Category Archives: Leadership

How Educators Can Find their Authentic Leadership Style

What are the characteristics of a good leader? Many of us have asked this question at least once in our lives. After all, leadership is a highly prized quality in our culture. Whether it’s business, politics, or education, the world is always on the lookout for the next great pioneer. However, leadership is not aContinue reading “How Educators Can Find their Authentic Leadership Style”

5 Educational Concepts To Eliminate in 2023

The start of a new school or calendar year gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on what is working and what needs to change. This is the 7th installment of 5 Educational Concepts We Need to Eliminate. The first installment was written back in 2017. This article series has been read tens ofContinue reading “5 Educational Concepts To Eliminate in 2023”

5 Leadership Styles From Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso is arguably one of the best shows out there right now. The strength of the show is centered around the 5 main characters: Ted Lasso, Coach Beard, Roy Kent, Rebecca Welton, and Nathan Shelley.  Each has their own individual leadership and communication style. Each character could be a study in leadership development asContinue reading “5 Leadership Styles From Ted Lasso”

Find Your Heart: 3 Ways to Reclaim Your Love for Education

If you feel like this year has been more stressful, more overwhelming, and more difficult to find the joy in education than ever before, you’re not alone. With pandemic protocols, political unrest, and increasing workloads and responsibilities ravishing our schools, the heart of education can at times feel lost. It doesn’t have to be this wayContinue reading “Find Your Heart: 3 Ways to Reclaim Your Love for Education”

Teachers on the Brink: 4 Ways of Protecting Teacher Morale and Mental Health

This goes without saying, yet it’s too important not to mention: Educators had a positively traumatic end to the 2019-20 school year, found themselves in a constant state of adaptation in the 2020-21 school year, and entered 2021-22 with a false sense of optimism, almost willing it to be a normal school year. It didn’tContinue reading “Teachers on the Brink: 4 Ways of Protecting Teacher Morale and Mental Health”

5 Educational Concepts We Need to Eliminate in 2022

The past two years in education have been unlike no other. Schools having to pivot to remote teaching and learning over the course of a few days, to unrealistic safety protocols and guidelines, to managing the wellbeing of our staff and students, all while trying to do what we all got into the business ofContinue reading “5 Educational Concepts We Need to Eliminate in 2022”

What Do You Say? Tackling Tough Conversations

Dawn McCotter, Van Andel Institute for Education Are you someone who tackles difficult conversations like a band-aid (just want to rip it off and be done with it) or like a pothole (try to avoid at all costs)? Or do you consider these types of interactions as a work hazard (just part of the job)?Continue reading “What Do You Say? Tackling Tough Conversations”

Toxic Positivity is Hurting Education

One of the most interesting and polarizing concepts in education that has popped up in recent years is the notion of “toxic positivity”. Healthline.com reports that with toxic positivity, negative emotions are seen as inherently bad. Instead, positivity and happiness are compulsively pushed, and authentic human emotional experiences are denied, minimized, or invalidated. Toxic positivityContinue reading “Toxic Positivity is Hurting Education”

Filling in the Gaps: Collecting and Analyzing the Right Student Data 

We were all hoping to wake up one morning and things would be back to normal. Normal work, normal play, normal school, normal lives.  We need to face the facts. We just aren’t there yet.  As we look at the 2021-22 school year, we must do so with honesty, realism, and eyes wide open. ManyContinue reading “Filling in the Gaps: Collecting and Analyzing the Right Student Data “