SamTastic Weekly Tip: 4/28/25 - Group or one-on-one?
- Jim Mercer
- Apr 28
- 2 min read
This week’s tip: Group or one on one?
Is working with a group or one-on-one most effective?
Many leaders will quickly say that it’s both, not one, that move teacher practice forward. Smooth, right?
The smooth answer may be correct, but it doesn’t answer the question. At the end of April, you have TimeTrack data showing how you used your time. Your date likely shows you were smooth. You worked with groups and on-on-one. The question remains: Is working with a group or on-on-one most effective?
So, what does your data say you believe?
The average SAM principal spends far more time working with groups than individuals. Is this you?
Over 60% of you have completed the end of the year SAM team performance rubric. One of the reasons we have you do this with your Time Change Coach is to provide a time for you to be reflective with your Time Change Coach. In other words, does your data show you are you doing work that you think will move teacher practice forward? If not, what will you change?
Returning to the question, group work, or one-on-one, what would you have preferred when you were a teacher? Maybe this is a good reflection point. At the same time, keep in mind that not all your teachers would answer the question the way you would. Perhaps asking teacher how they would like to spend time with you is worth considering.
This would be quite brave. It would suggest you are willing to individualize your work with teachers…just like you ask teacher to individualize their work with students.
PS: Are you in a school or district where annual, formal evaluation has been eliminated? If so, please let me know by return email. We are planning on commissioning a series of school case studies of schools that have made the change: summative evaluations to formative coaching rounds. This is happening in a handful of schools nationally. Sharing the experience of schools that have moved from evaluative/summative to coaching/formative leadership work may help district and state leader to consider change.
It is budget time in most schools and districts. Be sure to budget for your SAM services for the 2025-26 school year. You can request an invoice now by using this link: https://bit.ly/40GtA33
2024 SAM Team Performance Report: Executive Summary - https://bit.ly/4fh2V2k
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