Monday Moanin Thoughts #247 5 Things Every School Leader Should Say

/0 Comments/in /by

For many of you this will be the final week of school before a much deserved spring break. Several years ago I read a blog by Sheryl Nance-Nash about things leaders should say. As a result, I thought it would be a great time to post something similar by listing 5 things we should here often in schools from all leaders. I believe  these are  some of the right words and phrases that can keep your organization growing and moving in a positive direction. Read more

Monday Moanin Thoughts #246 Conduct Your Own Spring Cleaning

/0 Comments/in /by

Happy Monday Moanin to all of you. For many this may be the week before the week for spring break 2017. For most of us in Michigan we know about spring cleaning and opening up all of the windows and letting that fresh air in.  It is a way of getting rid of that cooped up cabin fever feeling of a frigid winter. As a result this can be a great time to  conduct a professional spring cleaning to help enhance and  freshen up your practice.  Use the questions listed below to guide your reflection.  Consider using some of them with your staff as openers at your next PD/staff meeting.  Here goes: Read more

Monday Moanin Thoughts #245 Reminders And Thoughts From Previous MMT’s

/0 Comments/in /by

Welcome to another March 2017 Monday Moanin. Hopefully this will be a positive and productive week for you and your staff.  Positive and productive are always challenging during the month of March and coming up with an idea or focus for this blog is no different. After some reflection, I am posting three excerpts from my previous 244 Monday Moanin Thoughts. Hopefully they will timely and helpful as you begin your week.

From May 31,2015 #160

One thing is certain, there are no easy answers during this difficult time. However, I would emphasize and remind you that Leaders Don’t Hide!  It is critical to fight the invitation to disappear. When your organization is hurting it is important to be hopeful and I believe you can do this without acting pollyanna. You can be respectful without cheerleading. You can be supportive without trying to fix things for people. You can be a listener and fight the urge to be a nervous over-talker. You need to be present in order to be compassionate. Read more

Monday Moanin Thoughts #244 Things Haven’t Changed, Tell Your Story

/0 Comments/in /by

Happy Monday Moanin to all of you. It is early March 2017 and Education is a topic that is front and center across the country. Below is an archived blog from November 27, 2011. Nothing has really changed in terms of many of these issues. More than ever, public educators need to be active in sharing the truths about the work that is being done on behalf of their students. It is time to get to work.

From November 27, 2011:

For the past several months public education across the country has been attacked and defined by several as failing and ineffective. In fact,  many state legislatures have passed laws increasing  the number of charter schools, reducing teacher pay, imposing an 80-20 health care provision on educators, and reducing the amount of state aid to schools. All of these pieces of legislation do little to help improve public education. In fact it is clear that politics is being played while support  is being given to privatizing many areas of education. Read more