The power to move boulders

There was a great article I found online today. Scientists revealed the process by which rocks, some weighing up to 700 pounds, seemingly moved of their own accord and slid across a flat stretch of   desert in Death Valley National Park. I don't want to spoil the science behind how the rocks move. Take a look at the article to learn more.

Racetrack Playa researcher Richard Norris standing by a trail likely formed more than a decade before this December 16, 2012 photo. Trails can last for years or decades between events. Photo from Richard Norris courtesy of Scripps Oceanography (original caption that accompanied the photograph on GrindTV.com)


What I'd like to highlight in this week's post, though, is the patience that the scientists brought to this experiment. They were prepared for it to take a decade or more to gather conclusive evidence. Luckily for them it took only a few years.

Most educators who come to CalWest are seeking a position immediately, or for the coming school year. We make a concerted effort to help everyone who becomes a candidate, and often times we are successful in placing them within a span of weeks or months. Sometimes it takes longer, though, for any number of reasons. In those situations, we often counsel people to be patient. They may need to stay in their current job for another year or two before switching, or take a job outside of teaching if they are not currently in a school.

Easier said than done, perhaps, but often there are factors beyond a person's control that impact the job search. What is within a person's control, however, is what they do to develop themselves professionally and personally. Every day it's worth spending a few minutes (or more) reading, thinking, planning, networking and making progress towards goals you set for yourself.

At some point an exciting career opportunity will present itself, and you will be ready. What are you reading right now in terms of books, blogs, newspapers, or other media to grow your potential?

Fleisch

PS If you are currently working at an independent school, please consider attending CalWest's Emerging Leaders Program on October 22nd. School administrators can nominate 1 or 2 people from their school, so if you are interested please share the website information with them.

Road Trip - Check out Indianapolis!

Recently I drove across the country with my daughter and our dog. One of her favorite books in recent months has been John Green's The Fault in Our Stars   or TFIOS, as the movie/book is referred to by its many fans. I had heard about the book but never read it. When it became clear our road trip would take us right through Indianapolis, where TFIOS is set, I needed to get up to speed quickly. We downloaded the audiobook on iTunes. Its nearly 8 hour length sped by as we covered parts of Kansas, Missouri and Illinois.

Here’s a picture of my daughter enjoying the Funky Bones sculpture, the scene of a picnic in the book.  Funky Bones is located at the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. 

Here's an aerial view of Funky Bones plus some other angles. 

And when you visit, please check out Kim Beck's Notice: Flock of Signs.

Both works of art are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

This December NAIS is hosting the annual People of Color Conference (PoCC)  in Indianapolis. If you’ll be attending please make sure to find time to pop over and visit these outdoor sculptures!!

Fleisch

The power of a Venn Diagram (mission + alignment = success)

Yesterday marked the 180th birthday of John Venn. Google did a fantastic animated doodle to celebrate and illustrate the concept. See it here. Peter Gow a few weeks ago wrote an interesting blog piece about mission statements at independent schools in which he used a Venn Diagram. You can click here to see Peter's post. Playing around with the Venn Diagram illustration that Google created and reading Peter Gow's post got me thinking about some of the work that CalWest does matching candidates.

The beauty of independent schools is that they adhere to a mission and vision that is particular to that school and its constituents. For example, a teacher who excels in a project-based learning environment of one school might flounder in another context. Part of our work at CalWest is to help candidates understand the nuances of different schools' mission statements, and to support candidates as they identify elements they desire from a school's mission. Figuring out the qualities that a school wants, and that a candidate offers, offers similarities to constructing a Venn Diagram.

Sometimes it is obvious to educators that they are a good fit, or not. But often times it's not clear because the teacher may feel that he/she is able to easily adapt to any setting. The missing ingredient is often alignment with the school's mission. While a teacher can undoubtedly teach in a variety of settings, it takes alignment with the school's mission to increase the odds of being successful. Getting excited to come to work everyday, pouring oneself into the job and knowing that you are making a difference is so much easier when you identify with what the school is doing, and why it's doing it. As you look at school websites, please pay close attention to their mission statements. They contain valuable clues as to whether you could be happy working there.

Seen any compelling school mission statements recently? What drew you to them? How does your life look like as a Venn Diagram when you think about the degree of alignment between your personal goals and the mission/purpose of your current employer?

Fleisch

P.S. Looking to grow professionally in your current position? Currently working at an independent school? If you answered yes to both, please check out the CalWest Emerging Leaders program. We're accepting nominations from independent schools now. We hope you'll consider it!