Getting to the Heart of Difficult Conversations Written By: Jim Grout Like many leaders, I always found it challenging to have the “difficult conversation” with staff members when it was needed. But over time I got better at it when I discovered the key to getting to the root of the issue. I showed up […]
Category: Classroom Learning (EOL/SEL)
What Does Your Leadership Story Say About You?
What Does Your Leadership Story Say About You? Written By: Jim Grout Throughout my book, When in Doubt… Give Them Your Heart, I use stories to communicate my message and prompt reflection. Such an approach is not unique to me. I’m reminded of a book written by the late Colin Powell, a four star general […]
Language of Emotions: A Diverse Approach To Supporting Emotional Expression
Language of Emotions: A Diverse Approach To Supporting Emotional Expression Written By: Ryan McCormick “All emotions are mentionable and manageable.” — Fred Rogers Fred Rogers’ timeless words remind us that emotions, no matter how big or uncomfortable, are not problems to be fixed, they are messages to be heard. This belief lies at the heart […]
One Step at a Time: A Lesson in Resilient Leadership
One Step at a Time: A Lesson in Resilient Leadership Written By: Jim Grout If you learn about yourself in times of crisis, then Covid was the perfect venue. At a time when the entire world was anxious, scared and stressed, our High 5 experience was a learning lab for experiencing how important resilience was […]
Keeping Up: Why Teachers Must Be the Role-Models in the SEL Revolution
Keeping Up: Why Teachers Must Be the Role-Models in the SEL Revolution Written By: Ryan McCormick When I talk with educators about social and emotional learning (SEL), I often hear a familiar sentiment: “It’s just one more thing on our already full plates.” And I understand that feeling. Teaching today means managing content, behavior, relationships, […]
Admitting Mistakes: A Powerful Act of Leadership
Admitting Mistakes: A Powerful Act of Leadership Written By: Jim Grout “That was a decision I made, in retrospect, it wasn’t the best one, and I want to apologize for doing it in isolation. I’d welcome your input on how to correct it—or whether we should do away with it entirely.” These are the words […]
Beyond Posters: Evolving to Our Value Agreements in Experiential Education
Beyond Posters: Evolving to Our Value Agreements in Experiential Education Written By: Ryan McCormick In many experiential education settings, facilitators will invite participants into a process of co-creating a list of shared values with words like; respect, trust, responsibility, and, of course, humor. This is followed up by asking participants to commit to them in […]
Deep Listening in a Fast-Paced World
Deep Listening in a Fast-Paced World Written By: Jim Grout I recently did a book presentation with an audience of about forty people. Many of the folks in attendance had history with one another as long time neighbors, friends and acquaintances. As part of the evening program, we did a partner exercise that asked the […]
Beyond the Comfort Zone: Rethinking Challenge Through Support
Beyond the Comfort Zone: Rethinking Challenge Through Support Written By: Ryan McCormick For years, many of us in education and experiential learning have referenced a familiar visual: a set of concentric circles labeled comfort, stretch, and panic. It’s a model that has helped generations of educators think about growth, challenge, and risk-taking. It gave us […]
When in Doubt… Let Them Play! The Power of Self-Directed Play
When in Doubt… Let Them Play! The Power of Self-Directed Play Written By: Jim Grout Almost every day this summer on a small island in Maine, I ride my bicycle by a young group of kids playing. It attracts my attention because it’s a scene from my own childhood that doesn’t happen much anymore. There […]