Lead With Impact

 Liz Wiseman IMPACT PLAYERS: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact

Early in our school improvement turnaround efforts, teachers and I were introduced to the work of researcher John Hatti. His meta-analysis of multiple studies provides an effect size of what we choose to do and not do matters—a lot to our students. It is our responsibility as educators to “Know Thy Impact.” 

When I picked up Liz Wiseman’s book Impact Players, I was hopeful in getting even more insights to further my impact as an instructional leader in an elementary school. “While others add to the load, Impact Players make heavy demands feel lighter.” Our load as educators is a heavy lift on a good day, not to say it without joy or fulfillment, but it’s an ongoing, complicated juggle.

Wiseman lists five key practices of an Impact Player, the assumptions and habit mindsets they purposefully pursue, and the positive implications their actions can have on themselves and others. Impact Players provides a path and a guide for a leader who learns along the way while empowering those who are on the journey with you.

Starting with, do the job. Not the job you want to do but the job that needs to get done. Learn and play as you go with drive and passion. It requires being responsive and flexible as you build the reputation of getting the job done. “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity, but you are not sure you can do it, say yes—then learn how to do it later.” It’s not a call of duty or martyr mindset, but developing a making 'it” better perspective...whatever your “it” is. Parent-pick up anyone?

Then remembering there is a lot of background noise in the school community. What is the buzz and hum on what is on educators' minds in staff room conversations? A principal is a decision-maker, but it’s not always us that needs to lead. An Impact Player can identify the need, enpower others, and then step back and watch them lead. Most likely not without stumbles, but “creates a culture of courage, initiative, and agility.” Staff wellness committee, anyone?

Also, an Impact Player finishes stronger than when they started. They set a vision, not in isolation but in collaboration, and work on a plan with the end goal in mind. They show strength, demonstrate resilience, and behind their smile is true grit. This mindset is framed as I can do hard things well and own the outcome. They can ask and receive critical feedback while anticipating challenges and identifying milestones. Impact Players get the job done and including a few unexpected bonuses thrown in. The Impact Player is neither “worn out nor depleted” but has set a worthy pace for physical, mental, and emotional health.  Jog-A-Thon organizer lead, anyone?

Impact Players “adapt and learn faster than their peers.” How? They ask and then adjust. They have developed a confident mindset but understand there is still room to “grow and evolve” through their effort and current ability. They know what they don’t know yet, so they become coachable. They “level up their own game and raise the bar for everyone on the team.” Together they create “a culture of learning and innovation” while remaining relevant. “They avoid drama. Things don’t get to them. They are compassionate but refuse to be an actor in any soap opera.” School improvement leadership team, anyone?

An Impact Player “creates a positive and productive work environment for everyone on the team.” They make hard work lighter and better for everyone contributing. More importantly, they make others feel valued as a team member. They “develop a reputation as high-performing, no-nonsense players everyone wants to work with.” The feeling of inclusion is almost tangible. Spirit Week Planning Team, anyone?

"If you want to make a difference, look around. Notice what needs your attention. Tap into your passion and your purpose, and find a way to contribute, to create impact, to play bigger and better.” Be your version of an Impact Player to lead, play, and multiply the possibilities around you.

See Me

GHOLDY MUHAMMAD Cultivating Genius An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy

“Hope alone is not enough. 

We need to be designers in curriculum, instruction, and leadership to get it right with those who need it the most. 

They depend on us.”  (p.88)

“If we aim to get it right with all youth, 

a productive starting point is to design teaching and learning 

to the group(s) of students who have been marginalized 

the most in society and within schools: 

Thus, we need frameworks that have been written by people of color and designed for children of color. 

Cultivating Genius provides such a framework.” (p. 11)

4 Pursuits: The Historically Responsive Literacy Model (HRL)

Literacy as Identity Meaning-Making

Literacy as Skills

Literacy as Intellect

Literacy as Criticality

As teachers think of these four pursuits in the HRL instruction, they should ask themselves:

Identity: How will my instruction help students to learn something about themselves and/or about others

Sills: How will my instruction build students’ skills for the content area?

Intellect: How will my instruction build students’ knowledge and mental powers?

Critically: How will my instruction engage students’ thinking about power and equity and the disruption of oppression?  (p. 57-58)

“When these four learning pursuits are taught together, the learning becomes humanizing and more complete—giving students opportunities for personal, intellectual, and academic success." (p. 63)

Sharing Your School Story

ANDREA GRIBBLE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SCHOOLS Proven Storytelling Strategies & Ideas to Celebrate Your Students & Staff—While Keeping Your Sanity

I can’t tell you enough how much I enjoyed this book. I have never met Andrea Gribble in person, but I got to talk with her by phone one day. I’ll never forget it. I was in the initial stages of sharing our school story on Facebook. Our district had purchased a membership in #SocialSchooll4EDU for support while we built our family and community engagement. I was learning while leading with limited time and expertise.

I had a technical question, an urgent one, in my mind, and I couldn’t move forward until I understood what my next step should be. So I reached out, and who did I hear back from? Not a member of the #SocialSchooll4EDU team, but Gribble herself. She not only did she calm my irrational fears, but her response was insightful, helpful, and supportive...exactly the content readers receive page by page in her book Social Media for Schools.  

Each chapter begins with an introduction to a school or district in the format of a case study. Their social media challenges are shared, followed by the process they went through towards reaching a positive outcome. Gribble then provides a deep dive into components of social media systems, branding, storytelling, best practices, and the professional development needed to “help you create a framework to celebrate your school on social media.”

Strategic tips, key points to remember, plans to make, and a doable to-do list flow seamlessly throughout her book, with references on how to “Grab It” for even more resources on the #SocialSchooll4EDU website. Gribble also acknowledges we are all on a different continuum in implementing social media to celebrate our schools and districts. Start where you are but with a mindset of moving forward with her book as a tool to guide you. 

In the forward of Social Media for Schools, Dr. Joe SanFelippo one of Gribbles many advocates on the relevance of sharing your school story said, “Nobody will change the way they talk about school until we change the way we talk about school.” The following are the leadership changes I will begin to learn more about in order to celebrate and recognize our students, staff, and families.

MTSS for EACH Student

 Amy McCart - Dawn Miller LEADING EQUITY-BASED MTSS for All Students.

I completed my teaching degree in 1999. The opportunities I have experienced as a teacher, instructional coach, and school leader have been incredible. I will continue to contribute my love of teaching students how to read AND supporting teachers with the knowledge and skills to be reading teachers with my earliest experiences. We created equitable student-focused systems, attended target professional development, and created outcome agreements so each student would grow, thrive, and excel as a reader. Looking back, we were at the earliest stages of creating an MTSS or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support System. 

ChatGPT quickly summarized the book this way. 

“Leading Equity-Based MTSS for All Students" by McCart and Miller provides a comprehensive guide for educational leaders to implement a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) focusing on equity. The book emphasizes the importance of addressing and eliminating systemic barriers to learning and achievement while promoting inclusive practices for all students. It offers practical strategies and tools for leaders to develop a culture of equity, create a collaborative MTSS team, implement evidence-based interventions, and monitor progress through data-driven decision-making. With a strong emphasis on equity, the book equips leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that all students, regardless of their background or abilities, have equitable access to high-quality education and opportunities for success.”

So whether you are new to your position, are new to a school community, or need new thinking to guide you and your school team to create equitable outcomes for each of your students, Leading Equity-Bases MTSS gives you a guide for your transformation. The authors share, “Together with them, we devised and honed the practices that ultimately defined our Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) Education Center’s approach to equity-based MTSS” (p. Xi). The best part is that the resources and more referenced in the book are available online at the SWIFT Education Center. 

The authors also remind school leaders of the importance of the language we can use to project their mindset and belief about teaching and learning. When structuring your tiered instructional systems for decision-making, McCart and Mill suggest rather than using the terms ‘Title I instructional supports’ or ‘special education instructional supports,' make categories for skill areas students have not yet acquired. “Teams select instruction and support to meet identified skill needs, not based on other student characteristics” (p. 68). 

In addition, getting to the heart of equity, a school leader has an incredible responsibility to continually use data during your school’s transformation. The authors provide data routines “to be used across the entire system” for school-wide, grade-level, and classroom student-focused decisions (p. 93). While organizing, processing, and acting on your data for universal, additional, or intensified support, utilize essential questions to plan and “continuously strengthen first instruction in academic, behavioral, and social-emotional domains” (p. 96). 

These are just of few examples of the deep implementation practices found in the research in Leading Equity-Based MTSS. McCart and Miller also provide insights through ‘field trip” vignettes from practitioners currently engaged in the work. The book closes with Dawn’s why.

Dawn’s Why MTTS

“We benefit from those who have put 

evidence-based practices in our hands. 

It is up to us to never doubt

that we can figure out 

how to make it work in our system

—we have to dig deep, lean on each other,

and maintain focus on what matters.

We got this.”

A School Leaders Impact

 Janet Clinton, Dylan Wiliam, Jenni Donohoo, Michael Fullan, Zaretta Hammond, Peter M. DeWitt, Douglas Fisher, Nancy, Frey, Dominique Smith, Laura Link, Sugata Mitra, and Jim Knight, Edited by John Hattie & Raymond Smith 10 MINDFRAMES for LEADERS The VISIBLE LEARNING Approach to School Success

What has been stated repeatedly by leading practitioners and researchers in education is what we as leaders choose to do matters immensely for our students and the teachers we have the opportunity to serve and support. They advocate for the laser focus needed on the essential components of teaching and learning while reminding us to cancel the relentless noise of multiple distractors.

This is our work. 

10 Mindframes for Leaders provides the key insights and actions for school leaders to pursue and engage. “Mindframes are our Why. They represent an internal set of beliefs we hold near and dear to our hearts.” The Visible Learning strategies and process are the How to our Why. And What refers to the result—the outcomes we intend to accomplish or the evidence of our collective impact on student progress and achievement.

One Mindframe is featured in each of the ten chapters, authored by a treasure of educational leaders. The chapter starts with a relatable school vignette, followed by a detailed description of the Mindframe, factors from the “Visible Learning” research supporting the Mindframe, and where a school leader can start. The end of the chapter features a  checklist with exercises you can work on independently or in collaboration with a school leadership team. 

The power of one’s impact as a school leader is stated repeatedly in the title of each chapter. The word “I” starts each chapter, but considering the power of collective action, the reader/leader could collectively use “We.” 

“I am an evaluator of my impact on teacher/student learning.”—Janet Clinton

“I see assessments as informing my impact and next steps.”—Dylan Wiliam 

“I collaborate with my peers and my teacher about my conceptions of progress and my impact.” —Jenni Donohoo

“I am a change agent and believe all teachers/students can improve.”—Michael Fullan

“I strive for challenge rather than merely ‘doing my best’.”—Zaretta Hammond

I give and help students/teachers understand feedback, and I interpret and act on feedback given to me.”—Peter M. DeWitt 

“I engage as much in dialogue as in monologue.”—Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Dominique Smith 

I explicitly inform teachers/students what successful impact looks like from the outset.”—Laura Link 

“I build relationships and trust so that learning can occur in a place where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from others.”—Sugata Mitra

“I focus on learning and the language of learning.”—Jim Knight 

Leaders can align a Mindframe to where greater understanding is needed for success in our schools. For example, chapter one evaluates your impact on teacher/student learning. The author of this chapter, Clinton defines evaluative thinking as “a cognitive process; it is a way of being” (p.14).  Leaders who think evaluatively engage in open questioning with an effective size of 0.48 to “improve the current status during the process of leading teaching and learning” (p. 15). Using authentic questions allows leaders to learn what teachers know and do not know…yet. 

“Effective school leaders 

talk about their Mindframes and their beliefs 

and prove them through 

their practices and skills.” 

Clinton provides the reader with five core evaluative questions for school leaders. These authentic questions are strategic and utilized to generate the teacher’s thinking on student learning, evidence-based interventions, seeking evidence, monitoring impact, and considering others’ perspectives. Most importantly, the center of the student’s learning is at the heart of each question.

“The focus of evaluative thinking, 

in the context of schools, 

always has learning at its core.” 

“Mindframes—your internal set of beliefs about your role as a school leader—determine the high-impact leadership practices you chose to implement” (bc). 

“It’s not what you do, 

it’s how you think about what you do.”

Choose well. 

Opportunities to Flourish in School and Life

 

Bryan Goodwin - Kristin Rouleau The New Classroom Instruction THAT WORKS The Best Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement

I recently listened to a presentation on the critical elements of math instruction.

The presenter projected an Instructional Progression that demonstrated a teaching and learning responsibility framework for math. The progression began with Sensemaking, followed by the Gradual Release of Responsibility Framework. A question that lingered for me during the session was, What does current research tell us about the teaching strategies that have the greatest impact on learning, and when and how do you embed them during this instructional structure? 

The answer to my question came while reading, The New Classroom Instruction THAT WORKS, The Best Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, by Bryan Goodwin and Kristin Rouleau and co-published by ASCD and McREL International. Carefully analyzing new evidence-informed research, the authors identified strategies “shown, scientifically, to support better learning for diverse students” (p. 7). Guiding principles are highlighted on effectively applying the 14 teaching strategies, organized into six phases of learning. “Each chapter offers a brief overview of the phase and the cognitive science behind it, then shares the teaching strategies aligned with that phase of learning. For each strategy, we offer guiding principles from research and practical tips for applying it into your classroom” (p. 9-10). 

The book highlights two helpful visuals. The first aligns each learning phase with the research-based teaching strategies (Figure 1.1), The second second image provides an instructional pathway using the strategies for instructional design and delivery for either declarative or procedural knowledge (Figure 7.2). ASCD offers more insights and additional resources about The New Classroom Instruction THAT WORKS, including a list of each teaching strategy and a study guide. McREL published Discovery Education, A Planning Guide for The Six Phases of Learning, featuring the graphic image below.

The authors caution and remind the reader, “These strategies are, of course, most likely to stick when you build them into the design and delivery of every lesson and unit of study. Doing so will also help you integrate these strategies together into a powerful ‘bundle’ of proven teaching techniques and effective learning opportunities for students…Few, if any, were stand-alone strategies. Rather, they were incorporated into a large set of strategies that, together, had powerful effects on student learning” (p. 136). 

“When you bring evidence-based practices into your classroom, you can achieve the purpose that drew you into the noble profession: changing students’ lives by ensuring they have opportunities to flourish in school and life.”

Heading Upstream

 Dan Heath UPSTREAM The Quest To Solve Problems Before They Happen

Heading upstream. Working smarter, not harder. It makes sense, but often in the moment, we are blinded by the urgency in front of us. In Dan Heath’s recent book, Upstream, The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen, he reminds us of the parable of two men saving several children who are floundering in the water as they arrive one after the other from the swift current upstream. Near exhaustion, one man leaves, leaving the other in a panic, realizing he will now be alone in his rescuing efforts. When asked why his buddy is leaving, his friend answers, “I’m going upstream to tackle the guy who is throwing all these kids in the water.” 

OpenAI summarizes Upstream in this way. “Heath argues that many of the biggest problems we face as individuals, organizations, and society as a whole could be avoided or minimized if we focused on taking proactive measures upstream.” His goal is to encourage us to shift our efforts upstream “to prevent problems before they happen '' rather than “react, react, react” after the fact.  As a school leader, it makes sense. Much of our work involves systems thinking. Rather than having a fifth grader leave our school community as a non-reader, we create foundational teaching and learning systems to avoid that inequity from happening. 

I summarized Heath’s Upstream ideas in this way to organize my thinking and next steps. It starts with owning my own mindset. Some days are tough. We may not have created the challenge, but we can shift our thinking toward equitable outcomes. 

What often makes me smile, is the solution is usually not as complex as it appears. Leaning in, listening to others, and gaining a deeper perspective, the path to a solution for students and staff can simply be a “move your chair” adjustment. Providing ongoing professional development for teachers and adjusting the schedule to include community circle time for students moves us upstream. A bonus, it allocates time for the commitments we have prioritized.

The effects of the pandemic are still lingering for our students and staff. As educators, we have our theories, but the aftermath is real and leading us to a new normal. Change is complex, indeed, with no quick fixes, but if we accept it as an opportunity, we can move forward in a new way using what we now know and can do. Distributing 550+ Chromebooks in just a few days changed the outcome for students, eased the ‘suffering’ of parents, produced a different teaching and learning system we didn’t even know was possible, and moved us all upstream. 

Looking back, we realized, “We can do hard things.” Although without reflection, the struggle goes unappreciated and devalued. Instead of going back to what we have always done, our course remains the same, and feedback from students, teachers, staff, and families becomes our tool to continue to learn and prioritize our commitments, goals, and values in a new and better way.

Contributions to the Science of Reading

 The Reading League Journal Multidisciplinary Contributions To The Science of Reading Volume 4 Issue 1 January/February 2023

This week, I received an unexpected gift as a principal, two snow days in a row, snuggled up next to a weekend! For those in education, you know what this means, rest and time. Whether it's mental health or numbness on the couch with ultimate control of the remote, your day is now a reprieve from the sense of urgency. 

That’s the first day. On the second day, you pick up speed and realize your list of to-dos is waiting and will not go away. So you dive in. My inbox held more than 100 items, with many needing immediate attention while just a few required a simple click of the archive stroke, immediately reducing the load. Knowing inbox zero is a myth (putting them into folders for another time doesn’t count), I narrowed it down to 17 urgent items that won't go away until responses are received. Which ultimately left me time to do what I love: read!

My rambling story has a point. I picked up the January/February 2023 The Reading League Journal, Multidisciplinary Contributions to the Science of Reading. I heard imaginary laughter, but I remained intrigued by each published article. Editor Emily Solari, Ph.D., encouraged readers to expand their knowledge of the many fields that contribute to the science of reading. 

As is my habit, I started from back to front. Many articles interested me and added to my understanding of the science of reading, but there were three favorites. Elana Gordon’s account, There’s Still Time: A Science of Reading Journey, was genuinely inspiring. “Balanced literacy has been a pillar of instruction for many years, and asking teachers to make pedagogical shifts is difficult. Building teacher capacity is an investment in our future and will take time, but the alternative is no longer an option.” Knowing better and doing better for students requires a learning mindset, which Gordon demonstrates.

After reading, The  Best Practices for Improving Language and Literacy Outcomes for English Learners by NCIL (National Center on Improving Literacy), I made a mentai list of colleagues who would find it insightful too. The article opens with, “ As classrooms across the United States are becoming more diverse, it is critical that educators are able to successfully address the unique language and learning needs of English learners and provide efficient and high-quality support when gaps in achievement are identified.” 

NCIL then shares the research findings of instructional practices highly recommended for teachers to use and implement in their classrooms to support ELs to “acquire the language and literacy skills needed to succeed academically.” All students, especially our language learners, should receive the following:

• Comprehensive, evidence-based language and literacy instruction as part of their core curriculum (PA, phonics, vocabulary, oral reading fluency, comprehension, and writing).

• Carefully choose academic vocabulary that is revisited through a variety of activities. 

• “Educators should provide ELs with opportunities to build content knowledge and language competence in tandem (Baker et al., 2014). Integrating reading, writing, speaking, and listening as they are learning.

• Structured writing instruction should be a regular structured priority with multiple opportunities to “develop written language skills.”

• For those students who struggle daily, small-group intervention teacher-directed instruction can provide scaffolds that make learning easier for ELs.

• A student’s home language, prior knowledge, and cultural and linguistic knowledge are assets to be utilized as an area of strength for ELs. 

Lastly, I reviewed “Moving the Science of Reading Forward: A Review of Two Recent Meta-Analyses of Reading Intervention Research. The details are intricate and might require repeated readings to absorb, but it brought me back to my dissertation days and made me realize my EdD coursework was worthy. “The purpose of a systematic review is to understand the amount and quality of existing research on a topic, look for patterns across studies, and identify areas where more research is needed.” “As with any branch of science, the science of reading is not a fixed body of knowledge. Rather, researchers continue to break new ground such that ‘the accrual of scientific knowledge related to reading is ever evolving.’”

Solari closes the journal’s introduction with, “We hope you enjoy this special issue of The Reading League Journal. Happy reading!” I would agree after reading each article, and I felt more optimistic about where educators are headed as we learn more about the Science of Reading.