Restless, anxious, worried. We are at a time in our world in which there are more days waking up with these emotions than any other. What will school look like? Will students return in just a few short weeks? Will teachers feel safe and supported?
Recently, teachers were referred to as "essential employees" during this pandemic. And, while teachers are always essential in the education of our youth, is it accurate that they qualify for this distinction in such a time of unknown?
Police, fire, medical. That speaks to me as an essential employee. Keeping the food chain supply running. Again, essential. What we have defined as "essential" is different in the eyes of many. (That is an argument for another day.)
Yet, during this pandemic and with schools set to re-open in just a few weeks, teachers are now being placed in this category. Essential.
Mental health, social well being, academic growth and providing up to two meals a day to many of our students are all important aspects of being in the field of education.
Proudly and eagerly and if given the opportunity, and valuing the career path I chose over 25 years ago, I am committed to being, and most certainly believe, educators are essential today, tomorrow and the weeks and years to come.
Will I still be restless, you bet. Will we have all the answers to all the unknowns, doubtful. Will there be days of anxiousness, yes there will. However, will I step up and do what I am asked? 100%.
Today is another day to learn, grow, lead and listen. Impacting others and taking in knowledge from those that can share their expertise.
I've never thought of my self as an expert in much of anything. If anything. There are a lot of things I think I am good at but nothing I could say I am an expert at.
I think of those that have refined their craft. Athletes, musicians, artists and entertainers. There are definitely educational leaders that I would consider experts in their field. Those that I turn to when we seek guidance and direction and we lean on their knowledge. Rick Wormeli for starters.
In education, I continue to learn in the hopes that over time my ability and desire to constantly get better at what I do can be the difference for someone else. Focusing on being knowledgable in many areas of this field in which I have give of myself hopefully helps others. And in return, helps me.
Are you an expert in something? What is it and how do you define that? I would love to hear your definition and how it applies to your work, your life and your world.
Been gone from this for far too long. Some of my best learning came from writing. Rather, it came from reading. Or was it reflecting? Or was it all 3?
Great educators, great friends, great people entered my world in education (and beyond) through the platform of writing and reading and reflecting. Blogging.
I am not the most prolific writer. My days may not be nearly as exciting as your days. You are probably more well read. You probably write more, share more and therefore learn more. But I am not going to allow that fear of failure stop me from taking another run at this.
I have the time. I have the desire. And, like you, simply want to ready for tomorrow. Whatever that may look like.
So, going to start with a blank page. Not going to overthink it. I am going to just write.
And maybe, very possibly, I will learn more today than I knew yesterday.
I am challenging myself to write One A Day, starting today.
What is your favorite quote when it comes to the team work of your school or organization? While there are many, there has to be one that stands out to you.
For me, the team that I am surrounded by continues to show and demonstrate the abilities we have in making a difference in a students life and in a teachers role. It is not just about impacting the learner, it is also about impacting the colleagues we work with each day.
This morning, the leadership team I work with most closely had the opportunity to share out the great things that are happening by the entire staff. The Campus staff are the ones with students each and every moment of every day.
On the Innovation Campus we take great pride in the experience of our students. We emphasize that it is the interactions that our students have with adults, the relationships that are formed and the active learning that takes place that makes all of the difference in our world.
Once we focus on that - the relationships, the lessons and the experience, then all of the pieces and parts come together as one.
The Team is making their difference.
Today, the Leadership Team of Stacy, Scott, Lauren, Trevor and Jennifer had the amazing privilege and opportunity to share out all of the incredible moments that are happening in every aspect of our Campus.
For the work that they do, the time they devote to this Campus, the way in which they share their passion for those around them, I am grateful. We are grateful for the teachers we work with, the team that leads the work, the parents that send us their children to serve, the vision of the district that provides us these opportunities to do what we do and especially the students who come eager and willing to be engaged in this place.
This team. Our team. Whether it is small in numbers or big in size, is what makes the difference in the teaching, learning and leading that we experience each day. I am grateful for all of this, and more.
Whether it is the people that we work with, the friends we have created through social media platforms like Twitter, or strangers that become life-long friends, I am grateful for each and everyone one of the connections I have made.
Recently I ran into an issue with my blog page, domain account and understanding and fixing what to many is a simple task, is not so simple to merge, direct and connect the pieces and parts of the web world and blog sites.
Through countless emails to the domain provider and hosting site, scouring You Tube for self-help videos and literally taking hours to engage in online tech chats, it was the power of having personal connections that not only came to my rescue but also resolved the issues I was facing.
With this experience it reinforced what I already knew. The power of relationships, also known as friendships, and the people that sat by my side (literally) or where hundreds of miles away and took time away from their own hectic schedules to help me, is what made all the difference in the world.
And, while I am grateful for technology and the tools that we are afforded because of it, I am most grateful for the people that help us in all aspects of our lives.
In this moment, I am most grateful for Kelly and Jennifer for everything they did when I needed it most. I am beyond grateful for your patience, knowledge and most importantly, your friendship.
How you engage with your students, your colleagues and your families, it all matters.
While I have always been intentional in how I interact with others, I have been intentionally, and quietly, observing what those around me are doing in the days, weeks and months to start this school year.
While we have been saying for years that the power of relationships with our students (and families and colleagues) is at the core of our work as educators, taking it a step further and showing the depth of those relationships and exploring the mindset of how we make others feel and how they come and go each day, is what truly matters.
Creating a sense of community, matters.
Listening and supporting our students that experience known (and yet to be known trauma), matters.
Being willing to step up and step in to teach and learn with our colleagues, matters.
Leading with empathy, matters.
Growing alongside of your students, matters.
Being able to recognize and respond to our strengths, and our weakness, matters.
As an educator, every interaction of every day, matters. And, while we can't always be our best self of every minute of every day, knowing that we are impacting the lives of those we do interact with and how we respond to them, is what matters.
As you head home tonight after another long day of dedication to your students and your community, know that what you gave of yourself today, mattered. And, what you provide your community of learners tomorrow will matter just as much as the day before.
By now, many educators are back into the new school year and off and running as they design their experience for students. Creating an environment and community that supports the learning is critical as students come through the school doors and find their space with the walls of your classroom and your school.
As we scroll through social media, parents and teachers alike are sharing pictures, quotes and motivational messages to ensure that this school is even better than the last. As an educator, the profession we have chosen is constantly evolving and once again we are reminded of the role that we have chosen and its impact is greater than ever before.
And, while some teachers are still a week or two out from the year starting, you get the added bonus of reading and seeing the very messages that are moving us to do great things in our communities from those that are already a week, or two, or more into the 2019/2020 school year.
For all educators, whether having started your year or still eagerly anticipating your first day of class, here are some reminders to help ensure and remind that it is how you start your year that will make all the difference in the eyes of those you serve.
1. Your #1st3Days (and beyond) are the Foundation. If you are on Twitter, I encourage you to search that hashtag and see what your colleagues are up to around the globe. And, check out the other hashtags that are trending around education. Being connected and learning from others is just the beginning of your own learning journey as you head back to school. Sharing out what we do to start a school year is an intentional movement of sharing ideas and experiences that will help in holding yourself accountable and make sure you are putting the content second and relationships first.
2. Create Your Space. It is not just a matter of what you learn but where you learn. An inviting space is a powerful space. While today's student continues to morph and learning styles grow over time, work with local businesses that could help you outfit your space to make it perfect. Create a space that inspires, fits and supports your teaching and the students learning.
3. Grow Leaders Starting on Day 1. While the teacher is often at the front of the room, make sure to grow the minds of those the come to your room and find the leaders within. Give your students a voice as you create your expectations for the year. Not just the "don't do's" but also the "must have's". Things like trust, communication, permission to take risks and permission to fail should be right up there with respect, kindness and compassion. 4. Model it. We have heard it hundreds of times over. Practice what you preach. Or in this case, model what you want from others and let your actions speak for themselves. Whether leading classrooms of students or a team of educators, being present and giving of your best every day is essential to what you are going to get in return. Remember, it is not a sign on a wall that is going to get the best out of your team, it is how you model what you want that will get your greatest return.
5. Emphasize Empathy. The Design Thinking framework begins with empathy. Understanding and applying Social Emotional Learning is all about empathy both for and of others. If you are familiar with the work of Tim and Brian Kight and the Focus3 team, they emphasize the need for empathy. This also leads right into the foundation of what we do as educators each day. Build trust comes from having compassion, building character and showing competence. If you emphasize empathy, your results will speak for themselves.
In the end, take everything you know, you have read, you talk about with others and that is right in education and apply it during these first few days of the year. Create that base, support others, lean on your colleagues and bring in the community to help you grow in who you are what we get to do each day. Whether it is the power of the team, doing the work or simply being the best version of yourself each day, let's own it and be all that is good, if not great, in education today. Our students and our community deserves it.
For many of us, we have been selecting our #OneWord for as long as we can remember. For others, it may have been recently introduced. In sharing with colleagues and in hearing Jon Gordon speak a few year ago, the book One Word that will Change Your Life was introduced to me. It brought me the clarity I needed in my work, and within my home. The years pass and I continue the process. Doing so creates focus, adds an understanding of my personal and professional roles and brings purpose.
Now, it is time to choose a word, or rather as Jon Gordon writes and shares, a word that will choose me, that will guide me through 2019.
This past year brought change in my career. New faces, new spaces and a new challenge were presented. The first semester has been intense, supportive and full of growth. Push, pull and struggling along the way were common. Newly formed friendships, kindness and love stood side by my side. Each day gave way to a new opportunity to learn, to grow, to share.
Life at home is changing, too: kids getting older, chapters turning, decisions about next steps on the horizon. The number around the dinner table changes next fall with tassels turning in May. For years, we knew this day would come. Coming too quickly if you ask me. We will go from six to four. Just like that.
What next, then? What does the future hold? I'm scared and excited; it runs through my mind, my body and my soul every day. Change is good for me, for our children, for our growth. Time to see what awaits.
It is time to EXPLORE.
With the support of colleagues, I will EXPLORE what I can do each day in where I work. My future.
With the support of family, I will EXPLORE what is on the path ahead for my children. Their future.
With the support of friends, I will EXPLORE in the coming days and months, and grow in our relationships with each other. Our future.
With the support of my faith, I will EXPLORE and be steady in the face of storms. As heartache will inevitably be upon us, we will be there for each other. Our loved ones.
I am ready to take on this new year and the challenges, the opportunities and the experiences that await. Moving forward, my mindset will be one in which I explore what is around each corner and down each path. Here is to an amazing 2019 full of exploration!
Have you ever heard the expression "stay in your lane" at work or at home? The expression, for those that are not familiar with how it is used, refers to decision making and input about about various situations in your life and/or it can be about any opinion you may have about a certain topic.
For example, in the education circle, if you are a teacher and a building decision is made, someone may say that you should “stay in your lane” and allow the building administration to make that decision. At a higher level within your company you may be encouraged to “stay in your lane” and keep that type of a decision to those that have the position to make the call.
As a parent, if you don’t like what you are seeing during your student-athlete’s sporting contest, you may want to share your opinion with the coaching staff. In this situation, you may want to “stay in your lane” and let the coaches coach and the parent parent.
Of course, this expression can be used thousands of times over. From parenting, to the way a grocery store is laid out, to decisions made at your place of employment, to everyday decision making under your own roof. Staying in your lane, however, is high risk versus high reward.
Ask yourself this question: How often do you “stay in your lane” where you work and live each day? Do you have an environment where it is encouraged to process, push back, offer input and give feedback to decisions that are made that have an impact to a greater audience? And, when you do offer feedback, solicited or not, how is that received by your colleagues or family?
Staying in your lane has both negative and positive connotations. Based on your answers to the questions above, you will know rather quickly whether or not you should stay the course (in your lane) or take the risk of stepping, or swerving (carefully) from side to side.
Consider the following of high risk, high reward for staying in your lane versus not. Keep the following in mind as you consider whether or not you should offer input and step out of your lane:
Is your input necessary?
What are you intentions?
Consider your approach. Ask for a conversation.
Remember the goal in mind.
You are part of the team.
Recognize that some decisions just need to be made.
There is no easy way to determine whether or not you should stay in your lane. Every situation presented will have its own response. If you read through this and realize you are always within your 12 feet and never cross over the dotted line (or worse, the lines where you work or live are double solid), you may want to take a step back and assess the very foundation of where it is you spend your days.
In the end, it is the relationships you form that are essential and those will drive decisions within the organization. If you have not established trusting and purposeful interactions with those with whom you work and live with, whether or not you should stay in your lane is the least of your worries.
Have critical conversations, build upon what you have and trust your instincts. If your work environment is anything like mine, you have powerful opportunities to grow collaboratively and with support. The team is the most powerful aspect of what we have. Believe in it, lean on it.
And finally, as you go into the second half of the school year have a goal of encouraging feedback and collaboration. And, take inventory of the relationships you have formed. Find balance on the road you are on going forward into the New Year.
Walk the halls of your school and listen to the exchanges between students and adults. Engage in a conversation with a teacher that you work alongside of on a daily basis. Hear how students talk about their hopes, dreams and even their struggles throughout the building.
What you are hearing is people giving of themselves in one form or another. Students give of themselves to their friends and teachers in how they listen, how they support and how they spend their time with each other. Teachers offer support and encouragement to their colleagues in their professional and personal lives. And, our cafeterias and hallways are filled with people both young and old that are constantly giving with their ears and eyes and hearts wide open.
As one holiday passes and another is just weeks away, we find ourselves in a state of constantly giving. Regardless of our individual obstacles and the curveballs that life continues to throw us, we are resilient in our desire to be their for others. We give.
Additionally, showing our gratitude does not need to be measured by dollars. And there is no way to determine who intends to give more than the next person. What we do know is that we are each able to be there for each other regardless of the time of day, the time of year or the money in our pockets.
As you think about how you give of yourself, consider these four ways to give to others:
1. Actively Listen. Do not just listen but listen with purpose. In other words - instead of hearing what someone else is saying and thinking of a response before they finish speaking, just hear them until the end. Pause. Think for a moment about what was shared and then respond. The person who is sharing will notice this subtle yet purposeful act in how you listen.
2. The Gift of Time. This is the one gift we have each asked for in a variety of situations many times over. In the spirit of giving, find a creative way to offer a colleague this very gift. Covering a class for part of the day is a great way to do this. Find a day that works and take over a lesson during your planning period. Or, if you are an administrator, build this into your week and encourage your colleague to use the time however they would like.
3. Use Your Muscle. The heavy work takes up much of our energy. If you are looking for a way to give to others, offer yourself, and your muscle, to pick up, clean up and even repurpose your teaching space. With flexible seating and a shift toward focusing on design, give of your muscle to make this happen. The transformation will be more than just furniture being moved.
4. Give Thanks. Especially this time of year, simply give thanks to those around you. Regardless of how well we know someone, seek out those you share your day with and simply let them know you are grateful for who they are and what they do for the organization. While using your words is the most meaningful, send a note. Write to someone and share your gratitude. You will be grateful of the feeling you will have for doing so.
The season in which we are in continues to be the one that many of us invest the most of ourselves when it comes to giving and showing gratitude. With that in mind, be creative in how you give. While financial support for those that are in need goes a long way, I would also share that time, muscle, how we listen and words of thanks are equally as powerful.
Educators across the country have known for years that the social emotional well being of their students is a critical component of knowing their learners. The importance of understanding a students background, their life story, and what events have shaped their journey to date are essential to the progress we make in our classrooms each day. Even with all of this knowledge and the desire to shield our children and our students from the cruel realities of society, students are more fragile than ever before. Self-harm, anxiety and depression continue to be a topic of teachers and administrators to not only start a school year, but also is a weekly point of conversation with counselors, social workers and most importantly, parents. Anxiety is real. It's impact is life-changing. Now, connect this to your own personal story and your own struggles as an adult growing up and taking on your role to teach. And/or, for those of you that may have your own children, how has your parenting evolved into something that you most likely didn't recall as how your own parents raised you? Times are changing. Children are living in world that many adults are not familiar with. The days of "ignoring it" are gone. We must take action. Last year about this time I was handed a book from a colleague that was authored by Kate Fagan. It was a read that I was not familiar with but one that I was encouraged to dive into. Especially having two high school seniors beginning their journey of their next chapter of their lives. The decision of college, athletics at the next level and more were on my horizon, and theirs, and it was coming quickly. The book, What Made Maddy Run, is an unbelievably challenging book to read. Not because of the level of vocabulary or the fine print, yet due to the hard truths of young adults and the struggles they face with depression, anxiety and the fear of failure. What was equally as powerful (and painful) was that I was reading this through the lens of an educator and as a parent. And, as hard as it was to read, I could not put it down. I was drawn in. I was learning. My own response, reaction and support would soon grow. The statistics state that too many times over the story of Maddy is a common one across campuses. While Maddy had an amazing family, supportive friends and she excelled in the classroom, there was a side of her that was never fully understood. Or worse, never heard. Part of that was due to her control. Part of that was due to the adults not necessarily recognizing the signs. And, on top of all of those previously mentioned favorable life factors, she was an amazing athlete. Maddy was a "picture perfect" image of a young adult who had the world in front of her and dreams that couldn't be stopped. And then it did. Abruptly and suddenly and to her family and friends, shockingly. Where are you in your understanding of social emotional learning in your space? If you are anything like me, you are still learning and growing and searching for resources to make you that much more responsive to our students needs. With that in mind, I would encourage you to pick up this book and give it a read. It won't be easy. It gets uncomfortable. It is painful. Yet it is also a look into the life of a young person who seems to have it all but the truth was far from the reality. You will be better for having read it. And, you will be better prepared to support your students and your children along the way. We must continue to get a deeper understanding of the social emotional state of the young people coming to their classroom door each day. It is essential. Understanding their hope, their sense of belonging and even their grit, should now be a part of our daily work. While Maddy on the surface may have had many of these attributes, we discovered in the end she was lacking many. It was the layers that were not peeled back that could have revealed a different ending to her story. So, continue to explore and continue to learn. Connect with others and keep the conversation going of social emotional learning in schools. Continue to locate the vast resources that exist. Especially from within your district and from your colleagues. Same articles of interest on social emotional learning are:
Have you ever left a meeting where you were completely and positively energized from the work that was just accomplished?
As you think back to those meetings, were there any attributes that repeat themselves?
Many times we take the structure and the success (or failure) of a meeting for granted. Often times we give credit to one or two people (deservingly so) who organized the time together or we just assume that good leaders have good meetings.
While that may account for the success of some of these times we come together, there is more. Much more. Meetings that have us leaving with excitement and eagerness have a few (very) specific qualities in common.
In the last couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to be a part of a few different collaborations that were absolute game-changers. I left these conversations ready to take on the day and the week ahead. Hard to think that a "meeting" could be this energizing and exciting and leave the lasting impact that it did. In fact, they did just that.
Here is what made all the difference in each of these conversations:
Input for the agenda. Not to be taken for granted, asking for agenda items in advance goes along way with those in attendance. Not only would this upcoming time together be about what the leader felt significant for us to discuss, they also took the time to ask us what was important to share with the group. Call it buy-in or call it input, this is the epitome of being collaborative.
Respect the time. Too often we sit in meetings wishing it would be over so we could get back to the list of items awaiting us. Just like asking for our agenda input, our time was respected and it was shared up front how long we would be away from the building. This allows for a clear ending time so that others, including ourselves, would know when we would return.
Stay on task. Personally, this can be the most difficult attribute for me in many aspects of my day. I am the master of a tangent. In meetings, however, much like the ones of these past few weeks, the group understood the task at hand and stuck to the agenda. While mini-break-offs are one thing, sticking to the agenda is another layer of respecting the process.
When it fails, own it. While we would like to think that all meetings can go off without a hitch, it is unlikely to say the least. So in the event that things do get heated or opinions begin to splinter, be the one to take charge and own any missteps along the way. The best leaders own their mistakes. The even better ones own them in front of others.
Give praise. Recently I left a meeting that I was confident went rather well. What made that crystal clear was that before I even got out of the parking lot I found myself in a group text chat of gratitude. This made the time, energy and effort that much more worthwhile. While we don't do what we do for praise, it sure feels great when we get it. So, next time you have a chance to offer praise to a colleague, do so. It feels just as awesome to give praise as it does to receive it.
While the list could go on, these 5 qualities capture a few of my takeaways from my most recent experiences. Some of these meetings I was a guest and others I co-led. It takes commitment to ensure that time together is powerful and purposeful. The challenge has been placed in front of me. Continue to grow in how I lead others.
My hope is that all educators took time these past couple of months to pause, rejuvenate, find balance and give back to family and friends the time, energy and love that many devote to their schools throughout the year. The calendar has turned, August has arrived. I truly believe that having this time away is intentionally designed into our work. We each know what we give of ourselves when students and staff are present. The weeks away are a needed period of time to reset when they are not. These months are intentional, they are purposeful, they are essential. Today is a new month on our calendars. For many, if not most, it is the month in which we officially get our mindset on the return of school. It is the time in which we tell ourselves to get (officially) going. The reality is, however, if you are an educator like myself, you most likely never truly took time "off". Instead, you stayed connected via social media through twitter conversations and gathering of information. Many of us dove into the latest book(s) about the world in which we work. And each of us picked up the phone on more than one occasion to meet up with a teammate or colleague that inspires us every day we walk into the school buildings we serve. Learning never took any time off these past few months. Our growth continued. Today, however, we officially begin. Emails from administrators will begin to hit our inboxes. Invitations for professional learning events will come from the districts we serve. And our own children, if you have them, will start asking the inevitable question, "how many days of summer until school starts?" For my children, the answer is 21. To each of you reading this - it is time. It is time to be thinking about our classroom design and how we will be purposeful in building our relationships with students and staff. It is time to be thinking about lessons and instruction and how we will reach our learners where they are knowing where they need to be. It is time to ensure we are reaching the social and emotional needs of every child, every day, to the best of our ability. Today, it begins. Good luck in the days and weeks ahead. You are committed to what you do and how you do it. Make this school year your best of all. Take on new challenges, embrace opportunities and be inspired and motivated to be at your best. Welcome to August, friends. It is time to do the work. Ready, go.
I don't even remember when it actually started. I know I can go back and search for a first post or try to put my finger on when I first tweeted my blog through social media. However, I am not sure that gets to the bottom of why I even started on this journey to begin with. We can each answer the when but can we each answer the why?
Blogging for me has been a rocky relationship. Some weeks and months I feel like I have so much to share and grow from by putting my experiences in writing. Then there are weeks, months and even the past school year in which I hardly wrote at all. There was guilt for not writing. Disappointment at times. I was not modeling everything I had encouraged others to do. I stepped back. Stayed quiet. I was trying to redefine my place.
As the school year went by and the seasons passed, my reflection on the year unfolding was getting louder. While I had stopped writing and posting, I hadn't stopped growing. I gave myself permission to step away from blogging. It wasn't until this spring that I found some answers and realized I needed to go back to the beginning of my journey. I needed reminded of my why.
June passes and now into July. The Compelled Tribe (a group of educators from across the country) were given a task and a challenge of sorts by writing to a prompt, a shared topic. We asked them, and therefore I ask myself, "Why [do] We Tribe?"
Our suggestion for your post this month is to use the power of reflection to move forward. Simply, "Why We Tribe". Each of us has committed to this group for one reason or another. Whether we are writing and reading as suggested or fall short due to the realities of life, why are we here? The goal is to tell our story and recommit to the group. Hopefully this post will encourage just that!
Now I find myself sitting here today gearing up for a new year, new challenges and many new faces. Relationships continue to grow and knowledge continues to expand. I find myself eager, yet scared.
It sets in. It all comes back to the question that motivated and inspired me along with so many others to get into the world of blogging to begin with years ago. It answers the question. I am re-discovering my "why".
While simple by words, it is not always simple to see. The reality is that it is our Tribe that is at the core of our why. And it is our Tribe that reinforces our reasons for blogging, reflecting and growing.
Our Tribe:
... gives us an open and honest platform to REFLECT in our practice. Therefore, we get better at our craft. Our PLN is transparent and does not judge. Reflecting on what we do is essential to grow forward.
... is about RELATIONSHIPS first and foremost. When we find our tribe and commit to them whole-heartedly we grow. We live the model we preach in our school districts and in our classrooms. Relationships are at the foundation of everything that follows in teaching, learning and leading. Our tribe reminds us of this daily.
... provides an opportunity for each of us to RECOGNIZE our strengths and weaknesses. It is this group of people, our community, our tribe, that helps us see what otherwise we may be unable to recognize on our own. No rose-colored lenses here. Just honest feedback and an opportunity to expand who we are.
... energizes and REENERGIZES our passion for the work that we do. We all stumble and we all have days that are harder than others. The tribe is always there. We stand with each other in our best of times and our worst of times. We feed off the stories of each other. The tribe brings the energy.
... gives each of us the opportunity to REJOICE in our work and the work of others. The power of the professional learning network is more than a passing moment. Connecting with others and sharing our story is part of our growth and our way to celebrate the work of others. We rejoice in what we see in others.
There are thousands of bloggers in all aspects of work and life. There are hundreds of educators that take the time to write about their journey. And many of them are better at their craft than me. I am content being a small fish in a very large pond.
At the end of the day, being a part of a tribe and many different tribes at that, it is what allows me to grow in what I do each and every day. Whether my tribe is the building I serve and the community within, the district leadership team I am blessed to be a part of, the Compelled Tribe of educators from coast to coast, or my family at home, it is the experiences of each of these that allow me to give to others and therefore answers my why. My why is my tribe(s). And for that, I am grateful.
Why do you Tribe? Check out what Seth Godin says about finding your tribe.
We each have our own version of what reflection is, what it looks like and what the intentions are. For me, writing about my educational experiences had been my path for so long. For years I had taken to the keyboard to share the journey I was on with the work that I do.
And then I stopped.
The passion for writing fell short. I struggled with this and internalized whether or not I could even have the word "blogger" in my online description of who I was as an educator and as a professional. Defeat set in. Failure loomed. Certain relationships went silent.
As the months passed and the lack of sharing my journey through blogging continued to have zero presence in the online world, I came to the realization that it was my own fears that had been holding me back. And most importantly, it was the fear of failure that had become the barrier to my desire to write.
Some of us are better than others at putting our thoughts, emotions and stories onto the canvas of a paper through the movement of keys on a computer. Others of us have found that sharing our journey is often done more effectively through the simple art of listening and conversing face-to-face. It is the relationships that we form through personal interactions that inspire us to do the work we do.
In the end, maybe we are one in the same. Maybe we should focus more on the "why" and less on the "how".
The reality is that we each have a story worth sharing. Our outcomes in our work are a series of responses we have made in decisions, actions and purposes of each day. Maybe it is time to rethink the vehicle in which we share our own story. Simply put - if we share, we grow.
I have always believed, and still do to this day, that written reflection can be one of the most powerful tools in our growth. Pausing, sharing, refining, editing and publishing our story can be transformational and inspirational.
It is our commitment to reflect that will guide each of us on our leadership paths.
Giving myself permission to step away from the keyboard is what has motivated me to return to it. Spending less energy on how I write and refocusing on why I write has been the difference.
Mesmerized by the passions of others. Writing, sharing, teaching. Educators striving to make an impact with students, with colleagues and with a community. Learning does not happen in isolation.
Learning is not a moment in time, learning is constant over time.
Watching others contribute to ones growth in knowledge has no specific formula. There is no specific way. We stumble, we attempt and we stay firm in our belief that in the end, we are better than where we started because we believe in each other. We believe in our growth. Our convictions are strong. Anchored through the conversations with others and built on the foundation of trust and a goal to be committed to the organization in which we serve and to learn ourselves. Learning occurs through observing. And, doing. We must have a willingness to let go of what we may have thought was once the only path and find the path that will make us better tomorrow than we were today. Sometimes looping back, paths are meant to be blazed through the daily challenges in life. Not every step has one that follows. Your path is just that, yours. Watching, growing, breathing. Being the best version of ones self. Always learning. Always observing.
By now we are all heading into the home stretch of the school year with our students and staffs. Celebrations are taking shape and students and teachers alike are getting restless as the days pass by. Undoubtedly, the year is coming to an end.
Before you put all of your thought into your ending, let's reflect back to the beginning. Do you recall that first month? Do you remember what you did to kick off your year to set the tone for the teaching and learning that has happened these past 8 months?
My (obvious) guess is that you focused on the power of relationships.
Your beginning, like mine, was consumed with getting-to-know-you activities, completing learner inventories and, of course, simply learning the names of your students. You were engaged and invested. You were discovering who you would spend your year with.
Now that the year is almost over, how will you finish? Will you remain as engaged and invested until that final bell on that final day?
Personally, I am fully entrenched in our year-end celebrations. We have planned out those special moments in which we acknowledge the accomplishments of the year. Change is around the corner and we are nervously excited for the next adventure in our journey.
Whether graduation for our kindergarten classes all the way through our graduates of the class of 2018, we must end as strong (if not stronger) than how we started. We must bring the pomp and circumstance and celebrate each milestone of our year.
Build your ending as strong as you built your beginning. This is the end of our year. Remember, your ending is their ending.
Laugh, cry, reflect, share and take note of all that is that you accomplished this year. Find ways to stay connected and stay engaged. There will never be another ending to the one you are about to embark on.
This year I haven't taken to the pages. And, the guilt of this has picked away at me over time. I take great pride in growing through writing. Therefore, when not writing, there has been a sense of disappointment. Until today.
As I was listening and learning today from George Coursos, it hit me. While I have had a sense of being at a loss these past few months for not modeling a platform of reflection (blogging) that I take great pride in, I was reminded (via George's comments) that quite possibly my growth this year has happened in other ways, equally as powerful, just not nearly as noticeable.
Mr. Couros reminded me/us that while we need to find ways in which to share out our story, the way in which we do can change over time just like our students change the way in which they learn over time. And even though we may become accustomed to one particular way of doing so, we must constantly be evolving ourselves as learners. And therefore, as teachers.
The reality is that this past year I have found other ways to grow personally and professionally. And finally after months of "guilt" (and with the help of today's conversation), I feel a sense of understanding in my journey.
This year, maybe more than others in years past, I have been more intentional and purposeful with:
Engaging with face-to-fact conversations and having deeper conversations about being impactful and effective in teaching and learning/leading.
Sharing our/my school story of successes and failures in teaching and learning through both my personal twitter account and our school (@wmscats) account and most importantly our school hashtag, #WeaverWay.
Helping others grow by encouraging and modeling multiple platforms of social media to reflect and grow as educators.
Reading some amazing books about my current role as an administrator and future role next year. (Message me if you would like my list!)
Growing others through intentional professional development as a community of learners.
Focusing on relationships first and foremost with students, staff, colleagues and community.
Building leadership capacity in those I work with day in and day out.
Reflecting today, and hearing the message of the morning, I am letting myself "off the hook" for not writing/blogging as much. Because in the end, I have grown just as much (if not more) but just in other ways and while using other tools.
Mr. Couros also reminded me that if we ask our students to change in the ways in which they learn, then I too can change the way in which I am taught. The goal is growth. And for me, I have done just that this year.
The week is wrapping up. Lessons taught, lessons learned. You have enjoyed the week and now it is time to tie it all together. Until Monday, that is.
As you start your day today, consider these four tips to ensure you maxed the week coming to an end and you can get your students thinking about the week coming up.
1. Turn and Talk (with the Teacher). Find time today to connect with as many of your students for a brief interaction of a take-away from the week of instruction. Think of all the material you covered, the goals of each day and strive to have that exchange with your learners. Teach 150 students throughout the day? No worries. Create a google spread sheet and each Friday have a plan get to a new bunch of students to connect with. By the end of the month you will have reached all of them.
2. Target Time. Speaking of goals, what lies ahead? Create a space in your course so that before students head off for the weekend they can make a quick note of a goal for the week ahead. It could be something as straight forward as being prepared for class, studying for an assessment or even paying better attention. Again, have that space for students to jot down what they are thinking. By the end of the quarter, share with them their goals for the nine weeks and encourage them to reflect on whether or not they attained the mark they set. 3. Share a Story. Working in the middle school I have a true appreciation for the ups and downs of the interactions of todays student. They are pulled in a thousand directions and asked to do a thousand different things. And many of those "things" are at once. At the end of the week, and throughout the week, take just a moment and have your students connect with a classmate. Share a story, a piece of work, a success. Kindness prevails - always.
4. Be the Planner. Whether the teacher in the classroom or the leader of the building, be prepared for Monday. It is a great feeling to walk out of the of building Friday afternoon and having your plans ready for the week ahead. Before you walk out those doors this afternoon, make sure you are excited to come back Monday. Because if you are not excited, they won't be either. Have your lessons ready and enjoy the next two days for family, friends and time for you.
As educators we have the opportunity to set our day and week how we want it it to go and how we want our students to receive it. We have the standards in front of us but it is our own creativity and passion that will drive what each moment looks like. Fridays are as powerful as Mondays. So, make it count.
As leaders, much of the pulse of our work is done through the simple observation of our organization. We look for obvious signs of what is working and what may not. Often due to the lack time, we find ourselves asking surface level questions of our parents, staff and students to get an idea of the good or not so good. Hurrying to begin the day of tasks, we try to conduct random walkthroughs that can give us general sense that the organization is sailing relatively smoothly. While the attempt may genuine the results are obvious.
As an educational leader in todays schools, we can not settle on being average.
The achilles heal of a leader can be the inability to look deeper into the organization and have intentional and purposeful conversations of the community they serve. While the lack of time can often be an excuse to getting some of the essential work done, leaders can also get comfortable, complacent and even flippant if they aren't careful and consistently (not to be confused with constantly) checking the pulse of their community.
As an educational leader we must commit ourselves to our own professional growth to support the growth of those we serve.
Here are four ways to get a pulse your leadership and ensure that you are not settling on average:
1. Leaders ask for and get feedback towards growth. When you ask for tough feedback from your staff about your leadership and they don't hesitate to give it to you, you are growing. When you ask the right questions and have the commitment to your culture, the feedback you get will be genuine and productive. Feedback can come through face-to-face conversations, staff surveys and from walking the halls and engaging the community. We know how walls can talk. We just have to be intentionally listening to them. 2. Leaders know the importance of active listening.Tim Kight of Focus3Culture recently tweeted this, "Listening is hard, real listening is real hard". As leaders, we need to spend more time actively listening rather than actively speaking/directing. More often than not, teachers approach leaders and the leaders take over the conversation. Instead, press pause and listen. An effective leader will be able to find balance. Don't get caught up in your response if you are not taking the time to hear what is being said.
3. Leaders know how to facilitate to promote growth. Instead of directing traffic (managing teachers), effective leaders will lead by facilitating staff collaboration without the need to give an agenda or direction. A defining moment in your role as leader is when your leadership has transformed to one of facilitator. When you become a part of the conversations and are not expected to lead the conversations, you are leading. Leaders build leaders. Are you? 4. Leaders value and lead with relationships first. When leaders have teachers that know the importance of relationships and therefore lead their classroom environments in the same way, you have a healthy pulse on the culture of your building. When we build trust and we believe in our staff, we will excel as leaders and can focus on the work that really matters. Creating an environment with relationships at the core is easier said than done. Stay focused, stay driven.
As you work through the remainder of the year, check the pulse of your leadership. The actions of those you serve are a direct response to how you lead. Make sure that you ask for feedback, listen to your community, facilitate conversations and put your people first. And, stay connected. When you stay connected you provide yourself ongoing conversations about effective leadership and others can support the journey with you.
