SEEing to Lead

Dominic is a proud principal, educator, innovator, husband and father.  He is an expert in educational leadership, school culture and climate. Dominic is passionate about social- emotional learning and feels that every child deserves to have fun, feel excited to learn and is happy to go to school.

Key Takeaways:

• Work life balance is essential, but more of a negotiation.
• One of the powers of being a Principal is the ability to have more of an impact on teachers and make your own schedule to do just that.
• Learn and lead with S.W.A.G.
• S + W + A = J!
• Being authentic and sticking to who you are as a school is key when sharing your story on social media.
• Being a principal is just being a teacher on a bigger scale.
• Everyone falls into the 40, 40, and 40 rule.
• Make sure to take an "it's OK" perspective to be effective from day-to-day.

Contact:

Twitter: @DominicArmano

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.

Melissa Dean is a classroom educator with over 20 years of teaching, coaching and mentoring experience, having taught all the way from K to Grade 12. She is passionate about assessment and evaluation, and education reform, particularly in the area of mathematics. When she is not teaching, she can be found running, writing, drinking coffee or working part-time at a local bakery specializing in sourdough bread. She is known for her infectious laugh and ridiculous jokes. Most recently, she is an author who’s recent release, Unravel School, brings to life the idea of leveling up and disrupting the experience of learning.

Key Takeaways:

• Now is the time to dream big in education.
• We sometimes need to be pushed to a higher level of success because we are stuck in the starting blocks.
• Trust and respect is key for assisting in career decisions.
• We need to keep our ears open for progress by truly listening.
• Don't lose sight of the human side of education.
• Education should be open spaced, collaborative areas where students are supported as needed at the level they need.
• We need to think about how what we do impacts who we are.
• Remember to always presume positive intentions.
• Listen to understand instead of waiting to respond.

Get in Touch:

Twitter: @Dean_of_Math

Book: Unravel School: Reimagine Classrooms, Reinvent Assessment, & Revive Learning

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.

Jennifer Quattrucci is the proud principal of Greystone elementary School in North Providence Rhode Island. She is also the proud wife of an educator and mom of two amazing children ages 16 and 12. Jennifer is an active blogger and author of the book Educate the Heart, which is full of resources for screen free activities for students.

Key Takeaways:

• The decision making process needs to be collaborative coupled with reflection.
• Listening is the most important tool for leaders.
• Principals need to continue teaching classes if they are to relate to their teachers.
• Social emotional learning needs to be embedded in everyday actions to be effective.
• We need to look towards preparing students for the future instead of strictly tests.
• Professional development needs to be embedded in the daily schedule instead of a once in awhile approach.

Contact:

Educate the Heart

Personal Email: [email protected]

Work Email: [email protected]

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

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.

Lainie Rowell is an educator, international consultant, podcaster, and TEDx speaker. She is the lead author of Evolving Learner and a contributing author of Because of a Teacher. Her latest book, Evolving with Gratitude, will be released in mid-2022. An experienced teacher and district leader, her areas of focus include learner-driven design, community building, online/blended learning, and professional learning. Lainie’s work has been highlighted in many publications, including Edutopia, OC Family Magazine, and PBS News Hour. Since 2014, Lainie has been a consultant for the Orange County Department of Education's Institute for Leadership Development.

Key Takeaways:

• Gratitude helps us cope with stress, regulate emotions, physiological health, and energizes learning.
• Gratitude becomes contagious.
• You need to model everything you want to see.
• Sticky note compliments as a strategy.
• The Cycle of Inquiry is not meant to be linear.
• The word “priority” was never supposed to be plural.
• Use the “It would be cool if…” prompt by Dr. Novak.
• Teacher learning needs to be ongoing and job embedded.
• Look to implement a community of inquiry cycle in your school.
• Make sure you avoid the “comparison hangover”.

Contact:

Twitter: @LainieRowell

Email: [email protected] 

Website: www.lainierowell.com

Publications:

Evolving Learner

Because of a Teacher

Podcast - Lemonade Learning

TEDx - Learn Like a Kid

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.

Emily Barnes is a mom of two little girls, Elliott (3) and Scottie (2), and is married to her best friend who is an electrical engineer with Caterpillar. Emily recently moved from Central Illinois, where she served as an Assistant Principal in a K-5 building and Student Services Coordinator in a district of 4,500 students, to Sumner County, Tennessee where she currently serves as an Instructional Coach, but will be transitioning into the role of Assistant Principal for a brand new middle school on a new K-12 campus, called Liberty Creek, in the fall of 2022. Emily is one of the few people who can literally say that she is living her dream and is thankful and blessed every day to get to do what she does and to love the people she loves.

Key Takeaways:

• Shout out to Matthew X Joseph and the power of connections.
• Shout out to George M Ferro for the concept of betting on oneself.
• Relationships and connections are critical to people's success.
• Schools can have a fun atmosphere and high expectations at the same time.
• Modeling and psychological safety allows authenticity to take center stage.
• Taking ownership of mistakes you make allows for growth.
• Leaders need to model grace and accountability.
• Use objective information and specific questioning to increase self awareness.

Contact:

Twitter: @mrs_eebarnes

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.

Jon shares, speaks and leads educational professional learning for educators internationally. Jon has been named a County Teacher of the Year, 2019 Top 100 Educational Influencer, an NBSA 20 to Watch Educator, an Apple Distinguished Educator, and Google Certified Innovator. Jon is the co-author of The Eduprotocol Field Guide, and The Eduprotocol Field Guide Book 2 (both Amazon #1 best-sellers) and contributor to the Eduprotocols Math Edition (another #1 Amazon best-seller!).

Jon recently wrote the conclusion for the #1 Best Seller 100 STOP Series first edition.

100 No-Nonsense Things that ALL Teachers Should Stop Doing

Jon created the CUE Rock Star series (Rock Star Teacher, Admin, and Specialty events) and as the former Chief Academic Officer and Executive Director of CUE, led and designed highly effective professional learning for over 60,000 educators over the last 6 years. Jon has over 17 years in the classroom, as well as site admin and County Assistant Superintendent experience.

Key Takeaways:

• It's important to see schools from different lenses. Make sure to notice different perspectives and use that.
• Focus on "I get to" instead of" I have to".
• Adopt a "pain is mandatory, misery is optional" mindset.
• Leaders are responsible for "lighting up the room".
• Clarity is key to staff support and engagement.
• Is there's a huge honesty issue between teachers and administrators when it comes to evaluations.
• It's important to advertise that your school is keeping pace with the modern changes and requirements of education.
• Empathy should be a key outcome for our students so that in the least we are raising good human beings.
• Be the crazy friend serving doppio espresso instead of Café Americano. Try that new restaurant.
• Make sure we are educating and building relationships with the big picture in mind

Contact:

Twitter: @jcorippo

Email: [email protected]

TikTock: @jcorippo

Facebook: Empoweredventure

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.

Mandy Froehlich is an educator former instructional coach and Director of Innovation and Technology who passionately encourages educators to create innovative change in their classrooms. Her interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession as well as what's needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. Mandy consults internationally with school districts and post-secondary institutions in the effective use of technology to support teaching mental health for educators and how to create organizational change. Froehlich's work as a graduate instructor allows her to positively impact the next generation of instructional leaders. Her books on mental health awareness and educational engagement can be found on her website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Edumatch publishing.

Key Takeaways:

• Happiness is a human right.
• Build engagement through trust, support, and understanding what teachers need.
• Conversations containing emotion must always be done in person.
• Leaders must be explicit in determining how best to support teachers.
• Use the thinking protocol 1, 2, 4, and All.
• Organic conversations often yield the best results. Make sure you use different strategies outside of the norm to have conversations.
• The busier we are, the less time we have to be creative and innovative.
• Innovation is a teacher driven system that needs a positive culture and climate that takes teacher’s needs into consideration.
• We need to get out of the deficit thinking trap.
• Schools should be about the feeling or emotion you get when you walk into the building.
• Successful education requires the leveling out of the inhumane practices (testing, data, etc.) with the relationship building and human aspects.
• People have to feel as if you know them as a human if there is to be trust.

Contact:

Website: https://www.mandyfroehlich.com/

Books

• The Fire Within: Lessons from defeat that have inspired a passion for learning
• Divergent EDU: Challenging assumptions and limitations to create a culture of innovation
• The Educator's Matchbook: A weekly guide to reigniting your love of teaching, building resilience, and fighting burnout and disengagement
• Reignite the Flames: Finding our passion and purpose for learning among the embers

Twitter: @froehlichm

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.

Andy is a former educator and current Community Manager for Swivl. He lives in the Fort Worth, Texas area with his wife and four children.

Andy was a Social Studies teacher and coach from 1999 until 2014, when he became a technology coach and district administrator. Andy recently started a new career at Swivl where he connects with educators and like-minded individuals as part of transforming the educational community.

Key Takeaways:

• Swivel has multiple tools that make conversations easier for students by creating safe spaces.
• It's important to make space sometimes before responding. It offers the opportunity to de-escalate and feel an increased level of comfort, which creates better conversation.
• Space offers a variety of entry points for people in a conversation.
• We have to be careful not to over rely on technology. Think the $100 solution for a $1 problem.
• It's more about the attitude towards doing things differently than the ability to actually do them.
• Flexibility is going to be the key factor in successful education moving forward.
• We need to narrow our scope of tools, keep them flexible, and focus on fewer items rather than more to build our ability to provide for all students.

Contact:

[email protected]

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. Monica Burns is a Curriculum and EdTech Consultant, Apple Distinguished Educator and Founder of ClassTechTips.com. As a classroom teacher in New York City, Monica used digital tools to create an engaging, differentiated learning experience to meet the unique needs of her students. Monica started her blog ClassTechTips.com in 2012 to help make EdTech easier for fellow educators, and launched the Easy EdTech Podcast and her membership site the Easy EdTech Club to support educators who want to simplify and streamline technology integration.

Since starting ClassTechTips.com, Monica has led workshops and webinars, and provided keynote presentations to teachers, instructional coaches, administrators and tech-enthusiasts at numerous national and international conferences including SXSWedu, ISTE, FETC and EduTECH. Monica is the author of EdTech Essentials: The Top 10 Technology Strategies for All Learning Environments (ASCD, 2021), Tasks Before Apps: Designing Rigorous Learning in a Tech-Rich Classroom (ASCD, 2017) two quick reference guides for ASCD on Distance Learning Essentials and Classroom Technology Tips, as well as several other publications.

Key Takeaways:

• The framing of technology may change, but when not it comes to essentials.
• Technology should be used to curate, assess, and create.
• Use open ended tools when introducing tech to build rich discussions and create anchors for teachers.
• Slim tools down and create an efficient technology tool belt.
• We make time for we value.
• The Disney movie experience.
• Simplicity is key.
• We need to purposely embed digital citizenship and citizenship and media literacy into our everyday teaching.

Contact:

Twitter: @ClassTechTips

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://classtechtips.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.

Tamara Letter is a passionate educator from Mechanicsville, Virginia with 25 years of experience as an elementary teacher, differentiation specialist, technology integrator, and instructional coach. She received the R.E.B. Award for Teaching Excellence and is the author of A Passion for Kindness: Making the World a Better Place to Lead, Love, and Learn. She is also a mom of three and strives each day to make the world a better place.

Key Takeaways:

• We are biologically made for acts of kindness.
• Kindness has to be cultivated like any other habit.
• Be purposeful about making people know they are valued.
• Kindness Journals (things you see, get, and give) are fantastic for realizing and reflecting the role of kindness in our lives.
• Kindness helps us go from good to great to fantastic.
• It isn’t about toxic positivity or negativity. It’s about the act of being toxic.
• The "four walls and a door" strategy.
• Students and teachers must feel safe to expand their boundaries.

Contact:

Book Information: http://bit.ly/DBCkindness

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.tamaraletter.com

Twitter: @tamaraletter

Instagram: @tamaraletter

TikTok: @tamaraletter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/passionforkindness/

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.