Learning Once A Year

For one week in June each year, administrators from all across the great state of Texas converge on Austin.  We are all here for the same reason, to learn.  There are three fantastic associations that host some of the greatest principals in America during this week.  Texas School Administrators Legal Digest, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP), and Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA).   The learning has been top notch and all of the participants have had plenty of sessions and presenters that are able to push their thinking about schools and what’s best for kids.  Want to see what I am talking about?  Click the links below:
 
#SW2017
#TEPSA17
#TXEDLAW
 
As these sessions begin to wind down over the course of this afternoon and tomorrow I challenge you to think about the following:
 

1. What are your big take aways?
2. Who did you connect with that will help challenge you and support your growth?
3. How will you take this work back to your campus to support your kids and your staff?

 
I think that all of these are questions that we ask ourselves after each professional learning session.  If you do not ask yourself these questions… what are you doing this for, I mean really?  Just a vacation?  Not cool.
 
Those questions are great but here is where I want you to really focus:
 

1. How do you structure your professional learning so that it’s not just once a year learning?
2. How do you help your teachers to have learning that is not just once a year?

 
Would we accept our students only learning once a year?  Heck no!  Why do we accept that for ourselves and for our teachers?
 
Think about that.
 
As my friend Jimmy Casas says, we must model the way in all that we do.  One place to begin is with learning.  Not just our students’ learning, but our learning.  The great thing is that we can strive for tomorrow, today. Each day is a new shot at personal excellence. Thanks for sharing your learning and leading the way Jimmy.
 
Think. Achieve. Succeed.
 
Jeff

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