WALOs
(Wicked Awesome Leadership Opportunities)
WALO #1
Every other year, my school district requires teachers to go through an evaluation process. This year, two other colleagues and I decided to collaborate with one together and do an alternative evaluation. One teacher teaches kindergarten and the other teacher and I teach first grade. An alternative evaluation process differs from an individual one because it gives certificated teachers an opportunity to collaborate on a goal together. I chose the alternative evaluation process because it would enable me to work towards my hope for my school community in being vulnerable to share the work we are unsure about, our hopes and dreams for our students, work through the tough realities and even our failures together and seek solutions along the way together. Our staff tends to dwell on our limitations or short comings that our instinct pushes us to hide or alienate ourselves. I want us to get beyond what we can’t or haven’t done and try what could be possible.
Our stated evaluation goal is to use small group instruction to help reach our students performing just below grade level in writing. My colleagues meet about every other week to plan, discuss, and reflect on our goals. Before our meeting, we decided to video tape ourselves teaching a small group lesson on interactive writing where we write with our students by modeling the writing process. This alone was a huge risk for us. Our school carries a deep seated fear of failure and judgment that it has isolated us from one another. Teachers have stopped volunteering to share their work with their students and when they do, much of the conversations revolve around what the teacher is lacking and/or becomes unproductive because it does not address what the teacher wonders about. Hence it is a rare thing for us to see one another in action.
I had sent my two colleagues an email asking if we could do a spotlight consultancy protocol to help us through our discussion. Kali had sent me some wonderful protocols to help us with this. Since I had recently gone through a spotlight consultancy protocol in our seminar class, I thought that it would be a good fit to help address my colleagues’ questions in how to look at student work and collaborate on next steps that they wonder about in their own practice. The two teachers were open to trying the protocol.
We met after school in the kindergarten teacher’s classroom. I was ready to volunteer watching my video-taped lesson if the other teachers didn’t want to go first, but surprisingly the kindergarten teacher volunteered first. She has had the most teaching experience among the three of us, well over 15 years. It is a stereotype that teachers who teach over 15 years in our district are the most resistant to change, but she breaks that stereotype. I then explained each step in the protocol and gave each teacher a copy of the protocol. I asked the kindergarten teacher to state a question that she wanted us to focus the spotlight protocol on. She requested ideas on next steps to teach her group of students. We took time to watch the lesson and look over the student writing samples she brought. As we went through the protocol, we didn’t use the maximum time frame allotted for each step. The conversation seemed to flow naturally centered on addressing the presenter’s stated needs, understanding and celebrating the work, and pushing the work forward. When we debriefed the experience the first grade teacher stated that it was difficult to not talk directly to the kindergarten teacher during the discussion step. The kindergarten teacher felt that the warm feedback portion was encouraging and she had practical next steps to try out with her students. We shared that we all came away with some next steps for our own classrooms and wanted to continue to use this protocol during our meetings.
Something that surprised me was that the other first grade teacher suggested that we should do this type of protocol on a larger staff level. I am greatly excited by this possibility and deeply nervous too because this would mean that I must initiate this idea among my administrators. I have been learning that if I feel nervous or nauseous about taking a step of leadership in my school community, then it must be a good one for me to take. As my next step towards being a vulnerable leader who learns and take risks with my colleagues, I think that I will video tape the next spotlight consultancy protocol among my colleagues and I and then show it to my administrators. My administrator has been encouraging and challenging our staff to collaborate more often with one another but has been meeting a lot of resistance from some staff members. This may be a tool to encourage our staff to take a step of risk once they see and hear from my colleagues’ positive experiences with the protocol.
Every other year, my school district requires teachers to go through an evaluation process. This year, two other colleagues and I decided to collaborate with one together and do an alternative evaluation. One teacher teaches kindergarten and the other teacher and I teach first grade. An alternative evaluation process differs from an individual one because it gives certificated teachers an opportunity to collaborate on a goal together. I chose the alternative evaluation process because it would enable me to work towards my hope for my school community in being vulnerable to share the work we are unsure about, our hopes and dreams for our students, work through the tough realities and even our failures together and seek solutions along the way together. Our staff tends to dwell on our limitations or short comings that our instinct pushes us to hide or alienate ourselves. I want us to get beyond what we can’t or haven’t done and try what could be possible.
Our stated evaluation goal is to use small group instruction to help reach our students performing just below grade level in writing. My colleagues meet about every other week to plan, discuss, and reflect on our goals. Before our meeting, we decided to video tape ourselves teaching a small group lesson on interactive writing where we write with our students by modeling the writing process. This alone was a huge risk for us. Our school carries a deep seated fear of failure and judgment that it has isolated us from one another. Teachers have stopped volunteering to share their work with their students and when they do, much of the conversations revolve around what the teacher is lacking and/or becomes unproductive because it does not address what the teacher wonders about. Hence it is a rare thing for us to see one another in action.
I had sent my two colleagues an email asking if we could do a spotlight consultancy protocol to help us through our discussion. Kali had sent me some wonderful protocols to help us with this. Since I had recently gone through a spotlight consultancy protocol in our seminar class, I thought that it would be a good fit to help address my colleagues’ questions in how to look at student work and collaborate on next steps that they wonder about in their own practice. The two teachers were open to trying the protocol.
We met after school in the kindergarten teacher’s classroom. I was ready to volunteer watching my video-taped lesson if the other teachers didn’t want to go first, but surprisingly the kindergarten teacher volunteered first. She has had the most teaching experience among the three of us, well over 15 years. It is a stereotype that teachers who teach over 15 years in our district are the most resistant to change, but she breaks that stereotype. I then explained each step in the protocol and gave each teacher a copy of the protocol. I asked the kindergarten teacher to state a question that she wanted us to focus the spotlight protocol on. She requested ideas on next steps to teach her group of students. We took time to watch the lesson and look over the student writing samples she brought. As we went through the protocol, we didn’t use the maximum time frame allotted for each step. The conversation seemed to flow naturally centered on addressing the presenter’s stated needs, understanding and celebrating the work, and pushing the work forward. When we debriefed the experience the first grade teacher stated that it was difficult to not talk directly to the kindergarten teacher during the discussion step. The kindergarten teacher felt that the warm feedback portion was encouraging and she had practical next steps to try out with her students. We shared that we all came away with some next steps for our own classrooms and wanted to continue to use this protocol during our meetings.
Something that surprised me was that the other first grade teacher suggested that we should do this type of protocol on a larger staff level. I am greatly excited by this possibility and deeply nervous too because this would mean that I must initiate this idea among my administrators. I have been learning that if I feel nervous or nauseous about taking a step of leadership in my school community, then it must be a good one for me to take. As my next step towards being a vulnerable leader who learns and take risks with my colleagues, I think that I will video tape the next spotlight consultancy protocol among my colleagues and I and then show it to my administrators. My administrator has been encouraging and challenging our staff to collaborate more often with one another but has been meeting a lot of resistance from some staff members. This may be a tool to encourage our staff to take a step of risk once they see and hear from my colleagues’ positive experiences with the protocol.
WALO #1 Artifacts
WALO #2
During my first WALO, I facilitated a Spotlight protocol with two other colleagues. One of my colleagues encouraged me to share it with our administrators so that we could experience this on a larger staff level. On one hand I was excited that my colleague supported using protocols and on the other hand I was nervous to share this on a larger staff level.
The word “meetings” has become a bad word in our school. Meetings have become agenda items to be checked off, few voices are heard, and staff end up leaving with unmet needs. Since meetings have not been meaningful to the work teachers are doing in their classrooms, teachers have been relying on union regulations to limit the amount of staff meetings we have a year. When we do have meetings, teachers are looking at their watches wondering when the meeting will end so that they can get back to work in their rooms. I was not looking forward to encountering the pessimism, although I empathized why it was there. After I got over my fear of how the protocol would initially be received, I realized that the pessimism is exactly why I had to share protocols with more of my colleagues.
Over our winter break, I sent an email to our administrators asking them if I could facilitate a Success Analysis protocol for our first Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) meeting after break. She gave me the green light. Our ILT is made up of K-8 grade level representatives, administrators, a resource teacher, an English language support teacher, and school counselor. Due to union regulations we only had 35 minutes after school to have our meeting. I was hoping that my colleagues would be willing to extend our meeting to the full hour of the protocol. Once we all sat down at the beginning of the meeting, one colleague immediately stated how the protocol was an hour and that we were supposed to be done in half that time. Maybe I should have told her that to experience the benefits of the protocol, we need to do the full hour, but I didn’t. I knew that I needed a little buy in for their first experience with protocols. I shortened it on the spot.
Twelve of us were in four small groups. I asked three colleagues in advance to co-facilitate the small group discussion portion while I facilitated one small group and the whole group steps. Since I had to cut this protocol in half, it felt hurried. During the debrief, our VP said using protocols can be empowering for our students and staff. This was the first time I had heard anyone in our staff say “empowered” for our school community. Others had said it was good to listen because they tend to talk more. Others felt safe in the small groups because it gave everyone a voice. They felt we had a genuine discussion about our work with students. On the feedback forms, eight out of the twelve stated that they wish we had more time. This was encouraging for me because this meant that most of our ILT members felt this was meaningful enough that they wish we had more time. I was frustrated because I allowed one voice of resistance for the time make me compromise the protocol’s steps. I needed to be stronger, stand firm on the purpose and structure of the protocol next time.
The following week my principal sent out a message on our staff bulletin describing the ILT experience of the protocol. She then stated that she wanted all of our professional learning communities to use the protocol within two weeks to guide their conversations around writing. At first, I was elated that she felt it was meaningful for our staff, but then I became worried. There was an expectation for ILT members to use the protocols in their grade levels immediately. I feared that this would create a typical response among our staff where we’re being told what to do without enough support. I saw that this would have the potential to turn an effective thing for our staff into another to do item by the principal. I had to do something different.
I first sent out an email to the staff offering to help anyone interested in learning how to facilitate a protocol. No response. Of course there wasn’t a response! If I was unfamiliar with protocols, I wouldn’t volunteer to do it nor would I ask to sit and merely talk about it with someone, especially if I didn’t understand it and had mostly negative experiences with meetings. I would rather watch one or participate in one with someone else facilitating. I sent another email. This time I chose to use the Looking at Student Work protocol because I have heard many of my colleagues share their struggle with teaching and assessing writing with their students. I sent the following email:
Good morning!
You are invited to attend a Looking at Student Work protocol this Wednesday, Jan. 30th in room 12 at 1:15pm-2:15pm. Alex, Carmen, and I have been learning how to use protocols during our alternative STULL meetings around interactive writing for our tier 2 students. Carmen has courageously volunteered to share On-Demand writing pieces from her tier 2 kindergarten students.
I am also new at facilitating protocols and am learning something new every time I use it. Facilitating a protocol can be intimidating when you are new to it or haven't seen it in action. If you would like to be part of this protocol and feel that watching/being part of it will be helpful in learning about how to do this within your PLCs, please join us this Wednesday in Carmen's room (12) at 1:15pm-2:15pm (bring your lunch if you'd like). We will also debrief how the conversation went, how it can be used in our PLCs, and share any take-a-ways for your classroom practice.
Please let me know if you are planning on coming so that we can prepare the space for the protocol. Thank you!
I had one reply from our math resource teacher. I was feeling discouraged. What am I doing wrong? Then the day before the protocol, the second grade team leader pulled me aside to tell me that all five of them were coming. This gave me the encouragement I needed to not lose hope. On the morning of the protocol, I sent out another reminder email:
Good morning!
We can't wait to have you come observe or participate at a Looking at Student Work protocol today at 1:15-2:15 in Carmen's room (room 12). Details for this protocol are attached and below in the previous email that was sent on Monday. Thank you to those who let me know that they are coming. If you haven't yet, please let me know if you are coming today so that we can prepare the space. The protocol is one hour long, so we will begin on time to honor everyone's schedule. Thank you for being willing to try this out! :)
After the email was sent three more teachers said they were coming. As 1:15 rolled around, twelve teachers gathered around the table (all10 of the K-2 teachers, a push in teacher, and math resource teacher). At the beginning of the protocol, five teachers said they needed to leave early because they had a lot of work to do. This sounded familiar. This time I was prepared. I told them that I understood if they had to leave early but that I would facilitate the full hour of the protocol. After going over the purpose, norms, and explaining the steps in the protocol, we began.
As we engaged in the steps of the protocol, I noticed that my colleague from the small group I had been doing protocols with, modeled how to engage in a conversation of warm and cool feedback, and how to ask probing questions without giving advice in disguise. A couple times a teacher would try to give advice in disguise during the questioning. I immediately steered us back to the step by modeling the type of questioning after the presenter answered the question. We did get back on track, but I think that I should have addressed it directly so that they knew that their question was advice in disguise. I challenged myself to strengthen the way I facilitated by reminding teachers that the silent time was to reflect on what they notice and write it down to share later when they began to talk about the student work and reminding them when a minute was left before moving on. I noticed that one colleague was mindful of the process when she stopped herself when she began to talk during the presenter’s reflection time. I told her that it was ok. This was something new for all of us to adjust to too. I also acknowledged some steps that I anticipated would feel uncomfortable in advance as we transitioned through the steps.
During our protocol I was struck by the content of our conversation. Our discussion didn’t only revolve around teaching techniques but also on the motivation of our students. Colleagues said the following statements:
· What do they feel successful at?
· Have students share their work more with each other.
· Let the students choose
· Interview students about what they like to write about
· Accept and celebrate what they are able to do
· Where would you like to take your students next?
When we debriefed the process, one teacher had said that she realized how much more helpful it was to reflect on student writing together instead of on her own. Other comments said aloud and written on an exit slip were:
· We have similar challenges.
· It’s good to focus on the positive too.
· It’s so good to just share with other teachers! We hardly get to.
· We should use protocols every time we meet with grade levels to discuss student work.
By the way, no one left early! Everyone stayed the full hour.
Using protocols with my colleagues has been part of a journey of healing for me. Last year, I began to learn how to listen to my students’ voices and realize how vital it was to provide choices. I was blown away by this that I became angry at how educators like me shut down students. My anger began to turn towards my colleagues.
This year is different. I don’t feel anger. I feel sadness and compassion for my colleagues because we are the same. They need a life line just as I did over a year ago. These protocols are helping me listen to my colleagues’ voices. They care about what motivates our students too. They don’t like following a path that they know is not working. They just don’t know what path to take if they stop the old one. It’s scary to take a risk against what has become familiar even though it doesn’t feel right. Yet, how can we listen to our students’ voices and provide choices if we don’t experience them ourselves as a staff? The risk is worth it.
As I think of next steps, I am wondering how I can continue to support our staff in using protocols besides my grade level, especially in the upper grades since we are a K-8 school. Our upper grade levels have had difficulty collaborating with each other. We had a great start learning how to listen and talk with each other during an ILT meeting and among all the K-2 grade levels. How can we maintain it? How can this spread even more within our community? Our school history has a pattern of beginning things and then dying out. I don’t want how we were able to gather, reflect, listen, and share together be another thing to die out.
During my first WALO, I facilitated a Spotlight protocol with two other colleagues. One of my colleagues encouraged me to share it with our administrators so that we could experience this on a larger staff level. On one hand I was excited that my colleague supported using protocols and on the other hand I was nervous to share this on a larger staff level.
The word “meetings” has become a bad word in our school. Meetings have become agenda items to be checked off, few voices are heard, and staff end up leaving with unmet needs. Since meetings have not been meaningful to the work teachers are doing in their classrooms, teachers have been relying on union regulations to limit the amount of staff meetings we have a year. When we do have meetings, teachers are looking at their watches wondering when the meeting will end so that they can get back to work in their rooms. I was not looking forward to encountering the pessimism, although I empathized why it was there. After I got over my fear of how the protocol would initially be received, I realized that the pessimism is exactly why I had to share protocols with more of my colleagues.
Over our winter break, I sent an email to our administrators asking them if I could facilitate a Success Analysis protocol for our first Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) meeting after break. She gave me the green light. Our ILT is made up of K-8 grade level representatives, administrators, a resource teacher, an English language support teacher, and school counselor. Due to union regulations we only had 35 minutes after school to have our meeting. I was hoping that my colleagues would be willing to extend our meeting to the full hour of the protocol. Once we all sat down at the beginning of the meeting, one colleague immediately stated how the protocol was an hour and that we were supposed to be done in half that time. Maybe I should have told her that to experience the benefits of the protocol, we need to do the full hour, but I didn’t. I knew that I needed a little buy in for their first experience with protocols. I shortened it on the spot.
Twelve of us were in four small groups. I asked three colleagues in advance to co-facilitate the small group discussion portion while I facilitated one small group and the whole group steps. Since I had to cut this protocol in half, it felt hurried. During the debrief, our VP said using protocols can be empowering for our students and staff. This was the first time I had heard anyone in our staff say “empowered” for our school community. Others had said it was good to listen because they tend to talk more. Others felt safe in the small groups because it gave everyone a voice. They felt we had a genuine discussion about our work with students. On the feedback forms, eight out of the twelve stated that they wish we had more time. This was encouraging for me because this meant that most of our ILT members felt this was meaningful enough that they wish we had more time. I was frustrated because I allowed one voice of resistance for the time make me compromise the protocol’s steps. I needed to be stronger, stand firm on the purpose and structure of the protocol next time.
The following week my principal sent out a message on our staff bulletin describing the ILT experience of the protocol. She then stated that she wanted all of our professional learning communities to use the protocol within two weeks to guide their conversations around writing. At first, I was elated that she felt it was meaningful for our staff, but then I became worried. There was an expectation for ILT members to use the protocols in their grade levels immediately. I feared that this would create a typical response among our staff where we’re being told what to do without enough support. I saw that this would have the potential to turn an effective thing for our staff into another to do item by the principal. I had to do something different.
I first sent out an email to the staff offering to help anyone interested in learning how to facilitate a protocol. No response. Of course there wasn’t a response! If I was unfamiliar with protocols, I wouldn’t volunteer to do it nor would I ask to sit and merely talk about it with someone, especially if I didn’t understand it and had mostly negative experiences with meetings. I would rather watch one or participate in one with someone else facilitating. I sent another email. This time I chose to use the Looking at Student Work protocol because I have heard many of my colleagues share their struggle with teaching and assessing writing with their students. I sent the following email:
Good morning!
You are invited to attend a Looking at Student Work protocol this Wednesday, Jan. 30th in room 12 at 1:15pm-2:15pm. Alex, Carmen, and I have been learning how to use protocols during our alternative STULL meetings around interactive writing for our tier 2 students. Carmen has courageously volunteered to share On-Demand writing pieces from her tier 2 kindergarten students.
I am also new at facilitating protocols and am learning something new every time I use it. Facilitating a protocol can be intimidating when you are new to it or haven't seen it in action. If you would like to be part of this protocol and feel that watching/being part of it will be helpful in learning about how to do this within your PLCs, please join us this Wednesday in Carmen's room (12) at 1:15pm-2:15pm (bring your lunch if you'd like). We will also debrief how the conversation went, how it can be used in our PLCs, and share any take-a-ways for your classroom practice.
Please let me know if you are planning on coming so that we can prepare the space for the protocol. Thank you!
I had one reply from our math resource teacher. I was feeling discouraged. What am I doing wrong? Then the day before the protocol, the second grade team leader pulled me aside to tell me that all five of them were coming. This gave me the encouragement I needed to not lose hope. On the morning of the protocol, I sent out another reminder email:
Good morning!
We can't wait to have you come observe or participate at a Looking at Student Work protocol today at 1:15-2:15 in Carmen's room (room 12). Details for this protocol are attached and below in the previous email that was sent on Monday. Thank you to those who let me know that they are coming. If you haven't yet, please let me know if you are coming today so that we can prepare the space. The protocol is one hour long, so we will begin on time to honor everyone's schedule. Thank you for being willing to try this out! :)
After the email was sent three more teachers said they were coming. As 1:15 rolled around, twelve teachers gathered around the table (all10 of the K-2 teachers, a push in teacher, and math resource teacher). At the beginning of the protocol, five teachers said they needed to leave early because they had a lot of work to do. This sounded familiar. This time I was prepared. I told them that I understood if they had to leave early but that I would facilitate the full hour of the protocol. After going over the purpose, norms, and explaining the steps in the protocol, we began.
As we engaged in the steps of the protocol, I noticed that my colleague from the small group I had been doing protocols with, modeled how to engage in a conversation of warm and cool feedback, and how to ask probing questions without giving advice in disguise. A couple times a teacher would try to give advice in disguise during the questioning. I immediately steered us back to the step by modeling the type of questioning after the presenter answered the question. We did get back on track, but I think that I should have addressed it directly so that they knew that their question was advice in disguise. I challenged myself to strengthen the way I facilitated by reminding teachers that the silent time was to reflect on what they notice and write it down to share later when they began to talk about the student work and reminding them when a minute was left before moving on. I noticed that one colleague was mindful of the process when she stopped herself when she began to talk during the presenter’s reflection time. I told her that it was ok. This was something new for all of us to adjust to too. I also acknowledged some steps that I anticipated would feel uncomfortable in advance as we transitioned through the steps.
During our protocol I was struck by the content of our conversation. Our discussion didn’t only revolve around teaching techniques but also on the motivation of our students. Colleagues said the following statements:
· What do they feel successful at?
· Have students share their work more with each other.
· Let the students choose
· Interview students about what they like to write about
· Accept and celebrate what they are able to do
· Where would you like to take your students next?
When we debriefed the process, one teacher had said that she realized how much more helpful it was to reflect on student writing together instead of on her own. Other comments said aloud and written on an exit slip were:
· We have similar challenges.
· It’s good to focus on the positive too.
· It’s so good to just share with other teachers! We hardly get to.
· We should use protocols every time we meet with grade levels to discuss student work.
By the way, no one left early! Everyone stayed the full hour.
Using protocols with my colleagues has been part of a journey of healing for me. Last year, I began to learn how to listen to my students’ voices and realize how vital it was to provide choices. I was blown away by this that I became angry at how educators like me shut down students. My anger began to turn towards my colleagues.
This year is different. I don’t feel anger. I feel sadness and compassion for my colleagues because we are the same. They need a life line just as I did over a year ago. These protocols are helping me listen to my colleagues’ voices. They care about what motivates our students too. They don’t like following a path that they know is not working. They just don’t know what path to take if they stop the old one. It’s scary to take a risk against what has become familiar even though it doesn’t feel right. Yet, how can we listen to our students’ voices and provide choices if we don’t experience them ourselves as a staff? The risk is worth it.
As I think of next steps, I am wondering how I can continue to support our staff in using protocols besides my grade level, especially in the upper grades since we are a K-8 school. Our upper grade levels have had difficulty collaborating with each other. We had a great start learning how to listen and talk with each other during an ILT meeting and among all the K-2 grade levels. How can we maintain it? How can this spread even more within our community? Our school history has a pattern of beginning things and then dying out. I don’t want how we were able to gather, reflect, listen, and share together be another thing to die out.