Amber — Page 31

Help curb teacher burnout with Fab Fridays in February!

January 17, 2017 by Amber Leave a Comment

Teacher burnout…it’s a real thing. This stretch in the winter/spring is a LONG chunk of instructional intensity. You’ve got middle of the year data, you have testing awareness creeping up on you, and spring break is just outta reach. The genius of Melinda Miller introduced me to Fab Fridays in February several years ago and I have loved coming up with fun things to do with my staff each year.

While it may seem like a lot of work, really, your teachers are doing the heavy lifting this time of year. And if your team is like mine, they easily over commit in order to help their students succeed. The benefits of building and supporting a positive school climate far out-weigh the time and effort required.

I would also take a guess that a positive school climate can help bring the joy and fun back into teaching and learning.

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Who wouldn’t want to be part of a school like that?

Here’s what we’re doing this year! (You can also download it here!)What do you do to love on and support your teams?

FabFri loveN,

Amber

#2017HappyAdminchallenge and a systems check!

January 9, 2017 by Amber 3 Comments

I am a firm believer in that if it isn’t written down, odds are I won’t remember to get to it with fidelity. I’ve written about my goals for several years now (2016, 2015, 2104, 2012) and love being able to reference not only where I was personally but also professionally. I’m only 9 days late into sharing my goals but have no fear! I am ready!

Don’t be stressed and think your job is the worst! Focus on all the GREAT things that happen each and every day. In such a place you can’t find any? Let me help you!

30daychall

Feel free to download and share! I’ll print and simply mark off each day that I complete.

Keep reading, but find a balance! Already this year, I’ve reviewed three books, one from Solution Tree that I think is going to be pretty awesome…but I haven’t shared any of them! I want to do a better job of SHARING what I read. Adding in “Book Snaps” is my new literary goal. Writing about each book may be too hard, but sharing really great ideas via Snapchat should make it easier. Matt Arend and I have a fun presentation for #TCEA17 where we’ll be talking about all kinds of fun eduSnapChat things!
Building relationships. I know it sounds premeditated but I have started keeping a list of EACH and every person that I check in with, send a letter too, or have a personal conversation with. Keeping allows me to see what my natural patterns look like, but also ensure I am not leaving anyone out that matters to me. I’m even planning our family vacation in a way that lets me see a bestie!
Working ahead…staying ahead of the curve and maintaining that time that allows me to work a month in advance is going great for school stuff…but I need to get there with personal things. Two girls, three teams, and a fireman also deserve that courtesy! I know I’ve talked about my love for my Erin Condren before. I’m still a fan of the regular LifePlanner. I still take ALL my admin notes in this notebook. (Use my link to get yourself $10 bucks off!) And now, I’ve discovered these pens!

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They don’t bleed through! Let me say that again…THEY DON’T BLEED through!! That makes me so happy! I have a variety of colors, and know that they are safe to use each day. It’s the little things, ya’ll!

All of these things help me improve my system. Practices help your performance, right? All of these “goals” are designed to help me be better day to day, which will increase my overall happiness/performance. When you focus on the practice instead of the performance, you can enjoy the present moment and improve at the same time.

I challenge you to not think about what you would like to see the year 2017 bring, but actually write it down…then take the steps to integrate it into your systems…make it happen!!

Challenge accepted,

Amber

Lead like Jimmy, not like Barry…says @TroyAikman & @8amber8

December 11, 2016 by Amber 2 Comments

This past week NFL Films released “Troy Aikman: A Football Life”. Obviously, I’ve watched it a number of times now, and keep finding these gems of greatness.

One of the themes that jumped out at me was Troy’s issues with Barry Switzer’s coaching style. Switzer was older, relaxed, and felt like as the coach of a two-time Superbowl winning team, he didn’t need to be as hard-nosed as Jimmy Johnson, the previous coach, had been. Jimmy was relentless..he was focused, and he was determined. The result, as we know, was the early 90’s dynasty of the Dallas Cowboys. When Switzer took over, and that become more relaxed? Well, Troy attributes that downfall to the “fun” leadership.

Why is that relevant on my “Love, Learn, Lead” blog?

There was a tweet I saw this past week that again referenced that if your leadership isn’t fun, then you’re doing it wrong.

Leadership isn’t always fun, folks. There are parts of our job, just like a teachers, that are hard. That are stressful. That are complicated. That are DIFFICULT. In fact, our assistant superintendent said this year that sometimes HARD LEADERSHIP is the most courageous kind of all.

It takes a courageous leader to make the hard decisions.

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The leader is the one who pushes, and makes your team want to strive to be the best. There is a pressure there and a responsibility. There is an ownership, of all levels of our teams performance, that ultimately comes down to what? Leadership.

The more I do this job, the more I understand this. There has to be a balance.

The main responsibility of a team leader is to guide a team so that it reaches its full potential. The team leader has more responsibility than anyone, because if he does not carry out his responsibilities, the whole team will suffer as a result. A successful team leader should understand the strengths and weaknesses of every team member so there can be a level of support and coaching. I love how in my world sports and leadership are just intertwined, don’t you?

I’m by all means not saying leadership is miserable.

I’m just saying that leadership definitely can’t all be fun. And so is Troy.

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Aikman-esque,

Amber

Last minute gifts that an admin can give…freely! #taketwo

December 6, 2016 by Amber 1 Comment

It’s that time of year. Where everyone has their eyes on the holiday break. Where you may tempted to hit snooze just one more time. When maybe what you can gift a class of 30 or a staff of 60 just can’t seem to be found in a store. I have some suggestions that won’t break the bank, but that still may not be the easiest to give.

Give the gift of:

Affirmation: Make sure your people know that you see how hard they work. That you recognize the energy and the effort that they are giving. That you see they give up their conference time for ARDS, for meetings, for whatever you ask. That they work late. That they buy all the extras to make their classroom function the way you want it too.

Example: Be an example. Be selfless. Be positive. Be tireless. Be an encourager.

Encouragement: Reassure your team that they are doing the right things. Ask their opinion, value their input, and give them opportunities for decision-making. Make sure they know you support them in their decisions and choices.

Patience: Be patient. Allow discourse. Recognize that you should always value progress, and not be looking for perfection.

Rest: Teachers are tired. Teachers work hard. The same is true for our students. Don’t add unnecessary meetings when you can email. Don’t waste time with unnecessary fluff.

Inspiration: There’s a thin line between overwhelm and inspire, but this time of year you can definitely share stories or videos that can remind a teacher why we do what we do. Here are 6 to start with! Fill their bucket, and make them GLAD that they work for you or are in your classroom. Close out your semester positively…you can do this and still not sacrifice an instructional focus.

These universal gifts are ones that won’t cost you an extra penny, but may require time and reflection of your own. In a time when you are all stressed with the demands of the principal’s job, you need to remind yourselves that you have great power to make a difference in your teachers’ lives. Teachers who feel encouraged and comfortable with your support will stay with you in a positive climate of learning. You deserve to have that kind of school…and these gifts can make it happen!

What are you doing for your staff this year?? There’s still time to make it happen!

Amta Claus

Holiday season…keep your head above water with these 3 tips! (And a give away!)

November 30, 2016 by Amber 10 Comments

Have you ever felt like things were moving too fast? Like things weren’t getting your full attention? Like you were overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start?

Three “strategies” I’ve employed this year to help me “manage” the workload have made a difference in keeping up with my whirlwind of a world.

The first mental saver has been placed email efficacy. My email in box is my todo list. If I have 30 emails in there, that means there are 30 items that require some kind of action, which will stress me out completely. I’ve doubled the amount of folders I have, because I am now sorting them into clearly named folders, as soon as I read them. It makes it so much easier for me to find things if I’ve filed them appropriately. I’ve added sub folders to help! As an example, within my 4th grade folder, I’ve got a field trip folder & a parent contact folder. No more “missing” or “where I’d put that” searching! I’ve also started marking items that require a follow up within my inbox. Things I may have sent out but need to make sure we’re taken care of, I change to a different color using the “categories” feature within our email system. At a glance, my inbox is kept current and color coded so I can immediately evaluate what needs to be done.

The second mental saver is the Erin Condren planner to my plate. Rather than try to articulate the greatness that is this planner, just watch this.

While it may seem contradictory to “add” something to help me simplify, this planner has made a huge difference. Our campus calendar can get so crammed, sometimes with activities that don’t involve me, so I needed a place where my responsibilities were clear & detailed. Even the items that did require effort on my part on the campus calendar didn’t have “all” the details I needed. This planner solved that problem. Want one of your very own? This link will get ya $10 bucks off! Merry Christmas to you! You can also sign up for her newsletter right now and get an additional 10% off! #everylittlebit

Last but not least, prioritize a to-do list. I keep a stack of the longer lined post it pads on my desk at all times. As I’m asked to do something or have a project in place, I add it to a list I have going. Task completed? Cross it off. Decide there are multiple steps/tasks to a project? Create a new page. One of my mental stressors is that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I have something that needs to be completed. Writing it down, identifying what needs to be done to get it completed, and keeping track of my progress takes the stress level way down. When my list gets ragged, I transfer it over to a fresh new page and seriously, it takes away my feelings of things being unmanageable.

These stick on my desk next to my keyboard but I can always stick them on a notebook/binder if I am heading into a meeting. It keeps it visible, helps me keep it current, and gives me that oh so goo feeling I get when i get to cross it off! 🙂 It’s the simple things people!

Education is hard enough these days. Not letting our organization get out of control is an easy way to regroup, refocus, and recommit.

What strategies help you stay focused?

Comment below and enter to win your very own multi pack of post its pads courtesy of Office Depot!

Give away giveN,

Amber