# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Flip is where social and emotional learning happens! The leading video discussion platform for millions of PreK to PhD educators, students, and families.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sydney Jensen: How can we support the emotional well-being of teachers? | TED Talk

# data[].attributes.subject
Sydney Jensen: How can we support the emotional well-being of teachers? | TED Talk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How can we support the emotional well-being of teachers?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers emotionally support our kids -- but who’s supporting our teachers? In this eye-opening talk, educator Sydney Jensen explores how teachers are at risk of “secondary trauma” -- the idea that they absorb the emotional weight of their students’ experiences -- and shows how schools can get creative in supporting everyone’s mental health and wellness.

# data[].attributes.headline
How well-meaning statements can spread stereotypes unintentionally | Stanford News

# data[].attributes.subject
How well-meaning statements can spread stereotypes unintentionally | Stanford News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
While saying "girls are as good as boys at math" is meant as encouragement, it can unfortunately backfire.

Although well-meaning, the statement commonly expressed by parents and teachers can subtly perpetuate the stereotypes they are trying to debunk, said Stanford scholars Eleanor Chestnut and Ellen Markman in a new paper published in Cognitive Science.

On the surface, the sentence tries to convey that both sexes are equal in their abilities. But because of its grammatical structure, it implies that being good at math is more common or natural for boys than girls, the researchers said.

Markman and Chestnut tested the effects of the sentence, as well as variations like swapping "girls" with "boys," on a group of English-speaking adults. They found that most people associate a natural math ability with the gender written in the second part of the sentence - what grammatically is known as the complement.

"Considering that several fields with large gender gaps like computer science and physics value raw talent, statements that imply that boys are naturally more talented could be contributing to women's underrepresentation," said Chestnut, the lead author on the paper that formed part of her Stanford doctoral dissertation work.

"Adults, especially parents and teachers, should thus try to avoid consistently framing one gender as the standard for the other," she said.

The power of language

The difference between "girls are as good as boys at math" and "girls and boys are equally good at math" may not be obvious, but each carries a slightly different meaning.

The first statement contains a so-called subject-complement structure, which compares girls to boys. "Boys" is the complement or a standard against which "girls," the subject, is examined. In other contexts, English speakers use this structure to compare one object to another that's considered more typical or common. That's why it sounds better to say "tents are like houses" instead of "houses are like tents," or "zebras are like horses," not "horses are like zebras."

The second sentence has a subject-subject structure and puts both girls and boys in the same position in the sentence, without comparing the two.

Markman and Chestnut surveyed 650 English-speaking adults from the United States to better understand how people perceive the subtle difference between such statements even if they do not realize it.

"Language can play a huge role in how we perceive the world," said Chestnut, who is now a postdoctoral scholar at New York University. "It's important to identify parts of language that taken all together can influence us in one way or another, unknowingly."

The researchers divided study participants into five conditions, each with 128 people.

Participants read variations of a paragraph that summarized research that showed a lack of gender differences in math skills. The text for each condition was almost identical except for a subtle difference in how the main finding was framed. Participants read text with one of four statements: "girls do just as well as boys at math," "boys do just as well as girls at math," "girls and boys are equally good at math," and "boys and girls are equally good at math."

After reading the text, participants in all conditions were asked which gender they considered to be more naturally skilled at math.

Of those participants who read a text that included "girls are as good as boys at math," 71 percent said boys have more natural math ability. But only 32 percent of participants said the same after reading a text that contained "boys are as good as girls at math," according to the research.

"We thought that swapping 'boys' and 'girls' in the sentence would have an effect, but we didn't expect a full reversal of the stereotype," said Markman, the Lewis M. Terman Professor and Senior Associate Dean for the Social Sciences in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences.

When the researchers explicitly asked participants if they thought the sentence "girls are as good as boys at math" was biased in any way, people rated the statement as unbiased. This shows that the power of such statements to imply inequality occurs without listeners realizing it, the researchers said.

Measuring effects of framing

Chestnut and Markman encourage people to pay attention to how they talk when they describe genders. They suggest choosing subject-subject structures and avoiding subject-complement sentences that frame one gender as the standard.

Chestnut hopes to research further how much text in the media and other public discussions, online and offline, uses subject-complement sentences that frame men as the standard that women are compared against. Chestnut and Markman are also currently working on studying how such differences in framing affect children and whether subject-complement statements of equality teach children stereotypes about gender.

"We are not saying, 'Never say this or that,'" Chestnut said. "But if this type of language is everywhere and if we're habitually using it, it all could matter. To achieve gender equality, we should critically analyze our language so that we can identify and then correct the ways we implicitly reinforce the belief that men are the dominant, higher-status gender."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How well-meaning statements can spread stereotypes unintentionally | Stanford News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While saying "girls are as good as boys at math" is meant as encouragement, it can unfortunately backfire. Although well-meaning, the statement commonly expressed by parents and teachers can subtly perpetuate the stereotypes they are trying to debunk, said Stanford scholars Eleanor Chestnut and Ellen Markman in a new paper published in Cognitive Science .

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Leadership Lessons On Balance From Abraham Lincoln

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Leadership Lessons On Balance From Abraham Lincoln

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Last updated: 5 February 2020

Abraham Lincoln's notoriety as a historical figure is legendary.

There isn't a shortage of books, articles and research papers on his style and leadership lessons.

But he did possess a particular quality that you might not have read so much about: balance.

You see, Lincoln is famed for successfully navigating an exceedingly turbulent time in American history.

Forging a way through bitter civil war, he brought about vast social and political change in the official document pronouncing the end of slavery.

To achieve this feat in such socially and politically tumultuous times took phenomenal skill, ingenuity and focus.

What's more, he was able to balance almost opposing qualities in equal measure throughout his journey as president. Some of these qualities included:

Resilience balanced with empathy

Confidence balanced with humility

Persistence balanced with patience

Ambition balanced with serenity

Action balanced with stillness

All these qualities (and more) infused his presidential journey with drive and composure.

So let's have a look at how you can bring on some "Abe-inspired" balance and leadership artistry.

1. Balance Agreement With Opposition - Ditch The "Yes Men"

When Abraham Lincoln won the presidency, he had run as a total outsider. His victory on paper was unexpected.

He was not a lawyer and his political career had not been (as yet) successful: having previously run for senate twice and lost twice before finally winning a seat in congress.
His win was unprecedented.
Understanding the gravity of the civil unrest he faced as leader, Lincoln looked at the bigger picture and choose to appoint each of the 3 rivals he beat in the running as members of his cabinet.

These were his 3 closest political rivals. They were experienced and well-decorated as political leaders in their own rights. They were his opponents. His peers thought it was madness.

However, Lincoln recognized that their strengths combined were far greater than one leader presiding over a team of "yes men."

He actively recruited individuals who had opposing views to his, seeking opposition as a counter balance to his own views. Knowing that their conflicting vantage points would challenge his own, he took an opportunity to gain a wider understanding by learning from their perspective.

Ultimately, he appreciated that to have their combined political ability by his side, would be for the good of the country.

It might also have occurred to him that to have them on his side as allies was an advantage to having them on the other side as enemies.

In the words of Lyndon Johnson:

Better to have your enemies inside the tent
p*ssing out, than outside the tent p*ssing in.

In other words, it's better to have your enemies making trouble inside your camp than raining it down on you directly!

Taking this metaphor further: what Lincoln does to keep the balance is embrace trouble.

The Lesson? Embrace Trouble

"Trouble" has a negative connotation. Yet in business it is the gateway for getting from where you are to where you want to be.

The trick is to treat trouble as an ally. It is always in the mix so you may as well use it to you advantage!

Mark Modesti in his TED Talk, The Argument For Trouble, refers to those who take trouble and turn it to their advantage as "builders" and those who wait for trouble or try to avoid trouble, as "fixers."

The aim is to be the builder and like Lincoln, focus on the bigger picture - don't expend unnecessary energy on trying to fix little fires.

In his talk, Mark uses the demise of Blockbuster Video as a current example of embracing trouble as an opportunity for growth.

When faced with the prospect of video becoming obsolete as digital steaming gained popularity, a "trouble-facing" CEO was asked to leave.

Why?

He was pushing to steer the failing company towards being an online video-streaming platform. The company got rid of the troublemaker believing it to be too much trouble to shift the focus of the business from analogue to digital.

The perceived "trouble" here would have been the disruption of delivering its product in a digital form. What an opportunity!

Instead, Blockbuster favoured the trouble of managing the administrative pain of displacement - laying-off staff. They chose the "fixer" mode of patching-up the beleaguered and failing business.

Without embracing the "builder" mode and looking at the wider picture with a focus on embracing the change to digital, the company lost out - big time.

Lincoln was the constant "builder": always balancing his opinion with the contending views of others. And turning towards trouble to consistently use it to the advantage of the nation.

The lesson here?

Make like Abe and get ahead with a balanced approach to embrace trouble or change. This includes working with people who might have strong and different perspectives to yours.

2. Balance Confidence With Humility - Galvanise Your Adversaries

Now that Lincoln had his adversaries in place the next step for him was to galvanize their prowess: to bring them together to harness their power.

How did he do this?

He fostered confidence and trust. Not only with his fellow politicians, but also with the citizens of the country.

Fundamental to creating trust is effective communication. Lincoln was famed for his humble approach, for using clear and everyday language and for telling enchanting and humorous stories wherever he went.

You might think that he was well educated to have had such an effortless command of language and diction. When in fact, the reverse is true.

He wasn't highly schooled, in fact he was an autodidact (self taught) and this teaching came from a wide array of books that he read voraciously as a child, with a particular and lifelong love of Shakespeare.

In his adulthood and his famed communication, it was as if the words and diction in the books he had devoured as a child had become a part of him.

His humility and ease of communication allowed him to win confidence, loyalty and allegiance in political circles and also inspire the loyalty of soldiers and citizens that were embroiled in a bloody civil war.

He changed the mind of many from pro-slavery to actively fighting for the emancipation cause. Many men even tucked a photo-portrait of him into a pocket when going into battle, such was their allegiance.

The Lesson? Be Real

His entertaining and winding stories galvanized and enthralled listeners and diffused many a political impasse, even saying that a good story for him was preferable to a drop of whiskey.

Additionally, it made him accessible and human, approachable and real.

He crafted a form of play in his manner, balancing humor and seriousness, which carried him through challenging and difficult times.

The Emancipation Proclamation was hotly contended within Lincoln's cabinet and countrywide, the issue was seriously divisive and threatened to tear apart the nation.

With great patience, Lincoln listened with humility to all the voices of the cabinet. With great confidence and trust in his own convictions, he took the decision to push the bill through and make it law, knowing that:

He upheld this view amidst a multitude of strong, oppositional opinions. A fundamental component of inspiring trust in others is to have genuine conviction and trust in your own decisions.
"If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong."
By balancing confidence and humility Lincoln acknowledged his cabinet's contention to the abolition.

Yet the self-trust he had enabled him to draw discussion confidently to a close while all the time having the humility to acknowledge differences in opinion.

3. Balance Action With Stillness - Know Your Time To Act

The driving force behind Lincoln's Presidency was his ambition to make the world a better place.

This finds its roots in losses he suffered in his early life. His mother died when he was just 9 years old, his sister died in childbirth, and his first sweetheart died aged 22.

He found consolation in the notion that accomplishment and honor will outlive your earthly being.

This carried him through the difficult and depressing times of further personal loss. He broke off his engagement with his fiancée Mary Todd, being uncertain he wanted to marry. He also suffered political defeat in his early career, losing traction in the State Legislature.

Depressed and almost suicidal, he was encouraged by his closest friend to rally his spirits and from this place take positive action - to create a legacy in his life for the betterment of all.

He knew that it was his time to act and create a life worth living.

"Most people are about as happy as they make their minds up to be." - Abraham Lincoln

The Lesson? Choose Your Moment

His skill of balancing action with stillness carried through his career. An absolutely seminal moment came in 1863 when the Emancipation Proclamation was due to be signed.

Lincoln picked up his quill and noticed his hand was numb and unsteady from having shaken over a thousand hands at a New Year's reception that day.

Knowing the importance of this action he took a moment to consider and chose stillness.

Rather than going ahead, signing this pivotal document in a way that could be misconstrued as having being signed in an uncertain and hesitant fashion, he waited.

Even though he recognized the scale and importance of the decree and the drive he had behind it, he waited.

Stillness.

And then, action: recovered, he signed the document with a steady and clear hand.

4. Balance Work With Play - Make Time Not To Sweat The Big Stuff

Lincoln is renowned not only for his sense of humor and his storytelling, but also his love of quoting Shakespeare and his regular visits to the theatre.

Even in the most politically challenging times, he found balance in work and play, balancing pleasure with persistence.

Relaxation and replenishment are vital counter balances to accomplishment and achievement, and Lincoln knew it.

His lifelong love of Shakespeare took him to the theatre over one hundred times even during the darkest days of the war.

He recognized the benefit of taking time out and surrendering to enjoyment. His love of humor is legendary and is famed for saying that it is better to laugh rather than cry.

Further to this, Lincoln made time to get to know his team as leisure time, spending long evenings talking with his fellow politicians in front of the fire, visiting cabinets members and their families for supper, taking carriage rides through the park, all to have time out together.

The Lesson? Take Time Out & Get To Know Your Staff

Take time out to enjoy life and take pleasure for the sake of pleasure. Easy in theory but sometimes it's easy to overlook.

Balancing team contact in both work time and as time-out gives you a golden opportunity to build solid relationships with your key players.

You get to know and realize values and strengths that might have otherwise been easily overlooked. You get to feel good by relaxing and you get to cement loyalty by strengthening relationships.

It is widely documented that taking the focus off work by increasing pleasure and leisure time lowers stress levels and as a result actually boosts work related performance.

5. Be The Example - Balance Ambition With Serenity

Lincoln was ambitious and driven - his legacy of political and social change is testament to that.

As you now know, his skill in uniting his team while respecting their differences of opinion was crucial to his achievements.

It takes a great strength of character to balance ambition (your drive and focus on the wider picture) with serenity (ensuring space and respect for opposite opinions).

So, how did he do this?

By being the example of emotional intelligence and moral fibre.

Lincoln modeled humility, compassion and self-awareness in his standard of decorum - how he conducted himself and treated others.

He is the ultimate role model of emotionally intelligent leadership.

He listened - respecting that there was space for differing points of view and he took time to listen to all corners and angles of each argument.

He was empathetic: he took time to understand. Putting himself in someone else's shoes, feeling what it might be like from another's standpoint or experience.

( Hint: When you do this, it stands you in great stead because team members who feel heard and understood feel valued and remain loyal.)

He was gracious and offered praise where praise was due, in his own words:

"Everyone likes a compliment."

He took total responsibility - constantly acknowledged his errors, learned from his mistakes and assigned zero blame for the mistakes of others.

Lincoln was famed for taking responsibility for gaffes that his team made.

The Lesson? Keep Your Cool

Bring your integrity and moral fibre to the table: insist and model a no back stabbing, no-blame policy. No negative chat. Behind the back type chat and blame assignation severely undermines trust and destroys the relationships within your team.

Recognize the potency of positive reinforcement. Take time to recognize and celebrate the effort and achievement that your team make.

Practice being fully present when your colleagues are talking by being absolutely focussed on the matter at hand (not checking emails or going over your own workload in your head while they are sharing!).

It takes great strength at times to keep the wider focus, to keep the drive and ambition in mind and to model the no-blame culture, to be the serenity. Of course there is room for fair feedback and constructive criticism, this is very different to allowing members of your team to take the fall or presenting a disunited front.

Sometimes that place of serenity seems like a far off dream, especially when someone or something has got you particularly fired up. At times like this, bring your balance back to cool by drafting what Lincoln called a "hot letter."

When Lincoln was infuriated by a colleague he would fire off a letter noting all the things he wanted to say which, crucially, is never sent and not signed. Historians have uncovered a stack of these.

Next time you find yourself feeling angry or frustrated bust out a hot letter. Don't send it! Use this as a cathartic process to express your feelings on a notepad and then bin it.

By writing exactly what you want to say (including the things you shouldn't) allows you to release all pent up frustration and anger, enabling you to restore your balance, back to calm and serenity.

So make like Abe: unite and conquer! Harness and use balance to unite your team and achieve your goals for the good of you all.

You may also be interested in...

And finally:

Inspiring Leadership Now

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Powerful Leadership Lessons From Abraham Lincoln: How To Master The Art Of Balance During Challenging Times

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Abraham Lincoln's notoriety as a historical figure is legendary. There isn't a shortage of books, articles and research papers on his style and leadership lessons. But he did possess a particular quality that you might not have read so much about: balance. You see, Lincoln is famed for successfully navigating an exceedingly turbulent time in American history.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
30 Of The Best TED Talks On Leadership That Every Great Leader Should Watch - 2nd Edition

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Love inspiring Ted Talks on leadership? So do we! That's why we put together this list of our crème de la crème TED Talks on leadership. So next time you're needing a little boost, take a 20-minute break to listen to one of these and learn from some of the most forward-thinking and innovative experts to discover what's given them their little-known edge.

# data[].attributes.headline
Writing a thank-you note is more powerful than you think - Harvard Health

# data[].attributes.subject
Writing a thank-you note is more powerful than you think - Harvard Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mind & Mood

Image: Janice Richard/Getty Images

In the journals

Writing thank-you notes is not just good manners. It can have a strong psychological effect for both the sender and receiver, suggests research published in the September 2018 issue of Psychological Science.

While most people consider showing an expression of gratitude a nice gesture, many people struggle to do it. To find out why, researchers from the University of Texas asked 334 people to write a letter of gratitude to someone who'd done something nice for them and then to guess the recipient's reaction in several categories.

For instance: Would they feel surprised and happy to receive the letter? Would reading the compliments make them feel awkward? Would the gesture affect their overall mood? The researchers then followed up with the recipients to find out their actual reactions.

Not surprisingly, the letter writers felt more positive afterward. However, they overestimated how awkward the recipients would feel receiving their letter and underestimated how positive it would make them feel. This may explain why more people don't engage in expressions of gratitude, according to the researchers. They suggest that understanding the gesture's impact may help people do it more often. So take the time to write and send a well-deserved thank you note. It will be good for both of you.

Disclaimer:

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Writing a thank-you note is more powerful than you think - Harvard Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Writing a letter of gratitude to someone can increase positive feelings for both the letter writer and recipient....

# data[].attributes.headline
10 Inspirational Videos for Teachers @coolcatteacher

# data[].attributes.subject
10 Inspirational Videos for Teachers @coolcatteacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These ten inspirational videos for teachers will help you find your purpose again. They'll help you be better. They'll inspire you to help kids.

# data[].attributes.headline
SlidesCarnival - Free Powerpoint templates for presentations, Google Slides themes and Canva templates

# data[].attributes.subject
SlidesCarnival - Free Powerpoint templates for presentations, Google Slides themes and Canva templates

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Captivate your audience with our collection of professionally-designed PowerPoint and Google Slides templates. Boost your presentations and make a lasting impression!

# data[].attributes.headline
12 Inspiring Videos Perfect For Your Next School Staff Meeting

# data[].attributes.subject
12 Inspiring Videos Perfect For Your Next School Staff Meeting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you're looking to energize your staff and challenge them to think outside the box, we have a fresh idea for your next school staff meeting. Kick things off with an inspiring and motivational video! YouTube is filled with quick clips filled with ideas on everything from owning mistakes to kick starting passions to staying focused and achieving big goals. Your staff may not expect it-and that's a good thing! An ambush of inspiration never did any harm. Here are 12 of our favorite clips to get you started!

1.Brendon Buchard-"How Incredibly Successful People Think"

Motivational speaker Brendon Buchard breaks down a really simple truth about success-it's all in your mindset. You can't say you don't know how to do something or don't have what it takes. Successful people never see any limitations in going after what they dream about.

2. Oprah Winfrey-"There Are No Mistakes"

There's no mistaking that Oprah is the guru when it comes to living your best life. In this clip, she reinforces that every mistake happens for a reason. The best way to know that is true? Nurture yourself and stop the mind chatter that says you're not good enough.

3. Why Do We Fall: Motivational Video

Get everyone pumped with this mini movie that reframes failure. No one cares IF you fail... you're going to be remembered by how you responded to that failure. Never let failure-or fear of it-turn into an excuse to give up entirely!

4. Trevor Muir- "Teaching is Tiring (And Worth It)"

From cleaning up glitter to reporting abuse, this video shares many of the reasons teaching is such a tiring profession. However, you have to watch the whole video, because Muir brings it back around and gives the reasons it is all worth it.

5. "A Pep Talk from Kid President to You"

Sure, he may be even younger than some of the students you teach. But you can't deny this viral superstar's zest for life. Some of his greatest pearls of wisdom are some of the simplest. A favorite? "If life is a game, are we on the same team?"

6. Dream-Motivational Video

The only thing we can really say about this video is share it as a challenge to your staff. Challenge them to watch it and then not feel immediately ready to tackle their biggest goals or finish a project they've pushed off.

7. Brendan Buchard-"How To Stay Focused"

Another amazing one from Brendan Buchard. In this one, he gets to the heart of why it's so important to define your mission before you start each day. That way you're only getting the things done that move the mission you set forward.

8. Simon Sinek-"Start With Why"

Sinek is the author of the equally powerful book, Start With Why. This edited version of his TED Talk reinforces WHY we must know WHY we're doing anything before we get started. This applies to lesson plans to staff meetings. Knowing why you're getting out of a bed in the morning and why you have the job you do makes a big difference in getting others to follow your lead.

9. Rocky's Speech to His Son

Sometimes you just need to serve up some tough love . . . and who better to do that than Rocky Balboa himself? (and yes, in case you were wondering, his son Is played by a young Milo Ventimiglia who you might know from the tv show This Is Us!)

10. Denzel Washington-"Aspire To Make A Difference"

The Oscar winner packs in a lot of life lessons in this incredible speech. Some of the best takeaways? Fail big-you only live once. Take chances. Go outside the box, don't be afraid to dream big. Dreams without goals ultimately fuel disappointment, Have goals-monthly, weekly, yearly, daily. Be disciplined and consistent and plan.

11. Steve Jobs-"Here's to the Crazy Ones"

One of the most iconic speeches delivered by one of our greatest creative minds. Dare your staff to think big and dare them to bring out the next Steve Jobs in their classrooms!

12.

J. K. Rowling-"The Benefits of Failure"

Harry Potter was born out of the lowest point in J.K. Rowlings' life. And, she was determined to make the series a success because she needed to pull herself out of the darkness. Don't just show this clip at a staff meeting-show it at an assembly with students there too!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Inspiring Videos Perfect For Your Next School Staff Meeting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you're looking to energize your staff and challenge them to think outside the box, we have a fresh idea for your next school staff meeting. Kick things off with an inspiring and motivational video! YouTube is filled with quick clips filled with ideas on everything from owning mistakes to kick starting passions to staying focused and achieving big goals.

# data[].attributes.headline
School district approves dress code that's more fair to girls

# data[].attributes.subject
School district approves dress code that's more fair to girls

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A school district in Roanoke, Virginia has approved a gender-neutral dress code that its proponents hope will keep girls from being singled out for their style.

On Thursday, the Roanoke County School Board unanimously voted in favor of a dress code that holds boys and girls to the same standards. In many U.S. schools, dress codes tend to contain language targeting only girls' attire, including references to bare midriffs, bra straps and skirt lengths.

Don Butzer, the chairman of the Roanoke County School Board, told TODAY Style that he hopes the new code, which is supported by nearly 60 percent of parents, will simplify the rules for students to follow and make things more fair in regard to gender.

"The old dress codes we had and that many schools have today single out girls for bra straps and undergarments and many things girls wear," Butzer said, noting that girls are most often "dress-coded," meaning they are called in for infractions.

"The new policy is probably the most progressive in Virginia," he said. "Our goal was to make it as simple as possible." The new dress code has been edited down from over five pages to one page with a handy diagram showing acceptable clothing measurements across the body.

Butzer says that it was a parent, Jeannie Keen, who championed the idea of changing the dress code after her daughter Olivia, who is set to enter ninth grade in the fall, was "dress-coded" for wearing a pair of track shorts that were deemed too short.

"Within the first two weeks of sixth grade, Olivia and many other girls were dress-coded for wearing athletic shorts," she told TODAY. "I took a photo of what she had on that day and sent it to my school board rep in order to begin a dialogue. I also used a gender-neutral dress code model from Portland, Oregon as an example of how it can be done."

A new dress code was drafted and subsequently sent to all of the school principals in the district.

"Once we had buy-in from the principals we sent it out to all parents in Roanoke County," said Butzer. "We asked for feedback and sent a survey."

Students' views were included in the new dress code, too. The Student Advisory Council, a group of student representatives, which meets monthly, were asked to weigh in. Butzer believes that students will be happy with the changes. He says that the new code will be easier to enforce.

"In the past, enforcement was all over the map," he said, stating that he's relieved that no male teacher will be put in the position of having to measure the length of a female student's skirt.

He noted that parents in opposition to the code were more likely to say that students should wear uniforms or not be allowed to wear clothing such as shorts at all. "This area is very conservative, " he said. "I feel proud that we're doing something progressive."

"It's time for schools to take a hard look at creating modern policies that don't include measuring girls' attire to ensure they're fit to be educated," said Keen.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
School district approves dress code that's more fair to girls

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Roanoke County School Board in Virginia has approved a progressive, gender-neutral dress code that doesn't single out girls

# data[].attributes.headline
Because of a Teacher (A Tribute to All of Those Making a Difference) - YouTube

# data[].attributes.subject
Because of a Teacher (A Tribute to All of Those Making a Difference) - YouTube

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Because of a Teacher (A Tribute to All of Those Making a Difference)

# data[].attributes.headline
Inspiring Education and Teaching Stories | Inspire 21

# data[].attributes.subject
Inspiring Education and Teaching Stories | Inspire 21

# data[].attributes.headline
4 Inspiring Stories of How Great Teachers Changed Someone's Life

# data[].attributes.subject
4 Inspiring Stories of How Great Teachers Changed Someone's Life

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Write A Strong Letter of Recommendation | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Write A Strong Letter of Recommendation | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Use personal narratives to write authentic, effective, and compelling recommendation letters.

John Schnobrich / Unsplash

Letters of recommendation are an important part of the college application process, and I take seriously requests to write these letters. A good letter conveys a student's character and abilities to admission officers and potential employers. A few simple guidelines can make the letter-writing process run smoothly.

Decide on the Process

Before agreeing to write a letter, think about whether you are a good fit to write on a student's behalf. If I feel a letter from me would be critical, I urge a student to ask another teacher.

Consider the way a student asks for the letter. I prefer face-to-face interactions about recommendation requests, which show maturity and appreciation for my time and energy.

One could also consider when a student makes the request. Writing a quality letter requires ample time for consideration, reflection, and composition. I hesitate when students ask me late in the process because it may demonstrate a lack of seriousness on their part.

Offer Honest Praise

When it comes to writing letters of recommendation, first and foremost, offer honest praise. Effusive letters about every student you write for lessens your credibility as an honest and fair evaluator. At the same time, refrain from including anything negative. Instead, I focus on identifying praiseworthy characteristics, such as a student's work ethic, intrinsic motivation, and leadership qualities. From there, I provide specific examples of how the student exemplifies laudable characteristics to achieve success.

Before I begin my formal writing, I jot down potential ideas to brainstorm. I also think about what to write when I'm not at my desk. Considering a student's strengths while running or meditating provides an opportunity to brainstorm. I also review an individual's past homework and projects.

In writing the letter, it is important to mention a student's academic prowess-especially if the student excels in a certain field-even though this information is likely included in other application materials. I connect the students' work ethic and character to their overall academic success. For example, a student who finds time to meet independently with a teacher to improve mastery shows initiative beyond his or her grades.

Look for ways to highlight how students who faced serious challenges-like a learning disability, illness, disruption at home, or loss-prevailed. For example, I wrote about a junior I taught in history and coached in cross country who suffered a seizure at the championship race. Upon awakening from unconsciousness in a state of complete delirium, he could only mumble a few words about not letting his teammates down. After I had traveled with him in the ambulance to the hospital, as he regained awareness, he also told me that he would attend school the next day- if just for my class-to support his peers in a graded history debate. He cared deeply about not disappointing those depending on him.

Using a specific narrative about the way a student overcame adversity not only makes the letter memorable but highlights key attributes of the applicant.

Be Original

Over the years, admissions officers have read letters from me about numerous students. They can detect a cookie-cutter submission or duplicate letters that simply substitute student names.

Make letters unique by writing about unique experiences with students. Keeping notes and comments throughout the year about an individual's work over time helps me to recall specific details for the letter. Since I keep an online record of student work, I can readily refer to areas where they excelled and, whenever appropriate, how they overcame challenges.

Ask students why they want you to write on their behalf. When I do so, many refer to how something I said, did, or assigned encouraged them to think differently. This exercise helps me recall a specific moment when the student experienced a profound transformation.

Visualization can be a powerful tool for letter writing. "As you compose your letter, try to visualize the reader," my mentor told me. "That admissions officer will be reading several hundred letters like yours this week, all of them describing barely distinguishable, highly qualified applicants. Seek and find brief but memorable ways of bringing your applicant to life."

Write Clearly

Nothing signals apathy more than poorly written letters. Spelling and grammar matter. Commit to making your letters professional. If writing is a challenge, ask a colleague or friend to review your letters. Beyond catching typos, they can alert you if something doesn't make sense.

Avoid overusing adjectives, which can come across as superfluous. Instead, stick to concrete observations that show, rather than tell, a student's potential.

In return for writing a letter, I ask students to keep me apprised of their college acceptance news. This spring, the outgoing editor of the online student newspaper that I advise told me how admissions officers praised her work on the award-winning publication. With sincere appreciation, this recent graduate thanked me not only for writing on her behalf, but also for helping her develop into a lifelong learner, who is now headed to her first-choice school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tips for Writing Strong Letters of Recommendation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use personal narratives to write authentic, effective, and compelling recommendation letters.

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Write A Strong Letter of Recommendation | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Write A Strong Letter of Recommendation | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Use personal narratives to write authentic, effective, and compelling recommendation letters.

John Schnobrich / Unsplash

Letters of recommendation are an important part of the college application process, and I take seriously requests to write these letters. A good letter conveys a student's character and abilities to admission officers and potential employers. A few simple guidelines can make the letter-writing process run smoothly.

Decide on the Process

Before agreeing to write a letter, think about whether you are a good fit to write on a student's behalf. If I feel a letter from me would be critical, I urge a student to ask another teacher.

Consider the way a student asks for the letter. I prefer face-to-face interactions about recommendation requests, which show maturity and appreciation for my time and energy.

One could also consider when a student makes the request. Writing a quality letter requires ample time for consideration, reflection, and composition. I hesitate when students ask me late in the process because it may demonstrate a lack of seriousness on their part.

Offer Honest Praise

When it comes to writing letters of recommendation, first and foremost, offer honest praise. Effusive letters about every student you write for lessens your credibility as an honest and fair evaluator. At the same time, refrain from including anything negative. Instead, I focus on identifying praiseworthy characteristics, such as a student's work ethic, intrinsic motivation, and leadership qualities. From there, I provide specific examples of how the student exemplifies laudable characteristics to achieve success.

Before I begin my formal writing, I jot down potential ideas to brainstorm. I also think about what to write when I'm not at my desk. Considering a student's strengths while running or meditating provides an opportunity to brainstorm. I also review an individual's past homework and projects.

In writing the letter, it is important to mention a student's academic prowess-especially if the student excels in a certain field-even though this information is likely included in other application materials. I connect the students' work ethic and character to their overall academic success. For example, a student who finds time to meet independently with a teacher to improve mastery shows initiative beyond his or her grades.

Look for ways to highlight how students who faced serious challenges-like a learning disability, illness, disruption at home, or loss-prevailed. For example, I wrote about a junior I taught in history and coached in cross country who suffered a seizure at the championship race. Upon awakening from unconsciousness in a state of complete delirium, he could only mumble a few words about not letting his teammates down. After I had traveled with him in the ambulance to the hospital, as he regained awareness, he also told me that he would attend school the next day- if just for my class-to support his peers in a graded history debate. He cared deeply about not disappointing those depending on him.

Using a specific narrative about the way a student overcame adversity not only makes the letter memorable but highlights key attributes of the applicant.

Be Original

Over the years, admissions officers have read letters from me about numerous students. They can detect a cookie-cutter submission or duplicate letters that simply substitute student names.

Make letters unique by writing about unique experiences with students. Keeping notes and comments throughout the year about an individual's work over time helps me to recall specific details for the letter. Since I keep an online record of student work, I can readily refer to areas where they excelled and, whenever appropriate, how they overcame challenges.

Ask students why they want you to write on their behalf. When I do so, many refer to how something I said, did, or assigned encouraged them to think differently. This exercise helps me recall a specific moment when the student experienced a profound transformation.

Visualization can be a powerful tool for letter writing. "As you compose your letter, try to visualize the reader," my mentor told me. "That admissions officer will be reading several hundred letters like yours this week, all of them describing barely distinguishable, highly qualified applicants. Seek and find brief but memorable ways of bringing your applicant to life."

Write Clearly

Nothing signals apathy more than poorly written letters. Spelling and grammar matter. Commit to making your letters professional. If writing is a challenge, ask a colleague or friend to review your letters. Beyond catching typos, they can alert you if something doesn't make sense.

Avoid overusing adjectives, which can come across as superfluous. Instead, stick to concrete observations that show, rather than tell, a student's potential.

In return for writing a letter, I ask students to keep me apprised of their college acceptance news. This spring, the outgoing editor of the online student newspaper that I advise told me how admissions officers praised her work on the award-winning publication. With sincere appreciation, this recent graduate thanked me not only for writing on her behalf, but also for helping her develop into a lifelong learner, who is now headed to her first-choice school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tips for Writing Strong Letters of Recommendation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use personal narratives to write authentic, effective, and compelling recommendation letters.

# data[].attributes.headline
6 Steps to Equitable Data Analysis | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
6 Steps to Equitable Data Analysis | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When analyzing data, educators should include students' identities and culture for a fuller picture of how they are doing.

Leigh Wells / Ikon Images

It's 8:40 a.m. on Monday, and a group of third-grade teachers are looking at a spreadsheet displaying student names and reading levels for each quarter of the year. Data fills the page. After the meeting, we feel confident about our analysis and next steps.

But something was missing in the discussion: We didn't spend any time considering students' identities and backgrounds, nor how we can improve equitable outcomes.

For teachers and administrators, it's easy to overlook culture and identity when analyzing data. However, ignoring students' diversity markers means pretending that their identity doesn't matter. In order to close gaps in student outcomes, we must name equity as an essential component to data analysis.

6 Steps to a More Equitable and Culturally Proficient Data Analysis

1. Research identity: We can't consider equitable outcomes if we don't know who students are. Using tools such as surveys, calls home, and classroom team-building activities, we need to hear students' stories.

One group of teachers at my school realized how little they knew about a small group of students who were struggling. They each made a research plan for getting to know three kids, designing questions and topics to explore in the coming week. When they next met, they shared their learnings. They were surprised about how much students shared about their home lives, career aspirations, and more. As one teacher said, "Wow-we need to start asking these questions in the first weeks of school."

Educators bring our own history and perspective to this work, so we also need to know ourselves and our implicit biases. In order to heighten your self-awareness, take Harvard's Implicit Association Test or complete the Diversity Awareness Profile. Research systemic racism and implicit bias, and reflect on your own identity and various forms of privilege. It also can be helpful to spend some time completing and reflecting on these activities with your team prior to looking at data.

2. Preempt implicit bias: Research suggests that priming your team with positive representations of different groups can influence their perspectives. For example, you might read an article by a Latina woman or look at pictures of successful black leaders prior to reviewing writing samples by students sharing similar identity markers. You can explicitly tell the team that we carry biases into data analysis, and that one research-based approach to counteract those biases is to read about, discuss, or highlight examples of, for example, a racial minority group that portray that group in a positive light.

Additionally, create a low-stress space where you'll do your data analysis. Although easier said than done in many buildings, when possible have snacks, calm lighting, the right temperature, and regular breaks. Happier conditions will mitigate the chance of implicit bias.

3. Frame and challenge: What are your team's ground rules for looking at data? Many teams I support use the norm, "Talk about students the way we talk about our own children." Be wary of the data analysis meeting where everyone reads through student writing samples and shares the "funny" ones aloud.

Facilitators need to be prepared to calmly challenge assumptions and stereotypes. We can't sit silently when we hear a colleague blame home circumstances, the previous year's teacher, or a learning disability as reasons a student can't make the same progress as everyone else. When possible, respond with "I don't see it that way" or "Can you explain what you mean by that?" to start a dialogue that unpacks people's perspectives. It will likely take time to dismantle a deficit mindset, but doing so is essential for promoting equity.

4. Set intentions: Have each participant name an intention prior to analyzing data to generate personal accountability. One team member might set the intention to "prioritize student strengths," while another might intend to "leave with a plan for better supporting the Latinx students in my class." Whatever the intention, this focus will help give direction and purpose to the analysis, as well as promote a positive mindset.

5. Pick the right data: Standardized assessments should not be your only metric. There's plenty of research reminding us that standardized tests were born out of the eugenics movement and to this day contain significant bias favoring affluent white students. Make sure your team spends time with varied types of assessment data, like essays, short stories, projects, science labs, and notes from classroom discussions. Additionally, consider flexibility when creating scoring rubrics-do they only include "have to" criteria, or do they provide space for student choice? The goal should be for all students to have the opportunity to shine.

6. Strategically sort: Disaggregate data so that it's broken down by race, gender, IEP status, home language, etc. You should be able to see outcomes for groups of students and quickly call out disparities, if any exist. Sometimes this is in a spreadsheet, and other times it simply means putting exit tickets into different piles.

Conversely, sometimes hiding students' identities at first can help. For example, cover up student names when reviewing writing samples in order to counteract assumptions based on what you already "know" about a student's academic level. This also helps us avoid applying a student's negative behaviors to their academic performance.

It's easy to depersonalize data, but every data point is a child. Ultimately, equity-driven data analysis means doing whatever it takes to remove bias and stereotypes. Taking even some of the small steps above will not only strengthen the quality of data analysis, but will begin to dismantle systemic inequity in the school community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When analyzing data, educators should include students' identities and culture for a fuller picture of how they are doing.

# data[].attributes.headline
Three Brain Teasers to Spur Logical Thinking and Collaboration | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.subject
Three Brain Teasers to Spur Logical Thinking and Collaboration | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are lots of ways to stretch student thinking and get them talking to each other about ideas. One fun way is through riddles that require inductive reasoning, critical thinking and hopefully some good collaboration around student ideas. The three brain teasers below created by TED-Ed have fun visuals and include an explanation at the end. All the videos also include lesson plan ideas to deepen the conversation and start discussion.

In this first video about prisoners' hats the problem set-up ends at 1:35, so stop the video there if you want kids to work on the problem before learning how to solve it.

In this zombie bridge problem the set-up ends at 2:00.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Three Brain Teasers to Spur Logical Thinking and Collaboration | KQED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Help students develop their inductive reasoning skills with three fun and visual riddles.

# data[].attributes.headline
Schools Respond to the Rise of Student Vaping | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Schools Respond to the Rise of Student Vaping | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Liz Burrows's official job title is tobacco control coordinator at the health department in Oldham County, Kentucky, but these days she doesn't spend much time worrying about tobacco: It's all about vaping.

"A high school girl told me recently that it's 'really easy' to vape in class, and that it doesn't belong to any one clique-kids in every group are doing it," said Burrows of the schools she visits in the Louisville suburbs to give talks. "We worked so hard to reduce the smoking rate, and now it's going back up."

Marketed as an alternative to help adults quit smoking tobacco, vaping-or inhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette-has skyrocketed among teens and tweens across the nation.

From 2013 to 2014 alone, e-cigarette use among high school and middle school students tripled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which reports that 50 percent more kids vape than smoke traditional tobacco cigarettes. A 2017 National Institutes of Health study found that more than one in four high school seniors reported vaping in the previous year, while 16.6 percent said they had vaped in the previous month. More than 6 percent of eighth graders also reported vaping in the previous month.

Lured by glamorized images of vaping on social media with hashtags like #VapeLife and #DoIt4Juul-Instagram contains 13.4 million #VapeLife posts-many kids seem unaware of the risks involved. A recent survey by the Truth Initiative found that 63 percent of 15- to 24-year-old previous 30-day users surveyed didn't know that vapor pods, which come in hundreds of kid-friendly flavors like gummy worms, cotton candy, and unicorn puke, contain highly addictive nicotine-a single pod containing 200 puffs can have just as much as a pack of Marlboros or Camels.

As vaping devices are increasingly showing up in school parking lots, bathrooms, and even classrooms, teachers and administrators are scrambling to address the problem. But it isn't easy. Unlike their traditional counterparts, e-cigarettes are easy to buy online and conceal, and they don't carry a strong smell. The popular brand Juul, which represents the majority of e-cigarette sales, looks like a USB drive and is small enough to hide in a shirtsleeve.

In response, here are some of the promising ways that schools and districts are trying to curb what Jonathan Winickoff, doctor and chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium, has called a " public health disaster."

Since e-cigarettes are still relatively new-and one of the great lessons of the anti-tobacco campaigns was that punitive approaches don't work well-school administrators and health department officials say that giving teens and parents health information about vaping is critical to prevention. According to the National Institutes of Health, when high school seniors were asked what they thought they had consumed the last time they vaped, more half said "just flavoring."

"The perception adults and media give that e-cigarettes are harmless is a big part of our problem," said Valerie Phillips, a physical education teacher in Round Rock, Texas, with 19 years of experience. "Kids don't understand what's in it; they think it's just flavored water vapor."
©CATCH My Breath
To counter the misconceptions, the nonprofit CATCH My Breath provides schools with a free curriculum for middle and high schoolers that teaches students what chemicals are in vaping pods and how they can be harmful to their health. Early studies indicate that some of the chemicals in vaping pods could be carcinogenic and cause a scarring of the lungs called popcorn lung. Students are also made aware of clever vaping marketing techniques and armed with strategies for avoiding the social media hype.

With talk of vaping on the rise in her district, Phillips incorporated the four CATCH My Breath vaping lessons directly into PE activities at her middle school. In one, sixth graders learned about the health impact of vaping chemicals like acetaldehyde, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and nicotine, and then participated in a relay where they had to "name that chemical" while racing the clock. CATCH My Breath lessons are available online.

SEL and Vaping

In hopes of curbing the widespread use of e-cigarettes in Orange County, California, educators are using a social and emotional learning (SEL) approach.

Run through the Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program, California's anti-smoking education program, the lessons help students continue to develop SEL skills like self-regulation, problem solving, and communication that they can apply in situations where they might be inclined or feel pressure to vape.

These SEL lessons are part of TUPE's four-part approach, which also includes information on vaping, a cessation hotline number, and student-led anti-smoking projects in their schools or communities.
©Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0/MylesClark96
"They're learning how to deal with social pressure, how to respond to family dynamics and stress," said Ryan Crowdis, the TUPE program manager for Orange County, which is currently running the program in eight area districts. "Any young person can learn from that kind of information."

And when a student is caught vaping at school, a TUPE-trained school staff member talks the student through their decision-making process, examining what led them to vape to help put them on track to make better choices in the future.

Peer-to-Peer Education

Other districts are turning to their students for help.

After trying costly vaping detectors in bathrooms and strict consequences like suspensions with little success, Gregg Wieczorek, principal of Arrowhead High School in Milwaukee, decided to take a different tack. This fall he's sending students to the seven feeder middle schools in greater Milwaukee to talk to the younger students about the dangers of vaping before they start.

"I'm hoping that when the middle schoolers see this kid they looked up to on the basketball team saying, 'Vaping is bad for you and here's why you shouldn't do this,' it might have more impact on them than the teachers or parents saying it," Wieczorek said.

Other communities are having students craft anti-vaping campaigns aimed at their peers. In Charles County, Maryland, students in the after-school program called the Young Researchers Community Project researched the health effects of vaping and then created a series of public service announcements that were used in televised morning announcements at area middle and high schools.

The Long Game

Evolving technology and new products like the smaller, less conspicuous Suorin Drop may make the vaping problem even more difficult to manage in the future. Public health officials in some states are advocating for stronger FDA regulation of vaping devices, such as raising the buying age to 21 or cracking down on online sales. Juul has promised to spend $30 million on youth prevention, including a school curriculum, but most tobacco and vaping preventionists are skeptical.

At a number of schools, staff are seeing a need to break down barriers between school and home life and partner with parents instead.

First thing in the morning, I had to Juul; that's all I could think about.

Back in Oldham, students caught vaping are recommended to take a four-week class that parents also attend. And TUPE's parent trainings in Orange County saw a big uptick last school year as more parents became aware of vaping.

At one school, a parent training that only had nine parents last year packed the room with more than 50 this year. TUPE's Crowdis said that parents need to be warned that the nicotine addiction from vaping is a serious addiction. A student who spoke to parents at a session told them, "First thing in the morning, I had to Juul; that's all I could think about."

"There's this whole culture. Kids are getting addicted to it, and it's scary for young people," Crowdis said. "They don't realize it starts a long road to addiction."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Schools Respond to the Rise of Student Vaping

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Easy to conceal in hoodies and hands, vaping takes a foothold among youth. Schools look for solutions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Worksheets and Other Resources for Coaches

This webpage offers a variety of documents that can help both new and seasoned coaches better serve their clients.

Many documents are from Elena's book The Art of Coaching, but we've included some additional tools not found in the book. Click from the list below to jump to a category of documents or download the entire set of documents using the button below.

The Art of Coaching Reader's Guide

The Art of Coaching Reader's Guide is a collection of guiding questions that will enrich your experience with the text. It's great if both for independent readers and those who are using the book with group.

Download Free Worksheets and Other Tools

Tools found in The Art of Coaching:

Additional tools not found in The Art of Coaching:

Tools from The Art of Coaching
For Planning & Reflection: For Observation and Debriefs: For Conversations with Clients: For Coach Development: For Hiring:
Additional Tools
(Not found in The Art of Coaching)
For Planning & Reflection: For Conversations with Clients:
* These resources are from the Onward Workbook.
For Coach Development:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Worksheets and Other Resources for Coaches This webpage offers a variety of documents that can help both new and seasoned coaches better serve their clients. Many documents are from Elena's book The Art of Coaching, but we've included some additional tools not found in the book.

# data[].attributes.headline
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers

# data[].attributes.subject
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
High profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, can confuse and frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or loved-ones are at risk. They will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react. Parents and school personnel can help children feel safe by establishing a sense of normalcy and security and talking with them about their fears.

1. Reassure children that they are safe. Emphasize that schools are very safe. Validate their feelings. Explain that all feelings are okay when a tragedy occurs. Let children talk about their feelings, help put them into perspective, and assist them in expressing these feelings appropriately.

2. Make time to talk. Let their questions be your guide as to how much information to provide. Be patient; children and youth do not always talk about their feelings readily. Watch for clues that they may want to talk, such as hovering around while you do the dishes or yard work. Some children prefer writing, playing music, or doing an art project as an outlet. Young children may need concrete activities (such as drawing, looking at picture books, or imaginative play) to help them identify and express their feelings.

3. Keep your explanations developmentally appropriate.

Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that their school and homes are safe and that adults are there to protect them. Give simple examples of school safety like reminding children about exterior doors being locked, child monitoring efforts on the playground, and emergency drills practiced during the school day.

Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what is being done at their school. They may need assistance separating reality from fantasy. Discuss efforts of school and community leaders to provide safe schools.

Upper middle school and high school students will have strong and varying opinions about the causes of violence in schools and society. They will share concrete suggestions about how to make school safer and how to prevent tragedies in society. Emphasize the role that students have in maintaining safe schools by following school safety guidelines (e.g. not providing building access to strangers, reporting strangers on campus, reporting threats to the school safety made by students or community members, etc.), communicating any personal safety concerns to school administrators, and accessing support for emotional needs.

4. Review safety procedures. This should include procedures and safeguards at school and at home. Help children identify at least one adult at school and in the community to whom they go if they feel threatened or at risk.

5. Observe children's emotional state. Some children may not express their concerns verbally. Changes in behavior, appetite, and sleep patterns can also indicate a child's level of anxiety or discomfort. In most children, these symptoms will ease with reassurance and time. However, some children may be at risk for more intense reactions. Children who have had a past traumatic experience or personal loss, suffer from depression or other mental illness, or with special needs may be at greater risk for severe reactions than others. Seek the help of mental health professional if you are at all concerned.

6. Limit television viewing of these events. Limit television viewing and be aware if the television is on in common areas. Developmentally inappropriate information can cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young children. Adults also need to be mindful of the content of conversations that they have with each other in front of children, even teenagers, and limit their exposure to vengeful, hateful, and angry comments that might be misunderstood.

7. Maintain a normal routine. Keeping to a regular schedule can be reassuring and promote physical health. Ensure that children get plenty of sleep, regular meals, and exercise. Encourage them to keep up with their schoolwork and extracurricular activities but don't push them if they seem overwhelmed.

Suggested Points to Emphasize When Talking to Children

Schools are safe places. School staff works with parents and public safety providers (local police and fire departments, emergency responders, hospitals, etc.) to keep you safe.

We all play a role in the school safety. Be observant and let an adult know if you see or hear something that makes you feel uncomfortable, nervous or frightened.

There is a difference between reporting, tattling or gossiping. You can provide important information that may prevent harm either directly or anonymously by telling a trusted adult what you know or hear.

Although there is no absolute guarantee that something bad will never happen, it is important to understand the difference between the possibility of something happening and probability that it will affect you (our school community).

Senseless violence is hard for everyone to understand. Doing things that you enjoy, sticking to your normal routine, and being with friends and family help make us feel better and keep us from worrying about the event.

Sometimes people do bad things that hurt others. They may be unable to handle their anger, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or suffering from mental illness. Adults (parents, teachers, police officers, doctors, faith leaders) work very hard to get those people help and keep them from hurting others. It is important for all of us to know how to get help if we feel really upset or angry and to stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Stay away from guns and other weapons. Tell an adult if you know someone has a gun. Access to guns is one of the leading risk factors for deadly violence.

Violence is never a solution to personal problems. Students can be part of the positive solution by participating in anti-violence programs at school, learning conflict mediation skills, and seeking help from an adult if they or a peer is struggling with anger, depression, or other emotions they cannot control.

NASP has additional information for parents and educators on school safety, violence prevention, children's trauma reactions, and crisis response at www.nasponline.org.

© 2016, National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-657-0270, www.nasponline.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
High profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, can confuse and frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or loved-ones are at risk. They will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Motivational Boards at Nebraska Family Chiropractic and Acupuncture - Omaha, NE @nebraska_family_chiropractic (IG) @nebfamilychiro (FB) by 19… | quotes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Motivational Boards at Nebraska Family Chiropractic and Acupuncture - Omaha, NE @nebraska_family_chiropractic (IG) @nebfamilychiro (FB) by 1981jules

# data[].attributes.headline
Kindness Posters: Free Downloads for the Classroom - WeAreTeachers

# data[].attributes.subject
Kindness Posters: Free Downloads for the Classroom - WeAreTeachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kindness might be the number one trait we try to promote in our students, which is why we're head over heels for these free kindness posters. All eight are free to save and print!

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
A motto to live by.
No regrets here.
Use the posters to promote random acts of kindness in your classroom.
Do your part to welcome others.
These make great decorations for the school or library, too.
Kindness is free; sprinkle that stuff everywhere.
Get My Posters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 FREE Kindness Posters to Help Spread the Love in Your Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's always a good time to promote kindness in your classroom. Check out our five free downloadable kindness posters for students.

# data[].attributes.headline
ENN Sources of Strength.mpg - Google Drive

# data[].attributes.subject
ENN Sources of Strength.mpg - Google Drive

# data[].attributes.headline
CDE Educator Effectiveness Teacher Videos

# data[].attributes.subject
CDE Educator Effectiveness Teacher Videos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
CDE Educator Effectiveness Teacher Videos - Login

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This video library can be used for individual, small, and large group professional development/training so that educators may view a lesson and then confer with others. This practice allows for rich discussion that can uncover inconsistencies and/or bias in observation as well as support staff in coming to consensus on what is high quality implementation of the Teacher Quality Standards.

# data[].attributes.headline
Building a Positive Staff Culture Takes Work | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Building a Positive Staff Culture Takes Work | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Administration & Leadership

If schools want a strong collegial atmosphere, they need to foster it intentionally-both across the school and on smaller scales.

Some of the best professional advice I've heard and keep returning to is "Designate time to what you want." If teachers want a stronger classroom community, they need to use instructional time to build it. If leaders want more collaboration, they must allot time in the master schedule. The same idea holds if a school wants a strong adult culture.

Speaking from personal experience, the more I know and trust my colleagues, the better I work with them. I'm fortunate to have worked in several schools that allotted time to building a strong adult culture. Here are some of the best strategies I've seen.

School-wide Systems

Social and emotional professional development sessions: We've all experienced feeling tired, burnt out, or insecure about our efficacy. I know this from my experience to be especially true in schools serving at-risk populations.

In one of those schools, our leadership addressed these feelings directly through professional development sessions called Fill Your Cup, which incorporated social and emotional learning. We had staff members sign up to lead activities they enjoyed, such as yoga, cooking, running, biking, singing karaoke... really anything that brought them joy.

Then each staff member signed up for two of the sessions to "fill their cups." These sessions were always highly rated by our staff, and the next day the school always seemed to have a lightness in the air. The sessions provided a chance for staff to get to know each other in new ways, to blow off steam, to build stronger connections with each other, and to break down barriers of mistrust.

Public acknowledgements: Many schools start or end staff meetings with shout-outs, a beneficial practice. I've seen leadership go beyond this-one example is a practice I call "collective cards." My school's leaders had staff members with different roles sit together at tables. Each person wrote their name in the center of a card (a large index card or half sheet of paper will work), and passed it around the table so that each person there could offer a note of thanks or acknowledgement. This continued until everyone at a table had signed all the cards, and then they were returned to their owners.

This kind of practice allows people to offer a compliment they might not normally make the time for, and it also encourages staff to find the good in everybody they work with. A different approach is to end meetings by encouraging staff members to email a colleague a note of thanks.

Gatherings: We all know the cliché: the family that _____ together, stays together. This can apply to school communities as well. Create opportunities for social gatherings outside of the school day. Make sure they don't always include alcohol-find a variety of activities to meet the needs of many different types of people.

One person doesn't have to do all the work-try organizing a social committee. And offer opportunities for staff members' families to mingle as well.

Food: Need I say more? What meeting hasn't been improved by the addition of food? There's not always money in the budget, but potlucks and staff sign-ups can play a role. Either way, caring for a belly is caring for a heart, and that goes a long way.

Working on a Smaller Scale

Sometimes it's hard to start with school-wide systems. Here are two successful smaller scale initiatives I've experienced.

Door banners: Who doesn't want to walk up to their classroom and see wonderful things written about them? At one of my schools, the leadership organized door banners. We put chart paper on the teachers' doors and organized times to visit each other and write celebratory notes.

Not only was this beneficial to teachers, but it was also valuable for students to see the adults participating in a healthy, collaborative culture.

Positive classroom observations: So often when teachers are visited by observers, they tense up as they feel they're being judged on what's not good enough. Additionally, in our professional desire to be better, we forget to pause and reflect on what's going well.

As an instructional coach, one way I alleviated these deficit-based approaches was to visit teachers specifically to note effective moves. During these observations, I would take notes about all the instructional decisions that were to be celebrated... and there were many! Classroom visits focused on strengths shift a school away from a deficit model to an assets-based model.

I want to end with the importance of hearing the staff's voices. The most important element of a strong adult culture is that staff never feel like things are being done to them, but rather with them. Some of the ideas here might work for your school and some might not. The only way to know is to ask. Use surveys to gather feedback about your school's adult culture, suggestions for improving it, reflections on PD sessions, and other creative community-building ideas.

After all, a school where teachers know, trust, and honor each other is a school where students learn best.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Building a Positive Staff Culture Takes Work

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Administration & Leadership If schools want a strong collegial atmosphere, they need to foster it intentionally-both across the school and on smaller scales. Some of the best professional advice I've heard and keep returning to is "Designate time to what you want." If teachers want a stronger classroom community, they need to use instructional time to build it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The February 2019 Educational Leadership issue explores how school leaders can go beyond surface-level, patchwork upgrades and implement new technology in ways that deepen learning and better support students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Wire Side Chats: In the Loop: Students and Teachers Progressing Together | Education World

# data[].attributes.subject
Wire Side Chats: In the Loop: Students and Teachers Progressing Together | Education World

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looping -- when a teacher moves with his or her students to the next grade level rather than sending them to another teacher at the end of the school year -- was initially advocated by early 20th-century Austrian educator Rudolf Steiner and since has been used successfully for years in Europe. Despite the successful experiences of European school systems, looping is still uncommon enough in the United States to be considered innovative. Included: Looping research and comments from kids -- pro and con -- about looping.

"I like to be with the same kids year after year," said John Van Valkenburg, an eighth grader who has also been with the same teachers for two years now. "I feel closer to this group than some of my family because we have shared so many of the same experiences."

Like Van Valkenburg, many educators see clearly the advantages of looping -- for themselves and for their students.

In Looping Through the Years: Teachers and Students Progressing Together, educators identified some of those advantages, including

the promotion of stronger bonds between parents and teachers, teachers and students, and students and students;

greater support for children who need stabilizing influences in their lives;

a greater knowledge of students' strengths and weaknesses, allowing for increased opportunities for teachers to tailor curriculum to individual needs;

increased opportunities for shy students as well as others to develop self-confidence;

reduced anxiety about the new school year; and

a gain of almost a month of teaching time from the second year on, when the typical transition period at the beginning of the year is virtually unnecessary.

Seventh grader Kevin Reckert told Education World, "If you loop, I believe that it causes less confusion. I see that every year it takes students, including me, a couple of months to really learn the routine and the requirements that the teacher expects. I have been looping for two years and will again in eighth grade, and I really enjoy understanding what my teachers want."
Eighth grader Lauren Trimble added, "Looping is comforting on the first day of school, when there is so much going on. If you already know your teachers and their style of teaching, it makes the beginning of school a little less stressful."

And according to Brittany Bolden, "For me it is much easier to go into a new grade knowing just what to expect. I don't have to go through the awkwardness of first-day first impressions. Staying with the same group of kids year after year makes me feel more comfortable. I know where I fit in and that I have some type of support system in my class."

ARE THERE DISADVANTAGES TO LOOPING?

Looping is not a panacea. All students do not have great experiences, and educators have identified several areas of potential concern. Among them are these:

an inappropriate match -- a personality conflict between student and student or teacher and student;

the possibility of having to put up with a poor teacher for multiple years;

the possibility, in this day of teacher mobility, that the teacher will not be there through the looping cycle;

less exposure to new students and teaching styles;

the difficulties faced by new students who enter a class that has looped;

the difficulty of adjusting to large school environments after being used to cloistered ones; and

the difficulty of separating at the end of the cycle, something that can be difficult for both teachers and students.

"I had the same teacher for first through third grade," said eighth grader Jeanne Miller, "and she was absolutely wonderful. I loved having her teach me so many years in a row. However, when the time finally came to move on, I found it hard to detach from this person who had taught me for so long. I remember crying on the last day of school, knowing that I wouldn't be in her classroom again. I felt abandoned and lonely."

Seventh grader Levi Smathers added, "The only part about looping I didn't like is that I didn't get to know many other students. At lunch all I did was hang out with my friends from my class because I didn't know anyone else."

And according to Matt Hoffmann, "The big disadvantage I saw was that in the real world I will probably have to make many changes in my life. Learning how to adapt to changes in the way you work is something that will help you adapt to change later on, and I think learning how to deal with change is something that should be learned when young."

WHY TARGET STUDENTS IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS?

Because early adolescence can be an especially difficult time, a fair amount of research has targeted this age group as one that could benefit from looping.

JoAnn Brennan, a paraprofessional who has worked with middle-school looped classes, lauds the practice. "When you've looped, you've already established ground rules, you've already established relationships with parents, and you've already established trust. The returning students have met success; they've had a taste of it, and want it again. You already understand their strengths and weaknesses," she told Education World, "so in a very short time, you can pick up where you left off last year. You can begin work almost from day one."

In 1997, University of Florida at Gainesville educators Paul George and Kathy Shewey identified 60 U.S. middle schools that looped instruction. Thirty-five schools in 14 states answered their surveys, the results of which were reported in "What Does the Research Say? Maintaining Long-Term Teacher and Student Relationships," published in Schools in the Middle. Educators who responded were very positive about the long-term benefits of looping. Eighty-four percent felt that it resulted in better classroom discipline, 80 percent said the students got to know one another better, 95 percent said they felt they knew their students better, and 80 percent said they now could avoid unnecessary duplication from previous years.

The researchers also sent surveys to students, and more than 1,100 responded. Students' reactions were not as positive as the teachers' reactions. Almost 800 of them felt looping helped them make more and better friends, and about 750 felt their teachers knew them better and cared more about them, but several said it was harder to adjust to the huge environment of high school after being in such a protected one in middle school.

The researchers sent surveys to parents too and received 586 back. The parents' comments were less positive than both the students' and the teachers' were. About 375 felt looping improved academic achievement, and approximately 340 responded that even after their child had spent two or three years with the same person, they still did not know the teacher better.

Another study, a 1997 pilot program sponsored by East Cleveland (Ohio) Schools and Cleveland State University, found students in a looping program exhibited substantially higher reading and mathematics achievement scores on standardized tests than did students in the traditional grade organization, even when both groups were taught by the same teacher. (Source: Looping: Adding Time, Strengthening Relationships.)

The same article cites other research too. In 1987, researchers, again using personal evaluations, found approximately 70 percent of the teachers who responded to a survey reported looping improved classroom management, and 69 percent said students more frequently participated in class. Most of the parents in this study requested that their children have the same teachers as the previous year.

A study in 1981 compared academic outcomes of students in two schools of similar socioeconomic levels, one with a traditional grade-level structure and the other a school in which the students remained with the same teacher for more than one year. Those in the extended-relationship school outperformed their counterparts in the traditional school on basic skills tests.

MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED

Writer Michele Kurtz explored the quality of research available on looping for a 1998 Charlotte News-Observer story, "Teachers Plot to Give Students a Loop." "Research on looping's effectiveness," she stated, "is somewhat limited, in part because it's not used on a widespread basis in most school systems. Rather, individual schools instinctively decide to try out the method with small numbers of teachers."

Many of the studies that do exist, Kurtz concluded, are not recent and many rely on personal evaluation. Additional high-quality empirical research not dependent on personal evaluation is still needed in order to determine whether, as many contend, looping really has a positive effect on student performance.

Article by Glori Chaika
Education World®
Copyright © 2009 Education World

Originally published 07/19/1999
Last updated 03/10/2009

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
In the Loop: Students and Teachers Progressing Together

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looping -- when a teacher moves with his or her students to the next grade level rather than sending them to another teacher at the end of the school year -- was initially advocated by early 20th-century Austrian educator Rudolf Steiner and since has been used successfully for years in Europe.

# data[].attributes.headline
Finding the Best Ideas Vs. Finding a Winner – The Principal of Change

# data[].attributes.subject
Finding the Best Ideas Vs. Finding a Winner – The Principal of Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I fell upon Anatol Rapoport's rules of constructive argument and debate and found them compelling:

How to compose a successful critical commentary:

1. You should attempt to re-express your target's position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, "Thanks, I wish I'd thought of putting it that way."

2. You should list any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).

3. You should mention anything you have learned from your target.

4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.

One immediate effect of following these rules is that your targets will be a receptive audience for your criticism: you have already shown that you understand their positions as well as they do, and have demonstrated good judgment (you agree with them on some important matters and have even been persuaded by something they said).

Note, the above doesn't work for all situations and that is understood.

But also of note, if this was used in more conversations there would be a benefit to all parties that partake, and you are more likely to find the "best ideas" (discussion) than be able to declare "winners and losers" (argument).

I have written about this before, and I think it is always a good reminder of how we interact with others, especially as educators. If the intent is to help others move forward while pursuing your own development, taking time to understand someone else's point of view and experience can become a positive for all parties involved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Finding the Best Ideas Vs. Finding a Winner

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I fell upon Anatol Rapoport's rules of constructive argument and debate and found them compelling: How to compose a successful critical commentary: You should attempt to re-express your target's position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, "Thanks, I wish I'd thought of putting it that way."

# data[].attributes.headline
Staying Mission Focused as a Leader | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Staying Mission Focused as a Leader | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
School leaders can resist the urge to micromanage by focusing on the most important goal: helping students and teachers succeed.

I was restless the night before the information was released, imagining scenarios from the most glorious to the most grave.

When I arrived at my office the following day, I closed the door and dove into an hours-long data analysis session, coming up for air only intermittently.

Getting my school's standardized test scores after my rookie year as a principal was a nerve-racking experience I won't soon forget. While I never overemphasized test data as a metric for my own performance-or the performance of my colleagues, teachers, and students-I was well aware of the importance placed on these reports by others, including my superintendent and members of our community at large.

The results were neither dire nor amazing; in fact, they were just what I thought they would be. They were, after all, just small pieces of a bigger picture. And yet I found myself worrying about the scores for weeks on end. I wanted the data to look better. I was worried about how it would reflect on my school.

In the end, the conversations about scores came and went, but my responsibilities as a leader-to help students and teachers succeed-remained consistent. In hindsight, I realized that I should have kept this-and not the test results-at the forefront of my mind all along.

Letting Go Is Essential for Success

The need to let go of outcomes is one of the most difficult-and necessary-lessons I have learned as a leader. The act of surrendering control over both large and small aspects of my school's work has been frightening and exhilarating. While letting go is challenging, I've found that it's necessary for both professional growth and the success of the school as a whole.

School leaders must design and oversee numerous programs, committees, assessment structures, and schedules: The list of essential tasks is endless. Each professional responsibility has the potential to mire a leader in overanalysis and micromanagement. However, over-attachment to outcome, while normal, is counterproductive as it can stifle a leader's growth and impede a school's progress. Schools are organic environments in which a host of factors interplay with and build on one another. If a leader wishes to create a school that is harmonious, energized, and productive, they must embrace this.

The Power of Surrender

Learning to manage internal and external expectations so you can stay focused on the overall mission is key to letting go of the urge to fret and micromanage. School leaders should keep in mind that the heart of our job as educators is to help students fully realize their potential-and schools' culture and instruction are what we use to get them there.

Some things we try will exceed expectations, while others will leave us disappointed. It is imperative that we keep the big picture in mind and adopt an attitude that supports thoughtful exploration and celebrates continuous progression rather than one preconceived outcome.

Trust is a key ingredient in this process. As a leader, you must have faith in those around you. If you trust that everyone is working hard and is invested in a shared mission, you will be much more prepared to let go.

We must always bear in mind the things we shouldn't let go of: professional pride, collaborative engagement, and integrity. Additionally, we should never mistake letting go for apathy or carelessness, since letting go allows us to engage in critical tasks and conversations.

It is also important to note that there are innumerable areas that require a dogged relentlessness if we wish to have a great school. If, for example, students are not meeting targets for growth in language arts, it's essential to address this through data analysis, collaboration, instructional planning, and curricular initiatives. The same can be said if technology integration is missing the mark or the school culture does not foster a love of learning.

Keep the End Goal in Mind

In the novel Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace wrote, "Everything I ever let go of has claw marks on it." I can certainly relate to this sentiment. Letting go is never easy, but trying to holding on is even more difficult-and, in the end, is impossible anyway.

The naysayers will always be there. The internal voice of self-doubt will certainly scream out for attention. Let them go too.

In the end, one true question will remain for all educators: Did you give your best effort for the students you serve? If the answer is a resounding yes, you have hit the bull's-eye dead on. Relax and let the rest of it go.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
School leaders can resist the urge to micromanage by focusing on the most important goal: helping students and teachers succeed. I was restless the night before the information was released, imagining scenarios from the most glorious to the most grave.

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Increase Your Influence Using 5 Simple Words - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Increase Your Influence Using 5 Simple Words - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Words have the power to build people up, hold people back, and break people down. The words you speak as a leader are especially influential, with the ability to empower or disempower others.

Of all the words you can say, five are especially meaningful in terms of influence:
How can I help you?
With those five words you communicate some important principles. Offering to help positions you as a servant leader, and asking how you can help shows respect and gives the other person ownership of their own future. The simple question "How can I help?" is at the core of the most influential things leaders do:

Leading by example. Stand beside those who are working hard and work as hard as they do to demonstrate to them your commitment and determination. Show them by example what it means to invest in yourself so they can follow your lead.

Showing respect. Give those around you the respect they deserve. Self-respect may guide your morals, but the respect for others should guide your behavior. Respect everyone you meet, whether they're your superiors, your peers or your subordinates.

Spending time. The biggest investment you can make in your people is your time. Spending quality time with people will affect their job performance directly and spreads your influence. Spend time connecting with people as often as you can. Talk to them about topics that aren't related to work and show genuine interest in them as a person. You'll be surprised at the difference it makes.

Fostering mentorship. If you really want to help those around you, mentor them in ways that help them feel empowered. Don't tell them what to do but stand beside them as a support system. Make sure they know you're available if they need your counsel. Promote them when they deserve it and praise them when they earn it. Put their best interest ahead of yours.

Making resources accessible. Give people the tools they need by ensuring that resources and materials are available to everyone. Nothing is more demoralizing than setting out on a job with enthusiasm only to find that you don't have everything you need.

Serving with devotion. Be present when you're with your people-don't let anything distract you or get in the way. Listen with the intent to learn, ask questions for clarity, and offer support and direction when they're needed so those who serve you can perform at their highest level.

In everything you do, remember the core attitude: How can I help you? These words have the power to influence those around you, creating a circle of positive change that ripples out far beyond your individual reach. That's the power of influence, and it starts with five simple words.

Lead from within: To be a truly great leader-one with great influence-you must start from a place of respectful service. Remember that the words you choose contain power, and it's up to you to choose the type of power you express.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap: Additional Reading you might enjoy: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

Photo Credit: iStockphotos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Increase Your Influence Using 5 Simple Words - Lolly Daskal | Leadership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Words have the power to build people up, hold people back, and break people down. The words you speak as a leader are especially influential, with the ability to empower or disempower others. Of all the words you can say, five are especially meaningful in terms of influence: How can I help you?

# data[].attributes.headline
Why some schools are abolishing homework in favor of self-selected reading - Big Think

# data[].attributes.subject
Why some schools are abolishing homework in favor of self-selected reading - Big Think

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This September, the 20,000 elementary school students of Florida's Marion County public school district will enter school with the promise that they will not be doing any more homework as part of their daily school life. The policy is introduced by the county's new superintendent Heidi Maier. She motivated her decision with research that shows that homework does not improve achievement for younger students, but time free from school type activities is important for their development. The policy will exclude some occasional assignments, like science projects or research papers.

The no homework policy is a rarity in the U.S., where the demanding emphasis on standardized test scores leads to a constant pressure, on students and teachers, for rigorous preparation starting as early as possible. In Finland, however, where students have consistently been amongst the top performers on international academic assessment tests like PISA, homework is not considered an important tool for academic success (nor are standardized tests considered an important tool for its measurement).

In addition to doing away with homework, Maier will encourage parents to spend quality time with their kids each evening, reading to them for at least 20 minutes. While there is no solid evidence that homework is beneficial for academic success in younger kids, there is plenty of evidence that reading is. Maier cited the work of Richard Allington as support for her decision. Allington is a professor of education at the University of Tennessee, and has dedicated his career on studying early literacy.

"The quality of homework assigned is so poor that simply getting kids to read replacing homework with self-selected reading was a more powerful alternative," Allington said in an e-mail for the Washington Post. "Maybe some kinds of homework might raise achievement but if so that type of homework is uncommon in U.S. schools."

While Maier encourages reading all types of texts to increase reading comprehension, some research has shown that at least when it comes to increasing empathy, the type of reading assignment matters.

Emanuele Castano and David Kidd conducted five studies in which they gave participants excerpts from different types of texts: popular fiction, literary fiction, nonfiction or nothing. Afterwards they administered a Theory of Mind test which measures a person's capacity to understand that other people hold beliefs and desires and that these may differ from their own. The results of the studies showed that literary fiction but not popular fiction or nonfiction increased Theory of Mind skills.

So far, Maier says that parents are welcoming the change and so are teachers.

"I am in support of the no-homework policy," said Lisa Fontaine-Dorsey, a third-grade math and science teacher at Wyomina Park Elementary School. "I didn't give homework anyway. I think they need to go home and play and do something healthy, like sports. All day at school they are pressured with the test, test, test environment. They need to go home and get away from that. It will be beneficial to the students."

As for any older students hoping for homework-free days, there are no plans for introducing the policy in middle school or high school. Research shows some positive academic effects of homework in these age groups.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why some schools are abolishing homework in favor of self-selected reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This September, the 20,000 elementary school students of Florida's Marion County public school district will enter school with the promise that they will not be doing any more homework as part of their daily school life. The policy is introduced by the county's new superintendent Heidi Maier.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
AMLE - Association for Middle Level Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The faculty lounge crackles with disagreements about the new grading policies suggested by the standards-based grading committee. The English department debates whether or not grammar proficiency is a requisite for writing proficiency, and whether or not to assign whole-class novels or let students choose their own. Civics teachers discuss how to help students process the latest wave of incivilities among politicians and why we should respect the rights of free speech for groups like white supremacists and the Westboro Baptist Church.

A new teacher evaluation policy declares that all teachers must show specific strategies used to meet the needs of diverse students in their classes, but some teachers say this is coddling students and thereby not preparatory for what they'll face next year. Some teachers make pointed arguments against using John Hattie's Visible Learning meta-analyses, citing issues with his research procedures, while others use Hattie's research to inform almost every classroom practice.

To quote Bob Dylan, the times, they are a-changin'. We wonder, though, if teachers have the dispositions needed to make fundamental changes to their teaching practices in order to respond constructively to our changing times, especially when those changes reveal that what they were doing was less effective than their egos thought they were.

The way we teach is often a statement of who we are. If someone questions our practices, it's like they're questioning our value as teachers. Our classroom instruction, including assessment and grading, technology integration, student-teacher interactions, and more, are expressions of how we see ourselves; they are our identity. Can we navigate these frequently troubled waters without invoking self-preserving egos and drowning in resentment?

Robert Evans opens his classic book, The Human Side of School Change (1996) with a quote by education reformer, Michael Fullan, who says that, "The fallacy of rationalism is the assumption that the social world can be altered by logical argument. The problem, as George Bernard Shaw observed, is that, 'reformers have the idea that change can be achieved by brute sanity.'" Teacher leaders can cite logical, well-reasoned statistics and arguments for new building initiatives, but nothing really changes in classroom practices unless leaders also appeal to teachers' ethics and the lens through which they perceive leaders' arguments.

Human ego can be a good thing. It insulates us from otherwise incapacitating personal attacks and moderates those monologues we tell ourselves as we attempt to shape reality to our private theories of the world and our role in it. A healthy ego also helps us maintain confidence and conviction in the face of adversity, fuels hope in positive outcomes, and powers that critical driver of our self and work-that we matter.

The ego is fiercely protective, however, of its own view, for fear that if its perceptions were found faulty and needed changing, everything else it declared as truth would also be suspect, forcing us into uncomfortable uncertainty, and even, change. We'd have to lose a piece of ourselves and what we accepted as normal, we think, in order to accept that new idea. As physicist Max Planck declared, "Science advances one funeral at a time." (Derek Thompson, "Why Experts Reject Creativity," The Atlantic, October 10, 2014).

For any of us educators trying to coach teachers, convince a colleague to try something new, or change a school's culture, it's helpful to remember that our teacher beliefs are held tightly, with and without close examination, and for one of us to let go of an accepted truth requires grieving over the loss of that truth, at least to some degree. We're not talking about the grief one feels over the death of a loved one, of course, but it's something that is a surprisingly powerful factor in idea acceptance and behavioral change. It can make individuals dysfunctional, if a time to grieve is denied. Evans cites James Gleick here:

[People] ... cannot accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it ... would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives. (Gleick, 1987, p. 38) (Evans, p. 30)

And Kaufman here:

The humiliation of becoming a raw novice at a new trade after having been a master craftsman at an old one, and ... the deep crisis caused by the need to suppress ancient prejudices, to push aside the comfort of the familiar to relinquish the security of what one knows well. (Kaufman, 1971, p. 13) (Evans, p. 48)

It is not too far flung to remember Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' five stages of grief ( On Death and Dying, 1969): Denial/Isolation, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. One or more of these stages is experienced by each of us when we are asked to discard something we hold dearly and accept something new in its place. Yes, we fake-rationalize ourselves into, "This will not actually happen," and, "It'll just pass like another education fad, and I can wait until everyone comes to their senses."

We can become so concerned about what the change means for us in the classroom that we become vulnerable, as Kaufman suggests above, and that vulnerability and sometimes, confusion, can often come out as anger and depression directed at specific others or at the general ether. We may even accept the logic of the new idea as well as the limited nature of our former idea, but we still resent the threat to our perceived competency. It's interesting, too, to note that acceptance doesn't always mean, "content," as Julie Axelrod writes in her online article, "The 5 Stages of Grief & Loss" ( www.psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/). Acceptance can be a time of great sadness.

In his Psychology Today blog, "Supersurvivors: Why the Five Stages of Grief Are Wrong," Professor of Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University, Dr. David B. Feldman, writes that when grieving, "[W]e may start to question our faith in ourselves." He says that some people may ask who they are with the lost loved one, and that many of us, "...define [our]selves by the roles [we] play in close relationships." ( www.psychologytoday.com/blog/supersurvivors/
201707/why-the-five-stages-grief-are-wrong, posted, July 7, 2017)

Not as intense, but still a significant consideration, we teachers can wonder who we are and how we will be defined from now on if we are forced to give up that which made us, us. Why don't the others see that I'm still a nice person, a solid teacher and positive contributor, we reason, and stop attacking me? Of course, we can still be ourselves, but we can embrace the insights and professional shift, and be an ever-evolving version of ourselves, one that perceives course correction as strength, not weakness. Feldman adds, though, that, "It's important not to rush grief ... [G]rief is very personal, and each of us is entitled to our own schedule."

David Ropeik, an instructor at the Harvard University Extension School writes in his Psychology Today blog, "How Risky Is It, Really? Why Changing Somebody's Mind, or Yours, Is Hard to Do," that we can, "...argue the facts, as thoughtfully and non-confrontationally as [we] can, but the facts don't seem to get [us] anywhere. The wall of the other person's opinion doesn't move...Shouldn't a cognitive mind be open to evidence...to the facts...to reason? Well, that's hopeful but naïve, and ignores a vast amount of social science evidence that has shown that facts, by themselves, are meaningless." (www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-risky-is-it-really/201007/why-changing-somebody-s-mind-or-yours-is-hard-do, Posted Jul 13, 2010)

Ropeik says that we hold on to our opinions and beliefs so strongly in order to protect ourselves from those perceived as enemies because they have opinions different than ours. We also conform to the groups with which we identify, such as conservatives with conservatives, liberals with liberals. This, "Strengthening [of] the group, helping it win dominance, and having the group accept us, matters ... Humans are social animals. We depend on our groups, our tribes, literally for our survival ...The more we circle the wagons of our opinions to keep the tribe together and keep ourselves safe ... the more fierce grow the inflexible 'Culture War' polarities that impede compromise and progress."

As teachers, when we encounter an administrator or colleague who says something about teaching or mandates a new policy that is deeply flawed (okay, incorrect), especially when declared publicly at a faculty meeting, we have several constructive responses we can make. First, we talk with him or her privately about the issue, as public correction often invokes the need in the other person to, "save face," not hear our message. Second, we can make efforts to correct him or her in such manner as to not invoke self-preserving ego, such as:

Ask her to tell you more about her statements, posing questions here and there in a sincere interest in knowing more, but letting her shore up her own thinking. This is a form of cognitive coaching (see October 2017 AMLE Magazine for more).

Acknowledge that he's having a tough time (if he is), and come across as supportive, not adversarial. Ask how you can help.

Help her see how her message came across, and ask if that was what she wanted to communicate.

Offer him alternative compromises between his needs and our needs so that both are served.

Affirm what the leader or colleague brings to the conversation, don't dismiss her wisdom and experience. Then, however, educate her graciously on the topic by speaking from understanding about how some people, maybe even we, held that misconception for many years, but then revised our thinking in light of new perspective or evidence, which you're sharing with her as well.

Present concerns about the misstatements as well as ideas on how to correct them publicly in a clarifying, or diving-deeper-into-the-issue-I-changed-my-mind moment at the next meeting.

The goal is to not invoke threat, which can harden those walls against acceptance, making the grief at having to change all the more difficult. Citing Evans again, "People must be sufficiently dissatisfied with the present state of affairs-and their role in maintaining it-or they have no reason to endure the losses and challenges of change" (p. 57). Thomas Newkirk's wonderful new book, Embarrassment and the Emotional Underlife of Learning (Heinemann, 2017) sheds a lot of light on the challenges of change and acceptance, particularly when it comes to our fears of embarrassment or humiliation when interacting with others: student to teacher, student to student, and teacher to teacher or administrator. Without hyperbole, it has the potential to be one of the most affecting faculty readings you'll ever conduct. It is highly recommended.

We are all fellow travelers, and we are all inconsistent with ourselves and one another. No one likes to have protective layers pulled bare, revealing old scars or sensitive places still raw. To survive the day, we tell ourselves that our truths are THE truths, and they form our version of reality. When we're confronted with their illusory nature, we're no longer on solid ground. We grieve for former students we may have wronged, the real or not perceived loss in status among respected colleagues, the time and energy that will be spent in changing who we are, and for the loss of self that was once so sure.

Let's help each other: Let's interact in ways that invite thoughtfulness, not invocation of self-protecting egos. Let's give colleagues time and encouragement to pushback and resist new ideas, and rather than be so self-assured ourselves, let's look for new insights we need to hear in our colleagues' arguments. And finally, let's extend the compassion to others we seek for ourselves, and honor the grief process that happens when asked to give up something we've held so tightly all these years-a truth, reality, perception, or practice-as they struggle to accept something new. Instead of leaving them to struggle alone, we can walk that path together.

Rick Wormeli is a long-time teacher, consultant and author living in Herndon, Virginia. His book, The Collected Writings (So Far) of Rick Wormeli: Crazy, Good Stuff I Learned about Teaching Along the Way, is available from www.amle.org/store. His new book, Fair Isn't Always Equal: Second Edition is available from Stenhouse Publishers.
rwormeli@cox.net
rick@rickwormeli.onmicrosoft.com
@rickwormeli2
www.rickwormeli.com Published inAMLE Magazine, April 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The faculty lounge crackles with disagreements about the new grading policies suggested by the standards-based grading committee. The English department debates whether or not grammar proficiency is a requisite for writing proficiency, and whether or not to assign whole-class novels or let students choose their own.

# data[].attributes.headline
3 Simple Questions To Shape Professional Learning – The Principal of Change

# data[].attributes.subject
3 Simple Questions To Shape Professional Learning – The Principal of Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I have often heard that there are two types of professional learning experiences; a "warm bath" or a "cold shower." The "warm bath" is an experience that makes you feel that everything you are doing is right and just full of positive affirmations. The "cold shower" challenges you and makes you feel uncomfortable in what you are doing currently. There is a risk in both approaches. In the first, people think there is a need to grow, and in the latter, people could feel that they will never be good enough and just give up. In my opinion, great professional learning should be a combination of both. Educators need to walk out knowing that they are on the right path, but that we can always get better. All of us. It is something I continuously strive for in professional learning opportunities that I am lucky enough to be a part of but also in my learning.

Because of that belief, there are three questions that I try to ask in any workshop that I am leading.

1. What has challenged you today?

2. What has been reaffirmed?

3. What will you do moving forward?

The first one is to help people embrace their discomfort. The hope is that own what they are struggling with, and they share it openly with others. (Cold Shower)

The second question is to let them know that there are things that they are currently doing that that need to be validated and celebrated. (Warm Bath)

But the last question, "What will you do moving forward?" is probably the most important. This is what shifts learning to action. It ensures that people do not become "over-thinkers and under-doers." What is most important about the last question is not the "call-to-action." It is the ownership of the solution. Instead of saying, "Here is what you should do," it becomes, "Here is what I am going to do" to make things better.

These questions are not only beneficial for professional learning days but in your individual development. In this tweet from Leslie Borkenhagen, she reminded me of these same guiding questions I provided in the foreword from Katie Martin's book, "Learner-Centred Innovation":

‏

How could you use these same questions in the classroom? How would it help guide learning, while providing students an opportunity for reflection and action moving forward?

The hope from these questions is that learners walk out empowered, knowing that although there is room for growth, their strengths are still being honored. It also gives learners the opportunity to think of their own way to move forward.
When you have ownership over the solution, the solution is more likely to happen.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3 Simple Questions To Shape Professional Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I have often heard that there are two types of professional learning experiences; a "warm bath" or a "cold shower." The "warm bath" is an experience that makes you feel that everything you are doing is right and just full of positive affirmations.

# data[].attributes.headline
SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI).pdf

# data[].attributes.subject
SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI).pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SWIFT Field Guide consists of five domains, each with two features. Explore the guide to learn more about SWIFT practices. If you are a new visitor, you may find the How to Use SWIFT Field Guide page helpful.

# data[].attributes.headline
(8) Jason Mraz - Have It All [Official Video] - YouTube

# data[].attributes.subject
(8) Jason Mraz - Have It All [Official Video] - YouTube

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Jason Mraz  - Have It All (Official Video)

# data[].attributes.headline
Why You Need to Learn How to Speak a Leadership Vocabulary - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.subject
Why You Need to Learn How to Speak a Leadership Vocabulary - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In leadership, as in most fields, there's a specialized vocabulary. But unlike the language of most fields, the words that mean the most in leadership aren't technical jargon. They reflect the kind of language that virtually everyone knows and uses-a series of everyday phrases, affirmations, and mantras.

Our leadership vocabulary is designed to guide people toward doing two things: First, to trust your judgment and ability to lead, and second, to contribute their own best effort to the team.

If we can learn to speak the vocabulary of leadership, we not only motivate people but inspire them to succeed.

Here are the basics:
Go for it.
It happens all the time in organizations: things get put on hold, and a decision that should have been immediate instead has to go through 17 layers of discussion. Momentum is lost and the moment to act passes. To build a strong team, you must empower your people to make things happen and let them know they can go for it.
What do you think?
Asking for input gives you the benefit of the your entire team's expertise, experience, and perspectives, and it also shows that you're open to listening and learning. Leading isn't about personal wins-it's about what serves the mission, and that requires collaboration. Ask your people what they think...
I trust you.
When you express trust in someone, you demonstrate your faith in their judgment and abilities and commitment. Trust inspires people to be bold and get things done. It's a powerful feeling, to be handed the keys. When you say, I trust you. You are telling your people, "I know I can count on you."
Let's take a chance.
Taking a risk requires confidence, and sometimes you have to impart that confidence second hand. You can expect people to sit around and wait for extraordinary opportunities, or you can encourage them to be daring and create their own opportunities, knowing you'll continue to support them even if they fail.
Keep exploring.
Sometimes before you can give a green light you need more information. Sometimes you need to weigh out a whole range of options. "Keep exploring" tells your team the importance of preparing fully and considering all the possibilities.
Here's what's going on.
The best leaders have a gentle and straightforward way of communicating the truth. Transparency is the surest path to trust-it keeps people informed and it keeps destructive rumor mills out of business. Ask what is going on and stay informed.
I would like your feedback.
When you ask your team for feedback, you open yourself up to learning what is, and isn't, working as it should. You tell them that every member of the team-even the leader-needs input from the others to operate at their smartest and best. Remember, feedback is the gift you can always give.
I messed up.
Three simple words say you can admit you've made a mistake and work through the consequences without blaming others or making excuses. When you say "I messed up," you're modeling how to be the kind of person who can give their best to everything even if they occasionally get it wrong. It's a powerful lesson.
Let's remember this.
When people are working together intently and everyone is deeply focused on the task in front of them, the way to create something truly extraordinary is to remind them why they're working so hard. Keep your team connected to your shared vision by reminding them what you're all there to do and how they make a difference.
I appreciate you because...
Expressing gratitude and appreciation are the best ways you can ever use your time and words. Let people know how much you appreciate them and how they've impressed you. Be specific and personal and sincere.

Your vocabulary as a leader can make you or break you. Start with these basics and keep building on them to help you succeed.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
THE LEADERSHIP GAP

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:

Photo Credit: Getty Images

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why You Need to Learn How to Speak a Leadership Vocabulary - Lolly Daskal | Leadership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In leadership, as in most fields, there's a specialized vocabulary. But unlike the language of most fields, the words that mean the most in leadership aren't technical jargon. They reflect the kind of language that virtually everyone knows and uses-a series of everyday phrases, affirmations, and mantras.

# data[].attributes.headline
“Success is a catalyst for failure.” – The Principal of Change

# data[].attributes.subject
“Success is a catalyst for failure.” – The Principal of Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I am always a sucker for articles that share quotes because they stop and give me food for thought. I shared this article recently and the following quote on success leading to failure, as well as the write-up, gave me pause:

"Success is a catalyst for failure." - Greg McKeown

Success becomes a catalyst for failure because "success" isn't something you've accomplished. It's something you create. And the only way you can create something of true value is by being a deep student.

Most people stop being true students after they've succeeded, even in small degrees. They begin to 'rest on their laurels' - being so satisfied with what one has already achieved that one makes no further effort.

Additionally, with increased success often follows over-confidence and lack of focus. You stop putting in the time. You stop taking risks. You over-attach yourself and look more and more to the past and what you've achieved. You stop focusing on the future and what you want to achieve. You start listening to other people's ideas and comments and stop listening to your own voice.

Success is a suppressant to creativity, if you attach to it rather than use it as a vehicle to push your boundaries even further.

This quote stuck with me both on a personal and organizational level. When one sees success in pursuit of their own goals, it can often lead to further progress. Personally, when I feel that I am getting healthier and in all honesty, other people comment, it pushes me to work harder. But sometimes the routine that leads you to success becomes "routine," and we can stagnate. What led us to the success in the first place was developing new habits, and sometimes those habits are great for maintenance but become harmful to future growth. Maintenance is not always the worst thing, but if we want to grow in an area, changing our routines, or what we do in those routines, becomes essential.

On the organizational level, I have seen that the groups that become the quickest to move backward are the ones most satisfied with their success. But as the world moves forward, if you are standing still, you are falling behind. The thing with success is that it is much harder to challenge than failure. People can become complacent and judge what they have done solely based on the past, without looking at what is happening now or what they are creating for the future. This William Pollard quote sums it up beautifully:

Take time to celebrate your the successes you have accomplished, but be wary of becoming comfortable with them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I am always a sucker for articles that share quotes because they stop and give me food for thought. I shared this article recently and the following quote on success leading to failure, as well as the write-up, gave me pause: Success becomes a catalyst for failure because "success" isn't something you've accomplished.

# data[].attributes.headline
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide to Greatness - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.subject
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide to Greatness - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The root of the word manifesto is the Latin manifestum, which means "to be clear or to made public."

Every leader needs a personal manifesto-something that lets everyone know their views, their thoughts, and their beliefs and intentions. When you create your manifesto, you instill a sense of transparency that makes it easy for others to respect, emulate and trust you.

To create your manifesto, start with what you value. Let it be the guide that steers you to embrace your greatness.

Here are the statements I recommend to my coaching clients who want to create their own leadership manifesto:

I will commit to being an authentic person.

When you commit to being genuine as a leader, you embrace all parts of who you are-the good, the bad, the weak, the strong, the gaps and the greatness. You're committed to acknowledging and leveraging the sum of all your parts. If you can be genuine, you will win hearts and minds.

I will take responsibility for my life.

Commit to being fully responsible for your health, happiness and success. Refuse to blame others or make excuses for your problems and hold yourself fully accountable for whatever you do.

I will communicate in a way that conveys what I mean to say.

The words you speak and the way you communicate will always matter; every time you say something it provides a reflection on who you are, what you think and what you value. Make sure your heart and mind are saying the same thing.

I will remember to serve something bigger than myself.

The greatest rewards come when you give of yourself. It's about bettering the lives of others, being part of something bigger than yourself, and making a positive difference. People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to be in a situation where they feel that they are doing something for the greater good.

I will take ownership of my work and strive
to make things better within my sphere of influence.

Leaders inspire accountability through their ability to accept responsibility before they place blame and the best leaders serve humanity in a way that lifts everyone around them. Accountability is the measure of a leaders height.

I will embrace resilience.

Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. Learn not to reject failure as fatal but instead to face everything with boldness and courage. When you do, you will gain the perspective that nothing is off limits and that every opportunity is a platform for future success experiences, because only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly.

I will invest in myself as I invest in others.

No leader sets out to be a leader. People set out to live their lives, expressing themselves fully. When that expression is of value, they become leaders. So the point is not to become a leader but to invest in yourself as a person. To use yourself completely - all your skills, strengths, gifts and talents- in order to make your vision manifest. You must never hold back. You, must, in sum, become the person you are meant to be, and to enjoy the process of becoming. The true great leaders are constantly making ongoing commitment with themselves to invest in their own growth as a leader and also in growth and training for those around them.

I will remember there is always free choice.

You may not always be able to change or choose your situation, but you will always be able to choose who you are going to be in the situation. Choose the character and the values that lead you to embrace your greatness.

I will dedicate myself to my calling.

Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve your greatness, because not everyone lives up to their calling. But if you know what is important to you, and if you know that what you do matters, you will put your best into what you do and how you do it. To live up to your calling is to tap into your greatness and embrace it.

Lead from within: Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It's precisely that simple, and it's also that complicated. Leadership is a choice and a privilege, learn to embrace the greatness it can bestow upon you.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:

Photo Credit: Getty Images

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide to Greatness - Lolly Daskal | Leadership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The root of the word manifesto is the Latin manifestum, which means "to be clear or to made public." Every leader needs a personal manifesto-something that lets everyone know their views, their thoughts, and their beliefs and intentions. When you create your manifesto, you instill a sense of transparency that makes it easy for others to respect, emulate and trust you.

# data[].attributes.headline
7 Important Questions to Ask People You Admire   - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.subject
7 Important Questions to Ask People You Admire   - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What if you suddenly found yourself sharing an elevator or seated at an event with somebody you admire, someone like, Warren Buffett, Elon Musk or Bill Gates? Would you stammer an introduction and look awkwardly at your feet, or would you be able to make the most of the encounter with a set of smart, concise questions?

It's unlikely you'll ever meet any of those people, but you probably encounter other admirable people on a regular basis. Whether it's a national leader in your field or the senior manager who works down the hall, here are some questions you can ask from the leaders you admire to learn from their success:

1. What's the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?
Success is different for everyone, but it's always interesting to learn how people arrived where they are. Their stories may point you in a new direction, give you an answer you've been looking for, or motivate you to push through the tough times. Responses also give you insight into their values and priorities.

2. What are your success habits?
Asking successful people about their daily habits can give you ideas for your own routines. The answers are rarely esoteric; generally, they're actions anyone can take. As the old saying goes, we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not a quality but a habit, and successful people are simply those with successful habits.

3. What mistakes have you made along the way?
This question is one of the most important things you can ask anyone, because it allows you to learn from their experience. If you ask it often and listen carefully to the answers you hear, you will make fewer mistakes yourself. You'll have insight into how to do things in a way that doesn't lead to miscalculations or blunders.

4. What was the hardest decision you ever had to make?
Most successful people have had to make at least a few genuinely difficult between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place decisions. Learning what they chose, and why, gives you a close look at their thought processes and priorities, helping you prepare for the tough decisions that lie down the road for you. At the end of the day, it's in your moments of decisions that your success is shaped.

5. What is the best advice you can give?
Some people respond better than others to such an open-ended question, but when it connects, it can cut right to the important stuff. Compile the responses you get to this question and keep them where you can read through them all from time to time.

6. If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?
Successful people tend to be self-aware, and it's likely that they've already given this question some thought. You might expect to hear about preventing some mistake or failure, but successful people know that mistakes and failure are among our greatest teachers. Many focus instead on wishing they had taken more chances and been bolder.

7. What's one change I should make right now to help me get closer to my success?
This question is appropriate to ask of someone who's already familiar with you and your work. Improvement requires change, and sometimes the hardest part is knowing what needs to change.

Most successful people are grateful for what they've achieved, and many are happy to share their knowledge and experience. It's too good a resource to waste, so be prepared to make the most out of every encounter, especially with those you admire.

Lead From Within: Just remember, we tend to become those we admire.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap: Additional Reading you might enjoy:
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Important Questions to Ask People You Admire - Lolly Daskal | Leadership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What if you suddenly found yourself sharing an elevator or seated at an event with somebody you admire, someone like, Warren Buffett, Elon Musk or Bill Gates? Would you stammer an introduction and look awkwardly at your feet, or would you be able to make the most of the encounter with a set of smart, concise questions?

# data[].attributes.headline
Why Teacher’s Aides Deserve Our Appreciation Every Single Day

# data[].attributes.subject
Why Teacher’s Aides Deserve Our Appreciation Every Single Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Paraprofessional, Instructional Assistant, Teacher's Aide, Educational Assistant... these wonderful people go by many names. When we read these titles, however, we may not really understand what their jobs entail. After almost 10 years in education, though, I think I can sum up a parapro's job description in one word: superhero.

Every day, I watch these people do amazing things. I watch them stand and greet students as they enter our gym or cafeteria, providing smiles and hugs for each one. I see them follow schedules even more complicated than mine, moving between grade levels and never missing a beat. I watch them wrestle with copy machines and spend hours cutting out laminated items. I hear them out in the hallways, working with that one child who still can't read sight words or add two-digit numbers. I even have watched them take verbal or physical assault from the student they have been assigned to help because music class is too much. They are vital to all of the education initiatives that we've come to embrace over the years, like "Title," "Response to Intervention," "Special Education."

We ask these amazing people to do so much, to give so much of themselves. We ask them to jump through hoops like certification testing and after-hours trainings, and we expect them to do anything and everything within the buildings in which they work. If you think that teachers are underpaid (which, let's be real, we are), let me tell you who is really underpaid: paraprofessionals. They make a fraction of what teachers do, yet they are asked to do so much more than they are paid for.

Oftentimes, only students recognize paraprofessionals for all that they do, but everyone should understand and appreciate how important paraprofessionals are in the field of education. These amazing men and women are some of the strongest connections our students with extensive needs make within the building. If you are involved in education in any way, as a parent, an employee or even a community member who cares, try to take a moment to thank a paraprofessional. They deserve our appreciation, not just one day a year, but every day.

Featured Photo via dancergrrrl.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Teacher's Aides Deserve Our Appreciation Every Single Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Paraprofessional, Instructional Assistant, Teacher's Aide, Educational Assistant... these wonderful people go by many names. When we read these titles, however, we may not really understand what their jobs entail. After almost 10 years in education, though, I think I can sum up a parapro's job description in one word: superhero.

# data[].attributes.headline
How To Weave Growth Mindset Into School Culture | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.subject
How To Weave Growth Mindset Into School Culture | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
'We're not always going to have teachers or friends or parents to depend on. And sometimes you will make mistakes on your own, and knowing how to grow from that has really helped me.' High school senior Adeline Rodriguez

When Clark suggested Rodriguez take AP biology she resisted, scared she'd be unprepared for the challenge. She thought that if she had struggled in freshman biology, there was no way she could hack the tougher course. But Clark convinced her to challenge herself, making the case that no one grows inside their comfort zone. Rodriguez says that class changed her life.

"It was one of those classes where the bell rings and you don't want to leave. You want to keep discussing," Rodriguez said. "And it's what I want to do now for a career. I really love biology."

In the summer between her junior and senior year, Rodriguez even took a college-level genetics class for fun, although she found out later she'd get college credits for it.

Rodriguez may have found her growth mindset in science class, but she's applying it to all of her life. Take math, one of her least favorite subjects: "It's not my strength, but I have to get through it to get to where I want to be," Rodriguez said. "Sometimes you have to learn to love things you aren't as good at. It will be hard, but you will get through it."

Rodriguez has also taken a whole new approach to class participation. She now sees that when she participates, she's helping shape the direction of the class. She recognizes that it's hard for teenagers to speak up and risk being wrong in front of their peers -- she always worried about being judged for getting the wrong answer -- but when that brave student speaks up, it empowers everyone.

"Don't be afraid to be the first one, because you can make that change in someone else and that would be awesome," Rodriguez said.

Perhaps most importantly, the growth mindset Rodriguez has learned at Arroyo will be a big help to her when she leaves high school.

"I'm a senior, I'm going to go out into the real world soon, by myself," she said. "We're not always going to have teachers or friends or parents to depend on. And sometimes you will make mistakes on your own, and knowing how to grow from that has really helped me."
GROWING CONFIDENT STUDENTS
Rodriguez is the product of four years of messaging from her high school teachers. The Academy of Health and Medicine, a small learning community within Arroyo High, has been pioneering a focused approach to teaching growth mindset that starts with Strong Start, a summer institute that incoming ninth-graders are highly encouraged to attend.

"We'll purposefully try to put them in situations where they'll be uncomfortable, and yet not feel vulnerable -- it's a kinda fine line we walk -- and then provide opportunities for them to work their way through it and find some success," Clark said.

Students deconstruct how working through something challenging felt. Returning sophomores lead the program, many of whom the ninth-graders know from middle school, and who have already been through a year of practicing growth mindset themselves.

Students also talk about the definitions of fixed and growth mindsets and then talk through various challenges from each perspective. When the school year starts, those lessons continue in the classroom. Every teacher in the Academy of Health and Medicine has read Carol Dweck's book, "Mindset," and has discussed how to implement it in their classrooms. The school has moved to standards-based grading to emphasize that mistakes are part of learning and that understanding will come.

"It just reinforces the fact that understanding the first time you hear something isn't the goal," Clark said. "Smart isn't being right fast. It's working through things and understanding things eventually."

Clark brought the idea of growth mindset to Arroyo after a chance encounter with Dweck at a conference. The idea that intelligence grows with effort is one that comes naturally to him as a teacher because of his experiences as a basketball coach. Now, he's trying to get students to approach academics with the same dedication to practice and risk-taking that they bring to sports or other extracurriculars.

"At the end of the day we're trying to create successful kids, some of whom will grow up to do science and some of whom won't," Clark said. "But if they can take what they learn in our classrooms and apply it somewhere else, that's kind of what we're here for."

'When you believe it, they believe. If I didn't believe this, they wouldn't buy what I'm selling.' Arroyo health teacher India Rodgers

He's clear that his job is to teach science, but it's also his job to nurture the individuals he teaches.

The kids at Arroyo often have a lot of challenges outside the classroom. Many of these students will be the first in their families to go to college. Clark knows this and it makes him even more passionate about growth mindset.

"Redefining smart as something that's more effort-based than genetics-based has opened the door for kids," Clark said. "They don't feel like they're behind other kids any longer because they feel that their future is in their own hands, and if they just work through their problems they're going to be OK."
GROWING AS TEACHERS
The multiyear effort to infuse growth mindset into every class is paying off in a big way for students like Rodriguez, and in smaller ways for all students. Health teacher India Rodgers said she notices slight behavior changes in her freshmen first: Quiet but competent kids speak up more and struggling kids receive help from peers more readily.

She also knows that for some kids, the message can take awhile to penetrate. She says students have come back to her years later after having an experience that finally drove the concept home. It's also tough for some kids to transfer the idea that "it's OK to fail" to the academic subjects students find most difficult.

"It's really easy to start with my stuff, and then I try to use what they can do here and help them in other classes," Rodgers said. Students discuss a lot of life issues in her class, so she often has strong relationships with them. She uses those to help them shift their mindsets about classes like math.

She also tries hard to model a growth mindset to her students by being open about her own struggles as a parent and a teacher.

"They're not used to teachers apologizing," Rodgers said. "But I tell them I'm going to make mistakes all the time. And I think showing that helps them realize they can actually make mistakes."

When teachers and administrators say they want kids to have a growth mindset, the school environment has to back up that rhetoric. At Arroyo, the emphasis on growth mindset came alongside a shift to standards-based grading. Kids can see that mistakes along the way aren't negatively affecting them and keep working to master the concepts.

"When you believe it; they believe," Rodgers said. "If I didn't believe this, they wouldn't buy what I'm selling."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Weave Growth Mindset Into School Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
'We're not always going to have teachers or friends or parents to depend on. And sometimes you will make mistakes on your own, and knowing how to grow from that has really helped me.' High school senior Adeline Rodriguez When Clark suggested Rodriguez take AP biology she resisted, scared she'd be unprepared for the challenge.

# data[].attributes.headline
Schools Respond to the Rise of Student Vaping | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Schools Respond to the Rise of Student Vaping | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Liz Burrows's official job title is tobacco control coordinator at the health department in Oldham County, Kentucky, but these days she doesn't spend much time worrying about tobacco: It's all about vaping.

"A high school girl told me recently that it's 'really easy' to vape in class, and that it doesn't belong to any one clique-kids in every group are doing it," said Burrows of the schools she visits in the Louisville suburbs to give talks. "We worked so hard to reduce the smoking rate, and now it's going back up."

Marketed as an alternative to help adults quit smoking tobacco, vaping-or inhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette-has skyrocketed among teens and tweens across the nation.

From 2013 to 2014 alone, e-cigarette use among high school and middle school students tripled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which reports that 50 percent more kids vape than smoke traditional tobacco cigarettes. A 2017 National Institutes of Health study found that more than one in four high school seniors reported vaping in the previous year, while 16.6 percent said they had vaped in the previous month. More than 6 percent of eighth graders also reported vaping in the previous month.

Lured by glamorized images of vaping on social media with hashtags like #VapeLife and #DoIt4Juul-Instagram contains 13.4 million #VapeLife posts-many kids seem unaware of the risks involved. A recent survey by the Truth Initiative found that 63 percent of 15- to 24-year-old previous 30-day users surveyed didn't know that vapor pods, which come in hundreds of kid-friendly flavors like gummy worms, cotton candy, and unicorn puke, contain highly addictive nicotine-a single pod containing 200 puffs can have just as much as a pack of Marlboros or Camels.

As vaping devices are increasingly showing up in school parking lots, bathrooms, and even classrooms, teachers and administrators are scrambling to address the problem. But it isn't easy. Unlike their traditional counterparts, e-cigarettes are easy to buy online and conceal, and they don't carry a strong smell. The popular brand Juul, which represents the majority of e-cigarette sales, looks like a USB drive and is small enough to hide in a shirtsleeve.

In response, here are some of the promising ways that schools and districts are trying to curb what Jonathan Winickoff, doctor and chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium, has called a " public health disaster."

Vaping 101

Since e-cigarettes are still relatively new-and one of the great lessons of the anti-tobacco campaigns was that punitive approaches don't work well-school administrators and health department officials say that giving teens and parents health information about vaping is critical to prevention. According to the National Institutes of Health, when high school seniors were asked what they thought they had consumed the last time they vaped, more half said "just flavoring."

"The perception adults and media give that e-cigarettes are harmless is a big part of our problem," said Valerie Phillips, a physical education teacher in Round Rock, Texas, with 19 years of experience. "Kids don't understand what's in it; they think it's just flavored water vapor."

To counter the misconceptions, the nonprofit CATCH My Breath provides schools with a free curriculum for middle and high schoolers that teaches students what chemicals are in vaping pods and how they can be harmful to their health. Early studies indicate that some of the chemicals in vaping pods could be carcinogenic and cause a scarring of the lungs called popcorn lung. Students are also made aware of clever vaping marketing techniques and armed with strategies for avoiding the social media hype.

With talk of vaping on the rise in her district, Phillips incorporated the four CATCH My Breath vaping lessons directly into PE activities at her middle school. In one, sixth graders learned about the health impact of vaping chemicals like acetaldehyde, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and nicotine, and then participated in a relay where they had to "name that chemical" while racing the clock. CATCH My Breath lessons are available online.

SEL and Vaping

In hopes of curbing the widespread use of e-cigarettes in Orange County, California, educators are using a social and emotional learning (SEL) approach.

Run through the Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program, California's anti-smoking education program, the lessons help students continue to develop SEL skills like self-regulation, problem solving, and communication that they can apply in situations where they might be inclined or feel pressure to vape.

These SEL lessons are part of TUPE's four-part approach, which also includes information on vaping, a cessation hotline number, and student-led anti-smoking projects in their schools or communities.

"They're learning how to deal with social pressure, how to respond to family dynamics and stress," said Ryan Crowdis, the TUPE program manager for Orange County, which is currently running the program in eight area districts. "Any young person can learn from that kind of information."

And when a student is caught vaping at school, a TUPE-trained school staff member talks the student through their decision-making process, examining what led them to vape to help put them on track to make better choices in the future.

Peer-to-Peer Education

Other districts are turning to their students for help.

After trying costly vaping detectors in bathrooms and strict consequences like suspensions with little success, Gregg Wieczorek, principal of Arrowhead High School in Milwaukee, decided to take a different tack. This fall he's sending students to the seven feeder middle schools in greater Milwaukee to talk to the younger students about the dangers of vaping before they start.

"I'm hoping that when the middle schoolers see this kid they looked up to on the basketball team saying, 'Vaping is bad for you and here's why you shouldn't do this,' it might have more impact on them than the teachers or parents saying it," Wieczorek said.

Other communities are having students craft anti-vaping campaigns aimed at their peers. In Charles County, Maryland, students in the after-school program called the Young Researchers Community Project researched the health effects of vaping and then created a series of public service announcements that were used in televised morning announcements at area middle and high schools.

The Long Game

Evolving technology and new products like the smaller, less conspicuous Suorin Drop may make the vaping problem even more difficult to manage in the future. Public health officials in some states are advocating for stronger FDA regulation of vaping devices, such as raising the buying age to 21 or cracking down on online sales. Juul has promised to spend $30 million on youth prevention, including a school curriculum, but most tobacco and vaping preventionists are skeptical.

At a number of schools, staff are seeing a need to break down barriers between school and home life and partner with parents instead.

First thing in the morning, I had to Juul; that's all I could think about.

Back in Oldham, students caught vaping are recommended to take a four-week class that parents also attend. And TUPE's parent trainings in Orange County saw a big uptick last school year as more parents became aware of vaping.

At one school, a parent training that only had nine parents last year packed the room with more than 50 this year. TUPE's Crowdis said that parents need to be warned that the nicotine addiction from vaping is a serious addiction. A student who spoke to parents at a session told them, "First thing in the morning, I had to Juul; that's all I could think about."

"There's this whole culture. Kids are getting addicted to it, and it's scary for young people," Crowdis said. "They don't realize it starts a long road to addiction."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Schools Respond to the Rise of Student Vaping | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Liz Burrows's official job title is tobacco control coordinator at the health department in Oldham County, Kentucky, but these days she doesn't spend much time worrying about tobacco: It's all about vaping.

# data[].attributes.headline
20 Ice Breaker Games to Make Your Next Meeting Fun

# data[].attributes.subject
20 Ice Breaker Games to Make Your Next Meeting Fun

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ProjectManager.com

Meetings. Ugh. Am I Right?

If you think this way about meetings, chances are others do, such as the people you've called together to discuss a vital aspect of the project you're all working on. Instead of dismissing meetings whole cloth, why not learn how to run them productively and maybe even have some fun doing it. That could change a lot of hearts and minds.

It's a process, of course, so let's start at the beginning. Drop drab intros like, "You've probably wondered why I've gathered you here today." Yawn. Just like a speech gets attention by opening with a joke, a meeting needs to open in such a fashion that it creates a cohesive group. So, what are some icebreakers for meetings? They should be collaborative. You can even use collaboration tools to help elicit ideas from the team members.

Here are some fun ideas. Try them, and let us know what you think. If you have techniques that you've used, share them with us. Together we can make meetings less heinous!

1. One Word

What's the one word you'd use to describe yourself? Everyone picks one and then they're referred to by that name throughout the meeting. It's more than a silly way to start the meeting; it helps everyone get to know one another a bit better.

2. Skill Set

Everyone should be constantly trying to improve themselves, and that includes on the job, so ask what one skill or talent each person would like to develop. It could be work-related, which helps you understand a team member's interests and where they need help, but keep it more open-ended. That's more fun.

3. What's Your Favorite Year

As the meeting settles, get people focused by asking what their favorite year is and why. Not only is this interesting, but it provides an avenue for people to know each other in a more intimate way.

4. M&M's

Everyone loves candy. Admit it! So, why not get a bag of M&M's and pass them out. Whatever color the person gets means that they have to answer a specific question about themselves. You can have some fun figuring out what the questions are.

5. No Smiling

Tell everyone in a very serious tone that you will not tolerate any smiling. Then tell a joke. See if people can keep a straight face. You might not be a comedian, but it's harder than you think not to laugh. Chances are that within five minutes everyone will be laughing their faces off. That's a good way to start a meeting, and you'll find it a more effective one because of it.

6. Exquisite Corpse

This is a game that was created by the Surrealists in which you divide a piece of paper in three, and then three people must draw the head, torso and legs, respectively, without seeing what the person before them drew. Inevitably, the final drawing is a hoot. So, break the group up into threes and have them get drawing as you set up the meeting. Who cares if they draw well or not? The worse they draw, the more hilarious the outcome.

7. Desert Island Picks

You've heard the old, "If you were stranded on a desert island what one book would you have with you?" Well, find out! It could be books, music, food, etc. Again, a silly ice breaker, but a real way to better know the people on your team.

8. What Annoys You?

Ask each person to reveal the personality trait that is most irritating to them. It's good for a laugh, though you might fear it could make for a disharmonious team. You'd be surprised, what appears might help you resolve conflicts before they occur.

9. What Kind of Car?

If your workplace was a car, what kind would it be? Or you could tweak that to if you were a car, or if you coworkers were cars, etc. You're probably seeing how these ice breakers are almost a stealthy way to analyze your team and work environment.

10. What's Your Theme Song?

Ask the team to imagine they're in a movie. What song would play when they walk into a scene? Would it be a rousing number like in Rocky or maybe something more somber? You can use that information throughout the project to, say, play music when a milestone has been completed.

11. Make a Portrait

Again, this has nothing to do with being artistic, but you can just have team members turn to whomever is sitting next to them and then have each draw a portrait of the other. People are not going to be especially happy with the results (no one's likely to frame these pictures), but they'll be playful, which is a great atmosphere to start a meeting.

12. Use PM Software for Virtual Teams

You can take the collaborative features of your project management tool to get the team working together on fun ways to start a meeting with remote teams. Have them create a chatroom where they can discuss the meeting to come. You might even send them an agenda, so they are thinking about what the meeting will be about. Then they have ownership of the ice breaker and buy-in to the whole meeting.

13. Be Honest

It might seem like a dangerous door to open, but ask the team to be honest about their day. The Huffington Post says that, "the best business is done when you're being true and authentic." If nothing else, you're sure to get engagement from the team, and that's how you want to start a meeting, with a fully engaged room.

14. TMI

While you don't want to get people to divulge too much information, that could easily become inappropriate, it does help to humanize everyone if they share an embarrassing story about themselves. It helps break down barriers among the team and gets the group together and ready for the meeting.

15. Last Meal

Yeah, it's a bit morbid, but have everyone imagine they're on death row the night before their execution. What would their last meal be? It's good to do this at a pre-lunchtime meeting. Then, if you're feeling generous and time allows, you might even treat the team to something from that list.

16. Stand Up

Remove the chairs from the room in which you're meeting and tell everyone that it's a standup meeting. Not only is there evidence that standup meetings are more efficient, but you're likely to have a faster and more productive meeting because people will get tired of standing around.

17. Start on Time

Get everyone to the meeting on time by offering little prizes for promptness and silly prizes if they're tardy. This can be an ongoing thing, where you even chart people's wins and losses. It's not to humiliate, but to motivate, and it might even create a more competitive and fun meeting culture at work.

18. Who Are You?

Hand out blank paper and ask each person to write or draw a short description of themselves. Then put all the papers face down in the middle of the table and go through them, trying to figure out who belongs to which description. You can do this yourself, which gives the team a chance to further bond as they work together to help you out.

19. The End...

Write a fragment of a sentence on a whiteboard or a piece of paper or just say it aloud to the group. Now ask them to complete it. You can take this in any number of directions, from a project-related sentence, to a morale-related one or just something in a Mad Libs manner.

20. Hot & Cold

Hide something in the room, maybe some money or the meeting agenda or something random, then have the team try and work together to discover it. You only can respond by saying they're hot or cold when they search. Depending on how big your meeting room is, this might be an absurd assignment, but that just makes it a better ice breaker.
Once the ice is broken and you have a team that is working collectively, you want to foster that collaboration with the right tools. ProjectManager.com is a cloud-based software that fosters teamwork. See how it can help them (and you) by taking this free 30-day trial.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 Ice Breakers to Make Your Next Meeting Fun

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ProjectManager.com Meetings. Ugh. Am I Right? If you think this way about meetings, chances are others do, such as the people you've called together to discuss a vital aspect of the project you're all working on. Instead of dismissing meetings whole cloth, why not learn how to run them productively and maybe even have some fun doing it.

# data[].attributes.headline
When Leaders Seek First to Understand | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
When Leaders Seek First to Understand | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"And that's a wrap! Year 6 is in the books, and this concludes my time as a classroom teacher.... To all my teacher colleagues, friends, mentors, and students: Thanks for the memories. It's been a beautiful chapter." This is a quote from Holly Newton, a former first-grade teacher in Sanford, Florida, but it could have come from a great many teachers.

Over summer vacation, the memories of the school year begin to fade for many teachers with their acts of self-care, but for others this is a time of transition and good-byes-many teachers are making the decisions to leave not only their schools but the career of teaching as well.

It's no secret that teacher retention is a major issue in schools across the country, and that stress is a cause. A recent report from Penn State University and the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation claims that 46 percent of teachers report high daily stress during the school year. That's tied with nurses as the highest rate among all occupational groups in the U.S.. The top contributors to teacher stress are the leadership, culture, and climate of their schools.

And over the summer principals all across the country are sitting in interviews, trying to find the best candidates for their needs and their students' needs. I've been there, and that's not an easy task. However, if the school is not ready to foster the development and support of teachers while listening to their needs, the cycle of trying to find the perfect candidate will continue.

After speaking to educators around the country, I've found that they often feel no one is listening to them. Although this is a systemic issue that needs extensive attention across districts and indeed the country as a whole, it's fundamentally imperative that teachers' voices be heard in their individual schools. That's why my school has spent the last couple of years creating norms-so great teachers would continue to teach.

Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

In the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a key to true transformative leadership lies in Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. School leaders need to incorporate the time, space, and permission to listen to what teachers are saying without thinking of a response. Unless administrators become purposeful in seeking to understand their teachers' perspectives, they can risk misinterpreting ripples in their school's culture as a teacher problem when they could in fact be a leadership problem.

Leaders who listen to their staff without trying to formulate a solution or response at the same time-leaders who just listen-can transform a school's culture into one of trust, support, and collaboration. Teachers must be allowed to have a voice in creating solutions to the stresses they experience through the demands placed on them by both leadership and the culture within schools.

As part of our efforts to create this listening environment, staff meetings at my school are rooted in Habit 5 and commonly take place in a circle format, which allows everyone in the circle to see each other while sharing or listening. We utilize a talking stick to denote who has the floor to speak-and more importantly this gives the participants, including me, space and permission to listen. We bring school-wide concerns to the circle, and everyone has a chance to share their opinions.

As a participant, the school principal can hear individual teacher or school-wide concerns and provide genuine and authentic support if needed. The concept of Habit 5 can also be utilized in both formal and informal conversations with teachers to gain a deeper understanding of individual and school-wide needs.

As we began to engage in this norm of Habit 5, I realized that there was so much more to the teachers' experiences than I had previously known. I also noticed that teachers were more likely to engage in Habit 5 with their students when their leaders modeled the expectation with them. It set up a connection through empathic listening and authentic support.

Preforgiven

My school has further developed Habit 5 into the concept of operating under a preforgiven mindset, with the understanding that we are all committed to doing what is best for each other and our students. We developed this concept not because we expect each other to make mistakes, but because we seek first to understand and then to be understood. As a trauma-informed school, we have truly shifted from the idea of asking students, "What is wrong with you?" to "What has happened to you?" This concept can also be applied to the adults in the building.

The job we do daily is stressful-that is undeniable. We also understand the impact of vicarious trauma and the impact stress can have on relationships we value. If a colleague gets frustrated or reacts in a nonproductive manner, we approach the situation with a preforgiven mindset. This doesn't eliminate responsibility, but approaching a situation empathically, with support and understanding, allows for productive vulnerability while creating a collegial culture.

Our efforts to make sure teachers feel heard have improved conditions at my school-our teacher retention has improved, and anonymous climate survey data indicates that teachers believe the climate has improved, as this response demonstrates: "Excellent staff relationships, supportive win-win attitudes, collaboration, supportive administration, administration trust as a professional to make my own instructional decisions." That doesn't mean we've solved every problem-it means we feel confident about trying to solve them together.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
When Leaders Seek First to Understand | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"And that's a wrap! Year 6 is in the books, and this concludes my time as a classroom teacher.... To all my teacher colleagues, friends, mentors, and students: Thanks for the memories. It's been a beautiful chapter." This is a quote from Holly Newton, a former first-grade teacher in Sanford, Florida, but it could have come from a great many teachers.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lps.k12.co.us Mail - 26 Qualities That Will Lead You to Greatness - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.subject
Lps.k12.co.us Mail - 26 Qualities That Will Lead You to Greatness - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gmail is email that’s intuitive, efficient, and useful. 15 GB of storage, less spam, and mobile access.

# data[].attributes.headline
(8) Heart of a Teacher by Paula Fox - YouTube

# data[].attributes.subject
(8) Heart of a Teacher by Paula Fox - YouTube

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Heart of a Teacher: A Treasury of Inspiration

# data[].attributes.headline
The Mistake Smart People Make: Being In Motion vs. Taking Action

# data[].attributes.subject
The Mistake Smart People Make: Being In Motion vs. Taking Action

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There is a common mistake that often happens to smart people - in many cases, without you ever realizing it.

The mistake has to do with the difference between being in motion and taking action. They sound similar, but they're not the same.

Here's the deal...

Before we talk about how to get started, though, I wanted to let you know I researched and compiled science-backed ways to stick to good habits and stop procrastinating. Want to check out my insights? Download my free PDF guide "Transform Your Habits" here.

Motion vs. Action

Motion is when you're busy doing something, but that task will never produce an outcome by itself. Action, on the other hand, is the type of behavior that will get you a result. 1

Here are some examples...

If I outline 20 ideas for articles I want to write, that's motion. If I actually write and publish an article, that's action.

If I email 10 new leads for my business and start conversations with them, that's motion. If they actually buy something and turn into a customer, that's action.

If I search for a better diet plan and read a few books on the topic, that's motion. If I actually eat a healthy meal, that's action.

If I go to the gym and ask about getting a personal trainer, that's motion. If I actually step under the bar and start squatting, that's action.

If I study for a test or prepare for a research project, that's motion. If I actually take the test or write my research paper, that's action.

Sometimes motion is good because it allows you to prepare and strategize and learn. But motion will never - by itself - lead to the result you are looking to achieve.

It doesn't matter how many times you go talk to the personal trainer, that motion will never get you in shape. Only the action of working out will get you the result you're looking to achieve.

Why Smart People Find Themselves in Motion

If motion doesn't lead to results, why do we do it?

Sometimes we do it because we actually need to plan or learn more. But more often than not, we do it because motion allows us to feel like we're making progress without running the risk of failure. Most of us are experts at avoiding criticism. It doesn't feel good to fail or to be judged publicly, so we tend to avoid situations where that might happen.

And that's the biggest reason why you slip into motion rather than taking action: you want to delay failure.

Yes, I'd like to get in shape. But, I don't want to look stupid in the gym, so I'll just talk to the trainer about their rates instead.

Yes, I'd like to land more clients for my business. But, if I ask for the sale, I might get turned down. So maybe I should just email 10 potential clients instead.

Yes, I'd like to lose weight. But, I don't want to be the weird one who eats healthy at lunch. So maybe I should just plan some healthy meals when I get home instead.

It's very easy to do these things and convince yourself that you're still moving in the right direction.
"I've got conversations going with 4 potential clients right now. This is good. We're moving in the right direction." "I brainstormed some ideas for that book I want to write. This is coming together."
Motion makes you feel like you're getting things done. But really, you're just preparing to get something done. And when preparation becomes a form of procrastination, you need to change something.

Ideas for Taking Action

I'm sure there are many strategies for taking action, but I can think of two that have worked for me.
1. Set a schedule for your actions.
Every Monday and every Thursday, I write a new article and publish it to the world. It's just what happens on those days. It's my schedule. I love Mondays and Thursdays because I know that I will always produce something on those days. I'll get a result. That's a good feeling.

For weightlifting, I train on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That's the schedule every week. I'm not planning workout exercises. I'm not researching workout programs. I'm simply working out. Action, not motion.

For on-going goals and lifestyle changes, I think this is the best approach. Set a schedule for your actions and stick to it.
2. Pick a date to shift you from motion to action.
For some goals, setting a daily or weekly schedule doesn't work as well.

This is the case if you're doing something that is only going to happen once: like releasing your new book, or launching a new product, or taking a big exam, or submitting a major project.

These things require some planning up front (motion). They also require plenty of action to complete them. For example, you could set a schedule each week to write each chapter of your book. But for the book launch itself, you could spend weeks or months planning different venues, locations, and so on.

In a situation like this, I find that it's best to simply pick a date. Put something on the calendar. Make it public. This is when X is happening.

For big projects or one-time goals, I think this is the best approach. Force yourself out of motion and into action by setting a hard deadline.

Choose Action

Never mistake activity for achievement.
-John Wooden

Motion will never produce a final result. Action will.

When you're in motion, you're planning and strategizing and learning. Those are all good things, but they don't produce a result.

Are you doing something? Or are you just preparing to do it?

Are you in motion? Or are you taking action?

Read Next

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Mistake Smart People Make: Being In Motion vs. Taking Action

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There is a common mistake that often happens to smart people - in many cases, without you ever realizing it. The mistake has to do with the difference between being in motion and taking action. They sound similar, but they're not the same. Here's the deal...

# data[].attributes.headline
Interview with Mark Wagner about the EdTechTeam - Google Docs

# data[].attributes.subject
Interview with Mark Wagner about the EdTechTeam - Google Docs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Interview with Mark Wagner about the EdTechTeam

# data[].attributes.headline
3 Questions To Challenge Practices That No Longer Work in Education – The Principal of Change - ccorlett@lps.k12.co.us - Lps.k12.co.us Mail

# data[].attributes.subject
3 Questions To Challenge Practices That No Longer Work in Education – The Principal of Change - ccorlett@lps.k12.co.us - Lps.k12.co.us Mail

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gmail is email that's intuitive, efficient, and useful. 15 GB of storage, less spam, and mobile access.

# data[].attributes.headline
4 Reflection Questions for the End of the School Year – The Principal of Change

# data[].attributes.subject
4 Reflection Questions for the End of the School Year – The Principal of Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Recently, I wrote the post " 3 Reminders for the End of the School Year ", and asked for suggestions from readers. Joann Merrick sent me the following thoughts via email:

Some thoughts about the end of the year...

To me this is a time to reflect...Whatever your position in education, think about your successes and areas that didn't work out so well.

This is also time to gather feedback from those you serve. Teachers could ask their students for ideas on their programs and their teaching. Principals could ask the same of their teachers...I have always found I gained so much valuable feedback by asking a few questions.

With her permission, I wanted to build on her ideas, especially on the importance of reflection. We move forward not by only looking to the future, but learning from the past.

With that being said, here are four questions that I think would be helpful as you go into the summer break, but also as you start a new year.

1. What did I do well this year? Too often when reflecting our work, we start with what went wrong as opposed to what went right. I am a huge advocate of always starting with strengths, which doesn't mean neglecting weaknesses but starting from a positive place. When asking went well, ensure you ask why it went well. Take those lessons and apply them to the places where you need to grow.This leads to question two.

2. Where do I need to grow? Although starting with strengths is crucial, we need to identify what are areas of growth and how you will address them. Instead of picking on several spaces that you can improve on, try to pick one, at most two, and think about ways you can adjust them. If you focus on every weakness you have, none of your deficit areas will improve. Find a point of emphasis and build on it. For both questions, I would encourage you to look at the "8 Characteristics of the Innovator's Mindset" image. Many educators have used this as a space to focus on places where they would like to grow.

3. What things will I challenge myself with next year? Setting some goals based on questions one and two are where looking back meets moving forward. If they see you taking risks in your learning, they will be more comfortable making their own. What are some of the things that you will try next year that will push you out of your comfort zone? Not only would it be powerful to find those challenges yourself, but share how you are promoting your growth with colleagues, and more importantly, students.

4. How will all of these answers impact the learners I serve? None of the previous questions matter if they have no impact on the learners you serve. Why I do not use the word "student" here is that these questions should not be reserved for teachers specifically, but administrators and central office people as well. The importance of each person in education is that their growth should lead to the improvement and development of the learners around them. If it doesn't impact the learners you serve, we are spending time on doing things that do not give us anything in return.

Too often, teachers are asked to do something without watching administrators do the same. If any school administrator is looking to use any of these questions or a modification of them, please be willing to share your answers as well to lead the process by example, not authority.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Reflection Questions for the End of the School Year

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Recently, I wrote the post " 3 Reminders for the End of the School Year ", and asked for suggestions from readers. Joann Merrick sent me the following thoughts via email: Some thoughts about the end of the year...

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Inspire a Group of People to Do the Impossible | Inc.com - ccorlett@lps.k12.co.us - Lps.k12.co.us Mail

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Inspire a Group of People to Do the Impossible | Inc.com - ccorlett@lps.k12.co.us - Lps.k12.co.us Mail

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gmail is email that's intuitive, efficient, and useful. 15 GB of storage, less spam, and mobile access.

# data[].attributes.headline
A Look at How Principals Really Drive School Improvement - Inside School Research - Education Week

# data[].attributes.subject
A Look at How Principals Really Drive School Improvement - Inside School Research - Education Week

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The nation's more than 90,000 principals are key to the long-term success of their schools-but maybe not in the way they might think, according to a new analysis by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research.

Principals are the linchpin of the Windy City's efforts to overhaul schools, according to Chicago's Schools Chief Janice Jackson,who has highlighted efforts to give school leaders more say in district policies. The study suggests the most effective leaders in the district are those who focus more on culture than curriculum.

"It's a shift in perspective from a focus on the curriculum and individual teachers to focusing on the collective work of the school," said Elaine Allensworth, co-author of the report. "A lot of times people think school climate is something you work on and take care of so you can get to the real work of teaching and learning, but what we find is learning is inherently social and emotional. If students don't feel safe and engaged, they aren't learning."

The consortium tracked seven years of data, from 2007 to 2014, from about 600 elementary and secondary schools in the Windy City, comparing student test results with surveys from teachers and students about their experiences in school. Then the group conducted 12 deeper case studies, comparing elementary and high schools with rising or declining test scores.

Researchers found schools with the largest student achievement gains over the long-term had leaders who built and supported teacher teams and created an "opt out" school culture. That means principals in improving schools set up systems to automatically enroll at-risk students in support-rather than relying on students to "opt in" by asking for help-and to bring all teachers together to solve problems. For example, students who miss several homework assignments would be automatically enrolled in lunchtime tutoring or afterschool homework help; they could choose not to attend, but the school policies would make it easier to seek help than avoid it.

"A lot of times principals are really concerned with improving test scores and they think that means they need to focus on the tests themselves. So they focus on test-prep or asking teachers to teach to the test, and we find there's no strong evidence for that," Allensworth said. "We just keep finding over and over again, the more students feel safe and supported in school ... the stronger the learning gains and the bigger the improvement in learning gains. It's easy to get caught up in all the other things you could be doing as a principal and lose sight of the importance of students feeling safe and supported."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Look at How Principals Really Drive School Improvement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The nation's more than 90,000 principals are key to the long-term success of their schools-but maybe not in the way they might think, according to a new analysis by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research.

# data[].attributes.headline
School librarians fear a 'quiet crisis' is endangering their place in the education world - The Nevada Independent

# data[].attributes.subject
School librarians fear a 'quiet crisis' is endangering their place in the education world - The Nevada Independent

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
School librarians fear a 'quiet crisis' is endangering their place in the education world

March 25th, 2018 - 2:05am

Gone are the days of libraries being silent zones, used for studying or reading only.

Enter the Bob Miller Middle School library, and you'll find students working together on projects and teachers giving instructions aloud. Reading, researching and innovating intersect in this modern environment surrounded by books and technology. The blended learning space recently served as ground zero for a sixth-grade project in which students created advocacy videos about water conservation.

"My role is to get teachers and students to a place where they can use those 21st century skills," the school's certified teacher-librarian, Scott Hensley, said. "I'm giving them the tools."

Hensley has served as the school's librarian since the building opened 17 years ago - a time period marked by rapid technology improvements and increasing reliance on the Internet. Now, every student in this middle school carries a Chromebook.

As far as Hensley is concerned, the digital age only exacerbates the need for a school librarian, which he describes as a position that far exceeds "book manager."

"When I got here, librarians came with a flagpole," he said. "They were the last to be considered when there were budget cuts because we correlate to student achievement so well."

That's no longer the case. The number of Clark County schools lacking a certified librarian has grown in recent years, a situation library advocates call a " quiet crisis."

Sixty-one schools in Clark County - including 31 elementary, 17 middle and 13 high schools - don't have a certified teacher-librarian on staff, said Susan Slykerman, who leads the Clark County School Librarians Association's advocacy team. A few don't even contain a library.

Several of those schools are in rural areas with lower enrollments, but the others are spread out across the valley.

Slykerman, a certified teacher-librarian at Liberty High School, said the decline began in the 2012-2013 academic year, with more buildings becoming librarian-less over the coming years. Between the 2016-2017 school year and the current one, five elementary schools, one middle school and three high schools did away with the position, she said.

That's why Slykerman recently brought the situation to the attention of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Sisolak. She's on a campaign to raise awareness about the so-called quiet crisis. She has visited the Progressive Summit and spoken to various elected officials and members of Nevadans for the Common Good as well.

"People that know the importance of school libraries and information literacy will do something about it," she said.

The Clark County School District doesn't require schools to staff a librarian, but if they don't, they're still responsible for meeting literacy content standards. Teacher-librarians, according to the district, serve as the information literacy and technology educator, reading advocate, a school leader and collaborator and library program manager.

A bill sponsored by Sen. Becky Harris in the 2017 session proposed changing that. would have required public schools, including charters, to maintain a school library and staff a certified librarian, except in specific circumstances. Ultimately, the bill didn't move forward. Some lawmakers had expressed concern about the financial burden it would entail.

But as the calendar inches toward the 2019 Legislature, library advocates are making another push to see a similar bill drafted and passed.

"I firmly believe this needs to be a bipartisan bill," Slykerman said. "This issue is not a party line. This is education. This is literacy."

At Bailey Middle School in northeast Las Vegas, students participate in an "escape room" to learn about context clues, scavenger hunts to identify books in various genres and detective activities to decipher good sources from bad ones on the Internet. All of this occurs in the library.

"I think there's a misconception that we just check books in and check books out," said April Pollard, the school's certified teacher-librarian. "Honestly, that's the least of what I do."

This is Pollard's first year at Bailey Middle School. She landed there after years working at a high school, a short stint as a digital learning coach and another year at a different middle school. The recent moves, she said, were the result of schools deciding to cut the librarian position.

Pollard said she's thankful to be at Bailey Middle School this year, where the administrators value her position. They brought her in, she said, to reinvigorate a "culture of reading" at the school, which serves a large number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

She has started "word of the day" contests and is stocking the library with more "high interest, low level" books - easier yet age-appropriate books for students who aren't reading at grade level. Above all, Pollard doesn't want students to stop enjoying books simply because they're embarrassed about their reading skills.

"I'm trying to make the library the heart of the school, and I think it's really becoming that," she said.

Before the school day even begins, Pollard said roughly 100 students trickle into the library. Another 50 come during their lunch period.

"The thought that libraries are empty ghost towns is just a fallacy," she said. "There are a lot of kids that it's their safe space."

Hensley sees his middle school library serving a similar social purpose. It's the place students like to come early in the morning to study, hang out or read. But he's a fierce defender of libraries and librarians for another reason, too: Studies have shown that student achievement increases when a school has a librarian.

According to a 2012 report by Library Research Service , Colorado schools that included a certified librarian between 2005 and 2011 generally had more students who received an "advanced" score on the reading portion of state standardized tests in 2011.

Hensley said the Bob Miller library has 22,000 books worth $250,000 as well as audio and e-books. He recently reorganized the library to resemble a bookstore, with inventory organized by genre: sports, realistic fiction, romance, graphic novels, fantasy and science fiction.

But the school's library is also the place where students hone skills for using Google documents and evaluating online information. Hensley said the latter is particularly important in the age of "fake news."

"Students are technology literate when they come to Miller," he said. "But they are informationally illiterate."

The American Association of School Librarians is in the beginning stages of studying state policies regarding school libraries and librarians, said the organization's president, Steven Yates. He doesn't think eliminating school libraries or the position is a widespread movement in K-12 education, but he acknowledged that's happening in more places than just Southern Nevada.

"We definitely are sad to hear it," he said.

Librarians are essentially "chief access officers" at their schools, ensuring that students and staff have the resources and technology skills they need, he said.

Even so, the principal of a Clark County elementary school that no longer has a librarian said there's just as much of an emphasis on reading.

Over the summer, Kay Carl Elementary School switched its library and physical-education rooms - a decision approved by the school organizational team. Principal Brenda Swann said the room swap occurred after the school's beloved librarian announced he was taking a position at a middle school.

She said the move was about maximizing space - not downgrading the importance of reading. The school doesn't have a certified teacher-librarian anymore, but the newly located library is open longer each day and contains an aid, Swann said. Teachers bring their students to the library weekly, and the school still spends $5,000 on replenishing books each year.

The new space boasts colorful murals on the walls and an alcove that's been turned into a "Magic School Bus"-themed reading nook, complete with actual bus seats.

The decision, however, drew some ire from community members on the school's Facebook page.

"I received the most horrible posts and stuff," Swann said. "You would have thought I stole the souls of small babies. I'm totally for books and libraries. We just needed to restructure."

As for the students, Swann said they're "delighted" with the new set-up and look forward to visiting the library and reading in the "Magic School Bus"-themed nook.

Swann said she wishes skeptics would reserve judgment and visit her school before jumping to criticisms.

"You have to follow your own brick road," she said, paraphrasing a line from the famous children's novel, The Wizard of Oz. "Sometimes it's just not what everyone else is doing."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
School librarians fear a 'quiet crisis' is endangering their place in the education world

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gone are the days of libraries being silent zones, used for studying or reading only. Enter the Bob Miller Middle School library, and you'll find students working together on projects and teachers giving instructions aloud. Reading, researching and innovating intersect in this modern environment surrounded by books and technology.

# data[].attributes.headline
The 7 Characteristics of a Good Leader | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
The 7 Characteristics of a Good Leader | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How can we determine not only who is a competent leader, but a good leader? Some, like Tom Lickona of the Smart and Good Schools Initiative, believe the proper distinction is between moral and performance character. The former typically refers to having sound values, to be oriented toward an ethical way to behave; the latter refers to the essential importance of having the skills -- particularly SEL skills-- to carry out one's values.

What does this mean for leadership? From a social-emotional and character development (SECD) perspective, it means that the skill-based performance of leaders must be judged along with the character of that performance. And how shall we judge that character?

Sargent Shriver, whose leadership credentials are unrivaled in American public service, believed leaders must act and infuse their organizations with:

1) A sense of purpose: The values of an organization must be clear, members of the organization should know them, and they should exemplify and uphold them in their own actions.

2) Justice: Everyone in an organization should be held to common standards, with rules and procedures that are clear, firm, fair, and consistent.

3) Temperance: A leader must strive to maintain a proper balance of emotions; Shriver did not mean that leaders should be dispassionate. Quite the contrary- but there are time for passionate advocacy and times for quiet reflection and reconsideration. Balance is the key.

4) Respect: The dignity of each individual is the concern of any leader, and this is preserved by treating all members of the organization with respect and ensuring they treat one-another similarly, regardless of differences.

5) Empowerment: Leaders are just that- leaders. Most of what happens in organizations is carried out by individuals other than those in formal leadership positions. Therefore, the more skilled they are, the more they feel confident in their abilities and competent to make decisions, raise questions, see new possibilities, and disagree respectfully with others at all levels of the organizational hierarchy, the stronger and more successful the organization will be.

6) Courage: Leaders are paid to set direction, not wait for direction to emerge. They have to be willing to follow their convictions and bring their organization to new places. In education, this is most sorely needed in response to the test-based regimen that has taken over our schools at the expense of true education and social-emotional and character development.

7) Deep Commitment: Leaders must not be polishing their resumes, but rather should have deep commitment to their organizations, the advancement of the organizations' missions, and the wellbeing of everyone in them. It is this deep commitment that makes leadership in schools so challenging, because it requires a commitment to every employee, student, and parent.

The performance of a leader must be judged by his or her skills and the character of his or her performance in the many and complex roles that leadership demands. Using the seven cornerstones of leading with character, derived from the life and work of Sargent Shriver, educators and those concerned with education have a tool for both evaluating and improving leadership competencies along both moral and performance dimensions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 7 Characteristics of a Good Leader | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How can we determine not only who is a competent leader, but a good leader? Some, like Tom Lickona of the Smart and Good Schools Initiative, believe the proper distinction is between moral and performance character.

# data[].attributes.headline
Aiming for Discipline Instead of Punishment | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Aiming for Discipline Instead of Punishment | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Brain-aligned discipline isn't compliance-driven or punitive-it's about supporting students in creating sustainable changes in behavior.

©Shutterstock.com/Andrew Derr

There are many perspectives on the topic of discipline in our classrooms and schools, and I'd like to explore the idea of using brain-aligned discipline with students who have adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Traditional punishment with these students only escalates power struggles and conflict cycles, breeding an increased stress response in the brain and body. Punishment is used to try to force compliance. The vast majority of school discipline procedures are forms of punishment that work best with the students who need them the least.

With our most difficult students, the current way schools try to discipline students does not change their behavior, and often it escalates the problems.

Discipline, unlike punishment, is proactive and begins before there are problems. It means seeing conflict as an opportunity to problem solve. Discipline provides guidance, focuses on prevention, enhances communication, models respect, and embraces natural consequences. It teaches fairness, responsibility, life skills, and problem solving.

There are times when students need to be removed from the classroom and school for aggressive, volatile actions, but upon re-entry we should make a plan of action that begins to address these actions in these brain-aligned ways.

The neurobiological changes caused by chronic negative experiences and a history of adversity can trigger a fear response in the brain. As Pam Leo says, "A hurtful child is a hurt-filled child. Trying to change her behavior with punishment is like trying to pull off only the top part of the weed. If we don't get to the root, the hurtful behavior pops up elsewhere." In children the fear response often looks aggressive, defiant, and oppositional.

Young people with ACEs have brains that are in a constant state of alarm. In this alarm state, consequences don't register properly. Discipline can only be done when both the educator and the student are calm and self-regulated. If they aren't, behavioral difficulties will escalate.

In a brain-aligned model of discipline, we must teach the behaviors we want to see, laying the groundwork for prevention systems and strategies.

Preventive Brain-Aligned Strategies

Preventive systems are taught as procedures and routines. They are collaborative and filled with choice. Their purpose is to create a sustainable behavioral change, not just compliance or obedience for a short period of time.

I teach students about their neuroanatomy, so they understand what happens in their brains when they become stressed, angry, or anxious. When we understand this, we feel relieved and empowered.

In morning meetings or whole class time, I discuss the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and neuroplasticity with students. We identify and make lists of our emotional triggers and coping strategies, and I teach students to use their breath and movement to calm their stress response systems.

Is there an adult in the school who connects with this student and has a space where the student can go if they need to regroup and calm their stress response systems? Are you teaching these procedures ahead of a time when a student needs to regulate away from the class?

Could your school create a area for both teachers and students to go to when they need to reset their emotional state? This area could be stocked with paper, markers, crayons, water, soft music and lighting, a jump rope, a stationary bike, lavender scented cotton balls, jars for affirmations or worries, or a rocking chair. Students will need to be taught ahead of time how to use this area, which they should need for just two to five minutes in order to feel refocused and ready to return to class.

Examples of Natural, Non-Punitive Consequences

Name-calling: Have the student create a book of positive affirmations for the class, or have them create a list of "kind words" and teach them to a younger class.

Low-level physical aggression (pushing, kicking, hitting): Some consequences could include giving the student a new learning space in the room or a new spot in line, or they could be tasked with performing an act of kindness or service for the hurt person.

If this occurs at recess, the student could be tasked with assisting a teacher on recess duty in monitoring the playground, noticing everything that is going well. They can roam around the playground, still getting the exercise they need. Or again they could perform an act of kindness toward the student who they hit.

Inappropriate language: This calls for a discussion when both student and teacher are in a calm brain state. Sometimes words that are inappropriate at school are used at home, so we need to understand the cultural context and have a discussion with the student.

An older student could research the words they used and report to you on why they're not school words; younger students could try to write out what they were trying to convey using school-friendly language or drawings.

Incomplete assignments: Have a one-on-one discussion to convey what this behavior communicates to you. Ask if something has changed at home or school, or if the student doesn't understand what is required. Make a plan with the student and possibly a parent for making up the work that has been missed. And consider assigning a student mentor to help the student.

The research is clear. Our brains learn best in a state of relaxed alertness. Our discipline systems must begin to shift toward creating this state in all the members of our school community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Aiming for Discipline Instead of Punishment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Brain-aligned discipline isn't compliance-driven or punitive-it's about supporting students in creating sustainable changes in behavior.

# data[].attributes.headline
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Instructional Leaders

# data[].attributes.subject
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Instructional Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
AMLE - Association for Middle Level Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"What's the point, Mrs. Adams?" asked Brian.

I will never forget the confused yet honest look on my 8th grade student's face when he asked me this question after I had concluded my riveting lecture about the causes of the Civil War.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Brian again repeated, "What's the point ... of our lesson?"

To be honest, his question both irritated and baffled me, as I wasn't sure how to answer it. I shrugged and told him the point was for him to know the information because it would be on the test.

It was 20 years ago and I was in my second year of teaching 8th grade Core, a three-period Humanities block of reading, English, and U.S. History in California. I began my teaching career for the same reason many other educators do - I wanted to inspire and teach students to reach their fullest potentials. The only problem was that I had shelves of textbooks filled with educational theory but still a nearly empty toolkit with which to accomplish my goal.

"What's the point, Mrs. Adams?"

To this day, Brian's provocative yet earnest question lingers in my mind. However, his question provided the impetus that pushed me to seek wisdom from Instructional Leaders (ILs) and examine and build my instructional philosophy and repertoire.

Teacher leadership comes in many forms and among the most influential in promoting student success and positive school culture are those educators who serve as Instructional Leaders. It has been said that great leaders do not set out to be leaders, they set out to make a difference; and that is particularly true when it comes to ILs.

Studies show that student achievement is directly related to the effectiveness of the classroom teacher but the million-dollar question is, "How does a teacher become effective?"

The golden rule in any leadership position is to develop and nurture positive relationships. Perhaps Ghandi said it best, "I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles, but today it means getting along with people." People do not want to collaborate with someone who is negative, confrontational, or critical, and successful ILs quickly learn that principle. First and foremost, they work to establish positive relationships with colleagues so learning and growth are possible.

Instructional Leaders also provide clarity, support, and resources for teachers to identify "the point" in our instruction and in our students' learning, thereby increasing effective teaching.

Since I have had the privilege of working with many skilled ILs, I know there are several habits they have in common that cultivate an environment that is conducive to learning, reflection, and growth for both students and teachers.

Habit #1-Instructional Leaders Understand Neuroscience

The young brain is very different from the mature brain and we see examples of it all the time in the learning environment. When Jeremiah makes a bad choice and we ask him why he made that choice, he almost always responds with a shoulder shrug and an, "I don't know."

The brain develops from the stem forward, with the last area of the brain to activate called the Pre-Frontal Cortex (PFC). The PFC, otherwise known as the Executive Functioning Center, is in charge of processing cause and effect, impulse control, attention span, organizational skills, and emotional stability.

Experts believe the PFC fully activates in the female around 20 years old. The male PFC often takes a little longer, fully activating in the mid-twenties. This has serious implications for educators as we sometimes place the same expectations on the young brain that we have for the mature brain, which sets our students up for failure.

The good news is that we can accelerate healthy brain development and help students develop the skills they need for success. When we provide students explicit instruction in literacy, communication and critical thinking strategies, reflection, social-emotional learning, and growth mindset, the neural connections in the PFC increase.

Instructional Leaders are knowledgeable in neuroscience and they provide professional development opportunities and resources to ensure routines, expectations, learning experiences, and assignments are developmentally appropriate, while simultaneously fostering healthy brain development.

Habit #2-Instructional Leaders Are Connected Lead Learners
As society changes, student and teacher needs change. From Standards Based Report Cards to PBL to 1:1 deployment, education is an evolving entity. It is imperative that educators evolve as well. To remain current, effective ILs model and demonstrate the importance of continued learning.

Instructional Leaders are often involved in one or more professional education organizations, such as AMLE, and are also connected to other educators via social media, such as Twitter. They may also facilitate staff book studies, Tech Tuesdays, webinars, and collaborative analysis of student work. These opportunities provide continued growth, collaboration, and networking with others in and outside our districts and maximize our resources and learning capacity.

Habit #3-Instructional Leaders Support Content AND Comprehension Instruction

Instructional Leaders know that effective teaching is not rocket science ... it is far more complicated.

Making school relevant to our students requires that we teach students both content AND comprehension. Many educators have heard a teacher lament, "I don't have time to teach comprehension because I'm too busy covering math standards." If a teacher believes his only role is to cover content, the teacher is doing a disservice to his students because authentic learning requires comprehension.

An IL's expertise and instructional resources are invaluable in helping others develop the knowledge and skills needed to increase student achievement and independence.

For example, an IL may provide training and resources in how to teach note-taking, analysis, or supporting a claim with evidence. A few strategies that I am often asked to share are PDP Cornell Notes, Somebody Wanted But So, Close Reading, Episodic Notes and Exit Tickets. All of these strategies work well across the content areas and with all skill levels. More importantly, when students are explicitly taught how to use strategies, they develop competence and confidence and retain the comprehension strategies, resulting in more self-reliance and less teacher dependence.

Effective teaching and learning requires competence, confidence, and comprehension. Instructional leaders provide the support in which to meet those goals.

Habit #4-Instructional Leaders STOP, Collaborate and Listen

Instructional leader develop instructional leadership capacity in others by investing the time and effort to meet with novices and veterans to clarify what is needed for success to occur. They also provide the resources and support in order to encourage continual growth.

Habit #5-Instructional Leaders Promote Peer Coaching & Observation Opportunities

An effective way to evaluate and develop our skill sets is to participate in peer coaching. Unlike evaluative observations performed by administration, peer coaching focuses on colleagues observing each other a few times per year and analyzing data to encourage reflection and growth.

Peer coaches do not act as evaluators; they simply observe a lesson and collect data based on what the observed teacher requests. For example, Mrs. Smith has an instructional goal of incorporating more multi-leveled questions and 50-50 teacher/student talk time in class. She asks her colleague to serve as a peer coach to observe her class and collect data on levels of questioning used and the percentage of time both she and her students spend discussing the content. The peer coach will observe and collect that data and then give it to the observed teacher so she can reflect and make adjustments in order to meet her goals.

This peer coaching structure is not a formal observation that is evaluative or punitive; it is a collegial way to collect classroom data to determine if an instructional goal is being met. Instructional leaders provide the support to facilitate this learning opportunity.

Habit #6-Instructional Leaders Encourage Growth Mindset through Reflection

In her book Mindset, Carol Dweck shares the importance of developing a growth mindset in our students by reflecting on mistakes and persevering to make adjustments to increase success.

Instructional Leaders foster a growth mindset in colleagues by modeling and practicing reflection. Some valuable reflection questions include:

1. What was the content objective of the lesson?

2. What was the critical thinking objective for the lesson?

3. Were the objectives met? If so, what did students do throughout the lesson to meet those objectives?

4. What changes would you make to the lesson? Why these changes?

5. What are your teaching strengths and what would you like to improve?

6. How do you differentiate to meet the needs of both struggling and advanced students?

7. How do you promote positive relationships with students and colleagues?

8. How do you encourage students to learn from mistakes?

Instructional Leaders encourage the development of a growth mindset by helping colleagues to reflect on what works and what does not and then use that data to guide their thinking and instruction.

Habit #7-Instructional Leaders Adjust Support Based on Need

In her book, The Instructional Leader's Guide to Strategic Conversations with Teachers, author Robyn Jackson categorizes the four types of teachers as:

high will/high skill
high will/low skill
low will/high skill

low will/low skill

Just as we wouldn't use the same approach for each student, based on a teacher's will/skill level, an IL coaches a teacher to develop goals and provide the proper support based on the educator's needs.

For example, a high will/low skill teacher is often a new(er) teacher who has the desire to increase student proficiency yet may lack the knowledge or skills to do so at such an early stage in his/her career.

An IL crafts a personalized plan that includes learning experiences, training, and mentoring to help this teacher move into the high will/high skill range. Realizing the need to differentiate, an IL adjusts support based on a teacher's will and skill levels to increase teacher effectiveness.

After working with skilled Instructional Leaders, I better understand what my role is as a teacher. I am not a gatekeeper of information but a conduit who promotes content comprehension through critical thinking, debate, analysis, role-playing, synthesis, and reflection.

Upon reflection, I would teach my Civil War lesson from 20 years ago differently, and I would also answer Brian's question differently. Instead of lecturing about the causes of the war, I would have students read, write, act out, listen, draw, view, and speak about it and then provide them assessment choices to demonstrate their knowledge. I would begin by clarifying both the content and critical thinking objectives so that students understood "the point" of the learning experience. Most important, I would involve them in the experience itself and not relegate them to being passive bystanders to my "sage on the stage" delivery.

Instructional Leaders use many (or all) of these 7 Habits to provide resources, promote collaboration, encourage reflection, and support opportunities that cultivate instructional expertise, which positively influences student and teacher learning and effectiveness.

How many of these habits do you have?

Julie Adams is an NBCT and Educator of the Year who specializes in neuroscience, content area literacy, critical thinking, instructional leadership, and digital literacy trainings. Her most recent book is titled, Game Changers-7 Instructional Practices that Catapult Student Achievement.
effectiveteaching@sbcglobal.net
@adamsteaching
www.effectiveteachingpd.com Published inAMLE Magazine, October 2016.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Instructional Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"What's the point, Mrs. Adams?" asked Brian. I will never forget the confused yet honest look on my 8th grade student's face when he asked me this question after I had concluded my riveting lecture about the causes of the Civil War. "What do you mean?" I asked.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Rare Signs That Prove You Were Meant to Lead People | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Rare Signs That Prove You Were Meant to Lead People | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A quick Google search of the word gave me about 376 million results. And while it wouldn't give me the total for " leadership books" (if anyone knows, leave it in the comments), the same search on Amazon landed me with more than 100,000 possibilities.

With endless resources, the question of the day is " How do you define great leadership?" While I've read my fair share of books, I can confidently say that it boils down to this: Great leadership is about serving others.

More specifically, it's about serving your employees and putting them on equal par with customers (and sometimes even ahead of them). No, this doesn't imply giving the inmates the keys to the prison. It means empowering your knowledge workers and setting them up for success. It's what we're finding some of the best companies on the planet are doing.

So what does that look like in practice, whether strategically through the eyes of the C-suite or at ground level if you're in a supervisory role? It means subscribing to the purest, yet most counterintuitive, form of leadership -- servant leadership.

But I'll be honest, what I'm suggesting here is what will ultimately appeal to human emotions and result in unprecedented business outcomes. More on that below.

The 5 Rare Signs of Great Leadership

If you've been told you're "leadership material," it may be due to these principles. If not, this is the standard to shoot for, whether you're looking to develop yourself as a leader or looking to hire people with the capacity to transform the workplace. Here's my question: Which of these have you heard others say make you a good leader?

1. You connect exceptionally well with people.

Strong leaders connect with others with ease by showing their humanity. They accept that they're not perfect and that they make mistakes (and will admit to making them!). If the leader models authenticity, then, when employees make mistakes, it's safe for them to risk being open enough to say, "Hey, boss, I messed up."

2. You involve all kinds of people and make them feel psychologically safe.

There are no lone rangers in leadership or a leadership culture of high performance. Good leaders aim to create a diverse environment of people with differing ways of doing things and viewing the world; they pump fear out of the room and allow for risks to be taken; and they let people feel safe to exercise their creativity, communicate their ideas openly, and provide input to major decisions. Because there's trust there, not fear. It communicates to employees a sense of "Hey, we're all in this together."

3. You show compassion.

Is it a natural tendency of yours to want to help others -- to alleviate people's suffering? While empathetic people have this ability to feel what others feel, compassion is a more objective form of empathy. It's feeling what others feel, but taking it to another level by doing everything in your power to remove the obstacles that stand in their way. The recently released Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science extensively documents and verifiesthat " compassionate management" leads to high organizational performance, innovation, customer retention, and profitability, and less employee turnover.

4. You are open and transparent.

People don't stress around you and teamwork isn't undermined because you share information and let everyone know what's going on at all times. In fact, studies prove that organizations that share privileged information with their employees -- typically reserved for the ivory tower in command-and-control power structures -- reduce uncertainty and alleviate stress about where they are headed and why. One example of openness, perhaps a bit extreme for most companies, is social media optimization company Buffer. It goes as far as posting its salary formula online for everyone to see, including what the CEO, Joel Gascoigne, makes.

5. You understand human motivation and what makes people tick.

Perhaps someone has told you that you're really good at getting people to go above and beyond. Where does that come from? I venture to guess you're a student of positive psychology and understand what gets people from the neck up. Truth is, experiencing positive emotions is at the root of human motivation. Therefore, you'll find the best of leaders have a good understanding of human behavior, and what inspires people to perform their jobs at a high level. Companies should always hire or promote into leadership roles those who play to the strengths, gifts, and talents of employees. You'll find that they are the ones crafting and assigning work that is meaningful and has purpose (beyond a static job description) and brings out employees' passion and creativity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Rare Signs That Prove You Were Meant to Lead People

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A quick Google search of the word gave me about 376 million results. And while it wouldn't give me the total for " leadership books" (if anyone knows, leave it in the comments), the same search on Amazon landed me with more than 100,000 possibilities.

# data[].attributes.headline
15 Favorite Interview Questions to Completely Disarm Job Candidates (in a Really Good Way) | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.subject
15 Favorite Interview Questions to Completely Disarm Job Candidates (in a Really Good Way) | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Maybe your favorite interview question is one of the most common interview questions. Maybe it's one of the most common behavioral interview questions. Or maybe you have a less conventional interview question you like to ask, like those asked by these company founders and CEOs.

What is your favorite interview question? To find out, we asked the Inc. community on LinkedIn to provide their favorites, as well as their reasons why. Below are some of the responses; go here and here to see them all.
1. "What is the hardest thing you've ever done?"
The answer can be personal or professional. What the candidate accomplished isn't as important as how -- and why. What were the hurdles? What were the roadblocks? Did the candidate seek help? Does the candidate credit the people who helped?

The answer also can provide insight into how the candidate defines "hard," and how their perspective align with the challenges your business faces.
2. "When have you experienced stellar customer service, and how did that change how you deal with customers?"
This question is a great way to see how candidates define "stellar customer service" -- not just as they experience it, but also in the service they expect themselves to provide.
3. "What is your personal definition of success?"
Everyone's definition of success is different. (And should be.)

How you define success informs your work habits, your ethics, your willingness to be part of a team, your willingness to sacrifice. Tell me how you define success and I instantly know a lot about you.
4. "Tell me about a time when you felt a change needed to be made in how something was done. How did you come to this conclusion, and how did you get support for the change?"
Every team -- and every company -- can improve. Doing that requires having people who not only see areas for improvement but can actually make those improvements happen.

Listen closely to what the change was, but listen even more closely to how that change was implemented.
5. "Tell me about a time you had to learn a new skill: What was your process, what did you learn about yourself, and what was the end result?"
This is a great behavioral interview question. The "What did you learn about yourself?" portion can be extremely telling.
6. "Up to this point in your life, what is the achievement you are the most proud of?"
The reader that submitted this question likes to ask it last so the person being interviewed leaves on a positive note.

That's a great reason to ask it, but the answer will also tell you what candidates value -- in terms of goals, and about themselves.
7. "Tell me about a time when you felt like a hero."
This one made me think. (Even given time to think, I'm not sure what my answer would be.)

The reader likes this question because "there's a thin line between cocky and confident. I like posing this question because the interviewee's response will tell me which 'c' (cocky or confident) they fall under."

That makes sense. Was the candidate quietly proud, or did he or she enjoy the public acclaim? Neither is right or wrong, but the answer can indicate how the individual likes to be recognized and praised.

8. "Are you smart, or do you work hard?"

This question is a favorite of Burger King CEO Daniel Schwartz. Schwartz looks for people who feel their success comes from hard work -- because he expects people to work really hard.
9. "What position would you play on a soccer team?"
I like this one because it can indicate personalities. Generally speaking, people who see themselves as strikers tend to enjoy prominent, public roles. People who see themselves as midfielders like to help others, like to be linchpins, like to lead and follow. People who see themselves as defenders like organization, like to be counted on, and don't mind playing a less prominent role.

Of course those are generalities. How will you know why people see themselves certain ways?

Easy: Ask.
10. "How will I know you're struggling?" or "How will I know you need help?"
In behavioral terms, this question could be rephrased as "Tell me about a time you struggled to complete a task or project. What did you do?"

A great candidate was willing to ask for help. Isn't that what you want your employees to do when they're struggling?
11. "What did you do to prepare for this meeting today?"
I'm embarrassed to admit I never thought of this one. How -- and to what extent -- the candidate prepared for the interview can indicate a lot not only about his or her interest in the job, but about how this person operates as a professional.

If a candidate can share only platitudes about his or her preparation for something as important as a job interview, that speaks volumes about how this person will prepare for important tasks, meetings, roles, etc. when he or she actually has the job.
12. "What is it about this position that excites you the most?"
Some people want the job title. Some people want the position, not the actual job.

Always hire people who want the job because they like doing the work involved. You don't need people in positions; as Dharmesh Shah says, "You need doers of things that need to get done."
13. "How are are your basic math skills?"
The reader who likes this question asks it first, and most candidates say "excellent" or "strong" or something positive.

Then he asks what is 20 percent of 35, and he gets a nervous giggle and a wrong answer. (The right answer is 7.)

To him, it's not a math test. It's a way to gauge how the candidate responds when they make a mistake. Some handle it well. Others do not.
14. "How do you feel about mopping floors or scrubbing toilets?"
At this reader's company, everyone pitches in on cleaning. Job titles or ownership means nothing; they are all equal.

Even if the candidate responds positively, the reader looks for facial expressions: A quick frown, a look of distaste -- that says a lot more than words.

I used to do something similar when I gave candidates a plant tour. I would find someone performing a manual task, like stacking boxes, and pitch in while talking to the candidate.

Some would just stand and watch. Some jumped in immediately to help. Others would hesitate, realize just standing there made them look bad, and then jumped in.

Guess which ones I liked?
15. "At the end of an interview, I like to ask, 'After you leave today, what are the top three things you want me to have heard about who you are? What do you want to make sure sticks with me about you?'"
Maybe you won't learn much from asking this question. Maybe the candidate will just make a final pitch for why he or she is perfect for the job.

But maybe you will learn something new. And even if you don't, you'll know you gave candidates every opportunity to share their skills, experience, knowledge, and interest in the job -- which is what every interviewer should offer every candidate.
Now it's your turn: What is your favorite interview question?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Favorite Interview Questions to Completely Disarm Job Candidates (in a Really Good Way)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maybe your favorite interview question is one of the most common interview questions. Maybe it's one of the most common behavioral interview questions. Or maybe you have a less conventional interview question you like to ask, like those asked by these company founders and CEOs. What is your favorite interview question?

# data[].attributes.headline
How Do You Know When A Teaching Strategy Is Most Effective? John Hattie Has An Idea | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.subject
How Do You Know When A Teaching Strategy Is Most Effective? John Hattie Has An Idea | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hattie thinks of the three inputs students bring to learning as "skill, will, and thrill." And, while what a student already knows may be one of the most important parts of academic achievement, learning dispositions and motivation are also crucial ingredients and worthy goals in and of themselves.

"In fact, if we can increase their sense of love of learning, the thrill, we can increase their sense of self," Hattie said. In other words, skill, will and thrill, the three inputs students all have, sometimes work in harmony, but even when that doesn't happen each aspect of a student is worth developing individually, too.

THE LEARNING MODEL

Hattie and Donoghue have tried to take everything they have learned through meta analyses to understand why some strategies that educators swear by, like project-based learning, have low effect sizes in the literature. In their paper and discussions of this proposed model it can seem like a linear progression of learning, but Hattie takes pains to point out that this model is only a conjecture and that the processes he's describing could be happening in cycles within one learning experience. The Science of Learning paper aims to propose the model, but also points out many ways that some of its claims could be further studied.

For Hattie, most learning rests on student understanding of the success criteria for a learning task. Hattie calls this a "prelearning phase" because if students don't understand what it will take to be successful, they often act blindly and without motivation. He says that students who are taught the success criteria are more strategic in their choice of learning strategies, and thus more likely to encounter the thrill of success that will lead to reinvestment in learning.

"Too often students may know the learning intention, but do not [know] how the teacher is going to judge their performance, or how the teacher knows when or whether students have been successful," Hattie and Donoghue write in their article. When students understand how they will be evaluated they can also self-evaluate more effectively, a metacognitive skill that can help students become more independent learners.

How students gain initial content knowledge that they can then manipulate has long been a discussion among educators. Some argue students need to learn basic information before they can begin to use it. Others say students will learn information when it is critical to a problem or project they are trying to understand.

The Hattie/Donoghue learning model dives into that discussion, describing learning strategies that work best at the surface level, and those that help consolidate surface learning, as well as those that develop deep learning and work to consolidate deep learning. Lastly, Hattie and Donoghue deal with the idea of transfer, which broadly means being able to identify similarities and differences between problems and effectively apply previous learning to new situations.

The authors describe surface learning as "studying without much reflecting on either purpose or strategy, learning many ideas without necessarily relating them and memorizing facts and procedures routinely." They say deep learning is characterized by "seeking meaning, relating and extending ideas, looking for patterns and underlying principles, checking evidence and relating it to conclusions, examining arguments cautiously and critically, and becoming actively interested in course content." They don't privilege one kind of learning over the other, but rather say surface and deep learning work together.

When students are acquiring their first knowledge about a topic, there are some learning strategies that seem to work regardless of the content area. Organizing, outlining and summarizing information can help students master surface level content. But Hattie says to consolidate that initial learning, "effort and deliberate practice is critical." At this stage overlearning strategies like practice tests, giving and receiving feedback, and spacing practice out over time are especially helpful. To make consolidation worthwhile the authors stress that practice cannot just be "drill and practice," but instead must change based on feedback. The point of consolidation is to move the surface knowledge to long-term memory, where it is readily available for future use.

"If you're doing this phase just to pass the test, the surface phase, then it's not very effective," Hattie said. "The whole point of overlearning is to go to the deep learning."

When it comes to acquiring deeper learning, "a major purpose is for the student to deliberately activate prior knowledge and then make relations and extensions beyond what they have learned at the surface phase." Elaboration, strategy monitoring and metacognitive strategies all have strong effect sizes at this stage and enhance learning. Consolidation of deep learning is when working with others becomes the most powerful, according to this model. Listening to others in discussion and finding ways to connect and extend knowledge are practices that help students realize what they don't know. Self-questioning and verbalizing, as well as seeking help, are also effective strategies to consolidate deeper learning.

But ultimately most teachers and parents want students to learn information and skills so that they can use them in school and life beyond the specific instance when they were taught. The process of transferring knowledge has not been as well studied as other areas, but Hattie said that learning to detect similarities and differences is a key part of making it happen.

"After a task, the skill seems to be stopping the student rushing into solving a new problem [by] first asking them to elaborate on the similarities and differences of the two problems (the old and new)," Hattie wrote in an email. "Being more aware of the task constraints/ differences is the key to being successful in transfer." Much of Hattie's thinking on transfer is influenced by research done by Ference Marton, whose work is largely qualitative.

Interestingly, the only strategy that seemed to work in all four quadrants (acquiring surface, consolidating surface, acquiring deep, consolidating deep) was the jigsaw activity, which had a large effect size. In a jigsaw activity students are reading new information, discussing it with others who have read the same thing to extend their understanding, and then moving to new groups where they teach peers about what they read and learn new information from group members.
LEARNING IN CONTEXT
Hattie also emphasizes that all of the learning strategies, other than a few surface strategies like outlining, should be taught in the context of content, especially because some may look different depending on the subject area. He's also aware that the key to this model of learning is to know when to apply each strategy and how to help students develop that understanding as well. While in general Hattie believes that students need to know some information before they can do anything with it, indicating a progression from surface knowledge to deeper understanding and finally to transfer, he admits that "these are fuzzy distinctions" and there is often "much overlap in various phases."

For example, when a student is doing a project on a topic of interest, and thus extending knowledge deeper, he may encounter an aspect that he knew nothing about, at which time he may need to gain a surface understanding of that smaller topic in order to continue the project. In other words, the phases Hattie has laid out often overlap and cycle back on one another and should not be taken as a linear process.

Far from being a recipe for the "most effective" teaching strategies, this model of learning relies on teachers' professionalism. When teachers can identify where in the learning cycle a student is and suggest some strategies that might work well at that point, she can have a bigger impact. Hattie also advocates talking to students about the stages of learning so kids can begin to use the language and recognize the strategies that work for where they are. Too often students continue to use ineffective strategies because they don't know others or aren't aware that the ones they are using aren't the most effective.

Because of the nature of Hattie's work -- meta analyses of other people's studies -- most of the findings have focused on the effectiveness of strategies based on narrow measures of academic achievement. That's why it's interesting that in this model for learning, Hattie and Donoghue are pointing out that academic achievement is only one worthy goal of learning. They write:

"Our argument is that learning can lead to enhanced skills, dispositions, motivations and excitement that can be reinvested in learning, and can lead to students setting higher standards for their success criteria. When skill, will, and thrill overlap, this should be considered a bonus; developing each is a worthwhile outcome of schooling in its own right."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Do You Know When A Teaching Strategy Is Most Effective? John Hattie Has An Idea

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hattie thinks of the three inputs students bring to learning as "skill, will, and thrill." And, while what a student already knows may be one of the most important parts of academic achievement, learning dispositions and motivation are also crucial ingredients and worthy goals in and of themselves.

# data[].attributes.headline
Hattie effect size list - 195 Influences Related To Achievement

# data[].attributes.subject
Hattie effect size list - 195 Influences Related To Achievement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hattie effect size list - 256 Influences Related To Achievement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hattie’s updated effect size list of 256 influences across all areas related to student achievement.

# data[].attributes.headline
18 Habits That Will Make You Smarter | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.subject
18 Habits That Will Make You Smarter | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
To be smart is great, but it doesn't happen overnight. If you want to become smarter, you have to create habits that will groom your intelligence and nourish your mind.

Some people are born smart, but most smart people do daily rituals to maintain their smartness. Whether they do it in leadership, business, the arts, or a different field, they push and challenge themselves daily.

Here are 18 habits that can help you become your smartest self:

1. Question everything. Don't assume anything or subscribe unthinkingly to the conventional wisdom. Keep your eyes and mind wide open. The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge--and questioning and curiosity are the key to overcoming it.

2. Read as much as you can. Many years ago, I started the habit of reading a book a day, and the wealth of knowledge I accumulate every week is priceless. Make reading a habit--serious reading, not celebrity gossip and lists on the web. Even if it's just part of a chapter each day, stick to your reading schedule and your intellect will be enriched.

3. Discover what motivates you. Find a topic that keeps you interested and dive in. It's easier to stay engaged with a topic you find stimulating. Find a format that stimulates your mind, too, whether it's a podcast or a newspaper. Feed your mind well with things it will enjoy.

4. Think of new ways to do old things. To be innovative means making creativity more important than the fear of being wrong. Even in the things you do every day, you can be inventive and experimental. When you take risks, make mistakes, and have fun instead of slogging through the same routine. You'll have a daily reminder that imagination and creativity can change the world.

5. Hang out with people who are smarter than you. Smart people have interesting things to talk about. They know how to expand their mind and feed their brain, so spending time with them is good for you on multiple levels. Seek them out at work, in service organizations, and socially.

6. Remember that every expert was once a beginner. When you have an opportunity to learn something new, you become smarter. Make a point of continuously and consistently acquiring new skills, because life will never stop teaching if you're willing to learn.

7. Make time to reflect. We're all so distracted, it's easy to dash from one thing to another without pausing to consider what it means. Make time to pause and reflect--reflection is an important part of the learning process.

8. Exercise your body. As you're caring for your mind don't neglect your body. Build discipline in doing what you need to do in terms of diet, exercise, and sleep.

9. Push yourself to become more productive. Being busy and being productive are two different things. The future you want is created by what you do. Smart people make the most of today.

10. Come up with new ideas daily. Carry a journal to jot down ideas when they come to you. Push yourself to be creative and to think in new ways. Review your ideas weekly and edit them as you go.

11. Do something that scares you. Facing your fears makes you braver, smarter, and better able to withstand what life throws at you. Sometimes the greatest rewards in life come from doing the things that scare you the most.

12. Replace TV with online learning. Devote your break time to something more productive than social media or binge watching TV. The internet is filled with awesome learning tools. It's a small habit but a big win if you can nourish your brain and advance your career and life at the same time.

13. Be mindful of what you are absorbing. Everything you take part in is either uplifting or detrimental to your mind. It's important to silence inner and outer negativity--once you do, you begin to play a role in shaping your mindsets and beliefs, which in turn guide your actions.

14. Read something you normally wouldn't. Every day, look online and in other media for topics, interests, or other sources that fall off your usual path. When you do, you absorb wisdom you would never have been able to access otherwise.

15. Share what you know. Learning something new is important, but sharing that knowledge makes what you've learned actionable and meaningful.

16. Apply your new knowledge. There really is no point in learning something if it doesn't make you smarter or inspire you to improve. The smartest people apply what they know not to become a person of success but rather to become a person of value.

17. Keep a journal. It turns out that journaling is an important way to become smarter. Taking a few minutes each day to reflect in writing has been shown to boost your brain power. Smart happens when you learn from your experiences.

18. Be selective. Intelligent people tend to have fewer friends than the average person--at least in part because the smarter you are, the more selective you become. Who you spend time with reflects who you are.

Start building smart habits today and see what happens to your thinking tomorrow.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To be smart is great, but it doesn't happen overnight. If you want to become smarter, you have to create habits that will groom your intelligence and nourish your mind. Some people are born smart, but most smart people do daily rituals to maintain their smartness.

# data[].attributes.headline
Parents, Here Are Good Questions to Ask Teachers (and What Not to Ask)

# data[].attributes.subject
Parents, Here Are Good Questions to Ask Teachers (and What Not to Ask)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dear Parents of Elementary School Children,

With the first round of parent teacher conferences among us, I often get asked the exact same question by every parent that enters my second grade classroom.....

"Is my child being challenged enough?"

I am begging you.... Please stop.

Don't get me wrong... I completely understand that you only want the very best education for your child, but to any skilled teacher the answer to that question is quite simple.

Yes, your child is being challenged enough.

As a teacher, I am incredibly skilled at creating lessons and activities that challenge your child without them even realizing it.

Here are some of the things I do for your child on a daily basis:

Take a difficult task and make it seem fun and exciting for my students.

Encourage them to read a more difficult text without making them feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the end.

Challenge them to think more deeply about the characters and the problems in the story than they ever thought possible.

Give them a math problem and challenge them to find a way to solve it by using all of the strategies that they know.

Offer them opportunities to teach each other how to use those same strategies.

Teach them to research and write about a topic that they love, therefore they don't even recognize it as "work".

Throughout all of this I am not only teaching them the skills they need to be successful in second grade, but I am also teaching them the skills they need to be ready for third grade. You may think I am only teaching your child things like reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.

But I am also teaching him to truly love learning.

Your child is only 7.

He has plenty of time to find a passion and a strength and decide what he wants to do for the rest of his life. She has plenty of time to find an intrinsic motivation and desire to learn more about a certain subject area, in which case she will most likely find ways to challenge herself. All of this will happen because I am really good at doing my job.

If you ask these questions, I guarantee that you will discover new things about your child and find more ways to support their learning. So please, stop asking if we are doing our job. Trust your child's teacher. Support them in their efforts of helping your child grow and develop into becoming the very best possible version of themselves.

So, if you are looking for a list of questions to ask teachers that will actually benefit your child's future and their learning at school, here is just a short list of suggestions for you:

Is my child kind?

Does my child try his/her best?

Does my child enjoy learning?

Is my child happy?

Does my child persevere through difficult tasks?

Does my child have friends?

Is my child compassionate toward others?

Does my child have something that he/she excels at?

Does my child follow directions?

Is my child responsible?

Does my child smile and laugh?

Does my child have a growth mindset?

Is my child curious?

What does my child love to read?

Does my child pay attention?

Is my child respectful toward their teachers and their peers?

Does my child show creativity in the classroom?

Does my child like learning?

If you ask these questions, I guarantee that you will discover new things about your child and find more ways to support their learning. So please, stop asking if we are doing our job. Trust your child's teacher, and support them in their efforts of helping your child grow and develop into becoming the very best possible version of themselves.

Sincerely,

Second Grade Teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dear Parents, Please Stop Asking If I'm Challenging Your Child

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dear Parents of Elementary School Children, With the first round of parent teacher conferences among us, I often get asked the exact same question by every parent that enters my second grade classroom..... I am begging you.... Please stop. Don't get me wrong...

# data[].attributes.headline
Science of Learning: Marijuana, Achievement and the Teen Brain | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.subject
Science of Learning: Marijuana, Achievement and the Teen Brain | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
iStock/Belitas

A funny thing happened in the Dutch city of Maastricht in the fall of 2011. A policy went into effect banning the sale of marijuana at the city's 13 legal cannabis shops to visitors from most other countries. The goal was to discourage disruptive drug tourism in a city close to several international borders. The policy had its intended effect, but also a remarkable unintended one: foreign students attending Maastricht University starting getting better grades. According to an analysis published earlier this year in Review of Economic Studies, students who had been passing their courses at a rate of 73.9% when they could legally buy weed were now passing at a rate of 77.9% - a sizeable jump.

The effect, which was based on data from 336 undergraduates in more than 4,000 courses, was most dramatic for weaker students, women, and in classes that required more math. Some of this falls in line with past research: marijuana use has been linked to inferior academic achievement (and vice versa), so it makes sense that poorer students might benefit most from a ban, and the drug is known to have immediate effects on cognitive performance, including in math.

But what's really unusual about the study, notes one of its authors, economist Ulf Zoelitz of the Briq Institute on Behavior and Inequality, is that rather than merely correlating academic performance with cannabis use, as much past research has done, "we could cleanly identify the causal impact of a drug policy." Zoelitz co-authored the study with Olivier Marie of Erasmus University Rotterdam.

The findings come in the wake of a movement to liberalize marijuana laws in the U.S. and some other countries. A total of 29 states and Washington, D.C. now allow the use of medical marijuana and eight states have decriminalized recreational use. Research shows that the legalization movement has coincided with a shift in attitudes among teenagers over the past decade: a steep decline in the perception of marijuana as risky. Use of all illicit drugs by adolescents has been dropping in the U.S., but smoking weed remains broadly popular: more than a third of high school seniors report some use and 6% admit they partake daily.

How much harm are they wreaking on their brains and academic performance? Obviously, students who are actively high in class are not doing themselves any favors. There's a rich scientific literature demonstrating that learning, memory and attention all take a hit from cannabis intoxication.

The bigger question concerns cumulative damage. A substantial body of research - much of it summarized in 2016 review paper in JAMA Psychiatry - shows that heavy marijuana use that begins in adolescence and continues over many years predicts lower achievement and less overall happiness in life. It has also been linked to a variety of changes in brain anatomy and function, such as altered patterns of connectivity between the two hemispheres and within the prefrontal cortex - the center for higher thinking and learning. Brain imaging studies of habitual marijuana users have revealed a smaller amygdala and hippocampus - structures that, among other things, play a role in regulating emotions and forming memories. Marijuana also appears to be a trigger for schizophrenia in people with underlying vulnerabilities.

But it's maddingly difficult to separate the impact of cannabis from other factors, such as poverty and childhood trauma, which increase the odds of using marijuana and which themselves can directly alter the brain. In an attempt to eliminate the role of poverty, psychologist Madeline Meier and colleagues at Arizona State University published a study in 2015 that looked at the relationship between smoking pot and grade-point average among upper-middle-class high school students. Sure enough, she found a correlation, but it was impossible to disentangle it from the effects of drinking and smoking. "The problem is that adolescents who use marijuana tend to also use alcohol and smoke tobacco," she explains.

A study published the same year by epidemiologist Amelia Arria and colleagues at the University of Maryland, managed to separate these influences and found that as students' weed consumption rose, their GPA fell - just as the experience in Maastricht would suggest. In addition, they found that the frequency of marijuana use during freshman year predicted how likely students were to graduate on time.

'The fact that this [endocannabinoids] system is changing significantly during adolescence is of major importance.' Yasmin Hurd, neuroscientist and director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City.

Perhaps the biggest source of worry, where teenagers are concerned, stems from scientists' growing appreciation of how much the body's own cannabis-like chemicals shape the brain. These "endocannabinoids," which are made in nerve cells throughout the body, play a key role in wiring the brain during fetal development and also in guiding major changes that occur from puberty through the mid-20s, when the brain reaches full maturity. Throughout life, this system influences reward-seeking behavior around food, sex and social interaction and regulates our emotions, memory, movement and sleep.

"The fact that this system is changing significantly during adolescence is of major importance," says neuroscientist Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai in New York City. She wonders if young people would be quite so cavalier about "flooding their brain with marijuana" if they knew that this system is "one of the most important players in regulating communication between nerve cells and therefore in determining who we are on multiple levels - from motivation and cognition to motor function."

Still, no one can say for sure that cannabis disrupts this system, and even less clear is the impact of short-term or moderate use. But answers are coming. The National Institutes of Health has launched the massive Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD), which will track more than 10,000 nine- and ten-year-olds for 10 years - before and after the period when substance use typically begins. The children will undergo brain scans every two years to examine both structure and function, says Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In addition, she says, "we will be very carefully recording exposure to drugs, social environment and performance at school." Researchers cannot wait to get their hands on the data, which should answer many of the unresolved questions about marijuana in the teenage years.

For now, though, it makes sense to talk to kids about what we do know: the startling role of the endocannabinoid system and the findings in Maastricht and elsewhere about the impact of marijuana on achievement in school. Even if the ABCD study winds up showing that marijuana does not directly harm the brain, it certainly hits kids in another place that matters: their GPA.
This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, the nonprofit, independent news website focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for our newsletter.
Science of Learning: Marijuana, Achievement and the Teen Brain

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Science of Learning: Marijuana, Achievement and the Teen Brain

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A funny thing happened in the Dutch city of Maastricht in the fall of 2011. A policy went into effect banning the sale of marijuana at the city's 13 legal cannabis shops to visitors from most other countries. The goal was to discourage disruptive drug tourism in a city close to several international borders.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Cornerstone for Teachers Blog Archive

# data[].attributes.subject
The Cornerstone for Teachers Blog Archive

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Cornerstone for Teachers Blog Archive

# data[].attributes.headline
Later start time for teens improves grades, mood, and safety - kappanonline.org

# data[].attributes.subject
Later start time for teens improves grades, mood, and safety - kappanonline.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
New research shows that high school students benefit in many ways from later start times.
It all began with a phone call 20 years ago to the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) at the University of Minnesota in August 1996. The superintendent of Minnesota's Edina School District was reaching out to CAREI, seeking to discover if the new change in the start time of their high school - from 7:20 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. - would have any effect. I took that call. When I learned the reason for the change - namely, that the district's later start time purported to address developmental changes in the teenage brain related to sleep - I was skeptical. As a former teacher, school principal, and district office administrator in special education, I thought I had heard it all when it came to explaining teenage behavior. This association between brain development and teenagers was new to me.

But as we started our yearlong study, the evidence began piling up. Our research team found amazing changes were happening. Students were now awake the first hour of class, the principal reported fewer disciplinary incidents in the halls and lunchroom, and students reported less depression and feelings of greater efficacy. Over 92% of the parents said their kids were "easier to live with."

As the early findings from Edina were being reported, the Minneapolis Public Schools superintendent and school board decided a year later, in 1997, that they, too, would change the start times of their seven comprehensive high schools from 7:20 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. This change affected 52,000 K-12 students. The multitiered busing schedule moved elementary students to the earliest times, with high school and middle school students shifting to the later times. The outcomes for the Minneapolis students were similar to those for Edina, although the settings - urban as opposed to suburban - couldn't have been more different.
The medical research behind the change
What we know about human development and, most recently, about the maturation of the teenage brain lends credence to the fact that "it's a matter of biology, not choice" that teenagers are unable to fall asleep before about 10:45 p.m. and that their brains remain in sleep mode until about 8 a.m. This delay in the circadian rhythms for teenagers is directly related to hormonal changes during puberty. Most teens experience this so-called sleep phase shift only during adolescence; the shift will disappear as teens enter their 20s.

Teens need about 9.25 hours of sleep each night, a difficult amount to obtain when the brain doesn't enter sleep mode until about 10:45 p.m. and when students must awaken early for a school day that begins before 8:30 a.m. Medical research has shown dramatic negative effects of sleep deprivation, especially in people who are chronically sleep-deprived. Depression, obesity, substance use and abuse, and increased car crashes are just some of the serious consequences. From the early 1990s to now, the medical research findings about the sleep needs of teens became a significant body of knowledge (Carskadon, Acebo, & Jenni, 2004; Jenni, Achermann, & Carskadon, 2005).
From a slow start to a movement
High schools across the United States began grappling with the possibility of changing start times one school and district at a time. In the early 2000s, few schools had made the shift. Those that did were not inclined to be studied. Many believed that a public examination of the change would be fraught with politics, and they feared the change would be found to have no benefits (Wahlstrom, 1999).

Nevertheless, from 2000 to 2010, more than 400 superintendents and principals contacted me for information and guidance. They had questions about a later start time's effect on grades and sports and on how to solve transportation issues. This was a time of cautious inquiry, with school leaders wondering how their school boards or community would react. Administrators needed factual information from both the medical and education research worlds about brain development and how the two sources of information intersect.

By 2005, more than 250 high schools in the United States had made the shift to a later start time, according to early data collected by the National Sleep Foundation. Early research from 1996 through 2002 revealed that absences, tardiness, and sleepiness in school had significantly declined with later start times and that students' moods and feelings of efficacy had improved (Wahlstrom, 2002). It still remained unclear, however, how the change in time affected grades. No Child Left Behind provided an impetus for collecting achievement data and measuring effects over time.

During this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was monitoring the mounting research evidence of the role of sleep in teens' mental and physical health and began voicing concerns for the health of sleep-deprived teens. In 2010, they issued a call for a larger study to be conducted over several years on the outcomes for high schools that moved to later start times.

I was awarded that grant to study the outcomes over three years in high schools in several locations across the United States. Even though hundreds of schools changed to a later start time, only a few were willing to participate in data collection with students and parents and then engage in the resulting public scrutiny from the findings. Then as now, the politics of managing a community's perception of the change is more than most superintendents want to deal with.
A look at eight schools with later start times
Eight high schools in five school districts in three states - Minnesota, Colorado, and Wyoming - agreed to participate in the CDC-funded study, which I conducted from 2010 to 2013 (Wahlstrom et al., 2014). The start times of the high schools ranged from 8:00 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. We surveyed more than 9,000 students in grades 9-12 on their sleep habits, mood, study habits, substance use, and cocurricular activities. We also looked at academic variables, such as grades earned, attendance, tardiness, and standardized test results.

The eight high schools had a range of demographic characteristics, raising confidence that the outcomes aren't associated with a particular group of students. Percentages of students of color in the schools ranged from 10% to 40%, the free and reduced-price lunch rate ranged from 10% to 34%, and graduation rates ranged from 81% to 97%.
Academic outcomes
The analysis involved examining student data by school and grade level before and after the time change. We found significant decreases in absences and tardiness in all grades 9-12 in the school districts that had instituted the latest school start times of 8:35 and 8:55 a.m. - in one district, there was a 66% drop in tardiness.

An interesting difference emerged when we compared the outcomes of schools starting at 8:00-8:30 a.m. with those of the school with the latest start time of 8:55 a.m. Examining grades earned before and after the time change, we found:

Statistically significant increases in the 1st-period grade point average in one or more core courses of English, math, social studies, and science in three districts with start times from 8:00-8:35 a.m.

Significant increases in grade point average in all 1st-period core courses for all semesters in all grades in Jackson Hole High School in Wyoming, with a start time of 8:55 a.m.

The evidence shows that the later the start time, the greater the academic benefits.
Health and activities outcomes
A seminal analysis of the data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed that eight or more hours of sleep appear to be a tipping point in the at-risk behaviors of teenagers (McKnight-Eily et al., 2011). Cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use declined by 8% to 14% when teens slept eight or more hours each night, with depression and sexual activity also declining by 9% to 11%. Thus, the closer a school's start time comes to enabling eight or more hours of sleep each school night, the greater the reduction in risky teen behaviors. Figure 1 shows the percentage of high school students in our study who slept at least eight hours on school nights by school start time.

In our study, we found the same patterns of benefit for the health of teens with a later start time. Among the 9,395 students in our study, those who slept eight or more hours each night were significantly less likely to:

Report symptoms of depression;

Fall asleep in class;

Drink caffeinated beverages;

Have a phone or computer in their bedroom; and

Do dangerous things without thinking.

The good news is that students who participate in clubs, sports, or other organized activities are significantly less likely to use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs, drink soda or energy drinks, or report depression. On the flipside, we also found that students who participate in clubs or other organized activities or work at a job for pay are significantly more likely to get insufficient sleep (fewer than eight hours a night). Further, the more days each week that students spend practicing or doing sports before school, the lower the self-reported grades. Thus, given what we now know, creating a balance between students' sleep needs and their interests outside of school is important.

When schools have a later start time, which enables students to obtain eight or more hours of sleep, students are more likely to reap the benefits - unless they wake up often during the night to engage with social media. Students who reported more bedroom distractions were significantly more likely to get insufficient (fewer than eight hours) of sleep on school nights. In our study, we found that 87.6% of those surveyed kept a cell phone in their bedroom, which could easily wake them with a beep when messages come through. Thus, a later start time isn't in itself the panacea for reducing sleep deprivation in teenagers.
Car crash data
Car accidents are the greatest cause of accident death in teens; more than 2,700 teens are killed in car crashes each year. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data (n.d.), during 2006, a teen died in a traffic crash an average of once every hour on weekends and nearly once every two hours during the week. Sleep deprivation is linked with car crashes for all drivers and is a particular problem for teenagers, who are inexperienced drivers. A person who is sleep-deprived has reduced reaction times, slower eye movements, and decreased ability to make quick decisions. In fact, a person with fewer than four hours of sleep has the same driving characteristics as someone who is legally drunk with a blood alcohol content of .08%. Sleep-deprived teen drivers are not only a danger to themselves but also a danger to anyone who shares the road with them.

Our study collected car crash data from the three states' departments of public safety. We examined crash data for September through May for teens in the schools before and after the time change was initiated. After the change to a later start time, the number of car crashes in the five districts studied decreased by 13%. Reductions ranged from 6% to 70%, with the greatest reduction seen in the first year of the change in Jackson Hole, Wyo., which had the latest start time of 8:55 a.m. Given this compelling information, it's no wonder that the CDC, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all issued policy statements that endorse a high school start time of no earlier than 8:30 a.m.
Some recommendations
Given what we've learned from our research, we have a few recommendations for schools and districts considering changing their high school start times.
Go for the latest start time.
Research findings suggest that districts that make a modest move to a later start time for example, from 7:25 a.m. to 7:55 a.m. or from 7:35 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. experience modest benefits but also experience the same amount of community disruption as districts that make the change to start at 8:30 or later. In other words, the benefits are proportional to the amount of time change. Thus, when district leaders discuss whether to implement a later high school start time, they should select the maximum change possible. To make the change in stages or as a pilot will only lengthen the time, by years, that the community will have to deal with the disruption.

The first year of a districtwide change will be an adjustment for everyone. However, once new routines have been in place for a year, districts that have made the shift have not voted to return the high school to the earlier start times.
Some concerns are real; others just imagined.
In every community, people expressed concerns about the possible negative effects of implementing a later start time in their schools. These issues can often polarize the views of community members and paralyze decision making. Our investigation found that some of those concerns have a real basis and are best addressed before the time change, whereas other concerns never materialized.

Here are some issues that need attention:

Athletic schedules that may result in a student athlete missing part of a class at the end of the day.

Because of a rearranged bus schedule, younger children may have to take an earlier bus to school when it may still be dark.

Arranging child care for younger children before and after school may be more difficult.

Parents' work schedules may not easily align with the new start time.

The later start time may coincide with local rush-hour traffic, creating the need to discuss with the local traffic safety officials how traffic flow can be improved.

Here are some common worries that never materialized in the districts we studied:

The later start time may result in less participation in sports and fewer games won.

Because they get up later in the morning, teens may choose to stay up later at night.

Participation in after-school activities may decline.

Students might have difficulty arriving on time to after-school employment.

Transportation costs may increase.

Transportation - the timing and cost - is usually the biggest hurdle. Creative alternatives for student transportation are usually the best way to address the problem. Some districts shifted to multiage busing, while others moved to a wheel-and-spoke busing pattern. Also, concerns about sports can unnecessarily derail the discussion. In the schools we studied, there was no negative effect to the sports program or to the number of wins a school experienced after changing to a later start time. Child care before and after school is an issue that supportive alternatives can help resolve, such as providing more options for fee-based care at each elementary school. Ultimately, involving and educating all members of the community are essential for successful change.
Where policy and research intersect
The body of evidence concerning the academic benefits of a later start time for high school students is compelling. Also, the medical research into the function of the brain in memory, learning, and cognition is robust, while the link between sleep and mental health is unequivocal. Finally, we can't ignore recent studies on the decrease in car crashes involving teens with greater amounts of sleep. Implementing a later high school start time acknowledges the vital relationship between school policies and the research on human development. Rarely do those two worlds intersect so directly.
Next steps
Schools and districts that are considering changing the start time of a high school must engage a wide range of stakeholders in the discussion. Administrators and teachers need to discuss how the sleep needs of students intersect with school activities, such as the timing of homework assignments. Parents need to become better informed about the importance of sleep and how to support good sleep hygiene at home, including removing technology devices from their child's bedroom at bedtime. Finally, the most successful transitions to a later start time have brought into the process community health care providers, such as pediatricians; community activities directors, such as parks and recreation leaders; and public safety officials.

It's taken 20 years for schools across the United States to fully engage in the movement to change high school start times. Education decision makers have begun to realize that teens aren't lazy and that they are, instead, in a unique time in their development where they need substantial amounts of sleep. That recognition is driving the changes in start times (see www.startschoollater.net/) that we're now seeing in 44 U.S. states and in hundreds of schools and districts.

Teens face an incredibly challenging world. Together, school leaders and parents have the responsibility to create the best possible conditions for them in which to grow and thrive. Implementing later high school start times is a significant change that positively affects their health, safety, and learning. If we have that will, we can find the way.
References
Carskadon, M.A., Acebo, C., & Jenni, O. (2004). Regulation of adolescent sleep: Implications for behavior. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1021, 276-291.

Jenni O., Achermann P., & Carskadon M. (2005). Homeostatic sleep regulation in adolescents. Sleep, 28 (11), 1446-1454.

McKnight-Eily, L.R., Eaton, D.K., Lowry, R., Croft, J.B., Presley-Cantrell, L., & Perry, G.S. (2011). Relationships between hours of sleep and health-risk behaviors in U.S. adolescent students. Preventive Medicine, 53, 271-273.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (n.d.). Teen drivers: Additional resources. Washington, DC: Author. www.nhtsa.org.

Wahlstrom, K. (1999, January). The prickly politics of school starting times. Phi Delta Kappan, 80 (5), 344-347.

Wahlstrom, K. (2002, December). Changing times: Findings from the first longitudinal study of later high school start times. NASSP Bulletin, 86 (633), 3-21.

Wahlstrom, K., Dretzke, B., Gordon, M., Peterson, K., Edwards, K., & Gdula, J. (2014). Examining the impact of later school start times on the health and academic performance of high school students: A multisite study. St Paul, MN: University of Minnesota, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/162769

Originally published in December 2016/January 2017 Phi Delta Kappan 98 (4), 8-14. © 2016 Phi Delta Kappa International. All rights reserved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Later start time for teens improves grades, mood, and safety - kappanonline.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
New research shows that high school students benefit in many ways from later start times. It all began with a phone call 20 years ago to the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) at the University of Minnesota in August 1996.

# data[].attributes.headline
7 Things the Most Successful People Are Always Doing | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.subject
7 Things the Most Successful People Are Always Doing | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We know if we want to achieve something we have to do something, and maybe the actions you take aren't getting you the results you want, so here are seven things you should start doing for yourself today because they will give the success you want tomorrow.

1. Start taking ownership: Most people have excuses, or need to blame others when things aren't working. But true success happens when we start to take responsibly and stop making excuses, when we start be accountable and we stop blaming others, when we start to say if its going to happen, it will happen because I made it happen. we have to make an effort to stop making excuses, what we must realize is excuses will always be there for you, but opportunities wont.

2. Start being more focused: If you want to succeed, you have to stop being distracted by everything around you and be more focused in what you want to achieve, your distractions are wasting your time, and keeping from being focused. Stay focused and embrace tunnel vision to get what you have to do and get it done. when you focus on what you want everything else falls away. stay focused on whatever you want to do and don't doubt yourself. Focus means we have to follow one course until we are successful. Stop getting distracted by the things that nothing to do with your goals.

3. Start fighting for what you want: when it comes to succeeding, some will succeed because they are destined to but most succeed because they fight for what they want. to be able to achieve something significant you have to be fearless in pursuit of what you want to achieve. and even if nobody believes in what you are doing, you have to do what it takes to make it happen you have to be determined you have to have tenacity. .as we know the difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person who uses their determination. don't be afraid to give yourself everything you ever wanted in life.

4. Start engaging with people you admire: Having people you admire and look up to in your life can be a great resource for learning and motivation. Reaching out to successful people you admire and respect is a wise career strategy. Start hanging out with people who are dependable and reliable, make the relationships around you, people you can admire. Always choose relationship should be based on respect and trust, make sure that their words are matched with actions and deeds. and it means surround yourself by people you admire and respect. If you want to get ahead, one of the best ways to do this is to find out from others how they got there and did it. I don't think that people take enough time to tell people who inspire them what an impact they make on their lives!

5. Start being more disciplined: Discipline gives us the freedom to put all our focus into achieving our goals. But it becomes increasingly harder to be disciplined in a world that is in constant distraction and instant gratification. Sometimes our long- term goals seem to get put off and not made important. discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most. and the truth is anyone who ever made anything important was disciplined.

6. Start making happiness a priority: what is important to you, must be made into a priority, if you don't make what is important to you. Don't waste another second on the things that drain your energy or make you feel fatigued, start noticing what makes you feel happiest and work hard on achieving it. whatever you do make sure it makes you happy. sometimes the things we are most afraid of are the things that make us the happiest. become the person who is in the pursuit of happiness.

7. Start being grateful: feeling grateful is one of the most medicinal emotions we can feel it elevates your mood and it fills you with happiness, if we are going to be successful at this thing called, life, we have to start being grateful for the things that happen in our live, no matter how good or bad each of us has it, you have to make to start making it a practice to be grateful for your life. because the truth is, we often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. life isn't about having what we want. never let the things you want make you forget the things you have.

If success is what you really want, pre-order my new book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You And Your Greatness, because sometimes what got us here isn't going to get us to where we need to be.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Things the Most Successful People Are Always Doing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We know if we want to achieve something we have to do something, and maybe the actions you take aren't getting you the results you want, so here are seven things you should start doing for yourself today because they will give the success you want tomorrow. 1.

# data[].attributes.headline
15 Ideas for Improving Teacher Morale | The TpT Blog

# data[].attributes.subject
15 Ideas for Improving Teacher Morale | The TpT Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teacher morale is an important part of the school community. Teachers are unique; we're used to fending for ourselves and pulling ourselves out of even the deepest of funks. This doesn't mean we don't like a little morale booster from time to time.

Most of these ideas can be used for an individual teacher in need of a little uplift, a team, or the whole school.

First, let me say there are a few rules I propose.

1. Teachers like a little bit of cheese, but not a lot.

2. Keep it simple. There is no need to move mountains.

3. Most teachers want to know you care.

Without further adieu, I bring you the list: (drum roll, please)

1. Bring a Coworker Lunch

I mean seriously, who doesn't like being brought lunch? It doesn't have to be anything difficult. I have always been a big fan of leftovers for lunch, and sometimes you have more than you and your family can eat. Why not bring an extra to surprise your coworker with?

Another route I loved to take was to order pizza for the team. This surprise was always met with smiles, and bonus, I didn't have to pack a lunch either.

2. Clean a Common Area

Some of our common areas (think the staff fridge or microwave) are in desperate need of some love. Take a few minutes to clean the space, and I promise it will be noticed.

On this note, we had a couple of teachers at our school who took it upon themselves to bring ice from the cafeteria to the lounge each morning. This task, while it seemed trivial to them, made our lives SO much easier, and was truly appreciated.

3. Random Contests

Teachers by nature are also competitive, and who doesn't a little competition? These competitions don't have to be anything special, but they should be tailored to the people you are trying to reach.

Our campus had MANY step competitions, whether they be a single day, week, or month long competitions. Most of us were wearing Fitbits anyway, so it fits. Most of the time the prize would be a silly certificate or a candy bar; nothing over the top.

4. Chocolate

I mean, do I need to explain this one?

5. Out of School Get Together

It is vital we get out of the school building. My team and I had a standing date for "choir practice" every Friday after school. We didn't make it every week, but we did make it more often than not.

By having this standing date, it encouraged us to get our stuff done and leave to begin our weekends, which is always a morale booster.

6. Notes of Appreciation

Handwritten notes are my love language. I love them. I hoard them. I write them to others.

A personalized note of appreciation can mean the world. I was always an especially big fan when the note was related to something we had previously discussed. This is a great way to show others you are listening and you care.

7. Sweat Together

A little sweat, or a lot in my case, is good for you. Invite your coworkers to go for an after school walk, or start a workout club together. Endorphins are our friends.

8. Celebration or Brag Board

If you have some space in a staff area whether it be the lounge, workroom, or even a meeting room, set up a place where your staff can brag about one another. Everyone loves to be celebrated, and a Brag Board is a great way to simply accomplish this.

Our admin would occasionally choose an appropriate celebration and add it to the morning announcements for a little extra love.

9. Snacks

A little snack in the workroom goes a long way. It doesn't have to be anything extravagant. Popcorn, pretzels, M&Ms, or anything else you know your team will love.

My principal knew Dr. Pepper was my weakness, so when she wanted to thank me for something she would write me a little sticky note and put it and a Dr. Pepper in my mailbox. It made my day every single time.

10. Potlucks

Potlucks are a little tricky because they can be fun, but you have to make sure they aren't viewed as "one more thing" on teachers' to-do list. Our school PTA would often provide the main dish and then we brought sides and desserts. It made it easy.

11. Jeans Passes

I firmly believe I am a better teacher when I am wearing jeans. Moving on...

12. A Little Break

One year, our admin surprised each of us with a 20-minute break in which they did a read aloud with our class right before the winter break when we were all running a little ragged. This small act was so appreciated by everyone. It truly is one of the times I felt the most love.

13. Compliments

A little compliment goes a long way. Compliments are especially great when they are focused on an area of growth. If you know someone is challenged by something and you notice they are doing it well, let them know it!

As teachers, we are so used to filling our students' buckets with compliments, but sometimes we forget about one another.

14. Gift Exchanges

I am an especially big fan of the Secret Santa or secret Valentine or secret anything format in which you get a little gift each day for a week and then the big reveal. I always feel so cared for during these exchanges because the person giving the gift puts a lot of effort into tailoring the gifts to the recipient.

15. Respect Their Time

The absolute best way I have ever encountered to improve morale is to genuinely respect teachers and their time. We are all overworked and overwhelmed, so don't add anything extra to our already overflowing plates.

The absolute best is when usually obligatory items get canceled such as staff meetings or an after hours event. Respecting our time is truly the way to respect us the most.

Alyssa's teaching experience includes six years of 4th grade in Texas. Her goals when designing resources are to provide rigorous classroom activities that engage students and make teacher's lives easier. She also loves to read, and races cars as a hobby. Check out her store on TeachersPayTeachers or connect on Facebook or Pinterest.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Ideas for Improving Teacher Morale | The TpT Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teacher morale is an important part of the school community. Teachers are unique; we're used to fending for ourselves and pulling ourselves out of even the deepest of funks. This doesn't mean we don't like a little morale booster from time to time.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why Great Leaders Do These 5 Things in Every Meeting | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.subject
Why Great Leaders Do These 5 Things in Every Meeting | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Most people accept that meetings are a part of work--but that doesn't mean they enjoy them. As this infographic shows, managers spend between 35-50% of their time in meetings, and up to four hours a week just on status updates. And those same bosses consider 67% of meetings to be failures.

Try as you might to escape them, they're also incredibly important to your career. Meetings are a professional stage--it's where others see your leadership ability. How you get your point across, handle difficult questions, and facilitate a discussion speak volumes about your capacity. People use this time to assess and judge others. Even if you sit quietly and listen, you're sending a message.

Regardless of the reasons why they struggle with meetings, savvy professionals know they have to find a way to use them to gain and expand their credibility. Instead of trying to duck out or hang back, here are five ways to make the most of every meeting you're in.

1. Get Your Voice in the Room Early

Meeting dynamics are established early on by the most vocal speakers. So, aim to speak up in the first five minutes to show confidence and establish your voice. Not only do you benefit from getting your ideas out there while everyone is still fresh and paying attention, your comments are also more likely to be referred to later, providing you with other openings to be heard.

2. Build on Other's Thoughts

Dialogue in meetings can go fast, with ideas being thrown out quickly. If other people take the points you wanted to say, you may feel that you need to wait for a truly original, creative thought to speak up. But that's a high bar and can keep you on the sidelines (maybe for the entire meeting).

Instead, notice what others are saying and look for common threads that can take the conversation forward. It can be as simple as saying, "I've heard three people mention product modifications, what could that look like?" or "If we take a step back, the only point we're getting stuck on is the timeline." This can also be a helpful way to keep people from talking over each other and encourage them to find areas of agreement.

3. Ask Powerful Questions

One common criticism of meetings is that they have too much talking and not enough listening. When people are overly focused on getting out a barrage of ideas, you can set yourself apart by encouraging the group to listen to one another. This is a role rarely played, but needed and appreciated--it shows confidence to make everyone pause and reflect.

One simple way to do this is to ask powerful questions. These are "how" and "what" questions rather than "why" ones. Because they don't put people on the defensive or delve into fact finding, they encourage people to open up and think expansively.

For example, you may ask:

What's the most important aspect of this decision?

How will we measure the success of this?

What's different about this suggestion than what we've tried before?

What are the themes you see emerging?

4. Be Prepared (But Stay Flexible)

If you prepare for meetings, you instantly come in from a position of strength. That could mean reading through the agenda, doing advance research, or coming up with ideas beforehand.

Most of us know that if we want to build credibility, having our thoughts together ahead of time will help us to show up with confidence. However, we also have to factor in the variability of meetings. For all of our preparation, it's actually more likely that things won't go exactly as planned with so many people and factors involved (running out of time, technology not working, key players not showing up).

So, you should both prepare for the meeting and prepare to be flexible.

For example, if you have 15 minutes scheduled to present, prepare both a full and condensed presentation in case your time gets squeezed. If you do background research on the meeting topic, also research tangential topics that may arise. If the topic you want to address gets thrown under the table, ask if you can reach out separately to attendees to discuss further.

Being prepared displays your strategic thinking, and flexibility shows that you're quick on your feet--both key attributes of a great leader.

5. Emphasize Next Steps

In my coaching work, by far the biggest complaint I hear about meetings is that nothing happens from them. Sure, everyone knows they should end with responsibilities being handed out, but few actually do. Because we want our meeting time to actually be useful, it's helpful when someone takes the initiative to ask for next steps and assignments before ending it.

If you're running the meeting, this is simple to do. If you're just a participant, it can feel more difficult.

Don't let that stop you. It shows leadership to state, "I'm not clear on what the next steps are for each of us; it would be helpful to clarify before we finish up." You can even offer to track next steps for the group, if appropriate, which gives you an additional speaking opportunity for the next meeting.

While you may never look forward to an upcoming meeting, by using them as an opportunity to come across more as a leader, they'll start to feel more valuable (and more productive).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Great Leaders Do These 5 Things in Every Meeting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Most people accept that meetings are a part of work--but that doesn't mean they enjoy them. As this infographic shows, managers spend between 35-50% of their time in meetings, and up to four hours a week just on status updates. And those same bosses consider 67% of meetings to be failures.

# data[].attributes.headline
Free Powerpoint templates and Google Slides themes for presentations - SlidesCarnival

# data[].attributes.subject
Free Powerpoint templates and Google Slides themes for presentations - SlidesCarnival

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free Powerpoint templates and Google Slides themes for presentations - SlidesCarnival

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Professional & high quality Powerpoint templates and Google Slides themes. Completely customizable and free for personal or commercial uses

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Guiding teachers who have years of experience takes sensitivity and a willingness to learn from them at the same time.

There are subtle and substantial differences between coaching our novice teachers and our veteran teachers. Novice teachers, while inexperienced in the classroom, may have studied the latest technological insights or most recent academic learning trends. The instructional coach understands that this group needs the essential research, resources, skills, and strategies designed to create a community of learners.

However, what our novice teachers don't yet have is the expertise and familiarity with teaching that make a seasoned veteran. The instructional coach needs to approach veteran teachers with respect and reverence.

As an example, veteran teachers are highly experienced, having seen every "new" initiative of education. They know a recycled idea when they hear one. They remember when differentiated instruction meant a child's individual learning style, backward design meant writing the test first, and higher order thinking skills meant there could be more than one right answer. Veteran teachers understand students and know that the secret to building student rapport is to create engaging and motivating lessons that demonstrate a community of support.

In short, while we know our veteran teachers want to plan specifically, give directions explicitly, and offer student support intentionally, we also know they could probably offer teachable moments to the novice teachers as well as the instructional coach.

What can the instructional coach bring to veteran teachers that they haven't tried already? What new insights or learning could support these wise, admired experts and not seem condescending or pompous?

Tips for Supporting Veteran Teachers

Ask to observe a class as a way to gather suggestions for helping new educators inspire their students. In this way, while gaining valuable insights to assist new teachers, you might also be able to see how the veteran teacher could benefit from support.

Never give the impression that your goal is to change or uproot the years of work they've done. They've made mistakes and benefited from years of trial and error. Be cognizant of your tone and demeanor. Remember, you're a guest in their highly structured academic community of learners.

After observing the class, engage in conversation about the lesson to learn the story behind it. You might ask how they came up with the idea for the lesson, how they came up with the questions they asked, and what they hope students will remember about the lesson 10 years later.

As the veteran teacher is sharing, actively listen and take detailed notes. Get to know the teacher and their life's work. Look for entry points to make suggestions and ideas, using clarifying language to be as clear as possible. Clarifying language communicates that the listener has heard what the speaker said, but might not fully understand. Again, this is an excellent opportunity to listen to the veteran teacher and use conversation as a way to collaborate and eventually start planning together. Some specific clarifying questions might be: Did I understand you when you said _____? Did I paraphrase what you said correctly?

Ask the veteran teacher if you could support an upcoming lesson. Could you teach a specific strategy such as annotation as a whole-class activity? Could you work with a small group of students as they read an assigned chapter? Offer specific ideas on how you can partner with the veteran teacher in learning their teaching methodologies and practices.

Ask the veteran teacher if they'd be willing to showcase a lesson for the staff. Perhaps there's a strategy that has been a successful staple in this teacher's classroom but doesn't seem commonplace in other classrooms. Often the successful strategy is something they'll say they just do, without necessarily realizing that what they do is considered iconic and a best practice.

When working with veteran teachers, consider these suggestions in creating a successful and respectful coaching interaction:

Finally, the wealth of wisdom that comes from years of teaching and learning cannot be underestimated. Veteran teachers are, undoubtedly, the educational leaders among staff. As a coach and colleague, you have the good fortune to learn from them and pass on their wisdom through your practice. Cultivate these relationships and grow them to gain insight into their important work and to advance student learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guiding teachers who have years of experience takes sensitivity and a willingness to learn from them at the same time. There are subtle and substantial differences between coaching our novice teachers and our veteran teachers. Novice teachers, while inexperienced in the classroom, may have studied the latest technological insights or most recent academic learning trends.

# data[].attributes.headline
Fostering Collective Teacher Efficacy: Three Enabling Conditions - Corwin Connect

# data[].attributes.subject
Fostering Collective Teacher Efficacy: Three Enabling Conditions - Corwin Connect

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Amazing things happen when a school staff shares the belief that they are able to achieve collective goals and overcome challenges to impact student achievement. Recently, Professor John Hattie ranked collective teacher efficacy as the number one factor influencing student achievement (Hattie, 2016) based on a meta-analysis by Eells (2011). Collective teacher efficacy refers to the "collective self-perception that teachers in a given school make an educational difference to their students over and above the educational impact of their homes and communities" (Tschannen-Moran & Barr, 2004, p. 190). Rachel Jean Eells' (2011) meta-analysis demonstrated that collective efficacy and student achievement were strongly related with an effect size of 1.57. According to the Visible Learning Research (Hattie, 2012), this is more than double the effect size of feedback (0.75). Collective teacher efficacy is beyond three times more powerful and predictive than socio-economic status (0.52). It is also greater than three times more likely to influence student achievement than student motivation and concentration, persistence, and engagement (0.48).

Collective teacher efficacy, as an influence on student achievement, is a contribution that comes from the school-not the home and not the students themselves. According to the Visible Learning Research (Hattie, 2012), it is more than double the effect of prior achievement (0.65) and more than triple the effect of home environment (0.52) and parental involvement (0.49). This supports Bob Marzano's (2003) conclusion, based on his analysis of research conducted over thirty-five years, that "schools that are highly effective produce results that almost entirely overcome the effects of student backgrounds" (p. 7). Research shows that at the school level, collective teacher efficacy beliefs contribute significantly to the school's level of academic success.

Three Conditions That Enable Collective Teacher Efficacy to Flourish

Perceptions of collective efficacy however, vary greatly among schools. Some staffs believe that through their collaborative efforts they can help students achieve in measurable ways, while others feel that they can do very little to impact student results. The adaptive challenge is in shifting the latter group's beliefs. Although there is still much to be learned in regard to factors that contribute to collective efficacy, existing research provides guidance on three enabling conditions for collective teacher efficacy to flourish. While enabling conditions do not cause things to happen, they increase the likelihood that things will turn out as expected. Attending to these three enabling conditions will help in realizing the possibility of collective teacher efficacy in schools.

#1. Advanced Teacher Influence

There is a clear and strong relationship between collective efficacy and the extent of teacher leadership in a school (Derrington & Angelle, 2013; Goddard, 2002; Knobloch, 2007). Advanced teacher influence involves teachers assuming specific leadership roles and, along with that, the power to make decisions on school-wide issues. Sherri Lewis (2009) suggested that "with more opportunity to participate in school decision-making, teams build more mastery experiences in this type of decision-making and experience social persuasion through colleagues' feedback" (p. 72). In order to advance teacher influence, administrators can identify areas that might be considered for school improvement (e.g. school environment, delivery of curriculum, professional learning, collective efficacy, parental involvement, etc.) and begin to increase opportunities for teachers to become involved in meaningful ways. Providing teachers greater autonomy and influence over important decisions will help to build collective efficacy.

#2. Goal Consensus

Having a clear set of goals is important to the success of any endeavor-including school improvement. Setting measurable and appropriately challenging school goals helps educators achieve purposeful results-especially when the staff reaches consensus on which goals to set. Terri Barber Kurz and Stephanie L. Knight (2003) found that consensus on school goals was a significant predictor of collective efficacy in their study which examined the relationship between the two. It takes a special skill set to lead a group in collaboratively developing, communicating, and gaining consensus on powerful goals that transform learning, teaching, and leading. Understanding why goal setting is important and having knowledge of how goal setting works is critical to the effective execution of this leadership practice. Viviane Robinson et al. (2009) identified three conditions that must be met in setting goals.

The conditions of effective goal setting required that:

1. the team had the capacity to meet the goals;

2. the goals were clear and specific; and

3. the staff was committed to the goals.

Leaders can help build collective efficacy by communicating a strong belief in the capacity of the staff to improve the quality of teaching and learning and attain appropriately challenging goals throughout the goal setting process. Acknowledge joint accomplishments and identify and celebrate small and large wins that have resulted from team work.

#3. Responsiveness of Leadership

In schools where leaders act consistently with the principle that it is their responsibility to help others carry out their duties effectively, leaders are responsive and show concern and respect for their staff. Responsive leaders demonstrate an awareness of the personal aspects of teachers and protect teachers from issues and influences that detract from their teaching time or focus. This includes providing teachers with materials and learning opportunities necessary for the successful execution of their job. When principals demonstrate the ability to respond to the needs of the staff, teachers feel supported and they have a greater belief in their collective ability to affect student outcomes. Staffs respond positively by working more diligently. Responsiveness requires awareness of situations - the details and undercurrents in the school. Is anything preventing the team from carrying out their duties effectively? If so, how can leaders respond to the situation in a way in which the team will feel supported?

In Conclusion

If educators' realities are filtered through the belief that they can do very little to influence student achievement, then it is very likely these beliefs will be manifested in their practice. Rather than leaving it to chance, it is timely and important to consider how collective efficacy beliefs may be fostered in schools and organizations. Three enabling conditions, identified from research on school characteristics associated with collective teacher efficacy, were outlined above. While there is no failsafe set of steps leaders can take, by attending to the enabling conditions, change leaders increase the likelihood that collective efficacy will be fostered. By strengthening collective teacher efficacy, teachers will develop the resolve to persist against challenges and realize increased student results. Given its effect on student learning and achievement, the importance of strengthening collective efficacy must not be understated or overlooked.

Dr. Jenni Donohoo is a best-selling Corwin author. In her latest book, entitled Collective Efficacy: How Educators' Beliefs Impact Student Learning she outlines additional enabling conditions along with leadership practices, professional learning designs and protocols for fostering collective efficacy in schools. This book will be available this fall.

References:

Derrington, M., & Angelle, P. (2013). Teacher leadership and collective efficacy:

Connections and links. International Journal of Teacher Leadership, 4(1),

1- 13.

Eells, R. (2011). Meta-analysis of the Relationship Between Collective Efficacy and

Student Achievement. Dissertation. Loyola University of Chicago.

Goddard, R. (2002). Collective efficacy and school organization: A multilevel analysis of

teacher influence in schools. Theory and Research in Educational Administration,

Hattie, J. (2016). Personal communication with the author.

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning.

Routledge. New York, NY.

Knobloch, S. (2007). Teacher Participation in Decision Making and Collective Efficacy.

Dissertation. University of Virginia.

Kurz, T. B., & Knight, S. (2003). An exploration of the relationship among teacher

efficacy, collective teacher efficacy, and goal consensus. Learning Environments

Research, 7, 111-128.

Lewis, S. (2009). The Contribution of Elements of Teacher Collaboration to Individual and
Collective Teacher Efficacy. Dissertation, Curry School of Education, University of
Virginia.

Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA.

Robinson, V., Hohepa, M. & Lloyd, C. (2009). School leadership and student outcomes:

Identifying what works and why. Best evidence synthesis iteration [BES]. New

Zealand: Ministry of Education.

Tschannen-Moran, M., & Barr, M. (2004). Fostering student learning: The relationship of

collective teacher efficacy and student achievement. Leadership and Policy in

Schools, 3(3), 189-209.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
author: Jennifer Bay-Williams & Maggie McGatha

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fostering Collective Teacher Efficacy: Three Enabling Conditions - Corwin Connect

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amazing things happen when a school staff shares the belief that they are able to achieve collective goals and overcome challenges to impact student achievement. Recently, Professor John Hattie ranked collective teacher efficacy as the number one factor influencing student achievement (Hattie, 2016) based on a meta-analysis by Eells (2011).

# data[].attributes.headline
How to talk to people you disagree with | TED-Ed

# data[].attributes.subject
How to talk to people you disagree with | TED-Ed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There's an angry divisive tension in the air that threatens to make modern politics impossible. Elizabeth Lesser shares a simple way to begin real dialogue - by going to lunch with someone who doesn't agree with you, and asking them three questions to find out what's really in their hearts.

# data[].attributes.headline
Get the #OneSmallThing toolkit! | Teacher2Teacher

# data[].attributes.subject
Get the #OneSmallThing toolkit! | Teacher2Teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
#OneSmallThing is based on the simple idea that a BIG impact comes from focusing on one small change at a time.

Watch #OneSmallThing creators (and educators!) Melissa White and Lacey Snyder's adventure, then create and share your own #OneSmallThing graphic!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
OneSmallThing is based on the simple idea that a BIG impact comes from focusing on one small change at a time. Watch #OneSmallThing creators (and educators!) Melissa White and Lacey Snyder's adventure, then create and share your own #OneSmallThing graphic!

# data[].attributes.headline
525 Successful CEOs Share What They've Learned About Leadership | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.subject
525 Successful CEOs Share What They've Learned About Leadership | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Running a company, department, or team is hard. Have you ever wished you could ask the most successful CEOs how they do it? Well you can't, but someone else already has-- New York Times reporter Adam Bryant, who has interviewed 525 CEOs over the past 10 years for his Corner Office column, asking them for their leadership insights rather than about their companies. On Friday, Bryant published the last of these columns, and he used his farewell piece to provide an amalgamation of everything he'd learned from the CEOs over the years. It's a fascinating read for any leader. Here are some of their most interesting lessons:

1. There's no right way to become a leader.

Business columnists (including me) love to write about the one quality you need to be a great leader, but Bryant says there really isn't any such thing. "There are too many variables, many of them beyond your control, including luck, timing, and personal chemistry," he explains. Nor is there any obvious career path for CEOs, he writes, though he does note that a surprising number of them were not straight-A students and even got bad grades.

2. You have to balance the opposites.

So many of the things a good leader needs to do are contradictory, Bryant writes. "Better to understand leadership as a series of paradoxes," he states. For instance, you need humility to know what you don't know but audacity to make bold moves. Empathy is hugely important, but so is the ability to fire someone (even while empathizing with that person).

One CEO talked about opposing leadership values: listening versus leadership, being generous versus holding people accountable, and so on. "There is a tension or a balance between them," she said.

3. Culture comes from what you do, not what you say.

Most CEOs have at some point gone through the exercise of defining their companies' values and culture. Bryant calls it "a predictable rite of passage." The thing is that it doesn't matter how many retreats you go on, or whether you provide flexible hours, unlimited vacations, ping-pong tables, or catering--there's only one way to let employees know your company's culture and values: by whom you discipline and whom you reward.

"No matter what people say about culture, it's all tied to who gets promoted, who gets raises, and who gets fired," one CEO told Bryant. Whatever you say about culture, people in your company will see the people who get promoted as role models for the behavior you want.

4. You have to be trustworthy.

If you forced him to pick one quality all good leaders need, Bryant writes, it would be trustworthiness. "We all have a gut sense of our bosses, based on our observations and experiences: Do we trust them to do the right thing?" he writes. "Do they own their mistakes; give credit where credit is due; care about their employees as people as opposed to assets?"

As one CEO put it, "If you want to lead others, you've got to have their trust, and you can't have their trust without integrity."

5. It's all about respect--yours, not theirs.

For me, one of Bryant's most surprising insights was about the importance of respect--but not that good leaders need to earn the respect of their employees. It's the flip side: That the best leaders have the greatest respect for those who report to them.

One CEO put it this way: "By definition, if there's leadership, it means there are followers, and you're only as good as the followers. I believe the quality of the followers is in direct correlation to the respect you hold them in. It's not how much they respect you that is most important. It's actually how much you respect them. It's everything." That's counterintuitive. And yet, it makes perfect sense.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
525 Successful CEOs Share What They've Learned About Leadership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Running a company, department, or team is hard. Have you ever wished you could ask the most successful CEOs how they do it? Well you can't, but someone else already has-- New York Times reporter Adam Bryant, who has interviewed 525 CEOs over the past 10 years for his Corner Office column, asking them for their leadership insights rather than about their companies.

# data[].attributes.headline
Six Things the Most Engaged Schools Do Differently

# data[].attributes.subject
Six Things the Most Engaged Schools Do Differently

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Gallup recently discovered that 31% of U.S. teachers are engaged in their work, meaning that less than one in three teachers are involved with, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and their school. More than half of teachers, 56%, are not engaged, meaning they just go through the motions of the workday, putting in the time, but not the energy or passion that the most successful teachers do. What's worse, 13% are actively disengaged at work. These teachers aren't just unhappy at work; they're often busy acting out their unhappiness and undermining what their engaged coworkers set out to accomplish.

Sadly, these results are really not much better than the typical workplace across the country. Our students deserve better.

Now for the good news: it is possible, through relatively simple strategies, to drastically improve the engagement of your district. Here are six recommendations for principals and school leaders based on studying some of the nation's most successful and engaged schools:

1. Identify the right people to be school leaders. Some principals clearly have a different level of natural talent than others. A recent study found that highly talented principals on Gallup's PrincipalInsight assessment were 2.6 times more likely to have above average employee engagement at the schools they lead three years later. Placement of talented leaders has a big and lasting impact on the success of the school.

2. Focus on teachers' strengths. Teachers are more engaged when they have the opportunity to do what they do best every day. Having a principal who focuses on teachers' strengths nearly eradicates the possibility that they'll be actively disengaged on the job. Great principals get to know their team members well and then, as much as possible, build the role around each teacher's areas of greatest strength.

3. Build a culture of recognition. Great principals are more than conscientious administrators -- they also know that recognition is good for the school. They build and sustain a culture that includes meaningful recognition on a frequent basis. Teachers and students look forward to interactions with these school leaders.

4. Measure teacher engagement. Great data can serve as an important springboard to action that transforms the workplace. The best engagement-building strategies begin with effective measurement and continue with actions at the local school and workgroup level.

5. Don't try to do it all on your own. Great principals encourage dialogue among staff when determining specific strategies for building a great workplace. The best ideas often come from those closest to the action on a daily basis.

6. Building an engaged school is not an event, it requires ongoing and intentional effort. The good news is that you can teach to this test. Each element of engagement can serve as a value statement for how you will lead your school. Great principals talk about their efforts to build an engaged school on a frequent basis, including when they recruit new staff members, when they meet with parents, and when they connect with members of the community. They meet with their staff to discuss the survey results and what excellence can look like for their team. They build a simple, specific plan of action, follow through on their commitments and continue to make steady progress throughout the year.

The benefits of employee engagement include lower absenteeism, decreased turnover, increased student engagement and increased student achievement -- all issues that school leaders work hard to improve. With the right measurement and intentional action, your schools can be among the best workplaces in America.
Gallup can help you improve teacher and student performance:
A version of this article was published previously in the AASPA Perspective newsletter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Six Things the Most Engaged Schools Do Differently

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gallup recently discovered that 31% of U.S. teachers are engaged in their work, meaning that less than one in three teachers are involved with, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and their school.

# data[].attributes.headline
Opening Days with Staff - Tips and Tricks to Help You | Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals

# data[].attributes.subject
Opening Days with Staff - Tips and Tricks to Help You | Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Opening Days with Staff - Tips and Tricks to Help You | Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You've been running around like a crazy person for the last 2-3 weeks: attending various meetings, addressing building concerns, last minute hires, meeting new families, running orientation, the list goes on and on! You haven't had a spare minute to think about opening day with staff and its right around the corner.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Hapiness radar activity activity is very useful for opening a retrospectively. It helps by narrowing down the retrospective context. It establishes a sequence for the retrospective so it first hear about people feelings (on happiness) before going into a data gathering activity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This checkin activity enables the facilitator to verify if he could carry the following activities by asking the participants to read their own notes. At times, some participants wants to[...]

# data[].attributes.headline
A Mindset Shift to Continue Supporting the Most Frustrating Kids | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.subject
A Mindset Shift to Continue Supporting the Most Frustrating Kids | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How do we really feel about our most challenging students? Most of us will say "frustrated" as a first reaction. But after we dig a little bit under the layer of frustration, what's the next emotion, the truer emotion? I asked a room of educators this question at the Educon conference earlier this year. I heard: Worried. Hopeless. Lost. Powerless. Stuck. Many of us feel a deep sense of responsibility and care for "our kids." When we see a student struggling and believe that we can't help, the powerlessness can feel overwhelming. If we don't do the work to transform that emotion in a healthy way, it can instead become frustration and irritation, and begin to chip away at our empathy.

This frustration infuses all our interactions with and about that student, which in turn communicates a lack of care to the student and family, heightening what may have already felt like an insurmountable wall. We say we believe in every child, care for every child, support every child -- but when we let our challenging emotions fester, we struggle to communicate that to others -- or even believe it ourselves.

I've gotten stuck in this trap more than once. It was my student who jolted me out of this cycle when she said, "You don't really care about kids, you're just here for the money." My instinct was to laugh, but I quickly realized that what my student was trying to tell me was that she didn't feel like I cared about her. I was able to use that moment to let her know that I did indeed care, and we were able to have a great conversation about how teachers can feel frustrated sometimes and how we're all human. That conversation ended up strengthening our relationship and my work with her.

My most challenging student is not inherently challenging as a human being -- but I need to own that it's challenging for me to work with them. Once I take responsibility for my own emotions, I am now in a position to transform them.
WHAT CAN I DO TO CHANGE THIS?
It's not about not feeling hopeless, defeated and powerless in the face of challenging student behaviors. These are normal responses we can expect to have as humans in relationship with other humans who are struggling. Instead, we need to own the emotions and work to make meaning of them. This means taking the time to dig into questions like:

Why am I feeling this way?

Could this feeling give me insight into how my student is feeling?

What does it mean about me that I feel so frustrated, lost or hopeless? Does it change my conception of myself as a teacher, as a person?

What do my students' challenges bring up for me? How does my own history influence my responses?

What is the venue for these questions? In an ideal world, teachers would make space for grappling with these questions as part of their scheduled job responsibilities. At my school, we take time formally and informally to delve into our own emotional response to the work, to gain perspective, to check our assumptions and stay grounded.

Informally, this looks like maintaining a school culture where the students' strengths are at the center. We have an informal "no venting" policy, preferring instead to problem-solve. It's common to find teachers in each other's classrooms at the end of the day comparing notes and talking through a challenging situation: "Hey, was he upset in your class today, too? What did you do about it? Do you have any sense of what's going on for him?" We encourage this peer consultation and make time for it.

Formally, we have several mandatory and optional group opportunities for staff to focus on wellness and making meaning of the work. Once a month we have wellness groups where staff choose a personal wellness goal for the year and use the group to stay on track and get ideas. We also do periodic case conferences, focusing on one particular student, where we walk through what behaviors are coming up, what we understand to be at the root of those behaviors, how we're feeling working with that student, and what we should do going forward. We make the choice to invest our time as a school doing this rather than focusing staff meetings on other topics, and we see the benefit for students when teachers are on the same page about supporting them.
WHAT'S NEXT?
We will never lose the need for meaning-making, because working with humans will always be inherently complex and bring up emotions. However, there are some proactive things we can do to smooth the path for ourselves.

Proactively plan for being a person with emotions. Expect that the work will be challenging and that sometimes you will feel awful, and accept that this is a normal part of a human-centered job. What are some ways you do this?

Build in support systems. Find the people, groups or strategies that will proactively support you and will respond to you with kindness and understanding when the going gets rough. This might be nurturing your personal friendships or relationships, strengthening connections with co-workers, my supervisor or other folks at work, or going to my own counselor or therapist. If I'm worried about respecting my students' confidentiality, I remind myself to turn my focus back to my own emotions: I don't need to share my students' names or stories in order to talk about how frustrated or hopeless I'm feeling, and work through those emotions.

Develop understanding. We can better make meaning when we better understand the underlying issues at stake. Seek out information about trauma, chronic stress, the impacts of racism and discrimination, and other systems at play with your particular population. I incorporate these topics into my school's ongoing professional development (which staff design and facilitate), and also use my own personal learning community online to find these resources.

Forgive yourself: Above all, we need to be gentle with ourselves. This self-forgiveness serves to remind us that we also must be gentle with our students, offering a fresh start each day and providing opportunities to repair and rebuild our relationships after conflict

When I feel like I just don't have time to slow down and do this emotional work, I remind myself that an investment in this work pays off tenfold in my ability to stay grounded, not to get so stressed out, and most importantly, to be a better help to my students who need it most.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Mindset Shift to Continue Supporting the Most Frustrating Kids | KQED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How do we really feel about our most challenging students? Most of us will say "frustrated" as a first reaction. But after we dig a little bit under the layer of frustration, what's the next emotion, the truer emotion? I asked a room of educators this question at the Educon conference earlier this year.

# data[].attributes.headline
Visible Leadership | ConvergenceCoaching, LLC

# data[].attributes.subject
Visible Leadership | ConvergenceCoaching, LLC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Leadership is more about who you are being than what you are doing. It starts with the recognition that everyone is a leader regardless of their role, title, age or experience. Leadership is about influencing and inspiring others . It begins with you and your attitudes. Then it flows to those coming along behind you, those less experienced and in need of direction and development. And true leadership also influences and inspires your peers and even flows "upwards" to inspire those more experienced than you.
While leadership starts with your attitudes and beliefs, it becomes "visible" by what you say and do; in your words and actions and the way you "walk the talk."
As we begin our Transformational Leadership Program (TLP) for the fourth year, one of the expressed needs and desires of all the participants, in one way or another, is to become more "visible" leaders. Every TLP participant has demonstrated leadership to get to this stage of their careers and lives. Yet every participant is aware (or is becoming aware) of their critical need to somehow become more visible leaders in their firms and organizations.

Too many of us hide our leadership light rather than making it visible to the people around us. How can others follow you and be influenced and inspired by your leadership if they can't "see" it?

Here are six key ways to increase your visibility and effectiveness as a leader:

1. Visible Leaders have Vision - Allow yourself to think and dream about the future, and to share your vision and "enroll" others in it. Invest time in "Quadrant II," thinking strategically about the future rather than focusing only the "urgency" of today, this month and this year. Acknowledge that the future will always be here sooner than expected and seek to build firms and organizations for the next generation and not only for yourself. As a visible leader, you must sometimes be willing to lead courageously and honestly, and to take an unpopular stand when it's the right stand. You should honestly share your own fears and concerns about the future, but follow that by positively saying "There's got to be a way!" and "Let's go solve this together!"

2. Visible Leaders Seek to Build Unity - To increase your visibility, speak up at meetings, and don't be afraid to share your ideas and opinions and self-interest, as thoughtfully and positively as you can. Ask questions - even the ones you fear are "stupid questions." Listen - really listen to others. This is very difficult, but what a gift to those around you! Submit to and support the majority decisions - don't "pretend" to submit and then "triangulate" with others after the decision is made. And don't tolerate those who do. Talk straight - tell the truth with humility and kindness. Address and clear up all conflicts, positively and collaboratively. Show compassion by seeking to understand how others think, how they're motivated, what their goals are - and how you can help them achieve their goals.

3. Visible Leaders are Role Models - You need to "lead by example" - by doing what you want and expect others to do. Acknowledge to others your belief you can get better, and don't just say it, actually work at getting better. Keep your commitments. When you know you can't, "reset expectations." When you fall short, be honest and ask for help, admit your fears, and don't feel you have to pretend you have all the answers when you don't. It's OK - visible leaders are also vulnerable leaders.

4. Visible Leaders Demonstrate Ownership - As a visible leader, you need clear understanding about what aspects of the business you "own" and to provide input and seek clarity on the role you are expected to play. Your role description should be customized, written and shared openly with your team members. And you should help others establish clear understanding of their roles and what they own. Know what true ownership means and teach others how be good owners, how to seek input on the things they own and provide status updates both proactively and when asked. Learn how to delegate effectively and to provide opportunities to others. A visible leader learns how and when to lead, when to follow, and when to get out of the way.

5. Visible Leaders Set and Achieve Goals - You need to set Big Hairy Audacious Goals ("BHAG") goals! Stretch yourself and go toward (don't avoid) the things you fear most. Show others you expect to achieve your goals by sharing them openly. Telling others is what makes your goals "real." Visible leaders are willing to be held accountable - so seek out a coach and establish and submit to a "return and report" process. Break your goals into smaller, prioritized steps and then work on accomplishing that first step today! When (not if) you fall short or lose traction on achieving your goals - admit it, start over and try again. And do not give in to the little voice saying, "You can't do this."

6. Visible Leaders Develop People and Build Teams - Delegate and assign ownership and responsibility to others because you understand how important "hands on" learning is to developing people. Ownership of clients, engagements, and projects lifts others up and inspires them to become better leaders. Coach others, get to know them, and invest time in them. Bring your colleagues "along for the ride" and make them feel part of the team. As a visible leader, provide feedback all the time, informally and formally. Also be sure to ask for feedback on how you're doing. And build trust by extending trust to others, and believing in others before they are able to believe in themselves.

At ConvergenceCoaching our mission is developing transformational leaders... one person at a time. If you have ideas or experiences to share on leadership and the process of developing as a more visible leader, please post them so we can all benefit.
Best regards,

Jack

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Leadership is more about who you are being than what you are doing. It starts with the recognition that everyone is a leader regardless of their role, title, age or experience. Leadership is about influencing and inspiring others . It begins with you and your attitudes.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why Executive Function Is A Vital Stepping-Stone For Kids’ Ability to Learn | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.subject
Why Executive Function Is A Vital Stepping-Stone For Kids’ Ability to Learn | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
iStock/manopjk

Neuroscientists and educational psychologists are constantly learning more about how children learn and the various influences beyond IQ that affect cognition. Some research, like Carol Dweck's on growth mindset or Angela Duckworth's on grit, quickly became catch phrases among educators. At the same time, critics have pushed back against the notion that students underperform only because of cognitive deficits, pointing to an equally pressing need for big changes to teaching practice. Many teachers are trying to combine the research about cognitive skills with more effective teaching practices. They are finding that whether students are working on self-directed projects or worksheets, executive functioning skills are important.

Bruce Wexler has been studying executive functioning - a group of cognitive abilities crucial for managing oneself and information - for the past 20 years. He first worked with adults, but he began to wonder if he could design interventions specifically for young children to get them started down a positive path before any of the negative secondary qualities associated with under-achievement - like disengagement, low self-esteem and behavior problems - began to manifest at school.

"The data just keeps coming in about the importance of focus, self-control and working memory for learning and life," Wexler said in an edWeb webinar. One meta-analysis of six studies found that a child's executive functioning skills in kindergarten predicted reading and math achievement into middle school and beyond. This research is particularly important because students who have poor executive functioning skills because of trauma, poverty, or diagnosed disorders are missing out on learning. Often these children haven't had a chance to develop executive functioning skills required for school before arriving there.

Many kinds of interventions can work to improve executive functioning, another reason researchers feel confident that this cognitive ability is not innate, but rather taught. Martial arts, yoga and exercise, among others, help improve students' ability to focus and control themselves. Wexler helped design his own intervention, called Activate, which uses a mixture of online games and physical activities to target focus, self-control and working memory, the skills most closely linked with academic achievement.

To test whether the program works Wexler's company, C8Sciences, took executive function tests designed by the National Institutes of Health and made them Web-based so teachers could use them in class. These tests helped Wexler's team learn about the relative areas of cognitive weaknesses in students before using the Activate program.

"Soon it became evident that not only did we want that information, but that it was very valuable for teachers," Wexler said. It's often hard for a teacher to know when a student isn't learning something because of a lack of executive functioning capacity, because it hasn't been taught well enough, or because the student just needs more time with the content. The online diagnostic tests helped give them valuable insight to tailor their teaching.

After determining a baseline for students, Wexler's team asked teachers to use the Activate program and then tested students after four months to see how it affected their cognitive abilities. Early tests showed the training improved working memory, but Wexler was more interested in whether the training would carry over into academic achievement, so he tested third-graders from a low-income school on reading proficiency. In the test group that used Activate, 83 percent of students reached third-grade reading proficiency, compared to 58 percent districtwide. On a first-grade math proficiency test, 92 percent of students in the test group reached proficiency, compared to 63 percent districtwide. In another first-grade class at the same school that did not receive the training, only 53 percent of students reached proficiency.

"Training these executive functions leads to improvement in achievement schools," Wexler concluded. And the effects seemed to last through the summer. Another test showed kindergartners who received the training showed better executive functioning skills when they started first grade than their peers.

When Wexler compared the effects he was seeing to other interventions - like one-on-one tutoring, summer and after-school programming - improving executive functioning skills had a much bigger effect. "Training a whole classroom in focus, self-control, and memory has a bigger effect on math achievement than providing one-on-one tutoring," Wexler said. Tutoring had the next strongest effect.

Executive functioning training also seems to make a difference regardless of student IQ. "Its effect was four times as big as the differences in IQ," Wexler said. "Of course IQ is important, but executive functioning is something we can do something about."
SCHOOLS FOCUSING ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
Carlisle Area School District has taken the research on executive function and put it into practice, especially in K-5 schools where educators hope to improve these cognitive skills early so students don't fall behind. District leaders started by educating teachers about different neural pathways and why problems with executive functioning could lead to problems with learning. In trainings they give teachers scenarios, and ask them to identify a student's cognitive weakness based on behavior, and then design an intervention. They also ask teachers to reflect on their own cognitive weaknesses and where they might be able to identify with a disorganized student or one who has a hard time staying on task.

Carlisle teachers also have a long list of strategies they integrate into the day with the whole class that emphasize brain breaks, exercise and routines. Additionally, some children need more help developing executive functioning, and educators differentiate strategies for them as well. They often talk to students about how their brain works and emphasize that when their "amygdala is hijacked," they need to stop and think about the next action rather than lashing out.
STRATEGIES

Breathing buddies: Students lie down on the floor with a favorite stuffed animal on their chests. They slowly breathe in and out, watching the animal rise and fall. This helps students calm down when they are upset and gives them a strategy to implement when they feel themselves getting worked up.

Teachers keep "meta boxes" in their classrooms full of fidget toys students can use to help them pay attention when they feel like they need to move.

When transitioning between subjects or recess, teachers often play calming music and let only five kids in at a time to limit the chaos.

Many elementary school teachers have had the experience of asking a question, seeing many hands in the air, but then calling on a student who says he forgot. That could be a working memory problem. Some Carlisle teachers are proactively addressing this by letting those kids record their thoughts on paper or a device so they can contribute when they're called on.

Carlisle was an early adopter of Wexler's Activate program, too. The iPad lessons focus on typical working memory games that require students to remember the order of things, progressively getting harder as the game develops. The physical games reinforce the online learning with social interactions that help embed the memories in movement. Mass ball is one game that requires students to throw a ball in a specific sequence. Students have to juggle paying attention to the order and catching the ball.

Carlisle teachers also have students do a lot of balancing games, which help with executive functioning. Teachers might ask students to walk on a line balancing bean bags on their heads or to do the same walk on tiptoe. Teachers also use relay races to get kids moving, since exercise alone helps with executive functioning.

Adults have an attention span of about 12 minutes with a fully developed executive functioning system, so it's no wonder kids can't focus without a break. "It cannot be overemphasized that all of us need to be thinking about taking information in smaller chunks," said Malinda Mikesell, the reading supervisor for the Carlisle Area School District. She said kids need an opportunity to do something with the information on their own before having the chance to reset for the next chunk of information.

"We have mature executive function systems as adults, so we have to be careful that we're not putting our perspective onto very immature executive functioning systems," Mikesell said. She also emphasized that teachers in her district have successfully involved parents in their effort to improve executive functions, educating the adults about the brain and what cognitive weaknesses look like. Often parents have noticed the same lack of short-term memory, difficulty focusing, and disorganization affecting kids at school, and are happy to learn tips to help their child.

Mikesell said Carlisle is in the early stages of evaluating data on how well their approach is working. Early data showed that kids in the Activate program were outperforming peers not in the program on reading tests. Teachers are also reporting stories about disorganized students improving, who never had what they needed for the day or activity. Now those students are able to follow the classroom routines and are benefiting from checklists and visual organizers that teachers put together to help them with their working memory weaknesses.

Why Executive Function Is A Vital Stepping-Stone For Kids' Ability to Learn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Executive Function Is A Vital Stepping-Stone For Kids' Ability to Learn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Neuroscientists and educational psychologists are constantly learning more about how children learn and the various influences beyond IQ that affect cognition. Some research, like Carol Dweck's on growth mindset or Angela Duckworth's on grit, quickly became catch phrases among educators.

# data[].attributes.headline
17 Tips To Motivate Adult Learners - eLearning Industry

# data[].attributes.subject
17 Tips To Motivate Adult Learners - eLearning Industry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Summary: The introduction of learning technology and the changing workplace recently increased the importance of adult learning. However, there comes the problem of motivating adult learners. There are a few things that stand in the way to motivating adults to start learning.

How To Motivate Adult Learners

Adults, unlike children, teenagers and students, in most cases, have a lot of things on their minds and your eLearning course is probably the last one of them. In addition, your adult learners don't see the rewards of their efforts as soon as they would expect, and giving them candy doesn't work as it works with children. Also, academic habits, they once possessed are also long forgotten. Least but not last, a lot of the learners are often forced to take on your eLearning course to enhance their skills, keep their job, get a job, or continue further with their career plans. All this makes it difficult to motivate learners and make them active participants.

Here are 17 Tips To Motivate Adult Learners that you might try.

1. Create useful and relevant learning experiences based on the age group and interests of your learners
Emphasize on the practical knowledge. It is important to design a course that provides immediate relevancy. Learning materials that can be put into practice. Adult learners appreciate more practical knowledge, rather than extraneous facts and theories.

2. Facilitate exploration
Even though children are famous for their exploratory nature and curiosity, adult learners, too, sometimes like to take the opportunity to construct knowledge in a way that is meaningful to them. For this reason, you should have all sorts of materials, references, infographics, short videos, lectures, podcasts and free resources available. In such a perfect learning environment learners are more likely to get inspired or find something that makes them want to learn more.

3. Build community and integrate social media
Keep in mind that social media websites are a powerful tool for collaboration, commenting and sharing. You can facilitate group discussions and communities. People will quickly start exchanging knowledge, and will also have fun, social media is fun!

4. A voice behind the video is not enough
Add a personal touch. Your course needs to have a face. Make yourself available to people, invite subject-matter experts, authors, professors and other specialists in live online discussions and question and answer sessions.

Create an Interactive Learning Experience for your Adult Learners with the Right Vendor

Find, choose and compare the top eLearning Authoring Tools with High Interaction for Adult Learners!

5. Challenge through games
Come up with different problem solving exercises and case studies. Make your learners look for and find solutions.

6. Use humor
Humor would work great even with the most demotivated learners on your course. When your students know you are funny, they will listen to your material carefully, cause they wouldn't want to miss on your witty sense of humor. You can never lose with that.

7. Chunk information
Chunking is essential, as it helps people remember and assimilate information. Small bits are easier to process.

8. Add suspense
Don't give out everything your course is about in the beginning. Yes, you need an overview, but keep some interesting points until the time is right. No one likes to read a book if they know what's about to happen.

9. Accommodate individual interests and career goals
Empower learners to work on these goals and individualize the training to suit their needs.

10. Stimulate your learners
Encourage them to think by either providing them with brain teasers, or by asking thought-provoking questions.

11. Let learning occur through mistakes
According to a German proverb "you will become clever through your mistakes". Have you heard the famous expression: "Practice makes perfect"? Of course you have! Henry Roediger who started a learning experiment divided his students in two groups. Group A studied natural sciences paper for 4 sessions, while group B studied the same paper for one session and was tested on it three times. According to the experimenter, one week later, students from group B performed 50% better than Group A, even though they studied the paper less. The results clearly support the argument that "practice makes perfect".

12. Make it visually-compelling
Did you know that 83% of learning occurs visually?

13. Get Emotional
If you don't sound inspiring, if your materials are not exciting, how will you motivate your learners? Get them emotionally involved too - come up with controversial statements, tap on memories, add real-life stories.

14. Get examples of their workplace
Your learners may not always remember to associate what is learned with its application at the workplace. Sometimes they might need reminders and a clue to help them make that connection.

15. Be respectful to them

16. Ask for feedback
It is motivating to know that your opinion contributes to the course.

17. Present the benefits of undertaking the course
I don't know why I didn't start with this one. Sometimes outlining the benefits is all it takes.

You may also find valuable the 9 Tips To Apply Adult Learning Theory to eLearning. In this article I'll discuss how Knowles' 5 adult learning theory assumptions can be translated to modern day eLearning experiences, so that you can integrate the 4 principles of Andragogy into your eLearning course for maximum learner engagement and motivation.

What other tips do you believe that motivate adult learners? What motivates you as an adult learn? You may also find useful the

Highly recommended resources on How to Motivate Adult Learners
Motivating Adult Learners
I really like the following video by Ashley Odom. By wathing it you will be able to answer the following questions:

What is Motivation?

What is an Adult Learner?

What is the Importance of Motivation in Adult Learning? and

How to Motivate Adult Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Summary: The introduction of learning technology and the changing workplace recently increased the importance of adult learning. However, there comes the problem of motivating adult learners. There are a few things that stand in the way to motivating adults to start learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
Education World: Principals Share: Best Ideas for Next School Year

# data[].attributes.subject
Education World: Principals Share: Best Ideas for Next School Year

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
So what was the best thing to happen in your school this past school year? Our Principal Files principals shared how working together really works; how the arts can make a huge impact on a school; how individual students can serve as powerful reminders of why we teach; and much more.

As a new school year is about to begin, we decided to give our Principal Files team one last opportunity to reflect on the school year behind them. What was the best thing that happened in your school last year? is the question we posed. Was the highlight of the year a special event? a new program? a school-wide effort that paid off? a special recognition for a staff member or the school? a kid who made great strides?

For members of our Principal Files team, it was all those things -- and more.

WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Many principals felt that the most special thing about the year past was the way people came together to accomplish a goal.

Thats what stands out in principal Layne Hunts mind. As a team, we began to recognize that we are going to have to do things differently if we want to improve, said Hunt, who is principal at Ypsilanti (Michigan) High School. While we all recognized that data is the driving force for identifying where the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps exist, we also know that the essential element for change is the implementation of the plan conceived by using that data.

That clarity -- that collective realization that we cannot do things the way we have always done them -- was the one of the highlights of the year for Hunt. Even more important than the way the team used the data to plan strategies for success for all students, Hunt praised his staff for their courageous implementation of the plan.

For Ernest Elliott, principal at Mountain Home (Idaho) Junior High School, the highlight of the past school year was a professional development day held at the end of the year. The goal of that meeting was to look ahead and plan for a much better year in the coming year. And Elliott is very pleased with the way his staff unified with an eye toward improving the school. He was impressed by their willingness to examine and reflect on some of the low points from the past year and use them to construct a plan that will address those issues and make the school a better place to work and learn.

At that end-of-year meeting, each staff member assigned him/herself to one of a number of committees. Committees included School Pride; Professional Development; Quiet Room; Dress Code/School Uniforms; Sunshine; Building Safety; Student Discipline; AYP Progress; and The First Ten Days of School.

Each committee worked very hard throughout the day to brainstorm and make group decisions that would become staff recommendations for how we would start and then sustain a new yearlong effort, explained Elliott.

Last year was a frustrating one for many of the veteran educators on the Mountain Home staff, and much of the discussion that day centered around expected outcomes and consequences for students. As the staff worked together, many of the committees began to see the value of rewards and incentives for students who were not the frequent fliers [discipline problems] in our building, said Elliott. The resulting plan is much more focused on positive reinforcement than on negative consequences, and the hope is that the focus on the positive will serve as a model and motivation for all students.

Elliott was especially pleased with the work that came out of The First Ten Days of School committee. They recognized that we have to capture the attention of students at the start of the year. They understood the importance of teaching students what we expect of them during those first ten days -- and then re-teaching, re-teaching, re-teaching. They recognized that all of us need to preach the same ideals and then support the rules in the same manner.

Now that the staff is all on the same page when it comes to turning things around, we are all looking forward to how this will change much of what goes on in school, said Elliott.

End-of-the-school-year events were also the high point of the year for principal Vickie Luchuck. Those events were the three grade-level awards assemblies at her school, South Harrison Middle School in Lost Creek, West Virginia.

Our seventh-grade class is the largest ever in the school, and it has been a very trying year for the teachers. Classes of 35 or more students and issues of student apathy, behavior, and attitude had made the year a rough one, explained Luchuck.

When plans were finalized for the assemblies just a couple of weeks before they would take place, one seventh-grade teacher approached Luchuck to tell her the team members had decided they didn't have enough time or energy to do an assembly it was just too much to ask them to do.

I certainly understood the concern about time, and I could easily see the fatigue and end-of-the-year exhaustion of my teachers, Luchuck told EducationWorld. I hated asking them to do one more thing, but I told them we needed to have an assembly to recognize students for their accomplishments and it would be fine if it was a simple event.

And, as they always do, the teachers came through -- and they went way above and beyond my expectations.

On the day of the assembly, each seventh grade teacher wore school colors, complete with brand new polo shirts, said Luchuck. They prepared a beautiful full-color program for students and parents, and they had some very special, very thoughtful awards to present.

It was quite evident that the teachers put a lot of thought and time into their choices.

And the students rose to the occasion too.

I was amazed at the students demeanor as they arrived. They seemed to have matured overnight, said Luchuck. As I approached the podium to give a little talk, the room became so quiet you could hear the noise my papers made as I placed them on the podium. I pitched out my little prepared speech and instead told the kids how very impressed I was with them at that moment, and that they amazed me with their manners and maturity.

At the end of the assembly, the teachers presented a photo slideshow of all the students involved in activities throughout the year. Of course many of those photos included the teachers and every time one of those teacher photos popped up the kids clapped and cheered like crazy.

The idea of the program itself may not have been super-extraordinary, but it certainly was a capstone for this particular group of students and these hard-working teachers, added Luchuck. It made my day but, much more importantly, it made the kids' day and the teacher's day... perhaps their year!

For Brian Hazeltine, the past year brought mixed emotions. It was the 20th anniversary year of his school, Airdrie Koinonia Christian School in Airdrie, Alberta (Canada). It also happened to be his 20th -- and last -- year as its principal. So the schools big 20th Anniversary Celebration had the added dimension of being a farewell to the principal who had led it for that entire time.

It was wonderful to hear all the stories of people who have been positively impacted by the school over the years, Hazeltine reflected. Former and current students, parents, teachers, and board members shared great memories and words of appreciation in person or by video.

The event was a reminder to Hazeltine that educators do make a difference and schools can have a profound impact on young people and their families. Every now and then it's good to stop and celebrate that, added Hazeltine.

THE ARTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOO

All educators know in their hearts how vitally important the arts are to students and the curriculum. The arts can be used to reinforce basic skills as they help develop skills of discipline and focus. And the arts can often motivate otherwise unmotivated students as they help build a school culture that is vibrant, interesting, and motivating.

So it is not surprising that a few of EducationWorlds P-Files team members saw arts-related events as the highlights of the school year.

ONeill Ankle is principal at Green Park Primary and Junior High School in Clarendon, Jamaica (West Indies). This year was an especially exciting one there because the Green Park Steppers marching band made its debut.

The concept for the band was born out of a need to attract our boys who were performing academically below standard, Ankle explained. We started planning for the band more than a year in advance. It finally became a reality in October of the past school year, and the students have taken on the challenge with tenacity of purpose.

Funds to get the band off the ground were provided by a ROSE 2 (Reform of Secondary Education) grant from the Ministry of Education. The band comprises more than 30 students drawn mostly from seventh graders in the grade 1-9 school. The plan is to grow the number of band members in the years ahead.

Even though many of these boys are struggling academically, they are able to read musical notes well and can play a piece of music that will give you goose bumps, said Ankle. Now that we have gotten our marching band off the ground, students are playing sweet music all over the school and the community.

LaKeldra N. Pride, principal at Green Hill Elementary School in Sardis, Mississippi, is another firm believer in the value of the arts. A play performed the day before school let out was the first thing to pop into her mind when asked to come up with a highlight of the year.

Our school counselor, Victor Henson, writes and directs plays at a local playhouse and directs our Drama Club, which was just organized this past year, Pride told EducationWorld. Henson led the Drama Club in two performances of Cinderella, and it was absolutely wonderful! We saw talent unveiled beyond belief. Students poured their hearts into the performance, which was enjoyed by teachers, students, and parents. Our secretary created colorful invitations, which brought out a school board member, our assistant superintendent -- who was in tears, and others.

What really stands out, though, is that we could actually see and feel the boost in our students self-esteem. We are a rural school in a low-income area, and this play served as a powerful reminder to us to never underestimate our childrens potential.

At Parham School in Cincinnati, assistant principal Bonita Henderson points with pride to a special after-school program at the school that instructs students in ballet, ballroom, and African dancing.

The program comes to the school through FamiliesForward, a United Way organization. Families Forward enlisted special instructors to work with K-8 students in the program.

Its a treat to see students dancing their chosen dances, especially the samba, mambo, or cha-cha, said Henderson. The kids want to be in these courses after school, and they love to dress up and show what they know.

In addition, students took their performances to a local nursing home, where they danced with the homes residents -- even the residents in wheelchairs.

The students are so proficient that they often perform for the public, added Henderson. And those performances are awesome!

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS CAN MAKE THE YEAR

Sometimes, it is the unexpected honors that can make the year. While those honors might come out of the blue, they are almost always the result of hard work on the part of many people.

For Lolli Haws, principal at Oakridge Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, being named a Distinguished Title I School by the state was a huge honor. The title is bestowed for three years of excellent achievement and making AYP. We were surprised and proud, said Haws of the recognition.

Silver Sands Middle School in Port Orange, Florida, was selected as one of three schools in the state to attend to an innovation conference in Orlando. Our innovation was our school reform process, explained principal Les Potter. We use a collaborative model that involves all staff and parents. By using this collaborative model and getting input from all concerned, we have been able to reduce discipline referrals by half in a two-year period, and we have made academic improvements as well.

We were the only middle school to be selected as a model to help a middle school in another district. That school received $40,000 from the state to implement the program and we were awarded $10,000 to help with that task.

For Jack Noles, principal at Shallowater (Texas) Intermediate School, the high point of the year came in the last week of the school year. In our first year of having a Community Problem Solving team (part of the Future Problem Solving Program International competition), we not only garnered first place in our division and second overall in the state, we were invited to the International conference and competition in Fort Collins, Colorado, to see how we could do against the rest of the U.S. and world.

While it was the first trip of this sort for Shallowaters 4th and 5th graders, and no one really knew what to expect, the schools team, under the guidance of coach Stephanie Keeney, enjoyed an exciting few days that culminated in being named to another divisional first place and as runner-up to the International Grand Champion from New Zealand.

As a bonus, Noles said, our team beat the team that beat us in the state competition.

Not only did the team make a good showing, they gained great experience and proved what Noles has always believed: Our kids are among the best in the world.

My staff continues to prove that mine is the easiest job in the building, added Noles. All I have to do is ask that they excel in everything they do, and they consistently come through.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE ONE STUDENT AT A TIME

Sometimes its the big events that make headlines. Sometimes it's the huge honors that stand out. Other times, its the stories that dont get headlines or awards that will live in our memories and serve as constant reminders of why we do what we do.

That is the case with a handful of our principals recollections of the year just passed. Each of them recalls a child who touched them in a powerful way.

Kathy Crowley found it difficult to choose from among many highlights of the past year at Ponderosa Elementary School in Meridian, Idaho. Finally, she settled on the monthly Spirit Assemblies held at her school. At those assemblies many students are recognized for academic achievements as well as their exceptionally fast speed jumping, artistic talents, miles walked or run on our the track, citizenship, birthdays, and much more.

Each of those assemblies includes wonderful moments, recalled Crowley. Perhaps one of the most special moments happened at an assembly where a second-grade girl sat on stage in front the student body as her long hair was cut for the charity Locks of Love.

The other students were in awe and remained completely and spontaneously silent as her hair was braided and cut by a stylist, Crowley said.

That little girl set a wonderful example, added Crowley. Other students have since told me that they too will give their hair to Locks for Love.

David Smith is principal at McMillan Elementary School in Murray, Utah. He recalled working with his special education team to develop a plan for one particular student who was having a lot of difficulty reading.

As we talked with the parents, it quickly became apparent that a significant part of the difficulty was motivation, Smith recalled. This boy was just not motivated to read in class or fulfill reading assignments out of class.

In that meeting, Smith asked some questions about the boys interests. The parents got pretty animated about all the things he got excited about. Anything to do with science, in particular, really turned him on.

I talked with the parents about letting him read what he wanted to, Smith continued. We talked about letting him read non-fiction, comic books, whatever, as long as he made the choice and he was excited about it. I told the parents that they might even look into science fiction. I talked about my favorite sci-fi series, Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and its sequels, and they said they'd give it a try.

Then Smith didn't hear anything more from either the boy or his parents until the last day of school when the boy walked into his office, handed him a little gift, and said, Thanks for telling me about Ender's Game. It is my favorite book. Now I'm ready to read all the others in the series.

This young man had previously been reading about 1- grade levels low, and now he was reading and loving Ender's Game, which is written well above his grade level.

After he left I got a little lump in my throat. I felt grateful for parents who listened and for how the advice given had worked. That felt great!

For principal Addie Gaines, the idea of making a difference is her daily motivation. It is what makes my job worthwhile, Gaines told Education World. It is that motivation that makes Gaines a regular presence in the classrooms of Kirbyville (Missouri) Elementary School. And it is there, in one of those classrooms, that Gaines heard a little girl with an expressive voice reading Froggy's First Kiss to no one in particular.

When she noticed I was listening, she stopped, but I said, "Oh, keep reading! I want to listen to you. That is why I sat here." And the little, expressive voice continued reading, occasionally slowing to figure out a word but reading mostly with confidence and enjoyment. When she finished, I told her that I was so impressed about how much she had grown as a reader. I recalled when she used to barely be able to read little three-letter words, and now she could read a whole story with such expression that it was fun to listen to her. She beamed and appeared to feel really good about herself as a reader.

If the story ended there, it would be a pretty good story, but, as Gaines tells it, the story gets better.

Several days later, the little, expressive voice was translated into written communication in the form of a valentine card -- first-grade spelling and all -- that thanked me for listening to her read and for saying that she reads better.

That child probably doesn't even realize the value of the gift she gave back to me that day. Educators don't often get the opportunity to really see the impact of some of the little things we do. Moments like that remind us of our significance and provide encouragement to keep doing those little things -- both intentionally and serendipitously -- because they do matter, even when we don't see their effect.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Education World: Principals Share: Best Ideas for Next School Year...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Best Thing About This Year... So what was the best thing to happen in your school this past school year?

# data[].attributes.headline
8 Top Tips for Highly Effective PD | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
8 Top Tips for Highly Effective PD | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Use What You Are Teaching

If a method of teaching works, that method should be used for teaching the teachers in your PD sessions. For example, if you're teaching cooperative learning but you're lecturing about it, that's undermining the message. Teachers notice what you do, so model what you're teaching by teaching with it. If you don't have enough time to use the methods that work, then you've just given an out to the teachers who will say that they don't have enough time to do it either.

2. Develop Something That You'll Use Right Away

The best PD classes had us teachers create lesson plans that we could use within two weeks of completing that class.

3. Use the Lesson and Receive Feedback

Then, using a rubric created for the class, we would try out the lesson we'd created in our PD session less than two weeks ago and receive feedback from a trained administrator or a peer. If you wait to implement, you'll never implement.

4. Improve and Level Up With Another Lesson

After receiving feedback, teachers worked on another lesson. This approach of lesson design, lesson performance, and feedback is powerful. Not surprisingly, important features found in a recent study included integrating new knowledge, learning together with colleagues, and being actively engaged in meaningful discussions ( van den Bergh, Ros, and Beijaard, 2015).

5. Local Responsibility and Buy-In

"Drive-by training" is rarely helpful. Without local acceptance, accountability, and follow up, teachers leave the PD class with continuing education units and not much else. Someone on staff needs to have responsibility for making sure that teachers use the technique and receive feedback in a way consistent with the class. Be sure that this person attends the class and takes part.

Ken Blanchard says in Leading at a Higher Level (p.213):

People often resent change when they have no involvement in how it should be implemented. So, contrary to popular belief, people don't resist change -- they resist being controlled.

6. Long-Term Focus

PD should fit in with the long-term vision for a school or district. Some teachers groan about their district's "technology du jour" approach. Like the soup of the week, some districts don't know which technology or technique they want implemented. It takes time to learn, practice, and improve teaching. With too many different initiatives, it can send mixed messages and frustrate teachers. Fit PD into the long-term plan.

7. Good Timing

Fifteen years ago, I showed to up to train teachers how to use technology in their classrooms. As I walked on campus, I heard these words come over the speaker:

We have scheduled training for today after school. If you do not come, your contract will not be renewed. No excuses!

These angry teachers didn't know about the class (set up for months, by the way). They had their own children to pick up, and it was near the end of the school year. This was a horrific situation that happens all too often.

When teachers are in the midst of testing, let them focus on testing. I'm not sure why some state conferences insist on keeping their dates even when they know that their mandatory state testing will happen that week. If we want highly effective PD, the teachers need to be there in body and mind. While it is harder and harder to find a time that someone isn't testing, it can be done.

8. Empower Peer Collaboration

A great untapped potential lies in our ability to teach one another. Some teachers are curating Pinterest boards and sharing ideas, but we can do more. This past summer, our teachers hosted a personal learning community (PLC) and read Harry Wong's The First Days of School. We met for lunch three times and taught the chapters to each other. It was one of the best training classes I've ever attended -- and we did it ourselves!

Professional development is a vital part of improving your technique as a teacher. Learning best practices and practicing best practices are both important. You can make a school better by improving its teachers. Effective PD can do that.

Please share your ideas. What makes highly effective PD?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If a method of teaching works, that method should be used for teaching the teachers in your PD sessions. For example, if you're teaching cooperative learning but you're lecturing about it, that's undermining the message. Teachers notice what you do, so model what you're teaching by teaching with it.

# data[].attributes.headline
99 Simple Things That Will Help You Build Trust and Credibility | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.subject
99 Simple Things That Will Help You Build Trust and Credibility | Inc.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Trust is the most valuable asset and the most precious resource. It allows for vulnerability and honesty. When there is trust, it will affect every area of your life, business and personal.

When there is no trust, it affects you, hurts you and ends up costing you.

Trust usually takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair.

If you want to succeed, you need to be concerned with cultivating trust and credibility.

Here are 99 ways to do that.

1. Lead by example. Your strongest testimonial is your own personal example. You must first and foremost lead yourself and show behaviors of trust--only then can others rely on you.

2. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Build up a reputation of being direct and forthright, so people don't have to guess at what you're trying to say. (This doesn't grant a license to be unkind, though.)

3. Show commitment. When you honor what you say, people will trust you. If you cannot keep a commitment, be open and honest about the reason and try to find a way to make it up to the other party.

4. Share your character. People will be more likely to trust you when they know your convictions.

5. Follow through on your promises. Keeping your promises lets people know they can count on you.

6. Manage complexity. Take time to explore issues that might be too narrowly defined. Always make what is complicated simple.

7. Have integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing even though no one is watching. Integrity is making sure that what you say and what you do are aligned.

8. Clarify expectations. State what you expect from others clearly. Research shows that 80 percent of conflict arises from unclear expectations.

9. Be competent. The difference between competence and incompetence is demonstrated in actions. Work constantly on improving your skills so you can stay on top of your game.

10. Find common ground. Even in an adversarial relationship, if you can find a little common ground you'll have something to build on.

11. Be authentic. To be authentic is a daily practice of letting go of who you think you're supposed to be and embracing who you are. If you can find the authentic part of yourself and embrace it, others will follow suit.

12. Eliminate ambiguity. Ambiguity is the enemy of trust. Uncertainty and mystery breed distrust.

13. Know yourself. Always operate with self-awareness and integrity.

14. Care for people around you. People trust those who demonstrate caring toward others.

15. Do the right thing. Let people see you doing what is right. It's better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing.

16. Learn by listening. To be trusted, make time to learn from others. Listening is the stepping stone to learning.

17. Keep perspective. Put important things first and keep perspective. Most of what we hear is opinion and perspective, not facts and absolute truth. Keep that distinction in mind to build credibility.

18. Act in the best interest of others. When people believe you are truly acting in their best interest, they tend to trust you.

19. Live by strengths. Strength lives in difference, not in similarities. Showcase your strength to build trust.

20. Cultivate confidence. Confidence is the ability to feel certain when times are uncertain. Trust begins when a person has confidence; it earns credibility and offers assurance.

21. Don't gossip. Do not gossip. Period. Do not talk about others behind their backs, ever! There is nothing good about gossiping, and nothing kills your credibility and integrity faster.

22. Take ownership. When you take ownership of your mistakes and learn from them, you prove that you can be trusted.

23. Be yourself. As the old saying goes, everyone else is already taken. Don't change who you are to please other people--because at the end of the day, to earn trust is to be yourself.

24. Be curious. Resist taking over conversation or trying to immediately solve the issue. Stay curious and ask questions. Curiosity is the compass that leads us to closer connections.

25. Be straightforward. People do not like or trust people who play games. Be direct and straightforward and you will gain credibility.

26. Praise people. Create opportunities to praise people. People trust those who recognize them and appreciate them.

27. Guard your reputation. It takes many trusted actions and good deeds to build a good reputation and only one bad choice or action to lose trust.

28. Keep secrets. If someone tells you something in confidence, keep it to yourself. Knowing how to keep secrets lets others know they can trust you.

29. Stand for something. Know what you stand for and live by those principles.

30. Be accessible. People who are not accessible seem less trustworthy to others.

31. Model the behavior you expect from others. If you want to see trust from others, you have to first model it yourself.

32. Remember names. People like it when you know their names--it shows attention and caring and leads to trust.

33. Don't interrupt. When you interrupt, you are telling everyone that what you have to say is more important than what anyone else has to say. Listen instead.

34. Don't fidget. Be aware of your body movements. Minimize leg shakes, body shifts, and hand fidgets. It's harder to trust someone who seems nervous or anxious.

35. Express your feelings. People who convey only hard facts come across as cold and distant. This does not encourage trust.

36. Vulnerability is the new strength. Trust builds when you open up. Don't hide your human side--that's the side that people connect to.

37. Look people in the eye. If you're constantly shifting your eyes, it makes people suspicious of you.

38. Underpromise. So you can overdeliver.

39. Be consistent. Don't keep changing your opinions or views. Consistency builds trust.

40. Bring out the best in others. Make people important to you and be interested in what they can accomplish.

41. Remove distractions. Focused attention earns trust, so turn off your phone, close your computer, and do all that you can to give your undivided attention.

42. Value accountability. It is not only what we do but also what we do not do for which we are accountable. When we accept accountability we are taking responsibility for our actions.

43. Don't be late. Honor time--your own and that of others. It shows you respect them, and respect leads to trust.

44. Value differences. Trust is based in differences and seeing things in new ways.

45. Show empathy. Empathy must precede advice if people are to trust you.

46. Be understanding. Seek first to understand, and then to be understood.

47. Acknowledge other people's efforts. If people are making an effort, make the effort to acknowledge them.

48. Be relevant. Showcase your capabilities and constantly improve on your skill set.

49. Be honest. Honesty really is always the best policy.

50. Be open-minded. Foster a climate in which people will share their ideas and be open to each other.

51. Celebrate diversity. Diversity is Different Individuals Valuing Each other Regardless of Skin and Intellect, Talent, or Y ears.

52. Be tolerant. People will be more likely to tolerant you when they know you are willing to be tolerant toward them.

53. Don't take people for granted. Letting people know you value them is the foundation of trust.

54. Take your time. Take time when making decisions and think before acting too quickly.

55. Share information. Don't hoard information but share it readily. Sharing earns credibility.

56. Don't lie. One small lie can destroy all trust.

57. Be emotionally intelligent. Acknowledge feelings and show empathy. People will trust you more when they feel that you understand them.

58. Communicate effectively. Concise clear communication is the cornerstone for great trust.

59. Don't cover up bad news. Tell people what they need to hear and don't cover it up. You will earn trust even if the news is bad.

60. Add value. Work on adding value for others to all that you do.

61. Take responsibility. When something goes wrong, take responsibly and own your mistakes. We trust people who are responsible.

62. Good intentions go a long way. Even if things don't go as planned, working from high ideals puts you in a good light.

63. Respect others. Treat everyone with respect--especially those who cannot do anything for you.

64. Perform small acts of kindness. No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. Even if no one else sees it, it will change your own heart.

65. Focus on delivering. You don't get results by focusing on results; you get results by focusing on the actions that produce results.

66. Be congruent. Congruency between what you say and what you do is the key to a trusting relationship.

67. Inspire confidence in others. It's said there are two ways of spreading confidence--one is to inspire confidence, and the other is to reflect it. Either way, it will earn you trust.

68. Speak from the heart. Always speak from the heart. It is the words that are spoken genuinely that earn you trust.

69. Be an active listener. The person who knows how to listen is the person who will always be trusted.

70. Don't abuse privileges. Build trust by embracing your privileges with gratitude and a willingness to share, not by not abusing them.

71. Remove irregularities. When behavior is regular it creates stability. Irregularities create distrust.

72. Give feedback. Feedback is a gift, although we don't often think of it that way. Learners need feedback more than they need endless teaching. Model your own openness to feedback.

73. Give credit. Don't take all the credit for yourself. The more credit you give to others, the more trust they will give to you.

74. Admit mistakes. Let people know you are not perfect and you mess up from time to time. You are human.

75. Be transparent. Truth never damages a relationship if the motivation of transparency is to be candid and the truth is expressed in kindness.

76. Accept criticism. You must be well prepared to take on criticism and learn to improve; those who listen and learn are more credible.

77. Give without being asked. Most people keep score--I give x, so I should get y. To earn trust, you have to give without being asked.

78. Be genuine. Genuine people do not come around very often; when they do you, can trust them.

79. Trust your gut. If you feel something is wrong, trust that feeling. People trust those who trust themselves.

80. Don't be disloyal. Being disloyal is one of the best ways to demonstrate that you are not trustworthy.

81. Make people matter more. Value long-term relationships more than short-term success.

82. Remove any masks. When you don't have to wear a mask, you can honestly be true to yourself.

83. Be capable. Because capable people are credible, they inspire trust.

84. Make a difference. Trust matters when you are trying to make a difference.

85. Avoid the gap. Without trust there is a huge gap. Take any action you can, small or large, to close it.

86. Help people whenever you can. If you want to build trust, be of service to others. When you serve, you earn trust.

87. Don't blame others. When things go wrong, the last thing you want to do is point fingers. People will be watching you, and they will trust you when you take ownership.

88. Give compliments. Be generous with your compliments, and be specific.

89. Don't try to be perfect. There is no such thing as perfect. Be human, because perfect doesn't exist and trying to be perfect usually comes across as fishy.

90. Be a friend. Treat everyone with the same love and care you would give your best friend.

91. Be fair. Treat people fairly, always.

92. Do everything with excellence. Never compromise on your work or words. Do everything with excellence and let people know you live by high standards.

93. Celebrate TEAMwork. Let your motto be "Together Everyone Achieves More."

94. Make trust a daily habit. Build trust by making a daily habit of trusting and being trustworthy.

95. Get personal. One way to build trust is to encourage your team members to see their colleagues as people. Think about creating situations that help them share personal stories and bond.

96. Go above and beyond the call of duty. Going the extra mile is a great strategy for building trust.

97. Discourage clichés. Avoid them--they can undermine trust.

98. Value long-term relationships, not short-term connections. Trust is built on fostering strong caring relationships.

99. See beyond yourself. The most trusted people see beyond themselves. They help others see beyond the visible. They think of the unthinkable and take you there with them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
99 Simple Things That Will Help You Build Trust and Credibility

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Trust is the most valuable asset and the most precious resource. It allows for vulnerability and honesty. When there is trust, it will affect every area of your life, business and personal. When there is no trust, it affects you, hurts you and ends up costing you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inspire your employees & workplace. Help your team care more about their work and each other. Short motivating books, videos, drinkware & reminders to hand out.

# data[].attributes.headline
(1) Kid President Asks "What Makes an Awesome Leader?" - YouTube

# data[].attributes.subject
(1) Kid President Asks "What Makes an Awesome Leader?" - YouTube

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kid President Asks "What Makes an Awesome Leader?"

# data[].attributes.headline
(1) Leadership and effective collaboration. - YouTube

# data[].attributes.subject
(1) Leadership and effective collaboration. - YouTube

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The first question to ask is, do you all like each other? Team members who like each other are more likely to work together and help each other when the game is on the line. Develop depth in this area by creating connecting moments in which people can get to know and appreciate each other more.

# data[].attributes.headline
Building Empathetic Relationships with the Parents of Your Most Challenging Student | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Building Empathetic Relationships with the Parents of Your Most Challenging Student | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teacher relationships with parents can be tense: we educate other people's children, and miscommunication, lack of understanding and empathy, and misaligned values can all contribute to relational challenges. However, it is one of our most important roles as educators to engage empathetically with even the most challenging family relationships. We do our best work for students when we educate the whole child, and the whole child includes that child's parents, family or caregivers. Just as with our students, authentic and caring relationships are the foundation to a safe and caring school environment.

All these this is especially true with the parents or caregivers of our most challenging students. Sometimes when we are frustrated with students' behavior, it can be easy to blame a student's home life, be exasperated that family expectations are different than those in school, or feel that parents "just don't care." It's a fact that challenges at home often translate into challenges at school, but that fact sets our work in motion rather than halting it. To make change, we must partner with families and caregivers. With the parents of the students who challenge us the most, we must in turn challenge ourselves to reach for empathy and curiosity instead of blame.

Here are a few ways to spark connection and empathy with the parents of your most challenging student.
"What is amazing about your child?"
This is especially important to ask if you are feeling frustrated or hopeless about a student's progress on a regular basis. Challenge yourself to really listen to families about the special and amazing things about their children, even (and especially!) the things that have nothing to do with academics. These interests, strengths and passions might be the key to your own development of positive relationship with that student.

What happens if a parent shrugs or sighs and says, "nothing, nothing is amazing about my child"? You'll find this to be a pretty rare response, and if you hear it, use it as a clue that the parent in question likely needs more support and may be feeling equally frustrated, burned out or overwhelmed. If you notice yourself feeling judgemental of a parent's commentary about their child, ask more questions: be curious and dig in about how the caregiver may be feeling and what context might surround this, rather than making assumptions.
"What has school been like for your child in the years before this? What was school like for you?"
When my student has a parent who seems disengaged, angry or fearful in our interactions, it's a clue to me that something feels not okay about our interactions. Sometimes this is about me - I may be communicating in a way that doesnt work for that family - but sometimes it can be about what "school" means for that person, family, or culture. Maybe my student's mom had a really negative experience with a teacher and doesn't trust me to do something different for her child. Maybe my student's sibling is struggling and the family isn't getting the support they need from the district. Or maybe my student's family doesn't trust institutions in general, and schools specifically.

I need to own not only my own actions but my role as a representative of the institution of school and find ways to build bridges and rewrite negative scripts. Hearing a history of my student's and their family's experience of school might shed some light on where we can start.
"How can I help?"
As a teacher, it isn't your role to solve all of your students' family's challenges, but as human beings, we can be in service to one another by offering caring outreach. If my student is struggling because she's hungry every morning, it may not be my role to solve her family's food insecurity, but it is absolutely my role to make a connection between that family and a local food shelf, social service agency, or the school counselor. An extra phone call or email may only take a few minutes out of my day, but may make a world of difference as a gesture of care.

Additionally, we must model vulnerability and be willing to really hear if what a parent needs is for us to change our classroom practice. When we communicate that it's okay to question our methods, collaborate on our practices, and problem-solve together, we invite further conversation. If we shut down suggestions by saying, "I'm the teacher and I know best" - either through our words or our actions - then we are very clearly communicating that we don't actually want parent involvement. Instead, we can at minimum test out strategies or approaches parents offer. Sometimes, these end up being some of the best classroom experiences!
"I care about your child and I care about you. I won't give up on you or your child."
Make sure students, families, and caregivers know without a doubt that you care and that you won't give up. Even when you don't have a solution to a challenge, say "I don't know, but I want to work together to figure it out." This is especially important in moments of conflict and tension.

During a tense phone call with a student's parent, I reminded myself to slow down, take a deep breath, and say out loud to her: "It might not feel like it while we're having this conversation, but I really care about your daughter and think she's funny, brilliant and so capable. I have hope that she will persevere, and that we can work on it together." That moment shifted the tone of our conversation and our relationship. We reminded one another why we were there, and in service of the student as a whole child, we moved forward together.
The Big Picture
Relationships with our students' parents, families and caregivers aren't easy because human relationships aren't easy. If you read these questions and immediately think, "those parents can't..." or "those parents won't...," challenge yourself to increase your compassion and remind yourself that building trust takes time. When we approach with an empathetic stance, we can move more effectively toward caring and reciprocal relationships that benefit the students we teach.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Building Empathetic Relationships with the Parents of Your Most Challenging Student | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teacher relationships with parents can be tense: we educate other people's children, and miscommunication, lack of understanding and empathy, and misaligned values can all contribute to relational challenges. However, it is one of our most important roles as educators to engage empathetically with even the most challenging family relationships.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why Discipline Should Be Aligned With A School’s Learning Philosophy | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.subject
Why Discipline Should Be Aligned With A School’s Learning Philosophy | MindShift | KQED News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
iStock

After school one day, a middle school girl got physically aggressive with one of her peers while still on school property. At some schools she would have been suspended or expelled for assaulting another student, but High Tech Middle Chula Vista is experimenting with restorative practices. So, instead of taking that typical disciplinary step, school leaders called the two students and their families in for a meeting, where they discussed what had led up to the point where she boiled over and lashed out.

"It was incredibly deep and emotional," said Rhea Brown, a recent graduate of the High Tech High Graduate School of Education, who was working in the school at the time. Not only were the students able to talk through the underlying issues of the fight, but the student who would have been suspended ended up feeling reconnected to the school community, not alienated. And, she became a big advocate for restorative practices, often pushing students in conflict to meet with the social and emotional coach to work out their problems.

"Our approach really kept her as part of the community and really valued the strengths she was bringing, and honored what she was going through as a person," Brown said. She could easily have been labeled troublemaker, but instead the experience turned her into a peacemaker.

Pedagogy builds culture, just as discipline practices can teach skills.

Chula Vista has been experimenting with restorative practice for the past few years in a grass-roots way. It's not the official discipline policy of the school, and when the occasion merits it, school leaders will suspend students. But some teachers are interested in shifting the way adults and teachers handle discipline to better match the student-centered, collaborative ways students learn in Chula Vista classrooms.

Schools in the High Tech High network have become well-known for their project-based approach to school. Students work collaboratively most of the time, following a line of inquiry and producing artifacts of learning as varied as the students in any class. Often called " deeper learning, " teachers in this model are trying to make sure content feels relevant to students and that the work they create makes an authentic impact on the world.

"With deeper learning you're aiming to get your kids digging into things, getting them engaged, getting them to invest in their learning, taking it over and being in charge," said Brown. "So when your idea of discipline doesn't match that, it's really tough for kids."

The mismatch between the independent, student-driven pedagogy of the school and the message sent by traditional discipline is part of the reason Chula Vista has been trying to shift toward restorative practices.

"It's awesome to watch kids make pretty big mistakes, but then instead of that defining them, it's really about what's going on with this kid and how can we support them in making better decisions," Brown said. The school staff is trying to see interpersonal and behavior mistakes in the same way they'd frame academic mistakes - opportunities to learn and grow. A behavior version of growth mindset, so to speak.

Sarah Fine, a doctoral candidate at Harvard's School of Education and a visiting scholar at High Tech High Graduate School, wrote about the close parallels she has observed, between restorative practices where students lead the accountability process and environments where powerful learning is happening, in an Education Week blog post. Fine writes:

"It wasn't until I interviewed the vice principal who had taken the video that I realized just how deep these parallels run. In describing her journey toward becoming a restorative educator, she talked not only about needing to master new practices but also about needing to unlearn deeply-rooted habits of control. 'One of the lessons I've learned in implementing restorative circles is that when I insert myself the focus is no longer on the relationships among the kids or the social-emotional learning,' she said. 'And it can be so hard to do...you've got to have an open agenda, not a closed one, and you've got to be patient. You've got to get it out of your mind what you want them to say.'

Listening to her speak, I had an intense sense of déja-vu. The vice principal's descriptions echoed countless interviews I have conducted in which teachers have described their transition from traditional to more student-centered, constructivist, and/or critical pedagogies. As I reflected further, I realized that the parallels between these pedagogies and alternative discipline models can be explained by a set of shared underlying assumptions: a desire to draw out students' experiences and perspectives, a belief in the capacity of students to take the reins when provided with the right tools and support, an attentiveness to the fact that learning is often social in nature, and an easing of the traditionally top-down relationships between educators and those in their charge."

Fine argues that just as academic work is more powerful when it is organized around a shared vision with internal coherence, so too school culture requires coherence. Pedagogy builds culture, just as discipline practices can teach skills.

"Culture is being enacted at every moment in the classroom when you're talking about academic content or when you're talking about what Jose did when he threw a paper airplane," Fine said.

While schools tend to treat academics and discipline as two siloed areas, with separate staff and credentials to handle them, in reality "the boundaries are more porous than lots of people think," Fine said. Educators working hard to transform their instructional approaches might be simultaneously undermining the message that they believe kids can solve problems, learn from mistakes and be productive members of the community every time a behavior issues arises.

"The most powerful restorative conferences I've seen have a lot of learning going on," Fine said. What's more, the lessons are entirely developmentally appropriate and important to young people, especially adolescents. They are constantly thinking about how they interact with the world, how they confront power, how they wield it and who they want to become.
GETTING AT THE ROOT CAUSE
Many big school districts have been trying to implement restorative practices in response to inequitable suspension numbers. While those inequities are important to document and imperative to reduce, a blanket restorative justice policy from the district without extensive training and buy-in from teachers often backfires. Without the traditional toolbox to fall back on, but with no real new tools either, teachers and administrators are stuck in the middle and might even continue to suspend without documenting it.

"If you're implementing restorative justice just to get your suspensions down, then you're not getting at the root of why you're suspending kids in the first place or the issues going on that are leading to suspensions," Brown said.

Getting at the root cause of the many conflicts in schools takes a lot of work, much of it preventative. At Chula Vista, teachers are each approaching this challenge in their own way. Some teachers choose to teach various social and emotional skills directly through class circles. As a group they discuss qualities like kindness and why it's important. Others handle issues as they arise, working on conflict resolution skills when students get involved in altercations. Since most work at High Tech High is done in groups, and group members inevitably have problems with one another, teachers do a lot of working through what it means to be a good group member on the fly.

"A lot of it comes down to a kid's sense of belonging in the school," Brown said. Most kids act out when they're not feeling good about something that's going on in their life or at school. Focusing on creating a community where students feel cared for and safe goes a long way to making them believe restorative practices can solve their problems. But even with a focused effort on prevention, and constant work to build a school culture of care and belonging, Chula Vista administrators still sometimes suspend kids.

"What's different is even if we do end up suspending kids, there's still a ton of restorative pieces we do," Brown said. Chula Vista staff have gotten a lot of feedback from students that one of the biggest challenges is re-entering the community after a separation or even after a restorative circle. So when a student comes back from a suspension, school staff make sure to welcome her back to the community. They also debrief things she could tell her classmates about where she has been, and sometimes even have a circle with the whole class to address the point directly.

"Overwhelmingly, our kids have expressed this idea of appreciation that they were able to make things right and move on from the incident," Brown said. Parents also appreciate the process, although it does take more involvement on their part. Brown said she's noticed that parents who are used to traditional school discipline often don't bring up home issues that might affect their child's school life. But if a parent has been involved in the restorative process, she will be more likely to preemptively communicate about ongoing home issues.

RESTORATIVE PRACTICES: EASY TO SAY, TOUGH TO DO

It's not easy to switch discipline policies toward restorative practices. Without a lot of training and practice, as well as a fundamental cultural shift toward communication and trust between teachers and students, it's hard to get both adults and students to buy into something different. But school leaders that have committed to the practice, and hired staff who are committed to it, too, say it makes a huge difference.

"I think the success of restorative justice in this school is teachers really understanding the effects of trauma," said Godwin Higa, principal of Cherokee Point Elementary in San Diego. Principal Higa's school is one of very high needs. His staff often sends food bundles home with children who don't get enough to eat over the weekend, and students come to school with all kinds of trauma that they act out in the classroom. And yet, Cherokee Point is a school visited by educators from around the country.

"The biggest thing they notice when they look at instruction, not behavior, is student engagement," Higa said. "Students are jumping up and asking questions and modeling strategies for other students. The engagement we're talking about is how students are responding to your higher-level questioning." He says this academic behavior stems from the children feeling safe and the trust teachers have built with them.

Even offenses that would get a child suspended or expelled at another school are handled in-house at Cherokee Point because every educator in that building understands the question is not, "what's wrong with this child?" but rather, "what has happened to this child?"

Higa believes restorative practices are a good intervention, but without the trauma-informed lens, restorative work can easily become a series of meaningless steps. He's also clear that nothing good comes from suspending kids, either for the perpetrator or the victim. Often no real lesson is learned and social pressures on the victim can become even worse.

The whole premise of restorative practices, on the other hand, is to help the victimizer see what she did was wrong, to see the human cost of her actions. And when adults give students space and time to come to that realization, they say beautiful things. "They come out with some really great stuff after they realize what they did wrong," Higa said.

Fundamentally, students won't learn if they don't feel safe. And restorative practices alone might not be enough to make students realize school is not like home, Higa said. He admits the approach he advocates takes time, but when done right he has watched kids come alive.

"[Some educators] don't realize that once the kids start feeling safe and wanting to learn, the academics will come so beautifully," Higa said.

Why Discipline Should Be Aligned With A School's Learning Philosophy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Discipline Should Be Aligned With A School's Learning Philosophy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After school one day, a middle school girl got physically aggressive with one of her peers while still on school property. At some schools she would have been suspended or expelled for assaulting another student, but High Tech Middle Chula Vista is experimenting with restorative practices.

# data[].attributes.headline
52 Leadership Promises for Every Week of the Year - Lolly Daskal | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.subject
52 Leadership Promises for Every Week of the Year - Lolly Daskal | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here's a promise for every single week, following them through will end up changing your leadership and your life.
There are some things every leader wants: to make an impact, to empower those we care about, professionally and personally, to be worthy of the challenges entrusted to us and to carry them out with integrity and passion.

Make these promises, and then do everything in your power to keep them.

1. I promise to identify vision, mission, and purpose.

2. I promise to keep developing and improving.

3. I promise to lead with character and conviction.

4. I promise to lead with authenticity and vulnerability.

5. I promise to stay on course and not cut corners.

6. I promise to lead with humility.

7. I promise to accept responsibility and be accountable.

8. I promise to make others' growth as important as mine.

9. I promise to communicate concisely and speak with candor.

10. I promise to encourage creativity and embrace innovation.

11. I promise to listen and be silent when others speak.

12. I promise to ask questions and listen to the answers.

13. I promise to stretch myself and grow others as a leader.

14. I promise to simplify things and make things easier for those around me.

15. I promise to take risks and be flexible.

16. I promise not to deceive or betray.

17. I promise to give feedback and honest praise.

18. I promise to do my best and bring excellence to each moment.

19. I promise to see things through in tough times.

20. I promise to care enough to confront when it's needed.

21. I promise to lead with integrity and high standards.

22. I promise to say only what I mean and mean only what I say.

23. I promise to prioritize what is important and make it meaningful.

24. I promise to be a mentor and coach.

25. I promise not to take anything for granted and to grant all that I can.

26. I promise to stand beside my team.

27. I promise to have my team's back and watch over them.

28. I promise to care for my team and pay attention.

29. I promise to be transparent and trustworthy.

30. I promise to be of service and supportive.

31. I promise not to make assumptions or pass judgment.

32. I promise to do not what is easy but what is right

33. I promise to lead with decisiveness and purpose.

34. I promise to lead with the kind of enthusiasm that breeds achievement.

35. I promise to build great teams and productive systems.

36. I promise not to hold meetings just for the sake of holding meetings.

37. I promise not compromise my high standards or to cause others to compromise theirs.

38. I promise to always have an open mind and open heart.

39. I promise to appreciate my time and to value the time of those around me.

40. I promise to give latitude instead of direction.

41. I promise to know where I am going and to take my team with me.

42. I promise to always bring my highest potential instead of a narrow perspective.

43. I promise to choose my battles wisely.

44. I promise to appreciate the underappreciated.

45. I promise to lead with empowerment and inspiration.

46. I promise to do what I can to make my team's workplace easier and more organized.

47. I promise to expand and grow those around me as leaders.

48. I promise to lead with bravery and courage.

49. I promise to do what I can to make my team's life better.

50. I promise not only to lead but also to follow.

51. I promise to make love a verb.

52. I promise to lead with heart.

Lead From Within: A promise a week- will accelerate your leadership to excellence.
Additional Reading:
Photo Credit: Getty Images

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
52 Leadership Promises for Every Week of the Year - Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here's a promise for every single week, following them through will end up changing your leadership and your life. There are some things every leader wants:

# data[].attributes.headline
Trust Matters. Learn How To Earn It and Keep It. - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.subject
Trust Matters. Learn How To Earn It and Keep It. - Lolly Daskal | Leadership | Lolly Daskal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The importance of trust is an emerging topic in business these days, showing up in advertisements, blogs, books and in articles. But unlike most buzzwords, trust is an enduring concept.

Trust matters because it is at the core of everything we do. With it, few things are out of reach; without it, leadership is meaningle ss.

Aristotle defines his concept of ethos, or trust, as comprising three attributes: first, intelligence and competence; second, character (that is, reliability and honesty); and third, goodwill.

These same elements of competence, reliability, honesty and consistency continue to form the foundation of trust. Cultivate these elements within yourself, and the trust of others will follow.

So how can you earn trust?

Be credible. Hold yourself to a high standard. No cutting corners, no coverups. Everything you do as a leader is transparent and as good as your word.

Be consistent. Constantly evaluate yourself, measuring your accomplishments and actions not against others but against your goals, your words, your beliefs.

Be competent. Insecure leaders may resort to bragging, but truly competent leaders allow their work to speak for itself. That means a commitment to learning and to building a base of experience.

Be connected. Connection is at the heart of trust-when you are connected you care about others, you communicate with them, you demonstrate the trust and respect you wish to receive.

And once you have trust, how can you keep it?

Be an example. Make sure your actions match your words and beliefs. Lead by example, instructing others through consistency, competency and communication.

Speak the truth. When the topic is difficult, when circumstance are challenging-that is when the truth is most important. When you speak from truth, you deepen respect.

Lead with integrity. Make sure you keep your actions congruent with your values and your words. That consistency is what integrity is made of.

Be accountable. Don't hide your mistakes or make excuses. Be accountable for your actions and let everyone see you learn from them.

Help others succeed. Become an advocate for others and work for the advancement of those around you. When you help others succeed, learn and grow, you will not only earn trust but you will keep it for a long time.

Trust is at the heart of everything you do, the foundation of every relationship-with employees, colleagues, partners, family and friends- able to capitalize on what matters most.

Lead From Within: Trust is what matters most, and building trust requires an open mind, open heart and open will.

[box]Lolly Daskal is the president and founder of Lead From Within a consulting firm specializing in executive coaching and customized leadership programs. Connect with [/box]
Additional Reading
Photo Credit: Getty Images

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Trust Matters. Learn How To Earn It and Keep It. - Lolly Daskal | Leadership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The importance of trust is an emerging topic in business these days, showing up in advertisements, blogs, books and in articles. But unlike most buzzwords, trust is an enduring concept. Trust matters because it is at the core of everything we do. With it, few things are out of reach; without it, leadership is meaningle ss.