Core beliefs should drive you to improve each day.

“If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law.” -Winston Churchill

Last week, I had a conversation with a teacher about our student support process. We are both on our intervention team and the teacher was feeling frustrated about what to do next with a student case.

This was a great conversation for me because the teacher was giving me feedback on a process I helped to develop. I was stunned at first - I was under the impression that our intervention process was working well and we had great results for students during the previous school year. How could this be an issue?

But I quickly ignored those thoughts because this was someone whose opinion I trust and I didn't want to miss a word.

After I listened, I reminded them about a conversation we had a couple of weeks ago about something similar. I told them that the structures we put in place to support students should be the floor and not the ceiling. If what we do is the very best we can do for a kid, then who cares what the process says is the next step?

I've been thinking about my conversation with my teammate a lot since then. While I believe structures and protocols are important, I also believe we often build our own barriers to solutions for the sake of protocols. I believe we need to consider protocols and processes the starting point for our conversations about a student and then use what we know about the student to help him or her be successful.

However, just because something is a core belief doesn't mean I've mastered it yet. This is something I need to continue to reflect upon and improve, and it drives me to want to be a better leader each day.

3 Reasons Why We Gave Access to Everyone

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Today, we gave every staff member access to our school's Twitter account.

This could be a little jarring for those who are worried about what might go wrong. But after all, they have keys to the school building and they are with children all day.  Surely teachers can handle access to a school-wide account.

What's funny is that when my principal and I established our school's social media accounts during the summer, we kept the passwords secret and in a protected file. The whole purpose behind creating these accounts was to help our school get our story out there for everyone to see.  How was that going to happen when only two people had access to the accounts? 

But really, this goes beyond letting everyone access -- It addresses 3 big reasons why teachers need to be connected.

1. On-going Professional Learning -- Those of us who have connected to Twitter know that one of the best things about being connected is the countinous learning experiences we have because of our connections to other teachers around the world. There is a fourth grade teacher who has not only embraced learning through Twitter, but she has also used this new learning to create meaningful and engaging experience for her students through such as participating in the Global Read Aloud.  She is a voice that the staff needed to hear because she is making social media work for kids.

2. Sharing the good things that are happening every single day -- Good things are happening in our building every single day. However, most of it never makes it outside of the walls of our building. We have an opportunity through Twitter to share our stories of learning with the world in real time. Getting our teachers connected to the school account will help share even more of those stories.

3. Becoming the digital leaders our students need -- I showed our staff a Twitter account of a fourth grader in our building. This is an account that was created on his own. He certainly does not meet the age requirements needed to have an account, yet he has one. How many other of our elementary aged students have a social media account?  Rather than taking a "wait and see" approach to social media, we teachers and school leaders need to be taking a "learn with me" approach so that our students have positive models of responsible digital learning.

Today, our staff was given the tools, the chance and the trust to be digital leaders.  We need to be living the learning lives our students are learning so that we can help them be successful.  If we aren't the role models for our students, who will be?

Don't forget this...

Ever since I started thinking about being a principal some day, I have kept a list of things I want to remember when I get there. I started a notebook in Evernote and have a note called “When I am principal”.

This isn’t an agenda for how I will run a building someday. That would just be a big mistake. However, the list is a place where I have recorded some thoughts I’ve had on leadership, running programs, and staying focused on what is important.

I check on this list every now and then to see if I still feel the same about what I recorded. Usually the things I have listed stay, which I take as things that are important to remember. But if what I wrote down doesn’t seem relevant anymore, I get rid of it. It’s like reflecting on my reflections.

I hope to use this list to help me remember what I have thought about during my internship, when the weight of the principalship wasn’t clouding my thinking. I hope that in times of frustration, uncertainty, or even indifference, I can return to this collection of ideas and remind myself of what is important.

Here’s my list:

How do you continue to reflect and record ideas worth remembering?

Share it.

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”

This is a quote from Maya Angelou and even though she may have intended it for something completely different, it made me think about how important it is for educators to share their skills and ideas with others.

Much of the work we are doing in schools in Ohio this year is to satisfy new mandates and new initiatives. Many of us are finding it hard to stay innovative and to be willing to take on new ideas because we are busy with the minutiae or we are tired from being busy with the minutiae.

However, I don't think any of that is going away anytime soon. So, instead of continuing to complain about it, we need to move on and find more sources of inspiration and innovation. That's where sharing becomes so important.

We need to be sharing our ideas, lessons, books we read, thoughts we have - anything that is important to us because it spurs further thinking and ideas in others. There are so many ways for educators to easily share their ideas - Twitter, Google+, blogging...it's all there, we just need to access it.

And don't let your own ideas stop you. When I first got connected through Twitter and started blogging, I was reluctant to share because I thought, "Who is going to think this is a good idea?". I realized that I needed to change my mindset to, "I hope this helps someone get an idea that will help kids." That shift in thinking helped me realize that it was important for me to add my voice to the collective conversation.

I love this quote from George Couros about realizing we are the experts. I think it speaks to the importance of sharing our knowledge with others:

When we look at change, we have to realize everything we need is often already within our own organization.  We just have to figure out how to unleash this talent. Isn’t this the culture we want in our classrooms?  It has to be modeled from the top and the way that we view every individual part of our organization.

So, make it a point to start sharing more of your ideas with others. If you haven't connected on a social media platform yet, get connected. If you have accounts, start using them.

I need your ideas to help me continue to grow as a teacher.

Celebrating Accomplishments

Take a look at my 5 year old daughter's progress evaluation for her gymnastics class:

I bet your eyes went right to the checks that weren't under the "I can do it by myself" column. Mine did too.

When I first looked at this report, I realized that my initial response was to find out what she couldn't do. I stopped myself because I wasn't taking the time to consider what she could do. What if my conversation with my daughter started with, "Well, you can't do a pivot turn by yourself yet"?

Instead, I told her how proud of her I was and I asked her, "Do you want to do this again?"

"Yes!"

What if we took the time to celebrate with teachers and tell them how proud we are of their hard work? How would celebrating our accomplishments affect the start of the next initiative? I bet there would be more willingness to get started.

Change in schools often deals with improving something. There will always be room for improvement--but who will want to bother if we aren't stopping to celebrate our accomplishments?

Curiosity and Introverts

I just finished watching the 60 Minutes interview with #Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. It was a very insightful interview into the creative history behind this social media platform. Two things came to mind while watching.

First, Dorsey shared that the idea for Twitter came from a childhood curiosity of wanting to know how things like trains and 911 dispatches worked. It made me wonder, "How are we fostering curiosity in our classrooms?". How much time are we giving students for exploration of a topic they are interested in learning more about?

Second, Dorsey admitted at the end of the interview with Lara Logan that he would rather be alone with his thoughts than engage with someone face-to-face. While I am no expert on personality types, this sounds like the characteristic of an introvert to me. I bring this up because I wonder how much support we are giving introverts in our classrooms? I was very introverted growing up. Teachers would constantly ask me to "speak up" during class. That terrified me. Sound familiar, teachers? How many times have we asked students to communicate more? There are students in our classrooms right now that feel the same way Dorsey does. How are we creating an environment where introverts can thrive?

Collaboration and sharing are important to the sense of community in classrooms and in schools. However, we need to remember those who shy away from public interactions so that we can help these students feel supported and safe as well.

RunKeeper, Trust, and Leadership

I’ve been using RunKeeper to help me track the stats of my runs.  I’m not a serious runner or anything, but I like to be able to reflect on my progress.  I've finally started running over three miles on a consistent basis, which is good for me.

RunKeeper is a great app to use for running or walking because it uses GPS to track your distance, time, elevation, and calories burned.  That is, it’s a great app when it works.

According to RunKeeper, my run today put me closer to qualifying for the U.S. Track team with a total distance of 3.43 miles at 5.5 minutes per mile (about 11 mph).  As much as I wanted that to be true, I knew something was wrong.  There's no way I can run that fast for that long.  Actually, this is the third time this has happened, so I’m starting to think RunKeeper isn’t a keeper for me.

This made me think about the blind faith we sometimes have in the people and things in our lives.  Most of us want to trust the people we know and the products we use because we have faith that they have good intentions.  However, we have to be cautious as school leaders to protect ourselves and our students by listening closely to what others are saying and by asking questions that help clarify issues.

Trusting in others and in things is important, but so is knowing when something isn’t quite right and then doing something about it.

A question I will be reflecting on is What am I doing to earn and keep the trust of others?

Digging Deeper into the Research

We are removing our deck in preparation for a new patio.  I offered to do the demolition because when else will it be okay for me to destroy something?  After removing the decking, I started to dig around a support post so that we could pull it out of the ground.  After 5 minutes of digging, my wife asked if we should call the utilities commission to see where the power, cable and other utility lines are buried.  I'm glad she made that suggestion because I found out after the utility lines were marked that I was digging right in the area of our electrical line.

That was close.  I will definitely be more cautious as I continue to demo the deck.  I realized I was too focused on getting the job done and I wasn't thinking about the bigger picture.  It made me think of how we educators are sometimes too narrow in our focus when we need to slow down and dig deeper into the issue.

Educational research plays a large role in our lives as educators.  Our district and our building have high standards for providing “research-based” interventions for our students.  What I have learned from my teaching experience and from the research I have done recently for a quantitative statistics course is that educational research is a complicated world.  “Research-based” interventions can sound like a safe bet, but digging deeper into the research can reveal a truer picture of the research.

I have been investigating “computer-assisted instruction” and its effects on comprehension.  I wanted to look into this area because I help facilitate intervention plans for students who are struggling with a specific academic, behavioral, or social skill.  Many of the students who are referred to our team for assistance are not responding to classroom instruction, and these same students may need the instruction to be presented in a unique way.  I wanted to see if computer-assisted instruction could be a possible solution to help increase student comprehension.  Computer-assisted instruction usually refers to instruction that is guided by a computer program that responds to how a child answers questions or how a child is applying a skill that the program is teaching.  A good example of computer-assisted instruction is Khan Academy.

Here is what I found out from my research:

1. 
   

   Most of the computer-assisted instructional programs for reading focus on phonemic awareness and word solving skills.

   
   


2. 
   

   All of the studies measured aspects of phonemic awareness and showed positive gains among student in this skill.

   
   


3. 
   

   While all of the research studies I read claimed the computer-assisted instructional program they studied might improve comprehension, NONE of the studies included reliable data about the effects on comprehension (which is the ultimate goal of literacy instruction).

   
   

So, how does this impact me as someone who wants to lead a building some day?  

• 
  

  I have a responsibility to dig deeper into “research-based” claims.

  
  


• 
  

  I need to remember computer-assisted literacy instruction probably focuses only on phonemic awareness, which is only one aspect of learning to read.

  
  


• 
  

  The best way a child can improve his or her comprehension is by being immersed in quality texts that are at the child’s instructional level and when the child’s reading behaviors are being supported with explicit language from the teacher.

  
  


• 
  

  I need to remember to stay true to my belief that nothing can replace high-quality literacy instruction that is provided by an expert teacher (the kind that live and breathe).

  
  

I invite you to take a look at some of the research yourself.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7pbjcf5Ua1kNEpqaHRMTzhxTnM/edit?usp=sharing

"Remembering educator Rita F. Pierson" from TED Blog

"Remembering educator Rita F. Pierson" from TED Blog

Yesterday, TED Blog posted news that Rita F. Pierson passed away.  I saw her TED Talk about a month ago and I was blown away.  Her passion and advocacy for building lasting relationships with children is inspiring and reminded me just how important my job as an educator is to the kids I work with.  And she did all of that in about 15 minutes of speaking.

We are lucky that her message has been captured in her TED Talk, but her passing is a great loss.

Relationships, not technology, make a difference

I am fortunate enough to be hosting a session at the Ohio Innovative Learning Environments Conference this year.  I am excited to be presenting on the topic of blogging in schools and sharing our participation in the #learn365 project by blogging about what our community was learning each day.

The conference has “innovative” in the title, which makes me think of “edtech” as a major theme for the conference.  It also makes me think that people are expecting a tech-themed conference.  Blogging this school year did involve a lot of technology use in order to share our learning and I was ready to put the focus of the session on the technology and web-based apps we used.

However, when I look back on the posts we did, the themes that were most common had nothing to do with technology.  Our learning community shared stories of relationships, collaboration, hopes, dreams, and reflections.  We did share a couple of posts about technology, but within those posts were ways we were using technology to connect with others in order to learn.

Learning about how we can utilize technology in our classrooms is important for us educators to do in order to strengthen our instruction.  However, I believe that there needs to be a larger purpose that drives this learning.  This year, I learned that there is amazing power in connecting with others through technology and sharing what we are learning.  This affirmed my belief that it’s the relationships and the connections we make with other learners, not the technology, that really matters most.

Relationships, not technology, make a difference

I am fortunate enough to be hosting a session at the Ohio Innovative Learning Environments Conference this year.  I am excited to be presenting on the topic of blogging in schools and sharing our participation in the #learn365 project by blogging about what our community was learning each day.

The conference has “innovative” in the title, which makes me think of “edtech” as a major theme for the conference.  It also makes me think that people are expecting a tech-themed conference.  Blogging this school year did involve a lot of technology use in order to share our learning and I was ready to put the focus of the session on the technology and web-based apps we used.  

However, when I look back on the posts we did, the themes that were most common had nothing to do with technology.  Our learning community shared stories of relationships, collaboration, hopes, dreams, and reflections.  We did share a couple of posts about technology, but within those posts were ways we were using technology to connect with others in order to learn.

Learning about how we can utilize technology in our classrooms is important for us educators to do in order to strengthen our instruction.  However, I believe that there needs to be a larger purpose that drives this learning.  This year, I learned that there is amazing power in connecting with others through technology and sharing what we are learning.  This affirmed my belief that it’s the relationships and the connections we make with other learners, not the technology, that really matters most.

How do you know?

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Two years ago, my principal and I were walking down the hallway, chatting about the day somehow the conversation moved to how I thought I needed to start grad school.

"Administration?" she asked with a smile.

"No way," I said without hesitation.

I'm sure I could have been a little more sensitive and said "maybe" instead of dismissing the idea completely, but it was something I had never considered. At the time, I had only been teaching for 4 years. I was very focused on improving my teaching and thought that focusing my grad school work on teaching and learning would be something I would enjoy. Administration wasn't even in the picture.

But in that moment with my principal, a seed was planted. I started to wonder if leadership was a path I should take. Over the summer, a building leadership opportunity came my way. If I took it, it would mean less time in the classroom and more time working with small groups of students, working with teachers, analyzing data and coordinating testing. So, I did a quick pro and con list and decided to go for it.

I'm finishing up my second year in this position that I was fortunate enough to get, and I can firmly say that I'm glad I am going down this path. Leadership is a new found passion and interest. I'm one year into my educational administration program and I will be starting my principal internship this fall.  I would have never guessed I am where I am two years ago.  So, how did I come to realize building my leadership skills was the path I wanted to take?

• I started following blogs and folks on Twitter that focused on educational leadership.
• I reflected on what I am passionate about (student learning, innovative teaching, and building relationship) and made a plan for blending that into a leadership style.
• I exercise and develop my leadership vision by speaking up and sharing my thoughts more.
• I listen more and ask lots of questions.
• I do want I can to remove roadblocks for students and teachers so they can act on their goals and passions.

All of this continues to help me know that this is what I want to do moving forward.  It gives me energy and the successes are addictive.  Honestly, I've realized that we are all leaders in our own right. Students, teachers, and parents are all leaders in moving a school's progress forward.  I just needed time to look inward at myself and figure out just how far I wanted to take this path.

If you are wondering if developing your leadership is something you might be interested in doing, here are a couple of links to blogs that helped me realize building my leadership skills was the right path to take for me:

A "To-Be" List for Aspiring Leaders by Angela Maiers

Leaders Should Be Learners (video) by George Couros

Are You A Teacher-Leader? at Getting Smart

6 SIgns of a Natural Leader at SmartBlogs

Book Recommendation: What Great Principals Do Differently, by ToddWhitaker

Each time I work on my grad school coursework or read a book on leadership, I find myself revising my leadership vision and philosophy.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed in trying to remember and organize all of the great ideas I come across.  I have a notebook in Evernote where I'm collecting ideas and articles, and I am keeping a list of "When I'm Principal" so that I can remember what I've be thinking about when it comes to developing my leadership vision and philosophy.

I recently read What Great Principals Do Differently: Eighteen Things That Matter Most, by Todd Whitaker.  It is an excellent book for those interested in the principalship.  I found that the eighteen things that Whitaker includes are a great framework for developing my leadership philosophy.  For example, I know that someday I will have the opportunity to hire a teacher.  It goes without saying that this is a very important duty for the principal.  As Michael Smith puts it, you're about to sign someone to a 35 year contract.  Also, Whitaker feels that hiring the best is the quickest way to improve a school (p. 49).  Both of these points underscore the importance of this task.

I know that I will want the very best person for the job, but that doesn't provide guidance for how I can do that.  Whitaker offers some clarification for this important task.

Some principals look for candidates who are a good match, teachers who will fit in and become like their school.  Great principals have a different goal: to have the school become more like the new teacher. (p. 49)

This is just an example of how instructional Whitaker's book can be for current and future administrators.  As I said before, I feel like I now have a framework for organizing my ideas as I develop my leadership philosophy and vision.  I highly recommend picking up a copy!

"Ugly" Plans

I'm in the middle of reading The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results by Dr. Douglas Reeves, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in educational leadership.  The author provides great research-based information with implications for school improvement.


Chapter 5: What Matters Most-From Planning to Performance is a chapter that resonated with me.  Last year was my first year in a leadership role in my building.  One of my roles was as the building's intervention assistance team (IAT) coordinator and one of my goals was to have a clear, simple process for teachers and team members to use when targeting a student's skill that needed to be strengthened.  Writing out that process and turning it into a handy-dandy flowchart of next steps was something I labored over (way too much).

By February, I began to realize that there were other factors that were not going to be solved by a flowchart of steps.  These factors included team members who were confused, but didn't communicate that to me; teachers who just needed help, not more paperwork; and my inexperience in the role.

I decided that if I want the process of helping students through IAT, I needed to slow down, talk less, and listen more.  I started to adjust the process to the teachers and students that were involved.  I started to differentiate my rigid process.

Page 63 of "The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results" (Reeves, 2006)

Dr. Reeves points out that school buildings/districts often create written plans that are clean and organized.  However, these plans are often left unchanged and the leadership remains determined to stick to the plan even though variables, like student demographics or budget short-falls, have occurred.  This rigid implementation of improvement plans are why many of these schools are still spinning their wheels trying to make gains.

Dr. Reeves says that research shows that "ugly" plans, ones that change as the variables change, are plans that respond to the changing needs of the school building.  It made me think of my own classroom teaching - I never stuck to the lesson plan, I just responded to the students.  So if it works in the classroom, why shouldn't it work at the building or district level too?

As I continue to develop my philosophy of leadership and learn about principal best practices, I am relieved to know that research shows that even the best laid plans need to respond to the unexpected variables.  I will certainly run into a few of those as a principal.