If I were advising folks who are new to a leadership position in education, I'd give one piece of advice.
My #1 Rule For Professional Development
Does your PD solve a problem? Or does it just give more information?
All AboutFor Leaders
Thoughts for administrators, directors, coaches, and other leaders of gifted and talented programs.
Featured Articles
A Leader’s Job Isn’t Giving Presentations
Talk To Your Past Students
Are you ignoring the most cost-effective feedback about your program's effectiveness? Talk to some past students!
How I Learned (Almost) Everything I Know
I didn't learn by listening to speakers or reading books or going to conferences or by scrolling through lists of resources.
Other For Leaders Articles
The Best Critique of My PD
I was a very popular speaker, but then someone pointed out my big flaw.
What Teachers Told Me What They Want
The message from teachers is pretty darn clear! They don’t need yet another differentiation framework.
The Keynote That Changed My Life
I once sat through a keynote presentation that told me, “Everyone should code.” I will never go to another conference again!
Grade Level Standards Are A Requirement, Not A Goal
Imagine a restaurant with one goal: “Pass The Health Inspection!”
Imagine a school with one goal: “Meet Grade Level Standards!”
What’s Your Problem!?
If you haven’t taken the time to clearly define your problem, you will chase your tail adding more and more onto teachers’ plates.
Our District Is Shutting Down The Gifted Program!
When you shut down your gifted program, parents will just move their very bright children to the neighboring district that kept their gifted program.
Want to improve? Work on your scales.
Professional musicians still practice scales. The best NBA player still practices dribbling. What is the core skill a teacher should hone every day of their career?
Time Will Tell You What’s Actually Important
Things that have already stood the test of time are likely to continue standing the test of time. Old ideas in education are almost always better than new ideas, because they’ve been tested and filtered already for you.
How To Find Your Next PD Topic
I’ve written before about focusing on important, not just urgent tasks. And, for folks in leadership positions, it’s of the utmost importance to get into classrooms every week. Do not let merely urgent tasks prevent you from watching real teachers working with real students. These regular classroom visits will inform your next steps as a […]