SamTastic Weekly Tip: 4/7/25 - Measure twice. Cut once.

This week’s tip: Measure twice. Cut once.

Carpenters learn quickly that failing to measure carefully ends up costing them time and money.

Isn’t the same true in your work with teachers, support staff, students and parents?  Perhaps we should have a school leader conversation maxim:

Listen twice.  Speak once.

Your work with people is far more complicated than the work a carpenter does with lumber.  True, it costs the carpenter time and money if the measurement is wrong.  It costs a school leader far more if listening doesn’t come first.

Last week I suggested that you consider wellness checks in conversations with staff using prompts.  What if you modified the prompts to have listening time with teachers?

• Which class or subject did you most enjoy this week?

• Is there a student you see improving?

• Is there something new you’ve thought of incorporating in your lessons?

• Is there a student who worries you?

  
  

If you try this, be sure you are fully present during the conversation.  Keep in mind that you show you are listening with your body language and what you say in response.  If you can ask follow up questions, show empathy and support, the conversation will go well.  If you try to “fix” things by making suggestions, you have stepped in a trap of your own making.

SAMs know to ask their leader what kind of feedback they’d like to give after a classroom visit.  Often, the leader thinks they need to have something specific to suggest in order to schedule a conversation.  The best SAMs dissuade the leader of thinking a suggestion is always necessary.  In fact, simply listening to the teacher can be far more valuable.  A non-directive feedback session, five to ten minutes, is easy to do and will be appreciated by teachers.   

Many leaders like to incorporate their own suggestions in a non-directive conversation with the words “I wonder if…”  or “Have you considered…”  This fools no one.  There is a time and place for directive feedback…and it can be effective.  Non-directive feedback, however, requires the principal to be a listener and value the teacher’s thoughts more than their own. 

Non-directive feedback also requires a certain suspension of disbelief.  Leaders can easily convince themselves that a particular teacher doesn’t care and simply wants to phone it in.  This is, generally, unlikely.  People don’t become teachers to be unhappy… and struggling teachers are definitely unhappy.  Helping a teacher find their purpose require the leader to believe it, too.  Dale Carnegie’s advice, “Assume a good intention.” is central to creating a successful school culture.

Do you want compliance?  Directive feedback.  Do you want to build the teacher’s capacity?  Non-directive feedback.

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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