Thursday, July 17, 2014

Lesa Cain Writes... Summer Thinking for School Leaders

The following is a letter that LYS Coach, Lesa Cain, recently shared with the Principals she works with.

As you go about your summer activities, hopefully resting, traveling and generally rejuvenating yourself after the year, I challenge you to think about the year ahead and to be prepared to communicate the following with anyone who will listen, especially your staff.

1. Simon Sinek says that the cost of leadership is self-interest.  He explains that as a leader there are certain perks that everyone accepts: salary, parking place, how people treat you in the position.  Those and many other “perks” come at a price – that you will absolutely without hesitation put yourself in the face of any issue FIRST – that you will never throw your people under the bus and that your needs come LAST after everyone else’s.

With this in mind – how are you demonstrating and modeling this on a daily basis?  At a staff luncheon, will you serve everyone the food and you eat last?  Are you making eye contact with every staff member every day?

2. We all know that having a system in place is critical to the success of an organization.  It is easy to communicate what we will do and how we will do it – that is very appealing to the conscious part of the brain.  The harder and even more critical piece is the WHY – why are we doing what we do?  That appeals to our limbic system – the emotional, gut level part of our brain and there will be NO positive change until emotions are activated. People buy the why, not the what.

Can you verbalize why you make the decisions you make?  Work on that this summer and TELL your staff the why at the very first staff meeting in August and then repeat it over and over and over and over and over...

3. Patience as a leader is under-valued.  I’m not talking about moving slowly – rather your “patience” when the following happens (borrowed from Amber Teamann’s blog - Technically Yours, Teamann):

...When you think everyone understood what you said, but find out some didn’t.
...When you figure out people can’t read your intentions, just your actions
...When THAT student is sent to you again.
...When you wish “So & So” would have handled that differently.
...When you wish YOU had handled that differently.
...When you see things moving slower than you think they should be going.
...When you realize that you can’t MAKE people change, but only inspire them to want too.

Patience can be the difference between being respected and being ignored. Impatient leaders lose the ability to bring people on board. Patience makes you pause, makes you reflect, makes you not so quick to jump. Change requires patience. Communication requires patience. Collaboration requires patience. Patience allows others to share, others to be heard, and you to think. 

4. Each of you ran a marathon last year and all of you finished!  As you prepare to run again, what is on your NOT To-do list?  What did you spend time and precious energy doing last year that DID NOT result in what you intended.  Identify at least 3 of those things and STOP doing them!  There is no reason to continue to add and add without subtracting. Especially when you know the results will not be you want. 

5. Stress occurs when human beings are isolated and lonely.  Schools can be very isolating – people surround us, but we come to work and close the door, and now we e-mail more than we talk.  The more isolated a person becomes, the more stress they feel.  What can you do to create a community on your campus?  I’m not talking about a friendly lounge, but a real community where all members know WHY they do what they do and a common belief in the WHY.  I’ll give you a hint on where to start. Who are you as a leader and what can your staff expect from you?  Identify 3 things and TELL them.  The caveat here is that you must be honest – if you say one thing and do another, you might lead, but no one will follow.

Have a great summer and work to prepare for an even greater year!  I would love to hear what you want to work on and am here to help in any way!

L.C.

Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
  • Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
  • Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
  • Upcoming Presentations: Kentucky Association of School Administrators Leadership Institute; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote Presentation) 
  • Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Is a Coding Class Important

I recently read a rhetorical tweet that asked, “Is a coding class important?”

For a throw away question, I got me thinking. And I believe the answer is,  "A Nuanced Yes."

If you ask me if coding is more important than taking a Spanish or Chinese language course, I will answer, “For most students, No.”

If you ask me if coding is more important than taking a Physics or Calculus course, I will answer, “For most students, No.”

And I don’t believe that the coding language in use now, will be the one used 20 years from now.  Who out there is still coding in BASIC?  That was an “advanced” class that I took.  I should call my old high school and ask for those 300+ hours back. 

But there is huge value in courses that seemingly have little value.  Instead of taking typing in high school, I took Calculus (the valuable course).  Big mistake.  Surprisingly, I don’t have to calculate the area under a curve that often in my professional and personal life. Yet I do type (poorly) everyday. 

I participated in UIL Academic Contests as a member of the Calculator and Number Sense teams.  We even had a class period devoted to practice.  Again skills I don’t use a lot right now, specifically.  But in terms of training my mind to move quickly, intuitively, with confidence, I do that, daily.

Which brings me back to the question, “Is a coding class important?” 

My final answer is, “Yes, for some students, but not for the reasons we believe.”

So by all means, if you can offer a coding course, do so.  But I’m still not buying into the hype that coding is the 5th Core.

Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...

  • Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
  • Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
  • Upcoming Presentations: Kentucky Association of School Administrators Leadership Institute; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote Presentation) 
  • Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

The PowerWalkers

If you are an educator who no longer has instructional responsibilities (that means everyone who is no longer a classroom teacher) the most important thing you can do to support teachers is to observe instruction, every day.  You see in most schools and most school systems, actual instruction is truly a mystery.  Teachers don’t observe instruction, because they are too busy delivering instruction.  And non-teachers don’t observe instruction, because they are too busy doing stuff and things.  Which means that a true practitioner’s understanding of what works, what doesn’t and the why’s in both instances is missing.  And this missing understanding has a negative impact on every facet of teaching, learning and school operations. 

But YOU can be the vehicle and vessel of deeper instructional understanding and support on your campus.  All you have to do is start visiting classrooms with purpose and reflection, at high volume.  And by high volume I mean at least 500 observations next year.  This is not an impossible task. It is not a difficult talk.  It is, however, a disciplined task.  It requires you to visit 3 to 5 classrooms a day, every day.  And to encourage you in this endeavor and to celebrate the commitment of those already engaged in this process I proudly present the 2013/2014 PowerWalkers.  These are the LYSers that completed at least 500 PowerWalks.  

The PowerWalkers – Class of 2013/2014 (Thirty-four Members)

The 900 Club (One Member)
Helen Smith – Bell’s Hill ES – 958

The 800 Club (Three Members)
Bevil Cohn – Bell’s Hill ES – 852
Beau Sanchez – Chavez MS – 807
Paula Gifford – Carver MS – 802

The 700 Club (Four Members)
Marti Turner – Marlin ES – 738
Stephanie Japort – Bell’s Hill ES – 730
Jackie Casey – Hutto HS – 710
Amanda Martinez – Bell’s Hill ES – 706

The 600 Club (Eight Members)
Jeff Kreiger – Kennedale HS – 694
Glenna Jenkins – Bell’s Hill ES – 691
Keith Hannah – Tennyson MS – 688
Sean Cain – LYS – 679
Patti Goforth – Chavez MS – 676
Craig Cox – Chavez MS – 637
Gay Lynn Holt – Dublin ES – 618
Susan Willert – Marlin MS – 605

The 500 Club (Eighteen Members)
Rhonda Parker – Dean Highland ES – 598
Bill Shepard – University HS – 598
Jim Davis – LYS - 594
Troy Tinney – University HS – 586
Debi Christensen – San Marcos Treatment Center – 581
John Barbagallo – Fairdale HS – 568
Lindsey Helton – Crestview ES – 550
Tamika Washington – Marlin ES – 546
Yvonne Cox – Ray ES – 539
Cheryl Burris – JH Hines ES – 537
Van LeJeune – Louise Schools – 533
Phillip Perry – Carver MS – 526
Jacob Donnell – Tennyson MS – 522
Shala Williams – Crestview ES – 519
Dara Delony – Brook Ave ES – 515
Daren Childs – Kennedale HS – 513
Brandi Thompson – Kennedale HS – 511
Sara Williams – Dean Highland ES – 507

Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...

  • Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
  • Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
  • Upcoming Presentations: Kentucky Association of School Administrators Leadership Institute; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote Presentation) 
  • Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Monday, July 14, 2014

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of July 6, 2014

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now Twitter users.  If you haven’t done so yet, we want you to join us.  To let you see what you are missing, here are the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of July 6, 2014.

1. Congratulations to LYSer, Monte Pritchett! He is the new principal at Crawford HS!! Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

2. Congratulations to LYSer, Justin Marchel! He is the new Principal at Kennedale High School!! Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

3. An informed citizenry is the bulwark of a democracy – Thomas Jefferson.  It's in everyone's interest to support public schools! (By @MarkWilsonGA

4. Continuous effort -- not strength or intelligence -- is the key to unlocking our potential. (By @CoachKWisdom)

5. Top two things most people complain about: 1. The way things are. 2. Change. (By @HoustonSuper)

6. Writing is thinking. (By @clarkhav)

7. Do mostly short walkthroughs. The longer you are in the room, the more you are observing the effect of you in the room. (By @ThirdEd)

8. Teaching can be a lot like fishing. When the kids aren't biting, change your fly and keep casting. (By @LYSNation)

9. Give 'em a freakin’ pencil!  Don't fight that stupid battle! (By @GasserSusie)

10. Just notified that The Fundamental 5 (Cain & Laird) has just passed 61,000 copies sold! Thanks LYS Nation!! (By @LYSNation)

Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...

  • Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
  • Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
  • Upcoming Presentations: Kentucky Association of School Administrators Leadership Institute; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote Presentation) 
  • Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook