Daniel Skognes

Before we talk about leadership, it might be good to point out that management and leadership are not synonymous. While having a title of manager does involve leadership at the very basic level, they are different in their purpose and function. For instance, managers tend to be concerned with the assignment at hand, while leaders are looking at not just the assignment at hand but also how it impacts the organization or project in the future. There are many nuances, but let’s just agree that they are different for the purpose of this discussion. I also acknowledge that there are good and bad leaders as well as managers, but I am focused on the ones that are better than average.

I love characters in the Bible because they give us not just history lessons, but also a road map to guide and help us. David is a Bible character that inspires me. He was certainly flawed in many ways, but he was an amazing leader. He rose to power when he was just a shepherd boy when he stepped up and did what no man in Israel had the guts to do….face Goliath…a literal giant of a man! I love his fearlessness, faith, and focus…all signs of a great leader. Moses was another patriarch of the Bible that was a great leader, but he did not start out that way. He did not like public speaking (not many people do!), and when he did step up to lead, he tried to do everything himself. He obviously felt like many managers do: “If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.” While I get the “why” he did it, it nearly killed him doing the work because he was totally wearing himself out settling disputes among the people of Israel. He finally got some wise counsel to delegate authority to people under him, and thus the organizational tree took root.

Jesus is my favorite example of leadership, and He goes against what most people think about when they think of leaders. Jesus was and is someone who literally changed the world with His teaching and His sacrifice. He understood being under authority, and He knew what authority had been given to Him by God. Jesus is the perfect example of servant leadership. He embodies strength, purpose, unwavering faith, humility, sacrifice, and obedience. He challenged the religious leaders of His day and their self-righteous attitudes. He understood that truth had to be told, no matter how hard it was for the people to hear. He was the ultimate encourager to His followers and gave us the Holy Spirit when He returned to Heaven.

Leaders are not necessarily born. They may be destined to lead, but whether or not they fulfill their destiny often hinges on the choices they make along the way. I would encourage you to examine your leadership role. Whether you are leading at home, at work, at church, or in society, are you leading to your potential? Do you treat the people you lead with respect? Do you micromanage them or empower them? Do you value their contributions and their opinions? Do you allow people to challenge your decisions? Are you rigid in your thinking, or flexible to adapt to the situation? Do you know the power of having a servant’s heart? Do you know how to lead with love?

I hope you rise to your potential, not to your level of incompetence (The Peter Principle). We all have the potential for greatness written on our hearts. It is up to us to find out what that is and then walk it out…in faith and with humility. You won’t go wrong if you lead like Jesus.

Shalom!

Daniel Skognes

If you teach for any length of time you find a day or days where everything does not go as planned. Have you ever experienced any of the following:

1. Your computer or one of the kid’s computer is not working.

2. The white board or projector are not working.

3. You don’t have the assignment for the class you took over.

4. You just started a very important assignment with the class and they have a fire drill, disaster drill, etc.

5. The answer key you were given is incorrect.

6. You have an emergency at home during class.

7. Someone gets sick or has an “accident” in the class.

8. The kids don’t have good internet connection for Zoom classes.

I have experienced all of these and more in my time teaching. Why do I mention it? Because if you are going to teach, you have to remain calm in the midst of the storm. I admit I am not always the calmest when stuff hits the fan, but I am learning to go with the flow, expect the unexpected, and have a Plan B if need be.

It isn’t always easy to think clearly when things go wrong, and depending on the situation, it can become awkward and even weird at times. The one thing I know for sure is, problems are going to happen at the worst possible times (or so it seems), so you might as well be flexible and bend a little.

Since reading is so foundational to all levels of learning, I fall back on reading a lot…as a group and individually. I found just today an assignment that had a reading portion to it and as I read through it, it was apparent that the vocabulary was pretty advanced for the grade level and the kids were having problems not just with pronouncing the words but with understanding what they meant! I ended up reading most of it to them and stopped periodically to field questions or check for understanding.

I also have no problem reviewing something that they have completed earlier in the week. Often I find that everyone did not understand it the first time anyway, so the review is certainly a good fallback to recap and discuss.

Lastly, I try to have one key teacher that I can call or text for support if all does not go as planned. Whether in person or online, a backup support person is vital for your sanity!

What are your go to Plan Bs when you get thrown a curve? Feel free to share. I am always open to creative ideas in teaching.

P.S. I know that remote teaching has a whole set of unique problems, but we still need a Plan B for those situations as well.

Shalom!

Daniel Skognes

As an educator it may be tempting to rely upon what is being taught as the primary means of learning, however, what is caught comes with experience. What goes into our brain takes root as we experience life, question the assumptions, and put what we have been taught to the test.

Experience is a powerful teacher and may be more accurate in spite of what we learn through lectures, reading, or teaching. Last year I was doing a class assignment and had been given the Teacher’s Key with the correct answers to make sure everyone was doing it correctly. As I was going through the math with the kids, it became apparent that the Teacher’s Key was flawed! Imagine that. LOL. I had the same thing happen this year in an English assignment. It is funny how often what we think is correct turns out to be wrong after we really question it.

In the words of a Russian Proverb, “Trust, but verify.” We as educators have to move beyond assumptions and test the validity of the curriculum. If we take the lazy way out and just trust teaching alone to educate kids, they are the ones who will suffer in the end. Just some food for thought.

Shalom!

Daniel Skognes

We have laws…lots of them, and breaking the law brings consequences, as we all know. Here are a few laws you may have heard of, and a few that you have not heard before:

The Law of Love: Love endures through time, conquers your fears, and covers a multitude of sins. There is no law against love!

The Law of Fear: Fear is false evidence appearing real. Don’t let it rule your life and derail you from peace and happiness.

The Law of Feelings: Feelings matter, but feelings can and will change. Don’t let them make your decisions.

The Law of Forgiveness: Forgiving someone for a wrong is the key to moving forward in your relationships, and only you can unlock the cage of bitterness, rage, and revenge that unforgiveness creates.

The Law of Listening: If you fail to listen, you are destined to fail.

The Law of Speaking: Think before you speak. Once the words are spoken aloud you can never retract them and the damage they do may be catastrophic. Your words will either hurt or heal.

The Law of Laughter: Laughter is good medicine. Use it liberally.

The Law of Success: Success is never owned. It is rented, and the rent is due every day.

The Law of Failure: Failure isn’t fatal unless you give up. Your breakthrough requires you press through.

The Law of Stupidity: Life is harder when you’re stupid. Learn the lesson the first time.

The Law of Truth: Truth always comes out in the end. There is your truth, my truth, and THE truth. It is up to each of us to find THE truth.

The Law of Lies: Half truths and white lies are still lies. Don’t fall for them.

The Law of Money: Live within your means. Invest and save. Don’t worship money, it isn’t God.

The Law of Encouragement: Everyone has issues. Be an encourager. You never know how a kind word may help someone who is battling depression or having suicidal thoughts.

The Law of Issues: Everyone has issues, but some people have “ISSUES.” Be careful that you don’t get invited to join their circus. Misery loves company and evil company corrupts good behavior. You may have to encourage them from a distance.

The Law of Friendship: There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Nurture those friendships. They are more valuable than gold.

The Law of Learning: We are students all our lives. None of us, even the experts, know it all.

The Law of Bullying: A bully will eventually find someone who stands up to him and puts him in his place.

The Law of Teaching: To be a great teacher, you have to give all that you have to all that you serve with humility, dedication, and a commitment to excellence.

The Law of Leadership: Great leaders have the ability to inspire others to greatness. They make the hard decisions and empower people to make decisions on their own. They lead by serving and have an unwavering focus on the goal at hand.

The Law of Power: Power that you abuse, you lose.

The Law of Opportunity: When opportunity knocks, if you don’t answer it, it doesn’t disappear; it simply moves on to find someone who is willing to open the door.

The Law of Purpose: Finding your purpose in life is the one thing that you have to find for yourself. Other people can help you identify it, but it is up to you to claim it and walk it out.

The Law of Peace: There are two types of peace: internal and external. It is possible to have internal peace in the midst of chaos, but that requires faith in something greater than yourself.

The Law of Freedom: Freedom isn’t free. It is paid for with blood, sweat, and tears. Protect your freedom because once you lose it, it may be difficult if not impossible to restore it.

Shalom!

Daniel Skognes

Sometimes we all have to do stuff that we don’t want to do. That happened to me this week. I was assigned the task of calling parents who had kids with numerous absences to find out if they were having technical issues with being in their classes so we could help them if necessary. The list was ridiculously long, and I had to work on it by myself. I was supposed to call everyone on the list by the end of the day. Those facts did not help my attitude. It was an overwhelming task and not what I was wanting to do…which was help my teachers with tutoring kids.

So, I did my best to complete the task and do it cheerfully. A few parents hung up on me but most were grateful that they got the call and wanted to help their kids do well in school. One call however, stood out above the rest. After I identified who I was and why I was calling, the father of one child was explaining some of the things that were hindering his daughter being on line consistently. Much of it was technology…but then he dropped the bombshell. He confided in me that three days earlier his wife had a heart attack and was in the hospital. He knew this was weighing very heavy on his child.

Wow. I told him how sorry I was that he and his daughter were going through this. I asked how the wife was doing. She was stable but in observation to make sure she did not get worse. I asked how he and his daughter were holding up and he replied: “As well as can be expected under the circumstances.” I then asked him if I could pray for his wife and his family. He gave me permission and I proceeded to say a brief word of prayer for her full health to be returned and for God’s peace to cover all of them through this trial.

At the end of the prayer…in a broken voice, the father thanked me. It was an emotional moment for both of us. I hung up the phone and realized that I was given an assignment that was much bigger than just calling parents about absences. Had I not accepted the assignment, I would have missed the opportunity to bless this father who was in desperate need of encouragement. It is funny to me how life works and how God uses us in the most unlikely circumstances if we will just make ourselves available.

I still don’t like pounding the phone all day, but I now at least have a better understanding of why I needed to be there at that time and place. It is just a reminder to me that everyone has issues and everyone needs someone to lean on.

Shalom!

Daniel Skognes

When you look at the clock, what time do you think it is? At first glance it looks like it is a few minutes before 7, but if you look closer, you realize that it is backwards! It is really a few minutes after 5! I took this picture in the mirror because it brought home a couple of lessons to me that I think bears talking about.

This week I was talking with our music teacher and asking him how it was going trying to teach middle school kids music online. He shook his head and gave me a great example. He was showing kids how to hold a guitar properly, but this one kid had his guitar backwards because that is the way he saw it on his screen…just like the clock. It looked right…but it was wrong!

Much of life is like looking in a mirror, it seems. If you don’t do a reality check, you might be looking at something totally wrong! It is just another example of why in person teaching trumps online learning for a lot of kids.

I know that there are some kids who actually thrive with online learning because they have parents who are making sure they are on task and they work best with fewer distractions, but that is not the case for a lot of kids, and as my teacher friend pointed out…if a parent is not monitoring what the kids are doing, they tend to log on to the class and then play video games or play on their phones! My friend busted one of the kids this week during class. He called the parent of one kid who was not engaged and asked her to check on her son to make sure he was doing what he was supposed to be doing. Sure enough, she walked in and found him happily play his favorite video game! Busted! The teacher let everyone in the class know that if they were off task he would be calling the parents to check on them. You do what you have to do to get the job done!

The lesson here is that if we expect to raise emotionally healthy kids, parents HAVE to be involved in teaching the kids too. After all, they are the first teachers in their lives! If they don’t do their part…particularly with online learning, the child is the one who will suffer for it. Let’s each do our part and not expect someone else to do it for us. Future generations depend on it and need us to do the right thing for them…not just what is convenient at the moment for us.

Shalom!

Daniel Skognes

“Just because you have a title does not make you entitled.” Daniel Skognes

People that have titles are often tempted to let the titles go to their head. They take the powers that they have been entrusted with and abuse it. One thing I know about power and privilege: if you abuse it, you lose it! Think of all of the great leaders throughout time who went off the tracks at some point and eventually got derailed. This applies to corporate leaders, politicians, clergy, educators, and public servants.

We all have been given authority to do certain things within our job description. It is up to us to use it properly to serve others and contribute to society in a healthy way, or to use it, abuse it, and eventually lose it. Choose wisely, my friend.

Shalom!

Daniel Skognes

There is a constant struggle going on within us. The battle is between our heart and our mind. Both are vital to our health and daily lives, and yet they are a source of continual conflict. The mind might be considered the final frontier. It is more powerful than any computer and has incredible abilities to learn, adapt, and process information. The heart is the seat of our emotions and yet we also think with it!

Some people subscribe to the philosophy: “Follow your heart.” The problem is that feelings are like the waves of the sea. They are constantly changing. It is pretty hard to get from point A to point B if you are continually changing direction. At some point you have to set your sail and check your compass.

How many times have you known what to do but followed your heart in a different direction and had it blow up in your face? It has tripped up all of us from time to time as we try to resolve the battle between logic and feelings. Women seem to have an edge on us guys when it comes to being in touch with their feelings, but that is a double-edged sword for them as well. They may be more intuitive than men as a rule, but they are also more susceptible to worry (I know there are exceptions for men and women, of course).

What is the answer to finding some sanity in our lives? Balance. There has to be a balance between what we think and how we feel. We don’t want to be so mechanical in our thinking that we ignore how we or others feel, but we don’t want to be ruled by our feelings and ignore what is logical either. Like all things in life, balance is important for us to function as healthy human beings.

We have to get proper rest, eat a balanced diet, and get daily exercise for starters. If any of those things are missing, it will affect how we think and how we feel. Then, add to that the balance of our work life and leisure time. We work too much, we burn out. We have too much free time, we tend to sleep or eat too much. Spiritual balance is critical as well for putting things in proper perspective (at least for me).

Finally, think about the kids we are teaching and raising. All of these factors are complicated for them by how old they are and the hormones that are at work. Couple that with learning disabilities, dysfunctional homes, and other social issues…and you can see how critical it is for us as teachers and adults to be proper role models. It is up to us to help kids understand the balance between the heart and the mind. Their future (and ours) depends on it…but it begins with us finding proper balance for ourselves. We can’t give what we don’t have.

Shalom!

Daniel Skognes