An elementary principal, taken by surprise when transferred to a new elementary school, continues to stay in touch with her old school. She visits after hours with the office staff and meets with former teachers every Friday afternoon at a …
When we think of school administration, we generally envision a job that does more helping than selling. Yet, most days our energy is spent persuading teachers to change their practice, cajoling students to be good learners, pitching ideas to the …
Micromanage vs. Laissez-faire There are two extremes to educational leadership that nearly all principals fall somewhere between.
There is an old saying: “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” It could never be truer than when you are an incoming principal, either in your first assignment or in a new position. A …
By Nancy Blade The honeymoon period marks a time of new beginnings. School administrators, unlike many other professionals, experience an opportunity for a fresh start each fall. Renewed, teachers come back from summer break believing in the promise of a …
Nurturing optimism in young people is one of the best ways to help them lead happy and healthy lives full of anticipation for the future. Optimistic people view circumstances as opportunities to achieve—rather than as challenges approached with dread and …
Over the past several years, many principals have established the expectation that teachers place the daily objective on the board before beginning the lesson. The thought is that this step signals to the learners the purpose of their work and …
The presence of persistent negativity in our work environment can have a variety of impacts on others and those of us who must work and deal with the person whose attitude and behavior is providing the toxicity. It can be …
The notion of “boundaries” is central to learning theory. Boundaries mark the point where knowledge begins or ends. When we cross boundaries, we are able to explore new territory. As school leaders, we have a major stake in ensuring …
As schools focus increased attention on student achievement, they often look at aggregate numbers. What percentages of students are reading at the appropriate grade level? How do our students measure up in STEM course achievement? Often, we will break these …
