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.
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 to a summer of self-paced, self-driven professional development!
Readingly yours,
Amber
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 
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?