Antiracism is a topic I don’t personally speak on because it’s not my area of expertise as a white educator. However, it is something I feel extremely passionate about. I believe antiracism is a daily mindset practice that is always growing and evolving with us. To guide us through what it means to lead an antiracist school, this week, I’m speaking to Dr. Daman Harris.

Daman Harris, Ph.D., is a trailblazing expert in educator retention and antiracist leadership. Dr. Harris is an experienced teacher, coach, principal, district administrator, adjunct professor, speaker, writer, and consultant. His first book, The Antiracist School Leader, articulates a big-picture framework and research-based actions for bringing the power of antiracist education to your school, and he’s here to show us how to have courageous conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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I’ve been coaching many school leaders just like you on the fatigue, dreariness, and lack of motivation they have been experiencing recently. The winter dip is real, and most of you are in testing season and conducting teacher observations right now, looking ahead to the end of the school year when you can finally take a breather.

Before we reach those warmer, brighter, and longer days, you first need to address your end-of-year planning. Whether you’re someone who loves planning so much that you get caught up in the details or someone who intends to plan but gets overwhelmed by the busyness of your job as a leader, I’ve got you covered this week.

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This week, I’m diving into a powerful but deceptively sneaky thought most school leaders carry around with them every single day, and it’s this: “I want to make the right decision.”

Wanting to make the ‘right’ decision is a thought we hold very tightly onto, and it drives our actions in unhelpful ways that you might not see right now. It’s no surprise that believing you have to make the ‘right’ decision is leaving you frozen. So if you find yourself spinning in indecision, procrastinating, and worrying about whether or not you’re making the right decision, this episode is for you.

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What is your experience of district walkthroughs as a site leader? Whether you’ve had the more formal district walkthrough experience with clipboards and documents offering feedback, or you’ve experienced more casual interactions where it’s up to you to interpret and decipher the feedback, they often get our teachers extremely worked up.

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Do you consider it a problem when you’re on a learning curve and feel like a novice at something? What if I told you it’s incredibly valuable to be in this zone, and that the obstacles you’re facing aren’t there to punish you but exist to condition and strengthen you?

Obstacles are part and parcel of your desire to create impact, have influence, and contribute to the world in bigger and bolder ways as a school leader. You’re likely facing obstacles you could only dream of at one point in your career, and now, they’re a reality. Obstacles are a key part of the dream-come-true experience, but what’s preventing you from seeing this are your objections.

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