Getting Better with AGE: Appreciation, Growth, and Evaluation Cycles

According to Sheila Heen and Doug Stone, authors of Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well, workplace cultures need appreciation, coaching, and evaluation in order for employees to perform at their best. Drawing both from this book and best practices in education research, facilitator Lori Cohen transfers these qualities to school settings through sharing an "AGE" framework (Appreciation, Growth, Evaluation) that interlinks all three of these elements. This workshop is perfect for those who lead professional growth and learning at their sites, who oversee evaluation and growth models, or who supervise teams who will engage in appreciation, growth, and evaluation efforts.
 

Perhaps your school already has a strong evaluation instrument, but you're further developing your growth plan. Maybe your school is in the process of building a coaching program and wants to determine how coaching fits into your school's larger system. Perhaps you're in the process of refining evaluation and need some time to dive in and refine. Or perhaps appreciation hasn't factored into your site's work as much as you'd like. Through a combination of individual writing/reflection, table conversation, school and personal assessment, a presentation of data, an introduction of the AGE framework, and dedicated work time to dive into reflection and planning, participants will meet the following outcomes:
 

• Reflect upon appreciation, growth, and evaluation for your school site and assess your site’s progress in relation to these areas
• Develop a deeper understanding of the research that supports appreciation, growth, and evaluation work
• Learn how to use the AGE framework with guiding questions and a graphic; receive dedicated work time to design/build/revise appreciation, growth, or evaluation at your site
• Connect with colleagues across sites to learn and share ideas, and be inspired, affirmed, energized

 
The morning will be focused on learning together, through table-based conversations, whole-group dialogue, and facilitator-led presentations. In the afternoon, participants will choose from a series of questions and a graphic organizer related to appreciation, growth, and evaluation, and either develop or revise the areas their site most needs. Each participant will share their learning at the end of the day and develop a short-term action plan to keep building on their work from the day.