Back to School Checklist for Educators

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.

Ready, Go. Welcome to August!

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.

4 Essentials to Start Your School Year

Writing alongside those in the #compelledtribe, we commit ourselves to reflection through writing. Personally and professionally each member of the tribe has had their own takeaways on how it has, and will, impact their teaching, leading and learning.

Blogging is not about self-promotion. It is not intended or suggested to be a platform for ones agenda. Rather, blogging is about growth. As we consider the profession we are in, it should be apparent that we blog to become more skilled in what we do. The writing we share and the time and mental consumption of our words are merely intended to be a part of the bigger journey.

As I think about the time away this summer and the experiences I have enjoyed, I immediately find myself connecting these back to my school, my students and the community I serve. Simply stated, life is a series of moments and experiences that will shape and define ones own story. If that is the case, then the opportunities these past few months have me prepared for the weeks and months ahead and are setting us up for some great successes.

Here are some things to consider as you head back-to-school and how your experiences this summer may become a spring-board of excitement and direction for the path you are about to embark down.

1. It starts and ends with relationships. A summer of various events could not, and would not, have been as enjoyable as they were if it were not for the genuine care and support of the people that were on the journey together. Whether immediate family or close friends, the better we knew each other, the more value there was in the experience. As you head back to school, put this first and keep it there. Know your community of learners and leaders. As the year progresses, do not lose sight of the importance of those relationships from the first day all the way until the last.

2. Get out of your comfort zone. Personally I like my comfort zone. Two feet on the ground, routine and planned events are my norm. This summer I put that mindset on the back burner. One could say that I adopted a growth mindset for adventure. Whether a ride to the Grand Canyon high above the ground, sailing across Cayuga Lake or spontaneous outings with the family, it was invigorating and rewarding to push myself out of my comfort zone. Thinking of your staff and students, consider the same. Mix it up, try something new and expand your boundaries of teaching and leading.

3. Model the way. As my kids grow older I find them leading the way in some of our adventures. Where I would normally stick to that above mentioned schedule, I found myself pushing away from that and as this summer demonstrated, I modeled the way. As the summer moved on, I embraced the notion of having to model what is not only expected but also what is encouraged. Whether in the classroom or the conference room, do the same. Model what you want and what you desire to be attained and you'll be instantaneously amazed on the results you get in return.

4. Trust (and hold others and yourself accountable). Early in the summer the leadership of the district had an opportunity to continue our journey in building our culture by working alongside Tim Kight of Focus 3. Within his message something hit home in a way that I needed to here. He spoke in great length (but in simple terms) about the significance of trust in our profession. Heading back to the office this past week I am excited to have a greater understanding of how trust will be a focus of my leadership. Of course, as we lead others and observe those that we serve (and identifying when trust is broken) tough and direct conversations will follow. In your classroom this coming year consider how trust will play a role in your work with your stakeholders. If a building or district leader, do the same. Set levels of trust with those around you. Encourage them along the way.

The list could, and should, continue as you apply your summer lessons to the work you are about to embark on. Remember that growing is part of what we do as teachers and leaders. Whether you do so through reading maybe even blogging, make a pledge to yourself that you will continue to push yourself and apply your life lessons, your series of experiences, to your daily work.

Not Your Ordinary Start to School

We are tired, we are spent and we could not be more excited to be both. The past week has been a whirlwind of emotions. Like many of you, school has resumed and we are already on a pace to accomplish so many great things on behalf of teaching and learning.

This year, we started school a bit different. Check that, we started school like we had never began before! Our "rule" for the first few days was to focus on relationships. You know, the kind of relationships between students and teachers and with teachers and students and with the students and each other. You know, the interactions between people, young and not so young, that drive us to achieve and succeed. Our focus was simple: relationships first. Our plan was something unique.

With that, as a staff of 80+ educators who serve 950 7th and 8th graders, we came up with a plan. A mighty grand plan! What did we do? Well, we agreed last spring that we would place a hold on content for the first three days of school. We agreed that we would follow the lead of educators like Dave Burgess, Alan November and George Couros (among others) and we would center all of our energy and all of our efforts around getting to know one another. We would embrace the straightforward concept that if we get to know our learners (and they got to know us), all of the days that follow will build upon the foundation that we had created within our community. 

Simply put - if you get to know me and you will believe in me and if we will have trust in one-another, then there will be a commitment to the growth of each of us in all aspects of our learning experience. This will include the critical components of the social and emotional elements of our journey this year. We would be invested in each other. 
We would be a team, a family. 

And with that, our #1st3Days took off. What began as a simple idea, a concept, built around the belief that our relationships, community and culture drive our success, turned into three solid days of devotion to the art of building those very relationships. In those three days we formed a bond that will lead us down a path of honest, real, and at times difficult, moments in our learning this year. 

We know that we believe in one another. We believe in our team. Our passions are real. Student, teacher, parent, community. We are a collective unit. We have many directions but we will move as one. We will have a year like no other.

As you reflect on your back-to-school experience, I would encourage you to be intentional with how you welcome both teachers and students back through your doors of your classrooms and buildings. Through conversations with others, using social media and simply hearing from colleagues near and far, there are great things happening this month of school in each corner of education. Borrow ideas, reach out to those in which you see great things happening and be courageous in all that you do. You get one chance to start your year. The more energy and effort you put into that, the days and months that follow will only magnify in opportunities to learn and grow. 

And remember to do the following each step of the way:

Have a vision.

Overcome obstacles. 

Believe.

Have purpose.

Be intentional.

Your drive will determine your fate.

Your will is powerful. Believe in it. 

Find your "why". Answer it.

If you would like more information about the #1st3Days at Weaver Middle School, please contact me at: craig_vroom@hboe.org. Phone works too: 614.921.7700. I would love to share the step-by-step plan of how a building this size pulled off an experience like no other. 

A Back-to-School Checklist for Administrators

The first days of school are closing in and it is time to welcome back your school staff, district administration and your school community. You are about to begin another year in their journey of teaching, leading and learning. Without question, it is the most exciting time of year!

As we begin our year as administrators (I am the principal at Weaver Middle School in the Hilliard City School Distict in Hilliard, OH) we are fully aware of the many hats that we wear. Pulled in various directions at any given time, our positions are not for the faint of heart. Like your staff, we too are fortunate to shape the minds of others. Our leadership is essential to those that work with us and for us. They look to us for direction, support and encouragement each and every day. We have a role and responsibility like no other.

As you begin your year as a school administrator, regardless of what position that might specifically be, I would encourage you to consider the following essentials for a successful year. 

Here is a back-to-school checklist for administrators:

1. Putting Relationships First. Recently I wrote A Back-to-School Checklist for Educators in which I emphasized that the relationships you create, foster and maintain with others will be the backbone to your success. As administrators this is the same. If you stay true to getting to know your teachers, your Central Office team and all of those that look to you for your leadership, the results of your organization will be limitless. Likewise, if you do not invest in those you turn to for their expertise in the classrooms and the buildings then do not be surprised when the climate of your building turns cold and the culture takes a dive toward dismal. Relationships with all stakeholders should be priority one as you begin the year.

2. Providing Ongoing Feedback. We ask teachers to provide feedback to students and students use feedback to grow as learners. As administrators we ask for feedback for the evaluation process. With that in mind, do not wait for an evaluation or a scheduled moment to provide feedback to your teachers and your colleagues. Having worked under a variety of superintendents, the one I have the most respect for is the one who provided me constructive feedback within my role within the moment. Whether you realize it or not, teachers and administrators crave feedback to their work. That is what drives us to be better.

3. The Art of Listening. My teachers often remind me when to "turn it off". I am fortunate to have a rapport with my staff that they are open enough to tell me when enough is enough. Taking the time to listen to your teachers and your staff is essential. Whether a scheduled conversation or just a moment in time passing through the halls, listening to the good and the bad of your organization is essential. Soak in their ideas, opinions, feelings, emotions and experiences and know that the art of listening goes a long way in building a successful school climate and a community of learners.

4. Having Accountability. If there is one area in administration that I believe takes more effort than any others aspect of leadership, it is the practice of holding ourselves and our leaders accountable. It is not an easy aspect of our jobs. However, we know what is best for kids and we know best practice. And, we know what sound instructional experiences should look like. With that being said, if you observe something occurring in a classroom or a building that is not aligned with your districts vision, mission and goals then use your leadership skills to address it. We are the administrator. We hold others accountable just as we hold ourselves to that same standard and expectation. Be supportive but be direct.

5. Serving Our Community. The word leadership means one thing above all other to me. My role as a leader is to serve. Serve my teachers, my colleagues, our students, their parents and the community in which we live and attend our schools. It is a role that should not be taken lightly. Serving others is the foundation of what we do. How we act and how we model our work in education is essential to our growth and our success. As you begin your school year make sure that you are committed to this essential component of your position. To lead is to serve. Do so with humility and with pride. 

As I shared in my last post, think about all of your back-to-school items on your checklist and remember the amazing responsibility we have as educators. There is so much that will be accomplished as long as we are intentional and purposeful in how we return. And, if you are dreading your return to school, then please weigh your options and consider not coming back at all. We need administrators that are overflowing with anticipation and excitement to welcome a new school year. Be ready to make a difference in the life of a child and an educator and your community.

A Back-to-School Checklist for Educators

For many of us, the first day of school can not come soon enough. For those in the northeast, no worries, you still have until Labor Day to get in the many important summer outings. However, for those across the midwest, the south and to the far west, we will heading back to school in the coming weeks. And, we are getting excited to do so!

Back-to-school means so many different things to students, teachers and leaders alike. It is a new opportunity to explore new experiences. Relationships will have an entirely new starting point, slates are wiped clean and the learning that will take place is endless. We are our only obstacle and we can control how the year begins and where we will go throughout the months ahead.

Now that back-to-school is closing in, here is a checklist for educators to start the year:

1. Relationships First. The excitement heading into this year is powerful. The staff I am fortunate to work with has committed to starting their year like never before. We are committing the first three days of school to forming, fostering and embracing the relationships with our students, parents and community. "The content can wait", is what we have agreed to and is our slogan out of the gate. Investing every ounce of energy in to getting to know the community of learners we are going to work with for 180+ days can not. I look forward to sharing out about our #1st3Days in mid-August. We challenge you to hold off on diving into specific content. Instead, get to know those that you will spend an amazing amount of time with in an intentional and meaningful way.

2. Bring Patience. Just as much as this is a reminder for you as the teacher and leader, this is also to be kept in the forefront of your mind as students and parents enter the building. Whether a first-time kindergarten child or parent, a high schooler heading off to their freshman year or a teacher just starting their career, the first days of school can be full of angst and stress that we can collectively work together to ease. Deep breaths, lots of smiles and the sounds of laughter abound should fill your first days of school. Be patient and find the bright spots even in the most difficult of moments as the stresses of back-to-school arise.

3. Think Foundation. Whether working with staff, greeting parents at open house or standing by the front doors on the first days of school, the back-to-school experience means the start of a new journey in teaching and learning. Each moment of each day should build upon the next. What you do today will prepare your audience for tomorrow. Very little of what we do happens in isolation so think foundation as you begin to build those essential relationships. It's worth starting one brick at a time and being the mortar that holds it all in place.

4. It is a Story. Just like the first days are the foundation of your year, each day there after is a part of the story that has yet to be written. Different characters will take shape as the story unfolds and the setting will be your classrooms and school buildings in which we learn collectively. As the teacher and the leaders in our respective buildings we hold the key to whether our story and the story of our school community is a best seller or not. Just as an author has to make revisions to their work, we too have an opportunity to make corrections in our teaching and learning. Be inspired by the story you are writing.

5. Celebrate Day One. In our #1st3Days we are not only going to focus on relationships and think foundation, we are also going to celebrate our students and our staffs return to school. What many educators think to be end-of-the-year activities, we are putting them at the beginning. Instead of sitting and hearing syllabus upon syllabus, we are going to set a tone of expectations and excitement to our journey together. Nervous middle school students will be welcomed by eager teachers ready to explore endless learning opportunities. We will celebrate day one and every day there after.

As you think about all of your back-to-school items on your checklist, don't lose sight of the amazing responsibility we have as educators. There is so much that will be accomplished as long as we are intentional and purposeful in how we return. And, if you are dreading your return to school, then please weigh your options and consider not coming back at all. We need teachers and leaders that are overflowing with anticipation and excitement to welcome a new school year. Be ready to make a difference in the life of a child and an educator.

Five Essentials (to Effective Leadership)

(courtesy davidrumsy.com)

Learning is truly a journey. Each day I look forward to what lies ahead. Getting better is expected. As I venture into another year in education, my fifteenth as a building administrator, there are some "essentials" that I will continue to refine. Following these will be just the beginning of my own leadership journey. Please, feel free to add your own thoughts, and suggestions, in the comment section below. Let's grow the list together.

1. Be ready to listen. The greatest of ideas can come from the most unexpected places. We often are so eager to lead that we take for granted the art of an open ear. Encourage your colleagues to "bend it". Open the door to communication and sit back and hear what is needed be said. Not everything that is shared will be something that is implemented or applied, but you'll be better off to have heard than not heard at all.

2. Strengthen relationships. Every educator that I have met understands the value of knowing who the work with. The great leaders, those that stand apart from their peers, know that the deeper the relationships, the greater the outcomes of success of the organization. While you are listening, make sure to take note of what each member of  your team brings to the table. The more you know who they are, the more likely you are to get them to follow your lead. Relationships matter most.

3. Step aside. As an administrator we have the distinct responsibility to lead our buildings into academic success. Student achievement is our goal. Being the instructional leader is our charge and for the safety and well being of our community, we are the operators of our institutions. Knowing when to lead, and when to step aside allow others to lead, is a craft that only some posses. Sharing the role of who is at the helm builds strength within your walls of your school. Teachers aspire to lead, leaders aspire to create opportunities for them. Give them the support to take the reigns. Build capacity.


4. Model it. From your demeanor, to your disposition, to how you lead, to how you learn and especially how you interact with your staff, students and parents, model at all times. If we expect it of others, expect it of yourself. Always in a constant state of change and an ever growing use of technology in our profession, educators (like any other career) must stay with the times. Model the leading, learning and work that you do. What we do is observed by all. Make it count.

5. Get (and stay) connected. Whether with the people you serve each day or the ones you meet through conferences, conversations or social networking, one of our greatest professional tools is getting connected with others in our work and learning through those interactions. Using platforms such as Twitter, Voxer, Instagram or the constantly evolving world of social media, it is those connections that will grow you as a leader and a learner. If you are not connected, you are not keeping up.

Challenge yourself to work on these five essentials as you begin to think about students, staff and your community entering your halls in the coming weeks. Create for yourself a blueprint for what it is you hope to accomplish this year in each of these areas. Where you find a strength, tweak it. Engage with others to help you discover which is an area that could use more attention, your weakness. Surround yourself with people that inspire you and motivate you. Don't sell yourself short. We each have the ability, and the positions, to lead like never before.

5 Ways to Get in Shape for Back to School Without Sweating

(courtesy of campoutkid.com)

Back to school is around the corner and students and teachers are starting to twitch and shake awkwardly as they try to deny the reality that yes, we have to go back to school. Extending summer is not an option.

As I was watching my own kids as they process the fact that their middle school sports begin in 5 short days, I see the look in their eyes when they realized that they had done very little, if anything, to physically prepare themselves for the conditioning that is approaching rapidly. Yep, a summer of much deserved relaxation and laziness has quickly turned into panic as they realize that running out of breath hurrying up the stairs is a sign of being out of shape. Granted they are 13 and it will only take a few days, maybe a week, to get back into top form, the reality is there are still the first few days of painful calisthenics that will rock their worlds. They will cry, they will hurt.

Much like my children, teachers that I have bumped into over the past week or so at the grocery or the park have an eerily similar look on their faces and a quiver in the tone of their voices. They too realize that what has been a much deserved, earned and appreciated few weeks away from school has just turned into the daunting reality that they too are "out of shape" for their own return to reality.

No worries. I have an easy fix, promise. As you wind down your summer, take a look at these 5 quick pieces of advice to get you in shape for the upcoming year. And remember, you too will be right back in top form in no time at all. And, most likely, never break a sweat!

1. Get On Twitter, Now. Whether to use it as a resource for information or using it as a resource of information, there is not one person within my Professional Learning Network (PLN) that has ever been disappointed in their feed. Follow people, read their ramblings and follow along on a chat or two. If you have made it this far, you can surely hop on one of the greatest social media platforms to learners.

2. If You Can't Read About It, Watch It. Or, Even Better, Listen To It. We know, never enough time in the day. Therefore, we have to make the time we do have as purposeful as possible while still leaving time for the joys of day-to-day life. YouTube, TeacherTube and the Internet in general have thousands upon thousands of educational and timely videos for you to stumble upon by simply typing in some key words. And, if you don't have the time for that, when out on your next walk, listen to that book you have been dying to read - on tape. I wish I would have started that years ago. I do it now and get through a book a month, if not more.

3. Tag, You're It! Pick Up The Phone. Sometimes we forget about a tool we have now taken for granted when it comes to connecting us across the miles. Face it, during the day we have some of the best conversations with our colleagues while walking the halls or grabbing a fresh cup of coffee. And, if that isn't a part of your daily routine, then phone a friend. We used to rely on the old-fashioned telephone for years. Now that everyone has gone to texting, Facebook or other methods of connecting we often forget about something so simple. And to think we use to have rotary phones. Remember having to re-dial with that device?

4. Write It Down, All Of It. We often tell our students, and even ourselves, to take notes, make flashcards and re-write our work in an attempt to learn the material "better". Take that concept and tie it into our own lives. If an idea comes across your plate or you have wrapped up a conversation with a colleague, jot down some notes of what went wrong, or right, so that you can learn from that next time. That is what this blogging thing is all about for many.

5. Simply, Start Moving. The world of education has some of the most brilliant minds on the planet and you are one of them. With that in mind and having that belief within you then you need to commit yourself to connect, reach out, drive, fly, walk or crawl into a conversation, a book an article or an opportunity with the intent of being better. You won't regret it. And, as a bonus, getting back into shape will come quicker then ever.

Ready. Set. Go.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!