Emily Paschall

I got to hold #MultiplyExcellence in my hands for the first time today! Honored. Elated. Humbled. Grateful. I’m overflowing with emotions. I poured my heart and soul into writing this book, and I can’t wait for you to read it. Order your copy at connectedd.org!

Don’t forget to water the grass. ⬇️

One thing I’ve learned about leadership is that being present matters in both places. When I’m at school, I want to be all in. Present with my people. In classrooms. Available. Doing the work that needs to be done. But when I’m home, I want to be home, too. The work will always be there. There will always be another email to answer, another problem to solve, another thing I could be doing. And I think we have to model that. If we don’t, it’s easy to forget that the people we work with need that same time at home, too. Part of leadership is showing people that it’s okay to go home, close the laptop, and be present with the people waiting for you there. I have plenty of work to do on myself with this one. If/when I get it wrong, call me out, friends. At the end of the day, nothing is more important than family. ❤️

I love this. I have sat in so many initial eligibility and IEP meetings with parents who are hearing for the first time that their child may have a developmental delay or disability. I’ve watched them try to process what that might mean for their child and for the future they pictured for them. And I always want parents to remember this: An IEP is not an ending. It’s a starting point. It’s a plan designed to give a child what they need to learn, grow, and make progress. Their journey may look different. They may need a different path, a different pace, or different supports along the way. But different does not mean less. An eligibility determination or an IEP does not put a period at the end of a child’s story. It simply helps us figure out what they need for the next part. “Developmental delays are commas, not periods.” There is still so much story left to write. ❤️

Been a little absent because we’ve been busy moving into our NEW SCHOOL!. Turns out, approximately 7,492 details go into opening a new building. 😂 So thankful for an incredible staff and school system that showed up in every way. And to any principals opening a new school soon… if you have questions, hit me up. I’m your girl. 😂 I have learned some things!

Read that again. ⬇️

Teachers, I’m curious! Do you get a duty-free lunch?

Happiness begins with gratitude. ❤️

🎯 Love your kids. 🎯 Love your coworkers. 🎯 Love your school. 🎯 Teach your heart out. That’s how you begin to change culture.

Culture is created one minute at a time. 💥 By what you do. 💥 By what you don’t do. 💥 By what you celebrate. 💥 And by what you allow to continue. Find the best behaviors in the building and multiply them. Address the behaviors that don’t belong before they multiply, too. Culture is being created every single day — whether we’re intentional about it or not.

Proof that sometimes nurture beats nature. She may not have my DNA, but somehow I still ended up with a mini me. ☺️ Had to jump on the bandwagon! Side by side with my favorite sidekick. ❤️

The work we do is a “get to.” ❤️ We get to teach. We get to encourage. We get to celebrate. We get to create memories. We get to be a small part of so many stories. What a privilege it is to do work that matters. We get to do this — for kids!

This week was probably the toughest one of the school year so far. One of those weeks that throws several unexpected moments your way and just takes a little more out of you. And then there are moments like this. ❤️ A picture that captures a kid’s pure joy and reminds me exactly why I do what I do. When it’s easy, I love my job. When it’s hard, I still love my job. Because at the end of the day, I’m grounded in my purpose: KIDS. Schools exist for kids. Always. ❤️

Emily Paschall, Ed.S. 🥲 I did it! So many late nights, assignments, papers, and moments of wondering why I decided to do this to myself 😂—but I am so proud to have officially earned my Specialist degree! One degree down. One more to go. Maybe. 🤣

Teacher tip ❤️ I’ve started doing something different this year, and it has worked wonders for me. When I get home from school, I’m done with school for the day. Even if I have unread emails. Even if there are loose ends. I focus on my family. Instead, I wake up about 30 minutes earlier than I have in years past, grab my #MultiplyExcellence cup ☕️, and use that quiet time to read emails, tie up loose ends, and mentally prepare for the day. It has made an incredible difference for me. Less anxiety. More joy. More time actually being present with my family. If you have a hard time turning school off when you get home, try it. The emails will still be there in the morning. ❤️ Family first.

This afternoon, parents and community members surprised our staff with ready-made meals to take home to their families after the first week of school. No cooking. No figuring out dinner after an exhausting week. Just go home and enjoy your family. Such a simple way to take care of the people who spend their days taking care of kids. ❤️ Replicate it in your school, too!

One of the last things we did at our back-to-school faculty meeting. ❤️ Everyone picked a random day this school year and scheduled an email to our entire staff — a reminder to take care of our mental health, prioritize the people we love, and remember that there is life outside of school, too. I have no idea when they’re coming or what they’ll say. I just hope they show up on the days we need them most. ❤️ #multiplyexcellence #teacher #education

Time for our last Mommy/Daughter date night before school starts! ❤️ Little girl has been excited about her surprise all day! Just your friendly reminder to soak up the family time before the craziness of a new school year begins. Let’s put the work down, make the memories, and enjoy our people. Time is fleeting! We can’t get yesterday back. ❤️

One month into this principal thing, and today reminded me of something I hope I never forget. The first day back with your staff matters. Before we jumped into all the schedules, procedures, data, and expectations that come with a new school year, I wanted us to remember why we’re here in the first place. I wanted them to think back to the interview chair. To the things they said they believed about kids. To why they wanted to become teachers. To the commitments they made before the job ever became hard or exhausting or busy. Because that’s still who we are. Our staff needed today. They needed to laugh together. Eat together. Talk. Be reminded that we’re a team and that none of us are doing this work alone. There will be plenty of time for the hard work. But today, I wanted them to leave excited to come back tomorrow. If you’re planning your first day back with your staff, make it special. Bring them back to their why. Give them time to be people together. Make the first day magical. Then get to work. ❤️ [And if you’re like me and have zero decorating talent, find your village!]