Life Lessons from Spring Break

Spring Break was this week and I took my 12 year old son camping in the Texas hill country.  We spent two days at a state park located right on the banks of the Colorado River.  Reflecting on the trip, I realized that I learned several lessons from God's creation as I spent time fishing, hiking, and simply enjoying nature.  This post may be, as my son would say, somewhat random but I hope you bear with me and can learn as I did.

1)  Buzzards - Have you ever watched a buzzard?  On the ground, they are one of the ugliest birds around.  They have pitch black bodies with long, pointed beaks and knotted red heads. Besides that, they feast on dead animals and often vomit up the remains.  They will flock around a carcass, tearing off chunks of flesh until only the white of the bone is visible.  Yet, when buzzards take to the air, they are one of the most beautiful birds in the sky.  In what appears effortless, they catch wind streams and soar to great heights, circling the ground in a majestic loop.  From below, their great wing span is awe inspiring.  As I watched buzzards this week, I was reminded that situations in life can be the same way, depending on how we view them.  What may appear to be difficult, ugly, and hard to handle in one moment can later become a thing of beauty.  Times of struggle can really be the precursors to success.  The key is how we view these difficult times and if we are willing to work through them until we too can once again soar to great heights.

2)  Tents and wind storms- Being in a tent during a wind storm can be a scary place.  During our trip, winds gusted up to 50 miles an hour one night.   It felt like we were two Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf was huffing and puffing to blow our house down.  The sides of the tent were expanding and contracting, stakes were coming loose, and the bottom lifted several times.  Other than securing the tent stakes, there was not much more we could do except ride out the storm.  When we got up in the morning after an almost sleepless night, we were safe and sound and the tent was still over our heads.  Two sides had come loose, but there was no damage.  Sometimes in life, we find ourselves in similar situations.  The events affecting us are totally out of our control.  All we can is secure the tent pegs and ride it out.  These times can be scary, but they also help us realize that we don't have to be in control of everything.  Sometimes, we must simply let go and let God handle the situation.

3)  Busted Fishing Trips- One of the main reasons we travel to the Texas Hill Country is to catch the white bass run in the Colorado River.  In March and April, these fish move up the river from Lake Buchanan to spawn.  When this happens, it is possible to catch a limit of 25 fish in less than an hour.  Unfortunately, there was no run this year.  A sand bar had formed at the mouth of the river and most of the fish never left the lake.  We fished for four to five hours each day and only caught one white bass.  Basically, the fishing part of the trip was a bust.  At this point, there were several options available to us. We could fish all day and hope things would change.  Or, we could do something else.  We chose option two.  For the majority of each day, we hiked the scenic trails in the park.  We swam in the river.  We drove 50 miles into town and ate overpriced bar-be-que.  We simply enjoyed each other's company.  This turned out to be one of the better trips we had taken.  In some cases, we set out with grand plans only to have those plans change due to circumstances beyond our control.  At that point, we can either try to push our plans through or we can adjust to the changes.  The choice we make in this situation may be the difference between a great experience and a simply mediocre one.

4)  Kayaking - A few months back, my son bought a small kayak.  We took it with us and he spent several hours in it each day.  Where we were on the river, there are a few sets of rapids along with a number of bends that would cause him to move out of my view.  I made a decision that, once he showed me he could maneuver the boat, I would allow him to travel where he wanted.  I didn't tell him this directly, but simply let him go.  My only rules were that he wear his life vest at all times and check in periodically.  The first time I watched him go around a bend, my urge was to call him back.  But I decided to let him go and then spent what seemed like hours wondering if I'd made the right decision,.  My mind pondered all of the troubles he could get into, especially since I had no clue what was around the corner.  In about thirty minutes he was back, excitedly telling me what he had observed.  He rounded this same bend multiple times and each time became a little easier for me and more fun for him.  The lesson for me in all of this is that we must let people go, within reason, and learn on their own.  I had done what I could by ensuring he could stay afloat and providing him a life jacket.  At that point, I could either keep him near me or allow him to go and explore.  I'm glad I chose the latter.  When working with people, we have to provide them with the tools they need for success and teach them how to use them.  But then, we need to let them go and explore.  If we don't, they will remain dependent on us and never reach their full potential.

Don't Go It Alone

Today, I had a very informative and collaborative meeting with the Student Management Team. Our current discipline plan needs some work, so we spent several hours going over strategies for updating/changing the plan. I found out what I should have known already, namely that many teachers really didn't fully understand the plan.  By getting and receiving input from others, my own eyes were opened and what I hope will be a viable solution was created.  It also opened the doors for next years planning. 

As a first year Assistant Principal, I discover daily that the adage "You can't do it alone" is absolutely true.  I realize that I have been working like Moses in the book of Exodus.  He was trying to do all the work of judging alone and when his father-in-law Jethro showed up, he set him straight.   Jethro told Moses he would burn out by trying to the work alone and then provided a plan for sharing the burden.  It has taken me most of the year to realize that I am doing too much alone and need to get some help and support from the staff, especially in helping manage student behavior. 

Some things I have learned from working with others and getting their input are:

1)  Remain humble- If I am seeking input and help from others, I must choose not to be defensive and, instead, take suggestions and potential criticisms in stride.  If I remain humble and just listen, I will learn much more than if I try to justify any previous actions.

2)  Listen - Everyone has some good ideas.  My job is to be able to listen to those ideas and help the group sort through and adapt the ones that will work in the current situation. If I am focused on my own thoughts, I run the risk of missing what may be the most idea or at least stepping stone to a solution. 

3)  Accept wisdom - Others sometimes have a broader view of the organization than you, especially if they have been there longer.  Accept their wisdom and use it.

4)  Trust other's motives - Unless shown otherwise by actions, accept that others have the best interest of the organization at heart.  Keep that trust unless/until it is broken.  Hopefully that day will never come. 

5)  Accept help - If someone offers to help, accept it.  It is okay to release some control and let another join in and help with the work.  They may do things differently than you, but if the result is the same, then it should make little difference.

6)  Delegate - Others have skills and abilities I don't have.  As a leader, I need to recognize this and allow them to use these skills for the benefit of the entire organization.  I realize that, if I don't delegate, I'm not only burning myself out, but I'm cheating others out of the opportunity to use their gifts. 

Review: The Power of Full Engagement

The post below is a review I completed some time ago.  It doesn't go into great detail (you'll have to read the book for that), but hopefully will spur someone to pick it up and use the principles outlined by the authors.  Also included is a video of Tony Schwartz describing the 4 Principles for managing energy.  

The Power of Full Engagement:  Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. Free Press, New York, NY. 2003. ISBN 0-7432-2674-7. 245 pages. 

The premise for the book The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz is deceptively simple.  The authors contend that the amount of time in a day is set and therefore cannot truly be managed.  However, the amount of energy that one has available is variable and can be managed for increased or decreased effectiveness.  According to the Loehr and Schwartz (2003), “energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance.” (p. 4). 

The authors developed their theories while working with athletes.  They noticed that high-performance athletes worked towards measureable goals, had specific rituals, and alternated between periods of hard work and periods of recovery.  They also noted that the “performance demands that most people face in their everyday work environment dwarf those of any professional athlete.” (Loehr & Schwartz, p. 8)  Through their work with athletes, the authors developed what they call the Corporate Athlete Training System®.  The entire training program is included in the text; however, this summary only discusses the principles behind the training system without going into the specifics steps of the program.

This training system is based on four basic principles:

1. Full engagement requires drawing on four separate but related sources of energy. (p. 9)
2. Because energy capacity diminishes both with overuse and underuse, energy expenditure must be balanced with intermittent energy renewal. (p. 11)
3. To build capacity, we must push beyond our normal limits (p. 13)
4. Positive energy rituals are the key to full engagement and sustained high performance. (p. 14)

According to the authors, all of these principles must be in place and balanced for a leader to achieve at full potential.  

Principle 1 states that energy comes from four sources: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.  Physical energy is the fundamental source of fuel for our bodies. Physical energy can be increased through proper diet, exercise, rest, and correct breathing.  Emotional energy is related to how a person responds to various stresses. According to the authors, ‘the ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense stress lies at the heart of effective leadership.” (p. 92) Mental energy is what we use to organize our lives and focus our attention.  Loehr and Schwartz contend that the best use of mental energy is realistic optimism, or seeing the world as it is, but always working positively towards a desired outcome. (p. 108) Spiritual energy provides the force for action in all dimensions in our lives.  It fuels passion, perseverance, and commitment.  (p. 110) 

Principle 2 states that success is based on balancing energy expenditures with energy renewal. A person must balance periods of energy use with periods of rest and renewal.  It is possible to either over expend energy, such as working too many hours without a break, and under expend energy, such as sleeping too much, both of which lead to low performance.

Principle 3 requires that a person push beyond their normal limits in order to build capacity and increase energy.  This not only applies in the physical realm, but in the other energy areas as well.  For example, if one wishes to become more empathetic, they must practice empathy.  According to the authors, it is necessary to identify areas of weakness and then develop a strategy for building that area.  (p. 156-158)

Principle 4 requires that a person develop highly specific routines in order to manage their energy expenditures and sustain high performance.  These can run the gamut from stopping work at specific intervals to relax and reflect to scheduling date nights with spouses. These rituals should be designed to reinforce a positive trait rather than to remove a negative one.  Most rituals will take between thirty and sixty days to acquire.  To make lasting change, a person should focus on only one significant change at a time.  (p. 179) “It is better to succeed with small incremental changes and modest setbacks than to create a grand plan and fail completely.” (p. 186)

Implementing the above principles, according to Loehr and Schwartz, involves a three-step process:  Define Purpose, Face the Truth, and Take Action. (p. 15)  Defining purpose requires a person to answer the question, “How should I spend my energy in a way that is consistent with my deepest values?” (p. 15).  It also includes defining these values. Facing the truth requires analyzing how energy is currently being spent including gathering credible data such as having a physical and seeking input from family and co-workers. (p. 156-158) Finally, taking action involves developing rituals designed to “translate our values and priorities into action in all areas of our life.”  (p. 182)  

The process outlined by Loehr and Schwartz should not be foreign to educational leaders.  “Where does the school need to be in order to be most effective?”, “Where is it now, really?” and “What needs to happen to get the school to be its best?” are common questions asked by leaders about their school and its programs.  School leaders already analyze data and develop rituals, in the form of processes and procedures, to increase school effectiveness.  They regularly stretch their capacity as they learn new skills and apply new ideas to problems.  These very same processes, as outlined by Loehr and Schwartz, can also be used by the leader to achieve high performance and personal success in all areas of life by managing available energy instead of trying to manage time. 

Reference

Loehr, J. and Schwartz, T. (2003).  The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal. New York, NY: Free Press.

Ender's Game and Education

I rarely read fiction, but this week I picked up the novel Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.  Since the movie just came out on DVD, I decided to read the book before hitting RedBox.  Without creating a spoiler, the plot of the novel revolves around a young man named Andrew “Ender” Wiggin who just happens to be a very gifted child.  At a young age, the world government decides to train him to be a commander in their battle against creatures known as buggers.  These beings had attacked Earth in the past and now the focus of mankind was on preventing a future attack while always being prepared for another war.  The novel revolves around Ender’s training and preparation for entering the bugger wars as a battle ready leader who can face any situation and be effective.  In the novel, Card, in my opinion, describes many parallels to education, some positive and some negative.  Again, as I go through these insights, I will try not to spoil the novel.  If you haven’t read it, you might want to stop now, read the novel, and come back after doing so.  

1. Not all children have the same gifts. In the novel, Ender is a brilliant strategist who has the ability to think on his feet and act quickly.  His brother and sister, Peter and Valentine, on the other hand, have the gift for expressing themselves through writing and for being opinion leaders. In education, we sometimes forget that children are different and try to teach them the same things in the same ways. Instead of differentiating instruction, we teach all children using the same methods and then wonder why some get it and some don’t.  We also often require all children to produce the same products to show their grasp of new knowledge and skills.  If we truly understood that children were different, we would stop using a cookie cutter model for education and start developing instructional units based on the needs of the individual children.  
2. Children, when given the opportunity, will amaze us. - Colonel Graff, the headmaster of Battle School where Ender attends, decides to let him face difficult situations without adult assistance.  He does this to see how Ender will respond and react.  Now, I don’t recommend leaving kids to their own devices without any adult help, but I do believe that, too often, we contain children’s ideas and do not let them try out new strategies simply because their ideas are not what we’ve always done.  When we allow children to try new ways to solve problems, we are giving them the freedom to explore and learn.  In doing so, we are creating thinkers.  Thinkers who are able to implement their ideas will always do more than simple direction followers.
3. Always hold high expectations for children.  - Throughout the book, Colonel Graff continuously raises the bar on Ender.  As soon as he meets one challenge, another is added.  This process is nonstop for young Ender and, while he often resents it, he still pushes himself to meet each challenge head-on.  As educators, we need to expect our students to do more than just the minimum.  In fact, we should keep the bar high and expect them to be better and do better than they themselves think they can.  Now, that doesn’t mean that the bar will always be in the same place for each child.  Some will start at different levels than others.  Some will have the bar raised quickly while others will take more time to achieve success. Either way, the expectation that the student will be successful must always be there.  If we don’t believe that our students will achieve success, it will show in how we treat them and they will, in most cases, respond accordingly.
4. Don’t do for kids what they can do for themselves. - While this adage is taken to extremes in the novel, it should be a factor in every classroom.  As educators, we often do for children what they should be doing for themselves.  This may involve actions such as offering help before it asked for or giving too much help when it is requested.  There are times when kids do need help and often don’t know how to ask for it, but more often, adults let kids off the hook by doing things for them.  
5. Let kids be kids. - Unfortunately, this is not done in the novel.  Kids need time in their day to simply play.  In fact, I believe that children often learn as much during play as they do during class.  It is on the playground where positive skills such as playing fair, sharing, and working together are often either learned or reinforced.  It is easy, in the midst of the core curriculum, to forget that we are working with children and that they need time to just be children.
6. Allow children to apply new learning in as real a situation as possible. - In Battle School, Ender and his schoolmates regularly apply what they are learning in mock battles.  These battles allow them to reinforce strategies they have been learning all week.  In the classroom, it is not always possible to recreate real world situations, but we need to try and come as close as possible for our students benefit.  With the introduction of technology to many campuses, it is becoming easier to create these situations.  In fact, it is sometimes possible to have students work on real projects with schools, businesses, universities, and others both near home or halfway around the world.  When we allow students to do real work, we are not only helping them reinforce the learning, but are also showing them the relevance of that learning.
7. Trust your students to do their best. - In the novel, Ender places great trust in his subordinates.  He trusts them so much that he allows them the freedom to develop strategies on the battlefield and to adjust to changing situations within an established framework.  In the classroom, we should treat our students like we want them to be, not necessarily as they are.  Sometimes this is not easy, especially with difficult children.  However, they will never grow if we don’t give them a chance.  This doesn’t mean that we don’t have classroom rules, expectations, and procedures.  It does mean that we teach these structures and trust our students to work within them until they demonstrate otherwise.  Some years ago, I ran a computer based science lab.  Teachers would bring their students to the lab and they would work on various experiments.  Many times, teachers would tell me I was crazy if I thought their students would be successful, especially when we were using items such as bunsen burners or acids.  But, they were successful.  I believe this was because I taught them safe lab techniques and then expected them to follow them.  I trusted them to use the equipment safely, to follow safety procedures, and to do their best work every time.  Such trust and respect led to results. 

The above are a few of the parallels to educational practice that I found in the book Ender’s Game.  These are mostly positive.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of negatives as well.  If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend it.  If you have read it, I’m sure you can come up with other correlations beyond those above.  I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts.  

A Typical Day?

A Typical Day?

How would you describe a typical day in the life of a school administrator?   That is, I'm afraid, the $10,000 question.  So far, I've never met anyone with an exact answer.  As I drove home from work tonight reflecting on the day, I must admit, I don't have one either. Each day is new and different and has its own set of challenges and triumphs.  I don't believe there is a typical day.

With that said, I'd like to go through one day in my week.  Today, for that matter.  First, a little background.  I serve as Assistant Principal for Student Management in a rural Title I school with approximately 740 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. As of this writing, I've been in this position six months. The learning curve feels like a straight line.  Straight up.  I contend that this is the hardest job I've ever loved.

Now to that "typical" day: 

7:15 am - Arrive at school.  Immediately proceed to duty station and begin greeting kids as they walk to  their homeroom classes.  

7:45 am - 1st Bell rings for kids to go into classes.  Quickly monitor halls, open locked doors if necessary, and make sure kids are in classes.

7:55 am - Proceed to office.  Log in to computer and then encourage the two kids who are getting ready  to help with announcements.

8:00 am - Give my "Project Wisdom" daily message on the morning announcements.

8:10 am - Monitor halls as I walk to a teacher's classroom for a formal observation.  Conduct observation, taking copious notes that will not only help with the evaluation, but also give me ideas to share with other teachers. 

9:05 am - Proceed to office.  Return two parent phone calls and begin calling down students for disciplinary referrals.

10:10 am - Receive phone call from a father who apologizes for the short notice, but could he serve in our WatchDOGS program that day since he got off unexpectedly.  Agree to the request and quickly make a schedule.  Take a call from a parent.

10:15 am - Meet with a set of parents about a discipline issue.  Invite the parents to visit their child's class anytime and sign the Dad up for WatchDOGS.  

10:30 am  - Receive WatchDOGS dad, go through short orientation, take a photo with child, and show him around the school.  Drop him off at his child's classroom and proceed back to office to continue with student management issues.  

11:20 am - Enter cafeteria and take pictures of fellow AP getting Silly Stringed by students as part of a fundraiser.  Realize that my turn is coming and run back into office to look for plastic bag to put over my hair. 

11:30 am - Lunch Duty

11:55 am - Cover my head with Wal-Mart bag and proceed to stage for my turn at getting covered with Silly String ($1 for a two second spray or $4 for a can).  Realize very quickly that the line for a shot at me is very long, kids can hit the face with total accuracy, and Silly String is full of alcohol.  Notice that many of the "sprayers" are also the kids who regularly visit my office.  I smile at them as they enjoy their payback.  

12:10 pm - Finally leave stage covered with Silly String.  Make it to office, wash up, change clothes, and eat lunch. 

12:40 pm - Return to cafeteria to take pictures of building principal getting her turn in the Silly String chair.  Notice that she has covered her body with a plastic bag. Smart idea!

12:45 pm - Return to cafeteria to make sure that the stage is set for our 1st semester awards ceremony.  Make sure the microphone works, go over the list of names, and check that the stage is not slippery from the silly string 

12:55 pm - Return to office and continue with student management issues.  

1:30 pm - Enter the cafeteria and start to greet parents arriving for awards ceremony.  Spend a few minutes visiting with each.  

1:40 pm - Announce for teachers to bring students to cafeteria to begin awards ceremony.  Return to stage for one final check before all classes arrive.  Continue to greet parents and visit with them.

2:00 pm - Awards ceremony.  Serve as MC as students cross the stage to receive their awards and put them on.   (We chose to give Dogtags instead of certificates)

2:45 pm - Finish awards ceremony.  Return to office and meet with several students about discipline issues.  Visit a class to clarify some information about a student management concern.

3:15 pm - Start Bus Duty.

4:08 pm - End bus duty.  Accompany WatchDOGS volunteer back to office to sign up for another day and then proceed to faculty meeting, already in progress.

5:00 pm - Faculty meeting ends. Spend a few minutes helping a colleague understand one of the key points in the meeting.  

5:10 pm -Return to office and begin putting teacher evaluation information into the computer.  During this time, help students in after-school program call home for a ride and field several calls from parents.

6:30 pm - Finish teacher evaluations.  Return two phone calls.  Review calendar and plan for next day.

6:50 pm - Clock in (Forgot to this morning), change starting time, and then clock out.  

6:55 pm - Leave the school building.  On the way home, reflect on what a typical day in my position consists.  Realize there really isn't one.  

Don't pass out matches

The other day, I read this quote on Twitter: "Instead of putting out fires....let's not pass out matches" (@daveburgess).  It's been haunting me ever since.  As a teacher and now an administrator, there are a lot of fires and potential fires that must be addressed daily.  But, I didn't enter this profession to be a fireman.  Instead, I want to be a teacher, a coach, a leader who makes a difference in the lives of teachers and students.  I would assume that most others in the profession feel the same way.

As I reflected on this statement, a couple of key ideas came to mind.  First of all, in my little sphere of influence, I have the opportunity to pass out a lot of matches...or not.  Second, I can't control what kindling others bring in the building with them, but I can often control whether it gets lit.

Or, in simple English, my actions can often control whether a situation becomes out of hand or whether it becomes a non-issue.  Also, there is no way for me to change what has happened to a person before they enter my building, but, by my actions, I can influence how they react to it. 

For example, in a typical classroom, behavior problems often occur when children are given too much extra (free) time or when they are unmonitored, such as when the teacher has their back to the class or is in the hallway with someone else.  They also occur when the work is at a level that is either too high or too low for the child.  These are examples of matches.  If a teacher can identify avoid these situations, then many behavioral issues can be avoided.

The same is true for principals and other leaders. As a principal, I have to reflect on my actions daily and plan how to avoid problem issues, especially when related to staff and parents.  If I can identify potential problem areas early, then I can either eliminate them or avoid causing them to grow.

Putting out fires is not a task I enjoy.  I would much rather spend my time helping teachers and students grow and developing positive working relationships with parents.  Therefore, I must determine early and often when I am potentially "lighting a match" that may lead to a future fire and do everything in my power to avoid that action.

WatchD.O.G.S. - Dads of Great Students

To Student:  How was your day today?
Student:  It was great. My Dad was here all day!

This school year, we have restarted WatchD.O.G.S. on our campus.  WatchD.O.G.S. is a program from the National Center for Fathering that focuses on getting fathers and father-figures involved in the school by having them serve for one entire day on their child's campus.  While on campus, these men serve in various capacities including tutoring, mentoring, assisting teachers in their classes, and generally being an "extra set of eyes" on the campus.  Since mid-October, we have had 10 men who have given one day to serve as a WatchD.O.G. and many more are on the calendar.  A couple have already served for two days and are signed up for more. 

As an administrator, what I like most about WatchD.O.G.S. is that is a turnkey initiative that doesn't require a lot of set up or follow through.  In fact, when done properly, several key men from the among the ranks, known as Top Dogs, can do most of the leg work after the initial start up.  As the campus coordinator, I simply make the men's daily schedule and make sure their day goes well. 

Last year, there were a few active WatchD.O.G.S. on the campus, but not as many as this year.  Part of that had to do with the recruitment process.  In order to be successful, the kickoff really needs to have food.  As I've proved many times, when you feed a man, he will come.  We went through 300 slices of pizza in 20 minutes during our kickoff event and had 55 men sign an interest form.  About 15 signed up for a day on the calendar during that event.  Of those who put their names on the calendar, only two did not show.  One was because of work commitments;  we haven't been able to reach the other one.  The second part of the equation was follow up.  Myself and the three Top Dogs made a call to all of the men who signed up that first night. 

A typical WatchD.O.G.S. day starts with morning duty, followed by an orientation and signing an agreement on each visit. Then, an announcement of the WatchD.O.G. is made and a picture is taken with their student.  (If they are a community volunteer, I always get several random students, usually those who don't have active fathers, to take a picture with them.)  After this, they are given their schedules for the day, have a building tour, and then go to the first class.  Lunch is on us and they are encouraged to sit with their child at the class table.  The end of the day involves a survey on the Fathers.com website followed by afternoon duty.  Their final task is to call the next day's WatchD.O.G. and remind them of their commitment. 

As a former classroom teacher, principal, and Dad myself, I see the value of having positive male role models in the school.  On our campus of 740 students, there are only 12 full-time adult males including the custodians.   These men all work to be positive role models to our children, but we can use all the help we can get.  I won't go into the statistics of the impact of Dads in children's lives.  Many of these are available on the www.fathers.com website.  I have noticed that, very often, the kids will respond differently to the WatchD.O.G.S. than to the men who work on the campus.  In fact, many act completely different when these men are around.  Some even seem to struggle with the fact that a man who may be a family friend, church member, or other relationship is on the campus.  It is as though the disconnect some have developed between school and community behavior is suddenly challenged.  It is enlightening and often amusing to watch.  

It may sound as though I am a paid advocate for WatchD.O.G.S., but really I am only a school leader looking to do whatever it takes to positively impact the education and social lives of each child who walks through the doors of our building.  This program is one part of that challenge.  In the short time I have been actively involved, I have seen the benefits of having men on campus who care about kids (their own and others) and are willing to take of their time to serve the children and staff of the school.  I've also seen the benefit to both the Dad and the student.  Dad's get to be a part of the world their child lives in 180 days a year and children get to have Dad in that world for a day.  As the 5th grade child who is quoted at the beginning of this post, it is great to have Dad around all day. 

While I don't have quantifiable evidence of the positive effects of the program (I'm currently doing action research on WatchD.O.G.S. and discipline referrals), I do know that I've seen positive effects on both students and teachers.  If you are a school leader looking to increase parental involvement in your school, I strongly encourage looking at the WatchD.O.G.S. as one alternative.  More info can be found at www.fathers.com. Click on the WatchD.O.G.S. link at the top.  I would also be happy to share more of my own experiences if anyone is interested.

As a final note, my own son is on the campus with me.  I plan to take a day off myself and serve as WatchD.O.G.  Why?  Because he asked me to and I want to be a great Dad and role model.