7th Inning-Give Back

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give".

-Winston Churchill

''Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth.''

-Roberto Clemente

It's unfortunate, but there are very few young baseball players today who even know who the man pictured above is, or what makes his story so compelling.  There are many, many reasons why Roberto Clemente should be revered as one of the most important men to ever don a major league uniform.

Let's start with the fact that he was an absolute star.  In 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Clemente was an all-star 15 times.  During that time, he also won the National League batting title four times, along with an astonishing 12 gold gloves.

Now let's move on to his groundbreaking efforts as a Latino player.  Clemente, a native Puerto Rican, was the first Latino player in Major Leauge Baseball to win the World Series as a starter (1960), win the National Leauge MVP award (1966), and win the World Series MVP award (1971).  In addition to all of this, he served his country as a member of the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1958-1959.

Clemente recorded his 3,000th career hit on September 30, 1972.  His career, and his life, would end soon thereafter.

More than any of the above accomplishments on the field, Roberto Clemente ought to be remembered for his service to those less fortunate.  His career finished with exactly 3,000 hits because on December 23, 1972, the plane which was carrying him to Nicaragua crashed into the Carribean Sea.  In just another of his many philanthropic efforts, Clemente was on his way to help the victims of a massive earthquake that had taken place there.  When he learned that the first few shipments of relief supplies had been intercepted by the corrupt Somoza government, Clemente took it upon himself to personally fly down to the ravaged community and ensure that help was delivered where it was needed.  He literally gave his life to those less fortunate.

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As we strive to develop a more well-rounded student who is prepared to function appropriately in a global workplace, it's important that we, as educators, understand the often underestimated value of community service and service learning in our schools.  Research suggests that service learning isn't just about having an entire school "do something good" for the community to force students into a public relations win for a school district.  The following are just some of the positive effects that a well-structured community service program can provide for a school and its students:

• less stress, more life satisfaction
• that "feel good feeling"
• improved mental health
• development of communication skills
• increased opportunities for at-risk students
• political and civic awareness
• exposure to diversity

In addition, a recent survey of students who participated in community service efforts showed that 82% generally felt more positive feelings about attending school, and another 64% felt that a service learning program would have a large effect on lowering the drop-out rate among high school students.

There are a myriad of reasons for doing so, but the message is clear:  it's time to give back.

Over the last nine years, I've been fortunate to work in a district that whole-heartedly embraces the concept of community service.  Recently, through the efforts of Community Outreach Coordinator Dominic Manola, Leyden students have been exposed to a variety of service projects at every point of the school year, and beyond.

One such project, our St. Baldrick's campaign, is near and dear to my heart.  Seven years ago, Brent Dempsey and myself decided to get West Leyden involved with this charity, whose mission is simple:  shave your head in solidarity with children who are undergoing cancer treatments, and raise money to fund Pediatric Cancer research.

Over the past seven years, the fundraiser has grown to become a part of the culture of both of our buildings .  Hundreds of students and teachers (both male and female) have participated by having their heads shaved during our annual Safe Celebration Week.  During that time, the Leyden community has raised close to $100,000 for Pediatric Cancer research, a fundraising goal we set at the beginning of this year's campaign.  As a result of our meeting that goal, I will be getting the following tattoo next week:

Now, there are obvious positive impacts to the outside world from such endeavors.  Raising that kind of money for a very worthwhile cause is great.  Seeing students come together as a student body for a common cause melts my heart.  But there's more to it than that.  There are dozens of stories that come out of service projects throughout schools in America which back up the research cited earlier.  Here are just a few:

• A few years ago, as I sat in the student cafeteria asking students to donate their loose change to the cause, a young lady in a wheelchair approached me with her aide.  This girl had been struggling with an undiagnosed, life-threatening disease throughout her entire time at East Leyden, and had seen her health decline steadily over the years.  As the lunch period ended and the students began to exit, she pulled a $100 bill out of her purse and handed it to me.  Her words: "My grandma gave me $100 for my birthday, and told me I could do whatever I wanted with it.  Over the years, I have spent many days and nights in hospitals and places like the Ronald McDonald House.  If it hadn't been for people helping my family out, we would have never been able to get the treatments I needed.  I want to give back.  I want my $100 to go to this cause."

• Last year, a female student approached me about having her head shaved.  After several conversations about the implications behind a 16-year-old girl agreeing to shave her head, she informed me about some very personal reasons behind her decision to do so.  This year, she did it...again.  This young lady raised over $1000 for Pediatric Cancer research.

• A young man who may have spent as much time in the dean's office as I have over the past four years walked in one day and said he wanted to participate in St. Baldrick's.  For him, this meant not only shaving his head, but cutting off the 10-inch pony tail he had been growing for three years.   He was able to raise hundreds of dollars for St. Baldrick's, and even mailed the pony tail in to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, a charity which uses human hair to make wigs for cancer patients.

• Just last week, a student emailed our principal with a video link about a little boy who was able to live out a life-long dream through the help of the WWE.  He suggested that this video could be used as a promo for next year's St. Baldrick's event.  Here's that video (have some tissue handy):

I hope you don't view this as shameless self-promotion.  There's a point here.  Every one of the students mentioned in the bullet points above, no matter how different and unique their experiences, had one thing in common:  by giving back, they were able to feel as though they, themselves, were a part of something.

In my seven years of involvement with St. Baldrick's, that's one factor I've noticed to be a common trend.  Our volunteer shavees tend not to be our star athletes, AP students, and members of the ultra-involved student body.  To the contrary, many of the students who agree to take part in this are those who, for the most part, have never quite been able to find a niche in their high school experiences.  Yet the looks on their faces on the night of the head-shaving event clearly shows a sense of accomplishment, pride, and belonging.

I have no doubt that, when asked to reflect back on their high school experiences 20 years from now, shaving their heads for a greater cause will be right on the tip of their tongues.

By encouraging students to give back, we are, in fact, giving them a gift in disguise.

 

6th Inning-Be Grateful

"If you invest time in them, these kids will run through a wall for you."

-Me, to a new teacher in my department 7 years ago

I began working in this community in 2001--13 years ago.  I accepted a position teaching 7th and 8th grade social studies at Mannheim Middle School.  I've joked with quite a few people since then that, upon walking into the District 83 administrative building at the corner of Mannheim and Grand for my first interview, the only thing I knew about Mannheim was that it was a road.

13 years later, as I look back on my time working in this community, I'm overwhelmed with fond memories, gratitude, and relationships that will stay with me for a lifetime.

I'm dedicating this post to saying a great big 

THANK YOU!

to the Leyden community.  I can't begin to single out every person who has positively impacted my life during that time, but I hope that as you read this, you know each and every one of you owns a piece of my thanks.

I'm excited to announce that, beginning July 1, I am moving to Niles West High School as a full-time Dean of Students.  Whenever I'm asked why this is the move I want to make in my career, the answer is simple:  I feel that being a dean gives me the greatest opportunity to impact the greatest number of students' lives...and that's really what it's all about.

I've been fortunate to work for, work with, and learn from some excellent leaders in the field of education.  Thank you to David Katzin, who first pushed me to pursue a degree in educational leadership; and to one of the brightest and most inspiring people in our field today, and one who clearly makes every decision with the best interests of students in mind--Jason Markey.  Thank you to Mike Grosch and Dennis Byrne for teaching me the ropes in the deans' office, and to Brian McAdow and Wil Wagner for their willingness to take a chance and bring me over to West Leyden from Mannheim 9 years ago. Thank you to Rob Hamann and Gary Wolf (the Hall of Famer, that is) for putting up with my obsessive behaviors when it comes to baseball. And thanks to Brent Dempsey and Dominic Manola, two of the most passionate people I have ever had the chance to come across, and who I'm lucky to count as dear friends.

Teachers are a rare breed--there's no mistaking that.  To dedicate one's life to improving the welfare of the young people in a community takes a great deal of passion and commitment.  Not surprisingly, many of the people I've been so lucky to work with at Mannheim and Leyden are still some of my closest friends today.  Teachers learn quickly that they are in the bunker together, and learn to rely on one another for support, ideas, and a ton of laughs.  Thank you to all of you who I've had the chance to share these experiences with.

"Leyden Pride" has become a fixture in the lexicon around these parts in the last two years, but it's been in existence for a long, long time--certainly far before the onset of social media.  The Leyden community has some deep, deep roots, and its inhabitants are certainly proud to be from Franklin Park, Schiller Park, Northlake, River Grove, and Rosemont.  (I'm a "Northlakian" through marriage, by the way.  My wife is a '96 West Leyden grad...I picked her up for our first blind date from her apartment in Grand Towers over 10 years ago). People simply don't leave--I'm amazed by the number of our students whose parents, aunts, uncles, and even grandparents once roamed the same halls they do today.  Thank you to the Leyden community for your commitment to providing all you can to the young people who have access to an outstanding education in our schools.

Finally, and most importantly, thank you to our students.  Since accepting this position at Niles West, I've been reflecting back on the memories I've shared with so many young people over these last thirteen years.  I remember the good times:  the dances and parties at Mannheim, the head-shaving bet over the Constitution test results, the 7th grade conference basketball championship (which had as little to do with coaching as you might imagine).  And of course there's all of the St. Baldrick's events, the regional and conference titles in baseball, the pep assemblies, and the countless individual triumphs that have taken place in the classroom on a daily basis.  I also think back to those times where we've had to truly pull together and support one another.  Those memories will always stay with me.

The connections I've made with my students have, in many cases, turned into valued friendships.  My first class of 8th graders at Mannheim 13 years ago contains a bright, dedicated teacher in our Life program at West.  A hungry young shortstop, who used to stick around and ask me to hit him extra ground balls and throw him extra BP until it was dark, is now my assistant coach.  Several of my former students and players are now fully established in exciting careers, and I'm blessed to be able to hear their stories and share in their triumphs.

I've been to their quinceaneras and graduation parties.  I've met some of their children, and a few of them have met mine.  And, tragically, I've attended a few wakes and funerals along the way.

In the end, I feel like many of these students are an extended part of my family.  

In conclusion, I'm truly lucky to have had the chance to work in such a hard-working, proud, and dedicated community.  

I'm happy you were willing to run through a wall for me.

You all personify #leydenpride.

Mr. Dykes

5th Inning-Stay Committed

On May 30, 1982, Cal Ripken, Jr. trotted out to his position at shortstop at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.  This signified day one of what many believe is a truly unbreakable record--an example of commitment and dedication that is mind-boggling to those of us who have competed in any sport, let alone baseball.

Ripken started that game, and every one for the remainder of the 1982 season.  He did the same for the next 16 years, playing in an amazing 2,632 consecutive games at the major league level.  No matter how poorly he may have played the night before, or what physical ailment he may have been dealing with, Ripken always took the field the next day.  No matter what personal issues he may have been struggling with or pressures he may have been enduring, #8 was a fixture in the Orioles lineup.

As educators, every day we walk into our respective buildings can be considered a new game.  Just as members of a baseball team each have their own roles they are expected to fulfill (i.e. pitcher, catcher, outfielder, infielder), we all have specific duties that have been assigned to us (math teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal).  

As we go through the day-to-day business of our jobs, it can be easy to stray from our one purpose as educators.  Outside influences, personal issues, politics, and numerous other distractors can take us away from our real reason for being here.

It's important that we remember to stay committed.

"My approach to every game was to try to erase the games that were before, and try to focus on the game at hand."

-Cal Ripken, Jr.

Baseball Hall of Famer

Baseball games are usually won or lost in what we refer to as the "middle innings" (innings 3-6).  The reason for this is simple:  basic human nature causes every one of us to lose focus for a period of time, no matter what the task at hand may be.  During a 9-inning game, most players have no problem "getting up" for the first couple of innings, allowing the excitement of a fresh start to motivate them.  Likewise, the last three inning of a game tend to be filled with high drama--pinch hitters, pitching changes, do-or-die plays that seem to be the difference in the final outcome.  

However, it's those middle innings that truly tend to make the difference.  As many players begin to come down from the adrenaline rush of the first inning, and have not yet begun to get themselves psyched up for the theater of the ninth inning, it's common for the focus and commitment to wane.  For that reason, those teams who are able to stay committed to the goal (for players, that's to WIN) during those middle innings usually find themselves on top when that final 27th out is recorded.

If we were to look at the average school year through the metaphor of a baseball game, February 13 would fall right into the middle innings.  Think about it:  when school begins in August, we're all excited.  There are new students to meet, new colleagues to collaborate with, and sometimes new changes to the physical layout of the buildings we work in.  In some cases, we might even be starting a brand new job, with a new set of expectations and responsibilities.  The adrenaline rush of the first few weeks of school is a real, tangible thing.

The end of the school year has a similar rush, though it is brought about by different factors.  For a high school teacher, the end of the year means preparing students for final exams, enjoying the festivities that go along with prom and end of the year field trips, nice weather, and the pinnacle of why we do what we do--graduation.

Now, February, on the other hand....ugh.

No one really wants to come out and say this, but I'll be honest:  it's a grind.  This year especially, as we deal with polar vortex #4 and the groundhog laughing at us, it's been tough to stay as motivated as most of us would like to be.

Every day throughout the halls, offices, and staff cafeterias of America, conversations are taking place between teachers revolving around Common Core standards, TRS, Illinois pension reform, course enrollments, RIFs, evaluations, and interviews.   Sometimes these conversations are positive ones, though they often tend to sway toward the negative end of the spectrum.  They are factors that take us away from the reason we're really here.

That's why we have to stay committed to one goal....it's the reason we chose this profession, and it's really the reason we're all here today:

Do what's best for the kids.

Ripken's quote at the top of the page isn't entirely accurate for us, as educators.  We can't completely "erase the games before".  However, we can certainly make every attempt to "try to focus on the game at hand".  

Every day brings a new challenge.  That's what's great about what we do.  We are interacting with dozens, and sometimes even hundreds, of young people on a daily basis.  They come to us with their own fears, dreams, and pressures.  While we may not feel like January 27, or February 12, or April 9 will be a monumental day in one of our students' lives, it just might turn out to be that way.  

And you or I as educators may be the very reason why any given day may be one of the most important to any given student.

A few years back, around this time of year, I was having a "middle innings" type of day.  I think it was a Tuesday (Tuesdays are like the vanilla ice cream of days), probably sometime in late January.  There was some snow on the ground.  The temperature was hovering around 20 degrees.  When I walked into school that day, it was dark, and it was going to be dark when I left again later that evening.  I had recently been turned down for a job I had applied for, and about the only thing I was looking forward to was "getting through" the day and getting home to my family.  And it was only 10:00 in the morning.

Just like every other day in the dean's office, I had a fairly steady stream of students coming in and out.  Their transgressions were nothing out of the ordinary, and the conversations that were taking place were standard-issue.  The day had a "hamster on a wheel" feel to it.  It was in the midst of one of these "usual" conversations that I happened to notice something slightly unusual.  Upon giving a student a rather benign penalty, just a tad more than a slap on the wrist, I noticed him begin to tear up.  I started digging a little more, and the tears turned into extreme emotional anguish.

When I finished dealing with this student much later that day, I had come to find that he had experienced an unthinkable amount of tragedy in a week's time, losing two separate family members suddenly.  His entire life's outlook had completely been altered, his immediate and long-term goals sidetracked, and his life turned upside down.

For this student, on this day, that conversation may have been a safety net that saved him from even greater disaster.

The moral of the story is that, in the end, we have incredibly important jobs.  We impact dozens, or even hundreds of lives on a daily basis---there's just no way to predict when that impact will happen.  We are entrusted with the most valuable gift of all, and it cannot be taken lightly.

It's important for all of us, no matter our role on this "team", to stay committed to that one paramount goal every day:

Do what's best for the kids.

4th Inning--Be Flexible

Yoga.  Pilates.  Cross Fit.  Spinning.  Core.

15 years ago, when I was finishing up my collegiate playing days, I had heard of (I think) one of these.  Yoga, as far as I was concerned, was a meditation technique prevalent in Eastern culture.  The rest of those words, well, they meant absolutely nothing to me.  For all I knew, they were methods used to increase productivity in industry.

What do they mean to me today?  Take a glance at any good high school, college, or even professional baseball conditioning program, and you will find one or more of these activities to be a prominent part of what today's baseball players are participating in to develop strength, balance, and flexibility.

As times change, and our students (as well as the expectations around them) change with them, we need to learn to be flexible---as much now as any other time in our profession's existence.

"15 minutes to warm up? Does a lion warm up when he's hungry? 'Uh oh, here comes an antelope. Better warm up.' No! He just goes out there and eats the sucker."

-Jack Lalanne, "Godfather of Fitness", 1954

Click HERE to view a video of the pre-game warm up routine of Trevor Bauer, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, 2013.

Today's conditioning routines are a far cry from the "old school" workout programs of yesterday.  In 1999, my senior year at North Park, my pitchers' workout routine consisted of three things.  Lift weights in the off season.  Stretch before practice.  The rest of the time?  Run.  Run during batting practice (pitchers weren't really allowed near the bat rack).  Run before games.  Run after the games you pitch.  Run the day after you pitch.  Run the day before you pitch.

And that was about it.  Times sure have changed. And (thankfully, for those pitchers who didn't sign up for the whole cross country routine), the game's approach has changed too.
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3rd inning-Hustle!

One of the things that makes baseball such a great game is that it is inherently democratic--that might be the main reason it has always been considered America's national pastime. 

It is a game that can be played by all--those from all races and ethnicities, from all socio-economic backgrounds, and all manner of physical shapes and sizes.  From John Cangelosi to John Kruk, Rod Beck to Randy Johnson, and everyone in between, it is a game that requires, first and foremost, for its aspiring players to love what they do (and work hard at it)  in order to have any inkling whatsoever of becoming successful.

The best players on the field are not always the ones who have been blessed with the most talent.  Often times, the players who have the most enduring success in this great game do have one common trait--they all hustle.  

"I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball."

-Pete Rose

"There is no substitute for hard work."
-Thomas Edison

Pete Rose--a.k.a "Charlie Hustle"--is MLB's all-time hit leader.

Roll up your sleeves.  Use a little elbow grease. Put your nose to the grindstone.  Dig in your heels.  Cinch it up and hunker down.

Whatever cliche you prefer, they all refer to a quality that is a must for leaders in the field of education:  the desire to to the dirty work.

When was the last time you (the reader) took the time to ask one of your students what an average day is like for them?  It's easy for us, as their teachers, to observe a student's behavior in terms of our daily interaction with them.  Maybe we see Jenny every day during 9th period Law.  Or we coach Sam every day in the spring on the baseball field.  Or we work with Allison 2 or 3 times a week in the dean's office.  Do we consider what's happening in the lives of our students during the 23 hours we don't see them?

Think back for a minute---being a high school student isn't as easy as we are sometimes guilty of telling our students it is.  The last time I tried to sit in one of those desks, I needed a can of WD-40 to get out.  We ask our students to do that 8 or 9 times a day, 180 days a year--and they had better PAY ATTENTION for every one of those 50 minutes they are in our presence!  We give them a 5-minute passing period (or less), during which they are encouraged to use the facilities, hydrate, go to their lockers, and discuss any pending issues with their teachers...and they had better not be late to their next class.  When the school day is over, they're encouraged to get involved.  Many of them do.  They're in student council and Key Club.  They volunteer in soup kitchens and participate in Wrestling Boosters.  They sing in the choir and start as the 2-guard on the basketball team.

For many students, it doesn't end there.  There are jobs, often times that are required to help their families pay the bills.  There are younger siblings to babysit.  There are older relatives that require care.  There are the demands to fill out college applications and scholarship proposals in the hopes of one day having the honor of owing  over $100,000 in student loans.

Oh, and there's homework, too.

Please don't mistake the point of my message here.  I'm not going to be at the front of the line lighting candles for the poor, unfortunate high school students of America.  All I'm saying is that if we are demanding this type of dedication from our students, we owe it to them and to ourselves to put forth the same type of effort.

We need to hustle for our students.

Hustle can take on a lot of forms.  It can mean many different things to many different professionals in our field, depending on the manner in which we interact with students on a daily basis.

It might mean staying after practice for 45 minutes 3 times a week to hit groundballs to that shortstop's backhand side.  It could be taking the time to stop a student in the hall and tell her that you've noticed her grades improving, and calling home to notify her parents about her success.  Maybe it's as simple as taking a couple of minutes to respond to that email from a young man who has a question about an assignment he's working on...right as your head is about to hit the pillow.

As a baseball coach, on the first day of tryouts, I deliver this message to all of the young men who are hopeful of one day donning the blue and gold "L" on their hats:

I have five days to find out if you can play baseball.  It's the end of February, and our fields are covered with a foot of snow.  In five days, I have to do whatever I can to determine if you can hit, bunt, run the bases, field ground balls, throw, catch a fly ball, hit the cut-off man, hit the outside corner with a 3-2 change-up, and be a good teammate.  And I have to determine all of this in a gymnasium meant for many sports, none of which is baseball.  In the end, though, there is one thing that you (the player) can control.  

You can hustle.  All the time.  It will be noticed.

The fact is, the same applies to our students and their perceptions of us.  They notice when we hustle.  They appreciate it.  They admire it.

And hopefully, they are inspired to do exactly the same.

Commercial Break Between Innings: The "P" Word--Pension or Passion?

As the Illinois state legislature discusses some very controversial changes that may soon be made to the pension system in our state, I felt it would be appropriate to take a break from my regular posts and chime in on this topic.  My third inning post will be coming soon....

Doyle Alexander helped Detroit in '87...briefly.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Think about how often this question is asked of you, by you, or around you throughout the course of your life.  It's a common question for two reasons.  First, it's important.  Second, it's very difficult to answer.

In 1994, I was at that stage in my life where I really needed to start bearing down on some sort of definitive answer to this question.  I had done everything my parents, teachers, coaches, counselors, and other influential adults in my life had asked me to do at that point (this was my junior year at Hersey High School).  Nearly perfect attendance.  Challenging courses filled with honors and AP offerings.  High score on the ACT.  Involved in a wide variety of extracurriculars.  Varsity athlete.

By now, I thought it was all supposed to fall in place, but the job interest surveys and conversations with my guidance counselor were leaving me feeling empty.  I knew I was going to college, but for what purpose?  

What in the world was I going to do when I grew up?

At some point during that school year, something opened my eyes.  The answer was right there in front of me.  It was actually comical for me to look back and think that I had ever experienced any doubt as to what I was going to dedicate the remainder of my professional life to.

You see, I was very fortunate throughout my school-aged years.  Attending public school, first in River Trails District 26 and later at John Hersey High School, I was surrounded by great teachers.  A myriad of reasons can be given for what, exactly, made each of them great.  But when I stopped to think about these people who had been such a big part of my development, I noticed that they all had several qualities in common.  They were happy.  They were helpful.  They were passionate.  They enjoyed the company of the students around them, as well as the colleagues they worked with.

My teachers, over the years, well....they loved their jobs.

Teachers like Mr. Madura, Mr. Vena, and Ms. Dinklekamp.  Like Mr. Gunther, Mr. Nitz, and Mr. Shay.  Like Coach Huber, Coach Pusatera, and Coach Giusti.

It was suddenly as clear as day.  I was going to be a teacher and a coach.  Sure, there would be opportunities out there to earn more money, more prestige, and live a more glamorous lifestyle.  But the happiness I saw in these role models was more than enough to convince me that this was the direction I needed to go.

2nd Inning--Be Proactive

The first inning on the mound is a battle between the pitcher and the adrenaline coursing through his veins.  Getting that first strike and first out and, eventually, that first successful walk back to the dugout under his belt signify more than just one ninth of the game.  Somehow, someway, they feel even bigger than that.

Consequently, the second inning sets itself up for disastrous returns for the pitcher who isn't ready for it.  The second inning is a trap--the adrenaline has worn off, the crowd has settled in, and in a way, there may even be a false sense of security.  Meanwhile, waiting with bats in their hands are, arguably, the 3 or 4 most powerful hitters in the opponent's line-up:  the heart of the order.

The smart pitcher  knows better.  He understands the importance of pacing, both physically and emotionally.  Most importantly, the pitcher who has the intention to complete a game understands the value of preparation--the value of proactively looking at an entire lineup's strengths and weaknesses prior to even walking out to the bullpen before the game.

In education, a quality leader also understands the value of being proactive.  In our ever-changing world, it's always best to try to stay a step or two ahead of the game...

"There are 3 types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened."

-Tommy Lasorda

"Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity."

-Henry Hartman

Six years ago now, I was offered an opportunity that was simply too good to turn down.  I was just finishing up my third full year of teaching at West Leyden High School, a place that felt like a home away from home for me.  Having taught at neighboring Mannheim Middle School for the four years prior to my move into District 212, suffice it to say I knew the West Leyden community very well.  I knew the streets and I knew the towns.  I knew the families, and most importantly, I knew those kids.  When I started at West, it was almost as if I had been there for years already.  As a result, I will always look back on my time there and smile.  One would be hard-pressed to find a situation in which a teacher had a better rapport with a student body than I did during those three years.

Toward the end of that third year, I was offered the chance to take on the role of Assistant Dean--at East Leyden.  There was no doubt I was excited about the chance to take on a new challenge.  I was just finishing up my Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, and the move seemed to be a no-brainer.  Of course, the decision also meant I would have to leave a school that I had never really envisioned saying goodbye to. I'd have to start over in a new building with a new role, a new set of colleagues, new bosses, and most dauntingly, new students.  More importantly, I would have to say goodbye to those kids that I had grown to know and care deeply for.

During that summer, I had the chance to work in the building during summer school.  I spent an awful lot of time pondering what my new role would entail.  What is a dean?  What does a dean do?  How is the relationship between a dean and a student body different from the relationships I had built as a full-time teacher with my students?  There were many, many questions.  The only way for me to find answers was to jump in with both feet.

I am more than willing to admit that that first year was a struggle.  There were good days, and there were bad days, but I often found myself walking out of the building and wondering where I was going wrong.  In my 8 previous years in education, I had never experienced the main issue that was plaguing me at that time--these kids just weren't responding to me.  I can say now that there were days when you could have put up a cardboard cutout of Mr. Dykes in the dean's office, and the response from students would have been the same.

I was working just as hard--probably harder.  I was asking for advice from colleagues.  I was willing to put in as much extra time as possible.  Where was I going wrong?

At one point, it finally dawned on me.  In pitching terms, I had shown up to the ballpark 10 minutes before the game, thrown on a uniform, and attempted to pitch an entire game throwing as hard as I could.  I was completely unprepared. These kids didn't know me.  Therefore, they didn't trust me.  I was a dean's Nuke Laloosh.  

Being a dean isn't easy.  We aren't often presented with flowers and chocolates at Christmas time.  Let's face it--from time to time a dean takes on the persona of the Grim Reaper.  You screw up, we hand you your penalty.  That's the reality of the situation, and it's the job I signed up for.  So how could I make the situation better, while still maintaining the integrity of the job?

It was time to be proactive, as opposed to reactive.  I made the decision, then and there, that I wanted to do as much of my "work" with students as I possibly could BEFORE they happened to walk into our office with a disciplinary referral.  I've made a concerted effort to be visible throughout the building to ALL students--not just the ones who come into our office.  I enjoy being a part of our district's pep rallies and assemblies, as it gives me a chance to interact with students in a way that I may not have seen before.  As a coach, I have the good fortune of getting to work with students on the baseball field.  I track student grades and attendance and make a point to check in with them from time to time, just to let them know I'm watching.

I'm certainly not saying I have all the answers. In fact, I'm sure I have very few. Each individual situation calls for an individual plan of attack.  But here is what we know for sure:

In our schools, today, student success is bred through the fostering of relationships.  When one of our 1900 students walks through the doors of East Leyden each day, I want that young man or woman to know one thing about Mr. Dykes, whether we cross paths during his or her four years here or not:

Mr. Dykes cares.

Preparation, inevitably, leads to success.

First Inning--Be Humble

The first inning of a game is crucial to a pitcher.  It's difficult to explain why, but often times the stuff you have in the bullpen is not necessarily indicative of what you'll have when it comes time for the first pitch.  But every good pitcher has been taught that it's essential to attack the hitter, throw strikes, and keep your team behind you on their toes.

For that reason, my First Inning is about a quality that I think is paramount to being successful in education...

"Just the minute you think you have this game figured out, it brings you to your knees."

-Sparky Anderson

"Power is dangerous...unless you have humility."

-Richard J. Daley

I'm still hanging on.  After taking a couple of years off (2 little ones will do that to you), my wife encouraged me to get back on the field and start playing again this summer.  I'm very happy she did.  The quality of the game (specifically, the quality of MY game) is nowhere near where it used to be.  But the little things about baseball--the conversations on the bench, the mental side of the game, the competitive nature, and of course...the stories--that's what makes it so much fun to be back on the field at the not-so-ripe age of 35.

A few weeks ago, my team was in the midst of a 3-game playoff series to determine who would play in the league finals.  Average attendance for the series was 7, but to us, it was important.

In the middle of game two, one of my teammates (and also one of my Leyden co-workers...we'll call him Tom) was on third base with nobody out.  It was a fairly crucial moment in the game, and I was getting ready for my own at-bat, both mentally and physically.  However, the coach in me never really allows me to focus only on myself.  I'm constantly thinking about the 74 different scenarios that could take place on the next pitch, while simultaneously thinking one, two, or three pitches ahead.  It can be exhausting.

On the next pitch, it happened.  Tom made the inexcusable mistake.  As the pitch came across home plate, the catcher snapped a throw down to the third baseman.  Tom was out.  By a lot.  With nobody out.  Those of you that know baseball are shaking your heads right now.  Internally, so was I.  I couldn't believe that such a "heady" baseball player could do such a thing...a guy I'd coached with...a guy who I consider a FRIEND.  I hung my head.  I felt bad for Tom.  I knew he felt bad too.  A few teammates gave him the obligatory pat on the backside.  Most treated him as a leper.  I couldn't even make eye contact with him.  What a bonehead mistake.  What ARE YOU DOING, TOM?!

You know where this is going...

Next inning.  I get a hit.  Eventually, I advance to third base.  With nobody out.

You know I'm thinking about this before I even get in the batter's box.  IF you get on base, and IF you somehow find your way on third base, and especially IF there's nobody out:

DON'T GET PICKED!

I swear I was only 5 feet off the base.  I will cling to that until my dying days.  The pitch crossed home plate.  And through some force of nature, the ball catapulted out of the catcher's glove...in my direction.  It blew away the laws of Physics.  My 35-year-old reactions caused me to do what happens when you're 35 and you're surprised.  I tripped over my own feet.  

And I was OUT.

Suffice it to say that I, a man who is never at a loss for words, was shocked.  And worried.  And pretty sure Tom was smiling.

Here's the best part of this story.  Upon reaching the bench, someone on the team told me that the catcher is the best he's ever seen at that one particular play--the snap throw to third base.  He also told me how old the catcher was.

He's 54.

A nice giant helping of humble pie.

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We, as educators, are presented with a responsibility that it is easy to lose sight of.  The sheer number of students who cross our paths is mind-boggling when you sit down and do the math.

Let's take the average high school teacher/coach, for example.  Assuming he or she teaches five semester classes of, let's say, 25 students, the total number of students seen in a given year in the classroom ALONE comes out to 250.  Add in a team or a club, and we can bring that number to 275.  And that's just the ones we have DIRECT contact with on a daily basis.

If those numbers remain consistent over the course of a 35-year teaching career, that teacher interacts directly with....9,625 students.

As educators, we take pride in our craft, as well as the work we put in to get where we are today.  We all have degrees from universities.  Most of us possess at least one master's degree, and there are even a few "doctors" among us.  We are nationally recognized, we present at conferences, and we are esteemed leaders in our profession.

In the end, though, how much of that matters when a young lady tells you she's suffering from a terminal disease?  How about when a student of yours  whose only living relative is on her death bed asks how she is going to support herself?  Or the sophomore boy who is working 40 hours a week to help support his family that is on the brink of financial disaster?

Will your degrees, your blogs, your PLN, and your vast array of awards and distinctions help you (and them) then?

Probably not.

Walk in your students' shoes.  Take a moment to consider the roadblocks that many of them have had to hurdle already, and still see out in front of them.  The minute we are more caught up in ourselves than we are in the well-being of the young people we are charged with helping, some serious questions need to be asked.

Be humble.

The Bullpen--Getting Loose

"I am still learning."  -Michelangelo

"Finish what you started."  -Nolan Ryan

In 1977, the year I was born, Nolan Ryan led the American League with 22 complete games.  In 2012, Chris Sale led the big leagues...with 4.  Completion has become a lost art---in more ways than one.

If anyone can think of another time Michelangelo and Nolan Ryan were quoted back-to-back, please let me know.  But there is a method to my madness here.

As you can probably guess based on the title, there is certainly a bit of a baseball theme intertwined into this blog (I apologize if the references are lost on you, but contact me directly if you need clarification.  I will ALWAYS talk baseball).  I wanted to take the opportunity to use my first post to explain the thought behind this endeavor of mine.   In other words, I'm just getting loose in the 'pen.  Since it's supposed to be in the 90s this week, it shouldn't take too long.

I've been thinking about the concept of publishing my own blog for a while now.  Like many others, the question that continued to stop me in my tracks was, "Who am I, and why in the world does anyone care what I think?"  (Trust me, that doubt is still there).

I figured that if I was going to share my thoughts, I wanted the forum to be unique.  It got me thinking much more big-picture...about who I am now, how I got to where I was, and where I hope to continue to build toward. 

I know, I know...deep thoughts.

It didn't take long for me to recognize that any big-picture item addressing such issues would need to have something to do with baseball, the game that has had such an incredible impact on my life to this point.  I began making subtle connections in my mind to the lessons I have learned on the field as a player and coach, and those which I hope to instill in the players I am entrusted with.

Thoughts of baseball brought me back to my days as a pitcher in college.  If I was known for one thing on the mound, it was the desire to, as Mr. Ryan stated, "finish what I started".  Some starts were better than others, but most of the time I took the ball, I wasn't handing it off to anyone for the rest of the day. That desire to follow through and complete the task in front of me continues to fuel me today, off the field.

When it comes to education, I am at a very interesting crossroads, both personally and professionally.  As a high school teacher, dean, and coach, I cross paths with hundreds of students on a daily basis.  I volunteer my time at North Park University, helping the baseball program there.  I've also taught middle school, and get to hear plenty of stories about the elementary gifted education students my wife works with in her district.  At home, I am the proud father of a 1 1/2 year old (James) and a 3 year old (Jillian) who is about to embark on her own educational journey in a couple of weeks as she begins pre-school.

All told, I have some sort of connection, on an almost daily occurrence, with young learners from age 19 months to 24 years.  

I hope that I'm doing right by them.  As educators, we have always been under a lot of pressure.   We're entrusted with children...with learners...with bright, impressionable, enthusiastic minds.  With that in mind, I began to ask myself if I am truly "pitching" a complete game right now.  I don't just want a five-inning win.  I want to dominate.  I want completion.

After today, this blog will be updated 9 more times this school year--one for each inning needed to complete a game.  Within each post, I will try to focus on one characteristic that I feel I have learned from my players, my students, and my children...one characteristic that I feel is necessary to truly be complete as an educator.

It's customary to "air it out" with the last fastball in the bullpen.  I've done that, and I'm taking that long walk to the dugout in anticipation of the first pitch.  There are always butterflies, but they come in conjunction with a heavy dose of adrenaline.  Here we go....