Blog

Learning How to Say No and Set Boundaries with Parents

By: Jon Konen | Nov 21, 2022

toolbox
How to increase your “NO!” toolbox! No other time in my 23 years of education has it been harder to say “no” to people. We want to be pleasers and support our all stakeholders as much as possible, but sometimes there’s a limit to what we can do. What I have ...
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How to Become a Teacher Through Certification

By: Jack Levinson | Oct 10, 2022

how to become a teacher through certification
Are you interested in becoming a teacher but aren’t sure where to start? It can be daunting to begin a teaching career, as there are several paths that each have advantages and disadvantages that are worth considering carefully. Ultimately what’s important is that you pick the track that is suited ...
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If You Had Only One Behavior Strategy to Use in Your Classroom, What Would It Be?

By: Jon Konen | Sep 26, 2022

teacher high fiving student in classroom
If you had only one behavior strategy to use in your classroom, what would it be? This question is nonsensical as we all know it takes several strategies to be an effective teacher, but what strategy works most frequently? Being a former teacher and principal, and now a superintendent, I have spent ...
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Live Your Code: 7 Strategies That Will Help You Be the Most Effective Educator You Can Be

By: Jon Konen | Aug 15, 2022

elementary teacher and students
Live your code! There are so many ways to say the same thing…  …Be true to yourself! …Stand up for yourself! …Live by your morals! …Have strong ethics! …Don’t let others change you! …Stand up for what you believe in! …Continue living your best life!   When what you believe in is compromised, what do you do? Do you lean ...
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8 Ways to Fall In Love with Teaching Again and Make Your Career Work for You

By: Jon Konen | May 19, 2022

crossroads arrow in roadway
Are you changing schools, grade levels, or even contemplating getting out of education all together? I want to give you eight reasons to stay in your teaching career…and maybe you can add to the list with a reason or two of your own. I recently read that people had been moving across ...
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“What Advice Would You Give Your First-Year Self?”

By: Jon Konen | May 4, 2022

meditating in the woods
A recent response to a post in the Facebook group, Principal’s Principles, by Andrea Cosens, an elementary principal at Normandy Elementary in Littleton, Colorado, was profound. She states, “Hold on tight to your core values, they are about to be cross-checked for references.” I was able to connect with Andrea and learn ...
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Strategies for Keeping Toxic Positivity Out of School Culture

By: Jon Konen | Apr 5, 2022

Group of kids in school hallway
Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling I see all these pictures and videos of educators working tirelessly to create a positive school culture. Leaders working so hard to make school happy, joyous, and positive. We can all agree that optimism and positive thinking definitely have their place when it comes time to work ...
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How Practicing a Little Email Etiquette Can Save Faculty a Lot of Unnecessary Stress

By: Jon Konen | Feb 11, 2022

Tough decisions ahead
“Schedule Send” – An Inbox Activity for All Educational Leaders A recent post from the private Facebook group, Principal’s Principles Leadership, sparked a long thread about how we can inadvertently cause stress for our staff. “Schedule Send” can help you reduce this stress and help us prioritize the tasks we do. *Posted ...
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Why Public Education is Worth Fighting For – A Counterpoint to All the Negativity Out There About the State of Our Schools

By: Jon Konen | Feb 1, 2022

One room schoolhouse
Part 3 in a 3-Part Series - “A journey with a mission attached!” In this three-part series, we will explore the current fight to maintain public education, outline some strategies for ways we can improve the current situation, and look at some of the people that have made strides in the fight ...
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Why Public Education is Worth Fighting For – 10 Strategies That Help Us Stay Solutions-Oriented Problem-Solvers

By: Jon Konen | Nov 18, 2021

Colorful print of school children with hands up in class
Part 2 in a 3-Part Series - In this three-part series, we will explore the current fight to maintain public education, outline some strategies for ways we can improve the current situation, and look at some of the people that have made strides in the fight to save public education ...
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