A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 30, 2023

Humans crave a deep connection when it comes to learning something new, especially if they initially don't see any value in what's being taught or facilitated. We expect this as adult learners, so it goes without saying that our students both want and need this as well. In the absence of authentic meaning there is a tendency to disconnect or go off task, putting the learning experience at hand in jeopardy of not being successful.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 22, 2023

I remember vividly as a young principal when I started to drink the “edtech” Kool-Aid many years ago. It represented a true turning point in how I thought about change in education. Up until this point, my thinking was relatively traditional and as such, so was the culture of my school. However, I was motivated like never before to move beyond the nearly impenetrable walls I had mentally constructed that had inhibited me from moving beyond my comfort zone until this point.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 12, 2022

I never saw myself as a writer until I started blogging back in March 2010. It all began with goal setting for the Google Teacher Academy for Administrators, and I haven’t looked back. Consistency has been vital for me, as I have published a post every week since. Therein lies the dilemma I am currently facing. The struggle is real in my case when it comes to finding new topics to blog about or adding an innovative spin to already-prevalent concepts.

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A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 6, 2022

We blink, and things change. While disruption is not new in any sense, it is happening at a more frenetic pace for a variety of reasons. I shared the following in Disruptive Thinking : With the exponential rate of change taking place in society, it is exciting to think about what the future may hold, despite many unknowns. However, we know that the future will be vastly different than what we are currently experiencing and that these changes will dramatically impact workforce expectations.

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 30, 2022

As a leader, have you ever been so excited about a new initiative or innovative idea only to learn that some of your staff weren’t as equally thrilled? Early in my career, this was more the norm than the exception. I vividly remember getting excited about improving parent communication with, at the time, a state-of-the-art app. Since I saw the inherent value that it would have in the hands of my teachers to get information out readily while building relationships in the process, I couldn’t wait

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 9, 2022

Many concepts are looked upon negatively as they are associated with buzzwords, fads, or a lack of substance. You won’t get much of an argument from me as to the validity of this view because it is true in many cases. Educators want proven strategies that can be implemented readily that will address diverse learner needs while leading to an improvement in outcomes.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 11, 2022

It always amazes me that we possess such vivid memories of some experiences yet tend to forget others. As the years' pass, I am always trying to retain as many as possible from my childhood. One that sticks out goes way back to my pre-school years. Now I can’t remember if my twin brother and I were actually in a year-long program or just a set number of days where high school students worked with us.

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 19, 2022

While there are many challenging aspects when it comes to leadership, one that typically rises to the top is dealing with difficult personalities. As the saying goes, it’s typically the 1% that gives you 99% of the problems. Some people might take offense to the previous statement. Still, if you read it carefully, it sends a powerful message that most people possess a personality that is open to aspects we hold dear, such as collaboration, communication, innovation, and other elements essential

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A Principal's Reflections

MAY 22, 2022

We have been made to think certain things are absolute truths for most of our lives. Take, for example, the saying that practice makes perfect. While this sounds great in theory and can be a great motivation to pursue growth opportunities, an underlying fallacy is embedded in this message. Take bowling, for example. The ultimate goal of any bowler is to reach a perfect score of 300 by getting nothing but strikes.

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A Principal's Reflections

MAY 1, 2022

The pursuit of improvement is a never-ending journey. With all the disruption we have and will continue to see, changes to how we educate kids must be considered. We often see a great deal of investment in an array of ideas, strategies, and solutions with the goal of improving learning for all kids. I am all for anything that can benefit all students.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 24, 2022

Last week I shared the news that Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms: Preparing Learners for Their Future was published a year ago. While I am proud of all the books that I have been honored to write, this one was a bit more special. For starters, it represented my first major publication that veered away from a leadership focus. Since a great deal of my time as of late has been in the role of a coach, I wanted to share insight that has been gleaned through visits to numerous schools and count

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 3, 2022

Humans, by nature, are heavily influenced by experience. As such, we often do things a certain way because that is either all we know or what we are comfortable doing. Think about this for a second when it comes to behavior in education. We often teach the way we were taught and lead in a way that we were led. I’d wager that many of you reading this post are bobbing your head in agreement, although there are always exceptions.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 13, 2022

“ Vulnerability is the core, the heart, the center, of meaningful human experiences.” - Brené Brown Change is hard. It is even more challenging to sustain. While there are many obstacles to individual or system growth, fear and comfort tend to lead the pack. Both work to stymie a desire to improve for different reasons. Often, we are afraid of taking risks or embracing new ideas because they might not work out, resulting in a decrease in performance, outcomes, or morale.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 23, 2022

If it’s true that life is a test, then the COVID-19 pandemic represents the most challenging one education and everyone in the field has ever faced. The impacts are far and wide. Not a single person is unaffected, and everyone needs help in some form or another. However, one group, in particular, stands out as they are on the front lines every day working with kids – our teachers.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 2, 2022

If only everything could be simple. Life is anything but an easy journey. While this, for the most part, has been manageable in the past, the pandemic has upended professional and personal lives. Just when there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, a new variant materializes. For now, Omicron is the current curveball. As I write this post on the first day of 2022, I can't help but reflect on the resilience educators showed the year before.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 19, 2021

It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on youth across the world. While learning recovery remains a needed area of focus, virtually every educator I come in contact with explains that students are a year or two behind socially. In some cases, the extended time at home during remote or hybrid learning has led to the development of concerning behaviors that weren’t prevalent at scale in the past.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 5, 2021

These are challenging times, and I cannot express my gratitude enough to dedicated and resilient educators who continue to show up for kids and each other. As someone who is in schools and classrooms on a weekly basis, I am tasked with validating the excellent practices taking place while also providing practical feedback for growth. During my coaching work, I almost always recommend to administrators that they poll their staff to see what support they need.

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A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 28, 2021

So, what is the secret sauce when it comes to effective leadership? This is a tricky question to answer as there is no definitive right way to lead and no shortage of advice available that you can weed through. Just go on a trip to your local bookstore or visit Amazon, and you can quickly be immersed in a wealth of knowledge and perspective on the topic.

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 17, 2021

There are countless ways to grow and improve. At the individual level, intrinsic motivation drives educators to actively seek opportunities that support their diverse learning interests and needs. Social media has played a considerable role in this area over the years, demonstrating the power of Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) with learning anytime, anywhere, and with anyone.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

When it comes to a thriving school culture, many factors can derail progress. While lack of resources, too many mandates, unclear vision, and a lack of accountability might be at the top of the list, I feel that conflict, especially internal, possesses the greatest threat to achieving goals and improving outcomes. While this has always been a part of human nature, it is interesting to observe how it plays out at an individual level.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

Sponsored post Bridging the digital divide is a monumental task. It begins with providing learners with access to devices and high-quality Internet. For all the challenges it has placed on school systems, the pandemic managed to close the gap in this area significantly. I watched some districts go 1:1 in a matter of days while also providing mobile hotspots for disadvantaged students.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

When I began the journey to become a school administrator many years ago, I took the typical courses that were required. These focused on topics such as school law, instructional leadership, change management, school finance, and curriculum development, among many others. While I felt adequately prepared when I finally became a building leader, I quickly realized how valuable the on-the-job training was to my growth.

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 29, 2021

What is really needed for success in the world today? I think this might be the million-dollar question. Even though it is difficult, if not impossible, to predict the future, we can examine current trends and societal forces to determine the competencies that learners need to thrive. While some will remain the same, others will evolve or change completely depending on the disruption at the moment.

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A Principal's Reflections

JULY 18, 2021

Blended learning is something that is near and dear to my heart. For me, the journey began back in 2011 when we first introduced the flipped approach at New Milford High School, where I was principal, with resounding success. As I transitioned from the principalship to supporting districts and schools, I learned that blended learning was a powerful pedagogical strategy that could unleash students' potential while meeting their diverse needs.

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 27, 2021

There are many ways to both engage and empower students that lead to ownership of learning. Creating what I call a “free-range” experience that replicates real-world contexts and develops critical competencies while tapping into passions might be the holy grail, in my humble opinion. While there is a slew of strategies a teacher can use to accomplish this, a focus on high-agency elements is both powerful and realistic.

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 13, 2021

There is always a great deal of focus on the why, how, and what in relation to standards, curriculum, and essential concepts when it comes to learning. While these are definitely important, a rapidly changing world requires the cultivation of disruptive thinkers who have the competence to replace conventional ideas with innovative solutions to authentic problems.

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A Principal's Reflections

MAY 30, 2021

It is no secret how we retain information, construct new knowledge, and develop competencies critical for success in the world of work and, more importantly, life. Learning is shaped by specific conditions that are either created or engaged in by chance that allow for authentic application through an immersive experience. If there were a secret sauce, then that is it, but it's not as mysterious as one might think.

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A Principal's Reflections

MAY 16, 2021

We often hear about companies who are either unwilling or afraid to change and ultimately pay the price. Blockbuster is one that often comes to mind, but many others have become victims of the status quo. Robert Brodo shared this in relation to Kodak: Challenging the status quo is defined as asking “why” and then identifying new and better ways of doing things.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 25, 2021

The pandemic gave many of us a great deal of time to engage in projects both personally and professionally. For me, in the case of the latter, that was writing a new book. My challenge and motivation were to create a teacher-facing resource that would also be applicable to administrators, instructional coaches, and other educators who actively work in schools.

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 28, 2021

There is nothing more gratifying, in my opinion than watching people work together to achieve a common goal. In a previous post , I shared how members of the 4th-grade team at Red Cliffs Elementary School in the Juab School district collaborated to create a personalized experience that combined choice and data to differentiate. I was so empowered by what I saw that I captured the story of both teachers.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

One of the joys and challenges of blogging regularly is trying to come up with original content that has substance. I can tell you firsthand that this is no easy feat as it seems like virtually everything has been written about in some form or another. In many cases, content and ideas are remixed into something that is or seems, new. My angle has always been to use coaching experiences in classrooms and schools to illustrate how specific strategies are successfully integrated resulting in change

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

While the challenges schools have faced during the pandemic are often portrayed in the media, some notable changes to practice have occurred. Each day I am in awe as I see innovation in action shared on social media, especially in the areas of blended, remote, and hybrid pedagogy. It goes without saying that there has also been a significant uptick in the purposeful use of technology.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Schools have either made or are about to make the transition to some sort of hybrid model. The transition is not an easy one. Just ask those who have already been through it. In the midst of adversity and limited training, educators have valiantly risen to the occasion like they always have. With the proper safety measures in place, students have been welcomed back into classrooms.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 13, 2020

Balance has always been a challenge for teachers. I vividly remember this during my early years as a teacher. Each night I came home exhausted. Maybe the 45-minute commute had a little to do with it, but the main culprit was how I used available time in the classroom. Since I was not very open to risks and convinced that the most critical aspect of my job was to get through the curriculum, my sole focus was on direct instruction.

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 18, 2020

There is no shortage of challenges that have been leveled on schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. After some time, we have seen an initial move to all remote learning, depending on where you live, a shift to some sort of hybrid model. A spike in cases has led to buildings being closed again and a resumption of remote learning in some locations. Uncertainty and a lack of continuity have had a heavy toll on teachers, administrators, students, and parents.

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 4, 2020

At first glance, this post's title might be perceived that hybrid learning is not working in many districts and schools. I can state unequivocally that it is based on firsthand experience coaching in schools the past couple of months. I have seen incredible lessons and activities that have both engaged and empowered learners through the purposeful use of technology, sound pedagogy, and personalized strategies.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

The COVID-19 unleashed an array of challenges that resulted in schools being closed for in-person instruction for many months. As I write this post, many have begun the year with remote learning, while others have opted for a hybrid model where a certain amount of kids are still learning at home. There are growing concerns about students' mental well-being as well as inter- and intra-personal skills, which have only been magnified by not only the pandemic but also advances in technology as a res

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