Energized, Excited, and Inspired Thanks to NQEC!
I continue to ride the wave of enthusiasm and excitement from attending the ASQ National Quality in Education conference November 11-13 in St Louis. What a joy to spend time with colleagues (nearly 700) representing 31 states and 4 countries immersed in information about continuous improvement and quality strategies and tools. Not only did I hear many new ideas, but also felt validated that we are on the correct path to an improved educational environment and opportunites for achievement for all of our students.
One of the powerful strategies for me personally is Alex Pattakos list of 10 positive things that could (or did) result. I admit that there are times I get worn down & worn out by the proponents of the “I’m already working as hard as I can, I get good results and I’m not going to change” philosophy. I’ll even go so far as to say there have been times I’ve questioned the benefits of our CI path to school improvement. Now, armed with 10 positive things - I look forward to reminder that I can choose optimism. (Prisoners of Our Thoughts – Victor Frankl’s Principles at Work by Alex Pattakos)
It was not a surprise to hear data as a recurring theme throughout the conference. One idea that intrigues me is regarding teacher data folders. The idea is from the Danville Community School Corporation, Danville, Indiana. They outlined the use of the folder that contains information such as classroom goals and data regarding student achievement, attendance and discipline in addition to evidence of processes used in the classroom. (Conference session M12: Creating a Culture of Quality)
Our team met yesterday to debrief and discuss the aha moments as well as those ideas for future discussion and implementation. Our energy is still high and as is our optimism for the future! Thanks to all folks at ASQ, those who presented and NQEC for this opportunity for collaboration and inspiration.
Share your highlight or aha moment with us!
Becky & Paul
