This week’s tip: Are you halfway there?
When you think about the improvement in teaching and learning you desire, are you halfway there this year?
The school year has reached its mid-point. This is a good time to assess your progress with the teachers you seek to improve. Use you TimeTrack dashboard to see who you have spent the most time with so far.
As a SAM team discuss your progress. Consider meeting with a teacher who is not making progress. Share your time data showing what you’ve done. Ask what has helped. Ask what they think might help. In other words, what do they think you could do that would help them improve. Have the same discussion with instructional coaches, counselors, assistant principals— anyone who also works to help improve teaching and learning.
It is often the question, and being comfortable asking it, that leads to a new approach to improve practice. It shows leadership to say you don’t know the answer and want help.
Did you notice the FOCUS button on the Top Five dashboard chart, above? This principal has told TimeTrack who he wants to spend more time with this school year. By clicking the FOCUS link the SAM team can quickly see the time spent with just these teachers.
It is easy to tell TimeTrack who you’d like to select as FOCUS teachers. Click the TimeTrack logo, select Settings, and then individual/group set-up and check the names you’d like to include. You don’t even need to select save. Just select and exit and you will have the Focus button for quick access.
You show intentionality by scheduling in the GREEN ahead of time and using your data to make decisions on how to use your time. You show intellectual courage and good leadership by asking what you can do differently that might help.