How Self-Compassion Can Help School Leaders Stay Grounded

It’s late in the afternoon when the knock comes on the office door. A parent has arrived, visibly upset about a decision made earlier in the day. As you speak with them, their voice tightens. Your own chest does, too. You notice your shoulders creeping upward, your breath becoming shallow. You want to listen well, […]

4 Parenting Lessons I Didn’t Learn in Graduate School

I spent nearly a decade in various professional roles that led me to believe I was a “child expert” before ever becoming a parent myself. Before becoming a mother, I had values and expectations that felt thoughtful and well-intentioned, but then I experienced what I can only describe as aggressive humbling from the moment I […]

Three Lessons for Bringing Gratitude Into Your School

When asked what it felt like to receive a thank-you note, fourth-grader Leilani* at Sunset Beach Elementary School in Hawaii responded, “I feel good because someone cares about what I did. I feel like people care about me.” When she considered what it felt like to see someone else receive a note from her, she […]