John T. Spencer (@johntspencer)
What should an administrator look for when hiring a 21st Century teacher?
Humility.
If a teacher can't use an iPod or an iPad or a Chromebook or a laptop, that's okay. A humble teacher can ask for help from fellow teachers, from students and from folks online.
If a teacher doesn't quite get project-based learning, that's okay. A humble teacher will watch and listen and be open to the major paradigm changes required to pull of a PBL framework.
If a teacher hasn't heard of connected learning and has never developed a personal learning network, that's okay. A humble teacher will learn to use Twitter and blogs and Facebook and whatever tools are necessary to learn. In an echo chamber of "I have an idea," that teacher just might say, "I have a question."
I'm not suggesting that administrators should deliberately search for unqualified candidates. Often, the most humble teachers have already done amazing things. Still, humility is the gateway to innovation and growth and sustainability. Humility works paradoxically to bring about greatness. Humility enables empathy and communication and collaboration that goes beyond the structures implemented by a school.
I'm not sure how you find humble teachers. I'm not sure there is a test for it. I'm not sure you can find it in an interview. It certainly isn't a feature on a resume. However, if I was an administrator, I would try my hardest to recruit and retain humble teachers.
John T. Spencer is a teacher in Phoenix, AZ who blogs at Education Rethink. He recently finished Pencil Me In, an allegory for educational technology and A Sustainable Start, a book for new teachers. He also wrote the reform-minded memoirs Teaching Unmasked: A Humble Alternative to Waiting For a Superhero and Sages and Lunatics. He has written two young adult novels Drawn Into Danger and A Wall for Zombies. You can connect with him on Twitter @johntspencer
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Teachers often ask me, "How did you learn so much about technology?"
ReplyDeleteSimple answer, be willing to say, "I don't know how, will you show me?"
Interesting thought. I am in my 18th year teaching but my first year at this school. In my interview we talked a lot about technology and a bit about iPads, since they were rolling out iPads to the upper elementary kids this year. I told them flat out, "I have never laid a hand on an iPad. You need to know that. I'm willing to learn, but I don't know it yet." I got the job. It must have worked. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd... I'm feeling good on the iPad now.
I love this post! I just finished applying, interviewing and accepting my first administrative job. During the application process, this is a response I wrote to the question below. I promise I didn't copy the ideas from your post!
ReplyDeleteWhat personal characteristics define an excellent administrator?
From my experiences, all excellent leaders are defined by one characteristic, humility. An administrator’s humility breeds respect and trust among a building’s staff creating a collegial environment. Humility allows an administrator to lead with confidence in the area of instruction when setting and evaluating teaching and learning goals with master practitioners he has hired. Humbly he knows, with their practice and his proposed theory, great things will happen. Humility affords an administrator the ability to take calculated risks because his staff knows they are all in it together. Humility forces an administrator to look at the students and school dynamics in the setting of the community as a whole rather than forcing a hand and pushing personal agendas. Humility creates yearning for challenge of personal beliefs and development of professional relationships knowing the climb cannot be made alone. Finally, an administrator’s humility calls for the practice of submission towards superiors in order to accomplish the mission of the district.
As an administrator, I will strive to hire teachers with a timeless characteristic...HUMILITY!
What a great comment. Just had to Tweet your sentence: all excellent leaders are defined by one characteristic, humility. Love it.
Delete-Amy
@FriedTechnology
You find humble teachers by judging the way they communicate and demonstrate evidence of failure.
ReplyDeleteI'm very glad to hear you say that. I feel like administrators hire based on current knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if that has to do with a lack of teacher collaboration - or lack of time fo teacher collaboration. One often-cited school problem is the fact that most of us close our doors and spend little time collaborating with colleagues.
I wish that were different...
Janet | expateducator.com
I would add curiosity. That combined with humility is a wonderful start to being a great learner. And by learner, I mean teacher.
ReplyDeleteThe key thing for a teacher is to treat all students with respect all the time without getting run over. At the very least, don't hire a teacher without having them teach a day in your school. Make sure some of your best teachers check them out as well. You are right in thinking that you want to hire a teacher who is intent on learning something every day and modeling learning for their students. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteVery intriguing blog post. Humility without a doubt is essential. However in my almost 20 years of teaching it is possible to have staff members that are humble and yet RIGID as well. Allow me to explain: one teacher can and most certainly does have a profound effect on all students they teach. How powerful is it when teachers collaborate together? Thus I submit, while humility is an essential characteristic in hiring an educator so us their willingness and ability to work well with their colleagues. Please interject these thoughts into all job interviews.
ReplyDeleteIf you get into the game of teaching humility will be the only thing that keeps you in it. If you're in it for glory or recognition you will be disappointed, almost daily. Being willing to put everyone else before you is how students see that you care. "They don't care how much you know, they want to know how much you care." As an administrator that means I'm the punching bag to many different people, but it's the humility as a servant-leader that drives me to continue doing so.
ReplyDeleteFabulous post, and very timely for me as a head of school. In fact, it inspired my most recent blog post: http://tokeepthingswhole.blogspot.com/2012/03/humbling-thought.html.
ReplyDeleteI think your post is very wise. Not to plug my own work, but a few years ago I set off on a kind of pilgrimage to find the best teachers in America, from first grade to the medical school, professional athletics and ballet schools to a culinary academy and a horseshoeing school. The interviews I did were published as Conversations with Great Teachers (Indiana University Press.)
DeleteI found that what these very diverse teachers had in common was deeper qualities of character, and one was indeed humility. Even the ones who had some ego going on (and there weren't many), left it behind when they taught. They looked at teaching as a calling, and they thought of themselves as living in service to that higher purpose. As one first grade teacher said when I asked how she chose teaching, "I think teaching chose me."
I was fortunate to work in the same office with my administrative assistant and be able to hear practically every word everyone said on the phone to her. At the time, I hated the situation, but now I realize how much I learned about people from the way they treated her. Folks who called and were kind and reasonable with her were humble, kind, reasonable people. Folks who called her and were rude, then seemed kind and reasonable with ME were not. A great test: How does the candidate speak to a secretary?
ReplyDelete