Jennifer Bethman
Bethel School District
Assistant Superintendent & FlautistBethel School District
2nd Half
Carly Takata!
Digital Library
ERDC
SBAC
Query / EDS
Session 14
Olympia Dr. Gene Sharratt
Leadership Plan due on 12/4 (Send to my gmail)
Session 15
WERA Conference
Assessment Portfolio due on 12/11 (Final Post)
Another great evening! I can't believe we are done with classes. :( Jennifer's presentation was very useful. I appreciated that she put a spin on it and focused on the interview process and look for's. Going over the the criteria and breaking down each of them really helped me to create a picture of what it would look like. I now have questions to ask my principal about...What sub-set of teachers is he focused on? What sub-group of students is he looking at for criteria 8.3?
ReplyDeleteI appreciated Carly sharing her students' story with the digital library. I'm a little apprehensive to share with my teachers as I don't want them abandoning our CORE curriculum to do just digital library stuff, so the roll out of the library is on hold as a district until we have a clear plan. That'll be coming up the first week of December!
I also want to ask my principal what sub group she is focusing on. I liked knowing that Kristen Schroeder was focused on us.... I think because we were her focus, lots of energy, time and resources from her and the building were shared with us, to help us be most effective! I hope she got scored well... :) I liked the info on the interviews, and I want to start working on a data power point, things I have done in my room. Great idea! More motivation to work as smart as I can and have some huge growth! :)
DeleteKristin - I really appreciated Jennifer's advice on what to be prepared for during the interview process as well. It gives us something to focus on as we prepare for next year.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Jennifer's approach to our class last night. Asking a very pertinent question right off the bat -- As a building administrator, how will you use data to improve student achievement? -- set the tone for the rest of her presentation and how we should be thinking about data and our own interviews next year. As always, there's never a single correct answer, and I liked hearing the various responses, especially "building capacity into your teachers" (I believe that was Elissa who mentioned that one). As we move forward and get closer to our internships and, eventually, administrative positions, I think it's important to consider that "The biggest challenge for us is changing teacher behaviors in an effort to improve test scores," as Glenn stated. We can have as many bags of tricks that we want but if we don't have the capacity to reach our teachers and help them believe that change is a must for our students' sake then we'll continue to experience low achievement.
ReplyDeleteNicely said Vince! Everything hinges on our ability to reach our teachers and empower them to be part of and lead the changes required to increase student achievement.
DeleteI am not sure who said, "We can only control what we can control" but I liked it too. We just have to make sure that as visionary leaders, we are willing to put in the hard work and then patiently cultivate the capacity of all key stakeholders in order to create and maintain a data driven culture!
Looking back on the last few months I am amazed by all that we have learned. I feel like we have been given a big picture view of the HOW, WHAT, and WHY of building a data driven culture and now we need to spend the next year and a half living what we preach! Tonight was another launching point for me to keep preparing for the interview process and ultimately a position as an administrator. Being able to clearly articulate how data will play a role in my visionary leadership is no easy task. I agree with soon to be Doctor Jennifer Bethman. Too often people get stuck in the collecting and analyzing steps and then run out of time, energy, and resources in order to complete the intended purpose of the data. Using the data to inform and change our school wide programs and instruction is what it is all about. As always, Glenn reminded us that while student achievement data is important, perception data, teacher data, PLC data, etc. are all just as important to incorporate into our interview answers and more importantly our practice.
ReplyDeleteThis is exciting when we can start to see a picture. :) I always think of learning something new as a canvas. We slowly start putting paint on it as we learn bits here and there and then (it seems as if all of a sudden) a picture forms and the paint here and there begin to work together and make sense.
DeleteWhat great presentations we had last night. I was really enjoyed Jennifer's presentation, and all the explaining she did of what to expect and some things to think about with our evaluations. I liked her comment about being intentional about the requests we place on teachers. I know teachers feel the pressure! To help them be most effective we need to be intentional about helping teachers with the data. {As a side note, When I asked Kristen Schroeder for a piece of advice for a future principal, she said, "practice looking at and reading data." } As a principal we will need to help teachers with this process, so we need to be very familiar with the data.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Carly's presentation! Laurie, my current principal told me she is trying to get her to come and present to the staff at our building, but was concerned it didn't apply much to k-2. I think there is plenty of things to learn from Carly! I loved how she had a real life example w/ her current class, and all the differentiated instruction she is putting into practice and how she is making that work, with her class needs was impressive! I haven't looked for it yet on the blog here, but I am hoping we have access to her power point, I would like to study it a bit! :)
Thanks again, for a great class!
I loved the life current examples too! The way she determined essential learning standards from all the standards and then worked to design intervention around those standards really made me think about the way I analyze data and design interventions.
DeleteI am sorry I was not at this session. I did not have anything left to give and I needed to be in fetal position for the evening.
ReplyDeleteI know you all already know this.... Management is easy, but leadership is difficult. It is worth it...yet it can take you out of the game for an evening. Listen to the voice that tells you to take a time out.
A wise woman (AMY) told me, “A river is changed one rock at a time."
I am sharing this quote with you as it helped me during a very difficult week.
You are going to have difficult weeks as a leader, too. We all will. Weeks where we might question our skills and ability. Where we might question our effectiveness. Question our purpose.
Questions are good. Reflection is how we grow.
During my introduction to the 60 amazing instructional facilitators yesterday, I talked about the dance floor and the balcony. As leaders in our district it is hard to get off the dance floor. We are doing the day to day work. We are looking around and we are aware of the huge elephant of TPEP and CCSS and SBAC that seems impossible to accomplish. Yet, an old proverb tells us that you eat an elephant one bite at a time.
On the dance floor, the elephant looks impossible to eat. You cannot imagine one more bite....the plate ifs full, the stomach is full. The task looks impossible.
I encouraged them to go to the balcony daily. Look down as you will see a different view. You will see that you are not alone as a coach or teacher or principal. We are all eating the same elephant. WE will get through the change and we will grow and make progress. One bite at a time, together.
I am sharing this because I believe we all need a little encouragement (especially me right now...lol) The elephant may look daunting. Yet, take the moment every day to see the bigger picture. then go back down and dance the dance of "YES" and "WE CAN" because those people who do not have the capacity at this time to make it to the balcony are watching your dance moves and will potentially join in on the choreography. That is leadership.
As Amy stated, "We change a river one rock at a time." This is doable.
Well said Brittane. I appreciate your insightful reflection as usual. I especially like the idea of dancing to the tune of Yes and We Can.
Delete"A river is changed one rock at a time." What a perfect quote for leading change in our personal as well as professional lives. Thank you Brittane (via Amy)!
DeleteThe last class was a great summation of our learning this semester. It was also a solid confirmation of the authenticity of the ground we've covered. As Jennifer emphasized, the role of data in driving the work of learning improvement is an aspect of administration that will be very prevalent. This being the case, I am thankful for the fantastic training we've received and experienced through this classwork. It is a security to know answers to questions about developing a SIP plan, building teams and capacities, and cultivating culture and data literacy within a building. I look forward to the piece of the puzzle we will receive in Olympia.
ReplyDeleteTwo great presentations tonight that made me further think on my perceptions of data. I know I need to find clear concise ways to share my philosophy of data with interviewers and with staff...my three minute answer :) Carly's presentation really got me thinking about the way I use data to determine interventions. After listening to Carly and reflecting on my own practices, I called a friend who is the 4/5 interventionist at Carter Lake. Over Christmas break, we will be figuring out the essential skills for 4th and 5th in math, looking at our intensive and strategic student math data, determining their gaps and designing interventions and planning Extended Day Learning for after winter break.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated both Jennifer and Carly’s presentations the other night. They were a perfect culmination of our learning in regards to data and education. Jennifer’s questions provided a template for how I will prepare for future interviews and administrative questions. Her view as an evaluator of administrators was invaluable and provided a clear picture of how the AWSP Leadership Frameworks is incorporated into the day to day activities of a building leader. Carly’s use of data and the SBAC library in regards to RTI provided a very strategic example of how it can look in one classroom. It was also affirmation that the daily work I do in my own classroom will positively impact my ability to lead a staff through the process of data driven instruction.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Sari! It was nice to have a summary of our learning on Thursday night. It was also a good reminder that we should be practicing in our classroom and in our own teams to prepare for our work in leading staff. This work can and should be starting now. I am really interested in seeing how you guys have implemented RTI in third grade at Zeiger.
DeleteThursday's speakers and honored guests, Jennifer Bethman and Carly Tokata brought forth the same idea in two different presentations: "Bring something to the table and own it." I felt this way for several reasons. First of all, Jennifer's questions regarding how we would use data to improve student achievement reinforced for me the idea that what we are learning is not just rhetoric. We WILL be looked to for the answers and we WILL be held accountable for the ideas we put into action. This is nothing to take lightly and as Nate said, has to be more than just using the right "buzz words." The way we respond to questions like the one Jennifer posed to us the other night must include the right words but must also include the understanding to implement the necessary steps to bring those words to life. Carly's presentation was another example of ownership. She took an idea of how to use data to improve the learning of her students and then expanded it to help others do the same. Her leadership was self-initiated. This is inspiring because we will not learn to lead by sitting back and discussing leadership. We learn to lead by rolling up our sleeves and putting ideas on the table knowing that some will work, some may not, and some may fail miserably. You will hear from a very special instructor next semester that "no one ever said this job was easy. If it was, SOMEONE else would be doing it!" I'm so thankful for the experiences we have had this semester. Glenn has done a phenomenal job in inviting us to learn from people that have rolled up their sleeves to make impactful things happen in their buildings and with their staff. Thank-you everyone for an amazing semester of learning and growing!
ReplyDeleteWell said! Bring it, own it, lead with it!
DeleteI concur! We will not learn by sitting back. We need to be involved and take ownership of our learning and what we want from it!
DeleteThird time is the charm! I've tried to post 2 different times and it hasn't worked. Okay here I go... I really appreciated the timing of Jennifer's presentation. Walking through the framework and hearing what she is expecting as a principal evaluator was extremely helpful. It has been said above that their are no right and wrong answers, which for me is a double edge sword. It is also a little scary to know that a principal's performance is based on the actions of other people. However, I am reassured because I feel that there are tons of resources available to help principals be successful leaders. Prior to process, I thought principals created and developed on their own. This is not the case. The User guide is available for principals. It includes real examples that can be adjusted. I plan to ask my leader if he uses it to guide him. I also appreciated Carly's enthusiasm. She is the model of change and putting the needs of students first. I think she will be a great principal leader. She will provide her teachers with the examples and experience needed to make real change in student learning.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the opportunity that Jennifer gave us to reflect and begin to format our response to the question, “As a building administrator, how will you use data to improve student achievement?” It was very encouraging to be able to answer that question and hear confirmation of my ideas in the ideas of others. It was even more encouraging to hear Jennifer discuss the same things that I had just written down. This is a direct reflection of the strong program we are in as well as the hard work we have all done over the past few months. #GOCOUGS.
ReplyDeleteThank you Carly for such an awesome presentation. I am very excited to build my own capacity around the digital library. It is great to have a tool that will not only improve my teaching but give opportunities for leadership in the district. My student growth goals are centered around the SBAC performance task with a focus on elaboration and text based details. I am excited to see what common core based activities I can find in the digital library that I can use to help my students in this area.
This session had many great things to think about. I appreciated the details and examples Jennifer provided as she went through the 3, 5 and 8. It is always nice to hear the message from someone who uses and knows what tool is supposed to look and sound like. It was also great to hear Carly speak on what she is doing to improve student learning in her classroom and the SBAC Digital Library she uses as a resource.
ReplyDeleteThis class has afforded me many learning opportunities that I have taken back to use in my building now and I am sure it will be useful in the future. How great it is to sit in on a staff or leadership meeting and be a contributing part because of the things I have learned in class these past few months. AMAZING things are happening and I LOVE to be a part of it all.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. My wish for you... To be able to spend your day with the people you are most thankful for! Enjoy!
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