The Power of the Napkin.

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Deep Dive 🤿

Are Your Best Ideas Stuck on a Napkin?

I recently found myself on a Southwest flight, mid-sip of my Coke Zero, when I glanced down at this napkin. “The best ideas are born on napkins.” Instantly, I thought: They’re not wrong. 

How many of our “big” ideas in education were born in the unexpected moments: scribbled on the back of a notepad during a meeting, tossed out casually over coffee with a colleague, or even whispered in the hallway between classes? Yet, the best ones - those ideas that truly transform schools - tend to emerge not from an overcomplicated 100-page report but from someone asking: What if…?

In a world where educational leaders juggle policy shifts, data dives, parent concerns, and staff burnout, we must make space for those napkin-worthy ideas. The ones that aren’t bogged down by bureaucracy, fear of failure, or the tyranny of urgent, non-essential tasks (aka busy work).

Think about it. As leaders - whether you’re a teacher, assistant principal, principal, or superintendent - when was the last time you had the freedom to jot down an idea that could change the game? Better yet, when was the last time you gave your staff or students that same freedom?

The Napkin Principle

Here’s a bold thought: We should all embrace the Napkin Principle - the belief that no idea is too small, too informal, or too simple to be the next breakthrough. The napkin ideas are the ones that solve real problems in real time. They’re the antidote to endless meetings and overthinking.

The Napkin Principle challenges us to:

1. Create Space - Carve out time for brainstorming and collaboration. And I don’t mean scheduled-for-a-Friday-at-3:00-on-your-busy-week time. I’m talking real space, where people feel free to dream.

2. Simplify - Great ideas don’t need to be complicated. Sometimes, the simplest shift, like revisiting how we structure planning periods or rethink how we engage families, can have the biggest impact.

3. Empower - Stop hoarding decision-making at the top. Let’s push the best ideas upward - from teachers, students, and support staff. It’s amazing what happens when you create a culture that empowers everyone to be a solution-maker.

4. Celebrate Napkin Ideas - Instead of only applauding polished presentations or initiatives that involve 15 committees, let’s celebrate those napkin ideas that come from someone seeing a challenge and, over their lunch break, coming up with a solution.

The Question for All of Us: What’s Our Napkin Idea?

As we dive into the busy year ahead, I challenge all of us to be on the lookout for that next scribbled gem - whether it comes from a teacher after school or a quick chat with a student. Keep it simple, keep it impactful, and don’t be afraid to jot it down on the nearest piece of paper.

So, educational leaders: What’s your napkin idea?

Call to Action: Make It Happen

Take five minutes today. Yes, today. Grab a sticky note, a whiteboard marker, or yes, a napkin, and write down an idea you’ve been toying with. What’s one thing that could make your classroom, your school, or your district better? Don’t overthink it - just jot it down.

Now, share it.
Send it to a colleague, share it at your next meeting, or better yet, implement it this week. Take that idea off the napkin and see how far it can go.

And if you’re really brave? Share it with me! Send me a reply with your best napkin idea, and I’ll feature it in an upcoming newsletter. Let’s show everyone what’s possible when we stop waiting for the “perfect” moment and act on those brilliant ideas scribbled between sips of coffee.

Because in education, the best ideas don’t just stay on napkins - they move schools forward.

Track of the Week 💿

Turn on, tune in, and check out…

Click the iPod to check out the track I have on repeat this week. Check out The EDU Files playlist for tunes to keep you rockin’ throughout the week.

Surfing the Web 🌊

Here is my favorite EDU content from the web this week.

• Guiding Student in Special Education to Generate Ideas for Writing by Erin Houghton

• Critical Thinking Toolbox: How to Brainstorm by Hans Bluedorn and Nathaniel Bluedorn

• Brainstorming by Cornell University

• A Simple Brainstorming Technique by Adam Alter

Be sure to check these out…

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Thanks for spreading the word, and keep up the good fight. The work you do matters.

See ya next Tuesday! 🍏

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