Supporting new ELL students this year? Here’s my advice.

by  |  10.14.24

Here’s a situation your fellow leaders have shared: You’re welcoming new English language learners and immigrant students into your building, and your team has questions about how to support their success.  Longtime ESL educator and district facilitator Valentina Gonzalez knows this challenge well, too. Here’s the No. 1 strategy she recommends to school leaders like […]

Teacher voice: My principal’s belief in me cultivated a deeper belief within myself

by  |  9.23.24

One of my most powerful experiences as a teacher came from a principal who believed in my capacity more than I did at the time. Even though I was new to her campus, she thought I would be a good fit for a leadership role. When she approached me, I thanked her for considering me, […]

The power of one school-wide event to create a culture of belonging

by  |  9.10.24

When children first walk through our school doors for pre-K or kindergarten, they bring a natural desire to learn and an effortless joy for school. They’re inquisitive and eager to engage. However, as a teacher and now as a leader, I’ve seen how students’ connection to school can sometimes gradually dissipate over the years.  That’s […]

3 tips for supporting staff collaboration

by  |  9.4.24

Collaboration is one of the most essential pillars of teacher and student success. Authentic collaboration sparks a natural curiosity of how we can best impact student achievement and move learning forward. When I was a teacher, I felt most successful during the years that my Professional Learning Community engaged in authentic collaboration. We implemented nearly […]

Want to inspire schoolwide change as a leader? First, create conditions for bravery.

by  |  8.30.24

More than 23 years ago, my journey in education began as a kindergarten teacher, where I discovered my passion for teaching young children to read. Right from the start, I noticed the diverse reading abilities among my students – some were just learning their letters while others could already decode words. At that time, the […]

3 steps to creating a successful team drop-in culture

by  |  8.5.24

Picture this: You’re a first-year math educator and your students are struggling with fractions. During your planning period, you decide to drop in on a fellow teacher’s classroom. When you arrive, their students are working independently on fractions in stations. Your class might not be ready for that, but you can see the students are […]

How school leaders can respond to 3 common teacher concerns about AI

by  |  7.15.24

It seems like every space in education right now is full of chatter around emerging AI technologies, with some educators expressing enthusiasm and others expressing apprehension. In this moment of rapid change, it’s so important for leaders to remember that teachers are learners, too. We need to approach adult learners with a lot of choice, […]

To inspire your team’s teaching plans, ask 3 questions

by  |  7.3.24

My team and I are working toward big, multi-year learning goals for our elementary students. Last year, our teachers embraced professional growth, elevated our instruction and promoted so much student progress. We’ll keep pushing toward those goals this fall and embark on new professional learning journeys. As a principal, I can’t wait to jump in […]

How we built a New Teacher Cohort to sustain our staff

by  |  6.28.24

When my principal first invited me to join Lincoln Middle School as an AP, she emphasized the importance of being a lead learner for our staff. She said, “We’re going to create a learning environment not only for students but also for teachers.”  Research has shown that the first three years of a teacher’s career […]

How our mindfulness program reduced our suspension rate by 50%

by  |  5.30.24

Five years ago, my school was one of the middle schools with the highest number of suspensions in the county. I know data demonstrates that suspensions just aren’t effective  for students, and as a principal I’ve seen it firsthand, too. When a student is repeatedly suspended, it’s easy for them to feel unwanted at school, […]

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