Be More Like Waffle | Jennifer Butterfoss | TEDxSFUHS Youth

Drawing on research from Challenge Success with students, Jennifer Butterfoss looks at how the drive to optimize every talent often leaves students just going through the motions of school, checking boxes without real engagement. As a possible way out, she points to her dog Waffle, who pursues what he loves without worrying about being the best. The talk was given at TEDxSFUHS Youth, an independently organized TEDx event. Butterfoss is a leadership coach with over 20 years of experience in education, a former school principal, and currently a School Partnership Coach working with school and district leaders. She is also a parent of two children.

• Research from Challenge Success on students who are "doing school" without real engagement
• The pressure to optimize every talent
• Waffle the dog as an example of pursuing what you love without worrying about being the best
• Presented by a leadership coach and former school principal

Drawing on Challenge Success’s research with students, Jennifer shows how the push to optimize every talent leaves most students just “doing school,” checking boxes without real engagement. Her guide out of that trap is her dog, Waffle, who chases what he loves with no concern for being the best. Jennifer Butterfoss, M.S., is a leadership coach with over 20 years of experience in education. A former school principal and current School Partnership Coach, she partners with school and district leaders nationwide, bringing expertise in systems design, strategic planning, and transformational change. As a parent of two (ages 13 and 10), she brings a lived, family-centered perspective to her work with school communities. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx