“We suspect that the best kept secret of successful leaders is love: Being in love with leading, with the people who do the work, with what the organizations produce and those who honor the organization by using its work. Leadership is an affair of the heart, not the head.”
‐The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner
Love is the willingness to selflessly give of ourselves to a greater outcome. It's this love that drives problem-solving, communication, relationships, and decision-making in schools every day. When I began my career as a high school principal, I knew this for sure: I loved my school. I loved everything about it: I loved the staff, the students, and the community, and I was in love with the mission. I’ve always believed that there is a transformational power in education, that one experience could change the trajectory of a person’s life. Education opens doors and minds. Some would call that idealism, but that’s what schools deal in. We deal in Hope and Love every single day.
I began my tenure mid-year in a school that had experienced significant leadership turnover. There were trust issues and a lack of cohesion, and we just earned a D letter grade from the state. There was some work to do. As much as I loved our school, I was reminded of some words of wisdom I received from my father-in-law when I was young and newly married. He said, “Mija, love don’t pay the rent.” At the time, I wasn’t sure exactly what he meant, but as an older and (hopefully) wiser person, it makes perfect sense. Love is the easy part. Positive outcomes take work.
Love shows up in the plans we make and the actions we take. A big act of love for our students and teachers was becoming an AVID school. We also implemented Power Hour, Advisory, Professional Learning Communities, and common formative assessments. Each of these initiatives could not survive on love alone, so we got busy planning.
Set a clear vision and dream big! Sometimes you can get caught up in the ghosts of administration past. Focus on the future and don’t allow tradition to stifle creativity. Set up a Guiding Coalition/Site Team and get to dreaming! Throw it all on the table; the next steps become clear organically through discussion and planning.
Communicate and include. New programs, ideologies, or structures can cause anxiety. Allowing your team members to be part of the discussions through committees and town hall style sessions can help. Transparency is key. Some will be excited and some will be compliant, but everyone should feel informed.
Brainstorm, plan, and provide the necessary training for your team. Set them up for success by ensuring they have what they need to be successful. Excitement goes a long way but can easily fizzle if frustration sets in. Take the time to train meaningfully and succinctly.
Execute the plan, assess, and evaluate. Monitor and adjust. Sometimes, you have to try new approaches and not all of them are successful. Growth mindset for adults is important and in the words of Pitbull, “There is no failure, only opportunities.” Continuous improvement is the goal and each year you may be making adjustments and trying different approaches, because that’s what you do when you love something.
Celebrate your accomplishments. Show appreciation for your staff and practice self-care. The journey is not always easy but love and a well-crafted map can get you to your destination.
“Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration—of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. It is an attitude, not a routine.”
-Lance Secretan
Strategy Share: Basic Planning Template
AVID – Path to National Demonstration School Planning
| INSTRUCTION promotes: WICOR® Strategies, 21st Century Skills, Student Leadership Skills, Goal-Setting/ Monitoring, Rigor for All |
SYSTEMS support: AVID Site/District Teams, Professional Learning, Secondary AVID Elective Classes, Equity and Access to Rigorous Courses, Data Collection and Analysis |
CULTURE fosters: |
LEADERSHIP ensures: Strategic Planning, Modeling of Expectations, College Readiness, Mission and Vision, Career Readiness, Distributed Leadership Approach |
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| Schoolwide Instruction How do you ensure that AVID Strategies, other best instructional practices, and 21st century tools are utilized to facilitate college readiness in students? |
Schoolwide Systems In what ways are systems and initiatives aligned to promote college readiness and high expectations for all students? |
Schoolwide Culture How are you intentionally building in the AVID philosophy (mission) to shift beliefs and behaviors so that more students are ready for college and beyond? |
Schoolwide Leadership In what ways are college readiness and high expectations for all students promoted and communicated throughout the school? |
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| Spring 2020 | Develop instructional framework Develop “Big 5” for new teachers Culturally Relevant Teaching Strategies Gifted and Talented Area AVID Weekly Resource |
Meet with Site Team monthly starting in January AVID Student Selection – current and incoming – recruitment and selection CCI with Admin Team and Site Team Pathways – New Teachers AVID Plan for New Teachers Summer Institute/Pathways – A Team |
Standardization of classroom practices (late policy, grading policy, grading weights, extra credit policy, syllabus format, teacher websites) ACT for all juniors |
Development of Model Classroom Process |
| Fall 2020 | Implementation of AVID instructional framework New Teacher On-Boarding Plan with “Big 5” Phone Scripts for Teachers for beginning of the year and when there is an issue |
PD – AVID Overview, WICORizing, Focused Note-taking (Year One Teacher) Strategic group to National Conference Seven sections of AVID (2 first-year, 2 sophomores, 2 junior, 1 senior) Explore additional DE and college class opportunities |
AVID Visuals Intentional AVID School Identity for students, parents and faculty/staff Pre-Service – Equity – Culturally Relevant Teaching |
Introduction of AVID Model Classroom |
| Spring 2021 | Develop Mingus AVID crosswalk with Danielson to develop walk-through instrument | Implement AVID Student Site Team | Superintendent and Site Leadership team – National Demo School and an AVID Training Mingus AVID SI – 1 Day – Summer 2021 Opening Session - Video and Student Panel, Mingus AVID Swag Morning Break-out Sessions – Focused Note-Taking Lunch – Keynote Afternoon Break-out Sessions |
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| Fall 2021 | Full accountability for AVID Instructional Framework | Begin process for HS Grad requirements – 2-year world language for implementation in Fall 2022 Look at implanting Middle School to HS bridge program – Gifted Track, Math/English Track, ELL Track for implementation Summer 2022 |
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| Spring 2022 | Secure funding source for aiding students in summer bridge or summer college programs | Begin application process for National Demo School | ||
| Fall 2022 |
AVID Professional Development Plan for Teachers Template
| Teacher Name | Summer Institute | Path Training | Visit National Demonstration | School Provided Modules | Other |
Did you enjoy this article? Review AVID’s Site Leaders blog archive for more great content and advice from AVID Principals.