This is a keynote presentation I did for the Newport News schools in Virginia about a month ago. Over 100 district administrators gathered for a three hour breakfast and conversation.

1. A GOOD TEACHER IS LIKE A CANDLE - IT CONSUMES ITSELF TO LIGHT
THE WAY FOR OTHERS.

2. WHAT DOES THIS IMPLY?

3. Today’s objectives:
• Raise overall institutional/personal attention to workplace climate and job
satisfaction
• Explore steps to make this mindfulness affect attitudes, behaviors, policies,
and practices
• Establish positive boundaries and expectations around your own work/life
balance
• Encourage on-going professional dialogue amongst individuals in similar roles
around these issues and alternate ways of thinking

4. Haven’t you accomplished more when
you felt good about coming to work?
Aren’t you spurred on to do greater
things when you know that your
colleagues will respect and be receptive
of your ideas?
Don’t you feel more capable when
everything and everyone around you
support who you are and what you do?

5. NATHAN EKLUND
SEARCH INSTITUTE

6. Why so critical?
There is a growing
consensus among
researchers and educators
that the single most
important factor in
determining student
performance is the quality of
his or her teachers.
– Alliance for Education

7. Why are teachers leaving?
• 40% opportunity for better assignment
• 38% lack of administrative support
• 32% dissatisfaction with work
environment
Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

8. Degrees of intentionality
The school as a place where
students go to learn.

9. Degrees of intentionality
The school as a place where
students go to learn.
The school as a place where
adults go to work.

10. What makes a
good day at
work for you?

11. What makes a
good day at
work for you?
What makes for
a bad day at
work?

12. What makes a
What can SAVE a
good day at
bad day at work?
work for you?
What makes for
a bad day at
work?

13. WHAT WOULD THE IDEAL BE
PROJECT
HOW WOULD YOU CREATE IT?
DATE
3/6/09 CLIENT
HAMPTON SCHOOLS

14. WHAT ARE COMMON
WORKPLACE ISSUES?
• Symptoms versus the disease
• Promising practices within your schools:
• Pick
two: one in which solutions and practices have
emerged and one that remains vexing

15. SYSTEMS
CHANGE

16. SYSTEMS PERSONAL
CHANGE CHANGE

17. Out of our control:
students parents funding
media mandates politics
crises society random events

18. Out of our control:
students parents funding
media mandates politics
As long as we are in
crises
controlrandom events
society
of our
relationships with one
another and in control
of ourselves,
NOTHING IS EVER
COMPLETELY OUT OF
CONTROL.

19. Chaos
Certainty
Easy
Agreement

20. Chaos
Certainty
CREATIVITY
Easy
Agreement

21. Do unto others as you would
have done unto you.

22. Do unto others as you would Be as good to yourself as you
have done unto you. are to others.

23. The reasons you Ways in which you
chose your now operate
present position and behave
Professional goals How you’ve changed the job
Potential influence on others
New challenge
Potential job How the job has changed you
Distance from your own goals
stress and Distance from your self-image
personal
toll
The further the distance, the greater the risk.

25. WE’VE BEEN TOLD THIS BEFORE.

26. That
Daily Where are you in thing called
practice your days? “life”
Social
Laughter circle at
Celebrations Events work
Is that part of you that is the best part of you present
consistently in your days at work?

28. When hungry, eat your rice; when
tired, close your eyes.
Fools may laugh at me, but wise
men will know what I
mean.
–
Lin-Chi

29. Nathan Eklund
nathane@search-institute.org
612.692.5545
www.howwasyourdayatschool.org