The Director's Cut: Teamwork and Precision

I had the opportunity to see the United States Air Force Thunderbirds perform this Saturday at Travis Airforce Base. It was an unbelievable experience. The precision, expertise, and teamwork that the six pilots exhibited was mind-blowing. Not only did each pilot have to control and maneuver his/her plane, each pilot had to be mindful every second of where the other five planes were and what they were doing. The show impacted an even larger segment of the aircraft community, since they needed to clear 5 miles of airspace in order to put the show on. No other aircraft could fly within that 5 mile radius for about an hour. Teamwork happened with the six pilots and pilots that were in the nearby airspace.

You might ask why I am beginning this post with the Thunderbirds? Well, much like a team of pilots, our school is a team of teachers, clerical, custodial and administration working together. In order for each classroom teacher to be as effective as possible, he/she needs to be aware of not only what is happening within the walls of his/her own classroom, but what is happening in the other classrooms on campus as well as the school as a whole.

When there are concerns or questions they shouldn't be handled in isolation, but need to be brought to the forefront and addressed and solved as a TEAM. I am very proud of that teamwork that is seen on a daily basis at Crystal. Teachers meet before school and after school with each other to plan lessons and strategize on techniques that will work best with their students. Teachers ask questions and provide support and guidance for one another. When something seems awry, like the most recent concerns with culture, people speak up and we problem solve together strategically. That is a foundation we need in order to run smoothly and efficiently.

There have been a lot of changes this year and with change can come a sense of uneasiness since no one any longer is an "expert." The biggest "new" factor this year has been the implementation of the Common Core. No one yet feels as though he/she is an "expert." However, the pretty amazing result that has come from that this year is the immense amount of collaboration both within departments and across departments with all of the teachers at Crystal. Teachers are turning to each other to find the most effective and engaging ways of delivering the Common Core.

Like the Thunderbirds the number one reason Crystal staff and students will be successful is COMMUNICATION. We need to continue to communicate with one another as often as possible. We need to see and hear where each classroom is going with instruction so that we can find the precision and formation that will suit our school the best. We will continue to strive for perfection in our craft and delivery of instruction. The sky is the limit!!