As a K–12 district leader, there are weeks filled with meetings and unexpected projects that pull time away from other spaces. These responsibilities matter. Schools are complex learning ecosystems, and leadership requires us to be responsive to what each moment calls for. Still, the spaces that always feel the most magical to me are classrooms. …
In education we live in a sea of choices and resources. Each day can bring a new strategy to consider, a digital platform to explore, or a framework to unpack. As educators, we care deeply about getting it right for our students, so we read, we listen, and we reflect on what will continue to …
In my last blog post of 2025, I wrote a piece titled Five Lessons I’m Carrying Forward. The first lesson I shared was this: Confidence isn’t certainty. It’s comfort with failure. Teaching and leading ask us to learn in public. Lessons may not always land.Conversations may feel messy before they feel productive. Priorities may need …
Continue reading Three Definitions of Confidence (And Why They Matter in Schools)
Think back to the mentors who have crossed your path, lighting the way at different moments in your life. Some stayed for years. Some appeared for a season. Some may not even realize the impact they had. Who first saw the gift in you? Not your position. Not the accomplished version of you. Not the …
I believe one of the most important responsibilities we share in educational leadership is creating the conditions for others to do important work. Creating systems and structures may not always be the most inspiring part of leadership, but it is the work beneath the work. It doesn’t always feel visible or highlighted on a social …
We were sitting together, teachers gathered around student work from a newly designed performance assessment. The task asked students to engage in a deep study of character in literature. Instead of a single written response, students were given multiple pathways to show their thinking through a multimedia performance assessment. Students could write, speak, design, create, …
What helps you lead well when the days feel full and the expectations feel high? If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you care deeply about your work. You care about doing it well. You care about the people you serve. You care about growing, even when growth feels uncomfortable or unclear. And while many …
When leadership and learning feel heavy, what helps us decide how to move people forward with care and intention? This is a question that continuously rests on the shoulders of those leading complex work in schools. And if you are reading this post, perhaps this resonates with your own thinking. In his new book, Forward, …
At the beginning of the week, I was driving into work thinking about my long to-do list. If you work in education and are reading this, you know exactly what I mean. I was thinking about projects that matter and need to be lifted the right way. Communications that needed to go out so people …
I’ve been sitting with a question from George Couros’ new book, Forward, Together: “After all, isn’t true growth measured by our ability to look back on who we were and appreciate how far we’ve come?” What I keep returning to is not the looking back, but how that pause creates space for what comes next. …
Empower. Collaborate. Connect. 