Becoming Our Favorite Teachers

Yesterday was our second Superintendent's Conference Day. Faculty meetings seem to be required on these days. We've been having them forever. I'm supposed to bring everyone together and go through all the compliance items and even state test score results. Wait, that's exactly what I'm NOT supposed to do.

I always feel this very first meeting is an opportunity for me to model what I expect and to set the tone and goals for the year. The district had allotted me nearly two hours for the meeting. I knew immediately I would keep it under an hour. I still remember what it is like to be a teacher (I like to think I haven't really stopped) and know that TIME is the most valuable thing teachers need before school opens. I decided to send out any administrivia I could to staff electronically by smore before the meeting. Peter DeWitt and his work with flipped leadership has inspired my efforts in this area. Anything I can trust teachers to read on their own is in that flyer. This allows me to maximize the time I have with my teachers and only use up time that is really needed. 

We started this meeting with a bellringer where teachers had to recall two hooks from their summer reading book, Teach Like a Pirate (Yes, I am THAT principal). Some of them were able to tweet this summer about the book. This was a good way to get us started thinking about instruction. Teachers shared about their favorites. The sharing out helped remind us of all the good ideas we could use this year. It was an energizing start. 

We also joked about first day jitters. We noted that students and staff alike have them. I made mention of our need to be aware of those feelings, that we all have, on those very first few days. I turned the conversation toward asking my teachers and TAs to recall their favorite teacher. Randomly, I selected teachers to tell us about their favorite teacher and why they were the favorite. We talked about how remarkable it was -- at our ages -- how we STILL remember those teachers. I loved hearing their stories and what made certain teachers connect to certain students. Students who were now teachers were recalling these individuals with such fondness. 

Borrowing from some of the Teacher's Creed idea in Ten Minute Inservice by Todd Whitaker and Annette Breaux, I began asking teams of teachers to describe the ideal teacher. "What does the ideal teacher do?". We then flipped the discussion to list out "What does the ideal teacher NOT do?". The tone of the dialogue changed while we did that. It was much more serious. Our responses looked like this: 

After we sketched out these lists, I transitioned the group into watching a clip from Maya Angelou. 

I asked them to listen for key phrases in the clip that struck them as most positive. Those were collected on scrap papers and random ones were read out loud by me to the group. It was a good way to capture all the positive energy we could from the various activities. Some of our key phrases were:

• Live your teaching
• Pick up the battle
• Just do right
• It will satisfy your soul

I told the teachers that "Just Do Right" should be our motto, as professionals, for the year. No matter the topic (homework, grading, lesson planning, discipline, etc.), most of our answers to any problems could very well be: Just Do Right. I also connected the idea that our favorite teachers likely lived by that motto in their actions. 

It felt like a productive meeting and feedback after the meeting was positive. I always appreciate the feedback as it helps me in structuring future meetings. I was able to tweet out some pictures from our meeting yesterday and sincerely appreciated the RTs by Todd Whitaker and Dave Burgess. 

Upon entering school TODAY, teachers were greeted with this message (written in sidewalk chalk) near the entrance most of our teachers use in the morning:

Earlier this evening, Sean Junkins created this amazing visual that best captures what my teachers said yesterday. 

The more I have become connected on twitter, the more I realize the power of connection. I think it is important to celebrate the work of our buildings. I also think it is important to keep reminding those that inspire us (Todd, Dave, Peter just to start) that their work and passion fuel us. I think it is easy to underestimate the impact we have on each other. I think it is incredible that the ideas listed out by my teachers caught the idea of someone in South Carolina!

Beyond "Just Do Right", this poster (and hopefully even part of the faculty meeting) will help guide us to making sure we are the best teachers we can be, in honor of each other and in honor of all of those amazing teachers that inspire us. What goes around, comes around. 

I am keenly aware that I work with incredible people in an incredible, little school. Here's to a great year of teaching and learning in honor of our favorite teachers, our students and each other.