As we continue to get exposed to so many great resources, we all need to find ways to organize it!!! I just created a Blog to organize the key points and my reflections. I will build it for the next two years and then print it out for myself!
I love the blog idea. When I taught at Fife High School, several teachers had blogs where they posted class information and communicated with students...I still have not figured out how to create a blog but it is on my " to do" list!
I am so excited to receive all of the book handouts at our "book fair walk"! I really enjoyed the discussion based on our personal data surveys. As a principal and educational leader I want to ensure that our practices are based on proactive practices instead of reactive decision making. My survey reflected that our practices are very reactive---this scared me. Why are we waiting to react to problems instead of prevent them in the first place?
Jenna- me too!!! I was JUST thinking that on the way home tonight how I couldn't wait to get the cliff notes version of each book! And the rest- that's a very insightful view of your school. I hadn't thought of that view. I was thinking of that survey and how I could tailor it to fit my building and the teams in it to really reflect on how they are using data, is it used to its extent or are they just creating nice spreadsheets.
It seems to me that a lot of mission/vision statements are just an afterthought, which is pretty sad. I was happy to see that our mission/vision was strong with the exception of being measurable. Reactive is a good way to describe how some schools and districts approach this issue. It seems counterproductive to approach it this way considering the fact that our focus should be on student achievement.
Tonight's class was very helpful. I really appreciated hearing about how different vision/mission statements came to fruition. I was really moved by Kristen's story of how her building calls them "beliefs." The pledges that the students, teachers, and parents have are such a powerful way to make the mission and vision of a school meaningful, relevant, and a part of the school culture. Such good stuff!
Thanks for the kind words! I love talking about my school. I wish everyone could experience the positive culture that we have established at Christensen. I appreciate Glenn pushing me on sharing and then challenging me on the idea that we could easily develop a mission and vision. A project to work on!
I was unsure about the word hope at first but after hearing her describe how her school's core beliefs are being implemented into the classroom and community I was sold! Well done Kristen!
HOPE is talked about daily in our home. It gives us a sense of tomorrow and that whatever comes our way we will persevere and keep moving forward---hope isn't just a word it is a state of mind. When Casen was born I had to have something to hold onto---I couldn't control his medical needs or how long he would be with us---The only thing we had was today and HOPE for tomorrow. This is so true for many of our students---they have to have hope for tomorrow to get through the day. How amazing if we can fill them with that HOPE! I have embedded this word into my daily teaching and conversations with my students. I always tell them to carry HOPE in their hearts---anything is possible.
Every class is meaningful and helpful. I leave feeling so excited and energized. I really appreciated hearing Kristen's story too, It's what a mission should be. A school is embedded in a community, so the community should be a part of the mission/vision. But like Kristen said, the principal had to get 100% buy in from the staff who were present, and that's important. You have to sell the vision, it has to be believed to be true for it to be truly successful. I learned from her example that the mission and vision can become (and should be) so much a part of the school that it's ingrained in the activities throughout the year. That's not something that happens overnight. Time, focus, and relationships.
Well said, Melissa! It can be difficult to get 100% "buy in" for anything in a school building. Kudos to her school and principal for putting students first. They knew what their students needed and they are making it happen!
Buy-in was huge for us! If we didn't get the 100% then Kids At Hope wouldn't have worked. The biggest obstacle for us is training new staff on what it means to be a Kids At Hope School. Its a priority to get them trained in "Hopeology".
Kristin, the point about getting new staff in the loop is BIG. My school has a considerable turn over in staff, so to create a culture for anything takes a lot of retraining/ extra training. It might even be worth having a committee devoted to the task of training new staff on the values of the school.
Kelsey and I had a discussion during our dinner break about how our school's mission and vision is so far removed from the students (and teachers for that matter). We started a school wide pledge this year that closely resembles the three GLAD personal standards (Show Respect, Make Good Decisions and Solve Problems). Our students recite the pledge every morning in their classrooms. I was wondering if we could somehow create our mission/vision around that pledge. It's obviously not measurable at this point, but it could be modified and it's a great starting point for discussion at our leadership and PBIS meetings. I would love for any student (kindergartner or 6th grader) to be able to articulate the mission and vision of Zeiger Elementary to anyone who asks!
I like your "big three" at Zeiger...to the point. It's interesting for me to think about how empowering a school could be if the Mission and Vision statements were extraordinary, internalized, and lived out. The desire to learn and help each other learn would be the starting point every day and the focus of the culture.
I love that you (your school) has recognized the need to make a change in what matters...students and their learning. My gut instinct is that your school culture will make a shift after the pledge and standards have been established for some time. Positive change is HUGE!
My favorite part of class was the book shopping. It's always fun to steal from someone without getting into trouble. :) On a serious note, I can't wait to hear about the 15 books and have a resource to use later for my own professional development. I also appreciated the discussion about vision and mission statements. I interviewed a new principal in my district this morning and I noticed that she had the words mission/vision up on her white board. We started talking and she said that she didn't work with it at all last year, but is thinking that she would in January since she has a ton of new staff. I shared Lori's experience of writing a mission/vision statement by bringing in a photo of someone special and creating a personal emotional attachment. She loved it! I'm going to share with her the process described above from the book Simplifying Response to Intervention (my book selection) . I loved that I was able to connect my learning and experiences with my fellow cohort members immediately after class.
Kristin, if you would like....I would love to share the process we used. It was amazing to see it unfold and evolve into something which all staff could stand behind and understand why we are doing what we are doing. It was a GREAT experience to facilitate and be a part of.
Last night’s class seemed to invigorate everyone (well, at least me!) after hearing how many good things are happening in our schools for students. Listening to Kristin talk about the positive changes and success that kids are experiencing in her school as a result of Kids at Hope was amazing. There are so many students and schools that could benefit from programs like this. And how about Elissa! What an honor and opportunity for Rocky Ridge and their students. Let’s vote and vote again!!! Analyzing and discussing the variety of mission/vision statements was pretty fascinating. Even though some statements were a little vague and others very descriptive, I thought it was a great way for us to start envisioning what we will do in the future in our own schools.
I appreciated the "conversation starter" activities Glen introduced to us. It helps me feel empowered to have tangible tools to start building my leadership bag. I am continually feeling this program is "authentic" preparation, which is far better than theoretical preparation. I want some ideas to hit the ground running with ...and so does my future employer.
This last session I was excited to hear the word “’HOPE” used. (It made me smile.) The question of, “What do you HOPE for your child and their future?” was raised to parents during my “Kindergarten Family Connection” meetings I held with families prior to Kindergarten beginning. Over and over again families expressed that they wanted their child to be happy and successful in whatever they choose in life. My school population is significantly different than the population Kristin and her staff are serving, but still the word HOPE inspires me to do what I know is best for young learners. I know the learning my students are engaged in now will help cultivate happiness and success in their future. Just imagine… the impact I could have as an Administrator….the possibilities are endless. WOW!
I really need to start doing my reflection the night of class instead of waiting till the weekend when my thoughts are more scattered. I love the "book pick" and wrote down many titles and am excited to hear about all the books. I also enjoyed hearing other stories of mission and vision statements. The two times I have worked on a school mission statement, I felt the statement was more for show than for staff to buy into and put into practice. Chapters 1 and 2 in Leading with Data gave me a lot to think about in terms of healthy practices for a school.
Krista ^^^^ I agree. I just sat down to blog and now I have class, numerous readings and several reflective papers all jiggling around in my head connecting and evolving. I am having a hard time thinking about what actually happened in class. I do know that mission statements are important yet some feel really loosy goosey to me and I am struggling to use the figure 3.4 to benchmark the mission. I am excited to interview this week. I chose three principals all for different reasons. I know I only need to interview one for the assignment but I really want to hear the process from three very different leaders. I am anxious to see if anyone is familiar with Terry Bergeson's SIP Plan guide. If so, if so I want to know how the work is being merged with Indistar. Are there similarities? I am also seriously thinking of making a crosswalk between these two documents as a warping of a different assignment. Last, I am anxious to use the activity Glenn walked us through with one of my teams. I am playing around with who this would be most beneficial for....I know that it was definitely a high-leveled DOK task.
WOW! Three principals, that's a great idea, and will give you interesting perspectives, I wonder how different or similar they will be! So cool that you can put this stuff right to work w/ what you are doing!
I find it interenstin that we are talking about mission and vision statements in both our classes. I agree with you Brittane that at times information from both our classes seem to mix together. I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing, just another viewpoint or resource for information.
I am behind in my interview with my principal. I had one scheduled for Friday and a second for Monday so that I could try to keep our two classes separate, but it apparently wasn't supposed to be. He and I both ended dealing with two different crisis, once from the student end of things and one from the district office. Happy for backup plans!
Lori I am stealing your idea of the photos of important people! I think that it really provides a point of commonality for all stakeholders to rally around.
I too loved hearing about Kristin's school as well. I am sure that it is inspiring and meaningful to those kids who go there! That seems like a huge impact you are having! Hearing about that reminded me that during one of my kindergarten meetings w/ parents before school started a mom was telling me how her husband attended elementary school here, and sings the Fruitland song every time he drives past, so it is exciting that their child is now attending. The culture that we build in a school can have lasting impact, as well as hope to get through the day. I am excited about the book I got, and am looking forward to hearing about the others. I love how attending class helps me to look forward to the future and possibilities ahead! So excited for Elissa and her school- I hope they win!
I am enjoying this journey more and more. I know the reading is overwhelming and the work a lot in addition to what we already have going on is overbearing, but the knowledge and experience that is happening is priceless. I am so happy to have the opportunity to read and discuss how to improve teaching and learning.
As we continue to get exposed to so many great resources, we all need to find ways to organize it!!! I just created a Blog to organize the key points and my reflections. I will build it for the next two years and then print it out for myself!
ReplyDeleteI agree Nate! I have organized multiple folders onto external hard drives by topic. Organizational practices are crucial for us all!
DeleteI love the blog idea. When I taught at Fife High School, several teachers had blogs where they posted class information and communicated with students...I still have not figured out how to create a blog but it is on my " to do" list!
DeleteI am more of an organizational folder type of person as well. But perhaps stepping out into the blogosphere wouldn't be such a bad thing...
DeleteI would love to help you guys get started! Glenn is the MAN when it comes to integrating technology into his everyday professional life!
DeleteI am so excited to receive all of the book handouts at our "book fair walk"! I really enjoyed the discussion based on our personal data surveys. As a principal and educational leader I want to ensure that our practices are based on proactive practices instead of reactive decision making. My survey reflected that our practices are very reactive---this scared me. Why are we waiting to react to problems instead of prevent them in the first place?
ReplyDeleteJenna- me too!!! I was JUST thinking that on the way home tonight how I couldn't wait to get the cliff notes version of each book! And the rest- that's a very insightful view of your school. I hadn't thought of that view. I was thinking of that survey and how I could tailor it to fit my building and the teams in it to really reflect on how they are using data, is it used to its extent or are they just creating nice spreadsheets.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIt seems to me that a lot of mission/vision statements are just an afterthought, which is pretty sad. I was happy to see that our mission/vision was strong with the exception of being measurable. Reactive is a good way to describe how some schools and districts approach this issue. It seems counterproductive to approach it this way considering the fact that our focus should be on student achievement.
DeleteI wanted an annotated bibliography that night!!!! :) I am seeing a lot of reading in my future. :)
DeleteTonight's class was very helpful. I really appreciated hearing about how different vision/mission statements came to fruition. I was really moved by Kristen's story of how her building calls them "beliefs." The pledges that the students, teachers, and parents have are such a powerful way to make the mission and vision of a school meaningful, relevant, and a part of the school culture. Such good stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words! I love talking about my school. I wish everyone could experience the positive culture that we have established at Christensen. I appreciate Glenn pushing me on sharing and then challenging me on the idea that we could easily develop a mission and vision. A project to work on!
DeleteI love Kristen's story as well. I would love to work at a school where all the staff are committed to the school's values in that way.
DeleteI was unsure about the word hope at first but after hearing her describe how her school's core beliefs are being implemented into the classroom and community I was sold! Well done Kristen!
ReplyDeleteLove that I was able to convince you to have HOPE! Just kidding:)
DeleteHOPE is talked about daily in our home. It gives us a sense of tomorrow and that whatever comes our way we will persevere and keep moving forward---hope isn't just a word it is a state of mind. When Casen was born I had to have something to hold onto---I couldn't control his medical needs or how long he would be with us---The only thing we had was today and HOPE for tomorrow. This is so true for many of our students---they have to have hope for tomorrow to get through the day. How amazing if we can fill them with that HOPE! I have embedded this word into my daily teaching and conversations with my students. I always tell them to carry HOPE in their hearts---anything is possible.
DeleteEvery class is meaningful and helpful. I leave feeling so excited and energized. I really appreciated hearing Kristen's story too, It's what a mission should be. A school is embedded in a community, so the community should be a part of the mission/vision. But like Kristen said, the principal had to get 100% buy in from the staff who were present, and that's important. You have to sell the vision, it has to be believed to be true for it to be truly successful. I learned from her example that the mission and vision can become (and should be) so much a part of the school that it's ingrained in the activities throughout the year. That's not something that happens overnight. Time, focus, and relationships.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Melissa! It can be difficult to get 100% "buy in" for anything in a school building. Kudos to her school and principal for putting students first. They knew what their students needed and they are making it happen!
DeleteBuy-in was huge for us! If we didn't get the 100% then Kids At Hope wouldn't have worked. The biggest obstacle for us is training new staff on what it means to be a Kids At Hope School. Its a priority to get them trained in "Hopeology".
DeleteKristin, the point about getting new staff in the loop is BIG. My school has a considerable turn over in staff, so to create a culture for anything takes a lot of retraining/ extra training. It might even be worth having a committee devoted to the task of training new staff on the values of the school.
DeleteKelsey and I had a discussion during our dinner break about how our school's mission and vision is so far removed from the students (and teachers for that matter). We started a school wide pledge this year that closely resembles the three GLAD personal standards (Show Respect, Make Good Decisions and Solve Problems). Our students recite the pledge every morning in their classrooms. I was wondering if we could somehow create our mission/vision around that pledge. It's obviously not measurable at this point, but it could be modified and it's a great starting point for discussion at our leadership and PBIS meetings. I would love for any student (kindergartner or 6th grader) to be able to articulate the mission and vision of Zeiger Elementary to anyone who asks!
ReplyDeleteI like your "big three" at Zeiger...to the point. It's interesting for me to think about how empowering a school could be if the Mission and Vision statements were extraordinary, internalized, and lived out. The desire to learn and help each other learn would be the starting point every day and the focus of the culture.
DeleteLOVE the GLAD connection! As a GLAD trainer, I think you're right on!
DeleteI love that you (your school) has recognized the need to make a change in what matters...students and their learning. My gut instinct is that your school culture will make a shift after the pledge and standards have been established for some time. Positive change is HUGE!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of class was the book shopping. It's always fun to steal from someone without getting into trouble. :) On a serious note, I can't wait to hear about the 15 books and have a resource to use later for my own professional development. I also appreciated the discussion about vision and mission statements. I interviewed a new principal in my district this morning and I noticed that she had the words mission/vision up on her white board. We started talking and she said that she didn't work with it at all last year, but is thinking that she would in January since she has a ton of new staff. I shared Lori's experience of writing a mission/vision statement by bringing in a photo of someone special and creating a personal emotional attachment. She loved it! I'm going to share with her the process described above from the book Simplifying Response to Intervention (my book selection) . I loved that I was able to connect my learning and experiences with my fellow cohort members immediately after class.
ReplyDeleteKristin, if you would like....I would love to share the process we used. It was amazing to see it unfold and evolve into something which all staff could stand behind and understand why we are doing what we are doing. It was a GREAT experience to facilitate and be a part of.
DeleteLast night’s class seemed to invigorate everyone (well, at least me!) after hearing how many good things are happening in our schools for students. Listening to Kristin talk about the positive changes and success that kids are experiencing in her school as a result of Kids at Hope was amazing. There are so many students and schools that could benefit from programs like this. And how about Elissa! What an honor and opportunity for Rocky Ridge and their students. Let’s vote and vote again!!! Analyzing and discussing the variety of mission/vision statements was pretty fascinating. Even though some statements were a little vague and others very descriptive, I thought it was a great way for us to start envisioning what we will do in the future in our own schools.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vince! I really appreciate the kudos! And yes...I'll be hounding our cohort to vote, vote, vote!
DeleteI appreciated the "conversation starter" activities Glen introduced to us. It helps me feel empowered to have tangible tools to start building my leadership bag. I am continually feeling this program is "authentic" preparation, which is far better than theoretical preparation. I want some ideas to hit the ground running with ...and so does my future employer.
ReplyDeleteThis last session I was excited to hear the word “’HOPE” used. (It made me smile.) The question of, “What do you HOPE for your child and their future?” was raised to parents during my “Kindergarten Family Connection” meetings I held with families prior to Kindergarten beginning. Over and over again families expressed that they wanted their child to be happy and successful in whatever they choose in life. My school population is significantly different than the population Kristin and her staff are serving, but still the word HOPE inspires me to do what I know is best for young learners. I know the learning my students are engaged in now will help cultivate happiness and success in their future. Just imagine… the impact I could have as an Administrator….the possibilities are endless. WOW!
ReplyDeleteI really need to start doing my reflection the night of class instead of waiting till the weekend when my thoughts are more scattered. I love the "book pick" and wrote down many titles and am excited to hear about all the books. I also enjoyed hearing other stories of mission and vision statements. The two times I have worked on a school mission statement, I felt the statement was more for show than for staff to buy into and put into practice. Chapters 1 and 2 in Leading with Data gave me a lot to think about in terms of healthy practices for a school.
ReplyDeleteAgree with the need to stay after class and do it then...That is my plan from here out.
DeleteKrista ^^^^ I agree.
ReplyDeleteI just sat down to blog and now I have class, numerous readings and several reflective papers all jiggling around in my head connecting and evolving. I am having a hard time thinking about what actually happened in class.
I do know that mission statements are important yet some feel really loosy goosey to me and I am struggling to use the figure 3.4 to benchmark the mission.
I am excited to interview this week. I chose three principals all for different reasons. I know I only need to interview one for the assignment but I really want to hear the process from three very different leaders. I am anxious to see if anyone is familiar with Terry Bergeson's SIP Plan guide. If so, if so I want to know how the work is being merged with Indistar. Are there similarities? I am also seriously thinking of making a crosswalk between these two documents as a warping of a different assignment. Last, I am anxious to use the activity Glenn walked us through with one of my teams. I am playing around with who this would be most beneficial for....I know that it was definitely a high-leveled DOK task.
WOW! Three principals, that's a great idea, and will give you interesting perspectives, I wonder how different or similar they will be! So cool that you can put this stuff right to work w/ what you are doing!
DeleteKrista I think we had the same idea. I interviewed two principals because I wanted to hear different perspectives.
DeleteI find it interenstin that we are talking about mission and vision statements in both our classes. I agree with you Brittane that at times information from both our classes seem to mix together. I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing, just another viewpoint or resource for information.
ReplyDeleteI am behind in my interview with my principal. I had one scheduled for Friday and a second for Monday so that I could try to keep our two classes separate, but it apparently wasn't supposed to be. He and I both ended dealing with two different crisis, once from the student end of things and one from the district office. Happy for backup plans!
Lori I am stealing your idea of the photos of important people! I think that it really provides a point of commonality for all stakeholders to rally around.
I too loved hearing about Kristin's school as well. I am sure that it is inspiring and meaningful to those kids who go there! That seems like a huge impact you are having! Hearing about that reminded me that during one of my kindergarten meetings w/ parents before school started a mom was telling me how her husband attended elementary school here, and sings the Fruitland song every time he drives past, so it is exciting that their child is now attending. The culture that we build in a school can have lasting impact, as well as hope to get through the day. I am excited about the book I got, and am looking forward to hearing about the others. I love how attending class helps me to look forward to the future and possibilities ahead! So excited for Elissa and her school- I hope they win!
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying this journey more and more. I know the reading is overwhelming and the work a lot in addition to what we already have going on is overbearing, but the knowledge and experience that is happening is priceless. I am so happy to have the opportunity to read and discuss how to improve teaching and learning.
ReplyDeleteTawana, I feel the EXACT same way!
ReplyDelete