My BAD

We lost the top leadership in my school and chaos ensued. Instead of stepping up and leading, I melted down. I was introduced to two ideas that turned me around. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Will Parker is the Executive Director of Oklahoma's Association of Secondary Principals and Oklahoma's Middle Level Education Association. He is the former principal of Skiatook High School, near Tulsa, Oklahoma, and he was Oklahoma's Assistant Principal of the Year in 2012. He is also a blogger, podcast, and author. Resources can be found at williamdparker.com.

I imposed an expectation on my student that I would have realized was inappropriate had I not lost touch with my past. Follow @DenaSimmons @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Dena Simmons is an educator, activist, and lifelong learner from the Bronx, NY. She currently serves at the director of education at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

I learned through the school of hard knocks that change starts with people first and processes second. Follow @impactfulcoach @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Naphtali Hoff, PsyD, is President of Impactful Coaching & Consulting and author of "Becoming the New Boss: The New Leader's Guide to Sustained Success". Naphtali became an executive coach and organizational consultant following a career as an educator and school administrator.

I was being evaluated by my supervisor who wanted "drill and kill." I knew better, but I didn't do better. I sold out my values and my kids. I learned how to quickly handle this conflict. Follow @DrMaryHoward @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Dr. Mary Howard is a leading expert in literacy, presenting seminars as an independent consultant and for the Bureau of Education and Research. She is an educator for more than 30 years, combining years of classroom experience as an elementary grade 1-6 special educator, grade K-12 reading tutor, reading specialist and Reading Recovery teacher and author of several books, including RTI from All Sides: What Every Teacher Needs to Know and Moving Forward with RTI: Reading and Writing Activities for Every Instructional Setting.

My intentions were good but misguided. I was taking on more and more commitments while becoming increasingly less effective across the board. Follow @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Rob Sahli is an administrator at Ramsey Middle School (6-8) in St. Paul, MN. He works very hard to build meaningful relationships with his scholars and to be a strong leader for the educators in the building. His strong passions lie in equity, servant, and instructional leadership. Rob is a proud, life-long learner.

Sometimes it's hard to recover with students when you get off on the wrong foot. It's even harder when you take that foot and put it in your mouth. Follow @jonHarper70bd @@cultofpedagogy @bamradionetwork Jennifer Gonzalez is editor-in-chief of the Cult of Pedagogy website, where she shares resources and inspiration to help teachers work happier and more effectively and the host of the podcast, Cult of Pedagogy. A National Board Certified Teacher and self-taught technology lover, she is the author of The Teacher's Guide to Tech.

When I sent a blanket memo to my entire staff, I was actually just avoiding a painful discussion with one staff member. Then I learned... Follow @jonHarper70bd @unfoldthesoul @bamradionetwork Ken Williams is Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Unfold The Soul, a group which trains entrepreneurs, educators, and motivated individuals how to accelerate the achievement of their personal and professional goals. Ken’s background includes a BA from Morehouse College and he also holds a Masters degree in Education from the University of Bridgeport and a Leadership Certificate from the Bowie State University.

I didn't like a students behavior in my classroom. Eventually, I called her out in front of the whole class. Later I learned.... Follow @jonHarper70bd @TrevorMuir @bamradionetwork Trevor Muir is a teacher, speaker, and author of the book, The Epic Classroom: How to Boost Engagement, Make Learning Memorable, and Transform Lives.

I hid my pain and didn't take time to grieve my loss. I thought I was doing the right thing until one day at school my suppressed emotions unexpectedly surfaced. I realized it was time... Follow @jonHarper70bd @stantonalana @bamradionetwork Alana Stanton is a kindergarten teacher at Mulberry Elementary in Gwinnett County, Georgia. She has taught 13 years teaching K-3 literacy special, first and second grades, and kindergarten. She currently writes a blog called More Than A Lesson where she shares the stories of her classroom and her heart. http://morethanalessonst.blogspot.com

I was managing my classroom according to my master plan and was pleased with the model. Regretfully, my students felt differently, but I didn't find out until it was too late. Follow @jonHarper70bd @shareski @bamradionetwork Dean Shareski is the Community Manager for Discovery Education. He also teaches at Wilkes University. He has been actively pursuing the use and potential of technology for learning for the past decade.

I was committed to being the best teacher possible, so I planned the best lesson ever. My students were not impressed. Follow @jonHarper70bd @Urban_Teacher Bamradionetwork Mark Martin aka @urban_teacher is an outstanding educator with a proven track record of innovative and inspirational teaching. He is committed to providing greater opportunities for young people and providing access to lifelong learning. Mark is a Global Educator and is highly skilled in delivering bespoke training courses. His passion to motivate & encourage learners to reach their full potential is contagious.

When my colleague disagreed with me my ego took over. I missed a great opportunity to learn and grow. Follow @jonHarper70bd @rickhess99 @bamradionetworkFrederick "Rick" M. Hess is resident scholar and director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. He has authored influential books on education including The Same Thing Over and Over, Education Unbound, Common Sense School Reform, Revolution at the Margins, and Spinning Wheels, and pens the Education Week blog “Rick Hess Straight Up.”

It can be painful, but instructive to think about some of the missteps we made in our careers in education. Our guest shares a few she wishes she could erase and the lessons she learned from them. Follow @jonHarper70bd @PernilleRipp @bamradionetwork Pernille Ripp is a 7th grade teacher in Oregon, WI. She is also creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. She is the author of Passionate Readers: The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child.

I felt contempt for one of my peers for some time. One day I let those feeling show and learned a big lesson from the experience. Follow @jonHarper70bd @alienearbud @bamradionetwork Danny "Sunshine" Bauer is the founder of Better Leaders Better Schools and runs mastermind groups to support leadership growth. His podcast is at betterleadersbetterschools.com

I was so busy that I forgot something very small, but very important. Follow @jonHarper70bd @AmyHeavin @bamradionetwork Amy Heavin is the principal/lead learner at Ryan Park Elementary School in Angola, Indiana. Amy is the mom of three growing boys, as well as the wife of Angola High School's principal.