302 Thoughts -- 5 Stress Free Ways School that Leaders Can Tell their School’s Story

TheSchoolHouse302 One Thing Series School Leadership Podcast

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. riff on how school leaders take control of their school’s story. Schools are unique and complex hubs of the community, doing incredible things each and every day that must be shared. The harsh reality is that many people believe that schools are failing our students. There is no doubt that schools and schools systems can improve, but great things are happening and need to be showcased. T.J. begins by explaining the very nature of our schools and how resources and support are paramount for success. We don’t overlook this because marketing is secondary to the critical work in schools that must be done up front. However, once that work is moving forward, we have to showcase the school, the students, and the staff. People already have an impression of schools so the narrative school leaders portray must be true, accurate, and also unique. If someone graduated from high school then they’ve taken biology. However, many of today’s biology classes are working with instrumentation and conducting labs that are fascinating in ways that past generations didn’t experience--showcase it! Shock people with knowledge and with a window into the great learning that is going on every day. Be sure to feature who you are, not just what you are. This was one of the key takeaways from TheSchoolHouse302 OneThingSeries Podcast with Amanda Holdsworth. Schools are small cities with a tremendous number of cool things going on and great people who do awesome work. Share it! Involve the students, don’t be afraid to use Tik Tok, and most importantly, have fun. Joe’s one thing is to keep the branding efforts raw and organic. Schools aren’t marketing firms and nor should they act like one. That said, the digital age we live in allows for authentic and everyday marketing efforts. Easy to do, use it often and use it well. T.J.’s one thing is to ship the work! Get it out there. Don’t hesitate. Take inventory of the great things going on, including the unique about the school, and blast it out for the world to see. Let our team know if there’s a topic that you want Joe and T.J. to cover by leaving a comment below or by contacting us at [e-mail]. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe on the site. We can’t wait to hear from you. Joe & T.J.