Finding Your Role

“Know your role.” It’s something my husband reminds our daughter after a scoreless/ low scoring game. “It’s not about the points on the board, did you do your part?” When  you’re part of the team, everyone has to have a role to have a successful team. In looking at our family, my husband plays a significant role in encouraging and teaching our kids their place in this world. He is grounded, full of respect and love, and the most rational person I know.  His perspective on this world comes from the lens of a police officer, seeing and experiencing unimaginable things, and being able to compartmentalize all of it. Parenting is a team effort and I’m proud of the home we’ve created.

On the court I’ve watched my daughter grow as a role player. Improving her rebounding, following the shots, passing the inbound plays, and looking for the assist. Does she work on her shot? Every minute she can, but her part in 11 year old travel ball is not always about the shot. She is learning her role and we celebrate her growth, not points.  The friendships and learning moments of being on a team will prepare her for many things as she makes her way through this world.

It’s American Education Week and it’s a great time to talk about the educators’ role.  As a teacher, the role of parent happens as soon as their students walk in the door.  They make sure to begin their day with a warm hello and a listening ear. They use their intuitions on how to move throughout the day, keeping pace and engagement in check with hunger and movement. Their content knowledge often gets overlooked through the daily grind of growing 25+ young minds and meeting the demands of curriculum maps, assessments, differentiation....the list goes on. Every teacher has a role for the student but they must also have a role within the building community.  Teachers need each other. This is not a profession where you show up for work, put your eight hours in, and go home. Lifetime friendships are made when you connect with others in your building. Through these friendships, discussions happen and roles are defined. Some take on many roles while others hone in on one specific strength. The balance between giving time to their school families and their family becomes a challenge.  Meeting the emotional need of both is very overwhelming. I challenge all educators to reflect on your intrapersonal role you’ve defined and how can you improve the balance.

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I was just challenged by one of my teacher leaders with knowing their role.  Utilizing every single resource and strength our teachers possess is critical as a building leader. During the same week, I was assigned to a group for master planning, one that I can connect my strengths for our district; marketing.  As a building leader, knowing your role is critical, and one that must be defined as you grow and learn. I am going to be honest, knowing I’m good at telling our story and working with people put me in a reflective moment.  Then, I reminded myself of what my husband tells us all the time, “Know your role.”  My role, at this moment, will be different as I move through this world of leadership. As I grow in my role, I am in charge of redefining my role, learning new approaches and honing in on the areas I need improvement.  

Through my reflection I had to find balance. His strengths are given to us at just the right time.  I must constantly remind myself that I am being guided on this path and listening is key.  Talking to my peers and listening to their perspectives, trials, successes, and opinions has helped during my reflection.  I can hear dad now; take care and serve others. My ultimate role is serving others through spreading peace and love. That will look different with different experiences and circumstances. Sometimes it takes time to remember; Just Love. 

Just Let Go

July 16, 2018

Just Let Go-Tradewinds 2018

Disconnect, that's what I tell my teachers to do every time I see them working during the summer.  Take time for yourself, work on you, and let go of those things that bring unrest.  It's easier said than done, I know.  I was fortunate enough to spend 7 days with my family and friends on St. Pete beach.  No schedule, no expectations, just time to not think and enjoy each moment.  I finished two books, both educational and will help me grow as a leader, but I chose them because that's what I like to do on my down time.  Modeling continued growth is not disconnecting, I know, but it's close!

Every time you turn the TV on at Tradewinds, this theme song comes on that says Just Let Go.  It's a song my daughter will sing throughout the year to remember our time together and to look forward to our next adventure.  It's a stimulus that takes you to a moment of peace, love, and quiet.  

I've been looking for a theme for our school year this year.  I've had many professional conversations with my pln and listened to feedback from their experiences.  The beginning of a school year is like a blank canvas.  You can create whatever masterpiece you design, yet it will hang on the walls with past artworks and be compared through the eyes of your staff, parents, students, and stakeholders.  While I would love to paint the perfect picture before school starts, I know that if I continue to use the word I, the picture will never make it to the wall. 

Just Let Go-not a school theme or is it?  

What could we be holding on to that could contribute to a negative school culture?  Two teacher leaders and myself just listened to Michele Borba speak on her book, UnSelfie. Could we let go of the me world and begin to rebuild the we world?  Could I lead my staff while promoting "unplugged" time and blogging?  Jump back up to the first paragraph when I talk about taking care of ourselves and focusing on our own spiritual, physical, and emotional well being.  Is that promoting a me world or a we world?  These circles of questions just continue to spiral as I read through her book.  

Culture: I wonder if my own empathy for social justice hinders my ability to lead. 

Through my IPLI action research, I found that if I can empower a team of teachers to lead change, shifts in morale happen in a more positive and timely manner.  I also learned that teacher efficacy, teachers knowing their impact, improves student behavior.  So what do we have to let go of to contribute to a positive school culture?

• Student behavior is something that is being done to me; he/she is disrespecting me.

The mindset has shifted in our building.  Through the book study; Engagement with Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen, the work of  Dr. Lori Desautels, and the leadership of our "Dream Team," our behavior data dropped 58% in the area of defiance.  What does defiance look like in an elementary classroom?  At first, it looks like kids don't care, they refuse to work, put their head down, or back talk.  Something that feels like a strike at the teacher. I know; I've felt it and it's personal.  

When we can let go of the thought that it's about me (the teacher) and change the conversation to the behavior, then we are modeling empathy.  All behavior is a form of communication.  What is this child trying to tell us?  How can we help him/her through this moment, what does he/she need and how can we use restorative justice to build the relationship between the teacher and student?

Mrs.Kelly Amos and Miss Taylor Shera attending IPLI and keynote, Eric Jensen (2018)

As  a leader, it's difficult to lead with love when punitive consequences are the expectation.  It's a fine line between supporting your teachers and supporting your students.  Kids deserve to have the advocate that listens to their story.  Advocates that teach them the emotional and social aspect of learning, not just the academic piece. They need to know they are cared for, unconditionally (Nesloney & Welcome, 2016).  I am proud of the shifts my staff has made, and their capacity to adapt to new leadership, culture, and change.  We still have a lot to work on, but collective teacher efficacy is the goal.  John Hattie states that Collective Teacher Efficacy, the collective belief of teachers in their ability to positively affect students, is strongly correlated with student achievement (John Hattie, 2008). Our teachers now have a toolbox of ideas and strategies to use with students demonstrating difficult behaviors, through the work of the Dream Team.

• Negativity in the workplace.

I don't even know how to start this paragraph because we have all fallen into that negative conversation. How we respond to maintain and encourage a positive school climate is more important. We must surround ourselves with people who will be honest, will provide a solution, and will lift us up. What often happens is we are sucked into the negative emotion and then begin to feed off of it, producing a toxic situation.

Students and stakeholders feel this emotion as soon as they enter the building or classroom. We must be very intentional with calling people out when this behavior begins instead of joining in. It's ok to have a healthy disagreement that results in positive impacts for kids. It's not ok to break trust and talk behind closed doors. As we talked through some solutions during our summer seminar, our teacher leaders dove into norms. How could we create norms that deflect negativity and provide solutions? I am excited to see the work they do with our staff to create these norms and model them throughout the year.

Blogs are supposed to be quick reads, I know. As year 3 begins of my building-level leadership, I am more confident in our culture and climate. Themes will come and go, but bringing everyone together, to support one another and to build relationships with each other, is important. I deeply care for the people I lead, and it's important to me that they feel this. While I want my staff to just let go, I know we must develop our theme together. All my worries for a well-planned retreat will dissolve as soon as we collectively define our year.

I wish you the best school year yet! I encourage you to Just Let Go of the things that cause you unrest or pose as obstacles in your plan. I also encourage you, as always, to Just Love. Bring peace to our world, by showing empathy and love to others, and intentionally teaching it in your homes and classrooms.

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Join us in a book study on Kids Deserve It in a few weeks.

Just Love,

Kirsten

After reading a bit about our story, have a them idea you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments below so we may discuss!

The Night Before Standardized Testing

I'm sure someone has written, Twas the night before ISTEP, and all through the school..

Poetry is not a strength so I won't go on, but I will say the tension is real.  As adults, we know our students are so much more than a score.  We know the end goal is to produce a productive citizen that will find his/her purpose and make our world a better place.  We know mental health is real and these tests bring on anxiety for all kids, not just those that struggle on a daily basis.  We put many hours in following curriculum maps, analyzing CFAs, reteaching and differentiating our lessons in order for our students to gain mastery of grade level skills.  Then, ultimately, show this mastery on a standardized test given to all kids in the state, no matter how that student learns.

This is not a post on "the test."

It is a post to say thank you. 

The night before ISTEP, I want to thank each one of my teachers from Kindergarten to 4th grade.  You have made a difference in the lives of our students that are about to demonstrate their achievement and growth.  You have spent countless hours designing lesson plans, incorporating resources, and differentiating engaging lessons in order to meet this mandatory objective. You understand the accountability, accept it, and thrive on student success.  Student success that is obviously so much more than this test. 

Yet, you show up every day, with more responsibilities than the year before, more change than you can keep up with, and  heavier pressures that are out of your control. YOU show up.  YOU have this passion that others can't possibly understand.  YOU love watching kids grow and learn, and you can feel your impact. Thank you for doing more than you ever imagined you could and understanding our students are more than a score.

So as you go to sleep tonight, I ask that you say a prayer for our teachers and students.  The next couple of weeks bring on a lot of anxiety, worry, and fear of the unknown.  Help them know they've put in their best effort, they are prepared, and ready to show their success.  In this life, this one moment is critical but does not define them. 

Thank you teachers!  I appreciate your efforts in preparing our students to a future of limitless possibilities.

Just Love,
Kirsten

Live in the moment, breathe, and know you are loved no matter what!  Good luck Charles students! 

Do I Matter?

Welcome to another year of growth opportunity.  A fresh start, new mindset, balance, love, and the realization there are things I can change, but I must be the change agent.  In everything I do, I make the decision how my attitude creates the momentum or failure. This is true in every aspect of my life.  There are obvious things I need to work on and then there are those subtle ones that just pop up out of no where.

Like the fact that on Facebook people are sharing things about themselves, and I realize I don't find importance in many of the daily tasks people do.  Is it important to make my bed everyday? Sure, if I was having company or my husband worked the same shift.  My bed is in use 17 hours out of the day; good luck with that one. I also don't load the dishwasher after every meal, and I'm ok with that. One thing I really worked on this break was to just be in the moment.  Don't live in the past or seek the future.  Just be still.  It's hard!  Especially for a servant leader that does everything for everyone else; whenever I can.

I threw myself into guided prayer/meditation in a new app, Abide.  It's been a blessing and a daily reminder to be still.  This isn't just the still where I focus on my breathing and find peace, it's about finding His peace and love. That's the ultimate goal, right?  In this busy world we live in, when our time comes, no one remembers the car, money, degree, or house.  It's the love you shared and how you treated people.  Today's meditation brought me to this post, how much do I matter?

The net can be heavy, especially for educators.  Poverty, broken homes, nutrition, mandates, performance pay, standardized testing...it doesn't stop.  There are so many things in our net that can fill our day, turning it into a chaotic spin.  But what we must remember is to turn our eyes toward Him and allow Him to guide us. Sounds difficult when you have 25 kiddos in front of you, right? 

I've been reading John Hattie over break and trying to learn how to build teacher self-efficacy. Hattie defines self-efficacy as, "The confidence or strength of belief we have in ourselves that we can make our learning happen" (DeWitt, 2016).  Our self-efficacy has many nets that can weigh us down, including the leader of the school.  I cannot be the rock in the net, pulling on my teachers to the point that they are compliant instead of effective.  

I try to lead with the most positive and supportive attitude possible.  Giving my teachers a voice, encouraging collaboration, listening to their nets that create a struggle in their classroom, while always keeping my eyes on the Lord.  I believe in my staff; I know they make a difference, but I also know that the net is sometimes heavier for some.  If my teachers don't believe in their impact, then I have failed as their leader. 

So pause the noise and be intentional today. Look for the Lord in every situation.  I do matter because I choose my attitude and how it impacts my leadership.  It does start or end with my leadership capacity and school climate.  My focus is how He would want me to lead and then spreading love and peace for all to feel.  If I can build efficacy within my staff, it's a win for student learning. Here's to 2018 and helping teachers see their impact on student learning.

Just Love,

Kirsten

Sidebar:

2 years ago (1/4/16) I lost my dad and vowed to continue the path that was put in front of me.  I didn't choose leadership but was guided in this direction.  It's a daily struggle to maintain balance of professional and personal responsibilities. I'm constantly growing and learning this job and all the aspects that go along with it.  The one thing that has not changed, that I swore would never change, is how I treat people.  Dad left us with the message; Just Love.  It's found outside my office door and in my home.  In every situation, I choose love.  Leading a school with a love filled heart is not always easy, but it's my reminder that my eyes are ALWAYS looking toward the Lord, even in the darkest moments.  

When my net is heavy, I turn to this song....enjoy!

Casting Crowns (Vevo)