On January 1st, I sent a message that had been years in the making. I told my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Roth, that 2025 would be the year I’d give her a hug and finally make a long-overdue visit to my teacher. If you’ve followed my writing, you know Mrs. Roth has been more than just …
“If we want something to matter to them, they must first believe they matter to us.” —Zac Mercurio, The Power of Mattering Over the last few weeks, I had the opportunity to read through several end-of-year reflections from teachers. Do you know what was beautiful? Each one carried a story of care, creativity, and commitment …
The heartbeat of education lives inside the walls of schools. Within those walls live stories, stories of kids and teachers in the beautiful mess of learning. It’s a sentiment I share in my book The Leader Inside, and it holds more meaning for me each time I revisit it. As we celebrate the upcoming Teacher …
Throughout the trajectory of my career, nearly two decades spanning classroom teacher, literacy specialist, instructional coach, building leader, and now district leader, I’ve experienced just about every form of professional development. I’ve devoured books, tuned into countless podcasts, attended energizing conferences, and participated in more professional learning experiences than I can count. But if I’ve …
"If you embrace the idea of being a continuous learner, you will always be relevant. Once you think you are the expert in the room is the moment the world might start passing you by.” - George Couros One of the most important facets of my role is to thoughtfully plan professional learning experiences for …
Have you ever felt like you were holding yourself back, dimming your light just to fit in or play it safe? In her book Worthy, Jamie Kern Lima shares, “I believe one of the most prevalent forms of cancel culture is one that no one talks about. It’s us canceling ourselves before we even try” …
“The gifts of those we serve are already there, and they are much easier to find if you choose to look.” George Couros recently shared this sentiment in his blog, and it resonates deeply. Learning is truly a journey, and if you’re in education, I’m sure you feel this too. In today’s rapidly changing world, …
“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 …
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