Tag: School Leadership Tips

Getting a promotion

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There is a common refrain that is heard among most employees in most industries related to building strong resumes and the role they play in getting a promotion. That tune is often coupled with complaints from many of us that the great changes and innovations we seek would be possible “if only we were in charge.” While having a great resume is helpful, and while having a fancy title looks good on a business card, the world is full of great leaders who had neither of those. In fact, we have to wonder if a great resume and a fancy title are precursors to one’s success as a leader or the outcomes of it. No matter what you believe to be true, there is plenty…

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leadership, education

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In an industry of teachers and leaders it comes as no surprise that we are also a community of readers and researchers, constantly in motion and learning from each other. It is one of our best qualities as educators. If a new book comes out, we read it. If new research is released, we discuss it. We are continually reaching for crumbs of information or inspiration that might help us find new and better ways to teach kids. Still, one point of caution is in order as we all run around quoting the same research, authors and each other. We can easily fall into the trap of “group think,” an uninspiring thought process that discourages creativity and individual responsibility. There is a fine line, indeed,…

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high standards; instructional vision

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That ding you just heard was another text or email coming in to a principal who is already overworked and underappreciated as he or she tries to get through the last lunch of the day without having to call an ambulance or calm down an irate parent. It leaves us to wonder how in the world a principal might have the time to set forth an instructional vision and if that vision can somehow, someway mesh with the increasing demands we all feel related to state accountability measures and teacher appraisal. To wrap our arms around these disparate initiatives and bring them together under one unifying vision, a top-notch instructional leader must know the key levers to pull to make it all work. That means…

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No matter what you think of President Trump, he taught us something long before he became president. Our name is our brand. As a school teacher and leader for more than 20 years, I have had countless discussions and mentoring sessions with young leaders, each of them searching for some morsel of advice on what they can add to their resumes or drop into an interview that gives them a leg up. Through those conversations and through interviews with hundreds of candidates in my career, I have come to find out that most of us have it all wrong when we think about advancing our careers. Becoming an instructional leader: Building your brand We assume that our first priority is building our resumes through better…

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