“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few,” says the Zen master Shunryu Suzuki. We thought we had it all figured out, like avocado toast. Pre-pandemic, we added pumpkin seeds and feta and Mike’s hot honey and slathered it on Mestemacher rye bread. We made guacamole and avocado […]
Category: Reflection and Growth
Leave the Seed, Keep the Flesh: Reflections From Principalship and Motherhood
What Have We Learned?
We thought spring of 2020 was going to be our return to normalcy. We spent the fall and winter of the 2019–20 school year in complete crisis. Our school was supposed to be moving into a renovated co-located school building in fall of 2019, and when that project went into turmoil, so did our school. We […]
Purpose and the Assistant Principalship: Four Questions for Reflection
As an associate principal, I find my days filled with constant interactions with students, teachers, and support staff involving day-to-day operational needs, making decisions that affect everyone, acting as a sounding board, listening to various problems, observing and evaluating teachers, helping students and teachers reach their full potential, and doing things that impact our school […]
Staying Thirsty Even When Your Cup Is Overflowing With Chaos
Leaders are thirsty. Thirsty for personal and professional growth, achievement, and success for themselves and those they lead. Leaders are just born that way. That is what makes them who they are.
In the Middle of Difficulty Lies Opportunity
On Tuesday, August 6, 2013, my family, my parents, my sister, and her family spent a wonderful day together at the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. That night we got home around 8:00 p.m. Our children (ages 1 and 4) had fallen asleep on the way home. […]
Letter to a Discouraged Student
You’re discouraged. I know you are. Your heart sank when you saw the grades. But those letter grades don’t define you. Last spring didn’t go like it was supposed to go. You missed out on activities. You missed seeing your friends at school every day. And this year isn’t normal either. It’s uncomfortable to wear a mask at […]
Taking Care of Yourself and Your Staff
Educators rarely leave the profession because they don’t love teaching. As a leader, that was one of my lightbulb moments. They leave because they don’t feel loved, they don’t feel balanced, and everything becomes too much. These are feelings every educator can relate to, and these are the feelings that I have been trying to […]
Sharing Your Highlight Reel: Ways to Share Your School’s Story—and Your Own
Have you ever found yourself scrolling through Twitter and getting the feeling that you aren’t doing enough? Do you ask yourself how others find time to do what they do? Having an online professional learning network (PLN) is extremely important and beneficial; however, if I am being honest, I have found myself comparing where I […]
Lead Like a Conductor: Lessons Learned as a Middle Level Band Director
Beginning band was an exciting time for my middle level students. For many, it was the first time receiving musical instruction, playing an instrument, reading music, and working collaboratively to create art. This experience led students through a journey of learning, challenges, excitement, frustration, determination, and euphoria. A conductor depends upon those they lead—if they […]
Patience and Principal Leadership
Two lions, one young and one old, are peering down over the pride at some antelope. The younger, more inexperienced lion shifts from side to side, eager to pounce on the prey for a meal. She leans over to the grizzled veteran lion and eagerly implores, “Let’s run down this hill and eat those antelope!” The wise […]