Summer is often a time of reflection, organization and professional development. Hopefully, and rightfully so, it also includes some periods of down time to just be. Today wasn't one of those days.
I spent the better part of 8 hours with an incredible administrative team today. We were assisted by our wonderful Instructional Coaches. In our own version of an Admin Camp, we tackled multiple topics including supporting Reader's and Writers' Workshop and Reading in the Content Area. We began conversations around guiding principles for elementary instruction and secondary instruction. We practiced our skills around look fors within a workshop model. We stepped out of our own zones to share with the group about what we were most proud of instructionally from the past year and where we thought we needed to improve individually and within our buildings. We linked those improvements to domains from the Multidimensional Principal Performance Rubric and gathered ideas from each other, as colleagues, for strategies to meet our priorities. That was incredibly powerful for me to observe, personally as a district level administrator. We made time to share the talent, inspiration and thought in the room.
I spent the better part of 8 hours with an incredible administrative team today. We were assisted by our wonderful Instructional Coaches. In our own version of an Admin Camp, we tackled multiple topics including supporting Reader's and Writers' Workshop and Reading in the Content Area. We began conversations around guiding principles for elementary instruction and secondary instruction. We practiced our skills around look fors within a workshop model. We stepped out of our own zones to share with the group about what we were most proud of instructionally from the past year and where we thought we needed to improve individually and within our buildings. We linked those improvements to domains from the Multidimensional Principal Performance Rubric and gathered ideas from each other, as colleagues, for strategies to meet our priorities. That was incredibly powerful for me to observe, personally as a district level administrator. We made time to share the talent, inspiration and thought in the room.
In much of today's work, we made deliberate time to think about our own practice. During one quick activity, administrators were presented with a grid of possibilities. We asked them to find one idea that connected to their intentions for the new year.
(Going into today's session, I wondered about the activity and if it seemed too trivial or low level for consideration. But, I reminded myself, sometimes we overthink our practice. Sometimes, we let good intentions drive our work and neglect to attach concrete action or strategies to those intentions.)
As each administrator shared the idea they chose for consideration and application into their own practice, it was interesting to note that each admin took a different square for their ideas. That's one of the key takeaways for me. I knew this before today but the idea that each learner is different -- even when you are principal! -- is so true. The option of choice made the task so much more do-able and the conversations that much richer.
(Going into today's session, I wondered about the activity and if it seemed too trivial or low level for consideration. But, I reminded myself, sometimes we overthink our practice. Sometimes, we let good intentions drive our work and neglect to attach concrete action or strategies to those intentions.)
As each administrator shared the idea they chose for consideration and application into their own practice, it was interesting to note that each admin took a different square for their ideas. That's one of the key takeaways for me. I knew this before today but the idea that each learner is different -- even when you are principal! -- is so true. The option of choice made the task so much more do-able and the conversations that much richer.
Tried and True
|
Technology
|
Teacher Collaboration
|
Be. Make time for 1:1 conversations. Find protected time in your schedule that allows you to access teachers and block it in to be with them.
| 
Smore
Create online, interactive flyers in minutes! Create one on a topic for flipped PD! Create flyers around PD topics for your building.
| 
Give teachers back time to talk all things instruction and kids. Consider other kinds of faculty meetings.
|
Paper still works!
Found an article of interest a certain teacher might appreciate? Put a copy of it in a teacher’s mailbox with a note.
| 
Flipgrid
Use it to host a book study, article study, critical question discussion.
| 
Peer Observation
Allow teachers to sign up to observe each other. Maximize sub coverage and have assigned building swap days with subs that float.
|
Friday Focus/Monday Message
|  |
Pineapple Chart
Allow for informal observations chosen by teachers. Use the pineapple chart approach to encourage informal visits.
 |
Focus on Team.
Lean on Each Other.
 | 
Twitter
|
Cultivate a Culture of Literacy
|
Taking this time in July gave us permission to press pause and think about where we have been and where we want to go as an administrative team. It allowed us to celebrate what has been accomplished in the year we just finished and gave us permission to think differently about some things headed our way in the new year.
Apple - Perspective Clip
Soon enough, my "one year" anniversary for joining the district will be here. Today was the day I finally felt like I found a place on the expanded instructional team. That sense of knowing you are on the right team at the right time is hard to explain in words. It should be scary to admit that in print. Yet, it's not.
In fact, it's just the opposite.
That's the kind of inspiration spending a day with a dedicated group of administrators and Instructional Coaches can provide.
Iron sharpens iron.
Pretty solid reflection. The type that begets solid leadership. Well done, if I may say so.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much...whoever you are kind commenter. :)
Delete