Sue Dunlop Consulting

culture

  • “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?…

  • Five Reasons to Smile More

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    Sue Dunlop

    I’ve been thinking a lot about smiling lately. I read Sue Stephenson’s new book, Kidding Around: Connecting Kids to Happiness, Laughter and Humour.  She talks about helping the children and teens in your life find happiness. Being mindful about all that is good is an important component. Smiling and laughing is just as important. Children tend…

  • Passion Lives Here!

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    Sue Dunlop

    I often read or hear that our educational system is “broken”.  Business writers, educational bloggers, government functionaries, students and even teachers and principals seem to hold this view. It’s a view that’s seductive when I encounter something in my job that doesn’t work right, or when I hear a story about a student whose school…

  • Do You Do the Countdown?

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    Sue Dunlop

    This June, Amber Teamann wrote a blog post called What Can You Do in 16 Days?  It was followed up by a letter from a district colleague, Stacy, that Amber posted on the Connected Principals blog called The Final Countdown.  Both posts emphasized that the final days of school are just as important as the…

  • Whose Problem is it Anyway?

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    Sue Dunlop

    In a recent post, I shared how our principal learning team has grown over time and established trust. Our primary purpose in meeting is to help each other explore our problems of practice through a collaborative inquiry process.  Problems of practice are pressing, urgent and defy solutions, despite our best efforts. They are problems that…

  • Don’t Look Away

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    Sue Dunlop

      I spent last Saturday at edcamp (@edcampblo) in Buffalo, New York. Naturally, it was filled with New York educators: teachers, technology leaders, consultants, and a handful of principals. These are teachers and principals who are dedicated to students and to their own learning enough to show up at Canisius College on a weekend. Edcamp Buffalo…