On December 6, 2006, the Facilitator’s CFG met at Grady Middle School. Present were Michaelann, Mary, Tim, Donna, Lynn, Linda, Debbie, Lauren, Janet, Marcella, Alejandro, Linn, and Mike. Suzanne and Gretchen also came for part of the meeting.

We began with a team builder called “I Like Me Because.” We split into groups of three and we took turns talking about our own strengths for two full minutes. While one person talked, the other two did not respond, we just listened attentively. Honestly, I chose this icebreaker simply because I thought we needed to get to know each other better, and this format looked cute and easy. However, the debrief revealed that it was a deeper learning experience for some members. For example, some members had a difficult time “bragging” about themselves or had never spent much time contemplating their own strengths. Others had insights into how important it is that groups recognize and utilize the strengths of members. Several people wrote in their reflections that they would use this exercise in their own CFG’s or other groups.

Then, we split into two groups and Mary and Janet presented dilemmas for consultancies. The consultancy that I was a part of discussed issues around school culture and changes in leadership.

The homework for the next meeting is to skim through The Facilitator’s Fieldbook and identify 1 or 2 skills that you would like to focus on next semester. Be prepared to share your focus with the group.

The reflections for the entire group are in the extended entry.

The Houston A+ Challenge sponsored a large group of educators and consultants to attend this year's NSRF Winter Meeting in Seattle.

We met on Friday evening to share our experiences, connect our learning, and reflect.
Here is a Tag Cloud or visual representation of our reflections:

Here is the text of all our reflections:

What do you see as individual & collective take-aways for the group?
“Individual take away--The learning I have had as a critical friend to my facilitator has given me the opportunity to be meta-reflective.
The role of a team (focus group) or CFG support body might be helpful.
Collective—
PLC environment for CFG and how we are poised to define and assist our partner districts.”
“Imperative to deepen the work, strengthen the work, keep the work meaningful—eyes to the future.”
“I would like to start a CFG for administrators w/ some people from my campus & some from other campuses. I have been thinking about this for a while & I am very inspired to do it now. Collectively, I think we need to do more promotion of CFG work in Houston & get the focus back to the concept of true groups”
“As an individual, I see myself getting more training on CFG’s and practicing protocols with my PLC teams. I’m hoping as a group, that we will keep the ball rolling and the spirit alive. How we choose to implement CFG’s in our district will either make it or break it so I think it’s very important as a team to discuss this implementation with the A+ Challenge team.”
“I am taking away a renewed energy for my own work, due to the contagious energy & focus of the other participants. This is the first time that I have been in a group whose members are doing the same work that I do. Even if we don’t figure out a way to continue our conversation after Saturday, I have some real-life visual/visceral models that I will be able to recall & use when I have my own continuing dilemmas.
I loved the experience of new protocols and the transparency of facilitators who were able to share their thinking & decision-making processes—which again improves my own practice. I ‘preach’ reflection, and somehow don’t give myself the gift of time to do it. This experience is giving me that gift.”
“From our initial sharing, I see several big ideas for collective take-aways.
•Equity work already exists in Houston. It needs to be named and nurtured.
•CFG’s have special characteristics. Use the tools in other settings, but don’t water down the unique strengths of CFG’s
•Connecting with colleagues is important
•There is hope.”
“Individual—not only have I gotten to learn protocols that allow for going ‘below the surface’ with questions about the day to day work of schools/students/teachers, I have also gotten to experience those protocols and see their power in action. My takeaway will be taking the next steps to infiltrate my district with this power. If students could feel at the end of each day (and teachers at the end of each prof. dev. session) the way I feel about the learning experiences I have had. Collectively—I hope that the ‘movers and shakers’ have also had powerful experiences that open to them more possibilities about how this can infiltrate Houston, TX. This is work that our Houston children need AND deserve.”
“Take away is the concept of focusing on equity within the academic arena. Those underachievers who have not experienced success need environments/intervention that allow that success to grow—[my school] is exploring a re-do policy along with intervention. The other concept to take away is looking at instruction from a critical literacy point of view.
Question: How to integrate critical literacy (social justice) into curriculum standards?”
“I have added much to my ‘toolbox’ for the Leadership Academy. The school self-assessment rubric I received and subsequent conversation on its use has direct application to the work. It was very apparent that while the national push for learning communities is essential, schools do not have the tools in place to facilitate the dialogue. CFG Protocols are the process necessary for successful change. The ability to network and connect with other consultants in similar situations was so valuable to me personally. I even experienced several new protocols!”
“—CFG work can provide content/process for PLC’s
--data/evidence is important and others also struggle with this
--sustainability—keeping CFGs vital and ongoing is a challenge”
“Individual takeaway—I want to add more looking at data into the New Coaches Training—unlike what I heard from the OST that these were data groups sep. from CFGs—I think CFG is a great place to do that kind of work.”
“indiv—a stronger belief in the need for a real CFG. A reminder of the power of the work.
group—maybe more informal support for each other-a reminder that there are numerous other Houstonians that can be resources for my work—But let’s keep that up.”
“Individually, I will take away the collaborative responses and learning moments I’ve had and shared in my home group.
I will take away the words of the speaker that was so inspiring regarding being a ‘teacher’
I will take away an advocacy for equity for adults & students.”
“As an individual I will take away a renewed excitement around CFG’s and facilitative leadership. As a principal, I am in a role to encourage CFG’s and will work hard to do that. In trying to be a facilitative leader. . .well, that one is tough w/in Houston ISD right now. We are being required to be far more directive or top-down than I’m comfortable with.”
“Individual—work with Tim on CFG, if wanted—initiative HS foundational piece
Collective—share learning on campuses, join to discuss”

Next Steps
“What does education look like in 2015, 2020, etc. What can we do to support that?”
“Me=> Start group w/ other admin. Encourage teachers & colleagues to go thru training. Look into A+ Leadership Academy.
A+=> Continue to push the work—Get more admin trained. Could it be a requirement for all HS admin?”
“The next steps for me is to go to training and start a CFG in school. I see A+ Challenge coming and modeling protocols in administrative team meetings as well.”
“Next steps for me—besides practice & reflection—include trying to identify other people like me in Houston and continue thinking about the application of CFG principle in different contexts. I do not facilitate CFG’s, but I do facilitate and I want to find/connect w/ others.”
“Next steps for me (and A+)—figure out a way to collect data about CFG work in Houston.”
“Next steps for me are working on my influence in Alief to get these efficient and effective practices implemented across the district. To find our CFG coaches and coax more people into that work. I don’t feel like I know enough to give you direction. You’ve done so well so far (w/ Mary and Alief getting on board) that I trust you to know the way!
Thanks so much for bringing us along. I promise we will make you proud.”
“Next steps—brainstorm with [the principal] her idea of a redo policy and how to incorporate that discussion into the PLC’s on campus. Second re-establish an after school/Saturday CFG that could possibly include the middle school feeder. And for my own mental health, find a CFG to join outside of my school with people who want to look at coaching teachers___”
“Next steps—use of the rubric at the Leadership Academy retreat (possibly) on school culture or definitely in future sessions. Added dialogue with the LA coaches on how to imbed the protocol practice even more into the PLC work.”
“Next steps for me—Have some meeting transcribed for analysis. For A+=> same
‘Fly like and Eagle to the sea—Fly like an eagle. . .’”
“I have more substance to build my writing on. I would like to figure out how to get more collaboration/feedback loop into that.
For A+--clarifying/building on the ‘layered support’ model of LA for next steps—hook that to burgeoning PLC, [??] learning communities.”
“me—talk more to principal
meet w/ other trained coaches.
A+--talk to Admin in HISD—esp. the area sups and the exec. principals and get them to support the work—not schedule over our school time where we can do the work. Teach them the value of staff directed prof. dev. Please”
“For me, I will work hard to bring Alief CFG coaches together. I am inspired to give a personal invitation to CFG coaches in Alief to the reunion. A+ can continue to support the work through Tim and Donna.”
“Get teachers on our campus into CFG training. Reconnect with A+”
“Find ways to propagate CFGs as foundational piece to leadership in teachers & admin.
not just tools to hold & facilitate meetings, but as reflective practice.”