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

New staff? What’s your welcome look like?

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It’s the most glorious time of the year! You’re getting ready to welcome back your staff in preparation for the 22-23 school year…here are several ideas that have been shared in the Principals Staff Appreciation & Motivation Group. Admin that hasn’t joined? Come join us!

 

Book study with motivational stickers and refillable cups!

LOVE this bitmoji board with advice for new staff! What a great way to get to know your teammates!

Cups with stickers! Hydration matters, 😉

These were available at Walmart a couple of years ago, but if you can’t find them…easy enough to Cricut your own slogan on a $.25 spiral!

 

An admin created this welcome gift for their new AP…

Obviously biased but this greatness was for our new teacher orientation. Candy, spiral, a set of notecards for them to use, and a tee shirt for just the new peeps. The “welcome to Whitt” packet included a letter from admin, some basic campus history, and general “wonders’ they might have been having…

 

How are you welcoming your new teachers? It’s more important than ever that our teachers feel supported, encouraged, and WANTED. It’s not all about the gifts, but taking the effort to create a welcoming atmosphere from the start can help engage new employees. New employees who feel welcomed into their new work environments straight away are often happier, more productive, more successful, and more likely to stay with you for a long time.

 

Leadership book tasting…any book, any role! Build capacity with a book study…

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Educators are tired. Our plates are full and our brains are fried. Providing a book study for professional development doesn’t have to be boring. What if you engage and built leadership capacity via a book study…one that doesn’t look like it usually does?

Knowing this, I still wanted to offer/facilitate an opportunity for leaders in our district to grow, even if it doesn’t look like it has in the past.  A book study is typically an effective form of professional learning because new learning can be immediately applied.  Educators are involved in multiple sessions where there is continuous discussion around a relevant topic that has arisen from school data. Remember, the goal of any professional learning is to have a positive impact on student learning. But finding a book that makes everyone happy? Paying for hardcover books that I may never see again? Ugh. The central office role I serve in now makes it even more important to recognize that one book choice isn’t going to meet all the needs of all our learners.

As a principal, we hosted several out-of-the-box growth opportunities. One year we partnered with Greenwood Elementary in Minnesota and scheduled virtual talks with Brad Gustafson and his team. Then there was the year we did a private Facebook group with George Couros on “Innovators Mindset”. Twitter also was a tool of choice when we read “Teach Like a Pirate”. All that to say…I’m a big believer in professional growth.

Staying still is no longer an option. But growing because “I told you so” is a terrible leadership strategy.

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Enter the CISD Leadership Book Tasting of 2022!

  • open to all leaders in CISD
  • five choices, a leadership variety
  • made available digitally, on a district-provided iPad
  • slow, asynchronous style
  • designed to meet the needs of any role, and can apply to any book

 

Here’s our initial flyer.

Here are our activities.

 

Here’s to a summer of self-paced, self-driven professional development!

 

Readingly yours,

Amber

Being an asset vs just being an…

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I had the opportunity recently to connect with a few like-minded, position-similar, folks. Finding and building new connections in this role has reminded me again in life how many things can be different when you change roles and responsibilities. The goal, always, is to be an asset to your district.

Complacency at times can hinder forward-moving progress, without it even being something you are cognizant of happening. As I listened in last night, it reminded me that as I use this space as a reflective professional journey, I should make note of the ways I am actually being an asset currently…versus being something else, 😉

Asset focuses:

  • Conversations. When you’re new you have to meet a lot of people. When you meet new people you get to ask A LOT of questions. Given that I am not the creator of just about anything around here, I can ask questions without feeling as if the answers are about “my choices”. My 30,000-foot view isn’t concerned with anything other than finding solutions.
  • Added value. Do you know your strengths? How can you leverage those within your new space? Seeking out new vendors, creative problem solving, and being inclusive in solution-oriented decisions allows for a different approach to how it’s been done before.
  • Leverage your team. We all know I’m a fan of hiring people with different skill sets than me, and this technology role is no different. Our additions have all had experiences and strengths that benefit both me and our district.
  • Adaptive leadership is almost required as each situation is so unique and requires layers of input. Connecting involved departments allows for more comprehensive solutions, which I am a huge fan of.
  • Listen more than you talk.

 

It’s amazing to look back 18 months ago and realize how much we’ve accomplished since then. Building schools, creating systems, learning from some of the best…I can’t wait to see what the next 18 months hold.

Pirate proud &

 

 

Lipstick & leadership

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Y’all.

In full true to form, Amber Teamann fashion…I have a confession to make.

I have this lipstick, it’s a super flattering color. It’s not my normal brand or shade, but I like it a lot. I finally got to a place where it needed to be sharpened. I couldn’t use it anymore, it was flat across the top and almost hurting me to apply.

I googled.

I went to Ulta for a brand-specific sharpener. (you know that’s a thing right? more money to get just what you need??) I couldn’t find it.

My hubs offered his pocket knife to sharpen. If you know me, you know THAT sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. I declined. He was quite insistent that I should just be able to “twist” it up. I scoffed.

I decided it was a marketing ploy and I resigned myself to secretly ordering another $10 tube.

Then tonight, I removed all the plastic….& what do you know? it was OH so easy to just…twist it up…

 

SIGH.

 

Sometimes what we need isn’t a magic bullet, it’s patience and the ability to listen to those who are giving us common-sense advice. #sorryhubs

 

Learn from me, friends. Your lips, and possibly your leadership, will be better for it in the morning.

 

Humbly,

 

 

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 &