A Reader Asks... The Power of PowerWalks

A LYS Assistant Principal asks…

SC,

As you know, at the semester break, I accepted an AP job at a must larger high school. What sent me apart from all the other candidates was my LYS training. They told me what you said they would, “You don’t talk like the other candidates.”

I’m still doing my PowerWalks (no other administrator can be bothered to visit a classroom) and my teachers now get their feelings hurt if I’m not in their class at least once a week (yet another Cain prediction that came true). But while talking to my principal, he said something that I didn’t know how to respond to. He said, “I don’t need classroom data, I just look at the test results and meet with teachers when I have a concern.”

What would you have said to him?

SC Response

First, great to hear from you and I know that you are making all of us proud. I’m glad you didn’t attempt to debate with your principal about the power of walk-thru’s. Build the relationship and credibility first, and then coach the boss.

I, on the other hand, would point out that without frequent PowerWalks, he doesn’t have the requisite volume of field information to reflect on what he sees and his reflection is a pre-requisite to effective coaching and stewardship. Coaching is less about repairing and more about building, a fact that many in leadership positions seem to miss. PowerWalks is a tool for proactive campus leadership and for building an effective professional learning community. As a principal you want to ensure that you and the staff are seeing and talking about the same thing. PowerWalks is the one tool that makes this possible. It beats hope and luck, which seems to be his current practice.

Keep coaching your team. If your principal has a good head on his shoulders (since he hired you, I’m optimistic) he’ll come around.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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