Donna's Reflections

CFG Newsletter

On Monday, I went in to the Houston A+ Challenge offices and talked to Nan about launching a quarterly newsletter for CFG Coaches. I think that it could really help with bringing people and ideas together. My vision is to put out a 4-page newsletter with a different theme or focus for each quarter (like Oprah). Each issue would include a cover story, a "Protocol of the Month," a "Spotlight" on an interesting coach, school or program, and of course, information and dates about upcoming Houston A+ events for CFG coaches. We would mail each issue to every coach that has been trained in Houston as well as the current principals of their schools. Some of the theme or focus words that we thought of are

New Challenges
Trust
Value
Sharing
Community
Leadership
Reflecting

Any other ideas? Please post your own comments.

My thinking behind including a "Protocol of the Quarter" is that so many of us just use the Tuning Protocol and Consultancy. Even mature groups need to stretch and use fresh activities to gain fresh perspectives. Amy W. led a group of new coaches through the Success Analysis Protocol on October 18. It got rave reviews, so I think that will be the featured protocol for the inaugural February 2004 issue.

I'm a little worried about the mailing list. I wonder how many people who have been trained over the years are still coaching or at least still using their CFG skills in a meaningful way. I wonder how many people have moved. I wonder how many people have left teaching. Maybe putting this mailing list together will help us find out.

What Makes CFG Powerful?

Yesterday, the six coaches who will be facilitating the October 28 and October 30 coaches' clinics met at my house to craft an agenda. It's always an adventure to see how much ground is covered--we start in one place, wander in many different directions, and usually end up someplace we didn't even know we needed to go. That may sound messy and disorganized, but I love the way that we challenge each other and push each other to arrive at the final? destination.

To set the tone for our planning meeting, we engaged in a constructivist protocol with this starting point--journal about one of your most powerful CFG experiences.

We shared a wide range of events from our own training and from experiences as participants and coaches. Here are some of the key words and phrases that emerged from our discussion.

CFG work is powerful because. . .
--it produces new learning that you can use.
--it uses protocols that foster a safe environment. (Protocols provide "stepping stones." Individuals can take what they need.)
--it is transparent.
--it is a process of discovery.
--it fosters professionalism.
--it is hands-on. (Participants learn to "fish-for-self," find own answers.)
--it makes participants feel valued.
--it is adaptable.

Constructing this list helped us craft an agenda that, believe it or not, is very constructivist! Now I am really looking forward to facilitating on October 30. I wonder what I will learn.

K-16 CFG--Got Purpose?

I am a member of a CFG for CFG coaches in the Houston area. We call ourselves the K-16 CFG since members work at local elementaries, middle schools, high schools, universities, administration buildings, and the Houston A+ Challenge.

At our meeting last week, we conducted a Chalk Talk around this quote: "Knowing your purpose motivates your life. Purpose always produces passion. Nothing energizes like a clear purpose. On the other hand, passion dissipates when you lack a purpose. . . . It is usually meaningless work, not overwork, that wears us down, saps our strength, and robs our joy." (Rick Warren in The Purpose-Driven Life)

Click on the thumbnail photo to see a big picture of the complete Chalk Talk.

Some of the main ideas that emerged from that talk are
--The K-16 CFG energizes people.
--People need to be part of a collaborative community in order to do their best work.
--We enjoy staying connected with each other.
--Can we add more people/voices to this group?
--There are questions about trust and commitment.
--We all value CFG work, yet some of us are not able to do it at work. Why? How can we make this happen at work?
--Participants want to hone their own facilitation and leadership skills.

Feel free to add your own comments.

New Territory

Having a blog or weblog is new territory for me, but one thing I learned from my years on my school's portfolio committee is that it is important to continually, unceasingly reflect on your practice. Reflecting after the fact is not nearly as powerful.

I recently accepted a position with the Houston A+ Challenge as a consultant for CFG Support. I will be planning follow-up training and refresher events for the 400 or so trained Critical Friends Group coaches in the Houston Area. I also hope to start some new initiatives like launching a regional CFG coaches' newsletter.

I'm excited to officially be a part of this work again. The purpose of this blog is to encourage me to reflect regularly about my own work as a facilitator, coach, and leader and to help me model making my own practice public.