Learning to Stand
Just in case the only thing missing from your day is a baby flamingo learning to stand on one leg. pic.twitter.com/em5N6ogg69 — Paul Bronks (@SlenderSherbet) July 23, 2019 A young flamingo has to learn how to stand on… Read More
Reading Our Way to an Understanding of Racial Justice
A colleague of mine, Andrew Arevalo, posted on Twitter that he had started reading White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo. A Twitter conversation began in which people shared… Read More
Don’t Buy Me Flowers
My boyfriend and I have very different communication styles, especially when it comes to sharing our feelings. He’s just not the kind of guy who will bring me flowers, or leave me notes or proclaim his love for… Read More
Excel at Everything! Do it RIGHT NOW!
Last week, I asked a teacher I admire if she wanted to share some of her passions with my blog readers. Her answer made me sad. She said she didn’t feel like she had done anything worth sharing… Read More
Students Are Changing the World NOW
Last night, my district received the Innovate Award for its District Design 2022 initiative. This initiative is focused on providing an extraordinary school experience for all students. Using the Design Thinking mindset, curiosity is promoted as students seek… Read More
What is the Role of Mobile Devices in Your School?
A colleague in her Master’s program asked me to answer a few questions for a class project she is completing. My responses are below. I’d love to hear how others would answer these questions. What are the instructional… Read More
The Future of Work is Emotionally Intelligent … Are We Preparing Students?
I recently participated in a webinar by Singularity University titled, “The Future of Work is Emotionally Intelligent.” Below are some key takeaways I discovered from the discussion. Participants: Melissa Extein, PsyD, Principal Consultant & Part-time Faculty @Extein Consulting… Read More
Powering Personalization
For the next two months, I get the honor to spend time, like serious, dedicated, reflective time, with three groups of teachers as we dive deep into the concepts of personalization and agency. Our goal is to define… Read More
How Strategic is Your Strategic Plan?
I’ve been wondering about strategic plans lately… during the course of my career I have been part of many strategic planning teams, both writing and executing. Some plans looked like a football play, with lots of arrows and… Read More
Imagining Joyful Learning Spaces
This past month our innovation team has been fortunate to work with a school staff that is looking to reimagine their library space. Currently a traditional space with plain walls, a large circulation desk, and giant book shelves,… Read More
Empathy Can Sneak Up On You!
“If we want people to fully show up, to bring their whole selves including their unarmored, whole hearts—so that we can innovate, solve problems, and serve people—we have to be vigilant about creating a culture in which people… Read More
Laura K Spencer, Ed.D. 