my version of transparent, collaborative leadership...with a Teamann twist

How do you choose what gets done? Reviewing leadership priorities…

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Trying to keep a firm grip on a to-do list that never ends, I took advantage this weekend to remind myself that every yes means a no somewhere else. Looking at my phone for a work text means you miss your girl taking a shot on the basketball court. Committing to a conference means creating presentations and tweets to share, vs naps. Choosing to read school books mean your new advance copy of a murder mystery sits lonely on your nightstand. How do you choose what gets done?

As a principal, I was very guilty of regularly providing self-indulgent treats. Jeans pass. Snacks. Rewards that felt good at the moment but ones that didn’t necessarily have a long-term impact. Think fast food over a nutritious meal…which one leaves you feeling full longer? Given my love language is “gifts”, this shouldn’t come as surprise to anyone who knows me!

The pandemic helped me see how we could provide actual self-care, something that intentionally nourished the physical, mental, or emotional well-being of our staff. Providing a safe space where our team could share honestly how they felt (think tears) to looking at what we could cross off their plate, even temporarily, was helpful. Helping establish boundaries where teachers were given permission to focus on their families was important.

Defining what I measured helped me see what mattered most.

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This season is different and yet, still kind of the same.

Our teachers are overwhelmed. Our leaders are overwhelmed. Principals…you’re in such a no-win position right now. You’re still carrying the weight of academic expectations while balancing the well-being of your people…all your people. People are out, sick, or taking care of the sick, but you still have a building to run. Looking at the typical strategies I normally share these, hopefully, are less of a cupcake, and more of a protein bar. 😉

How can you help?

  • Help your teachers identity what HAS to be graded: how many grades are your teachers taking? Could that number be lessened?
  • Make your meetings meaningful. How did they help your staff be better tomorrow?
  • Lesson plans: reevaluate your expense.
  • Let your people set boundaries: no emails after a certain time or on weekends. Model what it looks like.
  • Remember that nobody dies on our watch. Our to-do list CAN rollover. My husband is a fireman, and trust me, that ISN’T true in his profession.
  • Everyone on your staff is different. Breaking points vary…keep an eye on your people!
  • Learning is most important.  That requires knowing how to figure out what’s most important, do it well, and let go of the rest.
  • Snacks. I don’t care what you say…SNACKS ARE SELF CARE TOO!!

 

Above all, recognize that you can’t do it all, and everything is not equally important.

 

I hope this three-day weekend found you doing something that was self-indulgent but also…some self-care. Something that fills your bucket or reminded you of your why. And especially to my principal peeps, you can do anything,

but even you can’t do everything!

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HUGS!

 

Cheering for you &

 

Set your goals and be happy! the 30 day happy administrator challenge! (and a Ted Lasso give away!)

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If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” —Andrew Carnegie

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Goals without plans are just fancy wishes. Achieving our goals brings a sense of accomplishment and makes us feel more positive about the future. (Who wouldn’t want that?) Science shows that optimistic people tend to be happier, healthier, and cope better in tough times. We all know January is the month where we all commit to being the very best versions of ourselves, isn’t it? Our administrator roles make it that much more important to set and share our goals. I know I’ve documented these challenges each year (ish!) and while I’m still a sucker for a good planner, a pretty pen, and the opportunity to better myself, writing these goals clarifies and solidifies my commitment.

Studies have revealed that when you write down your goals, the motivation to achieve them increases substantially. Subconsciously, you would feel committed to the objectives you’ve written down and as such, take the necessary steps to achieve them. Writing down your goals is just like giving yourself a subconscious command.

Things I’ve written down and now, obviously, HAVE to accomplish:

  • It feels like a year where we should revive the 30 admin challenge! It was several years ago that I worked on this with admin friends and it only needed a couple of tweaks to make it feel fresh and accomplishable. Feel free to download and share! I plan on working through this challenge several times this year. I’ll print and simply mark off each day that I complete. Any 30-day chunk will do!

 

 

  • Read 125 books this year! I met last year’s goal of 120 books (!!!) which I tracked through Goodreads. I loved the accountability. You can also reference the books you’ve completed by using the Goodreads app. It offered me suggestions based on what I had read and allowed me to scan in potential books I wanted to read when I came across a suggestion in a blog or Target aisle. Follow me and let’s share books!

 

  • Focus on long-term goals, instead of short-term successes. This year I have a couple of big projects that aren’t accomplishable in just one sitting. If you know me, you know how patient I can be, wink wink, this goal, in particular, will require remembering the long game. Even just writing that down gives me hope. Hope is as essential of a factor as the time it’s going to ultimately take.I like being a hopeful gal!

 

While having fewer goals this year, this all still pretty much hit all that makes me happy and what will move me forward as a mom, as a wife, and as an administrator in 2022. I challenge you to not just think about what you would like to see the year 2022 bring, actually write it down…take steps to achieve it…& make it happen! May your 2022 be brighter and find you accomplishing #allthethings!

 

(If you didn’t click on the “better yourself” link above, you missed the TED LASSO stickers I am obsessed with…leave a comment below with one of YOUR 2022 goals to win a set for yourself!)

 

Optimistically &

Summer ways to make your leadership life easier! #leadership

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Summer. Longer, sunnier days. Doesn’t mean my to-do list is any shorter but it definitely has a different feel to it, doesn’t it? These are the times I try to “do” a couple of things that make my leadership life somewhat easier.

Not exactly rocket science, but helps bookshelf the end of the previous year while getting me excited about what lies ahead.

 

  1. Sorry gentleman, this one is just for the ladies. Keeping it low-key:  I stop wearing eyeliner. I can’t afford R&F eye lash boot…but this lash booster version on Amazon makes me feel better about just wearing mascara each day in the summer. I apply it in the morning and it has made a real differnce! It’s amazing how much quicker my morning routine can go if I just remove that one step.
  2. I use a spiral notebook to take ALL of my notes in for each meeting I attend. I like being able to date the top and flip back and forth. Yes, I know, you can get a 1.99 notebook from the Walmart but that doesn’t inspire me to take notes OR keep me motivated to keep up with all the time. Easily replaceable. Flimsy. The paper tears easily. Bleech. I need mine to last ALL year. I order an Erin Condren one from Amazon so that if I get REAL tired head, I can also order another cover, & viola! an instant facelift. It’s the little things, y’all.
  3. What can you schedule in your world? I am now “running” our Crandall ISD technology Twitter account. I have scheduled ONE helpful instructional tweet to send out each day through the end of July. If I keep building upon that, I’m creating a steady presence while also taking it off my regular to-do list. I’ve also created a google form where teachers can submit their ideas/suggestions OR questions that we can tweet out starting next year.
  4. Calendar mapping. Sometimes it hards for the people in our world to have a macro view of what we are thinking, usually all at the same time. Micro conversations are easier for people to have if they have a glimpse of what the direction is you’re heading in…whether that’s in campus or in a central office position. That part sure hasn’t changed for me. I added this big ol’calendar to my whiteboard..and have already started mapping out big projects or reminders of “we should start thinking about this” or” last year at this time was when we”…it definitely gives me a strong skeleton to flesh out as we work through the summer.
  5. Read, read, read. While I’m a prolific reader, I make considerable gains here in the summer. My newest favorite read that I think you should get? Think Again, by Adam Grant. It’s SO good!

 

There ya go. Just a little snapshot into ways I am trying to create calm amongst the chaos. I hope the start of your summer has begun and you feel some of that tension already slipping away.

 

beach dreaming &

5 reasons you should join #TCEA…TODAY! (you don’t want to miss reason #5!!)

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I love techieness. I love learning. I love organizations that focus on TEACHERS and SUPPORT. TCEA, my friends, does BOTH!

 

I’ve been a TCEA fan from way back in my teacher days, and they just keep expanding and adding more resources to their memberships to make it worth your while. My first TCEA conference I attended b/c as my principal put it at the time, “you deserve to surround yourself with like-minded people because of all you do for our campus.” what kinda intro was that?? It was destined that I would always be a fan!

Especially with what we have experienced this past year, you can’t stress enough the importance of having a community to be connected to, and @TCEA is a great one! It is so very important it is to have a variety of voices, in a variety of roles sharing perspectives and experiences.

We need our “edtech” voices in all educational spaces.

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Conferences are offered regularly, support is at a variety of levels, and this week, there’s a bonus reason to join!

5 reasons you should join TCEA right this minute:

  1. Educational, Easy to Access Webinars – Learn how to use Google Calendar to optimize your time, discover YouTube features and content that can enhance your classroom, or stay in the know about the latest trends like esports, STEM activities, and how to discuss digital citizenship with your students. They also have a PD library of all recordings going back three years! TCEA’s incredibly knowledgeable professional development staff hosts 35 Lunch and Learn webinars each year, so you can sharpen your skills and fill your toolbox with fresh ideas right on your lunch break.
  2. Access to Experts and Peers on the TCEA Online Community – Wish you had a veteran colleague on hand to answer your tech questions? Or are you looking to share your own discoveries about how to enhance the classroom experience? The TCEA Online Community has over 30,000 of your peers ready to listen and help!
  3. Professional Development – From the TCEA Annual Convention & Exposition to the Lunch and Learn Webinars, we empower educators by providing professional development opportunities tailored to their specific needs and learning styles. This year the conference was virtual and my goodness did they set the standard for what learning could like! No waiting, on-demand, and nationally renowned speakers! All from my couch!
  4. Online Resources – Learn about the latest iOS and Android apps, evaluate recent discoveries on their TechNotes Blog, or explore fresh ideas for educators on their TCEA eBook Library.
  5. And last but not least, for teacher’s appreciation week, IT’S FREE TO JOIN! How can you pass up FREE?? Even if you just join b/c it’s free, the resources that will float your way, the connections you make, and the opportunities above will more than prove that TCEA is a worthwhile membership you need as an educator!

Go here to join!

 

TCEA fanN,

Amber

Where do you earn your validation as a leader?

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Every leadership role has its own unique way of measuring what it meant to be a “success”.  As a principal, one of my biggest struggles was always feeling like success was a moving target.

If I made the teachers happy, was I still challenging and empowering them to grow?

When the students were happy, did that mean the teachers were in a good place?

If test scores were high…were they high enough?

If you’re hitting a leadership bullseye, make sure you are not hitting it on the wrong target.

Making a difference for those you truly serve doesn’t always come with a “yes”, sometimes it is a “yes, and” or a “yes, but”. That macro view of your campus, district, or position speaks to your position. You HAVE to see things differently as a leader and sometimes that means you have to dig deeper into the difference between success and mastery.

Sarah Lewis, author “Rise” says,  

Mastery requires endurance. Mastery, a word we don’t use often, is not the equivalent of what we might consider its cognate — perfectionism — an inhuman aim motivated by a concern with how others view us. Mastery is also not the same as success — an event-based victory based on a peak point, a punctuated moment in time. Mastery is not merely a commitment to a goal, but to a curved-line, constant pursuit.”

I can relate to this personally — this is the urge that drives me on to find new ways to explain things, to understand things, and identify new relationships and concepts. There is no endpoint. There is always someone who comes along to challenge us, nudge us, and let us know that there is always more to know, more to consider. This TED talk makes it OK to feel that there’s so much we don’t know, as long as we keep seeking and exploring. The difference Adam Grant might say is between knowledge and wisdom.

May this Friday find you seeking the next mountain top, friends!

 

Challenging and