This time of year can be emotionally exhausting, so here is something that might brighten up your day. Watch this GIF of a dad teaching his son to hit a baseball and tells him to “keep his eye on the ball”: “Keep your eye on the ball son” I laughed hysterically at this when I … [Read more…]
Tag: Fostering Effective Relationships
I saw this following math problem for a grade 1 admissions test to a school in Hong Kong on the site, 22Words, and I struggled to get it right away (I may have looked at the answer ahead of time). Take 20 seconds to figure it out below. Go… How did it go? If you … [Read more…]
Read More Sometimes the Answer is More Obvious Than You Think
Grades and test scores should not be your driver. This is not why the vast majority of people became educators. Yet, we still have to pay attention to them. For me to tell you otherwise would be irresponsible. It is easy for someone that is not in the classroom to say this, but it’s not … [Read more…]
You can’t change anyone but yourself, but you can create the conditions where change is more likely to happen for others. As I work with many educators in leadership positions, I try to focus on going beyond the content of a message, and looking at the delivery of the message. Yet there are things that I … [Read more…]
The principal’s office was a scary place when I was a kid. If you were sent there, you were very likely to be yelled at, and it could be a daunting place for a kid. I did not want to be seen as this type of principal by my students. Although many of them were … [Read more…]
I wanted to play around with the medium of YouTube and see how I can use it to share ideas in meaningful ways. I have started watching more YouTube channels, from all different areas, and now I am starting to study them. Why do people watch them? What makes them appealing? How do we connect … [Read more…]
Read More How Our Conversations in Education Should Begin #LeadMoment
Anxiety can be high when you have a new superintendent, principal, or boss in general. The thoughts of, “What changes will this person do while they are here? What will this new person mean for my context? Will I get along with them or not?” Understandably a new person entering our lives, especially one with … [Read more…]
Over my summer travels, I have heard this quote several times (attributed to Haim Ginott but may have been adapted from Goethe): “I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a … [Read more…]
Read More The Most Important Part of the Learning Environment
Based on a comment I received on my post, “10 Easy Ways To Create an Amazing #ClassroomCulture“, I was asked to write a post about what a principal can do to promote school culture. Thinking about my own past practice, but also by many that I have been inspired by, here are some simple ideas … [Read more…]
Read More 10 Easy Ways To Create an Amazing #SchoolCulture as a Principal This Year
Dealing with setbacks is tough and can often lead to feelings of resentment and jealousy. This short video from comedian Chelsea Handler is a really great story on how to deal with it, and gives a great perspective. I know that I have felt this myself, and it can be tough, but this video is … [Read more…]
I happened across this article titled, “11 Ways To Instantly Connect With Anyone“, and although it is meant for more one-on-one interactions, there is a lot of wisdom in it that would tie into speaking or presentations. The first point in the article was the following: 1. Leave a strong first impression. Most people decide whether … [Read more…]