Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

This morning I read a gripping opinion post in Education Week by Lisa Mead, a principal in upstate New York, whose piece titled A Principal’s Assessment: ‘We’re Not OK’. She shared what I’ve heard from many principals this past year: 2021 was in many ways harder than 2020. Among the many important ideas she shared, she included the following: “We are not only in a COVID pandemic, but we are also struggling to survive in an emotionally devoid epidemic. Grace and forgiveness are scarce. The stresses and mental health of students, teachers, and leaders are high. We can’t rely on routine as there isn’t much of one left, and our hopes about finally returning to a typical school year this year have evaporated.” With this sobering truth in mind, I’ve been amazed at the obstacles school leaders have faced this past year. In addition, I’ve been encouraged by the innovation, determination, and commitment among education leaders to continue serving students, teachers and communities – no matter what. Somehow you keep serving while inspiring others to do the same. At the same time, school leaders are tired, and it’s OK to say ‘We’re Not Ok.” I’ll never forget in 2012 when I attended my first national principal meeting. As a part of being recognized as Oklahoma’s Assistant Principal of the Year, I met principals from across the states who shared stories from their schools.  I remember looking around the room and thinking, ‘Wow, this is a room full of people who also represent unsung heroes in schools across the nation I’ve never met. People who hear heartbreaking and heartwarming stories of students and families. How can I better connect with their stories?‘ It was then the idea for starting a blog for school leaders began to germinate in my thoughts. My blogging journey began in February 2013, and later in December 2015, I transitioned that work to a podcast as well. This February will mark the 8th anniversary of the Principal Matters blog and this past month marked the 6th anniversary of the podcast.   Each year, I like to take time to review the year past and set goals for the New Year.  2021 in Review for Principal Matters, LLC. Here are several milestones we reached in 2021: Podcast Guests This year I interviewed 28 guests. Jen Schwanke, co-hosted 12 episodes throughout the year. The other 27 guests included: Samantha Bartrom TJ Warren Emily Paschall Toirdealbhach Ó Lionáird Ann-Marie Maw Andrew O’Farrell Jessica Wee Britainy Harris Paul Wendler Loredana Borello Seán Óg Ó Duinnín Kimberly Miles Sam Fuller Eric Hoops Cynthia Winchester Joy Kelly Marita Diffenbaugh Erin Igoe Latrese D. Younger Trevor Goertzen Eric Sheniger Daniel Bauer Enid Lee

What would happen if you asked your team, ‘What question would you predict I’m going to ask in a meeting?’ Brad Gustafson poses this scenario in Part 2 of our conversation about literacy. Educators know literacy is essential to student learning. Brad reminds principals what role school leaders play in helping grow a culture of reading. And he shares how these concepts have helped him navigate and grow a culture of reading. Listen-in as we discuss rethinking leadership perspectives on literacy, helpful tips and questions principals should be using, and helpful feedback on Brad’s own struggles and successes as a lead learner for his school. Brad Gustafson is an award-winning principal, best-selling author, speaker, and avid reader. He understands the critical role leaders play in creating the conditions where everyone in a school can be successful. Brad’s newest book The 6 Literacy Levers, is a practitioner-friendly guide to leading a culture of reading–from anywhere in your school or organization. He also wrote Reclaiming Our Callingand Renegade Leadership. All of Brad’s books are built on the belief that everything we do starts with relationships and connectedness. Brad co-hosts a weekly web series called Read This Now where he talks about literacy and shares book recommendations with fellow literacy leaders. He has served on the Scholastic Principal Advisory Board and been a national advisor with Future Ready Schools for several years. ​Brad was also named Minnesota’s Principal of the Year in 2016. His school has been recognized at the local, state, and national level. From classrooms to the boardroom (and everywhere in between), Brad is helping educators own their influence. Discover ways to rethink literacy with Brad’s six levers: The Compass The Invitation The Walking Stick The Utility Knife The Catapult The Collage Now It’s Your Turn What ways are you helping shape the kinds of questions teachers are asking about student learning? Thanks again for doing what matters!

This week we share the first of a two-part series with Dr. Brad Gustafson. Listen-in as we discuss rethinking leadership perspectives on literacy, helpful tips and questions principals should be using, and helpful feedback on Brad’s own struggles and successes as a lead learner for his school. Brad Gustafson is an award-winning principal, best-selling author, speaker, and avid reader. He understands the critical role leaders play in creating the conditions where everyone in a school can be successful. Brad’s newest book The 6 Literacy Levers, is a practitioner-friendly guide to leading a culture of reading–from anywhere in your school or organization. He also wrote Reclaiming Our Calling and Renegade Leadership. All of Brad’s books are built on the belief that everything we do starts with relationships and connectedness. Brad co-hosts a weekly web series called Read This Now where he talks about literacy and shares book recommendations with fellow literacy leaders. He has served on the Scholastic Principal Advisory Board and been a national advisor with Future Ready Schools for several years. ​Brad was also named Minnesota’s Principal of the Year in 2016. His school has been recognized at the local, state, and national level. From classrooms to the boardroom (and everywhere in between), Brad is helping educators own their influence. Discover ways to rethink literacy with Brad’s six levers: The Compass The Invitation The Walking Stick The Utility Knife The Catapult The Collage The walking stick questions include: Is authentic learning happening? Are we serving each and every reader?  Now It’s Your Turn What ideas or questions would you include for ensuring all students are being served through literacy efforts? You can find all Brad’s resources at: https://www.bradgustafson.com/

This week I’m sharing one of the most popular episodes from the Principal Matters archives. If you know a new or aspiring assistant principal, please pass this along. These tips are also good reminders for anyone leading others. – Thank you for doing what matters! ~ Will Here’s a recap… June 4, 2020: A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by a listener, D.J. Klein, from Jackson, Mississippi. He had just accepted his first position as an Assistant Principal and emailed me the following (that I’m sharing with permission): May 20, 2020: Good evening Mr. Parker, I hope all is well. I started listening to your podcast about a year ago and just wanted to say thank you for all of your hard work and insight. I wanted to reach out to you to ask your advice. I am about to start my first full time administrative role as an assistant principal at a local high school. I was wondering if you have any resources or tips for my first year? I have started Jen Schwanke’s book “You’re the Principal [Now What?]…,” and it has been great so far. Thank you in advance! When I reached back to D.J. to share ideas, I asked him if I could record our conversation to share with other potentially new administrators. For the next 35 minutes, we talked through several ideas that may be helpful for you or someone you know who is stepping into his or her first year as an assistant principal: Book recommendations First I shared a few book suggestions. Although I haven’t read the newest book by Principal Kafele, I’m hearing great things about it. The Assistant Principal 50: Critical Questions for Meaningful Leadership and Professional Growth by Baruti K. Kafele is a popular read among many new assistant principals I follow online. And based on the feedback I’m hearing, you should also check out his free weekly virtual meetings discussing the book. I also sent D.J. a complimentary copy of my book, Principal Matters (Updated & Expanded): The Motivation, Action, Courage and Teamwork Needed for School Leaders 2nd Edition by William D. Parker, with new school leaders. Although I cannot give it away to everyone, I like sharing it with many of the principals I coach. I began this book as I was finishing my ninth year as an assistant principal and was stepping into my first year as a high school principal. It’s a practical reflection on the meaning behind leadership plus practical how-to lessons. In addition, here are two non-education reads that may help you re-think approaches to organizational leadership: Good to Great : Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t  by James C. Collins is a study of the common traits among highly successful leaders – what they focused to lead successful organization and what they did not allow to distract them. EntreLeadership: A Step-by-Step Guide for Leading Your Business to Success by Dave Ramsey is another book I found helpful.

This week William D. Parker and Jen Schwanke answer the question: What do you do about a teacher who likes to ‘stir the pot’ about other teachers? Feedback includes suggestions on: * Having open, honest, clear communication* Addressing ‘stirring the pot’ for what it is* Distinguishing between stirring and asking good questions* Addressing resistance, gossip, tattling, drama, insubordination or refusal to cooperate* Deciding whether to fight back, sit in it, or let go* Reflecting on yourself — does this person disagree with me, or is it legitimately disruptive? Listen-in for more takeaways and ideas. What suggestions or advice would you add? Send your thoughts or questions to will@williamdparker.com. Planning Ahead for 2022-2023 More from Will… It may seem a strange time to be talking about next school year already, but I am already working on my calendar for the 2022-2023 school year. As Principal Matters listeners, I want to give you the heads up first as I only book a select number of days a year for virtual trainings and out-of-state travel. If you or your leadership team are interested in professional learning opportunities for the upcoming semester or next school year, now is the time to plan ahead! Principal Matters offerings include keynotes on any of my books, half-day, full-day and multiple day workshops on principal leadership development, Mastermind group offerings and executive coaching options. If you’d like to find out more, visit my website at williamdparker.com and click on the “Work with Will” tab. Or reach out to my by email at will@williamdparker.com. I’m glad to answer questions or set up a phone conference with you. If you’d like to find out more, please reach out soon as I consistently fill my calendar a year in advance. Thank you for learning together, and I hope you enjoy this week’s episode as Jen Schwanke and I answer the question from a principal about how to manage teachers who ‘stir the pot’ with others in the school!

This week Jen Schwanke joins Will Parker to discuss stories of gratitude from former teachers and educators in their lives. Will references this recent video from the singer Adele paying tribute to her teacher that will warm your heart: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hfb6CSDkWYQ Also, they address these questions from a principal: “How do I provide resources for kids with trauma and behavior issues? What if we don’t have a therapist or counselor? How do we still help students? Jen and Will cover several ideas, including: * Partnering with local resources* Considering what may be “cut” in a proposal to bolster support* Deciding what is necessary to support students and identifying the root of the resistance * Thinking outside the box about resources all students need* For those with counselors, supporting them in order to maximize their strengths Now It’s Your Turn What stories come to your mind of ways educators have inspired you in your own work? What suggestions would you add for education leaders who are wanting more supports for students?

This week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer the principal question: “How do you structure discipline so that punishments fit the crime?” We talk about how the word discipline, instead of punishment, carries an important distinction for how we approach consequences for students. In addition, we provide feedback on several areas, including: 1. Set high expectations. 2. Let the consequence fit the infraction. 3. Be consistent. 4. Be creative when necessary. 5. Be polite. 6. Be Specific and Document. 7. Serve and Teach. 8. Communicate Trust
. You can find a previous post Will shared with more feedback on how to Discipline with Dignity. Now It’s Your Turn Student discipline is both an art and science. What are some ways you have learned to discipline with dignity? What ideas would you add to this list? What are some new steps you can take to see the positive behaviors you would like to with your students?

This week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer principal questions: * How do you gain ‘buy-in’ among staff vs just ‘setting expectations’ when it comes to structuring or implementing new programs to support student learning? * How do you start a leadership team? Ask for volunteers? Invite specific people?? Listen in for feedback on building trust, building on strengths, identifying leaders through volunteers as well as targeting leadership input.  During the show, William also refers to positive school outcomes at Dimension Learning Academy in Norman, Oklahoma. You can find out more about the school here: https://www.normanpublicschools.org/dimensions Also, check out a new book by Solution Tree Press: Powerful Guiding Coalitions: How to Build and Sustain the Leadership Team in Your PLC at Work® by Bob Hall.  Now It’s Your Turn If you have questions or feedback, email will@williamdparker.com. You can find Jen Schwanke at her website: http://jenschwanke.com

Janelle McLaughlin, is an Education Consultant for Advanced Learning Partnerships working with districts all across the United States. She is a former curriculum director for Manchester Community Schools in Indiana. Prior to that role, Ms. McLaughlin spent 14 years as a classroom teacher. Her experiences range from job-embedded coaching for teachers and administrators, to leading reflective collaborations and facilitating action-plan development.  Ms. McLaughlin has a strong belief in the power of education and the role leaders play in building a strong foundation for their organizations. She has worked with educational leaders in over thirty different states and two countries. She has presented on numerous topics at national and international events.  Ms. McLaughlin holds a B.S. and M.A. in elementary education from Ball State University. She has obtained further licenses in school leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University, and gifted/talented education from Manchester University. She’s the author of the new book: Leadership at Every Level: Five Qualities of Effective Classroom, Building, and District Leaders published by Solution Tree Press. In this week’s podcast conversation, Janelle answers the following questions: * Can you share a brief overview of the five qualities needed for effective leadership?* You talk about leading with both the head and the heart. Can you explain why that is essential to you for strong leadership?* What are some of the suggestions you give to those who want to grow in their own path of leadership? * Every educator has a different story. Can you a share why teaching on leadership has become an important part of your own education story?  Now It’s Your Turn Listen in to this week’s conversations for lessons from Janelle’s new book. You can find more about Janelle McLaughlin at her website www.innovativeeducationsolutions.net  or via Twitter: @Ms_Mac4 Check out the new book, available for preorder at: https://www.solutiontree.com/leadership-at-every-level.html Leadership at Every Level: Five Qualities of Effective Classroom, Building, and District Leaders: Leadership at Every Level melds research with practical application while maintaining transparency among the levels of leadership in education. This book was written for educators in every role, whether you are leading in the classroom, the building, or at the district level, you are a leader. Leadership is really about the head and the heart. This book was written for educators at every level—in the classroom, at the building level, and at the district level—to equip and empower them to lead from both the head and the heart. Every person deserves a strong and caring leader, and every leader can continue to grow and learn those lessons to serve well. The best part is that we don’t have to wait on someone to make a plan for us, hire the right keynote speaker, or send us to that specific conference. Each person can determine the path to their own leadership growth.  

Enid Lee is a front-line educator, an anti-racist professional development specialist, leadership coach, writer and community builder. She began her joyful journey as a teacher on the Caribbean island of Antigua about 5 decades ago. She has taught in Canada and the United States. Today Enid consults internationally on equitable education with particular emphasis on language, race and culture and their roles in education. She engages members of school communities, families and community organizations in preparing all learners to create and experience a world with greater justice, joy and generosity. Her publications include Letters to Marcia: A Teachers’ Guide to Anti-Racist Education; Coaching for Equity; and Anti-Racist Teaching in the Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education. She is a co-editor of Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K-12 Anti-Racist Multicultural Education and Staff Development and the developer of an educational tool, Checking and Changing My Systems for Equity. Enid has been the recipient of several awards for her path-breaking work in antiracist education and community building among Black communities and immigrant parents. She received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Queen’s University, Canada, and holds an Interdisciplinary Masters of Arts in Sociolinguistics and Caribbean Literature. She is a Virtual Scholar with Teaching for Change in Washington, DC and in real time shares her time between Santa Cruz, California and Toronto, Ontario. In spare moments she enjoys sitting outdoors and nurturing the child within by reading books for youngsters of all ages. One of her favorite current children’s book is Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race by Megan Madison (Author), Jessica Ralli (Author), and Isabel Roxas (Illustrator). In this podcast conversation we cover the following questions: 1.  When you define equity, equality and systems, you encourage educators to “build on strengths.” Why is that an important distinction? 2.  Take us back to 1967 please. Most educators I work with today were either not born then or still in school themselves at the time. How has the work of anti-racist professional development evolved over the decades you have been in education? –          What changes have you observed in education at large? –          What challenges do you still see? 3.  Why do you focus on ‘systems’ when address equity and equity in learning? 4.  What keeps you motivated, involved, or ‘going’ for so long in this work with schools? Another book we reference in our conversation includes The Rough Patch by Brian Lies:  Now It’s Your Turn Listen-in to the conversation for valuable takeaways and perspectives. You can find more about Enid Lee and her resources for schools at https://www.enidlee.com/resources.

This week, Jen Schwanke, joins me as we respond to more listener questions. Jen Schwanke is an author and education leader from Dublin City Schools in Dublin, Ohio. Question: How do you manage leading a school through the grief of losing a teacher to COVID? Here are some of the points we cover in response: * Grief is loss — COVID involves fear — it is important to keep both those dynamics in mind when dealing with loss. * Loss takes time and community. Leaders need to involve others in the process of healing.* Fear takes action and, in the case of COVID, isolation has added to the difficulty of working through grief.* Remember that reconciling these losses is different for different types of people. Understanding “The Five Stages of Grief” by Kubler-Ross can be helpful. These include: * Denial* Anger* Bargaining* Depression* Acceptance  Here is a resource for more reading: https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.grief.html 8 Ways to Help Your School Manage Grief In 2013, Will shared a post about managing the grief of student loss with the following tips. These steps include: 1. Communicate, communicate, communicate. 2. Be present and visible. 3. Maintain as much stability and routine as possible. 4. Allow creative and spontaneous responses. 5. Ask for help from outside the school. 6. Enjoy and appreciate your students. 7. Be prepared for media contact. 8. Allow yourself time to grieve. You can read the original post here. Also, we refer to a children’s book, The Rough Patch by Brian Lies, that can be helpful when working with staff or students who need context for discussing grief: Question: We are seeing an escalation of behaviors as we transition back to school.  How can we better equip teachers to adjust to this unexpected scenario?  * Just as we teach math and science, we need to teach behaviors, too. * Yes, there is an instructional loss here, but addressing it may take different tools.* As leaders, it is our responsibility to provide professional learning, books/resources and specialists in learning behaviors.* When possible, collaborate with parents for solutions. A helpful resource is a previous podcast with Dr. Don Parker on Building Bridges to Reach Students. You can access that post here. Now It’s Your Turn We would be honored to hear your feedback or suggestions on these questions or to answer questions you would like us to address. Please reach out at will@williamdparker.com.

Jen Schwanke joins me this week as we respond to listener questions. Jen Schwanke is an author and education leader from Dublin City Schools in Dublin, Ohio. We have two questions from a listener who wrote for feedback as an opportunity is opening to apply for a site principal position.  LISTENER QUESTION 1: “After several years serving in the role of assistant principal, I have been mired in testing, discipline, bus routes etc. for the past several years. I know a little about curriculum, but I need to beef up my knowledge in the coming weeks. What tips do you have for digging in and learning curriculum?” Jen: You don’t have to master curriculum. Just know people who have mastered it… curriculum coaches and support. Thru the evaluation process, ask questions. “This is for my learning…” Remember, you can have different standards being taught differently by different teachers. Will: First of all, acknowledge you do not have to an expert in curriculum to be a strong instructional leader. At the same time, you should be able to identify what standards are important in learning. Curriculum choices are guided by that question. In other words, the learning standards drive the curriculum, not the other way around.  Here’s an example to consider: When someone is teaching 11th grade language arts, for instance, he or she may choose to introduce a text from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letters from a Birmingham Jail. Although the teacher wants students aware of relevant material from our own history, he or she also wants to tie the text to learning standards. In this case, the learning goal may be helping students understand how to analyze the elements of persuasive writing, including rhetorical strategies. The learning standards then guide the outcomes students will identify in the reading as well as model the kinds of critical thinking they will need when they practice organizing their own thoughts and writing on persuasive topics. You can apply this same learning framework to every subject. As an administrator, the goal is to apply these perspectives schoolwide. It is easier to guide instruction when every grade level and subject area has curriculum maps tie lessons and outcomes with agreed-upon standards. LISTENER QUESTION 2: I need to have reasonable goals for the school over the next 3-5 years.  I clearly want to address learning gaps due to COVID and achievement gaps for students.  Are there other areas you would recommend I look at?” Jen:  After you’ve set your own goals, you may want to pair with teachers to do the same… don’t leave this to chance… have them do it as a team… accountability comes with sharing with others… Will: Always start with the questions: 1. What are we doing that is working? 2. What do we need to change or improve? I’m sure you already have access to a rubric, but as a matter of reference, SMART goals should be: * Specific* Measurable* Achievable* Relevant * Timeline  Here’s a free PD resource: I came across a short professional development min-lesson plan I had created a few years ago on introducing teams to vision, mission and goal setting. I’ll paste it here if you’re interested in using it personally or with your teams: https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/PD-Mission-Vision-Goals.pdf Let’s Wrap This Up

This week I have the privilege of sharing Part 2 of a conversation with Daniel Bauer about his new book, His new book, Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader. Danny’s new book reimagines what professional development for school administrators looks like in order to meet the needs of all school leaders who currently feel isolated and overwhelmed. You will want to pick up a copy today as I’ve already had an advanced look and can’t wait to get my hands on the final printed publication.  Listen-in as Daniel Bauer shares: * Ways your collaboration – and promoting the growth of others – leads to your own growth.* How to create environments of belonging that lead to trust and learning. * Why what you teach is something you should be experimenting with yourself.* Why thinking outside the box – especially reading books outside the education field – can help stretch your learning and your work as an educator.* Ways that openness and collaboration – not competition – is counter-cultural and still matters in your growth.* Why Danny likes to use the term “level-up” when he refers to leadership growth. Plus, we add a bonus at the end of some follow-up conversation where you can hear Danny share even more takeaways! GET A FREE CHAPTER OF DANIEL BAUER’S BOOK HERE!

This week I have the privilege of sharing a conversation with Daniel Bauer about his new book, His new book, Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader. Danny’s new book reimagines what professional development for school administrators looks like in order to meet the needs of all school leaders who currently feel isolated and overwhelmed. You will want to pick up a copy today as I’ve already had an advanced look and can’t wait to get my hands on the final printed publication.  Danny was a guest on Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast first in June 2017 for Episode 71: How Masterminds Help You Grow. Later in August 2019, he was a guest again for Episode 162: Building Community Through a Go-Community. Daniel Bauer is a self-proclaimed “Unorthodox Ruckus Maker” who has mentored thousands of school leaders through his Better Leaders Better Schools blog, books, podcasts, and powerful coaching experiences. I have been sitting on this conversation for months, and I enjoyed this conversation so much that I have split it into two parts. So I hope you enjoy Part 1 this week, and I’ll share Part 2 with you next week. Here’s a Glimpse of our Question/Answer Time: WDP: In your book, you look at the variety of reasons school leaders aren’t experiencing transformative professional development. Can you explain what you have learned? Danny shares… * Some professional development is delivered inauthentically. * Isolation is a key factor that leaders don’t connect and grow. * Many districts do their best, but the professional development they offer end up being missed opportunities. WDP: What have you learned about who makes the ideal mastermind member and the ABCs of powerful professional development™?  Danny shares: * Authenticity, belonging, and challenge* Professional development built with the ABCs in mind leads to transformation. (Mastermind score card) WDP: You talk a lot about authenticity. Why is this so important? Danny shares: * Professional development that is psychologically safe * Encourages self-awareness* Is values driven can be regarded as authentic WDP: What have you learned about the importance of belonging? Danny shares: * Shared purpose, inclusive environments, and trust are the cornerstones of creating connection between leaders in a professional development experience. WDP: How have you seen your mastermind challenging members to level up? Danny shares: * We do this by developing our leaders’ mindsets, encouraging them to take action, and surround them with a powerful community GET A FREE CHAPTER HERE!

This past month, we sent our third daughter to college. More than a year ago, she began to explore the possibility of studying abroad. As a result of months of apply to schools, virtual meet-ups, and 5,000 miles of travel, she is now a student at Aberystwyth University in Wales. Sending off another Parker child has been an emotional roller coaster. But the experience also brought back some memories of the first time we sent a child to college. As I was walking down memory lane this week, I came across a post I had shared in 2017 about the cycles of self-reflection and applying those lessons both in parenting and in personal growth. This week, I’ve decided to re-share that content here in an encore episode. Listening back also made me realize I originally shared this post in the spring of my last year as a high school principal. At the time, I had no idea I would be offered an opportunity to move into full-time work serving principals in my own state as well as across the globe with my books and trainings.  Listening back has been bitter-sweet, but it has also been a great reminder that growth is a ongoing cycle of learning, reflecting, refining, and action. I hope you enjoy this repeat podcast episode and can apply it to your own journey:  ——————————————————- March 2017: A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I took our oldest daughter, Emily, out to dinner. She turned 18 this year, and we wanted to encourage her in the opportunities and challenges she will be facing as a graduating senior and soon-to-be college student. Previously, I had been reading Tim Elmore’s Generation iY where he shares about three intelligences that help us in conversations with our students and children as they mature: Emotional intelligence: We need to help them develop their EQ—self awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Moral intelligence: We need to coach them toward robust character—personal discipline, secure sense of self, strong positive values. (Perhaps we could call this MQ.) Leadership intelligence: Finally, we need to encourage clear vision, courage, priorities, big-picture perspective, and planning skills (LQ) (Elmore 209). During dinner, I asked Emily if I could read through the descriptions and if she could reflect on areas she felt were her strengths and where she thought she still needed to grow. As she self-reflected on different areas, I learned some new insights about her. And I think she may have learned some new insights about herself too. My Own Self-Assessment Self-reflection isn’t only good for our children as they grow. It’s good for older learners like you and me. I remember about five years ago when I was talking to a buddy who is twenty years younger than I. He was telling me about the goals he and his wife had set and reached. He was excited about being a young father, starting his own business, and pursuing his dreams. I began to reminisce with him about when I was his age—how my wife and I had paid off debts, bought our first house, started a family. As he listened, he looked at me with a curious expression and asked, “So that was twenty years ago. What are your goals now?” Suddenly, I was stumped. I realized I didn’t have an answer,