SamTastic Weekly Tip: 4/8/24 - Today’s tip comes from an author who suggests we can learn a lot from toddlers.

Today’s tip comes from an author who suggests we can learn a lot from toddlers.

Toddlers?  Yes.  New York Times journalist Janice Dunn, in reviewing a book by Dr. Hassan Merali, shared three things toddlers do regularly that adults should copy.

Try positive self-talk.

Young children tend to coach themselves out loud, a practice known and private speech.  Toddlers aren’t shy about self-talk, Dr. Merali said, and you shouldn’t be, either. Research suggests that for adults, positive self-talk can help with problem-solving, learning, confidence and managing your emotions.

Take any opportunity to move.

Two-year-olds are active for almost five hours a day, according to a review of 24 studies. They move joyfully and instinctively, Dr. Merali said.  Adults can look for ways to move more, even if it’s just for a minute. Take a quick walk around the block or schedule a meeting on foot rather than sitting down. If you’re home alone, do what Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist at Stanford University, has called “full-body karaoke,” singing and moving to your favorite song.

Ask questions.

Young kids are not afraid to pose questions, Dr. Merali said. One study found that they asked an average of 107 questions an hour. (This will not surprise their parents.)  Adults have been socialized to hold back our questions because we’re often worried about what other people think, Dr. Merali said. But asking questions not only helps us to gain information, it’s also an important way to build relationships, he said.

We are pleased to announce the new TimeTrack will be released Monday, August 3.  All data/entries from your current TimeTrack will automatically transfer.  The new TimeTrack has dozens of new improvements and features.   It is easier to use and will allow populating Google or Outlook with TimeTrack events. Additional integration features will be released in stages. You won’t have to change your log-in or password.  You’ll just have to enjoy the great new look and features.  Special thanks to NSIP Lead Software Engineer Eric Kramer.

Last week we featured Board member Paul Katnik in the SamTastic Weekly Tip.  Today, meet Board member Nathan Roberts, below.

Nathan Roberts, NSIP Board Treasurer

Nathan was a school board attorney for 5 years and has spent his time since 2001 in educational leadership as faculty, department head and dean at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. He was also formerly a special education due process hearing officer and mediator.

He’s been an NSIP board member and treasurer since 2011.

When not working in education, he enjoys paddle boarding, sci-fi shows, and his 6 grandchildren—who always remind him why we do this work.

SamTastic Weekly Tip: 4/1/24 - This may be the best suggestion I’ve seen this year for school leaders.

“One of the most important lessons I have learned in my family and work with schools, is to listen, communicate clearly, work it out, and forgive each other. Be kind and respectful with each other knowing that every person has their own story that has shaped them into who they are at this moment. Often, we don’t know what the other person is going through, so seek to understand first, then show compassion and kindness. Every day we are given is a fresh start!”

-Annette Cozort

This may be the best suggestion I’ve seen this year for school leaders.  Building skills and capacity with adults is not easy.  A leader must overcome an inclination to “tell” others what to do and, instead, listen and build trust.  Annette spent 35 years as teacher, school leader, Time Change Coach and Leadership Specialists in Missouri. 

She passed away unexpectedly last week.

Annette was a remarkable person who consistently gave more than she received.  Annette became part of the SAM family in 2017 as a Time Change Coach.  She was a key member of the DESE MLDS team that created a seamless set of supports for school leaders in Missouri, arguably the best professional development and support system for principals in the nation.

If you knew or worked with Annette, you remember her joy, expertise, and commitment.  At the last conference, she presented at four breakout sessions with her friend and colleague Kevin Freeman.  Their sessions were the best attended and among the highest rated. 

You can access the materials they shared in their breakout session, Difficult Conversations:  A Leader’s Toolkit for High-Stakes Converations here: 

https://www.samprocess.com/_files/ugd/7af9ae_b79e179329ea4012bea8e7ee617ee003.pdf

You can read more about Annette, and access information about the scholarship fund her family has established, at this link: 

https://www.samprocess.com/team/annette-cozort

Last week we featured Board member Dave Sechler in the SamTastic Weekly Tip.  Today, meet Board Vice President Paul Katnik, below.

Paul Katnik, Board Vice President

Paul is the assistant commissioner for the Office of Educator Quality for Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). He has been an educator for 35 years. In his work for DESE he has garnered much experience in education policy and has been instrumental in bringing SAMs to Missouri for over a decade. SAMs is a part of a large, comprehensive leadership development system that is available to all principals in the state.

He has been on the board of NSIP since 2011 and has served as vice president since 2018.

Paul spent over 12 years as a school principal. In that position, he was charged with managing and controlling all aspects of the school and making sure all students were learning what they should be learning—when they should be learning it. Given the fast-paced and often chaotic nature of the job, he felt very challenged to control all of the details that were required in order to have a successful school. Although SAMs was not available to him when he was a principal, he is very supportive of anything that helps an individual do the job of school principal as well as it can be done. Serving on the board is his way of continuing to support school principals in the challenging work they do.

SamTastic Weekly Tip: 3/25/24 - Can you learn to be a better leader from a whale?

Can you learn to be a better leader from a whale?

Whales communicate, collaborate and cooperate in remarkable ways.  Humans working with whales have learned you can’t make them do things.  Instead, you have to focus on three things:

• Build trust

• Accentuate the positive

• Redirect negative behavior

In Whale Done!, author and leadership guru Ken Blanchard suggests using the same approach when working with humans.  He posits that building trust, accentuating the positive and redirecting the negative are the best tools to increase learning and productivity.  

He advises avoiding “GOTcha", catching people doing things wrong, and, instead, using "Whale Done!", catching people doing things right.  More about the author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Blanchard

Alaska Native cultures use stories of whales working together to keep open water from freezing over so they can breathe, to teach the value of cooperation.  Keeping the Lead Open is a terrific example of the importance of cooperation and collaboration.  Researchers have documented whales working together when hunting, showing empathy, teaching off-spring and maintaining close family relationships.

Definitely whale done.  😊

In February we featured our newest NSIP Board member, Jennifer Stapleton, in the SamTastic Weekly Tip.  We’ll feature each of the other Board members over the next six weeks.  Today, meet Dave Sechler, below.

Dave Sechler, Board Member

Dave has spent nearly 5 decades in education, first as a high school vocational teacher and then as a high school assistant principal and middle school principal. After retiring from public education he worked for the University of Delaware doing teacher and administrator staff development.

He was elected to his local school board and served for a year as the president of the Delaware School Boards Association. He has taught in teacher and administrator preparation programs at Wilmington University (Delaware) and the University of Delaware, and currently teaches a diversity course for pre-service teachers at the University of Delaware.

Dave has worked with and for NSIP/SAM as a Time Change Coach, Time Change Coach Mentor, Implementation Specialist. He has been a member of the NSIP Board of Directors since 2011.

In his NSIP/SAM work, Dave is passionate about helping principals discover that their management tasks are manageable and that they can focus on what they love and what they’re best at: instruction. He loves the gleam he sees in a principal’s eyes when the principal realizes that the SAM process works and will help the principal and everyone associated with the school to be more successful.