Lisa Thorington is the Instructional Partner at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary in the Huntsville City Schools. We have her permission to share this summary reflection on her first year of participation in the Alabama Instructional Partners Pilot.
By Lisa Thorington
The 2012-2013 school year was full of trials and tribulations, accomplishments and celebrations, but after taking some time to reflect I am in awe of how far we have come as a school, and I truly believe it is due in large part of becoming a part of the Instructional Partnership Pilot facilitated by the A+ Best Practices Center and supported by leaders at the State Department of Education.
Being a part of this pilot not only helped me grow professionally but personally as well.
Last year about this time we attended our first IP Retreat as participants in Cohort 2. We had so many questions: What does it mean to shift from a Reading Coach to an Instructional Partner? What does becoming an Impact School really mean? Is this another “program” that we are going to have to figure out how to fit into what we are already trying to do?
After about the first 15 minutes listening to the Cohort 1 IPs in the “Fishbowl,” we knew we were getting the opportunity to be a part of something that had the possibility to change our school. This was the statement that confirmed my thinking: The IPP is not a program to replace any other program or practice. It’s a school transformation through partnerships.
To do this work and to sincerely become a “partner,” I had to take a hard look at myself: the way I interacted with my peers and how I was perceived by my peers. How was I going to shift from the fixer to a supporter? How was I going to become a better listener? How was I going to take the time to build relationships? How was I going to earn respect and trust? How do you give teachers voice and choice?
I had to make a commitment to the partnership principles and trust in the motto, “you have to go slow to go fast”.
The hard work and reflection paid off. We began to see a shift to a culture of teacher learning and collaboration through development of effective teams. We started to see the primary focus shift to student learning. We started to see people open up and begin to trust our intentions.
It wasn’t always easy, and sometimes it felt like we took three steps forward then two steps back. But we understand this is a process. We know we still have a lot of work to do; continuing to refine our focus, gaining a deeper understanding of high impact instruction, growing more leaders.
What’s next
We are hopeful that shifting from walk-throughs to Instructional Rounds will help us understand the instructional core and how teaching, learning and content are all interwoven. We are thinking about how we are going to develop our one-page target to get the laser-like focus we want. We are continuing to make relationship building a primary emphasis so that everyone knows we are in this together and we all have each other’s back.
I know there are many areas where I need grow too. I’m taking the opportunity this summer to catch up on some professional reading that will help me deepen my understanding of how leaders are developed, how college and career ready standards are woven together, and how to make the Instructional Rounds process most effective. I want to continue to use the Instructional Partners online NING community to connect and learn.
Last but not least I’m going to take the time to enjoy my family, relax and recharge!
I’ve learned so much
I have learned so much this year about myself, about adult learning and the impact it can have on student learning. I have thought about this a lot since our retreat, and I feel like everyone should have the opportunity to have this professional experience and be a part of something so transformational and empowering. Is it possible to start the shift of transforming all schools through partnerships? I believe in this work and don’t think we can wait.
I couldn’t have done any of this without our principal Jennifer Douthit’s leadership and support. She is an amazing instructional leader and I thank my lucky stars every day that I get to work for her!
The knowledge and wisdom of the ABPC staff — Cathy Gassenheimer, Jackie Walsh and Alyson Carpenter — never ceases to amaze me. I have learned so much and appreciate all their words of encouragement, the questions they posed to make me reflect more deeply and their constant commitment to this work. I will reiterate what I heard someone say at our recent retreat: “I’ve never been more proud to be a part of something that is truly going to change the face of education.”
I do feel like the stars are aligned for us, so to speak. We have a state superintendent, a local superintendent and a principal – all with vision, initiative and understanding of what it is going to take for ALL students to receive the quality education they deserve.
