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

Fabulous Fridays

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Sometimes it’s the little things that can make the biggest difference.

February is a long month. It’s a solid month of instruction, leads up to Spring, and typically, both students and staff get a touch of the spring fever.

We decided to have “Fab Fridays in February” and have a fun activity each week to help offset that feeling. These were cheap (or free!) and really helped alleviate some the doldrums many were feeling.

The first Friday I recruited some of our amazing moms to bring in crockpots of soup to show our teachers they were “soup”-er. It was a warm treat on a cold day and everyone enjoyed some down home cooking.

The second Friday coincided with Valentine’s Day and we played “Love Connection”. I found a bunch of “famous” couples…from Thelma and Louise to our principal and her husband and I cut them in half. I then placed half a couple in each person’s room. The goal was to find your loooooooove connection. It was SO much fun to see teacher’s racing down the halls, trying to figure it all out. There were current couples as well as some golden oldies, 🙂

Have you seen Legally Blonde 2? (yes, yes, I know. ) The next Friday we did our own version of the Snap Cup.

I placed a staff list and slips of paper in a cup and let the love flow! Teachers wrote their “warm fuzzies” on a slip, and passed it on. Next year, I think I’m going to start the love cup on Monday and then post them on the Friday, but either way, it was SO rewarding to see all the happy thoughts that were shared. From old team members to new hires…everyone felt the love!

The last Fab Friday we deemed as sweets for the sweet…we served cookies and milk! Once again, I had amazing moms who baked (or bought!) cookies and brought them to school. I supplied the milk and viola! A sweet way to celebrate all the hard work that our teachers do, each and every day.

Our campuses are more than just a job. They are like a second home! The culture we build and cultivate is a beacon that can either lure or repel the best and brightest. Your culture is evident in everything,  from how you communicate to your teachers (or students!) to how the halls are decorated. It ALL plays a role in defining your brand, in showing who you are.  The better your culture is on the inside, the more attractive you will look to the outside…and in public education these days? We always want them to see our BEST!

Whether you have a campus or a classroom,  you can make Fab Fridays work for you! (Or Marvelous Monday’s, or, Terrific Tuesday’s….)

(Thanks to Melinda Miller for sharing all of her Fab Friday ideas! We’re all better together, :))

 

Fab FridayN,

Amber

 

 

 

Are you busy, busy, busy?

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Busy is the new black. Ask anyone how they are doing and what do response do you get?

“Stressed!” “Overwhelmed!” “Can’t keep up!” “Tired!”

Can you imagine what would happen if you just answered that question with a “Inbox zero, task list completed, actually has time for an extra nap this week…”? It would stop traffic!

Many times busyness is equated with productivity. Just because the wheels are constantly spinning doesn’t mean you’re getting anywhere. I know that for me my to do list can shift based on priority but I literally can work 12 hour days and still not get caught up…which makes it feel as if I am not making progress.

I listened to a podcast this weekend and heard something simplified that is so common sense I am almost ashamed to admit how clarifying it was for me. The author (Crystal Paine) was discussing how hard it is for her to say no and to prioritize her tasks. She said that at the beginning of each month (day, week, year, etc) she lists her BIG goals. Her big, all encompassing, gotta be done goals. Then she files all of her tasks into alignment with those goals. If it doesn’t fit? She doesn’t commit.

I’m a big “yes” girl. I like feeling accomplished and like I’ve done more than my share, had my opportunity to get my input in. But sometimes? Sometimes I take on things that just don’t matter in what REALLY matters. I say yes just to say yes.

I want to model being a lead learner for our campus and share my passion with others, which is being positive and making school FUN without compromising academic success for every student. I believe in empowering others to be successful. If I’m going to be on a committee, or speak somewhere, does it move me closer to accomplishing that goal or detract from it?

If I want to be a super involved mom and attentive wife…is being on a committee, or speaking somewhere, move me closer to accomplishing that goal or detract from it?

What are your BIG goals in life? Are you taking on things to help you get there, or things that are actually detours? They can be REALLY great things, but still be detours. Double check that commitment list and see what you can cross off. Move out of survival mode and into PRODUCTIVE mode!

 

busy beaver,

Amber

 

 

 

 

Are you a yeller? Hush!

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***disclaimer: This is a continuation from a conversation happening on Voxer. Not a post directed at my current staff! 🙂

Her name was Emily. I remember her sweet round face, her blonde hair, and her sparkling personality. I also remember that she started every single composition with, “Hi, my name is Emily and I’m going to tell you about…” I will also never forget the afternoon I made her get in her chair and announce to the class how sorry she was that she kept doing that and that she would never do it again.

I look back on that memory now and cringe. CRINGE. I am so thankful her mother didn’t come and just decimate me over that poor attempt of a strategy. That was my first year teaching, and thankfully, the only year that I remember having done that.

This is something I am extremely passionate about, probably because I remember sweet Emily. If you don’t like children…or interacting with people…I just don’t know that education is the job for you.

CONFESSION: I don’t think embarrassing students is ok. 

CONFESSION: I also don’t think its ok to yell at students. 

I’m not saying you have to be sun-shiney and roses all the time. I’m not saying that there aren’t realities that make teachers days a struggle. (or assistant principals!)  I know this. 

I am saying that you don’t have to be ugly. You don’t have to be sarcastic. You don’t have to yell.

Is this an unrealistic expectation in education?

 

Tone intolerant,

Amber

 

A word for 2014…or how not to be like “Baby”…

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pause: pôz/

noun
1.a temporary stop in action or speech.
“she dropped me outside during a brief pause in the rain”
synonyms: stop, cessation, break, halt, interruption, check, lull, respite, breathing space, discontinuation, hiatus, gap, interlude; More

Have you ever noticed that conversations can seem like more of a contest to see who can get the most words in, the most laughs, or their point across the quickest? Half the time, we are so focused on forming our next brilliant comment that we seem to to have tuned out the person actually having the conversation with us.

If we think about what how we feel or what happens when WE are trying to get across an important message, or convey an idea…and someone keeps interrupting us, or adding snarky, insensitive comments…or trying to constantly one up us, it becomes almost embarassing to know that sometimes we’re that person. If you care about people you should care about who they are and what they have to say. 

Lately I have found myself in several situations where I feel like Baby from “Dirty Dancing”. 

I just say the most inane things! I don’t know if I like to hear myself talk or what…but I walk away thinking the most horrible things about what just transpired and wishing for a rewind button. Please let me completely take that comment back and inset this highly intelligent, thought provoking statement instead.

So, in order to avoid these “watermeloning” moments, my word for 2014 is pause. 

Pause…before you speak. Sometimes? You may not even have too. It’s ok to nod and smile. I don’t always to be witty or funny…..or awkward.

Pause…before bandwagoning in on a conversation. What are your motives in agreeing? in responding? in reacting?

Pause…before thinking something negative. Positive self talk, missy!

Pause…before committing…or not committing. Give yourself time to think about it, to talk it over with people whose opinions you value.

Pause…enjoy your moments. Be grateful for where you are in life. Be thankful for your health, your family, your friends. Circumstances can change in a heartbeat.

Pause…slow down. Just…slow…down.

 

I’m going to actively work on pausing in my life. Did you make a resolution for 2014? or set a goal? I would love to support you, and covet your support for my internal pause button as well.

 

Watermelon throwing,

Amber

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

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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.

frozen_elsa-wideBeing 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