#ListenUp
Kansas Principals Association
Sharing school administration stories from across the great state of Kansas!
Podcasts
As a content creator and guest on multiple podcasts, you can learn and grow through multiple listening options!
Principal Matters Podcast
Bridging Academic Gaps
Trevor Goertzen was recognized in 2020 as a National Digital Principal of the Year. He currently serves as the Principal of Spring Hill Middle School in Spring Hill, Kansas, and is an adjunct professor of Educational Technology for Harding University. Trevor recognizes the personal impact that technology can provide by bridging academic and social gaps in his students, staff and community when leveraged correctly and intentionally. He works to provide a learning focus for his building by supporting students of all backgrounds and needs.
Jethro Jones -
Curriculum Audits
Communication director of Kansas Principal Association.
Teachers in emergency learning environment.
Didn’t have a way to ensure learning was taking place.
You asked, we answered session in the summer focusing on best practices for learning in a pandemic.
August planning to support good remote learning.
Extra 12 days of professional development. And COVID precautions.
High Yielding Remote practices.
Prioritizing content standards
Integrating past content. Flashback flash forward.
What we didn’t want to do is front load all the work for the kids. Just in time learning.
Technology training and professional training
It’s not the way people thought it was going to be done.
Specific questions to help teachers articulate the challenges they were facing.
What support can we provide?
How to help teachers articulate their feelings.
Gave questions a few days in advance to help them be prepared.
Met with 20 teachers over the course of a week.
Worried about specific kids.
It’s really hard to support kids that are around. Kids aren’t retaining it as well as they could.
Got leadership together and asked what makes sense going forward?
Allowed them time to talk about kids.
Go slow to go fast.
Pivoted this week to prioritize what teachers were doing.
Give them time to talk with each other.
The things you would have done, you’re not even thinking about right now.
I just miss kids talking.
Prioritize their standards.
Make it a culture week.
Giving people time to be honest and talk.
We’ve got to find a way to create opportunities for people to have fun with each other.
How to be a transformative principal? Reach out to a colleague that you haven’t spoken to in a while and connect with them.
