Thoughts On My Father
We just celebrated Father’s Day this weekend. In honor of all fathers, I want to take a moment to reflect on my dad. My father has always been the strongest man in my life. At 6 feet, 2 inches, he…
William D. Parker
10 Tips On Interviewing For An Education Position
We just finished filling a tenth teaching position at my school for next year. As hard as it is to work through the hiring process, nothing is more important to the success of school than finding quality educators. Although I…
Interview with Daniel Kerr
The following is a Q & A exchange between Daniel Kerr and me. A few years ago, my school offered a Chinese language class through a cooperative effort between the University of Oklahoma and a Chinese education agency. Through that…
Interview with Ruby Payne
The following is a Q & A between Ruby Payne and me. Ruby Payne is the best-selling author of A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Her book and other resources have significantly affected the way teachers reach at-risk students. Her work…
That’s What We Do In Oklahoma
I grew up in Tennessee, but I’ve lived in Oklahoma for more than twenty years now. I will never grow used to tornadoes. Spring time here means clearing out your storm shelter or your best hidey-holes. That’s what we do…
Spring Time Memories
Yesterday morning I woke up thinking about my grandparents. Grandaddy was a farmer and Grandma a teacher. They lived a simple life far away from big cities or congested traffic. Gravel roads, open fields, and grazing cattle was the environment…
7 Ways to Show Appreciation for Teachers
A friend once told me, “One good deed is worth more than a thousand good intentions.” Sometimes I am guilty of good intentions without good actions. But when it comes to appreciating others, my good intentions won’t ever let others…
Interview with John Dumas
The following is a Q & A exchange between John Lee Dumas and me. A few months ago, I changed my morning commute routine from listening to daily news on the radio to listening to podcasts instead. Most of the…
Interview with Tim Elmore
The following is a Q & A exchange between Dr. Tim Elmore and me. I had the privilege of connecting with Tim when a mutual friend introduced us after seeing I had recommended his book, Generation iY, and I am…
Tips for Dealing with Difficult People
If you are like me, you want school leadership to be about inspiring or encouraging others to reach shared goals. So often, motivational leadership also requires managing complicated situations or people. Over the years, I have begun to learn practical…