Teach & Serve V, No. 33 Dissenting Opinions March 18, 2020 How a leader responds to dissent defines leadership. When decisions must be made, good leaders determine what to do based on each individual case, weighing the opinions of others as appropriate, considering precedent if necessary, proceeding confidently into each new area. Good leaders make…
Tag: High School
Teach & Serve V, No. 32 | R-E-L-A-X
Teach & Serve V, No. 32 R-E-L-A-X March 11, 2020 Let’s take a moment. Let’s take a pause. Let’s take a break. Simple message today: R-E-L-A-X. Really, that’s it. Relax. It is early March. Spring Break is a few days away (at least for me) and the end of the school year feels as though…
Teach & Serve V, No. 31 | Guys? And Other Difficult Adjustments
Teach & Serve V, No. 31 Guys? And Other Difficult Adjustments March 4, 2020 I try to choose my words very carefully when I communicate in print, in digital form, in person. I try to think critically about the words I use. I am a high school principal. My school’s website tells me so. This…
Teach & Serve V, No. 30 |One-on-One
Teach & Serve V, No. 30 One-on-One February 26, 2020 There are times that we as teachers and administrators feel we must “grab” someone as we see them – in the hallway or at lunch or the like – because our days our packed and our time is limited. But we ought to avoid these…
Teach & Serve V, No. 29 | Is It Getting Hot In Here?
Teach & Serve V, No. 29 Is It Getting Hot In Here? February 19, 2020 As a learned friend of mine once said: “Anyone can call the fire department. Leaders are checking the wiring before the spark ever ignites.” I am not an expert on Peter Senge, the brilliant systems analyst who is currently a…
Teach & Serve V, No. 28 | Students Don’t Fail In February, Teachers Do
Teach & Serve V, No. 28 Students Don’t Fail In February, Teachers Do February 12, 2020 Yes, some students will not meet the standards by which we must judge their performance and, at the end of the day, some will take all we offer and do nothing with it. But, let’s be honest: Students don’t…
Teach & Serve V, No. 27 | The Difficult Conversation
Teach & Serve V, No. 27 The Difficult Conversation February 5, 2020 Good leaders know this. They know that engaging in difficult conversations is part of the work of being a leader. They know that putting these conversations off only creates more issues. Frequently a teacher or administrator is faced with the potential of having…
Teach & Serve V, No. 26 | Power: Do You Think It’s Yours?
Teach & Serve V, No. 26 Power: Do You Think It’s Yours? January 29, 2020 As teachers and administrators, we must be wary of being too comfortable with our power and must always understand that power is a covenant to be respected, nurtured and fostered. Relationships in our schools all too often are defined by…
Teach & Serve V, No. 25 | Half Speed
Teach & Serve V, No. 25 Half Speed January 22, 2020 Being a teacher is like playing playoff hockey. You have to have the courage of your convictions. If you do it half speed, you’re going to get hurt. I want to love hockey. I want to be a dyed-in-the-wool fan. When the NHL season…
Teach & Serve V, No. 24 | Teaching Lessons From An Unlikely Source
Teach & Serve V, No. 24 Teaching Lessons From An Unlikely Source January 15, 2020 My father, who professed a dislike of school and who I never heard anyone call “teacher” was one of the greatest teachers I ever had. He should have written a book about education. If he had, it would been titled Lessons…