Sue Dunlop Consulting

Family Engagement

  • Think Again About Schooling

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    Sue Dunlop

    Reading Time: About 4 Minutes Her voice rose as she spoke, cracking slightly on the last word. ” I’m juggling working from home, video conferences, wonky internet, planning meals, making sure we all get some exercise and being my kids’ teacher. I can’t do it!” He struggled too, uneasy about his layoff. “I have no…

  • How Do You Want Families to Feel on the First Day of School?

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    Sue Dunlop

    With thanks to Pernille Ripp for title inspiration. My nieces and and nephew just started at new schools in Washington, D.C. after a move across the country. They were excited and nervous, as you would expect. And so were my brother and sister-in-law. They didn’t know exactly what to expect either and wanted their kids…

  • My Name Is…

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    Sue Dunlop

    Back to School posts are everywhere! It’s that time of year after all. It’s great to read about caring, relationship building, visioning. That is all super important. We know that if students and teachers don’t feel valued at school or if there aren’t good relationships, success for everyone goes waaaay down. But I think there…

  • “We” not “I”

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    Sue Dunlop

    Language is powerful. People hear and listen to what educators say. When a principal or vice principal says “my schools”, what message is inferred? When a teacher says “my students”, what message is implied? Next time you are tempted to use “my” or “I”, try using “our” or “we”  instead. Do you see the difference?…

  • Ripples

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    Sue Dunlop

    On Friday, I wore a kameez to school. (This is the top part of a suit that women and men from central Asia wear. You can find out more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalwar_kameez ) It was a gift from a family at a previous school. Mine is very pretty – black silk with gold and white embroidered medallions and…

  • Fresh Eyes on Back to School

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    Sue Dunlop

    If you’re an educator, parent or guardian, chances are you’ve attended your fair share of Meet the Teacher events at the beginning of the school year.  Maybe you’ve wandered through the school, looking at your child’s locker or desk, bought a cupcake or two at the bake sale, or listened to a 45 minute presentation…