Leading and Learning!

If you want to feel secure, do what you already know how to do.
If you want to be a true professional and continue to grow…go to the cutting-edge of your competence,which means a temporary loss of security. So whenever you don’t quite know what you’re doing, know that you are growing.
~Madeline Hunter


Greetings,

It seems that the school year should be winding down, but it feels as if our year is in full swing! The SAM Project continues to challenge me in ways I never imagined. I chose the “Hunter” quote above because it succinctly captures my sentiments these days. Security = Zero. . .I guess one could say I am growing! If I were only a plant, I would be reaching the sky by now!

Using the TimeTracker data has proven to be an excellent resource to better manage my time as an instructional leader. The SAMs, Kerry and Jill, have developed an intuitive sense for using the data to help guide me in the right direction – the classrooms. This is not an easy task! Often, I am still pulled in a 1,001 directions – unbelievably, but sometimes, by my own perfectionist qualities! – and they use the data to kindly point that out- ha! Together, monitoring the data daily, we are getting more adept at managing my time so that I can directly impact student and teacher learning. This isn’t to say the principalship has become any easier, in many ways it has become more challenging. However, I can’t imagine life without the SAM Project!

During the past few weeks I have collaborated with teachers on literacy lessons, SmartBoard lessons, and teaching strategies in general. The kindergarten teacher, music teacher, and I worked out a plan for differentiating instruction for our high-level readers in kindergarten. This is a goal I have had for three years, and I can hardly believe it has come to fruition! The music teacher and I are providing guiding reading instruction for the groups of kindergarten students for a couple of times a week. I have been awestruck working with the children. There is something magical about reading with young children who are developing fluency, word recognition, and comprehension. Imagine listening to them as they talk about making connections and adding to their schema…they know these words, what they mean, and how to use them – powerful!

One of the most memorable parts of the past two weeks is the teaching and learning conversations that have transpired between me and the staff, and the staff with the staff! Not an hour goes by when I am not involved with, or listening to, a conversation about student or teacher learning! These conversations are a favorite part of my day and they are what give me get-up-and-go when my get-up-and-go has got-up-and-went! For as long as I can remember, I have always found myself energized working with students, now I find the same rejuvenation also taking place collaborating with teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff. Charlotte Danielson, in her new book Talk About Teaching – Leading Professional Learning Communities notes, “Of all the approaches available to educators to promote teacher learning, the most powerful (and embedded in all others) is that of professional conversation” (2009, p. 5). The reflective conversations occurring daily at Sleepy Hollow School assist us in understanding and analyzing student learning, thus directly impacting our instruction. Over and over, during the past months, I have found myself using the statement – “I’m thinking out loud, what do you think about…have you…how are you…can we?” Now, these are the same questions that are being posed to me!

I will close with a favorite quote by Margaret Wheatley, “Power in organization is the capacity generated by relationships.” We are actively building relationships in the form of professional learning communities at Sleepy Hollow School. The power of these relationships are generated in the collegial conversations and actions of our staff, and the smiles and achievement of our students.

With a passion for excellence and contagious optimism,
Anastasia