Our regular article round-up provides school leaders with a useful overview of recent news and research based on the important issues you are dealing with in your schools and districts. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog so you can receive our monthly blog posts delivered straight to your inbox.
What Highly Effective School Leadership Really Looks Like in a Pandemic
This fall, leading remote schools, most principals can’t make the weather for their school communities. They aren’t even in the same building as their teachers and students. In distance learning, the way you dress, walk or project your voice aren’t as relevant. But personal leadership—setting an example, in your own person, of how you want your community to be is as important as ever. 
Active Listening Must Be the Norm
Too often, our shared discussions in society and in school include a right and wrong side, a red and blue side, no gray area for nuance. That’s no classroom. Building a strong foundation of the basics, listening to one another and communicating with grace will allow our community to sustain the tough conversations when they come up for us, whether remotely or in person.
Schools embrace mindfulness in curricula
More schools are introducing mindfulness into curricula to help students deal with the stress brought on by pandemic-induced lifestyle changes, according to The Hechinger Report. While some schools can afford to hire mindfulness educators, others are integrating discussions about emotions into daily lessons. A survey of 6th-graders shows students felt less stressed and had fewer feelings of sadness after eight weeks of guided mindfulness.
