SamTastic Weekly Tip: 7/14/25 - Enjoy Your Apples!
- Jim Mercer
- Jul 14
- 1 min read
This week’s tip: Enjoy Your Apples!
Four times more. That’s a lot of apples. It is also a key takeaway from the 2025 SAM Team Performance Annual Assessment. SAM leaders spent four times more time during the school year working with teachers to improve practice than non-SAM principals.
TimeTrack audited data and interviews with nearly 800 SAM teams paint a positive picture of leaders who have figured out how to spend the majority of each day doing intentional work to improve teaching and learning.
SAM principals spent 57% of each day instructional engaged; non-SAM leaders, 13%
SAM principals spent two times more time in classrooms.
SAM principals spent three times more time in instructional conversations with teachers.
95% of SAM leaders can connect time spent with improved teacher practice.
92% of SAM leaders can connect time spent with improved student outcomes.
Congratulations to SAM teams across the country! Also, to the 54 Time Change Coaches who support SAM teams, the NSIP office and tech staff who make the SAM process possible.
To see the full report: http://bit.ly/44MbQ8t
Please feel free to share this email with your colleagues who haven’t found SAMs yet. We’d love to share.
Music Video: I Am a SAM https://bit.ly/48OCjCm
As someone who’s made the best scalp massage part of my daily routine, I understand the value of focused, intentional time. When I take a few minutes each day to care for my scalp, the long-term benefits show just like the results SAM leaders are seeing with teachers and students. It’s a reminder that meaningful change doesn’t require giant leaps, just consistent, purpose-driven actions.