“The heartbeat of education lives inside the walls of schools. Within those walls, you’ll find stories of kids and teachers in the mess of learning.” This sentiment, one I share in my book, The Leader Inside, speaks to the essence of what we strive to build—a learning ecosystem brimming with curiosity, collaboration, creativity, and growth. …
Leaders are often challenged by countless priorities and limited time, but knowing when to focus and when to lean on others can make all the difference. Yet, when there are too many priorities and only one you, what do you do? When the weight feels heavy, it's easy to get overwhelmed. In those moments, we …
I often ask myself, “What kind of leader do you want to be, Lauren?” My answer: The type of leader I always needed. That is the sentiment I share in my book The Leader Inside. As I was walking out of my high school office yesterday, I heard a familiar voice say, “Lauren, I left …
Continue reading Continuous Learning through Curious Coaching
“I believe that everyone is born with the desire to do something beyond themselves.” I recently heard this sentiment shared by entrepreneur and college professor Ed Zschau, on an episode of Tim Ferriss’ podcast. This insight reminded me that there will be moments in our lives that confirm that we are destined for things we …
Continue reading Embracing Coaching Principles in Leadership
“The best champions for change are experts in aspects of the initiative being implemented—those who combine emotional intelligence, expertise, humility, and ambition for improvement.” As I was reading the ASCD article by Jim Knight titled, The Problem with Nominal Change, it brought me to deeply reflect on the constantly evolving landscape of education. Education is …
“To truly support students, everyone in a school building must operate as both leaders and practitioners, seeing all angles of their school’s landscape.” This sentiment was shared by building leader Shayla Ewing in an Education Week article titled, “Principals, You Aren’t the Only Leader in Your School.” Ewing’s insights really hit home for me, reminding …
Recently, I was at a social event where someone remarked, “You must be winding down and getting ready for summer.” I paused to think before responding because, honestly, I feel more overwhelmed with work at this time of year than any other. Both personally and professionally, I'm under pressure; I strive to fulfill my responsibilities …
In the realm of education, you are inundated with a wealth of information at the district, building, teacher, and student levels. The challenge lies in harnessing this vast sea of information, commonly referred to as data to leverage the expertise of your teachers and students in the spirit of enhancing student learning outcomes. Throughout your …
Continue reading Pathways to Progress Through Student Choice
“Leaders need to be visionary, but they need to also be able to utilize the people they work with to create a vision of what school should and could be together” (p. 9). This sentiment was shared by George Couros in his latest book co-written with Allyson Apsey, titled, What Makes a Great Principal: The …
The frame for this piece is collaborative in nature. You are invited to engage in conversation on cultivating your legacy for leadership. Imagine this post as an interactive conversation with three thought partners. It may read more like loosely connected haiku poems than a deep dive piece. We are grateful to collectively compose this piece …
Empower. Collaborate. Connect. 