Leadership9 min read
The Difference Between Running a School and Being Run By One
You became a leader to shape education. Now you spend 80% of your time on compliance, calendars, and complaints. When did that happen?
November 3, 2025
The KAIAK Blog
Practical notes on AI, systems, and school leadership.
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Systems Thinking8 min read
Your Notion Setup Failed Because You Built a Cathedral, Not a Kitchen
You spent a weekend building the perfect productivity system. By week three, you're back to sticky notes. The problem wasn't discipline - it was architecture.
November 2, 2025
Practical AI7 min read
How I Use Claude to Draft 20 Parent Emails in 15 Minutes
You've got a stack of individual parent updates to send, each needing a slightly different tone. Here's the system that gets me out of my inbox before dinner.
November 1, 2025
All Posts
Leadership12 min read
How I Built an IB World School from Scratch
In two years, we went from zero to IB authorization — PYP and MYP. Here's the real story of what it took, including the parts nobody tells you.
December 21, 2025
Systems Thinking10 min read
The 5 Systems Every New Head Needs in Their First 100 Days
Most new Heads focus on vision and relationships. But without these five operational systems, you'll drown before you can lead.
December 17, 2025
Practical AI9 min read
I Trained 50+ Teachers on AI in One Semester — Here's What Worked
Most AI training fails because it starts with tools instead of problems. Here's the framework that got skeptical teachers actually using AI in their classrooms.
December 14, 2025
Leadership10 min read
Why Most School Strategic Plans Fail (And What to Do Instead)
That strategic plan sitting in your Google Drive isn't failing because it's bad. It's failing because it was designed to impress, not to drive decisions.
December 10, 2025
Practical AI8 min read
The No-Admin Inbox: How I Got to Inbox Zero Without Willpower
I used to spend 2-3 hours daily on email. Now I spend 30 minutes. The difference wasn't discipline — it was systems.
December 7, 2025
Leadership9 min read
What I Wish I Knew Before My First Year as Head of School
Nobody prepares you for the loneliness. Or the imposter syndrome. Or the realization that you now own every problem in the building. Here's what I learned.
December 3, 2025
No-Admin Life5 min read
I Got 10 Hours Back This Week. Here's What I Actually Did With Them.
Everyone talks about 'saving time.' Nobody talks about the guilt of having unscheduled hours - and what to do with them.
November 26, 2025
No-Admin Life4 min read
The Tuesday Afternoon I Finally Left Early
For the first time in two years, I walked out at 3pm on a Tuesday. Not because I was sick. Because everything was handled. A short story about what that took.
November 22, 2025
Leadership7 min read
You Don't Need More Discipline. You Need Fewer Decisions.
The problem isn't willpower. It's the 200 micro-decisions you make before 10am that leave nothing in the tank.
November 19, 2025
Leadership6 min read
What I Stopped Doing When I Realized No One Noticed
Some tasks feel sacred. Then you skip them for a month and... nothing breaks. A confession about the busywork we cling to.
November 15, 2025
Systems Thinking7 min read
Stop Scheduling Meetings to Decide What to Meet About
Half your calendar is pre-meetings for meetings. The problem isn't time management - it's decision architecture.
November 12, 2025
Systems Thinking6 min read
The Inbox Zero Lie: Why I Aim for Inbox Fifteen
Inbox Zero is a flex for people with assistants. For the rest of us, the goal isn't empty - it's triaged. Here's what that actually looks like.
November 8, 2025
Practical AI6 min read
NotebookLM Ate My Board Report (And Made It Better)
You have 47 documents, 3 spreadsheets, and a week of meeting notes. The board wants a 2-page summary by Friday. Here's how I stopped drowning in sources.
November 5, 2025
Leadership9 min read
The Difference Between Running a School and Being Run By One
You became a leader to shape education. Now you spend 80% of your time on compliance, calendars, and complaints. When did that happen?
November 3, 2025
Systems Thinking8 min read
Your Notion Setup Failed Because You Built a Cathedral, Not a Kitchen
You spent a weekend building the perfect productivity system. By week three, you're back to sticky notes. The problem wasn't discipline - it was architecture.
November 2, 2025
Practical AI7 min read
How I Use Claude to Draft 20 Parent Emails in 15 Minutes
You've got a stack of individual parent updates to send, each needing a slightly different tone. Here's the system that gets me out of my inbox before dinner.
November 1, 2025