Predictable Success...Not Stress!

By Rusty Clifford

This book is not prescriptive.

It is not a recipe or how-to book.

Predictable Success...Not Stress acts as a narrative on impacting, influencing, changing lives, and building powerful futures for you and your students.

It all starts in a Predictable Success Classroom (PSC), which stimulates and empowers an environment and culture of success, not stress. The PSC focuses on the "product" as the end goal. That is, students' success inside the classroom that directly correlates to their success in the world.

Predictable Success...Not Stress hones in on the root issues that devolve our students from achieving their full potential, and equipping educators to stimulate their growth and development.  In a PSC, there is a magnetic force that holds both equal and opposing forces in balance.

The PSC utilizes a construction metaphor, which includes the blueprint, foundation, and framework for a consistently evolving atmosphere. This foundation is grounded in Trusting the Ambiguity and Trusting the Process.

There are seven key attributes and seven puzzle pieces within a PSC.

The purpose of this book is to reveal those key factors to you, and illustrate that the PSC toolbox is not a thing, but a place. The PSC utilizes four tools, or the 4 P's: Preparation, Patience, Perseverance, Partnership, and dives deeper with the why, how, what, and who.

There is never a wrong time to do the right thing with our students. Their success within the classroom will dictate their success in the real world. It is our responsibility to equip them with the necessary tools for a strong future, and guide them through their own style of learning, thinking, and engaging with their environment.

Learn a better way to teach your students and watch them thrive. Pick up a copy of Predictable Success...Not Stress today and start empowering your classroom for tomorrow.

Rusty Clifford holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. He currently serves as the Director of Administration and Operations for the Montgomery County Educational Service Center in Dayton, Ohio.

He's been working in the education field for more than forty-six years. In that time, he's had the privilege to coach and teach Elementary, Middle School, and High School students in the classroom and athletics. His deep understanding of teamwork and equipping students, based on their natural-born talents and gifts, fueled him during his time as the Head Football, Track & Field, and Swimming Coach.  Those collective experiences have led to the development of the Predictable Success Classroom.

Rusty believes we must engage with our students and empower them for their futures. As such, he leads by example as a mentor and asset builder for the Montgomery County Ohio College Promise, a building trainer for the Mentoring Collaborative of Montgomery County, and acted as the facilitator for the Greater Dayton Conference on Youth for seven years.

He won Ohio Superintendent of the Year in 2013, the Frank Perez Leadership Award from the Partnership for Excellence in 2016, the Champion for Youth Award from the Mentoring Collaborative of Montgomery County in 2013, the Excellence in Outside Service Award from Wright State University in 2012, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators Exemplary Leadership Award in 2012, and was inducted into the Kettering Fairmont Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, as a coach.

He currently resides in Bellbrook, Ohio with his wife and spends his time building assets and relationships. You will also find him reading, riding his bike, and working in and enjoying the outdoors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: King of Kings Publishing
• Release date: Jul 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386567271

Book preview

Predictable Success…Not Stress!

Predictable Success…Not Stress!

Preparing Your Students And Yourself For The Future

Rusty Clifford Ph.D.

Copyright © 2018 by Rusty Clifford Ph.D.

Cover design by @kiran (99designs)

Editing & Proofreading by Carole Clifford

Publisher Thrush Productions, LLC.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

To my children Brian, Jennifer, and Elizabeth, and to my grandchildren Grant, Morgan, Logan, Madison, Emma, and Chloe — love you.

Contents

Introduction

1. The Kaleidoscope Effect

2. The Genius of the AND

3. Brain-Based Learners and Teachers

4. Social and Emotional Learners and Teachers

5. Active and Accelerated Learners and Teachers

6. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships

7. Integrated and Innovative Technologies

8. Synergy of Success

9. Coaches and Leaders

10. Make a Difference, Change Lives, Build Futures

References

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

The Law of Timing

You can live each day in a world filled with problems or rise each morning and embrace a world filled with unseen solutions, eager for you to find them. The decision is yours. Both worlds exist. The one you choose is the one you will create. from Michael McMillan's book,

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Pink Bat: Turning Problems Into Solutions

In 1998, John Maxwell wrote his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The book became a NYT, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week bestseller. Those 21 Laws are as relevant today as they were then. I read his book fifteen years ago, and since then, have cited talking points from the Law of Timing hundreds of times.

Maxwell also points out, The law of timing is about when to lead and is as important as what to do and where to go. He goes on to say, When leaders do the right thing, at the right time, success is almost inevitable. People, principles, and processes converge to make an incredible impact.

I firmly believe this. I have seen it in my own life and the lives of those myself, and others, have been privileged to teach or coach over the years. It is incredible what we can achieve when we have the right tools, take the necessary actions required, and persevere.

To paraphrase Maxwell, there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

To go one-step further, the right thing to do now is to create, execute, and perpetuate Predictable Success Classrooms (PSC).

Start With Why

In Simon Sinek's book, Start with Why, he says, Everything we say and everything we do has to prove what we believe.

The why is our driving purpose, cause, or belief. The how is our actions that we take to realize or manifest those beliefs. The what is the results of the actions - everything we say or do.

By setting a clear sense of why, we establish expectations. Starting with the why is what inspires people to act. However, if you have ever watched the greatest influencers in the world, you will soon discover people do not reflect (or buy into) what they do but why they do it.

Our whys require tremendous clarity. It is easy to become sidetracked, discouraged, or distracted. Our hows require extreme discipline. People will try to bring you down. As people, we are prone to self-sabotage. We must hold fast to our own convictions. Lastly, our whats require diligent consistency. A runner does not develop the stamina, endurance, and strength to run a marathon after one day of training. No, they must do it every day. The same goes with our learning and how we engage in our lives. We will also be discussing the who – the why, how, what, who of the Predictable Success Classroom.

As for me, my personal why is, Continuous improvement is an institutionalized habit. It is vital to maintain a teachable and coachable spirit and always seek to get better. As superintendent, I met with all of our students every year. Every time I met with them, I would remind them that when we go to school or work, one of two things happens; 1) we get better, or 2) we get worse.

Then I would follow it up with, And I absolutely, positively guarantee you that we are focused on getting a little bit better every day!

After spending the last forty-five years in K-12 education, there are three things I know for certain; 1) there is no silver bullet in education, 2) remember and regurgitate learning has been replaced with what can you do with what you know?, and 3) learning is our product, and it's also our most important process.

Thomas Friedman says in his book, Thank You for Being Late, So much of the learning will now have to happen long after students have left high school, college, or their parents' home; not in the discipline of a classroom.

The new currency for our students is learning, not cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Stellar, or Cardano. Students need us to instruct them, guide them, support them, and push them to their full potential. One way we can succeed at that is by growing ourselves. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

My Journey

I will share my personal testimony to shed some light on the context and perspective of this book.

My first nineteen years in education was as a teacher and coach. I taught all three levels (elementary, middle, and high school) and coached thirty-three sports seasons. My middle eight years were as a principal, in three different buildings.

My last eighteen years were as a superintendent in just one district, West Carrollton City Schools. West Carrollton City Schools had 3900 students, Pre-K through twelve. Sixty-two percent were free and reduced lunch. Thirty-four percent were minorities. Eighteen percent were special education. Five percent were English language learners. The median household income was $29,000.

Even in the early 2000’s that was just above the poverty line in the United States. Needless to say, education was crucial to these kids' futures and achieving their dreams and goals.

In 1998, I completed my Ph.D. from the University of Dayton in Educational Leadership. The following year, I began as the superintendent at West Carrollton City Schools. There had been seven superintendents before me in the previous five years. If that is not a red flag, I do not know what is, but I stayed true to my mantra: my why.

The school had less than $100,000 in the bank and met zero indicators on the Ohio state report card, which also put us in the lowest category: Academic Emergency. Some of you might be thinking, Why did you stay? You should have gotten out of there!

Remember my why? Continuous improvement is an institutionalized habit.

I will not refute that it was not difficult. It was difficult. There were many times I wondered if what I was doing was the right thing, and whether I should stop and move on like the others. However, my passion is students and teaching. If the teachers, coaches, principals, superintendents, and mentors in my life had given up, what would my life have turned out to be? I can assure you, not what it is today.

Therefore, I pressed on. As you read this book, I will repeat a common phrase trust the process. That is what you must do if you want to succeed at anything in life. You know what you are doing is the right thing, you are following a proven roadmap, and you just have to keep pressing on.

Well, in 2000, we began to embrace and integrate the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, which emphasizes eight-core values: systems perspective, visionary leadership, customer-focused excellence, valuing people, organizational learning and agility, focus on success, managing for innovation and management by fact.

By 2002, we had fully embraced the Baldrige Criteria processes and values, and by 2004, were fully integrated and immersed in the forty developmental assets. In addition, from 2000 to 2017, the Board of Education and the leadership team read twenty-nine books, and another seventy-six that I made into CliffsNotes. One hundred and five books, all of which were shared with staff.

For eighteen years (1999-2017), we had a driven, aligned, and innovative leadership team and a high-performing, caring, and committed staff that focused on three things: what's best for the kids, getting a little bit better every day, and our two gateway assets: self-discipline and grit.

From 2000 to 2016, we permanently passed four operating levies for new money. In 2004, following a 50 page application and rigorous week long site visit, we were recognized by The Partnership for Excellence at the gold level – Achievement of Excellence. After a twelve-year incremental journey, in 2011, we achieved Excellent on the Ohio state report card. After all, of these years as superintendent, I've come to realize that even during our journey of discovery and understanding of what we had the potential to be the very best at; we were creating, designing, building, and implementing Predictable Success Classrooms.

PSC Three Tenants

There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. A Predictable Success Classroom is a combination of three tenants: 1) balance-focus-alignment, seven attributes, and seven puzzle pieces; 2) magnetic force, Trust the Ambiguity, and Trust the Process; and 3) the 4P's; preparation, patience, perseverance, partnership and the why, how, what, who.

This book is not prescriptive. It is not a recipe or how-to book. The PSC does not require the reader to follow a step-by-step method or sequence to achieve success. At the end of each chapter, there is a toolbox that includes key concepts, key vocabulary, and recommended reading.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary is a strand and common thread throughout the Predictable Success Classroom. Vocabulary acquisition and utilization is absolutely critical for student success in school and life. I recommend, posting the Predictable Success Classroom vocabulary throughout the classroom so students and staff have the opportunity to integrate it into their speaking, reading, writing, and listening.

Amy Benjamin and John Crow make the following observations. Vocabulary is the way we acquire, and then access, new knowledge. And it is via vocabulary that we pass it on to others. Vocabulary is not only the stuff of language – it is, arguably, the stuff of thought itself. Vocabulary is at the center of our ability to communicate. It is foundational to all academic achievement.

They also state, Vocabulary can be taught effectively by combining these three elements: 1) integration: students must be given the opportunity to incorporate new words into their existing storehouse of knowledge; 2) repetition: students must be exposed to new words repeatedly, in different modalities (speaking, reading, listening) and in a variety of contexts; and 3) meaningful use: students must be exposed to a word and required to use it in meaningful situations.

Examine, Explore, Learn, Understand

We will examine the seven attributes of a Predictable Success Classroom: Leadership, Strategies, Accountability, Processes, Ownership, Results, and Alignment.

We will explore the seven puzzles pieces to discover and understand how the brain works, how learning happens, how relationships form and evolve, how technologies come into play, how success is integrated and influences our outcomes, and how coaches and leaders guide.

We will learn about the magnetic force at the center of a Predictable Success Classroom; that holds two opposing but equally necessary forces in balance: Trust the Ambiguity and Trust the Process.

We will understand the impact, influence, and integration of a PSC one plus partnership.

One Plus Partnership

I believe it is paramount for teachers and leaders to form a one plus partnership. This partnership is you plus whoever will join and work with you on this Predictable Success Classroom journey. Your one plus partnership will build a plan of action, make a joint commitment, execute the plan, monitor it, and then achieve sustainable results at the team, grade, content, building and/or district levels.

The more interdisciplinary (multifaceted and diversified) the one plus partnership the better. It will be up to your one plus partnership to make a difference, change lives, and build futures. Remember, there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

Essence of Survival

Finally, I want to leave you with a concept of survival. Developing and implementing a PSC is hard work, but worth the effort. You will have challenges, but I want you to think of your PSC journey like the following story.

Each morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. And each morning a lion wakes up and knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a gazelle or a lion, when the sun comes up, you better be running.

Your students deserve a Predictable Success Classroom. Their careers demand a PSC. The future depends on a PSC. You and your one plus partnership can and will make the PSC a reality at your schools. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

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May 2018

Rusty Clifford, Ph.D.

Key Concepts

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The Law of Timing

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Start With Why

One Plus Partnership

The Essence of Survival

Key Vocabulary

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Toolbox (key concepts, key vocabulary, recommended reading), Continuous Improvement, Predictable Success Classroom (PSC)

Recommended Reading

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Start With Why (2009), By Simon Sinek

Thank You For Being Late (2016), By Thomas Friedman

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (1998), By John Maxwell

Predictable Success Classroom Matrix

1

The Kaleidoscope Effect

PSC Blueprint

The matrix of structure, process, and people is interconnected and organic, not fixed, and absolute. The organization's structure and processes are constantly changing and evolving. The people have to work within a vibrant, organic, dynamically changing organization

Les McKeown, author of Predictable Success

Students and teachers in a Predictable Success Classroom (PSC) will work within a vibrant, organic, and dynamically changing classroom. The PSC Matrix is a blueprint for visualizing, from a fifty-thousand-foot vantage point, what the component forces of the PSC are, and how they will potentially interact with, and are interrelated, to each other.

There are four PSC component forces: 1) seven attributes, 2) seven puzzle pieces, 3) Trust the Ambiguity, and 4) Trust the Process, all of which we discuss in more detail in Chapter Two.

At the heart of the PSC Matrix is a magnetic force that holds all four of the component forces in perfect balance. Just as a magnet holds its true north and south in balance, so too, does the PSC Matrix maintain and/or holds its balance.

Kaleidoscope Effect

The four component forces of a PSC interact with one another like a kaleidoscope. Sir David Brewster originally invented the kaleidoscope in 1817. The purpose of the kaleidoscope was to create an infinity of patterns. The patterns in a kaleidoscope are created by the reflections of objects as the kaleidoscope is manipulated.

The word kaleidoscope means beautiful form to see. If you have not ever seen one before, it is quite breathtaking. You never see the exact same pattern more than once.

Imagine that there are four rings to manipulate on the Kaleidoscope. The first (outer) ring is the PSC seven attributes. The second ring is the PSC seven puzzle pieces. The third ring is Trust the Ambiguity. The fourth (inner) ring is Trust the Process.

When you view the PSC Matrix, I want you to imagine that you are gazing through a kaleidoscope. The objects doing the reflecting are the PSC people, processes, and experiences.

As you manipulate the four rings (component forces) of the kaleidoscope, it will be a beautiful form to see. The PSC view has the potential to be quite breathtaking, and you will never see the exact same PSC pattern more than once.

The PSC Matrix Center is a magnified version of the center of the PSC Matrix. This allows you to clearly see what the PSC Matrix Center components are and the interrelationship between Trust the Ambiguity and Trust the Process.

Focus

By manipulating your theoretical PSC Matrix kaleidoscope, we will envision our PSC Matrix component forces as they create and bring an exponential array of patterns into focus. It is vital, that when your one plus partnership is creating, designing, building, and implementing a PSC, that you focus on what you can control, and the kaleidoscope patterns you can control.

There are thousands of moving parts in a PSC every day. Many with the sole intent of distracting you and derailing your productivity and focus.