I recently came across a post that was asking for speaker recommendations when it comes to professional development days. The interaction I had on this post made me reflect on how site and district leaders plan for professional development for their schools, and I’m sharing my insights with you this week.

I know that many of you are tasked with having to decide on topics or themes and hire speakers or presenters for your school’s professional development days. I also know that for the majority of you, this process feels like another thing on your already full to-do list. Although planning professional development seems like just another box to tick, there’s an opportunity here for you to leverage the growth of your entire community.

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We often overlook the valuable contributions of substitute teachers, who serve as essential members of our staff. As principals, we are so busy running around that we may not emphasize the importance of nurturing and cultivating our substitute teachers enough. While everyone assumes substitutes are being looked after, they don’t receive the acknowledgment and support they deserve.

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How can we make brain science accessible and entertaining to children and adults alike? What does it mean to break down what’s going on inside of our brains into child speak? And how can we translate our understanding of neuroscience into action steps that ultimately lead to healthier, more robust, thriving school communities? 

While our understanding of neuroscience has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, learning how to apply it in our daily lives is a whole other ballgame, and my guest today is here to fill the gap. Jessica Sinarski is an author, speaker, and specialist in brain development whose superpower lies in connecting with kids at the brain level, and she’s here to talk all things neuroscience and emotional literacy.

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Welcome to the third session of The Mid-Year Reboot for School Leaders! This is my favorite session of the entire class because we’re diving into the topic of generating momentum and how it’s a key element of the goal-setting process as a school leader. 

If you believe that pain and suffering are necessary components of setting and achieving goals, you are not alone. We grind our way to the finish line, wondering why we don’t feel fulfilled when we hit our goals, and what you may not realize is how you’re energetically dropping momentum along the way when you perceive the achievement of the goal as the ultimate prize.

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While January is a fresh start for those following the calendar year, it marks the mid-point of the school year for educators. This is the perfect time to check in with yourself and to feel delighted in your work for the rest of the year, instead of pushing yourself to the finish line.

To help, I’m inviting you to my upcoming training series called the Mid-Year Reboot. I ran this training throughout December, but I wanted to offer it to those of you this January who were busy during the Holidays and taking a break from school leadership conversations.

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