Being a part of the Innovative Teaching Academy 17 (#ITA17) has elevated my passion already, and we are two weeks in!  A.J. Guliani does an excellent job of supporting and asking questions, while George Couros has been the devil’s advocate – for good, of course.  Why do we do what we do?  Educators got into the business for a reason, and that reason is, most likely, that we wanted to do something bigger than ourselves.  Check.  I have decided that’s not enough.

I am a principal, and have to keep in mind my teacher’s point of view — schedules, demands, challenges, and professional learning.  We have a faculty meeting on Tuesday.  What will help them in their practice, and how should it be provided?  Sit and get?  If so, what am I saying – that what i am asking our teachers to do for our students isn’t good enough for them?

Yep.  So it has been designed with opportunities for teachers to provide input, to use their background knowledge to grow, and determine how they want to use the learning from that meeting to better meet the needs of their students.

THEN it’s teacher’s jobs to consider their learning opportunities from the students’ perspective.  But if leaders don’t model, it isn’t intention.  And it probably won’t happen.    Starts with me.