Leadership, Proficiency and Strategic Planning Forum

As we shift from classroom to remote learning, there are many new challenges and obstacles that we face. This series is designed to provide collaboration, support, practical ideas and specific strategies that administration and leaders face. Through a series of one-on-one conversations and a nation-wide brainstorm session, all the content has been created by and for administrators and coordinators.  Some of these topics include:

• How to coach teachers through effective remote teaching
• How to conduct new hire interviews remotely
• How to have the tough conversations that many may face with budget cuts
• The nuts and bolts of how to guide teachers to seek engaging learning online
• How to give effective feedback to teachers, remotely or otherwise
• How to conduct meaningful reviews remotely with teachers
• How to conduct department meetings with a new system
• How will departments and teachers work with students on an altered learning trajectory due to COVID19

Many more will be addressed throughout our time together. Participants will receive a digital, interactive workbook with content and space for reflection and application. A collaborative document will be created each session with specific ideas shared. There will be a continuity of topics and discussions, however, participants have the option of joining in for individual sessions or engaging in the whole series. It is highly recommended to participate in the series, as the value and strength of the experience is in the connection and relationships that are developed throughout.

This series is intended for administrators, coordinators, department heads and teacher leaders to support them as they coach teachers through the remote learning process and into the next school year. 

“I am so glad I was part of this series. It is what helped me through this time.”

“The group support was appreciated and I’m grateful to have heard other ideas and experiences.”

Tentative Schedule & Themes: 

 This six- session series will begins at 1:00pm PST/ 2:00pm MST/ 3:00pm CST/ 4:00pm EST

Initial, Complimentary Brainstorm Session –May 20, 2020  

Join us for a complimentary brainstorm session where together we will share what challenges we are experiencing during remote learning, identify needs and define the specific themes we will journey through together during the series, and create group norms for forum expectations.  

How to Coach Teachers in a Remote Learning Environment – June 3, 2020 

This session will tackle the big question educators have been grappling with this season: How do teachers and students create and thrive in the remote learning classroom? Immediate and long term needs of classroom structure will be addressed for the benefit of long term planning as well as collaborative share out of resources. 

How to Communicate & Coach Proficiency and Standards-based Practices with a Department – June 17, 2020

One of the biggest stressors we have faced in the Remote Learning classroom is the ability to get through all of the curriculum educators have mapped out for their year. Through the power of skills-based, standards-based and proficiency-based learning, we can shift our focus from getting through the prescribed units and to a lens of what the student can do with the content or language. As administrators, this can feel often impossible to foster in a department. We will look at what proficiency looks like and how to communicate and coach proficiency with teachers. An outline and action steps of how to create and develop proficiency-based programs will be created.

How to Effectively Coach Social Emotional Learning and Community Engagement Remotely – July 1, 2020

The spring experience of Remote Learning has brought an awareness on the vital need for human connection and social interaction for the classroom to thrive. Remote learning has also shown us as coordinators how difficult it can be to maintain that among staff. Together, we will examine a structure that allows teachers and departments to establish effective systems of communication working remotely. We will discuss how to use community and engagement strategies through the understanding of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Social Emotional Learning techniques for our teacher communications and interactions. 

Developing an Effective Structure and Organization- July 15, 2020  

With an uncertain classroom structure  for the coming year,  we are tasked with communicating to teachers through a structure that transcends both virtual and in person experiences.  This session will explore a remote feedback structure for admin to employ with their teachers, a feedback analysis and measurement and a department meeting structure.   Administrators will develop action steps that can be translated into how to create, in partnership with teachers, a proficiency based, student directed structure-remotely or socially distanced. 

Curriculum and Instructional Coaching- July 29, 2020 

As we look further into an implementation of proficiency and techniques, what strategies will be most effective for student-driven classrooms? How do I communicate effective practices to my teachers and develop a positive environment with a growth mindset, for teachers and students? In this session, we will discuss and evaluate what a hybrid, online learning or in-class, socially distant learning environment will look like. We will end this collaborative learning experience with action steps and initial plans for schools.