The Sum of the Parts

Imagine the inner workings of a fine Swiss watch.  Each of the movements, the cogs, springs and gears is a precision crafted piece of the mechanism that keeps time.  Each component has a purpose and function that the timepiece must have in order to work properly.  Now lets say that the smallest of the movements gets damaged, dirty or even removed.   How will that affect the precision of the time piece?  The timekeeping ability will be inaccurate or stop completely.  

When we take this metaphor and impose it on a group or an organization, we can see that every member has an integral role in the functioning of the system.  When any one of the movements, or people, is not calibrated correctly, the performance of the entire agency loses its accuracy and precision.  

As those charged with the role of leadership of an organization, a team, a school, a classroom, it becomes clear that tending to all the parts is necessary to enable precision work.  Think of the horologist who's role it is to adjust and calibrate that precision timepiece.  On occasion it may require cleaning or servicing.  This may take the form of a phone call or a conversation with individuals.  Sitting together in the team room before work or during lunch and taking part in the daily conversations with the various team members will provide a window into the thoughts and the movements of the team.    Taking time every day to walk through the school or the organization will further that insight as you look with fresh eyes at the physical environment and the interactions of those around you.  Without some form of connection and observance, how will we ensure that our organization's parts are acting together to become the most precise timepiece?  

Another way to consider the importance of each member can be illustrated using the texts of 1 Corinthians.  "One body but many parts."  Here an organization, a church, is compared to the human body.  Each member of the group functions as an independent and different part of the human body, working together as one person.  As in any organization, there are 'parts of the body' that are more noticed, the eye, the mouth, the lips while other parts are less visible, less noticed.  While those more visible parts may seem more attractive and important, the unseen ones, like the hands and feet, are often the doers and movers and as such are no less important.  Each part of the body has been put together and each has its precision task that works towards the goal that the body is meant to do. 

There is an additional consideration to take from this metaphor though.  The text in 1 Corinthians continues to illustrate that as a member of the body, each part has the charge to recognize its relevance and its role.  It says that "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.  If one part is honoured, every part shares in the joy."  We are all to pay attention to the other parts - and to share in the precision ability of the agency.  Even in the timepiece each of the movements interacts with one or two others.  We can all be leaders in our own areas.  If we wait on those charged with the role of leadership to check in on all parts we may miss out on the opportunity to help others who may require it.  If we don't take action when we see one of our friends stressing or suffering, or when we don't point out the success of others around us, we may be diminishing the efficacy of our agency.

Whether a precision time piece or a human body, it is clear that any organization is made of many parts, each with its own task that moves the organization towards its goals.  Leaders are charged with overseeing these parts and ensuring their efficacy.  Our ability to achieve our best potential comes when we recognize the importance of all parts and work together to create the conditions for success.  Together we are stronger and to quote Aristotle, we have the ability to be "greater than the sum of our parts".  

Image credits: http://www.uhdwallpapers.org/2014/11/mechanical-gears-movement-watch-time.html

Dean Shareski recently posted a request for educators to talk about Watershed Moments in education.   I was inspired to take up his offer and write a few watershed moments from my life as a school administrator.  These are moments that define our actions and beliefs or as Dean stated "Watershed moments are those occasions where there the lightbulb came on or something profound was shared or understood."  

First moment: In the second year of my first VP job I was meeting with students who were being removed from classes due to attendance.  It was October and a couple of teachers came to me with lists of students who had accumulated the magic number of absences - I believe it was 14 - and they wanted to clear the students from their courses.  I distinctly recall sitting with a young man who had moved down to Winnipeg from a northern community to attend school, this was the third time I was removing him from the same courses.  He was sad because it would be his last time trying and he would be moving back to the reserve.  In three different semesters this young man had taken the same intro units of the same courses from the same teachers and then was removed due to absences.  I realized that there had to be a better way to engage students who didn't fit in the system the way it was being run - this young man and many others were not being given the supports necessary to survive in school; teachers were more concerned with their courses than they were with the students.  From that day I have preached that we all teach students - not subjects and will do everything possible to scaffold success for all students.
  
Second moment:  Watching a family of elementary students being apprehended from school by our child protection agency and seeing the fear and sadness in the face of the elder two and a happy unknowing innocence in the face of the youngest made me realize that for many students school is their familiar, calm, and safe place.  I will do everything I can to make our schools into this type of space for all children.  I strive to collaborate with our education specialists, police service and child protection agencies in order to create as much continuity as we can for our students who become at-risk.  

Third moment:  Attending an ASCD conference 9 years ago I listened to Michael Fullan describe the power of the PLC .  He gave me the framework for putting my beliefs around teamwork into action in the school.  That has become one of the most pivotal leverage tools that I have adopted in my practice - unleashing the power of a high performing PLC - for teachers as well as any other staff in the school.  When we believe together, we are able to do far more than when we are separate. 

Fourth moment:  Early in my current job (9 years ago) I was reading about the upcoming Truth and Reconciliation Commission and I spoke about it with my friend, an indigenous woman who worked at the school.  In the course of the conversation I decided to say to my friend "As a public school principal I want to apologize to you for any trauma that your family experienced." This was met with an emotional response that bonded our friendship.  That moment made me realize that my position as a school principal in Canada inherently carries with it a shadow of the residential school system and that I need to be vigilant and sensitive to that dark legacy.  I work hard at creating a welcoming environment that speaks to all our students and their families through the physical spaces and my own interactions.  

PD - For One and For All

Today I had a couch day...thick with a chest cold I slept, watched some Netflix and read through the #denapalooza twitter stream.  I love the way we can all participate in free PD via social media.  I have always been a proponent of PD for all.  This is the act that makes the team stronger and builds success into the very structure of the school or team.  When we roll out a new idea or tool, we commit to ongoing PD for the year to ensure that the learning goes deep and the practice is well embedded in our classrooms.

This past summer I had the good fortune to be invited to the DEN SUMMER INSTITUTE - PRINCIPAL'S SUMMIT.   However, reflecting on my visit with #DENSI2014  I am reminded me that we need to also address the needs of our early adopters and staff champions.  Id the good fortune to be invited to the DEN SUMMER INSTITUTE - PRINCIPAL'S SUMMIT  While this may not be a new idea to many, it was refreshed for me the necessity of this practice in addition to team wide PD.  When our staff champion becomes more skilled and inspired, s/he returns to our team and spreads that energy throughout the rest of the early adopters.  

As the LC arrived at DENSI2014 I watched each member embrace, catch up and then start sharing ideas and things that they had done since last seeing each other.  As Educational Leaders we need to know our team and know their passions and strengths.  Allow the expert to become more expert so that they are in a better position to share and strengthen the entire team.  When staff with similar strengths and language/understanding come together, they are already in stronger position as they do not need to start from zero.  Their sharing and learning commences quickly because: a) they are already on a similar level of conversation and b) they are excited to share their trials with an enthusiastic audience.  

On the flip side I also noted a few folks who were sharing about their flops.  A level of comfort and security was noticeable as there was also no hesitation in this sharing either.  Each of the staff champions in the DEN were recharging and learning from the first day.  If school teams had sent the teachers who were in need of convincing or who were “just not getting it” the DEN would not have had the same power that it holds.  

The team I work with is excellent and is comprised of many strong and intelligent members, even a few Denstars.  We are always committed to  meaningful school wide PD topics.  I think that I will be speaking with each of them about their  specific passions and strongest skills.  We will be making a list of topics to be on the look out for as I seek to provide strengthening and reenergizing experiences for each of them.

I think this applies to district wide PD initiatives as well.  When a ‘big gun’ is brought in to present to teachers from a number of schools, we need to balance opportunities that, using a sports analogy, strengthen the bench alongside those that strengthen the stars.  

Perhaps this is what we all need to consider next time an important Professional Development opportunity comes around.

My 28 minutes are up today - thanks for reading.  #28daysofwriting

Cultured Pearls - #28daysofwriting

Many people equate pearls with value.  We see this in fashion and in wisdom.  Originally pearls were found by chance, created in the amazing biology of the oyster as it organically responded to injury by excreting a substance known as nacre.  In the modern day, pearls are now grown in farms.  The process is still organic as farmers insert a ’seed’ particle into the oyster to start the nacre secreting process.  Pearl production has dramatically increased with this infusion tactic.

  Like the oyster and the pearl, many schools in the past were magical when opened; people found beauty inside an amazing school culture. Unfortunately, like the oyster and the pearl, some schools were opened to find nothing of value.

School culture is a hot topic in the Twitterverse these days. Many connected educators are posting their thoughts and feelings, their practices and wishes.  While I agree that school culture is a multifaceted gem, reflecting off students, teachers, support staff, and families, today I will write about the role of the principal.  It is the role I am most familiar with.

The principal is like the pearl farmer in that s/he is the person with the power to insert the ‘seed’ into the school in which they work, the team that they lead,  the community they support.

I suggest two ‘culturing’ tools for principals.   They are fairly simple to use and yet can create remarkable pearls of value. I like to call this creating the conditions.

The first tool is called TALK and LISTEN.  Too often we enter a new setting and do one or the other!  I like to think that we need to sit and hear from all team members while we determine what the needs of the school are.  By ASKING QUESTIONS and LISTENING THROUGH THE ANSWERS we can assess the real needs that our teams, students and families tell us.  Let people have a voice but don’t be afraid to direct what you are talking about.  Ask questions, direct conversations, drive the direction of the talking.  A few ways this can be done might include common professional development, book studies, or posting a discussion topic for the day.  Develop a practice of engaging at least one conversation a day with the team...but don’t talk to the same people every time, if you want to harvest many pearls you need to seed many oysters!

The second tool is also a basic one called WALK THE TALK.  As the principal it is imperative that modelling happens.  People need to see you outside of your office, in a different hallway, and at different times of the day.  This can be very challenging when you are inundated with demands from the Board Office or professional organizations.  Staff also need to see that you are investing in the same things that you expect of them.  Read the book for the book study, participate in a PLC, develop and connect with a global PLN.

I had the fortune this past week of having a principal from another school ask if he could tour the school I am at.  He heard me speak in the fall.  I gladly accepted his request, even joked that he was coming to see that I was being honest with my stories and examples of school culture!  What happened was really encouraging and rewarding.  In a blog post about his visit @csgamble made note of little things that our team does - things that I hadn’t really thought of but reflect the richness of a strong school culture.  You can read his blog here.  I left Chris with a comment about time.  This cool, amazing, high powered team didn’t develop overnight.  We have worked together for seven years now and as the principal I have tried my best to insert small practices into the environment that  are reaping pearls of great value today.  

My 28 minutes are up - thanks for reading.

Language is everything....at least that is what we have been told.

Language is the key to letting people know what you mean, what you expect and what you hope will happen.  Finding a common language is the first step in moving all parts of your organization in the same direction.  But what does 'common language' mean in a school setting? 

Common language between all members?

Common language of instruction?

Common language for assessment?

Common language for discipline?

Common language of action?

I have encountered a number of leaders who have not been clear and decisive about the language that they use or that should be used in their organizations.  In my experience I have found that establishing a common language for all team members is a very powerful driver for the mission of the group.  At our monthly staff meetings there is an opportunity for our team to connect and establish a common language for literacy instruction through all grade levels.  This is an opportunity for all staff - teachers, administrators and support staff to share and develop our common language.  This translates into an advantage for our students and families as they move through the school; they will spend less time learning a new ‘language’ each September.  It provides a sharpening of instructional time for everyone.

In the area of literacy instruction, our team has found the work of Regie Routman to be a useful framework to have vertical conversations which lead to common beliefs and common language.  The work of Gail Boushey and Joan Moser has helped our team develop common practice for our students as well.  We have found that our students respond well to these common elements as they move through the grades at the school.  They do not seem to stress when we speak about 'stamina' and our teachers appreciate the infusion of the 'OLM' across their lessons.

In regard to discipline, by sharing a common language, our students will be able to know what is expected behaviour in all areas of the school.  We are working at removing the variability that so many of us met in our own school experiences as we moved between classrooms.  I’m not suggesting that we remove individuality from the classrooms of our schools but I am suggesting that we come to an agreement around the use of our words and the meaning of our words.

As an educational leader I need to continue to create opportunities for our team to understand what the expectations around common language are as well as guide the definition of that language.  Our team will become stronger, our teaching will become sharper and our students will become more successful.  

Leadership Lessons from Mission Control

Leadership Lessons from Mission Control

In 1969 Gene Kranz was the leader of one of history's most successful teams. He led a team of hundreds of individuals including Charlie Duke as they planned, built and executed one of the most famous events in history-the first landing on the moon. Without the leadership, diligence, expertise and dedication of these individuals and more, Neil Armstrong would not be one of the most famous humans in history. Armstrong's "One small step for man one giant leap for mankind." quote reflects the efforts and work of thousands of individuals before the scene and work of one man. Armstrong may have been the person who took the step but Duke was the voice of mission control and Kranz was the Flight Director of the entire Apollo and Gemini rocket program.

Armstrong and his crew experienced the biggest event of their lives, a mountain top experience. They were thrust not only into the spotlight but into the collective memory of the world. Kranz and his crew, while popular with the science and engineering crowd, remain somewhat unknown to this day. Yet Kranz did not take offense at the lack of spotlight, he didn't pack it in or complain. He continued to lead his team through many more launches and missions.

When Apollo 13 was crippled on its way to the moon in 1970, Kranz's leadership was tested more than ever. His undaunted work through that crisis put him in the history books alongside the astronauts that stood on the moon; his story retold in the movie Apollo 13.

Mountain top experiences get the press but all the hard work is the preparation, the climb up, the climb down, the packing away of the gear and then prepping for the next adventure. The times between mountain top experiences are critical to any venture, to any group.

What are you doing as the leader between the mountaintops? When things go wrong...are you prepared to lead through the challenges? Are you meeting your team members where they are? Are you taking time to check in, unpack, prep and repack? How are you creating leaders from within the organization? How are you enabling the stars on the team to shine?

Cheers

@RexFB

Learning & Leading

Week #9 of SAVMP challenged me to reflect on the Learning part of Leading. 

This past week I took a day for personal business and then had the opportunity to attend a PD session with Richard Allington. This is Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and I am thankful for three things I learned while I was away for two days:  Connect & Refresh, Grow, and Be Humbled

1. Connect & Refresh:  The session was sponsored by @mbascd and I was able to connect with a number of my colleagues that I rarely see.  I was able to have conversations with other administrators; a commodity is short supply for many stand-alone school admin.  Professional conversation with people who deal with the same issues and concerns provides opportunity to gain fresh perspectives, learn new things, and sometimes just plain vent.  I met up with one friend I hadn’t seen in twenty years and had an opportunity to meet @chrisjstahl “ilr” in real life.

2.  Grow:  I was more than ‘nudged’ by Dick Allington and his deep well of data; his acerbic style was inflammatory for many, but I relished the bluntness!  Teaching is hard work and we need our best and brightest teachers with our most at risk students.  I was reminded of my friend @kimcjr who always told me we need to be teaching with a sense of urgency…when reviewing the studies that Allington spoke of I can see why!  As an educational leader I need to reset my own focus sometimes.  Taking a day of PD is a great way to enable this.

3. Be Humbled: Upon my return to school, I found that the world ran on with out me.  I was actually away for two and a half days due to the alignment of meetings, personal time and PD.  @mlhrom is a super designate who steps into the role easily and is supported by the entire team. During my absence we had a few new students register, construction begin on a grooming room, a new classroom teepee erected, and a major community event organized.  I am very blessed to work with an amazing team – they remind me that everyone is replaceable, including me. 

I send my thoughts to my PLN friends on this Thanksgiving weekend.  You have given me an audience for my thoughts and an opportunity to express them.  I often refer to Twitter and the #SAVMP (School Adminstrator Virtual Mentorship Program) as a forge that pushes me to clarify my educational philosophy.  Expressing beliefs in 140 character tweets or fewer than 1000 word blog posts is like swaging and edging…responses, comments and conversations are the hammering and shaping.   

Enjoy the weekend!

-RexFB

Passion, Relevancy & Value: Rethinking Staff PD

Passion, Relevancy & Value:  Rethinking Staff PD #SAVMP

Recently I heard an interesting story that relates:  A new man joined a woodcutting team.  On his first day he cut down 18 trees.  The boss was ecstatic about the man’s progress.  Interestingly each day he cut fewer trees.  The boss noticed the woodcutter becoming fatigued and sad.  When he asked if the woodcutter had stopped to sharpen his axe, the reply was “I love cutting trees.  I’m working as hard as I can and can’t take the time to stop and sharpen my axe because I will fall farther behind.” Sometimes our teachers are like the woodcutter.  They are so caught up in meeting the needs of their students and the requirements of the job that they miss out on sharpening the axe.   As the leader in a school it is important to create meaningful professional development opportunities that staff will actively participate in.

During this past week I have been bombarded with questions and comments about Professional Development: “Do we have to go the to sessions provided by the union?”  “I can’t afford to spend $100 on sessions that don’t interest me.”  “Can I go to this great session?”  “If no one else wants to go I would love to be considered for that training session.” 

The ensuing discussions have left me with some comments to make about our professional learning that mesh nicely with this week’s #savmp topic:  Rethinking Staff PD.

Here are several illustrations to consider:

This past July I was able to participate in some really great session at the National Principal Leadership Institute (@NPLINYC) held in New York City.  I was inspired by the stories shared by Consuelo Kickbush (@consueloEAS); motivated by Cobb County Superintendent Michael Hinojosa; and educated by the Michael Fullan (@MichaelFullan1).  This Institute took ten of my precious summer holidays – not something that I part with easily!

Non-teaching employees in my current school have agreed to arrange their mandatory non-contact workdays to enable a critical mass of participants for me to arrange PD presentations for them.

This fall teachers in Manitoba have a province wide day of professional development (sorry to say the next line MTS friends) that no one appears greatly interested in…we are supporting the day by participating regardless.

The other day I caught a team of teachers on film…they were spending their lunch hour learning about new library software – on a Friday yet!

What drives us to want to attend PD?  What makes PD impactful?  Based on my experiences I think that there are several key factors at play:

1.     Passion drives us all.  When the topic or the presenter is one that is in sync with the staff member it doesn’t matter what the parameters are – they want to be there and will be engaged!  As the school administrator/PD planner a good practice is to enable as much staff choice as possible.  Canvas the team for their needs – their interests.  Stay away from random one off sessions; let staff deepen their understanding by having conversations, implementing new information in their classes and then reflecting together.    Watch as the team becomes more engaged and the professional development runs deep.

2.     Relevancy of the topic or presenter creates conditions for staff teams to willingly participate.  I have encountered staff members at PD sessions actually reading the newspaper (a paper copy at that) while the speaker was standing at the front of the room!  Not only is poor participation not courteous, it is unprofessional. The issue with that particular session was that many staff felt that they were ‘voluntold’ to be there.  They were not invested in the topic and felt that it was not going to add to their toolbox.  Professional development topics need to assist staff members ‘today’ with take-aways that they can use in their classrooms.  Avoid having PD for the sake of having PD or telling staff that they need a topic because it is the new thing.  Avoid bandwagons.  Put PD plans in place that address the goals and mission of the team as well as those of the school division.

3.     Value – If the staff has the time to give and the price is right, they are far more likely to buy in and participate in a PD session.  What are the costs that are associated with the PD?  Does it involve losing prep time?  Is there a financial cost to the session?  Will it happen during the school day, evening or weekend?  I know many dedicated teachers who feel that missing a day of instruction may be challenging for their students.  Sometimes the teacher may not recognize the benefit that taking a course/participating in a session brings to their classroom.  Have you explored implementing a PLC model for the school?  Are there built in systems for same grade discussions as well as vertical team dialogue?  By scheduling these types of PD sessions into the time table the school administrator is showing that they are important and that there is an inherent value placed on them. 

Finding the intersection of these three characteristics is an important task, although not always an easy one.     Listening to the team is the most important first step.

At Brooklands School, we have agreed as a team to work together on one main Professional Development topic: strengthening our students’ writing and reading.  Classroom teachers from K-5 are studying Regie Routman’s (@regieroutman) Transforming Our Teaching Through Writing for Audience and Purpose.  Teachers watch video clips on line and read assigned texts.  During the next 6 day cycle, they meet in their grade level PLCs to share and compare on their implementation. We then discuss together in our vertical team during a portion of the monthly staff meeting time.    

By working together to make this important professional development happen, teachers have offered to do some work on their own and I have provided time for them to discuss and reflect.  We have minimized administrative topics on staff meeting agendas using email to discuss and disseminate information.  This commitment and change in practice reflects relevancy and value to our teachers who are passionate about the growth and success of their students.

Cheers,
RexFB

Leading in Times of Chaos #SAVMP

Leading in Times of Chaos

#SAVMP

Today I woke up thinking.  On most days this is a good thing but this was one of those mornings where I feel that I was thinking all night long.   My family knows the cycle of my school administration life and the end of September often brings poor sleep and lots of work thoughts as we move into our student enrollment data collection time.  Staffing confirmations, funding applications for new student support, a pound of paper work due at the board office added to personal life concerns like getting the siding on the house and fixing the leaky sink are usually suspects for thoughtful nights.  This night my thoughts are about people.

Being the leader is often a hard task and it is never harder than when our team or one of the members is in chaos.  Chaos takes many forms:  new students enroll to the school who exhibit severe emotional behaviour needs; parents are not happy about a decision and have complained to the board; the personal life of a colleague is falling apart; someone dies.  As a leader in any system it is a myth to think one can control what happens in the day to day; true leadership shines in responses from the midst of chaos – when people who follow feel support, hear affirmation and see compassion.

When I started this career as a school administrator I had taken several courses in educational leadership.  None were as valuable as the times I spent on courses with experienced administrators who were at the end of their careers.  One ‘career VP’ was a renowned curmudgeon and source of all things ‘policy based’ in our school division.  However, because of his life long experiences, he was also an inspirational, real world source of knowledge.  To this day I quote the rule of ‘ODA’ – other duties as assigned – which he translated into any job that isn’t on someone’s job list falls into the leader’s.  While this may or may not be true for all leaders it fits nicely with a servant leadership practitioner and provides me a platform for responding to chaos.

When facing chaos ‘CODA’ is an acronym to describe elements of response: Compassion, Optimism, Dignity, and Action.  They are not always the easy things to do, but they are the right things to do.

Compassion for another person illustrates a commonality with them.  Looking at another person with appreciation (not necessarily an understanding) and respect that they are in the midst of chaos provides some semblance of peace of mind.  We aren’t able to rush in and fix things, but we can ask questions like “What do you need?”  We can expect that they may not have all ‘tasks’ accomplished or that their ‘performance’ might be different.  Which tasks can we assist with? Who can we add into their classroom/school to bring support? Which ‘task’ can we delete? Showing compassion illustrates our responsibility to them as a leader, a colleague, and a friend.

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.

Dalai Lama

Optimism is a powerful emotion at the best of times and the worst of times.  Being grateful for our daily walks, seeing positive elements around us, looking for the ‘silver linings’ are all undeniably positive ways of responding to chaos. Optimism should not be confused with denying the reality of a situation, or burying your head in the sand.  It is the power to recognize chaos elements and a choice to focus on strands of positivity and goodness.  As the leader in an organization showing a fresh perspective in the face of chaos is essential (although it can be incredibly hard!).

Optimism is not a trait that pops out when we are dropped into a crisis on its own it must be exercised in good times as well.  Saying, “I’ll think of you today.” when you know someone is in the midst of chaos shows that you are aware of their needs.

Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.   

Colin Powell

In times of chaos it is easy to lose self-esteem.  As the leader in a team maintaining the Dignity of others is an important task.  As a team member nothing is as powerful as having the leader say, “I’ve got your back.”  As a leader it is just as powerful to have someone say, “I know you’ve got my back.”  These are simple expressions of our respect for one another in both our professional and personal lives.  Expressions of commonality that illustrate our inability to cover all angles due to chaos and our willingness to step into that breach on behalf of our colleague.  In essence we are saying “You don’t need to worry about this part – I’ll take care of it for you.” 

Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Matthew 22:39

Taking Action is a concrete way of acknowledging that someone is in need of support.  Actions can be formal and informal – both have their places.  Formal actions in the face of chaos might be time off to write an incident report, contractual time off or even opportunities for counseling services.  These are all appropriate responses that the leader should be aware of.  Informal actions can also be supportive and encouraging: buying a coffee (knowing how they take it is even better); sending a card; covering a class.  By giving of yourself as the leader you are adding to the resiliency of the team.  It may seem like a small action but it will reap large benefits in the recipient.

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lays.   

Mother Teresa

Chaos might be out of our control, inevitable in any system as life supplies a list of events that we cannot predict.  There are some practices we can apply to diminish the disruptions when they come.  While I write this post in reflection today I would add that I have had the opportunity to be on the giving end of these responses recently, being in a position of leadership provides insight into many individual struggles and opportunity to respond to needs.  I have also had the luxury of seeing other team members step up and offer supports to others.  This is a benefit of the position.  There is however another benefit that I will mention: I have also have recently been on the receiving end of each of these responses from staff I 'lead' and from those who 'lead' me.  I know personally the impact that comes from these responses and I appreciate all the supports and affirmations.

Leadership is continually shaped by the life lessons brought by both success and failure.  Nothing is more affirming than when your actions are valued and appreciated by others.

Thanks 

-RexFB

Creating a Culture of Innovation #SAVMP 6

Creating a Culture of Innovation #SAVMP 6

I like this weeks Blog challenge.  It meshes with one thing I am trying to do throughout #SAVMP: I am trying to not read anyone else’s blog post until I post mine.  This way I am pushing my creativity and expression to come from within and not from elsewhere.  Today I present some Muppets, a couple of “having said that…”s and a Steve Jobs tie in with a twist.

If a teacher came to an interview and said that they had the school year charted with a daybook and it was all mapped out, consistently delivered from year to year - just like the teacher across the hall…would you want them to teach your students? 

When I was a kid I watched a lot of TV.  In the early days my favorite program was probably Sesame Street.  I have a lot of memories of the Muppets, Mr. Hooper and Bob.  I recall the way they lived and interacted with anyone who was their neighbour…regardless of race, gender, species or occupation. During a Sesame Street Fable segment called The King and the Fireman, Bob told the story of a king impressed with the work of the fireman and declares that everyone in the kingdom should become firefighters.  Through the fable I learned the woes that happen to the kingdom if everyone becomes a firefighter: No one cooks; No one helps; No one delivers the mail.  This cautionary fable has woven itself into my memory and has actually resurfaced a few times in adult life during discussion of creativity and innovation.  When we see the success of others and try to become what they are or do what they are doing, we run the risk of becoming clones and not generating new practices. 

Having said that, don’t let me mislead you into thinking it is not good practice to checkout and adopt other’s good practice.  When we see success we need to reflect and review our practice in the light of the success.  Where can we adopt things, trim things and grow?  Bob’s fable cautions that we shouldn’t lose all of our identity becoming something else – there is the idea of everyone in the kingdom learning how to be a firefighter for emergencies.

Have you worked with school administrators who are really good at completing the checklist, getting agendas out, ensuring the school year is completed with a solid performance?  In my experience with these types of principals very little originality is seen; in the continuity of the years, staff starts to take on a pack mule attitude, not having to even look where they are going because they know the steps in the cycle already.  Innovation is usually at an all time low.

Here is the cycle as I’ve seen it:

Set school goals.  (Maybe with dot stickers).

Set personal goals.  (Maybe in groups)

Work Work Work.  (Maybe we are all firefighters)

Write goal summaries. 

Write personal goal summaries. 

Write provincial document using data to verify progress. 

Start again.

It sounds kind of dull.  It feels kind of dull.

Not much creativity and energy – but paper is all done.  Check!

Having said that, it is really important to be good at getting your paperwork done.  We need to have the machine running to enable innovation to happen.  We also take results in student learning very seriously and data collection is imperative for tracking gains in learning. 

In an earlier post I mentioned a PATH planning tool we use to establish our vision and our goals.  Goal setting is where innovation begins.  The team and many stakeholders in the school community gather to review the strategic plan, the school values, mission statement and history.  Together they create a perfect world vision for the school and set goals together.  In collective creativity the goals are always POSITIVE and POSSIBLE.  Sometimes they are even innovative.   Team members attach their names to their goal(s) that they are passionate and/or interested in.  The goals are checked on periodically and reported to the entire staff team. 

Having said that, our current team is due for a revisioning PATH session. (That’s for the Bison’s who might be reading)!

As I work with school teams I like to start each year by celebrating our successes from the previous years and reviewing our goals for the upcoming year.  The current team I work with knows that I always end this session with a last goal…a Jobsian ‘one more thing’.  Unlike Jobs, the totalitarian leader, the last thing I add is a line I learned from my pastor:  our last goal is always “Something we don’t know yet.”   This one line is my favorite motivator of the year.  It allows our team to follow our path and yet have the opportunity to break out of the cycle and engage something that might be “spontaneous” or “innovative”!  There is a safety net for those who need one; all our goals need to be vetted against our vision. 

We have had some very successful innovative projects in our time together including but not limited to:  complete fundraising and building of two playstructures in one school year; recreating and renovating our library into a Learning Commons, raising five thousand dollars for renewing the library collection, recording song mosaics, school songs and making videos.  You can see some of these on our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BrooklandsSJSD/videos

Or you can check out the school blog at brooklandselementary.blogspot.ca

Our team has taken many innovative ideas and woven them into our common practice.  School teams starting on a journey of innovation and change may find themselves overwhelmed at the complexity of high performing teams – remember, one strategy/practice at a time.   

As a school leader you can create a culture that allows innovation and brings energy to your school community.  Start at the beginning by including an avenue for innovation in your goal setting practice.  

Cheers,

RexFB

It Takes a Community - #SAVMP 2

 It Takes a Community

The SAVMP challenge for this blog post is to capture your vision for school.  I’ve been a school administrator for 12 years.  When I reflect on my own change and growth I can best define my ‘Educational Philosphy’ with the word Community.

Here is a photo of some materials found in my home.  I recently ripped the top half story off.  In the process I saved as much of the fir framing lumber that I could.  It is solid, dry and 50 year old wood that is strong like metal.  Using this lumber and some new material with a tool I borrowed from a friend and most importantly an idea my wife and I had for reusing the lumber, I set about creating something new.  The second picture captures our new coffee table and wall shelf made from the beautiful wood that existed hidden from sight for the last 5 decades.  

Just as these varied materials were shaped to become pretty cool furniture, so too are the students we meet each day of their public school lives.

In my example students are the lumber – their potential may be hidden or not.  They are waiting to become wall supports, furniture, art or some fusion of each.  The staff are like the  – I get to work, shape and reshape.  My borrowed tools are like the resources (parents, volunteers, partnerships, supplies) we gather and use to assist us in the work, the more tools the better the finished product will look.  However, it is the vision my wife and I developed that drove the whole project.  Without this vision the lumber may have remained as wall supports or in the construction garbage.

George Couros referred to the notion of “it takes a village to raise a child” and I believe in that proverb.  I have started adding a second line “it takes a community to be a village” to highlight my strong belief in relationship. 

As a school administrator I believe that I need to build relationship with each of the stakeholders in the school community.  This means that I spend time with each of the staff, with students, with families and with community members.  I listen, talk, and even plan with everyone so that we can create a common vision for our school.  Each of the school teams I have worked with know that I will use a PATH planning tool to set our vision, as the principal I have been able to invite parents and community members in to the process. 

My current school is in a community that has a low SES score tied to high needs and a low graduation rate. I recall the first time I invited parents to come to a school vision setting session!  Their first response was “What has he done?”  They followed with “You want me to what?”  Finally were happy to come out and add to our conversations.   Much more empowering than a regular PTA meeting, having parents participate in this manner creates connections that stick.  Communication freely flows and several parents now become advocates for the school and more participatory in their child’s education.

I often recite the mantra “Our best and brightest for our most at-risk.” to our staff.  Working with students who are emotionally charged due to their own issues and needs is in itself potentially draining.   Staff members need to see that they make a difference in these students’ lives.  They need to be supported and celebrated in this work.  Each member of the team is an important part of achieving our vision. Each staff member, regardless of his or her position in the system, is a leader.  My role is to encourage, support, seek PD and funding to enable their success.   I have used the example of shining a light on staff members: when you become the leader you need to shine the light not on yourself but on others so that they can find their way, and be seen as well. One of the gauges I use to measure my success in this role is to look at the trajectory of our staff.  As in many schools, people move on and leave our team.  I will look at where they are moving to and reflect if it is in a generally upward and improved position – a leadership position - or is it down and out?  By this I mean have the departing team members gained skills and experience that is taking them to a new and stronger position in their own journeys?  (I think I will explain this further in a later post!)

Students are also in need of being a part of something bigger. As the educational leader in the building I ensure that there are many opportunities for our students to attach themselves to positive and tangible structures.   This might take the form of being a member of a team, a choir, or it might be as simple as owning a school t-shirt.  Students are given the opportunity to see themselves in a positive way.  One of the earliest activities I recall at my current school was to have each student make a clay tile to decorate the hallway.  The tiles were kiln fired and attached to the wall by the office.  Each year now we have our departing Grade 5 students add another tile to the halls.  This creates a physical attachment to the school and an anchor to the point in time when the student is positive and there are many possibilities ahead.  I say it like this as I have had three different students over the last few years who have not been successful in further school return to visit; they inevitably walk to their tile, touch it and remember the ‘good times’ they had at our school.  I see this positive expression as a measure of our success in creating community.  In past years former students often vandalized our school and yard.

Traditional printed newsletters have not been successful in our community.  We have made a transition to classroom news and classroom blogs.  Over the last few years we have celebrated our achievements with videos and songs that are now on YouTube.  In efforts to strengthen our communication with each other, with learners in other parts of the world and most importantly with our students and their families we are working to curate our on line presence into a one stop shop.  The school now has its own blog brooklandselementary.blogspot.ca and we have linked our classroom blogs, Instagram, YouTube channel and soon Twitter feed through it.  Our teachers are trying out the Remind101 app to connect directly with parents and guardians.  We hope that parents and families will use these open lines of communication.

People can live side by side in today’s village and never know who their neighbours are and what their children learn.  As the educational leader in my current school, I work towards creating community through relationship.  Parent involvement, staff leadership, student attachment and open communication are the strands that I hope will weave us all into a stronger community and that we will become the village that raises the child.

-RexFB

The Impact of Trust - #SAVMP 4

SAVMP #4  The Impact of Trust

This summer I reread Max De Pree's Leadership is an Art.  He made a relevant point about how giving group members a say is a very good practice as "Structures do not have anything to do with trust.  People build trust."  (I might recap De Pree's Participative Management in a future post).  I also read a tweet recently from @differNtiated4u that said "Are you committed or compliant?"

These two quotes had been rolling around in my head for a few days while I was starting to prepare for a return to school or as my kids call it 'the end ... of summer'.  During a conversation with one of my kids I let them know that as the principal it is in my responsibility to ensure that the school is ready to roll for opening day.  I had to answer that I don't get extra pay for the time I spend before opening day but it makes the world smoother in September to invest time in August.  I then had a deeper reflection about this practice that meshed with the topic of #SAVMP week 4 - Trust.

Let me explain further with the example of two Superintendents with the same message:

         "In August you must ensure that school is cleaned and ready to receive students,
           staff are in place, students are registered, and schedules are complete."

Superintendent 1 emphasizes the words 'AUGUST' and  'MUST'.  Then acts with check ins, phone calls and scheduled meetings.  The result is a team of adminstrators who are more Compliant  (Inclined to obey rules, esp. to an excessive degree).

Superintendent 2 emphasizes the words 'ENSURE' and 'READY'.  Then acts with a welcome back email.  The result is a team of administrators who are more Committed  (Entrusted, especially for safekeeping).

I am very fortunate to work with a team of superintendents who operate as Number 2 in the scenario.  When I was first in administration we were more like Number 1 though.  The modelling that I have experienced from our Superintendent in this practice alone has impacted my own leadership practice.
 
When I began this journey as a school principal I engaged as many staff as I could in conversations about the school, the community.  Listening to staff reflect on themselves and their passions helped me build trust.  I didn't come in and tell people what to do and when to do it, I let them tell me what they needed to do and when they needed to do it.  I began to foster committed staff not compliant staff.

Eventually we began speaking about their 'why'.  Why did they work in a school, this school, this community....what was their PASSION for being there and for working with learners? I began encouraging staff to embrace things that work, release old ways, and try new things.  We collectively dreamed about all the possibilities for our school community.  I then had the staff make goals that they were passionate about, followed up with relevant PD, resources and where possible, time.

Committed staff get this early and run with it.  They recognize that I will trust them to try explore, make mistakes (Get messy as Ms. Frizzle says).  Their classrooms become places of energy and excitement.  They also reflect on their journey and will make another change if it isn't working.

Compliant staff are cautious if not resistant.  They want to know the expectations from above, the timeline for deployment and the consequences of failure.  It will take a longer time to grow trust with these staff. 

I will be the first to say that I have some pretty clay feet as an administrator but I think that we all do.  That is why we need to operate as a team in our school.  As our team experiences successes and continues to engage in healthy conversations about our best practices, I believe we all become more committed.  I know that trust is at the heart of this relationship and I look forward to earning and keeping their trust every year.  

Sighting Leadership #SAVMP

August 26 is the second anniversary of one of my life's biggest projects:  my wife and I committed to renovate our home.  Although we actually spent years planning, drafting, and creating the vision, August 26 was the day of no return.  We invited a bunch of friends and family to bring their tools and help us cut the roof off our house!  In 12 hours we physically removed half our home and began the real work of renovating.  I'm happy to say that after doing most of the work ourselves (except for a couple of trades we hired and a lot of friends and family assists) we have the home that we envisioned.
When I speak & teach I tend to use illustrations and metaphors.  My house project provides me with great material for leadership which I may weave into several posts.

Three things today:
1.  Sighting is the act of observing and watching.  We need a good sighting to direct our path.  In my house renovation my family used a PATH planning tool several years ago to create our vision.  Turns out that we have actually hit most of the dreams on that old Path.  When you are beginning a new project what is your sighting tool?  Are you starting in the right direction?

2.  All planning is just planning until you hit the Day of No Return.  Our roof razing day was one...nowhere to go but forward!  Do you have a Day of No Return in your project? How will you recognize it?

3.  You can't do it alone.  We didn't know how to build a house when we started but we found the right helpers.  As I read about  @gcourous creative idea for #SAVMP I recognized the help for a project that I have been thinking about for years - blogging.  Have you identified helpers for your project? 

In my role as an educational leader I think of ways that I can help the folks I work with in their journeys and projects.  How can I help them get their sights set, support them when they make that commitment and most importantly be the person who assists them on the journey?  Surprisingly I have found that by doing these types of things I am suddenly living in the home I envisioned.

Thanks to #SAVMP for this next project.  I'm looking forward to learning and leading!