Ride the Carousel: The Power of Networking for Teacher Leaders
Hawai'i State Dept. of Education
During a recent event coordinated through Na Kumu Alaka'i - Teacher Leader Academy (TLA) - a professional learning experience sponsored by the Hawai'i State Department of Education, a teacher leader asked me, "How did you get so many wonderful organizations to participate? I would love to do something like this for my school (or district), but don't even know where to begin!"
The event she was referring to was the annual TLA Carousel of Resources in which educational partners from state-level offices, non-profit organizations, professional development sponsors and stakeholders interested in supporting Hawai'i public schools are invited to share their resources and opportunities with the current teacher leader cohort. These partners represent, but are not limited to: university and community college outreach, local museum and zoo education departments, Hawaiian cultural resources, subject matter experts for curriculum programming, leadership pathways, and professional development experiences. Similar to a gallery-walk event, partners typically set up tables on the perimeter of a large room and teachers move freely between stations to network with the variety of educational stakeholders. (During the pandemic years, however, the event was replicated via Zoom and used breakout rooms with a rotational schedule for participants and guest partners to engage). In both formats, teacher leaders spend time collecting *brass rings* while building their network with enthusiastic partners.
So how would an interested educator go about planning and coordinating a similar event for their own school or district? The answer - just ask!
When we started this event 6 years ago, there were a half-dozen tables and a handful of guests who attended. The teacher leader participants were equally excited to experience the Carousel, and took away resources, opportunities and contacts to share with their schools - the quantity of partners was not the focus, the quality of connections gained however was priceless! The event has now grown to 20 different stations with upwards of 40 guest presenters joining us annually. Stakeholders in the community are eager to participate in education-based events, and are always on the look-out for networking opportunities, so again - just ask!
Returning to the original question of how to coordinate a networking opportunity for a school and stakeholders, I've included some simple steps based on the 5 Ws & 1 H for planning and preparation:
- Why is this opportunity is important for your group (what is the purpose?)
- Who is this for? Who should be invited? Who will help you coordinate? (an event like this takes a team, so find those colleagues who share the vision!)
- When will this be held? (determine a date and time convenient for your group.)
- Where will it be housed? (consider table space and networking room; make sure parking is adequate for guest partners; if hosting online, be aware of logistics for all attendees)
- How often will you communicate with all involved? (ex: invite guests 3 months out; announce event to group 6-8 weeks out; send reminders to all within a week of the scheduled date)
- What resources/tools are needed for event? (ex: a program with description of options for attendees; signage for tables; name tags; water/drinks; notes of appreciation to guest, post-event)
For teacher leaders participating in TLA's annual Carousel of Resources, the takeaways and opportunities from thought-partners who value education and embody a pay-it-forward philosophy, are an invaluable experience. And although the event may look intimidating from the outside for a first-time coordinator, consider just starting with a few horses on your carousel ... ultimately you will still walk away with some amazing gold rings!
Mahalo to the 2022 TLA Carousel Partners:
