Instructional Expertise Module 3: Cohort 1, Arkansas Lead Pathway Designation FY26 by

Directions

AR_Lead — 2025-06-17 15:01:28 UTC

Click on the plus icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
- On the pop-up, add your name, Q1, then record a connection to, the first quote and teacher leadership
- On a second pop-up, add your name, Q2, then record a connection to, the second quote and teacher leadership

Jonathan Holland Q1

2025-07-15 16:16:43 UTC

If the purpose of high quality instruction is student growth and achievement, then we need to encourage our coworkers to make sure that their teaching actually helps student achievement of educational objectives.

Hannah Baxter (Q1)

2025-07-15 16:17:14 UTC

Teacher leaders need to focus on the results of their work, not just the actions they take. This helps them see if their efforts are really helping students and teachers improve.

Jonathan Holland Q2

2025-07-15 16:18:06 UTC

Research shows us that focusing on student outcomes gives better student outcomes, the goal of high level instruction.

Hannah Baxter (Q2)

2025-07-15 16:18:55 UTC

By using clear goals and evaluating progress regularly, teacher leaders can make better decisions and keep everyone working toward the same positive outcomes!

Jessica Smith- Q1

2025-07-15 16:22:50 UTC

Backwards planning- Look at what needs to be accomplished/learned (results) and start from there with instructional planning. This way, we know where we are going, we just have to figure out and plan how to get there.

Jessica Smith- Q2

2025-07-15 16:22:52 UTC

Using the data collected to guide instruction, instead of just collecting the data to put into a spreadsheet. What can we, as a team, do for those students that did not master the content?

Savanah Killer, Q1

2025-07-15 16:27:17 UTC

This reminder that being busy isn’t the same as being effective. As teachers we are told in PDs, all these newstrategies, but if we don’t stop to think about why we’re doing it or what we want to accomplish, we can lose sight of the real goal: student learning and teacher growth. Teacher leaders should help their teams stay focused on results, not just routines.

Savanah Killer Q2

2025-07-15 16:29:15 UTC

As a teacher leader, when I’m clear on the goals, it’s easier to help others stay focused. It keeps the work meaningful and makes it easier to know if we’re making progress.

Misty Lindsey Q1

2025-07-15 16:29:44 UTC

The purpose of high quality instruction is student growth. Teachers should focus on the results of their work to see if their efforts are helping students learn.

Misty Lindsey Q2

2025-07-15 16:32:09 UTC

Teacher leaders can make better decisions when using clear goals and evaluating progress. The evaluation data should be used to guide instruction.

Bernice Philpot - 1

2025-07-15 16:35:42 UTC

Teaching with the end in mind. Knowing how students are to be assessed and what will be assessed will hopefully drive what mindful activities are to be performed to reach the end goal. Ultimately our job is to have students grow.

Madison Camp, Q1

2025-07-15 16:41:43 UTC

If student achievement progress is our ultimate focus, we should have clear expectations about what our goals are. This reminds me of the practice, backwards design, starting with the end goal in mind and then back tracking the steps all the way to where we start. We can't get lost in the process when students' futures are on the line.

Madison Camp, Q2

2025-07-15 16:45:46 UTC

In the second quote, it made me realize that it is about me and how I deliver as an educator. As teachers, we should not blame our students when they don't meet our expectations, we must change to meet them. That requires our first response to look inwards at ourselves and how we can diversify the way we teach. This is a domino effect in the way we keep our focus on the end goal and have clear expectations for ourselves and our students.

Melissa Lee- Q 1

2025-07-15 16:46:15 UTC

As teacher leaders we need to focus on outcomes and not just the planning part of a lesson. We also need to encourage others to do the same. Too often when we sit down to plan, we worry about just the delivery of the lesson and don't always focus on the exact outcome or assessment we will use. Planning should include delivery and measurement as well as just executing the lesson.

Bernice Philpot - 2

2025-07-15 16:51:20 UTC

Having clearly defined goals and outcomes help Teacher leaders to guide colleagues to effective strategies so all students can achieve success.

Elizabeth Kuykendall-1

2025-07-15 16:51:30 UTC

Effective leaders focus on the end goal first. How to reach that goal comes next. When you plan with the end in mind, you hone in which actions will best get you there. This helps keep everyone focused on which actions will be most effective.

Melissa Lee- Q2

2025-07-15 16:51:34 UTC

If outcomes are the focus, it will keep us on track to ensure that we have intentional reasons for planning and delivering to help students become successful when their learning is measured. I find it very helpful when I "backwards plan" and look at the assessment or questions first.

Megan Owens (Q1)

2025-07-15 16:53:56 UTC

Teacher leaders need to resist the urge to focus solely on implementing strategies or completing tasks and instead maintain a clear vision of the results they want to achieve.

Travis Stewart, Q1

2025-07-15 16:57:32 UTC

Teacher leaders can not get caught up worrying about process of teaching as much as the process of making sure the students are learning from the teaching, lesson plans-assestments.

Elizabeth Kuykendall-2

2025-07-15 16:59:03 UTC

It is so easy to get caught up in the process of teaching. Teaching is a complex process, so I understand why the first quote states that many get stuck in the "what to do" part of the process. A great leader knows that the results are the key focus. By keeping the final goal as the focus, a leader can redirect and guide their team.

Both quotes make me think of reading a roadmap- There may be 100 ways to reach your desination. If you spend your whole time focused on the sidestreets, you may take the scenic route to where you need to go.

Travis Stewart, Q2

2025-07-15 17:02:13 UTC

Clear goals and objectives:

These two things will help teacher leaders have effective ways to guide students to great learning heights and also allow them to share his/her teaching techniques with other teachers.

Megan Owens Q2

2025-07-15 17:03:31 UTC

When teacher leaders prioritize results, they foster a culture of accountability and continuous growth within their schools.

Lori Stokes Q1

2025-07-15 17:09:22 UTC

As a teacher leader, I need to make sure and shift my focus from "doing and completing the task" (I am a executor) to achieving meaningful outcomes when the task is complete.

Kristen Pearson-Q1

2025-07-15 17:10:50 UTC

Teacher leaders need to always consider the end goal. We don't want to keep spinning our wheels if it is not getting us in the direction we need to go. Keeping the end in mind, it helps guide everyone to a clear destination and gives you a shared goal.

Lori Stokes Q2

2025-07-15 17:12:38 UTC

As a teacher leader, I need to consider the end goal. By having clear outcomes, I can help guide others professionally.

Kristen Pearson-Q2

2025-07-15 17:18:48 UTC

Clear is Kind!! I know we all use this philosophy in our own classrooms, but now we are transferring it to leading teachers as well. Using results to drive our classroom instruction and help guide other teachers in the same way.

Kandace Sanders, Q1

2025-07-15 17:18:55 UTC

Teacher leaders should focus on the results they want to achieve and then the process of how to achieve that, while actively checking that we are moving towards the desired result. This will yield well-rounded results.

Deedra Hooker, Q1

2025-07-15 17:26:39 UTC

So one of the big connections I made is that teacher leaders need to help their team focus on results rather than activities in class. This mean that we need to focus more on the destination than on the drive. If that makes sense.

Morgan Gardner-Q1

2025-07-15 17:27:03 UTC

I feel like teachers are made to think more on what they are DOING in class versus what were the RESULTS of what the students did. We need to take a step back and refocus on our results to help with our student achievement.

Shea Marsh - Q1

2025-07-15 17:30:49 UTC

Begin with the end in mind. It's important to know what information you want a student to have mastered before you begin a unit. It's valuable to have looked over an end of unit test before you ever to teach the first lesson, so you ensure all your instruction meets standards and goals of the ending assessment. Look over student data to decide next steps with instruction.

Deedra Hooker, Q2

2025-07-15 17:32:01 UTC

Teacher leaders need to make decisions based on evaluation with a focus on the results. They also have to be able to switch gears quickly if something is keeping them from their intended results.

Morgan Gardner-Q2

2025-07-15 17:32:12 UTC

We as teachers need to try to put into our daily or even weekly lessons, time for students to be evaluated and given opportunities of feedback over what they have learned to make sure we are getting the results that we want to get. Instead of doing it in the form of a post-test, we can do it throughout the lesson/unit so we can actually have time for the small details that our students need to be able to grow in their knowledge.

Christopher Mays- Q1

2025-07-15 17:35:31 UTC

We should focus on the results instead of just rushing a process or checking boxes. An effective teacher should always make sure to be flexible and use results to best prepare for the future.

Kandace Sanders, Q2

2025-07-15 17:36:06 UTC

Teacher leaders should make the end goal clear. To do that, constantly monitoring, assessing and adjusting to make sure that the end goal is met. The expectation needs to be clear to everyone and needs to be reminded. The backwards planning model has you to place the goal at the top and work backwards so that the goal stays in view.

Haley Chasteen - Q1

2025-07-15 17:36:50 UTC

It's not good to lose focus while teaching and leading others, you need to have the end goal in mind if you want to be an effective teacher leader. It's so easy to get stuck in the NOW, but it's important to not get lost on the way.

Shea Marsh- Q2

2025-07-15 17:36:58 UTC

"Feedback is a gift"- Ms. Bright

Giving and receiving feedback is another indicator of quality teacher leaders.

Christopher Mays-Q2

2025-07-15 17:37:23 UTC

By having results be the primary focus of our teaching, it helps the goal become clearer. We are not rushing to get as much covered as possible, but using results to hit specific goals. By doing this we can best help our students succeed!

Amy Cochran Q1

2025-07-15 17:38:49 UTC

I feel like we are constantly in a state of moving forward and we don't spend much time reflecting on results. Looking at student data can give us an opportunity to pull students who are underperforming and spend some time helping them reach the stated goal. We offer a remediation time in our daily schedule and I would really like to become more intentional about focusing on exactly what is needed to help grow students.

Haley Chasteen - Q2

2025-07-15 17:38:58 UTC

Having a clear goal in mind, with a pathway to get there, is important! Expectations are clear and the path becomes clearer as you go. It's important to know where you're going to help our students succeed!

Jill Tanner (Question 1)

2025-07-15 17:39:27 UTC

This statement resonates with me because I find so many districts tell you want to do but forget to align it with the desired outcome. Then we take that same practice into our classrooms. When desired results are NOT achieved, we ask ourselves what went wrong. I like to take the backwards approach. What are the desired results, now form a plan.

Amy Cochran Q2

2025-07-15 17:42:23 UTC

This quote reminds me of formative assessment. An effective teacher is always assessing and gauging student understanding in order to move in the right direction. If students are not understanding then there needs to be some scaffolding, differentiation, or another approach altogether to make sure learning is occurring. "Monitor and adjust"

Sarah Lowery - Q1

2025-07-15 17:42:54 UTC

Both the process and the product are important, especially from the perspective of student learning. Student engagement in learning and their progress along the way is equally as important as the end goal (mastery of grade level standards). What is essential is communicating the learning expectations to students along with the criteria necessary to meet the expectations. Students benefit when they are engaged in tracking their progress (process) toward mastery of grade-level standards (product).

Samantha Sharpe Q1

2025-07-15 17:44:40 UTC

Teacher leaders must stay focused on student outcomes, not just on implementing activities or initiatives—this means constantly asking, “Is this making a difference for students?” rather than simply checking off tasks.

Samantha Sharpe Q2

2025-07-15 17:45:18 UTC

By keeping a clear focus on outcomes, teacher leaders help align team efforts and set clear expectations, making professional learning more purposeful and impactful for student achievement.

Sarah Lowery - Q2

2025-07-15 17:49:01 UTC

This quote represents an unwavering commitment to integrated assessments that inform instruction and also determine the effectiveness of that instruction. Teacher leaders should strive to create a data-driven culture with a focus on student learning. When outcomes are the focus, everyone knows which direction we are headed and can plan accordingly.

David Henderson Q1

2025-07-15 17:52:37 UTC

Our focus does tend to be in action. Planning for and delivering lessons. These things are important but it quickly becomes a situation where you cannot see the forest for the trees. We have to remember to look at the whole picture.

Kayla Fairbanks Q1

2025-07-15 17:54:04 UTC

Just because we do something, doesn't mean it is effective. Without a focus on the outcome, we can't identify what actually works.

Karen Mallard, Q1

2025-07-15 17:54:39 UTC

Throughout my decades in education, I feel like the wheel is always spinning in a circular fashion. Many times educators are given 'new' directives and policies and procedures that are not new at all. Best practices and innovative ideas have always been here, and oftentimes they've been sidelined because we forget that they are not just ACTIONS that need to be taken, but that each is an important step on a path and should be tied tightly to ASSESSING the step. My connection is one that feels like the "Groundhog Day" of education is because we leave out or just forget (or maybe didn't realize at the time) a crucial part of the process that leads to success.

David Henderson Q2

2025-07-15 17:55:41 UTC

I take this quote to refer to frequent self evaluation and reflection. We tend to think of evaluation as something our principal does once or twice a year. When was the last time we took a few minutes to pull out the TESS rubric and evaluate a lesson we taught that day. Frequent self-reflection has always been the secret to becoming a more effective teacher.

Will Squires, Q1

2025-07-15 17:59:03 UTC

As teacher leaders, we may find ourselves working to help other teachers overcome problems or struggles they may be having, whether with content delivery or classroom management. When we are presented with these tasks, it is important to remember that our ultimate goal is help our colleagues become better teachers, not to implement a specific strategy. So, the key to improvement becomes "has my colleague improved as a teacher?" rather than "was my colleague able to implement _____ into their classroom?"

Kayla Fairbanks Q2

2025-07-15 17:59:51 UTC

Leaders who are constantly evaluating make better informed decisions, adapt quickly, and maintain a strong focus on results.

Catherine Gramlich, Q1

2025-07-15 18:00:24 UTC

Sometimes we focus too much on what we're doing instead of why we are doing it. We need to make sure our students are actually learning and growing.

Tiffany Edwards Q1

2025-07-15 18:00:37 UTC

Teacher leaders are action oriented and can sometimes be guilty of just checking the box that the task is completed and forgetting that it started with a goal and needs to be data driven. We should be working with the results in mind. This guides teams to make meaningful decisions that improve teaching and student outcomes.

Rose Easley Q1

2025-07-15 18:03:09 UTC

I can relate to the first quote because before my school started pushing towards using data to drive instruction, I feel like the quote basically explained how I conducted myself on a day-to-day basis; however, the more we focus on using data, the more I realize that I need to look at the results to see if I need to make some changes. This is really important to do if I am in the position of leading others because I need to be an example of best practices, not my practices. Also, not engaging in best practices is a disadvantage to my own students.

Karen Mallard, Q2

2025-07-15 18:03:30 UTC

We often hear that we should not forget our WHY as teachers. People say this for a variety of reasons, but I think we'd be better served to not forget our WHERE and HOW. As a teacher leader, we will need to zero in on not only the data that drives us to our next step, but also the how-did-she/he-do-that. We've all been in data meetings where we gather our CFAs or CSAs and look at numbers, and this is a powerful way to develop ourselves professionally. But the times that your class scores were significantly higher (or lower) than your team's or your partner teacher's or your district's overall...to me, that's where the magic happens. THIS is when teachers and teacher leaders can all learn and benefit and develop a better understanding of not only where we want our students to get to educationally, but to share the amazingness and magic of the art of teaching.

Catherine Gramlich, Q2

2025-07-15 18:04:46 UTC

Strong teacher leaders use data and clear goals to plan our instruction. When we know what success looks like, we can adjust our instruction quickly and support our team members.

Tiffany Edwards Q2

2025-07-15 18:05:09 UTC

This quote makes me realize how important it is to have learning outcomes for our students. By creating these outcomes, we are then able to evaluate whether learning is actually occurring. From there you can assess if you need to reteach or are able to move to the next lesson outcomes. These are data driven decisions.

Will Squires, Q2

2025-07-15 18:06:53 UTC

The scenario that comes to mind for me with this second quote is one of myself as a novice teacher trying to keep my head above the water. I had given tests for the unit we just covered and began moving into new material before grading the tests from the previous unit. If I had the grading done, I would have had the data I needed to make more informed decisions such as:

Are my students at a level of mastery that will allow them to be successful with the next unit we cover or do I need to do a re-teach?
Are there any students struggling with misconceptions or poor understanding that if they don't master now will come back to hurt them further down the road?

A look into the data provided from a unit exam or even from a quiz at the end of a lesson or an exit ticket can provide essential insights into how to help students achieve mastery, but if you never look at the data and analyze it, you could be creating more frustrations for not just your students, but for yourself.

Rose Easley Q2

2025-07-15 18:07:41 UTC

This is kind of an echo to my answer for question 1, but teacher leaders can't get into the habit of being comfortable doing things their own way if their own way isn't turning out the greatest results. Teacher leaders have to be able to make informed decisions and respond to challenges by focusing on the results to be sure they are using the best practices.

Casey Braswell, Q1

2025-07-15 18:14:22 UTC

The researchers have identified a central behavior in teachers: we tend to focus on the process. I think we do this because we trust that the process will produce the desired goal. But, sometimes that isn't the case. So we do need to be able to test whether the process has produced what we wanted in the first place.

Casey Braswell, Q2

2025-07-15 18:16:12 UTC

The second quote is the remedy for the identified behavior in the first quote. We have to be able to have a clearly defined goal, apply quality instruction, and then measure the instruction agains the goal. This will help us deliver instruction that wastes less time.

Payton Blumhorst Q1

2025-07-15 18:16:44 UTC

Teachers sometimes spend so much time planning that even if the results aren't what they hoped for, they are already planning the next thing and they are not getting the most out of their lessons or instructional time.

Payton Blumhorst Q2

2025-07-15 18:18:48 UTC

If you now the results that you are chasing, then when you are faced with a question it is easier to come up with a direct answer rather than contemplating multiple options and plans that may or may not lead you in the right direction.

Jennifer Hurst- Q1

2025-07-15 18:22:41 UTC

As teacher leaders, we need to focus on what students are actually getting out of a lesson—not just how we plan to teach it. And we should be encouraging others to do the same. Too often, when we sit down to plan, we get caught up in how we’re going to deliver the lesson and forget to think about the specific outcomes or how we’ll assess them. Good planning should cover both how we teach and how we’ll know if it worked.

Jennifer Hurst-Q2

2025-07-15 18:34:56 UTC

This quote really connects to what it means to be a strong teacher leader. When teacher leaders focus on clear goals and use evaluation as part of their regular routine, they can make smarter choices and quickly adjust when things aren’t working. It helps keep everyone on the same page and working toward the same outcomes. Instead of guessing what’s working, they have real data to guide them—and that leads to better results for both teachers and students.

Shanna Pinkerton

2025-07-15 18:37:57 UTC

Quote 1 - The second part of the quote, "process becomes more important than the result." This is a very true statement when teaching secondary math. I focus heavily on what to do, how to help these kids learn.. With most, the only result I want to see is growth. If they are growing they are learning.

Is this person implying that if you are too focused on the process that the results will not be good? I don't agree with that. I think that if you are intentional in developing the process, the results will be favorable. I believe that teacher leaders would have this same mindset. Prepare and deliver in a way to get the results that you want.

Ashley Randall- Q1

2025-07-15 18:38:45 UTC

Teacher leaders need think about things with the end in mind. If we want students to succeed, then we need to begin by thinking about the result.

Ashley Randall- Q2

2025-07-15 18:41:26 UTC

This quote makes me realize that teacher leaders need to be very clear on what their goal is, and design assessments catered to this goal. This will allow us to better determine which students are struggling and allow us to intervene eariler.

Shanna Pinkerton

2025-07-15 18:51:10 UTC

Quote 2

The second quote reminds me of monitor and adjust. Teacher will be focused on keeping the target goal in mind at all times and adjusting to whatever challenges they may be facing. If it's within a lesson, it would be assessing periodically and adjusting delivery of instruction, questioning, and/or assessments. Sometimes we have interruptions and need to be kept on task. The quote sums up quality instruction.

Teacher leaders will be faced with challenges of keeping others on task and getting results. Being able to respond to challenges, make informed decisions, and stay focused will make a good leader.

Hannah Diaz (quote #1)

2025-07-15 19:21:10 UTC

The connection I made is that as teacher leaders, we must avoid focusing only on activities and instead guide teams to align efforts with clear, student-centered outcomes.

Hannah Diaz (quote 2)

2025-07-15 19:22:22 UTC

The other connection I made was that we have to continually evaluate, and make sure that our teaching is leading to a measurable impact on students.

Tara Clemons Q1

2025-07-15 19:27:43 UTC

To make sure our colleagues are using high quality instruction, we need to help them understand we want results from our students. Teachers need to remind themselves we want to see growth from our students, to slow down and think about what you want your students to learn and not just teach it without a purpose.

Tara Clemons Q2

2025-07-15 19:34:52 UTC

This quote made me think how clear teacher leaders goals and objectives must have in order to support their colleagues. If your colleagues know what you are hoping for and can see the results, they are more likely to buy what you are asking of them. And always evaluate to know that you are doing what is best for your students.

Lauren Whitmore - Q1

2025-07-15 19:38:14 UTC

This quote reminded me of our Leadership Strengths. My leadership strength is executing -- sometimes I'm too focused on completing the tasks instead of seeing the end result!

Lauren Whitmore - Q2

2025-07-15 19:41:06 UTC

Just like students learn better throughout the day when they have a clear learning objective, teachers need that too. What is the goal? What can I learn from the feedback given? How can I use the expectations to be the best instructor for each student?

Carrie Smith 2

2025-07-15 19:41:10 UTC

Teacher leaders need to focus on the outcome of the lesson to see what students have learned. The classroom becomes a space where learning is continuous and students are empowered to reflect on their own thinking.

Chelsea Serio - Q1

2025-07-15 19:47:10 UTC

I hadn't thought of it being more action-based than results-based. I suppose it comes down to the pace of the grind- there's always more to do, so we better get to doing it. We have reflection built into our assessment cycles, but I feel like it could be better! I feel like I'm continually trying to reflect and improve my instruction within the classroom, but I need to be more mindful of the bigger picture.

Carrie Smith 2

2025-07-15 19:48:38 UTC

Teacher leaders need clear goals. Then everyone will know what is expected. It leads to better understanding, focus, and alignment across teaching and learning. This helps students understand what success looks like.

Chelsea Serio - 2

2025-07-15 19:52:31 UTC

That second quote is powerful! It's reminiscent of thoughts becoming words, words becoming actions, etc. While there can be a time and place for casual learning in one's life, that is not what is expected of us as school teachers. We are not on a joy ride per se; we have clear destinations to reach.

Cari Jo Jenkins (Q1)

2025-07-15 20:15:08 UTC

This quote serves as a reminder that teacher leaders should focus less on processes without actions or results (busy work) and more on what they want students to learn or achieve. We have to constantly keep our focus on the goal.

Jon-Perry Mize, Q1

2025-07-15 20:15:28 UTC

Results take vision. Vision requires flexibility in execution. If we want students to perform better, teacher leaders have to know and understand the learning destinations they set for students as well as all the ways students might get there. This enables effective teachers to facilitate real learning but requires a lot of flexibility that teachers often lose year-to-year to new district initiatives. Too often schools adopt new programs/procedures from a third-party vendor, and it becomes all about checking boxes instead of responding to the actual needs of students and reflecting on results to foster and drive growth toward a common vision.

Trishia White - Q1

2025-07-15 20:30:21 UTC

In order to be a teacher leader, one cannot simply focus on the steps to take but they have to focus on the goal. When working with other teachers or students, the first question should be what do we want to achieve and then find the steps to achieve it...not the other way around.

Jon-Perry Mize, Q2

2025-07-15 20:30:51 UTC

I think if you spoke with any effective teacher leader, they would tell you that when it comes to evaluating students it's an ingrained part of facilitating learning. The more a teacher is able to hone his/her ability to evaluate students for understanding, not just through rubrics or setting clear expectations at the beginning of class, but also through real-time, in-the-moment, "reading the room" to know if true learning is happening, the more effective he/she will become in getting results. Evaluating students is an ongoing, cyclical process that starts before class begins, continues through the class, and further continues when the class is over. Effective teacher leaders respond faster and streamline their processes as they adapt to what drives results, which comes from evaluation and reflection.

Cari Jo Jenkins (Q2)

2025-07-15 20:32:15 UTC

While results (students learning and growing) are at the forefront, I really connected with the reflection mentioned in this quote. Sometimes there is so much in front of us, we forget to look back. The quote reminds us if we reflect often on our progress, decisions are easier to make, problems can be fixed more quickly, and everyone gets help and support to more toward accomplishing the common goal.

Trishia White - Q2

2025-07-15 20:37:51 UTC

Evaluation should be a constant process. A teacher leader has to constantly be evaluating where they are so that they can determine how to get to where they want to be. If you take too long to evaluate than you could be completely off path and not be able to make it to your goal on time.

Carrie Thammarath (Q1)

2025-07-15 20:38:58 UTC

Because of the environment we work in, teaching can sometimes because trying to get all of our workload down, which bleeds into our classroom of trying to hit everything. Quote #1 highlights this issue. In order to be effective, it is crucial that we first carefully and intentionally break-down the standards and criteria for mastery and then we can better plan the learning activities/tasks that will get our students to the end goal of mastery the content.

Carrie Thammarath (Q2)

2025-07-15 20:44:11 UTC

The second quote focuses on using evaluative data to inform decisions in our teaching and in our classroom. This quote reminds me of something one of my former principals was adamant about: separating ourselves and our value as educators from the data. When the focus becomes on improving student data and reflecting on our assessments/assignments to get there, we are often less likely to take offense to constructive criticism or bad scores because we are more focused on the feedback as a means to growth rather than a means to define our capabilities as an educator.

Amy Taylor (Q1)

2025-07-15 21:25:03 UTC

tl;dr: Process over results - we can change that culture through a humble perspective as teacher leaders.

"Process over results" is interesting to think about. In general, when we are stuck on maintaining the same process, ignoring the results (in essence blaming learners) no one wins. I think of the old teacher vs. student-centered discussion. As teacher leaders, we can affect change by being willing to acknowledge that OUR process is not always working - it is morphing depending on the needs our students have.

I say it's interesting, because in the Art Ed world, there is constantly professional discussion about "Product versus Process" ("Do it for the process" one may have heard. Some teachers approach a lesson as completing an art project so they are "fridge worthy." Others approach it more freely.) Semantics - similar language, but a very different meaning. The process is fluid in art. The "results" are so individualized - and ultimately, I think, should be that the student is learning to think and evaluate like an artist - not so concrete as results one might find in a math lesson, say.

Amy Taylor (Q2)

2025-07-15 21:29:47 UTC

The quickest route to dealing with challenges that arise is self-reflection. Results are the driver of instruction, and we (not students) are responsible for overseeing results.

Amanda Kazzee Q1

2025-07-15 23:45:44 UTC

Don't become too bogged down with doing. Remember to keep the end in mind. It is easy to fall into this trap as an educator but also a leader. We all become too busy or complacent that we just do and do not necessarily recall what the end goal is.

Amanda Kazzee Q2

2025-07-15 23:53:19 UTC

Oftentimes, teacher leadership focuses on the outcomes. By doing so, they have clearer results and everything is aligned. These teachers are often very focus, data driven, and always on the go. They have very high test scores. In contrast, those with no end in mind have no focus, muddy results, and nothing is aligned. It's a mess. And so are their test scores as a whole. They have no end goal. It's not a Type A, B, or C personality. It's where their focuses are or are not.

Konley Dye Q1

kgill68 — 2025-07-16 00:26:54 UTC

Teacher leaders have to look at the big picture. What can this lesson or learning contribute to the students overall understanding of the material or content? How can this relate to other areas? Can we build upon this process and expand it to link to other ideas and subject matter? It's not just about the process, it's about linking learning together to develop a deeper understanding to help keep long-term student success not just short term success.

Konley Dye Q2

kgill68 — 2025-07-16 00:30:05 UTC

Teacher leaders are consistently keeping research and data driven decisions in the forefront of their goals and instruction methods which in-turn gears teacher objectives and lessons. This helps to set clearer outcomes and guide teachers to reflect on overall lesson objectives and student success.

Amarya Jones Q1

2025-07-16 00:46:45 UTC

As a teacher leader, this quote reminds me that it’s important to stay focused on the results we want to achieve, not just the steps we’re taking. When we focus too much on the process, we may lose sight of whether our work is actually improving teaching and learning.

Amarya Jones Q2

2025-07-16 00:47:42 UTC

This quote shows how valuable it is for teacher leaders to regularly check if their efforts are working. When we use data and feedback to guide decisions, we can respond quickly to challenges and make sure our actions are leading to real results for students and teachers.

Marcia Wilkins-Q1

2025-07-16 03:08:37 UTC

As a teacher leader, it's important to remember not to get caught up planning and doing and remember if what I am doing really helps students learn and grow. This quote helps me remember to have clear goals and focus on the results, my leadership can really help teachers teach better and students learn more.

Marcia Wilkins-Q2

2025-07-16 03:22:29 UTC

Reading these quotes made me reflect on my own leadership. It make me realize how important it is to stop and ask myself, “Is what I’m doing actually making a difference?” Self reflection helps me grow and keeps me focused on what really matters such as looking at results, making adjustment when needed, and helping others stay focused on students success.