When I say development, I am speaking of professional development or professional learning. As school leaders, we must develop of staff so that they can continue to grow and develop our students. We must also continue with our professional growth and development.

To develop teachers, classroom observations are growth tools, when approached as such. Being in classrooms, giving timely feedback and having open discussions about what worked, what could be better, and how to support are critical to helping teachers develop. We also use PLCs, staff development days and regular faculty meetings for professional learning opportunities.

With teaching assistants, the teacher or administrator may want to model how to teach a small group or ways to monitor behavior. I’ve found that assistants want to help as much as possible but sometimes need support to offer children more learning opportunities.

To develop myself, I read a lot and take courses that either interest me or boast my own areas that could use growth. I also seek feedback from my staff and central office staff for areas of growth.

Future posts will go more in depth on developing staff at the school level, as well as some ways to further your own professional learning.

Monday Minute for 1/27

This week I’d like to share a book that is written for educators but contains useful information for many.

The book is Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth.

As an educator, this book spoke volumes to me about how important it is to help our students not only find a passion but also to persevere. There is sound advice for educators and parents alike on how to build “grit” for children. My grandmother would call it “stick-to-it-iveness”. I do not want to give away too much but I would recommend this book to educators, parents, and others who want to know more about grit, passion and perseverance.

As a school leader, I hold myself to a certain set of expectations. There are also expectations of staff and students. For me, expectations should be high, clear and demanding. This pertains to my staff, my students, and myself.

For staff, I start the year with a serious look at data from prior years, and make goals for that year and beyond. Typically I have a goal or plan for five years that is adjusted annually based on results. We also have a staff handbook that everyone reads and signs off on electronically. I try to be as clear as I can with staff on what I expect from them but also support them to meet the expectations set forth. I also make sure that staff is aware of district, state and federal expectations for teachers and school staff.

For students, having clear expectations for behavior and procedures (those things we do daily) helps the school run smoothly. For behavior, I refer back to being firm, fair and consistent with students. In the past I have been in PBIS schools and have found that the system works well with the vast majority of students. Having high expectations in academics means that everyone strives for grade level standards and beyond. This means that students learn and grow daily, and they know its expected of them. It’s amazing to watch students learn and grow so much in the early school years.

For myself, I strive to do what is best for students and to make a difference in their lives and the lives of staff. I truly do want to see students and staff succeed. Working diligently, communicating clearly, and being present, physically and mentally, are all important to me. If things don’t go well, I ask myself what I could have done differently.

Having clear, high and demanding expectations is another way that I try to lead my school.

For many educators, walk through observations are a normal part of the work day. This gives you an idea of how things are going in each class. There are some days you make it multiple classrooms and others only one. With these short observations, you can see what standards are being taught and how, tally how many students are engaged in a particular lesson, get a feel for procedures, etc.

I prefer to use a set form that provides with a way to document time in the classroom, standards, notes section for positives and a “food for thought” section. This food for thought is a reflection piece for teachers. I typically keep a minute by minute script of what the teacher and students are doing.

I also have a list of what is considered proficient, based on the SC 4.0 Rubric, so that teachers get an idea of what elements I notice in a short / walk through observation. I provide them with the evidence I observe in that lesson in just an area or two. With a short observation, I try to limit my focus so that feedback can aid in teacher growth. After the observation, I share my notes with the teacher and invite them to discuss it with me. It’s a way to build teacher efficacy, as well build trust for those times when hard conversions are necessary.

As school leaders, we build relationships with not only staff and students in our building, but also our stakeholders. Stakeholders include parents, central office staff, and the community.

First, parents are partners. They want what is best for their child. One way to develop relationships with parents goes back to relationships with students, being firm, fair and consistent. Parents want to know that their child is being treated fairly. Also being in classrooms helps with parent relationships since they know you are seeing what is going on in their child’s class. Being upfront about expectations is also important. For example, the student/parent handbook is posted online various places and paper copies are available upon request. This way everyone knows expectations. For me, use of the Class Dojo app has opened up lines of communication between not only myself and parents but also teachers and parents. Listen to parent concerns, just be clear that you are listening, not agreeing to a change, which requires reflection, thought, and at times consultation with others. Another piece of building parent relationships is the PTO. Communication with this group is vital because they often do so much for your school.

Central office or district office, whichever title you choose, are your support system. It’s important to build relationships with them since they are your “go to” people when you have questions or need advice. Typically there is one person or a team that handles specific areas, such as Human Resources, curriculum, technology, maintenance, finance, etc. Know or learn who to go to for help because there will be a time when you need it. One thing that I try to do is include those who agree or request in my weekly newsletter email. That way they know what’s going on in my building.

Working with community varies greatly depending on the school. Many schools today are large and no longer community based, but no matter size building relationships is important. Having a social media presence helps keep stakeholders aware of events happening in your school. Since I am elementary level, one huge annual event is grandparents day/night. It gives our grandparents an opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren and learn more about the school. Luckily, the schools I’ve worked in have lots of community support. Volunteers, civic groups, businesses, law enforcement, church groups, medical professionals, etc. often gather materials for student use, some read with children, some provide extra sets of clothing, etc. The list goes on and on. We do our best to show appreciation to each of these groups because they do help us meet needs of students.

Building relationships has been the focus of my first few blog posts. Starting next week, I will share my experiences about expectations.

This is the second post in my series on relationships, with a focus on students this time. My approach may not be the same as someone who works with older students, but I think some things are universal. I am visible, find the positives and hold to the mantra of “be firm, fair, and consistent.”

For me, being visible starts when students enter the building. I stand at a location that all students must pass each morning, greeting them and making mental notes. This time of day sets a tone for the remainder of the school day. If I notice a student is not behaving normally, we can have a quick discussion which may lead to a more in-depth response. For example, I once had a student come up to me crying, which this child never did, and shared that her sibling didn’t get on the bus. Immediately, this student was taken to the guidance counselor, the assistant principal verified the sibling indeed wasn’t present, and I called the parent. Just being visible and attentive resulted in positive outcome for what could have been much more serious. Another way to be present is being in classrooms as an observer and sometimes even as a teacher. My daily goal is to be in at least two classrooms. During the school day, I also do my best to visible are during transitions and lunch.

Finding the positives is part of the PBIS system or other community building program that many schools use. I’ve worked in schools that used both PBIS and Responsive Classroom. There are other systems that also focus on having rules stated in the positive, what students should be doing instead of what they should not be doing. As I see children or entire classes, I praise the positives. For example, I might say “this class is respecting learning by walking quietly down the hall.” To a student I may say, “I noticed you helping a friend who dropped their books. That was kind.” Letting students that they are making good choices helps them build confidence and a positive relationship. Just as I leave teachers feedback on classroom observations, I make note of student positives too. A sticky note containing “way to use word attack skills” goes a long way. Since we use Class Dojo, I may even send a parent a positive praise about their child since this builds both the relationship with the student and the parent. Finding these positives and building a positive relationship helps when a conversation about poor choices becomes necessary.

I have sworn by the mantra of “be firm, fair and consistent” for years both as a classroom teacher and now as an administrator. First year teachers hear this from me as does anyone else who asks about classroom management. Let me explain what I mean by each part of the phrase. Be firm to me is holding to your expectations, both behavioral and academic. If you expect students to follow a certain procedure, such as to transition quickly and quietly, then each transition must be quick and quiet. I have been a leader in several schools and feel comfortable saying that being firm can be tiring, but if we expect students to transition from one class to another quietly we have to expect that from the first day of school to the last. Praise amply when the expectation is met, and help students who are falling short of expectation. Be fair to me means that each person gets what they need to be successful. Some children need guided reading daily, some students need a reminder to move quietly in the hall, others need an extra breakfast, etc. The list of things students need varies greatly, but I see teachers and administrators meet a vast array of academic and behavior needs with fairness daily. As a school leader, when it comes to discipline we have to fairly apply consequences based on school and district policy, while keeping in mind state and federal law. Another piece of discipline is knowing the children and what will work to be fair to all involved. Finally, “be consistent” means the rules are the rules and they apply to everyone. The same applies for procedures. To me, being consistent also means being the same person with your students from day to day. My students expect me to be at the door telling them good morning because this is something that I consistently do. Being firm, fair and consistent are things I strive to be with students, and staff too.

Again, being visible, finding the positives, and sticking to firm, fair and consistent are ways that I build relationships with the students in my school. Just as a testament about student relationships: Last fall a former student called me to share that he appreciated that I thought he could and should do better when he was in my class. He reminded me that I held high expectations both behavior and academics for him, which impacted him more than I ever knew. He also wanted me to know that he would soon begin student teaching. That phone call brought me to tears just knowing that I had a positive impact of this one student. Students will always remember how you treated them, so let it be positive.