Angela Barrett
Book Review
Meyerson, D. E. (2008). Rocking the boat: How to effect change without making trouble. Harvard Business Press.
Task Zero Review
Rocking the Boat tackles the ideas of how employees can be agents of change in their workplace without alienating others or relinquishing their ideals. The books gives examples and strategies that that enable employees to accomplish their own agendas without undermining the progress of their company or other employees. The author discusses five main strategies that employees who wish to make changes could employ: resist quietly and stay true to self, turn personal threats into opportunities, broaden impact through negotiation, leverage small wins, and organizing collective action. The changes may include buying more fair trade ingredients, being sensitive to the needs of parents, inclusive opportunities for LGBTQ employees, and recognition/support of cultural and ethnic diversity in the workplace, to name a few. These may be issues that have a great impact on the lives of the employees but are often overlooked by the company or business. The examples given demonstrate positive outcomes for both the employees and companies profiled. These outcomes are attributed to thoughtful decisions and procedures created by the agents of change, otherwise known as tempered radicals. Rocking the boat can be as simple as displaying a photo of ones’ same-sex partner on their desk to complex, large scale initiatives where company policy is changed. Change is often resisted by those who were comfortable with the status quo and therefore, the author recommends that tempered radicals enlist the support of third parties or peers who are in similar situations. Tempered radicals make direct and indirect changes in their companies, thus taking on roles of leaders and agents of change. They work as examples for others who are inspired to make change and they develop the workplace into a more welcoming, equitable environment.
Task One How am I different?
This is a question that stumps me, because I rarely think of myself that way. I do see myself as a tempered radical because I will question directives and the status quo, I will work to change ideas and policy that I do not find beneficial, but I do not know how I see myself as different. I reviewed the book looking for some examples of being different when I came to the example on page 21 of city designed for short people where a tall person would be looked upon as different and they would have to find a way to fit in and adjust. The times that I have tried to effect change, the motivation was not for my own comfort or benefit, but for others, primarily my students. I will push back when I know a decision is not in the best interests of my students. Often, agreeing and following directives would be much easier for me as a teacher but it is not what my students need. I will work twice as hard to create a new curriculum or method that is tailored to their needs rather than follow a prescribed method from a so-called expert who has never entered my classroom. Perhaps that is how I am different? I put what is right for my students ahead of my needs and I am willing to stand up for what they need academically and emotionally with only some regard for the backlash. As a former principal once remarked, “do not come to me with a problem without also having a solution.” I take that to heart and I approach my small battles with a solution that will meet the needs of my students while achieving the overarching objectives.
Task Two Becoming a Tempered Radical
I believe I am well on my way in a career of being a tempered radical. I have several retired principals who would most likely agree. I have always been interested in being a teacher leader and I take that role very seriously. As a junior in high school, I applied to be a Golden Apple Scholar. I earned the scholarship and I was in a classroom just three weeks after I graduated high school. I had an early start exploring school and classroom culture and I took summer courses taught by award winning teachers that served to inspire and ignite a fire to improve (not necessarily change) the world, one student at a time. By the time I student taught during my senior year of college, I had done internships in four schools working with students in grades K-8. After a year and a half teaching, I began my masters’ degree in curriculum and instruction because I couldn’t find a high-quality curriculum for my kindergarten students and I wanted to create one of my own. I went on to several more endorsements and National Board Certification all in the effort to hone my skills as an educator. Recently, I earned my Type 75, the credentials necessary to become an administrator. I am constantly learning and developing myself first so that I can bring back well thought-out, prepared, useful lessons and culture to my classroom. I often push back on ideas but I strive to present a research-based solution. I find myself on the right side of the continuum, sometimes leveraging small wins and sometimes organizing collective action. I often work within the realm of leadership committees, pushing my agenda forward by incorporating the ideas of others in my school. I also support my peers with their ideas for change. So long as I find that an initiative is a best practice, research-based, student-centered plan, I am on board.
Task Three Levels of Challenges
When reviewing the section on challenges faced by tempered radicals, the idea of frustration and burnout resonated most strongly with me. I have been at the same school for nearly thirteen years. In my first teaching assignment, I was accustomed to multidisciplinary units, group work models, student talk and ownership and creative teaching methods. When I joined the staff at my current placement, the school was very ‘old fashioned’ in the upper grades. Students sat in quiet rows, answered multiple choice questions from the end of the chapter and did many, many worksheets. My classroom was loud, colorful and covered in educational posters made by the students. When our standardized test scores jumped by thirty percentage points in one year, a teacher (who has since moved on) came to my room, closed the door behind her and proceeded to rant about how I was making the rest of the teachers look bad. She all but threatened me and told me something along the lines of “stop rocking the boat” and disrupting the flow of things at the school. I recognize the irony now! I, of course, thanked her for the input and went on doing my thing. Conversely, I had another teacher thank me during my second year at my school because, in her effort to compete with me, she found that she had become a better teacher. I have been shown great respect and sometimes disrespect by my fellow teachers and principals. I understand that it is hard to trust new ideas and, in a district like CPS, it is even harder to go against the flow. I have felt frustration that few others will stand up for what they believe. I get burnt out being on committees, supporting and mentoring young teachers, having an open-door policy with families and students. At the same time, whenever I think that I am going to take a break, some new idea catches my attention and I cannot resist the lure of learning new ideas and bringing them back to my students. It is things like the MSU Urban STEM Fellowship that keep my fire burning and help me persevere in the face of frustration and burnout.
Book Review
Meyerson, D. E. (2008). Rocking the boat: How to effect change without making trouble. Harvard Business Press.
Task Zero Review
Rocking the Boat tackles the ideas of how employees can be agents of change in their workplace without alienating others or relinquishing their ideals. The books gives examples and strategies that that enable employees to accomplish their own agendas without undermining the progress of their company or other employees. The author discusses five main strategies that employees who wish to make changes could employ: resist quietly and stay true to self, turn personal threats into opportunities, broaden impact through negotiation, leverage small wins, and organizing collective action. The changes may include buying more fair trade ingredients, being sensitive to the needs of parents, inclusive opportunities for LGBTQ employees, and recognition/support of cultural and ethnic diversity in the workplace, to name a few. These may be issues that have a great impact on the lives of the employees but are often overlooked by the company or business. The examples given demonstrate positive outcomes for both the employees and companies profiled. These outcomes are attributed to thoughtful decisions and procedures created by the agents of change, otherwise known as tempered radicals. Rocking the boat can be as simple as displaying a photo of ones’ same-sex partner on their desk to complex, large scale initiatives where company policy is changed. Change is often resisted by those who were comfortable with the status quo and therefore, the author recommends that tempered radicals enlist the support of third parties or peers who are in similar situations. Tempered radicals make direct and indirect changes in their companies, thus taking on roles of leaders and agents of change. They work as examples for others who are inspired to make change and they develop the workplace into a more welcoming, equitable environment.
Task One How am I different?
This is a question that stumps me, because I rarely think of myself that way. I do see myself as a tempered radical because I will question directives and the status quo, I will work to change ideas and policy that I do not find beneficial, but I do not know how I see myself as different. I reviewed the book looking for some examples of being different when I came to the example on page 21 of city designed for short people where a tall person would be looked upon as different and they would have to find a way to fit in and adjust. The times that I have tried to effect change, the motivation was not for my own comfort or benefit, but for others, primarily my students. I will push back when I know a decision is not in the best interests of my students. Often, agreeing and following directives would be much easier for me as a teacher but it is not what my students need. I will work twice as hard to create a new curriculum or method that is tailored to their needs rather than follow a prescribed method from a so-called expert who has never entered my classroom. Perhaps that is how I am different? I put what is right for my students ahead of my needs and I am willing to stand up for what they need academically and emotionally with only some regard for the backlash. As a former principal once remarked, “do not come to me with a problem without also having a solution.” I take that to heart and I approach my small battles with a solution that will meet the needs of my students while achieving the overarching objectives.
Task Two Becoming a Tempered Radical
I believe I am well on my way in a career of being a tempered radical. I have several retired principals who would most likely agree. I have always been interested in being a teacher leader and I take that role very seriously. As a junior in high school, I applied to be a Golden Apple Scholar. I earned the scholarship and I was in a classroom just three weeks after I graduated high school. I had an early start exploring school and classroom culture and I took summer courses taught by award winning teachers that served to inspire and ignite a fire to improve (not necessarily change) the world, one student at a time. By the time I student taught during my senior year of college, I had done internships in four schools working with students in grades K-8. After a year and a half teaching, I began my masters’ degree in curriculum and instruction because I couldn’t find a high-quality curriculum for my kindergarten students and I wanted to create one of my own. I went on to several more endorsements and National Board Certification all in the effort to hone my skills as an educator. Recently, I earned my Type 75, the credentials necessary to become an administrator. I am constantly learning and developing myself first so that I can bring back well thought-out, prepared, useful lessons and culture to my classroom. I often push back on ideas but I strive to present a research-based solution. I find myself on the right side of the continuum, sometimes leveraging small wins and sometimes organizing collective action. I often work within the realm of leadership committees, pushing my agenda forward by incorporating the ideas of others in my school. I also support my peers with their ideas for change. So long as I find that an initiative is a best practice, research-based, student-centered plan, I am on board.
Task Three Levels of Challenges
When reviewing the section on challenges faced by tempered radicals, the idea of frustration and burnout resonated most strongly with me. I have been at the same school for nearly thirteen years. In my first teaching assignment, I was accustomed to multidisciplinary units, group work models, student talk and ownership and creative teaching methods. When I joined the staff at my current placement, the school was very ‘old fashioned’ in the upper grades. Students sat in quiet rows, answered multiple choice questions from the end of the chapter and did many, many worksheets. My classroom was loud, colorful and covered in educational posters made by the students. When our standardized test scores jumped by thirty percentage points in one year, a teacher (who has since moved on) came to my room, closed the door behind her and proceeded to rant about how I was making the rest of the teachers look bad. She all but threatened me and told me something along the lines of “stop rocking the boat” and disrupting the flow of things at the school. I recognize the irony now! I, of course, thanked her for the input and went on doing my thing. Conversely, I had another teacher thank me during my second year at my school because, in her effort to compete with me, she found that she had become a better teacher. I have been shown great respect and sometimes disrespect by my fellow teachers and principals. I understand that it is hard to trust new ideas and, in a district like CPS, it is even harder to go against the flow. I have felt frustration that few others will stand up for what they believe. I get burnt out being on committees, supporting and mentoring young teachers, having an open-door policy with families and students. At the same time, whenever I think that I am going to take a break, some new idea catches my attention and I cannot resist the lure of learning new ideas and bringing them back to my students. It is things like the MSU Urban STEM Fellowship that keep my fire burning and help me persevere in the face of frustration and burnout.
