The Bill Snyder way.  Like it or not, it works.  His way turned around the worst program in college football and resurrected it after he retired and came back to coach again.  And his way has stood the test of time.  It works.  Like Madeline Hunter's lesson plan design or AA's 12 Step Program... it is time tested and there is data to validate the claims.

I've spent the last several weeks reading and viewing everything I can about Bill Snyder and the success K-State football is enjoying right now. Right off the bat I should admit that I bleed purple.  K-State purple.  I have a letter jacket and a class ring because I played softball for K-State back in the day.  I have loved my Wildcats for many, many years.  Are there greater fans who give more money and are more vocal?  Definitely.  But there isn't anyone who loves the "K-State way" more than I do.  OK.  Let's put that to rest and focus on what we can learn from the Bill Snyder way of doing things.

People are in awe of K-State's current success and recent resurgence, and many have jumped on this bandwagon.  In a world full of fast technology and new ways of doing familiar things, Coach Snyder has found a way to be successful doing what he knows best even with today's kids who have never known what it's like to not have a cell phone or to play music on albums or  tapes.  No one says he hasn't changed his schemes to better utilize his talent or learned to use some of the new technology to scout and recruit, but he still relies on values, skills, and work ethic that are now part of the new Common Core.  We are seeing a resurgence of those work values that Bill Snyder has never abandoned.   He has a plan; he has a successful way of doing it; and he sticks to it.  He models his expectations and he demands accountability by being respectful and true to his beliefs. 

Bill Snyder is no different than other great coaches who have excelled in their field like Pat Summit of Tennessee and the legendary John Wooden of UCLA.  Their expectations, work ethic, and commitment were paralleled by few but admired by all. The only exception to that may be that he's done it with less than 5 star talent, but rather with recruits who have a 5 star work ethic.   

What can we, in education, learn from Coach Snyder?  He is, after all, a teacher first; a a leader of students; and an educator to all of us.

I read an article in my ASCD brief the other day that talked about the way we have gone about implementing Common Core.  The author pointed out that CCSS was essentially given to teachers and schools as the "what" before we gave them the "why" and the "how."  Wouldn't it have been easier to implement if we didn't get the cart before the horse?  I'll bet Bill Snyder doesn't do that.

Coach Snyder has 16 Goals for Success.  What are they, you ask?  To quote from the K-State website:  

The 16 goals form the foundation for success, and create the work ethic and discipline that goes with them. With players and coaches from all backgrounds, having a single set of core values unifies them under one vision. If each adheres to the goals as individuals, then team success will follow.

Snyder believes the 16 goals are not only critical to success on the field, but also in everyday life. Once someone has dedicated themselves to doing things the right way, their chance of success in any field is dramatically increased.

Without the 16 Goals for Success, there is no "why" or "how."  These add meaning to the content of football and give everyone a common place from which to teach and learn.

So what about schools?  How could we use this?  We have many frameworks that would allow us to properly train teachers to implement whatever curricula or strategy we want them to.  But too often, we just say "here it is and make it happen" without setting them up to succeed.  We also have good intentions when we teach students desired content.  But they too need to know "why" and "how" so that the content becomes meaningful and transferable to the real world.  After all, isn't that why we have kids go to school, so they can take what they have learned and use it in their adult lives?  What would happen if we posted and lived by the 16 Goals for Success?  

Let's address a few of these goals:
Commitment:  I think we can all agree, that this is a necessary element for anything to succeed whether it's in a school or in a relationship.  What does it take to be committed?  What happens if this goal is overlooked?

Unselfishness:  We have to be a team to be successful.  No jealousy.  Be willing to share knowledge and ideas and skills.  Not needing the credit, just happy to help.

Unity.  Coming together through thick and thin; helping one another; shouldering the responsibility together; never pointing fingers. Common language and common goals.

Great Effort:  Working hard to improve, to learn, to succeed is a lifetime skill we can all use in every facet of our lives.  No great relationship exists without great effort.  No success is sustained without continued effort.  And it starts with "I".  

Enthusiasm:  Get excited!  Enthusiasm spreads quickly!  Just as the negative attitude is contagious, so is the enthusiasm that one has for a project, the topic, or even the day!  That's one reason K-State exceeds expectations - we are all enthusiastic about our brand - and it shows!  So in school, it is time well spent to get all stakeholders to get on the enthusiasm bandwagon!  Be proud!  Be exited!  Let it show!

Improvement:  This is the last goal I will emphasize because it is the quest to improve that keeps us growing, learning, and moving forward.  As Coach Snyder says nearly every day and in every interview, "We're just trying to get a little bit better everyday."  That sounds like a realistic goal and something each of us can control, whether we're in a game on the field or in the game of life.

So tomorrow, K-State takes on another ranked team. The Big XII title  and a chance at the national title, are on the line.  Talk about high stakes testing!  But their focus will be on improvement, understanding that the winning will take care of itself.  And on Monday, schools everywhere will start their week learning new things, hopefully with the quest in mind that everyone can get better everyday.  Those that have a plan in place to address all aspects of teaching and learning, to provide support for both teachers and students to be successful, and who focus on improvement will succeed.  There are moments and days where we will stumble, but built into our plan is the expectation to get up and try again.  

The Bill Snyder Way.... Racing to the top one step at a time.  It's time we took not just a page from Bill's book on how to produce success, but just implement the whole book!

"Won't Back Down" is a movie based on actual events where a fed up parent and a burned out teacher team up to save a very broken inner city elementary school.  It is inspirational (whether you're an educator or not) and a great reminder of the power of commitment and perseverance. 

I haven't been able to find the actual events that the movie claims it is based on, but I'm sure most of us could cite many examples in our own lives where we ourselves have stood up to the obstacles that littered our path, and the challenges that seemed insurmountable to do what needed to be done.  This movie does show how easy it could be to give up when everyone around you says it can't be done or the bureaucratic red tape makes change as likely as the return of the dinosaurs.  But it also shows how one person can indeed make a difference if they persevere.  "Won't Back Down" is an action movie.  Not the kind of action where cars are crashed and violence erupts, but the kind of action where one person believes and gets a small group of people to band together to work to achieve a common goal... in this case turn around a long-time, failing school...to take hopeless and turn it in to hopeful.

It has been my experience that there are a lot of people out there that I have worked with, gone to church with, watched parent, and observed in the news that have a lot to say - or even complain about - but have a real hard time putting actions to their words.  There's the blame game or the idea that someone else needs to do it.   It's easy to talk about something that needs to be done or needs to be fixed, but it's a whole other ball game to do something constructive to make it happen...in other words, you have to "Walk the Talk."  That mantra puts actions behind the words and takes you from "wanna be" to "git 'er done."

"Be the change you want to see in the world."  Ghandi's famous line moves us to act, first as an individual, if we want to see things accomplished.  Sure there are even greater things that can be accomplished if we get others to join us, but it starts with the person who is willing to take the first step. It's so easy to say "I can't" or to dismiss the ideas of others - "we've done that before" - or to give up when rejected.  We also find ways not to move forward when we think everything has to be perfect before we can start.  We certainly need to do our homework and have a plan, but we can't let the planning get in the way of action.  

When I think about that movie, I also think about being passionate enough about an idea or goal that nothing can deter you from succeeding!  When was the last time you felt that strongly about something or someone?  What would you fight for?  Who would you fight for?  How many times would you get up after being knocked down?  

I walked out of that theater ready to take on the world.  While I don't think any school I'm associated with needs to be taken over, I do think every school I'm associated with has changes that need to be made to make them better.  We can teach better.  We can lead better.  We can communicate better.  We can serve better.  We often talk a good line, but don't follow through.  We have budget cuts that severely limit our ability to provide the best possible learning experience, and legislators and governors who don't truly understand the business of education, and administrators who seem to have forgotten what it is like to teach, but no one can take away our ability to care for each and every student and to give our best effort from the first bell to the last bell everyday.  Sure it's easier when you work for someone who provides you with great support, resources, and keeps morale high.  It's also easier when all the kids are eager to learn and do everything you tell them to do.  But there's no one to blame to not be your best and do your best.  We have to be what we expect our kids to be.  If things aren't going the way we want them, then it is up to each one of us to be the change we want to see... and let it be known with our words AND our actions, that we will walk the talk and we "Won't Back Down!"

So the next time you say to yourself, "someone ought to do something about that," maybe you should consider that someone might ought to be you.

Who is that looking back at you in the mirror?  Or have you even bothered to look? Why is it that we educators often think of reflection as an enemy instead of a friend?

Self reflection is one of the keys to improvement.  Cooks use it; coaches use it; inventors and scientists use it.  This blogger uses it!  We want students to use reflection to improve their learning, so it's important that teachers use it too.  It can easily begin by asking questions that spark our thinking:  What did I learn?  How would I do that differently next time?  What was the best part?  What part was the most difficult?  Why did that happen?  How could I have prevented that from happening?  Or ask yourself, as Dr. Phil would say, "How's that working for you?"

Reflection increases our awareness of our actions and should be a part of our regular routine.  It can be a time to step back and see what we have started, or view what we have set in motion.  It provides us an opportunity to monitor progress, assess the plan we have chosen to use, or evaluate the impact of our actions.  

Reflection gives us the opportunity to view our work with fresh eyes.  Choosing to be self-reflective (or not) can be the difference between good and great.  Those "tweaks" that we apply to our plan, or the edits we make to our proposals, as a result of our reflection, might be the difference in whether we succeed or stumble.

Reflection is more than just what's on the surface.  It requires you to look deeply and examine details, word choice, process, impact, and results.  Reflection requires a closer look along the way, not just at the finish line, so that adjustments can be made which helps us achieve what we set out to accomplish.  

So the next time you look into the mirror, instead of asking the question from Snow White, "Who's the fairest of them all?" choose the Dr. Phil question, "How's that working for you?" and see if it doesn't get you better results!