EdCamp=Awesome

This weekend I went to my first EdCamp.  The place - Roslyn Heights, New York.  Lovely venue, great networking, wonderful vibe.

If you haven't been to an EdCamp, please find one and go.

Edcamp is place where educators go to share their ideas, thoughts and expertise with other educators in a semi-structured format.  Anyone can present or lead a discussion on a topic of choice and sign up for a time slot to share.  Presenters may or may not have prepared beforehand, it's completely up to them.  Sessions are a place of sharing and learning from each other.  No need to sign up for a session either, you go to the ones you want in part or whole.  What a concept! Going to a professional learning event to learn what you want to learn, ideal.

My take-aways included learning how to make an app and how to transform professional learning for teachers.  To me, that's huge for being there for only a few hours. Definitely time well spent.  Looking forward the next one!

http://edcamp.wikispaces.com

The Importance of Being Prepared

Have you ever been to a meeting or workshop where the presenter was unprepared? Or you thought you were prepared to teach or present at your workshop but you missed some details in your planning, forgotten copies or props? I think we've all been there at some point.

The last couple of days I've been visiting school sites to make sure they are prepared for their little ones to arrive. What I saw was amazing. I can't tell you what a treat it was to walk into classrooms and see how prepared administrators and teachers were to begin their work with their incoming children.  Those little 4-year olds were engaged in activities and structured play right on day one.

Preparing programs, lessons, professional development sessions and workshops take a lot of time and energy, but it's valuable and necessary energy.  Being prepared shows you are invested in what you are teaching or presenting, and that you are passionate about what you do.  Investing your time and sharing your expertise is always worth it when you are educating children and their teachers.

www.mannaexpressonline.com

Building Your Team

Monday was the beginning of a new chapter in my career in education.  I started a new position, working with a growing team on a huge new initiative in New York City schools.  Walking in Monday meant meeting 25-30 new people in one day, not to mention those in other offices that are working on the initiative with us.

Knowing half of our team was new, Monday was planned as a team building day.  We participated in a number of getting-to-know-you activities, ones I'm sure you have also participated in at some point in your careers.

Why are these activities important?  Well, as leaders, taking time to get to know your team both personally and professionally will provide you with information about the strengths of your team players.  These activities will an able you to observe interactions among your team.  This is crucial information in developing a sustainable and productive working environment.  Regardless if most of team is new or not, convening after hiatus is an ideal time to strengthen your team.

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." - Plato

www.malaysia-adventuretours.com

How can you build team relationships and morale when there is so much work to be done in our field?

There are a number of ways.  Here are some:

1. Come into each meeting with a smile and a positive outlook.

2. Greet your team daily by thanking them for their dedication and work.

3. Treat your team as the professionals they are. Give them flexibility in their schedules and trust their judgement. There's a reason you hired them.

4. Surprise your team with treats or lunch on occasion.

5. Check in with your team members by simply asking how they are feeling about what's going on.

6. Establish a culture for sharing feelings.  We are all human.

7. Ask questions that elicit thoughtful conversation, rather than provoke judgement.

8. Take a few minutes once in awhile to participate in a new team building activity together.  

9. Take pleasure in working together as a team. Enjoy the time.  Remember - you share a vision.

These ideas are simple, but you will be surprised how such simple ideas will create a culture of positivity and trust in your team.  It's all about building relationships.