My BAD

I was skilled and accomplished, so I expected myself to be perfect at my craft. It was painful when I discovered that I wasn't and needed help. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @jesslahey @bamradionetwork Jessica Lahey is an educator, writer and speaker. She writes the bi-weekly New York Times column, The Parent-Teacher Conference and is a contributing writer for The Atlantic and commentator at Vermont Public Radio. Her best-selling book is The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can .

Transparency has limits. I learned this lesson the hard way and I've been living with the error for years. Do you know the boundaries? Follow: @barrykid1 @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Barry Saide is the Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction for the Frelinghuysen Township School District, in Newton, New Jersey.

It took a while for me to figure out that some things in school are important and some things just aren't. Follow: @jethrojones @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Jethro Jones is the principal of Kodiak Middle School and host of the Transformative Principal podcast, where he interviews successful educational leaders to improve our schools. He focuses on finding simple solutions to complex problems.

As a new administrator, I started with a bang, but eventually realized I was en route to a bust. Here's how I got back on track. Follow: @Joesanfelippofc @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Joe Sanfelippo, PhD is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District. Prior to taking on his current role, he was an elementary school principal in two rural school districts and co-authored The Power of Branding-Telling Your School's Story and Hacking Leadership.

I thought I was empathetic educator till I found myself dismissing the pain of another. Follow: @ShanaVWhite @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Shana White serves as technology coordinator at Creekland Middle School in Lawrenceville, GA as well as an adjunct teacher for Georgia Virtual School. Shana is dedicated to empowering and teaching both students and teachers how to effectively use technology as a tool to enhance and take charge of their own growth.

I had lots of rules and lots of ways to make sure my students understood them and complied. Then I got a wake-up call. Follow: @tonyvincent @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Tony Vincent likes to learn, teach, and make things. Since 1998, Tony has been a pioneer in digital learning, and he continues to help educators use technology for teaching and learning.

I learned the hard way that treating people equally doesn't mean treating everyone the same. Follow: @benjamingilpin @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Ben Gilpin is a relationship driven educator with a passion for innovation. Ben serves as an elementary principal in Michigan. He is involved with classroomcribs.com and personalized learning initiatives with the Michigan Department of Education. He is known for his blog, The Colorful Principal, which showcases stories and learning pieces for educators from around the world.

How I learned to say yes to the right people, and no to the wrong people. Follow: @joshuasheart @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Joshua Williams is a Ransom Everglades high school student from South Florida who discovered his passion for philanthropy when he was 4 and a half-years old. Believing that no child should ever go hungry, for over ten years, Joshua has been dedicated to helping to “stomp out world hunger” through his organization Joshua’s Heart Foundation.

I was startled by happened in my classroom and felt that I had to do something. I would never respond as I did again. Follow: @spencerideas @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork After teaching middle school for eleven years, John Spencer is now a professor of instructional technology at George Fox University. He is passionate about creativity, design thinking, and digital literacy. He blogs at spencerideas.org.

Fortunately, I had a mentor who was willing to sit me down and set me straight. Follow: @thomascmurray @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Tom Murray is the State and District Digital Learning Policy and Advocacy Director. He joined the Alliance 2014 as the state and district digital learning policy and advocacy director, where he works alongside state education departments, corporations, and school districts across the country. Tom’s wealth of experience in K12 digital leadership has been recognized at the national level.

I was focused on what I wanted to say and neglected my audience. Lesson learned! Follow: @j1berger @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Dr. Jonah Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and bestselling author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On and Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior. He's spent over 15 years studying how social influence works and how it drives products and ideas to catch on. He’s taught Wharton’s top ranked online course, published articles in top-tier academic journals and consulted for a variety of Fortune 500 companies.

I kept my burnout from my students and realized years later I made a big mistake. Follow: @raepica1 @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Rae Pica is an education consultant, keynote speaker, radio host, and author, specializing in the development and education of the whole child. Her most recent book is What If Everybody Understood Child Development?: Straight Talk About Improving Education and Children’s Lives.

This week we check in with a college student who shares what he's learned from his mistakes. Follow: @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Cameron McCoy is a freshman at Morehouse College pursuing a Double Major in Business Administration and Economics with a Minor in Spanish. Works as a essayist, orator, and civil rights activist within the youth community.

We were so excited that we jumped the gun and changed our teaching, but we forgot to prepare our students and parents. We learned why setting expectations is critical. Follow: @RossCoops31 @murphysmusings5 @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Ross Cooper and Erin Murphy are co-authors of the forthcoming Hacking Project-Based Learning. Ross is the Supervisor of Instructional Practice K-12 in the Salisbury Township School District (1:1 MacBook/iPad) in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Erin serves as the Assistant Principal at Eyer Middle School in the East Penn School District.

It took me a while to realize that creating growing relationships is more important than being right. Follow: @kristenswanson @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Kristen Swanson is Edcamp founder, senior educational technology leader at Bright Bytes, and author of Professional Learning in the Digital Age and Teaching the Speaking and Listening Standards.