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The Innovation Mindset
The Innovation Mindset explores the intersection of creativity, leadership, and purposeful action in education. Rooted in equity and inclusion, this category challenges educators and leaders to think differently, embrace change, and co-create impactful learning environments for all students. Each post inspires reflective practice, bold thinking, and a commitment to continuous growth in service of transformative education.


Balancing the Now and the Eventually
We live in the age of the immediate. Groceries arrive in an hour. Movies stream instantly. Search engines feed us answers before we finish typing the question. Parents expect a call back at 7 p.m. because “it can’t wait.” The culture of now has become the measure of responsiveness, of care, of competence. What gets lost in this immediacy is the quiet wisdom of eventually. Art takes time. Composing music takes time. Writing an epic novel takes time. Learning takes time. Buildi
Catherine Addor
5 days ago2 min read


When Leadership Turns Toxic: Professional Abuse and the Absence of Self-Actualization
There’s a special kind of damage that happens when someone unready for leadership gains power. It’s not always loud or visible. Sometimes it’s whispered in group chats named “sabotage.” Sometimes it’s measured on a dry-erase board that reads, “Days since someone cried.” Sometimes it’s hidden behind a smile and a stolen credit for another person’s work. I have seen all of it. Leaders who weaponize control, who hoard information, who keep mental (and sometimes literal) files on
Catherine Addor
Oct 263 min read


Respectful Disagreement
A few weeks after I left a leadership role, one of the principals I had supervised reached out with a simple text: “I miss the way you...
Catherine Addor
Oct 193 min read


The Public in Public Education
Choosing to work in public education is not simply a career path; it is a calling to serve entire communities. If you are entering public...
Catherine Addor
Oct 123 min read


The Rhythm of Leadership and Teamwork
Dance as a Leadership and Team Journey Leadership is often described as strategic, structured, or systematic. Another way to think about...
Catherine Addor
Oct 53 min read


Grace in Schools: Building a Space for All
Grace is often spoken of in religious contexts, but it is also a profoundly human value. At its core, grace is generosity without...
Catherine Addor
Sep 282 min read


Are You Compromising or Collaborating? The Fine Line in Leadership Interviews
Fundamental Friday: Integrity at the Interview Table When educators and leaders pursue new opportunities, the unspoken tension often...
Catherine Addor
Sep 213 min read


Impulse vs. Action in Educational Leadership: Knowing the Difference
Educational leadership requires both responsiveness and deliberation. Leaders are constantly balancing the need to act quickly in the...
Catherine Addor
Sep 143 min read


The Impact of Political Mythology in Schools
When Myth Becomes Mandate Political mythology is powerful. It shapes national identity, stirs collective pride, and offers narratives of...
Catherine Addor
Sep 74 min read


When “data-driven” becomes data-edited
To Be Credible, We Must Be Truthful Innovation thrives on trust. Trust has only one unshakable foundation: truth. We can talk about...
Catherine Addor
Aug 314 min read


Leadership is Coming: The Iron Throne vs. The Locker Room
A former superintendent I once worked for told me (dead serious) and anyone who would listen, that Game of Thrones was their leadership...
Catherine Addor
Aug 243 min read


Year 1 vs. Year 22: More Than Just Opening the Doors
The first day of school feels different depending on where you’re standing. For a brand-new teacher, Year 1 is a leap into the unknown...
Catherine Addor
Aug 173 min read


It’s Not About Friends: It’s About Leading Well
Let’s challenge a myth: that great teams are built on mutual admiration, deep trust, or even basic fondness. Some of the most effective,...
Catherine Addor
Aug 103 min read


Building the Studio
It’s easy to hang a “Portrait of a Graduate” on the wall. It’s bold. It’s visionary. It captures the kind of human we want to send out...
Catherine Addor
Aug 32 min read


Who Are You Bringing With You?
Leading in Education by Lifting Others If you’re in educational leadership (or aspire to be), remember this: you didn’t get here alone....
Catherine Addor
Jul 272 min read


Care is the Catalyst
Care is the Catalyst: Rethinking Leadership for Innovation and Trust In the field of education, where the stakes are human, not just...
Catherine Addor
Jul 203 min read


Sit at the Head of the Table: Claiming Leadership Without Permission
It takes longer. We do more. We get less. When we stumble, the drop is steeper. This is the reality for women in educational leadership:...
Catherine Addor
Jul 134 min read


The 2% That Can’t Do It All
Let’s do the math. From birth to age 18, a child lives roughly 157,680 hours. Even if a student attends school 6 hours a day, 180 days a...
Catherine Addor
Jul 63 min read


The Story Behind Addor-ation Innovation Services - From Experience to Impact: With Heart, Voice, and Purpose
After 34 years in education, serving as a teacher, leader, consultant, and most recently as a district director overseeing an...
Catherine Addor
Jun 292 min read


Encouragement as Engagement: Why Leaders Must Champion Their People
In every thriving organization, there’s a common thread: employees feel seen, valued, and inspired. And at the heart of that feeling?...
Catherine Addor
Jun 223 min read
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