Six Blogs Every School Leader Should Read

Photo courtesy of FDP

Photo courtesy of FDP

Taking a page from Chris Brogan, founder of Owner Magazine, I decided to make 2014 the year of "RVR".  What's that?  Simply put, each letter stands for a different word that I'm trying to practice each day.  They are:

Routine

Vision

Riches

While I'm not going to go into the detail of each word or why I chose these three, suffice it to say that each means a lot to me and represents something I'm trying to work on.  As a school leader, the first word really rings true.

School people are all about routine. Most that I work with get into work at the same time each day, arrange their day the same way each day and do their work moving from one routine to the next.  Homeroom leads to period one leads to a bell which leads to period two and so on.

For me, routine runs throughout my day but it also is important with how I begin my day.  Here's what it looks like for and average day:

  • Wake up at 5:15am
  • Make coffee
  • Go to my home study and have devotions
  • Read & journal
  • Shower
  • Head to work by 6:30am

The reading part is something I've made very concrete and directly linked to my "R" for routine.  I read the same blogs every day and check the same websites in a particular order.  While this may seem strange (I've head that before!), it grounds me and keeps my days pointing towards a similar direction.  

I suggest six blogs that are helpful for school folk:

  1. Michael Hyatt - Michael is the best leader I know at productivity and platform building (something educators can do better).
  2. The Energy Project - Tony Schwartz reminds us to work smarter each day.
  3. Michael Sliwinski - The founder of Nozbe, Michael offers heartfelt advice for getting more out of your work. (you can try Nozbe for free here)
  4. The Atlantic / Education section - Sometimes controversial and always thought provoking, The Atlantic is all about learning and teaching.
  5. MindShift - MindShift is the #1 blog for schools and offers several posts per week that challenge the way schools have been "doing school" for the past fifty years.
  6. Eduleadership - Justin Baeder offers practical advice on hiring good teachers, observing them fairly and increasing your productivity.  

These are what I read every day.  What's on your digital bookshelf?

Why You Should Say Goodbye to Sticky Notes

In most people's desks you'll find them. 

On most monitors, you'll find them. 

Sticky notes.  Ah, sweet sticky notes.  Yellow versions, pink versions, pale blue models and even neon.  If you like 'em, you can get them in just about any configuration you like.

I once saw someone's desk with three sticky notes on the PC.  The problem was each was just the top of several other sticky notes.  That was apparently a black belt version of some primal productivity system.   Or not.

Let's use them a bit smarter. I suggest the following:

  • Only use sticky notes for actual notes.  These should be commentaries or questions about a report or memo.  In other words, you may not want to write directly on a document but a sticky with a question (i.e. "Correct data for column four?")
  • Avoid using sticky notes for reminders or to-dos.  This is what your system is for.  As an example, I use Nozbe to keep myself organized because it's cross platform, fast and affordable.   

Why are sticky note dangerous if you use them all over the blessed geography of your desk and computer?  Simply put, the more you use sticky notes, the less you're using a more serious system of keeping organized.   

Hey, it's not that sticky notes are bad.  We just want to encourage you to keep them in their place as commentary placeholders on the top of reports, etc.   

How are you using sticky notes to get more done? 

 *photo courtesy of fdp

5 Blogs I Turn to for Inspiration

People read differently these days.  Google is shutting down Google Reader for RSS subscriptions and Amazon now sells more ebooks than print versions for several years.  I stopped using RSS readers a few years ago when Twitter came on the scene.  There's something about the brevity of Twitter that's good for people on the go.

Now I use Twitter almost exlusively for reading but there are a few excemptions.  I still enjoy going to someone's blog to see what they are up to and to "crack open" their daily posts.  

Who do I turn to for insight?  Read on...

 

  • Shrinking the Camel- by J.B. Wood, Shrinking the Camel is quite honestly one of the best written blogs there is when it comes to putting faith into work.  J.B. is a master narrator of the events of his life and how God's providence integrates with the most mundane of activities.  A classic post: Thanks for the Lovely Gift Basket.
  • Michael Hyatt- the gold standard for productivity bloggers.  Michael is also a devout Christian- combining both geekness with God.  A classic post: 5 Characteristics of Weak Leaders (and how not to be one)
  • Ron Edmundson- Ron is a pastor of a traditional church and is an incredibly adept blogger.  He finds a way to talk about his church without outing difficult folks.  Always a good read.  A classic post: 10 Things I'm Learning Leading Church Change.
  • Time Management Ninja- written by Craig Jarrow, TMN is all about practical tips and tricks.  With a nod to Apple geeks (just sayin'), TMN is always, and I mean always, useful for decreasing drag on your work systems.  A classic post: 10 Ways to Save Time With Evernote.
  • Michael Nozbe- written by Michael Sliwinski of Nozbe fame, this blog provides a behind-the-scenes look at one of today's best techpreneurs. Michael does business the right way and has created an avid following in the process.  A classic post: Combating Resistance: the 10 Step Productivity Course Recorded.

These sites work for me when I need encouragement along the way.  Where do you turn for inspiration?

Photo courtesy of RE

 

A Review of the New Nozbe Desktop

Having tried just about every ToDo app there is, my preferred app of choice is Nozbe.  I like the fact that I can use it anywhere on any device and have written extensive reviews as such.

Nozbe, as a company, is also a great example of a group of developers who are using their business to do some good in the world.  Their customer service flows out of a desire to serve the customer rather than simply acquire more users.

Their new desktop version for both Windows and Mac is very promising. I've been using an advanced version for several weeks and here are my reactions:

 

  1. Very nice looking.  Gone are the hard ines and sterile landscape and in are greens and beiges as well as more prominent input buttons.  It feels like a Mac Lion app and even offers full screen mode.
  2. Accordian expansion.  Unlike the older versions of Nozbe, the new desktop app features a three panel expansion process that grows if a project needs it to, giving you the ability to add comments and other details.
  3. Excellent pop-ups.  When you are about to delete something, a nice and large pop-up prompts you to confirm whether or not you are serious.  It just feels slick to me.
  4. Color coding.  You can now add various colors to your tasks- I haven't figured this out yet but it looks promising.  

 

What I don't Like

If quick-keys and keyboard shortcuts are your thing, the current version of Nozbe desktop isn't quite there.  I have no doubt however that they will finish the shine on the version that Apple eventually approves for the App Store but it's that final 1% that will make Nozbe yet another option for your productivity toolbox.

Here is a short video from Michael, Nozbe's founder about how the desktop app is coming along:

 

P.s. if you'd like to try Nozbe, consider using the "Tools I Use" link to Nozbe in the far right collumn of the page.  TDS gets a small commission for everyone who tries out Nozbe through that link.  Click here for the link.