Humanizing Education: The Principal's Vision for Student Success
Episode Summary
The principal's role in articulating a vision that emphasizes the humanization of the educational experience for every student is of paramount importance. This episode delves into the distinction between merely implementing initiatives and fostering a genuine, relational culture within schools. We engage in a profound discussion that underscores the necessity for principals to support and embody an inclusive environment, one that prioritizes the social and emotional well-being of students alongside their academic development. Our esteemed guests, Dr. Shervita West and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson, share their insights on how effective leadership can transform classrooms into nurturing spaces where every student feels valued and empowered. Ultimately, we assert that the endeavor of education must transcend transactional interactions, evolving into meaningful partnerships that honor student voices and foster a sense of agency.
Additional Notes
The discourse presented in the latest episode of The Wheelhouse rigorously examines the pivotal role of school principals in fostering an educational landscape that prioritizes humanization. At the heart of this discussion lies the assertion that the articulation of a vision aimed at humanizing the classroom environment is paramount, transcending mere implementation of initiatives. The episode features distinguished guests Dr. Shervita West and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson, both renowned for their extensive experience as educational leaders. They provide invaluable insights into how principals can effectively support and embody a vision that ensures every student experiences a nurturing and inclusive environment. The conversation delves into the significance of cultivating relationships within the educational community, emphasizing that the humanization of education is not merely an initiative but a fundamental shift in approach and mindset. Through this lens, the episode articulates a compelling narrative that champions the necessity of relational leadership in transforming educational experiences.
Takeaways:
- Principals must prioritize articulating a clear vision that emphasizes humanizing the educational experience for all students.
- The distinction between living into a vision and merely implementing initiatives is crucial for effective school leadership.
- Creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment requires consistent communication and engagement from school leaders.
- Humanizing educational experiences necessitates honoring student voices and fostering agency, thereby empowering students in their learning journey.
- Effective principals recognize that their leadership is not confined to the office, but is embodied in their daily interactions with staff and students.
- Building relationships with both students and teachers is essential for creating a nurturing atmosphere that promotes growth and success.
Connect with The Wheelhouse!
Are you a like-minded educator who's committed to open doors and unlimited possibilities for each student? We hope you’ll join The Wheelhouse Company.
Follow Students Matter, LLC on Instagram or LinkedIn or any of the four of who are also on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to The Wheelhouse Chronicle on Substack. Michael’s waiting to hear your comments and we’re all excited to continue this conversation with you.
https://thewheelhouse.substack.com
Join the curated community The Wheelhouse Forum only available at Student’s Matter’s very own LearnHarbor.
The Wheelhouse is a production of Students Matter, LLC.
Transcript
What does it mean for a principal to set the stage by articulating the vision that humanizing the classroom environment is the primary goal above all else, what's the difference between living into a way of life versus implementing an initiative?
Speaker A:Let's go there.
Speaker A:A new episode of the Wheelhouse begins right now.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to give us a listen.
Speaker A:Season 10 features a team of four like minded friends and colleagues.
Speaker A:Kathy Mone, Michael Pipa, Dr. Alicia Munro and yours truly.
Speaker A:We've opened the conversation this season to think about empowering educators to cultivate open doors and unlimited possibilities for each student.
Speaker A:The Wheelhouse exists to create an inclusive community of empowered educators who believe that together we can disrupt the transactional hurting nature of schooling.
Speaker A:To create districts, schools and classrooms where each student feels confident, optimistic, capable, well supported and emboldened to be and to become who they're meant to be.
Speaker A:Episodes of the Wheelhouse will explore bodies of knowledge and expertise that align to this vision and and our guiding principles.
Speaker A:Our team and our guests are committed to this fundamental challenge to realize what we want for each student to experience in school.
Speaker A:In this episode, we're going to focus on the first of our four guiding principles and we're going to do this from the perspective of the principal.
Speaker A:We believe that educating our children should be a humanizing, relational and transformational endeavor.
Speaker A:All else is secondary, you know.
Speaker A:Together these three elements shift education from something that is done to students to something that is done with them.
Speaker A:A humanizing educational experience honors student voice as essential wisdom builds self efficacy for students so they believe they matter and can achieve.
Speaker A:And it fosters agency so students experience ownership and empowerment.
Speaker A:Today's special guest, Dr. Shavita west, is a performance coach, a faculty member at ascd, she's the founder of SL West Consulting.
Speaker A:She has dedicated her career to empowering school leaders to build sustainable systems and lead with impact.
Speaker A:Her current research centers on creative spaces to support students sensory sensitivity, especially for boys of color and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson, President of Dawson and Associates.
Speaker A:She too is an instructional leadership coach.
Speaker A:She's the co founder of the Best College Match Foundation.
Speaker A:She's an ASCD faculty member, a curriculum strategist and she works every day advancing innovation and educator growth across K12 classrooms and post secondary pathways.
Speaker A:We want to welcome them both to the Wheelhouse today.
Speaker A:And keep in mind, at the end of the day, what we do for some children is even bigger than cultivating hope or killing dreams.
Speaker A:It's a matter of life and death.
Speaker A:This conversation with the team and with our guests, Dr. West and Dr. Dawson, identifies the actions leaders must take to humanize our classrooms for our students and to humanize our buildings for our teachers.
Speaker A:Listen to the entire episode in the entire conversation.
Speaker A:We've split into two episodes so you can hear all the details together.
Speaker A:Let's ensure open doors and unlimited possibilities for each and every student.
Speaker A:And now, episode seven and a great conversation with our special guests, Dr. Shavita west and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson and our Wheelhouse team, Kathy mone, Michael Piper, Dr. Alicia Monroe and me.
Speaker A:You're not going to want to miss it.
Speaker A:Take a listen.
Speaker A:Good morning.
Speaker A:I'm Grant Chandler and welcome back to the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:This, like I say, every week is a really cool day, but it's really cool because I've got this space is full of my amazing friends and colleagues today as it's just so cool.
Speaker A:So first I want to say welcome back to the Wheelhouse to my team, Michael Pipa and Alicia Monroe.
Speaker A:Good morning.
Speaker B:Good morning.
Speaker A:Cathy Mone is in the throes of the new school return, so she'll be joining us later.
Speaker A:So we'll say good morning to Kathy from afar and I am way excited to welcome back one of our guests from season nine, Dr. Shavita West.
Speaker A:Good morning.
Speaker A:Morning.
Speaker B:Good morning.
Speaker C:Wheelhouse.
Speaker C:Good morning.
Speaker A:I'm so excited to have you back.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:And I have been planning, even though she didn't know I've been planning to have Opal Davis Dawson in the Wheelhouse since the beginning of season nine.
Speaker A:And it finally happens today.
Speaker C:Yay.
Speaker C:I'm so excited.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then, of course, Shavita and Opal are best friends and chums, so who knows where the energy of this amazing duo are going to take us, right?
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:Opal Davis Dawson, welcome to the Wheelhouse.
Speaker C:Hey, everyone.
Speaker C:Thanks for having me.
Speaker A:So excited that you are here.
Speaker A:And I think it's thinking about.
Speaker A:So what do.
Speaker A:When you bring people like Shavita west and Opal Dawson to the Wheelhouse, what do you talk about?
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Well, you have so many things to talk about, but I really want to.
Speaker A:I want to build upon, and I think it's absolutely perfect because both of them are former principals.
Speaker A:They've spent entire careers, you know, leading, leading this work.
Speaker A:And now, because their careers are never over, they're still guiding and coaching and supporting other principals and other leaders who are doing the work.
Speaker A:And as I was thinking about the last couple of episodes and in particular episode 5 with National hall of fame inductee Rich Anya Benny.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And we were talking about, you know, how important it is to humanize the classroom environment.
Speaker A:And, you know, he calls it an all out assault on love, which I just think is really, really cool.
Speaker A:I was thinking, so how can we frame that similar conversation with these geniuses, Opal Davis Dawson and Shavita west, who have done, who've led this work?
Speaker A:And so we're going to talk about that, this humanizing the classroom experience for each and every student, but we're going to talk about it not from the teacher lens, but from the principal lens.
Speaker A:And how do you support that work?
Speaker A:Because humanizing the experience is very different than what we're taught and trained and often compelled to do.
Speaker A:And so what does it look like when leaders recognize that humanizing the classroom space is really important?
Speaker A:So that's where we're going to go today.
Speaker A:And in true wheelhouse fashion, who knows where this conversation is going to take us?
Speaker A:So I'm just going to throw out a question just to get us started in this conversation this morning.
Speaker A:And that question is, how does a leader, a principal, articulate a vision like that that says humanizing the classroom space for each and every one of our students is a primary, number one goal above all else?
Speaker A:So, Shavita, you're nodding your head like you're ready to go, so jump in, jump in.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:I would say first the articulation happens, you know, at the beginning of the year, certainly setting the stage for what?
Speaker B:For what our vision and our mission is for the year.
Speaker B:Always say that.
Speaker B:And it's not, you know, of course my quote is very biblical, but without a vision, the people perish.
Speaker B:You have to have a stated goal in mind of what it looks like, sounds like, feels like in this place of learning from day one.
Speaker B:And not only is that communicated to your staff, but to your school community, that everybody who is associated with that community of learners understands that our goal is to achieve a learning space that is inclusive and supportive, that not only focuses on the academics, but also on the social, emotional well being of our learners and that we are collectively invested into the growth of our students.
Speaker B:And that's consistent.
Speaker B:That's consistent every single day.
Speaker B:It's not only something that you see when you walk into school.
Speaker B:They have those really great visions and mission posters that they hang in schools.
Speaker B:Ironically, some schools never reference it or they don't even know what it says, even though they walk by it every day.
Speaker B:But it becomes a way of life for us.
Speaker B:And then our mission is tied into that.
Speaker B:That is, what are we doing?
Speaker B:What actions are we doing to make sure that this vision comes to life and holding people accountable when they are not working towards the mission, when it's counterproductive, that we have a level of accountability that says, no, that's not.
Speaker B:That's not where we are, and this is what we're doing and getting people on track to follow that.
Speaker C:Well, it's always hard to follow Dr. West, but she always says exactly.
Speaker C:I was over here writing my notes.
Speaker C:I'm thinking, okay, yeah, got that, got that, got that.
Speaker C:So that's good.
Speaker C:Great minds think alike.
Speaker C:I would have to say that, first of all, humanizing classrooms isn't just a program.
Speaker C:It's a posture.
Speaker C:It's how we do school, if that makes sense to you.
Speaker C:It's not just about another initiative.
Speaker C:It's how do we see our students?
Speaker C:How do we see the environment that we're serving them in?
Speaker C:I remember working with my staff and letting them know or asking a simple question, what do we want every child to experience when they walk through the doors?
Speaker C:And by the way, if that was your child walking through the door, what would you expect?
Speaker C:And so I agree with what Dr. West said as far as the vision being in the hallway.
Speaker C:And no one reads it, even though it's really pretty and colorful, but it's how are you living, breathing, eating, if you will, the work that we do in the school, and then being able to make sure that it's carried forward and that it's grounded or the foundation of everything that's to come.
Speaker A:So I love that you said that first.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:That's why I love you.
Speaker A:But living into something is so very different than an initiative.
Speaker A:And sometimes we get.
Speaker A:In most cases, schools are organized, sadly, around initiatives.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So how do you make it really clear to the people that you're leading because you're supporting all of this work happening in all of your classrooms.
Speaker A:How do you differentiate, for them the difference between living into something and it's just an initiative?
Speaker B:For me, one of the things that I used to always say to my staff, it's about people, not programs.
Speaker B:It's about people.
Speaker B:And when we see it about people, you know, children, adults, our families, that we are here to support people.
Speaker B:And I say that from a leadership lens because I feel like that's wide scope for leaders.
Speaker B:Not only do I have to be responsive to the needs of children, but I also have to be responsive to the needs of adults because those adults are serving my children, and I want them to be at full capacity to be able to do so.
Speaker B:And so I feel like when you get stuck in initiatives, you're looking for results.
Speaker B:And when you're dealing with people, that's very uneven.
Speaker B:The results are very uneven because the knees are different.
Speaker B:And so when you're looking at it from a lens of how do I continue to create an environment where that vision is a livable, breathable experience for people?
Speaker B:I have to invest in the people that are doing the work, and that is being present, being present and available as a leader to support teachers.
Speaker B:So when they're having moments in classrooms where it may be a little difficult for them to maintain continuity because children are children, then I'm an ally.
Speaker B:I'm a support to them.
Speaker B:I'm a co teacher, I'm a co supporter, I'm a cheerleader.
Speaker B:I'm whatever they need.
Speaker B:And then I expect that that's modeled for our kids, and I do it for my kids as well.
Speaker A:That's a really profound statement from a principal.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I'm whatever they need.
Speaker A:I mean, I think it's super profound for children, but I don't hear that come from a lot of leaders.
Speaker A:I'm whatever they need.
Speaker C:I personally believe it's all about relationships.
Speaker C:And they are so important that I don't know that anything can be done without having some sort of rapport with those people that you serve.
Speaker C:I see myself as that coach.
Speaker C:I see that person that may be on the sideline, may be in the game with you, may be modeling some things for you.
Speaker C:But what happens in doing that in a leadership role is that the teachers soon become mirrors of what they see, and so they pretty much notice what we notice.
Speaker C:So we notice when something isn't working as far as carrying that vision forward or humanizing our classrooms and our schools.
Speaker C:But what does it look like if we see those things from a lens of this is what is working?
Speaker C:So you start speaking words that encourage teachers, and they know that if it's important for us to do it, by the way, it must be important for them to do it.
Speaker C:Quick example is it was important for me every day, and I know Shavita is the same way to meet and greet every teacher, every student that came in.
Speaker C:So it wasn't just the standing at the counter when they signed in.
Speaker C:It was in the hallway when students were getting off buses.
Speaker C:It was walking around and stopping in, just because we were stopping in, knowing some anecdote about that individual I was visiting or seeing so I could bring it up.
Speaker C:Oh, by the way, I heard that, you know, your pet was sick.
Speaker C:How's, you know, how's that going, whatever it is, it may seem simple to us, but I think that it's important that we take time to make time.
Speaker C:And so in doing that, we're able to make sure that.
Speaker C:And I like that what you said before Grant was how do you make it in the DNA?
Speaker C:So it does become the fabric of how we do business and how we do school, if you will.
Speaker D:What I hear resonating throughout the conversation is servant leadership.
Speaker D:Right?
Speaker D:What is it to serve?
Speaker D:So I hear service humility.
Speaker D:I heard, I heard relationship just from Dr. Dawson.
Speaker D:I heard Dr. West, we do everything.
Speaker D:And then I hear Grant say a lot of leaders that sit in that space detach themselves.
Speaker D:It's almost like they forgot from whence they came.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker D:It's really important that just like we push curriculum forward in classroom and their building blocks, but we have to never forget about the basics.
Speaker D:It's the same way with leadership.
Speaker D:So I'm going to ask, and I did hear your voice, Mike, but I'd like you because I think this is so important to continue to uplift.
Speaker D:What are those effective leadership approaches as we start school year for the 20, 25, 22, 26 year?
Speaker D:I believe a lot of school leaders, it would be helpful for them to understand that they don't have to release their identity because they're sitting in a different seat with a different title, the same effective practices, and we hope that they were effective in a classroom can really be encapsulated and grown as principals in the same spaces that they occupy.
Speaker D:Can we talk about that a little bit?
Speaker D:I really appreciate the conversation, Dr. Dawson and Dr. West.
Speaker C:I can remember coming in and we always lead with our strengths, I believe.
Speaker C:And so because I was naturally a people person, it was easy for me to build that.
Speaker C:And in doing that though, you have to have a certain level of confidence and appreciation for what others needs are.
Speaker C:So not everyone is going to lead in with relationship building or lead in with that other side of the brain to make people feel good about the work because that's not always what they need.
Speaker C:So we kind of lead the way we want to be led as opposed to leading the way others need to be led, if that makes any sense to you.
Speaker C:And so in thinking about that, students have to have voice, they have to have choice, but so do the teachers.
Speaker C:And so if I'm confident in my leadership, then I'm able to truly share the work that has to happen for those that we serve, whether it's students, the community, parents, whomever, and teachers begin to see if not just noise.
Speaker C:It's not just, you know, some words we're throwing at it because it's a great sound bite.
Speaker C:It's about the whole culture again and the fabric of our school.
Speaker C:So just one other thing is I don't believe that we can make a leader be the leader that they're not.
Speaker C:I think that we can show them in coaching the benefits of leading in a way, as I said before, that teachers need to be led.
Speaker C:And as Shavita said, and they're also different.
Speaker C:So, you know, I'm a chameleon as a leader.
Speaker C:I'm going to fit where I need to fit, but still the foundation is there.
Speaker C:So, yeah, that's what I was thinking about Dr. Monroe, as you were talking.
Speaker B:And I think to pair that, being the coach of leaders now and seeing so many different leadership strengths, I'm always to a place with my leadership and Oprah mentioned it first, identifying what their strengths are, what do I do well, and then taking the opportunity to grow in the other leadership capacities that they need to, but also being able to establish a culture where as a coach, and this is a long stretch of a sports analogy, if you will, but I can't coach a game if I don't know the plays.
Speaker B:And you can't sub me in at any time.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I've got to be able to jump in the game with you if I need to, because that to me is what a good coach does.
Speaker B:It's not just about standing on the sidelines shouting plays to you that I myself never run, that I don't know how to run.
Speaker B:And so I try to make sure that my leaders are present if we're doing professional learning, if their staff is doing we're doing professional learning, that we're in the game with them.
Speaker B:If they are struggling with a situation, we are problem solving together.
Speaker B:I'm supporting in that lens.
Speaker B:And I think that it does two things.
Speaker B:One, as Opal says, it shows them that we're in this together, that I'm not just in my office telling you what to do and I'm not invested in what's going on in your classroom.
Speaker B:And two, I think it shows our students that we're present, that we're not just the principal in name.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:That I'm really an active principal and I care about your well being and your success as well.
Speaker B:And I think that that truly gets to the essence of humanizing from a classroom standpoint that not only do I see each class as different, I'm drilling down to students I'm naming, I'm claiming, I'm calling, I'm building that capacity along with that teacher to help that student be successful.
Speaker A:So the work of a principal isn't in the principal's office at all?
Speaker C:Oh, not at all, not at all, not at all.
Speaker C:And as I'm working in schools, that's what that's a big message of.
Speaker C:You can't be an office principal.
Speaker C:And yes, we have paperwork, yes, we have emails, yes, we have fill in the blank.
Speaker C:However, being out in the building is going to make anything that you would do in your office so much better.
Speaker C:And I always encourage sometimes strongly leaders that I work with that they have to know the teachers, the students.
Speaker C:And just like I gave the example earlier of my walking around, then it's important for those leaders to know something about the families that they serve.
Speaker C:So if Dr. Alicia is misbehaving one day and that's kind of out of character, then I.
Speaker C:Sorry for using you as that example, but you know what I mean.
Speaker C:So then I know what's happening at home, or I have a relationship with that family that's strong enough where I can call and say, you know what, this isn't really how it normally works.
Speaker C:This isn't really how they operate.
Speaker C:So what's going on?
Speaker C:So those are other parts of the benefit of being out in the building.
Speaker C:I think sometimes we see it as, okay, I'm going out so I can do an observation.
Speaker C:Well, you can't learn what's going on in a school three times a year, just three times going in, doing this formal observation, it's like that's the summative, as they call it, summative evaluation.
Speaker C:But it's all of the formative checks or understanding, if you will, that happen in between those official ones that really make the difference.
Speaker C:So how do you do it?
Speaker C:Is it easy?
Speaker C:I have so much to do, Opal.
Speaker C:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker C:And then, you know, they want to get bogged down into discipline.
Speaker C:I believe the relationships also address discipline because you know who you're working with.
Speaker B:So and I believe, and just to couple with that, that behavior is communication.
Speaker B:So when we talk about students who are having difficulties, right in classrooms, whether the behavior is typical, are not typical for them, we should have a rapport relationship with that teacher and that family to either problem solve problem, how to de use or de escalate behaviors or to identify that, no, this is not typically what this student does.
Speaker B:That, to me, is where the capacity of relationship building happens is that it's not just me being able to touch point and to call you by your name.
Speaker B:But me, to really know who you are as a learner and to be able to strategize with the adults, the professionals in the building of how we can drill down to meet your needs.
Speaker B:And I think that not only your needs, but also how we can support your family, how we can include your family in this process.
Speaker B:So that where this circle of support for students, I feel like that's the principal's job to coordinate that.
Speaker C:And we used to always say at our school, once a Kennedy cub, always a Kennedy cub.
Speaker C:And we talked about, okay, so what does being a Kennedy cub, which cub was our mascot?
Speaker C:What does that look like, sound like, feel like?
Speaker C:And it was so strong that some people were like, okay, well, that's.
Speaker C:You know, y' all always say that.
Speaker C:Well, yeah, we do, because that's where the family atmosphere comes from.
Speaker C:And I've seen students that are, like, in their 30s or 40s that will say, hey, I'm a Kennedy Club.
Speaker C:Ms. Thompson, do you remember me?
Speaker C:First of all, I'm saying, got a little older, huh?
Speaker C:But.
Speaker C:But that's what it's all about.
Speaker C:That's what it's all about.
Speaker C:And then it's repetitive.
Speaker C:You can't just say it one time.
Speaker C:You have to say it over and over and over again.
Speaker C:And right when you feel like you're a broken record, then you're like, yeah, got it.
Speaker C:That's it.
Speaker C:And you just say it in different ways.
Speaker C:And so, yeah, but it's the gratitude.
Speaker B:You know, And I've said, as Grant mentioned, because we are so close, and we spend a lot of time out in the community together.
Speaker B:And I think.
Speaker B:And I don't know if I've ever said this to you, but I find that one of the most rewarding things is the number of lives we've touched in our community and how families do not hesitate to either come up and say they appreciate the experience that they've had at our respective schools and that, you know, what we've done for their children has been so impactful, and not all of them have been easy at all.
Speaker B:But I think the dynamic of the relationship is the foundational work.
Speaker B:But it's also continuing to cultivate those relationships even after those students are long gone.
Speaker B:And I think that that's so incredible with the work I think we've chosen to do outside of our principal careers.
Speaker B:It has extended to continuing to support our community in a way that's needed in today's time, you know?
Speaker B:So, yeah, kudos.
Speaker B:And if you all didn't know, Opal was my mentor, principal, Everything I learned about leadership, I learned her.
Speaker C:So everything that's great about her is all me.
Speaker C:For the one year that she did an internship.
Speaker C:I would like to say that.
Speaker C:I would just like to say that.
Speaker C:But I think that's a good point, because I think that I was a better leader having led other leaders, if that, you know, and so that's what we also have to model for leaders for principals, whatever the administrative role is, is the importance of building the rapport core with other leaders.
Speaker C:I think the reason some may shy away from the work that really matters is because it's a lonely job.
Speaker C:It is.
Speaker C:Everyone's been a principal.
Speaker C:I mean, it's lonely.
Speaker C:And so it's easy sometimes to stay in the office because you're like, oh, my goodness, I'm trying to figure this out.
Speaker C:This is so much.
Speaker C:I can remember going in my office a couple of times.
Speaker C:Well, probably more than a couple.
Speaker C:And just, like, bawling like, oh, this is heavy.
Speaker C:It's heavy.
Speaker C:And so.
Speaker C:But when you have someone, you can pick up the phone and say, honey, girl, they are tripping over here.
Speaker C:What is really going on?
Speaker B:You know what?
Speaker C:Me too.
Speaker C:And then we brainstorm and strategize together.
Speaker C:Then I walk out, you know, put some water on my face, and keep going.
Speaker C:That's what may be missing.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And it takes time again to.
Speaker C:To be able to make it work.
Speaker B:You know, you said that, and I thought about.
Speaker B:You know, teachers sometimes do that, too.
Speaker B:They stay in their rooms because they consider it to be their safe space.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I'm in this space.
Speaker B:I control the elements of what's going on in this space.
Speaker B:And I don't know if they fully grasp the value of a collaborative community where we can all work together to support our learners and create a safe space, school wide.
Speaker B:And I think that that goes back to the principal's role of creating an atmosphere like that.
Speaker B:You have to create safe spaces for not only your students, but for your teachers as well.
Speaker B:They need to be able to be vulnerable in that space and know that they're not going to be judged or be seen as ineffective.
Speaker B:You know, you gotta love those words on those evaluation tools.
Speaker B:One of the words is ineffective.
Speaker B:And I'm like, okay, a little harsh, but I mean, I'm just saying.
Speaker B:But they have to know that we are constantly in a learning pattern.
Speaker B:You know, we're constantly supporting improvement.
Speaker B:And I say supporting improvement because I think that that is truly what we have to Focus on.
Speaker B:It's the same dynamic that we want them to give to students.
Speaker B:We're not interested in failing students.
Speaker B:We're interested in supporting improvement and figuring.
Speaker C:Out how to make everybody better and letting them have.
Speaker C:I always say, let's get some early wins or look at that low hanging three.
Speaker C:Because once they.
Speaker C:It's like with students learning, once they feel like, oh, my goodness, I can do this, then they want that feeling over and over again.
Speaker C:And so it's the same way with the adults that we serve.
Speaker C:They have to get an early win because then they're like, okay, I have something to build on, so I want just a little bit more.
Speaker C:And what it also does is we can cement that piece of how they feel in that moment in locale memory so that the next time something gets a little tougher, we can say, oh, but remember that time when you.
Speaker C:And so you take them right back and when the success is happening.
Speaker C:And I think about this with my own son.
Speaker C:When it's happening, I always say, so how did that make you feel?
Speaker C:Not how did it make me feel, because I, oh, you know, mom's proud.
Speaker C:I mean, you really walk across the street.
Speaker C:I'm excited.
Speaker C:But the big thing is, how did it make you feel?
Speaker C:What did you think about it?
Speaker C:What did you notice that you did differently this time in order to be successful?
Speaker C:So you kind of have that risk taking that's encouraged through still, I can't say it enough.
Speaker C:Relationship building and then celebrating them.
Speaker C:You know, we take risk.
Speaker C:Yeah, I'll stop there.
Speaker A:Our guests were so amazing.
Speaker A:We split this conversation into two episodes.
Speaker A:So part two with Dr. West and Dr. Dawson drops next week.
Speaker A:But first, let's debrief this conversation with Kathy Mone.
Speaker A:Hey, we are.
Speaker A:I am now sitting in a space with Kathy Moni in the wheelhouse.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the wheelhouse this week, Mrs. Moni.
Speaker E:Hi.
Speaker E:I'm so glad to be back.
Speaker E:I'm sorry I missed being with the panel, but like I said previously, I love that we've done this and that you were just brilliant and thinking we can still be a part of the conversation if our schedules don't allow for us to actually be at that virtual table with everyone.
Speaker E:But it was.
Speaker E:What a great conversation I missed.
Speaker A:You know, I mean, it's always amazing when you have the Wheelhouse team together, but then when you invite people like Shavita west and Opal Davis Dawson to the mix.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And I thought it was really fun to talk to them from that leadership perspective to say, hey, let's Go back and reference this amazing conversation we had with Rich Anyemeni.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Member of the National Teachers hall of Fame, talking about humanizing the classroom.
Speaker A:And, like, what does that mean for principals?
Speaker A:And how do principals support.
Speaker A:And I thought their comments were just, as always, were spot on and genius.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:Well, I thought it was, you know, genius to make that connection and go back to that episode and that conversation with Rich, because, you know, everything that he said, you know, coming from that classroom teacher lens and perspective and all of that, humanizing education, thinking through that as a teacher, it is vital that our building leaders are humanizing that space.
Speaker E:And so that connection and those pieces.
Speaker E:I loved that you made that connection and brought that to the space.
Speaker E:And knowing that, okay, again, not scripted.
Speaker E:Let's have a conversation.
Speaker E:And my goodness, those.
Speaker E:Those women, our guests just.
Speaker E:They had such brilliant things to say.
Speaker A:And they had so much to say that we are gonna split that episode into two pieces.
Speaker A:So finding that great place to end the conversation for the first episode and then to wrap it up in the second.
Speaker A:So we're taking about an hour's worth of content, and we're gonna build that into two sessions, because I think for our listeners, we're.
Speaker A:There's so much there to digest.
Speaker A:And so I think it's really helpful to be able to do that in smaller doses.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:And not rush it.
Speaker E:So be able to really kind of pause.
Speaker E:Take that week to pause and reflect and have conversation.
Speaker E:You know, hopefully, as mentioned in the conversation, you know, the significance of having other people that you're partnering and you're doing the work with.
Speaker E:And so I. I would hope that they are each listening and then say, talking about it and really lifting up some of those key points that they.
Speaker E:They talked about and think, then challenging themselves to think about what.
Speaker E:What does that look like in their space?
Speaker E:What's going on from.
Speaker E:From their perspective and their role and what that looks like.
Speaker E:So I think it would be just a really great professional learning, whether that's, you know, I'm going to do it individually or I'm going to do it with a person or a small group of people.
Speaker E:I just think there's so much that they lifted up to be able to.
Speaker E:To reflect on and to grow from.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Where do you want to start?
Speaker E:Oh, where.
Speaker E:Where do we.
Speaker E:Where do we want to start?
Speaker E:It's the humanizing.
Speaker E:You know, I.
Speaker E:As a former principal myself, I loved.
Speaker E:Absolutely loved being an elementary principal because of the human connections.
Speaker E:And so I was really drawn to what Opal and Shavita were Saying around connecting in relationships and what that looks like from connecting with each of the staff members and each of our students, each of our family members and the significance of that, because it's about supporting everyone.
Speaker E:And it really does take the team to be able to do that.
Speaker E:And knowing that the most precious gifts that families have are they're, they're entrusting us with, as you know, as principals.
Speaker E:And so to know that, believe that in your, in your core and then in turn live that out allows for each of the staff members because it, we can, we can talk specifically about teachers, but it's really about each person in that, in that building can live into that as well.
Speaker E:And so for each student to have the opportunity to be in a safe and loving and nurturing space, they can thrive.
Speaker A:I really liked how both of them kept reiterating over and over again that we cannot create humanizing spaces for children, which is the ultimate goal.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:That's first and foremost the most important.
Speaker A:But we can't do that if we don't create those humanizing spaces for the adults who work in the school and how important it is for principals to know their staff members, each staff member well, and to understand what's going to be the best way to support that staff member moving forward.
Speaker A:And you don't do that.
Speaker A:You don't do that by a casual, you know, and I hate to even pull in the, you know, the whole idea of evaluation.
Speaker A:But this isn't about that.
Speaker A:It's not about two visits a year.
Speaker A:This is about being in those spaces often daily, not for the purpose of casting judgment, but to build that relationship and to see the work and to help build that humanizing relationship and that humanizing experience.
Speaker E:Absolutely.
Speaker E:So that it, it is about support and growth and you.
Speaker E:We can't do that if we don't know the adults in which we're responsible for.
Speaker E:So we're equally responsible for the adults as we are for the students.
Speaker E:The adults choose to be a part of whatever district and building and all of those things.
Speaker E:So how do we honor who they are as human beings?
Speaker E:So that humanizing education.
Speaker E:And if we expect our adults to live into that, we, we have to live into it ourselves as leaders for the adults in which we, which we serve.
Speaker A:Of course, they don't have the entire 60 minute recording memorized, but one of the things that they said at some point, and I hope it's in the first half because I'm going to reference it now for this episode, is that you don't do the work of being a principal in the principal's office.
Speaker E:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:No, there's a, a principle that just has, has gone viral in social media just blowing up simply because he, he's out in, in the building.
Speaker E:And, and to me, it's.
Speaker E:Why, why is everybody so impressed?
Speaker E:I mean, yeah, that's impressive.
Speaker E:That's fantastic.
Speaker E:But that should be the norm.
Speaker E:It shouldn't be this, oh my gosh, look at the.
Speaker E:I mean, he's doing great work.
Speaker E:He's no doubt about it.
Speaker E:But it should be the norm.
Speaker E:You know, I'm, I'm in the midst of reading Simon Sinek's Leaders Eat Last.
Speaker E:You know, supporting a assistant principal.
Speaker E:And one of the quotes in there was that every single employee is someone's son or someone's daughter.
Speaker E:Like a parent, a leader of a company is responsible for their precious lives.
Speaker E:And really thinking about just the same as the student.
Speaker E:How are we as leaders truly treating in that responsibility of the precious lives of the adults that are in our space?
Speaker A:When we were writing powerful Student Care, one of the things we were talking about over and over and over again was not only should students be experiencing the tenets of powerful student care, but every adult in the building should also be experiencing those tenets and should come to believe that they too are distinctive and irreplaceable, as are their peers.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:As are their students.
Speaker A:So it wasn't limited.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Even though the goal was that, you know, because we're schools, the big goal is for students.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But we don't get there without our adults experiencing the same thing.
Speaker E:Exactly.
Speaker A:So, hey, what a great conversation.
Speaker A:What a great way to wrap up the first half of that amazing episode with Shavita west and Opal Davis Dawson.
Speaker A:And I guess I'll see you, Kathy Mone next week.
Speaker A:And that wraps up Season 10, Episode 7 of the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:A special thank you to my guests, Dr. Shavita west and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson and the Wheelhouse team, Kathy Mone, Michael Pipa and Dr. Alicia Monroe.
Speaker A:We're back in the studio next week wrapping up the conversation with these amazing leaders and we can't wait to continue the conversation with you.
Speaker A:We also hope you'll join the Wheelhouse Company.
Speaker A:Are you a like minded educator who's committed to open doors and unlimited possibilities for each student?
Speaker A:Follow Students Matter LLC on Instagram or LinkedIn or any of the four of us who are also individually on LinkedIn as well.
Speaker A:Subscribe to the Wheelhouse Chronicle on Substack.
Speaker A:Michael's waiting to hear your comments.
Speaker A:And we're all super excited to continue this conversation with you.
Speaker A:That's the wheelhouse.substack.com or join the curated community.
Speaker A:The Wheelhouse Forum only available at Students Matters very own learn harbor.
Speaker A:That's learnharbor.thinkific.com the Wheelhouse is a production of Students Matter, LLC.
Speaker A:Our theme's music, Off We Go was written and performed by Cody Martin and obtained through soundstripe.com stop by our website and check out what we offer at www.ourstudentsmatter.org.
Speaker A:together, our goal is to prove to each student and to each teacher that they are both distinctive and irreplaceable.
Speaker A:Until next time.
Speaker A:Remember, we got this.
