I was recently asked to write a chapter on the importance of communication in leadership for a book on leadership and entrepreneurship…this was quite comical to me because at this time in my life, I do not consider myself a great leader and certainly not a great communicator within leadership – I’m a doer, and…

I love newcomers.  If you ever have the opportunity to work with them, you will too. But they will probably stress you out first. These are the students that teachers who are not newcomer teachers lose the most sleep over when these kids first arrive in their classroom.  These are the sweet kids who often…

Who are our students? In jumping back into culturally responsive teaching, I want to continue our conversation on who our targeted students are.  Before the holidays, we touched on our students of poverty, and how their brains are wired a little different for learning. I want to move into our English Learners. The topic of…

4 Steps to Building Autonomy in your Students. What is autonomy?  I found a few definitions that I really like. Merriam Webster gives one definition as a “self-governing state.” Another definition described autonomy as “the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision”. When I think of being autonomous, and the importance that autonomy has on…

Today I was driving to a school.  The school is in a high poverty rural school located on a country highway – a fairly busy road.  It was 35 degrees.  On the other side of the road, I passed two kids, probably 10 and 12, or around there.  Neither had coats.  Walking to school. Late.…