Opinion Blog

Peter DeWitt's

Finding Common Ground

A former K-5 public school principal turned author, presenter, and leadership coach, DeWitt provides insights and advice for education leaders. He can be found at www.petermdewitt.com. Read more from this blog.

A former K-5 public school principal turned author, presenter, and leadership coach, Peter DeWitt provides insights and advice for education leaders. He can be found at www.petermdewitt.com. He is on Twitter @PeterMDeWitt.

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Teaching Opinion Student Laziness Is a Myth. Here's Why
Holding fast to the idea that students are lazy leaves no room for understanding what got in the way of their success.
Kyle Coppes, March 13, 2024
4 min read
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School & District Management Opinion Debunking 5 Myths of Self-Awareness in School Leadership
Leaders must understand their strengths, weaknesses, emotions, and impact on others if they want to be effective.
Peter DeWitt & Michael Nelson, March 3, 2024
5 min read
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Professional Development Opinion Are Your Staff Meetings Unfocused and Disjointed? Try These 5 Strategies
Too often, staff meetings do not focus on learning, which is a lost opportunity. Here's how to make them more meaningful.
Michael Nelson & Peter DeWitt, February 25, 2024
6 min read
Let's brainstorm!
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School & District Management Opinion 5 Reasons Why Education Leaders Avoid Controversial Topics
Understanding why we shy away from challenging conversations can be a path toward empathy and an opportunity for learning.
Peter DeWitt, February 20, 2024
4 min read
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Science Opinion High-Quality Science Instruction Should Be 3-Dimensional. Here's What That Looks Like
Cookie-cutter lab assignments that ask students to follow explicit instructions to reach the "right" conclusion limit learning.
Spencer Martin, February 12, 2024
4 min read
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School & District Management Opinion How About an 'Un-Resolution'? 10 Low-Value Practices School Leaders Should Abandon
Educators seem to be better at adding to their workload instead of subtracting. Make this year one that focuses on de-implementation.
Peter DeWitt, January 31, 2024
4 min read
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School & District Management Opinion Want to Become a More Agile School Leader? Try This
School leaders need a new way to address the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of the modern world.
Michael Cornell, January 23, 2024
4 min read
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School & District Management Opinion To Be a Great Educator and Leader, Emotional Intelligence Is Essential
Emotional intelligence might trigger an eye roll, but every leader needs it. Here's why.
Limary Trujillo Gutierrez, January 16, 2024
4 min read
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Student Well-Being Opinion What Schools Can Do About Chronic Absenteeism, Mental Health, and Learning Loss
The drivers of change can have a positive impact on education's biggest issues. Here's how.
Michael Fullan & Michael Matsuda, January 10, 2024
4 min read
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Student Well-Being Opinion Emotional Intelligence and AI Together Can Help Lessen the Student Mental Health Crisis
Six out of 10 adolescents feel lonely and isolated. Here's how one large district is trying to combat the issue.
Michael Fullan & Michael Matsuda, January 4, 2024
4 min read
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Mathematics Opinion Students' Math Outcomes Have Plummeted. Here's What to Do
Implementing a set of interconnected strategies can help students improve their mastery of math.
Tracy Fray-Oliver, January 2, 2024
4 min read
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Student Well-Being Opinion You Think Social-Emotional Learning Is a Bad Idea. Maybe This Will Change Your Mind
Why are some educators and parents opposed to SEL, when it's about making students stronger?
Peter DeWitt, December 13, 2023
4 min read
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Future of Work Opinion 5 Lessons I’ve Learned From Using AI
Many educators may be nervous to use AI, but the reality is they are most likely using it already.
Peter DeWitt, November 26, 2023
3 min read
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Professional Development Opinion I Tried AI as a Virtual Coaching Assistant. Here's What Happened
Is using an artificial intelligence note-taking tool appropriate during leadership- coaching sessions? Here's what AI had to say.
Peter DeWitt, November 14, 2023
4 min read