Day Three: Part One

Group One - Led by our coach John, I had the best of times with my group mates. We are a bunch of dedicated educators who are passionate about what we do. I wrote to John: "Thank you for being the best for the world, and being the best in the world." John made it happen.

(Left to right)

Top - Me, Annie, John, Gilbert, Nestor

Middle - Steve, Barb, Noreen, Christine, Jana

Bottom - Tricia, Ingrid, Patricia, Carolyn, Lisa

Day Two: Part Two

During our break, I had an excellent open conversation with my roommate Mr. C. We shared a lot of perspectives and values despite our different backgrounds. The afternoon session introduced these three concepts:

1. "Yes, and..." Avoid using the ubiquitous "but". "Yes, but..." is really a "No, but...". Don't be sarcastic - it's like taking someone's flesh. Creating distraction from the negative.
2. "Go Big!" Going big does not mean being loud. Confidence balanced with respect. Be a possibility advocate. Be the best for the world, not the best in the world. (my favorite)
3. "Total Support" No criticism without creation. Welcome the devil's advocate. Ask: "What's my contribution to others' efforts?"

After dinner, I shared a meaningful conversation with two other teachers. Jeremy, a 17 year veteran from Missouri, talked about his experiences in Japan. Another was Christine, an enthusiastic first year teacher from San Diego, she talked about her experiences in Spain. And I shared my experiences and perspectives from Hong Kong and England. We had so much in common!

Day Two: Part One

Day Two of the training continues to be phenomenal. We went over logistics, but also got involved in many activities. The most enjoyable parts are the reflections of the purposes of these activities. I'm learning so much!

• Build relationships during orientation, it's not at all a registration.
• Take them out of the comfort zone to build confidence.
• Good programs grow - watch the enrollment/applicant number.
• You never stop being who you are during an activity/game.
• Don't A-S-K, don't G-E-T.
• Link Crew is not a rehabilitation program.
• Good observations lead to good questions.
• Fun is about everyone. Funny is about you, and usually at someone else's expense.
• Less is more.
• Slow down to go fast.
• Experiences don't teach, the reflections do.

I spoke to one of the Link coaches about my observation (that I'm the only Asian here). Granted, it's a tough questions for him. It's sensitive and really not by his choosing. He was honest and said someone else mentioned that it is a "very white" conference. His answer was: schools will send who they send. I'm actually perfectly okay with that. It was beyond his role, and ultimately, it is the schools who chose the trainees.

Day One: Orientation

The photo shows the golf course that I jogged around this morning. Immediately after breakfast at 8 am, the simulation of the LINK CREW orientation began. We went through the big group intro, small group activities, as well as pair-sharing. I've taken in so much, yet I'm still yearning for more. We did many interactive modeling. Though I've never been a fan of educator role play, I found today's modeling to be meaningful and practical. Some random ideas that I picked up today:

• Purpose creates energy
• Structure creates behavior
• The 3 E's: Energy, Enthusiasm, Excitement
• We are too left-brain focused according to Daniel Pink's "A Whole New Mind" (3 A's: Asia-regarding outsourcing, Automation, and Abundance)
• We must sometimes destruct before construct
• "We didn't just say it, we made it be." Shane Koyczan - Slam Poet
• Protect the leaders' space
• Prevention over intervention
• Decrease anxiety and anonymity (Mr. C. added apathy) to increase connection and energy
• Bullet points exist in the head, not in the heart

One observation: the trainees here don't represent our student population. As far as I see, I'm the only Asian, and there are no more than five blacks.

Meet & Greet

I checked into my scenic room at 5pm. When Mr. C. arrived, we headed to dinner and met a few other high school teachers. Of course, we talked a lot about education. We were all pretty excited about this training. The food, as advertised, was fantastic. At 8pm, we met the coordinators of the training, who were all very upbeat and enthusiastic. They said that they strive to make this the best professional development experience for us. I feel like the way I did when I first arrived to Pembroke College in Cambridge during the summer of 2004.

Gifted students

Here's a neat article from L.A. Times on the search for gifted students. I have observed that our system spends substantially more time, effort, and money on interventions for the underachieved compared to the gifted. That's not fair.

To Temecula

I head for Temecula Creek Inn this afternoon for a three day Link Crew Training. All previous attendees tell me that this is an amazing training. Like all other participants who are looking forward to gaining something from this training, I additionally look forward to leaving something behind. I can't wait for the day when my energy and peace of mind as a teacher is restored.

Friday afternoon

After a long school week, I was really looking forward to playing some badminton with the kids. To our disappointment, the gym was set up for a Mariachi concert. Standing outside the gym, I offered the kids and Coach Aldo to join me to order the end-of-season awards before grabbing a bite. I took Louie, Mayra, Elida, and Melissa, while Aldo took Sam in our cars and headed to J & J's Trophy on Foothill. I placed the order for the plaques. Then, the seven of us went to eat pizza at Costco. We joked and laughed the afternoon away...

No badminton, but simple good times nonetheless.

Go Kemp Go!

I met Coach Kemp when I was a freshman at West Covina High School. Him and his mom, Mrs. Wells, became the biggest influences of my high school years and beyond. I played all four years of badminton for Kemp. It coincidentally were the only four years that he coached at WCHS. He coached me to be the best player that I can be. We lost in the CIF badminton semis during our last two years. Tonight, he coached the Diamond Bar badminton team to the finals! They'll face a great team in Mark Keppel on Saturday. No matter what happens, Coach Kemp is the best coach ever. I wish him the best of luck.

Motivation

A colleague commented on Facebook in regards to the students' motivation on taking standardized tests. She questioned if incentives really help. According expert Dan Pink, only intrinsic motivation improves performance. It relies on Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.

Video from TED.com

All Done

The badminton season ended tonight. We lost 6-15 to a very good Cypress team in the quarter finals. While I'm proud of our players, I have a long way to go as a coach. Aside from badminton skills, I need to teach our players good sportsmanship, teamwork, and competitiveness. I am grateful for the help from Coach Kilmer and Coach Aldo. Now, I still need to schedule and plan for our banquets and awards.

Cuts Hurt

According to the SGV Tribute article, twenty-one teachers have received "pink slips" in our district this year. Let's hope that they will get re-hired. I got a "pink slip" in 2009, which was later rescinded.

Badminton Comic

Mrs. Coulter, my administrator for Saturday morning classes, gave me this timely comic.

(See also: GoComic.com)

Why a "College Going Culture"?

My school strives to create a "College Going Culture". One of my favorite bloggers Seth Godin wrote a post on the melt-down in higher education. Here are his five points:

1) Most colleges are organized to give an average education to average students.

2) College has gotten expensive far faster than wages have gone up.

3) The definition of 'best' is under siege.

4) The correlation between a typical college degree and success is suspect.

5) Accreditation isn't the solution, it's the problem.

Some of these concerns also applies to the high school level.

(Image from Corbis Images)

Friendship

My school's secretary to the principal decided to leave. Lorrie was my best friend at work. She had my back since day one. She was the first staff I spoke to when I first visited the school. We promised to stay in touch. As a colleague, I cannot afford losing her support. But as a friend, I want her to be happy at her work.