Effective Educators…Part Two

Posted on December 15, 2011 by The EQ Educator

Yesterday’s post provided you with ten ways to become a more effective educator. Here we are with Part Two and as promised, here are ten more items to help you become a more effective educator. So, without further delay, effective educators:

1. Are willing to try out new things, knowing that if it doesn’t work out as intended, failure is often cleverly disguised as a learning opportunity.

2. Believe and trust themselves first and foremost. They don’t have to check with others to make decisions, they instinctively know what is right for them and they go for it!

3. Have a well-developed life strategy that includes a written life vision/mission, purpose, and goals statement.

4. Get things done, through whatever organizational/time management system that works for them. They make the most of each day and take action on important life tasks each and everyday.

5. Are able to discern (see clearly) other’s reasons and motives, so they selectively choose who and what to align themselves with. They surround themselves with only the highest quality people, programs, and places.

6. Tap into the collective brainpower of others by reading books, magazines, and articles–anything that is helpful for their own development.

7. Value the process of learning for learning’s sake. They do not just learn for a specific end–to get a certificate, degree, title, etc. They learn because it is fundamentally rewarding for them.

8. Are the teachers of the world, who share their knowledge with other people. They put themselves out there so the rest of us can benefit, and in exchange, their own learning grows and develops.

9. Do not like to stay the same, they love to grow and develop. To stay ahead of the game, they often reinvent themselves time and time again.

10. Not only know about specific subjects and topics, but also about what it means to be a human being at this time in our evolution. They are insatiably curious and want to know more about becoming bigger and brighter, as a result they naturally evolve.

Now you have 20 new ways to go to the next level as a Top Performing Educator. Don’t make any excuses as to why you cannot…JUST DO IT! Regardless of the condition of your surroundings, you can be a difference maker. This can be explained by a quotation by Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning who said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

My challenge to you…are you willing to change for your students?

Effective Educators…Part One

Posted on December 14, 2011 by The EQ Educator

Can you pick out those items below that make you an effective educator? Which ones can you honestly say that you need to work on? Top Performing Educators are effective at what they do and are not defined by policies and procedures. Here are ten things you can work on daily to help you reach the top.

In essence, effective educators…

1. Listen to and follow their intuition. They know how intuitions and insights come to them and are tuned-in internally to make wise decisions.

2. Are aware of who they are— strengths, weaknesses, personality, values, etc. They know that the most important (and interesting) thing to know about is “self.”

3. Reflect on and learn from past experiences, finding out what works and what doesn’t, and then adjusts their course of action as needed. They think about things before jumping in, and also take the time after-the-fact to actively reflect to fully understand what happened or didn’t happen.

4. Can easily entertain innovative ideas, thoughts, and ways of doing things. They long for progressive and forward thinking information, concepts, and people. They often come up with new and radical ideas on a regular basis.

5. Are open to different perspectives and see possibilities where most people don’t. They are comfortable with paradoxes and can relate to numerous sides of an issue or opinion.

6. Recognize and respond quickly to opportunities and people. They act and react fast, and take care of what needs to be taken care-of, well ahead of schedule.

7. Don’t have to know it all, but they do know where to go to get whatever information, resources, training, education that they need. They are well networked and have people to call on for resource referrals.

8. Think for themselves. They do not blindly believe things so-called “experts” say, in fact, they ask deep questions to discover their own truth.

9. Are committed to being a lifelong learner. They continuously learn new things, and stay current with their skills, attitudes, and beliefs.

10. Do not take themselves or life too seriously. They recognize the importance of finding the fun in the irony and the comedy of everyday life.

Let me know, in the comments area, which ones fit (or don’t fit) you at this point in time.

Stay tuned for Part Two, tomorrow, where I will share ten more ideas.

6 Ways to Deal With Conflict

Posted on December 12, 2011 by The EQ Educator

You, no doubt, have dealt with conflict. That’s a given. My question to you is, HOW have you dealt with the conflict you have encountered? Below are six ways that you can handle conflict that enters your life…especially on the job.

1. DISTINGUISH FACTS FROM FICTION

When we disagree with someone, we frequently get worked up over not just the incident that happened, but the judgments we made about the situation and the person, the feelings that were evoked in us and the story we make up about what it all means. Take ownership for your own feelings. The other person didn’t “make you feel” a particular way. They did what they did. You chose to feel the way you did.

2. DISTINGUISH MOTIVE AND EMOTIONS

We often assume we know what the other person was intending to do ‘to us’. The only thing we really know is the reaction we had to the other person’s behavior. Recognize that they may not have ‘meant’ to disrespect (or hurt, or ignore or control) you. Also recognize that if you are the perpetrator, just because your motive was innocent, that doesn’t negate the feelings the other person experienced.

3. CONVERT COMPLAINTS TO REQUESTS

Imagine that any complaint (yours or another’s) is really a request in disguise. Next time you catch yourself complaining, stop then ask for it! Make the request to someone who has the power to grant it. Complaining or making requests to anyone else won’t get your problem solved.

4. START WHERE YOU ARE

Open the dialog with “I’d like to say something, but I’m afraid that I’ll… or you’ll…” You’ll be surprised at the impact that sharing your vulnerability will have on the receptivity of the other person. You’ll also be surprised at how easily the important message will now come out.

5. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION, ROLE OR INFLUENCE

Recognize that you may have something to do with the continued existence of the problem. Figure out what actions you can take to solve your own dilemma.

6. FORGIVE AND GIVE YOURSELF A GIFT

Forgiveness is not condoning or even accepting. Forgiving someone in your heart who has ‘wronged’ you, just releases your agony. It does nothing for them. You now have the gift of peace.

The next time you are confronted with conflict, try to remember which of the above ways can help you deal with it.

Expecting The Best

Posted on December 9, 2011 by The EQ Educator

Do you ever find yourself getting stuck in negative thought patterns and expecting the worst possible outcome in every (or most) situations? Do you feel this way about your students? Colleagues? In today’s world it is not uncommon to feel this way.

It’s a common mindset that proves difficult to change when you finally decide you’ve had enough. Unfortunately, negative thoughts tend to breed and multiply on their own – even when you’re not consciously trying to think negatively.

The good news is that turning a negative outlook into a positive one just takes a bit of patience and persistence until the positive thoughts begin to take over.

Below you will find three simple, though not always easy, steps to begin forming positive expectations on a daily basis:

1) Develop an awareness to recognize negative expectations. One problem with negative thoughts is that they often form below your conscious level of awareness (or thought); and you get so used to them being in your mind that you hardly notice them at all. To turn the tide of negativity, you’ll have to develop a stronger level of self-awareness. A good way to start is by performing self-checks several times a day. Pay attention to how you feel. If you’re feeling positive and productive, more than likely you’ve been thinking positive thoughts.

However, if you notice that you’re feeling irritable, pessimistic or stressed, you’re probably focusing more on negative thoughts. When that happens…

2) Challenge and change the negative thoughts. Believe it or not, it’s fairly easy to challenge and change negative thoughts with a little will-power and concentration. For example, if you find yourself feeling doubtful about your ability to finish your work on time, you might engage in a bit of self-talk such as: “Okay, so I’m feeling a bit worried right now, but really everything is okay. I’m strong, I’m smart and I’m capable of finishing my work on time.

I’ll do my best and everything will work out fine.” Even though nothing has changed in your outer circumstances, this type of self-talk can get you thinking and feeling more positive.

3) At the same time, while you’re changing negative thoughts to positive, work daily on developing a general positive expectation habit. Each day when you wake up, affirm confidently, “Today is going to be a great day! Everything will go my way and I’ll enjoy plenty of lucrative opportunities and fun!”

When you encounter obstacles or problems, see them as opportunities to learn, grow and strengthen yourself. Perception is 99% of the game! If you simply work on shifting the way you look at the experiences in your life, you can easily conquer your negative thought habits.

The more you focus on changing your perspective to emphasize the positive, the more you’ll empower yourself to create better circumstances in your life at work, at home and in general.

Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying better and more frequent opportunities and attracting other like-minded, successful people to connect with.

Making Wise Decisions

Posted on December 5, 2011 by The EQ Educator

Have you ever felt nervous about making a decision that could affect the rest of your life? Your career? A relationship? Sometimes even seemingly minor decisions can send you into a fit of anxiety when you begin thinking of all the things that could go wrong.

It’s fairly common for people to vacillate back and forth between several choices, whether they are related to career, money, business opportunities, or even relationships. How do you know which choice is the best one for you in any given situation? Sometimes the best choice is obvious, but at other times they all seem to hold a glimmer of possibility – and the threat of regret.

The good news is that making wise decisions is a matter of weighing the potential pros and cons of every available outcome. Below you’ll find a simple 3-step process to help you make wise decisions no matter what part of your life they may affect.

1) What Do You Stand to Gain?

When you’ve got more than one option to choose from, a great first question to ask of each one is, “What do I stand to gain from choosing this option?” If the rewards are big, you might be willing to withstand a bit of risk in order to benefit from the opportunity. Conversely, if the payoff would be small, you might not feel so confident about taking a chance right now.

2) What Do You Stand to Lose?

The next question to ask is, “What do I stand to lose if this option doesn’t work out?” No one likes to think of the negatives in a potential opportunity, but you could save yourself a lot of heartache with a bit of foresight! If your losses will be huge with a particular option, you might decide to hold off for a while to see if the odds improve over time.

3) What’s the Worst Thing that Could Happen?

Finally, take it one step further and ask, “What is the worst thing that could happen if I choose this option and would I be willing to accept those consequences?” It may seem like a very pessimistic question, but it’s extremely effective at clarifying the situation! If you couldn’t handle the consequences of making such a choice, then you know immediately that it’s not the right choice for you at this time. If, on the other hand, the consequences wouldn’t be so bad, you know it’s a viable option for you.

What do you do if all of your options hold the same potential rewards and consequences? Go with your gut! Take a few minutes to think carefully about each possibility, and then choose the one you feel strongest about.

When it comes right down to it, there are no guarantees in decision-making. You simply weigh the pros and cons, listen to your intuition, and do the best you can. In the end, there really isn’t any such thing as a “bad” decision, because you do learn something from each one you make – I hope. If you keep that in mind you should grow more confident with each choice you make, which will help you make even better decisions in the future.

As you move forward, making wise decisions as an educator, parent, spouse or friend will be a daily event. Before making any decision, seriously consider the above three questions to make the wisest decision that you possibly can.

What decisions do you have to or will make today?