Rocking the Boat
Task Zero: Review
It was interesting reading Rocking the Boat, hearing the stories from individuals on how they perceived outside threats to their personal beliefs/core values. Although I cannot relate to many of their specific stories, I could definitely relate to their dilemmas on trying to work within a system that caused them to feel very uncomfortable and work for change.
As I read the book, I could definitely feel for the individuals who felt helpless at times. I could identify with their frustration, sometimes rage, and genuine need for making sweeping changes in a large organization. It was good to hear their success stories: starting from feeling some personal attack and tugs at their conscience to finding a sympathetic ear and gaining support from one or more of their colleagues.
The author had done a great deal of research through interviewing workers at two different companies. There were also situations from universities and non-for-profit organizations which were addressed. Because I work in a very diverse school (racially, economically, religiously, and socially) and grew up overseas, I feel I have a great sensitivity for other people. While reading, I kept thinking that I would hope that if my colleagues had been interviewed for this book, they would have felt that their working environment would be portrayed in a good light, with fewer sources of discontent and many more avenues in which they would feel empowered to work for change, where they saw necessary.
I resonated with much of the book in the need to work slowly for change. Norms that are deeply rooted in organizations take a long time to change. Support for change needs to reach a wide audience for implementation to take place. There needs to be a critical mass that is willing to work towards solutions and it can take a long time for trust among people to be nurtured.
It was interesting reading Rocking the Boat, hearing the stories from individuals on how they perceived outside threats to their personal beliefs/core values. Although I cannot relate to many of their specific stories, I could definitely relate to their dilemmas on trying to work within a system that caused them to feel very uncomfortable and work for change.
As I read the book, I could definitely feel for the individuals who felt helpless at times. I could identify with their frustration, sometimes rage, and genuine need for making sweeping changes in a large organization. It was good to hear their success stories: starting from feeling some personal attack and tugs at their conscience to finding a sympathetic ear and gaining support from one or more of their colleagues.
The author had done a great deal of research through interviewing workers at two different companies. There were also situations from universities and non-for-profit organizations which were addressed. Because I work in a very diverse school (racially, economically, religiously, and socially) and grew up overseas, I feel I have a great sensitivity for other people. While reading, I kept thinking that I would hope that if my colleagues had been interviewed for this book, they would have felt that their working environment would be portrayed in a good light, with fewer sources of discontent and many more avenues in which they would feel empowered to work for change, where they saw necessary.
I resonated with much of the book in the need to work slowly for change. Norms that are deeply rooted in organizations take a long time to change. Support for change needs to reach a wide audience for implementation to take place. There needs to be a critical mass that is willing to work towards solutions and it can take a long time for trust among people to be nurtured.
Task One: How am I different?
Ms. Meyerson discusses three ways one can be different:
1 – Those who have different social identities from the majority and see those differences as setting them apart and excluding them from the mainstream.
2 – Those who have different social identities and see those differences as merely cultural and not a basis for exclusion.
3 – Those who have not cultural but philosophical differences, which conflict with the prevailing values, beliefs, and agendas operating in their organizations.
(the author defines social identity as how a person defines his or her “self” as a member of a larger enduring social group based on, say, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion)
Every author has the ability to define terms. I think these are good definitions for the book as written and the author gives examples of situations arising from each. Since I grew up overseas, work in a very diverse school, have worked in 3 schools, and have worked with people of varying belief systems for almost 30 years, I feel I can identify with many of the situations that are mentioned in the book. I believe there are many overlaps of the three differences – people from the same culture/ethnicity differing in beliefs/world/religious views.
For me personally, I identify mostly with being different philosophically. This is the closest definition I can align to. I don’t feel I have major differences socially or culturally but I feel differences arise from my family background and upbringing. My parents worked in Africa for over 40 years and I spent 13 years there myself.
I don’t feel excluded from the mainstream. I do not feel alienated or very different from by colleagues for the most part. I have always had a deep rooted sense of fairness. As a chair, I try to push for equity in the math department, both in resources and in the selection of what courses teachers teach.
Ms. Meyerson discusses three ways one can be different:
1 – Those who have different social identities from the majority and see those differences as setting them apart and excluding them from the mainstream.
2 – Those who have different social identities and see those differences as merely cultural and not a basis for exclusion.
3 – Those who have not cultural but philosophical differences, which conflict with the prevailing values, beliefs, and agendas operating in their organizations.
(the author defines social identity as how a person defines his or her “self” as a member of a larger enduring social group based on, say, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion)
Every author has the ability to define terms. I think these are good definitions for the book as written and the author gives examples of situations arising from each. Since I grew up overseas, work in a very diverse school, have worked in 3 schools, and have worked with people of varying belief systems for almost 30 years, I feel I can identify with many of the situations that are mentioned in the book. I believe there are many overlaps of the three differences – people from the same culture/ethnicity differing in beliefs/world/religious views.
For me personally, I identify mostly with being different philosophically. This is the closest definition I can align to. I don’t feel I have major differences socially or culturally but I feel differences arise from my family background and upbringing. My parents worked in Africa for over 40 years and I spent 13 years there myself.
I don’t feel excluded from the mainstream. I do not feel alienated or very different from by colleagues for the most part. I have always had a deep rooted sense of fairness. As a chair, I try to push for equity in the math department, both in resources and in the selection of what courses teachers teach.
Task Two: Becoming a Tempered Radical
There are a few specific quotes I want to mention from the book in this task.
1. It is crucial not to confuse the pace and visibility of change efforts with their cumulative impact.
2. Tempered radicals in my research consistently pointed to the quality of their relationships with immediate supervisors.
3. Leaders can reduce perceived power differences by
(a) directly seeking input that communicates the importance of everyone’s ideas,
(b) demonstrating humility by admitting to their own mistakes, and
(c) accepting errors, deviations, and failures.
4. Tempered radicals set themselves apart by successfully navigating a middle ground.
Statements from the continuum:
Resisting quietly and staying true to one’s self
Turning personal threats into opportunities
Broadening the impact through negotiation
Leveraging small wins
Organizing collective action
As a teacher and department chair I believe I actually fall into all of these categories at certain times. When there are things I hear at meetings I disagree with, I sometimes sit quietly and contemplate how to respond. At other times, I will voice my concerns/disagreements immediately. My father sat on many committees in various circles. When he was on his church council, he made it a practice to never bring up an issue without first running it by the pastor beforehand. I conveyed this idea to my principal when she first started. I told her I would not bring up something at the LSC without talking to her about it first. That way, she will not be blindsided by something I might bring up. When someone says something that affects me deeply, I will talk to that person later in private. I generally avoid discussing controversial topics in emails because it is difficult to read a person’s affect/tone of voice in emails.
I realize that it is sometimes much better to lose a battle and win the war (leveraging small wins). People never like to be embarrassed and when they are cornered, will often lash out. Much more is accomplished when you sit down face to face when miscommunications have occurred. I see myself as a leader in my school since I have been there a long time (23 years) and since I am the department chair. Years of experience do not necessarily mean a good thing. I often am reminded of my father saying, “Some people have been doing the same thing wrong for 30 years and call it experience.” He also used to tell me “let no one despise your youth.” (from the New Testament - the Apostle Paul).
Organizing collective action is necessary when there is too much of “top down” initiatives. I often think of good principals as good coaches. Coaches cannot win or lose games. They can only put their players in positions where they can be successful. Principals really cannot turn around schools but they can empower teachers to do their best work.
As a chair, I really try to use the principles in quote No. 3 above. Really great things to constantly keep in mind.
There are a few specific quotes I want to mention from the book in this task.
1. It is crucial not to confuse the pace and visibility of change efforts with their cumulative impact.
2. Tempered radicals in my research consistently pointed to the quality of their relationships with immediate supervisors.
3. Leaders can reduce perceived power differences by
(a) directly seeking input that communicates the importance of everyone’s ideas,
(b) demonstrating humility by admitting to their own mistakes, and
(c) accepting errors, deviations, and failures.
4. Tempered radicals set themselves apart by successfully navigating a middle ground.
Statements from the continuum:
Resisting quietly and staying true to one’s self
Turning personal threats into opportunities
Broadening the impact through negotiation
Leveraging small wins
Organizing collective action
As a teacher and department chair I believe I actually fall into all of these categories at certain times. When there are things I hear at meetings I disagree with, I sometimes sit quietly and contemplate how to respond. At other times, I will voice my concerns/disagreements immediately. My father sat on many committees in various circles. When he was on his church council, he made it a practice to never bring up an issue without first running it by the pastor beforehand. I conveyed this idea to my principal when she first started. I told her I would not bring up something at the LSC without talking to her about it first. That way, she will not be blindsided by something I might bring up. When someone says something that affects me deeply, I will talk to that person later in private. I generally avoid discussing controversial topics in emails because it is difficult to read a person’s affect/tone of voice in emails.
I realize that it is sometimes much better to lose a battle and win the war (leveraging small wins). People never like to be embarrassed and when they are cornered, will often lash out. Much more is accomplished when you sit down face to face when miscommunications have occurred. I see myself as a leader in my school since I have been there a long time (23 years) and since I am the department chair. Years of experience do not necessarily mean a good thing. I often am reminded of my father saying, “Some people have been doing the same thing wrong for 30 years and call it experience.” He also used to tell me “let no one despise your youth.” (from the New Testament - the Apostle Paul).
Organizing collective action is necessary when there is too much of “top down” initiatives. I often think of good principals as good coaches. Coaches cannot win or lose games. They can only put their players in positions where they can be successful. Principals really cannot turn around schools but they can empower teachers to do their best work.
As a chair, I really try to use the principles in quote No. 3 above. Really great things to constantly keep in mind.
Task Three: Facing Challenges
The difficulties of ambivalence, the incremental lures of co-optation, potential damage to their reputation, and frustration and burnout.
Considering these difficulties, I can most identify with frustration and burnout. In a system that is SO large, there can be a huge disconnect with policies at the highest level and what actually happens in the classroom. For me to be an effective teacher and effective leader among my colleagues, I have to constantly focus on evaluating what I do every period of every day. I have to keep the things that are working, evaluate the things that are not working and change them if necessary. In terms of burnout, I think back to when I was a soccer coach. Near the end of each season, in the day to day grind, I would think that season would be my last. When the season was finally over, I would be exhausted. Then, by the time the next season would roll around, I would get a renewed sense of purpose and excitement. That went on for about 20 years. I finally did have to quit coaching at the school because my children were getting older and I needed to spend more time with them.
As a teacher, burnout can be a battle unless you constantly evaluate your techniques – always trying to do something a little different, a little better. A colleague once told me that Michael Jordan used to choose one part of his game to improve on in the offseason. This idea of constantly getting better can help avoid burnout. In my department, I feel we have a great balance of young teachers and veterans. I feel we have a very strong department in that we share resources, ideas, try new things, and are quick to say we are all still learning. We are trying to keep up with changes in technology and new teaching methods.
I am often frustrated by students who do not work hard. I get frustrated by the constant change in leadership in CPS. Every other year or so there is someone new in charge who is spearheading some new initiative. Sometimes I have to fight my cynical side that what I do does not matter. I have enjoyed mentoring student teachers and have had a student observer first semester and will have another one in a few weeks. It is always fun to be involved with people stepping into the teacher career. It reminds me of the need to rethink and redo my techniques.
There are three things I thought of when reading the book and continue to process what it means to be a tempered radical. I believe they all have something to say about what is worth fighting for and the fight itself.
1. I have heard that people who are trained to identify counterfeit bills never study counterfeit bills. They only study the true bills. In this way, they can spot counterfeits immediately. We need to really know what we believe in before we can know what needs to be fought against.
2. “There are many angles in which you can fall, but only one angle in which you can stand straight.”
G. K. Chesterton
3. I had heard a story about a US ambassador and a Chinese ambassador at a state function. The US ambassador was trying to strike up a conversation with the Chinese ambassador and asked “What do you think about the results of the French Revolution?” The Chinese ambassador waited a bit and then responded by saying “It’s much too soon to tell.” I love this story because it really drives home the idea that change really takes time. It takes time to figure out if there is a problem, what it is, how to fix it, and who you need to help you. There really are no quick fixes to large issues in school systems.
The difficulties of ambivalence, the incremental lures of co-optation, potential damage to their reputation, and frustration and burnout.
Considering these difficulties, I can most identify with frustration and burnout. In a system that is SO large, there can be a huge disconnect with policies at the highest level and what actually happens in the classroom. For me to be an effective teacher and effective leader among my colleagues, I have to constantly focus on evaluating what I do every period of every day. I have to keep the things that are working, evaluate the things that are not working and change them if necessary. In terms of burnout, I think back to when I was a soccer coach. Near the end of each season, in the day to day grind, I would think that season would be my last. When the season was finally over, I would be exhausted. Then, by the time the next season would roll around, I would get a renewed sense of purpose and excitement. That went on for about 20 years. I finally did have to quit coaching at the school because my children were getting older and I needed to spend more time with them.
As a teacher, burnout can be a battle unless you constantly evaluate your techniques – always trying to do something a little different, a little better. A colleague once told me that Michael Jordan used to choose one part of his game to improve on in the offseason. This idea of constantly getting better can help avoid burnout. In my department, I feel we have a great balance of young teachers and veterans. I feel we have a very strong department in that we share resources, ideas, try new things, and are quick to say we are all still learning. We are trying to keep up with changes in technology and new teaching methods.
I am often frustrated by students who do not work hard. I get frustrated by the constant change in leadership in CPS. Every other year or so there is someone new in charge who is spearheading some new initiative. Sometimes I have to fight my cynical side that what I do does not matter. I have enjoyed mentoring student teachers and have had a student observer first semester and will have another one in a few weeks. It is always fun to be involved with people stepping into the teacher career. It reminds me of the need to rethink and redo my techniques.
There are three things I thought of when reading the book and continue to process what it means to be a tempered radical. I believe they all have something to say about what is worth fighting for and the fight itself.
1. I have heard that people who are trained to identify counterfeit bills never study counterfeit bills. They only study the true bills. In this way, they can spot counterfeits immediately. We need to really know what we believe in before we can know what needs to be fought against.
2. “There are many angles in which you can fall, but only one angle in which you can stand straight.”
G. K. Chesterton
3. I had heard a story about a US ambassador and a Chinese ambassador at a state function. The US ambassador was trying to strike up a conversation with the Chinese ambassador and asked “What do you think about the results of the French Revolution?” The Chinese ambassador waited a bit and then responded by saying “It’s much too soon to tell.” I love this story because it really drives home the idea that change really takes time. It takes time to figure out if there is a problem, what it is, how to fix it, and who you need to help you. There really are no quick fixes to large issues in school systems.