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Look to the Future and Break From Tradition for Student Success
This month I oversee my 13th graduation ceremony as a New Hampshire high school principal. Between the tones of the bagpipers that usher my graduates to the stage to the tears of joy from family and...
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Is Your Campus Professional Development Effective?
We have barely completed one school year before we are planning for the next. Like other schools across the country, Midway High School in Waco, TX, is planning for back-to-school professional...
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Digital Resources to Use for Immediate Growth
Whether you’re an experienced educator or just getting started, you will always have moments of self-doubt that may leave you confused or unable to make the important decisions we as educational...
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Leveraging Technology to Bring Homebound Students into Classrooms
Two teachers at our school both have Kevin, a sixth grader, as a student in their class. Kevin went to one of the elementary schools that many of our kids attended. They know him. He’s registered and...
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Reclaiming the Narrative of Public Education
June is a time of year when educators naturally tend to reflect on their practice and plan for their future. As school leaders, we take a deep breath as we contemplate the successes and challenges of...
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Build Relationships with Students in 3 Seconds
Every day in schools, educators have quick breaks during instruction, between class changes, and in hallways where the focus isn’t on learning. I believe that these three-second moments are important...
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Mission Accomplished: Using Systematic Thinking to Support a School’s Vision
Since 2013, I’ve served as the assistant principal at Milford Junior/Senior High School and have grown as an educational leader through graduate studies and countless professional development...
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Dive Into Deeper Learning Through Make-A-Thons
A key focus at LaCreole Middle School has been deeper learning, both what it is and what it looks like. We explore deeper learning by finding ways to immerse our entire school community in innovative...
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Reflections on Exceptional Teachers
When I think back on my teachers who were most effective, there is something they all had in common: They seemed excited to be teaching us. Teachers should always be aware of the attitude and energy...
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Casting a Wide Net: The Evolution of Virtual Learning
For many years, high schools in West Virginia followed a traditional path to graduation. Basic core classes and electives were offered in a face-to-face setting, with the students sitting in rows of...
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Waist High in Sand: Staying Focused on What’s Important
At first, the image of being surrounded by sand might be appealing. Personally, being on any beach with loved ones is one of my favorite places to be. But in the era of high stakes testing and the...
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A Sweet Way to Infuse Career Education
Every principal wants to make career readiness a priority. The problem many schools face is that there aren’t easy ways to fit it into an already packed array of required courses and subjects. I have...
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How to Beat Decision Fatigue
You have to make 10 decisions before lunch, then after lunch you have 15 more to make before dinner. Have you been there? Educators frequently experience decision fatigue. There are literally hundreds...
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After the Hire: Steps to Onboard New Teachers
It’s now the middle of July, and most principals have completed the hiring process—the most important job for administrators. However, I contend the hiring process extends beyond interviews and job...
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An Equation for Educational Change
What is the equation for American education? At the dawn of the 20th century the equation for American education was 1 x 1 = 1. The first factor—“1”—represents teaching and learning. The role of the...
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The First 140 Characters
I was recently a guest on Lead the Way, a podcast for school leaders hosted by Bill Ziegler, and we got to talking about how I challenged my staff at Cedar Crest Middle School (CCMS) to begin telling...
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Students and Devices: Trying to Find the Answers
I’m trying to figure something out. At the risk of admitting my age, I will disclose that when I was in middle school, the following were popular “first run” television shows: “The Brady Bunch,” “The...
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That Zero Changed My Life (Said No Student Ever)
I recently reflected on an article I kept seeing on social media about a teacher getting fired for supposedly not abiding by the school’s grading policy. As a student, did I ever get a zero? Sure. Was...
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Questions for Summer Reflection
Whether your last day of school was before Memorial Day or not until the end of June, by now every educator has finally shifted into summer mode. Whether relaxing by the beach, hitting the trails, or...
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10 Strategies to Improve Instructional Leadership
I still vividly remember my early years as an assistant principal and principal. Instructional leadership was a routine part of the job along with the budget, master schedule, curriculum development,...
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