Ability and Willingness

The direction of readiness to be successful level for a student is a function of both ability and willingness.

Ability has three components: knowledge, experience, and skill. Similarly, willingness has three elements: confidence, commitment, and motivation. One convenient way to assess ability and willingness of a student is to use simple rating chart. Use a scale from +, +, +, +, +, + for the six different pieces (knowledge, experience, skill and confidence, commitment, motivation) reflecting a high level of readiness, to -, -, -, -, -, - for the six pieces reflecting a low level of readiness . . . and every combination in between.

I use a simple grid check sheet, with the student names on the left and boxes for each of the six components. Especially at the beginning of the school year. I will fill out a new sheet each day for the first few days of the school year. This provides a very quick and easy way to begin gathering data (albeit anecdotal data) about my students.

Determining the readiness level of your students is very important. For example, involvement and participation in decision making with people at extremely low levels of readiness might be characterized by a pooling of ignorance; therefore, directive leadership has a higher probability of success. The teacher's task is to help raise the readiness level of every student, so that they can effectively be involved in the decision making. In order for this to happen, the teacher must be purposeful and have a plan. A goal without a plan is a wish.

Quality is Everyone's Responsibility

“Quality is everyone’s responsibility.”

W. Edwards Deming

The New York Times described W. Edwards Deming as an “expert of business management . . . that emphasized problem-solving based on cooperation.” Deming called for organizations to have a systematic approach to problem solving, encouraged teamwork and cooperation, stressed the need for education and leadership, and have an appreciation for a system. He described a system as “a network of interdependent components that work together to try to accomplish an aim . . . without an aim there is no system.”

Inspired by Deming’s work, I have developed a system for my 8^th grade American History class. This system has an aim, which we refer to daily: “The Land of Choices” that will be reached through continual quality improvement. From the very first day of eighth grade, we talk about where they want to be four years down the road. The discussion is not so much on what they will specifically do after high school, but rather what choices will be open to them. I want all of my students to develop the intellectual confidence necessary to complete a rigorous high school curriculum. We work to develop the knowledge, skills, abilities, and confidence to take challenging courses. This, in turn, will open up many opportunities for them. They will have successfully reached “The Land of Choices.”

We begin each unit with a capacity matrix. A charting technique used to break down topic areas into steps for achieving a specific result, a capacity matrix identifies tasks, knowledge levels, and understanding of the topic area. Students know from the beginning, what specific information they will need for the unit assessment and use the matrix to chart their personal growth toward the understanding of that information. 

The system of our class, which is graphically displayed for students in a detailed flow chart, is made up of three main pieces. We regularly have “Big Shows,” which are used as direct instruction for the entire class. Here, key concepts and connections are explained and examined. Additionally, students use the “Big Shows” to practice listening, note-taking, and summarizing skills. These “Big Shows” are put on my Youtube channel for students to view and review as needed.

There is also an online component to our class system. Using moodle as our platform, students go to my online page to take practice tests, access and share information, download assignments, watch videos, access podcasts, and post to forums. Students have visited my page as early as 4:00 AM and as late as 1:00 AM – and everything in between. We have thousands of page views each and every month.

The third component of our class is the heart of the system. I employ Situational Leadership to differentiate the daily work done by students. Situational Leadership focuses on the specific readiness level to be successful for the student in a given task or unit of study. I adapt the daily work given to the student to best fit his or her readiness level. Using the capacity matrix as the roadmap, students may take differing paths, but they all end up at the same destination. This differentiation allows me to challenge students at a level most appropriate for them, thereby maximizing their growth potential.

The focus of our system is not about hurriedly covering the material. We seek continual quality improvement . . . for all students. We strive to not only improve the class average but also shrink the gap between the most successful and least successful students. Quality work and quality learning is the goal for all students. Quality is everyone’s responsibility.

Direction of Readiness Change

Situational Leadership contends that strong direction with students with low readiness is appropriate if they are to become productive. People with high readiness do not need socio-emotional support as much as they need greater freedom. Whenever a student's performance begins to slip - for whatever reason - the teacher should reassess the readiness level and move backward through the leadership curve.

It is useful to measure not only the student's general level of readiness to be successful, but also the direction of this readiness. The direction is a function of ability and willingness.

Appropriate Leader Behavior for Readiness Level 4

Finally we come to your students who display the highest readiness level for the task at hand. These are the students who are both able and willing or confident to be successful. With these R4 students teachers should:

• Listen to updates
• Resist overloading
• Encourage autonomy
• Practice overall hands-off management; observe
• Reinforce student-led communication
• Provide support and resources
• Delegate activities
• Encourage freedom for risk taking

Regarding teacher behavior toward students, Situational Leadership contends that one size does not fit all . . . in fact, one size doesn't even fit most. If your goal to have every individual show continual quality improvement, you must choose a set of leader behaviors that is most appropriate for that student. Differentiation is the key.

Situational Leadership provides one way . . . a way that has shown to be repeatedly successful, to help reach the goal of continual quality improvement for all students. It provides a framework . . . a plan to help accomplish this. 

A goal without a plan is nothing more than a wish.

Appropriate Leader Behavior for Readiness Level 3

Building on our discussion about the appropriate leader/teacher behavior for individual student readiness levels, today we are focusing on the students who display a higher readiness level (R3) but still need more input from the teacher.

Appropriate teacher behavior for students who are able but unwilling (R3):

• Share decision making with the student.
• Feed the student's "need to know."
• Focus on the results.
• Involve the student in the consequences of the task to increase commitment and motivation.

Appropriate teacher behavior for students who are able but insecure (R3):

• Combine teacher-student decision making.
• Teacher determines the next step.
• Encourage and support the student.
• Discuss apprehension with the student.

Appropriate Leader Behavior for Readiness Level 2

Appropriate teacher behaviors when working with an unable but willing or unable but confident R2 student:

• Seek "buy-in" through persuading
• Check understanding of the task
• Encourage questions
• Discuss details
• Explore related skills
• Explain "why"
• Give follower incremental steps (not "run with it")
• Emphasize "how to"

Some times our tendency as teachers is to do many of these things all the time. The problem is for some readiness levels these strategies can be not only ineffective but counter-productive.

Appropriate Leader Behavior for Readiness Level 1

Just as the readiness level for success will be fluid for your students, your behavior in leading them should also be fluid. As a review, a student with a low readiness level for success (R1):

Readiness Level 1 (R1) - Unable and unwilling, the student is unable and lacks commitment and motivation. Or, Unable and insecure, where the student is unable and lacks confidence.
The unable and unwilling indicators include:

• Defensive, argumentative, complaining behaviors
• Late completion of tasks
• Performance only to exact request
• Intense frustration

The unable and insecure indicators include:

• Body language expressing discomfort: furrowed brow, shoulders lowered, leaning back
• Confused, unclear behavior
• Concern over possible outcomes
• Fear of failure

Appropriate leader/teacher behaviors for the "Unable and unwilling" (R1) students include:

• Directly state specific facts
• Positively reinforce small improvements
• Consider consequences for nonperformance
• Keep emotional level in check

Appropriate leader/teacher behaviors for the "Unable and Insecure" (R1) students include:

• Provide task information in digestible amounts
• Be sure not to overwhelm student
• Reduce fear of mistakes
• Help step by step
• Focus on instruction

One size does not fit all. Students with different readiness levels for success have different needs in order to reach the organizational goals.

Continuum of Follower Readiness - R4

At the highest end of student readiness would be the R4 level. Those with this level of readiness are both able and willing - where the student has the ability to perform and is committed, or able and confident - where the student has the ability to perform and is confident.

Able and willing or confident indicators:

• Keeps teacher informed of task progress
• Makes efficient use of resources
• Responsible and results oriented
• Knowledgeable, able to streamline operational tasks
• Willing to help others
• Shares creative ideas
• Takes charge of tasks
• Completes responsibilities on time or perhaps early

It is important to properly identify the student's readiness level to most effectively help him or her show continual quality improvement.

Continuum of Follower Readiness - R3

Building on our discussion of student readiness (see August 20 and 21), we next will look at Readiness Level 3. These students are able but unwilling - the student has the ability to perform the task, but is not willing to use that ability . . . or . . . is able but insecure, where the student has the ability to perform the task, but is insecure or apprehensive about doing it alone.

R3 - Able but unwilling indicators:

• Hesitant or resistant
• Feel over-obligated and overworked
• Seeks reinforcement
• Concerned task assigned is somehow punishing

R3 - Able but insecure indicators:
Questions own ability
Focus on potential problems
Lacks self-esteem
Encourages leader/teacher to stay involved

Continuum of Follower Readiness - R2

Continuing with our discussion of follower readiness (see post from August 20), the next level of student readiness would be R2.

Readiness Level 2 (R2) - Unable but willing. The student lacks ability, but is motivated and is making an effort . . . or, unable but confident, the student lacks ability but is confident as long as the teacher is there to provide support.

Readiness Level 2 indicators include:

• Speak quickly and intensely
• Seek clarity
• Nod head, make "yes I know" type comments, seem eager
• Listen carefully
• Answer questions superficially
• Accept tasks
• Act quickly
• Preoccupied with end results rather than incremental steps

Continuum of Follower Readiness - R1

Think of the readiness level of your students to be successful in the given task as part of a continuum. Readiness is fluid and will due to many variables. The readiness continuum ranges from a very high level (R4) where the student is able and willing or confident, to a very low level (R1) where the student is unable and unwilling or insecure. 

Looking more closely at the readiness continuum:

Readiness Level 1 (R1) - Unable and unwilling, the student is unable and lacks commitment and motivation. Or, Unable and insecure, where the student is unable and lacks confidence.
The unable and unwilling indicators include:

• Defensive, argumentative, complaining behaviors
• Late completion of tasks
• Performance only to exact request
• Intense frustration

The unable and Insecure indicators include:

• Body language expressing discomfort: furrowed brow, shoulders lowered, leaning back
• Confused, unclear behavior
• Concern over possible outcomes
• Fear of failure

Learning Requirements

Learning requirements are the what . . . 

What do my students need to know and be able to do as result of being in this class?

The learning requirements are tied closely to the district curriculum standards and are ideas that spiral throughout the year. The emphasis on not on some specific set of facts but rather big pieces of knowledge and understandings.

For my classes, we use the acronym C.A.R.S. for our learning requirements:

Cause and effect relationships

Analogies - how to use them and evaluate their accuracy

Research and evaluation of resources

Sense of history - how the past impacts the present

Cause and effect relationships - A critical skill for the understanding of history is an ability to determine and understand cause and effect. It allows one to understand why events happened as they did. This is also a life skill, as young people try to better understand their world.

Analogies - To understand both history and the events of our current world, it is often useful to employ analogies . . . "this is similar to that." The problem is often analogies are over-used and therefore incorrect. We spend time working on a strategy to clarify analogies. When one is suggested, we examine the likenesses and the differences between the situation being studied and the suggested analogy. When properly used analogies can be very useful in understanding and problem-solving, when incorrectly used they can lead to confusion and poor decisions.

Research and evaluation of resources - Here we learn how to find out what we need to know. With knowledge growing exponentially, it is vital to know how to get information. This also involves evaluating the usefulness of resources. Additionally, we examine the advantages and limitations of both primary and secondary resources.

Sense of history - A sense of of where we have been is critical to developing a true understanding of where we are. Having this ability will not only allow us to understand our history class, but will also help us make better decisions in the present. We begin to understand that our decisions today will have ramifications in our future.

As students develop and refine their skills and abilities in these areas, they will be able to consistently learn and improve in any history class . . . and in many other areas. These requirements are imbedded in every unit and allow for greater depth of understanding of the material. Additionally, these requirements provide purpose and meaning for what we study.

Ability and Willingness

For teachers employing Situational Leadership, it is the student who determines the appropriate leader/teacher behavior.

The key here is a function of student readiness, defined as the extent to which a student demonstrates the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task. Ability is the knowledge, experience, and skill that an individual or group brings to a particular task or activity. Willingness is the extent to which an individual or group has the confidence, commitment, and motivation to accomplish a specific task.

How Much Freedom to Give Followers

Leaders/teachers should give followers/students greater freedom if they possess:

1. A relatively high need for independence
2. A readiness to assume responsibility for decision making
3. A relatively high tolerance for ambiguity
4. An interest in the problem/task and feel it is important
5. An understanding of and identity with the goals of the organization
6. The necessary knowledge and experience to deal with the problem/task
7. An expectation to share in the decision making

Students will be at varying levels which requires the teacher to differentiate his or her approach. Just as it would be inappropriate to restrict freedom of students who possess very high levels of each of these things, it would be ineffective to grant excessive freedom to students who possess very low levels. The key is in the evaluation and adaptation by the teacher. Students may say they want freedom, need independence, know what to do . . . but what does their behavior indicate?

The goal of the leader/teacher is to raise the level of each area for each student . . . to assist each student on the road of continual quality improvement where he or she will be ready to accept greater levels of freedom and responsibility. Differentiation is the key to making this happen.

Successful vs. Effective Leadership

Success has to do with how the individual or group behaves. Effectiveness describes the predisposition of an individual or group. 

Individuals who are interested only on success tend to emphasize position power and use close supervision. Individuals who focus on effectiveness depend on personal power and use more general supervision.

The difference between successful and effective often explains why many teachers can get satisfactory level of behavior and performance of their students only when they are right there supervising. Many teachers are very successful, it is more rare to have the effective teacher - one whose students, because of the training and practice that has taken place, perform just as well when the teacher is not there.

For effect leadership to take place, the common goals of the entire class or organization must be established and accepted.

Immaturity-Maturity Continuum

According to Chris Argyris, seven changes should take place in the personality of individuals if they are to develop into mature people. First, individuals move from a passive state as infants to a state on increasing activity as adults. Second, individuals develop from a state of dependency upon others as infants to a state of relative independence as adults. Third, individuals behave in only a few ways as infants, but as adults they are capable of behaving in many ways. Fourth, individuals have erratic, casual, and shallow interests as infants, but deeper and stronger interests as adults. Fifth, the time perspective of children is very short, involving only the present, but as they mature, their time perspective increases to include the past and the future. Sixth, individuals as infants are subordinate to everyone, but they move to equal or superior positions with others as adults. Seventh, as children, individuals lack an awareness of a "self." Agryis suggests that these changes reside on a continuum and that the "healthy" personality develops along the continuum from "immaturity" to "maturity."

Immaturity-Maturity Continuum

Immaturity - Maturity

Passive - Active

Dependent - Independent

Behave in a few ways - Capable of behaving in many ways

Erratic shallow interests - Deeper and stronger interests

Short time perspective - Long time perspective (past and future)

Subordinate position - Equal or superordinate position

Lack of awareness of self - Awareness and control over self

People are not a specific place on the continuum based upon a specific chronological age. Each individual is different. As teachers, we must recognize that difference. Additionally, we need to help each child develop along the continuum. In order to do this, different children require different strategies. 

Keeping people immature seems to be built into the very nature of formal organizations such as schools. This concept of formal organizations lead to assumptions about human nature that are incompatible with the proper development of maturity in human personality.

Theory X and Theory Y

Theory X-Theory Y by Douglas McGregor describes how the traditional organization (e.g. schools) - with its centralized decision making, hierarchical pyramid, and external control of work - is based on certain assumptions about human nature and human motivation. These assumptions, called Theory X by McGregor, state that most people prefer to be directed, are not interested in assuming responsibility, and want safety above all. Accompanying this philosophy is the belief that people are motivated by money, fringe benefits, and the threat of punishment.

Teachers who accept Theory X assumptions attempt to structure, control, and closely supervise their students. These teachers feel that external control is clearly appropriate for dealing with unreliable and irresponsible children.

After describing Theory X, McGregor questioned whether this view of human nature is correct. Drawing heavily on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, McGregor concluded that Theory X assumptions about human nature, when universally applied, are often inaccurate and that motivational approaches based on it often fail to motivate many individuals.

McGregor felt that management needed practices based on a more accurate understanding of human nature and motivation. As a result, he developed an alternative theory of human behavior called Theory Y. This theory assumes that people are not, by nature, lazy and unreliable. It suggests that people can be basically self-directed and creative at work if properly motivated. Theory Y goes on to state that properly motivated people can achieve their own goals best by properly directing their own efforts toward accomplishing organizational goals.

This chart identifies key assumptions of Theory X - Theory Y:

Theory X

1. Work is inherently distasteful to most people.
2. Most people are not ambitious, have little desire for responsibility, and prefer to be directed.
3. Most people have little capacity for creativity in solving organizational problems.
4. Motivation occurs only at the physiological and security levels.
5. Most people must be closely controlled and often coerced to achieve organizational objectives.

Theory Y

1. Work is as natural as play, if the conditions are favorable.
2. Self-control is often indispensable in achieving organizational goals
3. The capacity for creativity in solving organizational problems is widely distributed in the population.
4. Motivation occurs at the social, esteem, and self-actualization levels, as well as at the physiological and security levels.
5. People can be self-directed and creative at work if properly motivated.

When showing this list to teachers in our training sessions, teachers almost universally state they support - and practice Theory Y. We have trained teachers to be repelled by Theory X, at least publicly. In the privacy of their own classrooms (or for that matter, many coaches on the athletic fields), many teachers engage in practices which would indicate a strong belief in the assumptions of Theory X.

There is no one right way to be all the time. We have all had students who fit Theory X, and other who fit Theory Y. Theory X and Theory Y are attitudes, or predispositions, toward people. Thus, although the "best" assumptions for a teacher to have may be Theory Y, it may not be appropriate to behave consistently with those assumptions all the time. Teachers and coaches may have Theory Y assumptions about human nature, but they may find it necessary to behave in a very directive, controlling manner (as if they had Theory X assumptions) with some people in the short run to help them "grow up" in a developmental sense, until they are truly Theory Y-acting people.

The key is to be purposeful, reflective, metacognitive . . . don't say you are being highly directive because the child "needs it," when in reality it is the teacher who finds it more comfortable to be that way. Always keep the goal in mind . . . do you want to control or help the child grow - and what is the best way to accomplish that goal.

Human Skills continued . . . Motivation and Behavior

Behavior is basically goal-oriented. In other words, our behavior is generally motivated by a desire to attain some specific result. The goal is not always consciously known by the individual. This is a good reason to avoid asking the misbehaving student, "Why did you do that?" The student may not be aware of the goal.

The basic unit of behavior is an activity. All behavior is a series of activities. People differ not only in their ability to do, but also in their will to do, or motivation. Motives can be thought of as needs, wants, drives, or impulses. Motives are directed toward goals, which may be conscious or subconscious. Motives (needs) are the chief power behind of actions. To predict behavior, leaders/teachers must know which motives or needs of people evoke a certain action at a particular time.

A motive tends to decrease in strength if it is either satisfied or block from satisfaction. If people continue to strive for something without success, they may substitute goals that can satisfy the need. A child has the need to be noticed and get attention. Being able to gain the teacher's attention through stellar schoolwork proves to be repeatedly outside his or her grasp. However, the child notices that when disruptive, he or she receives significant attention from the teacher. A course of future actions by the student, even if not consciously, becomes very apparent.

Having a good understanding of motivation and how it drives actions/behaviors is critical for an effective teacher/leader. Without this fundamental piece, the potential success for a learner-centered classroom is dubious at best.

Human Skills pt. 1

To review from blog post of 6-4-2013, the three ingredients for effective leadership are: 1) technical skills, 2) human skills, and 3) conceptual skills. Having previous looked at some examples of technical skills, let's turn our attention to human skills.

Human skills involves the ability and judgment in working with and through people, including an understanding of motivation and an application of effective leadership. There are three components to this:

1. understanding behavior
2. predicting behavior
3. directing, changing, and controlling behavior

Understanding behavior refers to why people behave as they do and what motivates people. In both popular and scholarly books, there are literally hundreds of different classifications that are useful in communicating the patterns of behavior that describe individuals and groups interacting with other people. All can be useful to some degree. We will begin by looking at motivation and behavior.

Technical Skill pt. 2: Moodle

Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a free source e-learning software platform, also known as a Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). I have a moodle page for my class. It is an integral part of what we do for a variety of reasons. My students use my moodle page for a variety of purposes:

• Take tests
• Post assignments
• Watch videos
• Post to forums
• Access assignments
• Review goals and objectives
• Track their own learning
• View relevant websites
• View class "Big Shows"
• Access podcasts I have created which supplement assignments and big ideas

My students do this work daily and in significant numbers. For example, in the first six weeks of the 2012-2013 school year, my page had over 16,000 uses by 157 students. During that time, students visited my page as early as 4:30am and as late as 1:04am.

Along with the the various Google apps we use and our Wikispaces for specific unit, moodle allows me to utilize a Web 2.0 approach with students - they are not just accessing information but also creating and interacting with it.

This internet piece is vital for differentiation in a learner-centered classroom. It allows for students to access information at times of their choosing, times convenient for them. Students who may not be as willing to share in a traditional classroom setting are often significant contributors online. Additionally, it gives one more way to reach students of all levels and let them show what they know.