[[EDUC 7650|educ7650]] ## 2025-05-06 - Put your aces in their places. - ## 2025-04-29 - Dissertation Committee - Can have someone outside our group to be on it. - Problem statement really tight before the summer so you can work on the first chapter. - Suggestions for how to set up the last assignment. ## 2025-04-22 Discussion about where perfectionism gets us in our work: - taking on too much - Parent complaints doing too much for them - Taking on too much - Be ok with Good Enough - First one there, last one to leave. Brandi Presentation - Character strengths and abilities within disabilities - "Move from what's wrong to what's strong. Use what's strong to address what's wrong." - Three-step SEA model - spot/ label the strength - explain/ give rationale for the strength - appreciate/ share the importance of what is observed - Use the SEA model in open and close ended questions with pairs Luke Thuston - High Road Leadership - John C. Maxwell - High road and low road leadership - "If you don't listen to them, you're shrinking your influence and limiting your impact. If you can't work with people who disagree with you, you will never become the leader you could be." The Formative Five - Being empathic takes courage - 3 ways to elicit - Appear to be leisurely, Breakfast with Tom, Surveys - "I didn't want to bother you, because you were too busy" and that was my problem as the leader. - This is erroneous thinking because it is not the principal's problem. it is the teacher's problem judging the principal. - Busy is a choice. Saying "You're too busy" is a cop out for them. And it's stupid. - The importance of parent surveys. Asking have my individual children's needs been met? - Another great question to ask is "How many times per week does your student share what they did at school without prompting?" - The importance of preparing teachers for parent teacher conferences. Teaching teachers how to manage time. - Tom had a good idea about having playtime at the playground because parents were ## 2025-04-15 - The Adultification of Minority Students in America ### Causes of Parentification Caregivers incapacity- inability of parents to fulfill their role as • Mental illness • Substance abuse • Physical disability/ chronic illness II. Family dysfunction • Unresolved conflicts • Poor communication • Domestic violence • Divorce ## 2025-04-08 - Jeffrey Benson, absent, but docs are in Readwise - Personal Best.docx four systems types.doc Some Closure Options.docx - Absolutely! Here's a summary that reflects how *you*—Jethro Jones—might think about the three PDFs you shared, based on your brand identity, expertise, and voice: ### 1. **Four Systems Types** This framework is super aligned with my focus on understanding school culture and leadership styles. The distinctions between Closed, Random, Open, and Synchronous systems resonate with what I teach in *SchoolX* and my coaching work. It’s a reminder that **context matters**—no school or team is a pure type, but knowing your dominant system helps you lead with clarity and compassion. - I especially appreciate the emphasis on "enabled vs. disabled" systems. That aligns with my belief that **culture isn't fixed—it’s a product of leadership and intentional design.** - I'd use this as a reflective tool with principals to identify the dominant system type in their school and how that’s helping or hindering their goals. - This fits beautifully into a Mental Fitness discussion too—what “system” are your saboteurs supporting? **My summary:** A foundational lens to help school leaders diagnose the underlying structure of their leadership culture and shift toward more responsive systems. --- ### 2. **Personal Best (by Atul Gawande)** Oh man. This one hits. Hard. This article reinforces what I already believe and practice—that **even top performers need coaching**. In fact, *especially* top performers need coaching. The plateau Gawande describes is exactly what so many school leaders feel—like they’re running out of steam, not because they aren’t skilled, but because they don’t have someone helping them **see what they can’t see.** - It’s a great reminder that coaching isn’t about “fixing problems”—it’s about **pursuing mastery.** - I'd absolutely use this article as a pre-read or a reflection prompt in my mastermind groups or in 1:1 coaching. - This connects so directly to my belief that “every principal needs a coach, and every coach needs a coach.” **My summary:** A brilliant, humanizing argument for why leaders—just like athletes and performers—need someone in their corner to keep growing and pushing their edge. Awesome! Here's your personalized, "Jethro-style" reflection on *The Art of Creating School-Wide Coherence*: ### “The Art of Creating School-Wide Coherence”** This article was a *chef’s kiss* blend of practicality, flexibility, and intentional leadership—right up my alley. It aligns *beautifully* with the way I coach principals: focus on coherence, but not at the expense of autonomy, creativity, or culture. There’s a rhythm here that mirrors my domino philosophy—start small, build momentum, and trust your people. ### 🔑 Key Points That Resonate Deeply - **Coherence is not compliance.** That distinction is gold. So many schools confuse the two. True coherence comes from shared purpose, not rigid mandates. - **Start with shared interests.** I love that this mirrors how I encourage leaders to engage with their teams—begin with alignment, not top-down direction. - **Tactful uniformity.** This idea could be a full workshop. Uniformity should *serve* the educators and students, not shackle them. If it saves energy and reduces chaos? Great. If it stifles autonomy? Not so much. - **Guidelines > rules.** Amen. Guidelines invite innovation. They say: “We trust you. We just want to be clear about what success can look like.” - **Celebrate inventions.** This is what makes culture thrive. We’ve got to create environments where creativity isn’t just allowed—it’s expected and elevated. ### 💡 How I’d Use This - I’d absolutely use this as a pre-reading for mastermind sessions when we talk about change management or implementing new initiatives. - It would pair *perfectly* with coaching conversations around leadership moves that balance vision with teacher empowerment. - Could even build a session titled **“Coherence Without Compliance”** using this article as a springboard. ### 📣 Final Thought This article is a fantastic case study in **how to lead with humility, humanity, and structure**—three pillars I deeply believe in. It shows that systems don’t have to be soulless. They can support creativity when built with care. ### 3. **Some Closure Options** Love it. This is practical gold. These prompts fit perfectly into the “small domino” philosophy I teach. They're easy to implement, promote reflection, and build **micro-moments of connection** that shift classroom culture over time. I'd totally advocate for principals to use this not just with students, but in *staff meetings, PLCs, and coaching conversations*. - I can see myself including a few of these in a PD session, asking leaders to practice closing with intention. - They help foster the kind of culture that aligns with the Open System Type—**honest communication, emotional safety, and trust.** - I’d remix some of these as text check-ins or async meeting prompts too. **My summary:** A small but mighty toolkit for intentional reflection and connection—perfect for reinforcing a strong, values-based school culture. ## 2025-04-01 - which of the formative five are more prevalent. ### Dr. Sarah Ranney - - Mission is: To educate and activate children to achieve academic and social success, now and in the future. - Shortened it to make it memorable. - LPA is killing it academically. - What three words would you use to define our school? - Doing a lot to meet needs of students with disabilities. - Family support and involvement. Scholarship, Parent teacher conferences are well attended. Opt-in. - 80% of families filled out survey at the end of the year. - 3year SEL Data for students to have behavior improvements without office-support. - Why she cares so much about data. - Personalized and depersonalize data all at the same time. THoughts about EdD - Do a dissertation that interests you. WHich community characteristics led to charter school success? Books: Kim - Character Education book. Michael - Place-based education. ## 2025-03-18 Make new mistakes. Really powerful idea. Share story of Courtney, new teacher. Notes on [[dissertation details]] ## 2025-02-18 Kacy Shahid - self-care, supporting people through struggles ## 2025-02-04 - Taking kids on camping trips. - Colombia immigration from Venezuela. Lots of illegal immigrants. Creating insecurity for people, creating gangs. - School providing wallet cards for the kids about how to respond, with phone numbers to call. - Kids express fear and uncertainty. Parents rely on students for translation. - Problem solving - Orientation, Evaluation, Control - If everyone is acting similarly you feel comfortable. - Give people time to evaluate the situation. - Set the stage, give people time to evaluate, then give them opportunity to control the situation. - Share three work positives: - Speaking in Arizona next week. - Got a random call to coach a principal - Launched a Book Study, and people are really liking it. - Life commitment from [[Anastasia Hercules]] - Jethro, You’re birthday phrase is: “Open the heart and let the sun shine in” - Challenge for this class: we believe what we're saying. We've learned these thigns work for us. What works for you? ## 2025-01-28 - share a photo that is significant to you! - 5 SEL Skills - perseverance, respect, faith, resilience, love - ![[components of SEL.png]] - Hard to achieve Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs without the components of SEL. - What is your school's smile quotient? What would they say if you started talking about it? ## 2025-01-21 - Icebreaker- anywhere you want to go 2 weeks, but nobody else can go there. - School principal interview in someone's home. - 10 foot rule - must connect with people if you're within ten feet of each other. ### Guests 2/11 - Dr. Patrick Fisher, principal, Meramec School (Clayton, MO) 2/25 - Dr. Kacy Shields Shahid, Ass't Super of Instruct (Cahokia, IL) 4/1 - Dr. Sarah Ranney, XD, Lafayette Prep Academy (MO) 4/8 - Jeffrey Benson, former principal, author, consultant (MA) 4/15 - David Pereles, Partner, Clario Advisors LLC I'm in agreement with what Tom says in the syllabus, except for the line: "Differentiate it somehow. The Al generated words/text will not count as part of the required length of the paper." ![[decisions.png]] ## AI Statements - AI can be used to imrpove our original content and ideas, and for the purpose of academic integirity, we would cite how AI was used. Use AI to help us find supporting resources to expand our thinking. - AI Should be used as a tool similar to spell check and grammarly, Ai should not replace your thinking. - AI use should reflect the integrity of our program and our desires to be leaders in this field. We are in agreement with what Tom says in the syllabus, except for the line: "Differentiate it somehow. The Al generated words/text will not count as part of the required length of the paper."