Lead Well, Care Deeply: Navigating Testing Season With Intention
Testing season.
Just the phrase can send a ripple of stress through an entire school community. But here’s the truth: testing season is more than a metric—it’s a mirror that reflects how we care for our people when the pressure is on.
As a school leader, your role during this time is pivotal, not just for logistics and coordination—but for culture, support, and emotional leadership. Here are five practical strategies to help your leadership team show up with both empathy and excellence, without sacrificing your own well-being.
1. Be Visible
When the stakes feel high, your presence becomes powerful.
Walk the halls. Pop into classrooms. Offer a nod, a wave, a few kind words. Your staff may not say it, but they’ll feel it:
"I see you. I’ve got your back."
Leadership doesn’t always need a microphone—sometimes, it just needs to show up.
2. Offer Emotional Safety
Testing brings pressure. Tension. Fatigue.
You can’t make it disappear, but you can create safe spaces within it. Try:
A quick staff shout-out during morning announcements
A mid-week “mental health check-in” email
A handwritten note left on a desk
Small gestures can cut through the noise and say what really matters: You’re not alone in this.
3. Remove Barriers
Ask your staff this question:
“What’s one thing I can take off your plate today?”
Then do it.
Whether it’s covering a duty, answering a tough email, or delivering a student’s lunch—these micro-acts of service multiply into macro-trust. When your team feels supported, they show up stronger.
4. Celebrate Progress—Not Just Scores
Yes, data matters. But so does effort, flexibility, and teamwork.
Celebrate the teacher who kept spirits high when tech went down.
Celebrate the team that adapted on a dime when schedules shifted.
Celebrate the counselor who calmed nerves with a simple smile.
These are the wins that make a difference right now. Let’s honor them.
5. Take Care of You
You can’t pour from an empty cup—and your staff needs you steady.
So carve out your own moments of stillness.
Step outside for 10 minutes between meetings
Breathe deeply before walking into the next room
End your day with a non-negotiable break
When you lead with calm, your team feels it. And it ripples outward.
Final Thought:
The way we lead during testing season tells our team everything about what we value. Let’s lead with care. Let’s lead with humanity. Let’s lead like the people on our campuses matter—because they do.
You've got this. And your team’s got you.