tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71888034408105633422024-02-07T01:36:53.194-08:00Brave and HappyGlennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-43209549739707332482020-03-03T14:16:00.002-08:002020-03-03T14:16:40.107-08:00Cornfield Races and Other Things That Need ImprovementImagine running a race down across a recently-harvested corn field. Bumpy, lumpy rows of dirt and rocks, scattered with cornstalk pieces and random ears of corn. This would definitely not be a place to hold a race. No record times would be recorded and a few twisted ankles would most likely occur. Unfortunately, your supervisor and your company require weekly measures of your performance in the plowed corn field dash. They say this metric helps the overall measure of the organization.<br />
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Even though you realize that there is no meaningful purpose to run a race across a plowed-up corn field, you continue to run this race because it is mandatory. You may complain to your coworkers, hopeless that things will get better. Some folks might even mention the issues regarding the mandatory race to their supervisor, hoping to be heard. A few brave souls make recommendations.<br />
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After enough of these seemingly meaningless runs, quite a few folks would stop trying. Others would simply grit their teeth, go through the motions to finish, then go on with their lives as if nothing happened. Many would find a reason to exempt themselves. Pretty much everyone would continue to wonder why nothing is ever done to improve the race or end it altogether.<br />
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Every school has hundreds of little processes, procedures and protocols. Very few of them are perfect. Most of them work just fine. They accomplish the purpose. Many of them are like the cornfield race.<br />
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Potential improvements to the current processes, procedures, and protocols are plentiful on every campus. Does your campus make tweaks or full-scale changes that improve processes on a regular basis? Or, does your campus keep the status quo and only make changes during the summer?<br />
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In order to lead a teacher-centered campus, school leaders must address many of these on a regular basis. Teachers want processes to improve and are usually willing to help with the improvement process. As a former principal, There were very few days that I did not hear a desired improvement from someone.<br />
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Sometimes, the reply was simple, "Great idea! Would you like to take care of that or would you like me to take care of it?" Sometimes the reply was, "Tell me more," or, "How will this be beneficial?" or, "Who else can sit down with us and talk about this more deeply?" The easiest answer I gave was, "Yes! I'll take care of it!"<br />
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There are tons of experts that will tell a leader to keep your head down and focus on your hedgehog concept. Maintain a keen focus on the big rocks. While I agree in so many ways, a school leader must address the cornfield races. Minimize the bothersome practices that teachers must endure. When teachers are clearly just jumping through hoops, make the situation better or make the hoop easier to jump through. Don't ignore teacher's requests for improvement.<br />
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Whether the problem is like a grain of sand between the toes or it is a cornfield race, don't wait to make it better.Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-86592123590623077322020-02-13T15:18:00.003-08:002020-02-13T15:18:23.630-08:00Visible and AvailableTeacher-centered principals visit classrooms all the time. They do so without doing official walkthroughs. They visit without looking to coach or guide the teacher. They visit to simply give praise and notice something good! If the teaching and learning aren't exactly easy to praise, the principal can talk to kids. Build relationships. It only takes minutes!<br />
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A teacher-centered principal is available. An open-door policy means that teacher can walk right in when the door is open. The door doesn't always need to be open. Close it when you need to. Leave a note on your door stating why it is closed. Teachers typically respect the amount of work principals do.<br />
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Being available also means making sure you are available before school each day. Walking around the building before the tardy bell rings can do wonders for your visibility and your availability. Likewise, walking around after dismissal does the same thing. It doesn't need to be every day, but often enough for teachers to see you regularly for no specific reason at all. It is tough when you need administrative support just a bit late and there never seems to be an administrator around.<br />
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Personally, I believe the principal should almost always arrive prior to anyone's morning duty each and every day. If the first teachers hit their duty spots at 7:05 a.m., I believe the principal should be on campus by that time most days. It is disheartening for teachers to see the campus administration rolling in after the official start time for all teachers. Personally again, I believe the campus administration should stay extra late every now and then and walk around the building. It is important to touch base with the teachers who stay late.<br />
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A teacher-centered principal also asks for feedback anonymously on a regular basis. It is important to do so more often than the annual district survey. Principals should ask often enough so that teachers believe that their input is valued.<br />
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Visible and available.<br />
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*** Also, teacher-centered principals make these things happen realistically. If you are the last one on campus for a couple of evening events, give yourself some grace and sleep an extra 30 minutes. If you need to leave once a week a few minutes early to see your own kid's basketball game, by all means go! ***Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-19571226549036239922020-02-12T14:40:00.001-08:002020-02-12T14:40:24.650-08:00Walk the TalkThere are plenty of folks to tell us that the job of a campus administrator is to create a culture for teachers to thrive. They tell us that the principal has the power to mold a school culture either positively or negatively. An excellent school culture for teachers makes an excellent school for student learning.<br />
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"We do what is best for kids!"<br />
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This is definitely at the heart of what good schools do. Successful principals spend a great deal of time doing what is best for teachers. In a teacher-centered school, principals walk the talk. The principal makes sure his/her actions match his/her words.<br />
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For example, if the school leadership spends time talking about engaging lessons, then every PD opportunity needs to model engagement. Don't give teachers feedback about engagement levels in their classrooms if you don't ask them for feedback during your faculty meetings.<br />
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Another example, every time you interact with a kid in front of the staff, you are modeling how you want them treated. Every time. Sure, there may a few outliers that require a much more stern interaction. The teachers know which kids are the outliers.<br />
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Also, teaching is not an eight-hour-day job. Teachers are expected to get it "all" done regardless of how many hours it takes. Principals need to model that willingness as well. Sure, teachers and principals can take work home. School leaders also need to model a willingness to occasionally stay late and support the teachers who stay at school after hours. Principals should be one of the first ones in the door every day too. Model your willingness to be there!<br />
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A final example, make your own personal learning and improvement efforts transparent. Teachers are expected to get better throughout the year. Learning and improvement is a never-ending process for teachers. School leaders need to publicly share their learning and improvement efforts. Share your goals. Get their feedback. Model your desire to improve and the work you put into it! <br />
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If you say that your BIG ROCKS are higher-level thinking skills, kind and considerate children, and writing across the curriculum, be sure that pretty much everything you do touches on one of those rocks. It can't be a big rock if you rarely address it.<br />
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A teacher-centered principal walks the talk.Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-6600981509500696052020-01-31T14:35:00.001-08:002020-01-31T14:35:58.632-08:00JeansI'm wearing jeans today. It is a Friday. It is jeans day.<br />
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In many schools, jeans are not professional enough to wear as a teacher unless it is a special occasion.<br />
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Jeans day. Jeans pass. Special jean allowance. I wish I could wear jeans. Did you see Ms. So-and-so...she is wearing jeans today! Are you going to donate $5 so you can wear jeans next week? Hurry up, Mr. Smith...if our whole team completes this task, we all get to wear jeans on Monday! College t-shirt day means jeans! The temperature is under 32 degrees which means jeans! Holiday break jeans week! Field trip = jeans.<br />
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With all of the millions of things teachers could be talking about, I am surprised at how often the topic of conversation turns to jeans. It is almost funny that it is such a big deal. Moreso, the fact that jeans are still an issue is silly.<br />
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My current district's dress code in the employee handbook is simple:<br />
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<b>"An employee’s dress and grooming shall be clean, neat, in a manner appropriate for his or her
assignment, and in accordance with any additional standards established by his or her
supervisor and approved by the Superintendent."</b><br />
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It says nothing about jeans, but I don't know of a campus in this district that allows jeans, or better stated, I don't know of a campus in this district that has made jeans a non-issue.<br />
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Another local district is much more specific. Their employee dress code has fourteen specific points for teachers to follow. It spells out what can be worn and cannot be worn. It also offers suggestions. There are four, well-written exceptions to those fourteen rules too. The best part of that dress code states that males are encouraged to wear ties, but dress shirts with turtlenecks are acceptable. When was the last time you saw a male elementary teacher wearing a turtleneck in lieu of a tie!<br />
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Why are jeans an issue? I ask this all the time. I hear three answers the most:<br />
1. We should dress professionally.<br />
2. Better dressed teachers get more respect from students.<br />
3. It is a good way for the principal to build relationships<br />
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I'm an elementary guy. I have spent three years at the middle school level, but most of my time has been in the lower grades. I don't know a single teacher that doesn't plop down on the floor with kids. I know lots of teachers who are constantly getting their hands dirty throughout the day with various learning activities. Many teachers get through the 10,000 step barrier by 11:00 a.m. Most elementary teachers are constantly getting down to eye level with their students. I know that teachers are somewhat less-inclined to get down on the floor and get dirty during learning when they are dressed nicely. Last week, I heard a teacher say, "I only do real science on Fridays with my jeans on." This is only one person, but it isn't wholly untrue for many teachers.<br />
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I'm not sure who thinks that teachers wearing wrinkled khaki pants and tennies with a school t-shirt is any less professional than jeans with the exact same shirt and shoes. I'm also not sure who thinks elementary kids are any less respectful due to the teacher's clothing. I have yet to experience a teacher who can base the level of respect they get from their students on the clothes they wear.<br />
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Another consideration is the comfort level that some kids have with ties and jackets. A few years ago, I sat down with a focus group of 4th and 5th graders. I was asking their opinions on all kinds of school-related things. I asked what they thought about the student dress code and the teacher dress code. One student said that he was glad I didn't wear a tie like the old principal. Most of the other students agreed. I asked why. Another student piped in, "Other than him, the only suits I have ever seen were at a funeral." A third student said, "I don't actually know anyone that wears ties."<br />
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Do jeans passes and jeans days build relationships between teachers and principals? I think not. I have never heard a teacher say, "My respect for Principal Jones goes up every time I am allowed to wear jeans." I have heard plenty of teachers say, "Good. I can wear jenas tomorrow!" That statement is never followed by, "Thank goodness for my awesome principal for this opportunity to make my attire more comfortable." If the relationship-building logic made sense, wouldn't it build relationships even better if teachers could wear jeans anytime they wanted???<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiikI34llVvIWNQnyY07JYAkE-RWWzsHmvQ1_aPlBmvgk93vZvNXnwNHnIE1p78jYnf68gmPyTDEuikvdV2mHcRmOgb-p_UoZvbrMUil5sCiUo1m1HVld9ezxEiVbb1OGRo3h1Mw4wouw/s1600/carrot+wearing+jeans.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="300" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiikI34llVvIWNQnyY07JYAkE-RWWzsHmvQ1_aPlBmvgk93vZvNXnwNHnIE1p78jYnf68gmPyTDEuikvdV2mHcRmOgb-p_UoZvbrMUil5sCiUo1m1HVld9ezxEiVbb1OGRo3h1Mw4wouw/s200/carrot+wearing+jeans.png" width="200" /></a><br />
Part of the constant conversation about jeans makes me laugh. If jeans are not professional, are teachers unprofessional on jeans day? Are they less professional when they use a jeans pass on a Tuesday and everyone else is not wearing jeans? If jeans are not professional enough, why do principals offer jeans passes at all?<br />
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Carrots. Principals offer jeans passes as an incentive. They know teachers will do a little extra for a jeans pass. They sell jeans for work. I bet there are some principals that wouldn't give a flip about teachers wearing jeans regularly if it didn't take away their biggest carrot!<br />
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<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-9881609420106267722020-01-27T14:38:00.001-08:002020-01-27T14:38:26.857-08:00Data meetingsData meetings are not a new thing in education. Assessments happen, data is collected, and folks analyze it. Then what? In the most simple of terms, data is collected for two primary reasons. First, the state and the district collects data to measure a school. Second, data is collected by campuses, teams, and/or teachers on various assessments in order to guide instruction.<br />
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Do principals want teachers to use data? Of course! Most teams have at least one or two data hounds. They know how to find the desired data and they want to talk about using it to improve teaching and learning. Let them!<br />
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Principals (and oftentimes, district folks) have certain data needs they want teachers to analyze and use.<br />
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Principals know that every team is different when it comes to data analysis. Some teams will totally rock everything you ask them to do. Other teams will struggle to analyze the same data. Lots of teams merely go through the steps to comply with the principal's request. <br />
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Principals, asking for compliance is not an issue. If you need teachers to recognize their data and plan for teaching based on that data, it is perfectly OK to make them do it. It is important to support fully support their data analysis. This means different things for different teams and different teachers. Regardless of the amount of support, there are a few guidelines that can help principals make decisions about data meetings.<br />
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<i>1. Do you give the data or do you expect them to find it and bring it to the meeting?</i><br />
A fellow principal once used the old adage, "I want to teach them how to fish rather than give them a fish." I understand the idea, but very few schools use data as daily meals. Data analysis is typically like a trip to the grocery store. A full cart of data can last awhile! Don't ask teachers to gather their own data if you are going to facilitate the meeting. Provide the data you want them to see. Join them as they look at it. When teachers are trying to gather the data you want them to look at, they are not doing other things that make their classrooms good places. Is the purpose of your data meeting to teach them how to fish or is to facilitate meaningful usage of data?<br />
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<i>2. What <b>is</b> the purpose of your data meeting?</i><br />
If your purpose is to allow teachers to analyze data and make a plan of action, be sure that is exactly what happens. It is easy for data meeting leaders to get stuck on certain aspects of the data. Sometimes, data clearly points out the things that need attention. Usually, there are many things that need attention. As the meeting facilitator, simplify your meeting purpose so that teachers can walk out of the meeting with some clearly-defined action steps. Even better, they have a well-defined plan of action ready-to-go! All too often, too much time is spent drilling deeper and deeper, so teachers are forced to hurry with the part of the meeting that is meant to plan for learning with the data that was just analyzed. The most important part of the meeting to your teachers is the planning part! Knowing the data and having no time to create a plan of action is wasted time.<br />
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Be sure you don't hijack a data meeting to take teachers down the district's ideas of important data. If teachers need to hear that, it should be done at a faculty meeting as quickly as possible. Teams should not be responsible for looking at their own data through a lens created for district-wide or campus-wide data analysis. For example, if your district/campus needs to give attention to the reading growth for the Hispanic kids, don't spend the whole meeting discussing this. Share the data, then let teachers plan for instruction. Teachers do not make plans specifically for Hispanic kids. They do make plans for small groups of kids who have specific learning targets. Simply and quickly knowing that our metrics for Hispanic kids needs improvement is fine. Making plans to teach/reteach based on the data is where the power of data meetings comes to life.<br />
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3. How much data do you use?<br />
The purpose of data is to measure our students' mastery of the curriculum. Tests are not the entire picture of mastery. Data is not the only measure that should be used. Tests have bias and almost never accurately measure what you want them to measure. Nevertheless, data meetings should be spent looking at data. It is easy to get caught in a cycle of discussing all that is wrong with the test, the problems with the fire drill and the assembly right before the test, the poorly-designed reading unit of study that didn't prepare them for the test, or the other, numerous reasons the data isn't accurate.<br />
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Spend your time at data meetings analyzing data and making plans. It is perfectly OK to explain that the data you are looking at is simply one, important piece of the puzzle. Don't treat it like gospel. Don't blow it off as meaningless. What can you find in your data that will help kids show mastery?<br />
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<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-57795675506518288402020-01-16T14:20:00.003-08:002020-01-16T14:20:58.706-08:00Team meetings and principal expectationsHow often does your team meet? Do you only meet when it is required? Do you meet with the team members you see eye-to-eye with more often? How productive is your time together?<br />
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A team is not a static enterprise. It is a living breathing organism that ebbs and flows. Every team has highs and lows, strengths and weaknesses. Every team has successes and failures, leaders and followers.<br />
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A few years ago as principal, I facilitated a 2nd grade team meeting. The purpose was to plan collaboratively with the district's new curriculum documents. The district wisely invested in a solid written curriculum and spent a great deal of professional development time with the new documents. Teachers needed to learn how to turn them into the taught curriculum. I was excited and ready for the growth. The team was anxiously willing and open to the new curriculum and wanted to make it happen. They were not at all excited about my idea of collaborative planning.<br />
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The looks on their faces told their story. Nevertheless, I pressed on. For that meeting and several more. In order to guarantee the written curriculum would be taught in every classroom, I wanted to stick with a protocol that required teams to discuss the learning targets for each unit and the method for students to prove mastery. (Sounds like a PLC discussion, doesn't it?)<br />
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After a few meetings, one teacher approached me and asked me why I continued to hammer forward when the meetings weren't meeting the teachers needs. I told her that I could easily see the frustration, but that we really needed to assure we were using the new, written curriculum with fidelity. She nodded yes, and said, "But we are not talking about any learning at the lesson level, so is it actually making our instruction any better?"<br />
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Great question! I turned it back around to her? In her optimistic way, she agreed that it had forced her to really focus on the learning target rather than the activity. She said that it also made her check to see if her activities were actually focused on the 2nd grade objectives. Perfect!<br />
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But there was more truth to her words. I was charged with ensuring that teachers were using the new, written curriculum in their classrooms. I also needed their team meetings to be beneficial to them. She told me they were not able to have the discussions they needed to have in order to design excellent learning activities for their classrooms. Furthermore, she said they were so pressed for time, that they didn't want to meet any more. They just wanted to take care of their own lesson preparations.<br />
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How could I do both? How could I ask them to be true to the docs and give them time to take care of their team needs for successful classroom learning?<br />
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I found a way, although it was far from perfect. But that is not the purpose of this story. As their principal, I needed specific things from them. They also had specific needs from their team meetings. My needs were to grow the curriculum planning across campus. They needed to talk about lessons. As their principal, I listened and I tried to take a few steps back. Again, it wasn't perfect, but it didn't make sense for me to command every team meeting. They need to be productive in other ways too. I needed to get out of their way as much as I needed them to use the new documents.<br />
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Now that I am a classroom teacher, I see things more clearly from both perspectives.<br />
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<u>My advice to principals</u><br />
Principals, unless your teams are a complete wreck, don't attend every team meeting. This goes for the assistant principal and the instructional coach as well. Give them some time without you. Otherwise, every meeting is contrived and shallow. They won't storm and norm. They definitely won't perform. Every team must find its relational pattern and learn to work together. It won't happen if you are always present. Another strange side effect is that they won't meet without you either. I've had fellow principals say, "They can meet all they want without me." They usually don't. Especially if the team relationship is strained. (If the team is really moving a grooving, they will insist that your instructional coach is part of the team)<br />
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Get feedback from your teachers about their team meetings. Ask them what is working and what needs to be better. Please don't do this by simply asking them during a team meeting. You'll only get opinions from the teachers who already think they are on your good list or they are always willing to share their personal opinion. You won't hear any truths from most teachers. Ask individually or send a survey. If you send a survey, share the results. Be transparent.<br />
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Also, don't dictate an agenda for team meetings that gives teams no flexibility to meet their needs. The second grade team I worked with was crushed under the expectation to focus on the learning targets every meeting. They had other team needs that would make school better for kids! If I had continuously pushed them to keep their entire focus on the learning targets, it would not have been pretty. I had to clear the path for them to meet their own needs without giving up on the necessity to use the curriculum documents.<br />
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It is OK to ask for some type of team notes so that you are in the loop. At another campus, years ago, I asked teams to submit their agenda for their team meetings at least one day prior to the meeting. I would usually include an item from me that needed to be taken care of. It was almost always related to the four questions that guide a PLC culture. The purpose of the agenda was two-fold. I wanted their meeting time to be intentional and I wanted to be able to ask good questions afterwards. It was the best way I knew to hold them accountable for collaboration without commanding their time.<br />
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<u>This is hard!</u><br />
Considering all the teams I have been a part of over the years, many have been high-performing and many of them were much better teachers together than they would have been alone. But finding the right administrative requirements while giving teams what they need is tough stuff for a principal.<br />
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I was lucky enough to work with one 3rd grade team that absolutely rocked their collaborative planning. They started off like so many other teams and just met as the principal required. After a few years, the team met almost every day. They had purpose to every meeting. They discussed learning targets and planned lessons collaboratively. They looked at results and made improvements. They also made sure that learning was engaging for kids. I tried to shine some light on that bright spot for others to emulate. But teams are made of individuals and relationships are always unique. What works well for one team will not work exactly the same for the next team. We can learn from the bright spots but it is hard to copy them!<br />
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Set your expectations and let teams do their own work. If they don't know how to do it, show them what you expect, then gradually get out of the way. Clear expectations are necessary. The method of attack should be malleable. Get feedback regularly. Expose your bright spots. Don't build barriers. Clear paths for teachers to collaborate successfully!<br />
<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-11777071946101301452020-01-11T10:02:00.001-08:002020-01-11T10:02:54.013-08:00Planning time priorityAs a principal, I tried to be cognizant of stealing planning times from teachers. Cognizant doesn't mean that I followed the rules. In Texas, in the simplest explanation possible, teachers must have:<br />
<ul>
<li>450 minutes of planning time every two weeks</li>
<li>during the instructional day</li>
<li>each planning time must be a minimum of 45 minutes.</li>
</ul>
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This time shall not be infringed upon by the administration. But it happens. I did it as a principal. It is almost impossible to get away from.</div>
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Many districts offer 50 minute planning times on a daily basis. This means that one day every two weeks may be required for team meetings, learning sessions, or any other reason deemed by campus administration. The remaining nine days give the teacher 450 minutes. This is a lawful practice. It is still hard to live by.</div>
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Years ago, as a principal, I required weekly team meetings. I was unlawful. I also did not work around holding ARD meetings and 504 meetings during conference times. Unlawful. And there were always several other things that required teacher attendance during their conference times. I broke the rules. </div>
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Undoubtedly, many teachers would rather do many of these things during their conference time instead of fulfilling the requirements after dismissal. Legally, this is not a choice any teacher should consider. Legally, teachers should be able to opt out of anything that does not follow the legal requirements.<br />
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This rarely happens. I'd love to hear about a principal who has figured out how to lawfully honor teacher planning time in elementary school. I know some principals are better than others. I don't know any campus leaders who have been able to make this happen.<br />
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I know a lot of teachers who are more than frustrated by their lack of planning time. A <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/talis/talis2013/talis2013results_2.asp" target="_blank">2013 study</a> found that teachers in the US spend a great deal more time actually teaching and they get less time to plan for instruction. I am not saying we should be like any other country. I am saying that other countries seem to value the importance of planning time more than this country.<br />
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What can school leaders do?<br />
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<li>Ensure that your teachers have as much voice as possible in their planning time activity</li>
<li>Do not require meetings during planning time in order to communicate information that can be sent in writing</li>
<li>Do not require meetings during planning time for activities that you can do for the teachers. For example, don't ask teachers to meet to verify student test codes or create class lists</li>
<li>Create schedules that extend planning time for team meetings. Be creative with your specials schedule</li>
<li>If you attend required meetings during planning time, be sure to fully participate in the meeting. Don't multi-task. Don't be silent. Be a part of the team or better yet, leave them alone sometimes. If you are always present, the team cannot grow organically</li>
<li>Always consider the best possible way to clear the path for better lesson design during planning time. Do not create barriers!</li>
</ul>
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Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-34289698067261912782020-01-09T13:43:00.001-08:002020-01-09T13:43:27.799-08:00Consider the opposite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-9z42SySLN40wV_YclIJkdXoiiupRoVk-zTKRtb3c30CdtDVqCvutlPJ_ov7EzkBMeC1DYytqs8BZGjktzMmfK34189d_CzBbNmiRi6ncb8UW3k8cODcRyGiztW9H6HpxWyfDgKm5i4k/s1600/consider_again.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="650" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-9z42SySLN40wV_YclIJkdXoiiupRoVk-zTKRtb3c30CdtDVqCvutlPJ_ov7EzkBMeC1DYytqs8BZGjktzMmfK34189d_CzBbNmiRi6ncb8UW3k8cODcRyGiztW9H6HpxWyfDgKm5i4k/s320/consider_again.png" width="320" /></a></div>
As I worked to plan and prepare for the changes I wanted in my classroom, I started a list. That list is now dangerous!<br />
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The list began as a way to track the changes I wanted to consider. As I added items to the list, I wrote down a few that surprised me! Do I really want to consider adding, "snack time - anytime?" Do I really want to consider, "Shoes OFF - Anytime?"<br />
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The list also included somethings that I might need to reconsider. Way back in the 19XX's, I quit Accelerated Reader and Spelling tests. Should I give them another chance?<br />
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There are also certain things that I can't seem to muster up the courage to reconsider. For example, basal readers in 4th grade have been poor instructional resources for as long as I have been a teacher. Too many kids simply can't read it. It goes against the work of so many literacy experts. I have never heard a class full of students say, "I can't wait to get back into my textbook!" Perhaps it is not courage that keeps me from adding the textbook to my Reconsider List. Some things really do need to be left off my list forever.<br />
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As teachers, we are regularly told what needs to happen in our classrooms and within our job descriptions. We also get varying amounts of liberty to change things as we see fit. As we all know, there are numerous procedures and processes in our classroom that we plan and implement. Many of these things are seemingly written in stone because we have done them a certain way for so long or we whole-heartedly believe we do it the best possible way.<br />
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After awhile, we may simply continue with the same thing because it works. Why change something that works! We have enough to do!<br />
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What can I learn by considering the opposite? I am in the process of noticing when kids moan, groan, or roll their eyes about something. When I see it, I write it on my list of things to consider the opposite. I wonder what I'll learn from such things???<br />
<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-49826910720115100532020-01-06T14:55:00.000-08:002020-01-06T14:55:07.959-08:00The perfect time to make changesI spent time in my classroom over the holiday.<br />
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A few hours over the break make things easier for weeks to come. Sure, I'd prefer to be at home doing something with my family! But the hours in my classroom will save me many more hours later on. More importantly, I am getting ready for several changes that will initiate on Tuesday when my kids come back to school.<br />
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Yes, I am changing things up! Why? Because I believe the changes will improve student learning in my classroom. Simple.<br />
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I waited until now to make several of the changes. I needed a little time without the pressure of being ready for tomorrow/next week/the next meeting. I waited so that I could make them happen with a better chance of success. Teachers know this. We wait for the right time to make a change. We wait until we can adequately prepare for the change. We also try to choose a time when the change will cause the least amount of disruption to our students.<br />
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Many years ago, I found myself stating, "I can't wait until next year to start ______!" Fill in the blank with numerous improvements. The idea of waiting until the next school year seemed silly. If the improvement is worth doing, why wait?<br />
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Really... teachers make changes ALL THE TIME. We constantly tweak/shift/add/drop/change stuff in our daily routine. We also learn and get better throughout the year, so we do things better. <br />
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One of my bedrock beliefs for school leaders is to clear paths for teachers. How can you clear a path and ask teachers to start something new at the same time? Every new thing deserves a little thought and a little talk with this question in mind. If your new thing clears a path and makes things better, do it immediately! If the new thing begins with a slightly fuller plate for teachers, but quickly lightens and makes things better, don't wait until next year. If the new thing makes a significant improvement to learning and teaching, don't wait until next year.<br />
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A few years ago, I was the principal at a school with a master calendar that was built for 5th grade teachers in a manner that supposedly helped the kids have the best opportunity to pass the state test. Unfortunately, the Kinder and 1st grade students had their large learning block in the afternoon and the 2nd graders had a schedule that required every subject to be broken by lunch, specials, and recess.<br />
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The master schedule needed to change. It needed to be better. Several teachers got together and created a master schedule that gave our youngest learners better blocks of learning throughout the day, and especially each morning. The 5th graders still had a solid schedule that supported minimal interruptions to their learning. We changed our master schedule in October. <br />
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Some teachers were worried that their students wouldn't adapt easily. They asked if we could wait until next year. Kids adapt more easily than adults to almost any change. There were concerns that the new schedule would mess with parents who already had plans for appointments and lunches. We began communicating the changes three weeks early. Parents knew!<br />
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There were a few bumps on the first day, then everything normalized. Overall, the new schedule was better. The survey showed that the majority of teachers agreed that it was significantly better for learning across the campus. I'm glad we didn't wait until the next year.<br />
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Principals notice things that can be improved all the time. When you see something, choose the best time to make it happen and remember that next year is a long time away!<br />
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<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-12778644271473027832019-12-20T12:43:00.001-08:002019-12-20T12:43:20.203-08:00Slide ShowsWhether it is time for my students to learn or I am preparing professional development for teachers, one of the decisions that must be made along the way is whether or not to use a slide show.<div>
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Most of the time, a few, well-designed slides can aid the learning. I create minimalist slides these days, but it hasn't always been that way. I remember one of my first slide shows for professional development. It had so many words! The amount of wording overwhelmed me so I added random pictures of flowers and lizards, just to break it up a bit!</div>
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That was a long time ago. These days, slides are chosen and used for a very specific purposes.</div>
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<u>The Picture</u></div>
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Just a picture. No words. A visual that may help some learners solidify/remember the concept. A picture can also force the learners to focus on the conversation or activity at hand.</div>
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<u>The Directions</u></div>
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A simple list of the directions for an activity can be helpful. It is better to give each learner a copy. A screen version allows you to talk through the directions rather easily.</div>
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<u>The Question</u></div>
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The question to discuss, ponder, or reflect upon can be helpful for folks who need some thinking time prior to finding the answer or solution.</div>
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<u>Your Guide</u></div>
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Simple slides can help you stay on track, but please don't include every point you need to remember in your slides for the learners.</div>
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Principals, if you use a slide show for your professional development, please keep it simple! Use the slides to enhance your material. The slide show should not be the highlight of the learning. Be sure to provide each learner with a copy of any words you need them to know or remember. Do not show it once and expect the learners to take good notes!</div>
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Make your words big enough for the old guy in the back of the room to easily see.</div>
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<u>Avoid These Slide Show Mistakes</u></div>
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<li>Do not read a slide show full of bullets to the learners.</li>
<li>If you want to share data, keep it simple. Do not add a giant spreadsheet that nobody can read. It frustrates your data hounds!</li>
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Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-81189007934281880022019-12-19T14:29:00.000-08:002019-12-19T14:29:40.752-08:00Teacher's To Do ListsWhen it comes to my own TO DO List, I have always been mediocre to poor. I get distracted during certain items and I tend to choose my preferred tasks first. I know, deep down inside, that I need to prioritize the items on my list and take care of the most important items first. I know this, but I don't do it regularly. Even worse, sometimes I occasionally ignore it.<br />
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As I look back to my time as a campus principal, it seems that I was always adding things to the teachers' TO DO Lists. It came with the territory. As much as I tried to minimize the extra helpings of stuff that I put on their plates, I had to ask teachers to do specific things regularly throughout the year.<br />
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I tried to ease the difficulties of keeping up with all the action items I asked teachers to do. At the top of my weekly email, I included a short section called, <i>Action Items</i>. I put it at the top of the weekly message so that teachers knew they could pull up the message on their computer or on their phone and quickly see the list. They would also know that more information about the listed items could be found further down in the email.</div>
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Now that I am a teacher, I see how difficult it is to keep up with all the stuff that needs to get done. I also see how important it is for teachers to receive the details of the task clearly and concisely.<br />
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<u>Clear the Path</u><br />
Principals, if you want to set your teachers up for success and support their need for better information and more time, make sure you are giving teachers the details of their TO DOs in writing regularly and consistently.<br />
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If your primary method of passing along tasks to teachers is telling them about it in a faculty meeting, please know that they are not getting it all. Your diligent note-takers may get it. Your good listeners hear you well but forget parts. Your attention-challenged folks ask teammates for help. A few folks were already ignoring you. If your teachers are given tasks to do from you, the AP, the instructional coach, and their team leaders via email, verbally, a mailbox flyer, and a giant whiteboard in the workroom, you are not clearing the path for excellent communication. <br />
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When teachers regularly get their TO DO items in writing, in a weekly email, they will know where to find them and they will always get the details in your words.</div>
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Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-13609814582222229452019-12-18T14:35:00.000-08:002019-12-18T14:35:49.596-08:00The Master CalendarWhen I began teaching, my principal handed out a weekly calendar printed from a mimeograph machine! Yes. Blue letters and an interesting odor! Soon afterwards, he sent them out via email. Every week, we got a weekly letter from him that included a calendar of events that teachers needed to know. We teachers also wrote down calendar items in our giant red planning books. It was pretty simple.<br />
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Not anymore. For example, between the mid 90's and now, required assessments <i>alone</i> have changed the way we keep a calendar. Our district currently requires assessments every nine weeks in reading, writing, and math. Each one of those include a window for its administration and a due date for scanning them into Eduphoria. That is three calendar items for each test. We also must create and administer mid-term assessments that must be scanned into Eduphoria. The students are also required to take a computer-based assessment in reading and math at least once per month. Finally, add the state tests and the preceding practice tests to the calendar.<br />
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Now I know what you're thinking! What a ridiculous amount of testing! That is another topic. For fourth grade teachers at my campus, there are at least 82 different testing events that go on the calendar.<br />
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This is just for assessments. This is just one example of the huge number of calendar items that teachers juggle.<br />
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On a weekly basis, there are always numerous other events that teachers need to keep up with:<br />
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<li>mandatory training deadlines</li>
<li>observations</li>
<li>team meetings</li>
<li>faculty meetings</li>
<li>committee meetings</li>
<li>special events</li>
<li>report card deadlines</li>
<li>progress report deadlines</li>
<li>data analysis deadlines</li>
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<u>Clear the path</u></div>
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Because I believe that one of the principal's main duties is to clear paths for teachers, making sure that everyone on campus has an easy grasp of everything that goes on the calendar is extremely helpful to teachers. </div>
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Google, Outlook, and every other major email service that schools use includes calendar features that allow users to set up groups and send calendar invitations or meeting requests for events. <u>Use these features!</u><br />
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Set up your groups each summer. Give rights to the folks in the office to help you. If 4th grade teachers need to know the dates you will be meeting with them to discuss data, send them a meeting request. The meeting shows up on their personal calendar. This process takes only seconds longer than adding it to the master calendar as a simple event.<br />
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Do not simply place the event on a giant, shared master calendar. This practice requires every single person to search through the calendar weeks at a time, searching for events that are pertinent. When events are sent by calendar invitation, teachers only need to look at their own calendar. Teachers can select to receive reminders on their computers and on their phones! </div>
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When you send calendar invitations, your system will automatically notify teachers about the new event via email. This is a good thing! Make this the only way you put things on the calendar! Don't expect teachers to keep up with calendar items too well if they receive information verbally at faculty meetings, through regular email, from a team leader, written on a folder, and through a handout in their mailbox. When calendar items come from multiple sources in a haphazard manner, teachers will be frustrated and stressed.<br />
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Include a calendar in your weekly email. Sending out calendar items on a weekly basis helps teachers ensure they are keeping up with all the deadlines. Plus, it is super easy for teachers to know they can check your Friday message at anytime to double-check calendar events.<br />
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<u>But they are professionals! They should keep up with their own calendars!</u><br />
Teachers are professionals. Organizing your calendar communication and systematically reminding teachers of the multitude of deadlines does not diminish their professionalism. It increases your leadership capacity by showing that you support their efforts and do you best to make their lives easier! Clear the teachers' path by making their calendar lives easier!</div>
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Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-3331352995523778622019-12-17T14:49:00.001-08:002019-12-17T14:49:41.794-08:00Email or faculty meeting or team leader?Three months ago, I decided to start writing again. I decided to start with communication. Three months later, the topic is too huge to fit into one blog entry. When it comes to high-quality school communication, the principal must make it clear for the teachers. Good communication keeps teachers informed and makes them happy!<br /><div>
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Anyone who works in a school knows that there are simply too many lines of communication to make it simple. It will never be simple. It can be simplified.</div>
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For teachers, there is one area that seems to be universally agreed upon. <i>Don't call a meeting to tell teachers things you could send in an email.</i> I heard this when I was a principal and I worked tirelessly to follow this. I have always believed that there is very little reason to call a faculty meeting if the topic is not collaborative, professional learning. Sure, each meeting can spend a few minutes on the nuts and bolts of running a school. You can also invest some time providing your rationale for decisions, processes, changes, etc. However, the majority of time at any staff meeting should be collaborative professional learning. </div>
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Getting the whole staff together to hear a bunch of information come out of the principal's mouth or to see bullets on a screen is ineffective. If you need the whole staff to get the same message, give it to them in writing. When the staff gathers together, spend a few minutes explaining the rationale and your stance on the material. Give folks the "why." Offer a question and answer session for those who need it. If teachers are consistently gathering in hallways asking for clarification on your message, the message wasn't clear. </div>
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Verbal messages are tantamount to the telephone game.</div>
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<u>But they won't read it!</u></div>
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They will read it when it becomes the norm. It may take a little time to show teachers that you respect their time and you won't steal it by thinking that your words are supremely important. The information may be supremely important. Just because the principal says it, does not elevate the level of importance. Again, share the "why" in person if you need to, then give them the "who, what, when, where, and how" in writing.</div>
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<u>But I can't waste all that time typing all the details</u></div>
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If you try to tell them all the details, they won't hear them, they won't remember them, and they won't like it. If you expect teachers to take notes on your message, you end up with no two teachers getting the same message. Write it down!</div>
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<u>The team leaders can tell them</u></div>
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Please stop doing this immediately. This practice should have died in the late 90's when email became prevalent in schools. Your leadership team should be used to guide campus decisions. Team leaders can also be there for their teams to help answer questions as semi-experts. Leadership team members should NOT be responsible for delivering messages. After a team leader meeting, send out the written information to your leadership team to make sure it is correct, then send it out to everyone! When ten team leaders go tell their teams ten different messages, your credibility diminishes.</div>
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Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-67941160695687539842019-09-24T14:36:00.000-07:002019-09-24T14:36:57.614-07:00What I have learned since I returned to the classroomAs a teacher, years ago, I met a few administrators that needed a quick return to the classroom to see what it was like. My teacher brain made me think that they had forgotten what it was like to be with students all day long. The fact that those same people had actually walked in the shoes of a teacher at some point in their past didn't seem to matter too much. Then I became a campus administrator. And I am quite sure that teachers said the same thing about me.<br />
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I tried my best to put myself in the mindset of a teacher as I made campus decisions and took actions as a campus leader. Even so, teachers probably said I had forgotten what it was like to be in a classroom all day long. As much as I tried to think like a teacher, it just wasn't 100% possible. I was a campus administrator with different responsibilities.<br />
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I realized that my job was different, but the idea of returning to the classroom stuck with me. Could a successful principal return to the classroom? Would a year or two teaching make me a better principal? What if every principal spent a year in the classroom every five years? These thoughts began to drive my belief that a campus administrator has two primary duties.<br />
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First, a principal must clear paths for teachers. The principal must administer systems that support teaching and learning. The principal must carefully choose what to add to a teacher's plate with minimal negative repercussions. What things can simply be done for the teachers? How can we protect planning time for teachers? Principal's must ensure that teachers have clear information in a timely manner as much as possible. Job #1 is to clear paths.<br />
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The second thing a principal must do is set the course for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. Professional learning should be at the top of the principal's priority. Learning does not improve when we measure students. Learning improves when teachers become better teachers based on those measurements. Job #2 is to lead focused efforts that improve teaching and learning.<br />
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Three years ago, I started thinking about a return to the classroom. While the primary reasons that drove my decision were not based on my need to see things from a teacher's perspective again, many things that a successful principal needs to do became abundantly clear. Some of them, I get to pat myself on the back and say, "Good job, Me!" Other things, I could've done better. My thoughts about successfully clearing paths and leading professional learning efforts will be the topic of my writing.<br />
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I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions about these posts!<br />
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<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-79889149316382791782019-09-13T12:35:00.001-07:002019-09-13T12:35:56.622-07:00Writing again!I haven't posted anything here in over a year. I have written several articles during that time, but I chose not to publish them. Sometimes, they went unfinished. Sometimes, I couldn't find the right words. Sometimes, I didn't publish them because I felt like the words I wrote were too negative. I felt like I was constantly finding things that were not going well. After fifteen long months of observation and introspection, I am ready to publish again.<br />
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After 23 years in the education biz, I changed districts for the fourth time. I felt like I understood that things could be different and I would be able to handle any/all the differences between my new district and my previous employers. How different could it be between neighboring districts of similar size and demographics? I was wrong. I wondered if my lack of understanding the rationale for the differences was perhaps a negative vibe that had found its way into my soul as an educator. (It hasn't. I simply stand firm in my belief that we should strive for better!)<br />
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For years, I felt like I ran through each day with optimism and hope for improvement. I tackled problems positively and laughed through the successes and mistakes. I tried to model forward-thinking and I tried to squash TWWADDI (That's the way we've always done it) mentality.<br />
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I looked back through several years of posts. The overarching theme has been my deep seated belief that we can always improve what we do in education. Sometimes I highlighted great things that I witnessed. Sometimes I made observations about current realities. My posts in 2017 and 2018 seemed to have a deeper feeling of frustration. While writing can be a therapeutic means of reflection, I made a choice to stop publishing my pieces. I didn't want to write my opinions without sufficient evidence.<br />
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It has been two years. I am ready to publish again. I am ready to note wonderful things that are happening in my world. I am also ready to examine things that need to be better. In this profession, like no other that I know, we struggle with systemic change and we don't learn from our neighbors.<br />
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It has also been two years since my return to the classroom. I did some things really well as a principal. I also had some glaring weaknesses. Don't we all! At this point, I can see what I would do better as a campus leader more clearly than ever before.<br />
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I am really looking forward to this writing endeavor! <br />
<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-7837734725364735942018-05-11T07:11:00.000-07:002018-05-11T07:11:27.005-07:00Test Time End-in-MindThe big tests are next week for my kids. Math is Monday and Reading is Tuesday. I cannot guarantee that every one of my students will pass these tests. In preparation for the tests, I cannot say that I have scientifically broken down the identified objectives and systematically formed small group learning activities to strengthen those objectives. I have done this a little bit, but it has definitely not been the most important thing in our classroom. I cannot say that I have focused the last three weeks on last-minute test preparation. These tests are not the end-in-mind in my classroom.<br />
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I can tell you that my students talk about the things they read almost every day this year. They analyzed good pieces of writing for author's purpose. They made connections to their readings. They wrote critically about the things they read. They wrote their own pieces using author's tools and tricks they encountered and discussed. In math, they collaborated to find solutions. They solved problems multiple ways. They proved their solutions were accurate. Oh, and they did a TON of mental math.<br />
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How will they perform on the test? They will be fine. Some will do wonderfully. All will try their best. The kids who didn't pass the test last year may pass it this year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFSvhkRiY5uwBZSo9hOMdwVGcIRoJULbdBIGUz8jY6qbj4HIayi_BPXSSW205wRtfwAES2jTCvt2LwyOzU9t-vYmI6_yRV0vTunrVItZHzIl2FgIHmnShYTrSinni28rR_FUbhrzSmIHN/s1600/endinmind.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="342" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFSvhkRiY5uwBZSo9hOMdwVGcIRoJULbdBIGUz8jY6qbj4HIayi_BPXSSW205wRtfwAES2jTCvt2LwyOzU9t-vYmI6_yRV0vTunrVItZHzIl2FgIHmnShYTrSinni28rR_FUbhrzSmIHN/s200/endinmind.png" width="200" /></a>Yes, I want them to do well! I know each child wants to pass and do well. Their families want them to do well. The campus folks want them to pass (or better.) The district wants them to pass or better. The community wants the campus and district numbers to look good. No one is cheering for mediocrity or worse.<br />
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However, ask anyone what they want from public school education and they never start with, "Great test scores." They always talk about graduates that can <i>solve problems, communicate well, and perform well on a team.</i><br />
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When the test comes around, take it seriously. At all other times, keep your desired end in mind at the front of your lesson design!Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-23183282210920028862018-05-08T14:38:00.000-07:002018-05-08T14:38:06.033-07:00Are they students or authors?Do your students know why they write? Do they write because they are trying to communicate something, or do they write because you told them to do so? The more I work to refine my writer's workshop for my 4th graders, the more I realize that it is challenging to keep writing authentic for all of my kids. No matter the subject matter or the purpose for writing, it is contrived for some kids.<br />
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I don't believe that our little ones come to school without anything to write about. I think that if every Kinder kid had a switch on their backs that could be flipped to, "I AM A WRITER," every one of them would begin to write voraciously. Everyone one of them would love the opportunity to communicate.<br />
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I can imagine several of them thinking, "WAIT! You mean there are TWO ways for me to tell my very important stories?!?!?! I can use my voice AND my pencil?!?!?! AWESOME!"<br />
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Then they get a little older and they get through a few years of writing lessons. Some of these lessons may be great! They may be excellent activities that allow kids to write for meaning to an important audience. Many lessons are not so great. Too often, we ask kids to write for the sake of a state-mandated or district-mandated reason. We do this because they need to learn a certain writing objective. We try to make that learning objective fit within their purpose for writing. It doesn't work for all of them every time. For some of them, it doesn't work very often. Many of them become reluctant to write. They are told what to write about and the purpose is minimalized or meaningless. We give them feedback about their writing that makes it sound like it isn't good. More reluctance.<br />
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Then they hit 4th grade. The writing grade. The writing test. Panicky teachers get even further away from authentic, purpose-driven writing. But more tragic, the test absolutely requires a ridiculous format. The parameters are set up so that teachers must teach kids how to fit their writing into the little box the state asks for. It is challenging to keep their writing authentic and engaging when the test will give each child and the school a score.<br />
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Even as I tried to ignore the test, there came a point where I had to focus on the format they would be expected to "write" for. If there was no test, would my writing instruction be better? Absolutely.<br />
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And the units of study I am expected to follow? The written curriculum? It is definitely a challenge to get it all in. Really, it is impossible. Sure, I could spend seven minutes on period usage, 13 minutes on Similes, and 2.5 minutes on the semi-colon. That would just about cover it. <br />
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Sean Cain, the author of <u>The Fundamental Five,</u> has data that shows it is better for student achievement when a teacher "gets it all in." I believe his information specifically pertains to content subjects like science and social studies. Regardless, too many teachers see all written curriculum objectives as checklists. Cover it all!<br />
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Other researchers, like Mike Schmoker, have evidence that the most successful teachers totally simplify the written curriculum and focus all of their energy on providing students with multiple opportunities to write, read, discuss, and argue They basically ignore the checklist of objectives. They ignore the "written and guaranteed" curriculum.<br />
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If the language arts curriculum for the state of Texas was better, would my writing instruction be better? Absolutely.<br />
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Regardless of the parameters, I make the plans for writing in my classroom. I keep going back to the word <b>authentic. </b>If I dictate what they write, is it really authentic? Can I design a classroom where they want to write because they feel compelled to communicate through the written word? Can I create classroom experiences that include experiences for students to prepare written arguments for important opinions? Can my classroom compel kids to communicate their scientific findings? Can my classroom be a place where kids write for the art of writing?Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-21993305660198686942018-04-17T13:48:00.002-07:002018-04-17T13:48:20.557-07:00I swear they knew this stuff before Thanksgiving!So you want the learners to learn what you want them to learn. You have chosen your learning targets and you have designed learning activities to engage them. You have taken the time to investigate what your learners already know so that you can build on their prior knowledge and experience.<br />
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Then you get started and it becomes clearly evident that the learners don't know what you thought they knew. You ask questions for clarification and you realize they really don't get it.<br />
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So then what?<br />
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Sometimes educators make assumptions about the prior knowledge of their learners. Sometimes we assume that just because a kid has finished 8th grade math, he is ready for algebra. We frequently assume that our own class knows what they need to know from our own prior lesson. We may even see data that tells us they know it! More realistically, the data tells us that the kid knew the right thing on test day in the manner that it was tested.<br />
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So they don't know it now.<br />
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As a teacher, what do you do? Undoubtedly, it is frustrating to work so hard "teaching" something, only to see that they don't know it at all later on down the line. How do you handle the frustration? Do you find fault in the students' work and their study habits, or do you look at your own work and determine what you can do better next time? Do you bring out what you have already tried or do you go find new and better?<br />
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<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-43530599662345644352018-04-10T14:44:00.001-07:002018-04-11T04:59:49.973-07:00Do you blame the parents?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjun9ltsLsL5igDxqjwVEv512VRwaR02_sZnyVwOwl8Ti5fhvmzJDlBZREH9qHpntEmmjMGP0hq6l98edkyTsqIj1XEjanNYOVAVIPAn1n2_t8k3S8OF1wm9TzBu17RfXqfC1rpu2Z9s2fw/s1600/blame-300x300.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjun9ltsLsL5igDxqjwVEv512VRwaR02_sZnyVwOwl8Ti5fhvmzJDlBZREH9qHpntEmmjMGP0hq6l98edkyTsqIj1XEjanNYOVAVIPAn1n2_t8k3S8OF1wm9TzBu17RfXqfC1rpu2Z9s2fw/s1600/blame-300x300.jpeg" /></a>For over 20 years, I have heard that children are less responsible now than they once were. Shoot! I am pretty sure I heard that I was less responsible than the kids who came before me!<br />
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Is the level of responsibility and self-reliance of kids declining? Do kids perform fewer chores than they once did? Are students less able to organize and maintain their "stuff" at school? Can they find their own stuff? Can they organize their own thinking? Do they seem more helpless than a few years ago?<br />
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At school, teachers constantly create new and improved methods to keep the kids organized. We want them to find their "stuff." We want them to hold on to it until they need it again. We want them to be responsible for it. Binders and color-coded folders and labels and dividers and shelves and cubbies and trays and boxes and checklists and rubrics and agendas and planners and...on and on and on... Some classes have ALL of those things.<br />
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Some kids can handle our systems of organization perfectly. They do so every year, regardless of how the teachers differ in their approach. Other kids are seemingly hopeless each year, regardless of how the teachers differ in their approach. And variations in between.<br />
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Some kids keep a messy desk, have a messy backpack, they leave their lunch in the car at least once a week, and they never seem to get homework done. Nothing gets signed and returned on time either.<br />
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Some kids have a tough time taking responsibility for their own choices. They will try to blame others rather than looking at their own actions, "Little Glenn made me do it!"<br />
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Unorganized, or irresponsible, or always pointing a finger...<i>who do you blame?</i><br />
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Some teachers look at the kids and blame the parents. They say things like, "If parents did a better job at home, kids wouldn't be like that."<br />
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This statement may actually be true some of the time. It doesn't matter.<br />
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Blaming anyone for a child's behavior is a waste of time. Instead, look forward and focus your energies on teaching this child how to act in your classroom and in your school. Teach the kid the behavior you seek. It is OK to teach kids that there are a different set of rules and a different mindset for success at school. Create a classroom that works for this student to be successful at school.<br />
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Or...deal with the status quo.<br />
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<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-90121541057125346262018-04-03T12:41:00.001-07:002018-04-03T12:41:26.406-07:00Non-negotiables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplYHxOdoNhUibha-9-vNTOU2-lVdTlA366MU8h4SkUjzye8757Y8T82b2JpaCVAOrmAPoQhjE2ijxWn3H-umSAia_ShWQMRpMwWt9LsaGemX_V_6RvilmvvTfR4TG3vNfn4M3HJ6KpDb7/s1600/non_negotiables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="372" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplYHxOdoNhUibha-9-vNTOU2-lVdTlA366MU8h4SkUjzye8757Y8T82b2JpaCVAOrmAPoQhjE2ijxWn3H-umSAia_ShWQMRpMwWt9LsaGemX_V_6RvilmvvTfR4TG3vNfn4M3HJ6KpDb7/s320/non_negotiables.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The things that absolutely must happen. No matter how positive or negative, no matter whether or not they are value-added or worthless, and regardless of how well they are done... they must be done.<br />
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Some person or group made a decision to deem some <i class="">thing</i>... <b>non-negotiable. </b>The decision-maker believes in that thing and wants to see it come to life and add value to the efforts of the district or campus.<br />
<b><br />#1 </b><br />
A district I worked for a few years ago has a list of non-negotiables for elementary reading instruction. It lists a handful of things that needed to happen every day, in every classroom. One of them states, "Every child writes every day." To some teachers, it means that every kid develops original thoughts and puts them on paper. To a few teachers, it means copying a poem. Both are called writing. One is not writing. All of these teachers checked it off their "must do" lists.<br />
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<b>#2</b><br />
Another school insists that every child practices and masters basic math facts through daily, five-minute practice. It happens every day for every kid. The results are quickly graded and recorded by non-classroom teachers. It takes less than ten minutes a day and there is accountability for task completion. Check it off the list. Some teachers really use this practice to fills the learning gaps for kids who don't understand how the numbers work together. Other teachers simply pass the sheets out, then collect them five minutes later.<br />
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<b>#3</b><br />
Another school requires students to maintain <i>Level Zero </i>volume in the hallways. There are signs everywhere that state the required volume level. Teachers give numerous, daily reminders. Many students walk through the halls holding up a ZERO sign. The expectation is <i>Level Zero. </i>This non-negotiable is clearly defined and well-understood by the teachers. One would think that the students also fully understand the expectation. The hallways are not silent. The biggest volume in the hallways comes from teachers voices trying to get kids to hush.<br />
<i><br /></i> <b>#4</b><br />
Another district expects every student in certain grades to complete a science fair project. The informational packet is sent home. Teachers are given the discretion to choose how much control they take over the projects. Some teachers simply send it home, then wait for the due date. Other teachers manage the steps of the project throughout the process. Some kids present projects that they created on their own. Others present their mom's project. And everything in between.<br />
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I can think of other school-related non-negotiables. There are so many. Some of them are etched in stone while others are simply understood. Whether they are called non-negotiables, mandates, or "we wills"... they imply required compliance.<br />
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Non-negotiables define the necessary compliance. They do not state the required knowledge or buy-in. Those are intended to come later. If everyone complies with the mandate, the practice will build knowledge and the results will garner buy-in...hopefully.<br />
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Because of that, they are often seen negatively by lots of folks. Some folks even apologize for using the word, "non-negotiable." Like it is a bad word.<br />
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A non-negotiable isn't a bad thing as long as it is communicated well, it adds value, and it is purpose-driven.<br />
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What is missing from the scenarios above to make them more successful? What non-negotiables do you have in your classroom or your school that need improvement? More importantly, are you encouraged to discuss your non-negotiables?<br />
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If doing these things is non-negotiable, doing them well should also be non-negotiable. Talking about them should be required (non-negotiable.)<br />
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<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-62962586757002291602018-03-20T10:30:00.001-07:002018-03-20T10:30:09.738-07:00Interrupting cow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxa9DtSA3oYFWsQMypkpupAm-awnyato4RdUlVIWx-d-EJKHLV2VVvi_wuUroZuvQUjLZOdrZ_xkoy4akO_QSJMAo6HVvUjDYgQD9LseSWe6DAaV9XenFAQKchANf74awcIZIID1zd2Gv/s1600/interrupting_cow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="625" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxa9DtSA3oYFWsQMypkpupAm-awnyato4RdUlVIWx-d-EJKHLV2VVvi_wuUroZuvQUjLZOdrZ_xkoy4akO_QSJMAo6HVvUjDYgQD9LseSWe6DAaV9XenFAQKchANf74awcIZIID1zd2Gv/s320/interrupting_cow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Some kids love this joke! Other kids don't get it. As I participate in more conversations each day with kids and teachers, I have noticed a continuum of interrupters. Some people cannot let you finish a single sentence without interrupting. Some people never interrupt. They practice Covey's Habit #5 almost perfectly, seeking first to understand before trying to be understood. Don't we all love to be listened to and heard!<br />
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On the interrupting side of folks, there are many different reasons and styles. Some simply cannot wait to share their own thoughts. Some are excited about the topic and want to participate. Some understand your point-of-view perfectly and don't need to hear any more. They interrupt to move the conversation forward. Some want to tell your story for you or better than you.<br />
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Then there is the method of interruption. There are the, "Umm hmm-ers." They voice their agreement throughout your words with a barrage of agreeing hums! There are the sentence finishers. How lucky not to need to ever finish your own sentence! There are the folks who already know what you are saying. They provide a response before you have even posed a question. There are the story-tellers. They interrupt in order to tell you a personal story related to the topic of conversation. There are the questioners. They have a question before you finish what you are saying. In a classroom, you know these kids because their hands pop-up after the first 6 words, regardless of what you have already said or what you still need to say.<br />
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My favorite, new interrupting style is the, "Yeah, no" and the "No. yeah." These folks may or may not agree or disagree. They usually add their two cents with truly contradicting what has already been said.<br />
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With students, it is easy for most of us to handle the interruptions. As a teacher, you choose the correct response.<br />
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How do you handle it with adults? Is it different? What about that one person on campus that interrupts everyone, <i>every... single... time? </i>Everyone has that one coworker that interrupts every single time. So much that it is impossible to have a conversation. Do you give up? Do you interrupt back? Does your facial expression make it clear that you don't appreciate the interruption? Do you handle it gracefully, while always seeking to first understand? Or do you put your head down and simply avoid the conversation altogether?<br />
<i><br /></i> It seems to be a common response for folks to follow the interrupting lead. In order to participate with the interrupter, lots of folks are compelled to interrupt back. Other folks just stop trying to talk. If you get two interrupters in a group, they just end up talking over each other until the oxygen is depleted from the room. The silver lining in this situation is the valuable side conversations that ensue while the two of them make noise together.<br />
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To make this better for your work team, what do you do? How do you make sure there is equal voice for each team member?<br />
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<br />Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-8592377027304553332018-02-27T06:50:00.003-08:002018-02-27T06:50:37.627-08:00If the test disappeared???This is not a rant against state testing. I was clearing out some pages of notes from the umpteen legal pads, spirals, and composition notebooks I have taken notes in throughout the last several years and I came across a couple of intriguing reflective questions.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What would you do differently if your state test disappeared?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What would you keep doing if your state test disappeared?</span></div>
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I hope that most educators would continue doing many of the engaging and relevant lessons that kids love. Of course we all would! These are the lessons that are the most fun for us too. I can also guess that there are several instructional practices that would disappear from your spring-time classrooms.</div>
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What about things like assessment and curricular mastery checks? What would change? What would remain? What would change in the area of differentiation? Would you still scaffold lessons for students lacking pre-requisite skills. What about RTI? Would you continue to provide extra, targeted instruction for struggling learners?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7xGgwBp3pi3fX60rXXl11_-PoE1HLdqCBFHEVSZnJ2k5eBe8H2CLEqwcVvxUUrhzDShdPMkKhHpA8uzTMX1wA54HF-bfx1_CaognryRZYdd4_jpm2c9e0BgdhJLY6x2gTvyQ6oaX8f0l/s1600/The-Past-Present-And-Future-Of-High-Stakes-Testing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="460" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7xGgwBp3pi3fX60rXXl11_-PoE1HLdqCBFHEVSZnJ2k5eBe8H2CLEqwcVvxUUrhzDShdPMkKhHpA8uzTMX1wA54HF-bfx1_CaognryRZYdd4_jpm2c9e0BgdhJLY6x2gTvyQ6oaX8f0l/s200/The-Past-Present-And-Future-Of-High-Stakes-Testing.jpg" width="200" /></a>It is easy to say yes to these questions, but it is also easy to see how easy it would be to let some of them wane. Even with the best of intentions and even when we see clear benefits to certain practices, they typically diminish when the pressure of results diminishes. It is also easy to argue that a much softer accountability standard would improve the higher level thinking and problem-based learning in classrooms across the state. There are very few classrooms that prepare students for the state test by providing them with an engaging, cross-curricular project about animal adaptations or bridge building.<br />
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What about your day-to-day instruction? Would it improve? Would you venture away from your curriculum a little more often to do something more engaging? Would you worry less about covering it all and more about deep conversations among students? The curriculum in Texas (TEKS) is ridiculously too much. Common Core is too. Then districts turn the standards into units of study which actually add to the number of pages and materials and learning expectations. How would you attack the learning expectations for your students differently?<br />
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<b>What would I do differently?</b> Probably a bunch. I wish I wasn't saying it, but it is true. Test results drive everything. I wish that a meaningful written curriculum and strong, engaging lessons drove the <br />
learning and the tested portion was simply the measure. Unfortunately, it is the other way around. The test drives the machine of teaching and learning.<br />
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Regardless, the test is a reality. The expectations from students, teachers, principals, districts, parents, and communities are a reality. So... based on these great questions, what can I do better? <br />
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Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-56740297923773528032018-02-19T17:18:00.005-08:002018-02-19T17:18:55.299-08:00Boycott The Incredibles<b><span style="font-size: large;">I think not!</span></b><br />
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I can't wait to see it! My boys were the perfect age to enjoy the first one! I am really looking forward to the sequel and so are many of my friends. Earlier today, I noticed two tweets about the upcoming movie. First, a friend of mine simply tweeted that she was looking forward to it and included a link to the movie trailer. I watched the trailer. Awesome!<br />
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Then I saw this tweet:<br />
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"Math is math." 👎👎 Boycott THE INCREDIBLES 2. 👎👎</div>
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At one point, Mr. Incredible is trying to help Dash with his math. Dash tells his dad that he has to do his math the way his teacher tells him to do his math. Frustrated, Mr. Incredible says, "Math is math!"<br />
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So there are some teacher people out there feeling like this is such a negative that the movie should be boycotted. Really? Really...<br />
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Is this a level of protection our kids need? Do they need to be shielded from cartoon dads that hate math homework and the "new" way to do math? Especially when many of our students go home to parents that feel the exact same way. <br />
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Or perhaps the boycotters don't like that Hollywood and Disney have dared to speak of education in a negative sense. Aren't we continually trying to make our schoolin' efforts better all the time? This can't possibly be the first time anyone has seen an unappealing view of math homework.<br />
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Perhaps, instead of boycotting the movie, watch it with your kid. Most children will giggle or ignore the scene. A few will say, "That's you, Dad!" A few will say, "No way! I love math!" Either way, simply have a conversation and provide some guidance.<br />
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Now excuse me while I go laugh my way through Bad Teacher.<br />
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Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-86187491812081224852018-02-15T13:32:00.005-08:002018-02-15T13:32:53.734-08:00Today, I cried.Tears fell from eyes this morning as I drove to school. The radio played the audio recording of a Snapchat from Florida's high school shooting yesterday. It was the sound of children dying. It was the sound of fear and terror.<div>
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Every school shooting since Columbine has caused me to breathe deeply, pause, and consider exactly how crazy it is that this type of evil finds it's way into the most innocent of places. As a career educator, nurturing students and teaching them how to be kind human beings has always been my first priority. Schools should be safe beyond worry.</div>
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This morning, all I could think about was the possibility of my own two, wonderful children heading to a seemingly safe campus that could possibly be the next place featured on CNN. My two boys, who have bright and happy futures ahead of them, could find themselves amidst gunfire at school.</div>
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Yesterday, at least 17 families learned that their own children would not be coming home. In the past few years, school shootings have killed an unfathomable number of children. Is there anything I can do to keep my own kids safe?</div>
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Sadly, there are no guarantees for safety at school. We all wish we could guarantee a safe childhood education. We can't.</div>
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So every morning, we send them off to school with an, "I love you." More and more in recent years, we hope it is not the last one.</div>
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And the gun-control argument? With all due frustration, it really doesn't matter what side you agree with. School shootings are followed by countless thoughts and prayers and news reports. Then the outrage and screams for better school safety fade away and no significant or discernible change has been made. This pattern has repeated itself enough already. Things are the same after a school shooting (except, of course for the family and friends of the victims.) The arguments for and against gun control provide the rhetoric that empassions folks, but things do not really change. Schools will review their practices and policies. Special interest advocates will get 15 more minutes in the public eye. And this time, a Florida community will never be the same.</div>
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But a few weeks from now, across the rest of the country, things will be the same until the next school shooting.</div>
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How many tragedies will it take until we do SOMETHING different? Should we ban all gun sales in the US? Should we train and arm teachers? Should we significantly improve our mental health care system? Should we fence our schools and pay for numerous armed guards? </div>
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I am not writing to advocate for any, one potential solution, but I can tell you that I want SOMETHING different. I do not want more children to die. I do not want to worry that my children have a greater chance of getting murdered at school than elsewhere in this crazy world. </div>
Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188803440810563342.post-33781295399858057442018-01-12T14:04:00.003-08:002018-01-12T14:04:58.554-08:00Extra workDuring my first week of teaching, many years ago, I talked with my fifth graders about their career aspirations. At least half of the boys dreamed of a career as a professional athlete. Several of them played little league, Pop Warner, or Junior Dribblers. Many of them simply showed their athletic prowess during recess. All of them had a dream that was years away and, statistically-speaking, very unlikely. I didn't anticipate how man kids would aspire to become a professional athlete. I guess I thought that there were still a bunch of future police officers and firefighters and doctors and teachers.<br />
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In conversations with my aspiring Dallas Cowboys, I would turn the talk to the necessary work to actually become a professional football player. I would ask, "What are you doing to make your dream come true?"<br />
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"Well I play Pop Warner for the Chargers and we practice twice a week."<br />
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I would ask, "What else do you do?" This question usually resulted in a blank stare so I would explain a little bit, "At your age, I hope you are loving every minute of your play as a Charger! As you get older, you'll need to do more than everyone else if you want to be better than everyone else."<br />
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"What do you mean?"<br />
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Great question. The kid might already be the best player on his team. He might have a natural gift that will give him an advantage. "I mean that you might be the best player on your team right now, but to make the NFL, you might need to be the best player in the entire city of Austin, and that takes extra work. If you do the same work as everyone else, you might be just as good as everyone else. If you do more than everyone else, there is a better chance you will be better than everyone else."<br />
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In my third year of teaching, an extremely gifted basketball player asked, "How do I do extra work?"<br />
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He was the first child that truly wanted to do more. He wanted to be better than the rest. He wanted to work for it! To the ten-year-old, I asked him back, "What can you do on your own that will make you a better basketball player?"<br />
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"EASY! I can shoot baskets at the park every day and I can dribble my basketball to school every morning!"<br />
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Is this idea different for teachers?<br />
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Most teachers work hard. Really hard. They cram a year's worth of work into 10 months, then work through June and July too! This year, there was not a day over Christmas break without several cars in the school parking lot. Teachers are dedicated to their students. Many teachers are also dedicated to their craft. Teaching is an ever-changing and growing profession that requires continuous learning. Many teachers know that every classroom is really a laboratory with 20+ different learners. Each kid is a project that lasts 36 weeks. Each year of teaching is a project that lasts 36 weeks, plus weekends, nights, holidays, etc. These teachers know that teaching requires continuous improvement.<br />
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I do find it interesting that some teachers complain about the amount of work that is necessary to do their job well. Indeed, the amount is overwhelming. Indeed, the responsibilities are numerous and never-ending. This is not uncommon in education. The State of Texas continues to add red tape to every single thing that we do. The red tape rolls down to districts and principals. The micromanaging accountability is absurd. This red tape has added to the busy-ness of the profession from stem to stern. Nevertheless, we must operate under these absurdities while advocating for their improvement. We must follow the rules and work to improve them simultaneously.<br />
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Likewise, the profession itself is also changing. Educators are awakening to the fact that the lecture/test/stand-at-the-chalkboard teachers of the past do not prepare kids for the future. These changes are met differently by different educators. Every campus has runners and feet-draggers.<br />
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The term, "Just one more thing that doesn't fit on my plate," is uttered every time something new or better is brought forward by someone.<br />
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Along those same lines, there is also someone who exclaims, "Yes! This is exactly what I need right now!" The new (or better) fills a need.<br />
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Some teachers complain when improvements are made. Some teachers embrace the change. Some teachers understand that the "extra work" is actually a normal part of the job. Other teachers resist the "extra work." Some teachers easily assimilate new or better within their current system while others shake their heads and stick with the status quo.<br />
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I can speak to my work involved in public school education from 1994 to the present. In that time, I did not have a year that did not include extra work. The job description for any teacher in any district does not do justice to the actual work that a teacher must do to be successful. Nevertheless, there are some teachers that do it gladly and gratefully. There are other teachers that say they can't fit one more thing on their plates.<br />
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Professionally, teachers see their own improvement as a fundamental part of the job. Other teachers simply look at the amount of work they are already doing and throw their hands up in the air.<br />
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Extra work is not really extra. It is the job. It can be frustrating and tough. It can be challenging and seemingly impossible. It is OK to ask why changes and new things are important. It is OK to ask for support. It is OK to fail. It is <u>not</u> OK to resist the extra work because you are not willing to try. The schools that need the most help are full of teachers who are least willing to help themselves. They are least willing to learn. Successful schools are full of teachers who are more than willing to do the extra work it takes to learn and improve the art and science of teaching!<br />
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Glennwillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08948423317004959087noreply@blogger.com0