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

#ISTE2014 or I survived the subway!

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(I just love alternate titles! I can’t ever make up my mind so having two is just perfect!)

I had not planned on attending ISTE this year. Changing school districts , several prior booked obligations, and just an overall weary feeling did not lend itself well to travel. However, the thought of missing out on connecting with some of my favorite minds and faces was even less appealing, so off I went!

My ISTE highlights:

IMG_1696Connecting with my friends. I don’t even have another word for them…they aren’t just people I “know from the internet”. Some I talk to everysingleday. Most are who I consult when I have a professional question. Several make me think, challenge my beliefs, and ensure I sound articulate when discussing hot educational topics. Some I met f2f for the first time this trip, including my room mate! 🙂 Melinda was just as delightful in person as she was on voxer! Getting the chance to be in the same space with the people whose tweets I read and blogs I follow just makes me happy. Surrounding yourself with people who have the same passion as you is calming. It just balances me out to move forward.

Listening. As vociferous as I am, I didn’t talk a lot this trip. (Angela Watson, you don’t count.) I don’t mean listening to sessions either. Confession: sessions at ISTE weren’t why I went. I’m a sharp enough cookie that if there is a tool or an idea that I want to learn more about, I can seek it out to more depth than I could have in sitting in a session. Also, changing districts means I am unsure of what my new role will entail. I’m going to need time to see what I can bring to the table, so I wasn’t on the prowl for something new and fabulous to take back with me. Lunching around a conversation about teacher leaders and challenging administrators how to mold and empower campus leadership without adding to teachers plates? That was better than any session I could have sought out.

Opportunity. As soon as I decided I was going to go to Atlanta, I checked the baseball schedule. My cousin plays for the Braves and I haven’t had an opportunity to see him play. What started as a “Hey George, let’s go see Evan play” turned into the best night I’ve had in a long time. Me and 34 of my closest friends, 🙂 ended  up at Turner Field, on a perfect summer night to watch the game.

I can turn any sporting cliche into a metaphor for education, and this was no different. Baseball is nothing new to me, but through the experiences of my friends this game was completely different. We rode the subway to get there. As in…a train that WENT UNDER THE GROUND. That’s just not normal, ya’ll!  Despite the fact that you may have been in education for “x” amount of years, every once in while get out of your comfort zone! Do something that challenges you! (Shaking hands aside, I think I handled it quite well. I only almost fell once! And I did lose my clinique lipstick…but I didn’t die! I win!) I didn’t even know there  WAS a subway in Atlanta, but again, trusting those smarter than I, we went and had a grand ol’time.

Bonus: Getting to see Evan after the game even though he didn’t play was awesome!

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I can’t imagine attending a conference and not having these connections. Jon Gordon has a quote that says “One person in pursuit of excellence enhances the performance and energy of everyone around them.” To me, that was all the focus on students, learning, and connections at ISTE this year and I am glad I went.

 

Above ground rideN,

Amber

 

Principals are people too…or why there should be more smiling!

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While at ISTE this week, I met several people whom I hadn’t yet had the privilege of meeting f2f . People like John Spencer, whom I admire and respect for being able to articulate and defend ideas on not just education, but living life. People like Tom Murray, who is ya know, was just testifying before Congress about what is really happening in education. Or like subway navigating Bill Selak, who just may be the coolest guy I’ve ever hung around with. His facets of fascination make me cringe in inferiority!

It always reminds me when I meet these twitter “friends” how much more there is to them in real life. They’re not just a bio and 140 character message. Voxer has certainly helped, adding nuances and full personalities to those screen names I know so well. (Ahem, Tony Sinanis.)  But there is more. They are husbands, they are wives. They are teachers, they are administrators. They have personalities, and they can be hurt.

Today, Nick Provenzano, another virtual stranger turned friend shared an incredibly personal piece about dealing with anxiety and depression. Many people may claim that technology is dehumanizing relationships, but to me social media is the gateway to a connection that would have never existed. My heart just broke as I read what the amazingly effusive “nerdy teacher” was going through. We couldn’t walk to lunch this past week without being stopped by people wanting to take pictures with him or meet him in person…yet inside he was struggling.

My point here is one that I have, especially this past year, internally crystallized. Please don’t forget that we are all in this together. No one will thrive in an environment of criticism and constant critiques. Regardless of your role in education…say good morning to others! Be positive!   There is more to doing what we do than making a point or always being “right”. Know what? Being right isn’t a change agent. Remember that we are in a people business, no matter what part you play in a school day. If your role is to support teachers, do it from a place of mutual respect and appreciation. If you are dealing with an administrator you disagree with, guess what? We ALSO have feelings. Being able to effectively communicate without alienating your coworkers is crucial for a cohesive working environment.

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Just because you disagree with someone, doesn’t mean you have to disrespect them.  As an extremely (albeit unhealthily) sensitive person, this was was a huge wake up to me. How can I deliver leadership in a way that I myself, the super sensitive sassy girl, could handle? It’s a daily challenge!

Adam Bellow challenged us all this year to post an instagram tagged with #TYIW (this year I will) and my resolve now, post ISTE, is to remember that everything I share, think, say or do, impacts PEOPLE. Not just strangers on the internet…but someone who may just be a conversation away from being a friend.

Use your power for good, people! (go crickets.)

 

For other Principals are People Too posts, see these from…

resolvedly,

Amber

 

Conferencing this summer? Don’t forget….

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I am super excited about the opportunities I have to be at a variety of learning spaces this summer. From ISTE to Region X, my “summer” is full of learning! (I love my job!)

As I read through all of the recent posts about what not to forget and things that you “have” to have/know/pack when thinking summer learning, I keep coming back to something I read in “Leverage Leadership”.

Regardless of where you go or what you do this summer, the most important things happen AFTER you leave. If you don’t walk away with an ACTION PLAN of how to implement or start moving towards the sustainable changes you want to see happen, chances are you won’t see them take place. Have you seen this quote?

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That fired up, inspirational feeling will likely fade when you get back to the realities of your to do list and every day tasks. While you’re at your conference, (or your couch, if you’re hashtagging!) be sure you reflect on what or how you can make these happen in your building. I always like to write a “reflection” piece, documenting what great ideas I’ve seen and how I imagine it looking on our campus. I pick a “big” three to focus on and try to make happen. Why three? Because one is not enough and five is too many!

By narrowing it down and being more intentional, I am more likely to apply the most important take aways I have learned, turning each conference not just into a 5 hour energy drink, but an entire year of inspiration!

How do you make sure your excitement and energy carries over?

 

change craver,
Amber

 

Initiate change? Of course you can! #R10tech

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I had the opportunity  today to present at the Region 10 technology conference. As always, I come away amazed at the work of the Region X team. This conference has evolved over the years into a must attend the event for the Region X area. From session flow to strategic sessions, to participant size to the addition this year of FOOD TRUCKS…they are doing it right!

 

The conversations today with educators from around the area was so refilling. I appreciate so much the passion behind what they are all doing. Some are in district level positions, some are campus administrators, and some are classroom teachers. What I’ve found is that those who are willing to miss a day and all that entails are the ones willing to have the conversations that are going to initiate change.

I said in my presentation today that if you think you need a title to be a leader, then you may not yet be ready for that responsibility.  Anyone can make a difference…after all, even the biggest wave started out as just a breeze!

Classroom teachers can make change happen by adopting genius hour, by becoming connected to other learners, to challenging the status quo. Differentiate…get creative, turn the power to choose how they  learn over to your students. Not completely, oh naysayers of mine, but even just a lesson a week can start a wave….its ok not to do what you’ve always done. 

Building leaders can make changes by modeling what it means to be a lifelong learner, by allowing teachers to TRY new things, and to feel comfortable in FAILing if that’s what happens.  Encourage conferences, encourage learning, be the LEAD learner not just by title, but in action.

District support staff can initiate change by offering support, encouraging new ideas, by asking different questions. Offer to be in classrooms, or do more research on an idea…help a teacher make connections with innovators in the area at hand.  There’s no need to recreate the wheel if some other awesome educator has tried it  before.

Edupeeps in district level positions can initiate change by being willing to be transparent in their own learning, to open up and be flexible in what good ol’traditional teaching has to look like. Get to an edcamp, attend a national conference…let yourself break free from the educational silo you may find yourself in.

We all have the power to make change…we just have to be willing to “be more dog”.

 

Educator proud,

Amber