6 Things You Should Expect From Ed Leaders in 2014

I read an article in Forbes today that discussed what we should expect from business leaders in 2014. This made me think about what we should expect from educational leaders in 2014. Many of the overarching ideas align with the Forbes article, and yet the reasoning behind their application to ed leaders differs a bit.

1. An Identity You Can Count On

Expect we know who we are as leaders, our core values, and our influences. We should be able to look in the mirror every day and ask (+ answer):

• What do you believe? 
• Why do you believe that? 
• What's the most recent evidence that shows you believe these things?

2. Sense of Urgency

For educational leaders, lives of kids and families are at stake each day and we take this seriously. The "market" in which many of us exist is shifting. For example, in Washington State we're implementing Federal, State, and local initiatives related to teacher/principal evaluation, Common Core State Standards (CCSS), standards-based instruction/assessment/grading/curriculum, cultural competency, etc. On top of that, charter schools are becoming a reality. Our traditionally red ocean approaches to the educational arena are quickly shifting to be redefined within a blue ocean state. In 2014, we will strive to keep up with these changes, while forging ahead with a sense of urgency that leads to making a difference for each student.

3. Use the Best of What's Around

Educational leaders in 2014 will foster 21st century skills within our schools/districts/teams and break down human barriers for educators/leaders/students/families to use technology in classrooms, communication, collaboration, national/global connections, etc. The 21st century is nearly 13% complete. Almost all Pk-8 students have grown up in the 21st century. In light of this reality, educational leaders in 2014 will establish flexible systems within which innovation and creativity can flourish. We will invite innovative ideas to be shared so we can help negotiate terms that will allow for the fruition of such ideas.

4. Increased Collaboration

Collaboration is recognizing that leadership success comes most to those who are surrounded by people who want their success to continue (Llopis, 2013). Expect educational leaders to leverage Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) online and ongoing communication with fellow association members. It used to be we might connect with fellow leaders at meetings and annual conferences. Now, we're able to connect via tools like Twitter, Google Hangouts, and Facebook on a regular basis. I love that associations, like ASCD, are supporting this! They've coordinated monthly Hangouts for Emerging Leaders (and alumnus). Leaders who are connected will be more supported and inspired on a regular basis during 2014.

5. In-Depth Understanding of OD

Understanding and applying OD best practices is a necessity in today's shifting landscape of education. Change will not be forever, but it is expected to be constant for the foreseeable future (Anderson, 2012). You can expect educational leaders in 2014 to hear this statement then draw on OD knowledge and experiences to collaboratively lead a SWOT analysis that informs work, develop communication plans, assign project managers, mentor colleagues in regard to OD, and utilize progress monitoring tools (like dashboards). You can expect us to ask tough questions that challenge traditional thinking about educational systems and lend themselves to increased clarity in the long run.

6. Communication, communication, communication

For real estate, the important piece is location, location, location. In leadership, that translates to communication, communication, communication! This rings true as we move into 2014. You can expect educational leaders to be increasingly attentive to both internal and external communication strategies, leveraging many 21st century tools.

References:

Anderson, D. L. (2012). Organization development: The process of leading organizational change (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Llopis, G. (2013, 12 27). 7 things you should expect from your leaders in 2014. Retrieved from    http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/12/27/7-things-you-should-expect-from-yourleaders-in-2014/

Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_6-Things-You-Can-Expect-From-Ed-Leaders-in-2014/blog/6560688/127586.html by @HannahGbenro and
http://wssda.org/Portals/0/News/DirectNewsletter/2014/WSSDA%20Direct%20January%202014%20(web).pdf

Shaping my Leadership DNA

The other week I was at an event and I sat next to a doctor who specializes in genetics. The doctor shared with me that when a woman is pregnant with a baby boy, it literally changes her DNA and bone marrow. The woman no longer only has female chromosomes but carries both male and female chromosomes for the rest of her life. The woman, now a mother who carries unseen DNA from her child, is forever changed.

This made me wonder:

What experiences and relationships have shaped my Leadership DNA? What experiences and relationships have forever changed me as a leader?

I believe my Leadership DNA consists of my Definition of leadership, personal missioN, & core vAlues. My Leadership DNA impacts my daily decisions and actions.

I think of major projects that I currently lead or have worked on in the past. More than that, I consider everything goes into making my projects successful time and again. I think of the people who coached me along the way and taught me what it means to be a leader. I recall lessons people taught me when they probably weren't even trying to help me learn. I also think about lessons that seemed uniquely, purposefully crafted just for me. I am reminded of the patience people have shown me throughout my life.

I reflect on the tough questions I have been - and am still - asked by mentors, students, families, supervisors, professors, and friends. I often hate these questions in the moment! However, I relish in them as time goes on. I even find myself looking in the mirror and asking these same tough questions in different contexts over time.

I am happy that my Leadership DNA is forever changed because of the people I've gotten to know and the experiences I've had throughout my personal and professional life! As I look toward 2014, I feel the weight of wonderment:
What experiences and relationships might shape my Leadership DNA in the new year? How will I make sure I am aware of my Leadership DNA in the new year? How will I communicate with actions, words, and more, what I believe? How will I provide insight about my Leadership DNA to those with whom I collaborate? How will I continue providing recent evidence that articulates what drives me? How will I be forever changed, and how will I forever change the lives of others?

I invite you to continue Learning & Leading alongside the WSASCD Emerging Leaders as we share what shapes our Leadership DNA in 2014. Thank you for joining in our journeys!

Cross-Posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_Shaping-my-Leadership-DNA/blog/6560512/127586.html

WILL #12

What I Learned Lately (WILL 13/14 #12) by Dr. Josh Garcia
12/13/2013
“Resting with Optimism”

When I was growing up, I remembered that I dreamed almost every day and every night.  I remember that I dreamed in color and that I could even hear the pitch in the voices of my dreams.   I forgot when I stopped dreaming so vividly and so regularly.  Many nights, my head hits the pillow, my mind races until I am silenced with sleep.  I still have vivid dreams, yet often they have a haunting element.  “How could I have stopped that child from getting hurt?  How could I have gotten that student to graduate?  How could I have gotten that student to college?”  I do remember when I learned that my dreams could become goals and goals could become missions and missions could become a way of life.  All along my journey, I have been learning to wrestle with how I could still be an individual and a part of a movement at the same time.

As we slam into a new year, my dream remains the same – each child, every day - safe, healthy, supported, engaged and challenged.  A new year brings us all a symbolic opportunity to stay committed, to recommit and or to start over.  My “wish” is for you to not stop dreaming.  I want you to teach our students to turn their dreams into goals, their goals into missions and their missions into a way of life.  Happy New Year to each of you, I look forward to picking up the pace in 2014.  I look forward, knowing that we have not arrived and yet celebrating how far we have come.  As we close this calendar year, I sleep not with “peace” but I “rest” with relentless optimism.

Finally from George Washington Doane,
“Life Sculpture”

Chisel in hand stood a sculptor boy
With his marble block before him,
And his eyes lit up with a smile of joy,
As an angel-dream passed o’er him.

He carved the dream on that shapeless stone,
With many a sharp incision;
With heaven’s own flight the sculpture shone,
He’d caught that angel-vision.

Children of life are we, as we stand
With our lives uncarved before us,
Waiting the hour when, at God’s command,
Our life-dream shall pass o’er us.

If we carve it then on the yielding stone,
With many a sharp incision,
Its heavenly beauty shall be our own,
Our lives, that angel-vision.

Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_What-I-Learned-Lately-WILL-1314-12/blog/6560066/127586.html

Everything I Needed to Know to be a Leader I Learned Bagging Groceries

The first job I ever had was working as a courtesy clerk at a grocery store. Working their, my main tasks were bagging groceries, gathering carts, and cleaning up messes. I was also instilled early on by my managers, that as a courtesy clerk, I was on the front lines of superior customer service. “People can shop anywhere for groceries,” I was once told, “we are all selling the same pack of Oreos. Customer service is what creates loyalty and commitment. Customer service is what separates good stores from great ones. Customer service makes the Oreos taste fresher.”

I recognize that my school is like most other schools. We are all selling the same Oreos. We all are offering our students a basic education, that will hopefully allow them to lead the lives that they desire. What separates the good schools from the great ones is a commitment to superior customer service. Great schools go above and beyond to deliver high quality service to their students, families and communities, even when they do not have to. Below are the rules of customer service that I learned in my days as a courtesy clerk and still serve as the foundation of beliefs about what great schools do.

1) Welcome Everyone in a Friendly Manner - Schools, like stores, are big intimidating places. When someone visits for the first time, the worry about being lost, not finding what they need, and just want to get in and out as quickly as possible. We want our students, families, and communities to feel like that the school is a place where they feel comfortable and want to return to again and again, not a place of anxiety and dread. Being welcoming and friendly can accomplish this. My manager told me to greet like I, “was running for office.” Now when I see someone new to the school, I ask their name, what they need and tell them to find me if they need anything. I want everyone who walks in the door, to feel like they are part of something special, and to come back again and again.

2) Anticipate Need and Escort to Item - At my store, we could never just tell a customer where the eggs were, we had to show them. Along the way we would have a conversation and the customer felt like they were getting the personal attention they may not get other places. At my school, if I see a parent in the hallway, I stop and ask them if I can help them. If they are looking for an office, or a teacher, I walk with them. I find that it allows me to have a few more seconds of personal connection. I find that many times, parents do not feel like the get special attention, and often times feel in the way. With every interaction, I try to show them how special they and that they have a welcome place inside our school

3) Handle Special Requests Promptly - I am a firm believer in dealing with problems at the lowest possible levels. In the classroom, I try to deal with everything with the student first, before I involve anyone else. The more people that are involved, often the further we get from a desirable solution. In the school if I am asked about a problem, or just a general question, I try to answer it right there. While schedules, or athletics eligibility, or bus schedules are not a normal routine, if I can find the answer I do. If I do not have an answer, I make sure I explain how I will find the answer or take them to the person who can. In my experience people often want to see that their questions are valued. The answer is important, but how the questions are handled expresses more than the answer ever can.

With a great customer service, everything about the school becomes better. It builds deep connections with those inside and outside of the school. It builds loyalty and commitment. It separates the school where you run in, get what you need and run out from the one where you feel welcome and return often. If a great school is one in which students feel welcome, parents feel respected, and communities feel engaged, then they can be achieved with a focus on customer service. I feel like this is a secret to school success and all I had to do was bag groceries in high school to figure it out

WILL #11

What I Learned Lately (WILL 13/14 #11) by by Dr. Josh Garcia @Garciaj9Josh
12/6/2013
“A time of peace.”

The more I explore a topic and subject it to the mental scrutiny of reflection, the more I come to understand the iceberg that it truly is.  The term “peace” has captured me in recent days.  Like many others, I have seen and/or heard the word “peace” almost everywhere I go.  “Peace” is personalized in the most heartfelt moments and commercialized by the season.  This week, after the loss of one of our students, I found myself using the word in my silent prayer for the family.  Almost immediately, I was paralyzed by the reality of how hard peace is to come by and what a gift it truly is.  Peace: freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility.

In the complexity of investigating and defining a topic like peace, one comes to understand that peace is not only the daily interactions with others but also one’s interactions with self.  The absence from disturbance of emotional and physical pain and suffering is extremely difficult to come by.  The freedom that silence and tranquility bring to the human spirit may be the greatest gift.  In life it is impossible to eschew disturbance completely.  Our culture is in a constant state of “becoming”, it is not finished and this change will often cause a disturbance for some.  However, my personal optimism rests on my belief in the individuals’ infinite possibility to develop peace within in themselves.  You see, I have come to realize, peace cannot be bought, sold, or even an appeal to the brain.  Rather it must be cultivated by the heart.  In our daily work, for our students, for our society, we must relentlessly seek to find other caring individuals that understand our work.  We must teach them that it is not only our job to cultivate learning but also cultivate peace, a quiet and tranquil heart among those we serve.  In a time when gifts are exchanged to show our appreciation for each other, may peace be with you, those who you live for, and those who you serve by and with.

Finally from The Dalai Lama,
May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy.
May the forlorn find hope,
Constant happiness and prosperity.
 
May the frightened cease to be afraid,
And those bound be free.
May the weak find power,
And may their hearts join in friendship.

Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_What-I-Learned-Lately-WILL-1314-11/blog/6559594/127586.html

Being thankful...

As I began pursuing my first administrative position, many people warned me "be careful what you wish for" and that being a principal was a "thankless job."  As many aspiring building leaders know, once you have set your eyes on leading a school, very little can distract you from achieving that goal.  However, as many new principals can tell you, once you land your first principalship, you quickly learn that it can be a lonely position and you are oftentimes the last person to be patted on the back for a job well done.

Each year as the holidays approach, I'm reminded of the many things that I should be thankful for as a building leader: support from other administrators, teachers who give their all each day for students, teachers who inspire, the custodians who help create a clean, safe, and healthy environment, the para-educators who oftentimes care for our most challenged students, the recess supervisors who brave the rain, snow, and sleet so students can get fresh air, the parents who fight daily to provide what they can for their children, and the students who are their best each day despite whatever challenges and obstacles they face.  Finally, I'm thankful for the reminder that, despite the principalship being a somewhat thankless job, that it's really not about me.

I'm thankful that the "pats on the back" that principals do get come from ensuring a quality teacher in front of each child, improving student achievement, guaranteeing that each child feels a connection with at least one adult, making families feel welcome and a part of their child's education, and helping everyone feel a part of something bigger than themselves. 

Leading as an "Expert"

As a novice in certain areas of life, I have learned a lot about what I expect from experts. For example, I trust my doctor, lawyer, veterinarian, dentist, etc to stay up-to-date with relevant research & experience that informs the advice they give me. I trust their expertise and I choose to work with these experts because of their approach and knowledge.

 

On the other side of the coin, I'm aware of my expertise, training, & experience in aspects of education. I have learned from being both a novice and an expert. As an expert who leads, I have learned it's my responsibility to (1) help others understand the current landscape by cultivating the need  and (2) lead KISS interventions.

 

Cultivating the Need

It's important for experts to present data to inform decisions. I visited my doctor the other week and he performed a few tests, printed out information about a potential diagnosis, and explained my test results to me in relation to the symptoms listed for potential concerns. In the end, everything ended up just fine with my health. Through this experience, though, I realized the process my doctor went through with me is what needs to happen on a regular basis in education.

 

Educational leaders must present information and data about potential concerns before beginning interventions. This can help create a shared understanding of the need. On top of that, just as a farmer cultivates the soil to make sure crops grow each season, leaders must continually cultivate the need with stakeholders.

 

This makes me wonder: How are we, as educational leaders, purposefully identifying & communicating needs to change/intervene/update antiquated systems with stakeholders? How are we using data to inform our cultivation of a shared understanding about the need? How are we using data to inform how we communicate with stakeholders on a regular basis? How are we connecting our work back to our strategic plan in a relevant way for stakeholders, leveraging a data informed and results driven approach?

 

Example: My school has been studying the 90-90-90 schools approach over the last few years. Teachers looked at the data and interventions. They've discussed the need for ongoing, job-embedded professional development (PD) and a shared understanding of this need was created. Then, when a PD Plan that involved monthly PD instead of occasional inservice days was voted on, teachers passed it this fall. We continue cultivating this need by developing PD that's responsive to shifting needs, collecting feedback from teachers about PD, aligning our work with research, & communicating about the PD with stakeholders.
 

Keep It Simple & Sustainable (KISS)

I met with an educational leader the other month who told me many leaders say interventions should involve KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid. In his district, however, KISS stands for Keep It Simple & Sustainable. Two things I've learned about sustainability are to have a "Who else?" mindset and to move ahead with clarity amongst stakeholders. Keeping It Simple supports these pieces.

Sustainability means consistently thinking "Who else?" on a regular basis. Who else...in our feeder pattern/region should we involve? ...should we connect with from our community organizations on this? ....should we communicate progress updates with? ...should vet this before we send it out? ...is passionate about this topic? ...is knowledgeable? Who else?

 

Once we live with a "Who else?" mindset, we can focus on clarity- around the need, intervention, monitoring system, evaluation timeline/protocol, communication plan, etc. All of our stakeholders are potential marketers and we can generate an even deeper sense of sustainability if stakeholders understand the need for an intervention, the intervention itself, & why we're going with a certain intervention. Again, this understanding must be cultivated as stakeholders turnover, new research emerges, and data on the evaluation of our intervention develops.

 

Example: I've learned a great deal about developing sustainable systems from my work at the district and site level. Several years ago, I started at a district office working as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) for instructional technology. I quickly realized a professional development (PD) program developed around my skills and expertise wouldn't last long - we needed both an intervention to the current setup and a system of support. I worked with district administration to develop a train the trainer program for teacher leaders. In order to maintain high quality PD, we created a gradual release protocol where trainers collaborated with me to co-write PD lesson plans, co-trained/presented with me several times, participated in coaching sessions with me, and eventually engaged in a monthly PLC with other teacher trainers. We implemented program evaluation best practices to support the analysis of feedback from PD participants and determine the value added by the PD system. Our trainers used PLC time to examine data that informed their decisions in moving forward with strands of PD. Although I am no longer working with the district instructional technology program, I'm happy I see the PD system continues to support teachers and leaders in a sustainable manner.

 

Just as I trust the experts in my life - doctor, lawyer, veterinarian, dentist, etc - stakeholders trust us (educational experts) to provide visionary leadership and to lead the best educational systems possible. They trust us to prepare all of our students for success. They trust us to provide leadership for appropriate change. Each day, it is our responsibility to do just that through cultivating the need and utilizing a KISS approach.

Want additional reading?

• The Power of Framing: Creating the Language of Leadership by Fairhurst (2011)
• Organizational Development: The Process of Leading Organizational Change by Anderson (2012)

Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_Leading-as-an-34Expert34/blog/6559058/127586.html

WILL #10

What I Learned Lately (WILL 13/14 #10) by Dr. Josh Garcia @Garciaj9Josh


11/26/2013
“Gravity – I can’t see you but I can feel your ever presence”


In the past two weeks, I have been absent from my reflections.  As I paused long enough to ask why, I found that I feared the truth of my perceptions and the reality that they create in our shared world.  The past few weeks have been surrounded by the sickness of family and friends, the death of a local hero, the mislabeling of information that determines “success” and the “high” of hope and optimism that tomorrow will bring a better day.  This conflict of emotions have left me tired and cold.
During this time I have been left to question.  Why do we work so hard for the particular?  Through this questioning, I have once again been warmed by the sense of the reflection.  I have come to learn that in the particular is the universal.  By not letting the system of gravity change us, we instead change the system.  In other words, in the fight for a specific or particular cause we are ultimately hoping to make a universal change for a better world.  It is not the instant gratification we seek in our daily battles, but rather the idea that somehow and in some way our world will be better from our daily efforts.  As the days get darker and the colder, I find that I need to reflect even harder to keep my internal fire burning.  Fortunately, I don’t need to seek to far for inspiration.  I am extremely thankful for my teachers and I am thankful for being apart our team.   A team that is relentlessly focusing on the particular child, all the time knowing that we are ultimately fighting for a universal better world for all our children.


Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Finally from Marilyn Nelson,
“Dusting”
Thank you for these tiny particles of ocean salt, pearl-necklace viruses, winged protozoans: for the infinite, intricate shapes of submicroscopic living things.

For algae spores and fungus spores, bonded by vital mutual genetic cooperation, spreading their inseparable lives from equator to pole.

My hand, my arm, make sweeping circles.
Dust climbs the ladder of light.
For this infernal, endless chore, for these eternal seeds of rain:
Thank you. For dust.

Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_What-I-Learned-Lately-WILL-1314-10/blog/6558162/127586.html

WILL #9

What I Learned Lately (WILL 13/14 #9) by Dr. Josh Garcia @Garciaj9Josh

11/4/2013
“The First Quarter”

We are nine weeks into the school year.  This means we have approximately 135 days left to reach every student and ensure they have grown academically and socially and emotionally.  This is a fascinating time of year.  In many cases we are coming off the high opening schools.  The new students and new colleagues have settled in and we have begun to identify what works and what doesn’t based on a variety of variables.  This is also the time of year when we have the pressure and celebration of the holiday season.  For many this can be a time of thanks and for others it is a time of struggle.  I am reminded of the complexity of emotions for not only our students but also staff.  Add to this complexity, there is the “real world” of politics, economics, health issues and general everyday life.  Just writing this, I can feel my chest tighten…

Like many of our students, this is the time where I want to either take flight or fight.  For me, the tension gets so thick that I feel I want to crawl out of my skin.  The challenge of fighting for change, the desire to want to run from difficult conversations, the reality that many of our students are struggling academically, cold, hungry and constantly reminded of what they don’t have.  Although I am aware of this tension, I am left to think about how much I can push without breaking myself or those who also serve our students.  I know there is sweet spot during this time for all of us.  A spot where we can truly keep moving forward, while celebrating our past, present and future.  Willy Wonka once said, "Little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous. So don't be alarmed."  As I think about the next 135 days, I excited to fight for the little surprises that we can create for our students. I leave you with a deep breath and an exhale…


Finally from Emily Dickinson,
“If I Can Stop”
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_WILL-1314-9/blog/6555484/127586.html?b=

Don't drive angry!

Don’t drive angry!

For those of you who quote the movie Groundhog’s Day, you may not have to watch this 45-second clip to appreciate my references in this post.  For others, its worth less than a minute of your time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBpw1sdFu2w

I kept waiting to write this post, hoping to be healthier, not exhausted.  Don’t blog tired!  Now on my second round of antibiotics, weary and not thinking straight – I’m writing it anyways.  (Cue Phil, “She might be okay. Well..no, probably not now.")

How many times do we work late, work weekends, work sick, work tired?  It doesn’t honor a commitment to the “whole person,” let alone reason.  Honoring the whole person means we tend to the physical, mental, and spiritual.  Relentlessly focusing on the academic betrays whole child education, so why do we do it to ourselves? ("You've gotta check your mirrors...side of the eye, side of the eye.")

To be fair, my boss said, “You need to take some time.”  Tell me….how does that work?  You know it can be harder to NOT be there, than to just drag yourself into work.  The two times I did step away from my office, I received dogging emails asking, “Where are you?  Students are looking for you.” ("Hey, they're chasing us.  C'mon...make it fun!")

Am I giving them my best right now?  (Considering I just tried to get into someone else’s car, I am probably making mistakes at work too.)  Am I being fair to my family, pushing myself into further illness?  Am I modeling self-care and education of body, mind, and spirit?  So, am I so important that a short absence would turn the world on its ear?  I think we all know the answer to that.  None of us are, and it would be silly to think that our place of work would cease to function without us.  However, we do have a lot of people who count on us.  But they aren’t just counting on us to show up.  Sometimes they are watching more than that – and we are modeling the way regarding life balance, self-care, and respect.  

Despite being born on Groundhog's Day, I know I don't get a redo of today.  I can't push myself until I drive off the cliff.  What's great is that I DO get a redo tomorrow, and I've got some ground to cover. 

I just need to remember….don’t drive angry.

Listen to what is being said...

It goes without saying that those in education have ‘a lot on their plate’ these days. I would bet that it has been less than 24 hours since you’ve last thought, said, or heard “when will I find time…” or “there aren’t enough hours in the day…” But, somehow, we always manage to make that plate a little bigger and do more because it’s what’s in the best interest for kids.

In our district we have ‘building PD’ once a month for 90 minutes.  These opportunities are typically designed by the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) - based on the identified needs of staff - and align with our school and district initiatives. For over a year we’ve been focusing on the idea of accountable talk and offering focused sessions through a differentiated PD approach.  Through surveys of staff, sharing of student work, and classroom walk-throughs it is evident that staff has bought in. Students are engaged in deeper levels of authentic conversation, carefully listening to one another, speaking in complete sentences, and building arguments with claim and evidence. The school-wide efforts can be seen all over and the staff is proud of their efforts and what skills students have learned through this focus.

While this has been exciting work, it’s not the only thing we do. We had reached a crossroads coming into this school year – everyone could feel it, no one could put their finger on it. Our ILT met several times with the intent of planning the next steps for professional development and it just wasn’t feeling right.  Staff was surveyed on their next needs from PD and we even spent time diving into the different ways a teacher could immerse in professional development. There was uncertainty of whether we continue focusing on accountable talk or if there was a different, broader direction that made sense. What we did know was that there is a definite momentum among the staff to grow professionally and we didn’t want to lose that.

So we listened – really listened – to what the staff was saying. We put aside the surveys about professional development and listened to what they were really saying in the lunchroom, in their team meetings, in observation and goal conferences, and to one another. What we heard were things like What about GLAD, do we still do that? or I don’t have time for ____ because now I do accountable talk.

It became clear that over the past few years of different initiatives brought on by the school, district and/or state that we had not messaged the purpose of professional development accurately. As our instructional coach said in last week’s meeting with staff, the purpose of our professional development is to build and strengthen our capacity for instructional design and decision-making. Accountable talk is a component of instructional design.

After having our staff each fill a paper plate with all of the different things we do as staff members at our school, our facilitators recorded as the staff shared out. The list had about 75 different items when we were finished which was eye-opening to everyone in the room, yet also validating of their hard work. As a staff, we highlighted the items which directly relate to instructional design and decision-making, making special note that accountable was one component. We didn't want to send a message that we were abandoning this most recent focus. 

Knowing that our staff responds well to the idea of having differentiated PD, we now have our next steps in our PD plans. Each staff member has identified their top 3 components from the highlighted list to focus on and strengthen their understanding through a variety of PD approaches. Additionally, each staff member identified the top 3 ideas in which they feel confident and would be willing to share in the planning of a PD offering for colleagues.

The new charge for our ILT is to now look at the identified needs and plan for who and how the PD will be offered. There is a new excitement among staff knowing that we are going to have the opportunity dive deeper into the already-great things we are doing. It’s not about adding to your plate with another thing. Rather, it’s feeling confident and competent about the tools, strategies, and content to effectively reach and teach our students.

Elements of Success

The other day I told my principal I was pondering what to write about for my upcoming Leading & Learning blog post. He turned to me and said, "Well, you've been here a while now. Why don't you write about what makes you a successful leader here?" Great idea! He and I quickly brainstormed the key points below. This is dedicated to all the deans and assistant principals out there as I share what's been working for me.

Communication & Relationships
Communication with my principal, office staff, our specialists & family liaison, paras, teachers, students, and families is key. I've learned to differentiate the mode of communication (face to face, email, phone) based on the situation and individual(s) with whom I'm communicating.

Example: Adults, sometimes get stressed out around testing and I've learned part of that has to do with a concern about student progress reflecting on our work as educators. It can be a challenge to hold test scores up as a mirror to reflect the impact of our instruction! That's why, when we administered the STAR Test on computers for the first time this year, we was particularly conscious of our methods used to communicate updates. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were faced with a challenge the Friday afternoon before our week of testing. Thankfully, we'd been in face to face contact with teachers all week to provide clarification and support. So, when our team sent out the revised testing schedule for the upcoming week, my principal and I made ourselves available by being visible and we checked in with classroom teachers to answer questions. We were able to clarify & confirm updates on the spot. Our initial round of testing ended up running pretty smoothly and we continued face to face/email communication throughout the week.

Follow-Through & Support
One of the most important roles a leader plays is that of "support". People deserve to have leaders follow through with protocols, next steps, goals, values, etc.

Example: Last spring, our staff updated our Professional Code of Conduct (norms) and made a commitment to live out these professional agreements on a daily basis at work. One of the norms we created is: Go to the source. When colleagues comes to me with a wonder or question that is really for someone else (early childhood team, instructional coach, principal, etc.), I generally give a brief response based on my knowledge and encourage them to go to the source/leader/individual who is coordinating the work they wonder about to gain in depth clarification. I then follow-up with both the person to whom I sent them and the individual(s) asking the question. By doing this I am following-through on living our Professional Code of Conduct, while also following-through with support for teams and individuals to make sure questions are answered.

Questioning for Clarity
As a leader, I represent a lot of perspectives, teams, and initiatives. In order to fully understand, lead, and represent, different aspects of our school, I've developed a "seek to understand" mentality.

Example Questions: What is the goal? What do we hope to accomplish? What might success look like? How might we measure success? How does this make a difference for students? How might we know it made a difference for our students? How does it impact different stakeholders? How could we communicate with stakeholders? What supports might be needed? What existing supports do we have? How does this support other initiatives? How might we need to shift our allocation of resources (fiscal/human) to support this work?

Self Care

I've learned to try and get enough sleep, eat healthy, participate in weekly joint immediate/in-law family dinners, volunteer within my community, walk my dog, & use online resources (ASCD free webinars, articles via Twitter, etc.) to develop as a professional. Surprisingly, maintaining Self Care is quite the challenge! It takes a conscious effort on a daily basis in terms of scheduling and communicating. I continually go back to Covey's work, however, around balance to help remind me of the importance Self Care has.

Example: Making sure my body gets the nutrients it needs (beyond a multiple vitamin), is essential. I schedule time on the weekends to go grocery shopping with my husband. Then, we come home and make lunches for the week. This weekend we bought frozen soup in bulk - just add water, boil for 40 mins., & you have a lot of soup that can be eaten and frozen! I look forward to feasting on tomato basil or cream of broccoli soup for lunch each day alongside crackers, cheese, & fruit. For breakfast, I buy disposable cups in which I put non-fat Greek yogurt, fruit, and granola each morning. Sometimes I feel guilty about using disposable cups, but I know this keeps me on track with getting the nutrients my body needs. On that note, a friend of mine found washing her "to go" mugs from coffee each day became too much to keep up with so she bought paper disposable cups + lids. She now puts coffee from her Keurig in a low-cost disposable cup every morning. This reduces the urge to stop by a coffee stand and provides similar convenience.

Cross-Posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_Elements-of-Success/blog/6556474/127586.html

WILL #8

What I Learned Lately (WILL 13/14 #8) by Dr. Josh Garcia @Garciaj9Josh

“The Grass Is Not Always Greener”

At this time of year in the great Pacific Northwest there is lots of fog.  The days are getting darker and many of us long for the sunshine.  It also the time where we start having “family/teacher” conferences.  In many cases, families and staff go into these events with a little angst, not knowing what will be a bright spot or what will add to the haze of clarity on how to help our shared students.  Perceptions are such a driving force in this dance. 

As families we have perceptions about our own experiences of school.  Ultimately we just want to know if our children are safe, engaged, supported, challenged and in a healthy environment.  Often we are in unchartered waters, either this is our first child experiencing this grade level/school or our children are so different that we experiencing something new at home as well as at school.  As staff, we have perceptions about what perceptions families may have about us, our schools and public education as a whole.  We have to not only know our students individually well enough to guide them, we need to think about what strategies we can provide families to help their children at home.  We want to be clear and honest about each child’s strengths and areas of growth, but don’t want to feel offensive.  We want to help our families, but also need to be aware of our limitations of time and resources.  For me, I am aware of both sides of the dance and always trying to different strategies to help my needs as a parent as well as honor the staff that are serving my children.

This week a master teacher taught me a few new strategies.  She starts by asking families to describe what they are seeing at home when they are working with their child (assessing their perceptions about their student). 

Next, she has the family watch a short video that she has filmed of the student doing some grade level work (establishing a shared context for the conversation and showing what the engagement or non-engagement looks like in the class). 

Showing her human side, she is honest about her new learning of technology and her limitations(establishing that we are all learning and to take risks).

Then she asks them what they saw and their thoughts (facilitating reflection, this may be the first time the family has seen their child learning at school). 

She builds off of their comments and talks about what they are doing in class to either provide additional support and or challenge the child during the day (reassuring their child is safe, engaged, supported and challenged). 

Working from the standards and skills, she has a few generic strategies that are related to the standards/skills that can be replicated at home.  Often these are skills that reinforce academic stamina, solid work habits, and are simpler versions of what she doing in the class already (reinforcing healthy habits that we all can support). 

She reminds the family that this work needs to be low stress and not fight, “start slow and be consistent” (finding safe ways to challenge their child at home).  Finally, she asks the families to contact her every few weeks to get an update and share what they are seeing at home (reinforcing the partnership without all the ownership lying on the teacher). 

I was reminded that we have world class teachers and world class principals in our schools.  Our teachers and principals have never been more challenged and met those challenges at higher levels than ever before.  I know there are challenges in our schools across our Nation.  I am not blind to the realities that not every child in our country has a world class teacher, every day. 

However, there are many schools, cities and states that our global partners may want to come examine.  With relentless pressure to provide quick fixes and national propaganda about the lack of the success of our schools, maybe we should look closer at the numbers (http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/infographics/math-achievement-globally.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1).  In our state we are not perfect, but we are becoming world class.  

This week in Washington it is Principal Appreciation Week, I am thankful for our world class principals.  Their successes are marked in more than a single test score, but rather the 1000’s of lives they save every day.  In Tacoma, we have some the world’s best educational leaders.  Although there may be foggy days in our area, rest assure there is sunshine behind the clouds for our students, for that I am humbly grateful.

Finally from David Whelan’s “My View of Fog”,
Ask any ten people, 'what's the odor of fog? ' And...
you'll get different replies, from ten different guys,
from brisk, briny sea smell, to smell of wet dog,
to perfume worn by Neptune, essence of clouds
and blue skies

I think that fog is something and nought.
A wraith of perception
suffused with deception
as easily at home…
in fact
or in thought
Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_WILL-1314-8/blog/6554290/127586.html?b=

WILL #7

What I Learned Lately (WILL 13/14 #7) by Dr. Josh Garcia (@Garciaj9Josh)

What Does Love Have To Do With It? 

Early one morning this week, before anyone was up and the first cup of coffee was even sipped, my son asked me if I loved my job.  I smiled and said yes, thinking that this would be the end of the conversation.  I was wrong… Like I was being sprayed with a fire hose, he hit me in rapid fire with the following:
How can you love going to all those meetings?  How can you love something that make you so tired? How can you love people who make you mad?  How can you love something that makes you cry?  How can you love something people are talking bad about?  How can you love something, people are fighting against?  How can you love something so big?  How can you love something that is so hard to explain?  How can you love something when you see people die and be hurt?  How can you love something that makes you spend time away from us? 

I took a “big drink of coffee” and smiled, thinking to myself “wow, you are thinking about some heavy stuff for being so young and so early in the morning.  I asked him, “Why are you asking all these questions”. He looked at me with pure clarity and said, “Dad you fight for them like you fight for us”.

What did I learn this week?  I learned that even though it may not be politically correct, that it is ok to love your work, the people you serve and the people who you work with.  Most of this week, I have reflected on my son’s questions and I know I am not alone in my love.  I am proud of our schools and the people that work in them.  I am proud of our city and its commitment to getting better and supporting our students.  On this cold, foggy Friday, I proud to say, “I Love Tacoma”.   
Finally from Merriam-Webster,
Love,
a (1):  strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

Cross-posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_WILL-1314-7/blog/6554160/127586.html

No Secret Sauce on This Burger

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure"

Colin Powell

What makes a burger great? Why do people choose to buy their burgers from one place over another? Is it the choice of meat? Is it the freshness of the bun or the lettuce and tomato? Or is it the special sauce that you can only get in one place?

I have talked with colleagues about my views in education and I have used the burger analogy often. I can get a burger anywhere, but I have clear opinions about the best burgers. The same is true for education. Students can learn anywhere, but they have clear opinions about the best teachers. If the students are supposed to be getting the same thing no matter where they go to school or who they have for a teacher then the question that must be answered is what makes one burger (or teacher) more desirable than the other? How do we get all burgers (or teachers) to at least be the best they possibly can be.

As we think about what makes burgers great, I want to focus on the things we all can see: freshness of the ingredients, quality of service, and options and customization. What I do not want to focus on is the secret sauce. We cannot use the secret sauce to make all burgers better. The secret sauce is a secret, and therefore it cannot be transmitted or shared. I have often heard people say things like a colleague was a "born teacher" or "just had that special something" that made them good. It often seems to me that we often think that what makes a teacher great is their secret sauce, the special things they do that are inherent in who they are. The unique things in their classroom or about their personality that cannot be reproduced and shared are what separate the gourmet from the dollar menu.

I have also found that teachers, once they have a secret sauce, do not want to share it. They want to hold into it because the enjoy being popular, or successful or well regarded. They see the secret sauce as what makes them unique and special. As a leader, I want everyone to feel that way, not just the one or two people that, "have it figured out." I also want all of my students to get a great education, not just the ones that have the teachers with the secret sauce.

We have to get away from the secret sauce mentality in education. While this sounds easy in theory, it is much more difficult in practice. Many teachers have spent years developing their secret sauce: highly polished lesson plans, powerpoints, simulations, or modes of delivery. They have made an investment and want a return. To break out of the secret sauce mentality, we have to get teachers to recognize that they get more when they give more.

We cannot believe that there are any secrets to what we do, and instead need to share our best practices with each other. Only if we do that, would we be able to make the system great, instead of depending upon the flashes of greatness of our staff. If we want greatness to be more than a flash, we will need to share the secrets.

As leaders we have to be concerned with the system, and creating systems that ensure success, and not just about individuals that are part of the system. This does not mean that we treat people poorly, or that we treat them like they are interchangeable, but that we take the best from everyone to make everyone their best. Focus on what we can do, what we can see, what we can share in the classroom and in our schools to make the experience of all students great. If we hold on to the secret sauce, will never get a better burger for everyone.

Defining Failure

I was recently interviewed by a school for a leadership position and was caught off-guard by this question:  When have you failed as a leader and what did you do about it? 

 

I am certainly not a perfect leader and have made my fair share of mistakes, but I really struggle with the term, or any derivation of “fail”.  What does it mean to fail?  What does it mean to fail if you haven’t defined what success looks like?  If you are making marked improvements towards but not yet achieving the definition of “success”, are you failing? 

 

As leaders, we have those days when we feel less effective than others; when we aren’t seeing the gains in student achievement, improved instruction, or a positive shift in the culture of our schools.  There are those days when we feel we have failed our students, our teams, and ourselves.  Yes, I have had many of those days.

 

Are we failures or have we failed in any of these situations?  I would venture to say that we haven’t.  We only “fail” when we don’t demonstrate and act with courage in response to adversity.  We only “fail” when we allow intended or unintended immoral, inequitable, or unjust acts to occur without trying whole-heartedly to prevent them.  We only “fail” when we refuse to courageously fight for what is right in spite of obstacles, big and small.

 

In response to the question from the interview, I asked what the interviewer meant by the term “fail.”  Not intending to turn the question back on him, that’s what happened.  He struggled to define what it means to fail and rephrased the question.  Tell me about a mistake you have made as a leader and how you responded.  This question I could much more confidently respond to -with many examples.  Instead of focusing on the mistake, I was able to elaborate on the successes experienced due to my own courage and the courageous professionals around me.  Failure is not an act, it’s a refusal to act.


“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston Churchill

At the table or on the table?

I was able to go to Washington DC in September to meet with representatives of Congress across minority and majority groups – House and Senate, as well as the Department of Education.  The first challenge for me is to try to work with the awe-factor that is immediately induced by the witness of monuments, the Capitol building, and the feeling of power in the air.  I have to remember – in one way, this is just someone’s workplace. 

But in another – it is the fulcrum that will pivot our nation based upon policies it chooses to adopt….or not.

I vividly recall my first years of teaching, head down, trying to get from day to day.  And with all the changes upon education, I can’t imagine ever feeling much different than that.  What I didn’t understand was the impact of federal and state policies on my day-to-day practice.  Only later in my career did I really feel an obligation to better understand these policies and become vocal about their adoption.

In a hallway conversation yesterday, a colleague told me that developing lessons to be formally observed under our state’s current evaluation model added, on average, about 9 additional work hours in the district she visited.  Still – even knowing that – I had the gall to ask, “Why aren’t more teachers involved in policy?  What are they doing that is more important?”  One of my students cheekily replied, “Nine hours of lesson planning for their evaluations.”

Touché.

So, educators are becoming increasingly consumed by the time-costs of mandates, and decreasingly able to participate in policy conversations about those very mandates?  Fantastic.  Great recipe.

My boss said in meeting last week, “I’d rather be at the table than on the table.”  So, I have found some ways to get to the table.  I’d like to share them with you.

No one can keep up with everything, but the ASCD has help for you.  You can do as little or as much as you are ready and willing to do.  If you go to the website below, you can become an “Educator Advocate.”  You will get a weekly newsletter that gives overviews of key issues for teachers, email alerts on issues where you can make a difference, and see other opportunities that are ready for you when you are ready for them.  (One I suggest – LILA:  Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy.  At the end of January – only a couple days – and they teach you most of what you need to jump into the politics of education.  Last time I went, I met with my state senators and representatives personally.)

http://www.ascd.org/public-policy/Educator-Advocates.aspx

Hope to see you at the table!

Suzann

WILL #6

What I Learned Lately (WILL 13/14 #5) by Dr. Josh Garcia (@Garciaj9Josh)

When I was growing up, I wasn’t always proud of my address.  I was pretty sure, I would never grow
up to be anything “royal”.  In fact I don’t think I really understood what a royal was.  As a kid, I needed to learn to dream.  I needed to learn to dream in color, I needed to learn to see the love my family was giving me.  Ultimately, I needed to learn how to learn.  Over the course of my life, I needed to learn how to be a producer and not just a processor.  A producer not for myself but a producer on behalf of others.  This often brought me close to the “fire”.  Recently I was asked by a group of students to reflect on how to produce and not just process an idea to death.  Here was my thinking:

#1 Move carefully,
If they tell to only do 2 things, do 3,
Outwork everyone,
Don’t let them tell you to stop,

#2 When you ask yourself, where is the “Love”, look in the mirror,
Don’t look at the haters, look past them,
When they are all in your ear, because they will be in your ear… Breathe…
Take a deep breathe, a really big one and know that you are in control of you

#3  The reason we practice every day is that it’s easy to stray from the view; everything else in our life pulls us in different directions, stay focused
The more we’re able to gather our attention and focus,
The stronger our mind becomes,
The stronger the experience becomes, and
The stronger the result becomes

#4 What marks the border between small motivation and great motivation is a shift in focus from own happiness to that of others.
Be your own ruler,
Be your own dreamer,
Create your own reality by bettering the reality of others.

I am even clearer now that I will never be a royal.  However, I am very proud of my address (I am 253), because I now know the structure does not define the interior.  Recently, I experienced “We Day Tacoma” and it solidified my views above.  Real people willing to produce on behalf of others.  A title doesn’t define quality.  People define quality by their willingness to stand for something.

Finally,
"Fire is something we should all embrace - it has changed "mankind".  Be willing to stand next to the fire - you may change the way we live."

Cross-post: http://edge.ascd.org/_WILL-1314-6/blog/6552536/127586.html

What is the Goodness of your School?

Shortly after I accepted the position of principal this summer I had a student show up to school on his bicycle to see me. The school year wasn't scheduled to start for another three weeks. Having worked at this same school for the past 3 years I knew this student quite well. We had a great conversation about his summer, the books he is now reading, his family vacation, and the excitement about being a 5^th grader.  

On his way out the door of my office he turned back around and said, “Ms. Clayton, this is really cool.” When I prompted further to understand what he was referring to, he said, “You know how the teachers and students at our school always talk about being college bound and that you can work towards whatever job you want? Well you did that. You went to UW last year, worked really hard and now you get to be the principal. The kids at this school can see what that really means now.”

His insightful comment has run through my mind a million times this fall. It was present as our staff came back together in August and engaged in activities relating to the culture of our building. Providing the opportunity for the staff to reflect on the goodness of our school was a powerful experience and continues to weave through our conversations and decision-making processes.

With simple prompts including What is the goodness of Lake Hills? and What brings you back to the work each day/year? we created a foundation of core beliefs, understandings, and values between staff members. The conversations were deeply rooted in the passion and commitment to reaching the needs of every learner. There was a clear emphasis on educating the whole child and a desire to always remember that our students are more than test scores.

In navigating these first several weeks of the school year I am constantly reminded of the above experiences. As I've walked through classrooms, interacted with staff, students, and families, observed instruction, and attended meetings with parents and community members, I constantly see evidence that all the different parts of the school are interconnected.

It is in those smaller, daily moments when evidence of school-wide efforts are present that our passion for the work is refueled. When you happen to overhear students having a conversation with one another about what it means to go to college you know the messages are being internalized. Similarly, when an emphasis on more parent engagement shows in record attendance for curriculum night or when a student meets their daily goal for positive behavior we are reminded of the importance of our work.

So, I ask you…

How do you gauge or assess the goodness of your school?

As the building leader what signs are you looking for that the school's vision and mission are grounding the work occurring in the school building? 

What does it look like and sound like when the needs of every child are being addressed and action is put into place to ensure each child is on the path to success? 

In what ways do your school-wide goals, efforts, and initiatives get assessed each day? 

What evidence do you have to show that efforts are transferring to students, families, and the community? Similarly, what evidence to you have to show that your school and staff are responsive to the ideas and needs of students, families, and the community?

 What is the goodness of YOUR school?