FocusED Show Notes with Guest Adriana Villavicencio

Dr. Villavicencio decided to write her book because of the discrepancies in education--it can be both a wonderful experience for some students as well as an exclusionary one for others.

She says that we often have great policies that could work, but limitations and pitfalls can provide setbacks that bring us pause, prompting us to abandon them before they stick.

Adriana explains the Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) that was intended to decrease achievement gaps for students of color, particularly black and brown boys.

The ESI was implemented in 40 public high schools. She described some of what worked, including mentorships--both peer-to-peer and adult-to-peer.

One thing that mattered a lot was setting high academic goals and having high expectations for all students.

The curriculum was important in the project as well--advanced coursework, scaffolding, etc.

Adriana said that the school leader is critical and that the ESI strategies worked better in schools where the leader was strong and put teachers in charge.

She tells us that a loud minority can derail productive innovation. Adriana said that leaders ought to expect resistance to change. She offers two strategies: 1. Being persistent with the vision (a written statement of the north star) is critical. 2. Where leaders have the latitude to pick their team, they’ve been more effective.

Adriana discussed internal and external challenges to change, including media, boards, unions, and political divisions. She wants to study these challenges even further.

Dr. Villavicencio says that one of the biggest problems with educating young black and brown students is the deficit mindset that exists in schools. The stories that we tell shape our interactions, assumptions, and expectations.

Adriana says that much of the way we learn as children is the same way we learn as older pupils and adults.

She calls for mini-action research projects in schools to study ways that we might solve our problems of practice.

Adriana describes some of her reading habits; she likes to read widely and outside of education.

She ends with a quote “the personal is the professional and the professional is the personal.”

She has a call to action that we should challenge ourselves and our own assumptions about teaching and learning. Don’t let the fact that you can’t change everyone prevent you from doing the work to make the changes that you can.

Books We Recommend Based on this Podcast with Adriana Villavicencio

Mindset by Carol Dweck

Grit by Angela Duckworth

Lifelong Kindergarten by Mitchel Resnik

Weird Ideas that Work by Robert Sutton

Managing the Unexpectedby Carl Weick and Kathleen Sutcliffe

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Vicky Essebag

Vicky starts by defining “relationspaces” as the way that we bring ourselves to the spaces where we develop relationships.

Vicky tells us that we have preconceived notions about how we’re communicating and sometimes it’s effective and other times it’s not.

Vicky gives us an example of where our communication as teachers to students might be landing wrong in a way that only supports more misbehavior.

It’s better to minimize our noticing of the behaviors that are not desirable and maximize our noticing of the desired behaviors.

Solution-Focused is a strength-based approach. And, the future aspect of it asks the question, what does the person want?

Vicky says that success happens in small increments. Change happens gradually. Her advice is to take a few steps back when things aren’t going the way we want them to and then to become more inclusive.

She tells us that relationships have to be the foundation of everything we do and have to be prioritized as important in the minds of every leader.

Vicky explains that Solution-Focused has a premise that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it; if it’s working, don’t change it; and if something is wrong, do something about it.”

Don’t miss what she says about future-oriented types of questions.

Vicky talked about a scenario and exercise that she did with students who were refusing to come to school, and they built hypothetical machines to help bring them back to school.

She talks about her own growth and a program she’s in right now to gain a certification that she wants for more international credibility.

Vicky says that the most important part about commuting with others is our presence.

We asked Vicky to give us some techniques for asking questions. She says that the best questions are open-ended and up to the person being asked to provide their answer versus searching for the right ones.

If we can inspire people with hope, why not. ~ Vicky Essebag

This is Episode 77 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Nason Lollar; Joe and TJ interview Nason about educator professional conduct, human resources, managing and sustaining a positive culture, school leadership…and so much more.