Blog | National SAM Innovation Project

SamTastic Weekly Tip: 4/22/25 - Slow Down, You Move too Fast

Jim Mercer
2 days ago

This week’s tip: Slow Down, You Move too Fast

Most school leaders feel the need for speed. The enormous weight of tasks, coupled with frequent interruptions, can prompt the leader to act too fast, often without listening and understanding.

When approached, some leaders say they can’t stop, they don’t have time. The don’t even hear what the teacher wants. “I have to get to Mrs. Stevens room for the science PLC.” Or “I have a meeting at the district office and have to run.”

The first rule of school leadership is to make the other person feel important. A leader achieves the exact opposite by moving too fast.

The second rule is to focus on what you can do, not what you can’t.

How do effective school leaders follow both rules? They use three SAM steps:

When someone wants your time, slow down. Make eye contact. Smile. Say: “You are more important than a moment of my time. What’s it about?”
Triage. Determine what you do next based on what you hear. For example:

“I’m sorry the copy machine isn’t working. No worries. We’ve got you covered. Mrs. Stevens in the front office is the First Responder. She will copy the worksheet for you on the office machine. She’ll also arrange for repair of the staff room copier.” Using a First Responder allows you to get help faster for the teacher.

“I am really pleased you want to talk with me about John’s lack of attention in class. I think we need to give this the time it deserves. Please see Victoria in the front office. She will show you the times I have available today and tomorrow. Pick a 30-minute appointment and we will work on this together. Scheduling a time respects the teacher and the complexity of the situation.

“Your husband was in a car accident and is on the way to the hospital? Of course I will take your class right now. I’ll also arrange for coverage for the rest of the day. Do you need help getting to the hospital?” Showing your compassion and care for others goes a long way in building trust.

During the SAM Daily Meeting, talk about your triage decisions and what follow up might be in order. Perhaps thank Mrs. Stevens for being a First Responders for copy issues. Check that a time has been set for you to have a conversation with the teacher about John’s attention in class. Definitely schedule time to check-in with the teacher whose husband was in a car accident.

It all starts with slowing down and listening. It allows you to make the other person feel important. It allows you to do what you can, rather than what you can’t. This build the culture you want in your school to benefit students.

It is budget time in most schools and districts. Be sure to budget for your SAM services for the 2025-26 school year. You can request an invoice now by using this link: https://bit.ly/40GtA33

2024 SAM Team Performance Report: Executive Summary - https://bit.ly/4fh2V2k

Music Video: I Am a SAM https://bit.ly/48OCjCm

SamTastic Weekly Tip: 4/14/25 - Examine your Conversations with Teachers

Jim Mercer
Apr 14

This week’s tip: Examine your Conversations with Teachers

Is your feedback an evaluation or is it a tool to improve teacher practice? Is your feedback a lecture or a discussion?

Many formal evaluation structures gravitate toward simplistic checklists and scoring systems that take the conversation of practice out of the picture.

The research is clear. Formal evaluation does not improve teacher practice unless coupled with a significant investment of leader time throughout the school year. Conversations with teachers about their work needs to be frequent, consistent, collaborative and consistent. Trust doesn’t happen with a single interaction.

Use your TimeTrack data to examine your investments. Look at the frequency of time spent with a teacher. Did you have more than one interaction with the teacher weekly? Did you have one “listening” conversation with the teacher every two week?

What does your data suggest you should do?

The NSIP Board held its Spring meeting online last week. You will find a summary from Board President Bert Hendee, below.

From Bert Hendee, President NSIP Board of Directors:

Your NSIP Board of Directors’ most recent meeting was held via Zoom on April 7, 2025

As we have shared with you before, the board of directors meets two times a year in person. One meeting is held in conjunction with the National Conference and one in the summer either June or July. Two other virtual meetings may be held each year as well. At each meeting we have updates from each member of the board and the executive director. Our vision, mission, bylaws, policies and procedures are reviewed at each meeting as well. An annual board self-evaluation is completed as well as a performance review for the executive director. We are all educators and are passionate about this work and always working towards improvements in our performance and support of NSIP.

During this most recent board meeting we discussed the rather uncertain times that districts are facing right now We pledge to work with you during these times and for you to know that we believe in you and what great work you do and CAN do. As you complete your rubric assessments with your Time Change Coaches we know the reflection time will be invaluable and look forward to discussing this further at our summer board meeting.

If you have questions please feel free to reach out to any board member at any time. Our contact information is on the NSIP website.

2024 SAM Team Performance Report: Executive Summary - https://bit.ly/4fh2V2k

Music Video: I Am a SAM https://bit.ly/48OCjCm

SamTastic Weekly Tip: 4/7/25 - Measure twice. Cut once.

Jim Mercer
Apr 7

This week’s tip: Measure twice. Cut once.

Carpenters learn quickly that failing to measure carefully ends up costing them time and money.

Isn’t the same true in your work with teachers, support staff, students and parents? Perhaps we should have a school leader conversation maxim:

Listen twice. Speak once.

Your work with people is far more complicated than the work a carpenter does with lumber. True, it costs the carpenter time and money if the measurement is wrong. It costs a school leader far more if listening doesn’t come first.

Last week I suggested that you consider wellness checks in conversations with staff using prompts. What if you modified the prompts to have listening time with teachers?

Which class or subject did you most enjoy this week?
Is there a student you see improving?
Is there something new you’ve thought of incorporating in your lessons?
Is there a student who worries you?

If you try this, be sure you are fully present during the conversation. Keep in mind that you show you are listening with your body language and what you say in response. If you can ask follow up questions, show empathy and support, the conversation will go well. If you try to “fix” things by making suggestions, you have stepped in a trap of your own making.

SAMs know to ask their leader what kind of feedback they’d like to give after a classroom visit. Often, the leader thinks they need to have something specific to suggest in order to schedule a conversation. The best SAMs dissuade the leader of thinking a suggestion is always necessary. In fact, simply listening to the teacher can be far more valuable. A non-directive feedback session, five to ten minutes, is easy to do and will be appreciated by teachers.

Many leaders like to incorporate their own suggestions in a non-directive conversation with the words “I wonder if…” or “Have you considered…” This fools no one. There is a time and place for directive feedback…and it can be effective. Non-directive feedback, however, requires the principal to be a listener and value the teacher’s thoughts more than their own.

Non-directive feedback also requires a certain suspension of disbelief. Leaders can easily convince themselves that a particular teacher doesn’t care and simply wants to phone it in. This is, generally, unlikely. People don’t become teachers to be unhappy… and struggling teachers are definitely unhappy. Helping a teacher find their purpose require the leader to believe it, too. Dale Carnegie’s advice, “Assume a good intention.” is central to creating a successful school culture.

Do you want compliance? Directive feedback. Do you want to build the teacher’s capacity? Non-directive feedback.