Listening Leadership: A Bias Toward Action
Our faculty kick-off is in two weeks. It is a day of many things, most importantly reviewing the goal for the year and how it will be implemented.
In the past, I would often draft the agenda after looking at previous student assessment results and consulting with members of our leadership team. But it was my agenda as it was clear to me what we needed to focus on.
This year, I still drafted an agenda. But I presented it to teacher leaders as a true draft, a plan I wanted to be changed for improvement and involvement.
Four of our teachers attended an Adaptive Schools training recently. They learned about strategies and tools for guiding faculty to engage in "productive conflict", a culture that encourages open and honest dialogue around ideas in an objective manner.
In the staff lounge (not my office), I gave each teacher a copy of my draft agenda. "So, what are your thoughts? How can we improve this?" The team threw out different protocols and activities to engage the staff and teach them the strategies for successful teamwork.
At the end of our meeting, here is what my copy of the draft agenda looked like.
The teachers saw me making these edits as they discussed the day together. Later, I emailed them a copy of the revised agenda with their suggestions included. "Please let me know if anything is inaccurate from our conversation," I asked. No responses back, so they seem to be good.
Administrators tend to have a bias toward action but largely focused on the nuts and bolts of running a school, the technical stuff. That's important, but we have to attend to the affective and relational side of teaching and leading too.
In her book The Listening Leader, Shane Safir reflects on her own related experience as an administrator (p 222).
As a principal, I often planned meetings that dove headfirst into what I perceived to be "the real work" - data analysis, curriculum planning, or whatever was on tap. I've since learned the importance of warming up the room so that people feel relaxed and connected enough to do whatever "the work" is. I now strive to design humanizing routines that honor the whole person, just as great lessons honor the whole child.
Safir's realization comes from recognizing that there is a need as well as seeking new ways of engaging in professional dialogue that leads to improved relationships and better instruction for kids.
"What if my principal doesn't see it this way? What are we supposed to do about that?" I know of teachers in situations like this. Either they have an administrator unwilling to let go of some authority in how the school is run, or the school has had such high turnover of principals that any semblance of consistency is fleeting.
I am reluctant to dispense with advice, but I am willing to share ideas that I have seen work for teacher leaders intent on building a listening culture with a bias toward authentic action.
Invite staff to have lunch in your classroom once a week. The climate in staff lounges vary, but they can be a breeding ground for negativity. Classrooms are typically more culturally neutral.
Seek out and participate in professional learning that addresses your school's current needs. This is different than suggesting, "Go to a PLC Institute." These experiences can be effective, but have we really examined our school's culture and determined that this is what our organization needs? Also worth noting is costs associated with the experience. Adaptive Schools training, for example, was a more economical choice than other offerings and aligned with our needs.
Request that your leader participates in these professional learning experiences. Don't assume they know that it is vitally important to learn with faculty (see this post for a personal experience I shared last year).
Build a network of support. Whether offline or online or both, we cannot engage in this work alone. One cool idea for in-person support I saw online is the #observeme concept, inviting colleagues to visit your classroom during instruction and provide feedback. Your vulnerability will have a real impact on building trust schoolwide.
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