You don’t Need Graduate Degrees When You’re a Misfit Kathleen Jasper December 12, 2013 6 Comments I have spent a small fortune on graduate degrees in my quest to become an authority on certain topics. I have a BS in English, an MPA in Public Policy and a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership. To top it all off, I am half way through my doctorate in Educational Leadership. I say this not to brag or boast, but to paint a picture of my obsession with knowledge and school. I have spent my life trying to find answers to questions by following the rules and educational paths set by others, who I figured, were the authorities. Lately I have completely changed this approach and over the last six months I have been interacting with subjects completely out of my normal realm of knowledge: marketing, money, business, and mediaprenuership Before I was intimidated by these subjects because they were so foreign to me. I am a public school educator; marketing and business are not what I do. Therefore, marketing and business are not subjects I read. People in suits walking down New York City streets read about marketing and entrepreneurship. K-12 administrators read books on educational leadership, instructional leadership and teacher evaluations. If I wanted to be a marketer or entrepreneur, I should have studied these subjects as an undergrad, gotten the prerequisites and moved on to get an MBA. I have recently discovered I have been very wrong. It started with a podcast I inadvertently stumbled across because a friend suggested it. She was trying to figure out how to make extra money on the side of what she was currently doing. So I thought, what the hell; let me see what this is about. I learned a lot. Even better, this podcast mentioned another podcast called BlogcastFM. Then I thought, “what the hell.” And I downloaded a few episodes. I was BLOWN AWAY by what I was hearing. The host Srini Rao talks about work that matters and the guests range from bloggers to mediaprenuers to marketing geniuses to regular people doing awesome things with their lives. But the best part is the reading list and suggestions that come from the guests. Every guest references a book or a blog or a podcast they use. Because I wanted what these people had, I started writing their reading lists down and their reading lists became my reading lists. I began abandoning the traditional mode of learning and picked up a misfit approach to discovery. What I mean is, most of us have been programmed to only consume the knowledge that is presented in front of us. For example, in my job as an assistant principal, I am given professional literature, some good, some awful. That literature encompasses topics like, the individualized classroom or collaborative leadership or effective instruction. These books are directly related to what I do and they all say the same thing over and over and over again. Even in my graduate work, every class, every textbook says the same damn thing. In fact, I have stopped buying textbooks for that reason. In my new misfit approach to discovery, I have started reading books completely unrelated to what I do. I am reading Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday and The Art of Being Unmistakeable by Srini Rao. These books were each a $2.99 download on Amazon, much less than the $69.00-$99.00 textbook for my classes. I have learned more in the last 2 weeks from reading these two ebooks than I have all year in my doctoral program. Some of my coworkers and bosses want me to put the misfit back into the box and go back to the way things were. In fact, my boss said to me, “we want the old Kathleen back, the girl focused in k-12 education going after kids out of dress code and enforcing the rules.” I told him, “I am afraid that is impossible.” My world has exploded with infinite possibilities from simply downloading a couple of pieces of information not found on any of my doctoral reading lists. It feels good to be a misfit. Can’t help but think, what would happen if we allowed our students to hack their education and become their own misfits of discovery. 6 Responses Annmarie Ferry December 12, 2013 As I constantly go back and forth on seeking my master’s degree (most likely in school counseling), I usually decide not to for a few reasons: (1) I need to get my kids through school, both of whom are planning to seek advanced degrees in their specific fields of studies (degrees that make sense and will pay off in many ways), (2) I am afraid to enter back into the collegiate world, (3) I am afraid if I do get a degree, the jobs may not be there or I may be disappointed in the job once I land one, and (4) As I get older and wiser, I have less tolerance for stuff I learn that I know damn well will not work in the setting in which for which it is intended. It is a colossal waste of time! I’d rather do what you’ve been doing, seeking things I want to learn for my specific needs and uses. And, I look forward to a day when kids in school can do the same thing. This “one size fits all” ideology we current stuff everyone into has got to stop. We talk about individualization, but offer none. We talk about student motivation, but then tell them what should motivate them. Reply Kathleen Jasper December 12, 2013 I wonder what would happen if we just loosened the reins and let our students explore. No standards, no tests, just a space where they are free to discover what they want. The first thing that would happen is they would look at us like we were crazy. But after the initial shock, I’m pretty confident they would show us some amazing things. We spend most of our time telling them to conform and to silence their inner misfit. What does that do for them? It certainly doesn’t make them smarter or better at tests. Reply Suzan Harden December 12, 2013 First of all: Don’t waste your money on a degree in school counseling until you talk to some counselors. I had no idea that with a master’s in education I would be more closely identified with the support staff than with the professional staff. My master’s advisor warned us, but I was optimistic. This is not going to change any time soon. We don’t have a budget; we don’t even have a comprehensive district guidance plan. What this community desperately needs is counselors who specialize in issues of adolescents, and you can make a lot more money. There is often a 3-month wait for an appointment, which horrifies parents who need help yesterday. Second: It is the misfits who change the world. Without the misfits, we’d still be living in caves and walking! But being a misfit is exhausting until you find a like-minded person. I think of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone sitting on their verandas, watching the Caloosahatchie flow by, calmly planning the revolutions of the 20th century, and I get chills. How did they find each other before social media? I remind myself that they were just people with funny ideas until they got together. Misfits, unite! Reply Kathleen Jasper December 12, 2013 Thanks Suzan! I completely agree that like-minded misfits can definitely change the world by starting revolutions! I also agree that a comprehensive guidance plan would really help our students when it comes to assisting them in navigating the educational process. You are going to like our upcoming podcast about divorce (it airs on Tues). We talk to Jan Porter about the impact divorce has on students and their schooling. She specifically talks about the counselor and teacher role in helping so many students through the reality of divorce. Reply Tasha December 17, 2013 First, I would just like to point out that all of these thoughts all throughout this blog are exactly what I battle and think through each and every day. My initial desire for a career was to be part of the public school system and make a difference where I felt it was needed. I started my education career in early childhood. I love everything about it! But I still thought it would be in MY best interest to get into the public school sector to be able to truly make a change. Once I started my interning in “big school” I realized that NONE of it was in MY best interest (and how selfish and short sighted I was to think it had anything to do with me in the first place), nor did it have anything to do with the change and difference I wanted to make for children, and it most certainly was not in the best interest of ANY child except the ones who were fortunate enough to have fit into the mold that all the textbooks we were force fed throughout our degrees lead us to believe are the only children out there! So I chose to stay and make the difference in a way that was only governed by me (so I thought) with children before they enter the crazy world of “big school”. Now, with my Master’s in Education Administration (which only looks pretty on the fancy and pricey paper the college issues it on…glad my $30,000 a year is visible somewhere)…I am even further from thinking that there is any progress to be made in the world of education with all of the rules, standards, testing, etc. Somehow, somewhere, the vast majority of podium educators (and society for that matter) have lost the understanding of what we should be doing to make children successful in LIFE…yes, not just the classroom. There were a lot of things that school did not prepare me for out here in the real world (although sometimes it seems a lot like high school) but I could balance a checkbook, hold down a job, and even not have a mental break down when I realized I didn’t get a trophy for NOT succeeding at something I was just not any good at. I could go on for days, my soap box spans for miles! Bottom line (for now) is that degree that costs more than several homes that I am oh so proud to hang did not teach me very much about life except you can be in debt for a fancy piece of paper for the rest of your life! Reply Kathleen Jasper December 17, 2013 Tasha, So glad you are hear, reading and getting on your soap box. You are not alone in the discovery that public education or “big school” as you call it is failing our kids. I also think it is failing our educators too. The schools system would benefit from someone with your tenacity and drive, but it misses your on that because the rules and standards it imposes on educators drives people out. In Lee County there is a 50% retention rate for new teachers. That means 50% of teachers with less than 3 years of experience, the ones we call newbies, are leaving the profession. We are missing out on really great people because the system is so broken. The ones that stick it out, end up burned out and crispy fried before year 7. The system is failing everyone involved, parents, students, teachers, administrators. The only people the system is not failing are the testing companies and board of directors of white guys running the show. If you want to see that board of directors go to Achieve.org and you will see this: Chair Craig R. Barrett Former CEO/Chairman of the Board Intel Corporation Watch Craig R. Barrett’s Views on American Education and Achieve Board Members Mark B. Grier Vice Chairman Prudential Financial, Inc. Watch Mark B. Grier’s Views on American Education and Achieve Governor Bill Haslam State of Tennessee Watch Governor Haslam’s Views on American Education and Achieve Governor Dave Heineman State of Nebraska Watch Governor Heineman’s Views on American Education and Achieve Governor Jay Nixon State of Missouri Governor Deval Patrick Commonwealth of Massachusetts Watch Governor Patrick’s Views on American Education and Achieve Jeff Wadsworth President & Chief Executive Officer Battelle Watch Jeff Wadsworth’s Views on American Education and Achieve Chairman Emeritus Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer IBM Corporation President Michael Cohen President Achieve Treasurer Peter Sayre Controller Prudential Financial, Inc. These are the guys running the show in American public education. None of them have EVER been a classroom teacher. Not even for a second. If that does;t get you fired up on your soap box I don’t know what will! Thanks for commenting. Your input is valuable. 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Annmarie Ferry December 12, 2013 As I constantly go back and forth on seeking my master’s degree (most likely in school counseling), I usually decide not to for a few reasons: (1) I need to get my kids through school, both of whom are planning to seek advanced degrees in their specific fields of studies (degrees that make sense and will pay off in many ways), (2) I am afraid to enter back into the collegiate world, (3) I am afraid if I do get a degree, the jobs may not be there or I may be disappointed in the job once I land one, and (4) As I get older and wiser, I have less tolerance for stuff I learn that I know damn well will not work in the setting in which for which it is intended. It is a colossal waste of time! I’d rather do what you’ve been doing, seeking things I want to learn for my specific needs and uses. And, I look forward to a day when kids in school can do the same thing. This “one size fits all” ideology we current stuff everyone into has got to stop. We talk about individualization, but offer none. We talk about student motivation, but then tell them what should motivate them. Reply
Kathleen Jasper December 12, 2013 I wonder what would happen if we just loosened the reins and let our students explore. No standards, no tests, just a space where they are free to discover what they want. The first thing that would happen is they would look at us like we were crazy. But after the initial shock, I’m pretty confident they would show us some amazing things. We spend most of our time telling them to conform and to silence their inner misfit. What does that do for them? It certainly doesn’t make them smarter or better at tests. Reply
Suzan Harden December 12, 2013 First of all: Don’t waste your money on a degree in school counseling until you talk to some counselors. I had no idea that with a master’s in education I would be more closely identified with the support staff than with the professional staff. My master’s advisor warned us, but I was optimistic. This is not going to change any time soon. We don’t have a budget; we don’t even have a comprehensive district guidance plan. What this community desperately needs is counselors who specialize in issues of adolescents, and you can make a lot more money. There is often a 3-month wait for an appointment, which horrifies parents who need help yesterday. Second: It is the misfits who change the world. Without the misfits, we’d still be living in caves and walking! But being a misfit is exhausting until you find a like-minded person. I think of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone sitting on their verandas, watching the Caloosahatchie flow by, calmly planning the revolutions of the 20th century, and I get chills. How did they find each other before social media? I remind myself that they were just people with funny ideas until they got together. Misfits, unite! Reply
Kathleen Jasper December 12, 2013 Thanks Suzan! I completely agree that like-minded misfits can definitely change the world by starting revolutions! I also agree that a comprehensive guidance plan would really help our students when it comes to assisting them in navigating the educational process. You are going to like our upcoming podcast about divorce (it airs on Tues). We talk to Jan Porter about the impact divorce has on students and their schooling. She specifically talks about the counselor and teacher role in helping so many students through the reality of divorce. Reply
Tasha December 17, 2013 First, I would just like to point out that all of these thoughts all throughout this blog are exactly what I battle and think through each and every day. My initial desire for a career was to be part of the public school system and make a difference where I felt it was needed. I started my education career in early childhood. I love everything about it! But I still thought it would be in MY best interest to get into the public school sector to be able to truly make a change. Once I started my interning in “big school” I realized that NONE of it was in MY best interest (and how selfish and short sighted I was to think it had anything to do with me in the first place), nor did it have anything to do with the change and difference I wanted to make for children, and it most certainly was not in the best interest of ANY child except the ones who were fortunate enough to have fit into the mold that all the textbooks we were force fed throughout our degrees lead us to believe are the only children out there! So I chose to stay and make the difference in a way that was only governed by me (so I thought) with children before they enter the crazy world of “big school”. Now, with my Master’s in Education Administration (which only looks pretty on the fancy and pricey paper the college issues it on…glad my $30,000 a year is visible somewhere)…I am even further from thinking that there is any progress to be made in the world of education with all of the rules, standards, testing, etc. Somehow, somewhere, the vast majority of podium educators (and society for that matter) have lost the understanding of what we should be doing to make children successful in LIFE…yes, not just the classroom. There were a lot of things that school did not prepare me for out here in the real world (although sometimes it seems a lot like high school) but I could balance a checkbook, hold down a job, and even not have a mental break down when I realized I didn’t get a trophy for NOT succeeding at something I was just not any good at. I could go on for days, my soap box spans for miles! Bottom line (for now) is that degree that costs more than several homes that I am oh so proud to hang did not teach me very much about life except you can be in debt for a fancy piece of paper for the rest of your life! Reply
Kathleen Jasper December 17, 2013 Tasha, So glad you are hear, reading and getting on your soap box. You are not alone in the discovery that public education or “big school” as you call it is failing our kids. I also think it is failing our educators too. The schools system would benefit from someone with your tenacity and drive, but it misses your on that because the rules and standards it imposes on educators drives people out. In Lee County there is a 50% retention rate for new teachers. That means 50% of teachers with less than 3 years of experience, the ones we call newbies, are leaving the profession. We are missing out on really great people because the system is so broken. The ones that stick it out, end up burned out and crispy fried before year 7. The system is failing everyone involved, parents, students, teachers, administrators. The only people the system is not failing are the testing companies and board of directors of white guys running the show. If you want to see that board of directors go to Achieve.org and you will see this: Chair Craig R. Barrett Former CEO/Chairman of the Board Intel Corporation Watch Craig R. Barrett’s Views on American Education and Achieve Board Members Mark B. Grier Vice Chairman Prudential Financial, Inc. Watch Mark B. Grier’s Views on American Education and Achieve Governor Bill Haslam State of Tennessee Watch Governor Haslam’s Views on American Education and Achieve Governor Dave Heineman State of Nebraska Watch Governor Heineman’s Views on American Education and Achieve Governor Jay Nixon State of Missouri Governor Deval Patrick Commonwealth of Massachusetts Watch Governor Patrick’s Views on American Education and Achieve Jeff Wadsworth President & Chief Executive Officer Battelle Watch Jeff Wadsworth’s Views on American Education and Achieve Chairman Emeritus Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer IBM Corporation President Michael Cohen President Achieve Treasurer Peter Sayre Controller Prudential Financial, Inc. These are the guys running the show in American public education. None of them have EVER been a classroom teacher. Not even for a second. If that does;t get you fired up on your soap box I don’t know what will! Thanks for commenting. Your input is valuable. Reply
