1 Plan These Specific Big, Medium, and Small Goals:
If your vision is for a year, plant wheat; if your vision is for a decade, plant trees; and
if your vision is for a lifetime, plant people. —African Proverb
In my coaching conversations with principals this summer, we’ve engaged in strategic
instructional leadership planning on three levels:
- Big: What is your legacy vision? Essentially, this question helps leaders think
about the social impact they want to have on the lives of students, teachers, and
their surrounding community beyond their principalship. - Medium: What is your 3-year instructional vision? Planning for three years ahead
gives enough cushion for implementing system changes while lighting a fire today
to get things moving. - Small: What is your instructional focus for this year that aligns both with your 3-
year and legacy plan?
It’s amazing the ideas that have ensued from instructional leadership coaching on these
3 goal levels. Here’s some inspiration:
- Principal A Big Goal: Conceived the idea of a student ambassador program to
welcome students from different countries and the Newest New Yorkers. - Principal B Medium Goal: Adopted a reading program to ensure every student
improves two reading levels before graduation. - Principal C Small Goal: Worked with Agiri to create a schoolwide instructional
framework and customized resources to guide professional learning, classroom
observations, coaching conversations, and much more.