The Winter Discipline Wave: Why It Happens & What Schools Do About It
Every experienced administrator knows the winter discipline wave is coming. Research shows discipline rates follow predictable seasonal patterns, with sharp increases after breaks. Understanding why this happens and implementing proactive systems makes the difference between crisis management and strategic prevention.
The Mid-Year Reset: Supporting Students (and Ourselves) Through Exams, Stress & December Burnout
December brings student stress, faculty fatigue, and a unique chance for a mid-year reset. This issue offers tools for supporting students through exams, easing adult burnout, and gathering insights to set January up for success. A warm, strategic guide for independent school leaders.
Mid-Year Retention Strategies: Keep Families Engaged and Enrolled
The winter months represent a critical window when belonging either solidifies into lasting commitment or quietly fractures beyond repair. Schools that implement strategic mid-year touchpoints can identify at-risk families early and strengthen the connections that keep students enrolled year after year.
Student Wellbeing Measurement: Neuroscience-Based Emotional Assessment for Schools
In a recent episode of The Table, I explored how the Agile Brain platform uses neuroscience to measure student emotions in ways that feel accurate and actionable. Dr. Bill Nolen and Margot Moses shared insights about moving beyond traditional surveys to truly understand emotional wellbeing in schools.
The Mid-Year Reset: How to Recalibrate School Culture Before February
January offers school leaders a natural checkpoint to recalibrate culture strategically. Research shows that schools thriving in spring are those treating January as a deliberate reset point rather than just another month on the calendar.
Systems of Care in Schools: Moving Beyond Self-Care Slogans
Self-care alone can’t fix a broken system. Schools need to move beyond bubble baths and wellness slogans to create institutional systems of care that address climate, culture, and capacity building. Dr. Keba Rogers shares practical strategies for supporting the people doing this essential work.
Rest and Renewal as Strategic Leadership Practice for School Leaders
This is the fifth and final installment in our November series, “November Notes: Reflect. Recalibrate. Restore.” As we approach the holiday break, it’s time to reframe rest not as something we squeeze in when everything else is done, but as a strategic leadership practice essential to our effectiveness.
Curiosity in School Leadership: The Underrated Tool That Transforms Schools
In this episode with Dr. Keba Rogers, we explore why curiosity is one of the most underrated leadership tools and how school leaders can use it to move from judgment to empathy, from reacting to responding, and from defensiveness to connection.
Admissions Season 2.0: Turn School Tours Into Authentic Conversations
This is the fourth installment in our November series, “November Notes: Reflect. Recalibrate. Restore.” As we approach the heart of admissions season, it’s time to rethink how we welcome prospective families into our school communities.
Grace in Educational Leadership: Why Self-Compassion Matters for School Leaders
In a recent episode, Dr. Keba Rogers explores why educational leaders readily extend grace to students and colleagues but withhold it from themselves. She shares how grace transforms leadership from authority to connection and provides practical strategies for creating cultures where growth happens.