SEEing to Lead

Liz Garden is the principal of the Dr. Leroy E Mayo Elementary School in Holden, MA.  She has been an administrator for fourteen years and taught at various levels for eleven years.  She blogs regularly for her staff at www.musingstomotivate.blogspot.com.  Liz has presented on various topics locally and nationally.  She served on the Scholastic Principal Advisory Board. She is an editorial advisor for NAESP's Principal Magazine and was selected to serve on NAESP's National Coronavirus Task Force. Liz is also the Vice President for the Massachusetts School Administrator's Association. When she is not molding future minds as an instructional leader, Liz is dealing with her reading addiction, keeping Amazon in business, listening to her musician husband sing, and chasing around her wild kids!

Key Takeaways:

• Lead by example in all situations.
• Liz Garden's 8 steps to successful change.
• A roadmap on how to support, engage, and empower teachers.
• The importance of visiting other schools when looking to change programming.
• Do not shy away from hard conversations.
• Have open, authentic conversations to help facilitate change.
• Become part of your school community by building authentic personal relationships.
• Be creative to encourage students to learn.

Connect:

Twitter @PrincipaGarden,

Blog - www.musingstomotivate.blogspot.com

Voxer @PrincipalGarden

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.

Brandon Perry is entering his tenth year of education. He recently graduated with his Master in Education from Clemson University with a specialization in Instructional Coaching. Brandon’s main area of experience has been directed in the classroom where he has taught 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in a variety of subjects. He’s  also been highly involved in making this impact through athletics. Specifically,  through boys’ lacrosse. Brandon has also coached tennis, soccer, and golf.

Key Takeaways:

• Relationships are a two way street, but not the way you think.
• Building trust with parents is essential for success.
• Trust and relationships cannot be forced, but have to be built organically.
• Create support systems to help teachers no matter their years of service.
• It's important for leaders to connect and collaborate with teachers on a regular basis.
• Leaders must be consistently present in classrooms to make a difference.
• Leaders need to practice differentiated leadership to be successful.
• The difference between climate and culture in a building is relationships.

How to Connect:

Twitter Handle: @blperry3

Website: https://blueskiesllc21.wixsite.com/website/blog

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.

Sandra Donaghue is a passionate educator in her 27th year - entering her 17th year as a elementary school leader. Sandr is an instructor for the Principal Qualifications Course for Ontario, Executive member of my local Principal & Vice-Principal's Association, Elementary Councilor on the Provincial Association, and Codebreaker Ambassador

Key Takeaways

• Passionate educators are always in a position to be a mentor
• Celebrate others by recognizing the good that they do.
• The supportive of the educator people are rather than the content they are teaching.
• Make sure you feed forward to keep building people up
• Frame conversations for improvement might explaining what cannot be discussed and what can
• Every opportunity is an opportunity to be genuine and authentic to whom you are as a person
• Make certain that your interest in staff members is genuine and not being used as a tool

Connect

Twitter - @sandra_donaghue

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 Bowerman has served in education and the arts for over twenty five years.  He is the recipient of EMMY and CINE Film Awards for his educational short film, “BusSTOP,” addressing the bullying crisis in the United States. Matthew is invested in the work of love-leading students and their families in his current role as a School Administrator in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. He is currently working on his upcoming book, HeartLeader, released through CodeBreaker Inc.

Key Takeaways:

• Make sure that people feel valued and that they have worth to is worth to build better relationships.
• Is work to build long lasting relationships builds on trust respect and love.
• We are really not doing enough to take care of teachers and their wellness.
• The recent pandemics of covid and racism have brought this to light more than ever.
• We must have honest conversations with people if we are to authentically support them.
• We never know what's going on in their lives.
• You have to let people know from the start what your core values are and where you're headed in leading the school area
• Remember to ask 6 questions before ever uttering one declarative statement when working with people. Listening is key.
• Everyone needs people in their life that they know we'll be there for them whether professionally or personally to help if they need it.
• We are all human and incredibly fallible
• Never run away from the fire because you'll miss the opportunity to be forged by it.
• PLNs must be about the network.
• Make sure your opportunity is a network work or vice versa make sure your network is a community because if you lead with your heart and put yourself out there things will happen for you.

Connect:

Twitter - @MJBowerman

www.matthewjbowerman.com

Instagram - mrmjbowerman

YouTube: Matthew J Bowerman

Upcoming book from Codebreaker Inc: Heartleader --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 

https://anchor.fm/app

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.

Daphne McMenemy is an educator, author and speaker.  Her first book, Gracie, is based on her personal experiences in the classroom. Gracie is a young girl whose learning is brought to life when her teacher introduces her to coding and a new way of thinking. As a child and young adult, Daphne was focused on becoming an educator with purpose, to improve the lives of her students and make an impact on their educational journey. As an educator for the past 15 years, she has created opportunity for children in her classroom to explore learning in innovative ways. Using STEM to engage children as young as kindergarten age in discovering learning through coding, she develops numeracy, literacy and computational thinking skills through creative exploration. Her experience in the classroom has proven to support even the most hesitant learners in building confidence in their abilities and engaging in the learning process.  Daphne is committed to building relationships, meeting students where they are, appreciating each individual, and finding opportunity to engage and motivate students in creative, innovative ways. Her newest venture allows her an extensive creative outlet as Managing Director of Code Breaker Inc.

Key Takeaways:

• Be that teacher for every student
• Reflect on other people's perspectives
• It's important to create spaces where people feel safe to have an opinion different than yours
• Students are not students to their parents. They are their most prized possession who they love with all their heart
• Be cautious of existing power structures when looking to support
• Validation of those who you lead is key if you are to be successful
• Make sure you pay attention to people's proven track record whether it's good or bad
• Pushing people out of their comfort zone requires you to leave your comfort zone
• You have to listen to what's not being said to truly understand what a person means

Connect:

Twitter - @McMenemyTweets

Books:

Gracie

What Happens When I Learn to Code

Grace: The Maker

Web:

www.daphnemcmenemy.com

www.DiscoverGracie.com

www.codebreakeredu.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.

Jethro Jones, 2017 NASSP Digital Principal of the Year, is a former principal and host of Transformative Principal and co-founder of The Center for Cyberethics, independent, non-partisan educational institute dedicated to the study and promotion of cyberethics. Jethro is the author of the book, SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves! Jethro currently consults schools and districts on redesign efforts that don't seem like another program. Jethro has worked as a principal at all K-12 levels, including a prison school, a district coach, distance learning team lead, and English teacher.

Key Takeaways:

• Student driven learning is key
• Teachers should attempt to fulfill the role of being a compass among us
• Ask and then emphasize why teachers got into teaching
• Only teachers care about standards not kids
• Use content as your playground when teaching
• Support student driven learning
• Help teachers with the work it takes is work it takes to connect different subjects because it's harder for them then students
• Gaining knowledge is not selfish if you share it
• Accepting an event as trauma makes you a victim

Connect:

@jethrojones  - everywhere

YouTube.com/mrjoneseng.

Jethrojones.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.

Kathy Iwaniki is a grade three teacher in East Granby, CT.  I have taught grades 2, 3, 4 and 6 in my 33 year career. I am the granddaughter, daughter, mother and sister of educators.

Takeaways

• Getting connected online is important
• Relationships are key
• If you want to have SEL provide time for it
• Make sure you listen to and trust your teachers
• Provide authentic, individualized PD
• Hire good people, give them what they need, and get out of their way

Contact

@kathyiwanicki (twitter)

@mrsiwanicki (instagram)

Iwanicki Adventures In Teaching blog

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. Matthew X. Joseph is currently the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Leicester Public Schools. He has been a school and district leader in many capacities in public education over his 27 years in the field including Director of Digital Learning and Innovation, elementary school principal, classroom teacher, and district professional development specialist.

Takeaways

• Focus on closing your gaps
• Balanced leadership is key
• Be ok with people doing things their way
• Create priority lists and stick with them
• Learning happens during fun times instead of sticking to standards
• You must promote and support independence of teachers in their classrooms
• Find what people are good at and highlight it
• Don't put limits on yourself

Contact

Twitter: @MatthewXJoseph

Mxjspeaker.com

New Book: Power Of Connections

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. Matthew X. Joseph is currently the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Leicester Public Schools. He has been a school and district leader in many capacities in public education over his 27 years in the field including Director of Digital Learning and Innovation, elementary school principal, classroom teacher, and district professional development specialist.

Takeaways

• Be a role model for others
• Do something different to benefit students
• Leave a legacy
• Give teachers safety as a support for increased engagement
• Identify the finish line, not the race
• Celebrate attempts to succeed
• People get burnt out when they work away from their passion
• Slow down to listen to your teachers
• Make yourself more human to be relatable
• Show your own failures to create a culture of risk taking
• Don't practice "Facebook Leadership"
• Succeed and fail as yourself
• When you empower people you create a culture

Contact

Twitter: @MatthewXJoseph

Mxjspeaker.com

New Book: Power Of Connections

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.

Mandi Tolen is a high school math teacher, a technology leader, a Google Certified Innovator, a blogger, and the author of Make Math Not Suck, a guide for teachers to create fun and memorable math experiences for students. She loves to learn and share her knowledge with others. Mandi has a passion for changing how we teach to create thinkers and learners.

Key Takeaways

• Reiterate solutions to problems until you find success
• Put plans in place for when you are 1st attempt fails
• Practice accountability with grace
• Reflection has to be personal to be effective

Contact

Twitter @MandiTolenEDU

Instagram @MandiTolen

TikTok @MandiTolen

YouTube: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Make Math Not Suck

blog: infinitelyteaching.com.

blog: makemathnotsuck.com.

Book-Make Math Not Suck available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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.