Dear Kristen,

I’ve heard from many educators that the 2021-2022 school year was their hardest yet. This year must be different. To help make that a reality, we kicked off a new mini-series on the podcast this week: Starting Strong. Each episode is short - less than 20 minutes - and packed with actionable tips and reflection prompts to support an empowering start to the school year. I hope you listen in.

For now, I’ll leave you with two of the sets of questions I shared on Monday’s episode:

• Who do you want to be this year?

• Who do you need to be for the people you’re serving?

Next, consider:

• What do you need to believe in order to be that person?

• What do you want to do or learn in order to be that person?

P.S. If your answer to “what do you want to do or learn” relates to expanding your ability to coach or lead for equity, consider joining our upcoming Coaching for Equity Masterclass. It kicks off on August 9th.

P.P.S. I was a recent guest on the Too Dope Teachers and a Mic podcast where I shared pieces of my own story related to who I want and need to be. I really enjoyed this conversation and invite you to listen in.