Failed Leadership Begets Failed Teachers

Today, I heard a teacher on the staff of a school that is experiencing declining student performance say, “I’m satisfied with my performance.” 

He said this in front of his principal.  And his (non-LYS) principal had no response.

By their words and their actions, this teacher and his principal are OK with marginalized student outcomes on their watch. Which means no matter how nice they may be as people, as educators they are BAD for students. Think about that.

It’s hard to argue that the Anti-Public School Faction has it wrong when those beliefs and attitudes are tolerated and validated within our profession. 

We have to be better than that.

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Illinois ASCD Fall Conference (Multiple Presentations), Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

This Year, Be a More Effective You

With the upcoming school year, commit to the following on Day 1 to have your best year ever.

1. Start with your room clean and organized and keep it that way, every day, all year long.

2. Start using a timer.  Use it for warm-ups, direct instruction, guided practice and most importantly, to remind you to close your lesson.

3. Embed The Fundamental 5 in every lesson, every day.

4. Close every lesson (appropriately), every day.  If you do not close your lesson appropriately, retention is significantly hampered for every student in your classroom.

The consistent implementation of this simple list sets you up for being your most effective you!

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Illinois ASCD Fall Conference (Multiple Presentations), Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

E. Don Brown Writes... 53 and Counting

LYS Principal Emeritus, E. Don Brown, sends out the following field report.

I Loved SC’s 8/21/15 on the road clip, “The Long Summer Road Trip” and I was inspired to share my week on the road. Great fun, even for the “old and feeble”!  

I spent Monday and Wednesday with LYS Coach, great communicator and friend, Harry Miller, in Quinlan ISD and Cuero ISD. In those districts we had the privilege of helping 500 teachers and instructional leaders prepare for the new school year.

On Tuesday, I was at Canyon Middle School helping teacher prepare for their most successful year ever. Finally, on Thursday I had the opportunity to work all day with the faculty at Tompkins HS. THS is a great school, one of just thirteen 6-A high schools to earn all seven TEA distinctions,

My highlight of the week was a visit from, and a lunch with, one of my former students from the Bell HS class of 1987.

I am “pumped-up” to again have a meaningful role in now the 53^rd Start of the Year of my career.  And I love the excitiement of being a LYS Coach working with the LYS schools and educators.

It is now rare to meet an educator that is not aware of Lead Your School and The Fundamental 5. And I am proud and honored to part of both the LYS Team and the ever growing LYS Nation!!

E. Don

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Illinois ASCD Fall Conference (Multiple Presentations), Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

You Get to Choose Your Attitude

Last week I had two vastly different conversations with two teachers from two different schools.

The first conversation was with a teacher from a Title I school on the Texas/Mexico boarder.  This veteran teacher could not wait for school to start and to meet her new students. Her excitement and enthusiasm was contagious.  And I couldn’t help but smile as she walked away.  Every one of us would want our own children in that teacher’s classroom.  And her principal later confirmed that she is a campus superstar.

The second conversation was with a teacher from a very affluent school in a suburban setting.  This teacher was complaining about how tough this year is going to be.  You see, this year, she is going to have to teach a section of “on level” students.  It seems that at this school “on-level” is code for poor and/or minority students. This teacher personified everything wrong with our profession and I was mentally and emotionally drained as she walked away.  I would not want to assign the children of my worst enemy to this teacher’s classroom.  And her principal later confirmed that she is a campus cancer.

My point is that with the new school year, you get to choose your attitude.  For the sake of your students, especially the one’s that need you the most... CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE.

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Illinois ASCD Fall Conference (Multiple Presentations), Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of August 16, 2015

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of August 16, 2015 when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list.

1. The time is always right to do what is right. (By @CoachKWisdom)

2. "Upper levels of cognition have almost nothing to do with us [teachers] and almost everything to do with them [students.]" (By @SISDSocStu_CI)

3. People always move towards someone who increases them and away from anyone who decreases them. (By @blitzkrieg607)

4. If you don't expect yourself to accomplish great things then it's likely you won't. (By @LeadToday)

5. If you won't make enemies with adults because you're fighting for kids to have access to a great education, you have no real fight in you. Go away. (By @DrStevePerry)

6. Love kids first. Hassling over a pencil is not worth destroying relationships. Just give them one. (By @alicekeeler)

7. Teacher practice is the leading indicator, student performance is the lagging indicator.  Improve teacher craft, increase student success. (By @DrMetz_MJH)

8. Beginning to realize a profound vision can't be communicated. It must be modeled and walked before it can be learned. (By @txschoolsiupe)

9. Today we are awash in pessimism. But history suggests that it’s the optimists who have tended to be right. (By @FareedZakaria)

10. If you ever reach a point where you don't think it's awesome that you get to go to school and teach kids, call a sub immediately. For real. (By @BluntEducator)

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Illinois ASCD Fall Conference (Multiple Presentations), Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook