There were some students with whom I never could build a relationship. I tried… but I just couldn't make a connection. There were lesson plans that I felt great about… but fell flat in the classroom. There were culture-building ideas that I was enthusiastic about… but they just didn't resonate with the staff. Not everything I tried in education worked. Not even close. I was recently reminded that Babe Ruth led the American League in strikeouts five different seasons. When you swing for the fences, sometimes you miss the ball. The greatest champions aren't people who never fail. They're people who refuse to let failure define them. Think about it. The people who accomplish the most often experience the most failures. Not because they're less capable, but because they keep putting themselves in a position to succeed. They take risks. They try difficult things. They put themselves out there. And sometimes they fail. I'm reminded of the famous words of Theodore Roosevelt: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena..." And later: "Who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming..." There's a lesson here for all of us in education. The goal isn't to avoid mistakes. The goal is to keep learning, keep growing, and keep making a difference. Don't let the fear of failure keep you from doing something that matters. Keep trying new things. Keep trying hard things. And don't give up. You’ve got this… Danny

You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to be a strong leader. In fact, trying to convince everyone that you are might make you a less effective leader. One of the challenges of becoming a school administrator is that suddenly you’re responsible for things you don’t know that much about. Maybe you taught high school PE, and now you’re observing an elementary reading lesson. Maybe you taught chemistry, and now you’re having conversations about special education, grading practices, or elementary math. Maybe you're sitting in a meeting listening to teachers discuss an instructional strategy you’ve never used. You have two choices. You can pretend you know more than you do. Or you can say: “I don’t know much about this. Help me understand.” I think the second response requires more confidence than the first. One principal I interviewed for "The Instructional Leader in You" told me, “You can’t always be the smartest guy in the room.” Exactly. Your teachers don't expect you to know everything. And they probably know when you're pretending. Great leaders are comfortable saying: “I don’t know.” “Tell me more.” “What do you think?” “I need some help understanding this.” “I was wrong about that.” There is vulnerability in those statements. But there is also tremendous strength. Insecure leaders can feel threatened by what they don't know. Secure leaders get curious about it. And perhaps that's one of the great paradoxes of leadership: The more confident you become in who you are, the less you need everyone else to believe you have all the answers. You don't have to be the smartest person in the room. You just need to be humble enough to keep learning from the people who are.

One of my goals over the past year was to be the person who brings people together, even when they disagree. I have greatly benefited from my family working together with the school community, and as I share in #ForwardTogether, "When schools and families work together, they double the chance of a child’s success." I believe that! Keynoting #txedcon this past weekend on the topic, here is some initial feedback from my keynote. I appreciate the kind words, but I am so excited about the focus on "disagreement doesn't mean we have to have division." I believe that, and I am glad it resonated! Many organizations are jumping into book studies, and I have been so happy to zoom in to conversations and support as best I can. I believe in this message because I have been a direct beneficiary. You can check out the book here: a.co/d/0eG436qG

"When you share your past mistakes, your growth process, and a willingness to learn, it can inspire confidence in others to do the same. Remember: You can’t make people change, but you can create an environment where change is more likely to happen." Why Owning Your Mistakes Builds Credibility georgecouros.com/mistakes-bu…

Recently, I was asked, how do we move away from traditional practices in education? I followed up by asking, are you moving away from something we have used in the past that still works today, or something that no longer serves us? If you are doing something in your classroom that was done 100s of years ago that still works today, you should continue to do it. On the other side of that spectrum, if you are doing new stuff just because it is new, but it doesn’t work for students, you shouldn’t be doing that either. The generation the idea came from does not matter as much as whether it works for students today. That should be the standard. Never stick with something just because you have always done it, just like you should never embrace something simply because it is new. The question should be more focused on whether this practice serves our students today. It matters less which generation it came from and more whether it works.

End of an era. After a decade calling this place home it’s time for a little more space. I’ve absolutely loved living, training and growing here. If you or anyone you know is looking for a spacious 1 bedroom surrounded by greenery you won’t regret this one, I know I sure haven’t.

Some very thoughtful answers here from @HeatherLarson38. Looking forward to ticking your name on my ballot for School Trustee Heather! richmond-news.com/2026-civic…

Important!

Around the District: A collection of stories from September 2026. Read more... sd38.bc.ca/2026/10/01/around…

What a year it has been so far… Happy Book Birthday to #TheInbetweenLeader — now in bookstores everywhere!!!! 🥳🎂📕🙏🏽

“As many as 4,000 innocent Native Americans died on the evil Trail of Tears. Don’t you think the truth about the Trail of Tears should be taught in America’s schools?”

Yesterday in Costco, I heard, “Mr. Felicella?” It was a retired judge who had dealt with me in court years ago. She told me she’d been following my recovery, called what I’ve accomplished “nothing short of a miracle,” and said she was a big fan. Years ago, I stood in front of her because my life was falling apart. Yesterday, she stood in front of me celebrating what my life had become. Never underestimate what recovery can make possible. ❤️

This comment is completely unhinged. Telling a citizen who served the community for four decades as school trustee, councillor and activist that she is no longer WELCOME in Richmond. VOTE to reject this fear and hate. #voteRITE #RichmondBC #Rmdelxn #rmdpoli

“Authorship is ownership.” Geoff Woods I shared the quote above in #ForwardTogether, and it has always resonated with me. We are more interested in the things we create than in those created for us. I was reminded of this in my conversation with Meagan French today, and I love her focus on building things with rather than for teachers. That does not just apply to a technology product, but to all facets of education. If you want to empower students, you have to empower the people closest to them.