SamTastic Weekly Tip: 8/18/25 - Make Your School Learning Culture Better, One Step at a Time.
- Jim Mercer
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
This week’s tip: Make Your School Learning Culture Better, One Step at a Time.
School culture. It exists with, or without you. Leaders improve school culture by thoughtfully scheduling work that teachers and students appreciate.
Where to start?
A Missouri SAM principal meets with her six new teachers in a group setting once a week. Using non-directive feedback, she leads a discussion. She lets the teachers raise topics/questions as she encourages the group to freely discuss. She is careful not to make negative or directive comments. She shares sparingly and communicates support. Her intent is to demonstrate that creativity, openness to new ideas, and focus on the mission to meet each student’s needs are what she wants to see from each teacher.
A Georgia SAM principal is using TimeTrack’s Connected Events automated scheduling to do coaching rounds with his three lowest performing teachers, based on last year’s evaluations. He does two seeing instruction events with each teacher and one feedback session, weekly. He has committed to this regular support for the next six weeks. He gets it. Teachers seldom improve with formal evaluations. Teachers frequently improve with formative coaching rounds in a safe environment. Video, how to use Connected Events: https://bit.ly/47xAWtt
An Illinois SAM principal, as she greets students as they arrive in the morning, picks one to be her “classmate” for the first hour of school. She goes with the student to the classroom, places a chair next to the student’s desk, and does everything the student does for the next hour. She reports kids love having the principal be a classmate. The principal reports she enjoys the time and gets to see teaching from the student’s point of view. She then schedules a feedback session with the teacher focusing on what she liked about the teacher’s work.
Look at your TimeTrack for today. Did you post it for staff to see that you have your own lesson plan for management and instructional work? Would this help build the school culture you envision? Have you scheduled one event, or more, that you believe will lead to an improved teaching and learning climate?
Your work is complex. It can also be amazingly rewarding and lead to better teaching and learning. Like the longest journey, it begins with one step.
Finally, enjoy the comments about your work from NSIP Board Treasurer, Nathan Roberts, below. Nice!
My name is Nathan Roberts, and I am a Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I also serve as a member and Treasurer for the NSIP Board.
During the NSIP Board’s summer meeting, we had the pleasure of reviewing the annual data from the Rubric Assessment. I was fascinated by how well the time spent by school leaders was tied to enhanced teacher and student performance. The increase in time spent on curriculum leadership activities was also remarkable and exactly what superintendents and school boards are requesting of their school leaders.
The transition of time utilization from beginner SAM teams to seasoned teams was impressive and a model for others to follow. As a Board, we could not stop talking about your amazing work. I was so inspired by your efforts that I shared the overall success and data with all the school districts within the university region and a few beyond.
It is an honor to serve on the Board and witness your extraordinary work on behalf of teachers and students.
I want to wish each of you a fabulous school year and I look forward to your continued success.
To access the 2025 SAM Team Performance Report: http://bit.ly/44MbQ8t
To access the Executive Summary, 2025 SAM Team Performance Assessment: https://bit.ly/4fh2V2k
Registration for the 19th Annual National SAM Conference opens Labor Day. Go to www.SamProcess.com to register or use the direct link you will receive the day before.
Comments