Chapter Six: The Second Rule of Ruthlessness

What will a successful school year look and feel like at the end of the year?

• Creating a culture of a welcoming and inclusive environment

• Growth mindset

• Start with the “why”

• Identify students’ learner-identity

• Having coffee in the morning makes it better

Which topic in this chapter most challenged your current thinking and practice?

• The Grouping Dilemma

• The Role of No Roles

• Not All Learning Is Done on Ladders

• Complacency and Demographics

• Ice-cream is the best answer

When Ken Williams took over as principal at a low-performing school he asked faculty to think about the characteristics of a high performing school and what no-cost opportunities existed for their school to improve. What are some of the characteristics of a high-performing community college?

• Leadership that sets a clear vision a direction for the institution

• Commitment to student success

• Workforce development and articulation agreements

• Data driven decision making and continuous improvement

• Board policies regarding blinking and breathing correctly

After each chapter in this book readers are asked to identify a disruptive action to take. After reading this chapter select one disruptive action you would like to take. Consider your own time limitations.

• Work on differentiating important and essential learning outcomes

• Learn more about students as individuals

• Reach out more to colleagues for concrete ideas (not just emotional support)

• Allocate more time to what you value most (what you focus on, grows)

• Embrace universal design (designing curriculum to take into account the full range of learning styles within a classroom).

In Chapter 6 the three things that all Ruthless Equity educators have in common are:

• Assume nothing

• Assume everything

• Prepare for nothing

• Prepare for everything

• Respond based on evidence

There are several initiatives that speak to student success, such as Vison 2030 and Stan 2030. How do you think MJC prepares students for life?

• Enjoy teaching

• Enjoy learning

• Enjoy education

• Enjoy the college experience

• Enjoy the work experience