Summary: <br> One of the biggest challenges for the a new school year is deciding how to mitigate concerns for safety while ensuring ways to still actively engage, support, and reach students. <br> <br> <br> <br> Photo by Kelly Sikkema – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@kellysikkema?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit<br> <br> <br> <br> In this week’s podcast episode, Dr. Jeff Springer shares takeaways from his research on the power of P.L.A.Y. in schools and offers suggestions for school leaders to keep in mind as you serve either in-person or from a distance.<br> <br> <br> <br> Meet Dr. Jeff Springer<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Dr. Jeff Springer is a former Texas High School Head Football Coach and eleven-year veteran of the classroom. He is also formerly the Principal at Magnolia High School (2002-2016), in Magnolia, Texas. In 2013, he was selected as the State of Texas TASSP State Principal of the year. <br> <br> <br> <br> An educator for 34 years, Dr. Jeff Springer is now the founder of Spring Strategies LLC and the G.O.A.L. TEAM (Getting Others to Achieve Higher Levels), created for helping high school students and young adults to maximize their personal leadership potential.<br> <br> <br> <br> Jeff resides in Montgomery, Texas with his wife of 38 years. They have two children, and two grandchildren.<br> <br> <br> <br> Conversations on P.LA.Y.<br> <br> <br> <br> As a part of his dissertation work, Dr. Springer researched the power of play, especially at the secondary level. In this podcast episode, we explore how he turned those findings into an acronym for leadership takeaways:<br> <br> <br> <br> WDP: Let’s talk about your work with educators on understanding the power of play. What are the four tenets you teach using the acronym P.L.A.Y.?<br> <br> <br> <br> Dr. Springer: First is People. Everyone needs to feel connected. We all need others in our lives. Typically in life and in the workplace the greatest accomplishments have been obtained when a group of people all connected together achieves a common goal.<br> <br> <br> <br> Next is Love: Impressive empathy should be evident in the leader’s relationships. Even in the specific plans to consider team members deficiencies. Every individual should be able to establish their own plan of action with the coaching of the other team members and facilitators as well. “Impressive empathy should be evident in a leader’s relationship.” – as Michael Fullan says.<br> <br> <br> <br> Then Acknowledge: Great leaders find ways to acknowledge success in others and show transparency in their own failures. Transformative cultures thrive on acknowledgment of their most important resources – each other.<br> <br> <br> <br> Finally, Yearn: “Positive deviance” should be an aspect of the leader’s ability to see things differently. Throughout the process, each individual must have opportunities to express their concerns and need for support in the goal areas.<br> <br> <br> <br> WDP: How would you connect these tenets to the principal or school leader who is thinking about engaging his or her students, teachers or community members?<br> <br> <br> <br> Dr. Springer: During my dissertation, I interviewed 12 different secondary principals (assistant and principals) in the greater Houston area. 36 face-to-face interviews about their perspectives and experiences with the elements of P.L.A.Y. The assumption is that at the secondary level, we don’t always emphasis play. There is also a gap in the research of play in secondary levels. The number one barrier was their leadership style. The challenge for leaders is to give yourself permission to “play”, use your strengths, and operate through engagement. <br> <br> <br> <br>
