The key to life change is not the acts of the will but the loves of the heart. St. Augustine Teaching toward the long-term flourishing of our students means that, in many cases, we desire that the lives of our students will change. We hold both a high view of the impact we can have […]
service
How to Improve School Cultures, Part 6: Think Like a Gardener, Work Like a Carpenter
Culture transcends strategy. –Ryan Holiday, Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue There are no quick fixes for better school cultures. You don’t bring in a consultant or a training program and then there we go, all better. School cultures emerge constantly from the complex interplay of skills, leadership, meetings, arguments, and PD. We […]
Encouraged, Equipped, and Understood
At one of the desks where I write for this blog, I’ve got three index cards taped to the wall. Each card has a single word on it, all caps: ENCOURAGED. EQUIPPED. UNDERSTOOD. These are how I want colleagues like you to experience the work I put into the world, whether it’s a blog post […]
Four Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was a Student Teacher
This past Tuesday, I gave a keynote to a group of 400 student teachers from around West Michigan. It was only twenty minutes long, so I had to be quick as I went through four things I wish people had told me when I was starting out. Before I get to the four things, you […]
Time to Retire
If you, like me, hope to put an entire career’s worth of effort, care, improvement, and service into teaching — in other words, if you want to invest the bulk of your adult life, day by day, into this work — then there’s a job you’ve got to quit, right now. If you don’t stop […]