Using Ted Lasso to connect with your school leadership team

It was late, and I was procrastinating doing something. I quietly walked upstairs and clicked on the television. I browsed. I had skipped over starting Ted Lasso for weeks, but, for who knows what reason, I clicked on the icon that night. The rest as they say…is history.

I binged the entire first season that night. Only then to invite my husband, Brook, to join me the next evening. We proceeded to binge the entire season. That’s right. You read that correctly. I binge watched the entire season not once, but twice back-to-back nights.

Why?

It could be the connection to all things sports.
It could be the connection to all things underdog stories.
It could be the eternal optimism that Ted unabashedly, consistently lives in.
It could be the team of characters.
It could be Roy Kent.
It could be all of the above.

ted lasso biscuit Read Write Think with Renee

Thanks to my evenings of binge watching, I’ve managed to immerse myself in Ted Lassoisms - and make some good connections between this new television legend and the work we do together in schools and classrooms.

I’ve got a few pieces of advice for you to consider this month as a new year takes shape and you’re craving some fun and fresh ideas.

This week: We’re talking Biscuits with the Boss

Ted starts each day by bringing biscuits to Rebekah, the team’s owner. There’s a myriad of reasons why we might analyze Ted’s move here – face time with the boss; keep one another posted; open lines of communication.

box of biscuits READ WRITE THINK WITH RENEE

I’m not suggesting you need to literally bake biscuits and bring them to the principal and/or leadership team of your school.

What I am suggesting is schedule time with the leadership team on a regular basis.

I’ve spent the last two decades in schools around the globe. That experience has made me into a school site expert - and, even more so, an expert on the unique personalities that each school site grows and develops.

Over the years, I’ve studied what works in creating schools that are in a constant state of evolution – striving to honor the unique personalities of all learners (adults and students alike) who live active, learning lives.

One common characteristic in all of these schools is the open communication between all members of the community. Biscuits with the Boss – i.e. time with the principal helps to establish professional thinking partnerships. Partnerships offer sounding boards, accountability, collaboration, and creation.

I have the good fortune of supporting principals across California. In our think tanks, we’ve established frameworks and protocols for what has evolved into “Ten Minute Meets” where principals meet with the team of teachers for 10 minutes on a monthly basis. These quick meeting times are designed to keep communication open, collaborative, and caring. If the only time principals and teachers meet are in a formal observation or evaluation – there tends to be a heightened fear factor due to nerves.

Contrast that with having a consistent routine of checking in and serving one another as thinking partners.

Many principals reported that the first round of “Ten Minute Meets” was smooth sailing for many teachers. In fact, afterwards many teachers said something along the lines of, “I was a little hesitant at first to meet with you, but I’m really grateful for this time together.”

10 minute meets Read Write Think with Renee

Just like students appreciate personalized time with their teacher, teachers appreciate personalized time with their leaders. When we have personalized time, we feel seen, known. When we feel seen and known, we’re often open to the possibilities. We feel safe to take risks and to share our thinking. Our brains are quite literally in an open state for creation. When active learning lives and systems of collaboration, study, and creation are modeled by the adults at school sites, it serves as a mentor to students. Collaboration and thinking together become a normal routine of active communities of learning. It only takes ten minutes. And maybe a biscuit.

And, hey, if it feels like an awkward or uncomfortable new challenge for you, there’s a Ted Lasso-ism for that: