Connecting with Video: Our School Community - The TouchCast #SAVMP

Connecting with Video: Our School Community- The TouchCast 

#SAVMP 2:1

Our district took a huge and worthwhile leap this year! We took on the cause of Professional Learning Communities. The … “model flows from the assumption that the core mission of formal education is not simply to ensure that students are taught but to ensure that they learn. This simple shift—from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning—has profound implications for schools.” You can read more about PLC’s at the link below.

This process takes time, and the collaboration that teachers naturally use to walk through this process can get very complex leading to multiple levels of analysis such as student data reviews, test item analysis conversations, question formatting discussions, and ultimately standards dissection. This has been around for many years. I was involved in such a process at the high school level about 10 years ago, and the benefit was that I knew the standards for my curriculum, and I also knew when lessons and assessments were a complete mismatch for learning targets. I thoroughly enjoyed the process, and I also know how long it can take. I worked with a team of 8 teachers, and 3 of us spent several weeks during our summer vacation creating aligned curriculum to match our standards.

Due to the time required for such an undertaking, I have chosen to use alternative methods to communicate with our staff. We no longer have faculty meetings where we discuss procedural items. We have professional development opportunities. Further, I used to write a weekly Chat and PUPdate for the staff where expectations and celebrations were covered. I have continued with the PUPdate which is a simple Friday email full of images and sometimes containing videos and/or links to resources. However, rather than using the Monday Chat which required teachers to stop and read a document early on in their work week, I  now create a weekly TouchCast which is shared every Monday with faculty and staff. The video has a time limit of 5 minutes, and it allows staff to multi-task while watching/listening to the broadcast. I had one teacher tell me she watches on her phone while she is getting ready for work in the morning. I love that staff can multi-task and can replay the video or pause and reflect at any point. A nice feature of the TouchCast is that you can embed links and documents and videos that the viewer can use with TouchScreen devices such as tablets and smartphones. The viewer needs to only touch the screen (when viewing on TouchCast and not YouTube), and they can access all of the embedded resources at their fingertips. If they really like it they can download it instantly.

I think this is a way to give back time to our staff, and it certainly allows me to share a more personal method of communication with everyone as the nuances of speech, intonation, and facial expression are highly superior to a weekly Word document.

Here is my Thanksgiving TouchCast. I encourage you to use video at every opportunity. Video is a great way to communicate!

If you are using a smartphone you may need to use this link:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYvxA4A5IlA

ASCD What is a PLC?

Communication as a Leader #SAVMP 24

Amber's assignment for this week -- Communication as a Leader -- is a great topic because it is one that trips up lots of folks involved in leadership. Decisions get made that trickle down to the people who have to implement them, and if there has not been STRONG and proactive communication about the why and what for's of decisions, people get confused, and they get angry.

I have spent the last year and half trying to tell the "story" of our school effectively so that the folks who like to get negative have all the facts and can't invent their own whimsical tales of why and how decisions are made. Do the decisions make everyone happy? Of course not. There are always folks who do not like change, and there are always folks who don't like accountability, and there are always folks who just don't like YOU! LOL. As a leader, you will need to accept that it is sometimes lonely work being in front of the line. 

I have used two very powerful tools to shed light on the AMAZING things happening at our school and on the AMAZING people who create the work day-in and day-out so that the magic happens for our students. I also share my vision consistently using these tools by focusing on the data, the educational research, and the best practices that generate this vision. 

What tools do I use? I use my Monday Memo called the Cheetah Chat  and my Friday Flash called the Friday Cheetah PUPdate. However, these aren't your average newsletter style documents that share faculty birthdays and inspiring quotes. We put those "announcements" of meetings and other business items in our Cherry Blossom and on the Google Calendar. I use the Chat and PUPdate to embed videos, links, and images from all over our campus and from all the great educational leaders to provide the clear vision and expectations for the faculty and for our challenging work. Further, I rarely send out emails to the staff in the interim because during an early leadership team meeting last year, one of our wise team leaders expressed frustration over the amount of email she has to plow through in her email inbox from everywhere, including the district level. This created the cultural norm for our campus that we ALL try and protect teacher's planning time; therefore, it is the expectation on Monday and Friday that faculty take the time to read these training documents.

Here is an example of a recent Chat where I show campus data, inlay campus expectations, and recognize the efforts of members of the faculty for innovative ideas.

Next I have included below an example of the PUPdate which is emailed early Friday mornings. These are really energizing to create because it requires me to continually have my mind on the great things happening on campus so that we can celebrate the small victories! It allows me to recognize the hard work of the folks who are in the front seats and foremost rows on the bus {a Good to Great reference-I recommend you read it},  and it reinforces the expectations for everyone so there are no questions about the non-negotiables for our team.

The attachments are always valuable as you can see from the images included below that add to the mere words of the email above:

You can see the smiling faces of the children who are why we do what we do, and you can see the environment emphasized for faculty that we have fun together and remember to balance our hard work with loving life!

Communication in leadership is critical. You must OVERcommunicate. Communicate, communicate, communicate! I just can't communicate it enough!

Communication is All about Listening! #SAVMP 19

     Week 19 of the #SAVMP Project is about “communication essentials”, and I think most people will take the spin to write about how they're using social media to communicate. I decided to use a different twist for this assignment. I would have to say the greatest communication essential is the art of listening, and I have tried to develop better listening skills over the years. It has been a personal goal of mine to increase my listening capacity and, of course, I am still growing.  I take some solace in that I do believe I have shown improvement in this area. I am often trying to listen for longer than I speak.

     I consider myself a student of leadership, and many times over the years I have observed my Principals. When you are seated before them in the Principal’s office, I can recall having worked for different leaders who, when you would go into speak with them, they would turn away from you and begin working on their computer or clicking through emails. I would describe that feeling as feeling devalued as a human. I felt like they didn't care what I had to say or they were too busy to give me the time I sought from them.

     To be fair, though out the day, I have people who want to pop in my office. There have been times when I might be very, very busy, and their brief visit may keep me from leaving at closing time. BUT… no matter how long it delays my workday, I always keep my door open, and I always turn a watchful eye to my visitors. I sit and listen to what people have to say; it is part of leading. I want to develop the relationships with people.  It is sometimes difficult for me to stop and listen because I am so task oriented. It has been tough for me to develop this skill, but each year I get better and better at it.

     The benefits of listening outweigh the costs. I think the most important thing I gain from listening is that I begin to understand the people that make up our workforce, and they are most definitely people with human needs. For example, if someone is late to work two or three times, and this is not typical behavior, you cannot just attack that behavior. If you listen first and try to understand…you may learn that perhaps they have been late because they are having a rough time, or they are going through a divorce, or they are a single mom and they have got a sick child they are tending to… there so many factors that make up the human condition. You have to value the whole person.

     Let’s be honest.  I'm a really strong employee. Bosses have always loved me because I give my job 110%. But, even I have the need for a reprieve from exemplary work. Being full-on every single day can be exhausting. There are some days that my friend calls “needs improvement days.” AND… we all experience a needs improvement day every once in a while.  SO…. when someone misses a deadline or has a rough week or something just seems off about their performance, it really is very valuable to understand the person and that helps you to support them. Further, when your work relationship is grounded on trust and listening, it is easier to help folks grow through feedback….because they are ALSO willing to listen.

     One of the best books I've ever read that has helped me and shaped me as a leader was Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. One of Covey’s Habits is to “seek to understand first.” He describes communication as the most important skill in life. Typically, people spend years learning how to read and write and even learning how to speak. However, how much training do we have learning to listen? What training have you had that enables you to listen-- to really deeply understand another human being? We don't have a lot of training in listening. The way most people operate is that they seek first to be understood. Many people are only listening to you so that they can provide their response. They are awaiting their moment to get their point across because for the majority of the human race it's Me, Me, Me, I, Me, and Mine. Successful people, however, take the listening tactic. If you ignore the other person, of if you just pretend that you're listening or only hear certain parts of the conversation, you will miss the meaning entirely.

     Here is a powerful quote from Covey in regards to listening: “People listen with the intent to reply not to understand.”

     Many times you're running your own private thoughts through your brain. You are considering what you will say when it’s your turn, and pretty soon you're not even hearing what people are saying to you. The biggest area where I am growing right now is in my response time. I do get excited, and I do want to reply. I'm learning to bite my lip and listen before I reply.

Also, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to increase relationship building at work and get to know the people behind the faces. So listening is a good growth area for me as I continue to improve.

     Over the summer, our administrators had training by the Studer Group on Instructional Rounding. One of the items that was shared was about Employee Engagement Surveys. The information revealed what employees want when they come to work every day:

1. Tools, equipment, and resources to do their job
2.  A leader who cares about them
3.  Help to be successful
4.  A healthy work environment
5.  Recognition when doing good work

     Numbers 2 - 4 and especially Number 2 are really things that Leaders can provide for employees if they take the first and most important step of….. LISTENING.

     If you listen to your employees, you'll know their needs.

{BLOG prepared using Voice Recognition Technology -- Errors will be worked out as

they are discovered. Thanks for your patience!}

Critical Conversations #SAVMP

Critical Conversations #SAVMP

This week's #SAVMP assignment is actually a topic that I have BLOGged about in the past! {BIG GRIN} It was a pretty good feeling to dig into to my previous posts and locate a BLOG from a year ago. The first thing I noticed is that this review of a previous post allowed me to do some reflection.

First of all, I noticed that even a full year later, I am still engaged in these critical conversations. I have many times over the course of the last year engaged in uncomfortable conversations that pushed me to grow as a leader. I am still engaged in these conversations on a weekly basis, and that leads me to believe that they are a key element of the effective leader's responsibilities.

To reflect, I pondered how much I had grown in my abilities to have these conversations. I have determined that I have grown, and I realize that I am continuing to grow. Having had one of these conversations just last week with an employee who was considerably more mature than me, I noticed that I swallowed hard and had to steel my mind before I dove into the words that I am certain were difficult to hear. In retrospect, I would say that these talks have become, on the whole, easier to perform.

Click here: Uncomfortable Conversations-- to view my posting from a year ago. This is the first time EVER that I have been able to refer to one of my own posts to discuss my growth as a leader! Hooray for me. This is truly an epiphany as a BLOGger. The blog is a journal of my learning, and for however long it endures or I persevere, it will serve to remind me of how far I have come and how much more I have to learn!

AND....as always I learned something from #SAVMP during this process. Here is the post from Week 16's Assignment: Critical Conversations. At the original posting, @8amber8 posted a video which is quite clever (based on a Harry Potter theme) and had some awesome tips for how to provide effective "critical conversations."

Here is the video:

And here are the three steps the video recommends for providing these growth-minded talks.

1. Describe the gap between the performance and the expected behavior
2. Analyze the gap source as coming from a motivation problem or an ability problem
3. Make a follow-up plan for accountability

From my friend and mentor Paul McGuire, he posted his response for this assignment, and I felt his words were profound. He explained that the conversations we have with our teachers and staff should also be the conversations that are occurring with our teachers and our students. Feedback promotes growth, and I heartily agree that the teachers should be providing growth-minded talks for their students as well. here is Paul's post: Principal Musings.

As a member of #SAVMP, I have--in this one assignment-- reviewed, reflected, learned, connected, and shared. Thanks, #SAVMP!

Involving Parents with a New Vision for Schools #SAVMP

Week 12- Involving Parents with a New Vision for Schools #SAVMP

There are so many amazing new tools for schools to use to increase parent communication and involvement.

For instance, at our school we use our “old school” school website, but we also use the more exciting and versatile Face Book, Twitter, and Iris Alerts (which are Robo calls).  More recently, we have added a new app that our district provides called the MySchool app where we also push out information to our parents. Essentially, we want to reach our parents in every way possible because the more communicating that we do the better chance we have for increased parent involvement.

Since I became Principal last year, each of our teachers has created their own classroom website. I am so proud of every single one of them. In addition, we have a few teachers who have gone above and beyond. One gleaming example is our rock star teacher who – last year -- created her own classroom blog.  She entered many of her classroom lessons on the blog,  and she included the steps that she took with the students in the form of pictures and posted them so that the parents could understand how to work the homework assignments with their students. Many times, the kids would login and give input on the lessons and their work. It's really an exceptional way to communicate with our families. We have another grade level at our school that uses the Remind 101 app to send out text messages to their parents each week keeping them stay  informed of everything from assignments to events. Our teachers are adopting as many ways to inform their families as are available. Also, our teachers that use Class Dojo can have a parent logging in at any time of the day to see behavioral data on their students as they progress through the school day. This is exciting stuff!

Amber Teamann, @8Amber8, a mentor in the SAVMP group, reported in her recent post about some evidence pertaining to parent involvement. We basically knew this information be true:

A New Wave of Evidence, a report from Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (2002) found that regardless of family income or background, students with involved parents are more likely to:

*Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs
*Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits
*Have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school
*Graduate and go on to postsecondary education (Henderson & Mapp, 2002)

The information says, and I believe, it is critical that we communicate to parents. Even more importantly, we also have a duty to inform our parents just how different education is within each of our classrooms in the year 2013. For example, at Cherry Street Elementary and across our district, each core classroom is equipped with the 21st century classroom technology. This means that teachers have Smart boards, they have document cameras, and they have more. They have multiple methods for embedding baseline technology, but many teachers are using things like Google Docs and Google Drive or even email accounts with their students to make the learning relevant and engaging. There is a plethora of technology out there, and we need to share with our parents the different type of learning that is happening within the classroom walls for their students. This isn't your grandma’s classroom anymore. Just the sheer power of analytics yielded by technology has increased the ability of all teachers to hone and sharpen their instructional practices.

And, yes, a high poverty school may be a bit disadvantaged in getting the message out exclusively through the use of technology. The savvy teachers will combine traditional practices like the paper classroom newsletter that is sent home WITH the modern methods of leveraging social media.

In the same SAVMP post, Amber Teamann also quoted that she often hears nay-sayers respond:

“all of our parents don’t have computers”.

Amber’s response is:

In 2011, 75.6 percent of homes reported having a computer, with 71.7 percent accessed the internet. Statistics still vary across ethnicity, but the bottom line is that we are still making strides.  

Certainly, it has been my experience, we have seen our students who come from high poverty homes walking around with smart phones. Let’s not be naive and think that we're not reaching a majority of our parents with these outlets. We need to give it a concerted effort to reach our families in as many ways as possible.

Parent involvement efforts will not be in vain. If we try five different methods to reach them and one of them succeeds, then we are successful!