Category Leadership

Flooded Creeks and Life Lessons

When I was a kid, sometimes I would wake up early, pack a small shoulder satchel with a snack, water bottle, and pocketknife, and head off into the woods for the day. One of my favorite hiking places was the…

PMP:014 Five Tips for Maintaining Sanity During Stressful Times

: Play in new window | DownloadDo you ever feel overwhelmed by your to-do’s? Sometimes you hit seasons where your work can be more stressful than at others. As I’ve hit these seasons at different points in my leadership, I’ve…

Something a Little Personal

This week is Spring Break. Unseasonably warm days have pushed green into tree boughs, and Bradford pears have blossomed white. Asparagus shoots are sprouting in our raised beds, and fescue already needs a first mowing. It really seems like winter’s…

Remembering Apollo 13: Overcoming the Insurmountable

The Apollo 13 mission is one of my favorite stories of endurance. On April 11, 1970 when Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise set off for their mission to the moon at speeds equivalent to 20,000 mph, they had…

PMP:012 Disciplining with Dignity

: Play in new window | DownloadIf you view school discipline simply as punishment, you’ll be limited in your effectiveness. If you view it as a way to measure and redirect student behavior, then you may experience more meaningful results.…

Celebrating Collaboration and the Ability to Fly

Last week I flew to the NASSP annual conference in Orlando with connecting flights in Dallas. As I boarded my flight home, my mind was filled with new ideas about school, and I began comparing the process of flying to…

PMP:011 Tips for Showing Appreciation for Teachers

: Play in new window | DownloadBecause one good deed is worth more than a thousand good intentions, you can never overestimate the power of showing others they are appreciated. In episode 11, learn seven simple ways to show appreciation…

Triggering the Brain with Wonder

The other day I was talking to our high school choir teacher, when she told me about a fascinating brain study involving music. MIT neuroscientists have discovered that music triggers an auditory cortex of the brain that doesn’t appear to…

PMP:010 Tips for Dealing with Difficult People

: Play in new window | DownloadIn episode 10 of Principal Matters Podcast, we dive into some of the practical ways to make school leadership more effective. Dealing with difficult people is often one of the hardest and most frequent…

In Praise of American Educators: Review 3

In Chapter 4 of In Praise of American Educators: And How They Can Become Even Better, DuFour outlines strategies that actually work for high-performing countries. He then explains why those strategies make more sense than the false assumptions embraced by…

PMP:09 Better Managing Requests

: Play in new window | DownloadIn episode 9 of Principal Matters Podcast, we jump into the “nuts and bolts” of school leadership by talking about how to manage requests. School leaders can easily be overwhelmed with the number of…

A Complaint Free World: 5 Ways to Respond

One of the strengths I appreciate in my team members is their ability to voice concerns or raise red flags when something important is affecting our students. I am so thankful for helpful feedback. Of course, there is a big…

PMP:08 Making Each Day Count

: Play in new window | DownloadIn episode 8 of Principal Matters Podcast, I continue a conversation on the importance of understanding your motivations for why you lead. Based on an original blog post, 3 Tips for Making Each Day…

In Praise of American Educators: Review 2

Talk to almost any politician about education, and you will often hear suggestions for improvement that include words like accountability, portability or choice. Very few suggest adequately funding schools or implementing measures that can really produce results. In Chapter 3…

PMP:07 Motivation by Wonder & Purpose

: Play in new window | DownloadYour deepest motivations determine whether you will lead effectively or not. In this podcast episode, I explore how fear and pride are both counterproductive motivations for school leadership. So what is a healthier motivation?…

In Praise of American Educators: Review Part I

As educators in my own state of Oklahoma continue to face pending cuts to school funding, and as advocates of public education attempt to remind their neighbors that our schools are worth the investment, it is a good time to…

PMP:06 Focusing on the Positives

: Play in new window | DownloadSchool leadership is not for the weak-kneed or thin-skinned. But no matter how long you are in leadership, it is still easy to feel overwhelmed. In this podcast episode, I share some of the…

Facing the Unsustainable: 5 Ways to Respond

There are many things I love about the state of Oklahoma: the open sky, painted sunsets, small towns, and grass prairies. There’s such unique beauty in the art deco of Tulsa’s downtown, the brilliant sands of the Great Salt Plains,…

PMP:05 Caution Lights for School Leaders

: Play in new window | DownloadIn Episode 5 of Principal Matters Podcast, I share “Caution Lights For Your Leadership Journey.” Learn lessons from my earliest years in school leadership and how burning out almost led me to abandoning the…

PMP:04 How Your Story Influences Others

: Play in new window | DownloadIn Episode 4 of Principal Matters Podcast, I share some of my own background growing up in rural West Tennessee. Learn how your own story can inform and influence your leadership today, and how…

3 Secrets for Maximizing Moments this New Year

During Christmas break, my brother Jesse, and I took a long walk behind our parents’ house. He showed me places where they had cleared fields and brush–adding more pasture to the acres where the cattle graze. As we made our…

PMP:03 Purpose-Driven Leadership

: Play in new window | DownloadIn this podcast episode, I share some helpful research on how business strategy is more profitable when you understand the meaning in your product. How does this relate to education? And how can school…

PMP:02 One Day In The Life of a Principal

: Play in new window | DownloadIn the 2nd episode of Principal Matters Podcast, I share an inspiring story from a world-record swimmer and discuss the essential elements leaders need for serving others. Then I run through a typical day…

Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast, Episode 1

: Play in new window | DownloadI recorded this first episode at the beginning of school so that I could remember that important steps to take all-year-long for a successful school year. I describe two separate scenarios for students during…

Giving Encouragement For the Holidays

When I was a boy, my father rigged up a large water barrel to use as a solar-heated hot water source. He wasn’t environmentally friendly. We just lived a simple life in the backwoods of West Tennessee. Until we had…

What Are You Willing To Do For It?

A couple of weeks ago, I was standing in the high school commons when one of our military recruiters had set up a table to hand out items to interested students. For years I’ve watched recruiters talk to kids who…

3 Resources For Practicing Gratitude Year-Round

Having just enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday, I came across a number of helpful resources that still have me thinking about gratitude. One is from an interesting NPR story, another from a motivational speaker, and the third from an inspiring sermon.…

What Factors Predict Student Success?

Over the weekend, I was having lunch with a friend who works in petroleum engineering. We talked about the kind of research and data that he uses to determine which sites are best for drilling or exploration. Investors are especially…

10 Easy Literacy Strategies For Engaging Students

This summer some of our teachers attended Literacy Strategy as part of our before school professional development. As a follow-up, we invited a Literacy specialist, Shannon Gaines, to spend a day with our teachers observing and providing feedback. We scheduled…

Providing Helpful Feedback—No Matter What Subject You Have Taught

All four of my children were taught to swim by a retired teaching couple that lives in our community. She was a kindergarten teacher, and he was a secondary teacher, coach, and principal. A couple of summers ago, I was…

4 Easy Steps For Making a Faculty Meeting Video

October is busy month for our school. In addition to regular classes, softball and volleyball regionals as well as football games, we just hosted after-school parent conferences. As I was also working on the state accreditation report, I realized a…

A Moment For Gratitude

Saturday I was up early to drive my fourteen-year-old daughter to band practice at the school. On our way, the pink fingers of clouds were stretching hellos from the eastern horizon, misty clouds were rising from the fields and ponds,…

The Power of Parent Support

When I was student teaching, I had the idealistic view that teaching alone was the most powerful way to influence the success of students. Although research shows that teacher expectations significantly affect the success of students in a classroom setting,…

Part 2: Building Positive School Climates – 18 Ideas From Principals

In a previous post, I shared Building Positive School Climates: 20 Ideas from Principals on ways to better serve school communities. Last week I attended a gathering of innovative school leaders when we were asked for ideas on what’s working…

3 Lessons In Managing Under Pressure

When I was in high school and college, my brothers and I worked part-time diving for mussel shells in the Kentucky Lake area. We would sell them by the pound at local markets, and those shells would in turn be…

10 Digital Tools For Enhancing Your Communication

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a fellow administrator in Sydney, Australia, asking for permission to re-publish a recent blog post for their executive newsletter. Although he and I are literally sitting on opposite sides of the…

Planning Ahead For What Matters: 7 Tips For Time Management

One day I was standing outside my classroom during a passing period when I suddenly had one of those Jedi-moments that teachers have–when I could tell something was about to happen. I could just feel a change in the hallway…

Don’t Underestimate Your Influence

I grew up in West Tennessee where my parents raised the six of us on a small farm in the middle of nowhere. Gravel roads, winding creeks, swampy bottoms, large fields, and rambling woods were my playgrounds. We were so…

3 C’s For Navigating A New School Year

This summer I had the privilege of traveling to Washington, D.C. with my superintendent. At our district’s opening meeting with staff, he told a story about one morning when we decided to paddle a kayak on the Potomac near Roosevelt…

The Power of Gratitude (Who Is Packing Your Parachute?)

Last week I found a handwritten card in my box at school. It was from a student who will be a senior this coming school year. In the note, she was telling me thank you for the ways we had…

Interview with Deborah Gist

The following is an interview between Deborah Gist and me. Deborah A. Gist is the Superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools. Previously, she was Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. Before coming to Rhode Island, Deborah served as the…

Choose To Run The Race Anyway

This past weekend, our oldest daughter, Emily, had signed up to run her first 5k with her younger sister who ended up unable to run it with her. When I drove Emily to the race downtown, I could tell she…

The Importance of Public Relations: 4 Tips

I know a lot of people who love Chick-fil-A because of the quality of their food and service. If you’ve eaten there, you know how friendly they are to customers, you’ve seen the fresh flowers on the tables, and you…

Transformative Principal Interview, Part 2

Even with the rewarding moments of of being educators, I’m not sure I can imagine an occupation (unless it’s customer service reps or pastoring) that involves the inevitability of dealing with difficult situations or people. In Part 2 of my…

5 Tips On Preparing For Your Next Launch

I’ve never been on a cruise ship, but I have lots of friends who tell me you couldn’t find a better vacation choice. Although I’d love to try one, I’ll have to take their word for it. With my four…

Honoring a Hero At This Year’s Graduation

This week is graduation at my school. Our band will play Pomp And Circumstance, our graduates will line their way into their seats, and thousands of family and friends will fill our activity center for the special event.But one graduate…

Starting Next School Year Strong

We’re a month away from the end of school (sorry friends not in North America). When I’m asked if I am excited for the end of the school year, I usually say, “Yes!” But the truth is that I don’t…

Principal Matters–The Book!

It’s finally here! I am thrilled to share this collection of insights, motivation, and practical ideas for school leaders. Principal Matters is the advice I would share with anyone who wants to grow as a school leader. School leaders are…

7 Communication To-Do’s For Managing Student Discipline

If you had asked me to describe my greatest challenges during my first years as a school administrator, I would have quickly said managing student discipline. When I talk to prospective principals, I sometimes ask them to think back to…

The Power of “Entanglement”: Implications For School Leaders

Recently I was listening to a January 29, 2015 episode of Invisibilia, a podcast about the invisible forces that affect us without us being aware. Specifically, the reporters narrating this episode were talking about a phenomenon known as “entanglement.” They…

30 Questions From Principal Interviews (Plus More)

A few weeks ago, some fellow administrators and I presented to an awesome group of teachers who are preparing to become admins. A great follow-up question was: “What kinds of questions can I expect in an interview for assistant principal…

The Power of Strong Teachers

Yesterday I participated in a presentation to a group of teachers who are aspiring to become principals. We talked about what it means to transition from the classroom to administration, the roles of school leadership, and the to-do’s of interviewing…