(Originally posted on Michael Smith’s Principal’s Page) By Michael Smith It is definitely that time of year. And not just for resumes and countdowns (spring break and end of the year). Schools districts are in the process of hiring administrators for next year. More people will be joining me in this challenging profession (notice I […]
The Power of Branding – Joe Sanfelippo
(Originally posted on FC Superintendent.) By Joe Sanfelippo When is the last time something amazing happened in your classroom? I’ll help you out…the last time you had kids in your classroom and they were engaged in learning, it was amazing. To think that we have people in this world that have the skill level to […]
#Leadership: If everyone is happy, then ...
(Originally posted on Life as an Educator.) By Dr. Justin Tarte So, we’ve all heard the saying or a variation before… ‘If somebody isn’t upset with you, then you must not be doing anything.’ Leadership is one of those things that a lot of people think they are good at and think they understand. The […]
The Interview Question We Should All Be ...
(Originally posted on Our Work, Their Education.) By Michael Wirtz As I have written previously, January and February are busy months for those of us in independent schools with hiring responsibilities. Having spent the last two days at one of the largest independent school hiring fairs in the country, I was immersed in the world […]
Who Should Plan, Design and Lead Teacher...
(Originally posted at Education, Leadership and 21st Century Pedagogy.) By Pam Gildersleeve-Hernandez “There’s got to be a better way to do professional development of teachers than to talk down to them and bore them to death.” -Peggy McIntosh, Founder SEEDS Project District offices have traditionally dedicated personnel resources with previous classroom experience to spearheading teacher […]
4 Ideas To Have A Successful First Year ...
(Originally posted on The Principal of Change) By George Couros #147205418 / gettyimages.com I am so intrigued with the number of people that are jumping into principal positions as I think it is truly one of the best jobs in the world. It is also one of the toughest. Isolation within a school (even […]
What Legacy Will You Leave Behind? – Dan
(Originally posted on Once a Bobcat, Always a Bobcat.) By Dan Butler Over the past few years, I have attended a number of retirement parties for teachers, administrators, and support staff members. Within these gatherings, I have interpreted a common theme from the comments and speeches centered around what type of legacy has been left […]
Don’t Have A Good Day – Walter A. Kozlow
(Originally posted on Servant Principal.) By Walter A. Kozlowski I don’t recall when or where I picked up this habit, but I do know why. Instead of kindly suggesting to somebody that he or she “Have a good day”, I prefer to suggest they “Make it a great day.” I, especially like to do this […]
Steps to Upgrade your Hiring Process – D
(Originally posted on @DrMattParker) By Matt Parker As a school administrator, it is a source of stress and opportunity when a job comes open in a school (or any organization). We suffer from the loss of an employee, but we also have a chance to enhance our organization by gaining special attributes in a new […]
Ten School Leadership Lessons Inspired b...
(Originally Posted on Common Sense School Leadership.) By Christopher Wooleyhand The Godfather is arguably one of the best books and movies ever produced. While the violence associated with the film should never be glorified, there are many messages in the movie that can be used to inspire thoughtful leadership in education. My wife, Debbie, and […]
Trust – The Crucial Glue for Reform and
(Originally posted on Building our Learning Capacity Through Creative Collaboration.) By Beate PLanche. We use the words trust, trustworthiness and trusting rather easily in our conversations with others as we think about how to move things forward in our schools. Do we have a shared understanding of how to build it? I have experienced […]
What Are Your Leadership Rules? – David
(Originally posted at A Principal’s Life. ) A few weeks ago, I read a blog post about rules for leadership. It challenged me to think about the rules that are important to me as a school leader. What are the things that I believe in that guide my actions and decisions as a principal. I actually […]
How To Hire Amazing People (Even In Toug...
(Originally posted on Eduleadership.) By Justin Baeder I have friends who work in high-needs schools that are overwhelmingly staffed with first-year and second-year teachers. While a school might occasionally find itself in this position, I’m convinced that it must not become a recurring situation. Justice demands that we staff all of our schools with a […]
Make it a Priority to Stay Engaged All Y...
(Originally posted at A Principal’s Life. ) By David Ellena As a new year begins, hopefully we have all set goals and determined things that we will do better this year than last. I know I have. I always say that I am going to spend more time in classrooms (is there ever a time […]
Six Reasons to Make Walkthroughs a High ...
(Originally posted on Servant Principal.) By Walter A. Kozlowski Sign posted to my office door. An eighth-grade student sitting outside my office nodded toward chart on the wall and asked, “What’s that?” I explained to him that it is how we keep track of the classrooms we have visited. His response: “That’s cool.” For years, I was […]