Originally posted on School Administration Mastery. In a few days, I’ll be interviewing for a position as Principal in my district. It’s a pretty big step for me, and I’m excited about the possibilities. I’m beginning to consider the possible questions that I’ll be asked, and one question in particular comes to mind – at […]
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, […]
Avoiding Bear Traps – Chris Hubbuch
(Originally posted on Inquiry to Results.) By Chris Hubbuch Little could be more painful that being in the clutches of a bear trap. Just thinking about that word is enough to conjure thoughts of oversized metal blades clasping the limb of an unsuspecting animal or hunter. I like to use the term “bear trap” to […]
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 […]
The Principalship: What’s Most Important
(Originally posted on On Principal.) By John Falino I wrote a post over a year ago on the Principalship and the most important aspects of the position. As I move further along into my fourth year, the position continues to be multi-faceted, fast moving, and ever-changing. Simply put, no one day is ever the same. […]
A Veteran Teacher’s Advice on How to Be
By Julia G. Thompson A Veteran Teacher’s Advice on How to Be the Inspiring School Leader Your Teachers Need A building administrator has a thankless job almost all of the time. Making sure that a school runs smoothly can be a crushing responsibility. Everyone in the known universe—parents, teachers, students, the community, social media–has plenty […]
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 […]
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. […]
To Inspire and Be Inspired – Annabelle’s
(Originally posted on Expanding Learning Frontiers.) By Brad Latzke Last October, Annabelle, a grade seven student at Shanghai American School, came to school just like any other day. She felt a little dizzy before going home. Within hours, Annabelle suffered a devastating stroke brought on by several undiagnosed brain tumors. She underwent emergency surgery and her […]
Seven Ways To Grow Leadership Respect –
(Originally posted on Terri Klass Consulting) By Terri Klass Managers are frequently asking me how to gain the respect of their teams and bosses. They feel that they have great insights to share but are having a challenging time being recognized. They will inquire: “Why can’t I get my boss to respect my decisions?” “My […]
3 Administrative Non-Negotiables: How I ...
(Originally posted on Hallway Access.) By David Hochheiser School administrators bear the weight of myriad responsibilities. Our days are filled with diverse questions, interactions, scenarios and tasks. Some of these happen predictably and can therefore be planned for, but many realities in our purview present themselves organically, with little forewarning. Schools are living systems, hopefully […]
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 […]
Getting Things Done – Breck Quarles
(Originally posed on A Principal Journey.) By Breck Quarels “Procrastination is attitude’s natural assassin. There’s nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task.” – William James I don’t know about you, but I tend to be a natural procrastinator. Thankfully, I’ve gotten better over the last few years, but summer seems to bring the procrastination monster […]