Restorative Practices Roundup: 5 Leaders, 5 Stories“RP has become increasingly important as a tool for educators who are struggling to meet the educational and social-emotional needs of children surviving a pandemic.”
— Karen Webber
3 Steps to Intentional Instructional Leadership“If I want to encourage students to excel, I have to equip teachers to excel – and that means working deliberately to provide my team with the tools, structures and support they need.”
— Ranesia Edwards
It’s time to mathematize our schools“School leaders like you have an important role to play in building a school-wide positive math culture, regardless of your own background in math. Research shows that the way adults talk about math powerfully shapes students’ math mindsets.”
— Margie Pearse
Catching Kids Before the Waterfall: The Case for More Proactive SEL
As many of you know, the American Academy of Pediatrics has declared a mental health emergency for children. And as heartbreaking as this is, between the societal challenges and mental health issues already present in our prior “normal” conditions, as well as everything the pandemic has exacerbated, it’s hard to say that it’s surprising. Increasingly, […]
5 SEL Systems That Can Transform School Culture
The school I help lead was designed for students who have experienced some interruption in their high school education, either because of academic issues, life disruptions or both. Our program helps support them along the path to graduation and connects them with resources. Because of this, social emotional learning (SEL) has long been our priority. […]
How Our Students Pushed Us to Rethink the Dress Code
When we reached the point in the pandemic when students could return to in-person learning, we wanted to make them feel like they could come back to the safest, most welcome space possible. We did away with rules about hats and headphones. We did away with all kinds of things in order to extend grace […]
Why I Hold Monthly SEL Sessions with Students’ Families
By hosting monthly “Coffee With the Principal” sessions, I bring families SEL skills, staff expertise & support.
How I Build Math Mindsets into My School Culture
When I joined my K-8 school community a few years ago, our students were, on average, in the 18th percentile in math achievement. These days, despite all the disruptions and traumas they’ve experienced during pandemic learning, our students are demonstrating mastery at and beyond the 40th percentile, with more and more students in the 90th […]
How I encourage every student to become a “math person”
I’m the principal of a K-8 school serving students and families in a high-poverty community. When I first joined my school community, we were on the brink of closing. But in the last few years, my team and I have empowered our students to grow from the 18th percentile in math to reach and surpass […]
Honoring Black History (in February and Beyond)
There are so many things I love about Dawson Elementary School. One of those things is the amazing diversity here. We’re just so fortunate to have such a variety of different cultures, backgrounds and perspectives. I believe only greatness can come from that. Our school is a truly special place to be, and part of […]
How Our Community Came Together for Black History Month
Both of us grew up in Linden, and we both serve here now – Allison as an educator and Laurence as an administrator. Last school year, as we considered how we could recognize and honor Black History Month, a thought occurred to us: Why not highlight the influential figures who came out of our own […]
Let’s recommit to the power of listening
At the start of the pandemic, one major adjustment we had to make was accepting that the new challenges weren’t going to end quickly. For me, the hardest part has been trying to maintain a sense of consistency and community. As my team faces each new challenge, I try to bring our work back to […]
Shadowing a Student: A #PrincipalHack That Keeps Me Grounded
Seeing the school from a student’s perspective sharpens all of my decisions.