Monday Moanin Thoughts #151 What Is Your Spring Message 2015?

/0 Comments/in /by

Happy Monday Moanin to all of you. Here in Michigan,  most school districts will be enjoying their last week with students before a well earned spring break. Spring break represents lots of things for all of us. They may include warmer weather, blooming plants, renewal and the possibilty for transformation. It is a perfect time to refer to these ideas and others  as you lead your staff into the final weeks of the 2014-15 school year. Read more

Monday Moanin Thoughts #150, The Power Of Sharing Through Twitter

/0 Comments/in /by

Welcome to the first Spring 2015 Monday Moanin Thoughts. This past Saturday I attended my 4th AdminCampMI hosted by the Why I…Leadership Cohort., led by Paul DeAngelis Deputy Superintendent of Birmingham Public Schools in suburban Detroit. It is  incredible to be a part of 75 educators giving up their Saturday morning to learn and grow with others. The key  thought in all of the EdCamps across the country  is grow with not from others.  This true spirit of growing with was evident this past Saturday. Read more

Monday Moanin Thoughts #149 How Are You Going To Lead This Week?

/0 Comments/in /by

Happy Monday Moanin to all of you. I can assure those of you still in the deep freeze that spring is coming soon. This week I kept reflecting about how difficult and challenging it is to be a leader in public education. Some of my thoughts included that leading is overwhelming, thankless, top down, less control, everything’s urgent, and poor staff morale. So, how do you deal with these and other challenges and  still keep your organization effective and growing ? This week, how are you going to lead? Consider these three areas as your focus.

  • Lead by taking care of the little things. Be well planned and organized for the week. John Maxwell writes; ” Don’t try to conquer the world until you’ve taken care of things in your own backyard.” 
  • Spend this week leading from your strengths. Reflect on what you do well and stay in that lane. Enhance your practice. Maxwell shares; ” Set your priorities and focus on your strengths today.”
  • Lead with the right attitude this week. Lead with your glass half full. Your staff doesn’t need to hear you blame others for the challenges everyone faces. Take responsibility for your attitude. Maxwell reminds; “Life is full of surprises, and the adjustment of our attitudes is a lifelong project. The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”

Lead this week  by focusing on the little things, strengths and attitude. All doable and in your control. Have a great week and keep finding the good stuff.

Monday Moanin Thoughts #148 Keep High Expectations As Spring Begins.

/0 Comments/in /by

Within the next couple of weeks, students and staff will be taking some much needed time off to celebrate spring break with their families. For leaders of organizations this can be a challenging time. As you prepare and reflect during this time of year, many questions are raised.Should I not push as much and cancel some of my spring staff meetings? Should I stop my one on one meetings with staff because of the  distractions this time of year? Should I not hold kids accountable for their behavior because we are almost to break? Should I not push so hard on evaluations?  Should I not be as tight on things because everyone is tired. The answer is stay on task and LEAD with high expectations.  Be reminded that your staff takes their cues from you. You set the tone. One principal shared with me that  for the next week, she and her team are moving their desks and having office hours in their hallways. She believes that visibility and accessibility are critical to setting a focused tone during this time of year. She also believes that this may help her team initiate connections.  I don’t know if the hallway hours are necessary, but what I appreciate is that she is not being complacent.  We all know that it is important to  find the balance and joy these next few weeks. It is  also critical to be proactive, planned, and focused.  Lead with high expectations. Get to work.

Have a great week and find the good stuff.

Monday Moanin Thoughts # 147 Refer To These To Guide Your Work

/0 Comments/in /by

Happy March, 2015 Monday Moanin.When will Spring get here?  This may be the perfect time of year to provide some quotes or statements that can help focus your work this week. Post these and refer to them often and share them with others during the week. Here they are:

Brad Henry writes; “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.”

Dan Rockwell ,@leadershipfreak shares; ” The more compliance you expect the more helplessness you create.”

Brad Currie, @bradmcurrie writes; ” Being a connected educator is a game-changer. The more best practices educators share, the more student success will be impacted.”

Judith Billings shares; ” Children are the Priority. Change is the Reality. Collaboration is the Strategy.”

Michael Hyatt writes; ” Leadership is more than influence. It is about reminding people of what if is we are trying to build – and why it matters, It is about painting a picture of a  better future.”

Have a great week and keep finding the good stuff!