Finding peace in challenging times

January 24, 2026Leave a comment

There are moments in history when the noise feels louder than the hope. When headlines carry more heat than light. When it feels like the ground beneath us is unsettled, and the temptation is to either harden our hearts or retreat entirely.

This is one of those moments.

Across our country, deep division and unrest are impossible to ignore. Minnesota has been heavy on my mind lately — another place carrying the weight of anger, grief, and unresolved pain. It’s a reminder that the fractures we feel are not abstract or distant; they are lived, local, and deeply personal. At times, the national mood feels dark, uncertain, and on edge.

And yet — right here in the Triangle — something powerful has been unfolding.

Over the past several days, our community has been part of the Walk for Peace, a remarkable procession of Buddhist monks journeying across the country to promote mindfulness, compassion, and peace. As the monks made their way through our region on their walk from Texas to Washington DC, many beared the cold to witness the monks’ calm determination and hear their words about living with intention and kindness.

People stood quietly together, often moved to tears, feeling more peace in that moment than they had in weeks. Some held flowers and watched as the monks regifted them — a simple but poignant reminder that peace multiplies when shared.

It’s hard to overstate how meaningful that contrast is.

While parts of our country wrestle with chaos and division, our community chose calm, courage, and connection. The Walk for Peace didn’t deny the pain we carry — it acknowledged it and responded with dignity. It reminded us that peace is not passive. It requires intention. It requires showing up.

As a school leader, this is how I strive to lead every day.

I lead with love and care — always. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary. Schools are microcosms of our society. Every fear, every hope, every fracture eventually walks through our doors. My responsibility is to create spaces where students, faculty, support staff and families feel seen, safe, and valued, even when the world outside feels anything but steady.

Leading with love doesn’t mean ignoring hard truths. It means holding people through them. It means choosing empathy over ego, listening over reacting, and modeling the calm we want young people to carry forward.

Fittingly, today’s vinyl spinning in the background was Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town — released in 1978, but somehow always timely. The album is gritty, honest, and unflinching. And tucked within it is “The Promised Land,” the first song on the B side. A song that feels like it was written for moments exactly like this.

Springsteen sings, “Blow away the dreams that tear you apart / Blow away the dreams that break your heart.” There’s an acknowledgment there: dreams can wound us when they’re deferred, distorted, or denied. We feel that tension now — between what America promises and what it delivers. “The Boss” pushes forward: “I believe in the faith that can save me / I believe in the hope and I pray.” That line lands hard these days. Faith. Hope. Prayer. Not as slogans, but as anchors.

The song closes: “I’m gonna get a little bit of rest tonight.” Even in darkness, there’s permission to pause. To breathe. To gather strength for the work ahead.

That’s what peace looks like right now.

Not pretending everything is fine — but choosing not to let the darkness define us. Walking together when it would be easier to turn away. Leading with love when fear would be more convenient. Teaching our children — by example — that calm is a form of courage.

The Promised Land isn’t a place we arrive at all at once. It’s something we build, step by step, walk by walk, choice by choice.

Even now. Especially now.

Kicking off 2025-26 on the right foot

August 17, 2025Leave a comment

Summer planning is winding down. More and more faculty members are making their way into the building the past few weeks to get a jump on creating hallway signage, arranging classroom spaces, planning, etc. Our staff kickoff is a matter of days away and our students return in a week. 2025-26 is coming.

There are countless advice articles out there from ASCD and other reputable sources ahead of a new school year for faculty and staff of all walks to get information from. A sampling:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/realistic-goal-setting-teachers/

https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/ihdsc/path-program/path-perspectives/top-10-tips-starting-school-year-strong

https://www.edutopia.org/article/school-leaders-back-to-school-resources/

This is an exciting time but can easily be overwhelming even for veteran educators. So much to do, so little time before the students arrive in a matter of days. So many boxes to check — district, state and federal mandated items, building specific areas, time and space with grade level and content teams — the list goes on. This can be stressful.

Routines. To assist routines are essential. Start them before the school year begins on a smaller scale to get “in the swing” of things. getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising regularly all items I’ve blogged about in the past.

Positive thoughts. Focusing on the positive aspects of returning to school, like seeing colleagues, students, families and learning new things, can assist in counteracting negative thoughts.

As a school leader specifically there are a long list of items I try my best to utilize to support the faculty and staff I lead in the beginning of the year and ongoing. These include…

1. Cultivate a Culture of Trust and Transparency:

Build strong relationships. Prioritize building positive relationships with staff, students, and families from the outset. Essential early, often and ongoing. Authentic.
Open communication. Create a culture where open and honest communication is encouraged, fostering a sense of security and belonging. Teamwork – approachability, willingness to listen, while being open to adapting.
Transparency. Be transparent about your vision, goals, and decision-making processes.
Regular check-ins. Hold regular meetings, both formal and informal, to facilitate open dialogue and address concerns.

2. Set Clear Goals and Expectations:

Define a shared vision. Articulate a clear vision for the school year, ensuring it aligns with the needs of the school and community.
Establish authentic goals. Work with your team to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals for the school year that are both authentic and meaningful.
Communicate roles and responsibilities. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member in achieving the shared goals.

3. Provide Support and Resources:

Coaching and mentoring: Offer coaching and mentoring to help staff develop their leadership skills and build confidence. As I’ve blogged about in the past, this is truly a win-win as a leader – building capacity in others while increasing their confidence and scope as professionals.

4. Lead by Example:

Model positive behaviors. Demonstrate the behaviors and attitudes you want to see in your staff and students. Professional, model what you want from the professionals you lead.
Be a lifelong learner. Show my own commitment to continuous learning and improvement, inspiring others to do the same.
Celebrate successes. Acknowledge and celebrate both individual and collective achievements, creating a positive and motivating atmosphere. Small or large – celebrate the wins.

5. Embrace Adaptability and Resilience:

Be flexible. Be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances and adjust your plans as needed.
Maintain a positive attitude. Cultivate a positive and optimistic outlook, even in the face of adversity. This can be easier said than done some days but as a school leader — eyes are always watching. Attitude is everything — especially in this role.

Here is to a wonderful new school year. We’ve got this.

Being genuine in all walks professionally and personally – wrapping up 2018-19

June 8, 2019June 8, 2019Leave a comment

I haven’t blogged much this school year. 4 times to be exact. I’ve fallen off the blogging “wagon” – I’ll own it. No excuses. My last post was New Year’s Day.

The 2018-19 school year has been very rewarding. Plenty of challenges, growth opportunities and inspirational moments galore mixed in. I’ve also backed off on my tweeting lately devoting more time to diving deeper with supporting students, teachers, support personnel, school community while advocating at the state and local level for public education at an increased level.

I’m back. Back to blogging. Back to picking up the “twitter game.” On Twitter there is often a lot of talk. Many educators are strong at sounding fantastic behind their keyboard or phone. A lot is sincere but also all too often superficial. Self promotion masked as “best for kids” and “best for education.”

Allow me to catch up. As articulated in an earlier blog this school year it is vital that we lead intentionally by showing genuine gratitude for those we supervise daily. For me this year it included a group outing over the Holiday season to a hockey game, joining up at the ‘Day of Action’ education rally downtown Raleigh with teachers (see above), showing authentic appreciation beyond Teacher Appreciation week gifts (below), etc. The list goes on.

For me, I have been determined daily to be present. Rarely in my office. Intentional at being present in the hallways and in classrooms. Daily. Students are never saying “Mr. Fetters is here…” or teachers asking “Do you need something?” My presence is part of the daily flow for the teachers I serve. This is true no matter how stressful or busy the day is – you make time. My presence in classrooms should never be anywhere near limited to teacher observations. Ever.

Being visible and getting to know the staff you directly oversee is vital. Everyone has a story. Get to know the gist. This includes students just as much.

Be yourself. Be authentic. Build capacity in others. Work smarter. Share your space. #BecomeBetter together.

Be yourself. Be honest. Be true. Be genuine. Authentic.

School administrators – work with your team to continually push yourself out of your comfort zone to be the best leader you can be. For the sake of the students, staff and school community. #StriveForGreatness. 2018-19 was a fantastic ride and sure am looking forward to what 2019-20 brings.

#OneWord2019: Inspire

January 1, 2019January 1, 2019Leave a comment

The holiday season is behind us. A new year has started. As I relax watching the annual NHL Winter Classic following a productive walk around the North Carolina Museum of Art trail earlier today, I’m pondering the year ahead.

In life both personal and career there are always goals. Goals within leadership, health, prosperity, family, friends, etc. I want to increase capacity within others. I want to continue to lead with passion to strengthen others in significant ways. I want to inspire. Far beyond my infamous #SundayInspiration quote tweets.

The framework has been set: https://brendanfetters.com/2018/02/17/relationships-relationships-relationships-the-foundation-for-all-aspects-of-education/

The results of that capacity evident: https://twitter.com/BrendanFetters/status/1075524399716069376

Shifting from “thanks for all you do” to genuine gratitude

Adding and receiving value from those around us

New year. New challenges. New Word. Inspire. Push those directly and indirectly to be the best that they truly can.

The music and lyrics of the legendary country singer and songwriter David Lee Murphy perhaps put it best in his 2004 song, Inspiration. Something we all should aspire to do: inspire others.

The great power in adding value to others

November 5, 2017November 5, 20171 Comment

2017-18 is one quarter in. What a busy school year it has been. New initiatives, courses, faculty members, the list goes on. Oh, and I’m in a new position this school year. Lots of new – but I’m embracing them all.

Longtime followers of my blog and close friends of mine know my maternal grandfather had and continues to have great influence on my life both personally and professionally. One of the things he said repeatedly in our 17 years together on this earth was the importance of adding value to others. In turn, others should always add value back to you, my grandfather would always say.

If you follow Dr. John Maxwell’s work you know this is a cornerstone of his leadership practices. One of my favorite A Minute with Maxwell segments sums this up quite well and this in particular comes from a question posed by a fellow educator:

Each day when I wake up I have determination. Determination to do my best, grow in some capacity whether as a leader, learner or educator. Ideally all three.

I also am determined to make a positive impact in at least one person’s life. A colleague at school or the district level, a student, an employee at your local Target or at the mall. Positivity goes a long way and adding value goes hand in hand. Normally, this can be achieved not once but several times a day.

By the same token, we should always be cautious when choosing friends. Quality over quantity. Adding value should be a cornerstone of friendship. If this isn’t the case – cut the cord. Nonnegotiable.

Adding and receiving value should be an ongoing process. Learning and growing daily. Make it a great day or not daily – the choice is yours.

BrendanFetters.com

Third generation educator. Life long learner. Public education advocate.

Tag: leadership