"Transition" from People who Work Together to Family
When I got my start in school administration, I was an assistant principal in a Catholic high school where our principal had a great idea. Each day at approximately a half hour before the first bell would ring, she would get on the intercom and invite any faculty and staff in the building to pray, if they desired...and most of them did.
We would gather in a circle outside our library and the principal would invite people, voluntarily, to share what they wished to pray for. Some days, no one participated in this part; on these days, the principal would just launch into a prayer with which we were familiar. However, on most days, we would have gobs of participation. People would share good news about children and grandchildren, they would pray for students who needed extra help, and they would share challenging stories that had caused them stress heading into the day. As you can imagine, it was easy to grow close to these people. When people open up and let you know what is really going on in their lives, you're no longer just people who work together...you become family.
When I became a principal, in a different Catholic school building, I took this practice with me. At that school, we were living in a challenging time where we were trying to become a 1:1 technology school, and I was pushing the faculty to re-examine grading and reporting practices. In short, I was the source of a great deal of pushing and stress. At times, I felt like I was working 20 hours a day, trying to see through the vision I had for the school. I know that I did not stop and appreciate the people around me often enough. However, one thing I did do well in regards to relationships and culture was to continue this prayer circle. Each morning, I had the chance to really know the amazing people who came to my building each day.
After moving back into the public school system, I found myself yearning for this same connection with the people around me...however, I could not easily invite others to join me for a prayer in front of the Library each morning. This is when I recognized one of the powers of the NSRF "Transitions" Protocol.
Transitions is a simple activity that NSRF uses to begin collaborative team meetings and trainings. In the protocol, approximately seven minutes is put on a clock and the floor is open for anyone to speak. However, a person cannot speak more than once, at least in the first five minutes. This way, it cannot turn into a back and forth conversation between two people, put on display for others to see. The book publishes its "rules" like this...
Importantly, this protocol is perfect for beginning collaborative team meetings. If your team meets before school, people need time to move their minds into a place where they can effectively contribute to a team conversation; they are still waking up! If your team meets after school, teachers need time to put-away the stress that comes with having students all day. Transitions allows people to unpack stress and to free the mind to engage in professional conversation. My collaborative teams have usually had a lot of participation in this activity. However, every once in a while, the group is a little more quiet. Those bouts of silence are just as valuable as my team gets itself ready to transition from the stress of prior moments into what I hope is an uplifting and powerful discussion about student learning. I also am familiar with many teachers who use this protocol to begin classes and coaches who have used this to prepare a team for an important team discussion. It's so simple, yet so invaluable.
With that in mind, I believe Transitions is also a way that schools can engage teachers and encourage them to interact prior to beginning a school day. Could your school invite teachers to gather in front of its library a half hour before the first bell? Would teachers and administrators benefit from knowing the joys, stresses, and challenges circling in the minds of one another? My experience with prayer and with the Transitions protocol tells me they would. My experience tells me that this could be a powerful way to remind employees that we are more than people who simply work together; we are a family.
We would gather in a circle outside our library and the principal would invite people, voluntarily, to share what they wished to pray for. Some days, no one participated in this part; on these days, the principal would just launch into a prayer with which we were familiar. However, on most days, we would have gobs of participation. People would share good news about children and grandchildren, they would pray for students who needed extra help, and they would share challenging stories that had caused them stress heading into the day. As you can imagine, it was easy to grow close to these people. When people open up and let you know what is really going on in their lives, you're no longer just people who work together...you become family.
When I became a principal, in a different Catholic school building, I took this practice with me. At that school, we were living in a challenging time where we were trying to become a 1:1 technology school, and I was pushing the faculty to re-examine grading and reporting practices. In short, I was the source of a great deal of pushing and stress. At times, I felt like I was working 20 hours a day, trying to see through the vision I had for the school. I know that I did not stop and appreciate the people around me often enough. However, one thing I did do well in regards to relationships and culture was to continue this prayer circle. Each morning, I had the chance to really know the amazing people who came to my building each day.
After moving back into the public school system, I found myself yearning for this same connection with the people around me...however, I could not easily invite others to join me for a prayer in front of the Library each morning. This is when I recognized one of the powers of the NSRF "Transitions" Protocol.
Transitions is a simple activity that NSRF uses to begin collaborative team meetings and trainings. In the protocol, approximately seven minutes is put on a clock and the floor is open for anyone to speak. However, a person cannot speak more than once, at least in the first five minutes. This way, it cannot turn into a back and forth conversation between two people, put on display for others to see. The book publishes its "rules" like this...
Importantly, this protocol is perfect for beginning collaborative team meetings. If your team meets before school, people need time to move their minds into a place where they can effectively contribute to a team conversation; they are still waking up! If your team meets after school, teachers need time to put-away the stress that comes with having students all day. Transitions allows people to unpack stress and to free the mind to engage in professional conversation. My collaborative teams have usually had a lot of participation in this activity. However, every once in a while, the group is a little more quiet. Those bouts of silence are just as valuable as my team gets itself ready to transition from the stress of prior moments into what I hope is an uplifting and powerful discussion about student learning. I also am familiar with many teachers who use this protocol to begin classes and coaches who have used this to prepare a team for an important team discussion. It's so simple, yet so invaluable.
With that in mind, I believe Transitions is also a way that schools can engage teachers and encourage them to interact prior to beginning a school day. Could your school invite teachers to gather in front of its library a half hour before the first bell? Would teachers and administrators benefit from knowing the joys, stresses, and challenges circling in the minds of one another? My experience with prayer and with the Transitions protocol tells me they would. My experience tells me that this could be a powerful way to remind employees that we are more than people who simply work together; we are a family.
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