SEEing to Lead

Sarah Regan

Key Takeaways:

Confidence comes from opportunity.

Personalizing instruction makes all the difference when supporting students.

Connecting material to a student in an authentic way creates better understanding.

Eyes on is more about attention than respect in the classroom.

Empowerment comes from recognizing the small successes students have.

There needs to be more fun brought into the high school experience.

The focus needs to be on understanding more than memorization.

Hard work should be expected but rewarded once it's complete.

Attending extracurricular activities helps teachers see students in a new light as well as students seeing teachers in a new light and builds stronger relationships.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Matthew Woods has served in various roles within K-12 education. His professional experience includes being a high school social studies teacher, middle and high school assistant principal, middle school principal, and director of student support services. In addition to his K-12 work, Matthew has also served as an adjunct professor and field instructor at the collegiate level for student-teachers. Aside from this work, Matthew hosts a K-12 podcast, Leading Out the Woods, and is the author of the children’s book series, I Wanna Be… , starring his one year old son imagining different occupations he would like to grow up to be. Matthew is currently working on his leadership book, The Sandbox Mentality: Empowering Leadership. For more information regarding Matthew’s professional and educational experience, please visit his LinkedIn page.

Key Takeaways:

• You need to take advantage of every opportunity you can to give back to the community that gave to you.
• Sometimes we have to just step back to realize how blessed we are.
• Critical thinking is essential if people are to continuously improve.
• Create spaces that are safe for people to think critically or practice skills.
• Effective leaders don't ask people what to do, but instead provide them strategies on how to do it.
• You have to be proactive instead of reactive.  If you are constantly reacting you are going to fail. Put out the match before it becomes a forest fire.
• Empowerment is about getting people comfortable to push the boundaries on their current situation.
• Sometimes when people tell you to take a step back they're saving you from falling down.
• The 4 principles of the sandbox mentality.
• Autonomy and empowerment must align with core beliefs.

Stay In Touch:

Twitter

Website

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Victor "Coach" Hicks is the founder of the Coding with Culture brand.  He has six years experience teaching Computer Science and Technology and over 20 years experience teaching and coaching in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois and current residence, Atlanta, Georgia!

Victor is passionate about closing the digital divide among students of color, more specifically, Black Students. He enjoys using his talents to provide culturally relevant computer science experiences for students in grades K-12 along with professional development and consultation services for K-12 educators.

Victor is  a proud product of two HBCUs:  Fisk University and Clark Atlanta University. His experiences at these illustrious institutions inspired him to make it a priority to include the cultural relevance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in his pedagogy across grade levels and content areas.

Key Takeaways:

• We have to listen to all voices when looking to better serve students and teachers.
• Connect with and meet teachers where they are when engaging them in the process of culturally relevant instruction.
• Having a clear, authentic intent is the only way to make a positive impact
• You have to be vulnerable and show your human side when working with students.
• We are still struggling to break the industrial age model of school even after the pandemic.
• The educational system has to change in fundamental ways if it is to improve.
• We are trying to study and enact diversity equity and inclusion in a system that refuses to recognize diversity at any level.
• There are too many educators at upper level positions making big decisions about education when they don't know about the field.
• Creativity comes from the process not the product.

Stay In Touch:

Twitter

Website

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Key Takeaways:

• It's important for schools to focus on the little things to get students engaged.
• It's really about teachers having fun in order to engage students and bring them in.
• It's important to be clear about expectations and organized.
• Engaged teaching is visible through not just cold calling students, but relating those questions to real life events.
• Present complex concepts simply so that students can pick them up and understand them.
• Present material as if it's something they want to learn.
• Pressure on students appears to be more a societal and parental issue than schools.
• Don't make who you are about the grades that you get.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Brian Aspinall is a former classroom teacher, current educational speaker, and university instructor at York University in Ontario. He's from Ontario but leads workshops and other EdTech-related courses for educators all around North America.

Key Takeaways:

• People need to get their stories out about how to change education.
• We need to get out of our silos if we are to grow and and take opportunities to improve ourselves.
• Educators need to get on social media, specifically Twitter.
• We have made time a constant instead of education and learning.
• Learning has to be about pursuing your passions.
• Far too often in education we focus on weaknesses. When students get out of school they will be focusing on their strengths.
• Going gradeless changes the verbiage from "what did I get" to "can I try this"?
• Why are we always preparing students for more school instead of life?
• The only strategy guaranteed to fail is not trying something new. If we fail to change how we educate students we are failing society.
• Fear is the common thread holding us back at all levels.
• Leave your ego at the door.

Stay in Touch:

Twitter: @mraspinall

Website: http://www.mraspinall.com/

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

John J. Whalen is a leading Restorative Practices pioneer in both theory and application. He has trained thousands of teachers, staff, and students throughout the United States. He is an innovator in professional development and training.  John has spoken at numerous national education conferences including ASCD Empower, ASCD Leadership Conference, the ESEA Conference, National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Conference, the Music City SEL Conference, and the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference.

John is the author of the book Classroom Circles: A Toolkit for Building Relationships and Strengthening School Communities.

John currently brings his experience to his role as a principal at the Tioughnioga Riverside Academy, a 4th-8th grade building in Upstate New York. He spent 15 years in the classroom teaching both 2nd grade and 6th grade mathematics.  He also spent over three years as a district Restorative Practices Coordinator leading implementation in over ten primary and secondary schools.

John resides in Conklin, NY, with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys hiking, skiing, and camping. He is a graduate of SUNY (the beer) Geneseo and Binghamton University.

Key Takeaways:

• Great relationships take come from taking the time to get to know each other.
• Schools need to change a lot because of all the new digital media.
• It's important to engage students rather than entertain them.
• When creating solutions we have to look for effective rather than efficient answers.
• Let students spin the ruler.
• To be successful restorative practices must be focused on the community and culture building side.

Stay in Touch:

Twitter: @johnjwhalen

Website: edtomorrow.com

Book: Classroom Circles

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

John J. Whalen is a leading Restorative Practices pioneer in both theory and application. He has trained thousands of teachers, staff, and students throughout the United States. He is an innovator in professional development and training.  John has spoken at numerous national education conferences including ASCD Empower, ASCD Leadership Conference, the ESEA Conference, National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Conference, the Music City SEL Conference, and the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference.

John is the author of the book Classroom Circles: A Toolkit for Building Relationships and Strengthening School Communities.

John currently brings his experience to his role as a principal at the Tioughnioga Riverside Academy, a 4th-8th grade building in Upstate New York. He spent 15 years in the classroom teaching both 2nd grade and 6th grade mathematics.  He also spent over three years as a district Restorative Practices Coordinator leading implementation in over ten primary and secondary schools.

John resides in Conklin, NY, with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys hiking, skiing, and camping. He is a graduate of SUNY (the beer) Geneseo and Binghamton University.

Key Takeaways:

• Circles are important in the process of bringing everyone together by building relationships, and creating a positive culture.
• Amazing things can happen in your building when faculty work from a lens of respect.
• Schools with positive cultures where staff feel as if they belong do not experience the shortages seen around the nation.
• Consistency is key when building circles into your schedule.
• Check out the 1st 5 email for quick ways to connect, interact, and check in with students or staff.
• Greeting students at the door results in a 20% boost in engagement and a 10% decrease in behavioral issues.

Stay in Touch:

Twitter: @johnjwhalen

Website: edtomorrow.com

Book: Classroom Circles

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Key Takeaways: 

• The biggest part in STEM education is finding the balance between hands on and book work in classes.
• It's important to create and deliver hands on activities that don't just feel like chores, but as if they're important to the student.
• Learning becomes engaging when it is not about checking off a list for curriculum, but instead discovering new, meaningful material.
• Student voice is key to engaging and empowering students.
• Make sure you empower students by showing them tangible ways how their voice made an impact.
• Mutual respect is one of the most important things needed in schools.
• Clubs and Athletics make schools what they are because school is about more than just academics, but where you make your friends and build relationships.
• It's OK to stand out because there are other people who are waiting for you to take the lead.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Dr. Darrin Peppard is a leadership coach, consultant, and speaker focused on organizational culture and climate, and coaching emerging leaders. Darrin is the best-selling author of Road to Awesome: Empower, Lead, Change the Game, and is the host of the Leaning into Leadership podcast. Darrin was named the 2015 National Educator of the Year and was the 2016 Wyoming Secondary School Principal of the Year. In 2019, Darrin was inducted into the Jostens Renaissance Educator Hall of Fame. As a ‘recovering high school principal’, Darrin shares strategies and lessons learned from 26 years in public education to help leaders gain clarity, find joy in their work, and walk in their purpose.

Key Takeaways:

• Being a Principal is the best, but toughest job you can ever have.
• School culture is the single most important thing we do in our schools.
• Every child and adult should have the opportunity to be seen, heard, and loved every single day in our schools.
• Culture is saying this is how we do things here and saying this is not how we do things here.
• We need to focus on highlighting what people are doing right rather than what people are doing wrong.
• Culture begins and is strengthened by giving opportunities for ownership.
• Make sure you schedule "balcony time" to take a step back and look where you are.
• Walk your school hallways with an objective eye concerning what you see.

Stay in Touch:

Twitter: @DarrinMPeppard

Website: linktr.ee/darrinmpeppard

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Amy Matthews-Perez is Texas-born & raised. She is currently in her 30th year of serving public education in Texas where Amy has served as a General Ed. Teacher, an SLP, a Diagnostician, a SPED Specialist and a Director of Special Education. Amy has also worked in the private sector as an Education Coordinator at a JJAEP and in both home health & nursing home settings as an SLP. She currently serves as a Director of Special Programs which includes SPED, 504, Dyslexia, MTSS and being the Liaison for students/families experiencing Foster Care and Homelessness.

Her passions are communication, laughter, inspiring & empowering others. As a learner, she considers herself an "Experience Expert." Life is short but our influence is never ending, so she seeks joy and creates smiles through learning, sharing, and highlighting the best in other people.

Key Takeaways:

Life is short, but our influences never ending.

There is a need to consistently model the positivity of any progress or event.

Use the 2 filters of, everyone has positive intent and what can I learn from this.

It's important to know your people, but even more important to act on the knowledge that you have.

Empower others to bring positivity to your culture by being transparent in your process of supporting and engaging others.

Try throwing out bad suggestions to get better suggestions from those who may not normally contribute.

You need to forget about your ego if you are to find the most success as a leader.

It's critical that you not only communicate your priorities, but why they are your priorities.

Setting goals and priorities is messy because they have to all mesh with each other.

Practice makes progress.

Stay in Touch:

Twitter

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL. 

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.