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By Michael Chamness
IASA Director of Communications
the national championship. Think about what you needed to
do in this drill, on this play, in this moment…If you don’t get
result-oriented with the kids, you can focus on the things in
the process that are important to them being successful.”
Dean Shareski believes that the process should include
some fun. The keynote speaker who will cap the IASA 53rd
Annual Conference on Friday (September 29), Shareski
last year wrote the book “Embracing a Culture of Joy: How
Educators Can Bring Joy to Their Classrooms Each Day.”
In the introduction of his book, Shareski recalls participating
with about 40 other educators in a 2011 retreat at a lake in
northern Ontario. The primary topic of discussion for the
weekend was what really matters in education. He writes:
“As a student, I didn’t really like school, but I loved learning.
I didn’t hate school; it was merely a rite of passage to
adulthood. The idea that school should be a pleasurable
experience was nonexistent. That’s not to say it was never
fun—fun just wasn’t a priority. In some cases fun was seen
as the antithesis to real learning.
“I am a big fan of Dean’s
presentations, all of which help
to put Canada on the map
for innovative approaches to
education and learning.”
Melanie McBride
Shareski:Cultureof joy
hard tomeasure,but
it’s important
If you don’t get result-oriented with
the kids, you can focus on the things
in the process that are important to
them being successful.
—Alabama football coach Nick Saban
Culture can be a powerful force to help shape successful
businesses, create championship programs and foster great
learning environments.
No less an expert at developing a winning culture than
Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who has led the
Crimson Tide to four national championships in the past
decade, describes it this way: “It’s not the end result. Don’t
think about winning the SEC Championship. Don’t think about