[listen to the podcast that inspired this post here]
We all question our role from time to time. Something seems stale, out of place. Or you see someone in another position and start to wonder, “Is that something I could do?” But how do we jump from that thought to the courage to actually make a change and start something new? Robyn talked about a lot of the credit going to her morning rituals of morning pages and prayer.
I had never heard of morning pages before, so I looked it up. What I found were many case-studies from high-achievers discussing the importance of this discipline.
Developed by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, morning pages are as they sound, three pages, handwritten in the morning. The goal is to just write whatever is on your mind, trying not to stop. You don’t have to save the pages or revisit them. You simply write.
The benefits of this practice include a sense of clarity. Robyn was able to offload her mind before other needs and ideas were being pushed her way. Once it was on paper, those thoughts could roll around in her subconscious. When she was presented with the opportunity to fast-track and become a lead principal, she had processed the answer enough times, both on paper and subconsciously, that the words just came out, “I want to quit my job and write a book!” In the moment, speaking those words surprised her, specifically with the amount of clarity and relief she felt. This sense of clarity is something that I found to be common with others I read about when I was looking up morning pages. Others who had started this practice found that offloading their stream of consciousness first thing in the morning allowed them to have clarity throughout the day.
What disciplines and rituals can help you find clarity? If you already have a similar practice, maybe it’s time to say a few of these thoughts out loud. I find the practice of morning pages to be fascinating but haven’t started this for myself. I’m just not a morning person…yet (more on that below).
During Robyn’s interview, she described a longing to write a book, but when she actually thought about it, she kept seeing barriers. After finding clarity to quit her job and write a book, the reality of not having an income, a publisher, or even a book title started to seep in. These things could have very well impacted her decision in a way that would have kept her from achieving her dream, but she realized that these barriers were just false barriers; things that pose as barriers, but actually have fairly simple solutions. Robyn realized that if she just started working toward her dream, some of these things would fall away naturally.
False barriers exist in all of our lives. I used to wait until night to exercise because I believed I wasn’t a morning person. I would slog through my workday, come home, spend time with my family, and when it came time to work out, I didn’t have much left in the energy or motivation tanks. Then COVID-19 hit, and suddenly I was working from home, without a commute, and some extra time in the mornings that I never had (or never gave myself). I started a simple exercise routine that I could finish before needing to be at my computer. Nine months later, this routine is still going strong. I still don’t categorize myself as a morning person, but I’ve come to realize that exercising first thing in the morning actually energizes me for the day, and I have more to give to my job and my family. The opportunity was there all along. I could have been doing this for years, but I believed in a barrier that didn’t even exist.
What are your false barriers? What are you telling yourself that keeps you from achieving your dreams? What’s one thing you can do today to begin to debunk what you thought to be true?
Robyn found that most visions in the education world are lacking, and fail to meet 100% of the students being served. An example might be, “By next year, 80% of the students in this school will be reading on grade level, increasing from this year’s 70%.” On paper, that might seem like a great goal, but in reality, what if you are one of the 20% kids? How inspiring is it that in this scenario, the school plans to have 20% of their students not reading on grade level?
Instead, Robyn challenges school leaders to write a vision that is for 100% of their students. So in our example above, we can change it to, “By year ____, 100% of the students will be reading on grade level.” Many people look at this and think it’s impossible, but that’s because they are imagining the school they have now, instead of the school they need to have in order to achieve this goal.
What needs to change at your school or in your division in order for you to achieve a 100% vision? We may not all reach these visions in the first year, but the changes that you put in place in order to get closer to this vision will likely be bolder, more impactful than if you had stuck with the 80% vision. You will likely need to define new disciplines and routines that carry across all parts of your building and then find and remove real and false barriers by supporting your faculty along the way. After a year or two of driving toward your vision in this way, it would be hard to imagine not getting closer to 100%, and that is inspiring.
[listen to the podcast that inspired this post here]
About the Author
Jesse Rodriguez is a curious educator, dabbler, thinker, husband, and dad who believes that the best seat in the house is often found behind the scenes.
As a chronically late student, Danny Bauer once told his Chemistry teacher a fib about saving an entire girl scout troop from a burning building to get out of a tardy.
Danny is not sure if it was the very made up story, the very real cookie he offered his teacher, or a combination of both that got him out of a detention that day …
That experience taught him it pays to develop your storytelling skills.
Danny has been telling stories since then, most recently on the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast, ranked in the TOP 0.5% of 3 million global podcasts, and via his two bestselling books, Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader and Build Leadership Momentum: How to Create the Perfect Principal Entry Plan.
He also loves telling stories while facilitating in person leadership workshops at national conferences and for school districts.
Danny’s mission is to help Ruckus Makers Do School Different™.
Soniya, hailing from the culturally rich land of India, is a dynamic professional in the field of web services, crafting digital landscapes. Soniya’s journey into the world of technology is a testament to her unwavering passion and commitment to excellence, transforming ideas into impactful online realities.
Since 2022, Soniya has played an important role in supporting BLBS with her comprehensive website services.
She loves to travel and cook new recipes.
Music is an inspiring art form. Sound is conveyed via the air to the ears of living beings, and each being perceives it in its own unique way, eliciting a certain feeling. Dragan feels the same sensation every time he hears music, from infancy to now, as if it were a part of his existence that he couldn’t fathom living without. Dragan opted to deal with sound his entire life despite his formal degree, and today he is one of the most passionate audio producers you can meet and chat to about sound and music all day long. His enthusiasm for audio production, student-like thinking, and curiosity keep him continually mobile in generating new, quality, and enjoyable sound on a regular basis.
Dragan has been producing BLBS audio and video content since 2020.
My passion for both baseball and literature was the initial catalyst that led me into education. Growing up as a softball player and a die-hard fan of the Chicago Cubs from the North Side of the city, I developed a profound appreciation for the South Side of Chicago, not enough to convert me into a White Sox fan. As a National Board certified teacher, with over 16 years of experience on Chicago’s South Side, my journey as an educator has taken me from my roots in the Windy City to Virginia, as an instructional coach.
From the very beginning, I have been an unwavering believer in the philosophy of BLBS. My journey alongside Danny has been one of daring innovation and audacity, right from the moment he challenged me to say, “boom” and drop the mic during our initial city-wide professional development event. He has cultivated a team capable of winning a World Series, and I am deeply honored to be a part of this community of individuals who consistently push the boundaries and endeavor to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Premaria Mutambudzi is the BLBS Office Administrator, This is her 2nd year, she has served in the administrative field for 5+ years, Prim is originally from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She has been married for 7 years to her husband Takunda, and is blessed with two children.
Prim loves meditation, creative writing, poetry, and reading. In her spare time, Prim is a talented and creative Makeup Artist.
– Head Coach
Sofía’s lifelong search for a profession that would “leave the world a little better than she found it” led her to study philosophy and comparative religions, become a teacher, lead schools and educational projects, work for the Argentine Ministry of Education, contribute as a volunteer in various NGOs and become personally committed to causes that raised awareness about the world’s challenges and the potential of education to overcome them.
She is a practically-minded idealist, a profound believer in people and their potential for good, committed to collaborative leadership environments, and instinctively and naturally drawn to create order and systems in seemingly chaotic contexts.
After more than 30 years in the classroom and almost 20 as a school leader, Sofía now divides her time as Schools Development Manager for Cambridge University Press and Assessment, Executive Secretary for the International Confederation of Principals, Facilitator for the ESSARP Teacher Training Centre in Argentina and BLBS Mastermind Coach.
Each of her current roles allows her to travel near and far while contributing to her own lifelong learning, and that of school leaders across the world, in the slow way she cherishes: one experience, one adventure, one conversation and one relationship at a time.
– Head Coach
Once a roller derby ref, now enjoying “retirement”, Dan’s got some wild tales from the track. Picture this: Dallas, a Division 1 tournament, and Dan’s zipping around as an “outside pack ref” when suddenly, BAM! He gets bulldozed by “Ruthless Red” charging out of the penalty box. But did he stay down? Not a chance! Dan bounced right back up, finished the game like a champ, and jetted off to Barcelona for the World Cup, broken tailbone and all.
Bruises and broken bones couldn’t keep Dan out of the action. Those derby days weren’t just about dodging collisions—they taught him about grit, resilience, and leadership skills that he’s been flexing for 15 years as a school leader. Whether he’s coaching leaders as part of The Ruckus Maker Mastermind™ team or dodging freight trains in the fast-paced world of roller derby, Dan is always willing to lean into the next challenge.
– Head Coach
Jason P. Dropik (Babaamii-Bines / Eagle Clan) is the School Administrator for the Indian Community School (ics-edu.org), in Franklin, WI, which serves Native students in the metro Milwaukee area. A member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (BadRiver-nsn.gov), Jason is committed to supporting students, families, staff, school/community leaders, and the community both near and far.
Having recently completed a two-year term as President of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA.org), he advocated for and spoke on the importance of tribal sovereignty, policy, appropriations, and student support across the country. As a Board Member of NIEA, Jason continues with that work, championing training and providing information for schools and community organizations, while creating visibility and understanding of Indigenous perspectives.
His greatest passion is creating welcoming spaces for students to develop their identity, take pride in their language and culture, and to celebrate the rich legacy and the promising future of Indigenous communities.
– Head Coach
First and foremost, I’m a husband, father and son. I’m someone who is driven by my faith. I’m the Principal of A. Russell Knight Elementary in Cherry Hill, NJ. The Parks are animal lovers. We have 3 dogs and 2 cats. Some things that I’m loving at the moment is playing Pickleball and cooking for my friends and family. I also have the privilege and joy of serving as a BLBS Mastermind coach.
– Head Coach
Back in high school, Jesse used to painstakingly unthread the logos from his clothing and hats so that he wouldn’t be seen as part of the status quo.
He didn’t know it then, but that was the start of his journey as someone who finds unique ways of communicating ideas.
Then when he discovered his connection to youth with disabilities, he realized that he was among experts who’ve been finding ways to do things differently all their lives.
Leaning into these connections has brought him to become the Innovation Lead for a statewide project called I’m Determined – developing and producing animated videos and feature-length movies, facilitating events and building tools and resources for youth, families, and educators – all as ways to help students ink their journeys for the world to see.
As a leadership coach, Jesse is someone whose consistent presence is there to listen and add value and belonging.
– Head Coach
Leadership skills were evident as early as first grade for Paige Kinnaird when the teacher pointed out that “Paige is an eager beaver who completes her own work and then monitors what everyone else is doing.”
This taught Paige the importance of servant leadership. To never expect work from others that she is not fully committed to also putting forth the effort to accomplish.
Paige has used this as the central driving force of her work ever since… a willingness to be part of the work, not just driving the work.
– Head Coach
Karine Veldhoen, M.Ed., is the founder of Learn Forward™ and a creative force in education. While her name may be difficult to pronounce, her mission is simple, to champion extraordinary potential. As an educational leader (15 years) she created the first model Learn Forward™ school while simultaneously founding and serving as Executive Director of Niteo Africa. She’s taught Teacher Candidates at both UBC-O and UNBC and serves as a coach for Better Leaders Better Schools.
In all of her roles, she considers herself a modern-day pilgrim who stands for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Now, she dedicates her professional practice to championing EdLeaders to design thriving schools. When Karine is not carving new paths for education, you’ll find her with her husband and three children, her heart-song.