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Share the mindframes with teachers and have them identify one that they relate to and one that can be a challenge for them. Then identify a few ways to incorporate or be more aware of mindframes in our practice.

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Continued work with using assessments as a look-in-to - what we need to do instructionally.

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Build trust with staff and students. Understanding that listening is more important than talking. Provide honest feedback to staff and students. Utilize the mindframes with staff to work towards a common goal of student success academically.

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Applying the 10 mind frames in my coaching can allow me to uncover the core that makes the biggest difference in our student's learning. I can help shift teacher's mindsets from "what works" to "what works best."

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Use the mindframes to help my staff understand that change can be good.....understanding that it is difficult and even scary at times, but by supporting each other we can make it happen. We have experienced a lot of change this year, and the morale of my department is really down, which I believe effects interaction with students in the classroom. Hopefully as we dig deeper into the mindframes I will find more ways to encourage and change with mindset of my teachers.

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Nichole Webb Ch. 1 *May need to open in a new window to play.

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Nichole Webb Ch. 1 *May need to open in a new window to play.

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This week I have begun wondering how the conversations in the teacher's lunch room impact the well-being of our school climate and culture. They are often filled with negativity and complaining.

A "Positivity Luncheon" (or maybe just a "Positivity Snack" during PLC) is one idea. Maybe we start by looking at each mindset, writing something we have overheard/heard from a colleague that presents the OPPOSITE of that positive mindset...and then consider ways to challenge that. Might help us to understand that we all share the same problems...we need to band together to eliminate them rather than wallowing.

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Good work Kyle! I like the idea of inviting feedback after PD, but that is also scary. This past week I helped about 40 teachers at the HS with Mastery Connect and...I think it went well...but I forgot/didn't include a piece for them to issue feedback. Next time I need to get up the guts to do it!

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Log in to make the tools you use every day more powerful with Pear Deck.

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Applying the 10 Mindframes in my instructional coaching would have to start with #9- “I build relationships and trust so that learning can occur in a place where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from others”.  Teaching teachers the importance of building trusting relationships among staff would help translate into the classroom, helping teachers to then build those relationships with their students.  I could also use this to help build collaboration among teachers, especially in the same grade level.  This would help teachers see that this is not just my class, but these are ALL of OUR students.

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I immeditaley went to Mindframe #7 in my direct work as a coach that also happend to be an administrator. It is easy (and often expected) that a building leader advise and command where I prefer to facilitate and foster. Even though the book focuses on the role that the mindsets play from teacher to student, there is a lot of application for admin to teacher relationships, as well. Sticking again to #7, staff should "communicate  with each other", actively "participate more often", and "present their thinking and solution processes more often."  

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I immeditaley went to Mindframe #7 in my direct work as a coach that also happend to be an administrator. It is easy (and often expected) that a building leader advise and command where I prefer to facilitate and foster. Even though the book focuses on the role that the mindsets play from teacher to student, there is a lot of application for admin to teacher relationships, as well. Sticking again to #7, staff should "communicate  with each other", actively "participate more often", and "present their thinking and solution processes more often."  

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https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQkj4PeMDpNgvRA1cpCrcsG0HAsD5DFc5wMo4cZIIe2CIKxAw643NyjgutxHDKWQ66n0xsJeogcO1eq/pub?start=true&loop=false&delayms=60000

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Entrance BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Make sure you set this to full-screen! (Yes, you can technically hit ESC and just scroll through it, but...why) You enter Mrs. Smokey’s classroom at Bear Elementary. In order to escape, you must understand the key concepts in chapter 8 of 10 Mindframes for Visible Learn...

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This school year has brought several changes for teachers, administrators, and support staff especially in the way of assessment. Mind frame #2, I see assessment as informing my impact and next steps, MasteryConnect will be a powerful resource for teachers, students, and parents. The book states, ¨the mindframe that is desired is for teachers to consider assessments as powerful feedback to them about their impact¨.  Teachers can use the data from assessments and quick checks as feedback not only relating to student achievement but teacher´s influence.

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Mindframe #7: I engage as much in dialogue as monologue (Matasovsky)

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Mindframe #7: I engage as much in dialogue as monologue (Matasovsky)

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2/3 Ned Flanders (tee-hee-hee) Plan it or it didn't happen I engage as much in dialogue as monologue 10 Mindframes: #7 Don't be a Syndrome Don't be a Syndrome!!! Big Ideas Big Ideas the importance of classroom discussion peer tutoring small-group leaning cooperative learning Class

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The focus on learning is key! Having teachers reflect on creating challenging learning goals and whether their lessons have clarity around the fact may help in increased proficiency for our students.

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Activity: rewrite the 4 PLC questions as they apply to the following groups during the listed times:

1) Teachers before the learning/lesson
2) Students before the learning/lesson
3) Teachers after the learning occurs
4) Students after the learning occurs

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I found two strong similarities in which cognitive coaching is similar to the my own personal style of coaching.
1.  Both coaching styles lead to the process to support teachers/staff in informed decision making.
2.  Both styles of coaching serve the same purpose, that being to help the teacher/staff member improve their instructional effectiveness by becoming more reflective about their craft.

The ultimate goal in cognitive coaching is to always maintain autonomy and allow the individual to maintain the ability to self-monitor, self-analyze, and self-evaluate.

One way that I discovered my coaching style to be different is when a teacher would become frustrated in the midst of a coaching session I tend to be quick to provide examples or give the answer/ solution to relieve the pressure instead of allowing the teacher to arrive at it through our session.

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Reflection 1: I dislike the reflection question at the end. It's awkward and feels "sticky."

Reflection 2: During one particular planning conversation I was very quick to add a solution during the "anticipate approach" phase. I asked the question "What are some strategies you've considered" and I found myself adding a few to give the person I was speaking to more options to consider.

Reflection 3: I asked the question regarding evidence of data collection during the second phase of my conversation (specify success indicators). I'm not certain this was an entirely productive or appropriate question for the exact conversation, but after reflecting, the question "how will you know you are successful" I feel would have been more appropriate for this situation.

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Trying out these conversations was really interesting because I felt a lot more pressure/stress/nervousness than I expected. I don't have any official coaching experience, so I found myself almost hyper-focusing on what I was supposed to be doing and felt like I was losing focus on the conversation because of that. My thoughts were racing with "Am I mimicking their body language?" "What question do I need to ask next?" "Am I doing this right?" and it was hard for me to think about those things and the conversation at the same time. I was worried that the other person felt like I wasn't present since I kept looking down at the paper to see what to ask next. It did feel a little easier during my 2nd conversation, so I do think those things will (hopefully) become more natural with practice. It was also a little tricky to not offer solutions/suggestions when the other person seemed to be questioning their plans/ideas, but I do think they were able to work those things out themselves in some moments after I restated what I had heard them say. I'm excited to keep practicing this and getting better at it so that I can hopefully help teachers.

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Reflection 1: I want to work on worrying less about if I'm "doing it right" and focusing more on the conversation. It feels more important to try and make sure the other person feels heard and valued by being present in the conversation than to do everything "perfectly."

Reflection 2: I like the guide because as someone with less coaching experience, it helped me remember where to go next, but I wonder if/when it's appropriate to deviate from that a bit? There are some questions that feel a little awkward in the moment (I agree with Nichole about the last reflection question), but I don't know if modifying things is appropriate or how best to modify them.

Reflection 3: Though it was difficult to not comment and reply, focusing on just restating forced me to make sure I was listening and also helped the other person clarify their thoughts. In my second conversation, I could see my friend recognizing or maybe hearing things in her own thoughts that seemed new to her. It was cool to see because it felt like the conversation had maybe helped at that moment. I'm wondering how a follow-up conversation would go (and if the original conversation helped) after they went on the trip they were planning.

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Kristen

Many aspects of Cognitive Coaching are similar to how people who are natural leaders process interactions with others.  Often times, these tactics happen organically in conversations where others are looking for advice or direction.  Most people need a sounding board for their own thoughts and having a listening ear is all that was needed.  As I have gotten older, I try to listen more than I speak especially when someone is coming to me looking for guidance.

The conversations were a little challenging as I wanted to offer input to the person, especially after being asked a direct question.  Answering or offering an opinion feels more natural than replying with yet another question.   Personally, I would be frustrated at times with a person I came to for advice that kept giving me questions as responses.  Sometimes, I just want someone to tell me what their opinion is so I can then process it my own way.

I think there is a happy medium between offering only solutions and listening and not offering any ideas.  I am just not sure what that perfect amount of each is, but I am thinking it depends on the situation and the person.

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Reflection 1: I liked the guide as it gave me questions to ask and a way to stay focused throughout the conversation.  I want to be careful about not being so rigid with questioning. Make sure I sound authentic and responding to their thoughts/ideas appropriately and genuinely.

Reflection 2: I need to make sure I am not offering my own personal experience/thoughts.  It is natural for teachers to teach, so being in the profession for some time, I want to offer advice or personal experiences which is not part of cognitive coaching.

Reflection 3:  I would agree with Nicole and Kyle that the last question feel inauthentic and figuring out the best way to reword that question so it feels more like a question I would ask is something I would like to figure out.

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I don't think I "pay close attention" in my own coaching style. It might be somewhat intuitive, but I am never actively checking things like posture and tonality, and I certainly don't always plan out a conversation before I go into it.

I like the intentionality of this approach...the way that it starts by establishing common goals and then works towards achieving them, rather than just "talking to talk."

I also like that the conversation ends with a reflection on the conversation itself. This opens an avenue that teachers aren't used to accessing: the ability to guide the way their post-observation meetings work.

This process overall makes me feel more comfortable as an Instructional Coach because there are many people in my department that have specialties (Radio, for example) and I am dangerously unqualified to give feedback on how a radio station should be run. Cognitive coaching allows me to be a useful soundboard, while also learning about the way things work in that realm of our department.

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Reflection 1: I used the paper during the conversations, and this was pretty awkward, so I am looking forward to a time where I can do this more naturally.

Reflection 2: I sat in a classroom for about 20 minutes, most of which involved the teacher taking the students through the directions for a large project and showing examples. Because of that, the conversation afterward kind of "fell flat" because the learning objectives were not the focus, but rather getting kids to understand what was expected of them. We did reflect on this: how can we speed up directions? Is the assignment too complex? etc...but I wish I had observed a more active part of the lesson plan. When I am doing this "for real" I want to make sure I am coaching a more "coachable" part of the lesson.

Reflection 3: I told the participants that I was just practicing this conversation style, so that actually took some of the pressure off. The participants knew that I didn't have some sort of hidden/evaluative objective and that made it a lot more fun...we were at the "mercy of the sheet" together, rather than confronting one another.

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In reflecting on cognitive coaching, I found it very interesting to watch it being modeled, but when I went to do it with my partner, it was difficult.

I found myself wanting to share my own experiences or make connections with them, when in reality, it isn't about me.  I wanted them to understand that I've had those experiences as well and that I know where they are coming from.

I felt like this was the most difficult part of cognitive coaching. You just listen. The listening I can do, but the JUST listening, is something that I as an admin intern need to work on.

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Reflection 1: While working with a teacher, I asked them if they would be okay with me trying a new coaching technique that I learned about.  I used the mat to help guide my questions and help me reframe them.  I liked having that there to reference.

Reflection 2: At the same time, I didn't like having the mat in front of me.  It didn't seem like an authentic conversation I was having with this teacher.  I know that with time I will be more comfortable and maybe not even need to use the mat as much.

Reflection 3: When I worked on this with another teacher, I didn't tell them exactly what it was I was using and I still felt like it was awkward. It was hard for me to listen and not make suggestions or connections.

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Cognitive Coaching and coaching in general is new to me.  I have never coached a sports team; however, as a teacher, I feel I have coaching experience with students.  My coaching experience thus far with teachers and students has included many of the components of Cognitive Coaching.  Valuing the person and their thoughts, feelings, and viewpoints however without giving advice or examples is difficult.  My coaching style wholeheartedly focuses on valuing others thoughts, feelings, and viewpoints, but it is difficult to keep my own experiences out of the conversation.  As a coach, I realized this is an area where I need practice. Giving the teacher’s ownership of goals and allowing the teacher the moment of ahha! It reminds me of watching your own child starting to walk for the first time.  It is so tempting to just hold them up!

One question I have tried to add to my conversations with teachers is,  “How will you know it was successful?” Or “What does that look like?”  It is important for teachers and really anyone when setting or planning to have the end in sight.  I love the idea of Cognitive Coaching and the benefits of noticing the positive.  I will continue working on “noticing” and  not providing my own feelings and experience.

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Reflection #1:

The beginning of the process seems natural, acknowledging the coachee’s emotions and clarifying goals.  However, I did seem lost in the language following the steps.

Reflection #2

In my various  planning conversations, I realized the importance of the plan for collecting evidence.  What does success look like? How will you know it was successful?  I plan on working on this with my coaching. If success looks like A then what necessary steps should be taken. The importance of utilizing backwards planning is highly beneficial when goal setting.

Reflection #3

As everyone has stated, the last question is unnatural.  Maybe with more practice, it will become authentic.  I understand the reasoning behind reflecting and “feeding forward”, it will just take practice.  My mat will be with me for awhile.

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I went through a Cognitive Coaching seminar as a department chair at a previous job in 2007, so I am pretty familiar with the process. I did one at work and one at home.  The difference I experienced this time was that people rapidly grew frustrated with me utilizing the process because by the time a concern, question, or frustration gets to me they really just want an answer. At home, my daughter kept laughing and saying "why are you repeating me?" I definitely see how in a coaching role the process can help individuals arrive at their own answer and once I explained that to her she was less obstinate. However, it is more of a struggle at work given my role as principal.

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Reflection 1: Like Brian, I started my professional CC conversation with the guide and it was really awkward. I would like to get to a point where it is more natural.

Reflection 2: These conversations were easier to intiate as a chair as opposed to being a principal. Any meeting with a person in a supervisory position has a different tenor from the get-go. For lack of a better description, there is a paranoia that exists even when there is no alterior motive.

Reflection 3: I think of my leadership and coaching styles as collaborative, so I very much like the idea of having productive exchanges of ideas as opposed to directives. Again, there is a history there already that needs to be overcome before that can truly happen.

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I see bits of me in several of the coaching styles.  I have discovered some of my shortcomings while thinking about where I fit.  I tend to want to interject my thoughts too quickly into a conversation.  I am trying to be conscious of wait time and really listening to what my colleagues are saying to me.

I also have a hard time slowing down....I'm always three steps ahead of the person that I am talking to, which also makes it hard to actively listen to what is being said to me. This probably comes from feeling a bit overwhelmed sometimes, but it certainly doesn't make it right. I am trying to slow down and appreciate the moments that I am having with my individual teachers.

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Reflection 1:  This exercise forced me to really listen to my partner because I had to repeat what they were saying.

Reflection 2:  I found the staged conversations became silly.  It was hard to be serious in the moment.

Reflection 3: My final conversation was not planned, but a real conversation with one of my teachers. It involved a student's grade, so her decision needed to be what was best for the student. Without going into the entire situation, it was an epic fail. Repeating what she was saying back to her in no way made her think about the decision she was making. I tried to change my strategy a bit and without telling her what I wanted her to do, suggested some possibilities for her to reflect upon. Still nothing. I even left her and just asked her to think about our conversation a bit and get back together with me to discuss a solution....her solution was still giving the girl a 0. So frustrating....

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What am I doing well/What's my strength: I think it changes based on who I am working with and if I feel that person is also contributing, participating, etc., but in general, I think I do well with reflection and looking at how we can improve.

What can I work on: I am definitely the one who will do the work to make sure we have something done rather than wait for someone else to do it at the last minute, so I can definitely work on dialogue and advocacy with inquiry. I could also work on encouraging equality in the team to make sure that all people are contributing equally and also that I have faith that everyone will do that, even if they haven't in the past. I like Kristen's idea of having a leader for each grade level in our meetings and the idea of having a place for the team to contribute to our agenda, so I'm going to try those two things next.

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I think so far I am doing well with voice.  I feel like teachers can easily come to me and open up when they need something.  They do not feel judged when they come to me.  They know I will advocate for them and for our students.

At first, I thought I was doing well at equality. I was working with each grade level weekly, in the same time increments. But in reflecting on that, I noticed I would usually sit with kindergarten or first grade teachers more during whole staff PDs. I need to get closer to 2nd, 3rd, SPED/ENL, and related arts teachers. I could spend more time with them in whole group settings.

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I believe my strengths are in dialogue and voice. I have had to work to be a better listener, especially when people are upset...but I am much improved! I also love to share ideas with others and do balance advocacy and inquiry. I think part of this is empowering others to make determinations (choice) is a strength.

My weakness is with reciprocity within my department. Though we are very open with sharing materials, some teachers feel (and openly vent to me) that they feel they are pulling too much weight (making lessons, assessments, etc) while others coast. I am really struggling how to solve that issue without scolding or causing open conflict in the team itself. Right now the conflict is safely hidden...I am nervous what will happen when true feelings are brought into the open! However, by ignoring it...I am enabling it.

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Strength: Equality. I was able to establish a clear intent for my coaching role in my building. I do not find it a struggle to work at making decisions together as equals.

Focus to improve on: Choice. I am naturally a "fixer" I want to swoop in and fix any type of situation by giving a solution instead of allowing the coachee to arrive at a decision on their own. The next step could be to find more patience.

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I feel my strength is equality. I am fresh out of the classroom with knowledge of 4th/j5th grade ELA curriculum. I know the teachers in these grade levels bring a vast amount of knowledge, and new teachers have much to learn from them. In 6th grade, I am learning the curriculum and realize how valuable it is for teachers share their ideas.
My weakness is choice. We follow a curriculum map and CFA cycle.

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What I do well:  Voice.....I believe that my teachers feel they can talk to me about anything and I hope they always know that they can trust me.

What I need to work on: Equality....it is very hard for me to listen and not jump in and tell them what I want them to do. I have been working hard to correct this problem and hope that it is getting better.

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I think there are a few Partnership Principles I do well, but it all depends on the person I am coaching.  I think equality comes naturally to me because I genuinely believe my teachers all bring something unique and special to our discussions.  I can learn as much from them as they can learn from me. A few teachers in my department have been teaching for many years and offer insight and wisdom to both me and other members of our department.
I could improve in the area of reflection. I want to continue to reflect and improve professionally, but helping others and teaching keeps me day busy. Helping solve other peoples problems throughout the day doesn't allow me time to reflect on my own skills.

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3 Wonders with the message:

1. Teachers used to be very good at design thinking when we were required to create SMART goals which were integrated into our teacher appraisal system.  Not always was the “try again and repeat” part of the process one with great follow through but it did lend itself to teachers using the design thinking in their professional day to day operations.  How do we creatively get our teachers to start utilizing this process again?  Could we perhaps convince them that following this process may take the stress and anxiety of attempting to change w/o a framework and push themselves out of the zero-learning zone?

2. More info on a “hope audit.”  Reading this portion of the article it seemed a little silly at first but when I went back and reread it made me think that there are probably a whole lot of teachers out there who are feeling hopeless. Partnering this teacher up with a mentor teacher in their content area may be a great way to assess the audit and help with the reflection process.

3.  “Hope involves agency, our belief that we have control over our lives and that we can meet our goals.”  I believe this is an uphill battle to convince people of right now with the current conditions happening in our environment.  I love the idea of helping to provide multiple ways of getting to the goal.  How as coaches and administrators do we continue to bring the hope day in day out in such a trying time?  It seems like such a daunting task some days but yet one of the most rewarding opportunities other days.

2 Applications for yourself and peers: 1

1. Keep it simple and targeted.  Consistently revisit when needed.

2.  Try again and repeat if necessary.

1 Ah-Ha/Golden Quote:

1. “real learning requires a real picture of reality that comes from flipping our perspective.” How true this is to life in general.  We have to take a step back and become vulnerable in order to get a true picture of ourselves.

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Wonders:
1. "Teaching is a learning profession"- how do we encourage teachers to WANT to learn more?  Some teachers can be stuck in the way they do things, how do we get them "unstuck"?
2. Conduct a hope audit: What do you do when you give a teacher all of the tools but they still don't have the courage or belief that they can do it?  We provide teachers with tools but ultimately it is up to them to do the work.  How do we get there?
3. We don't think the learning is worth it: We can be very excited about new initiatives but some teachers may not be on board.  How do we get BOTH factors there for teachers?
Applications:
1. Turn down the chance to learn from video recordings of a lesson- I never wanted to do this and still haven't since my student teaching days.  I need to be more open to this and encourage other teachers to do so.
2. Hope: I'm still setting goals for where I see myself in the future.
A-Ha:
1. I never thought about a principal recording themselves running a PD or staff meeting to reflect on their leadership!

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Wonder #1:

We don't think the learning is worth it.

How many times have we sat in a PD and teachers have left saying “I will never use this”?  First, we need to believe we can do what we are considering. Second, we need to believe that what we are considering is worth the effort.  I wonder if we all went into PDs with an openmind how the outcome would look.

Wonder #2

Treat yourself with compassion.

Teachers, educators and honestly people in general are their own worst critics.  We don’t see the good for the over shadow of our faults or “needs improved”.  I wonder how we change this ingrained trait in educators and treat ourselves like we treat others.

Wonder #3

Blindspot- We don’t know what we don’t know.  A colleague of mine says this quite often and I wonder how we can reverse this to I am willing to learn what I don’t know.  How can I help myself  and others see ourselves “ truly objectively”?

Applications for Self & Peers

#1  Flip-Perspective

The idea of flip-perspective is honestly frightening to me; however, I know there are immense benefits.  Allowing one to look at oneself through a different lens, leads to growth. It just isn’t the path most want to take.  Listening or viewing ourselves on camera can be difficult but truly beneficial.

#2 Keep it simple and targeted

Keep life simple my dad has always said.  His saying, and many others, is applicable in many venues.  When new learning takes place, small, focused lessons are best. Teachers teach mini-lessons leading toward the learning objective not units.  As I work with teachers, I have set this as a goal for myself. Chunk information, lessons, material so it doesn’t seem overwhelming.

Quote

“Choosing not to learn is choosing intellectual impoverishment, something teachers cannot afford.”

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Three wonders within the message:

1)  We don't think the learning is worth it.

Here in Franklin Township change has been abundant.  Every few years a new program, data analysis method, teaching style has been implemented.  Our staff is aging and has been a part of all of these changes, embracing them each time and feeling the frustration when they watch it be replaced with yet a new idea.  This pattern makes it harder to implement change with them.  Being their cheerleader becomes a challenge.

2)  Keep it simple and specific.

We can't reinvent the curriculum, but we an make adjustments to it.  Make a change;  evaluate it.  If it worked fabulous, but if it didn't, the world did not end.  You can always make another change later.  I keep telling my teachers   "baby steps".

3)  Treat yourself with compassion.

I don't believe anyone in my department wants to fail or tries to teach a bad lesson.  But we all have.  No matter how many years you have taught or how much time you put into a lesson, sometimes the lesson misses the mark.  There is no shame in that.  The important part of failure is recognizing and addressing it.

Two applications for myself and my peers.

1)  Choose one standard where the data shows multiple students were lost.  Have a discussion with the students.  Get their feedback.  It could be a communication glitch.  Or some pieces of past knowledge that need to be revisited.  Try to give instruction in a different way.  Don't try to fix everything.  Just target one problem at a time.

2)  My time is spent as a counselor, mediator, test creator, substitute teacher, organizer......which leaves little time for "self".  That's not really a complaint, but a reality.  So my reality is that if I am in the zero learning zone, it is often out of necessity rather than choosing to be there for many of the reasons mentioned.

Quote:  This quote is not from the article.  But it was sent to me this morning and seems totally on point.  "You do not need a new day to start over.  You only need a new mindset."

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3 Wonders:

1. Learning and Identity: I hear JH teachers saying that they feel like they are not treated as the experts in their field because district admin/school admin/state requirements/etc. ask them to make modifications or try new things. I never thought that the resistance to these new ideas/approaches might be because that learning is questioning their identity/competence. How do we make them feel like they are still trusted as the experts, even when new initiatives are presented?

2. Treating ourselves with compassion: It's very easy to take a "failure" in our classroom as a personal failure (especially when comparing data, scores, etc). How can we take ourselves out of that equation so that we are able to look at things objectively, but also balance that with compassion for ourselves? If we can extend that compassion to others easily, why is it hard to do that for ourselves? How do we make time for that self-compassion when there is so much on everyone's plates?

3. Hope Audit: My first thoughts about this agreed with some other posts that, initially, it seemed a little silly. But as I re-read the questions, I realized that they are really applicable, especially to how it seems teachers are feeling this year. It's hard to feel that hope when you're so burnt out. What could I do to help support the JH ELA team with strategies to hit our goals and believe that we can do it?

2 Applications for Myself/Peers:

1. Keep it simple/targeted: We're often trying to do a lot of things at once (whether that's by our doing or what others are asking us to do). I'll try to be more intentional about picking one goal for the team to work on and sticking to that until we all feel a sense of accomplishment.

2. Modeling Learning: I need to model some of these new strategies/ideas for my team. If I can be vulnerable and take that risk first, it might show that the risk is something that we can handle.

A-Ha/Golden Quote:
"Adaptive change stimulates resistance because it challenges people's habits, beliefs, and values. It asks them to take a loss, experience uncertainty, and even express disloyalty to people and cultures...it also challenges their sense of competence...That's a lot to ask. No wonder people resist."

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Katie Welch                                                   

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Katie Welch                                                   

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3 wonders
-What are my blind spots?

-How can I encourage teachers to go through their own hope audits?

-As a coach, can I ask teachers to create a goal that we can work toward together? Or how can I best encourage teachers to create a goal that is meaningful to them?

2 applications
-I want to video myself in a coaching conversation
-I am going to ask a coworker or administrator to give me feedback on possible blind spots after my first month coaching.

1 Quote
-The uncomfortable truth is that most of us can’t see ourselves truly objectively.
I want to better understand the self that others see in me, so I can improve my practice

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Wonders:
1) Blindspots- My first meeting with the staff as principal, I challenged them to try something they always wanted to do but have been afraid to-- led the conversation off with the saying "The most dangerous phrase in education is 'because that's the way we've always done it.'"
2) We don't think the learning is worth it- Somewhat differently than the author, I hear this in reference to the big picture is lacking. It's not that people are resistant to learning, it is that they want to know the why behind it.
3) Hope- "hope involves agency, our belief that we have control over our lives and that we can meet our goals. " Honestly, it doesn't feel like anyone in education right now has control over their professional lives. In conversations I have had with other conference principals and Marion County principals, hope has been a noticeably absent term.

Applications-
1) I'm bringing hope back (if you don't sing it with JT, you aren't doing it right.) We are doing several things at the high school that are geared toward teacher preference, culture building, and professional agency. From book clubs to fun months to exploring project-based learning applications, we are trying to blend the required with the requested.
2) Get past the fear. Fear of failure is ridiculous. It is through failure that we learn. When we bomb, we never want to experience that again, so we do better. Maybe that should be the saying--- spin the positive--- DO BETTER! What you should fear is not learning.

Golden Quote-
I believe educators need to be more compassionate toward themselves. (I don't think I will write any letters to myself, but I do have some very cute little notecards that will be making more frequent appearances to others.)

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3 Wonders:
1. I wonder what my own blind spots are after reading this article. I think I know my strengths as a teacher, but I do wonder what weaknesses I could target. I need something to target so I can later use it as a reference for other teachers. I suppose it was, at one point early in my career, that I got off-track too often during class telling a story, asking unrelated questions, etc. I was always saying that I was "getting to know my students" but one day I woke up and realized I needed to reel that back in because I was wasting valuable class time.

2. I think teachers often lack agency to achieve their goals because they are afraid to ask questions or ask for help. Many teachers view asking for help as a weakness, when in reality it can make them stronger teachers and provide confidence. Getting over the initial fear is very important...and I am wondering what might be done to alleviate those initial fears with asking for help.

3. I wonder if any of my teachers would EVER feel comfortable watching a video of themselves teaching. Sure, it would be a great activity, but the nerves and stress for some teachers might not be worth the payoff. I think having another observer around, if you trust them, might be even more valuable and genuine.

2 Applications:
1. I would like to challenge my teachers to try one minor change in their behavior and see its impact. Maybe they begin class by walking to the back of the room rather than the front, or start a seating chart and try to interact with every student every day. A little change like this might go a big way and get teachers more comfortable with larger challenges down the road.

2. For my own practice, I would like to try not using technology during class outside of taking attendance. It is very difficult for me to "table" emails, etc...but I need to challenge myself and address that blindspot to focus on students.

1 Golden Quote: "Keep it simple and targeted"

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Three Wonders
1) Flip Your Perspective - I have watched  video of myself teaching multiple times and each time I learn something new.  I think this would be so beneficial for all teachers, but it is terrifying and humbling to see yourself.  One particular time, I watched myself at an unfavorable time and was just devastated by what I saw.  It completely changed me as a teacher for the better.
2) Fear - Teachers have been asked to do so much the last few years and all of this newness is scary.  Teachers are most critical of themselves and we also like things done our way.  We like having control of our classrooms and some feel they have lost control of what they love most...how to teach and assess students.
3) Conduct a Hope Audit - Hope is a dwindling concept in schools lately.  Everyone feels overwhelmed with expectations.  It almost seems like we need to take a step back and re-evaluate the entire school model.

Two Applications:
1) Keep it simple and targeted - I need this most days ;)
2) Treat yourself with compassion - Everyone needs this now

Golden Quote:
'Hope involves agency, our belief that we can have control over our lives and that we can meet our goals'
Many teachers feel they have lost their classrooms to administrators agendas. Probably the most important thing to a teacher is to have control over what and how lessons are taught in their class and loosing this has taken some, if not all, the hope of better.