Showing posts with label Change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Change. Show all posts

Thursday, November 30, 2017

The Best Time to Change

I recently met with a principal that I mentor.  She had identified some long-standing processes and procedures that were ineffective and impairing campus performance.  Her question, “When is the best time to make the change?”

My answer, “Now.”

“But won’t that be disruptive?”

“Yes.”

“Then shouldn’t I wait?”

“No.”

What is the value in prolonging the inevitable? If something isn’t working, fix it. It’s the difference between getting worse and getting better.

Once you know a change has to me made, the best time to change is NOW.

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 
  • Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Assistant Principal Workshop (Keynote) 
  • Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Monday, June 26, 2017

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of June 28, 2017

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of June 18, 2017 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. Stay focused on student need. As student performance improves most adult problems begin to evaporate. (By @LYSNation)

2. Our state leaders have no shame. They demean teachers, defraud constituents, and neglect children without consequence. (By @pastors4txkids)

3. When adults are not adequately serving children, a slow phase in of better practice sacrifices student need for adult convenience. (By @LYSNation)

4. When performance is below expectations, the challenge is to Get Better Now, not tomorrow. (By @LYSNation)

5. I know it sounds crazy, but evidently, when teachers use better practice more often, students do better. Go figure. (By @LYSNation)

6. You can't tell someone they're incompetent or unworthy and expect them to step up! You can't put someone down and expect them to step up. (By @Leadershipfreak)

7. Allowing teachers to NOT work on implementing best practice hurts both students and TEACHERS. (By @LYSNation)

8. We need to elect more people who are about representing all citizens rather than about putting their own party in power. So destructive. (By @woscholar)

9. The Definition of Culture and Climate: A) Culture is the adult practices and procedures on a campus. B) Climate is the effect culture has on students. (By @LYSNation)

10. The parent equation for ranking schools: A) Students are Successful = A Good School. B) My Child is Successful = A GREAT School. (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 
  • Upcoming Conference Presentations: Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference; The National Principals Conference; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
  • Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Changing Habits is Hard

It is not easy to change a habit in general.  In the classroom environment, it is darn near impossible.  Between unchanging environmental cues, tenure, and stress the habits of teachers are cemented into place. So, expecting teachers to change a practice because we told them to is naïve. Believing that threats and memos will get “lazy” teachers to do something different borders on stupidity. 

What we all must accept is that changing the instructional habits of teachers is a team effort. Teacher and coach (leadership); and it starts with the coach (leadership).

As the coach, I first have to narrow the focus of change to a specific practice.  Second, I have to provide a high volume of in classroom cues for the teacher to attempt the new practice.  Third, I can’t be mad if when I visit the classroom, unscheduled, the teacher isn’t doing the targeted practice at that time. Fourth, I have to recognize that a teacher attempt that resembles the targeted practice is a win. 

Then, only if leadership has engaged as described, all the teacher has to do is respond to the cue with an honest attempt to implement the targeted practice.

Put this process in place 15 to 30 times in a span of about six weeks and guess what you have?

A shiny new instructional practice in classrooms. Isn’t it pretty?

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 
  • Upcoming Conference Presentations: Texas ASCD Summer Conference, Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference; The National Principals Conference; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
  • Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook