(Originally posted on Hallway Access.) By David Hochheiser Do you know what these are? I didn’t until a stranger tossed the red one to me, and my seven-year old lit up with a “That’s the kind I usually use.” The joy in his face and the fun we had after will forever be a perfect […]
What’s Most Important on Opening Meeting
(Originally posted at On Principal.) By John Falino It’s hard to believe that the start of another school year is quickly approaching. As school leaders are putting the finishing touches on a summer that was filled with scheduling, staffing, professional development, and a multitude of other tasks that go along with ensuring the successful start […]
On Becoming a School Leader – Steven Web
(Originally posted on ASCD EDge) By Steven Weber School leadership has changed over the past twenty years. The role of a building principal is similar to the combined roles of a chef, architect, tightrope walker, public speaker, supervisor, investment broker, and pilot. As a chef, the school leader stirs the right ingredients and takes risks, […]
The Speed of Innovation – David Steward
(Originally posted on One Administrator’s View.) By David Steward Recently, I was fortunate to engage in a chat on Twitter that accompanied a local district beginning to discuss innovation and change for their kids. The chat was extremely interesting (check out #ImagineSPS to see the discussion) and got me reflecting on change, innovation, and specifically […]
What is Your Story? – Douglas Elmendor
(Originally posted on ASCD EDge.) By Douglas Elmendorf “You are not merely here to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.” – […]
What’s Holding You Back? – Ben Gilpin
(Originally posted on The Colorful Principal.) By Ben Gilpin 2014 was the start of something special. That something was #ClassroomCribs. I’m a believer that learning spaces matter. As we jump start 2015, I feel it is critical to talk about where we’ve been and what we’re learning. This past summer +A.J. Juliani, +Erin Klein and I began working […]
Redefining Time – Prioritize for Effecti
(Originally posted on Habits of Reflective School Leadership.) By Dan Fowler As school leaders, we constantly find ourselves trying to work more efficiently by multi-tasking the many responsibilities that consume the time in our day. We conduct classroom walk-throughs, manage discipline, respond to email, police the lunchroom, and the list of “to dos” goes on. […]
Recognizing Your Teacher Rock Stars – Th
(Originally posted on SchoolAdministrationMastery.com) By Sam Rangel I just finished Dave Ramsey’s book, EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches, and I plan on reading it again. It is filled with so many great ideas of how to lead effectively. It’s primarily for business owners, but as with many of the “business […]
Successful Leadership is Shared – Dan Fo
(Originally posted on Habits of Reflective School Leadership.) By Dan Fowler Over the past 2 weeks, our school leadership team has been fortunate enough to work alongside our teachers, both at the district level and school-based level, in developing their curriculum through the “Backward Design” process (A process created and perfected by Jay McTighe and the late Grant […]
Belding, Vernon, Rooney – 21st Century P
Imagine that you are not an educator, and do me a favor. Close your eyes and think about what comes to mind when I say one word…principal. Most of the people that I know outside of the educational field will mention one, if not all three of these names: Richard Belding, Richard Vernon, and Edward […]
Principals do Sleep Sometimes – Jessica
(Originally posted on Love the Learning.) By Jessica Hanson One of my awesome first grade teachers shared this with me and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the first grade humor within the story. But, after closely reading the story I thought, “Wow, this first grader may be on to something.” Principals can command kids. […]
Spirit – Creating a Space Where Hope is
Originally posted on Skins of Ill Shaped Fishes.) By Bjorn Paige Have you ever had someone you trusted be so honest with you that you found yourself shaken? It’s in those moments when we’re blessed by the clarity only another pair of eyes can give us about ourselves that we grow. It’s seldom a compliment, […]
5 Tips to Help Teacher Morale – David El
(Originally posted on A Principal’s Life.) By David Ellena In this day and age of “education reform”, it seems that teachers and public education are under attack from all sides. The media and politicians continually erode the public confidence in the very people who we watch dedicate themselves on a daily basis to our students. […]
Embrace a Mistake – Amy Heavin
(Originally posted on Leading Inspired.) We’ve all heard the quote by Vince Lombardi, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” Every moment is a learning experience. Mistakes are no different. We all make mistakes. We are human – it is bound to happen. If we are not willing to […]
The Most Dangerous Phrase in Education –
(Originally posted on Communicate, Coach, Care: The Central Purpose.) WARNING!!!! You are about to be exposed to a highly dangerous and contagious phrase. These words, when used together in a sentence, can be toxic to others, and cause damage that can take years to repair. Hold your breath, grit your teeth, and read the phrase […]