**Weekly Blog
regarding current practices, parental help, student support, personal reflection, school climate, etc.
I did pretty well on this one.(I am not sure on the quality of the blog, but I did receive a lot of feedback from parents) I have kept up during the summer writing 3-4 blogs. This was and continues to be a great way to reflect. I wish all of the teachers and all educators did this and did it honestly.
**Connect with community and parents
Phone at least one parent a week with a positive comment regarding his/her child
This has always been a chore for me to find time to do so. I did much better last year and will continue to have this as a goal for this upcoming year. To hear how proud some parent safe when you call them and let them know their kids are doing a great job, it something that makes it all worth it.
**Newsletter
Develop a monthly newsletter for the community
I send out 6 newsletters so I actually fell short on this one. I did begin putting some information on my blog regarding these.
**PLC development
Be more involved in the individual collaboration times for the departments, give feedback to each collaboration, attend one meeting a week(could be different subjects)
I fell way short on this goal. After sitting back and reflecting on this I didn't spend near enough time helping with the development of the PLC times. I plan on continuing to do so this next year.
2014-2015 Goals
I had a difficult time coming up with these goals for this year. I thought a lot about what I wanted to accomplish but more importantly what I wanted to help others accomplish. I chose 4, measurable and attainable goals. If anyone has any thoughts, suggestions, or comments I appreciate the support as I strive to focus on these 4 items this year:
1. Live out my word for the year-Faithfulness. Post it where I can see it. Let others know of my word for the year. Live it out. (I will expand on this in a future blog. Check out this book: One Word
*Post my word in my office, post it in my car, Post it in my house where I can see it. Finally share it with an accountability group and my staff.
2. Schedule weekly times to visit classrooms- Develop Feedback forms for the teachers that they can read and actually use efficiently.
*I will post a calendar in my office and list times and days each week that are planned out to observe teachers. I will try to keep sacred to these times.
* I will work with teachers and administrators to develop feedback forms and each quarter review and revisit to see how they are working
3. Keep up on my blog to parents and community members(Join an accountability group to help with communication). One blog every 2 weeks. Includes a calendar of events, contact info, etc...
* By joining my accountability team(My PLN will help me through!)
4. Take time each week to write 2 positive notes to staff member. Make 2 positive phone calls to parents each week. This is all about developing relationships and I want to continue to develop strong and personal relationships.
*Again-set a calendar to make sure that I am getting the notes and phone calls each week.
I am looking forward to this year and all is has to offer. I am excited to work with all the kids, staff and parents. I am really excited to continue to connect with my PLN in many different ways this year and grow my relationships throughout the year.
-Jarred
@jfuhrman3932
jfuhrman.blogspot.com
I love how your goals are specific, measurable, and all relate to creating positive relationships with your school community. I know it means the world to me to get a quick note from an admin - or a positive call about my child from a teacher/administrator. Those things create an immediate positive impact. I look forward to seeing how your year goes. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI think you've set some smart goals for yourself, Jared! Here's my feedback: Each evening, reflect on how you represented your One Word, Faithfulness. Quickly, you will think of it in the morning before the day starts. You will also begin to ask yourself if your actions are aligning with your word. This will start to happen throughout the day. Continue to reflect at night.
ReplyDeleteI use an electronic form when visiting classrooms. I can email it to teachers before I even leave the room, and cc myself. Very handy! One of our tech guys created a template and I use the app "PDF Forms" on my iPad.
Set aside a day to make the positive connections. One principal I know calls it her "Five on Friday," where she makes 5 positive phone calls home. How fun to make notes throughout the week of catching kids doing the right thing then getting to call home on Friday.
I put EVERYTHING on my electronic calendar (I still use Outlook, will be migrating to Google). From reminders to followup with students/teachers, to time for walkthroughs, to twitter chats, to meetings. I check it each day to see what's up for the week, the next day, and that day.
You are such a positive person and an encourager! Good luck with your goals this year! I can't wait to see where our tribe takes us!
Jennifer
Thanks Jennifer- I'm going to really focus on my word for the year, thanks for the ideas. Going to check out the PDF forms app and I have already sent some ideas to the superintendent regarding our feedback forms and he liked the idea. For me, sometimes I like the good old handwritten calendars. Kinda silly, but works for me---Thanks for the encouragement and I look forward to learning so much more from you.
DeleteJared, what a great post. I like the format of it and know it will help me reflect on my own goals. I will be working on similar ones too...funny how that works out. Need to make sure people know how much they matter --- kids and adults. I love the idea Jenn has above (and may very well steal). As for feedback and walkthrus, I am hoping to do the same. Thinking there has to be a google form out there for me to tweak. :) I am excited about adding your blog to my must read list. All the best!
ReplyDeleteI really like your goals! I especially like the blog idea, what a great way to share the great things going on in your school with the community. I wonder if there is a way to make that interactive sometimes, maybe by including a poll sometimes. I also like how you are committed to making positive contacts. I am doing that myself, I am going to schedule time in my calendar to do exactly that. I know if I do not schedule it, it may get pushed aside, and like you I realize how important it is. I am looking forward to reading your thoughts this year. Great job!
ReplyDeleteA poll? Great idea! I have thought about also maybe doing an electronic blog one time-Maybe send out a video or use a poll to judge something. What I really need to do is probably work on my website and keep improving it. Thanks for the heads up!
DeleteI like your goals! Communication and relationship building are so important! Recognizing and fostering the strengths of staff members is my No. 1 goal for this year and your post has reminded me of some things I need to do weekly to make that goal a reality. I think your goals will help you focus on what is truly meaningful when you are tempted (if you are like me) to become adversarial in those situations when you need to be the calm reasoning voice your staff needs. Great post! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Jarred! Like the comments above, your honesty and transparency is evident. Recognizing your shortcomings and setting a path toward achieving all your goals for this coming year is vital. Also, remember that just like we tell our students, failure is to be expected. It's all a part of getting better! You are well on your way to being awesome!
ReplyDeleteAgain, nicely done!
Craig
Thanks Craig! I have always learned that if you have the right mindset that failure is the beginning step of learning. Many times you have to fail to get better.
DeleteI like how your goals centered on YOU rather than on your school and your faculty/staff/students. BUT, when you take care of yourself and your goals, then your school and your faculty/staff/ students will all reap the benefits. That is what it is all about!!!
ReplyDelete