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Share this article The most effective and the least effective people in any profession have many of the same intentions. Most everyone has good intentions. They want to be successful in their work. They want to make contributions. They want to perform to the best of their ability. And the same is true for educators as well. Educators want to make a difference for kids. Most every educator wants to make a greater impact, unless they've lost their way somehow. But what ultimately makes the difference is not our intentions. It's our actions. It's having an indomitable will. It's preparing for ..read more

Share this article All behavior is communication. It can provide us important clues about a child and let us know that something is wrong or that something is missing. Most behavior is driven by legitimate needs. It's just that kids (and many of us adults too) don't always have the skills and maturity to meet our legitimate needs in legitimate ways. But everyone wants to have their needs met. A compassionate and caring educator looks beyond the behavior to see the need. So instead of getting frustrated, angry, or impatient, they are curious and understanding. They try to see things from a ..read more

Share this article Curious leaders listen and make you feel supported, valued, and appreciated. One of the best leaders I've known was also one of the most curious leaders I've known. He peppered me with questions from the first day I met him. He wanted to know my background, my story, my ideas on different topics.  He was quick to ask, "What do you think?" about whatever we were discussing, and he was genuinely interested. I always felt like I had a voice and my ideas mattered. He made me feel much smarter than I actually am. It was motivating. It gave me energy to do more, to be m ..read more

Share this article The fear of failure keeps many of us on the sidelines. Instead of pushing our limits and trying something new, we continue with the same habits and practices as they are.  We tell ourselves our current ways are working. Our methods are time tested and proven because they get us consistent results. We try to get just a little better at the same things we've always done. But just because the results are consistent doesn't mean they're the best results possible. People tend to reach a certain level of effectiveness and then get complacent. We're less willing to change ..read more

Share this article Recently I had the privilege of taking a few of our students to a career event at Bass Pro/Wonders of Wildlife in nearby Springfield, MO, one of the largest employers in our area. We got a behind the scenes tour of the incredible facilities and heard about many of the career opportunities available in the company. As we listened for a couple of hours to the presentations from various department leaders, one thing stood out to me. Only one of the presenters indicated that students needed to go to college to get hired or have a successful career in the company. The one c ..read more

Share this article A significant problem in education was amplified during the recent school closures across the country. As teachers scrambled to reach students with remote learning, successfully engaging students became an even bigger challenge than it normally was in the physical classroom. And struggles with engagement were a huge problem already. Far too many students are not engaged in the learning process on a good day. But with distance separating us from our students, it became even more challenging. So as we reflect on what worked and what didn't, we must return to the essential ..read more

Share this article Like many of you, I've had so much on my mind lately. I have several blog posts upcoming that will express more of what I'm feeling. But I wanted to share this quick bit with you.  If we only read and share things that confirm our current thoughts, feelings, and beliefs... If we only pursue our own certainty and confirmation of our current way... If we only listen to the stories of people who are like us... If we only seek to debate "the others" and don't really listen to them... If we gather in our tribes and seek opponents instead of allies... If we dismiss ..read more

Share this article The best advantage is the ability to combine your human abilities with the best tools available. In the world of chess, the best players in the world can no longer beat the best machines in the world. However, a combination of top players with machines can nearly always defeat a machine-only opponent. Even more impressive, a slightly above average chess player teamed with a machine can defeat the top computer chess algorithms in the world. Some people push for technology like it's the answer. But technology doesn't usually solve problems alone.  Although tec ..read more

Share this article No one does their best work out of compliance or out of obligation.  No one does their best work expecting a reward.  We do our best work when we see it as a privilege, a contribution, and an enjoyable experience. We do our best work because we want to, not because we have to. Can you do quality work out of obligation or compliance? Probably so. But you won't do your best work. Can you do quality work to earn a reward? Probably so. Many people will work very hard for rewards. But again, I don't believe you do your best work for rewards. I'm not suggesting y ..read more