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What I Learned About Divorce
Lindsey and I met on Tinder in June of 2014 and immediately hit it off. As is the case with most online connections, we started with your...
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Investing in Culture
In Delivering Happiness, former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh suggests the following: “Once you have a culture – invest in it.” Although this...
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Tug of War
Yes, superintendents must understand school finance. But is money the best place to focus their energy?
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Healthy Teachers = Happy Teachers
Growing up, I was taught there are two aspects to physical fitness: regular exercise and a healthy diet. I was fortunate to have parents...
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Great Leaders Create More Leaders
I recently discovered that one of our administrators was being courted by a nearby district for an open position. The neighboring...
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"I'm Calling My Lawyer!"
“I’m Calling My Lawyer!” Educational leaders hear this all the time. Often, these are upset parents who believe schools mishandled a...
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Don't Worry, Be Happy
Throughout my life I’ve looked at the world through a positive lens. While most believe this mentality is optimal, experiences have...
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10 Tips for Addressing Underperforming Employees
Although school leaders should constantly look for opportunities to delegate, certain tasks remain the sole responsibility of...
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8 Ideas for Teacher Recruitment
It's impossible to find good teachers! We're scraping the bottom of the barrel! There just isn't anyone out there! School leaders sure...
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Lesson Learned
Early in my administrative career, I supervised a pair of teachers who worked closely together. One teacher was positive, creative, and...
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Everyone, Stay Calm!
When guidance is provided, please stay calm. Do not overreact. Realize you have the ability to dictate how you respond to the news.
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Senior Wall
Every student loves to "leave their mark" on the building so what better way than to have your handprint up for all to see.
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Growth Mindset Painting
Have you ever gone one of those Wine and Painting classes that seem to be super-popular right now?
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Bring Your Dog To Work Day
By far one of the most fun days I've had was when we allowed for a "Bring Your Dog to Work Day" for our staff.
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Chili Cook Off
There is nothing that says "Iowa winter" like a hot bowl of chili.
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Donut Giveaways
Who doesn't like donuts? We try to do donut giveaways at least once a month.
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Birthday Postcards
By far, one of the best decisions I ever made was to start writing birthday postcards for each student in our district.
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Special Delivery
We always look to do something special for our new employees' first day of work so they start to feel part of our family.
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Organizational Chart
At first glance, an organizational chart might not seem like a "culture hack..."
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Oversized Canvas Prints
I have received countless compliments on the oversized canvas prints that are hung in my office.
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All-Staff Celebrations
Why is it that most organizations don't take time to celebrate accomplishments and give staff time to get to know each other?
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Press Clippings
Newspapers might be what they once were, but there's still something special about seeing you or someone you know in the newspaper.
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Vacation Day Drawing
Want to spread holiday cheer while also giving your leaders a chance to learn more about the jobs of their direct-reports?
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Holiday Giveaway
Who doesn't like giveaways - especially around the holidays?
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