Your School is a Brand... So Are You

Step into your favorite local Starbucks and what do you notice? Are you confused? Do you know where the line is? Do they serve the venti mocha-choca-latte that you want? Are you confident that you will order said venti and then receive what you ordered? You should be, because Starbucks has an incredibly consistent brand. You feel comfortable going there on a trip to Denver because you are 99% guaranteed to get what you want. You might also get a smile, ‘hello’, the chance to use a moderately clean bathroom and free wifi to give them a positive review, ‘Like’ it or tweet how happy you are now that you have your mocha. Sounds nice, and it is. But our school doesn’t serve mochas, so what do we have? And how can a brand like Starbucks, for example, work for a school? Let’s define what a Brand really is…

Brand is not a logo, a tagline, or an advertising campaign. It's a multidimensional platform that can be your greatest differentiator and competitive edge, if built correctly. It represents both a rational and emotional connection to your various stakeholders and the consumer that ultimately decides to purchase and engage with you. (1)

Change a few words to make is school/education specific and we get…

Brand is not a logo, a tagline, or an advertising campaign. It's a multidimensional platform that can be your greatest differentiator and competitive edge, if built correctly. It represents both a rational and emotional connection to your various community members and the students and parents that ultimately decides to engage in learning with you.

Each school has a brand and it is something that didn’t happen by accident. We all have a school vision, strategic plan, student, staff and parent expectations that help define our brand. All of these core beliefs are present with us on a daily basis and they help guide the way we teach, the way our students learn, the way our parents manage the drop-off line all the way down to how we dress. The values are probably even known by the general community.

A school’s positive brand can alleviate parent fears during kindergarten registration, acquire highly qualified teachers when openings arise and increase community support. If your school is known for pushing the envelope with technology usage, the school can either actively pursue its brand image as a tech school, or let community members define it’s brand. If your school has a one-acre garden and they grow their own school lunches, it’s an organic foodie school. If your school has 100% bike riders, you’re a green school. You get the idea. A schools brand consistency will help deliver a clear message to parents, teachers, students and the community. “We are here to support these young learners as they move into the future.”

As a teacher at this institution, we are also responsible for delivering this consistent brand message. A smile in the morning as we open the doors, morning meetings, laughter, skipping in the halls, waving good-bye to parents at carline all help teachers deliver the consistent message each school is trying to deliver. Imagine you’re at your local school, let’s call it Pleasant Ave Elementary (fake). Your teacher is Mr. Jones and he is a great example of the brand PAE is trying to deliver. Friendly, caring, highly invested in how each child learns. But today at drop off, he opens the door and has a gruff look, doesn’t make eye contact and is looking a bit shabby. Parents and probably other staff members are going to ask, “Everything ok? You feeling alright?” They ask this because they care, but also because this doesn’t make sense. It’s not a brand consistent appearance, and it can be unnerving. When the GAP changed it’s logo, people freaked out and GAP changed it back because the consumers (parents and children in our case) found it so different from the original log that it was inconsistent with the brand. If today was a school tour with 20 new families all hoping to see just how great PAE really is (they’ve heard about it’s reputation, or brand, through the community), odds are any new families would see Mr. Jones and wonder what was up, especially since all the other teacher appeared well dressed, present and jovial. Ultimately, our personal brand is with us whether we want it or not, and we can choose to cultivate our brand in a positive way or allow it to be cultivated for us.

Some thoughts about teachers and their brand…

1. Keep your message simple. A clear statement of purpose, vision statement, or even a smile can help share who you are and what you’re about as a professional. “I’m here to help your child do things great today.”

2. How do you communicate? Are you a daily emailer? Tweet much? Bi-weekly newsletter? Stick with something that works, but make sure there is a purpose. I tweet because I want parents who can’t get into the classroom to be able to have a conversation with their student about what is happening on a daily basis.

3. Build your own brand as a professional teacher. Like it or not, our brand (or reputation) is out there and we get to choose to cultivate it and grow, or let others do this work.

4. Truly great brands don’t go about announcing themselves, nor should teachers or schools. If the amount of energy expended while developing a brand as a teacher or school is greater than the energy expended to directly help children, we are failing.

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1. Shawn Parr. "5 Smart Steps To Building Your Brand The Right Way - Fast Company." 2013. 22 Jan. 2014 <http://www.fastcompany.com/3018334/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/5-smart-steps-to-building-your-brand-the-right-way>

The Obligatory "Who am I post"

After much #edupressure, a mind full of ideas that need to be put somewhere easily accessible, made shareable, and share some learning with friends and new friends, here is blog post #1.

I shall dedicate this blog to the #eduawesomeness that was the #gafesummit in Napa two weeks ago. Between meeting Karl L.S. in real life (didn't get the autograph), hanging with Eric Saibel and Sergio Villegas, pointing at Jenny Derby and Ashley Williams (is that rude?), reconnecting with Amy Fadeji and getting the chance to talk, share and plan with my own colleagues, not to mention the hundreds of other people that I chatted with from around the state, I'm ready to blog. Let's do this.


Following the lead of Ashley Williams and her crafty blogging skills, dare I say inspiration, I have answered 11 questions.... 

1. What do you want to be when you grow up? 
When I grow up I want to be an artist. I'd like to meld together being in nature, photography, sketching, painting, movement and the production of something that inspires people to do something that makes them happy. 

2. What are your favorite weekend activities? 
My wife and I are fortunate enough to live in very close to the San Rafael Ridge Open Space. We like to spend weekend mornings with our dog, Spring checking out animal tracks, looking for deer and birds and generally being outside. If I'm not running around doing that, I'm usually sleeping, stretching from a Cross Fit WOD or eating. I'm going to confirm that eating is a weekend activity. 

3. What's your favorite thing about working in education? 
People, autonomy and the pace. 
Being surrounded by people that love what they do, love their children and love to learn makes for a pretty great work environment. People make the school great. 

I love that if I get an idea, I can put it to work now. If it stinks, I don't do it and the kids and I have both learned something about the process of designing things that work. 

I work well in a fast pace, and between my personality and 21 first graders, the pace is pretty quick. There really has never been a time when I've been bored- I think that would be terrible. 

4. If you could have dinner with anyone from your PLN, who would it be? 
Tough questions, but here is my soft answer. I'd eat with the person who has never sent a tweet because he/she is too nervous, or doesn't get it, or it just doesn't make sense (#educonfused). While munching organic kale salad, pizza and soup at Picco, we could discuss the merits of creating a PLN using social media, how great pizza is, and what they are doing on Monday in class that is totally different than what they usually do.

5. What are you known for at your school? 
I'm known for taking something normal and making it rather different, yet meaningful in a different way. I'm known for twitter and genius hour, how-to videos, thinking with no box at all, taking full bites and jumping in with two feet, but mostly I think I'm known for connecting with children and families.

6. How do you celebrate your birthday? 
Food, friends and family. Ever since I met my wife 10 years ago this March, my life has included food in the best ways possible. She taught me to cook well and to enjoy tasty bites. Usually some great meat, though two years ago we have a polenta party!

7. What is your current favorite tech tool (either personal or educational)?
iPhone 5. Next phone I get will have more storage space (32g), but this thing can do anything. 

Misha, 7

8. Do you have pets? YES! Misha the cat is 7. He is the OG pet, the beta test. Spring the brown spotted dog is animal 2.0 and has been a great dog for my wife and I and a wonderful friend for Misha. 

Spring the puppy

The dynamic duo

9. What's the craziest adventure you've ever been on?

Cliché answer- life has been pretty wild thus far. Marriage, traveling, camping, animals, pink slips, stitches etc... True answer- ice climbing in the Sierra Nevada.

10. Were you a good student when you were in school? 
Define good? I was engaged with my peers, though found myself rather disengaged with many teachers. Some connected with me, and surprise, I did well in their class. I didn't read well until 2nd grade, and didn't truly fall in love with reading until I was 23. 

11. What are you an expert at (doesn't have to be a good thing)? 
Making coffee, laughing, helping, whatever term means 'the opposite of folding clothes', cheering for the SF Giants, riding bikes, running and being a creative thinker. 

More education thoughts to come, but for now, Go Niners. 

Mike