Turn Your Next Interruption into an Opportunity - Douglas R. Conant. By Douglas R. Conant | 8:00 AM March 26, 2014 Modern life, particularly work life, has become increasingly hectic. There are relentless demands from meetings, emails, text messages, questions to answer, problems to solve, fires to put out. It can begin to feel like there is never any time to get “real work” done.
If you feel overwhelmed by endless interruptions at work, you are not alone. One of the most powerful lessons I have learned in my over thirty five years of leadership experience is that these thousands of little interruptions aren’t keeping you from the work, they are the work. So, how do we do this? Is the issue itself something important, such as a question, a problem, or decision that affects the performance of individuals, teams, or the whole organization?
David, a former plant manager for P&G, has a visceral appreciation for the importance of this component. Who is the leader in the interaction? March Madness: What Teachers Can Learn From Great Coaches. Research - It should be called BS Repellent. I don't like BS. I don't like it when people make bold, loud claims about different aspects of education, about what works and what doesn't. What is even more troublesome for me than these controversial statements is when I don't have the research backing to quantitatively and qualitatively refute the BS. After many negative experiences challenging people on their beliefs without backing of my own, I have determined that people cling strongly to these thoughts (whether they are BS or not) unless you can provide research to them that might change their mind. And really, if you are questioning a set of beliefs with nothing more than your own beliefs, then you are a BSer just as much as the next person.
As a result, over the past several years, I have become a research junkie. I love reading studies about pretty much anything educational. Homework--does it make a difference? However, I have found a new educational Bible for me. 1. 2. 3. My initial thought: Very mixed. 4. 5. 6. Research - It should be called BS Repellent. March Madness: What Teachers Can Learn From Great Coaches. The Principalship:How Do Principals Really Improve Schools? Why principals should be wary of homework. Few topics generate as much debate in education as homework. Experts disagree on its educational value, and research offers little clarification. Teachers and parents vary in how much homework they think children should do. So where do principals fit into the homework system?
The principal oversees the school heirarchy, injecting him or herself as needed, in a school building, during school hours. But with homework, the structure changes. Instead of one building, there are many different spaces where students do homework. The principal can control what takes place in the school, but in the home, the principal has no such control. Conflicting messages In school, children are expected to work and learn for a fixed amount of time. When people face situations they cannot control, they typically respond by upping the penalties. If the child has trouble in class, we observe the child at work before presuming what type of problem he or she has.
The solution. The Principalship:How Do Principals Really Improve Schools?