Dr. Joe Sanfelippo

Changing the Narrative (Keynote/Workshop)

When is the last time something amazing happened in your school? How many people knew about it? The work done in schools all across the globe is spectacular. Kids gather…learn…leave…and make the world we live in a better place. So…amazing things happen all the time. School perception is often based on the narrative of those who attended years ago. Telling the real story of schools helps create a narrative that builds culture and gives everyone in your community an identity. Utilizing social media and empowering those around you to be the storytellers of your district is a great way to celebrate the success of students with parents and the community. FIND YOUR AUDIENCE...BUILD YOUR BRAND...CELEBRATE KIDS!!

Hacking Leadership (Keynote/Workshop)

Water is amazing and seemingly always finds a way. It has the ability to form, replenish our system, power equipment, and can wipe out entire cities. Leaders have the same properties. Some end up conforming to their environment as water would with a cup or bowl. Some have the power to wipe out entire populations and others lift the level of the land. The best leaders take little openings and create space for those they lead. They find the smallest cracks of opportunity and create a path that was not there before. They shape the land. They find a way. Hacking leadership is about finding innovative solutions to issues that have plagued the system for years, and implementing them tomorrow. The focus is on practical application. We all know the problems exist, but knowledge of problems does not make our daily life in schools easier. Utilizing the tools in Hacking Leadership will allow you and your team to find the openings and create space for those you lead. Space to learn. Space to teach. Space to thrive.

Lead Where You Are (Keynote/Workshop)

“I’m just...It’s a phrase we hear all the time. I’m just a teacher, I’m just an assistant principal, I’m just a tech director, I’m just a custodian….the list goes on and on and is always followed by reasons something CAN’T happen. Leadership is not a title, it’s an action...and it starts from within. Identifying leadership traits in yourself changes your mindset when thinking about leading those around you. Part of our responsibilities as a leader is to identify leadership traits in others. The opportunities are endless for those who choose to lead. It’s our job to find those traits, focus our efforts on growth opportunities, and foster an environment where everyone has a chance to lead.

The Impact of 30 Second Moments (Keynote/Workshop)

960. That is the number of 30 second increments we get in an 8 hour day. 960 chances to change a life. 960 opportunities to share a story. 960 times to make a student, parent, or community member feel like they are part of your school. Moments have the ability to stick in our brain forever. A sight, smell, or taste brings us back to our childhood. We have a responsibility to be intentional about how we utilize these moments. The fact is simply this...you will be remembered, the only question is how. Every 30 seconds matter.

Creating a Culture of YES (Keynote/Workshop)

We’ve all walked down a hallway or stepped into a room where we know getting what we want is going to be a struggle. In these times we tend to shut down. Many times people won’t even enter into a conversation unless they are convinced the outcome will be favorable to them. This mindset completely inhibits the opportunity for growth. Creating a culture of YES helps leaders see the opportunities for those they lead as opposed to the reasons why ideas won’t work. Developing an environment where trust and YES are the default can transform the learning for students and staff.

Leading the Learning (Workshop)

Ever feel like you arrive at school, go through the day, and wonder if anything actually got done? The day-to-day operations tend to impede our opportunity for administrators to grow and learn in their position. The administrator in a school is responsible for leading a learning organization. If we are going to lead the learning in schools we need to find a way to do it together. Too often administrators are left on an island because they are the only person in the building with a particular role. This session provides a road map for taking ownership of your learning, while still leading the work done at the building level.

Be a Social Media Superhero (Workshop)

Every school needs a Social Media Superhero. The use of social media meets families, community members, and decision makers in a place where they live daily. Find out how to maximize your school’s social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more) in order to lead, inspire and inform all stakeholders. Social media is a new literacy and our schools leaders have to model that literacy appropriately.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: Now People!! (Workshop)

Amazing things rarely happen in comfort zones. The mental habits we form put us in a place from which we rarely venture. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be challenging, but the benefits of modeling that type of risk taking as a leader are essential to the growth of your staff. Taking the first step outside of your comfort zone is clearly the most difficult. Connecting current practice to new modes of learning can help us all realize our ability as leaders and propel our staff to places they never thought possible.