A Spiritual Leader Writes

Dr. Festus Obiakor from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee gave a presentation at BYU called Let Your Work Speak.

In order to have one's work speak, a spiritual leader will take time to read, ponder, reflect, and write. In other words, if spiritual leaders are to make a difference for diverse learners, they must think. Albert Einsten said, "The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking." If the dismal education world for diverse learners is going to change, there must be a change in thinking.

Benjamin Disraeli said, "The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it." Well, it may not have to be a book, but it at least needs to be a journal article (even if it is rejected!) or it may be no more than a "Letter to the Editor" or a personal journal entry.

This writing must not be done to please others, but it must follow the counsel of William Wordsworth, "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart....." One of the greatest writers of all time, Charles Dickens, learned this lesson. It was when he remembered and reflected upon his own life--the difficulties of his life--- and combined the images of the present with the past that he experienced an enormous burst of creative energy that subordinated all his problems, including his own depression and the possibility of financial ruin. The result of that burst of creative energy was the magnificent story, A Christmas Carol, which has blessed so many lives.


We learn from this incident in the life of Charles Dickens that not only does writing clear the cobwebs out of one's own head, but "The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think" (Edwin Schlossberg) and "But words are things, and a small drop of ink, Falling, like dew, upon a thought, produces That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think" (Lord Byron). And I would add, feel.

Edward Bulwer-Lytton eloquently expressed the impact writing can have on those who do the writing as well as those who read it: "The pen is mightier than the sword."

Spiritual Leader: Men and Women of Integrity

John S. Tanner, BYU Academic Vice PresidentA-387 ASB(801) 422-6201mailto:422-6201john_tanner@byu.edu

Dr. Tanner recently wrote an essay for BYU people entitled, Overheard by God. In this essay he refers to a book called Overheard by God written by A. D. Nuttal. He tells how the message of this book is a reminder that our lives our open books to God, overheard and overseen by Him. We must always remember that we are in fact always, "walking in his presence."

Dr. Tanner goes onto say that we need to be men and women of integrity no matter who sees our actions or who does not. We must not be like Gyges in Plato's The Republic who used the ring he found that allowed him to be invisible to use that power of invisibleness to do evil. A truly virtuous person would act the same whether he were visible or invisible.

My response: The world of multicultural education is hungering for men and women of integrity, of all ethnic backgrounds, to step forward and be leaders in advocating for ways to best serve our diverse learners.

Dr. James Scheurich: A Moral/Spiritual Leader

The work of Dr. James Scheurich, a Texas A&M University professor and dept. head, is an excellent resource for those interested in this topic of Moral/Spiritual Leadership For Multicultural Education.

Dr. Sherry Marx from Utah State University first introduced me to Dr. Scheurich with a work of his that has had a dramatic effect on my life:

Highly successful and loving, public elementary schools populated mainly by lows-ses children of color: Core beliefs and cultural characteristics
James Joseph Scheurich. Urban Education. Thousand Oaks: Nov 1998. Vol. 33, Iss. 4; pg. 451, 41 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
The widespread existence of highly successful elementary schools populated mainly by low-socioeconomic-status students of color substantially undermines popular assumptions about the pervasive school failure of these students. Indeed, the fact that these highly successful schools are academically competitive with and even superior to the better Anglo schools suggests that these highly successful schools may have developed a better model for schooling.

Dr. Scheurich continues to have an influence on my work. Each time I communicate with him he introduces me to the work of others who in turn have been an influence. This last time it was the work of Julie Laible, Michael Dantley, Colleen Capper, and David Purpel.

Dr. Scheurich truly exemplifies one of the finest qualities of a moral/spiritual leader--helping others to achieve their goals.

"But That's Just Good Leadership"

In 1995 Gloria Ladson-Billings wrote an article entitled "ButThat's Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy." She explains in the article that what is considered good teaching must be reexamined to understand that teaching that does not serve ALL students cannot be described or understood as good teaching.

I agree with George Theoharis in his article "Social Justice Educational Leaders and Resistance: Towards a Theory of Social Justice Leadership" that the same issue that Ladson-Billings addresses to teaching applies to educational leadership. To be an effective leader with diverse learners goes beyond what the literature defines as good leadership. Leadership that is not focused on what it takes for all children to be successful is not indeed good leadership.

According to Theoharis (and I would concur!), in order to provide "good" leadership (hopefully, excellent leadership) for all students, the content of leadership preparation programs need to provide content in required courses related to the following areas: special education, English Language Learners, curriculum, differentiation and teaming, using data, presentation skills, race, poverty, working with diverse families, taking a global perspective, etc.

When so many of our diverse learners are still not experiencing academic success, we must not only reexamine and redefine good teaching and good leadership, but also do whatever it takes to prepare educators to be excellent teachers and leaders for ALL students.

Great Website About Tolerance

There is a great website to visit: www.teachingtolerance.org When you visit this website, take some time to explore.

Religion and Academic Achievement

Dr. Jeynes has recently published his work on the influence of intact families and religion on academic achievement. As indicated below, he has also written a book on this topic.

Non-Resident Fellow, Education
California State University, Long Beach
Department of Teacher Education
(562) 985-4506(562) 985-5733 (Fax)
Phone: 562-985-5619Email: wjeynes@csulb.edu

News
Dr. Jeynes is one of the nation's leading researchers on the influence of religiosity and attending religious schools. He has conducted the only meta-analysis ever undertaken examining these issues in a series of journal articles and in his book, Religion, Education, and Academic Success. He has also written dozens of academic journal articles, which have divulged among other things that when African American and Latino students are religious and from intact families, the achievement gap with white students disappears.William Jeynes is also the Chair of the Religion and Education group of the American Education Research Association.

Spiritual Leaders Understand "Belonging"

We, as human beings, have a longing to belong. Feeling that we belong provides comfort and security as well as conveying that our lives have meaning and value. This helps explain why people, especially our young people, go to such lengths to belong---even if that means joining a gang. And then we see the disastrous results that can occur when one doesn't feel that he/she belongs anywhere--suicides, eating disorders, drug abuse, killing sprees, unwed teen mothers, etc.

It is crucial that we do all we can to help our diverse students feel a sense of belonging in our schools. With all the hype about immigration even so far as people telling immigrants, even young people, to go home because we don't want them here doesn't convey to them a sense of belonging. Sadly, we even have educators who have this attitude. Ironically, some of these young people (and adults!) are home--this is the only country they know and they don't even speak their 1st language. A majority of them are U.S. citizens.

Maslow has belonging as the second rung of his hierarchy ladder, and Dr. William Glasser lists it as one of the five needs we all have in his "Choice Theory" for Quality Schools. Dr. William Purkey and Invitational Education elaborate on specifics schools can do to make schools inviting for ALL studnets, and thus provide a sense of belonging.

Clarence W. Joldersma from Calvin College has a chapter in the book Nurturing and Reflective Teachers that provides some new light on what it means in regards to the uniqueness of our students. He suggests that valuing uniqueness doesn't mean focusing on differences, or even similarities, but realizing that each child regardless of his/her contribution is irreplaceable as an image bearer of God--someone chosen by God "to be." [and therefore, belongs!] He goes on to say that educators serve God by pedagocally ministering to the needs of each student within his/her stewardship.

Spiritual leaders understand this need for belonging that each person within his/her stewardship has and therefore, will commit to do " whatever it takss," for each and everyone within his/her stewardship to have this need met.

Christians and Multicultural Education

http://www.huntington.edu/education/old_site/Nurturing.htm

A book I had requested called Nuturing and Reflective Teachers arrived in the mail yesterday. I started to read it and have been so impressed. It is a book that anyone interested in multicultural education issues will want to read. Information about the book and how to order it can be accessed at the website at the top of this posting. There is also a study guide to go along with the book.

Effects of Religious Commitment on Academic Achievement

I just read this morning a primary research paper called, The Effects of Religious Commitment on the Academic Achievement of Urban and Other Children, by Willliam H. Jeynes. For those of us interested in better serving our diverse learners, the findings from this research can definitely give us some food for thought.

Reference: Education and Urban Society 2003; 36; 44

Report: Leadership Affects Student Learning

http://cehd.umn.edu/CAREI/Leadership/ReviewofResearch.pdf

REPORT: Review of research on how leadership affects student learning.

Transcript: Visit Education Week to get this transcript.

October 17, 2007
Getting Serious About Principal Preparation
Experts in education leadership took readers questions on schools' efforts to attract, prepare, and support talented individuals who want to become effective principals.
Guests:Gene Bottoms, the senior vice president for the Southern Regional Education Board; and Jon Schnur, the CEO of New Leaders for New Schools.

Spiritual Leadership: Invitational Education

Those interested in spiritual leadership and it's relationship to multicultural education issues will want to become familiar with Dr. William Purkey's work on Invitational Education. As a starter you could take a look at his starfish analogy at http://www.invitationaleducation.net/ie/starfish.htm

Spiritual Leader Website

As I have been doing some research on spiritual leadership for a research paper for one of my classes I have met some incredible people. One person is Dr. Laura Reave. She told me about a website, www.iispiritualleadership.com, that is an excellent resource for anyone interested in spiritual leadership. The research leader for this site is Dr. Jody Fry, a leader in spiritual leadership.

An Alternative Thought to Ponder by Izzy Kalman

These thoghts came from the newsletter of Izzy Kalman, author of Bullies2Buddies:

Racism and Freedom of Speech
I am a strong proponent of Freedom of Speech, and demonstrate repeatedly at my seminars through role- playing that the true practice of Freedom of Speech is the solution to bullying. It even works with racial, religious, gender, and sexual-orientation harassment. I have volunteers come up and play a bigot. When I try to stop them from expressing themselves, they continue to insult me and my group, and have no respect for me or my group. When I let them say what they want and treat them with respect, they inevitably stop insulting me and my group, and come away with more respect for me and my group.
Despite the obvious positive results of these demonstrations, some participants are so locked into thinking that no one should be permitted to insult anyone's background that they continue to insist that Freedom of Speech should not be permitted for such expression. One participant wrote that forbidding racial free speech has led to "civility" among the races.
These people don't realize that all it has led to is "civility." It has not led to meaningful relationships and friendships between the races. The races still, for the most part, stick to their own kind. And there is a good explanation for this. If I have to be so worried about hurting your feelings that I can be sued for saying something you might find offensive, I would rather stay away from you. I will be pleasant to you, but I'll stick to my own kind, where I don't have to worry about being sued for offending you. Because of this fear of being prosecuted for hurting each others feelings, it prevents us from eradicating our stereotypes. Destroying stereotypes requires us to get to know each other as human beings. By avoiding each other, we continue with our stereotypes. We keep them locked up inside, but they don't go away. And we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to get to know each other as fellow human beings.
On a few occasions, people - all from Hispanic countries - said to me following my presentations, that they were so happy to hear my views. They said things like, "Here in the United States, we can't make fun of anyone. Where I come from, everybody makes fun of each other, and if you are in a social situation and nobody insults you, you feel neglected." One psychologist approached me after a seminar and said he lived half of his life in Hawaii. Hawaii, he told me, has the greatest racial mix of all fifty States, but it also has the highest percentage of interracial births. In Hawaii, he told me, all the races make fun of each other. They don't go for this "political correctness" business. They can laugh at each other, and this breaks down racial barriers, bringing people closer to each other. The subject of racism has always concerned me, and in recent months, I have been contemplating tackling it - a rather daunting task. I have been a bit reluctant to do so because it is has become such a sensitive subject that I may be setting myself up for hateful attacks. Anyway, I have decided to take on this mission. To keep myself relatively safe, I will do it by advising my own group, the Jews, rather than tell other groups what they should do. In my forthcoming newsletters, I will be presenting my approach to ending discrimination, not by curtailing Freedom of Speech, but by correctly employing it. By the way, a horrific incident occurred this week. A hunter of Asian decent killed five of his fellow hunters. He said in his defense that he was racially insulted. I'm sure that those who fight for limiting freedom of speech will capitalize on this as proof how destructive racial insults are. It is easy to forget that the insults did not do the killing. People who don't know how to tolerate insults did the killing. And rather than teaching people how to tolerate insults without getting upset, we are teaching them that they SHOULD get upset by insults; that words kill and insults should not be tolerated - particularly insults about people's group affiliation. We are thereby unwittingly increasing the likelihood that people will want to kill when they are insulted. Best wishes, Izzy Kalman

Spiritual Leaders Care

Jeanetta Williams, Utah NAACP president, has a radio show on a KCPW, a public radio station. On one of her programs about a year ago she had some minority guests talking about education. At the time I was teaching a multicultural class at BYU (Brigham Young University). I called into the show and asked what they felt was the most important thing I could tell my students they needed to do to make a difference for diverse students. Overwhelming the answer was: CARE.

Hector Montenegro reinforced this principle at the recent UABE Conference when he stressed the importance that the #1 characteristic of an effective education leader is love for children---for ALL children. All includes those children who are poor, who don't speak English, who are from a different ethnic background, who have learning challenges, and even those who are belligerent.

That word ALL is even more critical when we consider the fact that our diverse student population is exploding while the diverse educator population is declining. The majority of those entering the education field are white middle class females. We obviously need to address this scenario, but while it is being addressed, all teachers, including white middle class, must have this #1 important characteristic--the ability to CARE for ALL children....OR they need to be strongly encouraged to leave the education field.

To CARE does not mean to feel sorry for the children. In fact, it means quite the opposite--which will be addressed in another blog.

A Must Read

By chance I ran across an article, Teaching Christianly in Public and Private Schools: A Responsibilty Model, by Stephen Holtrop that is a must read. It can be found at www.huntington.edu/education/faculty/sholtrop/philos.htm.

Spiritual Leaders Act on Inspiration

Superintendent Hector Montenegro was the keynote speaker for the UABE (Utah Assn. for Bilingual Education) Conference on October 12th and 13th. He definitely ranks as one of my top ten inspirational speakers.

Yet, I left the conference feeling quite discouraged..and even depressed. I have been doing some pondering as to understand why. I believe I've come to one of the key reasons.

It has been said, “Our feelings were given us to excite to action, and when they end in themselves, they are cherished to no good purpose” (Daniel Keyte Sandford, in The International Dictionary of Thoughts, comp. John P. Bradley, Leo F. Daniels, Thomas C. Jones, Chicago: J. G. Ferguson Publishing Co., 1969, p. 291). This means that once we have felt something, we must act in order to hold on to those feelings we experience. As C. S. Lewis said, “The more often [a person] feels without acting, the less he will be able ever to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel” (The Screwtape Letters, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1982, p. 61).

No matter how inspired people were at the conference, things will stay the same if people don't ask themselves, "How am I going to apply within my 'circle of influence' what I learned from Mr. Montenegro? " We have a tendency to go to conferences, take good notes and get inspired, and then fail to implement what we learned because:

• We make up excuses as to why it won't work in our situation
• We think about all the people who weren't there who should have been there to hear the message
• We complain about the fact that our leaders aren't a Hector Montenegro
• We just forget

....and the result being that we forget what we felt....and thus, things stay the same.

Spiritual leaders do more than attend a conference, take good notes, and get inspired. They leave a conference committed to implement at least one new idea/concept within their "circle of influence"----in spite of all the resistance and obstacles that they may encounter.

Spiritual Leadership: Meeting the Challenge

Spiritual leaders understand that best teaching practices are still waiting to be discovered. They know this is especially true when it comes to teaching our diverse learners.

Stephen Covey says in his book, The 8th Habit, that nothing fails like success. When there is a challenge and the response is equal to the challenge that is success. BUT when there is a new challenge, the old once-successful response no longer works. If it is the response implemented, it will result in failure.

Education is experiencing a new challenge---many of our schools are no longer predominantly white. This challenge of changing demographics requires different and new ideas beyond what was (and what is!) successful for a predominantly white student population

Spiritual leaders understand that to address this issue they will need to "build a ship that has never been built before." This will mean being a maverick and challenging the status quo by asking questions such as, "Why?' and "What if....?" ....and then being prepared to endure scorn and ridicule, even by "experts" in the field. Experts are often the least receptive to any new idea.

Yet, the very word research means to explore and find new ways. If we already had all the answers, there would be no need for research.

Spiritual Leadership Requires Righteous Motives

You probably know, as I do, that there is nothing quite like the sting that comes when one's motives are questioned or challenged.....especially when one has taken the risk to step out from the crowd to advocate for a cause greater than oneself The sting is even more painful and harder to endure when the criticism comes from those who are supposedly on the same side of the battle.



Yet, in spite of the painfulness of the sting, it provides an opportunity for us to ponder on our motives. Whenever our actions are motivated by a desire for a response from others whether that response be accolades, money, recognition, prestige, approval, etc., it would behoove us to do some changing.



It is not only the strength of a motive that is important but also the rightness or wrongness of it as L. Tom Perry suggests in his book, Righteous Influence. He goes onto say that power and influence are to be exercised only when a leader has in mind righteous purposes--pureness of heart. In other words, when and how a leader steps in has as much to do with the leader's readiness to do so as with the needs of the person (s) he/she desires to influence.



When one has a desire to influence another---to know when and how to step in (or back off!)--the first thing one should do is drop to his knees for guidance. From a personal conversation, L. Tom Perry quotes Jerry Harvey, a well-respected organizational scientist, "You don't really know anything about a leader until you know something about his prayer life."



Even if are motives are pure and even if we have prayed for guidance, there is still no guarantee that our motives won't be questioned or challenged. Others still have their free agency in how they choose to respond to our righteous motives. They may still falsely accuse us as Nephi was accused by his brothers, Laman and Lemuel, in the Book of Mormon of wanting to rule over them--in spite of all that he had done in their behalf.



If we are wrongly accused after we have determined that our motives are pure, we have the option of choosing to retreat or to go forward in spite of it. The cause depends on us choosing the latter... remembering the words of Albert Einstein,

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds"

Spiritual Leadership: More Than Academic Rigor

Spiritual leadership requires more than academic rigor. It also requires the heart. Why? Because the heart knows things the eyes don't see, and feels things the mind cannot understand. As it says in the book, The Little Prince, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Elder Richard G. Scott. a member of the Latter-Day Saint Quorum of the Twelve, counseled his listeners in his BYU Education Week address in August 2007 to say to themselves, "Throughout the remainder of my life, I will seek to learn by what I hear, see, and feel. I will write down the important thing I learn and do them." He especially stressed the need to feel. In order to feel, we must listen closely because feelings usually whisper, in a still small voice.

We can start to learn to feel by giving heed to the counsel of Elder David Bednar, another member of the Latter-Day Saint Quorum of the Twelve, who said that we should be "quick to observe." As we develop this talent or gift of being "quick to observe," we will hear, see, and feel those things that will most likely be overlooked by others.

All this is not to suggest that academic rigor is unimportant. Dr. Hugh Nibley, a brilliant and accomplished scholar expresses this eloquently in his work, Zeal Without Knowledge, "...Zeal[feeling] is the engine that drives the whole vehicle, without it we would get nowhere. But without clutch, throttle, brakes, and steering wheel, our mighty engine becomes an instrument of destruction, and the more powerful the motor, the more disastrous the inevitable crackup if the proper knowledge is lacking..." He later addes, "...true zeal feeds on knowledge, true knowledge cannot exist without zeal."

Therefore, as we seek for answers...and even the right questions...in our rigourous academic endeavors to discover better ways to approach mulitultural education, it is imperative that we never allow ourselves to be "past feeling." The two coupled together have the potential to result in the spiritual leadership that can make a difference.