The Power of Friendship

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.

More gratitude to come...

You Matter. Every. Single. Day.

As an educator, you matter.

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.

The End.

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.

Enjoy, the End.

4 Ways to Start Your Friday and Tie Up the Week

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.

4 Ways to Get a Pulse on Your Leadership

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.

Building Relationships. Practical Ideas to Implement in the Classroom.

It all goes back to relationships!

Relationships are the essential element in our schools. The old adage, “Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” is true especially in today’s society when kids are used to so much choice in their world. Also, in today’s busy world, it’s important for teachers and school staff to make positive connections with students. We must be intentional and taking time with these relationships must be purposeful.

Members of the Compelled Tribe have teamed up to share practical ways for educators to build relationships with students. As connected educators we also embrace the notion that it is the power of the team that drives much of what we do. How do you build relationships with those that you serve? See the list below for ideas to add to what you may be already doing in the buildings and districts in which you work.

1. Greet students at the door. Smile and call them by name. Tell them you are glad to see them.
2. Ask your students to share three things about themselves. Let them choose what they share. Keep them on index cards to help make connections throughout the year.
3. Know your students families. As important as it is to know the students, make the connection to home. Great relationships with your kids starts where they kick off their day. As the year continues and both the good and bad arise, having that connection will be crucial to getting the results you are seeking.
4. Journal writing is an activity to get to know your students well and give students a voice in the classroom.
5. Make positive phone calls home especially within the first two weeks of the school year.
6. Genius Hour/Passion Projects really give teachers an opportunity to learn about student passions.
7. Have kids make something that represents them out of Play-dough and share.
8. In the first couple of days of school, learn the first name of every student in your first class of the day, and something personal and unique about them that has nothing to do with your first class of the day.
9. Be vulnerable!  Let your guard down and show your students that you are a learner, you make mistakes, and persevere.  They will see you as a person, opening the door for a relationship built on trust. Share stories about yourself as a learner or challenges you’ve faced when you were there age and help them see what it took to overcome it. It’s easy to forget how much a simple connection can make the difference.
10. Eat together.  Have breakfast with a small group of kids or join them at the lunch table.  Gathering around meal time provides an informal way to have conversations and get to know your students.
11. Hold Monday morning meetings (We call them “Weekend News Updates”).  Ask each student to share about their weekend - good or bad.  Ask questions.  Be sure to share about your weekend too!  Occasionally bring in breakfast or make hot chocolate.
12. Laugh with them. Frequently. Show them that school, and your class, is just not about learning stuff. It is about sharing an experience. Tell them you missed them if they were out.
13. Keep in touch with past students.  Show past students that you do not have a 1 year contract with them.  The ongoing relationship will also model to your current students the value of a positive classroom community.
14. At the elementary level -- hold morning meeting everyday as a class and stick to the routine of greeting, sharing, team building activity, and morning message.  This is a sacred time to build and maintain a culture of risk tasking and building relationships.
15. Send positive postcards home to every child. Have them address it on the first day of the quarter, keep them and challenge yourself to find at least one thing each quarter to celebrate about your students, let them and their parents know.
16. Find their interests and what motivates them! Sometimes it may take a bit to break down barriers and build trust, but through being genuine and authentic with them this will happen in no time.
17. Make personal phone calls to parents. Find one good thing to say about the children in your class.  It can be how they contributed to a class discussion or how well mannered they are in class or in the halls. For older students it can be how diligent a student is at learning challenging content.
18. Share something about yourself that they will find relevant or interesting to extend your relationships with students.
19. Tell a story from a time you were their age. This approach allows students to see teachers as they once were and make connections easier to establish and maintain.
20. Create a unique handshake or symbol for each of your students.  Use it when you greet them at the door or say goodbye.
21. Eat lunch with a group of kids throughout the week. They will enjoy a time dedicated just to them. (And you will enjoy a peaceful lunch!)
22. As a school, hold monthly celebrations to recognize students and educators their accomplishments.
23. Take pictures with students. Print. Write a special note on the back to the student.
24. At the end of a term or year, write a thank you to students telling them what you have learned from them. Be specific and honest - authenticity goes a long way. Try to make the note handwritten if possible, but email works well too.
25. Each day write two students a personal  note about something that you have noticed about them.  Go into some detail and be specific. Keep track of who you reach out to over the year and try and reach as many students as you can. The time you spend doing this will deepen connections and pay off 10 fold.
26. Have dance parties! It is so fun to let loose and get down with students. Students love seeing you have fun with them, and the saying goes, “The class that dances together, stays together”.
27. Play with students at recess or during a free time. Climb the monkey bars, play kickball, or tag. Students will never forget you connecting with them on the playground.
28. Hang out in the hall to give high fives or to have quick conversations with students. Relationship-building can be squeezed into any time of the day.
29. Notice students having a bad day. Ask questions without prying. Show that you care. Follow up the next day, week, etc.
30. When a student is having a rough day, ask if he/she has eaten. We are all more unreasonable when we are hungry. Keep a supply of snacks on hand (ex: breakfast bars, crackers, etc).
31. Go see students at their events: sports, theater, dance, volunteering. Meet parents and families.
32. When a student stops to say “Hello” and has a friend in tow, introduce yourself and be sure that the guest feels important.
33. Stop class from time to time with a comment such as, “Hey, everyone, Katie just asked me a great question. I think you’ll all benefit from this. Katie, could you repeat that for everyone?”
34. Sing “Happy Birthday” to students; send birthday emails (I use “Boomerang” to schedule my birthday emails each month).
35. Say “I missed you yesterday” when a student has been absent. Be sincere.
36. We have to make time to grow relationships with our students. This time can not always be in a planner or a calendar. Sometimes, this simply means just being there for your students.
37. Mail them a postcard for their birthday. They are always amazed to receive personal mail!
38. In a leadership position, learn as many names as you can. Greet students by their name as often as you are able.
39. Music! Bond with your students over music. Play soft classical music while they are working. Incorporate music/songs into special events or lessons.
40. Classroom: Start a compliment jar. Share comments at the end of class or randomly throughout the day. School: Do shout-outs during morning (or afternoon) announcements/news show.
41. Smile and make eye contact.  “Good morning”, “Good afternoon”.  Something as simple as a greeting in the hall with smile and eye contact conveys both warmth & safety.  Try it tomorrow.  
42. First day of math class have them choose 10 numbers that are significant to them (3 for number of cats, 1 for brothers, 20 for number of hours they work, etc.).  Everyone shares out.  You will learn lots about all your students in one day.  
43. Cut them some slack every now and then.  “What were you doing?  What should you have been doing?  Can you do that for me next time?”  We all make mistakes.  
44. Hold class celebrations and have students develop unique cheers for various accomplishments...these can be anything from a sports team victory, to being selected for something, to earning a grade, and they need not be school related.
45. Allen Mendler’s 2x10 strategy for challenging students. Spend 2 minutes per day for 10 consecutive days talking to a student about something not academic.
46. Share your own goals, successes/failures. Don’t be a mystery to your students.
47. After morning announcements have students participate in a daily discussion question.  Have a student read the question and set a timer for two and a half minutes.  Each person turns to a partner and answers the question then volunteers share with the whole class.  Each question, in some way, will help you get to know your students.
48. Halfway through the year, have your parents and students fill out a feedback form.  In my classroom, these forms look different.  Allow them to evaluate you so you can keep what works and change things that aren’t working.
49. In your summer introduction letter, include a letter asking parents to write about their children in 1,000,000 words or less.  Keep the assignment voluntary and open so they tell you what is most important to them.
50. Don’t be too busy to truly listen.  Listen to understand, not to respond.  Are you starting a lesson when a student interrupts and tells you they are moving?  Take the minute to hear them out.  That time will mean more to the student than the first minute of the lesson ever will.
51. When students get stuck in class, teach the other students to cheer them on.  We do a simple, “Come on, [Name], you can do it,” followed by three seconds of clapping.
52. Teach students call and responses to uplift each other.  When a student responds with something profound and someone loves it, that student gets to start the cheer.
53. When you check in with groups to give them feedback or see how it’s going, make sure you are seeing them eye-to-eye.  If they’re sitting, don’t stand.  Pull up a chair next to them.  If they’re sitting on the floor, sit down on the floor next to them to avoid standing over them.
54. Give honest feedback even when it may not be positive.  Your students will appreciate that you expect more out of them than they’re showing.
55. Create a “You Matter” wall.  Take fun pictures of each of your students.  Print each photo and put each student’s photo in an 8x10 frame.  Hang them all on your wall under a “You Matter” heading.  At the end of the year, send the photos home with students.
56. Tell them what was hard for you when you went through school and how you worked to overcome the challenges.  It shows they aren’t the only ones who struggle.
57. Defend your students in front of other people.
58. Take risks so students feel comfortable doing the same.  Don’t ask them to do anything you wouldn’t do.
59. Create something that is unique to your class.  For us, it’s a house competition.  It’s something that connects my past students and current students.  It’s also a family bond that only the students who have been in my class understand.
60. Apologize when you make a mistake.
61. Cook together and then you can eat family style in the classroom. Some fun and easy crockpot meals: applesauce, vegetable soup, chicken and dumplings. Then, make cupcakes for dessert!
62. Every so often, take the pulse of your building according to students. Convene a volunteer roundtable with student reps from various groups (athletes, scholars, quiet, loud) and ask them for critical feedback about topics you are working on. Some ideas I’ve seen discussed in this format include schoolwide incentives (assemblies, sledding event, etc.), dress code, and discussing recess options for winter.
63. During your informal walk throughs, saddle up right next to students and ask them the purpose of the lesson they are involved in. Why do you think the teacher is asking you to work on this? You’ll be more than surprised with the honest feedback.
64. Bring board games back! Add a few games like Checkers, Uno or Chess to your lunch table options. See if any students are willing to play a game or two with you and others.
65. Use sidewalk chalk to decorate the entry of your building with positive messages to students. Have teachers help you write and draw the notes!
66. Leave nice notes on post-its for students on the outside of their lockers. Recruit other students to help spread the kindness throughout many lockers!
67. Forgive them when they make mistakes. Remind them that mistakes are opportunities for learning. Don’t hold grudges against misbehavior and don’t allow other adults to hold them either.
68. Make time for dismissal. Tell them you can’t wait to see them tomorrow and share high fives on the way out!
69. Notice which students still don’t have money to pay for lunch. Help them out when you can. Treat them to a snack they don’t usually get to purchase at lunch time.
70. Find special projects that need to be done around school and recruit the most unlikely helpers.
71. Remind your students you and your staff were all kids once too. Have your team bring in pictures of themselves as children (at the ages you have in your school). Post them and have a contest allowing students to guess which teacher is which. Those 80s pictures are the most popular!
72. My favorite question to ask my students or any student I come in contact with is what are you into lately? This opens communication with your students and let's them know you are interested.
73. Allow students to do a job shadow. Give them a peek into what you do and how you make daily decisions.
74. Host an ice cream social for students that meet certain goals.

The list will grow as our experiences and our connections grow. Feel free to reach out to any of the Tribe members listed below to learn more about the power of our team and how our tribe constantly supports each other in our teaching, leading and learning.

Compelled Tribe Contributors:

Jennifer Hogan, The Compelled Educator  @Jennifer_Hogan

Jonathon Wennstrom, Spark of Learning  @jon_wennstrom

Craig Vroom, Fueling Education, @Vroom6

Allyson Apsey, Serendipity in Education, @allysonapsey

Sandy King Inspiring The Light @sandeeteach

Gary Kidd Reflections and Rants from the Asst Principal, @hinotewailer

Jacie Maslyk   http://jaciemaslyk.blogspot.com/    @DrJacieMaslyk

Jodie Pierpoint  Journey In Learning @jodiepierpoint  

Jim Cordery   Mr. Cordery’s Blog  @jcordery

Allie Bond   The Positive Teacher @Abond013

Angie Murphy ConnectED to Learning @RoyalMurph_RRMS

Karen Wood https://karenwoodedu.wordpress.com/ @karenwoodedu

Lindsey Bohler lindseybohler.com @Lindsey_Bohler

Starr Sackstein http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/work_in_progress/ @MsSackstein

Debbie Campbell The Curious Educator @DebraLCamp

Michael McDonough M Squared at the Microphone @m_squaredBHS

Barbara Kurtz bkurtzteachermentor.blogspot.com @BJKURTZ

Stephanie Jacobs www.thisblogiswhy.blogspot.com @MsClassNSession

Michael Todd Clinton Motivated teacher blog  @MotivatedThe

Cathy Jacobs https://cathyjacobs.org/ @cathyjacobs5

Reed Gillespie Mr. Gillespie’s Office @rggillespie

Molly Babcock Sweet Tea and a Live Oak Tree @MollyBabcock

Lisa Meade Reflections @LisaMeade23

What I Have Learned So Far This Year

This week will mark the one-month moment in our school year. Hard to believe that a little over 30 days ago we were in our final stages of preparing for students and staff to return. The excitement, anticipation and eagerness is still with us today as it was just a few short weeks ago.

Putting time into perspective, it is hard to believe that one-ninth of the year has passed. You heard that correctly. Thirty days of teaching and learning have concluded. There is no "do-over" for the days and weeks that have passed. How have you made the most of your first month with students and staff? For me, it was full of learning and in many cases, reaffirming all that I believe when it comes to education. With that, it is time to reflect on what those 30 days have taught me. And, in 30 more days I will do the same.

Here is what I have learned so far this year:

1. It is All About Relationships. We were purposeful in how we welcomed our students back. We were intentional in how we established our school culture. And in the end we must sustain those relationships and come back to them each and every day. Our #1st3Days must be in existence all 180 school days of the year. It is how we are intertwined with each other that will set a tone for the direction we will go. (Resources - Sean Gaillard and Bethany Hill)

2. Personalized Learning and Blended Learning are Everywhere. What spent much of last year as a buzz term in education, personalization of teaching and learning for all students is truly taking form as we get into the second month of school. Both administrators and teachers are embracing the craft of ensuring each students academic experience is aligned with their style of how they are taught and how they best demonstrate mastery. Personalization is best practice and has rightfully taken its place in our schools. (Resources - Randall Sampson and Marcia Kish)

3. Homework is Out. Whether a social media revolution or Hattie's work has finally made it into mainstream academia, teachers are realizing that piling up hours of evening work for their students has very little value and in fact is as archaic as rows of desks in classrooms. For those that are well versed in the research, we know we need to move homework out of the students after school experience and instead focus on more impactful practices. We as educators who believe in this shift need to continue to share with your colleagues. (Resources - Connie Hamilton, Starr Sackstein, Samantha Althouse)

4. Space Matters. Three years ago I took on the task of revamping our Media Center in the middle school in which I serve. Having been furnished in the mid 90's, it was time to re-think the space that I considered the hub of our school. Seeking the input of our community, doing some research on higher educational settings and listening to professionals talk about their evolvement of their spaces, we completely overhauled the focal point of our building. Now, students and teachers clammer to head to a location that is open and inviting. With comfortable seating and a mindset of 21st century best practices, our teachers are also rethinking how the space in which they serve students needs to evolve as well. (Resources - Dwight Carter)

5. Instructional Feedback is Essential. This past week I found myself in a couple of tough conversations. I had stepped into a classroom and decided to stay for a while in an attempt to learn a little bit more about the co-teaching delivery that was taking place. While knowing the teachers had good intentions, I found myself a bit frustrated in what I was observing. I took some mental notes, reviewed the time I was in the room for 24 hours and then decided the next day that the teacher(s) and I would need to have a pretty straight forward conversation about best practices. It was time for some intentional feedback. In the end, there is work to be done. The positive is that the teachers are receptive to my involvement and are learners themselves. With this relationship, and an establish growth mindset, students will benefit. Even though it will take some time, I look forward to all parties growing through this purposeful conversations over time. (Resources- Neil Gupta and Jennifer Hogan.)

As you work through your year, make sure to take time and do some intentional reflection on the progress you are making in your own teaching and learning. Having taken some time off from blogging to start the year, I am re-energized to get back at it and tell our schools story in growing as leaders and learners.