March For A Cure - March 24, 2016 Update

We're starting the final MARCH FOR A CURE lap.  For every PowerWalks Classroom Observation conducted in the month of March, LYS will donate 5¢ to the American Cancer Society.

Every PowerWalks Observer who conducts 200 classrooms observations between the dates of February 22, 2016 and March 31, 2016 gets a MARCH FOR A CURE T-shirt. As you will see below, six LYSers have already earned a shirt and there are a whole bunch of you who are close. Let's finish strong! 

Visit Classrooms - Beat Cancer!

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: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Conference (Multiple Presentations); LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

More Walk and Talk - Real Leadership Discussions

Early in my leadership career, my Superintendent, Bob Brezina, taught me the value of the “Walk & Talk.”  The “Walk & Talk” may be the most powerful induction / teaching / coaching tool in the arsenal of a leader. 

It works like this. 

1. On a regular basis, the leader goes to the site of the subordinate (instead of having the subordinate come to the leader).

2. The leader and the subordinate walk the subordinate’s site (instead of sitting in the subordinate’s office).

3. What is observed during the walk drives the discussion between the two. 

In these discussions the leader gets to talk about what should be done, why it should be done, and ideas on how it can be done.  With this conversation, the subordinate gains insight into how the leader thinks and the culture of the organization.

The subordinate talks about things that have been done and are being done; initiatives that are being implemented and issues that are being dealt with on the site.  The leader gains insight into the progress and capacity of the subordinate.

And all of this is being done while observing the actual work of the organization. 

Here is a suggested list of who walks with whom.

Superintendent: Walks with Assistant Superintendents and Principals

Assistant Superintendent: Walks with Directors and Principals

Principal: Walks with Assistant Principals, Counselors, Instructional Specialists and Teachers

Assistant Principal: Walks with Instructional Specialists and Teachers

The “Walk & Talk,” improves communication, relationships, staff capacity, and organization performance. So who are you walking and talking with today? 

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: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Conference (Multiple Presentations); LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Leaders, Go For A Walk... And Take Someone With You

Two of the most powerful, yet underutilized, tools an instructional leader possesses are observation and conversation.  On our campuses, only we (instructional leadership) have the opportunity to observe every facet of campus operations.  Everything... from morning intake to afternoon dismissal. Which includes, most importantly, classroom instruction.  We get to stand in the blind spot of the staff and really study the intricacies of instructional delivery and the complexities of the teacher/student relationship.  This is something that we could not do as teachers because when you are teaching... you are teaching.

We also possess to tool of conversation.  Conversation allows us to communicate, educate and motivate.  Yet too many of us waste our conversations with staff talking about the mundane (example, the weather) instead of the germane (teaching and learning).

Here is a simple and powerful way to do both.  When you (an instructional leader) are visiting classrooms, take a teacher with you.  All types of teachers... the superstar, the typical, and the struggling.

Visit a classroom with one of your superstar teachers and then step outside and talk about what the two of you observed.  Listen closely and pick the brain of the Superstar, you will learn something. Much like the coaches who are fortunate enough to coach someone like Larry Bird or Peyton Manning.

Visit a classroom with one of your typical teachers and then step outside and talk about what the two of you observed.  Listen closely and talk about any “missed opportunity” that was witnessed. Our typical teachers rarely do anything wrong. But they are so busy, they miss the opportunity to do something great. Seeing another teacher’s missed opportunity (not a critique) and then talking about it makes it less likely that the teacher will miss the same opportunity when it presents itself in her class. 

Visit a classroom with one of your struggling teachers and then step outside and talk about what the two of you observed.  It is one thing to discuss pedagogy in the training room.  It is something entirely different to observe live pedagogy.  Many of our struggling teachers know the words of practice, but they don’t have an appropriate visual model of those words.  The facilitated classroom visit can provide them with a model to better emulate.

The effectiveness of your staff and the performance of your campus can be significantly improved (over time) when you make better use of the PowerWalk and talk.

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: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Conference (Multiple Presentations); LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Asks... So Why are We Collecting Data

A recently relocated LYS Teacher asks the following:

SC,

"Are we (the campus) using data to help our students improve or are you (leadership) using students to gather more data for your use?”

Here’s the background to the above question (which I was “smart” enough to say out loud). In a planning meeting with leadership, I suggested that we only select no more than 30 questions for the full length STAAR PRACTICE test we’re about to administer.  After all 30 questions are all that the state is asking this year.

I explained that this would give students a real feel for the work time they will have on the actual STAAR.  Then we could talk to students about their use of the time, including the need to write a rough draft and edit their essays. Better for them to figure that out now than run out of time on test day.

I was quickly shot down. The principal said we needed to give the full release (one more passage to read and twelve more questions to answer) to "get more data."

I pointed out that we do 3-week common assessments and I know exactly where my students are, right now. A new longer test wasn’t going to change that.

His response, “The practice STAAR test isn't about the students getting a feel for the test, it’s about getting good data.”

I get it, I lost the argument. But am I thinking in the right direction or have I completely missed the boat.  Don’t worry, I won’t use your answer with my principal. But I would appreciate your feedback.

SC Response

The more I read your starting statement, the less sure I am about what it is asking.

I think you are asking this

1. Do we collect data to make adjustments and interventions that we hope will make students more successful?

Or,

2. Do we collect data to highlight how things improve when I’m in charge?

In theory, either reason should lead to improved student outcomes.  However, in the real world, Reason 2 usually leads to adult trickery. From game playing to measuring things that really don’t matter to outright cheating. Kids be damned.

Now on to the rest of your letter.

1. You are correct in the belief that if your common assessments are aligned to the rigor and pace of the curriculum, then you have all the data you need.  A big benchmark simply steals instructional time at the time of year when the effective and efficient use of instructional time is most critical.

2. The most polite thing I can say about your principal is that he is misguided.

My advice, smile, teach you students, play his game and look for a more enlightened principal to work with.

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: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Conference (Multiple Presentations); LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of March 13, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of March 13, 2016 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. Great schools embed The Fundamental 5 (Cain & Laird) into the culture! (By @LParkerEdD)

2. We give compliments when we say "good job." We reinforce effort when we can comment specifically on what the student did well. (By @DrKing_BBJH)

3. There are only two options regarding commitment; you're either in or you're out. There's no such thing as life in-between. -Pat Riley (By @Sports_HQ)

4. If you're not enjoying teaching, the students are probably not enjoying learning. (By @BluntEducator)

5. Vouchers = bad policy. Public Money for Public Schools. (By TxParentPAC)

6. If you aren't willing to wait and work for it, you don't really want it. (By @MMotivate)

7. “No study has ever substantiated the belief that homework builds character or teaches good study habits.” (By @woscholar)

8. The misbehavior of a child is not happening to you as a teacher, it’s happening in front of you! (By @tra_hall)

9. What if bad customer service is simply Karma for being a jerk earlier in the day? (By @LYSNation)

10. Just notified that The Fundamental 5 (Cain & Laird) has now officially sold more than 83,000 copies! Thank you, 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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Conference (Multiple Presentations); LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook