- Jim Mercer
- Nov 24, 2025
This week’s Tip: Gratitude ~ Attitude ~ Latitude
No one does more important work in America than SAMs and principals. This is because your work makes the lives of your students better—work that will outlive you. Education has made this country unique and terrific—better than great. America’s education system has been an amazing equalizer focused on the very best for all. For this, I join everyone in the National SAM Innovation project in thanking you.
We are living in a difficult time. It is easy to become distressed and hard to remain hopeful. Who would have thought that teaching students to be fair and equitable, including all, and appreciating diversity would be questioned? Who would have thought masked federal agents would enter schools to remove children, sometimes separating them from their families?
Staying positive as a school leader isn’t easy…but it is necessary. Staying focused on what you can do, rather than what you can’t, is a good first step. Here are three more steps that may help:
Gratitude: Stop and discuss who on staff you most appreciate. Show them a bit of love. Schedule a time on your TimeTrack to thank a person on your staff you appreciate each school day this week and all of December. You might appreciate a First Responder, or a teacher who has made a significant gain in his/her practice. It might be a support staff member. It might be a parent. It might be each other as a SAM team. Take a minute to say thanks. You will feel better and so will the person you select.
Attitude: Do a self-check. Are you projecting an attitude that is welcoming, positive and conducive to the kind of climate you want to experience? If so, great! Take a minute to thank each other during your SAM Daily meeting. Psychologist have found that when a person simply says out loud, “I am going to have a good day!”, it has a positive impact. Give it a try! Who on your staff makes you smile when you think about them? What do they do that has this impact on others? Can you do the same?
Latitude: You spend time every day working to spend more time on instructional work. You are committed to being in the GREEN and seeing TimeTrack data where each month shows a higher level of instructional time. What can you do today? Be sure you are in Green for tomorrow. Be sure you are in the Green for your first day back in December.
In my nearly 50 years as an educator, I have never been happier that this is the profession I chose. I’ve never been prouder of SAM teams as they strive to do the very best for all children.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving Break. Know that you are appreciated by far more people that you realize. You make America great.
19th Annual National SAM Conference
Registration link: https://registration.samprocess.com/
A few things to consider when planning to attend:
Ø The conference is January 15-18. 2026. Ø To be eligible to attend, you must be a SAM team member doing the process with efficacy, NSIP staff, Board member or presenter. Ø The conference will be in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Marriott Harbor Beach Resort
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Keynote Speakers · Will Parker, Principals Matter: Living your Best Life as an Educator · Will Bowen, You Can’t Complain Your Way to Success · Tracie Swilley, The PrinciPAL Effect: Setting the Vibe, Energy, and Excellence Every Day · John Antonetti, Personal Response: Am I safe to share my thinking? · William Martinez, Signing the Song: The Power of Belonging
Pre-Conference All-Day Workshop Presenters · Jim Masters, Beyond Why and What – Getting to How School Leaders Make a Difference · Ken Williams, Better Teachers, Better Results: Where Students Learn Because Of US · Willow Sweeney, Top 20 Moves for Building Effective Staff and Student Relationships · Brendan Houdek and Caleb Shomaker: Executive Speaking Coaching Seminar |
Breakout session preference selection, featuring national presenters and SAM practitioners, will open next week. Travel information is due December 1..
