Assessing school culture
Like the leaves and roots of a tree, a school’s culture and climate are connected, and both need tending to foster a thriving community.
When you begin your first principalship—and even during your interview for the position—one of your priorities should be to assess the question “How are things done around here?” You need to ask questions that help you determine if the position will be a good fit and if you possess the skills necessary to move the school in a positive direction.
How to Eliminate Distractions
Distraction is the enemy of life.
Unfocused Leaders are stress filled bags of irritation. They jump from one thing to the next but ignore what they do in the present. A person who rushes to finish one thing so they can do the next thing is dying while they live.
Focus lowers anxiety when it centers on actions within your control.
Does AI grade fairly?
But it’s unclear if it will help improve writing, or if students will lean on it too much
This week I challenged my editor to face off against a machine. Barbara Kantrowitz gamely accepted, under one condition: “You have to file early.” Ever since ChatGPT arrived in 2022, many journalists have made a public stunt out of asking the new generation of artificial intelligence to write their stories. Those AI stories were often bland and sprinkled with errors. I wanted to understand how well ChatGPT handled a different aspect of writing: giving feedback.
New K-12 Curriculum brings skepitism
Proposed lesson plans could improve student performance and help teachers, Texas education officials say. Not all district leaders and education advocates are convinced.
Texas education officials and Republican lawmakers say proposed elementary school lessons that incorporate extensive biblical references will boost student achievement and save teachers time from developing their own curriculum.
But some Texas school district leaders, parents and education advocates aren’t convinced things are so clear cut.
Feedback is a gift. Are we good at receiving it?
How do you take feedback? I aspire to be a leader – and human being – that welcomes feedback as an opportunity to learn, grow, and get better. Most of the time, I feel this is who I am. But when it comes down to it, I often find that feedback stings. I find myself cycling between blaming myself for the action that led to the feedback or blaming the other person for being too critical. In either case, when that happens, I recognize that I’ve fallen into a trap where learning and growth feel out of reach.
