My day with Dr. Todd Whitaker

Who would have thought that one day I am referencing the work of  Dr. Todd Whitaker on my Week 2 assignment and the next day I am listening to him, learning from him, and talking one on one with him at a PLC retreat sponsored by my district.  This man has such a passion for what he does.  Here are a few things that really stood out to me today.

1.   Three behaviors that should never take place:      
           *    Never Argue    *   Never Yell    *   Never use Sarcasm

2.   He said that when dealing with teachers, students, parents, or stake holders, "It is OK to be afraid, just  don't act afraid."

3.   "Do not correct misbehavior.  Teach behavior"  Often times children don't understand why they get in  trouble because their behavior is accepted at home.  As educators, rather than yell at students, teach them the correct behavior.

4.   He talked about leaders knowing how they come across to other people.  They should be able to relate to everyone in the school, not just the teachers.

5.  He left us with this thought.  Use emotion to get people to make change.  Logic will not overcome emotion.

I had the pleasure of listening to him for six hours.  Yes, six hours.  How does one person talk for six hours and sustain the attention of his audience?  Dr. Whitaker was a true leader.  He had us reflect on our leadership style.  Reflect on changes we want to make in our school.  We talked about the steps to make these changes.  He truly captivated us and motivated us to get the year started out just right for our school.

On a side note: He and I thought it was pretty cool that I was quoting him in my homework the night before.