It’s the third or fourth week of the school year, and already I’m hearing teachers and leaders, not to mention the kids, talk about what a hectic week they’ve had or how much there is to do and how they
As students all over the world return to school this season, each one carries within themselves their own set of emotions about school and their abilities based on past experiences. The astute teacher knows that rather than this being a
At the risk of being accused of negativity and pessimism, I’m going out on a limb here to declare my truth: Life’s not a beach even IN the summertime! Not for caregivers who need to fill seven days a week
The thing is, I broke some rules. My client told me our conversation that day was “truly transformational,” and I am deeply touched by and proud of this. I am very pleased my client experienced what they described as a
One of the formative songs I first heard in my friend’s basement when we were teenagers hanging out all Friday night playing records and ping pong was “Changes,” by David Bowie. It came up on my playlist the other day
You walk into the staff room, and one of your colleagues is griping under their breath about the broken copy machine or how students lose everything they’re ever given. You notice you start to feel just a little more tense,
Pop Quiz: What do all these have in common? A pet you’ve left home alone for 12 hours is still overjoyed to see you when you get home from work. A sports fan who stays loyal to the team even
February: the month of Valentines and chocolate, love and flowers. For many educators, though, February is a long month spent in the slow descent towards testing season, and we can certainly feel tested! Typically, it is our patience and grace
It’s January, and you might find yourself in multiple conversations that include the query, “So what’s your New Year’s Resolution this year?” You’ll wince at the thought, and wonder what’s wrong with you that you haven’t set one yet. But
To my husband, a musician and producer, feedback is a nasty word—think of that screeching sound which makes you cover your ears and wince in pain when the guitarist gets too close to his amp. It can ruin an otherwise
Jaime, a school principal, was working with a teacher around her grading system—she was wanting to make her grading more equitable and accurate, and had adopted a no-zero/minimum grade policy. Nothing about her course design had changed, however, so all
CarolAnn sat back in her chair and sighed loudly. “Oy vey,” she said. “Three words?!” I had just asked her to think back over her first year as an assistant principal and generate three words or phrases that might capture
Years ago, I worked with a principal who deeply believes he can develop the leader in everyone—in his staff, in his students, in his own children; everyone, he believes, has leadership potential. Daniel, we’ll call him, is a quintessential leader.