Nothing can replace the value of excellent educators in our classrooms. This is a fact. The impact teachers have on education is profound: The greater the teacher - the better the education. It is a complicated job that requires those in the field of educating our future leaders to be dedicated and passionate about what they do everyday.
Great Teachers...
Adjust teaching strategies and lesson plans to cater to the needs of their students
Identify ambitious goals to improve the effectiveness of their teaching
Encourage family participation in their programs & advocate learning opportunities outside of their school
Focus on student learning and increase the value of class time
Deliver top-notch education in the classroom, despite the outside forces of poverty, bureaucracy, and budgetary shortfalls
If we are growing, we are always going to be out of our comfort zone
~ John Maxwell
I must admit that this has been one of those weeks that I am glad it is Saturday... even though I love, love, love my job. I can't imagine doing anything else and I consider myself very blessed to be the leader of what I believe is an exceptional school. Do not be fooled here. The school is striving for excellence not because of my leadership, but the people within the confines of our building. I'm not playing the martyr - I know I contribute, but it takes a village. The success of any school is always about the people. We are fortunate to have a group of people for whom passion and integrity runs through the veins of all.
This week we looked at data for students who have not yet made the literacy benchmarks. We saw great growth in many of our students and for that we celebrate! We also have some students who are not quite there yet. I want to acknowledge the fact that it is extremely difficult to sit with our peers and have someone ask what we have been doing and how we are going to move forward. Especially people who are not with us day in and day out. It is an uncomfortable process that can make us feel defensive and if we are honest, somewhat angry. A strategy I have for myself in situations like this is QTIP. : ) I have it on the board in the conference room as a gentle reminder. It stands for Quit Taking it Personally. I could write another whole post on this, as it is easy to say and hard to do! We all want what is best for our students and this includes consultants that visit with us.
If you left data meetings feeling frustrated, I challenge you to look beyond that 45 minutes. As the leader of the school, I have faith in each and every one of you. I am in classrooms and see the hard work that is done every day and I applaud you. But we are not done. We will work together and find solutions for ALL students to grow. Remember, if we are growing, we will always be out of our comfort zone. And that is a good thing. : )
