected by the floods and destruction in that area.

A HUGE thank you to the leaders and members of the Rotary Club of Hispano-Latinos of Salt Lake for being an inspiration and an example for all of us to follow. Margaret Mead would be impressed!

Knowledge Is Power--Especially When We Share It!

Many years ago I heard the truism that knowledge is power. Yet, I have come to realize as others have that knowledge that is shared is even more powerful. By sharing knowledge both individuals grow in their knowledge and expertise.

Dr. Stephen Covey recommends that when we have learned something new that we share it with someone else within 24-48 hours. This sharing will not only reinforce what we have learned we will benefit from what others share in return. In other words, the more knowledge wealth we share, the more knowledge wealth we gain.

My good friend and colleague, Michelle Bachman, and I have come across one way we can do this on a regular basis. We have decided that both of us will read the book Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts and share our ideas, impressions, insights, etc. via email. This is not only a way to increase our knowledge but it is also a way to keep in touch with friends who enrich our lives and expand our horizons.

Who Is Qualified?

I had an experience yesterday that has caused me to contemplate what it means to be qualified for a position. I feel that at times we put too much stock in credentials and formal education, particularly in the education field (there could be others as well but my main experience has been with education).

It is my opinion that too often people jump through the hoops to get credentialed, and they manage to become credentialed without becoming educated and/or effective. If all it took was credentials for educators to become effective, we wouldn't be facing the education crisis we are now facing.

None of this is to say that I don't value education per se. In fact I value it so much it is disheartening to see how schooling can destroy education. It is also disheartening when so much emphasis is put on credentials that a self-educated person who is passionate and committed might be discounted or overlooked who could possibly be even more effective in a position.

It's Not Over Until The Fat Lady Sings

When thinking about our nation it is critical to remember that this nation is a work in progress. Throughout the relatively short history of the United States God has raised up some of His most noble men and women to move forward the divine mission of this nation--line upon line. It spite of being chosen by God they, like the rest of us, were imperfect people who stumbled along making mistakes and taking wrong turns. They, as Joseph Ellis says, "... were improvising without a script in a historical drama without a known conclusion." (p. 22) In other words, our history was their present so they didn't have the luxury of hindsight.

In spite of their weaknesses and imperfections there is no doubt that God used them anyway to do His work in His way. Therefore, it is a sad when there are those who choose to vilify these great men and women because they often held the wrong assumptions and prejudices of the persons of their time and place in history.

Frederick Douglass was one person who understood this as revealed through the speech Oration in Memory of Abraham Lincoln that he gave April 14, 1876 at the unveiling of the Freedmen's Monument in Memory of Abraham Lincoln 11 years after Lincoln's assassination. Although Douglass acknowledged in this speech that Lincoln was a white man in his interests, associations, habits of thought, and prejudices that were common to his countrymen towards the colored race, he also acknowledged that Abraham Lincoln was at the head of the great movement that would forever abolish slavery in the United States. Douglass also recognized that the fact that they were able to assemble in peace in front of this monument was "... a compliment and credit to American civilization, and a prophecy of still greater national enlightenment and progress in the future." (p. 1)

As the saying goes in relationship to an opera that it isn't over until the fat lady sings, our nation's divine mission isn't yet complete. As our noble, yet imperfect, predecessors fulfilled their part in moving forward the divine mission of this nation so must each of us now do our part in spite of our weaknesses and imperfections.


References

Ellis, J. J. (2007). American Creation. New York: Random House, Inc.

Douglass, F. (1876). Oration in Memory of Abraham Lincoln. Retrieved May 6, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?documentprint=39

It Only Takes A Minute Or Two

A couple of weeks ago I called my dear friend, Kate Asbill, seeking her advice on a dilemma that was causing me much anguish. This busy woman gave me her full attention for about an hour listening as if she had nothing else to do but listen to me. Because she was listening to my heart she was able to offer wise words of counsel that helped me to see how my behavior might be contributing to the unpleasant situation. After all, that is what I wanted--advise on how to better the situation not have someone share a "pity and ain't it awful party" with me.

Kate's kindness did not end once the telephone conversation ended. She followed up with a handwritten encouraging note written in a friendship card with the reminder, "When life gives you rain, God gives you rainbows." Then yesterday I received an email from her asking how things were going with my dilemma and reminding me to hang in there. She also included some humor that made me laugh sharing that it has been proven that if we look at the color yellow for 18 seconds our spirits will be lifted, and she knew that it was true because she had read it in the Enquirer.

The dilemma I was facing has not disappeared but Kate's kindnesses that didn't take her more than a minute or two to show her friendship and support give me that added strength to keep on trudging with a positive outlook.

P.S. By the way I did follow Kate's advise and looked at the color yellow for 18 seconds +...and it did lift my spirits! Maybe the Enquirer does contain some truth once in awhile.

Be Wary of the Experts

Yesterday on the Journal Bill Moyers interviewed Victor Navasky and Christopher Cerf, founders of the Institute of Expertology and co-authors of the books The Experts Speak and Mission Accomplished! Or How We Won the War in Iraq the latter being an in-depth study and analysis of five years of expert commentary on the Iraq War.

The interview centered around the point that the experts agreed on various points surrounding the Iraq War that all turned out to be wrong-- such things as that the war would only take a few months or maybe only weeks, not much sacrifice would be required, the financial cost would be minimal, civilian casualties would be few, and there would be little damage to Iraq's infrastructure.

Although the interview was about experts in relationship to the Iraq War, I felt there were some lessons to be learned that could be applied to education experts. For example, in asnwer to Bill Moyers questions as to who decides who is an expert and what makes an expert, the two authors answered:

• If you are in the government, you are by definition an expert--specifically heads of departments who are supposed to know what they are talking about. They added that you if you disagree with someone in the government you are believed to be unpatriotic and any expertise you may have becomes suspect.
• Experts also include scholars, pundits, and columnists--people who have positions of status and power.
• People are believed to be experts who proclaim their expertise. Some do it directly. Others use jargon, announce the number of their published articles, use their titles, or by their uniforms.

The authors made some other points about expertise that could also apply to education experts:

• Expertise seems to be passed from one generation of powerful people to another.
• They borrow each other's language and reinforce each other's message.
• They are arrogant in their erroneousness.
• They have contempt for those who don't agree with them or who they don't consider worthy.
• Claim that a situation is not their fault and blame someone or something else,
• If they are proven to be wrong, they just continue to say what they said previously but in different ways.
• They find ways --even outlandish at times--to dismiss findings that don't support preconceived beliefs.
• People who are in charge of promoting others promote people who come from the same power environment and reaffirm the core beliefs they had in the first place.

Needless to say not all experts fit this description, but we would be wise to be wary of those who do.

Talents Unlimited

Yesterday afternoon I attended a reception sponsored by the Mexican Consulate at Salt Lake City's historic City County Building. The purpose of the reception was to kickoff the 12th annual "Este Es Mi México" (This is my Mexico) art contest conducted by the Mexican Department of Foreign Affairs.

The walls of the first floor of the building are now decorated with the framed artwork of some of the almost 6000 Mexican children between 7 and 11 years old now living all over the world who participated in the 2007 contest. In their drawings the children expressed what Mexico means to them--its history, culture, landscapes, people, and holidays. I have visited a variety of art galleries and art shows in my life, but none touched my heart like this one. There is no doubt that some of these children have artistic talent, but it wasn't that that moved me. There is something about children's uninhibited artwork which captures the heart.

It wasn't only the children's artwork that made this reception such a delightful experience. The recently formed Mariachi band from Northwest Middle School provided the entertainment. Not only was the talent of these young people impressive, but this band had special meaning for me.

Last year I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Javier Saenz who had a dream to start a Mariachi Band in a school with a high Hispanic population. It touched my heart so much to see that his dream had become a reality. Many young people will reap the benefits from his perseverance to realize that dream.

Both the artwork and the Mariachi Band are strong reminders that when our desires are to bless the lives of children, rather than to promote some personal vain ambition, nothing is impossible.

Confronting Social Injustices

In the book The Tale of Two Cities, the author Charles Dickens begins by criticizing the aristocrats' treatment of the poor people of France--the shameless corruption, abuse, and inhumanity of the French nobles towards the peasantry. Even "church leaders entertained themselves with some 'humane' actions as sentencing a youth to have his hands cut off, his tongue torn out with princers, and his body burned alive--because he had not kneeled down, in the rain, to honor a procession of monks some fifty or sixty yards away." Dickens ends by noting that the same social atrocities occur even when the power shifts from the aristocrats to the lower classes--the masses, oppressed for centuries, rise up at last and destroy their masters becoming themselves just as evil and corrupt.

There is always a danger that this scenario could happen when social injustices are confronted, especially if a person or a people focuses on his or their victimization. Therefore, when confronting social injustices it would be wise to do so in a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness rather than in a spirit of revenge and retaliation. It is only through the former that everyone can start to heal and move forward--and thus, break the unproductive cycle.

Nobility In the Worst of Times

"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom; it was the age of foolishness. It was the season of Light; it was the season of Darkness. It was the spring of hope; it was the winter of despair. Some people had everything to look forward to, while others had nothing to look forward to--much like today." Charles Dickens--Tale of Two Cities

I had the opportunity yesterday to watch the Tale of Two Cities, a movie based on one of my most favorite books. There are so many characters with whom I fall in love, but none more so than Sydney Carton. Even though Carton is an alcoholic and a cynic it is he who ends up paying the ultimate sacrifice--willingly laying down his life so another might live.

Carton is a reminder that living in the worst of times can bring out the noble in people, even in those who seem to be the most unlikely.

A Man [or Woman] for All Seasons

Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch one of my favorite movies, A Man for All Seasons, about Sir Thomas More. It was a reminder that standing by our principles and being true to our convictions often does not bring the rewards of man and sometimes even brings forth man's contempt along with dire consequences.

In 1535 King Henry V had Sir Thomas More beheaded for refusal to swear an oath that violated his beliefs--to state that he believed what he didn't believe. More held onto his convictions with steadfastness and courage and dignity during his imprisonment, trial, and execution. His final words on the scaffold were: "The King's good servant, but God's First."

It is as true today as it was for Sir Thomas More 473 years ago for each of us to have a deep understanding of true principles, base the way we live our lives upon those principles and convictions, and then be willing to face come what may in terms of consequences with courage and dignity...so that each of us can be known as Sir Thomas More was as a man [or woman] for all seasons.

It Was Out of Context

Over the last few days I have had the opportunity to listen to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, 2008 Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's pastor, do an interview with Bill Moyer's and give two different speeches, one for the NAACP and one for the Press Club. Plus, I downloaded the interview with Bill Moyer and read the transcript. Although I didn't agree 100% with everything that Rev. Wright said, I found that I couldn't write down fast enough all the words of wisdom coming from his heart--thoughts and insights I wanted to remember.

Therefore, it was extremely disconcerting to me to later hear his speech critiqued by newscasters who obviously could only give their audience soundbites from the speech. As I listened it was a reminder that making a judgment after only hearing snippets of a situation that takes what was said out of context can give the wrong impression and cause one to come to a wrong, if not dangerous, conclusion. I would have had a whole different perspective if all I knew about Rev. Wright's words was what I had learned from the newscast.

Is It I?

Whenever we have a problem in any relationship whether it is with a spouse, a friend, a colleague, a neighbor, or whoever, it would be wise to follow the example of Christ's 12 Apostles at the Last Supper. When Christ told them that one of them would betray Him, they didn't start pointing fingers as to who they thought the person would be. Instead each looked sorrowfully within himself and asked, "Is it I?" (Matthew 26:22)

When we respond to our problematic situations with a similar introspection it will be an opportunity to smooth away some rough edges on our character and avoid criticism which can only be divisive. People, and especially those who may be causing us some frustration, are not in our individual world by coincidence. They are in our world for our growth. If we complain and act like a martyr rather than take 95% of the responsibility for the problem, we'll miss an opportunity tailored just for us to refine our character.

I Was the Common Denominator

I was continuing to have a similar problem in a variety of different situations. The fact that I was the common denominator caused me to do a self-examination. Obviously there was a lesson to be learned that wasn't being learned.


I felt like Jonah who tried running away from the Lord's calling for him to go to Nineveh--something he didn't want to do--but he found that he couldn't hide or run away from the Lord's plans for him.

It's a reminder to me that it isn't the situation that needs to change. It is I who needs to change and/or accept the direction the Lord wants for my life. So rather than trying to find someone or something to blame for my discomfort I need to be asking, "What lesson am I suppose to be learning?"

You May Be Right!

As the immediate past president of an organization and still on the Executive Board I was having some frustrations with the current leadership's disregard for my recommendations but yet still wanting my help when it got in a bind. Rather than stew in my frustration I felt it was best to be assertive and express the frustration in as an honest and open way as I could.

My first mistake was probably relying on email to do this but relied on it as it was the only way the Executive Board was communicating. My second mistake was hoping that the current president would respond in a way different from her past track record. Although her response did follow a similar vein, her response did give me some food for thought upon which I have pondered.

In her response to me she said that she wouldn't "engage in this conversation with me. You are assuming things and making your own reality." After pondering on this and counseling with some friends in leadership positions such as my good friend, Kate Asbill, I came to the conclusion that she was probably right. Yet, I also realized that there is more to the story.

Assuming things and making up our own reality is what all of us do. Each of us has had diverse experiences that cause us to operate from a different "awareness wheel" as my friend Connie Frisch would often remind me.

Therefore, when someone has the courage to come to us honestly expressing how he or she is seeing things, rather than cut off the conversation because we don't see it that way, we have a prime opportunity to open up an engaging and healthy dialogue and conversation. It starts by saying, "I'm so sorry you are seeing things that way. Help me to understand what is making you see things that way." This type of response has the potential to not only strengthen the relationship but also to help both learn how to be better communicators and leaders.

I don't write this today to be critical of this leader as each of us is at a different point on the leadership continuum. I write it because of the lesson I learned on how I need to respond better and more productively when others courageously approach me with their assumptions and own reality.

Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

Last week the Utah Jazz won two of two playoff games against the Houston Rockets in Houston. All of a sudden Utah newscasters were predicting that it would be a sweep. That truly surprised me if they had been watching the games. Although the Jazz won both games, both games were extremely close. Also, both teams looked pretty equal. Therefore, either team could possibly win on any given night.
The Jazz team members actually realized this--At least, much better than the media did. So it was the media that had egg on its face when the Jazz lost to the Rockets last night in the first game in Utah.
The lesson to be learned from this is that we can never assume that we have arrived when we still have a long road to travel to arrive at a desired destination.

Men and Women Such As These

The following is a message we received from Amazon a couple of days ago:

Academy Award nominees Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney star in John Adams, a seven-part epic miniseries event that explores the uncertainty and intensity surrounding the birth of the American republic through the eyes of one of its greatest founding fathers. This new miniseries chronicles the life of a man whose fiercely independent spirit, reverence for the rule of law and commitment to personal liberty greatly influenced the values on which the United States was founded. It also explores the relationship between Adams and his wife, Abigail, to whom he was married for 54 years.

Last night my husband and I watched the first two episodes of this miniseries. As I witnessed and felt the struggles of our incredible Founding Fathers to make wise decisions that would have such profound repercussions I was reminded of what David McCullough said in a speech at BYU on 27 September 2005: "...nobody ever lived in the past. Jefferson, Adams, George Washington--they didn't walk around saying, 'Isn't this fascinating living in the past? Aren't we picturesque in our funny clothes?' They were living in the present, just as we do. The great difference is that it was their present, not ours. And just as we don't know how things are going to turn out, they didn't either."

McCullough ended his speech by saying, "And I hope when you read about the American Revolution and the reality of those people that you will never think of them again as just figures in a costume pageant or as gods. They were not perfect; they were imperfect--that's what's so miraculous. They rose to the occasion as very few generations ever have."

Not only did watching these first episodes increase my appreciation for our Founding Fathers and in particular John Adams but my admiration for Abigail Adams and other Founding Mothers increased as well. McCullough understood this when he stated, "Abigail in one of her many letters to her husband, John, who was off in Philadelphia working to put the Declaration of Independence through Congress wrote, 'Posterity who are to reap the blessings, will scarcely be able to conceive the hardships and sufferings of their ancestors.' "

The following book has been written about these insightful women:

Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts profiles the women whose bravery, convictions, and patriotism impacted the formation of the United States, focusing on the contributions of the wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters of the country's founding fathers.

As I pondered on what our Founding Fathers AND Founding Mothers sacrificed so that we might enjoy the freedoms we now enjoy I was brought to my knees in prayer to express gratitude to our Heavenly Father for raising up such men and women as these.



Note: More information about the John Adams miniseries can be found at the website www.hbo.com/films/johnadams/ Also, a copy of David McCullough's speech can be found at BYU's website.

The Blessings of Chaos

"We live in a rainbow of chaos."

Paul Cezanne

I was in a panic! After spending literally hundreds of hours trying to refine a paper for my BYU doctorate policy class, I felt both my mind and my paper were in chaos. I was at my wits end on how to pull it all together in a way that would make a difference. After all, I wasn't just writing this paper for a grade. This paper was about my passion--How to improve the academic achievement and success of Hispanic learners.

While in the midst of this chaos and thinking all was lost I remembered some lessons I had learned in the past about the fact that chaos can actually be a good thing so I went on a google search to learn some good things about chaos, and I found some "gems."

First: The origin of chaos and what it means

In Greek religion and mythology chaos means vacant, unfathomable space. From it arose all things, earthly and divine. There are various legends and myths explaining it. In one, Gaea sprang from Chaos and was the mother of all things. Then Lord Bryon reminds us, "Out of chaos God made a world."

Second: Great things can come from chaos:

• Creativity/ Creation/ Invention

"No chaos, no creation. Evidence: The kitchen at mealtime." Mason Cooley

"Invention, it be humbly admitted, does not consist of creating out of void, but out of chaos." Mary Shelley

"Art is the triumph over chaos." John Cleaver

"I have a great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift." Septima Poinsette Clark

"Confusion is the welcome mat at the door of creativity." Michael Gelb

"Confusion is a word we have invented for an order which is not yet invented." Henry Miller

"The things we fear most in organizations--fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances--are the primary sources of creativity." Margaret J. Wheatley

• Genius

"All genius is a conquering of chaos and mystery." Otto Weininger

• Discoveries

"One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." A. A. Milne

• Order

"A flock of birds may dart this way or that. The directions seem randomly chosen, but in the end, all of the birds land on the branches of the same tree. They are not scattered all over the landscape thudding into the ground at random trajectories and velocities. Out of the chaos comes order." Tom Barrett

So what should one do with chaos?

1. Overcome fear of chaos.
2. Understand that "every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction." Pablo Picasso
3. "It is important to do what you don't know how to do. It is important to see your skills as keeping you from learning what is deepest and most mysterious. If you know how to focus, unfocus. If your tendency is to make sense out of chaos, start chaos." Carlos Castaneda
4. "The key to achieving competitive advantage isn't reacting to chaos; it's producing that chaos. And the key to being a chaos producer is being an innovative leader." Ed McCracken
5. Mine for the great ideas within the chaos

"You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star."

Friedrich Nietzsche

Listening to and Learning from Rhett Laubach

Once again Kevin Eikenberry has enriched my life! This last Thursday his company hosted a 60 minute guest conversation call with Rhett Laubach. The conversation call was entitled Listening Like A Leader.

In this call and on his "blog" Laubach suggested that the development of the following habits would help us become better listeners:

1. Provide value: We can do this by responding to the other person by saying things such as, "I agree 100%" or "Yes" or "Here's how we could maybe build on that." It also means suggesting a book or a person that might be helpful.
2. Change things for the better: While listening be aware of gaps that your expertise can help fill.
3. Serving others: Stop what you are doing and give the other person your full attention.
4. Make the most of every interaction: Start your conversations with others as if you were already in the middle of a conversation with them by asking questions and responding to the answers with more questions so they are comfortable sharing their life stories.
5. Knowing they don't know everything: Give someone else the opportunity to share his/her expertise.
6. Being available to others: Put yourself in situations, seek out situations, encourage situations and fully commit to situations where you give of your time to someone who needs or wants a listening ear.

Thanks to Rhett for helping us know where to go once we have learned the eye contact listening principle.

Note: Contact info for Rhett

Work: 405.216.5050 Mobile: 405.517.7385 Fax: 810.454.7556 rhett@yournextspeaker.com http://authenticityrules.blogspot.com/ http://pliblog.yournextspeaker.com/

I'm Not a Blank Slate...and Neither Are Our Students

I now have an inkling of what our Hispanic students must feel when they are treated as if they are "blank slates."

Even though I have lived 60 years, taught for 25+ years, interacted with Hispanic people, and have done in depth studying and researching by reading thousands of books and articles as well as attending state and national conferences and seeking advice from nationally known experts in the field the last 8 1/2 years, one of my doctoral professors said to me during one of our meetings that they were going to now help me connect my passion with knowledge.

Then in response to an email I sent this same professor, he responded by saying, "You discovered just what I thought would. Several major factors which contribute to increased achievement among Hispanic students. Good work. These four factors could serve as the organizing framework for your review of literature. Now, what do you do with them. Some suggestions. Which factors are most effective? Is it possible from the literature on them to determine which ones are more effective than others. Which ones are more important than others? Is there a synergy created when one or more factors are used together? And, it may just be that we need all four present because without all four then our efforts will not result in much. So now the real fun begins as you begin to create your own policy recommendation. It may just be that there are more than four factors and that you know what one or more of these factors might be. You are on the just the right track. I look forward to seeing a draft of your work"

What this professor didn't realize is that I already knew about all these other factors and even knew who the majority of the researchers were who were connected to each of the factors.

I truly admire this professor and appreciate his support so I wasn't offended by his comments, but his comments did cause me to ponder on what it means to be treated as if one is a blank slate and when everything you are bringing to the table is treated as if it has no validity.

We must realize that our Hispanic learners aren't coming to us as blank slates or empty vessels that need to be filled. If we can't tap into the richness of what they are bringing to the table, we will do a much better job of serving them and helping to close the achievement gap (s).

Those Who Came Before Us

A week ago last Sunday there was an article in our Salt Lake Tribune by Kimberly Mangun entitled Clinton and Obama were not the first. She notes in the article that Hillary Clinton is not the first woman to run for president nor is Barack Obama the first African American to do so.

Their have been others before them who challenged racial and gender norms and helped pave the way for them. Over twenty years ago Reverend Jesse Jackson ran for president on the Democratic ticket.

Before Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress, ran for president in 1972. Chisholm realized that even though she probably wouldn't win in the conventional sense, her candidacy would change the face and future of America.

One century before Chisholm in 1872 Victoria Woodhull who chose Frederick Douglass has her running mate was nominated for president by the Equal Rights Party. An interesting side note is that this was during the time of Reconstruction and only two years after the 15th Amendment was passed, so Douglass could vote but Woodhull couldn't.

All this is to remind us that although there is a good chance we might have the first woman or the first African American as the next president of the United States, there are other courageous individuals who came before them who helped to make this a reality.

For each of us there have been courageous pioneers who came before us to whom we owe a great depth of gratitude for paving the way for us to accomplish our dreams. May we do so for others.

Sacredness of an Oath (cont.)

There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon, I Nephi 4:35, 37, which says that as soon as Zoram "made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth. Our fears did cease concerning him." Although those of us in the western world may be astonished at this confidence in Zoram's words, it becomes less astonishing when we realize that an oath is the one thing that is most sacred and inviolable among the desert people.

Hugh B. Nibley in his book An Approach to the Book of Mormon says, "Hardly will an Arab break his oath, even if his life is in jeopardy, " for, "there is nothing stronger and nothing more sacred than the oath among the nomads." (p. 110)

George Lamsa in his book Old Testament Light tells us that when easterners take an oath they lift their hands toward heaven and invoke the name of God as a faithful witness. He adds that when treaties and agreements were made in the name of God they were generally respected and kept by future generations. (p. 44)

Even in the western world a man's word used to mean more than it does today. Yet, still today someone who does what he or she says he/she will do is known as a person of integrity --a man (or woman) of his word. That characterization of someone still carries a lot of weight.

I have a quote in my book My Years As a Hispanic Youth Advocate...and The Lessons I Learned that I believe was originally written as a joke and yet, it has a very important message. It says that it may feel like the judge who said in his acceptance speech, "I wish to thank the 424 people who promised to vote for me. I wish to thank the 316 people who said they did vote for me. I wish to thank the 47 people who came out last Thursday to vote, and I wish to thank the 26 folks who actually did vote for me." (p. 302)

Sacredness of an Oath

Last Thursday in my BYU doctoral law class our professor, Dr. Scott Ferrin, show us a video about the Supreme Court. Even though I had always known that government officials were sworn in to office and that they usually had a hand on the Bible when doing so, the Bible hadn't really caught my attention with any great interest until seeing this video. I started to wonder when and how that tradition came to be so I did some researching and discovered all kinds of interesting tidbits that I had previously just taken for granted.

The oath or affirmation of office of the President of the United States was established in the United States Constitution and it's mandatory for a President upon beginning a term. The wording:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Abiilty, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States
is prescribed by the Constitution (Article II, Section I, Clause 8).

Although it not present in the text of the Constitution, it has become standard practice for modern presidents to add "so help me God" at the end of the oath. Also, by way of convention, most raise their right hand and hold the other on a Bible (or other book of their choosing) while taking the oath although neither of these is required by law.

An oath is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred as a witness to the binding nature of the promise. To swear is take an oath. Many people take an oath by holding in their hand or placing over their head a book of scripture or a sacred object, thus indicating the sacred nature of the oath. The earliest English settleers in America brought over the tradition of this witness oath.

Learning From Dr. William Glasser

Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by 83 year old Dr. William Glasser and his wife at BYU. When introducing him Dr. Tim Smith mentioned that while education fads come and go, Dr. Glasser's education principles live on.

The reason that Dr. Glasser's theories are still alive and well today is because they are built upon sound principles such as:

• Relationships must be built upon trust and respect.


• Learning must be based upon competency and quality work, not grades--The lowest grade one can receive is a B.


• School must be a joyful and welcoming (and as William Purkey would say, "inviting") place because of a supportive, caring environment and healthy relationships.


• All the school's stakeholders (students, parents, principal, teachers, staff, etc.) must rely on the choice theory principles of survival, love/belonging, freedom/power, and fun rather than the seven deadly external control habits: criticizing, blaming, complaining, nagging, threatening, punishing, and bribing.


• The message students need to receive from teachers must be: "My job is to teach you to learn, my job is not to find out what you don't know and punish you for not knowing it."


• Teach what is useful which is more than acquiring knowledge and memorizing facts


• Don't teach with threats or punishment.


• By changing one's acting and thinking rather than a focus on what one is feeling will help one feel better.


• Make all tests open book and open help from classmates and the teacher.

What is wonderful about these principles is that they work! The lives of delinquent girls at the Ventura School in California and hard core students in a Cincinnati school were turned around when these principles were used with them.

Dr. Glasser recommends that everyone who works in a school should read the research called Protecting Adolescents from Harm (Resnick et. al, 1997). Glasser says that what this important extensive research points out conclusively is that only two groups of people can prevent adolescents from harming themselves and others: parents and teachers.

Also, Dr. Glasser has a book called Every Student Can Succeed that can be ordered from his website http://www.wglasser.com/ At this time it is $14 inclusive of postage and handling.

A Gold Nugget Within Our Midst

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

Nelson Mandela

I attended an early morning breakfast yesterday at the Salt Palace Convention Center to share Guadalupe School's vision and hope for its students through education. As I listened to the keynote speaker, Salt Lake Mayor, Ralph Becker, the stories of former Guadalupe School students, and the story of a young Hispanic couple participating in Guadalupe's ESL (English As A Second Language) Program, I was reminded how foolish we are to try and reinvent the wheel when we have a success story within our midst to teach us what works---Guadalupe School students continually score in the 90th percentile on state mandated tests.


Guadalupe's Mission is: To teach economically disadvantaged children and non-English speaking adults the vision and skills needed to live productive, rewarding lives-- through learning, literacy, and living.


This mission isn't just a written statement tucked away in a drawer, but it plays a vital role in directing what Guadalupe does to make it a reality through the following:

• Providing door-to door bussing for preschoolers through third grade.


• Providing a continuum of services from birth through third grade some of which are bilingual because the value of first language is recognized.


• Maximizing the support of its volunteers who log over 2,000 hours each school year.


• Providing free breakfast, lunch and healthy snacks to students.


• Offering a community learning center model so that an entire family can find educational services.

This "gold nugget" in our midst began when Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, with leadership from Father Jerald Merrill and Suzanne Weiss, founded The Guadalupe Center on Salt Lake City’s west side in 1966. Four over four decades, disadvantaged children and families, about 95% of whom are Hispanic, have been served by this gold nugget.

In spite of Guadalupe's great success, it doesn't rest on its laurels. It continues to be a vibrant and growing organization by continually learning and adopting new approaches that will help them to be even more effective for the families they serve.

Guadalupe must not only be a shining light for Utah, it must also be an example that is replicated so that even more Utah families can benefit. This will require a willingness on the part of policy makers to step out of comfort zones and be committed to a vision like Guadalupe's and a willingness to do whatever it takes to make that vision a reality.

Thank you, Guadalupe, for charting unknown paths to provide an ideal for others to follow.

Joy Is In the Second Mile

Another teacher once asked me why I put forth so much effort in my teaching. After thinking about it for a few minutes I responded, "Because the joy is in the second mile."

As I have worked on my doctorate this past year I've found the work we are required to do to be quite grueling, and more often than not I feel like I'm just trying to keep my head above water so as not to drown. Yet, what is keeping me motivated is when I stay focused on the learning rather than on the grade or degree.

When I stay focused on the learning I do things like:

• Share studies, books, articles, and other info with classmates, professors, and/or others related to the research work they are doing
• Meet people, like researchers and "shakers and movers,"--- learning from and sharing with them, even if it is just through email
• Share ideas and thoughts with classmates, professors, and/or others on how to apply what we are learning
• Use the papers I write and other assignments to launch real life applications to make a difference
• Attend conferences, seminars, speeches related to my topic of interest
• Stay passionate on learning from all kinds of sources
• Accept feedback as an opportunity to improve and grow in order to do excellent/quality work
• Write articles with professors who have similar interests

While doing all these things maybe I'll eventually be able to also earn that PhD. In the meantime, I'll just take one step at a time putting one foot in front of the other....and keep on learning with a joyful heart.

It's NOT All or Nothing Conclusion

When it was recently reported by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver that black superdelegates are being pressured and intimidated through nasty letters, phone calls, threats, and being called an Uncle Tom if they didn't switch their support from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama, I almost wept.

This is definitely what it means to carry racial pride to the extreme and it goes against all that Martin Luther King advocated in his I Have A Dream Speech given the 28 of August 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. when he said:

"I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truth to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character...little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

How Martin Luther King must have wept with joy when he looked down from heaven and saw Rep. John and Sen. Hillary Clinton marching arm in arm and when he saw Ohio Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones and Sen. Hillary Clinton working together on issues--seeing his dream becoming a reality. Common causes, not skin color, motivated them.

How Martin Luther King's joyous tears must now be turning to painful tears as they have for many of us of all skin colors as we have witnessed the blatant racial sentiment and behavior of Blacks intimidating other Blacks to base decisions and support for a presidential candidate on skin color rather than on common goals and ideals.

Will we ever learn?

It's NOT All Or Nothing (cont.)

An article Multiculturalism E Pluribus Plures by Diane Ravitch written in 2001 put into words some of the feelings I have been having. She makes the following points:

Point #1: Thanks to social historians like Stephan Thernstrom, Mary Beth Norton, Gary Nash, Winthrop Jordan, and Leon Litwack today's history textbooks incorporate the experiences of women, blacks, American Indians, and various immigrants which reflects a broadened warts-and-all historical understanding of race, ethnicity, and class in the American past. Not only do these textbooks acknowledge the struggles for equality by minorities but also identifies who achieved success becoming political leaders, doctors, scientists, lawyers, scholars, and teachers.

Point #2: A study of a warts-and-all world and American history should inspire humility in all of us as this study will reveal that all racial groups have been guilty of committing terrible crimes, often against others in the same group--Man's inhumanity to man. It will become apparent how absurd both racial hatred and racial chauvinism are.

Point #3: Cultural pluralism is generally recognized as something that is part of this society and that differences among groups is a national resource rather than a problem to be solved. The unique feature of the United States is that its common culture is multicultural.

Point #4: A close examination of American history shows that rather than ethnic tensions tearing us apart as they have in other countries different groups in America while they have competed, fought, and suffered, they ultimately learned to live together in relative peace and harmony and achieved a sense of common nationhood.

Point #5: "Almost any idea, carried to its extreme, can be made pernicious," including multiculturalism.

Point #6: Celebrating Black History Month, Women's History Month, and other ethnic groups when all learn about the achievements of these different groups are a reminder that neither race nor gender needs to be an insurmountable obstacle to high achievement. It can also be a reminder to children of all racial and ethnic backgrounds that they are part of this country and that they, too, should develop their minds and talents to the fullest. It's also important to remember that all children (and adults!) , whatever their skin color, can be inspired by the lives of people of all skin colors, males and females, who exhibited courage, persistence, and intellect. Yet, it also important to understand that although we can be inspired by others of all skin colors, self-esteem and self-confidence come from reaching a goal through one's own efforts.

Point #7: American education is centered on Americentric rather than Eurocentric--and Americentric includes every culture that makes up America.

Point #8: Public schools exist to teach children the general skills and knowledge that they need to succeed in American society and to be contributing members of society to create a national community that is both expansive and inclusive.

Point #9: "Pluralism is a positive value, but it is also important that we preserve a sense of an American community--a society and culture to which we all belong."

It's NOT All Or Nothing (cont.)

Dr. Claude Goldenberg, a Stanford education professor, has recently commented that there is very little evidence that culturally accommodated instruction has an impact on English Language or Hispanics. He argues that research has shown that familiar content does promote learning and comprehension but adds that there are lots of ways to make things familiar. Therefore, the question needs to be, "Does familiar material have to be part of the learner's home culture or does it simply mean that the learner has had sufficient experience with the content of the material?"

Goldenberg goes onto share something that is extremely important to remember and that is language of the reading material in relationship to students' language proficiency has more impact on reading comprehension than did familiarity with the content.

Obviously and as Goldenberg notes, even though familiar content will help a learner to learn the language and the academic curriculum at a faster rate, what is familiar shouldn't be limited to what is part of his/her home culture.

All this is not to say, as Goldenberg reminds us, this is not to excuse an educator from becoming familiar with and respectful of a learner's home culture. Being able to make connections for the learner based on his/her home culture is not only good teaching but it's beneficial to the student regardless of the impact it has on student learning per se. Plus, it will be worthwhile for other students to learn about cultures other than their own.

Yet, Goldenberg reiterates that there has not been one study conducted that has shown that culture-based curriculum improved achievement in reading and writing and those that do claim this connection have research design problems. He adds, though, that this is a worthwhile topic for investigation.

Dr. Roland Tharp, a research professor from the University of California Berkeley, says that even though it is difficult to provide empirical research concerning the effectiveness of culture-based instruction, he contends that research in this area needs to be given a high priority. He says that there have been studies that have shown "culture-based education systematically produces greater student engagement, greater parent involvement, better attendance rates, lower dropout rates, and general satisfaction of all participants, as opposed to a standard, traditional program based on mainstream models." Even though studies, according to Goldenberg, haven't shown the connection, yet, it would seem that these outcomes Tharp mentions could influence and improve academic achievement. To know this, we obviously need studies that carefully separate out cultural accommodations for examination as Diane August, a senior research scientist at the Washington Center for Applied Linguistics, recommends.

August asks the all important question, "Is it the cultural accommodation or the teaching that matters?" and then Dr. Luis Moll, an education professor at the University of Arizona, reminds us of the importance not to focus only on test scores as a learning outcome indicator. Doing so could cause us to miss other outcomes such as an increase in student engagement and participation which could be just as beneficial to the student, if not more so.

My note: Lessons learned from this discussion:

1. Research studies need to be conducted that carefully separate out cultural accommodations to better understand the impact they have on student learning as well as other outcomes that are beneficial to the student.
2. Whether cultural accommodations improve student learning or not, teachers who are familiar with a learner's culture can use that knowledge to help make connections for a learner.
3. It is beneficial for students of all cultural backgrounds to learn about other cultures.
4. IMPORTANT: Rather than using only that with which a learner is already familiar, it is important for a teacher to expand and increase a learner's familiar world.

Information for the content in this blog post came from a personal email with Dr. Claude Goldenberg and an article from Education Week entitled Evidence on Effect of Culture-Based Teaching Called Thin by Mary Ann Zehr which was posted and retrieved online on January 8, 2008.


January 8, 2008 on line at Education Week

It's NOT All Or Nothing

A couple of days ago I read an article written in 2003 by Dr. Sonia Nieto who at the time was a professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture in the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. The article entitled Profoundly Multicultural Questions came from the Educational Leadership Journal.

This article resonated with me because Dr. Nieto reminds us about what it means to provide an education that is both multicultural and equitable. Nieto that when the two are not linked, "we may end up with young people who feel good about themselves and their heritage but who have few skills to prepare them for life, or alternatively, who know how to do math and science and read, but who know little about their cultural backgrounds and are even ashamed and embarrassed by them."

Nieto also reminds us how critical culturally responsive pedagogy is for educators so that they view what diverse students bring to the classroom as assets rather than deficits. Yet, we must go further and address the inequities that exist in our schools that are reflected by low test scores, dropout rates, and other indicators, existing in every socioeconomic group.

One of the questions Nieto asks is, "Who's Teaching the Children?" She notes that those teachers working in poor urban schools tend to be those who are less experienced and less prepared. She notes that even though all educators can learn the attitudes and skills to be effective with our increasingly diverse student population. we need more diverse faculties. She mentions studies that have shown that having teachers of color in a school can promote the academic achievement of diverse learners...and at times, even white students.

What Nieto is teaching us through her article is that although there are benefits to teachers being more culturally responsive, we must never lose sight of the bottom line which is: student learning. Yet, student learning must never come about at the expense of a learner having to give up who she or he is. Both are critical if our diverse learners are to reach their potential and become productive and contributing members of society.

"Playing" to the Level of Those Around Us

As I watched the Utah Jazz basketball team the other night lose horribly to one of the worst teams in the NBA I was reminded that all of us more often than not "play" to the level of those around us. Pondering on this brought to remembrance the following:

• If we want to become a better tennis player choose to play with those who are better than we are even though we always lose.
• Take the harder classes from the hardest teachers who push us to be and do more in order to learn more even though we may sacrifice an A and our grade point average.
• Choose peers who have high standards and strive for excellence as we usually attain the same academic level and character level as those around us.
• Seek out those things which are lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy--such as the best books that inspire us.
• Remember that less is more such as being willing to pay a higher price for quality even though it means we can afford less items.
• Seek out the best mentors who drive us to reach our potential.

Third Example of the "Americanization" Danger

In 2001 Dr. Carol L. Schmid wrote an article entitled Educational achievement language-minority students, and the new second generation. In this article she notes some disturbing research findings.

For example she mentions that Rumberger (1995) found that second-generation Mexican-Americans were less likely to drop out of school than were their third-generation counterparts, even though their SES (Socioeconomic status), on average, was lower. Driscoll's (1999) study of immigrant and native Latino youth found that U.S.-born students of U.S.-born parents were more than twice as likely to drop out of high school as were U.S.-born students with foreign-born parents. Furthermore, the third-generation sophomores in her sample were almost three times as likely to drop out as were the immigrant sophomores.

Although the exact cause (s) for this is unknown, Suarez-Orozco and Suarez-Orozco (1995) can provide some insight from what they found in the analysis of their comparison between recent Mexican immigrants and U.S-born Mexican Americans. They found from their primarily qualitative data that recent immigrants often have a "dual frame of reference." Such a frame of reference enabled the immigrants to believe their lives in the United States were markedly better than the lives they left behind. U.S.-born Mexican Americans who didn't have this dual frame of reference saw themselves as marginalized from the dominant culture so they strived to identify with the "dominant American paradigm of adolescent ambivalence." This resulted in recent Mexican immigrants being more achievement oriented than U.S.-born Mexican Americans.

In other words, striving to become "Americanized" resulted in lower academic achievement.

Another Sad Commentary On Becoming Americanized

Dr. June Gordon found that as a general rule, the longer Hispanics are in the U.S. the less respect they have for education.

It seems that even though Hispanics, especially new immigrants, hold teachers and education in high esteem, but the longer they are in the U. S. and start to be infiltrated with American values, the less respect both Hispanic parents and students have.

It's important to understand that the lack of respect for education and teaching as a profession is an American phenomenon. Therefore, in an immigrant's desire to adapt to the American life they adopt the attitudes and values of the mainstream which translates into the fact that the more they become like the dominant culture the less respect they have for education and teachers. In other words, they are reflecting back the American mainstream's attitude.

Again as Pogo would say, "We have met the enemy...and he is us."