Principal Matters – Year in Review

For those who follow my blog and podcast, I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season, and I wanted to offer you best wishes on the New Year.

It’s been a blessed year on the home front. In 2018, my wife, Missy, and I celebrated our 25th anniversary. Our four children are healthy — with one daughter in college, two girls in high school, and our son in middle school.

In my new role as Executive Director of Oklahoma’s Association of Secondary School Principals and Oklahoma’s Middle Level Education Association, I have enjoyed supporting principals across my state as well as joining my colleagues and our members in hosting or attending events.

Outside of Oklahoma, I enjoyed growing in my state association work as I traveled to NASSP’s state executive director training in Burlington, Vermont in May 2018; NASSP’s Principal of the Year Awards Ceremony in September 2018; and AMLE’s national conference in Orlando during October 2018 with an awesome team of Oklahoma middle school leaders.

My work with Principal Matters has continued to grow as well. With the release of my book, Messaging Matters: How School Leaders Can Inspire Students, Motivate Teachers, and Reach Communities, I was invited to connect with many friends across the nation as a guest speaker.

My friends at CLAS, Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, invited me to keynote at three events with Assistant Principals, including: Orange Beach, Alabama, January 24, 2018; Huntsville, Alabama, January 31, 2018; and Prattville, Alabama, February 7, 2018.

Dr. Tim Elmore and my friends at Growing Leaders included me as a featured speaker for their Roundtable for Principals event June 21, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.

I attended NASSP’s national conference in Chicago July 11-13, 2018, with a great team of principals from Oklahoma. While there, my friends Jethro Jones and Danny Bauer invited me to participate in their presentation on how to blog.

Later in the summer, I was invited to speak at Nevada’s Association of Career Technical Education for their summer conference on July 25, 2018,in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. My wife and I were also able to stay for the week to celebrate our anniversary.

This year you helped Principal Matters Podcast top 200,000 total episode downloads!

Below is a list of the blog and podcast episodes released throughout the year. Feel free to check out any past episodes you may have missed:
PMP:137 Reaching and Teaching Students Exposed to Trauma with Dr. Barbara Sorrels
PMP:136 Crucial Conversations for Reaching Targeted Destinations
PMP:135 Using FOMO for Positive School Culture with Kim Coody
PMP:134 Creating Engaging Cultures with Dr. Tim Elmore
PMP:133 Three Reasons to be Thankful
PMP:132 Frameworks for Managing Student Discipline
PMP:131 School Without Walls – Interview with Richard Trogisch
PMP:130 Five Lessons in Resilience – Reflections from Unbroken
PMP:129 Why School Culture Matters – Interview with Heather Shaffery
PMP:128 Integrating Technology School-wide with Janalyn Taylor
PMP:127 Why Social Emotional Learning Matters – Interview with Tamara Fyke
PMP:125 Leaving A Legacy – What Will Others Say About You?
PMP:124 Six Tips for Investing in Future Leaders
PMP:123 Rowing Together – Why Your Marriage Matters for Your Leadership
PMP:122 Packing Parachutes – Why Your Money Management Matters
PMP:121 The Power of Play – 7 Tips for Education Leaders
PMP:120 A Leader’s Spiritual Growth – Four Reasons Your Faith Matters
PMP:Bonus03 – Answers to Listener Questions + Thoughts from the Road
PMP:119 Your Friendships – Learning to Climb Together
PMP:118 Growing Leaders Takeaways – Crucial Conversations About Students
PMP:117 Your Time – Are you Making the Most of Each Moment?
PMP:116 The Starbucks Story – Three Lessons for School Leaders
PMP:115 A Leader’s Influence – How is the Air You Breathe?
PMP:114 Reflections on Your Learning: What’s on Your Playlist?
PMP:113 Building Positive School Communities – Interview with Principal Mike Crase
PMP:112 Reflections for Education Leaders – How Are You Tending Your Body?
PMP:111 Reflections for Education Leaders & Wearing Your Air Mask
PMP:110 Six Tips for Education Advocacy
PMP:109 The Power of One Caring Adult with Josh Shipp
PMP:108 Using Technology to Message with Parents, the Community, and Beyond
PMP:107 Positive Messaging with Parents and Communities
PMP:106 Rethinking How School Leaders Help Teachers Grow
PMP:105 Using Technology to Message with Students
PMP:104 Messaging with Students — Environment, Celebration, and Communication
PMP:103 Standing Back Up When You Feel Knocked Down
PMP:102 Four Essentials for Advancing in Your Leadership
PMP:101 Strategies for Messaging with Teachers
PMP:100 Celebrating One Hundred Episodes of Storytelling
PMP:099 Collaborating for Results – Interview with Dr. Judi Barber
PMP098: Messaging with Teachers – The Foundations, Models, and Framework for Strong Instructional Leadership
PMP:097 Building a Community of Messaging with Entanglement, Engagement, and Mission

Thank you so much for staying connected, sharing ideas, and applying lessons to your leadership.

I’d be thrilled to know how you are doing as well as any suggested topics you’d like to explore in school leadership this coming year.

Thanks again for doing what matters!
Sincerely,

Will

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Principal Matters–The Book!

School leaders are very busy, so each of the twenty-four chapters is designed as a quick-read and followed with take-action questions for follow-up or reflection. If you want practical ideas on understanding your purpose, managing school teams, dealing with challenges, and leading with courage, action, motivation, and teamwork, go HERE to pick up a copy for you or your team.

Messaging Matters

Harness the power of messaging to create a culture of acknowledgment, respect, and celebration. Written specially for leaders, this title is divided into three parts, helping readers to maximize their role as chief communicators with students, teachers, and parents and community. Each chapter includes suggestions for using digital tools to enhance messaging and ends with reflection questions and practical next steps.