SamTastic Weekly Tip: 9/15/25 - Find Out If What You Are Doing Is Helping.

This week’s tip: Find out if what you are doing is helping.

SAM teams focus each day on improving teaching practice and student performance.  In your SAM Daily Meeting you examine your work and plan next steps.  Impressive.  Reflection makes you a better leader.

Think about a teacher you have committed to improve their practice.  You start by examining the time you’ve spent with the teacher by selecting the teacher’s name and clicking Dashboard/Graphs.

How much feedback?  How many separate times since the start of school?  How many times have you been in the classroom to watch the teacher work?  Have you been in a PLC meeting with the teacher?  What is your frequency of interaction?  Your TimeTrack Dashboard has the answers.

The TimeTrack Dashboard won’t tell you if the teacher is getting better.  Your SAM has to ask you to consider this question in your SAM Daily Meeting.  But what if you just don’t know?

Consider asking the teacher directly.  Schedule a non-directive feedback session.  Show the teacher your TimeTrack Dashboard.  Share why you are spending time with the teacher.  Talk about each of the 16 kinds of work you may have done with the teacher.  Then, ask three questions:

1. What did I do that helped?

2. What did I do that got in the way?

3. What suggestions do you have for me that might help you more.

The best approach is to listen without argument and express appreciation.  Be willing to try the suggestions you receive.  Make clear that you see coaching as a normal and important part of your work.  Make clear that you understand the challenges the teacher faces in moving student progress forward.  Make clear you will stick with them as they work to be even more successful.

Teaching is hard and demanding work.  Teachers have few colleagues they can trust to help them succeed.  You can create that relationship and be a principal who makes a difference.

I enjoyed talking with Frederick Buskey, host of the Assistant Principal Podcast.  The episode is available on several platforms.  If you’d like to listen to the podcast use any of the links below.

Assistant Principal Podcast: https://theassistantprincipal.transistor.fm/255

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YjsYynDryjA7gInM9hbVT?si=9563ac82fdc846e8

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-assistant-principal-podcast/id1582998564

Note:  61% of the seats have been taken for the 19^th Annual National SAM Conference.  Use this  link to register::  https://registration.samprocess.com/  You will also find a registration link at www.SamProcess.com

---

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 

---

19^th Annual National SAM Conference

Registration link:  https://registration.samprocess.com/ 

A few things to consider when planning to attend:

Ø The conference is January 15-18. 2026.

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

Ø The conference will be in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Marriott Harbor Beach Resort

Keynote Speakers

·      Will Parker, Principals Matter: Living your Best Life as an Educator

·      Will Bowen, You Can’t Complain Your Way to Success

·      Tracie Swilley, The PrinciPAL Effect: Setting the Vibe, Energy, and Excellence Every Day

·      John Antonetti, Personal Response: Am I safe to share my thinking?

·      William Martinez, Signing the Song: The Power of Belonging

Pre-Conference All-Day Workshop Presenters

·      Jim Masters, Beyond Why and What – Getting to How School Leaders Make a Difference

·      Ken Williams, Better Teachers, Better Results: Where Students Learn Because Of US

·      Willow Sweeney, Top 20 Moves for Building Effective Staff and Student Relationships

·      Executive Speaking Coaching Seminar, New York Speech Coaching