The Buddhists are right. Life is filled with adversity, injustice, loneliness, disease, suffering, and death. These experiences are not new, a sign of the times, or evidence of maladjustment—they have always been an integral part of life. What is new is the frequency with which
As educators, we often wear many hats to support our students. Coach. Mentor. Counselor. Cheerleader. Guide. The relationships we build and nurture have the power to transform a kid's life. Teachers make a difference. So, we balance many roles to provide holistic care for each
“Violence in Schools Seems to Be Increasing. Why?”—EducationWeek, November 1, 2021 “Why So Many Teachers Are Thinking of Quitting”—The Washington Post Magazine, October 18, 2021 “Classroom Time Isn’t the Only Thing Students Have Lost”—The Atlantic, September 7, 2021 “Too Much Focus on ‘Learning Loss’ Will Be a Historic
Tuesday, September 11, 2001 began as any other day for a principal heading to work. The difference for me was that it was only my second day being the leader of my own building. I remember getting out of my car that morning excited to welcome students, teachers, and parents and to
How school leaders lead during crises is of critical importance to how schools will fare as a result of them. The most essential element for leading in times of crisis is not necessarily what you’d expect: it’s caring. Crises can originate inside or outside a school and
I do this work from a place of love and a place of pain. An educator of color who started her journey in education as a little black girl at a Title 1 inner city school, I was too often underestimated, second-guessed, confronted by racism, and surrounded
For the past 10 months, many teens have been cut off from their key sources of social support. They, like all of us, have struggled to adapt to long hours at home with few interactions outside our immediate households, and many have lived with anxiety, sadness, anger, and depression. For
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great deal of reflection in schools throughout the nation. As you are probably well aware, significant mental health, social, emotional, and behavioral needs existed before the pandemic, and social and emotional learning (SEL) has been part of education for decades. Although it isn’t a new topic, we
After the initial panic and confusion, it seems that people are settling in. Zoom classrooms are up and running. Teachers, parents, and students are slowly moving into a rhythm after spending countless hours working out technology kinks, lighting, microphones, curriculum design, and finding space in
We have hit the pause button on our normal lives. This is especially difficult for schools because time marches on. Our school events run along a timeline set long ago. Most proms are held in the Spring. Spring is when baseball starts, and we begin