#MEMSPA17 Takeaways: Whole Leader Theme Delivered

MEMSPA's 92nd Annual Conference

The MEMSPA Annual Conference is one of my favorite professional learning experiences! I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve on the board and attend this event. I always look forward to seeing colleagues, making new connections, and this year officially taking on a mentoring role. This year's theme was the Whole Leader, and MEMSPA delivered on this with all of the PD offerings.


For the first time, @donistamour created #MEMESPAconnects, a mentoring program for new principals in the association. It is exciting to be matched up with new principals and offer support. I am looking forward to the opportunity to give back, for it was my MEMSPA connections that helped me stay in administration, still loving it in my 12th year. The first morning of the conference, I got to meet one of my mentees and recruited another. I am looking forward to our book chats, monthly check-ins, and offering any support and guidance needed. Most importantly, to remind them that you should never stop learning and connecting with others.

Mentee MEMSPA Swag (Scholastic)

The learning from the first session with Dr. Constantino was powerful. We need to create cultures in our buildings that believe family engagement is good. This means evolving from events to actual daily engagement. I look forward to continuing this discussion and cultivating innovative means to foster such engagement. Concurrent sessions supported this culture with collaboration initiatives with staff and ways to build and maintain relationships.

The second day at the President's breakfast, the general keynote speaker, Jan McInnis, presented on the importance of laughter! Many benefits to using laughter exist. Besides the health and relationship benefits, she spoke on the importance of using laughter to get through difficult times. This is such an important lesson--and a necessity to get through a career in education. We, especially as leaders, cannot take ourselves too seriously.

Gilpin and Butler's Session

I went to several breakout sessions, learning about relationships, technology, RTI, and more, but the session that resonated with me the most was with @benjamingilpin and @danpbutler on cultivating relationships. It is so important to build up our teacher leaders. Ben and @Jon_Wennstrom (in another session) both echoed the importance of relationships and relationship building. Having specific ideas and approaches are always helpful, and these two sessions were full of proven approaches.
  
In the last general session with motivational speaker, Jim Mahoney, we were reminded, "You get what you give." Other meaningful advice included: "You can't teach the whole child unless you are the whole teacher/leader." "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." Culture trumps strategy, every time, and we can always do more and better with collaboration.

Job-Embedded Session

In addition to all of the great sessions, I was able to support the first Spotlight on Innovation and colleagues who have become great friends over the years. I also was able to present on the topic of job-embedded practices that my own teachers have made successful with both coaching and instructional rounds and our #ReadingMatters campaign and initiatives with my students from our Pages with the Principal The One and Only Ivan booktalk. The best part of the entire conference was recognizing outstanding region principals and seeing a well-deserving and long-time MEMSPA colleague and friend named MEMSPA's Outstanding Practicing Principal of the Year. Congrats to Craig McCalla; you are so very deserving! 

      

Colleagues, President Patterson and Past-President DeGraff (left) and Region 2 Principals (right)

The Lessons Learned from My Dogs

Daisy and Rosie

Staying positive isn't easy. It does take a mindset and determination to not get sucked into the negative talk and culture. Tonight, after a long, short week of work and evening conferences, I am relaxing and looking at my cute, furry family members and think: we can learn a lot from our pets. Daisy, our 8 year-old black and white Miniature Schnauzer, and Rosie, our almost 1 year-old black one, teach me many lessons.

1) Determination
Daisy will sit and stare for up to an hour while my husband sits in his chair watching TV. With the "treat" jar right next to his chair, she waits patiently, sometimes tapping his leg with her paw or even using proximity, until he caves. If we work hard enough and exercise patience, we can make anything happen.

2) Loyalty
Both Daisy and Rosie are loyal to us and each other. It goes a long way when we demonstrate commitment to students, staff, and the community. We also must be loyal to ourselves and our moral compass while making decisions that we feel are supported and best for our students.

3) Rest
Lazy days are needed. Relaxing in front of the fireplace or hanging out in bed an extra hour is a must to re-energize and fill our buckets. It's easy to burn our candles from both ends, but this will increase our susceptibility to negativity. We must stay rested and strong to keep a positive, growth mindset.

4) Play
The same goes for exercise and play time. Taking time for ourselves is key to being healthier and happier. Finding an exercise that is both fun and satisfying can foster accountability to fitness. Play should be personalized (on our own or with loved ones), but we also need to remember to play with the students too.

5) Affection
Both of our dogs love to hug, wrapping their front legs around our necks. Greeting us with crazy, screaming barks and howls at the door always brings a smile to my face. People need to know that they are cared for and about in life. Hugging, praising, and showing kindness will actually support loyalty, work ethic, and satisfaction.

Lessons can be learned from our four-legged friends. It's time to start paying attention to what they are telling and showing us. We can even model these lessons for our staff and students and pass it on to others.

Positive Takeaways from #NPC17

As the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) state representative for Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA), I was fortunate enough to attend the combined principal conference in Philadelphia this month. The three main themes from my learning that resonated with me the most are relationships, empowerment, and mindfulness.

NPC17 in Philadelphia

Relationships
So many speakers confirmed the importance of relationships. Michael Schmoker referenced Hattie's work and a key focus is teacher-student relationships (.5-.7 effect size). Relationships with students, parents, community members, our teachers, and other administrators are crucial to school success. Kevin Carroll highlights the importance of play and the connections we make through it. We can build relationships through appreciation. Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf gave several strategies and tips to demonstrate appreciation. Several other presenters combined the importance of relationships with their topics. Christian Moore, Founder of "Why Try" stated that lasting change and motivation for youth involves relationships. "Relationships+Relevance = Resilience." One important aspect of positive and healthy relationships involves empowering those people to become the best versions of themselves.

Empowerment
In addition to the empower messages at the conference, I read the book Empower by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani on the trip to and from Philly. The messages around this theme support my district's teacher growth model (Danielson's "distinguished") to push our practices to be more student-centered approaches. I totally recommend this book!

In addition to the book, several speakers and presenters touched on the importance of empowering stakeholders in our schools and districts: teachers, students, and even our parents. We need to empower students by putting them in charge of their learning. We also need to empower teachers with the support and freedom to make this possible. The more growth people experience, the more they are empowered.

Christian Moore, shared powerful messages and tips for motivating students and teaching resilience.  He states, "Resilience is the greatest equalizer--It transcends race, gender, culture, socio-economic status...and literally an other aspect of your environment."

Mindfulness

"In teaching, you can't do the BLOOM stuff until you take care of the MASLOW stuff." -Beck

Sherry Turkle reminded us to work on social skills and being present. Carla Tantillo (Mindful Practices) models how to integrate social-emotional learning and promoting mindfulness with easy to use strategies.  (Check out her books.) Mindful practices will helps us to build resilience, growth, decrease stress, and help us to slow down and in turn be more productive.

We need to take care of self, so we can take care of our staff, and support and take care of our students. It's a collaborative, team effort to teach, love, and inspire our children. Thank you #NPC17 for reminding me of the importance of relationships, empowerment, mindfulness, and much more.

Positive Changes in Learning with Innovative Practices: 5 Outcomes of Using an LMS

"A way of thinking that creates something new and better" is how George Couros (2015) defines innovation in his book and guide, The Innovator's Mindset. He conceptualizes this term in chapter one, explaining what innovation both is and is not.  Emphasizing that technology is only the tool and not the outcome, innovation involves transforming the learning environments and practices to make it newer and better.

An innovative practice that leads to a more personalized learning environment (newer and better for many) is the use of learning management systems (LMS). The type of LMS doesn't matter. Teachers may use Google classroom, Schoology, Edmodo, Moodle, Blackboard or a variety of others. It is this practice that helps to make both differentiation and personalization more efficient than ever.  Here are just a few ways an LMS can foster an innovative culture and environment.

1) Reading (at the students independent and instructional levels)
Teachers can group students and/or provide individual students themed-related reading texts at their reading levels. The LMS provides a confidential way to protect students reading texts several years below grade level.

2) Flipping lessons
Teachers can record their mini lessons and post them in the LMS for students to view, pause, and replay until they can better understand the instruction. If students do watch the videos as the "homework," the teacher is available to coach, assist, and facilitate the practice and doing part of the lesson in the classroom.

3) Linking Supplemental resources
Teachers can link resources that meet different multiple intelligences, so students can have the teaching that works best for them. A variety of online resources and personal teacher works can be quickly linked for students.

4) Collaborating (with peers in the classroom to across the world)
Not only can peers work together, teachers can set groups so multiple classes--even those in other states and countries can communicate and work together. In addition, communicating online offers support to our introverted students who need more time to think about what they want to say (post).

5) Engaging students (with digital media and personal choice)
Videos, social media, electronics, and several other forms of technology are tools used is today's students daily lives. This is a way to grab and keep their attention. Teachers can embed and link videos and a variety of other multi-media tools. Students can access and use those that are best for their learning.

Learning managements systems are an innovative practice, helping to make teaching and learning better (and more efficient). Instructional leaders can even use them to flip staff meetings and create a culture of professional leaning. The use of these systems is developing many of the skills students need to have for school and beyond.

Educating for a Better Tomorrow

As I read the book, Innovator's Mindset, for the second time, I reflect on the introduction and try to answer the question, "What is the purpose of education?" as well as explain why innovation is so important to education. This quest makes me think back to Simon Sinek's Ted Talk and "Start with the Why" approach. (shortened video link)

Why do we educate youth? Why do teachers, leaders, and other educators dedicate so much of their time to the profession of educating students? While many people internalize their own reasoning, I believe the BIGGEST "why" we have centers around the desire to inspire and have an impact on creating a better tomorrow. This is usually articulated in the phrase, "to make a difference" by many educators and leaders.

At the moment, it is more challenging and demanding than it has ever been to make education relevant and engaging by personalizing learning and creating authentic learning experiences. Traditional practices and teaching to the middle no longer prepare students with what they need to know for what they need to do and become.

To create a better tomorrow, we need to connect with students, teach to the whole child, and instill the drive and courage to take risks to become the best versions ourselves (both educators and students). The need exists to continue to evolve our communities, countries, and world to be better for the next generation.

While this is a more challenging time in education and extremely demanding on educators, we have more tools, practices, access and reach to create engaging, meaningful, and personalized experiences for our students. Shifting our practices to offer more student choice and direction is helping to foster not only the knowledge required but also developing the skills demanded for tomorrow's world.

This brings us to why innovation is so crucial--to Simon Sinek's "How" circle. Innovation is creating change that transforms education, learning, and outcomes. We can only expect our students to be as innovative and creative and passionate about education as their teachers are. Furthermore, we can only expect our educators to be as innovative, creative, and passionate about teaching and learning as their leaders are.

In doing this, we need to be more thoughtful about restricting technology and come up with ways to teach appropriate use, make teaching and learning more efficient and personal, as well as prepare students for a world that doesn't even exist--a better world. We need to practice and model the skills we are asking students to develop. We need to take risks, learning from each other and our students. It will be a collective and collaborative approach to educate for a better tomorrow. 

Positive Approaches to the Networked Principal

In the middle of my second year of administration, my husband was deployed to Afghanistan. I was left with two young children, working on a specialist degree in education leadership, continuing a fairly new principalship, and the honeymoon was over. I had my first grievance; I was wearing many district hats in addition to leading a building. Although I tried not to show it, I really didn’t think I would make it. To be perfectly honest, I probably would not have made it through that year or the nine other years of serving and leading others if it were not for my strong network of colleagues through my professional associations of Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA) and National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).

The principalship no longer needs to be a lonely, isolated island. With several opportunities to connect, engage, and contribute, the role of instructional leader can be more rewarding than ever before. No matter the location, level, or culture, similar people and resources are only a click away. It is essential to the vitality of the career to keep a close network of people to support, encourage, mentor, and challenge.  Staying connected means participating in professional associations and organizations, using social media, and committing to giving back to the profession. These are just a few ways to stay both connected and positive.  

Professional Organizations

Many state and national organizations and associations make it easy for people to connect. Conferences and workshops add in time to collaborate, network, and connect with other professionals. Many offer professional learning offerings that are sustained over time with opportunities to collaborate.  Many groups and regional subgroups have face-to-face and virtual meetings, making it even easier to connect with other principals. It is important that leaders utilize these supports and connect with others in the profession. Participation can keep members positive in times of difficulty. Taking an active part in NAESP or other professional associations is a BONUS to its membership.

NAESP is a BONUS to you!

B	Bucket Filler: Participating in regional, state, and national activities and networking can fill your bucket emotionally, educationally, and professionally.
O	Opportunity to give back: Get involved. Share your knowledge and skills. Mentor your teacher leaders; assist aspiring, new, and veteran leaders.
N	Networking: Make connections and use them to help support, assist, and encourage you. Connections can help you build your own capacity.
U	Understanding/Learning: The professional learning that these organizations provide is outstanding: up-to-date legislative updates, news, and PLNs.
S	Support: The membership comes with many additional supports and perks: legal advice, liability insurance, PD, expert colleagues, and many resources.

In addition to the membership benefits of an organization, social media can break down barriers to connecting with others in the profession. A networked, 21st-Century leader is using these outlets and tools.

Social Media

Many professional memberships, such as MEMSPA, are using social media to further the reach and support to principals. #MEMSPA chat Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m EST is a great way to collaborate with other principals on important, timely, and relevant topics. Following hashtags of these key organizations opens up resources, information, and professional learning. Applications like Voxer, Blogger, and Twitter can extend a leader’s reach and support. Social media is great for school and district branding; moreover, it serves as a well for leaders and educators to connect, dialogue, reflect, communicate, collaborate, be creative and think critically. These 21st-Century skills are not just for the students. All stakeholder groups need to practice, model, and develop these skills. However, it does not just stop there. Networking is a start. Mentoring, sharing, and supporting are a ways to give back to the profession.

Pay It Forward

It is critical to the success of education to share the knowledge gained from participating in networked, collaborative ways to others in the profession. Not only will leaders become more reflective in their own practices, but they can also support others at the same time. Growing from participating in a Twitter chat to moderating one is a start. Taking risks and blogging about successes (even after failure) can both inspire and encourage other leaders. Presenting at conferences, joining leadership positions at regional, state, and national levels, mentoring aspiring and new leaders, and even writing articles in leadership publications is a way to contribute.

 #LeadPositive

The most important aspect of a networked principal is to be positive and lead by example. Students, teachers and staff, parents, and the community need to hear and see all of the good school leaders and educators are doing. The quote, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." by Dr Wayne Dyer is evidence that a person’s outlook can make or break his or her day and the climate of the buildings. If principals lead with more positivity, their teachers and students will be more positive. It is contagious. It needs to be the networked principal’s mission to lead positively. Negativity can only be stopped with strong positive connections, behaviors, and attitudes. It is the duty of an instructional leader to be contagious with positivity.

Being an instructional leader can be an exhausting career; however, for a networked principal, it may be challenging and difficult, but it is the best, most rewarding profession there is. #LeadPositive

Web Resources:

http://georgecouros.ca/blog/presentation-resources/social-media-for-administrators

George Couros is an amazing speaker, blogger, and author. In this Principal of Change: Stories of Leading and Learning blog, he writes the post “Social Media for Administrators.” This is a great place to get started.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246691

“Millennials Have Rediscovered the Benefits of Joining a Professional Organization”

http://mentoring-works.com/paying-it-forward-pays-back-25000-reasons-to-mentor-others/

Mentoring is beneficial to all.

http://sspickard.blogspot.com/

Positivity Can Be Contagiously Rewarding: Negativity, Destroying blog with a positive, education focus.

Positive Brand Advocates for Education

As instructional leaders, principals, teachers, and school employees, we must be positive, "net promoters" of our schools and professional organizations. Public education has been the dumping ground for far too many people. As professionals, it is our duty to deflect detractors and negativity being said. People are quick to be critical of education, our schools, and our professional organizations. It is our duty as ambassadors to our students and advocates for our schools to bring to light all the amazing practices that are taking place in our schools.

We are in the business of human beings, and for most of us, these are our little human beings. In addition to teaching them content, standards, and skills needed in the modern world, we are also modeling and teaching them how to be good, empathic, contributing citizens. Furthermore, we are dealing with more trauma, mental health, and social/emotional well-being than ever before. This is no easy task, but as professionals, we face and accept this challenge. Educators work unflaggingly to accomplish these important tasks by combining and intertwining content standards and expectations, individualizing and creating authentic, relevant, and meaningful experiences. On top of this, we are working to learn about and understand each child while providing care, understanding, challenge, and holding them to high expectations. Educators wear more hats and love more people in a day than most people do in an entire year.

We cannot allow people to continue to pass judgement and taint the climate and culture of education. We all need to work to be a part of the solution and not add to the problem. Are there ineffective teachers and leaders? Just as there are incompetent professionals and parents, it is the same for people working in the field of education. We don't categorize all doctors or parents as unqualified because of a few. The majority of educators does not fall into the classification of ineffective. We want to grow, develop, better ourselves and our students. What does this all mean?

We have to STOP being negative about our schools, our teachers, our leaders. We need to build bridges, not walls and support one another. We need to not give others permission to speak badly about education by adding to the negative dialogue. We need to cheer  out for our students, our staff, our teachers, and our districts. We need to bombard meetings, social media, inboxes with all of the amazing teaching and learning that is happening. We need to promote the amazing, collaborative professional learning we are experiencing and how we are applying it in our districts. Being a neutral or passive promoter is no longer enough to combat the negativity.

Speak up; share. Be an upstander for education, our professional organizations, our schools, and our teachers. Yell it, tweet it, snap it, post it. A great deal of love, care, innovation, and dedication is present in education. People are only going to know what they see and hear. What type of message are you sharing?

Positivity in Trying Political Times: Exercising my Voice

What kind of role model would I be if I didn't advocate for my students, staff, and my and others' livelihoods? While I try to stay positive and hopeful, I cannot stay quiet or passive. This is why I use my voice; this is why I advocate. This is why I march, speak up, and contact/visit legislatures. Others need to step up--stand up for right. Don't expect someone else to do it. We need make progress, be unified and grow, not isolate, hate, or teach fear.

If I want to grow and make decisions that are in the best interest of my students, my staff, and the surrounding community, I have to be aware off all stakeholders. I cannot refuse to meet with someone because they disagree with me. I can't ban people from information and decisions.

I ask our President, his cabinet, and staff to abide by these same standards. I ask our President to make educated, well-thought-out decisions. I ask that he surround himself with leaders who share diverse and expert knowledge. Why can he decide who has access to important information? Why can the secretary of education refuse to meet with people and organizations who opposed her confirmation? This is unacceptable!

Our President and his staff are making decisions that effect my and others' livelihoods. Decisions that could send my husband to war should not be made so irresponsibly. Decisions to band people from our county set us back and teach fear and hate. This goes against the very foundation of America. Decisions that put inexperienced people in important education positions, effect the numerous supports for America's students and the climate of the very important educators who give that care, knowledge, and support to our youth.

I once thought I could stay positive; that our system would not allow one man to undo all we have done. However, I see hate, power, and money guiding our destiny. This means that I cannot stand by silently. I will continue to advocate. I will continue to have a voice. I will continue to be an up-stander. This is what we teach our children. Don't stand back and allow others to be mean, hateful, or bully others. As adults, we should not sit back either. This charge cannot be done alone. We cannot stand by hoping things will get better.

If they won't listen, we need to speak louder. If they will not meet with us, we keep requesting. If they hate, we love. This is not about Democrats or Republicans. It's so much more than that. This is about truly representing our Nation, our people--all of our people. This is about making America better. That cannot be done with the current climate. Let's change that. Be an up-stander for American, education, and our children. Keep contacting your legislatures. #LeadPositive