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