Sunday, March 20, 2016

District Leadership

Ya'll....I hate to keep bragging because I hope that I don't jinx myself in the future, but I work in an incredibly supportive and innovative district.  Based on an email that I sent to our superintendent to share about CTEPS and the Design Thinking Process, he not only sent a very excited email to me asking for more information but also to speak at this month's district leadership meeting.  He wants to talk to our fearless leader and see where this all can take our district! How awesome!  


The news that people are talking about CTEPS and the Design Thinking Process is most amazing.  My presentation was...eh...I did my best.  Being nervous and 8 months pregnant made for a very short of breath and sweaty mess.  BUT, the conversation is started.  Here is what I shared with them...hopefully the link and links within work.  If not, please ask and I'll share it personally.
**I also have limited text on each screen.  (We had a great webinar of how to speak to adults, so I tried to apply it!)  If you want to see my notes pages that guided what I actually said, again, please feel free to ask.  I'm happy to share.  



I was able to use information for the presentations I was given during CTEPS meetings.   All credit due was given.  At no point was this an "I did" show.  As much as possible, I wanted to emphasize the collaboration of the sponsors, collaboration of our leaders, the collaboration of our large and small groups, and also include the Design Thinking Process.  Because I was so nervous, I'm not sure of what I said.  However, I did receive some very nice feedback in person and via email throughout the day from people in the room.  

At the end of my presentation, our superintendent asked me "How has this made an impact on you?"  My answer, "Personally and professionally I view problems differently.  I ask why before how.  I ask for help and ask lots of questions.  What's been wonderful is getting to know this about myself:  that I can maintain a project and see progress with a vision, but have no real clear picture of how it ends.  The most awesome results have happened because I'm able to allow whatever to happen, whereas before, if it wasn't part of 'my plan' it wasn't going to happen so there were lots of missed opportunities for awesomeness.  Now there whole process has become an adventure with lots of great systems and ideas occurring!"
**If that's not what I said word for word, I hope that this was in my answer somewhere....I was very nervous. 

Who knew that ideas to improve literacy would lead to a school initiative, then a district initiative, and on now to spreading the love of CTEPS and Design Thinking?  Again, I recognize my luck and appreciate every second.  I feel like I keep saying that and this:  I'm so excited to see what happens next!

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

THE TIMELINE

Within this infographic, it is important to note that I chose a curved line as our timeline.  The project has taken many turns...all of which were unpredicted by me.  I also want to highlight that without a mutually respectful and innovative team of teachers and administrators these turns would not have occurred.  The culture of collaboration among admin and teachers in my district is what's causing so much action and change for our students.  How lucky am I?!?

The end of the timeline, at this point, shows a big question mark.  I have a general idea of where we're (notice "we"..."I" began a project this year, "we" are finishing it) going now, but no way to label any steps.

This post will be updated as the timeline has become  more clear.  Isn't that exciting!?!

Change. Confusion. Inspiration.

Have you ever made a grand outline of a project or even a simple narrative, only to begin that project or piece of writing and completely re-route yourself as your typing?  It's as if your hands and brain are not completely connected.  Tonight, my hands are typing and my brain continues to argue about what to write.  Hands say "just do it", while brain says "maybe we need to think about it, maybe write another plan?"

I wanted to do this post originally as a practice round for my final product.   My original plan was to create an infographic outlining the main events of this process with a link to my blog, photos, etc.  However, after tonight's CTEPS session, I'm considering this blog to be my main product with the other pieces (infographics, videos, podcasts, images, etc.) as posts!  Maybe?! So now I'm not sure what my next steps are?

In the beginning of my project, I wanted to create a system within the co-teaching classroom I was in that allowed for 2 years growth for the students within that classroom.  They needed it.  Because of the work completed in that classroom, my principal began working with me to spread and research ways to scale ideas throughout the building so that all students needing that much growth could experience it.  When that started happening, the district leadership began asking how can we scale these ideas so that all students in our district experience this level of growth.

To say I've been inspired is an understatement.  Inspired by colleague teachers willing to take on innovative ideas, administrators and district level leadership willing to jump in with both feet to help me understand this project, and the support of coaches and teachers from across the state in my CTEPS group to help someone they barely knew because education is their passion.

I've been completely changed by this process and usually I can see that coming or have made plans for that to happen.  So, as I type, my brain is still going "What is happening?  How is this all happening?" while my hands are confident enough to say "It's happening because it is.  Accept it.  Keep it going."