How long before administrators lose touch with the realities of the classroom?

Administrators...

Known as the instructional leaders and the lead learners in their respective buildings.

Typically, these individuals have demonstrated superior skills in the classroom and have been able to take their students to levels of learning that others weren't able to do.

These former teachers have been able to compete with countless other teachers to convince a panel of interviewers that they would be the best candidate to lead a building.

As many know, administrators are charged with managing the day-to-day operations of the school and are responsible for all the students and staff within the building.

A big part of an administrator's job is to evaluate and grow the personnel with whom he/she works. Specifically, helping to improve classroom instruction in the hopes of improving student learning.

Administrators provide their teachers guidance, feedback and suggestions on how to improve student learning.

They critique and judge teacher performance on a daily basis which no doubt is followed by recommendations for improvement.

But, here's the question...

How long does it take before administrators lose touch with the realities of the classroom?

We all would probably agree that the longer an administrator is removed from the classroom, the less they 'remember' about the classroom and the less they are able to sympathize with the plight of the everyday teacher.

But, on the flip side, administrators are able to see countless teachers teach and countless lessons on any given day. Some of these lessons succeed with flying colors while some burn in a blaze of glory.

Naturally, all these classroom visits surely help an administrator's eye when it comes to knowing good learning vs. poor learning.

Also, does it really take a trained eye to know when good learning is happening? It doesn't take an educational expert to know when kids are learning vs. when they aren't, right?

But, it's much more than just knowing when good learning is happening... it's what happens when good learning isn't observed and there is a follow-up conversation with a teacher on how to improve.

On the other hand, how could an administrator ever truly know what a teacher is going through if they haven't been in their shoes in quite some time?

In closing, are administrators who are freshly out of the classroom better at evaluating teachers since they are recently removed? Or, are these new administrators stuck in their offices dealing with school discipline while the more senior administrator, who is further removed from the classroom, handles most of the classroom observations?

Curios to hear your thoughts on this topic...

10 tips for starting a technology revolution

I've had the opportunity to work in several different capacities in my education career. In all these roles I've been a vocal advocate for integrating more technology in education. Ideally, we really shouldn't be having a separate conversation about technology, but the reality is we still have quite a lot of room for improvement in this area. Some of the 10 following tips have been learned the hard way, while others just happened to work out well. Either way, these 10 tips should hopefully provide some assistance as more and more buildings and districts start their very own technology revolutions...

1 - Make sure the administration is on board...

This first tip is not always 100% necessary, but I can say from experience that it will certainly make things easier. Approach your building and district administration with concrete examples of how integrating more technology will increase student engagement, thus increasing student learning opportunities. Additionally, provide real life examples of how social media and technology have improved your abilities as an educator. Share with them how social media and technology can be a valuable asset when it comes to educator growth and development, as well as how these tools can be used as a foundation for professional development.

2 - Lay the groundwork and foundation by asking simple questions...

In order for this technology revolution to start you must have an idea of where your fellow colleagues are when it comes to technology knowledge and background. Simply take some time to both formally and informally ask questions. This will help you when it comes to knowing where to start, as well as what information could be skipped over and/or re-emphasized to get the technology revolution underway. Additionally, use these questions to find out what pieces of technology and social media are already being used, and in what ways they are being used.

3 - Some educators will be advanced...but most will not be - GO SLOW...

I have probably heard "You need to slow down" more than any other comment thus far in my career. The excitement and passion some educators have for technology and social media is awesome...however, this excitement must be contained and released on a slow and controlled basis. Going slow ensures you won't lose anyone simply because you were going too fast. Remember, some of these concepts and ideas are 100% brand new, so consequently going slow and not overwhelming anyone is key.

4 - Do not drown your fellow educators with too much too soon...

Please don't forget that our colleagues are learning and have similar characteristics and qualities as our students do. Furthermore, you can't and shouldn't give them too much to bite off at one time. Take it slowly and present one or maybe two concepts at a time. By limiting yourself to one or two concepts, your fellow educators have a much better chance of fully grasping those topics before moving on to any new ones. A stressed and confused brain shuts down...make sure you don't help in creating a room full of shut down brains.

5 - Support and encourage your shining stars...

As the year progresses and the technology revolution is more underway, a few sparks and shining stars will begin to emerge. These educators will be embracing the technology revolution. They will even be using some of the concepts they have learned in their classes. These educators need to be encouraged and supported, because they are taking a chance and a risk by trying something new (in case you didn't know, this is really difficult for most educators). Allow these "superstars" to discover and explore, but keep them also in close contact. Be there to help at the first sign of struggling, but only if they want help. These shining stars are the first sign of a successful technology revolution. They will be alone and at times alienated for trying something new, they will need your support and guidance.

6 - Use the largest, loudest, and most listened to group in the school - the students...

Invite and encourage students in your school to help teach and lead social media and technology sessions. Can you imagine a better way to get students more involved and engaged than this? This will also help educators to realize it is okay to not know all the answers. We can learn from students just as we expect them to learn from us. The students are and will continue to be a great resource that unfortunately, most schools never tap into...let's change that.

7 - Get constant feedback from your colleagues...

Just as educators use formative assessments to get feedback and information from students, we need to get feedback and information from our colleagues. Ask them how these new ideas are impacting their classrooms; ask them if they are using any of these tools to grow professionally; ask them if they see value in learning about technology and social media integration. You have to not only ask these questions, but you also have to respond to their answers. Simply asking the questions is not enough, you will need to change, modify, and adapt based on their responses. This is a vital key moving forward as you continue the technology revolution.

8 - Offer your time to help others (off the clock)...

Busy is the default. We are all busy, but when you are starting a revolution, you will need to offer your assistance and services when others are available and have time. This will require you to stay after school to help. This will require you to use your conference period to answer emails and trouble shoot problems people might be having. It is absolutely crucial you are available to help answer some of the questions your colleagues WILL have. The first stages of any revolution are the most difficult...this one will be no different.

9 - Help make technology and social media applicable to their class / content area...

When somebody asks, and they will ask, "How does this work for me in my class," you will need to have an answer. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment and think about how these new tools can have a positive effect on their classroom. Provide your colleagues with lists and resources of other people teaching the same or similar classes. If your fellow educators don't see how technology and social media integration can help them or their students, they will not take part in the revolution.

10 - When you get discouraged, don't - the revolution will be long and hard...

As hard as it is to imagine, there will be fellow educators who will be critical. They will purposely try to derail the technology revolution. They will talk in the shadows about how this is just one more thing and by next year it will be gone. They will relish in any setback or problem that arises. DO NOT LET THEM GET YOU DOWN. You see value in what you are doing, and you know it can positively affect the lives of both students and educators. Remain steady in your resolve and do what is best for the kiddos. Your colleagues will be looking to you for leadership and inspiration, and it is your job to be the unyielding voice of optimism and hope. Are you ready for the revolution...? 

Criticism hurts...

The path to growth and development can be ugly at times. Educators are part of a world that is continually changing and evolving, and as such we are forced to take a leap, and at times take a leap when we are not ready. Going through all my education classes we were always told how rewarding and fantastic the field of education is, and from where I sit right now, I could not agree more.

So...the big question is...why are we afraid of standing out? Why are we afraid to speak up at meetings?  Why are we afraid to try something that has never been done before? If education is so rewarding and fantastic, why do we have so many educators afraid to act...? For all the great things we learned in college, they seem to have forgotten a big one...they never told us the amount of criticism and failure that go along with being an educator...

As an educator, it is almost guaranteed you are going to do something or say something somebody does not like. Contrary to belief, you will not melt, nor will you spontaneously combust! The reality is you are going to hurt, you are going to feel pain, and you are going to want to react. Hopefully, after reading this post you will have a slightly different perspective as it pertains to criticism and failure.

I would first really like to make a distinction between criticism and failure. Failure is something that happens; we learn from it and hopefully make the necessary changes so we can avoid making the same mistakes again. Failure is a valuable learning tool, and if used effectively, failure can be one of the most important things to ever happen to you. We ALL experience failure at one time or another.

Criticism, on the other hand, is something you get from somebody else. You have no control over what they say or how they say it, and most importantly criticism can hurt much more than failure. If you fail, that can be the end of it...you failed, next chapter or end of story.

Criticism is not so easily forgotten because the words can penetrate deep into one's mind and heart. When someone is criticized the words can permeate throughout an entire school...those simple words of criticism can stop an entire building from doing anything ever again that is remotely similar to what the criticized person did. Fear of criticism is almost always worst than failure.

How can we convince people it is worth it to take a chance and risk failure, or even more, risk being criticized? We have to create a culture and environment that encourages innovation, risk taking, and most importantly taking a leap even if we are not ready...support and reaffirm those risk takers!

At times, we need to address the elephant in the room. By recognizing something we are not doing as well as we should, we are able to take the first step in accepting open criticism.

We need to help educators to use criticism in a productive manner by providing helpful feedback. There is nothing worse than criticism without any helpful feedback. Additionally, be an example for others by not criticizing your colleagues, and if you feel the need to criticize something or someone, make sure you bring your book of solutions with you.

If you have time check out Seth Godin's view on criticism and failure in his book Tribes. One final thought...every time you get criticized means that somebody took notice of what you did or what you said, and more importantly it affected them enough to tell you how they felt. As much as it hurts, do not give them the power to bring you down...allow the criticism to fuel you toward growing and developing to do what is best for kids...

Moving forward...

As I was thinking about ways I could close out 2011 with a #BOOM type blog post, I ended up thinking more about the types of blog posts that I enjoy. I enjoy the blog posts with both a relevant and meaningful message that inspires and motivates me to be not only a better educator, but also a better human. So here is my attempt to sum up the many great thoughts from many great minds in 2011:

http://goo.gl/xudiQ

Servant leadership is where it's at... by serving others and helping to empower them to be leaders we will all achieve more. Leadership is not about what I do, but rather about what I can help you do and what we can all do together. School leadership is evolving just as fast as our society, and as such school leaders need to move away from the "I and you" mindset to the "we and us" mindset. See @biebert @leadershipfreak @northeagles @ryanbretag @drtroyroddy for more on leadership.

The power of knowledge is only as strong as what you make of it... by being well read and very knowledgeable you are positioning yourself to do great things. But simply having the knowledge doesn't really get you very far if you can't apply it and harness the knowledge in a productive and effective manner. Schools and society want people who can put their knowledge and expertise into practice; they NEED educators who can apply their skills to an increasingly diverse student population to enhance student learning and future success. Being "book smart" is a great start, but we need more and we need to take it up a notch... 2012 has great potential! Check out @mrbernia @azjd @cmcgee200 @plugusin for practical advice on putting knowledge and expertise into practice.

Relationships... if you don't have strong relationships, then nothing else really matters. Make it a point to make this "THE POINT." Check out @mrwejr @henriksent @principalj @pernilleripp for more.

Be inspired! Be motivated to do great things! Give the gift that keeps on giving and help to inspire and motivate those around you! A little encouragement and support go a long way when used appropriately and effectively. And when you find that inspiration or motivation be sure to share it with others! You will probably never know how you affected someone else's day or life, but the ripple effect will be felt much further than you could ever imagine! Check out these superstars who inspire and motivate me: @KTVee @waterthebamboo @mrmatthewray @toddwhitaker @timbuckteeth

Finally, try to be better than you were yesterday every single day of your life. Try to do something new every single day of your life. Try to build a new relationship with someone new every single day of your life. Try to be thankful for something in your life every single day of your life. Try to take a moment to reflect every single day of your life. Try to imagine a world that does not yet exist every single day of your life... Actually, the more I think about it, don't try to do all of these things, DO ALL OF THESE THINGS!

Have a great 2012 friends!

Administrator to administrator...

My building principal and I will be leading an administrator training session this week for the administrators in my district. We will be covering some of the ways we are using technology, some of the ways we are being proactive about our building's image in the community, and some of the ways we are providing timely and relevant professional development opportunities for our staff.

Using iPads:

We created a walk-through form using Google Form to gather data on our building. Google Form allows us to use our iPads to conduct short informal walk-throughs while also compiling all of the data into usable charts. Here is the link to our walk-through form: PBJHS walk-through form.

Additionally, we have been using our iPads to take pictures while doing class walk-throughs to help archive and share some of the great things going on at PBJHS. We have also used iMovie on the iPad to create these two videos that we shared with our staff and community.

Public relations:

We also decided we wanted to be proactive when it comes to informing our community about things going on at PBJHS. Consequently, we created a Facebook page as an avenue for getting news and information out to our community. Additionally, we started a Twitter account that is linked to our Facebook page so any new Facebook posts go directly to our Twitter account as well.

Professional development for staff:

Lastly, we started a professional development blog to share links and useful information that could help our teachers. Each Tuesday we share 5 different blog posts on our PD blog. These posts cover anything and everything related to education. It is our hope to embrace a more collaborative culture that thrives on self-reflection and sharing among staff members.

Additionally, we started a professional studies book club that focuses on both professional and personal growth. We are meeting this Wednesday to discuss Jon Gordon's, "The Energy Bus," and up next we will be reading Tom Rath's, "How Full is your Bucket?" We are looking to read Kathleen Cushman's new book, "Fires in the Mind," and Daniel Pink's book "Drive" late this semester.

We also recently surveyed our staff and determined that many teachers would be interested in attending after school PD sessions that are led by both teachers and administrators. We are still in the process of developing this while aligning our focus with our building's needs.



As an administrator or teacher, how are you using technology to improve your school's image while also providing professional development for your staff? 

High expectations...

A conversation that has come up recently in several different places has really caused me to reflect. At my school, on Twitter, and in my Google Reader, it appears the discussion of "high expectations" is not quite as simple as it may seem...

http://goo.gl/emlii

I think most Educators have high expectations for themselves and for their students, but what I have really struggled with of late is if or whether we should personalize our expectations for our students. Should we "standardize" high expectations and expect all students to follow the same set of expectations, or should we "personalize" the expectations to meet our students at their own individual levels and abilities...?

Jeff Delp (@azjd) wrote a great post titled, "Achieving the impossible," where Jeff describes how some schools in economically depressed areas are still able to overcome their shortfalls and ultimately succeed. The first way to accomplish this feat is to have high expectations for all students. Perhaps I need to read the book that Jeff is referring to, but I really began to think about the impact on our students when we hold them to a high standardized set of expectations.

Imagine these two students:

Student A comes from a stable home with two educated parents who are able to provide 3 healthy meals a day, a nurturing academic environment to complete out of school assignments, and are vocal advocates for their child.

Student B comes from a broken home with one uneducated parent who is not able to provide 3 healthy meals a day, requires the child to babysit siblings while the parent works the night shift, and does not have the ability or knowledge to be a vocal advocate for their child.

- Is it fair to hold both these students to the same level of standardized high expectations, or should we personalize the expectations to meet the needs of each individual student at their current levels?

*If we personalize the expectations for each student, student B will get additional resources and leniencies that student A will not.

- If we do personalize the expectations, are we adding to and encouraging the achievement gap that exists while simultaneously performing an act of "soft bigotry?" Soft bigotry is defined as not holding disadvantaged children to the rigorous standards that other non-disadvantaged students are expected to do.


What are your thoughts...?

and building new bridges...

http://goo.gl/FkZVT

Brian Nichols (@bjnichols) recently wrote a great post titled "removing roadblocks." Brian outlined 3 ways leaders are unknowingly putting up roadblocks that are ultimately preventing their organization from growing. All 3 roadblocks that Brian mentions are unfortunately too often true. I am going to try to take Brian's post a step further by suggesting 3 ways to not only remove the roadblocks, but to build new bridges to undiscovered destinations...



1. Taking the time to provide support and encouragement...

The colleagues with whom I have had the pleasure to work that really helped to push me as an Educator were those who were able to help me meet my needs. These colleagues encouraged and motivated me to take risks while pushing me to question the status quo. When leaders provide a high level of support and they help to establish a culture that embraces collaboration and teamwork, members of that organization will have the opportunity to innovate and create. The results of this kind or atmosphere are limitless as long as the necessary support, encouragement and autonomy are provided.

2. Keeping things simple and avoiding rules and procedures for everything...

Rules and procedures are everywhere in our society, and there are several instances where I am happy we have rules and procedures. However, when leaders establish rules and procedures for everything, I fear the only results are confusion and a lack of importance. Additionally, when leaders create rules and procedures for everything we end up stymeing any hope of creativity and innovation. When leaders keep things simple and are not overly restrictive, they are helping to create an environment where people have the ability to navigate uncharted waters.    

3. Being there when others need you to be there...

An atmosphere where autonomy is embraced can be great, but an atmosphere where isolation and complete individuality are accepted can also be a negative. Leaders need to walk the fine line of providing space and autonomy while simultaneously providing relevant and timely guidance. When we work in isolation for extended periods of time it can push us even further apart. An environment where leaders are present to support those with whom they work will have the directions to find those undiscovered locations.


How are you or your leaders helping to build new bridges in your school or district?

What strategies have been successful, and what strategies have not worked so well?

  

My thoughts on homework...

I recently wrote a blog post titled "5 conversations to improve your school right now!" The 5 topics I recommend each school to discuss are:

1) - Homework in schools
2) - Cell phones and technology in schools
3) - School public relations
4) - Teacher and administrator relationships
5) - Meetings

http://goo.gl/PhCqr

John Spencer (@johntspencer) is an Educator I have a lot of respect for, and after reading my post he challenged me to share what I really believe about homework. I have some very strong feelings about homework, and I honestly believe each and every school should take the time to evaluate their homework policy, as well as the way students are assessed. Here are my thoughts:

- More times than not homework adds little value when it comes to student learning...

- There is pressure from society to continue giving homework because that is the way it has always been done...

- Assigned homework rarely has any true relevancy or purpose for students, thus completion rates are negatively affected...

- When a student receives a zero for not completing homework, he/she is NOT learning about responsibility and "the real world."

- Grading homework on completion typically inflates grades and ultimately distorts overall content mastery...

- Homework should be an extension of the learning environment that provides students the opportunity to explore and discover...

- Homework can be a valuable tool in schools, but I believe too often homework is misused and ultimately detracts from the learning environment.

- More homework does NOT equal more learning...

- Students should not spend all night every night doing homework... I don't know many Educators who work 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.... why should students be subjected to that...?

- The natural love and curiosity of learning are destroyed by too much irrelevant and unproductive homework...

- A school without homework and grades would be a school where student learning and success increased...

- Not enough Educators are having this difficult conversation about the role of homework in schools...

What are your thoughts...? Let's keep this conversation going in an effort to move the homework discussion forward.

5 conversations to improve your school right now!

1) - Homework in schools...

2) - Cell phones and technology in schools...

3) - School public relations...

4) - Teacher and administrator relationships...

5) - Meetings...

A vision of shared leadership...

I am in the process of reading my second book as part of the #edfocus book club, which meets on Wednesdays at 8:30 CDT. The first book we read was "Focus" by Mike Schmoker, and we are currently reading "Leaders of Learning" by Richard DuFour and Robert Marzano. As you probably know, DuFour and Marzano are key players in the Professional Learning Communities model, and as such this book ties a lot of its points to the implementation of PLCs at both the district, building and classroom levels.

I don't want to try to say it better than DuFour and Marzano so I am going to take a few statements from the book on "shared leadership," and what building principals should look for when selecting team leaders:

1) - Their influence with their colleagues - The acceptance or rejection of an idea often depends less on the merits of the idea itself than on the person who is supporting it. In most organizations there are some members who are so highly regarded and respected that their support helps convince others a proposal has merit. The people best suited to leading a team are these "opinion leaders."

2) - Their willingness to be a champion of the PLC process - Organizations are most effective when leaders throughout the organization speak with one voice regarding priorities and align their own behaviors with those priorities. The most effective team leaders demonstrate their belief in the PLC process by modeling their own commitment to a focus on learning, collaboration, collective inquiry, and results orientation.

3) - Their sense of self-efficacy and willingness to persist - A recent national survey of teachers revealed they believed the two most important factors for improving student achievement were more funding and better support from parents. This tendency to look for solutions outside one's own sphere of influence is a major barrier to improving schools. Effective team leaders do not look out the window waiting for someone else to improve their situation - they look in the mirror. They demonstrate their belief that the collective actions of the members of the team can have a significant, positive impact on results. This belief enables them to rally rather than retreat when faced with setbacks because they assume that negative events are temporary glitches rather than the permanent state of affairs that pessimists see, and that setbacks are due to specific causes that can be identified and fixed. They stay the course.

4) - Their ability to think systematically - The most effective team leaders see the interconnections between the work of their teams and the improvement of their schools and districts. Whereas ineffective leaders will view the work of teams as a series of disjointed tasks to be accomplished for a checklist, effective team leaders are able to connect the dots. They bring coherence to the collaborative team process.

If you are looking for a great read on district and building leadership, then I would suggest reading "Leaders of Learning." Additionally, if your school is considering, beginning, or underway when it comes to implementing PLCs, then this book is a must read for all the members on your leadership teams.

As a district or building leader, what strategies do you use when developing a system of shared leadership, as well as what characteristics do you look for when selecting team and committee leaders?

The Savvy School Leader: Part 2

This is part 2 of the book, "Seven Secrets of the Savvy School Leader," by Robert Evans. You can find part 1 here. I highly recommend this book for anyone currently in or aspiring to be in a school leadership position. The book is relevant, applicable and provides some excellent examples of ways to improve and handle school leadership.

The Fourth Secret: Bite off what you can chew

"Savvy leaders work hard in the service of their goals but they know that there is a large-and widening-gap between ideals and needs on the one hand, and realities and resources on the others."

"High-performing systems show that their leaders provide direction that is clear, strong, and unambivalent-not dictatorial, but definite."

"A leader's vision is the magnetic north that sets the compass course; the leader must be at the forefront of framing the change and making it comprehensible."

"Leaders of successful organizations target their energies, centering their time and effort on a short list of key issues, even if this means ignoring others."

"Savvy leaders do for teachers what the best teachers do for students; they make it safe to try, they honor effort, and they celebrate meaningful growth, small and large, whenever it occurs."

The Fifth Secret: Be your best, bold self

"Savvy leaders invite and inspire followers by clarifying their commitments and maximizing their strengths, by being the best of who they are."

"Savvy leaders know that exceptional organizational performance requires assertive leadership, not pleasing everyone."

"Savvy leaders avoid the bloated vision and mission rituals that predominate in schools and build instead a true, shared sense of purpose."

"They provide a binary leadership that is both top-down and bottom-up. They garner support, build coalitions, inspire commitment, and help school communities deepen the commitment on which improvement depends."

"Savvy leaders know it is always easier to build on a strength than to attack a weakness."

The Sixth Secret: Nourish to flourish

"In one way or another, virtually every successful school leader has been a good "recognizer." (Recognition means "praise" and "validation")

"Savvy leaders know intrinsic rewards such as having exciting work, seeing students achieve, and fulfilling competently a task one views as important, are consistently more powerful engines of performance than salary."

"Savvy leaders recognize that if we truly want schools to become learning organizations, their leaders and the people to whom their leaders answer, need to avoid perfectionism, to see some level of error as inevitable in an endeavor as complex as schooling."

"The way to make sure that recognition is effective is to make sure it is authentic; a savvy leader gives specific examples of specific people doing specific things or grappling with specific challenges."

"The behaviors and habits that lead to progress and to exemplary performance can't simply be demanded; they have to be fostered. Savvy leaders know that no school can flourish unless everyone in it, not just its students, is well nourished."

The Seventh Secret: From savvy to wise; look out for number one

"Savvy leaders have learned that you must take care of yourself so that you can take care of others, that if you only give to others without giving to yourself you will eventually give out."

"Balance, that is, involves not just making choices at work regarding which tasks deserve priority and which can be delegated, but making choices about work, about how much of oneself will be invested in the work itself."

"Savvy leaders practice assessing where they are, not just in terms of where they wish to get but also in terms of where they started and the constraints upon them."

"Leaders need to seek out occasions when they can gather as peers to share their own recognition, acknowledgment, and feedback."

"Savvy leaders acknowledge that their own lives are more than just their work, noble though it is, and that their lives, including their work, are journeys; works in progress, and that so too are the lives of their teachers and students."



Check out the first 3 secrets here.

An open letter to teachers...

Dear teachers,

We have a lot of respect for what you do. Your job is extremely difficult, and we understand the many difficulties that encompass being a teacher. Your ability to lead an entire class is frankly amazing, and more importantly, you always seem cool, calm and collected despite what might be going on. There are times when we would love to be back in the classroom; there are other times when we can't imagine going back. Your job is definitely not an easy job, but as administrators, here are a few things we would like you to keep in mind:

1) - When we ask you and your fellow teachers for opinions and feedback, we would really appreciate it if you would take us seriously and put some thought into ways we can improve our school. We know you have a lot on your mind, but if we are going to take the time to ask you, we are doing it because we value your opinion.

2) - We love visiting your classrooms to see the students growing and developing, but when we visit a classroom and the students are having a free day or are watching a movie unrelated to anything of any real value, we are disappointed and feel as if the students are being cheated. We all have bad days and difficult things going on in our lives, but please make it a priority to do something valuable for your students every single day.

3) - Professional development is something we really enjoy, but please don't rely on us to plan and develop every single PD day. We want you to have a say and a voice in YOUR professional growth, and as such we would love to hear your ideas and suggestions. We also really would like you to take our PD days seriously and go into each session with the mindset of, "what can I learn today?"

4) - Can you please stop writing office referrals and sending students to the office for not coming to class prepared or coming late to class. We are here to support you and help you do your job, but if we are constantly tied up dealing with small and petty issues like this then how are we going to have any time to tackle some of the larger issues? Please talk with some of your colleagues and see how they handle these issues...contact the student's parents...take a moment and talk to the student BEFORE sending them down to us. 

5) - We understand the importance of being visible and in the halls in between classes, but our administrative team is not very large. We will try our best to be in the halls as often as possible, but sometimes things come up and they need to be dealt with immediately, consequently we need your help. We need you in the halls helping to cover the spots we aren't able to cover. It's a group effort, and you play a crucial role in our overall effectiveness.

6) - Sometimes a lesson doesn't take the entire class period, or the students get done quicker than expected, but please do not allow your students to line up at the door. Furthermore, please do not let your students stand in the hallway as they wait to leave your class. Your class time is valuable and should not be discarded so easily. If your students end class 5 minutes early every day it adds up to over 3 weeks of instructional time over the course of the year. Think what your students could learn in that much time.

7) - Time is limited, and when we try to implement new programs we are doing so because we believe they can help students. Unfortunately, when we try to initiate a new program it seems as if a lot of teachers immediately disregard the program because they think the program will be pushed to the side and simply forgotten by next year. We realize it's difficult to implement several programs simultaneously, but they are aimed at improving the educational experience for our students. Please give our programs a chance before casting them to the side...our students could be missing out.

8) - When you were hired you were hired because we think you are the best, and because we think you are the best we want to get out of your way so you can do great things. We want to empower you, encourage you, and watch you take risks in an attempt to do some awesome things, but when we see you do the same thing every year we wonder if you really want autonomy. Additionally, we would be more than happy to provide you time to observe some of your colleagues if this time was used productively. Please be the awesome teacher you were hired to be.

Don't take this open letter as us trying to tell you how to do your job. As Educators we must all be open for suggestions and advice, and we hope that if anyone had any advice or suggestions, they would take the time to inform us. As previously mentioned, we understand all the parts of your job because we were once in your shoes, but we hope this letter provides a small reminder of how much your decisions and actions affect others.

Thank you for your time, and we look forward to your response,

The administrators

(Check out my "open letter to administrators") 

An open letter to administrators...

Dear administrators,

We have a lot of respect for what you do. Your job is extremely difficult, and there are lots of aspects of your job that we don't fully understand. Your ability to lead an entire staff and student body is frankly amazing, and more importantly, you always seem cool, calm and collected. There are times where we would love to have your job; there are other times where we couldn't imagine having your job. Your job is definitely not an easy job, but as teachers, here are a few things we would like you to keep in mind:

1) - When making decisions that are going to affect our classes or our students, we would really appreciate it if you would ask for our opinions and feedback first. We know you can't ask for feedback for every decision, but more often than not would be much appreciated.

2) - Will you please come to our classrooms more often. We are really doing some awesome, innovative and creative things with our students, and we would love to share our experiences and successes with you and our staff.

3) - It would really mean a lot to us if you would participate in our professional development days. As Educators, we all need to be lifelong learners, and the staff would be quite receptive if you were learning side by side with us. We know your presence can skew the way some Educators respond, but we feel that would only be temporary until your presence becomes common practice.

4) - Can you please refrain from blanketing the entire staff with a punishment/lecture when the problem lies with a small group of Educators, and not the entire staff. Just as we don't do this with students, it's not fair to do it with us either.

5) - Your time is extremely limited and you are always busy, but we would really love it if you were more visible in the hallways between classes. Establishing and building a school community are crucial to the school's success, and this is one of the easiest ways to show students and teachers we are all in this together.

6) - It would be much appreciated if you would include teachers, students and community members when developing the building's vision and goals. Additionally, it would be wise to revisit and redevelop our building's vision and goals, as society and the needs of our students are always changing. Lastly, we should really believe and follow through on our building's vision and goals.

7) - We love any new idea or initiative that can improve the education we offer at our school, but if we are going to add new programs would you please consider eliminating other programs that aren't quite as effective. Speak with students and teachers to determine which programs are really helping, and which programs we could probably do without.

8) - Lastly, the more autonomy and voice you give us Educators, the better we will perform. Allow us to do the jobs that you hired us for. Support us, empower us, and encourage us, but please don't control us. Tell us it's OK to take chances in an effort to do something awesome with our students. Provide time for us to see the awesome things other Educators are doing in our building. Please be the instructional leader you were hired to be.      

Don't take this open letter as us trying to tell you how to do your job. As Educators we must all be open for suggestions and advice, and we would hope that if anyone had any advice or suggestions, they would take the time to inform us. As previously mentioned, there are parts of your job that we don't always understand because we have never been administrators, but we hope this letter provides a small reminder of how much your decisions and actions affect others.

Thank you for your time, and we look forward to your response,

The teachers

Check out my "open letter to teachers" as well.

Will I see you in 5 years...?

With all the educational reform talk, there is one particular issue that doesn't get as much attention as others. I have heard about this being an issue at the administrative level, but I have not heard too much talk about it at the teacher level.

Imagine for a moment that you and your family have a favorite restaurant with fantastic food and service. Lately, however the service and food have been sub-par at best. You begin to start thinking about the reasons for the decline in service and taste. Without knowing too much about the situation, I would be willing to bet that the restaurant has had some recent personnel changes, and turnover has been on the rise.

Mark Wagoner

Just like in any organization or system, when there are people constantly coming and going it can be difficult to provide a constant and steady level of service. Though I don't operate any organizations, I believe that personnel and turnover issues are one of the most important factors in the overall effectiveness of an organization...

There is a crisis we are facing in schools, and it's not just limited to the drop out rate of high school students. Almost 50% of teachers entering the educational profession will leave within the first 5 years. I personally don't see this number being accurate in my particular high school, but if this number is accurate on a larger scale, then there is a monumental problem that we have got to address if we want to improve education.

If Educators are cycling in and out of schools at close to a 50% rate every 5 years, how can we possibly formulate strong relationships with our colleagues? How can we develop a true district or building culture that represents all of the stakeholders? How can we constantly provide a high level of education for our students when half of us won't be there at the end of 5 years?

We have all heard of Educators leaving education because of increased accountability, difficult working conditions, low pay, layoffs, too much paperwork, and many other reasons. What we don't hear very often is what districts and schools are doing to keep Educators in the profession of education. This is where the power of the PLN comes in... :)    

Please continue this discussion by sharing what your school or district is doing to keep new Educators in the profession of education. In particular, what programs or initiatives are being implemented to help ease the transition through an Educator's first 5 years of teaching. Also, what suggestions do you have for anyone wanting to establish an Educator growth and development plan focusing on teacher retention?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read and comment on this pressing issue.

Additional reading: Public Education Faces a Crisis in Teacher Retention

Embracing the Reality of Change...

As I often do, I speak with my wife about issues and theories related to education. Though my wife is not a full time teacher, she does teach as an adjunct professor at a local community college and works for a school district. Thus, I feel she is knowledgeable and a worthy audience when discussing educationally related topics.

Our most recent discussion revolved around how education needs to be more effective and applicable to the ever changing needs of the student population. There are so many fantastic things going on in education, but we still have room for improvement when it comes educating students. Looking at education with a glass half full approach, we can be encouraged because there is always room to change and improve the way we conduct our business as educators.

One of the beauties of being in education is we have the right and obligation to be change agents. We go to work every day looking for new ways of improving education. That is our job...make education as relevant, applicable and as necessary as possible to prepare students to be successful in their future lives.

I prepared a presentation about change and how we can all be change agents. My wife had one question for me, "Don't you think you are asking too much of educators?" When I thought about how I would answer this question, I realized the answer was simple. "No," I am not asking too much of educators, because our duty and job as educators is to do what it takes to get the job done. Just as society and students have changed, we need to change and evolve to ensure we are positively affecting our students. We need to change the culture of education and make sure we are reaching all of our students preparing them to be lifelong learners and successful democratic citizens.

10 Tips for Effective Professional Development...

1) - Involve teachers & administrators in preparing a PD focus...

To effectively implement any program it is essential to involve the stakeholders. In the case of PD, getting teachers from all content areas, as well as the administration involved is crucial when determining a building or district PD focus. The development of this focus will ultimately provide the direction that the school or district follows as it pertains to PD. Having a strong and concise focus developed by both teachers and administrators is the 1st step to effective PD.

2) - Have clear objectives and goals...

Once a focus is developed, individual PD goals and objectives must be made. The objectives and goals are directly tied to the focus, but unlike the focus, the goals and objectives are much more specific and precise. It can be easy to load up on a lot of goals and objectives, but I would caution against having too many goals and objectives. Isolate a small number of high priority objectives and goals and concentrate on achieving them. Too many goals will overwhelm educators...too few goals will prevent growth...find a happy medium.

3) - Be organized and be prepared for something to go wrong...

Make sure all of your sessions are set up in advance, and make sure all your presenters have everything they need for their presentations. Send out an Email to ask in advance what people will need for their presentations, and then make sure it is available and ready to go for them. There is nothing worse than scrambling at the last second to get a presentation set up. Avoid this unnecessary stress by being organized and planning things in advance. I have yet to experience a PD day without something going wrong, but I can assure you that if you are well organized and are planning in advance you will limit the number of things that go wrong.

4) - Don't assume you need a guest speaker...check within your building for hidden gems...

Far too often schools and districts start their search for PD presenters by looking outside of their buildings and districts. These outside presenters cost more, are more difficult to arrange, and more times than not aren't really able to connect with the needs of that building's teachers. I'm not saying there aren't great and worthwhile guest speakers, but I would suggest looking in house first because you never know what hidden knowledge or expertise you might have right down the hall. Moreover, using in house educators is a great way to grow and develop future building and district leaders.

5) - You don't have to do everything in one day...

Please be aware of how much information you are throwing out on your PD days. If you are throwing out tons of new information and programs be prepared to have an overwhelmed and stressed out staff. Just like our students, it's imperative that PD is paced and regulated. If the building's PD focus is strong, then it's most likely something that will happen over several years, not a couple PD sessions. Control the pace of PD, and focus on creating learning and growth opportunities on a daily basis; not just on those few select PD days.

6) - Offer a variety of sessions that will meet the needs of all your colleagues...

One of the best things a PD committee can do is to offer a wide variety of PD sessions. All educators are different, and as such they all have individual needs and interests. To meet the needs of all your colleagues, try to provide a wide range of sessions that are applicable across several content areas, as well as different ability levels. Each PD session should be tied to the overlapping focus and the individual goals and objectives. Giving your colleagues a choice when it comes to selecting PD sessions is extremely important.

7) - Have high expectations, but make sure to meet your colleagues where they are...

PD is all about helping educators so they can do a better job of helping their students, and just like students, each educator has a different ability level. When preparing PD sessions, it is crucial to remember the ability level of the audience. It's perfectly okay to have high expectations, but it won't do any good if your audience doesn't have the basic skills needed to do the more complex stuff. Focus on where your audience is, and then determine how you can help them get to where you want them to be.

8) - Learning something new can be stressful...don't forget this!

We all know someone who has left a PD session stressed and annoyed. This is either because they thought the session was worthless, or because they didn't understand what they were doing or what they need to do. When educators are learning something new during a PD session, they will need time to digest the new concept, as well as time to work with the new concept. Learning does not happen quickly, and if PD is to be effective we need to remember the struggles that are associated with learning.

9) - Acknowledge all the parties that helped to make the PD day possible...

The last PD day you attended, hosted, organized or presented at, most likely had a lot of people behind the scenes that were never recognized. Please don't forget to thank your presenters...don't forget the staff members who got the rooms set up and prepared...don't forget the people who organized the entire PD event...and lastly don't forget to thank your colleagues for being a part of the day.

10) - Be patient and focus on growing and developing your colleagues...

The road down PD lane is not always easy. There will be set backs and there will be struggles. Growth is not always a pretty process, but it's a necessary process that we need to embrace. Some educators will grow and develop faster than others, but PD is about helping all educators to grow and develop. Keep your head up and stay positive and remember what PD is all about...it's about helping educators who in turn will help students.

Also, check out the great comments on "How can we improve PD and faculty meetings?"

The Evolution of Professional Development

On Friday we are having our 4th and final Professional Development day of the year. With both the support and assistance of our administrative staff we have been making some great strides when it comes to PD, and I can honestly say I am proud of the day we have planned for our teachers. The purpose of this post is to tap into the power of my PLN to get feedback and suggestions. Particularly, I am interested in knowing if other schools and districts are using similar formats, as well as any ways you think we could improve upon our offerings and/or the structure of the day. Thank you in advance for your assistance!

We have full-day PD days, and consequently we have divided the day into 3 parts:

Part 1 - 8:00am - 11:00 - 3 sessions on a rotating basis

Our staff is divided into 3 groups: Group 1 is Math and English
                                                Group 2 is Science and Social Studies
                                                Group 3 is Vocational, Practical Arts & Humanities
                                                *Special Education is with their cooperating department

Fedex Time: We will be providing our teachers with 45 minutes to research, explore and discover something educationally related. Our goal is to reinforce the notion of autonomy among our colleagues, while also giving them the necessary time to explore. The last 15 minutes of this session will be used to share resources and links. Additionally, we will be providing a Google Doc for teachers to list the links and a brief description of what they discovered.  

Service Learning: This session will provide additional time to share and collaborate ways in which our staff can implement Service Learning projects with the local establishment we have teamed up with. Either as individual classes or groups within departments, this time will be utilized by teachers to help put their plans into action.

Advisory: In this session we will get the opportunity to talk about and discuss our upcoming half-day. This is the first year of our school wide advisory program, and as such we have been spending a lot of time talking about ways to increase its effectiveness and ways we can improve upon it for next year. The advisory session helps to model different strategies and methods our teachers can use with their students to both establish and strengthen relationships.  

Part 2 - 11:00am - 12:00 - Powerlunch *Optional and NOT required*

"Powerlunch" is a working lunch where both teachers and administrators spend an hour talking about any and all issues related to education and ways we can improve student achievement at our high school. Our goal is to provide a relaxed environment where educators can feel free to talk and discuss educationally related topics. This is only the 2nd time we have offered a "powerlunch."

Part 3 - 12:00pm - 3:00 - 6 sessions: Teachers choose to attend 2 of the 6 sessions

In an effort to meet the needs of our teachers we are constantly polling and asking our teachers to evaluate how we are doing as a Professional Development Committee. We have selected sessions that teachers have expressed an interest in, and we hope that by providing 6 different choices we can meet the needs of our staff. We have been using and will most likely continue to use building teachers to lead our sessions because we believe in empowering and developing leaders among our staff. We sent out a Google Doc last week for our teachers to sign up for their two sessions.  

Session 1: Building and establishing student rapport - Lead by a building science teacher

Session 2: Video clips + discussion - Lead by me

Session 3: Blogging + readers & online animations - Lead by building English teacher @JPPrezz

Session 4: Brain research and classroom application - Lead by our Deputy Superintendent

Session 5: Strategies to increase parental involvement - Lead by two building math teachers

Session 6: Gradebook session - Lead by a building science teacher

Here is the schedule we have provided our teachers: 3/4/11 PD Schedule

A special thanks goes out to our presenters, and most importantly @thompson_shs, @JPPrezz, and our building Principal @mrgrimshaw for their hard work in making this day possible.

What are your thoughts...?   

7 videos that WILL ignite a discussion...

One of the biggest reasons I enjoy using Twitter is it enables me to connect with educators from all around the world. Additionally, Twitter has proven to be an efficient and effective platform to discuss pressing educational issues. Unfortunately, most educators don't have the opportunity to discuss educational issues during the course of the school day with their actual building and district colleagues. As a professional development representative, I see great value in trying to incorporate time into the schedule that allows educators to sit and discuss. Here are 7 videos I have selected to use in an upcoming professional development day. Please feel free to comment or suggest additional videos that will initiate a healthy, productive and necessary discussion.

1) - David Letterman - The top ten things you DON'T learn about teaching in college...

 

2) - Dan Brown - An open letter to educators...

 

 
3) - Todd Whitaker - What great teachers do differently...

4) - Dan Pink - RSA animate - Drive - The surprising truth about what motivates us...

5) - Alfie Kohn vs. Dwight Schrute...

6) - Steve Spangler - How to be an amazing teacher...

7) - Pursuit of happiness - Protect your dreams...

Can't access Youtube at school...no problem!