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. How time is used in support of student and educator growth is worth its weight in gold.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 7, 2024

It goes without saying that AI is a hot topic of conversation in education circles and beyond. While there are legitimate concerns and anything generated by AI needs to be fully vetted, the most profound benefit is how it can save educators precious time. AI can be an invaluable timesaver for all educators.

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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? Empathy is not a typical component of core training and coursework in the field of education. “ It is easy to knock people down. Below are some highlights.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 28, 2019

A great deal has changed over the past few years not just in society, but also in education. 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. The time has come for a new edition of Digital Leadership.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 7, 2024

As we navigate the shifting currents of the educational landscape, it's clear that transformative change is not just necessary—it's inevitable. To foster an environment where every student thrives, we must reimagine our approach to education from the ground up. Several key aspects underpin effective leadership in this context.

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 19, 2020

One aspect I did not address that keeps coming up here in the United States is how to address special education students as per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). However, the US Department of Education (USDOE) has released some guidance that everyone should be aware of. You can access it HERE.

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A Principal's Reflections

JULY 5, 2020

When it comes to education, schools are grappling with reopening safely here in the United States. Education Week provides a wealth of information and resources for schools in this recent piece focusing on developing the right schedule to meet the student needs. There are no easy answers or choices here.

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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

OCTOBER 20, 2024

" Leadership clarity is the light that cuts through the fog of uncertainty, guiding others toward a clear and purposeful path." The Benefits of Leadership Clarity Leadership clarity, the ability to articulate a clear vision, set specific goals, and communicate effectively, is a cornerstone of any successful district, school, or organization.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 8, 2019

I love the following quote from Laura Garnett : Leadership is shifting from telling everyone what to do to empowering others to come up with the best and brightest ideas that have either never been thought of before or implemented and acted upon in a respective environment. Empowerment is the secret sauce.

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TeachThought

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

Educational leadership is an expansive field, rich with opportunities for those passionate about shaping the future of education. The post 10 Careers In Educational Leadership appeared first on TeachThought.

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 16, 2019

Tom Murray and I presented a call to action, highlighting the need to transform teaching, learning, and leadership in Learning Transformed to meet the demands and challenges inherent in the 4th Industrial Revolution. In the updated edition of Digital Leadership , I took it a step further. However, things do need to change at scale.

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A Principal's Reflections

MAY 26, 2019

Educators now have access anytime from anywhere to people, ideas, resources, strategies, and feedback. Even with all the positives associated with what I listed above, the truth of the matter is that much of it doesn’t matter when the realities educators face are not given the attention that they deserve. You can see the tweet below.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

It should be noted that experience can certainly be beneficial when it comes to leadership, as it can provide a leader with valuable knowledge, skills, and perspective. Some people may have a natural talent for leadership and are able to inspire and guide others, even if they don't have a lot of experience.

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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

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

JANUARY 30, 2022

One of the most powerful teaching and leadership strategies is the act of modeling. Below is a quick list: I Do, We Do, You Do Think Alouds Explicit Modeling In terms of leadership, example is everything when it comes to empowering people to change. This was a direct follow-up to the model lesson for educators.

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 19, 2023

Upon reflection, I discovered that a critical aspect was missing and that was leadership. Digital leadership is necessary now and in the future. What started as a personal use of technology has become systemic in every facet of leadership. Below you can view the updated image. This is where the digital element becomes crucial.

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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

MAY 17, 2020

The COVID19 pandemic has radically disrupted both society and education as we know it. Obviously, education is at the top of my mind since it is the profession both my wife and I are a part of, and my kids currently attend public schools in Texas. Many states and countries will be making deep cuts to education.

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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

JUNE 28, 2020

The concept of leadership hasn’t changed, although the conditions under which leaders work and learn sure have. Prior to COVID19, the vast amount of uncertainty in education lay in societal changes resulting from the 4th Industrial Revolution. In times of uncertainty, strong leadership is needed more than ever.

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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 19, 2020

In the end, flexibility will lead to success and is a hallmark of empathetic leadership. By embracing digital leadership, you can connect with others near and far to find out what has been successful in other districts or schools and also veer away from roadblocks that others have encountered.

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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

MAY 14, 2023

There are many reasons why change in education is so hard. The education system is often slow to change due to its complex bureaucracy. Despite these challenges, there are many examples of successful educational change, which I have highlighted in Digital Leadership. However, in a disruptive world , it is a must.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 31, 2021

We have seen so many educators innovative their practice in such a short period of time, especially regarding the purposeful use of technology. Learning is the fuel of leadership. Taking care of yourself allows you to do the same for others, but your own family will greatly thank you for it.

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 25, 2020

The pandemic has really put a strain on educators, yet they continue to rise to the occasion on behalf of kids. The majority of educators fall into the latter. Choice in professional learning Forcing educators to engage in one-size-fits-all professional development at this time will tend to be hit or miss depending on the person.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 27, 2020

From a blogging perspective, I kicked it off with a post on what could be as a means to pump up educators as they continued to move towards embracing innovative strategies and ideas. It is always an honor to share the incredible work of educators in the field. The year began like any other. This happened on March 12, 2020.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 30, 2023

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. Therefore, authentic leadership requires humility and a willingness to put aside one's ego for the organization's greater good. Receiving feedback can manifest in various ways.

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 9, 2019

Then there is the most dangerous view in education that the way we have always done it is the best way. 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. For one, comfort tends to be the enemy of growth.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 9, 2022

An email was also sent informing all educators to plan for an asynchronous day of learning on Thursday and synchronous on Friday. Undoubtedly, this is a very stressful time for educators, but their resilience and flexibility have, and continue to, shine through to make things work.

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A Principal's Reflections

JULY 26, 2020

How will educators get the professional learning support they so desperately need? The result has been unprecedented stress on anyone associated directly, or indirectly, with education. Every day it seems a curveball is being thrown at educators. What comes next remains a mystery for some.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 26, 2021

Through it all, though, educators found a way to forge ahead in the midst of adversity. On the one hand, I continually empathized with educators as the struggle was, and continues to be, very real. Most people would agree that this was not the case. Writing this past year has been bittersweet for me.

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A Principal's Reflections

JULY 12, 2020

The COVID19 pandemic unearthed many harsh realities for education across the globe. Inadequate WIFI and the availability of computers at home for kids to use for learning caught many educators off guard. Leadership must and will be different. Teaching will and must be different.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 16, 2023

Education is still reeling from the impacts of COVID-19. The rapid shift to virtual learning was a necessity and, like always, educators rose to the occasion like they always do even though training in this area didn’t really exist at scale. Below are some resources I created to help educators with effective implementation.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 27, 2019

As I have since transitioned from school principal to Senior Fellow with the International Center for Leadership in Education ( ICLE ), my work now focuses on helping schools transform teaching, learning, and leadership to create vibrant cultures that kids want to be a part of. Then, changes were made. How cool is that?

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