When It Comes to CFAs: “Just the FACTS, Ma’am”
At the risk of adding another acronym to our field, consider the following when thinking about your CFA: the FACTS. And just the FACTS, ma’am.
At the risk of adding another acronym to our field, consider the following when thinking about your CFA: the FACTS. And just the FACTS, ma’am.
The beauty of the four Critical Questions of a learning team is that they are simple. That doesn’t mean the process is easy, though.
“Don’t do that” were the words out of Rick DuFour’s mouth, more than a decade ago, as I was excitedly and passionately explaining to him how the district I was in was going about our work.
Serving schools around the country as a PLC at Work® associate has been a blessing beyond measure. It is humbling to be accepted as an author.
The challenges of being on a team are many. Going along to get along won’t improve team functioning. Demonstrating care and getting curious about others’ perspectives will.
I love my arms. I can’t imagine living without them.
My heart is also incredibly important. It’s not just important, it’s critical. It is a must have.
The core of building a collaborative environment is in doing the right work. This is where the CIA comes in–and not the kind of covert operation you might be thinking about…
Don’t ask me to collaborate with others. We’re NOT trained to work with other teachers to get better. We are trained to do our thing, in our room, by ourselves, with our kids. End of story.
There’s a saying that my Persian Bahá’í friends share with me: Kam kam, rooz beh rooz. It literally means little by little, day by day. And it says a lot about life, relationships, and our work in schools.