Begin With the End in Mind - 2015 Goals for Teachers

As educators we are constantly talking with our students about setting goals for themselves.  We encourage kids to set academic, emotional and, behavioral goals.  Many times we do this weekly or monthly to teach self-reflection.  This practice is not only great for students, but also for adults. With 2014 quickly coming to a close, and a new year upon us, it now seems like a great time to set some goals for ourselves.  Habit 2 of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is "Begin with the End in Mind." This habit encourages us set goals and know where we are going before we start the journey. As you think about your professional or personal goals for the upcoming year, some of the following areas of reflection might help provide a spring board for where you'd like to go.

Step out of your comfort zone - Perhaps 2015 will be the year that you decide to step out of the box with instructional practices or innovative ideas.  Maybe you will commit to trying "Project Based Learning" in your classroom.  Perhaps you will become part of a reflective journey with your colleagues by participating in "Instructional Rounds." Perhaps you will take on a leadership role by providing Professional Development for your colleagues, taking on a student teacher, or become a mentor for a new teaching colleague. My work with the "Galileo Leadership Academy" allowed me to understand that teachers can "lead from where they stand."  You do not have to have a formal leadership role to be a leader. Is 2015 the year for you step up into a leadership role that you define for yourself?

Work on integrating 21st century learning strategies into your classroom - Maybe 2015 is the year that you will commit to integrating new 21st century learning into your teaching toolbox.  Perhaps you will look to add blogging, twitter, or mystery skype into your classroom.  Maybe you will consider deeper levels of differentiated instruction using technology.  Perhaps you will look to add self-directed learning through "Innovation Day" or "20 % Time" within your lessons.  21st Century learning not only encompasses the integration of technology, but also communication, collaboration and interactions with a variety of students and colleagues from across the globe.

Commit to being a positive voice for education - One of the best ways teachers can support the field of education is to be the positive voice.  It is very easy to get sucked into the negativity that often surrounds educators via politicians, media, or even right in our own teachers' lounge.  However, accepting the challenge to "Be the Positive Voice" not only helps you, but also your colleagues and students.  Negative energy seems to spread so easily throughout a school building, so working to maintain a positive outlook will create a more productive culture building wide.

Work to build relationships and connect with students - Students will work much harder for a teacher that they like.  Therefore, making a commitment to connect with each of your students on a level outside of the classroom will help to create a better classroom culture for all.   Talk about things that you do outside of the normal school day.  Ask them about hobbies or interests. Help your students find books that are in an area they like.  All of these small details will help to create a classroom environment in which students are not afraid to take risks and try new things.

There are many areas in which teachers can work to create goals for the upcoming year.  The most important fact to remember is that your goals should be about personal and professional growth.  You know what will help you to reach out of your comfort zone and extend your learning as an educator. Tap into those areas. Don't worry about what your colleague across the hall is doing.  Focus on areas that will help you grow as an educator, colleague, and person.

Happy Goal Setting!

Courage + Supportive School Leaders = Opportunities for Teacher Leadership

The majority of teachers would not argue with the fact that it is important to instill a sense of leadership in their students. Moreover, encouraging students to take risks and challenge their thinking is another key component of most classrooms. Why then would the practice be any different for teacher leadership?

Although teachers strive to promote leadership among their students, often those same principles are difficult to embrace in their own practice. For this reason, it is increasingly important for teacher leaders to step forward, providing a positive example in order to remove the stigma from leadership, perhaps encouraging their colleagues to follow suit. Additionally, encouragement from building leaders to seek out leadership opportunities that align with a teacher's passions is a great first step in growing the level of teacher leadership and engagement within a school building.

However, in order for teachers to feel comfortable stepping up to a leadership role, there is one essential element that must be present throughout a school building, trust. Just as students in a classroom are not willing to take risks if there is a fear of ridicule and mockery, teachers often pass on opportunities to take on leadership roles when high levels of trust are not present in the school building. In these instances, positive examples by strong teacher leaders and support from administrators can help to break down the wall of mistrust and encourage other colleagues to seek out opportunities to lead.

           

Promoting teacher leadership is even easier when it is supported by upper level administrators.  One major change that our Directors of K-12 education (@maureenbur1 and @i_sing_america) initiated is to put professional development opportunities into the hands of the teachers.  This has been extremely empowering as well as eye-opening.   During the first sessions, there were several innovative and meaningful opportunities offered.  They were well attended; and the feedback was phenomenal.  Teachers enjoyed learning new instructional methods from practicing colleagues. They also felt a sense of camaraderie when collaborating about ideas that had worked and those that hadn't.  As a result, even more teacher leaders have emerged to provide learning opportunities for their colleagues. As school leaders, we should strive to provide similar opportunities for teachers to discover leadership opportunities within their own practice. Kudos to our curriculum directors for empowering their teachers and putting the PD in the hands of the practitioners!

In conclusion, as mentioned by Carol Dweck in the book Mindset, taking risks and learning valuable lessons from mistakes is an integral part of the learning experience.  Just as educators encourage their students to experiment with new strategies, teacher leaders should follow suit.  You do not have to be in a leadership role to be a leader, and teacher leaders can help to transform a school culture and develop trust while encouraging colleagues follow their example.

This blog post was adapted from an article I wrote for Oakland University's Publication "Teacher Leader" from January, 2013.