George Couros

The goal is to help learners find a pathway to success that is meaningful to them. Through learning, writing, & speaking, I continue to aspire to this.

[George Couros @gcouros]

Add another year to the tradition!

Kallea and I started this in 2018 and it has been wonderful to see this video over the years!

May you have an incredible 2026 ahead!

[George Couros @gcouros]

And the tradition carries on from 2018! My family wishes you all an amazing 2025!

I learned this year that sometimes, just showing up is one of the most courageous things you can do.

Keep showing up in 2025!

[George Couros @gcouros]

The takeaways from #ForwardTogether are so what I hoped for! Thanks @kecarr and team for all of your work!

[Kelley Carr @kecarr]

Some Bethke Elem educators wrapped up the final chapters of our book study! We reflected on the power of listening, using intentional language, & bringing others along in our work. Thx to @gcouros for sharing his inspiring text that continues to challenge & grow our thinking.

[George Couros @gcouros]

@kecarr @BethkeElem @GigiBethke This is incredible! I would love to zoom in and check in with you all and hear your thoughts in the new school year!

[Kelley Carr @kecarr]

Some Bethke educators came together this morning and engaged in meaningful conversations around Part 1: The Principles @gcouros . The discussion sparked thoughtful reflection about what it means to model learning, embrace innovation, & create experiences for kids/parents.

[Kelley Carr @kecarr]

Some Bethke Elem educators wrapped up the final chapters of our book study! We reflected on the power of listening, using intentional language, & bringing others along in our work. Thx to @gcouros for sharing his inspiring text that continues to challenge & grow our thinking.

[George Couros @gcouros]

The Challenge Isn't AI, It's Teaching Students to Navigate It https://t.co/SBuB8Qsd3c

[George Couros @gcouros]

@AllysonApsey

[George Couros @gcouros]

This is one of the most important things I share in "Forward, Together" because it is something that I have been working on myself:

"Years ago, I committed to telling someone if I see something great or think something extraordinary about them, regardless of how long it’s been since we last spoke or the state of our relationship.

If you dislike not hearing about the great things you’re doing from others, then be the opposite.

Be what you want to see in the world.

I have never regretted acknowledging the good I have seen in others, but I have regretted not saying something."

This simple idea could have a significant impact on school culture for adults and students alike.

You can read more about this in "Forward, Together": https://t.co/t3lSq1kmq6

[George Couros @gcouros]

"Yes, we need to focus on brain development, which is why technology should be used for creation activities, more than anything, or at least significantly more than it is now."

The Challenge Isn't AI, It's Teaching Students to Navigate It - Part 2 of my response to the recent Jonathan Haidt TED Talk https://t.co/JTizbfLtnS

[George Couros @gcouros]

I was recently asked how to drive organizational growth in a time when people feel overwhelmed, and change seems to be happening at an exponential rate.

This is the whole premise of “The Innovator’s Mindset,” and I discuss 5 areas of focus that can make a significant impact not only in building toward long-term goals, but more importantly, bringing people together.

Here are those five areas.

1. Focus on individuals' strengths, and you will build a stronger organization.

People are never innovative in areas they hate. And when you focus on the strengths of individuals, colleagues look to see that in each other. Everything you want to happen in your organization is already there; you just need to bring it out in those you serve.

2. With all the technology being thrust into our world, focus on the learning you would like to see at both the student and adult levels.

Technology accelerates everything, good and bad. Determine the learning you want to happen before anything else.

3. Less is more.

If you focus on doing everything, you will become good at nothing. It is not only essential to have cohesion in what your organization is focused on doing, but also to ensure you never add to a plate without subtracting first.

4. Embrace an open culture.

The best professional learning you can provide is having people within your organization learn from one another. We can always learn from people outside our organization, but how we share what is already working in the places we work matters tremendously. Make the great ideas already within your organization go viral.

5. Learning experiences for adults should mirror the experiences we want to create in the classroom.

You can’t just hear about the best opportunities for learning; you have to experience them for yourselves. Every time adults gather is a great opportunity to emulate what you hope the student experience to be.

These are short summaries of Part III of “The Innovator’s Mindset” on “Unleashing Talent,” and you can check out the entire book here on Amazon: https://t.co/iW0fAdStGQ

[George Couros @gcouros]

"Doing things for others will make you a better version of yourself. It will also inspire many others to do the same through your example."

3 Stories That Changed How I Think About Being a Parent and Educator https://t.co/wWI7H3lDHJ

[George Couros @gcouros]

To have resentment toward lost opportunities and jealousy toward others who might have things you do not is human nature.

But to hold on to it doesn’t improve our past and stops us from creating a better future.

One thing I know is that some of the best opportunities in my life came from jobs I wanted so badly but didn’t get.

Even though it bugged me at the time, I got up after falling and moved on to what was next.

Things definitely happen for a reason, but what happens next is often based on your reaction.

Don’t let resentment or jealousy hold you back. You can use it as fuel to move forward, but make sure you let it go.

[George Couros @gcouros]

"Sometimes simply finishing the race, no matter where we place, is one of the most powerful things we can do."

3 Stories That Changed How I Think About Being a Parent and Educator https://t.co/wWI7H3lDHJ

[Meghan Lawson @Meghan_Lawson]

New Post: Somebody Hates You
A post rooted in chapter 10 of Forward Together by @gcouros.

https://t.co/pyITsZnbPF

[George Couros @gcouros]

"We are all busy, but is it a matter of availability of time or the ability to sustain our attention?"

The Easier Technology Gets, the More Challenge Matters
https://t.co/I2RjIdTLH1

[George Couros @gcouros]

"You don’t have to do a job you love, but definitely, do not stick with a job you hate."

3 Signs It's Time To Leave Your Current Job https://t.co/omhyWIBBRF

[George Couros @gcouros]

"The more confident you become in your own voice and the more committed you are to your own growth, the better positioned you are to elevate others and help create communities where everyone can thrive."

3 Themes and Quotes That Have Shaped the First Half of My 2026 https://t.co/pWJR1bT95W

[George Couros @gcouros]

It is not about your idea or my idea. It is about finding the best idea, no matter where it comes from.

One strategy I share in #ForwardTogether is simple, but not always easy.

At the end of a workshop, I often ask three questions:

"What questions do you have?"

"What ideas do you want to share?"

"And most importantly, where do you want to challenge me?”

The reaction to that last question is usually a mix of shock and appreciation.

The people in the room have expertise, experiences, and perspectives that I don't. Assuming I am always right might feed my ego, but it won't build community or help us find better solutions.

The goal is not agreement with what I share. The goal is ownership of where we go next.

When people are invited to help create the solution, they become invested in its success.

Sometimes a challenge helps me clarify my thinking, and sometimes it changes it completely.

Either way, it makes me better.

And if people don't feel safe challenging ideas in the room, they will challenge them somewhere else, where there is no opportunity for discussion, growth, or shared understanding.

The best ideas are already in the room.

Our job is to create the conditions for them to emerge.

If you are looking for more strategies for building ownership and community, you can check out #ForwardTogether here on Amazon: https://t.co/mZND54j5La

[George Couros @gcouros]

In education, at some point, you might have to have a tough conversation with the families you serve; make sure it is not the first conversation you have with them.

Building rapport and investing in the emotional bank account early can later turn a long conversation into a short one.

In "The Speed of Trust," Covey shares, "The trust we have in people and in organizations comes, in part, from believing that they do care.”

Building relationships is not the goal of education, but it is the foundation that makes even the most difficult conversations easier to navigate together.

[George Couros @gcouros]

"Listening and learning from people, even one at a time, can be one of the fastest ways to move your entire organization forward." #ForwardTogether

There has been a ton of debate about the use/non-use of technology in schools, and it is a great conversation.

But is that conversation happening between people with differing opinions, or in spaces where everyone mostly agrees?

Here is an example I think about often.

I have presented at both very curriculum-based events and those centered on technology. When I watch others present, I often think about how that presentation would resonate as much at the opposite event. That drives my thinking in my approach when I have the opportunity to share ideas at the same events.

We often hear from those with whom we already agree, which does not move organizations any further forward, but it does feel affirming.

There are some great conversations to be had that you agree with, but some more meaningful ones will happen with those you disagree.

Instead of trying to convince them to move toward your point of view, start by listening to theirs with the thought that you might be wrong, and are willing to change your thinking with new information presented.

As I shared in "Forward, Together":

"The next time you feel the need to convince someone of your position, start asking questions and give the person a chance to persuade you of their position. If we are all about learning and growth, this will only benefit our own development."

If we want to grow as a community, the focus should be less on convincing and more on listening.

You can read more about this in the chapter, "Listen to Lead" in "Forward, Together: Moving Schools from Conflict to Community in Contentious Times": https://t.co/bHCb6GYmjR

[George Couros @gcouros]

You can't fix what wants to stay broken.

I received an email today from someone who read #ForwardTogether and thanked me for inspiring them to find the courage to leave an organization where they didn't feel valued. They accepted an opportunity with another school district, where she felt people were genuinely excited to have her join the team.

She shared that she was inspired by this passage in the book:

"This is probably not the typical advice you would get in an education book, but sometimes you have to step back, evaluate, and decide that you need to go. If you aren’t growing, you might need to get going. Sometimes, removing yourself from the picture or situation is the shake-up others need to move forward."

This doesn't necessarily mean the place is bad, although sometimes that is the case.

Too often, people continue to see the version of you that started there, rather than the person you have become.

One of the reasons I included this idea in the book is that some of the best things that have happened in my career came not from arriving somewhere new, but from having the courage to leave somewhere familiar.

It's advice we would often give to a friend, yet struggle to take ourselves.

A reminder: Life is too short to stay in a place where you don't feel valued.

You can read more about this in the chapter "Don't Get Used to the Smell" in #ForwardTogether: https://t.co/X8gpmdiQtQ