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THOUGHTS
On Catholic Ed and the World of a Principal
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The Loss of Socialization
Note: I have no degree. I have no research. I have only my own experience as a teacher, principal, and parent. The ultimate lead effect...

Kevin D
Apr 9, 20202 min read
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Hospitality
Hospitality means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy....

Kevin D
Feb 27, 20202 min read
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Temptation in the Age of the Smartphone
"Do what you can, pray for what you cannot...if your smartphone causes you to sin, get a dumbphone." - Fr. Anthony Saroki, Homily,...

Kevin D
Feb 24, 20202 min read
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Creative Struggle
I was asked recently to share what makes a successful school, and my answer was the same as it has been before. Successful schools...

Kevin D
Feb 14, 20201 min read
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"Choosing to be Interrupted"
One of our favorite podcasts as a family is Catholic Sprouts - a great weekday podcast (5-10 minutes) that covers an teaching or practice...

Kevin D
Feb 11, 20203 min read
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Constant Choice
You are constantly facing choices. The question is whether you choose for God or for your own doubting self. You know what the right...

Kevin D
Feb 6, 20201 min read
3 views
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Validation
As long as I keep running about asking “Do you love me? Do you really love me?” I give all power to the voices of the world and put...

Kevin D
Feb 4, 20201 min read
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The Center of It All
Jesus’ response to our worry-filled lives is quite different. He asks us to shift the point of gravity, to relocate the center of our...

Kevin D
Jan 30, 20201 min read
4 views
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Answers and Questions
The role of a leader is to not have all the answers, but to have the questions. - Michael Hyatt [emphasis mine]. Leadership is an...

Kevin D
Jan 28, 20201 min read
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Supporting Learning
Teachers can feel like they have a looked-down upon position in our society. I believe part of that is due to a perceived lack of...

Kevin D
Dec 16, 20192 min read
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Patience
Yesterday's Nouwen daily meditation really hit home: Most of us consider waiting as something very passive, a hopeless state determined...

Kevin D
Dec 3, 20191 min read
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Breaking the Rules
We don't trust people to follow the rules, we trust them to know when to break them. - Simon Sinek, Talks at Google A big part of me is...

Kevin D
Nov 25, 20191 min read
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Waste
I consistently drive for efficiency and business - in an almost ruthless fashion. It consistently trips up my social and spiritual life;...

Kevin D
Nov 22, 20191 min read
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Properly Squeaky Wheels
Of course, the flip-side of yesterday's post is having teachers and staff that know when it is time to come to the principal/boss. This...

Kevin D
Nov 21, 20191 min read
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Ownership and Squeaky Wheels
I listened to Tim Ferriss' interview with Jocko Wilinck, author of Extreme Ownership - a book I read at the recommendation of Susan...

Kevin D
Nov 20, 20192 min read
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A Modest Proposal
Because of the large number of schools and area in ADLA, we subdivided into geographic groups, which meet monthly. Ours is one of the...

Kevin D
Nov 19, 20191 min read
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Renewing the Catholic School Experiment
Dr Timothy O'Malley has a fantastic piece on the horror of allowing a Catholic school to be just another school. His conclusion is...

Kevin D
Nov 15, 20192 min read
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Teaching Sacred Silence
I was reading Doug Lemov's blogpost/review of Reader, Come Home by Maryanne Wolf. This passage near the end struck me: It is true that...

Kevin D
Nov 14, 20192 min read
18 views
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YouTube Communication
Over the past year, I have taken to filming myself reading my monthly principal letter and posting it on YouTube. My thinking is that it...

Kevin D
Nov 13, 20191 min read
3 views
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Communicating Budget
Dr. Uhl's podcast this week is a discussion with Tom Kiely of Marquette University on Financial best practices. The conversation largely...

Kevin D
Nov 7, 20192 min read
9 views
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