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

RTI revisited

by Leave a Comment

really, Teamann? Another post on RTI?
Why yes, yes indeed!
I know you have a LOT being juggled right now. Then we threw you for more of a loop after Tuesday’s inservice. (Insert oops here.)
We wanted to really isolate the TOP THREE things for you to know/remember about iSip right now. Our goal is not to throw you for a loop midstream. This is a campus with a history of success and we’re not negating any of what you’ve done that works. We’re just offering other ways to be successful, within the expectations and parameters of the districts expectations as well.
  • As soon as you view your class’s Priority Report, you may check the intervention boxes. Then select Interventions Applied. You do not have to wait until the real time of teaching the lesson. The purpose is to make sure that you are aware of the intervention alerts and know what direction your intervention lessons should be following. It is a good idea for you to print a copy of your Priority Report, this will help in planning intervention lessons. (once you click, the alerts go away.)
  • You should be logging into Istation at least once a week to check for new interventions in the Priority Report. This helps you check, clear alerts, and be informed of the interventions students need, right away.
  • You may not schedule your own On Demand Assessments. This skews the data Istation provides. You must have the express permission of Myra Crump in grades 3-5 or Doris Montayne in K-2. This is being monitored at a district level. (Touch base with JH or me if you feel this is a need.)
Heather also clarified with me today that your students will NOT be changing tiers until they take that middle of the year assessment. Tiers do NOT change with each monthly test, that is just progress monitoring.
Please leave a comment to show that you’ve read this post and understand these big picture items.

The Leader Games

by 3 Comments

I am currently participating in a series created by George Couros called “Leadership 2.0” . The series is focusing on what school leadership looks like in the context of today’s world and how innovative leaders are pushing their schools and organizations forward. Fascinating, right?

As I listened to Chris Smeaton, a superintendent from up north speak last week on visionary leadership, it was impossible to keep up with the stream of his gems of greatness. I wanted to tweet almost every statement as a “what I should be doing” kinda note taking tweet.

A couple that stood out…

fec13

1007d

Having a clear vision is going to be what sets you apart as a leader. If you are content with the status quo and are content with just going through the day to day mechanics of a campus, you’re a manager, not a leader. There’s a difference. Why is it so important to have a vision?

The director of the Hunger Games said that one of the most important things he does as a director is to sit alone, at his desk, for hours, before he begins and writes out everysinglething he can about the movie. From staging to angles to directions…he writes it all out the way he wants to see it happen. This is his vision. Everything that happens from this point on goes BACK to that vision. He talks about how on the set in the heat of the moment questions are asked that you may be tempted to answer based on practicality.

All decisions have to flow out of a single vision that you had alone, calm, without the questions, doubts or negativity that can surround you. Inevitability, those answers that should be based on logistics default to what’s practical.

A leader wants answers to questions that reference back to the clarity of their vision. The costume designer said that when she has a question, she thinks back to what Gary Ross’s vision is, not what she interpreted from her reading of the books/script. It’s HIS vision, not hers, and she makes decisions based on THAT. These are Academy Award winners here…grown, capable, creative minds. It’s not as if they couldn’t answer but they see the importance of the unified vision of their director, their leader.

 

Is your vision as an administrator so clear to your staff that they are able to conduct their classrooms in a manner that embodies that vision? I say staff because top to bottom, that’s how visible and impacting your vision should be. From the cafeteria workers to the janitor to the office staff to the students and teachers…everyone should know and be able to base their actions on your vision. A vision is more than just success on standardized tests. A vision defines how you feel about discipline, attitude, homework, community involvement. It transcends the mechanics of your job and instead becomes a campus mindset.

 

As I continue to learn and grow, I see even more how I (someday) want my campus to be a product of my preparation instead of the preparation being a product of the campus. I don’t want to adapt and adjust to the tone, but instead be the one who shapes and defines it. Vision is one those hot button words that comes up when one discusses leadership, but this week really defined it as one of the most important things a leader needs to do.

 

May the odds ever be in your favor,

Amber

Lessons from George & Shaq

by Leave a Comment

While you have lil’young bodies to keep you going with inspiration and connections…sometimes I have to search for mine, 🙂
Perusing Mr. Couros’s blog, I came across this post and despite my lack of affection for any Laker’s players, I stopped down to read “Lessons from Shaq”…what a powerful reminder that everyone can love/teach the easy kiddos…it’s the challenging ones that need us the MOST.
Please share your thoughts on why this is such an easy thing for us to forget….
Mavericks girl,
Amber

Mathmatically amused!

by Leave a Comment

I have a great post on math stations boiling but before I can organize all those thoughts, I must introduce you to this site…or even more importantly, this game…
5th grade is talking about prime numbers right now, which would tie right into this, but I think with the mental math and model drawing that we are ALL doing, this game would be perfect for getting those facts in our head! Plus…the challenge! 🙂
The tagline on the website is sensible strategies + engaging games = eager students…and I have to agree! This game sucked in the 5th grade class I watching in not only to find and get a zero, but to also do it faster than their other classmates. A win win!
LimboN,
Amber

Center-citement!

by Leave a Comment

Had the opportunity last week to visit classrooms at a neighboring campus. It was SO much fun! I loved getting to see their different styles of hall way management, cafeteria crowd control, and even some fun math lessons!
I wanted to share some of the center greatness that I saw. Why was I impressed? Well, it a 5th grade classroom for one. Usually, you think centers and you think younger grades…this was a excellent example of how it can (and should!) be used with intermediate grades. It was also a MATH classroom. Not the first subject you think of when you think centers, eh? I’m a big fan of centers mainly because of how easy it is to raise the level of Bloom’s in your classroom. If you look at your lesson plans, it’s probably obvious to see the “content”, the “what” of what you are teaching..but what about your students’ thinking skills, the how?
What does critical thinking look like in your classroom? Are learners active and in a continuous dialogue with you? Are you feeding them information or are they discovering it on their own? Are questions answered with explanations?
There are so many different benefits to a classroom where high level, student centered and student facilitated learning is key…but the greatest one has to be the higher acceptance and social level in your room. Students are welcome and want to go chasing after some crazy idea because they know it is accepted and encouraged.
Anywho. Off topic. Centers are an easy way to help make that happen.
Each student had to complete (with a partner/team/individually) each activity. The teacher walked around and was able to dedicate some serious on eon one time to students who weren’t understand the concept. With these activities, it was easy to see who didn’t understand.
Give it a try! We have an awesome IST who would love to help you make this happen in your classroom!
AmMath