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.
District Leadership | Innovative Leadership | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Superintendents
Have you ever taken up a hobby with enthusiasm, only to abandon it because life got in the way? Maybe you started knitting with dreams of creating beautiful scarves, but now the yarn sits untouched in a box tucked away somewhere. Or maybe you once eagerly hiked every weekend, but now your hiking boots sit in the back of your closet, gathering dust. What obstacles got in your way? Was it time, support, energy, difficulty, resources, ability? Or perhaps your priorities changed?
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District Leadership | Innovative Leadership | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Superintendents
Why is change so hard? Navigating change in schools isn't just a leadership challenge—it's a personal journey for every educator and administrator involved. Educators often find themselves adapting to new standards, implementing new initiatives, or integrating innovative tech, which can feel like steering a ship through stormy seas. In this blog, we will dive into some of the reasons why people and organizations are resistant to change and what we can do to effectively manage large-scale change to achieve our goals.
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District Leadership | Innovative Leadership | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Superintendents
“Congratulations!” This is a common note sent via email and shared on LinkedIn as so many of my friends and colleagues transition into the first year of their superintendency on July 1st. As I reflect on my 10+ years having the privilege of working alongside district leaders and observing what works and where some have experienced pitfalls, I want to share some thoughts on the importance of building your leadership bench.
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Education Elements | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Teacher Retention | Teachers
As an Instructional Leader, I remember sitting at my desk before the start of each semester, turning my wheels about how to make each day longer so I could prioritize the competing needs of my dozens of teachers and maybe have time for lunch. I supported five new teachers, all in different content areas with different curricula (or none) which added to this stress. I began to shift my mindset to discover that natural breaks in the year—such as new quarters/semesters or the beginning and end of the school year—hold significance. These times created an opportunity for a mini-reset to reimagine and prioritize our work. Here are six tips for leaders looking to adopt a new curriculum:
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District Leadership | Education Elements | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Strategic Planning
The concept of Strategic Planning can be intimidating at first glance. If you haven’t gone through the process yourself, you may be familiar with the concept but have questions like “What does strategic planning mean? What does it entail? Isn’t that normally done by the CEO or the leadership team?”
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District Leadership | Education Elements | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Strategic Planning
Over the past few years, State Education Agencies (SEA) and Local Education Agencies (LEA) have been tasked with creating Covid 19 recovery plans. These plans were a way to recognize interruptions with academic progress and mental health for our students and think through how to best support them. During this time, Education Elements partnered with the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) to ensure districts across the state have the essential information and resources to holistically assist students. This involved not only creating cohesive Academic Recovery Plans, but also initiating action and progress monitoring support to ensure plans become actions and actions become progress.
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