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I believe statement

I believe that each student has the capacity to be more. It is our responsibility as educators to stretch each student to understand their individual potential. We must allow students to learn how to fail and use these teachable moments as snapshots in teaching students how to grow both intellectually and emotionally from these teachable moments. In order to have these results, we as educators must create an environment that promotes the willingness to instill risk taking. To do this we must be confident as educators to take risks ourselves both in and outside the classroom in order to serve as models for our students.

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Guiding Beliefs as an Educator

1)  People come first. If we take care of people good things will happen

2) Not everything that is faced can be changed until its faced

3) Students need tools that go beyond enabling them to pass examinations; they need strategies for understanding the culture that examines them

4) I believe that I can make a difference in the lives of students, faculty and the community. I believe that WE can make a difference in the lives of every student that we serve

5) Excellent teaching is at the heart of an excellent school

6) Excellent teachers are inventors of high quality work,engage their students in active meaningful ways, and always seek to improve their craft

7) Its okay not to know, but its never okay to stop learning

8) There is no quick fix, hard work is needed to solve the issues of today and tomorrow

9)  A culture that values efficacy is a culture that is successful

10) No one can do this alone – we must seek partnerships at every oppotunity

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Personal Statement

My desire to become an educational leader was sparked over thirty years ago when I was a student at Princeton Day School.  It was during my formative years of adolescence that I first understood that independent schools are about creating “a climate of possibility.”  While I was not the Valedictorian of my class, Princeton Day School supplied me with the belief that that within each and every person lies the opportunity to realize their potential. Here, I understood that the communities that embrace risk taking, value the benefits of missteps, and teach how to gain strength in overcoming obstacles truly model “the climate of possibility.”

The path that I have taken as an educational leader has been deliberate in embracing this mindset. During my early years as an educator at Hampton Roads Academy where I taught both Upper and Middle School students, coached varsity soccer, served as an admission associate, class dean and later a department chair at twenty-five, the core tenants of trust, compassion, stability and hope were values that I worked on modeling to the individuals with whom I interacted within our community. No matter if the message was displayed on the soccer field, in the classroom, or while working with members of the community at large, I believed that these four core values helped create a culture that believed in the possible.

Having worked ardently to develop my ever-growing skill set as an educator, I stretched myself by taking a position as an Assistant Head of School at a Proprietary School, only to discover that I did not fully understand the challenges of leadership.  As with any journey in leadership, missteps sometimes occur, but this only serves to help underscore the true value of missteps, those moments we so often try to disavow.  Barely thirty years old and already having achieved success as an educator, coach and department chair, I learned that the success within the classroom at times does not translate to success as administrator. To lead effectively, one must understand themselves first before leading others.  I became intentional about understanding the role of an educational leader on how one must be on the dance floor while also being up on the balcony. After attending the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute, I returned first as part the Institute’s Scholars program and then as a full-time faculty member. My ongoing work with GCLI has allowed me to teach independent school leaders that educational leaders must embrace being comfortable with the uncomfortable; that the obstacles that rise up during our journeys are opportunities that teach us how to become stronger educational leaders; that in order to lead others a leader needs to understand their strengths as well as their blind spots. And finally to understand that leadership is a teachable skill that both adults and students can learn.

In order to develop an open mindset among adults and students, an educational leader needs to model the need for continual growth. Professional Development has helped me to live the model and always try to be more.  Whether I was gaining a Master’s in Education to become a stronger classroom teacher / department chair at Hampton Roads Academy, returning to graduate school after ten years in order to gain a deeper understanding of leadership by receiving a second degree from the University of Virginia to help create a Leadership Program at the Highland School, or gaining a certificate from the University of Richmond on Fundraising and Development, I continue to work to help others grow by first stretching myself. I have been fortunate to create opportunities for my professional growth as an educational leader, and I recognize that the growth of a leader is determined by the growth of their students. My recent presentations on leadership have focused upon ways to enact cultural change by developing a growth mindset towards educational practices. As Head of Middle School at Fredericksburg Academy I look to empower the faculty to take risks and pursue various opportunities for growth and development. By taking this step to actively develop a stronger pedagogical skill set, both educators and their students benefit, and the school’s culture reflects our desire to challenge adults and students alike to become their best selves. 

Ultimately I believe that it is our responsibility as educators to stretch each student to understand their potential. We must allow students to learn how to fail and use these teachable moments as snapshots to teach students how to grow both intellectually and emotionally. Therefore, we as educators must create an environment that promotes a willingness to take risks, knowing that sometimes the outcome will be failure. To do this we must be confident as educators in taking risks ourselves both in and outside the classroom in order to serve as models for our students. When students are inspired to try and allowed a safe environment in which to fail, it is clear that they will gain a better sense of who they are and what they value in themselves and others.

This educational vision requires a community of individuals who want to be with young people and who see their job as an opportunity to create and guide young people towards embracing a climate of the possible. Whether that person is a teacher or an administrator they must understand the commitment needed to develop a culture that focuses on the positive opportunities that are in front of us and celebrates the willingness, and courage, to try.  The greatest impacts made by leaders are made by the ones that are active. As an educational leader I must be active in defining the vision that embraces the possible while serving as a worthy role model for faculty, staff, parents, and students alike.  Being an active leader within a community requires collaboration.  By creating a collaborative culture and believing that it is the human capacity that makes independent schools unique, schools become buildings of hope that allow our students to build on upon their dreams and make them bigger.

As my family turns our sights towards new opportunities , we look forward to finding a school community that embraces the climate of possibility that has defined our experience in independent schools.

Blaze

0 notes

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The Pace and Cadence of Productive Struggle

 Robert Franz June 13, 2024Leadership Lab, Leadership Programs, Pedagogy Of Leadership®, Student Leadership

by Robert Franz, Head of Upper School, Tampa Prep in Tampa, FL

It’s the time of the year in schools when surprises come in bunches. The saying that things that come in threes does not hold true. They come in waves. 

As I approach the head of school’s office, a knot forms in my stomach, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. I know that within those walls, a different kind of challenge awaits – one that demands not just quick thinking, but deep reflection and thoughtful consideration.

With a deep breath, I knock on the door and step inside, ready to confront the productive struggle that lies ahead. Our conversation begins with the normal “formalities.” An agenda is passed to him to look over. 

As he begins, my mind stays distracted with thoughts of how are we handling Generative AI? Which students are in academic jeopardy? Did I schedule classroom observations? How can we tweak AP placement? Then as if it were a bad scene out of a comedy, my thoughts are interrupted with a gentle “Robert, did you get that?”. 

I had been watching his mouth move, but did not hear anything he said. I am honest and look at him sheepishly. I answer with, “I have no clue what you just said to me over the past 10 minutes.” He smiles and simply says, “Pace and cadence.” 

The phrase resonates within me, stirring a deep sense of introspection. It serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of embracing the productive struggle inherent in leadership. Leading is not merely about finding quick solutions to complex problems; it’s about navigating challenges with patience, perseverance, and thoughtfulness. This idea asks us to consistently understand how to solve a problem that we do not understand, and it’s expected that we get a result. Instead of seeking the quick, simple, correct solution, we must have the understanding and perseverance to slow down and think of flexible answers while keeping at bay the expectation for an expedient answer from our community. 

Each bi-monthly meeting with my head unveils a new layer of the productive struggle of leadership. As he poses probing questions in a scaffolded manner, I’m forced to confront the issues head-on, delving deep into the heart of the matter to find meaningful solutions. His guidance is not about providing easy answers but rather empowering me to navigate the complexities with wisdom and insight. I hear phrases in my head: “What can you learn from this experience?” “Slow down and think deep rather than thinking fast and shallow.” “Don’t worry about looking smart but be wise by pausing in your thoughts.”

The banter continues and my mind becomes focused on the direction his words are leading me. In these moments, I find myself toggling between the Heifetzian vision of being on the balcony and the dance floor, adapting my approach to meet the demands of each situation, which I learned from gcLi. 

Heifetz’s concept of “the Balcony and the Dance Floor”offers a profound metaphor for understanding leadership dynamics, particularly in complex and adaptive environments. This framework encourages leaders to adopt two distinct perspectives: that of the balcony, where they gain a broader, more strategic view of the situation, and that of the dance floor, where they engage directly with the day-to-day challenges and interactions of leadership.

Slipping between these two distinctive perspectives as a leader is a true productive struggle. It’s within these “sweet spot” moments of conversation that concepts such as Heifetz’s are discussed and further allow me to truly grasp the essence of leading as learning. The discomfort of grappling with uncertainty becomes a catalyst for growth, pushing me to expand my horizons and challenge my assumptions.

Like a master teacher, the head of school’s head pauses with his advice, allowing me the space to wrestle with the issues independently. His guidance is not about providing a quick fix but rather fostering a deeper understanding of the process. Together, we navigate the whirlwind of daily challenges, pausing to reflect and learn from each experience.

I understand how these questions force me to slow down and embrace the uncomfortableness of an issue. By embracing the productive struggle, we see profound implications on shaping the way to approach decision-making, problem-solving, and organizational change. As I process my thoughts, I begin to focus on concepts such as cultivating a mindset of curiosity, humility, and resilience, moreover, understanding that productive struggle encourages leaders to adopt a reflective stance, invite feedback, and embrace failure as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

I remind myself that it is here within discomfort that we learn best and need to embrace these feelings as we ask our students to do every day. His assistance is aimed at allowing me to understand the process needed to gain an end product. He continues to say, “As school leaders our Pace and Cadence is sometimes accelerated by the whirlwind of issues we are faced with every day, and sometimes we turn away rather than turning towards the productive struggle that brings those bunches of threes to your desk. We must have the strength to pause and be reflective during times of problems of three and act wisely before trying to act quickly on issues of concern.” 

This comment stirs my thoughts. I need to take time to pause, ponder, and reflect on experiences. What worked well? What could have been done differently?

As our conversation winds down and the demands of the day beckon, a sense of clarity washes over me. Leading is not just about managing tasks or making decisions; it’s about embracing the journey of continual learning, reflection, and growth. And with each step forward, I am reminded of the profound truth that leading is indeed learning, a journey filled with endless possibilities and boundless opportunities for growth. 

These meetings help recenter my thoughts by allowing both of us to have a bubble in time to hit pause on the outside noise and allow for a learning opportunity to be unearthed.

“Robert, did you get that?” 

I pause, look into his eyes, do my best to keep a straight face, and say, “Pace and Cadence.” 

Laughter fills the room, and as I walk out of his office, I embrace the productive struggle that awaits, knowing that each challenge is an opportunity for growth and transformation.

—

Robert Franz’s broad experiences in independent schools have ranged from the classroom to administration. He has served as a Department Chair, Global Studies Director, Middle School Division Director, Assistant Head of School and is currently an Upper School Division Director. Through each experience Robert has been intentional on focusing on how the pedagogy of leadership can be implemented within programming both in and out of the classroom. Robert continues to promote best practices of leadership development by presenting at annual conferences at NAIS, VAIS and FCIS. Robert attended gcLi in 2008 and helped initiate gcLi’s scholar program in 2011, then continued to work with gcLi as a faculty member as well as part of gcLi’s marketing committee.

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gcLi : 180 degrees south

 Robert Franz January 17, 2020Leadership Programs, Pedagogy Of Leadership®, Student Leadership

Robert Franz, LL’08, gcLi Scholar, LL’11, Former gcLi Director of Social Media, US History Teacher, Berkeley Preparatory School (FL)

“The best journeys answer questions that in the beginning you didn’t even think to ask.” Jeff Johnson

Each day I enter the classroom and turn to the whiteboard to write down the dreaded rotating schedule that we all face. In this moment of stillness, my thoughts move to how I can best reach my students today. What is the “zinger” I can use to pull them in to understand negative and positive externalities? Are they really going to grasp the comparison between the confluence of modernity and traditionalism during the 1920’s? I smile and the first phrases written on top of everything else are Whitespace, Neurosculpting , Hugging the Monster. 

My high school students always ask about these acronyms, particularly ‘hugging the monster.’ I try to explain but I just see Dr. Deak laughing at me in my thoughts. I had no intention of being back in the classroom at this point of my life. My trajectory was always about what’s next and how can I get there. Varsity Coach at 24, Department Chair at 25, Class Dean at 26, Assistant Head of School at 32, Director of Leadership Studies and Global Studies at 35, Middle School Head at 40. I was always looking to take this next step, collecting titles to prove to myself that I was succeeding. It became stuck in my head that the higher your title, the stronger your leadership role. Even when I drove into Fountain Valley School as a participant at gcLi in 2008, my thought was on how to create a new program that would not only help kids but prove my value as a leader. The Pedagogy of Leadership® shared at gcLi taught me how to facilitate others’ leadership but I still burned the candle at both ends, looking to help others while still helping myself. 

Several years after that first gcLi summer – and married with two young boys – I became Head of Middle School, but in truth, I spent my time from 7 AM till 7:30 PM being a dean, counselor, secretary, history teacher, health teacher, and assistant lacrosse coach. I did a lot but really did not do anything well, particularly being a husband and father. Then I watched the documentary 180 Degrees South that centered on Jeff Johnson’s journey to Patagonia where he met Yvon Chounirad and Doug Tompkins. During one scene Yvon turns to Doug and says: 

“The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life, it’s so easy to make it complex. What is important is to lead an examined life because most of the damage caused by humans is unintentional. I think in response to the people saying, ‘You can’t go back,’ and I say, ‘Well what happens when you get to the edge of the cliff, do you take one step forward or do a 180 degree turn and take one step forward?’ Which way are you going? Which way is progress? The solution to many of the world’s problems may be to turn around and take a forward step. You can’t just keep trying to make a flawed system work.” 

It was that moment. Several slow rewinds later, the thought was stuck in my head. This endless cycle of moving forward, grasping at titles, always looking for the next step took me away from what I cared about the most: the education of children. The mission of gcLi is Educating Teachers to Teach Leadership to Students; where better to do this work and have the greatest impact but within the classroom? Where is it better to have those teachable leadership moments and understand that it’s okay to take a pause within the classroom to handle an unplanned event? Where is it better to teach methods in helping a student who is redlining, or planning each class with an I-P-O in mind or making the kids do the work in order to help them understand missteps? 

I had forgotten these core tenets. Fortunately, my leadership journey of missteps led me to take that 180 degree turn forward into the classroom again. I hold the door and greet my students for their 8:00 AM class and wonder did they have breakfast, did they sleep enough, doesn’t the science state that classes should not start till after 9:00, where is their water bottle? I smile and think that twelve years ago, I thought leadership was about titles, accomplishments, and degrees but realize now that the heavy lifting of leadership that gcLi taught me is accomplished in those everyday, ordinary, lollipop moments found by taking a step forward back into the laboratory named the classroom. 

Robert Franz believes that each student has the capacity to be more. “It is our responsibility as educators to stretch each student to understand their individual potential. We must allow students to learn how to fail and use these teachable moments as snapshots in teaching students how to grow both intellectually and emotionally from these teachable moments. In order to have these results, we as educators must create an environment that promotes the willingness to instill risk taking. To do this we must be confident as educators to take risks ourselves both in and outside the classroom in order to serve as models for our students.”  He is currently inspiring his US history students at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, FL. 

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Why teach leadership ?

How do you teach Leadership?

  Imagine being giving the task to implement a new class that teaches leadership.  My first question was “where do you begin?”  My journey in creating a leadership class for students began with me registering to attend the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute in Colorado Springs and convincing my future wife to take a 10- week road trip with me across the United States.  And so June found us packing my 1998 Honda Accord that had over 160,000 miles on it.  

We knew that when crossing the midwest, books on tape would serve as a savior as we drove flatlands that stretch for miles.  And as we drove across Kansas (for the first time), we happened to listen to a collection of NPR’s “This I Believe” essays.  As I listened to these short personal statements of core belief—some funny, some tragic, some deeply reflective—my mind began crafting the essential question to teaching leadership. My thoughts wandered back to my 9th grade Ancient History with Mr. Bond at Princeton Day School when he taught us about the Oracle of Delphi and the inscription at Delphi: “Know you.“  To be able to express your one core belief in a short essay takes quite a bit of emotional intelligence.

Pondering this connection between “This I Believe” essays and Oracle of Delphi, I pulled into Gardner Carney Leadership Institute held at the Fountain Valley School. To my dismay the institute did not present its participants with a standardized curriculum on how to teach leadership; instead it challenged each individual to craft their own ideas of leadership that would fit their school’s culture. After six days I walked away with the idea that teachers who effectively develop the leadership capacities of young people have three essential skills:

They understand where young people are coming from, based on developmental psychology and brain science

They understand how groups function

They understand themselves

  Every day is filled with opportunities to teach people to act with conscience and courage to make their world better. In the context of school, these “teachable moments” can occur anywhere. At the core of helping teachers and students identify each teachable moment is learning how to utilize emotional intelligence. Leaders need to understand themselves and how to regulate their impact upon others. Leadership teachers need to possess this understanding, so they can model it and impart it to others.

Eight weeks later and 15,000 miles more added onto the Accord we returned home to Virginia. With my journal full of thoughts, my mind filled thoughts from great books and having the ability to talk Mia throughout this journey about teaching leadership, I felt that I had a strong outline to create an active class that focuses on teaching emotional intelligence, group dynamics, and inspires intrinsic motivation to take on the core challenge of the enterprise. After my journey I was able to answer my own question of where to begin in teaching leadership. The answer was simple: it starts with learning how to understand yourself.

            This year eighth grade students have the option to take a Leadership class that focuses upon this concept of understanding themselves in order to lead in whatever path they choose. I welcome anyone within our community to stop in and visit the class and see how emotional intelligence, group dynamics and intrinsic motivation is being taught to students to better help them understand their core beliefs and shape themselves as leaders.