DaveShearon

GRIT in Schools

I got an email recently from a elementary school principal I work with about his school focusing on Grit. Attached to the email were materials that one of his staff had provided to the school's teachers - posters, worksheets, etc. Their were 11 attachments, some with multiple quotes on them. Only two mentioned passion. One was Angela Duckworth's definition of Grit: "passion and perseverance for very long-term goals." The other was a quote the internet attributes to Abraham Lincoln (I could not confirm): "Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want the most." Other than that, everything focused on hard work, perseverance, etc.

Passion: I'd suggest emphasizing with teachers the passion component of Grit. (Grit is very similar to a construct developed and studied by Robert Vallerand called "Harmonious Passion.") Without emphasizing passion, it's easy to turn Grit into "Eat your peas," or, perhaps even better for schools, "Do your homework!" Passion is the "why" of effort. Vallerand defines passion as follows:

Passion is a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity (object, person, belief) that we:

• Love
• Value
• Invest time and energy in

A lot of what I see in schools about Grit can be boiled down to "Work hard at the work I give you even if you don't really care about it." That's not Grit. A true Grit focus would help students discover their passion and then consider how working in school could be a step towards that passion.Once connected, then the hard work of focusing on boring or difficult practice becomes something one just does because... Love.

You can't teach passion. You can help students discover theirs, then pursue it. Angie Duckworth writes about engaging with activities for at least two years in high school just as a way to discover what it means to work hard at something over and extended period. She believes this helps students learn to recognize areas of passion where they are willing to work that hard over time.

Obviously, younger students may not yet be sure of their passions (or, they may think they are, then change later). That's ok. They can still explore passion, interest, and sustained effort.

Character Strengths: Passions are often going to align with Character Strengths. My strengths (Curiosity, Love of Learning, Judgment) have made it easy for me to sustain efforts to gain and use new knowledge over my lifetime. Those with different sets of strengths might have found such a focus uncomfortable and unfulfilling and have chosen, instead, to focus on something else: developing relationships, mentoring others, leadership, a sustained focus on improving one skill, etc.

Connecting School to Passions: For those whose passion isn't school, the fact still remains that they have to go and, in today's world, they have to achieve some level of success. Connecting school to those passions can help. For example, my older son became passionate about baseball in the second grade. Very early on, I told him that, if he wanted to play baseball, he would have to keep up with his homework and that I wasn't going to do it for him. He'd either keep his grades up or he wouldn't play. He knew I wasn't kidding; I didn't really care that much about him playing baseball anyway - when he first started, I didn't even like the game! And he did. Never had to oversee whether he was getting his work done. (Later on, when he was in high school and I wanted to push him to work harder, he reminded me of that, said he was taking care of it, and to leave him alone!)

Gabrielle Oettingen in Re-Thinking Positive Thinking tells a similar story about a little girl who's dearest wish was to be a dancer. But, when she thought about what might keep her from achieving this wish, she said that she wouldn't finish school:

“What will prevent you from finishing school?”
“I’m not good enough at schoolwork.”
“Why aren’t you good enough?”
“Because I don’t get good grades in English or math.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Because I don’t do my homework.”
“Why don’t you do your homework?”
“Because I watch TV in the afternoon.”
We now had the obstacle—too much television watching in the afternoon. Now it was a simple matter to come up with an if-then plan. “If I start watching TV in the afternoon, then I will switch it off and do my homework instead.” If we had started with “doing more homework” as the wish, the child wouldn’t have become engaged in the exercise.

Oettingen, Gabriele. Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation (Kindle Locations 2399-2408). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Those teaching Grit should consider what they have been and are Gritty about. What are they passionate about? Looking at their day-by-day efforts over the last six months, what would an observer conclude are the very-long-term goals they are working toward?

Hope this helps.

"Trump Didn't Kill the Bush Values"

Today's WSJ, 12/6/2018, column by Daniel Henninger, contains this sentence:

"Those Bush values are definable in words such as temperance, self-restraint, plain-speaking, honesty, duty, forbearance, humility, prudence, courage."

He also writes:

"Most of the Bush values can be found on any list of what are called—or used to be called—virtues."

I can locate all but one of these in the VIA Character Strengths. Temperance is the virtue category that includes Forgiveness, Humility, Prudence, and Self-Regulation. Self regulation seems to be the same as Self-Regulation. Plain-speaking and honesty both are part of the Character Strength of Authenticity. Humility, Prudence, and Courage are all named Character Strengths in the VIA Classification. So, that only leaves "duty" and "forbearance."  I'm inclined to see "forbearance" as much like "self-restraint", especially since it can be grouped in Mr. Henninger's sentence with humility and prudence, and thus be just a return to the virtue of Temperance. But, I know that the grouping of the strengths into virtue categories is not empirical. Thus, looking at the first quoted sentence above again, it seems to me that duty defines the difference in this list of values for a very public figure from other lists composed by those considering a broader set of roles for individuals. I need to think more about where, if at all, duty fits in the VIA classification. "Duty" does not even appear in the index to Character Strengths and Virtues.In the MAPP program, we had to write a paper on our candidate for the 25th Character Strength. (Chris Peterson's candidate was "Patience.") Maybe "duty" is another candidate?

Duty does find a better home in Haidt's Moral Foundations framework, where it would appear to be an interaction of the Loyalty and Heirarchy foundations. And, since Henninger was writing favorably about a conservative politician and his family, this makes sense because conservatives value these foundations almost equally with the Harm and Fairness foundations. Liberals prioritize Harm and Fairness and discount Loyalty, Heirarchy, and Sanctity. In fact, come to think of it, the Sanctity foundation may well play into "duty" also.

All in all, I think this suggests a hole in the VIA classification. (Which, I'm pretty sure Chris Peterson would have been ok with. He never claimed it was "finished." In fact, he's the one who assigned the "25th Strength" paper!) I've also seen this same indication of a whole when trying to align the VIA classification of Character Strengths with Schwartz' Theory of Universal Human Values. I can fit most of the values domains, but I don't find a good match to the values contained in the Power category (and, congruent with Schwartz' theory, the matches become better as you move away from Power in either direction around the circumplex.

Appreciative Stance

I've come to think of gratitude, strengths, optimism, Appreciative Inquiry, high quality connections and more as parts of what seems to be an appreciative stance toward life. The practice on regularly noting these moments goes by many names. The Army calls it "Hunt the Good Stuff". Marty Seligman used "Count Your Blessings". With lawyers, I call it "Right-Spotting" (to contrast to "issue spotting")

Rich Gardner, Jr. in his column "Count Your Blessings" in today's Wall Street Journal, talks about this. (BTW, getting to sit and read the complimentary copy of the WSJ at my Fairfield Inn's free breakfast while I'm stranded in NYC until tomorrow after my flight home yesterday was cancelled could be on my list tonight!) He describes his family's habit of going around the car after a trip away and talking about the best part of the trip. Sometimes, they even take multiple turns. He notes that this habit attunes one to notice and store up the good times, an effect others of us have noticed when we follow a regular pattern of recording what goes right in our lives. Enjoy the article!

Springpad vs. Evernote: Promises vs. Ecosystem

I've been experimenting with Springpad and Evernote. I've actually used Springpad in a limited way for several years. I especially like using it for products - I have a folder for books and another for wines that is shared with family members. I love the ability to scan a bar code and (90% of the time) add the product, with reviews, links to purchases, price  comparisons, etc. Very nice. I've also used it for a travel checklist and a few other items. But, not a major effort with it.

I've looked at Evernote several times, but never been hooked. However, due to my colleague Larry Richard's recommendation, I've taken another look. And, over the holidays, I've  played with both and done some looking at reviews and blogposts about each.

Springpad's Promise

I started off leaning to Springpad, partly because I was already familiar with it, partly because Evernote just didn't make as much sense to me intuitively, and partly just because I like to try out the newer and less-used product. As I dug in, I thought I was really going to like Springpad. First, you can look at items within a folder - notes, products, etc. - in a number of views and sorted different ways. And this includes a free-form "pinboard" sort of view that lets you move things around. LOVE this for organizing ideas!

Also, Springpad claimed the ability to sync with Google Calendar, so I could handle appointments, engagements, events, and so forth as items within Springpad and the see them automatically on my Google Calendar. I thought this might let me do a better job about keeping all information about an event in one place, so I liked this. Unfortunately, it turns out this capacity does not work and an inquiry to Springpad support revealed that they intend to remove it from the feature list. The more I think about it, the more I agree with them. I can keep info about an event in either Springpad or Evernote without any real need to link it to the calendar entry - and both are readily available on my Android phone.

Springpad - the Bad

As I played with Springpad, however, I quickly realized that having lots of folders would become unwieldy because Springpad does not allow for putting folders within folders. Evernote does - it calls them "stacks."

Evernote - the Ecosystem

So, slightly disappointed with Springpad, I discovered two products for Evernote. They're part of the Evernote "ecosystem" - products built to work with Evernote due to its huge user base. The first, Mohiomap turns your Evenote data into "maps" that remind me of those produced by The Brain (another product I've played with but which has never hooked me. I like Mindmaps (even took my notes for the MAPP program in them), so this hooked me. Then I found CardDesk! It gives all the "pinboard" capability of Springpad (and maybe more - haven't finished playing with it). Suddenly, most of the advantage I thought I had seen in Springpad disappeared. Both of these products just worked, right out of the gate. And, I'm interested in experimenting more with some of the Evernote ecosystem products, perhaps by connecting up Expensify, Evernote, and Freshbooks.

Evernote - the Functionality of Stacks

Finally, as I began to dump more and more notes into each, I began to see the need for more organization, and Evernote's "stacks" gave me that. 

So, what will I use?

Well, like some others (1, 2), I'll likely use both, but I'm going to lean to Evernote for notes about ideas, documents I've created. Springpad will likely be my goto for structured data - products, checklists, etc. and for coordinating with family and friends. It is "friendlier" on first contact and folks are often sold just by seeing the barcode scan feature one time. And, in sharing information about projects with my wife (vacations, for example), the Pinterest like visual nature can be very helpful since she is more familiar with that product and not nearly as in to learning new apps as I am.

As always, your mileage may differ!

 

A Response to Jordan Furlong

In a post at Law21, Jordan Furlong claims that no one wants to ask whether Mandatory Continuing Legal Education programs work, i.e, that they improve attorney competence. He suggests there is no evidence. There is. But MCLE organizations do need to pay more attention to the evidence.

Evidence for the effectiveness of MCLE: New York Study of CPE for Accountants

New York implemented mandatory CPE for accountants in the mid-90s and the state legislature required a study of effectiveness as part of that implementation. The study was run by Arden Grotelueschen, PhD, University of Illinois who was, at the time, the leading exert in the world on continuing adult professional education. They spent a half million dollars and concluded:

1. Mandatory programs increase partcipation in continuing education, and
2. Increased participation in continuing education correlates with increased knowledge.

So, what those of us who have been involved in MCLE for decades have always assumed - that attending CLE programs would increase lawyer knowledge levels - turns out to be validated. Who wants to argue some state or province should repeat this study just to show the same in law?

(As far as I can tell, the technical reports from this work aren't online anywhere, but I've got a scanned copy. Email me, dave.shearon at thrivinglawyers.org, and I'll send you the file.)

Evidence for the effectiveness of MCLE: Lawyer Response

Jordan also suggests asking lawyers about MCLE. Again, it's been done. Repeatedly. In multiple states. Over more than a decade. And the results are always the same: overwhelmingly positive responses indicating they approve of MCLE, they think it is making them a better lawyer, and they think it is making others a better lawyer. This data is online: Mandatory CLE Survey Analysis.

But, the competence criticism has some validity.

I agree with Jordan about the lack of purpose statements for MCLE programs. Basically, the writers of the Rules for the first programs back in the 80s appear to have assumed purpose was self-evident, and later drafters copied. However, after 24 years of leading an MCLE program, I can tell you that, in practice, the purpose evidenced by the behaviors of many state MCLE programs does not appear tightly focused on competence.  Many (most?) don't approve the type of training most needed to improve competence.

First, lack of knowledge of the substantive law is not the cause of most instances of poor lawyering. In a Tennessee survey, only about 16% of lawyers picked that as the primary cause. A whopping 84% went with either lack of law practice management skills or lack of commitment, energy and engagement with the law. See: "Causes of Poor Lawyering". As a result of its study in this area (and, yes, at my urging), Tennessee changed it's regulations on MCLE accreditation to specifically approve both personal coaching in defined formats (a change that has not seen much use) AND adopted Regulation 5H.2 that provides:

2. Dual credit will also be granted to programs or topics: 

a) designed to sustain or increase the capacity of attorneys to strive for and to achieve the highest, aspirational levels of professionalism, including programs aimed at increasing attorney well-being, optimism, resilience, relationship skills, and energy and engagement in their practices, 
b) designed to help lawyers re-connect with, strengthen, and apply their values, strengths of character, and sense of purpose toward achieving outstanding professionalism, 
c) designed to protect lawyers or help them recover from the deleterious effects on professionalism of stress, substance abuse, and poor staff, financial, or time management, or
d) designed to support the development of organizational cultures within firms, law departments, and legal agencies that recognize, support, and encourage outstanding professionalism.

Dual credit means credit that counts for either the Ethics/Professsionalism or the General requirement - it's the most valuable type of credit for compliance.

 

In addition, Tennessee has now undertaken an experiment in acccrediting mentoring (voluntary) for CLE, and the approach requires substantial training for mentors around the powerful negative impact of law school on the motivation and well-being of law students, the aspects of that impact that continue and are reinforced in practice, and key skills and practices that can re-build, maintain, and enhance levels of commitment, energy and engagement that lead not only to satisfaction in the practice, but also to the highest levels of professionalism and client service.

So, MCLE works to build knowledge, but many MCLE jurisdictions should not only accredit programs focused on helping lawyers engage better with their practices, peers anc clients, they should encourage the provision and participation in such programs through explicit approval language and no-limits accreditation.

 

Forever Young

I recently read Steve Jobs biography. Very interesting in many ways. He was a huge Bob Dylan fan. Which made it interesting when Pandora served up "Forever Young", apparently written as a blessing for a child after Dylan became a father.I can imagine thinking that in my 30s with young children. Not so much today as they are young adults. Glad to see what they have become and more aware of my own mortality. And, yet, there's Bob Seeger singing this song with a children's choir at 91. 

Anyway, Karen Reivich hooked me on videos of versions of great songs by great artists. Here's Bob, and The Band (who recorded with him), and Bob Seeger.  So, enjoy. Which is your favorite?

 

 

Great Week Ahead

When you find something you love, do more of it. I love training the skills that help folks bounce back and bounce forward, whether it's with the Army, with teachers using Smart Strengths, or with my fellow lawyers. This week, I get two opportunities! First focusing on strengths in a CLE program sponsored by the Memphis Bar Association on Thursday, then in a joint program with Candice Reed that we are putting on here in Nashville on Friday!  Even with the pressure of finishing up materials and the anxiety of trying out some new approaches, I am excited. I love it. which tells me I need to do more of this in the new year. Roger. Wilco!

A Christmas Song for Albert Ellis

I've just finished reading Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: It Works for Me - It Can Work for You by Albert Ellis, one of the founders (he'd say THE founder) of cognitive behavioral therapy. Dr. Ellis is recognized as one of the sources for the work on resilience I'm involved in and I wanted to know a bit more about him and his work. Wow! Interesting guy! The book's an easy read and engaging read even if you know nothing about REBT, cognitive psychology, etc. The stories of Dr. Ellis' life were intriguing and engagingly told, and the book does open a window, at least, into the power of deep patterns in our thinking - the beliefs about the world and our place in it - the shoulds and musts. 

Anyway, I know it is a bit weird to connect a Christmas song with a man who was a practicing Jew as a child and a  "probalistic atheist" from 13 on, but this song (1) seems to capture some of REBT, (2) was written by a great guy whom I used to go to church with, Kyle Matthews, and (3) is one of my very favorites.  Hope you enjoy:

 

Scoops of Ice Cream

I'm starting to dip my toe into the market for a new laptop (tablet?).  I use several programs that are best available on Windows (Mindmanager for one).  So, I'm

reading reviews.  Love great language.  This from Wired:

"Microsoft has stuck to the Windows Way. For over a decade, it’s been serving
scoops of vanilla to compete with Apple’s waffle cones of mint chocolate chip
with rainbow sprinkles."

 

 

Photo by ElizabethHudy, Flickr

 

 

 

 

Smartphones, Mindfulness, the Masters & Intelligence

"Navigating a No-Phone Zone" by Jason Gay in the Wall Street Journal for Friday, April 6, (http://j.mp/I4bNqJ) provides a great window into the experience of the gallery at the Masters with its "no phones" policy.  That's as in no phones.  They'll escort you out if you use one.  Wow.  And, cool!  Mr. Gay describes the experience as "oddly satisfying."  He says that fans "look at things - with their eyes.  They solve questions - by asking nearby human beings.  They come up with clever comments and somehow survive without offering them to the world in 140 characters."  Love that last bit!  He goes on to talk about having to make plans (meet under the big tree at 2 pm) and then having to stick to them!  And he points out that, because they weren't looking at their phones, spectators got to watch, really watch, the event.  They didn't miss key moments, or fail to make interesting observations from seemingly mundane moments, because they were too busy texting, tweeting, typing, or touching (the screen - not a person!).

This strikes me as a policy that promotes mindfulness.  Right now, my personal working definition of mindfulness is: sustained, continuously re-focused non-judgmental attention to what is.  In other words, it involves paying attention to some aspect of reality (one's breath is a frequent focus,  but the Masters should work!) and continuously re-focusing on that reality when the mind wanders.  Some Masters fans may be more non-judgmental than others: noticing the heat of the sun rather than constantly assessing whether it is "too hot" or even complaining about it.  This sounds somewhat naive and detached from reality when I write it - as if being "real" requires being "judgmental" - but that's not my experience when I practice mindfulness.  It also doesn't seem to be the result for highly-experienced practitioners.  Rather, they seem more able to deal with the world as it is and less caught up in dealing with the world as they think it "ought" to be.  (The next book I'm looking forward to reading in this area is The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live--and How You Can Change Them by Richard Davidson.)

However, as someone who loves me my smartphone, and because of my interest in education, I want to give a brief nod to an alternative view: smartphones actually make us smarter.  David Perkins in Smart Schools talks about what he calls "person-plus" intelligence. (Book note: http://j.mp/Im4nts.)  This simply means that your  ability to understand and contribute is greater if you have access to tools and
repositories of information that you have mastered, and the same for me and everyone else.  As an incredible tool to augment our intelligence, is it any wonder we're "addicted" to our smartphones.  The trick, as with any tool, is becoming a skilled master of its use.  Right time, right place, right manner.

So, mindfulness?  Yes.  Person-plus intelligence?  Yes.  It ain't easy being modern.  But it is a lot of fun!