NASHVILLE — When students leave the school building at the end of the day, they should be asked to recall one positive experience they had. That simple activity can help move students from a negative to a positive mindset, leadership speaker and author Jon Gordon told the 4,200 attendees at the National Conference on School Leadership on Monday.
Gordon urged school administrators to also dismiss their anxieties, fears and doubts, and to harness gratitude through positive connections and communication. "Don't listen to your negative voices," Gordon said. "We need leaders who are leading with love, bringing unity and a message of hope."
Gordon's keynote address kicked off the conference hosted jointly by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. It was the first time since 2017 that the two organizations held a joint annual conference.
Here's a snapshot of three areas of discussion and advice shared by speakers during the conference's first day:
Preparing for difficult conversations
Hard conversations with staff can be anxiety-ridden and stressful for school leaders, but ignoring a situation — whether it's disappointing student test scores or a teacher not following protocols — can lead to longer-term damage to the culture of the school, said Benjamin Feeney, principal of Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Co-presenter Julie Kasper, principal of Century High School in Hillsboro, Oregon, said emotionally charged meetings can be difficult, but she views her position as a school manager who coaches people toward improvement.
"If I have a teacher who's having a really hard time with classroom management, but all he knows is math and he integrates technology so well, it is not going to serve him well to just continue to say, ‘You need to improve your classroom management,’" Kasper said.
Rather, Kasper said she needs to support the teacher with resources and guidance on classroom management.
When it comes to tough conversations, Kasper and Feeney recommend that school leaders share their objective for the meeting with the other person, offer data — such as test scores or emails — to back up their main points, and be ready to pivot if the conversation doesn't go as planned. They also recommend touching base with the person at least 24 hours after the meeting to summarize the discussion and steps to be taken.
Kasper added that leaders need to set aside time daily to provide positive feedback to staff. "I think we can't forget how we talk, what we address, impacts the climate and culture of our buildings"
Supporting student and staff mental wellness
Principals don't need to carry the full weight of caring for staff and student wellness on their own but can encourage their communities to work collectively to find solutions that are customizable for their buildings, principals said.
At Sherwood Forest Elementary in New Orleans, for example, school faculty perform in a show for students at the end of the school year. The faculty show is a way for staff to thank students for their own performances throughout the school year. It also is a joyful event to close out the school year, because summer vacation can bring food insecurity and safety concerns for some students, Principal Christopher Mayes said.
He added, "if you are not singing and dancing with your kids every month, at least once a month, you are missing an opportunity to break a mental wellness issue for your staff and students."
Jay Apostol, principal of Monett Middle School in Missouri, said teachers at the school created a Sunshine Committee to recognize colleagues' birthdays and weddings, as well as periods of grief. The school also has a calming room for students and is creating a calming room for staff.
"When you talk about mental health, you talk about student mental health and staff mental health, you want to make sure that you're taking care of both," Apostol said.
Advocating for Black male students and leaders
Black male students are disproportionately disciplined and referred for special education, and Black male leaders lack supports and are underrepresented in education, said Chris Rogers, principal of Oak Point Elementary School in Eden Prarie, Minnesota.
What Black male students need is empathy, not tough love, he said. "Challenging behaviors do not equal special education," Rogers said.
And Black male teachers need advocates who support equitable policies and practices, as well as allies who want to understand and identify implicit biases.
"For my White educators that are in here, understanding the challenges being more than just listening," Rogers said. "It's about doing some research. It's about talking through some uncomfortable conversations without running away from them. It's about having an empathetic lens and approach to these conversations, as well."
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