WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.030 --> 00:00:01.830
Why do you keep telling everybody what they need to learn?
2
00:00:02.029 --> 00:00:04.929
I don't do that. Well, except for every meeting you do.
3
00:00:05.780 --> 00:00:07.540
And I thought, well, I got mad at that. And
4
00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:10.869
I did what every mature principal would do. I got up,
5
00:00:11.820 --> 00:00:13.259
stormed out of my own office.
6
00:00:16.429 --> 00:00:22.670
This is Control Shift Lead, Season 3. With Jim Wichman
7
00:00:22.829 --> 00:00:26.809
and Adam Bush on the Forward Ed Network. Control what
8
00:00:26.829 --> 00:00:27.410
you can.
9
00:00:27.829 --> 00:00:29.980
Shift your thinking. Lead with purpose.
10
00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:37.939
All right, season three, we're back. And instead of spending
11
00:00:37.979 --> 00:00:40.820
this season interviewing people about leadership, Jim and I want
12
00:00:40.859 --> 00:00:43.259
to spend more time actually talking about it.
13
00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:47.329
Real questions, real situations, and people at the table who
14
00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:50.340
are willing to wrestle with with all of us. And
15
00:00:50.380 --> 00:00:52.020
when we were talking about this, I mean, this is
16
00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:54.259
going to be just like Brene Brown says, we're going
17
00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:57.140
to jump into the arena and we're going to battle
18
00:00:57.579 --> 00:00:58.100
armor off.
19
00:00:58.579 --> 00:01:02.850
I love it. Well, today we have Dr. Jill Urich
20
00:01:03.409 --> 00:01:06.510
and Kara Haisley Mitchell. You're here for our first one.
21
00:01:06.569 --> 00:01:08.409
And we're going to start right away with the adults
22
00:01:08.450 --> 00:01:09.909
in our building. So we're going to kick it off.
23
00:01:09.930 --> 00:01:11.590
We're going to get going. Jill, I'm going to kick
24
00:01:11.650 --> 00:01:15.010
it to you. Get our conversation started tonight. Let's start
25
00:01:15.030 --> 00:01:18.000
with something that I think leaders hear a lot. And
26
00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:21.420
that is when teachers say they want autonomy, what do
27
00:01:21.459 --> 00:01:23.180
you think they're really asking for?
28
00:01:26.019 --> 00:01:32.439
Teachers, in my experience, want to be trusted for the
29
00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:37.030
expertise that they bring to the table. They are experts
30
00:01:37.329 --> 00:01:40.189
in things that I am not an expert in. And
31
00:01:40.269 --> 00:01:45.030
so I think honoring that and they want to be
32
00:01:45.049 --> 00:01:46.590
valued for that. They want to be valued for the
33
00:01:46.609 --> 00:01:51.659
gifts they bring to the table. And the autonomy comes
34
00:01:51.780 --> 00:01:57.180
with clear expectations and like they want to know what's
35
00:01:57.219 --> 00:02:01.989
my sandbox, right? And then who is in my sandbox?
36
00:02:02.629 --> 00:02:05.010
Who am I going to collaborate with so that we
37
00:02:05.030 --> 00:02:07.150
know what we're going to be tight on? And then
38
00:02:07.189 --> 00:02:11.409
within those tight parameters, have that autonomy to meet the
39
00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:12.639
needs of every student they serve.
40
00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:15.340
Yeah, we talk about that a lot. I think the
41
00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:17.870
term we use in my school district is guardrails. You know,
42
00:02:17.909 --> 00:02:20.710
what are your guardrails that you can work within? But
43
00:02:21.810 --> 00:02:24.289
I do, I think people do want that autonomy, but
44
00:02:24.310 --> 00:02:27.969
I also think at times the guardrails matter more sometimes
45
00:02:28.030 --> 00:02:31.849
than that freedom. Like without it, sometimes you're almost paralyzed,
46
00:02:31.870 --> 00:02:33.439
don't even know where to go from there if you
47
00:02:33.460 --> 00:02:37.039
don't have some sort of those guardrails or barriers for
48
00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:37.939
people to stay within.
49
00:02:38.180 --> 00:02:41.919
Carol, when I was, West Virginia, shout out, West Virginia,
50
00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:45.099
You have this wonderful space in that, and I call
51
00:02:45.139 --> 00:02:47.300
it the learning hall is what I always referred to
52
00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:51.110
it as. And you section off the tables and you
53
00:02:51.129 --> 00:02:53.870
have people come in and it's very communal. When I
54
00:02:53.889 --> 00:02:56.189
was there last time, that's exactly what happened. People started
55
00:02:56.569 --> 00:02:59.270
talking and so forth. What are you hearing them say
56
00:02:59.330 --> 00:03:01.159
when they're in that space?
57
00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:06.120
Absolutely. I think this is an excellent question. And having
58
00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:11.129
the ability for, as Jill said, I'm the professional speaking
59
00:03:11.330 --> 00:03:14.009
as the teacher. I am the professional in my classroom.
60
00:03:14.150 --> 00:03:17.449
I'm the professional in my building as the instructional leader
61
00:03:17.550 --> 00:03:21.319
and that I can be trusted to make those data
62
00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:24.159
informed decisions on behalf of my students so that we
63
00:03:24.219 --> 00:03:27.539
can move the needle forward. I think that's a critical
64
00:03:27.620 --> 00:03:34.849
piece to education that can oftentimes be viewed as micromanaging
65
00:03:35.469 --> 00:03:40.439
or to use your terms there, Adam. within the guardrails.
66
00:03:41.710 --> 00:03:43.530
So it's a delicate balance, I believe.
67
00:03:43.550 --> 00:03:46.569
I think when we're not clear, and you guys, all
68
00:03:46.610 --> 00:03:51.110
three of you mentioned guardrails, sandbox, clarity. When we don't
69
00:03:51.150 --> 00:03:54.990
have clarity, we create frustration. And I want to point
70
00:03:55.069 --> 00:03:59.840
out that the operational definition of our vocabulary that we're
71
00:03:59.860 --> 00:04:02.300
using could cause problems as well. So like Kara was
72
00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:04.520
talking about, just giving them that clarity of what it
73
00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:07.169
is that they can do And now, so where's that
74
00:04:07.229 --> 00:04:09.789
balance between the art and the science of instruction? Then
75
00:04:09.849 --> 00:04:12.729
also you're operating within a system. So we have to
76
00:04:12.770 --> 00:04:15.939
have a kind of like a through line of like vocabulary,
77
00:04:15.960 --> 00:04:19.379
common language, common vocabulary for our students. So when I
78
00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:23.259
hear when teachers are saying, you know, that we ought
79
00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:26.199
to have autonomy, we got to define where that autonomy
80
00:04:26.259 --> 00:04:29.899
can be without disrupting the system. So that our children,
81
00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:33.019
when they're operating through first grade, second grade, or first period,
82
00:04:33.060 --> 00:04:38.259
second period, there is some continuity. And a lack of
83
00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:41.019
that continuity, we start creating the frustration in their students
84
00:04:41.180 --> 00:04:43.920
and then frustration with the teachers. And then we might
85
00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:46.759
start hearing, just tell me what you want me to
86
00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:49.600
do and I'll do it, which is so sad when
87
00:04:49.620 --> 00:04:50.459
we get to that point.
88
00:04:51.490 --> 00:04:54.490
You know, I think sometimes I think leaders like the
89
00:04:54.569 --> 00:04:57.709
idea of autonomy right up until the time when people
90
00:04:57.730 --> 00:05:01.139
start making choices that they don't support. And then they wish, oh,
91
00:05:01.149 --> 00:05:03.720
I shouldn't have ever given any autonomy. But I mean,
92
00:05:04.060 --> 00:05:07.199
how do you actually define where that should and shouldn't
93
00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:11.060
end and not as a reactionary piece to a staff
94
00:05:11.100 --> 00:05:12.300
member that you're now working with?
95
00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:18.399
Well, I think it starts with, well, I could go
96
00:05:18.490 --> 00:05:20.990
all the way back and say it starts with hiring, right?
97
00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:27.410
Because it's hiring the person with the mindset of, I
98
00:05:27.449 --> 00:05:32.240
can be trusted to meet the individual needs of the
99
00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:36.230
students in my classroom while working interdependently with people on
100
00:05:36.269 --> 00:05:42.269
my team, recognizing I am part of a bigger system
101
00:05:42.290 --> 00:05:45.680
in the building and the district, right? Like somebody that
102
00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:51.120
sees the alignment and, and, so then you hire the
103
00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:54.060
right people coming in. And then when you're in, it's
104
00:05:54.379 --> 00:05:57.639
spending time talking about what does the mission mean to us?
105
00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:00.220
What does it mean for us to achieve our mission?
106
00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:05.100
And when we know what, what it means, then how
107
00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:08.170
are we going to behave? What will we do? What
108
00:06:08.230 --> 00:06:11.910
won't we do? And, and then I think it gets
109
00:06:11.970 --> 00:06:17.660
into those PLC guiding questions. The, and, and the great
110
00:06:17.699 --> 00:06:21.439
thing about being in an administrative position is we get
111
00:06:21.550 --> 00:06:25.730
to attend those team meetings, but not run them. And
112
00:06:25.769 --> 00:06:28.930
I think there's a tummy in that, like, listen, they,
113
00:06:29.050 --> 00:06:33.569
they have the voice giving them the voice to what
114
00:06:33.589 --> 00:06:36.129
does it mean when the students, you know, are proficient
115
00:06:36.170 --> 00:06:39.329
on these standards or advanced and like, that's the tight.
116
00:06:40.170 --> 00:06:43.610
And how are we going to assess that's the tight,
117
00:06:44.449 --> 00:06:47.620
but then, You should have autonomy to use your unique
118
00:06:47.660 --> 00:06:50.660
gifts to bring that to life in your classroom.
119
00:06:51.180 --> 00:06:54.160
I like your use of the words get to. It is.
120
00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:56.680
It's an opportunity for us to get in there and
121
00:06:56.899 --> 00:06:57.480
do those things.
122
00:06:57.500 --> 00:06:58.100
That was really good.
123
00:06:58.680 --> 00:06:59.490
Be a thought partner.
124
00:06:59.699 --> 00:07:01.410
We get to be a thought partner.
125
00:07:02.269 --> 00:07:04.170
Kara, have you ever run into that at all? This
126
00:07:04.189 --> 00:07:06.410
whole concept of, boy, it's hard for me to give
127
00:07:06.449 --> 00:07:09.230
them that freedom or that, like, I've got to hammer down.
128
00:07:09.290 --> 00:07:11.449
Otherwise, something might happen that I'm not prepared for.
129
00:07:12.689 --> 00:07:15.800
Absolutely. And I think that's a challenge that educators don't
130
00:07:15.860 --> 00:07:21.740
necessarily like to find themselves in. They want to do
131
00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:25.680
what is best for their students. Nobody sets out to
132
00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:29.540
go into education and to do a bad job. As educators,
133
00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:33.680
we are nurturers and we want to take care. We
134
00:07:33.740 --> 00:07:37.639
are stewards of these children. whether they come to us
135
00:07:37.779 --> 00:07:40.819
at age three or whether they exit with us at
136
00:07:40.899 --> 00:07:48.670
age 21, depending upon their programs of study. So teachers
137
00:07:48.790 --> 00:07:52.170
join the profession because they want to do what's best
138
00:07:52.209 --> 00:07:52.990
by their kids.
139
00:07:53.329 --> 00:07:53.870
So true.
140
00:07:54.430 --> 00:08:02.230
And sometimes there is that delicate balance between autonomy and accountability.
141
00:08:02.290 --> 00:08:04.689
And to go back to what Jill was saying with
142
00:08:04.709 --> 00:08:08.189
the hiring, that's critical to make sure that we are
143
00:08:08.269 --> 00:08:14.470
putting the best people in those critical areas across their campuses.
144
00:08:15.189 --> 00:08:19.829
And that also goes back to the essential piece of having,
145
00:08:20.290 --> 00:08:22.970
what are we doing? What do we believe in as
146
00:08:23.050 --> 00:08:30.509
a system? That shared vision and mission in my position
147
00:08:30.649 --> 00:08:35.519
as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, That's critical to us.
148
00:08:35.820 --> 00:08:38.320
What do we believe in and how can we help
149
00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:42.440
to build that belief within our instructional leaders and our teachers?
150
00:08:50.529 --> 00:08:55.769
This segment is sponsored by Grunmeier Leader Services. Since 2013,
151
00:08:55.769 --> 00:08:58.789
GLS has been a trusted partner for school districts across
152
00:08:58.830 --> 00:09:03.529
the Midwest, specializing in executive recruitment and leadership support. They
153
00:09:03.570 --> 00:09:06.970
believe that great schools start with great leaders, and they
154
00:09:07.009 --> 00:09:09.490
are here to help you find a perfect fit.
155
00:09:09.230 --> 00:09:09.809
For your district.
156
00:09:10.350 --> 00:09:15.649
Transform your school's future with the right leader. Visit grunmeyerleaderssearch.com
157
00:09:15.889 --> 00:09:21.320
to learn more. Grunmeyer Leader Services, transforming education one leader.
158
00:09:21.220 --> 00:09:21.659
At a time.
159
00:09:25.860 --> 00:09:29.740
School leadership is demanding, and your time is finite. You
160
00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:33.750
don't need vague jargon. you need practical strategies that work.
161
00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:38.269
Join host Adam Bush every Wednesday morning for Your Morning
162
00:09:38.350 --> 00:09:41.750
Boost on the Forward Ed Network. In just a few minutes,
163
00:09:42.029 --> 00:09:45.940
you'll get high-impact professional development, moving you from a reactive
164
00:09:46.019 --> 00:09:50.940
fixer to a capacity-building coach. Subscribe to Your Morning Boost today.
165
00:09:50.110 --> 00:10:02.720
I think when you, first of all, I got to
166
00:10:02.740 --> 00:10:06.179
give a shout out to the, just a little friendly reminder.
167
00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:08.299
We've heard it in various forms and so forth, but
168
00:10:09.100 --> 00:10:11.980
educators don't set out to do bad. They want to be,
169
00:10:12.019 --> 00:10:14.159
they want to be great every possible day, but they
170
00:10:14.179 --> 00:10:16.100
also are humans and we got to keep that in mind.
171
00:10:16.860 --> 00:10:19.379
And so shout out Kara for even just bringing that
172
00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:21.659
back up. And we think it's obvious, but it isn't.
173
00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:25.100
We got to remember what that looks like. And I
174
00:10:25.139 --> 00:10:28.870
was shifting to what Kara was saying as well is
175
00:10:29.129 --> 00:10:31.970
I was in an elementary school in Wyoming County, West Virginia.
176
00:10:31.990 --> 00:10:35.509
And I walked to that school and it was every
177
00:10:35.769 --> 00:10:38.649
spot of that hallway or the classroom that was in,
178
00:10:39.149 --> 00:10:42.850
you could tell there was unification of the teachers, whether
179
00:10:42.889 --> 00:10:45.759
it be a In and out of the classrooms, teachers
180
00:10:45.779 --> 00:10:48.379
were moving, the hallway decorations. I mean, it was like
181
00:10:48.419 --> 00:10:50.970
a winter wonderland. Now, I believe that building is no
182
00:10:51.009 --> 00:10:55.350
longer or used for something different. However, the people in
183
00:10:55.370 --> 00:10:58.950
that building, that unification, and I look at and I
184
00:10:58.990 --> 00:11:01.629
think of Wyoming County or many of the counties in
185
00:11:01.929 --> 00:11:05.029
all the counties, probably in West Virginia, they're operated as
186
00:11:05.129 --> 00:11:08.450
county schools, not just districts. So like if you're in Iowa,
187
00:11:08.470 --> 00:11:10.669
you're in a district and it's kind of small, you're tight-knit.
188
00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:15.419
or Texas, other places, but Wyoming, you have schools all around.
189
00:11:15.980 --> 00:11:19.379
So Kara, how do you kind of keep that balance
190
00:11:19.399 --> 00:11:23.220
when you're reaching out to all parts of the county?
191
00:11:24.779 --> 00:11:29.399
It is definitely a unique perspective, I would venture to say.
192
00:11:29.460 --> 00:11:32.210
I've never worked in a system that was based on
193
00:11:32.370 --> 00:11:38.250
districts within a county. So this is the only thing
194
00:11:38.289 --> 00:11:42.720
that I really know. But every school has a different,
195
00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:49.080
unique feeling or culture, and they create a school every
196
00:11:49.139 --> 00:11:52.549
single school year. And that's what we try to empower
197
00:11:52.629 --> 00:11:56.169
from our instructional leaders, setting the tone from the first
198
00:11:56.269 --> 00:11:59.350
day with their first meeting with them of how are
199
00:11:59.409 --> 00:12:04.330
you creating a new school community? Some of our schools
200
00:12:05.330 --> 00:12:11.419
are already consolidated within our county. And that is bringing
201
00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:18.019
a variety of schools and their beliefs, their systems into one.
202
00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:21.419
And we're going through that now. As you referenced, one
203
00:12:21.460 --> 00:12:26.019
of our schools is no longer. And they're merging two
204
00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:29.080
schools together to create a new elementary and middle school.
205
00:12:29.659 --> 00:12:34.519
But that's critical for them to realize every single school year,
206
00:12:34.539 --> 00:12:38.360
I get new students. I have new staff, some that
207
00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:43.620
are returning. But we get to create a place that
208
00:12:43.899 --> 00:12:48.820
is reflective of our community and our shared beliefs. And
209
00:12:48.899 --> 00:12:51.019
it varies from campus to campus.
210
00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:51.580
Yeah.
211
00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:54.350
But what's interesting to me, and it just kind of
212
00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:56.289
dawned on me as you're talking there, and Jim, you
213
00:12:56.309 --> 00:12:59.570
were kind of mentioning this too, are our guardrails just
214
00:12:59.629 --> 00:13:01.789
really our mission and our vision? I mean, this is
215
00:13:01.830 --> 00:13:03.929
really what we truly believe about the work we're doing.
216
00:13:03.990 --> 00:13:07.370
Isn't that our guardrails? And if we have those well-established
217
00:13:07.409 --> 00:13:10.820
and we understand those, as a staff, people are going
218
00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:12.500
to know where they're supposed to be anyway.
219
00:13:14.379 --> 00:13:16.299
And then, of course, you know, within that, you've got
220
00:13:16.340 --> 00:13:21.840
the policies and things like that. And that said, I
221
00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:27.039
think if we are reflective as a system, we're going
222
00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:30.019
to recognize when a policy is getting in the way
223
00:13:30.059 --> 00:13:33.820
of us doing something. And then do we need to
224
00:13:33.860 --> 00:13:36.159
revise something as long as it still reflects the law
225
00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:36.879
and all of that?
226
00:13:37.330 --> 00:13:38.330
Obviously, that's important.
227
00:13:41.460 --> 00:13:46.340
It's interesting as we think about the guardrails and parameters.
228
00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:53.059
As you three were talking, I was envisioning, as adults,
229
00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:57.590
we're just big kids. And when we think of what
230
00:13:57.649 --> 00:14:01.250
a classroom teacher is trying to create in their classroom,
231
00:14:01.750 --> 00:14:07.909
they're trying to create independent learners who understand parameters, right?
232
00:14:10.370 --> 00:14:14.929
Because that would be total burnout and not successful for
233
00:14:14.970 --> 00:14:18.149
a teacher if every student was completely dependent on that person.
234
00:14:19.100 --> 00:14:23.080
And we're the same way. As adults, we want the
235
00:14:23.139 --> 00:14:27.519
adults in our building or our school community to be independent,
236
00:14:28.100 --> 00:14:30.799
but also supportive of the greater good of what we're about.
237
00:14:31.179 --> 00:14:36.820
But that would cause burnout if we're person dependent, right?
238
00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:38.519
We don't want to be person dependent. We want to
239
00:14:38.539 --> 00:14:40.039
be system dependent.
240
00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:45.299
I like the concept of the system independent. And we're
241
00:14:45.340 --> 00:14:48.139
thinking about it. I hear phrases like guardrail, sandbox. I
242
00:14:48.179 --> 00:14:52.899
think of tights and looses and where it's negotiable, non-negotiable,
243
00:14:53.059 --> 00:14:56.700
and so forth. So let's wrap it all up here.
244
00:14:57.740 --> 00:15:00.779
What should a leader do differently tomorrow if they really
245
00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:07.240
want autonomy without the free-for-all chaos? Good question. What could
246
00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:10.000
leaders do differently or maybe emphasize?
247
00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:17.330
Well, one thing I think about is as an instructional leader,
248
00:15:17.350 --> 00:15:22.250
we have an opportunity to ask questions of our teachers
249
00:15:22.789 --> 00:15:27.419
and a question of, you know, how, in what ways
250
00:15:27.460 --> 00:15:31.259
am I getting in your way? Or what could I
251
00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:35.019
do differently that could support you better as a classroom
252
00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:36.919
teacher to meet the needs of your kids? I think
253
00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:41.529
just being vulnerable and asking that question opening the door
254
00:15:41.549 --> 00:15:43.470
and saying, you know, what do I need to do
255
00:15:43.509 --> 00:15:45.330
more of? What do I need to do less of?
256
00:15:45.370 --> 00:15:47.610
What do I need to do different to support you
257
00:15:47.730 --> 00:15:49.809
in doing your job to the best of your ability?
258
00:15:50.490 --> 00:15:55.139
Yeah, I had an instructional coach who was very willing
259
00:15:55.159 --> 00:15:58.120
to have tough. It wasn't tough for her. She loved
260
00:15:58.159 --> 00:15:59.980
these conversations, but it was kind of like we got
261
00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:02.940
in the arena battle numerous times. Sometimes I had my
262
00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:05.200
armor on. Sometimes I didn't. She never did. And it
263
00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:07.549
was really kind of helping me grow along the way.
264
00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:12.440
And she was like, very clear, Jim, you said everything
265
00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:14.659
has to be within standards mindset or we have to
266
00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:18.899
be like 100% students connected with adults, right? Yes, geared
267
00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:21.139
to that. Why do you keep telling everybody what they
268
00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:23.799
need to learn? I don't do that. Well, except for
269
00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:26.549
every meeting you do. And I thought, well, I got
270
00:16:26.610 --> 00:16:28.889
mad at that. And I did what every mature principal
271
00:16:28.929 --> 00:16:33.009
would do. I got up, stormed out of my own office,
272
00:16:33.429 --> 00:16:37.029
closed my own door. Stormed through the school, then finally
273
00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:39.179
came back and said, okay, what do we do? And
274
00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.120
it was really cool. I don't know how she actually
275
00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:46.039
did it all, but we ended up having teachers kind
276
00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:50.440
of join together with like interest on underneath the umbrella
277
00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:55.519
of standards mindset, which MTS, BBIS and the staff. I mean,
278
00:16:55.539 --> 00:16:57.620
it was just everything they got to pick. They had
279
00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:03.110
their groups together and all I did was provide resources
280
00:17:03.259 --> 00:17:06.880
and get out of the way. And it was so
281
00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:10.579
uncomfortable for me, but the magic was, it was amazing
282
00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:14.329
within that. Just get out of the, I had to
283
00:17:14.349 --> 00:17:17.529
give clarity. I had to give clarity for that first.
284
00:17:19.089 --> 00:17:21.890
And then once that clarity came. Isn't that part of
285
00:17:21.950 --> 00:17:24.250
it though, is to know when you got to get
286
00:17:24.289 --> 00:17:26.450
out of the way? I mean, that's a big part
287
00:17:26.470 --> 00:17:28.740
of leadership, right? Know when you don't need to be
288
00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:30.880
there in the way. I needed help.
289
00:17:31.619 --> 00:17:34.500
And how great that you had the trust.
290
00:17:35.390 --> 00:17:35.650
Right.
291
00:17:35.710 --> 00:17:39.880
From the culture you supported, that you nourished, that this
292
00:17:39.940 --> 00:17:43.460
person had the trust to be able to be honest
293
00:17:43.500 --> 00:17:48.579
with you and not be judged negatively for that.
294
00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:59.369
As leaders, it is critical that our administrators, our instructors,
295
00:17:59.769 --> 00:18:04.630
our students and our greater community has the trust. in
296
00:18:04.710 --> 00:18:08.460
us to make those decisions or to provide that support.
297
00:18:08.500 --> 00:18:12.700
And there is such wisdom also in knowing when to
298
00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:17.089
step away, knowing when, okay, I'm ready to release. They,
299
00:18:17.309 --> 00:18:20.150
they know the destination that we need to arrive at
300
00:18:20.210 --> 00:18:26.109
in terms of student achievement. And it's we are showing
301
00:18:26.150 --> 00:18:31.680
that belief in them instead of micromanaging, because that's not,
302
00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:34.160
that's not what we want to be. We, we don't,
303
00:18:34.980 --> 00:18:37.279
set out to be leaders who say you have to
304
00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:40.539
do X, Y, and Z and mark off all these
305
00:18:40.619 --> 00:18:43.440
to-dos off of your list. Sometimes it can feel that
306
00:18:43.529 --> 00:18:48.720
way when there's various initiatives or state mandates or new policies.
307
00:18:50.750 --> 00:18:54.890
But at the heart of it, it is making sure
308
00:18:54.930 --> 00:18:57.890
that our instructors know that we believe in them to
309
00:18:57.930 --> 00:18:59.690
do the job that they were hired to do.
310
00:18:59.710 --> 00:19:03.210
So true. So true. You know what?
311
00:19:03.630 --> 00:19:08.730
This has been an awesome season three, episode one. Kara, Jill,
312
00:19:08.910 --> 00:19:11.329
thanks for joining us here today. Jim, anything you want
313
00:19:11.349 --> 00:19:12.890
to say before we wrap up today?
314
00:19:13.750 --> 00:19:16.519
Well, a couple of things. One, first of all, again, Kara, Jill,
315
00:19:16.539 --> 00:19:19.019
thank you very much. I love having two different states
316
00:19:19.059 --> 00:19:21.099
kind of like because the lens is different. And I
317
00:19:21.099 --> 00:19:24.720
think in education, we support everybody. Kara, I think you
318
00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:29.359
have 55, 56 counties or county schools, school districts in
319
00:19:29.579 --> 00:19:31.869
West Virginia. Yes, there's 55 counties in West Virginia. Right.
320
00:19:32.450 --> 00:19:35.500
And Iowa, Jill, what is that number? 330 right now?
321
00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:40.900
We have 330 school districts or something like that? We
322
00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:43.720
have little old Iowa has 99 counties too, Kara. I mean,
323
00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:48.109
so it's, it's a dynamics is different, but here's the
324
00:19:48.150 --> 00:19:50.829
thing that's, that's real. And it's, everything we talked about
325
00:19:50.869 --> 00:19:53.450
here pertains to every classroom throughout the country. And I
326
00:19:53.490 --> 00:19:56.430
really appreciate coming in and having these conversations, stepping into
327
00:19:56.450 --> 00:19:58.539
the arena with, with the armor on. So thank you
328
00:19:58.579 --> 00:19:59.529
very much. I appreciate it.
329
00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:02.700
Alrighty, everybody. Thank you for joining us here on control
330
00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:04.900
shift lead, and we will talk with you again next time.
331
00:20:07.980 --> 00:20:10.140
Thanks for joining us on control shift lead.
332
00:20:13.079 --> 00:20:13.720
Until next time.
1
00:00:00.030 --> 00:00:01.830
Why do you keep telling everybody what they need to learn?
2
00:00:02.029 --> 00:00:04.929
I don't do that. Well, except for every meeting you do.
3
00:00:05.780 --> 00:00:07.540
And I thought, well, I got mad at that. And
4
00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:10.869
I did what every mature principal would do. I got up,
5
00:00:11.820 --> 00:00:13.259
stormed out of my own office.
6
00:00:16.429 --> 00:00:22.670
This is Control Shift Lead, Season 3. With Jim Wichman
7
00:00:22.829 --> 00:00:26.809
and Adam Bush on the Forward Ed Network. Control what
8
00:00:26.829 --> 00:00:27.410
you can.
9
00:00:27.829 --> 00:00:29.980
Shift your thinking. Lead with purpose.
10
00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:37.939
All right, season three, we're back. And instead of spending
11
00:00:37.979 --> 00:00:40.820
this season interviewing people about leadership, Jim and I want
12
00:00:40.859 --> 00:00:43.259
to spend more time actually talking about it.
13
00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:47.329
Real questions, real situations, and people at the table who
14
00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:50.340
are willing to wrestle with with all of us. And
15
00:00:50.380 --> 00:00:52.020
when we were talking about this, I mean, this is
16
00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:54.259
going to be just like Brene Brown says, we're going
17
00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:57.140
to jump into the arena and we're going to battle
18
00:00:57.579 --> 00:00:58.100
armor off.
19
00:00:58.579 --> 00:01:02.850
I love it. Well, today we have Dr. Jill Urich
20
00:01:03.409 --> 00:01:06.510
and Kara Haisley Mitchell. You're here for our first one.
21
00:01:06.569 --> 00:01:08.409
And we're going to start right away with the adults
22
00:01:08.450 --> 00:01:09.909
in our building. So we're going to kick it off.
23
00:01:09.930 --> 00:01:11.590
We're going to get going. Jill, I'm going to kick
24
00:01:11.650 --> 00:01:15.010
it to you. Get our conversation started tonight. Let's start
25
00:01:15.030 --> 00:01:18.000
with something that I think leaders hear a lot. And
26
00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:21.420
that is when teachers say they want autonomy, what do
27
00:01:21.459 --> 00:01:23.180
you think they're really asking for?
28
00:01:26.019 --> 00:01:32.439
Teachers, in my experience, want to be trusted for the
29
00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:37.030
expertise that they bring to the table. They are experts
30
00:01:37.329 --> 00:01:40.189
in things that I am not an expert in. And
31
00:01:40.269 --> 00:01:45.030
so I think honoring that and they want to be
32
00:01:45.049 --> 00:01:46.590
valued for that. They want to be valued for the
33
00:01:46.609 --> 00:01:51.659
gifts they bring to the table. And the autonomy comes
34
00:01:51.780 --> 00:01:57.180
with clear expectations and like they want to know what's
35
00:01:57.219 --> 00:02:01.989
my sandbox, right? And then who is in my sandbox?
36
00:02:02.629 --> 00:02:05.010
Who am I going to collaborate with so that we
37
00:02:05.030 --> 00:02:07.150
know what we're going to be tight on? And then
38
00:02:07.189 --> 00:02:11.409
within those tight parameters, have that autonomy to meet the
39
00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:12.639
needs of every student they serve.
40
00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:15.340
Yeah, we talk about that a lot. I think the
41
00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:17.870
term we use in my school district is guardrails. You know,
42
00:02:17.909 --> 00:02:20.710
what are your guardrails that you can work within? But
43
00:02:21.810 --> 00:02:24.289
I do, I think people do want that autonomy, but
44
00:02:24.310 --> 00:02:27.969
I also think at times the guardrails matter more sometimes
45
00:02:28.030 --> 00:02:31.849
than that freedom. Like without it, sometimes you're almost paralyzed,
46
00:02:31.870 --> 00:02:33.439
don't even know where to go from there if you
47
00:02:33.460 --> 00:02:37.039
don't have some sort of those guardrails or barriers for
48
00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:37.939
people to stay within.
49
00:02:38.180 --> 00:02:41.919
Carol, when I was, West Virginia, shout out, West Virginia,
50
00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:45.099
You have this wonderful space in that, and I call
51
00:02:45.139 --> 00:02:47.300
it the learning hall is what I always referred to
52
00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:51.110
it as. And you section off the tables and you
53
00:02:51.129 --> 00:02:53.870
have people come in and it's very communal. When I
54
00:02:53.889 --> 00:02:56.189
was there last time, that's exactly what happened. People started
55
00:02:56.569 --> 00:02:59.270
talking and so forth. What are you hearing them say
56
00:02:59.330 --> 00:03:01.159
when they're in that space?
57
00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:06.120
Absolutely. I think this is an excellent question. And having
58
00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:11.129
the ability for, as Jill said, I'm the professional speaking
59
00:03:11.330 --> 00:03:14.009
as the teacher. I am the professional in my classroom.
60
00:03:14.150 --> 00:03:17.449
I'm the professional in my building as the instructional leader
61
00:03:17.550 --> 00:03:21.319
and that I can be trusted to make those data
62
00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:24.159
informed decisions on behalf of my students so that we
63
00:03:24.219 --> 00:03:27.539
can move the needle forward. I think that's a critical
64
00:03:27.620 --> 00:03:34.849
piece to education that can oftentimes be viewed as micromanaging
65
00:03:35.469 --> 00:03:40.439
or to use your terms there, Adam. within the guardrails.
66
00:03:41.710 --> 00:03:43.530
So it's a delicate balance, I believe.
67
00:03:43.550 --> 00:03:46.569
I think when we're not clear, and you guys, all
68
00:03:46.610 --> 00:03:51.110
three of you mentioned guardrails, sandbox, clarity. When we don't
69
00:03:51.150 --> 00:03:54.990
have clarity, we create frustration. And I want to point
70
00:03:55.069 --> 00:03:59.840
out that the operational definition of our vocabulary that we're
71
00:03:59.860 --> 00:04:02.300
using could cause problems as well. So like Kara was
72
00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:04.520
talking about, just giving them that clarity of what it
73
00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:07.169
is that they can do And now, so where's that
74
00:04:07.229 --> 00:04:09.789
balance between the art and the science of instruction? Then
75
00:04:09.849 --> 00:04:12.729
also you're operating within a system. So we have to
76
00:04:12.770 --> 00:04:15.939
have a kind of like a through line of like vocabulary,
77
00:04:15.960 --> 00:04:19.379
common language, common vocabulary for our students. So when I
78
00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:23.259
hear when teachers are saying, you know, that we ought
79
00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:26.199
to have autonomy, we got to define where that autonomy
80
00:04:26.259 --> 00:04:29.899
can be without disrupting the system. So that our children,
81
00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:33.019
when they're operating through first grade, second grade, or first period,
82
00:04:33.060 --> 00:04:38.259
second period, there is some continuity. And a lack of
83
00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:41.019
that continuity, we start creating the frustration in their students
84
00:04:41.180 --> 00:04:43.920
and then frustration with the teachers. And then we might
85
00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:46.759
start hearing, just tell me what you want me to
86
00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:49.600
do and I'll do it, which is so sad when
87
00:04:49.620 --> 00:04:50.459
we get to that point.
88
00:04:51.490 --> 00:04:54.490
You know, I think sometimes I think leaders like the
89
00:04:54.569 --> 00:04:57.709
idea of autonomy right up until the time when people
90
00:04:57.730 --> 00:05:01.139
start making choices that they don't support. And then they wish, oh,
91
00:05:01.149 --> 00:05:03.720
I shouldn't have ever given any autonomy. But I mean,
92
00:05:04.060 --> 00:05:07.199
how do you actually define where that should and shouldn't
93
00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:11.060
end and not as a reactionary piece to a staff
94
00:05:11.100 --> 00:05:12.300
member that you're now working with?
95
00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:18.399
Well, I think it starts with, well, I could go
96
00:05:18.490 --> 00:05:20.990
all the way back and say it starts with hiring, right?
97
00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:27.410
Because it's hiring the person with the mindset of, I
98
00:05:27.449 --> 00:05:32.240
can be trusted to meet the individual needs of the
99
00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:36.230
students in my classroom while working interdependently with people on
100
00:05:36.269 --> 00:05:42.269
my team, recognizing I am part of a bigger system
101
00:05:42.290 --> 00:05:45.680
in the building and the district, right? Like somebody that
102
00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:51.120
sees the alignment and, and, so then you hire the
103
00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:54.060
right people coming in. And then when you're in, it's
104
00:05:54.379 --> 00:05:57.639
spending time talking about what does the mission mean to us?
105
00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:00.220
What does it mean for us to achieve our mission?
106
00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:05.100
And when we know what, what it means, then how
107
00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:08.170
are we going to behave? What will we do? What
108
00:06:08.230 --> 00:06:11.910
won't we do? And, and then I think it gets
109
00:06:11.970 --> 00:06:17.660
into those PLC guiding questions. The, and, and the great
110
00:06:17.699 --> 00:06:21.439
thing about being in an administrative position is we get
111
00:06:21.550 --> 00:06:25.730
to attend those team meetings, but not run them. And
112
00:06:25.769 --> 00:06:28.930
I think there's a tummy in that, like, listen, they,
113
00:06:29.050 --> 00:06:33.569
they have the voice giving them the voice to what
114
00:06:33.589 --> 00:06:36.129
does it mean when the students, you know, are proficient
115
00:06:36.170 --> 00:06:39.329
on these standards or advanced and like, that's the tight.
116
00:06:40.170 --> 00:06:43.610
And how are we going to assess that's the tight,
117
00:06:44.449 --> 00:06:47.620
but then, You should have autonomy to use your unique
118
00:06:47.660 --> 00:06:50.660
gifts to bring that to life in your classroom.
119
00:06:51.180 --> 00:06:54.160
I like your use of the words get to. It is.
120
00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:56.680
It's an opportunity for us to get in there and
121
00:06:56.899 --> 00:06:57.480
do those things.
122
00:06:57.500 --> 00:06:58.100
That was really good.
123
00:06:58.680 --> 00:06:59.490
Be a thought partner.
124
00:06:59.699 --> 00:07:01.410
We get to be a thought partner.
125
00:07:02.269 --> 00:07:04.170
Kara, have you ever run into that at all? This
126
00:07:04.189 --> 00:07:06.410
whole concept of, boy, it's hard for me to give
127
00:07:06.449 --> 00:07:09.230
them that freedom or that, like, I've got to hammer down.
128
00:07:09.290 --> 00:07:11.449
Otherwise, something might happen that I'm not prepared for.
129
00:07:12.689 --> 00:07:15.800
Absolutely. And I think that's a challenge that educators don't
130
00:07:15.860 --> 00:07:21.740
necessarily like to find themselves in. They want to do
131
00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:25.680
what is best for their students. Nobody sets out to
132
00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:29.540
go into education and to do a bad job. As educators,
133
00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:33.680
we are nurturers and we want to take care. We
134
00:07:33.740 --> 00:07:37.639
are stewards of these children. whether they come to us
135
00:07:37.779 --> 00:07:40.819
at age three or whether they exit with us at
136
00:07:40.899 --> 00:07:48.670
age 21, depending upon their programs of study. So teachers
137
00:07:48.790 --> 00:07:52.170
join the profession because they want to do what's best
138
00:07:52.209 --> 00:07:52.990
by their kids.
139
00:07:53.329 --> 00:07:53.870
So true.
140
00:07:54.430 --> 00:08:02.230
And sometimes there is that delicate balance between autonomy and accountability.
141
00:08:02.290 --> 00:08:04.689
And to go back to what Jill was saying with
142
00:08:04.709 --> 00:08:08.189
the hiring, that's critical to make sure that we are
143
00:08:08.269 --> 00:08:14.470
putting the best people in those critical areas across their campuses.
144
00:08:15.189 --> 00:08:19.829
And that also goes back to the essential piece of having,
145
00:08:20.290 --> 00:08:22.970
what are we doing? What do we believe in as
146
00:08:23.050 --> 00:08:30.509
a system? That shared vision and mission in my position
147
00:08:30.649 --> 00:08:35.519
as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, That's critical to us.
148
00:08:35.820 --> 00:08:38.320
What do we believe in and how can we help
149
00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:42.440
to build that belief within our instructional leaders and our teachers?
150
00:08:50.529 --> 00:08:55.769
This segment is sponsored by Grunmeier Leader Services. Since 2013,
151
00:08:55.769 --> 00:08:58.789
GLS has been a trusted partner for school districts across
152
00:08:58.830 --> 00:09:03.529
the Midwest, specializing in executive recruitment and leadership support. They
153
00:09:03.570 --> 00:09:06.970
believe that great schools start with great leaders, and they
154
00:09:07.009 --> 00:09:09.490
are here to help you find a perfect fit.
155
00:09:09.230 --> 00:09:09.809
For your district.
156
00:09:10.350 --> 00:09:15.649
Transform your school's future with the right leader. Visit grunmeyerleaderssearch.com
157
00:09:15.889 --> 00:09:21.320
to learn more. Grunmeyer Leader Services, transforming education one leader.
158
00:09:21.220 --> 00:09:21.659
At a time.
159
00:09:25.860 --> 00:09:29.740
School leadership is demanding, and your time is finite. You
160
00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:33.750
don't need vague jargon. you need practical strategies that work.
161
00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:38.269
Join host Adam Bush every Wednesday morning for Your Morning
162
00:09:38.350 --> 00:09:41.750
Boost on the Forward Ed Network. In just a few minutes,
163
00:09:42.029 --> 00:09:45.940
you'll get high-impact professional development, moving you from a reactive
164
00:09:46.019 --> 00:09:50.940
fixer to a capacity-building coach. Subscribe to Your Morning Boost today.
165
00:09:50.110 --> 00:10:02.720
I think when you, first of all, I got to
166
00:10:02.740 --> 00:10:06.179
give a shout out to the, just a little friendly reminder.
167
00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:08.299
We've heard it in various forms and so forth, but
168
00:10:09.100 --> 00:10:11.980
educators don't set out to do bad. They want to be,
169
00:10:12.019 --> 00:10:14.159
they want to be great every possible day, but they
170
00:10:14.179 --> 00:10:16.100
also are humans and we got to keep that in mind.
171
00:10:16.860 --> 00:10:19.379
And so shout out Kara for even just bringing that
172
00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:21.659
back up. And we think it's obvious, but it isn't.
173
00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:25.100
We got to remember what that looks like. And I
174
00:10:25.139 --> 00:10:28.870
was shifting to what Kara was saying as well is
175
00:10:29.129 --> 00:10:31.970
I was in an elementary school in Wyoming County, West Virginia.
176
00:10:31.990 --> 00:10:35.509
And I walked to that school and it was every
177
00:10:35.769 --> 00:10:38.649
spot of that hallway or the classroom that was in,
178
00:10:39.149 --> 00:10:42.850
you could tell there was unification of the teachers, whether
179
00:10:42.889 --> 00:10:45.759
it be a In and out of the classrooms, teachers
180
00:10:45.779 --> 00:10:48.379
were moving, the hallway decorations. I mean, it was like
181
00:10:48.419 --> 00:10:50.970
a winter wonderland. Now, I believe that building is no
182
00:10:51.009 --> 00:10:55.350
longer or used for something different. However, the people in
183
00:10:55.370 --> 00:10:58.950
that building, that unification, and I look at and I
184
00:10:58.990 --> 00:11:01.629
think of Wyoming County or many of the counties in
185
00:11:01.929 --> 00:11:05.029
all the counties, probably in West Virginia, they're operated as
186
00:11:05.129 --> 00:11:08.450
county schools, not just districts. So like if you're in Iowa,
187
00:11:08.470 --> 00:11:10.669
you're in a district and it's kind of small, you're tight-knit.
188
00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:15.419
or Texas, other places, but Wyoming, you have schools all around.
189
00:11:15.980 --> 00:11:19.379
So Kara, how do you kind of keep that balance
190
00:11:19.399 --> 00:11:23.220
when you're reaching out to all parts of the county?
191
00:11:24.779 --> 00:11:29.399
It is definitely a unique perspective, I would venture to say.
192
00:11:29.460 --> 00:11:32.210
I've never worked in a system that was based on
193
00:11:32.370 --> 00:11:38.250
districts within a county. So this is the only thing
194
00:11:38.289 --> 00:11:42.720
that I really know. But every school has a different,
195
00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:49.080
unique feeling or culture, and they create a school every
196
00:11:49.139 --> 00:11:52.549
single school year. And that's what we try to empower
197
00:11:52.629 --> 00:11:56.169
from our instructional leaders, setting the tone from the first
198
00:11:56.269 --> 00:11:59.350
day with their first meeting with them of how are
199
00:11:59.409 --> 00:12:04.330
you creating a new school community? Some of our schools
200
00:12:05.330 --> 00:12:11.419
are already consolidated within our county. And that is bringing
201
00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:18.019
a variety of schools and their beliefs, their systems into one.
202
00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:21.419
And we're going through that now. As you referenced, one
203
00:12:21.460 --> 00:12:26.019
of our schools is no longer. And they're merging two
204
00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:29.080
schools together to create a new elementary and middle school.
205
00:12:29.659 --> 00:12:34.519
But that's critical for them to realize every single school year,
206
00:12:34.539 --> 00:12:38.360
I get new students. I have new staff, some that
207
00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:43.620
are returning. But we get to create a place that
208
00:12:43.899 --> 00:12:48.820
is reflective of our community and our shared beliefs. And
209
00:12:48.899 --> 00:12:51.019
it varies from campus to campus.
210
00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:51.580
Yeah.
211
00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:54.350
But what's interesting to me, and it just kind of
212
00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:56.289
dawned on me as you're talking there, and Jim, you
213
00:12:56.309 --> 00:12:59.570
were kind of mentioning this too, are our guardrails just
214
00:12:59.629 --> 00:13:01.789
really our mission and our vision? I mean, this is
215
00:13:01.830 --> 00:13:03.929
really what we truly believe about the work we're doing.
216
00:13:03.990 --> 00:13:07.370
Isn't that our guardrails? And if we have those well-established
217
00:13:07.409 --> 00:13:10.820
and we understand those, as a staff, people are going
218
00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:12.500
to know where they're supposed to be anyway.
219
00:13:14.379 --> 00:13:16.299
And then, of course, you know, within that, you've got
220
00:13:16.340 --> 00:13:21.840
the policies and things like that. And that said, I
221
00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:27.039
think if we are reflective as a system, we're going
222
00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:30.019
to recognize when a policy is getting in the way
223
00:13:30.059 --> 00:13:33.820
of us doing something. And then do we need to
224
00:13:33.860 --> 00:13:36.159
revise something as long as it still reflects the law
225
00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:36.879
and all of that?
226
00:13:37.330 --> 00:13:38.330
Obviously, that's important.
227
00:13:41.460 --> 00:13:46.340
It's interesting as we think about the guardrails and parameters.
228
00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:53.059
As you three were talking, I was envisioning, as adults,
229
00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:57.590
we're just big kids. And when we think of what
230
00:13:57.649 --> 00:14:01.250
a classroom teacher is trying to create in their classroom,
231
00:14:01.750 --> 00:14:07.909
they're trying to create independent learners who understand parameters, right?
232
00:14:10.370 --> 00:14:14.929
Because that would be total burnout and not successful for
233
00:14:14.970 --> 00:14:18.149
a teacher if every student was completely dependent on that person.
234
00:14:19.100 --> 00:14:23.080
And we're the same way. As adults, we want the
235
00:14:23.139 --> 00:14:27.519
adults in our building or our school community to be independent,
236
00:14:28.100 --> 00:14:30.799
but also supportive of the greater good of what we're about.
237
00:14:31.179 --> 00:14:36.820
But that would cause burnout if we're person dependent, right?
238
00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:38.519
We don't want to be person dependent. We want to
239
00:14:38.539 --> 00:14:40.039
be system dependent.
240
00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:45.299
I like the concept of the system independent. And we're
241
00:14:45.340 --> 00:14:48.139
thinking about it. I hear phrases like guardrail, sandbox. I
242
00:14:48.179 --> 00:14:52.899
think of tights and looses and where it's negotiable, non-negotiable,
243
00:14:53.059 --> 00:14:56.700
and so forth. So let's wrap it all up here.
244
00:14:57.740 --> 00:15:00.779
What should a leader do differently tomorrow if they really
245
00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:07.240
want autonomy without the free-for-all chaos? Good question. What could
246
00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:10.000
leaders do differently or maybe emphasize?
247
00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:17.330
Well, one thing I think about is as an instructional leader,
248
00:15:17.350 --> 00:15:22.250
we have an opportunity to ask questions of our teachers
249
00:15:22.789 --> 00:15:27.419
and a question of, you know, how, in what ways
250
00:15:27.460 --> 00:15:31.259
am I getting in your way? Or what could I
251
00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:35.019
do differently that could support you better as a classroom
252
00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:36.919
teacher to meet the needs of your kids? I think
253
00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:41.529
just being vulnerable and asking that question opening the door
254
00:15:41.549 --> 00:15:43.470
and saying, you know, what do I need to do
255
00:15:43.509 --> 00:15:45.330
more of? What do I need to do less of?
256
00:15:45.370 --> 00:15:47.610
What do I need to do different to support you
257
00:15:47.730 --> 00:15:49.809
in doing your job to the best of your ability?
258
00:15:50.490 --> 00:15:55.139
Yeah, I had an instructional coach who was very willing
259
00:15:55.159 --> 00:15:58.120
to have tough. It wasn't tough for her. She loved
260
00:15:58.159 --> 00:15:59.980
these conversations, but it was kind of like we got
261
00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:02.940
in the arena battle numerous times. Sometimes I had my
262
00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:05.200
armor on. Sometimes I didn't. She never did. And it
263
00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:07.549
was really kind of helping me grow along the way.
264
00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:12.440
And she was like, very clear, Jim, you said everything
265
00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:14.659
has to be within standards mindset or we have to
266
00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:18.899
be like 100% students connected with adults, right? Yes, geared
267
00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:21.139
to that. Why do you keep telling everybody what they
268
00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:23.799
need to learn? I don't do that. Well, except for
269
00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:26.549
every meeting you do. And I thought, well, I got
270
00:16:26.610 --> 00:16:28.889
mad at that. And I did what every mature principal
271
00:16:28.929 --> 00:16:33.009
would do. I got up, stormed out of my own office,
272
00:16:33.429 --> 00:16:37.029
closed my own door. Stormed through the school, then finally
273
00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:39.179
came back and said, okay, what do we do? And
274
00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.120
it was really cool. I don't know how she actually
275
00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:46.039
did it all, but we ended up having teachers kind
276
00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:50.440
of join together with like interest on underneath the umbrella
277
00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:55.519
of standards mindset, which MTS, BBIS and the staff. I mean,
278
00:16:55.539 --> 00:16:57.620
it was just everything they got to pick. They had
279
00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:03.110
their groups together and all I did was provide resources
280
00:17:03.259 --> 00:17:06.880
and get out of the way. And it was so
281
00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:10.579
uncomfortable for me, but the magic was, it was amazing
282
00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:14.329
within that. Just get out of the, I had to
283
00:17:14.349 --> 00:17:17.529
give clarity. I had to give clarity for that first.
284
00:17:19.089 --> 00:17:21.890
And then once that clarity came. Isn't that part of
285
00:17:21.950 --> 00:17:24.250
it though, is to know when you got to get
286
00:17:24.289 --> 00:17:26.450
out of the way? I mean, that's a big part
287
00:17:26.470 --> 00:17:28.740
of leadership, right? Know when you don't need to be
288
00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:30.880
there in the way. I needed help.
289
00:17:31.619 --> 00:17:34.500
And how great that you had the trust.
290
00:17:35.390 --> 00:17:35.650
Right.
291
00:17:35.710 --> 00:17:39.880
From the culture you supported, that you nourished, that this
292
00:17:39.940 --> 00:17:43.460
person had the trust to be able to be honest
293
00:17:43.500 --> 00:17:48.579
with you and not be judged negatively for that.
294
00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:59.369
As leaders, it is critical that our administrators, our instructors,
295
00:17:59.769 --> 00:18:04.630
our students and our greater community has the trust. in
296
00:18:04.710 --> 00:18:08.460
us to make those decisions or to provide that support.
297
00:18:08.500 --> 00:18:12.700
And there is such wisdom also in knowing when to
298
00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:17.089
step away, knowing when, okay, I'm ready to release. They,
299
00:18:17.309 --> 00:18:20.150
they know the destination that we need to arrive at
300
00:18:20.210 --> 00:18:26.109
in terms of student achievement. And it's we are showing
301
00:18:26.150 --> 00:18:31.680
that belief in them instead of micromanaging, because that's not,
302
00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:34.160
that's not what we want to be. We, we don't,
303
00:18:34.980 --> 00:18:37.279
set out to be leaders who say you have to
304
00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:40.539
do X, Y, and Z and mark off all these
305
00:18:40.619 --> 00:18:43.440
to-dos off of your list. Sometimes it can feel that
306
00:18:43.529 --> 00:18:48.720
way when there's various initiatives or state mandates or new policies.
307
00:18:50.750 --> 00:18:54.890
But at the heart of it, it is making sure
308
00:18:54.930 --> 00:18:57.890
that our instructors know that we believe in them to
309
00:18:57.930 --> 00:18:59.690
do the job that they were hired to do.
310
00:18:59.710 --> 00:19:03.210
So true. So true. You know what?
311
00:19:03.630 --> 00:19:08.730
This has been an awesome season three, episode one. Kara, Jill,
312
00:19:08.910 --> 00:19:11.329
thanks for joining us here today. Jim, anything you want
313
00:19:11.349 --> 00:19:12.890
to say before we wrap up today?
314
00:19:13.750 --> 00:19:16.519
Well, a couple of things. One, first of all, again, Kara, Jill,
315
00:19:16.539 --> 00:19:19.019
thank you very much. I love having two different states
316
00:19:19.059 --> 00:19:21.099
kind of like because the lens is different. And I
317
00:19:21.099 --> 00:19:24.720
think in education, we support everybody. Kara, I think you
318
00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:29.359
have 55, 56 counties or county schools, school districts in
319
00:19:29.579 --> 00:19:31.869
West Virginia. Yes, there's 55 counties in West Virginia. Right.
320
00:19:32.450 --> 00:19:35.500
And Iowa, Jill, what is that number? 330 right now?
321
00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:40.900
We have 330 school districts or something like that? We
322
00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:43.720
have little old Iowa has 99 counties too, Kara. I mean,
323
00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:48.109
so it's, it's a dynamics is different, but here's the
324
00:19:48.150 --> 00:19:50.829
thing that's, that's real. And it's, everything we talked about
325
00:19:50.869 --> 00:19:53.450
here pertains to every classroom throughout the country. And I
326
00:19:53.490 --> 00:19:56.430
really appreciate coming in and having these conversations, stepping into
327
00:19:56.450 --> 00:19:58.539
the arena with, with the armor on. So thank you
328
00:19:58.579 --> 00:19:59.529
very much. I appreciate it.
329
00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:02.700
Alrighty, everybody. Thank you for joining us here on control
330
00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:04.900
shift lead, and we will talk with you again next time.
331
00:20:07.980 --> 00:20:10.140
Thanks for joining us on control shift lead.
332
00:20:13.079 --> 00:20:13.720
Until next time.