Blog — Page 61

Leadership lessons from “Let it go”: not just a Disney song!

January 16, 2014 by Amber 6 Comments

If you haven’t seen the movie “Frozen” yet, I highly recommend it. While I did see it with my girls originally, I absolutely saw it again with a grown up friend…it’s that good! One of the main characters is Elsa, who is voiced by Idina Menzel. She has an icy curse and at a climatic point in the movie, comes to terms with her powers and sings “Let it Go”. Several of the lyrics jumped out at me as “leadership lessons”…what do you think?

“A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I’m the Queen”

Being in a leadership position can feel lonely, like you’re on an “Admin Island” sometimes. This is why a PLN is so important to have. There should be people that you can share, grow, and learn from. Networking in any form is important, whether it be within your building or across the world. The smartest person in the room, IS the room, remember? That and any good leadership course will remind you that many voices can make good choices, that’s where the whole site based decision-making committee comes in.

“Don’t let them in, don’t let them see, Be the good girl you always have to be, Conceal don’t feel, don’t let them know, Well now they know”

I am firm believer in transparent leadership.

Being open and available, and most importantly, being real with your staff is an important trait. Being transparent is a powerful thing, if you can trust yourself and be trusted by others. I think the reason some leaders are not transparent is because they believe they will be viewed as less authoritative; that the “title” they worked so hard to attain will lose its power, leverage and authority. People want to relate to their leaders. People want to know that their leaders have experienced the same problems and/or how they have overcome personal hardships. If relationships are at the core of success in education, it starts with transparency.

“I don’t care, What they’re going to say, Let the storm rage on, The cold never bothered me anyway”

As a leader, you will often have to make tough decisions. This is one of the biggest challenges of leadership. Some can handle it; others can’t. Regardless, it will define your leadership. You will be judged by others largely on the basis of how well you do under pressure. You will make mistakes, it is inevitable. That being said, what you do after those mistakes is what will define your leadership ability. George Bush’s approval rating was above 90% following 9/11. It had plummeted to 30% by the time he left office. He is noted for “not caring”. Chasing popularity, he stated, is like chasing a vapor. It is here today and gone tomorrow. Instead, you have to make decisions based on principle and let the chips fall where they may. If you are doing what’s right for KIDS then you can feel good about the decisions you make, even if they are tough. I had a friend who texted me recently that he was writing his first “non-renewal” letter as an administrator, and that it wasn’t as easy as he thought it was going to be. Tough decisions, even when right, don’t always feel good.

“It’s funny how some distance, Makes everything seem small, And the fears that once controlled me, Can’t get to me at all”

Effective leaders initiate and innovate. They have the courage to make decisions, and their actions lead people toward the pursued objective. As former first lady Rosalynn Carter once said, “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” Just like the lessons you learned your first year teaching, with each year of administration under your belt, you’ll learn a bit more. With luck, with each minor obstacle you face, you will grow and stretch. I’m a big fan of journaling and take copious notes with each situation I’ve encountered. Bluntly identifying what went right, what went wrong, and in hindsight, how it should have been handled is both therapeutic and eye-opening. I’ve done this since I was in elementary school…but back then it was about what I wanted to see in my classroom. Since then, it has evolved into leadership lessons but it’s something I reference often. Particularly at the beginning of the year, I reread the trials and triumphs of the previous years to help make sure things flow more smoothly than before.

I genuinely think I could apply almost every line of this song to an administrative principle. It’s an empowering song, I challenge you to listen to it with a leadership lens and see if you can see it too.

Icily,

Amber

A search engine that provides a digital conversation, happy grokking!

January 8, 2014 by Amber 1 Comment

I had the opportunity, the privilege really, of presenting with Eric Sheniger and Carrie Jackson at this years Learning Forward conference. The topic was “Being Connected: It’s No Longer an Option”.

This conversation is a blog post in itself. Eric shared a tool I hadn’t seen before. InstaGrok. InstaGrok is a way to conduct informal online research as a starting point for more in-depth learning. What a thought provoking way to introduce a concept for students. It create a concept map with connected websites, videos, and images, all related to the topic you are searching for.

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Starting a search is easy. Type in a topic or concept that you want to research. If you are researching a person, type their first and last name. A concept map will appear. You can click on any bubble to go deeper into that area of the map.

To add a research fact to your map click on the pin next to the fact on the key fact section on the right hand side. To view the web sites that populate the facts, click on more next to websites on the right hand side. You can narrow down websites by concepts by clicking on the concepts on the right hand side. Once you find the website you want to use, click on the pin to add it to your map, and/or click on the link to go to the website. To view the web sites that relate to the facts, click on more next to videos on the right hand side. You can select the difficult level with the bar at the top of the page or by looking at the icons (chalk board means easy, cap means middle to high, and the Einstein means high). This works for web sites and facts too!

There are options to journal within the program and also to create a quiz. I think this would be a great starting place to jumpstart conversations within your classroom on a n concept you’re introducing to your students. It would also be an excellent opportunity to discuss the need to verify and ascertain informations’ credibility that can be found online.

Modeling finding and verifying accurate and credible resources is a skill that students of all ages need, and by using a fun, engaging tool, you can have that conversation without sounding “anti- internet”.

serachingly,

Amber

Data Discussion

January 8, 2014 by Amber Leave a Comment

(This blog post is an assignment completed for the “Future Principal’s Institute within my district.)

How can teachers capitalize on data about student learning that are generated in their classrooms every day? How can this information best be collected and used to increase student learning? Making data part of instructional planning can be challenging, especially if teachers are not used to thinking about assessment and data as a regular part of the process.

Effective feedback is a great way for teachers to use collected data in order to improve student learning.

Results from almost any assessment can be of great benefit to students, provided they are used to make instructional adjustments. And — the shorter the amount of time between assessment and adjustment — the more powerful its effect on learning. Just like a diet plan that sits on your desk…until you actually pick it up and DO something with it, it isn’t going to affect much!

Here are Tina Garrett’s, Elementary Science Coordinator’s thoughts on how best to utilize data from a benchmark or CBA.

I asked her three questions, including one on how to handle a teacher who looks at her report and thinks that she did just fine. Drawing in Carol Dweck‘s research, she gave several suggestions for teachers on how to move forward, intentionally, with data (both formative & summative) as their guide.

In the Dec./Jan. issue of ASCD’s Educational Leadership, Jennifer Morrison shares one reason why data is so important to the classroom teacher, which ties in to Ms. Garrett’s thoughts.

Prodding teachers to collect meaningful data on their own ensures that they will begin to ask questions, as I found out when I put together a sample data notebook. In the process of collecting, analyzing, and reflecting on information about my classes, I stepped outside my assumptions and understood students more clearly. I discovered a new way of thinking about my practice, but better still, the process caused me to ask such questions as, Are my students demonstrating growth in learning? or What do I need to change to accelerate growth? To satisfy these wonderings, I had to design assessments that would gather the information I needed and analyze the results, sometimes rethinking my methods as a consequence.

At a previous campus we made looking at and restructuring instruction a priority by having monthly “Monday meetings”. The grade level met with the principal, the counselor, and myself. We briefly touched on EVERY student, from those that were performing at standard to those who struggled on different assessments. The teachers were responsible for pulling data from classroom assessments and the computer lab manager pulled from all of our computer based assessments. By collectively looking and discussing, we were able to brain storm about each learner as well as come up with an action plan on any who we felt needed additional assistance. If this meeting only happened twice a year, the data would have been useless.

Here is a flyer, Making Numbers Meaningful, that we provided early on to introduce the concept of having these monthly data PLC’s or “Monday meetings”. Some grade levels even brought snacks! They all, however, brought a positive attitude and a motivated mentality, which made all the difference.

Data discussing,

Amber

A unified vision marches on…

January 4, 2014 by Amber 1 Comment

A lot is written and shared about how important it is for a campus to have a shared, unified vision. What you are doing when creating a vision statement is articulating your dreams and hopes for your campus as well as establishing a strong foundation for your strategic planning guideline. It reminds you of what you are trying to build, and keeps everyone moving in the same direction.

During this break, I’ve read 3 (yes, 3) biographies of John F. Kennedy. Maybe the boldest vision ever articulated by any leader was John F. Kennedy’s dream of putting a man on the moon. On May 25, 1961, in a special address to Congress, he said, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” Although, at the time, very few people believed it could be done, the vision was achieved on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong stepped on to the moon.

There’s local high school has done an amazing job for creating and aligning a unified vision, thanks to the administrative leadership of their lead learner, Virdie Montgomery. (disclaimer: Virdie is the father of one of my best friends and will be the high school of my girs.) He lives, eats, and breathes his campus mantra, AHMO. From Letterman shout outs, to class point competitions that invite global participation, to hundreds of ipad photos taken daily, he has created an environment that supports students in a way that supports them as a family. Even when times are tough, they rally together in a way that defies their high school maturity. You can’t go anywhere without seeing a student, a bumper sticker, or a yard sign, that proclaims that AHMO pride.

This video was shared with me by my beast’s math teacher. It is a great example of people working together to create something really incredible. And…every member has to work hard to memorize all the music and all the steps. If even one person forgets, the whole show will not be as spectacular. It takes a unified vision to make this happen.

May your vision be as spectacular!

Vision focused,

Amber

The handwritten note…going old school in 2014!

January 2, 2014 by Amber 3 Comments

In the fast paced day to day-ness of our world, it is easy to take the easy route of telling some one that they did a great job, or that you appreciate what they’ve done for your campus.

The words are always welcome. However, there is nothing as powerful as tangible words on the page. I’ve appreciated and saved emails, but inevitably they are deleted. (darn space constraints!) Compare that with handwritten notes. I have kept almost all that I’ve received…from as far back as college! There is just something about the time and effort that it takes to write a note…just seems more thoughtful than a tweet or an email. It’s personal. It’s private, intended to be seem by you, the writer, and them, the receiver.

I know it may seem odd for someone with degree in technology who blogs on its impact in her life on to encourage the writing of actual ink-on-paper notes…but truly, it makes a difference. It’s free. It’s valuable. It’s something I commit to doing more of in 2014!

Luckily, the genius of Melina Miller (@mmiler7571) even helped me figure how I can make it happen. When I was a teacher, I made a check list of all my students names and tracked the positive parent contact I made each semester. I mailed/sent home a minimum of 3 happy notes per child, per semester. The relationships that were built on that alone were priceless. It also guaranteed I didn’t forget someone or send too many “easy” notes. Keeping a checklist meant I kept it consistent.

At my previous campus, I used these to give shout outs, but never seemed to do it as consistently.

Melinda uses self stick notes that I also scored at Walmart for a $1 (woot woot!). Perfectly sized for a genuine, happy, note of appreciation. The fact that they are techie themed is just happiness to my heart! But still, how could I guarantee I didn’t miss someone?

Why change what had worked in the past? In my Erin Condren planner I made a checklist of all my teachers with the months left for the semester and will check them off each month. The handwritten note in a world full of different ways to communicate may seem like a lost art. According to the U.S. Postal Service’s annual survey, the average home only received a personal letter once every seven weeks in 2010, down from once every two weeks in 1987. And The Wall Street Journal recently lamented the “lost art of the handwritten note.” As an added bonus, studies show that those who express gratitude also benefit by experiencing better health and sleep, less anxiety, and more life satisfaction. They benefit giver and receiver alike. And…to my pocket weary educators…they’re free! (Well, unless you need cuter notes…then they it’ll cost ya!)

Write on!

Amber