(even if your school is closed) Over the past couple of weeks with school closures due to the COVID-19 emergency, school leaders and parents have voiced concerns to me about school tuition. “Several families have requested tuition refunds since we are closed and not offering our contracted services,” said one head of school. “Why should […]
Category Archive:
Leadership
Planning Meetings With A Purpose
Have you been in a meeting where you squirmed in your seat and thought, “Why am I here?” Right! Who hasn’t? Painful, isn’t it? To plan meetings that matter for your next school year, ask yourself these two questions about each event: Why are we having this event? What do we want to do differently after our […]
9 Leadership Steps For Parents and Teachers
I love to watch leaders grow! It’s fun to see someone take their first steps into leadership. Leadership is a choice, a choice that more of us need to take. At home our children need parent leaders. At school, our children need teachers and administrators to offer clear direction and coaching. Here are some Kids […]
FREE WEBINAR: Creating Your DREAM Community
Are you a school leader concerned about building your ideal school community? Please join me for this 50-minute “instant” webinar on Creating Your DREAM Community. Watch Now! In this free webinar you’ll learn: Why creating and communicating a clear vision of your dream school community is the first step to transforming “customer” families into partner families, […]
FREE TRAINING | Teaching Civility
Over the past few years it seems like incivility in our culture has reached a new high. Which is not a good thing! Most of my life I have been teaching others how to problem solve and urging others to treat all people with kindness and respect. Time to double down on those efforts. There […]
The Breakfast Pledge
Last year in my For School Leaders newsletters I focused on teaching civility. With this series on teaching civility, I drew heavily from Christine Porath’s book, Mastering Civility: A manifesto for the workplace, as well as other sources. Teaching civility, the grace and courtesy lessons we offer in our Montessori classrooms find renewed importance. Who do I want to […]
Helping Young Children Learn About Money
A few years ago I discovered that the six-year-olds in my class couldn’t differentiate between a nickel, dime or quarter, much less a half-dollar. They did recognize a one-, five- and ten-dollar bill, along with a penny. With parents using debit and credit cards for most purchases, children have few experiences with cash. With further […]
The Sign of A Good Hearted Woman
The first time I went into Nina Clare’s kitchen a drawing near her back door surprised me because I recognized it. It was a drawing of a stylized cat on a piece of slate. The drawing of the cat looks like one that a child of seven or eight might draw. The cat has only […]
Spontaneous Self-Discipline
An indicator of healthy and normal development in children (and adults, too!) is the presence of self-discipline that seems to appear almost out of nowhere. In reality, there are factors that contribute significantly to the development of self-discipline in the child and adult. As a child’s will is strengthened by the use of free choice, […]
Profanity: A Sign of Limited Ability
A visit to an elementary school opened my eyes to something that would never have happened a few years ago at a “good” school. Profanity from the children. This R-rated classroom wouldn’t have been allowed even a PG-13 rating. I’m amazed as a classroom observer how the children act as if I’m invisible. The children […]