Summary: The other morning, I woke up early in a hotel room in Atlanta, Georgia.<br> For a moment, I couldn’t remember where I was. Then it dawned on me that I was presenting that morning at a <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-01-02-when-does-learning-happen-best-dan-pink-on-the-science-behind-timing-and-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Growing Leaders</a> Principal Roundtable event hosted by Dr. Tim Elmore. I dressed, grabbed my laptop bag and headed downstairs for a hot bowl of oatmeal and a cup coffee before walking the short-distance to the conference event center.<br> As I sat my bag down near a table up front, I was excited. Not only do I enjoy presenting to other school leaders but also, I was going to hear from some dynamic speakers and presenters as well as interact with principals during discussion times about their best practices.<br> My own kids tell me I geek-out about principal leadership, and this event was giving me permission to do just that. After playing some fun, interactive introduction games, the lessons began.<br> I could share for hours about lessons from all the presenters, but for Principal Matters readers and listeners, I want to focus on takeaways from three authors who spoke directly about trends and research that are important to any education leader.<br> So, I’m going to break this into three parts:<br> Part 1: Trends Among Gen-Z Students<br> Part 2: Students Require New Leadership<br> Part 3: The Power of Timing, Breaks, and Synchronization<br> Takeaways Part 1: Trends Among Gen-Z Students<br> <br><br> With his wavy brown hair and dark rimmed glasses, Andrew looks like someone who could host his own nightly talk show. But don’t let his easy-going personality fool you. He is curious and spends a lot of time surveying and interviewing youth across the county.<br> In his highly informative session, Andrew McPeak, co-author with Tim Elmore, of the book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marching-Off-Map-Students-Navigate/dp/0996697063" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marching Off the Map: Inspire Students to Navigate a Brand New World</a>, highlighted three trends he has seen in his research among students:<br> 1. Students wrestle with expectations fueled by technology.<br> According to his findings, 96% of high school students now own smartphones, and 41% say social media makes them feel sad, anxious or depressed. Our students face the constant tension of being connected for information while being assaulted with expectations that may be unattainable.<br> They see people online who display lives of happiness, success or wealth that seem unrealistic but make them feel anxious that they are unable to have the same experiences. Many students recognize the paradox but find it difficult to break free from the very influences that also frustrate and depress them.<br> 2. Students think more about identity, diversity, and equality.<br> Whereas the generation before them found environmental issues a predominant area of social or global awareness, today’s youth are concerned about identity. They are very aware of the divides and conflicts involved in discussions around race, gender, and sexual orientation. When surveyed, youth consider these the most pressing problems facing the world today.<br> 3. Students are cautious about their futures.<br> Andrew shared data showing reports that as many as 25% of today’s youth grow up in poverty. And 46% of youth say their biggest personal concern is college debt. They have room to complain. Over the past 35 years, the cost of a college education has increased 1, 120%.<br> Students are also cautious about their safety. In the 15-year span of 1995-2010, sixty-one school shootings took place in U.S. schools, with 7 resulting in at least 5 deaths. In the past eight years, 2010-2018, 70 school shootings have taken place with 8 of them resulting in 5 or more deaths.<br> 72% of students also admit they are distracted by soc...
