Principal Project

"At staff meetings, we draw two names of staff members. Then everyone in the meeting writes an affirmation on a card. I punch those cards and place them on a ring to give to those drawn. Gratitude takes team effort." —Principal Mindy McGinn

Here's a team gratitude booster to try at your next meeting!

Thank you x 1 million, leaders.

2 practices to refresh and reset relationships with your team Try this approach to boost positive communication and solutions-focused thinking on your team

“A core part of ensuring that our staff feel heard is to follow up deep listening with clear action.”

Check out these tools for self-aware, solutions-focused conversations via Principal Rob Robledo →

Two people write on a bulletin board with the header "Cross Curricular." Along the left side of the board is a list of subject areas (ELA, Science, Math, History, etc.)

The best professional learning might come from the teacher next door!

That's the idea behind this whiteboard strategy, where teachers share what they're working on to surface collaboration opportunities, via P Nicki Slaugh.

A screenshot from the linked resource, listing possible meeting opening prompts, such as "What is one positive way you saw your impact in the past week?"

❤️ An opening prompt can help ground your team in their work. Kick off your next PLC meeting with one of these prompts from CLEE:

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

When you need to reset a relationship with a student, ask the students what it would take. Kids understand repair and healing but often need to do it on their terms. Sometimes just saying: I believe this is hard. I believe your experience is real. I care about what you think. I am going to stick with you. Simple phrases are often all it takes. Everyone, including students, wants to feel worth the effort.” —Leader Sarah Sirgo

I believe you. I care. I'm sticking with you.

Sometimes, simple is all it takes.

(Inspiration via leader Sarah Sirgo)

We see you this #NationalPrincipalsMonth – and we see you deserve a little break!

Here's a gift pack inspired by you and your fellow leaders. We hope you'll give yourself a few minutes to unwind and reflect on how amazing you are.

principalproject.org/a-resource-c...

Connection is the cornerstone of school leadership 4 ways to deepen connections with fellow school leaders

"When principals serve one another as much as we serve our schools, we make this work more sustainable, more joyful and more transformative for every student we lead."

Read on for Principal Otis Kitchen's #NationalPrincipalsMonth ode to fellow school leaders:

To build coping skills successfully, students need consistency. By educator Lindsey Paricio-Moreau via Teach Plus

"Louisa, an 11th grader in my chemistry class, sobbed while explaining to me that her anxiety was so high that she had to miss a full week of class."

Could consistent SEL support have helped? Explore ideas via educator Lindsey Paricio-Moreau and @teachplus.bsky.social

medium.com/whats-the-pl...

"Every student holds a spark within them – sometimes buried beneath struggles with behavior or academics. Our job isn’t to extinguish that fire, but to help them find their awesome, discover their why and turn that spark, that energy and even those struggles into passion, purpose and success. That’s when real learning – and healing – begins." —Leader Bryan Pearlman

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🎉🎉🎉 It's National Principals Month! We're celebrating you, leaders.

Can we have better classroom conversations in challenging times? Via Greater Good Magazine

💡 Need ideas for supporting students as they share their own perspectives – and seek to understand one another's?

This read from @greatergoodmag.bsky.social can help:

greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item...

How do you connect with fellow colleagues in similar leadership roles?

Asking for a new leader!

Hispanic Heritage Month resources for your school community, via National Museum of the American Latino

Explore a resource collection that can power your team's celebrations of Hispanic and Latino culture – this month and year-round!

latino.si.edu/learn/teachi...

Screenshot from Learning Forward, featuring a table that outlines a support plan for new teachers.

If you could give fellow leaders one piece of advice about supporting new teachers, what would it be?

Here's some inspiration via Learning Forward:

3 tips for supporting staff collaboration Hint: It starts with knowing your own vision.

"Everyone on your staff brings their own gifts and talents. By naming the strengths you see, you can make sure everyone on your staff knows where to turn for ideas."

Read on for more ways to support authentic staff collaboration, via leader Victoria Lightfoot:

A back to school toolkit, via Learning Forward: Tell your community about the value of professional learning. Strengthen your professional learning strategy. Support new and veteran teachers.

Teachers can get more from professional learning when the whole school community is behind them.

Find ready-to-share handouts to let families know what PL matters, via Learning Forward.

#BackToSchool #EduSky

learningforward.org/backtoschool/

How our school went phone-free – and got our kids back Discipline is down, learning is up.

Principal Adam Mokelke didn't just spring a phone-free policy on his school community – he spent a year laying the groundwork.

Read on for ways you could start working toward this change now.

Screenshot from a "Schoolwide SEL Walkthrough Protocol" found at the link. The section in the screenshot includes the first piece of a rubric focused on classroom climate and practices.

You and your teachers have discussed SEL. But how are your practices looking in action throughout your school community?

This SEL walk-through guide from CASEL can help surface insights to push your work forward.

schoolguide.casel.org/casel-walkth...

Harness the power of the 5-minute staff check-in My staff survey results took me by surprise and taught me to build a strong culture.

What can you accomplish in 5 minutes each morning?

The start of a staff culture transformation, suggests P @drvsmith.bsky.social ✨

How teachers can use AI to listen, reflect and build math classroom community. By educator Al Rabanera via EdSource

For educator & @teachplus.bsky.social fellow Al Rabanera, AI is a thought partner, surfacing patterns and opportunities to support students.

Read on and consider sharing this perspective with your team:

edsource.org/2025/how-tea...

Our approach to creating a community-centered school To encourage family participation and engagement, we must center community in all we do.

🔑 Shared commitment
🔑 Community assets
🔑 Collaborative planning

Read on to learn how these 3 keys can lead to strong connections with students' families this school year, via leader Maricela Rodriguez.

Screenshot from the linked resource which offers a protocol for holding meaningful five-minute conversations with students' caregivers.

It can be hard to make time to speak with students' families, but a 5-minute chat done right can help you shift toward a more culturally responsive school environment.

Find out how to make every minute count with this guide from CASEL: schoolguide.casel.org/uploads/site...

Screenshot of a chart from the linked resource that can be used to map when, how and by whom information is presented to new teachers.

🌊 🌊 When a teacher joins your staff, there's an ocean of information for them to absorb. This tool from TNTP can help you chart their course.

Click for a full onboarding guide from TNTP: tntp.org/wp-content/u...

Conference room table with the words "Cougar Pride" visible on a wall in the background. On the table are several small piles of school "swag" for new staff.

Close up of a school swag collection for new staff, including a letter from the principal, a school T-shirt, sunglasses and a water bottle.

How do you celebrate the arrival of new team members?

(Inspiration via P Beth Thomas)

Screenshot of a guide available at the linked resource, which offers teachers resources in support of the question, "What state must I be in to create the environment my students need?"

🔖 Looking for strategies to launch the school year with solid SEL supports in place?

Save this discussion guide from CASEL to share with your team.

schoolguide.casel.org/resource/tea...

11 tips to support math learning and teaching over breaks via NCTM

Don’t let math momentum fade over summer! 🧠

@nctm.org has tips and tools to help educators and students stay engaged during the break.

www.nctm.org/Conferences-...

A library of resources for anti-racist school leadership On the following tabs, you’ll find a collection of resources for anti-racist education shared by your fellow school leaders – along with some reflections on how each resource has informed their…

Seeking resources to reflect meaningfully on Juneteenth and beyond?

Here's an array of tools from your fellow school leaders:

"We're pretty intentional about making sure that there are displays, books, resources, posters and flags throughout our school, even stickers on the office door that send a message of inclusion. Families may not say anything when they’re walking through our schools, but they are always looking. For example, a few years ago, a family with same-sex parents came into school for the first time, and they told me that when they saw the Pride flag, they knew they would belong here. That was very powerful to me. The school said nothing. It was a flag, on a pole, that said everything to them." —Leader Michael Moore

Here's to the ways you let EVERY student and family know: You belong here.

#EduSky

A photo of a staircase. The front of each step has a sticker with the name and logo of a college or university in Virginia.

One step at a time, these students are reaching their college dreams! 💫

(Via AP Michele Repass)