At the September PIIC PLO, the conference focused on the importance of listening: how we listen to our colleagues, why we listen to our colleagues, and how we know our colleagues listen to us. We know that listening is an active skill; it is thought-provoking, intense and contemplative. We should not fear the silence that accompanies meditation and reflection. Sometimes, however, we need to give ourselves permission to ponder more, speak less, and let our thoughts drive our actions. Remember, listening is different than hearing.

In the June 2014 JSD issue (Vol. 35, No. 3), authors Sheri S. Williams and John W. Williams share what they’ve learned about business and education. What they found is that there are similarities in identifying the skills and knowledge base needed to support both school and business communities in order to sustain “learning” in both domains.  

At the end of each work week, I’m sure you reflect and “check off” the mental notes you made about accomplishing your goals, working with your teaching colleagues, and helping others recognize their voices in a very demanding setting. You also probably begin the process of scheduling the following work week and identifying that week’s goals according to the needs of your colleagues.

Welcome back from what I hope was a wonderful, relaxing summer vacation.

In June, I commented about coaches not being experts but having lots of expertise. I wonder if the same is true for principals. We’d like to think that principals are experts in organization, curricula, instruction, and research. But, is that a reality and is it fair for us to expect one person to “do” everything in the school? In actuality, principals do not have the time to do all of these things.