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Clearing a Path to a Successful Ending

The end of the year may be only weeks away, but there is much to be done and many potential distractions and disruptions occupy the path ahead. Our role in the final weeks might be compared to clearing the path, showing the way, and preparing for a great arrival. One of our most important tasks during this time is to listen carefully and constantly. People will tell us what they need and what we need to do, if they believe we are listening. Of course, not everyone will have the same needs and we cannot do everything. What is most important is to be present, responsive, and ready to lead. Central to our “path clearing” work is a focus on protecting relationships, promoting shared effort, and preparing to celebrate success. Our message in these final weeks is that we are still in this together. We need to support each other. It is not a time to be distracted by petty grievances and meaningless arguments. If we give our best effort, we will be fine. We do not need to worry about what we cannot change. And we need to celebrate successes wherever they can be found. We need to “cut away” distractions and nonessential activities to preserve time and energy to focus on learning and teaching activities. Nonessential staff meetings might be replaced by video messages, printed updates, and personal conversations. Where possible, we might provide flexibility in deadlines for reports and other end of year paperwork. Look for ways to reduce out-of-class responsibilities. Encourage teachers to collaborate, share, and exchange responsibilities. Show the way forward by concentrating on a limited number of priorities for the final weeks. Keep learning at the center but avoid placing excessive pressure on people for activities that take time and need flexibility. Focus on essential skills and content, not coverage. Identify and monitor students who have suffered trauma and may be in crisis. Avoid cluttering the path and creating distractions. For example, where possible, delay announcements of new initiatives and major changes for the coming year. Now is not the time to introduce uncertainty and questions regarding issues that can wait. Consider reserving time at the very end of the year if announcements and changes for next year need to be shared. Keep the destination in sight and build to an ending high. This year has been a long journey and reaching the end is worth celebrating. Commit to making this the best ending ever. Use your imagination and make it special without having it become a distraction. Create anticipation for an event worth working toward. Remarkably, despite all that everyone has been through, a special ending may be what people remember most when this year fades into history.

April 26, 2021

Do’s and Don’ts for Finishing the Year Successfully

We are reaching the time of year when the end will soon be in sight. Meanwhile, for many students this a time of transition back to in-person learning after many months, or even a year, of remote learning. These factors and others will add complexity to lives and learning in the coming weeks. We need to be conscious of how the experiences of students may influence their perceptions and behavior in the transition back and respond with sensitivity and patience. We also may feel pressure to “catch students up” in the weeks that remain, wanting to avoid feelings of guilt if students have not been exposed to the full grade level or course curriculum. Time may feel short and pressure may be intense to make full use of what remains of the year. We need to use the time wisely, but we also need to realize that learning is what matters most. Our priorities need to reflect what we can do with the time and resources available so we don’t become overwhelmed and panic. To help us think about how we can negotiate our way through the coming weeks, here are some do’s and don’ts to consider. Don’t:

Ignore the emotional and psychological injuries and scars experienced by students. Just because students are happy to be back in classrooms does not mean the pain and distraction of family members they have lost, family conflict they experienced, and other myriad issues now are gone. They may be pushed down or set aside for now, but the feelings will resurface and need to be addressed eventually. We need to stay alert for signs of trauma and the needs of some students for attention and support.
Assume that everything remaining in the curriculum must be covered. In a normal year we may be able to engage students with the full scope of the curriculum. However, this is not a normal year. We may feel as though we must “cover” the full curriculum if we are to meet expectations of us, but what matters most is not coverage. It is learning. In the weeks remaining, our time and the time of our students will best be spent focusing on what they know and what is essential for them to learn.
Underestimate your role in helping students find their way in learning and life. Students need to feel stability, support, and care, especially now. When we provide a calm, engaging, and purposeful environment, we give students assurance that they can focus on learning. When we give students opportunities to explore, investigate, problem-solve, set goals, and take risks, we offer the autonomy and ownership students need to grow toward independence and “way finding.”
Give in to resentment or resort to blaming. Like our students, our lives were disrupted, we experienced loss, and we were deprived of celebrations and connectedness. This could be a time when our emotions turn dark, and we look for who to blame for our loss and resent the sadness we experienced. However, our energy and attention will benefit us far more if allocated toward what we can do going forward. How can we make the future better? What have we learned that we can take with us? What can we do to improve the lives of others?
Assume that life will return to the “old normal.” We and our students have experienced much in the past months. Our students are not the same and neither are we. Expecting life to be what it was prior to the pandemic will likely lead to disappointment. Now is the time to focus on what we can create. We can build on what we have learned, retain what is valuable from the past, and create a future that is worthy of becoming our normal.

Do:

Share your confidence in your students and their ability to thrive beyond the pandemic. Students need to know that we are there for them, especially now. So much has happened that brought uncertainty and confusion into their lives. They need to feel our belief in them, our reassurance and support, and the stability it creates in their lives.
Focus on purposeful content and useful skills. We can connect what students are asked to learn with the purpose their learning will serve. We can give students opportunities to apply their learning where practical and support them to use their new learning to develop new insights. Where possible we can encourage and support students to use what they learn to create and share with others. Learning is most fun and satisfying when it leads to something meaningful and opens doors to creativity.
Reinforce with students the value and importance of what they have learned, including what is not in the curriculum and will not be on a formal test. Our students learned many skills and developed an array of habits that helped them to survive, and even thrive, during the pandemic. However, many of the most crucial things they learned will not show up on a test or be included in an academic grade. Organization, prioritizing, managing time, solving resource problems, and mastering technology tools are just a few examples. We need to honor and reinforce these skills and habits as key tools for future success.
Take time to build community and nurture a culture of inclusion, connectedness, and acceptance. It has been said that “we all have experienced the same storm, but we were not all in the same boat.” Some students will need more time and space to deal with their experiences and feelings of loss. Others may be ready to move forward with less support. We need to be there to respond and support and to marshal the support of peers to help everyone succeed.
Give students time to make the transition. Some of our students may resist too much direction and close supervision. They have experienced levels of flexibility and autonomy that they value and may not want to give up without reason. Other students may struggle with non-stop school for the entire day, when they have been free to move around and take breaks in other learning settings. We need to be thoughtful about expectations, restrictions, routines, and consequences as students return to learning in the physical presence of others.

April 19, 2021

Carpe Diem—Seize the Day!

For most of us, the past year has presented more challenges and demands for change than any other time in our careers. It was filled with uncertainty, unpredictability, and constant need for rethinking and adjusting. Some changes worked well and moved us forward. Others had to be reworked and recalibrated before they could be successfully implemented. For some of our staff members, the rate and nature of change was exciting and invigorating. They were able to develop and try new strategies and approaches that would not have been possible in the absence of the challenges we faced. For these educators, more change in the future is a welcome prospect. For others, the early stages of the pandemic were filled with bewilderment and confusion, but as time passed, they became more confident and willing to try new practices and adjust to new and changing circumstances. In fact, they discovered that change is not as scary and uncomfortable as they used to believe. The experience has given them confidence and an appreciation for the opportunities change can offer. Still others began this journey reluctant to change, but they were unable to resist changing in light of the circumstances they faced. The experience has been stressful and exhausting. The prospect of further changes in the transition back and start of a new year is not welcome, especially if it can be avoided. Of course, clustering individual staff members into such broad groups over-generalizes their experiences and perspectives. Still, it can help us to think about changes to be made for the coming year and reactions any proposals might receive. We learned many important lessons over the past year about engaging learners, building learning independence, instilling learning commitment and persistence, using technology to support learning, and other aspects of our work. These lessons need to be captured and become part of learner experiences going forward, but support and persistence will be required to avoid a return to the previous state of practice. This might also be the time to consider changes in key structures such as the daily schedule. Maybe it’s time to move toward a “looping” strategy where students stay with the same teacher for more than one year. Moving to “grade bands” at this time could alleviate some of the issues related to variations in student progress and readiness. Now might also be a good time to introduce flexible learning opportunities such as “genius hours” and “passion projects.” The list could go on. One thing is certain, choosing to delay changes until after the next school year has started and people have settled into old routines and habits will not make changes any easier. In fact, by then, initiating change is likely to be more difficult and face more resistance. We have what appears to be a window of opportunity to make needed and beneficial changes. Unfortunately, the window will likely close in the coming months if we fail to take advantage of it. Leadership is about developing and recognizing ideas and opportunities to make things better. Leadership is also about finding the right time to act. We have learned much that is important, new ideas and insights have emerged, and openness to change may be at its highest. Now is not the time to pull back. Carpe diem!

April 12, 2021

Watch for Behavior Challenges During Transitions

For months, students who have primarily been in remote learning settings have lived by a different set of behavior expectations than are typical in face-to-face settings. Trips to the bathroom may not require specific permission or a hall pass. There is no need to ask for permission to sharpen a pencil or seek out a needed classroom resource. Yet, a different set of expectations may accompany students’ transition back to in-person learning environments. Obviously, some expectations are necessary to ensure safety, maintain focus, and avoid unnecessary disruptions. Accounting for the whereabouts of students is important within a school and ensuring an orderly learning environment may require some limits on student freedom and choice. For some students the expectations will be unwelcome and feel excessively restrictive. Having to ask permission for activities that were self-regulated at home may seem like an attempt to over-control or signal a lack of trust. Having to sit quietly and resist talking with friends that they haven’t seen for months may be a difficult expectation to meet. The bottom line is: We can expect some student confusion, uncertainty, and even resistance to the behavior constraints they experience as they transition back. For some, the expectation may not be much of an issue and they will make the transition smoothly. Other students may question and complain but will adjust and comply. Still others will predictably resist, pushback, and may even experience meltdowns as they are confronted with expectations that have not been part of their lives for as much as a year. This reality presents at least three implications for action from us. First, we need to examine the expectations we have for students as they make the transition back. Expectations that are based in tradition but have no compelling purpose need to be abandoned. They are not worth the fight associated with enforcement and they can damage our relationships with students. The expectations that are necessary to ensure safety, preserve order, and support learning need to be presented with a clear rationale and with as much flexibility as we can manage. Where practical, we can invite students to discuss and have input on how the expectations will be implemented and managed. Second, we need to reflect and consider how students were able to manage greater freedom and flexibility as they engaged in remote learning. Some of the routines and procedures allowed in remote learning settings may work fine in face-to-face settings or may be manageable with some modifications. We learned many lessons about managing behavior and engaging students in remote settings. We would be wise to bring as many of those lessons to in-person learning environments as we can. The fact is that in some cases, students can handle more freedom and responsibility than we have given them in the past. They may need supports and reminders, but the benefits can be significant. Third, we need to offer flexibility in the implementation of the expectations that students may struggle to meet. We may need to teach some of the procedures associated with the expectations. It is predictable that some students, especially young learners, may not remember routines and procedures that were once familiar. Some students may just need time and support to adjust and have expected behaviors become routine and consistent again. Our challenge is to anticipate and respond with clarity, empathy, and support. Behavior expectations are not academic learning, but they help to create the conditions under which learning can occur. Our careful planning and management of expectations can offer significant benefits to the learning environment if done well, or result in resistance and disruption if students fail to see the need for or the benefits of the expectations presented to them.

March 22, 2021

Drive Teacher Success With Five Types of Collaboration

The term “collaboration” is tossed about freely in education conversations. Just about everyone agrees that it is a good thing to participate in. We may even see it as a useful tool for staff to use as they share strategies, make plans, and solve problems, especially now as teachers face new instructional contexts and learning challenges. All of these applications can be useful, but to take full advantage of what a collaborative focus can offer to support instructional success requires that we understand and employ collaborative strategies at a deeper level than is common in casual use. In fact, there are at least five forms of collaboration available to tap. Each application can serve a need and professional purpose. However, tapping collaboration’s real power requires a match between the strategy and the context and goal. We might think of it as having levels, each offering benefits and serving specific purposes. Level one: Sharing frustrations and emotional release. Collaboration at this level involves sharing frustrations, recounting experiences, expressing opinions, and describing perceptions. These experiences can offer a sense of belonging, mutual support, and emotional release: important experiences during times of stress and uncertainty. Such experiences can be useful to building community and culture, as long as the dominate tone is positive and supportive. However, this form of collaboration typically does not result in significant professional learning or improvements in professional practice. In short, sharing frustrations and emotional release can be useful in measured doses, but overindulgence diminishes most benefits. Level two: Growing camaraderie and sharing “war stories.” The next level involves the sharing of insights, knowledge gleaned from past experiences, and folklore of the profession. The focus of this type of collaboration is not on solving specific problems as much as sharing traditional wisdom and beliefs about how things work generally. The sharing aspect of this type of collaboration can build common values and ways of thinking, especially for inexperienced participants. Carefully selected mentors and thoughtful coaches can employ this type of collaboration to onboard new professionals. It can also be a grounding experience for veteran practitioners. Level three: Sharing solutions. At this level, the focus is on identifying and understanding challenges and sharing solutions that team or group members have tried. This form of collaboration is often what people assume when they hear the term. The goal is to share experiences and learning with others in support of each other’s success. However, since the insights and solutions shared are typically based in the experiences and contexts of those who share them, learning must often be translated, evaluated, and applied in a different context. Thus, the learning value can be limited. This type of collaboration works best with specific problems that are likely to be solved using shared actions and common strategies. Level four: Solving problems together. This higher level of collaboration invites participants to gain a common understanding of the challenge or problem and then work together to find solutions. Collaborators share their best thinking, unique insights, and expertise with the goal of finding the best solution or set of solutions for all. In its best form, every participant learns and all benefit from outcomes in ways that they likely would not have experienced alone. This approach works best with more complex problems that require flexibility and deeper understanding. Level five: Co-invention. This highest level invites collaborators to go beyond solving a problem to inventing solutions, approaches, frameworks, and strategies that improve professional practices and offer benefits beyond the specific work and needs of participants. This level of engagement is fairly rare in education, but it offers exceptional professional satisfaction and opportunities to make significant contributions to the field. We can support our most talented and creative staff to grow and contribute through this powerful form of collaboration. As we consider the unprecedented needs and challenges staff members face, it makes sense to support and position staff to engage in the type and level of collaboration that best matches their needs and context. When we do, we open doors to new relationships, novel insights, a healthy culture, and new ideas and solutions. Adapted from: Rickabaugh, J. (2016). Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning: A Roadmap for School Leaders (pp.120-122). ASCD.

March 08, 2021

Crucial Staff Support in the Transition Back

Schools across the country are in the process of returning to some form of in-person learning. In some cases, students and teachers have not been together for a year. Many school staff have not been able to gather in person either. Now, with roughly a quarter of the year remaining, they will be transitioning to new environments or returning to previous ones while continuing to teach and learn. In some ways, the transition mirrors the beginning of a new year as routines and expectations are created and adjusted. In-person relationships with students are created and renewed. Meanwhile, classrooms may need to be set up and materials may need to be collected and organized. For many educators, the pandemic has been a time of extreme stress. Exhaustion is rampant. Returning to in-person settings likely will, at least temporarily, increase these feelings. While we attend to the needs of students as they return to in-person learning, we also need to provide support for adults. Consider five areas for focus and action. First, we can be patient. We know that we need to be flexible with students and not try to cover everything in the time remaining. The same approach is warranted with staff. We need to consider what we can let go for now. Where practical, we can provide time and flexibility for staff to find their way. Letting go of some reports, forgoing some responsibilities, and providing flexibility in submission of reports and plans where possible can go a long way in reducing stress and lightening the load. Second, we can listen. Being open, present, and accessible during and after the transition can position us to hear what may be getting in the way of progress and creating stress. At times, listening may be all that is needed. In other situations, listening may make us aware of actions and adjustments we can make to ease burdens and provide support. Third, we can help people reconnect. The pressure to move quickly as the transition unfolds can leave people continuing to feel isolated and overwhelmed. Scheduling and protecting time for socializing can rebuild connections and renew important relationships. It can also be a time for comparing experiences, sharing ideas, and providing reciprocal support. Fourth, we can establish predictable routines. Transitions often feature uncertainty and unpredictability. Establishing regular routines such as Friday morning staff breakfasts, brief stand-up meetings, and/or daily and weekly information updates can create touch points and stability in the midst of the transition back. Fifth, we can show appreciation. The distractions and struggles associated with the transition become easier to manage if people feel as though their efforts are noticed and appreciated. We can communicate our gratitude through our words and actions, but they must be authentic and not associated with yet another expectation or request. When appreciation is conditional, it loses its value. We can also encourage others to communicate their appreciation. When educators hear from parents, students, and the community that their work is valued, it can be even more powerful. Transitions such as these are never easy. However, when we offer patience and attention, create opportunities for reconnections, establish routines, and communicate appreciation, the experience can be one that generates pride and satisfaction.

March 08, 2021

Share Your Tips & Stories

Share your story and the tips you have for getting through this challenging time. It can remind a fellow school leader of something they forgot, or your example can make a difficult task much easier and allow them to get more done in less time. We may publish your comments.

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Six Pandemic Experiences That Should Shape Our New Normal

As we look forward to putting the pandemic behind us and anticipate what will become our new normal in the coming months, there is much of what was normal before the pandemic to which we will want to return. We eagerly anticipate the familiar routines and traditions of pre-pandemic times. There will also be things that we will want to leave behind. Feelings of bewilderment and uncertainty and challenges for which we were not prepared or equipped will become memories. We may have learned from these experiences, but we may not want to have them become constant companions in our new normal. Equally important are elements and aspects of the pandemic experience that we need to become a part of our future normal. These elements sharpened and expanded our skills. They created connections and led to relationships that made our work better and more satisfying. In short, they made us better professionals. Let’s recognize and reflect on these elements and why they deserve a place in our new normal. For many of us, the pandemic led us to become more frequent and effective collaborators. The isolation made us seek out and treasure connections, insights, and advice from colleagues in ways we had not experienced prior to the pandemic. We planned together, supported each other, and survived together. As we make the transition to what will be normal, we need to be certain that we maintain the connections we built and the collaboration we experienced. The sudden and unexpected shifts and new expectations also presented us with the need for real-time and near real-time professional learning. We could not afford to wait for preplanned, dedicated professional development days. Learning often came in small increments. Our learning reflected where we needed to refocus and find success with students in new contexts, using new tools. We learned the value of professional learning under pressure and in the face of extreme urgency. As we make the transition, we need to be certain to take with us what we learned about our own learning and make it a part of our new normal. We faced the challenge of managing student behavior without many of the tools and levers to which we were accustomed. We learned strategies and approaches for motivating and engaging students without threats and coercion. We found ways to tap student interests, build their commitment, and focus their attention without demanding minute-by-minute compliance. We now have access to a wider array of options to tap intrinsic motivation we can take with us as we make the transition our new normal. The pandemic also led us to build stronger partnerships with parents and families. We learned more about our students and their lives than what we historically assumed to be practical. Parents came to appreciate the work we do and the commitment we have to their children and their learning. At times, we worked with parents alongside each other as we made our way through unfamiliar territory that asked the best of all of us. Maintaining strong relationships and working partnerships with parents can serve us well as we make the transition ahead of us. The pandemic also taught us to engage students and nurture learning that matched the readiness of our students. The assumptions and expectations embedded in the curriculum and pacing guide often did not match what students were ready to learn. If we hoped to nurture learning we had to respond to students first and standardized expectations later. Of course, this dilemma was also present in pre-pandemic times. It will be there when we return. The lesson to take with us in the months ahead is that what students are ready to learn must be a driving force in our planning and instructional decisions. Of course, we learned much about technology, its potential, and how to leverage it to generate learning. The tools we discovered, the strategies we learned, and the potential we tapped helped us to survive and thrive throughout the pandemic. Now we can use our experience and technology-related skills to create flexibility and integrate it with instruction in ways we may never have imagined before the pandemic. Technology promises to be a key element as we build our new normal. There will be pressure in the coming months to return to the normal that existed prior to the pandemic. However, we need to be thoughtful and disciplined about what we will bring with us. Our challenge is to build a new normal worthy of what we have learned and reflective of how we have grown.

March 01, 2021

Unlock Unlimited Learning With Collective Efficacy

We want all of our students to succeed. We worry, nudge, and cajole in our efforts to reach every learner. Yet, too often we feel as though we can only do so much, especially by ourselves. Despite our best efforts, success with every student can remain out of reach. Interestingly, the answer may not lie in our best efforts while working alone. A growing and powerful body of research points to the potential of collective effort and efficacy as a game-changer for lifting the learning of students regardless of past performance, socio-economic background, cultural context, or other factors that traditionally have been associated with a lack of learning success. The power of collective teacher efficacy has been studied and documented for years, but a recent meta-analysis of research studies conducted by internationally respected researcher John Hattie places this factor at the top of the list of approaches that can transform student learning. His analysis ranks collective teacher efficacy as far more predictive of student achievement than socio-economic status, prior achievement, or even home environment. However, collective teacher efficacy is more than aspirational statements, goals in a strategic plan, or a collection of instructional strategies. Collective teacher efficacy grows out of a set of beliefs and practices that when combined, create a powerful force for lifting student achievement. Granted, building strong collective efficacy takes time, but the results it can generate in student success are compelling. Here are five keys to building the collective efficacy that can unleash unlimited learning for students. #1: Shared trust. The first key unlocks relationships among team members. Trust forms the foundation on which the other keys depend for success. Building trust requires that we assume the positive intentions of others. When the behavior of team members falls short, we view it as an exception rather than evidence of untrustworthiness. Trust also requires team members to be vulnerable with each other. Admitting mistakes, not claiming to have all of the answers, and asking for help are building blocks for strong, sustainable trust. Trust creates conditions that allow for shared risk-taking, mutual support, and a collective search for solutions. #2: Shared belief in the potential of learners. Learners rarely perform at levels beyond what we expect and support. This key opens opportunity for all learners to learn beyond perceptual boundaries and excel beyond past performance. Unless team members believe that learners are capable and have the potential to learn at high levels, other efforts to unleash exceptional learning are not likely to be successful. Past performance, cultural and economic background, and other factors cannot be allowed to temper our aspirations and limit what we will support learners to achieve. #3: Shared confidence in our abilities and commitment to be successful with all learners. Beyond believing that learners have the potential to be successful, team members must share the belief that they have the power to reach and lift the learning of any individual or group of students. Complementing the belief in our capacity needs to be a shared commitment to see that every student does succeed, no matter the challenges and barriers. Without a strong, shared belief in our potential and a commitment to have a positive impact, the pressure to compromise, lower expectations, or even give up can be difficult to counter. #4: Shared learning and expertise. If we had all of the answers and knew all of the solutions to the problems we face, our task would be easy. However, such is not the case with most learning challenges we face. This key to unlocking unlimited learning requires team members to commit to our own learning and build expertise to confront the difficulties our students face. Shared learning and access to each other’s expertise not only builds a strong team, it allows each member full access to the combined resources of the team. To overcome complex, long-standing learning challenges, everyone’s knowledge and skills need to be applied. #5: Shared framework and criteria for progress and success. Without targets, progress markers, and success criteria, it can be almost impossible to build and sustain team momentum, progress, and focus. On the other hand, when goals are clear, progress can be monitored, problem areas can be identified, and the team is empowered to allocate time, energy, and expertise to areas most in need of attention. Further, success frameworks and criteria can be strong motivators, confidence builders, and evidence indicators of unlocked, unlimited learning. The research is clear. By working together, learning together, supporting each other, and sharing a commitment to the success of all students, we can accomplish amazing things. Each collective efficacy key is important to the success of the whole. When we combine them into an integrated effort, we create a force for learning that is nearly impossible to stop.

February 08, 2021

The Case for Classroom Observations Despite the Pandemic

The question of whether to continue classroom observations during the pandemic has stimulated debate and led to varied responses as teaching and learning contexts have shifted from in person to hybrid, remote, and other strategies. Some people have argued that the challenges of new and shifting instructional arrangements make observations logistically difficult. Others have observed that conducting observations adds needless and avoidable stress for educators. Still others question whether the information collected is useful since disruptions and frequent transitions undermine the consistency of instruction and flow of learning. Each of these arguments has a measure of merit. Traditional in-person walk-throughs are not as accessible in hybrid settings and not practical in remote learning arrangements. Yet, technology tools available in most schools make virtual visits to online classes manageable and breakout rooms, chat messages, and other features make connecting with and listening to students doable. The argument that observations during challenging times can add stress makes sense. However, the purpose of classroom observations as opportunities for support and improvement, not as opportunities for embarrassment and criticism, needs to be emphasized even more during the pandemic than at other times. We need to reinforce the purposes of observations and potential benefits to reassure and dispel unfounded concerns. Finally, while use of information collected from observations during this time might not be useful to inform year-to-year trends, there are compelling reasons to collect data even now. Despite the challenges and adaptations to be thought out, here are eight reasons to consider conducting classroom observations, even during the pandemic. First, classroom observations can reinforce our commitment to and support for the work of educators. Taking time to observe, listen, reflect, and converse conveys respect, caring, and value for the work going on in classrooms. Second, classroom observations now can support the collection of information regarding how learning and teaching processes are continuing while under stress. Examples of adaptations, innovation, and creativity can be shared within the school community and communicated to the community at large as reassurance that learning and teaching continue despite the pandemic. Third, observations can reveal needs and challenges that are not obvious and may not have been identified through other channels. Teachers may be reluctant to report some conditions that limit their effectiveness. In some instances, they may not even be aware of barriers and limits that classroom observations can surface. Fourth, classroom observations can reveal resource needs and inconsistencies that need to be addressed. Again, individual teachers may not be aware of technology and other resources that could be made available if the need is documented. Real-time observations can inform decision makers and result in better, more equitable distribution of resources. Fifth, classroom observations and conversations can help to identify professional learning needs that are unique to the pandemic. For example, multiple observations may reveal a common issue with a technology tool and point to the need for additional instructional and classroom management strategies. Sixth, classroom visits can support the collection of stories of resilience, quality practices, uninterrupted learning, and heroism to share as inspiration and examples to others. Often a compelling example or powerful story can give hope to persist despite the challenges. Seventh, classroom observations are important opportunities to communicate caring and support for the work of educators in personal and specific ways. It is important to offer general support and gratitude for what educators and learners are doing during this time. It is equally important to communicate specifically and personally our respect, appreciation, and encouragement in response to what we see. Eighth, classroom observations can support the collection of information that will inform planning needs and priorities for the transition once the pandemic subsides. We know that some students have struggled to learn at expected levels. New solutions and strategies have been developed that need to be captured and utilized. New technology tools and innovative applications have been discovered that will be useful long-term and will need to be supported during the transition. If we are unaware of and attention is not given to these and other issues and opportunities, we risk losing them as we move to a new post-pandemic normal. Certainly, it can be tempting to suspend classroom observations during the pandemic. Yet, making such a choice risks missing opportunities to encourage and support staff, ignoring information that can inform decision-making, and missing crucial insights that can build understanding and support within our communities.

Learn how to conduct more effective observations with the weCLIMB Observation Solution

February 01, 2021

What Binds Us Together – And Must Be Our Focus

These are times of stress and uncertainty. Opinions and perspectives about what should be done abound. Some people want students to be in school full time while others point to the risk of virus transmission among students and staff. Some people argue for high standards while others urge flexibility and compromise until the pandemic passes. These and a myriad of other issues are worthy, but solutions that are responsive and sustainable will not emerge from pressure and conflict alone. If we hope to find the most useful and responsive solutions, we need to start by reminding ourselves of what binds us together. By recognizing and drawing on the important foundational elements of our work, we often can find answers to our most vexing questions. By focusing on what binds us together, we can build our confidence and exercise the judgement needed to find our best strategies and generate needed outcomes. Let’s consider four of the ties that we can rely on and leverage during difficult times. The most fundamental to what binds us together is a common purpose. Now is a good time to revisit and reflect on what our work together is intended to accomplish. Understanding the role and contribution of our work for learners, the community, and society can provide a shared context and focus. Agreement on shared purpose can open avenues for rich, robust discussion about how to best to accomplish our purpose without rupturing relationships and pushing us apart. Disagreement in this context can stimulate creativity and support productive disagreement. We are also bound together by community. For the work of schools to succeed, we need to do more than occupy common space. Foundational to community is a belief that each person deserves to be valued, respected, supported and have a path to success. Communities survive and thrive through interdependence. Each person, each team, and each staff member has a role to play and contributions to make. When communities are built around common purpose creativity can thrive, disagreements can surface, and consensus can be built within a safe and healthy space. We are also bound together through the service we provide. Education is service in support of the common good. Schools are one of the few crucial institutions in society with this mission. The presence of schools within communities represents an investment in the future. The work we do with learners, colleagues, and members of the community allows us to be part of something greater than ourselves. Further, we are bound together by hope. Each day and year gives us the opportunity to start anew. We share a focus on preparing children and young people for a happy and successful future. Each day we engage in work that will make a difference for students long after they leave us. Hope can be the energy that sustains us through difficult and trying times like these. These foundational elements can help us find our way through conflict without sacrificing relationships. They can open doors to new ideas and opportunities without abandoning what sustains us and makes our work worth doing. Alternatively, disagreements and other forms of conflict without a context of what binds us together can become destructive and bring harm to teams, organizations, and the people who are part of them. If all we share are the issues on which we disagree, arguments often become personal and conflicts become “zero sum,” where someone’s winning means someone else must lose. Little good can come from this approach.