One of the things I love about being in my building by myself in the summer is that it gives me an opportunity to reflect on the previous school year and begin to focus on goals and priorities for the coming year. As I pulled out my team leader notes from last summer's meeting, I began to reflect on goals we set for ourselves and the progress made toward achieving them. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in myself that we didn't follow through on some of the things we set out to do to the extent that I had hoped. I then asked myself, "why"? Of course when human nature kicked in I began to place blame on some of the people I had "delegated" responsibility to in order to accomplish these goals. Then, when common sense and reality kicked in, it hit me like a brick wall that I am the leader on this campus. If goals were not achieved or carried through to the extent we intended, it is ultimately my responsibility! I did not do my part in follow through and perhaps did not make my intentions and expectations clear to all stakeholders in order to make these goals a priority.
It's time to ask myself the question, "What then, will I do differently in 2012-2013 to empower the people in my school to make great things happen for kids?" The first thing that comes to mind is to lead by example. If I expect my teachers and students to be lifelong learners, I must set the example and seek opportunities for professional growth consistently throughout the year. The second way is to complete "formative assessments" throughout the year. Just as teachers are expected to have checkpoints throughout a unit of study, if I have delegated responsibility to someone on my campus to take the lead, I must continuously assess the level of implementation and provide timely feedback. The third strategy is to provide my staff with the tools they need for implementation. One of the goals we established for last year was to implement opportunities for students to bring their own electronic devices to school to enhance the integration of technology in our classrooms. There were very small pockets of implementation, and as I reflect on why more teachers did not embrace this concept it dawns on me that we did not provide enough support. This is such a new concept for many of us who are digital immigrants and did not grow up with technology at our finger tips. Teachers need to be exposed to a variety of ideas for ways to implement this kind of technology in a valuable, meaningful way.
Time during the school year is such a commodity and does not often allow me this kind of time for reflection. (As you can see, my last post was September of 2011!) However, I intend to make time for self-reflection, professional growth, on-going assessments of implementation, and looking for ways to empower my teachers in 2012-2013!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
What Educators Wish Every Parent Understood About Us...
I have become such a fan of Ron Clark because he truly wants what is best for kids and will do anything to make it happen! I love how blunt he is with students and parents about life's lessons! We are currently implementing Clark's "Essential 55" in my school to teach kids how to be successful not only in school, but in life. As an educator I have found that no matter what the population of students you work with, they can all use a lesson on manners and how to operate in our society. I have already noticed the impact of explicitly teaching these life's lessons on my campus after only focusing on the first three!
One of my parents sent me an article written by Ron Clark that was found on CNN's website entitled, "What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents". The following is an excerpt that I particularly agree with:
" We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.
Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, "Is that true?" Well, of course it's true. I just told you. And please don't ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent."
AMEN to that! I don't know what it is about education the makes people think they know a better way of doing things than we, the professionals, do. I think sometimes people think that because they went to school they know how to teach everything or know how to run one. I trust all of the professionals in my school to do what's best for our children on a daily basis. I wish parents and community members had that same level of respect for the profession and trust in what we know is best for their children.
One of my parents sent me an article written by Ron Clark that was found on CNN's website entitled, "What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents". The following is an excerpt that I particularly agree with:
" We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.
Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, "Is that true?" Well, of course it's true. I just told you. And please don't ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent."
AMEN to that! I don't know what it is about education the makes people think they know a better way of doing things than we, the professionals, do. I think sometimes people think that because they went to school they know how to teach everything or know how to run one. I trust all of the professionals in my school to do what's best for our children on a daily basis. I wish parents and community members had that same level of respect for the profession and trust in what we know is best for their children.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)