Ready to try a “flip”? SAM teams look for opportunities to “flip” management tasks to instructional. Here are two examples from NSIP Director Mark Shellinger:
When doing morning classroom visits to observe teacher practice, a high school principal carries five tickets in his pocket. The tickets say: My Table: Lunch Today. He leaves a ticket on the desk of a student who impressed him—great learning behavior, helping others learn, etc. In the cafeteria the principal has the only round table. There are six chairs. He eats lunch with the five ticket recipients and talks with them about why they were selected. The conversation often expands to what they like best about their school and things they would change. The principal can still do cafeteria duty but with an instructional twist: flipping management to instruction.
When doing bus duty an elementary principal tags three students before they get on the bus: “I would like to see your homework when you come back to school in the morning.” The next day, the principal has a student desk in front of the school’s entry with two chairs. She sits down with each of her tagged students and looks at their homework. Many principals who try this say it makes a big impressing on all students...and many want to get tagged by their principal. What happens when a student says “I don’t have any homework?”
The principal gives an assignment. For example: “No
homework? OK. Then copy down your electric meter when you get home and look at it again after dinner. How much electricity did you use?” Or, “Bring a book that you have either finished reading or have completed the first two chapters. We’ll talk about it.”
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