b.y.o.t bring your own thoughts
the latest on all student-centered models, leadership development, strategic planning, teacher retention, and all things innovation in k-12 education. we answer questions before you think to ask them.
communication | decision-making | district leadership | school leadership | strategic planning
“i want to be in the room where it happens...” there are so many powerful scenes in the award-winning musical, hamilton. the moment aaron burr laments being left out of the decision-making process is not only a turning point in the story but a great depiction of how many feel when it comes to the all-important “rooms” where decisions that affect their lives are made.
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feedback has the ability to strengthen your new initiative or culture. but give a lousy survey, and you can set your school or district back in terms of trust, and you may lose the ability to gather important input in the future. don’t turn a positive opportunity into a negative.
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communication | crisis management
school leaders, teachers and parents have had to navigate difficult conversations in the last few years. during the panedemic, they explained to students that the learning will be shifting again to virtual, that collaboration will look and feel different, that although “sharing is caring,” let’s pause on the sharing of supplies for now. the skill it takes to navigate these discussions with students and children is already complex; but add the sensitivity needed to when students are grappling with schooling and social loss, and we can appreciate that our leaders, teachers, and parents have had a crash course in communicating through disruption.
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communication | school leadership
this is a special blog post because not only am i interviewing an expert in family outreach but i am interviewing my mom, aleida goetchius, who is truly my first mentor and forever hero. this is a translation of a conversation she and i had about her role as a parent liaison in northern virginia. aleida has been a parent liaison for 16 years supporting all families with a specialty in supporting families from international backgrounds who are navigating the american school system for the first time. aleida was named the 2017 region 4 outstanding hourly employee and one of five finalists for this year's outstanding secondary teacher award in her district. in this conversation, we talk a lot about support for families in general and most specifically for international families whose first language is not english. i hope you enjoy reading this conversation as much as i enjoyed having it.
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communication | teachers | virtual learning
i moved a lot with my multi-cultural family as a kid. if you know me, you know this because i talk about it often. and this experience significantly impacted the way i view the world: i know what it means to be both a guest and a host, to speak the regional tongue fluently and not at all. if you’ve had a similar experience, then you know that it shapes you. i have seen my parents (and by extension, myself) be both locals and foreigners all in one day. these experiences have given me the gift of empathy.
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communication | equity | teachers | virtual learning
as school returns, we know this year presents unique challenges and changes to both educators and students. with such change, it may be especially difficult to communicate with students. while your intentions may be good, sometimes the impact of what we say can have unintended consequences. consider some of these alternatives to have the impact you wish to have to start the year on a strong note.
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