A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 17, 2022

Good leadership is, quite frankly, good leadership. During this time, I developed the Pillars of Digital Leadership and later authored the book around concepts that I found pivotal to the change process leading to transformation. Truth be told, there isn’t just one right way when it comes to leadership. Pay it forward.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 27, 2015

Boy did I have a warped sense of what leadership really was. Image credit: https://www.haikudeck.com/learn-how-to-lead-business-presentation-v1PwtVKCNQ Maybe the example above is not the best one to articulate my view of leadership, but then again maybe it is. There are many assumptions when it comes to leadership.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 28, 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the role of leadership is pivotal. The notion of educational leadership extends beyond administrative responsibilities; it embodies the vision, direction, and ethos of a learner-centric environment. Understanding the Role Leadership is about action.

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 10, 2019

Leadership is leadership. Leadership is both an art and a science with the goal of moving the masses towards achieving a common goal. Not only does it align with what we know about effective leadership, but it also reminds us to keep our focus on the important stuff. Own your mistakes, but don’t let them own you.

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A Principal's Reflections

MAY 14, 2017

Building people up is at the heart of empathetic leadership.” - @E_Sheninger No significant relationship can exist without trust. So how does this connect to leadership? In my opinion, empathy should be a core component of curriculum in schools and the culture of any organization. “ It is easy to knock people down.

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 18, 2024

The ability to prioritize is paramount for effective leadership. Educators develop a sense of direction and purpose when priorities align with the overall mission and vision, something I elaborate on in Digital Leadership. Shifting from a focus on management to pedagogical leadership requires a reprioritization of time.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 28, 2019

Back in 2009, I began calling for an evolved construct of leadership that would better serve schools in meeting the diverse needs of learners and stakeholders alike. Digital leadership is all about people and how their collective actions aligned with new thinking, ideas, and tools can help to build cultures primed for success.

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A Principal's Reflections

JULY 26, 2015

Image credit: [link] Without further ado: Leadership is not a popularity contest. A testament to true leadership is one's ability to not just initiate change, but also sustain it. A testament to true leadership is one's ability to not just initiate change, but also sustain it. If you don't tell your story someone else will.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

A culture of acceptance and respect can reap the rewards for all stakeholders. As I shared in Digital Leadership , if you have to “sell” people on doing things differently or accepting a mandate, chances are your staff will never see the benefit of the change. Everyone wants to feel that they belong where they work.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 18, 2021

Cultures of excellence are created and fostered when feedback is used to commend effort while providing considerations for growth regularly. However, once feedback is prioritized and consistently provided, the stage is set for a culture of excellence. Most educators need and want feedback to grow.

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 14, 2016

Instead of enabling the status quo to dictate the learning culture of a school, critical reflection is employed to disrupt professional practice in order to grow and improve. Leaders who choose to go against the flow ask these critical questions about their school culture: How well are we meeting the needs of today’s learner?

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 7, 2019

Success lies in a shared ownership approach to design relevant cultures of learning. Herein lies the vital role leaders play in designing relevant cultures of learning. Creating relevant cultures of learning is the responsibility of all who serve kids, not just teachers in the classroom.

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 1, 2015

Image credit: [link] The right culture focuses on technology as a tool to enhance learning in a variety of ways. As with any holistic initiative, the key is sustainability and a resulting change that sees all aspects of digital learning become an embedded component of school culture. This is a problem.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 4, 2016

Instructional leadership was a routine part of the job along with the budget, master schedule, curriculum development, meetings, email, phone calls, and many other duties. With the evolution of social media yet another responsibility was added to my plate in the form of digital leadership.

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 28, 2018

Leadership is far from a science. Since effective leadership means different things to different people, I wanted to dive a little deeper into this debate to glean a better understanding as to what great leaders do. Image credit Whether you are more on the side of art or leadership is beside the point.

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A Principal's Reflections

MAY 20, 2018

“ Leadership has less to do with position than it does disposition.” – John Maxwell I am currently working on a new edition of Digital Leadership for Corwin and I am very excited, as it will be in color. A great deal has changed since Digital Leadership was published in 2014. What should be removed?

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 20, 2024

" Leadership clarity is the light that cuts through the fog of uncertainty, guiding others toward a clear and purposeful path." While putting out fires comes with the territory, the real work lies in developing a learning culture prioritizing relationships and student outcomes. The “why” always matters.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

This is what instructional leadership is all about. Below are some strategies that I utilized to help create a culture where there was accountability for growth. When focused on promoting growth, accountability can help to create a culture of excellence while helping all learners achieve success.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 20, 2022

How would one define great leadership? I am sure that each of you reading this post can develop a quick list of critical characteristics or behaviors that one must utilize to help move people to where they need to be to improve culture and performance. Leadership is a lot like a Swiss Army Knife. It's meant to be opened.

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A Principal's Reflections

JULY 16, 2017

In many cultures the status quo is so entrenched that shifting mindsets and behaviors can be daunting. With so much disruption, new generations and a hyper-connected world where information is a commodity, the leadership paradigm has to shift. The industrial revolution model of command and control leadership is no longer effective."

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 28, 2022

Culture is everything. Establishing and maintaining relationships is paramount, which Is why I detailed research-based ways to improve morale in a previous post and in Digital Leadership. Windows and mirrors can be incredible metaphors when it comes to effective leadership. Windows and mirrors can be powerful leadership tools.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

These focused on topics such as school law, instructional leadership, change management, school finance, and curriculum development, among many others. Leadership is hard. Making decisions in a time of crisis is also a topic that is regularly explored in leadership courses. Initiating and sustaining change is even harder.

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 25, 2023

Leadership embodies consistent qualities and characteristics that remain unchanged while the tools, research, and societal shifts influencing the work have evolved. Leadership combines artistic and scientific elements, aiming to mobilize people toward a shared objective. Leadership is a collaborative endeavor.

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A Principal's Reflections

JULY 3, 2022

I shared the following in Digital Leadership : You won’t find an effective leader who isn’t an effective communicator. Former Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski shared the following: “Recognize that yours is not the only voice that your team wants or needs to hear, and be unselfish with your leadership.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 2, 2023

The advent of social media introduced yet another responsibility into my already packed schedule: digital leadership. As a school administrator, one must be proficient in many different areas, but it's essential to maintain sight of the most crucial aspect of the role: pedagogical leadership.

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 14, 2022

Thriving cultures that produce results make every effort to keep this on the positive side. Pile on the positive feedback Sometimes there is never enough of a good thing when it comes to building up culture. Listening is one of the best tools that can be leveraged to gather crucial information on the pulse of a culture.

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A Principal's Reflections

MAY 28, 2023

In my early days as an administrator, I thought that a positive school culture was one where strict rules were created and consistently enforced to keep students focused on learning. So what are the secrets to transforming school culture? The first step is to involve students in the process of creating a positive school culture.

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A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 2, 2014

Watching the video above is a painful reminder of my lack of leadership at one point. During the early years as a high school principal I worked terribly hard to sustain practices that had been ingrained into the school learning culture. The resulting culture focused squarely on the metrics that my stakeholders held dear.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 27, 2022

When it comes to leadership, there is no one right way or quick fix. From a learning standpoint, this requires a focus on pedagogical leadership , something I learned over time when I was a principal, which required taking a critical lens to my practice if I was going to help my staff do the same.

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 9, 2019

As such, teaching, learning, and leadership must change if growth and improvement are the goals. Here is where the Pillars of Digital Leadership come into play. Each of the seven outlined below are either embedded components of school culture or an element of professional practice that leaders already focus on (or should be).

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 19, 2022

While there are many challenging aspects when it comes to leadership, one that typically rises to the top is dealing with difficult personalities. Whatever that might be, discovering the root cause is essential to proactively address the situation so that it doesn’t further impact the culture of your school or district.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 18, 2022

There is a nice mix of concepts including personalization, educational technology, leadership, and school culture. Moving Beyond SAMR with the Rigor Relevance Framework Shifting our Focus Your Ticket to Move Effective Lessons Supporting and Rewarding Teachers with Time The Ever-Evolving Leadership Lens.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 30, 2023

To succeed, it is crucial to foster a culture of open-mindedness where people are motivated to change on their own accord rather than being coerced into it. A crucial decision that leaders make is choosing the right people for the job and empowering them to take on leadership roles, even without a specific title.

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 5, 2018

As a result, the learning culture does not evolve or becomes stagnant for both learners and educators. My point is that the focus should be on taking a critical lens to traditional practices and determine if the way in which they are being implemented is actually in the best interests of a vibrant and prosperous learning culture.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 10, 2022

While the transition to personalization can occur using high agency strategies as detailed in Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms , it is critical that the right culture is in place. Culture matters. Here is where leadership is pivotal. The stage is then set to implement more personalized pedagogy.

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 17, 2024

In a world of standardized tests and rigid curricula, fostering a culture of continuous, personalized growth for teachers allows them to stay abreast of current trends and effective strategies, maximize time, and become the best iteration of themselves for the learners they serve.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 7, 2024

It intertwines innovative teaching practices, cutting-edge technologies, and a culture of inclusivity into the very fabric of districts and schools. Organizational leadership is a multifaceted and critical component of ensuring the success of educational institutions. Several key aspects underpin effective leadership in this context.

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