Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

It goes without saying that in order to lead you must have followers. Photo by Luke Porter – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@lukeporter?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit But taking others to a destination doesn’t just mean accomplishing all the to-do’s on your checklist. Leadership requires relationships. And meaningful relationships do not happen by accident; they are intentional and purposeful. Part of building meaningful relationships involves understanding yourself and the core values of those whom you are leading. How can you cultivate those kinds of meaningful relationships so that you have the right conditions for healthy teamwork? Meet Jeremie Kubicek Jeremie Kubicek is CEO of GiANT – the leader in Scalable People Development. He is the best-selling author of several books that focus on effective leadership including Making Your Leadership Come Alive: 7 Actions to Increase Your Influence. He has co-authored two books with Steve Cockram: 5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time and 5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead. And his latest book is the 100X Leader: How to Become Someone Worth Following. His other accomplishments include creating the Leadercast global simulcast, partnering in several current start-up organizations, former CEO over the national Catalyst conferences, former CEO over the John Maxwell brand, and developer of The Prairie at Post, a, modern niche real estate development in Edmond, OK. When I reached out Jeremie Kubicek after reading his book on 5 voices, he was generous to provide the following feedback for Principal Matters listeners. Here’s a summary of our Q & A, but listen-in for even more takeaways! Can you give a quick overview of the 5 voices and how they have helped you and others lead teams? 21st Century learners require different styles because we are now more visual. If our content is not scalable, it is not usable. The secret of the 5 voices is simplifying how to understand the wiring of yourself and other people into five categories. They are: PioneersConnectorsGuardiansNuturersCreatives If you know yourself, you can lead yourself. You can know your strenghts and your weaknesses. The Golden Rule can be used or mis-used, but to lead, you must do to others as they would want to be treated. Remember 7% of the population is Pioneer, but more than 50% of CEO’s are Pioneers. If you don’t understand your own core strengths, you may not be performing from your core. And you may not be protecting others from the parts of your core that can also be weaknesses. How should leaders run meetings while keeping in mind the voices on your team? Why do you prescribe “quieter” voices always going first? There is always friction with people. For instance, some people are present-oriented people while others are future-oriented people. Pioneers and Connectors can dominate meetings, which is why in 5 Voices we recommend Rules of Engagement:  Let Nurturers go first… Then Creatives…Next Guardians…Fourth Connectors…Let Pioneers go last… This allows every voice to have its place and gives permission for your quieter voices to always be given an audience. School leaders are often heading teams of teachers, non-teaching staff, and teams involving students or parents. What ideas might help an education leader who may be leading more than one kind of team? Knowing who you are comes first. This means understanding your voice.Knowing who they are comes next. This means understanding their voices.Then you have the ability to “Build the Bridge” — creating the culture where others feel safe with their unique voice and contribution to the team.Leaders define the culture. Just like a gardener doesn’t water every plant the same, you don’t water everyone on your team the same way. You respond to others according to how the are wired, not just how you are wired. Consistency does not always mean sameness. When leaders are “for” those being lead and building them up, we create environments healthy and ready for growth. How can listeners stay connected with you? If you’d like to know more or stay connected with more leadership resources, check out Giant.TV/jk for access to a free trial subscription or connect via JeremieKubicek.com. Now It’s Your Turn As you think about leading your school teams, ask yourself the following questions: What is my most dominant voice? What are the core voices of those on my team? How can I learn to understand my own voice and the voice of others in order to cultivate a culture of collaboration? For a free 5 Voices Assessment, check out this questionnaire at 5Voices.com. Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post PMP184: 5 Voices for Leading Teams with Jeremie Kubicek appeared first on Principal Matters.

“When is a time you have used grit, and what lesson did you learn?” Photo by Adrian Pereira – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@adrianluisp10?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit This is just one of 100 questions you find included in the Table Talk Cards that come as a bonus with the book Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population by Dr. Tim Elmore and Andrew McPeak. In Part 2 of our interview, Andrew McPeak and I discuss this question and more as he unpacks the nine challenges faced by today’s students, which include: Empowerment without Wisdom Stimulation without OwnershipPrivilege without ResponsibilityInvolvement without BoundariesIndividualism without PerspectiveAccessibility without AccountabilityFluidity without IntegrityOpportunity without ResilienceConsumption without ReflectionIndividualism without Perspective In the second half of this conversation, Andrew unpacks the last area in that list: Individualism without Perspective. First, he explains how most people today are experiencing a lack of community. Even with the dawn of technology connecting us, people are spending more time alone than ever in human history. In fact, we have an epidemic of loneliness. As a result, we see two negative trends among our youth: Selfishness or narcissicm Polarization This is not their fault, Andrew explains. Our youth have adapted to a world we’ve created for them. For instance, adults often schedule every minute for students.  One solution is to create margin for students in their day like spending more time outside, taking time for reflection, engaging in unscripted play, etc. Generation Z research is also seeing a growth of “ego-centralization”. This results in focusing more on internal than external identities. Family, school, religion, work are being replaced by hobbies, interests, gifts, experiences. Egos are being influenced then by “me” rather than “us.” McPeak explains that social scientists describe what is happening as a “tribal switch” –a phenomenon that often happens to survivors: when someone is forced into a group, he or she will always first act to protect those in their perceived tribe, even if their actions are sometimes immoral. Instead of “flipping switches” to protect the good of all, we are prone to protect those most like ourselves first. What are some solutions? Individualism must come with perspective. Andrew uses examples from the book The Road to Character by David Brooks, which describes Resume virtue vs. Eulogy virtues. Resume virtues are outside accomplishments that demonstrate our accomplishments. Eulogy virtues, however, are how you really want to be remembered by others; how others were influenced by you; how your life was a service to the ones you love. He also discusses the importance of “Learning to Draw Larger Circles”: spending time knowing people unlike ourselves, instead of excluding other; finding what we have more in common with people than differences. What is the virtue that links us, not separates us? How are we more similar than different? This creates the grounds for more civility.  Go here for Part 1 of this interview and listen to both conversations to find out more. Check out the new book at GenerationZUnfiltered.com. Now It’s Your Turn How can we model for students the importance of having margin in their day? What ways can we rally around issues we share in common that promote school spirit and civic responsibility? Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post PMP183: Gen Z Unfiltered, Part 2 with Andrew McPeak appeared first on Principal Matters.

Students today face newer and different challenges than students of the past. Photo by Joaquin VillaverdePhotography – Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlikeLicense  https://www.flickr.com/photos/46078235@N03 Although many of the skills or values they need to be successful remain the same regardless of time and place, they also have unique challenges that make them one of the most anxious generations in history. If we “take the filters” off our students, what would they really tell us? How can school leaders understand these unique challenges while also finding strategies for guiding students? Meet Andrew McPeak Andrew McPeak is a next gen researcher, speaker, and curriculum designer for Growing Leaders, in Atlanta, Georgia. He works with schools, universities, and sports teams on implementing Habitudes, teaching tools for life and leadership skills. He is also the co-author of two books, including his newest one written with Dr. Tim Elmore, Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population. In this interview, Andrew shares a story from his own background and why he is passionate about generational research. During college, he read Tim Elmore’s book, Generation iY: Secrets to Connecting With Today’s Teens & Young Adults in the Digital Age. That book caused him to fall in love with the concepts of generational trends in leadership. Fast forward five years later, and he is now the Vice President of Content for Growing Leaders. (Andrew was a guest on PMP, Episode 089, if you want to check it out for more information on his work and background.) Here are questions and takeaways from our conversation: What background research and info did you find for writing this book? Andrew: We used focus groups of young people across the country, including sponsoring two Harris polls, one in 2017 and another in 2018. These were surveys of students born since 2001, most of them 17, 18 years old. What makes them distinct? As we removed the “filter” from kids, here’s what we found… Nine Challenges Youth Face Today Empowerment without WisdomStimulation without OwnershipPrivilege without ResponsibilityInvolvement without BoundariesIndividualism without PerspectiveAccessibility without AccountabilityFluidity without IntegrityOpportunity without ResilienceConsumption without Reflection Can you unpack one of those for us? Let’s talk about “Stimulation without Ownership”: Andrew: We were interested in both the problem and solution. And we were committed to making this book “Prac-ademic” – practical strategies that fit student needs. One problem we are seeing is a lot of pre-scriptive goal-setting. By giving students both the goals and exact steps to young people, we rob them of individuality, discovery and ownership.  What’s the outcome? Students tell us they don’t feel like they are in control of their own lives. This leads to a condition or term called “moral hazards”… I, the student, can make riskier decisions because an adult will rescue me.  What’s the solution? We must move to de-scriptive leadership. This means helping them identify goals and encouraging them to discover and design their own solutions and steps to reaching them. Adults facilitate and guide them along the way. Use this simple way to think about strategies for de-scriptive leadership: P.R.O.V.E. Problems – Flip the script. Lead with the problem for them to solve. Relationships – Students learn best from adults they believe like them. Ownership – Give young people permission to own their goals, decisions, and refuse to answer all their questions. Visuals – Use images to communicate ideas, lessons, or principles. Experiences – Guide students into discovering answers for themselves through their own actions. One example of de-scriptive leadership is Cory Brooks, FFA teacher in Indiana, who bought his students a pig to care for. This provided students with hands-on responsibilities for feeding, caring, and delivering piglets. In addition, students expanded operations by having an architect design a new barn, and they raised over $200,000 to build it. Mr. Brooks’ students are providing produce back to their own schools. Mr. Brooks taught his students to own their learning, and they took those lessons to places he never imagined they could go. Let’s Wrap This Up You may not be able to address every challenge today’s students are facing, but being aware of the challenges they face is the first step in finding solutions. Next week, Andrew will unpack a second areas from the nine challenges, “Individualism without Perspective.” Now It’s Your Turn As you think about the ways you serve students, how can you encourage ownership of learning for teachers and students? Examine P.R.O.V.E. with your teachers and ask them ways they are engaging students in this kind of learning environment. How are you modeling this kind of learning for your own teachers and staff? Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post PMP182: Generation Z Unfiltered with Andrew McPeak appeared first on Principal Matters.

I am digging into the archives of Principal Matters to bring you an episode from January 2018, when I had the privilege to interview Dr. Judi Barber. Photo by Craig  Whitehead – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@sixstreetunder?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit First, let me tell you a story. During the previous Christmas break of 2017, I had taken my family to see the newest Star Wars movie. In the opening scene, Jedi-in-training, Rey, has journeyed to the planet where the retired Luke Skywalker, has hidden himself away from the universe and its troubles. She climbs the heights to his hidden village and finds him meditating on a cliff overlooking the sea. Rey introduces herself: “I’m from the Resistance,” she says, “Leia sent me. We need your help.” To her surprise the elder Luke refuses to help and walks away. And thus, begins the most important conflict of “The Last Jedi” as Rey must find a way to convince Luke to train her and help her save the Rebellion. Thankfully, Luke finally begins training her and then takes the steps necessary to save the universe. You can see the movie for yourself, but I had that opening scene when I traveled two hours from Tulsa to the backroads in Grove, Oklahoma, in January 2018, on my way to see a Jedi-master-in-education. I wound my way up a long driveway to beautiful home nestled on a bay above Grand Lake. After greetings on the front porch, we moved into the house for a cup of coffee and some catching up. This was her 50th year as an education leader, and I had sat under her teaching and coaching in my early years of school admininstrator. Dr. Barber had agreed days before to letting me capture an audio recording of our conversation. Meet Dr. Judi Barber Judi Barber has just finished her 50th year as an educator. She has been a Teacher, CurriculumInstructor, Arts-in-Education Coordinator, Principal, and Director of Curriculum and Instruction, in Norman Public Schools. Since her retirement she has continued work as a Special Instructor and Adjunct Professor at the University of Oklahoma and the President of her own school district consulting company, Collaborating for Results, Inc. You can also see her bio as an Oklahoma Education Hall of Fame Honoree in 2005. Asking for Excellence Here is a summary of the questions and takeaways from our talk. Listen to the entire podcast episode to unpack these bullet points: What would say are timeless truths that apply to education just as much today as at the start of your career? Parents love their children.A strong education in the basics of reading and mathematics are essential AS ARE science, social studies, and the arts to build the capacity of curiosity. The 9 essential elements of school are the rubric of effective schools CurriculumEvaluation and Assessment StrategiesInstructional StrategiesLearning CommunitiesFamily and Community ConnectionsProfessional DevelopmentLeadershipOrganizational Structures and ResourcesComprehensive Planning What ways do school leaders need to be adapting with the changing times? Understanding digital communicationBecoming open-ended thinkersApplying shared leadership If you could go back in time and talk to yourself as beginning school leader, what advice would give? Be consistent in the way you follow the 9 essentials of effective schools.Work with parents as EQUAL partners in the education of their children. What advice would you give the veteran administrator? Understand and apply that it is ALWAYS about student learning – although OTHERS often create very difficult environments. You must stay open-minded, constantly learn, and work collaboratively–there is no place for autocratic leaders in schools. One of your strengths has been helping other leaders grow. How can other leaders build their own capacity in developing new leaders? Many, many ways: Sharing leadership – Structures – groups and teams and consistent conversations about the progress of the teamsDialog rather than commandsListening more than talkingRespectful, authentic relationshipsUnderstanding adults learn through experiencesModel the wayTalk the walk 12 ingredients for building a strong culture: CollegialityExperimentationHigh expectationsTrust and confidenceTangible supportReaching out to the knowledge basesAppreciation and recognitionCaring, celebration and humorInvolvement in decision makingProtection of what’s importantTraditionsHonest, open communication If you had to recommend one book for education leaders to read, what would it be? First, strong up-to-date leaders are readers! Two recommendations: Michael Fullan’s Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems.William D. Parker’s Messaging Matters: How to Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach Communities. Let’s Wrap This Up Since this conversation with Judi, I have already listened back to the audio-recording three times. And each time, I have to pause and reflect. This is a conversation that is so packed with wisdom and experience, I want to encourage you to take notes as you listen or repeat the conversation if you really want to be really challenged in your growth as a school leader. As we unplugged the laptop and microphone, I felt a little like I a Jedi-educator-in-training talking to a Jedi-master. In my mind, I was really thinking, “I’m from the Movement to Serve Schools. Other school leaders have sent me. We need your help.” And Judi Barber did not fail to step up to the call. You can stay connected with Dr. Barber online or reach out her by email via jbarber920@gmail.com Now It’s Your Turn Copy the 9 essentials for effective schools and 12 ingredients for culture and tape them on your office wall or make them the background on your desktop. Review them daily for the next week and ask yourself “Where is my school in these areas and where can we grow?”. Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post Encore099: Collaborating for Results – Interview with Dr. Judi Barber appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with a team of new assistant principals. Photo by Matteo Vistocco – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@mrsunflower94?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit As we talked about their first semester, they shared the lessons they’ve learned in time management, communication, and problem solving. They are finding their unique places on new teams, understanding their new roles for the first time, and learning new lessons every day. Being a school leader involves an overwhelming number of daily tasks, requests from teachers for help, and situations with students that require thoughtful intervention and assistance. It’s no easy task. And it’s certainly not one for the faint of heart. At the same time, it is not one you can accomplish alone. No amount of self-determination or grit will accomplish as much as what happens when you understand the power of others on your team.  Lessons from Rowing Champions As I talked to these new leaders, I was so impressed with their courage and determination. But I was also reminded of lessons in teamwork I’ve been learning from the book, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (2013). Brown follows the life of one rower, Joe Rantz, whose struggles match the difficulties of so many during the Great Depression. Rantz led an especially difficult childhood, losing his mother at a very young age, and being left on his own for much of his youth and teenage years. His older brother helped him finish school and enroll in Washington State University. But the only way he could afford to attend college was if he could make the rowing team, which would allow him to work a part-time campus job as a janitor at the YMCA.  Throughout his training, Joe was noticeably talented. He was strong, intelligent and tenacious. But he was also a loner. As a result, he and his team struggled to find just the right chemistry to be a champion rowing team.  Brown describes the ultimate goal of any rowing team is to experience what rowers call “finding their swing”.  But this only happens when rowers understand and execute their own individual roles while also relying on the other rowers to execute theirs with such trust and precision that they reach optimal rowing efficiency and speed – discovering the ultimate beauty, joy and glory of rowing. Why is developing teamwork one of the most important, but difficult tasks of school leadership? How do you learn to execute your own role as a leader while building a climate where others are willing to rely on each other to use their combined skills toward accomplishing something beautiful?  What Makes a Great Rowing Team? In Chapter 10 of the book, Brown gives a description of the teamwork required in rowing that is so poignant, I want to quote a couple of paragraphs in full: “…the greatest paradox of the sport has to do with the psychological makeup of the people who pull the oars. Great oarsmen and oarswomen are necessarily made of conflicting stuff—of oil and water, fire and earth. On the one hand, they must possess enormous self-confidence, strong egos, and titanic willpower.They must be almost immune to frustration. Nobody who does not believe deeply in himself or herself—in his or her ability to endure hardship and to prevail over adversity—is likely even to attempt something as audacious as competitive rowing at the highest levels. The sport offers so many opportunities for suffering and so few opportunities for glory that only the most tenaciously self-reliant and self-motivated are likely to succeed at it. And yet, at the same time—and this is key—no other sport demands and rewards the complete abandonment of the self the way that rowing does. Great crews may have men or women of exceptional talent or strength; they may have outstanding coxswains or stroke oars or bowmen; but they have no stars.The team effort—the perfectly synchronized flow of muscle, oars, boat, and water; the single, whole, unified, and beautiful symphony that a crew in motion becomes—is all that matters. Not the individual, not the self.”The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (2013). Chapter 10, emphasis added What I love about this passage is the acknowledgement that achieving hard goals requires courage, tenacity, and self-determination on the one hand while on the other hand, relying on others is the only way to move beyond your own strength to the collective strength of the whole team.  In other words, courage plus teamwork equals the accomplishment of seemingly impossible goals.  But Brown goes on to describe something else important: When the main character, Joe Ranz finally realizes his need to trust his other teammates, rely on their unique skills and strengths, and trust them with his own contributions – then they begin to find their swing and move toward their ultimate goal of winning an Olympic gold medal. How Do You Build Effective Teams? Here are three thoughts to keep in mind: 1. Avoid the trap of looking for (or trying to be) the “Superstar” In Principal Matters Podcast, Episode 041, I refer to a TedTalk by Margaret Heffernan who speaks about the research of William Muer. In Muer’s experiments with laying hens, he theorized that if he could isolate the best layers from flocks of chickens into a group of “super chickens,” then he guessed he could create a “super flock” of productive layers.  What he found instead was that chickens in untouched flocks outperformed his “super chickens” because the exceptional layers tried to peck one another to death. In Heffernan’s speech, she explains how this lesson also applies to her research on what makes productive teams. Her research shows that highly productive teams have three components: • They show high degrees of social sensitivity to one another.• They are groups who give equal time to each other without one voice dominating and with no “passengers” on the team.• The more successful groups had more women on them. This kind of teamwork happens when you build structures for shared leadership. Whether you are relying on school leadership teams, student leadership teams, or involving parents in decision-making, strong teams are developed by showing openness to others’ opinions, giving equal time to hearing many perspectives, and including a diverse group of voices. 2. Help others look outside of their own interests A district school leader recently told me that she had taken a group of teachers in a bus ride to tour their community. She drove them into a part of their city where students were living in the most difficult conditions.  She wanted them to see for themselves the kinds of environments many of their students were facing outside of school. This perspective was helpful. When teachers understand that some students are living without electricity or food, they are a lot more compassionate about why they struggle do finish homework, for example. The same mindset applies in shared leadership. Even though you may have a great idea, it is important to seek the input of others and value their perspectives as well. You’ll accomplish a lot more with a mindset of togetherness than simply assuming you have the best ideas just because you’re the leader. 3. Building trust means being trustworthy It’s easy to talk about trust, but you only build trust through consistent, long-term actions that show others you can be trusted. That means you must avoid empty threats, you must keep your promises, and you must have the backs of those on your team. And if or when you fail, you admit it, ask forgiveness and move on. One of the most valuable lessons I learned as a teacher was to apologize to my students when I had been unfair or overreacted to a classroom situation. What I discovered was their willingness to trust me more and give me a second chance when I was honest with my mistakes. As I look back at some of my own decisions as a school leader, many times I have had to be humble enough to admit when I called it wrong, and pivot my position going forward. It’s a delicate balance to lead with courage while also building a culture of reliance on others. At the end of the day, if you are encouraging shared leadership, and your decisions are in line with the core values and goals of your school, then you can sleep well at night–even if not everyone buys in. Cultures of trust take time to build and require constant nourishment. Resistance shouldn’t keep you from pushing for higher degrees of collaboration. In fact, it’s a natural part of the cycle. Let’s Wrap This Up “Finding your swing” in leadership, like rowing, may seem like an elusive and lofty goal. But something beautiful happens in collaboration and teamwork. Ultimately, it means you move from self-determination to the joy of helping others. And in the process, you rediscover the reason you are an education leader. No doubt you must have a good measure of courage to be a leader. But you also must learn to rely on others to if you want to really lead strong school communities. In Daniel James Brown’s narrative non-fiction book, Boys in the Boat, he explains, “…Even after the right mixture is found, each man or woman in the boat must recognize his or her place in the fabric of the crew, accept it, and accept the others as they are. It is an exquisite thing when it all comes together in just the right way. The intense bonding and the sense of exhilaration that results from it are what many oarsmen row for, far more than for trophies or accolades. But it takes young men or women of extraordinary character as well as extraordinary physical ability to pull it off.”  Now It’s Your Turn As you think about your school teams, what is one way you can invite more input from your teachers, students and community members? What structures do you have in place to schedule times of shared feedback and reflection? How can you recognize and celebrate the strengths and unique abilities others bring to your team? Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post PMP181: Finding Your Swing – How Leadership & Teamwork Go Hand-in-Hand appeared first on Principal Matters.

What does it take for small actions to produce big results? Photo by Blake Lisk – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@blakeliskphoto?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit Over Christmas break, I listened to the audio-version of Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and learned some value lessons we can apply to our schools. Let me quickly summarize by saying that Gladwell painstakingly details the phenomenon and players involved in what happens when products or ideas become social “epidemics” – in the best sense of the word. Why do certain shoe brands, books, or companies find success in such extraordinary ways? And what, you may be asking, does this have to do with school leadership? I’d like to connect those dots in this post. First of all, products, ideas or companies become social phenomena by starting with something worth promoting – something Gladwell calls a “sticky” idea. Whether it is a great book, a fashionable shoe, or a line of plastic accessories for unique car brands — people (or customers) have needs that someone (creators or innovators) provide.  Those ideas must be “sticky” enough for others to want to adapt and participate. This is where Gladwell’s descriptions of certain types of people may be helpful to discuss because turning sticky ideas into social phenomena frequently involves the following players:  Mavens– These people identify or adopt a new trend and have the influence to model and teach others how to adapt and apply those same ideas. They are early-adapters and innovators who recognize new trends emerging; they buy-in first or are willing to take risks in testing out new ideas. Connectors– These types understand sub-cultures and new trends and have relationships within various social spheres in order to bring new ideas and larger audiences together. They love to be the glue between new ideas and groups of people who can benefit from them. A connector may not be the creator of a new idea or product, but he or she becomes a champion for it. Sales Persons– People who watch mavens and connectors and decide not only to adopt their ideas but become the story tellers for that idea. Sales persons can tell the stories of what’s trending in such convincing ways that others want it for themselves; they help growing numbers of people become consumers of the new product, trend or action. When you combine a sticky idea with a community of mavens, connectors and sales persons, it will often begin a movement, a tipping point, when a small idea grows into something contagious and transformational.  Can School Leaders Have Tipping Points? Let’s apply that to school and assume you understand the mission and purpose of your own. Your mission may be to educate and equip a future generation with the ideas, tools, values and social capital necessary to live full lives.  Having a vision for a great school and actually nurturing that kind of community, however, is where good ideas must become “sticky” actions. And for ideas to become actions, you must convince others to share those values and act on them too.  This where certain kinds of people play certain kinds of roles in creating tipping points. In order for a great idea to become a movement or phenomenon, you need mavens, connectors, and sales persons to play their roles. Let’s take positive school culture as a good example. On Principal Matters Podcast, Episode 129, I interviewed researcher Heather Shaffery from the University of Oklahoma’s K20 Center. Heather shared a long-list of research showing how positive cultures and strong school leadership are intimately connected.  Those takeaways included: School Culture & School Leaders Research confirms the importance of the leader in a building. If you want strong culture, you need strong school leaders.Strong school leaders have the ability to encourage and share leadership. They do not operate in isolation or without input.Strong school leaders understand the importance of meaningful listening and valuing the ideas of others. School Culture & Teachers Most teachers know what constitutes good culture. But the challenge is an inability or resistance to implementing or practicing what’s best.When schools practice shared listening with collaboration for leadership decisions, teachers feel empowered toward stronger instructional practice.When teachers do not feel like their feedback is valued, they will be less inclined toward risk-taking and innovative instruction. School Culture & Students Involving students in shared leadership, not just on leadership teams, but in classrooms, increases student learning and achievement.Teachers must explore these questions with students: What do they want to learn? What do they care about? How do you leverage their interests and input in their own learning? School Culture School-wide As culture and technology shifts, bullying has increased in schools. But when schools practice strong growth in culture, the result is a decline in those negative behaviors.As students feel safe, secure, and accepted, the entire school culture becomes a place that encourages responsibility, trust, and achievement.* *See the original PMP129 post for additional resources here: https://williamdparker.com/2018/10/17/pmp129-why-school-culture-matters-interview-with-heather-shaffery/ How Can You Create a Tipping Point for Positive Culture? To create a nurturing, positive school environments, you need a principal who embraces a philosophy of strong culture and promotes those convictions in his or her actions. You need teachers whose input is valued and can participate in shaping the outcomes of your school. You need students who are encouraged in providing feedback for the direction of the school, including the instruction they are receiving. School culture is not the sole outcome of one man or woman. A leader can build and influence culture, but the tipping point happens when he or she allows others to play crucial roles in the phenomenon.  You cannot do this alone. You need mavens, connectors and salespersons. And a strong leader is not afraid of a variety of voices, points of view, or participants in cultivating strong culture. He or she needs early-adapters to new ideas, connectors to draw others together, mavens to model and build momentum, and salesmen to convince others to join the movement or team. The culminating factor of strong leadership combined with team members who carry, promote, model, and sell those positive ideas – this creates a tipping point in strong school culture.  Wall of Kindness While I was writing my book, Messaging Matters: How School Leaders Can Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach Communities, I was promoting positivity and sharing out successes of my students and teachers on a regular basis. But so were my teachers and community members. When students became involved in promoting positivity, however, something powerful happened.  Students suggested rewarding and recognizing one another for good deeds. One day some girls began leaving positive notes of encouragement on bathroom mirrors. This soon turned into a phenomenon with girls filling entire bathroom walls with notes of encouragement. Teachers posted these on social media. Parents shared the news. A local news channel came to school to report on the acts of kindness happening spontaneously among our student body. We had experienced a tipping point in our school culture. Tipping points can also work in negative ways too. Just like positivity can be contagious so can fear and negativity. In an epilogue to the original chapters, Gladwell adds a chapter at the end of the book on how school shootings have become a tragic epidemic in American schools. The same formula is present with children embracing ideas they see modeled and acting on those impulses with deadly consequences. Let’s Wrap This Up  Without trying to sound too dramatic, I want to make a sobering statement: Leading schools of positivity may really be a life and death choice. We cannot single handedly combat all the negativity or hate students experience in social media or real-life scenarios. But we can commit to a consistent and overwhelming drumbeat of praise, celebration, and positivity for our students. When we do, we can create schools where students feel safe to learn, challenged in their thinking, and equipped for the future ahead. If this is the mission of our school, then the small things we do really do matter. Now It’s Your Turn What is one step you take today to encourage a positive environment in your school? How can you invite more voices into the conversation of your school culture? In what ways are you including teachers, students and community members in helping shape the mission, vision and goals for your school? Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post PMP180: Tipping Points and Why Small Things Matter appeared first on Principal Matters.

Last week my family and I traveled back to Tennessee to see my parents and extended family. Photo by Kelly Sikkema – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@kellysikkema?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit My parents both turned 79 this past year. Life has slowed down a lot for them now. One of my mother’s favorite past times, for instance, is walking the woods — gathering treasures like small rocks or interesting plants. When my fourteen year old son, Jack, joined her for a stroll during Christmas break, they found their way to a leafy spot above a natural spring and talked so long the rest of the family thought maybe they were lost. Later that night, Jack told me, “Dad, sometimes I’m jealous of Grandma.” “Why?” I asked. “She finds so much joy in the smallest things,” he explained. “Today she found a small leaf, and held it up saying, ‘Oh, look how beautiful and fragile it is.’ I wish I could be more like that.” “Me too, Jack,” I said. As I think back over the past year and look at the year ahead, I want to stay thankful for the small things. For instance, I’m thankful for another year of marriage. This was the twenty-sixth year my wife and I am grateful we’re still crazy about one another. I’m thankful for our two daughters who are successfully completing college: one junior and one freshman on the same campus. I’m thankful for weekly dates I’ve had with my two kids still at home during 2019: Watching sunsets with my sixteen year old daughter, Katie. She’s obsessed with sunrises and sunsets. One morning, I woke up early and saw the front door open. As I headed down the stairs to see what was wrong, Katie came bustling back in the door. “You won’t believe the sunrise!” she exclaimed. “It was so beautiful I had to run out into the front yard for a better look.” I’m thankful for the quiet moments with my son Jack. When he decides to talk, it can be worth the wait. A few weeks ago, he began telling me about the book he’s reading in English class, Night by Elie Wiesel – how it has convinced him that all of us are capable of allowing horrible deeds if we refuse to listen to the experiences of history. It is these small moments throughout the year that remind me of what is really important. And I’m sure, you have your own small moments that have built your most important memories this past year. I’d also like to tell you that I’m thankful for you. Whether you know me through my posts or in person, I’m thankful that you trust me with your time. You have a lot responsibilities in your work and families, and I value the opportunity to share ideas and learn along with you each week through these posts. In the lines that follow, I want to celebrate some of the small wins I’ve seen in the Principal Matters community with a quick re-cap of 2019. And as a token of gratitude for you, I want to provide you with a free professional development resource (at the end of this post) – something that may help you lead your team with more focus on their mission, vision, and goals for 2020. Another Year of Growth In 2019 the Principal Matters Podcast topped 345,000 unique downloads! It excites me that each episode averages more than 2,000 listens. Although this audience is modest in comparison to other nationally known podcasts, I am so encouraged to think about how each listener of Principal Matters is someone leading a school community. That means hundreds and thousands of students (perhaps even millions) are being influenced through our collective work. What an honor to add something of value to the work you are doing each week in your school communities! In addition to free content, this past year I began offering Mastermind and Executive Coaching options. A special thanks to those school leaders around the country who have been joining me each week for these special offerings! Through our book studies, virtual meetings, and “hot seat” opportunities, we have been leveling-up our leadership together! If you are not participating, and would like to learn more, please email me and I’d be glad to send you an application or answer any questions. Oklahoma School Leaders I’m thankful to be serving for my third year as the Executive Director for the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals (OASSP) and Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association (OMLEA). In addition to trainings and workshops, our OASSP/OMLEA members hosted a successful state-wide conference for secondary and middle level leaders and teachers in Oklahoma City this past February with Jeff Zoul and Jack Berkemeyer as keynotes. (And we have another one next month featuring Akil Ross and Kim Campbell!) In addition, our members represented Oklahoma principals at national events in March and October in Washington D.C, we attended NASSP’s National Conference in Boston, Massachusetts in July. And this fall, we participate in AMLE’s Conference in Nashville, TN. Oklahoma principals and teammates are not only great leaders but also they are my colleagues and friends. It is such an honor to serve them. What a joy to be a part of CCOSA, our umbrella organization dedicated to supporting administrators across my state, which also allows me use of my vacation time for consulting and professional development requests outside of Oklahoma. Principals Across the Nation Last April, I was honored to provide a full-day of professional development for Brazosport ISD, Clute, Texas, where we studied the 8-Hats for School Leaders with Assistant Principals and Aspiring Principals who had used my first book, Principal Matters, for a year-long book study. I’m also thankful to Renton Public Schools, Renton, Washington (outside Seattle). In August, they invited me to their Summer Principal’s Retreat, where I presented on my second book Messaging Matters – Inspiring Teachers, Motivating Students, and Reaching Your Communities. I also had the privilege this past summer to be in Atlanta with Dr. Tim Elmore and the Growing Leaders Speaking Team. I always value the times I can learn from Tim’s mentorship and grow alongside this incredible group of leaders. We also had a sneak-peak at Dr. Elmore and Andrew McPeak’s newest book and content for Generation Z Unfiltered. You can pick up it up at this website: https://www.generationzunfiltered.com 2019 Episodes A special thanks to my many podcast guests of 2019. These included LeAnn Nickelsen, William Stubbs, Phyllis Fagell, Chris Legleiter, John Wink, Dave Sandowich, Kim Marshall, Jenn David-Lang, Jethro Jones, Danny Bauer, Jesse Haynes, Garth Larson, Doug Casa, Kyle Palmer, Diana Lebsack, and Daniel O’Donnell. Their valuable lessons and takeaways have inspired me and thousands of others! And a huge thanks goes to Jen Schwanke, who served as co-host, with an entire series from her book, You’re the Principal, Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders. You can check out Jen’s series in episodes 144-156. If you’ve missed out on any of the forty new podcast episodes from this past year, below is a list of the 2019 show-titles with links to the accompanying blog posts: PMP178: 10 Positive Takeaways from the Past Decade PMP177: Cha Cha’s for Making Learning Stick with LeAnn Nickelsen PMP176: Leading Through Equity with William Stubbs PMP175: Middle School Matters with Phyllis Fagell PMP174: 10 Areas to Focus on for Growth as a Leader with Chris Legleiter PMP173: Lessons in Leadership from Your Scars PMP172: Learning and Leading with John Wink PMP:170 Four Lessons in Teamwork from my Son’s Hospital Stay PMP169: Leading into the Wind – Lessons from Dave Sandowich PMP168: Managing Your Day with Kim Marshall and Jenn David-Lang PMP167: Keeping Your Leadership Focused on Service, Not Self PMP166: Unique Challenges of Rural Principals and Why Your Story Matters PMP165: Three Lessons in Decision Making from Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink PMP164: On the Road – Thoughts for New School Leaders PMP163: Encouraging an Environment of Growth – Questions and Answers with Jethro Jones PMP162: Go! Community – How to Harness the Power of the Room with Danny Bauer PMP161: Answers to Principal Matters Questions, Part 2 PMP160: Answers to Principal Matters Questions, Part 1 PMP159: Engaging Students in Shaping Their Own Stories with Jesse Haynes PMP158: Why Telling Your Own Story Matters PMP157: Preparing for the Start-of-School Year PMP156: 6 Tips for Managing School-Wide Changes PMP155: Parenting as Principals – Do’s and Don’ts, Part 2 PMP154: Parenting as Principals – Do’s and Don’ts, Part 1 PMP153: Maintaining Balance and Focusing on What Matters, Part 2 PMP152: Maintaining Balance and Staying Focused on What Matters PMP151: Hiring & Retaining High Quality Teachers, Part 2 PMP:150 Hiring High Quality Educators, Part 1 PMP:149 Managing Adult Conflicts, Part 2 PMP:148 The “Why’s” and “How’s” of Managing Adult Conflict PMP:147 Providing Focused Professional Development PMP:146 Good Habits for Balancing Priorities PMP:145 Promoting a Culture of Trust – Part 2 PMP:144 Building and Maintaining Positive School Culture PMP:143 Learning for ALL with Dr. Garth Larson PMP:142 Preventing Student Athlete Injury or Sudden Death – Interview with Dr. Douglas Casa PMP141: How Culture Drives Successful Learning Communities – Interview with Dr. Kyle Palmer PMP:140 Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders – Interview with Jen Schwanke PMP:139 Building Stronger Collaboration – Interview with Diana Lebsack PMP:138 Middle Level Kindness Challenge – Interview with Daniel O’Donnell New Book Coming in 2020 Thank you to those who have shared my books with others or used them for book studies. Several readers have asked me if I’m working on another book, and the answer is yes! The next book will be about the essential habits for principals who want to thrive, not burnout in life and leadership. I’ll keep you posted as I draw closer to a launch date. Free PD Resource Finally, as a way to thank you for your participation this past year, I wanted to share a free resource with you. Recently, a reader had emailed to ask me if I had any professional development content on developing mission, vision, and goals with school teams. So I put together this free summary of a Professional Development Session on Mission, Vision and Goal Setting that I wanted to also share with you as a complimentary New Year Gift. It includes tips on leading conversations with your school teams for 2020 and beyond. It is a skeleton outline (only 8 pages). But I hope it is a good place to start if you want to add your own ideas and personalize it for your team’s professional learning. Let’s Wrap This Up As I’m writing this post, I am waiting for my daughter, Katie, to arrive home from a trip she took with her high school band over Christmas break. The Owasso High School Band was invited perform in the Rose Bowl Parade on New Years Day. It was hard to not be with her on the trip, as we were driving back from Tennessee while she was performing. But thankfully, my wife was watching the parade on Instagram Live, so when the Owasso Band began its performance, we pulled the car over to the side of the road to watch together. Sitting on a rural spot in Western Kentucky, we could see the 300 band members marching and playing in beautiful Pasadena, California, with mountains and palm trees in the distance. She was thousands of miles from home, but we were cheering her on and sending our love as best we could. That’s what families do. When we can’t be together, we still cheer each other on from a distance. Wherever you are today and the months ahead, I want to send my cheers your way for this New Year! Thank you so much for being a part of the Principal Matters community. As you begin the New Year, let me encourage you to dream big, set crazy audacious goals, and determine to have fun in the process. Remember that when you stay inspired (even by the small things in life) you inspire others to make the most of their days too. Now It’s Your Turn I’d love to hear from you on happenings from your past year and the goals and dreams you have for 2020. Feel free to send me an email at will@williamdparker.com or drop me a line via Twitter @williamdp or Instagram via @william_d_parker. Looking forward to continuing to learn and grow together! Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post PMP179: Special Edition – Principal Matters 2019 Year In Review appeared first on Principal Matters.

Just like you, I can think of many reasons to worry about the future or raise concerns about trends that have developed over the past decade. Photo by Kelsey Knight – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions  ://unsplash.com/@kelsoknight?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credithttps Whether that includes increases in school shootings, soaring health care costs, rises in the costs of education, the number of children experiencing trauma, growing concerns in climate change or global and domestic political unrest — the list of negatives can be pretty overwhelming and depressing.  At the same time, as important as it is to confront the harsh realities of the world with possible solutions, I want to keep the dangers of this world in perspective with the amazing achievements of this last decade. As we draw 2019 to a close and officially end the 2010’s, I’d like to pause for a moment and celebrate 10 remarkable changes that have taken place in our world – and the lives of those whom we educate: 1. Technology has connected more of the world. Although Facebook began as a clunky social media website for Harvard students in 2004, and the first iPhone was introduced to the world in 2007, these technologies have only exponentially grown during the past decade. Pew Research estimates that 5 billion people around the world now have access to a cell phone. With the world’s population estimated at 7.7 billion, consider the implications of 65% of the world connected through technology. Never before have more people had the opportunity to interact, discover, and influence others with such speed and accessibility.  2. Access to information has increased learning potential. Just as the printing press revolutionized the modern world during the 15th century, we have opened new territories of learning with access to information in the past ten years. Khan Academy, which began in 2008, for instance, has now become a staple for young people around the world who need immediate examples of lessons and examples in most major subject areas of school. In addition, self-starters use YouTube for example, to access lessons or tutorials everything from repairing plumbing to installing camera systems. Since its start in 2005, YouTube’s first video to ever hit a billion downloads happened in 2011. This has also been a game-changer for education as schools have introduced blended learning options, 1-1 devices, and more virtual options for student learning. In many ways this has flipped the roles of educators from experts in conveying information to facilitating and guiding students in how to interpret information. 3. Innovation has changed the job market and our work. According to Alice Murray from Jobbio.com, new jobs during the past ten years now include App developers, Uber drivers, social media managers, user-experience designers, Airbnb hosts, drone operators, data scientists, genetic counselors and anything involving cryptocurrency. For many people, this past decade has also made it easier to work remotely or find jobs that match specific skills. In addition, this flexibility has forced some companies to recognize the importance of improving job culture in order to retain workers. As we for future jobs, it is important to remember many of those titles don’t even exist yet. So a focus on problem solving skills, critical thinking skills and people-skills is as important as ever. 4. Advances in medicine are saving lives. Improvements in medicine and health outcomes have meant a reduction in smoking-related diseases, fewer people dying of HIV, better treatments for cancer, and more precise solutions for injuries, including reconstructive surgeries and bionic limbs. Although we still have a long way to go to prevent diseases, modern medicine continues to improve possibilities for our collective futures. Even with the ever-growing costs of health care, it is important to recognize that longevity and quality of life have continued high in the modern world with the average life-span of a U.S. citizen now being around 78 years old. 5. Food production is at an all time high. Yes, world hunger is still a problem, but it is also noteworthy that according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, projections for wheat and corn productions are heading toward an all-time high in 2019. Global climate changes and population growth still continue to create challenges in feeding many regions of the world, but the problem does not appear to be supply as much as it does prioritizing access and delivery to countries in need. Food insecurity is a real-problem for many people, but the ability to produce food for a growing world population is still encouraging. 6. Ease in navigating travel has opened to world to cultural cross-pollination. According to travel blogger Lucy Dodsworth, many travel agencies have been replaced by self-scheduling, low-cost airlines have made pricing more competitive and affordable, staying in-touch has become easier with advances in technology, the ability to continue working while traveling has been made more convenient, it has become easier to photograph and record travel with advances in phones, and experiences with exotic foods are now brought closer to home in U.S. cities. On a personal note, who would have ever thought my own Oklahoma neighborhood would now host a Mexican Grocery, a Ding Tea shop, and a restaurant for Vietnamese Pho? 7. The advent of podcasting has changed the way we access content. A phenomenon that researchers began tracking in 2006, podcasting has increased dramatically this decade. Estimates show that more than half the U.S. population has listened to at least one podcast episode, up from just one in four a year ago. Even in my own forway into podcasting, I’ve been surprised that I’ve been able to connect with so many educators across the country and the world. With just 176 episodes shared, Principal Matters podcast has had 341,560 unique downloads at the time of this post!  8. Growth of Netflix and online streaming are changing entertainment. Since 2010, Netflix subscribers have grown from 20.01 million to over 158 million subscribers in 2019.  Access to online streaming services have changed the ways we seek entertainment, play video games, and listen to music. With the advent of Echo and Alexa in 2014, even children can now listen to music by voice command. People still go to theaters, but that is becoming optional with the growth of online streaming. So many of these technologies are possible because of increases in internet and WiFi services. 9. Ease of digital tools has changed our work and life patterns. During this decade, we have seen increases in online banking, online retail, video-streaming, self check-out options, and digital applications for almost any product, including food deliveries like DoorDash, GrubHub, and UberEats. In addition, online tools make it possible for anyone to own a website, create advertising, market products, or design. Much of what we purchase, consume, read, listen or watch is literally available at our fingertips. Even cleaning is easier with products like iRobot’s Roomba, which will automatically vacuum floors and recharge itself. Although social scientists are still uncovering the many pitfalls with the ease of digital access, this decade has given new meaning to the idea of convenience for work, play and life. 10. Young people are changing the conversations that drive practices and policies. Malala Yousafzai promoted education for girls during Taliban attacks on her village, and was seventeen years old when she became the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Youth movements like March for our Lives are changing the conversations we have about gun violence across the U.S. And youth activists have influenced world events from the Middle East to Hong Kong. It is fitting that this year’s 2019 Time Magazine Person of the Year, is a teenager and global climate activist, Greta Thunberg. Although our youth may live in a world that is more stressed, more anxious, and more complicated than ever before, we should be able to celebrate the ways many they are shaping their futures with optimism and creativity.  Let’s Wrap This Up It is easy to see why change has become a common part of the modern experience. At the same time, how do we lead our school communities during these changing times? One of my favorite leadership authors, Dr. Tim Elmore, says that we must stay committed to the timeless truths that always apply to life while also adapting to the timely ways others learn and grow. Instead of being overwhelmed by the fast-paced world we live in, let’s celebrate the positives and focus on ways we can harness these tools to better prepare our students for the next decade. Now It’s Your Turn What ways have the developments of the past ten years improved or enhanced your abilities and service as a school leader? How can you prepare your students for opportunities that may not yet exist? As you think about the decade ahead, I’d also like to recommend Dr. Elmore’s newest book, co-authored with Andrew McPeak: Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population. Let’s look at our students and future with optimism as we think about ways to leverage changes and equip our school communities for the 2020’s. Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post PMP178: 10 Positive Takeaways from the Past Decade appeared first on Principal Matters.

A few weeks ago, I was sharing with a group of principals one of my favorite video-clips from the movie, The Incredibles. It’s the scene where Lucius, aka the superhero, Frozone, is watching as his city is under attack from his apartment window. He pushes a button on his remote control to open a wall in his living room. When the secret compartment opens, the space is empty where his supersuit should be hanging. Thus ensues the following dialogue: Lucius: Honey? Where’s my super suit?Honey: What?Lucius: Where – is – my – super – suit?Honey: I, uh, put it away.Lucius: Where?Honey: Why do you need to know?Lucius: I need it!Honey: Uh-uh! Don’t you think about running off doing no derrin’-do. We’ve been planning this dinner for two months!Lucius: The public is in danger!Honey: My evening’s in danger!Lucius: You tell me where my suit is, woman! We are talking about the greater good!Honey: ‘Greater good?’ I am your wife! I’m the greatest *good* you are ever gonna get! After watching this clip, I then asked the principals to reflect: How does this scene remind you of the tension you sometimes feel between your school responsibilities and your home life? After we talked about their responses, I then shared three ideas for them to keep in mind as they feel the tension of managing crisis while also managing all the other important duties of their school leadership: 1. Staying mindful: Really seeing the great learning moments happening around you even as you take care of business.  2. Staying intentional: If you don’t schedule and prioritize what’s most important, it probably will not happen. 3. Moving the needle: At the end of everyday, reflect on one step you took toward reaching your targets or goals. And make sure you’ve done at least one action to move in that direction. I then asked them to repeat back to me the three takeaways. Based on their responses, I summarized and reminded them that school leadership allows involves a balance of putting out situational fires while also focusing on the many other important tasks of building a school community.  And then I asked an important follow-up question: Now, can you unpack the instructional methods I just used in this short mini-lesson with you? They were quick to respond: We began with an attention grabber. They had given feedback and input. We engaged in reflection and dialogue. We discussed three actions to consider in their leadership. I had checked for learning. We summarized our learning. After this quick lesson, I reminded them that the cycles of learning happen in every setting. Whether you are leading a faculty meeting, a small group discussion or covering a classroom lesson, this cycle is important for us to model for our teachers as much as it is for us to encourage them to use it in their own teaching. How Do You Make Learning Stick? As you think about the ways to make learning meaningful, I am excited to introduce you to this week’s podcast guest, LeAnn Nickelsen, as we discuss her newest book co-authored with Melissa Dickson, Teaching With the Instructional Cha-Chas: Four Steps to Make Learning Stick. In her book and our discussion, LeAnn unpacks the learning cycle and provides practical ways for educators to increase learning for all students. LeAnn’s Bio LeAnn Nickelsen LeAnn Nickelsen is the Founder and CEO of Maximize Learning, Inc. An author of 14 practical books for educators, she provides a wealth of information to School Districts in active, fun, and targeted professional development. A former teacher of the year, she has worked with teachers and school leaders in more than 450-schools in 49-states. LeAnn is an expert coach helping teachers incorporate best practices into their daily lesson plans and within their classrooms. LeAnn also loves to ski with her family, and in her spare moments, she loves drinking tea and petting her dog, Bella. And she’s the mother of college-age twins. Chunk, Chew, Check, and Change Here’s a snap-shot of our conversation, but listen to the entire episode for more powerful examples and takeaways: WILL: One of the reasons I’m excited to talk about your book is because I’ve seen you present this material to teachers and leaders. School leaders want to provide better instructional coaching to their teachers. How can your catchy phrase Cha-Chas help school leaders better understand how to make learning stick? LEANN: There is a lot of research and training in brain research. But how do we bring all those concepts together? The answer is in these four words: Chunk, Chew, Check, Change… Using the right learning cylces will double or triple the speed of learning for students. Collective teacher efficicacy, for instance, can produce three years of learning growth in student achievement. And even the most vulnerable student populations benefit greatly when teachers understand how to do this correctly.But first you need the right foundation. And allignment happens first. Teachers must first undersand what standards they should be teaching. Within each standard, you have a specific learning target. Through baby-steps, you break down those into achievable learning targets. Ask yourself: What does your learning target have to do with the lesson you are presenting? Also, how are you using daily formatives? These questions must be answered first so that you have effective lesson planning.Once you have your foundation for learning through understanding standards and learning targets, then you have a lesson plan that can break your learning into the Cha Cha’s:Step 1 – Chunk ItOnce you know your learning target, chunk the content into small amounts. The max amount is 14-15 minutes before you lose student engagement. So many factors affect the abilities of students to process learning, so break the learning into chunks of learning.Step 2 – Chew ItLearning occurs here by finding buy-in, making connections, using memory-tools for high student engagement. Learning must be relevant for students to understand it. Have students act out or re-teach information. Have them physically and verbally engaging with the content. Ensure that all students are engaged, not just the ones normally engaged. Learn and talk, use dry-erase boards for feedback. The key is that differentiation happens throughout.Step 3 – Check ItEverytime you pause, you have an opportunity to check for learning. It’s important to remember the four E’s: Examine Evidence Everyday from Every single student! This is a big part of equity. That feedback helps you understand the quality of your instruction. Step 4 – Change ItOne of the reasons we don’t see improvements is because we aren’t changing our instruction. We don’t want imperfect practice because it embeds wrong ideas. Change your pace. Pull students into individual instruction. Give verbal feedback to close gaps faster. Re-teaching is a powerful way to ensure all students have actually met the learning targets. Let’s Wrap This Up This conversation is just the tip of the iceberg for the many practical ideas and applications that LeAnn shares in this episode and in her book. As we wrapped up our interview, she explained: “We have to raise the urgency among all educators to use teaching methods that actually work in improving student learning. And that power rests in the magic hands of our teachers so that no student falls between the cracks. Effective learning can be done, and it is being done!” If you’d like to receive a free copy of LeAnn’s bi-monthly newsletter for educators, check out her resources at https://maximizelearninginc.com or email her at  leann@maximizelearninginc.com.  Now It’s Your Turn How can you can you apply the four C’s to your own cycles of learning? How can you embed these in the lessons and professional learning you are doing with your own staff and teachers? Share this post with your teachers and ask them to reflect on ways Chunk, Chew, Check and Change may help their own teaching cycles. Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook When you enter your email address below, you will automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post PMP177: Cha Cha’s for Making Learning Stick with LeAnn Nickelsen appeared first on Principal Matters.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed in trying to balance priorities? Photo by Stephen Leonardi – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@stephenleo1982?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit If you’re like me, you can probably think of more than once where student discipline, parent concerns, and teacher feedback provided you more tasks than you could complete in a day. No matter whether you are a new principal or a veteran leader, here’s a quick truth: you will never reach the point where you “have it all together.” That’s because you will always have room for growth. At the same time, how can you build strategies and good habits for better balancing priorities? Jen Schwanke This week, author and principal Jen Schwanke and I continue a series from her book, You’re the Principal, Now What? Strategies and Solutions for School Leaders. As we discuss ways for school leaders to balance priorities, we focus on nine helpful takeaways so that you increase your capacity to manage the demands of school leadership. These include: 1. Acknowledging your limitations.Every leader must admit he or she has limits, and it is a healthy practice to anticipate what you will do when overwhelmed with tasks, requests, and responsiblities. 2. Refusing to be a martyr.Tuck in your cape. You are not a super hero. And your teachers and students do not need a leader who sacrifices his or her well-being to serve. 3. Watching your attitude.At the end of the day, you set the tone for the optimism and hope of your school. You are not in it alone, but your attitude will convey to others how they should be handling pressure. 4. Staying organized.Yes, there are strategies, plans, and tips that can help. But these must fit your work style and personality to be effective. 5. Leaning on support.You were made to work with others. Don’t be afraid to model humility, ask for help, and rely on others for the tasks of leading a school. 6. Connecting with colleagues.Other principals and school leaders can provide a safety net for you. They provide perspective and support that can make the load feel lighter. 7. Putting students first.Yes, you have a lot on your plate, but always ask yourself how your actions, words, and plans are helping students. 8. Learning the cycle of leadership.Believe it or not, principals sometimes reach points of peace. When you have these rare moments, don’t feel guilty. Learn to draw strength from them for the next difficult moment you’ll encounter. 9. Embracing unpredictability with humor.It will be difficult to survive leadership unless you embrace pressure as part of the journey. It’s even more satisfying when you learn to find joy and laughter even in the crazy moments. Let’s Wrap This Up Among these helpful takeaways, Jen and I also discuss several ways leaders can organize and prioritize tasks so that they are fulfilling their duties and honoring those whom they serve. This includes creating a scheduling system that works for you, taking time to prioritize, and keeping track of tasks and crossing them off the list. Many of these great tips can be found in Jen’s helpful book, You’re The Principal! Now What?.  Now It’s Your Turn The good news is that over time, school leadership does provide seasons of stability, where you can breathe, reflect, and re-prioritize. Good habits do lead to better results. This week, choose one good habit you may want to implement or enhance for balancing priorities. What is one step you can take today to rethink your approach to managing many responsibilities while also finding joy in the process? Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook When you enter your email address below, you will automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! The post Encore146: Balancing Priorities with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.