Knowing we live in “continuous partial attention” and recognizing we live in an environment of digital engagement – how are you thinking you want to use FOCUS to be a driver of excellence. Distractions abound, new ideas and initiatives are seductive, and sometimes even supervisors offer distractors. The following reflective questions provide an opportunity to pause, reflect, and visualize the school or district of your dreams. As you do, let your unceasing FOCUS support you, your staff and the students’ lives for whom we create destiny.

• What do I do every day, what do I pay attention to, to minimize distractions? For me? for my staff?
• What are the clearly defined standards and expectations that determine our FOCUS?
• How do those standards and expectations reflect our core values?
• How have we ensured they are small enough to be attainable?
• How do we witness their wide and thorough implementation?
• If asked, what would a staff member said was our FOCUS for the year?
• How are we challenging each other as well as students to think deeply about our work?
• How are we modeling higher-order thinking, inquiry and reasoning skills?
• What have we all agreed upon that good teaching looks like?
• How are we having conversations about our use of data to really continuous “recalculate” our FOCUSED journey?
• How are our conversations supporting all students to make sure not one falls behind?
• How are scoring guides and rubrics supporting our consistency among teams?
• How do our PLC’s offer the opportunity to reflect, refine, and renew our FOCUS?
• How will I be courageous in my commitment to simplify and FOCUS?
• Your questions are next…what are they?

Coach-leader conversations offer the opportunity to have short meaningful and focused conversations all throughout the day. As leader you carry the FOCUS with you in your language and words. You are the beacon of light as a lighthouse; you are the Noah building the ark of learning that has a deadline of disaster or destiny. Your life has a great purpose – you are living that purpose – many are counting on you! Stay FOCUSED and get the great results of your work!