Middle school students are standing at a unique crossroads. They are navigating growth, identity, friendship, independence, belonging, peer influence, and the desire to be seen and known. For educators and school leaders, this means the beginning of the school year is more than a calendar event. It is an opportunity to intentionally create a culture where students feel safe, supported, challenged, and connected.
In the work Dr. LaTonya White and I are developing through The Middle School Culture Blueprint, we continue to return to the importance of designing culture with purpose, not leaving it to chance. As noted in our framework, middle school culture is strengthened when belonging, clarity, coherence, and formation are intentionally supported across classrooms, teams, and schoolwide systems (Ball & White, 2026).
This work also connects deeply to my earlier research on teacher retention and school climate, which affirmed the importance of communication, collaboration, leadership support, and a positive school climate in helping teachers remain committed to their school communities (Ball, 2023). When middle school teachers feel supported, aligned, and prepared, they are better able to create classroom environments where students can flourish. That is why tuning in to middle school students must also include tuning in to the teachers and teams who serve them each day. How leaders welcome faculty and staff back matters. The rhythm leaders create before students arrive can shape the tone, trust, and energy of the entire school year.
One simple strategy school leaders can use is a Welcome Back Reflection Checklist before the first faculty meeting or middle school team gathering. Before launching into schedules, logistics, and tasks, pause and ask:
Have we created time for fellowship?
Have we provided space for teachers to reconnect as people before they plan as professionals?
Have we built in table talk around what our students need most this year?
Have we clarified the language, routines, and non-negotiables we want students to experience across classrooms?
Have we invited teachers to name what they need in order to begin well?
These questions can help leaders move from information-sharing to culture-building. I invite you to watch or listen on August 5 as I host Middle School Culture Blueprint: Reflections from the Field: Creating a Positive Start to the 2026–2027 School Year. I am honored to welcome Dr. Nancy Baker, Lynsie Reavis, Tricia Florance, Mary Peters, and Karina Lepkowski for a meaningful conversation on this important topic.
May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,
Denise
References Ball, D. M. (2023). Improving teacher retention within Archdiocese of Washington schools [Doctoral dissertation, Liberty University]. Scholars Crossing. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5006/ Ball, D. M., & White, L. (2026). The Middle School Culture Blueprint: Practical Strategies to Support Teachers, Engage Students, and Build Stronger Teams. Manuscript in development.
As we bring our three-part summer series, Belonging, School Culture, and the Joy of the Work, to a close, I find myself filled with gratitude.
I am deeply grateful to Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling for generously sharing her research, leadership experience, wisdom, and heart throughout these conversations. Anita helped us pause and consider what it truly means for people to experience belonging within a school community.
Belonging is more than entering a building, attending a meeting, or being included on a faculty list. It is the experience of being seen, known, valued, supported, and connected to something meaningful.
Throughout this series, Anita reminded us that belonging does not happen by accident. It is cultivated through INTENTIONAL leadership, authentic listening, trust, communication, presence, and relationships.
In our first conversation, we explored why belonging matters, and in our second, we reflected on the important role leaders play in creating and sustaining cultures where people feel welcome, heard, and valued. In our final conversation, we connected belonging to joy, teacher retention, school stability, and the overall health of a school community. It felt especially important to end this series with joy.
Joy is not an extra benefit of a healthy school culture. Joy is part of what helps sustain the people who serve within it. Joy is synergistic! Joy does not mean that every day is easy. It does not mean that challenges disappear, difficult conversations are avoided, or the demands of leadership become lighter.
A joyful school community is not a perfect school community.
It is a community where people continue to notice the good, name the good, and carry the good forward together, even during demanding seasons. Joy grows when people know they are not alone. As a school team, exercising the muscle of gratitude can be transformational!
Joy within a school community grows when faculty and staff feel connected to one another and to the school’s mission. It becomes visible when people are encouraged to share their gifts, when contributions are recognized, and when leaders create space for gratitude, celebration, reflection, and genuine connection.
Joy is strengthened when it is shared. This is why I believe joy must be more than something we hope people eventually experience. Joy can become the first step we use in leading others.
Before beginning with the agenda, we can begin by seeing the people in front of us. Before moving immediately to the next task, we can pause to recognize someone’s contribution. Before focusing only on what needs to be corrected, completed, or improved, we can name what is already good and growing. Before assuming the worst, we can choose to see through the eyes of grace. Leading with joy does not ignore reality. It helps us face reality with hope, gratitude, courage, and a renewed sense of purpose.
As leaders prepare for the 2026-27 school year, there will be calendars to finalize, meetings to plan, classrooms to prepare, new employees to welcome, and many decisions to make. Within all of that important work, we can also ask:
How will people experience belonging here? [a leadership opportunity]
How will faculty and staff know they are valued? [essential building block for trust]
How will we listen to one another? [a powerful visual that you are being present]
How will we help new members of the community feel supported? [essential reflection question]
How will we keep joy visible when the year becomes busy? [because it will]
How will we notice and share the good? [my favorite]
The answers do not always require complicated programs or large initiatives. Belonging and joy are often strengthened through small, sincere, and consistent practices.
A handwritten note, a meaningful check-in, or a moment of gratitude at the beginning of a faculty meeting can really help build and maintain a positive school culture.
A celebration of a small victory, or a question asked with genuine care, demonstrates a leader who listens and follows through.
One small practice, offered consistently and sincerely, can become part of the building blocks for a joyful school campus.
My gratitude to Anita for helping us all reflect more deeply on the cultures we are called to build and sustain. I want to thank her for reminding us that belonging is experienced through both our words and our actions. Through this summer series, we are reminded that when people feel seen, known, valued, and connected, joy has room to grow and THRIVE!
As this summer series closes, I hope each of us will carry one invitation into the new school year:
Let joy be the first step. Let it shape how we welcome and guide our listening and communication with others.
May we continue to seek to see the people behind the work.
As school leaders or teachers, let us seek joy and let it help us build communities where educators, students, and families know they belong.
As a sharing the good community, let us continue to train our eyes to see the good, because when we do, amazing things happen.
Stay tuned…
Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball is honored to welcome Dr. Christina Mendez-Hall on August 13 as we continue the conversation about joy, why it is so important, and how leaders and teachers can allow joy to become the first step as they enter the 2026-27 school year.
Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio.
What began with the simple hope of encouraging at least one person is growing into a space where stories, faith, reflection, research, and practical wisdom can be shared.
I feel deeply honored to help notice and share some of the good happening in our schools, communities, churches, families, and the world.
Thank you to everyone who has listened, subscribed, encouraged me, and prayed for me on this journey. Scan the QR code for your preferred platform and join me as we continue Sharing the Good.
Until then, pause, exhale, reflect, and keep sharing the good.
Summer Series 2026: Belonging, School Culture, and the Joy of the Work
Episode 2 Featuring Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling
In Episode 2 of Summer Series 2026: Belonging, School Culture, and the Joy of the Work, I am grateful to continue the conversation with Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling, Associate Superintendent for the Archdiocese of Omaha.
In Episode 1, Anita and I reflected on why belonging matters and why summer is such a meaningful time for school leaders to pause, exhale, and consider the culture they hope to build and maintain for the 2026–27 school year.
In Episode 2, we turn our attention to the leader’s role in creating belonging and shaping a positive school culture.
A positive school culture does not happen by accident. It is nurtured through the rhythms, routines, relationships, words, and actions that help a school community stay connected to its mission. Culture is not created by a mission statement alone. Culture is experienced in the daily life of a school, in the way people are welcomed, supported, heard, encouraged, and invited to contribute to something greater than themselves.
Belonging is shaped through intentional relationships, communication, trust, presence, and the daily choices leaders make. The school leader sets the tone and helps create the conditions where people feel seen, valued, welcomed, and connected to the mission.
One of the important reminders Anita shared in this episode is that leaders should be intentional in how they welcome faculty and staff back to campus. The beginning of the school year is often filled with tasks, meetings, checklists, schedules, and classroom preparation. All of those things matter. Yet Anita reminds us that leaders also need to create space for people to reconnect, get to know one another, and remember that they are part of a shared mission.
That balance is so important. Teachers need time to prepare their classrooms. They need time to organize, plan, and feel ready to welcome students. They also need time to breathe, reconnect, laugh, share, pray, and remember that they do not carry the work alone.
The way a school year begins matters. People remember how they were welcomed (Ball, 2026). They remember whether the opening days were only about tasks or whether there was also time to reconnect with purpose, community, and joy.
As I listened to Anita, I found myself reflecting on my own leadership experiences and my research on school culture and teacher retention. I have spent much of the past decade studying and working in this area, and I continue to believe that school culture is created in ordinary moments. It is shaped in how a leader greets people, follows up, listens, remembers, encourages, and makes space for others to contribute.
One example from my own leadership practice was something I called Thankful Thursday. A couple of times a month, before the team arrived, I would leave notes of gratitude or encouragement. Sometimes the note was connected to something I noticed in a classroom. Sometimes it was simply a word of encouragement. They were not long or complicated, but they were intentional. These sticky notes were one more way of saying, “I see you. I notice the good work you are doing. Your presence and contribution matter here.” Gratitude helps shape culture and it sets a tone. It helps people know that their work is not invisible.
Another practical way leaders can strengthen culture is by creating intentional opportunities for table talk during faculty and staff meetings. Meetings do not have to be used only for announcements, updates, and logistics…in fact they shouldn’t be. These are school culture prime opportunities to build trust and distribute joy!. They can also become spaces where people reflect together, listen to one another, and contribute to the shared mission of the school.
For example, after sharing a schoolwide focus or initiative, a school leader might ask each table to discuss: “Where are we already seeing this lived well in our school?” or “What is one next step we can take together?” Then each table can share one insight with the larger group. That kind of routine communicates something important: every voice matters, perspectives matter, and we are building and maintaining this positive school culture together.
In this episode, Anita and I break open the importance of helping faculty and staff feel seen and valued in specific ways. A general “thank you” is always appreciated, but specific gratitude has a different kind of impact. When a leader says, “I noticed the way you helped that student,” or “I saw how you supported your colleague,” it communicates that the person and the work are truly seen.
Again, this does not need to be complicated. Leaders might begin the year with handwritten notes, ask each staff member what helps them feel supported, highlight quiet acts of service during faculty meetings, check in with new faculty after the first two weeks, or intentionally thank office staff, aides, maintenance staff, cafeteria staff, and all who help the school function each day. Create a school environment where gratitude is the norm. If the adults model it, the students will follow.
Culture is strengthened when leaders create a rhythm of noticing and naming the good.
Presence matters deeply, and in the life of a school, presence is not about hovering or checking up on people. It is about walking with people. It is about being close enough to the life of the school to understand where joy is visible, where support is needed, and where people may be carrying things quietly.
Dr. Harkins- Mehsling reminds us that sometimes the most powerful thing a leader can do is show up, listen, and remain steady. Presence builds trust over time, and is at the heart of belonging. In school culture work, trust is often the bridge between intention and impact. I call trust the glue for a strong positive school culture. Trust does not mean everything is easy. It means people believe they are being led with honesty, care, and purpose.
Leaders may intend to create belonging, but people experience belonging through communication, listening, relationships, and follow-through. Anita shared that she kept a notebook on her at all times, so she could jot down notes that would allow her to be intentional and follow-up with team members.
Listening does not mean leaders can do everything requested. It does mean people are treated with dignity. Communication should help people understand not only the “what,” but also the “why.” When people understand the why behind decisions, they are more likely to stay connected to the mission, even when decisions are difficult.
One of the most helpful ideas in this conversation is that belonging does not have to become one more program, one more initiative, or one more thing added to everyone’s plate. Belonging can and should be woven into the rhythms that already exist. It can be built into faculty meetings, prayer, mentoring, communication, classroom visits, welcome-back days, celebrations, and leadership team conversations.
It is a way of asking: How will this decision, meeting, message, or practice help people feel seen, valued, and connected?
As leaders prepare for the 2026–27 school year, Episode 2 offers a simple but meaningful invitation: start small and be intentional. Create space for preparation and connection. Know or get to know your people and listen before acting. Build trust through follow-through, and create rhythms that help your community notice and share the good.
Belonging does not require perfection, but it does require intention, consistency, and love for the people we are called to serve.
I am grateful to continue this summer conversation with Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling and hope Episode 2 encourages school leaders to reflect on the culture they are creating, the welcome they are preparing, and the daily habits that help people feel seen, valued, and connected to the joy of the work.
Pause. Exhale. Reflect.
Join us for Episode 3 of Summer Series 2026: Belonging, School Culture, and the Joy of the Workon Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball on July 14th.
Until next time, keep sharing the good.
When we train our eyes to see the good, amazing things happen.
Summer Series 2026: Belonging, School Culture, and the Joy of the Work
Featuring Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling
This adventure in learning new ways to communicate, connect, and share the good in education has been fun, meaningful, and, quite honestly, joyful.
I am so grateful to Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling, Associate Superintendent for the Archdiocese of Omaha, for spending time with me in conversation and reflection for the first episode of Summer Series 2026: Belonging, School Culture, and the Joy of the Work on Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball.
Our first conversation focused on a topic that is deeply connected to the heart of education: belonging.
Belonging is more than being present. It is more than being included on a roster, invited into a building, or welcomed into a room. True belonging begins when people do not just enter a space, but feel that they matter within it (Harkins-Mehsling, 2026).
Students need to know they are seen, known, valued, and loved. Teachers need to know their work matters and that they are part of something larger than themselves. Families need to experience school communities as places of trust, welcome, and partnership. Leaders need to be intentional about creating the conditions where acceptance, connection, and community are not accidental, but cultivated.
During this episode, Dr. Harkins-Mehsling and I reflected on how belonging is experienced across school campuses and leadership communities. We discussed the ways people come to understand whether they are accepted, valued, connected, and part of a community. These are not small ideas. They shape the daily experience of school life, and the summer is a perfect time for school leaders and teachers to reflect on how they will create an environment and attitude of belonging for students, parents, and one another for the upcoming school year.
When people feel that they belong, they are more likely to participate, contribute, trust, grow, and remain connected to the mission. Belonging strengthens the culture of a school because it reminds each person: You matter here!
As I continue to reflect on my own research on teacher retention, school climate, leadership, collaboration, and culture, I am reminded, through this conversation with Anita, that positive school culture is not built by chance. It is shaped through intentional leadership, trust, and shared commitment. Belonging is one of the ways we begin that work.
This summer series is an invitation to pause, exhale, reflect, and consider how we can continue to build schools and communities where people feel seen and supported. It is also an invitation to celebrate the joy of the work. Education is hard and holy work. It requires courage, patience, faith, and love. But it also brings great joy when we recognize the good all around us and the reasons we said “yes” to serve in education.
I am thankful for leaders like Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling who continue to share wisdom, experience, and encouragement with the broader educational community. Her insights remind us that belonging is not simply a program or initiative but it is a way of being together.
Episode 1 begins this reflective journey.
Episode 2 will air onJuly 6, and our conversation will focus on school culture. Anita and I will share strategies we have learned through our combined 50+ years of serving in education to help create, strengthen, and maintain positive school cultures.
I value your feedback and would love to continue the conversation. Please message me or drop a note in the comment section after watching. What helps you feel a sense of belonging in a school or leadership community? What practices have helped strengthen culture in your own setting?
May we continue to seek knowledge in all things, notice the good around us, and build communities where every person knows they matter
As school leaders enter the summer months, there is a sacred opportunity to pause, exhale, and reflect on the culture they hope to build and maintain for the 2026-27 school year.
I am grateful to share that Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball will launch a three-part summer series on July 1st focused on Belonging, School Culture, and the Joy of the Work.
This series will feature Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling, Associate Superintendent for the Archdiocese of Omaha. Dr. Harkins-Mehsling brings more than 30 years of experience serving in education, and her recent research has focused on helping school leaders create a stronger sense of belonging within their school communities. She earned her doctorate from Doane University and continues to support Catholic school leaders in building healthy, mission-centered, and joy-filled school cultures.
The purpose of this series is to invite school leaders to reflect on belonging as a foundation for strong school culture. When people feel they belong, they are more likely to feel seen, known, valued, connected, and committed to the shared mission of the school.
Belonging is not an extra. It is part of the daily work of building a school community where students, teachers, staff, families, and leaders can flourish.
In episode 1, Dr. Harkins-Mehsling and I will discuss why belonging matters and why summer is such a meaningful time for school leaders to reflect on the culture they hope to create. We will explore what belonging means, how it is experienced by adults and students, and why feeling seen, known, and valued matters so deeply in the life of a school community.
In episode 2, we will focus on the leader’s role in creating belonging. Belonging is shaped through intentional relationships, communication, trust, presence, and the daily choices leaders make. We will talk about how school leaders can help faculty and staff feel seen and valued, how a leader’s presence shapes culture, and how belonging can be woven into the rhythm of the school year without becoming “one more program.”
In episode 3, we will connect belonging, joy, and the 2026-27 school year. This final conversation will invite leaders to consider how belonging can become part of the language, rhythm, and lived experience of the school. We will also reflect on how belonging contributes to joy, teacher retention, school stability, and the overall health of a school community.
Joy is not meant to be held alone. Joy is synergistic! When joy is shared among a school team, it strengthens culture, builds connection, and reminds us that the work we do matters. A joyful school community does not mean a perfect school community. It means a community where people are willing to see the good, name the good, and carry the good forward together.
For decades, I have found great joy in encouraging my family, teachers, students, schools, and school communities to notice and share the good. I have seen how transformative it can be when we pause long enough to name what is good, celebrate one another, and remind people that their work and their presence matter.
The Thankful Thursday shout-out this week is for the joy distributors… You know who you are!
Summer gives us space to breathe. It gives us space to ask important questions:
Who in our school community needs to feel more seen?
How do we help new faculty, staff, students, and families feel welcomed?
What practices help people feel connected to the mission?
Where did we see joy this year?
How can we carry that joy forward?
My hope is that this series offers school leaders a gentle but meaningful invitation to pause, exhale, and reflect before the next school year begins. Belonging matters, joy matters, and developing and maintaining a positive school culture matters.
The faculty, staff, students, and school communities we serve matter, and they deserve nothing less than our best!
Why Fellowship is Essential with Karina Lepkowski, Principal, Most Holy Trinity
Fellowship is more than networking. It is more than collaboration around a project, committee, or a professional learning day. Fellowship is what happens when trust is built over time, shared mission becomes a shared walk, and colleagues become the trusted voices we return to because we know they will listen, encourage, challenge, and help us see more clearly.
Today, I had the joy of meeting with Karina Lepkowski, Principal at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Academy in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Karina and I have been collaborators for 14 years. She served on my team at St. Regis Catholic School, we have worked together on committees, and she has led sessions for professional learning days I developed for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Over the years, our professional paths have crossed in many meaningful ways. But perhaps one of the most treasured parts of our story is this: Karina introduced my son to music and taught him how to play the alto saxophone. His love of jazz and the gift of having music in his heart will last him a lifetime. For that, I will always be grateful to this amazing educator, and I am honored to call her a friend now.
While these accomplishments speak beautifully to Karina’s professional impact, what I value most is the way she leads through relationships. She is the kind of educator and leader who listens deeply, shares generously, and reminds others that the work of Catholic education is strengthened when we walk alongside one another.
As Karina and I caught up and discussed projects we are working on, I was reminded of something important. Educational leaders need trusted voices. We need people who understand the work, who know the heart behind the work, and who can offer honest insight because the relationship is rooted in care. These are the colleagues who help us process ideas, sharpen our thinking, and stay grounded in mission. They remind us that leadership was never meant to be a lonely road.
Research continues to affirm what many of us have experienced in our own leadership journeys. Strong professional learning is collaborative, sustained, and grounded in reflection. Darling-Hammond, Hyler, and Gardner (2017) found that effective professional development creates opportunities for educators to share ideas, collaborate in job-embedded ways, and build communities that can positively influence the culture and instruction of a school or system. Similarly, research on collective teacher culture points to the importance of shared goals, supportive colleagues, collective efficacy, and belonging as important dimensions of a healthy school culture.
This is why fellowship matters. When leaders intentionally build relationships of trust and professional friendship, they strengthen the culture around them. Fellowship helps us become better listeners. It helps us ask better questions. It gives us space to pause, reflect, and renew. It also helps us remember that the work of education is deeply human. Behind every initiative, every professional learning session, every school improvement goal, and every strategic plan are people who need encouragement, connection, and belonging.
In my own research on teacher retention, school climate, leadership, collaboration, and culture emerged as important areas of focus in understanding how educators experience their work and what helps them remain committed to the mission (Ball, 2023). Positive school culture is not built by accident. It is formed through intentional relationships, shared purpose, and the daily decision to walk alongside one another.
As educational leaders, we often spend time developing strategic muscles: planning, decision-making, problem-solving, communication, and execution. These are important. However, I would share that research supports that we also need to be just as intentional about building the muscle of fellowship. Collective teacher culture is strengthened through shared goals and values, collective efficacy, supportive colleagues, belonging, and job satisfaction, all of which remind us that trusted professional relationships are central to healthy school communities (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2021). Who are the trusted voices we call when we need to think out loud? Who helps us see the good when the work feels heavy? Who reminds us of who we are and why this work matters?
The summer weeks offer a beautiful invitation to pause and reach out. Send the text, make the call, or schedule the coffee. Technology offers us the wonderful ability to connect via Zoom, Meet, FaceTime, etc. We really have no excuse not to engage with the technological tools at our fingertips today. I encourage you to reconnect with the colleague who has walked part of the journey with you. Take time to say thank you to the person who helped shape your leadership, your school community, or even your family in ways that will last a lifetime. Gratitude has a way of lowering our stress levels and refocusing our lens to see the good all around us.
When we make time to walk alongside one another, we build the kind of school culture where others can do the same.
This year, my research has continued to center around school culture and team development. In my two latest projects, When We Train Our Eyes to See the Good, Amazing Things Happen and The Middle School Culture Blueprint, which I am co-authoring with Dr. LaTonya White, I have been reflecting deeply on the gift of fellowship and why it matters so much for educational leaders. If you would like to share your thoughts, please send me a message or leave a comment. I welcome the feedback and insights.
Dr. LaTonya White and Dr. Denise Ball, National Catholic Leadership Convention 2026
May we continue to seek knowledge in all things, Denise
References
Ball, D. M. (2023). Improving teacher retention within Archdiocese of Washington schools [Doctoral dissertation, Liberty University]. Liberty University Scholars Crossing.
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute.
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2021). Collective teacher culture: Exploring an elusive construct and its relations with teacher autonomy, belonging, and job satisfaction. Social Psychology of Education, 24, 1389–1406.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2011). New American Bible, Revised Edition.
There is something calming about the summer weeks in education. The pace shifts, the calendar breathes, and the noise of the school year begins to quiet just enough for leaders, teachers, and all those who serve school communities to pause and remember why the work matters. Why we CHOOSE to serve in education.
In my recent Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball conversation, Dr. Nicci Dowd offered a beautiful reflection on the gift of fellowship and the importance of walking alongside others in faith, service, and community. Her words were a gentle reminder that fellowship is not simply about being with others. It is about being known, encouraged, strengthened, and reminded that we are not meant to do this work alone. Serving in education is a ministry (Dowd, 2026). [Dr. Nicci Dowd]
Educational leadership can be deeply meaningful, but it can also be lonely. Leaders are often called to hold the vision, solve the problems, support the team, manage the unexpected, and remain steady for others. Research on educational leaders’ well-being reminds us that positive relationships, purpose, engagement, health, and meaning are important dimensions of flourishing in leadership (Doyle Fosco, 2022). In other words, leaders do not thrive by carrying the work alone. They thrive when they are connected to people, purpose, and practices that restore them. Sometimes it might be easier to withdraw during these summer months, but I encourage you to reach out to a colleague or friend you have not talked with in a while and listen, share, and take joy from the fellowship.
Fellowship is one of those restoring gifts. It creates space for honest conversation, shared wisdom, prayerful encouragement, and the quiet reminder that someone else understands the road we are walking. For educational leaders, fellowship may come through a trusted colleague, a mentor, a faith-filled friend, a professional learning community, or a simple summer conversation over coffee. These moments may seem small, but they can become anchors of belonging. My quick and random chat with Nicci today was an instant bucket filler and reminded me of just how important these brief moments of fellowship are to spark inspiration and creativity.
Belonging matters because school communities are relational communities. Research continues to affirm that educator well-being is shaped not only by individual habits, but also by the relational and organizational conditions of the school community (Cann et al., 2022). When educators feel supported, respected, encouraged, and connected to a shared mission, the culture of the school is strengthened. When leaders model that same need for connection, they give others permission to seek support as well.
This is especially important for school leaders who are constantly pouring into others. Emotionally supportive leadership has been linked to educator well-being, especially during seasons of challenge and change (Floman et al., 2023). Leaders who listen, encourage, regulate their own emotions, and offer meaningful support help create healthier school environments. Yet leaders also need spaces where they can receive that same encouragement. Fellowship reminds us that the encourager also needs encouragement.
Summer offers a natural invitation to renew these connections. It is a time to step back from the constant urgency of the school year and ask a few important questions:
Who helped me carry the work this year?
Who might need to hear from me?
Who reminds me of the good?
Who helps me reconnect with faith, purpose, and joy?
Who can I encourage this week?
These questions are simple, but they are powerful. A text message, a phone call, a walk with a friend, a handwritten note, or an invitation to meet for coffee, jump on a quick Zoom (thank you, Nicci) can become a moment of grace. In a profession where so many people give so much of themselves, reaching out is not one more task but an act of caring for ourselves and others.
For those of us called to serve in education, fellowship also strengthens mission. Research on teacher retention highlights the importance of collegial support, trust, shared purpose, recognition, and leadership practices that build relationships within the school community (Ball, 2023 & Lochmiller et al., 2024). When leaders cultivate belonging, they help create communities where people are more likely to feel valued and more willing to remain committed to the work.
I encourage those who serve in education to view the summer not as a retreat from the mission but as preparation to return to it with a renewed heart. We pause so we can listen. We reflect so we can learn. We reconnect so we can remember that the work of education is not meant to be carried out in isolation.
Hebrews reminds us to “rouse one another to love and good works” and to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24). That encouragement is not accidental but a muscle meant to be practiced. It is a choice and a service to others. It is part of building communities where faith, service, and joy can take root.
So, during these summer weeks, reach out. Call the colleague who lifted your spirit this year. Send a message to the friend who always helps you see the good. Thank the mentor who helped you keep going. Invite someone into conversation. Make room for fellowship. I jam every day on praise and worship. I try to share a link to a song at least once or twice a week with those who come to mind as I pray through song. Please be encouraged to share how you stay connected. This is a blog for learning!
We are better when we walk together…
When we train our eyes to see the good, amazing things happen.
May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,
Denise
References
Cann, R. F., Sinnema, C., Daly, A. J., Rodway, J., & Liou, Y.-H. (2022). The power of school conditions: Individual, relational, and organizational influences on educator wellbeing. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 775614. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.775614
Floman, J. L., Ponnock, A., Jain, J., & Brackett, M. A. (2023). Emotionally intelligent school leadership predicts educator well-being before and during a crisis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1159382. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1159382
Lochmiller, C. R., Perrone, F., & Finley, C. (2024). Understanding school leadership’s influence on teacher retention in high-poverty settings: An exploratory study in the U.S. Education Sciences, 14(5), Article 545. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci140505
Last night, I officially posted the welcome message for my new YouTube channel, Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball. This morning, as I met with Dr. Christina Mendez-Hall, Assistant Superintendent for the Diocese of Arlington, I was reminded again why this space matters. Dr. Mendez-Hall is so full of joy, and I invited her to share an end-of-the-school-year inspirational message for the channel. It was one of those simple, grace-filled moments that confirmed the “why” behind this new chapter.
For the last eight-plus years, I have been researching, writing, speaking, and working alongside school leaders and educators on team building, teacher retention, and the development of strong, healthy school cultures. Again and again, one simple truth continues to rise to the surface: educators and school leaders need to be seen, heard, encouraged, and reminded that their work matters.
When adults in a school community feel valued, supported, and connected to a shared mission, the entire campus is strengthened. Joy becomes more visible, trust grows, collaboration deepens, and students benefit. Schools become more stable, dynamic, and hope-filled places of learning.
My goal is not to create a perfect YouTube channel. It is not to chase likes or pretend that life, leadership, education, or faith are without challenges. My hope is to create a real and authentic space where we collectively can share the good, notice the good, and perhaps inspire at least one person who needs encouragement on any given day.
I have been blessed throughout my life to be surrounded by amazing people who have encouraged me, challenged me, prayed for me, and helped me see the good even in difficult seasons. After retiring last June, following 27 years of service in education, I have found myself with more time to reflect, write, listen, and reconnect with many of you who have followed this blog since it was created 15 years ago.
The Unlock the Teacher blog has received more than 1.5 million views over the years and continues to average around 100 views a day. The feedback received on this blog humbles me deeply — thank you! Current research highlights the need for us to truly see and hear one another, and I would like to help make sure those placed on my path during this journey of life feel seen and heard.
So today, I want to personally invite you to continue the conversation with me in a new way.
Please visit Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball on YouTube. Subscribe if the message speaks to you. Share it with an educator, leader, parent, or friend who may need a reminder that goodness is still unfolding.
Check out Christina’s inspirational minute message by clicking the link below. This is my first YouTube “short”…thank you for the grace!
I am a novice in this space, and I am very much a lifelong learner. If you have a tip, suggestion, idea, or story to share, I would love to hear from you. Send me a message and share the good you are seeing. Tell me about the people who are carrying light in your school, family, parish, workplace, or community.
I believe this deeply, that when we train our eyes to see the good, amazing things happen.
We can do more for the world when we share the good together, one word, one story, and one action at a time.
There is a particular kind of energy that comes from meaningful collaboration. The kind that is grounded in shared mission, fueled by trust, and sustained by a deep belief in the work we are called to do.
Over the past year, I have had the privilege of working alongside incredible partners to bring the Middle School Mindset Portfolio of Services to life. What began as an idea has grown into something far more powerful than any one organization could have accomplished alone. In just a few short weeks, we will launch this work nationally on May 29.
This moment feels significant, not simply because of the launch itself, but because of what it represents.
A Response to a Critical Moment
Middle school is a pivotal season of formation. It is a time when students are asking deeper questions about identity, belonging, and purpose. It is also a time when educators are navigating increasing complexity like academic recovery, student engagement, and social-emotional needs, all while striving to create classrooms where students feel known and valued.
We cannot meet this moment in isolation.
The Middle School Mindset Portfolio was built in response to that reality. It is not a single program or a one-size-fits-all solution. Rather, it is a collaborative ecosystem designed to support educators with practical strategies, meaningful resources, and a shared commitment to strengthening both instruction and culture.
The Gift of Partnership
One of the greatest joys in this work has been collaborating with mission-aligned partners who bring both expertise and heart to the table.
A special acknowledgment goes to Archangel Education and Technology, whose team is building an innovative digital ecosystem that will no doubt become a destination space for educators and system leaders. Their work reminds us that when technology is designed with purpose, it can truly amplify impact.
Equally inspiring has been our partnership with the Archdiocese of Miami pilot schools. On May 29th, during this complimentary webinar, we will hear directly from middle school teachers who have engaged in this work, educators who are thoughtfully applying strategies, reflecting on practice, and shaping what this portfolio will become at scale.
To visit these vendor partners supporting schools nationwide, please visit:
We can serve students and teachers more when we do it together!
From Research to Practice: Naming What Matters Most
This work has also deepened my ongoing collaboration with Dr. LaTonya White. Together, we are preparing to share our research in the forthcoming Middle School Culture Blueprint (Ball & White, 2026).
At the center of our work is a simple yet deeply impactful reminder: what we reinforce each day becomes the culture we experience, whether by intention or by default.
Middle school culture does not happen by accident. It is shaped in the small, consistent moments: in how we greet students, how we structure learning, how we respond to challenges, and how we create space for student voice. Belonging is not a program we implement. It is a condition we intentionally cultivate through every interaction, every structure, and every expectation (Ball & White, 2026).
When we are intentional, we create environments where students and teachers can thrive. When we are not, culture is still formed, but often in ways that do not serve our mission. The opportunity before us is to lead with clarity, purpose, and hope, and to build cultures where every student and educator knows they are seen, valued, and called to grow.
A Moment of Anticipation
As we look ahead to our national webinar launch on May 29, I am filled with gratitude for the partnerships, for the educators, and for the shared commitment to this work. This is more than a program launch. It is a reflection of what is possible when we come together, listen deeply, and build something that responds to the real needs of our schools. It is a reminder that we are not alone in this work. And… it is an invitation to continue to collaborate, to continue to learn, and to continue to see the good that is unfolding all around us.
The May 29th registration is live (scan the QR code above). Come and join the conversation!
Across the country, school leaders are navigating one of the most persistent challenges in education today: retaining talented, mission-driven educators. While much of the conversation centers on compensation, workload, and policy, one of the most underutilized and high-impact resources sits right beside our schools…our university partners.
I always enjoy hearing and sharing the good with Boston College Roche Center educational leaders.
Institutions like Marymount University, Boston College, and St. John’s University are not only preparing future educators, they are increasingly listening, adapting, and responding to the real-time needs of school leaders and teachers. When leveraged intentionally, these partnerships can become a cornerstone strategy in addressing the teacher retention challenge.
At their best, university-school partnerships move beyond transactional relationships and become transformational. They create shared responsibility for developing, supporting, and sustaining educators across the full arc of their careers.
St. John’s University edTech Summit—a think tank session!
What This Looks Like in Practice
Educational leaders can take intentional steps to deepen these partnerships in ways that directly impact teacher retention:
Enhancing School-Based Opportunities Through Strategic Partnership
Professional learning is most effective when it is grounded in the context of the school and led by those closest to the work. I find there is value in leaning on university partners as thought partners. These relationships bring research, frameworks, and support that strengthen intentionally designed opportunities (Desimone & Garet, 2015).
Marymount University Regional Catholic School Leadership Conference
Creating Leadership Pathways
Retention is closely tied to growth. Universities can partner with school systems to build leadership pipelines, offering graduate programs, certifications, and cohort models that empower teachers to see a future within the profession. When educators can envision their next step, they are more likely to stay (Ingersoll et al., 2018).
Embedding Research into Practice
Strong partnerships allow schools to serve as living laboratories where research informs practice and practice refines research. Whether through action research, dissertation collaboration, or pilot programs, teachers feel valued when their experiences contribute to broader learning and improvement (Coburn & Penuel, 2016).
Expanding the Teacher Pipeline with Purpose
Through intentional clinical experiences, residency models, and targeted recruitment efforts, universities can help schools attract candidates who are not only qualified but mission-aligned. This alignment is essential across all educational governance models, where purpose plays a central role in retention (Guha et al., 2016).
Supporting Educator Well-Being and Belonging
Teachers stay where they feel seen, supported, and connected. Universities can contribute by integrating social-emotional learning, reflective practice, and community-building strategies into both pre-service and in-service programming. Research consistently shows that school culture, trust, and collective efficacy are key drivers of teacher retention (Kraft et al., 2016). I am very passionate about this topic and my research highlights the central role of school climate, leadership, and relational trust in shaping teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession (Ball, 2023).
The most impactful university partnerships are grounded in a shared belief: that supporting teachers is not the responsibility of one institution, but a collective commitment.
When school systems and universities work together with intention, we begin to see action to impact. Professional learning becomes more meaningful, leadership becomes more distributed, and culture becomes more supportive. Most importantly, teachers begin to experience what so many are seeking: a sense of purpose, growth, and belonging within their schools.
For educational leaders, the invitation is clear: lean into these partnerships. Invite universities to the table not just as providers, but as collaborators. Share your challenges openly, co-create solutions, and build meaningful and impactful frameworks not one-time supports.
When we strengthen the bridge between universities and schools, we are not just preparing teachers, we are sustaining them.
At the heart of this work is a simple but powerful truth…we can do more for our teachers when we do it together. The challenges facing education today call us to think beyond traditional structures and lean into the strength of collective impact. By partnering with universities and trusted vendor partners, we open the door to innovative, responsive solutions that better meet the needs of our educators. More importantly, these partnerships allow us to visibly and authentically demonstrate our gratitude for teachers, thankful for their dedication, their resilience, and their daily commitment to shaping the lives of the students entrusted to their care.
When educators feel supported not just by their school, but by a broader community working on their behalf, we move closer to building the kind of sustainable, mission-driven environments where teachers choose to stay and thrive.
Coburn, C. E., & Penuel, W. R. (2016). Research–practice partnerships in education: Outcomes, dynamics, and open questions. Educational Researcher, 45(1), 48–54. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X16631750
Desimone, L. M., & Garet, M. S. (2015). Best practices in teachers’ professional development in the United States. Psychology, Society, & Education, 7(3), 252–263. https://doi.org/10.25115/psye.v7i3.515
Guha, R., Hyler, M. E., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2016). The teacher residency: An innovative model for preparing teachers. Learning Policy Institute.
Ingersoll, R. M., Merrill, L., Stuckey, D., & Collins, G. (2018). Seven trends: The transformation of the teaching force. Consortium for Policy Research in Education.
Ingersoll, R. M., & Strong, M. (2011). The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: A critical review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 201–233. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465431140
Vendor Partner Middle School Mindset Portfolio of Services
The Middle School Mindset Portfolio of Services represents a unique national collaboration between: ADAC | William H. Sadlier | Friendzy | Archangel Education & Technology. An à la carte portfolio of resources.
ADAC, Inc.
ADAC partners with PK–12 schools, systems, and networks nationwide to help educators and leaders confidently meet the needs of every student.
Friendzy, Co.
An effective curriculum that teaches a new generation of students character development skills.
Curriculum Associates
Together with one million educators, we’re connecting every part of learning—from assessment to instruction, data to discovery—to empower classrooms and communities to thrive.
Archangel Education & Technology
Archangel brings a human touch to technology, blending passion, deep expertise, and a strong community focus to enrich educational experiences.
William H. Sadlier
Core and supplemental math programs teach the essentials students will use the rest of their academic and professional lives.
National Standards in Gifted and Talented Education
Standards provide a foundation for the policies, rules, and procedures necessary to deliver high-quality, systematic programs and services for high-ability students. Guidance and framework resources.
Standards and Assessments
Raising academic standards for all students and measuring student achievement to hold schools accountable for educational progress are central strategies for promoting educational excellence and equity in our Nation’s schools.
Odyssey of the Mind
An international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.
Math Chimps
Great online math games aligned to the Common Core State Standards~for ages 4-16
Team Building and Problem-Solving Strategies for the Classroom
Odyssey of the Mind
An international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.
Websites with Games and Activities Created by Authors
Oceanhouse Media
Great educational book apps and so much more. Check out often for FREE downloads to help your child learn letters, phonics & math!
Unlock the Teacher 