A better way

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.
–M. Scott Peck

It seems as if so much of what we want is designed to limit how uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled we are. The commercials on television sell products and procedures to bring comfort, happiness, and fulfillment (at least temporarily). It reminds me of "soma" from Brave New World.

But it is that persistent, undeniable unrest that is so important to forming a life worth living. Poverty has been fertile ground for growing leaders of change. Those who would prefer the status quo would seek to placate those in poverty, those hungry for change. Alcohol, drugs, mindless entertainment, and credit keep things as they are.

I see it elsewhere... a failing school is acceptable as long as the athletic teams are successful, students avoid challenging courses and get the same grades, and tradition trumps progress when progress takes too much effort.

So here's to never being satisfied, to always feeling unsettled, and to always finding a better way.

What does change mean?

In describing today's accelerating changes, the media fire blips of unrelated information at us. Experts bury us under mountains of narrowly specialized monographs. Popular forecasters present lists of unrelated trends, without any model to show us their interconnections or the forces likely to reverse them. As a result, change itself comes to be seen as anarchic, even lunatic.
–Alvin Toffler


This quote, forwarded to me my a dear friend, captures my concern for this new generation of leaders. There is so much isolated information, poured nonstop upon the public, that they are drowning yet thirsty for something more. Context, connection, purpose... we need to make meaning from the bits and bytes.

Education here again could play such a vital role. History provides the backstory, Literature provides context, and Science provides critical analysis of cause and effect... but only when we see the grander purpose in education. Life is a series of choices and consequences - karma's cause and effect. When we teach in isolated bits and bytes, we hide the nature of life. Our ability to change is our greatest strength.

I continue to be amazed at the writing of Paul Hawken in Blessed Unrest. It's a new view of system, of collective action, of forest for the trees. In the end, we cannot wait for others to make sense of it for us, we must be the makers of meaning.

Sunrise

This is the sunrise on the first day of school 2008. It amazes me to look at something like this, my mind begins to spin. A vision like this requires so much. A planet with an atmosphere, which is rare enough, but then saturated with water vapor. Light diffracting through that atmosphere as the speed of each wavelength changes slightly, with blue (short wavelengths) scattering the most... but then our eyes, developing through evolution to sense those small differences in wavelengths... but that same stuff (electromagnetic waves) is what transfers this photo from my iPhone to this website... and yet the car I'm driving in affects that atmosphere and along with the natural factors, increases our global temperature on average because the sun's rays heat up the planet but that heat can't radiate out in the same quantities it used to...

A sunrise. A new day. A new hope.

p.s. we fixed the ozone

Leadership Legacy

This is a short video which captured some of the enthusiasm from the first-ever celebration of the National Student Leadership Week at South Western High School.  Our enduring theme is "Leadership Legacy".  More info here and here.

Trust

So, here I am... falling into the arms of my student council. Honestly, I wasn't feeling this at the start. Basically, I'm a big guy and I know the laws of physics... so the concept of falling off a table at 1am during a lock-in is a bit, perplexing. But the idea is that this is an issue of trust and I truly trusted this group. Eventually, I moved to the table-top and the rest is told in the video...

This is part of what makes teaching such a powerful experience: learning to trust teenagers. Beyond the classroom, beyond the curriculum, there is something critical to the relationship between teachers and students. Teachers are the link between the past and the future, between the status quo and change, between wisdom and hope. Trust is essential to this relationship.

This is for real...

We're preparing for our last PASC board meeting prior to hosting our conference... and none of us can really believe we're here. Our vision for this conference began so long ago when measured by a calendar, but it feels like last week when we were preparing for the bid. This is a true collaborative vision that has been refined over the many months of planning. During that time, I have witnessed such strength in the character of our students and advisors involved with the conference. I get the greatest satisfaction out of a relationship when I can trust someone completely... I have placed my complete trust in these three in the picture. You'd be amazed at how strong they are and how much they have each grown in their own way. Lastly, this conference is about change. We want to change what the experience is about... we want delegates to learn to lead with both heart and head, with both intellect and passion, with both conscience and inspiration. We've added content, switched schedules, raised expectations, shifted responsibilities, and so much more... to produce the change we hope will make a real difference. Tradition and building upon the past are important, but I'm always asking WHY? --- seriously, always asking why? And when the answer doesn't make sense, change is essential. Vision, Character, and Change is a powerful sequence that has gotten us to this point and will serve as the Origin of a journey for 1000 others.

My boys

This was during the 2008 NASC National Student Council Conference when we were invited into the community for dinner and entertainment. South Western was invited to a small but prosperous community to have dinner prepared by the "Holy Smokers". It was an incredibly warm welcome and the food was incredible. Once the tables were cleared, the dancing began. As usual, the South Western crew went to work on having fun and inspiring others to do the same. This picture shows what happens when an advisor sitting off to the side, decides to encourage the boys... she ends up with a special dance, just for her. 

Danc'n

PASC Executive Director

During the 2008 PASC trip to the NASC national conference in Texas, we enjoyed some authentic Tex-Mex food. While there, our Executive Director had his "birthday" recognized. This is actually symbolic of another year of PASC (76 years young).

Texas