Pearls Of Wisdom

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusions, and Justice

By Abenaa Uttenthal
13-Jul-22

In this Pearl, Abenaa Uttenthal reflects on the Ghanian term sankofa that asks us to “go back and fetch” so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past... ..more

Amplifying Students' Voices

By Traci Rapp
22-Jun-22

In this Pearl, Traci offers an explicit strategy for amplifying student voice... ..more

What Does Kindness Look Like?

By Jacqui Patrick
08-Jun-22

In this Pearl, Jacqui bravely shares her journey with the notion of kindness and the role of difficult conversations... ..more

Focusing on Integrated Skills with an Assets Based Approach

By Kathy Patton
25-May-22

In this Pearl, Kathy suggests moving from an individual skill-based model to a broader model to determine next step strategies for learners... ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: The Importance of Trust in Leadership

By Rasha Saadeldin
11-May-22

Rasha examines the quote "If you want to be trusted, be honest. If you want to be honest, be true. And if you want to be true, be who you are..." ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Positive Intent

By Stefanie Bell
27-Apr-22

Stefanie reminds us that the idea of presuming positive intent, although we have been talking about in for years, is STILL an essential ingredient for effective, productive teamwork. ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Having Empathy for Those in Your School Community

By Philip Cogbill
13-Apr-22

In this Pearl, Philip reminds us of the Maya Angelou quote, “People will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Identity is Important

By Marjorana Karathanasis
30-Mar-22

In this Pearl, Marjorana shares a practical example of a strategy her school used to help teachers and leaders get focused on the importance of identity. ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Bravery and Leadership

By Lural Ramirez
02-Feb-22

Lural challenges us to lead more than we manage, to be brave in the face of challenges, and particularly when it comes to the challenge of social justice. ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Showing Appreciation

By Jessica Applewhite
19-Jan-22

In this Pearl, Jessica shares a practical strategy a team leader can use to help build a culture of appreciation and awareness of each others’ strengths within our team. ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Be the Well

By Margaret Stuhan
08-Dec-21

Margaret helps us understand that, in your role as principal, your teachers need you. She offers five strategies for being the “well” and at the same time taking care of yourself. ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Owning Success and Being Vulnerable

By Sylvia Johnston
24-Nov-21

In her Pearl, Sylvia says it’s important to “own your successes, share your problems, never be afraid to expose yourself in front of the staff and be vulnerable.” ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Don’t Venerate the Past, and It is OK to Not Be OK

By Heath E. Capello
10-Nov-21

Heath challenges us to be critical with our past in order to “harness lessons for the future.” He reminds us that mental health and well-being are a part of our personal and professional success. ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Communicating and Avoiding Assumptions

By Nicole Ifi
27-Oct-21

In this Pearl of Wisdom, Nicole reflects on lessons learned about delegation and communication. Don’t make assumptions and always communicate thoroughly. ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Being a Resilient and Purposeful Leader

By Proserpina Dhlamini-Fisher
13-Oct-21

“As leaders we need to know that the journey is not easy. We need to be resilient, hopeful, and be very clear on what our personal purpose is" ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Being Deliberately Conscious

By David Miles
29-Sep-21

We must be “conscious and deliberate in all that we do... we either reinforce old narratives or contribute to the creation of newer stories.” ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Handling Overwhelming Emotions

By Sajitha Chacko
15-Sep-21

A practicing international school counselor offers a helpful, practical strategy for helping students struggling with difficult emotions. ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: Problem Solving

By Nancy Fairburn
01-Sep-21

When a problem presents itself, and it seems to be an ongoing problem, go upstream to consider what’s the bigger issue up there. ..more

Pearls of Wisdom: A Call for Champions

By Leda Cedo
04-Aug-21

"Pearl of Wisdom" shared during the PTC summer training session by educator and leader, Leda Cedo addresses personal reflections around diversity, equity and inclusion. ..more