Chapter 8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there.
—The Cheshire Cat in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
This book is based on the simple premise that the Formative Five skills are very important in preparing students for the real world and can be developed in everyone with focus and effort. But this simple premise has profound implications for how schools operate, how curriculum is developed, how teachers teach, and how principals lead.
A decade ago, focusing on the Formative Five success skills might have seemed outlandish. The priorities of the federal government as expressed in the No Child Left Behind act and, later, the Race to the Top program led a lot of educators to narrowly pursue academic goals. Many teachers and principals have told me that they wished they could focus more on developing students' nonacademic skills, but felt constrained by mandates.
Fortunately, this is beginning to change. The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 requires schools to measure at least one nonacademic factor, such as student engagement or grit, in the self-assessments that they report to the government. I find it very encouraging that politicians are catching up with what teachers and principals have known for a long time about what children need. This is captured well in the introduction to Preparing Youth to Thrive (Smith et al., 2016), a field book for providing intentional social and emotional skill development:
Not long ago, success in school meant success in life. We also believed that things like grit and determination were traits people were born with, not skills that could be developed over time. Over the past few decades, hard and soft sciences have produced an impressive body of evidence that teaches us two very new, very important things. First, that we can take our innate abilities and cultivate them, just like we build up muscle, dexterity, and language fluency. And secondly, that social and emotional skills matter just as much in determining life satisfaction and success as traditional intelligence. The use of the word ‘skills' here is intentional. These qualities are not only innate. They can be taught. And, they can be learned. (p. v)
In this chapter, I will address three points that may help teachers and principals bring the Formative Five success skills to life: related constructs; assessment; and relationships.
Here are a few models of thinking and learning that support teaching the Formative Five:
Multiple intelligences (MI). In his classic book Frames of Mind (1983), Howard Gardner identifies seven kinds of intelligences (later eight). Two of these, intrapersonal intelligence and interpersonal intelligence, focus directly on how we think about ourselves and others. Simply put, intrapersonal intelligence is self-knowledge, and interpersonal intelligence is the knowledge of others. Gardner recognized that these categories qualified as intelligences because they could be used to solve problems.
Emotional intelligence. In Emotional Intelligence (1995), Daniel Goleman further cites self-management (i.e., the Formative Five skill of self-control) as a critical aspect of emotional intelligence.
Habits of mind. Art Costa's habits of mind framework (Costa & Kallick, 2008) includes 16 components, a few of which directly correspond to the Formative Five skills: persisting (grit), managing impulsivity (self-control), and listening with understanding and empathy (empathy).
Executive function. According to Cooper-Kahn and Dietzel (2008), executive function is "a set of processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one's resources in order to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation" (p. 9).
Distributed intelligence (DI). This is the ability to draw from the resources around us (e.g., tools, symbols, portfolios, forms, calculators, computers, and not least individuals) in order to solve problems. A strong DI stems from a high intrapersonal intelligence that enables one to tap into the talents of others. To quote Steve Jobs, "Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people." That's certainly true in schools, too!
Too often we view problem solving as a solitary responsibility, when in reality most complex problems are solved through teamwork and collaboration. Helping students understand that working together is a form of DI reinforces the idea that it is an important lifelong skill. (In talking about DI with older students, teachers might refer to James Surowiecki's 2004 book The Wisdom of Crowds, which maintains that groups are often smarter than any one individual within them and are better at decision making than individuals are.)
The relationships between each of the above-mentioned constructs and the Formative Five skills are depicted in Figure 8.1. What all five models share is a focus on student reflection and collaboration. Students need to analyze situations and consider their biases and skills when determining how to engage in problem solving.
We need to know that our efforts to embed the Formative Five in students' minds (and, yes, hearts) are effective. In fact, the federal government's new thrust, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires states to measure at least one nonacademic factor, and that will require some sort of assessment. But this is not easy to do; rather, it's not easy to do well and to do with validity. That's because the measure of these attitudes and skills is best demonstrated daily by students' myriad behaviors in complex interactions and situations, not by their multiple-choice test responses. Standardized tests are inadequate for determining students' progress in success skills, and yet it will be very tempting to rely on them.
Kate Zernike notes the tensions surrounding measuring social-emotional skills in an article, "Testing for Joy and Grit." In it, Angela Duckworth expresses opposition to using standardized measures to assess progress on grit, saying "I do not think we should be doing this; it is a bad idea" (Zernike, 2016). In Helping Children Succeed (2016), Paul Tough recognizes this difficulty but also understands the need to evaluate: "If you can't clearly identify and measure skills, it's hard to convince people to take them seriously," he says (p. 67). Clearly, we need to assess students on these attitudes and skills to ensure that kids are growing, to gain feedback on our efforts, and to inform the community about our successes. The question is "how?"
The best way to assess progress in the Formative Five (as well as in any other non-academic area) is with intentionality and by observation and reflection.
Intentionality. Simply put, we—students and teachers—formally state our intention to improve in these areas and focus on how we can determine growth. This requires us to have a baseline (improvement from what?) and gives verisimilitude to our efforts. As the Formative Five success skills are explained and their importance is appreciated (see suggestions at the end of each of the chapters), students should begin by assessing how they see their proficiency in each area. Self-reporting has its limitations, but it is an appropriate way to begin.
Observation. Teachers need to be sharp observers of their students throughout the day because often growth in a Formative Five success skill occurs when there is less teacher direction and control. In fact, this kind of pedagogy supports teaching the Formative Five. As Paul Tough (2016) notes, in describing a "deeper learning" (p. 104), in student-centered schools—as classrooms are likely to become when the Formative Five are embraced—there will be more inquiry-based instruction:
[This] means that in the classroom, teachers tend to engage students in discussions rather than just lecturing to them; project-based learning, in which groups of students spend much of their time working, often in groups, on elaborate projects that might take weeks or months to complete; and performance-based assessments, in which student are judged not primarily by the scores on end-of-semester exams, but by the portfolios, presentations, artwork, and written work they produce throughout the year. (p. 105)
These kinds of student interactions and activities can offer rich insights into students' Formative Five attitudes and skills.
The students' self-reports and progress can also be measured through rubrics. Teachers can create a rubric for each of the Formative Five (as is shown for grit in Figure 6.2) or, even better, they can facilitate a class discussion in developing them. Student input always leads to a more relevant and meaningful product. Students can then refer to a posted rubric throughout the year or after they have engaged in a discussion or activity that is particularly germane to a specific skill. They could, for example, use the rubric numbers as a short-hand way of assessing the empathy, integrity, or embracing of diversity shown by a character in literature. Teachers could ask students to reflect on their self-control or grit after they have been involved in a difficulty.
Student status and progress on the Formative Five should be shared with parents. This might be done by asking students to discuss an activity and their role in it during an evening discussion, or it could happen through students sharing drawings or songs. Giving students an opportunity to use their stronger intelligences increases their enthusiasm and ability to share. Presentations and performances that include stories, reflections, and a range of intelligences will not be as quantifiable as a standardized test, and that's fine. Particularly with the Formative Five, it is better to value validity—how can students show what they have learned?—than pursue reliability, seeking quantifiable and reproducible data.
Students' progress should be incorporated into formal reports, which should periodically be shared with parents as attachments to formal reports or incorporated into the reports. Assessments should be done with students, not to them; students should be actively involved in helping to plan how their progress is measured and what the next steps should be. We never want to embarrass a student, and the potential for this to occur may be higher with the Formative Five. Teachers and students should work together to focus on trajectory, progress, and what is shared to be sure that no student is put at risk.
Reflection. Reflection—stepping back to consider your thoughts and actions and how you might learn from them—is an integral part of growth. The importance of reflection as integral to learning is true whether hitting a baseball or maintaining a relationship. Individuals who have a strong intrapersonal intelligence do this by nature; most of us are not so lucky. Teachers need to allocate time for students to learn from their experiences by reflecting, sometimes individually and occasionally as a group (although always beginning in private thought), and sharing. That sharing might be internal, writing in a journal or picking a rubric number, it might be to the class, or it could be with a teacher, either in person or by a note. Too often students do not learn from their mistakes without taking time to reflect.
Establishing positive relationships—between teachers and students, between administrators and teachers, and among teachers, principals, and students' parents—is the key to successfully teaching the Formative Five success skills. That's especially the case because these areas require all of us to venture out of our comfort zones; we need to know what is expected and that others can be trusted.
Teachers and students. In doing research for this book, I've read numerous books and articles about each success skill; I've read books and articles on leadership; I've interviewed scores of principals, teachers, and parents; I've talked with students; and I've exchanged e-mails with educators from around the world. People's priorities vary, and their approaches to education and learning are often influenced by the role they play. The one constant, however, is that relationships matter. Our students must understand that we know them and care for them. Maya Angelou said it best: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I know this to be true. Mrs. Mayfield, my 1st grade teacher many years ago, gave me the care that placed me on a trajectory that changed my life, and I have never forgotten her.
Paul Tough (2016) says,
When kids feel a sense of belonging at school, when they receive the right kind of messages from an adult who believes they can succeed and who is attending to them with some degree of compassion and respect, they are more likely to show up to class, to persevere longer at difficult tasks, and to deal more resiliently with the countless small-scale setbacks and frustrations that make up the typical student's school day. (p. 73)
Sadly, this focus on relationships is an example of common sense that isn't all that common. In too many schools and classrooms the focus is on academics only. Teachers are unable to get to know students personally. Too often, school schedules, and sometimes school norms, don't allow teachers and students to share who they are as people. It's hard to feel that the teacher is your advocate if you don't feel that the teacher knows you. While these descriptions are not the norm, they occur in too many schools.
In contrast, educators who teach the Formative Five will take the time to know their students. They will appreciate that the time spent listening to students talk about their weekend, share their worries, and talk about their hopes is an investment. When students understand that they are known and cared for, they can better handle difficulties and are more likely to venture out of their comfort zones.
Administrators and teachers. To successfully teach the Formative Five success skills, teachers and principals must work as colleagues. Educators who embrace this new direction will find themselves discussing both their own and their students' growth with one another, bringing them closer together.
In the same sense that students need to feel cared for and known, so, too, do teachers. Teachers must know that principals want to help them succeed and understand that mistakes are part of the process. And they need to know that principals value them as people. That is especially the case when they are pursuing a new area, such as the Formative Five. It is hard for teachers to see a principal as an advocate if the principal hasn't taken the time to know them as persons.
Years ago, as a first-year principal, I made the mistake of not regularly inquiring about the health of one of my teachers' spouse, who was stricken with cancer. I now see that I was uncomfortable raising the issue, so I simply didn't do so. I was friendly to her and we talked about curriculum and instruction, but I was also aware that we had not really connected. During a meeting at the end of the year, she told me how hurt she was that I never asked about her husband, and she said that it was more difficult for her to trust me because I didn't seem to value her as a person. As you might imagine, I felt terrible and apologized profusely, and it's a lesson that I have never forgotten.
Likewise, teachers need to make the effort to get to know their principals and let them know that advocacy works both ways. Once a teacher was telling me about her need for positive feedback, and I shared that this was true for me, too. Often, I told her, I do something that is helpful to you but I never hear about it. Her eyes widened. "I don't need to do that," she said quickly, "you're an administrator!"
In a good school, everyone tries to support one another. In a great school, everyone makes the time for this to happen.
Among teachers, principals, and students' parents. For the parents of most students, having children who are learning the Formative Five will be a new experience. While they may endorse this thrust—who could be against empathy or integrity?—parents will naturally have questions. How is this being taught? What is being ignored because of this focus? And possibly, Will my parenting skills be criticized?
In discussing preschool programs that focus on noncognitive growth, Heckman (2013) notes: "Many successful programs change the values and motivations of the child. Some of these may run counter to the values of certain parents" (p. 37). Although I might quibble with the word counter in the case of Formative Five, it is true that teaching them can offer students experiences quite different from those that their parents had. Our job as school leaders is to help them reach a level of comfort with the new way of doing things; to quote Max DePree, "the first job of a leader is to define reality" (1990, p. 11).
Teachers and principals will need to be sure to communicate often and openly about what they are doing and why they are doing it. Following Simon Sinek's advice, each year should begin with an explanation of why teaching the Formative Five will play an important role in the school. Once the why is established, once parents see how their children's chances for success will be improved because of this emphasis, then they are ready to learn how the school will accomplish this. Weekly newsletters and parent education evenings should certainly mention and occasionally focus on the Formative Five. Juxtaposed quotes from famous people and current students about the value of these attributes can be quite powerful.
The fact that the Formative Five skills don't yield percentiles or letter grades can reinforce parents' skepticism. For this reason, it is important to proactively help parents understand the difference between success in school and success in life. Here are some articles that may be good starting points for discussion:
Consider sharing these articles with parents, either as supplemental information or as the basis for discussion on a parent-education evening.
Every educator should view the school's halls and walls as learning spaces; they present opportunities for displays of student work that evince the curriculum focus. Everyone who enters the school—students, parents, caregivers, staff members, other educators, and the delivery man—should come away feeling informed and enthusiastic about the school's mission and work.
Finally, regardless of role, the best relationships feature two-way communication.
I routinely solicit feedback from families during the year, including through a Spring Parent Survey. In it, I ask parents to write down the grade level of their student; which of our school's four pillars—academics, the personal intelligences, diversity beyond the numbers, and joyful learning—they consider most important; whether I was friendly and helpful in our interactions; whether their parent-teacher conferences were productive; and whether their child's individual needs had been met. As you might imagine, the feedback was always informative (even if sometimes hard to hear). Educators are very good at talking to and explaining, and we need to be better at asking and listening.
The word happy is not used very often in this book, which is both understandable and a bit sad. It's understandable because the word itself is rarely found in mission statements, on standardized tests, as part of a scope and sequence, or even at faculty meetings. It's sad, of course, because we all want to be happy. Fortunately, developing the Formative Five will lead to happiness: students who are more in control of their emotions, more productive in their efforts, and more accepting and appreciative of others will certainly find greater joy in life than those who lack these attributes.
As we think about developing the Formative Five skills in students, we should also think about orienting our students to focus on their strengths and relish their successes. We want them to bring an optimistic lens to new situations. As Sean Achor says in his TED talk, "The Happy Secret to Better Work" (2011):
Every time your brain has a success, you just changed the goalpost of what success looked like. You got good grades, now you have to get better grades, you got into a good school and after you get into a better one, you got a good job, now you have to get a better job, you hit your sales target, we're going to change it. And if happiness is on the opposite side of success, your brain never gets there. We've pushed happiness over the cognitive horizon, as a society. And that's because we think we have to be successful, then we'll be happier.
Achor says that if we are happy, we are more likely to achieve our goals. He recommends getting in the habit of journaling our successes and of consciously executing random acts of kindness (which, of course, wouldn't be so random after all). High aspirations are important, but we also need to help our students (and ourselves) appreciate the successes. Because working on the Formative Five skills may be new and difficult, this is particularly crucial.
In many respects, the experiences that I share in this book are simply common sense lessons that are familiar to educators everywhere. That said, it isn't always easy to implement these ideas. Believe me, I know: far more often than I would have liked, I reflected on my actions and vowed to do things differently—and occasionally, I actually did!
One thing I do know is that sometimes leaders, myself included, fail to remember that adults are simply older children. That is, the same principles apply to their learning as to students. Adults and children both learn best when the learning is developmental (addressing their ability and readiness to learn), when the learning is interesting and experiential, and when they know that the teacher or leader understands and appreciates them. (The old adage "They won't care what you know until they know that you care" applies here.)
To this end, principals need to invest time in truly getting to know their teachers. Leadership is based on relationships, and developing relationships takes time and energy. As Fullan (2014) says, "To increase impact, principals should use their time differently. They should direct their energies to developing the group" (p. 55). He further notes that the most effective principals are "those who [define] their roles as facilitators of teacher success rather than instructional leaders" (p. 73).
I've spent much of my time as a school leader encouraging and developing teacher growth through collegiality, which appears as an item on all my teachers' summative evaluations. One good barometer of collegiality can be found in faculty meetings. In a truly collegial school culture, faculty meetings should focus on teacher learning; they are times for everyone to gain new skills or knowledge. I strongly believe that we should create settings where our teachers learn and smile at as they do so.
Thank you for your interest and your time. I hope that my ideas have been helpful, and I would be delighted to hear from you. Good luck on your Formative Five journey!
Tom Hoerr