TL;DR: Parents want teachers to see their children and notice great things about them. Send an email at the start of the year introducing yourself. Ask parents to tell you about their child. Periodically check in with parents to see how they feel things are going. Celebrate children! Meaningful Connections: What Parents Want When my children were younger, I wished … Read More
Follow the Signs
TL;DR: Follow the signs our students give us. We must teach the students we have in front of us, not the students we wish we had. Successful teaching requires us to know not only where are our students are and where we want them to go, but also to know where we are and how we are going to get … Read More
It Happens! What to Do When Your Staff Meeting Flops
TL;DR: Sometimes even the best of plans don’t go the way we want them to. Plan for your next staff meeting, presentation, or lesson by planning ahead, adjusting when needed, and using your time wisely. It happens! What to do when your staff meeting flops… This is not the post I had planned to write for this month. However, if … Read More
Engage and Elevate Better with Thankfulness
TL;DR: What are you thankful for? How can you share your gratitude with others? This post shares a number of strategies to elevate your thankfulness, including sending a handwritten note, thanking yourself, focusing on others, starting a gratitude journal, and more. Welcome to the Season of Thankfulness! There is something very perceptible when the calendar changes from October to November. … Read More
The Gift of Leadership
TL;DR: There are five aspects to the gift of leadership. We need to see potential, believe in others, nurture the skill, teach leadership explicitly, and then we must provide opportunities to empower them to lead. Leadership is a skill that needs to be developed. Just like all teachers are leaders, all students are leaders too. Notice, name, and nurture. Show … Read More