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

Life as a principal, #taketwo

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I have been blogging for a long time. I blogged as a teacher with my students 10 years ago. I blogged as a facilitator with technology integration ideas & shout outs. I blogged as an AP, just about education leadership thoughts and with my staff. Last year I decided that each blog that was written about #thefirstyear, I would denote in a special way, so that when I looked back, I could see the growth (gulp!) and the experiences that my first year brought.  That hashtag #thefirstyear, of course, coined by George Couros, reminded me each time I sat down that it was still, in fact, just my first year. Reflection is huge for me, and when I took the time to get it all out, I felt better. Perfectly aligns with the words of American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer

John Dewey: “We do not learn from experience … we learn from reflecting on experience.”

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I feel like I processed things better, and had a chance to THINK things through.

This year…I will be more consistent. My posts may not be as long…but they will be happening more regularly, 🙂 #taketwo is the hashtag I’ll be sorting these with.

Also, a side note…I am so thankful to those of you who read and comment and share along this journey. Your comments and words of support genuinely make me a better administrator…and person.

 

#taketwoN,

Amber

Planning as a Principal, part 2 #taketwo

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As techie as I am, I have mentioned my love for my Erin Condren planner here and here. I’ve discussed my notebook for my meeting notes. That takes care of two facets of my daily world, but what about the other pieces that should also be on your plate? RTI, PLC’s, student data, etc etc etc…

I am lucky enough to have a data management system that helps me sort our data. This year, thanks to their awesome webinars, I’m adding in monitor lists to help identify students on every assessment that we have recognized as an “almost there” kiddo. that could be almost to passing, almost to advanced, OR almost to showing that one year’s growth that we are striving for. It’s important to be able to not only organize this info but be able to reference it as needed. That means each assessment I will be able to see targeted students that we are keeping our eye on. Knowing that we can have pointed, deliberate conversations about their progress in PLC’s is huge for me.

I have three binders back behind my desk. Using former principal Stephanie McConnell‘s binder system, I have all of my necessary info sorted, in a “fun” fashionable way. I have:

  • A data binder: Class lists are sorted by grade level. After our initial BOY assessments, the teachers and I will meet and highlight each name as to where they are falling in the normed continuum, using pink for above, green for on, yellow for below. These are just initial thoughts and fluctuate as we get more data throughout the year. This is also where I put checks by the names of students that I have mailed postcards too, trying to ensure that all Ss receive one throughout the year. A heady task, with 640 Wolves, but I think I can, I think I can… there is also a calendar page for each month (included in the set!) where I plug in our district assessment calendar, teacher birthdays, etc. his download includes yearly calendars, school board meeting notes, legal notes, section covers for campus events, conferences and so much more. Enjoy her 63 pages of organization! (There are male versions too!!)
  • An RTI binder: Here I keep all documentation on students who may need any interventions, high & low. I keep my sections lists that give me specific details on any “extras’ that should pertain to a class…like speech, SPED, or dyslexia information. This is also where we keep our student data cards. I am working on updating those, but will share when we have a model complete! They basically contain any and all information about a student and can be copied for parents at any time, with all of their assessment information.
  • A TTESS binder: This is where I’ll be keeping all of our teacher evaluation paperwork, training materials, etc for our new system in Texas. If you’re an administrator (or an excellent teacher wanting to improve), Stephanie also has a flip book that is handy to have around! This is a whole new beast so I like having additional supports in place to help me understand…

How do you manage your “systems”? What tips and tricks do you have to stay on top of all the paperwork? I would love to hear your suggestions!

 

fail+to+plan+is+plan+to+fail

 

PlanN ahead,

Amber

 

Be the leader who…

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A simple google search will yield many a list of “principal must do’s or how to’s “. While I can’t speak to mastering many of them, what I can do is give my “16-17” to do better list…these are compiled from many conversations with my friends, my edupeeps, my staff, my parents…voices that have a vested interested in my leadership style and the sustainable success of our campus. (Note I said our, not my…:))

Some of these are learned through missteps, some are gleaned through successes. I’ll let you discern which is which.

 

Be the leader who listens.

Talk less, listen more. You don’t have to have all the answers, in fact, it’s probably better if you don’t. Through conversation and seeking to understand, you can develop an answer or solution together. Let them feel listened to, as if their concerns/problems are as important to you as they are to them. Coming back with your perspective or your solution can be seen as defensive. Process…slow down and have the grace to say, “thank you, let me think on that, and get back to you.”

 

Be the leader who shares…but share just enough. 

I may write a book called “The Fallacy of Transparent Leadership”. Todd Whitaker and I have discussed this at length…you want your leader to be transparent, but you don’t want to hear it ALL, nor is there even that need. Be selective in what you share…make sure that they are getting the taste of what you’re sharing, but not sick to their stomach because it was just. to. much.

 

Be the leader who has it together. 

Hey, guess what? You’re the boss. YOU ARE THE BOSS. You are the one everyone else is looking to set the tone, have the plan, and guide the conversations. While you don’t have to KNOW the answers, you better be the one asking the questions. And if you don’t? See below.

 

Be the leader who admits when they are wrong. 

It is ok to say that you don’t know, or that you made a mistake, or that you could have handled something better. #thefirstyear was full of learning opportunities. I am blessed with a staff that let me say that I was sorry and understood that I was still learning. I can’t even begin to tell you how humbling it is to have to admit daily that you could do it better. Luckily, I get to have a year 2 to make that happen!

 

Be the leader who sets the thermostat.  

A thermometer takes the temperature of the room. A thermostat sets the temperature.  You are the person. THE PERSON. Encouragement means more when it comes from you. Advice means more when it comes from you. Evaluative comments? Mean more coming from you. Use that power for good. From the office staff to the janitor…you are the one who sets the temperature. While you 100% can have a bad day, you don’t have the luxury of showing your stress, your anger, your own drama, when you are trying to lead. If you panic, they will panic. If you are stressed, they will be stressed.

 

Be the leader who recognizes that your position precedes your person. 

It takes time…a LOT OF TIME…for people to get to know you. More than even an entire school year. Value that. Everyone KNOWS you’re the principal. There’s never a reason to say that you are, 🙂 no one is going to forget that the principal/leader said something out loud or walked into the room. In fact, saying it ACTUALLY diminishes your effectiveness. When you ask for an opinion or their thoughts…know that they are measuring their answer because you’re the principal. This was a very powerful realization for me…one that I do not take lightly now with each and every conversation I have with my people. (all my people!)

 

There you have it…the summary of my notes and reflections, the cumulative results of #thefirstyear. I am SO excited for year 2, just as much for what I have learned, plus the anticipation of what is still yet to BE learned!

 

always aspiring to be better,

Amber

 

How available are you? #cpchat

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How available are you-Being connected means I am always available on something. I’m checking twitter, or my email, or instagram all of the time. There is facebook messenger, there is snapchat. My staff has my cell number and I check my email regularly (gulp.)

I’ve never thought of that as a bad thing.

A conversation this week made me pause, however. Is being that available setting an expectation that I expect that of others? It honestly had never occurred to me. That darn activator “strength” of mine means when I have a question or need input,  I typically reach out to other leaders on campus. While I’m not at all put out if they don’t all respond, I don’t know that I’ve ever communicated that to them.

Knowing that my people are watching all the time, I still think being available is important. What are your strategies for honoring off/down time while maintaining a consistent, constant flow of communication and shared leadership?

How accessible are you to your staff? Can they reach you via phone/text all the time?

 

tick tock,

Amber

 

Summer reads: 10 books to consider when #principalplanning

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With just 18 days alllllll to myself, I have developed a stringent plan to get all my professional reading in. While I would usually say that my break was for fluff reading…I’ve been doing pretty well on that, 🙂 and need to get all these books in that I’ve been collecting on my desk read and processed. Some are rereads that I’ve committed to consistently rereading. Some are new finds, recommended at the PLC conference we attended a few weeks ago.  Some other leaders have suggested. Each title was selected with a targeted area of growth in mind, and I’m hoping that by committing to tweeting/blogging about them I will be more accountable for their leadership message. Choosing to  develop and enhance my growth mindset through personal accountability and reflection should ensure that these gems of greatness are more than quick reads, but that they are cornerstones of the leader I want to be.

 

bookie books

 

Now, if I can get through a Jennifer Weiner novel in a day, surely I can handle ten books in 18 days, right? Of course I can. 🙂 Especially knowing that these titles are meant to not just motivate, but to also add structure and MEAT to the notion of leadership. I can pin happy  quotes on Pinterest all day long, but what I need is the structure, a system if you will, of how to apply these principles in the crux of the day to day operations of leadership. Don’t tell me to go swing…tell me how to be the leader my district, my teachers, and my families deserve me to be.

Do you have any that you’d suggest I’d add to my stack? Tell me what and why!

book buried,

Amber