SamTastic Weekly Tip: 5/13/24 - Take Time for an Exit Interview

Today’s tip: Take Time for an Exit Interview

You can learn a lot from people who are leaving your school or district. Schedule time to discuss with departing staff their experience with you and the school. Here are four focus questions:

1. What did we do together that helped improve your practice?

2. What could I have done that would have been more helpful?

3. What are we best at as a staff and school?

4. What should we work at to improve?

Some SAM principals print a TimeTrack chart showing work completed during the year with the departing staff member.  They ask these question: 

1.    When you look at the time I spent with you this year, what would you have liked me to do less?  More?

2.    If you were coaching me, what would you want to accomplish?

 Exit interviews with students can be helpful, too: 

1. Tell me about teachers who you learned the most from.

2. If you were going to change something at our school that would improve student learning what would it be?

3. Which adults at school will you miss?

Taking time to listen can give you great insight on where to focus your time.

Please consider sharing the SAM process with colleagues.  We will add SAM school in two new states in August, South Carolina and Oklahoma, and have scheduled training for twelve new districts in states currently with SAM teams July, August and September.  Copy this link to a three page overview of the SAM process and send to principals you know in your district as well as leaders in other districts and states: https://bit.ly/4a9XePV

Registration opens Labor Day

18th Annual National SAM Conference

January 16-19, 2025

Loew’s Miami Beach

Keynote Speakers

Willow Sweeney

Ken Williams

David Horsager

Kara Swisher

Pre-Conference All-Day Workshop Presenters

Ted Ma

John Antonetti

Will Parker

Da’Mond Holt

Jenn David-Lang 

30+ Breakout Sessions Featuring National Presenters and SAM Practitioners

A few things to consider when planning to attend:

• Online registration opens Labor Day.

• To be eligible to attend, you must be a TimeTrack owner or SAM doing the process with efficacy, NSIP staff, Board member or presenter.

• The conference will be held at Loew’s Miami Beach, January 16-19, 2025.  Conference fees:

•  $2,895 covers three nights at the hotel, conference sessions, food/beverage, books, and ground transportation

• $895 covers the all-day pre-conference and includes the extra night at the hotel, sessions, food/beverage, books and ground transportation

• $429 covers additional nights at the hotel after the conference—we have secured additional rooms Sunday night as we expect many attendees will want to stay Sunday and travel home Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

• $545 covers the cost of bringing a spouse or significant other—the fee covers the cost of ground transportation and evening events

A Message From Your SAM: click here