Welcome to this edition of Monday Moanin Thoughts. I am assuming that many of you are just returning from a much needed spring break. My mentor always encouraged me to consider this time of year differently. Instead of looking at spring as the time to wind down, look at it as setting the stage for  the next school  year. Too often, many people that make up a school community, students, staff, administrators, and parents may want to just get the year finished. Read more

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

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.

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!

Monday Moanin to all of you.  Many authors agree that successful organizations and teams need a healthy tension to be productive. My definition of healthy tension is an organization rooted in a collaborative climate. Healthy tension includes staff members engaging in discussions about instruction, learning,  growth and possible changes in how individuals teach and students learn. The opposite of this is a building that focuses on teacher/adult happiness that may not have enough tension or discipline to change and improve.  Read more