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Kindle Notes & Highlights
2. Core Principle 1: Champion for Students 3. Core Principle 2: Expect Excellence 4. Core Principle 3: Carry the Banner 5. Core Principle 4: Be a Merchant of Hope
I can honestly say that most of what I have learned from working with students has come from—you guessed it—talking with and listening to students.
This leaves students walking school hallways every day feeling invisible and wishing someone would just take the time to talk to them in a genuine and caring way.
As school teachers and leaders, it is our responsibility to prohibit average from becoming our standard.
Culturize: To cultivate a community of learners by behaving in a kind, caring, honest, and compassionate manner in order to challenge and inspire each member of the school community to become more than they ever thought possible.
To affect change, we must be honest—with one another and ourselves; we must be willing to reflect on our own leadership.
One of the hardest places to look when things aren’t going as well as we hoped is at ourselves and our own attitudes, practices, and skill sets, especially if it means examining the influence we have. When it comes to measuring the culture of our schools and success of our students and staff, there really is only one place to look when we fall short: our own ability to lead effectively.
everyone here has the capacity to lead, and everyone here is responsible for the culture and climate of
No one person is responsible for determining your success or failure but you, and no one is responsible for your morale but you.”
don’t we expect our teachers to believe that change, growth, and excellence are possible for their students?
The longer we stay in the trenches as leaders, the more we understand that the difference between today and tomorrow is us. It’s as simple as that.
Students who are loved at home come to school to learn, and those who aren’t, come to school to be loved.
I have found that the most effective teachers are not the ones who know the most but the ones who care the most.
I honestly believe that the three most important characteristics of an amazing educator are compassion, passion, and knowledge. In that exact order.
we must always begin with the belief that kids can
They stay the course and focus on the long term rather than the short term,
every staff member must expect excellence of one another and, most importantly, of their students.
all staff members must carry the banner for their school in a positive light at all times.
that it is never about us; it is about serving others and serving the greater good.
Every child deserves the opportunity to be a part of something great
relentlessly holds on to and intentionally lives out of a deep belief that connecting with kids and valuing their talents and voices is the first step to creating the kind of school culture and experiences that will impact students for a lifetime.
Being a champion for her was not something done alone;
I believe that all children need a champion who cares about them and is willing to encourage them. But they also need someone to take notice of their skills and then provide them with the strategies and an understanding of how to use those skill sets to thrive.
If students or staff members are constantly asking for permission, you have not done a very good job of building capacity.
If you want people to be less anxious, provide more clarity.
Every success story begins when someone takes the vital first step to hope and believe that change is possible. Without hope, there is no plan. We all need someone to believe in us. Be that one!
We must teach and model to our students that failures don’t have to equate to long-term doom; they benefit us by developing our grit, perseverance, and empathy when we commit to working through them.
We know that true self-esteem comes not from pats on the back and generic praise but grows when a person is challenged beyond her natural limits and experiences success.
Stress is an inherent part of an educator’s work, but how you manage stress is up to you.
Some of the most challenging behaviors students present at school are rooted in their experience of other adults letting them down, lashing out at them, and modeling poor emotional regulation.
A school’s culture of excellence begins in the attendance office.
how you can help them have a successful day at school.
“I am sorry.” They ask students, “What do you need me to better understand?”
“How you feel is not the best guide for what you should do… press pause and ask yourself what this situation requires of you.”
One of the most successful strategies for connecting with students and developing trusting relationships is one I picked up during my first year as an associate principal from the principal who hired me. He modeled for me over and over the value and importance of following up with students a day or two after dealing with them in any type of discipline situation. After any disciplinary action, he would seek them out and ask them if they understood why he had disciplined them. He would listen to what the student had to say and then share with the student that it was because he had high
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“Picking up the Pieces.” However, I modified my approach a bit and added these two simple questions immediately after all disciplinary discussions. Do you feel I treated you fairly? Do you think I care about you? If I conducted myself appropriately and managed the conversation in a way that the student felt valued and that their voice was heard, the answer to those two questions would be a solid yes. If not, then I would have to be willing to accept the feedback and work even harder to build that trust.
