SamTastic Weekly Tip: 12/10/24 - Know Where to Look

This week’s tip: Know Where to Look

SAMs know where to find the principal throughout the day by looking at TimeTrack.   When necessary, they can find the principal easily if a First Responder or scheduling for an open time using AutoSelect is not possible.

But does the SAM know how to find specific items on TimeTrack?  Perhaps a meeting that happened last August concerning summer school?  Who from the district attended?  Perhaps the agenda from the staff meeting last January on the new reading program?  What was the name of the presenter? 

You can use the search function in TimeTrack by using any key word or phrase.  It is the magnifying glass icon to the right of the leader’s name.

Enter a key word or phrase and TimeTrack will immediately display each and every time it appears—going back in time.  Clicking the eye icon will take you to the event.  If there is a mail icon, it means you sent a related email.  Click the icon to retrieve the message.

Would you like to narrow your search? Would you like to be more specific?  You can select search areas in TimeTrack by clicking the inverted pyramid. Then, select the area of TimeTrack you wish to search.  Of course, access to NoteTrack is limited to the TimeTrack owner.

The Event Note/Additions box makes the search feature even more valuable.  Many users report that entering notes or links for meeting agendas, websites and minutes makes their work easier.  Being able to easily find this information weeks, months or even years later is invaluable. Each link entered is active.  The user can click on the link for immediate access.

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Reminder:  If you haven’t provided travel information for the for the 18th Annual National SAM Conference please send to:  Travel@SamsConnect.com or let Pam know your situation. Also, preference selection for breakout sessions will close at the start of Christmas/Winter Break.

18th Annual National SAM Conference

Loews Miami Beach Resort

January 16, 2025 through January 19, 2025

REGISTER HERE

Tentative Draft Agenda (with descriptions)

Pre-Conference Session Descriptions

Keynote Session Descriptions​

Breakout Session Descriptions

Breakout Session Selection

SamTastic Weekly Tip: 12/2/24 - Meet the need. Don’t take a message.

This week’s tip: Meet the need. Don’t take a message.

SAMs know that office staff can help the principal have a greater impact on teaching practice, stay on task and go home at a reasonable time ~ if they avoid saying, “Can I take a message?”

Instead, great office staff members use the SAMs Communications Protocol and First Responder system. When a caller, visitor, staff member or student says: “Is the principal available?”, they respond by stating when the principal is available by clicking Auto Select on TimeTrack. (see screen shots, below)

“I can get you in to see the principal at 10:00 AM…but she would not want you to wait. The First Responder for your concern is Eve Stevens. Can I have Eve help you and save the time with the principal in case you still need her?”

It is easier, perhaps, to say: “The principal is not available. Can I take a message?” The problem is this delays dealing with the concern, makes the caller, or person at the front counter, feel unimportant, and leaves the principal with a stack of call-back slips that delays the leader’s departure at the end of the day.

Research shows SAM schools run far smoother than schools that haven’t started the process. Research also shows SAMs who train the office staff to use the Communications Protocol and First Responder systems have the very best schools and the happiest parents, staff and students.

Principals train people to use their time by how they respond to requests.  Principals who respond with what they can do, not what they can’t, are far more effective.  Principals and SAMs who teach office staff to do the same thing make the school run more smoothly and honor the students, parents and school community members in need of assistance.

You will find tools for training office staff here: https://www.samprocess.com/written-tools-for-sam-teams

Your Time Change Coach can help you train your office staff. Just ask!

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Reminder: Yesterday was the deadline for travel information for the for the 18th Annual National SAM Conference.  If you haven’t done so, please send to:  Travel@SamsConnect.com or let Pam know your situation.  We want to be sure your driver is there to meet you when you arrive.  This is going to be a terrific conference!

SamTastic Weekly Tip: 11/25/24 - Make your SAM Daily Meeting Effective

Make your SAM Daily Meeting Effective

Of the four non-negotiables in the SAM process, the SAM Daily Meeting is may be the most important.

You do the other three non-negotiables during the SAM Daily Meeting: 

• Schedule at/above goal

• Use your data to drive your work

• Work with your Time Change Coach

The SAM Daily Meeting is when you reconcile each event so you have record of what you actually did…discuss what kept you from doing the work you intended…and then decide what follow up makes the most sense.  The SAM Daily Meeting is when you begin to look at data to consider if the work you are doing is taking you in the direction you intended.

If your SAM Daily Meeting includes each element above, great!  If not, use this template:  SAM Daily Meeting Seven Elements

Congratulations to Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, Illinois’ Superintendent of the Year.  Sharon, superintendent of schools in Peoria, has done the SAM Process daily since 2015. 

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Reminder:  Travel information is due December 1 for the 18th Annual National SAM Conference.  Please send to:  Travel@SamsConnect.com