![]() Leading Off Dear ESHA Friends, I hope that your winter breaks were enjoyable and gave you a sizable boost for the months ahead. As you know, ESHA's next event is on February 27th in Long Beach, California, when NAIS meets. Our cocktail party information can be found at the following link as well as in the included information section below, so please do register soon. We do need a solid number count for the gathering for planning purposes. https://www.elementaryschoolheads.org/events.html I'm including in the Heads Up section links to or articles about childhood, cell phones, and "headmaster hoarding," even though I realize that there's not much time in your lives for reflective reading! But give them a shot when you have time. Best, Chris From ESHA President Elinor Scully ![]() Dear ESHA Colleagues, Happy New Year, ESHA members! I hope that everyone had a much deserved restful winter holiday and that 2019 is off to a good start in your respective schools. Fellow ESHA board member Joe Powers (The Woods Academy, MD) and I are hosting a lunch to recruit new potential ESHA members next week here at The Langley School. Joe and I are looking forward to describing the many benefits we've realized as ESHA members. For those of you heading to Long Beach next month, I hope you will join us at our ESHA happy hour on Wednesday evening, February 27. We are trying out a new format and will welcome your attendance and feedback. In the meantime, best wishes for a great second half of the year! Warmly, Elinor Heads Up! This article came out in November and provides an interesting perspective on cell phones and accompanying suggestions. https://www.waituntil8th.org/blog/2018/11/12/middle-school-misfortunes-then-and-now-one-teachers-take The following three links are just parts of an extensive "Special Report on Childhood "in the January 5th edition of The Economist. https://www.economist.com/special-report/2019/01/05/why-childrens-lives-have-changed-radically-in-just-a-few-decades https://www.economist.com/special-report/2019/01/05/the-early-years-are-getting-increasing-attention https://www.economist.com/special-report/2019/01/05/how-children-interact-with-digital-media And finally, Carla Silver of Leadership and Design once again pushes us where we might want to go! The Miracle of Tidying Up School Carla Silver, Head L+Doer Leadership+Design I haven't read The Life-Changing Habit of Tidying Up - although I do own it. From what I have read about it, I'm pretty sure I would be a big fan. I'm also certain that it offers many more humane, kind and empathetic methods for what I do everyday - heartlessly and haphazardly get rid of crap. Or should I say, "stuff?" Whatever. It's in the eye of the beholder. At the rate I fill extra large hefty lawn bags full of art projects, broken toys, plastic souvenirs from family vacations as well as school and professional sporting events, unfinished friendship bracelets, cardboard cities, and school work, I feel like I should hold an honorary trash collector's license, much less feel capable at "tidying up." The day winter vacation ends and the kids go back to school: that is when I am at my most relentless. One final hypothesis about this book (that I have not read) is that it isn't really about keeping a clean desk or a tidy house, it's about being able to make clear choices about what to keep and what to throw away - in life. Whether we are talking about personal and work habits, relationships, possessions, or ideas and perspectives, we all carry around a lot more than what really serves us, brings us joy, feels relevant, and really matters in the here and now. Schools are no exception. In fact, I would actually consider schools - as an industry - to be hoarders - of curriculum, pedagogy, calendar, and mindsets about student learning. Faulkner, Steinbeck, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald - can't get rid of those guys. That Latin text book from 1989 - it has a few good translations. Keep. AP courses - how will our students ever get into *name brand college* without them? Three months of summer - our teachers and students need time to rest and recover and our families need time to take overseas vacations. Lectures and exams - our students will need to know how to do these when they go to college because that is what colleges do - especially *name brand college*. I could go on, but I think I've made my point. At what point do we keep hoarding all of these elements of education or make the choice to tidy up and make clear and intentional decisions about what is really important, relevant, joyful, and meaningful? School leaders can get cluttered too - with the stories they tell themselves and their own personal narratives about how they need to serve their school communities, make decisions, and their strengths and weaknesses. "Nobody takes me seriously." - Better hold onto that idea. "I need to be decisive." - A little old school, but that's what leaders do. "I solve the problems - for my school and all of my direct reports." - I can be the hero. What are the stories that leaders can tell themselves that actually serve them and help them to be more capable in mobilizing change and empower others to do work that matters? What stories inhibit success and are no longer useful? Hoarders. This month, in our year of Mad-Lib style newsletter articles, we asked our writers to complete the following prompt that we like to call the Miracle Question: A miracle has occurred and ________ problem has been magically solved overnight. We're observing ___________ as a result, and it's blowing our minds. For me, the miracle would be that we have applied the KonMari method described in The Life-Changing Habit of Tidying Up (or at least the version I have in my head) to school and to school leadership. We have systematically explored what we possess and what we store in our syllabi, our personal narratives, our curriculum and our pedagogy, and we ask ourselves,"Is this serving me and my students now?" "When was the last time I really used this?" "Where am I not making space for solutions, practices, and learning experiences that could be more elegant and relevant?" "Is this bringing me and my community joy?" The real miracle would be that we have tidied up school. There would be space for growth. My mind would be blown. In the natural word, there are eco-cycles that organic systems go through - starting with gestation and moving through birth, maturity and finally creative destruction. Liberating Structures - a set of practices that are helpful when teams are trying to make progress through challenges uses a tool called "Ecocycle Planning" to help organizations and teams apply this natural phenomenon in their own work, helping them to identify where certain practices, products, activities and services are in their various ecological stages. Creative destruction is part of any healthy eco-cycle. To make space for new growth and allow new seeds to germinate, other plants must die or be repurposed and turned to mulch. Ecosystems depend on these cycles. It's nature's way of Tidying Up. When nature hoards, we end up with forest fires. When schools hoard, we end up with fires of a different kind. Take a look below at the miracles our amazing writers - all L+D Fellows - have identified. Thanks Michael Ecker, Rhonda Hewer and Hannah Nelson. You are all miracle workers! Speaking of the L+D Fellowship, it's almost time to open up the applications for this year. We start taking applications February 1 and the deadline is March 15. Also coming up, Equity and Inclusion Action Lab in Seattle with NWAIS (you don't have to be a NWAIS member to attend). Wonder Women! is filling, so register soon if you want to join us - this year we are back in Oakland, CA at Head-Royce School. Lastly, we opened up registration for a new adventure last week - L+D TruthSeeking Pods. If you are interested, email me or Ryan and we can send you a registration link. We only have a couple of spaces left! Apparently there are a lot of school leaders seeking truth because those spots were snatched up lickity split. May 2019 bring you many wonderful adventures, hopefully some with L+D! Warmly, Carla Silver ESHA Is Delighted to Welcome Another New Member ESHA’s 2019 Annual “Dinner” It’s not a dinner this year, but a cocktail reception! NAIS will have its conference in Long Beach, California, so take the ten-minute stroll from the Convention Center and… Join us at Parker’s Lighthouse from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. There’s no cost to ESHA members or guests, and we highly encourage you to bring a friend who’s a head but hasn’t joined ESHA yet, or a board member, or members of your senior leadership team. Just sign them in when you register so we can have accurate numbers. This year’s event is sponsored by McCallie School.
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![]() Leading Off Dear ESHA Friends, We concluded our biggest event of the year - our Annual Retreat - a few weeks ago. Mary Beth Noel, our very part-time venue evaluator par excellence, helped us find a terrific location for the gathering, and we are very grateful to her for her fine work. The following evaluation is gratifying and a call to all who weren't able to join us! "What a fantastic first ESHA conference! As a new head, I felt welcomed and immediately part of a larger collegial group that will undoubtedly provide the support needed as I traverse many new head challenges in the months to come. My husband and I enjoyed meeting many ESHA members, and I am currently reflecting on the many ideas I hope to implement which came from the seminars and discussions this past weekend. I appreciate the thoughtful planning that went into such a productive conference." "As a new head, I would love to take part in the phone call groups. Would you please add me to a flight roster?" We received many other positive evaluations, some of which are included with the photos below. So if you didn't make it to Florida in October, plan to join us in NASHVILLE next October 19-22. And let me know if you'd like to join a phone call group! Best, Chris From ESHA President Elinor Scully![]() Dear ESHA Colleagues, The 2018 ESHA Conference, "Lead with a Story," held in Palm Beach in mid-October by all accounts was an enormous success. Pete Upham of TABS gave a terrific presentation on the core elements of developing meaningful strategy for schools in our marketplace. Charlie Jones of Brand Intersection Group joined us for a second time and offered a multi layered approach to thinking about our individual paths to successful leadership. In addition, Tim Good and his team from Good Design reminded us of the power of unique storytelling each of our schools. Some us who arrived early had the opportunity to hear about the benefits of executive coaching from Katherine Stuart and the Education Group. These speakers motivated and inspired us to think deeply about our work as school leaders. And, as always, being with colleagues and friends throughout the weekend was nourishing both professionally and personally. I know I came home enormously grateful for the time ESHA affords me to recharge and reconnect with esteemed colleagues (and in a beautiful location to boot!). I'm wishing everyone a restful and restorative Thanksgiving. Warmly, Elinor Heads Up! ESHA Flights: Ongoing Conversations with other ESHA Heads ESHA member Abigail Wiebenson, former Head of Lowell School in Washington, DC, and currently a leadership coach, runs one of our connecting flights and summarizes what the calls entail: The monthly Flights are an intentional way of giving ESHA members an opportunity to air ideas and consider situations in a safe, knowledgeable and collegial environment. These calls affirm and strengthen leadership as participants gain insight, awareness and validation from exchanging experiences with their colleagues about successes and dilemmas. Meeting monthly, if possible, has the added benefit of developing enduring professional and personal relationships over the course of a school year. During the hour phone discussions, flight leaders listen carefully and guide the conversation, enabling ideas to be exchanged in ways that produce insights, affirmations and “takeaways” for the participants. ESHA Is Delighted to Welcome Its New Members ESHA in Florida: The Breakers Retreat
Attendee comments: "The best professional development I do".... "Connecting with peers".... "The ESHA way is best!".... "Love the collegiality and warmth of the ESHA group".... "Time well spent." .... "An amazing experience that allowed me to connect with peers".... "Fabulous people and conversations".... "A top of the line experience".... "Such good people and takeaways" .... "My favorite conference." ![]() Leading Off Dear ESHA Friends, I hope that this late September post finds you all well and enjoying the relatively new school year. As our President, Elinor Scully, notes in her message, our Annual Retreat is around the corner. Many of you will be attending, but many will not be. I'm posting the schedule for the retreat below, certainly for the benefit of those who will be in Florida, but particularly for those who aren't able to join us. For those who haven't been to our conference in a while, or ever, this gives you some idea of what we'll be doing. I highly encourage all of you who won't have the opportunity to join us next month to seriously consider doing so next fall. Not only are our gatherings terrific opportunities for our Heads to learn, collaborate, and have fun, they are major professional development opportunities. Sometimes I worry that Heads give ample chances to faculty and staff to grow in their jobs by getting out to seminars, conferences, and courses but pull back when it comes to themselves. Don't do it! Make a resolution to be at the ESHA Retreat in 2019. Best, Chris From ESHA President Elinor Scully some quieter reflection. To me, this retreat seems perfectly timed in the school year and I always return to Langley refreshed and recharged. ESHA offers me a unique way to enrich my professional network of colleagues. Please let us know how we can support your leadership, we are always striving to add value as an association. Best wishes as you begin a new year! Warmly, Elinor Heads Up! Click on the program for a printable version. Click here for an interesting piece from The Economist, "Copying Allowed: What other countries should learn from Singapore's schools." ![]() Dane's Education Blog iGen Generation - Born 1995-2012 Posted: 16 Aug 2018 05:12 AM PDT If you, or your child, or your student was born anytime between 1995 and 2012 you/she/he is of the iGen generation— you know, the generation after the Millennials. You will want to read Dr. Jean M. Twenge's book iGen. Filled with charts, statistics, and facts, her book, will amaze you at how iGens have moved beyond the technology and social media we think the Millennials own. Here is a link to the many Appendices that supplement the book, and along with the book, here is where you will get a quick sample of what the author has compiled to help readers understand the iGen generation. Ironically, when you view this link, the first graph you will see is Figure 1.A. "8th and 10th graders' print media use." Hang on to your seat when you view this graph. Coincidentally, NYTimes columnist Frank Bruni quoted Twenge in his Sunday Review column last Sunday, [She said] "Having to sit for more than a half hour or an hour doing one thing — that's gone by the wayside, and that concerns me as an educator and as a parent." Here is one more link to her TEDx Talk. In her closing comment she states, "Let your phone be a tool you use, not a tool that uses you." Thanks again to ESHA member Dane Peters for his fine work.
![]() Leading Off Dear ESHA Friends, I hope that for you, the song rings true: "Summertime, and the living is easy!" This July post is a brief one, just a chance to make sure that you're getting away for the break you deserve and to remind you of the wonderful professional development event coming up in October at our Annual Retreat. I've often observed that Heads are generous in giving faculty and staff opportunities for growth outside of their schools yet can be stingy when providing themselves such enrichment. So check out the information on our Palm Beach gathering below and join us in October! Cheers! Chris ![]() From ESHA President Elinor Scully Dear ESHA Colleagues, As Chris noted above, it's really just time for a quick hello. I hope you are all enjoying a restful summer break and getting energized for the coming year. Should you have time, I highly recommend for your reading pleasure Wait, What? And Life's Other Essential Questions, a slim volume by James E. Ryan, former Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the new President of the University of Virginia. Enjoy July and August! Warmly, Elinor ESHA Is Delighted to |