Learning Forward Kansas: BLOG

Remembering Dayna Richardson

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 16:18:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard,
former LFKS Secretary

I sat down to write this blog at the end of September with a heavy heart, as a way to process a tremendous personal and professional loss, and as a tribute really, to my friend, colleague and partner in professional learning Dayna Richardson. True to Dayna’s love/hate relationship with technology, we have had some technical issues getting the blog to post, so it is appearing later than we’d intended but this gives us a chance to continue to keep Dayna’s memory fresh in our minds and heart. I can visualize her laughing at our technology struggles as she proclaims "user error!" And indeed it was!

Dayna Richardson was the heart and soul of professional learning in South Central Kansas, perhaps even the whole state, and her influence extended nationally too. Whether she was part of a school system, creating an organization like ESSSDACK, leading the state’s professional learning organization, or advising state education officials, she was always working to support teachers and administrators by helping them discover how to learn best, how to create culture of learning, and how to ensure those strategies would live on in school improvement and accreditation efforts. She never shied away from a challenge. Learning Forward Kansas would not be where it is today without her leadership, her vision, and her never ending possibility thinking. She was a lifelong learner and found so many ways to share her understanding with others – usually in multiple colors, fonts, and organizational structures, with quotes, pictures, and short videos thrown in to make connections and deepen understanding.

In the time Dayna and I worked together on a variety of projects to promote professional learning, our research and collaborative conversations expanded our understanding of what worked best. We were partners in learning. She was a big promoter of the work of Simon Sinek….and how finding and focusing on the “why” helped shape one’s success. She had a quote for every situation but one that we relied on a great deal came from Maya Angelou – “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Dayna was always about growth and improvement. She studied change theory and how we could use this understanding to effectively make a significant difference in how schools and educators do business. We laughed about “change is hard, you go first” but in reality change is hard and the more we know how change affects everyone, the better we can determine the most effective ways to move forward. I hear her asking,“Why do we want to get better? How can we get better? How will we know?” And she believed and modeled the idea that we are “better together.” Collaboration was included in all that she/we did. Collective efficacy became a goal of an effective culture of learning as she promoted excellence for every school. I probably am most proud of the video series we created with the help from our technical expert Rosemary Miller, entitled “Inspired to Learn: Kansas Stories.” This was a vision without a real skill set that turned into a resource we will always have that shares the why, how and what of professional learning, collaboration, collective efficacy, and leadership for and by Kansas educators. Dayna narrated those videos so we will forever be able to hear her words of wisdom at the click of a link.

As I reflect on my work with Dayna, I have thought about the many “Daynaisms” that can be attributed to her. She was a coach and mentor and always looked for ways to tactfully get people to examine their own thinking or actions. She asked great questions. She phrased common statements or questions in ways that may not seem important but always protected the dignity of the person she was speaking with while encouraging them to accept the responsibility of the action. Some of those might include:

· Find ways to touch people’s hearts.

· Change “You NEED” to do that; to “You WANT” to do that.

· Replace “SHOULD” with “CONSIDER”

· Gentle reminder…. Sometimes it didn’t feel gentle when you knew you’d forgotten to do whatever it was, but she was always kind, no matter what.

· She often used metaphors or examples to illustrate a point. For example, Culture eats strategy for breakfast (a quote from Peter Drucker) was one of her favorites. This was clearly to help people understand that even the best strategies will only work within the right culture so the time and effort spent building that culture is worth it to achieve the best results.

· She hated routine (even though it was important) paperwork, but she loved paper. We always had colorful handouts loaded with information, sticky notes, and big sticky posters to use in workshops to organize and share information. She often printed out draft copies so she could get a better look when proofreading. She literally saved everything! Sometimes we sent each other pictures of our messy office spaces! J

If I only write this from the perspective of how she affected change in education and professional learning, then we miss the personal part of Dayna that endeared her to many. We started out as colleagues in LFKS. We became fast friends. Many have known Dayna longer, but it doesn’t matter if you knew her for one year or 50 years, she left her mark on you. Her smile won you over in a second. Laughter came easily and often. She truly cared about the people with whom she interacted. She made me feel valued and appreciated as I know she did the same for others too. We talked often, and as we worked more closely, we eventually completed each other’s sentences too when editing. We were so different in the way we approached a task, but we were attuned in purpose, humor, and common interests. She was a Mac, colorful and creative; I’m a PC, more linear and functional. But we complemented each other in important ways and produced quality results.

She was a devoted Jayhawk fan. I am a devoted, purple bleeding K-State fan. I can admit she watched more K-State games than I watched KU games, because in all honesty, she was just a fan’s fan. She accompanied Al to so many Hutchinson Community College basketball games, even taking him to North Texas to watch post season play. Ice cream and chocolate were her favorites. She often stopped at Dairy Queen on her way home from a professional learning meeting or event. She loved sunflowers, sunsets, wheat fields, the hills around Medicine Lodge, and the many beautiful flowers she grew in her yard. Watering them gave her a sense of fulfillment just as she nurtured so many of us in education.

Field trips to Kansas City to watch Dinner Theater or plays often included a Royals game too. She could drive all over Kansas City and not get lost, but those darn Google Docs Folders were much harder to navigate. Sometimes I think she just called me to help her find something on Google Docs so we could talk. J

She loved to shop and sometimes a package from Amazon or a local shop she often patronized would be delivered to my door because she found something purple that I might need. J She loved her family and talked of them often. She was proud to be a Nittler and a Daddy’s girl; but the Disney clan gave her so much pleasure too. Family gatherings, all things Disney (Mickey Mouse especially), gave her so much JOY! She was blessed with the perfect middle name because Joy is what she loved to find in all that she did and what she gave to so many.

We both loved to travel, but her field trips took her around the world and mine were, until recently, confined to many of the beautiful sights within the United States. The idea of seeing something you’d never seen before and taking in the beauty, history and culture that every location provided was the draw for both of us. She was so excited for the trip my husband and I took this summer to Switzerland and up the Rhine River. That was typical Dayna. \She was so happy because we were happy and wanted to hear all about it.

How do we honor the person who has inspired everyone she met with vision, passion, and endless energy to find ways to get better? How do we reflect on a life well-lived and ensure her legacy will live on in the students she touched, the educators she shaped, and the leadership she provided? I believe we do this by living the lessons we learned from her. Enjoy life. Find your passion. Consider possibilities. Find ways to get better. I think Dayna will be whispering in my ear with guiding questions, and endless quotes until the day I see her again. \But until then, there will be stops at DQ, butterflies, sunflowers, and many other things that will be daily reminders of my dear friend. As she always said, the joy is in the journey. Thank you for sharing your joy with all of us. Rest easy my friend. Job well done.

Pro Tip: Check out the Learning Forward Kansas website for more resources on professional learning. Dayna had a hand in the creation of many of these valuable tools.

Community Connections Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 04:23:00 +0000

by Jessica Hanvey

LFKS Conference Chairperson

It has never been more apparent to me, as a long-time educator, the urgency of making the school and community connection. After the struggles of 2020, educators and students proved to be resilient, digging to the depths of our professional being in order to meet demands of our society. It is noteworthy, at a minimum, how we responded then and are still grinding ahead today. We need to tell our story outside the building.

In much of our state, we are operating with less. Staff shortages might be the worst that many of us have ever experienced. We are more prescriptive in our approach to meeting the academic and social needs of kids, but lack the human resources to yield results at the highest potential level. How does our community fit in the equation? Our survival depends on it.

The community is the “why.” Why should we get involved? Why should we commit our personal time and money? Why do soft skills matter? Who are we preparing our students to serve? How can we increase our capacity to utilize our students as our own resources?

As a result of our current staff shortage, I reached out to our high school future educators instructor to see if we could engage her students in live classroom experiences. Two future educators walked through my classroom door, did on the job training, and were a wonderful resource to have for sixty minutes. They also have developed rapport with staff, as well as loaded their toolbox with hands-on skills to succeed in class.

A developed relationship between school and community creates ownership. When employees and every day citizens have an iron in the fire, everything matters more. Will these students be on a pathway where they are student interns at our businesses beginning as early as middle school? Will we have the opportunity to grow our own employees from the ground up? Furthermore, will we have built a valuable enough bond to bring our students back to our community post secondary education? Creating an atmosphere where students feel compelled to “give back” is the goal.

As a second grade teacher, I’ve witnessed firsthand the value of these connections being created. A few of my students have developed a relationship with a local farmer as a result of opportunities we’ve been intentional to create. I envision them as his future employees. What a rewarding experience to watch them engage in soft starts by bringing farm equipment to use to plow fields and harvest crops. In addition, what a valuable resource our farmer has been to serve on our local school board.

We sure should aim to build pride in who we’re working together to develop. Our citizens and local businesses have potential to be our best recruitment and retention tool. The way that they project what we are accomplishing in our school impacts our success. Connections outside the school walls should begin early and expand over time. Once community stakeholders feel the connection and have a purpose, the process takes care of itself.

Jessica Hanvey is the 2023 LFKS Conference Chairperson and teaches in USD 382 Pratt School District.

Keeping the Light On

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 16:13:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard

It’s February. The weather doesn’t know whether we are still in winter or trying to forge ahead to spring. Even the groundhog wasn’t definitive. But in my many years of teaching and coaching, February was always a challenging month. Basketball was on the home stretch after a long season. The last set of Parent-Teacher Conferences took place with the hope of righting some student ships so they could sail through to the end of the school year and reach their destination. There are Valentine’s parties and snow days still to come. Could spring break be too far away?

So maybe our light is dimming a bit as we await spring and all it portends: new growth, longer days, outside recess, track, baseball, softball, State Assessments, and so much more. How can we keep the light on as winter wanes and spring hasn’t yet arrived? If we equate our light to a metaphoric flashlight, we might find some interesting solutions to our problem of dimming light. And these solutions just aren’t for faculty and staff, they are also something our students might benefit from too.

Depending on the size and type of our flashlight and the amount of light needed, the possible solutions will vary. Most of the time we just need new batteries – not a whole new flashlight. Occasionally our bulb is burned out, but generally, checking the batteries is our first step toward restoring our light. Consider these battery possibilities:

A – Attention - How do we give someone attention? Stop by their room; sit with them at lunch; call, text, listen, inquire about how they are; ask about life outside school; (did I mention listen?); spend time with them; call them by name; make eye contact; show up; respond promptly. Find a way to ensure they know they matter so that their light never goes out.

AA – Attention + Affection – Affection means we care and gives depth to the attention. How can we show appropriate affection at school? Proximity; A pat on the back or high five; a warm smile (be sure to smile with your eyes if you are masked!); A note of encouragement, appreciation or thanks; A hug if appropriate and always with permission (realizing that violates the idea of maintaining proper distancing but is sometimes necessary). Affirmation might be another way to show affection especially in a school setting. We affirm a person is worthy by giving them our undivided attention and demonstrating that we care. These are important ways to keeping the light burning brightly.

AAA - Attention + Affection + Acceptance - Acceptance is something everyone seeks. Take the time to get to know the other person; Agree to disagree; Show respect for them as individuals, for their decisions, for their ideas… Invite them in… to a conversation, to a group, to a learning opportunity, to share a laugh. When one feels accepted they feel like they matter, and their light burns long into the night.

C – Compassion - Compassion is more than sympathy. It is caring in action. How do we show compassion to or for others? Be Kind; Encourage or positively reinforce; Show empathy for another’s situation; Notice other’s troubles or frustrations; Offer to help or support; Be emotionally moved by their circumstances and help them seek relief; Judge less; Work for the greater good. When someone is experiencing darkness, share your light and be the one who helps them find their light.

D – Direction – Finding our way out of the darkness is challenging without a light. How do we offer direction without telling them what to do? Shine your light to navigate the darkness: Guide, Suggest; Ask questions; Offer options; Help identify or define the goal; Encourage and reinforce; Provide feedback; Allow for/create space and time. Sometimes a person’s light is just hidden and they must rediscover their purpose in order for the light to go from dim to bright again.

*************

The purpose of the flashlight metaphor is to get you to think about how really simple it is to look out for each other if we are intentional. We must notice those around us (and how we are feeling too) and not be hesitant to act. When you shine your light for others, it also lights your way; conversely if you shine your own light, it can light the way for others too.

But there are other ways to keep ourselves energized and our light burning brightly. If we purposely continue to grow and learn new things, it keeps our mind engaged and focused on new possibilities. What book or article can you read that gives you new ideas? What professional learning experience can you attend (virtually or in person)? What podcast inspires you? What colleague can you observe? What conversation can you have? Some schools are even scheduling mental health days for everyone. We are living in different times and we must think of new ways of responding to the challenges and feelings that dim our light. We think we don’t have time, but if our flashlight isn’t working we continue to languish in the darkness. When we can’t see the light we cannot be productive. I admit I don’t stay at Motel 6, but I do like their commercial slogan, “We’ll leave the light on for you.” What an inviting way to look at the culture in our buildings. Are you ensuring that there is a light on for everyone to use?

Seek the light. Share the light. Be the light.

Pro Tip: Sometimes even changing the batteries or learning new things doesn’t work –

When that happens, sit with them quietly in their darkness and share your light.

12 Days AFTER Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 14:59:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard

We all know the song, 12 Days of Christmas and have probably sung it many times. I’m pretty sure I’d love 5 golden rings, but I have no need for a partridge in a pear tree! I remember teaching PE in my first job and the band director would send his sections to various parts of the school during first hour (my plan time) to practice prior to their competitions. The drum section always came to the gym. So while I see the need for drummers in a band (and I did play in the band in high school), that experience reminds me 12 drummers can be far too many!

I also remember a great tradition that we had at my last school where we did the 12 Days of Christmas Feast and brought food to share in the Teacher’s Lounge for 12 days prior to the Winter Break. Oh my, it really should have been the 12 pounds gained before Christmas! J

But I digress…. What I’d really like to talk about are the 12 Days AFTER Christmas (winter break) and what that might look like. We all know by the squirrely kids, shortened days, and looming finals that this semester is almost over. All we want to do is relax a little and look forward to what Santa and the New Year brings us! We might not want to focus on resolutions because we know they rarely are fulfilled. So let’s talk about things we’d like to have happen, wishes, if you will.

There is optimism in focusing on wants or wishes, and hope is instilled when we look forward. While I won’t submit this list as song lyrics, I think we might be able to agree that many of these are on our wish list every day. These wishes might be considered aspirations, the honest truth, or reminders that each of you does make a difference every day. In any event, I present to you:

THE 12 DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS WISHES

1: Meaningful Collaboration upon your return

2: Students back in the classroom eager to learn

3: Masks worn willingly to keep Covid at bay

4: Kindness and respect on display every day

5: Leaders who guide during good and tough times

6: Teachers who challenge and nurture young minds

7: Snow falling steadily during the night

8: A “No school” call before the first light

9: Seeing the spark in a student’s eye

10: Colleagues to share a laugh or good cry

11: All assignments turned in when they are due

12: A pat on the back for all that you do

I think it is important to think about what we want life to look like and along with that, forward thinking. We get so caught up in how tired or frustrated we are that we forget we are in the greatest profession on earth where we can touch lives and shape the world every single day. What is it that will make your job easier? More rewarding? More meaningful?

It is ironic, and somewhat symbolic, that as the semester ends it coincides with the shortest days of the year – where darkness swallows up each day. With the many challenges and changes educators have faced the last 2 years, it may be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I am confident that after a couple of weeks away, you’ll be looking at the New Year with new eyes as the daylight grows longer and the darkness begins to recede. As you reflect forward into 2022, what does that look like?

What are your wishes? Your needs? Is accreditation in your view? Do you or your staff understand the process of change and how that understanding can contribute to the success (or not) of goal implementation? Are you (or your staff) continuous learners? What challenges await you? How do you tackle all that is on your plate?

Let us know how we can help you turn those wishes into actions. Our role at Learning Forward Kansas is to support your school or you as an educator with professional learning so that you can experience excellent teaching, learning, and leading every day. Isn’t excellence something you would love to have for your building, your classroom, and your students? Let’s make it happen in the New Year!

Happy Holidays from your colleagues at Learning Forward Kansas!

Seeking Covid Relief in Collaboration and Collective Efficacy

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 23:13:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard, LFKS Special Projects

“How are the children?” My friend, a long time educator, uses that question to gauge the temperature of the culture of a school, the impact of decisions that are made, and the direction a school is headed. Right now every school is consumed by Covid protocols, differences of opinions, and extra work created by gaps in staff coverage due to the inability to hire a full staff or the quarantines that occur weekly (or even daily). Learning is going on, school improvement through accreditation is continuing, but our focus seems to be interrupted frequently by the next crisis. We may be wondering if we will ever find any Covid Relief. As we think about how best to support our educator friends across the state, we still want to ask the question, “How are the children? But it’s important to follow that question closely with “How are the educators, (including the leaders)?”

My youngest grandson became a middle schooler this year. When I pick him up from school every day, I always ask him how his day went (How are the children?). After the predictable response of “Fine” then most days, he begins to talk…a lot (he is related to me of course)! I find out all kinds of interesting things in those 7 minutes it takes for us to get to my house. In the beginning it was all about his locker and how efficient he was/wasn’t that day. Back in August, we planned how he would remember when and where his classes were. He had some good solutions. Now, I hear him raise concerns and offer opinions about how quarantines of teachers and students affect his classes. He’s back to required mask wearing (which he has never opposed), and he noted just today that once first hour is over, he hardly remembers he has one on. He has asked what to do when he sees someone breaking the rules or how he can be more involved. He had elementary figured out pretty well, so in many ways he’s just trying to figure out middle school and all it entails.

Isn’t that what our educators and administrators are feeling too? They had school figured out pretty well. Then Covid hit and everything changed. Not only are they making decisions that are fluid and criticized from all sides, they are also trying to figure out the new normal (that is ever changing). Educators and leaders could really use some Covid Relief. So are we checking on our colleagues and friends? Are we asking, “How are the teachers and the principals and the superintendents?” When I ask my principal friend how things are going, her initial reply is either “Fine” (where have I heard that before?) or “Busy” as she dashes to keep score on the JV volleyball court because someone couldn’t cover – all before she heads off to a BOE meeting. Our question of “How are the educators and leaders” might be rhetorical, because we know how they are – they are exhausted. And the smaller the school system, the worse it may be. How can we help?

Mr. Rogers used to ingrain in the kids watching his show that they want to identify: “Who are the helpers?” When my 6^th grade grandson works on homework, I try to help him with organizational skills, how to study, and test taking strategies. I’ve also noticed he is part of a group text where his friends ask questions about homework or talk about how to do the math problem they don’t understand. The members share resources or possibilities. They know how to look things up to get help. They are succeeding together. He has found helpers outside the school day to help him succeed in school. What he is experiencing is collaboration and a student version of collective efficacy. So when we ask, “How are the educators,” maybe we should be asking, “Who is helping our educators, our principals, even our superintendents?” “Who are they working with to brainstorm ideas or find solutions for their situations?” “Who is helping them grow, learn, and implement effective methods?”

How does all of this tie into our concern about today’s educators maneuvering through a pandemic that seems to never end? Just as my grandson focused at the beginning of his middle school journey on his locker and getting to class on time, teachers and administrators are also, out of necessity, narrowly focused on logistics during these challenging times. With fewer staff members, more paperwork (i.e. contact tracing) and less time to concentrate on school improvement, they are overwhelmed as they try to keep all the balls in the air. Collaboration and Collective Efficacy may not be on their radar at the moment but it just might be their salvation.

If we look at Collective Efficacy we know it begins as a group of people who come together for a common goal. When one has efficacy they have the skills and confidence as an individual to do what needs to be done to be successful. When we band together we have collective efficacy in which the group believes they can succeed to achieve the goal. In a time where we are inundated with non-academic protocols and regulations that distract us from the business of learning, we find many tend to retreat and work in isolation, but there is power (and relief) in numbers. Collaborative work makes us all more effective when we utilize our knowledge and skills to help each other. Time you say! I don’t have time! To find the time, it requires us to stop and reflect on the path we are taking. The journey is better in teams. Even the National Park Service doesn’t want you to hike alone!

To all our Educator and Administrator Friends and Colleagues: Learning Forward Kansas is here to cheer you on, support you, and provide resources to improve your situation. Check out our website. In the Inspired to Learn series, there’s a video on Collective Efficacy. There are Tips and Tools, and other resource guides that can aid in planning professional learning sessions with your staff. The protocols all promote collaboration and digging deeper. The only thing we don’t specifically have is a silver bullet called Covid Relief. But if you adapt some of these strategies, you just might find yourself feeling a little better about your situation going forward.

Remember to ask “How are the children?” and really listen. More to the point, directly ask the children how they are. They will tell you! Ask how the teachers are; the principals, coaches, and the superintendent. Their voices need to be heard; their efforts appreciated, and made more efficient and effective. Find the helpers. “Hike” in groups. This journey is hard enough. Make it better by collaborating with colleagues who are ready and willing to find solutions and achieve the goal(s). This is collective efficacy. Then you will have found some powerful Covid Relief.

Celebrating Teachers: Challenges, Endings and New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Mon, 03 May 2021 04:41:00 +0000

May 2, 2021

by Vicki Bechard, Secretary LFKS

The first week of May is traditionally dedicated to showing our appreciation for all teachers. I think we could have two such celebrations – or may be more! What if we started each school year off celebrating teachers? Maybe show some love at the end of the first semester to give them an extra burst to keep it up into the second semester?

Teachers work hard every day, every month, every year. They care for the students (their kids) with all they have. Teachers actually call their students “my kids,” even after they have retired (I can attest to that and some of “my kids” are ready for AARP!) Every teacher works tirelessly regardless of the size of the system in which they work, but the smaller the school the more likely they are to juggle multiple roles to ensure that the school is successful. By May, regardless of the year or the school, teachers are tired, but still engaged in the work of student learning. While teachers look forward to summer break, this is hardly a part time job.

Summers are spent reviving the spirit, learning new content or strategies, and planning for the next school year. Last year at this time, teachers were navigating new teaching strategies while making the sudden shift to online learning. The end of school brings plenty of distractions and activities in a “normal” year, much less one blown up by a pandemic like we’ve not experienced in three generations. So last summer felt very different as we wondered what the fall would bring. Fast forward to 2021.

This May, we are ending what may have been the most challenging year of anyone’s teaching career. Some schools were able to be in front of their students all year, some brought kids back some of the time, and others didn’t bring them back to the physical classroom until the spring semester. Regardless of the situation, the protocols to keep everyone safe cast a large shadow over what was the ‘20-21 school year, and the subsequent teaching and learning. But much good has come from this adversity and challenge. Let’s hope that the adults are learning right along with the kids as we reflect on how we (in schools and the rest of society) will move forward, shaping our new normal.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) became a real focus after talking about its importance for years. Finding ways to strengthen relationships between the staff, students, and parents was a necessary priority to minimize the isolation people felt and ensure learning would take place. We are all familiar with the old adage, “kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This was a year that really underscored this message!

Appreciation and gratitude became something we all could embrace. Parents found new appreciation for teachers as they tried to juggle their own work/home lives with that of their student’s learning, often as all of the family was online for work or school. Teachers and students realized how important the day to day in-person learning was to achieving understanding. Even sleepy middle school and high school students were ready get up in the morning to go back to school to learn, see their friends and participate in some (albeit restricted) activities and sports. Some semblance of normal seemed like a really great aspiration!

We saw empathy and understanding improve as we addressed each stakeholder group’s challenges, i.e. connectivity issues; shared devices; navigating zoom and other online platforms without prior experience; stay-at-home fatigue; and health concerns. Schools made many changes in their protocols, bus routes, how they fed students, how they passed in the hallways, and how classes were set up – all to keep our students and teachers safe. We all adapted and these lessons shouldn’t be lost as the pandemic restrictions begin to lift.

What will our new normal look like? Can we continue to appreciate each other? Can we maintain some of the protocols we had in place so there is less illness of any kind in our buildings? Can we continue to make concerted efforts to strengthen relationships and make all stakeholders feel valued in the educational lives of every school? Can we carry enduring technology tools and instructional strategies we learned during the pandemic back to our brick and mortar classrooms? (Read more here) Can we STOP focusing on student “learning losses” and START focusing on how we will move forward to target individual student learning needs (gaps, if you will) and not just assume everyone fell behind? Can we use our data to make teaching and learning more effective as we develop a culture of learning that works for everyone? Most importantly, can we not go back to the old normal, but create a new one?

Michael Fullan, in his latest paper, “The Right Drivers for Whole System Success,” notes Covid 19 has been (and may continue to be, I might add)

“…a disruption so fundamental that it loosens and discombobulates the system in a way that creates openings for transforming the status quo.”

How can we transform our system given the opening we have been handed? Our state’s Accreditation Process (KESA) asks us to re-imagine our school in new and better ways. Lessons from our Covid year might be very useful in this type of future planning.

Many have written articles (Edutopia, Education Week, Forbes, etc.) that align with Fullan’s advice:

Above all, we recommend avoiding a ‘loss of learning’ mindset that would take us back to traditional learning – to a system that we know was not working for the vast majority of students.

The lessons of SEL are still the foundation for making school (and ultimately learning) meaningful for students. These are as simple as greeting students at the door each time they enter your school or classroom, or as complex at identifying what losses the student or his/her family experienced over the last year. If we fall into the trap of starting school in the fall with a battery of assessments to “test them to see where they are” we will not make students excited about learning, and could easily contribute to the mindset and/or inequity that (even the best of intentions) can create by pigeonholing or labeling students in ways that might set them up to fail. Edutopia has an interesting article that explores this topic more closely. (Read here.)

In this month of endings, let us focus on new beginnings. Let’s appreciate the teachers (and other administrators and staff) that have gone above and beyond this year to keep our kiddos safe, engage in the important work of relationship building, and provide excellent teaching and learning. They will continue to do this in our post-pandemic world, and deserve our daily appreciation and support. They love our kids and care for them as if they were their own. In my book, they are heroes just as the other many caregivers that have embraced us throughout this last year. (Coincidentally it is also around this time of year we celebrate nurses too.) School is a work in progress, just as our students are. We are continually learning, tweaking, and revising what is best for kids. There is a rainbow at the end of our Covid storm, setting us up for new beginnings, and inspiring hope for better tomorrows.

Today and every day, let us celebrate all that we are, and all that we aspire to be by saluting the backbone of the educational system, our TEACHERS!

We Need a Little Christmas Right This Very Minute!

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 05:05:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard, Secretary

Christmas music has been playing in my car for the last month or so. I have several stations selected so I skip around a lot to only listen to songs I want to hear. Several songs have extra meaning for me this season, but this song by Johnny Mathis may hit the spot for all of us, especially now, no matter your situation:

“We Need a Little Christmas”

…For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Hasn't snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we're in a hurry…

Regardless of your religious beliefs or practices, Christmas can be celebrated by anyone. It’s the time of year when we think of others; dress up our homes and even ourselves (think ugly Christmas sweaters J). It’s a time to bring family and friends together – even though this year it might be via ZOOM – to reminisce and share the love. This Christmas season comes at a time when teaching and learning are occurring in ways that may seem so detached from what we do best, and yet we find ways to make it work under extraordinary circumstances. We are held hostage by a virus that will hopefully be under control by this time next year or before. We are living in divisive times that grab our attention away from the beauty of the season. So we do indeed need a little Christmas…now.

…For I've grown a little leaner
Grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder
Grown a little older
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder
Need a little Christmas now

This verse expresses just how we feel. Our heroes are tired. Classroom teachers that are doing their very best to stay healthy, teach their students in whatever format they are presented at any given moment, and adjust to the many regulations that come down the pike. Administrators are tired too. No longer just addressing the usual never-ending list of day to day management, instructional leadership, discipline, professional learning leaders, and building climate, they have now become expert contact tracers doing their part to keep those in their charge safe from a sneaky, ever intruding virus. No decision is popular with everyone. How do you get ahead of something that is so new to everyone and reacts differently in each person or community?

If you step back a moment, you realize that our educators are facing personal challenges too. They may have loved ones who are sick or have succumbed to this dreaded virus or by some other cause. They may be sick themselves. They may be juggling working from home, their own children, spotty internet in rural locations, or checking in on elderly parents and grandparents too. Some may be bettering themselves with Master’s Degree programs – at a time they are stretched so thin – but they are still learning. You may be like my grandson who said to me just this morning on our way to school, “Grandma, it doesn’t really feel like Christmas this year.” He’s dealing with the loss of his mother this past summer. I can relate. When we meet or work with others, we don’t always know what they are going through. One of the things I appreciate about the last 9 months is how the kindness movement has re-emerged. As the saying goes, “In a world where you can be anything …. Be kind” because we do indeed need a little Christmas right this very minute.

For we need a little music
Need a little laughter
Need a little singing, ringing through the rafter
And we need a little snappy
Happy ever after
Need a little Christmas now

So as your semester comes to an end, and Winter Break begins, take some time to rest, relax, and renew. Enjoy smaller celebrations this year, whether it’s the lights of Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or even as we ring in the New Year. Stay safe. Practice gratitude for the blessings we each have. We at Learning Forward Kansas appreciate each one of you and the work you do every day. Never forget that you are a blessing to so many.

So, find a little music, seek and share laughter, and perhaps just exactly what we need ….get “a little snappy, and be happy ever after!” Tis the season of hope, especially as the most challenging year of our lives (at least for most of us) comes to an end and a New Year begins.

We Need a Little Christmas - NOW!

Iconic Leadership Lessons for Challenging Times

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 16:13:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard, LFKS Secretary

It goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. 2020 has been a year of disruption and discomfort; sadness and loss. Any given year has personal and societal highs and lows but in this particular year, everything seems to be bigger, harder, and more overwhelming than most of us can remember. With so much out of whack – even the weather – we struggle to stay positive and know what to do. We have mourned as COVID upset our everyday lives and took lives we weren’t ready to give up. We miss the familiarity of close contact, time worn traditions, and effective practices now set aside to fight an enemy that does more than make us sick. Schools – both from teaching and learning perspectives - have seen so many changes in such a short amount of time, leading us to anxiously shift out of our comfort zones. It has also been a time of opportunity as we have redesigned by necessity and at a record breaking pace. We have many heroes in our state that stepped up and led a coordinated effort to help identify the best ways forward for teaching and learning. No one got the summer off (not that educators really do…). As educators, we continued to learn, revise, and redesign. There now may be new ways of doing things that we might just keep doing as we go forward. Necessity is the mother of invention or so they say….

In addition to wrestling with the effects of COVID, key public figures have died in both expected and unexpected ways causing us to stop and consider their impact and influence on us personally and as a society. Most recently we mourn the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who was a champion for equal rights for women, voter integrity, and constitutional protections for all people. There have been so many quotes attributed to her, shared by the thousands, even millions, as they celebrate her legacy and mourn her passing. We can learn so much from the way she lived her life and the carefully chosen words she shared in court opinions, speeches, and interviews. My favorite quote to date that Justice Ginsberg cited was about leadership.

“Fight for what you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

Isn’t that the purist form of leadership? Having a passion for what you want to accomplish and engaging/empowering others are what it’s all about. Regardless of your organization or leadership role, it is no different as we face new and ever-changing challenges in our schools today. We still are passionate about teaching and learning. We still want others to join us in this journey of excellence.

LFKS is currently focused on how we can support school leaders of all types during these challenging times. While conferences get changed to virtual formats or postponed entirely, we are seeking to find ways to connect and share ideas that are useful and purposeful. We are currently offering a new 3-part virtual conference on leadership that begins in October, and are creating a collection of useful and timely resources to be shared with educators and leaders. Both of these projects will support the work of schools throughout the state (and beyond), providing ideas, resources, and tools to facilitate how to address local issues and challenges that school leaders face.

Our passion in LFKS is professional learning. We care about leaders. We care about teachers. We care about each one of you. Through it all we want you to join us in our mission to ensure there is excellent teaching and learning every day.

Basketball star Kobe Bryant, who tragically left us too soon, underscored Justice Ginsberg’s idea of leading others to join you with this valuable advice:

“The most important thing is to try to inspire people so they can be great in whatever they want to do.”

Again we ask, isn’t that the purist form of teaching and leadership: Inspiring and empowering others to ensure excellent teaching and learning every day?

Representative John Lewis, famous for his Civil Rights activism, lived a long and productive life following his passion and inspiring others. This quote attributed to him really speaks to each of us as we go through these turbulent times,

“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”

We can wait around for someone else to tell us what to do or we can act. We want to keep learning and growing as educators and leaders, so we ask ourselves and our teams:

What do we want to accomplish?

What knowledge and skills do we need?

What resources can help?

Where can I go for ideas?

How can we use what we have differently?

And at all times we want to remind ourselves: If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

The work we are doing now is hard. There are critics and Monday morning quarterbacks second-guessing our every move. The data and information change daily. It is hard work and at the same time, worthwhile work. It is important that we keep going because our kids are worth it. And as John Lewis so wisely noted:

“Never let anyone – any person or any force – dampen, dim or diminish your light.”

For without our inner light, we cannot get through the darkness of our fatigue, sadness, challenges or obstacles. You can do it and in the process, lead others to join you in this most important work.

Please join LFKS for our Fall Virtual Leadership Conference. (If not us, then who? )

#BetterTogether

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Mon, 04 May 2020 19:23:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard, Secretary LFKS

The lockdown officially ended today here in Kansas as we begin Teacher Appreciation Week. Educators smile at the irony in this and look to the silver lining that at least we are less restricted. Soft openings are happening this week; more will be phased in over the next month. School buildings are still closed. Most of us are doing our part to maintain safety and sanity. Through it all, the mail has been delivered and teachers are still teaching their kids just like always. It’s been a challenging 4^th quarter to say the least. What can we take away from this time of challenge and change? As we fully and officially appreciate the dedication and hard work of our teachers year round and especially at this time, let’s consider how we can be #BetterTogether.

We could dwell on all that we have missed, but I’d rather not. Our seniors will have stories to tell at their reunions in the years to come of how COVID 19 cut short their senior year, and they won’t have the traditional graduation ceremony, at least for now. Maybe that’s not as bad as we think. These later-in-the-summer celebrations could be viewed as anticlimactic, but I’m hoping they might be better than ever because people will be so glad to get together. We feel bad for the teachers that are retiring and now won’t be able to hug their students or their colleagues one last time. Maybe those of us who aren’t retiring could suggest to those students and colleagues that they write a letter of congratulations and appreciation to that retiring teacher so it will serve as a lifetime hug if you will, that can be revisited over and over. Appreciation and celebrations are always #BetterTogether.

#BetterTogether, or some version of this sentiment, has been included in so many commercials and articles, discussed on news shows, and seen trending online since the pandemic overtook our country. While we were stuck at home the companies came to us. Celebrities and sports teams joined the call to connect with all who were struggling to stay positive and stay healthy. They provided information on how to stay safe, encouraged us and reminded us over and over that we are in this together and we will get through this. In this time of challenge, anxiety, and even fear, we look for ways to survive both physically and emotionally. When faced with personal challenge, those who reach out to others, to help and protect, often find the most peace and satisfaction. We can’t thank enough our frontline healthcare professionals, first responders, custodial and cleaning staff, mail and delivery people, all those grocery store employees who keep those shelves stocked, and so many other “essential” jobs that we never knew were essential. And of course we can’t thank our educators enough who are teaching online after a quick crash course, reaching out to students and families, all the while going through the same things at home like the rest of us are doing. Our group hug for these champions must be done from a distance in our hearts for now, but it is important to thank those whose sacrifices have embodied #BetterTogether.

Learning Forward Kansas has been using the hashtag #BetterTogether for quite a while. The fourth video in our professional learning series Inspired to Learn: Kansas Stories focused on all the ways we are better together as educators. During this two month homeschool-online-learning event, we find many ways where educators are collaborating to create meaningful learning, principals are checking in on staff to ensure they are doing OK, and many are finding ways to spread joy and encouragement. We can be inspired by the intentional connections that schools and educators are making with families through food distributions, phone calls, zoom check-ins, social media posts, and packets for those who lack the necessary technology. We can appreciate and enjoy the many videos that have emerged to make us smile as they provide that emotional connection we crave. As an example, LFKS Board member and principal, Amy Beck’s staff at Nemaha Central Elementary and Middle School made weekly videos to share with the school community that conveyed joy and encouragement. Click here if you want to check out what it looks like to be #BetterTogether.

As the school year comes to an official close, we wonder what the future will bring. What can we learn from this time of sudden, mandated change? How will these lessons of both success and challenge shape our decisions for teaching and learning when school resumes in the fall? Will we be better prepared? Are we asking the right questions? To whom are we asking the questions? Are we including all stakeholders in this journey into the unknown? LFKS is in the process of developing some tools to help with this collection of important data that will inform our decisions, frame instruction and learning, and ultimately lead to contingency plans when the virus returns (and it will return). Through it all we can and will emerge stronger if we stay together, work together, and learn together and the result will be that we are indeed #BetterTogether.

March Madness!!

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 23:50:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard, LFKS Secretary

March Madness is upon us! We have been playing the “game” of school improvement all year and those spring OVT (accreditation) visits are about to start. It’s crunch time! We want our results to lead to April Achievement and May Magic. Can we feel the excitement in our halls, our classrooms, our meetings? Is our team focused on the desired outcomes? Have we accomplished all that we set out to do? What do our stats (data) say? Has our preparation put us in a place of strength as we enter these critical “contests” or face the challenges before us? Does each player know his/her role? Does our team (staff) believe we can succeed? As we assess the competition for now and in the future, what will our team and our game plan look like as we take the court?

School leaders can learn from the NCAA version of March Madness. While local newspapers may want area schools to compete against each other for “best scores, highest seeded schools, etc.,” the real challenge is competing within our own system to improve from year to year. Just as college coaches and teams do each season, we start long before March to ensure we are prepared. We create long range plans that include performance goals and actions which are based on the review of data, ongoing needs assessments from the previous year(s), input from people invested in the team’s performance, understanding of best practices, and a vision of where the team wants to go. The coaches (building leaders) put the plan into action by ensuring the team is built on trust, has the best personnel in the right positions, understands the necessary knowledge and skills, and is provided ample practice time and support so that the selected strategies can be effectively implemented. When each player believes in his/her own ability to make a difference and step up when the game is on the line; when the team has bonded, is working toward a common goal, and has learned to trust each other, then the efficacy of one becomes the collective efficacy of the team and everyone wins!

Upper management (central office) and other invested groups (BOE, Stakeholders) have roles in the success of the team through their financial support to ensure the best resources and personnel are in place, to provide the best learning experiences for the players and coaches, and to be willing to work side by side with the team through the learning and implementation processes. Maybe just as important are their roles as encouragers and supporters. Cheering in the stands is a great motivator!

As the team huddles for the last time before the big game, we expect that the game plan is understood by all coaches and players, but we also expect that they realize adjustments must be made along the way. When individual players can see what needs to happen and have the ability and permission to make those adjustments, the team can be even more successful! When coaches micromanage and have to call every play, or are overly critical of mistakes that are bound to happen, the confidence and efficacy of their team diminishes. When change is warranted and coaches or players fail to make adjustments, progress stalls, and the win (improvement) may slip away. All of this requires continuous reflection and study on what works, what didn’t and what we will do about it.

The culmination of our “season” begins with March Madness and ends with May Magic! How is your leadership supporting the challenge of goal achievement? How is your team competing as the action plan unfolds? Will the kids be the winners as we “play the game” of school improvement? Ultimately we are looking to do what works best. As spring turns into summer, what will we do in the off season to make next year even better? Team members come and go, and leadership turns over, but the quest to field the best team possible and be competitive in March Madness and beyond is always before us. And because it’s school and not just one game, we can’t be satisfied with “One Shining Moment,” but we can and should celebrate this journey of many shining moments over time!

Christmas Wish List and Playlist for Educators and Schools

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 22:18:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard, Secretary

When you see a kid with missing front teeth at this time of year, we immediately smile and begin to hear that familiar jingle playing in our head, “All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth…” At no time do you think there is something horribly wrong with the child; their missing teeth are just a reflection of the growth process they are undergoing. The song is a fun poke at the growing pains we all go through and gives one hope that in time, once those teeth come in, things will be just fine. Speech will become clearer, the ability to whistle will return, and eating will be easier. No Grinch will steal their joy. It will be so much easier to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (Happy Holidays, Hanukkah, or whatever one is celebrating!)!

Music sparks our thinking and engages our emotional attachments. We know from lots of research (here’s one source from Neuroscience News) and perhaps your own personal experience, that music is engaging and helps connect us on a deeper level. As learners, the use or playing of music often is associated with better concentration, improved cognitive functions to create meaning, increased vocabulary and reading levels, all of which can lead to higher levels of achievement and better learning experiences. If music can be helpful in the classroom to improve focus, meaningful connections, engagement, and overall success, why not use it in the school improvement processes we undertake?

As schools, educators, and students experience growing pains every year, we look for better ways to create a culture of learning, acceptance, and success. If we thought about every school’s Christmas wish list that would take them into the New Year, what might that look like? Sometimes they might be looking for their “2 front teeth” – a natural part of their growth process, but other times it might be something that leads to a much bigger transformation. To create a deeper commitment, how might we include music to touch the hearts of educators and engage their minds and work? To that end, I’m sharing my Christmas Wish List (and including a Playlist to support that list) for schools, educators and students this holiday season as they continue their improvement journey into the New Year: (disclaimer: there are MANY more songs that would work based on what you or your staff like to listen to!).

1. Purpose and Goals: The Impossible Dream (The Quest) – This song speaks of the quest of goal seeking with purpose and perseverance. When learners understand their purpose (WHY), set a goal (WHAT), and develop a plan to achieve that goal (HOW), the quest becomes their improvement journey. This quest will have detours and obstacles, but the determination to succeed will lead achieving that goal. Climb Every Mountain (from Sound of Music as performed by Audra McDonald) – reinforces the idea that perseverance is required to achieve one’s goals even when mountains stand in your way.

2. Believe/Efficacy: This is Me (from The Greatest Show on Earth); Believe (Josh Groban from Polar Express). Both of these songs encourage the importance of believing in yourself and your abilities and by doing so, you will give wings to your dreams and fly. When a group or team believes in a common goal, collective efficacy emerges and success typically follows.

3. Collaboration & Teamwork: When We Stand Together (Nickelback) – We win when we stand together; work together; hand in hand; no one can divide us, no matter the obstacle. While this song addresses more worldly issues, it also can be applied to the world within our schools. Collaboration and productive teaming focused on improving teaching and learning is a win for everyone! We know we are #BetterTogether and We Will Rock You! (Queen). Consider attending the Learning Forward Kansas Annual Conference Feb. 2 & 3, 2020 in Wichita as Collective Efficacy with Jenni Donohoo will be the feature of our 2020 Vision on Collaboration and Leadership. Click here for more information or to register.

4. Change and Growth: Everything Will Change (Gavin DeGraw) – If we are not changing and growing we are not improving. Change happens or it needs to “before it gets too late.” How do we do that? “Walk the talk. Separate the men from the boys; women from the girls; tools from the toys. Even if you’re freaking out, just relax.” Find your purpose; take a risk; work together; persevere. Change means having to make adjustments to avoid remaining the same. Even this funny throwback video from the Brady Bunch talks about when It’s Time to Change, it’s time to rearrange.

5. Supportive Leadership: Vision is a hallmark of leadership, but more importantly the cultivation of relationships, commitment of support, and willingness to stick with those whom they lead through the trials of implementation are critical to creating and maintaining a culture of learning. Leaders anchor staff and provide the glue as they work together to achieve the desired goals. We can see this theme of trust, connection, and dependable support in these songs: Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel); I Won’t Let Go (Rascal Flatts); You’ll Never Walk Alone (from Carousel; Celtic Women version)

6. Gratitude: Above all, be grateful for the leadership, staff, and community members who work tirelessly for the kids. Be grateful for those kiddos who depend on your wisdom, caring, and guidance. Look for the silver lining. There is plenty of good and promise on which to focus our thoughts and actions. Louis Armstrong got it right when he encouraged us to just look around and appreciate What a Wonderful World we live in.

As the first semester comes to an end and you head into the winter break, may your heart continue to be touched and motivated to be the best you can be as educators so that your students can be their best too. We at Learning Forward Kansas challenge you to come back after the holidays, refreshed, renewed, and recommitted to improving your instruction to impact student learning. Let us know if we can help with that. Thank you for making a difference. We know we are all #BetterTogether.

Happy Holidays from Learning Forward Kansas!

“Inspired to Learn and Other Lessons from Kansas Stories”

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Wed, 15 May 2019 20:03:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard, LFKS Secretary

The videos are completed. The series, Inspired to Learn: Kansas Stories, is ready for use. We are proud of the product, but the journey was more than an end point. What did we learn in this process? From the beginning this has been a learning journey filled with hope, joy, frustration, perseverance, and pride. We have been inspired by those we interviewed, and those who were willing to let us peek into their professional learning experiences. We have been energized by the convictions and expertise of these Kansas educators. Our own learning and passion have been reignited. The “we” in this blog represents Dayna Richardson (LFKS Executive Director) and me - partners, colleagues and friends in this journey. A year after we intended to be done, here is a glimpse of our story…

The journey of Inspired to Learn: Kansas Stories is much like a school year – only longer. We began with a vision in the application process 4 years ago, and started with so much hope, excitement and energy once we received this 3 year grant just like the first day of school. Our “classroom” was filled with unknowns, dreams that needed direction, and the desire to acquire skills and support to make those dreams a reality.

Transforming professional learning was our focus in Learning Forward Kansas as we rebooted our organization. As LFKS reached out to educators across the state, we continued to hear, “But what does it look like in my school?” This driving question became the trigger for LFKS to apply for the Learning Forward Affiliate Grant in 2015. The Kansas State Board of Education approved the Standards for Professional Learning in 2012, but few schools knew about this, much less utilized the standards to improve their instructional practice. Our vision was to do something different: to create a video series featuring Kansas educators that could be a resource to schools and educators who were seeking to improve their professional learning experiences. Our purpose was to facilitate their understanding so our initial plan was to create a video on each of the Standards of Professional Learning, plus one on the process of change.

Every educator begins their school year with a vision and a plan to support that vision. But the needs of the students often alter those plans. Our experience with the video series was very similar. Once we received the grant, our thoughts began to shift into a different direction based on continued discussions and observations from the field. Educators didn’t need another resource defining the Standards for Professional Learning. They wanted something to help them use and implement them. After discussing our new understanding with our LFKS board, several Kansas educational leaders, and our support group from Learning Forward, we realized that we must create something that was useful, modeled effective professional learning, and helped guide educational leaders to use the Standards of Professional Learning collectively, not individually. Silos were a thing of the past. We soon came to realize, we are better together.

Kansas has a wide range of school sizes, strengths, and needs. One size does not fit all for learning in the classroom, with the faculty, or from one school to the next. What effective professional learning looks like in an urban school is vastly different than a small rural school hundreds of miles from a large city. Regardless of the differences in resources, delivery methods, or personnel, the goal remains the same: every educator wants to use effective instructional practices that lead to student success. And to that end, all educators are inspired to learn, and want to know “What does that look like in my school?”

Our Work: Inspiration, Listening, People, Collaboration, Time and Feedback (repeat 5 times)

When we listen to the learners, our instruction becomes more focused on the needs of that learner. Sometimes what we believe to be the best way to learn may not be the best method for the learner. With that understanding comes revision and a renewed focus on the purpose of our work. What is the learning goal? How will we get there?

Our first video attempt was too long and lacked clear focus. We got some tough feedback from a supportive organization of educators. We swallowed hard but we listened and started again. We realized we had failed to establish the WHY and convey that what we were doing was important – not just to us – but to all Kansas educators aspiring to improve teaching and learning. It wasn’t enough to have great sound bites from great educators; we had to weave a meaningful message of the importance of effective professional learning. Our learners spoke to us and we listened. Those plans we made when “school started” were put aside and reworked with a renewed focus on the learner’s needs.

Since Lois Brown Easton’s article, “The Why, How, and What of Professional Learning,” appeared in Learning Forward’s Tools for Learning Schools in 2012, we have focused on the importance of establishing the “why” in everything we do and within every learning opportunity LFKS offers. Further study of Simon Sinek’s work (which was the basis for Easton’s article), strengthened our belief in ensuring that establishing the why is the first and most important step to effectively change one’s practice. This understanding and the feedback we received led us to the realization that our first video attempt lacked the WHY and subsequently required a major revision. Going forward, this philosophy guided everything we did and led to how the Inspired to Learn: Kansas Stories video series was organized.

Lesson plans and learning goals continue to evolve during a school year, and the same thing happened in our video experience. Once the first video was completed, the second video seemed easier to do. We saw that educational leaders believed that professional learning was important but too many were relying on one-size-fits-all or sit and get sessions that just weren’t engaging, meaningful or relevant. That lead us to - What does effective professional learning look like…. in Kansas schools? Once we conveyed this message in video two, the questions began to shift – How does this work? How do we plan? How do we engage staff? How do we promote collaboration that changes practice and leads to student success? Understanding why is critical. Clarify what is important. But how is the vehicle that takes us from knowing to doing.

As a result, the rest of the videos revolved around how effective professional learning is achieved from multiple perspectives, using a wide variety of strategies. As a teacher would personalize learning experiences for students in his/her classroom, our focus was fine-tuned, and the video series took shape. We needed more interviews, different questions, and more examples of effective professional learning to feature in these how videos. Sometimes learning and progress is messy as educators will tell you. We also felt these same growing pains. Confusion reigned sometimes as we watched draft videos over and over causing pictures and words to seemingly swim together. Cutting footage typically came from asking ourselves to revisit our purpose for the video we were watching. Did this comment or picture fit? Does it help tell the story?

One of our greatest aha’s was when we went together to film in a small 1A school in south central Kansas where educators were excited about project based learning and making learning relevant and engaging. We discovered them when they presented with their students at the KSDE conference the previous fall. How could we use their energy? Their passion inspired us. Their humility was revealed in their desire to simply do what was best for kids and credit each other for their success. How could we bottle their success to be shared with others? To that end, our questions to them weren’t about the project based learning itself, but focused on how they made this work. What professional learning had to happen to get it started and more importantly, sustain this work at such a high level? What lessons could they share with others on what to do and what to avoid? How did leaders support and facilitate their work? We started to understand the importance of HOW and the need to share this with our fellow Kansas educators.

If we were to do a “walkthrough” of our “classroom” one would see engaging lessons, modeling of effective professional learning, and a variety of learning strategies (protocols) that meet learners where they are. One would see collaboration and deep conversations around thought-provoking questions. One would see experts discussing their beliefs, experiences, successes and challenges. Learning would be happening before, during and after viewing the video utilizing protocols in the accompanying facilitation guides. And one would see the learners taking this information and adapting it for use in their own work. The initiatives that schools undertake are designed to meet the needs of their students so the examples in the videos are there for consideration and not intended to be the only answer. Our intent for this video series was to spark real professional learning, where educators turn theory into action, or as we like to say, to go from knowing to doing.

When the culture in a classroom, building or district becomes focused on growth and success for ALL, and is supported through every action, and every professional learning opportunity, students win. Our purpose in creating these videos was to support these efforts as schools and educators evolve. Just like educators believe that everyone can learn given the opportunity, resources and sufficient time, this video series was created in the same way.

Our Journey Continues. It was a 3 year grant, but it took 4 years to complete. Life happens in the middle of our plans sometimes, and we make adjustments. We couldn’t have done this without the willingness of Kansas educators to share their experiences on camera or let us be a part of their school’s professional learning sessions. We also relied heavily on the support and feedback of Kansas educators that we knew well and others that we befriended during this process. Our technical support was second to none and allowed our dream to become a reality. But without the dream, backed by the grant received from the Learning Forward Foundation, none of this would have happened. Again our video series journey parallels the classroom experience. Support matters. Resources matter. People matter.

Our journey comes to an end during May, much like a school year. It has taken us from knowing to doing, and while we are happy to rest a bit, we recognize we have much more to do. Our future work, as we look to the next school year, will benefit from the valuable lessons learned firsthand that we are #BetterTogether. Join us as we continue Learning Forward.

Click here to learn more about the video series.

Making Sense of Snow Piles: Thoughts on Collective Efficacy

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 23:36:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard, Secretary LFKS

Photo Credit: Vicki Bechard

As the snow piles up in Kansas – which seems to be a real trend this season – do you sometimes feel like things are piling up in your school world too? With redesign and the expectation to tailor our instruction to individual student needs that best prepare them for post-secondary success, it can be overwhelming when you consider how many ways we can accomplish those goals. We know learning is best if it’s engaging, meaningful and relevant. Oh yes, and we want it to be authentic so students can apply what they know. Just like the big snowfall, it all looks pretty at first, but after a while, it might feel like more of the same or more than you want to deal with. So how do we decide what’s best? What do we keep; what do we change? In other words, how do we dig out from that snow storm of ideas and strategies so we can produce the desired result?

Efficacy is defined as the ability to produce the desired result. Today’s research leads us to realize that we want to empower teachers to develop the belief that they can truly make a difference in preparing our students for their future life. This is called self-efficacy or teacher efficacy. As learning leaders, growing teachers who believe in their ability to produce the desired result becomes our WHY. Our WHAT involves identifying the results we want: Students that can apply what they have learned, be adaptable, and lifelong learners so they can grow in a rapidly changing world much of which is unknown to us now. But HOW do we accomplish this? While self-efficacy is good, in most things, we are better together. When teams of educators work together, believing and acting in ways to achieve these goals, they create a culture in their school that focuses on learning and growth. Their combined efforts become collective efficacy.

If we fail to empower teachers, all the redesign initiatives and school improvement plans in the world will be just like the changing Kansas weather, blowing through one day, piling up, and then melting, just in time for the next system to arrive. And we may not be better prepared for future systems as they arrive. These initiatives and goals that we worked so hard to create won’t mean a thing if those who are implementing them don’t have the confidence, knowledge, skills, resources, and support to fulfill these efforts. The question becomes how do leaders change their culture and grow their staff to produce learning experiences that uncover student strengths and passions, and shore up weaknesses so that they can become successful high school graduates ready to face the world? In the March 2018 ASCD Educational Leadership article, the Power of Collective Efficacy, Donohoo, Hattie, and Eells note:

When teams of educators believe they have the ability to make a difference, exciting things can happen in a school.

How do we make that happen? Donohoo, Hattie and Eells remind us that “the greatest power that principals have in schools is that they can control the narrative of the school.” What we think and talk about most typically becomes the focus of our actions. Examine the conversations (those things that create our personal snow piles) in your school or team. Are they dominated by talk around schedules, classroom management issues (i.e. student behaviors), testing, absences and tardiness, or following the curriculum? Are we focused on compliance, or are we focused on growth and learning? Some of the behavior issues we deal with on a daily basis may just be rooted in the kind and quality of the learning experiences we offer our students and teachers! For so many, school is about being in your seats when the bell rings, sitting quietly unless you’re called on while the teacher does the work. So how do we change the narrative to touch the hearts and minds of teachers so they can touch the hearts and minds of students?

Professional Learning will drive the bus on this journey to collective efficacy. Navigating the snow piles we have created is part of this journey. Educators want and need to have knowledge and skills to transform their instruction. We recognize this type of systemic change takes time and deliberate practice. Keep shoveling! As leaders we want to identify necessary resources, and provide the kinds of support required by these new ways of teaching so they can be effectively implemented. What “snow pile” if you will, needs to be hauled away or melted before the real growth can be seen? In other words, we want to develop teacher efficacy that can be combined with others to create collective efficacy so the culture of our school is one where everyone believes they can make a difference for students in ways that will facilitate their success.

Donohoo, Hattie, and Eells drive home this point noting that in schools, “If the narrative is about high expectations, growth in relation to inputs, what it means to be a ‘good learner’ in various subjects, and what impact means, then teachers and students will think about learning in a different way. They will believe that learning is about challenge, about understanding and realizing high expectations, and that setbacks are an opportunity to learn. Students will also believe that coming to school means investing energy in deliberate practice.” The snow pile will no longer impede our progress when we make this shift in our beliefs and actions.

Then and only then will we see the cycle of growth evolve so that students are prepared for an unknown future because their teachers are empowered and believe that they can continue to grow and make a difference in how they teach today’s students for tomorrow’s world.

As the snow is swept away and new growth appears, nurture it and watch it bloom into vivid color.

References:

Jenni Donohoo, John Hattie, Rachel Eells, “The Power of Collective Efficacy,” Educational Leadership, ASCD, March 2018, Volume 75

Mindset Matters: A Prescription for a Great Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 04:19:00 +0000

by Vicki Bechard
LFKS Secretary

It’s Back to School! How do you feel? Are you excited? …Do you have great plans? …Big hopes and dreams for you and your students? Will you still feel this way in October? December? Next Spring? Maybe it's time for a back-to-school mindset checkup.

Is your mindset radiating excitement and confidence for new ways to teach and learn, new possibilities, and success for all? Is it clouded by questions, doubt, and apprehension for the changes and new expectations for educators and students alike? Is it a little bit of both? All responses are normal, but some are more constructive than others. Is your mindset propelling you to great things or holding you back? What will be your prescription for success?

Variations of this quote have floated around social media this week that might make us consider the health of our educational mindset:

“A goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot.”

- Dr. Joe Vitale

What is your first response to that statement? Whatever you say, that is your mindset talking. That first reaction – knee jerk if you will – says a lot of about how you think. The beliefs we hold, based on the experiences we’ve had, reveal themselves in the way we respond to every task, challenge, decision, or problem we encounter every day. If we are interested or believe we can succeed, even though we may need to learn something new, our approach is viewed as a growth mindset. However, if we believe we are being asked to go too far out of our comfort zones, that we might look bad, believe it is too difficult, or we had a similarly bad experience, then we exhibit a fixed mindset. Mindsets are usually viewed as a continuum, rather than either/or. We all display a range of mindsets depending on the situation. So as you examine your own beliefs and practices, what symptoms do you have? In other words, which mindset do you exhibit more often? And does it matter for the health of teaching and learning?

How does the mindset with which we approach everyday life, including teaching and learning, impact our potential for success? …Or our students’ success?

With redesign of education at the forefront of our planning and focus of back-to-school professional learning, educators are being forced to reckon with many new tasks and challenges. Thinking outside the box is a requirement of redesign and yet can produce both open doors of opportunity and possibility, and walls of self-preservation and resistance. How do we shift our thinking to increase chances of success? What new strategies will we try to improve our teaching and learning health?

If we want our students to exhibit a growth mindset, it begins with us – the adults. Saying you have a growth mindset isn’t enough. It’s about walking your talk; aligning your actions with your goals; and sending the right message for yourself and your students. Just like we can often tell if our kids are faking it; kids can tell if we are faking it too.

Change Your Words, Change Your Mindset

Developing and nurturing a growth mindset begins by reframing your thinking and intentionally changing your words to change your mindset. It begins with the ALL of the adults in the building and spreads to students through our instruction and modeling of the beliefs, words, and actions that represent a growth mindset. It is a commitment, not a quick fix. It is not something you achieve, like a test score or grade, but something you strive to live every day. It requires a conscious effort to ensure our thinking, speaking, and actions line up with our intent. It’s also more than a bulletin board or school slogan. It requires us to examine the work we give students, the class rules we post, the way we respond when feedback is given or an intervention is needed. What message(s) do we send? It is an intentional way of approaching every task, problem, or situation every day. For some, the prescription may be a lifestyle change.

So What’s the Prognosis?

Whatever mindset we have, we can change. Growth Mindset is more than a positive outlook or increased effort, although that is part of it. It is a willingness to work through difficulties, plan for and deal with failures that we will most likely incur, and a resolve to focus on possible solutions rather than the problem itself. This occurs in classrooms, faculty rooms, professional learning, accreditation and redesign efforts, as well as how we approach post-secondary success. It starts early with kindergarten readiness. Our mindsets are shaped by our experiences and it is up to all educators to ensure we are nurturing and guiding our students in the right direction so they can develop mindsets that lead them to be successful in school and as adults.

Even those with a growth mindset can slip back into a fixed mindset when faced with multiple setbacks, lack of support or resources, or mental/physical exhaustion. Nurturing a growth mindset is always a work in progress.

What We Understand

We evolve through our experiences and willingness to try or be open to new things. We believe we can learn and grow with new understandings, practice, and a commitment to continuous improvement. We have confidence in our ability to control of our circumstances. We embrace possibilities and persevere through obstacles and setbacks. We are committed to the message of hope that Dr. Carol Dweck shares in this video, The Power of Yet.

Our prescription for a great school year, fueled by a growth mindset, is to be consciously aware of our thinking, words and actions. Are they aligned with what we say we believe or expect? Are we modeling and working to fulfill the Power of Yet? What learning, feedback and support should we see in our buildings to ensure this is happening? The side effects of a growth mindset prescription just might be the best teaching and learning you’ve ever experienced!

Doctor's Note: Check back in 3 months so we can monitor our progress!

References:

"The Power of Yet" by Dr. Carol Dweck

Brock & Hundley, The Growth Mindset Playbook

Mike Gershon, How to Develop Growth Mindsets in the Classroom

HOW: Climbing the Mountain of Redesign

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 17:11:00 +0000

by Vicki Bechard
Secretary LFKS

This might feel like a broken record, but KESA in general, and redesign specifically, are on everyone’s mind these days in schools across Kansas. Accreditation visits are in full swing as schools look to redesign learning experiences to give students the skill set that will help them be successful now and in the future. Kansans Can is not just a slogan or a hashtag, but a way of thinking that promotes action toward our goals. Kansas educators want to learn and implement best practices for the students they serve, but there are a lot of questions about what redesign looks like. One often hears school officials say, “Just give me an example. Tell us what you want. Show me how to get there.” We ask these questions because it’s hard to think differently. It’s hard to take a risk on the unknown. We want to do it right, but educators have much to learn and adapt as we change how we do business. We might even look at redesign as a mountain that will be difficult to climb, rather than appreciating the beauty and challenge it provides and the reward it offers in the end.

I love the mountains. It is where I want to be if I’m on vacation. In fact if my kids/grandkids were nearby, it would be where I would want to live. I think one reason I love the mountains is that I initially view them from the valleys. I look up to the majestic peaks and am inspired by their beauty, and amazed at their presence. The journey to be in the mountains is filled with anticipation, twists and turns, and obstacles that present challenges and rich experiences. And the view from the top is worth it: inspiring and amazing, calling me to experience the sites and take it all in. My journey into the mountains is shaped by my purpose, the current situation, and what I hope to accomplish. It is affected by the amount of time I have, resources I can access, and the team who accompanies me. There are many mountains in this world to view and climb, with no two the same, and as a result, no journey will be the same.

Redesign is our educational mountain. It means change is about to occur on a large scale. This is systemic change which will affect every educator and impact every student. Given the different knowledge and skill sets that students will use in a post-secondary world, we must redesign our instruction and learning environments so that they are more suited to provide those experiences. What worked before was fine. We did our best based on what we knew, but now as we increase our own understanding, we will do better work that is relevant and targeted for not just for success today, but for tomorrow’s successes as well. What that looks like depends on the purpose and the situation, so no one solution will work for every school. We often point out in LFKS resources and learning sessions that “One size doesn’t fit all” and that applies to redesign as well. But while we might not know what the best redesign ideas will look like in your particular context, we do know there are some common actions that do apply to all and will ensure successful implementation.

HOW: Climbing the Mountain of Redesign:

1. Clarify communication. Address the why, how, what, when and who questions and concerns that everyone has. The details not only have to be worked out, but communicated clearly and in a timely manner. George Bernard Shaw said it best: “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Be intentional. Clarify. Listen. Check for understanding.

2. Empower and engage people in the process. Avoid talking AT stakeholders, but rather talk WITH them. Include them in the planning and discussions, convey what leaders are thinking, and encourage their participation in the feedback loop. Listening to their ideas, concerns and feedback gives all stakeholders a voice and helps get everyone on board.

3. Allow for mourning as they leave behind favorite practices and comfort zones. Prepare them for and encourage them when their productivity temporarily drops (learning curve). Change (redesign) requires people to work differently and many times that change can produce reactions similar to when people experience a significant loss like a death or divorce. Resistance may simply be a part of the mourning process because change can make us fearful and unsure of ourselves. Grief is real even when the “death” is only “the way we used to do it.”

4. Allow for process time. Just as one size doesn’t fit all for the kind of redesign efforts you seek, people and teams process at different rates. Be patient. Nurture and guide while allowing people time to learn and practice so they can find acceptance and success with the new ideas and practices.

5. Include engaging, supportive, and reflective professional learning throughout the planning and implementation process of every redesign or change initiative. Deep understanding comes from deep conversations. Collaboration targeted for improved educator effectiveness and student success will be time well spent. The kind and quality of professional learning will impact the kind and quality of implementation and the ability to sustain the redesign efforts.

KASB’s Deputy Executive Director Doug Moeckel, shared this visual and noted on Twitter recently that “Kansas Redesign is driven by these Kansans Can Principles.”

THIS is our educational mountain.

HOW will we (re)design our journey to the top?

For more information on effective professional learning or to receive support for your HOW journey, please check out the Learning Forward Kansas website or contact us directly via email at contact@learningforwardkansas.org

Redesign – The Courage to Leave the Shore to Make Our Best Better

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 04:05:00 +0000

February 13, 2018

By Vicki Bechard,
Secretary LFKS

REDESIGN: We hear this word in every educational conversation around Kansas. It is at the heart of the state accreditation process (KESA), and the “WHY” behind the Mercury7 and Gemini initiatives involving Kansas Schools. We also hear, “What is Redesign?” Even when the Commissioner of Education speaks he is careful to use examples of redesign in the real world, but does not specifically paint a picture of what that might look like in schools. I believe this is intentional because if he did say "THIS is redesign" (insert your own initiative example) – that’s what many schools will race to duplicate. So how might we attempt to clarify redesign and the role professional learning plays in the redesign process?

Meriam-Webster defines redesign as “a revision in appearance, function or content.” Right click on redesign and find synonyms that further clarify what this might look like: reshape, reform, rewrite, restructure, reformat, remake….in other words, indicating one must do something differently. But redesign without purpose puts us out to sea, adrift without a destination or map to guide our sails. That’s probably OK for a relaxing weekend getaway if we had plenty of supplies and a way to get home, but would not serve us well as the primary strategy to lead our schools and districts.

Redesign possibilities are endless and this is not a blog about what options schools have. In reality, where we go and what we do is dependent on the needs we uncover and the direction we want to head. The questions we ask drive the answers we seek: What is best for OUR students? How can we be better educators and learners? What do we need to do differently to give our kids the best opportunities? What will make our best even better?

The WHY behind our redesign initiatives provides purpose and helps identify what will benefit us most as we set sail on the journey that will lead us to our destination (goal). It tells us what to pack; what type of crew and skills will be needed; how to anticipate and navigate choppy waters; and what our destination will be. To determine the WHY we need to examine the data to ensure our destination is sound and doable. Data also tells us what resources we will need in terms of the vehicle we use, manpower, fuel, food, and supplies. Surveying our crew with a needs assessment of sorts will indicate the knowledge, skills, and resources we have and what we will want to acquire, develop and utilize throughout our journey. Studying the long term course we’ve mapped out, both prior to and during our journey, will help us target potential issues so that we are prepared to tackle them, make adjustments, and continue toward our destination. Finally we must ensure that we know the outcome: what it will look like when we reach our destination and whether it has been beneficial to our purpose.

Professional learning will be critical to this journey. The standards that guide our actions can be seen in every aspect of our work. We will see them as we gather to examine and study the data before, during, and after the trip (Learning Communities & Data). We will find them in the leadership that plans, supports, and captains this journey (Leadership). We will see it in action as it pinpoints our focus when designing and determining the type and frequency of the learning we need to acquire the necessary skills and how to apply them successfully in our journey (Learning Designs). They will take the form of adequate and timely resources to support our journey as we try, revise, and try again to perfect our knowledge and skills for this journey (Resources & Implementation). And they will be seen in the results as we determine if our goals have been achieved and reflect on how we might improve the process as our journey continues to the next destination (Outcomes). As you may notice, the aforementioned examples underscore our premise that the Standards for Professional Learning are the framework that shapes our work throughout the redesign process. LFKS encourages all educators to be intentional about ensuring that our work includes all of the Standards, for if we omit even one, we will more than likely not arrive at our destination as we intended.

Those who attended the recently completed LFKS Annual Conference experienced firsthand the many possibilities of redesign and heard from a wide range of practitioners on what that might look like. In all cases we also heard how important the role effective professional learning plays into successful implementation of whatever initiative we choose to pursue. This journey is one of promise, but will also include more than a few adjustments to our sails. Redesign is scary and exciting at the same time, so first we must prepare for our journey so that we may leave the safety of the harbor and seek new destinations to broaden our horizons. The reality is that what we have done up until now may have been our best work, but the future requires that we look differently at how and what students learn.

Simply put, redesign is seeking new ways to make our best even better as we do what’s best for kids.

As you contemplate redesign, we are eager to learn where you will go and why that journey is what’s best for your school. Even though the metaphor for change and redesign at the state level is the space program, our sailing metaphor serves the same purpose. The wisdom of Winston Churchill continues to inspire our redesign efforts whether we are referring to rockets flying into space or boats sailing to new horizons, “If you want to discover new oceans, you must first have the courage to leave the shore.”

Possibilities await. How can LFKS support you in your redesign efforts?

2017 LFKS Annual Holiday Letter

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 04:31:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard,
LFKS Secretary

School is almost over for this semester…winter break is upon us. As you leave the kiddos, colleagues, bustling halls, and familiar classrooms for homes and celebrations both near and far, we at Learning Forward Kansas wish for you the gift of time so that you may relax and appreciate all that matters, enjoy the closeness of family and friends, and rejuvenate your soul. But we know that learning never really takes a break, so we imagine that you will also steal a few minutes to reflect on the past year and consider ways to improve instruction, implement new ideas, or spark new interest in the coming year just as we do here in our LFKS Annual Holiday Letter.

Learning Forward Kansas has been right there with Kansas educators who are knee deep in navigating and implementing the KESA process, finding ways to examine current practices, and rethinking how we do school. The State Board has asked schools to prepare students for success in the world after high school. To accomplish this, the idea of redesign is at the forefront of our conversations. What does that really mean? Why is it important? How will it help students succeed? How will we know we got there? LFKS is asking the same questions and uncovering possibilities for educators and schools to consider.

LFKS spent the last few years redesigning our organization from how we support schools, promote effective professional learning, and share information, to how we conduct business. We didn’t really call it redesign when we started this journey, but we definitely did a lot of rethinking of our purpose and what we wanted to accomplish, and how that might look differently from previous efforts. We took a hard look at our data, at our impact, and sought feedback and ideas from other educators and organizations. Feedback was one strategy that provided us with valuable input and helped guide us as we focused our vision and mission and aligned our actions accordingly. We listened. We brainstormed. We tried ideas. We succeeded and failed, but most importantly, we kept moving forward. We are working with and for Kansas educators to make professional learning matter as we transform our schools to better prepare our students. Just as parents are proud of their children’s accomplishments, we are proud of the direction LFKS is headed today.

This past fall LFKS hosted the Fall Institute, a learning opportunity featuring Joellen Killion (Learning Forward) sharing her expertise on Learning Focused Feedback. By rethinking how we might use feedback for growth, eliminate the mindset of “giving or receiving” feedback, and focus on the idea of feedback as a process for people to construct understanding, it takes on a new meaning, thereby increasing trust and effectiveness. As schools consider redesign, how might implementing a feedback process that engages learners in conversations designed to change practice help create a culture of growth and change?

The LFKS Annual Leadership Conference (January 31-February 1, 2018 in Wichita) totally focuses on redesign for student success. All of the keynote speakers (Ron Berger, EL Education; Commissioner Randy Watson; and KTOY 2015, Shannon Ralph) and breakout session facilitators will focus on elements of redesign in the way we teach, how students learn, how we incorporate technology, how we organize schools, and how we plan and conduct professional learning. The first day is an immersion in how we teach to engage and empower students through authentic learning. The second day is filled with multiple perspectives, ideas, and experiences coming from all over the state and a variety of school sizes. We invite you to make plans to attend and join the conversation on redesign.

LFKS has been doing our homework too which has resulted in resources that can be found on our website for all educators to use as they work through the process of school improvement and redesign. Protocol guides, videos, and learning opportunities are just some of the ways LFKS supports individual educators and schools in their professional learning. We have new opportunities and resources ready to roll out in 2018 as well – so stay tuned!

When you look to 2018 and beyond, consider what results you’ve had and what results you’d like to have. Once that “why” has been determined, the redesign of current practices, or the creation of new practices can begin to take place. Change happens one conversation at a time. LFKS would love to see every educator and every student in every school thrive in a responsive learning environment that encourages inquiry and growth. We wish for each of you the courage to step outside your comfort zone and realize that learning new ways of teaching doesn’t mean what you did before was wrong…. It just reflects that you are growing right along with your students.

So as we close this latest Holiday Letter, we are thankful for the high quality educators that dedicate their lives to Kansas students. We hope that you have a wonderful winter break, and before you head back in January, you will set new learning goals for yourself and your students. What would you like to see in your school or classroom if resources were not an issue? What’s on your bucket list for teaching and learning? Who would you like to meet that would inspire your practice? We want to hear from you as your redesign efforts transform teaching and learning. Imagine the possibilities! What a year it will be!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Learning Forward Kansas!

Rise and Shine! The Possibilities of Every Sunrise

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 16:43:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard, Secretary LFKS

Rise and Shine! As the sun rises on a new school year, there are so many possibilities for kids, for the educators who teach them, and the communities that nurture them. Every sunrise represents hope for the future as we turn the page on a new school year or a new day. Every sunrise gives us a reason to be inspired to learn, grow, and excel. The very words of Rise and Shine energize us to get moving and be at our best!

But to give life and value to these hopes and possibilities, we must take action. Our inspiration must involve more than talking. It must involve doing. So we plan, learn and grow, but then we must act. What are you doing with this school year’s sunrise? How are you creating a better future for you as a teacher by growing your craft? In what ways are you seeking to cultivate relationships with students, colleagues, or parents; improve your instruction; and ultimately facilitate student success? What inspires you? Who will you inspire? How will you shine a light on possibilities and turn problems into meaningful challenges? The answers to these questions involve action, and as a rooster crowing suggests (or when my mom used to whisper this bit of encouragement in my sleeping ear), it is time to Rise and Shine!

A school year is filled with many sunrises for you and your students. These are opportunities to reflect on previous practice, learn from our mistakes, and make each endeavor better than our last attempt. Each day is an opportunity to create the best learning experiences for our students, taking our own knowledge and skills and implementing them in meaningful ways. In order to do that, we must continue to be learners, refining our practice while expanding our understanding of best practices, as we prepare students for an ever changing world. What new learning will you pursue? What feedback will you seek? How will you get out of your own comfort zone to embody a growth mindset and practice and model the Habits of Mind on a daily basis?

The sunrise for Kansas schools is also one of hope and promise. The new accreditation system is focused on looking forward, improvement, and most of all student success. The inspiration that comes from working within a culture of growth and a system of 21^st Century learning will lead Kansas educators to attain even more successes than we have experienced in the past. Good is the enemy of great and it is imperative that we continue to take advantage of the opportunities that exist with every sunrise to make our classroom, building, and district better than it was the day before.

“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.”

- Jim Collins, Good to Great (2001)

We at LFKS hope that each sunrise inspires you to learn and grow to become great. How can we support your professional learning journey? We have resources and learning opportunities available for your use and participation. We are excited to walk this journey with you and connect you with others who share your passion, common characteristics, or goals. There are many examples of greatness happening in classrooms and buildings across our state as we work to improve results through effective professional learning. We have included some of these examples in the first two videos in our series “Inspired to Learn: Kansas Stories,” and are continuing this mission with the next videos that will address HOW effective professional learning is accomplished. Look for our third video later this fall.

Great educators aren’t born, they are created, supported, and continue to evolve. Education is indeed a journey not a destination, and it begins anew each school year and each day with a sunrise that shines a light on the possibilities that exist. We owe that to ourselves and to our students. Let’s Rise and Shine together so we can be great Every. Single. Day.

Professional Learning: Fuel for Change

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 15:50:00 +0000

by Vicki Bechard, Secretary LFKS

What fuels your fire, your passion, your need for change or success, and ultimately your actions? An old TV ad once featured the slogan, “The More You Know…” but really it was more than knowing; it implied that the more you know, the more or better you do. Why be good when you can be great? How does finding and utilizing our fuel help us go from “Good to Great?”

Kansans Can is the motto that the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) promotes to encourage all Kansas educators and students to shoot for the stars, be the best they can be, and find success. As KSDE has rolled out the new accreditation model, commonly referred to as KESA, we now see a subtle shift in our thinking and actions. Kansans Can is forward thinking and implies we will and are able, but with the new guidelines for accreditation, our mission is now one of action or doing. Perhaps it might look like Kansans Can Do, or Kansans Make it Happen? While neither suggestion is as catchy as the Kansans Can slogan, the point is we are now in a time of doing rather than talking about doing. And doing requires ongoing, effective professional learning to fuel our action.

Schools all over Kansas have been walking through the accreditation model this past year to varying depths and degrees as they clarify their status and determine where their jumping off point will be. Some are doing it administratively or with leadership teams, while others have completely involved their whole staff. There is much to learn about the process, and ultimately about ourselves as an educational system. What kind of professional learning has taken place? What will be required in the future? What kind of professional learning will fuel our action to start and sustain the changes we will make?

KSDE defines Rigor (one of the R’s within the KESA framework) as:

“A relentless pursuit of that which challenges and provides opportunity to demonstrate growth and learning – is essential in addressing the needs of our rapidly expanding society and world”

Professional Learning is specifically mentioned as a part of the Rigor Framework; as it should be. Where else would we address the “relentless pursuit of that which challenges us” or “demonstrate growth and learning?” Furthermore, it is effective professional learning that will drive the changes that are both needed and required to transform schools into places where ALL students will learn and find ways to be successful in the world beyond high school. Therefore it is the charge of schools across the state to plan and provide effective professional learning experiences that “addresses the needs of our rapidly expanding society and world.”

William Daggett’s 4 quadrant Framework of Rigor and Relevance, demonstrates the need for professional learning experiences that take educators beyond the knowledge realm. Initially gaining knowledge and assimilating it is a big first step, but if we want it to make a difference in our practice and student results, then we must turn our knowledge into action. Application (doing) is the ultimate goal if we are to indeed create systemic change that can be sustained over time. Daggett notes in his Application Model that there are layers to applying what we know:

(1) Knowledge in one discipline

(2) Apply in discipline

(3) Apply across disciplines

(4) Apply to real-world predictable situations

(5) Apply to real-world unpredictable situations

These are goals we seek for our students as well as ourselves as we go beyond being satisfied with obtaining knowledge and look to apply what we know to real world situations that may or may not be predictable. The goal is no longer knowing, but rather one of doing. This understanding fuels our quest for the tools to create meaningful change.

Learning Forward Kansas (LFKS) has undertaken the challenge of providing fuel for effective professional learning in Kansas. We see our role as one of advocating and supporting Kansas Educators in these challenging times of change and limited resources. We have developed protocol resources that engage staff around KESA and other important work. These are available on the LFKS website. In fact a Volume 2 of the KESA Guide will be published this fall.

Through the Learning Forward Foundation grant, LFKS has created a video series, Inspired to Learn, that uses Kansas exemplars – featuring both individuals and schools – who are leading the way in constructing effective professional learning experiences for their staff. The first 2 videos of this series are available on the LFKS website that address “WHY Professional Learning,” and “WHAT is Professional Learning?” The next video currently in production, will deal with HOW effective professional learning can occur. Resource guides accompany each video to facilitate the use of each video before, during and after viewing.

Learning opportunities are also available throughout each school year to provide knowledge and support – the fuel if you will - for creating and leading effective professional learning. These sessions focus on topics most important to Kansas educators such as KESA, effective feedback, engaging staff in meaningful work, and achieving student success. More information about upcoming sessions can be found on the LFKS website as they become available.

Find your professional learning fuel that will spark change, improve practice, and lead to student success. How can LFKS help? What more do you want to know before you can effectively do? No matter what, begin. Act. Reflect. Revise. Keep moving forward. Goals begin with the first step. We are reminded by what Peter Drucker taught,

“Perhaps the best and only way to predict the future is to create it.”

We would encourage you to fuel your action to begin the change process and to sustain the implementation of strategies that will lead to achieving desired goals and systemic changes. These actions will take you from "Good to Great" because ultimately, one becomes "Great by Choice."

Resources:

Good to Great, by Jim Collins (2001)

Great by Choice, by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen (2011) – includes Peter Drucker quote

Rigor/Relevance Framework, International Center for Leadership in Education, William Daggett

Living the Dream of Effective Professional Learning: Making it Happen

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 20:41:00 +0000

March 13, 2017

By Vicki Bechard, Secretary LFKS

A year and a half ago, as we began the grant process, we were wondering how (maybe even IF) the dream of creating videos using Kansas examples to illustrate effective and meaningful professional learning would come together. Everything was in future tense… Hopes, dreams, predictions, possibilities… And now we are Living the Dream and have two videos completed and ready for use.

The second and most recent video, What is Professional Learning, digs into the components, beliefs, and actions that comprise effective professional learning. Kansas educators share their stories to underscore and illustrate the actions that lead to a quality professional learning experience rich with engagement and meaning. I was inspired by the many educators we interviewed or observed. I could feel their passion and commitment to this effort. They truly believe in quality professional learning, and most importantly, they are walking their talk, putting those beliefs into actions. I can’t wait for others to see it, use it, and transform professional learning for themselves and in their buildings! You can view both videos and accompanying resources on our website at this link.

So for a few moments, celebrate with us the progress of our work… and then know that we will quickly get back to work to make the next part of our dream happen.

Back in November, as we completed the first video on Why Professional Learning Matters, I wrote about the process of taking the skills and abilities we had, or of people we knew, and combining them, along with the many new things we had to learn, into a team effort to produce the first video. Dream Big…and find a way to make it happen seemed to become our mantra. Now as the second video is a wrap, I think about how much we have learned, and how many educators have become integral parts of our collaborative effort. I can’t say enough about the work of our team to make this dream a reality and I marvel at how much we have accomplished. Creating these videos has truly been effective professional learning in action.

In reality, this was a prime example of the ups and downs of a project based learning experience. It may parallel some professional learning experiences too. Often we think too much about what we don’t know or don’t have instead of looking first for what we can do. At no time did we sit in a workshop or classroom and sit through a power point presentation on how to do the videos. We did spend lots of time collaborating, researching, asking questions, brainstorming, clarifying our vision, collecting data, refocusing, editing, and seeking feedback. We went back to the drawing board quite often. We did very little of our work in a face to face setting. We used an online platform for sharing information, working collaboratively, editing, and storing our work. Very long phone calls played a large role in our planning too. The point is, if we would have focused on what we didn’t know or didn’t have, we wouldn’t have accomplished this much. If we would have only worked on the days we were able to meet face to face, we wouldn’t have one video completed at this time, much less two. Dream Big…and find a way to make it happen.

As I continue to reflect on the last year or so, I also realize that the dream has become even bigger, which means we have much more we want to accomplish as we seek to create quality professional learning experiences that lead to action and transform practices for every educator. The next videos will focus on the “How” of effective professional learning, highlighting different ways to affect our practice and ultimately student success. One size doesn’t fit all in the classroom or professional learning, so the “how” may change but the goals still remain the same. This happened throughout our experience. A single thought seemed to spark other new ideas, and we revised our plan accordingly with new "hows" that still achieved our goals. New questions also arose like, “How might we continue this work after the grant runs out?” Dream Big… and find a way to make it happen.

The challenge for us now is to identify more Kansas exemplars that we can feature in future videos. To make that happen, we want your help. We are looking for educators or school leaders who can share their expertise and show that it can be done here – in Kansas – in tough economic times - in big schools or small.

Some may be hesitant to offer or volunteer because they don’t feel deserving. We realize that most school teams or initiatives are works in progress, but we want to highlight those who are using best practices or trying new strategies to improve the quality of their professional learning experiences and subsequent implementation of school or classroom goals. It doesn’t have to be perfect. So, as the saying goes, “If you see something, say something!” Please share with us great examples of implementation, processing, or teamwork that you see being used in your school or in your neighbor’s school. We would especially love to hear from schools or teams that are focusing on teacher rounds, looking at student work, feedback for growth, collaboration, using data, and more. We have Big Dreams and we want your help to make them happen!

Learning Forward Kansas is here to support Kansas educators in their dreams of effective professional learning and excellent teaching and learning every day. We have resources on the website, learning opportunities to attend, and ideas to share through social media. We continue to grow and evolve in our own areas of expertise. We invite you to join us on this professional learning journey. How may LFKS support you as you Dream Big…and find a way to make it happen!

Learning is a Process.....Inspired to Learn: One Kansas Story

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 05:00:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard

Secretary LFKS

The primary goal of education in Kansas today is to prepare our students to be successful adults. There are many skills, traits, and knowledge that will build that capacity. Of course academic knowledge and technical skills will be a big part of this picture, but it will take a broader educational experience to achieve successful adulthood. As identified in the Soft Skills to Pay the Bills curriculum at youth.gov, students will need to possess communication skills, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem solving and critical thinking skills, and professionalism to be employable and productive citizens. How will we as educators acquire, model, and facilitate these skills so that our students can practice them in authentic learning experiences to apply what they have learned so these critical skills might transfer to life after high school?

To that end, consider what professional learning might look like if we changed how educators learn, and moved toward doing something new that stretches our knowledge and skills and increases our capacity as instructional leaders.

One way we have done this at Learning Forward Kansas is to apply for and receive the Learning Forward Foundation Affiliate Grant. This was a dream that suddenly got legs when we were awarded this grant in spring of 2015. Little did we know about the magnitude of this undertaking until the announcement of the award made it very real and we started to put our dream into action. What we had was enthusiasm for this project. What we didn’t have was the technical expertise to make our dream a reality. However, we did have some soft skills at our disposal that would lead to a greater knowledge base, critical partnerships, the ability to work in small teams, and the professionalism to ask for and accept feedback that was sometimes hard to hear. This new learning was a process, and one that has changed my thoughts on how to present project learning to students and teachers as well.

As traditional learners, we waited for the “how” from our partners at Learning Forward. They weren’t sure either but had a few ideas. We waited and brainstormed and waited some more. Finally we created our own storyboard format instead of waiting for the perfect template to be delivered to us. We spent a lot of time asking for ideas and examples from our colleagues and peers. Each time we had to share our vision and convince them they had something worth sharing. Slowly but surely it started to take shape.

Partnerships, networking, and perseverance were keys to this project. Finding a willing tech partner that would be professional in product creation but do it for a song and a thank you was realized through the educational circles we had been a part of over the years. Soon we connected with a few educational leaders and schools, and eventually received some invitations (and invited ourselves!) to view examples of professional learning that we could film and include in our first video.

This was a lengthy process as we turned a vision with no real parameters into a finished product. We had to evaluate and synthesize our ideas and turn them into something manageable and meaningful. At last, the first video was rolled out – ultimately too long and too rambling. We were excited to have something to share, but immediately headed back to the drawing board to focus our message and reduce the length. So we worked some more. Soon the second video attempt was ready for feedback. We chose another group to look at this next draft. Again, we were given feedback that was hard to hear, but specific enough that we could continue to refine the video into something that would be useful and meaningful. The third time was the charm.

Why Professional Learning Matters: In Our Building It’s Everyone’s Job to Learn is the first video of the LFKS series Inspired to Learn: Kansas Stories. It is online ready for you to view and use with your district, building, staff, or team to create and implement effective professional learning. There is also a resource guide to accompany this video to deepen and enhance the learning experience as one examines why professional learning matters.

And just as with any other goal attainment, we savor the moment, and then move on to the next goal. The second video in this series will focus on What Effective Professional Learning Looks Like and is scheduled to be released before the holidays.

The moral to our story is that in order for us to change how we educate our students, we must change how we educate ourselves.

We used soft skills to navigate the process, with minimal outside directives, and limits that were largely self-imposed. In the end the messiness of our initial work and the refining that occurred throughout the process were part of the reward as we produced a product that reflected our purpose and was one in which we could be proud. We had more questions than answers going in, but we have grown and stretched our capacity as educators and as leaders. We did that by immersion and being actively involved, not by sit and get, or being told what to do at each step along the way. There is no better lesson for educators to learn in ways that can be passed on to students. That is WHY Professional Learning Matters. And as a result, we embrace the idea that it’s everyone’s job to learn!

Remodeling for Today's Tenants

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 14:09:00 +0000

Vicki Bechard
Secretary, LFKS

August is here...School is gearing up...Our excitement is building. As we enter hallways and classrooms newly waxed, painted, and ready for the hustle and bustle of active learning, we appreciate the work that occurred over the summer and the take a deep breath as we face the work that will go on all year long. The best thing about the beginning of each school year is the opportunity to start with fresh ideas, perspectives, and shiny new goals for us, as educators, and for students too. The possibilities are endless if we have a plan, the right tools, and much needed time and support to implement those goals.

How did your time away re-energize you? What new ideas do you have? What new understandings will inspire your teaching or the goals you set? What changes will you implement? What support will you need to be the best educator you can be?

During the last few weeks, my husband and I have been preparing our rental house for the new tenants. It’s an old house rich with family history, wonderful woodwork and hardwood floors. But it has its challenges too. It seems with each new renter, we do a little more fixing, updating, and remodeling to help this old house meet the needs of today’s tenants. Our work is much like that of schools and educators as they implement changes or new strategies each year to better serve the educational needs of today’s students.

With any new remodeling project or change initiative, we reflect on where we’ve been, where we want to go, and how we will get there. Rarely do we have the opportunity to build from the ground up. Most of the time we are transforming our existing structures (while we live in them), using what we can, eliminating things that no longer fit our purpose, and bringing in new ideas to improve the living/learning environment.

Recently my husband and I tackled the old wallpaper upstairs that served its purpose for many years. As we began to strip away the top layer in the hallway, we uncovered several layers that revealed even more of the history of this old house and those who once lived there. It was a messy and sweaty task. One bedroom only had 1 layer of paper, that was already loose in many places, and it peeled off quickly. We found as we began to work on what used to be my bedroom, the strategy we successfully used on 3 layers of wallpaper in the hallway didn’t work as well on the two layers of wallpaper that had been painted over in this bedroom. So we made adjustments in our strategies, but it still required perseverance and hard work. Our motivation was that the result will be worth the effort and would allow this old house to be new and fresh again while maintaining the structure and character that sustained it the past 100 plus years.

Our wallpaper experience closely relates to our work at school, not just with physical structures, but with traditions, time-worn strategies, and even people. Some are easily changed, while honoring their contribution to past successes. Some offer some initial resistance, but quickly fall into place with a little more time and attention. But a few are stubborn and must have multiple opportunities to help them buy-in and get on board with the new plan. Eventually, while keeping the goal in mind, persistence, evolving strategies, and perseverance win out and the transformation occurs.

What goals will you and your colleagues set this year? Ask and answer these questions as you develop these goals:

· Why are these changes needed?

· How will you accomplish these goals? (including, Who will be involved?)

· What will you achieve when they are successfully implemented?

As you consider the remodeling that must be done to help teachers and students be successful, peel back the layers of the many things your school already has in place and seek input as you decide what can and should be saved, and exactly how and where the new ideas and strategies will fit. Then determine the tools, skills, materials, and human resources you will need to complete this make over.

Learning Forward Kansas exists to support schools and educators in the renovations that occur each school year as we continually strive to achieve excellent teaching and learning every day. How can we help with this year’s remodeling project?

LFKS has several learning opportunities planned for the 2016-17 school year in which you can acquire the knowledge and skills associated with leading change, while experiencing useful tools and strategies that will support your efforts to implement the complex changes in your district. Or you can learn more about the power of feedback with Jim Knight at our annual conference in February. In addition, LFKS has several resources available, and in development, that will assist you with leading and designing effective professional learning experiences, along with sessions that will allow you to experience these designs. Please check out our website for more specific information.

No matter the project or complex change, success is possible if we have a clear plan, the right skills, tools, time, and support to turn this old house into this year’s learning palace!

Bloom and Grow!

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 16:14:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard
LFKS Secretary

Spring is officially here. Flowering trees are blooming while others are leafing out; the grass is greening and has perhaps already had its first mowing of the season; tulips and daffodils are in full bloom. Our senses have been awakened by the new colors of spring that chase away the dull gray of winter. Days are warmer as the sun shines longer, and spring rains cleanse away the pollen-laden air. My husband is getting the yard in shape and preparing to plant his annual garden. Spring reminds us that change is good and new growth makes our world brighter and more hopeful.

In schools, we are often tired at this time of year, so spring may equate to the restlessness of spring fever, annual testing (and the subsequent stress that brings), and the uncertainty that legislative battles have given us in recent years. But spring also means outside recess, measuring progress, and celebrating the end of another year of learning, graduations, and other student accomplishments. It is a time for us to be proud of where we’ve been and use that reflection to look ahead to what will be. It is both our charge and our challenge to look beyond those things that weigh us down and find ways to think and act hopefully and with the future in mind.

How are you blooming and growing? What new learning are you experiencing now, or are planning to undertake in the next couple of months? As educators, we want to be continuous learners so that we can offer our students the best experiences that lead them to becoming successful adults. There are many ways to learn. No longer must you wait for your school to bring in a presenter, send you to a conference, or find a workshop to attend. While these might be valuable learning experiences, they aren't the only options. In addition to the many publications available in print, there are webinars, podcasts, twitter chats, and other networking opportunities available to provide you with new ways to do something familiar, or learn new skills and/or strategies. You have a wealth of knowledge available to you in your own school. Collaborating with colleagues is some of the best professional learning you can get! Giving and receiving feedback offers you many new ideas and things to consider. This can come from colleagues, supervisors, and even students! Taking time to reflect is important as you seek to bloom and grow.

Professional learning (not to be confused with the dreaded “staff development” memory so many have) is about personal growth in the profession you have chosen. It is about finding meaningful content and formats that will allow you to experience the learning as you seek to promote and provide excellent teaching and learning every day. There are several secrets to achieving successful professional learning. Let me share a few:

Understanding the “Why” – Why is this initiative/skill/learning important to me, the school, or the students? What is the benefit? This often is the key (motivation) that one needs to become open to the new learning.
How will I learn these new skills and/or knowledge? *Learning Design is a key to successful professional learning experiences. Too often we settle for “one size fits all” or the traditional “sit and get.” These are easier to manage, but far too often less than satisfying or effective in achieving the goal.
*Effective implementation: The old saying “if you don’t use it you’ll lose it” definitely applies to the new learning we undertake. Create a plan of action; get started on USING what you have learned as soon as possible. Follow up and support are keys to successful implementation as is receiving meaningful and timely feedback.

You might have seen this saying on plaques or birthday cards: “Age is inevitable but growth is optional.” In education, growth cannot be optional if we are to provide the best education possible for our students. We can bloom or we can wither and die. Experience is only valuable if we use it to better our future. You can choose to bloom and grow by actively engaging in your own professional learning experiences, intentionally seeking feedback, and participating collaborative conversations. You can choose to help others bloom and grow through meaningful dialogue, sharing what you've learned, planning effective professional learning experiences, and/or providing feedback.

Learning Forward Kansas is here to support you in this journey! Let us know how we can help or share your experiences with us as you choose excellent professional learning so that everyone can bloom and grow!

*Click on the link to find more information about the Standards of Professional Learning.

LFKS Annual Holiday Letter First Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 18:22:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard
Secretary LFKS

Tis the Season for receiving holiday cards and letters from our friends, recapping their year and wishing us Good Tidings and Much Joy. As the semester winds down, students and educators alike are anticipating the winter break. All of this buzz and hype increases both our energy and anxiety levels, and extends our To Do List to something that seems almost unmanageable. Then in the moment when we finally catch our breath, we read the cards and letters that arrive in our mail box (and inbox too) which makes us appreciate those who have taken the time to remember us once again.

We at Learning Forward Kansas (LFKS) want to take this time to wish each of our members, partners, and supporters a restful and reflective holiday. We hope each of you will take the time to look back on all that you accomplished in 2015 and appreciate the journey: the joys celebrated, the lessons learned, and the knowledge, that to someone, you made a difference.

It has been an exciting, transformational year for LFKS in 2015. We began the year with the retirement celebration for our inaugural and longtime Executive Director, Sandee Crowther, at the LFKS Annual Conference in January. We acknowledge and appreciate the role Sandee played in shining a light on professional learning so that LFKS can further our work to support Kansas Educators so that they might benefit from effective professional learning practices.

The spring was busy with transitional activities as we selected our new director, Dayna Richardson. With that selection came sharing of new ideas, planning, and a few adjustments in the structure of the organization. In addition, we piloted a study of Learning Forward’s Executive Leadership Program so that we could offer it as a fully implemented learning opportunity in the fall.

June saw us gather at the Henderson House in Stafford, KS for our annual Advance. We accomplished much at this planning event, revising and refocusing our vision and mission, restructuring the budget, updating the action plan, and developing the KESA Facilitation Guide as a FREE resource of protocols (strategies) for Kansas educators. As a takeaway from the Advance, LFKS Board members committed their support to achieve our new vision of “Excellent Teaching and Learning Every Day.”

Our biggest celebration occurred when we received word that LFKS had been awarded the $10,000 Learning Forward Affiliate Grant. The purpose of this 3 year grant is to create videos using Kansas Examples to support the planning and implementation of Effective Professional Learning Designs throughout Kansas schools. Our To Do List just got larger!

The summer was a busy time as we worked to re-launch our LFKS website with a complete makeover (check it out here!) and begin to shape the work that we would do for the next few years. Even the constitution was revised and updated to reflect the policies and practices we would need to implement the new vision and mission. In addition, we have worked to increase our presence on social media and with regular communication to our members via emails. We hope that you will connect with us on Facebook and Twitter to see what's happening and gain new ideas.

The fall saw the launch of the A Learning Community for School Leaders: Executive Leadership Program. This 30 hour blended learning opportunity will continue to be offered each semester as we look to support school leaders with strategies and information to improve their ability to lead complex change. In addition, LFKS partnered with Southwest Plains Regional Service Center to bring Bruce Wellman to Kansas for a 1 day conference on Feedback for Growth Not Gotcha. To read more about the reflections from participants for this event, click here.

As we head into the winter break we are finalizing plans for the Learning Forward Kansas Annual Conference. This year’s theme is Excellent Teaching and Learning Every Day: A Focus on Professional Learning. Our keynote speakers will address the growing issue of students in poverty and how we can actively engage all students in learning. Please plan to attend this powerful learning opportunity January 27 & 28^th in Wichita.

Learning Forward Kansas has been blessed by the committed individuals within our organization, our partners, the Kansas State Department of Education, as well as the thousands of Kansas Educators who work steadfastly to achieve Excellent Teaching and Learning Every Day. We have learned a great deal already as we experience this transition process. The ideas continue to take shape and much work is yet to be done. It's a crazy and exciting time for us at LFKS! We continue to believe, however, that together we will achieve this goal through effective professional learning because Kansans Can!

Have a wonderful holiday! We hope that you will rest, relax, and come back in 2016 with a renewed spirit and commitment to ensuring that in every Kansas school we have Excellent Teaching and Learning Every Day!

Creating a Championship Culture: What Do the Leaders Do?

noreply@blogger.com (Learning Forward Kansas) — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 14:52:00 +0000

By Vicki Bechard,
LFKS Secretary

Many of us (myself included) have spent the last few weeks staying up late, watching and cheering as our boys in blue (Royal blue that is) scratched and clawed their way to a World Series Championship. They are at the top of their game. The fans have been swept up in the excitement and marvel at what they can accomplish both individually and together as a team. Most of us just watch the ball. However, since I’m an old coach, so I also like to think about how they got there. And because I’m a teacher at heart, I also wonder what lessons educators can take from these boys of summer (and fall!).

In my most recent personal blog, I wrote about the lessons we could learn from the Royals’ journey to the 2015 championship. I cited 3 lessons, although I probably could have cited 30. There were so many teachable moments as we witnessed the players taking advantage of tiny cracks in the opponents’ armor, making amazing defensive plays, and banging out clutch hits as they “kept the line moving.” But for this blog, my question is not about what we saw on the surface, it is about things generally unseen by fans or media. The most compelling question for me is, “What did the leaders do?”

Communicating and Implementing the Vision. As we celebrated with more Facebook posts, tweets, pictures, and articles than I could count, I loved reading about how we got there. There was indeed a plan…. In fact, a long term plan….that guided the many decisions that were made both on and off the field over the past few years. It wasn’t by accident that this team was successful and is now in a position to be successful for years to come. It started with General Manager Dayton Moore creating and clarifying a vision to develop a championship culture. From that beginning he made many moves, not as fast as some would have liked, but he built the Royals team that we see today coach by coach, player by player, and trade by trade. There was no magic bullet or quick fix. Everyone had to buy in and commit to the long haul. Even the team owner had to finally demonstrate his full commitment by adding more money to the salary pool so they had the necessary resources at their disposal to realize the vision.

The Royals rise to success focused on people first. As Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and other leadership books, writes, “Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” They analyzed data (player performances) but more importantly focused on the people behind those numbers. In a recent Yahoo Sports article, author Jeff Passan illustrated how the Royals General Manager understands the value of the people in developing a championship culture when he quoted Moore as saying it was important

“to focus on people, trust them and bask in their success.”

When we want to affect change, taking care of the people must be a top priority. Many of the change models we have studied in Learning Forward’s Educational Leadership Program (ELP) stress the importance of understanding the needs and strengths of the stakeholders. How are we involving and nurturing the teachers in our schools as we implement change that leads to excellent teaching and learning?

Another key leader in the Royals success was manager Ned Yost. Much maligned early in his tenure in Kansas City, and even down the stretch for some on the field strategic decisions, Yost is a skilled communicator of his philosophy. He also has learned to trust his players and coaches to make good decisions – built on the purposeful work and preparation that happens in spring training, before games, and during the off-season. He has made adjustments in his managerial style that paid dividends with the Royals. Yost, quoted by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writer Tim Haudricort in an October 2014 article, says,

"I've learned to let my players be themselves. I'm every bit as patient as I was (in Milwaukee). Because I have great coaches, I think I listen a lot more than I did back then. I was pretty hard-headed. I'm a little more flexible now."

This shift in his own perspective and behavior helped turn the tide for the improving Royals. His understanding of his players created loyalty from those players and a family-like culture where they support each other and believe they can overcome any obstacle, which has led to this year’s wildly successful season when most picked them to be at home watching the playoffs on TV. We take away from Ned and his staff the importance of communication and trust, and the benefits of self-reflection. Leaders develop a culture of success by their believing in their people, communicating their vision and assessing their own performance as well. When you reflect on your performance as a leader, are you looking at only the results or the process too?

Effective leadership develops capacity, advocates, and creates support systems. The Royals organization is a model of this type of leadership. Consider all the “home grown” talent that makes up the majority of the Royals’ roster. They have developed capacity and provided support for these young players that have led to quality skill development, can-do attitudes, and championship thinking. How are you developing the capacity of your educators in your school or district to achieve the goal of excellent teaching and learning every day?

Leadership matters in every organization. We are in the business of school and the leadership affects every aspect of the school. In order to create and implement a plan, leaders must effectively communicate the vision and ensure that decisions are made that align to the intent of the plan. Leadership matters as we plan professional learning opportunities that provide understanding and support of the change initiatives. Gone are the days where stand-alone staff development days consisting of sit-and-get activities are considered effective ways to positively impact professional learning. In what ways is your school moving past these one and done silos of learning toward more personalized learning for individuals and/or small groups? How are we addressing the learning needs of the faculty?

Three of the Standards of Professional Learning really stand out when considering the Royals’ rise to success: Leadership, Resources and Learning Communities. By developing capacity, prioritizing and coordinating resources, and engaging in continuous improvement, organizations such as the Royals, and more importantly your school, can develop collective responsibility and achieve the outcomes set forth in the road map for success.

As you reflect on your own leadership journey, consider some or all of the following questions:

· How effectively are you communicating the vision?

· Have you surrounded yourself with quality teammates and listened to what they have to offer?

· How are you building the capacity of those with whom you work and/or supervise to achieve excellent teaching and learning every day?

· How are you creating and sustaining a culture of success in your school?

Consider the kind and quality of leadership that put together this group of Royals players who had the talent, the heart, and the commitment to succeed, and then let them play. What would teaching and learning look like if Kansas schools did it the Royals’ way?