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

What I’m doing NOW to prepare for 15-16! #cpchat

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This clip from Armageddon may best describe how I feel as I transition this summer from AP to Principal. Packing was surreal…but sitting in this big’ol office…having my note pads and posit its where they go…it means thisisreallyhappening.
I am walking into a dream position. The campus is beautiful. The scores are phenomenal. The staff has been lauded by all. The parents I’ve met have been beyond friendly and approachable. Most importantly, the systems that are in place are amazing. They are in a good place (nah, a great place) with PLCs, with logistics, with morale.

What am I going to do all summer then??

1. Get to know the office staff. These team of ladies has the potential to be my front line at any given moment. I want them to KNOW me, know my heart and to genuinely know who I am. I want to make sure they know my vision, my big picture plans, to help make it easier for them to see why I do the things I do, or make the decisions I make.

2. Meet with my “groups”.  There are a myriad of “groups” within a school, and school district. I have a “Tea with Teamann” for the PTA board already planned. We’re meeting team leaders and PLC leaders for a leadership day. I’m thinking about a “grill & chill” for families. I met with my superintendent and assistant supts to talk about what expectations they had for me for my first year. (Not surprisingly, their answer was relationships!) I want to meet all my SHAREholders, 🙂

3. Dig in. The outgoing principal was a data junkie. I am SO fortunate to be able to see longitudinal data on each student before we ever sit down to talk within our PLCs. I’m going to dive deeper into last years test scores, know my percentages, my areas of focus, and my initial thoughts where we can achieve even higher. I. can’t. wait.

4. Breathe. I am going to enjoy this year. I am not going to be worried and stressed over everything. I am not going to think I need to know everything. I am going to focus on being me, knowing that that was what allowed me to be chosen for this position.

I am going to leverage my PLN, which is chock full of incredible educators, to help make this the very best first year in the history of the world. 

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5. *bonus* ( I wrote this post Thursday afternoon and it timed out and LOST the whole things. As I’m rewriting, I’m adding a bonus #5. You’re welcome!;))

That last paragraph? I used the word “I” a ton. One of my goals this year is to excise that word from my vocabulary. I never want to be the kind of leader who is “I” focused…this is a team, a family. WE will accomplish great things, together. It is SO defeating to be with someone who Unless something has gone wrong and I am taking responsibility, then the word I will use is WE.

I want to remember that using the “I” word alienates those around you…

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 #dontbethatleader #wontbethatleader

 

It may be summer, but my wolf wheels won’t stop spinning. Any other pointers/advice you can share? PLEASE do!

 

Wolf ready,

Amber

Use your summer to RE-ENERGIZE! #txeduchat

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reenergizeI was able to host the Sunday evening #txeduchat, which is just what it sounds like…a chat designed for Texas educators. It takes place on Sunday evenings from 8-9pm, cst.

 

This Sunday we talked about what summer looks like to educators, regardless of their role in education. The amount of time we all get off varies, and what down time actually looks like varied even more! Time without students can be seen as “free” time, and a chance for teachers, principals, for everyone…to relax, refresh, and hopefully, re-energize!

 

 

To some, it meant a complete unplugging. A set amount of time that is spent completely edu-free. To some, being “off” meant time to educationally “play”…explore resources without feeling pressured, to tackle projects that we just don’t have time for in the hustle bustle of the school year.

 

To me, it’s an opportunity to clear the palette of the previous year and get my head right moving forward. I obviously take some legit time OFF as well, 🙂 but I like being able to plan when I have plenty of time and energy. 

Try to get things done that allow you to focus more on being in the moment during the school year.

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I’ve mentioned that I keep a desk calendar where I scribble (literally) the things that we have go on, any appointments I’ve had and school events that we hosted. I keep all the months throughout the year and then during the summer, grab a fresh new pretty calendar for the upcoming year and make notes on each month as a reminder of “things” to not forget. I go back through and make notes of when we had what, as a launching place for what we’d done the previous year. 1

My other gem is a notebook, preferably an Apple one, (creature of habit) and I write down all of the things that could have gone better throughout the year. If there was a picture day snafu, or a scheduling conflict, I make a note about what happened. If there is an easy solution, I write that down as well. It’s mostly meant to help me reflect, privately, about situations that could have gone better. It can be as easy as “Inform grade levels how they will be leaving the assembly BEFORE the speaker starts next year.” to “Remember to print positive emails to include in personnel files for summative purposes.”2

 

Here is the archive from the chat, lots of really great things were shared. I also highly recommend Angela Watson‘s Truth for Teachers podcast titled, “How to use summer to re-energize your teaching and yourself” as another resource.

Next week’s chat will be hosted by Angela Maier’s developer of the “You matter” movement and manifesto!  Sunday may 31st, 8pm, CST! You don’t want to miss it!!

 

chattingly,

Amber

Expecting vs extending grace…

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cop

Have you ever been pulled over? This may surprise you, cough cough, but my driving style is a lot like the way I talk…and write. Fast and furious, always trying to get somewhere. Last weekend, with an unexpected afternoon of sunshine, I was out running errands, and inadvertently didn’t pay enough attention to a new posted neighborhood speed. My first immediate thought was, “Ohhhhhhh, MT is going to kill me!’ The second was, “Ohhhhhhh, please don’t give me a ticket! Just a warning, just a warning!”

Luckily, I did just get a warning that day. As I was driving away, I thought how ironic it was that as administrator, working with both adults and students, I am a big rules/policies girl. I like to know the parameters of an environment/situation and think that they are in place for a reason. I’m quick to want accountability and feel that individuals should be held responsible.

But when I get pulled over, my first instinct is to want grace. I want to explain, to rationalize, to make sure you understand the circumstances.

I was so much more cognizant of my speed this week. I was appreciative of the chance to do better. I was respectful of the officer’s power of a punitive action, but that he chose to give me the benefit of a learning experience. Had I gotten a ticket, would I have reflected on it so objectively? Or would I have been bitter and resentful? Been annoyed as I watched others fly by, getting away with their hurried pace, while I sat as the “one who got caught”… been focused on more of the consequence, than the actions that I had done to get myself there?

I don’t know for sure.

 

It was a very poignant reminder that as a leader, 

I have the opportunity to give grace, and that more can actually be accomplished by doing so.

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Reminded,

Amber

Not just another student…that’s my baby…

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This week my  sweet lil’TsT had her kindergarten roundup. As in..she will be FIVE soon…and attending kindergarten next year. To put the myriad of emotions I am feeling into words is next to impossible. She’s already IN a pre-school, so it isn’t as if she has never been away from me. She’s also, um, not the first child of MINE to start school. So yes, the fact that I should be completely ok with this hasn’t escaped me, but I still well up with tears thinking about her beginning. Time always flies but to think her big sister will be in 8th grade this year (gulp!!) is a testament to how fast it TRULY flies once they start the seasons of school.

Couple that with the fact that I do this for a living and you’ll probably be even more confused at my emotions.  

I pull screaming kinders away from their parents each year and smilingly send them away

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, reassuring them that this will be FINE, that their baby will be GREAT, and they need to just let us take them.

(Oh dear…do we even want to THINK about someone trying to wretch my sweet girl outta my arms?!?)

The mom in me thinks, “She’s so tiny. There’s so much she can’t do yet!”

The admin in me thinks, “Here we go, another one to build an academic future!”

The mom in me thinks, “Please be gentle with her, she’s not ready for playground politics yet!”

The admin in me thinks “Just you wait, she’ll be running the show soon.”

The mom in me thinks “You have no idea…this baby makes me SO insanely happy every day…”

The admin in me thinks “Every new kinder baby is someone’s whole world, nothing new to see here…”

The mom in me thinks “I will be THAT mom for my kid…I will! Please keep her in mind when making decisions!”

The admin in me thinks “We have to think about what is best for ALL kids, momma!”

 

The dichotomy of these rival roles playing out in my mind is like its own greek tragedy.

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 Thank goodness I am in an incredible school where I truly KNOW and love each and every one of our kinder teachers. I see how hard they work, I know how much they love what they do, and am lucky enough to be there when my girl begins her schooling adventure. Couldn’t have asked for a better team to surround my sweet girl.

I just hope they can handle this dichotomy better than I can!

TsT

Kinder counting down,

Amber

Texas Leadership Standard: Hire, retain, support…it’s that easy!

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While researching standards for my post on leadership, I discovered the tenets of leadership as defined by the state of Texas. Intrigued, I decided to delve a bit deeper into each standard, and see how it truly relates to my role. While these standards could establish what defines a leader on paper,  I want to apply them to campuses today. Knowing that reflection is also a key component, there may be some twists and turns that jump out at me as I review each strand. The standards are also under review and going to change, so it will be interesting to see how “leadership” looks when it is redefined. This is post two in a series on “Texas Leadership Standards”, the entire series can be read here.

  • The leader is responsible for ensuring there are high-quality teachers and staff in every classroom and throughout the school.

I  recently blogged about how important a team is. There are many a cliche that supports that line of thinking. “You’re only as strong as your weakest link”, etc etc etc…

This aspect of the Texas Principal Standards can’t be seen as anything less than one of the most important facets of an administrators world. The staff that you surround yourself can make or break you, as we all know. Very rarely, however, do you get to start from scratch and hire an entire staff. What happens when you get traded mid season? (Sports tie in!)

You recognize that you have to make each person on your staff the very best that they can be. The answer isn’t to start looking at the weakest links and getting rid of them! No! What do you do with students in your class that needed extra support? You meet them where they are and help them grow.

Three simple ways to do this….first, set your expectations. Make sure your staff knows what your non negotiables are. Todd Whitaker shares that every student deserves to be treated with dignity and respect every day.  Period.  Along with that he listed 3 things that have absolutely no place in a school environment:

  1. arguing
  2. yelling
  3. sarcasm

That’s a good place to start. Our students deserve respect!

Second, differentiate the PD that you offer to your staff. There are going to be varying levels of abilities and wants and strengths within your team. Get to know your teachers and find out where they want to be supported/lifted up. As lead learners on their classrooms, they should understand that we want to model for our students that we are ALWAYS willing to learn. How can you help them grow? Are there trainings, conferences, books, resources, etc, that you can share? Take advantage of social media and use it to fine tune your staffs expertise!

Finally, do what you can to make your campus a place people WANT to come too. If there is a strong sense of commitment, of dedication and focus on student success (academically and personally) people will get on board and get behind you. Never underestimate what a “family” can do, together. Help foster that kind of environment. Are you a leader people would want to work for? It’s important to build trust. Listen to them. Have an open-door policy. Make sure they know they can come to you with any problem—personal or professional—and have your ear. It’s also crucial to  involve them in decision-making and value their perspective.

Building a team that you are proud of isn’t difficult. It does however take time, energy, and a positive outlook. I heard a great exchange once. Someone asked what do we do if we spend all this time and energy on our teachers and they leave? The response? What if you don’t and they stay!

not taking chances,

Amber