What Excellence In Teaching and Learning Means to Me

The North Carolina Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year were asked to share the meaning of excellence in teaching and learning during a session at the Collaborative Conference on Student Achievement in Greensboro, NC. Here is what I shared. 

As I reflected on what excellence in teaching and learning means to me, I couldn’t help but think of the many educators I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years. We all had one thing in common and that was to give every child we served a great education. A great education is key to our children reaching their goals and aspirations in life. And I believe this can happen for all children if we set the right learning conditions in classrooms across our great state. Excellence in teaching and learning requires the right educational conditions to be set daily by teachers and principals. Setting these conditions is no easy task as you all know, but committed school leadership understands that it is our duty and moral obligation to ensure all children receive a high-quality education.

How does a leader set these conditions? Well, a great leader sets the bar high and maintains a standard of excellence through establishing a clear mission and goals. Excuses are unacceptable, non-negotiables are established, and accountability means “responsibility” to those who around us, not a consequence for poor performance. School leaders are responsible for hiring great teachers; who are committed to teaching children, and while teaching them, they love them. Loving them through all of the challenges and problems they face on a daily basis. Allowing them to extend their curiosity beyond printed text in a book and the four walls in a classroom, to discovering knowledge on their own. I’ve always believed in students learning through discovery. Discovery is “learning by doing” and engaging in problem-solving. When children are able to explore their own curiosities, the world around them comes alive—learning truly becomes personalized.

Excellence in teaching and learning consists of professional learning communities in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. The PLC process is a powerful tool for educators. I have seen this process take a school that was in school improvement for nearly ten years to a school that is now producing high outcomes for students which has given teachers confidence in their work. What does it mean to be a part of a professional learning community? It means our work is intentional. It is a collective commitment to establishing results-oriented goals to use as markers of progress.

To be intentional is to have well-defined learning objectives, utilize researched-based instructional strategies that are aligned with learning objectives in order to help children reach their goal, and consistent progress monitoring by way of assessing for the purpose of continuous improvement. Being intentional in this manner establishes excellence in teaching and learning. Why? Because we are able to clearly articulate the method to our madness. As principals, asking our teachers why they use a particular instructional strategy or why are certain rules, expectations and procedures are in place; pave the road to teaching and learning.

Professional learning communities is also a commitment to continuous improvement. We maintain this commitment by asking ourselves four questions and remaining focused on 3 things--4Q3T: 1. Are we teaching the right things? Are we teaching them the right way? 3. How do we know our students are learning? and 4. What are we doing for those who are not learning? In addition to those questions, Professional learning communities help us focus on 3 things: children, leadership and results. In reality, PLC’s are about the adults sitting around the table. Sometimes we believe PLC’s are only about reviewing data to see if our students are learning, and, yes, that is a part of what we do. But in actuality, it is about our own learning as school leaders and teachers. How do the conversations about our children change us? How does it change how we approach teaching a new concept or building upon known information? How does it change how we reteach utilizing new instructional strategies? How does it change what we ultimately believe about our children? PLC’s should help us embrace the wide belief that all children can learn. And, they can learn if we set the right conditions.

I also believe that excellence in teaching and learning is about inspiration. Inspiration is not just a “good feeling.” Inspiration was the reason the Berlin Wall was torn down, inspiration led to the civil rights movement in America, and as a young girl, Malala Yousafzai defied the Taliban in Pakistan and demanded that girls be allowed to receive an education. And because Malala was truly inspired, she still continues in her commitment for supporting education for girls around the world. Malala considers herself to be a “global” teacher.

Those are a few examples of how one’s inspiration led to change. So how will you show you have been inspired? How will you show your motivation? How will you motivate and inspire your students to impact the world in a positive way? Genuine inspiration comes from deep inside, it speaks loud, it speaks boldly and it speaks without fear. Imagine how we could impact public school education across North Carolina if we allowed our own positive inspiration to lead the way by voicing our opinions in educational policy! I am committed to using my voice to make a positive difference for all of our children in North Carolina.

Policy also has its place in excellence in teaching and learning. The North Carolina Public School Forum understands what Excellence in Teaching and Learning means. They released an annual publication highlighting the TOP 10 Education Issues. We focus our attention on 5 of the top 10 that we believe are paramount.

1. Direct adequate resources to public school, teachers and leaders.
   -return funds for Professional Development
   -invest in training great principals (great principals produce, great teachers)
   -encourage legislation to be written that lifts/value our public schools,
    not harm them

2. Transform the profession to make NC a teaching destination again.
    -pay teachers and principals well
    -provide opportunities for teachers to advance without leaving the classroom
    -respect the profession itself, value the work of principals and teachers

3. Elevate Race as a Focal Point of Public Education
    -recruit and retain more teachers of color
    -understand that it is not only about access to education but how we serve students
     daily. People can have access but practices still remain inequitable. Do you believe
     all children can learn? It’s about good pedagogy.

4. Support the state’s struggling schools.
    -the letter grade system does not produce results; so use it as a motivator; less
      punitive measures by state and feds.
    -rethink low-performing identification and invest in funding our low
     performing schools. Low performing schools need more resources
    -craft policy to attract, recruit and retain great leaders at high-needs schools

5. Maintain high standards for North Carolina.
    -maintain the Common Core State Standards
    -listen to the input of educators on how to tweak the standards and engage in
     discussion regarding the professional development needed surrounding the
     standards.

So if excellence in teaching and learning means,

directing adequate resources to our public schools, teachers and leaders,
transforming the profession to make NC a teaching destination again,
elevating race as a focal point of public education,
supporting our state’s struggling schools,
maintaining high learning standards for North Carolina,

then, North Carolina we must be excellent!

And that’s what excellence in teaching and learning means to me!

2015-2016 Welcome Back Message!

Greetings, colleagues! I hope you enjoyed your summer!

Across the state, school has begun and our students have returned to us with much excitement and anticipation. We share in their excitement about returning to school as we prepare to provide each of them with high-quality instruction.

Despite the many challenges we are facing in public education, particularly in North Carolina, it is critical as school leaders we continue to keep the best interests of our students at the forefront of our decision-making. Remaining in constant contact with our legislators about how their decision-making impacts schools is necessary more now than ever.

I would like to challenge you to do four things to make this a successful year:

1. Tell everyone you meet how proud you are to be an educator in North Carolina public schools.

2. Showcase the wonderful things you are doing in your schools to educate children.

3. Treat your teachers extra special and keep them motivated by reminding them that their work is valued and they are appreciated.

4. Lastly, remember that despite the odds that seem stacked against us, you are making a difference!

The days ahead of us are full and bright! Have a great 2015-16 school year!

Take Time to Enjoy Today

May 1, 2015, 6:00 a.m. I wake up staring at the ceiling in my hotel. Shortly thereafter, a message comes to my phone and it reads, “Take time to enjoy today.” My family and I arrive at the beautiful Umstead Hotel in Raleigh, where I am rushed to several locations for photo opts and met by sponsors. As overwhelming as it seemed, in the back of my mind I repeated to myself at least a million times, “Take time to enjoy today.” I soon began to relish each and every moment.

The clock continued to tick and after several speakers, it was time for the announcement. The representative from Wells Fargo bank mounted the platform and begins to read about the new NC Principal of the Year. As she read, my heart must have skipped several beats, my legs where shaking, my mind faded in and out, then in a flash of a moment when I faded back in, I heard....the Wells Fargo 2015 Principal of the Year is, Mr. Steve M. Lassiter, Jr.! Oh, Em, Gee! Me? The room erupted into applause while there was no dry eye at my table. I make my way to the platform and I begin to speak.

3 months later and I am still humbled by this award. Shifting attention away from myself to speaking on behalf of all principals across the state of North Carolina and advocating for all children in North Carolina Public Schools for the next year will be my sole responsibility and I do not take it lightly. It is a privilege to serve in this capacity. Since my selection, I have had the wonderful opportunity to speak across our state to school leaders, new teachers, and state representatives.  At each engagement, I share how proud I am to be a North Carolina Public Schools educator.

Lastly, I’d like to dedicate this post to the Wells Fargo 2014 North Carolina Principal of the Year, Dr. Carrie Tulbert. Carrie has been a role model, friend, and listener as I’ve tried to find balance in my role as NCPOY and as a building level principal. Her advice has been full of wisdom and she has availed her time and ears to aid me in transitioning in this role.  For that, I am grateful. Thank you, Dr. Tulbert!

To all of you, “Take time to enjoy today!”