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https://www.uh.edu/ussc/launch/services/handouts/Handouts/Qualities-Of-A-Successful-Distance-Education-Student.pdf

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https://www.uh.edu/ussc/launch/services/handouts/Handouts/Qualities-Of-A-Successful-Distance-Education-Student.pdf

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Even when students are working with apps and devices, their learning should be social and connected to the world around them.

When using digital devices, children often struggle to transfer the skills learned via the devices into their everyday lives. In a recent study, for example, children who used software that showed them how to complete puzzles were unable to complete the puzzles using physical pieces-yet when a human demonstrated the task, the children were able to successfully complete it.

How does this research inform my classroom practice with technology? Instead of relying on the tutorials that come with the educational software we use, I demonstrate myself how to use it, and I create my own video tutorials because my students are more likely to take up the skill when they hear my familiar voice and see me demonstrating the features.

Over the past decade, research on technology in learning has emerged that informs educators on best implementation strategies when using technology. Below are three practices that teachers can employ so they are using research-informed strategies when selecting tools and integrating those tools into learning.

Keep Learning Social

Many schools have moved to a one-to-one device experience, but social learning should not go away just because students have a personal device. It's important to find digital tools and instructional strategies that allow students to have two-way conversations about what they're doing and learning.

There are several ways teachers can bring social learning into technology integration. Look for applications that allow synchronous collaboration and feedback, such as Collabrify Suite and Scratchwork. Both of these tools support students and teachers in working together on documents, editing, and providing feedback in real time.

Teachers can also integrate social learning instructional strategies-such as turn and talks, share alouds, think/pair/share, purposefully partnering students, and questioning techniques-into situations when students are working on devices.

Lesson example of social learning with technology: Students use Google Docs to write an argument. Have them take full advantage of the synchronicity of Google Docs by editing each other's work and giving real-time feedback with the comment feature. This allows the students to share in each other's learning by engaging together in the writing process via technology.

Ensure That the Technology Adds Value

Technology is effective when it adds value to the lesson by enhancing the learning in ways that could not easily be done without technology. For example, some tools support differentiation or break down concepts to make them easier to understand. Additionally, software that helps students elicit higher-level thinking tends to be more beneficial to cognitive growth than drill and practice software.

Teachers can ensure that technology integration adds value by looking for applications that support students in engaging with higher-level cognitive skills and differentiated learning.

For example, in the activity lab of Seesaw, teachers can select or create activities at different learning levels and assign them to individuals or groups of students. Math software such as CueThink helps students to work together on math problems, and focuses on the process of doing math, rather than drill and practice.

Teachers can also integrate instructional strategies when using technology that evokes higher-level thinking, such as asking probing questions, using visible thinking routines and graphic organizers, or asking students to do reflective notebooks. This is particularly important if students are using drill and practice software.

Lesson example of adding value with technology: Students record themselves reciting poetry with Audacity to work on their fluency skills. The Audacity software adds value to the lesson in multiple ways: It allows the students' word enunciations to become visible in audio waveforms, it allows students to hear themselves so they can make modifications, and it enables students use their higher-level cognitive skills such as analyzing and comparing.

Make the Learning Authentic

Teachers can bring real-world learning with technology into the classroom by using applications that allow students to learn with others outside the classroom. iNaturalist, for example, encourages students to explore biological species in their hometown and share their scientific analysis with people across the globe. And mobile scavenger hunt tools such as GooseChase -which allows students to do field-based activities to gather knowledge about their communities-make connections between classroom learning and the world around students.

Teachers can also integrate instructional strategies that connect authentic examples with the classroom activity, such as partnering with expert organizations for project-based learning activities, asking students to come up with what they want to learn based on their life experiences, making text-to-self connections, setting up a pen-pal program, or bringing in experts on topics.

Lesson example of authentic integration with technology: Students studying environmental impacts on animals participate in a virtual field trip to an aquarium, where they learn about sea turtles and how the environment plays a role in the animals' lives. The students ask questions of the experts at the aquarium and can see how the turtles react to different elements in their sea environment.

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Even when students are working with apps and devices, their learning should be social and connected to the world around them.

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When school leaders decide to start a new technology project-whether it's a small one like adopting a new technology tool or a large one like going 1:1-they often dread one or two teachers they suspect will be reluctant and could keep the project from succeeding. They may avoid these teachers or not address their reluctance.

But understanding the position of reluctant teachers may help the leaders preserve collegial relationships and encourage the teachers to accept and work hard for the new project-such teachers, far from being stubborn, may have valid points that those who are eager for change may have overlooked.

Change is difficult, and individuals accept it at different rates. In the fundamental work on how change occurs, Everett Rogers argued that people can be divided into five main groups in terms of how they accept change.

The innovators, the first group, jump onboard easily-these are the people who wait in line for the newest phone or laptop. The next group, early adopters, wait for a little more information but are relatively quick to embrace change and are often seen as leaders by others who are deciding whether to join in or not. The next two groups, the early majority and late majority, wait to see how things will work out-people in the late majority are generally skeptical of change-but they do join once they're sure an initiative is moving forward. Rogers classified his final group as laggards, and these are the people leaders dread-very skeptical of change and willing to fight to stop it.

Working With Reluctant Adopters

The thing is, leaders should expect to find members of this group on staff, and they should be part of any implementation plan. What that requires is first exploring what it is that's stopping them from implementing the proposed change. While it might be frustrating to spend time convincing people to move forward on a technology project, the time spent working to reduce barriers can help ensure positive relationships.

Peggy Ertmer of Purdue University has studied the barriers that keep people from adopting new technology projects. First-order barriers are external and technical, such as difficulty using a new piece of software. Second-order barriers are internal-for example, a teacher may think that a technology project doesn't match what they believe about teaching and learning.

First-order barriers are the easiest to deal with; making sure that teachers have support to learn these technologies and to deal directly with technical problems will resolve these problems. Second-order barriers are more difficult. If teachers don't believe that a specific technology will make a difference to students, or if they fear they will lose what they like about teaching, it can be difficult to change their minds.

As with all change, a new technology project is about relationships, so dealing with second-order barriers begins with getting to know the reluctant teachers and their concerns. Ask them to talk about their teaching-what was their favorite lesson in the last month? Why did they like it? Build on that lesson. Help them identify how technology could enhance that lesson.

Consider pairing the teacher with an early adopter or an early or late majority teacher. Innovators can be overwhelming because they may be too gung ho to empathize with a reluctant teacher's concerns, but teachers who are a little reluctant themselves can show reluctant teachers classroom examples of how the project could benefit them. These teachers could help their reluctant colleagues identify a single app or feature based on individual classroom concerns-teachers are more willing to invest the time to learn a new technology when it directly addresses a classroom need.

If the teacher is fearful that they will lose control in their classroom, consider introducing tools where they have more control. Tools like Google Classroom and Squirrels software allow teachers to see what students are doing on devices. Programs like Nearpod allow teachers to control classroom presentation pace on student devices.

If teachers are worried that the devices will make them feel less connected to students, emphasize tools that promote connection and give student voice. Tools like Remind, Seesaw, and Bloomz allow an educator to communicate with students in new ways and also showcase student work and share positive stories with parents.

Encourage teachers to allow students to create content in open-ended assignments. Showing reluctant teachers these kinds of projects (videos, e-books, presentations, etc.) allows them to see how creating such work can empower students with learning differences or language challenges to participate in new ways beyond traditional classroom activities.

Many schools adopt the SAMR model (an acronym for "substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition") when looking at technology integration. For example, filling out a worksheet online instead of on paper is substitution; adding voice annotation augments the student work; modification changes an assignment, as when a teacher assigns a multimedia product instead of an essay; and redefinition may involve completely restructuring a whole activity, like shifting to group problem-based learning. A mistake some leaders make is to expect users of new technology to redefine their practice with every lesson-for many teachers, just substituting technology can make a big difference in the student experience.

For example, going from paper formative assessments to using something like Pear Deck on Google would create positive change. Leaders should look for growth. An innovator may make major changes to their classroom and not show as much growth as someone who makes a smaller change from paper to digital tools. Celebrate the changes that reluctant teachers make and encourage them to push further outside their comfort zone.

For each new school initiative, the educators in the school will have different values that drive them. If leaders and other teachers acknowledge that every project will have some people reluctant to join based on valid barriers and then listen to their concerns and celebrate their movement toward integration, a reluctant technology user can be a valuable member of the team and their changes can positively impact student lives.

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Reluctant Adopters and Technology Initiatives

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When school leaders decide to start a new technology project-whether it's a small one like adopting a new technology tool or a large one like going 1:1-they often dread one or two teachers they suspect will be reluctant and could keep the project from succeeding. They may avoid these teachers or not address their reluctance.

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Teachers can deepen student learning by making the most of classroom technology.

Blended learning continues to grow as an approach to meeting learner needs, especially as schools put more computers and other devices into student hands. The growth of blended learning is generally paced at the comfort of teachers as they expand their use of digital tools for teaching and learning-at present learning to teach with digital tools seems to be the greater focus than exploring how to deepen students' learning.

Learning how to teach through blended learning makes perfect sense when the teacher is the learner, seeking to expand their toolbox of instructional practices. But opportunities exist to further transform practices by placing learning into students' hands.

Having visited many schools that incorporate blended learning, I've come up with four categories for the application of instructional technology. Viewing blended learning practices through the lens of these categories can show us how to deepen student learning.

4 Categories of Tech Use in Blended Learning

1. Managed learning: Management of instruction and assessment is just as important online as it is in the physical classroom. Online platforms such as Schoology, Google Classroom, and Blackboard CourseSites enable teachers to communicate about and collect assignments, give feedback, and offer learning resources to meet diverse learners' needs. Teachers and administrators can communicate with students, parents, and other stakeholders in a rich dialog that places the learner at the center of the conversation.

2. Orchestrated learning: Teachers frame learning by directing students toward controlled experiences. Following the teacher's lead, students participate in directed instruction and practice. Examples include completing digital worksheets, posting reading responses on discussion boards, taking notes from video tutorials or teacher-recorded lectures and demonstrations, or participating in whole class reviews using Kahoot or Edpuzzle.

These first two categories of using technology for learning are a good foundation to build on. When adding the next two categories to the mix, teachers empower students to lead, which can bring deeper challenges-and deeper learning.

3. Collaborative learning: Student-led learning experiences-both individual and group activities-can promote collaboration and critical thinking. Teachers and students can work together to personalize learning based on students' needs through an immense treasure trove of online resources. Use networking portals like LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with experts who can provide guidance and/or share their expertise with students. Using video conferencing, students can follow up with these experts, further linking curriculum to real-world interests.

Sometimes students need personalized support. Teachers can keep this personalized support manageable in a couple of ways. After building a resource library based on common need areas, a teacher can expand it to address needs that come up less frequently, and advise individual students or groups about these helpful resources.

In addition, try giving students voice as to how they demonstrate learning-for example, give them access to a list like my " 100+ Tools for Differentiating Instruction Through Social Media," and let them choose from that list or propose something else as a basis for creating a learning product.

Students need coaching and practice to deepen collaboration skills as part of digital citizenship. Share useful examples of comments on articles and well-crafted product reviews. And share feedback prompts students can use in online discussions about their ideas and learning products-for example, stems like "I like _____," "I wonder _____," and "What if _____?"

4. Authentic learning: Learning should be made public. Students raise their game when they have to share their results with an interested outside audience-whether in live events or publications. Engage learning based on an authentic audience beyond the classroom to give a context for how curriculum applies to real-world situations.

Use private sites like wikis, Schoology, and Google Hangouts so students can practice sharing work internally. Present student work on public sites, like blogs and social media platforms, when they're ready to share their voice with the general community or a targeted audience.

After networking via LinkedIn and/or Twitter, as described above, take those relationships to the next level. Provide students with "game day" moments, such as shark tanks, live-streamed presentations, or product presentations for a client. Students demonstrate what they know and can do for an audience that has an interest in the topic.

Conduct feedback protocols and collaborative learning sessions with professional partners or clients. Video conference tools create access between any location or time. Real-time examples include WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, Skype, and Zoom. Asynchronous examples include discussion boards, tweets with hashtags, and the commenting feature on blogs, YouTube, and other social media platforms.

Learning Is Complex

Success requires a highly qualified teacher who uses their expertise and assessment tools to diagnose learner needs, and then crafts targeted instruction with the available resources. Only then can blended learning be transformational, when instruction is not a reflection of traditional practices and is instead a set of dynamic experiences in students' hands.

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Teachers can deepen student learning by making the most of classroom technology. Blended learning continues to grow as an approach to meeting learner needs, especially as schools put more computers and other devices into student hands.

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Technology has always been at the forefront of human education. From the days of carving figures on rock walls to today, when most students are equipped with several portable technological devices at any given time, technology continues to push educational capabilities to new levels. In looking at where educational methods and tools have come from to where they are going in the future, technology's importance in the classroom is evident now more than ever.
A History of Classroom Technology

The Primitive Classroom

In the Colonial years, wooden paddles with printed lessons, called Horn-Books, were used to assist students in learning verses. Over 200 years later, in 1870, technology advanced to include the Magic Lantern, a primitive version of a slide projector that projected images printed on glass plates. By the time World War I ended, around 8,000 lantern slides were circulating through the Chicago public school system. By the time the Chalkboard came around in 1890, followed by the pencil in 1900, it was clear that students were hungry for more advanced educational tools.

Radio in the 1920s sparked an entirely new wave of learning; on-air classes began popping up for any student within listening range.

Next came the overhead projector in 1930, followed by the ballpoint pen in 1940 and headphones in 1950.

Videotapes arrived on the scene in 1951, creating a new and exciting method of instruction.

The Skinner Teaching Machine produced a combined system of teaching and testing, providing reinforcement for correct answers so that the student can move on to the next lesson.

The photocopier (1959) and handheld calculator (1972) entered the classrooms next, allowing for mass production of material on the fly and quick mathematical calculations.

The Scantron system of testing, introduced by Michael Sokolski n 1972, allowed educators to grade tests more quickly and efficiently.

The pre-computer years were formative in the choices made for computers in the years following. Immediate response-type systems (video, calculator, Scantron) had become necessary, and quick production of teaching materials, using the photocopier, had become a standard. The U.S. Department of Education reports that high school enrollment was only 10% in 1900, but by 1992 had expanded to 95%. The number of students in college in 1930 was around 1 million, but by 2012 had grown to a record 21.6 million. Teachers needed new methods of instruction and testing, and students were looking for new ways to communicate, study, and learn.

The Entrance and Significance of Personal Computers

Although the first computers were developed in the '30s, everyday-use computers were introduced in the '80s. The first portable computer, in 1981, weighed 24 pounds and cost $1,795. When IBM introduced its first personal computer in 1981, the educational world knew that it was on the verge of greatness. Time magazine named The Computer its "Man of the Year" in 1982, and aptly so: the foundation of immediate learning capabilities had been laid. Time declared, "it is the end result of a technological revolution that has been in the making for four decades and is now, quite literally, hitting home."

Toshiba released its first mass-market consumer laptop in 1985 (the T1100), and Apple's infamous Mac (which later evolved into the Powerbook) was available starting in 1984.

In 1990, The World Wide Web was given life when a British researcher developed Hyper Text Markup Language, or HTML, and when the National Science Foundation (NSF) removed restrictions on the commercial use of the Internet in 1993, the world exploded into a frenzy of newfound research and communication methods.

The first Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were released by Apple Computer Inc. in 1993, and with that, computers were a part of every day, if not every moment. By 2009, 97% of classrooms had one or more computers, and 93% of classroom computers had Internet access. For every 5 students, there was one computer. Instructors stated that 40% of students used computers often in their educational methods, in addition to interactive whiteboards and digital cameras. College students nowadays are rarely without some form of computer technology: 83% own a laptop, and over 50% have a Smartphone.

The Future of Technology in the Classroom

It seems like years since MySpace, first introduced in 2003, Facebook (2004) and Twitter (2007) have changed both the communication and business worlds. Instant connectivity has branched out from merely a tool of personal communication, to a platform for educational instruction and outreach. Social media is now being recognized as an accepted form of instruction in some instances, and groups such as Scholastic Teachers provide excellent support and tips for instructors. Many instructors use social media to communicate directly with their students, or to form forum-style groups for students to communicate with each other, and the method seems to be proving valuable in providing one-on-one attention to student's questions and concerns.

With the classroom having already evolved into a hotbed of technological advances, what can the future possibly hold that could further educational proficiencies even more?

Biometrics, a technology that recognizes people based on certain physical or behavioral traits, is on the technological horizon. The science will be used to recognize the physical and emotional disposition of students in the classroom, altering course material to tailor to each individual's needs based on biometric signals.

A second up-and-coming technology is Augmented Reality (AR) glasses, rumored to be on Google's release list, and this technology could be a whole new world for education. AR Glasses (or even contact lenses) will layer data on top of what we naturally see, to allow for a real-world learning experience. For example, a student wearing AR Glasses could potentially sit at his desk and have a conversation with Thomas Edison about invention. It was Edison, after all, who said that "Books will soon be obsolete in schools. Scholars will soon be instructed through the eye."

Multi-touch surfaces are commonly used through equipment such as the iPhone, but the technology could become more relevant to education through entirely multi-touch surfaces, such as desks or workstations. This could allow students to collaborate with other students, even those around the world, and videos and other virtual tools could be streamed directly to the surface.

Educators and the Evolution of Technology in the Classroom

With the evolution of technology, educational capabilities are growing and changing every day. The Internet is a vast electronic library of information, and both research and instruction can be achieved through a click of the mouse. With these advances come new responsibilities to the instructor and therefore increase the value of a Master's of Science in Education in Learning Design and Technology. As technology advances, an educator's abilities will grow by leaps and bounds, and without the knowledge of these changes and capabilities, an instructor has a good chance of being left behind.
A career in education requires hard work and dedication, but, for the diligent educator, can prove very rewarding. For those who are serious about success in the education field, staying well-informed of current and changing technologies is imperative. As the world of technology evolves, the learning environment, both on-campus and online, will equally progress, and the need for teachers who are educated in technology and design will continue to grow.

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The Evolution of Technology in the Classroom

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Technology has always been at the forefront of human education. From the days of carving figures on rock walls to today, when most students are equipped with several portable technological devices at any given time, technology continues to push educational...

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Many teachers believe that you should start each school year with a disciplined, teacher-centric environment and relax it over time. However, research shows that to really get a handle on classroom management and encourage student achievement, a teacher should immediately allow kids to talk and build community through collaboration. In fact, the ASCD publication The New Circles of Learning: Cooperation in the Classroom and School by David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson, and Edythe Johnson Holubec, suggests that to be truly effective, a teacher needs to use collaboration and cooperative strategies at least 60 percent of the time. That being the case, we can't avoid introducing them early on.

Why Collaborative Groups?

Learning is a social activity, and interaction with course material is not meant to be defined as simply between a textbook and an individual student. In fact, Johns Hopkins University researchers found in a two-year study of schools that used cooperative learning that "high, average, and low achievers all achieved better than controls at similar achievement levels."

Education research supports more collaborative grouping in the classroom-and so do students. In Just Ask Us: Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement, I explore the results of a nationwide survey of students in sixth through 12th grade that asked the simple question: "What engages you as learners?" What began as a poll of my own classroom has now become a survey that encompasses classrooms from all over the country, from every school model, from rural to urban schools, from coast to coast.

The survey results could be deconstructed into 10 categories, each backed by research. Yet no response appeared in the student engagement survey with more frequency than getting to collaborate, talk, and work with their peers. Period.

Moving Toward a More Collaborative Classroom

It can be scary that first time you dive into the collaborative learning pool, in particular at the beginning of the school year when you don't know your students yet. I remember being the teacher with the rows of desks, and I remember the questions running through my head that first time I shoved those desks around to create a table group.

My initial questions reflected a panicked, lizard-brain focus on the control I thought I'd lose. But here's what really happened once I embraced collaborative learning:

When I look back now, my questions seem ridiculous, because so much has become better and more effective. But how do you form groups at the beginning of the school year when you have yet to learn the students?

Tips for Successful Collaborative Grouping

There are strategies you need to put in place when you are asking students to participate in group work, especially in the beginning of the year. Without them, you're setting the students and the strategy up for failure.

Constantly Shuffle Kids Around: Send the signal thatchanges can happen at any moment. Set up the classroom for easy, fluid grouping. Label the positions at each table group to quickly create new, random groups at will. The first week of school, I might declare, "All Oberons meet me at my desk!" or "All Hemingways group together to give peer feedback on your journals!" This makes grouping kids more equitable and less threatening. Base the names of the seat positions on names/vocabulary from your subject area. Break down cliques and self-imposed groupings so that the clique is the classroom community itself.

Create Agreements Right From the Start: Create a whole-class shared document, such as a Classroom Constitution or Classroom Contract. Start by making norms as a class. Small groups can then mimic the process whenever they begin a group project together.

Give Students Choice Immediately: Many of these students have worked together before coming to your class, so feel free to ask their advice. I generally ask students to list four kids they'd like to work with, and I promise they'll have one from that list. This method honors student choice, but also gives you some modicum of control based on what you might already be learning about your new students-individually and as a group.

Using collaboration from the start is about creating a classroom that functions as a cohesive group, one that helps students lift each other up through individual challenges and models what a collective mentality can accomplish.

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Start the Year With Collaboration | Edutopia

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Many teachers believe that you should start each school year with a disciplined, teacher-centric environment and relax it over time. However, research shows that to really get a handle on classroom management and encourage student achievement, a teacher should immediately allow kids to talk and build community through collaboration.

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While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase "servant leadership" was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said:

"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions...The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?"

A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the "top of the pyramid," servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.

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What is Servant Leadership? - Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership

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While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase "servant leadership" was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: "The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.

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The more that you, as a leader, manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence. So, let's look at each element in more detail and examine how you can grow as a leader.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

1. Self-awareness

If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how your emotions and your actions can affect the people around you. Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, and it means behaving with humility.

So, what can you do to improve your self-awareness?

Keep a journal. Journals help you improve your self-awareness. If you spend just a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can move you to a higher degree of self-awareness.

2. Self-regulation

Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in control.

This element of emotional intelligence, according to Goleman, also covers a leader's flexibility and commitment to personal accountability.

So, how can you improve your ability to self-regulate?

Hold yourself accountable. If you tend to blame others when something goes wrong, stop. Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever they are. You'll probably sleep better at night, and you'll quickly earn the respect of those around you.

Practice being calm. The next time you're in a challenging situation, be very aware of how you act. Do you relieve your stress by shouting at someone else? Practice deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself. Also, try to write down all of the negative things you want to say, and then rip it up and throw it away. Expressing these emotions on paper (and not showing them to anyone!) is better than speaking them aloud to your team. What's more, this helps you challenge your reactions to ensure that they're fair!

3. Motivation

Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they have extremely high standards for the quality of their work.

How can you improve your motivation?

Re-examine why you're doing your job. It's easy to forget what you really love about your career. So, take some time to remember why you wanted this job. If you're unhappy in your role and you're struggling to remember why you wanted it, try the Five Whys technique to find the root of the problem. Starting at the root often helps you look at your situation in a new way. And make sure that your goal statements are fresh and energizing. For more on this, see our article on Goal Setting.

4. Empathy

For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else's situation. They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it.

If you want to earn the respect and loyalty of your team, then show them you care by being empathic.

How can you improve your empathy?

Respond to feelings. You ask your assistant to work late - again. And although he agrees, you can hear the disappointment in his voice. So, respond by addressing his feelings. Tell him you appreciate how willing he is to work extra hours, and that you're just as frustrated about working late. If possible, figure out a way for future late nights to be less of an issue (for example, give him Monday mornings off).

5. Social Skills

Leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional intelligence are great communicators. They're just as open to hearing bad news as good news, and they're experts at getting their team to support them and be excited about a new mission or project.

Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing change and resolving conflicts diplomatically. They're rarely satisfied with leaving things as they are, but they don't sit back and make everyone else do the work: they set an example with their own behavior.

So, how can you build social skills?

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Emotional Intelligence in Leadership - Learning How to Be More Aware

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Relating to others is vital in today's workplace. Learn how to build your emotional intelligence (EI) with this article.

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Executive Summary

Approximately 30% of leaders we've studied have at least one fatal flaw. These are weaknesses that are so extreme that they can have a dramatic negative effect on a leader, seriously hampering their contribution to the organization and their career progress. Usually, everyone else can see this clearly; but the person with the fatal flaw almost never does. The reason: most of us know our strengths because they result in observable outcomes. Our quick thinking saves a failing project, or our decisiveness resolves a crisis. But fatal flaws are usually sins of omission - it's the listening you didn't do, or the strategic vision it never occurred to you to describe. To figure out your fatal flaws, find a truth-teller, whether it's a close friend, coach, or therapist. Don't try to tackle it on your own.

Roman Kharlamov/Getty Images

"Oh, I pretty much know my strengths and my weaknesses."

If we had a dollar for every time we'd heard this from an executive we were coaching, we could have retired a long time ago. When probed, they often proclaim that while they might not recognize all their strengths, they are confident about knowing their serious weaknesses.

And yet what we see when we administer 360-degree feedback surveys on behalf of these leaders is that the executives with really low scores in one or more areas are often completely unaware of their fatal flaws. They are shocked to find themselves scoring so low - even though approximately 30% of all the leaders we've studied have at least one fatal flaw.

Let us explain what we mean by a "fatal flaw." Everyone has weaknesses, but over the course of administering assessments to tens of thousands of leaders, we have found that most of the time that mild weaknesses do not impact a person's overall effectiveness. Thus, while leaders usually aren't aware of their weaknesses, this doesn't hurt them.

Fatal flaws, however, are different. These are weaknesses that are so extreme that they can have a dramatic negative effect on a leader, seriously hampering their contribution to the organization and their career progress. Everyone else can see this clearly; but the person with the fatal flaw almost never does. And here, that blindness has a steep cost.

Our data shows that someone who is perceived very poorly on any single, important leadership trait pays a high price. If their score is in the bottom 10 percent on one key skill, they will rank in the bottom fifth overall - no matter how strong their other strengths are. Bottom line, leaders don't need to be extremely good at everything, but they generally cannot be totally void in one area and still succeed.

Why Weaknesses Are Hard to Self-Diagnose

Why are weaknesses and fatal flaws so hard for us to spot in ourselves? Here's our theory. Strengths are seen as a direct outcome of some specific behavior exhibited by the leader. For example, they are extremely effective at solving problems and can point to specific instances where their quick thinking saved a project. Or they're extremely good at marshaling their team to produce excellent work, and have seen the impact in the form of happy clients or industry awards. The leaders recognize something they do that produces a positive reaction, followed by a positive business outcome.

Weaknesses - especially fatal flaws - are the opposite. Fatal flaws are "sins of omission." They're a result of inaction, of the leader not doing something. In our assessments, some of the fatal flaws we see most often are a lack of strategic thinking; not taking responsibility for outcomes; and not building strong relationships. We occasionally do find leaders whose fatal flaws are "sins of commission" - like a boss with a terrible temper, or an executive who lies - but those people are (fortunately) very rare.

Because most fatal flaws are sins of omission, they are harder for to see in ourselves. The result, after all, is not visible. It's a deal that never happens, or a project that doesn't exist. These leaders are simply not making things happen.

When they get their low scores back, these leaders often say to us, "But I've done nothing to deserve these ratings." However, we know their colleagues are thinking, "You deserve these ratings because you've done nothing."

Becoming More Self-Aware

There are several ways you can learn to identify your weaknesses, and start to figure out whether they are serious or mild.

You can start by finding a "truth teller" who will share honest feedback with you. Our data shows that a large number of colleagues know about or see firsthand a serious failing in their colleague. Such people just need to be found - and encouraged to speak. They have to believe that you genuinely want honest information. If they begin to convey the truth in a cautious, tentative way, encourage them to open up by being proactively receptive. Your reaction will allow you to hear the complete story.

If that doesn't work, consider hiring outside help. We wish we could tell you that you could simply think your way to greater self-awareness, but the truth is, that's really hard to do. If your company doesn't offer coaching or 360-degree feedback (we may be biased, but we do think it's the best way to improve self-awareness), consider hiring a coach or therapist on your own. (Therapy is often covered by health insurance, while coaching is not.) This person may be able to help you gain a better understanding of your weaknesses and find ways to remedy them.

Think about it. If roughly one-third of leaders have a fatal flaw and you are sitting in a management meeting, look to your right and then to your left. As the old joke goes, if in your opinion, neither of these two colleagues has a really serious weakness, then the laws of statistics suggest that you do.

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Most Leaders Know Their Strengths - but Are Oblivious to Their Weaknesses

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Executive Summary Approximately 30% of leaders we've studied have at least one fatal flaw. These are weaknesses that are so extreme that they can have a dramatic negative effect on a leader, seriously hampering their contribution to the organization and their career progress.

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POCATELLO - Charity Noe was astonished when her 10-year-old daughter came home from school complaining that a teacher had allegedly physically disciplined her.

After reporting the incident to Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 and Pocatello police, Charity was even more surprised to find out that teachers can legally use physical force on students in Idaho.

Charity's daughter Rosie, a student at Indian Hills Elementary School, said the February incident occurred while her teacher was lecturing the class and became upset that Rosie was not paying attention.

But Pocatello police concluded the teacher's alleged physical contact with Rosie was not criminal in nature and no charges were filed.

Rosie's teacher did not respond to the Journal's attempts to interview her regarding Rosie's allegations.

The School District did not want to discuss the incident either. District spokeswoman Shelley Allen said the district complies with federal and state laws that prevent the district from discussing any specific student and personnel matters.

"Therefore, acknowledgement of an incident or the outcome of any investigation or any action taken is protected by the law," Allen added.

Rosie admitted that she was playing with her pencils and not paying attention when the teacher slammed some books down on Rosie's desk and started screaming at the child, Charity said in describing her daughter's allegations.

The teacher then "grabbed" Rosie by the head and "twisted her neck," Charity claims. Rosie was not injured but she alleges the teacher did inflict pain on her.

Older Americans likely remember a time when physically disciplining kids who misbehaved wasn't so controversial. But one would think that the act of physically disciplining students - a practice generally defined as corporal punishment - was no longer legal.

That's certainly what Charity thought.

But 22 states still allow corporal punishment in their schools - 15 expressly permit it while another seven, including Idaho, do not prohibit it, according to a letter written by former U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. in November 2016 to the nation's governors and state school chiefs.

"The use of corporal punishment can hinder the creation of a positive school climate by focusing on punitive measures to address student misbehavior rather than positive behavioral interventions and supports," King wrote.

After hearing Rosie's account of what happened to her, Charity's first reaction was to call School District 25 to discuss the incident.

Allen said parents should follow the chain of command whenever they have a question or concern about any incident at school. First, they should discuss the issue with the teacher, Allen said. If an issue remains unresolved, parents may contact the school principal, then the district's elementary or secondary education director and finally the district superintendent, according to Allen.

"Our district uses restorative practices to resolve conflict," Allen said. "At any time during the above process, the administrator may convene a restorative conference to give all sides an opportunity to discuss and clarify the issue and come to a respectful understanding and resolution."

The day after Charity reported the incident to District 25, a meeting was held to resolve matters with Rosie, Charity, the teacher and Indian Hills Elementary School Principal Jill Pixton in attendance.

"Before the meeting, the principal told me that she had already spoken to the teacher, who agreed that she did put her hands on Rosie," Charity claimed.

But Charity said that during the meeting the teacher would not admit to placing her hands on Rosie and instead wanted to focus the conversation on how Rosie was not paying attention in class.

Charity said that Rosie became upset during the meeting and started crying, which resulted in the mother and daughter leaving with nothing really resolved.

"My daughter told (the teacher) as we we're leaving, 'Tell the truth. You need to tell the truth,'" Charity recalled.

Charity then reported the classroom incident involving Rosie and the teacher to the Pocatello Police Department. After Charity explained what had happened to Rosie, police told her that this sounded like a matter that the School District would need to handle, according to the police report regarding the investigation into the incident.

Charity explained that she had already contacted the School District and she was upset because the teacher had denied ever placing her hands on Rosie, the police report stated.

Police also told Charity that Idaho law allows corporal punishment and that teachers have the right to act on behalf of parents while their children are at school, the police report said.

Idaho statutes give school districts and teachers some latitude in administering corporal punishment stating, "It is the duty of a teacher to carry out the rules and regulations of the board of trustees in controlling and maintaining discipline, and a teacher shall have the power to adopt any reasonable rule or regulation to control and maintain discipline in, and otherwise govern, the classroom, not inconsistent with any statute or rule or regulation of the board of trustees."

The National Association of School Psychologists defines corporal punishment as "the intentional infliction of pain or discomfort and/or the use of physical force upon a student with the intention of causing the student to experience bodily pain so as to correct or punish the student's behavior."

This can include hitting, shaking or slapping, either with the hand or with an object, such as a paddle or belt, the association states.

If you think this extreme kind of punishment died with the dunce cap - a form of punishment remembered by many older Americans - former Education Secretary King's letter also stated that in the 2013-2014 school year, more than 110,000 students were physically punished in more than 4,000 schools in 21 states.

Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25's policies and procedures handbook defines corporal punishment as "any physical penalty inflicted upon a student as a form of punishment for any violation of rules, regulations, or protocol of a school."

The handbook also notes that "No person who is employed or engaged by the district may inflict corporal punishment or cause corporal punishment to be inflicted on a student."

"Our expectation is that no employee ever inappropriately touches a student," Allen said. "We expect our employees to use other strategies or behavior interventions to promote positive student behavior through building strong relationships, use of behavioral coaches and restorative practices. Employees are taught to use positive interventions to deal with behavioral issues."

School District 25 is not saying whether the teacher faced any disciplinary action from the district regarding the incident involving Rosie.

Although Pocatello police described the incident as corporal punishment in their official report, Sgt. Trent Whitney of the Pocatello Police Department said it was actually a case of a teacher using "physical direction."

He said police never considered criminal charges against the teacher because there's a big difference between corporal punishment or physical punishment and physical direction.

"In this particular scenario, what the teacher did was direct the student," Whitney said. "She didn't issue any sort of corporal punishment."

He continued, "Teachers are just like policemen in that they are the law and order of the classroom. They are allowed to direct children, even if that means physically directing them to pay attention."

Whitney described several forms of physical contact, with the first being direction, which he said is not punishment.

"This happens with anybody in an authority position," Whitney said. "Direction is not, under any circumstances, a form of punishment as long as it's used reasonably. Punishment, and specifically corporal punishment, is when you receive something physical as a matter of discipline. Not to control, not to direct, but as a matter of discipline."

Determining if a teacher's physical contact with a student is excessive is up to the police, who in this case did not believe Rosie's teacher committed a crime.

Charity said she disagrees with the Pocatello Police Department's point of view that what Rosie's teacher allegedly did to Rosie was acceptable. Charity said in her opinion the teacher had no right to allegedly use physical force on Rosie, even if it was to gain the child's attention.

"Idaho law states that teachers can do whatever they want to other peoples' kids, but if it were me or another parent doing it then (we) would go to jail," Charity said. "These kids are supposed to go to school and trust their teachers but now Rosie is embarrassed and wants to switch schools."

Charity isn't the only one upset about what's acceptable in many of the nation's public schools.

In December 2016, dozens of groups and organizations including the National Parent-Teacher Association, Children's Defense Fund and American Academy of Pediatrics signed a letter supporting an end to corporal punishment in the U.S.

The Colorado House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this year that prohibited corporal punishment by employees and volunteers at state funded child care facilities and schools. But the bill was later shot down in the Colorado Senate.

Rachel Zenzinger, a Colorado state senator who sponsored the bill, told the Denver Post that corporal punishment "has no place in a modern nation that prides itself on decades of advancement in the areas of human rights and racial equality. It's a black mark on our reputation and really defies logic."

Colorado and Idaho are among the seven states without laws prohibiting corporal punishment.

Also during February - the same month as Rosie's incident at Indian Hills school - corporal punishment made the news in Idaho when a Twin Falls charter school began investigating reports that one of its teachers had taped a student's mouth shut in one of the school's second grade classrooms. The school announced in March that the teacher had resigned.

Twin Falls police said they found out about the incident via media coverage and launched an investigation. But no criminal charges were filed against the teacher.

Though Idaho law does not prohibit corporal punishment, Allen said this does not create any uncertainties within District 25.

"Although corporal punishment is not forbidden in the state of Idaho, (District 25) policy forbids corporal punishment," Allen said. "Any allegation of such is thoroughly investigated by district administration and appropriate action taken. It is absolutely not an accepted practice in our district."

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Discipline in the classroom: Incident at Pocatello school raises questions on how far teachers can go

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POCATELLO - Charity Noe was astonished when her 10-year-old daughter came home from school complaining that a teacher had allegedly physically disciplined her. After reporting the incident to Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 and Pocatello police, Charity was even more surprised to find out that teachers can legally use physical force on students in Idaho.

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33-1224. Powers and duties of teachers. In the absence of any statute or rule or regulation of the board of trustees, any teacher employed by a school district shall have the right to direct how and when each pupil shall attend to his appropriate duties, and the manner in which a pupil shall demean himself while in attendance at the school. It is the duty of a teacher to carry out the rules and regulations of the board of trustees in controlling and maintaining discipline, and a teacher shall have the power to adopt any reasonable rule or regulation to control and maintain discipline in, and otherwise govern, the classroom, not inconsistent with any statute or rule or regulation of the board of trustees.

[33-1224, added 1963, ch. 13, sec. 164, p. 27.]

How current is this law? Search the Idaho Statutes and Constitution

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33-1224. Powers and duties of teachers. In the absence of any statute or rule or regulation of the board of trustees, any teacher employed by a school district shall have the right to direct how and when each pupil shall attend to his appropriate duties, and the manner in which a pupil shall demean himself while in attendance at the school.

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My thanks to CEO Edwards and President Dukes for their comments, and for that gracious introduction.

I thank you for your unwavering commitment to equal opportunity for all students and your leadership in rethinking school discipline in Maryland. And I'm so pleased to be joined here today by my good friend and colleague, Attorney General Holder.

The Attorney General and his team have been great partners in our work together to improve school climate and keep schools safe. I know this is a very personal issue for him--as it has been for me, and for the students we talked to just minutes ago at a roundtable here at Frederick Douglass.

We're gathered here today to talk about school discipline---which, far too often, is not applied equitably or as effectively as it could be in our nation's schools.

So today, the Departments of Education and Justice are joining together to release a guidance package on school discipline for a broad range of stakeholders--educators, principals, district administrators, school board members, charter school heads, school resource officers, counselors, social workers, parents, community leaders--and, importantly, students themselves.

Our school discipline package has several elements, but I'll just highlight two important ones. The first is a Dear Colleague Letter from Catherine Lhamon and Jocelyn Samuels, who head the civil rights offices, respectively, at ED and DOJ.

Their joint letter provides information on how schools and districts can meet their legal obligations to administer student discipline without discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

Racial discrimination in school discipline is a real problem today, and not just an issue from 40 to 50 years ago. I want to thank Catherine and Jocelyn and their staffs for their tremendous leadership and commitment in addressing inequities in discipline that have been much discussed but rarely addressed. We must tackle these brutal truths head on-that is the only way to change the reality that our children face every day.

This is the first Administration to provide guidance to the public on discrimination in school discipline. And we want to continue to provide leadership on this critical problem going forward to ensure equal opportunity for all students.

The second part of the guidance package that I want to highlight is a Guiding Principles document that provides voluntary action steps for local leaders and educators. It lays out three core principles and related action steps to guide efforts to improve school climate and school discipline.

There is no single formula, no silver bullet for ensuring school discipline is equitable and effective. This work is too complex and too important to try to simplify it in that way.

Our Guiding Principles document highlights the need for locally-developed approaches to promote positive school climates and equitable discipline practices. Yet at the same time, we think those locally-tailored approaches should be grounded in research and promising practices--instead of being based on indiscriminate zero tolerance policies, or, at the other extreme, ad-hoc approaches to discipline.

The need to rethink and redesign school discipline practices is long overdue. Too many schools resort too quickly to exclusionary discipline, even for minor misbehaviors.

Exclusionary discipline is so common that in some cases, pre-K students as young as three- and four-years old are getting suspended. Here in Maryland, 91 pre-K students were suspended or expelled during the 2011-12 school year.

Schools should remove students from the classroom as a last resort, and only for appropriately serious infractions, like endangering the safety of other students, teachers, or themselves.

Unfortunately today, suspensions and expulsions are not primarily used as a last resort for serious infractions.

A landmark study in Texas found nearly six in ten public school students-a majority of students--were suspended or expelled at least once between 7th and 12th grade.

Nationwide, as many as 95 percent of out-of-school suspensions are for nonviolent misbehavior--like being disruptive, acting disrespectfully, tardiness, profanity, and dress code violations.

Let me be clear-these are all issues that must be dealt with clearly, effectively, and with a sense of urgency when they arise. But I would just ask, is putting children out of school the best remedy, the best solution to the problem? In California, nearly half of the more than 700,000 suspensions statewide in the 2011-12 school year were for, quote, "willful defiance."

Over time, the overreliance on exclusionary discipline has gotten much worse. The number of secondary school students suspended or expelled over the course of a school year has increased by roughly 40 percent in the last four decades.

In recent years, secondary schools have suspended or expelled an estimated two million students a year. That is a staggering amount of lost learning time--and lost opportunity to provide support.

Making matters worse, exclusionary discipline is applied disproportionately to children of color and students with disabilities. Educationally, and morally, that status quo is simply unacceptable.

Our department's Civil Rights Data Collection shows that African-American students without disabilities are more than three times as likely as their white peers to be expelled or suspended.

And we know that discipline policy and practices matter tremendously-there is nothing inevitable about high rates of suspension and expulsion. We can, and must, do much better.

According to CRDC data, schools in South Carolina suspended 12.7 percent of students-about one in eight students during the 2009-10 school year. By contrast, schools in North Dakota suspended 2.2 percent of students-about one out of every 50 students.

I am absolutely confident that students in South Carolina are not six times more likely than their peers in North Dakota to pose serious discipline problems worthy of an out-of-school suspension. That huge disparity is not caused by differences in children; it's caused by differences in training, professional development, and discipline policies. It is adult behavior that needs to change.

The same gaping disparities show up at the district level. Across the country, more than 300 districts suspend over 25 percent of students with disabilities. Yet more than 600 districts suspend less than 3 percent of students with disabilities.

So, state and local policies and practices are both enormously variable and have a huge impact on exclusionary discipline. Those are just two reasons why this guidance package--spelling out three guiding principles for equitable school discipline-is so important.

Those three guiding principles are simple and straightforward.

First, schools and districts should take deliberate steps to build positive school climates to prevent misbehavior and target student supports to children to help them address underlying causes of misbehavior--like trauma, substance abuse, and mental health issues.

So often acting-out behavior is a symptom of underlying issues children are dealing with at school, at home, or in the community. We must get beyond the surface issue and get to the heart of the problem.

Schools should be training staff, engaging families and community partners, and deploying real resources to help students develop the resolution skills they need to avoid or de-escalate problems. As Frederick Douglass famously said, "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." Grit, resilience, conflict resolution skills-these are all skills that can be taught and learned, and are as important to long-term success as reading, writing, and math.

The second principle is that schools and districts should ensure that clear, appropriate, and consistent expectations and consequences are in place, both to prevent and to address misbehavior.

Students should face clear expectations about behaving appropriately and be held accountable for their actions.

And schools should be seeking to provide differing levels of support and interventions to students, based on their needs-we know some students need more intensive support than others. The one-size-fits-all mentality simply doesn't work.

That will be the core premise of our School Climate Transformation Grants. The aim is to help more than a thousand schools train teachers and other school staff to implement evidence-based strategies with multi-tier behavioral frameworks to improve school climate and culture.

The third and final principle is that school leaders and educators should strive to ensure fairness and equity for all students through continuous improvement.

Using data and analysis, school leaders should continuously evaluate the impact of their discipline policies on all students and subgroups. If we are honestly tracking the data, it should not surprise us.

Too many times, schools, districts, and states fail to follow these guiding principles. And the overuse of suspensions and expulsions has taken a terrible toll on students, families, schools, and communities.

Suspended students are less likely to graduate on time--and are more likely to repeat a grade, drop out of school, and become involved in the juvenile justice system.

The school-to-prison pipeline must be challenged every day. In Texas, a single suspension or expulsion for a discretionary offense that did not include a weapon almost tripled a student's likelihood of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system the next school year.

Now, nothing in this guidance package should be understood to minimize the cardinal importance of holding students to high expectations that are developmentally appropriate. Students want and need clear boundaries, structure, and consistency. They need to feel safe, cared for, and respected. It is always the right thing to set high expectations for students, not just in academic terms, but for their behavior and conduct.

No school can be a great school if it is not first a safe school, and no teacher or student should ever feel unsafe or unable to concentrate on teaching and learning. Principals, teachers, families, and students all have a vested interest in minimizing disorder and disruptiveness in schools.

Positive school climates not only minimize unnecessary suspensions and expulsions, but also reduce disorder in the classroom and bolster learning. Those goals are complementary, not conflicting-they reinforce each other.

A new study of secondary schools in California identified 40 beating-the-odds schools that consistently performed better than would have been predicted, given the characteristics of the students they served. I don't think it will surprise anyone here to learn that these 40 schools had much more positive school climates than their comparison schools.

In fact, researchers concluded that a school's climate may have more to do with its success than the resources at its disposal. The study reported that "things like high expectations for students, caring relationships between teachers and students, and feeling safe at school were more associated with success."

Now, creating positive school climates and equitable discipline practices is a school-by-school, community-by-community challenge. And this challenge is very real.

Schools continue to be among our safest institutions for children, and violence and crime has declined in schools during the last decade. But a substantial subset of middle- and high schools still has unacceptable levels of violence, and bullying is far too common.

It will take hard, collective action to dramatically reduce the overuse of exclusionary discipline and to consistently create positive school climates. But we know it can be done. There are amazing examples all across the country of leadership making a difference. And in fact, it's being done right here in Baltimore, and right here at Frederick Douglass High School.

No one here is shrugging off this challenge, saying "boys will be boys" or "kids will be kids."

A decade ago, in 2004, principals and educators routinely suspended students for minor infractions in Baltimore City Schools. In a school system with about 88,000 students, school officials handed out more than 26,000 suspensions.

A new CEO for the district, Andres Alonso, said that was unacceptable. He saw to it that the Code of Conduct governing student discipline was changed.

Mental health professionals were placed in every school with middle grades. More discipline problems were handled through mediation, counseling, and parent-teacher conferences.

As a result, the number of suspensions in Baltimore City Schools dropped by about two-thirds, from 26,300 suspensions to 8,600 last year. I'm proud to say that Jonathan Brice of our department played a central role in those reforms when he was here in Baltimore.

And CEO Edwards has very much continued Andres' work in reducing exclusionary discipline. In just the last school year, the number of suspensions district-wide fell by almost 25 percent to a modern-day low. It may be harder to work with a child who is struggling than to just kick them out of school, but the extra effort is so important.

Many of you here today know that Frederick Douglass High has a storied past. But just a few years ago, the school had fallen on such hard times that an HBO documentary portrayed the school as a case study in educational dysfunction where less than 25 percent of students graduated.

Today, under the leadership of Dr. Hurt, and the school's wonderfully committed teachers and support staff, achievement and graduation rates are up dramatically.

At the federal level, we have supported this turnaround with $4.2 million in school improvement grants that help students participating in an early college effort to travel to community college, and supports increased planning time for teachers and increased learning time for students.

The grants help provide supports to meet the social and emotional needs of students, in keeping with the action steps outlined in today's guidance package.

Ultimately, the guiding principles and action steps we have outlined today are just a starting point for creating safe schools, where teachers can concentrate on teaching and where students are in class and learning.

These principles will be made real only through the vision and commitment of dedicated teachers, school leaders, and school staff, working in partnership with students, families, and communities.

Thurgood Marshall, a proud alum of Frederick Douglass High, said that "None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody-a parent, a teacher . . . bent down and helped us pick up our boots."

So, let us all reach out to help all our children pick up their boots and build positive futures for themselves.

And now I'd like to turn this over to my friend, Attorney General Holder.

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My thanks to CEO Edwards and President Dukes for their comments, and for that gracious introduction. I thank you for your unwavering commitment to equal opportunity for all students and your leadership in rethinking school discipline in Maryland. And I'm so pleased to be joined here today by my good friend and colleague, Attorney General Holder.

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I believe empathy is an underutilized skill in leadership. Successful leaders are often portrayed as authoritarians with an unbending will, but this is a weak leadership style to adopt. Ultimately, a true leader should focus on building trust, and an effective way to achieve this trust is through empathy.

In order to move from being a manager into being a coach, an individual has to master a new set of skills. These skills, if not naturally given, will take an incredible amount of discipline and understanding to obtain and will present new challenges. Because of my own past, one of the most challenging skills that I needed to learn was empathy.

When I was 20, I lost my sister and six friends unexpectedly, each with different and tragic circumstances. Five years later, I experienced another tragedy as I held my dad's hand during the final stages of his battle with terminal cancer, a battle which he, unfortunately, did not win.

When I had heard about people's challenges in life, whether these were tales of divorce, losing a deal or losing their job, these used to register with me as a 1 on my empathy scale out of 10. My initial thought was: You're intact, no one died, why are you upset? Just start over, it could always be so much worse. It was tough to understand their pain because even though they felt like they were at the bottom of the barrel (and indeed were facing challenging circumstances), I knew how much deeper their despair could go.

When someone would tell me about a life-shattering event and how they felt like they would never recover, my perspective was always from the bottom of that barrel, staring up. I can even envision it now, a black cylinder with a dimly lit circle at the top. Them, at the top, laying on a glass ceiling, writhing in pain not understanding how much deeper and worse the pain could get.

The problem is that this lack of empathy isn't a fair view to take, especially in management. A lot of the time what happens when you step into this new role is that you rely on the skills that got you there - but that is a trap.

From a top sales performer's perspective, you learn to have that killer mentality. You learn that if you act with purpose, you will close deals. Will Smith said it best in his often-quoted treadmill analogy: "The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is I'm not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked, period."

When associates aren't closing deals and are complaining about it, you'll think to yourself: What's the problem? Just run faster.

This was the most challenging area for me when I first stepped into management. I wasn't empathizing with my associates. I had taken a hardline mentality that what they were doing wasn't difficult and that if they followed the outline we provided to them, they would achieve success. The problem was that I didn't understand what my job was.

I thought that my goal was to get my associates to follow the exact outline that we knew would bring them success, but in reality, my role was to enable them to be successful by taking barriers out of their way and supporting them. I needed to learn to be more of a coach than a manager.

My job wasn't to tell them what they need to do, because they already knew. Part of my role was to be a sounding board, an in-office therapist and the person that they could come to who would build up their ego. Someone who could push them to their goals and put them in a position to succeed.

What happens when we don't empathize with associates? We end up tearing them down, discouraging them and pushing them away when all they need is some encouragement.

There are many skills that lead to becoming a great leader and empathy is one of them. Direct reports that trust you will run through walls for you, and if you can gain their trust and empathize with their challenges, you can build them into the best versions of themselves.

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I believe empathy is an underutilized skill in leadership. Successful leaders are often portrayed as authoritarians with an unbending will, but this is a weak leadership style to adopt. Ultimately, a true leader should focus on building trust, and an effective way to achieve this trust is through empathy.