“Yes, But…” Kills Creativity
When you get people together to explain options or come up with new ideas, don’t play principal. Leave your title …
Seed Planting
Offering truths to children When a child clings to an attitude or behavior that is self-defeating, a teacher needs a special technique …
The Grading Gulch
Think how you might respond to this situation. Discuss the questions with your staff or other administrators to help increase …
Start the Year by Writing a Letter To Yourself
One of the most rewarding activities you can do as a principal is write a letter to yourself. This letter …
The Blind Man and the Elephant
We often hear people refer to the blind men who encounter an elephant and develop very different perceptions of what …
Surviving “Let Me Pick” Parents
One of the things principals dread most is dealing with upset parents. Being yelled at, threatened, or insulted is not …
Sound Discipline Advice For Teachers
One of the most predictable and time-consuming issues in the school is the multifaceted aspect of discipline (tweet this). It …
Make it Personal
A few years ago, when our daughter was a first-year teacher, she shared a note from her principal, one she …
Key Differences Between a Pro and an Amateur
A close look will reveal several real differences between a professional and an amateur. One is that the pro makes …
Design Questions To Get The Learning You Seek
Students are constantly fed information and then asked questions to assess how well they understand various aspects of that information. …