A resource collection from the people who get it: Principals like you
We see you, leaders. Not just during National Principals Month, but every month. We’re in awe of the way leaders like you consistently lift up your tried-and-true ideas and practices for one another – extending your support to teachers and students beyond your own buildings. To honor that spirit of generosity and leadership, we’ve gathered […]
5 tools for cultivating educator well-being
Educators’ wellness is critical to student success. I’ve seen this consistently throughout my years in this field and across every grade level. When support for educators is built into our systems, including opportunities to strengthen their own internal resources, they have the capacity they need to do the deep work that’s being asked of them […]
How our school went phone-free – and got our kids back
I’m the principal of a small public charter school with a STEM focus, so technology is a big part of our work. But emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, my teachers and I started to feel that technology had completely overwhelmed teaching and learning. We were one-to-one with Chromebooks with an “off and away phone policy,”, […]
Harness the power of the 5-minute staff check-in
At the end of my first year as a middle school principal, I thought I’d done an amazing job. It was May 2020, and I felt like I was on my way to the Principalship Hall of Fame: leading through pandemic conditions none of us had ever experienced before, putting structures in place for student […]
How prioritizing fun fuels our team year-round
When students believe their teachers care about them – genuinely, as people – they’re more comfortable taking academic risks. That sense of assurance that they matter, and their experiences matter, to trusted adults provides a crucial emotional grounding. From there, students can build the resilience to risk, fail and risk again with plenty of fun […]
Uplifting student leaders as change agents
In my first year as an Associate Principal several years ago, we had a school policy around hats and hoods. Students had a lot of valid questions around this policy and how it impacted their day-to-day experience. A group of students approached our building leadership, drafted up their questions and reasoning to change the policy, […]
Leader tips to create a meaningful Teacher Appreciation Week
If you think back to your years as a classroom educator, what’s one special thing you loved about Teacher Appreciation Week? It may not have been a big gesture, but it made you feel truly valued as an educator.❤️ The appreciation you and your fellow leaders share can last through all the years of an […]
2 practices to refresh and reset relationships with your team
One thing I’ve come to appreciate as a leader is the power of new beginnings – the ability to create moments to reset, restart and recommit to our team’s values and goals. Creating those opportunities at the start of a new term in our building isn’t exactly the same as the conversations I had when […]
Tackling chronic absenteeism: 5 field-tested tools
Leaders like you know how tough chronic student absenteeism is to tackle. Data shows that each chronically absent or at-risk student and family will benefit from individualized support at school. But to make a difference for all your students, you and your team need consistent, scalable processes. That’s why we’ve rounded up 5 data-driven tools […]
Teacher voice: My principal’s belief in me cultivated a deeper belief within myself
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, […]