I have a confession to make. I think Professional Development, the way most people do it, is a waste of time. If you are compelled to complete so many hours of PD or check so many boxes on the form, does that mean that you will be thoughtful about what you actually do? In my experience, no. Teachers are so busy with the business of teaching that they don’t place a lot of importance of PD. They just get it done.
My theory is that teachers don’t know what good PD is. Habit 7 is called Sharpening the Saw. Recognize the tools/skills needed to do your job well and put energy into improving those things. This will be unique to each person. Since, I have an interest and access to a computer lab twice a week, I’ve been exploring things I can do with technology in the classroom. But, my colleague who has no computers in her classroom would instead look at different ESL games that can be used in the classroom. I propose that instead of a form, teachers be given a survey about what equipment they have access to; what their student’s needs are, what their strengths and areas to improve are, and what are they interested in learning more about. From the survey, they will be able to select from 2 or 3 PD choices - webinar, lectures, resources in the District, etc. That way the PD is thought - out and has reasoning behind it. Also, once the PD is completed they should also teach what they learned to a colleague (ideally) or at least write a couple paragraphs about it. My second confession is: I was one of those people. I did not put much thought into PD besides getting it done. But, as of last year, I ventured off of my campus. I shadowed, and questioned principals. I started being more selective about what PD I would participate in. If it wasn’t a weak area, I didn’t do it. My commitment is to continue to seek out experiences that will “sharpen my saw” and be deliberate and focused on my goals: to be the best teacher I can be, to be the best TOSA I can be, and eventually be the best administrator I can be. Habit 6 is “Synergize.” Synergy is defined as the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. (dictionary.com) It’s the idea that given the right conditions 1 + 1 can equal more than 2. An example of this in the business world could be if two companies, which complement each other, merge together. Separately they each produce and sell a product. But, working together they are able to make more and maybe even a higher caliber product thereby becoming more profitable.
How does this idea work in an education setting? As a leader, I would look for strengths in the teachers and build teams around their strengths. If one person is good at developing curriculum, another is adept at technology, and another is good at presenting and teaching the new curriculum, that would be a complementary teaming. They, as a team, would be more productive together than separately. On my own, I would tap into other leaders with knowledge and info that I’d benefit from and be willing to share and pour into others. For this Habit, I will do a better job at consistently recognizing others’ hard work and contributions. I’ll do this through verbal praise, emails, or small tokens of appreciation. My former boss was very good at doing “something nice” for the office staff once a month. Even small gifts and handwritten cards put in teachers’ boxes communicate that they are valued. Also, we have a new VESL class that I have not observed yet. I will schedule a visit with that teacher. I’d also like to do drop-in visits on the new instructors to welcome them and offer support. I’ll define and discuss synergy with the teacher I’m coaching. I’ll share my goals around this habit. Together, we’ll brainstorm some ways that she can practice this habit. At our next session, I’ll ask her to report back on the results. Reference Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words ... (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2015. Listening is sometimes thought of as passive, not active, because you aren’t moving. It’s not like writing, talking or running. How many times have you been in a conversation where the other person is talking and you did not hear one thing they said? Your ears work fine, but your mind was elsewhere. To listen and hear someone you need to focus. This week, I learned Habit 5 which is “seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
As an ESL teacher of nine years, I have practiced “hearing” between the lines. I may not speak Arabic but I hear tone and emotion. When I speak to a student or a teacher, I try to hear the intent of their words. (Much easier to do in English.) If they are describing their feeling about a troubling situation, I ask questions like, “It sounds like you are really upset, am I right?” Being an empathetic listener is not always easy and I've not always done well at it. It’s most difficult when I'm involved in a high emotion situation. In a disagreement, for example, I may not want to hear what the other person is saying because I want to make sure that I am heard. One behavior change I can make is when someone is talking to me and I’m upset, I will: 1. take a deep breath and try to genuinely hear and understand their perspective before delving into my own. or 2. remove myself from the conversation and go back to it when I am cool and collected. With the teacher I am coaching, I will ask her to describe a time that she was not a good listener. What went wrong? How could she have handled it better? I will teach her about Habit 5 and ask her to set a personal goal around it. Then in our next coaching session, I will ask if she successfully practiced seeking first to understand, then to be understood. Habits 1 - 3 had to do with “private victories,” with an internal focus. With “Be Proactive,” I remind myself that I am responsible for choices I make and the direction of my life. I am the driver. Habit 2, “Begin with the End in Mind,” reminds me to write down my short and long term goals. Habit 3, “Put First Things First,” helps me to prioritize the most important things in my life; then spend most of my time on those items and not trivial matters. This week’s habit is called “Think Win-Win.” Instead of focusing within, I will focus outside of self and work on relationships with others. In my work environment, I do a good job making connections and take time to talk with my colleagues/students about teaching and non-teaching matters. I’m friendly, provide a listening ear, and help when I can. Effective leaders are conscious of how they relate to others in their sphere of influence. I can’t help but think about a politician, who shakes hands and takes pictures with babies. But unlike a politician, an effective leader sincerely wants to build relationships and doesn’t try to beat the other person. The idea of a “win - win” relationship, is that instead of one or the other being a loser, you try to have mutually beneficial results. The workplace can be a competitive place. People try to outshine and outdo others, so they can move up the ladder. Sometimes, there are obvious winners and losers. As a leader, it’s important to find the outside the box solution - the thing that will make both parties happy. Personally, I think that I do well in this arena. In my 9 years of teaching, I have worked with difficult people who challenge me. I learned from those interactions. As a leader, I’ll continue investing in relationships. I’ll be courteous, actively listen, and ensure that my expectations are clear. I know the importance of building a leadership team and having a community (teachers and staff) that works together for the betterment of students. As a TOSA, I attend monthly collaborative meetings. I enjoy networking with other service providers. When I announce that I help teachers connect with guest speakers, I get wonderful summaries about what each organization does. Hands down, this is the best part of the meeting - the end, when we exchange business cards. As a teacher, I find myself functioning as a counselor, social worker, cheerleader, mediator, etc. Whenever there is a problem with a student, I address is with light humor. Usually this communicates the issue while not shaming them. If it requires more attention, I talk to the student privately. I emphasize that the classroom environment needs to be as free from distractions as possible. I learn my students’ names. I ask about their families. I try to find out what is important to each of them. On the other hand, while I am so busy with work relationships, I have neglected nurturing friendships. I have done pitifully in this area. Beyond Facebook and texting, I go months or years without seeing some of my closest friends. When I think about this it makes me sad. I know I can do better. My goal is to spend time with three friends before Christmas. I’ve thought about them, emailed, texted, and called. In some cases, we’ve scheduled and rescheduled. But, I will make every effort for this to happen this time. With the colleague I’m coaching, I’ll share my ideas and goals. I will ask her what relationships (work or otherwise) she has neglected. I’ll challenge her to do something similar; then, follow up for the results. Hello, my name is Sheila; and I have not mastered time management. I’m learning more and more that if I don’t get control of my time, time will get away from me. As an example, I got home from a tiring day of work, plopped on the couch and turned on Netflix. Before I knew it, I had watched two entire movies. That’s 4 hours wasted! On the flip side, I have moments when I am extremely productive with my time. But, this is usually under the pressure of a deadline. Most people would not guess that I struggle with this because I am productive, helpful, and resourceful. I go out of my way to help students when they ask for help. But, sometimes I offer help when it’s not requested. I think this is something I need to stop because I have so many other urgent things that require my time. I have a husband, four children at home, three pets, a home, two different job titles, and I give time to my church. I am a volunteeroholic. Last year, I served on School Site Council at my daughter’s middle school and I served on our CCAE Committee at work. At my school, I volunteer often. I am proud to say that I am not serving on any committees this year. I made a conscious effort to make this change while I am in this Master’s program. I also turned down 2 teaching nights - a decision I hope I don’t regret later. What I don’t have is much of a social life. I wish I could change this. I find myself too often in Quadrant 1 because I don’t stick to my time management plans. I let distractions pull me away from important work. This has led to stress and a couple ER visits over the summer, which is why I set my health-centered goals - better eating, regular exercise, adequate sleep, etc. My desire is to be more in Quadrant 2 - where the most highly effective people are - so that my time is planned more carefully and I can get more done without as much stress. So, how can I improve my time management? First, I need to list what things are most important to me - identify the big rocks. Then, I need to schedule blocks of time daily for each of those things. Next, I need to start back using my journal to track my progress. Finally, I need to consult others who are good at time-management, like Andrea Jacobs, and ask for other strategies. While I am developing these new habits, I need someone to help keep me accountable. Being Proactive (Habit 1) and Beginning With the End in Mind (Habit 2) are important. However, “Doing First Things First” - prioritizing what’s important and focusing my time there” is critical for me to reach my goals. If I master time-management, I will improve my own life. But, I’ll also have an opportunity to teach those in my circle of influence starting with my household.
CLASSROOM GOALS
As an educator and leader, it’s important that I solidify my vision. This means that I will develop, verbalize, and put in writing my goals. I’ve been a teacher for nine years and I’ve had goals, but this is the first time that I’ve spelled them out. Here are 5 goals for my class, followed by an explanation: 1. Provide a teaching environment that is welcoming, fun, and interactive. Adult School is not like K-12. If the students don’t think the class meets their needs, it is very easy for them to switch classes or never come back. I learned early on that Adult School should be fun as well as educational. 2. Help improve their English writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills. In my Level 0 - 3 ESL class, students have a wide range of needs. Some speak well, but have trouble reading. Some read well, but have trouble speaking. Some have been in school before, some have not. My objective is to see where they are and help them move up the ladder. 3. Expose and teach students about U.S. culture, while learning about their cultures. The large majority of my students are refugees from Iraq and are new to the country. Often, I am the first American that they get to know. In the midst of a lesson, I’ll ask them “Is this the same in your country?” and it develops into rich cultural compare and contrast discussions. 4. Teach students life skills. We have a lot of freedom to meet students needs in this area. So, after, I do a survey and see where interests lie, we do lessons on: citizenship, job skills, making doctor appointments, building credit, driving, domestic violence prevention, etc. 5. Give students confidence to try new things outside of their comfort zone. My students live in El Cajon - "the box"; and some never leave the box. This is because they don’t drive on the freeway or they are afraid to go outside of their comfort zone. Having lived overseas for 10 years, I have trouble wrapping my mind around this. I am always pushing them to do something they have not done before - use technology, visit the library regularly, make friends with their English speaking neighbor, and take advantage of learning opportunities. ESL students at this level tend to lack confidence in their skills. My job is to build them up. PROFESSIONAL GOALS My short-term career goals are: 1. improve upon my leadership of the PLC group I facilitate, 2. get more organized to be more effective in my day-to-day work, 3. look for and engage in opportunities to strengthen my leadership skills, 4. continue shadowing Principals and learning from accessible experts 5. share what I learn with my colleagues or anyone in my circle of influence. My long-term goal is to obtain a full-time Admin position in San Diego. COACHING SESSION Today, I got a written and verbal report from my colleague on how she implemented her “Reactive and Proactive” fitness goals. Then, I taught her Habit 2: having an end goal. She identified an art show that she would like to enter and explained the steps involved. Next week, we’ll meet to discuss her progress.
Background
I began my journey with GUHSD when I was 19 years old as an IA. Then, I left to finish school, start a family, and do life. I came back to GUHSD as an Adult Ed teacher in 2006. The funny thing is that I tried to run from teaching because “teachers don’t get paid enough” and while I still believe that to be true, it turns out that you cannot outrun your calling. Reflection and My Changes I love my job. Every day is different and my work has been rewarding. But there are times when I have been overworked, over-stressed, or had to deal with difficult people. What most appeals to me about Habit 1, as Dr. Pumpian presented it, is that we have control over certain things. We control our thoughts, our words, and our behavior. My change is that I will take better care of myself by getting adequate sleep, taking time for myself, walking or gardening, and eating better. I know that this will help me because when I’m not healthy, I’m not as effective at work… or anywhere else. Plan to Teach I have selected a fellow ESL Teacher to share the seven habits with. We will meet every Friday afternoon at the office. I’ll share the lesson with her and ask her to explain it to me. Then, I’ll ask how she can implement the lesson in her life. The following week, I’ll ask for a verbal or written report about her progress. Resource HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE - THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE BY STEPHEN COVEY BOOK REVIEW. (2014, October 11). Retrieved September 2, 2015. |
Details
Sheila L. DavisPassionate Adult ESL Instructor at Grossmont Adult School. Seeking to learn new habits and unlearn bad ones. ArchivesCategories |