Category Archives for "Professional Development"

5 Books You Should Be Reading This Summer

​Sometimes as educators, we go so immersed in the world of education that we miss out on the larger conversations going on around us. So each year, I search for non-education books that I believe have HUGE implications for the way we think about education and particularly our roles as Builders. This year’s list is a […]

Your Biggest PD Challenge (so far…)

Recently, I asked you “When it comes to your own professional development, what is your single biggest challenge or frustration?” The responses ranged from finding the funding for your professional development classes, resources, and trainings to finding good PD that was actually relevant to your area of interest or your specific discipline or field. But the overwhelming […]

Shiny Object Syndrome

I used aspire to have a wall full of bookshelves stuffed from floor to ceiling with volumes from multiple genres, authors, and time periods. I used to admire those who managed to read a book each week. I’ve always wanted to be “well read.” But, I found myself reading the same few books over and over. I’d […]

What Does It Take To Have REAL Transformation?

One of the questions I get asked the most by the school leaders I serve is, “How do we bring about REAL transformation?”They don’t want quick fixes or fleeting initiatives that shift from year to year. They want REAL change, REAL transformation, REAL solutions that stick.For a long time, I had a theoretical answer. I […]

What I Learned From Really Bad PD

When I was still in the school system, I sat through some really bad PD…Long, sit and get lectures. Folks reading slides to me…Silly activities that treated me like a 3rd grader…Irrelevant material…And on of my biggest pet peeves of all, my questions dying in the parking lot.Can you relate??But, as grueling and awful as […]

The Year of Saying “No”

Shonda Rhimes recently wrote a book about her year of saying yes to new experiences and ideas. It was a way for her to expand her viewpoint and open her self up to new experiences. While I applaud her for doing so, it occurred to me that educators such as us have been saying yes […]

Seeing Your School Through Your Students’ Eyes

What does it feel like to be a student in your classroom? Have you ever asked yourself that question? We spend a lot of time getting the classroom prepared at the beginning of the year. We start the year putting structures and systems in place that will hopefully help our students achieve the results we’ve […]

Getting Someone to WANT to Improve

  What does it take to get someone to WANT to improve? That’s a question I often get from both teachers and instructional leaders more than any other question. The answer is pretty simple. You have to tap into THEIR will drivers. There are four major will drivers and we all need all four in […]

The Rest of the Story

Read Part I of Millie’s story HERE When Millie told me that some of her “little darlings” would never be successful, I have to admit that I got angry. In fact, few things make me more angry than running up against low expectations for “those” kids or seeing a teacher cheat kids of the opportunity […]