"The CATDC Buzz" Issue #7

The California Teacher Development Collaborative (CATDC), is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing professional growth opportunities for teachers and administrators from independent schools. Its member schools represent the diverse range of small and large elementary, middle, and high schools from all over the greater San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles areas.

What is the mission of the organization?

The aim of the CATDC is to: 1) Promote enriching professional development opportunities.

2) Support collegiality and cooperation among teachers and schools.

3) Inspire teachers to become educational leaders.

I thought you were called the BATDC?

The BATDC started in the San Francisco Bay Area in the year 2000, and has since grown to include a network of over sixty independent schools in the region. In 2012, a group of LA area heads of school asked if the BATDC could replicate its proven model by launching a branch of its operations in Southern California. Now, following the completion of the two-year pilot program, and with a thriving group of over thirty member schools in Southern California, we have changed our name to the "California Teacher Development Collaborative."

How can I take part in the CATDC's offerings?

1) If your school isn't already a member, encourage them to join here !

2) Register for our upcoming events, and keep an eye out for our spring schedule of workshops.

3) Get in touch and let us know what kind of professional development opportunities you're looking for.

4) Let us help you leverage the power of the network by connecting you with colleagues from other schools.

5) Join our mailing list to stay up to date on all our future workshops and events.

A Message from the Executive Director,

Janet McGarvey

As this school year approaches the half-way point and the calendar marks the end of another year it seems appropriate to take stock of where we are now and what possibilities might be worth exploring in the months ahead. With a change of pace and routine approaching, and, we hope, some time to rest and reflect, we all have the opportunity to see if our aspirations can more closely match the realities of our day-to-day lives, both in and outside the classroom. Perhaps some small changes could have a big impact!

In this seventh issue of the CATDC Buzz, we offer three pieces for your reading pleasure. One is written by Andrew Davis, who is co-facilitating this year's Leadership 101 program in Northern California. We thought his advice to new administrators about the elusive work-life balance might be of interest to everyone. Eryn Hoffman, our Program Director in Los Angeles, and Lori Cohen, leader of Teaching Foundations, write about mid-year reflections and opportunities. The theme of this year's Women in Leadership annual conference will be "Invention and Reinvention: Charting our Journeys." We have an amazing group of women assembled, and we hope to see many of you there. It is an annual favorite!

Eryn, Tracy, and I have been busy getting this year's full-year programs launched and working on our name change to the CATDC; we are eager to assess how things are going and to find new ways to support all of you. We wish you all a wonderful holiday break and a terrific 2016!

4 Work-Life Balance Tips for Aspiring Leaders

By Andrew Davis, Crystal Springs Uplands School

As an aspiring leader you most likely feel pressure to pile on project after project - to prove you have what it takes to manage a team, or a school. You try to be realistic and aim for a sustainable workload, but this feels almost impossible when "no life outside of work" seems to be written into leadership job descriptions. Seeking balance between work and life now will better prepare you to manage the workload of a new leader. These four tips will help you make efficient and effective choices as you lead a school, or aspire to do so.

1. Saying "no" allows you to say "yes." By saying no to the art teacher who wants you to guest teach for two weeks, you are able to say yes to the leadership task force looking at stress on campus (or vice versa!). The idea is to be mindful of what we are choosing to say yes to and not saying yes to everything as that is simply unreasonable and ineffective. Read more...

Starting Anew: It's Never too Late to Co-Create Your Classroom Culture

By Lori Cohen, The Bay School of San Francisco

I recently presented a workshop in Los Angeles entitled, "The Early Years of Teaching." Despite its title, this workshop invited teachers from all experience levels to come together, learn about tips for classroom management and lesson design, analyze a lesson through the student experience, and consult with one another about some of their conundrums at this stage in the school year (or in their careers).

The first activity of the day was creating "classroom agreements," in which all group members were invited to respond to the following question: In this workshop, what supports do you need in order for you to learn best? List at least three.

After writing individually for a minute or two, participants were invited to talk with a neighbor and come to an agreement on 3 to 5 common ideas. From that point, participants gathered in groups of four, then eight, and then all 20+ of us reconvened to settle on 3 to 5 group agreements. The responses weren't so different from what we would see in our classrooms: a desire for people to stay open-minded; real-world applicability of the day's topics; space for people to ask questions and share their experiences. At the core of this work was a culture created by everyone, for everyone. Read more...

Looking Back and Ahead

By Eryn Hoffman, CATDC

With 2015 coming to an end, I find myself thinking about the complexity of the new calendar year against the rhythm of the school year. As a lifelong educator, my 'year' runs from September through June, not simply January through December. My new year begins each fall with new students, new faculty, opening of the year meetings, and classroom set-up. My year concludes with a range of emotions in June with graduations, class parties, locker-clean outs, and end of the year faculty meetings. The end of 2015 and the ringing in of 2016 does not mark a clear end or beginning for me, rather it frames a period of time that extends before and after. Read more...