Appreciation for Change

I often talk about change whether it be through this blog or during presentations to various education groups.  It is hard work to change cultures, systems, and perceptions that have been firmly entrenched for a long time.  The transformation taking place at New Milford High School to create a 21st Century culture of teaching an learning would fit this bill.  This is why I was so pleased to learn about what two of my dynamic history teachers were doing in their classes.  

Image credit: http://exchange2pt0.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/change-sign.jpg

For a recent assignment, students in Ms. Perna and Ms. Millan’s American History II classes were asked to conduct interviews with people that they believe to be modern day “progressives”, or reformers.  Many students chose to interview teachers, administrators and staff from within the high school building.  This interview assignment gave students the chance to partake in conducting an interview and they were able to learn about modern day progressives and reformers within their school and community.  

Upon conducting their interviews, students shared them in class, which led to a rich discussion of all the great things going on both within the school and the larger community.  The discussion proved to students that there are many people working to try to change things for the better.  Students were inspired by the great stories and work of these individuals, and hopefully they are now motivated to become activists for change in something they are passionate about! 

A fantastic lesson in my eyes!

Moving Forward

Cross-posted at Edutopia.

School leaders across the country are meticulously planning for the upcoming year.  This process has become more difficult as mounting challenges such as budget cuts and what seems like a relentless attack on the profession of education have taken their toll on staff moral.  With this being said, quality leadership becomes even more essential in order to cultivate a school culture whose primary focus is on the learning and achievement of each and every student. Here are some of my leadership strategies for making change during challenging times.  Please feel free to share any other ideas in the comment section below.

Make No Excuses

Success in this endeavor relies on us to take a no-excuse attitude.  Ask yourself this: What am I prepared to do to improve all facets of my school?  How will I accomplish more with less?  Think and reflect upon the ways to accomplish the goals you set as opposed to the challenges, roadblocks, and pushback you will experience.  These are all common complications that arise during the change process and should not be used as excuses not to push forward. 

We must be the pillars of our respective institutions and focus on solutions rather than problems.  Succumbing to the negative rhetoric, abiding by the status quo, and having a bunker mentality will do nothing to initiate needed changes in our building to improve teaching and learning.

Each day we are afforded an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of our students through our role as education leaders.  Our passion for helping all students learn and assisting staff in their growth should be the driving motivational force to make our schools the best they can be, regardless of the obstacles.  Everything is changing -- the world, learners, job market, technology, access to information -- the sad reality though is that schools are not. We need to be catalysts to drive this change! Consider meeting with your administrative team and teacher leaders prior to the start of the school year to identify issues where excuses routinely arise.  Begin to map out collective responses focusing on positive solutions to these problems.

Model a Vision for Excellence

Begin by articulating a clear vision to your staff.  The consensus has to be that every student can and should learn.  Getting your entire staff to embrace this concept is at the heart of effective leadership.  I prefer to use the word "embrace" rather than "buy-in," a more commonly used word synonymous with change efforts.  We should not be trying to sell our staffs on pedagogical techniques and other initiatives that will better prepare our students for success once they graduate. 

In order to promote the embracement of new ideas, strategies, and techniques we need to collaboratively work with staff to transform traditional classroom environments into vibrant learning communities where all students are authentically engaged.  Engage your staff in a brainstorming session during the first faculty meeting in order to develop a collective vision on how to transform the school for the betterment of all students.

Embrace 21st Century Pedagogy and Curriculum

A vision begins with talk, but will only become reality with action.  As society evolves due to advances in technology we as principals must ensure that instruction follows suit or we run the risk of our schools becoming irrelevant.  By irrelevant I am referring to our ability to prepare students with the skills to think critically, solve problems, demonstrate learning through creation, and compete in a global society.  

As instructional leaders it is our primary responsibility to observe and evaluate instruction.  With this comes the responsibility to ensure that teachers are provided the freedom to take risks, knowledge of effective practices, resources to make it happen, and flexibility to incorporate innovative teaching strategies.  With these parameters in place, principals must then be able to consistently identify, foster, support, and 21st Century pedagogy.

Image credit: http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/21st+Century+Pedagogy

Inherent within this shift is the need to re-evaluate the curriculum as the real-time web and information age present new challenges to instruction and student engagement.  The time is now to lay the foundation to ensure that our students evolve into critical consumers of content, understand the importance of digital citizenship, as well as possess the ability to create, analyze, and interpret an array of media messages.   Start the year off by gathering key stakeholders to collaboratively revise your curriculum to emphasize essential skills necessary for today's learners to excel beyond your walls.

Breathe Life Into Professional Development

Most teachers cringe when they hear the words "professional development" and rightfully so.  The traditional model utilized by many schools forces educators into structured silos based solely on district and school goals while ignoring staff interests and passions.  If you thirst for an innovative culture focused on student achievement begin the process of transitioning to Professional Learning Communities (PLC's).   To take it a step further, model and encourage your staff to form their own Personal Learning Network (PLN).  Then step back, give up some control, and watch your staff thrive as their passion fuels a transformation of the teaching and learning culture at your school.

Stay Connected

Principals need support -- here are some resources to help you stay connected to others making change:

• Connected Principals: community and resources for principals.
• The Educators PLN: digital discussion forum with over 9,000 educators.
• Administrators discussion group at Edutopia.
• edWeb.net: connect with other colleagues in education.
• ASCD Edge: a professional networking community for educators.

Change begins with a no excuse mentality.  Don't waste one more minute pondering what could be.  There is a revolution going on right now in learning, and it is up to us to lead the way.  Please share any leadership strategies that are making a difference in your building. 

Qualities of Effective Principals

Cross-posted at the Huffington Post: Effective Leadership in the Age of Reform.

School improvement efforts rely heavily on quality leadership.   Educational leaders are tasked with establishing a collective vision for school improvement and initiating change to spur innovation, ensure student learning, and increase achievement.  On July 13^th I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. James Strong, from the College of William and Mary, deliver a keynote address at the NJ Department of Education Leadership Institute entitled “Qualities of Effective Principals.”  Dr. Strong emphasized that the job of a principal, or school leader for that matter, is about making a difference in the lives of children.  Leading and teaching are challenging work that requires a high level of understanding and patience. 

What do good principals do?  The audience at the leadership institute identified what they perceived to be the top elements.  These included the following items below where I have added some of my personal thoughts:

• Great communicator: Principals need to be able to communicate what the school is all about.  School leaders don’t always do the best in terms of epitomizing effective communication.  In terms of evaluations, we can’t keep telling teachers that they are doing good work when they are not.  Being a direct communicator is often lost during discussions on teacher performance.
• Difference maker:  Principals need to be able to keep the focus on important initiatives and culture characteristics that have an impact on student learning and achievement.  They establish accountability measures to hold teachers and students accountable for learning.    Great principals see solutions, not just problems.
• Risky, but not too risky:  Principals have to be willing to try new things and have a mindset to keep trying until improvement is the end result.  They need a backstop of support that allows them to fail in these efforts.  The most effective decision makers take risks but do not bet the farm or take quantum leaps without knowing the end result.
• Manage by walking around: Principals that consistently walk around know the students can better identify areas where teachers can improve, and set the tone for practices to be emulated throughout the building.  The human factor is extremely important.  Great principals establish a positive school culture by treating people the way they would like to be treated.  How we smile, say hello, and engage in conversations all are important factors in setting a positive tone.
• Address problems:  Strong principals will do the hard, dissatisfying work associated with addressing and removing ineffective staff.  This requires addressing problems head-on with a positive attitude. When hiring new staff, principals need to go to great efforts to hire educators that align best with the vision of the school.
• Cares about students and staff:  Effective principals never give up on kids and their support staff.  They are the epitome of instructional leadership and will show teachers how to become more effective based on evaluative data.

As noted by Dr. Strong, the elements above are important at a personal level.  He then identified the following indicators of principal quality that is supported by research.

• Instructional leadership: building a vision, establishing a shared leadership model, leading a learning community, using data, and monitoring curriculum & instruction.  The most effective teachers seamlessly use multiple instructional strategies during a lesson and good principals can identify them.
• School climate: creating a positive culture, establishing high expectations, adhering to a practice of respect.
• Human resource administration:  hiring quality teachers & other staff, inducting & supporting current staff, providing meaningful opportunities for growth, retaining quality staff, and effectively evaluating teacher performance.
• Organization management: safety, daily operations, facilities maintenance, and securing & using resources to increase student achievement.
• Communication and community relations: effective communicator with all stakeholder groups.
• Professionalism: ethical standards, serves as a role model, models life-long learning.

Now more than ever schools need great leaders.  As the reform movement continues to swell across the country more eyes will be on the principal, as well as other district leaders, and their ability to ensure student learning and increase achievement.  The task now at hand is to develop a plan on how to support principal effectiveness while developing an evaluation tool that will help us do the best job possible for the students that we serve.

For more information in this area check out the resources at NASSP.