Updated: Oct 17, 2022
Today’s Tip: Know the Non-Negotiables
Doing the SAM process require each of the four elements. Why? The research is crystal clear that SAM teams who do the four non-negotiables get incredible results in improved teaching and learning.
Talk about the four non-negotiables in your SAM Daily Meeting today.
When you started the school year you likely had goals in mind—a teacher, or two… or six, or a dozen you hoped to make a positive difference in their practice.
Look at your TimeTrack. Pick the teacher you must wanted to improve and look at the time you’ve spent. Is it enough? Is it logical to believe the time you’ve spent, and the work you’ve done with this teacher, would improve teaching and learning?
If you showed your TimeTrack chart of time spent with this teacher, to the teacher, would he/she say you have spent enough time? Would the teacher suggest you spend more time in one area or another?
Your work with teachers is complex. Sometimes, though, you can allow this to override common sense. The truth is change of teacher practice requires frequent contact/interactions. It is far more about listening and asking questions than giving direction. It relies on patience and positive support rather than criticism.
It is ironic that this is exactly the challenge teachers face when working with students.
As a leader, you can do this. Use your TimeTrack data to make the best decisions to support teacher growth. It will make you happier and help the people you serve be better.
Today’s Tip: Be Thoughtful
Every principal has the same complaint. A district level leader demands the principal drop everything and attend a meeting or take a call…with no consideration of how this impacts what was planned for the day.
Thoughtless? Probably. There may be a critical issue the district leader wants the principal to address….but there is likely little understanding of how this impacts the work of the principal…and the mission of improving teaching and learning.
In SAMs, we advise a principals to focus on what they can control…not what they can’t. You can’t control what your supervisor does. You can control what you do, however.
Think about how your own actions impact teachers in exactly the same way your supervisor’s actions impact you. Do you force others to change their plans to meet what you need? Is this the kind of thoughtful and caring leadership you want to show?
Can you be more thoughtful than your supervisor?
Thoughtful SAM leaders would never consider interrupting a teacher’s class, or “pulling” a teacher away from a PLC or PD session, unless it was truly an emergency. Give this some thought. Were you thoughtful or thoughtless last week?
We get it. It wasn’t your intention to decrease the teacher’s effectiveness. But if you think about it…that’s exactly what happened in many schools every day.
Have you considered that most public address announcement that you, or your front office makes, do exactly the same thing? These announcements interrupt the flow of the teacher’s work. This is exactly the opposite of what we should allow to happen.
So why does this happen? Easy. Are you thoughtful…or not? Talk about this in your SAM Daily Meeting today?
Remember to register for the 16th Annual National SAM Conference ASAP.
Even if the conference is included in your service agreement you must register to attend…and there are a limited number of seats. 74% of the available seats have been taken as of this morning.
To register: https://bit.ly/3cO5q0z
