Meeting Minutes - October 10, 2017
Tiger Challenge
we need to change & improve our vocabulary
we have to talk to the parents; the benefits are too abstract for the kids so it's the parents who need to understand and make the decisions, to see the benefits. We should be talking to the parents one on one and tracking who we've talked to and who we have not.
the conversation has to be different for the LL & TT; the benefits are different since the expectations are different. Should be reinforcing the concept of healthy competition.
we need to better document the event as a whole, maybe somehow free up Yitzik so he can be our photographer
we also need to know how to navigate the website and mighty bell in order to help the parents find the forms. Which reminds me, I can't find the forms on Mightybell, except for the one you sent me, Yitzik
Coen Johnson- there has been major improvement from what Sifu Brinker has seen. However, we need to stay 100% consistent with him and all of our students. 99% consistent is inconsistent. We need excellent communication amongst ourselves to ensure w'er all on the same page and all aware of kids and issues. If you're not the right one to handle a specific situation don't ignore it, ensure the right instructor is aware and is on it.
Bullying- Lisa's note on Jessica Johnson's file is a must read. "It can also take away from the lessons we teach if we are hammering on the kids in a very blatant way instead of having them learn to think and learn empathy.". We need to be laying out a pattern and letting the kids connect the dots- just telling them these things won't sink any further for them then it already has. We teach self defence and conflict resolution, NOT how to fight. We should be developing our vocabulary and understanding through our personal blogs.
Contractors vs. Employees
If you need time off ensure it's in the calendar asap. We don't want multiple instructors gone at the same time. If someone else has booked time off please do what you can to ensure you are there. There are times when we can't help but be missing multiple instructors but we need to keep these times at a minimum.
If your backup does not show up you do not get paid. Anything else changes the relationship from contractor to employee. YOU MUST GET BACKUP.
You are entitled to deductions as a contractor. Talk to Sifu Brinker if you have questions regarding this.
The value of participation - it's difficult to inspire others to do something or be somewhere when you yourself are unwilling to do or be there. Participation will make our jobs easier in the long run and go far towards inspiring our students.
Meeting Minutes - June 11, 2017
Apologies for taking so long. Here's the meeting notes from last Tuesday- please add anything I missed.
Caylinn Dyble- are class may be what she needs. Set a goal for her that she can meet so that we can catch her on a high. Sifu Brinker had the idea of setting 150 (or something) acts of kindness she needs to complete and document before her grading. Has anyone talked to Paul about this?
Rowan Johnson- has a very overdue homework assignment that needs to be dealt with. Need to check if it's still relevant or if it's fixed. If it is still relevant we need to rework it so that it can be effective for her. Talk to her about it. Chantal, where are we with this?
Avery Rudelich- time to move up to the adults. He's grading in July (also taking July off) so the move would work on his return. Yitzik, I know you talked to his dad before about this, where are they at?
Need to make sure we are taking responsibility and being accountable for these guys, all of them, no matter their situation. Don't write off a kid with slow progression due to attendance, attitude, etc. If they're missing classes then we obviously haven't been engaging them enough in class. Something else is more important to them.
Engagement- we tend to go to the extremes; all fun, no meat or all meat no fun. We need to find the right balance where the kids are having fun but learning kung fu. Classes need to be high energy with excitement and kids need a real sense of accomplishment. Building in thinking requirements into the drills is one way. Building pertinence into the classes, real life issues, so the kids and parents alike can start connecting the dots.
Need to practice our vocabulary, build it up and connect the dots for everyone with a why. We can only get better by practicing so look for opportunities to build it in without stopping the class.
Less yack.
Calendar- we must be using the calendar. If we're not or not getting cover then we are not contractors and we can be owing CPP & UI. Big, ugly consequences if we're not doing this properly.
I know a lot more was said but I was busy listening and not taking notes. Please add your two cents in.
Meeting Minutes - May 2, 2017
Foreword- I was a bit foggy last night so there are holes in my notes. Please help me out and fill in anything I missed and/or details I glazed.
Went over the kids stripes- need to keep this current and in the front of our minds.
Move Killkenny, Balin & O'Connor up to the adults class together, asap. Killkenny is grading this weekend so best if we can move them for first thing next week.
Noah Saidler is making the switch permanent. Talk to Erin again about having Calin Yakimchuk join the adults class when he returns.
We have an opportunity to redirect the advanced class for the next while. Prepare them for adult as many of them will be moving this year.
Pandamonium needs to be kept separate from the fundraiser- Pandamonium is on the 27th, Kind-Act-Athon started on the first.
Ask yourself why you are here? Keep that in front of you always and it will help you teach.
Couple notes from myself- Carter Hanson actually had 6 stripes, not sure when he got his green but it was not recorded in the system. This has been corrected. Additionally he received his last stripe tonight.
Jordan Carreau has an outstanding task that was assigned November 16th- Sifu Csillag and I both have talked to him regarding it. It is currently in the way of his red stripe and after that the only stripe left for him is green. It's in his hands. I talked to him tonight again and let him know the two things I want to see him fix, including the task in his book.
Meeting Minutes - April 11, 2017
Need to ensure we're on time, meaning 10 minutes before classes. Everything is perception and the perception if we're late is that we don't care and are unprepared. Be shinier products.
The school is not a democracy but also not a dictatorship. Please contribute and feel free to speak up, however the final decision will always be up to one guy (Sifu Brinker).
RE: Student Passports
Stripe mentors need to be 100% over and done with in all forms; the system failed because we were teaching to stripe vs. teaching kung fu. Teach kung fu, the skill and therefore stripes will follow.
The passports will only be valuable if they are being used properly. Meant for the students, not parents. Tasks are not to be written for the parents and need to be presented in such a way that they are easily understandable and legible. Concise.
Tasks must have a beginning and an end, not just written information or correction. Must be fast, kids need the ability to get them done within approx. 48 hrs or over a weekend so that they do not tire and lose motivation to complete them while still getting the benefit.
Only assign a kid one task at a time. If there is a task already outstanding keep yours until it is completed.
After that I quit taking notes so if you guys can fill in the blanks it'll be helpful. Please and thank you.
Meeting Minutes - February 28, 2017
Pre note- I didn't take extensive notes this time so please, please add anything I've missed. I know I missed things.
Rowan Johnson is grading this weekend- she's unmotivated right now and we need to figure out how to fix that.
Need to fully commit to the transition, no more 1 foot in, 1 for out. Commit to an idea, don't second guess things. Much comes down reliance on the support network. Less talk in classes. Need to get more technique out of the kids (eg. jab-jab-reverse needs to be at a higher level). Don't force a lesson- if it's not working don't flog a dying horse, move on.
Need more creative drills to get the same lessons across. (Personal note- help me with this guys. My fountain is running dry right now).
We all need to be making notes- need to be engaged with the kids and the parents and noting everything. By the time a kid has disappeared for months it's too late- we should have noticed and intervened before that point. Possibility of discussing each student individually during the meetings, ranking as A, B or C student. C student needs intervention.
No pylons on the matts. Need to congeal as a team.
Watch the parents, engage with the parents. If their kid is a C student, discuss it with them. They're ultimately the ones with the ability to pull or keep a kid in.
Use the spreadsheet for each and every class- three days later is too late and the record will be inaccurate. Also use the spreadsheet to determine what needs to be covered.
Comments & Discussion of Minutes
Yitzik Csillag 6y
Host
Thanks for posting.
Why no pylons?
Was the stripe mentoring discussed?
When and how are we going to rank students? I like the idea.
We should discuss c students but also students that move from A to B.
1
· Reply
Khona Rybak 6y
Host
I mean people pylons- we always need to be engaged. No to stripe mentors. Just discuss each student during the meetings and determine where they're at- something that I feel should be getting done more often than once a month anyways, discuss the students as we note issues instead of waiting for the next meeting.
· Reply
Jeff Brinker 6y
Host·Sifu
It should be noted that the stuff we covered in last night's meeting is virtually identical to the meeting notes from 2012 that I read out to you all at the beginning. We need to implement my instructions or I am going to have to start making changes. The specific instructions that need to be implemented are concerning the pylons. Everybody needs to be 100% engaged as a team member. Each of us fills a purpose on the deck and we fill in for voids left by the other instructors. We're part of a team and we need to act accordingly.
· Reply
Yitzik Csillag 6y
Host
I think that there need to be more specific instructions as obviously not much changed. I also think that we should be addressing how we make sure that "helpers" are actually helping. Making sure they know what is expected from them, what the class is going to be, etc.
· Reply
Jeff Brinker 6y
Host·Sifu
I can't be more specific unless I am on the deck consistently to observe what and when things are happening. One of the reasons I have so many instructors out there is because I cannot be on the deck consistently. Furthermore, specific or not, (curriculum vs. syllabus, when to call "students", online engagement, etc.) there is a consistent inconsistency with our instructors which makes it impossible to move ahead unless everyone is following the instructions and policies that have been set. It is our inconsistency that pushes us to constantly revise our approach in an attempt to get buy in.
What everyone must start doing is weekly reviewing our goals and policies and ensuring they are mindful to follow them 100% of the time. If that happens, consistency will show results, results can be evaluated, and proper adjustments can be made.
As far as helpers go, everyone must comply and pull their weight. If someone is seeing a consistent pylon out there, it must be brought to my attention. I will deal with the individual and help them to properly engage with the class and the team's expectations. If they cannot comply, then their future as an instructor must be re-evaluated. Of course I expect the team to be sharing information and ideas that are going to help helpers figure out where they are needed. However, if all else fails, I need to be informed and become involved.· Reply
Khona Rybak 6y
Host
Personally I think a huge chunk of this is communication, or lack thereof. It's rare we have full or timely online engagement. Not all of us make it to classes before the doors open to the students and after classes we all have other commitments or responsibilities. If we had a reliable form of frequent communication many of these issues could be addressed. Your idea, Yitzik of a weekly meeting after one of the classes I think is the best, so we can discuss the students, any issues and try to refocus ourselves as to what the policies are and what is expected. Although I don't know if that'll fly.
Tania, would you be available after classes Tuesdays? Yitzik, are you available after the Monday class? We can start there and see where we need to go after that.
· Reply
Yitzik Csillag 6y
Host
Mondays after class will work for me.
· Reply
Tania Vantuil 6y
Member
I should be good after classes on Tuesdays.
· Reply
Yitzik Csillag 6y
Host
I agree with what you are saying but I think it is being interpreted differently by different people.
Reviewing our goals and policies on a regular basis is great if there is a clarity of what they are. I can't just nod our heads and continue like nothing happened.
If we have the same issues we had for few years we obviously have a problem of understanding what the issues are or how to go about fixing.
I also think communication is key for all of it but clarity of wha we need to do and even more important- why we do it is key.· Reply
Jeff Brinker 6y
Host·Sifu
When you say "it", what are you referring to? I am not in agreement that we have not been communicating consistently throughout the past 5 years. The posting I referred to at the beginning of the meeting is proof of that. We discuss this stuff almost every meeting. I am not sure how to make it more clear than "NO PYLONS ON DECK". Or " PERSON UP FRONT LEADS, THE REST TEACH". Or "WE'RE ALL PART OF THE SAME TEAM, NOT A BUNCH OF INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTORS."
The fact that we have discussed this a lot over the years tells me that this is not an interpretation thing as I would expect there to be questions if people do not understand. I believe this to be an inertia thing. People tend to do what they always do unless acted upon by an outside force. I believe the problem is that I am not motivating people enough to actually comply. We spend more energy in finding compromises or new approaches since the old one (the one that people failed to comply with) did not work.· Reply
Jeff Brinker 6y
Host·Sifu
Case in point. How many times have we discussed the need for people to actually comment on a post in order to get notifications and be aware of the continuing conversation? Yet here we are, the same four people having the same conversation with the rest blissfully unaware. People continue to Cheer but they stay ignorant of what is actually being discussed. This is not a lack of communication or understanding of what is needed. This is something else altogether.
· Reply
Jeff Brinker 6y
Host·Sifu
As far as meetings go, I believe they need to take place before class rather than after class. After class requires people keeping in front of them what they have failed to keep in front of themselves for the past 5 years and apply it in the next class. Obviously before class is not possible because of everyone's schedules so all we can do is hope meetings more often generate the results we desire.
· Reply
Khona Rybak 6y
Host
Agreed. To be clear, I think communication is lacking between us, not you and us. Agree that after classes isn't ideal but it's a step in the right direction.
Meeting Minutes - January 31, 2017
Meetings need to be more pertinent to the issues being discussed.
Information needs to be discussed as it comes up. We need to start having meetings before or after classes OR have 100% online reliability, within the necessary timeframe. Share all information, pertinent or not (online).
Been receiving positive feedback regarding the demo and program as a whole. Need to document ideas for improvement. Need to make better use of the microphone- some frustration over the speeches was expressed.
Intent to Promote letters need to come directly to Sifu Rybak from the student.
No more games- activities need to be fun drills (BD's). TT's- games and drills kung fu related.
Stripe mentors are being abolished. Its creating the illusion that stripes only come from the stripe mentor. Everything must be documented and kept accurate in FrontDesk, including date of stripes and date of last stripe. WE will be generating report before meetings to discuss any issues.
Passports need to be used. If you have suggestions to make them better let Sifu Brinker know. They're meant to be chart by exception. If commenting in them, be sure to write the date and initial them so we know who to talk to if we need to. We need to make the kids advocates for their own success, not their mentors.
Kids seem to not be completing their assigned tasks, going on 3-4 months without the parents signatures. If this is the case we need to bring it to the parents attention.
Every 1/4; Sifu Brinker PTA meeting.
NEVER stipe a kid without checking the passports. Have the kids decide which stripe they want to focus on- helps them be their own advocates. Having them define specific goals will go a long way toward this.
We need to be discussing the passports, the kids and the classes before and after the classes until all of us are firing on all cylinders with them.
Class rotation is wiped out- up to the instructor to plan accordingly & to accurately document each and every class. A spreadsheet has been created for this.
Emily Bouey- no longer a student until further notice.
If students are complaining about pain or an injury, ask them what they did to hurt themselves and document everything. If the injury persists through several classes bring it to the attention of the parents. Documentation is an absolute must.
Meeting Minutes - November 29, 2016
New curriculum is up for download
Change always causes loss of students however it is not the root cause, only the trigger. Try to root out the true cause when students quit.
ensure decisions reflect previous lessons learned
Dan Sollinger; helping role starting Dec. 1st. We need to ensure a proper fit with the kids and with the team. Red sack (for IHC) covers Dan's rank
Banquet; tickets have been the same price since 2004 whereas costs have dramatically increased. All tickets are now $30 (eliminated kids pricing) and $20/head at the door (7pm) to a max of $60/family. Kids there for the demos get in free.
Need to nail down the kids awards