Spring Break...Seeking Treasures

Every year I come to Cape San Blas, Florida for spring break. To rejuvenate, to be at peace, and to read a few good books. This week, I started with LEAD Like a Pirate by Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf. As I opened the book to the first page, I knew it was going to be one of those "just in time" books for me. The book focuses on how to be an effective school leader using acronyms from the pirate theme. I strongly suggest that all school leaders read this book. It spoke to me- just when I needed it most.

The book begins by discussing PASSION. What are you passionate about? Not just your professional passions, but your personal passions. At first I struggled with this. "I'm too tired to be passionate about anything, " I quickly thought to myself. Within a few minutes I came up with my professional and personal passions. What about you?

Professional Passions

• Supporting and encouraging teachers
• Literacy (reading and writing)
• Engaging students and teachers
• Making our school a place where students and teachers can't wait for the next school day
• Learning

Personal Passions

• My family
• Cooking
• My faith
• Gardening
• Reading
• Serving Others

The book also has a great activity that I plan to use with my staff at pre-planning. Each person is asked to identify their Top Three movies of all times. Staff members then find a common theme of the three movies and what that theme reveals about their passion as an educator. They are asked to share this theme with two other people. Burgess and Houf also recommend that staff members post their three movies and related passion in the staff workroom or lounge so that everyone can share and gain a better understanding of each others' passions. 

Last week I had my summative conference with our new superintendent. Needless to say, I was nervous. He's a great guy and easy to talk to, but I'm one of those Type A personalities that feels I'm never good enough. I never stop trying to pursue greatness...and never seem to get there. I know that I have room for growth in several areas.

A major area of concern for me is my inability to get into classrooms as much as I would like to. I've been telling myself that it's because I am the only administrator in the building and I have too many hats to wear. The truth of the matter is that I've just been making excuses. Shelley Burgess, one of the authors, was the only administrator in a building with 750 students and she did AMAZING things. Reading this was my "AHA" moment to stop making excuses and start making visits to classrooms a priority! After all, "I am the only person with the position and training to observe instruction and provide teachers with feedback."  I was being a Lifeguard Leader rather than an Immersed Leader. I was present, but not I wasn't swimming with the teachers. I needed to dive in by devoting intentional time and focus to the right things.

I had to reorganize my time. I had to LEAD!

Leverage Systems

Elevate the Impact

Activate a Team

Delete, Delete, Delete!

Another area of weakness for me is effective feedback and conversations with teachers.

Being purposeful about my conversations with teachers was the key take away from reading this section. Not only should I give teachers immediate feedback, but I need to connect feedback to our school goals or best practices.  Teachers don't just want to hear "good job" or "great lesson," they want to know what they did well and how it relates to student learning.  Teachers need to be appreciated and encouraged to try new things! Conversations with teachers build trust and encourage them to take risks. My final take away from this great book was....don't forget the power of "Thank You."  

This week I found my treasure amidst the sea and the sand......all while reading on the beaches of Cape San Blas.