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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.
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 14, 20253 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 7, 20254 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 31, 20254 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 24, 20253 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 17, 20253 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 10, 20253 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 3, 20252 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 27, 20252 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 20, 20253 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 13, 20254 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 6, 20253 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 29, 20252 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 22, 20253 min read
Be Who You Needed
Innovation isn’t always about the newest tech tool or a trendy initiative. Sometimes, it starts with a simple, transformative idea: Be...
Catherine Addor
Jun 15, 20253 min read
Empathy Is Not a Soft Skill, It’s a Strategic One
In education, opinions are everywhere. Teachers have them. Parents have them. Students certainly do. Community stakeholders,...
Catherine Addor
Jun 8, 20253 min read
Empathy and Equity Are Not Radical. They Are Imperative.
In an era where every educational decision is scrutinized, empathy and equity have somehow become controversial. Words that once...
Catherine Addor
Jun 1, 20253 min read
Kindness Is a Leadership Practice
"If you have the chance to make people happy, do it. Sometimes people are struggling silently. Maybe your act of kindness can make their...
Catherine Addor
May 25, 20253 min read
Observe the Practice, Not the Person: Leadership, Friendship, and the Coaching Mindset
School leadership often demands a careful balancing act, being kind without being permissive, supportive without becoming ineffective,...
Catherine Addor
May 18, 20252 min read
Moving Beyond the Myth
School as sole educator is a myth, and it’s time we embrace that. For decades, maybe centuries, we’ve operated under a powerful cultural...
Catherine Addor
May 11, 20253 min read
Keep Picking It Up: Why Students Need to Fail to Learn
Last July, my daughter caught a double illusion for the first time. If you’re unfamiliar with baton twirling, it’s an art and a sport...
Catherine Addor
May 4, 20252 min read
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