BrandED: Tell Your Story, Build Relationships, and Empower Learning

by Eric C. Sheninger

To many of them, brand doesn't mean narcissistic self-absorption. It's simply self-expression. Brand is now present in the minds of many young teachers and students who have developed their personal brand. Time magazine cites that 92% of American children have an online presence before the age of 2, starting with parents' postings of nearly 1,000 images of their children before their fifth birthday (Sales, 2016). When leaders connect their understanding of brand value to classrooms of Millennial teachers who are already living brand-rich lives on social media, they will gain early adopters, potential collaborative team members, and committed brand ambassadors among teachers and students. They will also gain the attention of those who can collaborate to spread the word about school brand. They are experts in doing this for themselves. As your school brand is built and shared, the world opens easily because of these young stakeholders.