Have you ever felt like things were moving too fast? Like things weren’t getting your full attention? Like you were overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start? Three “strategies” I’ve employed this year to help me “manage” the workload have made a difference in keeping up with my whirlwind of a world. The first mental [...]
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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
10 ways for leaders to build trust in schools
Trust and trust-building qualities frequently top polls and surveys that attempt to show the most important qualities of a leader. A
Trust, as a quality for being an effective school leader, is appropriately discussed in Dr Anthony Muhammad’s book, Transforming School Culture. This book examines in detail some of the challenges school leaders face when it comes to building trust. In one particular section of the book, Muhammad uses the work of Karl Weick, on the lessons learned from tragic wildfire disasters, to illustrate the challenges that leaders face when building trust in schools, which include:
- Without providing a clear rationale for making decisions / changes, or operating in a certain way in our schools, leaders will not be trusted.
- Leaders need to show the ‘right’ motivation for why they make certain decisions in order to be trusted by staff and faculty. For example, leaders that make decisions based on what is right for the school, its staff and students will be trusted more than one who is perceived to be in a leadership role for their own benefit.
- Past experiences and perceptions about leaders are difficult to change, never mind how good the new leader may be. Teachers moving to a new school may not instantly trust the new school’s leaders, if they have had bad prior experiences with leaders in their previous schools. Similarly, a new leader coming to a school where trust is at a low point because of the actions of a previous leader, then the new leader will have a big challenge of re-building trust.
- If a leader’s actions do not back up their words, then they will not be trusted. Teachers not only want to see leaders do what they say they will do but they want leaders to exert a high degree of fairness when there is inconsistency between teachers with bottom line, non-negotiable tasks and requests.
So, what are some simple steps to build trust in our schools? The list of actions below suggest some ways that leaders can work to build trust in their school communities:
- Be clear, open and honest with the decisions that we make. Provide the rationale for change and plan for it properly. Schools cannot afford to have failed change efforts, as it is then difficult to trust the next change that is asked for.
- If consultation is going to be occur before making a decision, then do it properly. Be open to respectfully disagreeing when consensus cannot be reached.
- Give timely, appropriate and honest feedback to others about how they can improve and provide opportunities for others to give you feedback, as a leader and as a colleague. Act on feedback given to you, otherwise why seek it.
- Do not promise something that you cannot deliver upon and if people mistake your intentions then be quick to correct them before it is too late. Where promises are made, ensure that they are fulfilled.
- If tasks are assigned to teachers, then make sure the tasks are completed property and appropriate conversations occur with those that may struggle, with the offering of support. Follow-up and follow-through.
- Engage in professional learning with teachers and join them for the journey, especially if what is being learned is pivotal to the success of a school initiative. If something is important, then teachers expect to have leaders present and actively involved.
- Put others first but do not be a martyr about it. Actions speak louder than words when it comes to servant leadership.
- Leadership is not about you, its about others, so there’s no need to seek credit for what you do. Keep acknowledging the role that others play in making things happen and celebrate their successes even though you may have had a big role to play
- Avoid double standards. If a rule, or norm, is set / agreed in our schools, then leaders must model the way. If it is too inconvenient, then consider getting rid of the rule / norm, if you can.
- Finally. Take an interest in all colleagues beyond just professional interactions. Working together is about building healthy relationships. Teachers and leaders are human too, so it is good to ask one another about family, recreation and life in general.
Connect with me @richard_bruford
Originally posted on Ed Leader
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Holiday Gift Guide : 100 Gift Ideas for Entrepreneurs
Finding the perfect gift is never easy. That’s why I’ve compiled a Holiday Gift Guide for entrepreneurs with ideas for all sorts of things… Like electronics, fitness equipment, [...]
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from ThinkEntrepreneurship.com http://ift.tt/2gW18G3
PMP Bonus Track: Focusing on the Simple Joys of Life
Today I’ve decided to take a break from a focus on school leadership and share some simple joys of life. During Thanksgiving Break, I took time to record a couple of songs that I decided to include in today’s bonus podcast track. My wife and I have four children: 3 girls and 1 boy. This […]
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from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2gJi667
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
50 of My Favorite Books: Part Three
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| Laura's real life story. |
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| A favorite historical-paranormal novel. |
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| Packed a punch. Fantastic. |
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| I became a fan of Paula Brackston with this book. |
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| Smart, sexy, and brilliant trilogy. |
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| Magical realism at its best. |
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| Combines history, archaeology, and paranormal. |
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| Oh, this book. Love it. |
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| Read it as an adult and loved it |
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| Always a favorite. |
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| Required reading that became a memorable read |
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| Powerful |
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| One of my all time favorites |
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| Had me on the edge of my seat |
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| Love this series about Charleston and ghosts |
Tomorrow will wrap up my 50 favorite books. In the meantime, I hope you've started thinking about the books that have a special place in your heart. Please comment and share some of your favorites!
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The Emotional Roller Coaster of Being a Teacher
This time of year can be emotionally exhausting, so here is something that might brighten up your day.
Watch this GIF of a dad teaching his son to hit a baseball and tells him to “keep his eye on the ball”:
I laughed hysterically at this when I first saw it, and then thought about how hard it is to be a teacher. The emotional roller coaster that a teacher can go on in a single day, hour, minute, is exemplified in this post.
Watch it again:
What do you see in a short span with the dad?
I see the following…
Frustration
Annoyance
Acceptance
Love
All things teachers can feel in a matter of seconds.
Thank you teachers for all that you do. I know that this is insanely tough job, but I appreciate all that you do to not only get your kids better, but to become better yourselves. The hardest part of being a teacher is knowing that you will never truly know the full impact of what you do. Just know that the best teachers make a difference.
Continue to be the positive moment that kids will remember years from now.
Source: George Couros
from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2fJwZ7J
The Emotional Roller Coaster of Being a Teacher
This time of year can be emotionally exhausting, so here is something that might brighten up your day.
Watch this GIF of a dad teaching his son to hit a baseball and tells him to “keep his eye on the ball”:
I laughed hysterically at this when I first saw it, and then thought about how hard it is to be a teacher. The emotional roller coaster that a teacher can go on in a single day, hour, minute, is exemplified in this post.
Watch it again:
What do you see in a short span with the dad?
I see the following…
Frustration
Annoyance
Acceptance
Love
All things teachers can feel in a matter of seconds.
Thank you teachers for all that you do. I know that this is insanely tough job, but I appreciate all that you do to not only get your kids better, but to become better yourselves. The hardest part of being a teacher is knowing that you will never truly know the full impact of what you do. Just know that the best teachers make a difference.
Continue to be the positive moment that kids will remember years from now.
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