Posts by Frances Shuster, PCC, M. Ed.
Batting Practice Before the Big Game
It’s here! The new beginning that has been so long in the planning, based on reflections of successes and things we wish had gone differently. Planning that is based on test scores, school and district ratings, perceptions, innovations, gaps, relationships, personal leadership goals, and numerous other factors. As you reflect on the ideas presented in…
Read MoreGames Aren’t Won on Game Day
Last summer, Reba and Frances traveled to El Campo, Texas to facilitate the Leadership Coaching for High Performance seminar for administrators and instructional coaches in the El Campo school district. As we began, Reba told the story of George (Shotgun) Shuba. He played 7 seasons for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was on the 1955 World…
Read MoreCreating Insight via Moments
Moments of insight offer the opportunity for realizations and transformations. In coaching, paraphrases that reframe or questions that challenge offer moments of potential realization and transformation. In addition, coach leaders may create experiences or situations that cause others to “trip over the truth” (Chip and Dan Heath, 2017). Here is an example of a created…
Read MoreCelebrate Significant Moments
The approaching end of a school year holds numerous opportunities for celebrations large and small. Last week I had the opportunity to witness a celebration of graduating seniors and significant teachers and mentors in their lives. The event, Evening with the Stars, was sponsored by Flower Mound High School in the Lewisville Independent School District.…
Read MoreThe Mindset of Presuming Positive Intent: From Head to Heart to Actions
Twitter Chat April 16, 2018 8:00-9:00 PM Central #LISDchat Imagine that you have the ability to observe yourself as you go about your work. What do you notice about the way you interact with others? What language and attitudes are you demonstrating? How do your language and actions represent the mindset you have intentionally cultivated…
Read MoreSignificant Moments that Lead to Long-Term Change
Chip and Dan Heath’s new book, The Power of Moments, offers four elements that are present in memorable or defining moments in our lives and work. Examples directly connected to schools offer powerful evidence of the impact of such defining and transformational moments. These elements are: Elevation—experiences that rise above the routine. Pride—commemoration of people’s…
Read MoreA Principal’s Positive Bias
Not all biases are negative. Some of our biases move us to assist others or to make contributions that benefit our families, our communities, our schools, our cities, and our world. Principal Terri recently told us of an experience she had when she noticed a fight in progress in the hall at her large urban…
Read MoreManaging our Biases
We define coaching as being nonjudgmental. Yet we know that we do have judgment, biases and filters that pop up as interference from time to time as we are acting as thinking partners with another. The first step in managing our own biases, filters, judgments, and assumptions is to recognize that we have them and…
Read MoreYET—The Magic Word
As we continue to explore our positivity mindset and genuine, authentic, heartfelt positivity, adding the concepts of possibility and potential and the word “yet”, broadens and builds on our own self-talk and the words we offer to others. People often tell us that they have the most difficulty believing in others and offering value statements…
Read MoreIt’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Recently a TED talk by Angela Duckworth has appeared in my social media feed. Angela left a successful corporate career to become a teacher. She took a look at student success through a motivational and psychological perspective to try to understand, “Who is successful here and why?” As she studied this question, she found that…
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