Blog Posts on Leadership Development
I have really focused on “innovative leadership development” in my work, and have written about it extensively in my work. Because of this, I wanted to collect all of my posts that have really focused...
View ArticleLeadership Framework: Building Relationships and Developing People #ONTEdLeaders
#187474484 / gettyimages.com Spending a lot of time in Ontario, I have been going through the Ontario Leadership Framework (this is updated from the last document) with a fine tooth comb (here is a...
View ArticleThe “Want” and the “Way”
In my work with a school in Ontario, I met a teacher who had a story that really resonated with me. As we were talking about the changes in school, she had shared with me and publicly with the group,...
View Article3 Assumptions We Shouldn’t Make About Educators
#173132360 / gettyimages.com I haven’t had my own classroom of students for a few years, but I always try to remember what it was like to be a teacher, and always try to start from that viewpoint....
View Article3 Ways Social Media Can Improve School Culture
I was having a great conversation the other day with a good friend, and she was sharing how many boards aren’t really worried about “social media” because they are needing to actually focus on...
View ArticleBlog Launch Party (Reflections)
I was recently invited to speak to Mrs. Holden’s Class where they had their “Blog Launch Party“. I spoke to them for a few minutes about my journey into blogging and the impact it has had on my...
View ArticleThe Power of Branding (Book Review)
I am going to start off by saying that there is something about the term “Branding” in connection with schools that just throws me off. I think in education, where our work is so “human”, the term...
View ArticleA Fine Balance
I was sitting in Starbucks, listening to music, and reading blogs, when I came upon Amber Teamann’s post titled, “Collaboration…who doesn’t have time?” I thought about her post, and linked it to my...
View ArticleQuestions to Challenge Practice
Recently in a workshop, I told participants that I was about to ask a question that might bother some of them. Then I asked the question, “in school today, what do you think is more important to teach...
View ArticleQuestioning the Data
Proven methods of working with students are something that are important when working in schools, but there are a few things that I question when I hear schools talk about solely “data driven”. First...
View ArticleA Simple Smile
I love this tweet: School culture building can be as low-tech as smiling at one another #satchatwc #DPCDSB #butwestillneedWiFi — Helena Mesich (@mesich_dpcdsb) February 7, 2015 Honestly, I could not...
View ArticleFeedback or noise?
I don’t know if it is because it is basketball season, but stories from coaching and reffing have been popping up in my head in relation to leadership. As I was listening to someone tell another story...
View Article5 Ideas for Conversations on Change
“Teachers don’t want to change.” I hate this statement. It does more to end a conversation than it does to start it. It is a comment I have heard far too often, and honestly, believe less and less and...
View ArticleThe Privilege of Kids #EDUin30
This week for the #EDUin30 question, I asked about how you build relationships in your role with students. The best teachers in the world connect on some personal level with their students. They do...
View ArticleAre you focused on the “stuff” or the person?
Here are two approaches to the same thing… Let’s say you want educators in your school to start reflective and professional blogs. One way that you could get them to do it, is by really pushing the...
View Article“More than better students…better people.”
One of my favourite videos on the power of education, especially in our world today, is the “Speaking Exchange”, which has students from Brazil learning how to speak english from seniors at a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
3 Things That Have Slowed the Change Process Down in Education (And What We...
There has been a lot of talk on the idea that education as a whole takes a long time to change. As an educator, this is a challenging notion, since we are seeing many people doing some amazing things...
View ArticleThe Opportunity To Further Bring Parents Into the Learning
My friend, Mark Renaud, took this short video of me speaking about the opportunity that social media has given to us to change the conversation at home between child and parent. If social media is used...
View ArticleThe People You See Every Single Day
It is easy to connect with people on Twitter. Many of them people that I have made connections with share a lot of the stuff that I love, and really push my thinking. There is a real power in that....
View ArticleHave a bad boss? Ask them for their advice.
I received an interesting question in a workshop the other day that I have heard before, but had never written down. The question was based on working with an administrator that maybe isn’t the...
View Article