Whatever it might be, we are all carrying something heavy. And many of us are carrying it by ourselves.
Carrying it By Yourself
Free Will & Free Listening
Titles organize us, but they also get in the way of real human connection. It’s not your fault that people bring their own negative perceptions or trauma to your title. But how you respond is your responsibility, always.
A Nod to Otherful
Every moment in schools- whether we intend or not- is spent sending messages of safety and belonging or lack thereof. The more consistently we model the good, the better schools and classrooms feel. When we show up in our humanity and with our best, it’s more accessible for students and staff to do the same.
I try to carry that lesson with me into schools. No job is below me. No detail is too small. It’s about honoring the work and the people who do it. It’s about the culture we’re building—one choice at a time.
I worry about this so much that I wrote about it in Legacy of Learning, “You are giving others the strength to move forward, the strength to believe in themselves, the strength to try to make this world a better place. Knowing this makes being an educator so meaningful. But we don’t have to suffer while we make this kind of impact. In fact, the more we can live well and be well, the more our impact will grow.”
Stay Curious
There’s a fine line between being selfless and about others and about the work without being too small.
Why Leaders Need Novels
This may be the most obvious but underrated way we change our schools, our communities, and ultimately the world.
Rest Starts with Space
But if we continue to do more and more, there is less space. Emotional space. Space for mental clarity. Space for joy. Space to reflect not just on what we want to achieve but space for how far we’ve come.
Play it with Love
Our love can heal.
Two Truths
For all the moves you make big and small, thank you.
MEGHAN LAWSON 