Treat staff like they make a difference and they will.

Make it stand out.

  • Investing in Students

    In order to build an effective school, students need to know that they are capable, seen, and loved. They need to have opportunities to grow, learn, and lead. Students who are invested in build a climate in your building of success. Students also need an opportunity to give voice in the school in meaningful ways.

  • Investing in Staff

    In order to grow a staff, we need to invest in them. They need to know the impact that they are capable of making for the youth they serve. They need to have fun at work and have opportunities to build relationships with one another. A strong staff is a staff that is connected to one another, committed to students, and invested in heavily. This includes training, relationships, opportunities for advancement, and mentorship. People are the greatest resource of a school.

  • Building People Up

    In order to motivate staff and students, there needs to be lots of celebration. This helps support relationships and also builds motivation for continued work. It also let’s staff see their direct impact on the youth they serve - which is why most of us join the profession to begin with!

We intentionally create community by offering opportunities for staff to connect with one another and contribute to our school family. We use techniques from Conscious Discipline to develop these opportunities, but adjusted to make them relevant to staff serving older students.

Here I am providing equity training to a local school district as part of my work in my non-profit the Indigenous Leadership Academy PNW. We discussed how to best support Indigenous students in public schools and learned about the history of education as it relates to Native Americans. Over my time in schools I have provided various trainings on topics such as Equity, Professional Learning Communities, Standards-Based Grading, and much more! I have also worked to develop several curriculums as well, including an ELA program for secondary students and a curriculum that teaches about the culture, language, and history of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.