Please note: These live learning blogs are posted on the fly, and I am more concerned with capturing information rather than perfecting my writing/proofreading skills. So yes, there might be mistakes, and no, it’s not the next great American novel. We’ll live!

Presenter: Ms. Vickie Swann (American School Foundation of Monterrey)

We started with a very cool activity that is actually a great instructional strategy that we can use in class.

• Everyone got a sticky note and had a few minutes to write what comes to mind when they hear the phrase “middle leader” (in ten words or less).
• Get up and share your sticky notes with others (not who you are already sitting with)
• Share out with the full group something you heard from someone else’s sticky note
• Then actually see the definition and compre the sticky notes to the real definition to see if we were right.
• This was a quick and easy strategy to introduced any new topic in class!

Middle leaders are the boots on the ground moving the mission and vision forward.

You can’t give a teacher leader a title and then say “fly be free.” You can’t use the phrase “distributed leadership” and not mean anything by it.

It means a lot for middle leaders to know that extremely upper management has their back. Admin needs to be a champion/mentor.

Who do you want to sponsor that’s part of your team?

“I’m not walking away until you tell me something positive.” Once they do, “Ok, hold on to that today, and go kick butt in your next class.” Our role as leader is to do this for middle managers who need it – they are in the trenches and the job is hard. Have their back.

Kristen Lowe -positive psychologist. Does a lot of work on positive self talk and getting rid of imposter syndrome.

If you are using positive psychology, you will be happier and more confident, more energy and increased effectiveness, less stress, more resilience, higher self-esteem, develop faster in areas of strength, increased focus and engagement. (Individual benefits)

Team benefits – improved relationships and communication, increased engagements and wellbeing, increased productivity (she changed the slide so I lost the rest).

Kim Cofino (check spelling) – google her

Robin Jackson – drivers

Strength-Spotting Exercise – note, if you are doing something like this, you need sentence steps and there needs to be an opportunity to correct/clarify.

• This is something that can help with imposter syndrome.
• Individually, identify an important object.
• As a small group, share what your object means to you and why.
• Appreciative hypothesizing (positive gossip)
  • Hearing ____ makes me think they are probably good at ____.
• How did it feel to hear others show appreciation? Did anything surprise you? Would you clarify or modify anything?
• How could this reduce or eliminate imposter syndrome? How could this exercise support you as a middle leader?
  • Feels more authentic and specific than the usual “oh you are so great” kind of feedback
  • Telling them “I see you”

Role Clarity – how do we clarify roles and responsibilities??

• Decision making – who will make the decisions?
• Job descriptions – co-created, communicated
• Metacognitive modeling – thinking aloud
• Admin MUST communicated roles and responsibilities to community. This goes back to amplifying the role.

How do you support adult learners in a meaningful way?

If we aren’t supporting adult learners in an intentional way, we are being irresponsible.

When you are leading adults, treat them like adults, but recognize that every person is bringing something different to that space.

Google: Knoster Model

Amazing session- thank you, Vickie!!!!