WSUP

WSUP

11/21/14

Session 14 ~ Meeting in Olympia



We are all set!
 Interns wear your WSU Name Badge.  Dress for success.  
A few of you can jump from the Sweeting Van to the Kusche Mobile to be more comfortable.  Same is true for those of you in Vern's vehicle that might want to jump to Jenna's for comfort.

Dr. Gene Sharratt is thrilled to be hosting the WSU team on Thursday, December 4  in Olympia. 
He have reserved Senate Hearing Room One in the John A. Cherberg Building, 304 15th Avenue SW, Olympia, 98504, on campus. 
We have the room from 5 PM to 8 PM.  The official program will kick-off at 6 pm that evening!

This will be great fun!

Go Cougs!


Thursday, December 4th  @ Cherberg, Hearing Room 1, State Capitol @ 6:00 pm with Dr. Gene Sharratt (finish at 8:00 pm)  Let's not be late and dress for success.  Carpools leaves from PSD & 512 Park and Ride at 3:45 pm. 

Reflection Format
Triangle Ÿ Square Ÿ Circle

   What are three important points that you have learned?

    What is something that squared or agreed with your thinking?

    What is something still circling in your head?

44 comments:

  1. So excited for our field trip!

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  2. Watch out Olympia...here we come! :)

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  3. I can't wait! Love field trips and excited for the learning opportunity!

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  4. Tonight's experience was yet another example of how extremely fortunate we are to be a part of the Coug Family. Coming together with our colleagues and listening to Dr. Sharratt inspire us with his positivity was an experience not many in other administrative programs can say they have. I was left with the words, "collective impact" resonating in my head. Collective impact-the need to coordinate our efforts and work together around a clearly defined goal-is at the heart of our work as leaders. I was inspired by Dr. Sharratt's words and left our state capitol feeling reinvigorated and inspired.

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    1. I couldn't agree more Elissa! I was left with many words rolling around in my head. I found Dr. Sharratt words kind, loving, inspirational, and full of hope! Many resonated with me in so many ways. Loved "happy heart"! It reminded me that we need to love what we do and lead with a happy heart.

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    2. Collective Impact is one of my great take-aways as well. He makes me want to even more outspoken and positive! Our words have a major impact on our students.

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  5. Three important points I learned are:
    Language drives expectations and expectations drive performance
    What gets measured gets done! What gets rewarded gets repeated!
    I need to work on collective impact and building capacity in people.

    Something that agreed with my thinking is we need to be values driven not rules driven.

    Something that I is still circle in my head is changing our vocabulary…students are not at risk they are at promise and they are not needy, they are worthy…I LOVE THIS!

    What a truly impactful evening! Dr. Sharratt is on my list of educators who have made an impact on me and my thinking!

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    1. I thought Dr. Sharratt's description of how our vocabulary affects the culture of the school was spot on. Turning the negative connotations to positive was a brilliant way to build up kids rather than break them down.

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    2. I too was inspired by these quotes of depth. It is encouraging to reflect on the learning we have engaged in this semester and that these words and phrases have traction in their meaning and relevance for me now. I continue to look forward more insight in the months to come.

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  6. What a fabulous evening! I was left feeling invigorated and ready to go back to work and lead with a "happy heart" and purpose.

    3 Important Points:
    -Remembering that "language drives expectation and expectation drives performance"- need to expect what you are expecting and set the tone of the school with positive language-use at promise instead of at-risk...loved that!
    -Make your "branding" visible-What's your promise?! It sets a consistent message.
    -As leaders, we need to recruit the best. Look for the great teachers, don't just sit back and wait for them to come to you.

    Something I agreed with:
    I agreed with Dr. Sharratt's discussion on don't set limits on students. We need to continue to foster growth mindset in our schools, so we don't set limits on students. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Sophie and her carefree smiling picture warmed my heart.

    Circling in my head:

    I was left wondering about how we can increase student funding for our schools. Being 49th in the nation is sickening, but when you look at what the legislature has to figure out; it makes my head hurt. I would like to see a study of how other states fund schools...that would peak my interest!



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    1. Researching other states and their funding practices sounds like a great place to start! I would be interested in that study as well:)

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    3. I agree! Encouraging and supporting students to work hard, to learn more and to set goals so they can be the best they can be is what we should be doing daily. We should never set limits...we need to create opportunities so our students have endless possibilities.

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    4. The future funding for schools will be very interesting. 49th in the Nation is something that our state ought to be upset about. Hopefully the legislators in the next few years can resolve this issue in working together to help the future of our state, the students! I wonder what the top 10 states are doing to fund their schools. You would think with our state being the home or major hubs of Boeing, Intel, Amazon, Starbucks, and many other tech companies there would be vast supplies of funding....Not the way it all really works unfortunately.

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  8. I can’t think of a more inspirational and positive person to speak to a group of upcoming educational leaders than Dr. Sharratt. I left feeling energized and excited about the work ahead of us and am so thankful that he is the one fighting for our students in Olympia.

    3 Important Points I learned:
     Being able to work with people is what separates leaders from managers.
     Research “collective impact.”
     What gets measured, gets done. What gets rewarded, gets repeated.

    Something that squared with my thinking:
     Trust is in pencil – it’s easy to erase and you have to earn it every day! Mistrust is in pen – it’s hard to erase!

    Something still circling in my head:
     To read the culture, you need to find people you can trust. Finding those people (whether in a new building or familiar one) can be difficult.

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    1. Sari I agree with you completely. Two of your 3 most important points are the ones that I thought about sharing. Your "squared" thought is my circling thought (which I may change now) and I too felt soo energized leaving. It was another great night.

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    2. I will be researching "collective impact" too!

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  9. I normally leave class feeling overwhelmed, tired, but overall happy to be in this process. Last night, I got home and I was so energized and excited about my future. I felt inspired to be in charge and most importantly supported. On the way to Olympia, we talked about the other principal programs out there and I am so happy I am in the WSU program. It continues to be a wonderful experience. Although it is challenging, I have never felt more supported in my career. Glen I absolutely loved the ice breaker!!! I can't wait to play that game. I think I'm going to do it with my family for Christmas :). It is a wonderful way to get to know your staff and students. I also appreciated the wisdom in the room.
    3 important points learned:
    1. Language drives expectation and expectations drives performance
    2. What gets measured gets done, what gets rewarded gets repeated
    3. Climate does not relate to student achievement, culture relates to student achievement.

    Squared with my thinking:
    What's your brand? Nike doesn't change it's brand, Coke Cola doesn't change its brand. Pick a brand and stick to it. It should be a part of your every day interactions.

    Circling in my head.

    "Catching me doing my best". I love this and can't wait to implement it.

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    1. The ice breaker was great! It can be used in so many different settings and it gets people up and moving.

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    2. Ohhhhhh...I forgot the "catching me doing my best" I loved this! Thank you for reminding me so I can add it my notes.

      I also forgot the branding. Thank you.
      PS. I used the icebreaker Saturday morning. LOVE!

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  10. I love the 'catch me doing my best" too! Totally stealing it!

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  12. WOW! Dr. Sharratt is a rock star!!! Narrowing down just three important points that I learned is hard because practically everything he said was golden. So, I’ll go with these:

    1. Collective Impact -- Working together toward a common goal is the only way to make special things happen.

    2. How far are you taking your students and staff? If our goal is to take them all the way to the top, like Dr. Sharratt mentioned, how are we communicating this to parents and the community?

    3. What gets measured gets done, what you reward gets repeated.

    Something that squared with my thinking:
    * When it comes to leadership don’t take things personally.

    Something still circling in my head:
    * The most important job in the building is to build culture. Finding those that you can truly trust may be one of the most difficult challenges that we will face as school leaders.

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    1. I loved that "going to the top" story. I like how he related that to our job in communicating that to parents, helping them understand more clearly the vision we have for our kids.

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    2. Rock Star indeed! I will go to any and all concerts with my lighter held high (okay...I do not actually own a lighter but you get the idea.

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  14. Relationships, relationships, relationships...there must be something to it :) Like you all, I appreciated Dr. Sharratt's inspiring words, phrases, and stories. As he said many times in various contexts, we are in the business of people. We are in the business of building and fostering extraordinary relationships with game changers; people who are inspired to develop potential in students that will result in extraordinary futures.
    Speaking of relationships, I also really enjoyed the opportunity to mingle with some new folks who have similar professional interests and values. I was energized from being with a room full of ambitious people, oh, and the cookies.
    I am still wondering about how the 1351 will play out. What an interesting dynamic.

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    1. I agree with you, Paul. Relationships are number one. It's amazing what an impact a leader who knows how to connect with people can have.

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    2. Alyssa I completely agree! It's amazing the difference is! I hope that I can be the kind of inspiring person that my students hunt me down Like Dr. Sharratt's story! And on 1351, I too am wondering how it's going to all play out. What will become of it? How will it affect higher ed? I've heard from several sources that public school funding (Colleges) will increase by as much as 17%.

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  15. This was yet another great opportunity for us to grow as leader learners. I am always inspired and refreshed after Thursdays and this was the icing on the cake. Some of the learning points (and there were a lot more), were:
    1. What gets measured gets done, what gets rewarded gets repeated.
    2. Branding. What's my brand, and how can I market that? How can I make that consistent?
    3. Lead with a happy heart. This statement resonated with me. Don't forget why we are here. it's all about the kids.
    What squared my thinking- Don't set limits for kids. Let them define their own limitations. The growth mindset! We need to foster this!
    Circling in my head- Lots of things are circling in my head- what's going to happen with 1351 (where is the funding going to come from?), How do I build culture? And of course, collective impact. Wow.

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    1. lead with a happy heart! It is so easy to tell when a person leads with a happy heart. Enjoying what we do is so important to this work... (opportunity)

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  17. Three Important points:
    Effective leadership is all about HOW you say things, HOW you do things, and HOW you foresee things. Dr. Gene Sharratt and Dr. Malone are two amazing examples of how one should go about the work… or should I say… OPPORTUNITY!!!

    Something that you squared with:
    If you want something done, measure it. If you want something to last, make it part of the culture.

    Something circling:
    How can I better connect students with low academic motivation to authentic Higher Ed. opportunities and programs of potential interest? There are so many local and amazing 2 year and technical colleges at our student’s finger tips.

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  18. What a great night. So glad I was able to attend- What an inspiring teacher Dr. Sharratt is!
    3 Important points:
    -Hire great teachers, Reward great teachers and Recruit great teachers
    -Language drives expectations, expectations drive performance.
    -If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it- what gets measured gets done.
    I agreed with:
    -“There is always room for improvement, it’s the biggest room in the school.”
    I am still thinking about:
    - Kids are worthy- not needy and Kids are at promise- not at risk. I loved this, and I am wondering how to shift thinking of staff- by example I imagine… and by using that language.

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    1. I completely agree! We can always improve and grow. We are life long learners and we need to establish this into the culture of our schools

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  19. What an incredible evening. I felt so refreshed and inspired about the work we are entering into. It was amazing to be in a room with like-minded people. I could hardly sleep Thursday night.

    Three important points:
    -Take them to the top
    -If you can't measure it, you can't improve it. What gets measured, gets done. (goals) What gets rewarded gets repeated. (culture)
    -Anchor you goals. Have research to back up vision. (I LOVED this)

    I agreed with: (ALL OF IT!!!)
    When taking on your new job...
    1) Be someone people can trust
    2) Find people you can trust
    3) Read the current culture
    4) Build the culture

    I am still thinking about:
    My brand. What is my promise/consistent message I want to give to our staff/students and community?

    Powerful evening. Thank you

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  20. What three important points that you have learned?

    Wow, what a perfect experience to reenergize and motivate us to continue pressing on during our final weeks in class. Dr. Gene Sharrat is an inspirational leader, he spoke with such passion and genuine drive to foster a brighter future for each and every child. I am honored at the potential to be a leader alongside Dr. Sharrat and make a meaningful difference for all of our students.

    1. “A Brand is a promise” , and our student depend on us to establish and maintain the very best brand. Provided a consistent message provides stability for the culture.
    2. “What gets measured gets done. What you reward gets repeated.” Couldn’t be more right! We do this with our students, why don’t we do this more with our staff?
    3. Washington State is 49th in the state for funding!! WHAT! I had no idea, so what are we going to do to turn this around?

    What is something that squared or agreed with your thinking?

    Collective impact. Yes! We cannot do this work along. It takes all of us to make a difference. As a leader, you need to be able to select the right people “be a talent scout” in order to develop the best team. But choosing the right people isn’t enough on its own. You need to build your teams capacity and culture in a way that creates shared ownership and drive to accomplish your mission.
    What is something still circling in your head?

    Is the funding for the GET program sustainable? How does the budgeting all work for these programs, and where can we find additional resources to better support education?

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  21. Thursday was a great opportunity to listen to Dr. Sharratt speak. I was impressed with what he had to share. The experiences and stories he shared were heartfelt and motivating. After listening to him speak I walked away with a pep in my step and several stories to reflect on. It is always so nice to walk away from a presentation knowing I have learned so much!
    Three points I have learned
    1) Build capacity within people.
    2) What gets measured gets done, what gets rewarded gets repeated.
    3) “Branding” a promise to your community – consistent message
    What is something that squared with my thinking?
    1) Deep water doesn’t drown you- what drowns you is when you stop kicking.
    What is something still circling in my head?
    1) Where is the money going to come from to support the learners (at all levels) in Washington State?

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  22. First off......wow! Inspirational, poignant and real. I would hear him speak anytime, anywhere. A HUGE fan!
    Important Points:
    1. The importance of language. At-promise not At-risk! Dream makers not dream breakers. Knowledge ABLE not knowledgeable. I love this. Language drives expectation and expectation drives performance.
    2. The fleas and jar experiment. Such a powerful image of the dangers of having a ceiling.
    3. Earning trust is in pencil.

    Squared with my thinking:
    uh, everything!!!!!!!!
    1. “What gets measured gets done. What you reward gets repeated.” I used this quote in my class on Saturday in terms of teaching our students about collaborative dialogue and being cognizant to provide all students equity.
    2. “There is always room for improvement, it’s the biggest room in the school.” which makes me think of a speaker I heard to weeks ago who said FAIL means "First Attempt in Learning." Both about growth.
    3. The importance of collective impact and the need to have the right people on the bus and in the right seats.
    4. being values driven.....moral authority...not rules driven.....(positional authority)

    Circling:
    How, in a political realm, one gets the wrong people off the bus or in a better fitting seat? Collective impact............
    How does one help someone move from management to leadership?

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  23. Thank you Glenn and WSU for setting this session up! Dr. Sharrett is an amazing speaker who is incredibly motivating!

    Three things I learned:
    1) Handling people=Build Capacity,
    Build Teachers up
    Take them to the top!
    2) Collective Impact!
    3) Values Driven, not rules driven

    Squared with my thinking:
    1) What gets measured gets done
    2) What you reward gets repeated
    3) A Great School consists of Great Teachers doing Great Teaching

    Something still Circling
    Language Drives Expectations, Expectations Drive Performance. I loved how Dr. Sharrett talked about the language we use and the impact that it has on both teachers and students. I am going to really work on making this shift also. We are all Dream Makers!

    What a great ending of our Semester!

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    1. What gets measured, gets done! What gets rewarded, gets repeated. Great job adding that to your reflection. That was a key point in Dr. Sharratt's presentation and it couldn't be more true. We have spent this entire semester learning about ways to measure instruction and achievement. However, it's a balancing act. Using data can help us find ways to reward each other for the hard work being done in our buildings. Using data to serve is what it is all about!

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  24. I realized my initial comment did not follow the reflective format, so let me solve that problem by reposting! It's always a great pleasure to listen to Dr. Sharratt, and talking about him is even more fun, so here goes...

    Three Important Points I learned from our night in Olympia...
    1. Collective Impact is the need to coordinate our efforts and work together around a clearly defined goal. It is at the heart of our work as instructional leaders in our buildings.
    2. Culture and climate are NOT the same thing! Climate is how we treat each other socially. It's how nice we are, what we say and do, how we celebrate and have fun with each other. This is not to be confused with culture-the norms and expectations in place to get work done. School culture has a much stronger correlation to student achievement than school climate does.
    3. Language drives expectations and expectations drive performance. This was a critical point because it generated an action item for me to go back and look at our school language. Is it framed in the positive?

    Squared with my thinking: Dr. Sharratt shared that a teacher once told him, "There is always room for improvement. In fact, it is the biggest room in our school!" This aligns with one of my core values: growth mindset.

    Something still circling in my head: The Flea and the glass jar experiment. This story about the effects of putting limits on ourselves, each other, and the students we serve was powerful. It is still rolling in my head because I am constantly reminded of how many times we think something can't be done due to one factor or another. This will be a story I will plan to share at many staff meetings to come!

    Finally, Dr. Sharratt stated that "Deep water doesn't drown you, not kicking does." This couldn't be more true for all of us right now! Persistence, perseverance, and relentlessly positive. These are my take-aways from this great man!

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