Getting Unstuck #182: Unleashing the Power of a Team of Teacher Leaders
“Change? We started very small to get big. We went slow to go fast. And we clearly used the group to move the group.”
“I thrive on mentoring others to be their best. I love to figure out what each person can bring to the table and then pull the best out of them because isn't that what we all want: to be motivated and inspired to do our very best?
— Principal Michelle Pinchot
Our guest
Michelle Pinchot has been an educator with Garden Grove Unified School District for 24 years. She has worked as a teacher, curricular specialist and principal for the last 12 years. Currently she is the proud principal of Heritage Computer Science Academy, an active coach for CNET(California Network of School Leadership Coaches) and teaches for San Diego State University Educational Leadership Programs.
Why this conversation matters
This interview is part of our “Unstuck” series. These interviews focus on school leaders who are not just getting unstuck, they’re already "unstuck." And by "Unstuck," we mean they are leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership. They’re doing things better, not just differently, not just as part of the most recent fad or trend, but because they want to increase the likelihood that they can achieve desired outcomes on behalf of those they support.
Listen for
√ Why the Computer Science Academy was seen to be needed in Garden Grove
√ Michelle’s main challenge when she became principal
√ How Michelle and her assistant principal sought to unleash their teachers
√ Why it’s important to celebrate achievements
√ How the faculty went from a vision of the “Milky Way” to a “North Star”
√ How the team exercised discipline when “shiny objects” would occasionally pop up
√ How Michelle and her team define student achievement
Effective communication and results come from the collaboration of a community of teams. “The Garden Grove way is working as a team. You never feel alone.”
Referenced
Books
by Michael Fullan
by Patrick Lencioni
by Tim Kanold
The UCLA study
“The 7-38-55 Percent Rule” from
Never Split the Difference p 176
Strong Verbal Skills Matter Now More Than Ever Forbes, August 2020
MTSS
Schools using MTSS seek successful educational and behavioral outcomes for all students, regardless of challenges. This may involve significant interventions for a segment of the student population, with the goal of moving these individuals into reduced interventions as they progress. The flexibility of this framework allows students to move from tier to tier as needed, without prescribed timelines. The elements of MTSS include:
Multiple tiers of instruction, intervention, and support
Includes learning standards and behavioral expectations
Increasing levels of intensity
Problem-solving process
Collaborative and team-based decision making to determine which students need interventions
Data evaluation
Interpretation of data to determine student progress and action steps
Communication and collaboration
Teamwork focused on building relationships and using data to improve those relationships
Capacity building infrastructure
Professional development and coaching along with written plans
Leadership
Active involvement and administration of practices
(Surce: https://www.pbisrewards.com/blog/what-is-mtss/)
Connect with Michelle
Twitter @Mfpinchot
Publications
> Pinchot, M. & Fullan, M. (2021). Testing sustainability: How strong school cultures meet disaster. ASCD Express. [italics] Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol16/num19/testing-sustainability-how-strong-school-cultures-meet-disaster.aspx
> Pinchot M., Weber C., (Spring 2019) “Simplifying RTI at a Title I Elementary School: Using RTI to guide reculturing and restructuring.” All Things PLC pgs. 11-17.
> Fullan M., Pinchot M., (March 2018) “The Fast Track to Sustainable Turnaround. How one principal re-energized a struggling elementary school by focusing on coherence and distributed leadership.” Educational Leadership pgs. 48-54.
> Pinchot M., Weber C., (October 2016) “We’re all in this together: Teacher empowerment and leadership transformation an elementary school community.” JSD pgs. 42-45.
> Dr. Fullan Presents: A Teamwork Approach: Peters Elementary School https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb0Z8UiYe8Q An explicit look into the work at Peters Elementary and Garden Grove Unified School District.
Connect with us
• Subscribe, and consider leaving us a rating and review on
or wherever you pick up your podcasts.
• Follow “Worth a Look, Listen, or Read” on LinkedIn – our new mini-podcast that reinforces key change and innovation concepts to help you get unstuck.
