AWSP Blog

The AWSP Mentor Implementation Sessions have wrapped up, and a big thank you to all of you who participated in mentoring, training, and walking with new school leaders this year. We were able to mix things up a bit and keep many school leaders in their buildings by hosting our virtual implementation sessions to complete training requirements. We also learned much about facilitating a large statewide network, and with the help of post-session feedback, we adjusted presentation content and learning as the sessions unfolded. This was a big lift! Thank you to my AWSP colleagues, David Morrill and Dameon Brown, for their support on the technology side and problem-solving and learning between sessions to meet the learner's needs.

Speaking of EQUITY… have you ever heard of the ARD Newlsetter? Talk about powerful and impactful daily learning on all things related to the topic of Anti-Racism. As our team has been working to find resources for the AWSP Equity Guide, The Heart Work Of School Leadership, I stumbled across this organization and its newsletter. They have podcasts to listen to as well as professional learning opportunities. I have added this daily read to my morning workflow and have pushed myself to continue reading and learning about how racism creeps into almost everything. From bank bailouts to exploitation of farmworkers and how inequality fuels a global water crisis to questioning your understanding of “authentic” food…I’m getting curious and thoughtful and paying a bit more attention to so many different inequalities as they are exposed and, at times, right under my very nose!

Over the course of the next few months, I will share some resources, newsletters, and ideas to incorporate into your daily workflow and leadership practices that I, and the leaders I support, have been finding helpful, inspiring, and reflective. I’ve been following The Daily Coach and reading it daily. It's short, insightful, and I read it as one of the first things I do when I sit down with my cup of morning coffee to “wake up” to tackle the day. Short paragraphs of leadership wisdom, sometimes it’s a comeback story or a bulleted list of items to prompt reflection or journaling. Today’s “Magic Question” was, "Where are the growth opportunities in my life?"

Leader’s Lens Newsletter, by Jacob Espinoza, has been a new find since about mid-February. I love Jacob’s writing voice, and you know what? It’s so practical! The newsletter starts with a short set of statements that ABSOLUTELY apply to leadership. There is a little bit of self-care, thought-provoking questions (great daily journal prompts), and then a “Deep Dive.” The February 19 Deep Dive leaned into The 6 Heads of Leadership…powerful read and so applicable to our AWSP Mentor Program.

Emotional Agility is probably one of the trickiest skill sets to learn as you are busy juggling the demands of an intense school year. As we think about all that has happened over the past three years and ALL of the things we are working to handle effectively, the importance of emotional agility cannot be overlooked. Susan David, author, TedTX speaker, and co-founder of the Institute of Coaching (Harvard Medical School), is a leader in this field. Those of you participating as mentors/mentees in our AWSP Mentoring Program have been exposed to the School Leader Paradigm and how our personal and social intelligence positively/negatively impacts our ability to lead in the schoolhouse.