The European Space Agency’s historical comet landing of the spacecraft Rosetta in 2014 was an amazing feat. Imagine organizing a team of scientists and space engineers who design and launch a spacecraft with the goal of intersecting with a comet 500 million kilometers from Earth. Then imagine ten years later, your findings show the spacecraft […]
Tag: education leadership
When I was a Language Arts teacher, I would walk my students through a series of practices on identifying their surroundings and writing down the details. You could try it right now. Take a moment and pause to consider the following: What are you seeing? Look up, down, around, and behind you. Are you seeing […]
This summer my wife and I enjoyed time away celebrating our twenty fifth wedding anniversary in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. One afternoon we drove to Emerald Bay, a cove nestled a mile below the mountain highway there. We hiked down the trail and rented a kayak. When we pushed away from shore, I was immediately struck […]
Read More PMP:123 Rowing Together – Why Your Marriage Matters for Your Leadership
The other day I was talking to a friend of mine who ran track in high school. When he was at his fastest, he could run a mile in 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Even though he was naturally fast, he learned to increase his speed through a strong practice his coach required: wearing a […]
Read More PMP:122 Packing Parachutes – Why Your Money Management Matters
When I spotted the mud puddle, I thought it would be fun to jump it. The dirt road that ran along the edge of the field by our West Tennessee farmhouse was often traveled by trucks or tractors. And the ruts in the sandy, red dirt would fill with rain and create long stretches of […]
Read More PMP:121 The Power of Play – 7 Tips for Education Leaders
When I spotted the mud puddle, I thought it would be fun to jump it. The dirt road that ran along the edge of the field by our West Tennessee farmhouse was often traveled by trucks or tractors. And the ruts in the sandy, red dirt would fill with rain and create long stretches of […]
Read More PMP:121 The Power of Play – 7 Tips for Education Leaders
A few weeks ago, I was on an airplane with my oldest daughter, Emily, who just finished her first year of college and is enjoying summer break. Being with her brings back a lot of memories. At the time, she was staring out the window into the landscape of clouds below while we flew to […]
Read More PMP:120 A Leader’s Spiritual Growth – Four Reasons Your Faith Matters
In 2010, I had the privilege of traveling to China for ten days on an education tour. One morning in Beijing, I headed outside the hotel before breakfast for a quick run. Later as I showered and dressed, I began to feel sick. I thought perhaps I was catching a cold or was just suffering […]
Read More PMP:115 A Leader’s Influence – How is the Air You Breathe?
I’m a frequent flyer. The more I fly, the harder I find it is to stay focused when flight attendants are reviewing safety procedures. They could be standing right in front of me with the safety cards in hand, but I’ve heard it so many times, I usually think about something else. On the other […]
Read More PMP:111 Reflections for Education Leaders & Wearing Your Air Mask
Recently, Rachel Simmons wrote an article in the Washington Post called Perfectionism among teens is rampant (and we’re not helping). It is a good reminder how this generation of students faces challenges and opportunities different than ones we faced at their ages — sometimes with stress that we’ve created for them. Students today have never known […]
Read More PMP:104 Messaging with Students — Environment, Celebration, and Communication
I recently had a short conversation about innovation in schools and the constraints that may be placed on teachers preventing much needed new learning and innovation. A point was made…
Have you ever wondered if you’re the worst school administrator in the entire world? OK, maybe I’m exaggerating the question a bit. But truthfully, this question has entered my mind…
Read More Ever Wonder if You’re the Worst Principal in the World?