TL;DR: Qualities of positive leadership include enthusiasm, optimism, creating unity, leading with purpose, and pursuing excellence. Your attitude is your superpower in becoming a positive and effective leader. In today’s fast-paced and rapidly changing educational atmosphere, leaders and districts need to create positive work environments for their staff. Although this is challenging for every leader, it’s critical to navigate these … Read More
Education’s Elephant in the Room
TL;DR: Silencing education’s elephant in the room by bringing attention to the responsibility of male leaders. The responsibilities of male leaders in a female dominated profession include initiating necessary conversations, being upfront, asking questions, listening, and summarizing points made in conversation to validate the other person. I grew up the youngest of four and the only girl. My mother tried … Read More
I’m Still Standing … Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
TL;DR: Despite all of the obstacles educators face this year, they are still standing. Teachers are seeing the opportunities that lie among all of the challenges. School leaders should provide teachers with flexibility, support, grace, and encouragement. Now is the time to celebrate our teachers and support them in everything they do. Don’t you know I’m still standing better than … Read More
Effective Decision Making: Using Core Values as the Filter
TL;DR: Reflecting on our core values helps us filter through the decisions we make to ensure they are purposeful and effective. Involving team members in decision making can help to increase the likelihood that all members support the outcome. Using core values to make decisions helps to prevent decision-making fatigue. Research shows that adults make an average of 35,000 decisions per … Read More
Fluff Ain’t Enough But it has a Time and Place
TL;DR: Fluff ain’t enough in our classrooms, but it certainly has it’s time and place. FLUFFy ideas to take back to your schools next school year. I am the first to argue “Fluff ain’t enough” in a classroom. In a world of educators sharing inspirational stories, crafting lessons on neon paper, and swapping the cutest fonts, I wonder sometimes if … Read More