What will I do with all my time over break?

Although I am not in classrooms and in schools every day, I know that our teachers and staff are working so hard to be prepared and make a difference for students. Because you are always giving, making 1000 decisions a day and managing the other demands on your time, there becomes a point when you need a break! I hope you all find some time to do what is in the image to the right-it important for your mental health, for your families, for your ability to be your best when you return. 

I will be taking that advice as well, but I have also come to accept that part of my relaxing and taking a breath is taking the opportunity of time off to reflect and continue learning.  I imagine there are a few of you out there that are the same!  I won't sacrifice quality time with my family, but I will set aside time for myself. 

During our Teacher Leaders Coalition meeting Tuesday evening, Cindy Johnson from the Chamber presented on the value of social networking and making connections with people you don't normally interact with.  She modeled her goal to meet three new people when attending functions or events and using questions to find something in common.  You never know the impact of developing new relationships-they may turn into support for you-a new business partner, donations for students, a new friend! The worst that can happen is that you never see the person again :).  It made me want to intentionally make an effort to do this over the break!  I wonder who I will meet in my travels back to Iowa!!

Dr. McDowell also led a structure that asked the leaders to share their personal or professional goals and make a commitment to help someone else achieve theirs.  It's so true when you make goals visible, it is so much easier to know what you can contribute to assist in the progress in their journey!

He referenced a book that has impacted me early in my career.

The 100/0 Principle applies to those people in your life where the relationships are too important to react automatically or judgmentally. The idea is that if you choose to take action to seek support, to seek solutions, to seek understanding, and expect nothing in return, then there is a likely chance that desired results will be attained. Here is the idea behind the book:

STEP 1—Determine what you can do to make the relationship work… then do it. Demonstrate respect and kindness to the other person, whether he/she deserves it or not.

STEP 2—Do not expect anything in return. Zero, zip, nada.

STEP 3—Do not allow anything the other person says or does (no matter how annoying!) to affect you. In other words, don't take the bait.

STEP 4—Be persistent with your graciousness and kindness. Often we give up too soon, especially when others don't respond in kind. Remember to expect nothing in return.

 

 So, I guess I can't help but leave you with one more opportunity to grow professionally during your time off.  In our journey to student-centered instruction with rigor,  I am linking a webinar that connects to a book I just purchased.  The webinar helps explain the "why" behind the importance of engaging students in standards-based ELA instruction at higher levels of cognitive complexity and the "how" to accomplish this. This is relevant to all teachers! A bonus... if you really want to know how to measure the impact of instruction, they show you how to figure the "effect size"!  After just briefly reading sections of the book and watching the video, I was reenergized and excited about supporting teachers and administrators! I can't wait to dig in and learn more.

This has turned into a longer blog than I expected but I guess it will make up for the next two weeks off!  I do want to thank you all (teachers, support staff, secretaries, nurses, grounds crew, food services, counselors, social workers, paraprofessionals, specialists, administrators) for the commitment, dedication, and impact that you have on our students! Than you for "BEING GRAND!"

How To End the first Semester Strong

This time of the year, it seems challenging to keep students (and ourselves) focused and intentional about learning.  There are so many things tugging for our attention: the holiday rush, evening programs, special events, etc...   So how do we maximize the learning time with students, enjoy our students, and manage all the other demands on our time?

The Cult of Pedagogy offers several podcasts that remind us of the research-based practices and strategies to consider when experiencing these challenges and feeling overwhelmed and/or stressed.

Here are a few that I found helpful:  classroom management,  ways to take care of yourself,  why you need to see each other teach, moving from feedback to feedforward. student motivation (this is a good one), and several other helpful and relevant topics. 

I love podcasts because I can listen to them in the car, while I work on other things, however, there is also a written summary of the content for those that want to print and highlight to reference when needed. 

It is true that we sometimes create our own chaos, so taking the time to reflect, plan, and prioritize may impact our mindset, actions, and response to actions on us. 

As you reflect on the first semester, celebrate the gifts, accomplishments, and opportunities yet to come and take advantage of the last week to finish strong!

                                         Our students and colleagues are counting on us! 

Keeping the Roots Stronger

Tis the season!  When I talk to people about the holidays, they are either really excited or dreading the stress that comes along with it. Our experiences definitely influence the way we think and act during this time of the year, well, to be honest...any time of the year.  The good news is that although we cannot change our experiences, we can change our thinking and our actions.  We can slow down, prioritize, choose actions that are healthy and bring happiness. 

It doesn't matter the time of the year, educators have a responsibility to be our best for our students.  I recently attended a couple of PLC's and was so impressed with the focus and intention on teaching the standards and closing the gap.  The teachers led the process and collaborative made decisions about what to prioritize.  I thought of them, and all of you as I watched this video: Keeping the Roots Stronger.

It reminded me that although we may not see the immediate results of the time, commitment and dedication of your time and expertise, you do make a difference in the life of a child and that is worth celebrating!

November Motivation-Pooped or Pepped?

We have had an amazing start to the 2018-19 school year, it's so hard to believe that the 1st trimester is already coming to an end! As we get further into the year, it's easy to get into the whirlwind of the daily roles and responsibilities and allow the challenges to suck motivation, patience, focus, and energy.  So...how do we keep the momentum going, how do we overcome the challenges? 

Recently, I came across Jon Gordan's, (author of "The Power of Positive Team") blog and a few of his videos.  After reading and listening to a few of his short/quick messages, I had a renewed feeling of optimism and excitement about my work. 

A particular blog called Pooped or Pepped caught my eye.  I couldn't help but read it, the title is pretty catchy! He makes several great points about negative thinking and how replacing negative thoughts with positive ones can impact how you feel and act.  This has direct implications for the day to day work in education.  How do you think/act when faced with the day to day challenges? How do you handle change? or when decisions don't align with your thinking? How might you think/act differently?

Once I got into his site, I was drawn to other blogs, resources, and videos. Particularly a video called "Creating Success from the Inside Out!" It's a quick 50 seconds that caused me to think about the transformation of instruction occurring throughout Grand Island Public Schools. From student-centered instruction with rigor to the Academies of Grand Island Senior High.  When I walk into our schools, I can see the change is happening from the inside out.  At the core; PLCs, the implementation of standards-based planning, and using data to make decisions are major levers that have an impact on our students' achievement and their ability to "THRIVE in an ever-changing world"!

Achievement of our vision cannot be left to chance and will not occur without a focus on continuous school improvement! Intentional and specific goals, strategies, and actions determined through data analysis drive this work, and measurement indicators allow us to monitor along the way.  Campus leaders and staff are at the heart of implementation and represent the "how" of "Creating Sucess from the Inside Out"! If the continuous school improvement plan is a living process, growth is not optional, it is an expectation. 

Last week, Dr. Grover, Dr. McDowell and I completed our fall Data Rounds.  This was our opportunity to meet with every campus principal about continuous school improvement implementation and the impact as well as identifying specific ways the district can support the campus needs.  Our conversation centered around the following points:

• What is the implementation status of your continuous school improvement plan? Are you on track? 
• Is the impact of continuous school improvement what you expected?
• What has been the impact on student achievement?
• Next steps?

I truly value and appreciate this time to learn more about each campus, the strengths, and the challenges, and what supports are needed to achieve the intended goals. This process is meant to empower principals to be instructional leaders and create/sustain a culture of learning and high expectations for all (and that includes all of us at the district office).  Interestingly enough,  Jon Gordan created another video, Creating culture, that seems to articulate a message that aligns with continuous school improvement and has implications for all staff. 

In conclusion, the theme of Jon Gordan's work provides some real connections and insights to reaching our goals. Positive thinking, a learning culture, and teaming (working from the inside out)! all have an impact. There may be times where we get stuck in the mud and need to engage in Difficult Conversations and Positive Conflict,  change our actions, or seek the help of others.  It's ok, it's expected.  The power is in the team!  That is how we will achieve, "Every Student, Every Day, A Success!"

I encourage you to check out Jon Gordon's site and learn about other strategies to help you feel more  "pepped" than "pooped" at the end of the day. It's worth a few minutes of your time.

Thursday Walks-What did we notice? What's next?

Thursday walks are the highlight of the week for cabinet members.  It's our opportunity to interact with students, observe the cohesiveness and systematic implementation of professional learning, and discuss district actions to support continuous school improvement at each campus.

Throughout our first round, we did collect district-wide data on the implementation of two observable instructional actions: task aligned with the target and students could describe the learning target.  This data collection was a continuation from last year and provided insight into our progress of standards-based instruction.  We were not looking for compliance, but the impact on students.  Below you will see the data after visiting most campuses this fall.

Based on 86 classroom visits, 74% of the students asked were able to describe the learning target.

Based on 93 classroom observations, 81% of the observed tasks aligned with the visible target.  Just to be clear, this data does not reflect if the target was standards-based or if the task was at the taxonomy level of the target. We were only observing that the targets were visible to students and that students were able to describe it.

How to plan for alignment? Key questions to ask when planning: What is the standard asking of students? What do they need to know and be able to do to accomplish it? How will I know students are making progress towards mastery?

Overall, across the district, we are seeing the increased cohesiveness of implementation of these strategies, as well as the use of standards-based learning targets, success criteria and students working in teams. This is exciting!  It's not easy to live out the intentions of a strategic plan, and we are seeing it happen in real life!  I have personally had conversations with a few teachers that talk about how the transformation of standards-based planning and student-centered instruction has brought joy back into teaching!  So don't give up!  If you are in the mud, productively struggling--you have support. Engage in instructional rounds, access your instructional coach, engage a peer in a look-and-learn, ask your principal for feedback, invite L4L team members to join in PLC planning and/or data analysis. No one is alone! The impact on our students will make it all worthwhile!

Our professional learning plan is a major lever in this journey to achieve our district mission and vision and it is an expectation to put the professional learning into practice.  This next round, cabinet members will be looking for the use of learning targets and success criteria and if students can explain how they use them in their learning. This is not about the perfection of implementation, but about impact. When students are clear about what they need to know and be able to do, they will be more likely able to achieve the target.  I will keep you updated on our progress as a system and look forward to our second round of Thursday walks!

"Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better." ~Pat Riley

What does an effect parent/family/teacher conference look/sound like?

How do we best prepare for effective student conferences with parents and guardians? 

I think about it like training for a marathon!  There is no way I could run 26 miles next weekend without some significant and intentional training over time. I would need to start my training early, monitor my progress, and work through my challenges to ensure I was ready for this event (I guarantee I may still not feel ready, however, might be more confident).  

I believe our teachers begin preparing for conferences with families through a similar process!  It starts with that first effort to develop positive relationships with parents that first day of school and foster those relationships throughout the year through notes/calls home, communications, family nights, etc...paying closer attention to those families that may take a little more time and intentional focus.  Aside from the ongoing communication,  evidence of student learning is gathered along the way. This evidence (assessment results, artifacts, student reflections, among others sources) provides parents with a picture of the students progress.   

Although this is descriptive of how many of you approach conferences, I know there are so many other ideas that might be helpful to others as well. 

 I'd like to hear more about the creative and effective ways you maximize this opportunity to achieve the desired outcome of engaging our parents/guardians as partners!

This Friday, Dr. Grover is hosting "Dr. Grover Live on Facebook".  One of our topics will be about parent/teacher conferences.  We want to get the word out to parents/guardians and families about what they can expect and how they can prepare to make this time worthwhile for all involved.  To prepare, I want to hear from the experts-YOU! 

So here is my call to action:
What makes a parent/teacher conferences effective for both the teacher and the parent/guardian?  I have linked a google form and would love to hear about your ideas and suggestions!  We will be sharing out different examples, ideas, and suggestions Friday afternoon for all audiences! Don't be shy...this is an opportunity to help our parents prepare as well!

•   Google form

Just in case you are interested, I also linked a couple of resources that might be helpful, especially for new teachers. Although an exhausting week, this small window of time with families can result in improved and collaborative relationships with parents for the benefit of the students! This makes it worth it!

• How to make the most of Parent/teacher conferences
• Conference Tip Sheet

Thank you for being present during this time with families, your planning and preparation, and for caring about all of our students! You truly are GRAND!
"If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier, if they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important." ~Barbara Colorose

National Principal's Month

"Principals are among the hardest working, yet often least recognized individuals in education. Principals set the academic tone for their schools, and it is their vision, dedication, and determination that provide the mobilizing force for achieving student success." ~NASSP

 Our GIPS principals are committed to and focused on being instructional leaders. Since June, our campus leaders have participated in over 30 hours of the district professional learning focused on leadership and continuous school improvement, not including Summer Institute, individual professional reading, principal meetings and conferences outside of the district.  

"Today YOU lead the school, tomorrow your students lead the world"   

    

"Great teachers and principals can help to close the achievement gaps, improve student attitudes about school, and build habits of mind that can change a student's life Trajectory"~Unknown

                                        

 Please take the opportunity to say "thank you" to our campus administrators and feel free to post your appreciation through videos, pictures, and/or quotes on social media outlets throughout the month of October. 

I didn't capture all of our leaders in this blog but will be sure to tweet out our administrators in action throughout the month!

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to support this team and proud of their continued focus on growth and collaboration amongst each other to "Be Grand" for our staff and students!  Thank you campus leaders and staff for making a difference!

  

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much!~Helen Keller