Tom Waters

Collective purpose is such a buzz-type word. But the concept is more than buzz. It's the foundation of good teamwork . In practice, it is not as common as you would think. At least not as common as it should be with the surge in "collaboration" over the last 5 years. Everyone talks collaboration. Working together. Yet, it is not uncommon for many teams to actually collaborate with collective purpose. What is collective purpose? There are four basic features at the core of collective purpose. Here they are from big picture down to technical detail. 1. When a team shares a vision about what needs to happen and where they intend to be. 2. When a team shares what they hope to achieve and the goals they have to reach along the way. 3. When a team understands  how they go about their business. 4. When a team accepts the roles and plays those roles with passion and strength. Collective purpose can empower and awaken a team to move in the same directio...

TeamTom Education has an amazing strategy on the new blog post. It is a total response strategy that is aimed at taking test review into excellent instruction. In this strategy, students focus on test question analysis , but they do so in a fun and engaging way! The blog post covers these key topics related to the strategy: How the Strategy Works - a step-by-step overview of the strategy, Test Question Slap Down What are Analysis-Level Questions? Test Review to Think Deeply - Questions stems to prompt critical thinking when using test items Ongoing Formative Assessment The Benefits of Fun and Engaging Test Review Ideas for Classroom Management with this strategy You can read or recommend teachers to review the blog post at Test Review Game: Test Question Slap Down .

I once heard the book titled something like,  Feed Your Teachers or They'll Eat the Students . The gist of it was this: build a healthy work environment , and teachers will get the most learning out of the students. To do this, teachers need: Support Affirmation Professional learning Positive feedback Coaching feedback Listening I think you'll agree, these are the basics for a healthy school culture. You'll also agree the same is true at the leadership level. Feed Your Principals, or They'll Eat Your Teachers Your principals want the same as teachers - to  be successful ! Wait a second, that's the same desire held by district leaders and community members. So why do principals often act in ways that reveal detrimental dispositions? Dispositions and actions that undermine success. Such as: Fear of being judged harshly. Insecurity about their success. Need for control. Reaction to unforeseen problems. The answer is... ...they...

I don't mention it much here on the leadership blog, but I've got to take a few sentences to say how proud I am of our publishing team. You author the best teaching resources! Keep up the great work. View their latest test prep resources on the teaching blog at http://teamtomeducation.com/reading-test-prep-summarizing-task-cards/ Be sure to recommend the blog to teachers you know! And teachers are saying the greatest things...which is always more than I can say! “My class loved using these!” -Natalie Asbury “My class started using these today. There are so many options and ways to use them!” -Jessica C. “This is great! Thank you ;)” -Elizabeth Liedtke “Great for workstations and exit tickets!” -Ms. W Creative Little Learners (TPT Seller) “This resource is great practice!” -Stacy B.

In my previous post, Very Few Teachers Ever Quit Teaching , I proposed the idea that teachers never quit teaching. They quit their principal. If this is true, for the most part, then here are some easy to use strategies to keep your star teachers from quitting you. 1. Say Thank You to Your Teachers No, don't go there...not in a general email. That's not good enough. It's practically boss spam. Instead, make it personal. I was leaving Kroger's the other day, and the manager was cleaning the entry area. An employee was leaving his shift, and the manager said, "Thanks for your hard work today." That's it. It's not magical. It's leadership, and it says how much you value your teachers. Here are 23 Tips to Boost Staff Morale . 2. Be a Treasure Hunter It is so easy to point out every flaw and detail of imperfection. Or should I say, perceived  flaw? Make it a habit of walking through classrooms and finding treasure! Organiz...

Almost no teacher. Very few. Practically none. They don't just quit teaching. But they do quit something. (And Burnout is Real ) Almost all educators who entered the profession did so because they love growth. Teachers love to see children grow. Teachers love to see students learn. School leaders love to watch teachers grow. District and regional leaders love helping people and organizations grow. With all this love, it's illogical that any teacher every quits teaching. Well, they don't. Teachers don't quit teaching, they quit their principals. Here are 4 ways to keep your star teachers from quitting you: Use words to encourage, affirm, and recognize individually and in group settings. There's no cost to words. There's no bank where they run out. Don't be stingy with good words. Visit them often and find the good. If you can't find the good, then it's likely that your lenses need cleaning. You provide great training and support, so...

Data is not new to education, but its use has many iterations. What are connected educators saying about data best practices? Why do amazing educators embrace data? How is data currently used to improve performance? What words of caution do thought leaders provide? How Do Your Teams Measure Success? Goals and plans are useless without targets. I can have the best plan, but where is it taking me? How will I know when I get there? The same applies for schools. Data does nothing alone. It requires context, culture, and targets to take on meaning. I Never Heard a Number Explain Itself A bit of caution on measurement. There is always a story behind the numbers. Qualitative observations are essential. - Douglas Reeves  @DouglasReeves Contextual factors are always present within the classroom, the school, and the home. Those factors do impact numbers. We can change contextual factors, but it takes we. When we ask why in response to data, it's easy to blame the only adult in t...

It is the strategy, approach, and set of techniques that can unleash the largest results in student learning. Its name is vague and uncertain. It comes from the research in John Hattie's  Visible Learning . At the top of Hattie's research is a simple instructional strategy called, student visible learning. But what is it? What should we look for in our schools and classrooms to ensure it's happening? Are we designing curriculum and instructional materials that embed visible learning techniques for teachers and students to use? Are we building systems of support and development to increase the use of this powerful instructional strategy? Visible Learning: The Big Picture How do we help students become their own teacher? Helping them to see their learning and make the best choices about how to learn? That is visible learning. Student visible learning is the set of strategies teachers use to help students gain ownership of their own growth. These strategies incre...

We're in the midst of the holiday season and one thing is for sure...every store out there is vying for your attention. It's difficult to focus on your list. All the stores have really cool stuff for really great prices. Focusing is a skill that is hard to develop when the distractions look so great! The same is true in school leadership and school improvement. Every school out there seems to be doing something great. Every publisher has great ideas to improve student learning. Every leader is making an impact in their world of influence. Your superintendent is offering ideas. Your peers are talking about ideas. Your teachers are innovating new initiatives. Your school improvement plan is growing and mounding. But where's the focus? School Improvement Without Focus You know the campus improvement plan. It's thick and no one ever looks at it. You may have started strategic planning in lieu of the traditional campus plan. That's great! Regardless ...

Assumptions are the short-cuts to random results in relationships. Sometimes they work, sometimes they fail. Candor is the direct path to results in crucial conversations. Candor produces clear communication and understanding in relationships. If you believe in your relationships, you can afford candor. If your relationships are superficial, candor may just be what is needed. Conversations just aren't at optimum quality without it. This is a follow-up to our previous post How to Navigate Crucial Conversations . What is Candor and Why do School Leaders need it? Consider the following potential conflicts: Someone didn't complete a task.  A teacher didn't fulfill your expectation.  A parent is suddenly upset and calls the school board.  Your leadership team is quieter than normal at your three previous meetings. Your assistant superintendent seems to have stopped visiting your campus, and you're not sure why.  The worst response is to make ...

There's that nagging friction deep inside that let's you know that you need to have a conversation with someone. You've put it off for days, maybe even weeks because you know it will be a difficult conversation. But you also know it is a crucial conversation to have. Can you think of it? That person and conversation? Okay. Let's look at 4 strategies that will help you. Also, here's more on " Candor in Crucial Conversations " First, there are plenty of resources on holding difficult, crucial, challenging, and complex conversations. The books and articles are out there because we all recognize the cost. The cost of not holding the conversation is greater than the potential conflict that could occur in the discussion. There are mindsets, approaches, and ideas for minimizing any conflict that could occur from a tough talk. But, does it really have to be a tough talk ? Conversation Can Create a Win-Win Usually there's a problem, perceive...

Principals, you have so many management tasks to do every day - on-site meetings, communication, data-monitoring, conflict resolution, off-site meetings, fundraisers, etc... With the right mindsets and intentional strategies, each of these tasks can be more than a management role. Every interaction is an opportunity for transformational leadership. Here are three lessons shared in the past few weeks from thought leaders on twitter. You Will Be Wrong Embrace the fact that if you are going to lead people to grow, you are going to be wrong. It's ok #txeduchat   — Aaron Hogan (@aaron_hogan) October 8, 2016  It's okay. No, it's preferred. No one likes perfection. Even worse, no one likes someone who pretends to be perfect. The emotional intelligence lesson for leaders is, be intentionally vulnerable. Vulnerable people are likeable. They are easier to follow. They are human. If you want to lead, be open about being wrong. Be easy to follow. Do You Lead with Che...