289 When Fall Didn’t End Very Well

Teaser:

 “I would love it if you would consider doing a podcast episode on what happens when a principal gets off track and needs to get the trains back on track... Just as our students get off track around October (the honeymoon phase is over), I found myself last fall losing sight of our mission and goals for the year. My AP and I got excited and started getting buried in trying new initiatives, and I think it caused some frustrations with the staff. We started to focus on the noise instead of patterns. I didn't know if you had any tips or strategies that you could share to help stay focused on the path I designed back in the summer.”  

Sponsor Spot 1:I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn’t that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.

Show Intro

Celebrations:

Family, home, routines and processes

Key Points Part 1

Common mistakes:

·      Initiatives

·      Popping green balloons

·      Unilateral decision-making

·      Coaching before building trust

Strategic v tactical level

·      Strategic – it’s about culture (6 dimensions) Episode 179

·      Cycle of relationships (tactical)

Other factors:

·      Transparency and communication (4 types of decisions)

·      Vulnerability

·      Listen, listen, listen

Sponsor Spot 2:I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast… Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions.  And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Key Points Part 2

Getting things back on track:

·      Transparency and vulnerability: “Last fall was tough. I made a lot of mistakes and I’m sorry I’m determined to be a better leader and a better servant that begins with listening. I’ll be asking each of you questions about the fall. What went well were there any surprises? Is there anything we should be doing differently. I will not give feedback it’s not a conversation. I just want to listen and learn so I can become a better leader.”

·      Use the 5-mc process as a culture check in

·      Learning about teachers: provide a list of reflective questions. Ask them to choose three they would like to talk about. Meet with them (preferably in their rooms) and create space for them to talk. You can paraphrase and answer direct questions but avoid adding your stories, justifying previous actions, or suggesting changes.

·      Possible questions See episode 177:

1.     What is your teaching superpower?

2.     What is the biggest difference between who you are now as a teacher and when you began?

3.     If your you could make your students better at one thing, what would it be?

4.     What is your proudest teaching moment and why?

5.     How do you see yourself being different five years from now?

And these from ClaudeAI:

1.     What part of your teaching day energizes you most? 

2.     When do you feel most connected to your students? 

3.     What's something you've learned from your students this year? 

4.     If you could spend more time on one aspect of your teaching, what would it be? 

5.     What does a really good day in your classroom look like? 

6.     What do you wish people understood about your classroom or your students? 

7.     What's a challenge you're working through right now that you feel good about tackling? 

8.     When you think about a student who really grew this year, what do you think made the difference? 

9.     What conditions help you do your best work? 

Summarizing (The big takeaway)

·      Be transparent and vulnerable

·      Ask good questions and listen to build trust and identify pain points

·      Support teachers by addressing pain points

·      Reflect on programs versus people. My opinion: better people is more important than better programs, so focus on building people.

Special thanks to the amazing Ranford Almond for the great music on the show. Please support Ranford and the show by checking out his music!

·      Ranford’s homepage: https://ranfordalmond.com

·      Ranford’s music on streaming services: https://streamlink.to/ranfordalmond-oldsoul

·      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranfordalmond/

·      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ranfordalmond/

Sponsor Links:

IXL: http://ixl.com/assistant

Kaleidoscope Adventures: https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/the-assistant-principal-podcast-kaleidosc...