August. The month for educators of excitement, anticipation, and the start of a new (school) year. Many of us left our classrooms and schools in June with a list of books to read, conferences to go to, and big ideas for the next school year. If you are like me, June, July, and August are months […]
Category: Reflection and Growth
Before the Bell Rings: Four Ways to Stay Balanced
Four Ways to Anchor Yourself as a Leader
I still remember the shock on March 13, 2020, when we sent students home to complete the year online. Looking back, these last 16 months have been beyond stormy—just one wave after another as we battled to support teachers, support our school community, support our students, and somehow find something that supported ourselves. Throughout this challenging time, […]
A Small Token Goes a Long Way
I was about to enter my first year of a principalship, and you could feel the sunny Cape Cod days slipping away quickly. I had just signed my first principal contract, and I wanted to hit the ground running as soon as I entered my new middle level school. Friends laughed at me that evening […]
Leave the Seed, Keep the Flesh: Reflections From Principalship and Motherhood
“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 […]
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 […]