Practice the Pause

I’m in therapy, and it’s one of the best things that ever happened to me.  I say it’s the best thing because of what has come out of my first few sessions.  I’ve learned that I am a “fixer,” and all of the work I do is catered towards making things better for other people,…

I Am the Evidence

I’ve been battling with it for the past two months….yep…whether or not I wanted to go back in a school system and become a turnaround principal- you know- the person who goes into schools, puts them on the right track, then leaves and begins the process over again.  I’ve been in that space because I…

The Testimony

It’s almost been a year since I last posted here, and because it’s been that long, I had to go back and reread the “Wisdom from the Wounds” entry, which was the last time I shared with you all from the principal’s seat.  Let me start off by answering a question I get often when…

Wisdom from the Wounds- A Farewell Post

When I was little, I remember jumping off the front porch and landing on my collar bone.  Superman was one of my favorite characters, and something in my mind told me that I could do what he did.  Gravity would tell me otherwise in a very painful way that I would never forget.   So, I…

Say Yes Sir

If you think about it long enough, you’ll realize that schools are interesting places.  They are meant for students to learn content, but you also have to acknowledge that both kids and adults learn a lot about life and a lot about themselves through their day to day interactions with one another, whether positive or…

Moments of Clarity

I quit yesterday…about four times.  I literally said, “I’m done with this.  I’m just sick and tired.”  And I texted my wife and told her the same thing.  She texted back, “Is that what you say, or is that what God says.”  And at the point, I took a deep breath, breathed deeply, and there…

Intentional Love

Dr. Chara Wilaford and I did a session with school leaders entitlted, “Post Pandemic Planning” a few weeks ago, and this clip stuck out to me.  It stuck out because sometimes we rarely reflect and get caught up in the moment.  The question was, “How has the pandemic impacted your leadership forever, and what will…

Dear, Dr. Taylor

I’ve wanted to do this post for three years, more specifically at the beginning of my principalship.  I find that now is the perfect time to do it because this year marks my 7th year in administration, which is also the amount of time I spent in the classroom.  I won’t linger on the point,…

Preparing to Plant

I was sitting at my desk last week and I’d typed the title in the subject box of my Principal’s weekly note…Preparing to Plant.  I didn’t have anything in the text box to communicate the message to my staff, and I was technically waiting for the thoughts to come. In the midst of waiting, our…

Views from the Valley

I’ve been in a good space this past week.  It seems like I can’t catch up on anything, but I know that my colleagues are in the same boat, so it makes me feel a little better knowing that all of us are treading the turbulent waters of an unknown day to day schedule to…