with William D. Parker and Friends
: Play in new window | DownloadThis past semester, Dr. Jeff Springer has helped me facilitate the weekly book study portion of our Principal Matters Mastermind. In this week’s podcast episode, we share Part 2 of a conversation about the…
: Play in new window | DownloadAs you are wrapping up the semester, I wanted to send this note of encouragement. This semester you have managed school in ways you never have before. Some of you have served students who…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis past semester, I had the honor of leading a Mastermind with principals from across the U.S. Like eating a meal with family members each week, a Mastermind is a way for consistent growth…
: Play in new window | DownloadIn last week’s episode, Colonel Brad Ruttman shared lessons from his military experience that may also apply to education leaders. This week, he unpacks more of his “Pocket-List for Leading a New Command” as…
: Play in new window | DownloadLeadership is tactical, operational and strategic. These are three words Colonel Brad Ruttman has learned as the framework for understanding how to help others accomplish their goals. In this week’s episode, I had the…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I’m honored to talk to Jethro Jones about his new book, SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves. Five years ago, I had the…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I had the privilege of being interviewed by Joshua Stamper for his podcast, Aspire: The Leadership Development Podcast. When our mutual friend, Jimmy Casas, from ConnectEdd.org, encouraged us to talk about my…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week Jen Schwanke continues asking me questions about my new book Pause. Breathe. Flourish. Living Your Best Life as an Educator. Jen Schwanke is the principal of Indian Run Elementary and author of…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen Jen Schwanke and I sat down to talk about my new book this week, Jen turned the microphone to ask me some questions. Jen Schwanke is the principal of Indian Run Elementary and…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis year’s pandemic has made it difficult to see my parents as they live a long distance and are both in a vulnerable age group. Instead of posting about education this week, I want…
: Play in new window | DownloadAlthough it is so important to understand your “why” in leadership, it is also imperative to understand “how” to effectively do your work. This week’s guest, Dr. Justin Thomas, provides practical feedback from his…
: Play in new window | DownloadDuring the summer, several principals from across the nation joined me for a Re-Opening Mastermind to collaborate, explore, brainstorm and support one another during the difficult days of planning for a new school year.…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I was interviewed again by Dr. Jeff A. Springer, Ed.D., Educational Leadership Coach – Spring Strategies, LLC, and 2013 TASSP Texas State Principal of the Year, as we explored the final chapters…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I talk with Jeff A. Springer, Ed.D., Educational Leadership Coach from Spring Strategies, LLC, and 2013 TASSP Texas State Principal of the Year. In this episode, Dr. Springer turns the table and…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen this pandemic began, many of us were asking what lessons we may learn from something none of us ever experienced before. Dr. Tim Elmore began asking similar questions to survivors of the Great…
: Play in new window | DownloadAs you are re-engaging with your school community, what lessons are you learning as you walk through this new journey with your staff, students, parents and community? This week, Jen Schwanke joins me again…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I reconnected with Principal Jen Schwanke, Principal of Indian Run Elementary, author and education consultant, for reflections on what re-opening has looked like for her school in Dublin, Ohio. Together we explored…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week I talked a high school principal who told me she has already referred more students than normal to therapists and counselors for social emotional supports for this time of year. I imagine…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis is the time of year when the green stalks of corn begin to brown and yellow, and the once moist kernels begin to harden into dry grain. If you’ve ever shucked corn, you…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week I was in a conversation with a principal from South Carolina, a member of a Mastermind for Reopening Schools that I have been leading. Each week more than a dozen principals join…
: Play in new window | DownloadEspecially during difficult times, leaders need support from other leaders. Each week this past year, I have been hosting virtual one-hour conversations with select groups of school leaders through Principal Matters Masterminds. Together we…
: Play in new window | DownloadJenny is a returning student at her high school. She has a part-time job which keeps her up late most nights. When her school opens this fall, she knows remote-learning is the option until…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I did my first in-person meeting with a group of fellow-school leaders as they plan for the beginning of a new school year. The team of administrators sat in a room with…
: Play in new window | DownloadOne of the biggest challenges for the a new school year is deciding how to mitigate concerns for safety while ensuring ways to still actively engage, support, and reach students. In this week’s podcast…
: Play in new window | DownloadAs you think about your own leadership, I’m curious if you give yourself the kind of scrutiny you may give your own team members? In other words, are you allowing the kind of self-reflection…
: Play in new window | DownloadOn March 17, 2020, many schools across the U.S. began responding to the global pandemic of COVID-19 with school closures. Most school leaders were scrambling to figure out how to keep school communities safe…
: Play in new window | DownloadNow that the dust has settled from distance learning, school leaders are asking: what worked, and what didn’t work? How did you stay connected to people, or what important milestones did you miss? In…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week, my guests William Stubbs, Marlena Gross-Taylor, and Don Parker shared feedback on their personal and professional reflections around equity, racism, and inequalities. They each gave suggestions to help you decide how to…
: Play in new window | DownloadNo community has been immune to conversations surrounding equity, racism, and inequalities. As Marlena Gross-Taylor, one of the guests on this week’s podcast episode explains, these conversations have been going on for at least…
: Play in new window | DownloadStarting a new school year is like preparing for a marathon. The journey begins with training long before the race begins. And once the race starts, you need a lot of endurance for the…
: Play in new window | DownloadEven in uncertain times, it is good to remember that positive ideas can come from even the most difficult situations. Juan David Campolargo, a seventeen-year-old high school student from Chicago, is no stranger to…
: Play in new window | DownloadDuring school closures and remote learning, maintaining connection with students has been an enormous puzzle to solve. When 8th grade teacher Jena Nelson, from Deer Creek Middle School in Edmond, Oklahoma, switched to online…
: Play in new window | DownloadSchool leaders share a common bond – whether you lead in an urban, suburban or rural setting. During the last two months, I’ve also been thinking a lot about another common bond all school…
: Play in new window | DownloadI don’t know about you, but it seems like every waking hour has been spent adjusting to a new normal, and the idea of relaxing almost seems unkind when you think of all the…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen storms roll across my home state of Oklahoma, residents here have a few common reactions. First, we listen to the weather station. Oklahoma has the best storm-tracking radar systems in the world. Second,…
: Play in new window | DownloadIf you’re like me, you’re probably still adjusting to a new normal. Each morning I still wake up, walk the dog, or go for a run around the neighborhood. I login to my email…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis morning I was running a three-mile track around my neighborhood. As I passed the houses and occasional drivers, I felt a sudden kinship to my neighbors I’m not sure I’ve felt before. We…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen Don Parker was a Dean of Students, he knew his students were struggling – especially those with high risk factors. Don’s passion became simple and challenging: Find the best ways to help students…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I had the privilege of capturing a few minutes with Chris Legleiter, Principal of Leawood Middle School, Blue Valley Schools, just outside Kansas City, Missouri. The state of Kansas has closed buildings…
: Play in new window | DownloadAs schools across the nation continue closures because of the Coronavirus pandemic, this week’s episode includes an update from listener, Terrence Simmons, Assistant Principal at Floyd Elementary, in Nye County, Nevada. Their team has…
: Play in new window | DownloadThroughout the world, schools are managing the challenges of school closures in response to news of the spreading corona virus or COVID-19. As a school leader, you are expected to manage difficulties, but sometimes…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhat stories have shaped your own leadership journey? I recently finished reading, Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, Tara Westover grew up in a rural Idaho with parents…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhy is hiring such an important part of your responsibility as a principal? First and foremost, because the students, teachers, and community members deserve high quality education experiences. And secondly, because the people in…
: Play in new window | DownloadOne day the teachers at Indian Run Elementary, in Dublin, Ohio, organized a “Flash TACO bar” – a spontaneous buffet meal where they shared great food and fun together. As principal of the school,…
: Play in new window | DownloadIt goes without saying that in order to lead you must have followers. But taking others to a destination doesn’t just mean accomplishing all the to-do’s on your checklist. Leadership requires relationships. And meaningful…
: Play in new window | Download“When is a time you have used grit, and what lesson did you learn?” This is just one of 100 questions you find included in the Table Talk Cards that come as a bonus…
: Play in new window | DownloadStudents today face newer and different challenges than students of the past. Although many of the skills or values they need to be successful remain the same regardless of time and place, they also…
: Play in new window | DownloadI am digging into the archives of Principal Matters to bring you an episode from January 2018, when I had the privilege to interview Dr. Judi Barber. First, let me tell you a story.…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with a team of new assistant principals. As we talked about their first semester, they shared the lessons they’ve learned in time management, communication,…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhat does it take for small actions to produce big results? Over Christmas break, I listened to the audio-version of Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and learned…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week my family and I traveled back to Tennessee to see my parents and extended family. My parents both turned 79 this past year. Life has slowed down a lot for them now.…