This essay is in response to the need for schools to move from crisis to adaptation. The essay is informed by the question: how might school leaders use conversation to effectively engage adaptation? Adaptation is about transforming systems. We find that with adaptation as the aim, Transformative Leadership Conversation can be used to guide…

There is a manageable way for new principals to lead authentically, true to their values and strengths, while creating an environment where their team thrives under their leadership. Drawing on the author's experiences as a former principal, an approach is presented to beginning a new leadership role which centers on four key actions: (1)…

The COVID-19 pandemic is a huge challenge to education systems. This Viewpoint offers guidance to teachers, institutional heads, and officials on addressing the crisis. What preparations should institutions make in the short time available and how do they address students' needs by level and field of study? Reassuring students and parents is a…

The author discusses a professional perspective for nurturing teaching and learning (T&L) practice to support a community of business educators in a Technological University in Ireland. The article is aimed at deans and associate deans by disseminating practical T&L strategies for use as a basis of envisioning their own school approaches,…

A longstanding challenge for adult education (AE) program staff is how to motivate learners to persist in their studies and connect them to resources that can help mediate their barriers to participation in AE. A promising approach to addressing U.S. high school learners' access to financial aid and enrollment in higher education is…

The dramatic increase in hate-related bullying and culturally and/or racially offensive comments or symbols in the wake of the 2016 election came as a surprise for many educators across the United States. Research points to both an increase in frequency of hate related speech and controversy in schools, and teachers reporting a lack of training,…

In order to further understand what educators can do - and are doing - to build strong relationships, Transforming Education (TransformEd) has produced a series of briefs or "stories from the field" that are intended to share student and educator perspectives about developing and sustaining strong relationships within the classroom and…

Two decades into the twenty-first century, our nation's colleges and universities no longer embrace a clear and convincing definition of the purpose of a college education. Instead, most institutions have fallen prey to a default purpose in which college is essentially workforce preparation for jobs that already exist, while students are viewed as…

Some items on the school administrators' to-do list have changed over the years, but there's still one constant at the top of the list--communication. School administrators who are strong communicators tend to earn the trust of their school communities and enjoy more positive feedback from their stakeholders. The advent of technological…

Student outcomes don't change until adult behaviors change. Or said differently when placed in the context of governing, patterns of behavior that are exhibited in the boardroom can reasonably be expected to be found paralleled in the classroom. This concept, which offers a summation of the current literature on board behaviors and their…

In "Crisis as Catalyst," Patricia M. Virella uncovers opportunities for school leaders to act as agents of equity and inclusivity during crisis situations. Virella interviewed dozens of school principals across the United States and Puerto Rico, and in this book she shares the key lessons from their experiences with crisis events of all…

When teachers and students share the responsibility for learning, students become active agents in their own learning who respond to feedback, set learning goals, track their progress, and adapt their own learning strategies when needed. Formative assessment provides a clear path forward to this kind of teaching and learning experience, and site…

In this article, the authors describe the leadership needed to steward campuses through a racial crisis. The message is clear: leaders should be working now to build their capacity to deal with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The work the authors describe in capacity building and trauma recovery addresses very different skills…

What does leadership and change actually look like in myriad situations? This "boots-on-the-ground" resource, written by a former dean of education, pulls back the curtain on the crucial and complicated role of senior leadership and brings to the forefront experiences that often go unspoken. With humor and common-sense advice, the author…

"Engaging Learners through Zoom" delivers numerous practical strategies and helpful advice on how to engage students virtually. Many of the tools are also applicable in face-to-face and hybrid environments. Backed by cognitive neuroscience research, this book is a collection of dozens of active, synchronous online learning structures…