By Michelle Fennick, PhD
Introduction
Ms. Thomas was beyond taken aback by what she observed. She could not make sense of Dr. Fennick’s activity. Dr. Fennick had chart papers up all over her office. Each piece of chart paper was dedicated to a specific focus. At a deeper glance, it appeared Dr. Fennick was placing notes on chart paper to calendar out details for months, logistics, vision, mission, and outcomes, and assigning various tasks to individuals. Dr. Fennick had different sticky notes and strategically placed them on their respective charts. One piece of chart paper particularly stood out. This piece of chart paper outlined a key with corresponding colors describing the relevance of a color-coding system.
When Ms. Thomas inquired of Dr. Fennick about the process she was engaged in, she explained she was using a process called “Hyper-calendaring.” She took Ms. Thomas through a gallery walk of the artifacts she used to plot the year successfully using Hyper-calendaring. Additionally, Dr. Fennick explained that Hyper-calendaring is a highly effective strategy for ensuring all matters are included and planned for throughout the academic year. After having the process explained, Ms. Thomas requested training to use this highly effective method for action planning with accountability structures, and Dr. Fennick agreed to train her.
So, what is “Hyper-calendaring” exactly? Hyper-calendaring is a methodical approach to integrating planning structures that facilitates elevated levels of collaboration for all key stakeholders into a uniform, systematic calendaring system that functions as a systemic process within a school campus or organization to increase productivity and minimize distractions.
Hyper-calendaring accomplishes the following critical functions in an organization:
- Ensures priorities are prioritized.
- Embeds meticulous planning down to the most minute detail.
- Integrates planning efforts for all stakeholders.
- Budgets time for calibration.
- Systemizes progress measures for action planning and completing benchmark metrics.
- Focuses on both short-term and long-term goals.
- Addresses the culture, climate, and communication systems in an organization.
Hyper-calendaring is as vital to an organization as a cog in a wheel. With Hyper-calendaring, individuals, departments, and team members are cohesive. When Hyper-calendaring is absent, action planning must contain adequate accounting systems. Communication structures are consistent with Hyper-calendaring. Most importantly, Hyper-calendaring can change the trajectory and scope of the impact of leaders within an organization. Case in point, consider Michelle’s Leadership Story.
A Narrative
Take a trip with Michelle as she recalls her first few months in a new leadership role:
“I remember it just like it was yesterday. I can still feel my tight chest that felt like all the air was leaving my lungs as I showed up to yet another meeting late. I was curious to know how I arrived at this point. I recalled being so excited when I was promoted from classroom teacher to Instructional Coach. My mentor explained it would be challenging as there was just one catch. The school I was going to was tiny, and I would also have to function as a quasi-Assistant Principal. She explained that I would be swamped and advised I view this opportunity to grow and learn all I could.
The job started great! I was overly excited to have so much new responsibility. Having an opportunity to have a voice in campus decisions felt empowering and energizing. However, the role differed immensely from my classroom role, as my days often went differently than planned. To add insult to injury, I now had a new level of meetings to attend that I had never experienced. I was currently attending meetings designed for Instructional Coaches and Assistant Principals. The first meeting I missed was devastating. I was not even aware of it. The subsequent meetings following are just a blur. Meetings were a blur of arriving late because I needed to schedule appropriate travel time and meetings that overlapped due to fulfilling two roles simultaneously. I longed for the answer so I could thrive in my role. My answer came in the voice of an experienced administrator who took me to the side.
After showing up for yet another meeting late and searching through the crowd for a place to sit and catch up with the presentation while gathering myself, a very seasoned administrator took me to the side and let me know that I looked like I was sinking professionally. She said, “You are late to meetings, and it is not a good look. You also look like you are starting to lack confidence and need to get it together.” She shared, “Administrators are a focal point, and you are not projecting a strong and capable presence.” I was devastated and relayed how overwhelmed and frustrated I was with keeping up with the various meetings for two roles. She gave me the answer that changed everything.
She directed me to her workbag and pulled out a large paper calendar and folder of memos of upcoming training. Her folder was tabbed with the months so she could easily see the corresponding meetings for the respective months. She meticulously took me through her process of ensuring everything to the most minute details was on her calendar. Not only did she have all the meetings, but she also scheduled things like classroom visits, drive time, lunch, restroom breaks, etc. I felt like she was a genius. There was only one pivotal point remaining. What was I to do in cases where meetings overlapped, and an unforeseen school emergency occurred? She then trained me to collaborate with the administrative team to ensure all bases were covered.”
Michelle’s issues were resolved with the attributes of Hyper-calendaring. Careful planning, proactivity, high levels of effective communication, and collaboration were all utilized.
Priorities are Prioritized
With Hyper-calendaring, priorities are front and center on the calendar, and leaders indeed lead. All leaders’ understanding exemplifies the ability to use their authority to enhance organizational productivity (Muhammad & Cruz, 2019). All high-stakes items are calendared from the outset for all impacted stakeholders. Campus high-stake items can include, but are not limited, to the following:
- Safety Protocol Processes
- Assessments
- Due Dates for Auditable Records
- Meeting Times for Professional Learning Communities
- Significant Events from Campus Committees
- Major Events planned by Parent and Community Partners
- Districtwide Major Events
- Federal and State Compliance Processes
- Community At-Large Planned Events
Items like these and related responsibilities are scheduled well in advance with accompanying monitoring structures to guarantee fulfillment. Time is budgeted to align with all significant organizational initiatives.
Meticulous Planning
Hyper-calendaring is highly intentional and defines each moment of the day. Prioritized items do not just happen by chance; they occur due to deliberate, systematic planning with embedded accountability actions (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many & Mattos, 2016). All stakeholders account for every second. Students, teachers, administrators, support staff, and community members with campus responsibilities have action-oriented expectations for every moment of the day.
Students
All students have a daily calendar in Hyper-calendaring that is adhered to with prescribed times, content, locations, and expectations. All facets of the daily schedule are visible and aligned with other co-curricular activities. Additionally, assessments, daily routines, and procedures are noted in the daily calendar for students.
Teachers
All teachers have a daily schedule that denotes how every moment of their school day is spent. When considering the weight of challenges schools face, teachers must work collaboratively and not in a silo to effectively meet the needs of all of their students (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Mattos & Muhammad, 2021). The rhythmic activities like professional learning community (PLC) meetings and campus committees are of particular importance.
Administrators
All administrators, from the principal to assistant principals and support staff, have a daily calendar reflecting time spent on various responsibilities. The administrators also Hyper-calendar any school-wide initiatives (i.e., Drop Everything and Read [DEAR]Time, letter-writing campaigns, assessments, etc.).
Integration
Integration is a significant component of Hyper-calendaring. Hyper-calendaring relies heavily upon a technological ingredient with intuitive integration capabilities. Hence, automated systems support the efforts of all stakeholders to support teams in working together, organizing, and scheduling their efforts. Online scheduling tools automatically plan meetings and ensure scheduling coordination with other organization members.
Hyper-calendaring ensures PLCs and campus committees function systematically and are cohesive and connected at the campus level.
Benchmark Metrics
The pathway for reaching Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART) Goals is consistently highlighted in Hyper-calendaring at the outset of the academic year. When the primary goal of schools is to activate high levels of learning, then educators need to see the mission, vision, values, and goals as tools for motivating, inspiring, and guiding the actions of students (Brown & Ferriter, 2021). All stakeholders are aware of pacing calendar expectations for teaching curriculum in Hyper-calendaring systems. In Professional Learning Communities at Work and High-Reliability Schools, Ferriter asserts that Professional Learning Community teams benefit from a vetted curriculum because it targets their efforts (Ferriter, W.M., 2020). By that, common assessments, standardized tests, and benchmark examinations are pre-planned and notated in the calendar. In collaborative teams where students are identified as not yet reaching proficiency regarding the skills and concepts considered crucial, there is a collective and systematic first response within the team designed to provide urgent support (Bailey, K. & Jakicic, C., 2012). Additionally, logistical items related to supporting the execution of facilitating campus compliance with specific testing instruments are calendared.
Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
There is one master calendar for the organization that has every activity planned. This calendar aligns with the work and priorities of the organization. In Hyper-calendaring, every task is a manageable size to be included on the calendar. Every job is accounted for on the calendar by all stakeholders. One of the attributes supported by Hyper-calendaring is the prevalence of “a rhythm” in calendaring. There should be a flow and consistency to what was calendared. For instance, “Each Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., the 4th grade Science Team meets in Room 208.”
Culture/Climate
Exercising leadership entails utilizing a series of actions to transform the climate and culture of the working environment (Muhammad & Cruz, 2019). Culture is a critical aspect of a campus or organization and is often described as the “way things are done.” Some distinct nuances and expectations reflect the culture of an organization.
Some educational researchers even assert that culture building is the essential job of school leaders and that all successful processes emanate from a strong culture. Hyper-calendaring supports culture by embedding proactive mechanisms to survey the health and climate of the organization. This Hyper-calendaring strategy supports the organization in being proactive instead of reactive, thereby minimizing stakeholders’ dissatisfaction. Hyper-calendaring purposefully plans celebrations, administrative processes, and compliance responsibilities. This process helps to promote what is considered normal for the environment and establishes an expectation for when and how an organization “does things.”
The climate is often likened to the descriptions used in weather. Like the weather, the climate is considered in terms of how the organization feels. Hyper-calendaring promotes collective responsibility for the entire school organization. In essence, all educators, teachers, administration, and support staff commit to a schoolwide effort to learn together so they can move forward as a cohesive unit (Kerr, Heller, Hulen & Butler, 2020). Questions such as these reveal the climate of an organization:
- Is the front office staff warm and friendly?
- Do parents feel welcome?
- Do students feel they are heard and their feelings are acknowledged?
The climate of an organization is enhanced by Hyper-calendaring. In systems benefitting from Hyper-calendaring, all stakeholders respect and honor time. Organizations consistently feel healthy when this process is in place. Hyper-calendaring takes away many surprises that can derail members of an organization. The use of Hyper-calendaring minimizes incidents of multi-tasking, thereby lessening stress. Focus and achieving goals are amplified. Professional relationships are strengthened because there is optimum productivity and less time wasted. Online scheduling systems that support Hyper-calendaring save even more time. Ultimately, the byproduct of Hyper-calendaring for the organization is greater job satisfaction.
Communication
The authors of Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work emphasize establishing consensus requires conversations and dialogue (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many, and Mattos 2016). Conversations and dialogue must occur, and Hyper-calendaring provides support structures to facilitate such discussions. From the inception of implementing measures for a system embedding Hyper-calendaring, it might appear communication measures to disseminate all this planning would be insurmountable. In all fairness, dissemination of details is a huge undertaking, and quality communication implements are vital for the success of effective Hyper-calendaring. All stakeholders must be apprised of the various plans to reach goals and avoid duplication of efforts.
So, how can the organization’s members be updated regarding all tasks and professional responsibilities? Members of the organization need to be privy to all available modes of communication for updates and be given options that align with their preferences for receiving updates. Updates can be delivered via a call system, alerts with reminders, appropriately translated materials, signage, newsletters, and meetings: face-to-face/virtual and text messages are acceptable. Specific technology support from various digital platforms used by respective schools and organizations and calendar-setting systems is another component of Hyper-calendaring used for high-stakes items.
Trajectory of Leader
For new administrators, Hyper-calendaring is a must. In an era where the preponderance of administrators continually exclaim, “There are just not enough hours in the day” and “We are now striving to distinguish between urgent versus important for prioritizing work,” Hyper-calendaring is essential. Being able to successfully Hyper-calendar can make or break a new administrator. Hyper-calendaring also restores balance as the process relies heavily on adequately budgeting time on task.
After Hyper-calendaring and updating online calendars, reminders can be set for calendared activities. These reminders can be a pacing tool to chart progress in accomplishing a task. Hyper-calendaring will inform leaders of their productivity peak. The productivity peak is the time of the day and the day of the week when outcomes are maximized. Data from the Hyper-calendar will be used to identify that time and schedule intense high-yield tasks during those times.
Scope of the Impact
Effective, transformational leaders inspect what they expect. These leaders demonstrate situational leadership and embrace the need to serve as role models. Consequently, they execute the best of the tenets of Hyper-calendaring. They are organized, precise, and intentional with their time. Additionally, quality leaders are valued for their judgment and decision-making. These leaders understand different tasks require diverse types of thinking.
Proactive leaders help to solidify calendaring in Hyper-calendaring to help members avoid wasting time and combine similar projects. In addition to providing the road map, organizations need leaders to be visionaries and set the course. These leaders must also match that essential trait with being a global leader by consistently surveying the organization’s landscape.
Influential leaders are trusted to move the needle. Another critical focus area is consensus building; Hyper-calendaring provides the needed parameters for this process. DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many & Mattos outline that a group has arrived at consensus when it addresses two criteria:
- All points of view have not merely been heard but have been actively solicited.
- The group’s will is apparent even to those who oppose it (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many & Mattos 2016).
They lead and enable the individuals they supervise by removing barriers. The leaders are trusted to oversee the calendaring and ensure proper resources are in place. Skilled leaders seek out all technological tools to assist the organization’s members. When leaders hyper-calendar, online scheduling systems allow them to move the needle and remove barriers for members of the organization they supervise. These leaders use automated scheduling tools to help save time for stakeholders. They work to make specific schedules for stakeholders coordinated.
Feedback from Practitioners
A survey conducted via random sampling of Classroom Teachers, Assistant Principals, Principals, and District Level/Central Office Personnel in mid-size to large school districts in the state of Texas revealed insights regarding the perceived benefits of Hyper-calendaring.
Participants reported an appreciation for being informed and notified when various events would be taking place. Additionally, participants mentioned the advantage of instantaneously being made aware of changes via the communication structures supporting Hyper-calendaring. Some platforms that were mentioned are as follows: Outlook, Slack, and Google Calendar.
Conclusion
Hyper-calendaring involves the best efforts regarding careful planning, proactivity, high levels of effective communication, and collaboration. Hyper-calendaring elevates an organization to the next level. Systems using Hyper-calendaring are enhanced, and individuals within the organization have the proper support to excel professionally and personally.
Hyper-calendaring minimizes surprises and stress and moves systems from reactive to proactive. Hyper-calendaring supports teams in professional learning communities to maximize their collaborative potential by ensuring that all members are doing work that multiplies both their personalities and their professional abilities (Ferriter, W.M., 2020). Developing and executing effective Hyper-calendaring takes time, coordination, and buy-in. However, the dividends yielded for all stakeholders are priceless.
Dr. Michelle Fennick is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Director of Field Supervision at Lamar University. She is also the CEO of Consult Dr. Michelle, LLC. With more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, coach, principal, district administrator, and professor, she has devoted her career to shaping and supporting future leaders.
References
Bailey, K. & Jakicic, C. (2012). Common Formative Assessment: A Toolkit for Professional Learning Communities at Work. Solution Tree Press.
Brown & Ferriter. (2021). You Can Learn: Building Student Ownership, Motivation and Efficacy with the PLC at Work Process. Solution Tree Press.
DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many & Mattos. (2016). Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work. Solution Tree Press.
DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Mattos & Muhammad. (2021). Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work. Solution Tree Press.
Ferriter, W.M. (2020). The Big Book of Tools for Collaborative Teams in a PLC at Work. Solution Tree Press.
Ferriter, W.M. (2020). Professional Learning Communities at Work and High-Reliability Schools. Solution Tree Press.
Kerr, Heller, Hulen & Butler. (2020). What About Us: The PLC at Work Process for Grades PreK-2 Teams. Solution Tree Press.
Muhammad, A. & Cruz, L. (2019). Time for Change: 4 Essential Skills for Transformational School and District Leaders. Solution Tree Press.
TEPSA Leader, Fall 2024, Vol 37, No 4
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