SamTastic Weekly Tip: 9/26/16 - 5 Tips

This week’s tip has five parts:

1) Be in the Green and Above the Line: schedule your instructional work in advance with TimeTrack. It feels great to arrive at school in the Green because you have a plan for the day that aligns with your goal of improving teacher practice and student learning.

2) Use one graph and ask one question in your SAM Daily Meeting....this almost always leads to a next step with a teacher or group.

3) Pick one “win” each day. This might be a Celebratory Feedback session with a teacher, a conversation with a student or parent about their success or completing a task that you don’t want to do. The important thing is to get it done and then celebrate your win!

4) Leave some of your time unscheduled. You need some flexibility to take advantage of teachable moments and deal with the flow of the day. As long as you are in the green unscheduled time is just fine.

5) Take a break. Go play with the kindergarteners, listen to the choir practice, watch a science experiment, take walk outside, have a cup of coffee with the custodian. You are a better leader when you allow yourself to mentally coast for a few minutes each day.