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

My growth is in a different place: self efficacy as a leader #IMMOOC

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Reality check: Through your evolution as an educator, you will find yourself at different stages of growth. Recognizing and owning that your needs and strengths are going to evolve is critical to maintaining not only your sanity, 🙂 but also your trajectory as a professional.

An easy example… Early on as a teacher, I couldn’t get enough of books,resources, websites to support my lessons and instruction. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around creating my own resources from scratch. Over time, I found myself reaching less and less for all of those amazing Scholastic books, and developing what I felt like my students needed for success. When I am supporting teachers now, I use a whole different strategy of support and creation.

While attending a conference recently, I made the comment to a favorite principal peer of mine that I had guilt for not attending of the “how to’ or “try this tomorrow” sessions, and found that my deepest thinking came now from reflection of conversations…whether they be at 3am over a laptop and laughter or over a shared dessert at lunch…those were the moments that stretch who I am and what I believe. Instead of needing to sit and get, I find myself in need of conversation and reflection. Sessions didn’t grab me and hold me like they had in the past. She responded with what may be one of the smartest lines ever, “Your growth is just in a different place.”

My growth is in a different place.

I am at a professional stage where the lens in which I view things is different. When beginning my “technically Teamann” journey, I wrote about classroom technology integration. I gave handouts, I created how to videos, I was very detailed in my processes. My growth was in a different place. Now I am in a thinking/leading/principaling stage. I need to hash out thoughts and strategies. I need perspective and thoughts from peers in my administration trenches.

Recognizing where my campus is and what our expectations are, I have to be careful not to be guilted or feel pressure from other admin about their challenges and needs., that look different than mine. I also have challenges. I also have needs. My growth is in a different place. Not an easier place. Not a harder place. There is enough stress and enough success to go around. What looks like a win to you, manifests and looks differently as a win for me. And that is ok. My growth is a different place. 

Last year I isolated myself. I didn’t go anywhere, I didn’t participate in my voxer chats, or twitter chats. I silo’d myself. I focused solely on learning my building, my people, and all my Wolves. Which is ok. My growth was in a different place. Now that I feel like I have a grasp on what this principal job, somewhat can/should look like, I find myself thirsty to get back out there, to continue my growth. Taking part in George Couros’ s IMMOOC this time around is just the jump-start I need to keep pushing myself.

Know who you are. Know what you need. Reflect on where you are in your journey. Own that. And then? Get where you need to be to grow. If you’re on autopilot, or don’t feel challenged or don’t feel that you are successful, get in a different place, a place where your growth IS.

 

growth focused,

Amber

Differentiated PD, with a purpose! #taketwo

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This week we have an opportunity to meet with our staff while our Wolves have a day off. One of my goals as an administrator is to not waste my teacher’s time. I’ve written before about how I also recognize I need to always be moving them along their own growth path. By providing differentiated professional development, I can accomplish both! In the same way that we expect our teachers to provide differentiated classroom instruction, my expectation should be to do the same for our teachers. Providing differentiated PD shouldn’t be a choice, but we as administrators do. Model what ya want! Or as Jimmy Casas says, Model what you EXPECT. After reading this post from my buddy, Brad Gustafson, creating a choose your PD adventure came easy!

 

(Flyer!)

Differentiated PD is as easy as allowing teachers to have choice, input, and TIME to think and process the PD they’ve taken part in can allow for deeper implementation and impact student learning, which again, is why we do what we do.

Our plan for Monday is this. Teacher will have breakfast and then have the chance to choose 2 from 6 different choices presented from staff who went to #TCEA17. Choices were based on what most closely aligned with the bulk of our staff’s TTESS goals set in August. They are short sessions, meant to whet their appetite and give easy strategies to add in tools for learning here in the spring.

They then are going to spend time reflecting on their individual goals, and ensure they are moving down that path of a lifelong learner. After lunch, we have time set aside for them to work with their team, analyzing our MOY data and using it to plan for small group instruction. Strategic teaching based on individual student growth is going to be what moves Wolves, in every classroom every day.

And just as fun lil’bonus for reading this far…kicking off our day tomorrow I’ll share one or two of these “fun” testing videos…just to remind us how very humorous our spring season can be. One of my Voxer groups, who bless their hearts still include me, despite my MIA-ness shared these this weekend and they are so apropos!

Hope YOUR adventure is as fun as mine!

Amber

Help curb teacher burnout with Fab Fridays in February!

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Teacher burnout…it’s a real thing. This stretch in the winter/spring is a LONG chunk of instructional intensity. You’ve got middle of the year data, you have testing awareness creeping up on you, and spring break is just outta reach. The genius of Melinda Miller introduced me to Fab Fridays in February several years ago and I have loved coming up with fun things to do with my staff each year.

While it may seem like a lot of work, really, your teachers are doing the heavy lifting this time of year. And if your team is like mine, they easily over commit in order to help their students succeed. The benefits of building and supporting a positive school climate far out-weigh the time and effort required.  

I would also take a guess that a positive school climate can help bring the joy and fun back into teaching and learning.

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Who wouldn’t want to be part of a school like that?

Here’s what we’re doing this year! (You can also download it here!)What do you do to love on and support your teams?

 

FabFri loveN,

Amber

Lead like Jimmy, not like Barry…says @TroyAikman & @8amber8

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This past week NFL Films released “Troy Aikman: A Football Life”. Obviously, I’ve watched it a number of times now, and keep finding these gems of greatness.

One of the themes that jumped out at me was Troy’s issues with Barry Switzer’s coaching style. Switzer was older, relaxed, and felt like as the coach of a two-time Superbowl winning team, he didn’t need to be as hard-nosed as Jimmy Johnson, the previous coach, had been. Jimmy was relentless..he was focused, and he was determined. The result, as we know, was the early 90’s dynasty of the Dallas Cowboys. When Switzer took over, and that become more relaxed? Well, Troy attributes that downfall to the  “fun” leadership.

 

Why is that relevant on my “Love, Learn, Lead” blog?

There was a tweet I saw this past week that again referenced that if your leadership isn’t fun, then you’re doing it wrong.

Leadership isn’t always fun, folks. There are parts of our job, just like a teachers, that are hard. That are stressful. That are complicated. That are DIFFICULT. In fact, our assistant superintendent said this year that sometimes HARD LEADERSHIP is the most courageous kind of all.

It takes a courageous leader to make the hard decisions.

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The leader is the one who pushes, and makes your team want to strive to be the best. There is a pressure there and a responsibility. There is an ownership, of all levels of our teams performance, that ultimately comes down to what? Leadership.

The more I do this job, the more I understand this. There has to be a balance.

The main responsibility of a team leader is to guide a team so that it reaches its full potential. The team leader has more responsibility than anyone, because if he does not carry out his responsibilities, the whole team will suffer as a result. A successful team leader should understand the strengths and weaknesses of every team member so there can be a level of support and coaching. I love how in my world sports and leadership are just intertwined, don’t you?

I’m by all means not saying leadership is miserable.

I’m just saying that leadership definitely can’t all be fun. And so is Troy.

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Aikman-esque,

Amber

Last minute gifts that an admin can give…freely! #taketwo

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It’s that time of year. Where everyone has their eyes on the holiday break. Where you may tempted to hit snooze just one more time. When maybe what you can gift a class of 30 or a staff of 60 just can’t seem to be found in a store. I have some suggestions that won’t break the bank, but that still may not be the easiest to give.

Give the gift of:

Affirmation: Make sure your people know that you see how hard they work. That you recognize the energy and the effort that they are giving. That you see they give up their conference time for ARDS, for meetings, for whatever you ask. That they work late. That they buy all the extras to make their classroom function the way you want it too.

Example: Be an example. Be selfless. Be positive. Be tireless. Be an encourager.

Encouragement: Reassure your team that they are doing the right things. Ask their opinion, value their input, and give them opportunities for decision-making. Make sure they know you support them in their decisions and choices.

Patience: Be patient. Allow discourse. Recognize that you should always value progress, and not be looking for perfection.

Rest: Teachers are tired. Teachers work hard. The same is true for our students. Don’t add unnecessary meetings when you can email. Don’t waste time with unnecessary fluff.

Inspiration: There’s a thin line between overwhelm and inspire, but this time of year you can definitely share stories or videos that can remind a teacher why we do what we do. Here are 6 to start with! Fill their bucket, and make them GLAD that they work for you or are in your classroom. Close out your semester positively…you can do this and still not sacrifice an instructional focus.

 

These universal gifts are ones that won’t cost you an extra penny, but may require time and reflection of your own. In a time when you are all stressed with the demands of the principal’s job, you need to remind yourselves that you have great power to make a difference in your teachers’ lives. Teachers who feel encouraged and comfortable with your support will stay with you in a positive climate of learning. You deserve to have that kind of school…and these gifts can make it happen!

What are you doing for your staff this year??  There’s still time to make it happen!

 

 

 

Amta Claus