Summer, and the start of the school year, often bring some surprising change to school sites and districts. Chapter 11 of Onward, Ride the Waves of Change, specifically addresses change and its role in our resilience, but as we all know, change is constant. And often next month and the start of the school year brings lots of change.
If you are a leader and wondering how to best support your staff through this change, read the article How School Leaders Can Attend to the Emotion Side of Change. I love how the author connects this to school culture: “A positive school climate helps teachers feel like change is possible. And when school leaders can help teachers build on their strengths, instead of only remediating weaknesses, everyone will feel more competent and able to continue pushing for change.” Each of the habits and dispositions in Onward are so intertwined…focusing on the bright spots, riding the waves of change, and understanding emotions are key to cultivating our resilience and the resilience of others.